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All Quiet on the Equestrian Front	Black Betty	"You hit somebody with your fist and not your fingers spread." Eight Black Betty -- The welding torch flared to life, hissing and crackling, as the scorching flame touched and began heating the metal on the side of the Riptide Cruiser Tank. The front armor had taken quite a beating, and it had been a miracle it made it back at all. Pockmarks from bounced shells littered the front of the tank, not to mention the full-on hole just left of the gun barrel. "Jeez, looks like you poor fuckers went through the ringer." Some Pony's voice snarked, from off to the left, as Private Applebloom Apple stopped what she was doing, shut off the torch, and stood up from her hunched position atop the front of the Riptide. "D'ya mind? Ah'm trying to git this varmint back in working order." The yellow-coated earth pony griped, raising her welding mask above her face. "Yeesh, you look like you went through three rounds yourself, kid." Applebloom just sighed and rolled her eyes, as she let the welding mask fall back over her face. She did look pretty terrible at the moment, sure, but hey, she looked better than the damn tank at least. "Yeah, yeah, why don't y'all go choke on somethin' and quit wasting mah time." "Meh, nothing better to do at the moment, Apples. What happened, you lose a fight with a boxer?" The earth pony mare bit off her reply, as a pair of ponies- one a Pegasus and one a Unicorn- helped to roll a large, tank-sized engine into the maintenance bay, strapped to a shop lift that looked like it'd come straight from a mechanic's shop. With the town of Shire nearby, it probably had in all honesty. "Oh thank goodness, ah was gettin' worried ah'd have to try an' fix up the old one while tweedle dee an' tweedle dumb here bothered me." "You two miscreants giving my engineer bullshit?" The Non-Commissioned Officer- A light lavender unicorn mare with a dirty blonde mane- griped, as she leaned against the new engine block, rubbing a dry cloth against her sweaty forehead. "Eh, just a bit, Sargeant, ma'am. You guys get hammered out there?" "You could say that. Betty's gonna need a lot more than a new motor after all's said and done. Transmission's shot to shit too- and stuck in reverse." "Damn. And wait a minute. Betty, as in Black Betty?" "Yeah, that's right," Applebloom nodded, as she hopped off the front of the tank, to inspect the new engine. "No shit. We heard you took down like, twelve of those new bug super tanks." The Pegasus mare snorted, shaking her short magenta bangs. "Nah, just one. While we were busy shitting bricks, at that." "Understatement of th' century, Scoots." Applebloom snorted in amusement. "You wanna tell it, Dinks? Or should I?" "Ah, you got to tell it last time. My turn to impress the miscreants," Sergeant Dinky Doo chuckled dryly, before taking a seat at a makeshift table built from a worn metal side-plate. "Right, so... where to start?" --- Guess I should start with our old Sarge, Zecora. Zebra mare, but she was a pretty good sort. Not like the freaky tribals across the water. She'd been a friend of ours from Ponyville, back home. Knew a lot about the Everfree Forest, and that neat Zebra herbal magic stuff. Good friend of ours. Liked to rhyme a lot, though. If there was anything bad about her, it was the constant rhyming. She was our Squad Lead when we first arrived at the town of Shire... We'd seen some minor fighting around Tall Tales before it fell, acting as rear guard for Colonel Berrytwist's defenders when they finally pulled out. Heard they'd given a pretty damn good account of themselves, before we showed up. Shire was different. See, the Shire was our first offensive action of the war. Blueblood called it Supercharge. -- "This fight is sure to be deadly.. Apple Bloom, is the crew at the ready?" "Yes'm, Sarge. Dinky's complaining about poor turret pressure, but Scoots and I think we've got it sorted." The Zebra nodded from beneath her tanker's skull cap, as the pair trotted purposefully along the line of idling tanks, back towards their own. "Let us hope; otherwise, we shall be useless, and Dinky I think will mope." "Mope. Mmmope. That's a funny word." The Zebra shrugged, as the two stopped in front of their own tank, the words "Black Betty" painted on, above the sloppy painting of four Changeling military crosses- the crew's tank kills up to this point. "That is quite true. Regardless, without power to the turret, I think we shall have upon our hooves a very sad Corporal Doo." "Understatement of th' day." Applebloom snarked, as the two hopped atop the tank, a Riptide Cruiser Model. The Riptide itself was an excellent by tank, from what the crew of Betty had seen from using it, truly bridging the gap between the much lighter dart cruisers and the rather heavy Celestias. However, its real strength lay behind the short barreled 75mm Main gun, almost directly taken off Changeling Panzer models. The key difference between the two models however, lay in the velocity. Whereas the Changeling Panzer Gun was more of a direct-fire howitzer for clearing out infantry, the Riptide's main gun was designed for fighting tanks- something the Changeling Panzers had learned the hard way, back at Tall Tales. Mounting up within their tank, Applebloom slid into the loader's position, next to and slightly behind Dinky, as Zecora slid herself into the commander's chair, closing the hatch behind her. "Hey gals. We were worried you weren't going to make it!" Their driver joked, as she let the Riptide's diesel motor turn over, grumbling loudly, whilst tanks to their left and right did the same. "We are quite sorry for the wait, but do not fret, for we are not late. Rather, worry for your life. As we are to be the tank dead center, we shall have before us, a fair bit of coming strife." "Oh shit, dead center?" Dinky Blinked, as she paused her cleaning of her gun sight. "You gotta be kidding me." "Those words I did in fact utter, and furthermore, did you hear me stutter?" There was a momentary pause amidst the crew, as the only noise audible throughout the tank was the rumblings of it and the others surrounding them. "Okay, so we're middle of the damn line. Great. What's the plan?" Zecora cleared her throat, as she nodded for Scootaloo to begin rolling forward. As the young mare- barely an adult- did so, to their left and right, other tanks did so as well. "We are to push forward against the Changeling Line. Tonight, in Vanhoover, we are to dine. The enemy line shall be strong, and the battle shall be long. However, our forces shall strike deep, and at the end of the day, her many dead Changelings, the witch Chrysalis shall weep." -- Sarge, that is both brilliant and horridly cheesy at the same time. And she was always rhyming like that? Well yeah, most of the time. She tended to drop the rhyming during pitched battle. No time for minced words while being shot at. -- The Riptide known as Black Betty surged forward at the front of the armored Spearhead, other Riptide tanks from the armored division taking up the immediate left and right of the spearhead formation. Past them sat two groups of heavy armor attached to the division, making up the left and right flanks. To the far left and far right, out of vision of the medium and heavy tanks, light tanks backed by motorized infantry riding trucks were securing the sides of the spearhead. Betty rolled across the snow, throwing white powder about, as it chugged across the town of Shire, towards the frozen over river. It was just a few days after Hearth's Warming, when the river was at its most solid- solid enough, the engineers swore up and down, to support even the heavily armored, motorized bunkers that were Celestia tanks. "Alright, moment of truth!" Scootaloo barked above the clanking din of the Riptide, as the medium tank rose up the short berm of the riverbank, then down the bank itself onto the frozen river. There was a short, second or so pause, as both Equestrian and Changeling defenders on either end of the river watched in shock, punctuated by the following of several other tanks, as the Riptides found purchase on the slippery ice, and started charging across. Changeling Anti-Tank Guns roared to life as Machine Guns and small artillery pieces from both banks of the river echoed back and forth across the field. Off to the left, Zecora winced from the Commander's hatch, watching from her glass viewports as an artillery shell detonated at the front of a Celestia tank. The resulting explosion did little to the vehicle itself, but shattered the ice beneath it, as the impressively heavy tank sunk immediately into the frigid river. "Do not stop until we are across!" Zecora practically shrieked, as Scootaloo gunned it across the river, the Riptide's treads and track wheels screeching as they slid and fought for purchase along the slippery ice. A mighty clang echoed out as something struck the Riptide, sending it spinning dangerously across the ice, as it careened into a Riptide beside it, slamming both to a halt. "It bounced! Fuck's sake it was a bounce!" "Worry later! Get us moving now!" The Zebra tank sergeant barked again, watching the battle unfold from the command ports, as Dinky swiveled the gun turret about to the offending Anti Tank Gun. "Blasting that Gun!" "Aim direct, ah'v got AP loaded!" The 75 millimeter swiveled again and blasted forth a shell, piercing the Changeling AT gun's heat shield. Inside the Riptide, Applebloom slung open the breach, ejecting the empty shell, twisting behind herself to snag a fresh shell from the rack, before slamming it into the open breech, sealing it afterwards. "HE up!" Dinky declined to reply, instead adjusting her aim, and letting her cannon do the talking for her. The high explosive shell detonated against the base of the anti-tank gun, sending it careening backwards, as deadly explosive shrapnel scattered outwards from the impact. Up and down the line, the story was much the same, as Equestrian tanks engaged light Changeling Panzers, and copious amounts of anti-tank guns, of varying calibers. Finally, Scootaloo found traction on the ice, and got Black Betty rolling again, slipping and sliding across the ice until her treads found firm purchase on the opposite bank. A little further down the line, other riptides and a couple Celestias were doing the same, guns chattering away at enemies on the bank. "This is Betty to all tanks! We are across the river! Advance! Infantry will mop up the defenders!" Zecora commanded, as the Equestrian Armored Unit's continued to pour onto the enemy held bank. "Here goes nothing." Scootaloo muttered, as she lurched the Riptide back into gear, rolling up the river bank. "Wonder what's out there." "Dunno," Dinky began, sitting back momentarily from her gun sight to wipe a hoof across her forehead, "but all that we're gonna leave is dead bugs."
All Quiet on the Equestrian Front	Panzerjäger	"War is hell. You can't photograph a flying bullet, but you can capture genuine fear." Nine Panzerjager -- "Round up!" "Target Panzer, ten o' clock." "Engage." The Riptide rocked gently, as the 75mm shell left the barrel, as Applebloom slung open the breech and rammed in a fresh shell. "Don't be too greedy with 'em! Ah'm down to Five AP!" "How much of the other, Apple Bloom?" Zecora questioned, above the echo of tank cannons sounding out across the winter morning. "Ah'm down to Fifteen HE an'... the heck? What's a Heap?" "HE AP maybe?" Sweetie Belle questioned. "Those are HEAT shells you dunderhead!" Dinky snorted, as she began twisting the turret to address another enemy tank. "High Explosive Anti-" "Tank! What the flying fuck issat?!" Scootaloo screeched, jabbing a wing towards a large gray behemoth of an armored vehicle, which had crested the low rise. "Engage! Quickly!" Zecora roared over the din of the tank formation, as other Celestia and Riptide drivers did the same. Armor Piercing shells simply slammed home into the behemoth tank's front plate and turret, having failed to penetrate, as the massive cannon on the front swung to face one of the surviving Celestias. With a mighty belch that sounded more at home on a Changeling Flak Gun than a tank, the large shell tore through the turret of the Celestia, leaving the vehicle dead in the water weapons-wise. Zecora swore as she grit her teeth and watched her crew perform their duties. The advance had been going so well, too. They'd sheared straight through the Changeling line hours ago, across a frozen river of all places, and shoved their way past the light Panzers and massed Anti tank guns. Casualties hadn't been light, but with the new Celestia tanks taking the brunt of the enemy AT fire, they hadn't been heavy, either. But this? This was new. Applebloom slammed another AP shell home as quickly as her hooves would move, as Dinky blasted away at the enemy tank's turret mantlet, Scootaloo fumbling with the controls to keep them mobile as they began backing away towards the Equestrian lines. Any tank that could disable a Celestia in one hit was not something they wanted to fight with. The rounds continued to bounce off the thing's frontal plate, as it cut down Celestias and Riptides like hot knives through butter. "Son of a whore bitch!" Dinky raged vulgarly, shifting down to gaze at Applebloom from the gunner's seat. "Gimme those HEAT rounds!" "You got it! Round-" she halted mid sentence as a massive force slammed into the front of the Riptide, making it lurch horridly, and sending the crew bouncing about like sardines in a shook can. "Fuck! Damage report!" Zecora barked, bringing a hoof to her head with a grimace. "It glanced off!" "That was a ricochet?! That fucking pissant cocksuck ricocheted?!" Dinky bellowed, as the crew sounded off their state of affairs. "Let's not get hit by a shell proper then! Scootaloo, full reverse! Dinky, Sweetie, Button it up!" "Hell with that sarge, I'm eating that fucker for breakfast!" Dinky barked, as she watched Applebloom load one of the so-called HEAT shells, as quickly as she could manage. "Corporal that's-!" There was an awful clang and shearing of metal, as the Changeling behemoth belched it's fire again. Dinky stared in shock, her scathing reply to her tank commander dying on her lips, as she stared at the massive hole in the side of the turret, where the commander's basket had been. "I-oh-oh fuck! Fuck!" Applebloom swore, bringing voice to what Dinky was unable to. "Sh-shit I'm losing engine pressure!" Scootaloo warned, frantically tapping the gauges in a vain attempt to keep the meters up and not crash-falling. "Radio is knocked out! I can't get in contact with anypony!" Sweetie warned, as Corporal Doo remained staring at the hole in the side of Betty. Her crew screamed in panic around her, as she gingerly waved a hoof where Zecora had been sat seconds ago, now simply open air. The changeling beast echoed again. Load HEAT. "Pressure down to Thirty PSI! What the fuck are we doing?!" "What the hell does it look like ah'm doin' dammit?!" They hadn't heard her, so she barked again, kicking a hindhoof out to Applebloom's shoulder. A bit too roughly, but she'd be fine. Had to get her attention. "I SAID, LOAD FUCKING HEAT! The furious unicorn mare screeched aloud, cranking the gun turret, which whined and groaned, as she snapped out of her daze and back into action. "Sweetie, ditch the fuckin' radio and start buttoning that panzer with the co-ax! Scootaloo, keep this thing fuckin' reversing! Applebloom, hurry the fuck up! Move fillies! Move!" They were not dying to some godsforsaken tank in some godsforsaken field with half a godsforsaken tank of their own. It was enough. Scootaloo restarted the engine that had stalled, and the wounded riptide lurched backwards, as it's machine guns chattered gamely away, plinking uselessly at the massive Changeling tank. Applebloom shoved one of the as of yet unused shells home, as Dinky sucked in breath and took aim at the tank. Her breath hitched and her mind froze for a moment, as the enemy tank's gun began to swivel back towards the riptide it'd thought it knocked out. She knew exactly how she was going to kill the bastard. "ROUND UP!" Came Applebloom's frantic reply, as Scootaloo prayed to the goddesses, whilst the engine sputtered Black smoke and died all over again. It'd been just enough to get the tank into a good firing position, the gun aimed and loaded. Dinky took aim at the half-fractured front-left turret plate, nearly shattered from repeated 75mm shells that failed to fully penetrate. Her hoof tensed around the gun. Now or never. The Riptide rocked, as the gun discharged one final time, it's crew staring in tense silence as the shell slammed home- then through the side plate. A half second later and it began to cook off, it's ammunition rattling as a gout of fire tore out of the command hatch, the changeling crew cooked alive in seconds. A mighty explosion- maybe the engine- rocked the monstrosity again, lurching it to one side. Dead. Dinky sat back in her seat, shaking horribly as the adrenaline wore off. Patting herself down, she finally levitated a cigarette and match out of a pocket, and wedged it in her mouth. She started to light it, then remembered that she possibly had a fuel leak- if that black smoke was any indication, and simply rolled the stick about in her mouth, trying to calm her own frayed nerves, as the crew did the same. A Celestia tank- the one that'd lost its gun after a strike to the turret, rolled up alongside, probably checking for survivors. The crew looked at each other, then up to Dinky, who took a deep breath, and nodded, before pulling herself out of the gunner's hatch, the command hatch clearly ruined. Shakily clambering onto the roof of her riptide, she took a moment to survey the battle damage. Five other riptides knocked out of action, and two Celestias. All from one single enemy tank. One that they'd honestly gotten really fucking lucky taking out. Dinky slid off her tank, trotting across the snowy ground, and over to the Celestia, pulling herself up the side and onto the turret's roof. The tank's Commander, Some tan earth pony with a seafoam green and white mane pushed her hatch open, looking at Dinky with exhausted eyes. "You're lead tank now." Dinky began simply. "We'll wait for infantry to pick us up. Keep pushing long as you can. Copy?" The mare gazed for a second, then nodded, sliding back into her command basket, as Dinky shut the hatch for her, and hopped down, back towards her own tank. Goddesses, she was tired all of a sudden. Sweetie and Applebloom were sat on top of the turret, watching the remaining tanks from the formation begin to lurch back into movement. Meanwhile, Scootaloo buried herself in the smoking engine compartment, making sure to come up for air, and wrap a soaked cleaning rag around her muzzle to ward smoke away as she worked. "Hey, Dinks." Applebloom greeted, as Dinky clambered back up, sitting with the two. All three of them were staring at the enemy tank. Not much else they could do, with the engine dead. Odds were they'd still be down an engine when the infantry arrived. "Hey." She replied, finally lighting her cigarette. She took a couple drags, then offered it to Applebloom, who took a couple puffs, and passed it to Sweetie Belle. Sweetie did the same, then passed it back to Dinky, who removed her tanker's cap, running a hoof shakily through her mane. "That was one tough tank." "No fuckin' shit?" -- Dinky chugged a cup of nearly frigid coffee, a neutral frown on her face, as she gauged the two GI's reactions. "Infantry showed up a couple hours later." She finally began again, staring down at the cup of coffee for a moment. "They had an engineer that'd been an auto mechanic, and he helped us get our engine back up and running. We were down to three cylinders from our original eight, but we limped her home. I uh. Well, I got promoted to Sergeant, so I guess I'm Tank Commander now. We're still waiting on a replacement gunner." "Damn. And the bugs have more of those... things?" Dinky nodded, downing the rest of her coffee. "Yeah, they're called uh... tigers, I think. We just call 'em trouble, though. That or 'oh fuck'." She snarked. "And yeah, they've got more of them. They're not invincible. Even if it kinda feels like it." She sighed, and shook her head. "Anyways, that's enough story time for one day. Piss off, ya kids. Go find another tanker to bother." She chuckled, waving them off with a hoof. The two ponies said their goodbyes, and then were gone. "Hey Dinks?" "Hm? What's up, Applebloom?" "How ya holdin' up?" The earth pony mare sat down across from Dinky, carrying fresh, warm cups of coffee- one of which she passed to the unicorn tank commander. Dinky nodded thankfully, sipping once at it, then holding the cup between her hooves, as she looked down upon it, a frown tugging it's way across her lips. She was quiet for several seconds, before shaking her head. "I don't know, Applebloom. I really don't know."
All Quiet on the Equestrian Front	The War Room	"I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion." Ten The War Room -- The Command Center map Room was thick with tobacco smoke, as cigars and pipes were lit and smoked from, a typewriter chattering away in a far corner of the room, as the officers discussed their state of affairs. "Twenty-third Armored Division has punched through the Shire Defensive line as according to the goal of Supercharge." One of the gathered Commanding Officers- General Blueblood, Of the Shire Front, stated. The prince-turned savior of the army during its early days frowned, then continued. "Fell short of Vanhoover by about sixty miles though. Changelings have rolled out some sort of new super-tank into combat service. Nigh impenetrable from the front. From recovered wrecks, we believe it to be called the Panzerkampfwagen six, or the 'Tiger' Heavy Tank." "It's Performance As observed, statistically speaking, Nephew?" Luna, Warrior Princess of Equestria, and Field Marshall over all the Equestrian army, questioned, as the weary stallion nodded. "Eight point eight centimeter main gun. Thick frontal armor- about a hundred millimeters at the front, and on the turret, with a further twenty at the gun mantlet. Unsloped, however, so shells are more likely to impact and get stuck rather than ricochet. Weight of about fifty tons at first estimate, and the engineers are guessing a top speed of about thirty kilometers an hour on a solid road, or maybe half that cross country at a good clip. Realistically with the terrain it's working in, that's probably more like eight to ten." "Well stated, Nephew. Do we have an estimate on Changeling numbers of the specific model presented before us?" Blueblood sighed, and shook his head, puffing on his pipe before supplying an answer. "Only vague numbers at best, Aunt Luna. Perhaps a couple hundred to four hundred? At highest estimate, a probably ridiculous eight hundred." "It'll do for now, thank you. General Berrytwist, an Update on the Las Pegasus Front?" The cracked-horn unicorn nodded, and stepped forward, having taken over for General Soarin', who'd happily returned to the airforce. "Progress is being made, ma'am, but it's slow and ground out fighting over rough and difficult terrain. Once we hit the Vanhoover mountain range, that's only going to get worse. Casualties are well within acceptable ranges, but enemy resistance is fierce and determined, and therefore requires a longer period to clear from our area of advance." Luna nodded, thanking the mare as she then turned to Field Marshall Armor- she'd already gotten Blueblood's report- as he conversed with a pair of generals from New Mareland- Candy Garden, and Moonlight Poppy, both of which had been sent north to aid the smaller Crystal Imperial Military. "Prince Armor, how goes the war for the north?" "Well enough all considered." He nodded firmly, as the pair of officers fell quiet. "Slow, but steady. We're making progress with the same issues as General Berrytwist, though we are more used to the terrain, and the Changelings are not used to such a long winter period, which has been severely hampering their efforts. I'm estimating us to be clear of the mountains in a month or so, continuing at our current pace." "All respect ma'am's, sirs,it'll be three or four before I can say we'll be at Vanhoover at current pace." Berrytwist estimated on the safe side of things, to which Luna nodded curtly. Fizzlepop was a tad slower than other generals in advance- but she therefore kept her casualties lower, and was unparalleled at tackling enemy bunkers and large fortifications- which was why Luna had earmarked her for the eventual siege of Vanhoover. "With Summer coming about in the next three weeks or so, it wouldn't be unwise I feel to renew a general offensive across the line- something like Supercharge accomplished." "So soon after the last?" Poppy questioned, rubbing her tired eyes with a hoof. "Supercharge exceeded expectations, but it still fell sixty miles short of Phase Line Baker, and we wound up with horrendous casualties I'm not sure we can continue to maintain." "True, though we do have the numbers presently. We've always had the larger military than the Changelings, and we've probably replenished... about eighty-five percent of our numbers and supplies- including our armor, something we know the Changelings cannot do as readily, thanks to the Air Force and Royal Navy's stellar efforts... I agree with Berrytwist. If we're smart about this... we could use this offensive to break the Changeling Army's back." Blueblood cut in idly, gears turning in his head as he studied the map before them upon the table. Luna hummed softly, as the officers looked to her expectantly. "It's a valid thought. If we're to commit to this however, timing is going to be everything. Blueblood, Nephew?" "Yes, Aunt Luna?" "Give me a time estimate. You're center of the line, after all." Blueblood mulled it over silently for a few moments, before finally answering. "I'd do as General Berrytwist suggested, and advance during the first week of summer. Roads should be completely solid, and it gives the infantry three weeks of rest and skirmish operations before a deliberate assault. Not to mention an extra three weeks of replenishment of soldiers and their materials." The Field Marshall and princess nodded firmly. "Very well. It's getting late for you, we know, so I want everypony to sleep on the matter at hoof. Get some rest . Front commanders, I expect rudimentary plans of assault by tomorrow evening. Talk them through with your officers, then report back. Dismissed." -- The war room emptied out relatively quickly, as the generals exited into the cool spring night to radio in to their subordinates that they weren't going to be returning quite yet. Luna stood quietly over the large central map, as she refilled the kerosene lamps within; electricity had been out since they moved back into the town of Shire from all the heavy fighting earlier in the week. Her aide de camp, meanwhile, cleared her typewriter and stood up from the corner, stretching out, before snatching her papers. The admittedly short thestral mare held the papers out with a wing, trotting over to give them over to Luna. "Hours for your records, ma'arm." "My thanks, Captain Wind. Would you put us on a pot of coffee? I'd like to review the hours." "Of course your highness." -- A pot of hot coffee later, and the two mares were studying the map and the typist's writing, half empty coffee cups only occasionally sipped from as they focused more upon their work. "Talk me through this, Captain Wind. Let's study possibilities again." "Aye, ma'arm." The Shirish native nodded, rolling her neck to stretch. "From Th' top then?" Luna nodded, stifling a yawn. "Blueblood's proposal- Supercharge Two." "Probably too costly, t'be honest. I know my tank was full'a holes by the time it was over. Lost my radiomare, too." The former tanker hummed, scratching her chin with a leathery wing. "Works as a fine fallback, though. Say whot ya will 'bout the Equestrian war machine, we've got plenty o' ponies t' throw at the Changelings to stop 'em solid." "Horribly callous of you, Captain." "Aye, m'lady, it is." The Mare agreed, with a frown. "Cain't be nice inna war, tho'." "Aye, 'tis true. Let's put a general line offensive on backburner for now, though. General Berrytwist's proposal?" "Op'ration Hammer Toss. Left sweep 'cross the West Coast t' Vanhoover, a central thrust along the Acornage Salient, and cut off th' Bug army group in th' Vanhoover Mountain range." "A bit limited in actual scale, but meritorious on it's destruction of Changeling fighting ability." Luna hummed, tapping her hoof idly against the table. "I don't like how exposed that leaves our center and left flanks during the Advance though." "Could cause a hell'o a lotta trouble if either flank gets bogged down, aye, an' she'd need a lot mair armor an' trucks- takes time t'transfer them, an' if the Changelings are worth their intelligence 't all, they'll notice it an' react accordingly." "Definitely a fair point." Luna muttered, sighing. "So probably implausible, much as I would adore bagging a Changeling Army Group before 'Tia's birthday. Remind me to give our own army groups a look over tomorrow, Tempest. We are considering attaching at least a moderately sized armor group to all our armies, to avoid this in the future." "Aye ma'rm, I'll note it doon." "Which brings us to our third alternative. Prince Armor's Operation Snap Freeze. Push through the mountains and down past Acornage." "Ah'd reckon it's th' worse o' the three, but don' tell 'im I said that." Luna snorted in amusement, shaking her head. "How do you figure, Captain?" "Shite tank country, an' more or less this is a war o' who ken bring the best an' most to bear. North's too static to make any lastin' gains against th' bugs. An' sure, 'e may get through th' mountains after th' offense eventually grinds doon the bug front line. Then he's got swamp to contend with. An' that's a lot different creature to tackle than a mountain- an' even worse tank country I'd wager." The Warrior princess of the night nodded and sighed, downing the rest of her coffee. "All valid points, Captain, though you do overstate the importance of the tank- as the defense of the Shire showed." "Fair 'nuff." Captain Wind nodded. "Bit for y' thoughts?" "None of these plans are suitable for my wishes. I wish to smash the Changeling army, and one of them is too limited in scope, whilst the other two are too ambitious. What a mess." "Aye, M'lady. An' that's not e'en counting for the Bugs' side of things." "Pardon?" "Oh, uh, well..." the Thestral took a deep breath, and steadied herself, having not been prepared for the follow up. "Well, we're jus' looking out our side o' things. We ain't payin' any attention to how Trimmel's gonna react." "Intriguing, Captain. And you think you have some idea?" "A bit, Aye. Nae, I'm no field marshal, jus' a Capt'n, but Ah'm a tanker at heart- same as Trimmel. Hell, ah've read 'is book." "Infanterie greift an, yes." Luna replied, curtly. "I didn't take you for a fan." The Shirish mare simply sipped her coffee in response, emptying her own cup. "I figgur'd I should try ta figure out who we were goin' oop against, when ya pulled me from m' Company for your aide d' camp." She then hummed, for a moment. "In any case, whot dae tankers loik Trimmel an' I look for when we're workin? Three things. Ammo, fuel, an' good weather." "Go on." "Well, Trimmel knows we've got 'least two of 'em- ammo an' fuel. He also knows we're jus' waitin' for the weather to clear up." "Meaning he's probably expecting a summer offensive." "He'd be a right numpty not to, t'be honest, y' Majesty. An' I think we oughtta catch him a'fore summer for that regard. 'Sides, the bugs are in jus' as bad shape as us, really. Shite resupply means he's gotta husband his fuel an' ammo reserves more'n we do, and I bet they don't have great winter gear- we sure as shoite don't, an' we have it as parta our standard kit." "They did conquer Olenia, Captain." "Aye, after about twenty days O' fightin'. The winter didn't affect 'em. Bet queen bitch expected this war ta Go Th' Same, really." "Perhaps. In any case, carry on." "I say we speed things oop ta the last week o' spring. Two weeks' rest, and mud'll be off an' on. First free day we get, we start pushin'. The mud'll come and go, and we coul' mebbe even use that to our advantage to keep th' bugs bogged down an' stick 'em in place." "I like the idea, but that brings me to the important question: where do we Advance?" Luna pondered, gazing back over the large map. Then like a bolt of lightning , a thought struck her. "Everywhere." "Come agin Y'Majesty?" "All three plans. Why stop at one army group when we can bag the entire Changeling front line?" "You mean-?" "I do." Luna nodded firmly, smiling predatorily. "Blueblood's Supercharge II to pin the line in place and throw Trimmel off focus. Berrytwist after some armored reinforcement- I'll pull any mechanized or armored units arriving from home over the next two weeks for her front- to punch through to Vanhoover and then Northeast to Acornage, and Shining Armor with limited armor of his own to push through the mountains and southeast to Acornage. We'll pincer off the entire damn line and let the Changeling army choke itself to death." "Ambitious, ma'rm. timing'll hafta be perfect." "Yes. It will. But it's something I can work with. Captain, get to writing. We've a lot of work to do."
All Quiet on the Equestrian Front	Storm Front	"War is not only a matter of Equipment, artillery, group troops or Air Force; it is largely a matter of spirit, or morale." Eleven Storm Front The blizzard looming over Vanhoover had finally moved back in, and with it, the heavy November snow. If the blizzard that raged two weeks ago was anything to go by as well, then it was shaping up to be a winter for the history books. Sergeant Yearling snorted, shaking the snow out of her mane, before re-doffing her faded gray field beret, which blended in nicely with her mane and tail color. She missed her old pith helmet sorely, but there wasn't much left of the old thing except ash and cinders, after a much- too- close run in with a Changeling Flammenwerfer back in San Fransiscolt. For now the beret would make do. Trotting carefully across the cobblestone street, Yearling moved to the company command post- formerly a post office- and slipped inside, breathing more easily once she shut the door behind her. Feasibly this was a secure block of Vanhoovet, but one could never be too sure, what with the fight for the city's sewers raging beneath the streets below their hooves. Removing her beret now that she was inside, Autumn allowed herself to relax, pocketing the beret. "Evening, Sergeant." Another mare- she, a dusty brown Earth Pony with a Corporal's chevrons- greeted. Newly minted, based on the cleanness of the olive chevrons upon her tan uniform, most probably. That or a new uniform, which seemed less likely given the state of the siege of Vanhoover. A stripped down 'jungle style' Type K carbine was slung across her back, and belts of .303 Vickers ammunition was slung across her barrel and shoulders, bandolier style. "Evening, Corporal. Headed somewhere with a machine gun?" "Trying to, Sergeant." The Corporal nodded, enthusiastically. Much too enthusiastically. "Corporal Dusty Trails; I'm trying to track down my unit, Shire River Garrison Brigade, Section Baker." "Oh, damn." Yearling whistled softly. "You're way off, then. Were you injured? They've reformed as First Shire Hoof Regiment under Colonel Midwinter Halo. Right now they're up on the northern edge of the city, pushing up the coastline towards the dockyards. How'd you end up so far off?" "Oh, her, Sergeant? Corporal Trails here got shot a bunch of times back at the Shire river." One of the company's staff Sergeants waved a wing in her direction. "She just got back from emergency medical leave this morning." "Yes, Sergeant." Corporal Trails agreed, nodding. "And I had to fight with my surgeon for a week and a half over it. I got stitched up pretty good by a bug tank." "No shit?" Yearling blinked. "Hey wait, yeah, I remember you, Corporal. You and that bat pony friend of yours, Gale something. You two were crowing a Vickers gun. I gave you cigarettes." "Hey yeah, I remember you too, sarge." The earth pony chuckled. "Didn't recognize you without that funky hat of yours, though." "Got burnt up, sadly. Bug flamethrower." "Ouch." "Quite. Anyhow, I've got to report to command, if you'll excuse me?" "Yes, Sergeant. Have a good one." --- Sergeant Yearling waved a wing at the CO- a Second Lieutenant- as she entered her office. "Evening to you, ma'am. How's your week been?" Second Lieutenant Cheerilee paused momentarily to smile at the Pegasus, looking up from her typewriter. Gesturing to it, the newly commissioned officer returned to typing her latest report. "It goes, Daring. Yours?" "Oh, it went, ma'am." Daring shrugged, unslinging her type K rifle. The rifle she then placed gingerly on the wall rack, next to Cheerilee's own type L machine gun. "The bugs are finally starting to feel the pressure. Having to deal with First Vanhoover was already giving them hell, what with your regiment's skill and determination. With Keg's infantry on the other end of the city, and Halo dug in up north at the docks, they're hurting." "Mhn. Colonel Keg'll be glad to hear his regiment is doing well, then, and Halo's really been a thorn in their ass for the past week or so. Good on her. Continue, Sergeant." "Yes, ma'am. Anyhow, with first Shire holding the actual dockyards, you and Keg pushing from the flanks, and twenty-four armor corps being railed in, we've got them between the devil and the deep blue sea." Cheerilee grinned broadly, then leaned back in her chair as she took a short break from her report. "Yeah, I agree. Now that Division's got it's head outta it's ass, we've got them where we want them. Now, we just need to hold them there. Any word on that fleet action we heard yesterday? That was close as hell to the docks." "I've got one better for you, Lieutenant. I was able to shimmy up the top of that old Solarian church near the bay, and saw the whole damn thing from the steeple. Three of our destroyers and what I'm guessing was one of our cruisers are sunk, but we nailed two bug battle cruisers and an actual battleship, as well as a good chunk of their screen. I saw the Pegasopolis' torpedo bombers plaster a second bug battleship, and it had a pretty bad list to port, but it limped outta my view. I think it probably ended up limping home, unless the Big P sent out a second sortie of torpedo bombers I missed." "Nicely spotted, Sergeant. Looks like the sea remains ours. Okay, that simplifies my report a bit then, so thank you for that. You up for another sally forth out into the wild, wild, west?" "All day, every day, Ma'am." "Brill. Alright, I've got a priority objective for you, then. I sent one of my Sergeants out to reccy this big-ass apartment building with her platoon a couple hours ago, and gave them orders to secure it if feasible. They still haven't reported back, and I can't raise them on the wire. I don't want another platoon walking into a Changeling ambush, but I need my missing platoon found. You have a map on you, Sergeant?" "Yes ma'am." Daring Do- maiden name Autumn K. Yearling- nodded, producing a somewhat faded and quite well folded map of Vanhoover and it's surrounding suburbs. "Don't mind the pencil marks, I got it off an injured Louie headed back to Canterlot." "I'm sure the Lieutenant won't miss it too badly from his hospital bed, Sergeant. Okay. We're.. here, at Company Command on Mulberry Avenue. My patrol went missing... over here, at this fucking four story apartment complex on the corner of Moonshine and Dayglow. It should be a safe enough trek until you hit Dayglow and have to start cutting Northwest, but past that it's disputed territory, still. Snipers, dug in panzers and AT guns, interlocking MG positions, it's a mess over on my end, Sergeant." Daring nodded, humming. "Surface trek's out then. I'll have to take the sewers. Any sewer rats I can tag along with?" "Sure, Sergeant. I've got a patrol heading out to sweep the sewers from Dayglow up to Westbrook, so you can follow them as far as Moonshine before you break off." "You got it, Lieutenant. When do they leave?" "Half an hour. Sit down a few, drink some coffee, and get warm. They'll rally up outside here before they leave." "Music to my ears, ma'am." -- Daring idly adjusted her beret, as she followed the sewer patrol towards the nearest sewer access hatch, their team leader up front and lugging an SMG. The weapon itself, a Stalliongradian PPSH-01, had been apparently given to her by her sister, a Lavochkin LaGG-3 Ace. Maud. The dull gray earth pony's name was Maud. One of the famous Pie sisters, made famous by the family's two youngest- Pinkamena Diane and Marble, who were an Equestrian Brigadier General and a Stallionist LaGG-3 ace, respectively. Maud herself, though, was just a Sergeant. A Sergeant with a five pony patrol that was about to crawl through dark and disgusting sewers hunting for changeling infiltrators and infantrylings. A thankless job, but someone had to do it, and that someone was Maud. Maud nodded to Daring, as the sniper approached the sewer access her patrol was standing taking positions around. "Sergeant Yearling." She monotoned, her facial expression barely moving a millimeter in reaction. "Sergeant Pie. Down we go?" "Down we go." -- The sewer was deceptively quiet, as the six pony patrol- counting Daring- crept through Vanhoover's ancient sewer system. The wind- occasionally sneaking in through cracks in the ceiling of the sewer tunnels caused by the constant shelling of the city that was still underway by the Royal 8th Artillery- caused a low constant howl of noise occasionally punctuated by the loud dripping of condensation from the ancient pipework. The lead pony, a stallion lugging a trench gun, halted and crouched low, raising his scattergun as a Unicorn mare behind him with a New Mareland model Bits gun levitated the somewhat ramshackle SMG into a firing position over the point stallion's head. The sloshing noise and low chattering the two point ponies had caught soon came into the rest of the patrol's hearing, and they too readied their mishmash of weaponry. Three changelings eventually sloshed through the poorly lit intersection before them, toting sub machine guns of their own and chattering in their native language about Faust knew what. They slogged their way past the silent patrol, who waited a couple seconds before opening fire on the bugs, cutting the trio down in a couple bursts and a single shotgun blast. The patrol waited another couple of seconds as the brass hit the floor or splashed into the sewer water, listening intently for any other noise or changeling response, before continuing on down the sewer. This continued for nearly an hour, Daring guessed. They'd ambush- or be ambushed- by small groups of Changelings similar to their own, and then move on once the brass fell and the noise quieted. Finally, Maud halted her team, and turned to Daring as her team looked over ammunition and kept watch. "This is Daybreak and Moonshine. We'll escort you to friendly forces." "Oh, no, that's not necessary, Sergeant. I can take it from here." Maud just cocked an eye- by that, raising it all of a couple millimeters- as Daring turned and shimmied up the access ladder, out into the cold of Vanhoover's streets at night time. Daring took a quick peek around the street corner as she exited the sewer, spotting no one else- pony, changeling, or otherwise. Satisfied, she turned to replace the access hatch, and froze, as she met Sgt. Pie's stony gaze. "If anyone asks, we completed our patrol, then doubled back to assist you." Daring, for her part, inhaled and exhaled, before offering Maud a helping hoof. "Understood, Sergeant. I appreciate the backup." The five sewer rats finished shimmying out of the access hatch after a minute or so, and Daring shut the hatch behind them, before turning back to address the patrol. "Alright. Lieutenant Cheerilee's missing patrol should have holed up in the runoff ditch across the street from that bigass apartment up the road. I think for now, we should operate under the assumption the bugs have observers or snipers or something on the top floors." "Probably wise." Maud agreed, hefting her SMG. "We can probably use the brick wall along the road to crawl over without being visible to the top floors." After a moment of surveying the wall herself, Daring nodded firmly. "Agreed, looks good as anything else to me." The team got down low, and crept forward along the wall at a painfully slow pace. Idly, Daring noted that before the war, it was probably quite a nice privacy wall, judging by the effort put into the brickwork. At least, before the war and the bombs and fighting ruined it. Oh well. Sliding across finally into the drainage ditch, Daring wheezed softly in surprise as she just about tripped face first into a corpse. Not a corpse, the sniper quickly corrected, as the frost covered pony shifted below her. "Oh fuck, hello there. Didn't mean to run you over." Daring apologized quietly and briefly,as she waved Maud and her team over with a wing. "S'allright. Sergeant Ditzy Doo, First Vanhoover." The gray pegasus mare greeted, pulling herself into a low crouch as well. "You'll wanna stay low. Whole ton of bug snipers out there." "Good to know, Sergeant Doo. Sergeants Yearling and Pie, from Delta Coy and Alpha coy, respectively. Cheerilee sent us." Daring greeted, as the patrol fell in with Ditzy's platoon in the drainage ditch. "Glad to have any assistance. I bet Cheerilee got antsy when we didn't report in?" "Nailed it in one." "Yeah, I figured. Our radio's down, and that damned apartment's gagglefuck of snipers and MGs is keeping us from sending runners back to company; too dangerous." "Makes sense. So the apartment's a no-go, in terms of feasibly capturing?" "Now, I didn't say that." Ditzy chimed, glancing back at the building. "But there's a whole gaggle of snipers over there and my own sharpshooter, Light Step, doesn't want to get picked off." "Mhn, yeah, that could be a problem I suppose. Where's Light Step?" "Private Step's on the far right. Can't miss her, scrawniest mare I've got." -- Private Light Step had never really recovered from the trek out of Vanhoover at the beginning of the war. She was still dull-coated, ramrod thin, and if other privates were to be believed, prone to night terrors. But Light Step was a fine sniper, Daring noted, as she observed the pencil thin Unicorn mare. "Private Step? Sergeant Yearling. I hear you have a sniper problem?" "Yes, Sergeant." The mare mumbled. Her breath was slow and steady, any movements deliberate and slothful on purpose. "I've counted scope glints from four different hides. Four snipers." Yearling nodded. "I see. Locations last spotted?" "Third floor; far left window, and third window from the right. Fourth floor; one far right, one direct middle." "Any signs of them moving positions?" "No, Sergeant. They've been pretty sedentary. I've been observing since we got here." Daring nodded again, rubbing her chin with a wingtip. "Right. So, how's their aim?" "Not the greatest, not the worst." Yearling hummed then crept back over to Ditzy. "I need a runner for sniper bait." "A runner for what now?" -- "This is a stupid idea, Sarge!" The unfortunate private- Snap Freeze- complained with a hiss, shifting her weight back and forth whilst Derpy snorted. "It's either that or stay here until they find the brain cells to rub together and start ranging mortars. Your call, private." "Okay, but why me, Sarge? Green Grass is faster." "Because Green Grass has a fatass head and a fatass body. Now get ready for my mark." Daring and Light Step looked over from their positions on either end of the ditch, and gave Ditzy a nod each. "Mark! Covering fire from the emma-gee!" Snap Freeze leapt up from her spot in the snow covered ditch and took off at the dead sprint into the snowstorm, as Ditzy's Vickers gun team began to lay down suppressing fire towards the apartment complex. Autumn raised her rifle to eye level, and began frantically scanning the apartment building's upper floors, where Light Step had pointed out- there, a small shift of movement, only just visible past the heavy snowfall. Eyeballing the distance as she squinted through her rifle sight, her hoof tensed around the trigger handle, as she centered her sight, adjusting for distance as the Changeling no doubt did the same. The rifle in her hooves barked suddenly, as she eased far enough into the trigger for it to discharge. To her satisfaction, she watched some sort of spray- probably blood- erupt from the enemy sniper, as Light Step's rifle echoed out as well. Assuming she hadn't missed, that left two, as Daring went back to scanning the upper floors. No doubt the two changeling sharpshooters were doing the same now, assuming they'd heard their rifles over the steady thrum of machine gun fire. Or not, as a flash of light from inside one of the dark rooms on the upper floor took a potshot at Snap Freeze, missing her head by a couple of inches as she raced across the snow. Daring returned fire, nailing the sniper, but swore to herself as the last sniper's shot slammed into the snow-covered berm of the ditch directly to her front. Thankfully, Light Step's rifle cracked shortly after, and the unicorn waved an all-clear down the trench line. Derpy, Catching it as well, waved a wing to her platoon as well as the sewer rats. "Let's go everypony! Keep low and watch those bug MGs! Base of fire, break it down and get moving! Regroup on the first floor! Let's go, let's go!" The ponies let loose a cheer, as they rose up, and the firefight began in earnest. Daring, still back at the trench with Step, snapped off a shot that pegged a changeling machine gunner, though not before a burst of his cut down teo of Derpy's soldiers. Light step was firing as well, though they both halted as Derpy's platoon closed and began heaving grenades into the building. "Okay, time to go, kid." Daring ordered aa the explosives sent shrapnel and gore flying through the apartment. "Let's catch up." "Right behind you, Sarge." Light Step stated, standing up and galloping after Daring, as the pair ran to catch up to the platoon, who had moved off the first floor and up to the second, as well as down to the basement. The pair of snipers entered the house as machine gun fire chattered above and below them, as well as the heavy thuds of hoof falls on the wooden floorboards. After a few moments, the gunfire stopped. "Clear up!" "Clear down!" Came the reply from the basement. "Casualties?!" Ditzy barked, as her platoon checked bodies and took up defensive positions. "Coffee cake and Ash Wood, Sarge! They bought it from that bug MG." "Dammit. Grab their rifles and tags, and move 'em down to the basement. The bugs liked this building, they're gonna want it back. Gimme two runners from the sewer team to report back to Cheerilee!" Maid's voice cut through the shuffling movements, as Daring and Step passed Ditzy's vickers team lugging their gun upstairs. "I'll send Lugnut and Wind Chill. You two, report back to Lieutenant Cheerilee at Alpha Company command, let her know the apartment building is secure for the time being and will need reinforcements as soon as is possible." "Yes sergeant. Stay safe." "No promises, privates. Ditzy, I think we can probably salvage the changeling machine gun from downstairs." "I agree; that'll give us two, and we're gonna need all the firepower we can get our hooves on, I'm betting. This... this is about to get ugly."
All Quiet on the Equestrian Front	Daybreak	"Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength." Twelve Daybreak Daring jolted awake to the shrill drone of machine gun fire, as the tell-tale paper shredding noise of the captured Changeling machine gun destroyed the early morning's peace. A shout of, "Changelings outside! Incoming!" Lent good reasoning to the interruption of the Sergeant's sleep, as she stood quickly, snatching up her rifle as she went. Around her, others from Sergeant Ditzy's platoon and Maud's remaining team did the same, leaping up from their uneasy sleep and directly into combat, as rifle fire began to snap back and forth. Sergeant Yearling herself moved over with her rifle and gazed out the window, selecting one of the dozens, if not hundreds, of targets, and squeezed gently on the trigger. The scoped type K pattern barked, and down went one of the Changelings. Dozens more rose forward to fill their place, even as the platoon's two machine guns tore into the Changeling advance. Maud and her remaining sewer rats, weapons readied and loaded, rushed downstairs to hold the lower levels as the Changelings attempted to break into the apartment. Almost immediately, their submachine guns and shotguns began echoing out with fire, causing Yearling's ears to twitch from the noise. They'd be fine, she told herself, as she refocused outwards, raising her rifle back to eye level. Breathing in and out at a steady pace, she laid into the trigger on her rifle once more, causing it to bark harshly as a second Changeling fell outside. Off to her right somewhere, Ditzy reached a wing down to her waist belt, tugged a grenade free of it's pouch, and primed it, chucking it hastily out the window after releasing the spoon. It was shortly followed by an explosion and pained cries of Changeling infantry, as Ditzy returned to firing her own carbine rifle. "Someone get up top and pop off a signal flare!" The mare barked, over the din of the gunfight. "And find me a fucking radio! I want that approach marked for artillery fire!" "Radio moving, sarge!" Called one of Ditzy's Ditzy's privates, as they pulled back from their window and slid towards the gray pegasus. Daring, meanwhile, snagged the platoon's flare gun from Ditzy's outstretched wing, nodding back at the mare as she did the same before turning to the radio set. Holding the flare gun tightly in her wing as she shouldered her rifle, Daring backed off the firing line and headed towards the central stairwell, whilst heavy gunfire echoed all around the building. Ducking with a short gasp as a burst of Changeling SMG fire stitched itself across the wall a couple inches above her head, she turned to face the downward staircase. By the time she'd spun around, however, Maud had slid out of a side room, and was dumping a magazine from her PPSH's large drum. Exhaling the breath she'd been holding, Daring simply nodded to Maud before booking it upstairs and past the defenders to the fourth floor of the apartment building. The ceiling here had been partially collapsed by explosives of some sort judging by the shrapnel damage, Sergeant Yearling noted, before she was nearly immediately torn from her musings by a rifle shot splintering the door frame around her. Cursing loudly, she ducked back around the hallway, checking herself for any wounds. Finding nothing but a couple splinters, the pegasus Sergeant calmed herself, and readied the flare gun. Now was not the time to be playing peekaboo with Changeling sharpshooters. Running back down the hall to the caved-in section of roof, Daring pushed out into the open, firing the flare gun with a snap of her wing and dropping the empty tube as she quickly doubled back down the stairs. A hasty rifle shot ricocheted off the collapsed roof behind her, the round whizzing harmlessly through her mane as she slid back into the safety of the stairwell. Rushing back downstairs and passing by Maud as the Earth Pony swapped out drum magazines from her large pockets, Daring pushed back into the room with Ditzy and gave the Pegasus a nod as she flicked on the radio set. "Longsword, Longsword, this is Saber-One, over!" A pause, as Ditzy awaited reply. "Confirm, Longsword! Saber-One reads you loud and clear, break!" Ditzy paused again, momentarily, as she chanced a look outside. "Longsword I'll be brief. Situation normal, heavy contact, break! I need Earthquake One, break. Estimating enemy strength at battalion level, over!" There was a pause as Ditzy listened intently to the radio set, exhaling in relief a few moments later. "Earthquake one, this is Saber-One, break. I need a fire mission at grid... four four eight, one zero four, break. Yes, I'm aware that's my last reported position, break! I need fire north of the shiny ass flare launch, break! Yes, fucking danger close! Fire for goddamned effect!" The mare dropped the radio as she turned to her squad, bellowing, "Take cover! Incoming, hot and heavy!" The defenders tucked themselves as low as possible inside the apartment, and for just a moment, Daring swore she could hear the distant thrums of Twenty-Five Pounders losing their heavy shells- then came the terrifying and audible whirr of incoming howitzer rounds. Then, chaos reigned outside the apartment, as the large explosives blew massive holes in the snow outside, while snow, mud and gore sprayed upwards and through the shattered windows of the complex. Daring wheezed, as literal hell was raised a few feet outside her building's safety, and she could barely hear Ditzy screaming into the radio, any communications discipline gone from the sheer terror of the barrage. "Fucking good effect on target! Holy Fuck! Adjust five degrees north and repeat barrage!" The guns echoed again from the rear, as Daring chanced a glance outside the apartment. Shocked by the sheer carnage, her mouth went dry as she watched mutely, life and limb tossed apart by the Princesses' Own 49th Artillery Brigade. Whatever Changeling survivors of the hellish barrage could still walk or crawl began retreating back north towards their lines, as quickly as they could manage. "Cease fire! Cease fire! Saber-One calling fire mission complete. Stay on the wire, Earthquake. Saber-One out." Daring exhaled shakily, as she shifted herself back to a standing position. "Don't get too comfortable, Sergeant Yearling. They'll be back." Ditzy warned, spitting out the window. "Fucking bugs. Casualties, weapons and ammo! Where's my runner?" --- Any Changeling corpses that had been inside the building were unceremoniously dumped outside, whilst the four ponies that had been killed- three by Changeling fire and one by artillery shrapnel- were carefully laid out in one of the safer basement rooms. If they had a chance later they'd conduct a burial detail for the ponies and the Changelings, but odds were they'd be hard pressed to go anywhere for quite some time. Any extra rifles and ammunition was gathered up and divvied out amongst the platoon, who themselves were shoring up holes in their defenses with anything they could lay their hooves on- crates, furniture, sandbags packed with mud and snow, et cetera. "Company is doing it's best to push through the bug lines and open up a corridor to us, but it's pretty hard going." Ditzy groused, lighting a cigarette, before offering her lighter to Daring, who lit her own cigarette off the open flame. "Stiff enemy resistance two blocks over; dug in Pak guns and mg nests. Artillery is being tasked with breaking up what it can." "I was wondering who it was trading gunfire behind us. Guess the bugs are about as dug in as we are." Yearling mused, gazing idly out the apartment windows, only vaguely sweeping for enemy threats. She'd taken the time after the bugs fell back to kill that upstart sniper, with a little help from Light Step. "Mhm. I got through to Cheers- er- Lieutenant Cheerilee on the horn, though. Lead elements of Two-Fourth armored is on it's way through the city to help relieve us. High command wants this shitty apartment at least as bad as the bugs do." "Guess we hold position then." Daring shrugged, taking a long drag on her cigarette. Ditzy nodded, swirling her own cigarette around her mouth. "Hell or high water, yeah. You'd best find yourself a good firing position. Won't be too long now before the bugs are back in force, and I don't have any more artillery support from the 49th." "Right, Ditzy, I'm heading upstairs. Get me if you need me." "You got it, Daring." Ditzy blinked, then shook her head and held out a wing. "Hey, wait a sec. Just in case the bugs bring up armor, grab a couple AT grenades off the stash as you head up. We've got plenty of the damn things laying about, may as well use them." "AT grenades, got it. You think they'll bring up tanks?" Daring nodded, dousing her cigarette. "Well, that's what we're doing, isn't it?" --- Daring scanned the roadways and bombed out buildings to the front of her as she shook off the morning chill. Only about an hour had passed since the first race, and in that time the wind had kicked back up- and with it, the biting cold. Not as bad as say, November or December's freezes, but still not anything near the Spring thaws. Some warm coffee would have been nice right about now, but nothing for it. Daring jerked back into attention, raising her rifle, and swore quietly. Here they came again, dozens upon dozens of bugs armed to the teeth. Squeezing on her trigger, Daring dropped the first Changeling she sighted in on, even as the machine guns downstairs sprung back to life. A smallish explosive detonated near the base of the apartment, sending Yearling ducking for cover momentarily, as shrapnel scattered about and dug into the walls of the apartment. Peeking back up, Daring began to scan frantically with her rifle scope. The Changelings were still too far away to be chucking grenades, which meant they had brought up some sort of cannon or mortar. Hopefully, it'd be the latter, which was generally more exposed. There, on the far end of a vacant lot past somepony's bombed out grocery store. It'd be a bit of a shot, what with the wind whistling around like it was, but she had to try. Taking a deep breath, Daring steadied herself as her hoof tended around the trigger. Breathe in, breathe out. She first settled her sights over one of the two Changelings crowing the small mortar tube, then began to shift her sights upwards and to the left, following the wind pushing against her. Breathe in, breathe out. The bark of her rifle surprised her, as she'd been so focused on lining up her shot, but her eyes remained glued downrange as she observed the crew. She winced slightly, as her bullet visibly ricocheted off the mortar tube itself and buried into the throat of one of the two Changelings crewing the weapon. She grit her teeth and racked the bolt on her rifle, as the other mortar Changeling dropped to the floor and began dragging their comrade away, whilst said bug choked on their own blood. Snapping another shot frantically off, Daring cursed her luck as it ricocheted harmlessly off the nearby grocers', the Changelings taking cover behind the destroyed brick building. Turning her gaze back to the advancing Changelings, Daring fell into a steady rhythm of aim, fire, aim, fire, reloading as necessary whilst the defenders from Ditzy's own platoon dumped their magazines into the advancing pile of Changelings. Then, she heard it. The low rumble of a Changeling panzer. The enemy combat vehicle turned the corner at the far end of the block and began rolling down the street towards the apartments as Daring swore vehemently. Packing up her rifle and ammunition as quickly as possible, she booked it back for the stairwell not a second too soon, as the tank's main gun blew a massive hole in the fourth floor behind her. Wood splinters and shrapnel dug into the back of her uniform and stung her rear legs and back, as she continued down the central staircase. "Tank! Fucking tank!" The mare bellowed as she rounded the corner of the third floor stair,as, then leapt back in shock as the Panzer blew apart the defensive line she'd been yelling at with a well placed shell. Debris and body fragments went everywhere, as Daring held back the urge to puke. The machine gun position was just gone, as was the poor sod who'd been lugging the radio set and a good portion of the area defenders. Ditzy, having sprawled flat immediately at the call of "tank", hacked and coughed as she pulled herself out of the debris, coated in sawdust and blood splatters. "Faust alive, that thing's tearing us apart!" She spat, wincing as a glob of blood followed her saliva. "Think I bit my tongue, dammit. Medic! I've got wounded up here!" "Moving Ditzy! Tank shell?" "To the fucking everywhere. I'll help drag 'em out, where do you want-" "Down, now!" The medic- a white earth pony with a pinkish red mane- barked as the two and Daring once more hit the deck, about half a second before the buzz of the tank's machine gun began tearing chunks in the far wall above them. "Someone kill that fucking tank!" Sergeant Ditzy raged, as she and her medic did their best to sift through the rubble for casualties whilst prone. Yearling's muzzle twitched as she rested a hoof on the anti-tank grenades she'd crammed into her grenade pouch, then sat her rifle down against the half destroyed wall, careful to stay low. "I'm on it." And then she was off, galloping towards the stairs. The angry snaps of machine gun fire behind her were close enough to feel the heat of the tracers whizzing by, and she didn't slow down until she hit the safety of the central stairwell. Except, as she came face to face with Sergeant Maud Pie laying face down in a pool of her own blood, Daring figured this place wasn't safe at all. Reaching down to snag the dead mare's PPSH submachine gun from her lifeless hooves, Daring came face to face with the barrel of a Changeling rifle. The changeling who turned the corner was surprised themselves, and fired a snap shot as they brought their rifle up to a firing position that tore through Daring's shoulder. With a grunt of pain and dragging the discarded SMG with her, the pegasus mare slammed back into the wall of the stairwell, whilst the Changeling struggled with their rifle's bolt. Squeezing the trigger on her recently acquired gun, Daring shredded the changeling with a long burst of fire, as it tumbled backwards down the stairs with dozens of other corpses. Maud had been busy when she'd finally died. With no idea how much ammo was left in the weapon, Daring took a moment to drop the PPSH's drum magazine, flipping Maud's body over so as to reach into her pockets. Pointedly ignoring the dead mare's glazed over eyes, Daring tugged a fresh magazine free of it's pouch and loaded the PPSH, before continuing downstairs. Spraying a couple bursts into the Changelings that were down there, Daring pushed across the bottom floor to a side door, and tumbled out into a mortar shell crater as she caught her breath. There it was, still spitting machine gun fire angrily at the apartment building, and surrounded by Changeling infantry. Daring grit her teeth and jumped up from the shell crater, and began to rush towards the tank. She held fire until one of the Changelings happened to look in her direction, at which point she emptied the magazine into the group. As the tank barrel began to slowly swivel her way, she dropped the PPSH, letting it dangle from it's strap around her neck, and retrieved her two AT grenades. Rapidly judging the distance between her and the tank, she tossed the grenades before planting herself face down in the snow. The tank detonated spectacularly, her aim true and on-point. The tank snapping and crackling loudly as the ammunition began to cook off, Daring picked herself back up off the ground, and rushed for the apartment, dodging sporadic rifle fire from surviving Changelings. Her lungs burning, Daring cleared the doorway, immediately ducking down as a rifle nearly took her head off from point blank. "Fuck, Ditzy, it's me!" Daring swore, as her ears rung from the rifle shot. "Oh, shit, sorry Daring. That you with the AT grenades?" "Yeah, the tank's dead." Daring exhaled, wincing as she placed a hoof on her injured shoulder. "And, uh, I need a medic." "Right. Back upstairs and we'll consolidate weapons and ammo. They seem to be falling back again; I think you spooked 'em." Ditzy replies, watching the door behind Daring. "Thank Faust." --- It was a shaky hoof that accepted a cigarette and a light from Ditzy, as Corporal Red Heart- Ditzy's medic- did her best to stitch up the hole in Daring's shoulder. "No way we can hold again if they bring up more armor." Ditzy began, lighting a cigarette of her own. "It's down to you, me, Red Heart, Light Step, and Cold Stream. Maud and her team are dead, 'sides those two she sent back last night. We've no machine guns, but if we scavenge the corpses we've got ammo at least." "Well, we could always pull back. Is the radio still good, Sergeant?" Red Heart inquired, as she tiredly and methodically sewed up the bullet hole Daring had caught. Ditzy shook her head. "Nope. Direct hit from the bug panzer. I dunno about you Doc, but I'm not about to pull back. Too much stake in this damned building for that." Daring simply grunted, as Red Heart moved on to applying antibiotics and a gauze wrapping. Swishing her cigarette about once, the mare nodded. "Yeah, I agree. Was nice meeting you though, Sarge. Corporal. I heard about your slog through the mountains last winter." Ditzy just chuckled dryly, shaking her head. "Oh no, a fan. Just did what we had to, Sergeant Yearling." "Yeah, I know." Daring agreed readily, helping Red Heart hold down the gauze wrapping as she tightened it. "Doesn't make it less-" "I hear it too. Damn, that's tanks." Red Heart sighed, as Ditzy checked the magazine on her Type K. "Hell. It was nice knowing you all." Daring sighed, standing up and loading her- Maud's- PPSH with a fresh drum. "Well! Come on then, Changelings! We're over here, innit we?" The pegasus snarked at the noises outside, only stopping as Cold Stream nearly broke down the door getting it open. "It's twenty fourth armored, not Changelings! It's friendlies!" --- Lieutenant Cheerilee sighed, as she gazed about the four story apartment building. Artillery spotters and sharpshooters were already reinforcing the top floor, which commanded this whole section of Vanhoover- the main reason she'd been ordered to hold it at all costs if taken. And what a cost that had been. Medical details had been working around the clock for nearly twelve hours to clear out the corpses of her ponies and three companies' worth of changeling casualties, and were expecting to be at it for several hours still, even whilst the Princess' Own 49th Artillery spent hours clearing land and setting up it's regimental guns for fire support. Twenty Fourth Armored had pushed through the area and onwards, deeper into Vanhoover- and were still going, if the distant gun and cannon fire was anything to go by. Ditzy and the remains of her unit- or what was left of it anyhow- were safely back at company command, receiving medical treatment and hot food, which was one less burden on the middle-aged schoolmarm turned officer's shoulders. Turning away from the half destroyed building to look once more at the proud city that was once Vanhoover- now little more than a shattered ruin- Cheerilee shook her head, and re-donned her helmet, before walking back to her waiting jeep. "I hope this damned building was worth it."
The Last Equestrian Princess	pre	But sadly, tis not yet our day We've many roads to travel still I walk to you, so far away To join you on some distant hill When at last, we meet again I'll never let you go my friend (Note: Ask P.Celestia if she would be willing to read the piece; it might mean a bit more coming from the author herself.) Catering [X] Light snacks following the service at the palace. Aprox. 200 guests expected. Fruit platters, hay seed muffins, vegetable rolls, coffee, tea and assorted soft drinks. Twilight rubbed her eyes wearily as she looked over the plans for Shining Armor's funeral for the sixth time that hour. She felt herself getting overwhelmed the further she went into this process and had to stop to steady herself several times. This wasn't right; she barely finished planning her brother's wedding. It was too soon to be planning his funeral. Still, something about the details of the event made things easier on Twilight. Lists and schedules were comfortably familiar; she could deal with lists and schedules easier than dealing with Shining Armor's burial. Whenever she looked out over the city, she could still clearly seen the mobs of ponies still standing in line around the capitol, waiting for a chance to pay their respects to her brother. Twilight hadn't gone to see her brother yet, partly because she didn't want to cause a scene but mostly because she didn't want her last memory of Shining Armor to be of him lying in a casket, likely scarred or heavily disfigured after the goblin blades pierced his shields and tore deep into his face, perhaps slicing his nose off or gouging his- Twilight shook her head violently. In her solitude, her imagination was left to run wild into grisly places. It had been hours and still there was no sign of Cadence, Celestia or Luna. Now and then, she swore she heard the room open but when she turned back, the massive crystal door loomed over her unmoving. It wasn't until much later that day that she caught Princess Luna coming back from the kitchen with a pitcher of iced tea and some glasses. "Princess!" Twilight said, trotting over to quickly block Luna's path. "Oh...Twilight Sparkle." Princess Luna said. "How go the preparations for the-" "You lied to me!" Twilight blurted out before she could stop herself. Princess Luna stiffened at the accusation. "I beg your pardon?" "You said that Madame Dapifer requested my help to get me out of the room!" Twilight said. "I did no such thing!" Princess Luna bristled. "I said that she would appreciate the help; I never said that she asked for you." "Yeah! Well..." Twilight opened and closed her mouth a few times, struggling for a comeback that was currently escaping her. Finally, she gave up. "How's Cadence doing?" "Well." Princess Luna replied. "Does Princess Celestia know what's wrong with her?" Twilight asked "We have...theories." Princess Luna said evasively. "Please keep in mind, Twilight Sparkle, that there have been a grand total of seven alicorns in the history of Equestria, present company included. Much about our own kind is still a mystery to us. We have a fairly good idea of what ails Cadence but...we cannot say for sure." "Can't you at least let me in on this?" Twilight said. "I might be able to help if you clue me in to what's going on." "I..." For a moment, Princess Luna appeared to be debating whether to tell Twilight or not. "I would like to; very much. But Celestia...Celestia and I believe that it's best to keep this under wraps until we know more about this. It would not do for our wild theories to slip out and cause panic for no reason." "Panic?!" Twilight cried. "What is there to panic about?!" "[Nothing!" Princess Luna said. "Right now, there is nothing to worry about. I am sorry, Twilight Sparkle. I know you are confused right now and only want to help. I promise to keep you posted as things progress." Before Twilight could say anything else, Luna vanished in a swirl of silvery sparkles leaving Twilight standing in the foyer glaring at Cadence's door. Princess Celestia had never been one to keep secrets from her. She made every effort to involve Twilight in her life and even as a filly; the Princess never spoke down to Twilight or treated her like a child. As Twilight grew older, Princess Celestia placed greater and greater faith in her and ever since her coronation, Twilight felt that there was an unspoken trust between her and the princess. Today, Twilight began to wonder how far that trust really extended. "You Highness." Twilight was shaken out of her brooding by Madame Dapifer's presence at her shoulder. "Oh, Madame." Twilight said. "Sorry, I was just spacing out a bit. I've finished looking over most of the schedule for tomorrow and everything seems to be in top shape." "Yes, yes, that's very good, Your Highness, but I'm afraid there is an incident by the main gate that requires your attention." "Is there something wrong?" Twilight said. "Do we need to call the guards up?" "The guards are already well aware of the situation." Madame Dapifer said. "It's just...well, it's best if you see for yourself." With mounting trepidation, Twilight headed out the front door and into the courtyard. Crowds of ponies still massed at the front gates, but hovering over them was- "Listen pal!" Rainbow Dash said, swooping down to glare at one of the guard face to face. "I know you got orders to keep this gate locked down, but you need to go find Twilight-" "Princess Twilight Sparkle." Rarity clarified for the confused guard. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. I need you to tell her that-" Rainbow Dash stopped as she spotted Twilight across the courtyard. "Hey, there she is!" "Rainbow Dash?" Twilight called out. "What are-" "Twilight!" Pinkie Pie cried, bouncing above the crowd of ponies. "It's us!" "Pinkie?!" Twilight said. "When did you guys-" "Oh for cryin out loud!" A cry came from the crowd as Applejack pushed her way through the mob of ponies. "Just let us in already!" As soon as Twilight motioned for the guards to open the gates, in trooped Rainbow Dash carrying Fluttershy followed by Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Spike riding on Applejack's back. "Biscuits and gravy." Applejack swore, fanning herself with her hat. "I thought that crowd was gonna eat us alive." Twilight stared wordlessly at her friends for a few seconds. "What...what are you all doing here?" "Well...we couldn't stop thinking about how down you looked when you left for Canterlot." Applejack said. "So we got the idea-" "Well, actually, Applejack got the idea!" Pinkie Pie said. "She was really worried about how you left without telling anypony anything and how you barely even left a note for Spike to find so she thought we should come up here and check up on you to make sure you were okay!" "Sorry if ah'm stickin my nose where it ain't wanted," Applejack said. "But it just didn't sit right with me lettin you go off to the Crystal Empire all on your lonesome." "We're sorry if we're overstepping any boundaries." Fluttershy said. "But you just seemed so down after you heard about your brother." "Not to mention Spike was positively devastated that you left without telling him." Rarity said, nodding to the dragon who was glaring at the cobblestones beneath his feet. "I know we're not...really family or anything but...I miss Shining Armor just as much as you do." Spike said softly. "He was as much of a brother to me as he was to you and I know you may not want me here or anything but-" Spike was cut off as Twilight scooped the little dragon up and hugged him as hard as she could. "I'm sorry." Twilight sobbed into Spike's shoulder. "Of course I want you here. I'm sorry; I should have told you I was leaving." "Y-you could have just asked." Spike said, wiping his eyes on the corner of her mane. "You j-just left so suddenly that none of us had the chance to go with you if you wanted us to." "I know; I'm sorry." Twilight said, smiling tearfully at her group of friends. "I just d-didn't want to bother you with m-my problems." "Twilight, you don't get brownie points for suffering in silence." Rainbow Dash said. "We carry each other's loads when they get too heavy; that's the way it's always been. Just because Celestia slapped a crown on your head and wings on your back doesn't mean that you're suddenly too big to come to us when you need a shoulder to cry on." "Of course, if you don't want us here-" Fluttershy said. "No!" Twilight said. "No...I'm glad you guys came." "Good, because you ain't getting rid of us that easy." Applejack said, lightly nudging Twilight's shoulder. "Now ah reckon we ought to pay our respects to Princess Cadence, first and foremost." "That may be a bit of a problem." Twilight said and she quickly filled her friends in on Cadence's strange behavior and Princess Celestia's uncharacteristic evasiveness. "I don't know what's going on, but Princess Celestia definitely knows something she isn't-Princess!" Twilight cried as she saw Princess Celestia coming back from the kitchen with a tray full of piping hot tea mugs and assorted cakes. "Oh, goodness!" Princess Celestia exclaimed as the small group of ponies rushed up to meet her. "When did all of you get here?" "They came in on the last train." Twilight said dismissively. "Never mind that; how's Princess Cadence doing?" "She's doing well." Princess Celestia said simply. "As well as I can expect her to do, I suppose." "Have you found out what's wrong with her?" Twilight asked. "Is there anything I can do to help?" "Thank you, Twilight. But Luna and I have everything under control right now. If you're needed later, I'll be sure to send for you." Princess Celestia said firmly. "But...can we at least go see her?" Twilight asked. "Princess Cadence is going to be very busy until tomorrow morning." Princess Celestia said. " There is a lot she still needs to prepare for and she isn't going to have much time to talk until tomorrow. I'll send her your best when I go in and see her." "But Princess-" "I'm sorry, Twilight, but I have some things I need to take care of." Princess Celestia said. "We'll talk later if I have the time." And before Twilight could say anything more, Princess Celestia swept down the hallway and back through Cadence's door without a glance backwards. "Well that was certainly...odd." Rarity said. "Tell me about it." Rainbow Dash said. "She practically blew you off back there." "And you really think she's keepin something from you?" Applejack said. "Without a doubt." Twilight said. "I'm starting to get the feeling that she doesn't trust me as much as I thought she did." "Oh come on, Twilight." Rainbow Dash said. "You're Princess Celestia's go-to-girl for all her Equestria saving needs! Of course she trusts you." "Then why isn't she acting like it!" Twilight snapped. "Why won't she just let me help her?!" "Maybe it's not something you can help her with." Flutershy said. "How does she know that if she won't even talk to me!" Twilight groaned. "I don't understand; she's never acted this way towards me." "Whoa, girl, simmer down now." Applejack said, putting a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "It's been a long day for all of us; let's just get some grub and get some shuteye; I'm sure this'll all look better in the mornin." "I..." Twilight deflated. "Maybe you're right..." The night quickly wound down after that. After a light dinner in Twilight's chambers, Madame Dapifer arrived to escort the new arrivals to rooms she had prepared for them. As they bade each other good night, Twilight found herself staring up at her ceiling restlessly. The anxiety she felt surrounding Shining Armor's funeral was replaced with the fear that there was something wrong and the one pony who knew something, the one pony Twilight thought she could trust above all others was keeping secrets from her. Twilight stands in a green field that stretches as far as her eye could see. The grass sways in the light breeze, tickling her stomach and blowing through her hair. Across the field, a knight in battered bronze armor stands watch under a lone oak tree. Twilight calls out to him, but her cry was lost to the wind that whips across the plain. The knight raises his head to look at her. His face is lined by thin, ropy scars but he retains a youthful beauty, even disfigured. He removes his helmet and squints in Twilight's direction. She runs to him with wild abandon, calling a name he does not recognize. As Twilight draws nearer, the young knight shakes his head, replaces his helmet, and continues his watch. He is waiting for something...or someone. Twilight cannot be certain. She tries to speak to him again but her words are drowned by a gust of infernal wind. The knight looks Twilight up and down, appraising the young princess before him. He opens his mouth to speak, but suddenly snaps his head up to gaze at another figure galloping across the plain. His perfect white coat catches the sunlight; his long blue mane flows unhindered in the breeze. Twilight's heart leaps in her chest and she tears after him, running, running, running as fast as her hooves can carry her to throw her hooves around the stallion's neck. But he doesn't see her. He runs past her to the oak in the middle of the field where a slender silhouette of a mare waits for him beside the battered knight. He runs to her, but she flickers and vanishes before he can speak.He slows his gallop to a mournful trot and sits sullenly by the battered knight's side. They turn to Twilight and before she can say anything- She wakes to the mournful knell of a funeral bell
The Last Equestrian Princess	The Stars Spell Out Your Name	The Stars Spell Out Your Name The morning of the funeral dawned cold and foggy but by the time Twilight returned from picking up her parents from the train station the clouds had burned off and it was a disgustingly beautiful sunny day. At breakfast, she made awkward small talk with Princess Celestia while Rarity worked to get Cadence dressed and ready for Shining Armor's burial. A palpable tension lingered between them as they forced casual conversation. Any time Twilight tried to steer the conversation towards the topic of Cadence, Princess Celestia would only say that Cadence was simply overwhelmed by the funeral and that she was very busy and would talk to Twilight later before segwaying into a lighter topic. The more Princess Celestia skirted away from the issue, the more Twilight felt betrayed by her teacher's silence. Twilight spent most of the morning after brooding at the breakfast table and chatting idly with her friends until it was time to leave for the capital building for the public memorial service. Cadence arrived in the main hall with five minutes to spare before departure. Rarity had done her best to make the princess appear presentable but signs of wear were still apparent on the Princess' face. Her wings, now ratty pink tatters of their former splendor, were tucked beneath her black dress. Her frayed and wilting mane was done up in a tight bun and hidden beneath a wide brimmed hat with a clear veil. Nevertheless, she was smiling. Not a wide, Pinkie Pie grin or even a particularly happy smile. It was a smile that started in her red, puffy eyes and just barely tugged at the corners of her mouth. But just by smiling, Cadence looked as though the cloud of gloom that clung to her yesterday had with the morning fog. The four princesses rode together in a small carriage on the short trip from the palace to the capital. They rode in silence, taking in the waking Crystal Capital and the ponies already lining up on the funeral procession route. "I really wish I didn't have to do this." Cadence sighed as the carriage pulled up to the capital building and she caught sight of dozens of immaculately dressed ponies entering the capital. "I just wanted a quiet service where I could bury my husband in peace." "Shining Armor was more than just your husband." Princess Celestia remarked. "He served a public office and as such, a public service is expected of his family." "He didn't belong to them." Cadence said softly. "He belonged to me; he belonged to Twilight and her parents. Half of them wouldn't even show up at the burial if I invited them and they expect to speak at the service? Why?" "Patience." Princess Celestia said, gently patting Cadence's shoulder. "You won't have to share him long." Cadence sighed and visibly steadied herself. "Walk with me, Twilight?" Cadence asked, offering an arm to Twilight. "Of course." Twilight said, gently helping Cadence out of the carriage. The capital hall looked like an ugly flowering bruise, decked in black, purple and blue. Almost immediately after arrival, a swarm of well-wishers descended on Twilight and Cadence, offering a litany of sorries and condolences. They nodded and smiled as expected of them, and then started walking forward slowly and steadily regardless of whom moved to block them with their sympathies. The sea of well-wishers parted and Twilight and Cadence were free to make their way to the front of the hall. As they walked up the aisle, approaching the casket laid atop a short flight of marble stairs, Twilight felt light headed as if trapped in a fever dream. The casket lay surrounded by flowers and there, lying on a bed of pillows, was Shining Armor. Twilight left Cadence at the bottom of the steps and went to take her seat next to her parents in the front row. She had enough memories of Shining Armor alive; she didn't want to add one of him dead. Cadence stopped briefly at Shining Armor's casket, laying a hoof on his chest for a few moments and saying something that Twilight couldn't quite make out. When she was done, she took her place by Twilight's side and the ceremony began. The service dragged on for what seemed like an eternity. There were dozens of speeches, hymns and memorial tributes including a eulogy from Princess Celestia about honor, duty and boldness of spirit. Twilight declined the opportunity to speak; she didn't feel comfortable talking about Shining Armor, her brother, to crowds of strangers who only knew him as their hero and ruler. Such words that were close to her heart were reserved friends, family and her dear departed brother. Statesponies, military leaders and politicians spent most of the afternoon talking but most of it was lost on Twilight, who was barely able to determine one impersonal speech about honor and duty from the one that came before it. The big surprise came when Twilight saw the young corporal who delivered the news about Shining Armor climb to the stage and begin speaking. He was a young soldier who Shining Armor had taken under his wing and fought beside him on the day they were ambushed. He mentioned his commander's dedication towards the ponies under his command and love for the country they protected, but he also spoke of Shining Armor the officer. The corporal painted a picture of Shining Armor that Twilight never had a chance to see before. Twilight always thought that she knew Shining Armor the best out of anypony; that nothing in her brother's life was secret from her. But the stallion the young soldier spoke of was a stranger to Twilight; a tough, but compassionate military man who was as likely to bust you for missing a button on your dress uniform as he was to dispense advice in tough situations. Twilight was surprised that, even after he had gone, her brother continued to surprise her with his kindness. (Twilight made the point of tracking the poor colt down after the service and hugging him as tightly as she could muster while apologizing into his mane.) Finally, it was Cadence's turn. Rising shakily to her hooves, Cadence deliberately made her way to the front of the procession. With a steady voice that barely quavered with grief, Cadence delivered a beautiful eulogy befitting a princess of the realm. Though she spoke at length about Shining Armor's history of selfless service and the great love she bore for him, it was a decidedly reserved speech, one carefully tailored to suit the audience of officials. It was perfectly fine, but there was much she left unsaid. Finally, it was over. The casket closed with a dull and final snap and Twilight finally permitted herself to look at it. The purple and blue colors of the Crystal Empire flag were draped over the polished wooden casket and the entire procession stood as their hero passed, carried out on the shoulders of his comrades. "Twilight." Cadence said as soon as they were outside and ready to board the carriages that would carry them to the cemetary. "Would you like to ride with me?" "That's an excellent idea." Princess Celestia said. "I'll get Luna and the four of us can-" "Actually, Auntie, I was wondering if Twilight would like to ride with me alone." Cadence said. "I have another carriage waiting to carry you and Princess Luna to the cemetery." Princess Celestia opened her mouth a few times as if trying to pull an excuse to accompany Cadence out of thin air. Finally, she gave up. "As you wish." Princess Celestia said. "Just remember-" "I know." Cadence cut in. "Thank you for your concern." Twilight signaled to her friends that she was riding with Cadence and they shooed her along and into the carriage. "Finally." Cadence sighed, flopping down on the seat as soon as the door was closed. "That was an ordeal." "It was...dry to say the least." Twilight admitted. "There were so many ponies that I would have rather spent today with." Cadence sighed, looking out at the crowds lining the streets. "I can tell you that any one of those ponies out there cared more about Shining Armor than-" Cadence trailed off, rubbing her eyes. "I'm not being fair; it was good of so many ponies to speak at the service but...just look at them." Cadence said, raising a hoof and waving at the crowds of crystal ponies crowding behind railings and barricades to say their goodbyes to their fallen prince. Banners of blue and purple bearing Shining Armor's shield and stars were draped from every window. "They really loved him." Cadence said, smiling through fresh tears. "They loved him so much." "They love you too, Cadence." Twilight said. Amid the signs and banners honoring Shining Armor's passing, there were posters reading "Long Live Princess Cadence!" and "We're thinking of you, Princess." "It still amazes me." Cadence said. "I came to this kingdom two years ago as a complete stranger. But these ponies put their trust in me. They trusted me to guide them out of darkness without a second thought...why?" "You're a princess." Twilight said, simply. "And what does that mean?" Cadence asked. "Why should they trust me more than any other pony? Because I have wings? Because somepony decided to put a crown on my head and start calling me princess?" "It's not just because you're an Alicorn." Twilight said firmly. "You came to their defense when nopony else did. You and Shining Armor fought for them when the chips were down and King Sombra was on their doorstep. Nopony just handed you a tiara because you have wings; you earned it. Shining Armor earned it too. And I'm sure there's nopony that could love the crystal ponies as much as you do." "Shining Armor did." Cadence said softly. "He loved them every bit as much as I did." "Cadence..." Twilight said, wrapping her wing around her sister in law. "I know things are bad right now and you feel like nopony has your back, but I'm here for you; whatever you need. I know I'm not Shining Armor and nothing I can say or do will ever bring him back but...I promise to love the crystal ponies just as much as you do." Cadence's face was suddenly alight with fresh hope. "You...do you mean that?" She said hesitantly. "Of course." Twilight said. "We're family." "But you mean exactly what you just said?" Cadence said. "That you'll love the Crystal Empire and its ponies as much as I do?" "Absolutely." Twilight said, puffing herself up in the most regal way she could imagine. "I, Princess Twilight Sparkle of Equestria, do hereby swear to aid in the defense of the Crystal Empire and care for its inhabitants in my late brother's stead." Cadence sighed and years of worry seemed to dissolve. "You cannot begin to imagine how much this means to me, Twilight. Thank you; thank you so much." "Anytime Cad-" Twilight broke off as Cadence seemed to flicker again. "Cadence, are you-" "Last stop." Cadence said as the coach came to a stop inside a small cemetery surrounded by short walls of adamant and malachite. "Cadence!" Twilight said, grabbing the back of Cadence's dress as she moved to leave the carriage. "Let me help you. Whatever is happening-" Cadence patted Twilight's hoof gently, smiling at her sister in law. "There's nothing to help; everything is going to be fine. Now...let's say goodbye." Shining Armor's casket was carried from the cart by a full honor guard made up of crystal ponies and former Canterlot royal guards. The mourning party followed behind it, up a small hill to a little plot of land overlooking the Crystal Empire. There, waiting for them, was a small white marble tombstone embossed with a shield and stars, reading: Shining Armor Brother, Husband, Soldier, Prince The Shield That Defended the Crystal Empire 2E1067-2E1095 In short order, surrounded by family and friends, Shining Armor was laid to rest. Twilight watched as her brother's casket disappeared into the ground, never taking her eyes off it even as mounds of fresh dirt were piled on. Finally, it was complete, and Twilight found herself staring at a moist patch of Earth that held all that was left of her big brother. The sun dipped lower and lower in the horizon and Cadence moved to sit by her sister in law's side. "When I was about fourteen years old," Cadence said suddenly and softly. "I enrolled in a public high school for the first time. I had been homeschooled since I was a foal; I barely knew anypony my own age and I guess I didn't want to grow up and miss out on being a teenager." "I was just a shy, dorky little unicorn who didn't know the first thing about talking to ponies my own age." Cadence said. "And, suffice to say, I didn't have the greatest first day of school. I got lost on the way to class, I left my books in the library, I didn't know where to sit at lunch so I ate alone behind the gym. It seemed like everything that could possibly go wrong, did. I couldn't get my locker open after school and when I finally did, my homework spilled out and scattered all over the floor. I can't remember a time when I felt so down about myself. I swore by the moon and stars that I was dropping out the next day and going back to homeschooling. And I probably would have if..." Cadence paused for a moment, smiling fondly at the memory. "Of all the ponies that passed me in the hall, only one stopped to help me. I guess I looked pretty bad because he asked me what was wrong. I just came unglued, sobbing about how awful my day was and how I wanted to make a good first impression but I messed up all this stuff and I didn't make any friends and nopony sat with me at lunch and I was dropping out the next day. When I finally got through blubbering in front of a complete stranger, he looked thoughtful for a moment he took me to the vending machines and bought me a candy bar and sat with me until I stopped sniffling." "I never forgot what he said to me." Cadence said. "He said, "One bad day isn't a good enough reason to give up. If you quit when things are bad, they'll never get any better." He said that if I wanted to quit, that was my call but that...things were going to get better for me. After a while, he left and I went home to get ready for another day at school." "Shining Armor...was my first friend." Cadence said, tears freely flowing down her face. "He gave me courage when I needed it most. His love gave me wings." Cadence said, extending her flimsy wings with a flourish of falling feathers. "And now...I want nothing more than to be with him right now." Cadence turned to Twilight, wiping a tear from the younger alicorn's cheek like she did when she was little. "Twilight...do you remember what I said in the carriage ride over? About the love I have for my people?" "Y-yes, Cadence of course but what-" Twilight said, confused. "Do you remember what you said?" Cadence asked. "That you would love them as your brother loved them?" "Of course." Twilight said, taking Cadence's hoof in hand. "Of course, Cadence, I'm here for you; now and forever." "Promise me." Cadence said. "I...I promise." Twilight replied. "Cadence, why are you so-Cadence!" The small mourning party cried in alarm as Cadence started glowing softly with pink light, nearly translucent. In two great shlunks her wings fell to the ground in a pile of feathers. "It's alright!" Cadence called out to the ponies assembled with a soft and failing voice like a distant birdsong. "It's going to be okay! I would stay, if I could, but I have to go now...I have somepony waiting for me." "Go?!" Twilight cried. "What do you mean go?! Cadence, please, talk to me! Tell me what's-" "It's okay Twilight." Cadence said, smiling through her tears. "Nothing is wrong. I just can't stay here any longer; I wish I was strong enough to, but I can't." Cadence shuddered, almost completely invisible now. "Cadence...please don't go." Twilight sobbed. "Please...I need you." "You don't need me." Cadence said, smiling. "You haven't needed me in a very long time and I am so very proud of you for that...and everything you've done for me. You're a wonderful young mare...and the greatest honor I ever had was being part of your family." Cadence nodded at Twilight's parents who looked dumbstruck at the display before them. Cadence turned to face her husband's grave. "I...think...I might...have enough magic for one...more...spell..."Her horn glowed softly with pink light and in a flash, a blue crystal heart rose up to envelop the tombstone inside of it. "There..." Cadence sighed, breathing heavily. "That's all...I can...do for you, my love. Now I...can protect...you." Cadence turned back to her distressed family and friends with a beaming smile. "Thank you...all of you...I love you all so very, very much." And with that, in a great flash of pink light and a flurry of fallen feathers, Princess Cadence vanished into the fading daylight, leaving a pile of pink feathers and confusion in her departure. "Cadence?!" Pinkie Pie cried, looking around wildly. "Cadence, where did you go? Why did you leave us? Cadence?" "She's gone, Pinkie." Twilight said, gently picking up a fallen feather and twirling it in front of her. "She's gone." "What d'ya mean, gone?!" Applejack said. "You mean she-" "She just couldn't hold on any more." Twilight said. "Ever since Shining Armor passed she felt like she was just...fading away...and now she's gone and...I wish I knew why." "Twilight." Twilight felt Princess Celestia approach her tentatively from behind. "I know you're upset," Princess Celestia said. "And I know you think this was something you could have prevented but ...there was nothing any of us could do." "Liar." Twilight said softly "I'm sorry?" Princess Celestia said, taken aback "You're keeping something from me." Twilight said. "I know you are." "I'm afraid I don't know what you mean, Twilight." Princess Celestia said, uneasily. "You don't have to say what it is." Twilight said. "But I wish you would just admit it instead trying to keep it a secret. I'm not a foal; even when I was, you never treated me like this." "Twilight, if there was anything you could've done-" "Right, right; you would've told me." Twilight said. "Why don't I believe that anymore?" "Twilight!" Princess Celestia spluttered. "What's gotten into you?" "What's gotten into me is that I just buried my brother and watched my sister in law disappear in a flash of light. And what's worse is that you're deliberately keeping secrets from me!" Twilight bristled. "What...what gives you the right to keep secrets about my family from me?!" "Cadence was as much a part of my family as-" "We were more of a family to her than you ever were!" Twilight said. "Cadence practically raised me and you won't even tell me why she's gone!" "Twilight..." Princess Celestia said, forcing herself to remain calm. "I understand that you're upset right now but-" "It's funny." Twilight rambled on bitterly. "But I got this stupid idea in my head that you trusted me; that you made me a princess because you wanted me to work with you to help ponies...but it's pretty clear to me that your trust only comes when it's convenient for you." "After all the faith I've shown you," Princess Celestia said, taking a deep breath. "I would expect you to extend the same courtesy to me." "Your trust seems to come bundled with life threatening danger." Twilight snapped. "You can trust my friends and I to risk out lives saving Equestria time and time again, but when I ask you for one simple explanation-" "TWILIGHT SPARKLE!" Princess Celestia bellowed, her voice echoing across the empty cemetery like a thunderclap in an empty auditorium. "I will not permit you to speak to me that way! I am your teacher and your Princess and I will disclose to you what I will, when I will it! I have not spent the last twenty years teaching you and training you for you to turn around and throw a fit when you don't get your way! I don't care if you understand my reasoning; I just expect you to accept it. Am I clear?!" There was a long silence as the mourning party stared fearfully at the two princesses glaring hard at one another. Twilight frowned hard to stop her mouth from quivering. "Forgive me, Your Highness, I spoke out of turn." Don't cry. Princess Celestia suddenly felt her anger flow out of her, replaced by deep and sickening shame. "Twilight, wait, I'm-" "If that will be all, I will be leaving with my friends." Twilight said stiffly. "I am sorry to have troubled you." Don't let her see you cry. Don't give her the satisfaction. "Twilight, please I shouldn't have spoken to you like that, I'm-" "The train is leaving soon." Twilight said quickly. "I should go before I miss it. Ladies," And, with a quick curtsey, Twilight turned and left followed shortly by her friends. "Twilight," Fluttershy said as soon as they were out of Princess Celestia's earshot. "Um, don't you think that you should-" "No, I think I'm done here." Twilight said, angrily rubbing her eyes. "I can't stand being in this city for another second." "But the Princess-" "Her Highness is perfectly capable of getting home on her own." Twilight said bitterly. "I just don't' see the point of returning to Canterlot with her just to board a train back to Ponyville." Twilight's friends shared an uneasy look between them. "Are you alright, Twilight?" Pinkie Pie asked. "No." Twilight said angrily. "I'm pretty far from alright right now, Pinkie. I've had a long week, I had to say goodbye to my brother and sister-in-law in the same day, the pony I thought I could trust more than anypony else is lying to me and right now...I just want to go home." "Okay, okay." Rainbow Dash said, wrapping a wing around Twilight's shoulders. "We'll go; we'll go. Applejack, can you get-" Rainbow Dash looked around, only to find Applejack missing. "Applejack? Dang it; where'd that mare get off to?" "Twilight!" Princess Celestia called after her retreating student. "Wait!" She made to follow her but stopped when Princess Luna put a hoof on her shoulder. "Leave her." Princess Luna said. "She's endured enough for one day and the two of you are too hot to do anything but make things worse." "Oh stars and stones, Luna, what have I done?" Princess Celestia sighed wearily. "Lost your temper, yelled at your student, alienated and embarrassed a young mare on the day of her beloved elder brother's funeral." Princess Luna said bluntly. "Thank you Luna." Princess Celestia said. "I think I worked that part out on my own." "Unpleasant, to be sure, but not unforgivable...yet. But pursue her now and risk losing her forever." Luna said. "I should have said something." Princess Celestia said. "I shouldn't have kept Cadence's situation from her like that." "There is no use informing her of things she cannot help." Princess Luna said. "And there's no knowing how she might have reacted. Cadence's death has implications about-" "We should have trusted her at least." Princess Celestia said. "I should have trusted her after all this time." "Maybe." Princess Luna said. "But the milk has all been spilled; there's no use crying over it now. Give her some space and then make your apologies." The two princesses sat alone in the cemetery. The funeral party had dissipated, leaving the two sisters staring at the crystal tombstone. "So..." Princess Luna said after a time. "If anything good came out of all of this, it proved our theory correct." "It would seem so." Princess Celestia replied. "Still...our situation is a bit different, is it not?" Princess Luna said. "True." Princess Celestia conceded. "But if anything, this proves that we are bound to Equestria by our magic. Once it leaves us-" "I do not see how that helps us." Princess Luna said. "The sun and moon are not about to be murdered by goblins." "Destruction has nothing to do with it; it's all about transference. I managed to take control of the moon in your absence." Princess Celestia said. "That, if anything, proves Starswirl's 66th Theory of Magical Mutability." "Comforting." Princess Luna said dryly. "Have I told you how glad I am that we are basing our retirement plan on the half-mad ramblings of a unicorn that blew himself up trying to become immortal? Other elderly ponies would opt for a timeshare in Ponolulu, but we have to go for full metaphysical transfiguration." "Elderly?" Princess Celestia said. "We're elderly now?" "We are the elderliest." Princess Luna said. "You would have been well within your rights to retire to a beachfront condominium centuries ago." "And leave you holding the bag when you got back?" Princess Celestia said. "Never." "So what's our next step?" Princess Luna said "I think we should proceed with our little project as planned." Princess Celestia said. "Cadence's...passing has provided us with the proof I've been searching for; there's no reason to delay it any longer...provided-" "Princess Celestia!" Celestia and Luna looked up to see Applejack standing at the cemetery gate, breathing hard and glaring hard at the ground beneath her feet. "Applejack?" Princess Celestia said. "I thought you had a train to catch; is something wrong?" "I'll only be a second." Applejack said, voice quavering and eyes brimming with tears. "I...well, there's just something I gotta say before I lose my nerve." "Applejack, what-" "I just gotta say..." Applejack said, legs shaking and mouth quivering. "That you oughtta be ashamed of yourself...ma'am!" "Wha-" Princess Celestia gawked incoherently "I just gotta say," Applejack blurted out. "That if anypony else hollered ever at one of my friends the way you hollered at Twilight back there, I woulda whooped them so hard that their grandkids woulda felt it...and if it wasn't for that fancy crown on your head, I'd be whoopin your sorry hide right this minute...ma'am!" And before Princess Celestia could say anything in reply, Applejack had turned tail and scampered down the street. Princess Celestia stared slack jawed at the spot that Applejack stood only moments ago. Then, Princess Luna started shaking with suppressed laughter. "What?" Princess Celestia said. "Nothing." Princess Luna snerked. "If you've got something to say Luna-" Princess Celestia said. "Nothing at all, sister." Princess Luna said, forcing a grave expression. "Are you sure?" Princess Celestia said "Positive." Princess Luna said, struggling to keep a straight face. There was a brief moment of silence between the two sisters. "Get it out of your system." Princess Celestia groaned as her sister erupted into a fit of giggles. "Oh...my....stars!" Princess Luna laughed. "You just got scolded! Her Royal Highness, Princess Celestia, Ruler of Equestria and Mistress of the Dawn just got scolded by a farmpony from Ponyville." "Yes, yes, haha." Princess Celestia said dryly. "And you know she would do it, too!" Princess Luna chuckled, wiping a tear away. "If it had been anypony else, they'd be drinking their meals through a wired jaw for weeks to come." "I should have let her." Princess Celestia brooded. "I deserve it." "Always the drama queen." Princess Luna chided. "Do not let your inclination towards emotional self-flagellation prevent you from making things right with Twilight Sparkle." "I know." Princess Celestia sighed. "And...try to keep that temper of yours under control." Princess Luna said as delicately as she could. "Believe me...I'm trying." Princess Celestia said. "It's getting worse, isn't it?" Princess Luna said "Yes..." Princess Celestia sighed. "Last week I yelled at a footman for bumping into me in the hall. I thought the poor colt was going to dissolve into a puddle by the time I got a hold of myself." "Time ravages us all differently; some of us bear its scars more openly than others." Princess Luna said. "Yes...I suppose you're right. I don't know what scares me more at this point; waking up one day to discover that I've become a monster or looking in the mirror and seeing a monster that's been here for centuries." Princess Celestia sighed. "We can't keep putting this off; it has to be soon." "And if it doesn't work?" Princess Luna said. Princess Celestia shrugged. "We'll think of something else; it's not like we're wanting for time." "No...I suppose it has to be soon though." Princess Luna sighed. "I only wish we did not have to involve Twilight Sparkle in this." "No one regrets Twilight's role in this more than I." Princess Celestia sighed. "I love that mare like a daughter...despite what I may have said. I wish there was some other way to do this." "There is." Princess Luna said simply. "What?!" Princess Celestia said. "What do you mean?!" "There's always another way." Princess Luna said. "We're just not smart enough to think of it." "Speak for yourself, sister." Princess Celestia chuckled, lightly poking Luna in the side. They shared a comfortable silence for a while as the sun lingered on the horizon. Princess Celestia reached out with her magic, taking the weight of the sun with practiced grace and gently guiding it down to its resting place for the evening. Beside her, Princess Luna closed her eyes and drew the stars from the sky, one by one. "Did it really have to end this way?" Princess Celestia said, sadly tracing her hoof over the glittering heart and shield on the tombstone in front of her. "It was a bitter necessity." Princess Luna said. "She would have sickened, twisted and become something foul if she lived past today. You've seen it happen before." "I know." Princess Celestia said. "I...I just wish I could have saved her. It's funny; for a pony with the power over the sun itself, I feel so powerless at times." "Celestia, the day you have the power to decide who lives and who dies will be the day that you will truly become a monster." Princess Luna said. "Cadence's passing was...natural. Just another part of life." "Just a part of life." Princess Celestia echoed. "The worst thing about getting old is that the platitudes get just as old." "I don't expect you to find comfort in this." Princess Luna said softly. "I just hope you can forgive yourself for something you had no control over." "Thank you Luna." Princess Celestia said. "All will be well with Twilight." Princess Luna soothed. "A little strife is healthy for most relationships and the two of you are long overdue for a small scuffle. But don't give her the opportunity to apologize for your wrong doing." "No, you're right. I'll beg forgiveness as soon as I can." Princess Celestia said, laying back and looking up at the night sky. "And if you must insist on beating yourself up, there's a mare in Ponyville that's more than willing to help you with that." Princess Luna said, earning a reluctant laugh from her sister. The two of them laid back on the grass like they did when they were fillies, staring at the stars whirling in the heavens. "The stars look wonderful tonight, Luna." Princess Celestia remarked. "Thank you." Princess Luna said. "To tell you the truth, I never quite got the hang of it." Princess Celestia said. "Not even after thousands of nights of practice. I could always manage the moon easily enough but the stars...I could never make them shine like you...could..." Princess Celestia trailed off, squinting at a cluster of stars near the horizon. "Luna...is that-" "Twenty eight new stars carefully selected and arranged for their size and luminescence." Princess Luna said, admiring the new constellation hanging near the moon. "Took quite a bit of magic to make happen; one of my finer works if I do say so myself. It has about a thousand years since I made a new one and this is a worthy occasion to remember." "Oh Luna." Princess Celestia sighed, wiping a stray tear from her eye. "It's magnificent." "Consider it recompense for missing their wedding." Princess Luna said. "I am only sad that they are not here to see it." The two princesses leaned against one another as the night wrapped itself around them. Outside the cemetery gates, ponies were arriving with candles and flowers for the memorial. In the palace, Madame Dapifer made the bed and drew a bath for a princess she didn't know wasn't coming home. A train carried a tired, brokenhearted Twilight Sparkle away from the Crystal Empire in the company of her friends and back to her little bed in the Ponyville library. And above all of them a starry shield and shimmering heart blazed together across the blue, velvety night. Twilight finds herself back in the field. In the field, under the oak, the shadow of a young unicorn mare appears beside the lonely stallion. She embraces the young stallion who jumps up in shock, looking at the mare in disbelief. She says something and the young stallion seizes her in a passionate kiss while the battered knight looks on enviously. They embrace as if parted for an eternity, then turn to the battered knight apologetically. The knight shakes his head and urges them onward across the field to some invisible location. They bow in thanks and take off running in wild abandon. Twilight cries after them, begs them not to go, struggling to chase them but her legs give out and she falls to the ground, sobbing pitifully. The pair turns back, sad smiles on their faces. They turn back to help Twilight but the battered knight reaches her first, gently raising Twilight to her hooves again. The knight shakes his head at the young lovers and urges them on. Twilight is rooted to the ground by his presence, unable to pursue the fleeing couple. The couple gallops farther and farther across the plain, pausing at the crest of the hill to look back on Twilight. They smile Twilight screams for them And she is shaken awake by the clattering of the train. Twilight looks around her in confusion, only seeing her friends asleep sprawled out on the compartment seats and huddled under blankets. Blinking blearily, she wraps herself tightly in the starchy blanket the train attendant gave her and prays for sleep again.
The Last Equestrian Princess	The Farmer and the Viper	The Farmer and the Viper One winter, a farmer found a viper frozen and numb from the cold. The farmer, a large and gentle pony, took pity on the poor creature and warmed it against his body. No sooner had the viper revived itself than it turned on the farmer, striking him in the neck and killing him. As he lay there, dying, his final words were... Dear Princess Twilight Sparkle, I am writing you with the intent of sincerely apologizing for losing my patience with you at Shining Armor's memorial service this past weekend. I allowed the frustration I felt at the time to cloud my judgment and acted in a manner unbefitting of a princess of Equestria. For that, I apologize. Sincerely, Princess Celestia. Dear Princess Twilight Sparkle, It has been two weeks since we last spoke and I am beginning to wonder if there isn't some problem with your mail service. While I don't expect you to continue with your friendship reports in light of your coronation, I admit I was disappointed when I did not receive one this past week or the last. I would like to take this opportunity to reiterate my sincerest apologies for my response to your behavior at Shining Armor's funeral. I am sorry that I cannot deliver this message in person but I'm sure you understand that a princess' life can be busy. I look forward to your correspondence at your earliest convenience. Sincerely, Princess Celestia Dear Princess Twili Dear Twilight Sparkle, Princess Luna has taken the liberty of informing me that my apologies are, in her words, "woefully subpar." She also pointed out that you may be angry with me and these last few months of silence were deliberate on your part. What you need to realize is that The circumstances surrounding your brother's I am not accustomed to Stress can manifest itself in different Cadence had insisted that Please give me a chance to explain myself to your satisfaction. I have some time blocked off in my schedule next week if a meeting in Canterlot would be agreeable to you. All my L- Sincerely, your faithful teacher Prin Celestia Twilight Sparkle, It is absolutely unfair that You are behaving like a I still expect you to obey me as your Six and a half months is more than enough time to We can never move past this if you aren't willing to If you want me to grovel I miss y I can only say that I am sorry for what I have done to deserve this chilly response from you and ask that you please return my letters. Sincerely, Princess Celestia. P.S. Spike, if you could destroy the first few lines of this as discreetly as possible, I would be eternally grateful. Please give Twilight my best. I will not ask you to get in the middle of this tussle of ours but if you could let Twilight know that I would like to I would be very grateful if you could let Twilight know that I am sorry and that I miss her greatly and I will do anything she asks to make up for the way I treated her. Thank you Spike. P.P.S Incidentally, I ordered the forms you requested and we can set up a testing date as soon as you feel that you are ready. There is no pressure but they must be taken under my supervision and I have a diplomatic mission to Leovolans to meet with members of the Gryphonian Hierarchy in a month. I believe that you are close to being ready for these exams and a few more weeks of intensive study should finish your preparations. We are still on for next Thursday at the Canterlot Archives but please do not hesitate to contact me with questions or concerns. -PC Dear Princess Celestia, Kindly stop using Spike to convey your litany of messages. He is starting to get sick from belching up eight scrolls of ink and parchment a day. If you must insist on flooding my inbox, please do so through more conventional means that don't affect Spike's digestion. Princess Twilight Sparkle For eight and a half months after Shining Armor's funeral, Twilight refused to speak a word to Princess Celestia. It was the longest the pair had gone without speaking to each other in the nearly twenty years they had known each other and if Twilight had her druthers, she could happily go another twenty years without speaking to her former mentor. After the third somewhat stilted apology letter she received from Canterlot about "a lack of grace" and "behavior unbefitting a princess," Twilight had ceased opening the messages from Princess Celestia. Friendship reports went unfilled and unsent and after Twilight insisted that Princess Celestia stop using Spike as a go between, letters went straight from the mailbox into the fire, the recycle bin, or Owlicious' bird cage. Twilight's friends had long learned to stop asking after the princess as any mention of Celestia was enough to make her snippy and sullen for the rest of the afternoon and that was when they saw Twilight at all. In the wake of Cadence's passing, Twilight stepped up and made good on her promise to watch over the Crystal Empire. She would board a train every Friday night to meet with the new Prime Minister and wouldn't return until early Monday morning. Twilight worked nearly tirelessly to ease the transition between leaders and ease the fear caused by Cadence's passing. Almost was the operative word as the signs of stress were becoming obvious on the heavily overworked Twilight. She missed days of sleep at a time, skipped meals and all but abandoned her social life. The only ponies she made time for were her five closest friends and even they saw less and less of Twilight as the months wore on. Daily lunches turned into weekly dinners which eventually turned into bi-weekly brunches. In this time, Spike grew two and a half feet in length, coming up to Twilight's shoulders on all fours and standing a head taller than her on his hind legs. The gangly young dragon stepped into a larger role, managing Twilight's appointments and ensuring the young princess remembered such trivial things as eating and sleeping. But despite Twilight's numerous assurances that she was fine, Spike had known her long enough to know that she wasn't holding up as well as she pretended to be. Twilight missed Princess Celestia. She missed having a mentor she could rely on. She missed the conversations about her studies they used to have. She missed having somepony to confide in when her self-imposed princess duties became overwhelming. But she was absolute in her refusal to contact the princess and once Twilight set her mind to something, she was unshakable in its defense. Spike knew that any attempt to coerce them into talking again would be fruitless; Princess Celestia was abroad, deep in negotiations with the gryphons and Twilight was fully invested in despising her former mentor. Nevertheless, he needed an excuse to get Twilight out of the limelight for some much needed R&R. So, when Fluttershy came to him for help with a project she was working on, Spike saw an opportunity for a vacation that was long overdue "Camping?" Twilight said. "Yes, siree!" Applejack said. "Three days, two nights spending time in the great outdoors!" "That's pretty sudden." Twilight said. "And you said everypony is going?" "Yep." Applejack said. "Applebucking Season ain't until next month and Rarity's got her fall line all wrapped up. Rainbow and Pinkie got time off work too so we're all heading out past the Everfree Forest this weekend for some summer fun!" "Well, to tell you the truth, it's not really why we're going." Fluttershy said. "Part of my application is based on a research assignment so I've decided to study the-" "Application?" Twilight said. "What application?" "Um, the application to the Fillydelphia School of Veterinary Medicine." Fluttershy said. "The one I told you I was filling out." "You never told me that!" Twilight said. "I'm pretty sure I did." Fluttershy said, scuffing the ground with her hoof. "Several times...three days ago...and then again yesterday at lunch." "You even said you were excited for her." Spike said. "Although now that I think of it, I'm pretty sure your exact words were "Uh huh, that's great Fluttershy" and then went back to writing your speech for that public park dedication we did yesterday." "Oh...right." Twilight said guiltily. "Sorry, Fluttershy, I've had a lot on my plate lately." "Yeah, Fluttershy's gotta study the matin' habits of some rainbow beaked snake bird-" "Actually, I'm studying the migratory patterns of the Feathered Prismatic Coatl." Fluttershy said. "They flock north every summer when Tenocoltlan gets too hot to lay eggs and I thought it would be an interesting topic to do a paper on." "Yeah, Fluttershy's headin up for business and we all figured we'd tag along." Applejack said. "So what d'ya say; are you in?" "It sounds like a great time, girls; really it does." Twilight said, scratching the back of her neck. "And I would love to help you with your research but-" "We'll be there!" Spike said. "Um, Spike...did you forget about the ribbon cutting I have at the Western Equestrian Librarian Convention?" Twilight said. "It's been on my schedule for weeks now." "Not anymore." Spike said. "I canceled it." "C-canceled it?!"Twilight squawked. "Wh-who gave you the right to cancel my appointments?!" "Uh...you did." Spike said. "When you put me in charge of your schedule." "But-!"Twilight squawked. "Wh-who's going to cut the ribbon if I'm not there?!" "I'm sure there's somepony in the city of Fillydelphia who can figure out how to operate a pair of scissors." Spike said. "But I-I was supposed to bring the giant scissors!" Twilight said, producing a gigantic pair of scissors and brandishing them in Spike's face. "How are they going to cut the giant ribbon without giant scissors?! You can't just use regular scissors on a giant ribbon, Spike, that's just crazy!" "Oh, that's what's crazy." Spike said, stepping back from the distressed alicorn wielding giant office supplies. "Because this is the picture of sanity." "But wh-what if they're just waiting on me all day?!" Twilight said. "What if the convention never gets underway because I'm not there to cut the ribbon?! They're depending on me, Spike! I have been charged with the sacred duty of commencing the events!" "You've been charged with a duty most kindergartners can perform without difficulty." Spike said. "They're going to think I'm a flake!" Twilight cried. "They probably already think I'm a flake; a big stupid royal flake who can't even be counted on to cut a lousy ribbon!" "Twilight..." Spike said "What if they revoke my Western Equestrian Librarian Association Accreditation?" Twilight wailed. "What if they take away my membership?!" "Twilight!" Spike said. "If they take away my accreditation, I can't call this a library anymore!" Twilight panted. "I have to change the name to the Ponyville Public Book Barn! Do you know what that means?!" "Uh..." Fluttershy said, looking nervously at Spike. "Sh-should I?" "If this isn't a library then I can't call myself a librarian anymore!" Twilight said. "I-I'll be demoted to a lowly bookmonger!" "Twilight!" Spike yelled. "I don't want to be a bookmonger, Spike!" Twilight sobbed. "Not again; never again! I promised myself I'd never monger books another day in my-" In one move, Spike whipped a blanket off a nearby armchair and threw it over Twilight's head. With one hand, he took hold of her wings to keep her from struggling and gently rubbed the top of Twilight's head with the other. "Shhhh." Spike said, gently papping her nose. "Easy girl...settle down now." Twilight struggled for a few moments, rearing back and whinnying, but Spike kept a gentle grip on her to make sure she didn't thrash about too much. Finally Twilight lay still, letting Spike run his hands up and down her neck. "Feeling better?" Spike asked. The lump of blankets replied with a nod. "You ready to let go now?" Another nod. Spike let go and Twilight wriggled her way out from under the blanket. "Thank you Spike...I needed that." "Anytime." Spike said. "I'm...uh...sorry you had to see that, girls." Twilight said to her bewildered friends. "I'm not even sure what that was." Fluttershy said. "It's a primal calming technique that has roots in our evolutionary ancestors." Twilight said, straightening her mane. "I find it helpful in...trying situations." "You want a sugarcube?" Spike said soothingly, producing a box from the kitchen. "No, Spike, I think I can manage without the sugarcube today." Twilight said. "...you want a sugarcube, don't you?" Spike said. "Just the one." Twilight admitted, taking the offered sugarcube from Spike's hand and sucking on it soothingly. "Like I said." Spike said, rubbing Twilight's mane. "Twilight seriously needs some time off and she'd love to spend some quality time with you girls." "You don't have to if you don't want to." Fluttershy said. "I mean, if you have something more important to do-" "Nothing is more important to Twilight than helping you with your application." Spike said. "Right Twilight?" "O-of course not." Twilight said. "I just...have to move some things around on my schedule first." "No need; I took the liberty of clearing out your appointments for the next two weeks." Spike said. "T-two weeks?" Twilight squeaked. "But-" "Your adoring public can do without your radiant presence for couple of weeks." Spike said, shoving a handful of sugarcubes in Twilight's mouth to stop her stream of protests. "You've been skipping out on your much needed "Twilight time" and as your personal scheduler, I'm scheduling you two weeks of nothing but R&R." "But..." Twilight sighed. "Okay." "Good to hear!" Applejack said. "Get your campin gear in order and be ready to go by 0800 Friday morning! We're hittin the trail bright and early!" "Tent?" "Check." "Provisions?" "Check." "Rain gear?" "Check." "Emergency flares?" "Check." "First Aid kit?" "Check." "Backup first aid kit?" "Check." "Rope?" "Check." "Firestarter?" Spike belched an impressive tongue of flame. "Check." "Alright, I think that's everything." Twilight said, fixing her saddlebags. "Uh-huh." Spike said. "Turn out your saddlebags." "What?!" Twilight said. "Wh-why?" Spike reached into Twilight's saddlebags and produced a day planner and a calendar. "Did anypony ever tell you that working on your vacation kind of defeats the purpose of vacationing?" "I wasn't planning on working..." Twilight muttered. "...not for the whole trip at least." "Twilight, as your manager, I have to insist that-" Spike cut himself off as he burped a cream colored envelope out in a puff of green smoke. "Another letter?" Twilight asked stiffly. "Yeah..." Spike said, eyes widening as he caught sight of the address. "Look, if it's another letter from Celestia, just put it with the rest." Twilight said, waving over to the small pile in the corner. "I'll deal with it when I get-" "It's not for you." Spike said. "It's for me." Twilight froze in mid pack. "You got a letter?" "Yeah." Spike said. "So...is it from another school?" Twilight asked. "Yeah." Spike said, nervously running his thumbs over the envelope "Still haven't heard back from Fillydelphia?" Twilight said. "No...I got a letter last week." Spike said. "And?" Twilight said. "There was a "problem with my application." Spike said with the most violent airquotes he could muster. "What?!" Twilight said. "That's ridiculous! I looked over that application myself! I made sure everything was in order! I proofread your statement of purpose three times! What could possibly be wrong with your-" Spike gave Twilight a significant look and her expression darkened. "Oh, that's it; I'm going down there tomorrow to kick some serious-" "Forget it." Spike spat. "I can take a hint; I'm not going where I'm not wanted." "But this isn't fair; you have better test scores than most of the other applicants!" Twilight said. "You were tutored by me since you were old enough to read!" "Well apparently I'm not qualified enough to meet their lofty standards." Spike said. "Don't say that; you know the only reason they're shutting you out is because-" "I know why they're shutting me out!" Spike said. "I'm not a little kid anymore, Twilight, I can read between the lines!" "That doesn't make it fair!" Twilight insisted. "I've given up on fair a long time ago." Spike said. "Besides...I've got a good feeling about this one." He quickly ran a claw under the flap and delicately opened the letter as if he expected it to contain a poisonous scorpion. He quickly scanned the contents of the letter with widening eyes and smile. "Good news?" Twilight said. "Y-yeah." Spike said, smiling dazedly. "You got in?!" Twilight cheered. "Yeah." Spike echoed. "Oh my gosh, Spike, that's great!" Twilight said, pulling Spike into a tight hug. "I never doubted you for a second!" "Thanks." Spike said. "Well give it here!" Twilight said, snatching the letter out of Spike's claws. "Let me see!" "W-wait, Twilight!" Spike said. "Let me explain something fir-" "Dear Master Gallus Talos Spiketrix of Equestria." Twilight read over Spike's protests. "We have reviewed your application and are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Gekkou Academy for Young Peoples beginning this fall term. Due to the quality of the grades you submitted and the score you received on the entrance exam, the academy is willing to offer you scholarship funds to cover your tuition as well as housing and board for full term of your study, including holidays and airfare to and from...Neighpon?!." Twilight looked up at Spike in disbelief. "Y-you applied to a school in Neighpon?!" "Well...yeah." Spike said. "We haven't really had much luck with the schools in Equestria, so Princess Celestia thought-" "This was Princess Celestia's idea?!" Twilight screeched. "Oh, she has some nerve going behind my back like that!" "Nopony went behind your back, Twilight." Spike said. "I didn't want to tell you until I was sure I got in; I didn't want to get your hopes up for nothing!" "Okay, okay." Twilight said, taking a deep breath. "I just need to calm down for a second. I'm...I'm not angry at you, Spike. I'm just mad that Princess Celestia would stoop low enough to use you like this to get back at me." "I-" Spike stopped, fixing Twilight with a dumbfounded expression. "What?" "Think about it." Twilight said. "Why else would Celestia suggest sending you to a school on the other side of the world if not to get back at me for not speaking to her?" "Uh, I don't know, maybe because she thought it would be a good fit for me?" Spike said. "Riiiight." Twilight said. "Because there aren't dozens of excellent academies that you're more than qualified for in Equestria." "If I'm so qualified, how come I haven't received a single letter of acceptance?" Spike said. "Why is it that I keep getting turned down again and again for "improper paperwork" or other equally bogus reasons?" "You know it isn't because of your abilities." Twilight said. "It's only because-" "I know what's it's because of!" Spike said. "But Neighpon is completely different than Equestria! Dragons and ponies have been living together peacefully longer than Celestia has been alive! Why are you so dead set against this?!" "Because this is obviously a ploy to use you to get back at me!" Twilight said. "Twilight, Princess Celestia isn't using me." Spike said. "She's helping me!" "She's packing your bags and kicking you out of the country is what she's doing!" Twilight said. "You call that, help?!" "Twilight, listen to me!" Spike said. "Are you even sure that the letter is from Gekkou?" Twilight said. "I would like to think fake letters are beneath our glorious leader, but at this point, I wouldn't put it past-". "Damnit, Twilight, everything isn't always about you!" Spike roared, shaking the dust from the rafters with the force of his voice. "Spike!" Twilight said, taken aback by the young dragon's sudden outburst. "Lower your-" "This is why I didn't want to tell you!" Spike said. "Because I knew you would twist this and make it part of your vendetta against Princess Celestia when it's got nothing to do with either of you!" "Th-that has nothing to do with-" "Princess Celestia suggested that I apply to Gekkou months before Shining Armor's funeral!" Spike said. "She ordered entrance exams for me so I wouldn't have to fly to Neighpon to take them over there! She set me up with a Neighponese pen pal so I could practice the language before I got there! And not once, in the months I've been working with her did she ever indicate that this was out of spite towards you!" "Oh, right, because Celestia is just going to come out and say she's using you to hurt me!" Twilight bristled. "You don't know how she works, Spike!" "Spirits, you're so bucking conceited sometimes!" Spike groaned. "This may come as a monumental surprise to you, but not everypony spends their every waking moment thinking about Princess Twilight Sparkle!" Spike glared hard at Twilight who matched him with equal ferocity. A long and uneasy silence hung between them, broken by a knock at the door. "Knock knock!" Pinkie Pie said, opening the door for the rest of Twilight's friends. "Are we ready to get this caravan a-rollin? Pinkie packed a pack of piping Pinkie pastries so...uh... " "Are we...interrupting something?" Rarity asked, shifting her eyes between Spike and Twilight nervously. "Nothing" Twilight said. "Spike just received some...news." "Good news or bad news?" Pinkie Pie said. "Or is it bad news that sounds good at first? Or good news that doesn't turn out as good as you thought it was? Or-" "I don't know." Twilight said, turning her gaze back to Spike. "Why don't you let Spike tell you and judge for yourselves?" Spike fixed Twilight with a withering glare. "I just got news that I got into one of the best schools in the world; full scholarship, all expenses paid." "But that's good news!" Pinkie Pie said. "No, wait, that's great news! That's at least twice as good as good news!" "Oh, but Spike hasn't told you the best part." Twilight said with honey dripping from every word. "Tell them where it is, Spike!" "It's...in Neighpon." Spike said Twilight felt a sense of smug satisfaction as all of her friends jaws dropped simultaneously. "N-Neighpon?" "Yep." Twilight said. "If Spike accepts this generous offer, he'll be out of Equestria and away from us for...four years?" "Give or take." Spike said. "But that's..." Rarity said, mouth agape. "I know." Twilight said. "That's...absolutely wonderful!" Rarity squealed, pulling Spike into a hug "I know, it is completely awf-" Twilight said. "Wait, what?" "Oh, the opportunity to live and study in a foreign land would be simply amazing!" Rarity gushed. "Good goin, little buckaroo!" Applejack said, knocking a hoof against Spike's fist. "I've heard that Neighponese schools can be pretty tough to get into." Fluttershy said. "B-but..." Twilight spluttered. "Y-you guys are excited about this?!" "Why wouldn't we be?" Rainbow Dash said. "Our little Spike's all grown up and heading to Neighpon!" "Always knew this two pony town couldn't hold ya forever." Applejack said, tousling Spike's spines affectionately. "W-well, I mean, it's certainly exciting." Twilight said. "B-but don't you think Spike's a bit young to travel on his own?" "Young?" Pinkie laughed. "He's practically a teenager now! I left home when I was half his age!" "But...wouldn't you all rather that Spike go to a more local school?" Twilight said, earning a venomous glare from Spike. "Don't you want to tell him how much you'll miss him if he leaves?" "Well of course we're going to miss him." Rarity said. "But that shouldn't stop him from pursuing his dreams." "Come on, what kind of jackasses would we be if we tried to guilt Spike into staying?" Rainbow Dash said. "You're right, Rainbow Dash." Spike said, locking eyes with Twilight. "You'd have to be a horrible selfish jackass to try and stop someone from pursuing their goals for petty, stupid personal reasons." "Honey, is there something the matter?" Applejack said. "You're actin mighty peculiar." "Well...I just...it's..." Twilight stammered, looking between her friends in search of some backup. When she found none, she sighed in exasperation. "Nothing. It's nothing." Twilight mumbled. "Let's just get going before we burn anymore daylight." Twilight and Spike maintained their mutual cold shoulder on the long hike through the Everfree Forest and to the camp grounds on the far side. Twilight brought up the rear of the group, listening to Spike jabber on to Rarity about Gekkou Academy's campus and the city it was in and the sports teams he wanted to try out for and how cool the dorms were and blah blah-blah blah-blah blah-blah blah-blah. Twilight was content to glower at the back of his head until they made camp for the first night on the edge of the Everfree Forest overlooking the grasslands. Twilight and Spike said nothing all night, occasionally stealing glances at each other over the fire and turning away when the other looked. Twilight's mood grew fouler as the night progressed, made all the worse by how everypony fawned over Spike's new school. Not even Pinkie's Famous Triple Decker Marshmallow Brownie S'mores managed to shake her from her sulk and she stayed awake late into the night, kept awake by ugly thoughts about Spike and Princess Celestia. The next morning, as they moved away from Ponyville, they came to a wide open field of yellow grass dry and brittle in the fading days of summer. A small stream ran through a shaded glen of trees where Applejack and Rainbow Dash started setting up camp. Above them, floating about and darting around like kites in the wind were dozens and dozens of coatl; great feathered serpents slithering back and forth in the air propelled by feathery wings that sprouted from their neck. Fluttershy quickly brought out her quills and notebooks and began taking notes on everything from the water temperature to the wind speed to the cloud density, asking her friends to avoid bothering the coatl (if it wasn't too much trouble of course). It was a side to Fluttershy that Twilight had never seen before, tongue between teeth in concentration, carefully studying the feathers the serpents left on the ground and scribbling furiously in a notebook. "Fluttershy is certainly taking her studies seriously." Rarity remarked as the day went on. Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Spike set up a two on two game of tackle hoofball while Rarity and Twilight sat off to the side, enjoying a cup of afternoon tea and pastries while watching Fluttershy do her work. "I can't say I'm surprised." Twilight said. "Fluttershy has been taking care of animals for years now; she may as well become a vet and make it nice and official." "Now what is surprising to me is Spike." Rarity said, noting the sudden flash of discomfort on Twilight's face as she changed the subject. "Why didn't you tell me he was considering studying abroad?" "I kind of just found out about it myself." Twilight said. "Well, I think it's a wonderful opportunity." Rarity said, stirring another sugarcube into her tea. "What I wouldn't have given to study in Neighpon when I was younger! Such an exotic place; it's practically a whole world away from Equestria!" "Uh-huh." Twilight said, blowing bubbles in her drink. "And such a lovely country too!" Rarity went on. "The mountains, the forests...ooh, the fashion!" "Lovely." Twilight muttered. "I wonder if I could send him with some bits to go shopping for me when he's there." Rarity said. "Then again, I can't really say what my fashion is going to be like four years from now; it's practically an eternity in fashion years." "Yep." Twilight said. "An eternity." "Although anything from Neighponese designers is usually on the cutting edge so I doubt that whatever he gets me will fall out of style by the time he gets back." Rarity said. "That's good." Twilight said tersely. "I can't really decide if I want him to pick me out an outfit or an accessory." Rarity mused. "I suppose an accessory can be incorporated into multiple outfits-" "Right, right, whatever." Twilight said "But then again there's something to be said for a new outfit; just adds a breath of fresh air to any wardrobe, wouldn't you agree?" Rarity said. "Breath of fresh air." Twilight said. "Got it." "But then again, an outfit is only as good as the accessory." Rarity said. "Then get the accessory." Twilight muttered through gritted teeth. "But without an outfit to match, the accessory is just-" "Oh for crying out loud!" Twilight cried, throwing her hooves up in disgust and knocking her drink over. "Just get both! Get all the outfits! Buy all the accessories! Send him on a four year shopping spree while he's there! Maybe he can get you matching kimonos and you two can sit around eating sushi and drinking tea in a hotspring while gabbing on in Neighponese about how bucking wonderful Neighpon is!" Rarity barely raised an eyebrow at Twilight's outburst, taking a moment to refill her friend's cup. "Something the matter dear?" "Nope." Twilight said stubbornly. "I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be? Spike's going to Neighpon and everypony's getting souvenirs! Happy day!" "Ahh." Rarity said, comprehension dawning on her. "Don't ahhhhh me." Twilight growled. "You sound like a diamond dog." "So...somepony's upset that her little Spikey Wikey is flying the nest without her blessing." Rarity said. "Is there a reason you don't want him to go to an amazing school in a foreign land completely free of charge?" "No!" Twilight said. "Of course not!" "Buuuuuut..." Rarity said "It's just..." Twilight looked back at Spike intercepting a pass to Rainbow Dash and running the hoofball down the field. "He didn't even ask me." "Did he need to?" Rarity asked. "Does he need your permission for everything he does?" "Of course not!" Twilight said. "But I wish he would have talked to me about it at least. He's set to leave in a month and this is the first time I've heard about it." "Well, can you blame him dear?" Rarity said. "He's been working on this with the Princess for months and you get positively prickly anytime the Princess is even mentioned; I can't imagine what you might have done if he told you that Princess Celestia was helping him find a school out of the country." "Yeah, one more thing she conveniently forgot to tell me about." Twilight muttered darkly. "There you go again; she's not trying to steal him from you." Rarity scolded gently. "She's got Spike's best interests at heart; if you would put this little grudge with the Princess aside for two minutes-" "Whoa whoa whoa!" Twilight barked. "Who said anything about a grudge?! I don't have a grudge against Princess Celestia." Rarity raised a carefully shaped eyebrow at Twilight over the rim of her teacup. "It's just a...prolonged disagreement characterized by a complete lack of communication." Twilight said stubbornly. "At any rate, Spike has the opportunity to study in a foreign country among his own kind and ponies that won't scream when they see him coming down the street." Twilight winced at this. "He's getting bigger." "He's not that big yet." Twilight said. "He's still young." "He's going into high school." Rarity said. "Did you really think he would be going to Ponyville High?" "Two words; royal decree." Twilight said flatly. "If I have to play the princess card, I will." "Wonderful idea!" Rarity said dramatically. "If the other kids get tired of making fun of him for being a dragon, they can make fun of his Princess mommy who had to get a special law passed just so he could go to school with the other ponies!" "Wow, somepony's snippy today." Twilight said "I just think you're letting your feelings about Princess Celestia cloud your judgment." Rarity said. "Or is there another reason that you're reluctant to see him off?" "It's just...I can't remember a time when he hasn't been there for me." Twilight said, sadly looking at the gawky young dragon currently arm wrestling Applejack. "I hatched him, helped Princess Celestia raise him. He's been my number one assistant for years and...my first real friend." "I know." Rarity said, gently laying a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "It's hard to say goodbye so soon after...after the Crystal Empire. But Spike can't be your little helper for the rest of his life. He's obviously getting restless...and I think a small part of him feels a teensy bit overshadowed by you." "Overshadowed?" Twilight said. "You've always been frankly extraordinary, dear." Rarity said. "Even before your coronation, you always shone a little brighter than everypony else. That can be...difficult to be around sometimes. Being surrounded by successful ponies can make a growing young dragon feel... small." "But I don't want him to feel that way!" Twilight groaned. "I don't want any of you to feel like you're two inches tall around me because of a pair of wings and a crown! What do I do?" "You can let him do this for himself." Rarity said firmly. "It's not your fault he feels like this, but I'm sure he doesn't want to be known as "Princess Twilight's Assistant" for the rest of his natural life. He wants to prove to himself more than anypony else that he's more than just your assistant." "You're right..." Twilight sighed. "It's just...Neighpon is so far away. What if...what if the kids at this new school are mean to him? What if he gets lonely over there?" "And what if he has the best four years of his life?" Rarity asked. "Spike isn't willing to sacrifice the opportunity of a lifetime to What-If's and you shouldn't be either." "No...no, you're right." Twilight sighed. "Neighponese dragons and ponies have lived side by side for centuries." Rarity said. "Nopony is going to look twice at a young dragon in their class the way they might here. He'll have a much easier time fitting in." "It's not fair." Twilight mumbled. "It certainly isn't." Rarity agreed. "Every school from here to Canterlot should be begging him to join." Twilight said. "Their loss; some lucky school in Neighpon is going to get the privilege of hosting him for the next four years." Rarity said, fondly looking over at Spike, hanging on to Rainbow Dash as she took to the air to get the hoofball away from him. "I will miss him though." "I guess I'm not the only one who's losing a little helper." Twilight chuckled. "Do you...do you think I take him for granted?" "Oh dear, where's this coming from?" Rarity said. "I don't know." Twilight sighed. "Lately he's been shouldering more and more of my responsibilities. I've really come to rely on him but...I wonder if I ask too much sometimes." "Twilight, Spike is more than happy to help you." Rarity said "Because it's all he's ever known." Twilight said. "He started assisting me when he was old enough to carry my books. For fourteen years he's organized my library, cooked my meals, helped me with my mail, run errands for me, tidied my house-" "You forget all the wonderful things you do for him!" Rarity said brightly. "You care about him very much and...ah...y-you provide him with a home and shelter?" "Actually, Pri-Celestia does that." Twilight said. "Celestia raised him and provided for him for most of his life so I can't say I do that for him. Even you toss him a gem or two for helping out at the boutique which is a heck of a lot more than I do for him. I'm beginning to think he resents me a little...And I can't exactly blame him if he does" "Why?" Rarity asked. "We...we had it out pretty good before you showed up yesterday." Twilight said. "He said I was self-centered and that I always made everything about me." "No!" Rarity gasped. "Why on earth would he say a thing like that?!" "Because I kind of did." Twilight said, scuffing the ground with her hoof. "When I heard that Celestia was the one who suggested that he apply overseas I kind of lost it a bit. I should have been happy for him but I just...twisted it to make it about me and Celestia. I even went so far as to imply that the letter was a forgery and the only reason he got it was as part of a plot to get back at me." "Ah..." Rarity said softly. "Well, that wasn't exactly the...kindest thing you could have said but-" "That's just it." Twilight said. "I-I'm worried that I haven't shown Spike the same kindness he's shown me. Of course I care about him but...I wonder if he wants to go to Neighpon just to get away from me. I'm worried that he's only sticking around because Celestia assigned him to be my assistant and once he leaves me...he'll never come back." "I wish I could tell you that you were worrying for nothing, dear." Rarity said, lightly patting Twilight on the shoulder. "But the only one who can do that is Spike. I think you need to have a chat with him...but I seriously doubt that he never wants to see you again." "Thank you Rarity." Twilight said. "I'm sorry for losing my patience with you earlier." "Water under the bridge, dear." Rarity said, packing up the tea set. "You know..." Twilight said, sheepishly. "Sometimes I think you would have made a better princess than me." "Oh, of course I would have dear." Rarity chuckled. "But I'm sure Equestria will find some way to make due with the one they're stuck with." Rarity ducked delicately as Twilight lobbed a cream puff at her head, taking off laughing from the pastry pelting princess. "Alright, y'all, let's pack it in!" Applejack hollered. "It's getting late and it's gonna be dark soon!" "Hey, where'd Fluttershy get off to?" Rainbow Dash said. "I think she said something about looking for some...merengue." Pinkie Pie said. "Merengue?" Rarity said. "Like...the pie?" "Oh...then no." Pinkie Pie said. "I find it easier to remember stuff if I associate it with pastries but I can't always remember why sooo...let's see...merengue is sweet...fluffy...and made of...eggs!" Pinkie crowed. "That's it! She was going to go look for those Colattle nests in the brush!" "Ah swear, that girl." Applejack sighed, stomping off into the brush. "I'll be back in two shakes; tell Rainbow Dash to keep her stinking hooves out of my chili!" Twilight turned around to see a guilty looking Rainbow Dash replacing the lid on the bubbling crock pot. "Wh-what? D-don't judge me!" "Hey, I won't tell if you don't!" Pinkie Pie said, producing a pair of spoons from her saddlebag and passing one to Rainbow Dash. "I'm sure Applejack won't mind if we just...test her chili." "Right." Rainbow Dash said seriously. "For spiciness. We wouldn't want Fluttershy or Rarity to eat something that's too spicy for them, would we?" "Absolutely not." Pinkie Pie said, licking her lips and removing the pot lid. "So, really, we're doing everypony a favor!" Rainbow Dash said, raising a spoonful of chili to her mouth. "Of course!" Pinkie said. "Just a teeny tiny little bite couldn't hurt any-" "IF EITHER OF Y'ALL TAKES SO MUCH AS A LICK OF THAT CHILI, THE PAIR OF YA IS GETTING BANNED FROM THE CIDER STAND UNTIL YER GRANDKIDS HAVE GRANDKIDS!" Applejack hollered from deep within the brush. Rainbow Dash immediately dropped the spoon as if it had turned into a snake. "Not worth it; so totally not even close to worth it." The four of them shared a laugh but Twilight trailed off as Spike came up from the river with a pail of water. Twilight caught his eye and he turned away sullenly to pack up the hoofball equipment off to the side. Twilight edged her way over to Spike. "Hey." Twilight said. "Hey." Spike mumbled, not meeting her gaze. "Listen, Spike, I just wanted to-" "AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" Four ponies and one dragon whipped their heads around towards the brush and the source of the hair raising scream. "What on Earth was that?!" Rarity said. "It sounded like Applejack!" Rainbow Dash said, darting off into the shady glen before anypony could stop her. "Rainbow Dash wait!" Pinkie cried, leading the small group into the underbrush towards the source of the commotion. Through thorny thickets they thrashed until they came to a small clearing where Applejack sat back, eyes wide and panting. "Applejack?" Twilight asked, flapping over to Applejack's side. "Are you okay?" "Y-yeah." Applejack said, swallowing heavily. "Ah'm fine." "Then what they hay did you scream like a banshee for?" Rainbow Dash demanded. "W-well, ah was headed off into the brush to look for Fluttershy when ah found-" There was a rustle in the brush off to the side and everyone jumped. "Th-that! Over there!" The underbrush stirred violently and Twilight shared an uneasy glance with her friends. After a few moments of inaction, Spike took it upon himself to creep slowly towards the disturbance, pausing at the edge of the glen to look back at his friends. Carefully, he parted the grass then leapt back something swiped past his face. "Gah!" Spike cried, falling on his backside. "What is it?!" Twilight said. "Are you hurt?!" "No, I'm good." Spike said. "Check this out." Spike pulled the curtain of weeds back to reveal a small, rainbow colored serpent struggling to free its wing from the grip of a fox trap. "It's one of them cowattle thingamabobs!" Applejack said. "Coatl." Twilight corrected gently. "These are the things Fluttershy came here to study, right?" Rainbow Dash said. "How the heck did it get trapped like this?" As if sensing an animal distress, Fluttershy swooped down through the trees overhead. "Applejack?" Fluttershy cried, hovering over the clearing. "Applejack, I heard screaming, is something-" Fluttershy gasped when she caught sight of the injured coatl, feebly struggling to get free of the trap. "Oh, you poor little thing." Fluttershy cooed, floating to the ground. "Who did this to you?" "Dunno." Applejack said. "It was like this when ah got here." "Is that why you screamed?!" Fluttershy said, looking Applejack up and down in a panic. "Did it bite you?!" "No, I'm fine!" Applejack said. "Oh...thank goodness." Fluttershy sighed. "If this little guy had bitten you-" Fluttershy suppressed a shudder and gently bent down to inspect the wounded coatl. "It looks like his wing is caught; Twilight, do you think you could get that trap open? He won't last too much longer unless we get that wing bandaged." "Okay." Twilight said, closing her eyes and gently taking hold of the steel jaws with her magic. "Not too fast now!" Fluttershy said. "You could break his wings if you do it too quickly." Twilight nodded in comprehension, slowly prying the jaws of the trap open inch by inch. The coatl gave a wounded hiss, squirming a bit and thrashing its tail back and forth but lay still long enough to get the trap completely open. "Got it." Twilight said, wrenching the trap in half with a mighty telekinetic twist as the coatl slithered free. "There, there, little guy." Fluttershy said soothingly, bending down to the injured snake and reaching out a hoof gently. "It's okay; nopony's going to hurt you now." The coatl looked at Fluttershy's outstretched hoof curiously, tilting its head this way and that in a lazy serpentine motion as if appraising her. It lowered its head and just as Fluttershy reached out a hoof to stroke it on the nose- It bit, sinking its fangs deep into Fluttershy's leg One winter, a farmer found a viper frozen and numb from the cold. The farmer, a large and gentle pony, took pity on the poor creature and warmed it against his body. No sooner had the viper revived itself than it turned on the farmer, striking him in the neck and killing him. As he lay there, dying, his final words were... "Strange to think that my kindness would be the death of me."
The Last Equestrian Princess	Useless	Useless Fluttershy gave a startled yelp as the serpent sunk its fangs deep into her right foreleg. There was a beat. A moment of stunned silence. Twilight and her friends looked on in shock- And all at once, there was a flurry of action. Twilight shot a burst of magic at it, but to her surprise the spell ricocheted off the snake's gleaming scales and skittered away into the brush. Applejack aimed a kick at the thickest part of the snake's body but it quickly spat Fluttershy's leg out and slithered away into the tall grass, dragging its bloody wing in its wake. Spike prepared to shoot a jet of green flame into the dry grass after the viper, but Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash quickly tackled him to the ground so that his fire splashed harmlessly in the dirt. Fluttershy started to teeter and Rarity quickly moved to catch her, laying her down on a folded picnic blanket. "Oh..." Fluttershy moaned, looking down at the rapidly swelling bite with wide eyes. "Oh no...nonononono...this is bad...this is bad...this is very, very not good." "Easy girl." Applejack said. "Just take it easy." "Stupid!" Rainbow Dash cried, wetting a paper towel from the picnic basket and pressing it against Fluttershy's leg. "That was so bucking dumb of you Fluttershy!" "Rainbow!" Rarity chided, fanning Fluttershy's face with her hat. "Suffering Sleipnir, girl, do you seriously have to try and befriend every single creature under the bucking sun?!" Rainbow Dash cried. "I-I couldn't help it." Fluttershy said. "He needed my help." "Hush, dear, this isn't your fault." Rarity said. "Rainbow's not mad at-" "The hell I'm not!" Rainbow Dash said. "What kind of sane, rational pony tries to pet a wounded pit viper?! Did you even consider that you could have been hurt?! What were you thinking, Fluttershy?!" "I...I really wasn't." Fluttershy admitted shakily. "I just-I had to h-help him....I'm sorry." "That's enough of that." Applejack said, shooting Rainbow Dash a harsh look. "Let's just take look at that bite now." Fluttershy bit back a mewl of pain as Twilight lifted the compress on her leg to get a better look at the wound. The skin around the bite had swollen and turned a dark purple color around the edges. "Tell me it's not venomous." Twilight said quickly. "Just tell me that coatls aren't venomous." Twilight took Fluttershy's pained look of silence as the confirmation she had been dreading. "Okay..." Twilight said, taking a deep steadying breath. "Okay, so they're venomous....just how bad are we talking?" "W-well, there haven't been many encounters with coatl s-so the full effects of their venom aren't fully understood by the veterinary community-" "Short version, Fluttershy!" Rainbow Dash demanded. "I'm-I'm not sure." Fluttershy said. "I only j-just started researching them; I haven't read that far the research manual." "Hold on!" Spike said, fishing a book out of Fluttershy's saddle bag embossed with a picture of a coatl in flight. "Is this it?" Fluttershy nodded "Let's see here..." Spike said, thumbing through the book. "Coatl mating habits...public sightings...coatl in Mexicolt literature...here we go! Natural defense mechanisms!" "What does it say?!" Twilight said. "When threatened, the Feathered Prismatic Coatl can strike at speeds reaching 25 mph to deliver a venomous bite to its aggressor via two sacs of venom in the corner of its mouth." Spike read from the book. "Coatl venom is rich in a number of trace elements designed to block spellcraft and render most magical treatment ineffective. The origins of this substance is still unknown but it is likely an evolutionary feature designed to combat its magical predators such as the cockatrice, the wendigo, the lesser winged chimera, smaller species of dragons such as the Lesser Equestrian Ridgetail and other magical serpents including the Northern Minor World Snake, the Greater Leman Hydra-" "Symptoms, Spike, symptoms!" Twilight yelled. "I'm getting to that!" Spike said. "Victims of the coatl's bite initially suffer from tingling of the extremities, blurred vision, shortness of breath, nausea, and disorientation. Left untreated, coatl venom will begin to target the circulatory system leading to weakness, and increased risk of heart problems and damage to the respiratory system leading to fluid in the lungs and uncontrollable coughing fits. Finally, the toxin targets the nervous system, leading to uncontrollable babbling, rapid decreases in serotonin and dopamine and finally a complete shutdown of the central and periphery nervous systems resulting in-" "I think we get the picture!" Twilight said, forcing her voice to remain even. "How are we doing, Fluttershy?" "A-a little tingly and kind of woozy." Fluttershy said, shaking her head. "Nothing too s-serious yet." "Of all the creatures under the sun you could have studied, you pick the flying hell snakes with megadeath poison!" Rainbow Dash groaned, pacing back and forth anxiously. "Couldn't you have just studied some nice, safe bunnies to look at?" "F-Fillydelphia is a t-tough school to get into." Fluttershy said. "I-I thought that st-studying a rare animal m-might be a good idea...I'm sorry, I should have kn-known better." "Okay...no problem; no need to panic. I'll just...I'll just telekinetically extract the poison from your blood!" "Wait, Twilight-" Fluttershy said. "Shh...hold still." Twilight commanded, closing her eyes and slowly pushing her magic down Fluttershy's leg. She felt around for the venom, an inky dark stain against the crimson river of blood in the veins. Twilight wrapped her magic around the venom, grasping it it with her magic and- "What?!" Twilight said as she felt her magical grip slide off the venom as if it was coated in oil. She tried again, letting her power seep into Fluttershy's leg and around the slick of poison spreading fast. But just as she got a hold of it, her magic slipped again and the snake's venom coursed deeper into Fluttershy's body. "I-I can't get a hold of it!" Twilight cried. "Why can't I get a hold of it?!" "Weren't you listening?!" Spike said. "Magical treatment doesn't work." "But...that's impossible." Twilight said helplessly. "Magic...my magic always works!" "It doesn't matter if you're a princess or an alicorn or the freaking sorceress supreme!" Spike said. "Superpowered magic is still magic and magic doesn't work." "H-he's right. C-coatl are mostly re-resistant to magical forces and cures." Fluttershy moaned, wincing as she pressed a wet napkin against the wound. "That's why your spell didn't hurt it. Th-they were hunted to n-near extinction for scales to make anti-magic armor in the early-" "Yeah, yeah, yeah." Rainbow Dash said gently. "Save the biology lesson for when your leg isn't swelling like a ripe cantaloupe. What do we do? What's the cure? Y-you've had to have packed some kind of medicine in your saddlebag just in case something like this happened, right?! " "N-nothing for a bite like this." Fluttershy said. "I never planned on interacting with a coatl personally; that would have affected my study." "Okay, great." Rainbow Dash said. "We're stuck in the middle of nowhere with no medicine; we have to get Fluttershy to a hospital!" "We don't even know where the nearest hospital is." Rarity said, tearing a strip off the corner of her sundress and wrapping it gently around Fluttershy's leg above the bite. "And even if we did, how are we going to take her? She's too heavy for Rainbow to fly with and Twilight isn't nearly coordinated enough to levitate Fluttershy and fly at the same time." "What...what about Princess Celestia?" Pinkie Pie said suddenly. "What about her?" Twilight said sharply. "Can't Spike send her a note?" Pinkie Pie said. "She could be here in a flash!" "To do what?!" Twilight said bitterly. "How is she going to help us?! Raise the sun and hope the snakebite gets better? My magic didn't do anything; what makes you think hers will?" "Twilight-" Applejack said "No, she's right." Spike said. "If Twilight can't extract the poison with magic, Princess Celestia won't be able to do anything either. It's not a matter of power levels; magic simply doesn't affect it." "Well, there's got to be something we can do!!" Pinkie Pie cried, tugging at her mane. "There's got to be a...a...antivenom! Right? There has to be some kind of medicine thingy that gets rid of the poison, right?" "I-I don't know." Fluttershy said. "Coatl are very rare; m-most larger hospitals don't even carry an antivenom...but, I suppose most of the materials a-are easy enough to come by as long as we can get a sample of venom from the same snake that bit me." "Well that's great, but what good's the venom gonna do us if we don't got nopony who knows how to brew up a potion? I mean, it's not like we brought-" Applejack stopped herself, looking back towards Everfree Forest. "Zecora!" "Of course!" Rainbow Dash said. "I bet Zecora can mix most of the cure at her hut! All we need to do is bring it back and mix it with the venom!" "But we gotta be fifty miles from Zecora's house by now!" Pinkie cried. "We'll never make it in time!" "I will." Rainbow Dash said, dropping her saddlebags and flexing her wings. "I'll get to Zecora and be back with the antidote with time to spare. All we need to do then is mix it with the venom and feed it to Fluttershy!" "Hold on a second!" Applejack said. "Can't Twilight just do her little magical teleport thingy and flash her way over to Zecora's place, lickety split?" "That really only works with locations I'm one hundred percent familiar with and...I haven't really been to see Zecora much since my coronation." Twilight said guiltily. "Besides...I can't really stop the poison from spreading but I think I can slow it down long enough to get an antivenom going. I mean, in theory, Rarity could do it but-" "But it's taking everything you have just to slow it down." Rarity said. "And I daresay I could do much better." "Okay, okay, time's a-wasting!" Rainbow Dash said. "I'm going to get the ingredients for the cure from Zecora. Twilight, do whatever you need to do to slow that poison down. Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Spike; get me that snake!" "Right!" The three ponies and one dragon fanned out across the grassland, scouring the grass for signs of the snake. "Wait!" Fluttershy cried, struggling to sit up against Twilight's grip. "Please d-don't hurt it!" "Hurt it?!" Applejack said. "I got half a mind to take that worthless sidewinder by the tail and crack'em like a-!" "No don't!" Fluttershy cried. "He's j-just scared...i-it's not his fault he-ah!" Fluttershy cried out, clutching her foreleg with a pained expression. "Alright, honey." Applejack said soothingly. "Calm down. We're not gonna harm the little critter. You just lay back and rest a spell while we round up the little rascal for milkin." "Okay, great, now giddyup!" Rainbow Dash said, fishing some goggles out of her saddlebags. "Alright, Fluttershy, looks like I gotta pull your flank out of the fire again!" "S-sorry." Fluttershy squeaked "Don't you worry, kid." Rainbow Dash said, lifting a sweaty lock of hair away from Fluttershy's forehead. "You just take it easy...you're gonna be just fine." Rainbow Dash fixed Twilight with the gravest expression Twilight had ever seen her wear. "You take care of her. You take care of her or so help me-" "I will." Twilight said. "I promise." "You better." Rainbow Dash said, turning to take off. "R-Rainbow Dash." Fluttershy sighed. "I-In case you d-don't make it-" "I'm gonna make it." Rainbow Dash said firmly. "But if you don't-" "Come on, Fluttershy." Rainbow Dash said, forcing a quivering lopsided grin. "It's me. I'm gonna make it." "Th-there's something I want t-to say." Fluttershy said, struggling to sit up. "Save it!" Rainbow Dash said, pushing Fluttershy back into Twilight's embrace. "Save it...for when I get back." "But-" "Just sit tight, Fluttershy!" Rainbow Dash said. "I'll be right back! I promise!" And with that, she shot into the sky in a rainbow streak screaming towards the Everfree Forest. Twilight watched the others disappear into the undergrowth and after a few moments, the clearing fell eerily silent with the only sounds coming from bugs in the grass and Fluttershy's labored breathing. "R-Rainbow Dash was right." Fluttershy chuckled weakly after a short silence. "That w-was pretty dumb of me." "Hush." Twilight said, once again pushing her magic deep into Fluttershy's leg to try and take hold of the venom. "Try and relax. You're going to be fine." "Th-that coatl was p-panicked." Fluttershy said. "H-he was cornered and h-he was scared...I shouldn't have tried to touch him." "You just did what you thought you had to do." Twilight said. "Nopony's faulting you for trying to help a wounded animal." "R-rainbow Dash is." Fluttershy said. "And she's right too." "No she's not." Twilight said firmly. "You just scared us, that's all." "Scared..." Fluttershy echoed distantly before softly chuckling to herself. "Rainbow Dash doesn't get scared." "Of course she does." Twilight said, struggling to maintain her hold on the venom slithering slowly past her magical defenses. "She's not made of stone, you know." "N-no it's..." Fluttershy giggled weakly. "It's j-just something Rainbow Dash used to say when we were fillies. Whenever I asked if she w-was afraid d-doing those crazy stunts or s-standing to the bigger fillies who p-picked on me she...she would just puff out her chest and flare her wings and say "Rainbow Dash doesn't get scared!" "Yeah...that sounds like Rainbow alright." Twilight said, biting her lip and trying to keep a hold on the venom. "J-just being around her used to make me feel braver." Fluttershy said. "I...I felt stronger knowing somepony like Rainbow Dash cared enough about me to s-stick up for me. Sh-she had lots of friends but...she always made time for me. She never made me feel weak or small...li-like the other kids did. I don't know...maybe that's why I-" Fluttershy stopped suddenly, flushing and covering her embarrassment with a cough. "I promised myself that I'd pay her back someday." Fluttershy said. "That one day...I-I'd be strong enough to stick up for her for a change...but I n-never could. And after all these years...I still have to r-rely on her to look after me l-like a little f-foal." "Fluttershy, you need to lie still." Twilight said. The skin around the bite on Fluttershy's leg had turned a violent shade of violet and series of small shivers shook the small pegasus' frame. "S-sorry." Fluttershy sniffed, wiping her eyes. "I-I just feel so useless. I-I thought dealing with animals was the o-one thing I was good at; the one thing that I could always do better than anypony else." "It is Fluttershy." Twilight said soothingly. "One little snakebite doesn't mean that you're bad at dealing with animals. There's no way you could have known that he would bite you like that." "I should have." Fluttershy said. "I should have known. He w-was all raised up and r-ready to strike. He was displaying all the signs of an animal ready to attack and I...I went ahead and grabbed him without even thinking." "You were trying to help it." Twilight said. "But I couldn't." Fluttershy said. "I couldn't help it and n-now it's lost and h-hurt and sc-scared." "Spike and the others are going to find it." Twilight said. "They're not going to hurt it." "I couldn't h-help it." Fluttershy said. "And n-now you all have to make up for m-my stupid mistake. I...I don't know h-how I ever thought I would m-make a good vet..." "You're going to make a great vet, Fluttershy." Twilight insisted. "A vet that can't h-handle one t-tiny little snake without getting bit?" Fluttershy laughed miserably. "N-not likely." "I've seen you handle much, much worse." Twilight said. "You managed to talk down a raging dragon, remember?" "H-he wasn't raging." Fluttershy said. "He was just...cranky that we w-woke him up." "Cranky?" Twilight laughed. "You call roaring, fire breathing dragon cranky?!" "I-It's different with dragons." Fluttershy admitted. "They're a bit more...dramatic than most p-ponies." "You would know." Twilight said. "Y-you're the one who lives with one." Fluttershy said. "I would have th-though you could have handled that easily." "I guess I don't have your way with animals...n-not that dragons are animals or anything." Twilight said hastily. "D-don't tell Spike I called dragons animals; the last time I said that he got all huffy and wouldn't speak to me for a week. He just growled and hissed and clawed up the furniture until I begged him to stop." "Tw-Twilight!" Fluttershy gasped. "Wounding a d-dragon's pride is worse than wounding its body!" "I know, I know, I'm sorry." Twilight said. "It's just...easy to think of most of them as monsters from fairy tales. And I know they're not...at least, Spike isn't. But it's hard not to think of them as...animals." "Wh-what's wrong with being an animal?" Fluttershy said, teasingly. "L-lots of animals are better than ponies." "I'm not sure whether or not to be offended by that." Twilight said. "N-not you of course!" Fluttershy said quickly. "B-but...you know how some ponies can be...well...mean spirited?" "Believe me," Twilight said darkly. "I know exactly what you're talking about." "I-I'm not talking about Princess Celestia either." Fluttershy said. "Sh-she's not as cruel as you think she is...and you know it. You don't want to admit it because you're mad at her but...you know she never meant to hurt you." "I...no comment." Twilight mumbled. "S-suit yourself." Fluttershy went on, looking up at the sky distantly. "But l-like I was saying...animals...they just don't have a...concept of cruelty. They m-may fight or bite or claw each other but i-it's always for a reason like...food or shelter...they're never mean for the sake of being mean. Maybe that's why...maybe that's why I trust them more than ponies." "Because animals never teased you or made fun of you?" Twilight said softly. Fluttershy nodded. "I...I didn't have m-many friends before I m-met you girls. B-but I always could count on m-my animals to-" Fluttershy broke off, suddenly coughing violently. "How are you feeling?" Twilight asked, gently pressing a hoof against Fluttershy's forehead. "A-a little shaky and a little weak." Fluttershy said. "I th-think the poison's spreading." "I know." Twilight said, gritting her teeth and struggling to contain the venom slipping past her magic. "Don't worry...I've got this." "...I-I'm starting to get a l-little scared, Twilight." Fluttershy admitted softly. Twilight pulled Fluttershy close to her, turning her head towards the setting sun to hide her watery eyes from Fluttershy. "I-It's going to be fine, Fluttershy. I promised Rainbow Dash I would take care of you and that's just what I'm going to do." Fluttershy lay back on the blanket, breathing deep, shaky breaths. Come on. Twilight thought to herself, pushing her magic deeper into Fluttershy's body to block the spreading toxin. But try as she might, no matter how many magical tethers and shields Twilight used to stop it, the venom was spreading. Slick, oily black venom slipped past her defenses, avoiding or ignoring Twilight's magic as if it were nothing. The venom had slowed down since Twilight started using her magic, but nothing she did seemed to stop it completely. "Twilight..." Fluttershy whispered softly after a time. "Shh..." Twilight said, struggling to keep her eyes dry in front of Fluttershy. "Try and rest." "I-If I don't make it-" "You're going to make it!" Twilight said. "B-but...if I-" "You're not going to die!" Twilight barked sharply. "Not here; not now! Not in this abysmal bloody taint of a grassland in the middle of nowhere!" "Tw-Twilight." Fluttershy pleaded. "P-promise me you'll...take care of my friends....I mean...the animals...I don't...I don't want them to end up in a sh-shelter or a z-zoo..." "They won't!" Twilight said. "Because you're going to go home and look after them yourself; just like you've always done!" "O-okay...but-" "If and when anything ever happens to you in the distant, distant future, I will personally make sure that your animal friends are looked after. I promise." Twilight said. "B-but don't worry about that now; you just worry about getting better so that you can-" "One...more thing..." Fluttershy interrupted gently. "Y-you n-n-need to tell R-R-Rain-" "I'm not telling Rainbow Dash anything." Twilight said. "Twilight...please j-just listen to me..." Fluttershy begged. "Anything you need to tell Rainbow Dash, you can tell her yourself! Twilight said stubbornly. "Y-you just rest now; rest and when Rainbow Dash gets back you can-" "Twilight Sparkle will you please...just...listen to me?!" Fluttershy shouted as loud as she could. Twilight jumped at Fluttershy's outburst and gently pounded her back as she started coughing again. "O-okay, Fluttershy." Twilight said. "I'll listen; what do you want me to tell Rainbow Dash?" "I...need you to tell R-Raibow Dash that I...that I..." Fluttershy weakly beckoned Twilight to lean closer, leaning against Twilight's shoulder to whisper something in her ear. "Wh-what?!" Twilight said, eyes widening. "P-please just tell her that..." Fluttershy whispered it again and Twilight leaned back to look at Fluttershy as though she had never seen her properly before. "How long have you...you mean...all this time you..." Twilight babbled incoherently "P-promise me..." Fluttershy said. "I-I can't." Twilight said, shaking her head in bewilderment. "This is...this is too big! I-I can't just say that to her." "Promise me." Fluttershy said firmly. "You're going to be fine." Twilight insisted, squeezing her eyes to stop a fresh flood of tears. "S-so stop talking like you're not going to make it! Rainbow Dash is going to be here a-any minute and you can tell her yourself!" "Twilight...please..." Fluttershy pleaded. "I h-have to...she has to know h-how I...I..."Fluttershy stopped as a fresh fit of coughs racked her quivering body. "Okay, okay, hush now." Twilight said, gently wiping Fluttershy's mouth with a napkin and throwing the pink stained cloth over her shoulder. "I ...I promise, okay? I'll tell Rainbow Dash...w-whatever you want me to tell her...but you have to promise to hold on for me, okay Fluttershy?! I need you to say with me, okay?!" "N-no...you don't." Fluttershy mumbled. "Yes I do!" Twilight cried. "I need you to fight this, Fluttershy, I need you!" "You d-don't need me." Fluttershy said. "N-not you...not anypony...I'm u-" "Don't you dare!" Twilight shouted. "Don't you dare call yourself useless ever again! I have seen what useless looks like! Prince Blueblood is useless! Half the bloody aristocracy is useless! I've spent the last year and a half surrounded by useless ponies every time I went to Canterlot but you, Fluttershy are not useless!" "B-but..." "I don't want to hear another word about that damned coatl!" Twilight demanded. "S-so what if you made a mistake?! Everypony makes mistakes! B-but you are so much more than your mistakes! And I...I wish you would just stop beating yourself up over things you can't do and just appreciate all the wonderfully amazing things you do every single day! You're the only pony I've ever met who's stared down an angry cockatrice and a very cranky dragon within the same month. You helped me take down Nightmare Moon, Discord, Chrysalis and King Sombra! You helped save Equestria more times than anypony else!" "I...I wasn't a-as brave as y-you or Rainbow Dash..." Fluttershy said. "I...I was scared the whole time we were fighting Nightmare Moon a-and Discord and-" "You think I wasn't scared?!" Twilight said. "I was terrified!" "N-no...y-you're just saying that to make me feel better." Fluttershy said. "Fluttershy...how could I not have been scared?" Twilight said. "Princess Celestia ordered us to put our lives on the line for Equestria more times than anypony should be ever asked to. Do you know how many times I thought I was going to die?! Do you know how many times I thought I'd never see my family again?! How...how could you think I wasn't scared?!" "You...always held it together." Fluttershy said. "You never...never showed you were scared. Not once...I don't know how you...how anypony could do that..." "It's easy to hold it together...when you have somepony to hold it together for." Twilight said, affectionately nuzzling Fluttershy's pale, clammy cheek. "Like...R-Rainbow Dash..." "And Rarity. And Pinkie Pie and Applejack and Spike and...and you." Twilight said. "Especially you, Fluttershy. Because you trusted me...more than anypony else. Up against Nightmare Moon and Discord and all the rest of them, you were just as scared as I was but...but you believed in me. Believed that I'd get you through whatever we were going through...even if I didn't always believe it. So when you stayed and fought beside me all those times...I felt like I could be brave...just for you." "Me?" Fluttershy said woozily. "I rely on you...to rely on me." Twilight said, wiping a stray tear away. "I rely on you to be the one pony I have to be brave for; the one pony I couldn't bear to let down because I was afraid. You've shown me what real courage looks like and it's not beating your chest and stamping your hooves and fearlessly charging into battle. It's being scared out of your wits and still saddling up in spite of that fear, trusting your friends to carry you through. I think...in a lot of ways, you're even braver than Rainbow Dash." "R-really?" Fluttershy said. "It's like you said; Rainbow Dash doesn't get scared!" Twilight chuckled. "How can she ever be brave if she isn't scared? But you...you're somepony who doesn't let her fears get in her way...not anymore...and I have to be worthy of your trust. I can't help but feel like I have to measure up to you. Like I have to be the leader you can always count on. I need you, Fluttershy because..." Twilight took a deep, shuddering breath. "Just being around you makes me feel braver." Fluttershy smiled sadly, tears leaking out of the corners of her eyes. "Nopony's...ever said that to me before...nopony's...ever...thought I was...brave...th-thank you, Twilight...thank..." Her head lolled back, eyes closed and Twilight quickly tried to rouse her. "Hey, stay with me Fluttershy!" Twilight said, gently shaking Fluttershy's shoulders. "Eyes open; come on!" "N...tired..." Fluttershy said. "Come on, Fluttershy!" Twilight said, feeling her way through Fluttershy's bloodstream with her magic. The venom was everywhere now, slithering through every vein like an inky black serpent. "Hang in there, Fluttershy! You've...You've still got th-that report to write, remember?" "Mnn?" Fluttershy groaned, eyes fluttering open. "Wh-what?" "Yeah, that's a girl!" Twilight said, anxiously scanning the skies for any sign of Rainbow Dash. "You have to finish that report and send it off to Fillydelphia, remember?" "Y-yeah..." Fluttershy mumbled. "C'mon, y-you can't start off vet school by missing your first assignment, can you?" Twilight said. "Y-you have to start off on the right hoof! Now come on; talk to me. Tell me what you're going to write about; tell me about the...the..." "M-mating habits of..." Fluttershy supplied. "The mating habits of the Feathered Flying Coatls, right?!" Twilight said, anxiously scanning the skies for any sign of Rainbow Dash. "Yeah, tell me about that!" "Well...hnn...th-they migrate n-north every s-summer when-" Fluttershy stopped, again overcome by a nasty fit of hacking. "Okay, okay, that's okay." Twilight said, lightly stroking Fluttershy's mane. "You don't have to talk; just lie back and try and rest. There'll be plenty of time to talk about your assignment later. I-I'll even help you write it if you want! Y-yeah; we can set up shop in the library with all your notes and books and we can work on your report every day if you want to! Sp-Spike can even bring us those hayseed muffins you like so much and we can make a lunch out of it! Won't that be fun?" "Mmm..." Fluttershy sighed. "Y-yeah..." "Yeah; it'll be great!" Twilight rambled on, gently rubbing Fluttershy's shoulders. "I-I'm going to be there for you through this whole process! W-we can go down to Fillydelphia together once we're done and turn the report in ourselves! Th-then you can get started p-preparing for your first day of class! N-not that you'll need to do much to prepare; you probably have more experience dealing with animals than your classmates will!" "Mmmhmm." Fluttershy mumbled faintly. "And y-you're going to make a g-great vet." Twilight said, gently pulling Fluttershy close while pumping every ounce of her magic into Fluttershy's body to try and stall the venom for just a few moments longer. "Y-you're going to come back to Ponyville, ready to look after all of our animals. Y-you're going to help them all...you're even going to find that coatl a-and fix his wing! Y-you can make it up to him! I-I bet you two could even be f-friends once you get to know him!" Fluttershy was silent, so Twilight rambled on. "P-Pinkie will probably want to throw a party." Twilight said, laughing tearfully. "You know how she is; she probably has a Snakebite Survivor party ready to go with snake streamers and gummy snakes and pin the tail on the...snake...but we can do whatever you want! W-we can have a nice quiet party and th-then everyone can go back to their daily lives! A-applebucking Season is just around the bend and Applejack will probably need help harvesting the crops again b-but we can a-all help her with that, right? I know I've been k-kind of wrapped up in my p-princess stuff lately but I promise...I promise to make time for you guys! W-we can even go on another trip! It'll be winter soon so we can go skiing or sledding...and after that, when it's sunny again, m-maybe we can give camping another try! L-let's make this a yearly thing! N-no more snakebites next time, okay? E-every year...no matter what we're doing...we'll all take a few days off and go camping, just the seven of us! Won't that be fun, Fluttershy...Fluttershy?" Twilight paused for air and noticed the field was eerily silent with the only sound coming from the bugs in the grass. "Fluttershy?" Twilight said softly, gently shaking her friend's motionless body. "F-Fluttershy?" Twilight pulled back to look at Fluttershy and a pair of dim, glassy green eyes glinted back at her. "F-Fluttershy?!" Twilight cried, shaking Fluttershy by the shoulders as hard as she could. "No...nonononononono...please, no...Fluttershy, come on, please stay with me! Please d-don't leave me! I-I need you, Fluttershy! I need you! We...we all need you...please...please don't leave us!" Twilight flipped Fluttershy on her back, spreading her forelegs out and exposing her chest. A small spark of electricity jolted from Twilight's horn and struck Fluttershy in the chest. "Clear!" Twilight said, pressing a hoof to Fluttershy's neck to feel for a pulse. "Damnit, clear!!" Twilight said again, jolting Fluttershy with another pulse of electricity, compressing her chest again and again to try and force a faint pulse. "Come on...come on! I can fix this, Fluttershy, I can fix this... but you have to work with me! Clear!" Another jolt. "Come on, Fluttershy, fight! Fight...fight..." Twilight pressed an ear to Fluttershy's chest, listening for the smallest sign that her heart was working. Nothing. Twilight stood up suddenly, pacing back and forth, looking this way and that, clutching her mane in anguish. There had to be something she could do-something she hadn't tried yet. This was wrong; her magic never failed! She was the Princess of Magic; the greatest sorceress in Equestria! She...she couldn't have failed to stop a simple snakebite...this couldn't be happening...her magic didn't fail...her magic didn't fail...she didn't fail...she couldn't fail she promised that she wouldn't fail she promised that she wouldn't fail she promised that she wouldn't fail she promised that she wouldn't fail she promised that she wouldn't fail she promised that she wouldn't fail Fluttershy believed in her and she promised that she wouldn't fail Rarity believed in her and she promised that she wouldn't fail Pinkie Pie believed in her and she promised that she wouldn't fail Rainbow Dash trusted her to watch Fluttershy and she promised that she wouldn't- Fail. Cold, icy despair hit Twilight like an avalanche and she slumped to the ground beside Fluttershy's body. She lay her head against her chest and slowly started shaking and sobbing helplessly. No matter what she had done, no matter how hard she had tried, no matter how much magic she had used...she had failed. "I'm s-s-sorry F-Fluttershy." Twilight blubbered pitifully into Fluttershy's chest. "I'm sorry...I'm sorry...I'm sorry...I'm sorry..." Again and again she chanted the same two words as if by the power of her remorse, Fluttershy might wake again. Twilight looked up at Fluttershy's eerily peaceful face, her sad semi-smile and dim eyes staring blankly at the coming night sky. Twilight shakily raised a hoof and closed Fluttershy's eyes. She took the blanket from under her head and wrapped it around her body like a shroud, bundling her tight and pulling her into an embrace. Twilight sat there in the middle of a grassy clearing on a warm summer's evening, rocking back and forth with her friend's body clutched against her chest, tearfully mumbling the same two words that Fluttershy would never hear over and over and over again. She didn't know how long she sat there, cradling Fluttershy's motionless body in her lap but Twilight was shaken out of her grief by the sound of claws and hooves heralding the arrival of Spike and her friends. "Found it!" Spike crowed, triumphantly holding a wriggling bundle of picnic blankets above his head. "Little bugger wormed his way underneath a fallen log. Tried to nip at me a few times but he couldn't get through my scales! Get the antidote ready so we can-" Spike stopped cold as he met Twilight's watery, puffy red eyes. He looked between her and Fluttershy's body cradled in her arms. "But...no...we..." "Spike, what's the matter? What happen-" Rarity let out a sharp gasp as she and the other entered the clearing and caught sight of Twilight holding Fluttershy's body. "Oh...no...no!" "F-Fluttershy?" Pinkie Pie said, moving over to Twilight and gently nudging Fluttershy's body. "Fluttershy, we're here...we made it. Rainbow Dash will be here s-soon with the antidote...please...please hang on...don't tell me you're-" "I-I'm sorry girls." Twilight sobbed. "I-I tried to st-stop it but I...I couldn't. I just c-couldn't." Pinkie Pie's face crumbled into a soggy mess as she pressed her face into Fluttershy's body and began to shake quietly. Applejack gently pulled her hat off, clenching the brim between her teeth as she bit back a cry of anger and frustration. Rarity was almost completely silent as she stood staring in horrified disbelief at the small bundle in Twilight's embrace, eyes welling with unshed tears as she silently mouthed Fluttershy's name. Spike just glared at the squirming bundle, eyes murderous and tears streaming down his cheeks. Little tongues of green flame darted out from between bared fangs and his claws closed in on the helpless coatl struggling to get free. "Spike." Twilight said, noticing the dangerous glint in Spike's eye as he looked at the snake. "Spike, don't...don't do it." "What?" Pinkie Pie said, looking from Spike to Twilight in confusion. "Wh-what's going on?! What's he going to do? "Why not?" Spike growled, glaring at the makeshift sack struggling to get free. "Why...why shouldn't I? It's his fault, isn't it?" "Spike, no!" Pinkie Pie cried. "We...we made a promise." Applejack said through clenched teeth. "As much as I want to tether that mean ol' gutter snake to the back of a speeding freight train...we promised F-Fluttershy we wouldn't hurt it." "And what does that matter now?!" Spike snarled. "It's not-it's not fair! It's not fair that this little...this little worm gets go on living while Fluttershy-" Spike swallowed painfully, sliding his claws around the serpent's struggling body. "She helped this thing. She saved its miserable little life and how does it repay her?! It didn't even stop to look back after it sank its teeth into her leg!" "I-it's just a wild animal, Spikey." Pinkie Pie sniffled. "It doesn't know any better-please...please just let it go. T-tell him, Rarity! T-tell him to put it down!" Rarity remained silent, eyes fixed on the squirming bundle with a glare more toxic than the venom of the snake inside. "It's not fair." Spike repeated. "It's not fair..." "Spike, please." Twilight sobbed. "Just stop it! L-let the little thing go!" "I-I can't." Spike croaked, tightening his grip on the defenseless coatl. "It...I have to...it needs to...w-why shouldn't I just-" "Spike." Spike looked up from the coatl struggling in his claws and saw Rarity looking at him with bitter tears of defeat. "W-why shouldn't I, Rarity?" Spike sobbed. "Why shouldn't I just...end this thing and be done with it? I-It's got a b-broken wing; I-It's probably going to die anyway so why don't I just-" "Because even after all it did to her..." Rarity said softly. "She still would have saved it." Spike looked down at the limply wriggling bundle in disgust. Tongues of fire escaped his clenched teeth and for a moment, Twilight feared that Spike was going to roast the coatl alive. "Argh!" Spike roared, shooting a column of green fire straight into the sky. He growled, cursed, stamped his feet...and finally walked over to the edge of the grass and opened the blanket, allowing the coatl to slither meekly into the underbrush. Rarity moved to sit beside him, gently laying a head on his shaking shoulder. "Wh-where's Rainbow Dash?" Pinkie sniffed. "Isn't she back y-yet?" "No..." Twilight said. "Wh-what am I supposed to say to her? I promised to l-look after Fluttershy...she trusted me to t-take care of her and-" Twilight stopped as she noticed everyone was looking over her shoulder. Her stomach dropped into her hooves as she slowly turned around. Rainbow Dash stood at the edge of the little clearing, jaw slack, eyes wide and a small broken bottle leaking the antidote all over her hooves. "R-Rainbow Dash..." Twilight said. "I'm-" In a single move, Rainbow Dash moved over to Twilight, pushing her aside and gently taking Fluttershy from her. She looked at the small, fragile body of her oldest and dearest friend with more confusion than sadness at first. She looked Fluttershy up and down, turned her over, checked for a pulse, and lightly shook Fluttershy by the shoulders mumbling her name under her breath over and over again in disbelief. Twilight and the others kept their distance, looking on in silence as none of them could find the words to say. Finally, Rainbow Dash looked up at Twilight as shock gave way to grief and tears that had been pooling in her eyes began to slide slowly down her face. "I...I didn't make it." Rainbow Dash said helplessly. Across the open plain, a flock of sleeping birds woke took to the air suddenly, startled by a bitter, strangled cry coming from a small clearing in the middle of a grassy plain. V
The Last Equestrian Princess	We,That Are Young	We,That Are Young... The sun, a fat gassy boor lacking any semblance of sensitivity or tact, decided to show its face unhindered by clouds or fog or rain on the day that Twilight's friends gathered to lay Fluttershy to rest. Twilight blamed this despicably sunny day on Princess Celestia, as her mentor ex-mentor made an easy target since wasn't around to stick up for herself. She rose from her sleep with a slimy ball of dread already settling in her stomach. They returned to Ponyville two days before, towing a magically fashioned cart with Fluttershy resting in the back. After they delivered her to the care of the funeral director, the seven six of them left with barely a word between them. Rainbow Dash in particular had been unusually taciturn, nodding briefly when the funeral director told them when and where to meet for the funeral, before flying away with a lazy flap of her wings and not another word. Her friends dispersed after that, each of them listlessly wandering back to their houses in silence. Spike put on a pot of cheese soup when they got home and the pair of them sipped at it weakly for half an hour before leaving the table, bowls half empty. Twilight shut her blinds against the setting sun and crawled under her blankets, descending into fitful dreams of green fields and pit vipers. The morning after Twilight and her friends returned from the campsite, Twilight woke to find Spike gone and the soup sitting cold and curdled where they left it the night before. She washed their plates, set them to dry on the sunlit countertop and took off from her top balcony in search of Rainbow Dash. She had been unusually stony on their trip home, speaking only when spoken to and then in only a few words at a time. Her grim demeanor caused Twilight to lose heart every time she worked up the courage to apologize to her. More than anypony else, Twilight felt the need to personally apologize to Rainbow Dash herself. Rainbow Dash had trusted her; depended on her to take care of Fluttershy until she could get back and Twilight failed to live up to that trust. Years of study and her best magic weren't enough to save Fluttershy's life and deep down, she knew Rainbow Dash blamed her for it. So it came as no surprise to Twilight when her knock on Rainbow Dash's door went unanswered. She flew around the house, peeking in every window (even magically moving a few curtains aside) but Rainbow Dash was nowhere to be found. Her house was neat and tidy as it almost never was and her bed looked like it hadn't been slept in. So Twilight canvassed Ponyville from the air, checking in Rainbow Dash's favorite napping spots and looking for any glimpse rainbow colored tail moving against the sky. After hours of searching, the sun began its crawl down towards the horizon and Twilight still hadn't found Rainbow Dash or anypony who had seen her. Disheartened from her search, Twilight returned to the funeral home to assist with the funeral preparations only to find that Rainbow Dash had beaten her to the punch. "Yes'm." The funeral director, an old mare by the name of Nightshade, said when Twilight asked about the preparations. "Your friend came by after you all left yesterday and went through the particulars herself; flowers, service, choice of engraving. Miss Rainbow was mighty keen on setting this up herself...I guess she knew your friend longer than anypony else so-" "No, that's fine." Twilight said. "Is she going to be back anytime soon or-" "Well maybe...but she assured me that all was taken care of before she left." Nightshade said, fishing around her desk for a rather extensive list of funeral preparations. "If you don't mind me saying so, Miss Twilight, your friend's preparations run a bit on the pricy side-" "Send me the bill." Twilight said briefly. "Did Rainbow Dash mention if she was coming back for anything? Maybe to plan the wake or-" "Not that I'm aware of; she mentioned that she was taking a trip up to Cloudsdale but that'd she be back in time for the proceedings." "I see..." Twilight said. "You know, I have a cousin up in Cloudsdale, I could ring her and she could keep an eye out for-" "That's okay...thank you anyway. If she stops by...tell her that Twilight is looking for her." As she left the funeral parlor, Twilight was struck by the realization that in her haste to find Rainbow Dash, she had completely neglected to search for Spike. Acting on a whim, she stopped by the Carousel Boutique on the way home. "He was by earlier." Rarity said, hemming the edge of a white shirt. "He had grown out of his suit months ago and was hoping that I could make some alterations to accommodate for his growth." "He just bought that suit too." Twilight said softly. "Especially for...Shining Armor's funeral." "Heavens, that seems like only yesterday." Rarity sighed, glancing over at an immaculately pressed black gown hanging over the edge of a chair. "I do so hate black...and I'm getting very tired of having to wear it." After asking after Twilight's only funeral attire and seeing if she needed anything prepared for the following day, Twilight excused herself as politely as she could. Disheartened, she decided to walk back home instead of using her wings. The walk gave her time to brood and each hoofbeat brought to mind a new disappointment that rhythmically pounded in her head over and over again as she trotted her way down Ponyville's cobbled streets Guilt-Shame-Regret-Failure Guilt-Shame-Regret-Failure Guilt-Shame-Regret-Failure Guilt-Shame-Regret-Failure A small part of Twilight wondered if her friends blamed her for what happened to Fluttershy as much as she blamed herself. Everypony had insisted that Twilight did all she could and that what happened to Fluttershy was a complete accident. But Twilight suspected Rainbow Dash at least held some kind of grudge against her. She wouldn't talk to her on the way back and avoided looking at Twilight for more than a second or two at a time. She had hoped to talk to Rainbow Dash before they laid Fluttershy to rest but Rainbow Dash had done her best to escape from Ponyville before she had the chance to apologize to her. After losing Fluttershy, the thought of losing Rainbow Dash as well made Twilight feel sick to her stomach. By the time she got home, her head throbbed in time with her own self-pitying mantra and she wasn't in the mood to do anything more than sleep. Before she turned in, she checked Spike's room one last time. A bundle of blankets lay gently rising and falling with Spike's uneasy breathing. She thought of waking him for a moment though on second thought, she wasn't sure what she'd say. More than anything, she wanted to talk to somepony about all of this but everyone was too buried in their own grief to say much of anything to her. Twilight milled about the kitchen for a few minutes, looking for something to do with herself before giving up and heading to her loft with only a mug of peppermint tea to soothe her nerves. Twilight sat at her desk and for a while she just stared blankly at her calendar, noting the lines and lines of neat red scribbles marking various appointments with this mayor or that duchess. After a while of staring at the calendar, her vision started to blur, day after day running together in a featureless red streak on the page. In one swift sweep of her hoof, she knocked the calendar off the desk and into the wastepaper bin. With the other hoof, she dug a quill and scroll from the desk drawers and started scribbling on it furiously. To Her Royal Highness Princess Celestia, Regent of Equestria, Queen of the Equine Peoples, Empress of the Seaponies, Protector of the Realm, The next morning, Twilight was jolted awake by a sharp bang as Spike shut the front door after him as he left the house. Twilight looked around in confusion then out the window as Spike wound his way through the sleepy streets of Ponyville in the morning. The sun shone brightly on the horizon and Twilight made an ugly face as she shut the curtains and began to prepare to say goodbye to one of her first real friends. The letter she wrote the night before sat finished on her desk and she folded it neatly, tucking it in a black handbag and resolving to ask Spike to send it once the day was over. By the time she had showered and dressed appropriately, it was almost noon and nearly time to meet her friends at the little memorial hall where the funeral was to take place. By now, word of Fluttershy's passing had spread through Ponyville and nearly every pony she passed on the street offered a sympathetic look or word of consolation. Many were dressed in black themselves; making their way in the same direction Twilight was headed. "Twilight!" Twilight turned around to see Applejack trotting up to meet her accompanied by Big Macintosh and Applebloom. The Apple siblings were all dressed in black, save for a pink and yellow flower pinned to each of their collars. "Oh, hey everypony." Twilight said. "I didn't expect to see you two here too." "Well, ya see, Miss Fluttershy was pretty important to a lot of ponies around here." Applebloom said. "Ah reckon lots'a folks will be wantin to pay their respects to Miss Fluttershy before the day is out." Big Mac said somberly, nodding at the small crowd of ponies in black already clustering around the chapel. "Ah hope we're not steppin on any hooves here, Miss Twilight. Ah know half of us weren't exactly invited and all-" "No, it's fine!" Twilight said. "I'm just...didn't expect so many ponies to come today." "Well, I hope you don't mind a few more." Twilight turned and saw Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Spike coming up the street leading Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, the Cakes, Cheerilee, and a few dozen other ponies that Twilight knew from around town, all dressed in black and all with a pink and yellow flower pinned to their lapels. "You're a bit underdressed, dear." Rarity said, plucking a spare flower from the brim of her hat and affixing it to Twilight's dress. "Rainbow Dash insisted everypony wear one." "Rainbow Dash set this up?" Twilight said. "Just before she left." Rarity said. "Delivered these to my house yesterday and asked me to pass them out before the funeral." "Has...anypony seen Rainbow Dash since we got back?" Pinkie Pie and Rarity shared a troubled look with Applejack. "Last I saw her was at the funeral home." "I headed over to her cottage to round up Miss Fluttershy's critters last night." Big Mac said. "Rainbow Dash wasn't there either." "I took a balloon basket up to her house yesterday but...no one." Pinkie Pie said. "She asked me to take care of the flowers but after that...no." Rarity said. "The funeral director said she'd be back in time for the funeral but-" "Wait, there she is!" Pinkie Pie cried, pointing up to the sky. Twilight looked up as a flutter of wings heralded the arrival of Rainbow Dash dressed in a black suit and tie. She was flanked by two other pegasi, a pink mare with a shocking blue mane and a blue stallion in an officer's uniform with the same multicolored mane and tail as Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash herself looked exhausted and somehow Twilight knew that it wasn't from the fly to Cloudsdale. Her eyes were red and puffy, her mane and tail had been hastily combed and she had missed a few buttons buttoning up her jacket. "Rainbow, where in tarnation-" Applejack said. "Had to make a pitstop at Cloudsdale." Rainbow Dash said dimly. "Had to pick up a couple of guests here. Rarity, did you get the-" "All taken care of dear." Rarity said, offering Rainbow Dash and her companions a trio of yellow and pink flowers and straightening Rainbow Dash's tie. "Everything you asked the funeral director to prepare, all done." "Good...good." Rainbow Dash said distantly, accidentally catching Twilight's eye for a second. "Rainbow Dash-" Twilight said "We should go." Rainbow Dash said, quickly looking away. "S-service starts in a few minutes so if anypony wants a minute alone with Fluttershy-" Rainbow Dash broke off, trotting inside the memorial hall before Twilight could say anything else. Rarity and Pinkie Pie shared a worried look before quickly running after her. Twilight's wings slumped in dismay as she watched Rainbow Dash walk away. Someone put a hoof on her shoulder and Twilight looked up to see Applejack looking back at her sympathetically. "S-she hates me." Twilight sniffed miserably. "You don't know that, Twilight." Applejack said gently. "I-I don't blame her." Twilight sniffed. "I-It's my fault that-" "Don't." Applejack said firmly, shaking Twilight's shoulder lightly. "You did everything you could for her, Twilight. Nopony's blamin you for nothin." "But Rainbow-" "You haven't said two words to Rainbow Dash since she got back and you already got it in your head that she hates you?!" Applejack said, offering Twilight a handkerchief. "Rainbow's a little shook up...I reckon we'll all be feelin a little off kilter for a while...but I'm sure she knows, deep down, that you did all you could to help Fluttershy. May take her some time to realize it, but she knows this wasn't your fault at all." Twilight sniffed miserably. "Thanks." "Anytime. We should probably mosey on in there." Applejack said. "You ready?" "No." Twilight said "Me neither." Applejack said with a sad little smile. "But we gotta send Fluttershy on her way." Twilight took a deep breath and, with slow plodding hoofsteps, followed Applejack into the memorial hall. Walking through the doors, Twilight was immediately hit by a burst of green and the smell of freshly cut flowers. The small memorial hall was covered in dozens of bouquets of pink and yellow flowers with garlands hanging from the doorway and running along the backs of the chairs. The drab memorial hall had all been transformed into a lush meadow teeming with life in contrast to the gloomy atmosphere. Looking around the hall, Twilight saw dozens of ponies she knew in passing, Rainbow Dash talking to the Cakes, a distraught Rarity being consoled by Spike and Applejack, Pinkie Pie was talking with the Mayor and at the front of the room- There was no casket. Twilight looked around for a moment, searching for Fluttershy's body when at last she came to rest on a small urn resting on a pedestal, surrounded by pink and yellow flowers. It took her a moment to realize and when she did, her heart skipped a beat. That tiny urn on the pedestal held all that was left of Fluttershy. Everything that Fluttershy had ever been was gone and all that remained was a hooffull of ashes in a pretty pink vase. "Doesn't it look wonderful?" Twilight was shaken out of her shock by the appearance of Nightshade at her side. "One of the lovelier services I've had the pleasure of overseeing." "She...she was cremated?" Twilight said. "Of course." Nightshade said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "You're surprised?" "Rainbow never mentioned it." Twilight said. "Whether she mentioned it or not, dear, you never bury a pegasus in the ground." Nightshade said solemnly. "Tis almost as disrespectful as burning up an Earth pony's remains and scattering them to the winds." "I'm sorry...I wasn't aware of that particular superstition." Twilight said. "Superstition?" Nightshade stiffened at this. "I beg your pardon, miss, but these burial practices are traditions that have been passed down in Ponyville society for generations. I understand that our customs might seem quaint to a Canterlot pony like yourself but-" "I'm sorry, I spoke out of turn." Twilight said, biting back a comment about that Canterlot pony remark. "Forgive me...it's been a rough couple of days." "As you say, miss." Nightshade said with a curtsey. "I'll leave you in peace." Twilight took a deep breath, rubbing her brow wearily. She turned back to Fluttershy's urn, hoping for a moment alone with it but instead she saw the two ponies that Rainbow Dash arrived with paying their respects. She was almost discouraged from going up, but her curiosity got the better of her. "Excuse me?" Twilight said, approaching the pair standing by Fluttershy's urn. "You wouldn't happen to be related to Rainbow Dash, would you?" "Last I checked." The stallion said, turning around. "Who wants to-oh crap!" The stallion quickly snapped to attention and fired off a crisp salute. "Lieutenant Commander Borealis of Her Majesty's Royal Dragoons. Forgive the lapse in decorum, Your Highness, I didn't see you there." "At ease, Lieutenant, we're all friends here." Twilight said. "Of course, ma'am." Borealis said. "And if you don't mind terribly, could you please stop calling me ma'am?" Twilight chuckled. "I'm barely older than Rainbow Dash." "Certainly, m-miss." Borealis said. "You're going to have to order this one to relax; it's the only way he listens to anything." The pink pegasus said with a shake of her spiky blue mane. "Nice to meet you; I'm Firefly." "Twilight Sparkle." Twilight said. "Oh, no introductions necessary, Your Highness." Firefly said. "The reputation of...what did Rainbow Dash call her?" "Uh...well, it's not exactly a flattering nickname to use in royal company...I mean, you know how Dash can be-" "Aw come on, Bori." Firefly teased. "What's that thing Rainbow Dash calls her?" "Ponyville's Bookworm Egghead Princess." Borealis mumbled. Twilight and Firefly shared a laugh at Borealis' embarrassment. "So...are you Rainbow Dash's parents?" Twilight said. "Wh-what?" Borealis said. "N-no ma'am!" "Bori." Firefly said. "I mean...no we're not." Borealis said. "We're don't look that old yet, do we?" Firefly said with a soft chuckle. "Bori's Dash's older brother and I'm her sister-in-law; we're not that much older than you girls." "Really?!" Twilight said. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to-" "Don't worry about it, ma-miss." Borealis said. "I used to get that all the time when Rainbow and I moved to Cloudsdale." "Just you and Rainbow Dash?" Twilight said. Firefly gently nuzzled her husband's shoulder and left to give the two of them some time alone to talk. "We lost our folks pretty young." Borealis explained, watching Firefly make her way over to where Rainbow Dash was sitting along. "Bad weather is worse up in the clouds and hurricanes can be killers. I was in the Air Force Academy when it happened but Rainbow Dash was just a filly. I got commissioned to a garrison outside of Cloudsdale so we picked up and moved when Rainbow Dash was about nine." "So you must've known Fluttershy well then?" Twilight asked. "Yeah..." Borealis said with a smile. "I still remember when Dash brought her home for the first time. It was raining something fierce and I guess she lost her umbrella somehow. I remember opening the door to see Dash holding her raincoat over a gangly little filly that looked soaked to the bone. We brought her in and dried her off and set her up with some hot chocolate. I don't think she said two words to me, or to Dash for that matter...but I remember Dash blowing bubbles in her hot chocolate to make her laugh. As it got later, I laid out some pillows and blankets in the living room and they stayed up late talking, flashlights shining underneath blankets." Borealis smiled sadly, lost in thought. "That was the first time she stayed over...and I don't think a week went by after that when she didn't come home with Dash at least once." "What did her family have to say about that?" Twilight said, noting how Borealis' face darkened. "They didn't have much of anything to say about Fluttershy." Borealis said steely. "They weren't...well none of them came today; that should give you some idea of how they felt about her." Twilight felt a cold spark of anger flash in her stomach. "How bad was it?" Twilight said cooly. "Did they-" "They didn't hit her or anything like that, if that's what you're thinking." Borealis said. "If they did, I get the feeling Dash would've paid them back with interest...might've gotten a couple of knocks in myself. No, they just...didn't care about her. Flutters could have been out all day and night and they wouldn't have so much as called around to check if she was okay. Can't say that did her self-esteem any good." "Are they're still alive today?" Twilight said in a steely voice. "If they are, I haven't heard from them." Borealis said. "Don't you waste your time worrying about them, Princess, they're not worth a minute of your time. 'Sides...Flutters wouldn't have wanted them hurt." "In her honor then..." Twilight sighed. "I'm sorry for your loss." "Likewise." Borealis said. "Rainbow Dash told me what happened. Told me that it was some kind of snake she was trying to help...and that you were there with her til the end." "Yes." Twilight said, turning away, unable to meet Borealis' gaze. "I-I stayed with her until she was...until she was gone. I tried to save her but-" "'S alright." Borealis said. "Not your fault. Nopony's blaming you for what happened." "I promised Rainbow Dash." Twilight sniffed, wiping her eyes. "I-I promised I would protect Fluttershy while she was gone and I-" "You were there for her in the end." Borealis said quickly. "She died knowing somepony loved her and that means more than you give yourself credit for." Twilight rested her head against the table that held Fluttershy's remains, shaking with silent sobs and trying to stem the tide of tears that threatened to overwhelm her. Borealis fanned his wings out to block Twilight from any would be gawkers and looked away to give Twilight a moment alone with her grief. After a few minutes, Twilight drew a long, shuddering breath and stood up again. "Thank you, Borealis." Twilight said. "That means a lot coming from you." "I should be the one thanking you, Your Highness." Borealis said, saluting Twilight a second time. "I'm glad she knew somepony like you...I'm glad they both did." "The honor has been all mine." Twilight said, replying to the salute with a curtsey. "I consider myself blessed that members of your family counted me as a friend." "Family...yeah." Borealis said distantly, looking back at Fluttershy and then over to Rainbow Dash. "I think we're ready to get going so, if you'll excuse me." With a final salute, Borealis returned to a chair in the corner, dropping his head in his hooves with a heavy sigh as Firefly gently rubbed his back. "If I may have everyone's attention." Nightshade called softly over the dull chatter inside the hall. "In a few moments, we will be heading outside for the commemoration ceremony. Please file outside in an orderly fashion and wait for further instructions." Twilight joined the rest of her friends as Rainbow Dash gingerly picked up Fluttershy's urn and bore it ahead of the funeral procession. Twilight caught her eye as she exited the memorial hall and offered Rainbow Dash a shaky smile. Rainbow Dash nodded blankly at her and continued on down through Ponyville. As they wound their way through the streets of Ponyville, ponies who hadn't come to the memorial hall lined the streets, some joining the procession as it made its way out of town, across a flowery field and finally to a grassy hill overlooking the Everfree Forest. At the crest of the hill, the party stopped and Twilight saw a small golden plaque glinting in the afternoon sun bearing only Fluttershy's name and a simple butterfly pressed into the metal. Behind the plaque was a small hole and for a moment, Twilight thought it was for Fluttershy. Then Big Mac trotted up the other side of the hill, pulling a small cart with a budding tree sapling behind him. "Oh that's wonderful." Rarity sighed and to Twilight's surprise, Pinkie Pie let out a small snort of laughter. "I'm sorry." Pinkie Pie said, dabbing her eyes. "Just...just remembering something Fluttershy said one time about-" "Wanting to be a tree." Rainbow Dash said with a watery smile. "Yeah...I remembered." Rainbow Dash took the vase to the edge of the hole and set it down. Working together with Big Mac, she lifted the tree up and out of the cart and placed it in the hole. Then, taking Fluttershy's urn, she turned and faced the gathered audience. "I don't-" Rainbow Dash cleared her throat. "I don't know how many of you ponies know this but...we don't bury pegasi up in Cloudsdale. I mean, how could we; no ground." She chuckled lightly along with the rest of the audience. "So a long time ago we started burning pegasi who...who had left us just to be practical. But in a way, it kind of makes sense. Most pegasi spend their lives in the air...it seems only fit that whatever's left after they go is returned to the skies they flew." "Some ponies, Fluttershy included, liked to say that Fluttershy was more Earth pony than pegasus." Rainbow Dash said. "That helping animals and being scared of heights made her less of a pegasus. And true, Fluttershy wasn't always excited about flying. You can imagine what it'd be like for a filly scared of heights to live in a flying city." "I was responsible for...the funeral proceedings today and I almost wanted to bury her here, in Ponyville." Rainbow Dash went on. "See, Cloudsdale was never home for Fluttershy; not even when she was a kid. It wasn't until she came here that she really made a home for herself. Fluttershy liked to keep to herself a lot but...it's clear from all of you being here that she touched a lot of ponies' lives. So I debated burying her here, in the ground she loved so much." "But a part of Fluttershy was still a pegasus." Rainbow Dash said. "A part of her still belonged to the sky where she was born. Every pegasus, even one like Fluttershy feels connected to the sky and if I buried her...she'd lose that connection." "So, I settled on a compromise." Rainbow Dash said, uncapping Fluttershy's urn. "Part of her will always be with us," She said, tipping a stream of ash into the pit with the tree. "Her memory will always be here in Ponyville where she lived, worked, and played with all of us. And this tree will be here; anytime we want to remember her." "But we can't keep all of her." Rainbow Dash said, wiping her eyes with the back of her hoof. "She's g-gone to where we can be with her anymore." Rainbow Dash raised the vase to her lips and kissed the cold porcelain. She passed the urn to Rarity who did the same before passing it to Applejack and Spike and Pinkie Pie on down the line past Borealis and Firefly to Twilight. Twilight looked at the vase for a moment and then kissed it as well before passing it back to Rainbow Dash. "So...we have to let her go." Rainbow Dash said, and with one final kiss, she chucked the vase off the hill and high into the air A gust of wind picked up and the ashes dumped out of the vase as it turned in mid flight. They spread across the field, over the trees and out into the Everfree Forest. Twilight watched the small cloud of ash float away until it dispersed and scattered to the winds. The vase hit the ground with a shattering crash and just like that...Fluttershy was gone. As they watched her go off into the wilderness, the crowd began to disperse, each throwing a hoofful of dirt into the hole as they passed the tree. Soon, only Twilight and her friends remained as Borealis and Firefly said their goodbyes and took off for Cloudsdale. "That vase went everywhere." Spike said, climbing back up the hill with the shattered remains of Fluttershy's urn in his arms. "Why'd you pick it up?" Rainbow Dash asked. "I bought it just to smash it." "I know I just-" Spike looked down at the pieces of pottery. "I wanted one for my treasure chest." The five ponies shared a look with Spike and he wordlessly distributed the broken shards between his friends. Twilight looked at the sad, dusty piece of pottery in her hoof; all that remained of her friend she failed to save. After a few moments, Rainbow Dash tucked her piece into her saddlebag and got up to leave. "Rainbow Dash, where are you going?" Pinkie Pie said "I think...I think I'm gonna head home and get some sleep." Rainbow Dash said sullenly. "Long flight and all." "I was thinking we could all go to the Sugarcube Corner and get a late snack." Pinkie Pie said. "My treat." "Thanks but...I'm gonna take off." Rainbow Dash said softly. "Rainbow Dash, wait-" Twilight said. "I'll...I'll catch you guys later." Rainbow Dash said, preparing to take off. As she turned to go, Twilight caught sight of a hurt expression that she thought was directed at her. As Rainbow Dash, went to leave, Twilight found herself compelled to blurt out the one thing she wanted to tell Rainbow Dash since Fluttershy died. "I'm sorry!" Twilight blurted out suddenly. Rainbow Dash turned around and all her friends looked at her suddenly. "I...I know you're angry with me and I can't say that I blame you-" "I am angry." Rainbow Dash said with a scowl. "I'm so bucking angry I don't even know what to do with myself..." "I know; I'm sorry." Twilight said. "I screwed up and dropped the ball when you relied on me and-" "I'm not angry with you." Rainbow Dash said softly. "Why would I be?" "I was supposed to protect her!" Twilight said. "You trusted me to look after Fluttershy and I let you both down!" "You did everything you could." Rainbow Dash said. "You're the freaking princess of magic; of course you didn't screw up." "But I did!" Twilight said. "You study magic all day, every day!" Rainbow Dash yelled. "You practice magic in your sleep! You're the best magician in Equestria! And if your magic couldn't save Fluttershy...nopony's could have. It wasn't...it wasn't your fault. It was mine" "But...if you weren't angry with me, why wouldn't you talk to me?" Twilight said. "You didn't even look at me today!" "How could I?!" Rainbow Dash cried. "How could I hope to look any of you in the face after I let Fluttershy-after I let all of you down!?!" "You didn't let nopony down!" Applejack said firmly. "Savin Fluttershy was a team effort and-" "And everypony else did everything they could; everypony except me! We had three ponies and one dragon looking for that snake!" Rainbow Dash said, breathing heavily. "Four sets of eyes scanning the grass; you guys did all you could! So how could it be your fault?!" "Dashie-" Pinkie Pie said "It took Zecora all of five minutes to brew that potion!" Rainbow Dash blurted out. "Five stinking minutes and then I was back on the road; so it wasn't hear fault either. So if it wasn't Twilight's fault and it wasn't Zecora's fault and if it wasn't any of your faults...then it was my fault. I wasn't...I wasn't fast enough. I didn't make it there back in time and because of that...we lost Fluttershy." "There's nopony in the world faster than you!" Pinkie Pie said. "You're the fastest flyer in-" "I could have been faster!" Rainbow Dash screamed. "I could be so much faster if I only gave a buck! If I only practiced when I should have practiced instead of slacking off and sleeping on clouds all day! I could have improved; maybe if I practiced more I might have been faster! And maybe...maybe I could have saved her!" "You did all you could, Rainbow Dash; we all did." Rarity said. "You've won dozens of flight competitions; you're faster than any other-" "Not fast enough!" Rainbow Dash cried. "Yeah, I'm fast; so what?! Yeah, I could probably kick anypony's flank is a straight up race so what?! All my medals, all my trophies, all the times I ponies I beat what do they matter?! What g-good did all that crap do Fluttershy? It doesn't matter how fast I am or how many s-stupid awards I won...I wasn't fast enough...sh-she was my oldest friend and I wasn't f-fast enough." And then Twilight realized something; she had been so caught up in her own sadness, so worried that Rainbow Dash hated her that she hadn't stopped to consider how Rainbow Dash was feeling. Looking at her now, Twilight saw a mirror of her own grief; one of her best friends was suffering through the same guilt and all she hadn't been able to see it until now. And it was then that Twilight counted herself among the stupidest mares in the world. "I'm s-sorry, you guys." Rainbow Dash said. "I'm so sor-" Twilight cut Rainbow Dash off by throwing her hooves around her and crushing her in a tight embrace. She heard Rainbow Dash sobbing the same two words over and over again and only thing Twilight could do was reply in kind. "I know, R-Rainbow Dash." Twilight sobbed. "I know exactly how you feel." "How could you?!" Rainbow Dash sobbed. "How could you of all ponies know what it feels like to know that your best wasn't good enough?" "Because it wasn't." Twilight said. "No matter how much you blame yourself, the fact of the matter is I f-failed to stop the poison." "Just like we failed to find the snake in time." Spike said. "And what good is it gonna do to keep hashin over it?!" Applejack said suddenly. "I'm sorry girls but I can't abide by this pity party any longer!" "Applejack, you don't know-" Twilight said. "The hell I don't!" Applejack said. "Y'all think you got the market cornered on survivor's guilt? Shoot, we all feel bad about Fluttershy! I don't reckon that there's a single one of us who didn't wonder if there was something different we coulda done to save her! It we looked right instead of left; if we started lookin in different directions; if we checked under that log to begin with maybe we could have brought it back quicker. I thought about it; I'm sure the rest of y'all thought about it too." "But I still didn't make it in time." Rainbow Dash said. "And I couldn't stop the poison by the time you got back." Twilight sniffed. "But all this coulda woulda shoulda bull don't do Fluttershy a lick of good!" Applejack said, wiping her eyes. "And it sure as sugar don't help us neither!" "But-" Twilight said. "Y'all don't get it." Applejack went on. "You two are winners." "I'm...sorry?" Rainbow Dash said "Y'all were born with special abilities that most ponies never could dream of and y'all were lucky to come by them relatively easy." "Easy?" Twilight said. "What d'you mean easy?!" Rainbow Dash said "Rainbow Dash, when was the last time you really really worked your butt off to improve?" Pinkie Pie said. "You're super-fast and strong and most of that just comes natural to you." "And when was the last magic spell you actually had to work at, Twilight?" Applejack said. "I-I work really hard!" Twilight said. "All the time!" "On many kinds of magic." Rarity chimed in. "You gain mastery over one spell quickly and move on to three more in the time most unicorns spend struggling to learn just one. I could study for years and never know half the spells you do." "What's your point?" Rainbow Dash sniffed. "Y'all never learned how to lose." Applejack said softly. "That's the problem with being a winner; you can't win forever and when you lose...you lose hard. And like it or not, we all lost Fluttershy. And it weren't neither of your faults." "But-" "The world doesn't turn on the actions of Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle." Spike said. "Ponies don't live or die based on what you do alone." "So maybe you coulda been faster, Rainbow Dash." Applejack said, walking over to Rainbow Dash and Twilight and putting a hoof on each of their shoulders. "And maybe you coulda used a different kind of magic, Twilight. And maybe the rest of us coulda found that snake faster and maybe Zecora coulda brewed the potion faster and maybe Fluttershy coulda fought a little longer. But so what? Fact is, we didn't. So...what are we gonna do about it now? We can either sit around, kickin ourselves in the ass for the rest of our lives for all the good it'll do...or we can pick ourselves up and keep going on." "But...I can't just let it go." Twilight said. "I can't just get over it." "I ain't askin you to." Applejack said. "You ain't gonna feel better overnight; trust me, I know. But I'm gonna tell you two the same thing Granny Smith told me the mornin after we laid my ma and pa to rest." "What was that?" Rainbow Dash said. "She said "The sun's shinin, the birds are singin, and there're still apples to buck." Applejack said, offering them her handkerchief. "As long as we're here...we gotta buck them apples." "Leave it to Applejack to come up with an apple metaphor for everything." Rainbow Dash chuckled, wiping her eyes. "You should write a book; The Tao of Apples." Twilight chuckled "Maybe I will..." Applejack chuckled. "So...what'll it be ladies; advance or advance?" Rainbow Dash and Twilight shared a teary expression. "Advance." Rainbow Dash said. "Advance." Twilight echoed "Atta girls." Applejack said, pulling them into a hug. "I just remembered...she wanted to tell me something." Rainbow Dash said suddenly. "She had something to say to me and I totally blew her off...I wonder what it was." "Shh..." Twilight said. "Don't worry about it." "Did she say anything to you?" Rainbow Dash said. "She told me to tell you that she always..." Twilight paused for a moment, looking between Fluttershy's plaque and Rainbow Dash. "...believed in you." "What?" Rainbow Dash said. "She wanted you to know how special she thought you were." Twilight said quickly. "And that she never doubted that one day, you'd achieve everything you ever wanted to." "That's it?" Rainbow Dash laughed, wiping her eyes angrily. "Damnit...she was always my biggest fan, you know? N-never once raised her eye or laughed at me when I said I wanted to join the Wonderbolts...I promised her my first autograph when I finally made it. I thought I would have t-time enough to sign her one...I thought I'd have more time with her." "We all wanted more time." Twilight said. "I just feel so...robbed. Like I had months and years of wonderful memories with Fluttershy just stolen from me...from all of us." "But we're never going to get that time, are we?" Rainbow Dash said. "Whatever comes after this...we're going to have to go on without her...alone." "Not alone." Twilight said, nuzzling Rainbow Dash gently. "We're still here, Rainbow Dash. As hard as it's going to be-" "We have to keep on going." Rainbow Dash said. "We have to do our best now. Fluttershy believed in me...it's about time I started living up to that...it's time all of us did" "All of us." Twilight agreed. "All of us." Pinkie Pie said. "All of us." Applejack said. "All of us." Rarity said. "All of us." Spike said The six of them sat a while in comfortable silence, savoring each other's presence as the wind gently rustled through Fluttershy's tree. Finally, they took one last look at Fluttershy's memorial tree and set off for home "Ain't gonna be easy..." Applejack sighed. "Goin on with just six of us." "We'll figure out a way." Rainbow Dash said. "After all, we still gotta buck them apples, ah reckon!" "Oh shut up!" Applejack said shoving Rainbow Dash down the hill. "You did good Rainbow Dash." Twilight said, sparing a final look at the tiny tree on the hill. "Thanks." Rainbow Dash said, dusting herself off. "I tried...I hope I didn't miss anything important." "I still get the feelin like we forgot somethin..." Applejack said. "Like...somepony who was supposed to be here wasn't." "I don't think there's a pony in Ponyville who didn't show up." Rarity said. "I made sure to invite all of Fluttershy's closest friends...everypony who I thought would want to say goodbye got oh crap!" Rainbow Dash said, clapping a hoof over her mouth in horror. "Discord! I didn't tell Discord! Nopony told Discord!"
The Last Equestrian Princess	Should Never See So Much	Should Never See So Much Twilight raised a hoof and hesitantly knocked on the door to Fluttershy's college. "Coooooooooooomiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinggggg!" A shrill voice cried from within. A series of locks and latches unlocked and unlatched and the door swung wide revealing a draconequus in a frilly yellow apron stirring a bowl of thick black pudding. "Are you with the Filly Scouts because I already bought ten boxes of Chocolate Mints from you last week and they just went straight to my-" Discord said, gasping when he caught sight of Twilight in the doorway. "Oh my! A royal visit?!" Discord cried with an exaggerated curtsey. "This is a surprise! Princess Twilight Sparkle, in my own home! To what do I owe this honor Your Radience?!" "Discord-" Twilight said "Oh, the mares at the PTA are never going to believe this." "Discord, I need to tell you-" Twilight said. "Oh, but where are my manners?!" Discord cried. "Receiving royalty on my front porch like a churlish oaf. Come in, please!" "No, wait, Discord-" Twilight tried to resist but found herself swept into the house at Discord's insistence. As soon as she stepped inside, she noticed the absence of animal hoots, shrieks, and cries that usually echoed through Fluttershy's house. Animal houses and bird cages laid open and empty, the various critters that inhabited them gone "What happened to all the animals?" Twilight said. "Hm?" Discord said. "Oh, them. That big red farmer pony stopped by last night to pick them up for...some reason." "H-he didn't tell you?" Twilight said. "Not very talkative that one." Discord said, turning back to his bubbling mess on the stove. "I offered him some of my famous banana and black bean haggis but this seemed to upset him for some reason...maybe it was the sheep's stomach...I don't know, I'm not a freaking mind reader, am I right?" "So...nopony told you about-" "Nopony tells me much of anything Princess." Discord said, ladling a bubbling black liquid into two bowls. "As a general rule, they tend to avoid me. They seem to think I'm going to cut them up and make pastries out of their organs or something. Which is frankly quite ridiculous! I don't even eat ponies!" "Well, that's not-" "Anymore." "What?" Twilight said. "Have you ever had gilorgleberry pudding before?" Discord said, sliding one of the bowls of black sludge across the table to Twilight. "It's a delicacy in some parts of the multiverse; my old chum Gl'bgolyb mailed me the recipe for my last name day." "What's in it?" Twilight said, sniffing the pudding suspiciously. "A princess should have the common courtesy not to question the contents of strange dishes offered to her by strange people." Discord huffed. "But if you must know, it contains gilorgleberries, obviously, ripened under a harvest moon, stewed for thirty four days and eighteen nights in a broth of litchseed oil and hangman's tears and garnished with the crushed carapaces of troll grubs less than a sweep old. Truly an adventure for all the senses." Twilight hesitantly took a bite and found herself almost immediately floored by rapidly changing colors, the taste and smell of rancid fish glazed in sadness, the sensation that thousands of tiny ants crawling under her skin and the sound of whales being dragged across half a mile of sandpaper by a particularly foul mouthed troll. "Ack!" Twilight cried, spitting the pudding all over the floor. 'Th-that's just-" "Awful." Discord agreed. "Isn't it just the most horrible thing you've ever eaten?!" Discord took a heaping bite and convulsed for a few moments as the pudding took effects. "Ooooh that was thoroughly unpleasant." Discord sighed. "Now then, Twilight Princess, I expect you didn't just come down here to sample my otherworldly cooking?" "It's just...I didn't see you today." Twilight said. "You didn't see me yesterday either." Discord said. "You go entire seasons without seeing me but I didn't hear you crying about that." "Well...today was kind of significant." Twilight said. "Really?" Discord, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "I can't imagine why...oh, was it somepony's birthday?!" "Discord-" "No, that can't be it; I make it a point to remember birthdays so I can crash them if I'm not invited." "Discord." Twilight sighed. "Now hold on...don't tell me." Discord said. "Is iiiiit...ooh, did they crown another princess? Between you and me, I think there happens to be too many chiefs and not enough buffalo if you catch my drift. If Tia needs to slap another pair of wings on another poor little unicorn to help her run her country, that's her call, but I'm starting to feel like I'm in a bad standup routine! Four little princesses,oh, wait, Three little Princesses walk into a bar..." "No, Discord, that's not-" "Okay, hold on; hold on." Discord said. "I got it! You're getting married! Oh I just love royal weddings! The cake! The reception! The merchandise!" "Merchandise?" Twilight said. "Royal weddings are merchandising gold mines!" Discord said. "Think of the possibilities; t-shirts, mugs, commemorative platters, Princess Twilight Royal Wedding Playset and Mini-Bar!" "Discord." Twilight growled. "Ohhhhh who's the lucky stallion?" Discord cooed. "Discord!" "Sorry; who's the lucky mare?" "Discord!" "The lucky...sheep?" "Discord!" Twilight barked, horn sparking in irritation. "I am not getting married!" "Now now, Twilight, it's perfectly common for brides to get cold hooves before their wedding day but you just have to remember that-" "I didn't come here to drink tea and gossip about my love life!" Twilight said. "Or lack thereof in your case." Discord muttered. "That's not-" Twilight took a deep shuddering breath to calm herself. "Discord...I have to tell you something. I don't know how to tell you this but-" Twilight said. "Fluttershy...didn't make it home." "I know." Discord said. "I was here the whole time you were gallivanting about the woods looking for rainbow flaming dragon snakes or some such nonsense. Even made a nice pudding for when she came back but she never-" "No, Discord, you don't understand." Twilight said, blinking her tears away. "Fluttershy had an...accident and...sh-she passed away. She died." Discord blinked "Well..." Discord said. "Discord, I know this is rough but-" "I should hope so!" Discord laughed. "I'm so sorry, Discord, I know you two were-" Twilight blinked. "Wait...what?!" "Well I hope she was dead before they started cremating her because otherwise..." Discord gave a shudder and turned back to the stove. Twilight stared at Discord for a long moment. "Discord...I don't think you understand. Fluttershy's...dead." "Uh-huh." Discord said, picking both plates up and dumping the rest of the pudding in a plastic bowl. "Like...actually dead." Twilight said. "Gotcha." Discord said. "I don't think you do!" Twilight said. "Fluttershy-" "Has ceased to be?" Discord said. "Kicked the bucket? Shuffled off her mortal coil? Rung down the curtain and joined the choir invisible? I'm not a simpleton, Twilight, I understand what death means. More pudding?" "I...I don't understand." Twilight said. "What's not to understand? I asked you if you wanted more pudding soooooo the ball's pretty much in your court now." "How can you...how can you just stand here and say that so casually?!" Twilight said angrily. "Is there a formal way to ask someone if they want seconds?" Discord said. "Forgive me if I'm behind on royal etiquette but-" "She was your friend!" Twilight screamed. "She cared for you when no one else would; she actually liked you for crying out loud and you...you don't even care that she died!" "But that's what ponies do, Princess." Discord said. "They die. If they didn't we'd have run out of room a long time ago! We'd have to stack ponies all the way up to Cloudsdale to save space! If I cried my eyes out over every pony that shuffled off, I wouldn't have time to do anything else!" "But sh-she was your friend!" Twilight yelled. "You two lived together for almost a year! And now you're just standing there with your...your wretched cooking, pretending like you're not even sad that she's gone!" "Who's pretending?" Discord said. "What makes you think that I'm lying about not being sad?" "I don't believe that." Twilight said. "I can't believe that after all she did for you, all the times she stuck up for you that you don't have a shred of sympathy for her!" "Oh au contraire mon princesse, I had nothing but the deepest respect and affection for Fluttershy." Discord said "Had?!" Twilight shrieked. "I...changed my mind." Discord said. "You...you what?!" Twilight bellowed, knocking over the bowl of pudding with a blast of stray magic. "I changed my mind!" Discord said. "I mean...look, you like music, right?" "What in name of-" "It's like...a pop song you hear on the radio." Discord said. "Discord, I swear, you have two seconds to start explaining yourself before I blow a hole in your-" "And no matter how much you like the song, after a while it gets...repetitive." Discord said. "Boring even." "Boring?" Twilight mouthed in disbelief. "Nothing's changed, really!" Discord said. "It's just one morning you wake up and the song is off the radio...and for some reason, you don't particularly care about it enough to listen to it again. You move on. Find another song." "That's...that's all Fluttershy was to you?!" Twilight said, eyes flaring with magic. "A cheap pop song that you stopped caring about when it stopped amusing you?!" "I'm the spirit of chaos, Twilight!" Discord said. "Capital C. Capital H. Capital A-O-S. I don't even know what I will or won't care about from one moment to the next! I may be inconsolable in a few minutes but right now...I can't say I particularly care all that much. We had some laughs but...eh" He shrugged. "I thought you had changed." Twilight said bitterly. "She convinced me, swore to me, that you had changed when you're really just the same old snake in the grass that you always were!" "I did change." Discord said. "Then I changed back. I might change again tomorrow, if I feel like it. Or not. We'll see." "You never even cared about her at all, did you?!" Twilight said. "What did you come here for?" Discord said. "Do you want tears? Do you want me to cry for you, Princess? Want me to pull out my beard and strike my breast and wail like a dying basilisk over p-poor sw-sweet F-Fluttershy?" "I came here looking for some proof that Fluttershy's kindness wasn't wasted on you." Twilight said. "I can see now that this was a waste of time." "I wouldn't call it a waste of time." Discord said. "We had a few laughs, had some good conversation, sampled extradimensional cuisine. All in all, a good evening in my book." "To hell with your book and to hell with you!" Twilight spat, sniffing miserably. "Just...get out of here. I don't ever want to see your ugly face in this town again, let alone in Fluttershy's house!" "Okay, okay." Discord said, holding his claws up. "No need to get your tail in a twist, little Princess. I was planning on leaving any-" The door behind Twilight creaked open and Discord promptly swept himself into another bow. "Oh my, two royal visits in one day?!" Twilight stiffened as she felt a familiar and unwelcome warmth at her back. Turning around she saw Princess Celestia stoop her head in the doorway to enter the tiny cottage. "Twilight." Princess Celestia said gently. "Yes, Your Highness?" Twilight said stiffly. "I was in talks with the gryphons when I heard about Fluttershy." Princess Celestia said. "I came as soon as I was able. Your friends said you might be here and I had hoped to-" Princess Celestia broke off as she caught sight of Discord hovering over Twilight's shoulder. "What is he doing here?" "I live here, Your Radiance." Discord said. "Or did you forget that little episode when I broke out and started chumming around with the yellow pony?" "Twilight...I was hoping we could talk." Princess Celestia said ignoring Discord. "Then talk." Twilight said cooly. "Alone." Princess Celestia said, glaring at Discord. "We can talk here." Twilight said. "I'd rather not speak in front of this...creature." Princess Celestia said. "No need to get haughty on me, Your Condescension." Discord huffed. "Twilight and I were just having tea and evil pudding over some light conversation." "What have you been telling her?!" Princess Celestia said sharply. "What are you worried that I told her?" Discord said coyly. "Turning my sister against me wasn't enough, now you're looking to turn my student-" "Former student." Twilight corrected sharply. "Looks like Twilight doesn't need my help turning against you." Discord said. "And what's this about Luna, now? Blaming another sisterly spat on me?" "Don't insult me, Discord." Princess Celestia said coolly. "You know what I speak of." "I'm sure I don't." Discord said. "As Princess Bookhorse here can attest, I've been trying my hand...claw...whatever at domesticity lately so I'm afraid I haven't had the time to pester you like I did in the old days." "I still haven't forgotten the "old days." Princess Celestia said. "I doubt I ever will. You may play at being tame but the things you've done...The Paradox War......The Day That Never Was...The Cascading Years...The Time of Tumult...Nightmare Moon's Rebellion. Waking nightmares all of them, born from your twisted imagination. So if you think I'll turn my back on you for one moment-" "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!" Discord said. "Hold the phone! I'll own up to the first four; I'm quite proud of them, really. But you and Lu-Lu turned me into a garden gnome long before that Nightmare Moon business so don't pin that on me." "Your influence outlived you." Princess Celestia said. "Do you think I'd forgive you for turning my own sister against me?! For infecting her with dark magic and-" "Do I look like I have dark magic?" Discord said. "I have strange magic, deceptive magic, primitive magic, yellow magic, green magic, blue magic, off-white magic but no dark magic. Do you see me trailing a cape of bats and laughing menacingly about eternal night? Do you see me enslaving ponies to my indomitable will?" "You may be no Tirek or Sombra, Discord, but it doesn't take dark magic to take advantage of a poor filly's loneliness for your own sick amusement." Princess Celestia said. "Oh...wait." Discord said. "Y-you...think that's my fault?! You think I had something to do with that?" "Of course!" Princess Celestia said. "Luna turned on me barely three months after your exile. My beloved little sister became the stuff of nightmares and tried to overthrow me; what am I supposed to think?" "Oh of course, because Woona is a poor innocent babbu who never had an ugly thought in her little life until big bad Discord told her nasty ugly lies about her pwecious big sister." "I didn't come all this way to be mocked by a treacherous old billygoat." Princess Celestia said. "I can't help it; you make it too easy for me, Princess." Discord said. "Ask yourself something; does eternal unchanging night sound like something I'd want? Do you think I wanted to trade one nigh-omnipotent stick in the mud pegacorn for another?" "I think you only wanted to sour my relationship with my sister!" Princess Celestia fired back. "It doesn't matter what you say!" "The defendant isn't even allowed to speak up in his own defense?!" Discord said. "Oh, that's justice for you; how benevolent is our Glorious Leader that she passes sentence before the trial starts." "Luna herself confirmed my suspicions when she returned." Princess Celestia said. "She told me how your influence caused her to become jealous of me and strive to overthrow the sun!" "Then Luna lied." Discord said icily. "Are you...are you calling my sister a liar?!" Princess Celestia bristled. "Heavens, no!" Discord said, throwing his hands up. "Actually...wait...yeah, that's exactly what I'm calling her." "Discord..." Princess Celestia hissed, eyes flashing orange. "Well what else am I supposed to call a pony that habitually lies to her sister's face if not a big fat liar?" "By the Furies, Discord, if you don't hold your tongue..." Princess Celestia warned. The room became uncomfortably warm and Twilight edged away from the princess as her eyes flashed with dangerous intent. "I'm sorry to be the one to break this to you, Celestia." Discord said. "But the truth is, I had nothing to do with Nightmare Moon." "More lies." Princess Celestia hissed with a voice like cold water splashing on a hot griddle. "It's always been so easy to pin your woes on me, isn't it?" Discord sneered. "Because it's easier to pick on the freak than admit the truth." "You have never spoken a true word in your wretched life; don't pretend to start now!" Princess Celestia said. "The truth is," Discord said, locking eyes with Celestia. "That your innocent baby sister didn't need my help to hate you. And you don't want to accept the fact that it you had more of a role in creating Nightmare Moon than I ever did." "Shut your lying mouth, Discord, before I-" "You can't accept the fact that your relationship with your sister is based on a lie." Discord said. "A lie meant to smooth things over with you and keep you blinded from the truth...rather deceptive, really. Makes me wonder how much of Nightmare Moon is still kicking around Luna's little-" Princess Celestia shot forward in with a bright flash of light and a smell like burning dust. With one hoof she lifted Discord and slammed him against the wall, mane blazing with reds, oranges, and yellows and eyes burning like wildfire. "Go ahead...say it!." Princess Celestia seethed, tongues of flame spitting out of her mouth with every word. "I dare you to finish that thought and I swear I will burn you until there is nothing left to burn! I will burn you until the shadow of where you stood is burned into the ground forever as testament to what happens to foolish snakes that run their mouths! So go on; finish that little thought. Say your pithy quips. See what happens!" "Now, now, no need to get testy Tia." Discord said, cool despite the white hot flames licking his beard. "You're starting to singe the curtains." Princess Celestia looked noticed the small wisps of smoke rising from the edge of the curtain and quickly stamped it out with the corner of her hoof. Another patch of flame sprung up on the couch and Twilight doused it with water from the sink only for the couch cushions to spring into amber flame. Twilight contained the couch fire in a magic bubble but it had already spread to the coffee table and the carpet and the bookshelf. Twilight took a deep breath and summoned a magically fueled gust of wind but to her dismay it only irritated the flames further. "Sunfire's not that easy to get a hold of in the best conditions." Discord said mildly, picking his teeth while Twilight rushed around trying desperately to save her friend's house. Princess Celestia dropped Discord to the floor to try and help Twilight but the heat coming off her mane and tail ignited a houseplant which set the entire ceiling on fire. "I imagine a raging fire is even harder to control when your tailfeathers are rustled." "Twilight, we have to go!" Princess Celestia called over the roar of the flames. "No!" Twilight cried, wrenching the sink from its piping and aiming the water stream at the fire in the kitchen. "I'm not leaving!" "Twilight, this house is coming down!" Princess Celestia said as Fluttershy's bed fell through the burning ceiling. Princess Celestia closed her eyes and once again tried to take hold of the fire. "Then leave!" Twilight said, smashing a window to draw water in from the creek only to have a backdraft blow her back into the living room. "You may want to listen to Tia on this one, Twilight." Discord said. "I got her too hot under the collar to do much about this fire." "If you're not going to help, Discord, then kindly SHUT UP!" Princess Celestia barked, causing a fresh torrent of flame to shoot off her tail blow away the crumbling staircase. "Twilight, please, we have to go!" "I'm-cough-not-cough-leaving!" Twilight coughed. "I can save her house at least!" "Twilight, it's gone!" Princess Celestia pleaded. "I can save it!" Twilight cried. "I can still save her house!" "Twilight!" "I CAN STILL SAVE HER-!" Twilight cried as the ceiling around her came down in flames. "Twilight!" Princess Celestia cried. Shooting a baleful look at Discord, she jumped over the burning wreckage of Fluttershy's cottage and grabbed Twilight by the scruff of her neck dragging her out the front door and away from the blazing ruin of Fluttershy's cottage. "Let me go!" Twilight cried, struggling in Princess Celestia's grasp. "Let go! I can fix this! I can still fix this!" "It's over Twilight!" Princess Celestia said softly. "I'm so, so, sorry..." "Don't just be sorry!" Twilight cried. "This is your fault; do something about it!" But as Twilight turned to run back into the house, the support beams gave a final heave and collapsed under the weight of the roof. All that remained of Fluttershy's cottage was a ruined pile of cinders and charred lumber. Twilight looked on tearfully as what was left of her friend in this world smoldered in the fading daylight. It went up in ashes and away into the night and all Twilight could do was watch it burn.
The Last Equestrian Princess	Or Live So Long	...Or Live So Long The cinders of Fluttershy's cottage fizzled as the evening chill swept across the meadows, gently disturbing the piles of ash and scattering them to the wind. Twilight just stared at the wreckage in abject horror, tears of anger and grief barely held in check. "Twilight, I...I am so sorry-" Princess Celestia said, extending a hoof to touch Twilight's shoulder. Twilight bitterly shrugged her off and started rooting around in the rubble for anything of Fluttershy's she could still save. "Need a hand there, Twilight?" Discord called. "I think there's a bit of pottery under the couch that Tia hasn't managed to completely eradicate with her little temper tantrum." "Don't you think you've done enough?!" Princess Celestia snarled. "What did I do?!" Discord cried. "All I did was talk; you were the one who burned an entire house down if you remember correctly!" "Oh, spirits, Discord, you always manage to bring out the worst in me." Princess Celestia said. "Always, always, always blaming me for every little thing that goes wrong in your life!" Discord said. "I'm just a big bad boogeyman for you to blame when things don't go your way! After all these years, you're still the selfish little brat looking to foist her responsibility off on somepony else!" "Foist my-" Princess Celestia balked, glancing back at Twilight to see if she had heard him. "Who told you about that? H-how did you know?" "How did I know wh-" Discord looked from Celestia, then to Twilight, then back to Celestia with a grin. "Ohhhhh." Princess Celestia paled when she realized what she had given away. "So that's the reason you bestowed such a great honor on little Twilight." Discord said. "All that talk of destiny and fate and all that mahou shoujo nonsense was just a crock of dung; destiny didn't make Twilight all feathery, you did-" "Be quiet!" Princess Celestia said. "So this is what you were worried that I would tell Twilight?" Discord said. "You haven't told her your intentions?" "No, and you would do well to remain silent!" Princess Celestia said. "And how much is my silence worth to you, Celestia?" Discord said. "I seem to have you at a disadvantage." "Don't make me laugh; do you really think she'll believe you if you tell her?" Princess Celestia said. "Right now...she trusts me more than you." Discord hissed. "And all it will take from me is a few words and she'll never trust you again." Princess Celestia glowered at the grinning serpent before her. "What...what is it you want?" "Oh, where to begin..." Discord said."Freedom, for starters. I want to leave this miserable little town and go wherever I please." "And let you wreak havoc across the countryside?" Princess Celestia laughed bitterly. "Never." "What makes you think I'm planning on staying in Equestria?" Discord said. "Besides, you're not in a great position to barter with me. If you insist on keeping me under your royal thumb, I'm afraid I can't guarantee that I'll keep quiet. I'm such an awful gossip, you know." "You...you horrible little-." Princess Celestia said. "Ah ah ah." Discord chided. "Watch the mud slinging princess; I'm not the one fattening little Twilight up for the proverbial slaughter just to satisfy a childish hope." Princess Celestia ground her teeth in frustration, trying to will Discord and his smug smirk out of existence with the power of her hatred alone. When that failed, she closed her eyes and sighed deeply through her nose. "If you so much as step on a ladybug outside of Ponyville, Discord, there will absolute hell to pay." Princess Celestia said. "I swear this on everything I've ever loved; if I come to regret letting you go, if a single pony suffers from your actions there will be no force on earth that will stop me from tearing you limb from limb and burning you until the ashes of your ashes are unrecognizable. Clear?" "Crystal." Discord said. "I wasn't planning on hanging about Equestria much longer anyway. Maybe slip the dimensional rift and pal around in Oblivion or Skaia for a bit." Princess Celestia shook her head. "You're welcome to whatever lunacy you wish, Discord, as long as my people are unharmed." "So I'm welcome to harm other people?" Discord said. "Good to know." "Discord...I'm beginning to regret letting you go." Princess Celestia said, eyes glowing orange. "Okay, okay." Discord said. "I was kidding; I'll keep my mayhem TV-Y in the future." "See that you do." Princess Celestia said. "Whatever that means." "You know something...I think I'll miss you, Tia." Discord said seriously. "I wish I could say the feeling is mutual." Princess Celestia said. "Oh wait; no I don't." "My life is...chaotic, as you might imagine." Discord said. "I've had very few constants in my life but I could always count on you to be a sourpuss stick in the mud." Before Princess Celestia could process the first genuine expression she had ever witnessed from Discord, he snaked his way into the air. "Well ladies, this has been fun!" Discord cried. "But I'm off for sunnier climates! Actually, Tia's given me enough sun to last a lifetime so I think I'll head for...moonier territory for a while. Maybe Elsweyr or Valgipus IV if the Overlord's bratty little son hasn't sold my summer home there. At any rate; I'm out of this story! It's getting a bit grim for my tastes and I don't feel like sticking around to see whatever happy ending the fates have in store. Good luck Twilight! You're gonna need it!" And with a bright flash of raspberry chocolate flavored smoke, Discord was gone. "Wretch." Princess Celestia murmured to herself. She turned to Twilight only to see her skulking away from the smoking wreckage of Fluttershy's house. "Twilight, wait!" "Did you have other business to attend to in Ponyville?" Twilight said icily. "Or did you just come to destroy all I had to remember my friend by?" "It was an accident!" Princess Celestia cried. "I didn't mean to...Discord just...and I...oh spirits, Twilight, I'm so-" "Sorry." Twilight finished. "I've been hearing that a lot from you lately. Well, I'm sorry, your highness, but I have some business to attend to regarding Fluttershy's funeral so I'm afraid I don't have the time to chat." "Twilight...I'm so, so sorry for your loss." Princess Celestia said. "My loss?" Twilight said "I'm sorry that you lost Fluttershy." Princess Celestia said. "A lot of ponies are sorry about that." Twilight responded. "Did you really come all the way from Canterlot just to say that? You're a busy mare; you could have just written." "You stopped reading my letters." Princess Celestia said. "They got rather repetitive." Twilight said. "Twilight, I just want you to know I'm sorry-" "Yes, you've said that already." Twilight said, turning to face her former teacher. "What exactly are you sorry for?" "I'm so, so sorry that you had to lose a friend so-" "So you're sorry...for me?" Twilight said. "You haven't said a single word about Fluttershy; you seem to be more concerned for my state of mind than for my friend who died in a miserable little field miles away from home." "Fluttershy was a good mare." Princess Celestia said. "I will miss her." "You will miss her?" Twilight said, glaring at her mentor. "What, exactly, will you miss about her?" "Sh-she was such a kind girl." Princess Celestia said nervously, suddenly getting the feeling that she was being tested. "Everypony knows that." Twilight said. "She was the element of Kindness after all; it was in the job description. What else are you going to...miss about Fluttershy?" "She had a...gentle spirit and-" "Also, pretty obvious given the fact that she was the Element of Kindness." Twilight said. "What else?" "I...I greatly enjoyed her...uh...she had a lovely singing voice and-" "Uh-huh; thought so." Twilight said. "You know something, I'm beginning to think you're more concerned that you lost one of the Elements of Harmony than you are for Fluttershy!" "Twilight, that's not fair!" Princess Celestia said. "I may not have known her as well as you did but that doesn't mean that-" "Actually, I'm glad you're here." Twilight said, ruffling through her handbag. "I was going to have Spike mail this but if he can save his breath then-here!" Twilight said, thrusting a sealed scroll at Princess Celestia. "What is this?" Princess Celestia said, glancing at the scroll. "My resignation." Twilight said. "I was going to have Spike mail it but-" "I don't understand." Princess Celestia said. "What are you resigning from?" "Princesshood." Twilight said. "I'm done. I, Twilight Sparkle, do hereby relinquish my status of Princess of Equestria and all rights, responsibilities, and privileges therein. I do freely give them up now and forever and-" "Twilight, you can't...you can't just give up your princesshood!" Princess Celestia spluttered. "Just did." Twilight said, turning to walk away. "It's done." "Y-you have responsibilities!" Princess Celestia cried, trotting after Twilight. "Get somepony else to do them." Twilight said. "I'm sure you can find someone else capable of handling your appointments and being your little attack dog and kissing the ground you walk on...I'm done with all that." "Y-you can't go back to being a regular unicorn if that's what you're thinking!" Princess Celestia said. "Didn't plan to." Twilight said. "Just....done with being your little princess project. I'm sure you'll find somepony capable of replacing me." "Nopony like you!" Princess Celestia cried. "Are you still following me?" Twilight snipped. "Twilight, the power you have needs to be-" "Power?!" Twilight shouted, rounding on Celestia so fast that the Princess had to slow her gait or risk slamming into her irate student. "Are you talking about the power that wasn't enough to stop the poison that killed one of my best friends?! "The power of an alicorn princess is not so easily defined." Princess Celestia said evasively. "We...we are not omnipotent. Our power is less...concrete." "Less concrete?" Twilight echoed. "Useless, you mean. The power of an alicorn that everypony keeps going on about isn't worth spit!" "I know you're angry with me, Twilight¬-" "Angry?!" Twilight cried. "I passed angry a long, long time ago Princess! I was angry when you wouldn't let me see Cadence when she was apparently dying. I was angry when you kept her death from me and then blew up at me when I dared to ask why my sister-in-law died! But after months and months of nothing but form letters and weak attempts at royal apologies you burn my friend's house down, I can honestly say that I'm no longer angry. I am absolutely livid with you!" Princess Celestia backed away as anger wafted off of Twilight in waves of icy magical energy. "And sorry is all you can say?!" Twilight screamed advancing on the retreating princess. "Oh, gee, Twilight Sparkle, I know one of your best friends who I barely knew died in absolute agony-" "Coatl venom has hallucinogenic properties." Princess Celestia said before she could stop herself. "Fluttershy probably didn't feel a thing, if that makes you feel any better." "Oh really?!" Twilight cried, clapping her hooves together. "That makes me feel so much better! Wow, thank you Glorious Sun Princess for telling me that my friend was likely tripping out of her mind on snake acid while she was dying in my arms! WHAT A BUCKING RELIEF! THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT!" "Twilight!" Princess Celestia cried. "Please, let me explain-" "And now you have the nerve to stand in front of me and preach about responsibility and power like that means something!" "I understand that you're upset." Princess Celestia said soothingly. "I understand that you feel that your magic failed your friend in her hour of need but-" "Could you have done it?!" Twilight demanded. "Could you have saved Fluttershy if I sent a letter to you like Pinkie said I should?!" "The circumstances surrounding Fluttershy's death were-" "Could you just appear in that little ostentatious flash of sunlight you love so much and heal Fluttershy?!" Twilight said. "Could all of your power have accomplished that?!" "Twilight, if your magic was ineffective...mine wouldn't have done much better." Princess Celestia said. "Then I'm right." Twilight said. "You are useless....a completely useless princess who was a completely useless teacher..." "A-and what does that make me?" Twilight sniffed, determined to keep her tears hidden from Celestia. "I'm doubly useless; the useless student of a useless teacher. What...what did I even become an alicorn in the first place?! What was the bloody reasoning behind this decision?! Screw responsibility! Screw destiny; I didn't want this! I was fine as a unicorn...I didn't ask for this. I didn't ask for endless appointments and these stupid wings...I never wanted to be so powerfully useless. " "You're right." Princess Celestia said suddenly. "For all that I can do and all that I have done...in many ways, I am totally useless." "News to me." Twilight said, turning away from Celestia to angrily wipe her eyes. "I remember the first time I felt that way." Princess Celestia said. "It was a few years after my coronation and ascension to princesshood. My friends and I had banished Lord Tirek for good, but there were still members of his army causing trouble for us. So, one day, I saddled up and led a party against one of Tirek's generals." "Riding with me was one of my dearest friends, an earth pony named Aigis." Princess Celestia continued. "I'm ashamed to confess, but before I met Aigis, I didn't think too highly of earth ponies." "What the hell is wrong with being an earth pony?" Twilight asked. "Nothing, but I was a young unicorn once, infatuated with my magic and convinced of my own superiority." Princess Celestia said. "Earth ponies and unicorns didn't always get along and I confess I held an unsavory viewpoint that was...common of young unicorns at the time. Until I met Aigis." "She was a far cry from the noble ladies I had surrounded myself with." Princess Celestia said fondly. "She wasn't dainty or witty and didn't constantly flatter me like my other...friends did. She was taller than I am now by half a hoof and carried a shield made of dragonbone that weighed as much as she did. Earth ponies weren't allowed to be knights back then...but she was determined to change that. "And I...hated her, at first. Circumstances conspired to throw us together and we quarreled, butted heads, argued...even came to blows once or twice; she tore a chunk out of my mane and I'm afraid I may have scraped her side with my horn. Despite that, or maybe because of it, we grew to be very good friends; war and chaos have a habit of bringing ponies together. And when we discovered the Elements of Harmony...she fittingly took up the mantle of the Element of Honesty." "We rode out one day together, determined to defeat one of Tirek's remaining generals and rid Equestria of his taint for good and all." Princess Celestia continued, taking Twilight's silence as evidence of her attention. "I thought myself invincible in my fancy golden armor with my magic spear and shield. 'Princess Celestia the Triumphant! The Conqueror of Lord Tirek! Riding forth with her faithful retainers against forces most foul in the name of justice and peace!' I was convinced that we would ride into our enemy's camp, slay the braggart heathens in the name of Equestria and gallop back to Canterlot in time for supper." "It was...a disaster." Princess Celestia said, eyes glassing over. "Tirek's general goaded me into a foolhardy charge and led us into a ravine where his monsters fell on us like a tidal wave crashing on a rock. Cyclopses, gryphons, gargoyles, manticores...even a dragon or two now that I think about it. Creatures that I banished beyond Equestria's farthest borders all returned for revenge. We were badly outnumbered, but my guards kept fighting until, one by one, they fell. And after a time, Only Aigis remained, shielding my back from what few creatures remained." "The general-I forget his name, but he was a gryphon the size of a small elephant-finally decided to join the fight himself once his forces were all but decimated. I charged him, looking to end the battle in one fell blow, and in my haste I failed to recognize the obvious trap. I didn't see his guard lunging for me, fangs bared and talons extended. I didn't see...but Aigis did." "To this day...I don't know why she didn't use her shield." Princess Celestia said. "She had it readied...all she had to do was raise it and protect us both...but she didn't. Maybe it didn't occur to her or maybe it was too heavy for her to lift after hours of fighting...maybe she just moved without thinking first. She took the blow that was meant for me and I had time to run the general through his heart." "I lay there with her as she bled out, my pitiful medical magic barely slowing the blood flow down." Princess Celestia said. "I kept talking to her, promising her that I'd save her, that help was on the way...and she died believing that." Twilight turned to look at Princess Celestia who was wiping a stray tear away. "She was the first earth pony ever to be knighted in Equestrian history. I knighted her as she lay on the field dying...it was all I could do..." "I never said that this was going to be easy, Twilight." Princess Celestia said. "But I never wanted it to be so hard for you so soon. First Shining Armor and then Cadence-" "Don't." Twilight sobbed. "You didn't want to talk about C-Cadence a year ago, what makes you think I want to hear about her now?!" "My lack of judgment and concern for Cadence's dignity caused you a great deal of pain." Princess Celestia said. "And I should have made things right with you in person at the first available opportunity." "I-I would have settled for your second available opportunity." Twilight sniffed. "But instead I got more half apologies and form letters...do you have a-any idea how that made me feel? Used. Cheap. Like I...I didn't warrant your personal attention. That my friends and I were just expendable solutions to whatever problem you couldn't solve yourself. Do you know how much I've doubted myself in the last year? Do you know how many nights I spent awake wondering if all those years of training and magical lessons and the whole princess thing was so that you could use me for some unknowable purpose? That I wasn't even worth your personal attention beyond what I could do for you? Do you have any idea what that feels like, wondering if a pony who y-you thought cared about you and t-trusted you was just using you?" Princess Celestia stared at the young mare in front of her, her features quivering under the strain of keeping her from dissolving into tears. This proud princess of her own creation looked back at her with anger and hurt that Princess Celestia hadn't seen in more than a thousand years. It was a look of utmost betrayal and devastation and Celestia knew, in her heart of hearts, that this was one of the worst things she had ever done. "Alright." Princess Celestia said with a heavy sigh. "Alright, what?" Twilight said. "Alright...if you really want to resign from your duties as princess...I'll accept your resignation." "Really?" Twilight said suspiciously. "Why?" "Twilight...I have wronged you like I haven't wronged anypony in hundreds of years. I have been deliberately manipulative and unnecessarily cruel to you and even though I can rationalize it away and say it was for some greater good...the fact of the matter is that I have hurt you, deeply in a way that I never wanted to." Princess Celestia sighed. "I cannot even begin to fathom how anypony might forgive what I've done but if there is anything, anything that I might do to make this up to you-" "You can explain why Cadence died." Twilight said abruptly. "What?" Princess Celestia said. "You...you owe me that at least." Twilight said. "Very well...but please understand that I cannot offer you anything concrete or absolute." Princess Celestia said. "There have been a grand total of seven alicorns in the history of Equestria and there's much we don't know about them. I have my theories, of course-" "Then let's hear them." Twilight said firmly. "Cadence was an alicorn like you, right? I thought you were supposed to live forever." "Being an alicorn does not immediately mean that a pony is immortal." Princess Celestia sighed. "Twilight...we are our magic. But we are more than that. We are physical representations of our magic in the world; living symbols of a concept or an idea. But we are not immortal...at least, not innately." "What do you mean?" Twilight said. "Princess Luna and I were charged long ago with guiding the sun and the moon through the heavens and watching over the night and day respectively." Princess Celestia said. "We have served and lived this long because we are still needed to control the sun and the moon; they will not rise on their own and to date, nopony worthy of controlling them has stepped forward to take them from us...so we endure." "But Luna didn't endure." Twilight said. "She left when Nightmare Moon took over." "And as the only pony capable of controlling the moon, her power passed to me as the most worthy successor." Princess Celestia said. "You can just do that?" Twilight said. "No...transferring one alicorn's purview to another is a difficult task. The other alicorn must be capable of wielding the magic thrust upon her. If I hadn't been able to control the moon, I fear Equestria might have roasted under a thousand years of sunlight." "But you learned?" Twilight said. "How? Did Luna teach you?" "She didn't have time and even if she wanted to...I wasn't interested in what she had to teach." Princess Celestia said softly. "As a result, the moon and the stars were... rebellious under my command. They didn't like me and it was only after a great deal of effort that I was able to control both them." "So when Princess Luna returned..." "The power over night left me and flocked joyfully back to its original master." Princess Celestia said. "The power given to us goes to she who is most worthy of wielding it. I am the currently the pony most suited to command the sun, Luna is the most worthy to command the moon and you and Cadence were the most worthy to wield magic and love respectfully." "So...Cadence wasn't immortal?" Twilight said. "Am...am I-" "No, Twilight." Princess Celestia said after a long moment. "As near as I can tell...you are not currently immortal because your current task does not require that you live forever." "You keep talking about this task." Twilight said. "What do you mean; what did you...upgrade me for?" "You were, ah, upgraded to serve as the ambassador of Friendship and Magic on Equestria." Princess Celestia said. "Being the Princess of Magic does not require that you live forever. Magic changes; it evolves with each sorceress who adds to a tradition going back to before I was even born. Equestria doesn't need a single pony to represent that for all eternity." "I still don't understand why Cadence had to die." Twilight said. "Why didn't she just...age like everypony else?" "Cadence loved your brother more than anypony in the world." Princess Celestia said. "She gave him her heart...and by extension, a large portion of her magic. She gave him her Love... and when he fell in battle a large part of her fell with him. Her magic tore her between this world and...." "And?" Twilight said. "That...that is a question even I do not have the answer to." Princess Celestia said. "It is likely that her magic just imploded after being unbalanced but..." "But?" Twilight said. "I...I like to think that a part of Shining Armor, call it the soul or spirit or what have you, carried on after he died and that that part called for Cadence until she had no choice but to leave this world and join him." Princess Celestia said sheepishly. "I know, it sounds silly...but that's what I believe." "But...you don't know." Twilight said. "All I know is that the love Princess Cadence bore your brother was so great that she quite literally could not go on without him." Princess Celestia said. "I-It's not fair." Twilight mumbled softly, turning away from Celestia to wipe her eyes. "What isn't?" Princess Celestia said softly, anticipating the answer. "She wasn't the only pony to love Shining Armor." Twilight sniffed. "I loved him...and I thought Cadence loved me...w-wasn't I reason enough to stay?" "She did stay." Princess Celestia said. "Longer than I thought she would have and I think it was because she needed to say goodbye to you." Twilight's heart swelled with affection for her sister-in-law only to deflate with cold loneliness when she realized she would never see her again....or her brother...or Flutter- Twilight fought the tears brimming in her eyes, still determined not to cry in front of Celestia. She tried to take a deep breath but it hitched in her chest and a weak, rebellious sob escaped her lips. And that was all it took. Twilight hunched over herself, tucking her head into her chest and covering herself with her wings. She fought to control her shaking breath, angrily wiped the tears from her eyes only to find fresh ones taking their place. Finally, she gave in, breathlessly sobbing into her arms for Fluttershy and Cadence and Shining Armor. She cried for all she wanted to say to them; how much she loved them and would trade anything for one more day with them. She wanted to tell Shining Armor how proud she was to call him her brother. She wanted to tell Cadence that she loved her like the big sister she never had. More than anything, she wanted to tell Fluttershy that she was sorry; sorry for letting her down when she needed her the most. Twilight flinched as a great white wing unfurled itself and wrapped around her shoulder. She looked up and saw the same look Celestia wore on her coronation day. A look of loss, sorrow, and most of all bitter understanding. "I-I'm still mad at you." Twilight sobbed. "I know." Princess Celestia said. "B-but I don't want to be." Twilight said. "I've spent the last year just being mad at you and I'm...I'm just so tired of it. I...I want to forgive you but-" "Twilight, I'm not asking you to forgive me." Princess Celestia said. "I know that what I said...what I did is nearly inexcusable and if you want to keep screaming at me or ignoring me, that's perfectly fine. But just know that, if there ever comes a time when you would like to speak to me again...the door's always open. I have...missed you, terribly these past months. I would like nothing more than to be a part of your life again. But...it's not about what I want. It's about what you want, Twilight. And if you don't want to see me right now...then I'll honor your wishes." As Princess Celestia stood up to go, she felt a small tug at her tail. "Do you still miss her?" Twilight said softly. Princess Celestia sat back down by Twilight. "Not...every day." She said. "Not even every week. I am ashamed to say that I have sometimes gone decades without thinking of the pony who gave her life for mine." "How can you even do that?" Twilight said. "I don't know, Twilight...it's not something a pony like you can understand unti-unless she goes through it herself." Princess Celestia said. "Time...does things to ponies. Most of the time, ponies don't live long enough for time to take its toll but ponies like...like me, we start to lose pieces of ourselves as the years go on." "Like..." Twilight prompted. "Memory, for one." Princess Celestia said. "I forgot the sound of my friends' voices so many years ago. After that, I forgot what they looked like and I almost forgot their names altogether." "How do you stop something like that?" Twilight asked. "Great effort." Princess Celestia replied. "I have to dedicate time and energy, sometimes days of both, to remember who my friends were and what they meant to me. If I don't...they slip away, buried under centuries of useless facts and information." "I can't imagine forgetting the ponies who mean the world to me." Twilight said softly. You can't imagine living as long as I have. Princess Celestia thought to herself. Twilight said nothing and the pair sat in amiable silence for a while as the moon climbed higher and higher in the night sky. Finally, Twilight roused herself with a flutter of feathers. "I should get home." Twilight said. "Spike's probably wondering where I've been." "Yes, you're right." Princess Celestia said. "I'll walk you home...if you don't mind." Twilight shrugged noncommittally and started down the path back into town. "It would be faster to fly." Princess Celestia said. "Meh." Twilight said. "I prefer walking." "Still having trouble with your wings?" Princess Celestia said. "I prefer walking." Twilight said through gritted teeth. Princess Celestia bit back a giggle at Twilight's embarrassment. Twilight was at least speaking to her again and she didn't want to jeopardize that. "About Spike..." Twilight said after a while. "What about-oh." Princess Celestia said. "That...listen, Twilight, I never meant to go behind your back or-" "It's fine." Twilight said. "It's an excellent school." Princess Celestia said. "So I've heard." Twilight said. "And as I'm sure you know, dragons and ponies have historically had a better relationship in Neighpon than in-" "I know." Twilight sighed. "I know...I just wish...I wish he could stay with me." "I know, Twilight." Princess Celestia said as the pair wound their way up to the library. "I do too...but I truly think this is going to be good for Spike." "Yeah...me too." Twilight said. "I'm happy for him; really...I may not have let him know it right away but-" "Then you shouldn't waste any time making things right with him." Princess Celestia said. "Trust me; putting it off may be...may be one of the biggest mistakes you'll ever make." "I will...and thank you for setting it up for him." Twilight said. "Of course." Princess Celestia said. "Well..." Twilight said after a moment of awkward silence. "This is me." "It certainly is." Princess Celestia said. "Goodnight." Twilight said opening the door. "Goodnight." Princess Celestia said. "And don't worry about the paperwork; I'll see to it tomorrow." "Paperwork?" Twilight said. "To overturn your coronation." Princess Celestia said. "If you really don't want to go through with this princess business then I'll have to find another...I'll have to respect your wishes." "Oh...that." Twilight said. "Just...hold off on filing that stuff. For now, at least." "Are you sure?" Princess Celestia said. "I can easily save you the trouble." "Yes." Twilight said after a moment. "It's been a long weekend and I don't think I'll be making any big decisions until Monday...or possibly Tuesday." "Can I...can I expect a reply from you when you've made your decision?" Princess Celestia said hesitantly. Twilight looked up at Princess Celestia. Since Shining Armor's funeral the only memory of Princess Celestia that Twilight could recall was of her bearing down her in anger. Her own anger and mistrust of the Princess was still fresh in Twilight's mind but looking up at her former mentor's half hopeful expression invited warmer memories to Twilight's mind. "I will...let you know." Twilight said diplomatically. "One way or another." Princess Celestia allowed herself a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Twilight. I promise, you won't regret-" "I'm only promising write you with my response." Twilight said quickly. "After that...we'll see." "We'll see." Princess Celestia echoed with a nod. "That something, at least." "Goodnight." Twilight said, turning to go inside. "Goodnight Twilight." Princess Celestia said. "It was...I'm sorry about what happened to Fluttershy...but it was very good to see you again." "It was..." Twilight said, biting her lip. "It was good of you to come. Fluttershy would have appreciated it. Goodnight...Celestia." With that, she gave the surprised Princess a small smile and closed the door behind her. Twilight let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding, sliding against the door and burying her head in her hooves. It had been a long day and the dress she had worn to Fluttershy's service was singed and sooty. She shucked it off and over the kitchen bench and noticed a pot of cocoa simmering on the stove. She poured herself a mug, heating it up with a simple warming spell and set off in search of Spike The door to the balcony was open and Spike was leaning over the balcony, stirring his cocoa and watching something off in the distance. "Where've you been?" Spike said, looking up as Twilight came up beside him "Just dealing with Discord." Twilight replied. "You certainly took your sweet...is your mane burned?" Spike said. Twilight looked up to see that half of her bangs had been sizzled off by the house fire. "Ugh...I guess so." Twilight said. "Long story." "Discord?" Spike said. "Celestia." Twilight said Spike spat out a mouthful of cocoa. "Seriously?!" "Seriously." Twilight said. "Did you two fight or-" "No...she lost her temper with Discord and...Fluttershy's cottage is pretty much gone." "What...what happened?!" Spike said. "I wish I knew." Twilight said. "She just...exploded. Literally." "Like-" "Fire, smoke, the whole nine yards." Twilight sighed, rubbing her temples. "It's been a weird day." "So Discord is-" "Gone." Twilight said. "Really?!" Spike said. "Did Celestia-" "No!" Twilight said. "He left to who knows where and I'm perfectly fine with that." "Good riddance; the less we see of that guy the better." "My thoughts exactly." Twilight said. "So...did you and Celestia...talk?" Spike said. "There was talking involved." Twilight said. "More yelling than anything else on my end." "Wow...you actually yelled at her?" Spike said. "Yeah." Twilight said. "It was...savagely therapeutic." "Good for you." Spike said. "That would be the second time the Princess got yelled at since Shining Armor's funeral." "Wait, who are you talking about?!" Twilight said. "Uh...well, just after we got back from the Crystal Empire that one time, Applejack came to me shaking like a leaf in autumn and said that she may or may not have threatened to kick Celestia's ass if she ever spoke to you like she did at Shining Armor's funeral." Spike said. "She...Applejack...what?!" Twilight spluttered. "Yeah and she was convinced that Princess Celestia was going to kill her or something so she wanted me to draft a will in case-" Spike trailed off as Twilight suddenly burst out laughing. "Are you kidding me?!" Twilight said, clutching her sides and struggling to breath "Applejack...Applejack scolded the ruler of Equestria like she was a bad schoolfilly?!" "That's the way she told it." Spike chuckled. "I believe her too; that mare flat out refuses to give a buck when it comes to speaking her mind." "Oh...I'm going to have to do something for her for that." Twilight laughed, wiping a tear of laughter away. "What do you get a pony who threatens a living goddess with grievous bodily harm for your sake?" "What about a sash that says "I Yelled at the Ruler of Equestria and Didn't Die" in nice gold lettering?" Spike said. "I'm sure Rarity would make a matching set for you two to wear around town." "She could get it stitched on her hat." Twilight chuckled. "Or tattooed on her flank right above her cutie mark." Spike said, sharing a laugh with Twilight. "Soo...about your relationship with Celestia." Spike said. "Are you two-" "We'll see." Twilight said thoughtfully. "We'll see?" Spike said. "It's...complicated." Twilight sighed. "I don't really know if I'm ready to forgive her just yet...but I'm done investing energy in being angry with her. For now we'll keep things...amicably formal." "Well, that's more than you had yesterday." Spike shrugged. Off in the distance, Twilight caught a blue streak racing across the night sky, flitting from cloud to cloud at speeds she had trouble keeping up with. "Is that Rainbow Dash?" Twilight asked, watching the light blue streak fly laps through a series of cloud rings, dipping and diving and flying with ferocity Twilight had never seen before. "She's been out there all night." Spike said. "I think I saw her stop once or twice to eat or stretch her wings out but other than that, she's been training like a mare possessed." "Have you ever seen her train like that before?" Twilight asked Spike. "No...I don't think I've ever seen her train period. Flying like that always came natural to Rainbow Dash so I don't think she practiced that much." "So she was fast enough to break the sound barrier...without even trying?" Twilight said. "Imagine what she's gonna be capable of once she actually starts giving a buck." Spike chuckled. "Maybe if you're lucky, you can get flying lessons from her before she makes the Wonderbolts; they're gonna get pricey after that." "I guess it's only a matter of time now before she makes the team." Twilight said. "Fluttershy knew all along, didn't she?" Spike said "I'm sorry?" Twilight said. "She knew that Rainbow Dash was always going to make it." Spike said. "Like you told her, remember?" "Oh...right." Twilight said, coughing. They stood together in comfortable silence, watching Rainbow Dash's routine "I'm gonna send Gekkou a letter tomorrow." Spike said suddenly. "I'm gonna turn them down." "What?" Twilight said. "Why? I thought you were excited about going." "I was but-" "But?" "That was before all this stuff with Fluttershy happened." Spike sighed. "Now that she's gone...I figured you might want me to stick around a while longer." "Of course I want you to stay." Twilight said, voice thick with emotion. "I want you to stay as my faithful little assistant more than anything in the world." "Great." Spike said with a shaky smile. "So I'll call them tomorrow and-" "But...it's not about what I want." Twilight said. "What?" Spike said. "You're amazing, Spike." Twilight said. "You're brave...kind...loyal and so smart. You practically saved the Crystal Empire at an age when I was too buried in books to worry about anything other than my studies. I don't know what I would have done without you. I definitely would never have come as far as I have without you helping me along the way. And part of me feels...guilty for that." "Guilty...why?" Spike said. "I don't know." Twilight said. "I look at how far you've come and I can't help but wonder if you wouldn't be so much farther along if you didn't have to take care of me all the time. If you weren't fetching my mail or writing my letters or organizing my books...you might have been doing so much more." "Hey, don't knock organizing books." Spike chuckled. "If I hadn't done all of that, you might have never found the time to go all horns and wings and pointy crowny things." "But that's my point!" Twilight said. "I would be a...a...horrible selfish nag if I stopped you from going to school!" "Twilight!" Spike said "You've done so much for me." Twilight said. "It's time I did something for you. So Spike...you are officially fired from being my assistant." Spike's jaw went slack. "You're firing me?!" "Effective immediately." Twilight said. "B-but you just said that you depend on me!" Spike said "And that's the problem." Twilight said. "Everypony's ready to stand on their own and really start doing something with their lives and I'm still looking to you to carry me. I ought to be embarrassed that my little assistant is growing up faster than I am." "Not your assistant anymore." Spike said. "No...I guess you're not." Twilight said. They stood staring at the night sky in a blissfully uneasy silence, both aware that their relationship had crossed a threshold that neither could go back on. "F-friends?" Twilight said after a few moments. "What?" Spike said, turning to Twilight. "I...I asked if you wanted to be friends...for real this time." Twilight said. "I mean...you don't really have to stick around anymore now that we don't work together." "What?" Spike echoed. "I'm releasing you from the duty Princess Celestia assigned you when you were a baby." Twilight said. "You don't really have to be here anymore but...I was hoping we could still be-" "You want to know if we can be friends?!" Spike said. "I...well, I don't know if I've been a very good friend to you." Twilight said guiltily. "I think maybe I might have taken you for granted. I think sometimes I might have treated you like a glorified butler or a little kid instead of a real friend. And...to be honest...I'm worried the only reason you stuck around me was because Celestia asked you to. But despite how I may have acted...I really care about you Spike. And I would like nothing in the world more than to be your friend. Not your boss or your leader or your princess...just your friend." Spike stared slackjawed at Twilight, struggling to speak. Finally he shook his head and said, "You are seriously stupid." Spike said. "Wh-what?!" Twilight said. "Like really, really dumb. I seriously feel bad for Equestria for getting stuck with such a stupid princess." Spike said. "Look Spike...if you want to go, just go." Twilight said. "You don't have to make fun-" "After all these years," Spike said. "After years and years of cleaning your books, organizing your schedule, putting up with your tantrums, cleaning your house, handling your mail and reminding you to bucking sleep...you think we're going to be friends?!" "W-well...I thought-" "Twilight." Spike said. "We're not friends." Twilight's heart dropped into her hooves and an ugly knot formed in her throat. "We're...not?" "We were never friends." Spike said empathetically. "After all we've been through, how could we be?!" "W-well..." Twilight said, willing herself not to cry. "I-If that's how you really feel then-" Twilight was cut off as Spike threw his arms around her neck in a crushing embrace. "We were never friends." Spike said hoarsely. "We're family Twilight." "Oh you little-!" Twilight laughed through a fresh wave of tears. "You had me scared for a second there." "Why?!" Spike said. "Did you really think the only reason I stuck around was because of my bucking job?! Because if that were true, I would have ditched your sorry hide a looooooong time ago. You think I stayed for long hours, nights and weekends, no overtime pay, no pay in general, no benefits, no opportunity for advancement-" "Okay, you've made your point." Twilight laughed, wiping her eyes. "I'll see if I can wrangle up some back-pay for you before you go." "You're going to wrangle up fourteen years backpay?" Spike said. "I'm a princess; I'll find a way." Twilight said. "Wow, less than two years of princesshood and you're already turning into a despot who extorts money from her subjects to pay her cronies." Spike said. "What's the use of having power if you don't abuse it every now and then?" Twilight joked. "Hey, you're not going to hear me complaining." Spike said. "It's about time I got some ill-gotten government kickbacks." "You've certainly earned it." Twilight said. "Spike?" "Yeah?" Twilight pulled him into another hug. "I'm really, really proud of you." Twilight said. "And I don't say it nearly enough." "Thanks...I'm proud of you too." Spike said. "You know something?" Twilight said. "I don't think we've properly celebrated your acceptance." "And rob Pinkie of her party planning privileges?" Spike said. "No, I'm sure she'll come up with something once we...once we've had time to move on a little more." Twilight sighed. "But I think we should do something; just the two of us." "Well...there's a chocolate cake mix I've been saving for a special occasion..." Spike said. "Now's a good a time as any!" Twilight said brightly, darting inside. "Now now?" Spike called down from the loft. "Yeah! Why not?" Twilight called back. "It's pretty late." Spike said. "I don't much feel like dragging the cakepan out-" "Don't worry about a thing!" Twilight said, rifling through the cabinets for a mixing bowl. "I'll handle everything myself!" "You?!" Spike said. "Yeah...why not?" Twilight said. "You...don't bake." Spike said. "Like...ever." "Nonsense; I made those muffins for your last birthday!" "I seem to remember them being burned on the top and runny in the middle." Spike said. "That was a whole year ago!" Twilight said "And what have you baked since?" Spike said. "Oh, stop worrying so much!" Twilight said, dumping the contents of the cake box into a bowl. "It's basic science; all I need to do is follow the directions and...uh...Spike?" "Yeah Twilight?" "Baking soda and baking powder are the same thing, right?" Twilight said. "No...why?" Spike said. "Oh...uh...then you're saying I shouldn't have mixed the rest of the baking soda with baking powder?" "No, wait, why are you adding baking powder?" Spike said. "Because...you need it to bake with...right?" Twilight said. "Not with cake mix; its all in there already...ugh...just give me the spatula." Spike said. "No!" Twilight said. "I have to learn how to do this on my own! Do you know how embarrassing it is to become a princess and not even know how to bake?!" "Twilight..." "Besides, I'm already getting the hang of it! I just need to add some...oh...wait...oh...uh...Spike?" "Yes, Twilight?" Spike sighed. "Now...just to be clear...cake batter is supposed to eat through the bottom of the bowl, right?"
The Last Equestrian Princess	Between Sisters	Between Sisters Princess Celestia watched Twilight scramble around the kitchen, trying to keep her cake batter from eating through the counter with a smile, breathing a sigh of relief. Their relationship was still on shaky legs but she was happy that she could be there for Twilight and even happier that Twilight was giving her the chance to do so. To think a fit of impatience and a careless outburst almost undid decades of preparation. Princess Celestia was glad that Twilight wasn't completely ready to discard her princesshood just yet. Celestia knew she didn't have the time to wait around and train another pupil; it had to be soon and, unfortunately, it had to be Twilight. Their relationship was on rocky ground; she couldn't deny it and while she hadn't expected Twilight to immediately forgive her, it hurt to know that the wide eyed filly who once looked up to her was well and truly gone, replaced by a worldlier, warier young mare. Whether or not they would ever be friends again...well, she would just have to wait and see. Princess Celestia stole one last look at Twilight's house before setting off through the quiet streets of Ponyville, shrouded by a bit of magic in case any ponies were out late. She had hardly left Canterlot for the past year and the last thing she needed was a tabloid picture of her walking the streets of Ponyville like some kind of Sasquatch sighting. Across the grassy field and up a hill she walked until she came to a small brass plaque gleaming in the moonlight. Princess Celestia sighed, regarding the small memorial stone with a twinge of regret. Twilight had been right; for all the times Fluttershy had assisted in the defense of Equestria, Princess Celestia couldn't say that she knew her well enough to truly empathize with Twilight. She had liked the girl well enough; it was impossible not to like any of Twilight's friends. But she knew her only from brief glimpses gleaned from social interactions and Twilight's letters. That more than anything else made Celestia disappointed in herself; she had always prided herself with being a down to earth princess, equally at home with the common pony as with the "elite" of Canterlot. But now, looking at the beautiful memorial Twilight's friends had put together, she found that she knew little of this brave little mare beyond her kindness and affinity with animals. Casting around the grassy hill, Princess Celestia plucked a dozen or so wildflowers. She pulled a clump of weeds with her teeth and with a wave of magic; they wove together into a ribbon that fastened itself around the bouquet. A small pebble was transformed into a simple butterfly shaped pin that held the ribbon in place and a quick glamour spell gave the flowers a soft warm glow. Princess Celestia laid the flowers on the grave and for a moment, she thought of saying something. After a while, when she couldn't think of anything personal or profound that hadn't already been said by ponies who knew her better, Princess Celestia settled for a moment of reverent silence and a silent apology. "Are you sure you couldn't have helped her?" Princess Celestia nearly jumped out of her skin as her sister appeared over her shoulder. "Oh for the love of...Luna! What have I told you about scaring me like that?" "I can't for the life of me remember." Princess Luna said airily "But I remember that you told Twilight Sparkle that there was no way you could have helped Fluttershy. That there was nothing you could have done if she asked you." "How long have you been listening to us, Luna?" Princess Celestia said. "Long enough to ensure you didn't foul up your chance to make things right with Twilight." Princess Luna said. "I'm curious to know why you lied to her, though." "Coatl venom is resistant most magical treatments." Princess Celestia said evasively. "Most...not all." Princess Luna said. "It gained a reputation for being impervious to magic because it's largely resistant to telekinetic manipulation, which is the standard, least invasive magical treatment method for most toxins. So, when telekinesis failed to affect it, most doctors wrote it off as magically impervious...but that's not the case, as you well know." "No...it isn't." Princess Celestia sighed. "Coatl venom is designed to quickly kill magical beings so it evolved to be a fast spreading toxin that resists attempts to slow it down, extract it or stop it. Telekinesis, stasis, barrier effects...all of them ineffective." "But there are other ways to deal with it." Princess Luna said. "The venom could have been transmutated into something benign, Fluttershy's blood could have been transmutated to resist the venom, antibodies could have been enhanced to deal with the venom like it would a virus-" "Yes, but you run the risk of irrevocably damaging patient's body if you're not careful." Princess Celestia said. "To do that, you would need to understand the chemical makeup of the substance you were trying to change and how to alter it in a way that removes its harmful effects without harming the patient. It's not exactly common medical knowledge; maybe one in one hundred doctors is even aware of the theory, maybe one in one thousand understands the theory well enough to explain it and even less are actually capable of performing it to an effective degree." "What about you?" Princess Luna said. "Could you have done it?" Princess Celestia bit her lower lip, lost in thought. "I...I don't even know the venom's chemical makeup-" "But if you did?" Princess Luna asked. "Then...perhaps." Princess Celestia said. "I've done it in the past, but that was with lesser poisons...I don't know how much help it would have been." "You might have been able to do something." Princess Luna said. "What use would it be to tell that to Twilight?" Princess Celestia said. "She already blames herself enough for Fluttershy's death...if I told her that I might have been able to help her then-" "I understand." Princess Luna said. "I just wondered why it never occurred to Twilight to try anything other than telekinetically removing the poison." "She panicked." Princess Celestia said. "Her friend's life was in danger and she and Spike settled on the most obvious solution to the problem. It's not her fault she didn't think of alternatives; her study of magic has always trended towards the...arcane rather than the practical. Metaphysical energy transfers, methods of transfiguration, spatial manipulation...I don't think she's ever cracked a magical medicine textbook." "She might now." Princess Luna said. "When we lost Aigis, I remembered you burying yourself in defense charm scrolls for months at a time." "Tragedy has a way of...focusing our interests." Princess Celestia sighed. "Twilight did what she could do, given what she knew. What-if's and what-could-have-been's are deadly to ponies who have the time to dwell on them." "Speaking from experience?" Princess Luna said. "You know I am." Princess Celestia sighed. "Twilight will have plenty of time to collect regrets without use adding to them." "Agreed; telling her would serve no purpose." Princess Luna said. "Not now that you two are speaking again." "Yes." Princess Celestia said fondly. "I'm glad you finally did right Twilight." Princess Luna said. "Thank you." "You were beginning to become insufferably moody." Princess Luna said, earning her a light smack on the shoulder from her sister. "But I suppose this means you would like to spend more time with her." "I think we have to." Princess Celestia said. "The lessons I had planned for her got interrupted by our little spat...I'll need time to bring her back up to where she needs to be and I'm sure you have things left to teach her." "So we postpone it...again?" Princess Luna sighed. "I'm afraid we have to." Princess Celestia said. "Is that wise, given your advancing...condition?" "I'm learning to live with it." Princess Celestia said, swallowing heavily. "You call burning down a house in a fit of anger living with it?" Princess Luna said. "It's not easy, but I think I can make it work as long as we need to. Besides...Twilight's in a very delicate state right now." "She's not made of glass, Celestia." Princess Luna said. "She's not made of stone either." Princess Celestia countered. "Are you really willing to risk the security of thousands of ponies to spare the feelings of your special favorite?" Princess Luna said. "I'm surprised at you, Luna." Princess Celestia said sharply. "I thought you liked Twilight." "I am very fond of Twilight Sparkle; I consider her one of the few real friends I have made in the past thousand years." Princess Luna said. "But if I had to decide between Twilight's happiness and the good of Equestria, I would choose Equestria without hesitation." "No hesitation?" Princess Celestia said. "Not for a moment." Princess Luna said. "Sometimes I think that you don't care about these ponies as much as I do." Princess Celestia sighed. "There's no need to be cruel, Celestia." Princess Luna huffed. "I'm merely saying that-" "And sometimes I think that makes you better suited to rule them." Princess Celestia finished "Oh?" Princess Luna said. "Perhaps you're right." Princess Celestia said. "Perhaps I do coddle my little ponies too much...perhaps I would do well to be less of a friend and more of a ruler; more concerned with their safety than their happiness." "Tis better than the alternative." Princess Luna said. "Would Equestria truly thrive under an icy dictator?" "Maybe not, but I don't think you'd postpone our project to spare the feelings of a single pony." Princess Celestia said. "Looking down on the world from millions of miles above it puts things in perspective." Princess Luna said. "Were I in your horseshoes, I may not feel such...distance from most ponies." "You still feel that way?" Princess Celestia said. "Even after working with Twilight and her friends?" "The effects of being displaced one thousand years in time do not get undone in the span of a few months." Princess Luna said. "I don't know if they ever will." Princess Celestia regarded her sister's distant expression for a moment. "I...spoke to Discord today." "How unfortunate." Princess Luna said. "What did that old billygoat have to say?" "A nasty lie, no doubt." Princess Celestia said. "But he said that he...that is to say, he didn't...and it's really quite ridiculous but-" "Are you going to wind your way around to a point sometime tonight, Celestia, or should I go get some snacks?" Princess Luna said. Princess Celestia bit her lip. "I want to talk about...Nightmare Moon." Princess Luna stiffened. "What of her?" "I pressed Discord about his involvement with your...with Nightmare Moon." Princess Celestia said. "And...he denied any involvement. Said that...it was all your doing." "Did he?" Princess Luna said. "Not that I believed him!" Princess Celestia said hastily. "You know that he spins the wildest tales." "He does." Princess Luna said. "I just want you to know that I...I believed you when you said that Discord was responsible for your...transformation." Princess Celestia said. "Why?" Princess Luna said suddenly. "Wh-what?" Princess Celestia said. "Why are you so quick to dismiss Discord's account in favor of mine?" Princess Luna said. "Because...we're sisters." Princess Celestia said gently. " And he's a liar. I...I trust you." "Did it ever cross your mind that Discord might not be lying in this case?" Princess Luna said softly. "Did it occur to you that he might be telling the truth?" "Why would he...you said-" "Many convenient lies." Princess Luna said. "Luna...are you telling me that Discord had nothing to do with Nightmare Moon?" Princess Celestia said. "...yes." Princess Luna said. "But i-if not Discord then...then who?" Princess Celestia said. "What?" Princess Luna said. "If you w-weren't being controlled by Discord, then who was it who manipulated you?" Princess Celestia said. "Discord? Tirek?! Grogar?" "Celestia...what makes you think anyone was manipulating me?" Princess Luna said. "But...if you never...if you weren't manipulated by anyone then that means you-" Princess Celestia stopped suddenly, looking at Luna in surprise. "Luna, what are you saying?" "I am saying that...Nightmare Moon was a demon of my own creation, borne out of the jealousy I bore towards you and my desire for greater power; nothing more." Princess Luna said. "There was no mind control, coercion or magical seduction involved at any point during my rebellion against you. Any attempts on my part to persuade you otherwise were, for lack of a better term, lies." "Why?" Princess Celestia said, shaking her head. "Why...why now? Why are you telling me this now?!" "You asked." Princess Luna said. "Damnit, Luna, don't be glib!" Princess Celestia said, standing up suddenly. "Why didn't you just tell me the truth when you returned?" "Because you made it easy to lie." Princess Luna said. "After I came back...you were so quick to forgive me because you had convinced yourself that Nightmare Moon wasn't my fault. It was so easy just to nod along with your speculations, so easy to pin something on a hated enemy long since vanquished. And after all that time I just wanted so badly for things to be right between us...so of course I went along with your little Discord theory. I wanted my sister back...so I lied. But it wasn't true...Discord nor any other evil force was responsible for my transformation. Nightmare Moon was my creation and mine alone." "What...what could I possibly have done to warrant such hatred from you?!" "What does it matter why I did it?!" Princess Luna said. "That was one thousand years ago; why does it matter now?" "It matters to me!" Princess Celestia said firmly. "Nothing I can say to you will make you happy, Celestia!" Princess Luna said. "If you're looking for some kind of peace from my story then you shall be sorely-!" "Well maybe I don't want peace!" Princess Celestia said. "Maybe I'm sick of everypony trying to make me happy and I want to hear the damned truth for once!" "Oh, now you want to hear the truth!" Princess Luna said. "When have you ever cared for the truth, Celestia?! It was so easy to lie to you because you wanted to believe it! If you had even tried, if you had only reached out for the truth you would have seen that it was right in front of your nose the entire time?" "And what is this truth I've conveniently overlooked?" Princess Celestia said. "That it is as your storybooks have said and nothing more; I was jealous!" Princess Luna said. "You had friends and followers and worshippers and hangers on and I had the cold lonely nightshift after everypony went to bed. We ruled together, Celestia, but as far as the average pony was concerned, yours was the only star in the sky!" "That's it?!" Princess Celestia said. "You're blaming me for how other ponies behaved?!" "No, I'm blaming you for how you behaved!" Princess Luna said. "You were drunk on their attention! You bathed in the warm glow of their adoration! You flitted about like the bell of the ball, accepting all the acclaim for our hard work!" "I'm not going to apologize for having fun, Luna!" Princess Celestia said. "What was I supposed to do; decline all the love my subjects-" "Our!" Princess Luna said. "Our subjects! No, I didn't want you to become a shut in recluse but would it have killed you to drop my name when the entire world was singing your praises? Would it have really hurt that much to share the spotlight with me for ten seconds?!" "Do you remember the early nights, Celestia?" Princess Luna said. "The early early nights when I treated every night like a unique work of art? When stars wheeled and turned about the sky in thousands of different constellations and displays?" "I remember some of it." Princess Celestia conceded. "But I had to be up at five to raise the sun; I never got to see those late night-" "Nopony saw my late nights!" Princess Luna said. "Nopony! But I endured it all, patiently, while you gorged yourself on the love of our people, leaving me to nibble the bones of society you left unclaimed! I withstood it all with as much grace and dignity as I could muster until...until the eclipse honoring twenty five years of our reign." "And I did something on that day? Something to cause you to hate me enough to fight against me?!" Princess Celestia said. "You did nothing." Princess Luna said. "When we raised the sun and moon together, everypony fawned over you and saying how amazing it was that they could see the sun more clearly now that the moon covered and how brilliant you were for orchestrating it. And you...you just stood there and drank it all in with a smile. I was standing two feet away from you and nopony said anything about me! Nothing! Not one word about my moon! And they loved you! All it would have taken was a few public words of kindness to get people to start appreciating my work but you...you said nothing! You just kept it all for yourself while I was left alone night after night, year after year-" "I know, Luna!" Princess Celestia said. "I know what it felt like, staying up for hours on end while the rest of the world went to bed. While you were slumbering on the moon, frozen in time, I alone stood watch over the night. So for the past thousand years I have endured while you slept peacefully on the moon!" "Celestia..." Princess Luna said. "From where I'm standing, you've certainly had it easy napping up in space while I was forced to carry on without you!" "What makes you think I was asleep?" Princess Luna said icily. "What?" "What makes you think that I just fell asleep when you sent me to the moon and didn't wake up until a thousand years later?" Princess Luna said. "What makes you think I wasn't awake the entire time?" "But..." Princess Celestia said, shaking her head in horror. "But you never said-" "What was I supposed to say?!" Princess Luna laughed bitterly. "That I spent eight million, seven hundred and sixty five thousand two hundred and eighty six hours, five hundred and twenty five million, nine hundred thousand minutes lying awake on a barren frigid rock looking down on a world that had forgotten me? That Nightmare Moon screamed inside my head whenever I tried to steal a moment's sleep? That time and again I tried to pull an asteroid out of orbit to strike me, only for Nightmare Moon to deflect it back into space again?!" "Luna..." Princess Celestia "What would you have done?" Princess Luna said. "What could you have possibly said or done that might make things easier for me? How could a pony like you possibly understand?" "A pony like me?" Princess Celestia said. "Love and cherished by millions." Princess Luna said. "Perched in a seat of immeasurable power and privilege with every comfort you could desire thrown at your hooves in tribute." "You think I had it easy?" Princess Celestia said. "I watched thousands, millions of ponies I loved die again and again and again!" "Millions of ponies who adored you and practically worshipped you as a living goddess!" Princess Luna said. "Oh, no, but you're right, Celestia; endless company and adoration is certainly as difficult as empty silence on a frigid rock. I don't know how you endured all of the love and attention thrown your way. Truly you are made of the sternest stuff to suffer millions of parties held in your honor; how do you do it?!" "I have suffered just as much as you-" "Don't you dare!" Princess Luna hissed, eyes flashing violet. "Don't you dare say that you have suffered as I have suffered, Celestia, or so help me I shall show you what true anger looks like! I will not have this argument with you again; I do not doubt that you have had your share of trials to overcome but if you think for one half of one second that living in a lavish palace and being surrounded by mobs of swooning subjects is the same as a small eternity spent alone, a million miles away from everything and everypony you have ever known and loved! Forgotten and demonized by the ponies who used to know you? You had the love of our people! You had our friends; you were her with them while I was-" "Yes, I was here with them!" Princess Celestia shouted. "Through everything! Parties and weddings and dances and dinners but not all. I watched Aigis take a blow meant for me and held her as she bled out on some spirits forsaken battlefield. I saw Persephone sicken and die from a plague she was trying to cure! I watched Leto waste away, ravaged by age, her mind completely abandoning her before the end to the point where she didn't even know my face! And I was here, Luna, when a messenger stood in my throne room and told me that I...I had sent Bellerophon to die on foreign soil on a stupid whim." Princess Celestia took a deep shuddering breath, looking away and blinking rapidly. "I was here, Luna...and only me." "I do not deny that you have suffered, Luna, now especially since the extent of your suffering has been made known to me." Princess Celestia said. "But know that I have suffered to. All grew old; all died but I was left rotting in a perfectly preserved body, witnessing the passing of everyone we held dear." "I witnessed them as well." Princess Luna said softly. "How could you have known what happened to them?" Princess Celestia said. "I didn't." Princess Luna admitted. "But I knew how old they were and I remembered their birthdays. And I counted them, year after year...until I reached one hundred birthdays...I didn't expect them to live one hundred years after I had gone." "They didn't last fifty." Princess Celestia said. "So...after one hundred years had passed," Princess Luna said. "I marked a small stone for each of them...starting with Aigis, the eldest, and ending with Leto, the youngest...one by one I made graves for the friends I knew had left while I was gone." "There is no winner in contests of suffering." Princess Luna said. "Only losers in varying degrees." "How long have you been holding on to this?" Princess Celestia said. "Since my return." Princess Luna sighed. "My time in exile has haunted me for one thousand years...and I doubt it will ever cease." "And I could have stopped it..." Princess Celestia said. "All it would have taken was...a few words and I could have stopped it all?! Why didn't you tell me?!" "Don't you think I did?" Princess Luna said. "All those times I asked for the night to continue a few hours longer, all those times I begged for a few more minutes of darkness in the morning for ponies to see my art...all the times I was dismissed or outright berated by you for asking. There came a time when I was done begging...so I decided to take what was mine by right for myself. I never wanted open war between us...I just wanted to get your attention. But I was consumed by the power I thought to wield against you..." "And if only I had listened-" Princess Celestia said. "It's a tad late for if onlies sister." Princess Luna said. "I'm sorry." Princess Celestia sniffed. "How could I even compare my time on Equestria to what you had to go through?" "You cannot." Princess Luna said. "Just as I cannot compare my loneliness to yours; it is meaningless to bicker over who has suffered more." "I had our friends." Princess Celestia said. "I had a castle and jewelry and parties and parades! I had everything in the world I could have ever wanted...except you." "You had me once." Princess Luna said. "And I took you for granted." Princess Celestia said. "And when our friends passed, the last pony to know me as simply Celestia disappeared." "It is a hard thing, becoming more than your name." Princess Luna said. "Something all royalty learns, in time." "We could have had a thousand years together." Princess Celestia said. "If I had only pulled you up to stand beside me instead of overshadowing you all the time-" "If only if only." Princess Luna said. "I've had enough only's to last me a lifetime." "Will you take a sorry then?" Princess Celestia chuckled miserably. "I know it's not much but...it's all I can give. After all this time it seems that sorries are all I have left." "I suppose that's something." Princess Luna sighed. "Are you still...are you still angry with me?" Princess Celestia said. "At times." Princess Luna said. "Nightmare Moon left her mark...and you can still be irritably pompous." Princess Celestia laughed. "And it's hard not to feel bitter and wonder what I could have had were it not for my exile but...I don't want to spend what's left of my life holding on to age old grudges." "I would have loved to share the night with you." Princess Celestia said. "The night was never yours to share." Princess Luna said. "It was mine. You were only watching the shop while I was gone." "I did my best." Princess Celestia said. "You certainly tried I'll give you that much." Princess Luna said. "But I've seen your work, Celestia, and I have to say it lacked a certain...nuance." "It wasn't easy for those first few hundred years." Princess Celestia said. "Your night sky fought me every step of the way. I still don't know how you force those stars into constellations." "Did you try persuading them?" Princess Luna said. "Stars are proud things that don't take kindly to being ordered around." "Something you have in common with them." Princess Celestia said. "To your credit, you did my duty passably." Princess Luna sniffed. "Everything went as it should...I'm ashamed to say I thought you might have neglected it in my absence." "Wandering the empty halls night after night after the rest of the world had gone to sleep gave me new...perspective on what you do." Princess Celestia said. "You know, I don't know if I ever told you this but I helped fund the ponies who invented electricity." "You did?" Princess Luna said. "I lent them the gold to spread their invention to every corner of Equestria. I wanted ponies to have a way of staying up after the sun went down." Princess Celestia said. "I wanted them to come out and enjoy the night unafraid of the darkness." "So you wouldn't have to spend your nights alone like I did?" Princess Luna said. "So you wouldn't." Princess Celestia said. "I always hoped you were coming back and, when you did...I wanted ponies to appreciate your night as I had come to...I didn't want you to be so lonely ever again." Princess Celestia sighed, wiping her eyes with the corner of her hoof. "Oh Luna...I've lived too long." "Age like a medicine." Princess Luna said. "More is better than less...but enough of it can kill you." "I had hoped to stay a while longer but...no, you're right." Princess Celestia said. "It has to be soon...perhaps the next Summer Sun Celebration?" "I was thinking more along the lines of the Autumnal Equinox." Princess Luna said. "That's only a few months away!" Princess Celestia said. "I won't be ready in time!" "Spring then?" Princess Luna said. "Spring would work..." Princess Celestia admitted reluctantly. "But you'd prefer summer." Princess Luna said. "I really would." Princess Celestia said. "But that wouldn't be fair to you. We've done things my way for over a thousand years-" "I see no reason to stop now." Princess Luna said. "Very well; the Summer Solstice...at dusk." "As you wish." Princess Celestia said. "That'll at least give us a day to...wrap up." "My thoughts exactly." Princess Luna said. "One more year." Princess Celestia sighed, regarding Fluttershy's tree fondly. "This tree won't even be as tall as I am by the time we go." "Well...maybe I can fix that." Princess Luna closed her eyes, letting purple tendrils of magic seep from her horn and encircle the tree. There was a bright snap of light and with a great creaking and groaning of wood, the tree began to grow. It spread out across the little plot of land, dropping roots deep into the soft ground and stretching higher and higher towards the heavens. The tree grew around Fluttershy's gravestone, swallowing it within its trunk so that only the polished faceplate remained sticking out of the wood. The branches sprawled out overhead, shadowing the moon and stars in a thick canopy of pink and yellow leaves. Finally, Princess Luna opened her eyes; a mighty tree towered over her in place of the small sapling and at the center, Fluttershy's grave marker shined in the evening light. "Absolutely lovely." Princess Celestia said. "Thank you." Princess Luna replied. "Twilight and her friends will like it." Princess Celestia said. "It might smooth things over with her if...if we tell her you did it." Princess Luna said. "What?" Princess Celestia said. "As a peace offering." Princess Luna said. "It might make things easier going forward "Thank you Luna...but I think I've been taking credit for your work for far too long." Princess Celestia said. "I'm only sorry that we don't have the time to make it up to you." "I am glad I can do that much for them at least." Princess Luna sighed, regarding Fluttershy's tombstone sadly. "Such a sweet girl; I would have liked to have known her better. I suspect we might have even been friends, if given the chance." "You might get that chance." Princess Celestia said brightly. "Elysium is on the horizon for us; maybe we'll meet up there." "So you believe." Princess Luna said. "You still believe, after all of this and with no proof-" "Yes, Luna." Princess Celestia said firmly. "Don't you? Isn't that why you're so eager to join me?" "At this point, I am so ready for this nightmare to be over that I do not care what I wake to." Princess Luna said. "If I wake at all." "We've earned it." Princess Celestia said firmly. "After all we've been through...we've earned a rest." "We old ponies have endured the most." Princess Luna said fondly nuzzling her sister as they looked on at Fluttershy's tree. "Those that are young should never see so much." "Or live so long." Princess Celestia sighed. As the princesses turned to leave, a nightingale came and perched in the highest branch of Fluttershy's tree. A squirrel crawled its way up the trunk and into a hollowed out knothole in the center. A jay, a raven and several owls bunkered down for the night, making their nest for the night. Hundreds of ants carried their queen from a hill in the forest down into the roots of the old tree. Spiders crawled up and ate the ants; lizards came down and ate the spiders. A lone family of coatl on their way back to Tenocoltlan stopped in the tree for a rest. The smallest one, still nursing his injured wing, rested in soft branches, sleeping safe at last until the morning came.
The Last Equestrian Princess	Changing Trains	Changing Trains "Passport?" "Check." "Luggage?" "Checked in." "Carry on?" "Right here." "Photo album?" "Packed." "Quills and parchment?" "Packed." "School Uniforms?" "Altered, pressed and packed-thank you Rarity." "You're welcome, dear." "Okay...schoolbooks?" "Ordered and shipped to the dorm." "Wallet?" "Check." "Neighponese bittos?" "Got my cash converted at mall yesterday." "Are you sure the Neighponese bank is handling your accounts correctly? I know Celestia more or less oversaw the transfer but if there's a problem with your money, we should-" "Will you quit yer fussin already, Twilight?" Applejack said, leaning over the back of her seat as the train rumbled along the tracks from Ponyville to Canterlot. "Spike's had all his ducks in a row for weeks now." "I know, I know." Twilight sighed. "Can you really blame me for double checking though? It's not like Spike can just pop back here in a flash if he forgets something." "Relax, Twilight." Spike said. "Years of putting up with your anal retentive organization habits have rubbed off on me. I have lists to organize my lists of things I need to take with me; you worry too much." "Worrying too much is what I do, Spike." Twilight said, rolling up her list and stashing it in a saddlebag. "And seeing as I'm going to be robbed of my worrying privileges for the foreseeable future, I think I'm entitled to use this little train ride to fuss over you and embarrass the spines off your back. Now did you remember the embroidered "We Love Spikey Wikey" blanket we stitched for you or-" "What?!" Spike said. "Oh don't worry Twilight." Rarity said. "I had it airmailed to his dorm wrapped in wrapping paper printed with his baby pictures." "Ha ha." Spike said. "You guys are hilarious; truly top notch yuksters." "What makes you think we're kidding?" Twilight said. "Y-you are kidding, right?" Spike said. "I guess you'll find out." Rarity said sharing a wink and a laugh with Twilight. "Oh come on that is so not even close to funny!" Spike said as his friends shared a laugh at his expense. "I don't want to get my tail kicked on the first day of new school!" "Next stop, Canterlot Station." A tinny mechanical voice called from over the intercom. "Canterlot Station Fifteen Minutes. Please make sure you have all of your belongings and exit the train on the left side when we come to a complete stop. Canterlot Station Fifteen Minutes." "Wow...been a while since we've been to the city." Applejack mused as the spires of Canterlot came into view. "With Braeburn comin up from Appleoosa to help with expandin the back forty, I guess I haven't had the time." "I was here a few weeks ago dealing with the Wonderbolt audition." Rainbow Dash said. "Heard anything about that yet?" Pinkie Pie asked. "Well...it's kinda complicated." Rainbow Dash said. "What's complicated about it?" Twilight asked. "I read in the Canterlot Sun that your tailwind blew over the judges' table when you flew past them; how are they not begging you to join?" "Wonderbolts aren't just about speed, Twilight." Rainbow Dash said. "I got called back for the team auditions tomorrow but if I don't sync well with my potential wingmares it doesn't matter how fast I can fly. Besides, there's that whole...Spitfire thing." "What about her?" Twilight said. "I thought she was captain of the Wonderbolts." "Was being one of the operative words." Rainbow Dash said. "She blew her left pectoralis trying to do a Reverse Super McVarial 900. She keeps saying that she's going to come back but...it's hard to come back from an injury like that. And her CO, Soarin is more of a Draft Horse than a team leader so-" "Draft Horse?" Twilight said. "Big guy, strong wings." Rainbow Dash said. "Flies in front to break the wind so the stunt fliers can draft behind him and use his slipstream to gain speed without killing their wings. Soarin's a total workhorse and the Wonderbolts couldn't function without him but he doesn't have the agility or maneuvering that Spitfire has...had...has. Not to mention the fact that Spitfire coordinated all of the stunts that made the Wonderbolts famous. Now that she's laid up, the whole team is out of whack. She's lead the Wonderbolts for so long that it's going to be almost impossible to find somepony to replace her." "Hmm...that is a pickle... if only there was an up and coming young speedster who idolized the Wonderbolts to swoop in and support the team with their leader on the mend....but where in the world are they gonna find one of those?" Applejack said, nudging Rainbow Dash playfully. "Seriously, Dashie, why are you even stressing it?" Pinkie Pie said. "You're a shoe in for sure!" "Hey, I know I can fly; that's not the problem." Rainbow Dash said. "But Spitfire wasn't just a great flyer; she's a great leader. She made the team what it is today and I don't know if I can measure up to that." "Wow, they haven't even offered you the job yet and you're already got your eye on the boss' chair." Applejack chuckled. "Let it never be said that you don't dream big, Rainbow." "I don't have the stamina for wingmare and Surprise and Rapidfire have that down. Soarin's the Draft Horse, Fleetfoot always brings up the tail so the only position open now that Spitfire is down is Pointmare and Pointmare always leads." Rainbow Dash said. "I can do the stunts and take direction well enough but leading is just...look, I don't want steal Spike's thunder. We're not gonna see him for years and I'm yakking away about my job prospects." "I don't mind; I'm going to be out of the Equestrian aerial sports gossip loop for a couple of years anyway." Spike chortled. "Besides, they're not gonna put you in charge on your first day, right?" "I guess..." Rainbow Dash said. "You're gonna kill that audition tomorrow; that's all you need to worry about." Spike said. "Whatever happens after that, you can worry about later." "Yeah...you're right." Rainbow Dash chuckled. "Never thought I'd be getting a pep talk from a high school student." "Dragons are wise creatures, Rainbow Dash." Spike said solemnly, eliciting a barely suppressed snort of laughter from Pinkie Pie. "Sorry." Pinkie Pie said. "Just had something in my-hey look at all the cameras!" They pulled into the station and Twilight's stomach dropped as she saw dozens of reporters lining the platform. As their train rolled to a stop, they all turned and started crowding the windows and doors, cameras snapping rapidly. "Oh are you kidding me?!" Twilight groaned, pulling her window curtain closed and ducking behind her seat. "Celestia said she was going to create a diversion so I could see Spike off without the paparazzi breathing down my neck!" "How did they even find out when we were taking him?" Pinkie Pie said. "You changed the departure time so many times to throw the press off, I didn't know when we were leaving until you told me!" "Rarity, give me your hat and scarf; quick!" Twilight hissed, donning the broad brimmed hat and wrapping the scarf around her head. "Okay, come on!" Ducking behind the seats, Twilight led her friends down the train and towards the end of the platform. Cautiously poking her head out the door, Twilight beckoned Rainbow Dash and the others to follow her. They were almost off the train when suddenly- "There she is!" Twilight looked up to see the small mob of journalists and photographers stampeding their way "I'm sorry everypony." Twilight sighed. "But I'm just seeing a friend off and I was wondering if you could give me a moment of privac-ooph!" Twilight grunted as she was unceremoniously shoved aside and nearly trampled by the throng of reporters crowding around the train door. "She's over here!" One reporter cried. "Rainbow Dash! Hey Rainbow Dash!" "Over here, Rainbow Dash!" "Just a quick word Rainbow Dash!" "Can you comment on Captain Spitfire's recent wing injury? Is she planning on returning to active duty?" "Uh... well you know Spitfire's doing everything she...uh...can..." Rainbow Dash said, clearly stupefied by the dozens of questions being thrown her way. "Are the Wonderbolts finished?" "No! No way! Listen, it's-" "Is it true that you're taking Spirfire's position in the Wonderbolts? Did she receive the wing injury in an attempt to show you up after your impressive tryout?" "What?!" Rainbow Dash said. "No! Why would she-" "Does Captain Spitfire feel threatened by your latest performance?!" "Rainbow Dash, how do you respond to the rumors that you're using speed enhancing potions to perform your stunts?!" "What speed enhancing potions?!" Rainbow Dash spluttered "Is it true you engineered Spitfire's accident to take her job?!" "How would I have done that?!" Rainbow Dash said. "Scientists say that you shouldn't be able to break the sound barrier without breaking every bone in your body; do you have a response?!" "Are you planning a coup with the other Wonderbolts to oust Spitfire now that she's injured herself?!" "Is it true that you dye your mane to hide your advancing age?!" "Excuse me?!" Rainbow Dash said "Commander Soarin said that you had a record breaking tryout and that you're an excellent flyer; how long have you been romantically involved with Soarin?" "R-romantically involved?!" Rainbow Dash echoed "Is it true that Spitfire is leaving the Wonderbolts due to your affair with Commander Soarin?" "No, she doesn't even know about-I mean nothing is happening between me and Soarin!" Rainbow Dash said "Rumor has it that you're working with Princess Luna to form a rival flying squad to compete against the Wonderbolts! Why are you trying to destroy the Wonderbolts, Rainbow Dash?! Is this bitterness over your romantic rivalry with Spitfire?!" "Why do you hate Spitfire so much, Rainbow Dash?" "I don't!" Rainbow Dash said "What do you say to the rumors of steroid abuse in the Wonderbolt locker room?!" "Is Fleetfoot pregnant with Rapidfire's foal?!" "That's...that's their business!" Rainbow Dash said. "Ask them!" "Why no shoes Rainbow Dash?!" "Gentleponies, gentleponies, please!" Rarity said suddenly, pushing her way in front of Rainbow Dash. "Rainbow Dash would be happy to answer any questions you may have-" "I would?!" Rainbow Dash said. "Yes she would." Rarity said, shooting Rainbow Dash a meaningful look. "She would be happy to keep you all busy for a little while, wouldn't she?" Rainbow Dash looked from Rarity to Twilight to Spike and finally sighed in resignation. "Okay, everypony!" She called, flying up above the crowd. "I'm gonna answer your first fifteen question so form a line and follow me!" Rainbow Dash jetted off like a rocket trailing a stampede of reporters rabbling about rumors in her wake. "Well...how about that." Applejack said as the dust from the mob settled leaving Twilight and her friends alone on the platform. "Our little Dashie's all grown up and being hounded by the paparazzi." Pinkie Pie sighed, wiping an imaginary tear away. "You know...I'm relieved that I don't have the entire associated press stalking my every move, I really am. But at the same time...I'm offended." Twilight said, scratching her head. "I know I shouldn't be offended that the press forgot about me already but...I am." "They must not have recognized you all dolled up like Rarity." Pinkie Pie said. "Yeah...I guess." Twilight said "Honeymoon's over, honey." Applejack chuckled. "You're just another politician now." "Well as long as Rainbow Dash has got their attention..." Rarity said, examining the train schedule posted on the wall. "We may as well get to Spike's platform while we have the privacy." Rarity led their little group to a secluded part of the station where the international trains came and went. An electric billboard announced the trains coming and going: Twilight glanced at the clock on the wall; 2:15. "Looks like we have some time to kill." Twilight said, levitating Spike's luggage behind her as she led the group over to Track 3. She glanced around to see if there was anypony watching and then quickly pulled a chain up to block the doorway. Spike was the only one on the platform and a quick check of the train records (through minor abuse of royal powers) showed that he was the only one departing from the Canterlot station. Which was good; Twilight preferred to avoid the crowds wherever she could. "Well, as long as we're here-" Pinkie Pie said, rustling around in her saddlebags for a moment before producing a small box with a red button on it. "I thought we could have a few snacks before Spike goes!" Pinkie pressed the button and the box began shaking violently. "Uh...Pinkie?" Applejack said, edging away from the box. "What exactly do ya got there?" "It's a Party Box, silly!" Pinkie Pie said as the rumbling intensified. "Just pack everything you need for a party in the box and with a press of the button-" Pinkie was cut off as the box burst open sending cupcakes and pastries splattering everywhere. Rarity screamed, diving behind Spike and Twilight as they caught a face full of fruit pie. Within moments, the entire train platform was coated in fruit and processed sugar. "Pinkie Pie." Twilight said, wiping raspberry jam out of her eyes. "Was that...supposed to happen?" "N-not exactly." Pinkie Pie chuckled, wiping the custard out of her eyes. "I did base the designs off of my Party Cannon so I may have put a teensy weensy bit too much gunpowder in the delivery mechanism. Still have a couple of bugs to work out; there was supposed to be whipped cream to go with the berry tarts but-" The box shuddered again just as Rarity lifted her head from behind Spike and Twilight and with a flatulent thrrp a jet of whipped cream erupted from the box and hit Rarity square in the face. "AHHHH!" Rarity cried. "Pinkie Pie!" "Oh there's the whipped cream!" Pinkie Pie cried. "Must've been a delay on Dessert Dispensing Spigot, I'm gonna have to look into that as soon as we get back." "Getitoff getitoff getitoff getitoff getitoff getitoff getitoff getitoff getitoff GETITOFF!" Rarity wailed, frantically shaking her mane sending globules of cream flying everywhere. "Oh re-lax, Rarity!" Pinkie Pie giggled. "RELAX?!" Rarity yelled. "Your little gizmo got cream in my mane! Do you have any idea how hard it is to get clotted dairy products out of hair?!" "Lighten up!" Pinkie Pie said. "It's not like you're at a royal wedding or anything; who cares if you look a bit messy?" "I care!" Rarity screeched. "A lady must always look her best on the off chance that she meets-" "Oh dear, did we come at a bad time?" Twilight looked up as Princess Celestia and Princess Luna stood surveying the sticky group before them with puzzled expressions. "Oh kill me now." Rarity moaned as a fresh drop of whipped cream slid off her limp, sticky mane with an audible splat. Everyone except Twilight immediately gave the arriving princesses a bow while Twilight settled for a nod and a small smile directed at Princess Celestia. "Did you ladies pick a fight with a pastry chef?" Princess Luna said. "Or is this some new form of fashion that I'm unfamiliar with." "Um, w-well Your Highness, you see it's...well...um..." Rarity babbled. "It's a long story, really but it's because-" "Pinkie Pie." Twilight said. "Pinkie Pie?" Princess Celestia replied. "Pinkie Pie." Twilight said. "Ohhh." Princess Celestia said. "Pinkie Pie." "Your entourage seems to be one short today, Princess Twilight." Princess Luna said. "I would have thought Rainbow Dash would have been here to see Spike off." "She was," Twilight said. "But then-" As if on cue, Rainbow Dash whipped around the corner and dove behind a trashcan, breathing heavily and shaking. "Speak of the daredevil and she shall appear." Princess Luna said. "Everything alright, dear?" Rarity asked, offering Rainbow Dash her handkerchief. "Those freaking reporters are relentless!" Rainbow Dash panted, dabbing her brow with Rarity's handkerchief and passing it back to her. "I thought I was never gonna-dude, what happened to you guys?" Rainbow Dash said, looking the pastry splattered group over as a cupcake that stuck itself to the ceiling fell and impaled itself squarely on Rarity's horn. "Pinkie Pie." Twilight sighed. "Pinkie Pie?" Rainbow Dash said. "Pinkie Pie." Twilight said "Pinkie Pie?" Rainbow Dash said, turning to an embarrassed looking Pinkie Pie "Party Box." Pinkie Pie said. "Really?" Rainbow Dash said. "I thought there were still a few kinks you needed to work out?" "There are." Rarity said darkly, earning a laugh from Spike and Pinkie Pie "So how'd you manage to give them shutterbugs the slip?" Applejack asked Rainbow Dash. "Told them Princess Celestia was spotted stuffing her face with cake at the bakery down the street and they ate it up like chumps." Rainbow Dash chuckled. "I swear, ever since that Gabby Gums fiasco-" "Ahem." Princess Celestia coughed. "Oh crap." Rainbow Dash moaned, turning to bow to Princess Celestia. "P-Princess! Didn't see you there! Wh-what bring you to our neck of the woods!" "Oh just taking time off from stuffing my face with cake to see Spike off." Princess Celestia said brusquely. "But after this it's straight back to the bakery for me for another round of marzipan fruitcake funneled directly into my mouth with a firehose." "Oh, hey, listen about that whole bakery thing, y-you know I was just f-fooling around trying to give the media the slip." Rainbow Dash said nervously. "I-I'm sure you can understand being a massive celebrity yourself." "Massive?" Princess Celestia said, raising an eyebrow "N-no, I didn't mean it like that!" Rainbow Dash said, chuckling nervously. "I'm just saying that somepony of your...uh...magnitude-" "Magnitude?" Princess Celestia said icily. "Oh, shoot, no no no no, I didn't mean it like that! I-I just meant that y-you probably know what it's like to have reporters orbiting around you twenty-four seven!" "And now you're saying that I'm big enough to have my own orbit?!" Princess Celestia said. "N-n-no I just...I just meant that...um..." "Oh stop teasing the girl, Celestia." Princess Luna said. "She's going to dissolve into liquid rainbow." "Relax, Rainbow Dash, I'm just having fun with you." Princess Celestia laughed, patting Rainbow Dash on the back. "H-heh, good one Princess." Rainbow Dash squeaked, wiping her brow. "The reporters wouldn't have believed the story about you being a cakehound so readily if it wasn't true, Celestia." Princess Luna said. "Luna!" Princess Celestia said blushing furiously. "Don't play coy with me, sister; you've been eyeing that cupcake stuck to Rarity's horn for the past five minutes." Princess Luna. "Luna!" Princess Celestia hissed as the small group shared a laugh at the princess' expense. "So...anyway." Applejack said, wiping a tear of laughter away. "Did y'all come down to say goodbye to Spike too?" "Yes." Princess Celestia said. "Well, actually, I had hoped to speak to Spike privately before I-before he leaves. I have something I would like to give him." "Uh," Spike turned to Twilight who nodded him on after a split second deliberation. "Yeah, sure." Twilight watched as the two of them walked to the end of the platform, princess and dragon talking quietly between themselves. Twilight strained her ears to try and eavesdrop only to find her ears filled with a low buzzing noise every time she tried to make out what they were saying. "What d'ya think they're talkin about?" Applejack whispered. "Who knows?" Twilight said. "Want me to get in closer and try and get the scoop?" Rainbow Dash said. "I can't hear anything they're saying over this obnoxious buzzing noise." "That's the Busybody Barricade charm." Twilight said. "It prevents eavesdropping, overhearing and spying of any kind. Shining Armor used to use it all the time when he and Cadence were studying in his room." Rarity and Applejack shared a brief look. "Studying?" "Yeah, Cadence was over pretty much every other day after school studying for their high school exams." "With a spell that keeps folks from listenin in on them?" Applejack said. "Yep." Twilight said. "Shining Armor said they needed complete silence and privacy to study for their exams. It must have been pretty tough for them because they always came downstairs flushed and manes frizzled...and no matter how hard they studied, they never seemed to do all that well on their exams." "Uh...Twilight?" Rainbow Dash said. "I don't think they were getting much studying done." "Of course they were!" Twilight laughed. "Why else would they sequester themselves away for hours at a time in the privacy of Shining Armor's...bedroom...." Twilight trailed off, eyes glazing over. "Give her a moment." Princess Luna said. Twilight's eye twitched for a moment as twelve years of belated realization slammed into her with the force of a runaway freight train. "Wh-while they were supposed to be watching me?!"Twilight gasped. "While they were supposed to be studying?!" "Years after she graduates, Twilight Sparkle finally understands high school students." Pinkie Pie giggled. "Oh, I swear, the next time I see him I'm going to give Shining Armor a piece of my-" Twilight stopped short, feigning a cough to cover her embarrassment. Nopony noticed her little slip or if they did, they pretended not to. At the end of the platform, Princess Celestia withdrew a worn leatherbound book from her aide's saddlebag and passed it to Spike with a few soft words. Spike ran his talons over the cover reverently, paging through the covers as Princess Celestia withdrew a second book, new and shiny. Spike went to open it but Princess Celestia gently laid a hoof on the cover, fixing Spike with stern look and speaking quickly. "Can't you drop the barrier or something?" Rainbow Dash said. "I could." Twilight conceded. "But I won't. Celestia practically raised Spike from the time I hatched him and if she wants to speak with Spike privately...she's certainly earned it." "So you and my sister are on better terms now, I take it?" Princess Luna said "We're back on speaking terms." Twilight said. "And even if we weren't-"Princess Celestia bent down and Spike wrapped his arms around her neck in a tight hug. "Even if we weren't I wouldn't intrude on their time together." Spike and Princess Celestia made their way back from the end of the platform just the platform started shaking as a sleek silver train rolled to a stop beside the platform. "Hey...where are the guys pulling the train?" Rainbow Dash said, noting the absence of workponies hitched to the front. "Must be one of them newfangled horseless trains." Applejack said. "Heard they're all the rage in Neighpon." "About time." Princess Luna remarked. "The idea of ponies pulling ponies around in huge hunks of metal chained to their backs was a rather silly idea if you ask me." "Good Afternoon." A tinny mechanical voice called out from one of the speakers on the platform. "The 2:45 to Sacramareto will begin boarding in a few moments. Passengers headed to Sacramareto or connecting with the 8:15 to Tatsumi Port Island will be able to board shortly. Please stand behind the yellow line until the doors open and your conductors indicate that it is safe to board. This message will repeat in Neighponese for your convenience. Konichiwa-" "This is me." Spike said, stowing the books Princess Celestia gave him in his messenger bag. "Do you have everything you need?" Twilight asked. "Where's the rest of your luggage?" "It's getting loaded from the last train." "Okay, where's your passport?" Twilight said. "In my bag; they don't check it until I get to the Sacramareto station." Spike said. "Wallet?" "In my bag." Spike said. "Okay, what about your-" "Twilight." Spike said gently cutting her off. "I'm fine. I have everything I need." "Just checking." Twilight mumbled as the doors to the train slid soundlessly open. "All aboard the 2:45 to Sacramareto!" A conductor called from the engine car. "Please have your tickets ready!" "Alright." Spike said with a deep breath. "This is it." "We're really going to miss you Spikey!" Pinkie Pie said, squeezing the young dragon in the tightest hug she could muster. "You be sure to study hard now." Applejack said, joining the embrace. "Don't study too hard." Rainbow Dash said. "You don't wanna end up like Twilight do you?" "Hey!" Twilight said. "Do remember to write us every now and then." Rarity said, fondly tousling Spike's headspikes. "Take lots of pictures so we can see how you're doing." "I will." Spike promised. "And...Rarity?" "Yes dear?" Rarity said. Spike struggled with himself for a moment and once or twice he looked like he was about to say something. Finally he gave up and settled for smiling at her. "Nothing." Finally, Spike turned to Twilight. "Welp...this is it." "It sure is." Twilight said. "Nervous?" "Terrified." Spike said with a grin. "In a good way, though." "You know you can come home anytime you want." Twilight said. "I know." Spike said. "Spike, I-"Twilight said before getting cut off by the train horn. "Final call!" The conductor called. "All aboard for Sacramareto! Sacramareto, all aboard!" "What are you waiting for?" Twilight said with a smile as Spike turned back to her. "You're going to miss your train." "But-" "It's okay." Twilight said. "You have a train to catch." With a brief glance back at his friends, Spike turned and crossed the threshold into the train. Twilight watched him through the window, waving at everypony on the platform. The baby dragon she hatched and helped raise getting on a train to study in a foreign country. Her little helper...her little Spike. "Spike!" Twilight called out to him as the train doors closed Spike stuck his head out the window as the train lurched from the station. "What?!" In a heartbeat, Twilight blinked up onto the train in a flash of magic, throwing her arms around Spike and hugging him tightly. "Twilight!" Spike said in surprise. "What are you-" "I have studied under the greatest sorceress to ever live." Twilight said. "I graduated from the most prestigious university of magic in the world. I have fought and triumphed over more evil things than anypony else. I have mastered literally thousands of magic spells and was crowned the Princess of Magic...and I can say with complete honesty that I have never been prouder of anything more than I am proud to have had the privilege of seeing you grow into a truly wonderful young dragon." "Twilight..." Spike said, eyes suddenly misty. "I love you, Spike." Twilight said. "And I couldn't let you go without telling you just how proud I am of you." "Twilight." Spike said. "I know, that was probably cheesy," Twilight said. "No, Twilight!" Spike said. "And I admit, I practiced that little speech last night in the bathroom mirror." Twilight chuckled. "Twilight!" Spike cried. "What?" Twilight said. "The train is leaving!" Spike said. Twilight looked out the window to see her friends running after the train as the station disappeared in the distance. "Oh...crap." "Well that was dramatic." Rainbow Dash said as Twilight trotted back up to the station. "Sorry." Twilight said, looking after the train as it rounded the corner and out of sight. "I just had to tell him one last thing." "Of course." Princess Celestia said. The small group sat on the platform for a few moments, watching the smokestack from Spike's train drift away into the balmy afternoon air. "He's gone." Twilight sighed. "He's on his way." Princess Celestia corrected. Princess Luna had shooed the rest of the group over to the other end of the platform to give Princess Celestia and Twilight a moment alone. "And he's going to come back." "I know..." Twilight sighed. "It's just going to be hard without him with me all the time." "I think I know exactly what you mean." Princess Celestia said, regarding Twilight fondly. "I remember feeling the same way when my favorite student left to study in another town." Twilight blushed in spite of herself. "I-I'm sure you managed without me." "As you will without Spike." Princess Celestia said. "Thanks...for coming." Twilight said. "It meant a lot to Spike." "It was my pleasure." Princess Celestia said. "Are you returning to Ponyville right away?" "Rainbow Dash has Wonderbolts callbacks tomorrow." Twilight said. "We're going to stay overnight to watch...why?" "Oh...no reason." Princess Celestia said. "I was just cleaning out some of the dustier section of the Royal Archives and I came upon some of Starswirl's later work-" "Before or after his time in the sanitarium?" Twilight asked. "After." Princess Celestia said. "Really?" Twilight said. "I thought you personally made sure all of Starswirl's later work was destroyed." "The first few unicorns to attempt his later spells wound up babbling in strange languages about hairless two legged giants watching every move we make once a week; can you blame me?" Princess Celestia said. "No...I'm just wondering why one of his post-asylum books is suddenly cropping up when they were supposed to be destroyed." "I may have missed a few...on purpose." Princess Celestia said. "I had hoped that one day I might be able to make sense of them but...I confess I'm as lost as the first sorcerers who tried to make sense of them and I was hoping that...if you had a few hours now and again you might be willing to-" "Help you figure them out?" Twilight said. "You've had your hooves on them for centuries and you haven't been able to figure them out; what makes you think I'd have any better luck than you?" "Two in harmony can surpass one in perfection." Princess Celestia said. "Not that I'm perfect by any stretch of the imagination but I figure the two of us could accomplish more together than I could alone." "Princess Luna wasn't interested in helping out?" Twilight said. "Luna has her own affairs to set in order." Princess Celestia said. "And this Starswirl business is a bit of a personal pet of mine. I thought that given your previous interest and experience with Starswirl's spells I thought you might consider...working with me again." "Working with you...like before Shining Armor's funeral?" Twilight said. "I don't know if things are ever going to be the same as before." Princess Celestia said. "But if you'd like...we could try to start again." Twilight looked down the track biting her lip thoughtfully. "Send me the notes." She said after a long moment. "I'll see what I can make of them during the tryouts and I'll swing by the castle on my way back to Ponyville." "Thank you Twilight." Princess Celestia said. "Truth be told...I really miss teaching you." "We're working together on this; you're not my teacher anymore." Twilight said. "Of course." Princess Celestia laughed. "Besides you've pretty much taught me everything you know already." Twilight said, turning to join her friends. Not everything. Princess Celestia thought to herself. Not yet.
The Last Equestrian Princess	The Last Equestrian Princess	The Last Equestrian Princess The relationship between Princess Celestia and her student never fully recovered from their long period of silence. This isn't to say that they didn't become friendly again; only that Twilight no longer looked at the elder princess with eyes full of adoration and obedience. The pedestal that Twilight had placed her teacher on had been well and truly demolished by Princess Celestia's actions and all she could do was face the truth of Princess Celestia, the good and bad, on even footing. This made instructing Twilight more challenging for Princess Celestia as her student no longer accepted everything she said as the canon truth. Twilight frequently challenged her assumptions, disagreed with her conclusions, and on several occasions the castle halls echoed with riotous academic arguments between princesses. For her part, Princess Celestia found Twilight's newfound skepticism refreshing and even though Twilight often left her lessons frazzled and groaning in frustration, she had to admit it was...nice having a peer to argue magic with. So, despite the fact that her blood pressure spiked every time she met with Princess Celestia, Twilight kept coming back for the savage academic thrill that came from complex magical study. The intensity of Celestia's lessons only increased as the elder princess led Twilight through a variety of subjects ranging from arcane spellcraft to the fundamentals of sealing charms to lessons on navigating the Equestrian bureaucracy to exercises in controlling the sun (to hone her magical focus of course). Twilight Sparkle was, of course, not a complete idiot. She realized within a few weeks of her new studies with Celestia that she was preparing her for a greater role in ruling the country. Princess Celestia often asked Twilight to accompany her on various political appointments, pointing out the various customs and taboos observed by visiting gryphon dignitaries, showing her how to properly address the Neighponese kirin and introducing her to the Imperial Seapony Condense. At night, Princess Luna would plague Twilight with nightmares, pitting her against monsters and abominations attacking Equestria to see how she reacted. Princess Luna tutored Twilight on the basics of military strategy, inventing complicated tabletop games to help Twilight grasp the fundamentals of how battles were conducted. Pinkie Pie was more than happy to help Twilight practice by playing Princess Luna's games with her and to Twilight's surprise (and embarrassment) Pinkie Pie proved to be a wilier and more challenging opponent than even Princess Luna was. If Princess Luna was a stern teacher, Rainbow Dash was a bloody taskmaster. Twilight had thought that learning to fly from one of her best friends was going to be a relaxing break from her other more challenging studies. She quickly learned that training with a Wonderbolt meant training like a Wonderbolt. Twilight never really appreciated the skill that such coordinated flying took until she was huffing and puffing behind Rainbow Dash trying desperately to keep up with the simplest of flight maneuvers. Rainbow Dash herself took her side job seriously and gave the fledgling princess no quarter in her workout, refusing to allow Twilight to slip up or cheat herself. (In fact the first time Rainbow Dash caught Twilight trying to use magic to ease in her flight, she made her do wing sprints up and down the Canterlot University practice track until she couldn't physically lift her wings. Needless to say, that was the last time Twilight tried to cheat her way through one of Rainbow Dash's workouts.) Weeks of practice quickly turned into months of study as Twilight became an even more competent sorceress and prudent leader. A few public appearances in Celestia's place warmed the public to Twilight's presence in the capitol. Newspapers reported on her less as a celebrity and more as a legitimate public figure. The downside of all this newfound attention and responsibility was that Twilight saw less and less of her friends than she would have liked. They all had their own responsibilities now and they all still lived in Ponyville together but Princess Celestia had kept so busy that she spent most of her time in the library sleeping. Without Spike to pick up the slack, books piled up unshelved, truant library charges went unpaid, and bit by bit Twilight's sanctum of knowledge declined to the point where she was forced to consider hiring a part time librarian to manage the library in her absence. It was difficult to let the library go like that but Twilight was forced to accept the fact she no longer had the time to devote herself to her beloved books. For that matter, Twilight had less time to devote to her friends than she would have liked. Although she was still nominally living in Ponyville, she spent the bulk of her time working with Princess Celestia in Canterlot. Even if she had remained in town, the rest of the girls were busy with their own affairs. Rainbow Dash had packed up and moved back to Cloudsdale to begin training with the Wonderbolts, Rarity was getting more and more orders as her designs started appearing in windows of Calterlot department stores and Applejack was finally starting to make Sweet Apple Acres profitable beyond the subsistence farming they had existed on since Applejack's parents were alive. Even Pinkie Pie had stepped up to run the Ponyville branch of Sugarcube Corner when the Cakes left to open a new branch in Fillydelphia. They made time for each other when they could, coordinating their increasingly complicated schedules to find even a few hours to see each other every other week. Twilight treasured these visits as they became fewer and farther between as her work with the Princess intensified and the few meetings she could go to were usually missing another one of her friends as their schedules invariably conflicted. So when Princess Celestia asked if she would like to participate in the Summer Sun Celebration and if there was anypony she would like to invite, Twilight pounced on the opportunity as a special occasion to see all her friends in the same place at the same time The afternoon following the Summer Sun Celebration found Twilight Sparkle walking the halls of the royal palace in an uneasy funk that hours of brooding had done nothing to solve. The elder princess had invited Twilight to join her in the raising of the sun for the first time in public. Surprised and honored, Twilight invited all of her friends up to see her help Princess Celestia with the sun. After preparing for months, Twilight rose up into the sky, her magic charioteering the sun through the morning sky, only to turn around and see Princess Celestia standing firmly on the ground, looking up at her with pride. It was then that Twilight realized that she was all alone, soaring high above a crowd of awed onlookers with the sun at her back. She had risen the sun herself. It was so strange. Twilight could remember her first Summer Sun Celebration in Canterlot, watching Princess Celestia rise into the sky with the sun illuminating her from behind. She remembered the fire that sunrise lit inside of her, possessing her with a burning desire to study magic in the faint hope that she might one day be worthy of the princess' attention. Never, not even in her wildest fantasies, did she ever imagine herself taking hold of that great burning ball herself and rising above a crowd of awed onlookers while Princess Celestia looked on with pride. She looked down on her friends looking up at her with more awe than affection and Twilight suddenly became keenly and uncomfortably aware of the distance between them. For all their accomplishments and personal successes, they would never rise as high as Twilight. They would never feel the power of the sun coursing through their veins as onlookers all but worshipped them. For all their valor and bravery in the past, ponies would never kneel to them as they kneeled to her. No crowns would rest upon their heads, no palaces would be erected in their honor. As she rose higher and higher in the morning sky, Twilight was bludgeoned with the realization that her precious friends blended so easily into the faceless crowd of her subjects from so high in the air. No matter how hard she had tried to go back to normal after her coronation, it had all been in vain. Twilight was more than her friends would ever be and that terrified her more than anything else. Today had put things in perspective; her coronation and ascension were milestones in her life to be sure but this was...different. It was the realization of a goal Twilight had never striven for; a dream she didn't know existed. It was the solidification of her position as a Princess of Equestria. It was the first time she ever truly felt like a princess and Twilight didn't know how to feel about that. And when she didn't know how to feel about something, Twilight tended to lose herself in thought. And when she got lost in thought, she tended to wander aimlessly until her head was clearer. So when she was confronted with this burgeoning disquiet, she took to roaming the palace grounds in erratic loops and circles in an attempt to rationalize away her feelings. Needless to say, it hadn't worked as well as she had hoped It was half past two in the afternoon when Twilight's muddied wanderings finally brought her past Princess Celestia's private chambers. The door was cracked and Twilight could hear a faint string of conversation trickle out the door as she passed. "....Twilight's progress..." Luna's voice said and Twilight paused in her worried wanderings to listen in on the princesses. "I think today proves she's more than ready on my end." Princess Celestia said. "And from everything you've told me, she can raise the moon as well as you do." "Yes...though her starcraft is still somewhat lacking." Princess Luna said. "She is hesitant to move the stars on her own; too preoccupied with the constellations that have always existed to even conceive that they could be arranged differently. I'm afraid your lack of imagination has rubbed off on her" "Starcraft an acquired skill." Princess Celestia said. "One she'll have plenty of time to develop." "You didn't." Princess Luna said. "I come back one thousand years later to find my stars scattered throughout the skies haphazardly or worse, in boring predictable patterns. No imagination, no creativity, no care." "Yes, well...it's harder than it looks." Princess Celestia said sheepishly. "I should say so." Princess Luna laughed. "Fortunately for both of us, Twilight has a better eye for aesthetics than you ever did, even if her ingenuity is lacking." "I don't know if that's fair to say, Luna." Princess Celestia huffed childishly. "I don't think my style is that bad-" "You wear golden necklaces everywhere like an aging mobster, that crown you wore to Twilight's Coronation was glitterier than Orion's Belt, your dress was so loud I could hardly hear Princess Twilight's speech over it-" "Alright! I get it!" Princess Celestia said. "Did you really come all this way just to make fun of how I dress?" "No...but as long as we're here." Princess Luna chuckled and Twilight heard a rustling of papers. "I want you to sign my papers and I think it's a good idea if I sign yours." "Don't trust your big sister to fill them out on her own?" Princess Celestia laughed. "I just think it'll look better if we both sign them." Princess Luna said. "That way there's no possible way they can be misconstrued." "The right ponies already have my documents." Princess Celestia said. "With strict instructions not to open them until tomorrow morning. I thought you had done the same." "I think there should be a master set of all the pertinent orders and policy changes." Princess Luna said. "In case any of the ponies you've entrusted to carry out your orders prove to be less trustworthy than you think they are." "I trust the Captain of the Guard and my cabinet members with my life." Princess Celestia said firmly. "Do you trust them with hers?" Princess Luna said. There was a long pause. "Alright...couldn't hurt to have a spare set tucked away in case anypony attempts to make any...unauthorized changes to our instructions." Princess Celestia said. "Though I doubt it will come to that." There was a symphony of scribbling quills and ruffling papers as Princess Celestia signed whatever Princess Luna set before her. "Are you ready then?" Princess Celestia said softly. "More or less; there's a few more things I need to take care of." Princess Luna said. "Last minute projects I want to wrap up, gifts I want to give to Twilight...goodbyes to a few special ponies I've grown fond of." "I see...are you coming back?" Princess Celestia asked. "Of course." Princess Luna said. "Where else would I be?" "Thank you." Princess Celestia sighed. "It's hard to imagine, isn't it? That this ride we've been on for so long is almost...we didn't have enough time together, Luna. We could have had centuries together and we just...I'm sorry for that. I don't think I can ever say I'm sorry enough but I could have-" "Could have, would have, should have." Princess Luna interrupted. "None of that matters now." "I just want you to know that...if there's a field on the other side of this forest, I'll be waiting for you there." Princess Celestia said. "What makes you think you're getting there first, you old nag?" Princess Luna laughed. "I've waited a thousand years for this and I'll be damned if I let my old crotchety sister beat me to it." The sisters laughed and Princess Luna started heading for the door. Twilight backtracked down the hall to make it look like she was just coming up the corridor, pretending to casually bump into Princess Luna as she left the room. "Twilight!" Princess Luna said. "How serendipitous; I was just going to look for you. My sister wanted to speak with you for a moment about the sunrise this morning." "Is everything alright?" Twilight asked. "I didn't mess things up, did I?" "Not at all; your mastery of the celestial bodies is impressive given how long you've been working with them." Princess Luna said. "Your success with the Summer Sun Celebration this morning was extraordinary...Celestia just wants to have a little chat with you if you have the time." "Okay." Twilight said. "Is there anything in particular she wanted to talk to me about?" "No, she just...she needs to speak with you." Princess Luna said. "I would appreciate it if you could make the time for her." "Alright." Twilight said, turning to go into Princess Celestia's room. "Twilight!" Twilight turned around as Princess Luna called her name. "I just want to say...thank you." Princess Luna said. "For what?" Twilight said. "Everything." Princess Luna said awkwardly shuffling her hooves. "Just...everything you've done for me and my sister." "Y-you're welcome, princess." Twilight said uncertainly. "I don't know if it's something I can ever properly thank you for but..."Princess Luna offered Twilight a shaky smile. "I am very glad that I lived long enough to meet you." And before Twilight could say anything else, Princess Luna set off down the corridor at a brisk pace and disappeared in a puff of silvery blue mist. Bewildered, Twilight pushed the door to Celestia's room open to find the princess lounging on a low couch near the balcony, reading a book and munching on a cupcake. "Twilight!" Princess Celestia said, looking up from her book as Twilight closed the door behind her. "What a coincidence; I was just about to go looking for you." "I was just-" Twilight stopped as she noted the piles of empty pastry boxes smeared with frosting around Princess Celestia's couch. "Did you...don't tell me you ate all of that cake yourself!" "It is a princess' prerogative to be spoiled and selfish every now and then." Princess Celestia said, popping the last of the cupcake in her mouth. "You should treat yourself more often; what's the point of wielding enormous power and responsibility if a girl can't have cake for breakfast when she feels like it? Would you like me to send for another box of cupcakes?" "No thank you." Twilight said, wrinkling her nose at the evidence of Celestia's "breakfast". "I was walking by and Princess Luna said you wanted to speak to me. Is everything alright?" "Yes, yes, everything is fine." Princess Celestia said, scooting over and patting the couch beside her. "I just wanted to talk to you about how the sunrise went this morning; come have a seat." "I thought it went pretty well, all things considered." Twilight said, trotting over to the couch and flopping down beside the princess. "Was there anything I did wrong?" "Not at all." Princess Celestia said. "In fact, I wanted to congratulate you on a fantastic job done beautifully." "Thanks...I think it wobbled a bit coming up though." Twilight said. "I think I still need more practice to get it right." "Has anypony ever told you that you are too modest for your own good?" Princess Celestia said. "One in a million unicorns could be capable of raising the sun and even fewer could manage it alone." "Yeah, especially considering I didn't think I was going to do it alone." Twilight said. "I apologize for tricking you like that." Princess Celestia chuckled. "But I have done my fair share of Summer Sun Celebrations and I thought it might be nice to just watch one for a change to see what all the fuss is about." "Everything you thought it would be?" Twilight asked. "It has a certain...charm to it." Princess Celestia said. "But I doubt I'll be watching another one. Something about knowing how the sun rises and sets takes the charm out of watching it, unfortunately." "I can see what you mean." Twilight chuckled. "Spike always said that breathing fire was only impressive to ponies because they weren't the ones doing it. He likened it to bad heartburn coming up every time he spit fire." "Oh, I almost forgot to ask; how is Spike doing?" Princess Celestia said. "Have you heard from him lately?" "He's really taking to Neighpon better than I thought he would." Twilight said. "Did they get that dorm mix up sorted out or is he still staying in the ladies dorm?" Princess Celestia said. "He's still staying there." Twilight said with a frown. "There're a couple of other guys staying there too and truth be told his grades are still excellent so I'm not too worried about it." "So everything's going well?" Princess Celestia asked. "That's what he said. He joined the kendo club, made some friends in the music club; heck, his friend even got appointed to the student council!" "Good for him!" Princess Celestia said "He even told me he was part of a special academic decathlon team." Twilight said proudly "Really?" Princess Celestia said. "Yep. The...Special Extracurricular Education Squad or something like that; I'm not one hundred percent sure on the name. All I know is that he's been staying at school late almost every night. Last time I called him it was just after midnight over there and his S.E.E.S club was just leaving school!" "No!" Princess Celestia gasped. "I heard that Neighponese schools were...intense but this seems a tad excessive, don't you think?" "That's what I said, but he said that he had to "take responsibility for his actions" or something like that." Twilight shrugged. "You know me; as long as his grades are good and he's healthy and happy, I'm happy for him." "That's good." Princess Celestia said. "And your other friends? I understand you had them brought up for the celebration this morning. Did they enjoy it?" "Yeah...they were impressed alright." Twilight said. "They must be so proud of you." Princess Celestia said. "Not everypony can say that they knew the pony who raises the sun when she was just a librarian in Ponyville." "Uh-huh." Twilight said distantly. Princess Celestia studied her erstwhile student's face with a troubled expression. "Something's troubling you, isn't it?" "Is it that obvious?" Twilight admitted with a weak chuckle. "I've been watching you wear a tread in the palace gardens for hours now." Princess Celestia said, nodding to the balcony overlooking the palace grounds. "You always get fidgety when there's something bothering you." "It's nothing, really." Twilight said dismissively. "I just have some personal junk I need to sort out." "You know I've always found that depersonalizing problems takes a lot of the edge off them." Princess Celestia said. "And I'm an excellent listener." "It's...forget it; you wouldn't understand." Twilight said. "And how exactly do you know that?" Princess Celestia said. "Did you gain access to my innermost thoughts while I wasn't paying attention? If you don't want to tell me, Twilight, I perfectly understand but it looks as though you do want somepony to talk to if you don't mind me saying so." "It's just..." Twilight let out a painfully held breath. "My friends were at the Summer Sun Celebration today." "Is that a problem?" Princess Celestia said. "I thought you went to great lengths to make sure they could all be here." "I did!" Twilight said. "And I'm really happy that they could make it but-" "But?" Princess Celestia said. "They...they looked at me in a way I've never seen them look at me before." Twilight said. "I looked down on them from up high and I saw the same...reverent awe on their faces that I saw on the faces of random ponies next to them. It was the same look I had on my face when I first saw you raise the sun all those years ago at my first Summer Sun Celebration. They didn't look at me like I was Twilight anymore...they looked at me like I was Princess Twilight Sparkle." "But you are Princess Twilight Sparkle." Princess Celestia said. "Not to them I wasn't!" Twilight said. "As much as everything's changed over the past years, they didn't. They treated me like I was the same pony I always was." "But you're not the same pony you were before your coronation." Princess Celestia said. "You've changed in more ways than you realize." "But I could deal with those changes as long as my friends stayed the same!" Twilight said. "I could be Princess Twilight Sparkle for the rest of Equestria as long as I was just Twilight to them! But after today...I don't know where we stand. Things are changing between us and I don't want them to." "I see." Princess Celestia said. "All you want is for your friendships to remain the same no matter what happens in your life, is that it?" "Well...yeah." Twilight said. "Well...too bad." Princess Celestia simply. "Too bad?!" Twilight said indignantly. "I come to you with a serious problem and all you can say to me is too bad?!" "Twilight, do you deny that you have changed as a result of your princesshood?" Princess Celestia said. "Of course I do!" Twilight said. "I'm-" "The same pony you always were?" Princess Celestia chuckled. "With all due respect, Twilight, that's simply not true. You have irrevocably changed in fundamental ways that have nothing to do with the crown on your head or the wings on your back. You're older, wiser, and like it or not you hold sway over the lives of thousands of ponies. That has changed you, Twilight; there is no escaping that fact." "But what if I don't want it to change me?" Twilight said. "What if I want to be the person I was before?" "You can't." Princess Celestia said simply. "It is impossible to have seen the things you have seen and done the things you have done without being changed by your experiences. And like it or not, there are people who rely on the changes you've undergone." "Another burden of royalty you neglected to tell me about?" Twilight said bitterly. "You think change is reserved for princesses and alicorns alone?" Princess Celestia said. "Tell me; do you think your relationship with your friends would have changed if you had never become a princess?" "Of course it wouldn't have!" Twilight insisted. "Even when Rainbow Dash became a Wonderbolt?" Princess Celestia said. "Would your relationship with her remain exactly as it was before with her jetting around the country and thrilling thousands of fans across Equestria?" "Well...fundamentally I think it wouldn't have-" "What about when your friend, Rarity, finally breaks into the fashion world?" Princess Celestia asked. "Because at this point, it's only a matter of time before the airheads in the Canterlot fashion scene realize she's been ahead of the curve for years and finally give her the attention she deserves. What happens when ponies come up to her on the street wearing her designs and asking for her autograph? What would happen if you were still a librarian and your friend was dressing movie stars and heads of state? Do you think your relationship would have changed then?" "Why would it?" Twilight demanded. "Because you are different ponies than you were before." Princess Celestia said simply. "Even if things carried on in Ponyville exactly as they were before, you would have changed. You all would have changed. That's what ponies do; they change...and change isn't always bad." "You've achieved something today that you never thought you would." Princess Celestia went on. "Moreover, your friends never knew you were capable of commanding such power until today. It's natural for ponies to be in awe of that. You were." "I don't want them to be in awe of me!" Twilight said. "I want them to be my friends!" "They are your friends." Princess Celestia said. "But you have power that is frankly amazing; I'm in awe of you right now. That doesn't mean I don't sometimes view you as my little student still; it just means that I'm impressed by the person you've become. The awe your friends look at you with is different than the awe other ponies feel for you, even if you don't realize it. Your friends' awe is born out of pride rather than simple hero-worship. They have stood beside you through thick and thin, sharing in your adventures and saving your life again and again." "And yet I'm the only one who got rewarded with a crown." Twilight muttered. "And I thought I made it clear to you that princesshood isn't a reward." Princess Celestia said. "Everypony has a part to play and none are greater than any other." "Ha!" Twilight laughed. "We only think it is because we are limited by the ideas that make up our society." Princess Celestia said. "I have wings and can use magic that controls the sun but it was other ponies that decided that that somehow made me worthy of rule. Alicorns might just be freaks of nature, abominations to be hunted and destroyed, were it not for the power and prestige entrusted to us by other ponies. It's completely arbitrary the way we stack roles and titles on top of one another, pretending that princesses are somehow better than stunt fliers or farmers or fashion designers." "But you said that being a princess made me different." Twilight said. "Yes, but I never said it made you greater." Princess Celestia said. "Other ponies will undoubtedly think you are or try to convince you that you are but that does not make it so; always remember that." "I guess..." Twilight said sadly. "I know things are changing quickly for you and it's natural to cling to the familiar, however fleeting." Princess Celestia said. "But your friendships are going to change now; it's useless to try and stop it. The good news is you have some control over the ways in which they change." "How?" Twilight said. "Talk to them." Princess Celestia said. "Tell them what you told me. Chart the future of your friendship yourselves; don't let it get blown around by happenstance and defined by what it isn't anymore." "Alright...I'll talk to them." Twilight said. "It's just...it's going to be hard." "Anything worth having is had hard; you have to fight for what matters to you in this life." Princess Celestia said. "But once you start fighting, it gets easier. That much I can say for certain." "I'll see if they can meet for dinner tonight." Twilight said. "And I'll try and make more time for them outside of royal functions." "That's all I can ask." Princess Celestia said, returning to her book. "Take the time while you have it." "What's that you're reading?" Twilight asked. "Oh, it's nothing...just a very very old story my mother used to tell me when Luna and I were fillies." Princess Celestia said. "Your mother?" Twilight asked. "You...had a mother?" "You're surprised?" Princess Celestia laughed. "Did you think Luna and I just sprung out of holes in the ground?" "Of course not!" Twilight said, blushing. "You just...never mentioned her before." "I haven't?" Princess Celestia asked. "Not once." Twilight said. "Neither has Princess Luna, for that matter." "Hm...she must've slipped my mind." Princess Celestia said distantly. "Your mother just slipped your mind?" Twilight said. "Just like that?" "It's been more than nine-hundred years since I've seen her last." Princess Celestia sighed. "Things just...slip away, I guess." "Like what?" Twilight said. "Small things, like the sound of her voice...what she looked like...what she-" "What she looked like is a small thing?!" Twilight interrupted. "Surprisingly small in the grand scheme of things." Princess Celestia said. "I think you'll find that a pony's appearance is one of the least important things about them." "I suppose...but if you can't even remember her face, what do you remember?" Twilight asked. "I remember...that she was a dreamer." Princess Celestia said. "She was a great fan of great stories; storytelling might have been her talent, now that I think about it. It may seem odd to you today but when I was young, there weren't too many great stories about fillies. The few that there were were silly and shallow; stories about schoolfillies giggling and swooning over stallions who won them like prizes." "Really?" Twilight said, trying to imagine a world where Daring Do or any of her other foalhood heroines were reduced to giggling trophies for stallions to win. "That is hard to believe." "Well, my mother was set on changing that." Princess Celestia said. "She would weave the most fantastic stories...stories about a filly names Milky Way and her friends who fought evil throughout the galaxy...stories about three perfect little fillies dedicated to fighting crime and the forces of evil...stories about a special home that imaginary friends went to when foals grew tired of playing with them. Even after she left me, those stories stayed with me; they inspired me to live up to the heroes and heroines that gallantly galloped through her tales. It's because of those stories that I'm the person I am today. So...while I may not remember what she looked like or what she sounded like, I like to think that the best of her lives on in me through her stories." "She sounds incredible." Twilight said. "Is that one of her stories you're reading now?" "No, not this one." Princess Celestia said. "This is a story my mother's mother told her...it was a very important story to the early Equestrians that tried to explain what happened to a pony after she died." "How do you mean?" Twilight asked. "Like what to do with her remains and how to properly bury her?" "Yes...and no." Princess Celestia said. "May I ask you a slightly personal question, Twilight?" "Depends on the question." Twilight replied glibly. "Too true." Princess Celestia chuckled. "What do you believe happens to a pony when they die?" "Believe?" Twilight said. "Well...once a pony is buried her body returns to the earth and nourishes new life. Plants and animals and insects take energy from her remains and once they die, their remains go on to fuel newer life on and on until the end of time. Death begets life begets death begets life over and over again. So...even though somepony special to you may not be with you anymore, she's still here in the grass and the trees and animals." "That's rather cosmic of you, Twilight." Princess Celestia. "I rarely see such...perspective from a mare of your age." "Thanks...I think." Twilight chuckled. "But what about the soul?" Princess Celestia asked. "The soul?" Twilight said. "Spirit, animus, quintessence, whatever you want to call it." Princess Celestia clarified. "That which makes us...us." "Like...what happens to our, uh, "souls" after death?" Twilight asked. "Like some kind of afterlife?" "Something like that." Princess Celestia said. "Like...ruled over by some kind of god or-" "Not necessarily." Princess Celestia said. "Just some form of existence beyond our physical deaths be it a land of reward for the good and punishment for the wicked or some kind of spiritual reincarnation where the soul is born again and again. What do you think?" "Well...it's certainly a nice idea but-" Twilight trailed off, not sure what to say. "There isn't any proof of it, is there?" Princess Celestia said. "Well...no." Twilight said. "Nothing concrete anyway...do you think there is?" "I think I'm a very old pony." Princess Celestia chuckled. "I think I've seen a lot of things in this world that make me wish very hard that good ponies that lived hard lives get rewarded and wicked creatures get punished by fate or the universe or something else beyond our comprehension. Part of me thinks it's just a silly superstition left over from a time when ponies thought the wind and rain were angry gods to be appeased. But...at the same time..." Princess Celestia looked thoughtfully out over the balcony at the teeming city below. "At the same time I've witnessed such incredible acts of courage, compassion, and love among the ponies of this world that a part of me believes that the soul or spirit of a pony is just...well...too big to just snuff out like a candle when their bodies stop working. That we're more...luminous beings than the crude matter that makes up our bodies suggests we are." "Wow, that's...an interesting point of view." Twilight said lamely. "But it's not yours, is it?" Princess Celestia said. "That's perfectly fine; I'm not trying to force my personal philosophy on you. I just ask because...well...brushes with mortality can sometimes make ponies more...philosophical about these things." "Oh...yeah." Twilight said softly. "You don't ever hope that you might, one day, reunite with your brother and sister and Fluttershy?" Princess Celestia asked carefully. "What I hope doesn't really matter, does it?" Twilight said a little more bitterly than she intended to. "Nothing would make me happier than to have even one more conversation with Shiny or Fluttershy or Cadence...but that doesn't mean it's going to happen. Believing in something doesn't make it real." "That's perfectly sound thinking." Princess Celestia said. "But I might say, just to be argumentative, that we believe in things that aren't real every day "Really?" Twilight said. "Like what?" "Like friendship." Princess Celestia said. "And loyalty and kindness and honesty and generosity and-" "That's not the same though!" Twilight said. "Those are all real things!" "You think so?" Princess Celestia said. "Of course!" Twilight said. "Then go and show me one tiny grain of generosity or one little speck of honesty. Show me one physical shred of friendship that proves that it's "real." Princess Celestia said. "You can't; they are, for lack of a better word, not real. They only become so when ponies like you and me put our trust in them." "That's true, I suppose." Twilight said. "But we can feel the effects of all those "not real" things here and now. We know they're real because we experience them." "And nopony has experienced any kind of afterlife and come back to tell about it." Princess Celestia chuckled. "I'm afraid you have me there, Twilight." "And yet...you still believe that there's something waiting on the other side of all this?" Twilight said. "After spending centuries watching literally billions of ponies born into this world, live, and die I believe that who we are is more than just the sum of our physical body parts." Princess Celestia said. "And there's a small part of us, shaped by everything we've seen and done in life, that survives our death...I believe that just as surely as I believe in love and friendship and magic." "What's with the sudden fixation on mortality?" Twilight said. "It's not like you to dwell on this kind of thing." "It's not like me to talk about it." Princess Celestia said. "But I've been dwelling on it long before you were ever born, Twilight...age gives you more than enough time to brood on what was and what might be." "So...this book." Twilight said, trying to clumsily steer the conversation into less melancholy waters. "What's it about?" "It's a story about a river, a swamp, a forest path, and a field." Princess Celestia said. "Sounds riveting." Twilight said flatly. "It's more interesting than I made it sound." Princess Celestia laughed. "Would you like to hear it?" "Why not?" Twilight shrugged. "I have nothing better to do until later." "Oh, well thank you for deeming me so worthy of your attention, Your Highness." Princess Celestia chuckled. "Alright...here we go. Once upon a time-" "How original." Twilight giggled. "Hush!" Princess Celestia chuckled, lightly swatting Twilight with her wing. "As I was saying...Once upon a time, a young hero fell in the service of his liege lady and woke on the banks of a strange river, the way behind him closed." Princess Celestia turned the page and a small colored pencil drawing showed the lone figure standing on the banks of a raging black river. "The river was too wide to leap across and too fast to swim." Princess Celestia read. "And any attempts to fly over the river caused a gust of wind to knock him out of the sky." "The hero was vexed for a moment, but then he noticed a large pile of smooth flat stones lying next to the river. With luck, he thought, there would be enough to build a bridge to cross the water." "As he began rolling the stones into the water, he noticed that on them were various memories etched in the stone. One stone showed him helping his elderly neighbor chop firewood, another depicted his heroism in battle. On each stone was etched a record of a kindness or good deed he had performed in his life. In his death, the same kindness was returned and the hero had enough stones to cross the river." "The hero journeyed on past the river and in time, he came to the edge of a foul swamp that stretched on in every direction ahead of him and to either side. Seeing no other way around it, the hero braced himself and began the slow, plodding journey through the muck." "As he trudged through the mud, his heart began to grow heavy and he felt his feet sink into the mud for though the knight had been virtuous, he was not perfect. The weight of his sins and mistakes in life weighed him down and soon he found himself falling deeper and deeper into the swamp." "The worse he felt, the further he sank until he finally had to confront the fact that he wasn't perfect, that he failed and done bad things in his life, but that he was not a bad pony. He remembered his friends and family that loved him and all the lives he touched in life and slowly he felt his strength return to him. In forgiving himself, he rose from the muck and made his way to the other side of the swamp." "He traveled further, through valleys and over rocky mountains until he came to a dark and forbidding forest. As he walked the path through the forest, it became darker and murkier until he could only see a few feet in front of his face." "After a while, he came to a fork in the road. One path was lit by glorious sunshine and paved with glittering diamonds and ethereal voices of his friends and family begged him to return to life. The other path was cloudy and led further into the underbrush and back into the darkness. Though he was tempted to go down the sunny path, he knew that he was truly gone and nothing could change that fact. As he realized that, the sunny path fell away into a yawning chasm that would surely have swallowed his spirit if he attempted to return to life. Though the darker path was unknown, he treaded forth bravely until he passed through the forest and out the other side." Princess Celestia stopped suddenly and Twilight looked up her in confusion. "Is that it? That's how the story ends?" "That's all we know for sure." Princess Celestia said. "If there was an ending to the story other than this one, it has been lost to us for more than a thousand years. This was a story my mother told to me and even she didn't know the ending." "So you just leave your audience hanging like that?" Twilight asked. "Of course not." Princess Celestia said. "It became tradition for storytellers to add their own ending to the story every time they told it. Some storytellers have the hero come to the end of the forest only to find nothing waiting for him but a yawning void that swallowed him whole. Some versions ended with the hero coming to a pool that reflected the face of a pony not yet born; the pony he would reincarnate into. Still others embellished the story further and claimed that the hero triumphed over death itself and ascended to divinity. I've heard this story told a thousand different ways and end a thousand different ways more. The ending is known to none and yet...everyone has a take on it." "What about you?" Twilight asked. "Me?" "You said it was tradition to end the story yourself." Princess Celestia said. "I...I don't know." Princess Celestia said. "Truth be told, I haven't told this story in a long time...I almost forgot how I ended it." "Well, if it makes you feel any better, I have literally no frame of reference so if it's a terrible ending, I have no way of knowing." Twilight chuckled. "Alright!" Princess Celestia laughed. "If you're certain then." "It's hardly a proper story without a proper ending." Twilight said. "Alright..." "Coming out of the woods, the hero came to a grassy field as far as he could see. Sweet grass and alfalfa grew up to his knees and a light, cool breeze blew through his mane. All of the ache and heartache of life melted away and his spirit danced with newfound vigor. He came to a cool clear spring and as he bent down to drink from it, he saw familiar figures galloping towards him from across the field. As they got closer, he recognized old friends and treasured family members; ponies who left him years ago now returned to him in the prime of their youth, happier and healthier than he ever remembered seeing them in life." "The hero's friends led him over a hill and into an eternity of days more splendid than the last. And as they danced and laughed and began the party that would never end, the hero knew he had come home at last." Princess Celestia closed the book with a sadly serene expression as the light from the fading sun softly illuminated her face. "The end." "That's it, then?" Twilight said after a moment. "That's how the story ends?" "If I had a part in writing it...that's how the story would end." Princess Celestia said. "Celestia is everything alright?" Twilight said suddenly. "You've been unusually-"The door opened behind them and the two princesses looked up to see Princess Luna enter the room. "Alright, Celestia, nearly finished with my goodb-" Luna stopped as she caught sight of Twilight. "Oh, Twilight! I'm sorry; I didn't know you were still here." "Twilight and I got to talking and I'm afraid we lost track of time." Princess Celestia said. "Come sit a while with us, Luna. It's almost time for sunset and I thought the three of us could watch it together...actually, I thought I'd ask Twilight to lower the sun today, seeing as she did such a wonderful job with the sunrise this morning." "Really?" Twilight said. "What a coincidence; I thought I might ask her to set the moon on its nightly path for me." Princess Luna said. "Would you care to assist me?" "O-of course." Twilight said. "I'd be happy to." "Well then, you had best get to it." Princess Celestia said with the barest hint of a quiver in her voice. "Princess Twilight Sparkle, will you take the sun for me today?" "I...of course." Twilight said. "I already said I-" "And will you take the moon from me as well?" Princess Luna asked. "Um...okay." Twilight said, rising from the couch and stepping out onto the balcony. Princess Luna scooted closet to her sister who draped a wing over her shoulder and kissed her lightly on the brow. The two of them watched as Twilight rose into the air, lavender magic reaching out across the cosmos to seize control of the sun. Gritting her teeth in exertion, she slowly pulled the great blazing ball of fire down past the horizon and into the west. With that done, Twilight turned to the east to slowly lift the moon up over the horizon and into the sky as the night came alight with thousands of stars. "I did it!" Twilight cried. "I did it! How's that for celestial mechanics, Celestia...Celestia?" A chilly gust of wind blew up from behind her and a cloud of white and blue feathers swirled past her. She turned back to the room and let out a small gasp at what she saw. Four elegant, beautiful wings lay on the ground in front of the couch, feathers scattered across the polished marble floor. Twilight darted inside to see Celestia and Luna both resting on the couch, suddenly looking much older than any pony she had ever seen before. Deep lines wrinkled once pristine features; their manes had lost their glow and hung in stringy grey curtains around their shoulders but despite this, they had a look of incomparable relief on their faces. They looked like ponies who had died of thirst again and again only to finally be rewarded with a drink of water; so powerful was their relief and gratitude that Twilight nearly felt her heart break just looking at them. "Twilight Sparkle..." Celestia sighed happily. "You wonderful mare...my faithful student...I'm afraid i have nothing more to teach you." "What...what's going on?!" Twilight said, swooping down to Celestia's side. "What's happening to you?!" "Our time here is, at long long last, over." Luna said. "How can it be over?!" Twilight said. "You mean...you mean you're-" "The sun and moon do not serve two masters." Celestia said. "Your skill has surpassed our own. We existed to pass our knowledge on to you and now that we have...the world has no need for us anymore." "That's not true!" Twilight cried. "I need you!" "We have done for you all we can." Luna said. "You have surpassed every expectation we've had for you...and the heavens acknowledge your supremacy over ours." "I'm only as good as I am because you two trained me to-" Twilight stopped as realization washed over her. "You...you planned this, didn't you?!" "I did." Celestia admitted. "How long?!" Twilight demanded. "How long have you been preparing me to take your place?!" "Ever since that day at the school." Celestia said. "I knew you would be the one to replace me...in all my years, I have never seen a unicorn who can do what you can do...I knew that you were the one I had been waiting for...and I was right. You brought my sister back to me...you saved Equestria more times than anypony else...there is no one worthier than you to take our place." "Why?" Twilight sobbed. "Why didn't you just tell me about all this?!" "I didn't know how you react...I was afraid." Celestia said, breathing heavily. "After the funeral I was scared that...that you would never speak to me again. Scared that...you would never speak to me again. I had planned this for so long and we needed it so badly. So...I hid it from you like a shameful secret...I'm sorry it had to be this way but I couldn't risk you abandoning us." "But why now?!" Twilight said. "Why did it have to be now?!" "If it wasn't you then...I worry about what might have happened to us." Luna said. "Strange things happen to ponies who live unnaturally long lives...and we have lived longer than most." "I haven't...I haven't been good to you, Twilight, I know that." Celestia sighed. "I yelled at you...ignored you...burned your friend's cottage down in a fit of rage...I couldn't control myself. I don't know...I was afraid I would lose control some day and do something truly horrible." "You should have just told me!" Twilight said, bitterly blinking back tears. "Whatever this is, I could have helped you beat it! We could have overcome this together if you just-" "There is nothing...nothing to overcome." Luna wheezed heavily. "We are old, Twilight Sparkle. Age unseen is still age and we...we have aged too much. If we stayed any longer...I fear one day you would have to destroy us as monsters born of eons of existence. We couldn't do that to you..." "We have ruled well for more than a millennium." Celestia said. "But all things have their end...and this is ours." "You can't just leave me like this." Twilight said softly. "I need you; both of you! I can't...I can't do this on my own!" "Twilight Sparkle...always too modest for your own good." Celestia chuckled weakly. "I have walked this world for more lives than I ever should have and I can say...beyond any shadow of a doubt...that you are the most capable mare I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. That doubt you feel...it's all your imagination." "And you shall never be alone." Luna said, stretching a shaky hoof out to cup Twilight's face. "Keep those dearest to you nearest to your heart and remember our lessons well...remember that jealousy, anger and greed can poison your heart and rob you of precious time with the ones most important to you. Never put your prestige and your position over the ones you love." "Remember that being a princess...it's just a job." Celestia laughed softly. "A long and thankless job that ponies place too much value on. Change is inevitable but don't...don't let it change you too much. You are Twilight Sparkle...Princess of Magic and Savior of Equestria... but you're also the girl who can't dance and loves her friends and reads adventure novels for children when she thinks nopony is looking. You can change as much as you want as long as you remember the girl whose biggest concern about being a princess was getting used to her wings." "I-I will." Twilight said. "I promise I'll never forget you as long as I live." "That is all we can ask for." Luna sighed. "Believe in yourself, Twilight Sparkle, and there is no one who can oppose you." "Twilight...will you sit with us?" Celestia whispered. "Just for a little while?" "Of course." Twilight said, lifting herself up on the couch between the two sisters, Luna on her left and Celestia on her right. Luna laid her head across Twilight's back and Celestia stretched her neck across to rest beside her sister. The sat like that for a while, close enough that Twilight could feel each princess' faltering heartbeat against her withers. "And may I...may I impose one final favor?" Celestia said feebly. "My eyes are...everything's fuzzy now and I hoped you would read me a bedtime story." "A bedtime story?" Twilight laughed, wiping a tear away as she snatched the old weather worn book from the other side of the room. As it flew across, a small slip of paper dropped out and a tiny portrait lay illuminated by the light of the moon on the bedroom floor. The drawing showed a young white unicorn sitting on a throne surrounded by a small group of ponies; a large Earth pony with a great white shield, a willowy grey pegasus mare, a fierce looking pegasus colt in bronze armor, a lithe black earth pony in a white cloak and a small unicorn with a signature moon and star cutie mark. Around their necks were collars of gold and the unicorn in the center was crowned with a golden crown emblazoned with a glorious sun gem. The picture was old and very crude but Twilight could plainly see that she was looking on the original Elements of Harmony . "Princess," Twilight said, gently passing the picture to Celestia who squinted at it in vain. "Is this-" "A dusty old bookmark." Celestia said, cradling the picture gently. "And a very old promise...Twilight...the story..." Twilight didn't have to ask which one. The spine of the book had been opened to the story so many times that it flopped open to the exact page as soon as Twilight set it down. "Okay...bear with me, I'm not a great storyteller." Twilight said. "You can't...be much worse than Celestia..." Luna chuckled softly. "Keep it down, you old nag." Celestia huffed with a smile. "Go on, Twilight..." "Alright...once upon a time, a brave...a brave and beautiful princess woke on the edge of a raging river." "Beautiful?" Luna said. "Well...she can't be talking about Celestia then, can she?" "I could just...kill you right now, Luna." Celestia laughed weakly. "Go on, Twilight..." "The princess came to a river that was too wide to fly over and too fast to swim across." Twilight said, fighting to keep every word from quivering. "But on her side of the river, there were a pile of smooth f-flat stones, each etched with a good deed she had done in life. The...the princess had been so good to the ponies she ruled over that her pile of stones stretched up into the clear blue sky and out of sight. The biggest and best stones were each as wide as the river itself and the princess only needed one to get to the other side." "Not...not bad, eh Luna?" Celestia said and Luna mumbled an unintelligible response. "O-on the other side of the river, the princess came to a wide and dark swamp." Twilight said, pausing to choke a sob into her hoof and wipe her eyes. "The sw-swamp stretched as far as the eye could see and the p-princess had to walk through the awful, icky mud." "As she walked, she felt herself w-weighed down by the memory of all the awful things she thought she did in life." Twilight continued. "But she...she wasn't as bad of a pony as she thought she was. And eventually...she realized that. She might have done some bad things in life but she was a very good pony. And as she realized this, she unstuck herself from the m-mud and continued on her journey to the other side of the swamp." "A very good pony...she can't be talking about me, can she Luna?" Celestia said, prodding her sister gently. "Right Luna...Luna?" "Finally, the p-princess came to dark forest that swallowed the sunlight in its thick leaves." Twilight continued as the soft heartbeat on her left faded to the point where she couldn't feel it anymore. "The princess bravely pressed through the forest to a fork in the heart of the woods; one path leading further into the unknown and one path leading back to the world she had left behind." "Don't you go before I do, Luna." Celestia said, weakly nudging Luna's motionless body. "Don't you...don't you leave me again..." "The princess was wise though." Twilight said, not even bothering to stop to wipe the tears flowing down her cheeks. "She knew that...there was no going back and the road back to the familiar was a lie. So...so she steeled herself and pressed deeper into the unknown, even though...e-even though she was terrified to go." "Luna..."Celestia pleaded softly. "The princess came through the forest and...and..." Twilight stopped as the story cut off short, waiting for her to finish. "Princess, there's no more words...I-I don't know what to say next." "Put...the book down and...tell your own story." Celestia whispered, each breath coming slower and with great difficulty. Twilight turned to the blank page before her and closed the book with small sob. "This is...your story now." Celestia said. "Now...how does it...end?" Twilight paused for a moment, took a deep steadying breath. "The princess came to a place where she was finally happy. It didn't l-look like she thought it would and there were no green fields to run through but...but everypony she ever loved and lost was there waiting for her. They were young and smiling and...and though the princess thought they might b-be angry with her for what happened in the past...everything was forgiven. They were just so...so happy to see her again that they ran to her as fast as they could and threw her in the biggest group hug they could muster, hooves and legs tangled up in a big squishy pile. And they...they stayed like that for years, just holding on to one another and making up for the time they should have had with each other and when they...when they finally broke apart, the princess left with them, up over a hill and into a bright and beautiful horizon. A horizon...as bright as her sun...and they lived happily ever after in peace and harmony...The End. There...h-how's that for a bedtime story Celestia...Celestia?" The look of peace on the old princess' face told Twilight all she needed to know. Postponing a wave of tears that would soon overwhelm her, she lightly stepped off the couch and gently moved the sisters so that they were sleeping next to each other, head pillowed on each other's bodies like foals. She brushed a lock off Celestia's face and bent down to plant a kiss on her cheek. "Dear Princess Celestia...thank you so much for everything." Twilight said. "Love always...your faithful student...Twilight Sparkle."
The Last Equestrian Princess	Long Live Princess Twilight	Long Live Princess Twilight It was just bad luck to have a coronation on the same day as a funeral. Twilight had never been the superstitious one but it seemed inauspicious, bordering on on outright blasphemous, to change out of a mourning dress and jump right into a coronation gown as though the oldest and wisest of Equestria's friends wasn't just laid to rest that morning. The entire city seemed to be eager to move on after the funeral, removing black flags embroidered with suns and moons and replacing them with bright starry purple banners that flapped obnoxiously in the breeze. The party decorators were swift; in an hour after the memorial parade, nopony could tell there had even been a funeral that day. Colorful parade floats were being lined up, vendors were lining the streets with cakes and candy to sell to the hoards of ponies packing the capital and the palace grounds were decorated with thousands upon thousands of purple stars that glittered in anticipation of the party tonight. A party that Twilight was half tempted to cancel out of pure spite. After nearly one thousand years of faithful rule the ponies of Canterlot had practically dumped their princesses in a ditch in their rush to celebrate Twilight's new title. Those that weren't actively kissing up to her were concealing their disdain for the upjumped alicorn behind false smiles and empty flattery. Those that were sure of their lofty lifestyle under Celestia were worried for the first time in generations; noble houses that had existed at Celestia's pleasure were now concerned that Twilight would upset their privilege. Some actively sought to curry her favor while others looked for ways to get her removed. On the morning after Celestia and Luna's death, dozens of government officials that Celestia had personally trusted conveniently lost the documents detailing the princesses' last orders. Were it not for a master set that Luna had the foresight to seal away in a safe in her chamber, Twilight might have found her reign as ruler of Equestria to be shorter than she wanted it to be. Not that she wanted to rule in the first place. She didn't fancy moving into the large empty palace or sleeping in her teacher's old chambers or having her little apartment in the library packed up and shipped to Canterlot, miles away from everypony she knew or cared about- Twilight shook her head, willing a wave of melancholy down until she could deal with it later. She couldn't afford to look frazzled or unsure in front of ponies who were looking to her for leadership (or looking for an excuse to oust her). The crown, and all the responsibilities that it entailed, belonged to Twilight now whether she wanted them or not. The crown in question leered up at her from its plush velvet box, every bit as ostentatious and gaudy as it looked on Celestia at her first coronation. The glittering gold and rubies that had been crudely pressed and set nearly a thousand years ago looked so majestic from afar but now that Twilight had a chance to look at it up close she could see how rough, bumpy and jagged it looked. The First Crown had been a symbol of the Equestrian Royal House for nearly one thousand years but all Twilight could think was how ugly it looked. How misshapen and primitively cast it was and how Rarity could have designed something ten times as beautiful- Twilight was shaken out of her brooding by a soft knock at the door. "Yes?" Twilight said weakly, clearing her throat and rubbing her eyes. "I mean, yes?" "Your Highness, there are four mares outside who claim that they are your friends." Her guard's voice said from the other side of the door. "We are her friends you glorified rent-a-cop!" Rainbow Dash's voice said. "Do you seriously not recognize us from the twenty foot tall stain glass windows in the throne room?!" "Ma'am, if you insist on being belligerent, I will be forced to place you under arrest!" "Oh I would love to see you try, pal." Rainbow Dash chuckled. "Go ahead, Cupcake, give my your best freaking shot! I would love nothing more than to-" Twilight dashed over to the door and flung it open before Rainbow Dash could get herself thrown in jail. Rainbow Dash and the guard stopped glaring at each other and turned to look at Twilight. "It's alright, sir, they're telling the truth!" Twilight said. "Please let them in." Rainbow Dash shot the guard a gloating smirk before leading the small trail of ponies into the small room. As she closed the door behind them Twilight was happy to see that, although they had changed out of their funeral dress, they weren't dressed as flashy as half the ponies already trailing into the throne room. Even Rarity was underdressed for a royal coronation as a sign of respect for Celestia and Luna. "Sheesh, how many times does a girl have to save the world before she gets a little recognition?" Pinkie Pie said. "Seriously! It's like Twilight got enough recognition for all of us and forgot to pass it out or something." Rainbow Dash said, earning a nudge in the ribs from Applejack. "Ow! What'd I do?!" "You mean besides braying like an insensitive jackass?" Applejack hissed. "You know Twilight doesn't care for all this fuss being made about her!" "Which is why I would graciously consider taking some of the respect off her hooves." Rainbow Dash said. "What's the matter with that?!" "You know I'd send some of this fuss your way if I could, Rainbow Dash." Twilight chuckled. "Yeah, yeah, whatever." Rainbow Dash said. "Just don't forget us when you're sitting on your gilded throne; I'm sick of getting stopped by guards even when I'm invited." "Sorry about that." Twilight said softly. "I trusted Chancellor Harrier to put your names on the list of people allowed in...she must've forgotten." "Right, she "forgot." Rainbow Dash said. "She cleared every baron and duchess from here to Cloudsdale but she conveniently "forgot" to add the names of the ponies who saved Equestria more times than anypony else. Her memory is that bad, I'm sure." "It won't happen again." Twilight assured, rubbing her eyes wearily. "Don't worry about it, sugar." Applejack said, wrapping an arm around Rainbow Dash's neck and squeezing tightly. "Rainbow ain't bothered by a little hang up, are you Rainbow?" "I-if I say yes, are you going to choke me?" Rainbow Dash said. "Considering it." Applejack said with a smile "Then no, we're good!" Rainbow Dash chuckled nervously. "I-I'm sure it isn't going to happen again so-" "It won't." Twilight said emphatically. "I don't know why it happened this time. I'm sorry you were treated that way and I'm...I'm really glad you're here." "Like we'd miss out on front row seats to watch our bestest princess friend get coronated!" Pinkie Pie said, glomping on to Twilight "Crowned, dear." Rarity said, subtly prying Pinkie Pie off Twilight and smoothing her dress out. "Coronated isn't a word." "It should be!" Pinkie Pie said. "Crowned just sounds so dull; it sounds like something nasty you'd get done at the dentist. Coronated sounds regal, refined, sophisticated! I'd rather be coronated than crowned any day of the week, but what do I know; I'm not the one getting coronated today, am I?" "I'll see I can pull some strings with the dictionaries to get coronated officially recognized as a word." Twilight said. "I think I'd rather be coronated than crowned any day." "So...are you ready to get yourself coronated then?" Applejack said. "Pretty much." Twilight said. "As ready as I'll ever be." "Really?" Rarity said uncertainly, looking Twilight up and down. "Y-yes, why?" Twilight said, looking down at her dress. "Is something wrong with my outfit?" "No, you look lovely but...is that really how you're going to wear your mane?" Rarity asked. "Oh, well, I wanted to do something fancy with it but...there wasn't enough time after the funeral." Twilight said, nervously tugging at her simple ponytail. "Sit." Rarity commanded as she pulled a pin out of her own mane and started undoing Twilight's ponytail. "A princess deserves to look her best on her coronation day." "Yeah, because I haven't had one of those already." Twilight muttered. "What does it matter how I look; half the ponies in that hall wish I died instead of Celestia and the other half are lining up to kiss my flank as soon as this stupid coronation ceremony is over. So if half the crowd is going to hate my hair no matter what I do and the other half is going to say the love it no matter what it looks like, what's the point in doing anything with it at all?" "Because you said you wanted to do something nice with it." Rarity said. "And that's all that matters." "I wish that were all that mattered." Twilight mumbled. "How're you holding up, all things considered?" Applejack asked. "I'm alright." Twilight half-lied. "Things were a little crazy yesterday at the Prime Minister's office but thankfully Celestia had the foresight to sign backups of her succession orders in the event that the ponies she trusted them with "lost" theirs." "I can't believe the ponies Celestia trusted so much just turned around and tried to throw you under the bus!" Pinkie Pie said. "My grandpappy used to say folks can get mighty nasty when there's something shiny up for grabs." Applejack said. "Yes, well thankfully their little power grab failed." Rarity said, pinning Twilight's mane up while she braided a strand of her hair. "Celestia's orders were upheld, Twilight is getting crowned today and the vipers slither back into their holes to lick their wounds and regroup for another attempt." "Another attempt?" Pinkie Pie said. "Twilight's going to be the HPIC in half an hour; what else can they do to her?" "Less than they think they can...but still enough to cause trouble for Twilight." Rarity said, unpinning the hair from the top of Twilight's head and braiding it with the rest. "Power in Equestria is changing hooves for the first time in a millennium and foolish ponies are climbing over each other to try and grab a slice for themselves." "Lousy no-good sidewinders." Applejack muttered darkly. "I can't say I envy you, Twilight. For all the perks this princess thing is giving you, at least you didn't have to worry about people trying to stab you in the back when you were working in Ponyville." "Yeah...the library's looking pretty good right now." Twilight said distantly. "You guys found a replacement for me at the library, right?" "We'll take care of it." Applejack promised. "Don't settle for anything less than the best." Twilight said, suddenly finding herself getting choked up at the thought of the library-her library-being tended to by a stranger. "Make sure it's s-somepony who knows what she's doing and cares about the books. I spent four y-years getting that library just the way I l-liked it and I don't want to..." "Twilight?" Pinkie Pie asked. "Are you okay?" "I'm fine." Twilight said, blinking back tears. "I'm okay, really, I'm okay..." Pinkie Pike laid a gentle hoof on Twilight's shoulder and the dam that had been straining inside Twilight since Celestia's death just broke. She doubled over herself and fruitlessly tried to choke back sobs that were spilling out of her mouth as fast as the tears spilled down her cheeks. All the stress, all the pressure she'd been under had finally overwhelmed her as she was forced to confront the reality that she wasn't going back to Ponyville with her friends again. Her little apartment over the library was getting sold and occupied by somepony she didn't know. She could never just drop in on a friend unannounced or just swing by the Sugarcube Corner for a snack. Her friends now lived half a kingdom away from her and there was no telling how long it was going to be before she saw them again. "Oh dear, what's the matter?" Rarity said as four pairs of arms pulled the sobbing princess into a group hug. "Is it the crown?" Pinkie Pie asked. "I know it's ugly but we can always make you a new one!" "N-no, Pinkie." Twilight chuckled in spite of herself. "It's not that, it's just-" "Listen." Rarity said soothingly rubbing Twilight's arm. "No matter where we are or what we're doing, if you want us to come, we'll be here as fast as the train can take us." "Anytime, anywhere." Pinkie Pie affirmed. "But...but I'm not going to see you every day." Twilight said, wiping her eyes. "Y-you girls are going to get on the train tomorrow and I...I don't even know when I'm going to see you again." "Whenever you want to, honey!" Applejack said. "Give us a holler next weekend if you want to get together for something! We're not just going to drop out of each other's lives just because you're moving." "That's what you call it?" Twilight laughed. "It was gonna happen sooner or later." Applejack said. "Rainbow Dash is up with the Wonderbolts in Cloudsdale and before you know it, Rarity's gonna be designing dresses in Canterlot." "But it doesn't matter where we are." Pinkie Pie said firmly. "We could be fifty million miles away on a different planet and we'd still hop on the nearest flying saucer home if you wanted us too." "If you think I'm about to let a couple hundred miles keep me from my favorite egghead princess, you obviously don't know how fast I can fly." Rainbow Dash said. Twilight fought back a fresh wave of tears as a warm, tingling feeling of gratitude towards her friends spread through her. As much as it would hurt being away from them, Twilight could never doubt that she could count on them for anything. "Almost time." Twilight sighed, glancing at the clock on the wall. "Rarity, did you bring it?" Rarity reached into her saddlebag for a crushed pink velvet case. Twilight opened the box and smiled tearfully as she saw a familiar gold necklace with a pink butterfly gem pressed in the center. She ran a hoof over it longingly, pausing for a moment to steady herself as memories of Fluttershy rose unbidden in her mind. She wondered what Fluttershy would have said if she could see her here today. Twilight hoped she'd tell her to be brave and do her best and that she would come up from Fillydelphia when she had time off from vet school. She wished, more than anything, that she had Fluttershy with her now but at least she could be remembered in a small way like this. "Perfect." Twilight said, fastening the necklace around her throat and admiring the result in the mirror. "Alright...let's do this." Twilight led the group out of the small room and down the empty hall leading to the throne room. They paused before the large double doors that Twilight had passed through so many times. On the other side, she could hear the faint murmur of hundreds of ponies waiting to see her crowned for the second time. The next time she walked through the door, it would be as Crowned Princess of Equestria. "Well...we better get going." Rainbow Dash said and they started towards the side door leading into the throne room. "We gotta get this show on the road and we have to get to our seats before somepony tries to snatch them out from under us." "Good luck up there!" Applejack said "We'll be cheering you on from the front just like at Summer Sun Celebration!" Pinkie Pie said. "Keep your head up, your highness." Rarity said. "Your gracious subjects will be waiting for you when this is all over." As Twilight watched them leave her side to join the crowds of awed onlookers, she suddenly remembered the way they looked at her on the Summer Sun Celebration and how she never wanted them to look at her like that again. "No." Twilight said. Her friends stopped in their tracks and turned to face her. "No?" Pinkie Pie echoed. "Is everything okay?" Applejack asked. "I don't want you to sit with the others." Twilight said, seizing control of the changes that sought to change her. "You don't deserve to be...you deserve more than being clumped together with ponies I've never even met before." "Well, Twi, unless you have a private box you're not telling us about, I don't really see how you can upgrade our tickets any higher than the front row." Rainbow Dash chuckled. "I don't want you to sit in the audience." Twilight said. "I want you to walk with me up to the throne and I...I want one of you to crown me." "What?!" Her friends cried. "Twilight, we can't do that!" Rarity hissed. "Chancellor Harrier is all set to crown you; w-we can't just step on her hooves like that!" "I'm a princess; I'm entitled to act spoiled and selfish every once and a while." Twilight said with a watery chuckle. "It's my coronation day and I want my friends to walk with me." "But, Twilight, if we walk with you, the ponies might get the impression that-" Rarity said. "That you're more important to me than they are?" Twilight said. "I hope that's exactly the impression they get." "A princess can't play favorites." Rarity said sternly. "As ruler of Equestria-" "I'm not ruler of Equestria just yet, Rarity." Twilight said. "And even when I am...you girls will always be more important to me than anypony else." "Twilight..." Applejack said, wiping a tear away. "I need you all to promise me something right now or so help me, I'm not walking through that door." Twilight said, blinking back tears. "You need to promise to remain my friends, first, foremost and above everything else. The only way I can be everypony else's ruler is if I'm your friend and only your friend. Not your princess, not your ruler...just your friend. I can't...I can't do this if you treat me like everypony else does...like I'm somehow better than you. Because I'm really not. Rainbow Dash was right; I get too much credit for doing things we all did. It's not fair that I became a princess just for doing a stupid spell. It's not fair that I got rewarded for saving Equestria while you girls barely got a pat on the back. Just because I'm here getting all the love and attention, doesn't mean any one of you couldn't be...and that's not fair." "The...the fact of the matter is that the best of me...everything good or worthy I ever did was because of you girls." Twilight said. "I wish that there was something more I could do for you and maybe one day there will be...but for now, I just want you to know that no matter what any pony else says, this is your day too. If I had my way, it'd be a coronation ceremony for all of us instead of just me. But for now...just know that your princess...your friend owes each of you a debt that can never be repaid." "I never want to stand above any of you again." Twilight said, wiping a tear away. "So you have to promise me right now that you will never treat me with the respect a princess is due...that you will never, not even for a moment, buy into the myth that I am somehow better than you or somehow more worthy than you are. You are my friends...and you bow to no one. I need you to promise that...whatever happens after today...we'll always be friends first." Twilight's friends shared a brief look between themselves and nodded in unison. "I promise." Rainbow Dash said solemnly. "Me too." Applejack added. "Of course, dear." Rarity said. "Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." Pinkie Pie said with as much dignity as she could muster. "Well, now it's a Pinkie Promise." Twilight laughed, wiping a tear away. "There's no going back now." "We couldn't if we wanted to, Twilight." Applejack said. "It's...it's always been us." Twilight said. "I got the crown and wings and superpowers but...I wouldn't have achieved any of that if it wasn't for you girls." "Well, duh!" Rainbow Dash chuckled, trying to hide her watery eyes from Twilight. "An egghead like you would have never left your library if you didn't have an awesome best friend like me!" "A-hem!" Applejack and Rarity coughed. "I know, I know." Rainbow Dash said. "You all want to thank me for practically making Twilight the princess that she is today but you're going to have to get in line." Applejack shoved Rainbow Dash into Pinkie Pie who fell on Twilight and the five of them burst into peals of laughter, interrupted only by the door to the throne room opening and an soft ahem drawing their attention. "Oh, Chancellor Harrier!" Twilight said, picking herself up and straightening her dress. Twilight had inherited Celestia's major domo, a stern looking green mare by the name of Chancellor Harrier who dictated daily affairs on behalf of the princesses. The Chancellor straightened her glasses and fixed Twilight with an exasperated glare. "Your Highness, the guests are getting restless." Chancellor Harrier said, eyeing Twilight's friends with barely veiled disdain. "And I'm sure your...guests would like to get to their seats before the proceedings start." "Sorry, Chancellor, there's been a change of plans." Twilight said. "My friends will be accompanying me up the aisle as I ascend the throne." "They will?" Chancellor Harrier spluttered. "Forgive me for saying so, Your Highness, but this is most irregular-" "Our princesses have left us and Equestria is crowning its first new ruler in a millennium." Rarity chimed in. "I'm curious; what about this situation do you consider to be regular , Chancellor." "You would do well to remember who you're talking to, miss!" Chancellor Harrier hissed. "And you would do well not to speak to the mare who is going to crown me in such a tone." Twilight countered. "What?!" Rarity and Chancellor Harrier squeaked in unison. "Her Grace,The Duchess Rarity is a personal friend of mine and the mare responsible for taming my unruly mane." Twilight said. "I trust her above all others to ensure the crown doesn't mess up my hair...unless anypony else has an objection." "Sounds good to me." Applejack said. "No problems here." Pinkie Pie said. "I guess I'll just crown you the next time somepony leaves you in charge of something." Rainbow Dash sighed dramatically. "You're collecting titles like trading cards so I'm bound to get my chance sooner or later." "Your Highness." Chancellor Harrier said through gritted teeth. "I thought we agreed that I would be the one to bequeath unto you the power of the Equestrian Sovereign." "Yes...so sorry about that." Twilight said. "I'm altering our agreement." "It is within the rights of the Royal Chancellor to preside over any and all royal ceremonies in absence of a princess!" Chancellor Harrier said, voice trembling with barely contained outrage. "May I remind you that-" "You can remind me of anything you'd like, Chancellor; I am within my rights to have a hoof in my own coronation ceremony. I have altered our agreement to accommodate my friends who were so rudely left off the guest list." Twilight said. "An innocent mistake, Your Highness, I assure you, but-" "If you're unhappy with your new role in my ceremony, I completely understand if you want to excuse yourself from the proceedings altogether." Twilight said. "If not, I suggest you take your place." Chancellor Harrier flushed red and for a moment, she looked like she was going to give Twilight an excuse to dismiss her. But she bit her vitriol back, saving it for a later time, and left with a short bow. "Alright Twilight!" Pinkie Pie cried as Chancellor Harrier closed the door behind her. "Way to show that snooty pitooty who wears the pants in this kingdom!" "Hey, how soon after you take control can you fire her?" Rainbow Dash asked. "I know she's a pain, but she knows how to run the Royal Household better than me right now." Twilight sighed. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to deal with her a little while longer." "Well, that was extremely well dealt with, dear." Rarity said. "Though I'm still not sure if it's the best idea to let me handle the crown on such short notice." "You won't let me down." Twilight said, passing Rarity the crown in its box. "If anypony can handle an unruly piece of jewelry, it's you." "Thank you." Rarity said with a short bow. "I promise I won't fail you." "I know you won't." Twilight said, taking a deep breath as the mighty doors before her unbolted. "Okay...here we go." "Shoulders back dear." Rarity whispered. "Chin up." Applejack said. "And don't forget to smile." Pinkie Pie said. "Hey, how mad would you be if we scalped our tickets right now?" Rainbow Dash whispered Twilight laughed and the doors opened into a silent throne room, packed with journalists snapping away and nobleponies lining the aisles. As Twilight walked down the aisle, flanked on either side by two of her friends, she noted the looks of confusion and displeasure on the faces of the nobleponies with something akin to satisfaction. She caught sight of Fancy Pants and Fleur De Lis in the fourth row shooting her an approving smile and bow and Twilight felt her stride grow stronger knowing that, no matter how the rest of the country felt about her taking over, her friends would always have her back. She approached the throne and turned back to face the sea of strangers that hung on words she hadn't even said yet. Twilight took a deep breath, looked to each of her friends for support, and then turned back to address the crowd. "Three days ago, Equestria lost its oldest and greatest friends." Twilight said, her words echoing across the silent throne room. "Today, we laid Princess Celestia and Princess Luna to rest once and for all. Before we go forward, I would like a moment of silence to reflect on our profound loss." Twilight bowed her head for a moment, taking the time to collect her thoughts and catch her breath. "For the first time in one thousand years, our princesses are at peace, but Equestria stands at an uncertain crossroad." Twilight said, lifting her head. "I grieve for them as I'm sure all of you do but they have entrusted me with their hopes for Equestria's future and I intend to become worthy of that trust. As Princess of Magic, I safeguarded the Element of Magic and defended Equestria from those that would destroy her. Today, I assume a greater role as Crowned Princess of Equestria, Duchess of Canterlot and Protector of the Crystal Empire." "Today, in the sight of you good ponies, I reaffirm the oaths I took on the day of my first coronation and swear to always put Equestria first. I will protect and serve the ponies of Equestria to the best of my abilities and I promise that the heavens will move as they always have so long as I draw breath. I ask for your patience as I settle into my new role and hope that, together we can strive for the brighter future that our beloved princesses envisioned for us." "The sun has set at long long last." Twilight said, voice thick with emotion. "But it will rise again through me, for you." Twilight knelt before the assembled audience, noting murmurs of discontent from the nobility in the front rows as Rarity lifted the crown out of the velvet box. Rarity met their ugly looks with an unwaveringly brilliant smile as she lowered the crown on to Twilight's head. Her neck sagged under the heavy gold but she raised her head with a deep steadying breath to look out over the sea of kneeling ponies before her. "Princess Celestia has passed!" Chancellor Harrier cried. "Long-" "Long Live Princess Twilight!" Pinkie Pie butted in, stealing Chancellor Harrier's line. "Long Live Princess Twilight!" The crowd responded. "Long Live Princess Twilight!" Rarity repeated. "Long Live Princess Twilight!" "Long Live Princess Twilight!" Rainbow Dash crowed, matching Chancellor Harrier's nasty look with one of her own. "Long Live Princess Twilight!" "Long Live Princess Twilight!" Applejack said. "Long Live Princess Twilight!" It was so strange but- "Long Live Princess Twilight!" Despite the jubilant cries of her new subjects wishing her a long and successful rule- "Long Live Princess Twilight!" Twilight couldn't shake the ominous feeling that their blessing would prove itself to be a curse in time. "Long Live Princess Twilight!" "Long Live Princess Twilight!" "Long Live Princess Twilight!" END ACT I: The Blinding Sunrise
The Last Equestrian Princess	Intermission(I)	Letters to Princess Celestia Excerpts From HRH Princess Twilight Sparkle's Personal Memoirs All my love to my wonderful husband and our darling little Dawnstar And To Princess Twilight's friends who bought her first journal. You have given us all a gift more valuable than you could have ever imagined. Foreword by the Editor. I first met Princess Twilight Sparkle when she caught me and my future husband breaking into her personal library in search of a rare book that my local library didn't carry. I, of course, feared that my life was over; one does not simply break into the Eventide Palace and live to tell the tale, especially when the Dusk Princess herself catches you red hoofed in her personal quarters. Little did I know that I was about to begin one of the most fulfilling personal and professional relationships of my life. As a mentor, as a teacher, and as a friend Princess Twilight proved herself far more loving, generous, and compassionate than any of us gave her credit for. Though her reign was characterized by troubles nopony could have ever predicted or prevented, she bore all with grace and dignity, never failing to protect her people in their hours of need. Though she remained somewhat distant and reclusive in recent years, she gave of herself freely in the end and bestowed upon all ponykind a gift that we may never be able to repay. I can truly say, without any exaggeration, that Princess Twilight Sparkle was the greatest princess and indeed greatest pony that the Kingdom of Harmonia has ever known. It was her wish that these memoirs be made public so that perhaps we would come to understand her more completely as ruler and as a person. I confess that I thought myself closer to Princess Twilight than any living pony today but as I went through and prepared her journals for publication, I realized that I only knew a part of her. Hidden deep beneath the veneer of ageless wisdom and benevolence was Twilight Sparkle, a young sorceress who stumbled onto the public stage before her time. Published to celebrate the one thousand and fifth anniversary of her first coronation, these memoirs offer a uniquely personal look into the life of one of Harmonia's most enigmatic public figures. Princess Twilight invites you to take a journey into her past and relive the earliest days of her reign. Political intrigue is set against personal struggle as Princess Twilight and Twilight Sparkle struggle to find a balance between friendship, family, and duty. I invite you now to read on and join Princess Twilight as she celebrates with her friends on the eve of her second coronation day. Sincerely, Dr. Terra Nova Chair of the Metaphysics Department at Harmonia University Chief Engineer of the Dawnstar Project 3/6/RY1005 Dear Princess Celestia, I think you would have liked the party they threw for me tonight. I managed to talk Pinkie Pie down from the grand spectacle she had planned; it wouldn't have been appropriate all things considered. Still, there were balloons and dancing and a disturbingly large cake that even you would have trouble finishing in one sitting. I think the only thing you would have been disappointed in was how quickly your little ponies seemed to move on after the funeral. Despite everything you did for them, they were so quick to tear down your mourning shrouds and erect gaudy banners with my cutie mark bedazzled on them. I can't tell if you would have minded so much. You were always one to be happy for the happiness of others. I don't think you would have wanted everypony to mope over you forever but- I don't know...I still feel like you deserved more after everything you did for these ponies. For more than a thousand years you watched over the day and night, driving the creatures of darkness away from your little ponies. They looked to you for shelter and protection and you never let them down...most of the time. Nopony's perfect. I remember that everypony in Ponyville wore pink and yellow flowers for at least a week after Fluttershy's funeral...so why didn't they do the same for you? I don't know why this is bothering me so much; maybe I'm the only one left who really knew you enough to feel truly sad about your passing. The way those stuck up nobleponies behave, you would think that you had never- I'm sorry...I'm not being fair to them. A couple of very nice ladies offered me their condolences for my loss. I'm still a bit shy in such high society but Rarity managed to keep me from stuffing my hoof in my mouth on a couple of occasions. I think I'll ask her to be my wingmare in any future royal events (I'm sure she'd appreciate the invitation.) There was dinner, there was dancing, there were extravagant gifts I politely accepted and never plan to use again. The thought was nice but I think I need gold and jewelry like I need a hole in my horn. (Rarity was eyeing a few of them enviously so I think I know what she's getting for Hearth's Warming Eve.) My friends all went in on a gift for me and I have to say it may be the finest thing I've ever received. A simple purple leather diary with my cutie mark stitched in gold. On the inside were dozens and dozens of pictures of you and me, stretching back to our first lesson together all the way up to the last Summer Sun Celebration we did together. I don't even know where they got all those pictures of us...but I'm very glad they did. (I made note of the ponies that turned their noses up at such a "simple" gift and I might just give the jewels they gave me to Spike as a welcome home snack.) As for the name...I don't know why I'm trying to talk to you through this diary but it feels right somehow. I guess I've been writing you letters for so long that I still can't imagine you never reading one of my letters again. I miss you now more than I can properly express in words. But words are all I have to give you so I hope they're enough for now. With Love, Princess Twilight Sparkle Twilight 3/7/RY1005 Dear Princess Celestia, I saw my friends off today at the station as they left to go back to Ponyville. It's odd to think that this could be the last time I see them for a while. Everyone promised to make their way up next weekend for lunch but that's still seven days I'm not going to see them at all. That's the longest I've gone without seeing my friends since I met them nearly four years ago. It's a bizarre feeling I can't really put into words. It feels like the end of something...no, that's not right; this isn't the end of anything at all. It's just a change from what-was to the start of what-will-be...and I'm struck by how much it's affecting me. When I think about the pony I used to be before I went to Ponyville, I can't help but think she would have minded being left alone in the royal palace with no friends and a mountain of work to do. She would have had her books and her notes and her precious magic and that's all that she would have cared about. She wouldn't have minded that her friends lived hundreds of miles away because she didn't really care about her friends that much. She wouldn't have been up at three in the morning, drinking lukewarm tea and talking to her dead mentor through a journal. She would have been completely fine with this separation. But I don't think she would have (or should have) ever been a princess. When I think about how much I've been through to get to where I am today, I realize that I couldn't have accomplished any of it without my friends to help me along the way. You may have spent years teaching me everything I know about magic but they're the ones who taught me to be brave and kind and compassionate. Without their guidance and support, I would have never have been able to fulfill my destiny, let alone rule a country. They've come so far with me but now... Now I have to do all this without them. I know that they'll be there for me if I need them but right now, the distance between us seems insurmountable. I miss them; I'm happy that I have friends that I can miss so much but it still hurts that I'm not going to wake up and see them tomorrow morning. Sincerely, (and sleepily) Twilight. 3/11/RY1005 Dear Princess Celestia, Sorry that I haven't been writing much lately. I can't remember the last night I had to myself or the last free moment I've had to get my thoughts on paper. Needless to say, I've had my hooves full for the past few days trying to figure out how the heck you managed to run things so smoothly for so long. I spent nearly four hours yesterday acquainting myself with the various secretaries and undersecretaries that make up the Department of the Interior alone. I have about fifteen minutes to rest before I have to be in the West Wing for a recap of our current status with the seaponies. If I'm lucky (very, very, very lucky) I might be able to finish my paperwork early so that I don't have to work through dinner. I don't know why, but a part of me thought this was going to be easier than it's turning out to be. I never saw you miss sleep because of work or run across the castle because you were late for a meeting. I guess you had a lot of practice and ponies you could rely on. I don't feel that comfortable delegating until I understand things a little better; after the debacle with the succession papers getting "misplaced" I'm wary of being lied to or manipulated. Chancellor Harrier is one of the only ponies in Canterlot that I really feel that I can rely on completely. She has been an absolute godsend for the past few days and has made sure that your my house is in order while I attend to my duties. She can be a little harsh with me at times but I understand why she needs to be; I'm responsible for the well-being of millions of ponies and she is responsible for me. I'm a relative newcomer to the world of government and she's testing me to make sure I live up to everypony's expectations. She's not all bad though; she offered to go to the Treasury meetings in my place so I could get a few hours to relax and write to you. I'm tired but it's finally Friday and my friends are catching an early train from Ponyville to spend the weekend with me. I think after the week I've had, I've earned a little R&R, don't you think? I think I have to cut this short; Chancellor Harrier is back with her notes from the treasury meeting. I'll write more as soon as I can. Twilight 3/12/RY1005 Dear Princess Celestia, I should have known better than to think I could get some rest this weekend. I stole a few moments to write this down but I should probably get back to my friends before Rarity and Chancellor Harrier try and kill each other again...okay, I'm exaggerating a little but I seriously think that little spat they just had singed a few of my eyelashes off! Okay, context; so I woke up this morning expecting to have a wonderful garden party with my best friends without any drama or anything going wrong (stupid of me, I know). At first, it seemed like things were going my way; I met them at the train station, I gave them the grand tour of the newly renovated royal living quarters (at least 85% more purple and books than before) and we were all set to sit down to a nice lunch in the garden when duty reared its ugly misshapen head in the form of Chancellor Harrier arriving with papers for me to sign. Earlier this week, the Chancellor proposed a series of economic policies that, in her mind, would smooth the transition between our administrations. In so many words, she suggested that we bribe some of the more obstinate members of parliament by "approving short term salary raises" in order to pacify some of the dissent brewing in the House of Lords and Ladies. I was reluctant to agree to the deal at first but Harrier eventually persuaded me that it was the simplest solution to winning the support of the upper chamber. Goodness knows I could use a few more friends in parliament so I finally signed off on her suggestion, hoping that it would make things easier in the short term. And things might have gone off without a hitch if she hadn't decided to interrupt my lunch with my friends by bringing me the documents to sign. Rarity casually asked what I was signing and when I explained it to her she almost immediately took issue with the idea of paying ponies for their support. She questioned why I was using state money to essentially bribe my opposition into supporting me and if it were really wise to set this kind of precedent with the gentry. Chancellor Harrier smiled at Rarity and told her, in the politest way imaginable since I was sitting beside her, that her input was worth less to the Crown than the ground beneath her hooves. Rarity returned the smile and subtly suggested that Harrier was getting too old for politics because she must be senile to suggest such a half-baked resolution. Harrier giggled sweetly and made the observation that Rarity knew even less about politics than she did about fashion. Rarity complemented Harrier's gold brooch and asked which member of the House of Lords and Ladies bought it for her in exchange for bringing this bill to my desk. What followed was the tensest ten minutes of my life as the greatest socialites I've ever met traded barbs and insults through forced smiles and strained laughter. I saw a flash of anger crease Harrier's brow for a moment and decided to step in before things got worse. I summoned up what little royal gravitas I possess and thanked Harrier for bringing the documents out to me. I said that I appreciated her input but such an important resolution warranted further debate and that I would not sign it until I had more time to think on it. Harrier started to protest when Applejack butted in and gently reminded her that backsassing her boss wasn't the best way to make her case. She glared at Rarity and Applejack, eyes cold with fury before collecting her papers, offering a short bow and storming out of the garden as she mumbled something under her breath. I understand that she's unhappy with my decision but Chancellor Harrier is going to have to learn that she's not the only pony whose opinion I value and if I want to take advice from my friends then it's my prerogative to do so. I happen to agree with Rarity in this case; I think there are better ways to engender loyalty than throwing money at the obstructionists. I was too concerned with winning some kind of popularity contest and sought an easy solution that wasn't really all that prudent. If ponies in parliament don't like me then that's their concern; I have enough real friends in my life without worrying about buying fake ones. I'll tell Harrier on Monday that I'm taking my friend's advice and have decided to find another way to get the Upper Chamber on my side. She's a very professional mare so I don't think she's going to be too put out. Right now, I just want to try and enjoy what's left of the day; I don't have that much time left with my friends and I want to make the most of it before they have to leave me. Love, Twilight 3/26/RY1005 Dear Princess Celestia, I don't understand this...I don't understand this at all. I don't understand how we could be running out of money...and by we; I mean all of Equestria! Harrier brought me the latest treasury department report and things aren't looking all that good. Our treasury is running on rapidly depleting good credit, our infrastructure is getting outperformed by the Neighponese and we owe mountains of gold to countries I'd rather not be in business with. Oh, and it's apparently all my fault according to my opposition. That part didn't surprise me; some of my more vitriolic opponents would blame me if a vending machine ate their bits. What did surprise me was who it turned out was responsible for this mess. It appears that you were the one responsible for this financial debacle. Somehow, someway, you must have spent Equestria into the bad situation we find ourselves in today. I didn't know anything was wrong; why would I what with the lavish balls and extravagant parades and lofty parties you were so fond of throwing? I assumed we were fine in terms of gold but now...I just don't see how you could have been so...so irresponsible! Parliament is crying for a solution and I don't know what to tell them! Damnit, I'm a sorceress not an economist! I don't know the first thing about getting us out of debt because I didn't think I would have to! I didn't think my predecessor would blow all our money on silly parties just to kick the bucket and leave me holding the bag! This isn't- It's fine...it's going to be fine. Harrier assured me that she could find a solution to all this but...I just wish you would have told me. I don't understand how you could trust me to run a country without letting me know about things like this. Twilight 4/13/RY1005 Dear Princess Celestia, HOW DARE YOU OF ALL THE ROTTEN, MEAN SPIRITED THINGS YOU COULD HAVE DONE DID YOU REALLY EXPECT ME NEVER TO FIND OUT ABOUT I cannot believe you never told me you had another student before me. Oh yes, I know all about Sunset Shimmer. I don't think you ever intended for me to find out about her but thanks to another legal snafu, I stumbled upon another one of your dirty little secrets. After we resolved the unmitigated disaster that was the issue of succession, we finally got around to executing the rest of your will only recently. Most of your things went to me but I was surprised to find out that that you willed a certain book from your personal library to one Sunset Shimmer. I had never heard of this pony until recently and I admit, I was curious to see who you left your copy of Practical Spellcasting for Beginners to. Much to my disappointment, Sunset Shimmer had refused to collect her inheritance. All of Harrier's attempts at contacting her had failed so I decided to take an hour out of my day to track this mystery mare down. I should have known something was wrong the minute I showed up at her apartment and she pretended not to be home. I could see a flicker of movement through a crack in the tightly shut curtains but after fifteen minutes of knocking, she still refused to come to the door. So, as my lunch break drew to a close, I resolved to try again the next day. And the day after that. And the day after that. And the day after that. And the day after that. Seven times I made the trek down to her apartment and seven times I was refused at the door. I suppose I could have just mailed the book to her or slipped it in her mail slot but at this point, I was really curious about her and had invested too much time and energy stalking tracking her to give up without speaking to her. So, acting on a hunch, I arrived at her apartment half an hour after my usual time and ambushed met Sunset Shimmer as she was leaving her apartment. She wasn't happy to see me. She responded in short, one word answers and remained dispassionately aloof as I tried in vain to strike up a conversation with her. As much as she tried to act nice, I could tell that she did not want to talk to me. She kept it cool, for the most part, until I mentioned that you had left her something in her will. Instead of happiness or even surprise, she just glared at the book I brought with such a withering look of contempt that I feared she would set it on fire just by glaring at it. And then I made the mistake of asking her what was wrong. What was wrong she erupted? Apparently, you had some nerve to send your special favorite to mock her with a pithy, perfunctory little gesture that was too little, too late! After years of not hearing from you, this is all you have to say to your once loyal student?! She rambled on for some time after that but all I heard was "loyal student" echoing over and over again in my head. I always suspected that you had taken on students before I came along but I thought that they were all long since passed. I never expected to be standing in the doorway listening to one of my predecessors rant and rave about how she was cast aside by you once I came along. About how years of hard work and study amounted to diddly squat once the "chosen one" came along and hogged all of your time. And now I had the nerve to pretend to be nice to her?! After I ruined her life?! Sunset then tearfully suggested that I store your book somewhere that would likely hinder my digestion and slammed the door in my face. I stood there for what felt like hours, staring at the peeling paint on her apartment door while her words rattled around in my head. I thought she was just making it up; I thought there was no way that you would have abandoned a student just to focus your attention on me, right? I'm quickly getting used to being wrong. A quick scan of your personal diaries and a poll of the older members of the castle staff confirmed Sunset's story; you had a student that you mysteriously stopped teaching once you took me on as your pupil. From your journal entries, it appears that Sunset was a "bright, hardworking student" who nevertheless was "impatient and overeager in her pursuit of magic." You wrote that Sunset didn't take your decision to end your relationship well but that what you did was "necessary for [my] magical development" because I showed "greater magical prowess" and possessed "an increased likelihood of rescuing Luna and completing Starswirl's work." You kicked your first student out because you thought I had an "increased likelihood" of saving your sister, becoming a princess, and giving you a way out. You know, I've made peace with the fact that you weren't the saint everypony else believed you to be but this was, by far, the pettiest, stingiest, lowest thing you've ever done. It may be the lowest thing I've heard anypony do. You cast aside a hardworking young mare who looked up to you because you thought that I would be more likely to get the Element of Magic and become a princess?! I cannot fathom why you thought this was necessary and I see now why you never told me about her. If I even had the slightest inkling that being your student would mean that you would have to put somepony else out, I would have never agreed to it...and you knew that! That's why you never even mentioned her in the years that I was apparently taking her place! Did you even bother to check up on her after you threw her out or was that too much to ask of Your Highness?! It took me ten minutes of searching to figure out that she goes to the University of Canterlot, that she's slowly completing her Magical Theory degree through night and weekend classes and that she's working two jobs to try and put herself through school right now! And in spite of basically being rejected by you, she never stopped pursuing her goal of becoming a sorceress! And she's good too! I pulled her grades from the school's computer and guess what? A's and B's in classes that I never got the chance to take! It would be one thing if she just didn't have the talent for the stuff but she's at least on par with my skills...or she would be if she had the same opportunities I did! Who's to say she wouldn't have been capable of wielding the Element of Magic if you had kept her on as a student?! Oh, I'm sorry! I forgot! It was my destiny to be your chosen little princess pupil! And I guess that means everypony else who put work in before I came along can just drop dead! Gods forbid you take a moment out of shoving cake in your stupid face to spend time with a mare you promised to take under your wing! Did it ever occur to you that I would have loved to have another pony I could have talked to about magic with? Did it ever cross your wine soaked mind that I wanted a friend I could share my passion with?! A friend who didn't think I was a loser egghead teacher's pet for reading during recess?! DID YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT WHAT WE WANTED BEFORE YOU THREW HER AWAY LIKE A USED PIECE OF TISSUE PAPER?! You did her wrong...you did her wrong and worst of all, you never made it up to her. The mare is struggling to pay her tuition bill and you thought a lousy book was the most appropriate thing to leave her?! After all those years of mentoring her and all those years since you sent her away, the best you can do is leave her a cheap beginner's spellbook that can be found in any public library in Equestria?! This isn't fair. This isn't fair! Damnit, THIS ISN'T FAIR! You owed her more than just a cast off from your collection that you didn't want to leave to me! You completely left her out in the cold and now I can't help but wonder if- I can't help but wonder if you wouldn't have done the same thing to me if somepony more promising came along.
The Last Equestrian Princess	Intermission (II)	Selected Passages from Letter to Princess Celestia Excerpts From HRH Princess Twilight Sparkle's Personal Memoirs Editor's note: Following the discovery of Princess Celestia's former student, Princess Twilight refused to write in her diary for nearly two months. This may be due to her feelings of betrayal towards her former mentor but it's just as likely that she was simply too busy to write. Grappling with what she believed to be a failing economic climate, it's reasonable to assume that diary writing was not a priority for her at the time. These are just my speculations to account for the lost time between these diary entries but after nearly eight weeks, she returns to her journal after a particularly upsetting dream. 6/24/RY1005: 3:34 AM I had a dream that I was having lunch with Fluttershy at a cafe that just opened up in town. She was stressed out because her veterinary school finals were coming up and she was worried that she was going to flunk her Reptilian Biology exam. It was so...normal; so real that when I woke up, I decided to write a letter to Fluttershy to see if we could meet for lunch next week and catch up on school. I actually sent the letter before I realized what I'd done. And now I'm just sitting here feeling like an idiot because I forgot that Fluttershy was- I don't even know why I'm writing this down; I've got to get back to sleep. 7/11/RY1005 The cook found a family of mice living under the floorboards in the kitchen. He was going to call the exterminator but I managed to dissuade him long enough for me to steal them away up into my room. They didn't put up much of a fight; animals have never really taken to me before but they seem to be friendly enough. I've got them in my top desk drawer until I can get a proper little house for them. I should probably read up on proper rodent care; I wouldn't want to unintentionally mistreat the little critters while they're living here. 7/23/RY1005 Dear Prince Finally getting a grip on my schedule to the point where I'm not running around like a cockatrice with my head cut off. Harrier has proved herself worthy of my trust and I think I can let her handle some more of my day to day duties (minor meetings with the treasury department, handling my correspondences, summarizing bills for me to sign etc). I don't like having to rely on her so much but I think I'm going to have to if I ever want to have a moment to catch my breath. I heard through the grapevine that Rarity is coming up next week to meet with a buyer from one of the bigger department stores to see about getting her designs produced on a larger scale. I sent a letter telling her to drop in if she had a moment so we could get lunch together. I think the Wonderbolts are doing a show around the same time so I'll see if Rainbow Dash is available (and if she has room in her diet for an extravagantly fancy lunch). It's been a couple of months since I've seen my friends (or even heard from them for that matter) and I'm eager to catch up on the latest news from home Ponyville. Huh. You know it's kind of funny...but I was born and raised in an uptown Canterlot apartment. I've spent more time here than anywhere else and somehow...somehow I still catch myself thinking of Ponyville as home. Twilight 7/30/RY1005 Dear Princess Celestia, Miraculously there's been a lull in my workload which has given me the time to work on my pet project; Sunset Shimmer. I am still determined to try and make things right with her despite the fact that she has been expertly ducking me every time to try to meet with her. After months of trying to pin her down for a conversation, I found an unlikely ally in one Lt. Flash Sentry. You may remember Flash as the guard who brought me news of Shining Armor's dea defeat almost three years ago and received an undeserved tongue lashing for his troubles. Despite the fact that he was part of Shining Armor's personal guard and he transferred up from the Crystal Empire after my second coronation and has been working the palace beat ever since. More to the point, it seems that he is currently romantically involved with a certain former student of yours. I'm surprised he even wanted to speak to me after we got off to the worst possible start imaginable but apparently my efforts to track down Sunset caught her coltfriend's attention. Much to my relief, he offered his help in finally arranging another meeting between us an suggested that we use his apartment as a neutral ground where I could ambush surprise confront meet with Sunset on my terms. So, despite the fact that I'm sure I have something important to do tomorrow, I cleared my evening schedule and agreed to meet Flash at his cozy uptown accommodations. I was surprised that he was so eager to go behind his marefriend's back like this but he explained to me that Sunset had been in an uncharacteristically deep funk for a while now and he was sure part of it was because of your passing. He feels that, no matter what Sunset says, it would be good for the two of us to talk to each other. He made the point that, as Celestia's only other living student, I'm probably the only person who can even come close to understanding how Sunset is feeling right now. Now if we could only get past the tiny little detail of her not wanting to see me or speak to me, we'll be peachy. I don't know what I'm going to say when I see her again but...I just need to see her. I need her to know that I'm just as upset not happy with the way she was cast aside and that I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make it up to her. If tomorrow doesn't work out, I'm willing to try again next weekend. Rarity and Rainbow Dash bailed on me had something else come up on Saturday so I'm completely willing to stake out her apartment until she at least gives me a chance to explain myself. I owe her that much at least. Twilight 7/31/RY1005 8:28 PM I don't know how I expected this meeting with Sunset to go but I think it's safe to say it was a colossal failure in every sense of the term. Granted, I've never waited in somepony's apartment to ambush them with an inheritance before but I don't think these kinds of events are supposed to end with people crying. Needless to say, when Sunset Shimmer finally got to Flash's place, she wasn't pleased to find her coltfriend alone with another mare in his apartment (with the one who "replaced" her no less.) I cannot remember a time when I was more afraid for my life; she looked as though she was ready to burst into flames and roast us both alive with the burning hatred in her eyes. Fortunately, Flash managed to douse his marefriend's anger long enough for me to start babbling out a half-baked explanation/apology. I told her that I knew about what you had done to her and that I would have never agreed to be your student if I thought I was putting somepony out. I brought the book you left her and tried to explain that I knew what it felt like to be abandoned by someone I trusted; that I could totally understand where she was coming from and how it hurt to be lied to and left alone after so many years. This proved to be yet another colossal mistake in what has been a series of truly disastrous missteps. Sunset proceeded to explain to me (in excruciating detail) how I could have no earthly idea where she was coming from. I who was groomed and prepared for princesshood like a potted plant had no clue what it was to fight for my dreams. I had no idea what it was like to be passed over and cast aside after years of hard work and study and the fact that I was in her apartment patronizing her with a stupid book is proof that I have no idea how she feels about anything, much less what it feels like to be abandoned someone important to me. Before I could get a word in edgewise, she slapped the book out of my grasp and sent it sliding across the living room floor. The book bumped into the wall and a small white envelope with Sunset's name on it slid out of the cover. I recognized the hornwriting almost immediately and I think she did too given the way she glared at it like a rat that had just vomited on her floor. There was a tense few moments where I saw sparks of fire flicker at the tip of her horn and I worried that she would destroy the envelope without even reading what was inside. Cooler heads and curiosity prevailed. With a violent flick of magic, she tore the letter open and began scanning it with look of deepening disgust. As she read on, the most alarming array of emotions flickered across her features. Her chin quivered even as her eyes were icy and her brow furrowed. Her mouth twitched and flickered between a grimace, a snarl, and a sad little frown all in a matter of seconds as her eyes passed lower and lower on the page until they rested at the bottom with an indescribably pained look on her face. And then she started to cry. She screwed her eyes shut, gritted her teeth and tried in vain to will her shoulders to stop shaking. She crumpled like an old soda can, curling in on herself and biting her lip to stop herself from crying out. I couldn't tell if she was angry that she was sad or sad that she was angry; all I knew was that she looked like she was stuck somewhere in between. Before I could reach a hoof out to comfort her, Flash swooped in and draped his wings over her so that she could cry into his chest unashamed. I quietly let myself out to give Flash a moment alone with her. I didn't ask what the letter said; I figured that was between you and her but I think...I don't know... I don't think she was bitter about losing an opportunity to become a princess herself or even bitter about losing the chance to study under the greatest sorceress of our age. Maybe those would have been things I would have missed at some point in my life but Sunset... I think she missed you more than she missed anything else...and despite everything that's happened between you and me, I think I can empathize with Sunset Shimmer a little better than she thinks I can. Twilight (Personal Note: Check with Harrier about my schedule tomorrow. I could have sworn that I blew off something to take care of this Sunset Shimmer situation. No big deal though; if it was that important I would have remembered it, right?) 7/31/RY1005 11:45 PM Dear Princess Celestia, Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid oh gods I am the stupidest mare in existence! That thing?! That Big Important Thing I forgot I had to do today?! It was Applejack's birthday! I don't even know how this happened! I've just been so frazzled lately with the job and this thing with Sunset and I never got the invitation and my calendar didn't say anything about it and- No. No excuses. I should have remembered one of my best friends' birthday without having to be reminded like a little foal! For crying out loud, it's not like this is the first time she's celebrated a birthday with me! I should have been down in Ponyville yesterday instead of traipsing around Uptown looking for Sunset! I mean...I'm glad I helped her out and everything but I would have rescheduled if I thought that talking to Sunset would mean me missing one of my best friend's birthdays! Harrier said that she would make an excuse for me and send Applejack something embarrassingly cool to make up for missing her party but I still feel like a complete heel for flaking on her like that. I never thought that I would be so frazzled that I would forget something important to one of my friends. Just when I thought I had a good handle on this whole princess thing too... Ugh, I kind of hate myself a little bit right now. I'm going to go crawl under my covers and die for a while. Twilight. 8/23/RY1005 Dear Princess Celestia, I think I may have screwed up a bit more than I originally thought. It's been about a month now since I've heard from anypony in Ponyville. I've sent Applejack about a dozen letters and belated birthday gifts apologizing for flaking on her but I haven't heard a word back. Times like these I wish I still had Spike here to just zap my letters to Ponyville via magic; I'm going to have to ask him to teach me that spell when he gets back so I don't need to trouble Harrier with three letters a week to my friends apologizing for being a gigantic royal flake. I just don't get it...it isn't like Applejack to just freeze me out like this. She's never had a problem telling me off when she's mad at me before...but then again I wasn't a princess before. I wonder if she's worried that she can't be honest with me now that I'm basically her ruler. I'm going to write her again and see if my weekend schedule will allow me a moment to go down to make amends to her; I think a face to face is just what we need. Pinkie Pie's birthday's coming up so I'll have a chance to grovel in person. I think after the couple of months that I've had, I deserve a little break and some time alone with my friends. Twilight 9/15/RY1005 Dear Princess Luna, I tried out a new constellation today; let me know what you think of it (please excuse the terrible, terrible, terrible drawing) I'm thinking of rearranging the stars to match every time the moon changes. I know having two moons in the sky is a little redundant but I thought you would appreciate the sentiment. I'm trying more flexible with the night sky; I hope that's what you would have wanted me to do. Sincerely, Twilight 10/15/RY1005 Dear Princess Luna, I hope that you're happy that I've decided to keep Nightmare Night going...albeit with a few notable changes. I don't think it's fair that we have a holiday glorifying the darkest time in your life so I hope to gradually phase out the whole Nightmare Moon aspect and replace it with a narrative that's a bit more forgiving towards you. I was thinking of making up a story about how you taught ponies how to protect themselves from monsters by disguising themselves as manticores, timberwolves and orcs in order to confuse the real monsters that walk the earth once a year on this night. Just a rough draft; let me know what you think. It's going to take a while for this new story to stick but I want the candy dumped at your statue to be in thanks instead of fear someday. I don't think that's too much to ask of Equestria. Canterlot looks fantastic tonight! Ponies are dressed to the nines on their way out to concerts and costume balls. I was thinking of disguising myself and walking around the city unmolested by the paparazzi for the first time in recent memory. From what I hear, there's quite the shindig going on in Ponyville this year. Pinkie Pie is supposed to have created a haunted house that's gained quite a bit of infamy across Equestria for both the horrifying attractions and the fact that she snaps pictures of the terrified patrons as they flee screaming out the back door. Supposedly her birthday party she put on a few weeks ago was a kind of Nightmare Night dry run. (Something involving a "Chamber of Horrors" and cupcakes with raspberry frosting that gushed like blood.) I would have loved to have made it down there but I wasn't invit I had something more pressing to do here. That's okay; I'll ask her to bring the pictures she took up next time she comes up...and maybe a slice of Sugarcube Corner Carrot Cake...and some muffins...and a bag of salted caramels... I'm starting to get hungry; I think your sister's sweet tooth rubbed off on me. I'm going to go see if there's some Nightmare Night cake I can steal from the kitchens. Happy Nightmare Night Luna. Twilight 11/23/RY1005 Dear Princess Celestia, At what point does the endless deluge of royal suitors get the message that I'm not looking to marry the first rich airhead duke to ask me? Yikes, that was a bit harsh wasn't it? Screw it, I don't care; I'm at my wit's end with these jokers and am seriously considering banning eligible bachelors from the castle altogether. I cannot tell you the last time a stallion came to meet with me without broaching the subject of marriage with all the tact of a rabid water buffalo. Blueblood alone is responsible for more than half of the proposal letters I get and I'm about ready to send him and all the other guys asking after me to the moon just to get them out of my mane! I mean...it's not that they're not nice or clever or good looking. And I'd be lying if I said I hadn't considered getting to know a few of them better but...I just don't have time! Last time I checked, I had an entire country to run all by myself! I can barely keep my friendships intact I don't have the time to go out dating and I'm not really inclined to tie the knot with somepony I barely know! And the press is just having a field day! Somepony snapped a picture of me in the royal garden with my head bent down and got it in their heads that I was crying or something! Now every cheap tabloid rag in Canterlot is publishing stories about Poor Pathetic Princess Twilight and how I'm...hold on, I actually ordered one of these, let me get the quote...ah, here it is. I'm apparently "desperately craving the loving caress of another pony." Ugh...hold on, I think I need to vomit. I can't believe the junk people will eat up just because it looked like I was crying in a stupid picture! It was spring! The garden was in full bloom and my allergies were murdering me! But apparently wiping your eyes and blowing your nose are signs of deep seated emotional duress in bizarre tabloid land! Now half the city believes I'm some kind of lonely pathetic loser who cries into rosebushes in her spare time! I wasn't crying and I'm not lonely pathetic! I don't understand why this is such a big deal all of a sudden! To the best of my knowledge, nopony ever pestered you with endless marriage proposals! It's not like I have to be married right? I mean...maybe someday if I meet somepony I really love but it's not my priority right now, you know? I just wish everypony would back off and respect my decision for once! Times like this I could really use Rarity's advice. If there's anypony who was born to handle lines of handsome stallions showing up wherever she went, it would be Rarity. I'll send another invite to lunch; she's been so busy with her upcoming winter line that she's completely flaked on the last three lunch dates I've invited her to. (She's not mad at me for missing Applejack and Pinkie Pie's birthdays, is she?) I'm considering floating a rumor that I prefer fillies to colts...nah, that would just mean I would have lines of mares knocking down my door instead of lines of stallions. I honestly don't know which is worse. Twilight. 12/10/RY1005 Happy Birthday to me! Another year older and another year wiser (hopefully)! Ponies from all over the country stopped by to wish me well and drop off a truly embarrassing amount of birthday gifts. It's still a little weird having ponies I've never met before shower me with jewels but all things considered I suppose it isn't the worst thing I've had to deal with lately, even if I'll probably never use half the gifts they gave me. I did get a few memorable presents though. Spike sent me a primer on Neighponese Summoning Rituals that I'm pretty eager to get started on. Chancellor Harrier got me a new quill set (which I quickly put to use signing a new set of trade agreements she also delivered). Most surprising of all, I caught Sunset Shimmer trying to drop a present off and leave before I noticed that she was there. It turns out she had come with a sort of peace offering for me after the whole mess with the book. I suspect Flash Sentry had a hoof in getting us together like this and if that's the case I owe him a massive Hearth's Warming Eve bonus. Things were still a little rough between us but I think Sunset and I will end up getting along famously. We ended up talking for a long time before we finally got around to talking about the big white winged elephant in the room. (No offense.) I guess, as it turned out, that letter you left struck a chord with her because she was considerably more talkative this time around. I didn't get the chance to read the letter but you must've said something that Sunset really needed to hear. I still don't think it nearly makes up for the way you treated her but I suppose the rather sizable check you cut her for her tuition and living expenses was a step in the right direction if nothing else. ... I suppose you managed to do that right at least. She's is doing much better now that she doesn't have to worry about working two jobs to pay off her loans. I think I'm starting to see what you saw in her all those years ago. I made an offhand remark about the latest theories in Alteration magic and her eyes just lit up with a kind of enthusiasm I haven't seen since Pinkie Pie discovered silly string. She just launched into this speech about how she's taking a class in practical applications of alteration and how her professor wrote this great book on the principles of transmutation and how he was researching a way to mimic the defensive effects of dragonhide and on and on and on and on until I realized that I couldn't follow what she was saying. She was using magical terms and phrases I had never even heard of and I'm embarrassed to say that I had to stop and have her clarify a few terms. How long has it been since I've taken a magic class? You schooled me on whatever I wanted to learn for years but all that pretty much stopped when I went to Ponyville. Stars...it must be four years now since I've taken my last magic class. I guess I forgot that magic waits for no mare and how much work it is to keep up on the latest trends and theories in spellcasting. Maybe I'll ask Sunset to help me with the book Spike sent me...I'm starting to think I may need it. At the rate my magical studies have been slipping, I'm going to have to relinquish the Element of Magic to Sunset before I get any worse! It's strange to see where my life might have taken me if I never went to Ponyville. Sunset Shimmer and I are so alike in so many uncanny ways I can't help but wonder how things might be if our paths led us to different places. I wonder if I would be happy going to school and dating Flash Sentry like she it; I wonder if being your student would have made her any happier than she is today. In any case, I hope to talk with her more; truth be told, I am getting kind of lonely with all my friends in Ponyville. Harrier said that she had delivered the party invitations to my friends personally but she never heard back from them afterwards... I wonder if this is still some kind of punishment for flaking on Applejack's birthday...I can't really say I blame them...I did seriously screw that one up. Blegh, enough of that! I'm sure they were just busy today and they'll probably pop by sometime before Hearth's Warming Eve! I think this year has just been weird on all of us and things will start to get back to normal once I get a better grip on my duties. For now, I think I'm just going to enjoy the rest of my birthday and reflect how far I've come since last year. It's funny to think that a year ago, I was still rooming in that little flat above the Ponyville Library, going to lunches with Rarity and Spike and worrying about running down overdue library books. I never would have thought that twelve months later I would be- You know, I think I should get back to the party; they're starting to miss me. Twilight. 12/17/RY1005 Dear Princess Celestia, Happy Hearth's Warming Eve! For once, it feels like I have the palace all to myself! The staff has all gone home for the holiday break and Mom and Dad decided to take a trip to visit her brother Ryo in Neighpon. I was almost tempted to go with them; despite the fact that my mom is Neighponese and have living family in Neighpon, I've never taken the time to visit. I would have gone with them this time except I think a royal entourage trailing an army of paparazzi doesn't really fit into their plans for a relaxing Hearth's Warming Eve. I sent them with a care package for Spike in case they have a chance to swing by his school before they go. (Although apparently Hearth's Warming Eve is a big couple's holiday in Neighpon and I heard he had plans to take a special somepony out on a date. Your little drake is growing up so fast! ;_;) So for the next few weeks it's just me and some much needed downtime alone in the castle. I actually had Flash Sentry and Sunset Shimmer over for little dinner party. I feel like I've made some real friends in them this year and it felt good to have a chance to get to know them better. I made some bread pudding after dinner and Flash helped me put out the fire once the pudding ate through the baking dish. We ended up heading down to the barracks and raiding the vending machines for cold toaster pastries and candy bars. Not exactly a dessert worthy of being called a royal Hearth's Warming Eve pudding but all in all I think it's one of the more memorable Hearth's Warming Eves I've ever celebrated. Very low key Hearth's Warming Eve. I'm just sorry no one from Ponyville could make it up to see me. I understand though; Hearth's Warming Eve is a time for family and pretty much all of them has big families who demand their attention. Our schedules have been conspiring against us lately but hopefully the spirit of the holidays will smile on us and let us get together sometime before the New Year. Maybe I'll have Harrier send invitations for a New Year's Eve party; it'll be easier to see them once the holiday hubbub has calmed down. Season's Greetings! Twilight 12/31/RY1005 Dear Princess Celestia, Just a few more moments and 1005 will be gone for good. I'm sitting on my balcony overlooking the city as we all wait for the ball to drop and ring in the New Year. I guess it's natural to feel a little pensive on New Year's Eve; I've always taken a moment before midnight to reflect on the year gone by. Last year, I spent New Year's Eve in Ponyville keeping Pinkie Pie away from the hard cider and watching Spike work up the nerve to kiss Rarity at midnight. The year before I spent the holidays in the Crystal Empire, sledding with Shining Armor and watching Fluttershy try and befriend stray reindeer. Now, I'm watching over my subjects, waiting for another year with hope and apprehension, wondering how I got to where I am today. I guess that's the point isn't it; New Year's Eve is never the same. Even if you spent it at the same place with the same people doing the same things, you'd still be a little different. You'd be a little different too. Always changing, always moving forward for better or worse; that's just the way it is I guess. And that's what New Year's Eve means to me; one night to savor the past before jumping headlong into the future, leaving your regrets to float away as the clock brings us another year. A lot of things happened to me this year. There were times when I would get so overwhelmed; and feel so lonely without you here to guide me. I've made a lot of mistakes but I've done a lot to be proud of too. I rescued a family of mice from the kitchen. I helped a former student of yours move on and forgive you. I finally got a hold on my professional and personal life Well, there's always next year, isn't there? Coulda. Woulda. Shoulda. Three words that have never done anypony any good. All you can do is face up to your mistakes and strive to do better in the future; which is exactly what I intend on doing. I'm going to see my Ponyville friends and make up for how distant I've been. I'm going to get a hold on my new job so Harrier doesn't have to do so much for me. I'm going to try and do a better job running this country than you or Luna or anypony else ever did. I owe it to Equestria to be the best that I can be. And I'm going to have a fantastic year if it kills me! Almost time now; the ball in downtown has started it's drop. 10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1... Happy New Year. Twilight Sparkle.
The Last Equestrian Princess	Intermission Appendix: Dear Sunset Shimmer	Letters to Princess Celestia Excerpts From HRH Princess Twilight Sparkle's Personal Memoirs Appendix A Editor's Note: Transcribed below is a copy of the letter Princess Celestia sent to Sunset Shimmer. Princess Twilight came into possession of the letter upon Sunset Shimmer's death and asked that I include it to provide context to the circumstances surrounding the beginning of their relationship. Whether Celestia's words and actions sufficiently make up for what transpired between her and Sunset Shimmer is for you to decide.-TN To my dearest little sunspot, To Ms. Sunset Shimmer, Dear Sunset Shimmer, If you are reading this, then it means that I have passed on without an opportunity to talk to you one last time. If this is the case then I have only myself to blame. I have kept my distance from you for years out of respect for you and your wishes but as my time in this world runs out I find that I must intrude in your life one last time. I know that you are still very hurt and angry with me for dismissing you and I am not writing to ask your pardon or make excuses for my actions. What I did to you is absolutely inexcusable; I knew that when I made my decision and I'm not going to try and justify it some decades later. But you are owed, among so many things, an explanation. You deserve to know why I decided to stop teaching you once Twilight Sparkle came around. The truth of the matter is that I was...scared. There were events that took place centuries before you were even born and because of decisions I made, my sister was lost to me. For a thousand years I had to live with my mistakes, waiting for a special young mare to come along who would one day reclaim the Element of Magic and free my sister from the madness that possessed her. And then you came along. Bright, enthusiastic, and eager to learn. What you lacked in outright magical power, you more than made up for with a passion for your craft and a tireless work ethic. I thought, at last, that I had found the mare that would one day free my sister and reunite the Elements of Harmony. As our student teacher relationship progressed and helped you work your way through spellbook after spellbook, I thought at last I had found my successor. But then...there was Twilight. I am too easily dazzled by genius; it is a weakness I have never managed to rid myself of. I admit I was growing worried that you might not be ready for the challenges you would face as my pupil. I worried that you might not possess the magical acumen to challenge Nightmare Moon and unite the Elements of Harmony. I worried that your hard work wouldn't pay off for me in time; that after one thousand years the promise that I made to bring Luna home again would go unfulfilled. However diligently you worked and however eager you were to learn, you had difficulty grasping some of the more advanced subjects I asked you to master. Time was running out and I feared that our time together training would amount to nothing. And then...there was Twilight. Barely eight years old, untrained, and yet capable of magic that most college professors had difficulty with. With barely any effort, she was already far more "advanced" than you were despite the two years you spent studying under me. Twilight appeared to be everything I could have wanted in a protegee; somepony already half ready to meet the challenges I knew lay ahead. And so, with time until Nightmare Moon's return fast running out, I made a decision to focus all my energy and time on Twilight to prepare her for her destiny. "Destiny" is a convenient excuse to absolve yourself of any responsibility and it becomes an easy lie for a princess to tell to justify her actions. I could say that it was Twilight Sparkle's "destiny" to complete Starswirl the Bearded's text and become an alicorn herself but that would be a lie. The truth of the matter is that I alone guided Twilight on a path that led her to where she is today. I sheltered her, taught her, and groomed her beyond any possibility of failure to ensure that my plans came to fruition. I manufactured a series of events that could only have one possible conclusion. I alone am responsible for what happened to Twilight Sparkle...and what happened to you. I still remember the look of unrivaled confusion and devastation on your face when I informed you that I had made the decision to stop teaching you and how quickly that pain turned into anger. Your textbook is still embedded in the wall of the lower library; a curiosity that I've never got around to explaining to Twilight. I remember making some attempts to get back in touch with you after that but I expect you were still raw, still hurting. I tried to respect your last words to me and "never speak to you again" and as much as I wanted to explain myself to you, I kept my distance. But there came a time, only recently, when I felt the need to invade your privacy once more. Things were happening so fast that I fear I became a little paranoid as I got so close to my goal and became wary of any potential threats to it. I am ashamed to say that there was a time that I worried that you would be a danger to Twilight; that the hurt and anger I remembered seeing in your eyes would boil into hatred for somepony you saw as a replacement. So I had you watched, especially after Twilight's coronation, for any sign that you would try and harm Twilight to get back at me. I don't know what I expected to learn but what I discovered surprised me. Instead of a bitter, broken, angry young mare I found a bright, hardworking student who relentlessly strove to better herself. I saw a mare who spent hours struggling to master a single spell, leaving only when the library closed and returning as soon as it opened. I discovered a mare who balanced textbooks on her lap while working two jobs to stave off a steadily rising student loan bill. I saw a mare that struggled and suffered for her craft harder than any other. A mare that endured hardships that Twilight never had to face and in spite of (or perhaps because of) all of that, persevered. With everything stacked on top of you, she rose to heights I never thought her capable of. And most amazingly, she never lost her spark. No matter how hard things got over the years or how many times you would have been justified in giving up or changing your goals, you never did. No matter how dim things seemed, you always managed to persevere with gritted teeth and hard, hard work. You grew older, wiser, and stronger than I could have ever dreamed of and all without my help or guidance. Part of me (an ugly arrogant part of me) is shocked that you accomplished all this on your own. But another part of me knew all along that our parting was but the smallest of stutters on what has been a truly brilliant rise. I truly, truly hope that this letter isn't necessary. I hope that you gave me the chance to speak to you in person so that I could say how fantastically proud I am of the mare you've become and how sorry I am that I wasn't there for you when you needed to be. For the longest time, I worried that I had left you out in the cold but now I see that the only pony who truly suffered for our parting was me. You are, have been, and will always be fine without me but I robbed myself of the chance to stand in the presence of a brilliant sorceress and wonderful person and am all the poorer for it. I do not know what fate awaits me after I have gone. It is possible that my soul will vanish into nothingness and that all of my hopes and dreams will prove foolish. But if there is some small part of us that survives after death...I hope I meet you again. I hope that we have some time to sit down and clear the air between us. I don't doubt you have a few choice words for me and I'll suffer whatever grievances you have to level at me. I have done so wrong by you, little sunspot, and I am willing to spend an eternity making amends if it means that we can be friends someday. I remember when I first met you. You were so fierce and eager that I thought you were going to shake the stars from the sky one day. Whatever happens, however the world conspires against you, I pray that you never lose that spark that I saw glitter in your eyes when I first asked you to be my student. I hope that you will light up the dark as a lantern of hope to guide all those who have had to fight for what they believe in. When others feel beaten down and bereft and think of abandoning their dreams as I am sure you must have, I hope you lend them some of your courage and help them to shine even half as bright as you do. And I hope that, someday, somewhere, I can catch just a little bit of that brilliant light coming off you and be all the warmer for it. Love (now and forever), Princess Celestia P.S. You are a fantastically strong mare and your independent spirit will always serve you well but sometimes you just can't do everything on your own. I hope you will let me do this one small thing* for you. You will accomplish all you have set out to do one way or another but I hope you will allow me the honor of playing a small role in the rise of one of the bravest and most brilliant magicians I've ever met. I cannot begin to restore what you have lost but I hope this is will ease your burden just a little bit. If I can ask but one more favor from you before I go, I would ask that you be the friend to Twilight you always should have been and let her be a friend to you. You are two of a kind whose fortunes could have been reversed if not for the whims of a short sighted old mare that missed her sister. I ask that you keep an open heart and not let any feelings towards me poison what I believe could be a wonderful new friendship. Please don't blame her for what I did to you for you must believe that she was completely innocent and ignorant of what transpired between us. I am confident that you will find in her a truer friend than you could have ever hoped for and she will be in desperate need of ponies like you in the future. For her sake, and yours, I hope you will give her a chance to be your friend. *Editor's Note: Enclosed with this letter was a check totaling some five hundred thousand bits; enough to pay off Sunset Shimmer's remaining tuition and the student loans she took out previously.
The Last Equestrian Princess	Intermission (III)	Selected Passages from Letter to Princess Celestia Excerpts From HRH Princess Twilight Sparkle's Personal Memoirs Part 3 1/1/RY1006 !!!Princess Twilight Sparkle's New Year's Resolution List For RY1006!!! REMEMBER BIRTHDAYS AND SPECIAL EVENTS Gain a better understanding of parliamentary procedure so that I can take some work off of Harrier. Delegate more of my current workload and micromanage less. Resolve border tensions with the griffons. Set up an animal charity in Fluttershy's name (Name Ideas: Angel's Kindness, Butterfly Gardens, Little Hut on the Edge of the Everfree) Set up scholarship fund for aspiring sorcerers. Establish guild for mages to better regulate magical use. Track down Trixie and Zecora (haven't heard from either of them since I was crowned) Reinstate the young Seapony Empress as head of an independent state. Practice flying for one hour thirty minutes twenty five minutes daily. (Sorry Rainbow Dash!) Read at least one new spellbook a week. Practice new spellcraft every night. Try harder to reconnect with get in touch with my Ponyville friends. Make it down to Ponyville for a visit before Midsummer's Eve. Make it out to the Crystal Empire to check up on things/hold memorial service. Try and make it out to see Spike before he graduates next year Write in my journal more. Relax. 1/30/RY1006 Dear Princess Celestia, We almost lost Spike today. I got out of a meeting with the Gryphonian Ambassador to receive a dragon note from a hospital in Neighpon. Apparently, there had been some kind of awful fight between Spike and his friends and a group of people called the "Shadows," some kind of gang no doubt. He was found outside the gates of his school by his "friends" in the "academic club" he said he was joining (I'm almost convinced that this "S.E.E.S" is some kind of street gang). He was cut up pretty badly; one of his friends didn't make it out alive. They got him to the hospital and the doctors managed to heal the worst of the injuries before anything serious happened...the doctor didn't go into any details and I certainly didn't ask for any. I'm absolutely furious with him! What the hell was he thinking getting mixed up in a mess like that?! He's in Neighpon to get an education, not to creep around the school at night and get into fights with punks! He could have been killed! He could have been arrested! He could have been expelled! I would love nothing more than to throttle him right now and if it wasn't for the meeting with the Caribou High King I have tomorrow, I'd be on the next train to Neighpon right now! I told him via dragonmail that we're transferring him out of that school immediately. I thought he would protest, but he agreed that it was probably for the best. I can't blame him; I wouldn't want to stay at a school where one of my friends was killed either. Despite all this, he wants to finish his studies in Neighpon to remain close to his remaining friends. I don't know how much I approve of that, seeing as how it was his friends who got him involved with their little S.E.E.S gang in the first place but he's used to the Neighponese school system by now and another school has gratefully accepted his transcripts. It's a small but very good high school in the countryside and even better, my mother's brother lives there with his young daughter. Uncle Ryo said he'd be happy to take Spike in until he finishes school and seeing as he's a police detective, I can rest easy knowing Spike will be on the straight and narrow from here on out. I'm happy to put this behind us. I sincerely doubt the Shadow gang has a branch in a sleepy little town like Inaba. I have to get some sleep now...or at least try to. I don't know how... Spike was in the fight of his life yesterday and there was nothing I could do to help him. I can't even go visit him in the hospital because of this stupid meeting I have tomorrow. I really hate this job sometimes. Sincerely, Twilight 2/15/RY1005 Dear Princess Celestia, It's a little weird to have a friend that's more famous than I am. Not that I have a big head or anything! But it's weird to think that one of my friends just being in the city could draw so many people that traffic ground to a standstill ]with all the people going to the arena see her fly. I mean, the Wonderbolts always drew big crowds before but that was before Rainbow Dash joined the team. Ever since she made captain it seems like the air show crowds are getting bigger and bigger. She's doing wonders for our Air Force Recruitment, I'll give her that but I wonder how that mare keeps her energy up. Two shows a day, three performances a week, four cities a month with her "off time" being devoted to training, training, and yes, even more training. (Flash Sentry is quite the fan and keeps me updated on all Wonderbolt activity since I don't really have the time to track sports teams anymore.) He actually managed to sneak me out of the castle and into the arena so that I could see them in their special night flying show. I used a special disguise spell to disguise myself as an ordinary pegasus so I could get out of the castle and into the stadium without stealing the spotlight. I had never been to a proper air show before and I didn't know what to expect but from the moment the Wonderbolts took to the skies, I was completely blown away by their performance! Flying through bursting fireworks, doing steep dives and synchronized air ballet to the roaring score of instrumental rock music! And all with Rainbow Dash at the helm, guiding the others and helping her team to shine. I've never seen flying like that before! I thought she was going to crash into the stands a couple of times but she pulled out in the end and finished with a team sonic rainboom that shot the Wonderbolts into the sky, around the stadium, and back to the podium for the grand finale that had everypony in the audience on their hooves and cheering! I thought I could make my way over to her when the show was done but we were practically trampled as everyone rushed out of the bleachers for the fan-meet and greet. There must've been eight thousand ponies between me and Rainbow Dash who was doing her best to sign everything shoved in her face as they fought their way to the locker rooms. After that, I figured she must've been tired so I decided to leave her in peace and make my way back to the castle. It was worth Harrier's displeasure to see Rainbow Dash in action. I'm worried that I may have got Flash Sentry into a little bit of trouble judging by the look on Harrier's face when she caught us sneaking back in the castle. Ah, I'm sure I can get him off the hook. I mean, what's the use of being a princess if you can't get your friends out of tight spots once and a while? Still...it was really cool to see Rainbow Dash fly like that again. It really inspires me to practice more, though I doubt I'll be trying out for the Wonderbolts anytime soon. I'll have to see if my big famous friend has time to give me lessons anymore! I'll have Harrier send her a note while she's in the city; maybe we can catch up on all the flying lessons I've been missing. Twilight 3/1/RY1006 Dear Princess Celestia, Despite our current financial worries, Harrier suggested that I keep up appearances and host the Gala this year like always. I don't know where she thinks she's getting this money from (the last treasury report nearly gave me a heart attack) but she seems to have spared no expense. I guess there's always money to be found when entertaining the upper classes, isn't there? Oh stars, I'm too young to be so cynical. I'm almost glad my friends made excuses not to attend; it's not like I would have been able to spend much time with them anyway. I was stuck in the royal meet and greet line all night and I think it's safe to say that I'm developing a growing antipathy to hoofshakers and flank-kissers. I didn't even have time to eat a proper dinner; I had to eat spring rolls off of a napkin in the mare's room on one of my two allotted bathroom breaks! Memo to self; contract Pinkie Pie to plan next year's Gala and lock Harrier in the broom cupboard so she can't possibly interfere. As much as I appreciate how the mare runs a tight ship, she cannot plan a party to save her life. Twilight 3/4/RY1006 Dear Princess Celestia, I just got back from a meeting with Harrier and I think she's starting to slip a little bit. This all started when Sunset Shimmer interrupted my afternoon nap and demanded to know why I was trying to kill her boyfriend. I told her that I didn't know what she was talking about and she said that Flash was getting reassigned to a frontier garrison on the edge of the Crystal Empire. Apparently he's supposed to ship out tomorrow but this is the first time I've heard anything about it. Harrier's in charge of the royal guards and she usually brings up staff changes during our weekly meetings. When Sunset and I tracked my chancellor down and demanded to know why she was shipping Flash Sentry off to the edge of nowhere, she got really flustered and disoriented. She started coming up with some excuse that this was some kind of "Military Relocation Initiative" but I honestly don't think she knows what that means. I can't even fathom why she would think it a good idea to send Flash to a wilderness outpost like Fort Frostmoth; a city guard like him would get eaten alive by frost trolls within a month! I can't believe she didn't even consider that! I think I've been working Harrier too hard; she's beginning to show signs of stress and some questionable judgement . So I told her that I'd be taking over guard detail from now on. She didn't seem too happy about that (Type A mares like us don't like people to think that we can't handle our jobs) but I had to be firm with her. Truth be told, she's been getting a little sloppy with palace security lately; reassigning or retiring some of the old guards and bringing in some fresh faced son of whatever lord as a favor. Well that stops today. I'm cancelling Flash's reassignment order and assigning him to my personal guard. I'm sure Harrier would agree that having reliable ponies close to me is the best thing for everyone. I'll let the little princelings she hired stay on for now but I think a more rigorous screening process is in order for future Royal Guard candidates. Twilight. 3/6/RY1006 8:25 PM Dear Princess Celestia, Happy Anniversary to me! Today marks one whole year of me ruling Equestria without screwing anything major up which is as good a reason as any for a celebration! We had a small party in the garden tonight; just me, my closest cabinet members and Flash and Sunset. I sent invitations to Ponyville but no one RSVP'd in time so the party was less lively than I hoped it would be. But that's okay; my friends are busy busy little bees who can't just drop everything and appear at my social events whenever I want them to! I mean, I did offer cover their train fare there and back but no big deal; I can always cancel the train tickets tomorrow! I mean...was I looking forward to catching up with everypony after not seeing or hearing from them in nearly a year? Sure! But we're all adults with our own lives to live; I'm sure they had good reasons why they couldn't make it to my anniversary party...and my birthday...and my Hearth's Warming Eve party...and the Grand Galloping Gala. But that's okay! I'm sure we'll catch up next time or maybe the time after that! I'm totally okay with whenever they want to see me! I'm not too worried about this; don't feel too sorry for old Twilight! All things considered, things are going pretty okay! Sincerely Twili No. You know what? It's not okay! I know I screwed up with Applejack's last birthday; I get that and I'm sorry! And I know I haven't been able to get out to Ponyville as much as I would like but it's not like I'm deliberately avoiding them! If anything, they've been the ones avoiding me! Rarity and Rainbow Dash completely flaked on me when I've tried to get them to come to lunch! I've sent them dozens of letters and invitations to social events and haven't gotten so much as a "Thanks but no thanks" in return! I'm sorry that I can't just prance off to the Sugarcube Corner whenever they want me too but in case they haven't noticed I've kinda have a country to run! This isn't a stupid little dress shop or a two bit apple orchard here; my work affects the lives of millions of ponies which means, surprise surprise, I don't have all that much free time anymore! It sucks, I know, but that's life! I'm doing the best I can and I don't think I deserve the frosty treatment I've been getting from the Ponyville gang! You know what? Fine! If they don't want to come to my anniversary party then that's their business! It's not like we have to do absolutely everything together or anything! I'm had a great time with Flash and Sunset so if my other friends decided that they don't want to help me celebrate then that's their call! I can't always be there for them and I don't expect them to always be here for me. I'm certainly not going to be up until three in the morning crying because my party didn't go the way I wanted to! And if they don't want to talk to me or even do me the courtesy of responding to my letters then I sure as hell don't want to hear from them! Twilight 4/13/RY1006 Dear Princess Celestia, Sorry I lost my temper back there; a lot of stress has been piling up on me lately and that party thing just felt like the last straw. In the past couple of weeks, I've had to come to terms with the fact that my friends the Elements of Harmony and I have grown out of our former friendship. It hasn't been easy to admit; I guess a part of me was trying to cling the past by holding on to our old relationships but I see now that I'm not being fair to them. I think we've all grown and changed in ways that we can't remain friends. If they're not invested in continuing our friendship then I'm not going to keep bothering them. I guess some people just can't be friends forever. And really, now that I think about it, I have a lot more in common with Sunset Shimmer I did with the Elements of Harmony. I mean...I can talk to her about magic and science and stuff and have her not totally glaze over like Pinkie Pie or Rainbow Dash did. I can talk about my latest research projects without completely boring her and have her give feedback on areas where I need to improve. Sunset and I are a lot more alike than me and my Ponyville friends ever were; in a lot of ways, we're a perfect match for each other. ... So why do I still miss them? I'm really racking my brain to figure out what I actually had in common with the rest of the Elements of Harmony and for the life of me I can't figure it out. It's not like I'm terribly interested in fashion or sports or agriculture and not even Rarity is all that concerned about magic. Outside of adventuring to save Equestria and living in the same town together, we really didn't have that much to talk about. But...I still miss them. I miss Rainbow Dash butting heads with Applejack. I miss Rarity gushing over the latest designs from Neighpoli. I miss Pinkie Pie randomly breaking into song or throwing parties for the silliest things. And despite the fact that we have literally nothing in common and we haven't been friends in nearly a year...I still miss them. I wish I didn't; I wish I could just stop missing them and move on with my life. I want to be able to look at a cake without thinking about Pinkie Pie or look at a dress without wondering how Rarity would like it. More than anything though...I wish things would just go back to the way they were. But I guess I just have to respect their wishes and give them their space. I can't exactly force them to be friends with me, can I? It'll get easier with time...won't it? Twilight 5/1/RY1006 Dear Princess Celestia, I don't know what the hell is going on but I don't like it; not one bit. Sorry, let me back up. The park dedication I had today went well and I was about to board a carriage back to the castle when I saw Rarity walking through the park in the company of Fleur Di Lis and Fancy Pants. I hadn't seen her a year now; last I heard she was preparing to show at Fashion Week in Manehatten so I was surprised to see her in Canterlot. I called her name but...well, that's when things got weird. She kept walking despite the numerous attempts to call out to her and when I finally chased her down she was...distant. Almost cold. All my attempts to make small talk or catch up were rebuffed by one word answers and short, forced pleasantries. I could tell something was wrong but she didn't open up to me no matter how hard I tried. By then, I was getting frustrated with her standoffishness and as she made up her third excuse to leave, I demanded to know what her problem was. This proved to be one of the biggest mistakes I've ever made. Rarity proceeded to tell me, in great and violent detail, exactly what her problem was. Apparently, I had no right to act chummy with her after being cruel and dismissive to her and everypony else for the past year. She said that I had some nerve trying to talk to her after I had told Pinkie Pie that her constant party invitations were getting annoying and that I didn't want to hear from them again unless I personally summoned them. She told me that I could keep my "noble company" and that she wasn't going to be a "backup friend" to be summoned at my pleasure. Rarity ranted and raved for what seemed like forever, practically biting the head off Flash Sentry when he tried to stick up for me. She informed me that she had better things to do than cater to the whims of a royal brat like me and stormed off in a huff before I could get a word in edgewise. Needless to say, I was stunned, confused and not the least bit outraged that Rarity thought that she had the right to yell at me for being aloof and standoffish! And what was that garbage about me saying that Pinkie Pie was annoying?! I hoofwrote every single letter I sent out to them and Harrier said that I didn't get so much as a postcard in reply! And she wants to call me cruel and dismissive?! This just confirms my suspicions that my Ponyville "friends" and I were never that compatible to begin with and if this is how they want to treat their "friend" and leader then I'm well rid of them! If they don't want to hear from me again then I am happy to stop writing them! Considering that they managed to misconstrue party invitations as personal attacks on them, I may as well have just thrown away the letters I wrote them and have Harrier send them misleading hate mail because the end result would have been exactly...the same. Wait... I need to check up on something. I'll write again when I can.
The Last Equestrian Princess	Intermission (IV)	Selected Passages from Letter to Princess Celestia Excerpts From HRH Princess Twilight Sparkle's Personal Memoirs Part 4 5/8/RY1006 Dear Princess Celestia, Funny story! So you know how I thought that my friends hated me? Well, apparently that's because my chancellor has been running interference between me and them in an attempt to isolate me, control me, and make it seem like she was the only pony I could trust! Isn't that hilarious? All this time I thought my friends were deliberately ignoring me when in fact it was just a simple misunderstanding/gross betrayal of personal confidence! Silly me! Aaaaaaaanyway, just wanted to keep you up to date on the latest hilarious Canterlot gossip! I know you probably have ghostly things to get back to so I'll let you go! Talk to you later! Twilight Oh...wait...hang on a second... No, sorry, I was wrong. That's not funny. That's not funny at all. That's mind-bendingly infuriating. I apologize if any of this is illegible but I'm still shaking from the conversation I just had with soon to be Ex-Chancellor Harrier. After the run in I had with Rarity last week, I couldn't shake the feeling that there was some kind of mix-up between my friends and my mail staff. But every time I went down there to check on the mail situation myself, the mail room staff was all mysteriously on break at the exact same time, doors locked and shades drawn. As if somepony sent them away before I could get there. After about a week of failed attempts to pin down the mail room workers, I decided to send some armed thugs down there unexpected to shake things up a little. Well...Flash Sentry isn't exactly "armed" or "thuggish" but he was the best I could do on such short notice. His report did nothing to ease my mind. He said that pretty much all of his questions were met with stony silence from the mail staff and when he asked if anything had come through from Ponyville recently, he said they got really agitated and hustled him out the door before he could say anything else. That's strange enough but stranger still was the fact that Harrier apparently confronted him later in his shift and apparently got really upset with him. She told him to stop snooping around the mail room, stop asking about Ponyville and stay away from me unless he wanted to get reassigned to the frostiest corner of the Crystal Empire. Mistake #1 I think she forgot that nopony orders my guards around and absolutely nopony threatens my friends. So, earlier this afternoon, Harrier found herself summoned to the throne room in front of the full court and all my guards to "clarify" a few things. I was curious as to why my people were being hustled out of my mail room and why she thought she felt it necessary to threaten a member of my personal guard for doing his job. I was rather imperious if I do say so myself and it had the effect of completely unbalancing my usually collected Chancellor. She feigned innocence for a while, denying Flash's stories and claiming she had no idea why Rarity would think I was upset with her...which is odd because I didn't recall mentioning my confrontation with Rarity in the park to her at all. As good as her lies were, they were not designed to withstand direct scrutiny and after a few minutes of poking, prodding and third rate courtroom theatrics, she finally caved and admitted the truth. She admitted that she had "screened" my company for my own good. She claimed that it was in my best interest, and the best interest of Equestria, that be more "selective" in my choice of company and counsel. She said that the first few years of my rule were the most formative and that it was important that I surround myself with the "right sort" of ponies and take advice from a select few (meaning her and her alone). She insisted that my friends had proven a bad influence in my political life (read: they had dared to give me advice that contradicted her own) and that it would be improper to associate with them too closely in the future. Mistake #2 After that, we had a calm and reasonable discussion about her future in my employ in which the phrase "go to hell" was tossed around more than usual. She asserted that she had been the royal councilor for years before I had even come to court and therefore knew how to best run a royal household. I objected, citing evidence suggesting that she was, in fact, a two faced hagraven who had no business telling anypony how to do anything. She suggested I must be feeling tired and that a long stint in the castle tower would do me some good while she took over some of my more "stressful" duties. I politely disagreed and suggested that perform an act that would have been both extremely painful and physically impossible. She "forbade" me from seeing my friends again and insisted that I retire to my room before I say something that I might regret. I suggested that she take an indefinite vacation in the fieriest corner of Tartarus and that there was nothing she could do to prevent me from leaving if I wanted to. Then she called the guards to "escort me back to my room" and prevent me from leaving the castle. This proved to be her biggest and final mistake as High Chancellor of Equestria. I don't know how she thought things were going to shake out but judging by the look on her face as she sailed off the second story balcony and into the garden pool, I don't think this was quite what she was expecting. I mean come on; did she really think the guards were going to take her side over mine? Really? Does she not know who I am?! I'm Shining Armor's baby sister for crying out loud! I remember playing soldier with half of the captains when they were still cadets! I did my homework in the guard's barracks every day after school until Shining Armor got off duty! These are the guards my brother hoofpicked to protect me on my coronation day! And she thought that they would just jump at the chance to stab me in the back?! Oh wait, no, the two princelings Harrier promoted to the royal guards before I took over tried to stop me. Yeah, the Nepotism Twins did great against the dozens of career military bodyguards who came down on them like a hailstorm. I think one of Harrier's toadies actually managed to ruffle a younger officer's helmet plume before he was bucked twenty feet across the throne room, out the window and into the pool. In hindsight, it probably wasn't strictly necessary to physically eject them from the castle but it was certainly satisfying watching her go and even more satisfying knowing that the garden pool recently bloomed a rather foul smelling culture of algae. It sounds horrible, I know, but I can't bring myself to care too much about a pony that has systematically made the last year of my life absolutely miserable. I feel so...used, betrayed and so bloody stupid! If I never ran into Rarity in the park I would have never- Rarity! I need to get to Ponyville as soon as possible. I just hope there's still time to set things right. Twilight 5/9/RY1006 Dear Princess Celestia, I'm writing you from rather cramped little bedroom at the Ponyville Inn. Seeing as I've been refused entry at all of my friend's homes and half the town thinks I'm a conceited brat, this is the best that I can do for the time being until I can make amends. So as you might expect, my attempts at reconciliation with my friends are going over like lead balloons since Harrier did her best to make sure my friends wouldn't want to contact me, much less try to. Apparently her little plan to keep my friends from influencing me included sending snotty, stuck up letters in reply to all the birthday, party, and lunch invitations my friends sent to the castle. I'm not inclined to dignify Harrier's vile, poisonous filth by repeating it here but needless to say I was treated to the cliff notes of some rather nasty letters Harrier sent out in my name while I was being driven off Applejack's ranch by her grandmother and I can't say I really blame them for being less than pleased to see me. My attempts at reaching Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie went little better and ended in wet, disastrous failure both times as I was subsequently rained on and hit in the face with what smelled like cheesecake that had been sitting on a counter for a week (in that order, no less, so I couldn't even wash the stink off until I got back to the hotel.) I can't even begin to tell you how absolutely awful I feel right now but the worst part by far is knowing that I have no one to blame for this but myself. Well...I did have a backstabbing power hungry second in command that didn't exactly help. But the fact of the matter is that I gave Harrier all the power she needed to run roughshod over me and play me for a fool. I put Harrier in a perfect position to ruin my life and sat back and watched it happen like an idiot. The only hope I have left is that Rarity will give me a chance to explain myself when she gets back from her runway tour tomorrow. If she doesn't then...I don't know what I'm going to do. I can't exactly stick around in a town that thinks I've gotten too big for my britches because of the way "I" treated my friends but I'm worried that if I go back to Canterlot, I'm never going to get another chance to apologize. I'm worried that they're not even going to let me back in town next time; Ponyville Ponies protect their own and Harrier made it look like I had just snubbed four of Ponyville's favorite daughters. Princess or no, I'm not going to be welcome back here until I settle things with my friends. I have to convince Rarity to convince the others to let me explain myself. If they still don't want to speak to me after that I'll be fine I'll respect their decision. But they deserve to know the truth;I owe them that much at least. Twilight. (Personal Note: Publically eviscerate Harrier when I get back to Canterlot.) 5/10/RY1006 10:45 AM Dear Princess Celestia, I'm sorry but I have to make this short; I'll write more when I can but I wouldn't expect to hear from me for a few days...I have a lot of catching up to do. Sorry, let me back up. After a thoroughly unpleasant night sleeping on the lumpiest mattress ever created, I was woken up at six in the morning by a thunderous pounding on my door. Before I could even get up to murder whoever had disturbed my uneasy slumber, the door blasted off its hinges and a frazzled looking Sunset Shimmer entered followed by an equally harried looking Flash Sentry. Apparently, they had been out all night along with half the guards looking for me since I disappeared from the castle after Harrier's arrest. The guards were in full panic mode; Harrier was arrested after I "disappeared" and the whole castle was trying to find me before the press got wind that their princess had gone missing. In hindsight, I probably should have told somepony that I was going to Ponyville before I left the castle. Oops. I filled them in as we made our way downtown, walking fast as I recounted my less than successful attempts at reconciliation. I cannot remember a time when I approached the Carousel Boutique with more dread and as I caught a glance of familiar purple mane inside the bustling shop I felt a wave of anxious nausea wash over me as I realized that this was it; if I couldn't get Rarity to listen to me then there was a chance I would never right this mistake or see my friends again. My head swam and Flash guided me into a thicket on the side of Rarity's store before I passed out in the street. I knelt there for a moment, took three deep breaths, and then got back on my hooves and walked through the door before I could psyche myself out any more than I already had. The bell jingled as we entered the shop and Rarity turned to welcome her new customers only to stop when she saw me in the doorway. She didn't look entirely happy to see me but she didn't slam the door in my face like Applejack did or pretend not to be home like Rainbow Dash did. We just stared at each other as her customers nervously milled about in the sudden silence. Rarity opened her mouth to say something and I quickly cut her off and started babbling before she could say anything or tell me to leave. I told her that the letters weren't from me and that I didn't know what they said but they certainly hadn't been from me and Harrier- That got her attention. She didn't look like she wanted to listen to me at first but the second I dropped Harrier's name, I saw her perk up. She held up a hoof to stop me, glanced over at Sunset and Flash who nodded in answer to her questioning gaze and then looked back at me with dawning realization. "Of course," she said. And before I could say anything else, Rarity slammed into me with more strength than I thought she was capable of. I thought she was attacking me for a second until wrapped her arms around me, crying and mumbling apologies into my mane. I was confused for a brief second until I realized what was happening. She believed me. Rarity believed me. I hadn't lost her. I still had at least one Ponyville friend left. That realization set off some kind of weird chemical reaction inside of me. I don't really know what happened after that; the anxiety that had been slowly winding its way around my stomach for months suddenly let go, snapping like a rubber band and releasing a torrent of built up stress. I came unglued and a sigh of relief quickly turned into a symphony of sobs as I realized that I still had a chance to make up with my friends. I still have a chance! It's not over yet; Rarity said she'd go with me to help me talk to the others as soon as she could close up shop. She reasons that if we can get the others together in one spot and start talking before they can get away from us, then we have a chance to tell them the truth. I just hope it's enough. I have to go now. Rarity says we need to catch Rainbow Dash before she heads off to training. I'll write more when I can. Twilight 5/10/RY1006 6:35 PM Dear Princess Celestia, Mission accomplished. With Rarity's help I managed to track down all my friends. It wasn't easy to get a hold of them; Sunset actually ended up breaking into Applejack's barn and dragging her out kicking and screaming while Flash lured Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash to Sweet Apple Acres with the promise of free apple cider. They weren't exactly happy to see me again but Rarity managed to convince them to hear me out and, after another long winded and rambling apology backed up by Rarity, Flash, and Sunset, we found ourselves tangled in a wet, snotty apology group hug. We're having a party of course; Pinkie Pie has never been one to let good news go uncelebrated. Applejack cleared out her third and newest barn and Rainbow Dash and Rarity decorated everything while I helped Pinkie raid the Sugarcube Corner. It took three wagons to get everything over to Sweet Apple Acres and by the time we got there, the party was in full swing. Cake and dancing and group hugs all around; my friends were all together again. Happy ending...right? And yet somehow there's something off about all of this. Not that I'm unhappy with how things turned out; far from it! I'm thrilled that my friends and I are back together after so much time apart...or at least I should be. As happy as I am to be back with my friends...I still felt a bit uneasy. And I could tell that they felt it too. We're all smiling a little too broadly and laughing a little too loudly at personal jokes that are two years old at this point. We keep talking and talking and talking as if we're afraid that a moment of silence will creep up on us like a thief and steal the little peace we've made for ourselves. There is a mean, desperate edge to the festivities that I can't say I like. It doesn't feel like the parties we used to have. I know they're still upset with me; our time apart was partly my fault after all...but I can't stop thinking... Why did they believe Harrier's letters so easily? I don't really know what's more disheartening; that Harrier made me out to be an arrogant little brat...or that my friends so readily believed her. I thought our friendship was strong enough to weather whatever was thrown our way but...are a couple of letters really all it takes to turn us against each other? I know Harrier forged my signature and sent them on my personal stationary but I don't understand how they could have thought I would ever say such awful things to them? I'm sure they probably tried to write me to find out what was going on and Harrier probably stopped them but...they should have just stopped by! They should have known something fishy was up so why didn't they just come up and visit me or yell at me?! Applejack should have been beating down my doors for half of the things Harrier said to them in my name. Why wouldn't they just be comfortable speaking to me like they used to?! Unless...no, I made it clear to them that I didn't want them to treat me any differently after my coronation. They didn't feel intimidated by me, did they? They didn't think that I would let my position go to my head so quickly, did they? Do they still feel this way? I don't know...this doesn't feel like something that can be fixed with a group hug and a piece of cake. Things are still a little awkward between us since we haven't properly talked to each other in nearly a year. I feel like there's a lot we need to talk about; a lot has changed between us but we're all trying to act like nothing has. Like we're all still the same ponies we were a year ago. But we're not...and we need to realize that. I think we need to cancel this party; it's high time we were real with each other for a change. Twilight 5/13/RY1006 Dear Princess Celestia, Back in Canterlot after a long weekend and Ponyville feels like worlds away as I am once again swamped by the business of rule only this time without a chancellor to help me out. This weekend was emotionally exhausting for a number of reasons, not the least of which was a day and a half long talk I had with my Ponyville friends. I told them after I wrote you last that we all needed to have a talk and to my surprise they all agreed with me. Sunset and Flash made themselves scarce as we packed up what was left of the party food, hiked up to Fluttershy's tree, sat down on a blanket and just talked for what felt like the first time in years. We kept it light at first; we talked about our lives, what we've been doing since we last saw each other, how our jobs are going, the latest Ponyville gossip. And then, when we ran out of fun stuff to talk about, we started digging deeper into the topics nopony wanted to talk about. Hard stuff like where we thought our friendship was going and how they really felt about being friends with "royalty" and why they thought that Harrier's letters came from me. It was not pretty, not by any stretch of the imagination and honestly I'm still squirming from some of the things that were said. But it felt good to just get everything out in the open and really hash out the problems in our friendship nopony really wanted to bring up. Once we really dragged our personal demons and emotional baggage out of the dark, they didn't seem so intimidating. And by the time my friends saw me off to the train station; I really think we made some progress. Things aren't the way they used to be but...they're good. And I have every confidence that they're going to get better. I don't think it's going to be easy being friends with them for a while; we are out of practice after all. But I think this is something we can definitely work past. Work being the operative word. Not even Discord managed to drive a wedge between us for as long as Harrier did but even she's not completely to blame for us falling apart. It was so easy to make "friends forever" promises on my coronation day; back before we all had so many important things to do. I guess we thought it would just come so easily to us; that our friendship was immune to things like time and distance. But I think we're all starting to see that if you want to remain part of somepony's life, you really have to make a conscious effort. And it's not always going to be as easy as hopping over to the Sugarcube Corner for lunch. It's about making a serious commitment to each other and struggling to build our lives around the relationships we made. We really have to be honest with each other and it's going to take a lot of time, energy, and emotional investment to make our friendship work now. But somehow...I think we're up to the challenge. I think the fact that the five of us got together and talked it out is a sign that we're all in it for the long haul and we're ready to do what we have to do to stay part of each other's lives. . Now I'm back in Canterlot with a whole mess of problems, not the least of which is the dawning realization that I've been less of a princess and more of a sock puppet while my friends have been doing amazing things with their own lives. Listening to how much my friends have accomplished for themselves since I've last seen them really makes me feel inadequate by comparison. I mean...Rarity's design studio takes up most of her house now! She hired assistants and started showing her lines at Manehatten Fashion week! Rainbow Dash is flying two shows a week and selling out stadiums from here to Trotsdale! Pinkie Pie has taken over the Sugarcube Corner after the Cakes decided to open another franchise in Canterlot and she's been dating Applejack's cousin Braeburn for the past six months! Don't even get me started on Applejack! Sweet Apple Acres is more than double its original size after the Apples practically muscled their way into the Everfree Forest! They're selling their stuff in Trottingham and Fillydelphia and every town in between! So of course I felt like an idiot when it came time for me to catch them up on my exciting career in politics and I realized that I had done nothing of any significance since they last saw me. I know that becoming a princess and ruling a country before thirty is nothing to sneeze at but I don't really feel like I've done much besides blindly signing away Equestria's future to my High Chancellor. Stars...nearly two years of theoretically complete authority and nothing to show for it. Not a new library, not a new law, not the animal charity I promised to set up in Fluttershy's name. Nothing. Seeing my friends and how well they've done for themselves made me realize how much more I could should have done with my position. I should have been smarter about Harrier; I should have stepped up to the plate a little more and taken charge even if I felt like I was in over my head. Equestria is getting along just fine but...is that enough? Is "just fine" really the best I can do for Equestria? I'm sitting on top of this huge mess with Harrier with a parliament in rebellion and a cabinet in shambles and all I can think is...no. I'm not doing the best job I can do. I can do so much better. I will do so much better. Seeing my friends again really lit a fire under me. I feel energized for the first time in months! I feel like I can finally take off the training wheels and become the leader I'm supposed to be! But first...I have accounts to settle with my former chancellor. Twilight
The Last Equestrian Princess	Intermission (V)	Selected Passages from Letter to Princess Celestia Excerpts From HRH Princess Twilight Sparkle's Personal Memoirs Part 5 Dear Princess Celestia, It seems that I owe you a long overdue apology. It turns out that you weren't as careless with your money as Harrier led me to believe. I guess I should have realized that the pony put in charge of keeping me up to date on our financial situation can pretty much tell me whatever she wants. I've got my best guards looking into the matter with some members of the treasury department but I think it's safe to say that our Ex-Chancellor is going to be in for a long stint in Raven Rock...unless she wants to turn over her accomplices and testify against them. Oh right, let me catch you up on that. It appears that Harrier had a nice little cottage industry going with certain members of parliament, accepting disgustingly large bribes to "influence" (read: manipulate) me into enacting policies that privilege their wants and needs over the good of Equestria. I'm embarrassed to say that Harrier bamboozled me with legal mumbo jumbo and got me to essentially sign blank checks for her friends in parliament to cash in at the expense of the Equestrian people. I can't believe that I never caught wind of what she was up to, but if I'm being completely honest I was never that good at reading social situations. That was always Rarity's forte and she pretty much spotted Harrier's secret dealings with parliament at that lunch party all those months ago. I'm starting to see why Harrier worked so hard to keep us apart; she wouldn't have been able to slip as much as she did past me if I had Rarity or Applejack watching her every move. I almost appreciate the skill with which Harrier deceived me for so long. Then I remember that she's a lying, manipulative harpy who tried to poison my relationships and run my life. And then I don't appreciate her so much anymore. Fraud. Embezzlement. Corruption. Conspiracy to Commit Legal Fraud. Facilitating Unlawful Corruption in Parliament. Light Treason. Mail Fraud. Any one of these offenses would be enough to ship Harrier off to the darkest cell in Raven Rock until her mane turns grey and her teeth fall out. But as tempting as it is to just throw the book at her, I'm beginning to see Harrier as a tiny part of a bigger issue; namely that Canterlot is full of scheming, manipulative backstabbers more concerned with their own personal power plays than doing their jobs and representing their constituents. And I've never been one to treat the symptoms when I have the chance to cure the disease. So let's see if Harrier wants to turn over her friends in exchange for a lighter jail sentence. Twilight Dear Princess Celestia, After consulting with my war council (for the moment, Sunset Shimmer and Rarity) I've decided to hold a garden party. I decided to invite all of Chancellor Harrier's good friends to the castle to thank them for doing such a wonderful job and remind them that I now have enough dirt on them to completely destroy their personal and political lives. You see, it turns out that Harrier didn't quite trust her comrades as much as I trust mine and she kept a rather detailed list of her co-conspirator's...less than reputable activities to keep them in line in case any of them got cold hooves and thought about turning her in to me. I won't go into details and it's nothing illegal as far as I can tell. But it is humiliating enough to ensure that none of them will ever be elected to public office again. I wanted to go public with this information, especially with elections coming up, but Rarity counseled against it, reasoning that it was more useful to have a bunch of active politicians terrified to cross me than a bunch of ex-politicians who are no use to anypony. (Sidebar; I'm a little scared of Rarity now.) So I thought it was only fair to let everypony know exactly where they stand. I think I'll serve some tea, some light sandwiches and remind them that while going public with this information would hurt me and make me look stupid for being led around, it would completely destroy them. I'm going to remind them that their friend Harrier is going to get chewed up by the press as she prepares for a trial that could put her away for the rest of her natural life. I'm going to warn them that I can do the same thing to any one of them with single letter to the press and the name of the game now is "Do Your Jobs and Make Princess Twilight Happy Or She's Going To Screw You Over So Hard That Your Grandfoals Are Going To Pay For It." Which is one of my new favorite games, by the way. Also, I think I'm going to serve lemon bars; what do you think? I know it's not summer yet and they're not exactly in season but I thought they would go well with the tea and I've kind of been craving them lately. Eh, I'll get some for me at least; I doubt my guests will have much of an appetite once I've finished with them. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some politicians to terrorize. Twilight Dear Princess Celestia, Rainbow Dash is getting married. ... To two different ponies. ... At the same time. ... Yeah. ... Stick that in your pipe and smoke it. Needless to say, this wasn't the news I thought I was going to be receiving when Rainbow Dash invited us all out to dinner last night. I knew that Rainbow Dash had been seeing two ponies for some time now but I always assumed that they didn't know about each other. So of course, I was surprised to find out that not only were Spitfire and Soarin perfectly aware that Rainbow Dash was dating both of them, they were something of an item themselves. And, in what Rainbow Dash described as an "epic display of aerial affection," they both proposed to her on the same night. Yeah, apparently Rainbow Dash's love triangles resolve like the harem ending of a bizarre Neighponese dating sim. Not that I have any experience with that kind of thing. I always knew that it would be weird when my friends started doing "adult" stuff like buying houses and having foals but I have to be honest, I never expected Rainbow Dash to be the first of us to tie the knot. I thought the smart money was on Rarity for that one so I guess I owe Spike fifty bits when he gets back from Neighpon. I don't know...it's a little weird to me I guess. I mean, plural marriage isn't as common as it used to be when mares had to double up on stallions just to keep our population up but apparently it hasn't fallen completely out of practice. I can't even imagine getting married to one pony at this point in my life; getting married to two feels even more unreal. Though if Sunset and Flash brought it up, I'm not saying I wouldn't give the thought due consideration. It's not that I'm not happy for her because I really am! Just from the short time I've spent with them at dinner tonight, I can tell that Soarin and Spitfire seem like great ponies and the three of them really seem to complete each other. Spitfire is a more Type-A version of Rainbow Dash while Soarin's more levelheaded nature keeps the group grounded. I think for Rainbow Dash to find one partner that complements her personality and another that balances her out is a blessing. I was a little upset that I didn't get the bridesmare invitation at first but I thought that it was just because of the time we spent apart. So of course I was completely stunned when Rainbow Dash asked me to officiate the ceremony. I was a little unsure about it at first but Rainbow Dash seemed to sense my hesitation and took me aside to assure me that being a princess had nothing to do with why she wanted me to preside over the ceremony. She just thought that, given my "propensity for verbosity" (wow somepony got her a word of the day calendar) I would be happier taking charge of the ceremony. After all, Applejack is catering, Rarity is designing the dresses, and Pinkie Pie has called planning the party; so why shouldn't I get to do something that makes use of my talents too? I guess I really can't refuse, can I? At any rate, I have a while before I have to start thinking about how I'm going to preside over the ceremony. Soarin wants to let the engagement mature a bit and Rainbow and Spitfire want to plan the most over the top wedding celebration in history so we have some time before the wedding. I'm really happy for them, Rainbow Dash in particular. There was a time when I couldn't even conceive of Rainbow Dash being mature enough to settle down but somehow...I think she's really grown up over the years. And I'm really proud of her for that and I'm so happy that she wants me to be part of her special day. There was a time not too long ago when I thought that I would never be part of my friend's lives anymore. Now...well, now I'm just glad that we all have an opportunity to celebrate together again. Twilight Dear Fluttershy, Sorry that I haven't written you lately. I've had a lot on my plate recently and haven't been able to write as much as I would have liked. If Princess Celestia is floating around anywhere near you, you can ask her and she'll tell you all about it. A lot has been going on and I thought I should keep you in the loop. I finally got that animal shelter off the ground. We're just starting up, just a little building and a couple of kennels in Ponyville. But I hope to grow it into a much larger place as soon as I can find some ponies to staff it. Most of your friends are already back in the wild or in new homes but the ones that are left are taking to the new shelter nicely. Except...nopony has been able to find Angel Bunny; not for almost two years now. He jimmied the lock of his cage open when we were moving him from your house to the Apple's barn and scampered off into the Everfree Forest before I could stop him. I think he knew you weren't coming back anymore and decided he didn't want anything to do with the rest of us. I'm sure he'll be find on his own; he was always...assertive for a rabbit. I think you raised him well enough to fend for himself and...I don't think he would have wanted to stick around with ponies who weren't you anyway so- Oh, I adopted a family of mice a little while ago! I found them poking around the kitchen and managed to save them from the chef's mallet. I bought a little dollhouse for them to play around in and a little habitat for them to sleep in at night. I've been feeding them cheese for months now but I guess I should probably find them some less fattening fare, right? What was that stuff you kept your rodent friends fed with? Ah, I'll ask some of the mares at the shelter; I'm sure they'll steer me straight. Everypony here is doing very well for herself. Applejack is thinking of expanding the family business even further than she already has. She's buying up land in the Everfree Forest and cultivating it for apple production. She's got a new barn that churns out Granny Smith's Homemade Apple Cider year round to ship off to cites all over Equestria. The only one growing faster than Applejack is Rarity. I'm starting to see that familiar diamond cutie mark on tags and in store windows in Canterlot more and more these days. I doubt you would recognize the Carousel Boutique anymore; she's converted everything except her bedroom into a large design studio and is designing up a storm. Pinkie Pie is her usual self, still baking and partying up a storm. A little less...hyper I think but not any less cheerful. She took over the Sugarcube Corner from the Cakes a little while ago and seems to be hellbent on rotting every pony in Ponyville's teeth out, either with her sweets or her saccharine PDA's with her new boyfriend Braeburn...yeah, that Braeburn. They suit each other well but more than three minutes in their company gives me a headache. Spike is...he's doing well from what I can tell. Neighpon seems to be taking up most of his attention since I barely hear from him lately. He's living with my Uncle Ryo and from what he tells me, Spike has made tons of new friends lately. There was even a rumor going around that he was dating a Neighponese idol singer...or was it the local inn manager's daughter...hm...I forget. At any rate, I think it turned out for the best that he left Equestria for schooling; I'm ashamed to say that Neighponese schools appreciate him more than Equestrian schools would have. I guess the biggest news of all is that our little Rainbow Dash is the first of us to get married. ... Yeah, I know, that was my reaction too. She's marrying two of her wingmates in a year's time, just as soon as Spike gets home from Neighpon. Rainbow Dash wanted to invite you but I thought you might be busy with afterlife stuff...unless you want to drop by that is. You know, grab some cake, catch the bouquet, unravel the mysteries of the world beyond the living in front of a crowd of terrified mortals. That was a joke. Unless you're serious. In which case some warning might be nice; I don't think Rainbow Dash would appreciate a heart attack for a wedding present. All kidding aside...they're good ponies. And they make her happy. And they're going to take care of her like she needs to be taken care of...like you would have wanted to. You would be so proud of her. You always were but I think she's finally becoming the pony she was always meant to be; the pony that you always saw her as. Somepony brave and trustworthy and hard-working and determined. And I think in some small way she has you to thank for that. I'm sorry, but I didn't exactly tell you what you wanted me to tell her. She took your passing really badly and I didn't need to add another "what if" on top of the pile she already stacked on her shoulders. Hate me if you want but I told her that you always believed in her. And I think that inspired her more than anything to really go out and get what deserved. She thought so highly of you that she's been working herself tirelessly to live up to your expectations. She's a great leader and an even greater flier but- I think she would have traded all of this, all the fame and success that came from her work, just to have you stand beside her on her wedding day. I know I would. And that's why there's not going to be a mare of honor at her ceremony; because the only pony for the job isn't here to celebrate with us. I love you, I miss you, and I will write again soon. Twilight Dear Princess Celestia, Happy Anniversary to me! ... Okay, I know it isn't my second coronation anniversary yet but since my friends missed the last party (and since we've got about a year of missed birthdays and holidays to make up) we decided to get together in Ponyville to celebrate them all at once. Pinkie Pie is calling it "The New Grandgallopingwarmingbirthdayversary Gala." I'm amazed that she managed to fit all that on one cake but I'm even more surprised that everybody from Ponyville insisted that I bring Flash and Sunset down with me. I figured, after the year we've had as a group, they would want some alone time but Rarity made a good point; if it wasn't for Sunset and Flash forcing everypony to listen to me, we might have never gotten another opportunity to celebrate like this. Without their help, I would have never found out that Harrier was lying to me or convinced my friends to accept my apology. I guess I owe them a lot now that I think about it and I wonder...I wonder if you wanted me to meet them. I wonder if you had some idea of the challenges I was going to face and wanted to make sure that I had all the friends I could need. And I've certainly needed them; that's for sure It's been a hell of a couple of years; I'm not going to lie. First Shining Armor and Cadence, then Fluttershy, then you and Luna, then this mess with Harrier. The hits felt like they were never going to stop coming and I barely had time to process one catastrophe before another came along and knocked me off my hooves again. But now I feel like things might actually be going my way for the first time in a long time. We have so much to celebrate, my friends and I, it's hard to think that one party (even a Pinkie Pie Party) can celebrate it all. Rainbow Dash is getting married. Spike is coming home soon. The post coronation power grab seems to have been truly and soundly defeated. I'm finally getting things accomplished on my own. And most importantly, I am back together with the dearest ponies in the world to me. This will be the final entry in this journal as I'm running out of room and want to keep it as a token of my first year of solo princessing. As rough as it's been, things are starting to look up. Don't worry about us too much; I think Equestria is going to be just fine No. I think Equestria is going to be better than it ever was. It hasn't been easy by any stretch of the imagination but I'm doing my best to make sure the trust you had for me wasn't misplaced. I fully intend to put your rule to shame and become the best damn princess this country has ever seen! I have to go; Pinkie wants to cut the cake now and you do not keep that mare waiting on sweets. All My Love, Twilight. Editor's Note: We hope you have enjoyed this brief excerpt from Letters to Princess Celestia. This marks the end of Princess Twilight's first journal and the beginning of what many historians believe to be the most tumultuous time in Equestrian history. We hope you will stay with us as Princess Twilight is tested even further, learns the true meaning of sacrifice, and understands the cost of ruling a princedom alone. Sincerely, Terra Nova
Tarot	pre	I raised, still disorientated after the spell. I examined myself. "Nothing happened. That's my usual attire. I'm a village's blacksmith." "Blacksmith?" The old pony's brows raised. "You've been making prophecies." "I don't anymore." I shook my head. "After I cast that spell at the tent, I cannot find rest. Nightmares torture me night after night. They became stronger with each passing day. Everything around me doesn't fit in. I rise every morning with that feeling. I can't stay in one place, cannot eat or work. And I don't know when this madness will end. I didn't want to come here, but I had no choice." "Prophecies and time's spells are very mysterious and little understood sphere to work with. Without proper training, mages should to work very carefully on these two," the unicorn answer. "Long ago, at the tent, I was truly impressed. I have never seen such a spell before. "I wanted to talk with you, but suddenly you vanished. I tried to find you, but the tent holder said that they'd kicked you out and didn't know where you went. I asked every unicorn I could, but nopony could answer me. No mage ever taught a Starky the Comet. You just appeared from the thin air, told your grim prophecy, and then were gone. Who taught you?" "Nopony. That spell, it didn't work. I made it up by myself." "By yourself? Wait, how could you made such spell without any lessons on magic?" "I had scrolls." I levitated the shabby brochure and it slowly fell to unicorn's hooves. He picked it up and studied it carefully. "These scrolls were distributed by a collegium about thirty years ago." He raised his eyes to look at me, "Where did you get them?" "They were among my father's belongings." "These lessons -- there is everything at once. Nopony has used these as a tutorial for years now. Most unicorns just gave up barely reaching the middle. The way it provides information is just too terrible. It goes from very simple, but in the last chapters it has tons of extremely difficult magic elements. Did you understand all of it?" "Not quite. I tried to make different spells but could only finish just this one. It's based on the stars and tarot. I connected it to the symbolism the cards provide, and made a few algorithms, like I did with horoscopes. It made a circle. A few elements for controlling how time flows. I'm not completely sure how it's working, but I thought it improved fortune telling. "Temporal elements... What in the..." The unicorn rose from the table dropping his blanket. "Starky... This is genius. You must tell me everything in detail, but first... Prophecy. What do you remember about it? What have you seen of the princess' future?" "I... I saw that princess is used to putting herself above others, and thinks it is normal. Other ponies play along, even though she's done nothing to earn such regards. Three characters in the future will influence her. First will be a dream between fantasies and absurdity. The second will be an impulsive soldier. She won't be able to control them with her phony authority. That will cause a conflict. Near her will be another pony, the seeker, the sage. If princess won't listen to him, it will cause terrible consequences. Awful troubles." "Of what sort?" unicorn frowned. "I don't know." I shook my head. "I saw only fear and ice. And I have seen it every night after. Every time I close my eyes." "That doesn't make it much clearer." The old unicorn looked troubled. "What did I say to princess? Why was she that upset?" The unicorn didn't answer. Instead he opened a drawer in the table and showed me another scroll with text-curls. I started to look at it. Closer... "What's wrong?" "I'm sorry. I'm not used to those curls and it's hard to read. I've always read smooth letters. Old pony smiled. "I didn't even think that you... Well, I'll read it for you. You said that: "The Cranky princess holding the throne Looks at the twisted world alone, Respect you others not one bit. You've made your bed, now lie in it. Arguing with sky and ground, Harmony will be never found. At a bitter cold cave she discovers her end, The darkness and snow will rule this land." It sounded like couplet for colts. I surprisingly looked at the unicorn. "This prophecy... Is it true?" Sidereal sighed. "I think it's close to the truth. We've seen the shadow in the princess' future before. But even the collegium could not influence the royal family. "Can you help me?" I looked at him as if he carried the only hope I had. "I think that if you want to stop seeing your nightmares, you have to prevent the prophecy coming." "Are you kidding me? I couldn't even be good blacksmith." "Now you are blacksmith, but I can't let such a talented unicorn remain one. I offer you a place here to become a student of the collegium and my personal protege. Believe me, if you managed to understand those scrolls, then with access to library and best teachers there are, there will be nothing you can't do. Just tell me, you feel better since you came here, am I correct?" The inner voice was silent. My body didn't shake anymore. Both had left me abruptly, so abruptly I could not put my hoof on when they'd gone. "It's seems so..." "The spell is leading you. But it's up to you to decide. The more you study, the more chance for you to seize your connection with the prophecy. You will be giving us a chance to try to prevent it and write a better future for all of us." I was lost in thoughts. Wasn't this the chance I was looking for? Not just a trickster, but the unicorn of the collegium? All the chaos and horror I saw in my dreams -- it will come, and everypony will feel the darkness and cold. Could I live calmly, knowing what's coming? Forget, and just rid myself of the nightmares?" "When you are prepared, you can start your training. You'll have plenty of time to think." "I agree." I smiled, sadly. "I never doubted." Sidereal took a new parchment and started to fill it up. "Starky the Comet isn't your given name, right?" "No. That's name was given to me by other earth ponies." "Spell your real name." I spelled the memorized words. The magic burst and the sound of a bell resounded behind the door. A milky-white unicorn trotted inside, throwing me squeamish glance as she came. Sidereal gave her the scroll. "Jubilee, darling, this young unicorn has enrolled at the collegium with a special status. Please, show him around." "Of course, Master Sidereal," she knelt now looking at me with much more respect. It seemed she examined every cell of me, with all my rags, burns and dirt. "You can go. Jubilee will show you to everything you will need." When I came out of the office, I finally felt the trueness of my deeds. The inner voice quieted for now. Maybe the future wouldn't be so dark and cold. And even if it was, the ray of hope erased the darkness and warmed my world. I looked at my future mentor. He just nodded and added: "Welcome to the collegium, Star Swirl."
Anon von Bismarck	pre	Quill's jaw dropped as Starlight speaks, Luna's eyes look like miniature moons, and even I was shocked into silence, unable to even think of your next question. This was peculiar. She could be useful if I ever needed someone new to run the Ministry of Production. Starlight's eyes flicked between the three of us, and she shook her head. In a moment, her cheery attitude had returned and there's no sign of the pony that had answered your questions. "Sorry about that! Politics is something I studied for years, and I get a bit passionate when discussing domestic policy!" I straightened my suit jacket and cleared my throat. This is the first time I've met a pony like Starlight, and it's aroused my curiosity. "No need to apologize, it's honestly refreshing to hear something so... strong. Your opinions are certainly different than other ponies around here. Where are you from, Ms. Glimmer?" She shrugged off the question and gave me a nervous grin. "Oh, just a little town a ways North of Manehattan. A real nowhere town, if I'm truly honest." I narrowed my eyes a bit, suspicious at the answer. This answer, it doesn't line up with her intense interest in politics. She's lying to me, I can tell. She thinks I don't know. I quickly spoke. "Indeed, how did you come to study under Twilight?" Again, Starlight shrugged and looked at the desk. "I got into some trouble and she... helped get me out of it. Since then I've been under her tutelage, and it's helped a great deal." She's dodging me. I wanted to push her more heavily for answers. For the truth. But I can feel this isn't going to go further than it already has. I've spent too long arguing with people for a living that I can tell she's going to just keep deflecting my attempts to poke and prod. "Well, That's quite the story, I must say. Thank you for the insight, it's always helpful to hear the opinions of ponies who are directly affected by policies that I help establish." Starlight offered me a curt bow. "Of course sir, it's a pleasure to help those who serve us all. Was there anything else I can help you with tonight?" I shook my head, despite the looks Quill and Luna gave me. No point in pressing this issue further. "That will be all, now we'd best be off. Goodnight, Ms. Glimmer, and be safe out there." She stood a moment, wondering what I meant by "be safe." She shrugged it off and waved as we exited the library. While I and my companions headed to our inn, Quill spoke to me in a quiet voice. "You know she was hiding something, don't you? None of that adds up." I nodded in response. It was a valid question after all. She was hiding something, and while it could have been important, I feel like it wouldn't be useful in the end. "That much was obvious. However, there was no way for you or I to get that information from her. I'm certain Luna or a unicorn could get it by force, but I'm not about to invade the privacy of our citizens to satisfy personal curiosity." Quill lowered her head, seeming to agree with me. As she does, Luna speaks up. "I'm certain she could be goaded or otherwise manipulated into revealing such information. There are more subtle ways that I can act in without abusing my magic." Again, I nodded in response. "True, but ultimately it's not information we need. What we did get was quite valuable, and shows that we certainly can't disregard even small towns when we're asking about public opinion. There may be valuable insight anywhere." Luna hummed in agreement. The rest of the walk remained quiet. We checked into the inn, two rooms reserved in advance of your visit. Luna took one with a single bed, and me and Quill chose to share the twin bed room. As I laid down, fatigue and aches quickly caught up to me. Since when did I get so old? Oh right, that started happening 8 years ago. It has been a long day, after all. Before long, I was fast asleep, dreaming of a quiet life. My eyes crack open, and already I felt like going straight back to sleep. But as I shut my eyes and try to slip back into my peaceful slumber, I heard the rhythmic scratching of a pen on parchment. I laid still for a while, waiting for it to stop. But after some time, it's clear that it won't. Pushing through my fatigue, I slowly looked around the small room. At first, I was confused. This isn't my chamber in the castle, it's some quaint little room you'd expect to see in a one-horse town. Finally, my brain started waking up properly and I remembered the where and why. I was in Ponyville, sharing a room with Cursive Quill. Wait, Quill? That means she's the one who woke me at this ungodly hour. Or it's some other pony forging a suicide note! Did I already get assassins after me this quickly? The room is lit by the glow of a pair of candles on a desk opposite the twin beds, a flickering shadow is cast by the figure sitting at the writing table, and I quietly rose from the bed. The moment I did, the persistent sound of the scratching quill stops, and the silhouette at the desk stills. "I'm sorry to wake you, sir. Please, go back to bed, I'll be done in just a moment." It's Cursive Quill, of course. Who else would it be? I'm not sure why that little detail had slipped my sleep-addled mind. Jesus, paranoia four days into ruling? That's gotta be a record. Rubbing my eyes against their desire to shut once more, I pushed the covers off myself. "Don't worry about it Quill. Just what time is it anyway?" Looking over, I saw her tapping a hoof against her chin. "I believe it's a couple hours past midnight. You really ought to get some rest, sir. We have quite a busy schedule tomorrow." I yawned loudly, my body obviously agreeing with her. "You're right, but you ought to get some rest too. It wouldn't do to be late because you fell asleep and forgot to needle me onto the next event of the day." I chuckled tiredly at my terrible humor. But Quill merely shook her head in the gloom of the night. "I'm just finishing up some last minute details, I'll sleep after that." With a roll of my eyes, I got up from the bed and slowly walked over to the desk. By god, I was going to get this pony to bed or fall asleep trying. And It's not clear which is more likely at this point. "Well let's go over it together then. I could do with an advanced review, it may even keep me on time for once." As I approached her, she hurriedly shuffles some papers around and leans over top of them. I frowned as I peered down at her, and she refuses to meet my eyes. "Don't worry about it sir, I'll keep you on time like always. Just go back to bed." My eyes narrowed at this blatant attempt at hiding something. "Quill, I'm very good at detecting bullshit. Almost supernaturally so. So tell me, what are you doing?" Quill went to move the papers into her saddlebags, and said "Nothing sir, it's nothing. Just go back to bed." It's way too late for this shit. I pushed her hooves off the paper, even as she protested against me. "Come on sir, it's really nothing we can't cover tomorrow! Just go back to sleep and I'll be done before you know it!" Finally, I managed to snatch the piece of parchment she was trying so desperately to keep hidden. Ah, sweet triumph, Anonymous 1, Quill 0. Quill quickly covered up most of her face using her hooves, but I could see she looked absolutely mortified. I wondered why, it was just a schedule after all. Then my eyes widened as you actually take in what is written down. This isn't a schedule at all. The script is gorgeous, cursive writing, befitting the name of the writer I supposed. From that alone, I can infer that it's certainly not a schedule. It took me a moment to get used to reading the calligraphic letters. But once I finally understood what it was I was reading, it became crystal clear why she was so intent on hiding it, and her absolute embarrassment. It's a poem. Not just any poem, but probably the sweetest, charming love composition you've ever read. Granted, I hadn't exactly read much poetry, ever really. Just wasn't my thing. But even inexperienced as I was at writing, I could appreciate the piece. It was clear that Quill had put a great deal of effort and passion into the poem. And it made me feel a bit uncomfortable to read. No scratch that, I felt like Equestria's biggest dick. There was something deeply intimate about the words, even as they obscured who it might be about. The verse was clearly meant to be read by only a single person besides its author, and now it felt like I was intruding on it. Now I felt like an even worse asshole. But there was no way to take back reading it, so I had to go for the next best thing. I put the poem back on the desk, and laid a gentle hand on Quill's withers. She flinched when I touched her, and tries to cover her face more thoroughly. I simply stroked her back, as gently as I could, and tried to keep myvoice quiet and kind. "It's a beautiful poem, Quill. You ought to be proud of that, it's a gift to have that kind of skill with writing." She shook her head silently. Clearly she's still hung up on you reading it "Listen, I'm sorry I snuck a peek at it, it's obviously meant for someone very special to you." She finally uncovered her face and looked up at me. Her lower lip wobbles as she nods to affirm your statement. It broke my heart to see her like this, so I just kept trying to comfort her. "I can't take back reading it, but if you want I won't bring it up again." Probably, almost definitely. Maybe to tease her, every so often. Sometimes I couldn't help it, she was just so adorable when she was flustered. Maybe I'm a bit of an asshole, but it's all in good fun. Right? Her lower lip stills as she speaks up at last. "You just don't--! I can't even begin to--! Rrr, why are you so frustrating?" She growls as she pushes her head into my chest I'm surprised at the display. Quill is usually cold and composed, hardly even reacting to my light jibes. But now, it seems her mask has fallen off and she's being entirely genuine. I chose to just continue stroking her back, and I felt her heave a deep sigh. "It's fine, I guess. I shouldn't have been working this late anyway so it's my own fault." She trails off, and you interject with a firm but still kind tone. "Don't blame yourself, I shouldn't have been so nosy. That said, we do seriously need to get some sleep. Like you said, we've got a long day tomorrow." I felt her rub against your chest as she nods. Dammit, when did this mare get so cute? As I stood to go back to bed, she clung onto me. It brought a smile to my face, and I lifted her up as I blew out the candles. Maybe it's just her being tired, but she seems far more clingy than I had expected. I laid her down, gently, in her bed before sliding under the covers of my own. Not even two minutes later, I felt the mattress bounce. Silently, a warm weight settles down against your back. Reactively, I almost spoke up to ask what she's doing. But, as I heard her begin to breathe slow and deep, I felt a little twinge in my heart that kept me quiet. Besides, after what I had done, it's only fair that I simply let her get comfortable again. And besides, I can't imagine anything more pleasant than a pony cuddling up to me while I sleep. Not to mention, that letter wasn't meant for me, so it would be fine to indulge her just this once. As I drift back to sleep, one last thought creeps into my mind. Who was the poem meant for? When I pried my eyes open, it was to a score of whistling birds and the sounds of merchants setting up market stalls. Sleepily, I began to stumble to the bathroom and begin washing up with the large basin. No running water for a shower, but then again this wasn't exactly the lap of luxury. Maybe I could draft some kind of bill with the industrial minister to expand quality of life standards. It's something to think about to be sure. Call it a "quality of life bill" or something nice sounding. I dried off with a rough towel that had been hung off the hook of the door. It was a bit wet, you assume it must have been from Quill, since she'd been nowhere in the room when you had awoken. As I was pulling on my pants, there was a knock at the door. Jesus Christ it scared me, but I yelled back. "Just a second!" I hurriedly threw a shirt over my bare chest and pulled open the door. "Oh, good morning Quill. Did you sleep alright?" Outside a slight blush as I mention 'sleep' she retains a look of a cold businesspony. Still, it was better than no reaction at all. "Yes sir. You're almost ready for the day, I presume? We still have a half hour before the farm tour begins, so I took the liberty of booking the three of us in for breakfast at a little cafe down the block." I finally noticed Luna peering over her shoulder. Huh, it had never occurred to me that Quill was significantly taller than most earth ponies. Not quite as tall as Luna or Celestia, but certainly near challenging them in height. Pushing that thought aside, I nodded in agreement with her choice. "That's some good thinking, Quill. Let me just throw on my jacket and we can head down then." Before I turned to get my jacket, I could see the blush on her cheeks deepen a fair bit. Damn she's cute. And she's also my secretary, and I'm not some fat man in those doujin I shamefully read back on Earth, I'm a straight and honourable politician dammit! But she really is adorable. After snapping myself out of that endless cycle of questions, I had finally stepped out the door. Looking down at the lunar princess on your left, I smiled. "How did you sleep, Luna?" She smiled right back, though I could clearly see some heavy lines under her eyes. "Terribly! I believe the mattress was, in fact, made of several large boulders!" And despite her complaints, she was incredibly chipper. "Well, that sounds awful. Why on gods green earth are you smiling then?" Her grin just widened even further. "I'm quite excited for your announcement today, the first step towards the princess of the night once more being beloved of the people!" Ok, that is a fair reason to be excited. I can't even imagine what it was like to be totally isolated for a thousand years. The madness that could have taken root and destroyed her. Thank goodness the Elements of Harmony existed. But as I walked to the cafe with my companions, that thought starts a cascade of others. What was it that originally led to Luna becoming Nightmare Moon? Sure the history books say it was jealousy, and that probably played some kind of role. But history is written by the winners, and Luna definitely hadn't won in her rebellion. In a weird way, it was as though you were talking with Milton's Lucifer. Though to be fair, Luna was far more penitent than he ever had been. But it just brings me back to wondering about the entire mythology of Equestria in general. Hold on a damn minute, you had one of the first gods right here. Why not just ask her? "Luna, what was Equestria like in the beginning? Before Discord, before you two, before all that." She looked up at me, confusion evident on her face. "What ever do you mean? That's all in the books, ancient history by now." Her tone is dismissive, but carries an undercurrent of curiosity. It's clear she regards it as a pointless topic. Before I can answer her, we arrived to the cafe. It only takes a moment to be seated and order. Quill takes a number of papers from her bags almost immediately and begins working. I took the quiet moment to return to my earlier conversation with Luna. "I mean what was it really like. The books don't go into any real detail. It merely says you met Star Swirl and were crowned, some time after the Crystal Empire had been founded, and well after Equestria existed. So where did you come from, and why?" Luna's ears press against her skull, and she looks down at the table. "Truly? I know not. For one, a millennium of isolation with my only company being the voice of darkness itself in my mind did not treat my consciousness kindly. Second, I am truly not certain even my sister knows. When we met Star Swirl, we but were fillies. He called us the shards of the Cosm, said we fell from outside the sky itself. I do not know if he was telling us true, or simply telling a tale." She pauses for a long moment. It gave me some time to digest what she's said. While I'm not surprised that her thousand year imprisonment had taken a toll, I hadn't realized just how deeply it had dug into her mind. It made you wonder how much the ponies of Equestria knew about their princesses. How much they cared to know. Luna raises her head, and begins speaking again. "Star Swirl was already old when he found us. And it wasn't long before he gave over to us the duty of raising and lowering both sun and moon. It was what earned us our marks. Though before he had mentioned us to the ponies that followed under him, it was only now he truly introduced us as rulers to the masses. He tutored us in his mystic and mysterious ways of magic, imparting his arcane knowledge, much of which we cannot dare reveal. Truly, I believe he burdened us as much as he gifted us." She trailed off as your food arrives. It had taken some getting used to, but you'd adjusted to a vegetarian diet many years ago. Meat was a rare treat, reserved almost exclusively for time spent with the griffons. But somehow, you survived taking your eggs without bacon The meal passes in solemn silence, and it gave me even more time to mull about your impromptu history lesson. It's hard to separate truth from reality sometimes. Especially when I'm living in a world that I had once thought impossible to exist. That's certainly something that still woke me in a fit of cold sweat and fear sometimes, even now. Oftentimes, the deeper I delved into this world, the closer I had brushed with true madness. It certainly was, on the surface, idyllic and peaceful. If I had simply stayed in Ponyville, who knows how long I could have seen it so simply. Sure the occasional monster attack would have been frightening, but it would have become so much as any other rare event in time. But near as soon as I had entered Celestia's court, the veil had begun to peel back. The immense undertaking of the leadership to keep that ideal life a reality for ponies that were nominally their subjects. The absurdity of deliberating with predators the likes of dragons and griffons. Perhaps that was why I had excelled, unlike ponies, I was predatory in nature. All humans were after all. We were top of the food chain for a reason, and it was that same aggression and drive that had thrown me to the top so quickly, and now forced me into the position of the fulcrum of the most imbalanced scale in history. Or was it a mere cosmic quirk; a bizzare, but truly random event that merely placed me at the logical head of a line of succession riddled with greedy, incompetent, or untrustworthy fellows that I was now forced to call subordinates. A prod in my arm drags you away from you dive into the ocean of entropic philosophy. Quill is staring at you pointedly, and as I began to register my surroundings, I saw a number of ponies staring at me. Another heartbeat, and I realized that I had the egg I was eating, still whole, hanging half out of my mouth. My eyes widened and I quickly gulp it down, smiling sheepishly at the onlookers. At the very least, I had known many of the ponies in town. I had been the town oddity for a year, after all. As I made eye contact with the other ponies with my embarrassed grin, many of the ponies smile and giggle before turning back to their meals. Being the singular example of my species did have its benefits sometimes. Even if the drawbacks were almost crippling at times. Without running back into my deep introspection, I quickly finished my breakfast and leaned back, looking up at the perfectly blue sky. I wondered if Celestia, wherever she is, is still raising the sun. Hell, I wonder if she is really responsible for it raising at all. In the corner of my eye, I saw Luna looking up at the sky as well, a beatific smile on her face A pang of happiness touched my heart. The idea of someone receiving redemption, true redemption, and finally becoming loved once more is beautiful. It almost made me jealous, it was a feeling that I would never know. But how far she had come, she had more than earned it. At my other side, Quill has her eyes closed. Not asleep, her occasional shifting told you that, but perhaps collecting her thoughts? Such an organized pony as her, I'd never think she was able to be confused. And yet, she was a pony, a mortal. No matter how I saw her, she was like me, muddling her way through life as best she could. Clearly she muddled better than most, it was rare to see an earth pony in the palace, let alone serving directly under Celestia herself, and now me. She had a deep drive in her, something that had made her grind her way up the ladder of society until she was looking down at most other ponies. At some point, I certainly intended to ask Quill about herself. But as the clock tolls out eight times, and her eyes snap open, I understand now is not the time. The three of us stand without a word, all of you understand what the plan is for the day. Quill places some bits on the table to pay for the meal, with a generous tip, and I walked away from the cafe. A small crowd begins to follow behind us as the three of us walked into the countryside of Ponyville. And as I reflected, a small grin of satisfaction on my face, and I knew that they would be getting a show.
Anon von Bismarck	5: Farewell to Ponyville	Finally, I had come to the last stop on my tour of Ponyville farms. It's been quite a long day for the three of us, there were dozens of farms around the town. After hearing the opinions of so many farmers, I had already begun formulating a bill that may help them. I would need a bit more input, of course, but I could at least begin to wrap my head around their hardships. I knocked on the door of the last farmhouse and put on an easy smile. Sweet Apple Acres, the final stop of my tour. I'd decided to postpone this to both have a friend to look forward to at the end, and to let Applejack finish her planting season. A small, yellow coated filly opens the door and her eyes brighten as she saw me. "Howdy Mr. Anonymous! We ain't seen you around these parts for a long time! Oh wow, you brought Princess Luna too? I shoulda got on my formal bow! And howdy there miss uh...well I don't know ya, but if you're a friend of Mr. Anonymous I'm sure you're a good pony!" I ruffled Applebloom's bright mane and my smile widened a tad bit. "Hey Applebloom, is your sister home?" I heard a tired voice call down the stairs. "Who in tarnation is at the door?" Applebloom turns around and hollers back up the stairs. "It's Mr. Anonymous and Princess Luna, an' they wanna talk with ya!" The sudden noise of galloping hooves comes from within the house. In a few seconds, Applejack is in front of me and panting. Her mane is tousled and there are dark bags under her eyes. But she has an eager smile on her face all the same. "Howdy yer majesty and uh...sir? What can I do for ya today?" My smile shrunk a bit, I hadn't wanted to impose on her but she was important to talk to. She was in charge of one of the most important farms in Equestria after all. Where other farms may employ farmhands, Applejack did most of the work by herself and with Big Mac She likely knew the needs of a farm better than anypony around. "Come on AJ, just Anon is fine. We came here to learn of way to help out farmers with our policies in government and wanted to speak with you, if that's alright." She nodded and gestured for me to come inside. Without further thought, I walked inside, and my companions followed, sitting at the kitchen table as she asks me to do so. Finally, she gives a weary sigh and sits down herself. "Applebloom, you mind getting some milk for me and our guests?" The little filly perked up and scampered away. She was dependable like that. Applejack must've been proud of her. Applejack turned her attention to the three of us and smiled warmly. "Now, what can I do for y'all?" I glanced at my companions, and then took the lead to talk. "We'd like to know how current government policies are effecting farmers, and how we can help you out." Applejack purses her lips and scrapes her hoof on the table. Her unease is clear, but eventually she finds her voice. "Well, I can't speak for the others around town, but this here farm's been through a few bramble patches in the last couple years. Vampire fruit bats, family illness during the harvest, poor crops, timberwolves. We've been hit by just about every natural and unnatural disaster you care to name. Insurance only covers so much these days, and no matter the state of the crop, taxes are based on the usual crop for an orchard our size, whether or not it fails." Applejack massages her temples as Applebloom comes back balancing a tray with glasses of milk on her head. The three of us took a glass each, and Applejack pats her sister on the head. Finally, she turns back to me and continues. "Now I'm not sayin' we shouldn't be paying taxes, but maybe there could be a local arbitrator. Someone who knows farming, who could decide what's fair depending on what's been happening in the season. It ain't always an exact science around here." I nodded in agreement, Ponyville was never a regular place and that likely made it hard for people who depended on predictability. And besides. Her suggestion wasn't an unreasonable one, especially compared to some of her peers. Nothing of subsidies, heavy protectionist policies, or price regulation. Applejack must have misinterpreted my silence though, as she begins to quickly speak again. "I know that setting up somethin' like that ain't a priority or anything, it's just a suggestion. Y'all probably have more crises up there than I could dream of." I took a breath and smiled warmly at Applejack. "Not at all, Applejack. In fact, I was more surprised by how reasonable your idea is. I believe that would be a wonderful thing in fact. I'll be sure to bring it up when I return to Canterlot. Off the topic of business and politics, how have you been? The girls said you were busy with planting, so you didn't come down to the hall." AJ looks less exhausted when she looks up again. It seems she's happy to get off the topic of work. I couldn't blame her. "Well it's been a heck of a time if I'm honest. I wasn't mentioning them things in vain, Ponyville's practically been under siege with strange happenings. And none of it has done my crop any good. But the Apple family ain't quitters, and we ain't complainers." I nodded to her and began to rise from my seat. "Well, I'm glad to hear, AJ. Well we've taken enough of your time, and judging by how you look you need to get some sleep." She smiled and nodded her head slowly. "I'm plum tired from all the work over the past couple weeks, but it's all done now. I could use a nap, but y'all are welcome for dinner if you'd like." This time it's Luna who interjects, giving Applejack a matronly look. "We couldn't impose on your family more than we already have, Applejack. Perhaps another time, when you're not so exhausted." AJ nods her head in agreement with Luna. All of us rise from the kitchen table and Applebloom walks us out as her sister heads back to bed. The filly seems disappointed that we're leaving so quickly. "Y'all could really stay around for dinner, I'm sure sis wouldn't mind!" I stopped in the doorframe, behind my companions. A small twinge of guilt plucked at my heart from her voice. Applebloom looked up at me with the look of a pleading puppy. I turned around and knelt down to ruffle her mane cheerfully. "Don't you worry Applebloom, I'm sure we will sometime. But your sister needs to get some rest, and we still have some work to do before we head to Baltimare." Applebloom looks down, disappointed. Luna noticed my dallying and turned around, trotting up to Applebloom and holding out a hoof. "How about this, little one. Hold onto this for me, it's a rock from the moon itself. We carry it with us as a reminder, but we want you to hold on to it. Think of it as a promise for our return, hm?" Applebloom takes the rock and sniffs at it. "A-are ya sure princess? I don't wanna take anything that means so much to ya." Luna just shook her head and patted Applebloom's mane. "Just be sure to take good care of it for me. We will be expecting to see it the next time we visit." Applebloom clutches the pebble to her chest. "Yes ma'am! It'll be safe with me!" Luna smiles indulgently and we both leave to catch up with Quill and head back to town. Quill gives us both a questioning look. I waved away the concern. "Just saying goodbye to a friend, Quill. Has everything been set up for the speech?" She gives a long sigh, then nods. "Yes sir. The criers were dispatched before we left, and the crew has been working on it since the morning. Everything has likely been ready for an hour or more." At her words, my shoulders tensed up. It always happened before public addresses for me. No matter how prepared, how much practice, how many times I made a speech, I was still afraid. But as I entered the town and approached the stage that had been set up for me, another feeling joins the fear. As tense as I was now, as I walked up the steps to the podium in front of what must be half the town, I recognized it. Now, for the first and only time, I felt excited to be in front of a crowd. I leaned on the podium, before a nearly silent crowd of ponies, waiting to see what I had gathered them for. I started to speak with a smile. "Good afternoon, Ponyville!" There are a few nervous mumblings from the crowd, and I heard Pinkie shouting 'Hey Anon' from the back. I had expected this, however. "I understand that many of you have trepidation over my appointment to Celestia's position, and I can appreciate why. After all, not only am I relatively new in the government, but I'm not even a pony!" I saw a few nods from the crowd, and more than a few downward cast gazes. "But rest assured, I know my duty all too well." Now those ponies that were once looking about, anywhere but the stage, begin to focus at your firm tone. "I came her as a stranger, a species nopony has seen before or since. But you, you were kind, accepting, and friendly towards me. You, ponies of Ponyville, gave me shelter, work, and you were diligent in integrating me to your town." I saw Spike, standing on Rarity's back, giving me a wide grin and a thumbs up. He had been the one to suggest to Twilight to give you a place to stay initially. No doubt he knew what it was to be the odd one out. I smiled and nodded back at him before continuing. "With your help, I became a man in good standing in Equestria, the first man in fact! And so, when the opportunity to serve Equestria was offered to me, I accepted without hesitation." I could see more nods through the audience, and a few chests swelling outwards. Good. This was exactly the reaction I had wanted to see. "That was four years ago now. Through tireless work and an endless desire to pay the debt I incurred by accepting your kindness, your friendship, I rose to become a head minister. And when a time came that Celestia needed to vacate the seat of power temporarily, she saw that I would not be one to abuse such a position. And I promise you that, in no uncertain terms, I. Shall. Not." Several ponies in the crowd begin to slowly applaud, but before it can spread I held my hands out, spread wide to quiet it before it gets too loud. "However, no one can rule a country alone. In this regard, I thank my fellow ministers for their support in these unstable times. Though I may be above you in rank, I will heed any advice you care to give me. You are all the heads of ministry for a reason. Further, I wish to thank Princess Luna for supporting her sister's decision. I will show all Equestria that you are indeed trustworthy once more, and a fine equal of your sister!" Luna bows when I address her, but a nervous mutter runs through the crowd. Again I quiet them before continuing. "My friends, many of you saw her reformed, and many more have heard it through the Elements of Harmony. I beg of you, as you once did for me, accept her. Cherish her. Allow her to once more be YOUR princess." I walked over to her and placed a hand on her withers. Quill walked up on my other side, and I placed my other hand on her as well. This was an important image to embed in their minds, to have shown to all Equestria. "Let us not allow mistrust and discord to run amok. Now, more than ever before, since the time when the Windigos ruled, we must all be united as one people. As Equestrians!" A scattering of applause runs through the crowd, and begins to build. Eventually it broke into a full standing ovation. I didn't think my speech was that good, but it seemed to hit all the right notes just well enough to spark this commotion and zeal within the ponies. When it finally calms down, I returned to the podium. I still have one more thing to reveal after all. "Citizens of Ponyville, friends, I have an announcement as well. Your town was the place of redemption for Princess Luna. It was here that the Elements of Harmony removed the sickness that was Nightmare Moon. Until now, this has been unfairly ignored. But no longer. My friends, it is with a humble heart I reveal to you, the Redemption Memorial!" I pulled a large drape off a posterboard with the plan for the monument on it. The picture shows a large statue of a redeemed Luna touching hooves with the six Elements of Harmony, all smiling beatifically. There are a number of gasps through the crowd. This is all going well. "With this, all may know that this is the ground where our princess of the night returned to Equestria. All may know this is the home of the ponies that saved her from darkness. And all may know that Princess Luna is once more one of us." The applause and cheers come in a massive barrage of sound. It took a long while for the noise to die down. Finally, I gestured to Luna to take the podium. She hadn't originally wanted to give a speech, but I insisted so that the ponies understood this was not a sole undertaking She clears her throat and begins speaking hesitantly. "Ponies of Ponyville, We thank you from the bottom of our heart. It was five of you who helped us come back to you. And for this, we owe you a debt we cannot ever repay." She pauses for a moment, before blinking a few times and swallowing. Then she continues, her voice becoming thick with emotion. "The madness that took us was a terrible, vile sickness. And though we were cleansed of it by the Elements, it left us broken for a long while after, and our bonds of trust with you were shattered. It is for this reason that our sister's position was entrusted with Anonymous over us. We do not begrudge our sister for this choice." I could see her eyes begin to well up with tears. Unlike a practiced speech, her emotion here was real. One choked with both pride and overwhelming. Her voice becomes more hoarse as tears begin to streak the fur on her muzzle. "W-we...I do not know if I will ever be worthy of your trust again. But it is my prayer, that with determination and dedication to Equestria, I can one day be truly redeemed in your eyes. It is my greatest desire to finally atone for all the pain I caused, for the damage I did, both to Equestria as a whole, and to the ponies I see as my family." She finally breaks down, so I knelt and placed a gentle hand on her back to steady her. All according to plan, nobody can argue with this image. The new ruler comforting the reformed villain. I knew I had at least one town I could rely on to support me. Quill comes in and hugs Luna as I looked out into the audience. Many of them are openly crying, many more are struggling to hold back their emotions. A speech done right, one to sway the narrative in my favor. But as one, they applaud for Luna. Applaud for Equestria. Applaud for me. As their applause continues, I lead my companions off the stage and towards the train waiting in the station to whisk me towards Baltimare. We needed to do this song and dance again and again after all. One town isn't enough. At least half is that I'm aiming for. Just before I boarded the train, I heard the galloping of hooves behind me. Turning about, I found four of the Elements of Harmony standing there. Pinkie and Fluttershy have streaks on their muzzle from fresh tears, and Rarity is wiping away mascara from her face. Even Dash's eyes are misty, though I know she'd never cry so openly. Pinkie hugged onto my leg on the platform. "Don't go so quickly Nonny! Can't you stay for just one more day?" I gave her a gentle pat on the top of her mane with a gentle hand. "Sorry Pinkie, we still have a lot of cities to visit, and a great many more ponies to talk with." I knelt down and opened my arms. They all piled in to hug me, even Dash alights and embraced me and her friends. "I will miss you all, but I still have a lot of work to do. I promise, the next time I'm in Ponyville, I'll treat you all to dinner and we'll hang out, like old times. How does that sound?" They stepped back and all nodded. I put a hand on Fluttershy's back, she seems to be taking you leaving again harder than her friends "When I'm back, I'm going to come give you a hand with your furry friends again, okay Shy?" She looks up at me with a sad smile, and nods quietly. After a moment, I rose and stepped of the platform and onto the train I paused in the doorway and looked back to see your friends waving at you. Deep down, I truly wanted nothing more than to get off the train. But with a jerk, the train pulls away from the platform, leaving the town, and your friends, behind you. With my mood soured by the sight, I turned into the car and found an empty seat to sit alone. For a long while, I simply gazed out the window, lost in my own thoughts as the scenery passed me by. As the sky begins to darken, I felt a weight shift due to someone sliding onto the seat beside you "Sir...Anonymous, are you alright? You've been back here for a while." I turned back to find Quill giving me a look filled with worry. With the biggest smile I could muster, I put a hand on the top of her head. "I'm fine Quill, just...thinking about this. About Ponyville. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine." She doesn't ask you to elaborate, nor does she even offer any words to you. Instead she huddled up to me, nuzzling against my chest. Wordlessly, I placed an arm around her and embrace her tightly. There's no need to speak, both of you know exactly why. And as I gazed out into the newly born night, you find it easy, for the first time in a long time, to find the sleep you're looking for. And so I drifted off, with the sound of the trains engine in the background.
Anon von Bismarck	6: Calm Before the Storm	I opened my eyes to the sound of squealing train brakes. Morning already? It feels like I'd barely fallen asleep but now the sun was rising over the train platform. I smiled as the rays of the early morning hit my face. Finally, I was back in Ponyville. It had been a long, three month tour of all Equestria. Every small town, to every big city. From Appleloosa to Manehattan, I'd done the same routine. Speech, crying, and clapping. I had been run ragged with speeches, consultations, petty politics, and polling. But it was over, and I was on my way back to Canterlot at long last. First though, I was making a little stop. I promised I would. With an impressive amount of begging, cajoling, and nearing the point of bribery, I'd managed to convince both Luna and, more importantly, Quill, to make stop for a day in Ponyville again. With Luna, I had impressed upon her the need to make a second appearance to see how ponies were accepting her, and to see the finished monument Quill though, I had to persuade that a day of vacation after three months of work was acceptable. It had been a concerted effort, but I had eventually managed it. The secretary in question stretches out in my lap and yawns loudly. She had got in the habit of falling asleep on me when we were traveling between cities and towns. And I certainly didn't mind it. As she opens her eyes and looks up at me, a smile graces her face. "Good morning, sir. Ready for your vacation?" It's clearly too early for her to muster any sarcasm, and I wasn't about to poke fun at her for it. Not so early I'm at least. So instead, I chose to just rub the back of her neck gently. She lets out a noise that makes you wonder if she's part cat, and stretches out once more. Finally, she hopped off the bench and made her way forward to the dining car. Looking out the window once more, I realized that the train had merely been slowing for a curve in the track and we were nowhere near Ponyville. Damn. Might as well join Quill and Luna for breakfast. I stretched out my legs and stood, making my way to the next car. When I clambered inside the undersized door, I found Quill and Luna chatting amicably All three of you had become less formal with each other over the course of the trip. The nature of living in such close quarters for so long, you suppose. Fortunately, we all got along well together, no fights besides petty arguments. Doubly fortunate was that the more open we were, the more ideas seemed to come up almost from thin air. Luna's total refusal to attend a dinner that Quill hadn't been invited to in order to show solidarity between the royalty and common people resulted in the three of you avoiding a massive blowout as one of the city councilors had been arrested, resulting in quite a messy chase around the dining hall. No injuries, fortunately, but a great deal of embarrassment for all involved. It was little things like this that had kept our spirits high over the course of the damned tour. And all three of our morales had soared to greater heights as the lengthy trip was at a well deserved end. As I approached, I could catch snippets of their conversation, but they hushed up when I joined them at the table. Mare talk, I assumed. "Alright ladies, what are they trying to poison us with today?" Luna and Quill giggle at the memory of the day you'd spent in the lavatory after eating some bad eggs. They hadn't quite stopped teasing you about that either. Quill pipes up with an answer for me. "They're making waffles for us, and using that syrup we picked up in Mountpelier!" An easy grin touches my face at the mention. "Excellent, a good start to the last day out of Canterlot hm?" Quill nods as the sous chef and his cooks come through the door with three platters. They lay them on the table and make a hasty retreat. I could imagine the staff are feeling the length of the trip as well as the rest of us, probably more so. After all, they were the ones driving this train, feeding us, and coordinating routes. None of us had anyone waiting for us in Canterlot besides government officials, unlike many ponies on the staff. I resolved to give the crew that had accompanied you on this tour a bonus for their efforts. They deserved it. Small incidents aside, like the poisoning egg, they had all done excellent jobs. The three of us dug in eagerly to breakfast, filling our mouths too fast to hold conversation. Before long, we've all finished and are stacking our plates for the staff to clean. Perks of being a ruler, I could say. I paused and looked out the window, seeing the farms bordering Ponyville passing by. Excitement builds in my gut, I would actually get a chance to just relax for the first time in nearly five years. As the train pulled into the station, Quill and Luna have got back to conversing quietly. When I asked what it's all about, they waved me off and told me 'filly stuff' dismissively. It obviously was something else, but I wasn't going to pry. Not worth it, I reasoned. Besides, I have bigger things on my mind. As I exit the train, I'm greeted by a number of ponies. Most of them immediately crowd around Luna and, by default, Quill. But five of them immediately make a beeline for me. It's the five Elements, of course, and they crowded around me with smiles on their face. For half the day, they dragged me around town to various places. Pinky makes me try a new kind of sweet she invented, and by its taste it had probably given me diabetes Applejack and Rainbow Dash treated me to some cider. It was far less strong than what I had drank back before you'd come to Equestria, and even weaker than most drinks at a Canterlot dinner party. But it was enough for the two who were treating me to become friendly with a few stallions. Rarity dragged me into her dress shop for an hour and takes my measurements to ensure they were still the same as when she'd first tailored for me, thankfully. After that, she showed me a design for a new suit more fitting to your role in the political sphere. A white jacket with gold coloured cuffs, trim, and sash across my chest with a matching pair of pants similar to old riding pants. The jacket was emblazoned with a large icon of the sun on the right breast, a pair of knee high black boots completed the look, and made for an all around imposing look, at least on paper. Rarity explained that she desired it to invoke the image of Celestia, in order to remind ponies of who it was who was their ruler, but also that I was her current successor. I liked the design, and when I gave her the okay and she immediately kicked me out of the shop and gets to work. Finally, Fluttershy took me with her to her place. I spent hours with her, feeding the various animals she took care of, helping her treat their injuries, and then cleaning up their enclosures. It's not easy, but I enjoy both the work, and simply spending time with Fluttershy. I haven't talked with her in years. Finally, we both finished the work she had for the day, and are able to simply sit inside relaxing and catching up with her over tea. Eventually, our conversation lapses into silence, and she joins me on her little loveseat, resting her chin on your lap as I stroked her mane I and Fluttershy both jolted awake suddenly, as a sharp knock sounds from the door. Fluttershy jumps at the sudden sound, huddling against me immediately as a shout comes from the other side of the door. "Open up this door immediately, we have an emergency telegram for Anonymous." I calmly pulled away from Fluttershy and walked to the door, though the shy pony huddles up against my legs as you do. Opening the door, I saw a grey stallion in a mail carrier uniform huffing for breath. "What's the emergency?" Without speaking, he hands you a sealed envelope and sits on the doorstep, trying to catch his breath. As I opened and read the telegram, Fluttershy stands on her hind legs, trying to get a view. "W-what's the emergency, Anon? Did somepony get hurt? Oh dear, I hope that your friends are alright!" As I reread the lines of ink, my hands begun to shake and my eyes had widened in shock. I read it several times over, just to be sure that I wasn't hallucinating this whole thing. "When did this come in?" The stallion puffs out his chest and takes a deep breath. "About ten minutes ago, sir. As soon as I found where you were, I rushed right over!" I looked down at him and nodded grimly "Good work, run back and tell them I'll be there shortly. Make sure the train is prepared for immediate departure." The mail worker nodded and galloped off towards town as I clenched the letter tightly. Fluttershy tugs on my pant leg, speaking up with worry in her voice. "What's the matter? Why do you have to go so suddenly?" I knelt down and placed a hand on her mane."An emergency meeting of the ministers was called today. Apparently we've received an ultimatum from the gryphons. I need to get there as soon as I can." Fluttershy looked at the floor, her eyes misting over. "B-but you were finally back, a-at least for a little while. And you already have to go? Can't they handle it without you?" I couldn't bear to meet her eyes, so I just ended up looking at the floor as well. "I wish I could, but for this I need to be there to take control of things. I'm sorry." As she sniffles and tries to hold back tears, I wrapped my arms around her and embraced her tightly Her voice is thick with emotion when she speaks again. "It's not fair, you finally came back after five years and you're leaving already! Why can't you stay for just another few minutes?" She sobs as I held her tightly, not objecting when I rose and picked her up with me. I held her in my arms as I walked back to town, back to the train station. The conductor there was waiting for me, tapping his hoof impatiently. "We're holding up other trains to get this into Canterlot as soon as we can, sir. And frankly we've already delayed too long." Without waiting for an answer, he boarded the train, leaving me alone on the platform with Fluttershy. She had calmed down some on the walk into town, now just sniffling quietly. It had surprised me, I hadn't believed she thought this much of me. And despite its suddenness, it broke my heart to make her cry. But my duty to Equestria came first. I lifted her chin up and gave her the warmest smile you can, even though there's ice in my veins and a pit in my gut. "Don't worry Shy, it's probably just a trade dispute. After I help the ministers settle things down, I'll make time to come back again, okay?" She nodded and smiles back, her tears finally slowing. "A-alright. I'll hold you to that, Anon! Y-you'd better be back as soon as you can to help with the animals!" My smile grew as I stroked her mane gently. "Of course! I know you have such a hard time without me after all." Neither of us bothered to say what remains unspoken. We both knew, deep down, it's going to be a long time before I came back. The train whistle blows, and I hopped aboard the train just as it starts to move. Looking back, I could see Fluttershy waving from the platform, a sad smile on her face. Neither of us had said what both of you felt. And deep down, I knew that those feelings were going to be left unspoken for a long time. No matter what lies you told yourself. With a sigh, I walked into the dining car, only to find Quill and Luna gathered with a messenger around the table. Steeling myself and straightening my jacket, I took my place and addressed the pegasus courier with a grim tone and a hardened face. "So, what is this ultimatum?"
Anon von Bismarck	7: If You Want Peace, Prepare For War	"That's about it, sir." I clasped my hands in front of me, and a headache begins to well up behind my eyes. We really need to get Tylenol in this world. But back to the matter at hand... If I'm to be really honest with myself, it's hard to fault the griffons. With Celestia gone, and me gallivanting about the country, and the recent reorganization of the military, it was the perfect time for them to press for better trade deals. I could feel the train straining to push itself faster as the ponies overloaded its furnace and stressed its boiler to the absolute limits. Once more, in silence, I had went over the information given to me. The griffons were displeased with the reduction in ore exporting to Equestria, which had been brought about by their giving of low quality ore. They were demanding an immediate increase in Equestrian ore importation, acceptance of poor grade ore, and an inflated price. On top of that, they were attempting to order a size restriction on the military, and arms limitations. All absurd demands, impossible for me to accede to. And they knew it. They wanted a war with us. They wanted control of the shipping lanes on the sea, and to wrest the Northern Narrows from the joint Equestrian and Crystal Empire control A decade ago the griffons had shown themselves to be militarily powerful, defeating the neighbouring Capras in what was being called 'lightning war'. I knew what it was, it was a blitzkrieg. I also knew they wouldn't be negotiating their terms, I had been the Equestrian representative in the Griffon Empire for much of my political career. They were a steadfast species, ready to fight. So a country that hadn't fought a war in centuries was now forced to the brink of it. I could see Luna and Quill staring at me, worry highlighting their faces as the sun began its slow rise. I had been up all night going over the information again and again, reviewing all possible options I had with the others. At long last, I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. A plan was beginning to come together into my mind, but I needed more information. I wasn't a strategist, I was a simple foot soldier. I could order a small group, not an entire army. Fortunately I had Luna, but she was still most likely out of date with the new technology of the day. And being so long out of touch with the ministers, I didn't know if research and prototyping had progressed to where you had a technological edge. So we had to wait. Hope the griffons were slow in their response. In solemn silence, I waited to reach Canterlot, hoping against hope that I could still somehow defuse the situation without war. Not very likely, but I had to try. Celest-, no, my little ponies weren't ready for a war. After what felt like an eternity, the train screeched to a halt at the platform nearest to the castle I, Luna, and Quill charge off the train and begin the sprint to the castle. As foolish as it must appear, Luna had told me there were certain magical defenses around the castle now to prevent teleportation. It figured. Defenses would be on high alert right now. Good thinking really. We had stumbled through the main gates, heaving for breath and sweating heavily. I took a moment to collect myself, I could not allow myself to appear panicked or exhausted before my peers. They could not know. They must not. Finally, after what felt like a painful minute of racing thought, I was ready. Steeling my face and straightening my ruffled clothes, I had the guards open the doors to the Chamber of Star Swirl, the meeting place of the government. The heads of ministry were already seated about the large table, looking terribly worried, and terrified of the being at the table whose presence surprised me. "Well if it isn't my old diplomatic nemesis, Anonymous the Human. How is the new position treating you, my good man?" Grinning like a particularly smug cat, Alistair, former liaison to Equestria and now head of the Griffon Embassy in Canterlot, sat on a cushioned chair. Instinctively, I began to grind my teeth together when I saw him. The single worst part of being a minister of Foreign Affairs, he had been the toughest part of any diplomatic assignment I'd had been a part of. So of course he would be sitting in on this session, most likely he had delivered the ultimatum at the request of his betters. But I would not allow him the satisfaction of seeing me off kilter. I wouldn't allow him to have this moment. So I gave him the most predatory smile I could muster. "Ah, so it was you I smelled when I entered the palace. I wasn't sure whether it could possibly be something of such low status here, especially a bastard child, but yet again you've surprised me Alistair." I could see his face twitch when I mentioned his status. Pride was always such an easy nerve to tweak with griffons, and it was something I was always ready to pounce on. Foolish birds, so prideful, so sinful. But even at that, his smile grows as he gestured for me to take a seat. "Well now that our last guest has so lately arrived, I can make my announcement at last." He rose from his chair and cleared his throat obnoxiously. "Whereas the Equestrian government has not acceded to the reasonable demands of the Right Emperor Gunnar and the Griffon Empire; therefore be it resolved by the Grand Council and the Griffon people, that the state of war between the Griffon Empire and the Kingdom of Equestria, which has been demanded by the peoples of the Empire, is hereby formally declared; and that the Emperor be, and he is hereby authorized and directed to employ the entire naval and military forces of the Griffon Empire and the resources of the Grand Council to carry on war against the Kindgdom of Equestria; and to bring the conflict to a successful termination all the resources of the country are hereby pledged to the Grand Council and the Griffon Empire." A pounding echoes on the door of the chamber, and the ministers jump to their hooves shouting at Alistair in disbelief, anger, and fear. My hands began to death grip each other tight enough that my bones began to creak in protest. And Alistair gazed at me, his smile growing ever wider. I'd fucking kill him, that damned bird. He's a dead man! I'll have him sent to the dungeons and his eyes ripped out and... No. No, I can't. What message would that send the gryphons? What would that tell my little ponies? I'm not a monster. I can't be a monster to them. They needed to look at me with respect, not fear. After a lengthy time of shouting and questioning, the door to the chamber is finally flung open, and an exhausted looking pegasus guardsmare gallops overseer to me and whispered into my ear. "Sir, we've just received word that a large force of griffons has laid siege to and have taken Trottingham. A naval task force was dispatched but we've yet to hear anything. What should we do sir?" The icy ball that had been growing in my stomach had become a boiling sphere of lava. I wanted nothing more than to gut this fool, kill this damned beast who dared carry himself with any pride. But my anger had quickly turned into a dark realization. Without provocation, a war, and without any experienced troops, or war industry to speak of. It was worse than a nightmare I rose from my chair, and the other ministers began to quiet down as I stood. With as much acid in my tone as I could muster, I addressed Alistair directly. "So, the mighty Griffon Empire is reduced to surprise attacks and childish demands? How galling that we must be neighbours with such creatures as you. You're no better than dogs. And mark my words, you will die like one" Alistair simply shrugged at the barb. "This announcement was supposed to be made earlier, Anonymous. Unfortunately, you were busy on vacation so I had to delay until now. Truly unfortunate for you." The guardsmare remained at my shoulder, trembling noticeably. As calmly as I could, I addressed her directly and loud enough for all in the room to hear. "Lieutenant, I want you to gather a platoon of guards and blockade the embassy. As well, send runners to the barracks around the city, every griffon in Canterlot is to be placed under detention inside the embassy. Ensure they are fed and watered, but they are not allowed to leave the embassy grounds until further notice." The Guard paused for a moment. "But sir, we ca-" I cut her off before she could speak further. "I don't recall asking for your opinion on this. Go out and do as told." The pegasus guard gave me a half hearted salute and galloped out the door, and Alistair rose, his smile noticeably less smug than before. "You know this won't have any--" I cut him off, raising my voice over his, now addressing the highest ranking guard left in the chamber. "Sergeant, it seems that a filthy griffon has infiltrated the palace. Arrest him and throw him in the castle prison." The Sergeant stood there a moment, unsure of whether or not to follow my commands. "Well sergeant? What are you waiting for?" The sergeant and his fellow guardsman immediately moved on Alistair, even as he shouted at me. "You can't do this! My fellow diplomats and I have immunity!" The guards hesitated at the protest, and looked back at me for further instructions, but I simply shook my head at the gryphon. "You lost any right to claim immunity when you decided to announce your declaration of war after the invasion had already begun. Congratulations Alistair, you've become Equestria's first prisoner of war in centuries. I'm certain you'll be remembered for ages to come." He continues to rant and rave as he is dragged from the room. Finally, the room stills. The other ministers are in various states from nervously tapping their hooves on the table to outright nervous breakdowns. Even Luna is showing how frightened she is at the prospect of war, I could hear her teeth grinding together. It was time to take control of the situation. Time to show that I could lead them in these times. Even though I was beginning to feel ill at the situation I had been thrust into, but now was not the time to freeze in place. Now was the time to fight, to win. For Equestria. "Stiles, was a dispatch sent to the Crystal Empire when the ultimatum was issued?" Shaky Stiles, my replacement as foreign minister, looked up from under the table. He wasn't the smartest or bravest, but he was malleable. A useful puppet, someone who would follow my words no matter what. "Uh, yes sir. They sent word back that Shining Armor was coming to Canterlot with a detachment of troops, while another battalion went to ensure the security of the Northern Narrows." I let out a relieved sigh. Good, at least I wouldn't be alone in this unexpected fight. The Crystal Empire had a far better trained military than Equestria, so at least I wouldn't have to worry too much about the Northern theater. And with Shining Armor coming straight to Canterlot, I could expect to have a level of experienced command staff to assist me. I walked over to where a grim faced Stalwart Shield sat, his forehoof tapping the table in an odd pattern. "Colonel, as soon as we finish up here, I want you to show me how far our reforms have come. Understood?" He nodded and I continued around the table, speaking as calmly as possible. "Heavy Hammer, I want you to oversee the shift into war industry. We must be prepared to give over much of the industrial base in order to out produce our enemy. Flashy Image, establish a department of propaganda and ensure the people understand that this war is not by any choice of ours, but forced by the griffons. Stir up some patriotic fever and assist the defense ministry in a recruitment drive. I don't want to chance anything by suddenly engaging in mass conscription." The minsters of industry and culture acknowledged my words and seem calmed by the solid direction they've been given. "The rest of you, continue on as normal as you can. I understand that none of you are experienced in matter of war, but I am. With determination and unity, we will prevail. Now, let us adjourn and face the people with fire in our hearts and steel in our gaze. We must show them that even in times of crisis, they can trust in the resolve of those elected to rule them. You are all dismissed." The ministers gave me a short, polite applause before immediately departing to take care of their respective tasks. All but Colonel Shield, who waits for me as ordered. I gestured to Luna and Quill, both of whom remained still after I had adjourned the council. "Accompany the good colonel and myself, wouldn't you? We ought to address this nightmare of a situation together." They nodded and followed me out the door, even as I follow the defense minister. There was no doubt, this entire scenario was a total disaster. But we would all face it together. No matter what the outcome. Stalwart Shield brought the three of us through a military depot, the only one in Canterlot, explaining the progress they had made in the relatively short time you'd been gone. "As you can see, Anonymous, while we have settled on a weapon design, but serial production has only started recently. We have two hundred rifles and 150 harnesses to go with them. With the harness, anypony could use one, but without it would be exclusively for unicorns." He took a cartridge from a box of ammunition, handing it to me to inspect. "We had our alchemists devise a way to stabilize mercurial fulminate and put a small amount inside this paper cartridge. Inside the rifle, there is a pin that, when the trigger is pulled, strikes the fulminate, which in turn ignites the powder in the cartridge and propels the projectile out the barrel." I don't completely get it. Guns were never really my 'thing.' I used them, I didn't build them. But it sounds like they've developed an old style rifle. Which considering that until this point, most of their weapons looked like old flintlocks from a revolutionary war movie, this was quite a jump. I had realized something though. "But that's barely enough to equip a battalion." Stalwart grimaced and faced you. "That is the problem. We don't have the industrial capacity to produce more than maybe a hundred guns per month, currently anyway. We're expanding as quickly as we can, but until then stocks are going to be limited." The grimace gives way to an almost sheepish smile. "The good news is that ammunition is easier to produce than ever, so we won't lack for shots." I scratched at the short stubble growing on my face. In the past two days, I hadn't even seen a razor to take care of it. But that was the least of my concerns. A bit of stubble is nothing when Equestrian sovereignty is threatened. And besides, I was miles outside of my depth of skills, and Shining Armor was still a day away at best. "What if, instead of planning to equip our entire force at one time, we draw upon a single battalion and use it to augment our forces instead?" Luna's suggestion interrupts your thoughts. Immediately I began to berate myself internally for not even thinking to ask her thoughts on the matter. "If we give it to a force of ponies who have military experience already, we can cut down on training time. As well, a single light battalion is far more mobile than large divisions would be." Me, Stalwart, and Quill all stared agape at Luna. She looked at us for a moment, then blushed and pawed at the ground, looking like an embarrassed filly. "I studied the Griffon-Capra Conflict extensively on my return, it was the most recent war after all. If the griffons have remained static in their strategy, a highly mobile and well trained force would be most effective against them." Stalwart shook off his stupor, cursing at himself for not thinking of such a deployment strategy. "W-well princess, that certainly is a logical decision. But how would such a force act as it stands to a regular army?" Luna puffed her chest out, more confident with the approval of the defense minister. "As regular units engaged in battle, this battalion would work to outflank and encircle the enemy, forcing them to either retreat or become completely encircled. Either choice results in heavy casualties for them and, so long as our regular troops are entrenched, minimizing our own losses." A feeling of relief washed over me. It's so strong that it triggers a bark of laughter from me. My companions look startled at the outburst, but that doesn't wipe the smile off my face. After my laughter had died down, I said "Well Luna, I sure hope you were aiming for a promotion. Congratulations general, as long as Stalwart here approves, I say carry out your experiment." Stalwart looked to Luna, then back at me. "Well, I suppose she does merit the promotion, even if her service was thousands of years past. And we most certainly need qualified strategists now. Very well, I only ask that, should an idea of yours be opposed by the entire defense staff, please at least consider us, princess." She nodded her head eagerly. Excitement seemed to pour off of her in waves of energy, and her mood was infectious. I just hoped that this enthusiasm would translate into vigor. Lord knows we all needed someone else to rely on. Stalwart broke into a grin himself and lead me out of the arms store. "I'll push the resources through to you, General Luna, and look forward to the results of your experiment. Go join the other staff officers at HQ, if you would. I believe they may take some persuasion." Luna nods and gallops off to the headquarters across the plaza, while Stalwart lead me onward to the cannon stores. "We've had some marginal success in designing a new, large bore gun for the troops. We've made it breech loading as well, through use of a heavy block that seals up the end for firing. Add to that the new storage we have for powder and the ignition system and it makes for a highly effective weapon. A fair bit more complex to produce than older models, but promising. Development has begun on an even larger gun to be fitted on the new ship that's been laid down, EGS Celestia." My eyes has widened, naval development hadn't even occurred to me when I had been debating the budget. My own experience and own concerns leaned more towards securing land borders with the sea being an afterthought. Such a foolish mistake, in retrospect. Guess it goes to show me that I can't do this alone. Stalwart Shield continued, unaware of my introspective moment. "She'll be the first fully iron-hulled ship we've produced. Four boilers and two steam turbines larger than we've ever produced before. A new design, able to outgun anything on the high seas for years to come. They plan for her to displace an astonish ten thousand tonnes! She'll be the heaviest ship put to sea in history." He sighed heavily and scuffs a hoof against the stone floor. "Unfortunately she won't be finished for at least a year or two, even with additional labour. We have several smaller ironclads under construction however, to augment our fleet. We should at least outstrip the damned griffons in naval power if nothing else." Well now, this wasn't good. I didn't want my new super weapon to take two whole years to be made. He continued on, showing me the operation of the new cannon, how it only required a single unicorn in a full crew to function optimally, how the amount of powder could be increased to fire further, and that it elevated more than any other gun in the inventory. They had managed to design and all around excellent gun. The drawbacks were many, however. Production was slow because the currently poor quality of steel coming from the factories required the barrel to be wire wrapped, then sleeved with harder steel to stand up to the rigours of firing in a battery. That meant only four were available immediately, with production numbers only projected for ten a month. I was assured that, when the ore quality improved as new shipments came in domestically, those numbers would easily quadruple. They were still producing conventional cannons alongside it, but had changed their bore to accommodate the new powder loading. The more he told me, the more my head began to ache. Pony Tylenol needs to be a thing, why had it I not petitioned the Research Ministry with this yet? Wrapping my mind around the intricacies of foreign diplomacy was one thing, but trying to sort out the details of military logistics was mind-boggling. How did they do it back on Earth? They didn't even have magic to make this easier. Even Quill, for whom logistics came easy, was clearly becoming troubled as she crunched the numbers. As Stalwart wrapped up the briefing and tour, he gave me a wry smile. "It's not as simple as putting bullets in guns and pulling the trigger, is it sir?" I massaged my temples and took a deep breath before speaking. "So let's just make sure I'm understanding everything. We can currently field two regiments of regular infantry, plus Luna's battalion when it's ready. We have around a hundred large bore guns, and three hundred medium bore guns for artillery support. Two wings of pegasi lancers, plus the Wonderbolts if we dare to put them on the line, and finally sixty ships of varying tonnage. Overall, we can outmatch the griffons at sea, and have an even fight in the air, but have no hope of a protracted land or air campaign without massive expansion. Is that about it?" Stalwart's grin faltered at my grim tone. "That's about the size of it, sir. We don't lack for food at the very least, but that's a small comfort. Perhaps we ought to join Luna and the general staff to actually discuss how to wage the war, hm?" Right now, all I wanted to do is have several stiff drinks and go back to Ponyville for a nice visit to the spa. But this was war, and I had a role to play in it. A very important one. "Yes, colonel, let's go figure out how to win this war." Because I knew, winning was the only option we had. The griffons would pay. We would make them. When I walked into the strategy chamber, Luna was already engaged with the staff officers. I'm was surprised to see not a single one of the military staff with the laurels of a general. I asked a question. "I thought you said that we were here to meet the general staff." Stalwart Shield cleared his throat and answered me bashfully. "Yes sir, this is the General Staff of the Equestrian Defense Force. Colonels Brave Buck and Black Buck, Lieutenant Colonel Steel Helm, and finally Major Glancing Blow. Gentlemen, I don't believe you've personally been introduced to the new Commander in Chief." The four interrupted their conversation to salute me. One of the colonels, Black Buck I assumed, speaks up as he lowers his hoof. "Technically sir, we're just the HQ staff. Even though we're officially the general staff, Equestria hasn't had a general in command since the Great Eastern Rebellion around eight hundred years ago. After that, the army was disbanded and the new defense force was instated. Admirals are the closest to ranking generals we've had since then." An army without a general. What a shame. I needed to fix this. Well, with Luna there was actually one now. But one general? There was a lot more than one general per army back on Earth. And it made sense, soldiers need leaders. But still, why would a ruler purposely weaken her nation in such a way? How foolish was Celestia? An over reliance on a strong naval arm and diplomacy, or perhaps she simply staved off war by being the goddess of the sun. Whatever the reason, it was here to bite me in the ass. "Well that's no good, we're raising an army and we need leadership. Stalwart, congratulations on your new position of Major General. I trust you'll be able to run this place without too much of my input, I don't exactly have experience in running an army, only being part of one." Stalwart Shield's jaw hung open, and the rest of his staff look stunned. Only Luna seemed to be unruffled by my words, and more than slightly amused by the reactions of the others. Finally, Stalwart regained his composure for long enough to respond. "Y-yes sir, I believe I can do that. If you would please join us, we can begin planning." Me and Quill joined the staff around a large map of Equestria and its surrounding countries, far more detailed than most would be. Major Glancing tapped the map on a small island in the North of the Celestial Sea. "As I was saying, the reasoning behind the griffons taking Trottingham is sound. They wish to land a large force in Equestria, but lack the naval resources to contest the open sea. So instead they wish to secure passage over the Northern Narrows, and to that end took the naval outpost here." The others nodded, and Lt. Colonel Steel spoke up next, gesturing to the southern tip of the island. "They seem to have focused their forces around the city, if the escapees reports are to be believed. Landing a force here and marching through the forests to surprise them may be the best course of action." The other colonel, Brave Buck, shakes his head at the suggestion. "Out of the question, we don't have the ability to move the heavy guns through that sort of terrain. Even with our entire air and ground forces on the island, we wouldn't be nearly a match for the griffons without artillery." Black Buck spoke up, tapping the empty shoreline to the East of Trottingham. "Why not here? If our ships could suppress the griffons long enough, we could land the entire strength of the land forces, heavy artillery and all." Luna took a step closer to the table and nodded. "And if we brought the pegasi along on the ships, they could provide cover from any marauders the griffons may send from the sky." The others nod, seeing the wisdom in the plan. But Luna tapped the southern tip of the island again "However, even with the full might of our forces, we would still find ourselves outnumbered. I suggest something slightly different. Instead of marching to meet whatever forces the griffons surely would have in wait, we have a small, lightly equipped force draw them in as soon as we have fortified positions. Moreover, I would land my battalion on the southern tip. We would be unburdened by heavy guns and more than able to make our way through the forests." She places the tip of a hoof on a small, marked lowland between the shore and Trottingham itself. "And were we able to draw them to this area, my force would easily be able to outflank them, even as your cannons break the back of their pursuit. With them kettled in, it would be a simple thing to totally annihilate their force and retake the city." I saw nods from all around the table. It's refreshing to see that there are at least some ponies in high places that take pride in efficiency instead of arguing for its own sake Taking a chance to finally leave, I spoke. "Well it seems like you have it under control. General Shield, General Luna, I leave it to you to determine the specifics of your operation. When it's ready, please ensure a copy is delivered to me for a final review. I may not be well versed in strategy, but who knows what a fresh pair of eyes may bring." The staff saluted me, and Luna gave me a warm, genuine smile. I returned her smile with one of my own, though it was more tired than hers. With that, I took my leave. After a few moments of walking down the streets of Canterlot in silence, basking in the glow of the evening sun, Quill speaks up. "Sir...Anonymous, are we really at war?" What a stupid question. I turned my head, surprised that such a usually reasonable mare was asking such a seemingly absurd question. But as I thought about it, I understood it more. Eight hundred years, that was when the last war was. How could it seem like anything but a legend at this point? It must be utter madness to other ponies that didn't even have the benefit of knowing they were relatively safe, protected by the nature of geography. The sudden realization struck my heart, and my voice went hoarse as I finally answered. "Yes, Quill, we are." I saw her ears flatten against her head, and our walk continues in silence. Even as the two of us returned to the castle and walked through its eerily silent halls, no sound comes from either of us but the echoing footsteps upon marble. Fatigue seems to slow the pace down to an utter crawl, and the halls seem to stretch into infinity. But in reality, it's hardly any time at all before we arrived at the door to our chambers. As I pushed the door open, finally allowing myself to succumb to the exhaustion fast approaching, I felt a tug on my pants. Quill was staring up at me, her eyes beginning to mist over. "Anon...I'm scared." Maybe it's the sleepiness, maybe it was the madness of my newfound reality, or maybe it was the crippling loneliness of being the only human, but something in me made me reach out and caress her mane, gently, as soothing as possible. "Come on then, we could both use some sleep." Maybe I was making a grave mistake. I had learned that attachment usually led to heartbreak. But something in my mind had decided that this was the way to go. She gave me a nervous smile as we both entered the bedroom. The doors swung shut, their closure echoing in the halls, as the sunset painted the castle in a bloody red.
Anon von Bismarck	8: It’s a Long Way to Trottingham	The past month had gone by in a blur. To my utter surprise, outside some probing attacks in the North, the griffons had not launched any major campaigns. Even those attacks had been non-commital and easily repelled with the joint garrison. In the intervening time, the Equestrian military production had quadrupled, factories once producing non-vital infrastructure changing over to wartime supplies. Metallurgy issues had been solved, and steel was of a higher quality than before thanks to the contributions of a team of unicorn alchemists. The budget increases had paid off. Four ironclads had been completed, and work was progressing well on the EGS Celestia. It was no longer two years away from completion, but only one. The army had grown explosively, with numbers rising from three thousand to thirty thousand. Five new infantry regiments had been established, taking names and colours from units long past. The artillery too thrived, dozens of guns were being produced weekly, many of them of the new breech-loading type, and seven batteries had risen to organize them. Of course, the majority of ponies in the military were still in support roles, as the combat arms grew they needed exponentially more support staff. Luna's personal battalion, the Black Bats, had been undergoing grueling training until just two days ago, when she finally deemed them prepared. They seemed to be the toughest soldier I'd ever seen, with fanatical devotion that made the SS look like heathens. And so it was that I was sitting at my teak desk, Quill at my side, reviewing their final plan to retake Trottingham. A beach landing at dawn, when the low morning sun would blind the eyes of observers and defenders alike. Luna's group would be landed a day earlier on the Southern tip of the island and proceed to wait near the lowlands East of Trottingham. Pegasi would be providing air cover and harry any scouts the enemy may send. What's more is that a part of the fleet, mostly ironclads, would besiege the Trottingham port, drawing the enemy away while also blockading their ships and supplies. The landed forces would then push inland and occupy a ridge ten miles Southeast of the city, digging in and drawing up prepared fields of fire for the guns. And finally, with all pieces in place, a small force of ponies would attack the griffons in a wide line, and once engaged would draw the enemy out, into the lowlands, where they would be under direct assault from every gun that could be brought to bear. On top of that, Luna's force would break from the forest and begin to outflank the griffons, kettling them in and holding off any reinforcements that could be mustered. There were further contingencies for all sorts of scenarios, some possible, some ludicrous, but it did seem to cover anything I cared to imagine. Overall, it was an almost foolproof plan. Stalwart stands before my desk at rapt attention, Luna beside him. They had both answered any questions I'd asked, pointing out what certain symbols represented. And, with a wry grin, I handed the sheaf of papers back to Stalwart. "I can't find anything wrong with your plan, Stalwart. You and your staff have done an excellent job with the plan. When will you be ready to carry on with it?" The general relaxed and smiled viciously. "Three days, sir. One to muster the troops, one to equip them, and then we sail, landing in the morning. Princess Luna's troops have been ready since their training was complete." Luna nods and takes a step forward. "Stalwart Shield is correct, Lord Anonymous. My troops are ready to sail at the order. Their ammunition stores and weapons and never further than a quick trot away." After a month of quietude, the first large battle of the war was ready to go. Finally, after all the fear of the citizens, the sweat and blood of the troops holding the North, and the pain the residents of Trottingham had surely been through, action would be taken. And it would be truly telling. A grand battle for the history books. Something to inspire the ponies of Equestria. "Alright, do it. I pray to see the Equestrian flag raised over the city by next week. Good luck, and do be careful. I don't want to see my friends hurt." Stalwart salutes and turns sharply, Luna turning after him after giving me a warm grin. Luna had been in fine spirits ever since getting a command of her own. She seemed to thrive in a military environment, easily catching onto new strategies and coming up with her own in remarkable time. When all is said and done, she will have earned the trust of the people a dozen times over, I'm sure of it. And if not, then maybe a couple military parades are in order. Or some propaganda to let them know she's a model Equestrian hero... Quill nudged my leg, breaking me from my thoughts. She looked pointedly at her schedule, then to me. She had hardly left my side since the war began. Every night, she curled up beside me, and most of those nights, I was woken by her shivering and crying under the cold moon. Even when I silently comforted her, I never brought it up. She would talk about it when she was ready, and not a moment sooner. And all the while, I would keep soothing her, lulling her back to sleep, and stay silent all the while. No matter what rumors ponies came up with after seeing her enter my chambers night after night, no matter that it may damage part of my image. "Sir." She interrupted my reverie with a single word. "Shining Armor is waiting for you to receive him in the council chambers. Shall we go?" I stand and stretched out my back, yawning. "Yes we had better. I need to get out of the office today anyhow. Anything else on the agenda after meeting with him?" She flips through several pages before looking back at me. "No sir, the evening is clear." I nodded as we both walked down the hall towards the chamber. Looking down at Quill, I gave her a cheeky grin. "Well if the evening is free, how about you join me for dinner in town?" She gasped and immediately started coughing loudly. I couldn't help but chuckle at her antics, and she regained her composure quickly. "I'm not sure that would be appropriate, sir. Not with the state of Equestria as it is now." Well damn. It's hard to argue, since she's objectively right. I had just wanted to treat her to a night out, and maybe distract her from whatever had been eating away at her. "Fine, fine. Once we win though, I'm taking you out. No matter how much you object." I could see her cheeks flush before she turns her face away. "I believe I'd like that, sir." What am I doing? What part of me snapped and decided that I could be happy with a pony? This wasn't right... and I just kept lying to myself about it. After struggling with my own thoughts, I shoved them aside the closer we got to the council chamber. And finally, we were at the doors to the council chamber. I pushed them open wide and smiled jovially at the white coated pony sitting at the table, hiding my inner turmoil. "General Shining Armor, how are you doing today?" He smiled back and puts his hoof in my hand when I offered it to him. Shining begins speaking as me and Quill took our seats across from him. "Well enough I suppose. There hasn't been any action in the North for a few days, and the last sortie of griffons didn't even inflict a single casualty. I don't believe they have it in them to even attempt and invasion." My grin only widened at the news. "That's wonderful news, general. And how is little Flurry Heart doing? It's been a while since you've returned to the Empire hasn't it?" Shining's grin shrinks and I saw a touch of sadness on his face. "Yes sir, it has. Cadence--...the princess says she misses me and keeps wandering about the castle calling out for 'dada'." I offered a gentle pat on his foreleg and a reassuring look. Children. Something that was forever robbed from me. No, don't think about it. I can't think about it. Keep smiling. "Don't worry too much, general. Even as we speak, preparations are being made to retake Trottingham." Shining looks surprised as I mention that. The plan had been on lockdown since its inception after all. Even with all the griffons either holed up in the embassy or outright deported, the General Staff wasn't taking chances with information leaks. They had been clever to design drills around sections of the plan, but disguise them as simply part of their new basic training scheme. "That's great news sir! Once you take back Trottingham, we can force them into peace talks and end this war." I grimaced and look at Quill, who wore a similar expression. Shining Armor simply looked confused. "That's the goal isn't it, to get them to accept a peace treaty?" I sighed and furrowed my brow. "It is, but Shining...we're not stopping at Trottingham. That's why we asked to meet you here today. The overall war strategy is to conduct a naval invasion in the South, while simultaneously conducting an operation in the North. The current ruler and government of the griffons have shown themselves to be warmongers, first with the Capras and now with us. We plan to take Griffonstone and force them to give up their holds and overthrow their current government. After that, we can mandate a proper, abiding peace." Shining Armor looks totally shocked at my straight delivery of this plan. Quill hands him several papers, one of them a treaty that would give him command of Equestrian units in the North for the duration of the campaign He takes a long while reading them, shuffling back and forth between the sheets several times. At long last, he puts the papers down and looks back at me. "You're serious about this. Anonymous, we ponies aren't warriors; we don't march into enemy lands and take them for our own. There's no way that everyone will accept this plan, it goes against our very nature." I frowned at his statement. It seems he would be harder to convince than I'd thought. "General, I'm not entirely sure you understand our position. It has been eight centuries since the last war, and though ponies may have forgotten its ways, no doubt they now remember its horror. If we merely take back Trottingham and leave it at that, the griffon leadership will nurse feelings of resentment, strengthen their military to a point we can't contest it, and roll over us inside twenty years. I can not and will not allow that to happen. With this plan, they will only be under our administration until a new Grand Council is elected, and then they will be their own country once more." Shining Armor looks slightly less incredulous, but no more inclined to agree with me. "This still isn't going to be widely acceptable. And what about the griffons, don't they get a say in this? Are you going to throw every single one of them out of the country?" I shared a look with Quill, now starting to get annoyed with these wild accusations. "General, the current strategy is the one outlined in those pages. The only deportations have occurred in Canterlot, and only because of the delicacy of the military reform and of the new strategies. And they will get a say when the war that THEY started is over, not a moment sooner." Shining Armor sighs and rises from his seat, trotting to the doorway. "I will discuss your strategy with Princess Cadence. If some madness takes her and she agrees with it, we shall see if such an offensive is in our interests." With that, he marches out, presumably to find the telegraph station. The moment the door shuts, Quill jumps into my lap and curls up. Without thinking about it, I found my hand stroking her mane, and she sighed deeply. She had been getting more clingy as the days went by. Not that 'that' part of my mind cared of course. The other part was screaming to see reason. As I stroked her, she speaks in a quiet, calm voice. "I'm sorry about all this, sir." A confused look comes over my face as I continued to run my fingers through her silky mane. "What do you mean, Quill? You've done excellent work over the past month." I felt her weight shift in my lap, and she rests her chin on my thigh. "No sir, I mean this. Always clinging to you whether inappropriate or no. I'm not sure why you haven't reprimanded me yet, so feel I should apologize." I laid my hand at the base of her neck, gently stroking her soft fur. She makes a contented coo and rolls her head to the side, looking up at you curiously "You haven't done anything wrong, Quill. If I'm honest, I've felt a fair bit less stressed than I ought to be as of late. And outside the occasional midnight wake up, I've enjoyed it." Wait, shit. I hadn't meant to mention her late night episodes. Immediately, my brain began both cursing itself and thinking up damage control for the statement. But Quill just sighed sadly, resting her forehead on my leg. "I knew that would come up eventually. I was hoping I wouldn't have to talk about it at all." Her resignation stops my brain for a moment. That was what I had figured she wanted, but I messed it all up. Before I could reassure her that I don't mind her silence, she speaks up again. "You know I moved here when I was a filly right? Well I was born in a little hamlet a ways outside Trottingham. It's not there anymore, but it used to be a nice, quiet little farm town." I could feel little droplets strike my leg where she rests her head, and she takes a shuddering sigh before continuing. "At the time, the island was a joint jurisdiction between Equestria and the Griffon Empire. So when a group of griffons tried to settle on the Equestrian side of the island, there was a significant dispute." She sniffles and I saw her body shudder at the memory. "One thing led to another, and a bunch of griffons in that settler group attacked our hamlet, the closest one to the border. Burned a bunch of barns and most of the crop before they got driven off; hurt a lot of ponies too. After that, my mother packed our bags and bundled me off to Canterlot. We stayed with some family for a while until we got our hooves back, and that's that." She took a deep breath, and when she speaks again her voice is steady and soft. "I still get nightmares sometimes, about the burning barns, about finding...It's been worse since the war started, the constant reminders about Trottingham being taken on the radio, in briefings. I'll be glad when this war is over." I scratched her behind her ears, and she makes a sound that almost sounds like purring. "We all will. Maybe you can bring this up with Shining Armor? It may have more mileage coming from another pony instead of a human he believes is a warmonger." Her ears flattened against her head and she snorted. "I don't want word getting out about this. Next thing you know, ponies are going to be staring at me with pitiful looks. 'There goes that mare who survived the griffon attack. Oh the poor dear.' I don't want something like that in my life." I could understand her sentiment, simply wanting to be left alone to her life. I knew what it felt like to be pitied, to be seen as a lost soul. It was something I had idealized too, but life had strange ways to get around what I wanted. It always had to ruin everything. The door of the chamber clicks, and Quill hopped off my lap and sits back in her own seat without a fuss. Shining walks back in and takes his seat across from me and Quill, looking incredibly displeased. "I suppose it's good news for you, Anonymous. Princess Cadence, while not liking your plans, sees it as the only way to ensure lasting peace. However, she wanted me to deliver a warning, and it's one I would have given you anyway. If you in any way abuse the griffons or your administration of their land, the Crystal Empire will not hesitate to intervene, treaties be damned." Damn, as angered as I was by his suspicious nature, I forced myself to plaster a warm smile over my face. I had to put on a show of friendliness, even at such bald-faced accusations. "I assure you, general, we will do everything we can to ensure the safety of the griffon people. And as soon as their occupation of Capra territories is ended and their leadership changed, we will return administration to the griffons. Simple and secure. All I want is to ensure the security of Equestria, even when I will no longer be holding this station." My words seemed to mollify him, and he levitates an ink quill over the new treaty. He signs the papers, as do I, then rises from his seat. "I'll be holding you to your word, Anonymous. Let us pray for a swift end to this war, for both our countries." I gave him a smile and a curt bow before responding. "And for the safety of generations to come." He snorts and walks out the door, his hoofbeats echoing in the stone halls Finally, I allowed myself to collapse into a chair and let out a deep sigh. I had done it, I had managed to ensure that the Crystal Empire dedicated forces to helping the war effort. Even though a small number of volunteers had been asking at the Equestrian embassy in the Empire to join the Equestrian army and aid the war effort, I wasn't sure what public sentiments were in the Crystal Empire. A few foreign volunteers does not equate to approval, as thankful as I was for the extra bodies. Already I was thinking of how I was supposed to sell the Trottingham offensive to the public. I knew it was doable, the polling on the war was closing on a hundred percent support, and the cultural ministry was doing a fine job with their own propaganda campaign. Hell, I had just manged to sell war to the princess of love. How ironic. As I sat idly in the seat, Quill once against hopped onto my lap, this time laying her head against my chest. Part of me was happy to indulge her, satisfied that I did my job as best I could. The other part wanted to shove her away. Personal thoughts aside, it was up to the military to accomplish what they had sold me on. I had my faith that all would go well. They knew what would happen if they failed after all.
Anon von Bismarck	9: Sacred War	You are Freidrich van den Tann, general of the Griffon Empire, marshal of the Grand Army of the East. It was you who Emperor Willem Gunnar had charged with taking and holding the Island of Griffisch, that the ponies called Trottingham. And you had done so in spectacular fashion. Not a day after the war declaration was supposed to be announced, your forces had already crushed the meagre garrison and either seized or scuttled their ships in port After that, it was simple police work until the next movement order came. But then, things slowed to a standstill. For reasons still not known to you, you hadn't received further orders. Word came down through gossip that General Wiborg had failed to take the Northern Narrows, despite commanding an army larger than your own. The damnable glory seeking fool. But then it had come down that the Equestrians were mobilizing an army, and the Crystal Empire had expanded their forces as well. So you gave the order that you had never desired to give, for it meant defeat was a possibility. You ordered your soldiers to dig in. A mile outside the city, you'd had your thousands strong army establish a front of trenches, embanked guns, and pitfalls. Your initial supplies had not included any proper fortifying equipment, so you had confiscated shovels, picks, and hoes from the farmers on the island. There had been complaints, but no real opposition. Not that the ponies even posed a threat anymore. Even more worrying was that the supply runs had been sending fewer ships through as the Equestrian Navy began to close a noose around the harbor. Just this morning, they had begun to bombard the few ships you had at anchor. Fortunately you'd had the foresight to move most of what supplies were left off the boats. But you'd still lost twenty griffons and perhaps five hundred tons of supplies, much of it food. And now your army was running low on it. Discipline was starting to fall apart, and more cases of abuse of the pony residents had begun to crop up. And despite your crackdowns on movement of the troops, you knew that it would continue. This was the nature of an army that had been on the warpath, and now was relegated to standing still. Professional or conscripted, no soldier could stand up to boredom for long. And so it was you found yourself on the battlements, staring out at the masts and funnels of enemy ships A tap on your shoulder reminds you of the company you're keeping this morning. "Sir, shall we get to it?" Your adjudant, Major Granwall, stands behind you with a colonel from the disciplinary corps. The same colonel that had refused to give him anything but his rank, simply producing the crest of the emperor to prove who he was. A pain, but you know why it was as it was. "Yes, we may as well." The major nodded and turned to the inside of the fortifications. "Brigade, atten-tion! Prepare for general inspection!" A thousand griffons snap to attention as one, lined up in ranks with muskets at the ready. With a quiet sigh, you began to walk down the first rank of troops, giving quick glances to their equipment and randomly picking an individual to inspect in more detail. Overall, and to your surprise, the majority are in good order. You had expected a poor turnout because of the lack of discipline, but this was a pleasant surprise. You would have to be sure to compliment the CO of this brigade, Griffonstone Homeguard judging by the unit insignia. They're living up to the name of the glorious capital, it seems. The inspection continues for another two hours, perusing line upon line of troops. It's actions like this that truly give you a sense of scale for your force. Five brigades of the eastern group, a total of seven thousand infantry, four hundred heavy guns with their crews, forty squadrons of airborne cuirassiers, and various support personnel. The largest gathering of the military might the Empire had see. Since the Capra Wars twenty years ago. You'd been a cuirassier yourself back then, eager to get your bayonet into the enemy after the opening volley. But this would be a different war. The ponies, though seemingly weak, still challenged the might of the griffons. But with their precious sun goddess gone, her sister a barely sane degenerate, and a semi-intelligent monkey leading them, this was the time to strike to their heart. So as you walked down the lines of your troops, the question still weighed upon you. Why did the government delay sending orders to move? A sounding bugle snaps you out of your reverie. You recognized the series of notes immediately, a scout had caught sight of the enemy. The soldiers on parade look around in confusion, unsure of whether to stay in line or man the battlements. A ragged looking runner comes on the .wing, shouting urgently for your attention Despite the sudden knot forming in your stomach, you calmly turn to face him. "Report, corporal." The low ranked NCO thrusts out his chest, breathing heavily from the flight "Corporal Kriggsen reporting, first squadron, Blackhearth Shrikes sir. A large enemy force has been sighted heading straight for us. Numbers unknown, but their front is a mile wide sir!" You can't stop your eyes from widening at the report. Certainly, you had heard the ponies had been mobilizing forces, but to muster a number to cover an entire mile of front? This was not something that you had planned for. Who could expect a nation with virtually no soldiers to muster enough to retaliate this quickly? Having heard the report, Major Granwall is already shouting order to the troops, having them get to their positions and prepare for immediate combat. The dust and chaos of thousands of griffons taking to wing to get to their posts to quickly is overwhelming. But through it all, you stand still, a rock in a stormy sea of madness. This was what it meant to be a general at war The corporal takes off to join his own squadron, and you walk back to an observation tower behind the battlements. You needed your own assessment of the enemy before you made any immediate decisions. You climbed the tower and were joined at the top by the major, the colonel from the discipline corps having disappeared like a ghost. A slight shiver runs through your spine, noticed only by Granwall. "I know sir, those discipline members are certainly something." Major Granwall had been with you for a decade now, and understood you better than even your wife did now. He was an officer well on his way to one day becoming a general in his own right. But for now, you were glad to have his help. "Indeed, now let's get a look at what these ponies have mustered." You take up your spyglass from a table with several optics and signal flags and put it to your eye, scanning the horizon for the enemy. There, you couldn't see the ponies themselves, but there was an immense cloud of dust, with unit pennants flapping in the wind. It was as the scout had said, a mile wide front. The sight chilled you, for so many troops would be an incredibly difficult fight. At the very least, they couldn't be too well trained, they'd only have had a month to train for this. Maybe they had turned to using massive waves like the Stallionists. In the distance, you hear the muffled thud of artillery. Scanning for the source, you see several odd looking ironclads with lumps on their decks. As you continued to observe the ships, there are puffs of smoke issuing from those lumps at a steady rate. Guns, you realize. But what could they be firing at? The answer comes seconds later as a pillar of dust rises from positions a few hundred yards down the line from you. Another shiver runs through your bones, and you find your wings twitching at your side. How in the name of the gods were they able to throw shells so far? Even the largest guns on your ships could only fire perhaps a mile, and certainly not accurately. That ship was at least five miles distant, and it was pounding your troops. What devils were the ponies dealing with these days, you wondered. No matter, your troops were better disciplined and as well equipped as the enemy, surely you would triumph. The staccato noise of volley fire runs up and down the lines as at last the enemy is in range. Return fire is meagre at best, a few shots coming in every so often. Such was the nature of assaults such as this, troops on the march had to conserve as much ammunition as possible. But you had the benefit of fortifications and an excess of ammunition and powder. What's more, you think at the thuds of artillery sound off, you had the guns. The kings of the battlefield. The sounds of battle ebb and flow for the next fifteen minutes, a familiar rhythm. Far down the line, further away from the shore, you hear a bugle sounding, but confusion swells over you. Why was it sounding the pursuit of a retreating force? Sighting in the source, you see the pennants of the enemy falling back on that flank. Clearly the attack had broken there, but that was no reason to leave the battlements. With a sigh, you said "Major, signal to the Imperial Legion to reign in that charge. We mustn't allow ourselves to be drawn into a foolish opening so quickly." Even as Granwall takes up the flags and begins signaling, you can already see it's too late. Half of that brigade was already out of their trenches and pursuing the enemy. You sighed heavily, Colonel Aachen wouldn't be holding his position for long after this. But even as you vow to send the offender home, you can see the other pennants begin to shift backwards. It seems the threat of even an ill-advised charge was enough to force a general retreat. Another bugle sounds, this time on the side of the trenches that had weathered bombardment. It seemed yet another brigade was preparing to join in the pursuit of a fleeing enemy. Even as you sympathize with their desire to escape the inexplicable barrage, you grind your teeth quietly. Though it may not have been evident in the inspection, it was clear that discipline issues were in all ranks of your force. Fortunately, the three central brigades at the core of the lines had seen the signals and remained in the defenses. But it didn't change that nearly two and a half thousand troops were running away from their posts, and away from the cover of the cannons. "Granwall, signal four squadrons to fly cover for those idiots. I don't want them getting picked to pieces because they fled their cover." He nodded and turns to relay the message with his flags. You continue to observe the retreat of the enemy, and subsequent advance of your own forces. As mad as the charge was, it didn't seem anything was going wrong with it. It was a rather disciplined march at double time, not a headlong dash of glory. Perhaps this would result in a crushing victory and you'd be seen as an overly cautious old man. Perhaps. But deep down, you knew it was better to be cautious than reckless. You had known too well the price of being rash. Your rebuilt left leg was a testament to that. You are Thunderous Hooves, captain of a small platoon of the Equestrian Army, and heir to the Hooves fortune. You were a noble. And right now you were longing for the stodgy boredom of Canterlot. You had been charged with making your platoon seem like a far larger force. To that end, they had been spread as wide as they could be while still being able to be commanded. You'd been given three different unit pennants as well, to further confuse observers. And finally, you were kicking up as much dust on the march as you could. Overall, it made for quite the convincing illusion of strength, especially with half a regiment spread all across a massive front line. No heavy guns of course. The mission was simply to get within maximum shooting distance, engage for a little while, then retreat in a seemingly disordered fashion to lure out the griffons. Casualties would be minimal, according to the generals that planned this. It still didn't stop you from shivering when the dull thuds of heavy guns reached your ears. Fortunately, the griffons seemed to be holding their fliers in reserve, instead of using them to spot where shots were landing. That meant that, at the very least, their shells weren't landing with any kind of accuracy. Finally, the crackle of shots from the defenders means you're in rifle range. You laid on your belly, planting the banner in the ground and fire off a round in the general direction of the griffons. Slowly, smoothly, you load another round just as you've been trained. It was a simple drill, taught to you by the trainers in Canterlot. Rotate bolt open, draw back, place round inside, rotate bolt closed, aim, fire. You continued the rhythm for what feels like ages, until you hear the sound of a bugle in the distance. The enemy, you realized, signaling a charge. But they wouldn't charge unless they felt they needed to give chase. And that meant it was time. Shouting to the ponies nearby, you call for a retreat, picking up your pennant and slinging your rifle. You begin falling back, away from the enemy rifles and guns, through the smoke and dust of a barrage. Not running flat out, but going fast enough to keep ahead. Another bugle sounds behind you, on the opposite flank to the first. A second charge, from a different unit. Perfect. No more horns blared, and outside the quieting shellfire and panting of your own breath, things begin to hush. You didn't have far to go, just a couple miles until you're safe. Internally, you damned the policy that makes young nobles automatically officers in times of war. Worse was that you had simply drawn the short straw to be deployed. Emphasis on "young noble", you had hardly turned 18 last summer. But right now was no time for griping though, you had to stay ahead of the enemy. Besides, if you survived this, there would be some glory in it for you. The march feels as though it goes on forever, the shrieks of the griffons dogging your heels the whole way. But at long last, you come over the last hill and jump into the waiting trenches. You barely had time to catch your breath, finally beside your fellow soldiers once more, before you hear the griffons drawing close. A voice echoes down the line as you stand over the lip of the trench, rifle ready. "Hold fire!" A bead of sweat trickles down your face, stinging your eye. You could see the griffons charging down the hill across from you now. It was just like the generals had planned. A cacophony of noise assaults your ears as the big guns open up, just as the griffons hit the middle of the lowland. Through the ringing in your ears, you can hear the order. "Fire!" You don't hesitate, and along the line the deafening volley blasts forth and tears into the ranks of the charging griffons. Their entire first rank collapses, even as their fellows push on. As fast as you can ram cartridges into the chamber, you're firing. You don't even take the time to have careful aim, simply sending lead into the seemingly endless horde of griffons. Distantly, you register the dirt and bodies sent skyward by detonating shells as your artillery zeroes in. But in almost an instant, the big guns cease firing, and through the settling smoke you see there are still innumerable enemies standing in the field. You hold your fire, as does most of the line, letting your weapon cool. They seem to be milling about aimlessly, and in the distant sky you see small, flapping shapes approaching rapidly. It was only a matter of time till they charged again, and the fliers were on you. But for whatever reason, you could not bring yourself to load and fire again. You dove for cover as a number of bullets strike the dirt and ponies around you. Their screams echoed in your ears as you huddle in the bottom of the trench. The bodies and blood of your fellow soldiers pooled into the trenches, staining the dark earth a crimson red. You hugged yourself as you laid in the trench. You just want to go back to Canterlot. You just wanted to go home. You wanted your mom. In the distance, you can clearly hear the cacophony of battle. Your blood rises, and your wings instinctively spread at the noise, both from excitement and fear. As the guns thud in the distance, your heart beats in time. You wanted nothing more than to get in there and make sure the battle is won. But Princess Luna has ordered you to hold position, and you dare not question her, no matter how anxious you are. You are Spitfire, leader of the Wonderbolts, and right now, you are impatient. More than that, your nerves are alight even more than your first day at the academy. Half of the reserves had been called up to bolster the ranks of the newly organized Equestrian Army Air Division. At least you had avoided the burden of any rank higher than commander. And besides, it meant that you could still see action instead of being a boring officer. Being handpicked for a mission by the princess of the night helped with that too, of course. You and the Wonderbolts First Squadron had been selected as the air arm of Luna's Black Bats, and had received extensive training with the use of both lances and specialized carbines made specifically for fliers. Your orders were to break the spine of any enemy air assault with a violence that left them unable to continue to dream of fighting. You had grinned like a devil when Luna outlined your mission like that. Since fillyhood, you'd been far more aggressive than most ponies, and your first CO had even remarked that you must be part dragon. It was hard to argue with that one when you'd topped the combat drills and set records that stood for years. And now, finally, your years of training would be put to good use. Your second in command, Soarin, comes up beside you and chuckles quietly. "This is getting you all hot and bothered, eh boss?" You can't stifle the sudden burst of laughter, and you punch him in the shoulder. "And what about you, is that a cannon in your pants or are you just happy to see me?" He's quick with a response, like he always is. "You know me, I'm a sucker for a woman in uniform." You both shared a laugh before quieting down and staying awkwardly silent. Pre-fight jitters were getting to you, and him as well. It didn't take a unicorn to see the slight tremble in Soarin's frame, or Fleetfoot further down the line, fiddling with her mane. Even Blaze, usually more reckless than even you were, is clicking her teeth together nervously. Only Luna, standing a few feet in front of you, seemed to be calm. She stands firm, resplendent and intimidating in her deep blue armour, her usually flowing mane restricted by a tight ponytail. It's like she was born for this. Others lay in wait beside her, unicorns and earth ponies who had passed the rigours of her vicious training. Even you with your years of experience with such methods was taxed by how far she took it. But here you were now, waiting to fight. You shifted your legs to lower yourself into a more stable stance, only recently having become used to the small metal plates that had been added to your uniform for protection. They could stop most things the gryphons used, short of a cannon blast. But they were heavy, and made flying slower. You only hope the protection is worth it. A light helmet with a metal guard for your muzzle had been issued as well, protection against fragments that were sure to come. You see Luna raise her right hoof, straight into the air as though beckoning the stars themselves to aid her. You know the signal and put the metal guard over your mouth, your pulse echoing loudly in your ears Luna continues to hold her hoof up for several heartbeats that drag into an eternity. But then, finally, it falls. In an instant, you and the other Wonderbolts burst through the treetops, winging towards the enemy as hard as you can. Immediately, you zero in on exactly what you were to attack Four squadron sized elements of griffon cuirassiers were moving to support their badly mauled and retreating ground forces. The wind rushing against you rattles the long lance held at your side with a brace Four to one odds? Easy. Adrenaline surges through you as you charge forth, the near mile distance vanishing rapidly You pushed yourself to go fast, your wings straining to keep up such a speed. As you push even further, it feels as though the air is turning into syrup, sticking against you and slowing you. You strained to push yourself faster, but you recognize just how close you are to the enemy. You start to draw your lance out from under you, ready to kill. Pure reaction drives your movements, your wings snap tight against your body, your head lowers, and you clench your teeth for the terminal strike. With a force that rattles your skull and seems to shake the earth, your lance slams home into the griffon you had been charging As designed, the weapons midsection shatters, leaving you free to carry on as the head falls to the dirt inside a very dead griffon. A rapid succession of crashes and screams of pain echo around you as the other Wonderbolts all strike their targets But you've pushed beyond, wings wide open and dragging you higher. Your wings still and, at the peak of your glide, hold you steady. From your left side, you take the carbine from its cradle and sight in on a griffon who was floating in the air, stunned by the sudden attack. The weapon in your hooves recoils and the overwhelmed avian plummets to join his fellows on the ground. What griffons remain in the air after the alpha strike mill about in disarray that mirrors the chaos of their fellows in the infantry. But you and your squadron continued to fire. Before long, the broken enemy wings away as fast as they can. You take a moment and draw a long, shuddering breath. You and your friends had done it. Below you, Luna's forces have engaged the flank of the enemy, ensuring there was no retreat for them. But you weren't done just yet. You and your fellow Wonderbolts climb to higher altitudes to observe the movement of any reserves the griffons had. But there were no more coming. And suddenly, there is naught but silence over the fields. Looking down, you see numerous griffons waving whatever white cloth they could find. You're pretty sure one is even swinging his underwear wildly in the breeze. A foalish giggle winds its way out of your throat, and a moment later you're laughing like a lunatic. Soarin comes over to see what the fuss is about, and you simply point out the one griffon. He too joins you in a giggle fit, and it's not long before all of you are laughing like fools. The battle had been won, and so easily! All that worrying, comforting ponies who were terrified to actually fight, staring sleeplessly into the night on watch praying that no ambush comes. Eventually, the laughter subsides and you see Luna gesturing for you to come down. As you lazily descend in a wide circle, you take in the remains of the griffon forces being rounded up. You note, with a bit of squeamishness, the number of stretcher bearers coming onto the field. Before long, you're standing before Luna, breathing heavily even as she smiles down at you. "Excellent work, Commander Spitfire. You and your Wonderbolts did a fine job of shattering their aerial forces. We are most impressed. Take your squadron and get a meal and some rest, but do not let your guard down. We still have a city to capture." You snapped a salute to her smartly. "Yes ma'am!" Your voice echoes terribly inside the mouth guard you still haven't removed, and Luna stifles a giggle with a hoof. Embarrassed, you remove the offending equipment, salute again, and trot away to join the rest of your fellows. They've landed on the crest of a nearby hill, chatting amicably with each other. You see a great deal of gore coating their right sides, and you imagine you look much the same. It was the main drawback to weapons like lances, but after today it was hard to debate their effectiveness. The follow-up of climbing and shooting too was highly effective, and less dirty. The Wonderbolts greet you with cheers as you climb up to them, and you take it with good grace. "Yes, yes, I know how amazing I am already. Give it a rest." They chuckle at you, and you continue. "Alright, we've been ordered to grab some grub and take a breather. I guess we're leaving clean-up to the infantry. But don't drop your guard, we've still got a town to liberate and I bet hay to horseapples we're not stopping till we take Trottingham." Your audience nods solemnly, still smiling from the high of battle. "Alright, get outta here. Rest up and be ready to go." They salute and responded as one. "Yes ma'am!" With that, they trotted past you, heading towards the trenches behind you. You take a moment, staring at the city in the distance, and the banks and towers in front of it. Yes, you had won a serious victory today, perhaps THE victory that would push the griffons out of your homeland. But as you stared back at the carnage, seeing not just griffons on stretchers but ponies as well, you wonder just what that ultimate victory would cost. Perhaps too much. No that was impossible. We were right in this war, they attacked us first, you thought to yourself. Glory to Equestria.
Anon von Bismarck	10: Into the Coals	The clocks ticking is, mercifully, the only noise in the room right now. I am Lord Anonymous, and I've been listening to the various ministers yell at me all morning. It was only when we had convened today that I finally had told them of the ongoing military operation in Trottingham. Certainly not that I thought they would give information to the enemy. No, it was simply that I didn't trust them not to speak of it within earshot of less trustworthy ponies. So until now, it was only me, Quill, and the military involved that knew of the battle of Trottingham. Of course, my fellows took it to heart. Took it as a personal insult. "You dared to approve a war plan without taking it to cabinet first? Do you plan on conducting a coup next?" Flashy Image, minister of culture, ever the diva even in the face of something so minor. "Fool, we could have organized supplies for this campaign far easier if you'd told us. Perhaps we could have even made way for more arms to be produced, but now who knows how they fare?" Heavy Hammer, minister of industry, pragmatic but quite the worrywart and a micromanager to the core. "Half of the new equipment was forced into early production. Who knows what kind of flaws could still be in their systems." Sharp Mind, minister of research, excellent at directing research where it needed to go, but totally neurotic and sure of failure, as if it was the only outcome. And on and on with the rest, complaint after complaint, each one building on the case of the last. But I sat there stoically, not letting my true annoyance show through. I had placed my absolute trust in Stalwart Shield and Luna, they were experts of their craft and surely they would prevail. I had something the ministers lacked. Faith. As the clock continued ticking, I noticed Quill becoming more and more antsy. Usually as cool and collected as the pair of us were in these situations, the mare has begun to subtly paw at the table, and her brow has a crease of worry. It seems others in the room have noticed, their own nervous tics coming to the fore. Even I had begun clicking my molars together, an old and terrible habit I had thought long gone. Another ten minutes passed in silence, then Heavy Hammer jumps to his hooves "So that's it then! We've committed our force to a doomed attack, and now we only have a few reserve troops and the Royal Guard left to defend ourselves. Brilliant work, human, by going around us you have ensured our defeat!" I could see a vein pulsing in his forehead, and his hooves tremble on the table. Taking a deep breath, I looked him directly in the eyes, my face tight with stress. "You misunderstand, Mr. Hooves. As much secrecy as possible was absolutely required for this operation. The more ponies that know, the more ponies that can accidentally mention the wrong thing to the wrong being. Keeping you all in the dark was necessary till this point. Even now, I dare not discuss battle plans I was shown, in case the campaign drags on." He grit his teeth, but Flashy Image speaks before he can. "And if our forces suffer defeat, what then? You simply shrug your shoulders and carry on as though it never happened? No, Anonymous, you can rest assured that this little farce will be laid squarely at your feet." I had to restrain myself from lashing out. To that, I can had no response that was respectful, simply breathing deep to calm myself. Eventually, Heavy Hooves sat back down, laying his head on the table. The mood in the room has gone from tense to dismal in just a few moments. But, despite my nerves, I still had faith that the military will prevail. They have to. Moments later, the door to the minister chamber bursts open, and a tired looking pegasus wearing a Messenger Corps uniform bolts in and and snaps to attention. He faced me and saluted sharply, then barked out his message in a precise, almost robotic manner. "Sir, we've received a telegram addressed to you, high priority. Permission to proceed?" I simply nodded at the exhausted pony. He took a deep breath before practically shouting. "Tyger, Tyger. Repeat, Tyger, Tyger." Oh thank god. I stood from my seat at the head of the table, smiling ferociously at the assembled ministers. "Ladies, gentlecolts, I am pleased to inform you that Operation Red Harbour has been successful. As of this moment, Trottingham is back under the control of Equestria and the enemy has been completely routed. Another operation is planned as soon as our valiant soldiers rearm and rest. I assure you, a follow up report will be on your desks soon. This meeting is adjourned." The room exploded into noise, all the ministers trying to shout over me. But I simply turned and left, Quill following behind me. It's all I can do to not break into a run as I walked through the palace. In a matter of seconds, I had gone from doubtful and nervous to ecstatic and already planning how to spin this. I'd need to make an appearance in Trottingham to be sure. For the ponies, seeing their leader in their recently liberated city, confident and charismatic, would serve to make the next stage of the war more palatable. My grin widens as I remembered the delivery from Rarity that had arrived only a few days past. That suit was definitely going to strike a chord with my ponies. After a while, I arrived at the war room in the East wing, walking in on an atmosphere of celebration. When I entered, despite the cheer, the ponies there immediately snap to attention and saluted me. My smile grows once more as I returned their salutes and then gestured for them to relax. "Fine work, soldiers! Damn fine work! Capturing the city within two days of beginning the operation is nothing short of miraculous. I'll order the cooks to prepare a feast for you, it's the least I can do to reward your efforts." The staffs cheers redouble at the announcement, and I exit the room as quickly as I had entered while they roar in celebration. They deserved this after all, why spoil it for them? I breathed a long sigh as I head back to my room. My heart thumps, beats like a war drum, making me eager to rush straight to the front and join in the fight. Just like how I used to... And I can imagine the feeling will be much the same for the ponies when the liberation of Trottingham is announced. On my way to my quarters, I spoke up to Quill. "How soon do you think we can be in Trottingham?" I heard her hum as she considers the answer. "Well sir, by sea it will take a full day. An early train to a port, then taking a vessel across and we'll arrive late in the evening. It would be about half that time were we to take a pegasi chariot, but with the war, I wouldn't risk that even over areas we control." Nodding my head, I considered the options Certainly air would be quicker, but as she said, the war made such transport riskier than I'd like. Can't have the ruler dying on them. But a full day of travel wasn't conducive to the quick arrival in the city I wanted to have. Suddenly, it struck me. I snapped my fingers "What if we took a civilian train today? When does the next one leave for Manehattan?" I heard her rustle some papers, surprisingly not questioning my thoughts. "Forty minutes sir. We'd have ten minutes to prepare and be on our way to the station." I slowed down and looked at her. "Alright Quill, in ten minutes we'll meet up at the main gates. Let's go!" I took off sprinting down the halls, leaving a hesitant Quill in the dust. Even leaving so suddenly, I knew that she would be ready before even I was, somehow. Despite being an earth pony, that mare was damn near magical when it came to keeping time. It took two long minutes for my headlong sprint to bring me to my room, and left a trail of confused servants in my wake. But I didn't care, I thought to myself as I stuffed well folded clothes into a suitcase. I was giddy as a child, and no number of weird looks could stop that. Another five minutes, and I'm sprinting from my room, a change of my regular suits and the special outfit from Rarity packed away safely into my suitcase. I skid to a halt before a serving cart, remembering my earlier promise to the military staff. Letting out a quick breath, I spoke quickly. "Pass this message along to the chefs, they're to prepare a celebratory banquet. Ensure the ministers and general staff are all invited to attend. Understand?" The two stunned unicorns nodded in unison, and I almost took off once more, determined to finally be earlier than Quill. But I needed something else from these mares. One last thing before I went to Trottingham. I had a certain... request. "Also, could you pass along a message for Heavy Hammer to have a new type of weapon made specially for me? I have the blueprint in my quarters, you may grab it." I arrived in front of the gates, heaving for breath. It was about time I got back in shape. Last time I was happy about how I looked, I was still fighting for Uncle Sam. After the war, I promised to myself, I'll have Quill schedule an hour for exercise every day. No matter how early or late it was! But only after the war. Grinning to myself, I looked around and didn't see Quill anywhere nearby. I had finally done it, I had beaten the mistress of schedules to a timing. Oh how sweet victory would be when I-- "Ah, you've arrived sir, and a full minute early! Let's be on our way then." For once, I was glad I didn't have the appearance of a pony. At least like this, I didn't have ears that would be pressed against my head in despair "Sir?" I patted her head and began walking down the road. "Let's be going, Quill. No time to waste." She smiled up at me, and trotted along beside me. It's not a quick pace, but we managed to arrive at the train station with plenty of time to spare. Quill goes to the counter and orders a pair of tickets to Manehattan, and I took a seat on one of the benches. Almost immediately, I was aware of the stares from the other ponies waiting for the train. For a moment, I was confused, but I quickly remembered that I was not exactly inconspicuous in a land of pastel ponies. No matter what they called me. I was their ruler after all, they wouldn't dare to speak down to me. But that was no problem, as I simply grin amicably and wave to those who are staring. Celestia probably had to deal with the same things when she was in charge, though it was likely easier for her given that she at least looked like a pony. As Quill comes and say beside me, a few of the bystanders timidly approached. They asked questions about the war, about what's going on with the military, if I know when their son will be home since he had already missed a few dinners. I deftly deflected the questions, speaking of military security, and reassuring them that as soon as resolution came, it would be back to business as usual. Another lie of course. But it seemed I was pretty good at that. They seem satisfied with the answers and go about what they were doing before, leaving me and Quill waiting quietly. It's not long at all before the train pulls into the station. Quill and I got on as soon as the arriving crowd thins, and a conductor shows us to our seats in an economy car. Couldn't pay for some luxury apparently. The two of us sat on a firmly cushioned bench, and I tried to get comfortable in the furniture made for beings half my size. Quill gave me an apologetic gaze. "There weren't any other tickets left, sir." Made sense, this was a last minute decision. I waved her remorseful words away and gave her a warm smile. "It was my idea to leave so suddenly. But this way we ought to arrive in the city around noon tomorrow, right?" She nodded her head and began scratching a quill on a sheet a paper. I left Quill to her notes and namesake, shutting my eyes as the train slowly chugs away from the station. As I tried to rest, my worries prickled me in spite of the incredible news of the day. Certainly, the liberation of Trottingham was a great victory, perhaps decisive in nature. But how many more would there have to be before the war finally ended?. It's early in the morning, I and a very sleepy Quill have boarded a military ship in Manehattan bound for Trottingham. It was part of a resupply convoy, and they were more than happy to have us aboard. Or just me, at least. The Captain even gave up his quarters to us two. What a kind stallion! I'd be sure to remember that Captain Surehoof deserved a raise. After the rather painful half day on the train, I certainly wasn't going to complain about a bit of extra cushion. Still, I had managed to get a bit of sleep on the ride. Not like Quill, who stayed up for the entire trip, then what was left of the night we arrived She told me it was all to make the schedule as efficient as possible. I'm pretty sure I saw her drawing, though. Of course, I wasn't going to admit to her I had peeked over her shoulder once or twice. That would be stupid, never mind that it would go against the very nature of a politician to admit to any perceived wrongdoing. From what I saw, she was pretty good at it though. Not to mention a very lewd little pony. If I were to talk to her about it, I'd ask where she learned to draw like that. But I certainly hadn't watched for any longer than five minutes. Probably Whatever the reason she hadn't rested, it made for a very tired, grumpy mare. As soon as the boat sounded its horn and set sail with the other ships, she took to the bed and laid down with a huff. "Damn that train and its uncomfortable seating, I couldn't get a wink!" I sat on the bed beside her, dropping my suitcase at the foot of it. "You could have slept when we got into town. We had a good three hours until the ship was set to sail." She shakes her head and rolls onto her back. "I know my luck, sir. I'd have overslept and you wouldn't have been able to wake me up and been forced to board the ship alone." I cocked an eyebrow at her. "That's a very specific this to be afraid of." She gave me a strangely whimsical smile. "I have very specific dreams." I scratched the tuft of fur that puffed out from her chest. She let out a contented coo as I scratch, her breath slowing. This pony has to be half cat. "Very peculiar ones too." She lets out a little giggle, truly relaxing for the first time since the war began. "I'm a very peculiar pony, Anon." She definitely was. Peculiar to make me think twice about my beliefs about a human-pony relationship. I still couldn't commit to it yet. It just seemed so wrong. Like a violation of the natural order. Shacking those thoughts away, I grinned, enjoying the easy banter. "I'll say. Who else could I find that enjoys making schedules so much?" She snickers again, giving me a cheeky smile. "Who else could you find that would actually manage to keep you on schedule?" I scratched my chin, as if pondering a deep question. "Well, I suppose I could get one of the guards to, I hear they're quite good at keeping timings." Quill pushes a hoof against my side, her face twisting into mock disgust. "I suppose you could if you wanted him to follow you everywhere, even the toilet." Now it was my turn to give her a smug grin. "Come now, a mare can be a guard as well." She scrunches her muzzle in annoyance at my comment. It takes her a moment, and I realized that I finally had gained the upper hand. "I suppose so, but imagine what kind of battle axe she'd be. I mean, what kind of mare goes into a line of work like that willingly?" "A true Equestrian patriot." Both of us shared a laugh, and the conversation lapses into a cheery silence. I leaned back against the hull as the boat gently rocks, massaging Quill's chest as she hums contentedly. After a while laying in silence, Quill speaks up in a quiet, timid tone. "You wouldn't actually replace me, right?" I almost riposte her with a snide remark. But something in her tone, some deep kind of insecurity perhaps, stops me from making a mockery of it. "Of course not, Quill. I'm a firm believer in not fixing what isn't broken." She huffed quietly and nodded her head in affirmation. "Good, I don't want to go around trying to get a new job." Her tone suggested she's simply brushing it off as an extension to my earlier teasing. But her face suggests she's genuinely relieved. I pulled her onto my lap and started stroking her mane gently. She lets out a little 'eep' as I did so, but soon settled into the new position. After a while relaxing in my lap, Quill opens her mouth and lets out a ferocious yawn. I chuckled and mussed her mane. "Ought to catch up on your sleep. We'll be in Trottingham before you know it, and I need somepony to keep me on time." She smiled and nodded at me slowly. "Yeah, I suppose I could do with a nap. Promise you won't leave me on the ship?" I booped her muzzle, much to her annoyance, and smiled warmly. "Of course not, don't be silly. Now get some sleep." She snorts and lays her head down on my lap, yawning again. It's not long before she's fast asleep, her ears flicking as the boat continues to rock like a cradle. I let out a yawn as well. The short, uncomfortable nap on the train hadn't been enough, and the excitement of yesterday was finally catching up with me. Shifting Quill to the side, I laid down in the bed and curl myself around her so we both fit. It still felt wrong, but slowly I was starting to accept this. It's not like any more humans would be as unlucky, or lucky, as I was. She nuzzled against my chest, letting out a long sigh. As I begin to nod off, Quill's mane burying my face, I know we'll be in Trottingham before we know it. But for now, I would enjoy this time with my sweet secretary. I still have to question if these thoughts are mine. When did I find ponies cute? Once more, I cast away the thoughts. A philosophical debate could wait for the morning. The blaring of ship horns brought me out of my comfortable nap. I blinked away the sleep encrusting my eyes and sat up in the miniature bed, stretching my limbs and yawning. Quill stirred beside me, standing and stretching out like a cat. I scratched behind her ears, and she pushed her head against my attentive fingers. "Did you sleep well, Quill?" She nods her head silently, hopping off the bed and walking over to the dresser of the cabin. I stood from the bed as she begins brushing her mane. I'm rather impressed that she's able to do it so well without any magic to assist her. Or hands. Even managing to style it into a neat ponytail, all without the kind of dexterity I'd expect that to need. I waited my turn, taking out my straight razor in the meantime. Finally I would get a chance to shave. Needed to look presentable for my troops. It doesn't take long for Quill to finish up, nor for me to clear the stubble from my cheeks. I shooed her from the cabin and open up my suitcase. I knew we'll be pulling into the harbor soon, I can hear the faint echoing of other ships responding to the blares of my own ship horn. When we arrive, I figured that I ought to arrive looking the part of a leader though. Certainly, my old suits had been enough for working in the foreign ministry, even as the head minister I hadn't been expected to meet with anyone above my office position. But now I was the ruler, and I figured that I needed to look the part. As I took out Rarity's creation and looked it over again, I couldn't help but whistle. It more than looked the part of a regal outfit. The suit, no the uniform, was made of stark white cloth, softer than silk to the touch, but surprisingly elastic. On the shoulder were two gold coloured epaulettes with great curtains of bullion fringe hanging from them. The cuffs and seams too were gold in colour, as was a long, braided sash of rope that ran from shoulder to waist. On the right breast of the uniform, a large sun in the style of Celestia's cutie mark was embroidered, invoking the lineage I now represented. A peaked cap with a badge of the Equestrian crest and laurels around the brim and a pair of white gloves were worn alongside the ensemble. Were this outfit any color but white, it would cut an imposing image of tyranny. But it was a cream white, representing the purity of my rule. At least, that's what I told myself. And finally, a pair of jet black jackboots were worn over the pants, coming to mid knee, the toes polished to a mirror finish. It was a striking uniform, not truly gaudy, but certainly created with letting ponies know who I was at even a sidelong glance. For the first time, I donned the uniform. I was surprised by how comfortable it is, and incredibly light. It fit me like a glove, not astonishing given that Rarity had insisted on getting my measurements the last time I was in town. I held the cap at my waist and looked at myself in the mirror. It's so beautiful. It's even better than I'd ever hoped it to be. The figure I cut was striking, especially with my natural height. This uniform was more than fitting for my role, and even better to present myself to the ponies of the newly liberated Trottingham. Without delaying any further, I walked outside onto the busy deck, suitcase in hand. Quill, upon seeing me, freezes in her tracks, seemingly stunned by the new outfit. The captain of the vessel, Captain Surehoof if I could recall, who had been conversing with her, snapped sharply to attention and salutes me hastily. I returned the salute and gave the two a devilish grin. "It's a good look, eh?" After looking me up and down slowly, Quill returned my smile. "I couldn't agree more sir. It's about time you had some clothes befitting your new station." The two of us walked towards the bow of the ship, returning the hasty salutes of ratings as we passed them by. Finally we arrived, and just in time to catch a spectacular view of the Trottingham port as the ship begins to pull in. The harbour is a truly massive affair, befitting the role of the city as a trade port between Equestra, the Crystal Empire, and the griffons. Of course they would attack this city first, it was the lifeblood to Equestrian trade. Around the mouth of the port, and prowling its waters, various armed ships-of-the-line and ironclads belch smoke from their boilers into the fresh sea air. I noted the turrets on one ironclad tracking my ship as it sailed into the harbor proper. For an enemy, it would be an imposing sight. For me, it reminds me of the warships back on Earth. It bellowed its horn, as if warning us against doing anything foolish in the city. As the ship passes through the mouth into the bay of the harbour, the view becomes even further crowded. The tall masts of the sailing ships clutter the sky, and the cries of hundreds of gulls pollute the air. Looking towards the shore, I could see a number of captured griffon ships, their distinctive construction sticking out among the more conventional Equestrian vessels. Beneath the waves, dark silhouettes of sunken and scuttled vessels litter the entire area. It truly illustrated just how dominant Equestria was on the seas, and despite the victory here, that may be the only guaranteed place of power. The griffons had underestimated us, and now they had woken the sleeping giant. It reminded me of America and Japan. Just how outclassed Japan was when America had turned its full might towards them. History repeats itself, after all. In the distance, thick clouds of smoke billow outside the city, and the breeze carries the scent of burnt fat. The scent of death. A reminder of the battle that occurred only days ago. That would certainly be one of the first things I'd ask about once ashore. The shouts of sailors and wharf hands echo over the noise of the gulls, calling for mooring line to be set As the deckhands hurry about securing the vessel, a ramp is lowered to the dock below. The captain comes and guides me and Quill out of the way and to the dock. "Thank you for having us aboard, captain. I wish you all the best in your voyages." The elder stallion smiles and salutes me. "Thank you sir, a pleasure having you along for the trip. You've done a number for morale for my crew." With that, he turns back and begins directing the crew, and I turned to greet the two stunned soldiers at the end of the pier. I approached them with a calm smile and wave away the hasty salutes they throw up. "Relax, troops. Could you point us in the direction of your headquarters? We'd like to congratulate the commanders personally." They look at each other, nervous, and one of the two speaks up hesitantly. "I can escort you there sir, if you'd like. This city is a bit of a maze." I clasped my hands together. "Splendid! Let's be on our way then." With another salute, the private that had offered to escort me turned about and started walking into town. Quill and I began to follow him, and the slow pace he sets gives us some time to admire the scenery. The buildings are quite reminiscent of old port towns back on Earth, all thick timbers and stone. Around the wharf, they buildings crowd together, but they thin out as I moved further in town. The ponies I passed by gape at me, some of the younger fillies and colts smiling and cheering as I passed them by. It still surprises me sometimes how easily recognized I am. That was why I went on tour, I supposed. People need to recognize their ruler at a glance. For a city that had gone through two sieges in the span of a month, Trottingham is remarkably intact. Only one or two buildings I save had sustained serious damage, and only a few more have smaller scars of battle. The fighting must have not taken place inside the city proper, or if it had, it had all been repaired quickly. Here and there, I saw work crews of griffons in tattered uniforms, cleaning the streets, repairing some damage, or even tilling gardens. All under heavy guard, of course. The soldiers are stoic and professional, snapping quick salutes when I passed them, but never took an eye off their wards. Good, they're punishment would come eventually. Until then, might as well work them. Eventually, we came to the center of town and lay eyes on the city hall. Here, I finally see where the fighting really happened. The plaza is heavily damaged, craters all over the stonework, the fountain shattered. The building is half burned down and lined with sandbags and wooden obstacles. It seems this was the last stand of what few soldiers the town had garrisoned in it when the griffons arrived. Judging by just how much damage there was, they must have held out for quite some time before finally giving up. I'd be sure to commemorate their valiant efforts. Maybe a statue or two would do. The guards outside the building ushered me inside, and more damage is revealed. Bullet strikes all over the walls and floor, burn damage everywhere, and most doors clearly blown off their hinges It will be quite the effort to fix it, but I'm sure the ponies of Trottingham are up to the task. The guards guided me to an intact set of heavy oak doors, struck but unbroken by stray rounds. I raised my fist and knocked heavily on the door, and the noise echoes in the long halls The hinges creaked, and the doors open to reveal an exhausted looking Luna. When she laid her eyes on me, her face brightens and a great smile grows on her face. She pushes the doors fully open, revealing a great table with a number of officers around it with a sweeping motion of her foreleg "Welcome to Trottingham, Anonymous."
Anon von Bismarck	11: Requiem for the Dead	I returned her smile and clapped a hand on her withers. "Thanks Luna. And congratulations on taking the city so quickly. The ministers were near in conniptions when I left." Her smile grew more malicious as I mentioned the ministers. "They couldn't handle being left in the dark, hm?" I just nodded and stepped inside the room. The meeting table was covered with a large map of the city that's been littered with all sorts of markings. The rest of the room is crowded with all sorts of electronic and assorted materiel. I instantly recognized a telegraph station and some bulky radio machinery crowding up half the room. Magic really has carried these ponies advancements for too long. Most of the remaining space is occupied by various crates, which several of the officers have taken as their seats. I joined them at the table, meeting each of their eyes in turn. "Gentlecolts. First of all, let me extend my congratulations to you as well. Your professionalism, dedication, and courage has ensured a swift end to the griffon occupation of Trottingham." Nods occurred all around and some happy muttering was heard. I allowed them to quiet down before continuing. "But don't rest easy. We have merely taken back what was ours. The Griffon Empire will not stop until they have taken it from us once more. We must continue to push them back, and make it so they do not threaten our country and its citizens again." The response this time is louder and far more firm. The officers at the table, and even the technicians manning the machinery shout their approval. I grinned at the response and raised my hands for quiet. "I am confident that the general staff have developed a strategy that is sure to bring our nation to victory. And I am confident that your bravery and skill shall bring it to fruition." A resounding 'yes sir' echoes in the chamber. I gestured to Luna who comes over to my side. "Well then, princess, if you wouldn't terribly mind I'd like to see the site of the battle." Luna smiles at me and gave the officers an apologetic look. "Of course Anonymous. I'd be more than happy to show you around." I returned my gaze to the officers seated around the map table. "I'm sorry to cut my time short troops, but there's quite a bit of business to attend to. And I'm sure you have your own duties to attend. Good day." I turned and walked from the room as they salute, followed by Quill and Luna. The three of us do our best to avoid the well populated halls, neither of us wanting to be held up by anything. Eventually, we reached the foyer and leave without pause. As we walk through the streets towards the exit of the city, I caught up with Luna. "So it only took you a day to recapture the city. How in the world did you accomplish that? Surely the griffons were dug in." Luna chuckles as we passed by a building with a large hole in the wall. "Indeed they were, like a tick. But just as with ticks, we simply applied a liberal amount of heat. The plan to lure them out worked incredibly well. We drew near half their forces into the ambush and further damaged their morale and support base with a full night of artillery fire. Those new guns easily outranged the griffon cannons and made it a breeze to harass them all through the evening. Come the morn, it was a simple thing to encircle them, even with their defense built so in depth. They simply did not have enough troops to cover their defenses thoroughly." My eyes widened at her descriptions of the situation. "Surely you're exaggerating. Was the expectation not that they would only commit a light force to the pursuit?" Luna nods eagerly, grinning like a wolf. "That was indeed what we'd though. According to the general in charge of their force 'the blasted fools thought they could have an easy victory were blinded to the very idea they could be beaten.' He's quite the clever strategist, actually. We would do well to learn from the techniques he's employed here." I'm not sure whether I was more surprised at the plan working so flawlessly, or that Luna was praising a griffon. Before this battle, she had long advocated an invasion and total takeover of their country. The only way to ensure a permanent peace' she had argued. And though I didn't disagree, I knew that it would just create more enemies for the future, so I'd taken her idea with a grain of salt. "What sort of strategies do you mean?" As we reached the edge of the city, she gestured to the field in front of me. Though churned up with shell craters, it's immediately apparent what she means. Perhaps half a mile ahead, though clearly visible, a large series of dugouts has been worked into the landscape. Some are still filled in with the wreckage of a cannon, and connecting them all is a long, snaking trench line. The trench worms its way around the city until it vanishes from my sight at both ends. Dear lord. They made trench warfare. Immediately ahead of me is a tall observation tower, pockmarked with shrapnel scars but otherwise untouched. A series of flags hang from it, but the centerpiece is a large, white cloth draped from the roof. "That was an officer's tower?" Her grin grows as she stares up at it. "The general's in fact. He stayed up there to the bitter end of the fighting when I suppose he'd had enough of his troops dying. In some ways, it takes a braver stallion to surrender than to fight to extermination." Her grin falters and her eyes seem to be seeing something a thousand miles away I gently tapped her shoulder, and she shook herself out of it. "Anyway, his initial defense would have been much harder to defeat, and probably would have taken weeks and cost many more lives. The deployment of his guns is such that each one can fire grapeshot and essentially cover the entire line. And of course, between each gun is an astonishing number of infantry. What's more, there was a further garrison inside the city itself, ready to reinforce the line when necessary." I whistled quietly, impressed by the thought of just how many griffons had been defending the city. "It's a good thing everything worked as planned then. What were the final tallies for casualties?" Luna, stood for a moment. She looked up, clearly trying to recall the exact number "I believe it was four hundred ponies lost, and a further eight hundred forty-three wounded. The griffons took far more casualties due to their charges, with 1352 dead and 4980 wounded or missing. Their aerial forces alone took perhaps eighty percent of their strength in casualties. It was a good thing I was approved to bring the Wonderbolts, they did more than their share of damage." Ah, good. "But there was also another slight problem." I turned to Luna, giving her a quizzical look. "The Royal Guardsmen that had been attached to our forces didn't listen to orders from anyone who wasn't a noble. We could've have a much lower casualty count if they had listened. That wasn't very good, I'd need to deal with that later. But I had to push that thought aside. As I approached the trench, I noticed numerous pillars of black smoke rising in the distance. I recalled what I had meant to find out as I was coming into the port. I gestured towards off towards the pillars of smoke while speaking. "What's going on over there." Luna turns her head to follow my gesture, and I could see her jaw tighten. "The griffons requested they be allowed to tend to their dead as tradition dictated. We allowed it, of course. Do not worry, we have a great number of soldiers keeping watch over it, but it seems they have no intention of trying to escape." I nodded in understanding, it would have been unlike the ponies to deny such a thing. At the very least, they were taking precautions Luna turned her gaze up to me, nervously tracing circles in the earth with a hoof. "Anonymous...what do you plan to do with these enemy soldiers? We have them in work parties, but after that we don't have any idea where to house so many. There are nearly eight thousand left, and the ponies of Trottingham certainly won't allow them to quarter in their city." I scratched my chin, pondering the question as the smoke in the distance thickens. It was something that not even I had considered until now. "Perhaps we can set up some sort of camp outside the city? We could put them to work tilling the soil and planting short harvest crops. That would keep them busy and prevent any food shortages should this war drag into the winter. And I'm certain we could bring a detachment of guards from the mainland so as to not tie up the bulk of our forces. We'll need soldiers to garrison in the city anyway." She nods and returns her gaze to the horizon. "Perhaps so, I'll bring it up with the officers and I'm certain we'll figure it out before leaving the city. Of course, you'll have the final say in it if you wish." I held up my hands to her. "No no, I trust you and the officers to make a good decision. I was never in charge of holding prisoners. I don't know anything about keeping prisoners, so better to leave that to people with some understanding of it." She nods and smiles approvingly. Most of the military had been quite happy about my approach to their craft. For the most part, I had let them run everything as they saw fit, so long as they submitted major proposals for review first. It seemed they were used to a tight leash. Celestia simply had to control everything. "Say Luna, what was the military like before Nightmare Moon?" Her body goes rigid, and I immediately cursed at myself for my wording. "Excuse me, Anonymous?" I held up my hands to forestall any snap she may have. "I mean what was it like say, two thousand years ago? How was it run and stuff like that?" She relaxed a touch, her face softening a bit. "Ah, well, my sister left that mostly to me. I was quite happy with the arrangement if I'm entirely honest. We enjoyed many years of security and overall peace, outside small incursions from the likes of diamond dogs and the occasional dragon raid." She blushed and scuffed her hoof on the grass. "I will admit, I tended to...micromanage a bit. And according to Stalwart Shield, my sister did as well, even after the reformation. He quite enjoys the breathing room, by the way." I smiled at her, then sat down on the grass. "I'm more than happy to let him and the officer corps run the war. I'm merely here to set a firm objective and take the blame if anything terrible happens." Luna chuckles and joins me on the grass, her eyes glossing as she stares towards the forest I plucked at the strands of grass, and Quill laid her head on one of my legs, heedless of Luna's presence. For her part, Luna doesn't question the closeness of the two of us. It's refreshing to not have to hide my affection, for once. Together, we watched the smoke begin to fade in the dimming sky The day hadn't been very eventful, but it certainly had passed quickly. I looked over at Luna, and I noticed a shining tear fall from one of her eyes. And more quickly started to follow. Gently, I had place da hand on her withers, and her head snapped around to face me. Her eyes are glistening with tears and red rimmed. But just the same, she's not looking at me, her gaze is far away from where I was now. Her voice is quiet and shaky, when she speaks up "I didn't meant to do it, I swear. It was just too much, you understand right? It was all too much for me to do alone." She may as well have been talking Hebrew for all I understood. But even without understanding why she was crying, I simply kept stroking her back, from the base of her neck to her tail, gentle and repetitive. She continues to babble, and I continue to comfort her. Quill had fallen asleep at some point, and Luna hadn't woken her up with her sobbing. I'm quite glad for that. Slowly, to not disturb the sleeping pony on my lap, I pulled Luna closer and shushed her, stroking her mane with a calm hand. Eventually, she quiets down, her quiet sobs giving way to shaky breathing. As the sun drops below the horizon, she's calmed down to a steadier place But neither of us move or speak. I'm comfortable with that, if I'm being honest with myself. I'll wait with her as long as I must After a long time, I felt Luna pull away from me. The tone of her voice makes it clear she's fully recovered from...whatever that breakdown was. "Thank you, Anonymous. It goes without saying that you don't mention this to anypony." I gave her a smile and ruffled her mane playfully. "Of course not Luna." She returns the smile and nuzzles my hand. After a moments pause, she looks to the rising moons "We had best be getting back to the city now." I nod and gave Quill a gentle shake to rouse her. She stirs and rises from my lap, stretching her limbs and back with a yawn. "You go ahead with Quill, I want to enjoy the night air for a bit longer." Quill gives me a questioning gaze, but says nothing as Luna gestures her along. They were so very understanding. So they'd hopefully understand what I was going to do soon. I took a moment and stared off towards the forest, noting the blaze of pyres had subsided to a faint glow. It's hard to believe the day had passed so quickly. But here I was, alone under the moon, feeling the night breeze on my cheeks. After a few minutes, I stood and began to walk along the trenches. I had a strange desire to see firsthand what my approval had wrought on the land. The stark glow of the full moon, accompanied by the faint lights of the city, cast the trenches in an eerie light. The shadows of blown-up cannons stretched in twisted forms, unknown but obvious stains denote things best left unthought. After a few moments of walking, my route had ground to a halt. In front of me laid a crater, unlike any of the others that dot the landscape. It's gargantuan in size to the others. Even in the dark, I can see it's easily twenty meters across and at least half that deep. As the sounds of clanking chains drift by on the breeze, I knelt down at the edge of the veritable sinkhole. I ran my fingers through the dirt of the pit, rubbing a pinch between the tips. It feels like... glass? Yes, it felt like crushed glass, all hard edges and corners. "Inspecting your handiwork?" A quiet but commanding voice behind me gave me a start and I leapt to my feet, spinning to face the speaker. I saw, just a few feet behind me, was an older looking griffon in chains and flanked by two bored looking soldiers. The griffon is dressed in an ornate, if tattered, uniform decorated with all manner of gilded thread and medals lining its breast. "General den Tann, I presume." I can see his teeth glinting in the moonlight, and he gave me a short bow. "As you say, and judging by your non-pony appearance and the wild descriptions Alistair has waxed about many times at meetings, you must be Anonymous." I raised my hands in mock surrender. "Guilty as charged, sir." He scratches the feathers under his beak, looking me up and down. Sizing me up, it feels like. "Indeed, though I must say any being who can vex that pompous mule of a griffon cannot be so bad as one may think." I shrugged my shoulders, perhaps not the most eloquent gesture but I had long run out of steam to act my part of a leader today. "I certainly try. I will admit to a small amount of pleasure in frustrating him." The general's smile shrinks as he comes to stand beside me, staring into the depths of the crater. "I must say though, you must see us as a grave threat to unleash such destruction on us." I followed his gaze and see the moonlight shimmering on the glassy earth of the pit "I don't know what you mean, sir. My troops had guns and rifles, nothing more." His voice grows grim and filled with venom "No, you had a goddess." It had finally clicked together for me. The crying. The apology. She did this. This was Luna's work. "What happened here, general?" He sighed and sat on the grass, motioning for me to join him. I do, and he looks up at the moon, then begins his tale. "It started when those damnable upstart commanders on the flank ordered a charge. I did my best to order them back, but they either did not see or ignored my flags. And then they got themselves outflanked and annihilated. My entire order of battle had to be shifted, ranks thinned, reinforcements forced to the front early. A bloody mess." He scratches at the glassy dirt, drawing an outline of the front. "Then an entire night of being blasted by your artillery and ships. It didn't cause many casualties directly, but not one soldier could get a wink of sleep. And as if things couldn't possibly get worse, coming right on the heels of the dawn, a full assault. I deployed my cuirrasiers immediately, but, and I cannot believe I'm saying this, they were outflown and beaten inside four minutes. You have some fine lancers, sir." His tone becomes bitter once more as he carries on. "Besides the aerial combat, we were managing to hold down rather well. Somehow even the flanks stayed intact. But no good thing lasts forever. She came from the night side, like a black valkyrie. The first spell from her annihilated this flank, there was nothing to recover of the griffons who were stationed here. Four guns, their crews, and near fifty griffons in the trench, gone in a heartbeat. Once I saw that, I broke. I would not, could not, subject my troops to a massacre of that nature. The flag was struck, and we laid down our arms." He stared into the pit, a mix of shame and sorrow twisting his face. "I wondered what sort of being could order such butchery, but it seems you had no idea what you had wrought. I hope you have some understanding of the power under you, Anonymous. Good night." Without another word, he turns away and walks back to the city with his two guards. I'm left alone at the crater, the sounds of the night drifting gently on the breeze. It's hard for me to digest the words of the griffon general. Surely is was just some sort of mine that the ponies had laid the night before. Even an alicorn couldn't bring this much magic to bear. Whatever this was had turned the earth to glass, and there was simply no remains of anything inside the crater. Not even bones... But what else besides magic could it be? Perhaps some team of unicorns had enchanted an artillery shell with fire magic? I can't be sure, but it can't be Luna. This is what I told myself as I slowly meander back to town. Putting my hands in my pockets, I found a small scrap of paper 'Albatross Inn', it must be where I'm staying the night Incredible that Quill had managed to get this into my pocket without me noticing. And that she knew where in town to stay. Though, she had been Celestia's scheduler for a solid five years before she fulfilled the same role for me. So I wandered through the streets in the harsh glow of lamps, looking for my quarters. It doesn't take too long to find, it's quite near the city hall in fact. I walked inside and found myself in a rather quiet bar, a tired looking barkeep wiping down the counter. As I approached, he noticed me and puts on a wide, if false, smile. "Good evening, sir! Princess Luna and your other companion have already checked in. You're in the Monarch Room, top floor, can't miss it sir!" The monarch room? Kind of trying a little hard there pal. He placed a key on the bar in front of him and goes straight back to cleaning. As much as I'd like a stiff drink, I can't fault him for trying to close up, it's late. So I simply thanked him, took the key, and headed up the stairs at the back of the room. At the end of the stairs is an out-of-place, ornate door with an emblem of the sun on it. The barkeeper was right, I really couldn't miss it. As quiet as I could, I opened the door and walked inside the room. In the moonlight through the window, I saw my friends laying on the single, massive bed in the suite. One bed. For three people. It's too late to cause a fit, so I just sighed and walked in. Tiptoeing, I grabbed my suitcase and went into the bathroom. As quiet as I could, I changed from my grand uniform into my simple sleepwear. Despite my mind still racing from what the general had said, I couldn't deny how tired I was. So putting aside my uneasy thoughts about Luna, I slipped into bed between the two mares. Silently, Quill rolls over and nuzzles against my chest, and I felt one of Luna's wings lay on top of me. It takes me nearly an hour to find the sleep I craved.
Anon von Bismarck	12: A Small Peace	Despite filling in for the Goddess of the sun, I'd never been one for early rising, sleeping as long as I possibly could was more my speed. But for some reason, I find myself rising with the dawn, and unable to get back to sleep. Luna had shifted during the night, furling her wings around herself and curling into a ball. Quill now had her back to me, but was still pressed tight against my chest. Smoothly, quietly, I crawled out of bed and grabbed a shirt and slacks from my suitcase. I wasn't planning on going out, but my stomach was growling audibly. There was a bar downstairs. I wonder if they had breakfast? I opened the door silently and tread lightly down the stairs to the pub on the ground floor. Just as last night, a barkeeper is wiping down the counter with a cloth. The only difference is this one is a mare. She notices me and gives a matronly smile. "Good morning, sir. How did you find your room?" I took a seat at the bar and returned her smile "It was quite comfortable, thank you. I'm rather surprised beds as large as the one up there even exist." She giggles and sets the cloth down, grabbing a glass from behind the counter. "So what can I get for you this morning, coffee, tea, something perhaps a bit stronger?" She wiggles her eyebrows at the last part, making me chuckle. "I'd best not start on that so early, I won't stop. Just a coffee will be fine, perhaps with some honey." She nods and gestures to a jar of honey with a wooden spoon before turning to get my drink. When she sets the coffee down in front of me, she gives me another smile. "Perhaps some breakfast as well? I have some fresh bread that I made just this morning, still warm!" I nodded, considering what to eat. Something simple and quick to make would probably be best. "How about some scrambled eggs and a couple slices of that bread." She nods her head, grinning widely. "Comin' right up, hon!" She walks to the back, and I heard the sound of hooves on the stairs. Without speaking, Quill hops up on the stool beside me. She looked at me with tired eyes, then looks down at my coffee. I didn't say a word, simply pushing the cup over to her. Quill gave me a tired smile and takes a small sip, grimacing at the bitter taste but looking all the more awake for it. "I didn't get to add honey yet. Sorry." Quill just put the cup back down. The barkeep comes back and smiled at me and Quill. "Well look who's come to join us. I'll get you another coffee sir, and would you like anything to eat dear?" Quill shook her head and, after putting another coffee in front of me, the bartender returns to the kitchen I dole a copious amount of honey into the black liquid and take a long draught. Perfect. It doesn't take long for the mare to come out of the kitchen with my food. She places the plate in front of me, smiling all the while. "Just holler if you need anything else." Man, this mare was just all smiles. It's nice to see people being happy. Especially the ones that lived in Trottingham. With that, she leaves me and Quill alone. Quill continues to drink my--, her coffee as I gazed down at my meal. The eggs are perfectly scrambled and the heap on the plate is properly massive. Two slices of golden, fluffy bread lay on top of it, smeared with rich looking butter. I couldn't imagine a more gorgeous breakfast. Out of the corner of my eye, Quill was gazing longingly at the plate. With a sigh, I handed a slice of the bread to her. Women. Even back on Earth they always said they didn't want anything, just to take my food instead. Some things never change. No way was I giving her more than that though. And so, we both tucked in to our separate meal. Despite the giant portion, it barely takes a few minutes to finish it all, and before long I'm left with an empty plate and full belly. Content, I leaned back on the stool, sighing as I finish the last of my coffee. Quill looks pointedly up at me, then at the door, and back to me. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what she wanted. With another sigh, I placed a few bits on the bar, enough to cover the meal and give a healthy tip on top of that. "You know Quill, you can talk. Stop miming what you want" Having paid for the food, I left the inn with Quill trailing behind me. The two of us wandered the streets for a time, quietly enjoying the early morning sun coming over the rooftops of the town. After a while, I took a seat on a park bench, warming myself in the now fully risen sun. Quill keeps a bit of distance between the two of us, but eventually speaks up with a quiet voice. "You ought to make a speech today, sir." I looked over at her lazily. "What makes you say that?" She looks back, her face neutral and eyes bored looking. Her business look. "Word has begun to spread of your arrival, but I heard more than a few ponies wondering why you hadn't made a properly public appearance. At this rate, the other ministers are going to claim that it was the council that made decisions on this, not you." I blinked slowly, the gears turning in my head for a moment before I shot upright. That's something they would've jumped at the chance to do. The only 3 ministers who supported me would be outvoted in this decision. If they had even voted before talking. "Blast, I forgot about those bloody vultures." Appearance bought more political clout in Canterlot than any other kind of physical or imaginary currency. For whatever reason, the nobility of Canterlot, the ponies who channeled a great deal of money into the coffers of the country, had felt less apprehension about me and more curiosity. I was exotic to them, instead of alien as I was when I had first appeared. It had given me a fair few supporters in the upper crust of the country, but that had begun to dry up after a time. More pull had been gained when I had started to solve diplomatic issues with tactics the ponies had never dreamed of, and even more when I had gained the position of foreign minister. And now that I was at the head of the Equestrian government, I needed that respect more than ever. With the war, I had nearly forgotten the games of petty politicking and schmoozing that came with a position in government. But with Quill's reminder, my mind was already changing gears. I straightened my face and smoothed out some of the creases on my shirt. "Quill, I need you to go down to the mayor and get him to plan a time for something to be set up. Rope in some officers, and as many reporters as you can get your hooves on, the place ought to be swarming with them. I'm thinking we use that observation tower outside the city as a backdrop, really get the message out of their surrender. Meet me at the inn when you're ready, alright." Her stony exterior cracks and a predatory grin spreads over her face. "Understood sir. And you had best get something written down, and make sure that fine uniform is well pressed. I'll be sure to go over whatever notes you make before anything, ensure there's nothing you've missed." Without further words, the two of us headed off to our goals, Quill to the city hall, and me back to the inn. It doesn't take long before I arrived, and I began to head straight up to the suite. Luna is still sleeping, so after wiping some stray grass from the uniform, I woke her up with a gentle nudge. She stirs, and her wings draw back to reveal a very sleepy looking princess. "Huh! Whazzat? I'm up, I'm up!" I smiled and pointed to the timepiece on the drawers beside the bed. "It's almost noon, and we've got a presentation to plan, Luna. No time for sleeping on the job." Her eyes brightened immediately, and she hops off the bed as I began dressing myself. She circled around me, an expression of curiousity on her face "What presentation, Anonymous? I thought we had nothing planned for the day." As I balanced on one foot, donning my boots, I replied with a fair amount of effort. "We didn't have anything planned until just a few minutes ago. I've been so busy with the war I forgot I had a job as a politician too. Quill is setting up a time and place to make a presentation, and I've got to write a speech and figure out some way to promote the military and my own part in all this, all while sidelining the ministers." She narrows her eyes at my wording. "Did they not have a part in all this too, Anonymous? Why in Equestria would you try and write them out?" I sighed and scratched my cheek. As easily as the thought of pushing aside the other ministers had come, it wasn't a welcome one. I understood politics, even embraced them, but I had never enjoyed the vile things I had to do in order to achieve my goals. "It's simple, Luna. If I don't, they push both myself and the military to the side. The majority of the ministers didn't at all want the expansion and reformation of the army. And the only way I was able to ensure the larger budget for the war was using the veto I technically have in Celestia's place. The fact is, in order to make sure that we can win this war, I need the total approval of everypony. That means I need to be seen, alongside the military, as the upholder of Equestria. I don't like it, but it's simply a cruel necessity of politics." Luna takes a long moment, mulling my words over silently. I just couldn't imagine that she of all ponies likes the idea of manipulation and guile to get the better of others. But she had to understand the urgency of the situation Finally, she raises her head and looks me into my eyes. "Very well, Anonymous. I accept that this is the way things must be done, but only for now. We must not abuse such trust often." If only she knew what I had planned for the ministry. I smiled and guided her over to the desk before I sat down at it, taking up a quill and sheet of paper. I lied as naturally as I breathed. "Of course not, Luna. Now let's get to work." Three hours and two full revisions later, it was ready. Forty minutes ago, Quill had burst into the room, demanding to see the draft of the speech. She had forced the second revision, giving me notes along the way of how to direct the flow of my words. But finally, I had finished it. Possibly my most calculated speech to date, I made sure to keep certain sections of it on cards so I didn't mess anything up. This would be astoundingly important to get right. The first major victory in the first war in eight hundred years. The liberation of the third largest city in all Equestria, and the forced surrender of its occupying force. Momentous events like this simply did not happen every day. The ponies monitoring radio and telegraph transmissions had not found any statements given by the ministers as of yet. But even with their bickering, that window of opportunity would soon pass me by. The speech had to be made soon. I wouldn't, couldn't let them take credit for this. I chose go over the plan again as the three of us stormed out of the room and romped down the stairs, only slowing once we had reached the pub below, even though it was empty. Quill had strong-armed the mayor into setting up an attendance-encouraged rally on the outskirts of town this afternoon. I imagined that it didn't need to be too highly encouraged, word had spread of my arrival in town like wildfire. In addition to roping the mayor into doing the actual set up, she had got the guarantee of General Stalwart Shield and a number of high ranking officers for their own part in it. And finally, she had even managed to cajole the radiomen to relay to Canterlot a message for everypony to tune in and listen to the speech happening live. And so, as professionally as possible, the three of us were rushing to the outskirts of town. On the way there, we had run into a pair of Royal Guardsmen, keeping watch outside the Field Command center. Perfect, a chance to bolster my image with the Royal Guard. Just having them stand near me when I gave the speech would give the image of them being supportive of my rule. "Ah, Royal Guardsmen. I need the two of you to come and join me." The Royal Guardsmen stood there, ignoring me. One of the pair, an earth pony, had finally spoken. "Sorry, we only listen to orders from royalty. We will not obey your order." I turned to Luna, expecting an explanation. "Tis true, the Royal Guard have been ordered to only listen to royalty. It's been this way for years." Hmm. Not wanting to press the issue further, I turned to leave, with Quill and Luna following shortly behind me. The streets were quiet, and once the buildings start thinning out, I could see why. In front of a stage set up before the observation tower that was still flying the griffon flag of surrender is the largest single gathering of ponies I had ever seen. It appeared that the entire city was in attendance. At the very front of the crowd there were several ponies with film cameras and some with microphones. On the stage itself, a podium equipped with half a dozen microphones stood as a centerpiece. Flanking that were several high ranking officers and the mayor himself. But the crowd was what really drew my eye. There must have been tens of thousands, appearing to cover the entire site where there had been a battle raging hardly two days ago So when they saw the three of us approaching the side of the stage, a quiet murmur turns into a dull roar, and finally rises into a cacophony that must have rivaled the battle itself. When I took to the stage, Quill and Luna join the others up there as I approached the podium with my arms outstretched. The cheering continues for a solid minute, somehow growing louder, until I slowly lowered my arms. A few stray cheers still echo from the back, but near every pony is awaiting me with bated breath. I could feel my back dampen instantly with sweat, and my head becomes so hot that I removed my cap. But after a moment, I had managed to steel myself with a long, slow breath. Finally, I smiled out at the crowd. "Ponies of Trottingham, you are free!" The crowd explodes with noise, and it takes them quite some time to calm back down. But they do, and once more gazed up at me with eager smiles. "You have weathered attack, occupation, and abuse at the hands of the griffons. You were overrun in a cowardly sneak attack, stabbed in the back by an empire we once forged great trade routes with. But now here you stand, unfettered before, and I see such strength that I am humbled. Humbled by the thought that such strength lies in even the lowliest of ponies, by the knowledge that you placed trust in me to lead you. And now that I stand before you, have I not fulfilled that sacred trust?" Another, overwhelmingly positive cheer from the crowd, lasting longer than even the last. It makes a bubble of pride swell in my chest, but I pushed it down as best I could. To be prideful was dangerous, especially with the seat I now occupied. The ponies quiet once more, and I carry on. "But even with all your trust vested in me, I could not hope to bring the enemy low on my own. It was the bravery and ingenuity of the mighty Equestrian military that put the griffons on their knees and forced them to strike their colours! With great sacrifice, they broke the yoke that had chained you, and for every pain caused by the occupiers, they paid it back a thousandfold! For this, the grand divisions that fought on your behalf shall be well rewarded, but such decoration must be put on hold for the next phase." An uncertain mutter runs through the crowd, and I saw more than a few smiles falter. But now was the time to strike, while the iron of their hearts was still hot, and their blood was aflame with passion. "The griffons attack must be answered for! This treachery, this underhanded cowardice, must be answered for. Many of you are old enough to remember the griffon invasion of Capra, a wrong that Equestria did nothing to right. But now they stab straight at our heart. I know I speak for every pony when I say, this is too much! The leadership of the griffons has shown their true heart, and we must put these wrongs to right. We will march on Griffonstone itself, we will excise the vile monsters that have mislead the griffon peoples, and we shall guide them back to the righteous path! So what do you say, ponies of Trottingham, ponies that I am glad to once more have back in the fold, what do you say?" There is a beat of silence, enough for me to feel a bead of sweat drip into my right eye. But then, a roar of approval that could shy a charging army breaks out. It swells over the open fields, seeming to shake the very soil of the earth. Even the officers and officials behind me seemed to have been swept up in the feeling, standing and cheering along with the crowd. As I surrendered the podium to General Shield, the cheer still goes on. It takes a long while before he's able to speak over the crowd. His own speech doesn't seem to get nearly the response from the citizens, but his troops are caught up in the excitement of it. After him, Luna makes a very short speech extolling the ease with which I had filled Celestia's role, and the strong bond between myself and the brave soldiers of Equestria. And finally, the mayor made his own speech thanking me and especially the military for the liberation of Trottingham, and promising a monument to the brave fallen who gave everything to free his city. At long last, the great ceremony is over. The crowd disperses, the officials and officers return to their duties, and I'm left alone with my companions once more, basking in the sunset. I've finally calmed down from the excitement of the day, and I'm left with an odd sort of pressure in my chest. It's not a feeling I can describe well, but as I stroked Quill's mane, I realized I didn't have to. Because as long as I'm with these mares, it can't possibly be bad. After a long while, Luna speaks up in the silence. "Well, it has certainly been a pleasure to be with you both again. Unfortunately, I must get back to the other officers. With the next phase of the war coming on fast, we will need every moment we can have to ensure a swift victory." She stands from her position beside me and gives the pair of us a short bow. "I pray you will make it home safely." I smiled up at her, feeling tiredness clinging to every move I made. "And we'll pray for your safety and quick success. Good night and good luck, Luna." Luna returns the smile, then trots away towards the city. Me and Quill are left alone to enjoy the last rays of the sun as it falls below the horizon. There's an feeling of finality in the air, and despite the warmth of the sun and the rush of the day, a sense of creeping dread weighed heavy on my heart. It's formless, coming from nowhere in particular, but everywhere at once. I rested a shaking hand on Quill's mane, breathing deeply to calm myself. This was something new, and something I didn't understand. And that only led to more fear. As though she knew what I was feeling, Quill cuddles against my side and sighs deeply. "You know you can talk with me, sir. I'm good for more than just writing your schedule." I looked down and see a soft smile on her face. Giving her my own shaky smile, I scratched behind her ears to distract myself. "I know, but I don't want to just foist my own thoughts on you. Besides, I wouldn't even know how to start." Quill sighs and lays her chin on my leg. "How about you start with why your hand was shaking like you were eighty?" I grimaced at the confrontational tone. Not only had she noticed my physical response to what I felt, but she wasn't going to let this go either. I tried to speak as nonchalantly as possible, even with how weak my tone was. "Come on it's not that bad. I'm just tired." Quill stayed quiet, but her look clearly shows she doesn't believe me. With a sigh, I start again. "I don't really know what it is. Something just isn't sitting right with me. Maybe it's how easy everything has been, maybe it's something that griffon general said, maybe I'm just paranoid." Her hoof gently rubs on my thigh, encouraging me to continue. "That griffon, General den Tann, approached me that night after you and Luna went back to the inn. He talked about the conquest, about the battle, about what Luna did. He told me he wanted to see 'what kind of being could order such butchery'. I guess it had a greater effect on me than I thought." Quill climbed on my lap, stretching up and nuzzling my chin. "But that's not all is it?" I let out a heavy sigh, slumping in my chair. "Well, there's also... us." Quill looked at me puzzled. "Nothing. Just forget about it Quill." She just stared at me. I kept digging my hole deeper. I chose to stay silent. Without another word I stood, turning back to the town. "It's getting late, we ought to head back into town." I put her down before starting the walk back to Trottingham, Quill trotting along beside me. I stayed silent for the entire walk to the inn, despite Quill continuing to ask questions about what I had meant. About what I really felt. While a part of me wanted to talk, just to see if it would help overcome my reluctance, more of me is scared to be overheard. Moreso, scared to stress Quill even more with what I'm thinking. Despite the late hour, the streets are still crowded. Ponies are reveling with mugs of cider in their hooves, and I can hear fireworks and boisterous music in the distance But when me and Quill come through, they parted like they were the Red Sea, and I Moses. As soon as we pass, they get straight back to drinking and celebrating. It makes me wonder about just how sensitive ponies are to the moods of others. Quill was able to tell straight away that not only was something bothering me, but it wasn't just a single thing. Maybe it's some kind of innate empathy? It would certainly explain their skills in keeping the peace for so long. But if they could tell how conflicted I was, would they know why? I entered the tavern at the ground floor of the inn, and am greeted by the sounds of a massive celebration. I can barely squeeze through the crowd, and the bar staff is running their tails off getting orders. But eventually, I made it to the stairs and climbed to my suite. Even on the stairs outside my room, there are ponies, though they're far quieter than the crowd downstairs. I don't stick around to find out why they're here, merely entering through the ornate door and shutting it behind me. The noise of the party is muffled, but just audible at the edge of hearing. I fell backwards onto the bed, letting out a long sigh. Quill hopped up beside me and laid her head down on my chest. The two of us stayed silent for a moment, enjoying the closeness and warmth we shared. Quill is the first to speak up, her tone gentle and kind. "I know it's probably hard for you to talk about how you're feeling. You don't want to be seen as a weak leader. But it's just me here, Anonymous, we're together and we're alone. There's nothing to hold back." I stared up at the ceiling, thinking for a moment, then I took a deep breath and turned to talk with her. "It's just, the general got me thinking. Am I the kind of person that would order such terrible things if it meant winning the battle? Humans have done so many terrible things, and for so many years, maybe it's simply part of who I am. Like a cutie mark, maybe it just takes the right time and circumstance to come out." I looked down at her, finding a bit of solace in her kind, warm gaze Her eyes are the color of the deep sea My cheeks had gone flush, and I continued to speak, focused on her beautiful eyes. "But does it really matter if I'm doing it to protect Equestria? Just where is the line that separates a soldier from a monster?" Quill lets out a deep sigh, nuzzling against my chin. A heavy silence hangs in the room. Even the sounds of the party seem to have died to give birth to the lack of sound in the suite. Fireworks burst in the distance, showering the room in an eerie red glow My hand gently strokes Quill's mane, and I willed her to speak, to respond, to make me feel even marginally better in some way. "I don't know, Anon. Maybe there isn't a real line though, maybe being a soldier and a monster isn't something that you can clearly segregate." I drew in a long breath, listening to the bursts of fireworks in the distance. "Maybe to be a soldier you have to be a bit of a monster. I guess the question is really, how much of one can you be before you go mad?" Quill's hoof traces circles onto my chest as she thinks. I took another deep breath, her mane smells like a spring day after the rain. She inches closer to mine, and I could feel her hot breath on my cheeks. "Maybe it doesn't matter, as long as you're protecting those you love." I felt my blush deepen, and my body began to tense up. Another firework bursts, painting her in bright blue light. Her eyes shimmered in the fading glow, and I could see her own blush in the dying light. The distance between us closed further. Did she always have those freckles that now stood out starkly on her cheeks? Her nose brushes against mine, and she breathes in sharply at the contact. Another rocket bursted in the night sky. Self doubt and inner struggle be damned, it was now or never. I finally moved in. I pressed my lips onto hers, and the hushed atmosphere is broken with a cheer from the downstairs. What convenient timing. Our lips separated, and Quill breathes heavily against me, her eyes wide. The noise quiets once more, and the night air stills. Quill moved in again, more intense in pressing herself against me. I pressed back, just as eager as she was. The night sky erupts in noise and color again, and the two of us with it. No matter if she was a pony, I just wanted to be happy.
Anon von Bismarck	13: Return to Canterlot	I laid awake in bed, staring at the ceiling. The sun had risen, and pulled me out of my fitful dreams. Soon, I would need to get up and prepare to board the boat that would take me back to the mainland. My little 'vacation' was over, and it was time to be the leader of the country once more. The warm weight laying on my chest keeps me from rising immediately though. Since I had woke, I had been doing nothing but thinking about her. Every conversation replayed, every little gesture brought back, tiny snippets of talk pored over as though I was looking for grains of salt on a white sand beach. Despite my apprehension about a relationship, I couldn't deny my attraction to her, and certainly it seemed she felt the same feelings for me. But a lingering barrier remained, despite last night. The knowledge that, no matter what, I could never show this feeling before anyone else. Even Luna, as accepting as she had been about the casual contact and closeness the two of us shared, could not be allowed to see this new facet of us two. A stirring on my chest brings me back to the present. Quill gazes up at me, a tired smile gracing her face, her mane mussed in an adorable way. "Good morning, Anon." I returned her smile and stroke; her ruffled mane. "Morning, Quill. Did you sleep alright?" She nods and lets out a great yawn. "Yeah, I feel like a whole new pony." With a foalish giggle, she nuzzles against my neck and stretches her legs out. This mare and her nuzzling. I chuckled softly and shifted so I was sitting up against the backboard. "Well this new pony in my bed had best be ready to get up to catch the boat back to Baltimare." She gave me the strongest pout she could muster at this early hour. It's strange that a pony so stoic like her was suddenly acting so goofy. It really was like a totally different pony had woken up beside me. But I quite liked it, I had thought to myself as I ruffled her mane and swung my legs off the bed. "Come on now, we still have a country to run. And as much as I wish it were possible, we can't do that from bed." I stood up, and Quill hopped from the bed beside me. After stretching out, I took a suit from my suitcase and dress myself quickly. I carefully folded the white uniform that had been my attire for the past few days and stash it away in the luggage. As much as I liked it, I couldn't wear it everyday. Otherwise it would lose its appeal to the masses. Quill gave me a cheeky grin as she brushes her tail against my legs on the way to the door. I grabbed my luggage and followed her out the door, giving the luxurious suite one last glance before shutting it behind us. The two of us quietly walk past a sleepy looking barmaid and left the inn. The misty streets glowed like fire with the rays of the sunrise. I saw a few ponies as we were walking down to the docks, mostly anglers and sailors it seemed. It made sense, no one who didn't have to be up would be after a night like the last. Even if I hadn't taken part in the revelry, I could practically feel the weight of the near universal hangover. Ponies could party hard. But the warm morning was quickly dispelling any poor feelings that had been set on my chest. The cries of gulls mingle with the faint horns of ships in the outer harbour, and the smell of the sea grows stronger as we approached the docks. A great many military ponies crowded around the great cargo ships that we're waiting to bring them back to the mainland. Not wanting to be on in a large crowd, I approached one of the smaller boats, the small crowd of junior officers letting me pass by without comment and a brief salute. Many of them were bandaged in various ways, and shy away from any contact from me or their fellows. The wounded and lame. They were going home. I pushed down the lump forming in my throat, and approach an earth pony in the uniform of a captain. I smiled at him as he turned to address me. "Good morning, sir! Have you got room on your craft for two wayward travelers?" He looked at the two of us and let out a weary sigh. "Of course sir, we're not quite overloaded yet. We'll be boarding in ten minutes, please feel free to mingle with the others while we prepare." I don't question the abruptness of his speech, he looks utterly exhausted. Instead, I just walked to the edge of the dock and gazed out at the mouth of the harbor. Quill sat beside me, and the two of us watched the masts of ships breaking above the still foggy seas. Before long, the captain of my vessel calls out for boarding, and I joined the line of injured ponies. Remind me of when I had left Vietnam. It's a quiet, solemn endeavour, the captain calling out names, and the other ponies responding quietly. The silence when someone's name was called, and there was no response, was palpable. Not long after I had settled my luggage in the hold, I heard the call for the lines to be cast off. I quickly ran up the stairs, just in time to watch the ships pull out of port as one, and blast their foghorns into the misty morning. The cries of gulls accompany the ships as they form a line and sail out from the port. After some time, the sun has fully come over the horizon, and the only noise comes from the rumble of the engines and crashing of waves against the bow. Quill walks up and stands beside me at the side of the boat. We shared the quiet air, relishing in the quiet moments we both knew would so soon be coming to an end. After a while, she placed a hoof on top of my hand. "Come on, Anon, let's find a place to get settled below. We ought to be ready for our arrival." I simply nod, and followed her below decks, taking one last look at the port of Trottingham slowly fading into the fog behind me. It's late in the day, as the train clacks along the tracks on its way to Canterlot. Quill is napping on one of the bench seats as I stared out the window at the passing scenery. I decided that I had been sitting long enough, and as quiet as I could, I left the seat and wandered about the train. As I crossed into another car, I caught the eye of a pony wearing the uniform of the Wonderbolts. A grey coated mare, her wings are braced and bandaged, taking up most of the bench she's sitting on. I slid into the seat across from her, giving the mare an easy smile. "How're the wings doing, soldier?" She returns the smile, and I saw the tips of her wings twitch. "They're alright sir, just a touch sore now. The doc says I should be winging around again in a few months." My smile had broadened at the mare's easy temperament. "That's good to hear. What is your name?" Her smile falters and her wingtips twitched again. "Second Lieutenant High Winds sir, Wonderbolts First Squadron lancer." I held out a hand to her, a glimmer in my eye. "Anonymous, King of Equestria. And may I say, it's a pleasure to meet a pony that was serving under General Luna personally. You and yours did damn fine work in Trottingham." Her smile grew again as she shook my hand with a hoof. "Thanks very much sir, and I gotta thank you for the new equipment. It kept me from being hurt too bad." I swallowed hard as I glance towards her wings. "So uh, if you don't mind me asking, what happened?" She grimaced and stroked the bandages with a hoof. "I don't mind sir. It was griffon grapeshot, the bastards somehow managed to elevate one of their cannons up. Got off a shot at me before we could take them out. The plate took most of it, but my wings...well they're a little harder to armour up so a few balls got into them. Hurt something awful, but the rest of the guys busted that crew and got me out before they could get to me. Made a real mess of things for me, though, but I'm still here." I nodded along with the story, and Winds looks forlornly out the window, quieting right up. "I feel like I'm abandoning them though, sir. Even with busted wings, I'm sure I could do something." I laid a gentle hand on her withers. "I know what you're feeling. You're doing the best thing for them right now, Winds. The absolute best thing is that you recover and get back to them ready to fight. Hard to do that with injured wings, right?" She looks back at you a bit confused. "What do you mean by 'I know what you're feeling' were you a soldier?" I grimaced. I would have to talk about it now. "Yes, I fought in a war back home that I never wanted to fight." Sensing my apprehension, she didn't ask further questions. "Well, thanks for the advice sir." I pat her back gently and stood up from the bench. "Don't you worry, I bet you'll get back to your squadron just in time to take Griffonstone." Her grins grows and she nods eagerly. I said my goodbyes and walked back to the car I had come from. There were many wounded, ranging from shrapnel wounds to missing wings. It's a strange feeling, knowing that there were others like her who had been hurt in the fighting, but still wanted to press onward. Partially inspiring, but there's something terribly tragic about it as well. These ponies reminded me of humans too much. I sat down beside the still sleeping Quill, and return to watching the hills pass by in the fading glow of the sunset. I rested a hand on my sleeping friend's back as I gazed out the window. And I could only pray that she never ends up that way. Ends up like the Wonderbolt. Ends up like me. Ah Canterlot, as little as I was looking forward to getting back to work, it was good to be back. The train platform was crowded with well wishers and families welcoming their brothers, sisters, and fathers back home. The atmosphere is electric all through town, like a reflection of how Trottingham had been. Banners of the various units taking part in the campaign waved all through the streets. Streamers were hung from the gutters and blew in the gentle breeze that flowed through the winding streets. As I was walking to the castle, a great deal of ponies stopped me to ask questions or give their congratulations. On any other day, I would have paused to entertain their curiosities for a moment or two, but today I had a little too much on my mind. So instead I employed every ounce of skill to dodge around their questions and move on. It still delayed me by near a half-hour. Fortunately, my train had made good time to Canterlot and I still had a few minutes to spare before I had called for a general assembly. It was a bit more than the usual minister meeting, encompassing not just the heads of ministry, but high level nobles, ranking officers of the general staff, even some industry leaders A properly full house, and allowing proper use of the audience chamber for the first time since I'd first sat on the throne. It also marked the first occasion I would actually be sitting upon the throne. The first time I would cement my rule. That was something I had avoided since taking Celestia's place, I had wanted to be seen as a caretaker rather than a ruler. But now I had come to understand, symbolic gestures aside, I was the new leader of Equestria. And I needed to start truly showing it. When I finally reached the castle foyer, I sent Quill off to clean herself up, and I went to do the same. Twenty minutes later, and I'm in the already packed audience chamber, sitting atop Celestia's throne dressed in my white regalia. Every seat at the round table that had been brought into the room is filled, and a great many more ponies are standing to the sides of it. Even knowing how many had been invited, the crowd surprises me. From the lowliest house, to nobles the likes of Blueblood. But before long, the doors are shut with a dull crash and I stood to address the ponies gathered before me. "Good evening, everyone. Allow me to first give my congratulations and thanks to the leaders of industry that have made time in their hectic schedules to appear with us. Your diligence has given Equestria a strength in arms that no others can equal. And to the nobility, who have endured the hefty taxes that these unfortunate times have forced upon us, I thank you for the bits that sustain the defense of this great nation. And of course, my fellow ministers, I am grateful for your assistance in ensuring this nation does not crumble into chaos." There's a scattering of polite applause that dies down quickly. "But I have not called you here only to give you praise, no matter how well deserved. For as the leaders of Equestria, we must look ever forward to the dawn, even in the darkest of nights. I have invited you here this evening because we must discuss the future of the nation, beyond this vile war we have been thrust into. We must have a plan for development beyond war industry, for construction beyond warships, for training beyond rifle drills. And so we assemble here, in the audience chambers of the princess sisters, so that we may plan a bright future for the country they have protected for millennia." Another round of quiet clopping accompanies the end of my little speech, followed by low murmuring that fills the chamber. I allowed the chatter to go on for a few moments, but soon it's time to get back on track. "Now then." The ponies quiet up immediately, gazing up at the throne with various expressions. "I would like to first ask the ponies of industry, what sort of development along economic and logistical lines might you think of? Perhaps something to do with the rail system, or a new idea for research? Please be courteous to your fellow industrialists and raise your hooves with suggestions." After a moment of awkward silence, I see a hoof raise from the right side of the room I gestured vaguely in the direction of the outstretched limb. "Yes, the mare with the beige and brown mane, please." The mare in question widens her eyes and hesitantly begins to speak. "I-I'm Shod Hooves sir, manager of Aurora Rail, the largest rail corporation in Equestria. We've recently begun preliminary plans to twin the rail lines across the country, and for the expansion of switching yards in the larger cities. With the resurgence of domestic production, and the movement of the military and contracted trains, the lines have been quite entangled. To twin the lines would allow greater volume of cargo and ponies to be moved across the land, and the expansion of the yards would ensure a smooth transition of cars to other lines." Despite concluding in a firm tone, there's a clear display of worry on her face. But I smiled good-naturedly. The idea had crossed my mind before to twin the rails, but there had never been a great deal of support when there was no need. But now, the idea may gain some traction with the clout of the leading rail corporation. "Thank you for the suggestion, Ms. Hooves. I cannot speak for my fellow ministers, but we shall certainly take the idea under consideration. Please have your engineers and managers submit a full proposal the moment it is prepared." She nods her head eagerly and steps back, melding into the crowd again. I gazed around the room, and see a white hoof thrust up into the air, waving earnestly. With another gesture and little encouragement, the pony speaks up. "Sir, Furious Fire, I'm the lead engineer of the Canterlot Armoury. Though my development is usually arms focused, most recently a member of my crew has come up with a way to reduce the soot produced by any coal burning apparatus. We would like, if possible, to receive research assistance from the factory engineers to expand on this technology. It would be of great use for maintaining air quality as more foundries are built." I scratched my chin at the suggestion. Environmental impact of the industry hadn't actually been considered too serious, but if there was a way to nip pollution in the bud, it was best to start looking at it sooner than later "Thank you very much Mr. Fire. We'll look into devoting some researchers to the technology. Next?" And on it goes, well into the night. Some of the suggestions are excellent, such as standardizing safety measures across workplaces, others are ludicrous like issuing larger and larger coins for progressively greater sums. I'd seen how that one did on Earth. Inflation. A dollar losing its value. Never again. But Quill faithfully writes down even the most mad suggestion. More than a few opinions were voiced on the war itself, and though I allowed the ponies to say their piece, I avoided talking about it as much as possible. This forum was for planning the national economy, not its defense. And besides, that was up to me and the General Staff alone. Many hours later, and I'm exhausted, but yet another hoof rises from the audience. I pray to whatever pony god there and my own god, that it's the last one. Without prompting, the stallion speaks in a strong, if oddly scratchy sounding voice. "Well sir, I haven't heard what plans there are for the changelings. If the griffons took Celestia's absence for a sign to attack, could they not as well? Perhaps it's best we move to find them now, and sort them before they become a problem." I narrowed my eyes at the stallion, an odd feeling of suspicion creeping into my gut. It's hard to put a finger on it, but this wasn't right. He seemed oddly aggressive, especially for nobility, who were normally passive compared to other ponies. "I'm sorry, sir, I missed your name." He stomps a hoof on the marble tiles of the chamber. "That's not important, sir. What's important is a solution!" I shared a sidelong glance with Quill before turning my attention back on the pony. "Well despite their attack on Canterlot, I don't believe any aggressive action is in order. If possible, I'd prefer to engage diplomatically with them and come to a resolution that doesn't needlessly endanger anypony." The stallion heaves a great sigh...of relief? Yes, that was definitely relief. This wasn't good. "Thank you, sir." Without further hesitation, he's engulfed in sparkling emerald fire. The ponies immediately near him scream led and backed away as rapidly as the crowd allows. A general atmosphere of panic begins to pervade the room, and a number of guards surrounded the drone with rifles at the ready. Finally, the flames dissipate and standing before me is a changeling. He appeared larger than the average drone, and bore a pair of bright eyes the colour of dried amber. But as I looked closer, I saw that he was in far worse shape than depictions of his species were shown. Along his side, ribs could be seen pressing against the soft areas of his midsection, and his legs seemed to be shaking with effort. The captain of the guard looks up to me, and I raised a hand for him to hold fire. "Do not shoot him unless he presented an immediate threat to your men or the ponies, captain." The guard nods as I rise from the throne, slowly approaching the changeling. To his credit, the chitinous creature holds his head high, not betraying any kind of fear or even discomfort with his situation. But when I stood before him, he lowers his head to me. Either in respect or fear, I didn't care. "Lord Anonymous, I come before you on behalf of the great hive queen Chrysalis. She believes that, with the change of Equestria's throne, a peaceful resolution between our peoples may be possible. She acknowledges the wrongness of attacking Canterlot, and prays that you might forgive past transgressions in order to forge a new, prosperous relationship." He sounds earnest and honest in his address. But moreover, it carries a pleading tone, one born of desperation and hunger. I didn't trust him yet. "Tell me, changeling, why does she send an emissary now, and more why did you come before us as a spy, disguised so no one could see? Just who was it you have replaced with yourself?" The changeling keeps his head bowed as he speaks. "The queen believes that, with your recent war, you may be more willing to engage in diplomacy, instead of interrogating me and gaining the location of our hive to crush us underhoof. She acknowledges she may be wrong of course, and preparations are made for their continued hiding. As for coming in form, I would not be allowed to enter Canterlot as I am now, so a form was required. Worry not, he was a pony of no stature from a town far West of here, and he is at home with his family. A simple trick of hypnosis allowed me into the great halls, and nopony has been harmed by my actions. I do apologize for the subterfuge, but it was necessary to address you directly, lord." I considered his words, gazing around the hall at the shocked expressions. But in those fearful gazes, I saw more than a few looks of curiousity. It's hard to fault Chrysalis' logic in this situation, with a war already ongoing it would be difficult, nigh impossible, to open another front, especially one born of aggression, without a great deal of ill will. And it wouldn't go over well with the people. Attacking the griffons was seen as a noble cause, they attacked first. But attacking the changelings would open up a second front, and a cowardly gambit. I looked specifically towards my fellow ministers. Their own shock has faded, and was replaced with varying gazes of everything from disgust to interest. I decided that this could wait, at least for long enough for the shock to fade. "I cannot answer you immediately, changeling, but nor will I turn you away. Though it pains me to begin a potentially beneficial relationship with aggressive action, you will be kept in the cells until we can address this tomorrow. I do not believe my fellow Equestrians would tolerate rash judgment in matters such as this." The changeling lowers his head further, in a bow. "As you see fit, lord. My queen has ordered me to be at your service until such a time as I receive an answer. I shall abide your decision." I gestured to the guards, and they form a box around the changeling and lead him out of the audience chamber. I yelled as they left. "Make sure he's safe and fed!" When the doors shut behind the troops, I smiled widely at the ponies in the room. "Well ladies and gentlecolts, I believe that's quiet enough excitement for tonight. I thank you all for your valuable contributions to the development of the nation, and look forward to the implementation of the ideas you have brought forth tonight. I wish you all a pleasant evening." The guards that remained in the chamber open the door once more, and amidst a wave of murmuring, the ponies exit the throne room. As the last ones exit, I trailed behind them, accompanied by Quill to my bedchamber. Before entering my room, one of the guards stopped me. "Sir, we have the weapon you asked for." I gave the guard a small smile. "Excellent. Have it sent up to me tomorrow. After turning from the guard and entering the room, Quill began looking around furtively, she entered the room behind me, doffing her bags and hopping onto the bed. I massaged my aching temples and collapsed on the bed beside her. She laid her head on my chest and let out a low chuckle. "Who would have thought that, after all these years, the changelings would be back and suing for peace. It's like some kind of farce is being played out before our eyes." I let out a low chuckle myself. "You're not kidding, I nearly had a heart attack when he showed up. At least it put a cork in anymore questions for the night." I could feel Quill nod against my chest. "I can't believe some of their ideas. I mean, expanding the grounds of the Canterlot Gardens. Where, off the side of a cliff? Honestly, some ponies..." She trails off with a laugh, but begins breathing deeply. After a few minutes of silence, I gave her side a gentle poke. All I got is a sleepy murmur, and a twitch of her legs. I sighed and made myself more comfortable in my bed. I hadn't planned to sleep with Quill tonight, but I certainly wasn't going to wake her up and send her away. Besides, I thought as I yawned, I could hardly deny myself the comfort of curling up with a warm pony after a long day.
Anon von Bismarck	14: A Disaster	It's mid-morning, I'm exhausted, and in front of me is the most cooperative changeling I've ever met. Granted, he was also the only one I met so I could be biased in my assessment. But his relatively friendly attitude did nothing to quell the churning in in my guts. Bugs had always weirded me out, so a horse sized one certainly wasn't doing me any good. At the very least, I was able to keep my composure. "Let's start with your name." The changeling's wings twitched as I addressed him. In a chittering voice, he answered me without hesitation. "My queen has named me Chitin, my lord." How original of her. Still, his answer was direct and delivered politely, so he understood diplomacy. It seemed Chrysalis didn't take me for a fool then. She knew better most likely. "So then, Chitin, you said last night that Queen Chrysalis had sent you on a diplomatic mission. What exactly is she proposing?" Chitin clears his throat, a sound that makes the guards in each corner of the cell tense up. They were understandably on edge, many of them had served in the Royal Guard during the invasion. And those that didn't had heard the stories. I had objected to these specific ponies as the guards of the changeling, but it was hard to argue with their experience. If Chitin had been insulted by it, he betrayed no such feelings. In fact, his face showed so little expression it made me wonder if he could actually feel emotion. His voice interrupted my thoughts. "My queen desires the opening of negotiations with your government. Of special concern for her is the foundation of nesting grounds and pony actions toward sister hives. While our hive has yet to be found by ponies, others have not been so lucky. During the last brooding alone, sisters reached a mortality of three-quarters." Though I don't entirely understand the time period, anything resulting in a mortality rate that high was more than a crisis. I steepled my fingers and gaze. evenly into Chitin's aquamarine, faceted eyes. "Help me understand some things, Chitin. First of all, what exactly is a 'sister hive'? How many are there, and are any of them willing to engage us as you are now? While I understand the desperation of the situation, I can hardly commit to actions that could risk ponies on the word of a single changeling. My ponies would never accept such a thing, and even with the situation explained and the absolute guarantee of their safety, it would be a hard pill for them to swallow." Chitin breathes deeply, the plates of his namesake expanding outward. "Our sister hives are just as they sound, lord. Their queens are kin of ours and through this we foster cooperation. As for their number, I cannot say for fear of endangering them, but they have expressed their willingness to follow suit with us, should our own diplomatic ventures succeed." I scratched my chin, thinking about all I knew. This was most likely all I was going to get out of him, and it's only barely enough to make a decision. Granted, this was only a preliminary discussion and no real commitment had to be made just yet. But if engaging in diplomacy meant removing a possible threat to Equestria, it was hard to argue against at least trying. I let out a long sigh and sat up. "Well, I certainly can't commit to any terms at this point. However I believe that we might be able to establish some sort of peace talks. Do you have some way to contact your hive, Chitin?" For the first time, I saw him smile. It looks more like a snarl, but his disposition doesn't match it. He sat up straighter, his chitinous plates clicking as they fit closer together. "I will contact her immediately, lord. My queen will be most pleased to hear of your...welcoming nature compared to your predecessor. May I have a moment?" I made eye contact with each of the guards, and one of them wears an expression of distaste. "I believe we can accommodate that. Afterwards, I'll have you put up in a proper guest room, still under guard of course. I'm certain you understand." Chitin bows his head as I stood from my uncomfortable chair. "As you say, lord." I made a gesture to the guards and they followed me as I exited, shutting the door behind them. None of them say a word, but I can practically feel the aversion radiating from them. They probably wouldn't be the best ones to have keeping an eye on Chitin, going forward. As I exit, Quill approaches me with an uneasy expression on her face. "How did it go, sir?" I beamed at her, for once happy with diplomacy. "Better than I could have thought. Arrange for our guest to be put up in some proper chambers, it wouldn't do to have our first changeling emissary kept in a cell." I saw her face twitch, but she merely nods at my order. She doesn't agree with my decision. Good thing she isn't the one making them. "Of course sir. Are you ready for the press conference? The reporters certainly weren't ecstatic about the delay." I'd almost forgotten about that, if I was to be honest. The conference had been bumped forward so I could speak with the changeling immediately, and hopefully get some answers. It had worked out, of course, but it was unsurprising that the press wasn't happy about being kept waiting. "Yes, I believe I am, Quill. Shall we?" She nods again and leads me through the winding halls of the castle. Despite the size of the castle grounds, it's not long before we've arrived to the receiving chamber for the press. Quill trots over to the microphones and announces my arrival. Before stepping up to the podium that had been set up, I straightened my suit and paste the best grin I could onto my face. Needed to look presentable. Time to face the music. "Good afternoon, everypony. How are you all today?" A smattering of voices, most positive, resound through the crowded room, and I drive on. "I'm certain I don't need to explain the rules of courtesy to you all, so let us begin without further delay." Immediately as I finished, a hoof shoots up straight in front of me. I pointed to its owner, and he begins without preamble. "Mr. Anonymous, in your most recent address you made a great number of remarks that could be considered inflammatory. We thought the plan was to make peace with the griffons, not to drag the war out further." My cheek twitches at the rebuke. Though it wasn't truly surprising that the speech was being brought up, I hadn't expected it to be the first question. "Thank you for your question. You are correct, the plan certainly is to make peace with the griffons. However, as they have shown, that peace cannot be sustained from a position of perceived parity in power. Moreover, a secondary goal had been set before that address. Namely, the liberation of the Capra lands that had been conquered decades ago by the same regime that has attacked us. I'm certain you can agree that, especially given their recent behaviour, the current griffon leadership is in dire need of an adjustment in perspective." A bead of sweat trickled down my back, but the pony doesn't push further with his line of questioning. I prayed it's because he was satisfied with my answer. Another hoof, and another question, come on the heels of my answer. "Mr. Anonymous, we know of the recent conference for economic development after the war, but what of a plan to end this war?" I began to grind my teeth together, knowing my answers in this regard are limited by necessity. "As of this time, I can only discuss that there is in fact a plan in place. However, I cannot speak of specifics, as they are military secrets by obligation. The consequences of their leaking prior to their implementation could have disastrous effects on the campaign, and I must implore you to limit your questions to already implemented plans." Without so much as a pause, another hoof was raised and another question asked. "Then can you answer why everypony, including your fellow ministers, were kept in the dark about the fact that a campaign had even been launched? According to our sources, the plan had not even been discussed prior to the deployment in force." My grip on the podium tightened, my knuckles going a ghastly white. Hadn't I JUST explained that these were military secrets for a reason? "As I stated before, this information was classified. The matter, however, was brought to me as a completed presentation and received my approval prior to its implementation. Again, any leak of this sort of information could prove deadly to the soldiers involved and as such it is extremely compartmentalized." Another question, hard and fast. "So why were you the singular being they brought the plan to? Are you entwined so much with the military that they consider you as their absolute voice?" I felt my teeth grinding at how oblivious some of these questions are. "As I am filling the position of Princess Celestia, I also fill the role of commander-in-chief. This is simply the nature of the position. However, the approval of these plans is not made lightly." The reporter continued. "And what about this news of a changeling showing up in the capital? Are you doing nothing to ensure good security of Canterlot?" Well, the rules could only last so long, I supposed. "Yes, a changeling did appear last night. And rest assured, he was taken into custody. However, he came to us with overtures of peace and diplomacy and as such is of no threat to us. In fact, this opens new avenues of security for the country, without any lives needing to be taken." The questions kept coming, one after another, for over an hour. They asked about everything, from speculation of just how many changelings had infiltrated to exact budgetary breakdowns now that the war economy was coming into swing. And so, so many questions about the war itself. Deployed numbers, casualty numbers, logistical plans, equipment statistics, ship building progression, and on and on. But finally, mercifully, and thankfully, the conference was called to an end. As soon as the last press pony exits the receiving room, Quill was at my side with a glass of cold water. I drank from it, praising the princesses for sending you such an amazing assistant. Not long after I had quenched your thirst, Quill spoke up. "They seem to be quite the vultures, sir." I chuckled at her comment. "I can't disagree with that. Who knew that even after getting an answer, they'd ask the same question eight more times with different words?" The two of us shared a laugh, taking a moment to relax. But the moment cannot last, unfortunately, for there's still work to be done. "Well Quill, shall we see how our new ambassador is settling in? I'm sure he's had time to contact his hive by now." She nods and gestures for me to follow her You are Chitin, sent to Canterlot to discuss peace. Anonymous, the King of this land, had graciously given you a room. One that wasn't a cell, thankfully. Despite your orders to not cause a fuss, it was quite the embarrassment to be put into chains willingly. But you had orders, and you wouldn't break them. No matter what. And now you had to wait for the human to finish what he was doing. You had already contacted the Queen, and she was on her way. All that remained was painful waiting. After hours of boredom, you climbed into bed. Might as well rest until he finished his business. Then he would pay his visit, speak his peace, and talk with your Queen later. As you rested, the door clicked open. Sitting up to see what it was, you instantly laid back down. Two guards were walking in. You looked at them, not even rising from the bed again. You wondered what they wanted. Was Anonymous done already? Had he sent them to fetch you for a meeting? They got closer and closer, and then you could see it. They walked with a purpose. A violent intent. You could sense it, all changelings could read feelings well after all. They wanted to hurt you. It made sense, relations between ponies and changelings were always poor. Then they started to pummel you with their hooves. It hurt. It hurt terribly. But you had orders. As much as you wanted to, you couldn't dare lay a hoof on them. So you laid there, enduring the beating, and praying they would quit soon. And thankfully, they left as soon as they had entered. You let out a groan, and passed into unconsciousness. It didn't take long to find the room, its door flanked by a pair of Royal Guards in resplendent gold. I knocked on the door, courtesy was always best after all. "Chitin, how are you settling in?" Silence. I knocked a bit harder, perhaps he's merely asleep? This time, as I pressed my ear to the door, I could hear a faint wheeze. My eyes widened, and I shoved my way into the room. Lying on the bed, the gaps in his hard plates leaking green ichor, lays Chitin. Without pausing, I sprinted over to him immediately, pausing and giving Quill a pointed look. "Get a doctor, now. GO!" She gallops off, and the guards burst into the room as she leaves. I bared my teeth at them, looking as predatory as I could. "Out." Despite themselves, they immediately return to their posts outside the room. Sometimes it was a blessing to not be a pony. They wouldn't fear me as much if I was. "Chitin, are you alright? What happened to you?" He doesn't answer, simply wheezing unhealthily. I broke into a nervous sweat, cradling a diplomatic disaster in my arms.
Anon von Bismarck	15: Arresting the Aggressors	An hour later, my feet are sore from pacing back and forth outside the room. I could feel a stitch developing in my side, and once more swore to start exercising properly. Quill was still away, gathering the ponies I had asked her to as soon as she'd returned with the doctor. And finally, the doctor exits the darkened room, wiping his hooves with a cloth. I halted in front of him, and he stares up at me with tired eyes "Well my lord, you can thank Celestia for making me study changeling anatomy after their attack on Canterlot. That one's fairly beat up, broken snout, small rupture in the thorax, but they're hardy creatures. He'll pull through, just needs some rest now, and bandage changes once a day." The doctor taps his hoof on the ground, his brow furrowing. "The injuries were consistent with a truly violent beating, and I'm rather certain there was the imprint of a shod hoof in one of the changelings plates. Take that as you will, my lord, but I'm fairly certain whoever did this was a pony." The doctor lowered his head and began to walk away slowly. As I went to go enter the room, his quiet voice from behind me made me pause. "My lord, even though he's just a changeling, do find whatever beast did this and make him pay. My oath won't let this go unanswered." I turned and gave the doctor an empty smile. "Of course, doc. You can rest assured that I'll be losing a lot of fucking sleep until this bastard is found." The doctor nods, a small smirk touching his face at my cursing. It was quite the rare occurrence for me to curse, especially these days. Chitin's room is quiet, the windows shuttered and curtained to replicate the darkness of a hive, for his comfort. A soft and eerie glow comes from the bed, organized in twisted and weird shapes Bioluminescence, I quickly realized. The glow pitches up and fades, in time with Chitin's now soft breathing. Gone was the desperate wheeze I had heard earlier, he sounded quite comfortable in fact I suppose that doctor must really know what he was doing. As I took a seat by his bedside, the changeling stirs in his slumber. The hisses and clicks he makes are unnerving, but I was going to wait here until he woke up. It was impossible to leave him alone at this point. And if those who attacked him came back, I would be ready. A gentle knock comes from the door and it creaks open on its old hinges. "Anonymous, sir? The officers from the deployment section are here as you asked." I turned, giving a tight smile. At least something was going right, for now. "Excellent, please come in gentlecolts." The two officers, and Quill, come and sit on their haunches in front of me. I leaned forward, my expression growing grim. "As Quill may or may not have told you, the changeling ambassador was under security lockdown by the Royal Guard, until this afternoon. Quill and I found him lying in bed, beaten and bleeding. As of approximately three hours past noon, the Royal Guards have been dismissed in their diplomatic security roles. This is where you come in." My hands grip on themselves tightened and I began to grit my teeth. As distasteful as this was, it was absolutely necessary "What I need your section to organize is two things. First of all, assigning soldiers to guard the changeling ambassador against assault and worse. Soldiers from outside Canterlot only, if you please. The second is a section of military police, again from outside Canterlot, to arrest the entire roster of guards assigned to this duty." Even in the gloom of the darkened room, I could see the eyes of all the ponies widen. I hadn't informed Quill of this before her leaving, and though it pained me, it was what was required to ensure no guardponies got wind of this before they were taken into custody. They wouldn't get the chance to retaliate. "I understand this isn't an easy order to follow, and I assure you it's just as hard to give. But make no mistake, whether or not the ambassador is a changeling, assault is assault. I don't need to tell you what havoc an entire hive of furious changelings could wreak on a nation in wartime. I want to be sure they're wreaking it on our enemies. Do either of you have any questions?" The two officers share a look, then the younger of the two opened his mouth. "Sir, what do we do if they resist?" I leaned back, a frown tugging down the edges of my mouth. "Treat them as you would any other pony resisting arrest." I could see the two of them swallow hard, and the elder speaks up in a hesitant voice. "A-and if they band together?" I closed my eyes and sighed heavily. "We don't need another war on our hands, so try and keep it non-lethal. But if they shoot first, cut them down like chaff. I won't tolerate seditious behavior, even if they are Royal Guards. Am I clear?" They shared another look, more sure but still clearly nervous. "Yes sir." They answered in unison, a firmness entering their eyes. I dismissed the officers and leaned further back in my chair as Quill leans against my legs and lays her chin onto my knees. "Sir, is this really a good idea? I know the military has a firm support base, but I believe a great many ponies will side with the Royal Guards, especially here in Canterlot. There's no love lost for changelings here." I laid a hand on her head and began to rub it gently. "That may be, Quill, but guards or not, they are under the law. Assault is assault, whether on a pony or another species." She nods, but her voice still held uncertainty. "Still sir, I don't think we need any more destabilization." I sighed heavily, rubbing my eyes. She's right of course, but that doesn't mean I had to like it. On one hand, I could simply tell Chitin that it was a complete unknown as to who attacked him, and there was no proof to indict anyone. Of course he may have seen his attacker, which would reflect even more poorly on me that even saying I couldn't find the guilty But on the other hand, there was an investigation into the Royal Guards, an organization that had existed for thousands of years. They certainly wouldn't take kindly to being investigated, and I wasn't sure how they would act if one of their own was charged with the assault. If I was anywhere but Canterlot, I would see no problems with simply rounding up the guards in public and performing a thorough, invasive investigation. But here in the capital, public opinion sided firmly with the throne, and the Royal Guards by extension. Even if I had taken over Celestia's position, I wasn't a part of the royal lineage and that meant to many in Canterlot, I had no claim to the throne. They wouldn't accept me unless they had to. It was in part why I had gone to such lengths to ensure ponies accepted Luna as reformed, so that I could maintain a semblance of royal endorsement. I pinched the bridge of my nose, the days events taking their toll on me. As though sensing my state, Quill clambered into my lap and curled up. My eyelids began to weigh on me, feeling as though they weighed a thousand pounds, and my eyes like they are caked in sand. Chitin still wasn't stirring, and the castle was quiet. The warm air of the summer evening was pulling me closer to sleep. It couldn't hurt, I supposed, to take a short nap. In what felt like minutes, I was once more awake. There was a knocking on the door. Cautiously, I put Quill onto the chair next to me, and went to open the door. As I opened the door, I saw a pegasus messenger holding a box. "Sir, here's the weapon you requested for." Ah right, that thing. I had requested for it before I left for Trottingham. I almost forgot about it. "Thank you, miss. You may continue on your way." I grabbed the box and carried in into the room, closing the door behind me. I opened the box, grabbing what was inside. A beautiful pistol, styled after the Colt M1911 from my old days in the army. It served me well. This wasn't an ordinary one though, not anymore. After all, I wasn't a soldier anymore. I was a king. And my personal weapon should fit that. Decorated in a polished silver, and with a Myrtle wood grip, it was now befitting of a king. Not to mention the barrel was made smaller, for easier concealment. It also served another purpose. A weapon for my officers and medics. Before this, they had no weapons at all, simply relying on other soldiers to defend them. Now they could at least shoot back. As I was admiring the beauty of my new weapon, I heard a sudden fit of coughing. I felt my heart jump straight into my throat and let out a muffled choking noise. A soft, hissing voice comes from the area of the orbs, and finally resolves just what it was. "My apologies, lord. I did not mean to frighten you so." Of course, I had fallen asleep in Chitin's room, it shouldn't have surprised me. But sleep always had this effect on my memory. "Don't worry about it, Chitin. How are you feeling?" A chittering chuckle echoes dryly in the small room. "Considering the damage sustained, I am alright. Whichever of your ponies worked to heal me did well, though my organs ache." I grimaced at the casual tone his voice carried. He focuses in on me and continued to speak, his voice growing more serious. "I have not informed my queen of this, my lord. I believe that would compromise any diplomatic efforts we go to." I sat back in my chair, stunned, and elated. My expectation was an immediate termination of any kind of talks followed by the coincidental leaking of classified documents to the griffons. As though reading my mind, Chitin continued. "My queen ordered me to...'turn the other cheek' unless my life were in danger. And since I am still alive, my life was not in danger and so I do not need to report this immediately." A bead of sweat stings my eyes, and my tongue darted out to wet my dried lips. "W-well I must thank you for this. I've had the military launch an investigation into the incident separate of the Royal Guards, and using ponies from outside Canterlot. Hopefully this will alleviate some of the possible bias the ponies of Canterlot have towards changelings. Do you remember at all who attacked you? Any sort of information would be of great help to us in bringing the culprit to justice." The glowing orbs shifted, and somehow I was able to tell he's looking straight into my eyes, despite the gloom. He gets closer, and his voice becomes quiet and monotone. "I have no memory of who attacked me, my lord. They were royal guardsmen, but that is all I could recall. It is something you shall have to find on your own, unfortunately." The galloping of hooves sounds in the halls as I realized the implication. While he wasn't going to report this to Chrysalis, he couldn't help in aiding me in finding the culprit either. It wasn't that he didn't hold ill will over the incident, it was that he was forcing an apology of a different kind. 'Either find who did it, or you'll never find us' Blackmail. A pounding at the door snaps me from my thoughts, and Chitin retreated to under the covers of his bed. The moment he does, the door bursts open and a frantic looking soldier gallops in, panting heavily. "My lord Anonymous, there's an incident in the guard barracks!" I opened my mouth to ask for clarity, when a singular crack of a gunshot echoes through the halls. The soldiers eyes widened, as mine mirrored his. Quill starts violently and falls off the chair I placed her on, but she's just an afterthought in the shock of the moment. Without a word, the soldier turns and gallops toward the sound of the shot, and I began to follow, hot on his hooves.
Anon von Bismarck	16: Crisis in Canterlot	The impromptu command center was a hive of activity. Messengers ran to and fro frantically speaking into officer ears wherever they happened to be. Fresh soldiers were taken in, pushed along, and sent off every second. A miasma of madness hung in the warm evening air, the scent of summer overwhelmed by the reek of adrenaline and sweat. At the center of it all, a command table laid out on several large crates. A number of officers, including one of the two I'd spoken with earlier, crowded around it amidst a heated argument.. But when I approached, their conversation cuts off and they saluted me sharply. I returned the gesture and leaned my hands on the makeshift table, hunching over to come closer to their level. "Alright troops, what's the situation?" The senior officer, a major, tells me the whole story. Apparently instead of a section of MPs, an entire platoon had been assigned to the detainment of the guards. They couldn't even get a simple damn order right. I'd have words with whoever was responsible later Of course, sixty well armed ponies walking into the barracks and demanding the surrender of any guard that was assigned to the ambassador went over poorly. A heated argument began, questioning lines of authority, the jurisdiction of the Royal Guards, who technically weren't a part of the military, and the veracity of the orders It had sparked a brawl, and finally shots to be exchanged, between the parties. It was unknown which group had fired first, but the result was several wounded guards and soldiers, and the imprisonment of two soldiers who hadn't managed to retreat with their comrades. Of course, now there was a standoff between every guard in the barracks and at least two platoons of regular infantry, plus the MPs. I could feel a migraine developing at the base of my neck. It seemed there was always some new, creative disaster happening. Though I couldn't deny my own hand in this one. I should've been more clear, maybe assigned a different officer to the task, had Quill relay my order more clearly, anything else. But there was no time to pass the blame around the room. "Alright, do we have a solution to this? Preferably one that doesn't involve artillery and fusillades, I'd rather not have a civil war." There were some nervous glances all around the room. One of the officers spoke first. A stallion with a white coat and blond mane. "W-well sir, we were hoping that you could help us with a diplomatic solution. After all the solutions you hammered out with the griffons when you were in the foreign ministry, we're confident that you can solve this with no trouble." I blinked slowly and glanced at his rank insignia. Only a captain, and a quick look around tells me he's the senior officer here. So it wasn't incompetence, it was inexperience that was the enemy of the day. Figures, it always boiled down to inexperienced people making mistakes causing massive issues for me. He was probably one of the nobles that had been snapped up at the beginning of the war and had been put on the accelerated curriculum. It didn't make this any less of a fine mess. I glanced around the room, my eyes landing on a crate with the stencil of a piece of armour on it. A small smile took on my face as the gears in my mind begin to turn. Makeshift body armor. It was no M-69, but it might've stopped a guardsman from hurting me too much. "Alright then, where exactly are these guards holed up?" Twenty minutes later, I was stood behind a makeshift barricade with a group of antsy soldiers. I adjusted the ill fitting armour that had been strapped to form a makeshift breastplate. Individually, the various pieces were too small, the wrong shape, or just plain useless to me. It was pony shaped after all, and I was obviously not a pony. But with a bit of engineering, and copious leather straps, I and the ponies had managed to slap together something that provided a modicum of protection for me. Better than the cotton of my white uniform did at least. And I wasn't completely harmless either. My new pistol would make sure of that, tucked safely into my breast pocket. I'd have to look into getting some proper armour fitted, especially if I needed to visit hostile lands. Going to Trottingham with no armor was dangerous enough thinking back, but the high of the moment had clouded thoughts of safety. But for now, the armor was good enough even if it appeared I had simply decided to wear the entire kitchen. And so, despite the urging of the officers and the pit in my stomach, I cautiously stepped over the barricade and called out to the obstacles the guards had erected themselves. "This is..." I trailed off, unsure of exactly how to address myself. 'Lord' seemed to be the most common form, but technically I wasn't a noble. 'Regent' also seemed applicable, but I felt it constituted the presumption of an ending of my post. As if I'd give up this throne willingly. It was mine now, after all. But then, it dawned on me, the perfect title to fit my roles both past and present. To show I wasn't a noble, but that I would also be here to stay. "This is Chancellor Anonymous, I demand to speak to the officer in charge of this section of the Royal Guard." In the stillness that followed my pronouncement, I could clearly hear shuffling from behind the opposing battlement. The helmeted head of a guardsman pops up, a garish crest denoting his commanding role. "I'm watch commander Buckler, senior officer here. Pardon me saying so, but it's about time you showed up to cow this peasant army into backing down." Peasant army? How snobbish of him. The sneer on his face shows his clear disdain for the ponies of the army that were opposite him. My eyebrow twitched at the 'peasant army' comment, and I could hear a jeer from behind me. "What I'm here to do, guard, is to negotiate your standing down, the return of the ponies you've taken prisoner, and discussion of detaining the roster of guards responsible for the changeling ambassador becoming injured." I saw the eyes of the guard widen in alarm. He turned from the barricade, apparently to confer with other ponies at the barricade. After a moment, he turns back to me. "We're willing to negotiate, please come this way sir and we can discuss your terms." I blinked, momentarily stunned at their easy cooperation. I had expected to need to convince them a bit first. Or to gun them all down for this little insurrection. But my surprise was replaced immediately with with suspicion. "Before I come over, you're going to release the ponies you've taken prisoner. Once they're safe with the military, I'll come over and we can talk." Another moment of hushed conference. "We'll have them sent over the battlements. We'll have them walk over as you come to us." It seemed that I would become their bargaining chip if things went wrong. I nodded firmly and spoke. "Done." A few painstakingly long minutes later me and the soldiers who were taken hostage, one of whom was wounded, traded places, and I joined the guards who lead me to their barracks. A table had been set up, and the pony I'd been speaking to before was seated there across from me with a nervous look on his face. "Please sir, have a seat." I sat down across from him and prepared to avert a rebellion. "Sir we could not have known--" I cut the guard off with a sharp gesture. "I'm not interested in excuses or laying blame, commander. I'm here to bring a conclusion to this madness." The guard, Buckler was his name if I could recall, seemed taken aback by my pointed words, and his tone when he spoke again was more subdued than before. "Yes sir, of course. I and my guards only want to reach a peaceful resolution to this...unfortunate circumstance." I narrowed my eyes at his wording. It was clear he was trying to worm out of any punishment I cared to dispense to them. I simply let out a quiet sigh. "Let me set something straight. Commander, the way I see it, your cohorts directly disobeyed orders, beat a defenseless changeling diplomat half to death on virtue of his race alone, and subsequently mutinied against lawful rule when proper authority came to arrest the aggressors. The only peace resolution comes with your total surrender, and the surrender of every other guardsman in this building." I saw the commander swallow hard, and his eyes flitted about the room. When he remains silent, I continued. "Rest assured commander, I only want to bring the ponies that assaulted the changeling diplomat. Assuming no further resistance or injury, I give you my word that the punishment for this incident will be light." Buckler narrowed his eyes at my apparent easy acquiescence. "Pardon my Prench sir, but where's the catch? Nothing is ever so easy as that." My face and eyes hardened, growing severe, and I leaned forward across the table. "You're right, commander. While there may be little to no direct punishments dispensed, outside those who committed willful assault, the Royal Guard as you know it will be no more. You will keep your posts, but shall be rolled into the military proper in a ceremonial role. This means adherence to the chain of command, to lawful orders given by your superiors, and of course thorough accountability measures." The watch commander chokes back either a scream or a guffaw, making me narrow my eyes at him. After composing himself he speaks in a disbelieving tone. "You can't honestly believe that the elite Royal Guard would ever allow themselves to be rolled into a peasant army like that, sir! Surely you're joking." A frown began to grow on my face and I had knitted my brows together, the insinuation irking me. "I'm not, and don't call me shirley." Buckler blinked rapidly, and I could see a bead of sweat begin to streak down his forehead. "Sir, the others certainly won't stand for this. There will be a proper mutiny if you do this!" I shook my head slowly, sadly. "Then they'll stand before the guns of the infantry. Peaceful or not, this little insurgency will end. The only question is whether the Guard will remain an entity within the military, or be forgotten as a relic of the past, who fought against the betterment of Equestria." There is a long, pregnant pause as Buckler considered his next choice. I'm considerably surprised at his hesitation, anyone would think this an easy choice for even the most prideful pony. After all, it wasn't just his own life that he was taking into account, but the lives of every pony in the barracks and opposing him. Hell, even the lives of those outside of Canterlot. Even in the many years I'd spent in both Canterlot and the army, I couldn't think of a single time anyone had been more callous. Even the most steadfast and glory seeking of officers on Earth cared more about their soldiers. Finally, Buckler speaks once more. "I'm going to need it, in writing, you won't bring undue prosecution against my men. The ones who committed assault, sure, but not the ones who participated in this. They only had the interests of their brother-in-arms at heart, not malice." He stared down at the table as he makes his proclamation, and I felt more than a little ashamed. Despite my living with them, I still held ponies to the same ideas I held for humans. Old habits, I suppose, but it's a firm lesson for me. "Of course commander, if you would allow it I'll have somepony bring in parchment and we'll draw up the agreement right here." He nods and holds out a hoof to me "I'll escort you to the barricade, sir." I shook his hoof and followed him back to the battlements. The tension is palpable, but as we crossed the lines again, it seems to thin just a bit. I'm immediately approached by the nervous captain I had spoken with before, looking more distraught than ever. "Sir? I've drawn up a plan for a full out assault, we can have their lines broken inside a few hours." I chastened him with a dismissive gesture, a modicum of my earlier cynicism returning. "No need, captain. I just need some parchment, peace in our time and all that." He let out a breath, visibly relieved by my words. "Oh thank Celestia, I was praying that they would see reason. I was right to call you immediately, sir." I gave the white stallion a withering gaze, and addressed him with a note of aggression in my tone. "You wouldn't have needed to call me if you'd listened to orders. I said a section of military police, not a fucking platoon of regular infantry. What on Gods green Earth was running through your goddamned head you idiot?" He balked and stared at his hooves, kicking at the cobblestones underhoof. "I-I needed to ensure security sir. The Royal Guards are elite, they would have easily overpowered a mere section." My voice rose, as did my temper, at the weak excuse. "They wouldn't have tried to resist, captain. If you had brought a force reasonable to your demands, they would have complied, but instead you brought overwhelming numbers and they took it to mean you were acting on your own!" The Captain stared up and me, quivering slightly. I had no sympathy for him. "You really are a sad excuse for an officer. I should have you shot for this! No, you know what? You're done. As of today, you have been officially relieved, captain. Send for your former subordinate and go to deployment to be reassigned. I hope you can handle yourself on the battlefield better than this, because you won't survive a day out there if you can't even follow simple commands." The Captains quivering had turned into a full blown shaking. I just continued. "Noble or not, I have no respect for someone so damned inept at his job. Get out of my fucking sight right now." The captain looked up at me, his eyes large as dinner plates. "B-but sir, I only did what I thought was necessary!" My cheek twitched as he continues to protest. How could he not understand that, whether here or on a battlefield, using too much wasn't always, or even usually, a good thing. Sending a battalion to attack a platoon would waste troops, ammunition, and time that could be better spent on different things. Perhaps though, the ponies in the troop assignment group could find a better fit for him. "Enough! You're dismissed. Get the hell out of here now." He's finally silent, hanging his head low as he leaves the command center. The room is silent as they watched him go, and as the door shuts there are nervous looks all around. Looks like they never expected me to be capable of such a tirade. Or they didn't expect me to strip someone of all rank immediately. Or maybe this pony was a well known noble who they expected me to care for. Whatever they thought, it didn't matter. I massaged my temples, trying to ease the sudden pressure I was feeling behind my eyes. An odd, leathery flapping made my ears perk, and I looked around the room for the source. When I didn't find the source, I began speaking with a random soldier near me. "Trooper, can you send for someone from the foreign ministry? I need an unbiased pony to witness these negotiations, otherwise I'm certain somepony is going to make a greater fuss than before with this." The flapping sounds again, and I'm able to zero in on the source above me. A pair of yellow eyes with slitted pupils stared down from the rafters above my head, and I started for my gun at the sudden appearance. An assassin? Right now? There couldn't be worse timing. But as I was pulling out my pistol, I recognized it as the shape of a pony. A pair of dark, leathery wings unfolded and the bat pony dropped gracefully to the floor in front of me. He bowed low before me as he speaks up in a rasping voice. "My lord Anonymous, please allow me to bear witness to thy negotiations. I can substitute as a third party, and we have interests in these proceedings as well." My words failed me for a long moment. It was the first time I had actually seen one of Luna's guards, unlike the Royal Guards, the Thestral Wardens acted subtly and used more subversive methods to ensure security of their princess. There were many rumours about them, from their being able to turn invisible, to them eating meat. The only clear thing about them was that they unnerved regular ponies, but right now I felt more curious than fearful. Mainly because if he tried anything hostile, he would be killed by me or one of the many soldiers in the tent with me. "And what is your name, warden?" He rises and grins, baring the fangs that had such a fearsome reputation. "My name is Dusk Echo, lord. I am the one appointed as liaison by the Unseen. Please lord, allow me to accompany you and ensure your safety through these trials." It doesn't take me long to consider the offer. After all, this was a group of ponies that I hadn't seen before, let alone had time to speak with and understand. And his appearance would be likely to dissuade any opposition to the terms I would set down. "Very well, Dusk, let's be on our way." Without another word, the two of us departed to cross the lines once more. Out of the frying pan, into the fire. When we entered the barracks again, I took a bit of satisfaction from seeing Buckler flinch at the sight of Echo. But for his part, the bat pony merely grins and addresses the watch commander in his raspy voice. "Good day to you, watch commander. And how are you, in this hour of fading light?" He had a strange, rather esoteric way of speaking. Formal and oddly poetic, it seemed to serve as a counterpoint to his savage appearance. Like Frankenstein from the old books I remembered from Earth. And it seemed to work at unnerving my diplomatic partner, so without acknowledging it in any blatant way, I merely sat at the table. "Well then, shall we begin Mr. Buckler?" I forwent his title deliberately, making it clear the position he was in. My slight against him doesn't go unnoticed, but the guard takes his own seat, accompanied by a young looking officer. Perhaps his aide, or the only other officer here, I thought to myself as they leaned over the tabletop. But when they spoke, they didn't address me, to my surprise. "Warden Echo, what a pleasant surprise that you would be joining these negotiations. You're here as a witness, I presume?" His tone indicated anything but warm feelings. But Echo, to his credit, responds in a far more gentle tone than I would have thought. "Partially, watch commander. But also I come to negotiate the position of the Thestral Wardens and communicate the desires of my superiors. Consider me as a witness and an interested party, if you would." Both the guards furrow their brows, and the younger one bursts out. "That's unacceptable! These negotiations are between the Royal Guard and the military alone!" The three of us shot him withering gazes, not even his commander appreciated the sentiment it seemed. Clearing his throat, Buckler speaks up as his colleague sits abashedly. "Yes well, this is most unexpected. But be mindful warden, these are primarily to determine the state of affairs of the current situation. I would request you do not try and turn this to selfish objectives." Echo's grin only widens further. "I would never dream of it, watch commander. My interests lie solely with the best interests of Equestria as a whole." The way he says it is unnerving, even to me. It sounded almost as though there was a sinister edge to his voice, but if Buckler had detected it, he made no comment on it. Instead, he fixes his gaze on me. "I do hope there will be no more...surprises." I smiled warmly at the officers and showed them my open palms. "Not at all, Mr. Buckler. I simply believed it would be a fine idea to have an impartial witness to the proceedings." He stared at me with a fiery gaze. Either furious at my idea of an impartial witness or certain I was lying to his face. Frankly, it didn't matter which one he thought. "So then, you agree that the Royal Guard, as it is today, shall be placed under the command structure of the military. Furthermore, a full investigation of the ponies involved in the assault on the ambassador will be conducted and you ensure the full cooperation of your stallions in said investigation." Buckler furrowed his brow and shot a gaze at the younger guard beside him to keep the junior quiet. "Yes, as I said it's distasteful but I can agree to it. In return, you promise fair treatment and light punishment for those involved in this unfortunate scuffle. As I stated before, they only had the interests of their fellow guards at heart. I assume of course that, as a branch of the Guard, the Thestral Wardens shall be incorporated into the military structure as well." I hadn't actually thought of that before sitting at the table. It would make sense of course, putting them into the intelligence branch would be an incredible asset for the troops on the ground. Night reconnaissance, I began thinking. Perhaps they might even train some units to specialize in night fighting, or clandestine operations, or who knows what. My own little green berets. My train of thought was interrupted by Echo clearing his throat. "That is, in fact, why I've come to this discussion. By the nature of our organization, to become part of the military would be exceedingly troublesome. Without revealing any dangerous information, we require the freedom of our own command structure to be as effective as we are." I looked over at the bat pony, not expecting him to chime in so quickly. But out of the corner of my eye, I saw Buckler fuming as Echo continued. "As per our previous agreement with Her Majesty Princess Celestia, we desire to retain our autonomy from the bureaucracy that can hobble other organizations. And in return, we shall of course continue to serve in the capacity we already do." Buckler slammed his hooves down on the table, startling me and drawing Echo's full attention. "Absolutely unacceptable! The Royal Guard has served the princess for millenia, through the most troubling times in our history. Our proud heritage dates even prior to the Wardens existing, and yet you would deny us the self-same treatment as you? Unthinkable, it would be a deplorable stab in the back!" Echo's smile doesn't falter and he keeps an even tone as he responds. "On the contrary, it would merely be upholding agreements that were put in place for the betterment of all Equestria." Buckler began to grind his teeth together, and his subordinate speaks up in his place. "Is that what you call being allowed to slink around in the dark, cutting deals that would never be allowed, and 'disappearing' anypony that tries to stop you? At the very least, WE protect ponies and ensure proper security. You and your ilk are just a criminal gang that happens to work with the government." The only sign of his annoyance is a twitch in Echo's cheek. His tone has lost any semblance of respect and carries a midnight chill when he retorts. "You may think of us what you wish, but do not dare question our dedication to ensuring the safety of Equestria and the princesses. Your beliefs of our activities are irrelevant so long as you understand we are your allies." As Buckler opened his mouth to continue, I felt that this had gone on long enough already. "Enough! We've strayed far enough from the topic at hand already. I believe some form of autonomy is permissible, Echo, but I would like to foster cooperation as well. Perhaps the devotion of a full team of Wardens to liaise with different levels of government and military?" Echo's brow furrowed in thought, but Buckler shouts in exclamation before he can offer a response. "You can't seriously be considering this, Anonymous! These...these creatures fought on the side of Nightmare Moon in the rebellion! They caused havoc for Equestria for nearly three centuries after, there's no way they can be trusted without heavy oversight!" Echo's gaze turns thoughtful as he replies to Buckler, his tone not carrying the same edge it had before. "It is true, we fought on the side of our princess. And would you not have done the same, had Celestia raised your kin from ash and ruin? Unlike you, our oath is in our very blood, not words on parchment. I could no more betray the lunar princess than you could become an alicorn, watch commander. But the fact of the matter is we were welcomed back into the fold by Princess Celestia, and absolved of the crimes of our fathers. And now we come in an attempt to ensure a peaceful resolution to your own rebellion against the crown and you believe we work against you? Not even Discord is so mad." This was going nowhere fast. The two guards shout over each other at the bat pony, who simply endures the tirade with a neutral mask on his face Evidently, bringing Echo in had been a giant mistake, but at the same time did the liaison of the sister unit to the Royal Guard not deserve to be privy to this? Perhaps it was just the stress of the situation, but there's no doubt the guards were overreacting to his mere presence. Before long, I tired of the petty insults that the shouting has devolved into. I slammed a closed fist down on the table, silencing their bickering in an instant. "Enough! Watch commander, while I can appreciate how you feel to a degree, I don't think you understand just how little room to bargain you have. And what little you have is rapidly being burned away by your petty whining. I will give you one more chance; accept the terms as they have been laid out or you will no longer be considered anything more than seditious elements to be eradicated. And believe me, you WILL be eradicated if you do not sign this deal" I saw the understanding and fear dawn in the eyes of the young officer, an officer cadet I noted, finally recognizing his rank. Buckler's face twisted in a series of emotional displays, but finally settles into a scowl of defiance. I felt a pang in my heart as he gave his answer, filled with venom and vitriol. "So be it. I'll not stand by while my brothers are thrown aside like livestock. All Equestria shall know of the discord you spread amongst even the tightest ranks, Anonymous. I pray that peace never visits you and every victory turns to ash in your mouth. You're not fit to even speak the name of Princess Celestia, much less take her throne. You are nothing but a tyrant playing leader. Begone." Oh... So that's what it would be then. Fine. In silence, me and Echo rose and left the room. As I crossed the lines for the last time, my heart was heavy. Everything had been going as well as it possibly could, I had never expected letting in one pony could have such an impact. It wasn't hard to find blame in Echo and his sudden appearance, but I couldn't let blame rest entirely with him. I was certain that I could have found an acceptable deal for all parties involved I knew it. But I hadn't, I'd lost my temper, and let my anger consume me into delivering an ultimatum that would make even the griffons balk. And instead of having the desired effect of cowing Buckler, it had hardened his heart. So it is that I found myself back in the command room, my head in my hands, with a crowd of soldiers and officers waiting to hear my words. And I had no idea what to say. Negotiations had fallen through. There was no choice but to exterminate these rebels before word could spread. God help us all.
Anon von Bismarck	17: Crushing the Rebellion	This was a disaster. A hoof brushed against my arm, and I looked down to see Echo staring at me with an almost sheepish look on his face. "My deepest apologies, lord. I had not expected his reaction to my presence to be so poor." I shook my head slowly, my foul mood deepening further. "No, I shouldn't have brought an unknown into that. Novice mistake on my part, don't worry too much about it." Echo absently kicks a hoof against the cobbles looking down, but looks back at me with firmness returned to his gaze. "Nevertheless, for my part in it I must take responsibility. Have the troops hold their position, we shall take care of this mess." He eyes the darkening sky as he speaks, and a chill ran up my spine. I could imagine exactly how an autonomous 'security' organization would deal with this type of problem. But I wasn't about to give up on the guards quite yet. Maybe some of them could still be reasoned with. Not all of them had to die for nothing. "Before you do anything of the sort, I'm going to try and talk some sense into them one more time." He lowered his head in a shallow bow, but I could see the start of savage smile beginning on his face. "As you wish, lord. I shall prepare for the inevitable, but hold for your word." Another shiver, and I could feel goosebumps rise on my neck. But I pushed down the unease and turned to an officer bearing the emblem of lieutenant. "Soldier, get me a megaphone. I have an announcement to make." The officer saluted me sharply. "At once sir!" A few moments later, I was standing behind the barricade beside a number of soldiers manning it. Just in case they thought now was the time to attack. I lifted the megaphone to my mouth and addressed the rebel guards across the courtyard. "Royal Guards of Equestria, your dedication to your brothers is admirable, and you have made clear that your courage does not waver. Truly, you have shown you are more than deserving of your status as guardians of the princess and Equestria." I paused for a moment, considering the weight of my next words and just how they might be received. "But now, that dedication has led you astray. You stand in opposition to the crown and against the defenders of the realm, and this sedition threatens the harmony of Equestria itself. Even as I appreciate your loyalty to your brothers, this is something that cannot stand. I ask you, I beg you, look within and truly question if a mere misunderstanding is worth upsetting the delicate position Equestria stands in. Your actions reflect poorly on Equestria as a whole. Would you continue along the path of disharmony and discord you have slipped onto, or turn back to the light?" I let the words hang for a moment in the still air of the deepening night. Nothing. When I resumed, there was a touch of genuine touch of emotion in my voice. "Please, I do not wish to see any blood shed over such a petty mistake as this. With all here as my witnesses, if you come back to us, back to harmony, there shall be no repercussions. You will be welcomed as prodigal sons, celebrated for your understanding of the value of unity, and for the wisdom of your choice." Again, I paused, struggling to find my next words. This situation was affecting me far more than I would have thought. "I will even roll back the proposed changes if you just surrender. Please, just stop this. Just come back to us." One last pause. "I will give you time to think. Please, loyal guardians of Equestria, come back to us." I trailed off, unable to think of anything else to say. So I stood at the barricade, staring across the hall as the minutes stretch out before us. As I was about to turn away in despair, to give Echo the order, I heard muffled shouting from the direction of the Royal Guards. After a final, shouted exclamation, I saw a young looking pony hop over the barricade and sprint over to my side, his weapon cast to the ground. As he charged toward me, a pair of soldiers push a crate aside to make room for him. He slid to a stop behind the battlements, panting heavily, his mouth beginning to foam from the exertion. At my feet, he bowed deeply, professing an apology with every desperate breath he takes. Getting over my shock, I laid a hand on his withers gently. He twitches at the contact and looks up at me with wide, fearful eyes. But his return has salved my spirit, at least a small amount. There was still some hope that the rest could return to see reason. I gave him a warm, paternal smile and patted his back soothingly. "All is forgiven, young one, go get some rest. See the lieutenant back there, he'll get you a place to rest." The young guard quiets down and nods, tears welling up in his eyes as he gallops into the command room. After another few minutes of waiting for more to trickle to our side, I returned to the command room, a sudden tiredness pressing down on my shoulders I took a seat at the table in the center of it all, rubbing my eyes. A sergeant approached me cautiously, standing beside me and delivering a rigid salute. "Sir, there's a pony at the door to see you. We've kept her outside the command room, but she swears she knows you. One Cursive Quill?" My tiredness was immediately replaced with a flare of anger. These idiots should have known who she was. I reigned the feeling back as I recalled that I had specifically ordered troops from outside the city to be deployed. Instead I settled on a sigh of resignation to show how I felt about his actions. "Send her in, please. And spread the word, she's permitted wherever she needs to go." The sergeant nodded and trots off. Moments later, a frantic galloping reaches my ears and a very distraught looking Quill hops onto my lap. She buried her face into my chest, heaving great gasps of air and choking back sobs. A quick look around tells me that many ponies have vacated the room, and the remaining ones are pointedly ignoring us. Gently shushing her, I stroked her back to calm her, wrapping my arms around and tightly embracing her. It takes a long while for her to calm down enough to speak, still hiccuping as she looks up at me with a tear streaked face. "I was s-so worried Anon! Th-the guards, they wouldn't let me in, and there was all the shouting! I thought you'd been hurt!" Quill trails off, burying her face into my chest again. I stroked her mane to calm her, not saying a word. Right now she just needed to be comforted, not given excuses. An hour later, she's calmed down and fallen asleep in your lap, and the command room is quiet around us. A number more of the Royal Guards had passed through, some tearful, others with their heads held high. But it had been at least a half hour since the last one had passed through, and a report from the barricade said the only ones left just happened to be the ones who had been on the guard roster for Chitin. And of course, Buckler had stayed as well. Echo had returned ten minutes ago, informing me that he and the other Wardens were prepared to 'solve the problem'. But I was hesitant. I certainly didn't want this crisis to go on any longer than it had to, but to use such methods? It was strange in a way, going to war with the griffons hadn't affected me in the slightest, I had even felt gleeful at hearing of their total defeat in Trottingham. Even killing other humans was never a problem to me during the war. Perhaps it was because these were ponies, not my own people, but they had taken me in when I had nowhere else to go. I had seen what was bad about humanity, but only what was positive about these ponies so far. It made sense for me to be more attached to them, but it was only now I understood how deeply these attachments ran. But now, I steeled myself, putting on the politicians mask of neutrality I had perfected. "Go." At the word, Echo trots away silently, leaving the command post behind. A small part of my heart breaks, and I can't stop a couple stray tears from falling from my eyes. I had just authorized the murder of 20 guardsmen. A nuzzling at my belly reminded me of why I had made this choice though. It was ponies like Quill, like Fluttershy, like all my friends in Ponyville that I stained my hands with these decisions. I made these choices so no one else had to. The cost of upholding harmony and unity had to be paid. But just how much of my soul would that cost be? Maybe it would cost too much, and I would become a monster. Glory to Equestria. You are Echo. Lord Anonymous has approved of your 'solution' to this little rebellion. Anything the Royal Guardsmen do reflect poorly onto the Wardens after all. You were essentially mirror agencies after all. And now you had to kill your own brothers. But you held no love for them. They hated you and your fellow Wardens after all. And they tried to have your true brothers dragged down with them, trying to have your order punished for their mistakes. Believing you were no more than murderers and thieves. It didn't matter if there was no Celestia, they pledged to the throne itself. It didn't matter if a human or a pony sat on it, orders must be obeyed. As you and the other Wardens got into position, you noted one last thing. Their final moments would be spent expecting a final siege, a chance to prove their valor. And the Wardens would deny them that final wish. The irony wasn't lost on you. I didn't sleep at all that night. Even though the number of soldiers had dwindled to a skeleton crew and the lines have been quiet all night. Perhaps it was because, a few moments after that true, deathly quiet had begun, Echo had sidled up to me and told me that the situation had been resolved. I may have been optimistic, but I wasn't naive, I knew exactly what he was implying. Perhaps it was because I'd sent a protesting Quill off to her own room. It had taken a great deal of assurance that I would be perfectly safe, especially with the resolution and being surrounded by military troops. But eventually, she'd listened to me. I didn't want her around to feed off my stewing mood. Perhaps it was the inspection of the guard barracks I had undertaken after getting word of the completion of Echo's...work. It had been clean, disturbingly so. Better organized and cleaned than it had been when I had been in there negotiating for peace. I had ordered the troops manning the barricade to solemn silence and to take down the fortifications. I'd have to deal with the press in the morning for certain, maybe that was what weighed so heavily on me. How would ponies react to knowing their beloved Royal Guards had rebelled against me? Though it hadn't been all of them, in fact it hadn't even constituted a military platoon. And perhaps more importantly, none of the other guards around the palace had come to their rescue, remaining faithfully at their posts. Maybe this was just a fringe case? And truly, how many ponies knew exactly how many had actually rebelled? Besides the military, who was loyal to me, who else truly knew? I could spin it as though they had all come back over peacefully after understanding their mistake. In fact, that would be practically easy compared to other options. It had some actual truth to it after all. Well over half of them came back. 40 coming back to 20 being killed wasn't exactly the best numbers, but it was still just barely over half. But I left that choice for later, worrying away at it would do nothing but give me an ulcer. Still, I hadn't found rest despite giving up on worrying. Much later in the evening, perhaps it was early in the morning though, I found Echo at my side. After some time sitting in silence, I decided to distract myself with conversation. "Do you mind if I ask you a question, Echo?" He glances about the empty room, then inclines his head in a curt bow. "So long as it does not compromise the security of my kind, I shall do my best to answer, lord." I scratched at my chin, wondering exactly what the boundaries were. "Well how about the beginning. Where did you guys come from? I mean, you're not exactly pegasi right?" He let out a thoughtful hum and looks at the table I was sat at. "We were, once. In eons past, just after the unification of ponykind, we were pegasi. So the stories go, we had build the grand city of Cumulopolis, the city that touched the sky. So high up was the cloud base that it was a mere speck to those who could not soar as we did. We were so high that many of us dreamed we could even touch the stars themselves." He trailed off, gazing out the window with a distant look and a sad smile. When he doesn't speak for a long moment, I continued the line of questioning. "Where was Cumulopolis? I've never seen reference to that outside old legends, hell I didn't think it was real." He turned his face to me, his look grim. "The moon wept." I blinked slowly at the cryptic turn of phrase. "Explain." He sighed and returned his gaze to the stars outside, his gaze one of fanciful desire. "A piece of the moon herself broke off and fell through the sky. All of our ancestors gathered and gazed at the tear the moon had shed with wonder. Then it seemed to shatter across the night sky. Mere moments later, the city was totally destroyed. Anypony that survived the calamity was...changed. No longer could they walk in the day with ease, nor navigate by the rays of the sun. They were stripped of their feathers, their wings becoming dark and leathery. They became outcasts among their own people, the pegasi. They thought themselves punished for daring to brush their wings against the dome of the sky" His gaze took on a beatific quality as he continued to stare at the moon high above. "But Princess Luna came to them, sought them out of the caves they had sequestered themselves in. Though she did not know why the moon wept, she swore that she would not stop seeking a way to give us back our first bodies. And so they swore their blood, and ours, to the princess of the night. Though many millenia have passed since then, we still keep faith that she shall return us to how we were." He continued to gaze wistfully at the night sky, his eyes unfocused and misty. I took some time to consider the tale. It was easy to dismiss it as just an origin myth, something to explain why the bat ponies were so different from every other kind of pony. But the conviction Echo had relayed it with, and the care he had taken in choosing his words, kept me from simply calling it a story and being done with it. It certainly explained their devotion to Luna. And their willingness to die for her if necessary. And perhaps that moon rock had some kind of magic in it, it certainly wouldn't be far-fetched that that would be the case. After all, I had seen stranger things even in my short time in Equestria. "But why take on the role that you have? You could have easily been taken under the Royal Guard, you probably would have even been welcome to the night shift." He let out a short chuckle and returned to looking me. "Nay, we had seen a need for a force such as ourselves. We had become an old mare's tale, the pegasi that flew to close to the moon and were struck down for hubris. We embraced it, eventually. Only a few of us would ever be in the public eye, and only accompanying Princess Luna. Later we established the role I now fill, as we realized that sometimes we must...coerce certain ponies to help in tasks. And so it came to be that we would be the wall in the night, doing things that no reasonable pony would consider, all in order to keep Equestria safe and serve the will of our princess." I scratched my chin and remember something that one of the guards had mentioned earlier. "And you sided with Luna during the Fall, right?" His ears flattened against his skull. I probably could have phrased that far better, but I was totally exhausted dammit. His answer is hesitant, as though expecting a rebuke at any second. "Yes, we sided with Nightmare Moon. Stories from those of the time recount some inexplicable...draw to her. They knew their actions would harm Equestria but...it didn't matter for some reason. Even the tales have nothing but speculation, that perhaps it was the same blessing that made us as we are which had us so unquestioningly loyal. The princess is inexorably tied to the moon, after all. But it does not matter, we fought against Equestria openly then and continued to foster rebellion for two centuries after until Celestia herself found our homes and brought us back under Equestrian rule." My eyes had widened at the mention of rebellion even two hundred years after Luna's banishment. That would have been the Great Eastern Rebellion that had seen the disbanding of the military as a whole. 'The Eastern Frontier in Flames', that had been the title of the book I had read all about it. How long ago was that now? Long before I'd taken the throne certainly. And now with the reestablishment of the military proper, and Luna being one of the top generals, the bat ponies were coming and offering me their service. Circles within circles. Maybe it was just how tired I was, but the thought sends a chill up my spine. I had spent so long studying and participating in politics that I began to see double meanings everywhere. But this kind of recursivity was something that felt new, and entirely unwelcome. The horizon had begun to brighten while I stewed over the information I had garnered. I saw Echo's gaze flicking to where the sun would soon appear and back to me. With a wave, I was about to dismiss him, his thoughts easy to understand. But there was one last matter that had to be dealt with. "Echo, from the Wardens actions today, I have no choice but limit some of your autonomy." Echo looked up at me, puzzled. I continued. "Because of your actions, the Royal Guards trust has been permanently been lost. And while the Wardens have fixed the problem they have caused, I still must do this. From today onwards, the Thestral Wardens will obey my orders as if they were Luna's orders. You will report directly to me, you will still report to Luna. The only reason you will not be enrolled into the army's command structure is because of your nature. Am I clear?" Echo thought on it for a bit. "Of course, Lord Anonymous. Your terms are fair, and we will vow to uphold the unity of Equestria." The Wardens didn't have any real choice, and this deal was much fairer than what was offered the Royal Guards. The Wardens didn't disobey my orders and question my authority, so for that I chose to grant leniency. "Good, very good. You are dismissed" He gave me a deep bow and trots out the door, leaving me alone in the room lit only by the predawn light. There was so much to do today, I'd be addressing the media about the matter of the guards, still going on with the changeling talks, poring over military and industrial reports, and who knew what else I tried to rub the sandpaper feeling from my eyes, knowing that I had to at least appear attentive to the ponies. I began to wander back to my room, determined to go about a regular routine for the day. Or as regular as I could make it. Something to distract me from all the excitement of late. Boring was fine, it just had to be regular, routine. Anything normal to distract from this madness.
Anon von Bismarck	18: A Broken Mask	Your room is encompassed in a deep darkness, such that you cannot see your hoof in front of your face. Despite the late hour and the excitement of the day, you find yourself totally unable to sleep. Anon had sent you away, and now you're worrying over why exactly he had done so, among other issues. Like your feelings towards him, the weight of your duty to Equestria, and the assignment you had been given from the lips of Celestia herself. You are Cursive Quill, and you're starting to wonder where it all went wrong. It had been such a simple job, being detached from what little there had been of the Equestrian Defense Force intelligence section and assigned to watch Anonymous. And of course, to intervene if need be. Of course, Princess Celestia had not defined the point at which you were to intervene, nor HOW to intervene. Were you supposed to take him down with force or make him resign? And what would happen if he resisted? He had the love of the public and the army, the only people who would side with you would be a now weakened Royal Guard. That in itself was a problem, but another major roadblock was how you felt lately. Being around him made you giddy, made you want to prance around like a little filly and catch his attention at every turn But you tried your best to remain professional around him, totally composed as you had been taught. Mostly. But you were fuming about your display earlier. Breaking down in front of a bunch of rank and file soldiers, being comforted by the person that was supposed to be your boss, never mind showing off how close you were to him. The worst part of it was, no matter how illogical it had been, that feeling of worry and fear was all too genuine. You had dismissed stories of agents 'going native' or siding with the targets they were supposed to be spying on. Now you knew better. You had seen it coming too, back in Ponyville when he'd made that first speech. You knew that it was just acting, that he was pretending to feel what he said in the words, you were sure of it. So many years working as an analyst had told you exactly how those words were calculated to stir feelings in the hearts of ponies. And yet it still worked on you. Maybe it was because he had shown through actions that he truly did mean what he said, or at the very least strove to do as he said. He was a mixed bag of traits. Kind, earnest, brave, and intelligent, and for whatever reason it touched you in a way that had compromised your work. But he wasn't perfect. You had seen the cracks in his mask. Just how much he enjoyed this power he now had. And just how far he would go to keep Equestria whole. But at the same time, it was relieving to just place your faith in someone. To just trust that he would make it all ok. It was hard to believe anyone, much less a non-pony, could break you of your cynicism at this point. But he had, and he'd given you hope. Something you hadn't really felt since... No. You wouldn't fall down the hole of thinking about that, not now, not ever. From beneath your hooves, your face peeked out and stared towards the heavy curtains covering the window. You let out a huff and get out of bed, trotting over and throwing the curtains open to reveal the full moon gazing down on you. You stared straight back, fury in your eyes. "You know, don't you Luna? You always knew but you never told him, why not? Could it be you don't trust him, or do you just get your entertainment watching me fall further from Celestia's grace every time I get near him? Does it make you giddy watching me torture myself every second I spend with him?" The second you finished your little rant at the moon, a dark shadow began to spread across it. You felt a shiver run up your back as the shadow stretches into the room, drawing ever closer to you. A voice, cold as the night sky but tinged with heartache, echoes behind you in the dark room. "Is that truly what you think of me, Cursive Quill?" You whirl about and find Luna herself standing there. Your face twists in a sneer as it all comes together at last. Obviously you had fallen asleep, and now you were dreaming that the princess of the night was before you herself. Of course, she was directing a campaign so this was just an apparition of your own making. You replied to the phantasm towering over the black space where the door had been, your voice dripping with bile and venom. "Of course it's what I think of you, Luna. The great lunar princess, who presided over all things miltiary, couldn't spot an intelligence plant. That or the redeemed princess who just loves to watch a subject suffer while she watches quietly." "Luna's" ears flatten against her skull and she look downright ashamed. So of course, you continued, your anger was boiling now, how could you not? "But you've been enjoying that for years haven't you? Oh of course, you've found time to visit the dreams of every pony in Ponyville, every guard and scribe in the palace. Even half the nobles who've had barely any troubles get a dreamwalk from the radiant princess Luna to help them solve their problems. But me? No, I guess giving my entire life to the throne, having my fillyhood destroyed, and never finding a real home just isn't enough to warrant a bit of help." You blinked back bitter, stinging tears as the illusion of the princess appears more and more piteous. It almost, almost, stopped you from continuing. This had weighed and worn on you so much that even in a dream it was offering catharsis. But before you can carry on with your tirade, words too quiet from "Luna's" mouth stop you. They're choked out with a sob and so soft you can't believe what you had heard. "What was that, 'princess'?" She draws herself up, puffing out her chest and even with tears glistening in the false moonlight of the imaginary sky manages to look noble "Luna" steps up in front of you, but even her enormity in size did not cow your resolve. You know she isn't real. But the wing that wraps itself around you, the warmth of her body, the sorrow you can physically feel emanating from her. It feels so real. Her voice cracks as she speaks softly, her tone almost maternal. "I'm sorry, Quill." You felt your heart speed up, but you're not about to give in to an illusion. "Yeah, whatever. This is all in my head anyway." You feel the wing tighten around your back, and a warm droplet hits your forehead. "You truly believe that? It is indeed me, Cursive Quill." No. It couldn't be... You pushed against the lump forming in your throat, the part of you that desperately desires this all to be real. You can't quite keep the hope from your voice, but it still comes tinged with bitterness. "Prove it." One of the wings pushed your chin up so you were looking into her teary, red eyes. Her voice is firm, absolute, more than befitting of a diarch such as her. "In the morning, after you and I awaken, I shall send a telegram to Canterlot. It shall be an official report, but will have in it the phrase 'the love of a mother'." You can feel your heart breaking in two at even the idea of reading those words. Instead of facing her any longer, you squeezed your eyes shut and pulled your face away from her wing. "Just...just go. Don't give me something else to be disappointed about." You felt her pull away from you and against your better judgment, you turned to watch. As she stepped towards a door that had appeared in the void across from the window, she faced you with a sad smile. "I shall show you, Quill, the love you have yearned for." You grit your teeth in a snarl at her words, even as hot tears pour down your face. But she's gone before you can retort, leaving you alone to bask in the rays of the unreal moon, crying like a lost filly. The room around you fades away, and you feel a warm feeling spread across your face. When you next open your eyes, the morning sun sparkles through the fine glass of the windows, warming the tracks the tears had made on your muzzle. You sniffled a bit as you recalled the dream, but as you trek to the shower to prepare yourself for the day, you steel your heart against the feelings. It wouldn't do for you to appear so disheveled in public. Especially not for a mere dream. The day is boring, as many days tended to be for you. Anon met with the press first thing, and as ever you accompanied him. Before the conference, you'd offered some cards about what to say to certain questions. Cards that, against your better judgment, you had spent a solid half-hour making instead of doing other things. Like compiling observations, you know, doing your job if spying on him? But you had wasted it on working for HIM. The day had only become worse from there. After the dreary questions of the media, half of which were just constantly regurgitated ones of the status of the Royal Guards and the standoff. The official story surrounding the Royal Guard was a small group attempted to coup Anonymous and the government, and the public ate it up. After all, the other members of the Royal Guard had said this was what happened. They wanted to save face, and have some dignity in their disgrace. Bored, you left the meeting room, you'd gone to speak more with Chitin. Even though you weren't personally affected by their previous invasion, being around him was enough to make your skin crawl It didn't help that, sometimes, he seemed to be giving you an almost hungered look. Maybe he could feel your love, and it made him hungry. You weren't sure how to interpret his gazes, it was just a gut feeling. Still, the talks went surprisingly well, and Chitin had opened up after Anonymous told him of the... results from the guard uprising. You'd nearly curled your lips in a sneer at the mention of that incident. Damned elitists, they could have made things so much easier if they had just gone along with the investigation. You didn't even hold anything against them for wanting to retain independence, if anything you understand the feeling well. It was just...damn. At least the changeling seemed pleased that his attackers had been 'taken care of', as it had been so delicately put. But the ground had been laid for proper peace talks, you'd even sent a message off to the Crystal Empire on behalf of Anonymous. If you could get them on board, it was possible the Changelings as a whole would never have to hunt for food again. And as an intelligence plant, you couldn't deny their utility as spies. They were practically built for the job from the genetic level up. The day continues on, a boring meeting with officials that you take notes on, for Anonymous of course. Eager as he was, he had some bad habits. Like never, ever taking a note himself unless he was speech writing. Sometimes you're amazed he made it this far, but mostly you're impressed by how well he's done. After all, he wasn't even a pony. You really did admire him, both professionally and...otherwise. He was determined to see the best in everything, to work towards a peaceful solution to whatever problems there had been. Truly, a being after Celestia's own heart. But his way of ensuring peace was quite different to hers. He'd once confided in you about it, as he had come to do after a while. His world was one of constant violence and strife, even coming to, as he had horrifyingly called them, 'world wars.' As in plural. It had sent a shudder up your spine to even imagine it. Millions of beings throwing their lives away, and for what? He swore to you he wanted that fate to be avoided for Equestria, that he wanted everypony to be able to live happy, healthy lives in comfort. It had become clear to you both after the gryphons declared war that such a peace would not be easy to come by. So Anonymous had laid his plans bare before you and Luna. Under his plan, Equestria would become the most powerful country the world had ever known, militarily and economically. The idea would have been considered abhorrent even a single year ago. But war had a way of moulding even the most hardy of wills. Nopony knew where Celestia and Twilight had gone, and without the security of the Elements of Harmony and, no offense to Luna, the most powerful magic users in Equestria, this was it. But he wasn't a bad pon-, person, he was just trying to make the best of a nightmare. He was kind, gentle, loving, you'd seen what lay beneath the iron shackles he kept on his heart during business hours. A steeled will, and a willingness to keep peace at any cost. To protect those he cared about. And anyone who didn't agree was no longer considered one of his own. But you loved him. You mulled that thought over as the day goes on. Yes, loved, like a mare does a stallion. There was no more getting around it, certainly not after Trottingham. Oh the bliss of that night in the glow of fireworks, his lips against yours, the warmth of his embrace. To think he was hesitant about it at all was strange. It gave you shivers just to think about it. Your gaze is far away, reliving that night, as he parades before a crowd, making a speech about the unity of all ponies from guards to grocers or some such. It's all blather, taking up the little time the day had left. The time before you could let down your persona of a prim and proper scribe and just be his. Luna knew, you knew she knew, but she had never made a comment about it, never given you a look of distaste or any sign of discomfort with the way you acted. Luna.... She said that there would be word today, just for you. A frantic messenger charged up to the two of you as Anon finishes receiving his applause from the crowd. You perked up immediately, he's wearing a military outfit and the sigil of the communication brigade. "Chancellor, a message from the army!" Your eyes widened, this was it! Anonymous nodded his consent and the pegasus messenger opened the paper and cleared his throat... Almost delirious, you leaned in to catch every word he says, holding your breath in anticipation. Your dream... "Contact with enemy. Stop. Beachhead currently under bombardment. Stop. Landing delayed. Stop. Glory to Equestria. END." ...was just a dream You wanted to cry, to scream, to demand more of the messenger. But even as your body shook subtly, Anonymous thanked and dismissed the messenger. He lays a hand on your withers, a slight touch to direct you, and you follow after him numbly. You're not sure why you had thought the dream to be real. Maybe you had just wanted some kind of hope, something to hold on to. It barely registers when the door clicks shut behind you and Anonymous lays back on his bed. Without prompting, you hop up beside him. You NEEDED him. He lays a gentle hand on your mane, without force, without intent. His voice is quiet, kind, warm like an island sunset. "What's the matter, Quill?" The way he said your name, never 'Cursive', never in anger, never formal when you were together. It was all just too much. You broke down on his chest, sobbing about the dream that had never come, about the snake of a Luna that had come to you in the night, promising love and mending. He strokes your mane, listening without judgment, without the bored affectation of a professional. You loved him. You HATE this. But you loved him. I awoke to my little assistant clutching me fiercely I just couldn't resist reaching down and scratching behind her ears, and she gives a contented murmur as she presses her face against my chest. Come to think of it, she had been incredibly clingy in what little private time we had shared as of late. If I didn't know better, I'd think she was insecure, afraid I would leave her. But that was silly, she knew exactly how I felt about her. I had some doubts, but I had ultimately decided that a pony was just as good as a human. She shifted, nuzzling against me and throwing a hoof over my chest. Damn she was cute. When did I start falling for this mare, or for mares in general? Couldn't have been long ago. But then, it wasn't as though I had went around gawking at mares about town. Not only because it was unprofessional and completely unbecoming of a ruler, but I simply had no frame of reference to find them attractive. So why was Quill the exception? I considered this as I listened to her slow, deep breathing and the quiet thud of her heartbeat. For one, she was the most adorable thing I'd seen, here or in the last world. Sure, some would say 'oh but that's subjective', but dammit I worked hard to get to where I was and by god, I would make her the standard for a cuteness law if I needed to! But it wasn't just that. Since I had been forced into this role, she had been by my side whenever I had needed her, and even when I hadn't. She was loyal to the point that it practically put the element of loyalty herself to shame. Speaking of Dash, I wondered how they were doing. I had ordered them to stay in Ponyville, in case we needed them quickly for anything. They weren't at full strength though since Twilight was missing. After a long time thinking, I decided what had made me love Quill. It fell into place, at long last. She felt the same way I did. Not just that she loved me, nor that she may or may not find me attractive. No, she felt the same way I did, deep inside where I never let anyone else, pony or otherwise, in. She was alone and scarred, just like me. Maybe not physically scared, but definitely mentally. And not for the same reasons I was either. It was not in the same sense that she was the last of her kind, but I had seen how she'd acted around everyone, besides Luna and myself of course. Never rude or unkind but...distant. I had never asked her about her friends, but nor had she ever talked about having any. The fact was, outside me and Luna, her social circle seemed non-existent. Just the same way I had been when I'd arrived, even before I'd arrived perhaps. Most of my old friends were dead and gone, the rest having gone their separate ways. Sure, over time I had grown close with some ponies, Fluttershy especially, but there had always been some kind of wall between us. It hadn't really mattered, caused no problems, but I hadn't really been at home with them. But Quill was different. There hadn't been any sort of barrier between the two of us, even in the worst situations I had always been happy with her around, or at least better than without. The little pony lets out a quiet whimper, and I stroked her cheek gently No, the two of us complemented each other well, it was only natural that eventually you would share these feelings. And they were shared...right? The sun that has been lazily creeping over the covers now rests squarely in my eyes, pulling me from that train of thought. It was time to start the day. I gave Quill a little shake and she snorts, stretching her limbs out as much as she can with how she was sleeping. "Whas-- 'non, time to get up?" I scratched behind her ears and she let out a little sigh, bringing a grin to my face. "Yeah, time to get up and face the adoring public once more." She scoffs and bit and stares up at me with a disapproving gaze. "We don't have any public appearances today though, didn't you read the schedule." Of course I had. I always did. I ruffled her mane and sat up a bit in bed. "Just a little joke, Quill. Come on though, we don't want to make the changelings wait." As I swing my legs over the side of the mattress, I recalled exactly what Chitin had told me. The queen herself was coming today. All it had taken was my telling him of the fate of the guards, he had apparently sent word immediately. That had sat poorly with me until I had fallen asleep. I was more willing to forgive and make peace with them than most, it seemed, but it made me question my efforts. Just how close were they to Equestria, how deeply burrowed into society had they become since their banishment? Close enough to make me nervous, it seemed, deep enough to be a problem if it came down to it. As I stood under the stream of the shower, my train of thought was broken as Quill tried to join me. I jumped back as Quill hopped into the small tub with me. With pure instinct, I covered myself up and my temper rose a bit. "What do you think you're doing, Quill?" Her tone is sleepy when she responds. "I'm getting a shower, duh. Scooch over please?" She turns and I could see her half open eyes immediately flit to my crotch. Instantly they flew open and she scrambled out of the tub. "Sorry, sorry! I didn't mean to Anon!" You regret snapping at her, but are mostly surprised with her reaction Surely it wasn't the first time she'd seen me naked, right? I blush my, as I hurriedly begin scrubbing my body to take my mind off the fact that it was indeed the first time. "D-don't worry about it, Quill. Honest mistake." Definitely need to just focus on washing. As I stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around my waist, I saw Quill facing a corner of the small bathroom. "Hey, it's all yours Quill." She simply nods, staying exactly where she is. "You okay?" She once more nods her head, this time speaking up in a quiet voice. "Yeah, just fine. I'll be done in a few minutes, okay?" I left the bathroom without speaking again. She was probably just embarrassed, I thought to myself while dressing up in my pristine white uniform once more. Nothing to worry about, really. I eyes the uniform as I pulled it on. Odd... Apparently somebody had managed to clean and press it while I had been asleep. I was not entirely sure when or how, but I certainly appreciated the effort. It wouldn't do to show up before the changeling queen herself looking dreary and mussed. Quill trots out of the bathroom a few moments after I finished changing, her mane already pulled back tightly and glasses donned. Less than a minute later, she's standing beside the door, saddlebags on and ready for the day. I smiled and kneeled down to be on her level and began to gently stroke her cheek. "Well then, my little pony, shall we start the day?" Quill gave me a half-grin as I parroted Celestia's common form of address. Before I stood to leave, I gave her a quick peck on the cheek. She blushed fiercely, but didn't object to it. Was I being overly affectionate today? Maybe so, but I thought I had earned the right to be a bit lovey, and Quill more than deserved it. Because at the end of it all, we would face down everything that came against us. Hopefully, together.
Anon von Bismarck	19: Unholy Alliance	It was now time. A pair of MPs pushed open the great oaken doors to the Grand Receiving Chamber. Possibly the most heavily decorated place outside the throne room itself, I had always felt that it would be the perfect place for such deliberations as this to take place. Especially when working with one of Queen Chrysalis temperament. I had been briefed of course, about what to expect when speaking with her. Still, I wasn't entirely sure that I was prepared to deal with such a being as her. For instance, the broad smile I had plastered on my face nearly faltered when I saw her lounging on one of the chairs at the table. But it still keeps, and I spread my arms in a welcoming gesture. "Queen Chrysalis, I do apologize if I've kept you waiting. Have you found the accommodations to your liking?" Her eyes flick up to meet mine, and she gave me a chilling, almost predatory, smile. "Chancellor Anonymous, yes they are quite pretty. I thank you for meeting with me at long last." Her gaze turned on Quill and that smile definitely became predatory. "And who is this young mare?" Quill takes an involuntary step back as Chrysalis turns her attention to her. I laid a comforting hand on her withers and cooled my tone of voice. "This is my assistant, Cursive Quill. She will be helping us to draft the first outlines for any kind of treaty." Chrysalis returned her gaze to me and raised a brow, but doesn't question me any further. Instead she stretches and sits up in the chair, her face settling into a more neutral expression. "I believe we've wasted enough time on pleasantries, shall we begin?" I took a seat, as does Quill beside me, and folded my hands over one another, setting my own neutral expression. "Down to business then? Very well, since you made overtures towards us I can assume you have some conditions you want fulfilled. Of course, I must be sure that whatever agreement we come to can benefit Equestria as a whole, you understand." She seems to feign boredom and looks at her hoof before responding. "Yes, yes, of course. My demands are quite simple, chancellor, my changelings shall not be hunted and accosted. In return, we shall not kidnap ponies to sustain ourselves, only skim the bare minimum of love we need to survive. It's not a convoluted deal." I leaned forward on the table, unconvinced by her act. "Come now, Queen Chrysalis, I'm not a child. I'm 32. And I know the last time you were in Canterlot you attempted to overthrow the throne. I doubt someone with your...ambition would stop your demands there." It seemed she couldn't stop her slight grin at my commentary, though it doesn't touch her eyes in the slightest. "To a degree, you are correct. I have many demands I would make of you, however I understand the position I am in. I imagine you have something you want though, do you not?" Chrysalis glances down at Quill, as if to make a point. I simply returned her empty smile and replied in a neutral tone. "There are some things I would like to negotiate on. But for now, Quill please note down these as a possible baseline for us to come back to." Quill nods silently, scratching her namesake on the paper in front of her. My smile drops away once more as I faced Chrysalis. I knew it wouldn't be easy to convince her of what I had wanted, even less so with the uncertainty of what I was going to offer in exchange. "Well now, Queen Chrysalis, I would like us to perform a...cultural exchange of sorts." She leans forward, smiling coldly. "I must say, chancellor, we do not exactly produce great works of art or epic stories. I wonder if you truly wish for a 'cultural exchange' as you so politely put it." My cheek twitched, she saw straight through my attempt at subtlety. It was my hope that we could ease into this idea, but it seemed Chrysalis wanted to skip straight to the point. So be it, I had no problem avoiding politicking about. "I applaud your directness, queen. You are correct, given the current state Equestria finds itself in I would like to propose not just peace accords, but possibly military cooperation." Chrysalis's eyes widened as Quill whips around to face me, and they spoke as one. "What?!" I tapped a finger against the wood of the large, round table. "I understand our kinds have no history of cooperation, however--" Quill whispered into my ear, cutting ne off from finishing my statement. "Sir, you can't be serious about this. They've preyed off ponies for the past hundred years, this isn't something that will just go away overnight." Chrysalis appeared to be snarling at the very idea herself. I took a deep breath, it was time to step this back a notch. "My apologies, I was getting a bit ahead of myself. Allow me to explain, Queen Chrysalis. You see, I studied the aftermath of the Canterlot incursion and found something to be rather interesting. It seemed, of all the changelings captured, killed, or witnessed by ponies, not one was armed. What's more, only very few bore armour of any kind. I do not mean to be presumptuous, but I believe this points to a deficiency with your hive, a lack of soldiers." This was a gamble, certainly what I said was as true as the reports were Of course, the reports could've been wrong. But the conclusion I had drawn from it was only the most likely of the various possibilities, not a fact in itself. Chrysalis's face had drawn tight, and she leans in. When she speaks her voice is a low growl. "Continue." It's not a request. "Well, if your species has any similarities besides appearance to some from my home, a soldier caste is overspecialized for a species without a firm resource base. I would suspect that, adept as they may be with infiltration and magic, your drones are far from warriors. Especially considering that six mares with no training outside schoolyard scraps at best were able to defeat so many." With the way the changeling queen is looking at me, I was surprised I hadn't been dissolved in a puddle of acid But with how furious she is, I knew I had either read the situation perfectly, or had committed a gaffe with no hope of recovery. I only hoped this gamble paid off. I could feel the sweat pricking my back as I simply tried to focus on breathing evenly, to not give any show of how nervous I was. After a long, painful silence, Chrysalis's gaze softened and she gave a defeated sigh. "I must say, chancellor, your intelligence resources far outstrip what we had thought they were. You're correct, my drones are not soldiers, far from it. However that is all the more reason to not cooperate with you militarily, it's far too early for us to dare trust you with such a thing." Well it had been an ambitious idea. Especially with nothing firm to offer in return, but as the saying went, nothing ventured, nothing gained. "A fair point, Queen Chrysalis. One thing that is certain is how you must appear in the public eye." Chrysalis squinted her eyes at me and she leaned forward. "And what exactly do you mean by that, chancellor?" I held out my open palms to forestall any protest from her. "I mean that it's not likely that ponies will simply trust your word up front. Just like Discord did, you will have to prove your intentions." She taps a hoof against her chin, thoughtfully. "Perhaps I could give some help in your current conflict. We would, of course, need to discuss some kind of compensation for the efforts of my drones." I gave her an easy smile and nod. "Of course, of course. Once the last party finally joins us, we can truly get into the details of this truce, along with any compensation you require." Chrysalis gave me what seemed to be her first genuine smile. "I look forward to that then, chancellor." Her gaze flicks down to Quill once more and her face becomes stern. "There is a matter I would like to discuss with you as well, of the record." I nodded to Quill, who laid her writing quill on the table. Chrysalis shakes her head, looking at Quill more pointedly "In private, if possible." Quill looked up at me, her trepidation clear and her look one of silent disapproval. But someone had to make a first step towards trust. "Very well. Quill, if you would?" I gestured to the door, and Quill hesitantly leaves through it. The great door shut with a soft booming behind her, and Chrysalis faced me once more, leaning forward with her predatory gaze back in place. "Now then, shall we discuss your little love affair?" To my credit, I managed to not react to her words or the mocking tone that they came with. But my gaze cooled and I leaned back in my chair, taking a deep breath to control any outburst. I have a brief nervous chuckle. "I'm sorry, Queen Chrysalis, I can't say I know what you're talking about." She gave me a disbelieving look and arches a brow at me. "Truly, chancellor? You are not a foal trying to hide something from your mother. I would have expected honesty at negotiations like this." I maintained the cold stare and blank face as I responded. "I believe I would be aware of any affair I was having, and I certainly do not appreciate the insinuation." Chrysalis rolled her eyes and lounges on the chair she had been seated in. "Oh please, chancellor, even if I weren't able to sense the love practically pouring from you, I'd see it in your actions. You and that delectable assistant you have, such an adorable couple. She's a bit bookish for most stallions, but you're hardly most stallions, or even one at all." I felt a touch of anger at her coy grin, and more than a little flush of embarrassment at being found out so easily. "How did you know?" She let out a giggle and leans back in the chair. "As I said, I can feel your love for her. And hers for you, of course. It's rather adorable, the great leader and little assistant, all business in public and desperately in love behind the curtain. The kind of thing cheap romance novels are made of." Despite my best efforts to keep a stoic demeanor, I could feel my ears heating at such open discussion of the topic. It elicits another laugh from Chrysalis, who seems to be enjoying herself with this. "Don't worry chancellor, I don't plan to air your dirty laundry to the masses. Frankly, the fact that you even have such feelings makes you much easier to deal with. Those princesses are so far removed from their ponies that it's not even maternal love they feel. I dare say, Celestia seems to care only for her ponies as she would care for her jewelry or hoofcups. That is a dangerous way to feel for your subjects, but you do truly care." Though my ego swelled at the praise, my gut was chilled by her description of Celestia. She must have been toying with me, feeding you little hints to make me prideful and thus easier to predict and control. Hopefully. Without any prompting, she carries on. "Little Quill though, she seems rather conflicted. Though her love is sweet and delicious, there's a faint hint of despair and desperation to it. A poison dart in the apple tart, if you would." She had baited me perfectly. I was too curious about what she was talking about, and couldn't keep the question from my lips. "What do you mean?" She looked at me incredulously, evidently not believing my question was genuine. However, she indulges it anyway. "Her love has itself attached to sharp strings, it has the distinct taste of things that love should not be. Yours is sweet and good, as is hers but for the bitter taste of desperation." I leaned forward, resting my chin on a fist. "Speak plainly, Chrysalis. I need to know whether this is going to be an obstacle or not." She leaned forward as well, her face taking on a more serious look. "She does love you, there's no doubt about that Anonymous. But her love is hurting as much as it may feel good. She is desperate to love you, but there are darker emotions that drag on that love. I am no expert in human relationships, but I dare say I know ponies better than they know themselves. Were I you, I would take her aside and speak with her." I leaned back, taking in what she told me. A long breath that I didn't know I had been holding finally escapes my lips. So far, she seems to have been telling the truth. But, and it was a big but, she was the queen of a species that was built for infiltration and subversion. Still, she had been sincere enough to shake me to my core. Perhaps that had been the intent, to shake me up so I would be easier to manipulate during the proper negotiations for peace. To get favourable terms for herself while limiting anything I could get from her. That would be just like something like her-- My downward spiral of thought was interrupted by a knock at the great door. Briefly, I wondered where that thought had come from, but I cleared it from my mind and called out to the knocker. "Come on in." A messenger enters and lays down a telegram copy on the table before beating a hasty retreat. I didn't even have time to thank him. As I read the telegram, a relieved smile comes over my face. I silently gave my thanks to God for having granted me this little favour, for only a God could have made something like this happen. Clearly noticing the sudden relief, Chrysalis speaks up in a curious, though teasing, tone. "Well that must be good news, is your marefriend pregnant?" Now it's my turn to roll my eyes, but I took the snipe in good humor. "I don't think humans and ponies can have kids. And no, this is excellent for the both of us. The Crystal Empire has agreed to send a delegation to these peace accords, they'll arrive tomorrow." Chrysalis's face turned up in a sneer. "And why, pray tell, are you bringing that wench and her cuckold of a husband into peace accords between Equestria and the Grand Hive?" I barely held back a snort at the grandiose name she's applied to her kingdom, with how little it was. Still, I had to entertain her question. "Equestria's war transferred over to the Crystal Empire when it changed hands, or hooves as it is. As well, she is the princess of love, and she controls an artifact that is powered by and puts out love. Would that not solve any problems you have with food? Would that not make it easy for you to uphold your promise of not kidnapping or draining any ponies?" Chrysalis opens her snarling mouth to answer, but I forestalled her with a raised hand. "I understand how you must feel about her, she and Shining Armor are the reason your attack on Canterlot failed. But with you trying to make amends it's important, now more than ever, to include all parties that were wronged. The only reason I'm not recalling Luna is that she's leading a campaign, and the elements don't need the additional stress. Trust me, as you did with Chitin, all will be well." She closes her mouth and stares at me for a long moment. Finally, she replied. "Very well, chancellor. I will abide this invitation, though I do not appreciate being led about by the nose. I will be most displeased if this does not go as well as you have planned." I let out a short sigh and smiled at her again. "Thank you, Queen Chrysalis. Now, perhaps a short tour is in order? Just a little publicity stunt really, and a few questions from some news ponies. Nothing intrusive, I had them submit their questions for screening before you arrived." She stands from her seat and gives me a strange grin. Her moods seem more fickle and prone to sudden change than the weather back on Earth. "I suppose I can live with that. At the very least you had the basic courtesy to ask me first." The remark is tinged with a bit of sarcasm, but I had been fully prepared for her to refuse me. So I opened the door and gestured to the wide hall beyond, where a team of military police wait to escort us. "After you, queen." She lets out an airy laugh and brushed my shin with her tail as she passed me by. "Quite the gentlecolt, thank you chancellor." I followed her out and joined the army stallions in walking through the halls. Time to put on a little show for my little ponies. Hours later, Shining Armor and Princess Cadence had arrived. I was sat at the head of a rather small, old oak table. I had decided to move the negotiations proper to a more intimate and less ornate chamber, minimizing any possible divides between the sides. Of course, this decision had been made before I'd actually known just who would be representing the Crystal Empire When I had received Princess Cadence and Shining Armor would show up themselves, I had been shocked. It was entirely unexpected that either would show up for this, let alone both. I had even thought Shining to be off leading troops in the North. They were taking this seriously then, at the very least. But their presence coupled with the choice of room had brought about an all new problem. The atmosphere was almost hostile. It was so thick that no knife could even try and cut it, and so tense it could support a bridge. And I could almost smell the hate in the air. The first ten minutes had been spent trading barbs, and after that had finally petered out in uncomfortable silence. The primary reason I'd been hoping for someone other that Cadence or Shining had been precisely because of this. At least it was only ten minutes. Finally, I clapped my hands together. "Well, with such...pleasant greetings out of the way, shall we get down to the business of the day?" Silents nods all around the table. The legal adviser I had asked to come gave me a strange look, but nods along with me anyways. I had elected to send Quill off on errands, and besides, I needed someone more versed in the specifics of this sort of thing to ensure everything was above board. Fortunately the ministry of justice was happy to provide. I smiled broadly at the relative cooperation, and leaned forward on the table. "Well then, let's get straight to it. Princess Cadence, I would like to propose that the changelings be granted a small amount of love from the Crystal Heart in order to ensure they don't starve and have no need to feed of ponies in order to survive. It would be beneficial for all of us if--" Cadence cut me off with a raised hoof. "Absolutely unacceptable, we will not compromise the security of our ponies and borders just to allow the enemy to thrive off our kindness. I am more than certain there is another way, Anonymous." Chrysalis let out a long suffering sigh and speaks up in a dismissive tone. "There are, in fact, two other ways. We could skim bits of love from villages near our hive, or perhaps move nearer to a large city. However, this would require us to fully integrate into pony society." Shining pipes up in a relatively cheerful tone. "Well that's a good thing, isn't it?" Both Cadence, Chrysalis, and I gave him an incredulous look. I spoke first. "General, you understand the depth of the divides between ponies and changeling right?" He blinked a couple times and snorted. "I understand better than anyone, chancellor. Perhaps you forgot that that bug foalnapped my wife and tried to take her place, not to mention imprisoning my sister and invading Canterlot." I leaned back in my seat, taking the tirade easily. "Then you especially should understand why such integration simply isn't possible at this time. Especially not in the middle of a war, as we are. People would think we've lost our minds." Chrysalis leans forward on the table and smirks before speaking up sarcastically. "You're forgetting the second option of course. We go back to foalnapping and draining, treating you as prey once again." Cadence and Shining look appropriately appalled, but I just gave Chrysalis a withering glare. Her smirk turns to a frown when she looks at me, sensing my intense disapproval, and she cleared her throat. "Of course we have no plans to return to that method. It's entirely unsustainable with our current population, let alone with the rapid expansion and advancement of the Equestrian military. No, we want a lasting peace where we can raise drones to adulthood without fear of being hunted and exterminated or starving to death." There's a moment of uncomfortable silence, a long moment. I decided, at last, to be the one to break it and move on. "So then, let us come back to this issue later. For now, let's discuss the cessation of hostilities between our species." Nods all around the table, so I continued. "First of all, the conditions. Equestria and now the Crystal Empire will stop any and all ongoing hunts of changelings. We will not engage in any military or civil operations against their hives. In return, the changelings will immediately cease any and all operations within the territories of Equestria and the Crystal Empire. All infiltrators will return to their hives at once, and no more will enter Equestrian or Crystal Empire territory in disguise." Both Chrysalis and Cadence nodded, but Shining narrowed his eyes. "And how exactly do you plan to enforce that? They can be literally any creature they want to." Chrysalis cleared her throat. "Not quite any creature. The vast majority of my changelings are restricted to quadrupedal forms. Only the most advanced shapeshifters can take on bipedal or other sorts of forms, and only after years of work." Shining Armor rolls his eyes at her response. "Oh, my mistake. You can only change into the creatures that inhabit the lands you want to make peace with." Time to stop this before it got out of hand, again. I would not have a repeat of what happened with the Royal Guard. "In terms of preventing their infiltration, our magical researchers have made a recent breakthrough in the detection of illusion magic. I cannot reveal the details, but I am more than certain it will be sufficient when we can deploy it generally." All three of my peers looked at me with wide eyes. Shining is the first to break the stunned silence. "And why, pray tell, have you not shared this research and information with us before? Are we not your allies?" The legal adviser gives me a cautionary glance. An unnecessary reminder to watch my next words. "General, I'm sure you don't need a reminder of the sensitive nature of magical research. Aside from that, this project was already underway when Celestia was on the throne, you would be better asking her. She was the one who hid it from you, I simply followed her actions. Perhaps it's simply because there are no technology sharing agreements between our countries." Cadence leans forward, a look of confusion on her face. "Is that true, do we have no such agreements? I thought for certain we had something in place..." This time it's Balanced Scales, the legal adviser, who speaks up. "There was an agreement that was planned to go through a year ago, but it lapsed due to more pressing issues. I was part of the team reviewing the measures that were to be taken if it came to negotiations, but was called away in a late stage. Perhaps we might discuss it more, now that it is relevant once again." I nodded in agreement. "Yes, let's. Just so, we could even include it in these negotiations if you wish. After all, it's more relevant here than anywhere else." Both Shining and Cadence nodded in agreement, though Chrysalis seemed rather unhappy with the idea. "So if it comes to pass that we must skim from excess love to survive, we won't be allowed to do so in disguise? How exactly would you propose we accomplish that, then?" Cadence shrugged at the question. "That's not our problem, Chrysalis. You're the one that got yourself into this mess, you ought to be glad we're having this discussion at all." Shining adds onto his wife's words with some of his own. "Exactly, you're the one that initiated hostilities here. Now you want us to just give you sustenance for nothing at all? Preposterous." I could see Chrysalis seething at their outright refusal. Not again. I cleared my throat and leaned into the discussion. "Perhaps she might be able to offer something in return, hm? We're at war remember, changelings could be a valuable augmentation to our intelligence services." Chrysalis shoots me a glare, but now it's Shining that leans in with a smile. The military was his department, after all. "Now that's certainly an interesting proposal. Of course, we would need to somehow keep them on a leash. Not to mention that certainly does not pay for the feeding of an entire hive of the creatures." To my surprise, Chrysalis doesn't simply shoot down the idea of cooperation at this point as she had the day before. Perhaps she understood that this was one of the few things that could be used as a bargaining chip. "Well what do you propose then, general? I'm not certain the changelings have a massive industry in order to buy your sustenance." His smile turns on me, growing a bit wider as it does. I could already tell I wasn't going to like this "We hear you're building a new kind of ship, chancellor. We want one." He knew about the EGS Celestia. My super weapon. I clenched my teeth so hard they creaked, feeling as though they may break. Certainly, the uptick in naval shipbuilding hadn't been clandestine, but the Celestia was being kept under wraps for the most part. Officially it was just a mass transport of unprecedented tonnage, a joint contract between the military and shipping industry. Work hadn't even been completed to the point of reinforcing where the turrets would go, so there wasn't anything obvious to give it away. I'd be having a long conversation with Dusk Echo about these leaks. They were meant to keep an eye on these things, and they had already let it slip. Damn! Blindsided twice in two days by ponies knowing things they shouldn't. Who was leaking this information? They had to be close to me to know all this, so who was the rat in Canterlot? It was all getting so tiresome. Was it a minister? Well, I'd just have to grin and bear it for now. "That's classified information, general." He shrugged and leaned back in his seat. "What's a little classified information between allies? Now then, we both know that the Crystal Empire doesn't have much in the way of naval strength. I believe it to be in both our best interests to change that." Well, that I can't deny at least. The Crystal Empire did have a coastline that bridged the Northern Passage, not to mention joint control of the Northern Narrows. But it was still so soon after Sombra had been vanquished, there simply had been other projects that needed their funds. Now of course, they saw an easy way to strengthen their navy without burning through their admittedly considerable budget. Technically, it wasn't blackmail, just regular extortion. But I still wouldn't stand for it. "Whether or not we are building a new ship class, we would not simply give it away if it was even being developed." I saw the legal adviser smirk his approval at my skating around the truth of the matter. Truthfully, I had despised this sort of politicking. It would be so much simpler of all parties could just lay out their desires and negotiate from there. But this was the way of things, and so I participated. Shining Armor nods and makes an open gesture with his hooves. "Nor would we expect such a thing, chancellor, merely a simple...discount." I shared a glance with Scales, and a quick look tells you Chrysalis seems to be enjoying the tit for tat. Shining carries on, Cadence's approval clear on her face. "We will, of course, pay material costs for the construction. But we want our own engineers working alongside yours, learning how to build these new warships. You, of course, could easily accommodate such ponies I'm certain." I leaned forward, and when I spoke, my tone sounded as though the air itself would freeze. "General, we're amidst the first war Equestria has fought in eight centuries. We're on the brink of making peace with one of the few species that preys on ponies, and we're beginning a new technological revolution. While we are happy to share with our allies, we will not allow our good graces to be exploited. Equestrian technology is for the Equestrian people only." Shining opens his mouth to respond, but Cadence cuts him off. "Perhaps it can wait until after the war, hm? We are merely thinking of our security for the future, Anonymous. No one wishes for better relations with Equestria than myself, but please try and understand our perspective. Your proposal compromises our security, so why would we not ask for something to help that same security to be more robust?" She's an excellent diplomat, but that smile is wrong. It's not genuine. It doesn't quite reach her eyes, and I felt like it's just there to mollify me. I already knew she didn't approve of my actions or politics, and cares even less for the considerable influence I held over Luna. I would have to keep an eye on her, but for now I would play nice. "That would be more agreeable. We can discuss more specifics at a later date, but I assume this means you're open to the idea of changelings feeding from the Crystal Heart?" Shining grits his teeth as tight as J had earlier Cadence though, maintains her relatively cheerful demeanor. "Possibly. First we would need to get our hooves on this detection spell to ensure no clandestine infiltration occurs." Chrysalis chuckled and spoke up in a mockingly wounded voice. "Oh please, princess. Do you not trust me?" Cadence's smile nearly falters, but her tone is steely. "Frankly, no I do not. But if this ensure none of my little ponies will be foalnapped and drained dry, then I may consider it." Chrysalis nods in approval. "Perhaps you are fit to rule that frozen waste. Tell me Anonymous, would we be able to help this research along in any way? Once that enchantment is complete we can truly prove our good intentions and speed all this business along." This time it's Balanced Scales who gives an answer. Well, he was a unicorn, so it would make sense for him to know a bit spellcrafting. "While I cannot get into specifics, it would make things go much easier if we had...subjects to test with. Nothing invasive of course, but we lack a great deal of knowledge about changeling magic, so to have changelings transforming for us would make it much simpler to tailor." Chrysalis leans forward and nods her consent. "Very well, and perhaps in exchange they may be allowed to skim love for the hive? You cannot get something for nothing after all." Scales nodded and I smiled at the changeling queen. "That sounds more than acceptable, Queen Chrysalis. I'll get word to the research team about this as soon as a deal is signed." Cadence speaks up from her side of the table. "And what of us, chancellor? Will we be involved in this spellcrafting? We have a number of powerful mages and a vast repository of mystical knowledge." I waved the suggestion away dismissively. "No need, Princess Cadence. When the enchantment is perfected we will be sure to share it with you, especially if it will assist you in trusting the changelings." She nods and leans back, apparently satisfied. Shining remains leaning on the table, so I addressed what I assumed he was still wondering about. "As for the ship, we were planning to announce her building in four months, when the guns are scheduled to be installed. You will keep silent on this matter until such a time, and then you may approach the shipyard to negotiate a contract. I'm sure we can provide some...leniency when it comes to payments" I glanced at Balanced Scales, who nods his confirmation. Good, still within the boundaries of the legal system at least. Shining nods as well, seemingly satisfied with the terms you'd laid down as well. "Good, then let's start drafting the documents. Balanced Scales, if you would?" The unicorn takes a sheaf of papers and lays them on the table in front of him. Time to get to the real work. You are Cursive Quill, assistant and marefriend to the most powerful being in Equestria. You're waiting for him in the foyer of the small meeting chamber he had chosen for negotiations. And you're fuming silently while you wait. Not only had he sent you away from the first meeting with Queen Chrysalis, but now he had sent you on errands while negotiations were going on and had replaced you with another pony. The logical administrative assistant in your head tells you that the other pony was just a legal expert, someone to make sure everything in the treaty agreement was above board. Of course, it's drowned out by the jealous mare that is full of abandonment issues and far worse Was Anon bisexual? No, he hadn't shown any signs of it before. But then again, before he'd been thrust into Celestia's throne, he had never shown signs of strong leadership either. Or of being capable of any cruelty. Besides, it's not like they could do anything in front of sovereigns of other nations. So you were clear on that. Probably You cursed yourself silently in every language you can think of. Why was it this one being, not even a stallion. What happened to your decade of training, and the professional mare that had come out of it? The answer was obvious of course. Anon had happened, and Celestia had thrown you at his feet. You're not sure which of them you resented more at this point. Probably Celestia, you respected her but you loved Anon. And then there was Luna, the dream walker who had never laid a single hoof in your dreams really, despite your delusions of it. Even now that still weighed on your heart. Of course, some foalish part of you still believe she would come through. After all, her last message was sent when she was under attack. Maybe she just didn't have time to include the little phrase she had told you. The phrase that has echoed in your mind every day. 'The love of a mother' Buck her, and her damned magic. Next time you saw her you'd... Probably do nothing. You couldn't lay hands on a princess. You laid down on the bench as your thoughts spiral ever downward. A spy, a sneak, a rat. That's all you were. Not some powerful guard or a stoic soldier, nor even a simple but strong farmer helping Equestria along. You were just a lurker, hiding in the shadows, stabbing in the back. When Celestia returned and everything was laid bare, would you do that to Anon? Could you bring yourself to shatter his heart, would it be the straw that finally breaks you? The worst part is, no matter your decision, you'll be a traitor. But which betrayal would be worse? You supposed it would depend on what happened between now and when Celestia returned. Anonymous had done his absolute best with what he had been given, and really hadn't done anything to intentionally harm Equestria. What happened with the Royal Guardsmen was just a one off incident. At least, you hoped so. So you wouldn't really have to do anything but tell that to Celestia. Maybe you could even leave the intelligence corps, become his assistant for real. Or maybe even his wife, you think with a blush colouring your cheeks. Can humans and ponies even have foals, you wondered. Well adoption was always an option if not, or getting a donor, or... No! Stop that! You shook your head roughly and let out a quiet sigh. Sure it was better than thinking down about yourself, but hardly a good thing besides. You don't even know that Anon would want to marry you, let alone have foals. Dammit, this sort of thinking is making you feel like a school filly obsessing over a crush. You're a grown mare, you'll face this stuff when it comes down to it. With a huff, you rise from the seat and trot through the halls of the palace. You certainly didn't need all this right now, a quick trot through the empty passages would clear your mind well enough. After a while, you find yourself in one of the darker passages decorated with all many of tapestries, instead of the usual great stained glass windows. Here was the history before the sisters, before the founding of Equestria even. The cloths alternated between the three tribes it seemed, showing everything from the founding of Cloudsdale to the Southern Expansion, and even the discovery of the Crystal Empire. So many great ponies through history, so many stories and myths. Everypony carried a piece of that history within them, an inexorable tie to those gone before. It was almost enough to cheer you up. But in some ways, you feel you had tarnished that ancient reputation. Earth ponies were strong, proud, and stubborn to a fault. You were stubborn to be sure, but your body carried little more strength than a unicorn and you were more servile than proud. You looked up at Strongback the Pathfinder, founder of Trottingham who had led a thousand ponies against the inhabitants of the Griffisch Isles and won without a single casualty. His eyes are kinder than you would ever have thought, almost paternal you decided. Did he lead them away to find a better life, despite others opposing him? Even though the rulers at the time considered him a betrayer, now he was one of the heroes of Equestria. [ How would you be seen when everything was said and done? How would Anonymous be seen when Celestia returned to her throne? Anonymous had committed some actions that would be looked down upon if the public learned about it. But in the future? Would he be a hero who saved Equestria, or a tyrant who brought a dark age? Strongback holds no answers for you, so you turned to continue your walk. From the shadows beneath one of the many tapestries, a deep, hissing voice echoes forth. "So, the little spy looks for answers in the long dead eyes of her kin. How strange that such an agent could not find answers of her own." You whirled about, dropping instinctively into a more stable stance to defend yourself. Seeming to slide from the deep darkness beneath a tapestry depicting the Crystal Heart, the changeling ambassador Chitin appears. You don't let your guard down even for a heartbeat as he approaches you. "You shouldn't be here, changeling." He gives you a quizzical look and gazes up at the tapestries around the hall. "And why ever not, agent? There is nothing valuable here but the lessons of your ancestors, and not even we would dream to take that from you." You shook your head and rose slightly. "I mean that you have an escort and they shouldn't have let you off on your own." His eyes return to yours and his lips carry a small smile on them. "You mean those foals playing at soldier? Please, they couldn't escort a cart of apples, much less a changeling such as I. But if you're worried about my skulking about, you needn't be. My queen has given me strict orders to be approachable and friendly. And I was, for as many reporters as I could stand." He lets out a long sigh, and you feel a touch of sympathy for him. Journalists were some of the worst examples of ponies in all the land, you couldn't fault him for getting tired of them "I asked one of the soldiers where I could learn more of the history of your kind. He pointed me to the Royal Archives, where I wasn't allowed. However, the archivist mentioned these tapestries and the windows that were on public display, so I thought I might venture and learn." You cocked your head at him. "What for, to blend better with ponies?" He looks up, thinking for a long moment before answering. "No, though that is important. The reason I came here was because I realized that, though I know your modern culture and ways well, I know not of where you came from. I knew little of the roots of the traditions you practiced, nor the tales you told of those gone by." He brushes the tassels at the bottom of one of the many banners. "I was curious to see the world through the eyes of an identity not stolen, but gifted. And these are those gazes woven in silk." You stared up at the tapestry, one showing the first meeting of unicorns and earth ponies. An interesting choice for him to draw attention to. "I'm not sure I entirely understand, ambassador." He turned back to you and gives you a solemn smile. "Please, just Chitin is fine; and I'm rather surprised you wouldn't. Does the good chancellor know then, that you are the sun's agent in his court? That you are to intervene if you personally view his actions as harmful? I had not thought you so open about such things." Your ears fell flat against your skull and you took a step back. "H-how did you...? He chuckles and sits on the marble tiled floor. "These walls may not have ears, but they are not deaf, Cursive Quill. Your room is not far from mine, and the stone carries sound better than still air." Your mouth is drier than the Badlands and you could feel sweat pricking the back of your neck. Chitin comes no closer than he is, but seems to loom over you all the same. "Worry not, your internal politics are of no concern to me if they do not interfere with this peace. Though I do wonder why the sun would plant an agent so close to one she personally chose to lead her country. Perhaps the sun wished to play matchmaker as her niece does?" You clenched your teeth until they creak, wishing you had never begun wandering the palace. "So if you don't care, why confront me?" He taps one of his holey hooves on his chin, silent for a moment. "I suppose I wished to see if I was correct, for one. It proves I am still adept at gathering intelligence despite being in the hive so long. But as well, you hold a position similar to my own in days gone past, and you are perhaps one of the only ponies who could ever hope to relate to an infiltrator. Perhaps I am just getting sentimental in my old age." You want to stop indulging him, but your curiosity has taken the reins from your initial fear. "What do you mean, you don't look older than any other changeling." He chuckled and gave you a mocking half-bow. "I thank you, Cursive Quill, but I am one of the oldest in my hive. I am one of three from Queen Thoraxia's final brood, and before she met her end, she bade me to stand by the side of her daughter. At the time Chrysalis was quite rash, and I was given order that, were she to ever endanger the hive irrationally, she was to be immediately destroyed. Of course, she never did and I fell into the role of her aide-de-camp. I did much the same as you do now, though with a hive instead of a nation." He pauses, brushing the cloth above again. "So I did indeed hope you could see as I did, and perhaps that I could offer you a modicum of comfort. But just so, I had hoped you might understand as I do, as all changelings do, the feelings that come with leading the life of someone who is not you." You stared down at the lifeless tiles, tracing the veins running through the marble. Yes, now you understood exactly what he mean You had no desire to, but you did. That was the life you had led in the intelligence corps, and the life you still led now because of Celestia's last order. You had a nagging question. "How do you deal with it, Chitin? I can't anymore, I just want to be Cursive Quill, assistant to the chancellor. Not Cursive Quill, agent to the Equestrian Intelligence Corps." His grin widens and his voice carries a bit of mirth in its hissing tones. "Just his assistant?" You blushed at the implication, but he continues on in a more soothing voice. "I jest, but the answer is not a desirable one. In truth, changeling infiltrators are retired from their field duties after ten years. Beyond this, it has been found that they grow more attached to those they are supposed to spy on, they grow sympathetic to their fears and hopes. I suppose I am the last example of one of those who skirted that far-gone line. Even in the most untenable times, I supported Queen Chrysalis. Not out of fear or blind devotion, but because I believed that her choices were not made hastily or foolishly. She cared for her subjects, even when she had to sacrifice them, and in turn I began to care for her." He sighs and looks down the hall wistfully. "An infiltrator in love is an ineffective tool, no more valuable than a broken chisel. So I retired myself from my task in the only way I could. I met with Queen Chrysalis away from any others, I knelt before her, and I told her everything." His hoof scuffs the tiles and he looks back at you, his eyes still far away. "The infiltrator Chitin died at her feet. In his place was Chitin, the aide of Queen Chrysalis, a devoted drone who willingly abandoned the yoke of one for the chains of another. But though I was chained, I was me for the first time in over a decade. That alone carries far more value than to be free but not I." He stands and approaches you, laying a holey limb on your sunken withers. It feels far warmer than you had thought it would, softer too. "Perhaps the chancellor will forgive you, understanding that you bore him no ill will. Perhaps he will have you executed. Perhaps he will have you thrown into a prison to rot for standing against him. But even should he decide to cast your bones to the wolves, you will be you. To die as yourself is the kindest thing this world can offer." Though his words sound cold, you understand the intention behind them. You lifted your head and meet his kind gaze with a smile. In that moment, he looked almost like Strongback. "Thank you Chitin, I think I know what to do." He pats you gently then turns about and slinks away into the growing shadows of the hallway. "Of course, Ms. Quill. I am always happy to help the staff of an ally." With that he seems to vanish, leaving you alone once again but with a new found ember of hope in your heart. The ember flares and sends warmth through your limbs as you begin to canter back to the foyer of the meeting chamber. You felt certain again, as though the mire you had found yourself drowning in had suddenly given way to solid ground once more. When you arrive in the foyer, you find it occupied by a rather frazzled looking messenger. The moment he spots you, he canters over and stands bolt upright. "Ma'am I have a telegram for the chancellor, but he's currently still engaged in negotiations. I duties that still need tending, would you mind passing it along to him?" You offered the stallion, no, this was a colt, a kind smile and nod. "Of course, soldier. I'll be sure he gets it." He lets out a breath and smiles eagerly. "Thanks a ton ma'am! Here, just don't open it. It's eyes only and all that." He hands the telegram to you and you nodded in confirmation. With that, he trots from the room and into the otherwise quiet halls. You stared at the wax seal on the paper, wondering just what it could be. Troop movements? News of Griffonstone being taken? You glanced around surreptitiously, seeing that the room was indeed quite empty. Perhaps a little peek wouldn't hurt... You do have clearance for this sort of thing after all. With deftness that your hooves belie, you opened the seal without breaking it. You quickly skimmed the letter with a trained eye. It's a battle report from the front line from Luna herself! A pang of disappointment goes through your heart and you nearly closed the paper up. But something in you, a little tug at your heart, makes you read it again more carefully. You reached the end and your eyes widened. It couldn't be... No, it had just been a dream, there was no way. But yet there it was... 'The love of a mother' Your eyes grew misty as you closed the telegram and make it seem as though it was never read: The door to the meeting chamber creaked open and Anonymous walks out with a wide grin on his face. "Oh, hello there Quill! What's that you've got, telegram for me?" You nodded and handed it to him, swiping a foreleg across your eyes. Without opening the seal, he kneels down and looks at you with concern on his face. "Hey, is everything okay Quill?" You nodded and give his knee a little nuzzle, heedless of who might be watching. Everything was just perfect.
Anon von Bismarck	20: Tightening the Grip	I walked down the hall at a brisk pace, speeding towards a small meeting room. This castle had too many damn rooms. What kind of monarch builds this many rooms? There had to be at least one for every occasion. There was a damn room for cake making! Who makes a room solely for making cakes? Didn't the kitchen already have that covered? It wasn't even a bakery, it was just for cakes! Ignoring my thoughts on Princess Celestias house design, I started to have a small smile grow on my face. As I opened the door to a small, out of the way meeting room, I had new thoughts racing through my mind. Today was a special day. After a successful peace agreement with Chrysalis and her "grand hive", I had more politics to settle. The status of Capra. The Capras were a hardy people, but lacking in any self identity after ten years of occupation. Not to mention their newfound lack of a royal family. In fact, it was almost impossible to find any heirs to their nation since the Griffonian conquest of their lands caused them to scatter into Equestria and the Crystal Empire as refugees. But we had found one. A young colt, by the name of Riverplume Erobos. The Thestral Wardens confirmed reports of the young colt wandering the streets of Baltimare. Reports that were made when Celestia was still on the throne. She knew about him. And she did nothing. How a young colt got that far alone was an incredible feat. The way he was found was a strange affair. He was found living in the streets, since no one believed his stories of being a prince. And apparently he was too proud to visit a homeless shelter and wasn't willing to go to an orphanage. It wasn't like he had any family left either. His family hadn't survived under the griffons rule, being killed off to prevent an uprising. And those that fled were the sick and elderly ones of that family, dying off in the ten year period of occupation. He was the sole survivor of their royal bloodline. No one else remained but him. Capras had a monarchy, but was in no way similar to Equestria or the Crystal Empire. For starters, he wasn't an Alicorn. He was just a normal pony. An Earth pony too, strangely enough. As strange as it was, this was the rightful heir to Capras. But this worked to my advantage. A child Prince would be more malleable to my will. After all, he wasn't fit to rule on his own, and he had no family left. And now he would be eternally grateful to us rescuing him from a fate as a beggar. Snapping myself from my thoughts, I looked at the boy prince seated across from me. He was so fragile, so small. It looked as if he hadn't eaten a good meal in a while. He was bathed and fed before I had him brought to me, but he still looked like skin and bones. It would be a while before he regained a normal body shape. He was looking around the room nervously, waiting for me to speak. The young Prince knew respect. Good. "Hello there Riverplume, how are you feeling today." The young Prince locked his eyes with mine, and spoke. "I'm feeling great Chancellor Anonymous. You wanted to speak with me about something? He was surprisingly well spoken for a colt hardly eleven years old. This was good, wouldn't want an idiot in the throne. "Yes, I would like to discuss the future of Capras." He looked up at me in shock, not believing what I had said. "What? But-" I cut him off with a raise of my hand. He needed to hear me speak first. "Riverplume, as a part of defeating the griffons, we'd like to reinstate the Caprisan monarchy. Seeing as you are the sole surviving heir, you will lead them." He looked down. "But I'm not an adult yet..." "I know this, and will have a regency council in place until you are 18. The second you are 18, you will gain full autonomy of your nation." The young Prince looked up at me, his face trying to hide a somber smile. Something was wrong with him. He didn't look happy at this news. "Riverplume, you look sad. What's wrong?" He looked up from the floor. "Why are you being nice to me?" What? Had this colt never had someone just be kind? Trying my best not to look shocked, I spoke again. "What are you talking about Riverplume. Has no one been kind to you before?" He looked at me a moment, then softly shook his head. Poor thing. He wasn't lying. "Well, where did you live before my people picked you up?" I already knew the answer of course, I just wanted to see if he trusted me enough. Speaking softly, the young Prince spoke, "I lived in the streets of Baltimare. I wandered from place to place, looking for a home." So the reports were true. He really was homeless until now. I gave him a soft and paternal smile, and spoke softly. "Listen to me Riverplume, your old life is gone. No more begging, no more wondering if you can eat, and no more cold and sleepless nights. You are safe now. I just want to help." It was only partially a lie. I did want to see him safe, but I also wanted someone who was loyal to me on the throne. But that was almost nothing to be concerned with as of right now. A child would listen to anything I told them as long as I had a smile and made them feel loved. The only real problem left was to convince him to take the throne. "But Chancellor, I don't know how to run a country! What if they hate me for leaving? How will I run a country if my own people don't like me. Won't they hate me for leaving them to suffer? What if th-" I cut him off with a raise of my hand. "Riverplume, your lineage may be gone, but you still remain. You are still a royal. This is your birthright, your destiny. You were always meant to be in this throne. The people of Capras want you on this throne. Would you really be so selfish as to reject their wishes because you think you aren't worthy?" Riverplume looked at me a moment, then looked down in shame. I continued. "Your people won't hate you. They wouldn't blame you for their suffering. You were just a foal when you left, do you really think they'd blame a colt for their hardships? No, they'll accept you with open arms. They'll be happy that someone at all has a claim to the throne." Riverplume slowly looked up at me. "But what if the griffons come back?" I gave him a somber smile. "They won't. I'll make sure they never have the power to threaten anyone again." Riverplume looked as if he was deep in thought. "Ok Chancellor Anonymo-" I smiled and spoke. "Please, just call me Anon. We're friends here after all." The young Prince gave me his first smile of the night, and spoke again. "Ok Anon, I trust you. But until Capras is taken back, where should I go?" I gave the young Prince another paternal smile. "Your living arrangements have already been covered. You will stay in the Canterlot castle. Your bedroom has already been prepared. Riverplume looked shocked. "My own room?" My smile died down a little. "Yes, your own room." Standing up, I extended my hand out. "I believe that we're done here today, so what do you say we leave and get something to eat?" He gave me his second smile of the entire night, and took my hand with his hoof. "Yes Anon, I'm starving." I didn't doubt that one bit. After settling the Capras affair, the day had calmed down. It was a slow day in Canterlot. More settling the affairs of the realm. From arguments over land ownership and factories petitioning for government funding, it never seemed to end. The time slowly ticked, and finally, thankfully, the day had come to a close. At least, in regards to Celestias duties. I still had my own duties left to perform. Quill looked as happy about it as I felt. But something was off about her. Not just today, but this whole week she had been acting strange. As if she was battling her own thoughts, she had been distant recently, not responding to my affection at all. Coupled with her crying at night, and near breakdown the previous day, I had started to get worried for her. So after we had both left the main chamber, I turned to her and spoke. "Quill, what's wrong? You haven't been yourself lately." Quill ignored me and walked off. Strange. She wasn't one to hide how she felt from me. Shrugging it off, I had one last little meeting left before I could turn in for the day. What would become of the Ministry. Namely, Sharp Mind and Flashy Image. I had already approached Heavy Hammer, Stalwart Shield, and Shaky Stiles with a proposal. Stalwart would remain a general and serve directly under Luna for now. When the war ended, he would serve as her equal in regards to the army. He would remain loyal to me at all costs. He would become a Field Marshal. Heavy would be given an indirect stake in the economy of Equestria in exchange for his loyalty, and would continue to serve me under his new title of "Chief of Industry." Shaky Stiles would continue to serve in foreign affairs, as a simple foreign affairs adviser. I needed someone on the inside after all. And besides, he wouldn't dare go against me. That only left Sharp Mind and Flashy Image. The two I didn't approach with such offers. They were both distrusting in my actions, and thought of me like how the Royal Guard did. Namely, they believed that I would leave eventually, so didn't respect me. But that almost didn't matter now, since this meeting would solve that little "problem" one way or another. Either they'd submit to me, or they wouldn't be around anymore. It was just time to wait. You are Midnight Wail. Lord Anonymous has called you in for a special task this fine night. He wanted you to stand guard for a special meeting he was holding with two ministers. The room had a standard soundproofing spell casted inside already. You had no idea what he was planning, but whatever it was wouldn't end well for them. You could see it in his eyes, the way he spoke in a cryptic fashion about them. He wanted them gone. But you weren't around to question, you were around to serve. And after the deal he reached with Echo, your order of Thestrals were more than happy to serve him just as they were to serve Luna. The clock ticked down to midnight, signaling that the meeting would begin soon. The ministers were approaching. It was almost time. The clock was ticking. Where the hell where the ministers at? As if on cue, the door swung open. Sharp Mind and Flashy Image were both standing in the doorway, unsure of themselves. They had every right to be nervous. Motioning for them to sit, I remained standing. They both took their seats, and a pair of Thestral Wardens closed the doors. Midnight Wail and Starry Skies. I always preferred to know the names of those who were on my side. Besides, I would need them present if things went poorly. After a moment of silence, I finally spoke. "Do you two know why I've had you brought here?" Sharp Mind looked around nervously, but Flashy Image had gone from fearful to defiant. She spoke first. "Have you finally decided to get rid of us? To replace us with loyal little puppets? Do you really think the ponies wil-" I cut her off with a raise of my hands. "Do I think? Yes, I do. You don't seem to understand something, so let me teach you something that you don't understand." I walked forwards a bit. "The ponies here love me. They can understand I have their best interests in mind." Flashy Image scoffed. "Are you even listening to yourself? Do you have any idea how you sound! You've officially lost your bucking mind if you really think that." I just gave a slight chuckle. "Believe me, in recent studies I've had performed the ponies love me. They either see me as on par or surpassing Celestia. Sharp Mind gave a small gasp, but I paid him no mind and continued on. "I know, surprising right? How much they want me instead of Celestia. It almost makes one wonder, just what did Celestia even do for Equestria? I've given my blood, sweat, and tears for this country. And what has she done?" I paused, letting them think. "I'll tell you what she's done, Ignore all my suggestions at every turn! Think of all the dead ponies that could've been saved if she had let my suggested reforms pass sooner! Imagine all they lives that could've been, snuffed out because of HER!" I banged my fist on the table as I finished. Flashy Image opened her mouth to retort on behalf of her beloved Princess, but I didn't let her speak. "She let Capras get occupied and brutalized by the griffons. She let their royal family be murdered. She let their sole heir roam the streets as an orphan. She stood by as injustice after injustice happened. Do you really think she has what it takes to rule?" I stared into Flashy Image's eyes, before speaking again. "She thinks everything can be solved with diplomacy and a smile, when sometimes you just need some bullets and a firm hand." I started to tear up slightly. I didn't know I even held these feelings until now. "So decide, do you want to help me in building a new and better Equestria, free of all the incompetence she had?" I paused again. "Or do you want to be remembered as a traitor to the Equestrian people?" Flashy Image stared at me, still defiant. But Sharp Mind spoke up for the first time this meeting, surprising me slightly. He said one simple word. "Yes." I gave him a slight smile. He spoke again. "Celestia never let us do the research we wanted. She wouldn't let us perform study certain fields that she deemed too violent." Sharp started to get some anger in his eyes. "She made us stand around doing nothing. Even after the changeling invasion she wouldn't let us research ways to upgrade our armor, deeming it to be a warlike endeavor. Think of all the lives we could've saved Flashy!" Still, Flashy Image stayed defiant. She turned to Sharp Mind, and this time I let her speak. "Sharp Mind, we both pledged to Princess Celestia, not to this thing! It doesn't matter if he's Starswirl reincarnated or just some random monkey, he isn't our master! We don't have to listen to him. He can't tell us what to do, and besides... what if Celestia comes back?" Sharp Mind pondered a moment, and finally replied. "And what if she doesn't?" Flashy Image almost looked shocked. "Wha-" Sharp stood up. "What if she never comes back? How long will you continue to believe in Celestia? She left us with nothing, she didn't even tell us she was going to leave! She chose Anonymous as her successor, and ignored Luna! Anonymous righted that wrong, and has split his power with Luna, what kind of person would do that willingly?" Flashy went to speak, but Sharp cut her off again. "If he's really a monster as you say, then why would he give Luna power, power that Celestia never gave her? Do you think Celestia would trust Luna with an army? She still didn't trust Luna, but Anonymous does!" I just stood there as Sharp Mind continued to defend me, the pair getting into a shouting match. I never expected that he would be the one to say this. I never even knew he felt this way. But this was a good thing, maybe he could convince Flashy Image to turn from Celestia to me. I was pulled from my thoughts as their yelling grew more heated. "-I DONT CARE IF CELESTIA NEVER COMES BACK, THIS THING ISNT FIT TO RULE. HE KILLED THE ROYAL GUARD!" With that, the room fell silent. Nobody spoke. Nobody moved. I started to slowly reach into my coat pocket. Flashy Image turned to me, infuriated. "You killed the Royal Guard, and now you want to kill us!" Sharp Mind looked at me, incredulous. If he believed her, or was simply in shock at what she had said, his face didn't show. I continued to reach deeper into the coat, speaking clearly and calmly. "Flashy Image. Such things aren't kind to say. And besides, you have no proof that this event even occurred." Flashy Image turned back to Sharp Mind. "See! He's lying to us!" Sharp Mind finally spoke again. "Where's your proof? Do you expect me to believe he had Royal Guardsmen killed? Why would he even do that? He isn't a monster, Flashy!" The pair continued to bicker. This little charade had gone on long enough. Fully pulling out what was in my coat pocket, Flashy Image still had her side turned to me. Putting it behind my back, I still wanted to give her one last chance. "Flashy, I will ask you one last time. Are you going to help me in preserving Equestria, or will you seek to destroy it?" Flashy Image spoke, a defiant flame in her eyes. "Burn in Tartarus." I looked over at Sharp Mind. "And how about you? Do you vow to preserve Equestria, or will you join her in seeking to destroy it? Sharp Mind had an equal level of conviction in his eyes. "I promise, I will serve to protect the unity of Equestria." Good, at least one could be saved. Sighing, I pulled out what had been hidden from behind my back. A fully loaded pistol, styled after a M1911 pistol. At least, as best as ponies could make it. "What is th-" BANG Before she could finish that sentence, she was already dead. Sharp Mind stumbled back in a daze, clearly in shock at what had just happened. The two Thestral Wardens I had in reserve just stood there silently. Blood pooled on the pristine white of the marble floor. That would be hell to clean up. Flashy Image twitched as she died, her face wearing a look of shock and fear. Slowly and solemnly, I put the gun back into my coat pocket. It dawned on me, this was the first time I'd killed a pony. Not just a living being, but a pony. I never wanted this to happen, but if she knew about what had happened with the Royal Guard and stood against me, then she put Equestrian unity in jeopardy. She should've just submitted. Stepping back, I let out a deep sigh and rubbed my head. "I think it goes without saying, Sharp, that what happened here today stays unspoken. No one will ever find out about today." Looking towards him, I spoke again. "And if someone does find out, then we're going to be the ones in trouble here. Understood?" Sharp stood up from the floor, and looked at me. "Y-yes sir! Not a word!" I gave him a small smile. "Good, now get out." He went to leave, but paused at the door and looked back at me. "Sir, did she have to die? Couldn't we have thrown her into a prison?" I shook my head slowly and softly. "No, my little pony, we could not have done that. She was much too dangerous to keep alive. She put Equestria itself at risk." Sharp Mind went to leave again, but turned back again. "Was she telling the truth? Did you really have Royal Guardsmen killed?" I looked him into his green eyes. "Of course not, my little pony. That's why she was so dangerous, she was willing to lie to suit her needs. Could you imagine that? Someone breaking one of the elements so brazenly? She truly was a threat to the ponies of Equestria." Seemingly satisfied, Sharp Mind finally left. Looking at the body of Flashy Image, a cold smile began to form. All the ministry was no more. Four out of five joining me wasn't too bad either. But still, this was a waste of life. If only she listened... She knew what would happen. Nobody threatened Equestrian unity as much as she had in that moment. At least in the face of monsters like Tirek and Discord, Equestria stood united. Strangely, I wondered how the boy Prince, Riverplume Erobos, was doing. He reminded me of myself a bit. Before I became so cold. I only prayed that he would never become like me.
Anon von Bismarck	21: The Difficult Choice	I stood on the balcony of my room, overlooking Canterlot. It was so serene, to watch as my little ponies went about their daily activities. I came here to ponder and debate myself most of the time. It was the only part of the castle where I could rest without someone asking me questions or bothering me with the war. It had been about a month since Flashy Image was "removed." Nobody knew what happened. A good thing. She had no family. No real friends. A real outcast by social standards. Nobody would miss her. All had calmed down in Canterlot. No more tension, no more doubts about me. And the war was ending soon. The ponies didn't know. But I could almost smell it. The air lost the ammonical smell that permeated about, and had returned to a crisp cold it usually held in the mountains. The campaign had been going extremely well. A small skirmish outside of a town, some brief resistance in the streets, then surrender. Repeat for every small town. My ponies hadn't given them a chance to regroup. Luna had kept the pressure on them, and did a damn good job of it too. They even managed to surround Griffonstone. This wasn't all good news though. The reports I had gotten back told me that Griffonstone turned out to be a hardier fortress than my generals had anticipated when they arrived. No matter. A new weapon would be given to Luna's 1st army of Equestria to ensure our success. Simple artillery shells with a bit more kick. Who knew magic could stick and burn like napalm? It would roast those birds from their little holes in Griffonstone. They'd have no choice but to give up then. Heh, roasted bird. Sounds delectable. Probably smells better than burnt corpses too. The supplies would arrive by next morning, along with a simple letter for Luna as to what to use the shells for. I almost didn't go through with this plan. The prospect of killing innocents was something I had never wanted to do. I had done it before, and had my doubts then, but it had to be done. War calls for drastic measures, and artillery doesn't discriminate. It was either this, or a full force invasion. That many ponies dying would've been an effective way to kill my tenure on the throne though. No, it had to be this way. Hearing trotting behind me, I turned and saw Quill approaching. "What's the matter Anon?" I forced a small smile. "Nothing, Quill. Everything is fine" And everything would be fine. Give it ten years, and this'll just be a bad dream for me. And the ponies would never have to hear about this. If the generals and newspapers listened to me, then what happened at Griffonstone would never be known. Yes, I would have to censor news of this. We couldn't have an Equestrian Mỹ Lai leak. News of this would never be allowed to spread. The things I did for peace. This was a nightmare. The charts on the table, the poor communication ability, the supplies now drying up. You are Princess Luna, leading a campaign in crisis. The past month had actually been quite the blitz of the griffons. From the first landing to where you now stand, outside the walls of Griffonstone, had been relatively simple to roll over. Casualties had been low, and unrest had hardly cropped up. Though perhaps that lack of unrest was due to the only non-pony standing around the tactical map. General van den Tann had been of immense help in the conquered towns, promising fine treatment and an end to the reign of their corrupt emperor. It seemed he was rather popular among the populous, as outside of some scattered, small protests here and there had been no resistance to the new rule. Of course, nothing was free, and he'd been promised the possibility of a place in the new administration. That wasn't something you were looking forward to addressing with Anonymous, when the time came. Then again, perhaps he'd simply trust your judgment. He always knew best when it came to politics. Or at least, more than you did. None of it pertained to the matter at hand, though. All the villages and towns you had fought through and shed blood to take we nothing compared to Griffonstone. A mountaintop city, similar to Canterlot in that regard, Griffonstone was a monstrous fortress. Ten meter high walls surrounded the city itself, and the sole path that wound round the mountain had dozens of blocks and battlements obstructing the path. It was at the foot of a grand mountain range that blocked all but a single side of it, and the cliffs were nigh unscalable. You did have some form of a plan though. Unfortunately, it required far more ammunition than you had at your immediate disposal. Something about a bad batch of shells and mass shipper bottleneck that meant you weren't getting what you'd requested. Still, you would make do with what you had. "Princess, I shouldn't need to tell you that this plan borders on criminal." It was Colonel Shod, commander of the artillery battery that had managed to keep up with the breakneck pace of the war. He was an excellent officer, if a bit staunch in how he took to fighting. You let out a quiet sigh and tap the marks you had made on the map. "Borders on but, with the notice we've been issuing over all radio bands and the leaflets we've dropped, isn't." You recalled Anonymous's words about how 'winners don't get punished for war crimes.' The colonel grimaced and stared down at the papers as though they may leap for his throat. You understood his uneasiness, this was not something that you would have considered even a week ago. But Anonymous had given a direct order. Rereading the letter, it was only two sentences long. "Take that city all costs. Kill all of them if you have to, we're winning this war one way or another." As laid out, the plan was to shell the city until its inhabitants gave in and surrendered. This alone was a terrible undertaking, but it was the only way to ensure the unconditional surrender of the griffons. But you had made an addition to this plan, on behalf of Anonymous's orders, something that made it far worse. Magic infused shells. Just this very morning, you had received a special shipment of profoundly special artillery shells. Sharp Mind himself made the idea of these shells. Something happened in Canterlot. Sharp seemed to trust Anonymous much more than he used to. But that wasn't too surprising, given that Anonymous was the only one who had ever heard him out about his ideas. Embedded in each one was a stabilized resonance crystal, a physical manifestation of mana. With these in the shells, and certain inscriptions laid on them, a unicorn of even moderate potential could turn a lethal high explosive shell into a cataclysmic weapon of absolute devastation. Magic that, in theory, could stick and burn the poor souls it landed on. Truly gut wrenching. The violence of even one of these items, let alone a thousand, was enough to turn the stomach of even the most stoic of soldiers. Which is why you had told no one but Colonel Shod about the new weapon. And now you had laid the plan bare to him, he was the only pony that you could trust to execute it. For as mired in morality and the laws of warfare this would be, he would follow his orders even if they sent him into Tartarus. You tried to comfort him. "If it makes you feel any better colonel, I would rather do this any other way. But with our numbers, resources, and the result of that damned foalish general's 'probing' assault, it's this or we march home." Shod stays quiet for a long moment, and you can see he is truly weighing these options. You knew how he felt, for you felt the same feeling he held. And were you Celestia, you know what your choice would have been. She believed it was better to be shamed and destroyed than to have a blood drenched soul. But you are not your sister. You are the princess militant, the baleful moon, the Nightmare. The elements had removed the taint of Nightmare Moon from your soul, but you could still remember everything. You knew well how terrible war was, and the cost of winning. But you also knew the rush of conquest and destruction. Anonymous also knew that too. Perhaps that's why the two of you got along so well. You both hid a darkness from others. In recent times, you even felt that old, hideous tug at your heart, trying to lull you back to the depth of the Nightmare. Oh how easy it would be to walk that path and turn this city to dust with a flick of your mind. But no, you would never succumb to the ancient foe again. Finally, the colonel lets out a long sigh and hangs his head. "As you say, princess. I cannot see any other way without shedding the blood of everypony here and coming. I will tell my troops to load and sight in, we will await your command to begin." Without waiting for a reply, he exits the command tent with a new weight resting on his shoulders. You're left alone with General van den Tann, who looks at you with a mixture of sorrow and resolve in his gaze. "So then, we will be forced to rebuild our greatest city on the bones of our people." You give him a sympathetic look and close your eyes. "I would rather you not have to rebuild at all, general. I truly am sorry." The griffon breathes slowly and shakes his head. "No matter, this is war. We are resilient, we will weather this as we have every conflict before." You nodded and held open the flap of the tent. "Well then, general, I'll have them escort you back to your quarters. I must inspect the troops." General van den Tann gives you a curt bow and leaves the tent, two ponies following after him. He was quite a strange being, you thought as you began to wander the camp under the afternoon sun. Instead of being broken in defeat, he had offered his assistance to you. And what help he had been, a number of times he had offered valuable strategic input and he was able to engage with the griffons on a level that no pony could ever hope to. Of course since he was a griffon, but it was more than just that From what you gathered, he had come from a village at the Southern tip of the Empire and had garnered great respect for his high position from such lowly birth. It had certainly made the village elders and town leadership capitulate much easier than you was thought possible. But here, at this great city, that respect had long since grown threadbare. You can see your pegasi messengers returning to the camp, and you have no doubts of the tidings they bring with them. When they report, your heart sinks lower than ever before. You had expected some unacceptable terms of surrender, or perhaps some modicum of kindness for the civilians in the city. Perhaps news of fleeing civilians. But it was not to be. There would be no surrender, and every last griffon in the city was blood-sworn to resist according to the messengers. Even the children had been armed and told to fight to their last breath. So it was as you reported to Colonel Shod who stood beside his several dozen guns with a tired expression mirroring your own. The crews stood by, shells and powder bags prepared, an extra unicorn standing by the reserve shell pool for each quartet of artillery pieces. Shod gazed up at you, a remorseful look writ upon his face. You knew he would carry this day to his grave. "Permission to begin the fire mission, my princess?" You know the answer he wants, and the one you want to give him. To hold his fire, to simply wait out the griffons in a traditional siege, to spare them the horrors about to be unleashed on their city. You don't trust your words, so you simply nod. The slight movement feels exhausting, your head feeling as though it it made of iron. Shod's gaze steels as he turns to his gun crews and draws a deep breath before speaking. "Troops, load high explosive, check elevation, and make ready to fire." It takes them only a moment to follow through and perform their final checks. Shod opened his mouth to give the final order, but you stopped him short with a gentle hoof on his withers. He looked up at you and took a step back, understanding your intentions. You wouldn't allow this blood to be on his hooves. You were already tainted. What's a couple more lives? After a deep breath, you gave the command that damns you. "OPEN FIRE!" For the rest of the day, and well into the evening, the guns kept up a constant stream of shells. Nopony in the camp sleeps, least of all you. The chatter of the radios carries on with the barrage, pegasi spotters calling in hits and adjustments as needed. By the time the moon has risen fully, the conventional explosive munitions are totally exhausted. You're surprised the supply lasted as long as it did, but then you didn't have a full battery of guns either. The gun crews retire to their tents, you've decided to give them some respite and resume bombardment with the dawn. In the mean time, they could get some food, water, and much needed sleep. Atop the distant mountain, Griffonstone burns. The shells had shattered anything they hit, then had set fire to the ruins. You could see great pillars of smoke glowing in the dim, ruddy firelight and smell the devastation that your order had wrought. You feel your face grow damp beneath your eyes. Crying, you're crying at doing your duty. It just went to show then, despite all the titles, infamy, and legends surrounding you, you still had morals. Deep down, you were still a pony. You wiped the tears away with your forehoof, and felt a strange compulsion to look at the damp fur. Your tears... They were pitch black... Your guts churn and you hurriedly wiped away the rest of the liquid from your cheeks. Only now did you notice how thick it feels, almost like syrup. You take a deep, shuddering breath and force down the bile that threatened to rise from your guts. "No, not now..." You quiet mutter is quickly cut off as you hear the approach of steps behind you. You finished wiping away the dark fluid from your face and returned your gaze to the burning city. The gruff, unmistakable voice of General van den Tann speaks up from beside you "It is quite the sight, is it not?" A glance at him shows tracks of glistening tears streaking down the downy feathers on his face. In some small way, you're surprised at how soft-hearted he was at the sight of this, but you do understand and it soothes some of the fears you held over your promise to him. "Indeed it is, general. Though I must admit some distaste at such wanton destruction." He shakes his head and heaves a long sigh. "It is of no concern, princess. My brethren have supped the wine of victory for so long they are well drunk. Though I regret that such an object lesson is require, I pray the biting hunger of defeat will blunt their future appetites." You allowed yourself a small smirk at the analogy. It's quite fitting for the reaction that your call for surrender had brought, overconfidence that only a drunk could muster. "Still, I shall personally see to it that Griffonstone is restored as quick as we can allow. Needless suffering is not something we wish to inflict." The general lets out a bitter chuckle and gestures to the distant spires with a claw. "It seems that such suffering will not be needless. Look how the Imperial flag still flies over the city, they show only the foolhardy bravery of a nestlet. Their arrogance is destroying the city where I met my wife, destroying the city where my chicks were born. This alone ought to be cause enough for the emperor's execution, he acts as though he is a chick playing at fantasy." You can't help but silently agree with his assessment, harsh though it may be. It seemed that the griffon emperor cared little for those who ought to be in his direct care, and less for the consequences his resistance would have. The baleful glow of the fires begins to dull, either being purposefully extinguished or guttering out with a lack of fuel. You pray it is the former. "I do hope he shall see reason by dawn, general. I have held our most destructive weapons in reserve, but if they shall not surrender then I'll have no choice but to unleash them." He looks up at you with tearful eyes and nods. "Yes, I can smell the mana leaking from those remaining shells. I'm no sorcerer, but even a man blind, deaf, and dumb could sense what lies within that unforgiving steel." His beak turns up in a rueful smile as he looks back at the dull glow from the depths of the griffon capital. "There is a small part of me that wishes to see just what such weapons are capable of, though. Perhaps, deep down, we griffons are hopelessly addicted to war. I must admit, when this war began I marched at the head of my troops with pride in my chest and a smile on my face. Despite all the hardships, casualties, and the humiliation of defeat, I cannot say that I was disappointed by you princess." His gaze grows distant and wistful as the glow of fire is replaced by that of the moon. "Baiting two full brigades into abandoning their defensive positions, luring them into a perfect ambush, the maneuver from the forest. If you ever grow tired of being a princess, do consider coming to us. Your strategy would be a welcome breath of air from some of the other fools about the court." You gave him a smile and gazed at the horizon as the moon you had lifted almost unconsciously into the sky begins to sink below the distant mountains. "Perhaps, in the future, our forces might train together. I don't believe I could ever abandon my ponies though, and I'm sure you feel the same about your own people." He nods, letting out a tired sigh and turning about. "Indeed I do, princess. Well, the hour grows late and these old bones require some kind of sleep. Do be so kind as to keep the barrage quiet, wouldn't you?" You quietly chuckled at the jest. "Of course, I'll ensure the guns are not too loud just for you." With that, he's gone. You see the gun crews beginning to stir from their tents, and you know the final shots of this war are about to be fired. Colonel Shod approaches you, a grim expression on his stoic face. "The flag still flies, my princess?" You nodded solemnly, all traces of your previous mirth gone. "Then I shall have the gun laid and loaded shortly. We shall await your orders." Without another word, he walks stiffly towards the raised barrels of the artillery pieces. You cannot fault his shortness, he is no doubt taking this harder than you. For a while longer, you stare out at the distant city, hoping against hope that someone in there may see reason and raise a white flag, or that a messenger would come at a blazing pace to bring news of a surrender. But nothing comes, and the sun has long broken over the horizon. It was time then. You approached the artillery crews, your face grim. The magic leaking from the breeches is easily apparent to you, and the wrongness of it does not go amiss. Still, this was the only way to ensure they surrendered without too bloody a sacrifice from your ponies. And so you addresses the troops as they stood ready, one extra round for each gun sitting beside the great instruments of war. That was all it would take, after all. "Mares, stallions, my subjects, my charges, my friends. This is a dire hour indeed. We find ourselves faced with an unrepentant enemy that refuses to surrender until their last breath is drawn. I do not dare to throw away the lives of ponies when we have such a small force as it stands. And so it comes to this, the razing of the city. Know that, were there any other way that this could be resolved I would shed my own blood to make it so." You drew a deep breath as the churning in your stomach worsens. "But we have tried, and we have waited as long as we can. Know that not one of you carries the blame for this action. This blight rests squarely upon the shoulders of the griffon emperor and on my own. I bear it with no remorse, for I know by this order that thousands of ponies shall live long lives where they may not have." You paused a moment to let your words sink in before steeling yourself. "Troops, make ready!" Final checks are made, breeches sealed, and at last the guns stand ready for their hellish work. What would Celestia say if she saw this? "FIRE!" A deafening eruption blasts over you as the battery fires as one. While the shells are still in flight, you issue your next orders. "LOAD!" The action is done as a wave of violent mana backwash rushes over you. An eerie violet hue eclipses the sun momentarily before you gave what you hoped would be the final order of the war. "FIRE!" Another blast, this time you turned to see the results even as the acrid taste of bile coated your tongue. In the distance, the city once more comes alight with brilliant hues of purple and vibrant cobalt. Again, the wash of tortured mana comes over you, and you're compelled to your knees. You cannot hold the bile back any longer, and you opened your mouth as a torrent of vomit soaks the ground beneath you. Your ears picked up the sound of other unicorns becoming sick as well, the distortion of the world that they could sense all too well overcoming them. A look down at the puddle terrified you, and you hurriedly kick dirt over the black puddle. The Nightmare was starting to come back. But you were stronger than her. You would never fall to her again. You wiped your face and rose to your hooves shakily, staring out at the city. Its walls were shattered, its once great spires thrown to the ground beneath and shattered. Within moments, you saw on the single standing parapet of the castle, the flag has finally been taken down. Your wish finally becomes reality as a stark, white banner unfurls itself over the devastation that the city had become. The war was finally over. Victory had never come so bitter.
Anon von Bismarck	22: The End of the War	The streets of Canterlot are awash in celebration. Cider flows like water, as it has for the past several days, but today the revelers are especially boisterous. Today was the day that Emperor Willem Gunnar finally came to Canterlot to sign the peace treaty with myself and Princess Cadence. It's been a long war, and I feel as if a weight finally lifted from my chest. Five months of war was already too much, the several thousand ponies that had given their lives was orders of magnitude too many. But the sacrifice was not in vain, Equestria was finally safe. The feeling of the city has swept over Quill as well, she has a spring in her step as she wanders the streets beside me. It's something I haven't seen since well before the war began, and I couldn't be happier today. The victory, the mood, Quill's return to happiness, even the public appearance of the treaty signing and public speech couldn't drag me down from my high spirits. Eventually, I reached the train station. I'd had some difficulty making my way through the press of ponies, but had somehow made it with my clothes unstained and sober as the day I was born. Quill was a bit worse for wear, having been pulled into an impromptu song and dance, but was more than able to remain at my side And so we waited among a massive crowd waiting to welcome home the first victors Equestria had seen in centuries. At least they had allowed me to the front, as befit the ruler of a nation. Ruler of a nation. A Chancellor. I prayed this would last forever. I stood beside a few remaining ministers on the platform, making small talk while the distant trail of smoke grows larger. The disappearance of Flashy Image could be felt. Still, no one questioned why she was gone. The other ministers could infer why, but the public was clueless. It was of no matter. What they don't know won't hurt them. But we had a simple discussion of implementing ideas like pollution clearing spells and expansion of the rail lines, nothing I wouldn't have spoken of at a meeting. After all these were my former colleagues, and now my political puppets. To speak outside the realms of business was wasteful, and possibly dangerous to boot. But as the brakes of the train begin to squeal while it pulls into the station, the conversation stops as the cars do the same. Steam hisses from the engine as the machine settles, and after a moment the doors open to reveal Princess Luna and General Iron Greaves. But just behind them is the true guest of honour, and as they step out so to does the former griffon emperor, Willem Gunnar. Even in defeat, his clothes tattered and fur unkempt, he keeps a regal posture and exudes arrogance. A small, smug smirk touches my lips and I spread my arms wide. I had to shout to make myself heard over the raucous cheers. "Welcome home, our victorious heroes!" The cheering redoubles as Luna and Iron Greaves gave a short bow. I finally focused in on Luna, and noticed the state she was in. She looks totally exhausted, dark eye crescents clear even on her deep, blue coat, her normally flowing mane subdued and dirty, and her eyes a bloodshot red. My orders of a direct barrage could be seen on her eyes. Just how much she had been able to tolerate had almost been strained too far. Iron Greaves too looks tired, though less bedraggled than the night princess. But the state that Luna was in makes me realize that, if this was the effect on a princess, then the effect on the general soldiery must be shocking. Not much difference in how I and many others felt after leaving Vietnam. I could now understand just how deep the mistakes that the politicians of Earth had made ran. But I would not fall into the same traps, I silently vowed to establish a fund for their wellbeing as soon as I could. A fund I never got to use, a fund that could've made me happy. Perhaps even using some of the stores liberated from the griffons, it would be true poetry to use what was meant to fund a war to aid those who had taken it from them. But that would have to wait, for now I would be parading with Gunnar and his escort to the Grand Plaza of the city. He would be paraded around the city. Humiliated by the crowds. And I had planned on taking the long route. This was going to be fun. Princess Cadence was already waiting there for the official signing. As I walked towards the table, the escort was busy keeping the crowd back the whole while. I'm surprised at the obscenities and racial slurs I heard from them, even though they're almost cute in their language, I hadn't thought ponies to have so much bile in them. But proof of just how much hate they held was heaped on me for every step I took. Behind the escort, a procession of troops was welcomed with cheering and ecstatic shouts. The switch from one to the other was jarring, but the troops more than deserved such praise, but all managed to stay professional while enjoying it. All told, it takes a half hour for what should have been a ten minute walk. At the very least, the former emperor hadn't been struck by anything more than a rotten tomato. But he remained quiet and held his head high for the entire gauntlet. I could respect him for his will, even if I had hated the arrogance that it stemmed from. The two of us left the escort behind as we climb the steps to the stage that the table had been set on. Cadence sits with a stern expression on her face, taking up one end of the ornate table. I seated myself at the center and har Gunnar at the other end. A terse silence remains between the three of us as General Stalwart Shield, the former defense minister, and newly appointed Field Marshal, made a short speech to summarize the events of the day. Finally, he floats a scroll over to the table and rolls it out in front of the three of us. In turn, with the griffon signing first, all three of us signee the instruments of the Griffon Empire's surrender. Gunnar had held his pen over the document for a long while, but finally he had issued his signature. Cadence and I didn't take nearly so long, and within a few minutes Stalwart Shield was showing the document off to an ecstatic crowd and media cameras. I would have this document preserved, a standing testament to the success of my rule... After a moment of grand standing, he gestured to me, pulling me from my thoughts. It was time for me to make the grandest speech I ever had given. The cheers died down as I took to the center of the stage, and I took a deep breath before beginning. "Mares and gentlecolts, today marks a new cornerstone in the history of Equestria. In just four months, I have transformed our ill-equipped and meager defense force into the mightiest force the world has seen." I saw Stalwart Shield swell with pride, along with the soldiers who line the crowd. "It is that force that has delivered us from the brink of disaster, that force who so bravely sallied into the first battles in eight hundred years. That so bravely went into the hell that is war. And what battles they fought! At Trottingham they defeated a force twice their size, and at the gates of Griffonstone a mere five thousand ponies took the capital itself!" A loud cheer goes up from the crowd, who could not be more elated at the news of such victories. Was the praise over the top? Certainly, but in such a victory like this dramatics were more than welcome to heighten the mood ever further. To be happy in victory was what could help heal the wounds of war. "The flag of Equestria flies over the battlements at Griffonstone, but let us not forget the cost of war. Not just to our own, but to our allies and enemies alike. To Princess Cadence of the Crystal Empire, you and your husband have my eternal gratitude for your invaluable aid in keeping the enemy at bay in the North. And even now, the Equestrian Corps of Engineers has been sent to Griffonstone to help rebuild the city." I paused to take a breath, and the crowd holds their own in anticipation. "We must keep in mind that this war was not one of conquest, but of liberation. Our military does not stand to take the lands of others, but to protect our home and the homes of those we call friends. Even now, a delegation from Capras comes to discuss the independence of their nation and a team of experts seek griffons to serve on a new high council. Never again shall the griffons find themselves led by their beaks into a war they did not want. Never again shall they need to endure the atrocious conditions of war without necessity. We shall assist them in rebuilding their nation and ensure their peaceful return to the world stage." Lies. All of it was lies. There was no delegation but a boy Prince, and there was no high council, just oligarchs appointed by me. The crowd doesn't cheer for this, sensible enough I supposed, but they applaud the feeling behind them. When they fell silent again, I continued. "So let us carry onward, on to a bright future of peace and prosperity. And let us leave not one of our allies behind, but carry them forth with us into a new golden age!" The applause builds slowly at first, but soon grows into a deafening raucous. I smiled warmly and waved to the crowd, and Princess Cadence comes and joins me. Gunnar was led away to be spoken with later, I still had to discuss what was to become of him and his nation. So far, Freidrich van den Tann, the griffon general, had been promised a position in this new council. I didn't know much about him, but I trusted Luna's judgment of him. Allistair had also surprisingly offered to join as a member of the "high council." A surprise, but a welcome one. He feared me. He wouldn't have the courage to defy me. The only person left to ensure legitimacy was Willem. And if he didn't agree, we could always find another willing noble. The royal family of the griffons wasn't exactly small. But that could all wait for later. For now, I still had some public relations to do with Princess Cadence. I looked over to her and held out a hand to shake. "So then princess, shall we go together?" For perhaps the first time I've ever seen, she gave me a genuine smile instead of a fake one, as she takes my hand and shakes it. "Yes, chancellor, let's." And so we walked off the stage, and into a Equestria's new golden age.
Anon von Bismarck	Epilogue: News From EDN	EQUESTRIAN DAILY NEWS Issue#784 8-19-1009 Editors Note: The following article comes to us from the esteemed noble and writer of the book Royal Review: A Thousand Years in the Sun; Ink Swell. He has submitted this essay to us knowing full well the impact it could have on his personal reputation. However, in his own words, 'the ponies of Equestria must have a voice of reason to hear'. We at EDN represent a diverse spectrum of pony races and political views, and so we must represent a variety of voices. That said, Mr. Swell is not a member of our staff and his personal beliefs may not coincide with that of the ponies at EDN. With all the formality said, please enjoy this special article. "Ponykind has seen its greatest upheaval since the dawn of Equestria." Princess Celestia said these words on the eve that the last Lunarian holdout finally put down their arms and the Great Eastern Rebellion was ended. So too was this quote paraphrased by Chancellor Anonymous in one of the many victory speeches he made last year. In fact it was one of the most emphasized topics he spoke of; whether in public or on the air, and the comparison was even apt. Of course, to anypony involved in politics it's an obvious tactic, and one that he has used quite often. Whatever pony designed that outfit ought give themselves a pat on the back. It works perfectly to soothe an ache we have developed after eight hundred years, deep yearning for our beloved princess of the sun. However, this has led to some serious concerns that must be outed; no matter how uncomfortable they may be to confront. Take, for example, the suddenness with which war came to our doorstep after Anonymous took power. It was hardly three months into his reign when a surprise invasion was launched on Trottingham, an action that cost the lives of so many. What's more, they practically threw themselves at the Northern Narrows immediately after, trying to break through the stalwart defense forces and encircle us. Where was the military intelligence that surely would have seen the massive buildup required for such an invasion? A campaign of this scale is no small undertaking, or so I've been told by my contacts within the army. Consider as well that, before his frankly meteoric rise, Anonymous was the emissary to the Griffon Empire. He dealt with them daily for years before heading up the foreign ministry, and he did so with a great deal of success. This would give him ample opportunity to build up connections within the empire. Perhaps he leaked some sort of intelligence that gave them the confidence that it would be an easy campaign. Such are the ideas of conspiracy theorists the country over, not a single one taken seriously of course. And rightly so, for without hard evidence to support them it would be simple foolishness to consider. Such evidence simply will not be coming to light in a short time; for despite how widespread the stories of the war are, two of the cornerstone events remain totally classified. The beginning and, perhaps more interestingly, the end. The events of the First Battle of Trottingham have been partially classified a military secret since they occured. Normally it's to avoid the persecution of the surviving members of the unit stationed there, though I personally believe it to cover up the total failure of intelligence and the humiliation of the defeat of Trottinghams defenders. The only facts that have emerged is that the Royal Guard stationed there failed to repel the assault. But more strange is the secrecy surrounding the capitulation of Griffonstone. Many don't see this as the end, rather as the mere last battle, but this was truly where peace was made. You would think, as I often do, that the government would spread propaganda of the triumph of Equestrian values and hardworking soldiery. But instead they've hushed it up, and why? Rumours abound, as they always do, but rest assured dear reader that I will work diligently to assemble them into something rational. This is not the place for military speculation however, but on the character of Anonymous. Conspiracies aside, he doubtless has the interests of ponykind at heart. The issues lie with how he acts on those interests. There is little doubt that we could have stopped at Trottingham and sued for peace, there was hardly a need to be the aggressor. Calling the Griffon Empire an "autonomous protectorate" should fool nobody. Now we govern their lands like an empire, occupiers in all but name. But where is the uproar, the marches in the streets that ought to accompany such a divergence from our communal values? Of course, they are nowhere to be seen. Instead we indulge the being that led us to this path of madness. It is not within us to rise up against our rulers anymore, for we can hardly think anything bad of them. Look how quickly we have forgiven Princess Luna, exiled for a thousand years but after less than a decade she is back on her throne. Of course she has more than earned her forgiveness with the Liberation of Trottingham and her fine leadership in battle and upon the throne. But Anonymous has no such deeds to his name. And what has happened with Luna? She gladly assists him in any task he decides to partake upon. She seems to no longer serve Equestria, but only serve Anonymous. Not to mention the speed with which our peace with the changelings arrived after he took the throne is also extremely suspicious. Changelings, our mortal enemies, signing a peace treaty and integrating themselves into our society? Celestia would've never stood for this, but because he's on the throne we're meant to bow down and accept this? Who does Anonymous think he is? And where has Celestia gone? She's left us all without a single word, and we're meant to trust somepony who isn't even a pony? What if she's in danger, and he refuses to let us know? What if she never willingly gave him the throne, and a secret coup happened that we're all unaware of? Of course, more conspiracy, but it still raises a good question. Where is Celestia? And I'm certain we have all heard the whispers as well, of his feuding with Princess Cadence and Prince Shining as well. You might say it is nothing, especially with the recent launch of their sister ship to the ESS Victorious. But let us not forget their complaint against the first name of that vessel, the EGS Celestia. What kind of fool would name a ship made only for war after a monarch that brought eight centuries of peace to her people? My fellow Equestrians, do not let his smile and outstretched hand deceive you; he may be a greater danger to our kind than even monsters like Discord and Tirek. They wanted the destruction of all of us, but Anonymous wants us to become as twisted as he is. Be vigilant my friends, do not let yourselves give in to the succor of conquest. Remember that even one dissenting voice can echo louder than a cannon. Finishing up my reading, I pushed my cigar into an ashtray. Smoking Equestrian tobacco wasn't all that bad for a man, surprisingly. Skimming over the article again, I smiled. Ink Swell huh? Might have to give the Thestral Wardens a new name to the list. Maybe shake him up a bit, maybe throw him into a prison. Who knows? But I couldn't allow these articles, these "journalists" to print such things. EDN wasn't at fault, but I'd need the Wardens to pay them a visit, remind them that they're ran by the state. The ponies over there wouldn't say anything. They needed me after all. And the general population wouldn't say anything either. They needed rulers and tyrants to keep them from tearing themselves apart. They didn't have a say in the matter. Glory to Equestria.
Hollow Knight: Soul and Magic	pre	Sweetie Belle smiled before bowing to the group in a comical fashion, "Let us lead the way. It's only fair we do so." "Yeah, and maybe we'll get our helpourteacher cutie mark this way," Scootaloo added Without any arguments against the three fillies leading the way, the group followed them. A few short minutes later, they were coming upon a large building that stood out from the rest. It was probably the tallest building within Ponyville, having a fine point at the end. To the vessels, it seemed like it could be a small tower from a quick glance, but the colors made it harmless. Sweetie Belle went ahead and knocked on the front door, waiting for a few moments before she heard hoofsteps coming from inside. A couple of moments later and the door was wide open revealing another mare that Ghost vaguely remembered from Godhome. She was much different from Twilight and bore more of a resemblance to Sweetie Belle. That alabaster coat of hers coupled with her purple mane was quite unique. She also seemed to be wearing glasses and having some sort of measuring tape around her neck. "Oh. I thought it was another customer. I see you brought your...er...visitors, Twilight," the alabaster mare stated, unsure what to call Ghost or Grimm "They're not visitors sis, they're our friends. Ghost is going to teach me and the girls how to swordfight," Sweetie Belle replied with annoyance at her sister's 'proper' attitude This made the mare bawk in astonishment before she shook herself out of her stupor, "No, a lady does not participate in fights. At least, she doesn't go out looking for them." Ghost, having a feeling that there was going to be some tension between the sisters, decided to cut in, "I didn't want to but they were eager to learn. I won't be teaching them too much, just the basics. You have my word on that." Rarity looked up at Ghost for a few moments, seemingly analyzing him from head to toe, "You're that swordmaster the girls talk about. I appreciate what you did for my sister and her friends. Although, that cloak of yours has seen some better days." Looking towards Grimm, she seemed to analyze the Nightmare even more so due to the more complex appearance of the Nightmare King, "Although I do not care for the colors, it matches your eyes quite well. Is that eyeliner on your eyes or is that...natural?" Grimm seemed to take whatever compliment he got with pride, giving his traditional bow to the unicorn, "All natural, my little pony. The scarlet flame does not accept charlatans." Twilight spoke up, "Rarity, if you aren't too busy, I was showing these two around and I wanted to show them how great your apparel is around the town. Grimm was so eager to see what you how to show." This got the fashionista's attention, her eyes glittering for a moment as her pride rose. Putting a huff to her mane to fix it up, she spoke in a more gracious tone, "But of course, all you had to do was ask. I would love to show these visitors my accomplishments. Do come in." Applebloom snickered before whispering to the vessels, "She's a bit of a fanatic with cleanliness. Last time, mah sis accidently kicked up some dirt in her mane an' she was furious." Grimm gave a deadpan look with a sigh, "Oh I do dread those types. I've dealt with too many from all my travels." "What places have you visited? Can you tell us?" Scootaloo questioned, her pitch raising as her eyes were now glued on Grimm The Nightmare King chuckled in response, "Another time, little one. My stories will be long and boring for your youthful mind." At the very least, the vessels shook off any dirt from their cloaks before proceeding inside, followed by the others. Inside, Grimm was quite impressed with what he saw. Multiple mannequins with either full dresses or costumes on display with some being prototype. Ghost seemed to care less about the dresses per say, his mind too focused on earlier events. It was then that Ghost noticed that Rarity was using that measuring tape to check his dimensions. "Before you ask, darling, I'm just having your measurements on in case I come up with anything for future plans. But first, you need a new cloak. That one seems to be fitting you a bit petite," Rarity said, finding measuring Ghost's height an issue and having to resort to magic Ghost looked at Twilight, the mare smiling bashfully while her eyes avoided contact, "How would I be able to pay this back?" Rarity scoffed before levitating a book over with a feather pen, writing the measurements down quickly, "Free of charge, darling. The material needed to remake your cloak will be less expensive since I assume you only care for simplicity, yes?" Ghost only nodded, feeling the hooves of the fashionista touching his void body underneath. His senses wanted to explode out of his system, a feeling he never had before. Whether he knew it or not, his mask was beginning to lighten up in a red color as he looked downward. He took a quick glance to notice Rarity was practically under his cloak. Looking at the group, Twilight had the fillies' eyes covered with paper while Grimm was busy inspecting the rolls of material around the boutique. "Thin frame, so nothing too heavy or wide. Oh, your body is so cold darling. You need to cover yourself up more before you freeze. Wouldn't want you looking like a popsicle during the winter," Rarity said after coming out of Ghost's cloak with the proper measurements Grimm's hands laid under his chin, looking at Ghost in every angle, "Scarlet would be perfect for him. It suits his eyes and mask quite well if say so myself." Rarity stopped for a moment before looking at Grimm with one eyebrow raised, "As much as I would love to agree with you, Master Grimm, I think a lighter color would be better. A contrast to your fabulous dark scheme." Grimm turned around in a playful manner, head raised while one of his hands was on his heart, "My dear, you are flattering me. I will admit I had my doubts from Ms. Sparkle's words, but I am beginning to be impressed." Rarity proceeded to double check her measurements, making sure to account for a margin of error in case she missed a few centimeters. Her eyes looked over Ghost before stopped at the Pure Nail on his back, shining so brightly like a diamond. The alabaster mare trotted over to get a closer look of the weapon the void entity wielded. "Darling, would you mind if I inspect your weapon?" Rarity asked, "I need to account for the fact it will be on your back when I make your new cloak." Ghost gave a nod while his blush died down. Removing the nail from his back, he held it out to the mare as she looked at the unique swirl design on the blade itself. No amateur could have made such a fine piece. Only a master could ever pull off the designs this weapon had while maintaining the integrity. Rarity felt the blade from hilt down to the edge with her hoof, feeling a chill run up her spine. Suddenly, the fashionista sprung up with a bright look on her face, "Yes! I know exactly what to do." Twilight tilted her head to the side, "To do what?" Suddenly, the entire group was being pushed out of the boutique as Rarity had a glint in her eye. A look that Twilight knew when her friend had a dash of inspiration needed to conceive some of her best dresses. Before the group could even question what was going on in Rarity's head, they were outside the boutique. "I'm terribly sorry for having to stop our little meeting so soon. Come back tomorrow and I will have something to show you," Rarity said before closing the door Twilight took a moment to recollect herself before dusting herself, "Well, that's Rarity for you. The only two you have yet to meet is Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. I think Dash is currently maintaining the weather and Fluttershy shouldn't be too far away." "But we wanted some sword lessons!" the voices of the CMC rose in protest Twilight was going to respond before Grimm took the initiative, "Ms. Twilight, I believe we can work on a compromise. I will go with you to meet this Fluttershy while my friend gives these three their well-deserved lessons. We must always think of the children first." Twilight gave it some thought, finding it a bit hard to accept since she preferred both vessels came along. But, if Fluttershy got along with Grimm enough, then surely she could get along with Ghost. With the CMC occupied with their 'lessons,' that would make this process go a lot smoother without any problems arising. Looking at the three fillies below her, she saw their eyes wide and glued to her for an answer. Those young eyes of theres were making her heart hurt a bit if she were to deny them their request. Ghost was giving the lessons so it should be fine. He was a capable individual, but she worried how the town would react. "I'll let you three have Ghost for the time being, but keep it out of the town. I don't want complaints to reach Mayor Mare," Twilight reluctantly agreed, giving them a warning The three fillies began jumping up and down around Ghost, their little capes flapping due to their movement, "Yay!" Then they dragged the poor vessel towards Sweet Apple Acres while Twilight and Grimm could only watch. After they disappeared out of sight, the Nightmare King and Bearer of Magic proceeded to the outskirts of Ponyville. Ghost looked up at a surprisingly well kept clubhouse situated on a tree. There weren't anything like this besides the web-made homes in Deepnest. The fact the CMC had their base of operations in a secret area of Sweet Apple Acres was a bit surprising. He didn't spot it on yesterday's trip. Speaking of the three fillies, they had disappeared into the clubhouse to 'retrieve some training gear' as they put it. He didn't see what they needed unless they were fetching some dummy targets for them to practice on. That thought made him think back to Kingdom's Edge with Oro's practice target that secretly was a trap. "I wonder if Oro ever made amends with Mato," Ghost muttered to himself before he heard sounds coming from inside the treehouse CLANG! Ghost raised a brow, that he didn't have, before going up towards the clubhouse. What were those three fillies up to? He used his Monarch Wings to easily get up towards the door, bending down to open it and enter. What he found was the Crusaders crowding around something. Scootaloo had a metal bell in her hooves, being bent either from falling or something. The other two were holding their wooden amateur swords in their hooves tightly. "What's going on?" Ghost finally inquired as he came closer "It's...Ah don't know. Looks like you," Applebloom answered, having the Crusaders back up to show something that made Ghost recoil in shock On the floor unconscious was another vessel. This one had horns that mainly focused on one side of its mask while leaving the otherside with one small horn. It also had a cloak like Ghost but it was a bit longer than usual. It almost looked like vines compared to an actual cloak. But, there was one single feature that identified this vessel, the back portion of its skull missing. "Broken...Vessel?" Ghost could only utter Ghost carefully bent down next to his unconscious brother, lifting the vessel onto his lap while tracing the back portion of the mask. He could feel the essence of life still coursing through the injured being. The body was intact, and the mask would heal. "I don't understand, you said that you and Grimm were the ones to arrive," Sweetie Belle said, moving closer to Broken Vessel Ghost was silent as he traced his fingers over the vessel's mask slowly, looking for any hints of damage. Thankfully, the fillies didn't use an actual weapon to damage the mask or there would have been some consequences. The world around Ghost seemed to fade as he looked at Broken Vessel, thinking back to those days in Hallownest Ghost blocked a strike from his opponent, nail clashing against nail in furious battle. His opponent was not one to underestimate. Looking directly into his opponent's eyes, if Ghost could, he would be disgusted with what he saw. Eyes filled with orange puss of infection that gathered from the back of the skull. Yet, in that corrupted essence, he saw a glimmer of his opponent's former self. Ghost wacked his opponent's nail away before delivering a decisive strike at the infection itself. His nail struck true, easily piercing the orange flesh as his opponent began to scream in agony. Infection began pouring Broken Vessel before the infection on top of its head exploded. The rest of Broken Vessel fell down onto the floor. Ghost turned to walk away but looked back at his former brother. The last remnants of his kin reached out to him with what little strength it had. The emotionless void eyes began to leak void tears while reaching for its brother desperately. Ghost turned and approached the slowly dying vessel. Grabbing ahold of its hand, Ghost knelt before his fallen kin. The dying vessel touched Ghost's mask before slowly letting its appendage rest against the floor. The void eyes emptied slowly upon its death. Ghost kelt there emotionless, still holding the hand of its brethren. "Mr. Ghost, why are you crying?" Ghost rose his head as reality took him out of those memories. He looked at the three fillies, their faces scrunched up with concern as they looked at their teacher. Ghost reached up with one of his hands to feel his mask. Liquid void touched his hands, embracing them in their cold aura to confirm that he was crying. "It's...a long story," Ghost uttered softly His attention turned back to Broken Vessel. The being beginning to stir in his arms, void eyes opening to look up at Ghost. At first, the vessel did nothing but then it looked at the CMC. Dashing off of Ghost's lap, it grabbed its smaller nail and went to defend its brethren from these beasts. It aimed for the white one, the one that had discovered it first before the orange one attacked it. The nail rose to strike the creature while it had no time to react. It was a perfect shot. ClANG! The vessel looked surprised as another nail was now blocking the attack. A much larger nail that had to belong to its brethren. Broken Vessel turned towards the wielder silently. Ghost looked at his brethren before shaking his head at the actions. "You don't have to hurt them, they were just afraid," Ghost put a protective arm around the CMC while holding his nail Broken Vessel stopped to look at the three creatures. Shaking violently in Ghost's arms, their eyes small and their teeth clenched. It contemplated on Ghost's words for a moment due to how contradictory the creatures acted. Ghost put down his nail and reached a hand out towards Broken Vessel. The vessel lowered its weapon as it saw Ghost extending its hand like it had in the past. Ghost had comforted Broken Vessel's final moments in the past. Those thoughts resurfaced as the vessel tried to push them down due to its upbringing. But it failed... Its cloak shuddered as it dropped its small nail. Taking small steps toward Ghost before breaking into a sprint towards him. Vessel brethren embraced each other along with their void eyes leaking profusely. The CMC looked at each other, smiling that they had unintendedly reunited lost family together. They looked at their rears to see any marks form themselves but to their disappointment, nothing came through. Surely something this good would have had some fruits for their labor. "Thank you...All three of you," Ghost finally said, getting his composure together once more and wiping the tears away "Coo," Broken Vessel said as well, confusing the entire group "What did it say?" Scootaloo asked confused Ghost shrugged, "I have no idea either. This is one of my brethren, a vessel like me." Sweetie Belle began poking at Broken Vessel's exposed skull curiously, "He looks really hurt. What's his name?" "He doesn't have one," Ghost answered, "But we can't go around calling him Vessel." Broken Vessel looked between his brother and the new creatures in confusion. Name? Why would it need a name? They were vessels after all. Vessels didn't need a name. The yellow one with a red mane then raised her hoof to speak. "Ah got it! We call him Coo since that's all he's sayin'," Applebloom stated, getting confused looks from the group, "What? It makes sense." "I don't think Coo is a good name. I think Shorty is a better one," Scootaloo retorted, looking at Broken Vessel for approval Broken Vessel, the newly named Shorty, looked at everyone first. It was quite small compared to the rest of the beings in the room. So, the name wasn't wrong persay. "Wait a minute. Why don't we have Shorty join us as an honorary member. Mr. Ghost, can he stay here?" Sweetie Belle asked, looking at the taller vessel with hopeful eyes Ghost shrugged before looking at Shorty, "I don't know. You girls aren't bothered he just attacked you?" Scootaloo sheepishly twiddled her hooves, "Well, we kinda attacked first. He just spooked us when we were looking for stuff. Sorry about that." Shorty was silent, walking around the clubhouse and picking up its nail on the way. If its brother was here, maybe its other siblings were here too. If these creatures were so kind to accept his brother into their ranks so quickly, then why shouldn't he join them too? Whatever land they were in, there were questions that needed answers. Reaching an appendage out towards the CMC, Shorty gave an affirmative, "Coo."
Hollow Knight: Soul and Magic	Chapter 6	While Ghost and the CMC went towards Sweet Apple Acres, Grimm accompanied Twilight to the outskirts of the Everfree Forest. During their whole trip, Grimm was humming a tune, his cloak occasionally moving with the cool breeze grazing them. Twilight took glances at the Nightmare King during his tuneful song. His voice was so hushed that it came out quite raspy like ponies who had a bit too much to smoke. Another noticeable part about the Troupe Master was his eyes lighting up during certain portions of his song. "Grimm," Twilight began, breaking the Nightmare's focus, "Where you are from, what are Nightmares to bugs?" Grimm stopped walking for a moment, halting all his momentum to think on Twilight's words for a few moments, "To answer that question, Ms. Twilight, I would have to tell you the tale of the Grimm Troupe. But, the time is not right for me to speak the very poem that describes us." "Us? Where are the rest of the troupe?" Grimm sighed, acting somewhat somber at the question, albeit dramatic. "In the Nightmare Realm, awaiting my return." Twilight grew more curious, teleporting her journal to her and flipping the pages until she found what she desired. Presented the page to Grimm which held a rough drawing of Nightmare Moon, "Do you think the Nightmare Realm can influence ponies into becoming Nightmares?" Grimm looked closely at the picture with his spindly fingers under his chin and his eyes squinting to take in every detail. Clearly a creature as tall as Celestia from the mere look of it and her eyes were much different. The sharp iris alone was interesting but nothing that he can recall right away. He pulled back and shook his head, "No, she clearly does not belong to the Nightmare Heart. A true Nightmare would bow to the Nightmare Heart and preserve its existence." "The Nightmare Heart? Is it another being? Is it the king of the realm?" Twilight asked after teleporting her journal away with her mind tingling for more answers. How different Grimm's version of nightmares compared to Nightmare Moon would be great to report back to Celestia. It might just be the main piece of knowledge needed to prevent any future nightmares from forming. "More than a being, inquisitive one. The Nightmare Heart is the very thing keeping me alive and my troupe moving through lands and time." Grimm explained simply before his eyes lit up once more, "Tell me, Ms. Sparkle, how do Nightmares work in this land? Do they serve a higher master or are they selfish in their endeavors?" "They're corrupted versions of ponies. Not sure exactly on their nature but there are many speculations. The most believed notion is that a pony falls under dark magic that leads them to negative emotions and desires," Twilight explained, partially shrugging through her explanation "Mere emotions lead to one's corruption?" Grimm rose a brow at such a silly notion as simply being negative to be evil. "Emotions are part of a creature's life. I see no reason how feeling any form of anger or sadness would result in one's corruption." Twilight shook her head, "Not in that way, it's letting those negative emotions control you that lead you to become a Nightmare. That's what happened to Princess Luna." "Oh? Surely a princess like her wouldn't dare let that happen," Grimm muttered, finding this topic most interesting about the younger princess that held such anger towards him. Twilight's tone got a bit more serious then, almost as if Grimm had stepped on a taboo subject. "Wrong. She got jealous that all the ponies would be thankful for Celestia's daylight and sleep during Luna's moonlight. She felt unloved and forgotten and it eventually consumed her to the point she tried to trap Equestria into eternal night." Grimm let his unnoticeable lips form a scary smile, almost enthralled at the idea of this Nightmare Moon. "Perfect for the scarlet fire to reign freely across the land. A shame I could not meet this version of the princess soon enough. She could have been useful for the Hearth." Twilight stopped before turning to the troupe master with shock and anger in her eyes, "She wasn't the same after that, Grimm! She became the very opposite of who she is right now that made ponies hate her for a thousand years. Her own sister had to banish her to the moon for said thousand years to keep Equestria safe. It's only now that she is welcomed and loved." Grimm placed one of his hands on his heart before his eyes closed and his smile disappeared, "Forgive me, Ms. Sparkle. I was only expressing myself in a humorous manner. I didn't mean any of it. No matter if Luna personally objects to my existence, I will gladly give her my sympathy." Twilight's features relaxed, sighing that she had let herself somewhat vent at the Nightmare King, who was probably enjoying the negativity already, "Grimm, I have to ask, how did you become a Nightmare?" This time, it was Grimm's turn to look stupefied and astonished by such a question. His eyes dulled slightly while he began fiddling with his cloak. What was his life before he became the vessel for the Nightmare Heart? He was a moth, so was he part of the Moth tribe of Hallownest? Grimm found himself unable to answer Twilight's question as he only found himself looking into blurry memories. "I....I do not know. All I remember is becoming the sole vessel for the Nightmare Heart. But it does not matter as that could be many ages ago since then. I have my purpose," the dark moth uttered in a low tone Twilight felt a pang in her heart for having not only talked down the Nightmare King but also causing him to realize that he had no memories of his past. Ghost could at least remember everything he saw in Hallownest, and she would need some more info on how he was created, but Grimm had little memories. Yet, he acted like he didn't need his past. "Grimm, I'm sorry for asking about your past," the purple unicorn softly spoke before putting a hoof on Grimm's leg to give him some sort of comfort. Grimm hummed at the apology before continuing to walk down the path. There were trees all around them now, boxing them in on a single dirt path. The sunlight darkened as its rays were blocked by the shields of leaves. While the duo traveled, a young tree stood out from the massive bodies around it. It was still quite young but it rose just above Grimm's horns and had a sickly appearance to it. Grimm's eyes turned towards the young plant, walking over to it which diverted him from the path. Twilight stopped to wonder what Grimm was going to do with such a young tree before she gave a gasp as it caught on fire. One of the Nightmare King's hands was out and had snapped before the flames occurred resulting in his involvement with the burn. "Grimm! We need to put out the fire or the entire forest will be on fi-," Twilight began to panic before a single finger silenced her lips After a minute of burning, which surprisingly didn't spread to the grass and other trees, Grimm snapped his fingers again to reveal the young tree was now a lantern. Four branches formed a claw-like design, reaching upwards as if to snag at the heavens above. The whole lantern was charred black but the wood looked clean and healthy compared to its former self. The interior of the lantern was hollowed out and opened for some sort of purpose. "Such youth should not be extinguished for it has not reached its potential. Now, I have given this tree a purpose to the Nightmare Heart. Even a discarded thing, whether creature or plant, can dream," Grimm uttered with satisfaction, snapping his fingers again as the lantern disappeared in a mist of red He turned back towards the purple unicorn to find her staring at him in amazement. She hadn't seen much use of pyrokinesis other than the few displays from Princess Celestia. The fire that Grimm released did not feel like welcoming flames, but more of flames that wanted to swallow everything in sight. All that in a snap of Grimm's fingers. What more could he do with a simple snap? Not even a hint of magical aura was visible on his hands when he snapped unlike those that formed around unicorn horns. "Ms. Twilight, I hate to be rude, but you're staring at me too long for my liking. Shall we head to your friend's residence?" Grimm said, wanting to get a move on with this meeting so he could return back to other matters. Almost as if he had something coming to mind shortly after making the lantern. Twilight stayed silent for a few moments before giving a nod, resuming back down the path with Grimm in tow. The rest of the way was silence between the two as neither Grimm gave an explanation as to why he made a lantern nor Twilight wanting to know the process. The duo finally got to a wooden cottage that was nestled comfortably next to a source of water. A small bridge allowed for anyone to cross the small body of liquid without getting their limbs wet. The sound of animals could be heard if one listened intently enough. Clearly, the owner was attuned to nature from just the location alone. It almost reminded Grimm of how peaceful Greenpath was without the infection. The memories of the many that had fallen showing lush nature growing predominantly without too much intrusion. Twilight took the initiative to knock on the door softly. Grimm stared at the door expecting this Fluttershy to open the door with some sort of comment about his appearance. What he got instead was a quick glance of a yellow pegasus mare before the door shut immediately. Twilight knocked again, the door opening once more with the pegasus mare taking one glimpse of Grimm before shutting the door. "Fluttershy," Twilight began, "He's not going to hurt you. Despite his appearance, he isn't violent." The door creaked open with the yellow mare's blue eyes looking over at Grimm hesitantly before turning to Twilight, "Um ...if you say so." Fluttershy opened the door fully and walked out to get a full view of Grimm. He looked down at the yellow Pegasus, bending down and extending one of his hands towards her. His scarlet eyes peered into Fluttershy's blue, "A pleasure to meet you Ms. Fluttershy. You'll find I am not aggressive towards anyone. Master Grimm, leader of the Grimm Troupe. At your service." Fluttershy hesitantly shook Grimm's hand with her hoof finding it quite warm to the touch, "Are you a bat? A bug?" "Oh no, I am a moth. Where I come from, bugs have sentient minds and don't devolve to base instincts. At least, they used to." The troupe master replied, "It's easy to mistake my appearance." Twilight looked content that nothing had gone wrong with this small exchange so far. Taking a pen and paper with her magic, she began to make small notes for later. Then a thought came to her head, "Oh, Fluttershy, why don't you tell Grimm about the animals you take care of? I think he'll find that interesting with how many animals you take care of." The yellow pegasus bashfully looked away, "I don't like to brag, but I do have an affinity for many animals. Much more than all the ponies in the kingdom. They consider me their only friend." The Nightmare King's eyes glowed bright at Fluttershy's self-description. How perfect of a creature to care for the child...for the ritual. "Do you now? Then can I entrust you with something I hold most dear? He shouldn't be a problem with you and even I can't take care of him all the time. A small drawback to my form of existence if my need to perform certain..tasks..to prolong my lifespan." This perked Fluttershy to look at Grimm without any sort of fear, instead of being replaced by curiosity and wonder. Twilight didn't mention anything about more animals or even children for that matter. Did Grimm keep this a secret until he found someone trustworthy to the task. "Where is he? He isn't a huge animal is he?" "No, he is not. He can be a curious little one. But, from what I have heard, you can handle him quite easily." Grimm let one of his hands-free of his cloak before snapping. The mares would find a gathering of red mist in front of them before it formed a solid base. A bug about a fifth of their size, dragonfly-like, appeared. It was similar to Grimm but the colors were dulled out, sporting only grey and black. Its eyes were pitch black, almost void-like. Four thin strands formed its wings, flapping lazily to maintain altitude over the ground. It let out a little sound that sounded something quite youthful. Fluttershy's eyes sparkled as the Grimmchild came towards her and nestled itself into her mane, "He looks like you." The troupe master could only chuckle, "Yes he does. Take good care of him for his future will be bright under your care, if you so choose. His potential will be great so nurture him well." "I will, I promise you that," Fluttershy smiled at the towering bug, earning another bow from him before he turned away "Ms. Sparkle, I believe it is time that we go back," Grimm stated with some ominous tone Twilight cocked her head to the side with a questioning look, "We just got here and you want to leave already?" "Only for this meeting. There are a lot of things on my mind, and probably in my companions. Especially one intrusive princess trying to probe his," Grimm narrowed his eyes seemingly at the sky for now reason. Oh she was a bit of a crafty one but he knew Luna would try such a manner ever since the first time. Both mares' eyes widened at this revelation, "Princess Luna was in Ghost's dreams? How did you kn-" "I'm a Nightmare. Just as she can visit other dreams, I too can visit. My bond with my companion allows me easy access while she has to force her way in. Too bad she made a messy trail behind her, amateur." The Nightmare King answered back, "Make sure you write her a letter about that before I deal with her myself. This will be my first and only warning." Before Twilight or Fluttershy could respond, Grimm had dissolved into a fine red mist that dispersed quickly. Both mares blinked for a couple of moments until Fluttershy spoke, "Since you're here, would you like to help me with the animals?" Twilight gave a smile and a nod before proceeding inside Fluttershy's cottage. Later that night... Grimm appeared in the middle of Ponyville with the improvised lantern in one of his hands. He inspected the ground to be sure it was firm enough to hold the lantern without fail. Once he felt satisfied, he plunged the lantern into the ground causing it to flash with a red light. The ground around it scorched into black color and held the lantern upright. Grimm let his crooked smile form on his face while dusting off his cloak with whatever dust he had accumulated. Even discarded can dream. See what the ritual brings. "One last touch," Grimm mused, snapping his fingers once more The lantern turned back into a normal tree while the ground also returned to normal. Perfect, the ultimate disguise until the Night of Nightmares arrived. All he had to do was wait and the grandest performance would commence. Whether or not Princess Luna heeded his warning would not matter after tomorrow. The ritual would commence.
Hollow Knight: Soul and Magic	Nightmare's Night Part 1	It had been at least a few days since Ghost and Grimm arrived in Equestria and already things seemed to be turning. Grimm had secluded himself after he had met Fluttershy, not wanting to speak with anyone for some reason. Not even Ghost knew what the Nightmare King was up to and Twilight had no reason to assume bad intentions. None of the locals had a clue of the whereabouts of the troupe master. Luna had visited Ghost a couple more times while he slept despite the warnings Grimm made Twilight right in her letters. Luna either hadn't taken Grimm's threats seriously or felt confident she could fend him off in the case he followed up. Ghost hadn't been able to meet Rainbow Dash yet, but her statue seemed to hint at what she looked like. A statue of Luna and Celestia were visible now, but Ghost relented from challenging them. A little more time to get used to Equestria and he would challenge them even with Godseeker demanding that he challenge them at this moment. Speaking of which, he found his new cloak to be quite comfortable and fitting. Rarity had done an incredible job with making almost an exact replica of Ghost's original cloak. Of course the fashionista took her spin on it, making it quite long where it reached past Ghost's knees. Instead of the dull dark grey, it was replaced with a brighter white color. She also added some swirls into the cloak and put in various pockets to hold Ghost's items when he wasn't using them. A very handy piece of wardrobe. The past couple of nights had also been quite long for the vessel. While Grimm was on a sudden absence, Ghost had found himself assisting the residents of Ponyville to get acquainted with the populace. The ponies didn't mind his help and some of them even requested his aid for additional days, but there were a few that preferred the vessel didn't get himself involved. Celestia had even requested Ghost come to Canterlot to serve as a part-time guard during a diplomatic meeting. He refused kindly since he had too many other odd jobs to fulfill and his presence alone would make other kingdoms very suspicious. A void entity like him would probably cause outrage or a war since he was made of death itself. But now Ghost looked around a Ponyville that had set up many activities for their Nightmare Night festival. He already saw ponies dressing up in various forms that Ghost had no idea what they were. He never saw things such as chickens, witches, or even goblins. He recognized a few ponies trying to look like bugs, but that's all he could see. Stands of food, candy, and merchandise were all set up for this evening. So this was what creatures did for a festival. A single tap on his leg broke Ghost's concentration. He looked to his side to find Twilight dressed up as some sort of robed pony with a fake beard. The robe itself practically covered her entire body besides her front hooves and head paired with a large hat. Ghost rose a brow at Twilight's choice of a costume and she looked at him expectantly. Ghost was silent as he studied the costume up and down, but never gave an answer. "Do you not know who Starswirl the Bearded is?" Twilight finally asked him with disappointment in her voice Ghost gave an annoyed sigh in response, "Twilight, I've only been here a few days and you expect me to know Equestrian history front to back?" "Have you not been listening when I give you those lessons at night?" Twilight questioned further Ghost sweatdropped, "I...kinda fell asleep all those times." Ghost was laying on his temporary bed with his face into the pillows. Next to him was Twilight spouting off something from a textbook she had in her house. Ghost wasn't paying attention due to today's activities involving hauling a lot of apples due to Big Mac feeling under the weather. Then it was acting as a literal scarecrow which was a killer on Ghost's knees and finally, assisting Rarity with a new line of clothing she gained inspiration for. "And that is Equestria's history in a nutshell. Any questions?" Twilight suddenly said, making Ghost only give her a thumbs up before falling asleep Twilight's face made a pout but she let it go once she remembered how much Ghost was trying to fit into Equestria considering where he had come from. Her eyes looked around the festival to see the locals enjoying themselves. Ever since Twilight helped Luna get more in touch with modern Ponyville, Nightmare Night has been great. Speaking of Luna.... "Twilight Sparkle, Ghost, is it not a good night for the festivities?" the Lunar Princess said as she landed next to them She looked around for a few moments as if expecting someone to appear, "Where is the Nightmare King? I would expect him to be joyful tonight." Ghost and Twilight shrugged in response as the former responded, "He disappeared a couple days ago. I haven't seen nor talked to him since he met Fluttershy." "A shame. I was hoping to speak with him," A good amount of the locals gathered around something planted in the center of town. When Ghost looked over to see what they were looking at, his eyes widened to find a Nightmare Lanturn. He swore there was a tree there and not a lantern that could summon the Grimm Troupe. It's black claws reaching upwards as if attempting to grab whatever was above it. There was a bit of red essence slowly pouring out of it as well. "Twilight, where did that lantern come from?" Ghost questioned, grabbing the unicorn by the shoulders with a serious look on his face, which was just his normal expression Twilight recalled her time with Grimm and the tree he had turned into said lanturn. He had used his magic to create it and now it was in Ponyville, "Grimm made it." As if on cue, the sound of an accordion could was being played in a tuneful song. One that was recognizable to Ghost but to the average creature, it sounded like a circus melody. The lantern seemed to glow brightly but was still unlit until a brief red smokescreen appeared. Forming from it was Grimm, arm drawn back as if ready to strike the lanturn. With one swift movement, he struck the bottom of the lanturn. Sparks flew off from Grimm's attack and latched themselves onto a small pile of coal. The sparks seemed hot enough to start a scarlet flame, igniting the whole lanturn. It was encased in flames so bright that one could feel its warmth from a great distance. The crowd of ponies let out a collective gasp as the lantern illuminated Grimm. His features appearing more threatening and scary than ever. The Nightmare King stared into the flames for several moments until he turned towards the crowd of ponies with the accordion still playing in the foreground. His scarlet eyes were so bright that it rivaled the lantern behind him. "Good evening, my little ponies. Tonight I have prepared a special performance for you. Feast during this beautiful evening, decadence, no madness - all this should be familiar to you, the inhabitants of the lasting kingdom of Equestria." Grimm began with a bow as the lantern behind him seemed to roar with fiery light, "But what if you add a little flame to this romantic landscape? The flame, which will start to grow from one small scarlet spark, and engulf the minds of all living things? Let's not waste any more time. I introduce myself as Master Grimm and my troupe!" Upon this declaration, the fiery light exploded as the night was filled with scarlet fire. The ponies around Grimm began to cower and run away. The moon became blood red as cloaked figures rushed out of the fires being spread by the lantern. Their masks bore little resemblance to Grimm but they did have a dark aura about them. Small, medium, and large versions of these cloaked figures spread about Ponyville. Their cackling only terrifying the local residents while the troupe master watched without a word. Luna was staring at the whole scene playing in front of her before a scowl formed and her horn lit a dark blue, "Nightmare King, your facade ends here!" Grimm was preoccupied with looking after the Grimmkin, who were searching the whole area for any flames, to pay attention to a rapidly approaching Lunar Princess bent on taking him out. It was only when he felt a blast of energy impact him from behind that he turned towards Luna, "Ah, Princess of Dreams, I was hoping you would show up. Isn't it beautiful? My Grimmkin collecting the flames of your kingdom to f-" Her answer was another blast of energy that Grimm swiftly blocked with his cloak. He narrowed his eyes at her, slowly circling the Princess with one arm in front of him and one arm behind him, "Rude. I would think a princess like yourself would find my scenery appealing." "By letting out more Nightmares and terrorizing my subjects?" Luna spat back, her wings were unfurled and she didn't look like she would accept Grimm's explanation Ghost finally snapped out of his stupor before turning to Twilight, "Twilight, get the rest of the Elements of Harmony, this is going to get ugly very fast." Twilight gave a nod before she ran off to gather her friends. Ghost, meanwhile, drew his nail and slowly approached the brewing fight. He stood beside Luna before narrowing his eyes at the Nightmare King, "Grimm, what are you planning?" The corrupted moth only smiled his crooked smile but still had his guard up, "Why, my ritual of course. This land is teeming with essence that the Nightmare Heart needs to prolong itself. In fact, I felt so much essence here that I believe the Heart could feast for eternity. Of course, that requires that Nightmare Night stays for eternity too, which means..." "Putting Equestria in a perpetual loop," Luna finished, a threatening tone hidden under her calmness "Bingo! I knew you were as smart as you looked Princess, but I have no time to idly chat. The Heart has come, and the feast shall begin! Behold the night that shall never end, the longest show in all of history." The more fiery red mist spouted out of the lantern as a series of tents materialized behind Grimm. The troupe master retreated inside them as his Grimmkin floated around Ponyville. Two large bugs stood outside the tents harmlessly, looking around them with neutral expressions. A bipedal bug that was quite muscular was playing the accordion at the entrance of said tents. Luna was ready to go after the Nightmare before a hand stopped her, "Princess Luna, I don't think you are capable of taking on Grimm on your own. Let me at least help." The Lunar Princess looked at Ghost before giving a nod, "Yes, you are right. We should wait for the Elements to properly banish Grimm from Equestria. I trust that you know his weaknesses and how to best him in combat." Her statement got a concerned look from Ghost which confused the Princess, "What is the matter? Do you care for the Nightmare's safety after what he is trying to accomplish?" "Yes," Ghost admitted, "I don't think Grimm is exactly at fault here. Call me crazy, Princess, but Grimm wouldn't want this land to be stuck in a loop. It's the Nightmare Heart that wants him to do this. He's just a vessel, following the orders of the being he holds within him." Luna had a look of disbelief as Ghost explained himself, "Being a Nightmare is a choice. He made his and he must pay for it. I too once was a Nightmare because I had let my emotions control me. I paid my penance but now it is the Nightmare King's turn." "Maybe on your world, but in mine, some of us didn't have a choice. Some of us were made out of forces you consider evil without our permission. Events we had no control over that forged us to what we are. I will help you defeat him but I will not let you banish him," Ghost stoically held his ground by planting his nail stubbornly into the ground It was then that the two were joined by the Elements of Harmony. Ghost recognized five of them while the last one was still an enigma to him. A bright blue pegasus with a unique rainbow mane. They all were staring at the large red tents that had appeared out of the ether instead of speaking. The bright red tents that were daring the outsiders to enter. "The Elements of Harmony are here, good. We will take down the Nightmare King and banish him back to where he belongs," Luna stated, much to Ghost's protest against her intentions, "It does not look like we will have to fight the smaller Nightmares thankfully." "What in tarnation are they?" Applejack questioned as she saw one of the smaller Grimmkin moving about the town and searching every square inch with a wooden staff with a single spark of scarlett flame on top "Grimmkin, servants of Grimm. They collect the fires of kingdoms mainly the dead spirits or lingering Nightmares. They won't harm us unless we try to take their flames from them," Ghost explained, grabbing his nail and placing it on his back again Luna was confused by this explanation, her eyes following the Grimmkin Novice that was searching through trash bins, "They collect nightmares as well? What for? Wouldn't it be more productive to leave the nightmares alone?" Ghost turned towards the tents before walking towards them, "Let's just say that the Nightmare Heart hates competition." As the party went towards the tents, Grimmchild poked out of Fluttershy's mane out of curiosity. The little bug began sucking in a lot of air which seemed to be filled with red essence and gulped it down. The little bug let out a small burp before burrowing back into its caretaker's mane. Speaking of Fluttershy, she was shaking and sticking right next to Applejack for security. "Whoever we are going to fight, he's got an awesome circus! It would be twenty percent cooler if he went all black," the rainbow maned pegasus stated in her tomboyish voice "Dash, I highly disagree. Grimm has better tastes than a pure dark look. Too bad he didn't get to see the cloak I made for him. He would have looked fabulous in it," Rarity replied The party stopped in front of the muscular bug that held a makeshift accordion that looked a lot like a bug. He said nothing as they looked at him. He only played his bug-like accordion while moving side to side. He wore a mask similar to the Grimmkin but he stood out quite a bit from the others. "Fancy instrument you got there, can I play it?" Pinkie Pie asked with an outrageously large smile The figure continued his playing and movement as if not hearing Pinkie directly, "Mmm...Speak to Master." "But I was asking you." the pink mare emphasized by poking the bug's chest "Mmm...Speak to Master." the bug reaffirmed without missing a beat Ghost grabbed Pinkie by the scruff of her neck before she got into a back and forth, "Don't try with Brumm, he'll say that phrase until you get annoyed." The party continued inside the tent where the lights now dimmed. It was still quite bright thanks to the multiple scarlet torches arranged inside the tent. Now they were walking down a long hallway towards the main chamber. Said chamber was completely void of light unlike the rest of the structure. But as they approached, a drumroll began to play and spotlights were moving about the chamber. When they entered the chamber, the spotlights focused several feet in front of them were a flash of red essence occured. Grimm formed once more, giving his signature bow to the party that was only here to do one thing. "Ah, the whole entourage is here. I'm quite enamored more and more, Princess. Are all eight of you going to stop the ritual you so happen to be partaking in?" the Troupe Master chuckled while having his back turned towards them "Ritual? When were we par-You gave Fluttershy your child on purpose," Twilight was confused before she realized Grimm's previous actions, "This has to do with whatever you couldn't explain to me earlier." "Yes! Celestia's student is quite astute. Now is the time I give you the nature of the Heart of Grimm and my troupe. Ghost is quite aware of it since he was the last participant," the Nightmare King stated while slightly turning his head towards them Luna looked to Ghost with an accusing stare, "You participated in a Nightmare ritual? Did you not think of the costs?" Ghost held his hands up in defense as he found himself being in the crosshairs of Luna more than Grimm, "I didn't have a mind back then. I just accepted the task without question. That and my home was literally dead so there wasn't anyone I cared for at the time." "Yes, he is correct. Ghost played his part perfectly but now all of you will play yours. But first, a little poem or would you rather prefer song?" Grimm now turned to face the eight intruders "Oooh, a song! Let's go with that!" Pinkie Pie nodded vigorously "Pinkie!" her other five Elements criticized but it was no use, the pink mare had given Grimm an answer All light was extinguished besides the spotlights that shone over Grimm. A snap of his fingers made the whole chamber turn into a different scenery. Instead of red, the whole arena was now golden in color. Grimm was replaced with a simple looking young moth that stared up at the Radiance. Grimms voice could be heard as the party looked at the scenery before them. When flame burns bright inside one's mind Bright kin heed the call across lands and time A spark of red lights is the darkest dream Visions dance and flames do speak The moth suddenly turned towards a red flame that beckoned for it to follow. The moth did so despite the other moths trying to have him focus back on their sun goddess. The moth ventured outside of his home towards a darker side of the area. The moth so enraptured by the flame leading him that he didn't bother to question where he was. The flame entered the moth before the scenery disappeared. Grimm now approached the group as the music continued. In between his fingers was a small spark of flame. Grimmchild poked out of Fluttershy's mane despite the mare quivering at the approaching Nightmare King. The rest of her friends were ready for a fight but Grimm was not yet ready for one. Scarlet nightmares are so bright and wild Burn the father, feed the child The little flame Grimm held was sucked up by Grimmchild where the small bug doubled in size and now was flying above Fluttershy. Grimm led out a crooked smile before his song resumed. Your realm's a part of perpetual loop So prepare the stage and meet the Grimm Troupe! A snap of Grimm's fingers lit up the arena once more but with the group being surrounded by Grimmkin of various sizes. Instead of attacking them, the Grimmkin seemed to be situated like an audience about to watch an act. They floated there staring at the eight fighters that would go against their master. Hanging lamps were filled with scarlet fire as the whole chamber now felt like a stage. Grimm held one of his arms in front of him while backing up slowly from the group. "Dance with me, my friends. The crowd awaits. Prove that you are worthy of a starring role," Grimm uttered as the audience now were murmuring "Are we stars in a performance? A dance no less?!" Rarity's eyes glittered at the thought of being the star in front of these Nightmares, despite the fact that Grimm was not looking like he was dancing at all Ghost drew his nail and readied himself for Grimm to make the first move. Luna, Twilight and Rarity had their horns glowing with their magic. Applejack crouched low with her forehooves in case a sneak attack was coming. Rainbow Dash was flying above the group with her hooves tapping together, ready for a brawl. Pinkie Pie disappeared offscreen, like, no seriously, she somehow got into the black borders of the scene. Fluttershy shook off her fear for the moment and gave Grimm...the Stare! The Nightmare King blinked a couple of times as he was feeling like someone was trying to scare him, but failing to do so. He drew his front arm back before slashing towards the group. Ghost went in front of the attack to block it with his nail and parried the second strike. But it was when Grim went into the air and rained down scarlett fire below him. A magical barrier protected the group as Grimm reappeared on the other side of the arena. Ghost expected him to open his cape to fire off scarlet bats or cause the floor to erupt in spikes. He was not expecting Grimm to slash the ground, causing the ground to shockwave towards the group with pillars of fire erupting afterward. This forced the group to seperate or they would all be either hit by the shockwave or the fiery pillars. Multiple magical blasts were fired back at the Nightmare King, bouncing off of his cape pitifully. Grimm's cape struck into the ground as spikes appeared in half of the room. Within a split second, Ghost sprang forth and slashed at Grimm before the spikes sprang upward. While the ponies seemed to have no effect on him. Thankfully his strike caused the other vessel to break apart into many smaller bats before reforming. "Ready yourselves," Luna warned the Elements of Harmony while preparing to defend herself Ghost put his nail in a defensive position while he awaited Grimm to strike once more. It was clear that Grimm had learned a few moves compared to their previous fight. He squinted his eyes as a bright light shone behind him to the point of blinding him. Grimm raised a brow as the Elements of Harmony began to float in the air before an energy fired from them. An rainbow energy impacted Grimm and sent the Nightmare King back several feet. By the time the blast ended, he was shaking in weakness. However, all the ponies were surprised that the vessel had not been encased in stone nor banished to the Nightmare Realm. "What is this sorcery? The Elements failed?" Luna questioned, a bewildered expression visible on her face A laugh began in the tent as the Grimmkin audience clapped in approval. Grimm disappeared in a puff of red smoke before appearing in front of the ponies with his eyes glowing brighter, "Ah! So you did not disappoint me as I hoped. Good, but this was merely a dance, the true fight will begin." A snap of his fingers and Ghost's Dreamnail was yanked from his cloak to Grimm's claw. The vessel inspected the ancient weapon closely, feeling the warmth of dream essence filling it. He began to leak Nightmare essence into the weapon. A red beam was produced that flickered like fire so violent that it almost burned the face of the wielder. "A beautiful weapon, but it holds a grand purpose for tonight," Grimm uttered as he stabbed the floor with the Dreamnail The whole arena shook like an earthquake before bright lights blinded all the inhabitants. When their sight returned, they were in front of Godseeker who looked quite confused by their sudden appearance. "We see thee have brought many crin-...Oh, Goddesses of Harmony," the Godseeker murmured before bowing before the ponies "What is she talking about? We aren't gods," Rainbow Dash questioned to everyone, expecting an answer No one answered as Luna shook a bit, feeling an overwhelming power in the area. A red flash of energy sparked in the sky before a large cocoon-like structure appeared with features that looked like multiple faces. A split opened up as the figure of Grimm was noticeable, burning scarlet fire seeping out of the cocoon. "This is it, The Nightmare King himself," Luna said in a whisper as fire engulfed the area and scarlet eyes opened
Hollow Knight: Soul and Magic	Nightmare Night Part 2	The area was becoming scorched in scarlet flames as the figure of Grimm slowly floated towards the group. Unlike his previous form, the Nightmare King replaced many of his dark colors with various shades of red and his sharp edges were sharper. The horns on his head extended further and the aura he gave off was one of fear and rage. Either the King of Nightmares was this powerful or Godhome allowed him to have no shackles. "The Elements worked before, they should work again," Twilight said aloud, looking towards her friends to confirm her plan Before they could focus and blast the Nightmare King with their beam, they found themselves suddenly yanked into the ground. Scarlet appendages held the six Elements down as the Nightmare King began his attack. Teleporting close to the remaining two combatants then taking a swing at them with his sharp claws. It was practically the same attack from earlier but faster and more orbs of flame fired. Thankfully the orbs weren't aimed towards the Mane Six. Since they were currently incapacitated, the Nightmare King focused on the only combatants that could hurt him directly. He reappeared above them before dive bombing with a trail of flames behind him. Luna and Ghost avoided the attack but were unable to land any counter attacks. The Nightmare appeared away from Ghost and Luna before opening his cape to fire double the amount of fire bats. They were easy to avoid thanks to their pattern and Ghost took the initiative to land a strike. Jumping through a gap in the attack to slash at the Nightmare King before he disappeared. His attack did little damage but it was damage on the being at least. The Nightmare appeared above the duo once more before the ground beneath them began to glow in scarlet flames. Ghost's eyes widened before he pushed the Princess out of the way to tank the full hit. The flames themselves covering his entire body and seering his void body. What nerves he had were on overdrive with the amount of pain he was feeling at this very moment. Enough to force Ghost to his knees before using some Soul to heal himself. "The Nightmare King is clearly toying with us. From what tales I have heard about powerful Nightmare entities, they could corrupt us if they truly wanted to," Princess Luna commented, her horn glowing brightly as she braced herself for an attack Ghost finished healing the damage he had taken, readying his nail to block or strike, "That's not how the Nightmare King works. We're only continuing his ritual whether we like it or not." "Come again?" the Princess questioned "This fight we are in is to simply destroy his old body to replace it. Death and resurrection tied in one. Dance, die, and live forever," Ghost said simply before he saw red mist form ahead of them On cue, the Nightmare King charged at them immediately with slashes. Ghost blocked each slash quite expertly giving Luna an opportunity to fire a magical beam. Being so close, the beam had hit the Nightmare in the face. Recoiling in pain, he disappeared only to reappear and fire off another volley of fire bats. Luna put up a magical shield in front of them both but unlike Grimm's previous form, the fire bats caused several cracks within the shield before breaking it entirely. The intensity of the attack was enough to temporarily send the princess back. Ghost had not time to check on her since the Nightmare King began sending fire orbs in every direction. Dodging and weaving through the barrage of flames, Ghost unleashed a Shrieking Abyss. The attack was enough to cause the Nightmare King to split into multiple bats like his lesser form but it only lasted for a second before he rematerialized. Ghost had faced this god before, but clearly the Nightmare King had gathered much more strength. Before, Ghost was the main catalyst to the ritual which allowed him an easier fight. Now, he was facing the Nightmare King when he had devoured much more essence in a magical land. While Ghost continued to square off with the Nightmare, Luna got back up with a grunt. She turned towards the Mane Six and used her magic to dispel the scarlet tendrils holding them down. "Princess Luna, are you alright?" Twilight Sparkle asked with concern The Lunar monarch gave a nod before turning towards the fight, "I am fine. But the Nightmare King is quite strong, possibly too strong for me." Rainbow Dash looked ready to brawl with the Nightmare King by taking a few practice punches with her hooves, "Once we hit him hard enough, he'll go down just like the rest." Luna was silent but gave a nod. Twilight and her friends made their formation by linking their hooves together and blasting harmony at the Nightmare King. Ghost jumped out of the way since he had no clue if it would have an effect on him. The beam struck the Nightmare King but it didn't look like he was being sent into the Nightmare Realm. Instead, red mist poured out of him for a moment and went out of the arena before he turned his attention to the group once more. "That didn't work, what else do we got?" Ghost questioned, having several scorch marks on his mask due to the attacks he was hit with "That's all we got besides brute force. How did the Elements of Harmony not work on him?" Twilight answered before looking towards her friends in confusion Godseeker had been silent while observing the fight in front of her until she heard the ponies question how their ancient relics did not defeat the Nightmare King, "Silly goddesses, the Nightmare King will not be defeated by such easy methods. Combat is the true way to defeat him. All thee has done is spread his Nightmare influence with your magic." What she said was true with the fact the Nightmare King continued his relentless assault of attacks on the group. The mist that had flown out of him made its way to the Hall of Gods before entering a specific statue. The blue mist combined with the red mist and the statue ignited with a fierce glow. The statue broke in an instant and the mist made its way up towards the arena. As the group fought, the moon in the distance had gotten closer before splitting open to reveal Nightmare Moon once more. Her appearance looked exactly the same except for two minor differences, her horn looked more like a spike and her armor was a darker violet. The fight between the ponies and the Nightmare King stopped as Nightmare Moon made her entrance. "I am free of that prison you have subjected me too. Hm, another Nightmare to take my place?" the tall alicorn questioned The Nightmare King narrowed his eyes towards Nightmare Moon before switching targets and firing scarlet bats at her. With the Nightmare Heart literally in the same area, the auras of both Nightmares were overflowing. Their nightmarish flames of night and scarlet clashing against one another while the combatants below could only watch. "Hm, it seems the essence of the Nightmare King has given rise to the Queen, fascinating," Godseeker uttered in awe Ghost looked at the two battling Nightmares before he turned to the Nightmare Heart. If Nightmare Moon was rejuvenated via the Heart, then what's to say that even with banishment, they won't come back? If Ghost had a chance in ending this before it got out of hand, then he would need to take out the Nightmare King. "Princess Luna, you and the Elements should leave. I'll end this right here," Ghost stated firmly, looking to Godseeker The religious bug knew what Ghost had planned before bowing. While bowed, the crest on her shell was glowing before a single beam fired towards Ghost. He caught it with his nail with the blade going from pale white to a bright yellow. He watched the Nightmares fight each other, sending attacks of flame or magic back and forth. He looked at his enhanced nail and felt the power within it thanks to the Godseeker. The power of the previous gods of Hallownest, a taste of the Shade Lord. His void eyes looking at his reflection on the weapon where his features seemed to warp into the multi-appendaged entity that he was in a previous life. He set aside that feeling and ran towards the embattled Nightmares. His nail was glowing quite brightly with the power he had received. He had begun to sprint to close the gap much faster while preparing to strike the nearest enemy. The Nightmare King had his back turned to Ghost while blocking several magical blasts from Nightmare Moon. he was unaware of the approaching attack behind him until he felt a slash hit his back. The empowered blade was enough to cause him to dematerialize into multiple bats once more. Nightmare Moon glared down at the Vessel but was answered with a Shrieking Abyss that sent her retreating for a moment. Both Nightmares appeared on either side of Ghost, firing their respective attacks at him. He jumped over the bats and blasts while using his Monarch Wings for extra mobility. He flew over the Nightmare King first before dive bombing him with a Descending Dark. The Nightmare King attempted to reposition but the attack landed as he teleported. Ghost found his target on the other side of the arena. The Nightmare King attempted to fire endless fire orbs at his opponent but forgot that Nightmare Moon was firing at him. The magical blasts were enough to force him to reposition again. He repositioned in the middle of the arena to set the floor aflame but his scarlet eyes only saw the shadow of a blade over him. Ghost's nail was brought above his head before dropping it down on the Nightmare King. With a combination of his previous battles empowering him and the void under his command, the weapon struck true. A deep cut was on the Nightmare King's chest which fired out scarlet mist explosively. The only sounds that were heard was an ear piercing shriek before the whole field flashed in scarlet light. The Nightmare Heart glowed as the figure of the entity dissipated. The leftover mist lingering the arena traveled over to Nightmare Moon and entered her form. Before anyone could raise a question to what was occuring, the arena faded. Everyone woke up to find themselves in Grimm's tent once more with the Troupe Master standing above them. He lost the extra red and went back to his darker exterior. "Well fought, well fought. I am quite impressed that you completed the ritual like that. Empowering your own blade and attempting to seal me away with the Elements of Harmony? Too bad only one of those worked out," Grimm said simply while extending a hand to Ghost Ghost warily grabbed Grimm's hand and was hauled upwards where the Grimmkin were gathered around. Luna and the Elements readied themselves for a fight, but were genuinely surprised when the Grimmkin clapped. With their stubby little cloth arms they clapped with approving expressions. "Did Ghost not kill you?" Luna questioned, looking around in confusion of the clapping Grimmkin The Troupe Master nodded, "Oh yes, I perished but was reborn with the Grimmchild. Such is my nature to die and reincarnate. Even with all of Hallownest's strength, my friend could not banish me. Neither could the Elements." "S-So...the Grimmchild was just another body for you?" Fluttershy asked hesitantly, noticing that Grimmchild was nowhere to be seen "Yes, shy one. It was a vessel." Grimm stood up and opened his cape to address the crowd, "The ritual is complete, return home my friends. I shall see you in a year's time." Just as they entered, a rip in the sky allowed the Grimmkin to float off and leave the ponies alone. The tent shuddered before dematerializing entirely, leaving the dirt of Ponyville untouched. Grimm closed his cape and the portal collapsed, the Nightmare Lantern going silent and lacking any flame. Luna turned to Grimm with a frown, "You attempted to put Equestria in danger to fulfill your own ritual. How could you do that to those who received you with decency?" The Nightmare chuckled before looking at Ponyville returning to their festival without the Grimmkin terrorising them, "Lunar Princess, I work differently than you. I simply had to be the catalyst to finish a necessity. If I had stood by and watched this wonderful night go along, I would be starving myself to death. Although, I feel.....different." "Different? How?" Ghost raised a brow while Grimm put a hand under his chin to think The Elements of Harmony had returned to Ponyville leaving Grim, Luna, and Ghost to watch over the town. Grimm looked at the moon while he thought on how to answer such a question. During his release to the Nightmare Heart's control, he felt a part of himself being absorbed into something, no, someone else. "I believe that I am now tied to another Nightmare. Why she tied herself to me, I have no clue. Something you two will have to question, although, I do admit that I find her action very resourceful," Grimm finally answered, "But let's not think on that. I believe I should leave for the festivities." Grimm disappeared in a puff of smoke and reappeared on top of Ponyville's town hall. The sound of music was playing once more for his liking. The ponies beneath him flinched, expecting the Grimmkin to invade once more, but were surprised when the Nightmare King began to sing again. "Shadows dream of endless fire. Flames devour and embers swoop." The lights around the town turned to scarlet red while Grimm began to play around with his pyrokinesis. Making various animals out of the orbs in front of the various ponies. Fear was replaced with awe as his song continued. "One will light the Nightmare Lantern. Call and serve in Grimm's dread Troupe." The flames came together to form the tale of the Grimm Troupe, the very first ritual to take place. A long tradition of gathering the souls of the dead to feed the Heart. The current master stuck in a perpetual loop of death and resurrection "Dance and die and live forever, silent voices shout and sing! Stand before the Troupe's dark marrow and burn away the Nightmare King!" The flames took the form of the Nightmare King fighting different combatants that looked like the Elements, Ghost, and Luna. Replaying the battle that had been done in Godhome for the ponies to see. Their victory now ending the night peacefully. Some of the colts and fillies began to ask Grimm to perform some other tricks in his sleeve. The Troupe master obliged them while the rest of the town performed their traditions. Various games, contests, and food being the main stars of the night. The moon becoming brighter with the happiness of the town. Grimm then looked towards a specific direction, staring directly to the borders of this realm before his eyes glowed red brightly, "Happy Nightmare Night." A snap of his fingers and the scene turned to darkness.
Hollow Knight: Soul and Magic	Chapter 8	The following couple of days had gone without much fanfare and no new threats seemed to have arrived since then. Since the incident on Nightmare Night, Princess Luna had effectively put Grim under house arrest until further notice. Much to the Nightmare King's chagrin, he was under house arrest in Twilight's home rather than any abode of his choosing. The reason? He and Ghost had been there temporarily and the dungeons were not an area he would choose. Especially with two, very angry, alicorns keeping an eye on him over his ritual...a ritual the locals thought of as a simple performance. "How much more of this boredom must I endure?" Grim grumbled to himself as he stared blankly outside the window. A book firmly in his hands but he could not even read the language of this land. Despite all the nightmares having been absorbed by the Heart, he learned nothing of substance. For such a primordial being, his knowledge was limited, which meant he had to learn in one way. The door in the room opened up suddenly with an enthusiastic voice of a purple unicorn behind it, "Are you ready for your first lesson on Equestria's customs, Grim? I am so glad Princess Luna gave me the opportunity to teach you about our history ." "The feeling is not mutual, Sparkle," Grim merely replied. He looked downwards to see that there were at least a few guards in front of the main door of Twilight's home. Did the Princess of the Night sincerely think a few equine guards were going to stop the Nightmare King? He could easily just turn into a swarm of bats and fly out of this tree to anywhere he so pleased. Why didn't he? "I don't see why I am getting roped into this," Ghost's voice spoke out as he entered the room. He did nothing wrong and he was being put under house arrest just as much as Grim. If anything, Ghost was the sole reason the Nightmare King didn't go overboard with his ritual practice and reincarnation. Twilight had an answer for that. "You did tell the Princesses that Grim was under your care. So by definition, you are responsible for his actions as much for yours. Plus, it was my idea to keep you here." "How come?" Ghost would have raised a brow if his mask could barely allow expression. "So I can document everything about where you came from and I'll share everything I have about Equestria. Consider this an official and recognized cultural exchange program." Twilight said Grimm muttered, "By being forcibly restricted to one location. The Princesses might as well have locked us up again." "In their defense, you two showed up out of nowhere and considering Ghost is made of the Void, locking you up would not have been on their minds. If it wasn't for the fact the Princesses found you harmless eventually, this is the best-case scenario." "Then where do you want to begin with?" Ghost questioned. His knowledge of Hallownest was limited to whatever his adventures had uncovered through his sole prerogative. Pieces of what Hallownest was like came to mind and he did know a decent amount about the Pale King, his father. Other than that, he only knew of the few bugs still left behind there and what was left over since the Radiance's infection. Twilight brought over several notebooks and pencils before looking expectantly at the duo, "What can you tell me about the Pale King?" "Ah yes, the Wyrm." Grimm mused "He was a dragon?" Twilight asked Ghost shook his head, "From what I gathered, he could change form. Supposedly, every 'dead' of his current form would lead to a new form taking shape. He had great power within him and is the reason why Hallownest was able to become the kingdom that it was. At one point, bugs all were under one influence and without any free thought but his intervention allowed society to spring from his power." Twilight scribbled a few notes, whispering lowly before looking upwards, "So...he was your ruler and god?" "Depends if you consider strength like that godlike," Grimm answered before snapping his fingers to produce a flame. "I have the power granted by me through the Nightmare Heart. The Pale King has his own strength that none truly know but his actions gravely angered the previous power before him. The Radiance everyone calls it." "I assume it was your enemy," Twilight murmured. The story seems to add up so far but the idea of a being changing forms after every death made her wonder if anyone had similar strength in Equestria. She wasn't confident either of the Princesses could do such a thing. "Please continue." "The Radiance was an ancient god of the moths. When the moths broke from her shining light, it was deeply wounded and enraged against the Pale King. It used its power to infect bugs in a trance-like state where they were no better than thralls. I had to kill many of them just to stop the Radiance," Ghost explained. Grimm nodded, "Indeed. that's how I was brought to Hallownest and met you. In a way, the Radiance made a red carpet for my arrival. How lovely of it to do so." Twilight scribbled a bit more while her mind was boggling at the idea of a god coming to take revenge. How astounding it must be and...how dangerous Hallownest must have been. "So your father angered a god and the citizens had to pay for it? What happened next?" "My creation. I should say, the creation of all Vessels," Ghost answered. "All other methods seemed to have failed and my father could not stay trapped in his palace forever. So..." "He made a deal with the devil," Grimm finished. "I had been using my ritual for quite some time then but it seems that even the Pale King so wisdom in using a Vessel. Bodies were made from the Queen while the Void filled the very essence and souls." "How many?" Twilight asked inquisitively "Thousands," Ghost answered. His eyes broke from Twilight's gaze as he could recall the many empty shells and masks just littering the graveyard. His estimate was way off but what did that matter? Silence befell the trio as even Twilight stopped writing. There was Ghost, Coo, and a mention of a Hollow Knight. That was three named Vessels that came to mind, but did that mean the rest of the Vessels were gone? Dead? Corrupted? She considered just avoiding the question altogether but something nagged her to ask. "Where are they now?" Ghost's answer was as bad as it seemed, his lifeless void eyes looking back at Twilight's purple. "Gone." Everfree The day was bright and the birds merrily chirped amongst the trees. Squirrels roamed amongst the ground to search for fallen nuts or anything edible to store. The grass waved to and fro while the clouds littered the sky above them. The occasional insect searched for its next meal while predators kept to themselves. But unfortunately for all these creatures, one other had seemed to arrived to their environment. Staggering one step at a time with labored breathing while scanning for any form of shelter. It had no idea had it arrived here but it remembered being chained up with the most traumatizing pain coursing through its body. It had done this for the sake of the kingdom...it's father's kingdom since the moment it had been created. Out of the thousands of its brethren that had been created, only this one was viable to contain the disease. It had been a powerful creation of the king, so powerful to stand higher than the knights. It was the perfect vessel...or so everyone thought. Deciding to rest against one of the trees, the figure used a sharpened sword as a makeshift crutch since its body was so close to giving out. Despite all of its strength, it had not stopped the infection nor did it even save the kingdom. It failed at everything it was supposed to be. A mind that should have not had the ability to think, a heart that had no warmth, no feelings of guilt or bonds to hold it back. Yet...it failed at all this. Did it...have a bond the Radiance exploited? It must have. The moment with the Pale King looking over Hallownest came to present itself before the being. No wonder it was doomed from the start. Just one moment, one moment to even have some semblance of a familial bond was enough to doom an entire kingdom. "Father...where are you now?" The figure gave a heavy sigh as his body leaned against the tree, the nearby creatures running in all directions as if it were devil spawn. In truth, they weren't far off. Despite the blessings and gifts given to it, the cloak it wore was battered and withering. The sword that it once used was cracked yet holding up strong despite the structural damage. One arm was completely missing due to the infection having corrupted it beyond saving. It could maybe use what little strength it had to repair it, but would it be worth it? What would the Pale King say at it's sorry state now? Would he be disappointed? Angry? Disown it like the rest of its brethren and look for a new heir? But, even worse, was there a Hallownest left to rule? Did the Pale King still live? All of these questions burrowing themselves deep inside the figure's mind as it looked towards the sky. It had never seen such a thing and it looked beautiful. Nowhere near the beauty of the White Palace yet it was beautiful nevertheless. As if on instinct, the figure reached out with its one remaining arm to no avail. It could not reach the sky but it still wanted to experience it nevertheless. Although, with its mind currently set on the sky, the figure noted that he felt quite strange in this new scenery. Energy flowed so easily through the land as if the Pale King's strength had spread far. Yet, this was not the Soul that it once knew. It seemed much more balanced and did not require the essence of creatures. Where did this come from? "Could I....use this?" It seemed so. It flowed so easily and without the figure to do much at all. With a small amount of meditation, a faint glow overlapped it and almost all of its pain began to fade away. Strength ushered itself back as the figure was able to push itself back onto its feet. It looked once more at the stub of its severed arm and considered using this energy to heal itself further but such an injury would unlikely be impossible to heal. That would require being in the presence of the Void. This land seemed unlikely to hold such a dark energy. So full of life without even a taint of darkness. It looked around itself once more to wonder what direction it should head towards. Whatever forest it was a part of, the figure had no clue where the exit was. Following the essence of this magic would not being useful either since it permeated everywhere. Whichever direction it went, it had to lead somewhere. So thus, it took a step forward with its regained strength and wandered in a random direction. But it would not be long for it to be stopped by a pack of timber wolves. Despite being an vessel made out of the Void itself, the wolves defiantly growled and held their ground. The figure got into a slightly crouched position with its sword pointed towards the pack as if awaiting an imminent attack. Instead, the pack of wolves began to circle around the being, gnashing their teeth and snarling to intimidate their intruder. However, only one party was going to walk away out of this alive. Whatever land it was on, it would create a tale of its own. This land would come to know this figure as... The Hollow Knight The past several hours wore through as Ghost and Grim were taught the basic alphabet of the Equestrian dialect. It was a lot easier than expected but considering one was a primordial being of Nightmares and the other Void-spawn, learning such knowledge was not impossible. However, the two were growing increasingly annoyed at Twilight's very methodical explanation of everything. Even to the tiniest of details when they were not necessary. "And that is the first lesson, courtesy of me." Twilight finished by closing the book with a proud smile. Oh joy was she going to go through Equestria's history and myths in the following days after learning a little about Hallownest. More questions still posed her mind but there were gaps of knowledge that could not be filled by Ghost. "Any questions?" "Not really, it's very straight forward unlike Hallownest and the lack of records before the Pale King," Ghost replied. Grim added, "Even the leftover souls of intelligent bugs hardly know. Quite a conundrum that is. Oh well, such is the ways of empires and kingdoms. They rise, they fall, and many take their place. I've seen so many in my travels." "Speaking of history," Twilight mentioned, her horn lighting up momentarily as a few books came off from the shelves. "Let's go over the early history of Equestria. I'm sure you'll find it fascinating." "Not like we have a choice in the matter." Ghost shrugged as he prepped himself for a long history lesson of Equestria. He was beginning to already miss not having a mind to think nor the ability to speak. Things were much simpler back then. But at least Equestria didn't have to deal with the Radiance.
Wings of Bravery	pre	Derpy only chuckled at her friend's tenacious spirit. "You'll have to catch up with me first!" The next thing Carrot knew, the pegasus had flew off. Earning a low growl from the panting mare. "Derpy I swear I'm never going to be your friend after-!" Carrot hoisted herself up out of the pile of dirt and dragged her hooves out of another puddle off mud. She cursed under her breath as she lost sight of the mail mare through the thick brush. "I am going to kill her!" Once she freed herself again from the trappings of the forest, she went after her friend. Following the same direction the pegasus flew in. Angered by her unwanted playfulness and the fact that she had agreed to this stupid doing. She blamed herself for being a curious cat herself. She'll never admit it, but her friend knew better. Carrot brushed the vines and overgrown branches out of the way, only to grow more agitated when an unsuspecting branch swung back and hit in her face. It left her in a star like daze which she shook off. With a stern look, she grumbled and moved onward. Not paying attention to her surroundings. "Derpy?" She stopped half way through her walk and looked behind her. Having heard the rustling of a few bushes. Looking confused she shrugged it off and continued on. Only to be stopped once again by the few ruffled sounds of grasses and a low gutter sound. "Who's there?" Silence. "Derpy, if it's you, come on out." Following the mare's command, a wooden paw stepped out of the green shadows. Not long, another timber like paw came out and before the whole creature revealed itself. Standing in front of the mare with it's head held low as it growled. Snarling and wanting like a predator entitled to it's prey. Carrot backed up with a frightened look staining her visage. Watching as more wooden wolves, that defied the biology of nature, revealed themselves onto her. Growls and snarls filling the atmosphere around them. There were a grand total of six.. All staring closely at the scared pony. Waiting for a chance of movement and provocation. Carrot bolted. Running and jumping ahead as she dodged the up rooted tree branches and onslaught of overgrown bush as adrenaline flooded her veins. The timber wolves dashed after her with all the instincts of a blood thirsty creature. Howling all the while. "Derpy!" she screamed. "For the sake of Mother Epona, answer me!" Carrot took a swift glance back to see the timber wolves on her tail. It was times like this where she wished she too was blessed with the power of flight.. She nearly tripped over a ledge before she managed to gain her footing. Twisting her hooves and path so she could lose them until they were out of her sight. She smiled when she saw her friend gorging on an abandoned honeycomb that was dripping with honey. Her face, sticky and stained with the sweet liquid. Carrot skidded to a stop. "Oh, Hey Carrot!" "You were here this entire time! I told you to hold up!" "I was-" "Don't worry about it! We gotta go!" The sounds of howls and growls could be heard close behind. "Are those-?" "Timber wolves!" Carrot exclaimed. Barely getting the words out through her hazy breath. Carrot wasted no time to grab her friend by the hoof and dragged her along with wings flapping. They ran through the over grown bush as they attempted to dodge the oncoming predators on their tails. The timber wolves, master of their environment, easily bypassed the over grown bush and uprooted roots with great skill. Jumping, dodging, and ducking smoothly like a perfectly animated film. They howled, signaling the arrival of two others. "Should we turn back?" Derpy asked. "We can't! There's too many of them!" Carrot panted. "We'll just be cornered!" "We don't even know where we're going!" "We never did in the first place! I'll rather be lost and safe than be ripped apart!" With that statement, they kept running. Not paying any mind to where they we're headed or the need to stop. The timber wolves were only a few feet behind. Ready to attack and pounce at any given moment. They had nothing to defend themselves with. Only a small dagger which did well against creatures of flesh and blood but not those who carried no such thing. "Ouch!" "Carrot?!" "My hoof!" Tangled thorn vines had latched onto her foreleg."At a time like this?" Derpy grabbed her under her hooves. Attempting to pull her out. "I gotcha Carrot." The pale mare hissed under her breath as the thorns scraped against her pale flesh. Tearing away the fur and staining the area red. "Gently Derpy! It hurts!" Carrot winced. The pain tightening around her leg. Shooting stabbing like tinges up into her sides. "Sorry! But I have to get you out of here!" Howls were heard close by and the two mares panicked. "Hurry up!" "I'm trying!" Before the rest could be dislodged from the mare's leg a timber wolf made its way towards them. It jumped up and broke through a few rotting roots that stood out. Demonstrating its strength. Something broke and the two mares could only watch as a tree came tumbling down on top of it. Splinters flew as few whimpers escaped from it before Carrot was freed. The timber wolf's flashy display, had earned itself an unwelcome end. Carrot's adrenaline neutralized the pain the thorns caused as they checked the outcome. The tree was old and its roots were rotting away. The same roots it broke through was the last support mechanism for the tree. Its recklessness causing the beast's demise. Multiple howls echoed nearby. "We can't stand around any longer." Carrot stated. Hearing the sounds. "We better go." "Right." Derpy agreed. Flying in after her. The wolves continued their chase. Hot on their tails and backs. The two, in their rashness, tumbled out of the thick brush of the Everfree. Rolling onto the ground after tripping over a thick, uprooted branch. "Are you alright?" "Yeah....just a bit startled. That's all." Carrot stood up on her hind legs. Brushing herself off. "Did they stop chasing us?" Derpy pointed towards the forest. "Look." Carrot's eyes were directed back towards the forest, where the timber wolves were gathered. They seemed puzzled as though something was off pointing about the two mares. The beasts looked at each other and with low growls, reached a decision to head back into the forest. Not daring to go any further. Where they bounded to it or perhaps something was amiss that only they could sense? Whatever the reason, Derpy and Carrot were relived to have them out of sight and gone for good. Shall they leave, they'll take a different route than go back into that forest again. "The castle of the two sisters." Derpy stated. Earning a slight confused look by Carrot until she saw the old building in the distance. Right over an ancient bridge. "Never been there before." "Neither have I." Carrot moved in front of Derpy. "Shall we?" and with a smile, galloped off. Crossing the old bridge that separated them from the crumbled building. Derpy followed in after her. The castle was an ancient relic of the past. Before the modern time of Equestria. Testament to the ruling sisters long life and their faults. It was still filled with books of all types, mainly diaries of the staff who use to work there, and the old statues, wares and utensils that was used to upkeep the now barely standing artifact. The poor castle stood as the fairytale story of the sun princess against the tyrannical Nightmare Moon. Her sister turned evil out of jealousy. Consequently being banished for the moon for a thousand years. It was destroyed in that ensuing battle. Now laying as ashes as to what bought forth Canterlot Castle. The two mares walked through the place as they took in the old sights. Walls were cracked and an alicorn statue a little distance away was half gone and limping over in debris. Old books were scattered, stain and torn. Disrespect to the literature of old. Had Twilight been present, she would have lost it. Light beamed in from up above as the entire top ceiling had been annihilated. Shining a welcoming brightness on the usually gloomy setting. Entrances to multiple dark halls lined the walls but Carrot felt no interest to walk into any of them. Derpy had wandered off again but she paid no mind. She winced at the sudden sting of pain and looked down at her wound that had begun to scab but was torn back open from the fall they had. She sat down and grabbed the small first aid kit out of her brown satchel and went to work tending to it. Putting a bit of alcohol to rid any chance of infection (the burning sensation causing her to hiss) and a band aid to protect it until it scabbed fully. Once she was done, her attention was directed over to the thrones of the two sisters. Marked over them was the torn, stained and faded tapestry of the rulers. Done in mideval style work. In between the two thrones however, was a large stone object that stood out. Pulsing through it like veins, was blue lines. Derpy stood in front of it. "What is that?" Carrot approached. "A door of some kind." she grew a smile. "I think we found it! The legendary door!" "It sure is strange. Still...I doubted that we would find it but I stand corrected." Vines and grass covered that round shaped object and ice covered its bottom. A blue mist radiated from it that felt of magic. Carrot stood next to Derpy. Both taking in the unimaginable sight. "If it is the legendary door..." doubt, still clouding her voice. "It wouldn't be the first time a legend has came true." Derpy rubbed her hoof against the stone door. "I wonder how you open it..." Derpy pushed herself against it. Grunting as the door did nothing special nor open. She gave it a few more shoves but it did little to budge. She was beginning to gain a quickened breath. "It won't open. Does it need magic?" "Well if that's the case, we sure don't have any." "Than what do we do?" A lightbulb flickered over Carrot's head. "Knock." "Knock? What is that going to do?" "You never know. It's a door isn't it?" Carrot stood in front of the door. Positioning her hoof. "Sometimes the most complicated things..." Carrot knocked three times. "...require only a simple solution." The door's blue, pulses stood still and shined a beaming glow. As though something had just been activated. The door's slowly opened as the ground beneath it shook. The stone door turning inward as Derpy and Carrot was being blown back by large gusts of cold wind and snow. Having to squint as a portal showed. Derpy, going against all better instincts, ran in and long after, Carrot did the same. The blue hues on the door pulsed once more and the doors slowly closed shut. The structure beginning to fade away with the setting sun.
Wings of Bravery	Chapter V: The Arrival	"I-I-Its cold." Carrot chattered. Rubbing a foreleg against her front leg. "What is this place?" Derpy's eyes darted around the new found land as she took in the unfamiliar sights. Old buildings and relics laid collapsed and broken in on one another and old. Having been torn down from weather for years as cracks, moss and vines overtook them. Ripped and torn flags laid faded and marked by nature's touch with the rest of the infrastructure having already been consumed by full grown trees and matured bushes, some bearing thorns. "It's... "...quiet." Derpy interjected.. Her voice seemed to echo in the silence. "No birds, no chirping, no cooing. It seems as though all life have died." Carrot and Derpy begun to walk around, their eyes turning to see the scenery before them. The sky was aloof with a string of gray clouds that covered nearly every inch of the atmospheric borders. Occasionally, as the clouds rolled passed, dim strays of light would break through allowing some sort of warmth through but the surroundings were bitter. Not unbearable enough to cause hypothermia but cold enough that one would desire a pair of warm gloves for the hooves. "It seems like some desolate village..." Carrot spoke while grasping one of the torn flags in her hooves. "...or town. It seems that it was abandoned a long time ago." "A very long time ago." "The damage here couldn't have taken over night. How long has it been abandoned?" Derpy shrugged her shoulders. "I dunno. This place doesn't remind me of Equestria." Carrot looked up at a pony statue. "It sure does to me." she muttered. "Lets look around! Maybe we can find some cool things laying around!" "We can but I'm not sure..." "About what?" Derpy smiled. "Is there anyone here at all? Where exactly are we?" "Maybe Equestria?" Derpy stated as if it was obvious. Carrot gave her an annoyed look. "Why a door in Equestria lead us right back to Equestria?" Derpy shrugged her shoulders. "I dunno. Maybe it lead us to different place in Equestria." "You got a point there." "Come on! We should look around! Oh! Look over there!" And before the poor pale mare could react, her friend had darted over to look at some statues. "Carrot! Hey! Look at me!" Carrot trotted over towards her friend and gave a small chuckle at the too big helmet that she had on her head. "How you like it? Cool huh?" "Yeah it's cool Derpy. A bit rusted...and aged but hey whatever floats your boat huh?" "Now I look like this!" Derpy pointed towards the statue in front of them. The statue was that of a pony reared up on it's hind legs with a helmet on top of its head. Vines was wrapped across it and seeped through cracks that had formed out of long neglect and erosion. "Where you find the helmet?" "Not to far from here. I found it..." Derpy looked around speedily. "...over there!" She pointed to a building not far from them but still some distance away. "Did you go inside of it?" "No. The entrance was blocked by rubble but the helmet laid in front of it!" "Oh." Carrot looked the statue up and down. "Hey Derpy, come look at this." "What?" Carrot rubbed her hoof against the bottom of the pedestal and unveiled the plaque that peeked from underneath. "'In dedication to the great warrior Alex-'. It doesn't say anything more. The plaque words are faded and rusted. "Who's Alex?" Carrot shrugged. "Like I know and that doesn't seem to be the whole name. The rest is faded and damaged by wear. I'm beginning to wonder...is this place some lost civilization?" Derpy gasped loudly and shook Carrot violently. "Carrot! Carrot!" "What, what, what!" "Just think about it! It's just like the Daring Do books! Us the explorer trying to find an ancient and lost artifact only to awaken some great evil unto the world and we having to stop it! Just imagine!" "Well I would like to imagine that won't happen and I've never read any of them Daring Do books so..." Derpy gasped. This time in shock. "How could you?" "It's not my taste." Derpy felt as though a knife went through her chest. "Well I never..." Carrot paid her no mind and looked down at the barren ground and looked over to a clearing. "Hey, its a path." "A path?" "Yeah. Wanna follow it? Might as well since were here." "Sure, why not?" "Alright then. Let's go." The two mares followed the path which lead them shortly into a much more clear view than the dense foliage that seem to threaten to take over. The mares stopped and stood at the sight. The path led them straight into what was in the small distance a large city. The path itself was lined with once beautiful statues of multiple different races and a few small buildings. Grass grew alongside it and though vines and roots had begun to make it's mark, it was going to surely be a long time til' it could completely elope the city in its foliage. "Look at all these diffrent statues! I've never seen some of these creatures before! Carrot, you think you can name them all?" the pegasus flew up in front of one that had cloved hooves, large antlers and a small beard coming from underneath its muzzle. "How 'bout this one?" "I believe that that's a kirin." "A Kirin? Aren't those eastern like ponies?" "No. Their more like deer but are said to be descended from dragons." "Awesome! Oh, oh! How about this one? And this one?" Carrot gave a sighed but answered all of her questions on the different type of races that were presented in stone form. From kirin to equines, to even dare she say, griffons. Before long, they made way into the city which had to be a spectacular sight into the unknown. The city was larger than they both had expected and seemed largely untouched by mother nature. The plaza itself was of great space and the surrounding buildings reminded her of the architecture of the ancient Greecian Empire. Most of the buildings were of ornate detail, one building as such had upon it statues of multiple different races lined up together with an winged unicorn being in the middle. The roads and paths laid cracked and with small holes, some larger than others and the splendor of the infrastructures were largely neglected. Having upon them the age of dust, moss, vines, and the wear of weather. Ever still however, did it leave the impression of a mighty city, if not a kingdom. "Wow. Did not expect this." "Look at this! This is so awesome!" Derpy squealed. She sounds like Rainbow Dash. Carrot thought to herself. "Oh my gosh Carrot! Who knows what we can find and bring back to the others! Especially Twilight! We'll be celebrities! Showing them all types of rare and old treasures we found! Oh lookie here!" "Your right, I half wasn't expecting all of this. Anyway, if where going to look around we better do so together. So why don't we...Derpy? Derpy!" She was gone. Carrot saw her fly off in the far distance and gave a sigh. That mare has the attention span of a gnat I tell ya. Carrot, now lying abandoned by her friend, sought to look around the city by herself. She took in the sights, seeing as most was filled with an eerie air of tranquility. It was silent and little to nothing disturbed the atmosphere. No wind, no bird...it was desolate. Not a sign of life was to be seen nor heard. She decided to enter some buildings as the mere traveling of streets bored her. As she walked, she waltzed into what seemed to be a small neighborhood containing many residences. The houses were large and reminded her of the large abodes of the wealthy unicorns who trotted around Canterlot and it's near towns and cities but one thing that she noted was how the buildings resided on top of one another with staircases connecting them. Some of them laid crumbled and broken due to the heavy weight that trees, having rooted themselves on top of the structures, were putting down on them. She heard a crow and she looked up upon one of the barren trees to see a bird. It was a completely black saved for its...red eyes to which it had multiple of. "Oh my..." It looked at her and Carrot recoiled. I wish it would stop looking at me. "Shoo, shoo!" She said. Trying to scare the black thing away but to avail. It merely cocked it's head at her and squawked again. "Ugh." she grunted in defeat. She continued, ignoring the bird and made her way into one of the large homes whose door was off it's hinges. She was cautious as a large tree had created numerous cracks through the building. She watched as rubble came falling down from the ceiling from her place in the door way. "Hello?" Nothing responded as she entered. Their lied before her was a seating area consisting of three elegant sofas encircling a round table with a grand staircase in the back. She went further in and looked at the walls that had pictures depicting a family. They were dusted but remained in surprising good condition. She gazed at the portrait which had that of a pale blue male stallion with a white mane and beard stand alongside that of a pale pink mare. In front of the mare was a small colt, smiling cheesy. Carrot made her way upstairs carefully as the wood squeaked beneath her feet. She entered one of the rooms and looked up curiously to see numerous cracks that stretched all the way from the middle to the ends of the ceiling. the room was of the utmost elegance and was very large. A bed lied encompass by a long and elegant blue royal canopy and a large painted portrait of the same stallion that graced the family picture that Carrot saw downstairs, hanged upon the wall. The walls were aligned with bookcases and books and Carrot's eyes were caught by them. Just how old are these books? she thought to herself. She picked one up, blew dust off of the cover and read out loud the title. The Benefits and Downfalls of Oral Magic. "Oral? I've never encountered that type of magic before. I wonder if Twilight knows about it. How old is this book anyway? Lets see..." She flipped the first three pages to see if there was a publication date. She strained her eyes to read some of the faded words. "April....30...100 BC?" Carrot scratched her head trying to remember what those letters meant. "AC means After Coronation, the coronation of Celestia so BC would mean before the coronation of Celestia. Ugh!" she hit her head with her hoof. "Celestia has been in power for a thousand years so that would mean that this book is..." she gasped. "Eleven hundred years old?" Suddenly rubble begun to fall from the ceiling in great amounts and she looked up to see the the cracks in the ceiling slowly allowing light to peek through. Realizing what was happening she immediately dropped the book and ran out of the building as the home slowly caught into avalanche before her. Within just a few short minutes, she had found herself outside and panting. She watched as nearly the entire structure collapsed. Bringing with it the tree that had caused it and burying the ancient texts. "That...was close." she heaved. But she couldn't help but bemoan the fact that the books that she had thought to give to Twilight was now lost in destruction. Carrot made her way silently. The black bird that had saw her off before, with its multiple eyes had once again returned. This time following her. She tried to ignore it as she looked around the surrounding buildings and infrastructures. She couldn't help but notice the neatness and completeness of everything. Nothing seemed unmoved, touched but left traces that the residents, whomever or whatever they must have been, had seemingly paused in the middle of whatever they were going to do. She took note as how one home had foul food left in a bowel or how toys laid strewn across humble homes or how markets, some laying on the flatbeds that laid on top of buildings, had now spoiled food that had long turned either to dirt or mush. Their were bags of money left behind and various things that laid scattered about. It was as though there was a sudden rapture of the townsfolk or an urgent emergency had been called to evacuate. Carrot wondered all over the place with little to no contact with that of her pegasus friend. As she traveled continually though the area where the residences resided, the place slowly progressed into more dense foliage and crumbled ruins with the bitter cold becoming even more evident. Eventually, the lone earth pony mare had managed to find herself lying in the middle of what seemed to be a grand memorial. The place stood on that of a risen land that stood just a little higher than the land below it with steps leading down into the small valley. Carrot stood on the edge and looked over to see what little she could. Everything was cold and without life, covered in snow and ice. The clouds up above made it even more barren. Not even trees could be seen with the exception of the lifeless, black sticks that now stood far off in the distance saved the ones here in the now jungle like filled ruins. The place was beautiful and offered a deep contrast to the rest of what depicted a great catastrophe. Carrot wondered around the seemingly ruined memorial garden and looked at the many statues depicting different types of animals. Carrot walked up to one depicting a caped stallion in armor and on the base of pedestal was a faded plate: In memory of Morion Great Battle Mage and Wizard "Morion..." Carrot mumbled. "Are these warriors who died?" Carrot continued to go to each statue and the next, reading the many plates located at the bottom of the pedestal: Alexander the Great Battler, Rosaline the Gentle Aid, Agriope the Gracious Giver, the list goes on. But as Carrot laid consumed in her wonder, little did she notice the eyes watching her in the distance.
Wings of Bravery	Chapter VI: In Deadly Pursuit	"Ugh what is that smell?" Carrot covered her nose with her hoof as a sudden, rotting stench over came her. It permeated through the air and suddenly grew stronger in strength. Giving off the wretched odor of decaying flesh. "Oh my Celestia!" She backed up slowly turning her head every which way in absolute disgust. I have to get out of here. As she quickly aimed to make her way out of the memorial grave yard, she stopped after seeing a strange shadow appear in the short distance from her. What is that thing? From the small green fog that had slowly begun to envelope the area, the shadow before her begun to slowly show itself along with a range of other red pupils. It walked roughly and as it came clearer into view, she couldn't help but notice the disfigurement of the thing before her. It was ragged and old, carrying upon its body no flesh. Whatever left of life it did have was now a nest for squirming worms that dropped one by one as it walked. It was clothed in rusted armor and its sockets were nothing but bleeding red dots where its white orbs should have been. It was a pony and with it came its company. Carrot screamed. "Carrot?" Derpy lifted her head up from a bin of armor that she was fooling around with as a sound echoed through her ears. She heard another scream and then her name perfectly clear through the silent place and immediately recognized the voice of her panicked friend. "Carrot!" Derpy immediately dashed off and after her friend as she followed the sound of the echoing screams. Trying to pinpoint her very location. She eventually made it to the neighborhood where she was and flying over it to the very site of the screams. She never flew so fast in her life as she finally made it to the scene. The pale mare was being cornered by a mob of the undead which reminded her all too much of her beloved zombie apocalypse comic books. Still in the air, she screamed back. "Carrot!" Carrot looked up and saw the grey pegasus in perfect view. "A little help here!" "I don't know what to do!" "Then figure something out!" Derpy looked down at the ground both ways and a light bulb went off in her head as she saw a small piece of rubble on the ground. She swooped down and grabbed it before flying back up. She whistled, catching the attention of the mob that cornered her beloved friend. "Hey!" she threw the rock at one of their heads. Creating a hollow rattling sound. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size!" The mob, around ten total, removed their attention from the pale earth pony mare and to the grey pegasus, walking mindlessly towards her as though possessed. "Carrot! Go! Now!" Seeing them distracted, Carrot ran right passed and through the mob, being sure to not even so much as touch one of them as she did. Derpy followed after. "What happened?" "I don't know!" Carrot huffed. "They just appeared out of nowhere!" "This is so cool! Its like a zombie apocalypse! We the survivors running-!" "Derpy! Life and death situation here!" "Oh yeah...right." the pegasus looked around. "I don't think their even following us." Carrot begun to slow down. "Their...not?" "Doesn't seem like it." The earth mare skidded to a halt. She turned around as she breathed heavily with Derpy flying down next to her. "Where are they?" Derpy shrugged her shoulders. "Well, I guess we were too much-" "Derpy! Spoke to soon!" As if offended by their words, the thick foliage shook as multiples of the undead came towards them in frenzy pursuit. Derpy shuttered and flew after her fleeing friend. "Their a lot faster than I thought!" "Yeah, no joke!" "Where are we even headed? We don't know where we're going!" "Who cares! As long as it's some place far away from them!" Carrot paused to catch her breath as Derpy checked to see if the zombie like ponies were out of view. Scanning the area shall anything approach. "Isn't this the...?" "The plaza. We're back at the plaza." Carrot huffed. "Wait! The door shouldn't be far from here is it? We can go back through there!" "Isn't it just a little distance from here?" "Back through the thin path. Passed the city entrance." "Right!" A smell of decay came over them and the area. "Their not letting up are they?" "Nope." Carrot stated in worry "Not one bit." With the smell as a signal they left and pursued through the thin path that they had came through before. Leaving the undead ponies behind as they brushed through the thick foliage. The two mares looked frantically around the small area. Carrot looked around. "The door! Wasn't it Here?" "I remember it being here!" Derpy proclaimed. Carrot trotted over to the place in which the door once stood. Nothing stood where it once was. "Derpy...I think it's...gone." "What?!" "It's not here." "Are you sure?" "Of course I'm sure!" Carrot snapped. "The door dropped us here! It was here not to long ago!" "The book...it stated it disappears....at sundown?" The pegasus tried to remember. "Sun down when? You can hardly see the sun with these thick clouds!" "It never specified which sun! We don't even know if were in Equestria anymore! "Great....just great." "What do we do now?" Derpy asked. "How am I'm supposed to know?" Soon the repulsive stench of rotting flesh and decaying corpses filled the air around them. Carrot and Derpy backed up as they held their nose. Squinting their eyes as they fanned their hooves at the invading odor. From the bushes around them stepped the undead ponies whose eyes were glowing a harsher red. It seemed as though the more angrier they got the more repulsive the smell came to be. The two ponies could see their non-existent eyebrows furrow. "Retrorsum converti." "What are they saying?" "I...I don't know." The mob continued to whisper in unsynchronized moans and speech. "Retrorsum converti..." "Listen, we can argue later, but for now, we need to find a way out of this mess!" Derpy stated. "This place is a dead end Derpy and were surrounded. What are we going to do?" "We'll have to go back through the path." Carrot looked at her. "How in the world are we going to do that? We're surrounded!" "I'll distract them. You just run right through once it's cleared a little!" Doing as told, Carrot prepared herself as Derpy picked up a piece of rubble and lead some of the undead from the opening of the path. She threw the piece of ruble at the head of one of them. Enjoying the way it's head rattled when she did. Carrot ran passed the ponies behind them as she once again found herself by the fountain in the middle. Derpy flew after her as the skeletons made a dash after them. The duo ran through the path straight ahead, dodging the debris and rubble that laid across it. The under brush was becoming thicker and a quick glance behind them showed the undead up to speed with them. They had to keep moving. Eventually the two stopped when they realized the path had led them through a much larger clearing than the one they had came in before. Thick brush was everywhere but the sight of it seemed much more like an adoring civilization had once stood. Large buildings were scattered across the place as well as signs, billboards and tools. As much as Carrot and Derpy wanted to explore the setting, they knew it wouldn't be long before the grotesque abominations caught up to them. Another look behind her, and Carrot stood correct. With the horrific odor, was none other than the very ponies themselves. Unremitting in their approach. But from the look of it, she swore that there was now more of them than before. "There's more of them!?" "What do they want with us?" Derpy pondered. "I don't know but whatever it is, probably isn't friendly!" Carrot answered. "C'mon! We got to go!" Without question, Derpy flew after her as the undead made their way. They made their way back into the city, into the plaza and through the city running without destination. They looked behind themselves and saw the undead ponies, now more than before, pursuing them at great speed. Speaking the same exact words and language that was unknown to the ponies ears. "This is getting ridicolous! What are we to do?" Carrot huffed as she glanced back to see her pursuers. "Carrot!" Startled the pale earth pony skidded to a stop and from in front of them, from the building covered foliage, appeared others to join the already large mob. They appeared this time almost growling and some bigger than the undead that chased after Carrot and Derpy. They were heavier, larger and one, that resembled that of a decomposing rhinocerous emerged from the lot and carried more rusted armor on it's body than all of the rest. It shouted in a heavy male and masculine voice. Like one of an elite soldier. "Relinquo haec loco!" "Carrot...I think our situation just got worse!" the mares backed themselves up and turned around and ran once again from the mob that now were present only a few feet from them. The ground seemingly shook as the hefty...beast came storming after them. They dared not turn around. They pushed themselves through the thick leaves and trees before Carrot slipped and fell into a wide ditch. She managed to break her fall grabbing hold of some vines and carefully but hurriedly made her way down. Small waterfalls flowed from the top of the ditch and flowed down into it. Ruins of once a glorious city, now nothing but cracked pillars surrounded it as nature had all but engulfed it. Derpy joined with her and their eyes immediately laid sight upon an opening that glowed with a faint reddish orange. They took no time to discuss as they made their way inside. The aggressive pursuers caught up seconds later and too without thought, swarmed into the small entrance as the giant stood and watched. "They cannot be allowed to continue."
Wings of Bravery	Chapter VII: The Walls are Moving	The two ponies made their way down the winding red carpeted corridor without regards to their chasers that came as a ganged mob after them. Carrot, though the more thoughtful of the two, couldn't help but wonder if they caught her would she be turned into one of them. She shook her head at the thought. I really need to stop reading those comic's Derpy gave me. The undead was determined, not giving up chase. The two mares had reached the border of exhaustion and could hardly continue on. I not for the reserve of adrenaline that pumped through their veins and the desire to survive the onslaught, the two would have collapsed a long time ago. While Derpy had the benefit of flight, poor Carrot's legs could barely retain their limit any longer. Even the pegasus's wings were aching due to the hard flapping of wings she had to muster to keep up with her speedy friend who now, ran alongside her. A loud rumble resounded and the stairs trembled beneath them. The adventurous duo were knocked off balance as they tumbled down the barrage of steps. Only for them to land at the base of it. A bit dazed and confused from their fall. Derpy landed with a thud on the cold ground and slowly postured herself back on four legs. Carrot came seconds after her, rolling before stopping herself on her forelegs. The ceiling lying right above the staircase, came falling down as she watched. Leaving only a skeleton head tumbling down as it stopped short in front of Carrot's legs. It's ghostly red eyes staring at Carrot as it pierced her own. The place was illuminated by torches lining the walls and the ceiling was decorated with ragged spikes and webs and the atmosphere was dry and rigid. Depy regathered herself and shook her head. Vision blurry, she rubbed her eyes only to be greeted by a sinister looking creature. Staring back at her was an abnormally large, hairy arachnid that carried upon it's back a white cape with a black cross design on it. Around and behind it's legs were mini versions of it that gazed at the mare with their equally as haunting eight eyes. She was immediately alarmed and repulsed at the sight. She waved her hoof at Carrot who was still stunned at the how quickly the revelation of things changed. She said her name almost calm like as she tried to garnish the distracted mares attention. Carrot tapped and looked on her sides but felt nothing. He bag was no where to be found. She must have lost it in the confusion and the rough ride coming down the stairs. Thankfully, she wasn't too injured. Nothing hurt internally besides a bruise that was present on her side. She blew out a sigh of gratefulness at the falling of the rubble. Finally happy that her and her friends cursed pursuers had been put to a stop. Or so she had made herself to believe. "Carrot! Carrot! Car-rot!" "What is it?" "I don't think we're free yet!" Carrots eyes averted to the large spider that was staring her friend down. Never noticing their presence until now. They were there, camouflaging so great against their surroundings. It was as if they were waiting for them like a butterfly that had mindlessly wandered onto their web. Now they came down to receive their meal which was none other than the two mares themselves.
Wings of Bravery	Chapter VIII: The Ancient Hall	They were approached and cornered on all sides by the giant anthropods. The spider that stood in front of Derpy, reared its legs and stabbed the ground in front it causing rubble to break on impact. Derpy managed to dodge the attack through a roll, re-positioning herself on her four legs as she stared down at the damage it had caused. She was glad her reflexes acted so fast as she saw the small but deep and rugged hole it had managed to make. She marveled and withdrew in fright at how aggressively strong such a creature was. These spiders were most certainly not your average house kind. They were larger and bigger and certainly stronger too. "Derpy!" Carrot yelled. Unsure of what to do with the spiders surrounding them both. Derpy, growing desperate, looked around the place for any sort of escape once again. "Venit hic." Her ears perked up at the sound as the grey mare was still trying to dodge the onslaught of eight legged creatures. "What?" "Venit hic." The whispers vibrated in her ears as she took in the familiar tone and words. They certainly was not Equestrian and was all too similar to the sounds the undead ponies were saying. She grumbled as she hoped that the scary zombie like equines weren't still around. The spider jabbed its leg once again towards Derpy but once again, the clumsy yet acrobatic mare had managed to dodge it. The spider however, became stuck in the ground due to it's own force of impact. "Venit Hic" Derpy ears perked up once again and she threw her head left and right, looking for the location of where the strange sayings were coming from. Eventually, her eyes caught sight of a small temple like structure in the distance which was aglow with a deep orange light. It had a small, thin path leading to it that started from where she and Carrot now stood. Dodging another spider, she flew over to her friend who was defending herself with a torch that had fallen down from the wall. Proving effective against the giant insects who kept a safe and manageable distance away from the flame. "H-hey! Wait!" the torch fell to the floor as Derpy, much to her friends disdain, flew up and carried her over the spider that block the narrow path and was lined with jagged spikes and webs down below. A single slip, and it would be lights out for both of them. It was practically a death trap and the jagged and sharp ceiling provided no more comfort. Derpy had to be careful. If she flew too far down, she could risk injuring her friend but flying too high up and could risk gaining serious bodily injury. The path was longer than she thought and a quick glance behind her saw the spiders hot on their trail. Totally avoiding the danger as the scaled the sides of the wall. "Why is everything trying to kill us!" Carrot spoke. "I don't know! But now is not the time to ask questions!" The spiders, in an attempt to subdue the duo, begun to shoot webs at them. They were unsuccessful as the grey mare used her acrobatic skills to dodge the incoming fires. "Gah!" A strike. One had managed to get at one of Derpy's wings. She flapped her other wing viciously while trying to hold up her friend as the other had fallen victim to the barrage of fires. Her wing in a sticky substance. Carrot jumped down onto the narrow path and assisted her friend frantically in removing the webbed trap from her wing. "That should be it. C'mon!" Carrot made dash and Derpy flew after her. The pale mare tripped and nearly fell into the barrage of spikes when a spider managed to take aim. Holding onto the edge of the narrow path. Her legs frantically rubbing against the walls to avoid being impaled on the sharp structures. Caring for her friends safety, Derpy swooped up and grabbed her again. Carrying her into the temple like structure that stood in front of them. Spiked chains that enveloped the walls of the building begun to move. They slithered across the walls like snakes and made their way towards the entrance. Glowing with a blue hue, they wrapped themselves around the entry way. Criss-crossing one another until not even a mouse could get through. It stopped the arachnids pursuit and barred them from continuing any further. Derpy and Carrot landed with a rough thud against the broken marble stone floor and looked on at the entrance that was now sealed. Carrot took in her surroundings. The ancient hall was decorated with torn tapestry with unfamiliar writing. Stained marble floors and chains, which she witnessed move on their own, engulfed the place. Her eyes shot open as she felt something soft brush against her chin. "Come with me." Carrot looked up to see a smile grace a light coated tan mare. She was thick and slightly bulky. Standing as tall as Celestia. Chains with frost and icicles hanging down laid across her mid section and a spiked metal crown dressed her head. Chains dangling from it as well. Her mane was almost ghost like as it crawled and stretched itself towards the mural on the wall that depicted a blue and white pony staring down on a menacing figure. It touched the walls and with an ethereal glow that mimicked closely to magic, opened up a pathway. "This way." The mare made her towards the new opened path way. Waiting in front of it to see if they would come in. A gentle and patient smile adorning her face.Carrot looked to her friend Derpy who just shrugged silently in response. They went up to her. "Through here my little ponies." Her voice carrying a motherly tone similar to that of the sun princess. Carrot hesitantly was the first to step through as her friend came in after through the opened hole. The mysterious mare followed after, not giving second glance to the spiders who still attempted to push their way through thick chains.
Wings of Bravery	Chapter IX: Worlds Apart	As the small portal closes in the background with the eyes of the ghostly mare staring into it, Derpy shakes herself off in a dog-like manner and with a slight look of disgust, removes the remaining strands of spider webs from her wings and form. Carrot looks around at the barren place that she and her friend was led into which evokes the feeling of Daring-do within her. Bringing back the memory of the novels with vividness. The hall is larger than that of the room from which they first entered, with large, cracked columns lining the interior. Chandeliers bounded to the icy ceiling that dare not envelope anything below it, laid neatly within a line though some were broken, cracked or like one at a distance, swung as it's bearings were no longer supported as they should. The walls laid covered in engraved murals and artwork that depicted scenes of fighting and discord. The young pale mare's white orbs glossed over the walls as she tried to take in as much of the scenery as possible. Her mind occupied with the detail. The ghostly mare sighed once the portal had fully closed in on itself and looked at the two young ponies that stood some distance in front of her. Finally stumbling upon the urge to approach them, she calmed herself and went. "My, my, my, it is not everyday that one receives visitors here in these lands." Her smooth and gentle voice caught immediately the attention of the two mares who countenances instantly changed from one of wary to a calming joy but quickly changed back over to one of a mixture of curiostiy and wonder when their eyes caught firmly the physique of the pony that stood before them. A sight they did not catch before as their minds were clouded with only the intention of escape. Derpy slowly approached the mare while looking at her from head to hoof and Carrot followed not to far behind. "Derpy..." Carrot spoke lowly. Knowing how blunt her friend could be. "Y-your body..." The mare tilted her head faintly to the right and smiled knowing clearly what was evoking her. Derpy's eyes quickly glossed over the mare's thick and half thin bony figure that seemed to be rotting away as she looked. Outside of her ghostly mane and tail and dangling chains, the surface of her body looked as though a butcher had yet not finished its job. The right side of her form was nothing but bone and dangling flesh that had long since either dried or been eaten away. Long having lost it's color while her rib cage had no dermis to keep it hidden. The inside of it, which should have harbored the systems of life, instead laid empty and as barren as the place that the ponies stood in. Her other half however, seemingly brimmed with life, even though it bordered on the look of a famine individual, it laid claimed to a beauty that once was but sadly, is never to be seen again. "It looks oddly similar to those undead skeletons that chased us down here." "Undead...skeletons you say?" "Yeah. Their the ones that forced us to flee down here. Though, unlike you, they had nearly no flesh on their bones!" "Your the only one so far that's as close to living as we saw lately." Carrot chimed in. "I would not be surprised if you knew exactly where you laid as of now. The closest to living you may ever find here would be the undead. As for you two however, it worries me that you two have settled foot here however." "Why is that miss?" Carrot questioned. The mare breathed a sigh and looked into the eyes of both of them. Her bearing now having that of worry. "First before one shall continue any conversation or explanation, it is only of utmost politeness that I have both of your names. What are they my little pon-" "It's Derpy! Derpy Hooves!" the grey pegasus gave her a cheesy and uppity smile despite her interruption. "Derpy!" "What?" "She wasn't even done talking yet!" "Oh...sorry." Derpy blushed. A smile couldn't help but sprawl itself across the mares face as she beheld the young mare's playful mood. "Sorry about that hehe..." "Oh it is alright my dear. What about yours?" "Carrot. Carrot Top." "Lovely names." "Now what about yours! Come on! We told you ours now you gotta tell us yours!" Derpy smiled as she pointed a hoof towards her. "Well then excuse me. I know better than to merely dismiss myself. My name is Pruina, Pruina Albus." A silence befell the two mares. "What? Is there something wrong?" "That's..." "A weird name." Carrot blinked. "Carrot!" "What? It is?" Derpy couldn't help but chuckle. Carrot realized her mistake and a shocked expression over came her features. "Oh I'm sorry! I didn't-!" Pruina gave a laugh. "It is alright! It seems you two may have more in common then you both even realize. Assuming you two are friends, well, friends sometimes take after one another if they've known one another a long time." Derpy gave a snort and Carrot gave a furrowed look of annoyance to that of her friend. "Now, with formalities out of the way, I am desperate to know where you are from." "Equestria." Carrot answered. "Located right above the continent Africanis." "Equestria...a name all to familiar." "Where you from there?" "No, I am from someplace before. Far to the north. I do wonder if it is still around...do tell, how did you end up here?" "Me and my friend Derpy discovered a book. It told of a door that appears randomly and so we sought it out. I was reluctant however..." she gritted through her teeth. Catching an eye to Derpy. "She ended up going anyway obviously and, well, we found the door! After searching the sisters ancient castle there It was!" Derpy told. "And so you ended up here?" "Not exactly. We ended up in what seemed to be a huge abandoned city-ruin. We ended up here after being chased by those undead skeletons Derpy mentioned." "We found a small cave like thing, ran into that and some stairs and nasty looking spiders and here we are. In front of you who helped us." "I see. It sounds as though it has taken a toll on both of you." "You have no idea." they both said simultaneously as they rolled their eyes. "Those undead skeletons and giant spiders are guardians of this place. They keep watch over those in which reside here and those that try to proceed." "...what?" "It is of utmost importance that you both do not stay any longer. You all should have turned back after encoutering those undead skeletons. To pursue any further no matter your curiosity would be to ignore the warnings." "And we did! Only for the way out, the door, to have vanished! Poof! Nothing was there when we turned back!" Derpy exclaimed. "The book we checked out said that the door vanishes with the setting of the sun but it was hard for us to know since the skies were nothing but a continuous grey color. Nor did we think we actually left Equestria." "You have since far left behind Equestria or dare I say the world itself. Where did you think it would rake you?" "Just another place within Equestria or the world or something! What are we in another realm?" Pruina merely gave her a serious look. "Don't say..." "The longer you stay here the more trouble it would only cause." "What are you saying?" "This place is far from Equestria or any place you know deeply about. This I am afraid is something you know only as mythos." "And that is?" "Hel." Carrot chuckled out a wary laugh. "Ha...haha...your not serious right? Like hell? Hell where the devil lives?" "Perhaps I should clarify. This is only one part of hell. Tartarus, the Abyss and many others of the varied locations between here. The longer you stay here as a living soul, the more your body will decay until you both are trapped here. This realm is no place for the living which is why it is of urgency that you both remove yourselves." "We-we'll turn into you? Them?" "As in them your meaning the undead skeletons that you said were chasing you both then yes." "This is just great, this is just great! How in the world are we to get out of here?" "Perhaps there's some way out. Maybe we just need to continue looking! Perhaps we can-" Carrot snapped her neck around with eyebrows furrowed. "We don't need to do any more looking around! That's exactly what got us in this trouble in the first place!" "Don't try to blame all of this on me! You act as though I know all of the details!" "I told you it was a dumb idea to begin with! That it wasn't safe!" "My little ponies..." The two mares faced each other with eyebrows staged and forward. Hooves pointing at one another in blame as they found fault. "Even if I did convince you, you still had every right and option to say no. No pony asked for you to follow me into the forest nor arrive there!" "You think that I was just going to leave a stupid pony like you to wander off by herself?" "Young mares..." The words stung hard into the pegasus's heart. "And a carrot pickin' pony like you could have stayed behind and played in the dirt all day but you didn't! If I was dumb for going into the forest to search for the door then your even dumber for following me!" "As if one could ever be as dumb as-" "Foals!" The two mares stopped instantly as the ghostly mare positioned herself in between the two bickering ponies. Her face showing one of a motherly agitation and disapproval. "Bickering will not get us anywhere but a waste of necessary time." she looked Carrot up and down. "Especially among friends. If you two are to get out of here perhaps there is one way." The mare walked forward. Stopping some distance from in front of the two mares and in the middle of the hall. "If you want to know that way, then I will be more than happy to show you if you follow. I cannot guarantee it will be a way out definitively but it is worth the attempt." The mares simply looked at her with an unsure expression. Pruina raised an eyebrow. "If you care to follow." The two looked at one another with an expression of resentment. Carrot moved her eyes away from Derpy and trotted over to Pruina but when she saw that her friend followed close behind she moved past Pruina and continued forward. "Young pony..." "Its foraward isnt it? Its just a straight path." Pruina looked up to the ceiling and back down to Carrot who continued to move forward. "If I was you I would push aside my anger. You know not what lies ahead." Before Carrot could wait to respond, the ceiling gave way to the object it held. A small shudder of the grand was felt as a quake shook the interior of the room from the colliding chandelier. Missing Carrot by mere inches. Carrot turned to look at Pruina who stood next to her friend with raised eyes. Pruina walked towards Carrot along with her friend who gave her a 'thats what you get face'. "Perhaps it is time to be wise little one." Pruina stated as she walked past. Carrot gave a sigh as she hung her head down low and followed after solemnly.
Wings of Bravery	Chapter X: River of Acheron	"Have you ponies enjoyed your well to do rest?" Pruina approached the sleepy pair that laid cuddled together like a batch of puppies. Carrots head resting on top of mid-section of her friend while Derpy enveloped her. They raised their slobbering heads and blinked drowsy in response to the mare. "I saw that you both were moving quite frequently...I took it as a sign that you both were waking." Carrot got up and stretched and with her mouth wide opened, yawned as she did so. Her friend shook her head as she blinked trying to piece her mind back together. "You have no idea. It was cold but it was refreshing. Thank you Miss Pruina." "Your welcome. I figured as much it was to be cold considering how you both slept bunched up." Carrot looked to Derpy. "Derpy, are you awoke yet? Well, at least completely." "Huh? Um...yeah." Derpy quickly stood and stretched. Letting out a yawn as well as she did. "Alright! Already to go!" Pruina gave a smile. "Good. We have no time to waste then. Let us leave. I will be your guide." The two ponies stepped carefully through the small hole that Pruina made in the wall and glanced around at their surroundings as it closed behind them. A cold wind blew across their short fur coats and caused them to shudder. "I-its cold." Carrot claimed as she rubbed her right leg with her hoof. "It wouldn't be the first time we've said that." They stood on a wide open stone plain as a large body of water laid in front of them. The fringes of it, bordered by icy hills and walls. The ceiling stood high and enveloped the scene. Icicles hanged down low from it adding more to the already cold feeling of the icy cavern. A thick white fog covered much of the area and blanketed the river in front of them. "Everything is iced over." Pruina walked over between them and spoke. "Helheim..." "Hm?" "Helheim. Land of lost souls. This is the name of the place you both have been sent to since you first arrived. The river of Acheron lies here and you have the privilege of seeing it yourself. Right in front of you." "I don't think its a privilege at all to see anything in hell." "You can say that again." Pruina chuckled. "Perhaps you both are right but at least you have something to go back and tell your pony folk." "I assume so but who in the world is going to believe us?" "Aw come on Carrot! All the crazy things that happen in Equestria and you think that they won't believe that we took a trip to hell? The princesses took a trip to Tartarus for crying out loud!" Carrot gave a chuckle. "Yeah, your right. Forgot all about that." "Your princesses...were sent to Tartarus?" "Yeah. It was done so by Tirek who was sucking up all the magic in Equestria for his own gain!" Derpy told. "Thankfully, if I recall correctly on how the story was told to me, Twilight managed to defeat him after the princesses gave her all of their power." "Is that...interesting. Perhaps you can tell me all about it on our way across the river." "Wait, we're going across the river?" Carrot raised question. "Well, where else we'll we go? There is only one way from here." Pruina walked towards a dock to which the young mares followed after. Hanging from one of the poles that held the wooden platform in the water was a small rusted bell. Using her mane as a limb, she grabbed hold of the small chain that hung from the it and rung. The chime of the bell, surprisingly soothing, echoed throughout the icy cavern with it's sound bouncing off of the walls. When the sound finally stopped the two mares looked around to see what had changed or happened. With confused looks they looked at one another as Pruina stood focused in the distance. Hoof sounds came to replace the echoing chimes of the bell and the ears of the two Equestrian ponies quickly perked up. It sounded as though whatever creature dare walked did so across glass. They made their way next to Pruina's sides as they gazed into the distance along with their guide. From the density of the fog did a walking figure come into view. The figure that appeared had no flesh and clean bones as it walked across the surface of the waters as though it was ground. It was cloaked in black and cold air blew from it's empty nostrils as though it was breathing. It wore a black cloak and its bony tail stuck out from underneath the cloth with the end of it pointing into a razor sharp scythe. It approached the platform and stopped in front of the tan mare. "Why are you here?" It spoke. Its voice barely audible in a silent and raspy whisper. "To lead these two home." Pruina answered. "Are they alive?" "Yes." "But you are dead..." "Yes. Which means that as long as I am dead I cannot leave. So you have nothing to worry about." "I see...can you pay?" "Here." Pruina flicked him a shiny gold coin from her tail. The skeleton pony captured it with it's magic. It's long horn aglow in a black color. It looked at it for a bit before putting it in it's cloak pocket. Setting its black sockets back on Pruina. "You may pass." Pruina ushered the two little ponies onto the boat as it slowly rocked under the adding weight. Pruina got in last after them. Her tail hanging from over the boat in the water. Instantly freezing the small patch on contact. She turned her head to the pony skeleton. "Aren't you going to row us across Acheron?" "Row yourself..." Pruina huffed. "Rude and lazy as always I see." "Prey you drown." "And grumpy. Even so, your still not as bad as your brothers. Well..." she gave the boat a gentle push with her tail. "We must be on our way. Thank you Acheron." With a last goodbye to the old skeleton, the three mares set forth into the dense fog. Calm and gentle winds blew across the mares and through the icy cavern as they sailed along. Pruina guided the boat with her tail that was dipped in the ghastly water. The atmosphere was far from uplifting and everything carried a feeling of dread and haunting that could make any living soul shudder just from the thought of it all. Derpy's ears perked up at the sudden sound of raspy voices and her ears led her eyes to the source of the sound which was from the waters themselves. Derpy peered closer to the water as her friend was distracted in engaging with the ghostly mare behind her. She could have sworn she saw something but whatever it was faded quickly from her attention. Derpy bent her head closer to the water. Pruina caught notice of the careless mare. "My little pony! Care-" "Ack!" Derpy immediately jumped back into the boat. Shaking its foundations as Carrot looked back at her wide eyed. "What happened?" Carrot asked. Going to her friends side. "S-some thing just jumped out at me!" "From where? The river?" "Y-yeah!" Carrot gazed into the body of water and nearly jumped back in surprise herself at what she had witnessed. Ghastly, bony forms of spirits all surrounded the boat. Bellowing in raspy voices that were unclear and a cluttered mess. Appearing white as the fog and river that they dared reside in of. "This is the River of Acheron. Also known as the river of lost souls. You must not under circumstances try your luck in falling into these waters. Doing so would mean immediate loss of hope from returning back to your homeland." "What excatly happens..." Carrot gulped. "If we fall in?" "You'll become lost like them." "Well, isn't that just perfect." "As long as your in the boat, there is nothing they can do. They cannot harm you lest you are in there with them so do not worry just beware." "Right. Miss Pruina." "Yes?" "That skeleton thing that you gave the coin to...was that the grim reaper?" Pruina gave a small laugh. "In a generic term yes. He himself is Acheron by name just like the river. He is the ferry who rides souls across these waters. Each river leads to a different part of hell." "I see...if you don't mind, may I ask you a few other questions? I'm sorry if it is too much so if it evers-" "Please my dear, ask as many as you desire to know the answers of. You know how long it has been since the last time I have saw a living soul?" "....how long?" "A thousand years at most." "A-a thousand years?" Pruina shook her head with a smile. "That is how long I myself have resided here. it is quite lonely. With nothing but pitiful souls to keep one company." "Thats...awful." Derpy chimed. "One gets use to it I suppose but there is always a constant yearning to leave. To reach back to where they are from." "I have to ask, you mentioned those undead skeletons and giant spiders were guardians? How exactly so?" "Like Cerberus, they keep living souls from entering and dead souls from leaving." "Well they did a suckish job considering how we're here!" "Now now. The way you both entered was abnormal by nature. Had you entered normally, having died and had your soul carried here, you would have to get pass the actual gates of the underworld which Cerberus himself guards. That door you entered must have dropped you instantly here than at the gates. The spiders and skeletons were only doing their job." "Is that so." Carrot turned to catch a glance at Derpy who seemed to be looking at the water. Granted with her head and body far more in the boat than before. She turned back to Pruina. "I wanted to know, you said you've been here a thousand years yes?" Pruina nodded her head. "So how exactly did you end up here?" Derpy's attention was caught at the question. "Oh thats such a long story. It can take all day to tell you that." "But I really want to know! Did you die of sickness, disease or something?" Pruina gave a sigh. "If you insist, it started a very long time ago. A little bit more than just a thousand years. I was part of a humble kingdom far to the north. During that time I was present a deadly plaque came and enveloped the citizens. Unfortunately, I was one of the victims." "I'm sorry that happened." "Well, once the deed is done it is done. Life is fleeting after all. Of course surely you yourself would never be satisfied with such a meager tale now would you? That great kingdom wasn't far from your land Equestria and I wasn't just any old citizen either." "What were you exactly then?" "I was a royal practitioner of oral magic." "Oral magic? Magic...you speak?" Pruina smiled and gave a nod. "Yes. As an earth pony, I wanted to prove that the manipulation of magic could be obtained even by those born without horns. Now, do not mistake me. I do love and enjoy being an earth pony but I also sought an interest in magic." "How does it exactly work?" "Well, if you are willing to listen I'll be more than happy to tell you the inner workings of oral cast magic...if you are willing to sit for it that is. It can get quite...boring to most." "I'll be more than happy to do so." Pruina cracked a chuckled. "My, my, my! Aren't you the enthusiastic one! Well then, shall we be-." Pruina paused. "What's wrong?" "Do you hear that?" Carrot tilted her head. "Hear what?" "Stay down." Carrot did not move a muscle as well as Derpy who stood as still as possible. They merely watched as Pruina went and made her way to the front of the boat that carried a small lantern. Pruina yelled. "Duck!" A sudden ball of flame came towards the three that barely missed their heads. "Stay low!" "What are those things?" "Hell's little residents." Pruina gritted through her teeth. "These fiery birds are actually small dragons." Three to four of the fiery birds were present before them. Coming their way as the another charged up to spit another flame at them. Their bodies being nothing but mere bones themselves alit in flames, shot out another spitball of fire aimed at the small boat that rowed the three across the river. Pruina deflected the ball back with her tail. Having extended and transformed it into a thick, icy rod. The ball struck the bird who threw it and dropped it down into the spirit filled waters where it was dragged by them. Another one came to swoop down only for the mysterious mare to quickly grab one of them with her thick and frozen over tail and flung them away from the mares before it melted her tail away. The last two shot two balls of fire instantly and determined to protect the two mares, Pruina reared on her hind legs and when coming back in contact with the boat, the waters of the river came shooting up as a frozen wall that melted on contact but was thick enough to prevent the blow. The last two were finished off with a mighty swing of Pruina's tail that knocked them into the icy walls where they dropped into the waters beneath them. Pruina retracted her tail and it it reconditioned itself back into the way it was. "Are you both alright?" "Y-yeah." Carrot answered. "What exactly are those things?" "I don't know them by any specific name I am afraid. The underworld is a dangerous and unpredictable place." "That, was, Awesome! How did you learn all of that? No, how could you do that?" Derpy asked with a wide grin on her face. "Shoot, I wanna know as well! Just how did you do that?" Carrot asked with a wide grin sprawled across her face. "Oral magic." Pruina winked. "Oral magic can make you do that?" "Want me to tell you how?" "Please do!" Pruina couldn't help but smile. "Of course." She made her way back to the back the boat where she was before and went back to steering. Her tail dipped in water, she froze all behind her as the boat moved along passed abandoned and long forgotten wooden buildings that now bordered the edges of the water.
Wings of Bravery	Chapter IX: Spectral Steps	The steady rocking of the ferry boat begun to wind down as they approached the dock until it at last it came to a halt. The eerie fog had calmed a little and the hallowing spirits from the lake could not be seen around the borders where the lake met the grey, dusty land. Derpy rested herself in a ball on the boat floor in order to protect herself from the bitter cold. Oddly enough, Carrot was still wide awoke and had continued her conversation with the elder mare while her friend had ling fell asleep from the boring discussion of oral magic. Carrot, in all formalities found such a thing rude but Pruina found the situation rather entertaining and adorable. "We are here." With the announcement, Carrot rushed over towards Derpy and gave her a gentle nudge. "Wake up Derpy! We're here!" The grey mare let loose a row of incomprehensible grumbles as she rubbed her face. "Huh? Were in Equestria?" "No Derpy, we're still here in this hell hole. Its just time for us to get off the boat." Pruina stepped off of the vessel and Carrot joined her side not long after. Derpy stretched her joints and muscles, yawned and looked sideways before finally joining the other two on the dock. The boat begun to drift off soon after on its own and the two young mares looked on as it floated backwards down the same path that they had traveled. Watching until it vanished behind the dense white fog that covered the surface of the weeping waters. Before them stood a large wall that stood out from the walls of ice that held it's sides. It was a orange to brown color and had a substantial opening in the front of it shaped like a triangle. Like the old building they escaped from the spiders through, old paintings and murals were present all over it. Though faded and cracked with age. "Through here. Once we are through here, there may be a way that I am familiar with that can lead you back home." Pruina gave a look to the two mares. "All set then?" "Yep!" Carrot stated joyfully. "How about you my little pegasus?" "Yeah." "Then let us move." As they transverse through the long hall that was present, they soon arrived at a large circle area where in the middle of it rested a broken fountain that had that of an winged unicorn on top of it. Beside it rested the first step of long and upwards spiraling stone staircase that seemed to never end. When Derpy saw the length of the steps, she bomoaned the fact that she had to walk it. "We have to walk up that?" "If you want to go home that is. This staircase leads right near that of the exit to the underworld. Climbing up it is your best bet on leaving. As residents of the living, exiting shall be just as easy as when you entered." Pruina explained. "Aw stop complaining! A little bit further and you can eat all the muffins you want when we get back home!" Derpy blinked. "All the muffins?" Carrot nodded her head. "Ugh." Derpy made her way to the stairs with her head hung low lying in defeat. "Do not worry my little pegasus, the exercise will not kill you. Derpy groaned at the mare's comment. As Pruina and Carrot walked ahead side by side, Derpy's eyes gazed among the walls as she walked. Taking in the depictions of scenes that were drawn among them. These were not as faded and eroded as the other murals they have long since passed and the clarity and refines of them was cut neatly and well. Protected by whatever mother nature could have cast upon them. The scenes interested the young mare as she tried to piece together the images of bony skeletons and windy horses that seemed to be laying siege to a small town as valiant soldiers tried to fight back to no avail. Such a scene was depicted all throughout the wall that bordered the staircase and did not change. However, one scene depicted a castle that seemed all to familiar with a pony that seemed to be screaming at two winged unicorns. Derpy hastily stepped back when she felt something tingle against her hooves. With one lifted up she gave a rather confused look as the hoof prints that Carrot and Pruina left behind was imprinted on the steps by a blue hue. Have not noticed before due to her distraction with the art. She looked up towards them and saw Carrot totally oblivious to her hooves aglow with the same blue hue. Her expression completely focused on the mare who held her by the gently by the neck with her tail. She raised an eyebrow. "Miss Pruina." The mare stopped and gave her attention. "Why are you guys hooves glowing?" "That is simply a result of me being near the underworld exit. As a mere soul per se, the magic here is basically telling me I have a little further to go before I am forbidden to continue." "Oh...then what about Carrot?" "That is by mere chance dear. She just so happens to be walking along with me so it is only reasonable that she herself has come in contact with it." "...oh." "It is nothing to worry about. Come now dear, we are almost there." They continued and eventually, a door signified the end of what Derpy described, as a long hike. Before them stood a door that had two large statues of unicorns standing on both the left and right side of it carrying the emblems of the sun and moon upon their chest. On the front of the door was a picture of four heads with one drawn with a spiked crown. Pruina touched the door with her hoof and an eye on one of the heads glowed the same icy blue color as her hoof. The door opened with a small rumble and permitted the three mares entrance. Pruina turned and faced Carrot. "Where is your firend Derpy?" "....Derpy?" Carrot blinked. "Oh yeah, forgot about her." she turned her head around and looked until her eyes landed upon the grey mare a few feet away from her down the stairs staring vividly at the pictures on the walls. "Derpy! Come on lets go!" "Oh yeah, Right!" Pruina made her way through the doors and Carrot followed behind but not before being stopped by very friend. "Carrot, are you alright?" "Huh? Whay are you asking that?" She smiled. "I'm just happy to be out of here that's all! We can go home and eat all the muffins you want and we can go back and tell our story back to Twilight! Who knows what she may say!" "You..just seem a bit too excited." "Oh I'm fine! Just excited. Anyway, Pruina's waiting for us so lets go." Derpy watched on as Carrot trotted through the doors but her eyebrows scrunched together in wary. She never remembered Carrot's eyes being blue. As she walked in, pushing aside her suspicion, her eyes laid settled on a wide, open, circular field that contained a pyramid shape stone in the middle of it all. She watched as Carrot gleefully ran to Pruina's side who stood in front of the stone. Derpy slowly approached the mare as her eyes glanced around the place. "Um...is this it? The exit" Pruina gave a look to the grey pegasus and approached her. Her eyes carrying a glimmer of artistic persuasion and cunning. She placed a hoof under the mixed eyed pony and gently lifted her head as she smiled into her golden pupils. "It is for you."
Wings of Bravery	Chapter X: Upheaval	Suddenly, a scream filled the area as a burst of light all but nearly blinded the grey mare. "Carrot?" The gates to the eighth floor slammed shut and the ceiling above exploded in a swirling vortex of reddish orange, thunderous clouds as magic of all dark forms came loose. Derpy's eyes befell the scene before her. "Carrot!" She watched as her friend's body stood levitated in the air as her eyes and mouth became as ghastly smoke. A dark shadow figure loomed over her as the smoke from Carrot's eyes and mouth went into the figure that was rooted in the a cursed stone. Sparks of ice came flying from all sides, freezing everything it touched instantly. Leaving nothing unscathed. Pruina was nowhere to be found. Derpy rushed over towards her friend in utmost desperation. Calling out her name as if she was trying to snap her out of her trance. Her head jerked back as something prevented her from continuing closer to the main point of the scene. She paid no mind to the undead ponies, clothed in armor, that bit her hair in an attempt to pull her away from certain destruction. Some ran in front in order to create a makeshift barricade. Sacrificing themselves as their bodies became frozen in bitter anguish. Thankfully, they secretly blessed the gods for their lack of living biology. Happy to be free from the taste of anguish that would have certainly encompassed them had they had flesh. Roars could be heard as the place shook. Large dragon like creatures joined the undead ponies as they attempted first hand to stop the shadowy figure that slowly sucked in the body of the pale mare. But it was futile as they became frozen in place at the aggression of the ice. Determined to pin down all who dared to undermine their masters plan. Derpy choked on her tears as she bucked and kicked her helpful assailants. She did not care weather or not they was there for her safety but instead her mind was filled with the intention of getting ahold of her friend. "Carrot!" "Grab hold of her! Pull her away!" The undead ponies managed to grip tightly on Derpy's mane and tail. Not caring if it hurt her as her life was worth much more. They dragged her from the scene across the snow. Away from the door to the eighth level and back into the door from which she had came through. She bucked and screamed, trying her best to get away from the grip of the undead ponies. Tears came down her eyes as she watched her friends body slowly became anorexic. Rib cage and bones showing through flesh as she gurgled, unable to scream, in unimaginable pain. Her life force being sucked out dry like a raging vacuum sworn on revenge. "Carrot! Carrot! Carrot!" Was all she could say as salty tears came down in bitter waterfalls. Stinging against her cheeks. She regretted the feeling of persuading Carrot to come along. She begun to hate herself. Everywhere she went she caused trouble. Everything she did she caused trouble, and now her friend would pay the price for her ridiculous antics. As the ice begun to creep up on her threatening to freeze, Derpy called out once again. "Carrot!" Before all went black as the doors shut closed in front of her with only the faint and last memory being of a cackling feminine laughter.
Wings of Bravery	Chapter XI: Fire and Ice	Part Fire The air felt like a furnace and the ground felt as though coals were set ablaze with an untamed fire. Despite this however, the grey mare did not rise from her supposed slumber. All around her she felt a burn against her skin to what felt like the falling of volcanic ash but oddly enough, it did not burn her. It did not cause her to remove herself from off the ground but in her ears did she hear the murmurings of familiar sounds. The speaking, the talking, the whispering and the playful sounds of foals rung in her ears. They begun to twitch as male and female voices were present all around her and beat itself against the bases of her ear drums. Her eyes slowly opened and as she blinked, she saw in her blurry vision small and large hooves that stumbled and stood in sight in front of her. It all sounded realistic. Was it all a dream? Was she back in Ponyville? "Will you quit your blabbing!" "Someone is just upset at the fact that I used to be under the stewardship of Starswirl the Bearded." "Ugh, like a grand soldier like me would care about that! I am Alexandrite! The great warrior of the North!" "Looks like someone forgot the fact that we don't have a kingdom!" A feminine voice chuckled. "Even after a thousand years they still haven't changed." "Yeah. They sure haven't." The foal next to her answered. The mare looked towards Derpy and saw her eyelids slowly rising. "Shush you two! She is waking!" The two bickering ponies looked on as the mare walked towards the rising pegasus who groaned. "Are you alright my dear?" Derpy rose up on her flank and rubbed her still watering eyes with her front hooves. As her mind still tried to clear itself the first thought that came was expressed through her words. "Carrot?" "If you do not mind, who is Carrot?" Derpy looked over towards the mare who stood with no bearing of flesh upon her naked bones, her mane alight with the wrath of kindled flames and her eyes as golden as the material itself. Her countenance bore not one of aggression or fear but even without the life of blood and muscles, could she clearly see a content smile. For her, the sight of an undead pony did not scare her as did before. The other two and the small foal where exactly the same. Bearing little to no flesh upon their bones but the intimidation that she once had was now been diminished by her sorrows. Derpy answered her. "Carrot...is my friend." "Your friend? Is she the one who Queen Pruina took hold of?" "She is not our queen. She lost that title a long time ago." "Alexandrite, even you deep down still honor her." The stallion adorned with a cape told him. The rebuked stallion cocked his head. "Hmph." "Pruina?" Derpy sniffed. "That's the name of the mare who was suppose to lead us out of here." "Is that so? Pruina, the mare who was to supposedly have helped you is also the one who caused the very demise of your friend Carrot. You do remember what happened back there do you?" the mare asked. Derpy choked. "Y-Yes and I need to go and save her!" "Whoa whoa there friend. That's not a simple task as slaying a dragon." "And since when was slaying a dragon simple?" the mare asked. "Compared to who were probably going to have to go up against Rosaline, it's quite tamed." Morion shook his head in reluctant agreement. "Small mare, how exactly did you find yourself in this sort of predicament?" Morion asked. "Me and my friend Carrot went to a library and grabbed hold of a book detailing the legend of a door that appears every hundred years in random locations all over Equestria. We wanted to go look for it out of curiosity and found it in Everfree Forest." "A door...." Morion commented. Eyes wandering as though he was trying to jog back a memory. "How would a door lead to here, the Underworld?" The others looked on equally as confused. Doing their best to piece together the details of the grey pegasus story. "Yeah. When we got through the door we were in this graveyard like place but ended up being chased by ponies who looked exactly you guys." "Like us?" Rosaline questioned. "Yes. They chased after us and kept reciting some mumbo jumbo we couldn't understand." "Of course you couldn't. They were more than likely speaking in our ancient tongue. Question, do ponies of modern day continue to speak like that or at least teach it?" "Um...no?" "From the words of Faust is this outrageous!" Alexandrite rolled his eyes. "Get over yourself." "Marion please. Anyway, the undead ponies she mostly likely encountered were probably soldiers who were once part of Pruina's army. They were probably trying to warn you of the encroaching danger." Derpy hoofed her forehead. "If only I had listened, I could have avoided this mess! Now Carrot is in trouble cause of me!" "I understand if you didn't dear. I doubt they looked very sightly but I need you to tell us what happened. What are the events that took place after such?" "Running from them we encountered some giant spiders who had these white capes on their back. We managed to run from them into a small building where we met Pruina. She promised to help get us out of here and back home." Morion chuckled. "What a liar..." "Spiders...the Assuni?" Alexandrite questioned with a slight cock of his head. "Of course..." Morion mumbled. "Carrot had so much trust in her I-I didn't even think about turning back. But it was off, like she was acting strangely. I have never seemed Carrot so-so attached to a stranger." "Dear, are you sure she was not under some spell?" "W-well...I did notice at the last minute that her eyes were different. Instead of being green like they usually were they were blue..." "Why would they suddenly change?" "Like you stated could have been a spell...a charming spell considering her supposed obssession." "Know anything about this charming spell, Great Morion?" "Ugh like I would know everything!" "Well considering how the Great Sage Morion likes to brag about his greatness I figured you would know about something as little as a charming spell!" "Why you-!" "I'm so sick of those two." Rosaline stated. "I don't blame ya..." the foal agreed. "I don't understand. What would she want with my friend Carrot?" "We...are not very sure." Morion answered. Having had enough of Alexandrite who shared the mutual feeling. "What do you mean your not sure?" "We could not discern what was going on by the chaos that surrounded us. We paid no attention to the events unfolding before us. We only saw a mare who didn't belong who needed to get out of there and fast. Had it not been for us you would have froze like our dear ponies." "You...saved me?" "We all did." Rosaline stated. "Those undead ponies were soldiers and allies of ours as well as the spiders who were probably trying to warn you of Pruina as a threat. Not a friend. Of course being scared of their appearances, it makes sense that you would run rather than listen." "And who knows how they might have went about trying to warn you..." Alexandrite commented. "Carrot...." the reality begun to hit her even so more clearly. The chaos and the scene, the convulsing of her friends body and the laughter. Derpy squeezed her watery eyes and shook her head. Sadness no longer was evident but instead was placed with anger as she flung her tears all over the place. "What about Carrot! All this talk about Pruina and no Carrot! How are we suppose to know that she's safe? That Pruina hasn't killed her or done something terrible!?" "Calm now pegasus! We know as little as you do! As for your friend we shouldn't jump to conclusions about her fate." "I have reason to believe she is not dead. She is perhaps alive." "What makes you believe that?" "In honesty I don't really have a reason. But-" "But we have hope." Morion came in. "Whatever the case may be, regardless if your friend is alive or not, Pruina has a plan and one I am for certain that will not be fulfilled here." "She is filled with hate." "Exactly. Hate against not what is down here..." Morion pointed up. "...but what is up there." "Pruina's plan will not just effect or in this case has effected your friend but will effect perhaps the entire world." "But Carrot! We need to save-" "Carrot or millions of innocent bystanders? Pruina has always been itching to escape and this may just be the starting the line in doing so." "Morion..." "No Rosaline, she must understand and look beyond her friend." "But she is just a young mare!" Morion snapped his head. "Does not matter!" Derpy bite her lip and closed her eyes. Allowing the tears she had been holding back for so long to pour out in a raging waterfall. "She is a mare engaged in war for that is what it will amount to. You think Pruina is gonna march up there alone? Facing the world with a single sword?" Silence. "I didn't think so. War includes the lives of millions not just one. But in war for every life..." He looked towards Derpy. "...do we fight As per the cold of the Iron Empire Code of Valor." "That's my boy!" Alexandrite, the battle worn soldier, smiled with utmost excitement. The familiar name stunned Derpy. "Crystal Empire? Wha-" Rosaline placed a comforting hoof on the clumsy pegasus's shoulder. "My dear, on your own you will not prevail against Pruina. Only the strength of many will and even then it is just a possibility but one in which we can fulfill." "As per the code of valor I will not let any pony fall in the face of evil. No matter my relation with them. "Alexandrite is a great fighter ya' know!" a small foal spoke to which Derpy's attention was caught. They sat next to Rosaline after prancing around after a beaten up ball. From the build of the small pony and its voice, Derpy assumed it was a colt. "He has slain many warriors and he's in love with the queen!" Marion busted a laugh. "Lets not get into that now! Let what passed be the past!" Rosaline merely chuckled. "Seems like my son Siam hasn't changed either." "He is like his father here who doesn't know how to keep quiet." Marion rolled his eyes. "Believe as thou wish." "My dear Derpy I must ask you, are you willing to fight for your friend but also for the world if it is at stake?" "Yes! Anything!" "Now I must ask you this, are you willing to fight for others?" "...yes." "And last are you willing to die for it?" "Yes-! Wait- I!" "Too late! Your fate is sealed!" Alexandrite proclaimed. "But I didn't-!" "Know this now small pegasus, more than the fate of your friend lies in the balance. Prepare and be ready." "For what?" "War." Part Ice Cold air breezed through the winds as the ground was frozen solid. Statues of the once living beings could be seen not to far off from the tomb that laid as the centerpiece of the tragedy. Inside laid a pale mare whose curiosity unfortunately caused such an effect. Her slowly begun to open and Carrot could feel just faintly something cold pressed against her hooves. She could barely feel her own hooves. She felt bitter as though icicles were eating at her but as her vision became clear the realization of her situation struck her: She was trapped. Confused and becoming distraught, Carrot moved her front hooves upon the icy tomb from inside in unbelief. Only faintly remembering the incident of before. Seeing from the back of her open eyes the paying of a memory consumed in flashes of light, shouting and salty tears. Carrot pressed against her encasement but true to rock and stone, it did not budge no matter how hard she may have tried. Carrot seeing her efforts were of no avail, looked around from inside. The ground was as bitter and cold and frozen than the coldest tundra and a blizzard aggressively came from all winds. She could not see the sky and the mood was that of a solemn case. Around her were icy statues of the frozen from her size to the great in the distance whom she believed looked like dragons if they themselves were not. Carrot's eyes picked up at the sound of light crunching and taps and as she gazed straight in front of her in the distance, she could see the figure of a pony coming towards her. A small smile graced her face as perhaps finally, a prayer had been answered but as the figure approached she could not help but notice it's similar look to her. "My my my, it seems that a certain pony is wide awake." The pale figure walked around Carrots tomb with a smile that graced her face. Her hair as blue as the ice that encased the surrounding area and her eyes as piercing as the color that surrounded her. Carrot barely responded as she only looked at the pony who was her height and shape but carried the calming expression of the one who bought her here. "Who are you?" The mare walked in front of Carrot's tomb and laid down upon the cold, barren ground. Giving her a chilling look as she crossed her two front hooves. Using her mane to make swirls in the snow in what depicted boredom as she made no eye contact with the entrapped young pony. "The one who led you here." Carrot stayed silent until here eyes widened in realization. "You..." she growled. Gritting her teeth in anger. "Pruina! Your behind this? We trusted you! Why would you do something like this? Where is Derpy!" "Didn't anyone ever tell you that when you are speaking you ask only a question at a time?" "No more of your silly games Pruina! Where is she?" "Your friend was pulled away by those wretched soldiers of mine. Be thankful of them. Had it not been for them she would have surely been frozen..." Pruina lifted a hoof and waved it over the area. "...like all of them." Carrots eyes followed her hoof as she witnessed before her frozen statues of ponies and what seemed to be large dragons alike. She looked Pruina in the eye. "Why would you do something like this? What purpose could you possibly have?" Pruina didn't answer her question but instead gave her a side glance. Continuing to swirl her mane in the snow as though she was possessed by something. "For over a thousand years I've sat patiently for some pony...anything to walk through hell gates in order to be free from this prison." she hissed. "For over a thousand years I've bore long with your princesses happy faces as I watched them from down below enjoy a life that I myself should have lived!" Pruina cracked the ground beneath her instantly as she slammed down a hoof in rage. The small quake that came from her startled Carrot causing her to fall back slightly with the little space she had. "The princesses....what do they have to do with this?" Pruina stood and faced her. Gritting her teeth as she pushed out the words. "Everything..." Pruina turned around and gave a sigh. "Had it not been for them I would still be up there..." she looked up. "Walking among all races in power, wealth and glory. My name echoing throughout the lands. Instead, because of their own stupidity, I was destined to live my once esteemed life down in this torturous dump!" she snapped her neck at Carrot. "What are you talking about?" "Your stupid princesses. Banished by their own injustice, I've waited patiently for some pony to bear my curse..." Pruina rubbed her mane on the Carrot's tombstone. "...and that pony, would be you." "...what..." "When your princesses banished me, the cursed they placed upon me was severe. I was doomed to the bottom pit of the underworld with no real rite of passage. Simply thrown unable to be blessed with either eternity in heaven or hell, I wondered with the rest of my kingdom in isolation. My only source of company being the beasts of this place, my hated kin and a sphere ball I found and infused with magic to allow me to gaze upon the surface world and its happenings. But I knew that every magical spell has a hole, it was just a matter of time to find it." "And that was me?" The mare smiled. "Partly. Do your princesses really think that I would just sit idly by and not do anything? My magic is restricted greatly yes but not all of it. I stayed down here honing my magical abilities." "Through oral magic?" "Some pony's been listening. I needed a way to break it, the curse and it's bounds on me. I couldn't destroy it, but I could replace the pony it held which was me with another. The dead are unable to leave the underworld and by the time I had managed a plan I needed more than just a replacement in my stead...I needed a body." Carrots eyes widened and her mouth trembled in stuttering words that couldn't come out. "I was then a soul, something rotted away. I needed a body to escape, to go back to the land I was unjustly expelled fro. But first that called for a living being to enter into my domain. I couldn't leave so I needed a hook to fish for it. That door was just that." "You made that?" Pruina chuckled wickedly. "Impressed? That door was one of my greatest feats. To create even a partial or half working entrance to the underworld is a feat. Of course actually making the gates of hell appear upon the surface of the world is practically impossible but a little magic can craft a direct or indirect entrance. Even if it's half-working product." Half-working...is that why it disappears? "When I saw you two through my crystal ball having made your way here I was excited, perhaps brimming too much so. But I knew those annoying subordinates...no, rebels of mine would try every attempt to stop you. I crossed my hairs hoping it wouldn't be so but alas my prayers were answered as the door disappeared from view." "You knew about everything..." "I planned everything, with chance and with skill." "You mentioned your subordinates trying to stop us...and dragging Derpy away...are you talking about those undead skeletons that chased us?" "Them and those cursed spiders. All soldiers of my long forgotten kingdom...well, almost forgotten. Now reduced to some measly city state in the middle of a desert plain. Ruled over by a 'princess of love' and her good for nothing husband." The details hit the imprisoned earth pony. "Cadance and Shining!" "Ah yes...that's there names. How could I forget. First my banishment and the last remaining part of kingdom goes to a pressy princess by Celestia's decree." "Your empire?" Pruina sighed as she picked up some snow using her tail and swirled it around in the air. Creating a circular panaranma view for Carrot to see. "Perhaps I should start from the beginning during the reign of the Iron Empire or what you ponies now know as the Crystal Empire."
Wings of Bravery	Chapter XII: Rip in Time	"Long before the Princess known as Cadance came into view or even her mother, there was to the far north as you know, the Crystal Empire." Pruina showed the earth pony a panoramic view of the lavish empire. Carrot's eyes widened as she gazed upon the grandeur of it. Large and tall buildings dressed in crystal and marble filled the view as different races of all types walked among each other peacefully. "The land of the far north was a land of prosperity and beauty. Driven by their rich resources of minerals and precious stones. Buildings of marble and crystal could be seen every step and races which ponies and other kinds never laid eyes upon can converse and intertwine with one another in open unity. While others were fighting and bickering among one another, all races were welcomed with open hooves. It was a place of splendor and riches, a utopia for it's time." "And lemme guess, it's ruler was you?" "Indeed I was. For three hundred years did I rule in peace and care. Protecting my kingdom and ruling over my subjects who held me to high esteem. You have me to thank for the empire your princess now rules over. It would have never came to be." she sighed. "You...founded it?' "Of course as well as most of the traditions that dare come to be celebrated til this day. I was there where alicorns in abundance ruled over lands and I was there when they disappeared. Certainly, it only made sense that I would come to found my own land." Pruina gave a small laugh. Carrot merely narrowed her eyes. "And my reign would have lasted til your day had it not been for your precious princesses." "What is with your hatred towards Celestia and Luna? Whatever you have done surely you deserved it!" Pruina snapped her neck towards the earth pony. "Whatever I have done does not amount to the punishment I had received! You ponies carry your princesses in such high regard that you believe them to be infallible. Incapable of doing any wrong or poor judgement. But like us both here they have past sins and I am one of them." Pruina gritted through her teeth. Carrot swallowed as she watched with nervous eyes the bitter mare. "A plaque begun to ravage the northern lands. Prance, the independent states of what would soon be Equestria, various kingdoms. It spread like wildfire and it was only a matter of time before such an atrocity would reach the far, cold north. Ponies and other races were dropping like leaves on an autumn morning. By this time your princesses have been came into power. I had been kind to them, meeting with them to attain a newly forged set of affairs." "You were allies with them?" "I was." she hissed. "When the plaque, the black plaque had reached the lands of what was then Equestria they tried desperately to search for a cure but no magic seemed to help. Fillies, colts, mares and stallions all fell victim. Growing deathly ill and dis-configured until you could not tell them apart. I however was determined to find a cure. No matter what it took. When no simple medical or healing spell could work I turned to last thing I knew of." "And what would that be?" "Black magic. I made a contract with hell's residents. In exchange for the knowledge of worldly magic I knew of they would give me power to cure any illness, a panacea to the problem at hoof and any other that should come. I was enlightened, grateful and in my desire to spread the good news I told your dyarchal rulers about my findings but they viewed it as too much. Saying the consequences of demons knowing the ways of pony magic or of any kind is too much of a risk. No matter how much I tried to make them see how the benefits outweighed the costs they refused my proposal. Forbidding my practice. But I wasn't going to let my subjects or kingdom die to because some uppity ponies said so. I continued my practice in secret, striving for a cure by the time my kingdom was struck. I was aimed to not only save my subordinates but my family as well and all those under me knew that. But some...were like the princesses." Carrot looked on with intense interest as the scene on the panoramic view changed to a mixed group of races sitting at a round table. "Word of me continuing the my practice spread to the princesses and the United Council of World Leaders, to which I was apart of. I became ostracized, viewed as a danger. They threatened the stability of my kingdom by removing their support needed imports and threatened me with removal from the council. I was enraged, angered that they would not heed me. I refused to stop my practice and your princesses, so called doing it for the greater good, saw fit to remove my ability for magic right when I was nearly finished with my contract with hell itself." "W-what happened?" "My kingdom was destroyed. That is what happened. My subjects were dropping like flies and my family, my stallion, my sister, and my foal all fell to the same disastrous disease. The air was filled with death and soft chatter was soon replaced with aggressive mourning and weeping. My kingdom came to a halt and the ones that were dear to me succumbed to painful sores, and hectic fevers and coughs. Nothing I could do could make them go easier onto the next life. All because Celestia and Luna wanted to pretend as though they were above every pony and every one." Pruina hissed. "That...doesn't sound like them. It's hard to believe that." Pruina gave the earth pony a sinister smile, as eyes as cold as night pierced through her own. "Hard to believe but nonetheless true. I refuse to submit to the rule of some pony or some thing below me. I marched onto their kingdom once demanding answers as well as my subjects but they succeeded in my defeat. But now..." Pruina chuckled. "...but now I will be the one who will succeed in theirs." The ice pony, used her tail to swipe away the panoramic view. It dissipating into the gentle wind. The tanned mare turned her back on the young earth pony as she opened her mouth to let out a command. "Enascor!" her voice echoed through the cold landscape and the sound of her voice was like that of a roaring lion. Soon after, the ground beneath Carrot begun to shake. Rumbling the very foundations of he ricy, pyramid shaped tomb. Carrot looked down beaneath her and saw her tomb beginning to erect itself into the air. "W-wow!" Two great, horse like beasts came from both the right and left side of Carrot. Carrying her in between them on a solid, icy platform that was tied to both of them by chains. The earth pony watched on as ponies, icy soldiers that too lacked any flesh, begun to emerge from the very ground that the ice witch stood upon. They were soon joined by icy golems, small dragons and even the dreaded windigo, as they all came forth at command of the queen herself. Pruina looked back at Carrot with an intimidating smile. "Be proud my little pony. You are going to witness front and center the greatest victory of all of history. I will bring upon your princesses and the whole of Equestria a storm much bitter, much colder than any windigo storm can and could deliver." Carrot narrowed her eyes and stared at the mad mare with false confidence. "The Elements of Harmony will stop you." Pruina laughed. "Lets hope they can."
Wings of Bravery	Chapter XIII: Our Flame	A warmth overcame the room as a fire burned in the background of the grey pagasus. The radiant warmth of the fire helped to remove or at least, uplift the bitter feeling of the blizzard cold. Two undead ponies discussed the manners of what had recently transpired hours ago in front of the blazing fire. Their long capes, adorned with the same red cross as the spiders, draping behind them. A spider, wearing the same hung from the ceiling by it's abdomen. Stretching out its limbs close enough so that they would not burn but be warmed by the welcomed heat. The room itself was part of a small building, a remnant of Pruina's kingdom that had been banished and scattered about across the icy caverns of hell. It wasn't in best condition as red curtains laid ripped and seemingly sewn back together in an attempt to preserve it as long as possible and the walls were beginning to peel. Paint flaking off at almost every touch of a hoof or claw. Derpy's body laid wrapped underneath a rather old blanket. It was thin and worn but served to alleviate some more of the cold that had managed to dodge the warmth of the fire. She ruffled her feathers underneath the blanket and scooted her body further under it as she laid next to Morion whose hooves laid on an opened book they both were reading. Derpy looked over to her left as she saw a small baby spider crawling among a stack of books that contained information on different styles and types of magic and history. Aw how cute. Derpy thought as the spider merely looked at her. "Pay now attention pegasus! Important matters are at hoof!" Derpy gave a disapproving groan. "I know but...it's so boring!" "Weather it is boring or not my dear it is important that you know this information." Rosaline chimed in. "Where is Alexandrite? That armored pony?" "Probably off training with the other soldiers. Even in death he does not cease to swing his sword." Morion answered. "Which means he is either in the training room so named or outside." "In the cold?" "That does not phase him. Besides, like us, he's dead anyway." the stallion stated bluntly. "True..." Derpy's eyes wandered to the back of her. Setting upon the sights of the fire and the capes of the two ponies who stood in front of it. "Hey, what does those crosses on you guys capes mean?" "They are suppose to be a symbol of our loyalty until death to our kingdom. An oath is sworn upon our hearts to which I and soldiers alike carry with great respect. Unfortunately, that was not to be. At least, to some of us." Rosaline walked over and laid next to them both. Interested by the conversation that was being discussed between them. The two did not mind her intrusion. "What...exactly happened between you guys and Pruina?" "A lot of stuff." Morion stated as he looked down at the book. Though he bore no eyes, Derpy could see his hurt clearly expressed. "What Morion means is that we care about Pruina deeply but what she is doing, what she has done before in the past we do not approve of. Morion is, after all, her most faithful of students and learned most of his magic under her reign. I was a personal ambassador and representative of the queen. Alexandrite, was one of her most faithful and greatest soldiers." "Wow. So you all know her pretty well huh?" Rosaline chuckled. "Of course we did. We all, including Pruina, were like family. She was a kind pony, beloved by all." "Really? She sure didn't seem like it. Well, at least til' recently." "Pruina must still be upset over what transpired over a thousand years ago. Who would have thought she'll carry a grudge for that long." "Grudges are not something that just disappears. If some who live long can hold it til death then I am not surprised that Pruina can hold it past that." "What crawled in her fur and died to get her so salty?" "Fleas and a lot of them." Rosaline gave Morion a look. "A feeling of being judged wrongly. We were not present in all that unfolded. We only know what others had told us and what Pruina, before our banishment, have told us." "The black plaque came among us and various other nations. So deadly and contagious was it so. Ponies, gryphons, horses and others were dropping like leaves. At this time, it wasn't long before your princesses became rulers and the the Crystal Empire, our home, had formed an alliance with your newly founded land." Derpy was caught off guard. "Wait, just wait. Your both from the Crystal Empire? How?" "Our Queen founded the empire. The crystal heart that protected us from the cold, was also crafted by her." Rosaline explained. The revelations shocked the pegasus. "That wicked mare did all of that?" "Indeed she did. In order to keep back the sporadic and hectic blizzards. The fuel was the emotion love as such was of abundance and more resourceful than a material item." "It seems odd that Pruina, whose carrying a grudge would make something of, well, love." "Indeed it is but such things did she do. So powerful was her ability to learn and understand magic as an earth pony that not only did she craft a powerful artifact but almost as a blessing, bestowed upon her a longevity unheard of in the day and even now." Morion flipped through his book. "Pruina was not always a hateful and deceptive pony. She was one like your princesses. Loving, caring and a noble leader. Accepting all those no matter how different. The Crystal Empire reigned during the years when the alicorns roamed the world in abundance and still stood after their fall." Rosaline explained. "What exactly happened for Pruina to get banished down here? And you guys too?" "Like said we only know so much but from what we understand so far, when the plaque struck, Pruina was determined to find a remedy. No matter the costs. No magical spell known or even crafted so far during the time worked so Pruina turned to the last thing she believed could help and that was Black magic." "Isn't that just dark magic?" "No. It is not. Dark magic is the twisting and corruption of white magic. Black magic are magical properties gained through the use of devils." Morion explained. "Like demons?" Derpy said in shock. "Yes. Demons. Contracts." "But your princesses did not approve and forbade her from doing such. Worried what gifting the knowledge of worldly magic to devils could do. Of course our queen continued until finally your princesses had had enough. Taking away her ability to do magic for a time. After that, a domino effect seemed to have happened. The kingdom fell into ruin with the decreasing populace and the entire empire was under medical emergency. Our economy, stability and subjects had all but depleted into nothingness and for Pruina, like us, she lost her family. Her sister, her stallion, her foal. Having succumbed to the effects of the reapers breath." "That's..horrible. But it seems weird that princess Celestia and Luna would just do something like that." "In their eyes they did what they believed was of necessity. In our eyes and Pruina's..." Morion flipped a page in his book. "...they disgraced us. The nation grew bitter, angry and wanted an answer from the princesses. Pruina believed she was done wrongly and in so set out to cast her own mark of justice." "By doing what?" "Removing your princesses from the throne. But I and even my dear Rosaline and a few refused. As much as we ourselves we're angered, marching onto Equestria for war would not solve any problems but our queen didn't listen. Blinded by rage." "Some of those who were in opposition even went so far to tell the sun and moon princesses themselves on what was to befall them. Against their loyalty of the empire out of moral obligation. This gave ample time for them to prepare and only fueled Pruina's rage more. Both the Crystal Empire and Equestria went to war but Equestria emerged victorious and out of Pruina's sin we too paid punishment. Your princesses used the elements of harmony which sealed away not only Pruina, but her forces, army, and even nearly all of the kingdom." Rosaline continued. "I still remember her last words. "'I will return'" "Since then we been scattered through out the plain of hell itself. Guarding Pruina's confinements out of what little we could do. This, something like this, is what we were desperate to prevent." Morion added. "It is of importance that we get your friend back little pegasus. Morion, do you have any idea as to why Pruina may want with her friend anyway?" "I'm not sure but considering all of these magical spells she know of and could use and the circumstances surrounding us currently, I believe she used a soul transfer." "Soul transfer?" "In short, she stole your friends body." Derpy's eyes widened. "What?!" "That scene that happened hours back seem as though Pruina was sucking the soul out of your friends body and replacing it with her own in her body." "W-why would she do that?" "To probably escape. The dead can't leave but the living can. If she has a living vessel its a one way path out of here since the living doesn't belong anyway." "She did mention something like that but that leaves one more problem, you all are dead! How are we going to go after her once she leaves hell? I'll be alone!" Morion chuckled. "Hardly. Pruina is cursed just like us. We all are bounded to that curse. Pruina being the heart of it all as it was cast upon her first. Wherever she goes, we have privilege to follow." "So let me get this right, since she's leaving you guys can leave too?" "In simple words, yes and when we do we must be prepared to face her along with you." Morion closed the book he was reading with his hoof and gave a sigh before standing up. "I have a rather firm understanding on what magic spells she may use but that does not guarantee she'll use everything I know of now. We shouldn't be surprised if she has a few tricks up her tail. As for you pegasus, I have since discussed over with Alexandrite of what shall be done with you." The mage, took hold of the book in his dim magic and placed it over alongside the other stacks of books that littered the floor. "Be sure to rest up now while you have the chance. Your going to need all of which you can get." "What for?" "Your training will soon begin."
Daimon and Ornstein in Equestria.	pre	"Twilight. Are you alright?" He asked with a worried expression. Knowing he would find out anyway I told him what we did and everything that happened after. His reaction was not what I expected. "So you just attacked them without finding out more. Twilight that wasn't smart. Now they might hate ponies now because of you guys. Even Fluttershy said they were innocent" He said with annoyance. I was shocked that he would care this much. But his tone was not pleasing. "Spike, watch your tone. I know we made a mistake but were gonna fix it, okay. I'm gonna send a letter to the princesses and they can help sort this mess out." I explained, but that didn't seem to help. "That's just going to make it worse. You guys should try to apologize yourselves first." he responded without changing his tone at all. "Spike that's enough. I'll handle it the way I see fit. You weren't even there so how would you know. Now please finish the rest of you shores." I said, getting frustrated. This just made steam come out of Spike's nose as he stomped off to finish his work. I then went and wrote a letter to Princess Celestia telling them about what happened and describing how dangerous those two were. Unfortunately I forgot where they were going but i doubt it mattered. I went and chased down spike and had him send the letter. He just walked off again and I just shook my head thinking he was just overreacting. Boy was I wrong. Spike's POV Twilight was being ridiculous. Bringing the princesses will just make things worse. Well i'm not gonna stand by and let innocent creatures get in trouble for just defending themselves. Well not on my watch. I went into the library section and found a map to the Castle of the two Sisters, packed some supplies, snuck past Twilight, and got outside the Castle. "Well, let's go." I said as I set off for the old abandoned castle. It's weird that i've gone their twice but I need a map to get their. I am glad Twilight made one though.
Daimon and Ornstein in Equestria.	A spark between Dragon and Dragonslayer	Spike's POV I was now jogging to the old castle because if I know Twilight, and I do she already sent the letter to the Princess. I have to hurry or something bad might happen to them, and from Twilight's story, none of the girls except Fluttershy would help. I didn't have time though so I had to get their fast. I was jogging for about 10 minutes when the castle came into view. I quickly ran up to the gate and was about to knock when I heard a voice behind me. "What are you and why are you here?" the voice asked with suspicion. I raised my hands and slowly turned around and what I saw I really should have seen coming. I saw the massive knight and equally massive demon Twilight described standing 5 inches away from me. I was scared but I knew they weren't dangerous. So taking a bold move, I stepped forward and spoke "Hello, i'm Spike. I heard what my friends did to you and i'm sorry but I promise i'm here to help" I said as I walked in front of them. Both the knight and Demon looked at each other before the knight kneeled down to my level and placed a hand on my shoulder. "We believe you, thanks for trusting us." she said with an approving nod. Spike was shocked but smiled and his smile got bigger when the demon gave him a hug. Spike hugged back before he was placed back on the ground. "Yeah, you're alright in my book man. But i have a feeling that purple unicorn with wings, I think her name was Twilight, is not gonna stop messing with us." The Demon said. I then remembered the other reason I came here. "Oh man i forgot. Twilight is telling Princess Celestia about you guys and i'm pretty sure she exaggerated at how dangerous you are and what happened." I said in worry. Both of them were shocked to. "Who is this Princess?" asked the Knight. "She is the ruler of Equestria along with her sister and a very powerful pony." I said in even more worry. "That could be a problem, but as long as we stay hidden we'll be fine." The Demon said with confidence. I really hated to be the bringer of bad news but here it goes. "Actually, they know where this castle is so if you stay here they have a higher chance of finding you." I said with sadness but was surprised when both of them laughed. "Were not worried. We made plans on the way here for that. We had a while because it wasn't easy to get here." the knight said with a sheepish chuckle. I was just shocked but relieved. "Well here, i've been here before so let me show you around." I offered. The knight looked happy but the Demon looked cautious. "Sorry, i can't right now. I'm gonna go scout and see if anyone was following us. But before I go we never introduced each other properly. I'm Daimon." he said as he held out his massive hand for me to shake. I smiled and shook it but he accidentally lifted me 2 feet of the ground. He placed me back down with a sheepish smile but I just smiled back before replying. "I'm Spike, it was nice to meet you." I said as he waved by and flew off. I then turned to the knight who was kneeling beside me. "I'm Ornstein, it's nice to meet you too." She said while offering a hand shake. I shaked hands with her and luckily she didn't lift me up this time. "Well, let's start the tour shall we?" I asked as we started our tour. I did have something on my mind though. "Hey, is it alright if you take off your helmet. I'm just curious of what you really look like. No offence though I mean I just was curi---" I said but was shushed by a metal finger over my lips. Ornstein giggled before answering. "It's alright, don't act so nervous. The fact you came here to warn me and Daimon about your friends took will and guts. Thank you. You've definitely earned my trust. So I will show you. You've earned it." She finished sincerely before removing her helmet. What I saw made think of two things. Wow she is pretty and, this is just like Rarity all over again. No POV Fluttershy was in her house debating how to re-friend Daimon and Ornstein until Twilight teleported into her house. This caused the shy pegasus to let out a loud "EEP" and hide under her couch but was pulled back out by twilight's magic. "Fluttershy, I need your help. Spike's disappeared and i'm worried he might have gone to find those two monsters." Twilight said in a panic as she set Fluttershy back down. Fluttershy was worried about spike but upset at what Twilight called her friend's. "Twilight. They're not monsters. Their my new friends." Fluttershy said with a stern glare. Twilight was shocked but groaned a little after. "Fluttershy, those monsters attacked you, I don't care what they said. We don't have time for this anyway, we need to find Spike." she said.. Fluttershy was now annoyed but couldn't deny that they needed to find Spike. But she had a good idea where he was and what he was doing but had to find him without Twilight and the others finding out. "Ok, you go get everyone else, i'll start looking for Spike." I said and headed out the door with Twilight in tow. "Ok, be safe Fluttershy. Watch out for those monsters." Twilight said as she flew off to get the girls. Fluttershy was getting more and more annoyed but shrugged it off and went to find Zecora. ~Back with Spike~ Spike was busy showing Ornstein around the castle. When he thought she wasn't looking he sneaked looks at her helmetless head. Unknown to him, she saw him every time, and she enjoyed it. Back on earth she wasn't noticed a lot by boys, mostly because they were intimidated by her, but seeing Spike look at her like that and the fact that he wasn't afraid, just shy, made her feel much better but it also made her blush. Spike showed her around the castle until they arrived back in the throne room. They were just looking around until Spike had an idea. Grabbed an old cloth lying around, wrapped it around himself like a cape and turned towards Ornstein. "I am the great and glorious Spike. Great knight of Canterlot. Have at thee foul knight!" He shouted causing Ornstein to turn and see Spike like that. She was confused before realizing what he was doing and got into character. "You think you can stop me. I'd like to see you try, puny knight." She said while getting into an intimidating poze. Spike just smiled before getting back into character. "Oh I think I can. Have at thee" He shouted as he charged. Ornstein just smirked before charging herself with an evil cackle. For the next few minutes there could be many phrases and laughing heard from the throne room.
Daimon and Ornstein in Equestria.	Growing Bonds	Fluttershy's POV Me and Zecora were on our way to the castle I heard large wing flaps above us. Both me and Zecora looked up quick, thinking it was a dragon but to our surprise and relief it was just Daimon flying above us. It looked like he was scouting. I looked over to Zecora but I quickly received an encouraging smile and nod. I smiled back and flew up to meet the flying Demon. "Hey Daimon!" I shouted as i got in his line of sight. He turned and got on the offensive with his massive fists raised. I panicked and was about to scream until I saw the look of shock on him turn to relief as he lowered his fists. He flew closer to me before speaking. "Oh, it's just you. What are you doing out here?" He asked with worry with a small hint of suspicion. It was nice to see he didn't hate me at least. "I came here to check on you and apologize. So did Zecora, she's down their watching." I said as I pointed down towards Zecora who was busy waving once she saw us acknowledge her. I was happy when I saw Daimon smile bigger and fly down to meet her. Although I wasn't fond of how he grabbed me and brought me down with him. "AAAAAAHHHHHH" I screamed as we touched down. I stopped screaming after Daimon, surprisingly gently for his size, grabbed my shoulders and brought me to his face and stared into my eyes with those glowing green eyes of his. "Eh he he, sorry for scaring you like that. I won't do it again, promise." He said with sheepishly. I was shocked and happy of how he acted from just accidentally scaring me. "It's alright. I'm just a little timid, that's all." I reassured him. It seemed to work as he smiled and put me back down. "What are you two doing here anyway?" He asked with concern. I was going to answer, but Zecora beat me to it. "We are looking for a drake of purple scales. He left without notice, for young Twilight has told some tales." She answered in her usual rhyming. Daimon had a look of realization come over him. "Is this dark perhaps small, has green head fins, and is called Spike?" He asked. My smile got massive before quickly answering. "Yes, that's him. Do you know where he is?" I asked with hope. That hope skyrocketed when he nodded. "Yeah, he was already at that old castle before me and Ornstein got their. He's really nice too.He didn't attack us like your friends did." He said the last part with a little venom. I flinched a little but stayed calm, i knew he had a good reason to be mad. "Well thanks but we also came to warn you, Twilight is looking for him and I don't want her to know where you guys are hiding." I said in worry but was shocked to see Daimon chuckle. "We already planned for that." He said without a worry in the world. I was about to question it until he kneeled down to our level. "C'mon i'll give you a ride to the castle and explain everything." He said as he turned around for us to climb on. I was nervous, but Zecora immediately climbed on his back. "Climb aboard, dear Fluttershy. And enjoy the ride, as we soar high in the sky." She said. That made me feel a little better. "Don't worry, you'll all be fine. I won't fly to fast either." He reassured with a smile towards me. That diminished all my worries and I slowly climb on his back. "Hold on" he said as he flew up into the air. I screamed and covered my eyes before I noticed that we stopped ascending. I peeked out and saw we were level and flying. I looked over to Zecora and saw a blissful expression on her face. That put me more at ease as I turned back forward and watched Daimon's peaceful expression as he flew towards the Castle of the two sisters. No POV Spike and Ornstein were still "fighting" in the castle. Ornstein now had Spike cornered in a, well corner. "What are you going to do now, hero?" Ornstein asked menacingly. Spike just smirked. "This," He said before rolling under her legs. Ornstein was shocked but quickly turned around only to be tackled in the chest by Spike. Since she wasn't on guard, like during the fight with the ponies, Spike was able to knock her on her butt. She looked down to see Spike standing on her with the stick he found earlier pointed at her chin. "Yield." he ordered. Still playing along, she growled before letting my head fall to the floor. "I yield." She said in defeat. They stayed quiet for a few minutes until they both burst out laughing. Spike fell on the ground while Ornstein was rolling around laughing so much there were tears. Once they calmed down, they started some more small talk. "Man, I haven't had that much fun other than my time's with Big Mac and Discord." Spike said. Ornstein was curious on who they were but left it alone to keep the moment. "Yeah, who knew role-playing was so much fun." She said as she relaxed on the ground. Spike sat down to until he looked at the throne's behind them and got an idea. He got up and walked over to the thrones. Ornstein saw this and got up as well. "What are you doing?" She asked. Spike turned back and said, "Role-playing royalty" He said with a devilish smirk. Ornstein got a smirk as well and walked over to join him. Fluttershy POV We've been flying for a few minutes and I can already see the castle in our sights. I looked down to see Zecora still in her state of bliss as well as Daimon. I smiled at how peaceful Daimon looked, until he looked over and caught me staring. "Enjoying the view?" He asked with a smirk. This caused me to blush hard until my face was strawberry red. Luckily he saw this and was quick to dismiss his joke. "It was just a joke, don't worry. I'm used to being stared at, you wouldn't believe how many birds, squirrels, and rabbits i've caught staring at me." He said with a dramatic sigh at the end. That made me feel much better and I was amazed at how quick he was to end my embarrassment. Why was he being so nice though? Yesterday, he was shouting at me with fury. Now, he's treating me with as much kindness as I treat my friends with. I decided to ask him later since he was now descending to the castle. After he landed, he extended his left wing like a slide. He then gave me and Zecora a push with his hand and we slid down. I giggled all the way down while Zecora had a confident smile on her face. Once we reached the ground Daimon led us into the castle. Before we got to the throne room we heard voices, they sounded like Ornstein and Spike, which was confirmed when we peeked into the throne room and saw Spike and Ornstein sitting on them. I looked over to see Daimon giggling. He then motioned for us to stay put and listen. Deciding it couldn't hurt, I decided to wait and Zecora agreed since she crouched next to me and we all put our ears to the door. "Spike, go clean all the castle toilets, and sweep every inch of the castle, and restock all the books in the library." I heard Spike say in a voice that sounded like Twilight's. I then heard a voice that sounded like Rarity's. "Oh my gosh, how dare you ruin my mane. It will take me forever to get it in shape again, you brute." I heard what sounded like Ornstein imitating Rarity. Daimon and Zecora were working to stifle their laughter while I was quietly giggling. For once I was glad I was naturally quiet. Daimon decided it was enough and walked into the throne room. Me and Zecora followed. Ornstein and Spike were on the thrones laughing their flanks off. I decided to speak first. "Nice show guys, I really liked how you imitated Twilight." I said truthfully. I knew she wasn't like that but it was funny to hear her voice say that stuff. Both the dragon and knight stopped and looked towards us with sheepish looks on their faces. Me, Zecora, and Daimon just burst out laughing, well quiet laughing in my case. "Nice job sis, see you can still mimic people pretty well." Daimon complimented Ornstein. "It's a gift." she replied. I was about to start some more small talk before Spike burped out a letter. He picked it up and read through it. As he got to the end his face turned pale and his eyes widened. "What is it?" me and Ornstein asked at the same time. Spike just walked over to me and Zecora with Ornstein in tow. He then turned the scroll around once Daimon and Ornstein's heads were hovering over us and what I saw frightened me greatly. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Dear Twilight Sparkle, This is very worrying. Me, Luna, and Discord who you know has been staying here for a couple of days will be on our way to deal with these monsters. Also, have the Elements of Harmony prepared in case we need them. Sincerely, Princess Celestia ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ All of us were shocked by this news. I was brought out of my stupor when Ornstein spoke. "Well I guess we better get prepared." she said to Daimon. Said demon replied "I agree, but I do have one question" he said as he turned to me, Zecora, and Spike. "What are the elements of harmony?"
Daimon and Ornstein in Equestria.	Daimons Awakened FURY!	No POV Fluttershy just remembered she neglected to tell Daimon and Ornstein about the Elements of Harmony so she turned to them and began to explain. After about 2 minutes Daimon and Ornstein knew what the Elements were and what they could do. Daimon was the most worried since his body was born from hate, in a way. But when both him and Ornstein heard that Fluttershy has to be their for them to work, that put them at ease. Spike however, was still worried. "We still have to worry about the princess's though!" Spike exclaimed. Everyone went back to being tense after Spike said that. That's when Ornstein got another idea. "Hey guys, I got an idea so you don't have to be involved." She said while kneeling and making a 'come to me' gesture. Everyone present kneeled down low and discussed their plan. Twilight's POV ~1 hour later~ I was back at Ponyville looking for Spike. I was worried he might have run away again or something worse. Gasp. What if those monsters caught him. I was at my limit and was about fly off to look for him before I heard him call me. "TWILIGHT!" I quickly turned around to see Spike and Fluttershy running towards me. I immediately ran at them and gave Spike a BIG hug. "Spike! I was so worried. Where were you?" I asked after I put him back down. He took a couple seconds to collect himself before answering. "I was just taking a walk to Zecora's to calm down after our talk. I stayed there for awhile until I got this." He said as he handed me a letter. I looked over it and was shocked it was from Celestia. I was also glad that she took my side and was actually coming here with Luna as well. "What does it say?" Asked Fluttershy. I was going to answer until I remembered how she felt about this. I hoped that saying the princess's agreed with me, she would understand. "The princess Celestia and Luna are coming to help us deal with those monsters. Celestia also said to get the Elements ready." I explained. I regretted calling them monsters in front of her but it was true. They may have not done anything yet, but with how easily they beat us, who knows what they can do? I looked into Fluttershy's eyes and what I saw made me surprised. I saw sadness but also acceptance. "Alright, I guess I can't stop you if the Princess's are coming" She said before I saw anger flash over her eye's "but that doesn't mean i'll help. If you guys want to go and start a fight, go ahead, but i'm not helping." She said and started galloping back to her cottage. I was shocked and saddened at her rejection and even more shocked when Spike took of with her. "Spike where are you going?" I asked as he ran past. He turned back while still running and shouted, "To stay with the people with real kindness around here!" He then turned back and ran after Fluttershy. I wanted to follow but their was the sound of flapping near me. I turned and saw both Princesses chariots flying in. I quickly galloped over to meet them and hopefully find a way to solve this. No POV Back at Fluttershy's cottage, She and Spike had just gotten back and were now talking with Zecora. "Alright, it's done. Now we just have to make Sure Daimon and Ornstein are in position. Zecora smiled as she spoke. "Is a good plan, made by Ornstein. I just hope that we, will get out sin clean." She said and both dragon and pegasus nodded as they ran of into the forest. Unknown to them, a fast streak flew of from the tree's to Ponyville after they left. ~Back by Ponyville~ Celestia and Luna had just gotten out of their Chariots and were trotting over to meet Twilight. "Hello Princess." Twilight said while bowing. "Rise, my little pony." she said with a smile. Twilight quickly stood up before speaking. "I was just talking to Fluttershy and Spike. Sadly Fluttershy isn't joining us. We can't use the Elements without her." She explained to the Princess. Luna decided to add her opinion now. "Though Pegasus friend has her reasons and we must respect them." Luna said in a sincere voice. That made Twilight feel a little better. Celestia then spoke up again. "That may be true, but we still need a backup plan in case these Monsters are planning something sinister." She said, getting a nod from both Alicorn's around her. Before they could keep talking, Rainbow Dash landed next to Twilight. "Twilight, I saw Fluttershy. She was with Spike and Zecora and their helping those two monsters that attacked us. They were heading into the Everfree." She said in a panic. This caused all three Alicorns to gasp in shock. "We need to find them now." Celestia said before flying off into the Everfree with Twilight and Luna close behind while Rainbow went to get everyone else. ~With Fluttershy, Zecora, and Spike~ All three of them were walking to where Daimon and Ornstein should be. Fluttershy then decided to review the plan. "Ok so we're supposed to make it look like Daimon and Ornstein escaped out of Equestria to everyone right?" She asked. Zecora and Spike nodded and kept walking until they heard flapping above them. They looked up and saw The princesses and Twilight flying above them. Spike gasped before turning to Zecora. "You need to get Daimon and Ornstein quick or else the plan won't work." He said. Zecora nodded before taking of into the forest. Spike was glad because he heard a thud before being engulfed in a lavender aura and Fluttershy in a golden aura. Both were turned around and were facing The princesses and Twilight. "What are you two doing?" asked Celestia with a shocked expression on her face. Fluttershy was the first one to reply. "Were protecting our friends." She replied with a glare. Spike knew this wasn't part of the plan but it wouldn't hurt it at all so he joined in. "Yeah, we know what your going to do and we won't let you." He said with a glare of his own. All three Alicorns were shocked by what they said and their glare's but recovered fast. "You don't understand. These beasts need to be contained before they do more harm. Twilight already told me what they did to all of you." Celestia said with a stern stare. Spike and Fluttershy didn't back down though. "They were only defending themselves. Twilight and the others attacked them first and they tried to leave but you all still attacked them." Spike said and Fluttershy gave an approving nod. Now Twilight stepped in. "How would you know, you weren't even there." She said while stepping closer. "Fluttershy told me, since she and Zecora seem to be the only one's sain around here." He said which caused Twilight to gasp. This time luna stepped in. "It doesn't matter. Those creature's are still incredibly dangerous and need to be dealt with." the night Princess said. "Now where is Zecora?" Twilight asked only to get a firmer glare from both Pegasus and Dragon. "She's with our new friends, and before you ask, were not telling you where?" Fluttershy said. Now Celestia was irritated and closed the distance with both of them. "I am your Princess, now tell me where Zecora is!" She shouted but Spike and Fluttershy held their ground while Luna and Twilight were getting worried. "Just because your the Princess doesn't mean your always right." Spike said firmly. "Yeah, and if I was helping you what would you do to them if they put up any sign of threat?" The Pegasus asked with much more determination than usual. This stumped Celestia, so the Dragon and pegasus continued. "You would have us use the Elements wouldn't you?" they both asked at the same time. Celestia looked up with a expressionless look. "I would do what needs to be done." She said in a darker voice. This made Spike and Fluttershy mad, but Twilight and Luna shocked. They didn't say anything though. "So you would just attack without good reason?" Fluttershy asked in shock and anger. This made Celestia get more upset and raise her voice more. "I already have enough reason. Those two are dangerous and have already attacked my little ponies and according to their own reactions, could have killed them. Anything that dangerous needs to either be under control, or out of the picture." Everyone was shocked at her outburst. Luna, now having enough, was going to speak until Fluttershy beat her to it. "You aren't acting like a Princess now Celestia. You aren't acting kind or gentle. You are acting more like Daybreaker to me!" She shouted with much more gusto then she has used in a while. Twilight and Luna were shocked that she knew about Daybreaker at all, probably Starlight, but Celestia was just furious. To be compared to a tyrant like her alter ego has never happened to her, especially from one of her ponies. Her eyes flashed red and unable to contain her rage, unleashed a strong blast of magic that hit Fluttershy in the chest and sent her flying into a nearby tree and Spike, caught in the blast as well, into a boulder. There was an audible snap and Spike and Fluttershy screamed in pain. "AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" they screamed as Fluttershy held her broken wing and Spike held his broken tail. Celestia immediately realized what she did and was horrified. "I-I-I" She stammered for a few seconds before preparing to rush over to Fluttershy. Before she could there was a VERY, loud thud. All of them looked over to see Daimon with a look of shock and fear on his face with Ornstein and Zecora not far behind. When they saw Spike and Fluttershy they gasped in shock before looking at Celestia's simmering horn. Zecora was beyond shock that Celestia would do this. Said Alicorn turned and saw Daimon, Ornstein, and Zecora standing their. She was about to attack until she saw their stares of fear and worry towards the pony and dragon she just attacked. She was brought out of her stupor when Daimon spoke. "Did you do this?" He asked, still looking at Fluttershy. Said pegasus was shocked that they were their but worried at what they, especially, Daimon, might do. Celestia had gone from fear for her ponies, to fear of Daimon. Gathering her courage she answered. "Y-y-yes, but it was an-." "SILENCE" He shouted as he turned to her with an enraged look on his face as his eyes turned red. Everyone, excluding Ornstein and Zecora who were to busy getting Spike and Fluttershy out of the way, were terrified of what was now happening. Daimon's Body was changing drastically. His already massive wings extended to their full length and grew about 2 feet on each side. His legs and arms grew a foot but kept all their muscle. His tail as well grew about 2 feet. He then started to float as the last change was made, and this one was the most terrifying of all. The eyes on his chest opened and as he extended his arms and legs to their full length, his chest morphed into something that looked like a Dragon but with a slight primate shape that made it all the more menacing and scary. The head in Daimon's belly let out a terrifying roar as it took it's form. "RROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRR!" It's roar ended as Daimon's body now exposed it's true shape completely. There was however one more terrifying trait about this Daimon. Their were misshapen horns jutting out of it's collar bones and around the back of its head and the terrifying part was, his original head was lifeless. It just hung there like a dead limb. All the ponies, Zebra, and Golden knight then noticed the glowing, dark purple, slitted eyes of the dragon head glaring at Twilight and the Princesses before it spoke in a much more demonic voice. "You fools have pushed me to far, now you have awakened the hatred in me. I am my other half's hatred and anger taken form. You harmed the first person to show me kindness and one of my best and only friends. Well now you shall pay for your sins. Me and my other half are anger. We are hatred. AND I AM HIS AWAKENED FURY!"
Daimon and Ornstein in Equestria.	Awakened Fury Daimon vs Ponies and Ornstein	Play music for battle with Daimon No POV When Ornstein saw her brother change, she was scared and confused. If she remembered the awakened Daimon from the game, this one wasn't him. The Awakened Daimon in the game didn't have bulky muscles like this one, and he seemed bigger too. He also didn't have glowing purple eyes, he had orange one's. She was worried but she also knew that if he was like either Daimon in the game, especially this one, he would have high magic defense and high defense to about, everything else except holy. She hoped her special lightning attack would be close to holy damage. She turned to Zecora before speaking. "I need you to get Fluttershy and Spike to cover, well take care of this." Zecora, without any doubt, nodded and let Ornstein put Fluttershy and Spike on her back. The Zebra the galloped back to her hut. Ornstein smiled but then grew serious as she turned back around to face the floating nightmare in front of her. Said nightmare lifted his hand in the air as it started glowing orange with a swirling red mass in the middle. "Die" he said as he fired multiple fireballs at the princesses. Acting fast, Ornstein jumped in front of them and with swing of her spear, deflected the blasts safely into the sky. Daimon was shocked that Ornstein defended the ponies but paid it no mind. He wouldn't harm her to much but he would move her out of the way. He lifted his left hand and it glowed a deep purple. Ornstein knew what this was and quickly turned to everyone behind her. "Everybody duck!" She shouted and dropped to a crouching position. Luckily they all listened and dropped down, except for Celestia, who was getting over the shock of her mistake, and Ornstein helping them. As everyone else ducked, a massive spectral clawed arm swung over and smacked Celestia into the air and into a few trees. Luna, Twilight, and Ornstein quickly got up. Ornstein then launched a bolt of lightning at the ground creating a temporary smoke screen. She turned around and explained her plan quickly. "Ok, I know you don't trust me but you need to listen. I know how to stop him so let's just work together for now to change him back, ok?" she said in an annoyed tone. Twilight was still suspicious but since no one has seen this creature before, she gave an affirmative nod. Princess Luna gave a nod without hesitation. Ornstein smiled under her helmet and then turned back to Daimon as the dust cleared. Daimon gave a satisfies look to where Celestia landed before turning to the others. He gave a harsh look at Twilight before bringing his right hand and it glowed a light cyan blue with white in the middle. Everyone stood their ground until the ground below Twilight started to go cold. Ornstein noticed this and knew what it was. Without a second though, she jumped and pushed Twilight out of the way, but got hit by the massive ice pillar that jutted out of the ground in the process. She flew into the air and was about to crash until a purple aura caught her upper body and surprisingly enough, a golden aura caught her lower half. Ornstein looked over to see Celestia with her horn glowing and an aww struck look on her face. Ornstein was then turned upright and placed on the ground. The gold knight nodded a thanks to Celestia before getting into a fighting stance. The three alicorns got into a fighting stance as well. Daimon saw this and, since he had more muscle then he should, which he took note of, he got into a charging position and at once, both parties charged forward. Unknown to them, they were being watched. Over in a couple of bushes, the rest of the mane six (PInkie, Rainbow, Rarity, Applejack) were watching the fight unfold. They saw what Celestia did to Fluttershy and were shocked, but were terrified when they saw how angry Daimon got, and especially his change. Pinkie's mane was deflated and she was shivering and clinging to a more white then usual Rarity who was clinging back and shaking as well. Applejack was wide eyed with her hat on the ground and Rainbow's wings were drooping and she was trying to keep herself from screaming, even though she would never admit it. All 4 wanted to help at first, but when they saw what that 'thing' did to Celestia, they decided to wait this out. When they saw Ornstein jump in and then save Twilight, their hopes lifted. They then saw Celestia, Luna, Twilight, and the knight charge at the demon and almost got the courage to help, almost. Rainbow now looked ready to charge out and might have if she hadn't seen what Daimon did next. Both sides clashed with each other and were all pushed back. Daimon recovered and used Grand Levin, which struck Twilight, stunning her and causing her to collapse. He then used Grand Comestion and caused 3 walls of flame to burst from the ground, one after the other (Grand Comestion is 3 High Comestion with one after the other). The first struck under Luna, who luckily sensed it and flew high into the air before she got hit. The second struck Ornstein, who wasn't hurt by it, but ended up being tripped because of the shockwave. The third struck a few certain bushes and set them ablaze. Their were four screams of shock and fright as 4 mares came galloping out of them. They were Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie pie, and Rainbow Dash. When they ran out, they were immediately frozen when they saw they were right in Daimon's sight's. Daimon turned his attention to the new arrivals and raised his left hand, preparing for a sweeping claw, when he was struck in the face by a green fireball. The explosion caused him to repel himself backward, stunned. Everyone turned to see Spike with a bandaged tail, and Zecora with a bow and arrow, and other weapons behind her in a small cart. Spike was the first to speak. "Everyone who doesn't have magic, grab a weapon and help!" he shouted,and no sooner did Pinkie pull out her cannon, and Applejack pulled out her lasso, and Rainbow flew over and grabbed a sword. Celestia was wondering where these weapons came from but couldn't argue with how beneficial it could be. She was brought out of her thoughts when Ornstein landed near her. "Can you enchant their weapons with light energy or something? he's weaker to it." She explained. It took Celestia a few minutes before nodding and shooting three yellow beams of magic at Pinkie's cannon, Rainbow's sword, and Applejack's lasso, which is now being used as a whip. Celestia then noticed Zecora with a bow and arrow and shot a yellow beam at the bow as well, enchanting it with light damage. Twilight, Luna, and Rarity decided to use their magic, and Ornstein and Spike decided to use their lightning and fire. With all of that in mind, the ponies turned back to see Daimon had recovered from his stunned state and was charging up another fire spell. Everyone got their weapons ready and charged forward with a "YYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" Zecora and Pinkie struck first with a cannon blast and a arrow to Daimon's arms. The impact made Daimon turn his attention at them and cast Grand Ingle. Pinkie hid her cannon away and jumped into a bush, while Zecora leaped over the two fireballs sent in her direction. Rainbow charged in and hit Daimon's wing with her sword. It made Daimon float backward and started gathering a purple fire in his mouth. He then let it loose and it shot out towards, well about everyone. Spike dove out of the way, along with Applejack. Twilight flew up and lifted Rarity up with her. The princess's and Rainbow just flew out of harm's way. Nobody knew where Pinkie was. Everyone regrouped but got nervous when Daimon started floating towards them. Celestia shot a magic beam that hit him in the face and actually caused him to falter. Ornstein then remembered Awakened Daimons weak spot. "Everyone, aim for the head in his belly!" She shouted. Everyone else nodded and focused their attacks on his middle head. This caused Daimon to let out a growl of pain and stumble back. He then got madder and charged forward with his dragon head chomping and chomping. Everyone darted to the sides dodging it. Ornstein and Spike then launched a Heavy Lightning Spear and a surprisingly large green fireball. Both attacks collided with his head and made him stutter again. He then flew forward a little bit and his eyes, mouth, and hands glowed fluorescent blue as he stretched his limbs again. Everyone backed away, and good thing too because Daimon then thrusted his hands downard and a massive swirling vortex formed under him. Everyone was starting to get pulled in, despite desperately trying to escape. Ornstein knew what to do here though. She crouched down and sprung forward. The sucking of the portal helped her reach her target faster, and with a mighty swing of her spear, she struck Daimon's dragon head and upper chest, disorienting him and stopping his attack. Daimon then tucked his knees in and wrapped his arms and wings around them. Celestia and Luna took this chance to both fire their strongest magic attacks at him, along with Ornstein and Spike shooting their respective ranged attacks at him. This caused Daimon to reopen himself and jerk around in the air. After a few seconds of jerking he collapsed on the ground, dazed. Everyone then attacked him at the same time. After a few minutes of nonstop attacking, Daimon rose back up and used a double handed Sweeping Claw to knock everyone back. He then casted Bolide and multiple meteors struck down around him. Rainbow, Zecora, Celestia, and somehow Pinkie were caught in the impact of a meteor. Twilight created a shield which protected Rarity and Applejack, while Luna made her own shield. Ornstein launched a Heavy Lightning Spear and destroyed her meteor, and Spike ducked behind a large boulder. Everyone recovered quickly, thanks to some healing spells, and prepared to continue the fight. Daimon casted Bolide again and also prepared a Sweeping Claw in his left hand. Celestia was prepared this time and destroyed 3 out of the 8 meteors coming down from the sky. The only person who couldn't dodge in time was Princess Luna, who recovered quickly thanks to Twilight. Daimon then swung his left arm to the right and brought the spectral arm across the field. This caused Spike, Twilight, and Rainbow to get knocked into a couple of tree's. Daimon then prepared another double handed Sweeping Claw and reared his arms back. Zecora easily rolled under the Spectral arms but Ornstein wasn't so lucky and was sent flying back. Daimon then flew closer to everyone and charged up a Grand Ingle and sent fireballs flying in random directions in front of him. Ornstein struck again with her spear in his head and stunned him, before being knocked back by another Sweeping Claw. Daimon then charged up High Seism as his hands glowed green with yellow in the middle. He finished his attack and the earth began to violently shake. Then tons of rock and stone erupted from the ground and falling everywhere. It was like trying to get away from a mini Earthquake. "Everyone, dogpile this jerk!" Rainbow shouted. Luna, Rainbow, Applejack, and Zecora all jumped on Daimon and started hacking and slashing at him. Daimon then brought his arms to his face and his knees near his chest as his body began to glow orange. Ornstein knew what he was doing and shouted "He's using immolation, get off of him!" She was to late though. Daimon finished his spell and sent all 3 pony's and Zebra flying off of him. Their fur was burning a little bit but they were able to beat it out with ease. Daimon then started charging his fire breath again and everyone was getting ready to attack at the same time. Ornstein felt horrible fighting her own brother but couldn't think of a way to knock him back into his senses. She almost gave up hope until a yellow blur latched itself onto Daimon's face. Daimon was annoyed and looked at what it was but was surprised to see it was Fluttershy. He immediately stopped his fire attack and stared wide eyed. Fluttershy was hugging his dragon head, softly crying. When she looked up, Daimon saw her eye's were full of sadness. "Please stop, i'm okay. You don't need to fight anymore. Celestia didn't mean to hurt me." She said with caring sincerity. Daimon was confused but still full of anger. "How do I know they won't do something like this again?" He asked with venom and anger. Fluttershy was shocked but kept her composure. "Because I trust them, you don't have to, but I do. They won't hurt me again, you may not trust them, but you can trust me." She said with a smile. To the shock of everyone in the room, Daimon's Dragon head smiled. Fluttershy smiled as well and was going to give him a hug until his face contorted in pain. Fluttershy backed away as Daimon floated higher and pulled his elbows back and his knees higher and backwards and let out a loud groan before crashing into the ground, LOUDLY. He laid their until his dragon head decayed away and his limbs shrunk. His original head regained it's life and his eyes started glowing green again. He then quickly stood back up and looked around. He grabbed his head as a massive headache hit him. He then remembered everything that happened, including what his other form did. He looked at everyone in front of him with horror and backed away slowly. "What- what have I done?" He asked in horror as he backed away faster. All the ponies, including the princess's, were shocked at how he reacted to almost killing them all. He didn't act evil at all, he acted scared and horrified at what he did. They all started to feel bad for what he did. No one reacted until Spike, Ornstein, Zecora, and Fluttershy rushed over to comfort him. "It is alright my friend, you did not bring anyone's life to end." She said while rubbing his hand. Spike was hugging his other arm while Ornstein was hugging his side. Fluttershy was hugging his face and speaking softly. "You only did that because you saw me hurt. You didn't do it for a bad reason. No one got terribly injured and me and Spike are fine." She said while pointing to her perfectly okay wing. That actually brought a question to Daimon's mind. "How did you and Spike heal so fast anyway?" he asked as he looked down at Spike who was still hugging him and smiling up at him. Ornstein then nudged him before speaking. "I know how to make an Estus Flask." she answered in a giddy voice. Daimon gasped and was about to ask how until she cut him of. "I don't know, or care. I'm just glad I know how, and that they didn't burn them alive. I think it was a mixture of the adrenaline rush and magic." She answered. Daimon smiled and turned to Zecora. "So you somehow had the ingredients to make one?" He asked. She nodded before answering. "All the ingredients I needed for this special brew, were as common here as an early morning dew." She answered in a humble tone. Daimon nodded before crouching down and hugging the Zebra. "Thank you." He said when he felt her hug back. He let go and gave her a grateful smile. This made Zecora feel much better but remembered some certain ponies still near him. "We should probably leave, we can explain everything once were gone." Daimon said to the pegasus, dragon, and zebra. He looked to Ornstein for approval and got an affirmative nod. He then spread his wings and grabbed Ornstein by the arm and put Zecora on his head. Fluttershy put Spike on her back and prepared to leave until he heard clopping. He looked back to the ponies and saw them walking closer. "Wait, where are you going?" Asked Celestia in a worried tone. Daimon understood her caution but had no time for it. Twilight then spoke next. "You don't have to be cautious of us, were sorry for attacking you earlier, but we were just worried for our friend." she explained getting a nod from everyone else. Daimon smiled at their thoughtfulness but he and his sister still didn't trust them enough yet. "We understand your caution, but forgive us for saying we still don't trust you yet. I'm sorry for what I did to all of you, and I do owe you all for the trouble, but since you attacked first and since one of you hurt one of my friends, i can't trust you yet. Maybe at a later date." He said with a smile at the end. Ornstein joined in next. "Trust me when I say that we promise not to cause any trouble, but if trouble comes to us and you try to turn us into stone or seal us away, we won't hesitate to defend ourselves." She said, until Rainbow spoke up. "Yeah right, we can handle you chumps." She said with confidence but was shut up by Twilight with a slap to the back of the head. Ornstein waved it of and continued. "It's fine, she's just stating her opinion. But let me ask you this." she said, looking at rainbow. "If you all couldn't completely beat my brother even WITH my help and i'm just as strong as he is like this, how will you beat him on your own if he turns into "That" again?" She asked. That made everyone think hard and came to the realization. If they couldn't use the elements, or the elements didn't work, they couldn't. Everyone by Daimon, including him saw that and gave a satisfied smile. "Don't worry though, if you don't come at us hostile, you never have to worry about that." Daimon said as he started hovering. Right before he and Fluttershy flew off Ornstein said one last thing. "And don't' worry about your friends, we won't keep them their long. Bye!" She shouted nicely as Daimon and Fluttershy flew over the tree's and out of sight, but as they left the ground, Daimon gave them all, especially Celestia, a venomous glare before he went above the tree's with Fluttershy and out of sight. The remaining ponies were still taking all the info and accepting the guilt of their mistakes. They were all silent until Pinkie walked in front of everyone with her mane deflated, and said what everyone was thinking. "We messed up big time." she said with a sad face. Everyone nodded and began their trot back to Ponyville in silence. The one who felt the worst was Celestia, not just for how much she hurt Fluttershy, but for how she made Daimon feel. One thought went through her mind as she trotted back with everyone else. "I need to make it up to him."
Daimon and Ornstein in Equestria.	Forgiveness, and a little something extra	No POV Celestia, Twilight, and everypony else just got back to the castle of friendship. To say they all felt bad would be an understatement. They all stayed quiet for a few seconds before Celestia broke the silence. "We need to fix this." She said in a sad tone. Everypony nodded with their heads down as well before Applejack spoke up. "I should have known they were telling the truth, I'm supposed to be the element of honesty" the farm pony said with her head down. Rarity gave her friend a soothing pat on the back before Celestia spoke again. "No one was at more fault then me though. I attacked one of my little pony's. I'm supposed to be kind and loving one. And adding to that, I caused Daimon so much pain he turned into that, thing." She said in a very sad tone. All the ponies present felt even worse about what they did. Even Rainbow understood why Daimon and Ornstein got so mad at them earlier. Luna then brought her head up with a determined look. "We need to find them and apologize." She said, getting a nod from everyone else. With that they all set out into the Everfree Forest. Once they got outside the castle they were shocked to see Spike running of into the forest with a LOT of red, gold, and silver cloth in it, along with Zecora who had her own cart with lots of cake supplies and carrots. They didn't know how they got back here and got all that stuff without any of them noticing but didn't question it, yet. Their first instinct was to chase them, but they decided to quietly follow them instead. ~3 minutes later~ With Daimon and Ornstein, while Spike and Zecora were out they were passing the time in the old throne room. Ornstein and Fluttershy were happily chatting while Daimon and, surprisingly enough, Angel bunny were in a heated staring contest. Apparently Angel had followed all of them into the Everfree before the whole Awakened Fury fiasco. Daimon had found him on his shoulder while they flew back to the castle. It was no problem though. He saw what happened and acted better than the others since he's already met Daimon and Ornstein. He saw that Daimon turned into that only because Fluttershy was hurt, and he respected that. Right now though, Daimon and Angel had made a silent bet that whoever wins has to get the other a treat. Said treat was Carrot cake. Both have been at it for 10 minutes now and both were getting close to breaking. Angel really wanted that cake, so he decided to use his "secret weapon". He pulled a carrot out of nowhere and threw it at Daimon, not even moving his head or eyes. Daimon was this coming however and used one of his wings to swat the carrot away without a single blink. Angel was so shocked he accidentally blinked, which Daimon noticed and made known quickly. "I win, in your face bunny." He said while pointing at said bunny. Angel just glared and pouted angrilly. Daimon knew this would happen and already had a plan if it did. He knelt down in front of Angel before speaking. "Hey don't worry, I'll make you one too." He said with a smile. Angel immediately perked up and gave Daimon a "do you mean it" look. Daimon nodded and Angel quickly ran up his arm, up to his head, and gave it a hug. Daimon smiled before giving the bunny a small nuzzle before walking over to his sister and Fluttershy. "So that's why you wanted the cloth?" The shy Pegasus asked, getting a nod from Ornstein in response. Daimon heard this so he asked the obvious question. "What are you guys talking about?" He asked. Ornstein and Fluttershy turned to him with smile's before answering. "I just finished telling Fluttershy why I wanted the cloth, needle and thread." Ornstein answered, as a look of realization came over Daimon's face. "Oh you mean the cape you used to have that you made?" He asked, leaving out the other world part. Ornstein noticed this and was glad he remembered their pact before answering. "Yeah, I missed a little so I thought I could ask Spike to get some cloth for me, I'm glad he said yes but I forgot to tell him why. Anyway, who won your staring contest?" She asked after her explanation. Daimon smirked at Angel before answering. "Me, but I agreed to make 2 cakes since he really wanted one too." He said as Angel gave a triumphant fist pump. Fluttershy gave a cute giggle before smiling at him. "Thanks for being so nice to him. He usually only gets along with me and other animals." She said while not noticing the dirty look Angel gave her. Daimon just waved it off before looking outside. "I think I'll go and see if Spike and Zecora are close, if they are I'll fly them back here." He said getting a nod from everyone in the room. Daimon smiles back before he opened his wings and took of, with Angel on his shoulder waving his arms like a maniac. Fluttershy and Ornstein smiled before getting back to their conversation. ~Back by Twilight and the others~ They were still following Spike and Zecora. Some of them felt this was just going to make things worse by spying. Others were overruled by their curiosity. They did keep their distance though. They saw Spike and Zecora talking as well and moved closer so they could hear. "I wonder what Ornstein is going to do with all this cloth?" Spike asked to Zecora. Zecora turned with a friendly smile before answering. "You may not have to wait long, young Dragon. For I sense the closing presence, of our friend Daimon." She answered. Spike was shocked on how she knew but shrugged it off since it wasn't as weird as Pinkie's pinkie sense. Celestia and Twilight were shocked that Daimon was already closing in. They weren't nearly as worried as before, but were still a little nervous. Their thoughts were interrupted when Zecora spoke again. "For you Spike, I have my own query. Do you think it was wise to steal from your crush, Rarity?" She asked, making the other ponies quietly gasp. Rarity was especially shocked that Spikey-Wikey would steal from her. She was about to go from shock to angry until Spike spoke again. "I didn't steal it. I payed for it in gems. She hasn't gone gem hunting for a while and I left a 3rd of the hoard I collected for about 5 years and I think that can cover it." He answered. Zecora, along with everyone else was shocked. As far as anyone knew, Spike ate most of the gems he found. How would he have a hoard that size unless he barely ate them, or he just had a secret one. Rarity was shocked as well, and come to think of it, she did see lots of sparkling coming from her boutique on the way out. "I am glad you payed for your prize, but am surprised you had a hoard that size." The zebra said in astonishment. Spike puffed his chest out with pride before answering. "I have a secret cave in the Everfree where I hide it. I'm planning on showing Daimon and Ornstein where it is later and maybe ask them to help me gem hunt." Spike said with a big smile. Zecora gave a light chuckle and a nod before she and Spike continued into the Forest. All the other Ponies would have many questions for Spike after this. Then there was the sound of loud wing flaps as something big came down from the sky. It crashed in front of Spike and Zecora, creating a cloud of dust around it. When the dust cleared, the towering form of Daimon stood there with a kind smile on his face. All the ponies miraculously found their own bush, each the perfect size for them, even Celestia. Celestia forgot how intimidating his first form was. Definitely not as scary as his enraged form, but still intimidating enough. "Hey guys." he said in a friendly tone. He then leaned down and let Angel wave hi to everyone. Spike and Zecora waved back while everyone else was shocked Angel was their. They would have questioned it more until Spike whispered something to Daimon. Said dark Arisen's eyes widened in realization before he burst out laughing. "Hahahahahahahahahahahaha! So you knew the whole time?" He asked Spike, only to receive a nod as Spike struggled to keep his giggles in. All the ponies hidden were even more confused to what he meant, but they soon realized when Daimon stood to his full height. "You can come out now, we know your their!" He shouted, which shocked every hidden pony stiff. How did Spike know we were here, they thought but then realized the situation. Twilight and Pinkie looked back to where Daimon was, only to find him right in front of them. Twilight and Pinkie shrieked like Fluttershy and launched themselves out of the bushes. They landed back in and stared back out to see Daimon still their. All the ponies froze until all their bushes were incinerated. They all looked to Daimon and saw his right claw holding a orange swirling, glowing orb in it. Zecora stood next to him, trying to not laugh at everyone's expression, while Spike and Angel were rolling on the floor laughing their heads off. Daimon was in a similar situation to Zecora, only louder. Celestia was the first one to recover and trotted closer to Daimon. He saw this and fixed a neutral look. The solar Alicorn stopped immediately. She knew he hated her the most and didn't want to cause another fight, especially with what she already done. But what surprised her next was when Daimon walked in front of her, knelt down, and gave her a gentle hug. Everyone except Spike, Zecora, and Angel were shocked. Celestia was the most shocked but then hugged him back, she had to stand on her hind legs to do it though. After a few minutes, Daimon set her back on all four hooves as he stood back to his full height with a gentle smile. "You don't have to apologize again. I don't know why you were following them (pointing at Spike and Zecora) but it's alright. I could tell you weren't doing anything harmful. I am happy you apologized and I can tell how bad you felt, i could see it in your eyes. I forgive you for what you did, and so does my sister and Fluttershy. Just never do it again." he said the last part sternly and a little louder. Celestia flinched at the last part but smiled gratefully before speaking. "Thank you, I was worried you would not be so forgiving. I am truly sorry for how i treated you and would like to make amends, if you would let me." she said with a hopeful look. Daimon smiled even bigger before speaking. "That would be great, but not now though. Me and my friends have to get back to my home. I have cake's to bake, and my sister has a cape to make." He said the last part looking at Zecora with a smirk. Said Zebra gave a chuckle at his rhyming. Daimon then turned to everyone in the back. "I forgive you all as well. You just acted on instinct. Like I said before, don't harm me or my friends, and I won't go crazy again." He said while giving himself the crazy gesture. All the ponies smiled before Twilight got curious about one thing he said. "Wait, you said your friends. Aren't we friends now?" She asked, only to get a head shake from Daimon. "Not yet." He answered, only to have Rainbow Dash fly up to his face. "Why not, we said we were sorry and you accepted our apology, we should be friends now." she said angrily, only to have Daimon grab her with his large claw. His hand was so large it covered a good ¾ of her body. He then held her up to his face and gave her a VERY intimidating glare. She immediately stifled anything else she was going to say. Daimon then held her at arm's length before turning back to everyone else. "Who does she belong to?" He asked, getting a risen hoof from Twilight. He then outstretched his hand and let Celestia levitate Rainbow back to Twilight and the others. Luna however, gave Rainbow a harsh glare which pretty much said "talk again and I will end you." Daimon then decided to explain before more conflict arose. "I'm not your friend yet, keyword yet, because friendships aren't formed off the bat like that. You may have apologized and felt bad for what you did, but that doesn't mean i'm all of a sudden going to come and be friends. Friendships are built up and involve bond. So far none of you have given me that. Only Spike, Zecora, and Fluttershy have given me that." All the ponies eyes widened in realization before Daimon finished. "Look, i'm busy and have things to do, so if you really want to talk or become friends, try and follow me, but before I go." As he finished he lunged at a tree next to Applejack. Said apple farmer jumped out of the way just as Daimon got to the tree. Everyone was confused and shocked until they saw him grab something invisible. The invisible being them materialized into none other than "DISCORD?!" Said lord of chaos was struggling to get out of Daimon's vice grip on his neck. He wasn't focused enough to teleport away, but was shocked when he was placed back on the ground. Discord looked to see Daimon with a kind smile as the demon stepped back to give him some space. Discord recovered quickly and smiled before speaking. "So your the reason the Tia and Lulu left me at the castle." He said while Daimon giggled at the Princess's nicknames before answering. "Yes, nice to meet you, i'm Daimon. You must be Discord, the Lord of Chaos and Disharmony i've heard about." He answered, getting a nod from the draconequus. "Who did you hear about me from?" He asked. "I heard it from Fluttershy." Daimon answered, to which shocked Discord greatly. "You know Fluttershy?" he asked, to which Daimon nodded. He then had an idea that would probably make Fluttershy happy. "Why don't you follow me back to my home. Fluttershy and my sister are their right now, we're gonna have cake." He said, which made Discord smile. "That sounds splendid. I think i will come and add my own 'input' to it." He said with a smirk. Daimon just chuckled before turning back to Zecora and Spike. He walked over but then had a question for Discord. "Hey, can you make me some rope?" he asked. Discord just laughed before answering. "Easy, being a reality warper has its advantages." he said as he snaps his fingers and a 26 foot long rope appeared. Daimon nodded thanks before breaking the rope in half. He then looped and tied one half around the cake supplies cart and the other around the sewing supplies cart. He then kneeled and let Spike, Zecora, and Angel back on him. Before they could leave however, Celestia and Twilight trotted up. "Discord, where are you going? Your supposed to be at the castle anyway." Twilight said, with Celestia nodding in agreement. The lord of chaos just waved it off before explaining. "Yes, but I couldn't just waste the chance to see something new like this. Besides, I only found you after you walked back to the castle. What did you do anyway?" he asked only for Daimon to answer. "I'll tell you later, now come on, we don't want to take to long." he said as he launched himself into the air. Discord flew after him, but Daimon thought he should assure everyone before he left. "Don't worry everyone. I know Fluttershy will keep him in line. Beside's, he's lasted this long without causing to much trouble right?" Twilight was about to argue, but then thought about it more. Fluttershy did have more control over Discord then anybody, and Daimon seemed to rival Discord in power, in his awakened form at least. If Ornstein is their as well, both could probably beat or at least restrain Discord until they could use the elements. Celestia felt the same way. "Also, you are all still welcome to try and follow us, bye." Daimon said as he and Discord, along with Spike, Zecora, and Angel flew off. They all just remembered Daimon said they could follow them. Applejack was the first to break the silence. "C'mon everypony. This is our chance to make amends." she said as everyone nodded and took of in the direction Daimon and Discord went.
Daimon and Ornstein in Equestria.	Peace	No POV At the Castle of the two sisters, Daimon and Discord just landed in front of the castle. "So this is where you live." Said Discord in realization. Daimon nodded before kneeling to let Zecora and Spike slide off of him. Angel wanted to ride on his head. They were all a little worried on letting Discord of all people in on this, but were reminded that Discord has proven himself, at least mostly trustworthy already. So they all decided to give him a chance. "I can't wait for you to meet my sister. I think you guys will get along great." Daimon said to Discord with a smile. This made said Draconequus smile widely. "Thank you, I'm looking forward to meeting her too." He said as he started floating again. Daimon smiled bigger before continuing to the castle. Once they entered, they saw Ornstein practicing spear combos and Fluttershy feeding some birds and squirrels. "Hey everyone, we got the supplies, and a new arrival." Spike said as Fluttershy and Ornstein turned to see Discord floating their with a smile. Both girls were shocked to see him their, but then Ornstein simply walked over and held out her armored hand. "Hello, my names Ornstein. It's nice to meet you." She said with a smile. Discord was shocked, but smiled as he held out his eagle talon and shook. "It is nice to meet you as well, I am Discord. I have heard a lot about you from your brother and Spike here." He said with a gesture at Daimon. This got a smirk from Daimon, a blush under Ornstein's helmet, and a blush and glare from Spike. "Really, what did they tell you?" She asked sheepishly and was glad that they couldn't see through her helmet. Discord got a smirk and would have answered if Fluttershy hadn't come in to save Ornstein. "Discord? What are you doing here? And stop teasing Ornstein." She said, to which Discord hung his head until Ornstein stepped in. "It's fine. Beside's he could have done worse. He could have acted it out." She said, to which Discord laughed out loud along with Spike, Zecora, and Daimon. After everyone calmed down they all walked inside so Daimon and Ornstein could finally get to work. ~With everyone else~ Twilight and anyone else who could fly had tailed Daimon and Discord to the Castle of the two sisters. They were shocked that this is where they were staying but were grateful Daimon allowed them to follow them. They landed back down with everyone else to give them the good news. "Good news everyone, we found them. Their at me and Luna's old castle." She said with a smile. Everyone else smiled as well. Rainbow then frowned before asking what's been plaguing her mind for a little bit. "I still don't get why we had to get Daimon's permission to follow him. We could have just done it anyway." she said. Everyone had thought of that, but Luna spoke up next. "That is because before he did, he threatened to fight us again if we did. His sister joined in as well, and we all wouldn't have been able to drive him back without her help or Fluttershy, Zecora, and Spike." She said with a glare. Rainbow then remembered how terrifying Daimon was when he was angry, and if his sister was helping him, welllllll. "Oh right. Sorry." she said, only to get a hug from the night princess. "It is alright. It was a simple mistake. Now, let us go and make amends" She said before flying off to the castle. Twilight and Celestia used their magic to levitate Rarity, Pinkie, and Applejack as they all flew off to the castle. ~10 minutes later~ They all finally arrived at the castle's front. They all had a bad feeling about this. Everytime they come here something weird or bad happens, and now Daimon and Ornstein live here. And to top it all off, DISCORD is here with them. They all sucked it up though. They already caused enough trouble, now was not the time to chicken out or get paranoid. So without further ado, Celestia and Luna opened the doors and they all trotted in, what they saw was surprising, and comforting. Daimon was using immolation while standing under a metal table with two big, slowly baking cakes in a large glass box over it, probably made by Discord, while Ornstein and Spike were knitting what looked like a large red cape with an image of said Knight's spear in the middle. Rarity and Pinkie were ecstatic and had to be held down to avoid lunging over and helping. Twilight was the first to break out of her stupor. "Hello?" she asked, and received shocked looks but they all quickly turned into happy looks. "Hello Twilight and friends, have you come to make amends?" asked Zecora as they all trotted forward. Celestia spoke first. "Yes, we have all come to apologize again. If you'll allow us." She said with sincerity. Daimon and Ornstein both looked at each other before nodding and looking back at the ponies. "Yes, and the fact your willing to apologize again has meaning in itself. You still have to do it though. Besides, I haven't been apologized to yet." Ornstein said. All the new Ponies looked at each other before nodding and trotting forward. Twilight spoke first. "I'm sorry for accusing you two and calling you Monsters. I was just so worried for Fluttershy and Spike I acted on instinct and didn't think straight. I'm really sorry." she said with a massive sad face. Daimon and Ornstein smiled and nodded thanks to her. Twilight smiled gratefully before stepping out of the way. Applejack came up next. "I'm mighty sorry too. I was too quick to judge you on your looks. I'm supposed to be the element of Honesty, yet I couldn't see you were telling the truth. I swear on mah honor to never misjudge someone again. Especially you two." She said, which got a bigger smile from the two powerful siblings. They gave the apple farmer a thankful nod before Pinkie trotted up next. Her big eyes were big and watery and her mane was flat. "I-i-i-i-i-i'm s-s-s-sorry a-a-as w-w-w-well. I shouldn't have been such a meanie pants. I'm supposed to make p-p-p-people laugh. Instead, I made you guys really angry. I'm so s-s-s-s-s-SORRRRRRYYYYYY! Wahahahahahahahaaaaaaaaa!" Pinkie shouted as she let the tear ducts out. Surprising to her, both Daimon and Ornstein appeared beside her and wrapped her in a massive hug. Said knight and Arisen had huge smile's on her faces. "Don't cry. It wasn't completely your fault. You just wanted to protect Fluttershy. I can respect that. You just didn't stop and wait. Beside's, it all worked out in the end, and you did make me laugh a little when you disappeared in that bush. Hey, when were done, i'll make more cakes for everyone." Daimon said with a smile. Pinkie smiled as her mane poofed back up as they set her back as they set her down. Ornstein gave her a thumbs up before they all backed up to give the next pony some space. That pony was Rarity. "I am deeply sorry as well. I acted very unlady like when I hit you with that boulder. I am also in the same boat as my friends and i feel just terrible for how I treated you. I hope you can forgive me as well." She said with a sad frown, only to smile when Ornstein placed her hand on Rarity's shoulder. "It's alright. Your right, you had the same problem as everyone else. But you had good intentions. Besides, your being pretty generous by giving us a second chance anyway. Thank you." Ornstein said with a smile under her helmet. Somehow, Rarity could tell and smiled in return. Rarity stepped back just as Princess Luna trotted forward. "We are sorry as well. If we had just listen to thow, then none of this would have happened." She said with a frown. Daimon just smiled before replying. "Hey, you were the only one who hesitated to fight us. And you scolded them afterward. You deserve the least of the blame besides them." He said pointing at Spike, Zecora, and Fluttershy. Luna smiled widely before giving a curt nod and trotting back next to her sister. Finally, Rainbow flew over, not even looking at them. "I-i'm sorry as well. I shouldn't have acted like such a jerk. I just, when I first saw you with Flutters, it looked like you were going to crush her. I just reacted on instinct like everyone else. I have a habit of doing not thinking. I'm really sorry too." she said with a surprisingly large amount of sincerity. Daimon was shocked, as well as Ornstein. From how she acted earlier, they didn't expect her to apologize like this. They were shocked, but it was quickly replaced by admiration. Daimon reached a large hand out and with his index claw, lightly scratched behind her ear. Rainbow did not expect this, and the sudden sensation caused her to land on the ground and lean into Daimon's touch. "It's alright. You were just being very protective of your friends. And the fact you never quit when fighting me was a true show of courage. And you stuck with what you thought was right. Being loyal doesn't always mean doing what your friends say, it means to trust them, and sometimes your just too confused to trust them, that doesn't mean your a bad friend. Remember that." He said with a kind smile that could rival Celestia's motherly smile. Rainbow was bewildered he forgave her so easily. She thought he would be almost as mad at her as he was at Princess Celestia. She was however, grateful he wasn't. She then saw Ornstein hold out her fist. Rainbow was confused at first but then realized what she wanted. She flew high enough and then bumped her hoof with Ornstein's armored fist. Ornstein gave her a nod as Rainbow smiled and flew back with everyone else. Lastly, Celestia trotted up. She was about to speak but was silenced by a raised hand from Daimon. He then stepped out of the way for Fluttershy to trot up. This made the white Alicorn tilt her head down even more. Fluttershy however, wasn't mad at all. In fact, she had been silently cheering for everyone for apologizing before. She wasn't mad at Celestia either since Daimon told her that she apologized twice before they got here. Neither was Ornstein. She was also happy at how the white Alicorn had Apologized too, and also felt bad for how much guilt she must have felt after the whole ordeal. Ornstein and Fluttershy looked at each other and gave a consecutive nod and walked forward. Before Celestia could speak again she was once again wrapped in a massive hug. One on her legs and another on her neck. She was shocked out of her stupors when they let go. She saw the smiling face of Fluttershy,the happy nod of Ornstein, and the smile of Spike as he walked up as well. No words needed to be said. Everyone agreed as well. Even though she was at the most fault, Celestia had apologized the most and felt the worst. Daimon, Fluttershy, Ornstein, Zecora, and Spike all agreed she had suffered enough so they all said the one sentence everyone needed to hear. "We forgive you." All the other ponies smiled and smiled wider and Daimon and Ornstein beckoned them over and they all started a great party. And I'm talking a Pinkie style party. With a little bit of Chaos. "This will be fun" The Arisen and Golden knight said as they fist bumped with happy smirks on their faces or in Ornstein's case, under her helmet.
Daimon and Ornstein in Equestria.	Fun party times	No POV The party was going swell. Daimon, Pinkie, Angel, and Celestia were eating the massive cakes Daimon made, and the extra two Pinkie helped make. Angel and Pinkie were devouring their cakes at lightning speed, while Daimon and Celestia were enjoying their cake. This went on for a couple minutes until there was one slice of cake left near Daimon. Pinkie and Angel backed off since Angel was stuffed, and Pinkie saw Daimon reach for the last piece. Unfortunately for him, when he grabbed the paper plate, there was a force pulling it against him. Daimon then noticed a golden aura around the left side of the plate. He looked up to be staring into the eyes of a certain solar Alicorn, who's horn was glowing. They both blushed before Daimon tugged on the plate more. "Sorry Celestia, but I had it first." He said as he tugged it towards him more. Celestia however, used her magic to yank it more towards her. "I am sorry as well Daimon, but I have a rather large fascination of cakes as well. I shall be the one to have the last piece if you don't mind." Celestia said. Daimon didn't give up however and yanked on the plate again. "Yeah I don't think so." He said as the plate was then yanked out of his grip. Celestia grinned madly and casted a shield around herself. She was going to eat the cake, but Daimon somehow broke through her shield and tackled her to the ground. Well, more precisely, his chest and head tackled her to the ground. The cake, somehow, landed safely on the ground a few feet away on the ground. Daimon quickly got up and lunged for it. He was able to grab the cake and lift it over his head, but before he could drop it into his mouth, a small magic blast hit him in the face. It didn't hurt, but it allowed him to drop the cake which Celestia caught with her magic. She smirked over her victory but her smirk disappeared when she lost sight of him. She heard a thud behind her and before she could react she was pinned to the floor and had her horn covered by a massive claw. She tried to use magic, but Daimons hand was effectively blocking it like an inhibitor ring. Daimon held the cake in front of her tauntingly before speaking. "Ha, try something now princess." He said with a laugh. He looked down, but only saw Celestia with a pout. Seeing her like that sent a sharp sting to his chest, so being the nice person he is, he got up and placed the cake down in front of the solar Alicorn. He then dusted her off before walking back over to a smiling Fluttershy. "That was very nice Daimon, i'm proud of you." she said as she flew up and gave his head a hug. This made Daimon blush but it was thankfully hidden under his hard skin. He waited for the butter cream colored pegasus to let go before answering. "I saw her sad, so I thought it would be nice t-" he paused as he somehow heard Celestia and Luna talking about a foot away from him. "Sister, why did thou get so sad when sir Daimon had the cake?" Luna asked her sister. "Oh I wasn't sad, I used that trick to get him to let me have the cake." she said, to which Luna gasped but then giggled. "That was naughty sister, you better hope he doesn't find out." she said, to which Celestia giggled herself. "Oh he won't find out." she said. If only she was right. Daimon didn't even know he had this ability, but he couldn't be more grateful he did. 'She tricked me! Curse my big heart' he thought frustratingly. He knew it wasn't a big deal, but he always had a soft spot for pouty faces, and he fell for it again. He then had a plan for revenge. "I'll be right back." he said to Fluttershy as he walked over to Discord. Said Draconequus was chatting with Pinkie about chocolate rain. Daimon was confused but shrugged it off as he tapped Discord on the shoulder to get his attention. "Oh hello Daimon, how are you doing." Discord asked surprisingly nicely. "Oh well, but I do need a favor" he said as he leaned forward and whispered something in Discord's ear. The lord of chaos' eyes widened in shock but he then grew a mischievous smirk. He then snapped his fingers and a ten foot tall chocolate cake appeared behind them. Daimon thanked him before he tore a large chunk out of it and hurled it at Celestia. Celestia didn't notice the incoming projectile and was pelted in the face by the large piece of cake. She ended up falling and having her head covered in cake. Everyone was shocked except for Daimon, Discord, Ornstein, Spike, and Luna who busted a gut and fell over laughing while Daimon stood with a triumphant smirk. Celestia, after 4 tries, finally yanked her head out of the cake with her entire muzzle a dirt like brown. She shook it off and glared back at Daimon who was still smirking as everyone picked themselves up or got over from their shock. "That's what you get for lying to me, punk." Everyone except Ornstein gasped at what he said. No one besides Luna has ever spoken to Celestia like that. Celestia put on a shocked face for two reasons. One, he had heard her conversation after all, and two, he called her a punk as if it meant nothing. She wasn't mad however, in fact, she grew a sinister smirk in response, to everyone's shock. "Well played Daimon, well played." She said as she levitated about half of the chunk that was on the floor and hurled it at Daimon. Daimon, reacting quickly, dodged out of the way and the cake ended up hitting Spike. Luna, Pinkie, Twilight, and Ornstein busted out laughing, but it ceased when another piece of cake flew and hit Luna in the muzzle. Everyone turned to see Spike in a follow through position. Luna wiped the cake off of her before everyone gave a standoff glare as they all moved to one side. Daimon, Ornstein, Spike, Discord, Zecora, and Angel on one side, with the main six and the Princesses on the other. Discord made one more 10 foot tall cake on each side and made the original one disappear to make it fair. Rarity didn't want to at first but was "convinced" by Rainbow and Applejack to help, she was still mostly against it though. "This whole ordeal is most ridiculous." she said with her head held high. Ornstein however, had other plans. "I call dibs on hitting her first." she said as she grabbed a piece of cake and threw it. Rarity was shocked to hear that from the person she was helping a few moments ago."Don't you da-" SPLAT. The cake landed smack dab on her face, and because it was so large, it covered her mane too. "MY MANE!" she shouted after she uncovered her eyes. "What you gonna do about it?" Asked Ornstein tauntingly. Rarity did the classic wipe face move and then put on her 'it is on' face before shouting. "CAKE WAR! Aee-te-te-te-te-te-te-te-taaaaaaa!" she shouted with a war cry at the end. That was the last call anyone needed to start. So everyone grabbed/levitated cake, and the war had begun.
Daimon and Ornstein in Equestria.	Ornstein wows the Equestrians	No POV After the "cake war" ended, everyone was satisfied both food wise and entertainment wise. Now though, it was time for answers. Predictably, Twilight was the first to start asking questions. She made a notepad appear before approaching Daimon and Ornstein. "Hi, if it's ok with you, I would like to ask you a few questions." Twilight said with a hopeful smile, which expanded into a crazy smile when they nodded. "But first" Ornstein said as she nodded to Daimon, who used ingle to fire a fireball at the floating parchment, turning it into cinders instantly. Twilight shrieked before facing Daimon with a glare. "HEY! What was that for?!" she shrieked in anger as steam poured out of her eyes, but immediately was replaced by nervousness when Daimon and Ornstein leaned in closer. "We burned it because we prefer to not have our powers and personalities free for any villain or psychopath to get their hands on. I mean, what if a evil Changeling found out about it and was able to control one of us. You already know how hard it is to deal with one of us." Ornstein said in a stern voice to which Daimon nodded his approval. Everyone in the room gasped at this information, and then thought more on it. They did have a point, and with all the trouble they caused already, why did they have the right to force them into something. They probably couldn't if they tried anyway. Twilight wasn't convinced though. "So, this is a historic event. It needs to be documented. And what are the chances someone will try to turn you against us anyway?" She asked frustrated, but was surprised at their answer. "Well what were the odds Trixie would find out about the Alicorn amulet?" He asked, which shut Twilight up immediately. She wanted to argue, but couldn't. Trixie must have found out about that by hearing or reading it somewhere, and everyone knew how terrible that turned out. She was shocked though when Daimon put his large hand on her back and gave it a soft rub. This made Twilight's mind go fuzzy at how surprisingly soft his hand was. When he took it away she looked up to see his smiling face before he spoke. "It's alright. And hey, just because you can't document it now, doesn't mean you can't later okay. We just aren't comfortable with it yet is all." He said with a smile. Twilight smiled back before nodding with an "Alright". "Well then, let's get this started. What questions do you guys have?" Ornstein asked, to which Applejack answered. "How did yall shoot that lightning mess from your spear like you did during our fight yesterday?" Applejack asked while eyeing Ornstein's spear. Said gold knight simply nodded before answering. In her head though, she was grateful she researched Ornstein's attacks and lore on Wikipedia. "It's a power special to me and my armor. My golden armor is imbued with the power of lightning. My spear is as well but only I can use it to launch my lightning attacks. The one I used in that fight was my Heavy Lightning Spear. I have a similar lightning attack called Quick Lightning Spear. It is much like the first one but is much faster, and I can shoot it faster. I have multiple lightning attacks and spear combos, would you like to see them?" She asked, to which everyone nodded eagerly, especially Spike. Ornstein attacks:Only look at Ornstein's attacks and Smough's Lightning form Banzai Drop. She smiled and told everyone to stand back. She then asked Luna if she could teleport in a training dummy. The Lunar Alicorn nodded with a smile and teleported a dummy the size of Big Mac into the room. Once it popped into the room, she charged her Heavy Lightning Spear and hurled it at the dummy, effectively shocking it and burning the cloth in the process. Everyone gasped at the attack, but were shocked when Ornstein asked for 3 more dummies. She then fired her Quick Lightning Spear and destroyed another dummy. She performed a Charging Spear and blew the next dummy into pieces. "This is one of my favorite attacks because of it's area of effect, and with how funny it is. It's called the Lightning Banzai Drop, but I just call it the butt-slam." she said before motioning everyone to back up and then leaping into the air but she also started having lightning spark all over her body while she was in the air, which was strange. Then, pausing in mid-air, she crashes onto the ground in a sitting position. In the process, massive sparks of lightning shot out from under her. Everyone in the room was shocked at the power behind it, especially Daimon and Ornstein. They didn't remember the butt-slam having such a large radius. Daimon then had an idea and walked over to his sister after she got up. "Hey sis, the lightning from that was a lot more like Smough's then Ornstein's, don't you think?" He asked, to which she nodded. She must have inherited one of Smough's powers as well like how Daimon got Grand Ingle from Awakened Daimon. It was cool to know though, so she decided to let it slide and go back to her presentation. She decided to save one lightning attack for last though. After she got up, she looked at the ponies shocked faces and gave a "ta da". Everyone then burst out laughing at the powerful but ridiculous looking attack. So next she moved on to Spear Combos. She performed many combos like (both large and small form) Swinging, Thrust, and Heavy Combos. She also showed them both form versions of the Jumping Attack, Charging Spear, and Evasive Swing. She now had only one attack left, and it was one she was looking forward to doing. The Lightning Impale. "Alright, this is my last attack. This one is called the Lightning Impale. I will need one more dummy for this one." She said as Luna teleported another dummy into the room. Ornstein then walked up to it, charged her Dragonslayer's spear with lightning, and thrust it into the much smaller dummy. She then lifted it into the air, all the ponies, zebra, and dragon watched in anticipation as the dummy was lifted while still impaled by the lightning charged spear. Then, to everyone's shock, the dummy had thousands of massive gold yellow lightning bolts burst out of it. Everypony, dragon, and zebra watched in amazement, but were curious as to why the dummy didn't explode. When the attack finished, Ornstein swiped her spear in the air and flung the dummy off it and made it crash into the wall behind the bewildered Equestrians. They all looked back from the dummy, to Ornstein, and gave her a vigorous applause. Ornstein chuckled and gave an actors bow before thanking them. Pinkie was the first pony to congratulate her. "Wowthatwasawesome,yourattacksweresofastandquickandlightyitwaslikealightshow,owonderwhythedummydidntexplodethough,doyouknowwhythedummydidn-mmmmmhhmhmhmhhhmhhh." She kept saying even though Applejack had covered her mouth with a hoof. "Don't dun mind her, she's just excited. But she is right, how did your last attack not explode the dummy like the other ones?" She asked, to which everyone else looked to her for an answer. "I think it's because its supposed to be a pain based attack, not really a killing one." She said to which everyone looked a little unnerved at the news, except Daimon, Spike, Fluttershy, and Zecora. "Hey hey hey, don't worry about it, i won't ever have to use that attack much. Besides, you get to see this guys moves now." She said while gesturing to Daimon whowalked forward. This time, Fluttershy and Celestia walked a little forward. "I am curious as well to see your attacks, while not having to dodge them." Celestia said, to which Fluttershy just gave him a sweet smile. Daimon smiled back before grinning at everyone. "You have requested, so you shall receive." he said, which made Rainbow fly up next to Fluttershy. "This is going to be sweet." she said with a gleeful smile as Daimon got into a ready stance. He was about to show them some of the power of the Dark Arisen.
Daimon and Ornstein in Equestria.	Daimon's skill and growing feelings	No POV Daimon was actually excited to showcase some of his powers. First he decided to state one fact. "All my spells are offensive spells. They are for attacking, or defending someone BY attacking someone." he explained, to which everyone nodded in understanding. He decided to start of with his fire based abilities. He first tried High Ingle, which Twilight was fascinated by. Next he told everyone to step back, and then used Immolation, which got Celestia's attention. "This is one i'm really proud of, it's called Bolide." He said as he started casting. Twilight watched his hands glow, but was shocked when seven orange glowing orbs surrounded him. They then disappeared and out of nowhere, balls of flaming mass smashed the ground around them. When the bombardment stopped, everyone saw that the meteors never landed really close to them. If anything, they landed closer to DAIMON instead. They also were fascinated by the glowing run circles that marked where the meteors would land. By far, Celestia, Spike, Twilight, and Luna were shocked the most. Twilight POV 'How is he so powerful with magic. I've never seen spells like these cast before, or by anything other then unicorns, alicorns, Discord, and Tirek. I need to get him to teach me these." she thought while smiling her classic maniac smile. Spike POV 'Wow, he is awesome, I forgot he could do this stuff. I wonder if he can teach me to do this. Maybe I could be like him. I bet that would impress Rarity.... and Ornstein.' Spike thought in his head with a hopeful look. Luna POV 'I can see why Daimon and Ornstein didn't want this documented. If another revenge crazed pony or worse learned spells like this. I am glad they are our friends and not enemies.' she thought with a smile. Celestia POV 'How is one being so powerful. Both Daimon and Ornstein are on a Discord and Tirek level, especially with how difficult one of them was to deal with, WITH the other helping. Still though, they make up for it with their kindness. Daimon really isn't so bad as I thought. Especially his kind, glowing green eyes, large powerful wings, and his big, ripe muscular arm- "Tia, why are you drooling?" Luna whispered, trying to stifle a giggle. No POV Celestia's eyes widened in shock at what she was doing, AND thinking. She looked down and saw a tiny line of drool leaking from her muzzle. She quickly and quietly as possible slurped it back up and while everyone was distracted by Daimon, without detection moved them to the back of the crowd before glaring at her sister. "You will speak nothing of this." she whispered with a heated glare. Luna just stifled another laugh before speaking. "I shall draw no attention to this matter, but why were you drooling sister?" She whispered, to which Celestia blushed and looked back towards Daimon, but made the mistake of looking right where she was before. Before she could catch herself, Luna already caught on and barely stopped herself from bursting into a fit of laughter before speaking again. "We see you have taken a fascination in sir Daimon. We knew you were on good terms with him, but we did not think the terms were this grand." She said while snickering. Celestia's muzzle turned even more red before knocking her sister upside the head with her hoof. "We will speak of this later" she hissed as she trotted back to the group. Luna just snickered more before following. Back with Daimon, he just finished showing them Grand Ingle and Levin, and was moving on to his ice spells. He first showed them all the ways he could use his ice spikes attack. Rainbow Dash liked how two of them were kind of ariel moves. Next he showed them Grand Frigor. Fluttershy did scream however when one ice spike came a little close to her. Rainbow laughed, but screamed as well when another one shot up right in front of her face. That made everyone laugh. Daimon quickly apologized to Fluttershy before continuing. Next he showed them High Seism. He first told everyone to stay FAR back for this one. They started seeing the rune circles again before the ground started to rumble and eruptions of stone flew into the air all around Daimon. Twilight was staring quizzically at the rune circles. Twilight POV 'What strange symbols. I hope he can tell me what they mean later' she thought with hope, once again sporting her maniac smile. No POV Daimon now decided to move on to his more darker spells. He first cast Miasma, and they were shocked to see a large bog that looked unnerving and putrid. Next Daimon casted high petrification, and once he told everyone what it does, they all became very fearful, but Daimon assured them that it was safe, especially since the spell activated a good foot away from them. Finally, the hate cannon. Daimon then flew into the air as his arms up to his elbows were covered in a purple aura, after a few seconds he swept his arms back and forth sideways 5 times and about 10 powerful blasts of Magic shot out all around the group, some even going in arcks around them before smashing into the ground, creating large craters. After Daimon landed, he was met with the shocked expressions of everyone except Ornstein. Both of them clapped rather loudly to snap them out of their stupor. "Alright, now lastly, I'll show you my physical attacks." and the minute he finished, Luna turned to her sister with a knowing smirk that only got bigger when she saw the sun princess staring at Daimon's arms again. Daimon started out with his melee combo. Next the roundhouse kick, followed by the charge, fist of the abyss, and dodge roll. He however failed to notice Fluttershy and Celestia staring at the muscular parts of his body during the Fist of the Abyss and the Roundhouse kick. "Rainbow, I think you'll like this one, it's my version of a dive bomb." he said as he then asked for 5 training dummies, which Twilight teleported in almost instantly. He then flew into the air, charged downward and crashed into the ground and then sliding a few feet across it in a spinning motion. This launched every single dummy into the air, and one accidentally hit Discord in the head, who just laughed along with Pinkie who had one land on top of her. "That was AWESOME!" Rainbow shouted as she did a loop de loop in the air in excitement. Daimon thanked her before moving on. Celestia and Twilight had their mouths gaping like fish until Discord and Spike respectively closed their mouths. Luna just burst out laughing at her sister's reaction before being knocked upside the head again by said sister. Daimon then moved on to his final attack, the death grab. He asked for a dummy Discord's size, but also made of metal with plate mail armor on it. This time Luna teleported in a dragon dummy, Discords size, but also made of metal with plate mail armor on it. Daimon flew forward, faster then running speed with his right hand glowing the same purple as when he did the hate cannon, and quickly swept his hand down snatching it up in the blink of an eye. He then held it out for a few seconds before crushing it in his hand while causing a light glowing purple mist to animate from his hand before dropping it on the floor. Everyone except Ornstein was shocked to see the large metal dummy completely crushed and laying in a heap of scrap metal. Celestia POV 'Wow, he really is strong, with those big, muscular- what am I saying? I'm a Princess, I shouldn't be having thoughts like that, especially to someone I just met. Besides, Lulu would never let me hear the end of it. He is kind of a looker though with those arms and legs.' I then abruptly slapped myself to clear my head of these thoughts, and hopefully to stop my face from looking like a tomato. 'Wait, why is Daimon blushing'. Fluttershy POV 'Wow, he really is strong. His leg strength could probably put Big Mac and Applejack to shame. And those Arms. He could probably knock down a mountain with those. Wah, what am I thinking.' she said as her face went beet red. 'Wait, why is Daimon blushing'. Daimon POV 'Whew, that took some effort. Was nice to stretch some thoug- why are Celestia and Shy staring at me like that' I thought while blushing so bright it actually showed through my skin. No POV Daimon, Fluttershy, and Celestia connected the dots and then turned away from each other, blushing even brighter. Sadly for them, Rainbow, Luna, and Discord noticed and all 3 started guffawing VERY loudly. Daimon, Shy, and Celestia's embarrassment quickly changed to anger, even Fluttershy. The 3 laughing immediately stopped when fireballs and yellow magic blasts wizzed close to them and struck the wall. They turned to see Daimon with his eyes glowing red now, Celestia with her mane on fire, and Fluttershy using The Stare. Rainbow shrunk back in fear of The Stare, Discord walked backwards when Daimon started pounding his large right fist into his open left hand, and Luna slowly backpedaled from her angry, flaming maned, sister. "Got anything else to say?" All three enraged beings sayed at the same time, to which the 3 former laughers nodded yes quickly. Daimon, Celestia, and Fluttershy then quickly calmed down like nothing happened. "Good" they said in unison. Daimon then walked back next to his sister and watched in amusement at everyone's shocked expressions (Except for Celestia and Fluttershy). "Well, what did you think?" Daimon asked. Pinkie, Rainbow (who recovered from The Stare), and Twilight quickly rushed over, but before they could say anything, their was a belch behind them. Spike was holding out a scroll, which to his irritation was quickly taken away by Twilight. She read it, and almost fainted. Celestia quickly took the letter, read through it, and started charging her horn. "We need to get to ponyville now." she said in a serious tone. "What is it?" Daimon asked. "Thousands of Timberwolves appeared on the edge of ponyville, and it looks as if they are preparing to attack." she said as she teleported everyone to Ponyville.
Daimon and Ornstein in Equestria.	Daimon, Ornstein and Spike vs Timberwolf legion	No POV The group was teleported back to Ponyville. There they saw THOUSANDS of timberwolves outside the edge of the everfree forest. Twilight noticed however that the wooden wolves had a black aura oozing off of them. "What's the plan princess?" Rainbow asked, but was stopped by a loud "Ahem" from the resident knight and dark arisen. All the ponies, zebra, and dragon turned to see both Daimon and Ornstein giving them the 'really' look while Daimon cast Grand Ingle into the sky and Ornstein activated her lightning spear. They all faced hooved (clawed for spike) and gave a sheepish smile, forgetting they had two new VERY powerful friends and both had the main weaknesses to wood besides termites, fire, or in Ornstein's case, lightning that causes fire. Daimon and Ornstein chuckled before taking off towards the wooden army. Twilight then noticed something, or more accurately somedragon was missing. "Where's Spike?" ~With Daimon and Ornstein~ Spike was riding on Daimon's head. He was excited, terrified, and confused all together. "Why did you bring me along?" He asked, to which Ornstein answered. "1. You have fire breath. 2. You are one of the 2 people we trust the most. 3. You deserve to help save the day on purpose this time." she said with a hidden smile, but Spike could tell it was their. The little dragon then spouted a determined look and stood up on Daimon's head proudly, ready for the coming battle. It also helped that he remembered the pep talk Daimon gave him earlier before the girls came to the castle. ~Flashback (3rd person)~ Daimon decided to talk to Spike since they had to wait for the ponies to get their. He walked down one of the many halls of the castle to the small dragon and sat next to him. "Spike, i'm not gonna sugarcoat this, i've noticed you seem sad whenever me and Ornstein do something cool." he said, to which Spike looked down sadly. Daimon picked him up and placed him on his shoulder. "C'mon Spike. Talk to me. I won't judge." he said in a brotherly tone. Spike smiled at that before speaking. "It's just that. All my life i've been treated like a baby and manipulated to do work for almost everyone I know. They all even make fun of me and prank me. I've just been so sick of it. Then you guys show up out of nowhere and. Your everything I want to be. Tough, Brave, Confident, BIG. I just wish I was more like you." he said with a sad sigh. He was shocked when Daimon gave him a brotherly, but surprisingly gentle bear hug. When he released him, he looked him straight in the eye before speaking. "Spike, you listen to me. You're all those things and more. The fact you put up with all of that makes you tough. The fact you stood up to your ruler makes you brave and confident, and everything you've done for your friends makes you big in your own way. You may not be on my level, but your strong on your own. Look at it this way, at your age you can breath fire, take hits from basically anyone and live, and plummet off of a massive tower and come out fine, along with multiple other things you deal with daily. Look, all you need to do is stand up for yourself. From what it looks like, they rarely give you a chance. Well, make them. If they are your friends, tell them how you feel. Besides, your a dragon man. That's makes you tough right off the bat." That made Spike feel much better. His smile was almost as big as Pinkie's. Daimon smiled back, and decided to give a little more piece of advise. "Also dude, just don't let people boss you around. You live with Twilight, your not her butler. I'm not saying she's doing it on purpose, but you should just tell your friends how you feel. And remember, if they don't listen, you can always stay here." Daimon said while pounding his fist over his heart. Spike smiled and returned the gesture. Daimon then put his fist down for a fist bump before speaking. "Scale bro's?" he asked with a smile. Spike was shocked, but smiled before bumping his smaller fist against Daimon's giant one. "Scale bro's." he said and gave Daimon another hug, which Daimon returned fully. They didn't know however that Ornstein, Zecora and Fluttershy were watching them and were glad they had that talk, Fluttershy though promised to apologize later. ~Flashback end~ Spike was ready and happy to fight alongside his friends. Twilight and Rarity however, were not so happy. "Why would Spike do this, he's just a baby. He can't fight off an entire Timberwolf army!" she shouted as she started hyperventilating. Luckily Discord conjured a paper bag and gave it to her. Rarity had screamed something similar, but added Spikey-Wikey in it before fainting after her couch appeared. To the mane six's (minus Fluttershy) surprise, everyone else was calm. Before anyone could start shouting, Zecora interrupted them. "Spike is not some baby sparrow, for he is stronger than you all know." That made them more confused, so Discord elaborated. "She means he's stronger than you think, so stop treating him like a wimp." he said annoyed. Even he noticed how most of them treated him, he wasn't stupid. The girls were still worried, so Celestia decided to ease their worries. "Do not worry my little ponies, you saw how powerful Daimon and Ornstein are, especially when someone they care for gets injured. Spike is in good hands. And remember, he has fire too." she said with a motherly smile that finally settled their nerves, at least mostly. They decided to just watch the battle and hope Spike would be okay. To get a better view, Discord teleported them near the edge of Ponyville. What they saw left them speechless. ~With Daimon and Ornstein~ The fight had already started. Daimon and Ornstein were punching, kicking, and blasting Timberwolves left and right. Daimon just roundhouse kicked seven into the air and set them all ablaze with Grand Ingle. Ornstein was fighting like how black widow would but with a spear. She locked her legs around a larger timberwolves neck, and bent her body backwards, using her weight to her advantage and throwing the large wolf at 5 smaller one's, crushing them all in one hit. The then charged her spear and hurled a large bolt of lightning at 3 more wolves, hitting all of them with the shockwave and setting them ablaze. Spike, was actually doing well. He was surprised at his reflexes. He was rolling and dodging every swipe and dive that came his way. He was also using his fire. He just set his 10th Timberwolf ablaze. The wolves were backing off now, knowing that their mortal enemy, fire, was being thrown at them all over. They were shocked though when Spike covered his fist in green flames and punched a larger one in the face, setting it ablaze and killing it in a few seconds. Spike's confidence was growing, but saw Ornstein fighting a few feet from him and decided to help out. He shot two fireballs at the group of timberwolves in front of him, making then scatter, and rushed over to Ornstein, who saw him coming and waved at him. She had a timberwolf pinned under her spear before slicing it's head off and rushing to him. "Hey Spike! You doing well?" She asked as stabbed another Timberwolf and threw it away. Spike blasted his own wolf before speaking. "I'm doing surprisingly good. I can't believe I'm doing this well!" He said as he blasted another wolf. "Hey, like my brother said, your stronger than you think." She said with a smile. Spike blushed but decided to put it off for later, especially since he almost got his head taken off. Spike smiled up at Ornstein before rushing at a smaller group of wolves. He may be more confident, but he's not stupid. Luckily the vast majority of the timberwolves were focused on Daimon and Ornstein, so Spike didn't have to be worried on being ganged up on. In fact, most of them backed off when he used his fire, for they knew they couldn't pull themselves back together if they were burned to ash. With Daimon, he had just finished casting Bolide and was using his aerial attacks. He dive bombed a large group of timberwolves, before throwing a hard punch at another. None of the wolves were bigger than him so each of his punches would shatter them. (Also because he hits like a truck). He his Grand Ingle attack and set a small group of wolves on fire, watching them collapse and burn away. Back by the ponies, they were all shocked at the destruction and at how Spike was doing. While most of the wolves were focused on Daimon and Ornstein, Spike was fighting rather well compared to what they usually see of him. He hasn't tripped once during the whole fight. 'Wow, they weren't kidding. Spike is doing fine on his own.' Twilight thought in amazement. The rest of the mane six had similar thoughts, except Fluttershy. She and Celestia were watching Daimon. Both were amazed at his speed for something so big. He was moving like he was as light as paper. They were also watching his muscles when he struck. Not for the reason you're all thinking, but because of how precise his strikes were and how he focused his strength into his hits. Not just the initial strike, but also when he pulled back. He never let his arms or legs fly randomly. They were precise and focused. Rainbow and Zecora were watching Ornstein, and how gracefully she moved, but also how brutal. She would backflip over one wolf as if she was doing a dance, then shoves her spear into its neck and throws it into a tree. They did laugh though when she sent several wolves flying with the butt slam. Even Spike had his own fighting style. He would dodge and strike. It was a repetitive but extremely effective for his size, and surprising speed. Rainbow and Pinkie had started cheering them on 5 min ago and were still going, even Applejack joined in. Twilight was still shocked but felt much better at seeing how good he was doing. At least he wouldn't get hurt. Rarity had similar thoughts as well, but blushed when she saw Spike flaming punch another wolf. Pinkie shrieked though when one wolf lunged at her only to be caught in Daimon's glowing left claw. He crushed the wolf as if it was a twig and flew back into the battle. Pinkie was still laying on the ground in a funny looking position with a mixture of amazement and fear on her face. ~10 min later~ All the timberwolves were nothing but piles of wood with Daimon, Ornstein, and Spike standing in the middle. They were about to celebrate but then saw the pieces of wood around them start to move. They all piled up and formed into a massive timberwolf. Everyone was shocked until Spike and Twilight noticed the strange aura around the wood from before had blown out the flames. Applejack was scared stiff. The wolf she and Spike encountered was big alright, but this one was at least as big as the library. Daimon and Ornstein just smirked as Daimon took into the air with Spike on his head. Daimon put Spike in his hand and whispered something to him. Spike's eyes widened in shock before giving a nod. Daimon placed him back on his head. "Hold on tight little dude!" he said as he then dive bombed the massive wooden wolf. He hit it's back with both his fists, staggering it and took off to avoid it's snapping jaws. Ornstein then threw a massive golden lighting bolt at it's right paw. The TimberKing (What i'm calling it) let out a loud roar of rage and pain. As it was distracted, Daimon threw a powerful punch into it's head, knocking it to the ground on it's side. Daimon and Ornstein noticed it was much like a Chimera (Dragon's Dogma wise). By that logic, strong hit's to it's face and side would knock it over (own experience). Ornstein then charged while it was defenseless. The TimberKing noticed and swung at her, which she rolled under and stabbed it's side. She jumped back just in time to avoid it's jaws. She charged again, but had her spear caught in its mouth. The TimberKing threw her into the air, but she landed gracefully a few feet away. The TimberKing tried to leap at her, but was struck in the back with a meteor. Ornstein looked up to see Daimon had casted Bolide again. She gave him a thumbs up before charging again. She jumped up and went for a downward thrust, but was sent flying by a hit from the wolf's head. Daimon charged in again, but backed off sense he couldn't get a hit in without trading. Spike, on Daimon's head, fired his own shot, which hit the wolf's right eye. It shrieked before it fired a large blast of sickly green magic, shocking everyone and hitting Daimon in the stomach. He flew back, but was able to regain flight before he hit the ground. He dodged another swipe by flying high in the air. He prepared use Grand Ingle before several bolts of lightning flew down from the air and struck the TimberKing all over. Daimon looked back to see his sister with a large sunlight spear in her hand. She hurled it into the air and 3 seconds later there was a thunder clap and at least 9 more sunlight spears rained down. Ornstein herself was shocked she could do that, but it made sense. It seems when Ornstein's spear was permanently enchanted with lightning, it was also made into a miracle catalyst. She guessed at least. She was fine with it though, she wouldn't want to She assumed she could only cast lightning based miracles though so she tried another. Her left hand glowed a golden white and suddenly lightning starting striking all around the TimberKing directly from the sky, making it collapse from the pain. Daimon landed next to his sister and smiled. "Nice." he said with Spike nodding with an open mouth. Ornstein smiled under her helmet, but was a little tired. It seemed miracles here drained her stamina like spells in Dragon's Dogma. She was glad for that however since the effects were wearing of fast, and because there aren't any bonfires near. Daimon then whispered to Ornstein and she gasped, but nodded nevertheless. Daimon then flew into the air again on the side of the recovering Timberking and Ornstein took the other. They both respectively started firing many different kinds of fire or lightning attacks. The TimberKing took swipes at both of them, but they were too fast for him to land a hit. The massive wooden wolf fired green blasts again, but this time they dodged them easily, especially Ornstein due to her superior reflexes. She jumped over a lunge from the TimberKing and landed on it's lower back. She charged up her spear and stabbed it near its tail. It thrashed around and swiped at her trying to shake her off while howling in pain from the lightning. She jumped off just as Daimon charged into its side, sending rolling a few feet away. Daimon shot more fire at it's exposed neck and Ornstein fired another Sunlight Spear from her Spear at its neck. Daimon then grabbed Spike in his hand and gave him a reassuring nod. Spike nodded back and got ready. The TimberKing roared in rage and knocked Ornstein onto her back. Daimon then hurled Spike at it's neck. Spike grabbed on and before the TimberKing could react, he fired a LARGE blast of green fire, effectively shattering the wolfs neck. The large wooden head crashed in front of Ornstein, who was able to move out of the way in time. Spike jumped off the giant Timberwolf as it collapsed, now permanently dead. Spike landed in Ornstein's arms, who gave him a hug. "Nice job Spike." she said with a smile as she hugged him tighter. Spike blushed before repeatedly tapping her arm, telling her he couldn't breath. Ornstein's eyes widened before dropping him on the floor. "Sorry." she said with a sheepish look. Spike just smiled before replying. "No problem." he said just as Daimon flew down. He walked over to Spike and held out his fist for a fist bump. "Told you it would work." he said as Spike returned the bump. They turned back to see the rest of the wolf crumble to pieces. Daimon effectively lit it aflame again and watched it burn away. All three then turned to see the shocked looks of the ponies along with the now gathered population of ponyville. Daimon, Ornstein, and Spike did the only thing that came to mind. "Tada." they said with sheepish grins.
Daimon and Ornstein in Equestria.	New Arrival	No POV Not long after the citizens of Ponyville had questioned the trio, a very strange and frankly frightening sight took place just beyond the borders of the town. A gigantic, monstrous, ethereal black hound's maw appeared in the sky, and out of it fell a strange figure, whom crashed onto the earth and grass below. The eeriest part, however, was the gushing waterfall of blood that followed from the maw, creating a near-lake sized layering of blood over the once pristine grass. Not long after, the maw gave a crooked, creepy smile, and disappeared. To say everyone was shocked and terrified was an understatement. "What the heck was that!" shouted Daimon as he was cradling a shivering Fluttershy. "How should any of us know! Your the weird creature experts!" Shouted Rainbow who was shivering as well. "Man, I haven't seen anything that gory since I played Bayonetta and Bloodborne," Ornstein said getting a nod from Daimon. "I feel like I'm gonna regret this, but shouldn't we go and check it out?" he asked. This got him a small nod from everyone else. Daimon turned to his sister and gave a nod before starting off, with her following close behind. He then turned and saw everyone else following them. "Oh no. You all cannot come with us. Especially since you're all still mostly traumatized," he said as Rainbow stepped up with a fake neutral face. "We're not scared of a little blood," she said sternly. "There's a blood monster coming over," Ornstein droned out. All the ponies present shrieked and jumped 7 feet in the air. 13 for Fluttershy and Pinkie. After a few seconds, they all soon figured out what happened when they saw nothing. They turned back to the towering duo who were now staring at them with their arms crossed. "Hm," they both said, to which the rest of them just pouted adorably. "Don't worry. Besides, do any of you really want to go out there?" he asked, to which they shamefully and in some cases reluctantly shook their heads no. "But what about you guys? Won't you need any help?" Twilight asked, getting another petting from Ornstein. "I think we'll be fine. Besides we're more well equipped to deal with otherworldly things. Also, we need you all to be back here in case something comes back after we go over," Ornstein pointed out, which made everyone else slowly nod their heads in understanding. "Okay, but...just be careful, alright?" Twilight urged. (Add a reply here) "Well, we gotta go. See you in a bit!" Daimon cheerfully said as he and his sister walked towards where that strange figure fell. It took a fair while to get to the area the figure fell, but once the siblings reached said area, they were understandably a little shaken up. After all, in truth they were only teens who had seen little of true bloodshed, and this was more blood than they'd seen in their lives. "Sis, I'm gonna be honest. I'm a little scared at what we're gonna find over there. I mean, look at all that blood!" Daimon pointed out, gesturing to the blood pool which they were now only a few feet from. "I know. I'm starting to feel a little dizzy," Ornstein admitted as her walking became a little wobbly. Both continued on though, determined to make sure there were no threats. They made it to the blood, and now their vision was a little blurry. They trudged on still, and were thankful they didn't allow their friends to come as well. They most certainly would have fainted just by looking at the pool of blood they were now trudging through. After a few more minutes they finally came upon a figure in the middle. Daimon slapped himself to help clear his vision, and Ornstein shook her head to clear hers. They looked down and to their shock found a rather young looking girl. She was covered in blood, but her clothes were quite unique. She wore a heavy, golden-scalemail shirt under a tight, mahogany leather vest, which bore a dark, pinkish-red holster over it. On her wrists were rusted, bloodstained chains, and a lightly armored set of tassels rested over her waist. Bright yellow pants with red designs on the cuffs covered her legs in tandem with bright red bandages over her feet, which were also covered by two objects that made the two teens gasp: there were golden frames literally screwed into the flesh of her feet, just over the red bandages. The teens had a sinking feeling those bandages had been died red by blood before she even came here. The second and third most surprising things, however, were her blood red angelic wings, which had faded black and purple feathers near the top edges of them. A red headband lay around her forehead, covered in archaic symbols, and above that headband was a set of demonic, nearly black horns. Her hair was messy, but they could tell even with the blood soaking into it it was black, and it still retained it's ponytail. Her skin was pale, and she had her wings curled up around her instinctively, but she was quite obviously out cold. Daimon and Ornstein were both shocked. They didn't expect a person to fall out of that thing, let alone a girl. "Wow. Just wow," Daimon uttered as he stared at the girl. "Same here. Why do you think she came out of that?" Ornstein queried. "Well, judging by my vast knowledge of the unknown, I have no freaking idea," Daimon shot back wittily, which earned him a slap to the back of the head from his sister. Ornstein looked back down to the girl. "Well, what should we do with her? There's no way we're just leaving her here," She said sternly. "I agree, but how do you think the others will react if we bring her over? She is covered in blood," Daimon pointed out, imagining the faces of some of the ponies when they bring a blood soaked girl back with them. He turned and assumed his sister was giving him the 'are you serious' look judging by the way her helmet was pointed at him. "What?" he asked, only to get slapped again. "Dude, compared to how you look, she looks like a cuddly chipmunk with wings," she said matter of factly. Daimon facepalmed. "Oh yeah, duh," he said as he realized, to which his sister nodded before looking back at the passed out girl. "Well, I guess we better carry her back. I know for a fact they have a hospital here considering the injuries we gave the others when I went nuts," he said as he knelt down and gently picked her up. "Oh I see. You want her to thank you when she wakes up don't you?" Ornstein said with a smirk under her helmet that Daimon read like a book. "Shut up!" he shouted as he opened his wings and flew back over to Ponyville. Ornstein snickered as she dashed after him. A few hours later saw the strange, angelic girl in the Ponyville General Hospital. According to the doctors, she wasn't injured, but did seem to have a bit of magic deficiency, so they wanted her to stay overnight while they fixed the problem. Daimon and Ornstein didn't feel like leaving until they got answers, however, so they stayed to see if she'd wake up early. The Mane Six, had decided to stay over as well, once they arrived. The true surprise, however, was when the Princesses arrived. "What are you two doing here?" Daimon asked, voicing everyone's question for them. "Well since we are the princesses of Equestria, we thought we should meet it's newest inhabitant," Celestia answered with a smile. "Or spend more time with your hunk," Luna whispered with a snicker, which got her a hoof to the back of the head. "What was that?" Daimon asked, head tilted. "Nothing, nothing important!" she quickly said, sweating bullets, which got her suspicious looks from everyone but her sister. Daimon stared at them for a time, then shrugged. "Well, besides that, it's fine that you're here, but you may be here for a while. She hasn't shown any notion of awakening since we brought her here," Daimon explained, to which the royal sisters just smiled. "Time isn't an issue currently, we have that taken care of," Luna said, remembering who they left in charge while they were gone. 'I do hope Starlight is doing alright,' she thought, frowning slightly before shaking it off. "Well alright then. I guess we can only wait until she wakes up, so does anyone got any snacks?" Ornstein asked hopefully. Suddenly a table full of assortments of snacks popped out of nowhere. Everyone also noticed the room was slightly bigger now, probably to accommodate the new snack table. They were all confused until Daimon and Fluttershy smirked at each other. "Discord. Where are you?" he asked in a playful manner as the god of chaos, quite literally, poofed into the room. "What? I'm just trying to help. Besides, I wanted to meet the newest member of our little group too," he said with a toothy smile. Everyone just smiled and shook their heads. Trying to figure out Discord was like trying to figure out Pinkie Pie. So they all decided to grab something to eat and wait. ~Couple hours later~ Everyone was still waiting for the newcomer to awaken. The Main Six, save for Fluttershy and Twilight had fallen asleep along with Spike and Discord. Luna had also fallen asleep and was making a rather large puddle of saliva under her muzzle. The only ones awake were Daimon, Ornstein, and Celestia, though they weren't far behind. Suddenly a doctor pony burst out of the door. "She's waking up." Celestia stood up and used her magic to wake everyone up by lifting them 2 feet in the air and then dropping them. "Hey! What gives?" Spike asked as he picked himself up. Many of the others voiced similar complaints, save Fluttershy. "She's waking up! That's what," Ornstein explained. They blinked the sleep from their eyes and everyone got up and went for the door. When they arrived in her room, they found her poking the IV bag, watching it jostle when she did so. She then heard the others, turned to them, and squealed, her hands going to her cheeks. "Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh! A Giant and a Wrath Demon!?" Her purple eyes sparkled. "Best. Day. EVER!" She gave them a big grin, bouncing in the bed. "Can we fight? Can we? Can we can we?" "Um, yeah sure. But you did just wake up, shouldn't you rest a little first?" Daimon asked, worried if she was really up to the challenge. "Pfft," she waved it off. "I'm fine! Watch!" the girl started to climb out of the hospital bed, only to yelp and fall on her face. "...Okay, maybe not so much..." "Yeah, you stay in bed. We will fight later if you want though. Speaking of which, why do you?" Daimon questioned. "Why?" The angel asked, pushing herself up into a sitting position. She gave him a look that screamed, 'are you nuts?' "Fighting is awesome! Why would I not want to?" She gestured to Daimon and his sister. "And you two are part of the most skilled warfaring races in Lleiya! No way I'm passing this chance up!" "Lleiya? Where is that? What is that?" Ornstein asked with a tilted head. Before the angel could answer, a pink blur dashed past everyone and into her face. "HIIMPINKIEPIEWHATSYOURNAMEDOYOULIKEPARTIESWHATCAKEDOYOULI-" Pinkie's rant was cut off as Daimon gently grabbed her by the muzzle, effectively silencing her, and pulled her away from the surprisingly unfazed angel. "Pinkie, you can't keep doing that to new people. Even if they are unfazed by it," Daimon scolded, making the pink pony pout before quite literally springing back up with a smile. "Party?" The girl tilted her head cutely before she gained a massive grin. "I love parties! Will there be dancing? Oooh, oooh oooh! And biscuits?!" She started to drool after mentioning biscuits. "I take it you like biscuits?" Twilight asked with a raised brow. "Do I ever!" The angel chirped. Her blood red wings flapped in excitement. "The crunch when you bite into them, the freedom of choice for filling, the fact that they're always a short but sweet treat that makes you want more and more?" She drooled openly. "I could eat a thousand and still want more!" Everyone stared at the angel after her almost Pinkie-Pie-sized rant until Daimon whispered something in his sisters ear. "I like this girl," he said, getting a playful elbow in response. "Well, now that we have that done with, mind telling us your name?" Celestia asked politely. "Oh!" the girl wiped her drool away hurriedly, then beamed up at them all as she put a hand to her chest. "I'm Achelle Adelawin, one of the last Blood Angels of Lleiya," she smiled. "How do you do?" Everyone present smiled at her politeness before introducing themselves. "Greetings, I am Princess Celestia. I rule this land along with my little sister," Celestia said, gesturing to said sister with an alabaster wing. "I am Princess Luna, princess of the night. It is nice to meet you," Luna said with a warm smile. "I'm Twilight Sparkle. I can't wait to learn about your world later!" Twilight exclaimed with a slightly unnerving smile before being pushed away by Rainbow Dash. "Ignore the egghead. Sup, I'm Rainbow Dash, the fastest flier in all of Equestria," she said with a cocky smirk before being slapped by Rarity. Rainbow rubbed her face and shot the white unicorn a stink-eye. "Good day darling. My name is Rarity. Later, we must talk about how to repair your clothing dear," Rarity mused while eyeing Achelle's clothes on the table with a critical eye. "Howdy, I'm Applejack. It's nice to meet you as well," the farm pony said with a cheerful smile, tipping her hat to the angel. Pinkie had already introduced herself so she surprisingly just sat back with an almost face splitting smile. "Hello, my name is Fluttershy," the buttery yellow pegasus said shyly, yet surprisingly louder than usual, which shocked everyone except Daimon, Ornstein, Spike, and Discord. Before anyone could comment however, Discord introduced himself. The draconequus literally poofed his head in Achelle's face, which seemed to excite her rather than shock her, and started talking. "Well hello to you. I am Discord, God of chaos, lord of mischief, king of pranksters, etc," he rolled his paw around airily, then smirked at her. "Oh. My. Gods," Achelle squealed, wings fluttering as she grabbed the draconequus' face. "We are so having a fight!" She let go of him, hugging herself in glee. "Oooh, it's like it's my birthday! There are so many rare fighters here!" She blinked, then looked back to Discord. "Wait, God of Chaos?" The draconequus gave a puzzled look before answering. "Yes, I am the god of chaos. Why do you ask?" Achelle put a hand to her chin, making an adorable thinking pose. "That can't be right... Only God of Chaos around is Triyte, and he doesn't like sharing..." Her purple eyes widened, and she slowly looked back up at Discord, then to the others. "Oh. Oooooooh. I'm not on Lleiya, am I?" "I'm sorry to say this, but nope," Daimon said with a head shake, the others making similar gestures after Discord was pulled out of her face by the tail by Daimon. Achelle looked to the floor for a long span of time. Long enough that the group all started to worry, but she eventually looked up. "...I...I need some time. Alone. Is that okay?" "Of course, take all the time you need. I get that being in a new world can be strange and unnerving, believe me I know, but don't worry. Just take some time to get used to it, well leave you alone for now," Ornstein said as she started shooing everyone out. Daimon stuck behind a few seconds to voice his piece. "We'll be here if you need anything. And trust me on this, we know what if feels like ending up in a new world. Just let me say this, at least you got to keep your body," he said as he walked out. Silence reigned in the room as Achelle sat on the floor beside her bed. She looked to the various equipment around it, then to the window outside. She grit her teeth as she tried to bite back her emotions. It didn't work, and she buried her face in her hands as she cried. Her hands couldn't stop the flow of tears, sadly, and soon blood began to seep through the cracks of her hands as she weeped. Everyone had gone to do their own thing after they left Achelle's room. The princesses went back to Canterlot, the mane six went off to do their own activities, and Daimon and Ornstein spent time with Spike and Discord. Celestia had told Twilight to tell her when Achelle was ready to talk, and the lavender mare agreed quickly. Speaking of which, Daimon and Ornstein had also told them all to leave her alone until she was ready to speak. Ornstein had even told Luna to not try and enter her dreams and to respect the angel's privacy. Although they were all quite worried, everyone eventually decided to trust the 2 giants since none of them could really relate to being trapped in another world. Right now, Ornstein was playing with Spike while Daimon and Discord were just chatting. "So, what do you think her deal was?" asked the draconequus, who was sipping what seemed to be coffee from a mug that said 'Best Chaos God Pls Nerf.' Daimon put a claw to his chin for a minute, thinking over his response before replying. "I don't know, but I hope she's alright. Considering how she acted before she figured out where she was, she's not a bad person. Besides, I know realising you can't go home is tough. Only reason I got over it was because of my new body and finding my sister. She doesn't have that," he explained, to which Discord nodded politely, eliciting a raised brow the giant demon. "How are you so calm about this?" "Because, even I know when not to joke around. Oh yes, I fool around when danger is near, but this is possibly emotional trauma. Even I'm not going to pick on someone who's going through something like that," Discord explained, taking a sip of his coffee, which proceeded to cough itself, as if it were a living thing that was sick. Daimon smiled at the draconequus' answer, but frowned at what he said next. "Besides, I have something else to make fun of," Discord said with a smirk. "What would that be?" Daimon asked with narrowed eyes. Discord had to hold in his laughter before he started. "Celestia and Daimon, sitting on a mountain, k-i-s-s-i-n-" his song was cut off as he was tackled to the ground with large hands around his throat. "YOU'RE SO DEAD!" Daimon screamed as he proceeded to beat the stuffing out of the joking Draconequus, with Spike and Ornstein laughing the whole time since they knew Discord would be fine. Probably would feel sore for a few months, but fine.
Daimon and Ornstein in Equestria.	Apology	This is a message to everyone who likes this story. I am working on another story right now, but I will, very soon, go back and redo this story. For right now, this one is basically cancelled, but it will be back new and improved soon. All I ask is for your forgiveness and further patience. Ever since the last chapter, which I know was a while ago, i've been having a lot of stuff going on. I am currently dealing with college stuff, so I will get started on the remake to this story very soon. As a heads up, it will be generally the same, but have major changes to the last few chapters of it's previous state. Once again, thank you all for your support, and I will make sure to deliver on my promise soon.
Keep Calm and Chaos On	pre	Discord couldn't help smiling, and he held up his hands. "Easy there, princess, easy--no need to lose your poise all over little old me." He grinned. "And I understand. I upset you a great deal. But you have my word I will never betray you or my friends again. Chaos's honor." He moved back a little to give her a deep bow and then glanced up, smiling as confidently as ever. Celestia was smiling back at him but not as completely as he had expected. Discord straightened up and raised an eyebrow. "What?" "Discord..." Celestia sighed, a touch of sadness coming back to her features, "It's not just your betrayal of all of us that I was upset about. It was your betrayal of yourself. That is something I never want you to think of doing ever again." Her smile started to return. "You'd come so far, doing your best to be chaotic but kind, and then you sold yourself short and hurt yourself by hurting the people you care about. And you deserve better, Discord--you've proven that and so much more by befriending the girls and by befriending Luna and I as well." She sighed and shook her head. "I hated to think of you abandoning everything you'd worked so hard for. It made me very sad." Her words made Discord frown a little, his eyes wide. A flash of guilt came over his features, and he looked down. Celestia smiled and put a hoof on his arm, causing him to glance to her again. Her voice was soft and kind. "Please don't feel bad about what you did anymore, Discord. Just remember how much we all believe in you and how much you believe in yourself, and do better next time. All right?" Discord smiled a little and nodded. "All right. But if I do ever seem like I'm slipping up, feel free to sic Luna on me with her Royal Canterlot Voice or you can just attack me with your mighty pillow or something." The two beings smiled and shared a warm laugh. Celestia removed her hoof from Discord's arm. Then Discord let out a sigh and looked at Celestia curiously, still smiling. "So...what now?" Celestia raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" "Well," Discord rolled his eyes to the side, crossing his arms over his chest, "I've never been on the good guy side of the fall of a major villain--I'm assuming there's a ton of clean-up and paperwork and pep rallies for the sake of morale. Whatever it is you all do now that happy days are here again, I'd like to contribute if you'll just let me know what I might be needed for." He shrugged. "It'll be a chaotic contribution, but I think I can tweak it to be helpful as well." He grinned. Celestia's smile brightened. "I think everypony would appreciate your help, Discord. Your magic could assist in repairing the damage caused by Tirek very much. I'll work up a list of some tasks for you tomorrow and we can go over them. For now though feel free to go around Canterlot or Ponyville and help out as needed." She yawned. "I'd come up with something more specific for you right now, but frankly Discord I need some rest before I get started on fully restoring the peace of Equestria." She stretched her head a little to the side. "I haven't actually fought in a battle in a very long time. And even though Luna, Cadance and I didn't 'fight' in the sense that Twilight did, we still had to give up all of our magic. I'm afraid it's taken quite a bit out of all of us." She blinked a few times, smiling at him. Discord nodded. "I'll say. I mean, for a while there your hair actually stopped flowing in the non-existent breeze. Not to mention, there was just something missing without that gaudy cutie mark of yours along your side." He pointed at the bright sun on Celestia's flank, smiling a little more. Celestia rolled her eyes and tried not to laugh. "Yes, well, we all had to make sacrifices--though I'm pretty sure the sacrifice of our magic in general was the more significant loss for myself and Luna and Cadance." Then Celestia considered, putting a hoof to her chin. "But, speaking of what's next...what are you going to do next now, Discord? I mean, after you help clean up? You're completely reformed...you could go anywhere you want, explore as much as you want, make as many new friends as you want, and I'm sure people all over Equestria would warmly welcome you." She smiled. Discord's smile brightened at the idea, but then he looked down and shrugged a little, trying to seem as casual as ever. "Oh, I don't know if I'll blow this cider stand that quickly. I'd...kind of like to work more on the friendships I already have here as long as I'm doing so well with them already. You know, I've never stayed in one place too long, at least not unless I was installing myself as evil overlord over everything. It might be nice just to stick around for a bit as an average person, enjoy the sights, work on fine-tuning and expanding my chaos for the greater good instead of for my own selfish ways." He held up his chin proudly. "So I guess this means you'll be staying with us a little bit longer in the castle then?" Celestia's smile grew, and she raised an eyebrow. Discord's grin picked up on one side, and he looked down at her. "Hey, betraying all of you to Tirek might have been bad, but depriving you of my delightful presence--now that would be just cruel." Celestia couldn't help laughing a little. "Whether you're staying around here or off travelling and finding new places to spread chaos, I just want you to know that your room will always be here for you, Discord. No matter what." Suddenly another yawn came over Celestia. "Speaking of rooms though, if you don't mind, Discord, I'd like to get started on a very long night's sleep in mine now that I've started the sunset for the evening. I'm very exhausted." Celestia used her magic to remove her shoes and yoke and crown, setting them over on her vanity, and for a moment she let her true fatigue show. Discord was surprised at the sight of her now that he looked closely--eyes blinking to stay open, hair shimmering and waving just a little less forcefully than usual, and she seemed a little less regal than usual as well even regardless of the loss of her normal regalia. "Yeah, you do look like you could use sleep...or some relaxation." He raised an eyebrow. "And, possibly a stupid question but, Equestria will be fine if the princess of the day dozes off for a bit before the sun goes down entirely and Luna officially takes the political reigns with the night, right?" Celestia smiled a little and climbed up to sit beside him on her bed. "Equestria can govern itself better than it realizes, at least for a short time. Besides, the castle staff have all been given instructions, and either way Twilight is on duty as well at the moment. And Luna will awaken and her night will begin very soon. Everything will be fine, Discord, don't worry. I don't need you to 'cover for me' or anything." She winked at him, recalling some of the first conversation they had ever had in his room together. Discord chuckled. "Very funny." Then he sighed. "I think I could use a good night's sleep too. Going from good guy to bad guy to super good guy and getting attacked by a princess pillow--this day has been chaotic even for me." Celestia nodded. "I think that's a very wise course of action, Discord." "I couldn't take my nap here with you, could I?" Celestia raised an eyebrow, but then just sighed and shook her head with an amused smile. "Discord..." Discord instantly held up his hands though and explained, smiling. "I'm not joking--I'm serious." He snapped his fingers, and instantly a familiar makeshift bed appeared on the floor by the fireplace (and now with the addition of a little nightstand complete with a Discord lamp and a familiar framed picture of himself and Fluttershy). Discord's smile fell a bit, and he looked into Celestia's eyes sincerely. "Can I stay? Please?" Celestia still looked at him curiously. "Discord, I do enjoy your company, but I really do need some nice, quiet, private rest for now...." And then her gaze caught sight of the master of chaos's nightstand, which distracted her for a moment to say the least. "Did you bring that from your room?" She tried not to smile too much. Discord blinked, glanced to the nightstand, and then nodded to Celestia. "Oh yes, I always bring it with me now wherever I go and sleep. I find it comforting--homey, you know? I've really made my room here my own with things like this." "I can only imagine," Celestia had to remark, her smile growing. Discord raised an eyebrow. "Wait, you mean you and Luna have never snuck into my room for a peek?" Celestia shook her head. "No, I'm afraid not," she replied simply, glancing at him. "Luna and I respect your privacy, Discord. Though are you sure you still don't want the maids to visit your room sometimes, especially if you're going to be staying here for a while now?" She raised an eyebrow. Discord grinned but shook his head. "It's better they don't. I opened up a few pocket dimensions in there, there are three or four trap doors--I can never remember how many exactly, sometimes pies rain up from the floor, and every once in a while the gravity reverses just for fun. If a maid goes in there, you might not get her back. Though I personally find the whole set up very comforting." He chuckled a little. Celestia tried not to laugh herself. "Very well, Discord. But if you do find it so comforting, why would you want to stay in my orderly room? You haven't spent the night in here since you first came to the castle." She raised an eyebrow again. "Honestly?" Discord shrugged, smiling a little sheepishly. Celestia's smile picked up on one side, and she nodded. "Honesty would be refreshing, yes." Another chuckle left Discord, but then he sighed and finally admitted, "I want to make sure you're okay." Celestia blinked, her eyes going wide and staying that way at this unexpected response. "I...but..." she tilted her head to the side, "I'm sorry, Discord, but what exactly do you mean?" Discord sighed now, putting his hands in his lap and looking forward like he was saying the most causal thing in the world. "Well, Luna's gearing up to guard the night, so between her duties and her night guards she's more than looked after...and either way she doesn't like bedroom visitors as I recall." He chuckled a little more. "And Twilight's got her friends staying over at her castle for now, so they can look after her. And Cadance has her hubby to tend to her needs in the Crystal Empire. But you wouldn't have anyone looking out for you for the whole night. And after all you've been through, I mean, what if you go to sleep and slip into a magical coma or something with no one around to notice and do something about it?!" He held out his arms. Then he gestured to himself with his paw. "But at least if I'm here to watch over you, I'll know you're okay...okay?" He sighed almost in a touch of annoyance as he tried to play off the big, sappy admission to her. "Also, in my experience, you're not the worst roommate possible to have--give yourself a little credit, Tia," he had to tack on, just for good measure. Celestia just smiled so very warmly at his explanation. Then she nodded to him. "I would love for you to stay for the evening Discord. And thank you for thinking of me." Discord beamed, looking to her and clapping his hands together. "Really? How excellent!" Then he blinked, seeing Celestia notice his enthusiasm, her smile only growing. "I mean, erm..." he cleared his throat and shrugged, putting his usual playful smug grin onto his features. "Sure, no problem. Besides, you do have the warmest and most luxurious room in the castle, and I think I deserve a top notch night's sleep after all I've been through." "Yes, I'm sure we both do." Celestia nodded, smiling more up at him...and he smiled more down at her. For a moment they were just sitting there, gazing warmly at each other. Then Celestia finally raised an eyebrow. "Discord?" Discord nodded. "Yes?" "You can go over to your own bed now." She gave him a little playful nudge. Discord blinked. "Oh!" He stood up, almost stumbling forward a little but righting himself quickly enough. "Yes, yes, of course." He cleared his throat, rolling his eyes as he went across the room. "Sorry. All this final reform stuff has me a little giddy." He lay down on his back in his bed and pulled up a blanket. Celestia shook her head but smiled. "It's all right. And I'm glad to have you here. I feel safer already." She lay down as well and covered herself with a blanket, then used her magic to undo the curtains and cover the last of the daylight still coming into the window. "You should," Discord smirked, settling against his pillows. "Just think of me as your own personal chaotic body guard." He yawned. "Now, if you really want to make me happy, as a 'bodyguard' and as master of chaos, once a few days have passed and you've gotten things relatively back to normal with yourself and Equestria, you'll let me take you and Luna and even Twilight if she's up for it out on the town for an evening, just to really let you all relax and loosen up and have fun. Trust me, they could use it, and you need it." Celestia sighed but smiled so much that it was really an effort not to laugh. "Discord, somehow I don't think our subjects would take a great deal of comfort from seeing three of its princesses dealing with the aftermath of a near defeat by gallivanting to every dance club and cider press in Canterlot and leaving a stream of amusing chaos in their wake." "Hey, who says that's all we'd do together, and who says we'd stay in Canterlot?" Discord grinned. "I meant let me take you girls away for a day--as long as we get back before sunset or sunrise or whatever, no one'll notice. Fluttershy and the girls and your staff can handle everything." He eyed her with amusement. "Come on, we'll go get a bungalow on Horseshoe Bay, and you can sip a fruity drink, go swimming, work on your tan--I never want to say anything, but for the sun princess you are just white as a sheet, Celestia." Celestia did have to laugh now. She smiled, shaking her head. "While that sounds fun, Discord, I'm just not sure that's something we could work out anytime soon. Maybe in a few months or next year after everything's settled and Twilight feels more comfortable with her role in Equestria, but not right now. Though the offer does sound nice, I'll admit." Discord sighed but then turned in his bed to look up at her with a grin. "So then I guess my suggestions of skiing in the Switzerhorse Alps and going to a resort in Buenos Pegasaires and touring the Riviera in Prance are all out too, huh?" Celestia shrugged, glancing down at him over the edge of her bed. "I'm afraid so, yes. For now, at least." "And no chariot joyride to the Crystal Empire to pick up Cadance and throw the biggest party Equestria has ever seen in her crystal palace, huh?" He chuckled. Celestia shook her head again. "No, I'm sorry, we couldn't manage that either." Discord raised an eyebrow. "Would you at least agree to letting me take some of you princesses on a walk and picnic in the Everfree forest one evening?" "That might actually be nice, Discord. Thank you." Celestia nodded with an appreciative smile. "I'll mention it to Luna and Twilight." Discord nodded in return. "Good. You guys really do need to relax more. None of us are getting any younger." He grinned. "I mean look at you and me--Luna's at least dragging herself through preparations for her night watch, and Twilight actually had a major battle but is singing and dancing and she'll probably stay up giggling with her friends all night long, and Cadance seemed chipper as anything when she boarded her train to go back home. But you and I--all we did was lose our magic for a bit, and now we're passing out for bedtime before it's even dark out." He shook his head, and then snapped up a pink sleep mask for himself. "We used to be able to go at each other for days, maybe catch a few winks on the sidelines, eat an apple or some chocolate milk, and get right back to glorious combat and witty banter with one another. Now we need naps, days, and the promise of a picnic to get back to normal. I'm almost a little embarrassed." He chuckled. "Oh well, 'sunrise, sunset' I suppose, right, Tia?" "Yes..." Celestia's eyes closed, and she cuddled into her pillow. "The time's do change, Discord. Getting to bed as early as possible is just the most sensible plan right now to make sure you and I are perfectly refreshed and ready to face the tasks we have ahead of us in the coming days." Discord raised an eyebrow, peeking out from under his sleep mask for a moment. "Oh yes, yes, of course... 'makes sense', I suppose." He rolled his visible eye and tried not to chuckle. "It's the most sound and the most comfortable choice." Celestia turned a little, her face becoming hidden by her hair. She yawned. "Yes, yes, truly the safest course of action." Discord snapped away the sleep mask entirely and sat up, smiling fully. "We're just being...responsible." Celestia yawned. "Mmm hmm..." There was silence for a few moments. And then with a deep sigh Celestia raised her head from her bed. "I have not gone to bed before dark in...I don't know how many moons." She almost laughed at herself. Then she used her magic to reopen her curtains again. "You know what, Discord...perhaps going to bed early can wait. This has been one of the most harrowing days in Equestria's history, but I can sleep on that anytime. I think something else is called for." She raised an eyebrow. "And since when do you go along with plans that are 'sensible' and 'responsible' and that 'make sense'?" She glanced at Discord and then blinked at the sight of him floating over his bed at this point and just trying not to laugh. Discord shrugged at her confusion and explained. "Oh, I was just waiting to see how long it would take you to figure out for yourself that the 'going right to bed like a good little pony' plan was boring even for you--sheesh, you're the oldest pony in Equestria but you're not an old nag, Celestia. Rest can come later--relaxation is what you need first, even if it's not in the form of one of my brilliant vacation suggestions from before." He laughed. "Now, what reasonable yet fun thing shall we do together to really tire ourselves out for bed?" He crossed his arms over his chest, raising an eyebrow and giving her a grin. Celestia rolled her eyes with a smile and then sat up completely, letting her blankets fall away. "Do you want to sneak down to the kitchen for some cake? The kitchen staff's all gone home early for the evening." A touch of sheepishness came to her features. "And also I had them prepare half a dozen different kinds this morning. I thought they might come in handy." Discord landed on his feet, putting his paw to his chin. "Well, it's not gallivanting through the streets of Canterlot in an uproarious celebration of victory, but one of our famous 'midnight' snacks together is a start." He nodded and headed toward her door. "Come on, we'll stay up for hours working our way through that emergency dessert stockpile you planned in your infinite wisdom--we'll giggle, we'll gossip, we'll swap secrets and share stories, I'll make plenty of good-natured jokes at your expense. And maybe Luna will join us at the end of things if she has a spare moment." He pushed open the bedroom door. An amused Celestia climbed out of her bed, gave a small stretch, and then headed over to him. "That sounds like fun, Discord." "Oh everything with me is fun, Celestia--you know that." He chuckled and then gestured forward with a dramatic bow. "Ladies first." Celestia nodded in return and headed out into the hall. "Thank you, Discord." Discord nodded and followed after her, closing the door behind them. The two headed toward the kitchen, a peaceful silence between them for a moment. "So..." Discord then started as they continued forward together, "Speaking of giggling and gossiping and swapping secrets...maybe while we're sharing this cake you can tell me what was up with that 'come hither' bit you used to lull me into a false sense of security back there for your pillow attack?" He raised an eyebrow, smiling but mostly eyeing Celestia very curiously. "That did not seem like you, Celestia, not at all." Celestia shrugged, smiling a little sheepishly. "Well, as I said I'm very tired, Discord. And I really was very frustrated with you for what you did. That might be affecting my behavior and my patience a little. I'm sure after a few days of rest and routine though that I'll be feeling just like my old self." She looked down, smiling but seeming unsure. "I suppose I might have gone too far though with the suggestion that I...I mean, when you closed your eyes, you seemed like you thought I--" Discord cleared his throat, moving things right along. "Hey, so I misinterpreted a signal-- you're not the only one who's a little tired, Tia. And either way, I'm not used to you exercising a sense of humor." He sighed and rolled his eyes, his grin picking up on one side. "You were surprisingly good at delivering that kind of joke. You pick and choose your moments, but you really are secretly funny, Celestia." Celestia couldn't help but smile at the compliment (a big one coming from him considering his pride in his own sense of humor). "Well, you're not the only one of us who can use extreme flattery to their advantage. I've spent the last few months learning from the master, after all." Discord's smile grew, and he had to chuckle a little. "Yes, well, I suppose that's true." He looked forward in amusement. "I'm just surprised you responded to everything so well. I honestly thought I would have to work much harder to get you to go along with it." Celestia raised an eyebrow, glancing at him hesitantly out of the corner of her eye. "Discord?" He seemed very casual...too casual. And that fact concerned Celestia a little more as he feigned a yawn and replied, "Yes?" She looked forward and brushed some of her mane back a little with her hoof. "As long as we're talking now, I've always wondered...why do you use that kind of flattery to joke with me and bother me? All you do to bother Luna is make fun of her old-fashioned way of speaking. And...why did you let me go so far with things back in my room?" She raised an eyebrow again. "You never used to behave like that with me in the old days." "Well," Discord cleared his throat, "In all fairness, during the old days we usually didn't have time for more than a few angry quips before you and Luna would try to stop me and I would try to stop you, yada, yada, whereas now we've actually been living together and being friends. But, really Celestia dear, I'm surprised it isn't obvious why I tease you so much and why I'd go along with watching you actually take up the mantle yourself." He glanced at her and grinned very smugly (even more smugly as he noticed her eyes widen a little). "It's because I know that kind of 'flattery' is the thing that personally ruffles your perfect pony feathers absolutely the most." Celestia raised an eyebrow at this statement. Discord chuckled and explained, crossing his arms over his chest. "Look, consider Luna--when she talks in that old-fashioned way she has, yes, in part it's because she's not used to modern speech. But she also does it to set herself off from the crowd, because it makes her feel regal and important to address others as 'thee' and 'thou' and to refer to herself as 'we'--it's a point of pride. So when I mock her about it, it undermines the effect she's going for and takes her down a few pegs." He rolled his eyes. "I'm actually probably doing her more good than harm when I tease her, but I work with what I'm given." Celestia smiled in understanding but of course still continued to pursue her question. "Yes, I understand, but still, the way you bother me still seems so much more...extreme than the way you like to bother Luna." "I know, I know...I'm getting to that," Discord assured. Then his eyes narrowed playfully, and he focused in one Celestia again. "And as for how I like to 'tease' you, Tia, what you pride yourself on is your poise, your grace, your professionalism--always being taken seriously and always being on friendly terms with everyone. When I flirt with you--and yes, we're adults, so let's just use the term already--it buckles that poise, makes you question your grace, totally shatters your professionalism, actually makes you drop the seriousness and laugh or smirk for a moment, and of course it takes your right out of your 'friendship' element and into something a little less cut and dry and simple." He chuckled in triumph. "I knew from the moment I was first reformed and I suggested bunking with you or Luna and you practically tripped over your own horseshoes in Ponyville that I'd found the perfect way to get on your nerves without doing evil or doing anything you could call me out on, as long as I didn't push it too far of course. It was like a perfect chaos storm of amusing commentary all for my taking." He looked forward and grinned proudly to himself. Celestia was just smiling warmly now. She shook her head in amusement. "Only you would put so much elaborate thought into bothering another person in the friendliest possible way, Discord." "Yes, well," he shrugged, brushing his curled paw against his chest and then holding it out to admire it, "As I said from the start, reforming my chaos required a lot of recalibration on my part. I still had to be the same old obnoxious and insulting Discord you and everyone else has always known and loved, but I had to do it in a way that wasn't mean or evil. And I succeeded, and brilliantly I might add." He crossed his arms over his chest. "Of course, outside of that, I have always just been a natural at charming the ladies." The smug look remained on his face, though he blushed just slightly. Celestia sighed, smiling more to herself. "I don't doubt it, Discord." She laughed softly. "And I'm glad you finally explained things to me now." Discord chuckled, his grin picking up on one side. "Really, Tia, I'm surprised you just didn't figure it out for yourself--I mean, what else could my reasoning be for 'flattering' you all the time?" He put his arms behind his back and raised an eyebrow at her, almost suggesting that he was looking for an answer to the question. Celestia blinked. "Oh, well...I don't know. I just...knew it might be part of your chaos, but I wasn't really sure why exactly you were choosing to handle things in that particular way." "Hmm..." Discord's eyes drifted forward, "Did you ever consider the possibility that, Celestia forbid, maybe all of this time I haven't been joking and egging you on? Maybe I just think that you're cute, but I'm too insecure to ask you out for a milkshake or something, so gags and off color comments and the occasional bouquet all work just as well for now?" Celestia stopped moving forward. Her violet eyes were wide, and she was blushing considerably. Discord stopped and (of course) noticed. And Discord smiled. He leaned down close to her, the end of his tail coming around her other side to brush back a bit of her mane. "Oh Tia, my dear, dear friend Tia...you are just too fun to play with. And now that I know that you'll blush for the rest of eternity wondering about what I just said whenever you go into your room and look at those flowers I gave you, truly I may die a completely happy and fulfilled being of chaos." A low chuckle escaped him which then grew into a steady snicker and finally full laughter as he straightened up and walked ahead of her, turning to open the kitchen door which they had just come upon. "There's nothing quite as chaotic as the sight of a powerful woman in a romantic fluster." He grinned, getting his mirth under control. "But for now I'd like my cake buddy back, and when bedtime really does come I am not carrying you petrified like this all the way back to your room, so if you could snap out of it and quite flattering yourself so much, I'd appreciate it." He leaned back against the doorway, arms crossed over his chest. "Come on, Celestia. Sheesh, don't just stand there--you look like a statue." His grin rose up as high as possible on one side. "Believe me, I'd know." Celestia blinked, and then she just couldn't help herself. She smiled and laughed. And Discord laughed too. Celestia let out a breath and headed forward, shaking her head as she entered the kitchen. "Discord, sometimes I have no idea what to make of you." "Good," Discord headed inside after her, "then as master of chaos, even fully reformed, I'm still doing my job right." They went to their usual table, and Discord snapped up some plates and chairs side by side and silverware while Celestia magically took a chocolate cake out of the icebox. "Hey," Discord smirked, taking his seat, "If Luna joins us later, want to have some fun and tell her that after the whole 'bouquet and a wink' thing, you and I got to talking and we just got back from a quick elopement to Las Pegasus, so welcome home new brother-in-law?" He laughed, grinning at her playfully. "I could easily snap up a wedding cake for us to complete the effect." Celestia's gaze went a little dry though her smile remained as she set out their snack upon the table. "She wouldn't believe that, Discord. She knows me too well. You may be a very nice friend and...very interesting, but there is a limit--I'd certainly need more than flowers and a wink to run off with anypony." Celestia sat beside Discord at the table and smiled more as she served them slices and added, "But she might believe we were suddenly courting. We could tell her that." She laughed a little, taking her first bite of cake. "Ooo, exhausted Celestia has a sense of humor--I like it." Discord laughed as well, eating a bite of his own piece of cake. "Okay, we'll tell Luna we're 'courting' then." He rolled his eyes, and the two shared a warm chuckle at their plan. Then Discord sighed deeply, looking to his nighttime companion as they both happily consumed their snacks side by side. "Celestia, this is off the record, but I really was the biggest idiot for bothering with Tirek...letting him get under my skin about my reform, going along with his idea that somehow I was weak for liking you and Fluttershy and the other ponies and had to prove I could still be a notorious master of chaos. So what if I don't spend all of my life in strife anymore? I would give a thousand chaos empires that I had to spend all of my time magically fortifying and maintaining by doing evil for the dozens of the good chaotic times I've had with the girls and Luna and you over the last few months." "Really, Discord?" Celestia smiled at him, magically lowering her fork for a moment. Discord smiled and nodded. "Yes. Besides, I already gave up a thousand years to reach this point--why not a thousand hypothetical empires too?" He laughed a little and so did she, and then he sighed again and added, "In fact, I can't think of any other place I'd rather be or any other thing I'd rather be doing than sitting here having cake with you right now." Celestia smiled so warmly. "You know, Discord...I feel the exactly same way." She finished another bite of her cake and then yawned a little. "Let's not stay up too late though. I really do have a lot of work to start tomorrow." Discord sighed dramatically and rolled his eyes. "Boring!" He chuckled and ate more cake. Celestia's smile picked up on one side as she looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "And besides, I'm quite looking forward to our sleepover, my old friend. Once we turn in for the night, perhaps I'll keep the fire bright and we can talk and joke more until we fall asleep. After everything that's happened, that sounds like the most peaceful night I could imagine." She savored another bite of her cake. Discord's eyes brightened, and something about his smile perked considerably. "Oh, well, um..." he played with his cake on his plate, "all right then. That doesn't sound like a half bad night at all come to think of it." He looked down, and for the moment the usual mirth and cheekiness and arrogance all faded from his features. He was looking at the cake but he was clearly deep in thought about something else. "Celestia?" Celestia glanced at him. "Yes?" "You really do forgive me about Tirek just like that?" Discord snapped the end of his tail and looked to her. "After only a few hours, some flowers, an apology, and cake?" Celestia smiled softly, her voice lowering. "Yes, Discord. I do." She touched her hoof to his arm on the table. "Friends don't need much more than that to forgive each other. And especially not friends as old as we are." Discord's smile grew. "I see. I'm...glad I've gotten a lesson as good as that one out of this whole experience then." He ate another bite of his cake with satisfaction. "And I'm glad I understand now why it really is better to use my powers for good instead of evil." "I'm proud of you." Celestia let her hoof linger for a moment longer and then removed it from him. "Can you make us some chocolate milk to go with the cake?" She magically served them both another slice each. Discord nodded. "Of course." He snapped his fingers and made chocolate milk appear in front of them both in two long stem glasses. "To chaos?" He held up his glass with his tail. Celestia smiled more and nodded, holding up her own glass with her magic. "To chaos...and to friendship." Discord nodded too. They clinked their glasses and drank together. They lowered their glasses, and then Discord sighed, grinning as he dug into his fresh piece of cake with his fork. "Now about my role in future government affairs--" Celestia's magic dropped her fork with a clatter right in the middle of bringing a fresh bite to her mouth. "Your what in what?" She looked at him with wide eyes. "My role in future government affairs." Discord chuckled and shrugged as she continued to look at him in such confusion. He explained. "What? I'm an immortal, all-powerful being of good living in a castle--I must have the right to some direct say in how this land of ours is run. I'm not asking to be made a prince necessarily--you could just make me a duke or a knight or baron or something. Anyway, whatever you pick, as I said, my credentials--magical, ageless, castle-dwelling--are in order, so I'm guessing we'll be seeing a lot more of each other at council meetings and dinners of state and grand treaty signings and whatnot." He smirked, though there was an unusual touch of sincerity in his tone as he added, "Seriously, Celestia, I want to help. Chaos can have something to contribute. And I think, after all we've been through together, you know that just as well as I do." Celestia eyed him curiously for a moment, but then finally she couldn't help a smile coming back to her lips. She considered and then nodded to him. "You may attend a few assembly meetings and also be present at my side when I hold court as a guest and an observer. We'll start with that for now. And if you have any suggestions for anything regarding Equestria's government, you'll have to write up an official proposal for your idea, I'll look it over, and then we'll see about putting it through the proper channels, all right?" She smiled more. Discord practically beamed. "You have got yourself a deal, Celestia." He winked. "So now that that's settled, when do I get my obnoxious royal title and my gaudy crown and the chance at a castle?" He crossed his arms over his chest, leaning back confidently in his seat. Celestia just sighed and gave him a light nudge, eating another bite of her cake. "Don't push it, master of chaos." Discord just chuckled, eating some more cake as well. "Now, see, this is what I'm talking about--this is conversation. Tirek was dreadful at this, but you are truly a delightful companion, Celestia." Discord smiled more to himself and more at Celestia. "Oh I think I'm going to like being fully reformed even better than being 'kind of sort of' reformed. It's truly given me a new appreciation for everything and everyone in my life." He took her hoof and raised it, gazing into her eyes with a smug (if not somewhat charming) grin. Celestia blinked and couldn't help smiling back at him hesitantly at first but then with a touch of familiar playfulness. "Hello, sister, Discord. Am I interrupting anything?" Both Celestia and Discord blinked, and their attentions turned to Luna who was now standing in the doorway of the kitchen, an eyebrow raised and a somewhat amused smile on her features. Celestia blinked a few times and then smiled, taking her hoof from Discord's paw and returning to her cake. She let out a small sigh. "Hello, Luna. Of course not. Would you like some cake?" She used her magic to make a fresh plate and fork appear. Luna approached and magically made herself a seat at the table opposite from her sister and Discord. "Actually, yes, I wouldn't mind a slice. It really was such a long day, and I do have such a long night ahead of me." She began to magically serve herself. Discord, meanwhile, just grinned as he finished a bite of his own cake. "Always good to see you, Luna. And of course you weren't interrupting anything, just two friends sharing a late snack...." He used his tail to dab at his mouth with a napkin. "Now, if you had come around earlier back when we were in Celestia's room and she threw herself at me and teased me with a kiss, then you would have been interrupting something." Celestia almost spit the sip of chocolate milk she had just been enjoying clear across the table. Her purple eyes perfectly dilated. Luna just sat there wide-eyed, a hoof to her mouth...an almost imperceptible smile of intrigue on her face. Discord then spent the next several minutes lost in convulsive laughter while Celestia put aside her glass and blushed considerably and looked down. Eventually, she cleared her throat and finally tried to explain. "Luna, that is not.... The context of.... I didn't really mean...." And all the while she could see Luna sitting there trying very hard to take things very seriously but losing as a smile pulled more and more at the corners of her mouth. Finally Luna just nodded to her sister's efforts, taking up a forkful of cake. "Of course, sister, of course. I understand completely." Celestia just sighed but couldn't help starting to smile herself. She looked to Discord (who had barely gotten himself back under control now) and tried to seem stern, but her smile was winning out. "Discord...why?" She rubbed one of her temples, shaking her head. A few more chuckles left him as he sat up completely again, wiping a tear from his eye. "What? I thought we agreed we were going to pull a gag on Luna and tell her that after the flowers thing, we're dating now. I was just setting us up for it. That's how you get people to believe jokes and lies, Celestia. You sprinkle in a little bit of the truth to make them seem more real." He snapped, magically making some sprinkles fall on all of their cake slices, and then shrugged, a smug grin on his features. Celestia blinked, her eyes going a little wide in understanding. "Oh. Right, yes, we said we'd...I see." She smiled softly. "I'm sorry I ruined the joke then, Discord. Though I wish you could have found a less...a more 'subtle' way of putting your introduction to our prank." "Hmm, and miss the look of shock and shyness on your face? Never." Discord raised his glass high and took a large swig of chocolate milk. Luna blinked, lowering her fork after finishing a few more bites of cake. "So then something did happen in Celestia's room?" She looked to both of them. "Nothing happened," a slightly blushing Celestia assured her sister before Discord could add more. "I just said some things to make Discord happy so that I could get him comfortable and close enough to reprimand him for his grave slip-up regarding his friendship studies before I expressed my gratitude that he came to his senses and is now our close friend again. That's all." "Yes, she lulled me into a false sense of security with her feminine wiles and then she struck a mighty blow of disapproval against my ne'er-do-well shenanigans." Discord chuckled. "What can I say, I have a weakness for 'flattery'." He made air quotes around the word, specifically eyeing (a still blushing and now rolling her eyes to the side) Celestia. Then Discord turned his attention across the table again and raised an eyebrow at Luna. "Incidentally, I'm assuming I should expect a little blow-up from you about what I did too and all the stress it caused, etcetera, etcetera. When's good for you?" He snapped, making an open datebook appear in his claw and a quill in his paw. "I could pencil you in sometime before dinner tomorrow or early Tuesday morning. The weekend's are just no good for me at all." Luna just grinned at him. "No need for that, Discord. I'll just pop by your dreams some night. There's less of a risk to your safety if I lose my temper in your dreams. Believe me." She laughed a little, and Celestia smiled more. Discord just sighed, snapping away his datebook and quill. "Very well. I'll await thine wrath--I mean, the firm hoof of thine justice, fierce Luna." He gave her a dramatic mock bow and chuckled. "Hmm, laugh while thou can, bold draconequus," Luna replied, finishing another large bite of her cake, a confident look on her features. "I only just regained dominion over my moon little over a year ago--I was displeased to have to relinquish it to Twilight Sparkle, even for one moonset, and you shall hear all about it. And in my own impressive Royal Canterlot Voice too." Celestia and Luna shared a warm laugh at the idea. Discord just rolled his eyes. "Very well, I suppose I deserve that much." He smiled. "But, for now, shall I summon another cake from the ice box?" He held up his fingers to snap. "We seem to have polished off this one very thoroughly." And indeed only crumbs were left on the cake platter now. Luna nodded, dabbing at her mouth with a napkin, her own piece already fully devoured. "Yes, please do, Discord. I need all of the energy I can get to make it through this night before I can finally rest again. " Celestia nodded as well, her own plate nearly clean again. "I wouldn't mind another slice or two as well, Discord, thank you." "Of course, my dear friends." Discord nodded and snapped, and instantly a fresh cake (apple spice with vanilla frosting) was floating itself over to the table, slicing itself up, and serving the three friends. "And a glass of chocolate milk for Luna too." He snapped once more, making a normal glass of his famous brew appear before the Princess of the Night. Discord smiled, digging into his fresh slice with his fork. "Now, you know, as long as the dust has settled on my reform and it looks like we're going to be castle-mates for a while longer," he flashed a grin at Luna, "by the way, I'm staying indefinitely--your sister said it was fine." He chuckled as Luna rolled her eyes but nodded to him, then went on. "Anyway, as long as we're going to be stuck together for a bit, I think we should start acting like real castle-mates instead of just like three incredible magical beings who happen to dwell under the same roof. I'm thinking game nights, taking photos together for our own Hearthswarming cards, putting my name on the mailbox finally, engaging in various madcap (and of course chaotic) misadventures that ultimately end up all right and teach us all valuable lessons about togetherness and having fun--what do you say?" He looked to both girls. "I say after everything that's happened lately, this castle needs all of the fun and friendship the three of us can manage. And we would certainly welcome you playing a central role in those efforts, Discord." Celestia smiled warmly, and she noticed Discord's grin brighten at her response. She looked to Luna. "Do you agree sister?" Luna nodded, finishing a large sip of her chocolate milk. "Yes, sister. The fun around here could certainly stand to be doubled, and Discord is indeed skilled at creating fun." She laughed warmly. "I think I understand what must be done." She straightened up in her chair and looked to Discord with a regal smile. "Discord, I believe it is official--thou shall now be our new court jester! We formally bestow the honor upon thee!" She bowed her head (and used her magic to make a large purple and yellow jester's hat appear on his head), then looked to him again. "We welcome thee for our amusement." Celestia burst into laughter and Luna quickly followed. Discord blinked at first at the joke but then couldn't help smiling and admiring the hat and then laughing heartily as well. All three of them continued to enjoy sharing the happy moment together in the kitchen, surrounded by warmth and friendship and cake. And as their brief time together this evening went on, and the jokes and memories and eating continued, they almost forgot about all of the strife they had endured recently and even that they had ever been enemies at all--they felt like a group that had been friends forever just enjoying one of countless nights spent in the natural happiness of each others' company. Unfortunately, though, the night could not go on forever, at least not for all three of them. Indeed, eventually Luna found herself finishing her last bite of cake alone (this one a slice of lemon with coconut frosting--the group had gotten through three cakes in total impressively enough) while she tried not to smile at the sight before her. Across from her, near their own empty plates, Celestia and Discord had dozed off with their heads on the table and leaning against each other a little, smiles upon their faces. Luna's smile picked up just slightly on one side, and she whispered softly to herself. "They do seem to get on rather well. Though I do believe my sister still hasn't realized yet that he truly may have developed an odd if somewhat sweet preference for her after all this time. It makes their relationship very interesting to observe." She closed her eyes, shaking her head in amusement, and then pushed back her chair and stood up from the table. "I am just glad their friendship has survived the events of today. I have grown rather fond of Discord's presence myself, and I know Celestia would have missed him terribly if his villainy had taken him out of our lives again." Luna magically placed all of the dishes into the sink and swept up the cake crumbs. Then she used her magic to make a large blue blanket with moons and stars appear, which she laid over her sister and Discord who only sighed in their sleeps and moved a little closer together to share in the warmth of covering. Luna smiled to herself and was about to depart to see to the rest of her nightly duties when suddenly the sound of a loud yawn made her pause at the kitchen doorway and turn around. Discord was sitting up a bit underneath the blanket, stretching his arms and blinking his eyes. "Hmm...what's..." His gaze fell to Celestia at his side, and his eyes went very wide for a moment. Then he swallowed and paused, seeming unsure of what to do. Luna cleared her throat lightly. "Discord? I'm sorry I woke you." She nodded her head in apology. "It's all right--you and Celestia fell asleep while we were all talking, so I covered you. I have to return to my nightly duties now. But as long as you're up, perhaps we should carry my sister off to bed. She has been through much, and I would rather not wake her to have her walk back to her room or risk waking her with the suddenness of a teleportation spell. However, if we both use our magic to carefully suspend her all the way to her room, I don't believe she wouldn't notice being moved at all. Then you could go to your room to sleep as well." She smiled. Looking to Luna, Discord blinked a few times at first, but then his normal smile returned to his features. "Oh," he kept his voice low, "Erm, don't worry about it, Luna. You go off to your nightly duties, I can take Celestia back to her room on my own. I promise I won't wake her. Besides, I'm sleeping there tonight myself." He shrugged. Luna raised an eyebrow, losing her smile a little. Discord sighed, explaining. "I set myself up that little bed on the floor that she made me once when I first came here to live. I explained to her my reasons for wanting to stay with her tonight much more sappily than this, but the short version is...I just want to make sure she's all right. You're going to be awake while your magic recharges tonight and you'll have your night guards to look out for you, Twilight'll have her friends, Cadance will have her husband.... I just don't want Celestia to be left alone in case there's some kind of problem. And I can sense magical imbalances, so I'll be the first to know if there is one and I'll be right there if she needs any help." His smile fell a little. "I feel responsible. Spending one night making sure the mess I got us all into doesn't keep having bad consequences is the least I could do." He took a deep breath and his smile returned to normal. "Besides, she said it was okay. I promise." Luna considered for a moment but then finally gave Discord a nod. "Very well. I will leave my sister in your care." She smiled softly at him. Discord's smile brightened. "Thanks, Luna." Luna nodded again. "Have a pleasant night, Discord." She turned to leave. "You too, Luna," Discord called back quietly. But then Luna stopped in the doorway. "Discord?" She turned her head to face him again. "Yes?" He still smiled back at her. "I just wanted to say that I think I approve..." She noticed him raise an eyebrow, so she smiled more and added, "...of the fact that you gave Celestia flowers. I think I approve." Discord still looked at her very curiously for a moment. But then his eyes went a little wide, and he blushed slightly. "Oh! Oh, well, it...like I already told your sister, it was really no big deal. I was just trying to show I'm sorry and that I care." He rolled his eyes off to the side. "Why must you ponies get so dramatic and read so much into everything?" Then he blinked, and suddenly his usual confident smirk was back. He snapped his fingers. "In fact, right now there's a huge box of dark chocolates waiting for you on your bed in your room courtesy of me." He snapped again. "And now Cadance has a big pink stuffed dragon doll in her room with a card that says 'I'm sorry' taped to it." He shrugged. "So you see, nothing special to remark upon about me giving flowers to Celestia--I've given something to each of you now to make up for what I put you through with losing your magic." He flexed his fingers, seeming very satisfied with himself. "Of course, Discord." Luna tried very hard not to laugh. "In that case, thank you for the chocolates, and I'm certain Cadance will like her gift as well. I'll see you later, dear friend." And with that she turned and finally left the kitchen. Discord's smug look remained until he was sure she was quite gone, and then he let out a deep breath. "Whew...Okay, Discord, maybe you need to tone down how thickly you've been laying on the 'flirting Celestia into embarrassment' bit. It's not only starting to get to you, it's starting to get a little too much attention from others now." He rested his head on his paw and smiled again. "Still though, today was a special day, she deserved a bouquet. And who was I to deny her one? Dear annoyingly perfect Celestia...." He glanced to the sun princess who still slumbered soundly next to him under their blanket. His smile picked up on one side and his gaze warmed. "Okay, let's get you to bed then, my cake-loving lady. You've had a very long day. You deserve the comfort of a downy pillow and silk sheets and cozy covers." He snapped his fingers, and now he was standing and Celestia was floating right near him, supported by a large cotton candy cloud and still covered with Luna's blanket. She continued to sleep soundly. "Let's go, Tia." He went to the kitchen exit, and the cloud following along. The pair left the room and proceeded down the hall together. Discord began to speak softly partly to himself, partly to Celestia, unable to help doing so as they made their way back to Celestia's room. "We really did stay up too late." He yawned deeply. "But it was worth it--talking with you and Luna is always so much fun." He smiled. "I'm glad you both forgive me. I think I'll even be able to forgive myself entirely soon enough. And I hope Fluttershy will forgive me completely too eventually." He wrung his claw and paw together a little. "I know if you were up, you'd assure me she will. And I know she will too...it's just I also know it might take a while for her to trust me completely again. But it's okay, I can wait. I know we'll be best friends again soon just like before." He smiled a little again. "Actually, if you two princesses can forgive me so easily, it should be a cinch for Fluttershy to forgive me too--I don't bother her nearly as much as I bother you two, and I'm far less obnoxious to her than I am to the two of you." He chuckled a little. For a moment Discord glanced back at Celestia, almost like they really were in conversation, but Celestia just continued to sleep nestled on her fluffy pink cloud and covered in Luna's blanket. She smiled as she slept--she seemed perfectly peaceful. Discord smiled softly at the sight but then turned forward again. "Yikes, I really must like talking to you to be doing it even when you're sleeping." He chuckled more. "But then again, I'll admit, these past few months...you have grown on me." Discord sighed, looking down a little. "Not a 'ton' or anything. I mean, I-I could quit this place any time I like, I just don't want to, is all. But, well...don't let it get around, Celestia, but despite all the orderliness and how often you reprimand me and the uncanny fact that somehow, no matter how sneaky I am, you almost always know when I'm up to a trick or stretching the truth or trying to distract you...despite how much of a wet blanket you can be on my amusement each day...I like you. I think your sister's noticed." He cleared his throat. "Oh, of course I like Luna too. But I think you and I have a special rapport. We're a challenge for each other. I really like challenges." He chuckled softly once more. Discord heard Celestia yawn in her sleep, but then she grew silent again. Discord smiled to himself and nodded. "Yes, yes, I know you're sleepy, Celestia. Don't worry, soon we'll be in your cozy room and you'll be in your nice warm safe bed." He sighed, shaking his head with a grin. "You really do need me on the side of good--who else is going to be around when Luna's off seeing to the night to make sure that you end up tucked in after too much midnight cake?" His smile picked up a little on one side. "Still, the two of us staying under Luna's blanket in the kitchen and then waking up together in the morning did have a certain appeal. It certainly would have startled you in the most hilarious way possible." He stifled a laugh, shaking his head as they came to her bedroom door now. "And there I go getting carried away with flattering you again--when will I ever learn?" He used his magic to open the door, and still Celestia slept so soundly upon the pink cloud. Discord entered with her and closed the door behind them. Then he used his magic to draw the curtains and light the fire. "You know, since you like cake so much, I'd really like to whip you up a fantastic birthday cake one of these days." Discord grinned a little as he pulled back her blankets and then had Celestia's cloud lower her to the surface of the bed. "Of course, first I'd have to get Luna to tell me when your birthday is. That shouldn't be too hard, though. She's quite talkative once you get to know her, and much less often in her old-timey way once she gets comfortable around you." He pulled up the blankets to cover Celestia and added, "But then, for the sake of the candles, I'd have to get one of you to admit your real age to me. That information's hard enough to get out of a normal pony mare. But one who's got at least four digits to her age--even I'm not sure if I can pull off such a stupendous feat." He grinned more, looking down at her with interest and then giving into a small compulsion and gently tucking her in using his tail. "And then maybe for your birthday, along with the cake, you'll let me take you and the other princesses on one of those madcap adventures I suggested earlier." He considered and then waved her off. "Oh please, forget 'maybe you'll let me.' It's a birthday, birthday's are for surprises--a trip like that will be your present, and I just won't take no for an answer." He chuckled warmly, unable to help himself. Discord quickly made himself grow quiet though as Celestia yawned and turned in her sleep. He watched, waiting to see if he had accidentally woken her up. Celestia gave a deep yawn again. "Mmm...Discord?" Her eyes barely opened to look at him. Discord sighed, smiling as he looked down at her. "My apologies, Celestia. I didn't mean to wake you. But everything's all right, you just go back to resting. You're all nice and safe in your bed now." Celestia blinked again and glanced at her surroundings. "Oh. When did we leave the kitchen?" She smiled a little. Discord grinned. "We didn't--I did. You fell asleep full of cake, and your charming prince Discord scooped you up and carried you all the way here." "Hmm..." Celestia yawned again. "Oh, that's..." Suddenly she blinked and blushed. But then she just sighed deeply, closing her eyes and trying not to smile too much. "Oh Discord, tell me you didn't--if any of the guards saw that...if Luna saw that..." She had to laugh a little, nestling against her pillows once more and looking up at him again. Discord just laughed softly along with her. "Relax. I was just kidding. I mean, I am rather charming and princely of course...but I floated you along on a cloud behind me. Like I could have actually carried you here--that flowing tail of yours is so absurdly long that it would have tripped me up before I got even one a step forward. Carting you back here asleep was Luna's idea by the way--she even tried to cover us in the kitchen before I woke up and finally just offered to bring you back here myself so that she could get on with her nightly duties." Celestia smiled a little more. "That does sound like Luna, yes...." Another yawn escaped her. "Thank you for bringing me here, Discord. And thanks for tonight...staying up and talking with me, and talking with Luna too. I think she and I needed that." "Yeah. Me too," Discord agreed, walking around her bed to go to his own. "It feels good to have things back to normal." He pulled back his blankets and climbed into his bed, lying down and covering himself. "And it feels good to have my friends back." "It feels good to have you back too, Discord," Celestia said softly, turning and sleepily looking down at him. Discord yawned too now. "Just try not to actually have anything bad happen to you this evening that you'll need me for, Celestia. I could use a full night's sleep myself. And I'm a little concerned about letting Luna take over the sun temporarily if you were out of commission. I think thine sister might accidentally scorch the land with her passionate ways instead of just providing we poor citizens with warm days." He grinned. Celestia laughed softly. Her eyes were peacefully closed now. "I'll do my best to stay well, Discord. Don't worry, I may not be as young as I used to be, but I've been through worse than this. I'll manage. Though it's nice to have you here just in case anyway." Discord nodded. "Good.... And, yes, I've always found my presence a great comfort as well." Celestia laughed a little more, sleep starting to overtake her. There was silence and the sound of the fire crackling in the room. Then a deep sigh left Discord in the semi-darkness. "Tia? ...Tia?" "Mmm hmm?" Celestia acknowledged, coming a little back to awareness. "I...I love you." Discord was quiet, and then he sighed very deeply. "I mean, I think I'm at the point where I'm starting to understand just how deep the emotional experience of friendship goes. And, don't let it get around, but I think I'm starting to remember how to...love people. I love Fluttershy...and I love Twilight now...and I love our dear Luna, so...I just wanted to tell you. I love you." There was a lot of quiet. Discord, already sounding pretty uneasy, swallowed and sighed again. "It's okay if you don't love me yet exactly or anything. I'd understand. I--" He heard the sound of Celestia climbing out of her bed. Discord sat up, his eyes a little wide. He watched as the firelight revealed Celestia suddenly coming close and sitting down right next to him. She was smiling a little, her violet eyes glowing in the golden light of the flames. Discord wasn't sure what to say or do. Then Celestia leaned in and gave him a small kiss on the forehead. She pulled back with a warm smile. "I love you too, Discord. And no matter what happens, I always will." She gently touched her hoof to his paw on the blankets. Discord blushed softly, still looking into her eyes. He reached up and lightly touched his forehead with his claw for a moment. Then he blinked and, though his blush grew, a smug grin came to his features and he opened his mouth. Celestia instantly lightly put a hoof over that mouth. She smiled more. "Discord, don't make a joke about what just happened. Just...enjoy the moment. It's okay to...okay?" She raised an eyebrow as she lowered her hoof. Discord's eyes went a little wide again but then he smiled slightly and shrugged. "Well...I suppose, just this once.... Very well, no jokes." Celestia smiled in approval. "...Until breakfast at least." Discord grinned more. "Yes, no jokes until then about the sun princess approaching my bed in the dead of night...about you finally not being able to resist me anymore and just giving me a kiss...about how stunning you look in firelight." He chuckled with such playful satisfaction. Celestia just grinned in return. "No jokes like that at all. Not unless you want Luna and the staff to find out that you blushed as much as a little filly on Hearts and Hooves day from a simple kiss on the forehead." She raised an eyebrow, her look playful yet serious. Discord blinked. There was a silent stand off between the two magical beings for a moment. Then Discord smiled in interest and nodded. "Well played, Celestia, well played. We'll just keep this special 'moment' to ourselves then." He gave her a slight bow. Celestia bowed slightly in return. "I think that would be nice. Just a private moment between friends." She yawned, holding a hoof over her mouth to cover it. "Oh!" Suddenly Celestia felt herself levitated from the floor and then brought over and placed upon her bed. Discord's grin picked up on one side. "Now get back to bed and go to sleep. Nothing will probably happen with your magic tonight, but you still need rest just the same. I've kept you up enough for one evening, however fun it's been." Celestia looked at him with pleasant interest, then nodded and laid down, magically pulling her covers over herself. "Goodnight, Discord." Discord sighed, resting back in his bed again as well. "Goodnight, Celestia." He yawned, pulling up his own covers again. "If you need help with anything tomorrow just..." another yawn, "let me know. I'll do what I can for you before I got out spreading my chaotic assistance among anyone else." Celestia just nodded, her head nuzzling into her pillow as she did so. "Mmm hmm..." was all that left her softly in reply. Her eyes were closed. Discord smiled at the faint response--it meant she really was finally drifting off into a deep and well-deserved night's sleep. "Sweet dreams, Tia." The last sight he saw was an image of Celestia's flowers over the mantel above him. He closed his eyes. "See you at sunrise." And then Discord started to nod off as well. High across the sky just barely visible through an opening in the curtains of the room, a pony figure streaked past the moon, guarding the night as two very special slumberers each found their way into the land of good dreams together.
Keep Calm and Chaos On	Midquel 1: The One with the House Party	"Hmm..." Princess Celestia frowned and sighed deeply in her sleep, tossing and turning yet again this night. Something had been bothering her slumber, something had been disrupting her dreams.... Was it a sound that was doing it? Yes, a very loud sound, though muffled--some distance away yet capable of almost vibrating the floor beneath her bed with its intensity. Still, she tried to go on sleeping as best she could, shifting beneath her covers some more, but then finally... "Oh!" Celestia's eyes flew open as her restless movements suddenly caused her to fall out of bed and land on her bedroom floor tangled up in her blankets. She blinked several times and looked around, yawning. "What in Equestria...?" Then as wakefulness came more to her, she realized the vibrations pulsing through the floor as well as the loud yet muffled sounds causing them were indeed very real and very intense. In fact, one of her vases on her mantle was actually about to fall to the floor, her room was shaking so badly. Celestia quickly caught the vase with her magic and set it safely upon the floor. She glanced around in confusion again, then finally stood up, shook off her blankets, and went toward her bedroom door. "One of the guards must know the meaning of this. I--" As Celestia opened her door however, she was cut off (and pushed back) by the distinct sound and pulsing beat of dance music definitely coming from somewhere in the castle. The sun princess quickly shook off her surprise and then dashed over to her bedroom window. Celestia opened it wide, made her horn glow with a magic that would help connect her to her sister, and called out into the night. "Luna! Luna, please come home! I think we might have an emergency of some kind!" Suddenly, Luna cleared her throat and entered Celestia's room from the hallway through the still ajar bedroom door. "Oh, it's no emergency, sister, but it is an interesting situation!" she called out over the music with a half grin. Celestia jumped a little in surprise as she turned to Luna. She raised an eyebrow. "Luna!" she called out. "So you know what's going on then? Where is that awful music coming from? I feel like I've barely slept all night." She rubbed one of her ears with her hoof. Luna sighed, her look growing a little dry as she approached her sister so that they could hear each other better. "There is a major inconvenience in our house--Celestia, taketh a wild guess what the source is." Celestia blinked...and then her look went dry too. She brought a hoof to her forehead. "It's the middle of the night. What could Discord possibly be..." Luna sighed, smiling a little. "Come with me, sister, and I shall show you. And here, you will need these." Luna used her magic to create ear muffs for herself and Celestia, and then she teleported them out of Celestia's bedroom and to the next wing of the castle...specifically just outside of the ballroom doors. Celestia stood beside Luna, wearing earmuffs (as was her sister) and looking at the ballroom doors...which were literally almost bursting open with the sounds of pounding club music coming from the other side of them. Not to mention the strobe lights and fake fog Celestia was catching glimpses of as well. "What is going on here?!" Celestia yelled out to her sister. "What?!" Luna yelled back. "What?!" Celestia yelled back in return. "Luna, for Equestria's sake!" "What? Cake?" Luna blinked. "Celestia, I really don't think we have time for cake!" Celestia gave a deep sigh. "Luna, I think we need to go away from here to talk without the music!" "What??" Luna held a hoof to her covered ear. "Hold on, let me get the music turned down so we can talk!" And then Luna turned toward the ballroom doors, cleared her throat, braced herself, and called out in her loudest royal Canterlot voice, "DISCORD! I HAVE RETURNED AND I HAVE BROUGHT CELESTIA! OPEN THIS DOOR AND TURN DOWN THE MUSIC SO WE MAY ALL SPEAK!" Nothing happened for a moment. Then one of the doors opened a bit and suddenly Discord could be seen fighting his way out of the room despite the music and fog and the lights and what seemed to be a lot of people in there with him (if all of the voices shouting and cheering were any indication). He got out into the hall, shut the door behind him and looked to the sisters. "Sorry, girls, let me do a little soundproofing!" he yelled with a smile. Then he snapped his fingers, and suddenly the hallways of the castle were silent as ever and it only sounded like a low hum was coming from inside the ballroom. The doors even stopped seeming ready to burst off of their hinges. Discord grinned and snapped away the earmuffs of the two princesses. "There we go, now we can talk." He crossed his arms over his chest and looked to Luna. "Luna, back again I see." And he turned to Celestia. "And Celestia..." his eyes narrowed and his grin grew as he leaned back against the door, "Oh dear, I hope I didn't wake you." Celestia just raised an eyebrow. "Discord, what is going on?" Luna sighed. "Discord is throwing a party apparently, Celestia...a sort of housewarming festivity to celebrate his new accommodations with us." She looked at her sister with a plastered-on smile, tilting her head to the side slightly. "He has been throwing this party since midnight. And I have been dealing with him throwing this party since midnight. It has been a most...challenging evening of friendship." "And she hasn't been doing too bad at trying to manage me actually," Discord added with a chuckle. "She's been very firm but hasn't completely lost her temper once yet. Though I'm still trying to understand what all the complaints are about." He shrugged and smiled 'innocently', tapping his fingers together. "I'm just providing the castle with some free night music like any considerate friend might do as part of enjoying the 'shelter' you've been providing me here. If anything, considering your pony obsession with music and breaking into song, I think I ought to be reward and encouraged for my efforts, not yelled at and interrupted." Luna's plastered on grin of impatience for her sister grew. She gestured to Discord with her hoof. "This has been the last six hours of my life, Celestia: pounding music and impish responses such as these. And now it is time for day, and I have already set the moon to lowering. So if you could commence raising the sun so that I can be off duty finally, I would most appreciate it." Celestia looked from her sister to Discord and back a few times and then just blinked in confusion. "But...where are the guards? Certainly they've heard all of this ruckus too and should be here addressing the situation and helping you, Luna." "Well, I can't name names, but..." Discord started, rolling his eyes to the side with a particularly proud grin, "Most of the off duty guards might be in here enjoying the party and the on-duty ones might be suffering from a teeny weeny sleeping spell I put on them." He shrugged, feigning innocence again. "I was just trying to be more friendly to the staff, Celestia. You have been telling me to try getting along with them better after all." Celestia just sighed so deeply again and put a hoof to her forehead once more. "And who else might be in there besides some of my guards, Discord?" Discord chuckled. "Oh it's quite a guest list--there's some griffins in there, some of the 'cool kids' from the unicorn academy, a fair number of Las Pegasus citizens, every party pony I could get a hold of on short notice, a few dragons, a few inter-dimensional acquaintances of mine, some great historical figures courtesy of a little time travel on my part...I think there's even a minotaur in there somewhere. Oh and Sapphire Shores is playing a few sets!" The sun princess took in and let out a very deep (and necessary) calming breath. "And can I ask who gave you permission to throw this party?" Celestia smiled up at him as professionally as possible. "Oh you're going to love this response, sister," Luna remarked with a grin. Discord just chuckled. "Why, you did, Celestia dear." He snapped his fingers and suddenly there was a little magical projection before them all of Celestia in her bed and Discord in his makeshift bed on her floor from his first night in the castle. "Discord, when you have your own room, you can have as many blankets and pillows as you want, and you can sleep as late as you want, and you can have visitors as often as you want as well. I'll let the staff know..." the projection of Celestia said in a very sincere tone to the projection of Discord. Discord snapped and made the whole projection disappear as he resumed eyeing Celestia again. "You said I could have guests, and you have been telling me to socialize as part of learning about friendship. See how good I am at listening, my dear friends?" He laughed. Celestia frowned, scowled, and in her tiredness opened her mouth and was about to reprimand him, plain and simple. However, Luna suddenly held up a hoof. "Sister," the moon princess spoke calmly, "Please, first, put the sun to raising. Then we shall deal with this." Celestia sighed in a touch of frustration but nodded calmly to her sister. She raised her head high and then set her horn glowing. A few moments later, the glow left her horn and she looked to her sister again with her usual calm smile. "It's done, Luna, the day is starting." "Excellent!" Luna's eyes lit up. Then suddenly she trotted forward to the ballroom doors. "In that case, Discord..." she looked up at the party host, and then announced with a smile, "I formally request entrance to your party." "What?" What?!?!" Celestia exclaimed with a dropped jaw and Discord exclaimed with a grin and an eyebrow raised, both at the same time. Luna just shrugged, still looking up to the draconequus. "What you said to me earlier when I first came to complain to you about the noise and your actions--about how parties are built for nighttime, and so it seems like it should be in my nature to enjoy them...it made me think a bit. And a simple celebration regarding a major event in a person's life really is harmless enough. And I suppose you really are trying to socialize in your chaotic own way. So, after considering all of these points and now that I am off duty, I would like to attend the party and find some enjoyment in it as long as it's happening here anyway." She smiled again. Discord eyed her with pleasant surprise a moment longer and then opened one of the ballroom doors (the sound remained trapped inside though by a magical barrier in the doorway.) "Go right on in, Luna." "Luna, you cannot be serious," Celestia, stunned beyond expression for a moment, finally found some words and took a step forward toward her sister. Luna merely shrugged though and glanced at her over her shoulder. "Oh no, I'm quite serious sister. I have been fighting this chaos all night long. And I'm tired of doing so. A party actually sounds like fun about now. And it has been nice having some activity involving people during my night. Besides, you are the one who first condoned Discord coming to live here and you are the one who condoned him having guests. So I'm sure you can handle the consequences of the rest of his party for yourself." And then with a laugh the night princess turned forward and trotted into the ballroom. Discord used his tail to shut the door behind her. Then he looked to Celestia, his grin growing to its fullest extent. He crossed his arms over his chest. "So then...it looks like the responsibility for me has fallen to you once more, Celestia. How, oh how, will you handle this one? Will you condone my wild party, which will clearly only encourage me to spontaneously throw other wild parties in the future? Or will you shut down my whole little expression of friendship, effectively hurting my very sincere attempts to spread goodness and joy to others? What would a real friend do, hmm?" Discord eyed her with a chuckle. But Celestia just took in a deep breath, smiled up at him, and kept herself poised as she made her response. "Of course I won't discourage you from socializing, Discord. But part of friendship is also being able to compromise and showing consideration for others, especially when you live together. Wouldn't you agree?" Discord rolled his eyes. "Oh I suppose. What did you have in mind exactly?" Celestia smiled a little more. "First of all, if you throw parties or events like this in the future, I want you to mention them to Luna or I first, whoever is on duty. We deserve the courtesy of knowing what's going on in our own home after all, just like we'll give you the courtesy of letting you know if we're going to have other guests or be throwing functions here. And we especially deserve to know if you're going to be having people over outside of your room. All right?" Discord sighed but nodded. "Fine, I suppose I can slip you or Luna a memo about my plans. I can't guarantee 'two weeks notice' or anything like that, but I'll try." "Thank you." Celestia nodded in return. Then she went on. "Second, if you're going to throw parties like these, I want the rooms soundproofed all of the time. You woke me up early, Discord, and gave me a very unpleasant night's sleep before that, and I don't appreciate it. Luna and I allow you the courtesy of sleeping in as late as you want. Please extend us the same consideration." "Sure, that's easy enough." Discord shrugged. Celestia cleared her throat, going on. "Good. And third, I want these parties over before sunrise each time you have them." "Sunrise?!" Discord blinked. "Oh come on, Celestia--over before sunrise? What are we, only a hundred years old? Let's live a little! Besides, I'm Discord, people expect beyond a good time of epic proportions from parties I throw! We were going to try and keep this up from midnight to the next midnight or at least until sunset!" "Sunrise..." Celestia insisted calmly. Discord considered...then smiled. "What about breakfast?" Celestia raised an eyebrow. "I promise any parties will be over by breakfast," Discord explained. "That'll at least give me a few more hours after sunrise. What do you say?" Celestia took a moment to consider as well. She looked up at him again, nodded, and summarized their agreement. "You must let Luna and I know about the parties in advance, you must soundproof the room you have the party in, and your parties must be over by breakfast. And by 'over' I mean the guests are gone and the room you've used has been cleaned. Okay, Discord?" Discord grinned down at her and reached out a paw. "I believe we have an accord." Celestia smiled and raised her hoof to shake with him...but then she hesitated. Her look went dry. "So help me, Discord, if you're wearing a joy buzzer..." Discord chuckled and showed her the palm of his paw...which indeed possessed of a joy buzzer. "Oh, you're already starting to know me so well, Celestia. Very well." He snapped, making the buzzer disappear, then took her hoof and shook it heartily. As they released, Celestia smiled up at him. "Good, Discord. I think this can work. And Luna might actually appreciate a little nightlife around here. But, as for tonight, you did inconvenience both of us very much, Discord." She grinned just a little, her eyes hazing all-knowingly. "And I think an excellent way to make it up to us would be for you to mop and polish the ballroom floor after you're done cleaning up after your guests." Discord sighed dramatically but nodded. "Oh fine." He snapped, making an enchanted mop appear in the air. "It'll take an extra ten seconds at most..." "You didn't let me finish, Discord," Celestia went on. "I want you to mop and polish the ballroom floor...by hand." She smiled. "I think it'll be character building for you." Discord blinked. "Oh, no no." He grinned and shook his head. "I don't do 'by hand.' For anyone. Ever. Even you, Celestia." Celestia grinned just a little herself. "Well, if you don't think you can do it..." "Oh do not try using reverse psychology on me." Discord rolled his eyes to the side and crossed his arms over his chest stubbornly. "And besides, of course I could do it. I'm Discord, I can do anything." "Mmm hmm..." Celestia rolled her eyes to the side too. "Sure, whatever you say, Discord." Discord pouted just a little. But then he considered...and then he grinned again. "Still though...I might be willing to make a deal regarding this 'doing it by hand' proposition." "What kind of deal?" Celestia raised an eyebrow, her smile still present. Discord's grin grew. "I'll mop and polish by hand later after the party...if you'll dance with me at the party right now." He held out his paw. Celestia's eyes went wide. "Dance?" She looked down at his paw and then back up at him. "Discord, I don't...I'm not really sure if I..." "Unless you don't think you can do it, that is." The master of chaos chuckled. "Too out of sync with the times to get the vibe for this new fangled pony dancing music? Sheesh, Celestia, I like it, and I was a statue for a thousand years. Unless of course you just don't know how to dance in general...." "I can dance, Discord," Celestia assured calmly. "I just...Discord are you serious?" She eyed him curiously again. "Are you kidding?" He chuckled. "It would be a crowning chaos achievement for me not only to get you to come to one of my parties but to be seen dancing with you at one. And besides, you're not so terribly boring to hang out with, Tia." Discord bent down a little, moving his still extended paw closer to her, his eyes hazing in his own all-knowing way and never leaving hers. "Come on, say yes--you'll get to see me toiling away on cleaning a floor all morning. And in return I get a rare chance to finally see you stop being so grim and loosen up." Celestia bit her lip...but then sighed and smiled and nodded (of course). She put her hoof in his paw. "We cannot make this a regular thing, Discord. I really am busy each day, so I can't stay up too late, let alone to dance...though I still might stop by from time to time at these celebrations of yours if I'm up when they start. I really do love a good party." She laughed softly. "If you love a good party, you'll be blown away when you get done with one of mine." Discord, leading her along, opened the door for them and then turned to Celestia with a grin as they stood before the entrance to the ballroom. "Now, Tia, shall we dance?" He gestured forward with his claw, bowing slightly. Celestia sighed and smiled more as she headed forward toward the soundproofing bubble. "Just one song, Discord." "Okay." Discord chuckled, following after her (and still holding her hoof). "But we're listening to dub step remixes by DJ Pon3 right now--one song is a good twenty minutes or longer. But I'm sure we'll make it work out." Celestia just smiled and shook her head. "Oh, Discord..." And with a chuckle they passed through the soundproof bubble and Discord let the door close behind them. The next morning, Celestia found herself looking into the ballroom to behold a truly interesting sight--Discord, with a dull pout on his face and frequent sighs of frustration, was indeed cleaning the ballroom floor by hand (and wearing a scarf tied over his horns, rubber gloves on his paw and claw, sponges tied to his hoof and dragon foot, and an apron to complete the ensemble as he pushed a mop over the last corner of the floor). The hour was starting to get a little late in the day, but considering the fact that his experience doing anything by hand let alone something as large scale as cleaning a ballroom floor was probably minimal, Celestia wasn't surprised that it was taking Discord this long to finish his task. Still, he appeared almost done now, and she figured he deserved some praise and a little help finishing up from a good friend. Celestia cleared her throat and took a step into the ballroom with a smile. "You've done an excellent job cleaning, Discord. Would you like any help finishing up?" Discord blinked and looked to her with wide eyes. "No, no, no, don't step on the floor, Celestia, it's still wet and you'll ruin it! Honestly, were you raised in a barn?" He used his magic to gently nudge her back to the door threshold (while Celestia tried not to laugh). Then Discord sighed deeply. "And what I would like," he started haughtily, his nose in the air, "is a chance for an open debate on the nature of cleaning." He shook his head, leaning against his mop. "You ponies always bend things to your desire for order. After all, the basic concept of 'cleaning' suggests taking a space from being in a less desirable state of existence to a more desirable state of existence. That might mean taking it from chaos to order for you, but it would mean taking it from order to chaos for me. If I had my way, floors would naturally end up bright and shiny all on their own as you used them each day, and you'd have to regularly push up your sleeves and try to make them dusty and scuffed and stained and as chaotic as possible, not the other way around. Besides..." he glanced at her dryly over his shoulder, "We had an agreement, and I'm just stubborn enough to want to prove to you that I can do this silly task without my magic even if it kills me...which incidentally it very well may." He sighed dramatically, suddenly snapping his fingers and flinging himself back on a fainting couch in the air. "A being of chaos just naturally needs his magic--this whole experience would take at least a century off of my lifespan if I hadn't secured that chaotic dance with you last night to make up for it." Celestia just smiled warmly from her place at the doorway. "Yes, I suppose our time together last night was a little chaotic. I never tried dancing on two legs before...or for that long with anybody." "Did you like it?" Discord grinned very playfully, sitting up a little now on the fainting couch, his melancholy miraculously all gone. Celestia tried not to blush at the response and the memory. "I was...glad for the experience, Discord." Her smile grew. "Mmm hmm, right...." Discord's grin grew, and he eyed her a little more. "Well, if you ever want the experience again, just come find me during the next house party. My dance card's usually full, but you can have first priority." "I appreciate that, Discord." Celestia nodded. "And I promise that if we do dance again, it won't be to get you to clean anything or do anything orderly. It'll just be as something fun between two friends." Discord chuckled and shook his head. "Oh Celestia, if you really want to be that way, I suppose it's fine, but you shouldn't be so hesitant to make a guy work a little for your favor. I mean, I make my new friends work ridiculously hard all the time just for my friendship, as you well know. Nothing wrong with making a charming bachelor go through a few hoops," he snapped, making a few hoops appear in the air which his couch glided through, "for you." The hoops disappeared with another snap of his fingers. Celestia chuckled. "I know it's nice having people do things for you, Discord. But friendship's not really about that. So if you just want to dance with me without anything else being involved, that's fine. And you don't have to prove anything to me with this floor--the effort you've put into it already is more than enough to show me how much you value our friendship. So please least let me use my magic to dry it. Then I thought we could set up a table and have breakfast together in here. I haven't eaten yet--I wanted to wait for you to finish." She smiled. Discord's eyes went wide. "You want to eat on a table over my nice clean floor?! Absolutely not, Celestia, really!" He rolled his eyes, then snapped his fingers, making his cleaning gear disappear. He crossed his arms over his chest, snapping himself over to her in the doorway. "But if you feel guilty about putting me through all of this manual labor, then feel free to dry the floor magically yourself. Then perhaps we can try breakfast in the garden...especially since you waited to eat all for me." His chuckled and eyed her again. Celestia just sighed and rolled her eyes in amusement but nodded. "Fair enough, Discord." She used her magic to spread her aura over the room, which instantly went around in a quick wind, leaving everything dry. "There we go." "And now for the garden," Discord added, snapping his fingers. Instantly Celestia found herself and Discord seated at small table in the garden just outside of the castle. Discord was resting his head on his hand, his elbow on the table, as he grinned over at Celestia, who just blinked a few times at their sudden transition but then smiled at him. "I think it'll be nice to have breakfast out here for a change, Discord, don't you?" She used her magic to create two covered platters in front of them. "Oh yes. And, speaking of, may I ask what's for breakfast, chef Celestia?" Discord glanced at the platter before him with amusement. "What else--pancakes." Celestia smiled brightly, magically lifting and setting aside both platter covers to reveal a tall stack of pancakes for each of them. "Chocolate chip, to be exact." "Ah yes, pancakes--the cake of breakfast. Especially when you add chocolate chips." Discord chuckled. "How very you, Celestia. Well, then, let's dig in, shall we? Friendship leaves me famished, and I really do have to keep on top of making sure you're fulfilling the 'food' part of our little bargain along with the 'clothing' and 'shelter' parts, after all." He snapped up a fork for his tail to hold, and proceeded to eat. Celestia used her magic to delicately cut her pancakes with a knife and fork, starting to eat as well. "So..." she began after a few bites, "Did you have fun with your housewarming party, Discord?" Discord nodded. "Oh yes, just oodles. But that kind of party was a lot more exhausting than I remember it being. And now that I have to be friendly and clean up after myself, it's even more tiring." He yawned, snapping up a small pink cotton candy cloud to rain down chocolate syrup over his pancakes. "Besides which, I'm really not as young as I used to be anymore." He grinned and gestured to the cloud with his paw. "Syrup, Celestia?" Celestia was about to smile and politely shake her head no, but then she paused, eyeing the little cloud dripping with chocolate. "Well...it really was a long night. Maybe just a little." Discord nodded and snapped. The little cloud floated over to Celestia's pancakes and rained some chocolate syrup on them before disappearing with a small burst. Celestia smiled, taking a bite of the now chocolate-covered pancakes. "Thank you, Discord." Discord grinned. "You're quite welcome, friend Celestia." He ate some more and shrugged. "Anyway, maybe I won't have parties like that too frequently after all--just around the holidays or something, you know?" Celestia nodded, dabbing at her mouth with a napkin. "If you'd like. But if you really do want to socialize more, Discord, I'm sure the girls would welcome you spending more time with them. And of course you can feel free to spend plenty of time with Luna and I when we're not busy with our royal duties. My sister and I try to spend as much time as possible together when we can. It might be nice to spend some of that time with you as well." "Really? You'd let me infringe on your special sister bonding time?" Discord raised an eyebrow, intrigued. Celestia nodded, finishing another bite of her pancakes. "Of course. Like I said, you're our friend, Discord. We'd love to have you around...at a reasonable hour...and at a reasonable level of sound...and with a reasonable amount of chaos." She gave him a bit of a dry look but couldn't help smiling all the while. Discord chuckled and nodded, finishing more of his pancakes as well. "Oh, we might be able to work out something like that." He snapped, and instantly two tall, cold glasses of his signature chocolate milk appeared hovering in the air between himself and Celestia. "And as long as you put chocolate chips in the pancakes, and I put chocolate syrup on the pancakes...how about some chocolate milk to go along with the pancakes, hmm?" Celestia laughed warmly. "For breakfast?" "Oh, come on, Princess, live a little!" Discord grinned. "I know now that you know how to--don't deny it. Otherwise you never would have made it through our dance last night...all of the twirling and dipping and how I caught you in my arms in the air at the end and you laughed." He chuckled. Celestia blushed lightly but couldn't help laughing too and giving a light sigh. "Very well, Discord. Chocolate milk sounds like a lovely start to the day." She magically took the glass as Discord wrapped his tail around his, and the two friends drank. Celestia put her glass down and sighed. "Delicious as usual, Discord, thank you." Discord nodded as he set his glass down as well. "All in a morning's chaotic work." He laughed to himself, then went back to his pancakes. "You know..." he started, playing with his food a little with his fork as he glanced to her, "for what it's worth, you really aren't a bad dancer, Celestia. I was almost a little impressed." Celestia looked down, smiling more as her magic made her utensils continue delicately cutting her food. "Thank you, Discord. It's been so long since I tried, I was afraid I'd be rusty actually." The master of chaos shook his head though. "Not at all. You were the star of the party for our time together." Celestia sighed, trying not to laugh. "Yes, I'm sure it's a memory the guards and quite a few other Equestrian guests of yours will never forget." She looked up and considered, admiring the table and her companion for a moment. Her smile grew. "And for what it's worth, Discord, I think we're all going to work out as roommates, even if it does take some getting used to." Discord nodded. "I couldn't agree, more, Tia." He winked. "And speaking of roommates, I'm guessing our third roommate already partook of breakfast and then went straight to bed?" Celestia nodded. "Yes. Luna wanted to wait for you too, Discord, but she was very tired. I'm afraid you wore her out quite a bit with the party, which is an impressive feat. But despite the extra work it gave her, I think she enjoyed having something so exciting going on during her nights. It really was nice for her to see ponies enjoying things and celebrating so much at that hour." "Hmm..." Discord's grin picked up on one side, and he raised an eyebrow to himself, "Funny, when I planned the party and even when I was making excuses to her earlier in the night about why she should be enjoying a little nocturnal soiree instead of trying to stop it, I was much more focused on others getting to appreciate my chaos than on anything else. But very well, then..." he nodded, his grin growing, "since she's my friend, perhaps I will throw a few more spontaneous night parties around here for her sake. Then we can both enjoy being appreciated." Celestia's smile warmed considerably. "That's very considerate of you, Discord." "Oh, don't rub it in, Celestia, honestly." The master of chaos waved her off. "And I can't help if pleasing myself happens to please Luna too." He rolled his eyes, glanced to the side awkwardly, but then cleared his throat and changed the subject with an attempt at a dry look. "So, any exciting plans for saving Equestria today?" Celestia held back a soft chuckle and shook her head. "No, I'm afraid not--just a lot of meetings and busywork." She sipped her chocolate milk. "Ugh," Discord cringed, finishing another bite of pancake. "We really need to shake up your schedule a bit, Celestia." Celestia smiled a little more. "Believe me, Discord, just having you here in the castle is doing that without you even trying." Discord beamed a little at this news. Celestia did her best not to laugh at the sweet reaction. She magically made a napkin dab at her mouth and then smiled at him again. "So, tell me all about your party guests from last night--are you considering any of them as potential new friends?" Discord chuckled and shook his head. "One step at a time, Celestia, one step at a time. For now, you've got me playing nice with your little pony element bearers and tolerating the pony sisters for the mutual amusement of us all--let's just be happy with that and see where it goes, hmm?" Celestia nodded. "Fair enough, Discord." She swallowed some more pancake. "So, any chaotic plans for today?" Discord chuckled, now using his fork to eat some of the plate his pancakes were on. "Well, I was planning to decorate my room actually. It's quite a bit of a smaller space than what I always pictured I'd use for the location of the chaos capital of the world, but I'm excited to work with it." Celestia's smile brightened. "Can I ask what some of your plans are? I'm sure it'll be the most interesting room in the castle once you're done with it." Discord's smile brightened and he nodded. "Well for starters, I'm thinking neon green and grape purple checkerboard patterns all over the walls...when there are walls in there, of course, as opposed to swirling vortexes of glowing ultraviolet chaos magic all around..." Celestia laughed and then listened intently as Discord described his chaotic plans and the two continued their late breakfast together after a surprisingly enjoyable late night of partying and dancing in each other's company.
Keep Calm and Chaos On	Midquel 2: The One with the Royal Bathroom	It was early evening in the Canterlot castle, a usually peaceful time...except that this particular evening had featured Princess Luna banging with her hoof on the door of the large bathroom she shared with her sister for the last twenty minutes, a pout and a scowl clearly present upon her face. "Celestia! By the stars, you've been locked in there for over an hour! I want to wash up so that I can get started on my nightly duties. I pray thee, come out already!" Suddenly, the sound of a yawn met Luna's ears from behind her. "Luna? What in Equestria? Has that been you making that knocking sound for so long? I fell asleep in my study and wanted to wash up before heading to bed." Luna turned in a great deal of surprise to see her (somewhat sleepy-eyed) sister behind her. "But...Celestia?" She blinked in perplexity. "I thought...and you...that...I've thought that you were in the bathroom for the last hour." Celestia raised an eyebrow at this information, growing more alert. "No, not at all, Luna. I've been in my study ever since dinner ended." She approached her sister and the bathroom door. Luna gestured to the door with her hoof. "But the water's running in our bathroom and there's steam coming out from underneath the door, and I swear can hear someone in there though no one has answered my calls." Celestia blinked then smiled. "But Luna, if no one's answered you then maybe it's just a problem with the pipes or something." She turned to the door again and knocked with her hoof. "Hello? Is anyone in there? This is the private bathroom of the princesses." "Oh great, now you're out there too? Celestia, I'll just be five more minutes, I swear." These words (of course said in Discord's voice) followed by a low chuckle suddenly sounded from behind the locked bathroom door. Celestia smiled. "Oh, very well," she replied. The she yawned and turned to Luna. "Discord will only be five more minutes in our bathroom, Lu--" Suddenly, her eyes shot open wide and Celestia finally fully woke up. "Discord!" She looked back to the door. "What are you doing in there?" "Training parasprites and baking a souffle," he replied. "What do you think I'm doing in here, Celestia? Sheesh, you're not the only one who prides themselves on looking stunningly gorgeous all the time." He chuckled again. "Discord!" Luna yelled at the door, scowling. "Such behavior is unacceptable! Thou hast a perfectly good bathroom right next to thine own bedroom. We will not allow this invasion of our privacy." Discord sighed. "Luna, we've really got to start looking into some speech lessons for you. Lesson one: you are the only person left in Equestria who uses the word 'thou'--consider dropping it." Discord laughed more and now he could be heard gargling. "Discord," Celestia's tone became a bit firmer. "I'm sure you're enjoying yourself, but I have to insist that you open this door. Luna and I have work to do, and we need full access to this bathroom so that we can transition between our daily and nightly tasks smoothly. It's a private space for us, and as our friend you should have asked before using it. Now please, be our friend and return it to us." There was silence for a moment (except for the continued sound of running water), and then Discord sighed deeply. "Pulling the friendship card... You know, one day that tune is going to get old, Celestia. But fine, fine...I'm almost done anyway." There was quiet for another moment, and then finally the lock unbolted and the door opened. There stood Discord, leaning against the doorframe with a towel over his shoulders and wearing a pale green facemask and spritzing himself with the contents of a dark blue perfume bottle. "Come on in, ladies--this bathroom of yours is practically Olympic-sized. There's plenty of room for everyone." Luna just looked at him with wide eyes, and her jaw suddenly dropped. "Discord...tell me that is not my Midnight Zest Eau de Cologne you are spraying upon yourself without a care in the world. My favorite scent, and only bottle I have left since they stopped producing it during my banishment..." Celestia held up a hoof to stop Luna just as her sister scowled darkly and took a step to approach Discord. The sun princess let out a deep breath and did her best to smile at Discord and speak calmly. "Thank you for coming out, Discord. But in the future, as I said, we would appreciate if you would come to us before you make use of our personal spaces or our personal items for that matter, like Luna's perfume or..." She blinked a couple of times and it was her turn to have her eyes go wide now. "Discord, is that my daylily face mask you're wearing...?" "Hmm..." Luna couldn't help but smirk a little, giving her sister a sideways glance. "Oh dear, isn't that the mask that Starswirl specially prepared for you for your first birthday as a princess, sister? And aren't you almost out of it and only now use it for the most special of occasions?" Celestia pouted for just a moment and gave Luna a slight nudge but then cleared her throat and managed to remain at ease (while Discord just continued grinning away casually as could be at the two princesses). "Yes, well...as I said, Discord, please do not make use of our personal items without consulting us first from now on. All right?" Discord chuckled and nodded as he stepped aside and gestured forward. "Oh, of course, of course, you've got it, ladies. Sorry, I'm still working on the finer points of 'sharing' as part of friendship. Now, I know it's getting late for both of you, so please come on in." He lingered in the doorway as the sisters went past him. "I was just finishing polishing my horns and giving myself a final rinsing off, and then I'm sure I'll be out of your ethereal hair. Ugh, and I must say, I know me being in here bothered you, but it was sort of worth it--this is the most luxurious bathroom in the kingdom, I swear." And indeed, it was a rather stately room with marble floors, a large silver and gold accented bath at the center, silk curtains in pinks and teals, two crystal sinks, and a large mirror in a gilded frame along the wall above the sinks. Celestia just sighed, her poise returning more and more. "Yes, we enjoy it very much, Discord. And it helps having a space like this to go to after our busy days and nights." "Yes, that is why we keep it as our private bathroom," Luna made sure to emphasize as she and her sister took their usual respective places in front of their separate side-by-side sinks in front of the large mirror. Discord just chuckled as he shut the door behind all three of them and floated up into the air. "Oh stop acting so miffed, you two. This is hardly the worst thing I've put you through since I got here. Besides, I really did just want to take part in true sharing in action as part of my reform and friendship studies, especially since neither of you (particularly uptight Celestia) will let me practice it by having me as your roommate. I've never had to share before, you know." He shrugged, smiling smugly. "And you're still not sharing now," replied Luna, making a fresh towel appear over her shoulder as she sat down on the floor. "Sharing implies you relinquishing some control to others over something that is personally yours. Celestia and I have shared just now by having you in our bathroom and continuing to tolerate your presence here for the moment. You, on the other hand, have just simply...barged in." "Luna, at least he's trying," Celestia had to encourage with a small smile, making a towel appear for herself over her shoulder and likewise sitting down. She glanced over her shoulder at their still aerially suspended draconequus friend. "Discord, we appreciate you putting some thought and some friendly intentions into the matter, but maybe next time we'll discuss the best way to go about sharing before you actually try it, all right?" Discord sighed dramatically and rested his head on his paw. "Oh, all of these intricacies of friendly relations--however shall I keep them all in mind?" He chuckled to himself in amusement. Luna sighed deeply in response, and Celestia just smiled a little and rolled her eyes, then looked to her mirror. She magically removed her crown as Luna did hers, both sisters setting them aside. "Discord," Celestia sighed, magically setting the water in the large tub behind to run, which quickly started filling the room with thick steam, "Luna and I are going to take a hot bath now, I think, to unwind. We'll see you at breakfast in the morning, and then I'm sure we can talk more about the 'intricacies of friendship' you seem to be having trouble with." There was no response to her words however (except for the sound of a snap), which made Celestia blink and look behind her and then over to the bathroom door. "Discord?" She peered through the rising steam as best she could--however, Discord no longer appeared to be in the room. "Good, he has left us alone," Luna announced with a deep sigh, holding her head up high as she looked to the mirror and brushed aside some of her hair with her hoof. "Honestly, I'm getting used to his shenanigans, but not at this hour when I have a full night's work ahead of me." She stood up and removed her yoke and shoes and wrapped up her mane in her towel. Then she turned and approached the tub, climbed over the edge, and lowered herself into it with a relieved sigh. Celestia smiled, glancing over her shoulder toward the tub and her sister (though she could barely exactly make out either, the steam was growing so thick). "He's just pushing his boundaries, Luna." She removed her yoke and shoes too, likewise wrapped her mane in her towel, and walked over to the large tub as well. Celestia then entered the water and set herself resting against the edge of the tub a few feet away from Luna. "Try thinking about him like he's a colt we're foalsitting. There may be a lot to put up with, but I think we'll be rewarded with a good friend in the end for our efforts." Luna inhaled and exhaled the relaxing steam deeply. "Perhaps you're right." She smiled. "And at least we staked our claim to this space well. That's a small victory." She sunk just a little more into the tub. "Will you pass the bath salts, sister?" Celestia nodded and used her magic to pass the vial of pink salts to Luna. Then she too settled in to just enjoy the soothing steam as well. "Sister, do we have anymore of those lovely herbal oils the traders from Saddle Arabia gave us?" Luna nodded. "Of course, Celestia. Here you go." Luna floated the oils over to Celestia. Celestia let her magic guide them to the rim on her side of the tub and smiled more. "Oh Luna I know we're both busy, but we should really do this more often. It's really so peaceful in here." She closed her eyes. "Indeed," Luna sighed, closing her eyes now as well. "I am getting far too old to keep myself under the stress of our duties without taking time for relaxation and pampering." Celestia almost scoffed, her chuckle was so great. "You think you're getting old? Sometimes these days when I raise the sun I get such a crick in my neck and wings." She stretched her neck to the side. "Honestly, that's why I take the chariot whenever I go travelling these days--flying long distances is just too much." Luna nodded. "Flying is still fine for me, but when I head out over the Everfree forest, wrangling manticores and timberwolves to keep them away from the pony populated areas is not as easy as I remember it being in the past." Celestia smiled a little, inhaling the steam deeply, her eyes still closed. "Maybe we should retire? Sell the castle and buy a nice bungalow in Acapulcolt--what do you say?" A scoff and a chuckle left Luna at the same time. "With Discord as an arguable heir apparent considering his residence in our castle and his magical ability? I think not." She grinned a little, her eyes still closed as well. "And who says we'd go to Acapulcolt anyway? That's far too warm and sunny, sister. I was thinking of a place with a little nightlife. Perhaps Manehatten? Or Paris, Prance?" Celestia laughed softly. "For now, I'll settle for the peace and quiet of this bathroom." "Indeed," Luna agreed with a nod. "Luna, will you pass the bath salts back?" "If you will pass the bath oils back." Celestia reached to the side with her hoof and poured some of the oil into the tub as Luna reached out with her own hoof to take out some salts for herself. And then both sisters (eyes still peacefully closed) went to pass each item to each other. Something at the backs of both of their minds found it odd that as they handed off each item, they did not touch each other's hooves. Yet, they were both so relaxed at the moment that they chose to barely notice the slight strangeness. "Say, could I take some of those salts and oils from you ladies when you get a chance? I'm sure you'd be more than happy to share with me since I've asked so nicely this time. And besides, I haven't been able to do a thing with my coat ever since spending that millennium in a stone body suit." Discord speaking in their bathroom and right near them, though, followed by one of his signature chuckles...yeah, that got their attention pretty quickly. Celestia and Luna's eyes popped open wide, and then the sisters made their horns glow, effectively dissipating some of the steam. And lo and behold, there sat Discord in the tub between them, leaning back against its edge with a shower cap on and a bath brush in one hand and a rubber ducky in the other. He grinned. "And by the way, ladies, you really did have the right idea--a good soak is just what I needed too." He chuckled lightly, looking to Luna, his eyes narrowing playfully and his grin picking up considerably on one side. "Now, thou hast thyself in a precarious position, fair Luna. Thou clearly must want to chastise me in thine firmest Royal Canterlot Voice, but what wouldst that do to the structural integrity of thine precious bathroom? Thine voice truly is a weapon, after all." He laughed (while Luna just looked back at him first with eyes full of shock and then a gaze full of rage that she couldn't even begin to articulate yet). Discord yawned and stretched, turning away from her and using his brush to scratch his back a little. "Yes sir, nothing like three close pals bonding over a good steam. A bath with the pony sisters--definitely not something either one of you (or even I) ever saw coming, I'm sure." He grinned and turned to the sun princess. "And as long as we're sharing, want to play with my rubber ducky, Celestia? It was a present from Fluttershy, you know." Discord held up the duck and gave it a squeeze. But then Discord blinked and his smile fell away. In all the years he had known her, in all of the battles he had faced her in...Discord had never seen Celestia look back at him so seriously or so grimly (which was an accomplishment considering how unintimidating a pony could look with her mane wrapped up in a towel). He actually felt a little overwhelmed. Celestia spoke, her voice calm but low. And despite the 'please' her words ended with, she was clearly giving an order to him in the 'friendliest' possible terms. "Get out. Now, please." Discord raised an eyebrow and hesitated. "But I just thought--" "Out. Now. Please." Discord blinked and gulped but then managed to fake a grin again. "Okay, okay, sheesh...I-I'm going." Discord went to snap his fingers, actually fumbled for a moment, but then finally managed to snap them and disappeared in a burst of bubbles. As soon as he was out of sight, Celestia let out a deep sigh, smiled peacefully again, and settled back deep into the water again. "Wow..." This remark of exclamation from Luna caused Celestia to raise an eyebrow at her sister. Luna looked back at her in pleasant surprise. "Sister, that was incredibly effective. And you did not even use your Royal Canterlot Voice. I cannot believe he actually listened to you--I've never seen him respond so quickly to an order." Celestia just laughed softly and shrugged. "Oh Luna, it wasn't an order. It was just a very, very firm friendly suggestion. And besides, I'm willing to grant him some leeway in his actions while he gets used to his reform, but not about this. As I said, I love the privacy of this space for us. And either way," she blushed lightly, "he really shouldn't be here bathing with us. His joke went a little too far, Luna. I just drew a line in the sand. But it's only because he values our friendship so much that he's willing to respect that line, and that's progress." Luna nodded to herself. "I suppose you're right. And I'm glad you took care of the situation, sister. I really was about to use my Royal Canterlot Voice on him no matter what it might have done to our bathroom. Though I know such yelling would not have been nearly as effective as your approach. He always does love to get a rise out of me, after all." She grinned. "But at least considering his response to how you handled things, I doubt we'll hear a peep out of him until breakfast tomorrow." Celestia nodded. "Let's hope so. And let's hope this incident shows Discord that friendship is just as much about healthy boundaries as it is about compromises." Suddenly there was a knocking at the bathroom door. And then Discord's muffled (and dramatically miffed) voice followed. "Just so you two know, kicking me out when all I was trying to do was find a little relaxation with my two princess pals was very unfriendly. I'm quite disappointed in the both of you." Celestia just sighed and rolled her eyes. Then Luna's eyes brightened and she leaned over and whispered to her sister. Celestia giggled, then she cleared her throat and addressed the door. "Oh Discord, this has nothing to do with friendliness. It's just a matter of simple social policy." "Oh yeah--how do you figure, princess?" Discord retorted. Celestia tried not to laugh. "This is a mares only bathroom. Simple as that." Then Luna used her horn to make some magic. Outside of the bathroom, Discord (still with his bathroom paraphernalia) blinked as suddenly a sign written up in blue ink on a scroll reading, 'Mares only! No stallions or boys of any kind! Thou hast been warned!' (along with a little cartoon picture of Luna sticking out her tongue) appeared hanging on the door. Discord pouted at the sign and then held his head up high. "Gender discrimination, that's what it is! Hmph!" he announced, crossing his arms over his chest and turning away. "No respect in this gynocracy for the hard working male friend, none at all! I swear, I have half a mind to lead a patriarchal revolution of some kind!" He heard laughter from within the bathroom. Then Celestia sighed distinctly. Suddenly there was another burst of magic, and this time a scroll appeared in Discord's hands. He looked down at it. 'A peace offering from Celestia and Luna,' it read on the outside. Discord unfurled up the scroll and read it out loud. "It is decreed by the princess pony sisters that the bathroom in the hallway near Discord's room shall be for his private use only and deemed a 'males only' bathroom. This gift is a symbol of our friendship and our desire to have him share equally in the benefits of our home." Discord grinned. He actually found himself turning around and possibly about to heartily thank the pony sisters...but then he cleared his throat and resumed his casual demeanor as he addressed them through the door again. "Yes, well...I suppose a bathroom exclusively for my own use is an acceptable arrangement. But don't think this is the last time I'm going to knock on yours requesting some of that night princess Eau de Cologne or Celestia's face mask--you two aren't the only ones who like to feel pretty. By the way, can I request the installation of a sauna and a jacuzzi in my new bathroom?" He grinned. "Do not push it, Discord," Luna offered dryly, which was quickly followed by more laughter between the two sisters. Discord just rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine, I'll make do with whatever's up there for now. Come along, rubber ducky, we have a bathroom to explore and make chaotic." And with that he snapped himself (and his rubber duck) away upstairs while the sisters laughed and continued to enjoy their relaxing time together. And thus Discord's place in the castle became just a little more permanent.
Keep Calm and Chaos On	Midquel 3: The One After 'Magical Mystery Cure'	In a quiet hallway in Canterlot castle on this late evening there suddenly occurred a bright flash of light and a puff of smoke, signaling the flashy magical entrance of none other than Discord. "Attention, everypony! Discord is back in the castle, and he is better than ever!" announced the master of chaos with a grin (holding some suitcases in his hands and wearing a straw hat, big sunglasses, and a red and blue Hawaiian shirt). "I know, I know, everyone must have missed me terribly during my little diplomatic assignment in Acapulcolt for the last week, but I assure you I'll be spreading enough chaos around here to make up for it and then some." Discord chuckled and finally put down his bags and removed his sunglasses to glance around the empty hallway. "You who? Tia? Where are you? I came back specifically after sunset to catch you when you might be free so that we could discuss if you have any other cushy ambassadorial assignments in tropical vacation spots that you might need me to take on. Incidentally, the prime minister of Mexicolt was very impressed with my presence--I used my magic to introduce upside down limbo-ing to the country. It's all the rage now." Discord chuckled again, then took a few steps down the hall, still calling out for his sun princess friend. "Oh Celestia, your favorite roommate is--" Suddenly a very distinct wiggle went through Discord. He paused, his eyes wide. "What in the.... That feels like residual chaos magic. I'd say...three, four days old at most. And I've been away for eight days, so that means..." "Discord, you're home. Good," Celestia's voice suddenly announced from behind him. Discord turned at the sound to see the princess approaching him from up the hall with her normal poised smile upon her face. She continued speaking. "I'm glad it seems like you've enjoyed your trip. And now that you're back, we, um...we have some things to talk about." Celestia looked down a little sheepishly. Discord approached her, an eyebrow raised. "I'll say we do. Celestia, do you realize that--" But as Discord got close to her, another distinct wiggle went through him. He paused after it was over, and now his eyes were wide as could be. Then those same eyes focused back on the sun princess again and narrowed very suspiciously. Discord instantly snapped away all of his effects and crossed his arms over his chest. "I should have known you sending me off to the tropics for a week wasn't right. I thought you were just trying to get some time in the castle to yourself, but that wasn't it at all, was it?" He leaned down closer, looking her over, frowning more. "What in the world have you been up to while I was gone, Celestia? And who in the world was making chaos, or at least enough crazy magic that chaos couldn't help but be an outcome? And how exactly are you so connected to it? Don't deny it, I can sense it." Celestia raised an eyebrow. "You can sense it?" "Do not change the subject," Discord replied dramatically, holding a finger high in the air. And then he resumed speaking in the firmest tone Celestia had heard him use since before his reform. "I want to know who's been playing with chaos while I've been gone, and I want to know right now. Everything." Celestia sighed deeply. "Discord...come into my study for some tea, please. There have been some changes we have to discuss." She headed down the hall toward her study. Discord floated along after her, still looking perplexed. "What kind of changes?" The pair paused as Celestia magically opened her study door and glanced at Discord over her shoulder, smiling a little. "Changes to one of our friends. I'll explain, Discord. I promise it's nothing bad. I just felt you'd take it better if it didn't occur while you were around. It's been a busy week, Discord." And then she headed inside. Discord just sighed and followed her into the room. "All I know is, whatever's going on had better live up to the hype you're giving it...and I'd better get another cushy assignment somewhere balmy and warm again soon." Celestia only nodded. "Just take a seat, Discord, and we'll discuss everything." And then she closed the study door behind them. Fifteen minutes later... "You decided WHAT??? Her magic did WHAT??? She became a WHAT???" "Discord please, calm down," Celestia smiled as the two sat across from each other at the table in her study with cups of tea before them. The sun princess had (of course) just explained to the master of chaos the details of Twilight's ascension to the throne. And the master of chaos was still in the middle of expressing a very great deal of surprise regarding the situation. Indeed, Discord just sat there before a poised Celestia with wide eyes and a dropped jaw. "But...But...But...But that's not FAIR!" he whined loudly with a pout. Celestia sighed deeply, still smiling. "Discord, please, I--" Suddenly there was a tap at the window, which then opened, allowing Luna to pop her head in from the darkening night with a smile. "I hear many exclamations coming from this room, Celestia. I take it you told Discord of Twilight's promotion to a princess and her change to an alicorn." She glanced at Discord, grinning more. "By the way, Discord, excellent near-use of the Royal Canterlot Voice in your reaction. We are impressed." Celestia smiled a little and nodded to her sister. "Yes, Luna, I told Discord about Twilight, and now I'm going to answer any questions or concerns he has." She glanced to Discord again. "His first concern seems to be a general remark that it's unfair that Twilight gets to be a princess." Discord rolled his eyes and scoffed at both sisters. "Oh I don't care who's princess! I care about the fact that I'm already outnumbered two to one against both of you! Cadance is in the Crystal Empire with her hubby so I don't really consider her much of a challenge, but now to have Twilight here as yet another princess I have to be on the lookout for and be on my best behavior for--well, this is just poor sportsmanship!" He nodded his head firmly, crossing his arms over his chest. "And I also meant that it was unfair of you to keep me out of so much chaos reigning around here! Twilight switched people's destinies, you gave her a biological makeover, Tia, and somewhere in there you popped yourself into a dimensional pocket outside of reality for a slideshow about the past and a musical number." He pouted and scowled a little again. "I don't like being pushed out of my element--it's like you sending Pinkie Pie out of town and throwing a party, or collecting for a charity and keeping Rarity from donating." For a moment Discord was silent, and then he half grinned a little and looked into Celestia's eyes, tapping his fingers together. "What? Did you think I might...take advantage of the momentary confusion and instability, and maybe go back on our little bargain of reform? Tia, Luna, I'm wounded that your trust in the sincerity of my newfound goodness is so flimsy after all of our time and experiences together. Why, it's enough to...give a former ne'er-do-well a legitimate reason for getting back up to his old tricks." Discord chuckled, his grin growing all the more. Celestia just sighed, giving him a bit of a dry look (but holding back just a little bit of a smile). "Are you done with the cryptic double talk, Discord? Can I go on now?" Discord blinked and then broke into full laughter. "Ooo, you're finally picking up on my sense of humor regarding my 'reform.'" He made air quotes and rolled his eyes. "Very well, continue, Celestia. So Twilight has wings now and alicorn powers." He shrugged. "Eh, honestly I've done worse chaos without even trying. I think I can get used to this." "Can you also get used to calling her Princess now?" Luna asked with a cheeky grin. "Oh please," Discord waved her off. "I only even call you and Celestia 'princess' just to be ironic sometimes. The only way Twilight's hearing that title from me is to mock her." Luna sighed dryly. "Yes, that sounds about right." She rolled her eyes. "Well, anyway, I must be off to tend to my nightly duties." She looked to the chaos master. "Discord, have a good night and stop acting so traumatized." Then she glanced to her sister. "And Celestia, whatever you do please don't promise him the ambassadorial trip to the Isles of Greece coming up next month. I have dibs on that one." She winked and then flew off with a laugh. Discord grinned and then turned his attention back to Celestia. "So anyway, as I was saying," he cleared his throat and announced with a touch more drama than was necessary, "I am willing to accept alicorn Princess Twilight as a thing," His look went dry. "Unless she's moving into this castle too. Then I'm just dropping the reform entirely and declaring chaos war right now." Celestia had to laugh. She shook her head. "Don't worry, Discord, Twilight isn't moving in, I promise. Though she will be stopping by for a night in a couple of weeks to assist Luna and I with the Summer Sun Celebration." "And she's also not going off to some new Empire made of quartz or polished glass or whatever like her pink sister-in-law did?" Discord also added dryly. Celestia shook her head again. "No. Why? ...Would you miss Twilight if she did, Discord?" She tilted her head to the side, her smile picking up on one side. Discord blinked and then scoffed. "Yeah, like an apple tree misses a vampire fruit bat sucking all of the fun out of its soul." Celestia raised an eyebrow, and Discord just shrugged at her. "What? Applejack makes you pick up countryisms if you spend too much time around her." The sun princess couldn't help laughing again. "Yes, well, I promise, everything is going to be fairly the same around here, even if some things are going to be just a little different, Discord. We'll all get used to it." "Fair enough," Discord mumbled. Then he smiled to himself, taking up his teacup in his tail again. "Actually, I can probably have a lot of fun with this: teasing Twilight about her changing role, making gags about her wings, really rubbing into your modest little element of magic's face her new royal status." He chuckled. "I'll have to make a visit to Ponyville soon--a nice long on to see all of my friends." "Discord, don't be too hard on Twilight." Celestia magically sipped her tea. "She's self-conscious enough as it is." Discord just grinned and waved her off. "Oh come on, she'd be more freaked out if I didn't tease her mercilessly. Besides, I'm not the one who started this whole situation. What I might do won't effect her nearly as much as what you did." He looked down into his tea, trying to grin, but his eyes were a little far away. "You know, when you suddenly change a person's entire physical existence, it does take a little getting used to, Celestia." It took Celestia a second, but then her eyes went a little wide in realization. She lowered her teacup and frowned. "Discord...I..." Discord sighed and glanced up at her again. "Tia, let's not turn this into a big emotional, 'analyze Discord's transformation as it reflects on Twilight's transformation' thing. It'll bore me. And believe me, you and I are not ready for that conversation anyway." His look got a little dark for a moment, but then it lightened once more as he sipped more tea. His tone was quite professional and aloof-sounding as he went on. "Just make sure you're there for her and that you grant her whatever liberties she needs to get used to things. Don't leave her to fend for herself and then 'magically' expect her to respond well when you suddenly come around wanting to chat and be close again. That way of going about things rarely works." A touch of pain came into Celestia's eyes and she nodded. "I understand, Discord. And I'll keep your advice in mind." Discord took another sip of deep and let out a deep breath. "Good, thank you, Celestia." There was quiet between them for a few moments. Then eventually Celestia tried to smile again. "Did you have fun in Mexicolt, Discord? And did you maintain relations well enough that we're not going to war or anything?" Discord smiled more and looked up at her again. "Hey, you gave me a job to do, and I did it well. Oh sure, I had a lot of fun when I was there--I mean, so much fun that it might actually overwhelm you and your grimness streak if I told you about it all, Celestia. But I also got those papers signed you gave me, met dignitaries and shook hands, talked up our beautiful land run under the guidance of pony goddesses. I especially emphasized to the Mexicolt Prime Minister and his delegates how fascinating you and Luna are visually." Discord grinned fully. "I mean, I raved on and on about how images and descriptions could not do justice to your divine and desirable beauty, and how even just looking at you for too long could drive stallions mad with affection...especially in your case." He winked at her. "I was also very certain to add that if someone brings it up to you and you act modest, you're just playing hard to get. You really, really, really should be expecting a return visit soon." Discord broke into a bout of amused laughter. Celestia smiled more and just sighed and shook her head, trying not to laugh too. "Thank you for trying to handle things so well, Discord." "You are quite welcome," the chaos master replied with a nod and other sip of his tea. "But please don't send me off on little errands like that again just to distract me, hmm?" He gave her a bit of a look. "I'm a great big grown draconequus, I can handle being in the thick of some changes. And I would have enjoyed watching the chaos unfold much more than I would have wanted to spoil the fun by taking advantage of anything. You should know that, Celestia." Something in his irrepressible grin warmed, and his eyes met hers again. "Of course, Discord." Celestia nodded, unable to help smiling more as she looked back into those eyes. "I know you're our friend now and wouldn't take advantage. Like I said, it was just a long week and a big change. I did what I thought was best at the moment." Discord nodded. "Fair enough." He reclined back in his chair a little, taking his teacup in hand. "So did you just give Twilight wings or did you go the full alicorn package--twice as tall and flowing hair and a horn that could spear a manticore?" Celestia smiled more. "She just has wings for now. Other slight changes will follow." "Good." Discord sipped more of his tea. "I think Luna and especially you are the only ones who can really pull off the full-blooded alicorn look anyway." Celestia grinned a little. "Yes, I make having a mane and tail like mine look much easier than it actually is." "Laughing at yourself?" Discord chuckled. "Oh, I really am having a good effect on you, Celestia. And nice one, by the way." His gaze grew a little warmer, and his grin picked up on one side. "Your hair is one of my favorite features of yours, you know. It has a certain chaotic appeal--quite mesmerizing actually." His eyes narrowed playfully. "It's the part of you that I played up the most to the prime minister and his delegates, by the way. Oh, you're going to break so many hearts when they come here and all you want to do is extend your 'friendship' to them." He chuckled more. Celestia sighed deeply, trying not to blush (and trying not to glance too much at her hair). "Thank you for the compliments, Discord. And for making sure that Mexicolt's next visit to Equestria will be an...interesting one for me handle." She shook her head, smiling more. "You're quiet welcome," Discord nodded. "In fact, speaking of chaos and you, your whole participation in this chaotic mess with Twilight and successfully tricking me into staying out of it is impressive. Part of me always hates being bested, but another larger part of me really loves finding someone who can challenge me from time to time...and especially in a situation involving chaos too." His smile grew and he raised an eyebrow. "I'm going to have to keep an even closer eye on you, I think." Celestia shrugged and sipped her tea with all of her usual poise. "If you'd like, Discord. But I promise you, there's nothing terribly special about me." "You keep me amused and from making this castle explode with chaos all at the same time, and you do it all while looking stunning--believe me, only a very special pony could accomplish that." Discord sipped more of his tea. "Thank you, Discord." Celestia nodded. "I try." Discord nodded in return. Then... "So..." the master of chaos grinned, putting down his cup and leaning in just a little closer to her, "Did you miss me?" Celestia looked up at him and blinked. "I...yes, a little actually." She smiled sheepishly. "Luna and I have such opposite schedules--we get to spend time together occasionally but never enough. But with you around, I've had a friend to talk to around here during the days, and a friend to always have a midnight snack of cake with if I want. And Luna's had a friend who could stay up late with her until all hours and who's a bit more of a night person than I am. I hope you'll stay around for a while now that you're back from your trip, Discord." Discord's whole look perked up considerably at this information. "You really did miss me then?" Celestia nodded. "Yes, Discord." And then she couldn't help herself... "And did you miss Luna and I?" Her smile picked up on one side and she raised an eyebrow in interest. Discord blinked. "I...well..." he quickly looked down into his tea, "I missed Fluttershy...and...maybe you and Luna too a little." He rolled his eyes. "Don't take it personally, it's just that you all provide great conversation and laugh at my jokes and kind of give me someone to 'perform' for. And I haven't had that in a really long time, being stone and everything." He did his best to resume a casual, aloof smile. Celestia's smile softened. "I see." She considered for a moment, and then put aside her teacup. "Discord, would you want to go have some cake together now? As I said, it's been a stressful week...and so I may have instructed the kitchen staff to bake as many of them as the icebox would hold. There's probably at least a dozen cakes in there ready to go." She rolled her eyes at herself. Discord chuckled warmly and nodded to her. "Well, I do love our cake dates." The sun princess just blushed a little and shook her head with a sigh. Discord laughed again. "Come on, then, let's get to it, my dear Tia." He snapped, making their tea things disappear, and then stood up. "And while we're eating, you can give me a play by play of the cutie mark switching shenanigans that I missed." He laughed to himself as he strolled to the door. "Rainbow Dash trying to do Fluttershy's job...Priceless! I really should have thought of that whole concept myself." Celestia smiled as she stood up and followed after him. "I'd be happy to share the details of what happened with the girls, Discord. I have to admit, however dangerous the whole problem was and necessary to correct...it did still have a sort of chaotic humor to it." "Ah, I always knew you were secretly a woman of excellent taste." Discord turned to her as he opened the study door and then stepped aside. "And speaking of which, ladies first." He gave her a smile and a bow. Celestia blinked, smiling more. "Oh. Well, thank you, Discord." She bowed her head in return and the trotted out into the hall, Discord following behind her. Chuckling, Discord closed the study door (and snapped his tail) and then joined Celestia in walking down the hall toward the kitchens (one of his arms inconspicuously hidden behind his back). "I really think we can expect great things from Twilight, Discord." Celestia remarked, holding her head a little higher. "There will be some changes, but I think they'll be for the better." Discord nodded. "Ah, yes, but still, some things will never change of course, good buddy, for Twilight or anypony else." Discord put his hidden arm around Celestia's neck for a moment, gave her a playful hug, and then let her go. Stuck on Celestia's back now was a sign reading, 'I love my cake dates with Discord!' Celestia laughed softly (totally unaware of the sign). "Yes, I suppose that's very true, Discord." Discord chuckled again. Then his eyes lit up. "Say, does this mean that if I find a student that I'd like to teach in the ways of chaos, I can turn them into a draconequus if the mood strikes me?" Celestia sighed deeply. "Discord..." She shook her head and tried not to smile too much. "Just a thought." Discord shrugged with a smirk. And with that, the pair (and Celestia's sign) proceeded to the kitchen for cake. Sometime later, long after the cake date (and also long after Celestia had discovered the sign on her back, removed it, crumpled it into a ball with her magic, and tossed it at Discord's face with a warm laugh), Discord was leaving his bathroom upstairs with his rubber ducky in one hand and a towel over his shoulder, and heading to his room...when suddenly a very, very distinct magical wiggle went through him. Discord's eyes shot open wide, and his rubber ducky dropped to the floor. He was perfectly quiet for a long moment. Then the master of chaos started mumbling softly to himself in the empty hallway. "That can't be right. Or...can it?" He smiled...his eyes narrowed. "Unless...perhaps it can be right. Yes, perhaps it can be right indeed! Hmm..." he tapped his fingers together in a devious gesture, "Oh, I knew that harmony tree would be weakened all of those years ago when the sisters removed the elements, but I just figured my plunder seeds weren't strong enough to attack it regardless. But that little bit of chaos Celestia and Twilight went through...and now the return of my own chaos...the sister's disconnection from the elements.... Yes, yes, maybe all of that's finally done the trick." Discord's grin had grown to its fullest extent by now. He put a paw to his chin and considered very carefully. "Now, your basic responsible and good friend would give everyone some warning about this whole mess before it even starts." He chuckled. "But how boring would that be, hmm? No, no... Twilight wants to learn how to be a princess? Very well, let's see her handle a crisis all on her own right off the bat. And besides, Celestia sent me away on a little unexpected vacation...the least I can do is sort of return the favor for her and Luna." Discord chuckled and snapped away his towel and ducky as he resumed his stroll to his room. "Oh, everyone's going to be so mad. And who knows, if the seeds do work out...if they really do, then..." His devious grin grew...but then faded just a little. "But...no, no, I suppose Fluttershy would be very upset with me if I took advantage of that." He shrugged. "Still, at least this whole thing will remind everypony that I'm still not to be trifled with, that I'm still a formidable foe. And it'll also show Celestia and Luna that when it comes to moments of instability in the nation, I really can be trusted to stay good...for the most part." He clapped his claw and paw together. "Oh this is just too perfect, I can't wait. Truly this will be the best Summer Sun Celebration ever. And I'll plan a little visit to Ponyville right before it happens.... The timing should be perfect then, just perfect." And thus, chuckling to himself almost evilly but still distinctly humorously, Discord snapped himself straight to bed to await the ideal time for his plunder seeds (and his own dubious friendship tactics) to strike.
Keep Calm and Chaos On	Midquel 4: The One After 'Princess Twilight Sparkle'	"Luna..." Celestia sighed and shook and her head as she and her sister briskly walked along a corridor in their castle following a very harrowing adventure involving being kidnapped by dark magic vines and dragged to the Everfree forest for a day thanks to a thousand year old prank from the master of chaos. "I know you're joking, but please calm down." The sun princess raised an eyebrow at her moon princess counterpart. "No, sister, really and truly, tis a perfect plan." Luna's eyes were piercing as she proceeded forward. "You see, I destroy Discord now, we blame it on a 'Nightmare Moon relapse', and then I just go into hiding in Horseshoe Bay or Acapulcolt for a thousand years. And when I come back we can try this whole 'reformed Luna' thing again. Or you can even send me back to the moon if you want for the millennium. Either option is acceptable to me. The point is, I am going to destroy Discord now." She smiled a little to herself, her eyes still bright with passion. Celestia smiled a little too, unable to help herself. "Luna, really, be serious. I know we have to talk to him about what happened today and we have to make sure he knows that nothing like it can ever happen again, but I'm afraid making threats and yelling the entire time isn't going to help. Let's just think this through with cool heads. And remember," Celestia had to point out, "Discord did help clean up the vines and the damage in Ponyville." "And he did cause us to be kidnapped and dragged to the Everfree forest!" Luna countered, scowling. Then she cleared her throat and proceeded in a mocking Discord voice. "Oh Luna, Celestia, you'll be happy to know I'm spending a day or two in Ponyville, so you'll have the castle to yourself!" She scowled more, her normal displeased tone returning. "He KNEW this was going to happen, and he still had the nerve to mock us with the idea of a respite from his presence in our home knowing full well we wouldn't be here to enjoy it!" "I know, I know..." Celestia's look went dry as she recalled that particularly cheeky part of his antic from a couple of days ago. "And we'll be firm with him, Luna. I promise." She raised an eyebrow. "I wonder why the guards told us he was in the ballroom though..." "Oh, if he is throwing another one of his parties, so help me..." Luna's eyes flashed and a bolt of lighting and thunder occurred outside as the sisters reached the ballroom doors. Luna sighed, observing (and listening to) the doors for a moment. "Well, no music--that is something, at least." Celestia moved forward and knocked. "Discord, are you in there? Luna and I would like to talk to you." "Oh, uh..." Discord called from inside. "Sure, sure...come in, ladies!" Celestia took a deep breath and then magically opened the doors. The ballroom was completely dark as she and Luna entered, causing both sisters to look around in confusion. When the doors suddenly slammed shut behind them though, that action made both sisters actually jump a little in surprise. They both lit their horns to see by. "Celestia..." Luna whispered, leaning close and looking around warily, "I don't like this." Celestia nodded, likewise looking around with concern. "I know, Luna. I don't either. But...certainly there's an explanation. Luna scowled again and raised her voice. "Discord, enough games--show yourself!" Then suddenly all the lights went on in the ballroom, causing both sisters horns to stop glowing and their eyes to go wide. "SURPRISE!!!" Instantly, Celestia and Luna found themselves in the middle of a beautiful surprise party with tables of food and tons of streamers and balloons and cake, and many of the staff and guards smiling at them, and even Twilight and the girls smiling at them (and Pinkie Pie shooting herself out of a party canon overhead, causing confetti to go everywhere). Celestia and Luna just blinked several times, their jaws fallen open. "I, uh..." Celestia didn't know what to say. "What's all this?" Pinkie Pie dashed up to the princesses and took a deep breath before proceeding to explain with a big smile. "Well, you two went through so much with the magic vines, and the staff of the castle missed you two so much when you were gone, and Twilight and the rest of us are so happy to have you back that a party seemed the best way to celebrate both of you finally returning home safe and sound!" She smiled, making a little squee sound. Celestia and Luna blinked a few more times...and then the pony sisters smiled. "Oh Pinkie," Luna started, stepping forward, her smile growing, "How wonderful. Thank you! Was this your idea?" Pinkie smiled but shook her head. "Nope! I just helped with the planning and the decorating and the party canons." She leaned in close the princesses, whispering loudly. "I'm not supposed to tell you whose idea it was." She pulled back. Then she leaned in again. "But I didn't Pinkie Promise on it." She pulled back. Then she leaned in again. "It was his idea." She gestured upward with her hoof...and the sisters followed her gesture until they saw Discord hanging out on the top of a disco ball that was now in the ceiling in place of the usual chandelier, eating cake and grinning to himself. Celestia's eyes went wide and then her smile brightened considerably. Luna blinked and her jaw dropped, but then she gave a pleased smile as well. Celestia looked down again to the pink pony before her and smiled warmly. "Thank you for letting us know, Pinkie Pie," she replied softly. "We're very glad to hear that." Pinkie winked and then went bouncing off into the party. Celestia cleared her throat now and addressed the guests. "Everyone, thank you so much for coming! It's so kind of you all to care so much about the safe return of my sister and I. So without further ado, please let the partying commence!" And with that Vinyl Scratch popped up in a corner behind a DJ booth, a few records were put on, and the party broke into full swing! "Princess Celestia, did you really like the party?" A concerned but smiling Twilight asked (again) as the final guests cleared out of the ballroom a couple of hours later. "I tried to make sure things stayed organized, and I tried to make sure everyone felt welcome, and I tried to make sure there wouldn't be too much cleanup for the staff." She glanced around sheepishly--though the party hadn't made a Discord class mess, there was still quite a bit of cleaning up to do. "Sorry, I guess I could have done a better job about that last item." She rubbed the back of her neck and looked up to the sun princess. "I'm just so happy to have you back, Princess Celestia--we all are." Celestia just smiled down gratefully at her former faithful student. "And I'm very glad to be back. And, Twilight, really, it was a lovely and very well organized party and also very fun. I enjoyed it very much. And don't worry about the mess--Luna and I will be cleaning up the party ourselves." Twilight blinked. "But Princess Celestia, you shouldn't have to do that. I..." Celestia held up a hoof though, smiling more. "But we want to, Twilight. And it's the least we could do after such a lovely event was thrown all in our honor." Twilight smiled. "As long as you're sure. Do you need any help?" Her horn glowed. Celestia smiled but shook her head. "No, thank you. Go enjoy spending some relaxing time with your friends, Twilight. After everything you've been through today, you've earned it. Besides, I'm sure we can get Discord to give us any extra help if we need it. After all, the castle is his home for the time being, and I'm sure he regrets any stress he might have put Luna and I through with his prank and wouldn't mind a way to help make it up to us." Twilight blinked and then glanced away. "Oh, yeah...that's true. Heh..." She smiled very awkwardly, trying to seem like she wasn't keeping a secret but of course failing miserably at the attempt. Celestia's smile picked up on one side and she looked at Twilight meaningfully. "This whole party really was Discord's idea, wasn't it, Twilight?" Twilight blinked and looked back up at her. "How did you--" "A little pink bird told me." Celestia chuckled softly. Twilight sighed and nodded, lowering her voice. "Yes, it was Discord's idea, the whole thing. Everyone was happy to be part of putting it together, but he's the one who came up with the idea and insisted we do it in the first place. Actually, his exact words were 'I can't help it if the pony sisters deserve a little something for putting up with my shenanigans, especially since we're friends--but just don't go spreading it around and ruining my reputation. And I still don't do windows.' He was in a French maid's outfit at the time. The whole thing was a little confusing." Twilight scratched her head with her hoof. Celestia just laughed. "Yes, I imagine it was. Don't worry, I'll see to it he doesn't get upset with you or anypony else about Luna and I finding out the truth. Besides I think he knows my sister and I are smart enough to have figured it out on our own anyway even if we hadn't spoken to the six of you." Twilight smiled and nodded. But then she had to raise an eyebrow again and ask, "So...if he knows you that well and even cared enough to throw a party for you, then him living here really has been working out?" Celestia shrugged. "It's been interesting, Twilight. But yes...I've enjoyed his time here. And I think he enjoys it too. I think we're all growing quite fond of each other, actually." Something in her smile and gaze warmed. Twilight nodded, her own smile growing. "I think that's great, Princess Celestia. Especially since we don't have the Elements anymore..." She frowned a little and her voice lowered. "Princess Celestia, considering the situation with the Elements and not having direct access to their powers anymore, I'm not sure what we should do if Discord...I mean...if his reform doesn't..." She looked down, clearly in a touch of distress about how to professionally put what she was trying to say. "Don't worry, Twilight," Celestia assured with a touch of seriousness, knowing where her former faithful student's observations might be taking her. "If anything, what happened with the Elements might be the best thing that could have happened regarding Discord. Friendship means less if someone always has a threat hanging over your head to make it work. From now on Discord will be choosing friendship over evil of his own free will instead of choosing friendship in part to avoid being turned to stone. I think we can expect good things overall." "I hope you're right, Princess." Twilight smiled and nodded. Then she gave Princess Celestia a slight bow. "Well, I should get going. Have a good night, Princess." She waved. Celestia smiled and waved too. "Goodbye, Twilight. And thank you again for your help with the party." Twilight smiled over her shoulder. "Of course, any time!" The purple alicorn began to head over to the doors...but then she paused...and suddenly she zipped back over to Celestia and hugged her around the neck, shutting her eyes tightly. "Princess Celestia, I'm really, really happy you're back and safe. Really. I don't know what I'd do without you." Celestia's eyes went wide for a moment...but then they hazed and a warm smile spread across her face. She put a hoof over Twilight and hugged her back gently. "And I'm very happy to be back, and very happy you made it through such a trying and dangerous ordeal today, and very proud of how well you took command during such a crisis--Spike told me how you led the guards. You're growing into an excellent leader already, Princess Twilight Sparkle." Twilight pulled back a little, smiling up at Celestia. "Thank you, Princess." Celestia smiled down at her. "You're very welcome, Princess." Twilight laughed softly and stepped back, wiping a small tear from her eye. "Goodbye, Princess Celestia, and say Goodbye to Luna and Discord from me." She gave her mentor a final bow and then turned and departed the room. Celestia watched her go with a warm smile, reflecting on the events of the day regarding herself as well as the destiny of her young protegee. Her thoughts were broken though as a familiar voice coming up from behind her met her ears. "So then we are agreed, Discord," Celestia turned at the sound of her sister's voice, and indeed Luna and Discord were now walking together across the empty ballroom toward her and talking. Luna went on. "To make up for the severity of your transgression today, you shall assist me with my patrols over the Everfree forest and borders of Equestria tonight, and you shall help my sister by assisting her in her affairs at the unicorn academy tomorrow." Discord sighed and rolled his eyes to the side but did nod. "Yes, yes, fine, if you insist. I admit, however fun it was to let the prank with the vines play out, I probably could have shaved a few hours off of how long I let you two stay kidnapped. Or at least I could have given you both a heads up from the start and just left Twilight in the dark to learn her important princess lesson about her ability to lead and not letting others treat her like she's better than anypony else, yada, yada." He chuckled and shrugged, his arms behind his back. "I guess all of that just never occurred to me." He grinned cheekily. Luna eyed him but sighed with a small grin of her own. "Right. Well, then...almost everything is settled." They paused in front of Celestia, and Luna came beside her sister. "Almost everything?" Discord raised an eyebrow, looking from one princess to the other. Celestia smiled at Luna and then smiled up at Discord. Then Luna smiled up at Discord as well. Discord looked from one sister to the other again, his look of confusion only deepening. "What?" The two sisters just smiled more at him. "What??" Discord's eyes went wider and his eyebrow arched even higher. Celestia and Luna were practically beaming now. "It really was a lovely party, Discord..." Celestia couldn't help herself. Discord blinked at this comment, and then sighed and rolled his eyes in realization. "Great, this is what I get for hanging out with six gossipy mares all the time." He smiled a little and crossed his arms over his chest. "So who told you both it was my idea to throw the party?" Celestia smiled more and brought a hoof to her chin. "Well, I promised not to name names but...I distinctly recall a princess and a very happy pink pony." Luna chuckled and nodded. "And a blue pegasus and orange earth pony may have accidentally slipped up in front of me...and then a white unicorn couldn't help gushing about the decorating and how she loves a good royal soiree and was so grateful you gave her the chance to throw one." Discord just grinned all the more. "So Fluttershy's the only one who kept my secret? Yeah, that figures." He shrugged. "Well then, my cover's blown. But we all knew already that I love a good party, so no harm done. Now, shall we get to the cleaning up?" He held up his fingers to snap. The sisters just kept looking at him with beaming smiles though. Discord raised an eyebrow again. "Girls, seriously, what??" A little grin picked up on the side of his mouth. "Oh wait, is this about the fact that I technically threw another party but I didn't give you two weeks notice like we talked about? Ladies, it was a surprise party and in your honor, and I'm helping clean up--cut me a little slack about the house rules, okay?" He chuckled to himself. Luna and Celestia giggled softly, and Celestia shook her head. "No, I'm afraid it's not about that, Discord. But I'm happy to know you're keeping our deal in mind about the parties." Discord tilted his head to the side and grinned a little more and looked at the two sisters so curiously. "Okay, then...But seriously, what is it??" Luna grinned all the more and finally told him 'what' exactly was on their minds. "You like us, Discord." Discord blinked, his hand lowering a little in midair. "Huh?" Celestia laughed softly. "You like us, Discord." She explained. "Even if you did let us get kidnapped by those vines and even if you do play pranks on us and even if you do invade our privacy and even if you like to pretend that you're just living here for fun...you like us, don't you?" She moved a little closer to him, her smile growing and her eyes hazing. A rare thing happened then: Discord blushed quite distinctly. "I-I..." he blinked several times, then instantly shook his head, "N-No, of course not, don't be ridiculous! I don't like you at all! I-I'm just here for the free food and the roof over my head and...uh, what was that third thing? O-Oh yeah, clothing or something." He leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest, pouting a little in his fluster. Luna giggled, coming closer to him as well. "No, you're not--or at least you're not here only for those things anymore. You really like my sister and I, and you only let those vines take us because you knew nothing bad would happen to us, and you helped Twilight set us free, and you wanted to throw a party to make up for our harrowing experience but you didn't want us to know it was all your idea.... You really, really, really like us." "That is absurd, I am clearly just using you to get the royal treatment!" Discord rolled his eyes, blushing and scowling and pouting all the more. "A-And stop smiling and getting so close. Celestia, you're the grim one around here--make this sappy emotional moment go away." He looked to the sun princess for support, but then his eyes only went wider in surprise. Celestia was blushing just a little herself now. She looked up at him, her gaze very warm. "If it makes you feel any better, despite everything, Luna and I really, really, really like you too, Discord." And the sun princess came forward and gave the master of chaos a hug with her foreleg. Luna stepped closer and hugged him from the other side with her foreleg as well. "But even if we didn't, today proves definitively that you like us! Discord likes the pony sisters and wants us to be safe and happy! We shall commission a stained glass window in honor of this glorious event!" The moon princess smiled brightly as she finished her grand announcement. "Oh come on, no, not hugs!" Discord squirmed a little in their grasp, blushing all the more. "And, no, not a commemorative window! Oh, I hate how I come out in those gaudy things!" "Maybe we should just sing a song then?" Celestia suggested brightly, grinning up at him. Then she cleared her throat. "Long ago we may not have been friends..." Luna took up the tune. "But all of that has now come to an end..." "For the magic of friendship has brought us together..." "And now we'll stay side by side forever and ever..." The sister's sang together now for the 'big finale'. "The pony sisters and Discord through all kinds of weather!" Discord scoffed and his eyes flew open wide. "Oh, you two are off key, and I'm going to my room! Clean up the ballroom yourselves! I hate making things orderly anyway--honestly!" And with that announcement, a stern pout, and the strongest blush ever, Discord snapped his tail and disappeared from their grasp and their sight. As he left, Celestia and Luna fell forward into each other a little and then just burst out laughing. "Oh Sister," Luna stood up and wiped a tear from her eye, "We have to keep in mind how effective that much affection is at lowering his defenses." Celestia nodded as she tried to get her smiles and laughter under control. "Yes, it certainly was interesting to see. He really must like us to get so flustered." "You know, I'm really starting to think he does." Luna nodded as well. She sighed, glancing around the ballroom. "It's a pity we won't have his help for cleaning up now, but I think it was worth it." Celestia nodded again. "I absolutely agree, Luna." As the two sisters commenced cleaning, Luna glanced over her shoulder at Celestia. "Sister, what do you make of the other events of today--Twilight's discovery of the harmony chest, and somehow through Discord's efforts no less?" Celestia smiled to herself as she used her magic to move aside some rubbish. "I think solving the mystery of that chest will lead to a great moment for Twilight. And I think Discord's involvement won't end here. His actions led to the production of that chest--his actions somehow will lead to it opening. I can feel it." Luna considered and nodded, using her magic to take down some streamers. "Somehow I think you are right, sister." She smiled more. "And somehow that fact does not make me nearly as uneasy as I feared it would." Celestia smiled more as well. "Discord's really becoming a good friend, Luna. I hope he stays with us for a long time." Luna nodded. "Me too." The two sisters proceeded with cleaning up the rest of their party followed by a nap together before going on with the rest of their duties for the remainder of the day and the start of the oncoming night. And Discord did indeed assist Luna then Celestia with some of their duties as he had promised to do regarding his punishment for the vines and the kidnapping (though he was distinctly pouty and awkward as he did so, much to Celestia and Luna's silent amusement.) Their friendship was growing more complicated...and also stronger...every day. Meanwhile, as Celestia and Luna went about cleaning the ballroom, Discord was lying on his bed in his room, staring up at the ceiling with a very grumpy (and slightly embarrassed) expression upon his features as whirlpools of glowing color spun all around him, and assorted fish with legs drifted by, and a few cherry cola clouds had a rainstorm in the corner, and the pinwheels sticking out of his bed turned, and a herd of living dust bunnies burrowed beneath his lop-sided sofa (his nightstand with his Discord lamp and picture of Fluttershy being the only normal-looking things in the room). The master of chaos sighed and grumbled to himself. "I do not 'like' them--that is outrageous. Fluttershy--okay, fine, I do like her, I admit that freely. She's...kind to me." His frown fell away into something softer for a moment but then quickly resumed. "But I do not like the pony sisters! So what if I threw them a party? I was just trying to get on their good side so that they wouldn't get angry about my prank!" Something in the tone of this last statement though suggested that Discord wasn't making an observation so much as trying to convince himself that what he was saying was true. He tossed upon his bed and ended up facing his window overlooking the orderly normalcy of the castle grounds and Canterlot beyond them. "Oh okay, fine, and maybe I did think Celestia and Luna deserved a little something nice after putting up with my shenanigans, especially this time around. So big deal--I was just trying to be a...good friend." He seemed satisfied with this argument for a moment, but then his eyes went a little wide. "Of course, friends usually do like one another. Even with my limited understanding of the magic of friendship, I get that simple fact. So then, I like them. Well, that's not such a big deal either." He reached out into the chaotic atmosphere as a flock of donuts floated past, and grabbed one to snack on. "They're not so bad, after all. I'll never tell them that, of course. But they're not so bad. And even if I have developed a liking for them, I'm still the same old chaotic me, otherwise I never would have played such a grand prank on them like I did even if I did indirectly apologize for it in the end with that party." Discord finished his donut and then turned away from the window and snapped, making a multi-colored patchwork quilt appear over him. He yawned and smiled to himself, closing his eyes and settling in for a nap. "Yes, it was a great prank, I'm glad I let it play out, and I have no regrets!" He chuckled. "And there are no more Elements around now. How very, very interesting..." He yawned. "Clearly I'm going to deserve serious bonus points from now on whenever I'm a good friend since there's no more threat of being turned to stone hanging over me. I'll have to mention that to Celestia during our next cake date." He smiled more to himself. "But the bottom line is, reformed or not, I'm still the master of chaos even if some of the ways in which I'm chaotic have to shift a little to accommodate my friends. I'm very proud of myself for coming to such a great insight. Perhaps I'll throw another party in my own honor very soon. Or at least a special tea party with Fluttershy. One good thing about friendship, after all--I'm having a lot more fun socializing these days." Discord's smile grew and he settled into his bed more. And soon the master of chaos had drifted off into a chaotic nap following his tireless efforts to pull off one of the greatest pranks in Equestrian history and to thoroughly make up for it all in the same day.
Keep Calm and Chaos On	Midquel 5: The One with the Tea Party (and French Maid's Outfits!)	"Luna, what are you doing?" Celestia asked, an eyebrow raised, as she approached her sister on this fine mid in-morning. The sun princess had just been walking down a hall of her castle and suddenly had spotted Luna standing before the dining room entrance and clearly (if oddly) peeking through a crack between the room's closed doors. "It's almost noon, shouldn't you be in bed?" Luna turned to Celestia and raised a hoof to her mouth. "Shh..." she advised. Then she smiled and gestured for Celestia to approach. Growing even more curious, Celestia came up close to her sister and lowered her voice to a whisper. "Luna, what is it?" Luna likewise whispered to her sister. "Celestia, do you recall how Discord said that he was going to spend today with Fluttershy?" Celestia nodded. "Yes, of course, he mentioned that over breakfast." Luna's grin grew. "Well, apparently he meant he was going to spend the day with her here." "Oh." Celestia raised an eyebrow again. "And?" "And...they're having a tea party together in the dining room right now." The moon princess's cheeky grin grew to its fullest extent. Celestia just smiled and shrugged at this news. "So they're having a tea party in the dining room. Luna, I don't see what the..." Then Celestia blinked and her eyes widened. "Discord and Fluttershy are having a...tea party?" She tilted her head to the side. Luna nodded, her eyes hazing in a mischievous way. "And in case you were wondering, sister, it is an event just as adorable as it sounds. Oh you were right, Celestia, he really must have embraced friendship truly. Just look." Luna gestured with her head toward the crack between the doors. Celestia came forward and looked inside. In the dining room, Discord had removed the long table usually there and instead had set up a low, small round table with two chairs. Fluttershy sat in one chair and Discord sat across from her in the other. On the table between them were various pastries resting upon pink and white dishware which matched the teapot that Fluttershy now had in hoof. And in front of Discord and Fluttershy sat a cup and a saucer each. Fluttershy had just finished refilling their cups now, and she set the teapot back on its cozy at the center of the table. "Thank you, dear Fluttershy," Discord remarked with a grin as he reclined back in his chair a little and raised his teacup. "I do love this blend of green tea you brought." Fluttershy smiled. "You're welcome, Discord." She took up her own cup to sip. Discord lowered his cup and took up a pastry with his tail to eat. "So, now, you were telling me what's new and saying something about Rainbow Falls and the Equestria Games..." Fluttershy nodded, smiling more. "Oh, um, yes. Our team qualified to compete in the games at the Crystal Empire. So I'm looking forward to that even if I am a little nervous. But I know Rainbow Dash will be there for me, and Bulk Biceps too." "Hmm..." Discord finished off his pastry and magically made two sugar cubes come bouncing across the table into his tea, "Now, Rainbow Dash I know, but who is this Bulk Biceps character?" Fluttershy blinked and smiled a little more (and blushed just a little too.) "Oh, well, um...he's just another pony on our team. You've probably seen him before, Discord. He's kind of tall and strong and white and a pegasus...and every once in a while he yells and gets excited, but mostly he's really quiet." Discord raised an eyebrow and almost smiled a little. "Well, if he's caught your eye then I'm afraid he's in for some disappointment--you see, no one could possibly be good enough for you, Fluttershy." Fluttershy smiled and blushed, looking down entirely into her tea. "Oh Discord, that's not true." "Oh, but it is," Discord insisted with a grin and another sip of tea. "You're the kindest, most nurturing, most affectionate pony there ever was. I barely feel good enough to be your friend half of the time. I can't imagine a pony that could be good enough to be a little more than a friend to you." "Discord, thank you." Fluttershy smiled up at him. "But of course you're good enough to be my friend. You make everything so lively, Discord. And I'm very glad we got to know each other." Then she leaned across the table and gave him a gentle hug with one of her forelegs, her eyes closed and her smile bright. Discord's eyes went wide and then a warm smile came over his features. He looked down and gently patted Fluttershy's head with his paw. "I'm glad we got to know each other too, dear Fluttershy." He swallowed and raised an eyebrow and added, "And do you really think I'm turning out to be a good friend?" Fluttershy pulled back and nodded up at him with a warm smile. "The best." Discord beamed a little at this information and then the two friends separated went back to enjoying their tea party. Out in the hall, Celestia had to pull back from the door for a moment. She put a hoof to her mouth. Luna turned to look at her, still grinning, an eyebrow raised. "Celestia?" Celestia took a breath to get her bearings and then couldn't help herself. "Luna...they're so cute together. And he's so sweet with her." A small giggle escaped her. "I thought Fluttershy's kindness might bring out his kinder side, but I never knew he had that gentleness in him." She sighed. "Oh, but we really shouldn't be peeking in on them like this. This is their private time together, and Discord really is a very private person." Luna just rolled her eyes and nudged her sister. "Oh come on, Celestia, you already made me promise not to go snooping into his chaotic room for the sake of privacy. At least give me this. Listen, they're talking again." Luna peeked back through the door and Celestia hesitated but then couldn't help looking in too. "So, any progress with the keys and the harmony chest?" Discord sipped his tea again. Fluttershy smiled but sighed and shook her head, looking down at a pastry she had just put on her plate. "No, I'm afraid not. No one's found any keys yet. And we haven't had too much time to look with everything that's been going on lately. We're not even sure where to start." "Hmm..." Discord twirled his beard around his fingers to ponder, "well, I'm assuming the keys will be related to each of your elements somehow. So I'm sure you ladies pretty much won't be able to help finding each of your keys--and you might even come across them when you least expect it. I can almost feel the magic of it waiting to happen, really. Did I ever tell you that I'm an expert at sensing magical imbalances?" "Really?" Fluttershy smiled in interest. "Really?" Celestia whispered to herself, raising an eyebrow. "An expert at it?" She recalled how after Twilight's ascension to princesshood, Discord had mentioned at least having the ability to sense shifts in magic, but to be an expert at it was another matter. Celestia listened even more attentively now as the conversation progressed. Luna, meanwhile, was still much more concerned with resisting the urge to giggle at the tender sight before her of a former villain having tea at a little table with one of the shyest little ponies around. "Oh yes," Discord grinned proudly at Fluttershy and nodded. "All part of being the master of chaos. I can feel when there are wacky disruptions in the natural order of things and track the source based on the nature of the chaos the imbalance causes." He sighed as he sipped more of his tea and added, "And trust me, however much I don't care to admit it, you girls are closer to opening that chest than you realize." Fluttershy finished a nibble of her pastry and tilted her head to the side. "Do you not like the harmony chest for some reason, Discord? I'm sure whatever's inside will help Twilight and the rest of us save Equestria whenever we need to again now that we don't have the Elements." Discord nodded. "Yes, whatever's inside probably will, but it'll also probably stand a pretty good chance of being able to turn me to stone again if all of you feel like it." He pouted and looked down into his tea. "Probably some big anti-chaos canon made especially by the tree to get back at me for the vines thing..." He rolled his eyes. Fluttershy pouted but then smiled again. "Discord, even if whatever's in there could turn you to stone, I won't let that happen. I know being a statue upset you a lot." The master of chaos sighed, crossing his arms over his chest and glancing away...something a little dull in his gaze. "Yeah, well, you know...chaos just doesn't like stone body suits, is all." Fluttershy nodded and took up her teacup again. "Well, you're a good person now and all better. Ever since Princess Luna came back from her banishment and stopped being Nightmare Moon, everyone's been so happy and no one would dream of sending her away again. And I'm sure no one would dream of ever imprisoning you again either, Discord. You...might be a little hard to understand sometimes, but we love you. And we want you here." She smiled up at him, her eyes twinkling with sincerity. Discord just looked back down at her with wide eyes. "You...love me? And you want me around and you're happy I'm here and...you love me?" Fluttershy nodded. "Very much, Discord." Discord looked down into his teacup. He started to mumble softly to himself. "No one ever told me they..." He took a breath and cleared his throat, speaking up again. "Yes, well, I...I-I'm just glad there's no more stone to look forward to. It's freezing in the winter and chafing in the summer. And it's such a bother not being able to plug up my ears whenever Celestia starts yammering on about friendship. That's all." He sipped his tea, still looking down, eyes still quite wide, and a faint blush now upon his features. Fluttershy smiled in an all-knowing way. "Of course, Discord." She sipped more of her tea. Discord swallowed and played with another pastry on his plate. "I'll try to help you girls with the keys thing, if I can." Fluttershy beamed a little. "Thank you, Discord. We'd appreciate that very much." She picked up her pastry to take another bite. The two friends continued on with their tea party. At the door, Celestia and Luna stepped back for a moment, eyes wide...and lightly glistening with tears. They looked to each other but didn't know what to say. Then Luna blinked as Celestia suddenly came forward and hugged her very, very tightly with her foreleg. Celestia, eyes closed, took in and let out a deep breath. "I was almost starting to forget, but what happened with you is half the reason I wanted to bring him back. You're better now and I missed you, and...I love you so much, Luna." Luna blinked but then closed her eyes and hugged her sister with a foreleg in return. "I missed you too...and I love you too, big sister." She sniffled and pulled back with a small laugh. "Oh we can't ever send him away again. Not after all of this. I'd burst into tears if we even tried." Celestia laughed softly as well, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Me too." Luna nodded. "Shall we leave them to their privacy now?" Celestia smiled but glanced at the crack in the door. "Maybe we could watch for just a few more minutes. Luna, I've never seen something so heartwarming. And I think having this memory will be good for us for the next time he's obnoxious or rude or plays a prank on us. We'll remember that deep down inside he's just happy to be here and a better friend than he wants to admit sometimes." Luna nodded. Then sisters shared a smile and looked back inside to Discord and Fluttershy again. The tender moment between the draconequus and the pegasus had passed now, and the two friends were drinking tea and eating together like normal once more. "So Discord, how are you liking living with the princesses?" Fluttershy asked, adding some cream to her teacup. "It must be wonderful to live in the castle." Discord chuckled. "Living in the castle? Yes, that part is absolutely wonderful between the servants and the food and the accommodations. Living with the princesses, however..." he sighed and rolled his eyes to the side, "well, it's got its ups and downs. Luna can be very bossy to me." He pouted. Back by the door, Luna pouted and raised an eyebrow, and Celestia tried not to chuckle. At the table, Discord went on. "And Celestia's always smiling sweetly and batting her eyelashes trying to get me to do her bidding." He laughed. By the door, Celestia gasped and blushed (and Luna had to stifle a laugh). Back at the table Fluttershy smiled up at Discord and shook her head. "Oh now, Discord, I'm sure they mean well and that they have a lot of good qualities as friends that you've come to appreciate." Discord sighed and shrugged, eating another bite of pastry. "Well, I suppose they're all right sometimes. Or at least they're all right to prank." He chuckled and leaned in closer, though his voice remained loud. "You know, don't tell anyone, but lately I've been magically making all of Celestia's mid-afternoon cake sugar free--she has no idea, but it's so funny to watch her almost nod off during important meetings from the lack of a sugar rush." Back at the door Celestia's eyes went wide and her jaw fell. Beside her Luna snickered. At the table, Discord smiled more. "Oh and Luna's been fun to play with too. You know, she loves being taken very seriously by the staff. But lately I've been distributing little head shots of her grinning and wearing clown make up to all of the guards and maids and stewards..." Luna gasped! "You--that is why the night guard has been snickering so much!" As Luna lunged forward with a scowl, fully ready to confront Discord, Celestia just barely held her back and kept her quiet as Discord finished his sentence. "...And so no one will suspect me or even say a word to her, I've been signing the pictures 'From Celestia' and adding in a postscript saying that my actions are all part of helping dear Princess Luna relax in our modern society!" Discord burst into such laughter that he had to wipe a tear from his eye! "Oh I knew learning how to expertly forge Tia's signature would come in handy one day. I'll have to put it to use on some good, chaotic decrees soon." Discord got his laughter under control and shook his head. Celestia gasped and nearly tripped forward over Luna. "My signature!?" Fluttershy tried to smile supportively. "Well, I'm glad you three are...doing your best to find a way to relate." Then she blinked and glanced around (part of which included glancing to the door). "Discord, did you hear something?" Discord blinked. "Hear something? I--" And indeed suddenly the sound of a faint gasp or two met his sharp chaotic ears. Discord carefully looked up, looked around, looked to the windows...looked to the door. Then he looked away from the door, blushing slightly at first and then scowling...but then resuming a smile (though a much more cunning one now). His gaze went back to Fluttershy. "Oh, probably just mice--this castle is lousy with them, you know. Celestia and Luna may put on a good show out in public, but really they live quite deplorably. Messes everywhere and no picking up after themselves, and I'm pretty sure Celestia just plain keeps a cake bunker under her bed." (Discord's tail snapped--a large bucket containing some kind of liquid positioned itself floating high just above the entrance to the dining room). Quite a few more light sounds of indignation were now heard from behind the door meanwhile. Fluttershy glanced at the door again but then shook her head and looked to Discord again with a smile. "Oh Discord, I'm sure the princesses do their best. It's a big place to keep tidy, after all, and they are busy, and every house is messy sometimes, even mine." Her smile brightened. "If there really are so many mice though, I'd love to meet them. And if they're causing a problem in the castle, maybe I could help convince them to leave." Discord smiled but shook his head. "Thank you, but that won't be necessary, Fluttershy. I have plans to deal with any 'pest' problems on my own." He sipped his tea. Fluttershy pouted a little. "You won't distress the pests at all, will you, Discord?" Discord shook his head. "I won't cause them any harm, Fluttershy, you have my word." Fluttershy smiled. "Thank you, Discord." She sipped more tea. "But I'm sure you must at least get to see some interesting things and hear some interesting stories living with the princesses." Discord chuckled. "Well, I get to hear all about how perfectly wonderful of a houseguest I am. I'll really have type up and send a transcript to the Canterlot papers about it--the two sisters going on and on about the joys of living with a gentleman friend unsupervised." He started munching on another pastry and leaned back in his chair a little. "You know, they won't admit it, but I think these princesses of yours have been severely lacking in male companionship for some time. Now Luna, she at least has an excuse--she was on the moon for a thousand years, not much opportunity to socialize. But Celestia, really...when I first suggested coming to live here just as friends you should have seen her response--she blushed like a little filly." He laughed, finishing off his pastry with a satisfied smirk. "Discord, don't tease Princess Celestia," Fluttershy chided with a smile and a shake of her head. "Not everypony is good at dating." "I know, but Celestia's clearly abysmal at it." Discord rolled his eyes. Meanwhile, some more sharp sounds came from behind the door. (Discord's tail snapped again, and the floor right in front of the door became covered in super sticky taffy.) "Discord...if we can't say something nice..." Fluttershy began with a smile and a look. Discord sighed. "I know, I know, say nothing at all." He sipped his tea again. "But let's see, what were we talking about--oh yes, the interesting things I've heard and seen around here. Hmm...well, there's Luna in the morning before her coffee--not a pretty sight. Celestia after her annual Monday night cake binge just before the sugar coma makes her pass out--also not a pretty sight. And I've been poking around in their bathroom--you should see how much enchanted hairspray those to girls have for keeping their manes as insane as they look. Of course, that's nothing compared to how stocked up Celestia is on anti-aging cream--I think a large part of the Canterlot area taxes must go toward keeping her supply fresh." He chuckled. "Oh, and once I saw the two sisters get into a tantrum with each other over a late night game of chess--something about Luna accusing Celestia of always having to topple Luna's black queen with her white queen." He smirked, his eyes narrowing. "And once, just once (so far, at least), I caught them hiding behind some hedges in the courtyard during a surprise Royal Troops Inspection Day clearly just to check out all of the stallion guards in secret. They were smiling and whispering and giggling and blushing and everything." (He snapped his tail again, and suddenly beside the levitating bucket of liquid by the door was a levitating sack of rainbow colored feathers.) "Oh my," Fluttershy gasped in surprise. "Oh!" Definitely a distinct 'oh' from behind the door. "Out of context, I--" The voice was stifled. Fluttershy's eyes went wide and she looked over to the door again. "Discord, what was that?" Discord smirked more and waved her off. "Oh, pfft, probably an echo--I tell you what, why don't I open the door, and that should take care of the situation!" And suddenly his tail snapped once more. The next several seconds featured the dining room doors entirely disappearing, the reveal of Celestia and Luna (faces full of indignation and shock, Celestia barely holding back Luna (again) from trying to burst into the room), and then the two sisters getting a bucket of chocolate milk dumped upon them, stumbling forward only to find themselves stuck on taffy, and then having the bag of rainbow feathers dumped all over them. Celestia and Luna just stood there, eyes wide, unmoving and unspeaking as the prank finished playing out. Discord grinned so very much. "Oh, and would you look at that, Fluttershy--I've taken care of two pests already with barely even trying." Fluttershy gasped and instantly dashed forward. "Princess Celestia! Princess Luna!" She looked back to Discord. "Discord, please..." Discord sighed and stood up, strolling forward to join her. "Oh all right." He snapped his fingers, and instantly all of his chaos was gone and the princesses were clean again. "But it's not my fault--consequences happen when you spy on other people." He glared at the sisters a little. Fluttershy blinked and looked back to the two princesses. "Is that true, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna? Were you spying on our tea party?" The sisters blushed. Then Celestia took a breath and came forward. She looked down at Fluttershy with a slight frown. "Yes, Fluttershy, I'm afraid we were. And I apologize. To both of you." She bowed her head low. "It was wrong of us to spy on you." Luna nodded and stepped forward as well, likewise looking a touch sheepish and sad. "Yes, we are sorry, Fluttershy." She bowed her head too. "I hope you are not too disappointed in us." Both sisters then met the gaze of the little yellow pony. Fluttershy just smiled at them though. "I'm not disappointed in you. It's your own house, after all, and everyone get curious sometimes. But...next time if you want to join in, please just ask. There's plenty of tea to go around." Her smile warmed. Celestia smiled warmly in return. "Thank you, Fluttershy. We'll keep that in mind." "Yes, wise Fluttershy, your advice is sound," added Luna with a slight bow of her head. Fluttershy smiled more. Then she turned to Discord. "And Discord, I'm sorry the end of our tea party got interrupted. Maybe we'll try again tomorrow at my house?" Discord smiled warmly down at her and nodded. "And I'll bring the cucumber sandwiches as usual?" Fluttershy nodded in return. "Yes, please." "You've got yourself a deal then, my dear." Discord gave her a dramatic bow. Fluttershy laughed. Then she sighed, glancing down in shyness. "Well, um...I should probably get going now. It's getting a little late, and my train's leaving soon." She looked back up at him. "Discord, I just want to say that I'm so proud of you and I'm glad you're having a good time getting to know the princesses. I think you'll end up the best of friends." Discord couldn't help but smile in a touch of pride and almost shyness in return, but he just cleared his throat and shrugged, glancing away. "Yeah, well...we'll see. I'll keep trying, I suppose." "I know you will." Fluttershy smiled warmly. Then she came forward and gave him a hug. "Goodbye for now, Discord." Discord blinked and glanced awkwardly at the two sisters for a moment (who blinked as well and then made a show of looking away). Then Discord sighed and finally put his paw arm around Fluttershy to give her a little hug in return and patted on the head. "Er...goodbye, Fluttershy. Have a pleasant trip home." Fluttershy pulled back and smiled up at him. "Thank you, Discord." Then she turned and headed over to the princesses. "Goodbye, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna." She bowed. "Have a nice day." The sisters nodded in return. "Goodbye, Fluttershy." Celestia smiled. "Farewell." Luna gave her a wave. Fluttershy straightened up and then departed through the empty dining room doorway. The three 'roommates' were left in awkward silence for a moment. Then Discord looked to the sisters, crossed his arms over his chest, and glared at them. His tail snapped, and suddenly the doors to the room returned...and they were closed. "I think we need to talk," he said calmly if with a clear hint of annoyance underneath his tone. Celestia's frown grew and she sighed and came forward. "Discord, we're so sorry, we--" "Completely unacceptable!" Discord cut her off, starting to pace (and he was blushing a little). "You know, I get it, fine, technically this is 'your' house, technically I'm just a long term guest, but how dare you invade my privacy! My special time alone with my friend!" "Oh, you invade our privacy all the time, Discord," Luna countered with a pout, unable to help herself. Discord rolled his eyes. "That is different, and you know it! Sometimes I might stumble upon you ladies in awkward moments, or pop in and ask to join your sisterly fun, or even make note of something you're doing out in the open that's embarrassing, and I might even eavesdrop a little on communal conversation. But I certainly don't sneak peeks behind closed doors! Just like we talked about with your bathroom--remember? And haven't I not popped in their when one of you is in there ever since?" He turned forward and glared at both sisters. "And Luna, I know you don't like anyone going near your room from our little misadventure when I first came to live here--do you think I sneak in there anyway or spy on you when you're in there? Absolutely not! And Celestia, I know that when the door to your study is open during the day that it's fair game for me to enter, but when it's closed or you have a private meeting with a dignitary in there, do I barge in anyway with colorful jokes and chaotic antics? Absolutely not! And half the time it's because I know if I'm good and leave you alone, maybe you'll actually have time for one our cake midnight snacks." He blinked as he suddenly realized the last thing that had left his mouth and then quickly cleared his throat and went on. "Anyway, my point is, the dining room door was clearly closed, I was clearly having a friend over for a private party, and you two spied on me and ruined the end of Fluttershy's visit. And even I'm friendship savvy enough now to know that is not how friends behave at all." He sighed and glanced to the side, looking a touch distressed and blushing again and mumbling. "My friendship with Fluttershy is our own business.... It's not some spectacle for you to gawk at because you're bored." Celestia and Luna had just listened to his rant with wide eyes and growing frowns. Luna came forward now, all sarcasm and anger gone from her tone. She sighed. "Discord, you are absolutely right. And please accept my most humble apologies." She bowed low. "This is all my fault. I'm the one who discovered you were having tea together and decided to spy. And I brought Celestia into it. Please forgive me." Celestia came forward too and shook her head. "But I shouldn't have gone along with her. It was unkind of me, Discord, and unfair." She bowed too. "If it's any consolation though, we didn't spy to tease you. We just thought it was so wonderful to see you so close with a dear friend. But that doesn't change the fact that we had no right to do it." Discord was quite for a moment. Then he sighed, still glancing away, still blushing a little. "How long were you two here exactly?" Celestia and Luna raised their heads, glanced at each other uneasily, and then looked back to Discord. Luna cleared her throat. "The last fifteen minutes or so." Discord blinked. Then he swallowed and blushed more. "I only knew you were here for about the last five. Great..." He sighed, and then seemed like he wasn't sure what to do. The sisters looked to each other again and then to Discord. Celestia spoke. "Discord, we won't ever share with anybody anything we saw. And if there's any way we could make it up to you, anything at all, we'll do it. Just name it." Luna nodded in agreement. Discord was quite for a moment. But then he raised an eyebrow and his grin grew, and he moved very close to them... "Anything?" The sisters frowned in a touch of unease for a moment but then they nodded. "Yes, Discord," Celestia replied, "anything." Discord's eyes shone, and his grin grew to its fullest extent... Twenty minutes later... Discord rested on a large, cozy chair set at the tea table where he could overlook Celestia and Luna who were currently taking care of the tea things and dusting the room's random furnishings and cleaning the windows by hoof...all while dressed in adorable French maid's outfits. "I think you missed a spot!" Discord remarked with a chuckle as he sipped some more tea from his cup which was currently suspended in the air by his side. "Yes, Discord," Luna put down the feather duster in her mouth and replied dryly, interrupting for a moment her cleaning of a picture frame on the wall. "What was that?" Discord held a paw to his ear. Luna sighed deeply, her voice going even flatter. "Yes, Discord...master of chaos, greatest comedian in the cosmos, and finest draconequus in all the land." Discord chuckled. "Better. I only have about ten minutes of this left until you're done, so I want to savor every moment." Discord took another sip of his tea and kicked back again. Luna lowered her voice and came alongside her sister who was in the process of polishing a glass pane of one of the windows with a rag. "Let's have Discord live with us, you said. It'll be fun, you said. It'll be an adventure in friendship, you said." Celestia sighed but couldn't help smiling just a little. "Well, as Fluttershy puts it, our lives certainly are more...lively this way, heh." She gave a small shrug and a sheepish grin. "Besides," Celestia rolled her eyes, "at least you're not the one he has on call for--" "Oh, Celestia! I'm feeling peckish again! Another cupcake please! And I need a refill!" Discord's voice suddenly rang out across the dining room. Celestia sighed deeply and put down her cleaning rag. She approached Discord and made a cupcake platter appear in the air and then held out one to him with one hoof while she used her other hoof to refill his teacup. "Here you go, Discord." "Uh, uh, uh," Discord shook his head, "what do we say while we're serving me?" Celestia tried very hard not to smile too much. "A cupcake and tea for your pleasure, oh brilliant and ever-entertaining Discord, spirit of chaos extraordinaire." "Thank you!" Discord nodded with a satisfied smile and then took the cupcake and ate it happily. Celestia smiled a little and shook her head. Then across the room she caught the sound of Luna yawning. She glanced to her sister and then looked to Discord again. "Discord, if I stay to finish up serving you tea for both of us, can Luna leave early? She's really supposed to be asleep now, and I don't want her too tired for her nightly duties later." Discord sighed but nodded as he finished his cupcake. "Oh very well, as long as you stay, I suppose that's fine." He cleared his throat and addressed the night princess. "Luna, your sister has sprung you, you're free to go! And I hope you've learned your lesson about the consequences of invading others' privacy!" Luna beamed and instantly made the feather duster and maid's outfit disappear. "Most certainly! Pleasant afternoon, everypony!" And with that she dashed out of the dining room. Celestia just shook her head and laughed softly as she watched her go. Then she lowered the cupcake platter to the table and looked to Discord with her usual pleasant smile. "What should I do next, Discord?" Discord sighed, sipping his tea and glancing up at the ceiling. "Oh...I don't know. It'd be nice if you could find this whole thing I'm putting you through more annoying for starters." He looked to her and raised an eyebrow. "Luna was clearly perturbed by my demand for this maidservice/ 'make up tea party' thing. But you're just as calm and pleased as ever. You really make annoying you a challenge, did you know that, Tia?" He grinned a little. Celestia laughed softly. "But why be annoyed, Discord? It's such a negative emotion. I'm sort of enjoying this actually. Maybe it's a little inconvenient and embarrassing but...it's nice in it's own way." She looked down. "I missed having a sibling to talk and tease for so long, and now I not only have Luna but you're here too--kind of like the obnoxious older brother I never knew I wanted." She looked up again. Discord just eyed her curiously. "Ugh, you are far too forgiving," he finally pronounced with an eye roll. "But fine then, if you insist on enjoying my pranks, I guess I can't stop you...though I can work on other ways to annoy you." He grinned a little more. "Feel free, Discord," Celestia smiled a little more in return. Then she moved closer to him, her voice lowering and her smile falling a little. "Discord, I just wanted to say again how sorry Luna and I are about spying on you and for interrupting your private time with Fluttershy. We promise, it will never happen again--you have our words." She bowed her head. Discord sighed and shrugged and placed his teacup down. "Yes, well...it's fine, water under the bridge now. Just don't let it happen again, like you said." He rolled his eyes to the side. "And for the sake of diplomacy, I suppose I'm sorry about all that stuff I said about you and Luna during the five minutes when I knew you were there and wanted to bother you.... You know, the stuff about your castle being mice infested and you and Luna looking ghastly sometimes and the stuff about anti-aging cream and little spats...and spilling a little embarrassing moment or two that I've caught you two girls in." Despite the sincere tone of the apology, at this point in delivering it he couldn't help smirking at her a little. "And the stuff about us lacking male companionship?" Celestia blushed slightly and glanced at him with a touch of amusement. Discord's smirk grew. "Well, I suppose I could have given you a little more credit. Dating isn't everything, as Fluttershy pointed out, and besides Luna really was stuck on the moon for a thousand years so of course it's understandable if it takes her a while to acclimate herself to the modern courtship scene. And as for you, you've done your best over the centuries, I'm sure. You at least seem to be getting more comfortable having me as a live in male friend. And since you almost always manage to stay poised around me even though I'm the most attractive and charming guy I know, I think that qualifies as a great accomplishment for you." Discord chuckled. Celestia just smiled at him more and shook her head (her blush persisting, though faint). "Discord just let me know when my time is up so that I can take off this outfit and go back to my duties, please." "Hey, you really want to have some fun?" The master of chaos smiled more. "Leave the maid outfit on all day while you're doing your duties. Then you won't have to be the one secretly watching the guards--the guards will be the ones secretly watching you. I mean more so than usual." His laughter grew. Celestia blinked and blushed distinctly. "Discord...! I-I really don't think that's ever the case." She cleared her throat. "And besides, that day you saw Luna and I secretly looking over the guards, whenever it might have been--that's just how Luna and I have chosen to start surprise inspections of the troops. There's really nothing more to it than that." Blushing entirely now, she finally just sighed and shook her head, bringing a hoof to her temple and trying not to smile. "Discord, why do you say these things?" Discord just chuckled again. He was leaning over the table and practically gazing at her with interest now. "I say them because they're true, dear Celestia. I personally think you and Luna have some more selfish motivations for randomly staring at a group of armored stallions from the secrecy of the hedges in your courtyard, even though I can't prove it. And as for what I said about you keeping the maid's outfit on, well, Tia, you can't think you and Luna are the only ones I catch around here in candid moments. Of course the guards 'notice' you, of course everyone 'notices' you, Celestia.... Along with being the second nicest pony on the planet next to Fluttershy, you're a not entirely unattractive mare. And by 'not entirely unattractive', I mean--" "I-I have an idea of what you mean, thank you, Discord," Celestia quickly managed, doing her best to keep poised though her features were flushed scarlet by now no matter how simple her smile was or how easy she had made her tone again. Discord just grinned all the more and leaned back in his chair. "If it makes you feel any more comfortable, the guards pretty much evenly divide their time between noticing you and noticing Luna. If you both walked around in the maid's outfits, no work would get done at all around here. Cue the changeling invasion and Sombra's shadow ponies rising again and my return back to power." He chuckled. Celestia finally had to laugh a little too. "Of course, personally, I think I pull off the look best of all." He snapped his fingers, and suddenly Discord was wearing a French maid's outfit too. Celestia glanced at him and then couldn't help bursting into warm laughter. Discord laughed too. Then he sighed. "By the way, I hate to admit this, but you time of servitude is up. You're a free princess, Celestia." Celestia nodded. "Thank you, Discord. I have to go hold court soon anyway." She turned toward the door but then paused and glanced over her shoulder, raising an eyebrow and grinning a little more. "But after I'm done, you wouldn't to join me when I when I observe the changing of the guard today in the courtyard, would you? Somehow I think I'll find it a little awkward today, and somehow I think you being there will help make it a little more amusing." Discord grinned and winked. "Can do." He snapped, making the table and all of the tea things disappear and making a general's outfit appear on himself complete with medals and a crop. He stood up straight and gave her a salute. Celestia laughed more. "I'll see you then, Discord." She nodded her head and then she proceeded out of the dining room. In the hallway, Celestia closed the doors behind her and then let out a breath, smiling to herself. "What am I going to do with him?" Suddenly she caught sight of a guard coming around the corner. Celestia smiled and approached him. "Oh excuse me, guard? I'm afraid I may be a few minutes late to court today. Will you kindly let the staff in the throne room know please and extend my apologies?" Celestia was used to her guards nodding to her requests, saluting, saying they would be taken care of, and giving her a small bow before departing. She was not used to a guard nearly tripping over his own hooves, staring at her with wide eyes, and letting his jaw fall open as a dark blush stained his features. Celestia raised an eyebrow, her smile falling. "Guard, are you all right?" "I, um..." the guard swallowed and quickly shook his head, "Y-Yes, of course, your highness, I just, um..." He sighed and looked away. "I-I'll take care of it." And then his eyes hesitantly came back to her. Celestia's eyebrow went higher and she looked down at herself. "Is there something wrong? I--" Instantly, her eyes widened--she was still in the maid's outfit. "Oh." The sun princess blushed a little and looked to the guard with a small smile. "This outfit. My apologies, my sister and I were just playing a little game in the dining room, and..." From inside the dining room (right behind the doors actually) Celestia could hear some of Discord's unbridled laughter...and it didn't help that the guard's jaw fell again at her attempt at an explanation, which she quickly realized wasn't helping at all. Celestia sighed deeply. "Never mind." She used her magic to remove the outfit. "I'll just head to court now, I think. Thank you anyway for your help though." She moved past the guard. The guard nodded and cleared his throat. "Er...yes, whatever you say, your highness." He managed a shaky sault. Celestia smiled more, then paused and glanced at him over her shoulder. "And guard?" He looked to her, eyes still wide in some disbelief, awaiting what she would have to say. "Hmm..." Celestia's eyes hazed playfully, "jaw closed please, posture straight, and I know it's not part of your normal training etiquette, but please don't stare. There's going to be another surprise troops inspection sometime soon again, after all, and you'll want to be prepared." She smiled softly, doing her best not to blush. The guard blinked and then instantly straightened up, closed his mouth, turned his sights forward, and gave a proper salute. "Yes, your majesty, a thousand pardons." "Not to worry." Celestia nodded. "Good day." And then she departed. When she was gone, the guard couldn't help blushing and shaking his head in disbelief. Then suddenly with a snap and a burst of light and smoke, Discord appeared floating by the guard with a grin. "See, and you and the other guards probably thought it would be dangerous for me to live here with the princesses. But look how much I've loosened things up, even Celestia." He chuckled and turned on his back. "Well, anyway, I'm off to make some chaos. Ta ta. And have fun serving your sun princess for the rest of the day." Then he snapped his fingers and was gone. The guard just stood alone in the hallway for a moment with wide eyes. And then he sighed very deeply and turned to go back to his rounds. "None of the other guards are going to believe this one--and considering some of the thing's Discord's put us through so far, that's saying something." His look went a little dry, and he mumbled to himself. "I wonder if we can negotiate a 'cost of living with Discord' raise." And with that remark and a slight smile and shake of his head, he went along on his way to see to his duties (fighting back a very strong blush for the rest of the day).
Keep Calm and Chaos On	Midquel 6: The One with the Poker Game	The time was right around dusk, which not only meant a change in shift for the pony sisters but a change in shift for the guards and staff of the Canterlot castle as well. And with a long day's work behind them and a full free evening being ahead (and it being a Saturday night), naturally a fair amount of the guards were getting together in their barracks for their weekly poker game to relax from the stresses of their job, share a little castle gossip, and just have some fun together. The castle troops all knew each other pretty well--few guards ever requested transfer away from Canterlot, and the princesses rarely took on new guards except of course during the yearly assignments given out to fresh troops from the military academy...which was why it was definitely going to seem a little strange to the guards tonight when a new pony soldier showed up to their poker game. However, this particular new soldier had already decided that the risk was worthwhile. But just to be absolutely certain that he wouldn't be too questionable as a new stallion recruit, he moved away from the soldiers descending to the nightly poker game in the barracks and examined his appearance in a mirror down another hallway. The stallion grinned--grey coat, darker grey mane, respectable unicorn horn, a cutie mark like a tornado whirlwind, some gold horseshoes and a gold helmet, perfectly proportioned flanks and legs and eyes and... The pony (who was Discord in disguise, of course) blinked at the sight of his eyes--they were still yellow with red uneven pupils. He raised his (apparently) prehensile pony tail and snapped with the end of it, shut his eyes, then opened them to reveal a set of perfectly normal looking dark grey eyes. Stallion Discord smiled and mumbled to himself. "Excellent, excellent...they'll never realize it's really me. Hmm...bit of a shame I have to make do without wings though, but I'll live with it for a couple of hours. After all, I'm already living with changing my naturally dashing good looks for that long." His grin picked up on one side, and he gave his reflection a suave look. "Still, I should keep this look in mind--maybe use it to bug Celestia a bit one of these days. If she thinks she's confused when I flirt with her as myself, imagine how confused she'd be if I flirted with her as a member of her own species." Discord chuckled to himself but then noticed out of the corner of his eye that the last of the guards had now disappeared from the main hallway and into the barracks. He quickly turned and followed after them. 'This is going to be perfect,' Discord thought to himself as he trotted along. 'I get a nice guys night out and I get to secretly pump the staff for feedback on how wonderful I've been doing at mastering the magic of friendship. Luna's too stubborn to give me praise, and Celestia doesn't want to contribute to my ego so she's very modest in her compliments to me, and I don't get to see Fluttershy nearly often enough to hear her tell me all about my wonderful progress. So won't it be great to hear how impressed these little guard ponies must be with me? Imagine winning them over after only a few months--oh Discord, was there ever any doubt you'd be just as brilliant at friendship as you are at everything else?' He chuckled to himself as he finally descended some stairs and entered the barracks. The room was large with a roaring fire giving a bright, cheery glow to the high ceiling and the big round wooden table with chairs at the center of everything. Discord suppressed his normally attention-grabbing personality and did his best to linger in the shadows until the other guards had all found seats and set themselves up with some cider bottles and snacks. Then he casually shifted himself into a free spot at the table and started to gage the room as some general chatter went on around him. 'Celestia, Luna, and the girls are pretty sharp--they'd spot me in a second as an imposter here. But after a long work week of saluting and marching I'm sure these muscle heads won't even notice that there's a new pony hanging around--' "Hey, haven't seen you around before--are you new?" Discord blinked and looked to his side to see a pegasus stallion guard looking at him with an eyebrow raised. Discord then glanced around at several other guards who were also now looking at him. He took a deep breath and then smiled and spoke casually, lowering his voice to disguise it a little. "Oh, yes, yes...my name is..." He glanced around, glanced down at himself, caught sight of his tornado cutie mark, and then looked back up again with a smile. "My name is Dizzy. Private Dizzy. I'm a new transfer from the reserves near Horseshoe Bay in the south. Just arrived today." Most of the guards smiled and shrugged at this reply, but one (clearly of a higher rank--a Captain), raised an eyebrow at Discord. "I don't remember getting any notice about a new transfer--are you supposed to be with the nightshift maybe?" Discord just shrugged. "Oh, well, you know, the whole thing is a little confusing--first Celestia wanted me, then Luna wanted me, but then Celestia really, really, really wanted me." He tried very hard not to chuckle. "And eventually they just decided to bring me here and sort it out later amongst themselves. Heh...things have gotten kind of crazy ever since Equestria went from a land of one immortal princess to a land of two, am I right?" He glanced around to the other guards with a grin. The other guards couldn't help glancing at him and at each other and then chuckling a little. "Yeah, that's a good point." "It has been a big change." "And now there's Princess Twilight Sparkle on top of it all." The Captain finally relaxed a little and smiled. "Well, anyway, welcome, Private Dizzy. We're always happy to have a new stallion around to help us guard the princesses." The Captain started dealing the cards for the first game. Discord smiled and nodded. "Thank you." Some bottles of cider started to be passed around, and Discord used his magic to take one, then added, "And, uh...I hear that master of chaos fellow, Discord, is living here as well?" He glanced at the other guards as casually as possible. And the other guards responded with general sighs and eye rolls, a few shakes of the head and a few chuckles as well. "Yeah," nodded the guard to Discord's left, "He's living here. So you're definitely going to have to brace yourself for that." Discord tried not to pout, but couldn't help his tone sounding a tiny bit defensive as he replied, "But I heard he was reformed now and that he was learning to be a very excellent friend--even the princesses have been impressed with him." His proud smile returned. "The princesses encourage him," another guard replied, finishing a sip of his cider. "But Discord doesn't make it easy for them, and he can make things difficult for us too with how inconsiderate he can be about the use of his powers and with how many liberties he takes with the princesses." "Yeah." Another guard nodded. "We know if the princesses really wanted our help with him, they would ask, but still it makes a pony uncomfortable watching a former villain get so close to Celestia and Luna and use his magic so freely near them." Another guard sighed. "I guess he's trying, but he really needs to stop being so selfish in how he goes about the whole thing. It makes it hard to tell if he really is taking this reform seriously." "Oh...I see." Discord just looked down at his cider bottle, trying to avoid a deep scowl coming to his features. 'Inconsiderate? Liberties? Selfish? Oh, even if I was entirely faking this reform, I'm far too good an actor to make such an obvious show about it! And who cares what they think anyway, they're just a bunch of silly ponies. It's not like their opinions matter to me. It's not like I maybe hoped they might like me because it'd be nice to have a few stallion friends to go along with the princesses and the girls.' "Well, I'm sure he's trying..." 'Dizzy' finally mumbled, slumping down in his chair and taking a swig from his bottle. A guard sighed and picked up his now complete poker hand to glance over it. "Yeah, I 'm sure he is. But that's what worries us--if this is the best he can do, it might not be enough to let the magic of friendship help completely reform him. And if he ever had to go back to stone..." He frowned a little and lowered his cards. "Well, it's one thing for us guards to discipline him or to set boundaries, it would be another thing after everything that's happened for us to have to be part of imprisoning him like that again." Discord raised an eyebrow at this remark and waited for the others to go on. Meanwhile, cards were discarded and chosen by all of the players, including Discord despite how distracted he was. Another guard nodded. "Yeah, I mean...he's obnoxious, but we've gotten to know him now, and it would feel pretty bad if we had to be part of sending him away again. And it would upset the princesses a lot, especially Celestia. And especially that Fluttershy pegasus." The other guards all nodded and made remarks of agreement. Discord looked around at them all, his eyes wide with interest. "I, uh...I understand why Fluttershy would be upset--I've heard they're best friends. But do you think Celestia would be very upset too?" The Captain nodded. "Of course. She's tried so hard to be friends with him, she knows him better than any of us. I think it would hurt her a lot to have to send him back to stone." The other guards all muttered replies of agreement. Discord looked down at his poker hand. "Yes, well...I'm sure he doesn't want to hurt her...or Fluttershy or anybody else. I'm sure he's just getting used to being free again even if there have been some snags in his reform. Besides, I'd imagine his chaos is difficult for most ponies to understand. Even Celestia doesn't seem to understand it entirely, and she's known him for forever practically." The other guards all shrugged and nodded and murmured general replies of assent. Then their focus started to return to their poker hands. The Captain pushed some bits forward on the table. "I'll start the betting at ten bits." The other guards began to place bets as well. Discord did the same, though with his brow furrowed in an expression suggesting he was a little lost in thought. "Discord's not so bad though," one of the guards then added with a small smile and a shrug "He definitely needs some improvement in the friendship department, and his powers are a little scary sometimes, but he's also kind of funny in a weird way." "Yeah, and he did throw those two great parties so far," another guard chimed in. All of the guards nodded and smiled in agreement. Discord perked up considerably. He looked from guard to guard at the table. "You really liked his parties then?" "Yeah, sure!" The guard to his right shrugged. "Usually the only parties that ever get thrown around here are high society teas or the Grand Galloping Gala, and mostly we're working those or they're way too stuffy to be enjoyable at all. It was great getting to have a couple of real blowouts here." "I'll say one thing--that guy really does know how to throw a party." Another guard laughed, and the others joined in. Naturally, Discord was beaming at this point. "And that party he threw for the princesses to make up for everything that happened to them with the vines really was fun." Another guard sighed and smiled. "I guess he does care, but maybe it's just taking him a while to show it completely." "Oh." Discord blinked. "So everyone knows that he threw that party to make things up to the princesses then?" He swallowed and glanced to the side uncomfortably. The Captain nodded. "It ended up being pretty obvious. At first we thought he was just doing it to get in good with the princesses after the vines thing, but he put so much effort into it, and he did help Princess Twilight rescue them. I think Celestia and Luna enjoying the party and continuing their friendship with him must have meant a lot to him." The other guards nodded. Discord glanced around quickly and then cleared his throat. "Well, er...just remember that Discord also just really likes a good party. I mean, he might be reformed but I'm sure he hasn't gone soft enough to actually do something like throw a party for a totally selfless reason." He tried not to blush, and just hoped his dusky coat might hide some of the color if he was. Just in case though, he hid himself behind his cider bottle to take another swig. "Maybe not," one of the guards offered with a smile. "But he might be getting there, at least with the princesses." He glanced down at his hand and sighed. "I fold." He glanced up as some of the other guards either likewise folded their hands or started to throw in bits for betting. "It would just be nice if Discord wouldn't mess with the staff here so much though. He's always spying or playing silly pranks or trying to practice his chaos on us in little ways. He's clearly taking the time to try and be friends with the princesses, but with us or the citizens in town and even with the members of Twilight's court outside of Fluttershy he can be kind of...dismissive." He shrugged. "I guess he doesn't mean to be, and it must be weird for him being eons old and all powerful like he is and trying to relate to normal, average ponies, which I guess explains why he gets along with Luna and Celestia best, but still...it'd be nice if he could tone down the ego a bit, you know?" "Oh yeah..." several guards said at once, while the others nodded and murmured assent. "Oh, but... " Discord rolled his eyes to the side innocently, pushing in some extra bits for betting. "I thought his...strong sense of pride was one of his more colorful traits." The guard to Discord's right sighed and shook his head. "Pride we could handle--Luna's got loads of that. But even though she's proud of her title and her powers and her position, she doesn't lord it over anypony, or at least not anymore. She doesn't try to act superior, and she doesn't expect everyone to be impressed with her all of the time." Another guard nodded. "Yeah. Discord can't stop showing off and can't stop always finding ways to remind us that he could turn us all into cupcakes if he the mood struck him, and that the mood might very well strike him at any moment." Discord sighed and looked down at his cards. "Well, that's a point to make I suppose." He shifted a card. "But as you said, he is different and powerful, so maybe it really is just hard for him to relate to ponies on a normal level." "Well, it would probably be hard for normal ponies to relate to him too," the Captain suggested with a smile as he took a sip from his cider bottle. "But no one knows until they try." The other guards smiled and nodded as they went about their various moves in the poker game and likewise consumed some of their own bottles of cider. Discord, however, just nodded and remained still--once again his brow was furrowed deep in thought. Some normal chatter between some of the guards started up as one game passed and then another one was started. And then finally Discord cleared his throat, knew it might be suspicious for him to come back to the topic of himself yet again but decided to try anyway, and said, "So...should we trust Discord then? I mean...how on guard should I be about him?" The Captain sighed but smiled. He glanced at his other troops and then at his new recruit. "I think we've all decided that as long as the princesses trust him, we'll trust him too for now. We have great faith in Luna and Celestia's judgment." "But he hasn't earned your trust yet on his own?" Discord asked. The guards all looked at each other. One looked to Discord and spoke up. "I just don't think enough time has passed for that." Discord nodded. "I see." He focused on his cards for a moment and considered. "But...he does contribute something worthwhile to the castle, right? And he is at least a little likeable?" The guard to his right shrugged and discarded a few cards. "He's likeable, he's just more likeable to himself than to anyone else right now. But he is kind of fun to have around. Things around here can get a little dull and predictable" "I'll say," the guard to Discord's left chimed in. "But with him around everyday is sort of an interesting challenge." (Discord started to smile a little again...and then the guard went on). "And I guess we do sort of like it--and Celestia definitely likes it." The guards all broke into some warm chuckles complete with distinct grins. Discord glanced at all of them with an eyebrow raised and his own grin picking up on one side. The Captain got his laughter under control and glanced to 'Dizzy.' "Private, there's a bit of a running joke around here that you'll have to get used to. It's a little awkward." He rubbed the back of his neck. "You see, part of Discord's friendship with the princesses is teasing them a little, and part of how he teases Celestia is that he...well, he..." Discord grinned more and couldn't help himself. "...He flirts with her?" The other guards blinked. "How did you know?" asked the Captain. Discord shrugged. "Oh, just a guess. Celestia is rather admirable after all, and Discord--uh, from what I've skimmed in the history books--is quite charming. And living with two beautiful mares, he was bound to start teasing at least one of them in that way." The other guards all smiled and laughed a little again. "Yes, well..." The Captain sipped his cider again. "You've got it. He makes romantic remarks to Princess Celestia frequently, teases her, and insists on spending quite a lot of time with her. But that's only half the joke around the castle. The other half is that Celestia might actually have a little preference for him considering everything she lets him get away with." The other guards all had to stifle some chuckles. Discord just looked around at all of them, an eyebrow raised and his grin still lingering but faltering a little. He laughed at first but then cleared his throat. "Wait you're...you're not serious...are you?" The Captain sighed. "Now listen, Dizzy, I know you're new to serving here, and believe me we're all very respectful of Celestia and Luna. But well...like you said, they are a pair of very beautiful mares...that we technically live with. So sometimes we might make little 'observations' to each other about them, all in good fun of course." "Yeah," another guard chimed in, grinning a little more. "I mean, we do have two of the prettiest bosses in Equestria. And we're all guys here." Another guard nodded. "Honestly, we're just kind of astounded and impressed that Discord's had the courage to actually flirt with the princess. And we can't believe how well she's taken to it. And she did make the offer to let him live here. So maybe she does like when he talks to her like that." "Could you even imagine Celestia in love?" another guard asked, and the whole table smiled warmly at the idea. Discord blushed so completely that for a moment his eyes flickered back to normal and he had to blink a couple of times to change them back to pony form. "I-In love?!" He scoffed and quickly grabbed his cider bottle to take a deep drink. He let out a breath and tried to grin normally again as he moved the bottle away from himself. "Whoa, whoa, that's a little intense, don't you think?" He rubbed the back of his neck. Another guard shrugged. "Stranger things have happened. And Princess Cadance got married--why shouldn't Celestia?" "Married?!" Discord almost fell out of his chair. "O-Okay, now I know you guys are just kidding me, heh..." He was gripping his cards so hard with his magic that he was almost crushing them. The Captain chuckled and smiled warmly. "Oh, we're sure she wouldn't rush into anything, of course. It's just interesting to see her expressing any sort of interest in a guy as a mare and wondering where things might go from here." Discord let out a breath and smiled more. "Oh, so the whole thing's the joke then?" Another guard shook his head, "Not entirely. Celestia does enjoy spending an awful lot of time with him, after all. I mean, how many nights a week are they together in the kitchen?" "Celestia definitely has an awareness of Discord as a guy, or she wouldn't blush nearly as much as she does around him," another guard chimed in with a chuckle. "And speaking of that, how cute is it when she blushes? I never thought we'd see that from her ever. She's always so poised normally." The other guards chuckled and smiled and nodded. Discord just looked around at all of them in bewilderment, barely able to hold back a scoff let alone fake some laughter to join them. "Oh come on.... Do you guys think she really likes him like that? I mean, has she actually said something...?" "No." The Captain shrugged and exchanged some cards. "But she lets him get away with a lot more flirting than any other dignitary or important guest." Another guard nodded. "Yeah, and I'm dating one of the maids, and according to her all the maids seem to think that Celestia at least thinks he's cute." "Cute?" Discord blinked and almost frowned a little, then just raised an eyebrow. The guards all nodded and gave replies of assent. One of them chuckled. "Yeah, it's funny. I think ponies always wondered about what type of pony Celestia would go for considering she's an alicorn: earth pony or unicorn or pegasus. But maybe it turns out she's not into ponies at all." "Well, I don't know about that..." Discord murmured, rolling his eyes to the side. "Though Discord is close to an alicorn if you think about it," another guard chimed in. "he can fly, he can do magic, and he's the only guy around actually taller than her." "Well, I guess that's a point..." added Discord in another mumble. "It's almost sort of cute watching her enjoy the attention he's giving her," another guard added, and several of the guards chuckled warmly at this remark. "Yeah, okay, I'll admit, Celestia flustered is...nice to see." 'Dizzy' managed quietly. "Still though..." "Yeah.... I wonder if that means she'll be more open to courting once he's fully reformed and leaves here." "Maybe she and Luna'll start bringing princes and dukes and earls through here all the time looking for suitors." "Celestia's gotten so used to spending nights with Discord in the kitchen, I'm sure she'll at least want a fill for that in a.s.a.p." Discord frowned a little and suddenly spoke up more. "Hey now, there's no need to rush her about that or to rush Discord about moving out." He shrugged. "I mean, maybe those cake nights with him are just something special between friends and maybe Discord couldn't be replaced that easily. Besides, I suppose it's Celestia's business what she does at nighttime and who she does it with." The Captain shrugged, finishing another swig of his cider. "Well, you're right about that, private. Technically she is off duty after sunset now." "I guess I never thought much about what Celestia must do in her private time." One of the guards put a hoof to his chin. "It's kind of hard not to just think of her as our boss doing her princess duties." Another guard nodded and finished a swig of cider. "But at least she has Luna now to talk to about private stuff, and Twilight Sparkle too now that she's a princess." Discord raised an eyebrow, looking back and forth between the guards. "Yes, but...Celestia and Luna keep completely opposite schedules--they can only have so much time together. And Twilight doesn't even live here anymore, and most of her time communicating with Celestia has been homework." Several of the guards considered this reply and then one responded with a smile, "Well, I'm sure she's gotta have friends in the Canterlot gentry and diplomats from other places who she must confide in and talk casually with all of the time as close friends." Discord only raised his eyebrow even higher (and frowned completely now). He knew just from observing her over these weeks that Celestia kept her meetings with diplomats strictly about business and not about herself. And if she and Luna really could spend so little time together, and if Twilight really was so busy in Ponyville with friendship, and if Cadance was busy with Shining Armor and the Crystal Empire, and if none of the staff felt up to chatting with her... "So...no one around here ever just pulls her aside for a cup of cider and to ask about her day?" he had to ask. "Because that sounds sort of...lonely." And something inside of Discord silently added, 'Like being a statue all alone in a garden.' The Captain's smile faltered for a moment at that observation but then managed a smile again. "Well, we try our best to look out for her and keep her company, but I'd feel a little funny prying into her private affairs like that. The princesses seem to value their privacy. I mean, if we were really good, close friends it would be one thing, but most of us just work here and know the princess casually from the job." Everyone nodded and gave brief comments of assent. Discord shifted in a little in his chair and looked down a little. "Well...maybe that's why she likes spending time with Discord. Maybe she just wants someone to talk to." Every guard at the table looked around at each other in interest, sympathy, and just a touch of confusion. Discord looked up and saw their responses. He quickly cleared his throat and added with a grin and a small scoff, moving things along before he could trip himself up and say anything else too suspicious. "And, uh...all of you really think she thinks he's cute?" The Captain's smile grew and he shrugged. "Probably. Mares can be a little confusing though, am I right?" He grinned at the other guards, who all grinned in return and nodded. Discord managed to smile again and rolled his eyes with a small chuckle. One of the guards then smirked and glanced at his fellow guard at his side. "I still don't believe that story you told about the French maid's outfit, by the way." The guard (who was indeed the one Discord had seen in the hall after his little tea party adventure with Fluttershy and the princesses a couple of weeks ago) blinked and then laughed and held up his hoof. "Hey, I swear it's true. I thought I was dreaming for a second, or that one of you unicorns had transfigured to look like her and you were playing a prank, or that it was Discord in disguise, but it was really her. Ask her--she's Celestia, she wouldn't deny it's the truth." The other guard rolled his eyes. "Yeah, like I'm going to ask Celestia something like that. Meanwhile though, you want to complain about the unpredictability of living with Discord and how we could use some hazard pay or something, but as far as I'm concerned, random Celestia moments like that are all the extra compensation we need." The other guards shared a warm laugh (and even Discord couldn't help grinning and laughing a little). Another guard nodded. "It is kind of interesting seeing Celestia loosen up and have fun so much with Discord around. Did you see how she danced with him at that first house party?" "Yeah, on two hooves." Another guard sighed and grinned. "I wish I was two feet taller and could try that with her. What a woman." While the other guards couldn't help but take on dreamy grins, Discord hid behind his poker hand a little and smirked in satisfaction. A guard laughed and turned to the guard who had just spoken. "You could probably try it with Luna. She's a bit shorter." "True...." The guard laughed and then considered. "Do you think Celestia let's Discord that close all of the time?" He glanced around the table. Discord couldn't help himself. He cleared his throat, smiled, and spoke casually. "Oh yes, I would imagine so. He really is a special friend to her, I think...at least from what I've heard all of you say." The other guards considered and then nodded. "She did let him stay in her room that first night he came to live here," one of the guards announced, looking around the room with a meaningful gaze. The rest of the guards looked at him and then at each other just as meaningfully, and there was a silent pause. (Discord just watched the proceeding with great interest). Finally the Captain sighed. "Okay, look guys, come on, we all know nothing happened." He blushed a little, looked down, and raised his cider bottle for another drink. "The princess is way too classy for that, and anyway Luna would have destroyed Discord." The guards smiled and nodded, but one couldn't help sighing and adding, "Still, I'd love to know what that's like...a night even just near the princess." Discord couldn't help smiling a little himself. "I'm sure it's a very special thing. And that Discord is one of the few who will ever know what it's like." The guard to his right smirked a little. "I wonder if she's, you know...ever flirty at all. The guard to Discord's left grinned and shook his head. "Come on, you know how modest Celestia is. Luna I could see being flirty, but I'll bet Celestia is perfectly professional when she's alone with a guy who's a friend, just like when she's hosting dignitaries or something." Discord couldn't help glancing at the two of them uncomfortably, and then he cleared his throat and added, "Well, I bet she's just very friendly and very kind. And trusting.... Like she would do anything to make you feel welcome and even tuck you in if you got cold or something." He smiled a little to himself (and the guards couldn't help noticing). Discord blinked and looked up, and suddenly noticed all of the guards noticing him very much. "Just, um...just speculating." He cleared his throat and quickly went back to 'focusing' on his poker hand. The guards went back to looking at each other, and now they started throwing in bits for bets. Another one of them spoke up. "Do you guys think Discord really wants a shot with her or that he's just playing around?" One guard put a hoof to his chin. "Honestly, I'm not sure. But most people want a shot with the princess, or they would take one if it came to them." Another guard shook his head. "No, I think he's just messing around and bothering her for the fun of it. Remember, we're not even sure if he's fully reformed yet. What do you think, Dizzy?" The guard looked to 'Dizzy.' Discord's eyes went wide and he couldn't help a slight blush coming to his features at being so suddenly addressed, and about this topic no less. "Oh, I...I, um..." He tried to think and then just let something tumble out of his mouth. "I don't know. She's a nice mare, but he might not be nice enough for her or even want to be. But he might sort of think she's cute too...in a way. " He swallowed and smiled and shrugged and found a way to fix the very embarrassing turn this moment had taken. "Or maybe it's all just a big joke." His grin picked up on one side. "Maybe he'll pull a big one eighty on us and go for Luna." The other guards all smiled and burst into laughter. "Good one!" the Captain announced (and inside Discord breathed a sigh of relief at having diffused such an awkward situation). "Luna would turn him into a crater," another guard remarked. "She's passionate enough to turn anyone into a crater," another guard added, and then he grinned. "Still, you might have a fun week or so before then--it might be worth it. The guards all laughed again. Then the Captain let out a sigh and shook his head with a smile. "Okay, come on, guys, Luna's nice in her own way, and we really shouldn't talk about the princesses like this so much. Let's get back to the game." "Can we at least talk about the maids?" one of the guards piped up cheekily. The Captain shrugged, still smiling. "Fair enough." "Ooo do any of them think Discord's cute?" Discord couldn't help himself. The guard to his left shrugged. "They think he's funny. But if he snaps and makes the furniture in a room appear on the ceiling and the chandelier end up sticking up out of the floor one more time just for kicks, I think the maids going to bind and gag him with dust cloths and toss him in a broom closet." Discord chuckled. "Yes, I suppose he should stop picking on them--save all of his strength for flirt-er, bothering Celestia." The whole table burst into laughter again. The Captain smiled. "All right, guys, let's really get this game going. And someone open up another crate of cider!" The table cheered in approval. And then finally the poker night was truly able to go off full swing with only occasional bits of talk about Discord or the princesses going on here or there. Discord only stayed for a few more hands though--he did have a cake date with Celestia tonight to keep after all. And besides, he had already heard quite a lot more than he had bargained for from this little escapade of his. He had a lot to think about. Late that night... Something very unexpected was going on during Discord and Celestia's little midnight snack at the moment. The two were present in the kitchen (as usual), the two were eating cake (as usual), but rather than colorful jokes from Discord and laughter and calm advice from Celestia, there was just silence between the two friends as they ate. And the silence persisted because Discord wasn't saying anything. At first, Celestia had hardly noticed him being a little quieter than usual when he had joined her this evening. But as their time together had progressed, his silence couldn't help but become more and more obvious. And as they had moved on to second slices of cake, she finally observed how lost in thought he seemed--his brow was slightly furrowed and his eyes looked far away like his head was calculating something. Finally the sun princess took a breath and addressed the situation directly. "Discord," she dabbed at her mouth with a napkin and lowered it, "Is something the matter?" "Hmm?" the master of chaos barely replied back, still looking down at his barley touched cake slice. Celestia raised an eyebrow. "Discord?" This time he didn't reply at all except for a sigh, and that fixated look was still on his face. Celestia smiled a little. "I just wanted to say I think I'm sick of cake--in fact, I'm swearing off of it entirely." "That's nice..." Discord mumbled back. "You must be very proud." "And I'm thinking of banishing Twilight and the girls just for fun." Celestia raised her eyebrow a little higher. Discord shrugged. "If you think that's best." Celestia frowned a little. Her tone (and look) went a bit dry. "And I've decided to take your suggestion and to start wearing a French maid's outfit around here all of the time from now on." "Hmm?" Discord continued to play with his cake. Celestia rolled her eyes and now lightly nudged him with her hoof. "Discord!" "Ow!" Discord winced, then he blinked a few tines and glanced at her. "Sheesh, Celestia, don't you realize how much it hurts when you do that when you're wearing golden horseshoes?" Celestia just smiled a little. "Discord, what's bothering you? You've barely said a word since you came to the kitchen, and you weren't listening to me at all just now." Discord scoffed and rolled his eyes to the side innocently. "I was listening!" "Then what did I say?" Celestia raised an eyebrow. Discord considered for a moment, then shrugged. "Something about friendship? Heh..." Celestia sighed. "Discord, tell me what's on your mind. If something's bothering you, I want to help." She smiled again. Discord hesitated. And then he looked back at his cake with an awkward pout. "It's nothing, really. Don't worry about it." Celestia took a deep breath and nodded. "Very well, Discord. But if you do ever need to talk, I'm always here for you." And with a small smile she went back to her cake. The pair ate in silence once more. Then Discord sighed. "Say...Tia? If I went back to...if I moved out...would you start spending nights in the kitchen like this with someone else?" Celestia put down her fork and turned to Discord, her eyes a little wide. "If you...moved out?" Discord didn't look away from his cake. He just shrugged and nodded. "Yes, if I 'moved out'." They both knew they were talking about either actually moving out or 'moving out' in the sense of him returning to some form of imprisonment. They both also knew that they didn't need to address that fact directly. Celestia considered Discord's question. "Well, I might have Luna join me for cake some nights when she can. But then again we've always had the occasional nightly snack between shifts." Discord shook his head and glanced at her. "No, I mean, like...who would you have your cake dates with if I wasn't around?" Celestia blinked and raised an eyebrow. "...Well...just myself, I suppose. It wouldn't be the same with anyone else." She swallowed and looked at him a little more meaningfully. "Discord, are you thinking of leaving?" Discord shook his head. "No, no, of course not. Just curious." Celestia's smile returned. "Our friendship is very special to me, Discord. No one could ever replace what we have together. Without you, even if I had someone to come back here and have cake with...well, it just wouldn't be a cake date. Those only really happen with you. I promise. And I enjoy them very much and hope we'll have many more to come." "Oh." Something like a smile started to return to Discord's features. "So, it's kind of like how I could have tea with you sometimes and Luna, but that doesn't really replace my special tea parties with Fluttershy?" Celestia smiled more and nodded. "Exactly." "And you like having these nightly meetings with me?" he added. "Yes." Celestia nodded. "Of course I do, Discord." Discord's smile returned completely and he even started eating some cake. Celestia smiled at the sight and returned to her cake as well. "Celestia?" Discord raised an eyebrow and glanced at her as he swallowed his cake. "Yes?" Celestia glanced back at him. "If what I did end up doing was moving out, how would you feel about us still having cake like this sometimes? Just as a diplomatic thing of course." Discord rolled his eyes to the side nonchalantly. "A moment of parlay between the master of chaos and the princess of the sun." Celestia blinked and smiled at him with interest as she finished a bite of cake and nodded. "I'd like that very much actually, Discord. Even if we didn't live together, I'd want our friendship to be as strong as ever." Discord's grin picked up on one side into a smirk. "Yes, well...who can deny how enjoyable my presence is?" Celestia chuckled softly. "And perhaps, wherever you choose to live, sometimes I could come see you too?" Discord's eyes went wide and he raised an eyebrow. "You could come and see me where I.... Well..." he grinned, "Well, yes, why not? I think I'd like that too, for you to visit, no matter where I am." His eyes went down to the cake on his plate, and he played with some crumbs. "You know, again, just for the sake of diplomacy and for keeping you from getting too bored without an official late night snack buddy." Celestia smiled at first at his joke but then frowned a little. She wanted to tell him that she would try to find another prison for him besides stone if it came to that. And she wanted to tell him that even if the prison was stone again, she would visit this time and often. But it was still a subject better left undiscussed, and she knew it. Celestia looked down at her own plate, considered, and then smiled a little and found a good subject change. "So, did you have fun spying on the guards today, Discord?" Discord shrugged. "Oh, it was interesting. I--..." His eyes went wide and he lowered his fork and looked at her, his curious gaze searching her warm one for a moment before he finally just asked, "How did you know?" Celestia smiled in that all knowing way of hers and shrugged. "On my way here, I heard some of the guards mentioning a new recruit from the south at their poker game and how he was funny and how they couldn't find him now but he was a grey pony with very unruly hair who liked to talk an awful lot about Discord. And I think the name 'Dizzy' was brought up as well." A small smirk couldn't help coming to her features. "A few of them were starting to worry that he was part of a Changeling invasion, but I assured them that 'Private Dizzy' had just been temporarily transferred." She put a hoof to her mouth, clearly trying to hold back a laugh. Discord just shrugged and rolled his eyes to the side, playing with his cake again. "I appreciate you covering for me. And I just felt like seeing what they really thought about me. And eavesdropping of a kind always seems to be the best way to get that information." He chuckled. Celestia smiled and shook her head. "And did you hear anything good?" Discord glanced at her, his eyes narrowing. "They talked about you a lot." He smirked. "Told you, Tia. Instantly, the sun princess blushed lightly and then glanced down to her cake. Discord leaned in close to her. "Want to hear what they said?" "No, I'd rather not, Discord." Celestia straightened up and kept her focus on taking the occasional bite of her cake. Discord chuckled and grinned more at her, unable to help himself. "Oh fine." He pulled back and stretched a little. "Actually I didn't just go to hear about myself, you know, though I liked getting a fresh perspective on how I'm doing at this 'friendship' thing. I also sort of wanted a 'guys night' out, and I figured being disguised as a pony was the only way I was going to get one. Not that I don't just adore you and Luna and the girls, Celestia, but sometimes a fella wants to kick back with a card game, some corn nuts, and a few good off-color mare jokes. I had fun." He reclined back in his chair a little. Celestia rolled her eyes and smiled a little more. "Well, I'm happy you enjoyed yourself then, Discord. And I understand--sometimes Luna and I like a good mares night ourselves." She ate another bite of cake. Discord's grin picked up on one side. "Ooo so you can giggle and gossip about charming old me?" Celestia lightly nudged him, her smile picking up a little on one side as well. "No more than we do when you're around Discord." Discord chuckled and finished off another bite of cake. "But really, Celestia, are you sure you don't want to hear what they said about you? This could be your one and only chance to know exactly what your guards think about their eternally youthful mare princess..." Celestia just sighed deeply, maintaining her poised smile. "Why don't you tell me what they said about you instead?" "Oh," Discord shrugged, "that I'm a little odd, a little unpredictable, perhaps even a teensy bit selfish at times...but that I bring something amusing to the castle. I almost think they like me some of the time." He smiled proudly. "Maybe you should try socializing with them as yourself--some of them might actually want to be friends with you." Celestia smiled more. A chuckle escaped Discord, and he shook his head. "One step at a time, Tia. One step at a time." He took another bite of cake and glanced at her again. "You and Luna are good enough castle friends for me now." Celestia smiled warmly. Then she took a breath, and her tone grew a little more somber again. "Discord? Promise me that if...or when...you do decide to move out, you'll let me know well in advance?" "Want to throw a celebration party?" Discord grinned at her and raised an eyebrow. Celestia smiled. "Well...maybe a going away party. But mostly I'd want a chance to get used to the idea of you leaving." She looked up to his eyes. "...You really would visit still for nights like this with me?" Discord blinked, his eyes went a little wide and his grin faltered. And he suddenly found himself very aware of the fact that they were alone and Celestia was sitting right beside him looking up into his eyes, asking for his presence...seeming so happy that they would have nights together. Discord blinked a couple of times and swallowed. He cleared his throat and resumed his grin and his usual snarky, charming tone (as best he could). "Well of course I would still visit for cake, Celestia. You're my friend, after all, and I suppose a few mutual meals together wouldn't hurt." He sighed and added with a shrug, "And I suppose I'll tell you long before I decide to leave...if it means that much to you, I mean." Discord glanced to Celestia out of the corner of his eye to see her smiling warmly. The sun princess nodded. "Thank you, Discord." Discord grinned and looked to her more again. "You know, we've really got to get you a boyfriend, Tia--you should not be this hard up for nightly companions." He chuckled. "Ow!" Celestia had just given him a light hit in the shoulder again with her hoof. She rolled her eyes and had to try not to laugh (or to blush too much). "Discord," she shook her head to herself, "I know you like to tease me, but why do you have this strange obsession with my love life?" Her eyes happened to meet his again. Discord merely grinned cheekily back at her. "Just trying to be a good friend. Good friends make sure their friends are well taken care of in every way, right?" Celestia couldn't help a light blush persisting. "I appreciate your concern, Discord. But I can take care of myself." She sighed and shook her head, trying not to smile too much as she went back to taking another bite of cake. "Though if I choose to let anyone else care for me in a special way, I'll let you know." She glanced at him, and her grin picked up on one side. "Meanwhile, you'd think you'd have more concern with getting yourself a girlfriend." Discord blinked and then instantly waved her off with a scoff and a smile. "Me, a girlfriend? Oh, I've already got you and Luna and Fluttershy and the girls to wrangle--that's more than enough women in my life for now, thank you very much." He chuckled. Celestia laughed in return. "Fair enough, Discord." The pair were finished with their current cake slices, and so Discord and Celestia each used some magic to get themselves fresh pieces. But before their cake date could finally turn into one of their usual friendly if sarcastic banter sessions for the night, Discord glanced at Celestia out of the corner of his eye and made an unexpected (and unprecedented) offer. "So...tell me about your day, Tia." Celestia blinked and paused in magically raising a forkful of cake to her mouth. "My day?" During these private times together Celestia had often asked about Discord's day (and gotten many colorful responses), Discord had sometimes brought up points of friendship that he had questions about, or (most commonly) witty jokes and a few well-intentioned mild pranks had been shared between the two of them. But now Discord had asked her about her day--like a friend would. Still though Celestia had to smile and shake her head. "Oh Discord, I'm not sure if you want to hear about that. My days are very orderly." Discord rested his head on his hand and looked at her fully with a little smirk. "Then it will be a challenge of friendship for me to listen--try me, Celestia." Celestia smiled back at him, an eyebrow raised. She considered, and then she resumed magically eating her cake as she began her reply. "Well, Discord, my day started out with four meetings in a row, each scheduled exactly an hour apart, and I was on time to each one." "Oh, I'm wounded," Discord replied sarcastically with a roll of his eyes and a chuckle. "Do go on, Celestia, I can handle your silly schedule. And then we can talk about something fun like my chaos." He laughed more. "Come on, share, complain, crack jokes--I'm up for anything you can dish out. Celestia's smile grew, and she nodded. "Okay, Discord. Well...the first meeting was about organizing the fiscal budget for the next year." Discord's grin picked up on one side. "Yikes, no wonder you need cake each day to function." Celestia couldn't help laughing softly. "So you understand my pain now." She ate more cake and dabbed at her mouth with a napkin. "But it's not all so terribly orderly, Discord. Once all of my meetings were over, I had to hold court. You'd like that part of my schedule. For orderly ponies, you'd be surprised at the messes the citizens of Equestria get into." Discord chuckled. "Well, if their colorful misadventures and misunderstandings are ever lacking, just let me know, and I'll be happy to spread a little extra mischievous chaos to keep things interesting for you." "I'll keep that in mind." Celestia smiled to herself. "So would you really like to hear about the rest of my day, Discord?" Discord smiled more. "I don't think I'd mind terribly, no." He finished a bite of his own cake, then raised an eyebrow, a thought occurring to him. "But first, as long as we're really catching up, what did you say to me before when I wasn't listening? You know, just before you hit me with that rock solid golden horseshoe." Celestia shrugged and looked down a little. "Oh...honestly, just some silly things to see if you were as distracted as you seemed." "Like?" Discord prompted, his grin growing. "Come on, Celestia I love silly things. And I like when grim you tries to have a sense of humor. Besides, this'll tide me over to get through your talk of orderly meetings." Celestia rolled her eyes to the side but nodded. "First I told you I was sick of cake and swearing off of it for good." "Oh please," Discord scoffed. "You survive without cake? You're practically he Element of Sugar, Celestia." He chuckled. Celestia laughed softly. "Then I said something about banishing Twilight and the girls just for fun." "Hey, Fluttershy stays though--that's a nonnegotiable point." Discord smirked, then rolled his eyes to the side and added, "She's the only one who knows just how I like my tea, after all." Celestia laughed again. Then she looked down very deliberately and ate a bite of cake. "And then I finally told you I was going to take your advice and start wearing the French maid's outfit around here full time." She was expecting full, raucous laughter from Discord at this idea...not a low, mischievous chuckle. Celestia glanced over at him. He was just grinning back at her so smugly. "Yes, well..." he lowered his voice, "You are cute in the maid's outfit, Celestia. The guards and I all agreed on that at least." He shrugged. "Sorry, had to share with you at least one thing they said about you at the poker game." He winked. "Oh, and don't you and Luna worry--they seem completely unaware of the fact that you two like to check them out in secret sometimes. I don't think they consider themselves worthy of you mare-ish attention, princess." He pulled back and chuckled. Celestia just sat there looking down at her cake with wide eyes and blushing slightly for several moments. Discord tisked. "So flustered, Celestia--who knew men would be your great weakness? You almost act like you have a crush on one of these dashing bachelors parading around your castle." He watched her with interest. Celestia blinked a few times and then shook her head to come out of her surprise. "All I have is a very strong sense of modesty, Discord, and professionalism too. I promise you if I ever found a special somepony, it wouldn't be any of my guards." She took a breath and smiled a little. "And men aren't my weakness, Discord. I don't find my time with any of them or my feelings about any of them to change who I am in any way." Her smile picked up on one side as her gaze returned to Discord. "You spend an awful lot of time though focusing in on me, Discord...and you have shown a softer side of yourself with Fluttershy and the girls. Maybe your weakness is women?" Discord blinked and scoffed again. "Me? Weak over women?" He waved her off and resumed taking up another bite of cake. "I think that daytime sun has finally penetrated that ethereal mane of yours and fried your brain, Celestia. Chaos has no weaknesses, and especially not a pretty face." He noticed her eyeing him in response and trying not to laugh, and so he cleared his throat. "Er, look, we're going off topic--now while you've still got me willing to be friendly, finish telling me about your day, Celestia." He looked back to his cake. "And for the record, I'm glad to hear you're not secretly pining after anyone around here. It might make things awkward. And besides, you're probably too good for anyone around here anyway." He played with a few crumbs with his fork, still looking down. Celestia just laughed softly. "I'm not too good for anyone, Discord. But you see my point then--it would be too awkward showing any favor to any of the ponies who work closely with me." She smiled a little more. "That's part of why I enjoy my time with you, Discord, and our friendship. I spend so much time around the castle seeing to daily affairs that I've never really had the chance to make a close gentleman friend before you." Discord's confident smirk faltered just a little. "Oh." He glanced at her, but then suppressed any apparent distress and cleared his throat. "Yes, well...to being friends then, Celestia." He snapped and made one glass of chocolate milk appear in his paw and another glass appear in her hoof. Celestia blinked and smiled. "Oh. Yes, Discord." She looked to him. "To being friends." The two clinked glasses, then sipped their chocolate milk and placed the drinks down (and inside along with quite a bit of awkwardness Discord felt relieved at having heard Celestia declare that they were indeed just friends at the moment.) Discord smiled normally again and ate another bite of cake before turning to Celestia once more. "Anyway, on with the story of your orderly day, Tia." Celestia nodded, took another bite of cake herself, and then went on. "Very well, Discord. Well, after the fiscal budget meeting, I had a meeting to discuss the upcoming annual census where we go around and record everyone's names and where they live for government reference." Her tone went dry but her smile remained. "That was about as much fun as it sounds." Discord chuckled as he took another sip of chocolate milk. "Yes, I'm sure it was." Celestia smiled more. "Then after my meetings and holding court, I had to visit the Canterlot City Hall." She sipped her chocolate milk. "I swear, I can't tell if that bureaucracy is the most orderly thing ever or the most chaotic thing ever, all I know is I was there three hours and I'm still not entirely sure what I accomplished other than signing my name almost as many times as I have in the last thousand years." Discord couldn't help laughing warmly, and Celestia couldn't help joining in with him. The rest of the evening went very much as usual for the two former mortal enemies sharing cake and time together.
Keep Calm and Chaos On	Midquel 7: The One that References Twilight (no, not the Pony)	"So, Discord really said he had plans for tonight?" Celestia, seated on one end of a cushy sofa with throw pillows, glanced over at her sister who was seated at the opposite end of the sofa. The two ladies (in a very rare moment lacking their regalia) were currently residing one of the large, comfortable guest rooms of the castle at this twilight hour. Luna nodded as she magically raised some popcorn from a bowl on the large coffee table before her. "Yes. I saw him after I finished lowering the moon this morning. I asked him if he had any nightly plans, and he said he absolutely did and then disappeared. And I haven't seen a sign of him since." She munched on her popcorn, and her smile grew. Celestia smiled in return as she magically raised a bottle of cola from the coffee table to take a sip. "Good. Then maybe we really can have one of our nice sisterly bonding nights together. We haven't been able to manage one ever since he moved in here." Luna sighed as she settled against a throw pillow. "Yes, and I don't know about you, but a little mare time is just what I need after all of his shenanigans lately." She grinned a little, eyeing her sister. "Did you get the film?" Celestia sighed and blushed a little, but did grin and nod in return. "Yes." She used her magic to make a reel of film appear and raised it up. "The Eventide Saga: Waning Moon." "Oh I do love these modern films." Luna chuckled and clapped her front hooves together. "Dashing batpony stallions, dashing werepony stallions, and lots of cheesy romantic drama." She used her magic to make a projector appear on a large table set behind the sofa. "Bringeth it on." Her smile grew into a pleased grin as she magically lowered the film reel into the projector. Celestia sighed deeply and shook her head, trying not to laugh (or blush) too much. "I don't know, Luna--I sort of prefer when we, um...bond over stallions in little ways around the castle...like when we notice the guards. I feel a little less ridiculous doing that than when we watch things like this." "Oh sister, do lighten up." Luna rolled her eyes with a smile. "Besides, you've been far too flustered lately to even so much as glance at the guards." She used her magic to raise up her own bottle of cola for a sip. Celestia sighed and shrugged. "Well, you're not the one who one of them caught walking around the castle halls in a French maid's outfit." She blushed and almost smiled again. "Not to mention Discord made me so flustered about them..." Luna grinned and raised an eyebrow. "How? By suggesting to you that they probably find us attractive? Of course they do, sister. We are rather fetching, after all." She held out her hoof to admire it. "And we do admire them as well from time to time, as you said. So what's the harm?" She lowered her hoof and smiled at her sister again. Celestia raised an eyebrow and looked down with a shrug. "There's no harm, it's just...strange. I never thought much about giving or getting attention from stallions until you returned and we started talking like sisters again. And then of course there's Discord's antics with me that always have to remind me about dating and courtship." She sighed very deeply, smiling more and blushing slightly. Luna chuckled. "Just don't blush like that around him, sister--otherwise he might start to think you're taking him up on his humorous offers of affection to you." Celestia laughed and shook her head. "Oh, if he ever thought I was, I don't think I'd ever hear the end of it from him." The two sisters shared a warm laugh. Then Luna wiped a tear from her eyes and smiled eagerly at her sister again. "You mentioned you were going to bring the fudge, Celestia." Celestia nodded and used her magic to make a tray of chocolate fudge appear on the table before them beside the popcorn and sodas. She smiled at Luna. "And you mentioned you were going to bring the cupcakes, Luna." Luna nodded and used her magic to whip up a tray of cupcakes with blue and purple frosting which she set on the coffee table as well. "And now we have all of our snacks, so let us dim the lights and enjoy our film!" Celestia used her magic to dim the fire slightly while Luna used her magic to turn on the projector. Their eyes went to the pulled down white movie screen before them. "So, what are we watching, ladies?" And then the pony sisters almost toppled off of the sofa in surprise at the sound of Discord (of course) asking this question from his sudden new position seated between the two princesses. Luna brought a hoof to her chest, breathing heavily, while Celestia turned to Discord with a blink and an eyebrow arched considerably high. "Discord! What are you doing here?" "Oh come on." Discord waved her off, grinning and magically taking a handful of popcorn for himself. "At least this is better than when I was in the bathtub with you two, right?" He chuckled and turned to Luna, his grin growing. "Besides, I didst tell thee this morning, Luna, that I had plans for tonight...and those plans happened to be crashing whatever sisterly thing you two were planning to do together. A movie night--not a bad idea. I suppose you two do know how to have fun sometimes." He gave them both a little nudge in their shoulders and laughed all the more as he snapped up a bottle of cola for himself. Luna and Celestia just sighed and put hooves to their foreheads. Luna cleared her throat. "Discord, while we appreciate that you want to spend time with us as friends, a little warning next time would be nice. You still sneak up on us far too often." "Hmm, I'm not hearing a 'get out, Discord'.... Does that mean I can stay for movie night?" The master of chaos grinned. Celestia cleared her throat (and blushed slightly). "Discord, um...this is sort of one of those 'mares only' things. Remember, we talked about that concept the other night while we were talking about your 'guys night' poker game with the guards? I really don't think you'd enjoy yourself." "Oh, but I'd be with you, Tia, good buddy," Discord put an arm around her neck and pulled her close in a side hug. "And with Luna too!" He put his other arm over Luna's shoulders and pulled her close as well. "And you two did say I could spend time with you if I wanted to socialize more. Of course I'll enjoy myself. Besides, I practically spend all of my time with mares since they're the only ones I've managed to make friends with so far. I think I can handle a little 'girl time'. What are we going to be doing?" He released the sisters and held up his paw. "Painting our hooves?" He snapped and a bottle of hoof polish appeared in the air. "Braiding our manes?" He snapped and caused a tight braid to appear in his black mane. "Comparing our cutie marks?" Discord went to snap but then stopped and shrugged. "Well, I don't have one of those, but you ladies feel free to go about it--I'll judge things if you like. Should be easy without your gaudy regalia to distract me." He chuckled and smirked. Luna just rolled her eyes. "This isn't some high school slumber party, Discord. We are mature women of the world. We were planning to eat lots of snacks and watch a cheesy movie while having mare talk." She held her head high. "Great, great." Grinning, Discord snapped away the hoof polish and his braid, then reclined back more on the sofa. "I like snacks, I like cheesy movies, and I like anything that'll help me unravel the chaos that is women. So, what are we watching?" He magically took a square of fudge and started to eat it, looking to Celestia as he asked the question. Celestia swallowed and did her best to reply casually, "Oh, just...something from this movie series that some of the younger mares like--The Eventide Saga..." When she was brave enough to look over at him, Discord had his jaw dropped and he was grinning considerably. The master of chaos laughed raucously and picked up his soda to another take a swig. "Ohhh yes. I am staying for this one. Luna, let's light this candle." Luna sighed. "Fine, Discord, if you insist. But I warn you, my sister and I will not go easy on the mare talk. Right, Celestia?" She smiled at her sister. Celestia sighed but managed a nod. "Um...sure, Luna. Whatever you say." Then she took a calming breath and just turned her attention to the movie screen (though her smile seemed a little strained and awkward). Luna smiled more and nodded, then used her magic to turn on the projector. ...And thus the movie commenced. About twenty minutes of buff stallions and melodrama later...which so far actually hadn't gone nearly as awkwardly as Celestia had feared... Luna smiled with a slightly dreamy gaze, fudge staining her lips as she observed the screen. "Celestia, sometimes I do think you and I should date more often...or ever." She sighed. "With how relaxed social policy has gotten these days, certainly we could manage it without causing too much scandal." Discord nodded, sipping his soda and likewise looking intently at the screen. "I agree, I definitely think you two should give that a shot. I mean, Cadance got herself a romantic partner after all. I say go for it. " He chuckled. "It'll make it easier when I start trying to date." Luna blinked and raised an eyebrow at him. "You'd like to attempt courtship, Discord?" Discord rolled his eyes. "Well, of course! I'm a grown person, I used to date before we met, and if I'm going to be back now for the long haul I might like to try it again." He chuckled as he shook his head to himself. "I had some good times back in the day. And I agree, Luna--these relaxed social policies today really are more fun. Celestia and I had a long talk about that before I moved in here, right, Tia?" He nudged Celestia. The sun princess nodded and smiled a little sheepishly. "Er...yes, we talked about the propriety of him staying here." She couldn't help but glance at Discord and raise an eyebrow herself. "You think about dating, Discord? And you've done it before?" Discord sighed dramatically. "Oh why does everypony assume I'm entirely devoid of an appreciation for social contact? Look, friendship I might still be getting used to--it's just so intricate and strange. But charm and fun and romance I know well enough. I've been a hopeless flirt for countless centuries of romantic shenanigans." He chuckled to himself and smirked a little. "The one time in Paris, Prance, I met this unicorn dancer who could do this incredible thing with her horn--she--" "Discord!" Celestia cleared her throat very loudly, her eyes wide. Then she blinked a few times. "I mean, uh...w-would anyone like more snacks? I can go get us more snacks!" She smiled sheepishly again. Luna rolled her eyes. "Sister, we can make our own snacks with our magic." She raised an eyebrow at Celestia, her grin growing. "Are you really this flustered from watching the movie? Then again though, I'm not surprised--Ebony Wood is the most attractive stallion, after all." She giggled with a little smirk. "The main batpony one?" Discord raised an eyebrow at Luna, then grinned. "I think you just like the gothic/gloomy colors motif, Luna." Celestia rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Luna, Ebony Wood is not the most attractive stallion." She smiled and magically took a cupcake to eat. "Oh Celestia, don't be so grim and act like the movie's too immature for your tastes." Discord waved her off. Luna chuckled. "Oh, she's not being grim, Discord, and she doesn't think she's too mature for the movie, believe me. She just likes the werepony stallions better. Blue Jay Cobb is her favorite." Celestia's eyes went wide and she nearly choked on the last bite of her cupcake. "Luna!" She blushed! Luna just giggled and smiled cheekily, still watching the movie. "Sister, I told you, I refuse to go easy on the mare talk just because Discord is here. I have a long night ahead of me to tend to, and I'd like some relaxation now before it. Besides, the more you avoid obvious subjects and the more awkward you act about the situation, the more he is going to tease you." Discord chuckled, his grin going in the direction of the sun princess now and his eyes narrowing. "And speaking of teasing...so it turns out Celestia prefers men who are a little more rugged? I see.... Interesting to know." He sipped his soda. "Incidentally, as I keep trying to tell you, you should get into the dating scene too, Tia. You break a lot of hearts by keeping yourself so busy with work and friends." Celestia sighed and smiled softly. "Thank you, Discord." She cleared her throat and focused back on the screen again. "And I just, um...like Blue Jay's character. He's interesting." "Then why are you constantly staring at his cutie mark whenever he takes off his cape," Luna asked cheekily. "I-I..." Celestia scoffed and shrugged and smiled awkwardly. "I wouldn't say 'staring'...I mean, no more than you stare whenever the batpony characters take off their capes, Luna." She smiled cheekily in return for a moment but then blinked, blushed a little, and went back to looking at the screen. "Oh look, Swannie Belle is having another monologue. We, um...we should probably watch so that we don't miss much of the plot." "Ugh, boring!" Discord rolled his eyes. "She's so vapid and a bit dreary looking too. I get that they're going for the 'damsel in distress' thing with her character, but personally I like women who are more of a challenge." He grinned as he swallowed another square of fudge. "I'm telling you, what these movies need is a female lead character a guy can realistically like in some way. Then again though, I'm spoiled of course. The girls have more personality than I know what to do with, and you two have more passion than any other mares on the planet. I'm surrounded by a ton of strong women--it really raises a guy's expectations. Not to mention how pretty all of you are, especially you two." He sipped his soda like the comment was the most casual thing to say in the world. Luna's smile brightened. "Discord, what a kind compliment to give. Thank you." "You're quite welcome." Discord chuckled, his gaze drifting over to (a once again blushing) Celestia. "Besides, it made Celestia go all in a fluster, and that's always a bonus for me." "I'm not in a fluster about your compliment, Discord," Celestia managed, her eyes remaining on the screen and her small smile remaining confident despite the light blush present in her cheeks. "It's just that...Blue Jay Cobb came on the screen again and needed to take off his cape. That's all." Celestia maintained her poise and even magically took up a few kernels of popcorn to eat. Discord raised an eyebrow with an intrigued grin and then turned his own eyes back to the screen. "Meanwhile though, speaking of complaints about the actors, this movie sets up totally unbelievable physical expectations. I mean, look at the abs on that guy, Tia. I guarantee you, you're never going to find a stallion who actually looks like that. Typical male stereotypes in the female-centered society of yours. Talk about unrealistic." Discord snapped a cupcake directly into his mouth. "Discord," Luna started dryly, lowering her cola bottle, "we're three nearly immortal mythical magical beings sitting on a sofa in an enchanted castle watching modern movies--I believe we passed by 'realistic' some time ago." Discord shrugged. "Point taken." He blinked at the sight on the screen now and grinned more. "Oh, now the werepony one is fighting the batpony one. Interesting." He considered for a moment, the fingers of his paw twirling his beard. "Wereponies and batponies...they would be almost immortal and have long lifespans, right? Kind of like you two? Is that why you like this movie and the stallions in it?" He glanced from one sister to the other. Luna shrugged and nodded. "That aspect has a certain appeal for us, yes." "Well...yes, of course, their lifespans are a feature we can relate to, Discord," Celestia started. "But we don't just like watching them for that reason. I find the characters and the story line very interesting myself." Celestia grinned sheepishly again. Discord and Luna just gave her a dry look. "Sister," Luna cleared her throat and smiled softly, "I know you're trying, but please just relax already. I swear, even when you're just with me you get so uptight, ever since we were fillies." She chuckled. "You'd blush as pink as your mane was half the time when we would talk about boys." "Her mane was pink?" Discord raised an eyebrow at Luna. Luna nodded. "Oh yes, and mine was teal." She touched her hair. "The color only changed later as we grew up and our magical abilities increased." Discord's sights turned back to Celestia. And he continued to eye the sun princess and her rainbow colored mane...and continued...and continued... Finally, Celestia couldn't help feeling his gaze upon her and raised an eyebrow at him. "Yes, Discord?" Discord leaned closer. "Well...you're youthful but you do technically age...and your hair changed from pink to pastel rainbows over time. And you are the oldest sister..." He pointed to her mane. "So is this how alicorns 'go grey' or something?" Luna's jaw dropped and a piece of popcorn she was magically levitating fell to the floor. Celestia's eyes went wide. Discord just awaited a reply with a grin and his eyes bright with anticipation. Luna sighed deeply, brought a hoof to her temple, and shook her head. "Jesting about her age. Hmm...well, it was nice getting to know the reformed you, Discord. I'll be sure to visit you in the statue garden some evenings." Before Luna could go on with her joke though, Celestia raised a hoof and looked Discord in the eyes. Her voice was level. "You're asking me if my rainbow hair is what happens when alicorns become old?" She leaned in close, pointed to his beard with her hoof, and smiled. "Well, if that isn't the white-bearded pot calling the rainbow haired kettle 'grey'." Luna couldn't stifle a chuckle, and even Celestia grinned (with just a touch of satisfaction actually). Discord, meanwhile, blinked at the sun princess and then grinned all the more. "You're calling me old now, aren't you?" Celestia's eyes narrowed playfully. "If the white beard fits..." Discord burst into chuckles and then waved her off and leaned back against the sofa. "Oh, you're just cranky because I'm the only age appropriate, not-evil guy around for you. And I'm not a werepony." He took another square of fudge to munch on, chuckling more to himself. "That you certainly are not, Discord, that you certainly are not," Celestia remarked with a little smirk as she settled against the sofa again herself and looked back to the screen. She blushed a little but then added, seeming more relaxed now, "Luna, I really don't see what you see in the batponies. I suppose they are attractive, but their wings are so flimsy. But the wereponies are so strong and so tall...and they have such interesting fur. There's so much about them to admire." "Hmm...strong, tall, interesting fur.... In that case, maybe I am a werepony." Discord grinned and straightened up a little in pride. Celestia glanced at him for just a moment with an eyebrow raised, blushed more, but then quickly turned back to the movie screen with a small smile and a shake of her head. Luna chuckled. "Sister, I am very proud of you for loosening up about the film and mare talk." She sighed as she bit into a cupcake and smiled at the screen. "Oh here is the part where Ebony Wood flies Swannie through the trees on his back...and they run right into Blue Jay Cobb on those misty cliffs...and no one is wearing a cape." Luna's grin picked up just a little on one side. "Sister, we really should keep more guards around the castle...and have them do many more combat exercises. Without armor." Celestia did not look at Discord. She cleared her throat and smiled slightly. "Luna, be serious please. They're still in our employ, and we can't make such casual requests of them." "Very well." Luna sighed. "Besides, you do make a point--in a way they are nicer to watch with the armor on." She giggled and sipped her cola again. Discord glanced from one sister to the other and then back and forth again, his grin growing considerably. "Wait, wait, wait--am I possibly hearing an admission that you two are indeed aware of the guards as stallions and that you do indeed check them out like a couple of filly teenagers?" He burst into laughter. "Priceless! Oh, this is definitely getting written down in my 'list of confirmed things to potentially blackmail Celestia and Luna about in the future' journal." He snapped and made a notebook appear, scribbled something in it with a flourish, and then snapped it away again. "Discord," Celestia sighed and smiled, "I already explained to you that Luna and I wouldn't seriously ever pursue anyone in the castle who we were employing...though we might find them physically admirable, yes. And you did say you'd be fine with mare talk if you stayed for our movie night." Her smile picked up a little on one side. "We aren't starting to make you uncomfortable, are we?" "Not at all." Discord shrugged and leaned back farther into the sofa with a smirk. "Just glad to hear my two princess friends aren't nearly as uptight as they usually appear." Then he glanced to Celestia and raised an eyebrow (and for a moment the normal smug grin fell away from his face slightly, replaced by a look of genuine interest). "But if you're set against dating the guards, who exactly do the famous princess pony sisters think about courting anyway?" Celestia smiled at Discord's curiosity and shrugged. "Well, there are quite a few eligible dignitaries that visit Canterlot frequently, Discord, from Equestria and from other nations." Luna nodded. "Yes, there are some rather stately-looking nobles. Still, there are the complicated political implications of any alliance we might make. That is why I personally prefer admiring the guards--it is enjoyable and there are no consequences." The night princess's gaze lingered on the screen and she grinned. "Do there happen to be any batpony dignitaries, sister? I'm not entirely familiar with all of the current nobles yet." Celestia smiled and shook her head. "No, Luna, I'm sorry, I'm afraid I haven't come across any. But I'll be sure to let you know if one appears. In the meantime you'll just have to make do with Eventide movies." She laughed softly and ate some more popcorn. "Ugh, we're all just cuts of meat to you mares, aren't we?" Discord grinned and shook his head as he took another swig of his soda, his eyes on the screen again. "Totally judged based on our looks. Really, you two are terrible, you know." "Oh Discord," Luna smiled, "We don't really mean all of these comments. We told you already, this is mare talk. We're just expressing some of our more private and slightly more selfish views on certain subjects, that's all." She yawned. "We work long days and nights, Discord--we need some time not to act like poised princesses and just to act like ponies and sisters." Celestia nodded. "Yes. Of course we wouldn't ever say anything like this in a public setting. We're just talking as close friends and joking around. After all, as you told me once, Discord, there's no need for so much formality about fraternization." She sighed, her smile growing a touch dry. "But for the future don't ever make a comment like that about my hair again, all right, please? From one friend to another." Her smile returned and she nudged him. Discord grinned and nodded. "Fair enough." He glanced between the two sisters. "But you're going to have to put up with a few 'werepony' jokes around the castle from time to time, Celestia. And batpony jokes in your case, Luna. And you'll have to answer me one question..." "Yes?" Celestia raised an eyebrow. "Do you really think I could stand a chance at dating in this day and age after everything?" He leaned in extra close to Celestia. Celestia blinked at the question, but then her gaze and smile softened. She nodded. "Discord, I think if someone as interesting as you can't find a date, then there's no hope for the rest of us ...perfect werepony body or no perfect werepony body." She chuckled. "Hey!" Discord smirked and crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm gorgeous looking all on my own. After all, you must have thought I looked somewhat good to keep me on display as a statue all those years." He raised an eyebrow, his grin picking up on one side. Celestia laughed softly and shook her head. "Well...I suppose you weren't the worst looking statue in the garden, I'll give you that, Discord." She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and took a square of fudge. Discord's entire countenance perked up. "Oh, if I end up going back to stone, promise me you'll engrave that on my pedestal--'Not the worst looking statue in the garden. Signed, Celestia.' " He broke into laughter. "Oh Discord, after all of the reformed shenanigans you've put us through, you are not allowed to need to go back to stone," Luna announced as she swallowed some more popcorn. "Thine hope for my full reform is most encouraging, dear Luna." Discord chuckled and gave her a mock bow with a flourish of his hand. Luna rolled her eyes. "Oh, cease and eat some more fudge, Discord." And then she magically shoved a square into his mouth. Discord blinked and but then chewed the piece and swallowed with a smile and another chuckle. Celestia sighed, smiling and shaking her head. "Can we just go back to watching the movie? You two act like brother and sister, you tease each other so much." Luna and Discord blinked and then laughed some more. "Oh, it's just how we relate, Tia." Discord shrugged. "We exchange barbs and witty jokes. It's kind of how I relate to you through sappy, near-tender moments and comments that make you feel awkward." He winked. "Celestia just wants to get back to the movie because the part is coming up where Blue Jay Cobb and Swannie kiss passionately at sunset," Luna added, taking some more popcorn and smirking at the screen. "I..." Celestia blushed again, her eyes wide. "It's just a very romantic part of the story. That's all." She cleared her throat and did her best to maintain her poise. "And...Blue Jay Cobb is a very nice character to study, after all." Discord grinned, his eyes narrowing. "Oh, I am so glad I crashed this particular event of friendship. I'm learning so many things and seeing such an interesting side to the pony sisters. You two must really be impressed with me as a friend to let me get this close to you. Just to check though, I'm still not allowed in the bathtub with you two, right?" "Absolutely not, Discord," the two sisters replied in unison with growing smiles. Discord chuckled, and his gaze drifted back to the screen as he munched on a few more kernels of popcorn. "You know, once Twilight's feeling a little more established in her place as a ruler, I think that you two should take an evening off and the three of us'll go out on the town together. We can disguise ourselves as normal ponies, and the first one who snags a date for the evening wins." He smirked. "Of course, we'll have to be very clear about who our pony disguises are going to be--otherwise we might accidentally end up snagging dates with each other, and I think that might complicate our friendship slightly." "Yes," Luna nodded, eating some popcorn as well, "if you pursued me in any way and I had to give you another black eye with a stuffed opossum doll, I'm certain that might indeed complicate our friendship." She smirked. "Discord," Celestia sighed and shook her head, "we can't go do something like that. It would be deceitful to whoever we each met that night. Besides..." she smiled, "I'd want someone I met to like me for me...don't you agree, Luna?" Luna shrugged as she finished a sip of cola. "Oh, in the long run I suppose yes. But for the moment mostly I'd just like to be admired a little. It sounds like fun." Discord smiled to himself as he polished off another cupcake. "I'd just like to feel loved. Friendship makes me feel loved a little, but it's different, I suppose." The two sisters blinked and were quiet. They looked to each other and then to Discord. At first he just sat there watching the movie like nothing had happened, but then in the middle of sipping his soda his eyes went wide. He quickly cleared his throat and added, "Er...besides, uh...it would really be unfairly depriving all of mare kind if I didn't play the field a little now that I'm a 'good' guy. And I really do love the nightlife, heh." He swallowed. "Maybe you're right, Celestia, no disguises--I'll just start being even more charming than I already am when I'm out partying." Discord chuckled, some of his normal snarky attitude returning. "I might even throw a few blow out mixers here for us. Then the guards could come too. I think we'd all enjoy that, right, ladies?" Celestia and Luna smiled warmly to each other and then to Discord and nodded. "Certainly, Discord, if you'd like," Luna supplied. "I think that could be fun," Celestia added. "I've really enjoyed your parties here so far, Discord--all of the music and the dancing. I think everyone has. So why not?" "Excellent!" Discord perked up at the idea. "Sounds like a plan." Then his eyes went back to the screen, and everything seemed normal once again. A few moments passed, then the chaos master raised an eyebrow and his grin picked up on one side (and his eyes narrowed playfully). "Say, I didn't know this movie had female bat ponies too--now we're getting into the fun part." He smirked. Luna scoffed as she polished off a cupcake. "Oh please, Discord--if you want to talk unrealistic looking, it's these female characters. No mare has looks or a figure like that." Discord shrugged. "I don't know--maybe not normal pony mares, but you capture that gothic beauty they're going for pretty well, Luna." Discord grinned a little at a smiling Luna, and then his gaze drifted over to the sun princess. "And I think Celestia fits the proportions of their figures pretty well. Okay, honestly, I think she excels beyond the proportions of their figures, but my point is made either way." Celestia blushed thoroughly. But then she couldn't help glancing down at herself for a moment with an eyebrow raised. "Discord, you don't really think...I..." Then suddenly she blinked, blushed more, and went back to watching the movie, her eyes a little wide. "Never mind, Discord." Discord's eyes playfully narrowed again, but a warm smile came to his face. "I think that you are the oldest mare in Equestria, Celestia...and I also think that ponies would pay far more to see you strut around on a screen as you naturally are than they ever would to see these dolled up and costumed mares overacting in this movie. And the same goes for your sister." Luna smiled proudly. "Thank you, Discord." Celestia's blushing increased. But she couldn't help smiling slightly. "That's...kind of you to say, Discord...I think." And then she found herself smirking a little and looking at him out of the corner of her eye as she added, "And you can stop pointing out my age any time you'd like, you know." "Hmm..." Luna laughed again, and Discord and Celestia glanced at her. "I'm sorry," she explained, "it's just that I always though being the elder sister was the best thing possible, and so it was something I always secretly wanted for myself. But now Discord has posed a new interesting perspective on the mater." She sipped her soda, holding her head high. "Suddenly, I am quite pleased to be the younger sister." "Oh Luna." Celestia magically tossed a throw pillow at her with a smile. "Eh, I've got you both beat for age," Discord waved them off with a grin, munching some more popcorn. "Discord, how could you even know that?" Celestia asked in amusement. "Trust me, I know." He shrugged and smiled. "Well," Luna moved the pillow aside and put a hoof to her chin, "the only way to know for sure would be for us to share ages. I'm the younger sister though, so I can't really participate...so that would just leave you and Celestia to compare ages. If you're both comfortable sharing of course." She grinned. Celestia and Discord blinked and then looked at each other. There was a silent stalemate for a moment. Discord grinned. "I'm waiting, Celestia--ladies first." Celestia grinned in return. "I was going to say age before beauty." The stalemate continued. Then Celestia sighed and magically tossed a throw pillow at him as well. "Let's just go back to watching the movie." She grinned a little as her eyes found the screen again. "Oh, it's the part where Blue Jay Cobb talks with the other wereponies...I like this part." "For the dialogue or the story?" Luna couldn't help but ask with a slight smirk. Celestia sighed and replied with full confidence, "No, I like it because no one is wearing capes again, and wereponies do get the most interesting cutie marks." She giggled softly, and Luna joined her. Discord laughed too. "Finally, she's completely loosened up. Took long enough." He opened another soda bottle. "Say, after this, can I make a movie suggestion?" Celestia sighed very deeply. "That depends...what suggestion did you have in mind, Discord?" "Oh come on, Celestia, nothing risque." He waved her off. "Hey, how about a good old fashioned horror movie? Those are great to watch together, and the proportion of beautiful women to handsome men is usually pretty even, so we'd all have a good time." "Huzzah!" Luna cheered. "Someone else who has an appreciation for horror movies. Oh sister, please agree--we promise not to pick anything too frightening." Celestia smiled and nodded. "Very well, you two. A horror movie it is. Honestly, after the experience watching this movie together has been, I'll welcome the change of pace." "Oh Tia, you are the silliest princess sometimes, I swear." Discord chuckled. "And now here comes that passionate kiss between Blue Jay and Swannie." Luna turned her attention back to the screen and pointed. Celestia blushed more as she looked at the screen, let her eyes come away but then return.... And then she sighed and smiled softly. Discord's grin picked up a little on one side as he watched the scene playing out too. "Okay, even I have to admit that's passionate. I mean seriously, Luna, are you sure you're not too young to be watching this?" "Discord," Luna magically tossed a throw pillow at him, not taking her eyes off of the movie. Discord chuckled. "Discord...what are you doing?" Celestia saying his name (in a rather strange way) and the very slight gasp through her nose that he heard made Discord glance away from the scene for a moment to the sun princess with an eyebrow raised. And then his eyes went wide. Somehow, during the course of watching the passionate kissing scene, his tail had found its way over the back of the sofa to rest gently around Celestia. And now Celestia just sat there with her eyes wide, finally noticing this new situation because the tuft of his tail was brushing her shoulder. She glanced at him with a blush. Discord blinked several times and instantly removed his tail. "O-Oh! Sorry, erm...I, uh...that thing has a mind of its own sometimes, heh." He cleared his throat, then looked toward the screen and sunk a little low on the sofa, his eyes still wide. "A-And it's just a little cramped on this sofa. You ponies never allot enough tail space when you're designing furniture, and its an error most unforgiveable in you two considering how long your own tails are." He blinked and pointed forward. "Oh, look, it looks like some kind of plot climax or something." He managed a grin and chuckle. "Probably something very overly dramatic. Let's watch." Luna had been observing Discord out of the corner of her eye for a minute or two so far, and she didn't stop now. He seemed casual enough again...though that fact didn't make it any less true that he had been distinctly nervous for a moment or that, for all of his weeks of intentionally flirting and teasing so far, he had just accidentally gotten close enough to her sister in a way to make even himself feel awkward. Celestia, meanwhile, just kept her eyes on the screen but found it hard now to really watch Blue Jay Cobb and Swannie as they continued their embrace. So mostly she just sat there and waited patiently for all of the blushing in her features to subside (and for the scene of the film to run its course). Discord was munching popcorn and sipping soda as casually as ever again, though he watched the progression of the scene now with a dull look in his eyes. Then he sighed and finally grinned and spoke up again as though nothing at all had happened. "Say, we should do something like this with the girls sometime: a movie night. I mean, not this particular movie--that would be too odd even for us. And besides, Rainbow Dash would want nothing to do with it, Applejack thinks unrealistic things are silly, Rarity would be swooning the whole time, Pinkie Pie would have a thousand questions about wereponies and bat ponies, I think Fluttershy's still too traumatized about the whole 'Flutterbat' thing, and the awkwardness of finding out her mentor has a major crush on a fictional breed of pony might actually break Twilight. But we could all just do a normal movie night. That's something friends do together, right?" He glanced at the two sisters with a shrug and a smile. Celestia blinked a few times, then finally came out of her awkward silence. She cleared her throat and nodded. "I think that would be a lovely idea, Discord. We'll try to plan something soon." Her usual poised and warm smile returned. "Indeed," Luna spoke up, smiling warmly too, "and I would not mind additional company for the start of one of my nights." Discord's smile brightened. "Excellent. I really am becoming an expert on friendship." He grinned smugly. "I'm sure Fluttershy will be very proud when she hears. And speaking of being an excellent friend..." He snapped and made three sticks of pink cotton candy appear. "How about a little cotton candy, ladies? Adding some of my own snacks to our little buffet for the rest of the evening is the least I could do." "Why thank you, Discord." Luna's eyes brightened and she took a stick of the pink substance and started eating. "Yes, thank you, Discord." Celestia took a stick as well and took a small bite. Discord smiled in return and nodded. "You're both quite welcome." He sighed, resting back on the sofa and picking up his own stick. "Incidentally, and just to make sure I have the finer points of friendship down...snapping up free cotton candy for your friends is good...but lacing that cotton candy with magic potion to turn one of them into a werepony and one of them into a batpony for the night would be bad, right?" Celestia and Luna instantly stopped eating. The lowered their cotton candy sticks and looked to Discord. Then the yelling began (starting with Luna's Royal Canterlot voice). "DISCORD!" "Discord, you didn't do this, please tell me you didn't do this..." "I am going to give you such nightmares!" "Discord, I am writing to Fluttershy! Really! I can't believe..." "The most obnoxious..." "Irresponsible..." "Ludicrous..." "Immature..." "You'll wish you WERE stone again when I'm through with you!" At this point Discord was just hysterical with laughter, but he managed to get himself under control enough to wave off both princesses and choke out a few words. "L-Ladies, ladies, I-I was kidding! Joking--it's a thing that friends do! Oh, but you should have seen the looks on your faces! Much better than if I had actually laced that cotton candy with a full transfiguration spell! Ha!" He continued to laugh. Celestia and Luna blinked and magically raised a throw pillow each and threw them at the draconequus. "Discord!" they said at the same time. Discord just kept laughing, though he did finally start to get himself more under control. The princesses, meanwhile, just let out deep sighs of relief and shook their heads...though neither could help smiling a little. "One of these days, Discord, I swear..." Luna remarked with a slight chuckle as she took up her cotton candy again. "It's really not that funny, Discord," Celestia added, though she had to give a slight chuckle as well as she resumed eating her cotton candy along with her sister. "Eh, I'm a riot and you know it." Discord waved them off, going back to munching his own cotton candy. "Now come on, it's the final batpony werepony fight sequence--finally some action! Let's watch." He turned his attention back to the screen, as did the princesses. "Hmm," Discord took a swig of cola, "you know, I never thought I could like watching a movie like this until I tried it with you two. Interesting." "Maybe it's not the movie you're enjoying so much as the friendship with us," Celestia suggested with an extra smile. Discord just rolled his eyes and smiled more. "If that's the truth, then I really am becoming as much of a sap from friendship as I feared." "It's okay, we like thee sappy, Discord." Luna chuckled. "I agree...I like you this way too, Discord," Celestia added. Both sisters noticed out of the corners of their eyes that Discord's smile perked up a little though his demeanor and tone remained casual. "Yes, well...I'm still me at the end of the day--what's not to like?" The three friends shared a laugh as the movie went on. And they continued laughing and joking and teasing and enjoying each other's company throughout the rest of the evening. (And the pony sisters didn't even get too upset when they noticed that Discord's cotton candy actually did end up transfiguring them just slightly--specifically by temporarily giving Celestia werepony ears and Luna batpony ones. Though they did pummel him soundly with throw pillows while Discord laughed and laughed and the princesses eventually laughed as well). Overall, it was probably the pleasantest experience Celestia, Luna, and Discord had had so far as roommates. It was a night that gave everyone the most confidence that Discord's reform...and their new friendships...might actually turn out for the best. A few hours later... Luna was gone, and the credits of another film were rolling in the otherwise quiet and dim room while Celestia and Discord dozed peacefully in their respective areas of the sofa. Discord lightly snorted in his sleep, then blinked a few times. He yawned and stretched as he awoke now. "What's going...on? Oh...the movie night." He smiled a little and his eyes fell to Luna's spot on the sofa which was now vacant. He then turned to Celestia's spot. "Tia, I--" Discord paused at the sight of Celestia sound asleep with her head on a throw pillow and a smile on her face (and cupcake frosting staining her lips). Discord rolled his eyes. "Well, I guess I'll be off to bed then. You seem cozy enough, Celestia, I won't wake you." He smiled and then floated up and held up his fingers to snap. But Discord paused for a moment. He rested on his stomach in the air and looked at Celestia...then glanced back to look at his tail resting in the air innocently enough, acting like it hadn't done something Discord had in no way consciously intended for it to do. Discord scowled and blushed and looked away with a pout. His stubborn gaze settled on Celestia for a moment but then he looked away again and turned on his back in the air, seeming lost in thought. Gradually, his features softened. But then Discord just shook his head and snapped himself away to his chaotic room where he decided before falling asleep that from now on perhaps he should leave the pony sisters be during their 'mares only' night with their romantic and passionate movies. He would just pop in for the comedies and dramas and horror movies--somehow they seemed safer, and he knew he (and his tail...and probably Celestia too) would be more comfortable with that arrangement overall.
Keep Calm and Chaos On	Midquel 8: The One After 'Three's a Crowd'	"Oh dearest Fluttershy, thank you for taking the afternoon to escort me all the way back to Canterlot. Truly you are a treasure among ponies. Achoo!" Discord, colored green and encased in his quarantine sick bubble, sneezed (causing several soap bubbles to appear floating in his sick bubble for a few seconds before disappearing). He sighed and blew his nose with a hanky. "It's no problem at all, Discord, I promise." Fluttershy smiled up at her friend. She had just rolled him off of a royal chariot sent especially by the princesses to pick him up from Ponyville and bring him back to the castle in Canterlot. The master of chaos, in his weakened state, had been staying with her at her cottage in Ponyville for the last week ever since his awkwardly backfiring misadventure with Twilight, Cadance, and a certain Tatzulwurm. But now finally Discord was better enough that Fluttershy as well as all of the princesses felt he could make the trip 'home' to Canterlot. Besides which, everyone had agreed that the master of chaos could get better fastest at the Canterlot castle with its round-the-clock available care and its two powerful alicorn princesses on hand capable of advanced healing magic. And so, albeit reluctantly, Discord himself had finally agreed to the move as well. Still though, that concession didn't mean he wouldn't miss his best friend caring for him. "And...you'll come visit me here this weekend, right?" Discord asked Fluttershy with a dramatic (if slightly sincere) frown. "And you won't stop visiting on the weekends until I'm all better? And you'll write me every day in between?" He blinked and glanced away with a casual shrug. "I mean, it's just so boring being in this bubble and still having my magic a little on the fritz. Having something to read would be helpful." Fluttershy smiled more and nodded. "Of course, Discord. I'll visit each weekend until you're all better. And I'll write you as much as you want. I'll have Spike send the letters so they can get to you right away." Discord smiled a little as he slouched in his bubble. "Yes, well...that's something to look forward to then, I guess. Achoo!" He sneezed (and this time he gave himself blue polka dots for about ten seconds). Discord pouted, and a very dry look came to his features. "I really wish these magical sneezes would stop. Chaos isn't fun unless I'm in control of it. Otherwise, we're just dealing with pure anarchy--how uncouth." Fluttershy held back a giggle. "Oh come on, Discord, it's gotten better. The effects only last a few seconds now." She turned to lean over into the chariot and removed a satchel, which she placed on the ground near Discord's bubble. "Now, all of the medicine I've been giving you is in there along with some soothing herbal tea and a letter about the progress of your health for the princesses. And I'm sure they'll be very happy to have you back." She hesitated but then asked cautiously, "Um...do they know exactly what you were doing that led to you getting sick, Discord?" Discord sighed and nodded with a dry look. "Yes, I'm pretty sure Twilight filled them in on the colorful details of my shenanigans. Ugh, I just know that as soon as Luna wakes up, she's going to rub this in my face--she loves when I get my comeuppance." "Aw, Discord," Fluttershy put her hoof against the bubble and smiled, "I'm sure the princesses will realize you're in a delicate state and won't tease you too much." Discord shrugged, glancing away with a stubborn scowl. "Yeah, well...we'll see." He swallowed and looked back to Fluttershy, his eyes widening and his voice softening. "Are you sure I can't stay with you just a little longer, Fluttershy?" Fluttershy smiled more but shook her head. "Discord, this is best for your recovery. Trust me. And as soon as you're better we'll have a tea party at my house. I promise." Discord frowned in a touch of disappointment but then couldn't help smiling a little. "Well...all right, a tea party does sound nice as soon as I'm out of this ridiculous bubble." "Announcing, the princesses!" a guard suddenly called out near the castle entrance as he gave a salute. Fluttershy's eyes brightened and she moved past Discord's bubble to greet Celestia and Luna as they entered the courtyard now. She bowed before them. "Princess Celestia, Princess Luna." She rose. "It's so nice to see you again. And I know Discord's happy to be home, aren't you, Discord?" She glanced over her shoulder. Discord just sat stewing again in his sick bubble, arms crossed over his chest. "Yes, I suppose." Then he blinked and raised an eyebrow. "Luna? What are you doing up at this hour?" While Celestia just stood there with her normal poised smile, Luna was grinning distinctly at the master of chaos. "Oh, I would not miss this for anything." She sighed and shook her head. "A tatzulwurm Discord, really...?" "Oh, like I'm supposed to know they live under giant magical flowers and have diseases communicable to Draconequui." Discord rolled his eyes. "Luna, come on, don't tease him," Celestia chided her sister. She smiled at Fluttershy. "We're very happy to have Discord back and to see you as well, Fluttershy. Thank you for escorting him here and for taking such good care of him this last week." "Oh, it was no problem at all," Fluttershy assured. She picked up the satchel and put it in front of the princesses. "This has all of the medicine I've been giving him in it and some notes about his symptoms and care too. I'm still not sure what his disease is exactly, so I've been treating him with a combination of things and it seems to be helping. He'll have to stay in his sick bubble until the green color and the magical sneezing goes away though." "Magical sneezing?" Luna raised an eyebrow. Fluttershy nodded. "Yes. When he sneezes right now, he makes little bits of chaos happen. They only last a few seconds though." Luna's smile grew and she did her best to cover up a laugh. "I see. Excellent to know." In the background, Discord rolled his eyes. "We'll keep an eye on the sneezing, Fluttershy," Celestia assured. "And I'm sure I have some spells that can add to your remedies to get him better in no time." Fluttershy nodded. "I thought you might. Oh, and please make sure he gets plenty of sleep and drinks plenty of water, but not the glasses too--they're too rough on his tummy right now. And try not to let him use his magic too much--it still wears him out a lot. And no matter what he says, he has to stay away from eating sweets as much as possible. They definitely make him sneeze more." Celestia smiled more. "We'll keep a very close eye on him, Fluttershy." She winked. "Uh, hello? Can we all stop talking about me like I'm not here? And like I'm a newborn foal?" Discord called out from the background. Fluttershy sighed and leaned close to the princesses to whisper. "He's a bit of a stubborn patient. He really does want to get better though so he can get out of the bubble--just keep at him, and he'll listen eventually." Celestia and Luna tried not to giggle and just nodded. Discord just scoffed and sighed dramatically again. Fluttershy turned and walked back over to him with a smile. "Discord, I have to head back now. Please do everything the princesses say. They want you to get better just as much as I do. Promise?" Discord slouched more in his bubble but nodded. "Very well, Fluttershy, I promise." Fluttershy's smile brightened. "Good. I'll write to you tomorrow. Bye for now, Discord." Then she reached her hooves into the sleeve attachments of the bubble and gave Discord a hug. "I hope you feel all better very soon." Discord blinked at her hug, and his eyes went wide. He glanced at the princesses. Luna and Celestia smiled, but then Celestia turned away and gave Luna a little nudge to turn away too. Finally having a small amount of privacy, Discord looked down to Fluttershy who was still hugging him and, awkwardly, he hugged her back (or, to be more accurate, he hugged her arms in the bubble sleeves). "Thank you, Fluttershy," he replied softly. "And, you know...thank you for taking such good care of me." Fluttershy smiled up at him. "I was glad to, Discord. That's what friends are for." She gave him a little extra squeeze and pulled back with a smile. She waved as she re-entered the chariot. "Bye Discord, Bye Princess Celestia, Bye Princess Luna!" "Goodbye, kind Fluttershy!" Luna called out with a wave as she turned to face forward again. "Goodbye, Fluttershy, and have a pleasant ride home!" Celestia called out with a wave of her own, then turned and faced forward once more. Discord gave the little yellow pegasus a small wave too (and did his best to cover up a frown at her leaving). The chariot departed. Celestia and Luna were left with Discord in a sick bubble. Luna couldn't help herself. She approached him with a grin, looking the bubble over. "Now this we really must commission a stained glass window of, sister--I think we should entitle it 'Diseased Draconequus Gets his Just Desserts'." "Didst thou stay up all morning thinking up that one, Luna?" Discord asked dryly, scowling at her. "Didst thou realize that green is not thine color, Discord?" Luna smirked. The master of chaos frowned and scowled more. "I knew I should have saved the 'I'm sick, help me and prove you're my true friend!' bit for you two instead of for Twilight and Cadance. Then at least I would have had the fun of spreading some chaos to you insufferable pony sisters before getting ill and being stuck in this stupid bubble." Luna grinned and poked the bubble, ignoring his lamentation. "Does this mean we get to roll you around the castle from now until you're better?" "Oh, if I wasn't in this bubble, Luna..." Discord pouted (though he almost smirked a little too at her joke). "Ah, but you are in the bubble, Discord, you are in the bubble." Luna winked. Discord held his nose high in the air. "I shouldn't even be dignifying this conversation by respond--ACHOO!" Discord sneezed and was instantly covered with pink feathers. His eyes went wide. Luna blinked and then smiled so very much. "Oh, this is too rich..." "Oh shut up, Luna." Discord pouted and scowled as the feathers disappeared. "Oh come on, I'm just teasing you. I promise, this whole thing really isn't that funny...really..." Luna put a hoof to her mouth and stifled a laugh as best she could. Discord just sighed and rolled his eyes. "You know, you can feel free to go to bed any time, Luna." He grinned a little and moved his bubble to right in front of the sun princess. "I'm sure dear Celestia is all set to take care of me for the rest of the day. Incidentally, in my terribly weakened state I enjoy foot massages, excessive compliments, and being sung to. Oh, and Fluttershy was definitely lying about the 'no sweets' rule, so how about a nice big cake to celebrate my return home, hmm?" He grinned more. Celestia blinked a few times but then just smiled warmly at him. "Your feet seem fine, Discord, especially since you haven't been on them for over a week; you've gotten enough compliments from kind Fluttershy lately I'm sure; and I think you've had enough singing for a while considering that musical performance I heard you put on at Twilight's house. And I'm a little more inclined to believe Fluttershy's opinion about the sweets than yours." She grinned a little as she spread her magical aura around Fluttershy's medicine satchel and Discord's bubble to pull them along after her. "Come on, Discord, I'll prepare you some nice soup for lunch and look after you until tonight. Luna," she glanced over her shoulder and paused for a moment, "would you like to join us? Provided you and Discord can hold off on the insults until after the meal, that is?" She smiled. Luna chuckled but shook her head. "I'm afraid I shall have to decline, sister. I'm tired from staying up waiting for Discord's arrival all afternoon. I think I'll take a nap before my duties start this evening." She spread her wings to head up to her balcony. "Have a pleasant meal. And Discord?" Discord rolled his eyes. "Yes...what gag do you want to end on, Luna?" Luna smiled but shook her head. "No gag, Discord." She shrugged. "I just wanted to say that I hope you're well soon. I hate being sick myself--all cooped up and confined. I promise my sister and I shall do our best to make you well again as quickly as possible." Discord's eyes went a little wide. "Oh...well, um...thanks then, I guess." He smiled a little in return, though couldn't help raising an eyebrow as well. Luna chuckled softly, nodded, and then flew off in the direction of her tower. Celestia chuckled softly too. "Come on, Discord, we'll have a nice quiet meal together, and then we'll look over everything Fluttershy left for you. And it's very good to see you again. We really do miss you when you're gone...though it's nice you got to spend some time with Twilight and Cadance." She led them through the castle entrance. Discord smiled and chuckled. "Yes, well, I have to say, however badly it ended for me, the chaos I put those two through was worth it. They went through every stunt imaginable for me. And they still think of me as a friend." He half smiled and twirled his beard around one of his fingers. Celestia raised an eyebrow. "Do you see how strong the magic of friendship is now, Discord?" Discord blinked then pouted and slouched again. "Celestia, do you really have to rub in a moral lesson right now? I'm sick." He gave a dramatic sigh. The sun princess just laughed and shook her head. "Fine, we'll save it until later then. For now you can just rest and keep me company while I spend all afternoon doing paperwork." She eyed him. "Won't that be a nice, straightforward, orderly change of pace for you after your chaotic little escapades at Twilight's and Cadance's expenses?" Discord's eyes popped open and then he collapsed back dramatically in his bubble and sighed. "No, not paperwork! Ugh! I knew you wouldn't let me get away with what I did without some silly punishment!" Celestia held her head just a little higher and her smile grew. "Oh Discord, there's no need to be so dramatic. And who knows--you might even learn to like paperwork. You won't know until you try...for a few hours." She eyed him again with a smile almost like a smirk and then turned down the corridor leading to the kitchens. "Now let's go get you all set up with that hot soup I promised you." "Mmm..." Discord groaned in annoyance, a dull look in his eye and a pout on his features as Celestia pulled his sick bubble along. Later that evening long after the soup and Discord's paperwork-watching 'punishment' and enough time for Celestia to finish her affairs for the day, the sun princess and the master of chaos found themselves alone in Celestia's study as they prepared to complete the most difficult step of all in Discord's daily treatment regimen. "Discord, you have to take your medicine." Celestia was firm. And her magic steadily held up the spoon of medicine in Discord's sick bubble. "Oh come on," Discord rolled his eyes at Celestia and at the medicine. "I've been taking that stuff every night for a week now, and mostly to be polite to Fluttershy. But frankly it's awful! It tastes like pureed vegetables and burnt toast! And besides, I'm close enough to better now--I'm sure my body can handle fixing me up the rest of the way on its own." Despite the conviction in his tone that there was no chance he was going to let the medicine in his mouth, Discord still eyed the floating spoon of liquid with a touch of worry as he pressed himself back more against one side of his bubble and held up one of his blankets in defense. Celestia shook her head, though she still smiled patiently. She was seated at her desk chair and facing him. "Discord, you have to finish the whole regimen, even if you're feeling better. Otherwise you might have a relapse. Come on now, please...for me." She smiled a little more. "I know I'm not Fluttershy, but I hope I'm a good enough consolation prize as a friend." Discord pouted all the more though, and his look went dry. "Celestia, I have my limits, even about humoring you." Celestia let out a soft sigh but still continued smiling patiently. "Very well, Discord." She smiled more. "By the way, considering the very unfair trick you played on Twilight and Cadance, we've decided the best course of action as part of your reform is to banish you to the Crystal Empire for a while. The Crystal Heart there should dull your magic quite a bit, and you'll be Cadance's personal servant. Have fun." "WHAT? I--Mmph!" Discord's jaw had naturally fallen open at this announcement, and as he had begun to cry out in protest, Celestia magically pushed the spoon forward and right into his mouth. The sun princess grinned triumphantly. "Gotchya." She laughed softly and magically made the spoon disappear, leaving only the medicine in Discord's mouth. "Now swallow. It's already in your mouth, Discord, you might as well let it help you." Discord just remained sitting there with his eyes bugged out and his mouth full for a moment but then finally swallowed, a shiver going through him as he did so. "Ugh, dreadful! I swear, I--ACHOO!" He sneezed and suddenly his bubble was full of flowers. Celestia tried very hard not to laugh. Discord huffed and stewed until the flowers disappeared. "I really hate being sick," he mumbled with a scowl. "And I hate even more when you get tricky." Celestia smiled and shook her head. "I'm sorry. I had to, Discord. And you'll be better soon. Besides, all I'm doing is trying to provide the care for you that you requested when you first moved in here--food, clothing, shelter, remember? Right now medicine is the food you need, for clothing there's all of your blankets to keep you warm, and for shelter there's your bubble. I'm just trying to help you maintain the status quo of all of that." She sighed as she magically made another blanket and pillow appear in the bubble for him. "Discord, I really still can't believe you brought a tatzulwurm into your prank. That was irresponsible, even for you. You're lucky you just got a flu from it." The sun princess frowned. "Hey," Discord pouted, "look, just to be clear, the tatzulwurm was a surprise even to me. I'm into pranks and gags, not dismemberment, and that thing was ready to tear me and the girls apart." He shivered. "Incidentally, if you ever need any help with anything on the edges of Equestria, please count me out--I never want to get anywhere near one of those things again." Celestia smiled a little. "Oh Discord, I know you didn't mean to bring the tatzulwurm into this." Discord raised an eyebrow. "You do?" Celestia nodded as she magically put away Discord's medicine bottle in Fluttershy's satchel. "Yes. Like you said, violence isn't really your style. And besides, with your response to the worm's appearance as Twilight and Cadance described it to me in their letters, I can tell you were genuinely surprised by its presence. My disappointment is in the fact that you didn't research those flowers a little better, Discord. Almost everything that grows in Equestria has magic or some kind of magical creature attached to it. Please, in the future with pranks, take more time to look into things, hmm?" She smiled and shrugged. Discord sighed and nodded. "Fine, fair enough. I'll research my pranks a little better next...next...ACHOO!" Discord's bubble instantly filled with balloon animals. They soon popped though. "Ugh, you know what I mean..." He blew into his hanky and then collapsed back against his pillows again. "I'm exhausted. You have no idea how draining it is to have chaos actually pulled from you, Celestia." He sighed and then glanced at her, pouting a little. "Tia, can I have some of the tea Fluttershy sent over?" Celestia smiled softly and nodded. "Certainly, Discord." She used her magic to make a nice steaming mug of the special blend appear floating in the air. Discord pouted more. "And can you put lots of honey in it? Fluttershy's been depriving me of sweets, but I need to get sugar from somewhere." Celestia nodded and made a jar of honey appear. "Of course, Discord." She added several spoonfuls to the tea. Discord still pouted though, and his eyes became bigger and more pleading. "And just a drop of cream too?" Celestia sighed and nodded once more. "Of course, Discord." She made the honey disappear and made a small porcelain pitcher appear which she used to pour the cream. "And could I have just a dash of hot sauce in it for the sake of chaos?" Discord grinned innocently. Celestia blinked and shook her head with a grin. "Don't push it, Discord. Hot sauce isn't for sick people no matter how chaotic they are. Discord rolled his eyes and shrugged with a half smile. "Fair enough, I suppose. And in that case, I suppose you can send it in now, Tia." Celestia nodded and teleported the cup in to the bubble. Discord quickly took it up and sipped with a big smile and a sigh of relaxation. Celestia smiled at the sight of him. But then she frowned a little and raised an eyebrow. "Discord, you're really going to be okay then...?" Discord nodded as he finished another sip of tea. "Oh, yes, yes, of course, I...Why?" He raised an eyebrow at her. Celestia smiled a little sheepishly and looked down. "Oh, it's just...honestly, I never thought you could get sick. You're so powerful, after all. But I always assumed if you did get sick it would be a very serious thing." She frowned again. Discord lowered his teacup and almost chuckled. "Oh please, Tia, nothing's serious with me, you should know that." He watched her smile again and had to add softly, "You...really care that I'm okay even after everything I put your student and niece though?" His eyes were a little wide. Celestia smiled and nodded. "Of course I care about your well being, Discord. And you might have gone a little too far, but I know you were just trying to relate to the girls and explore friendship in your own way. I'm just glad to hear you'll be better soon." Her smile brightened. "Is there anything else you need before bed, Discord?" Discord blinked, almost frowned a little, and then glanced to the side and cleared his throat. "Well...never mind, it's silly." He sipped is tea again. Celestia's eyes narrowed playfully and her smile grew. "Discord..." Discord sighed dramatically. "Fluttershy would tell me a story each night before bed. It helps me sleep." He pouted, his tone going a little dry. "But don't tell Luna that I like bedtime stories, she'd never let me live it down." Celestia laughed softly. "I won't. And I'd be happy to tell you a story myself, Discord. I used to tell stories to Twilight all the time when she'd sleep over here when she was a little filly." Discord blinked. "Really? You will?" Celestia nodded. "Shall I teleport us to your room?" Discord sighed and had to shake his head. "No, I can't sleep there in this condition. It's pretty chaotic in there, and I can't really regulate chaos at the moment. Could I spend the night in here?" Celestia blinked and tilted her head to the side, her smile growing. "In here--really? Not in my room?" Discord blushed a little, but was grateful for his green coloring and the sick bubble probably hiding it. "Well, I...I...ACHOO!" He sneezed again--this time the bubble filled with pies that flew out and crashed against the inside. They disappeared a few seconds later. Discord sighed, his tone dry. "It's better I don't. I might accidentally sneeze up something that'll pop this thing, and then before I can get it up and running again I could spread whatever I've got to you. And I'd rather not let that happen." He blinked a few times, and then quickly added, trying to keep things as casual as possible, "A-After all, I think Twilight would not respond well if I got you or Luna sick, so, you know..." He held his teacup with his tail and twiddled his fingers together. Celestia smiled so much. She didn't say anything though, just nodded. "Very well. You can stay in here, Discord. And I'll stay for a little while and tell you a story until you fall asleep." Discord couldn't help smiling in response, though he did his best to hide it. "Yes, well...as my hostess, that's the least you could do." He shrugged. Celestia rolled her eyes and laughed softly. Then suddenly she stood up and approached his bubble, put her hooves through the sleeves, and wrapped her forelegs around Discord in a bug hug, pulling him close and smiling happily! Discord's eyes went wide and he straightened up in a near panic. "CELESTIA!!! What are you doing?!?!" His blushing was unconcealable now, even against the green veneer of the sick bubble. Celestia just laughed softly. "I'm afraid Fluttershy's instructions said to include hugs when appropriate in your treatment regimen. Now seemed as good a time as any." Discoid sighed deeply, his look going dry (and his blush deepening a little). "Oh for the sake of chaos..." Celestia laughed more and hugged him for a moment longer before pulling back. She removed her legs from the bubble sleeves and did her best not to laugh at the look of fluster on his face. "So, what story would you like to hear, Discord?" Discord blinked a few times and cleared his throat to snap out of his awkwardness. "Hmm..." He smirked a little, settling into his blankets. He took up his teacup in his hands to sip from it once more. "Well, as I told you once before, Celestia, my favorite stories are ones about me and ones where I come off really good." He chuckled. Celestia grinned...but then she considered and nodded. "Very well then." She lay down on her sofa by Discord's bubble and cleared her throat to begin. "Once upon a time in the magical land of Equestria...there was a great and mighty lord of chaos who met two magical princesses. The chaos sprit and the princesses didn't get along, I'm afraid...and in the end everyone may have gone a little too far, and the three couldn't be friends. But luckily one day, when the princesses started to understand the magic of friendship much better, the master of chaos returned...and the princesses, particularly the one who loved the sun, started to wonder if they really could all be friends and happy together." Discord actually scoffed at this point. Celestia glanced over at him and noticed the slightly distressed look on his features that he was trying to hide. Discord rolled his eyes. "Celestia," he interrupted, "really, I know you're doing your best to make me 'come off good' here and all, but...well, that particular story doesn't even have an ending yet! Wouldn't it be better to just make up a story instead and insert me in it?" Celestia only smiled more. "I'm better at telling stories than at making them up, I'm afraid. And besides I do love taking my time with telling a story, so you might fall asleep before I even get close to finishing it. But of course...if you are still awake by that time, I'm open to suggestions for how the story should end." She let her eyes meet his. Discord blinked and looked down, his eyes a little wide. "I..." And then he cleared his throat and shook his head. "Yes, well, I-I can't be expected to narrate right now. I'm sick... Just...Just keep going for now and we'll cross the bridge of the ending when we get there." He settled more into his blankets once again and looked down into his teacup. Celestia nodded. Then she went on. "So the sun princess asked a very magical and generous and loyal and honest and laughter-filled and kind group of girls to help her show the chaos creature the magic of friendship. And soon they were all able to start living together, trying to find harmony in their differences...as well as trying to find the beauty of the disharmony their differences could sometime create. And the sun princess was very happy as their adventures were only just beginning. And she hoped most of all that the chaos lord was happy too, and that he knew deep down, no matter what happened, that she would do anything to keep the elements or her own powers or even some new magic in a special chest from causing him distress or harm. Because she liked him very much, and thought sometimes that he perhaps liked her very much as well." Celestia smiled a little and let her eyes meet Discord's. Discord's eyes went a little wide, and then he looked back to the safety of his tea, waiting for her to go on. Celestia did go on, and she really told a beautiful rendition of the events of their friendship up until now. As she got close to the present though, she glanced over to see Discord with his eyes closed and snoring lightly. Despite a touch of disappointment, she left off in her story for the moment, stood and whispered a goodnight to him quietly, and then lowered the lamps in the room and left. Discord wasn't exactly asleep. He just hadn't wanted to cross the bridge of 'so what do you think will happen next in the story of the draconequus and the princesses Discord?' It was an awkward bridge...and it would have been made more awkward for both himself and Celestia since he had to admit that he wasn't quite sure anymore how it would end--happy or sad, good or bad, tragedy or comedy. So he had taken refuge in the present by pretending to be asleep and then eventually dozing off a few minutes after Celestia finally left. He'd been through a lot with his illness, he figured he deserved the small cop out. Still, this whole experience had given Discord a lot to think about. After all of his shenanigans ever since his reform, even after the chaos symphony that had been his 'blue flu' routine, all of these ponies could still...care about him. And even after an all out war a thousand years ago and his chaotic threats only a few month ago during his initial break out, Celestia somehow liked him, she really and truly did. And he really and truly...maybe...possibly...sort of did like her a little (though he wouldn't rule out that that conclusion was just his slight fever talking right now). None of it made any sense, but not in any way he was used to. All he knew was that he clearly didn't quite understand something yet about friendship, but he had this feeling he was going to understand soon. And he sincerely wasn't sure what would happen when that moment came to pass.
Keep Calm and Chaos On	Midquel 9: The One with Chaos and the Moon	Night was fully fallen over the land of Equestria, and Princess Luna sat upon a cloud high in the air over Canterlot Castle with her eyes closed just savoring the cool evening breeze and the glow of the moonlight overhead. Despite any past regrets about ponies not staying up to admire her nights, Luna had to admit that she did like the peace and quiet of nighttime in a way...and she had especially come to savor such times of serene solitude ever since Discord had moved into the castle. Luna took in another deep inhale of the night around her and sighed. She opened her eyes and began to speak softly to herself. "It's nice to have some freedom from Discord during my time on duty. I cannot imagine how Celestia gets any work done with him pestering her throughout her days. I suppose I should feel grateful that he hasn't yet focused such attention on me." She considered, looking down a little. "His tendencies must be partly a matter of convenience of course--Discord tends to sleep at night like most creatures, after all. And yet...even when I am awake during the days or late at night and even when he is pulling some late night shenanigan, he seems most interested in spending time with Celestia, which suggests either that he feels less comfortable trying to become friends with me...or that he feels unusually comfortable around her." Luna almost smiled a little. She let her eyes drift in the direction of Celestia's tower as she continued to ponder. A surprising sight met her eyes, however, and she blinked. There, floating near Celestia's window, was none other than Discord himself reclining on a lounge chair in the air with a pair of sunglasses and a straw hat on. And he was grinning distinctly and occasionally glancing into the window in question. Luna raised an eyebrow and descended from her cloud to investigate. She swooped in and came to rest on a cloud near the chaos spirit. The night princess cleared her throat. "Good evening, Discord. I'm glad to see you're feeling better enough from your illness to spend some time outdoors again." Discord glanced away from the window and grinned as tilted down his sunglasses to look at Luna. "Luna! My favorite nighttime princess friend and fellow appreciator of a well-bothered Celestia--how nice to see you. And yes, I'm feeling right as chocolate rain again." He chuckled as he snapped away the glasses and the hat. Luna sighed and rolled her eyes, though she couldn't help smiling a little. "Discord, what are you up to?" The chaos master rolled his eyes to the side 'innocently'. "Oh I was just catching some moonbeams. Good for the complexion you know." Discord snapped away his lounge chair, replacing it with a pink cotton candy cloud to reside upon, and shrugged. "But then I got to thinking, gee, it's been hours since I made Celestia prove to me that we're really friends by having her endure one of my little pranks, and so I've just been keeping an eye on my latest one. I'm really excited to see how it works. If you promise not to tell Celestia about it, I'll show it to you." He leaned forward with a smug grin. Luna blinked. "It doesn't involve anything that could potentially harm her, right? Nor any dark magic vines?" Her look went dry. Discord shook his head. "Nope! Perfectly safe chaos only. Look." He gestured to Celestia's chamber window. Luna moved closer to look inside. She saw the room aglow in the light of the fireplace and her sister sound asleep...though not in her bed: instead, Celestia was resting upon a nearby cotton candy cloud that was hovering over the floor. Discord chuckled. "The second she wakes up from her peaceful little slumber, that cloud plops to the floor and then bursts into chocolate milk. It'll take her hours to get the stains out of her fur, let alone the rug." He laughed more. Luna just grinned a little and shook her head. "Truly, the sophistication and wit of your pranks knows no bounds, Discord." Discord waved her off. "Oh, it'll be funny and you know it. And I plan to camp out right here until dawn to watch that angry look that'll flash over her face for the few seconds after my prank happens." He nodded triumphantly with a grin and crossed his arms over his chest. Luna glanced from Celestia to Discord and had to smile a little more. "You enjoy interacting with her very much, don't you, Discord?" Discord shrugged. "Well, she's my 'friend', after all.... " He smirked. "What's not to enjoy?" Luna grinned more. "Indeed. In fact, I think you've come to place a special personal value on any attention she gives you, regardless of whether it's positive or negative." Discord just scoffed and rolled his eyes, waving her off. "Oh Luna, that's ridiculous." "Me thinks the draconequus doth protest too much." Luna's grin grew. "Me thinks the night princess ought to quit overanalyzing my chaos." Discord stuck out his tongue. "She's special to you, will you at least admit that?" Luna smiled all knowingly. "I mean, it's obvious, of course, but it might be nice for you to admit it. She seems to have some kind of quality that...attracts your interest." Luna watched Discord carefully out of the corner of her eye. Discord sighed and suddenly snapped up an emery board and made a little show of 'casually' filing his talon. "Luna, really, I have no idea where you're getting these wild theories from." His eyes remained down. Luna sighed, held up a hoof, began counting. "Well, there's that whole 'date' overnight in her room that you orchestrated when you first came here, there's how you insisted upon dancing with her on two hooves at your first house party, there are your frequent cake dates together, there's pretty much everything about how you interacted with her during our movie night, there's the fact that you're watching her sleep right now..." Discord cleared his throat loudly and pouted with a sigh. "The 'sleepover' thing was a gag to break the ice when I moved in, the dance at my housewarming party was part of a wager to get me to clean up after myself the next day, our cake dates are just between friends, I'm afraid I refuse to recall anything unusual about your movie night, and I told you what I'm watching right now is a prank--the fact that it also involves watching your sister is mere coincidence." He snapped away the emery board and crossed his arms over his chest as his eyes finally came up. "And anyway, what's your point, Luna?" Luna did her best not to chuckle. 'Celestia is the only one I know who can look more stubborn than he can when she's bothered.' "Well..." she went on, "you seem to pay her much more attention than you do to me...and you seem to joke with her and prank her much more than you do to me...and you seem to gravitate much more toward her company than to mine. You both just seem to get along very well. Certainly better than you and I do at any rate." She took a breath and glanced out to the night. "This I the first night I've seen you about, after all. And I think this is the first conversation we've ever had alone since you moved in here...besides of course the one where you strolled into my chamber when you first arrived and just thought you could announce yourself as my new roommate without consequences." Some of her smile returned. Discord raised an eyebrow. Then a relaxed smile returned to his features. "Oh Luna, is that what this line of questioning is all about deep down? Don't seriously tell me you're jealous of Celestia's friendship with me." He scoffed. "I like you just as much as I like Celestia." He grinned as he added for good measure, "Of course, I'm not admitting to liking either one of you much at all no matter what wild presumptions you two have made about me actually enjoying my time here. But the point is, I value your friendship just as much as Celestia's. In fact, I..." he glanced away and took a deep breath, "...I actually find it sort of comforting having you around. I mean, it's just nice not to be the only one in the castle who's been punished for a thousand years, you know?" Luna blinked and instantly brought her attention back to the chaos master, her eyes wide. "Discord...why did you never tell me this?" "Honestly?" Discord shrugged with a half smile and looked to her again. "I think I was trying to be sensitive, but I've never tried that before, so I can't swear to it." "Discord, what are you talking about?" Luna tilted her head to the side. Discord sighed deeply and rolled his eyes as he reclined back on his cloud a little. "Look, Luna, maybe part of the reason I torment Celestia as much as I do is that I figure, well...considering the whole Nightmare Moon thing, you probably get enough guff each day in little ways from people already, so you don't need me adding to it. Believe me, I get guff myself. But Celestia's always just trotting around as perfect as ever--she needs a little resistance in her life, she needs someone to engage her on equal terms, and I am more than willing to fulfill those needs. She is the ideal subject for the magic of chaos." He chuckled and looked to Luna again. "And besides," he smiled a little, "I don't much like when people insensitively bring up my statue days, so I figured you wouldn't like me willy nilly bringing up you moon days. Simple as that, really." "Discord, you actually cared enough about me to put all of that thought behind your actions towards me as a friend?" Luna's eyes widened. Discord crossed his arms over his chest. "Hey, it was just as much for my benefit as for yours. I just didn't want to end up blasted into a wall again with your Royal Canterlot Voice or something if I said anything the wrong way. Actually..." his grin picked up on one side, "I have to tell you, when I was a statue and first realized the Nightmare Moon thing had happened...I was pretty impressed." Luna gestured to herself with her hoof. "You were impressed...with me...about that?" "Of course." Discord nodded and raised an eyebrow. "I always figured you and Tia were the stuffiest princesses ever. But then you go and show that it's not all sunshine and rainbows--you go and show that there's something complicated in your perfect sisterly reign. You go and show that sometimes people can't just tow the orderly line! You changed everything!" His grin grew and his eyes brightened. "Celestia might have the perfect royal reputation, but you're the one who's had the truly fascinating life. I mean, in the future, if someone has to pick a biography on one of you to look at, do you think they're going to want to read about Celestia faithfully doing paperwork and holding court for centuries or you battling loneliness and rage under the influence of dark magic due to the most epic banishment in history?" He smiled more, and his voice lowered a little. "I mentioned this to Celestia just after my 'reform', and it was mostly to bug her, but it was also the truth: you're the 'fun' princess, Luna. You're passionate and quirky and have a sophisticated sense of humor, your holiday is the best one in my opinion with all the scaring people and crazy costumes, and you're in charge of all the nightlife and dreams too! You're liked more than you give yourself credit for, Luna, by me and others, no matter how much attention Celestia 'attracts'." He rolled his eyes and then looked to Luna again, his arms crossed over his chest. The night princess was smiling so much by the end of this speech. "Discord...thank you. Truly." She considered for a moment then added, "You know, I think you fascinate people as well, Discord. Your history is even more colorful and fantastical than mine. Except for, well...the stone time." She frowned a little. "But your experiences there could be just as interesting as mine on the moon." "Hmm..." Discord sighed, glancing up at the celestial body (looking like a large bit of stone itself with its cool, gray color and rocky texture). "Maybe we should compare banishment notes sometime." Luna's gaze couldn't help but fall to the statue garden below, bathed in moonlight, and she nodded. "Indeed, perhaps one day we should." There was a momentary peaceful silence between the two friends. Then Discord spoke again. "You know...that's kind of another reason I find it easier to be around Celestia, Luna." He cleared his throat, just looking up at the night sky in general now. "After all, with the Nightmare Moon thing and the girls helping restore you to your true self...well, you're like the greatest and most impressive 'reform' story ever. And if I spend too much time with you then people might start expecting me to live up to your glory about the whole thing. I mean, one moment of friendship, and you were perfectly back to the side of good. And now look at you--a beloved princess serving her people with strength and grace...even if you do use the word 'thou' and the royal 'we' way too much." He smiled a little more as his eyes drifted back to Luna. Luna blinked, then looked at him again. "Discord, my case was unique. I was under the sway of dark magic, and that one spark of friendship from the Elements instantly purged it. I wasn't a villain making a conscious choice and effort to gradually change my ways." Her brow furrowed. "...You're considering taking this reform seriously, aren't you? As in something long term?" Discord grinned and opened his mouth like he was going to give one of his usual cheeky replies. But then he paused...and then he thought...and then he sighed. When he spoke, his voice was quiet and just a touch serious. "To be perfectly honest, I haven't decided yet." Luna's eyes went a little wide but she remained quiet and just listened with interest. Discord went on. "I'm still very aware of my ability to rule Equestria with chaos. And I'm still not too happy about all of that time in stone...." He scowled a little. "And I'm still a rather selfish lord of chaos when you get right down to it." Luna raised an eyebrow. Discord went on, and his look softened as he did so. "But...I do sort of like this easy, relaxed life I have now...and I do like tea parties with Fluttershy...and--I won't admit this in the morning light but--I do like you and dear Celestia too. I'm not sure what I'm going to end up doing exactly." He looked to the moon princess and let his voice lower a little. "Luna, I'm only being this blunt with you because I think of anyone you'd understand the most what this 'reform' thing must be like for me, and I think you can handle some hard truth from me. But don't tell Celestia what I just said to you. I think it would...disappoint her a lot to hear that this whole experience hasn't been a great big bed of cotton candy and chaos flowers for me." He sighed and rolled his eyes. "It's just...I know she'll blame herself somehow, but it's really not her fault. You two and the girls have been bending over backwards to tolerate me with friendship. Any of my doubts are on me. Plain and simple." He sighed and looked forward again, his gaze a little dull. "It's nothing personal. In the end, I just...might not turn out to be a good guy deep down, that's all." There was silence for a while. Then Luna spoke, a look of deep concentration on her features. "Discord, I understand your doubts, and I appreciate you sharing them with me." She tried to catch his eyes with hers. "We want to be your friend, Discord--and by 'we' I mean all of us." She almost smiled a little, but then looked serious again as she added, "But you must know, if you attack, even without the Elements, we will have to fight you for the safety of the nation." Discord looked back at her. He considered, then gave a single nod. "Fair enough. But I don't think I'd attack. Maybe I don't even want to rule Equestria anymore exactly. I think I'd just want to be free to let my chaos and selfishness reign, so I'd quit putting a lid on it like I've been doing, that's all. I'd probably be more of a nuisance than a threat." He quirked his mouth and crossed his arms over his chest, looking forward again. "It's just so pesky that all of you believe in me so much though, and that you keep caring about me no matter what. It's...unexpected." He scoffed. "I thought after a week of my shenanigans you and Tia would have kicked me out of your castle and declared war, but you just keep smiling and coming back for more. And the girls too." He smiled a little again, unable to help himself. Luna smiled again as well. "That's part of how friendship works, Discord. We work through our differences, and never abandon each other no matter what." "Yeah, well..." Discord squirmed and pouted a little, "It just feels funny, is all. I don't know. And I also don't how I've gotten so attached to Fluttershy and the girls and you and Celestia in such a short amount of time." He sighed. "There's just a lot to think about. And I'm very old to start changing now." "Take your time, Discord," Luna assured, shifting her cloud closer. "Even if my reform was technically quick, I still needed some lessons when I got back on how to be a good friend." She looked down. "After I first returned, when I tried to socialize with the ponies and go among them, they all feared me. And it hurt me, Discord, the assumption that because I made a bad mistake once, it meant there was something bad about me and something bad I might do again. It's taken a great deal of patience and time for the ponies to understand me and put aside their unease. And Twilight Sparkle helped me very much when it came to trying to make friends. But still I feel a little feared, and I know most ponies take more comfort in Celestia's rule than mine. But maybe the reminder of my bad past is a good thing--maybe it is what I need to make sure I am ever Nightmare Moon again." She hung her head humbly. "No. It's not, Luna." Luna looked up, an eyebrow raised. Discord remained looking forward and spoke more. "You feeling bad won't change anything in the past, and it'll only make the future more difficult to get through. I know I can't stop you from going through a grand spectacle of mushy guilt if you really want to or feel you have to for now. But it's really overrated. I hurt far more people than you ever did and for far longer. But I don't dwell on guilt because I don't think it'll change anything for the better. Besides, my problem isn't that ponies fear me--it's that ponies don't trust me. No one believes in me completely except Fluttershy...and that includes myself. People want me to fail at this reform and go back to stone, Luna, people want me to prove I'm bad so they can feel safe again." He scowled a little. "Half of what's keeping this reform going is me wanting to prove them wrong just on principle." Luna frowned, but moved a little closer and tried to smile again. "Perhaps I do dwell too much on guilt, Discord. And I'll bear in mind your opinion against it. But I hope in turn that you'll heed some advice from me and dwell less on the negative thoughts of others. All that matters is what you want for yourself, Discord. And I'm sure you'll understand what you want better soon enough. And for what it's worth, you've done a very good job earning the trust of all of us as your friends so far." Luna blushed slightly as she continued. "I started trusting you from the moment I learned that you had spent the night in my sister's room and hadn't let any harm or distress come to her. You've made more progress than you realize...wouldn't you agree?" Discord shrugged, his gaze still a little dull (and a light blush on his features now too). "I suppose..." "I believe you're a 'good guy' deep down, Discord," Luna offered softly, her smile warming. "And I know my sister believes that more than anything as well. She sees something in you--why do you think she wanted so very much to see you reformed?" Discord only blinked though, and appeared even more confused and distressed at this assurance. He swallowed. "Yes, well...she...I suppose we'll all see what happens, Luna, Celestia included." Then he cleared his throat, smiled and changed the subject as he suddenly snapped away his cloud and flew close to Celestia's window. "And speaking of Celestia, oh look, she's yawning! Maybe she's waking up...." He grinned in excitement. Luna wanted to discuss Discord's feelings more, but she knew that Discord could be just as stubborn as she could be, and she knew it had taken her a while after her return and 'reform' to discuss her feelings of the past openly with Celestia, and she also knew it was progress enough that he had confided in her like this without her prompting him. Besides, even if he was struggling, at least it seemed like he cared about the fact that he was struggling, and that was something. And there really was no rush... So she smiled and moved her cloud over to the window to look inside with him at her slumbering sister. Discord's smile beamed. "Ooo I really can't wait to see the look on her face when she wakes up covered in chocolate milk...." Luna just rolled her eyes and went back to watching her sister. Celestia indeed yawned and turned in her sleep, but then she just let out a sigh and continued slumbering. Discord pouted. "Oh, pony feathers! At this rate I'll have to wait til dawn to see her pranked." Luna couldn't help herself--she smirked a little. "Would you like some help rousing her now instead, Discord?" Discord blinked and raised an eyebrow at Luna. Luna explained. "As the princess of the night, I have certain privileges. Besides, I'm always having to get up during the day for official royal meetings and such. Staying up a few minutes at night won't harm Celestia." An intrigued grin came to Discord's features. "Hmm, very well." He gestured forward toward Celestia. "Fire away then, Luna." Luna nodded. Then she closed her eyes and opened them again to reveal a cerulean glow. She remained in this state for several seconds, looking to her sister, then blinked a few times until her eyes returned to normal. She smiled. "There we go." Discord moved closer to the window and looked to Celestia again. "What did you do?" Luna grinned. "I gave her the most disturbing dream possible short of a nightmare. That should certainly wake her up." And indeed Celestia was stirring now in her sleep. Discord chuckled lightly and raised an eyebrow as his gaze remained on Celestia. "You can control dreams that much? Interesting. What did you make her dream about?" Luna held back a small laugh, her eyes likewise never leaving her sister as she replied simply, "Being married to you." Discord blinked, and his eyes flew open wide. Celestia tossed once in her sleep...then she giggled (Discord's eyes went even wider and his jaw fell slightly), but then suddenly the sun princess awoke with a loud gasp! "I--Oh!" Instantly, Celestia's cloud fell to the floor and she found herself sprawled on her rug covered in bits of cotton candy and a fair amount of chocolate milk! Celestia just lay on the floor for a moment, blinking, obviously stunned (and looking quite a chaotic sight indeed--the picture of Discord's hopes for his prank.) Discord practically beamed, then flew forward, gave a rap at her window and waved. "Here it comes, here it comes..." he mumbled to himself and Luna. "Her angry face--the grim Celestia glare! Oh, it's fantastic, like a work of art! The crowning potential effect of my chaos!" While the chaos master chuckled more in anticipation, Luna couldn't help laughing a little too (and also eyeing him slightly with an eyebrow raised at the strange compliment before turning her own attention back to her sister). And, sure enough, that stern look of hers so rarely seen was upon Celestia's sunny features was visible now. As she looked to her window, her eyes focused in on a smug-looking Discord staring down at her. She pursed her lips, angled her head downward and darkened her brow into a slight scowl--there was no anger but a definite sense of sudden seriousness about her in the wake of her poise being broken. Finally, Luna couldn't help moving closer into the frame of the window and giving her sister a cheeky wave (if only to save Discord from having to take all of her wrath). Celestia blinked at the sight of a second prankster...then clearly processed something (regarding a certain induced dream)...then her stern look became even sterner. But then she just stood up, dripping chocolate milk, and smirked a little. She approached the window and magically opened it to look up at her two surprise nightly visitors. She was met with the sight Discord now contorting in the air while laughing hysterically and Luna unsuccessfully trying to stifle some chuckles behind an 'innocent' smile. Celestia sighed, her smirk continuing. "You know, I've been hoping you two would find more common ground to relate over to improve your friendship--I just didn't think that common ground would involve pranking me." She looked to her sister. "Luna, that dream had you written all over it. You know we shouldn't use our powers for silly things like that." Still she smiled. Luna smiled as well and rolled her eyes. "Oh yes, this coming from the former filly who once tried to concentrate the rays of the sun on a single pan of batter to secretly bake herself a cake when Master Starswirl forbade them to her for one moon for sleeping in late a fortnight straight." She raised an eyebrow. "You nearly set the castle on fire, if I recall correctly." Discord's grin widened, and then he rolled in the air in even more laughter. Luna laughed softly and added dryly with a smirk of her own, "Really, sister, we ought to have you talk with somebody about this cake obsession..." Her smile grew. "And as for the dream I just gave you, I couldn't help myself. Discord popping out of a wedding cake and making you his bride: I think it was a work of art, personally." She brought her hoof to her chest in pride. Celestia blushed a little but couldn't stop smiling. "Yes, well...it was more in the details that the dream wasn't fair," she mumbled. Then she cleared her throat and her gaze quickly turned to Discord (and she changed the subject). "And I'm assuming, of course, that I have you to thank for the chocolate milk and cotton candy, Discord." She brushed aside some of her flowing hair to remove a particularly large gob of pink and brown stickiness. Discord got his laughter under control, wiped a tear from his eye, and took a small bow in the air. "Naturally. You sleep too soundly, Celestia dear. I just figured if I pranked you like this, it would make you more alert at night. Just trying to be a good friend." He grinned 'innocently' and tapped his fingers together. Celestia just sighed shook her head as a laugh finally escaped her now. "You two are really too old for this. I can't believe you actually did this together." "Jealous?" Discord smirked and crossed his arms over his chest. "Don't worry, I assure you there's nothing going on between me and your sister. We're just friends. It's just that you're never too old for a good prank, Celestia. And who could resist that little grumpy face of yours anyway?" He chuckled again and leaned in close to the window with a grin. "Isn't it just such fun being friends, Celestia? Of course, it must pale in comparison to that lovely dream of being my main squeeze that Luna whipped up for you..." He rolled his eyes to the side (and kept them to the side very deliberately for a moment). "But still at least we have our friendly bond here in real life, hmm?" His gaze went back to her a little. Celestia sighed (and faintly blushed), and then finally smiled at him and shook her head. "Goodnight, Discord. I'll be more inclined to continue our 'friendly bond' in the morning after I'm all cleaned up and have finished my night's sleep." She glanced to her sister. "And Luna...this prank was amusing, I'll admit that, but...no more dreams for tonight, please?" She gave her a slight look as her blush continued. Luna nodded with a warm smile. "Of course not, sister. Have a pleasant sleep." She flew up and looked to her draconequus friend. "Discord, let us leave her--your prank was a success." Discord sighed but nodded. "Yes, I suppose part of being friends is knowing when to quit." He flew up too. "Farewell, Celestia, until our next hilarious meeting...which will probably be over breakfast. But maybe I'll be a nice master of chaos and just make your pancakes taste like actual cake or something fun like that." He winked and gave her a wave with the fingers of his paw hand. "Ta ta, Tia." Celestia just shook her head at the two of them with a smile. "Goodnight, you two." Then she closed her window and proceeded to her bathroom to clean herself up before returning to sleep. As Luna and Discord came to rest upon clouds high above Celestia's tower now, they laughed warmly together beneath the moon and starlight. "Luna, you were great. You can prank with me anytime," Discord assured her with a big grin. "You see, I told you that you were the 'fun' princess." Luna smiled considerably and nodded. "Thank you, Discord. It was nice to work with someone on a nightly caper like that, and I too enjoyed the fact that the one I got to work with was you." She shrugged. "I suppose you really do consider me as close a friend as you do my sister." Discord sighed, still smiling at her. "Of course I do, Luna. Besides all that stuff I mentioned about Celestia needing my chaos more and all the complicated reform stuff, the explanation about why I give her more attention than you is really quite a simple one: I really do like you as a friend just as much as I like Celestia as a friend, Luna. I just like bothering Celestia more than I like bothering you, that's all." He chuckled a little and grinned mischievously. "But if you'd like, I could prank you with more frequency just to make things even." Luna shook her head, grinning as well. "No, no, perfectly all right, Discord. Keep the pranks in reserve for Celestia. I think you're right--she does need them as a little fun disruption to her days. In fact, I think your form of friendship might actually be good for her...and for yourself as well." She smiled a little more. "You two make a very unusual but sweet pair of friends." Discord rolled his eyes but then smirked a little and let his gaze fall down to the glow coming from Celestia's tower window. "Hmm, well...I suppose our friendship works on a very strange level. And I suppose our way of relating has kind of grown on me too, pranks and all." He was quiet for a moment but then cleared his throat and turned his attention back to Luna. "Although I may up the pranks against you now just a bit--to be fair, of course, you understand, and so you don't feel jilted, Miss Nightmare Moon." He winked and smirked. Luna smiled more. "Very well, Discord. But you should know I prank back...and with dreams sometimes." She chuckled softly and then shrugged as she added, "We could relate more in other ways though. Perhaps if you are not too tired some night, you could accompany me on some of my nightly duties like how you intrude upon some of Celestia's duties each day. I wouldn't mind the company, and you might enjoy the activities more. Celestia usually just holds many meetings and sessions of public court and often does a great deal of paperwork." "Ugh, do not remind me about the paperwork." Discord cringed a little. "Three hours of watching her do it when I was in the sick bubble. For a while there I couldn't tell if it was the fever or the orderliness making me delirious, I just knew that I was actually starting to miss fighting the tatzulwurm." He rolled his eyes. Luna laughed more and shook her head. "Yes, well, as I said, my nightly duties are a little more 'interactive'." Discord raised an eyebrow, his tone a little dry. "You mean like when you two punished me for the plunderseed vines by leaving me sitting guard outside of the forest all night while you did princess things in there? Luna, that night beat out the paperwork, but not by much, I'll tell you that." Luna grinned. "Oh, Discord, I made the punishment of helping that dull on purpose. And besides, I was frustrated with you about the vines, and so I was certainly not about to let you get near the royal activities of my night until you had learned your lesson." Her eyes hazed, and she raised her head a little in pride. "Actually, most nights once I'm in the Everfree Forest or any wild place in Equestria, I make flying patrols overhead and sometimes engage rogue magical beasts in debate or even fighting if necessary to protect the ponies. And I wouldn't mind some help in those tasks from a friend. And I'm sure after all of the restraint you've had to exercise lately with your chaos that you'd relish the idea of a good magical duel." She raised an eyebrow as her grin picked up distinctly on one side. Discord's smile perked up entirely, and he flew into the air and closer to Luna, twisting his body a little in his excitement. "Magical duels? Ooo, I knew you were the fun princess, Luna, but I didn't know you had the fun job too! Ugh, and I've been dying for a chance to flex my chaos a little, and inside the Everfree Forest is perfect--it's the most chaotic place there is. I can actually be myself!" He was practically giddy! But then he hesitated for a moment and added, "But we don't cause any undue distress to the creatures in there though, right?" He grinned and raised an eyebrow, which caused Luna to raise an eyebrow at him in return. Discord shrugged. "A new concern of mine brought about by spending a lot of time with Fluttershy. I wouldn't want her to be disappointed in me for failing to consider the feelings of animals." Luna smiled in understanding. "I only engage creatures who willfully pose a threat against populated areas regardless of my warnings against such actions. And even then we cause no harm, Discord, I promise." Discord grinned brightly. "Wonderful! So let's go!" "Right now?" Luna blinked and smiled more. Discord nodded. "Of course! Come on, the night is young, and I slept enough during that thousand years in stone thank you very much. Why not?" He shrugged. Luna laughed and nodded. "Why not indeed? Very well, Discord, let us depart!" Luna took to the air as well and turned to lead the way to the Everfree Forest. And Discord, with a clap of his claw and paw together, soared after her. As the two flew side by side, Discord chuckled lightly to himself. Luna glanced at him. "Discord?" The master of chaos just shook his head. "I still can't believe you gave Celestia a dream like that. Me popping out of a cake...married to her." He paused, then asked casually, still smiling, "What were those 'unfair details' she mentioned though?" Luna smiled a little more and then shrugged. "Well, it was an induced dream as opposed to a privately constructed one, so I believe I can tell you. After you popped out of the cake...you suddenly took on several werepony attributes including a cape which you quickly took off. And then Celestia might have found the both of you standing upon a hill similar to the one Blue Jay and Swannie kiss passionately on in the Eventide movie, that's all." There was silence for a long moment. Finally, Luna glanced over at her friend. "Discord?" Discord was just looking forward with wide eyes, blushing slightly. Luna smiled a little more and softly added, "I think both the details coupled with the suggestion of marriage is what overwhelmed her. Celestia's never been very outgoing with courtship." Discord blinked and cleared his throat to finally speak again. "Oh, er...yes, well, no one could help being overwhelmed by the idea of being with me like that. Not that she'd ever stand a chance. Pfft!" He grinned and waved Luna off with a roll of his eyes. "She is completely not my type--so grim, so perfect, so cheerful, so...sunny. I'd drive her insane in a day. I'm actually surprised I haven't driven her insane already even with us just being friends--very, very surprised in fact." He shrugged casually. "I guess she's made of tougher stuff than I give her credit for." He sighed...and considered. Then his smile fell away to a raised eyebrow and half smirk. He glanced to Luna. "Has she really never been that outgoing about stallions?" Luna looked at Discord with interest out of the corner of her eye. "She's a very private person, Discord. And very modest. Seeking suitors isn't her strongest talent, no. And after all, she's spent most of her studies familiarizing herself with the art and magic of friendship alone." "Hmm..." Discord gave a yawn and looked forward again. "Well, Twilight can take care of friendship now. And Celestia doesn't give herself enough credit. She really is sort of okay for a mare. I mean, she amuses me, and that's saying something." He chuckled. Discord expected Luna to chuckle along with him, but he heard nothing from her. He glanced to the princess flying beside him...only to find her eyeing him with a strange smile. Discord blinked and raised an eyebrow. "What?" Luna smiled more and looked forward again. "Nothing, Discord." "Luna..." Discord prompted. Luna sighed. "I get lost in thought sometimes at night when I fly. It's nothing. Really." Yet she eyed him once more with a strange smile. "Celestia's attention has found a special place in your heart, will you at least admit that, Discord?" Discord sighed deeply. And then he finally gave Luna something. "I'll admit that I like attention from everybody, but if I can get it from the woman who left me a statue for a thousand years, you can bet I'm going to take it. And that's as far as I'm going to go with these sappy sentiments about friendship with the princess of the sun, even for the hero of all reformed villains, my banishment buddy Luna." He grinned and winked at her with a laugh. Luna rolled her eyes and laughed a little too. "Fair enough, Discord. But enough talk of my sister for now...if you can help it." She smirked slightly then flew up higher. "We hear the hunting howl of the Timberwolf faintly on the night air. Come along--we shall engage the beasts forthwith to keep our land and the ponies safe!" With a proud smile she then swooped down toward the Everfree Forest. "And perhaps we shall engage an ursa major too if we are fortunate!" she called out over her shoulder. Discord chuckled and swooped after her. "Yea and verily!" he mocked. "Let us join the fray and relive the moon princess's days of yore!" Discord broke into laughter as he came to fly beside Luna again, the top of the Everfree Forest coming more and more in sight. "Oh Luna, you're too much..." He waved her off. "I'm too much, and yet you're the one who's starting to truly flirt with my sister..." Luna mumbled very lightly to herself with an eye roll. Discord raised an eyebrow and cocked an ear up. "Did you say something, Luna?" Luna smiled more and let out a sigh. "Nay, Discord. I was just agreeing with you that I cannot wait for the battle to start either--it shall be a glorious evening of nightly duties, and wonderful to share it with a friend." Discord grinned. "Glad to see we're on the same page then. And I'll try not to upstage you too much with the timberwolves, Luna." He smirked and held his head up proudly. "Ha!" Luan scoffed, holding her own head up in pride as the two came to hover just above the tops of the trees (and indeed just down below the howls and growls of some ferocious beasts could be heard). "We'll see who upstages whom. Have at them!" And with that she descended directly into the forest. Discord flew right down after her into the treetops with a laugh. "Tally ho!" And thus the two friends embarked upon a night of bonding together. Needless to say Discord was a little tired at breakfast, but he still got off a few good werepony jokes at Celestia's expense...though he made up for it by really making her pancakes taste like actual cake (and Luna was pretty okay with that spell too). All in all it was another fun, slightly awkward, always hilarious, and never dull breakfast for the three immortal friends. And Luna found herself much happier with her friendship with Discord...even if she also did find herself more concerned about him as her friend. Luna hoped his reform would indeed turn out to be a true and permanent one for all of their sakes.
Keep Calm and Chaos On	Midquel 10: The One During 'Twilight's Kingdom'	"Oh ho! An official summons by Celestia to meet with her and Luna today as part of a top secret princess summit!" Discord chuckled to himself with a smug grin as he flew through the air in circles over the Canterlot castle, admiring an unfurled scroll in his hand with a golden seal. "She actually wrote up a real summons for me, she had the letters engraved into the scroll, she signed it, and she even embossed it with the royal crest. It's so grim and sparkly and perfect, just like her actually." The chaos master chuckled more and flipped on his back as he continued to admire the summons. "And it's a real, official, documented, 'part of the history books' request for my friendly assistance in an hour of Equestria's need. So she admits it finally--she admits on paper that she needs me, that everyone needs me, that I'm just as fantastic at friendship as I am at chaos and pretty much everything else I do." Discord beamed as he fell back onto a cloud and held the summons high over his head. "It's perfect. Oh, Fluttershy will be so proud!" Discord chuckled more to himself, but then suddenly heard a clock tower chime in the distance. He blinked. "Oh dear, well, I can't be late for my summons, now can I?" He snapped away the scroll for safekeeping and then made himself disappear in a flash of light. Discord reappeared a second later in the Canterlot castle throne room...wearing a full medieval knight's costume and bearing a large lance, which he held high overhead, a determined look and grin upon his features as he approached the princesses. "Sir Discord, Knight of Friendship, reporting for duty and ready to spread some helpful chaos. Ladies, please, I know you're happy to see me and that I look particularly handsome, but try to control yourselves." He broke into laughter. The two sisters were standing together near the throne, and in response to Discord's grand entrance Luna just rolled her eyes and Celestia giggled softly. The sun princess smiled and cleared her throat. "Discord, I think you can tone it down a little. Though I appreciate your enthusiasm." Discord chuckled again and snapped his fingers, sending away the knight's armor and the lance. "Yes, well, I do prefer the au natural look for performing heroic chaotic feats and of course for pleasing you, Celestia dear." He winked at her. Celestia blushed but just sighed lightly, her smile remaining. "Discord, please, we have a lot to discuss." "Indeed, Discord," Luna added, giving a nod. "This is a serious matter. So for once, please, be serious?" Discord sighed and rolled his eyes but did nod. "Oh very well, Luna. Thy words of great weight coupled with thine sister's charming plea for mine attention hath swayed me. I shall be 'serious." He smirked. Luna only smiled a little again and shook her head. Discord grinned and floated up so that he was lying on the air and looking at the princesses at eye level as he rested on his stomach. "Okay ladies, so there's clearly a national emergency, otherwise there wouldn't be a secret princess summit and you wouldn't have sent me some official document requesting my presence. So shoot--what's going on, and what do you need good old Discord to do?" Celestia and Luna's smiles fell. They looked to each other and then back to Discord. Celestia spoke. "Discord, there has been an escape from Tartarus." Discord's eyes went a little wide and he raised an eyebrow. "Wow, impressive. I thought that place was sealed tighter than a stone bodysuit." He couldn't help a smirk. However, he received no smiles in reply (which couldn't help but make Discord's smile falter). Instead Luna sighed and nodded. "Yes, Discord, it normally is the closest to a state of banishment that a creature can enter into without actually being banished. But some time ago a series of unfortunate magical events led to Cerberus being removed from his guard post for a short period. And during that time the escape took place." Discord gave a nod. "Okay then." He rolled on his back to look at the princesses upside down. "But why is this just becoming a problem now? Certainly, the escapee must have gotten up to his old tricks right away. As soon as villains are free, they always quickly return to their villainous ways...present company excluded of course." His smile picked up on one side. "We did not know that his cell was empty because we rarely check in on Tartarus considering how well-guarded it is and the fact an escape from that prison has never been successful," Luna explained. Celestia sighed, looking to Discord as she added, "And we believe that for a while the prisoner was in a highly weakened state and needed time to gain power to restore himself. But now he has enough power to start returning to his evil ways in full force." She looked down. "Already there have been reports of attacks in remote areas...and ponies are losing their magic." "...So it's Tirek who's escaped then," Discord replied levelly. The pony sisters both blinked and looked up at the master of chaos. "How did you know?" Celestia asked. Discord turned back over in the air and shrugged. "I know my villains, Celestia. And I knew Tirek way back in the day. And I also know he's the only one who can actually make ponies lose their magic." His brow furrowed, and he lost his smile completely for a moment. "You two are very aware that this is a potentially very bad situation, yes?" Luna gave him a dry look. "No, Discord, we think it's just delightful, and in fact we're planning to invite Tirek to move in with the three of us so that we can all bond and become even better acquainted." Celestia tried to smile a little at Discord as she gave her response. "Yes, Discord, we know it's a bad situation. Tirek has hurt many ponies so far, and the more ponies he hurts, the more powerful he grows, and the more powerful he grows, the more ponies he can hurt. Which is where you come in." Discord grinned again. "Yes, well, I had a feeling we were getting to that." He yawned and turned to lie on his back in the air again as he flew in a circle around the princesses, his arms behind his head. "So, what, you're going to scramble Twilight and the girls to find and beat Tirek, and you want good old Discord to go along with them for magical support and maybe to give them some insider tips on how to take down a bad guy?" His circle complete, he yawned and sat up, then snapped up an emery board and started to file his claw a little. Celestia shook her head. "Actually, Discord, I don't think this is a job for Twilight and the girls at all. I think this is a job solely for you." Discord stopped filing. Then he looked to Celestia and raised an eyebrow so high that the effect was almost comical. "Me?" Celestia nodded. "Yes. You can sense magical imbalances. Tirek creates magical imbalances. So I want you to sense where he is, find him, and bring him back to Tartarus. You don't need the girls for that of course...do you, Discord?" Her inflection at the end of the question suggested that she was looking for an answer (and while her sister put this suggestion and question forth, Luna just looked on with her eyes wide with interest). "Oh..." Discord blinked and then snapped away his emery board and flipped over onto his stomach, resting his chin on his paw. "Well...Well, no, I suppose I don't need the girls for that. And I'm certainly more than a match magically for Tirek, especially in a weakened state." His looked to Celestia and Luna...and to Celestia again. "So then...I'm in charge all by myself of making sure one of the greatest potential threats to Equestria's safety doesn't conquer the nation? It's all up to me?" Celestia nodded and smiled a little again. "Yes, Discord, it's all up to you. I have great faith in your ability to carry out this mission. I know you won't let us down and that you'll lead Equestria to safety for the sake of all of your friends." Discord's smile brightened. He nodded. "Very well then, if you insist." He chuckled. "It's all up to me to decide the fate of Equestria. Imagine that." "Discord," Luna's tone was level and firm, "please take our request very seriously. And please appreciate the significant responsibility this task will be." She looked into his eyes. "We would only ask such assistance from a true friend, Discord." Discord met her eyes for a moment, his own eyes going a little wide, but then he cleared his throat and smiled as he floated above pony sisters. "Oh, of course, of course, and isn't it wonderful! You two are finally realizing just how friendly I can be, and not just to yourselves but to everypony else!" He chuckled again. "Finally I get a friendship adventure of my very own, and--" Then Discord blinked...and then his eyes narrowed and his grin grew considerably. He stopped right in front of Celestia, putting them face-to-face. "Wait, wait, wait, wait...just wait...are you trying to tell me that you chose me over Twilight for a mission to preserve friendship in Equestria? Are you trying to tell me that since I'm in charge of this Tirek thing, that means Twilight is out and Discord is in?" Celestia sighed but smiled and nodded. "Yes, Discord. I'm not giving Twilight any role in Tirek's capture. I've chosen you to handle things instead, just like I said." Her smile picked up a little on one side. "Try not to rub it in when you see her next, Discord. I haven't told her yet, but I don't think she'll take it entirely well." Luna sighed. "You're her mentor telling her that during Equestria's first great trial of her princesshood, you have chosen to pass her over to assist our nation in favor of another. She's going to take it about the same way she would take a C on one of her report cards, sister--a slight bit of shock followed by a great deal of disappointment in herself." Celestia looked to Luna. "Twilight needs to learn that as a princess, in times of crisis, you have to seek help from whoever is in the best position to give it even if that person isn't you and regardless of your own personal desires to be part of saving the day." She looked back to Discord. "Discord," her voice lowered and she moved very close to him, "will you accept this task we've presented to you? Now that a moment of crisis has come, will you use your powers as our friend to help us and all of Equestria?" She sighed. "I don't want to send the girls up against someone as potentially dangerous as Tirek if I don't have to. And next to Luna and I, you are the strongest magical being in Equestria, or at least the strongest one on the side of good, the strongest one that I trust. We need you." Discord just looked to her with wide eyes for a moment. But then he smiled and nodded. "I live to serve." He flew down to the floor before the princesses and gave a deep bow. "I'll be glad to use my advanced magical skill to take care of your Tirek problem. Just wait until you see how effective me and my chaos are--you'll come to me to handle major crises every time from now on." He straightened up and gave a dramatic sigh. "Maybe I'll even earn the right to be a princess myself one day." With a chuckle (and a snap of his fingers) he flung himself backward right in front of where the princesses were standing, causing both sisters to reach out a foreleg and catch him on instinct. The result was Discord (now wearing a large crown, a huge pink horn, and big, fake, pink princess wings) resting the mid-section of his body in Luna's foreleg and resting the upper section of his body in Celestia's foreleg. He grinned up at Celestia and gave her a wink. Celestia couldn't help smiling down warmly at him. "Discord, I know you'll do well. But I think a title might be a ways off for you yet." She shook her head. "Discord, get out of that outfit and don't make me drop you," Luna chided, though she too was smiling. Discord got himself standing upright and snapped the princess garb away. "All joking aside though, ladies," he placed the palm of his paw and the palm of his claw together and gave a slight nod of his head, "I'll start roaming around a bit to get a sense of any major magical imbalances. And I'll personally escort Tirek back to Tartarus. And I'll make sure you two and our friendship princess never forget what I did. And I'll make sure Fluttershy knows about the honor I've been given with this mission and how graciously I accepted the responsibility for the sake of my friends." Celestia smiled and nodded. "Very good, Discord." She sighed. "Now, if you wouldn't mind, Luna and I have to meet with Cadance in here in a few minutes in private to discuss some very important business regarding Tirek and how to handle keeping the ponies calm. And Twilight will be coming soon too, and we'll have to inform her of our decision about you handling Tirek. Please don't mention anything about your mission to her or anypony else for now." "Want to drop the bomb yourself, eh?" The chaos master crossed his arms over his chest, grinning more, and gave a shrug. "Very well, I can accept that." He flew up again. "Well, I'm off to think about where to begin my search for Tirek. I'll see you shortly, ladies. Luna, try not to let the stress of this incident make you slip back into the royal we, and Celestia, try not to pine for my company or fret too much over my safety while I'm gone--I'll be back to fill your life with joy and mirth and companionship for midnight snacks of cake soon enough." He chuckled and then snapped his fingers and disappeared. Luna and Celestia watched the spot where he had been and then took in and let out a deep breath each. Suddenly, though, there was a flash and Discord was back again for a moment. He looked from one sister to the other, his eyes a little wide and (in a rare moment) the smugness gone from his features and tone. "Ladies? Uh...you're...you're really leaving me to this on my own, huh? Something this important and dangerous...it's all my responsibility to make sure it comes out right in the end?" Luna raised an eyebrow. Celestia smiled softly and nodded. "Yes, Discord. All of our trust is in you. Luna, Cadance, and I have our own affairs to see to here--we won't be tagging along after you. And I already told you that I'm telling the girls to please stand down. You're the one we want to handle this, Discord." "Yes, Discord," Luna added with a nod. "We believe you are our best hope. We are looking forward to...how well you shall fulfill those expectations." She smiled a little though her gaze softened in care and concern. "We have great hope for you." Discord blinked a few times and looked down. He nodded. "Very well, then. Just...Just checking. Well, bye again for now." And with that he snapped himself away for good. Celestia and Luna's eyes left the spot Discord had occupied. The sisters looked to each other and then shared a warm smile. A moment of silence passed. But then something pensive came to Luna's gaze. She addressed Celestia in a soft voice. "Sister, do you think that..." But at just that moment there was a knock on the throne room door, which then magically opened revealing Cadance. The princess of love entered the room with a smile on her face, letting the door close behind her. "Hello, Celestia, hello, Luna." She gave a bow. The sun and moon princesses reciprocated her gesture and then approached her. "Cadance," Celestia started with a smile, "thank you for coming. It's so good to have you in Canterlot again." She put a foreleg around the pink alicorn and gave her a hug. Cadance hugged her back, then smiled up at Celestia as the two parted. "Of course. I'm so glad to be here." Her eyes turned to Luna. "Luna," she hugged Luna with her foreleg now, which Luna likewise reciprocated, "we don't get to see each other enough. I hope all of this commotion during the daytime hasn't upset your sleep cycle too much." She pulled back, still smiling but her gaze now softened with concern. Luna smiled down at Cadance. "Nay, I am fine. I do not mind losing a little sleep for the sake of our subjects. But thank you for your concern, Cadance." Cadance nodded, smiling more. "Of course." She looked to both Luna and Celestia, and frowned. "So this is really happening then--this Tirek person is loose and stealing magic?" Luna and Celestia nodded, their expressions turning grave. Cadance's brow furrowed as she looked down and considered. "Twilight should be here. She's the best one to handle this." "Twilight will be joining us soon, Cadance," Celestia assured with a soft smile. "For now though, I'd like us to discuss the best way to keep the news of Tirek from spreading among the ponies and causing panic, and also how to help the ponies who have already been affected by his actions." Cadance nodded. "Yes, you're right of course. We have to make sure the ponies are caused as little distress by this as possible." Luna nodded as well. "Indeed." "Besides the ponies that have been affected and the guards and the visiting dignitaries, does anyone else know about Tirek's escape?" Cadance asked. Luna's looked down and then to her sister. Celestia looked to Cadance. "Discord knows the situation, Cadance. I filled him in just before you arrived." "Discord?" Cadance blinked and tilted her head to the side. "And...how did he respond?" "With humor and jests mostly," Luna supplied. "But also very seriously toward the end." "Really?" Cadance's eyebrow went higher. "But wait...seriousness about what exactly?" Celestia smiled. "We'll explain everything once Twilight joins us, Cadance. But don't worry, there's no threat from Discord knowing about Tirek. He won't spread the information. I made him promise not to even mention it to the girls until I had talked to Twilight in person." Cadance let out a sigh of relief. "Well, at least there's that." Then she couldn't help smiling a little and addressing the two elder princesses again. "Has he really been living here with you two ever since his reform?" "Don't remind me," Luna replied with a small grin. Celestia just sighed softly but smiled as well. "It's been a long and complicated situation, Cadance. Let's just say that for now." Cadance couldn't help smiling more and raising an eyebrow again at the pony sisters. Meanwhile, Discord was now just flying over the outskirts of the Canterlot area trying to pick up any slight sensation of magical disturbance. "Once thing I know for sure," he mumbled to himself, "Tirek will stay clear of this area of Equestria in the state he's in. He's no match for the pony sisters right now. I'd better look in distant, isolated areas." He nodded to himself at the idea. Then he grinned a little. "Hmm...I bet Celestia's back at the castle right now telling Cadance all about how special I am and how she and Luna picked me for this important job. And then she's going to tell Twilight too--ooh I can't wait!" He clapped his paw and claw together. Then suddenly Discord stopped flying forward. His smile brightened. "Say, I'd love to see that actually. Just a peek wouldn't hurt. At the very least I owe Cadance the courtesy of a greeting. And I'd love to see the look of shock on Twilight's face when she hears the big news if I could manage it. Very well, back to the castle for the moment it is." And with that he snapped his fingers and teleported himself away. Discord reappeared just outside of the throne room door. Luckily, he noticed that while the door appeared closed, the lock hadn't clicked into place. He was able to gently push the door open just a crack to observe his chaotic prey with a grin. There sat Celestia, Luna, and Cadance in a circle together at the center of the room, and they were talking...about him, he quickly realized. "...And you haven't felt worried or unsure at all having Discord staying here so close to you?" Cadance asked. Luna glanced to Celestia and then back to Cadance. "At first, yes, we were...somewhat concerned. Not that his spark of friendship with Fluttershy did not seem genuine, but still...having him in such close proximity to ourselves was worrisome." "But we've all learned to make compromises together," Celestia added. "I think it's been good for us overall." "And it's allowed us to monitor the progress of Discord's reform," Luna supplied with a smile. Celestia nodded and smiled as well. "Yes, that too. And it's also given me a chance to get to know him better and to consider more closely how his powers can best be used to serve the nation." "That's very good, Celestia," Cadance replied with a smile. Her look became a little hesitant again though. "I have to admit, after my experience with him while visiting Ponyville a few weeks ago, I was a little worried about whether or not he might still be a threat to Equestria, but I'm glad he seems to be settling into his reform better." Her smile returned. "Indeed," Luna nodded. "I was surprised at first to see him showing such restraint in the spreading of his chaos. In the past he wielded it like a mighty tool across all the land. But now he seems content to keep it to himself or at worst to joke and jest with us and the rest of his friends in small ways." "It's true," Celestia added, looking down a little, her smile softening. "He's not the same mighty lord of chaos as I remember. He's more of a prankster, a trickster.... He's still just as powerful but not nearly as selfish about it. He accommodates his chaos to us now. And it's a role I'm happy he's settled into." "Yes," Luna continued, "which is why we feel comfortable now asking certain favors of him, even in times of crisis as this one. We trust that he has become acclimated enough to our new mutual relationship of friendship to carry out our orders without fail." Cadance considered and then nodded to the two elder princesses. "I think it's a good strategy, reforming him and having him available to help us as our friend instead of just sealing him away again. I'm very glad you both were willing to give Discord a chance like that and that Twilight and her friends were able to succeed at showing him the magic of friendship. And it sounds like the reform is making Discord happy." Celestia nodded, and her smile grew. "Yes, I think he is happier, though he can be a little guarded about his true feelings." "He...finds contentment in his new life, even despite the doubts some of the ponies may express about his reform." Luna chose her words carefully and did not look at her sister as she delivered them. "Of that I am certain." Celestia raised an eyebrow at her sister, but when Luna didn't look to her or go on, the sun princess turned back to Cadance with her usual warm smile. "And Fluttershy's been especially helpful for him. She's put so much effort into making it possible for our plans for Discord to work out. I'm very proud of all the girls but especially of her. Discord wouldn't be as kind and caring as he is now if it wasn't for their friendship." Luna's smile returned. "Yes, seeing them together is a very uplifting experience. It's truly been amazing to witness Discord's transformation. He no longer requires stone to keep himself under control. Instead, his growing love of friendship does just as well at it now. And now he is more than happy to serve the crown." "Still..." Cadance's smile wavered, "just please keep an eye on him, Celestia, Luna. I know he's trying, but he might not be able to handle too much responsibility at once just yet. It's probably been very overwhelming to him trying to get used to being on the side of good. " "We are very aware of his potential limitations." Luna's tone was solemn. "But Celestia and I have every intention of taking things as slowly with him as circumstances permit. We know we cannot expect him to take to his new lifestyle perfectly. And we have to be sensitive to Discord's wants and needs along with our own." Celestia bowed her head. "I'm glad we've all reached a mutual understanding, and I'm glad friendship has come to have such a strong hold on Discord. But I know that despite how close we've gotten, I have to keep in mind his former villainy for the sake of the ponies." She took a breath. "But I think we'll be okay. I have faith in the future of our friendship." Cadance nodded, and her brow slightly furrowed. "It's a delicate situation." "Exactly." Celestia raised her head. "We'll just have to hope our bonds of friendship hold." "And that we have not been misguided in our efforts," Luna added. The princesses sat in silence for a moment together. It was at this point in the conversation that Discord decided to leave--no jokes, no grand entrances, no greetings, no little calling card pranks to leave on...He just left. And as he left, he flew at an average speed through the air, but he wasn't focusing on magical imbalances or the bright day or hearing himself talk. He just looked forward, his brow furrowed and his mouth nearly pulled into a frown, lost in his own mumblings and thoughts. "They still don't trust me in a way. And maybe they never will. And I guess I still don't know, especially now, if I trust them yet. But all I do know is that...without trust, you can't have friendship." He nodded. "Fluttershy's at least taught me that much." But then the thought of Fluttershy made him cringe a little. "Maybe she doesn't trust me either.... Maybe she's just been doing what they expect her to do to keep me in line." Discord sighed though and quickly shook his head. "But...no, no...she's not like that. She's the most sincere person there ever was. The princesses though on the other hand..." He almost scowled a little though it appeared to be more like a pout. "I know I've done bad things, been a bad person. I don't blame them for taking things slowly with me. But we've gotten so close. I know most of the other ponies don't entirely believe in me yet, but I thought princesses at least..." He sighed. "What if our friendship doesn't mean more than just a way to make sure I do good?" Then another thought occurred to him. "But then again, haven't I been using our friendship in some ways to make sure that they don't do 'bad' by putting me back to stone? But...no!" He shook his head again, scowling. "We've gone beyond that, at least a little...right?" Discord sighed, a look of determination coming to his features as he flew forward into the sunny sky. "No one may think any better of me for the efforts I've made, but no one can think any worse of me for how I've changed. And no one can think any worse of me for how much farther I might have to go, even despite what the princesses might say. I've done a good job! I-I've done a great job at friendship!" His frustrated scowl and pout grew. "I've done things I could never imagine I'd do and all for them...okay, maybe a little for me too, but also for them! I actually sort of like the pony sisters now! And I've become dear friends with Celestia of all ponies, for chaos's sake! If that's not an accomplishment for me, then I don't know what is!" Discord closed his eyes for a moment. He spoke quietly. "I know I'm not like them, I've never been like them. But isn't that what friendship's supposed to be all about--coming together over differences because you care about each other...because you love each other?" His eyes opened: he was blushing slightly. Then he blinked a few times and crossed his arms over his chest, scowling and pouting again. "Oh Discord, really...you know what you're problem is? You've been taking the friendship thing far too seriously! It's not some perfectly happy thing with unconditional support and forgiveness. It's just one more relationship, one more way of dealing with ponies. It doesn't mean...nearly as much as you've been letting it come to mean to you." His frown faltered for a moment and then a half grin came to take its place. "So I'll go off and I'll find Tirek and bring him back to Tartarus just to prove a point--that I, Discord, can save the day just as easily as I can lead the day into chaos. Not because I'm bound by friendship and not because I'm not bound by evil anymore but just because I'm free and I can make my own choices. And I'll show them all just how much I deserve to be trusted as a person--how I, Discord, am great and powerful and still as unpredictable as ever! A villain doing a surprise take down of a villain--what could be a more chaotic outcome for this day?" Discord smiled brightly to himself and nodded as he started to soar with more purpose over the landscape. "Hmm, for now though, before I travel too far, I think I'll mentally prepare my strategy for luring and capturing Tirek (and the parade I'll be throwing for myself once I'm successful)...and that'll also give me some time to linger around Ponyville and rub in Twilight's face once she gets back from meeting with the other princesses the fact that in this one case Celestia has come to me over her." His smile grew a little, and his voice lowered to an intrigued mumble. "And perhaps, despite any secret doubts she still might have about me, Celestia choosing me to handle this mission alone really is a good sign that our friendship is strong underneath all of the concerns of the past...and if it's potentially that strong with her, perhaps the same goes for my friendship with Luna and Fluttershy and all the rest too." He sighed softly, his voice barely above a whisper. "Celestia let's me get so close to her...very close. And she'd never do that unless at least part of her trusted me completely." His light blush returned...but then a frown came along with it. "In a way though, they're right. I'm still not sure of the kind of person, the kind of friend I'm going to turn out to be in the end. I'd ask Twilight for her advice on the matter, but I guess I'm too proud. So for now it's up to me. It's really up to me..." Discord did spend the time before going to tease Twilight thinking about his plan of approach for Tirek, but he also spent a fair amount of it contemplating this final thought and just how much power his sudden duty gave him once again in his life over himself and others...and how strange it felt to have so much power again and yet technically not to have any control over how he would use it since he only had one option, of course--doing his best to save his friends and Equestria. Or at least, that was the only option that the side of good and the magic of friendship would permit him. Meanwhile, back in the throne room, the continuation of the conversation of the three princesses continued...and it would have done Discord well to hear everything else they had to say about him if only he had continued to eavesdrop. "I'm so proud of him though, Cadance," Celestia added after the princesses had shared a moment of heavy silence regarding the question of the potential failure of Discord's reform. The sun princess looked up and smiled over at her niece. "Discord has accomplished so much and worked so hard and proved himself trustworthy in so many small ways that I don't think I've ever been as proud of anybody as I am of him except perhaps Luna when she overcame Nightmare Moon's hold and returned to me, or Twilight when she ascended to her princesshood, or you when you took charge of the Crystal Empire. He's learning and trying and doing wonderfully--it's like friendship comes naturally to him despite how much he resists it." Her smile warmed and her eyes brightened. "And regardless of the risks or inconveniences of having him live with us these last few months, I've been so happy to be allowed to watch his transformation taking place. And I've been happiest of all that he hasn't done anything warranting a return of his banishment." Luna smiled warmly and nodded as well. "I agree completely. I know Discord continues to doubt himself and to feel confined in his chaotic nature at times, but there has been a sincerity underlying all of his efforts at friendship, however apparently selfish and silly those efforts may appear." She sighed and looked to her sister. "Sister, he keeps some things private, as you said. But I must say I know this reform has been a struggle for him at times...more so than he's even shared with you. Yet, his concern with trying to engage in the magic of friendship despite any difficulties has impressed me greatly. I've found myself honored to call him friend." Celestia blinked and looked to Luna again. Her sister did meet her gaze this time, and something in Luna's eyes made Celestia's eyes widen. But then the sun princess smiled, to which the moon princess smiled in return. Celestia turned back to Cadance. "Discord is an amazing person when you get to know him, Cadance. I only wish I could be as close to him as Fluttershy is just to know him all the more." Her gaze softened. "He really does keep certain things to himself--certain feelings and emotional experiences. But I hope one day he will be comfortable enough to share all of them with all us." "Wow." Cadance smiled. "It sounds like him living here has actually been a very positive thing for all of you. But still, I imagine it can't be easy dealing with that chaotic attitude and odd sense of humor of his all the time even while he's trying to be friends with you." Luna shrugged. "Oh, it hasn't been so bad. He mostly just teases me for my archaic modes of speech." She grinned a little, unable to help herself. "Celestia, on the other hoof, really gets the worst of it. You truly would not believe Discord's tactic for bothering her. Celestia's eyes went a little wide and she blushed distinctly and then cleared her throat and glanced away. "Luna..." Cadance grinned and tilted her head to the side. "Celestia...are you blushing?" Luna smiled all the more as the touch of scarlet in Celestia's perfectly white features only grew. "Celestia, the princess of love asked you a question. I believe you should answer her. Or I can explain to her for you." Celestia cleared her throat and did her best to smile normally. "There's nothing to explain though." She rolled her eyes and laughed softly. "Discord just likes to tease me and make me uncomfortable in a...special way. It's part of how we relate, it seems, as two people with a complicated history together." Luna leaned toward Cadance. "He flirts with your Auntie Celestia shamelessly until she barely knows how to respond to him--that is how he spreads chaos to her." Cadance's jaw fell and she looked to Celestia again. "Auntie Celestia, is this true? And if it is, how could you not have told me?" She clapped her hooves together, her eyes wide and shining. Celestia just sighed, then smiled a little and shook her head. "Because I knew you'd react like how you're reacting now, Cadance. Besides, it's really not worth mentioning. He, erm...flirts with me to make me uncomfortable and to amuse himself, that's all." "Do you flirt back?" Cadance asked, leaning in close. Celestia blinked several times and actually scoffed, the most amused smile upon her face. "Cadance, no, of course I don't flirt back. What an idea." She shook her head. "It's really not that kind of a situation anyway. And it's just some remarks from him, nothing more." Luna chuckled and leaned toward Cadance again. "You should see them getting into amusing conversations and even dancing together at Discord's housewarming party--on two hooves! And they have 'cake dates' in the kitchens together almost every night." "Luna..." Celestia couldn't help smiling more as she looked to Cadance again. "Discord and I are just...good at getting close. And as for our 'cake dates', we discuss friendship over a snack once I'm off duty for the day. That's all. They're not actual dates." Luna, however, went on to Cadance. "She lets him get away with suggestive remarks about her the likes of which you would not believe, Cadance. I've always known she's been more prone to allowing subjects to take liberties with her than I've been, but it's gone quite far with Discord." The night princess grinned. "I'm really starting to think she likes all of the attention, regardless of the fact that Discord expresses all of it in the form of jokes to make her uncomfortable." Cadance giggled, and she grinned just a little at her 'auntie'. "Celestia, no wonder you've liked him living here. I've always told you that you should get out and socialize more." Her eyes narrowed as her smile grew. "How exactly did these cake dates start anyway?" A smiling Luna opened her mouth to offer an answer. "Well, you see, the first night Discord came to live here, he needed a place to sleep, and so your Auntie Celestia decided--" Celestia quickly cut off her sister with a clearing of her throat and smile of her own. She addressed Cadance once more. "They started because Discord and I weren't sure how to talk to each other, and having a snack of cake together seemed a good ice breaker. And yes, I've grown accustomed to his odd way of teasing me now that he's reformed. And perhaps it's even made me think of socializing on a personal level more with the ponies as you've suggested before that I do, Cadance. But regardless I think the three of us are overlooking the big picture. Discord's teasing is a positive way of exercising his chaos, and one that he invented all on his own. It causes no harm and somehow has helped to spread the magic of friendship among us." Her smile brightened. "He's proven he can use his chaos in ways that make others happy besides himself...and I think he'll learn even more ways of doing so as time passes." She sighed. "Sometimes, at least when he was first released from stone, I think he's believed that we wanted him to stop being chaotic as part of his reform...and maybe we did want that way back in the past when we first battled him. But what I want now is for him to find ways to use his chaos that help him feel good about himself for the goodness and laughter he can spread among his friends." Luna's smile softened, and she nodded. "Indeed, yes...asking Discord to abandon chaos for our convenience is like asking me to abandon my moon or Celestia to abandon her sun or like asking you, Cadance, to abandon your connection to the magic of love. It has been fascinating to realize how we can all live together in relative peace. And while we've accepted that there may be bumps in the road regarding the success of Discord's reform as it progresses and as the challenges he faces become more difficult and complex, we believe he will rise to the occasion and prove to us chaos's natural place in the magic of friendship." She held her head high. Celestia nodded. "Cadance, we know that your brief experience with Discord was a trying one, but we hope you'll trust the great faith we have in him, and especially regarding the current crisis. I don't think you'll be disappointed in the role he ends up playing in this moment in Equestria's history and in all of our lives in general." Cadance took in all of these observations with great interest, then nodded and smiled. "Of course, Celestia, Luna. If he's been a good enough friend to earn your trust despite your history together, I know we can all have faith in him and that he's worth our respect and love." She glanced down hesitantly for a moment and brought a hoof to her chin. "I have to admit, when I thought the tatzulwurm was part of his plan for Twilight and I a few weeks ago, I really thought he might still be a threat to everyone." She looked up. "But once I realized he hadn't meant for things to go that far at all, I could see his desire for love deep down under all of his obnoxious actions." She lowered her hoof and smiled a little. "He just wanted to feel cared for and to know that he has friends besides Fluttershy would truly do anything for him. And even if it takes him a while before he learns to pursue those emotions in better ways, it's wonderful that he at least has a connection to those emotional experiences and wants to be accepted and part of relationships with others so much." Her smile grew. "Exactly." Celestia nodded, her own smile growing. "But it's good that you're letting him take things gradually even if you are pushing him here and there." Cadance's smile took on a touch of concern. "I know the situations aren't exactly the same, but when I first became a princess and especially when I first took command of the Crystal Empire, it was overwhelming for me. It was a major life change, and I only got through it and learned to embrace my new place in life through the support and love of my friends and Shining Armor. I can imagine that Discord has similar feelings about his reform." Her smile picked up on one side. "But if he can trick Twilight and I into flying him in a chariot half way across Equestria, I think he's smart and strong enough as a person to do anything he chooses to put his mind to." Celestia smiled brightly, and Luna nodded. "...Even if that something is making a pass at you, Auntie Celestia." Cadance giggled, unable to help herself. Luna broke into chuckles as Celestia's eyes went wide. The sun princess then blushed again and sighed as she brought a hoof to her forehead. "Cadance..." Cadance giggled more, her grin growing. "Oh Celestia, I'm just teasing. Think of this as revenge for the number of times you found Shining Armor and I courting around the castle grounds when we were teenagers and you giggled and told us how cute we were and how you hoped you could perform our wedding one day." Luna grinned and rolled her eyes. "Yes, that degree of sentiment does sound like Celestia." Celestia rolled her eyes to the side and opened her mouth, about to respond to their teasing, when suddenly a coronet sounded in the distance. Her eyes went wide. "That means Twilight has arrived." She cleared her throat. "This has been fun, but now we have serious business to attend to...so let's return our focus to Tirek. And let's specifically not bring up the more colorful aspects of Discord's time residing here. It, um...might make Twilight uncomfortable." She blushed just slightly and looked down. Cadance and Luna each nodded to Celestia. "Of course, sister," Luna replied, her tone regaining some of its royal poise. "Yes, Celestia, we'll focus on Tirek," Cadance seconded with sincerity. Celestia nodded in return to them. "Thank you." She smiled...but then the smile fell for a moment. "I hope we can resolve this issue very quickly. And I was hoping a crisis this extreme wouldn't come along until more time had passed for Discord's reform. It's a shame that the development of our friendship has to be interrupted like this." She sighed. "I just hope I'm doing the right thing." Luna's smile fell, and she put a hoof to Celestia's shoulder. "You are sister, we all are. Have faith. The magic of friendship has worked many wonders." Celestia nodded, smiling faintly, and Luna smiled again too. Cadance watched them both with a raised eyebrow. "Celestia, Luna...what exactly is going on with Tirek's threat and Discord? And why again did you say you told Discord about Tirek's escape?" Celestia took a breath and straightened up. She smiled at Cadance warmly. "I'll explain everything when Twilight's with us, Cadance. It'll be better that way. Trust me." Cadance nodded. "I do, Celestia, and I'll follow whatever lead you think is best. I'm sure everything will be all right." Luna nodded. "I agree. Everything will be all right as long as we trust in each other and our friendships." The three princesses smiled softly to each other. Inside, Luna knew Discord might slip up a little but had faith he could overcome the demons of his past. Inside, Cadance sensed Discord's desire for love and felt her belief in his ability to find that love grow. And inside, Celestia had great hope and belief in Discord...but also felt herself trying to deny a twinge of passive concern brought on not only by the fear of what would happen to her subjects and to Discord himself should his efforts at friendship fail during this trial...but at how deeply it would hurt her to lose him as a friend after all they had been through and the friendship they had made. The three princesses waited in a weighty silence until the entrance of Twilight and Celestia's explanation of her intended role for Discord in this particular fight against evil. Well, they waited in weighty silence except for Cadance smirking just a little and whispering to the sun princess, "So, Celestia...after this is over, can I help set you up with Discord?" Celestia let out a small sigh and smirked a little too. "Not unless you want Equestria declaring war against the Crystal Empire, Cadance." Cadance giggled. "I'll take that as a maybe." Luna chuckled. "Perhaps we shall have another royal wedding soon. Celestia and Discord reposing in a tree, k-i-s-s-i--" Celestia sighed deeply and tried very hard not to laugh. "If we weren't having a national crisis, I'd bury you two in trivial paperwork for days just to teach you both a lesson. Now, please, really, Twilight's coming: let's be serious for now." The three princesses took deep breaths and managed to put on serious faces (though they all hoped the time would come again very soon when they could joke and tease without other serious worries getting in the way). Finally, Twilight Sparkle entered the throne room, and their earnest discussion of the Tirek situation (and Discord's intended role in it) commenced.
Keep Calm and Chaos On	Sequel: The One with the Milkshake (with Two Straws?)	"Hmm..." Discord's eyes drifted forward, "Did you ever consider the possibility that, Celestia forbid, maybe all of this time I haven't been joking and egging you on? Maybe I just think that you're cute, but I'm too insecure to ask you out for a milkshake or something, so gags and off color comments and the occasional bouquet all work just as well for now?" ----A Discord quote from "Flower, Pillows, and Cake Makes It All Complete!", Keep Calm and Chaos On "In a way this adventure was kind of like facing every villain I've ever seen all over again, Princess Celestia, but the thing that worried me most the whole time was not having my friends beside me while I did my best to set everything right again." Princess Celestia, seated upon her throne on this sunny afternoon, looked up from a scroll she was reading and smiled at her former faithful student who stood before her (and who had just delivered several scrolls, as a matter of fact, all stacked in a neat little pile beside the throne). "I understand, Twilight." She nodded to Twilight's observation. "And thank you very much for being so thorough with your reports about the time travelling issues with Starlight's actions. I appreciate the detail very much, and I'm looking forward to looking over all of your notes on the magic involved." Twilight Sparkle nodded to her mentor. "Of course, Princess Celestia. I just wanted you to have all of the information possible. Starlight was using powerful magic, and I know it's important that we make sure power like that doesn't fall into the wrong hooves in the future." Twilight looked down a little, her smile falling. "I'm just sorry my notes on some of the later futures I witnessed are a little sketchy. All of the darkness started to blend together after a while...." Something faded in her eyes. "Yes, well," a familiar voice of a certain master of chaos began to remark, "personally I do wish you had at least stuck around my future to record a few more details." And indeed not too far from Celestia's throne floated Discord, who was resting on his stomach in the air as he looked up from reading one of the scrolls with a grin. "But otherwise not a bad little tale of bad guys run amok, Twilight. I'll have to peruse the whole thing some time." Discord snapped the scroll back onto the pile and rested his head in his hand. Celestia rolled her eyes with a small smile and then looked to Twilight again. Her voice was soft, her gaze was tender. "Twilight, everything you gave me will be very helpful. I'm very proud of you. And I'm so glad that in the end you made a new friend." Twilight looked up again and smiled a little once more. "Thanks, Princess Celestia." And then the two royal mares started in on some discussion about temporal magic details and official princess protocol that Discord was frankly too bored to listen to. The chaos master appreciated the fact, of course, that Celestia had made a point of regularly requesting his presence at official government gatherings and briefings about Equestrian issues ever since he had moved out of the castle a few months ago to carve out his own little chaos dimension now that he was permanently on the side of good. Her invitations gave him an excuse to stop by and really did make him feel like chaos was adding something to the nation that made a difference for the better. But still sometimes all of this official talk and afterglow about happy conclusions could get so dull. (He really wasn't sure how good guys managed it on a regular basis.) So Discord smiled to himself for now and decided to daydream a little like he had developed a habit of doing on and off during moments like these. He hid a yawn as he continued to pretend to listen. And speaking of Celestia and of the day being saved yet again, his thoughts drifted over to the aftermath of the last major crisis for Equestria (Tirek, to be precise). He recalled the drama, the resolution, the moments in between, and his time with Celestia at the end of it all. And as Discord's reminiscing progressed, like many people are prone to do, he daydreamed in a way that made himself the (rather exaggerated) hero of the story. The scenario was sort of a private favorite of his actually, appealing to his ego in every way possible. It was an alteration of a particularly favorite moment he had shared with Celestia not too long ago, to be precise.... "You tried and you succeeded most wonderfully." Celestia's smile grew even more, her eyes seeming to haze further (though, again, the gesture was suspiciously akin to a narrowing). "I'm very...very...impressed." Discord blinked just one more time, but then he swallowed and an intrigued smile came to his lips. His own eyes hazed just a bit now. "Really? Well, perhaps I'll have to help save Equestria more often then. If I'd known mastering friendship was this 'impressive' to you, Celestia, I would have put more effort into it from the start. In fact, maybe you and I can go somewhere private sometime and discuss your feelings about me and my friendly ways?" His grin picked up on one side. Celestia just chuckled lightly but shook her head. "Oh, no, no, we don't have to go anywhere special. Here is just fine--we have plenty of privacy. In fact, I have something for you--sort of a gift in return for the flowers, and also something to let you know how deeply I feel for all of your actions in this epic chapter of Equestria's history." She leaned in closer still. She was practically nose-to-nose with him now. Discord's grin widened, and he perked up quite a bit at this news. "A gift? And all to celebrate me? A token of your...affections, dare I say? Ooo, well, then, let's have it, Tia. I can still call you Tia, right, even after all of that unfortunate peril from today?" "Hmm, sure...." Celestia giggled. "And there are a few things I'd like to call you as well," she added as 'sweetly' as possible. Discord just chuckled deeply. "Oh, in time, Tia, in time. For right now though, I'd really love that gift from my favorite pony princess." He winked with charm and charisma in his gaze. "Of course." Celestia nodded, and her voice softened. She batted her eyelashes a few times. "Close your eyes..." "Hmm..." Discord chuckled again and shut them accordingly. "Can do." Then he pushed himself back just a little more on the bed and actually slightly puckered his lips. "Okay, Discord..." Her voice was a gentle coo now, "here you go...Oh!" Celestia, about to grab a pillow with her magic, was stopped as Discord's tail suddenly wrapped around her and pulled her in close to him. Celestia stared with wide eyes as Discord's eyes opened and his mischievous grin grew. He chuckled lightly. "You were going to hit me with a pillow for being such a naughty reformed villain about Tirek, weren't you?" Celestia raised an eyebrow. "How did you--" "But wasn't I also a very good reformed villain, Celestia?" The chaos master shrugged, still looking into her eyes as he interrupted her. "Didn't I try, at least? And didn't I come back around in the end? And didn't I give you flowers? And haven't you and I gotten so very close?" He let his tail hold her just a bit more snugly. Celestia's eyebrow arched higher. Discord chuckled. 'She's confused--how cute.' He sighed. "Fine. Maybe I do deserve a good whack with a pillow for the bad thing I did today. But...for all of the good things and for all of our time together until now, haven't I earned anything else? Is hitting me with a pillow really the only thing you want to do to me right now?" He moved a little closer, lowered his voice. "And do you really think it was fair of you to tease me just now like that?" The sun princess pouted and scowled now (but also blushed lightly). She cleared her throat. "Discord, I-I don't know what you're talking about." "Tia..." Discord sighed again. "It's just us. You can stop pretending now that there haven't been a few strange--dare I say, intimate--moments between us ever since I came to live here. And I can stop pretending too after everything we've just been through." His eyes narrowed a little. Celestia's wide eyes looked down...but then they came back up to his. Discord smiled a little more. "And after all of the harrowing moments today, the epic battles, the drama and the passion, doesn't it just make you want to let go...just for once...just to try? Just for the sake of curiosity...and maybe for the sweet sake of chaos too?" Celestia blushed. "Discord..." "Yes?" left him in a deep octave. She took a breath. "Let go of me with your tail please. Discord blinked, almost faltered, but then gave a single nod and released her. Celestia let out a deep breath. And then she came forward with her hooves on either side of him on the bed and kissed the chaos master with an abandon he had never known she had. Discord quickly took hold of her shoulders and reciprocated her gesture with a smile and his own bit of enthusiasm. The sun princess pulled back after a moment, catching her breath, her eyes hazed and her features flushed. "Discord...how did you know?" "I didn't." Discord shrugged and gave a low chuckle. "I just knew how I felt deep down and hoped you might feel the same way. I like this side of you, by the way, Celestia. You and I need to be together and save the world from certain doom more often." He raised an eyebrow. "So...how long?" Celestia glanced away and blushed more. "How long...what?" Discord's playful smile grew. "How long have you wanted to pin me down on your bed and kiss me like that? I'm guessing it didn't start from the first moment I moved in here no matter how attractive I think I am, otherwise you probably would have jumped me the first night I spent in your room." Celestia hesitated but then just sighed and looked to him. "That movie night we had...when we watched my favorite love scene between those two ponies...and you talked about my figure, and then you started to wrap your tail around me." Her voice grew quieter. "It's... 'been a while'." She cleared her throat slightly. Discord blushed a little and nodded. "For me I guess it started after I crashed that poker night with your guards and heard them wondering if you really were attracted to me...which made me start wondering if I could really end up attracted to you. But that movie memory put me through quite a lot too. And...yeah, I know what you mean...about the 'it's been a while' thing." He rubbed the back of his neck and then lowered his claw back to the bed. Celestia nodded too. Then she swallowed. "Discord? What are we going to do now about...this...and us?" "You mean long term?" The master of chaos raised an eyebrow. "Honestly, I have no idea. But stop living in the future always, Celestia, really." Her eyes went wide as a smiling Discord suddenly used his magic to lift her up and place her sitting beside him on the bed. "Why don't we just worry about what we're going to do right now and deal with the future when it comes? After everything we've been though, I think we've earned that much." He smiled more and brushed back some of her ethereal mane from her face with his tail tuft. "Hmm...you're pretty when you're overthinking things." Celestia couldn't help herself: she smiled and giggled. "...And prettiest when you laugh." Discord chuckled, his eyes brightening. Celestia smirked just a little. "I guess we could...stay in here for a little while. No one's really expecting us anywhere for once, especially not after today. We could just enjoy each other's company and the moment...and..." Celestia stopped talking as Discord came forward to give her a gentle kiss on the mouth that lingered in a particularly passionate way. He pulled back and smiled at her. "Tell me, were you just egging me on before or did my masterful wielding of the magic of friendship today really impress a lady such as yourself?" Celestia smiled more and shrugged. "Well...maybe a little. You were quite daring sometimes, after all. And you did sacrifice so much in the end all to keep the land safe and the ponies safe...and me safe." Her eyes hazed slightly. "You've never had a prince charming swoop in and save the day for you before, have you, Tia?" Discord's grin picked up on one side as his eyes narrowed playfully. Celestia rolled her eyes to the side, blushing more. "I'm not exactly sure if that's an accurate description of what you did, Discord." "Close enough." Discord shrugged and then went on in his mischievous tone. "Never been the damsel in distress and had anyone scoop you up in his arms at the end of the day, present you with flowers, seal your salvation with a kiss...? I'm glad to be the first, in that case." He chuckled again. "Oh, but you've always been so impressive in battle and during major crises too, Tia. And you were especially impressive just now kissing me like that--for once daring to do something you wanted to do without worrying about the consequences. There's a fire in you, sun princess. The only problem is no one tends to it enough..." His voice lowered on the last line. Celestia took a very deep breath, and her eyes came back to meet his. "I've...never been in this exact position before, no, Discord." She sighed and shook her head. "Discord, we really shouldn't be in here. If anyone found out.... And what would they think, and..." "It doesn't matter." Discord moved closer to her; he whispered near her ear. "Besides, Celestia, you might not realize this, but, regardless of my spotty past with friendship, I'm a perfect gentleman when it comes to ladies. I would never take advantage of the fact that the only place you and I can get any real privacy and peace in this castle happens to be your bedroom...." "As though I would let you, Discord..." Celestia instantly nudged him with her hoof but blushed and smiled all the more. She considered, and then her eyes hazed as well. "Just today, right now--no thinking about the future? No...obligations about whatever happens here?" "Not at all." Discord smiled and shrugged. "Just two very close friends celebrating a great victory for the nation in the best way they know how." He slipped an arm around her back. Celestia giggled and then gave a single nod as she moved closer and brought a hoof to his shoulder. "Okay, Discord. I've never had anyone to 'celebrate' with after a battle. This might be fun." "I guarantee it, princess." Discord smirked. "And then we'll go get cake." And then with a chuckle and a giggle the two friends came forward to spend some time relaxing and having fun and enjoying the end of their trying adventure. In the throne room, the voices of Celestia and Twilight had faded into the background while Discord had continued to just lie on a cloud in the air with his head on his hand while he smirked slightly and gazed off at nothing in particular. "Discord...".... "Discord?"... "Discord...?" "Discord..." "Hmm?!" Discord blinked and snapped back to reality at the sound of Celestia finally saying his name followed by a very distinct deep sigh of impatience from her that he knew all too well. "What, what? I'm up! Yes--time travelling, villains, precautions, boring tactical issues. I'm right with you." He smiled sheepishly (and specifically avoided eye contacts with Celestia, turning his cheeky grin instead to Twilight). Twilight sighed, looking up at him. "Discord, I was trying to ask you for your advice about Starlight." "My advice?" The chaos master raised an eyebrow. "About your latest little reform project? In what context?" Twilight shrugged. "Well, she is the second reformed villain I'm working with, and you were the first. I was just wondering if you had any suggestions for me based on your experience of learning to use your magic for good instead of evil. Is there anything in particular I should do for Starlight, anything I shouldn't do...um...anything I should look out for as a sign that she might be thinking about not being reformed anymore?" Twilight raised an eyebrow and looked into his eyes with uncertainty. "That's part why I wanted you to come here today, Discord," gently added Celestia's voice alongside him. "I thought you could provide some very valuable insight for Twilight." Discord put his chin in his hand in thought. "Well, Twilight, all I can say is have patience with this Starlight girl like you did with me. Give her space but also support, don't get discouraged...maybe don't send her off to save the day all by herself unless it really is an emergency...and make sure to try and not talk about her like she's an asset to the nation first and a person second, even if it is right before a crisis. Sometimes people overhear things..." He barely glanced at Celestia out of the corner of his eye and saw her raise an eyebrow and then blink. Discord looked back to Twilight and smiled a little. "And talk to her, Twilight, and let her talk to you about whatever she wants. Share with her to let her feel welcome. Make some good memories. That's what's most important." Twilight considered and then nodded with a smile. "Okay, Discord. I'll keep all of that in mind. Thank you." Discord nodded in return, his gaze warm. "Just be as friendly as you always are, Twilight Sparkle. You'll do fine." "Thank you, Discord, all of those suggestions were very insightful." Celestia's voice was much kinder this time and full of its usual patience again. Discord finally glanced at the sun princess, and he smiled more as he found her smiling at both him and Twilight. And then Celestia's gaze turned fully to him. "I knew you would be the best person to talk to about something like this, Discord. We all want Starlight to be comfortable and happy regardless of the past...or, er...the future...the futures..." She smiled sheepishly. "You know what I mean." Discord chuckled. "Yes, well, speaking of, I'm still sort of a fan of the idea of chasing you and Luna around on a unicycle while you wear clown costumes. Maybe on the anniversary of my reform we could do that just for fun?" He raised an eyebrow and smirked. Celestia smirked back at him a little. "Don't push it, Discord." Then she looked down once again at the scroll she had been reading...though her grin picked up a bit on one side as she added in a mumble, "...But maybe on your birthday we'll see." Discord laughed fully, unable to help himself. He had missed this, truly--so much witty back and forth with her. He had needed to move out of the castle sooner or later though of course. As a finally fully reformed villain, it had eventually been high time for him to spread his mismatched wings and make a place for himself; it had been a good way to grow. But still.... 'It's almost evening. I wonder if she'd let me stay for the night just like old times if I asked? I've missed my room and the cake and the shameless flirting and oodles of awkward moments with her and Luna. And she did say when I left that I'd always be welcome...' He raised an eyebrow as he considered. Meanwhile, Celestia and Twilight's conversation went on as cheerfully and full of hope as ever. "Starlight's a very gifted unicorn, Princess Celestia. I think she'll be able to do great things one day." Twilight smiled. Celestia nodded. "I hope she turns out to be as helpful a magical advisor to you as Starswirl the Bearded was to me, Twilight." Twilight beamed and blushed at the comparison. Discord's thoughts, meanwhile, went on as well. 'Just staying for the night wouldn't hurt. We've had so little quality time together ever since I left.' Indeed, ever since Tirek, Celestia had had to help Twilight prepare for her princess duties now that the purple alicorn had a castle and a proper title, and Discord had needed a lot of time to carve out his chaos dimension and build himself a house. Major affairs occurred frequently...and their cake dates occurred less frequently as the two of them were no longer under the same roof. They had gotten so distant that the 'Gala Misunderstanding' had even managed to occur not too long ago with Discord actually believing that he seriously hadn't been invited to the affair. Time just went by so quickly now that the pony sisters didn't have to keep a close eye on him about his reform and now that he didn't have to invest so much energy in slightly trying to get them and everypony else (Fluttershy excluded, of course) to doubt their friendship for him so that he could use their lack of acceptance to his advantage. And, at the bottom of everything...Discord simply missed seeing Celestia at night. At the very least, he could ask if he could stay around for dinner later. 'Besides, it's not like I'm asking to move back in.... I really can't ask that anymore for obvious reasons.' He cleared his throat and tried not to blush. Meanwhile, Twilight smiled up at Celestia again as their conversation went on. "The girls all really seem to like Starlight, and Starlight seems so happy now that she understands the magic of friendship. I just hope I can be as good of an advisor to her as you've been to me." Celestia's smile grew, and she looked down humbly. "Oh Twilight, you've already been an excellent advisor to her. I have faith in you. But if you need any guidance, you know I'm just a letter away." Twilight nodded. Discord sighed to himself. 'After all, that's another reason I had to move out.... Living with a friend is one thing, living with someone you clearly have some loopy crush on is just a chaotic problem waiting to happen.' So he had left a few months ago in part to protect his friendship with Celestia from getting overtaken by tension of a more-than-friendly nature which he had started to feel particularly strongly after that night in her room when he had told he loved her as a friend and she had kissed his forehead; a tension that had been building for a while courtesy of his 'flirt with Celestia to bother her' plan which had escalated a lot more quickly than he had ever anticipated. Yet, now that he thought about it... 'We don't live together anymore. So...if something happened...it might not be the worst thing in the world. But do I actually want something to happen?' The spirit of chaos blushed a little. 'I mean, I wouldn't mind a few kisses with a nice mare--what guy wouldn't? But with her, I...I don't know. I don't know what would happen. I wouldn't even know where to start.' He let out a light huff through his nose and almost pouted to himself. 'This is ridiculous, I should just let it go.' "And has Starlight found a place to live yet in Ponyville?" Celestia asked her former student with interest. Twilight rubbed the back of her neck with her hoof. "Not yet. But actually I was thinking of having her stay at the castle with me. It would make having our lessons together easier. And of course things worked out so well with Discord staying with you and Luna after his reform that I'm confident Starlight would benefit just as much from some time with me." "I think that's a very wise course of action, Twilight." Celestia nodded her approval. Discord sighed to himself again. 'Is it so wrong that I pretended to flirt with that mare for so long that at some point I forgot I was pretending? Is it so wrong I actually think I could like her like that even after all of the loopy turns our lives have taken? Is it so wrong that I can't help an occasional daydream? Is it so wrong that I maybe meant it that night when we were walking to the kitchen for cake after Tirek and I told her that maybe the real reason I bother her so particularly is that I'm just too insecure to ask her out for a...a...' Discord's eyes went wide. Celestia set aside her scroll onto the pile beside her throne. "Well then, I suppose everything's in order, Twilight. Unless you have any other questions for me or for Discord." Twilight smiled but shook her head. "Nope, I think everything's--" "Actually, I have a question!" Celestia and Twilight blinked and looked at Discord who had just made this grand announcement, his eyes a little wide. "Oh." Twilight tilted her head to the side. "Uh...okay. About Starlight, or...?" Discord cleared his throat. "It's a question for Celestia actually." He looked to the sun princess, and then he asked her simply with a single light clearing of his throat: "Celestia...erm...would you go out with me for a milkshake or something?" There was total silence in the room. Both mares stared at him with raised eyebrows. Celestia finally spoke, her tone as perplexed as her gaze. "Discord, I'm afraid I don't.... What are you talking about?" Discord swallowed. He kept his gaze low and his tone aloof, arms crossed in front of himself. "I'm talking about, you know... 'a milkshake'." He rolled his eyes to the side and added in a mumble, "...As opposed to gags and off color comments and the occasional bouquet...." Celestia blinked a few times, her look pensive. And then suddenly the sun princess's eyes went very wide. Discord just let out a breath, a stubborn pout on his features as he continued to float there...though he did let his dull gaze meat hers in a meaningful way. There was silence in the room again. Then Celestia blinked once and looked to Twilight. Her tone sounded normal enough and her look was calm even if her request was a little odd. "Twilight, as long as everything's taken care of about Starlight, would you mind showing yourself out of the castle? I have to discuss something with Discord. And I'm afraid it's a little private." Twilight blinked and glanced from Celestia to Discord and back to Celestia. "Oh. Okay.... Are you sure everything's fine?" Celestia smiled a bit more normally and nodded. "Yes, Twilight. Just, um...something from when we lived together. That's all." Twilight nodded. "Okay then." She smiled and waved to them both. "Have a good afternoon, Princess Celestia, Discord. Please come by the castle soon to visit Starlight. Bye!" And then Twilight walked over to the doors and left the throne room. The doors closed behind her. Discord and Celestia were alone. Eventually Discord took a breath and cleared his throat. "So..." "...So?" Celestia's wide eyes went to him again. Discord sighed. "So, Celestia, I asked you a question." Celestia swallowed and nodded. "Yes. You did." "And your response would be...?" Discord raised an eyebrow. Celestia sighed. "Discord, what kind of game are you playing?" Discord swallowed and replied in a very sincere tone, "One where I missed you...and I was wondering if you've missed me too?" He flew in a slow, wide loop around her. Celestia's eyes took on a faraway look--she was remembering the last time he had said those words to her, in this very room, his first escape. 'Did you miss me, Celestia? I missed you...' Celestia took a breath and blushed a little as she came back to the present moment. "Discord, you haven't pretended to flirt with me like this since...before you moved out. Why are you teasing me now all of a sudden?" She raised an eyebrow and frowned. "Is this because of...Discord, did you listen in when I was talking to Luna and Cadance during the Tirek crisis? That's the only time I would ever have even brought up your value to the nation like that. But you have to know, our friendship is so much more important to me than that. When you went off with Tirek, I didn't care that we'd lost a powerful magical ally--I cared that I had lost a friend." She met her gaze with his. Discord sighed and spoke before she could keep going and get him as emotional as she was getting. "I'm not teasing, I'm not flirting, Celestia, I'm just asking a question. Do you want to have a milkshake or something with me...or not?" He paused before her in the air and smiled gently. "And don't worry about what I overheard--we've talked since then, and I understand better now that you just meant I could be a help to the nation, you didn't mean that was the only reason we were friends. It's chocolate milk under the chaotic bridge." Celestia looked back at him still with a frown but then nodded. She considered. "Just a milkshake?" Discord gave a nod. "For now." He blushed slightly. Celestia blushed too. Then she took in and let out a breath. "All right, Discord. I'll have a milkshake with you." And with those words she was walking off to the throne room door. Discord's jaw fell in the wake of her reply, but then he quickly got himself together and flew over to land and walk beside her as they exited the throne room together and started down the hall. "Well, that's good then." He swallowed. "So...you said yes pretty easily. I figured it might take me weeks of badgering before that happened." Celestia shrugged. "It's just a milkshake, Discord." And yet she still blushed. "And I figure there's still a chance you're just flirting with me to bother me." The chaos master merely shook his head. "In that case, why ask you out for something? I could just flirt with you right here." Celestia just blushed a little more as she continued walking. Then she sighed. "I've missed you too, you know. And so has Luna." Discord raised an eyebrow. Celestia went on. "You were starting to feel like our obnoxious, loveable older brother. We miss you popping in and out of places, teasing us, playing with us...trying to make us feel totally uncomfortable around the guards and yourself. And...maybe I've missed you making jokes about me and trying to fluster me...and the two of us sitting close at night in the kitchen and sharing cake and talking about private thoughts together. The time's gone by so quickly since you left, and it seems like we've barely spent any of it together." She swallowed and glanced at him. "Discord, do you really feel--" But as they came around a corner now, Celestia's question was stopped by the two of them almost bumping directly into Luna. "Luna!" Discord jumped a little, then quickly cleared his throat and did his best to get his slight blushing under control. "Luna." Celestia smiled and did her best to maintain her poise as well. "What are you doing up so early?" Luna blinked a couple of times and then blushed considerably as she rubbed the back of her neck with her hoof. "Er...well...this is awkward, but it seems someone very near to here was having such an intense and--for, not wanting to use a less appropriate word, let's say-- 'vivid' daydream that it couldn't help but engage my senses." She blinked as she finally noticed Discord (who happened to be standing there with wide eyes and a very distinct blush now). "Oh, hello, Discord, how nice to see you here." She looked back to her sister (who had an eyebrow raised and a pensive look on her features)...but then Luna blinked and quickly looked back to Discord to confirm the rather suspicious response he was having. Discord, however, was now just floating in the air with a casual look on his face while he filed his talon. "Oh, er, daydreams, and in this area, you say? Hmm, probably just one of the guards fantasizing about you two or, uh...you know, Twilight's thoughts running away with her. It's always the quiet ones, right?" He cleared his throat, holding out his claw to admire it. "And nice to see you too, Luna." Luna just watched him with an eyebrow raised and her jaw slightly fallen. Then she looked back and forth from him to her sister and back to him. Her smile grew, and her eyes narrowed. Celestia, meanwhile, blushed rosy and brought a hoof to her mouth to cover a very distinct smile. She suppressed a laugh and then finally lowered her hoof. "Yes, well...someone will have to have a word with one of the guards or 'Twilight' soon then." She swallowed then looked to Luna. "Anyway, sister, as long as you're awake, would you mind if I left the castle to you? Discord is taking me for a milkshake, I believe." Discord let out a sigh and truly turned casually filing his claw into an art form. Luna exercised a great deal of self-control as her eyes narrowed all the more. "A milkshake? How nice. I do believe I 'approve', Discord." She giggled softly...until her mouth was suddenly plugged up courtesy of a snap of Discord's tail. "Put a cork in it, Luna." The master of chaos rolled his eyes and landed as he snapped away the file. "I'm taking her for a milkshake, not cocktails and dancing. Honestly, you pony sisters--I try to be friendly and more social, and you respond with teasing. Where is the love?" He grinned. Luna spit out the cork and rolled her eyes. "Oh just get going, Discord. But you are to have her home by midnight." "Luna..." Celestia smiled more and shook her head. Luna ignored her and merely smiled more at Discord. "If she is not back at this castle safe and sound by then, I'm afraid I'll be forced to roam the night in endless search of you." Discord smirked. "However much fun that sounds, I'll have her back to you safe if only so that she can get her full night of beauty sleep. Whether or not I'll be leaving then myself or pestering her to spend another night in her room is another matter entirely. She is a most gracious hostess after all." He chuckled. Celestia just sighed now, trying not to smile too much. "Okay, that's enough you two. Luna, thank you for your concern, Discord, we'll discuss that situation later. Come on." She gave him a light nudge and then the two of them strolled past Luna who held back a giggle. "Farewell, you two. Have fun!" The night princess waved and then went on to head to the throne room...a light blush on her features as she mumbled to herself. "I'm surprised it took him this long to make his move...and yet if he's having daydreams like that, I'm not surprised that he couldn't wait any longer." She sighed and yawned. "Speaking of daydreams though, maybe I should attune my powers a little more to such daylight fantasies the guards might have. I wouldn't mind someone to get a milkshake with myself." She giggled as she turned the corner down her corridor and went along on her way. Discord and Celestia were in sight of the castle exit now after a long moment of walking together in silence. And then finally Celestia, smiling and blushing and looking down, couldn't help herself. "Daydreaming, Discord?" The chaos master sighed. "Shut up." But he was smiling too. "And a 'vivid' one...?" She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. He blushed a little bit rolled his eyes to the side with a half grin. "Oh please. First of all, if your sister thinks that was 'vivid', she definitely needs to get out more." He held his head high. "And second of all, your 'isn't it great that we had another happy ending' talk with Twilight was boring me a little back there, so I decided to amuse myself while I waited for you two to finish. Don't flatter yourself too much..." Discord shrugged, still smiling though as he crossed his arms over his chest. "So you really do find me attractive then?" Celestia finally looked at him completely. Discord took a deep breath. His eyes were wide. "It's complicated." He swallowed. "I did technically try to let you kiss me in your room that day after Tirek: what do you think?" Celestia blushed very much. Discord cleared his throat. "Not that I could be blamed of course," he went on more casually, lowering his arms. "After all, you technically were coming on to me--and with a skill that leads me to suspect you'd considered coming on to me in the past. I know this is a matriarchy you're running, Tia, but you should know that guys don't have a lot of endurance for resisting and wanting to escalate the advances of beautiful females." He smirked a little. "So you think I'm 'beautiful' now?" The sun princess smiled more. Discord blinked then rolled his eyes and waved her off. "Oh, come on, Celestia--me and everypony else on the planet. It's just a basic observation, a common sense thing between the hair and the eyes and the figure and..." He cleared his throat, moving on. "Besides, that's such a small part of everything." "What do you mean?" Celestia raised an eyebrow. "What 'everything'?" Discord's eyes widened, and a more distinct blush settled upon his features. "I don't know, just...why I like you. Yeah, you're beautiful, but I also think that Luna's beautiful and Fluttershy and paisley skies and peppermint-flavored flowers. But you're...well, you're also just interesting to me. You're a challenge. I respect that." "Really?" Celestia smiled. Discord merely gave a sigh and a nod, putting his arms behind his back. "Yeah, and if we could move on from how sappy all of that must sound, I'd appreciate it." The blushing persisted. Celestia's gaze warmed. "I had no idea. Discord, can I tell you something?" He shrugged. "Sure, as long as we're being gushy and sharey, why not?" Celestia looked forward. "I sort of think about you in the same way--as a very formidable opponent who I also respect...and who's very interesting to me. You know, around here it's just Luna and I who are alicorns and who have lived so long: it's been nice to have a friend I can make jokes with about immortality, who I don't feel awkward about using magic in front of, like I'd be showing off, who doesn't need me to be poised and perfect all the time." She sighed and added softly, "I've...come to find you quite charming in a way, Discord. And I know you had to leave the castle for yourself, and I'm very proud of you for making your chaos dimension and your new home, but still...it disappointed me a little when you went away." Her eyes found his again. "While you were here, you made me feel special, Discord, and in a special way. I came to appreciate that." "Really?" Discord's features were getting very rosy, and he swallowed. Celestia nodded, blushing present in her own features now. "Yes." Her smile grew, and she laughed softly. "Now that you're more comfortable with your reform, if you really do want to socialize more, I think you should try dating. I'm sure you could sweep any mare off of her hooves. After all, you weren't even really trying with me, and even I still became aware of how easily someone could be moved by your romantic words and actions." "Oh." Discord blinked. "Dating." He cleared his throat, an eyebrow raised. "Yes, well...I don't know, Tia. I mean, I really need a lot of mental and magical and emotional engagement to get close to anyone. And I haven't met many mares who could provide all three of those for me..." "Well, you can always feel free to continue practicing with me," Celestia offered with a pleasant smile. Discord tilted his head to the side. "What do you mean?" Celestia shrugged. "Your flirting grew on me a little, Discord. It started to mean something to me actually." She looked down. "No one ever usually talks to me like that. The change of pace was sort of enjoyable." "Oh..." Discord blinked, his smile gone for the moment. "Well, I'm...glad you liked it?" He scratched his head with his claw. "Yes, I did like it." Celestia nodded. "So you can keep flirting with me if you'd like, Discord. And as long as you can practice on me for as long as you'd like...maybe I could practice on you a little too?" Celestia's blush returned as she noticed his eyes go a little wider and his eyebrow rise up in confusion. She explained. "How you talk to me...the different perspective you've forced me to take on myself as a mare..." she cleared her throat, "...eventually it started to make me wonder about the idea of actually courting. I might like to try that one day, I think. And spending more time with you can only help make me more comfortable with the idea of being close like that with...someone." Discord blinked a few times and looked down. He considered before opening his mouth and starting slowly. "So what you're saying is, you and I are friends, but at the same time we could flirt and get flustered and act like we're dating...without actually dating. For now." Celestia considered. "I'm saying that it took a while for our relationship to evolve into a close friendship, Discord. And if that friendship ends up evolving even more...that change also might take a while. So to start it might be nice to have some time together without a lot of pressure to see where things lead." She glanced at him. "It's a unique friendship, but it's ours and I cherish it." Discord's smile grew distinctly if subtly on one side. "Very well, then. And the whole thing does sound like an excellent excuse to bring back cake dates as a regular, steady thing for us during the nights." He smiled more, and so did she. "But just one question." He glanced at her. "If anyone happens to catch us doing all of this 'bonding' and asks for clarification on what the difference is between pretending to date and actually dating, what should I say?" "The difference?" Celestia raised an eyebrow, and then her smile grew. "Well...I suppose the difference would be that in the event of sleepovers in my room in the immediate future, you continue to sleep in front of the fire instead of cuddling in my bed with me." She gave him a gentle nudge in the side with her foreleg. For a moment, Discord's eyes went wide and his blush was distinct again. But then he blinked a few times and quickly tried to laugh off the odd teasing comment. "Heh...good one, Celestia." He considered and then grinned in his usual mischievous way, glancing in her direction. "So, another example would be, with the way things will be right now, that I can make jokes about us sneaking off to neck passionately, but we just can't actually sneak off to neck passionately. Something like that?" It was Celestia's turn to go wide-eyed and to feel blushing fill her features. In fact, she quite nearly stumbled forward on her hooves but managed to right herself quickly enough. She swallowed and tried to smile. "Yes, I think you've got it, Discord." Discord's grin picked up on one side as the chaos master held in a chuckle and went on. "And I can gaze and grin at your divine figure all I want...but I should try to refrain from touching it. Rules subject to change, of course." Celestia's features were rosy with color now. "Yes. I mean...I suppose." And Discord wasn't done yet. "And you can act ridiculously flustered when I somehow in casual conversation bring up that I'm a man and you're a woman, but we just really shouldn't act on that difference...outside of daydreams of course." He winked at her. Celestia let out a very deep sigh and then proceeded with the only strategy to curb his flirting that had ever worked before: she flirted back. "Yes, Discord, and you can put an arm around my neck sometimes and call me 'good buddy', but you should only wrap your tail around me during intimate movie scenes if you absolutely can't help yourself." She met his gaze with a coy smirk. Discord blinked and then blushed distinctly again. He sighed. "Point taken." They passed through the castle exit now and came out into the courtyard. Discord looked out to Canterlot before them, brimming with places for a couple of friends to get a milkshake. "So...one milkshake with two straws then, Tia?" "Discord!" Celestia smiled and blushed. "Too much?" He raised an eyebrow with a grin. The sun princess sighed and looked down a little. "Not exactly. I just...happen to be hungry, so I'd like my own milkshake to start. But on the second round...we can see about sharing one with two straws." She walked past him, heading for the castle gates. He followed her, smiling considerably. Celestia remained in thought for a moment. Then she swallowed. "Discord? How long have you really felt like this about me?" She asked the question very softly. Discord's eyes went a little wide. For a moment he imagined giving some sultry reply and sweeping her off her hooves like in one of his daydreams. But then he just cleared his throat and told the truth. "I don't know exactly. But I started to realize it after Tirek. We were real, close friends by then. And it was simple really: even when there wasn't a need anymore to bother you by flirting with you...I still wanted to flirt with you. And the way it made me feel for that one moment when you suddenly flirted back that day was...good." He took a breath, blushing lightly. "You're not so bad, you know...as a mare." He glanced to the side to see Celestia still looking down but smiling very much. "So, um...you wouldn't mind if this worked out with me--not a prince, just an odd draconequus with very weird ways of breaking the ice with girls?" Celestia blinked and then replied carefully. "I'm not sure yet, Discord. But a milkshake's a simple way to see for sure one way or the other." Discord nodded, smiling to himself. "Fair enough." Celestia brought her gaze to him, her smile brightening a little. "We've never had a 'date' in public before, Discord. This should be interesting." "Oh absolutely." Discord grinned and nodded. "I'm predicting we'll either be met with pitchforks against me for daring to curry your favor, a medic for you for going insane enough to come out playing with me, or just a bunch of stunned silence from everypony we see." They shared a laugh. Then Discord smiled more. "Hmm...still, could you imagine if we actually tried it though right off the bat? Dating, I mean, in a mushy, official way? Or 'courting' as you so elegantly put it, Tia." "Discord..." Celestia glanced at him, blushing a little again. Discord only shrugged and went on. "No, really, just think about it: we're so utterly strange together--it would probably be the oddest relationship on the planet, especially if it worked." "It would certainly be a complicated relationship..." she replied softly. Discord moved closer to her. "Oh, don't act so flustered. Worst case scenario jumping into things like that, we'd go for it and we'd burn each other out in two weeks." "That almost seems sad, Discord." She tilted her head to the side. Discord just shook his head though. "No, not really. We'd still have our friendship in the end. And besides..." his eyes narrowed, "...what a two weeks it would be, Tia, what a two weeks it would be." He winked. Celestia rolled her eyes to the side with a smile. " I have no doubt." She raised an eyebrow. "And what would be the best case scenario for our relationship then?" Discord put his arms behind his back as he considered. And then he smiled mischievously again and shrugged. "Best case scenario? It would involve the phrase 'do you want any foals?'" Celestia almost turned scarlet and on an impulse gave him a very firm nudge in the side with her hoof. Then she just sighed deeply and tried not to smile too much as she replied back quietly, "It's already enough of a challenge taking care of your shenanigans around here, Discord, let alone a whole little troop of chaos beings..." "Troop?" As he said the word with glee, Celestia knew she had misspoke. Discord grinned almost ear-to-ear as he eyed her. "My, my, Tia, I didn't realize you were so ambitious. I mean, I'm a very busy master of chaos, but I'll do what I can to supply your needs if you really insist." Celestia really almost broke into laughter but she kept up a poised smile and merely responded, "Still though, maybe they would all just be perfectly well behaved little alicorns. Poised and proportioned and orderly..." "And what makes you think I would care for them in that case any less than I care for you?" Discord winked at her with a chuckle. Celestia's whole look couldn't help but brighten for a moment, though she quickly looked away and down with her smile. "Or we could just say together, you and I..." Discord went on, moving closer to her. "Romantic dinners, crazy hijinks, some spontaneous ballads, a little necking on the side..." "What a 'vivid' friendship it sounds like, Discord." Celestia smiled more. "I think this could be okay, Discord. Even if it doesn't work, we still love each other as friends like you said, and that's what counts." Discord sighed. "Yeah, but if you go spreading around that mushy fact, I'll make all the cake in your castle taste like broccoli and buckwheat for a month." Celestia laughed. They were at the threshold of the open castle gates, and she paused and moved a little closer to him herself. "Discord...we promised Luna by midnight. Did you really want to stay out that long? I don't think a milkshake or two will fill all of that time." A glint came to the chaos master's eye as he paused as well and his tone took on a particularly low and pleasing quality. "Oh I'm sure we can figure out something, Tia good buddy, even if it's just retiring back to your room to reminisce...or to my room--my new room, that is, in my new secluded bachelor pad. A milkshake for food, my chaotic cottage for shelter, my tail over your shoulders for 'clothing'.... Let me repay you all for the kindnesses you've given to me." Celestia cleared her throat and did her best to only blush slightly. "One step at a time, Discord. Unless this is a dream Luna's pranking me with, in which case I'm sure we'll be married soon and at the top of a windswept hill at sunset, and then we can just do everything at once." A small giggle escaped her. Discord chuckled, looking forward again. "Very funny." Then Celestia raised her hoof and put it in Discord's paw. The chaos master swore he felt a flicker of an emotion inside of himself that he'd never felt before at the sudden gesture. As he stood there with wide eyes, the sun princess smiled and spoke softly to him near his ear. "I knew it was a good idea to reform you, Discord. I felt it in my heart." Discord swallowed and with a few blinks managed to find his voice again. "Don't kiss up, Celestia. It's beneath you." He smiled in a special way. Celestia laughed as the pair finally proceeded forward together into Canterlot. "Just showing affection to a friend I love." "Me too, Celestia." Discord leaned down and raised her hoof to give it a gentle kiss (and while that was happening, his tail silently snapped), then raised his head. "Me too." Celestia blushed and smiled all the more at the gesture. She let him continue to hold her hoof as their walking continued. Meanwhile, as the happy couple headed off farther into the city, a sign was now visible on Celestia's back reading, 'Ask me all about my dates with Discord!' It was the continuation of an interesting friendship--daydreams, 'dates', shenanigans, food, clothing, shelter, flowers, pillows, cake and all.
Keep Calm and Chaos On	Bonus Story!: The One Where Luna Learns to Knock	Some time later--let's say a month of 'pretend dating' later... The moon had been up for a few hours so far this evening, and though Princess Luna had only completed a small portion of her tasks for the night, she couldn't help but feel a little peckish. Thus, the moon princess had decided to wander down to the kitchens of her castle for a late night snack. Heading down the hallway now, Luna had to smile as she spoke quietly to herself. "Celestia's had the baking staff working overtime ever since she and Discord resumed their regular cake dates. I think I'll treat myself to a nice slice of whatever was prepared today. And I believe Celestia and Discord chose to venture out of the castle this evening for their 'friendly bonding time', so I should have the kitchen all to myself." Luna came in sight of the kitchen doors, but slowed her pace. "Of course, the two of them may have come back early and decided on some cake. I had better check to make sure." Not that it would be an issue for Luna to ask to join them, of course: they were all still friends even if Celestia and Discord had started to explore a 'more than friendly' side of their relationship with each other. Luna's concern rather was with, well... She sighed as she stood before the door, her look a little dry as she whispered to herself. "Discord really is a 'vivid' daydreamer. And though Celestia claims they're just sharing a very flirtatious friendship at the moment, I'd rather not accidentally walk in on anything...." Luna peeked into the glass window of the kitchen door but saw only dim lights inside, casting shadows here and there. And she heard no talking. Luna moved her head away from the window and smiled. "Hmm, they must indeed not be here. Perfect, more cake for me." And then with a bright smile, the moon princess used her magic to open the door, upon which she trotted inside and turned up the lights. For about ten seconds (until Celestia and Discord--who actually were indeed occupying the kitchen at the moment--processed the change in lighting and the fact that a third party was here now), what Luna saw left her with wide eyes, a dropped jaw, and lacking all capacity for speech.... Celestia and Discord were sitting at a table across the room with plates of cake in front of each other (of course). But the cake slices were barely touched.... And meanwhile, Celestia and Discord were holding each other in a close embrace with their mouths bonded in a tender, passionate kiss that looked like it had been going on for quite some time (and like it had been showing no signs of stopping on its own). As the pair finally realized that they had been interrupted now though, the rather expressive kissing ceased, and the draconequus and alicorn just remained perfectly still, locked in their embrace and looking at each other with wide eyes. Then with a gasp Celestia pulled back, and she and Discord turned forward. "L-Luna!?" Celestia's voice actually hit a sharp note as she exclaimed her sister's name. "I-I..." She blushed red as a sunset. "I..." "Speechless?" Discord grinned, a dreamy look in his eyes as he rested his head on his hand. "I haven't done that to a lady in a while." He gave a low chuckle. "Glad to know I'm not quite as rusty as I thought I was." Celestia let out a truly mortified sigh, cleared her throat, and tried to speak again. "Luna, this isn't, um...entirely what it looks like." She smiled very sheepishly. "You know that arrangement I mentioned to you that Discord and I have..." Discord couldn't help himself. "You mean the one about how you and I are completely hot for each other, but you're still getting used to it, so usually all we get to do is flirt and cuddle and drink way too many milkshakes with two straws?" The chaos master leaned back in his seat as his grin picked up on one side. Celestia pouted but kept her attention on Luna. "We're not...I mean, it's complicated...I-I mean, if you knew the context of.... H-How much did you see, exactly?" She swallowed and smiled sheepishly. And now at this point, Luna blinked once and then just let out a deep sigh. Her gaze went dull, though she smiled as she walked over to the icebox. "Oh please, Celestia, I knew you two were dating even before you two knew you were dating." "Good then we can get back to things!" Discord's leaned in close to Celestia. Still facing forward, Celestia's eyes went wide. "Discord!" Her blush brightened again. The chaos master just laughed again. Luna only sighed once more. "Anyway," she magically took a slice of cake from the icebox and put it on a plate, "I'm just getting a late night snack, and then I'll leave you two alone if you'd, er...like to insist on using the kitchen for the rest of whatever you were doing." She raised an eyebrow at the couple as she turned toward the door again. "Is there any particular reason though, sister, that you'd pick here of all places for courtship activities instead of just your room? I mean, if you're this concerned about not getting caught..." She grinned a little. Discord's look brightened considerably. "Say, not a bad idea." He glanced at Celestia. "What do you think, Ti..." He was met with a very displeased look from a blushing Celestia. Discord's eyes went wide, and he swallowed as he went on. "...I, uh...maybe I should go for now. Ta ta." And then with an awkward shrug and a wave, he snapped himself away. Luna brought a hoof to her mouth, resisting the urge to giggle as she addressed Celestia again. "Oh sister, don't be so grumpy towards him. You know he can't help himself." Luna approached, the cake plate floating beside her. But then she paused and raised an eyebrow at the sight of her sister now. "Celestia?" Celestia was blushing considerably and looking down with wide eyes and a frown. "I, um..." her voice cracked slightly again, and she cleared her throat once more, "I think I'll go to my room." And then she suddenly teleported away (leaving her cake behind her). Luna frowned at the spot where she had been (and at the fact that she had left her cake--a bad sign, indeed). Then the moon princess sighed, set her own plate of cake onto the table, and teleported away as well. A moment later, Luna found herself outside of Celestia's room. She knocked and gave the door a gentle push open. "Sister? Are you all right? Did I tease you too much? I apologize if I did--I was just trying to handle an awkward moment, I..." Luna blinked at the sight of Celestia lying on her bed with her face down in her pillows. "Sister...?" Luna approached, an eyebrow raised. Celestia let out such a deep sigh. "I actually kissed him." Luna's smile grew a little, and she couldn't help herself. "Erm, technically I believe the modern term for what you two were doing was necking or making out." She held back a soft chuckle. A small snort left Celestia...and then a chuckle...and then a full laugh. And now the sun princess raised her head, and she was laughing so much that tears actually fell from her eyes. "Luna, I...I was making out with Discord. I was making out! With Discord! He was our mortal enemy once, he turned our lives inside out, he has no concept of stability and leadership, I let him hit on me constantly in this house so we could be friends, I'm a princess, and I made out with him! Over cake! How did I go from having an idea to release Discord to try and reform him to this?!" She flung out an arm, her laughter continuing. Luna raised an eyebrow again. "Celestia, you're getting hysterical." Celestia only continued laughing and crying though. "We just came back here from a nice flight after dinner and went to the kitchen for a snack, and we were talking...and then it all happened so fast. Luna, I've kissed Discord! I was making out with..." She let out a very deep sigh and brought her hoof to her head. "This really happened, didn't it?" "Sister!" Luna finally came forward, turned Celestia to face her with her magic, and gave her shoulders a gentle shake. "Pray, snap out of it!" She looked into her eyes. Celestia's eyes went wide, but then she blinked a few times. The laughing and crying stopped, and she let out a deep, slow breath now. "Okay...I'm okay. Really." She cleared her throat. "I'm fine now. I promise." Luna observed Celestia closely for a moment longer and then finally released her and took a step back. "Very well." She nodded. "Now, sister, you must explain to me why you were so upset just now. Did it have anything to do with you and Discord getting caught by me?" She frowned. "I know you're a very private mare, Celestia, and I really didn't mean to tease you so much, but you'd think you would have accepted the possibility by now of someone potentially seeing the two of you in such a compromising position. How long has this intimate part of your relationship been going on exactly?" Luna tilted her head to the side. Celestia sighed and rested her head on her pillows again. She blushed slightly. "Tonight was the first time. Our first kiss...." Luna's eyes went a little wide. "Oh." She swallowed. "I am very sorry I interrupted then." Celestia blushed more and raised her head again. "Don't be. I mean it's fine, really." She took a breath. "You know Discord and I been spending time together lately in a very special friendly way, Luna. But all we would do is talk together and laugh together, and I'd let him hold my hoof..." "So, what happened tonight exactly to change things?" the night princess raised an eyebrow Celestia looked down a little. "I don't know. We got back from taking a lovely flight over the countryside, like I said, and we sat down to eat our cake. And we were just talking, joking like usual--he flirted with me, and I...said some encouraging things back." She blushed more. "Then I said how being in the kitchen at night reminded me of our time together when he was living here. And he said it was almost the same except now I'd taken all the fun out of his flirting by not getting nearly so flustered anymore." She smiled. "And I said he still flustered me sometimes, I'd just learned to hide it well because I didn't want to give him the satisfaction. And he said he'd tell me a secret...then he leaned in and said I flustered him too a little." She swallowed. "Then I think I said that was an awful lot for both of us to be feeling when we were only pretending to date. And then he grinned and said it was a lot for both of us to be resisting too." Her blush deepened. "And then...the next thing I knew, his arms were around me and his hands were in my wings, and I had a hoof on his shoulder and I was getting used to the feeling of kissing somebody with a fang...and a snake's tongue." She brought a hoof to her forehead, and something in the shuddery breath that left her was reminiscent of the start of that hysterical tone she'd had before. She took another deep breath and lowered her hoof. Luna blinked, her eyes wide for a moment and a distinct blush on her features. Then she cleared her throat and resumed a supportive smile. "Celestia, really, it's fine. So you like Discord." She shrugged, then raised an eyebrow. "And you...really take such pleasure in his intimate company?" Celestia's blush was rosy. She nodded. The moon princess smiled more. "Well then, what's the problem? So you went out with a creature you like and whom you're attracted to, and you kissed him...repeatedly. It's perfectly okay. Enjoy yourself, sister--you know we both don't socialize personally nearly enough. And Discord's sort of cute in an obnoxious sort of way." But then Luna's smile fell a little. "Unless you're upset about things escalating?" Celestia just sighed. "I don't know. This has all just been very.... I don't know." She collapsed her head onto her pillows again. Luna nodded. "Well, if you feel you need some counsel, I could always summon Cadance and Twilight. Between the Princess of Love and the Princess of Friendship, you're bound to sort out how you feel and where you want things to go from here." "No!" Celestia sat up with a light blush, then cleared her throat. "I mean, um...Cadance would get carried away. And I'd rather not involve Twilight in this." She swallowed. "It would feel strange. I've trained her since she was a filly. How am I supposed to look at her and explain that my 'friendship problem' is that I don't know how to deal with the fact that I just spent twenty minutes in the kitchen taking 'reforming' Discord to an entirely new level?" Luna sighed and shook her head. "Sister, I'll concede your point about Cadance, but Twilight is capable of knowing you have a personal life and being okay with it." "Yes, but I might not be capable of being okay with it, not about this at least...not yet," Celestia mumbled. She cleared her throat. "I'd really rather just talk to you, sister. Discord and I haven't directly admitted to anybody else yet how are relationship has changed, even if ponies may have seen us together a few times. We've been very discreet and casual--that was the point of only pretending to date at first. And...now tonight happened." Then she sighed and looked forward again. "I still can't believe I did this." Her eye twitched slightly. Luna smiled a little again. "You really are smitten with Discord, aren't you, Celestia? I don't believe I've ever even you get this worked up over a suitor before." Celestia nodded and almost smiled a little. "Discord's...fun. He makes me smile. And he's interesting and...sort of sweet sometimes when he thinks no one's looking. I do like him." She blushed again and looked to her sister once more. "But what if I like him too much now, Luna? We never seriously talked about a true courtship. He's a free spirit, and anything serious about our relationship has been very unofficial. How do I know he doesn't have a bunch of girls all over Equestria he sees? How do I know I'm not getting carried away?" She frowned. "We may have just complicated our friendship very much, Luna. And I don't even know how to start talking to him about it." Just then there was a rap on Celestia's balcony window and the door opened. There stood Discord, leaning against the frame. "Actually, for things that are purely fun, I don't mind playing the field a little. But there have been emotions involved in this, so...it's just you in my life at the moment, Tia." He swallowed and tried to smile more as he added, "And have we 'complicated' our friendship or just made it more chaotic, hmm?" He raised an eyebrow and held back a chuckle. Celestia just kept staring forward with wide eyes. Luna looked from Discord to Celestia and then stepped back with a sheepish smile. "Erm, I believe I should go. I still have a snack to finish in the kitchen. Take care, you two." She met Discord's gaze and lightly gestured with her head to her sister. The chaos master gave her a single slight nod. Luna gave slight him a nod in return and then disappeared. The happy couple was alone now. Discord let out a breath. "Why don't we talk out on the balcony, Celestia? The night air's probably good for us after how stuffy that kitchen was." He blushed a little but turned away and headed outside. Celestia remained in her room for a moment, quiet and thinking. But then finally she got up and walked outside to find Discord just admiring the view. "Nice night," the chaos master started, looking out at the city and landscape below. Celestia swallowed and nodded, looking forward as well as she came to sit near him. "Oh, uh...yes. Luna's made a beautiful one." Discord took a deep breath. "Beautiful day too." Celestia nodded again. "Yes, I suppose it was." Discord let out a sigh. "Well then, now that we've got the pleasantries out of the way..." He turned to her with a slight frown. "Are you feeling a little better?" Celestia blushed faintly. She nodded. "Yes. I am." She smiled slightly and barely glanced over at him. "Thank you for asking." "Yeah, well...I care about you. It's the least I could do." His grin picked up a little on one side. "After all, you're my very special friend." Celestia blushed more and looked forward and down. Discord sighed again and did the same. Then he leaned forward on the balcony rail. "Was it really that bad for you, Tia? I thought we were both enjoying ourselves back there, but it has been a thousand years for me. Maybe I'm not reading signals right anymore." "It wasn't 'bad', Discord." Celestia turned her head to look at him completely. Discord was just gazing out at the landscape with a dull look in his eyes...and no smile now. "But it just wasn't with some charming stallion prince...without a hands or a fang...or a snake's tongue." Celestia's features colored vermillion, and she sighed and frowned. "Discord, I wish you wouldn't eavesdrop." She looked down. "And you know I didn't mean it like that." "Like what?" There was almost something mocking in his tone...but there was a little pain there too. Celestia glanced at him again: he still wasn't smiling. If anything, he was frowning. She had so rarely ever seen him sad in their lives.... Celestia's gaze and tone softened. "Like I wished you were something you're not," she replied as she turned to face him completely. "I'm sorry, Discord. I didn't know you were listening, but either way I didn't mean it like that." Her eyes widened a little. "What we did together just...didn't absorb at the time, and then when we stopped it absorbed all at once. And it's been such a dramatic shift for us over such a short period of time considering our history. And, regardless of anything with you, I'm just not used to...I mean..." She swallowed. "You know I haven't seen anyone socially the way I see you in a very, very long time. I haven't even had a gentleman friend in a long time. So tonight my actions--our actions--they just surprised me. But it wasn't a bad surprise in any way. I mean that." Discord remained looking forward, though his eyes were wide now. Then he turned to her and finally smiled (or, rather, grinned) again. "So you did like it?" Celestia's blinked. But then with a soft blush she smiled and nodded. "Yes. I liked having that experience together. Kissing like that." "You're happy then?" Something in Discord's grin and gaze softened and warmed as he suddenly leaned down close to her. Celestia smiled even more. "I think it would be better if things went more slowly. But yes, I did like it...and I'm happy." Discord's eyes hazed as his grin practically went into a smirk. "What a coincidence, I liked it, and I'm happy too...even if you are a perfectly orderly little pony and not a being of chaos." He chuckled and straightened up as he turned to lean back against the railing. "However long it's been since you've seen someone socially the way you see me, it's been too long, princess. You don't deserve such neglect." Celestia almost smirked a little herself (and inside she felt a great relief that he was smiling and joking with her again). "I could say the same thing about you." Discord laughed again, eyeing her with an eyebrow raised. "In the kitchen though? Really?" He crossed his arms over his chest. "Celestia, I know you like cake, but is it actually a turn on for you? Should I know this?" Celestia just shook her head as she held back a laugh. "Well, I'll admit having the aroma nearby certainly is a pleasing experience." Then she stood, and her eyes hazed a little. "And when was the last time you didn't just have fun with someone, Discord? When was the last time emotions were involved?" She took a step closer to him. Discord lost his poise for a moment--his eyes went wide and distinct blushing came to his features as he lowered his arms and turned to face her. "I, er...a long...long time." Celestia giggled and brought a hoof to her mouth, all of her usual calmness and happiness returning to her tone. "We snuck down to the kitchen and kissed. I feel like a teenager." Discord managed to clear his throat and smile a little, though his blushing remained. "You're certainly as enthusiastic as one. I thought it was only in my daydreams that you were that passionate." He sighed. "And did you really think I'd be seeing other women while seeing you, Tia? Have you really not accepted the fact that you're more than enough mare for anyone, including me? Not to mention an excellent kisser." He winked. Celestia giggled. "I'm not sure what to expect with you sometimes--you are chaos after all." She winked back at him. Discord's grin practically grew into a smirk. "I'll make you a deal. While we're close like this, you don't use your sudden desire to socialize intimately to start some sort of secret stallion harem for yourself with your staff and the guards, and I won't use all of my natural charm to win the hearts and desires of every mare in Equestria. I mean, I'll have to put in some serious effort, but I'll genuinely try not to." "Deal, Discord." Celestia nodded. Then she let out a deep breath, a faint blush still present. "Discord, if we...let this new part of having a special friendship into our lives...maybe it could just be in a small way?" Discord's grin picked up on one side. "Sort of an amendment to our agreement? You mean like we can kiss...but maybe only for special occasions or good night kisses. Something like that?" Celestia nodded. "Yes. I think doing that might help keep us from accidentally doing what we did in the kitchen in the future." "Yes, well, we did agree on no actual passionate necking at the start of this little friendship escalation of ours." Discord chuckled. "But a little peck between friends...no harm there." The chaos master sighed and looked down with a smile that was almost shy. "And if I'm going to keep caring about you...which might keep this thing between us pretty exclusive...it'd be nice to have the option for a kiss, especially since it's been so long...for both of us." His hazed eyes and looked down into hers. Celestia's rather wide eyes looked up into his. "We really did get a little carried away in the kitchen...with the dim lights and the quiet and the cake. It was an interesting first kiss." Discord nodded. "Yes. But from now on we'll be very careful...even if sometimes we are sitting close and we both look at each other and just know there's something there." Celestia blushed more. "You really are very charming...and very passionate yourself." Discord almost laughed. "I know. But I really wish you'd warn me before you say such nice things, princess. I told you once before...it's not easy for a guy to resist escalating advances from a beautiful female." Celestia smiled more, her eyes still gazing into his. "Discord, I think talk like this is how we got in trouble in the kitchen..." A deep sigh left Discord through his nose. "It's also how we almost got in trouble two weeks ago at my house when we were watching that scary movie in the dark and we used it as an excuse to let me put an arm around you. And it's almost how we got in trouble last weekend when you let me watch you lower the sun and then told me sun rises and sunsets always made your heart pound a little...and I told you that you make my heart pound a little." He shrugged. "Let's face it--the whole thing's been inevitable." Her features rosy, Celestia looked down a little...though she did softly add, "Maybe it has been..." Then, just before Discord really couldn't resist the urge to scoop her up and neck with her until she might agree to spend the rest of her off duty hours with him, he gave a nod and smiled. "But for now, I believe we agreed that goodnight kisses are acceptable. And it is night, and a good one...and I figure it's late enough that you should be going to bed." He shrugged. "What do you say?" Celestia glanced back up at him with a small smile. She gave a single nod. "Just one. I think that's about what I can handle for the rest of the night." She held back a giggle. Discord smiled and gave her a slight bow of his head. "Just one...unless when it's over you drag me into your room in a fiery embrace, and then all bets are off." He laughed. "Discord." Celestia just sighed and nudged him with her hoof. "Come here..." And then she leaned up, rested her hoof on his shoulder, and gently brought her mouth to his for a kiss. Discord's eyes went wide at first but then drifted closed as he brought a paw up to her cheek. And then the chaos master smiled as Celestia gave a light gasp at the feeling of his tail coming up behind her and wrapping lightly around her back to pull them even closer. After a long moment, the couple separated...and eventually Discord's tail slipped away. Celestia's smile picked up a little on one side. "Was that your tail having a mind of its own again?" Discord chuckled. "We were of the same mind just now actually." Celestia smiled so much and glanced down. "That makes three of us, then." His tail tuft was in the air near her and she lightly touched it with her hoof and giggled. Discord tried to smirk down at Celestia, though the hazed look in his eyes dampened the effect. "Did I ever tell you that you're pretty when you're not overthinking things?" Celestia laughed softly and shook her head. "Goodnight, Discord. And thank you for coming to talk to me. I appreciate it." She turned to head back inside. "Dinner date out together this weekend?" Discord suddenly replied back after a clearing of his throat. Celestia blinked and paused, glancing over her shoulder. "Dinner? We've never gone out for dinner before..." Discord shrugged. "It'll be good dating practice. And a good way to get ponies more used to the idea of us maybe staying together for a little while. Besides, it's a special occasion. Come on..." His eyes hazed a little. "Some restaurant in a quiet corner of the city, sparkling cider in long stem glasses, soft music playing, lots of new cake to try...and maybe I'll chaos things up a bit by making the silverware dance. Just you and me and privacy." He winked. Celestia's already warm smile grew. "Okay, Discord. I'd be happy to." Discord nodded and gave her a little wave. "Sweet dreams then, Tia." "Sweet dreams, Discord." Celestia headed inside and closed the balcony door behind her. Discord watched her go. Then as he turned to leave he found himself face to face with Luna. She was just standing there on the balcony now looking back at him with a small smile. He stared down at her with wide eyes. Then the night princess's smile grew. "You like her." Discord raised an eyebrow. "Uh...didn't we establish that fact at least three misadventures ago?" Luna's smile only remained though. "And she likes you, Discord. Very, very much." She looked into his eyes meaningfully. Discord's eyes couldn't help widening a little more for a moment. But then he cleared his throat and glanced away. "Yes, well...I came to that conclusion myself in the kitchen when she chose kissing me over eating cake. And then I had it confirmed for me about ten minutes later when my tail brushed her shoulder when it snapped to dim the lights, and she gave this little gasp through her nose that I'd never imagined her making before, though I have to say I'm very fond of it." He chuckled to himself. Luna sighed and rolled her eyes. As she opened her mouth to speak again though, Discord suddenly held up a paw in front of her. The chaos master looked down at her again. "But seriously, I do know she likes me, Luna. A lot." He swallowed but managed to keep his aloof look as he lowered his paw. "I've been very cautious about actually attracting her affections for a while now, long before we ever decided to be special friends." He glanced out to the nightscape before them. "Right up until the end there, after the Tirek thing, I was seriously hoping she'd never think of me in any special way...but afterwards, I wanted her to. I like that she likes me now. I like that we like each other." His smile picked up on one side. "It's really the most absurd ending to this whole reform business. I grin every time I think about it." Luna nodded. "So, you are taking her deepening feelings seriously--that is all I wanted to know." She smiled again. "And, yes, I for one certainly never saw Celestia taking you as her consort to be the end result of all of our experiences together." "Luna!" Discord's eyes popped open wide, and he blushed. "Ugh, please, that word makes me sound like all I'm good for around here anymore is eye candy and making her giggle when no one's looking." He cleared his throat. "Besides all we did was kiss...a lot." He smirked a little to himself. "No harm in still pretending we're just curious friends." Luna's smile grew. "I'll be sure to knock from now on before entering certain places, Discord." "Yes, that would be appreciated, Luna." Discord's blush grew. "I'm not really sure where what was happening in the kitchen was going, but it was definitely in the realm of something better experienced in private." Luna nodded. "Indeed." Then she glanced to the side. "Erm...Discord? I...may seriously regret this, but might I ask you a favor?" Discord turned to her with a half grin and raised an eyebrow. "This should be interesting. Shoot, Luna." Luna grazed the floor of the balcony with one of her hooves. "Well, I've been thinking about socializing a bit more myself. Not in the somewhat serious way you and Celestia are, but in a casual way just to better acclimate myself to how relationships work these days. At least in a way beyond just noticing the guards with my sister...which you've taken all the fun out of now, by the way, since all Celestia's done for the last month is sit there and tell me 'cute' things you've done while I glance over the troops." She rolled her eyes and cleared her throat. "Anyway, my request: you seem to get out a bit more than I do, Discord, and to come in contact with more creatures. So if you...wanted to bring somebody by the castle one day who possibly seemed to you like a good match for me...I wouldn't mind." She looked up with a little sheepish smile. Discord's eyes widened. "Wow, wanting to meet a special somepony and not needing years of magical strife followed by months of complicated flirting, a dramatic national crisis, and the foreplay of 'pretend dating' just to make the relationship work in some kind of wacky way? You really are the fun princess. And in that case, sure, why not, Luna? I'd be up for making another pony have a little extra fun on the side." Luna nodded. "I would appreciate the assistance very much, Discord, thank you." Discord's grin grew, and he pumped up one of his eyebrows. "And Celestia really puts talking about me over checking out the guards these days?" Luna's smile softened. "As we established at least three misadventures ago, she likes you very much. I think it made her very happy when you told her before that this was an exclusive thing for you just as much as it was for her." Discord blushed slightly. "Yes, well...there's the 'emotions' thing involved in this, like I said. Besides...she's special. I never got to know anyone like her. Even kissing her was different..." He had a far away look for a moment and was quiet. Luna just watched him with interest. Then Discord blinked and cleared his throat. "Er, yes, well...that's enough sharing for tonight. It's late, I'm tired, you've got duties. I should probably get going." Luna held back a small giggle. "Have a pleasant night. And thank you again for offering your services." "You're quite welcome." The chaos master gave a dramatic bow with a flourish of his arm. Luna gave a bow of her head. "Farewell for now, Discord. I'm happy you and my sister are so happy together. I think, in some strange and unexpected way, that you might be very good for each other." And then Luna spread her wings and took off into the night. Discord just stood there smiling to himself for a moment and then let out a sigh. "Well, I've caused enough unintentional chaos around here for one day. I suppose I'll head home..." He turned away from the view of the castle grounds and held up his fingers to snap when suddenly he paused. He was facing the balcony window doors of Celestia's room, and through them he saw Celestia now emerge from her bathroom (free of her regalia). The sun princess yawned and approached her bed. As she climbed into it, her eyes turned toward the balcony, and then she blinked and smiled as she caught sight of Discord. Discord swallowed and considered his options very deeply. In her room, Celestia watched Discord through the window with a smile on her face and an eyebrow raised. He was standing there with his arms behind his back and his eyes a little wide, barely attempting his usual smug grin. She giggled to herself. "I suppose he's sort of cute when he's startled." She blushed slightly, took a breath, and then found herself about to raise her hoof to gesture for him to come inside. She wasn't entirely sure where more time together tonight might lead...but she felt better able to handle the situation now. However, before she could make the gesture, Discord had snapped his fingers, and in the air before him now was a scroll with a quill writing upon it. Celestia watched in interest as the quill penned several lines before disappearing in a burst of light. And then the scroll furled up. Discord's eyes came to Celestia again, and the sun princess watched with continued interest as he blushed lightly and then looked away (as casually as he could manage) and snapped his tail. Celestia blinked. "Oh!" Resting on her pillow now was the rolled up scroll with a blue rose tucked into the center. The sun princess's whole look softened. She looked to Discord again. The chaos master gave her a small smile and a wink (and blew her a kiss), waved with his fingers, and then departed in a bright burst of light with a snap of his tail. Celestia looked down at her strange gift. She removed the lovely blue rose first and smelled it. "Frosting?" She laughed and shook her head. Then she conjured up a thin vase on her nightstand to hold the flower (though not before her eyes had fallen on Discord's first bouquet, still residing in a vase on her mantle). Her attention went to the scroll next. She unfurled it and read. 'My eyes are red, Chaos roses are blue, Cake is Sweet... And poems are so boring when they rhyme, am I right? Why does anybody write them then? I guess to express themselves. But I think I expressed myself quite thoroughly to you back in the kitchen, so we'll leave off of the verses for now. I've decided chaos roses are blue. I like to make you flowers to thank you whenever you go out on a limb for me...or in tonight's case with me...so thank you. It was fun that you gave us a chance like that even if you're still overwhelmed deep down. But seriously, Celestia, I didn't realize until this evening that there was a chance the two of us might get off of the same page about things between us sometimes. So, if you're ever feeling a little confused, just let me know and we'll figure out where we stand just like we did tonight (and progress our special friendship arrangement if necessary, of course). I know the ponies might have seen us hanging out together enough now to start suspecting that we're on more than friendly terms. But as for anything that happens in private with us--I won't tell if you won't. Not even if you gave the pleasure of curling up at the end of your bed one of these nights.... Keep having fun with me, Tia. That's all I ask. I think we both need that much in our lives at least. Your loving friend, Discord P.S. That alicorn strength of yours really comes through when you're caught up in a passionate moment, by the way. It took everything I had not to let you accidentally push me down onto the table back in the kitchen. What a sight that would have been for your sister to walk in on, huh? --Discord P.P.S. This letter will explode into glitter in...NOW! Rarity taught me about glitter--it's both fashionable AND chaotic! Have fun!' Celestia's eyes went wide. "What, I--" And then the letter did explode, and indeed all sorts of rainbow-colored glitter now became scattered in her hair and on her blanket and on her pillow. Celestia just sat there with her eyes wide in shock, everything (even the air around her) sparkling. Then some familiar disembodied chuckling met her ears. Celestia sighed and looked up to her ceiling. "You have an odd idea about how to woo a lady, you know." "Woo?" Discord's disembodied voice replied. "Ooo, let's go with that word for a while instead of 'mercilessly flirting'--it sounds so classy." He chuckled again. "Did you miss me?" Celestia shook some glitter from her mane. "You mean in the last two minutes since I saw you?" Discord's voice sighed. "You know, I've never gotten a straight answer out of you whenever I've asked that question. 'Did you miss me?' Have you ever truly missed me, Celestia?" Celestia raised an eyebrow, but then her smile warmed. "Well, whenever I forget how much cleanup chaos can entail and just remember all the fun it brings...and of course whenever I'm not planning my secret stallion harem..." she rolled her eyes, "then, yes, I do miss you, Discord." She blushed and glanced to the side with a smile. "Knew it!" The disembodied voice chuckled. "You know, Tia dearest..." "Dearest?" Celestia raised an eyebrow, smiling more. "I'm working on terms of affection that don't make me sound like some sappy stallion falling all over himself for you." His voice chuckled more and went on. "Anyway, Tia dearest, you know, I kind of made that comment about it being time for you to go to bed because I was angling for that good night kiss. But really the night is still so young...and there's something I've been meaning to do with you for a while now." Celestia opened her mouth to speak when suddenly there was a flash of magic...and, lo and behold, Discord appeared floating in the air with his head at her headboard and his body stretched out past the top of her bed. He was on his back with his head tilted slightly, looking at her upside down with a grin. Celestia sighed and grinned a little herself as she looked up at him. "Discord, you do know that some of us have to work in the morning, right?" Discord smirked. "Oh, like being on call 24/7 for chaos isn't work." His grin curled upward at the ends more, and he angled his head so far back that he was looking at her right side up now. "Close your eyes." His eyes narrowed a little. Celestia blushed and tried not to laugh. "Discord, I'm not falling for whatever this is. I may not date much, but I'm not naive." Discord just chuckled. "Oh come now, Tia, give me some credit. I do try to exercise a bit of finesse with you. Indulge me just this once?" Celestia sighed but did close her eyes, her smile growing. "Just so you know, if you're in this bed with me when I open my eyes, you're going to find out what my Royal Canterlot voice sounds like, Discord." From behind her eyelids, Celestia heard the chaos master chuckle. "Now, now, don't rush things, Celestia. What kind of guy do you think I am?" Another second passed. "Now, open your eyes..." Celestia opened her eyes, and they went wide quickly and she sat up at the sight of Discord floating before her with a big polka-dot pillow held high in the air. The chaos master beamed. "Surprise pillow fight!" And then he lowered the pillow for a direct hit! A second later, Celestia was just sitting there with the big pillow skewered straight through on her horn. Discord blinked and scratched is head. "Huh. This isn't working as well as when you did it to me. I--Oof!" And now Discord was suddenly whacked with his own pillow, which Celestia had magically raised off of her horn and swung through the air. The result was feathers everywhere now along with the glitter from the letter still scattered about. Discord blinked a few times and then looked to Celestia with a grin and an eyebrow raised as he righted himself once more. "Oh, I love when you fight back." His eyes narrowed. Celestia blushed and smirked a little. "You know, Discord...you and I really never had a final duel to settle our differences from the past. And, if I can be a little blunt, hitting you with a pillow is fun." She used her magic to make about a dozen more pillows appear in the room of all different shapes and sizes and colors. "Agreed." Discord took one of the pillows in hand and flew up. "Pillow fight then, my lady?" He gave a dramatic bow. "As long as you'll help me clean up in the morning, good sir." Celestia giggled. "As long as I get a good morning kiss and breakfast with you and Luna." The chaos master winked. Celestia blushed lightly. "Breakfast, yes. A good morning kiss...only if you win." She raised a fresh pillow with her magic. "Only if you lose," Discord corrected. "That way if we have a draw, I still end up happy." Celestia nodded. "Agreed." Discord smirked entirely. "The final battle between the sun princess and the master of chaos: who knew it would end like this? Oh well...have at you!" Celestia smiled more, her eyes bright as she jumped down from her bed with a laugh. "En garde!" And then an evening of the most glorious fun began full of laughter and teasing and feathers and glitter and Discord and Celestia eventually collapsing amongst it all in the middle of the night to fall asleep together near the fire. Of course, Luna came upon an interesting sight the next morning when she went to Celestia's door to walk with her to breakfast only to see Celestia and Discord emerging from the room with their manes and fur significantly ruffled, feathers and glitter everywhere, and looking like they had barely slept a wink all night as they blushed and laughed together. The question of what exactly the two of them had been doing came from the moon princess's lips before she could stop herself. Celestia had raised an eyebrow. And then Discord had burst into so much laughter while Celestia's eyes had gone wide and then she had suddenly blushed and looked down completely...until finally she couldn't help laughing too as she explained the situation (which prompted quite a bit of laughter from Luna as well). With sighs and smiles the three magical beings headed toward the dining room for breakfast, Discord between the two pony sisters as they walked along. Celestia glanced at Discord. "You'll be helping me clean up after breakfast of course, Discord." Discord grinned. "Another excuse to be alone with you in your room? Works for me. Oh and by the way, you didn't win last night. It was a draw." He pumped up his eyebrows. Celestia smiled more, recalling their bargain about the outcome of the pillow fight. "You're right...I didn't, and it was." As she turned to him, Discord suddenly leaned down, lightly cupped her chin in his paw, and gave her a brief peck on the mouth. As he released her, Celestia smiled and couldn't help looking forward with bright eyes and a light blush. Discord just grinned to himself, his eyes a little hazed. "I could get used to this." Luna giggled. "And I suppose I shall have to get used to it too." She smiled. "But come along now, you two, breakfast is getting cold. And it'll be nice to eat together just like old times." Luna's grin picked up on one side, and she added, "Unless of course, after clearly spending the night, Discord is considering moving back in." "Not until Tia dearest proposes to me!" The chaos master held his head high with a proud smile. "Now who's moving too quickly, Discord." Celestia's smirked a little. " 'Tia dearest' ?" Luna raised an eyebrow, then smiled and shook her head. "You two are ridiculous. Please keep this 'friendship' going if for no other reason than my own amusement." The three shared a laugh. "So then," Discord went on, looking to Celestia, "did you know that last night your sister came to me and asked me to set her up with a boyfriend?" "Discord!" Luna blushed, her eyes completely wide. Celestia snorted a laugh. "Oh really?" She glanced over at Luna. "Oh yes," Discord went on. "And since the solar pony sister clearly has a thing for fixed-up bad guys, I figure the lunar princess might too. So...after breakfast, group field trip to Tartarus to find a villain to reform for Luna!" He held his paw high in the air. "We are not going to Tartarus to find me a coltfriend!" Luna rolled her eyes, grinning a little. "If anything we'd go to a royal court or at least the Canterlot parliament. Both pony sisters can't be dating peasantry--it could send Equestria into a state of anarchy." She gave Discord a cheeky grin. "Peasantry? Oh, I'm wounded, Luna dear, truly." Discord held his hand dramatically to his forehead with a smirk. "But really I was thinking we'd get you a villain who's been around for at least a few centuries--that way you can get all of your 'thee's' and 'thou's' and 'royal we's' out of your system with him. What dost thou say, Luna?" He shrugged. "Thou art as droll as ever, Discord," Luna replied dryly with a grin. "Oh, you pony sisters." Discord just chuckled and then put his paw on Luna's head and his claw on Celestia's shoulders. "Always good for a laugh. I think that's part of why I love you." The statement was made in an almost offhand tone, and yet both Celestia and Luna heard the sincerity beneath the surface and smiled warmly (Celestia even moving a little closer to Discord). "I think this is the start of some more beautiful misadventures for all three of us--four once we set up, Luna," the chaos master went on with an awkward swallow and a sigh, still grinning (and blushing slightly). Celestia laughed and nodded. "Yes, I think so too, Discord: there are still plenty of adventures and fun ahead for us." She glanced at Luna and smiled more (and gave a very slight nod and a quick wink). "Indeed." Luna smiled back at her sister (and gave her a very slight nod and quick wink in return). And then both sisters used their magic very subtly. A sign appeared on Discord's back, reading in pink script, "Ask me about all of my emotions for Celestia!" and beneath that reading in blue script, "Luna is the fun princess! And I love the pony sisters!" And so, still laughing and warm with friendship, three beings entered the dining room (which was filled, of course, with staff members who were quite capable of reading and snickering at the signs on Discord's back, though the sisters felt it was the least they could do after how Discord had teased the staff during his time living in the castle. Besides, the signs would give the staff some lighthearted amusement as they watched with wonder and gradual acceptance as Discord and Celestia lightly flirted together while Luna looked on in smiling approval). It was the perfect start to a perfect day (as well as the perfect end to a perfect date). But then again, could anyone expect any less confusion from a friendship (and especially a romance) involving the master of chaos?
Love Will Travel As Long As You Let It	pre	Gilda whistled and stretched her wings. "Yeah, there's no way you'll be able to talk to her brother about anything if he's saying that to you." "So what choices do I have left?" Rainbow Dash said, her ears teetering. And when Gilda shook her head, those ears splayed against that mare's head. "Not much, I'm afraid. I mean, you could keep being persistent until she breaks, but I think that'll be a fifty-fifty chance of you either getting back with her, or getting a restraining order and divorce papers thrown your way." Gilda looked over at her friend. "If Hoedown's anything like you tell me, she prefers honesty and integrity over all else, so maybe keep being persistent and bank on that fifty-fifty chance? I don't know, this is a tough situation you got yourself into and--Skittles?" Gilda saw the matted fur, heard those quiet whimpers, and watched those forehooves reaching up to try and clear away the debris from her eyes. Rainbow Dash was crying. Gilda rolled her eyes. This was why she wasn't too fond of making friends. To have someone in your life come into your nest and carry all these emotions and thoughts that are focused on one singular pony or griffon was rough. This was why the only real friendship Gilda had in her life was with Rainbow Dash, that is, unless Gilda counted all the new ones she's made because of Rainbow Dash. Still, she didn't need too many friends. Griffons weren't that social of creatures. Most of the time they just dealt with each other. It's how their culture worked. The problem was that Gilda has had experience with pony culture, and they relied way more on being social than griffons. These ponies dealt with all the drama, all the distractions, and all of the aching feelings that came with friendship. Gilda didn't need that many issues on her plate. She didn't want to feel like Rainbow Dash, who had so many friends that she turned into a ball full of anxiety that was finally releasing its pressure after holding it in for so long. Gilda scooched over and brought Rainbow Dash close, her arm looping around the mare once again. "G-Gilda?" "Take your time, Skittles." And that she did. She cried, and cried, and cried. She cried until Gilda thought Rainbow Dash was completely dried up. At that point, there were no more tears to be shed. Only a few sobs were to be heard in the room, while remnants of tears had soaked both Rainbow's and Gilda's fur alike. It was difficult to watch someone deal with all the pain, grief, and heartbreak, especially someone like Rainbow Dash. It was also hard to deal with, since Gilda knew that Hoedown didn't want to see Rainbow Dash at the moment. That alone made the avenue of comforting her friend all that much harder. After a few more sobs and a quick nuzzle from Gilda, Rainbow Dash sniffled and nuzzled her friend back. "Thanks, G. I needed that." Gilda shrugged. "No skin off my bones. You looked like you were about to cry your eyes out there." Rainbow Dash looked around and used her hind legs to grab the other non-bloodstained towel from earlier. "Glad I have a towel to wipe the tears off, hehe." Gilda looked at Rainbow Dash's slashed cheek, and sighed. "Sorry about that." "Don't be," Rainbow Dash replied. "Like I said, I deserved it and to be honest, it'll be a pretty cool battle scar after all this blows over." Gilda smirked. "Oh?" "Yeah," Rainbow Dash said with a giggle. "I'll just tell my friends I got in a bar fight with another griffon or something. They'll probably believe it." "Sure, just like you believed in my trophy dropping on my stool bit." Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "Gilda, that was a pretty obvious lie. You don't even have a shelf above that stool!" Rainbow Dash looked around. "Actually, you don't really have many shelves above anything. Where do you store all your stuff?" "There's an upstairs for a reason, y'know?" "Really? Why don't we go check it out?" Gilda felt a sudden urge to block the stairwell with crates. "Uh... let's just say that I have a lot of my stuff up there, and it's not really ready for anyone to navigate." Rainbow Dash's lips formed into an 'o'. "Are you saying that you have a lot of stuff?" "You know Griffon culture, Dash?" "Yeah what's that got to do with--oh wait, nevermind." Gilda facepalmed immediately. "Can't believe that selfish part of our culture went over your head." Rainbow Dash shook her head. "Well, do you want me to come up some time and help you clean it out? You could use it for something instead of using it for storing stuff." That's not a bad idea, Gilda thought. She's wanted to actually use the upstairs part of her place for quite some time now, mostly because having a nest and a bed near where you eat is a bit atypical for a lot of griffons. Yet, she couldn't think of what to do with all the stuff she had collected over the years. She wanted to keep the memories too. Just like the ones of her cuddling with Rainbow Dash behind the race track in that clearing-- Gilda shook her head. There was no reason to be thinking like that at the moment. "I'll let you know once you patch things up with Hoedown," Gilda replied, turning the topic back on Rainbow. "So, what do you think you should do?" Rainbow Dash shrugged. "I don't know, it's hard to just think of something on the fly, y'know?" "I get you," Gilda said. "You still have to decide on something, but it doesn't need to be right now. Is there... anything else you wanted to talk about?" "Like, about my relationship?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Yeah, anything else?" "Not really. All I know is that I'm going to be seeing a lot of begging in my future. Right now, though, I have to ask you something." "Oh? What's biting you, Skittles?" "It's been a long time coming, and now since I know you like me like that, I think it'd be wise to ask this." Gilda felt her cheeks burn at that comment. She didn't mean for that confession, but she was tired of holding it in. "O-Okay, shoot." "Why did you leave Cloudsdale?" Gilda blinked. That wasn't what she was expecting Rainbow Dash to ask. She thought it was going to go down a different route, one involving something she might've dreamt about a long time ago, but yet again, her dreams were always somewhat odd. Gilda tilted her head. "Why do you want to know that?" "Because you just left without saying a word. Not even a goodbye. And by the time you left, I wasn't able to... say what I wanted to say," Rainbow Dash said weakly. "Were you--" "Going to confess?" Rainbow Dash asked. The griffon's eyes being as wide as saucers told her all she needed to know. "Kind of. I knew I wanted to say something, but I hadn't even talked to my parents about it and, well, you know how everything went." "Right," Gilda said, her beak running before she could think of what to say. "To be fair, Rainbow Dash, if you're thinking it's because of you, you're wrong." "Really?" "Well, if we had to go by percentages, you'd be about ninety percent wrong, but who's using percentages," Gilda said lamely. "It's a long story. You up for it?" Rainbow Dash suddenly yawned and looked towards the window. She chuckled. "Well, it's getting late, and that storm outside isn't going to let me fly so might as well." Gilda looked over to the window and noticed the slight pitter patter against it. "Huh, guess you're right. Rain's starting to come down and soon there will be thun--" PANG! "--der," Gilda finished as the house shook in place. Rainbow Dash buried herself into Gilda's chest. "Uhmmph," she said. Gilda chuckled. "Sorry, what did you just say?" Rainbow Dash pulled herself free from Gilda's chest. "Sorry, was trying to say 'told you so', but I kinda jumped right into your chest and--" Gilda rolled her eyes and wrapped her in her wings. "Don't apologize. It's fine." Rainbow Dash rapidly blinked at that, before smiling. She nuzzled happily into the crook of Gilda's neck and sighed. "Are you okay with this?" "I mean, not really," Gilda said lamely. She let out a snort. "But what am I going to say? We used to do this all the time back in the day, and then that one time..." "Yeah, still, I can stop and," Rainbow Dash began, only for Gilda to move a talon over her maw. "Uhh, G?" Gilda shushed her. "Nope. Let me be selfish this one time." "Pfft," Rainbow Dash said, before giggling to herself. "You griffons and being selfish. You said you didn't want to do this but you're doing it anyway." "Hey, I don't ask for much. I promise I won't go any further than this." "If you say so," Rainbow Dash replied, before folding back into Gilda's embrace. "So, why did you leave Cloudsdale?" Gilda took a deep breath. "It's... pretty messed up. You're going to probably never want to meet my parents after this, not that you can. Anyway, it kinda starts as to why I came to Cloudsdale. My parents were a bit more friendlier than other griffons were. They knew that the school system in Griffonstone was terrible, so they looked elsewhere. They decided that Cloudsdale was a perfect choice, since the Junior Speedsters focused on flying and stuff. And we both know how that went." Gilda shared a smile with Rainbow Dash before she continued. "That's why we lived in Cloudsdale for a while. Anything was better than a griffon education at the time." "Okay, so why would they leave--" Gilda's face fell. "Because my parents were doing it out of necessity. We eventually moved back because they wanted me to keep my griffon values. They only wanted me to get 'a taste of pony culture', whatever that meant." Rainbow Dash growled. "So you're saying you moved because your parents didn't like ponies?" "Eh, they said it was because I had gotten enough out of the school system in Equestria, but I have a feeling there was something else involved," Gilda said with a shrug. "I don't know for certain, though. They knew that I liked you, but if it was because of that, they would've pulled me out immediately. It's irritated me ever since we moved back to Griffonstone, but I'll never know for sure. They're out of my life now, and Grampa Gruff doesn't know where they went." Rainbow Dash frowned. "That sucks, G. I wish they didn't pull you out of the camp. We could've done so much more together!" Gilda squeezed Rainbow Dash's shoulder. "Of course, but it wouldn't have changed much. I still would've had to go back to Griffonstone, whether I wanted to or not." "Are you sure about that?" Rainbow Dash asked with a head tilt. "I'm sure," Gilda replied with a smile. She nuzzled her friend's cheek carefully. "Besides, do you regret how I am now?" Rainbow Dash smiled and gently nuzzled back. "Nah, you're a great griffon, Gilda. I just wish we..." "We...?" Gilda said, ducking her head low to see Rainbow Dash's face. "If you hadn't moved and your parents decided to stay in Cloudsdale, I wonder if we would've been a couple or something, since, y'know..." Gilda felt the room's temperature skyrocket. "Right..." She cleared her throat. "Dash, I'm happy how things have turned out. Well, except for you not being with Hoedown, but between you and me, we're as steady as it's going to get right now, and I wouldn't want to change that." "Even if I decided tomorrow that I wanted to be with you?" Gilda frowned. "To be honest, I'd be more pissed at you if you did that. Like I said, I wouldn't want to come between you and Hoedown." Rainbow Dash nodded. "Right, just wanted to see how you'd react. I'm going to make sure I fix this, Gilda. I'm not going to lose AJ." "You sure about that?" Gilda asked with a raised brow. "Yeah... I know that I still love her, G. I know that now. Even if things aren't going right for me, I know I have to at least try to get her back." With a sigh, Gilda looked out the window. Another distinct rumble shook the house, leaving Rainbow Dash, once again, to curl into Gilda's embrace. The griffon chuckled, and let a talon of hers slowly drift down Rainbow's neck. She stopped near the joints of her wings, and pulled back up to her friend's mane. "G-Gilda?" "Just trying to calm you down. Even though you work with the weather, you're not used to ones you can't control." "Y-Yeah," Rainbow Dash replied. "If this keeps going on, I'm going to have trouble sleeping tonight." Gilda's eyes widened. Why hadn't Gilda thought about this green-lighting this whole chat? "Uh... I didn't think about putting a spare out for you." "A spare?" Rainbow Dash asked, earning a slow nod from Gilda. She chuckled. "You don't need to worry about that. Why don't we just sleep in your nest?" "Skittles, uh... are you forgetting the 'we like each other' heart-to-heart we had earlier?" Rainbow Dash shook her head. "No. Gilda, I didn't forget. I'm not going to do anything to you, and neither you're not going to do anything to me." "Why are you so confident in that?" Gilda asked. She yelped and quickly clamped her beak with her talons. Rainbow Dash, however, was amused by that. The mare smirked. "Oh? Are you saying you want to do something?" "N-No," Gilda let out with a stutter. "It's just, the implications--" "There are none, G. We're just two friends talking about mare problems while maybe confessing to each other for the first time. There's nothing other than that that would be 'implying' something could happen. Besides, I trust you, G. Do you trust me?" Gilda nodded. "I'd trust you enough to give you my wings, if you needed them." Rainbow Dash's eyes widened. Gilda could see Dash's wings slightly unfurl from that, and that ear twitch was certainly telling. "Uh, wow, I didn't know you were that far into your feelings about me, Gilda." "Like I said before. I liked you, and I still do. It's just... I might be a bit further ahead than you with the sappiness," Gilda admitted bluntly. She sighed. "I told you you've made me turn soft, and I meant it." Rainbow Dash chuckled and nuzzled her friend's cheek. "Hey, I don't mind. Still, since we're both trusting of each other, then there's nothing to worry about!" Quickly, Rainbow Dash scampered out of Gilda's grasp and laid herself in Gilda's nest. She nestled herself among the twigs and dirt she had mixed together. The mare looked over to Gilda, eyes half-lidded, a smirk still pleasantly shining on her face. "You coming over?" "Yeah," Gilda said. She looked over at the candle, whose flame pirouetted in the darkness surrounding it, and gently flicked her wing towards it, making its dance finally stop. The room grew dark, and now she could barely see Rainbow Dash's body. As her eyes adjusted to the lack of light, the mare's form was evident. The outline, and her legs being up in the air, curling--it made Gilda mimic her friend, although without staring directly at her, vying to make friends with the ceiling instead. She did right on that, as she felt the presence of Rainbow Dash's muzzle rub gently against Gilda' side. "Thanks for this, G." Gilda's eyes were wide as her heartbeat surged forth, firing to the sounds of the seconds slipping away. She closed her eyes. "You're welcome." The words just loosely slipped out. Like she was trying to land on ice, clawing for some sturdy, common ground. All she felt was slipping towards the edge of the nest, hoping that it'd keep her inside or else she'd fall down an endless-- "Not just this... G. Thank you for not freaking out too much over me being next to you." Gilda blinked. "S-Skittles?" "Just wanted to say that. We'll talk tomorrow, okay?" I need--" A yawn interrupted Rainbow Dash's thought "--I need you to help me figure things out. G'night, Gilda." "Good night, Rainbow Dash." The soft snores welcomed Gilda's ears, as the mare embraced the night, her body nestled flush with Gilda's. Meanwhile, Gilda felt wide awake. She never would've thought her feelings about Rainbow Dash would've been returned. However, they were just as she thought: at a distance. She kept Gilda close, but said they were still friends--she had Hoedown after all. There was no need to think she deserved Rainbow Dash. Gilda sighed. The afternoon had been hectic, compared to the orders that came in for scones that morning. Now it was nighttime, and she had Rainbow Dash in her nest. They were sleeping next to each other. No sex included. Just sleeping. Gilda closed her eyes. Maybe if she tried to make an effort to relax, then maybe she'd be able to sleep. If only minds worked like that. Light flooded through the window, peering down at the two curled up, intertwined. The soft snores gently caressed Gilda's ear, before she woke herself up, her talons holding the pony who she sought to help. Her eyes nearly popped out at the sight, wondering if she was trying to imagine this in front of her. Her heart leaped at the feeling, at the warmth Rainbow Dash's body exuded, but she kept its rhythm steady, and kept that beak shut. Gilda blinked. What was she going to do? Wait until Rainbow Dash woke up, or try to move her way out of this embrace, hoping that Rainbow Dash doesn't wake up in the process? She tried vying for the second option, gently moving her arm to see if she had any feeling in it. It barely moved, only her talons were willing to cooperate. The rest of her was numb, which made Gilda sigh as she only had one option remaining. Wait for Rainbow Dash to wake up. She could probably speed up the progress. Maybe she could tickle her awake or something, although that would seem a bit out of bounds, especially with everything going on. What else was she going to do? Contemplate on what's actually happened? Gilda kept herself steady, vying to find a way to look away from the embrace she ensnared herself in. She settled on letting her arm remain a hostage, while she was able to entangle her legs from Rainbow Dash's tail. With her back resting against the floor, Gilda looked up at the ceiling, and sighed. She couldn't believe that she was laying next to one of her best friends. The one she had a crush on way back when they were just a fledgling and a filly trying to learn how to fly. They only flew down different paths. Now they were back on the same path, in the sense that they were back to talking again, hanging out in Gilda's nest. If hanging out meant snuggling near each other. Gilda's ears twitched at the sound of Rainbow Dash's moaning in her sleep. She nearly flicked her gaze over, but when she felt the mare nuzzle into her side and let out a brief blow, Gilda knew Rainbow Dash wasn't awake yet. If Hoedown knew how good she had it, Gilda thought. Gilda looked back on how badly Rainbow Dash had messed up her relationship with her marefriend. Writing out 'I don't love Applejack anymore' while writing to a griffon that she 'wanted to chat with' might be the worst thing Rainbow Dash has ever done to someone mentally. If the roles were switched, Gilda probably would've decked Rainbow Dash before telling her to leave, but that's if she genuinely meant it and was wanting to argue about it. Hoedown didn't give Rainbow Dash the time of day. Why? Why did she just tell her to leave? Were all those arguments before just a catalyst for all this? Gilda couldn't wrap her mind around Hoedown's logic, and sometimes love does that, not that she would know. She just knew based on Griffon culture. Some scatterbrained fledglings would just give a possible suitor everything she desired. Even the extremely wealthy would too, saying it was love. Little did they know that if one of them trounced up to Gilda with a few million bits in their pockets, she'd tap that just to take the money and dip. Grinning to herself, she looked over at Rainbow Dash. The only pony that would easily subvert that reality. Gilda didn't need money from someone like her. She genuinely cared about this pony. Even if they couldn't be together because neither of them wanted to step over the dotted line, Gilda wanted to be there for Rainbow Dash, through thick and thin. It made Gilda's heart lurch at this feeling that tickled her feathers and her face. She swatted at her face with her freed talon, only for her eyes to cross. The bird shook her head and looked over to see two pools of pink staring at her. Wait, what? "R-Rainbow Dash?" "Good morning, G," Rainbow Dash replied, smirking. She nuzzled her friend's cheek. "Thanks for last night." "U-Uh, yeah, you're welcome," Gilda breathed out as Rainbow Dash freed her arm from its imprisonment. She tried moving it, but it was still numb, falling limp to her side. Rainbow Dash chuckled. "Sorry about that. Your arm was a really good pillow." "I see,' Gilda replied lamely. She couldn't help but smile at all this. "You slept well?" "Yep. Not a single bad dream like I've had for the past... few weeks." Gilda tilted her head. "Were they all about--" "AJ?" Rainbow Dash interrupted. Gilda nodded, which caused Rainbow Dash to snort. "Yeah. Either about her or about me getting kicked out of the farm. I've been living through my own worst nightmare, and I really have been losing it." Gilda wiped her smile off her face, and brought her not-numb arm over the mare's withers. "Hey, you have me to help you get back on track." "Yep," Rainbow Dash replied, melting into Gilda's side. "Your fur is nice." Gilda rolled her eyes. "I'll pretend I didn't hear that." "What, you don't like compliments?" "Considering that we still have to confront your worst nightmare and somehow fix it, I'd keep compliments like that under wraps." Rainbow Dash sighed and ducked away from Gilda's arm. "Then I guess we'll have to socially distance ourselves." "Or you could just, y'know, not say things like that," Gilda said. She shook her head and walked over to the table, which still sat the remains of their dinner. With a few seconds of honed focus and two working arms, Gilda had cleared the table, leaving Rainbow Dash's basket alone on it. "Hey, G?" Gilda turned around. "Yeah?" "You really think I'm going to be able to get back with AJ?" Gilda huffed. "You two were inseparable before this, weren't you?" "Yeah," Rainbow Dash said. She took a deep breath and stretched her wings. "We used to be like that. Like how couples always were. However, we did things differently. We kept all the sappiness in private and focused on being happy for the longest time." "And then what happened?" "Then... we just turned out to be bitter towards each other. I don't know how it happened. We just stopped being--" Rainbow Dash interrupted herself by rolling her wing, flexing it enough for a kink to finally pop, making her moan happily. The mare blushed. "Sorry about that. What was I saying?" "That you stopped being--" "Ah! Thanks, G," Rainbow Dash said. Gilda felt that heat begin to manifest on her cheeks. The mare continued, "Yeah, we stopped being what we were before. Spent less time together, and quite frankly, we stopped being so close. We only slept near each other, and rarely made any effort to do things together." "Well, there's your problem," Gilda said, snapping her talons. "When you go back, just ask her to go out on a date again or something." Rainbow Dash's wing twitched at that suggestion. "Yeah, when she actually will let me talk to her. Heck, I can't even get a word in edgewise. She just walks away from me." "Then just wait at the farm until she does talk to you," Gilda said. "What?" The blinking, the scrunched up muzzle, and the ears perking up made Gilda chuckle to herself, much to the chagrin of the blinking, scrunched-muzzle, ear-raised pony. "What's so funny, Gilda?" "Just the fact that you're pouting like that," Gilda replied, her chuckles devolving into full blown laughter. "S-Still, just stick 'round the farm until she decides to talk to you." "Like, camp out there? Isn't that illegal?" "I don't know how you ponies handle relationships, but if a griffon is having problems with a suitor, they just wait until the other isn't mad anymore." "Really?" Gilda nodded. "Sometimes, a griffon or a pony may need some space. Hoedown had enough time to herself from what it sounds like." Rainbow Dash just shrugged. "I don't know. If you think so, then should I just wait right near the gate or?" "Just make sure you don't make a move on their property, then you'd be trespassing or whatever your ponies say," Gilda said with a punctuated eyeroll. "You just want her to notice you again, not have her asking for a restraining order." The mare stretched her other wing and sighed. "And if this doesn't work G? What do I do then?" Gilda frowned. "It depends on how much you love her, Skittles. If you love her a lot, then you'll wait until she caves in." "And if I don't?" Gilda's eyes widened. "What?" Rainbow Dash breathed. "If I decide that I don't love her anymore, that she gave up on us--" She paused, letting out a cough. She looked up Gilda, her eyebrows glowering. "If I fall out of love, what do I do then?" Gilda felt her whole body go numb. She stayed still, frozen by Rainbow Dash's words. What could she do? Gilda blinked. "I guess you just move on. Find someone new to love. Do whatever it takes to make you happy, Skittles. That's all that matters in the end." The mare in front of her repeated the words softly to herself. Then, she gave Gilda a great big grin. "Thanks, G. I don't know what I'd do without you." "You'd probably be six feet under ground, knowing how you were sounding in the letters," Gilda replied, only to smack her talons against her beak. Her eyes were wide, while Rainbow Dash just looked away, walking over to the window. She peered out, the light casting her in a frame that Gilda had never seen before. Her heart raced as the words tumbled into her mind. She looks beautiful. Then Gilda promptly smacked herself upside the head for thinking that. "Hey, G?" Gilda walked beside the mare, choosing to keep herself an arm's length away. "Yeah, Skittles?" "When everything blows over, do you wanna come to Ponyville and hang out with my friends?" "I wouldn't mind. Hopefully your friends will be okay with it." Rainbow Dash turned away from the window to look at her friend. "Are you serious? Of course they'll be okay with it! I'll make sure they are." "Be careful. Fluttershy may still not be huge on me." Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "She'll be fine with you once I tell her about how you helped me out. Don't worry, I'll leave out the more... sensitive details." Gilda smiled. "Don't brag about me too much." "Pfft, you wish, G. You wish," Rainbow Dash riposted, smiling all the same. The mare brought her forehoof up, and left it there. Gilda knew what this was. The two shared a hoof bump, their smiles both morphing into smirks. "Are you heading out?" "Yeah," Rainbow Dash replied. She put her hoof back down on the floor and turned around. "If I'm wanting to fix this, I gotta make the effort right?" "That you do," Gilda replied, watching Rainbow Dash walk up to the table. "Need help with that basket?" "Pfft. You can keep it. I bought it literally for this trip. Besides, knowing you, you'll actually use it to store some of that stuff upstairs, right?" Gilda laughed as she walked beside her. "Yeah, I'll make good use of it." Rainbow Dash slid her saddlebags onto her barrel. She fastened herself in, before she spoke, "You better! Next time I'm over here, you'll have to show me what you did to it." "Pfft, I'll make sure I get it ready for your approval." "Hay, yeah! I'll make sure to have Twilight make me a stamp just so you have it in print that I approve of it!" Gilda rolled her eyes. "Don't be so full of yourself." She bent down and hugged her friend. "See you around, Skittles." Rainbow Dash mirrored Gilda's gesture, only she nuzzled into it, smiling all the while. "Definitely. I'm not letting us be apart for that long again!" "I'm glad," Gilda lamely replied, holding onto her for longer than even griffons felt acceptable. "Hey, G?" "Yeah?" "Can you..." Gilda squawked as she let go of the mare. "Right, sorry." The two stared at each other, before laughing their flanks off, nearly keeling on the ground. Gilda recovered first, opening the door with her talon, while kicking it the remainder of the way with her paw. "Now get out of here. You're making me feel like a dweeb with all these feelings." "Pfft, buck your feelings," Rainbow Dash said, smirking. "They're mine too, remember?" "The feeling's mutual..." Gilda blinked as Rainbow Dash slid past her. "Uhh..." "Later, G!" With that, Rainbow Dash raced out as she flapped her wings in the sky. Gilda walked further out to get a good look at the mare's departure, only for her not to see a single speck of the rainbow-maned mare in the sky. Gilda shook her head. It was always the same with Rainbow Dash. She was a quick thinker, but never one to just return the favor. Even in school she rarely did, unless she was confidently able to. It bothered Gilda just a tad, but not enough to be mad. She could never bring herself to be mad at Rainbow Dash. She-- "Hey, Gilda!" "Rainbow Dash? Why did you come back? Did you forget something--" That's all Gilda could get out when she felt a bit of moisture grace her cheek. Was that a raindrop or? Then, her eyes widened, as she noticed Rainbow Dash licking her lips. That mare was flapping her wings right in front of her, and her smirk was glaring at her. Gilda blinked. "Did you just...?" Rainbow Dash smirked. "That's for you to decide, G!" Then, she flew off, leaving Gilda gobsmacked on her doorstep. "She just licked me on the cheek! What the heck?" Gilda heard the laughter of a certain pegasus in the distance, one that made her feel both happy and embarrassed at the same time. The griffon smiled. "You're such a dweeb, Skittles. Such a dweeb..." Gilda kept her eyes glued to the sky as a rainbow shined brightly for all to see.
Rep'talal	pre	"Ugh! Really? We have to fly back in there, you know!" Rarity complained. "It's extremely unlikely that regurgitated nutrient gruel is the most unsanitary fluid we'll contend with on this mission." Gaela succeeded in detaching the winch, and Pinkie dropped onto the deck with a crash that caused the nearby Stormraven to shake. A moment later Fennin staggered out of the crew compartment. "So does anyone know what happened?" Pinkie asked, standing her walker upright. "Everything was going fine, and then suddenly BAM! WHAM!" "No doubt some debris was clustered too tightly for a safe approach," Gaela explained. "Between the cargo lander and the boarding pods, there were several obstructions complicating the flight path." A ceramite boot crashed into the embarkation ramp, forcing it open further. Then Dest squeezed out onto the deck, his armor squealing against the gunship's frame. "There was no debris in our path," the Possessed Astartes admitted. "I just hit the ceiling on the way in. I'm still not very good at this." He dropped down onto the floor, and then quickly snapped up his boltgun. "Is the area secure?" "Affirmative. Kind of." Gaela turned back to the room, and her optics whirred. "It appears the airlock to the mass lander has been breached. There are clear signs of combat, and yet no corpses. I wish to inload the lander's flight logs before we proceed." "Very well! We shalt hold the area whilst thou studies the remnants of those unfortunates who came before us!" Luna declared dramatically. "So is no one else going to ask about the big green things in here?" Rainbow Dash mumbled, pointing a leg at one of the bizarre, boulder-shaped objects. "One hazard at a time," Gaela said while she crossed the landing bay toward the lander. The team marched along the edge of the loading bay, giving the strange blobs a considerable berth. The room echoed with the heavy footfalls of power armor and the pounding gait of a Dreadnought, but after several minutes they reached the lander's docking bridge without incident. "Mercenary, escort me. The rest of you, hold perimeter," Gaela ordered while walking up to the airlock. The door had been torn open, obviously from the inside, and the gaping hole was just big enough for something human-sized to push its way through. The sharp edges of the sundered metal had some sort of film on them, but Gaela barely gave it a glance before she stepped through. "There are many harmful contaminants here. Ensure your armor remains sealed," the Dark Techpriest warned before she disappeared into the vessel. "Well, this's goin' okay so far... ain't it?" Applejack asked hesitantly. "Eeyup." "I was rather expecting to be mobbed by bloodthirsty monsters as soon as we landed. Would any such creatures even know we're here right now?" Rarity asked. "Doubtful. Daemons probably can't operate our internal surveillance systems," Jerriha said. "Orks probably could, though. So that's more evidence they didn't manage to clear out the infestation, if you needed any." "Daemons detect prey primarily through proximity, with their extra-dimensional awareness. Their conventional senses are poor," Dest rumbled. "However, in an enclosed space such as this, it is likely they will sense us before we sense them." "On the topic of surveillance systems," Fennin interjected as he tapped rapidly against his engineering tablet, "I've looked over the Rep'talal's flight logs." "Yes? Did you learn anything interesting?" Jerriha asked. "Not really, no. Nothing that we couldn't have already guessed. The Rep'talal engaged the Harvest of Steel, was subject to a heavy bombardment, and then there's just a lot of screaming." Fennin sighed. "I did get an accounting of the ship subsystems though, and they're in excellent condition. The security systems have been damaged, unsurprisingly, but power, life support, engines, robotics, and nearly everything else is in working order. With no crew to direct it the battlecruiser is just holding orbit and trying to maintain function with minimal energy drain. It even has enough fuel left to make it back to the core systems if we wanted." "Delightful!" Luna barked. "Then this endeavor may yet bear fruit!" "Sure. Anyway, I'm not sure if there's any useful information gathered by the cores since they took over operation of the Rep'talal, but I can open or close any doors you wish with remote access, at least. Or vent particular sections of ship." Then Fennin's eyes narrowed. "Oh? This is odd..." "What? You catch sight of some bad guys?" Applejack asked. "No. I just saw that this battlecruiser has a containment flag. Zeln-6." That made no sense to the ponies or Iron Warrior, but Jerriha immediately rounded on the engineer. "What? A psyker? Here?" "Yes. A powerful one, probably. There are some codices I'd need to override to learn more. That could take a while." Fennin shrugged. "I was under the impression your people don't keep psykers," Dest said. "Why was this one on board?" "I can't say for certain without breaking into the classified files, but probably research. The Lamman Sept keeps a number of psychic labs in operation. It's how we pulled off that little stunt in Canterlot." "Do it," Dest commanded. "If there are psykant artifacts aboard this craft, I want to be forewarned." Fennin nodded, and then sat down on a stray crate. "Okay, fine. The slice will take a-" Jerriha suddenly leaned closer and slapped the engineer on the shoulder, almost knocking him over. Fennin shouted in alarm, raising his tablet like a shield. "Hey, c'mon Jerri. I hate him too but you can't just hit Fennin for no reason," Rainbow Dash chided. "I wasn't hitting him, I was hitting THIS." Jerriha scuffed her foot along the floor, knocking something under Fennin into better light. It was the body of a dead wasp. A large, twisted wasp smeared with dried gore and bearing a trio of spots on its abdomen, arranged in a triangle. "Oh dear," Rarity said. Her plasma gun and power sword practically jumped into the air, humming with energy. "Nurgle wasps," Applejack hissed. "Dagnabbit!" "M-Maybe if we don't bother them, they'll leave us alone?" Fluttershy asked nervously. "Perhaps, but that is not the norm with daemonic beasts," Dest admitted. Then he touched a claw to his helmet. "Techpriest, are you almost finished? We may have contacts." "Would the possible contacts have to do with plague insects?" Gaela asked. "The lander is full of wasps and parasitic grubs. No combat threats as of yet. I've just begun the data exload." "Good. See if you can seal the-" A sudden, ear-piercing shriek rolled through the launch bay. The scream had no clear origin, and seemed to bypass the helmet and sonic dampers to stagger every one of the ponies and Tau holding position outside the lander. Rarity, who was still levitating her weapons, briefly lost her concentration and let her sword and gun clatter onto the deck while her vision went hazy. Only Dest didn't flinch, being quite used to sudden, obnoxious noises from within his mind. "That was psychic transmission. Prepare to engage!" A burst of static came from the vox as Gaela cursed in Binaric Cant. "Engage? Have you confirmed the presence of... Oh." The sound of a shotgun blast bled through the transmission. "Apologies, my Lord, but we have incoming. I'll need to concentrate." "Do you require our assistance?" Dest asked. "Negative. The mercenary is making plenty of noise, I'm sure they'll attack him first. I can escape if I need to." Another shotgun blast was heard, and then the transmission ended. "G-Guys? Guys! I think I know what that weird scream did!" Rainbow Dash said, pointing a leg at the large green sacks. They were pulsing and twitching now, like eggs on the verge of hatching. "Steel thyselves! Applejack, to the fore! Miss Pie, protect our line of retreat! Ironside, elevate thyself and find a clear attack path!" Luna's Iron Gage jumped off her shoulders, and the gauntlets crashed into each other with a great burst of sparks. "Face us, daemon! Face oblivion as the Tau, Ork, and changelings before thee!" "This is going to be DISGUSTING," Rarity moaned. A scythe-tipped limb ripped free of one pod, punching through the thick, rubbery surface in a burst of foul goo. Then it sliced down, cutting a wide gouge. Wriggling grubs spilled onto the deck in a pool of filthy slime, while wasps clumsily emerged from a higher point of the breach. Lumbering from the vile cocoon came a twisted, diseased monstrosity swollen with growths, seeping wounds, pulsating tumors, and sharpened spikes and blades of bone. It was an Ork, or at least it had been some time ago, but its current form was so badly misshapen that it would have been nigh impossible to tell without the scraps of torn cloth that bore the distinctive clan symbol of the Bad Moons. Taking an awkward step forward into the widening pool of offal around its pod, the infested creature turned its sunken, milky eyes to the invaders. A single round from a butcher cannon ended the thing, blasting apart its torso. Blackened gore splashed across the filth puddle, and the explosive shock wave instantly flattened the nearby grubs and wasps. "They're coming! Shoot the pods while they're still emerging!" Twilight shouted, charging her force harmonizer. "Applejack! Torch the ones nearby, before they break free! Pinkie, take out the furthest ones near the blast doors!" The blaze of gunfire was immediate, with bolter, plasma, cannon, and pulse fire raking the mysterious, disgusting sacs. A wash of flame swallowed the nearest pods, causing them to shrink and wither into a dead, blackened husk. Heavy slugs pounded the sacs further away, punching through the glistening skin before gutting the interior with hot shrapnel. Luna and Twilight attacked as soon as their own weapons were charged, briefly overwhelming the sound of the others with the fierce shriek of psionic weapons. Beams of purple and blue cut across the bay and punched into the pulsating cocoons, and they burst apart in great splashes of brackish fluids and pulverized parasites. The rate of gunfire could hardly up with the sheer number of pods, and before the glimmering light from the magic beams had faded several infected erupted from their resting places. With tortured moans and gasps, the creatures lumbered through the pools of filth and larvae toward the boarding party, claws and spines outstretched. "C-Can we r-retreat yet?" Fluttershy yelped, invisibly. "Retreat? Because of some second-rate Orks with the space flu?" Rainbow Dash scoffed, firing a burst of shuriken into an infected alien. It promptly crumpled in on itself, falling apart into a pile of wet, squirming flesh. "I know it's gross, but we can handle this! These things are nothing!" "I concur," Dest growled, detonating another infected with a bolt round to the head. "The enemy is a minor threat. We have sufficient means. Hold position! Kill them all!" He let the spent magazine of his boltgun fall to the deck, and then hurled a fireball at the closest target. The diseased greenskin was consumed by flame in seconds, and it quivered violently before issuing a short screech and falling over. A horrified shriek again filled the launch bay. This time, however, the sound was far more corporeal, and had a distinctly feminine tinge. Dest whirled on his heel to see Rarity rearing up and kicking in a panic. "Are you damaged? Calm yourself!" Rarity fell back to all fours. There was a streak of dark fluid splashed over her visor, and she started scraping her front legs against her helmet to try to brush it off. "It's on me! They got the cocoon slime on me!" she wailed. "It's not on ya, it's on yer helmet! Wouldja cool yer apples?" Applejack shouted. Her gravity lash snapped onto one of the infected and then hurled him toward the edge of the bay, throwing him out into hard void. "What if it's corrosive, Applejack?! Somepony get it off!" Dest started to turn away, but he hesitated when he saw a second splash of brackish slime on Rarity's back. The unicorn surely hadn't noticed; despite her protests, power armor was very effective at shielding against chemical hazards, and the slime didn't register as a threat to his scans. It did make him wonder where the slime came from, though. Dest looked up. "ABOVE!" he barked, swinging his boltgun up and releasing a burst into the cocoon on the ceiling. The mass-reactive shells ripped the pod apart, and Rarity released an even louder shriek as a torrent of putrid ooze, writhing maggots, and pulped bio-mass fell on her. "OF ALL THE WORST THINGS THAT COULD HAPPEN!!" the unicorn lamented loudly, thrashing about in a panic. A particularly large lump of rotting flesh landed next to her, and then it started to move. "THIS IS!!" Rarity continued, plunging her power sword into the infected monster. "THE VERY!!" The crackling blade twisted, and then cut away sharply, slicing off what was probably the creature's head. "WORST!!" Rarity's plasma gun fired a single shot into the wobbling mess that remained, cooking its swollen organs from within. "THIIIIIING!!!" Her weapon swung around, and a spread of plasma bolts cored two more infected. It lurched to the side, snapping a shot at another monster that had been mostly dismembered by Rainbow's shurikens and burning a blackened hole in it. Then it flipped to the other side to take out a pair of infected staggering out from behind an Ork assault boat. The gun whistled and crackled, and vapor started blasting from its flex sheathing as the weapon's heat buildup became too much for the coolant to suppress. The plasma gun started to glow brightly, and in an instant it was sent flying toward yet another lumbering monstrosity. It exploded on contact with the creature, generating a sphere of white-hot fire around the weapon's fusion core. The infected was vaporized, and the slime trail oozing behind it was baked to a crisp. "... Is that it?" Pinkie Pie's voice was the first thing to break the silence that followed Rarity's destructive fit of horror. Her Dreadnought swiveled back and forth, and then tilted back so that she could get a good scan of the ceiling for any more pods they might have missed. "I think that's it! No more contacts! We're done!" "You can't be serious," Jerriha muttered, still looking back and forth between the various corpses in the launch bay. "That was way too easy." "EASY?!" Rarity shrieked, rounding on the Fireblade. "Look at what they did to me!" Her armor was, by now, extensively smeared with the unspeakable fluids from the bizarre cocoons. "This armor was just repaired! I can't even take the helmet off now!" she wailed. "Oh, hush. We'll hose you off in the hangar embarkation airlock. There's a sanitation chamber for cleaning questionable cargo," Fennin assured her. He spotted Gaela walking out of the cargo lander and raised a hand to greet her. "Techpriest, did you get the data?" "Affirmative," Gaela replied, walking down the embarkation ramp at an unhurried pace. Daniels was behind her, with a few streaks of dark gore splashed across his legs. "It seems our local Nurgle ponies are responsible for this infection, if I'm parsing the data right." "What? You mean Phage Squadron?" Twilight asked with a gasp. Gaela's servo arm snapped forward, grabbing a nearby wasp out of the air and crushing it within the metal pincers. "Affirmative. They infested the lander before it escaped Ferrous Dominus. The Tau thieves managed to vent most of the resulting parasites at an altitude they couldn't survive, but several bodies had already been infected and abandoned within. When they abandoned the lander, the insects eventually escaped and, apparently, found several Ork corpses within the launch bay." "Okay, I'm ready to go home now," Fluttershy squeaked, quivering on the floor. There were still several wasps buzzing about the launch bay, although they gave the intruders a wide berth. Large as they were, the infected insects were little threat against the pressurized armor suits. Dest snorted. "So then the lumbering meat sacks were little more than breeding grounds for these vermin. What a tiresome obstacle." He turned to Fennin. "When we proceed within the ship, run an atmospheric venting cycle for the launch bay. A few minutes of hard void should dispose of the rest of these parasites." "We're still going?!" Rarity gasped. "But of course!" Luna proclaimed. "Such paltry opposition shalt not stay our hoof! Wouldst that all our enemies were so feeble!" "It is highly unlikely that these parasites are the most dangerous things in the ship," Gaela mused. "For starters, they're mostly our fault. I concur that we haven't encountered sufficient opposition to justify retreat, though." "Then we march onward!" Luna proclaimed. "Engineer! Lead us to thy decontamination chamber! We too hath some filth to be cleansed." She shook one of her gauntlets, which had a crust of dried gore on it. "Okay, fine." Fennin led the way toward the exit, stepping gingerly around the splattered and scorched bodies that used to be infected enemies. "As we discussed earlier, the interior space isn't large enough for a Dreadnought to navigate. The insane pink horse has to stay here." "Aww, but I wanna come!" Pinkie said. "I don't have to stay in the Dreadnought, you know!" "Yes, you do," Dest said firmly, stopping and turning toward the assault walker. "This is our only line of retreat if we must fall back, and it must remain secure. Under NO circumstances are you to depressurize your walker's environmental seals." "AWWWWW," Pinkie complained, stamping a foot on the deck. Daniels nearly fell over from the impact, and the other ponies quickly edged away to give the massive walker more space. "FINE. But you'd better stay in vox contact the whole time!" "I will endeavor to do so, but can guarantee nothing," Dest assured her, walking up to the Contemptor. "Daemonic trickery and Warp interference often disrupt communications. But we will return." The power fist on the Dreadnought suddenly scooped up the Iron Warrior, practically mashing him against the walker's torso. "Okay, Desty! Wuv yoo!" The Possessed Marine reached up to pat the Dreadnought's helmet. Then Pinkie released him, and Dest turned on his heel to march back to the others. "We advance," Dest said firmly, pointing a razor-edged claw at the exit. "Apple, you're spearhead. Shy one, ready a stun grenade in case of ambush. Engineer, you may proceed when ready." Fennin looked over at the door. Then he stared at his tablet. Then he turned to Jerriha. "So we're all just going to pretend that didn't just happen." "Yes. Shut up and open the door," Gaela said coldly. Fennin immediately went to work, linking his engineering tablet with the access console. Dest seemed unbothered. "Perhaps your pony would be more obedient if you displayed more affection, Techpriest," the driver said. "Yes! You're right!" Twilight said excitedly. "... Although I'm pretty obedient already." She paused. "Also, obedience isn't necessarily a virtue that we should strive toward as friends and warriors-in-arms." Another pause. "And I wouldn't really say I'm 'her pony,' even if-" "Got it!" Fennin announced, speaking much more loudly than necessary as the hangar airlock opened. "Hurry now! Into the chamber for a sanitation cycle! The hangar will be depressurizing momentarily!" Daniels cocked his head. "Shouldn't you just run it after we're through the-" Jerriha suddenly shoved him forward into the sanitation chamber, nearly causing him to trip over Fluttershy. The boarding party quickly scurried into the next room, and the blast doors slammed shut behind them with a sharp hiss. "Goodbyyyyye! Try not to get stuck in any mind-destroying evil traps!" Pinkie Pie shouted, waving the hand of her power fist. A moment later a giant wasp landed on her visor, filling the viewscreen with its pulsating underside. "Eugh. Rot Blossom really needs to get these things under control." Pinkie gagged briefly before flicking the wasp off her helmet with a giant metal finger. Two more insects immediately landed on her visor to replace the one that had just been removed. With an annoyed sound, Pinkie raised the Dreadnought's hand to remove them again. She stopped short. It was hard to see past the bugs on her helmet, but it looked like there were several of the wasps on her power fist now. They were crawling over the knuckles and up the heavily armored sleeves, nibbling on the armor edges and poking at the joints. "Uh... h-hey, guys?" Pinkie said, a nervous squeak entering her voice. "Can you come back real quick and run the flamer over my mech? I think the bugs found out I have candy in here." Static sputtered from the vox system. "Hello? Twilight? Desty?!" Scraping sounds came from behind her as wasps crawled into the space between the Dreadnought hull and its engine block. Buzzing noises started becoming audible within the cockpit of the assault walker, and Pinkie's fur stood on end. "Dest! Luna! Gaela! Tau people! Can anyone hear me?!" Pinkie shouted, banging a hoof against the cockpit. "The bugs! They're trying to-" Warning! Depressurization sequence activated. Warning! Void exposure imminent, droned an alien voice from above. The atmospheric shield flickered and then vanished. Air rushed out of the hangar bay and into the void, sucking along the lighter objects and blasting them off the deck. Within seconds a cloud of hundreds of swollen wasps tumbled through empty space, their frozen bodies glittering in the light of Centaur's star. **** Rep'talal interior Rarity yelped as she was flung into the hall, her greaves scraping wildly on the deck to keep her upright. A sheen of moisture covered her power armor, and a cloak of steam curled around her. "What are you doing? We're still in hostile territory!" the unicorn complained, whipping her head back and forth. Gaela stomped out of the adjacent room, her power axe in one hand and Rarity's power sword in the other. "You've been cooking yourself in the sanitation cycler for twenty-four-point-seven-one minutes," she spat. "Stop complaining and get on with the mission." She stabbed the sword into the floor plating in front of its owner, causing a sharp cracking noise as the disruption field broke through the bulkhead. "Careful with that!" Rarity yelped, tugging the blade free with her magic. "You'd think a Techpriest would be a little more gentle with a weapon like this!" "I don't want to hear that from you after you destroyed your plasma gun like it was a common munition. Do you think such devices are expendable?" Gaela loomed over the mare, causing her to flinch back. "If your wargear fails, you perish. Your feeble sorceries and asinine commitment to social affection will not save you from the dangers of the void, equine." "Well, it can fer a little while. Twi saved us more'n once when the armor wasn't good enough," Applejack corrected. "But Ah think we get yer point, Gaela." A great metal hand clapped onto Gaela's shoulder pad. "We understand thy grievance, noble Techpriest, but We ask thee restrain thine ire," Luna stepped past the cyborg into the hall, peering at the bulkheads. "We art not safe here." The walls and floor were well-lit by track lighting along the walls and ceiling, so the Rep'talal possessed none of the gloom that seemed to be integral to human ship design. The interior was compact and comfortable, with noticeably lighter gravity settings and an aesthetic more akin to an office than a warship. That interior was painted liberally with dried gore. Tau blood, which emerged blue but dried to a crusty dark gray, stained the floor in a manner that suggested bodies had been dragged through the vessel. The walls had slashes of brown over it, suggesting a more traditional blood hue; Ork fluids, most likely. Dents and nicks could be seen on the walls, and bullets and casings were scattered about the floor. This made it all the more interesting that there were no bodies. Fennin made a disgusted grunt while he worked on his tablet. "This place desperately needs a maintenance cycle. I'm surprised the Fio'o didn't run one as soon as he got inside. He's a complete and utter germaphobe." "He was probably distracted by... other matters," Jerriha mumbled, glancing at a number of pulse burns on the wall. Gaela pushed Luna's Iron Gage off her shoulder and then kneeled down next to a bulkhead. "These blood patterns and burn marks suggest both groups of boarders were subjected to a furious assault the moment they cleared the hangar. Quite odd that we are not." "What do you mean? We were attacked before we even got this far!" Rarity retorted. "Not by daemons. The infestation was a hazard of our own making, and the insects were given time and bodies to incubate only after the turncoat Tau abandoned the lander," Gaela explained, standing up again. "I'm reading no aural or visual disturbances. Energy readings are within ordinary thresholds. Zero potential contacts. Engineer?" "Well, I don't like the way the ventilation shafts have their coverings torn open like something clawed its way out of them, but I am likewise reading zero contacts within the vicinity," Fennin admitted, shifting a few steps further away from the vent in question. "There's definitely movement within the ship, though. We aren't alone in here, as expected." "Pinpoint the nearest daemon," Dest commanded. "If their packs will not hunt us, then we will hunt them." "Lovely. Let's see..." The rest of the boarders waited on alert as Fennin mumbled to himself and tapped away on his personal device. While he waited, Dest walked up to a vent and stared at it, trying to imagine the size and relative power of something that could navigate the space and still tear through the metal covering. Yeesh... do you smell that? Gnarly, Vel asked suddenly. "Hmm?" Dest turned his head left and right, seeing nothing except for his allies and the gore-streaked bulkheads. Huh. I guess you don't really smell the way I do. Anyway, I'm picking up some SERIOUS fear reek. I've been getting some of it ever since that scream in the hangar bay, but now it's gotten way worse. "That's just Fluttershy," Dest said, surprising the others by talking to nobody at all. "I imagine she always smells like that to you." Nah bro, it's not her. I'm talking daemon-stink. Real thick. Dest recoiled slightly in surprise. "Daemons? Daemons feel fear?" No. Vel paused. Well, I mean, yes, but really no. Kind of. "Elaborate," Dest said flatly, turning his gaze to the ceiling. "What... What is he talking to?" Jerriha whispered, slowly creeping away. "Is he-" "Be silent," Gaela interrupted. "Continue your work. Stay on your guard." She waited patiently for the Iron Warrior to finish. Okay, it's like this: we don't really have emotions. It's more like we ARE emotions. Right? "Which emotion are you?" Dest asked curiously. That's... rrrrgh. After a moment, the voice continued. It's not always a clear-cut thing, dude. Not all of us are just a big ball of anger or lust or whatever. I'm complex, you know? "But currently you're sensing the presence of many fear-daemons?" Uh... maybe? Like, I don't know what I'm sensing. Never smelled anything like it. I don't think fear-daemons are really a thing. What would you call them, Pissletters? Dest grunted, lowering his gaze again to stare down the hall. "Does this information have any clear tactical application? Will the daemons flee in terror once we are set upon them?" Oh, no, nothing like that. We don't really have what you guys call the "flight" part of the fight or flight response. They'll definitely try to kill you, but they'll be more desperate than angry while doing it. "Sub-optimal," Dest grumbled. "Yet this may mean they are more reluctant to engage." He turned to face the others, and most of the boarding party backed up a step. "Our enemies seem to be the manifestation of terror itself." "... Like, meaning they're super scary?" Rainbow asked after a pause. "Possibly. My personal daemon expert isn't especially helpful," Dest said, tapping his helmet with a claw. Heh heh heh... Pissletters. "Shut up, Vel," Dest growled. "We should proceed. Engineer?" "Yeah, okay. I've got a bead on a pack of... things to the aft near the cargo stores. They're the closest targets. After that there's-" A crackling noise came from the track lighting above, and it flickered briefly before turning off entirely. In an instant the hall was plunged into total darkness, broken only by the many glowing visor lenses of the boarding team's helmets. "Power failure," Gaela mumbled. "Engineer, is the main reactor still functional? Or perhaps the enemy is setting up ambush, thinking us frightened of the dark?" Fluttershy made a terrified squeaking noise. Fennin grunted in frustration, quickly swiping away what he had been working on. "No. This is definitely a main reactor failure. If it were a local grid problem the circuit re-route would have happened fast enough to keep the lights on." "We ain't gonna really have to fight monsters in the dark, are we?" Applejack groaned. "We hast no qualms," Luna said, sounding quite chipper about the prospect. "Ah don't mind it as much as y'all will if'n Ah start blastin' fire everywhere without seein' what Ah'm shootin' at," Applejack snorted. "But Ah hate the low-light vision on this thang. Everythin' just turns into reddish blobs blurrin' together." A gentle hum came from above, and then the lighting came back on. It was noticeably dimmer than before, and Gaela immediately noticed that the access panel for the room they had just left was still unpowered. "Backup generator has kicked in. We'll still have basic lighting and life support, but most other systems will require a directed power link or secondary energy source," Jerriha said. "If anyone else is having second thoughts about this mission, now would be the best time to turn around." "No." Dest started walking toward the aft, his boltgun held loosely in his hand. "We have our first target. Search and destroy. Then we will determine how to find our next target." "Huzzah!" Luna cheered, prancing ahead of the other ponies. "With flame and iron, We shalt cleanse the foul daemon from our vessel!" "That's easier said than done. Particularly if we're on backup power," Fennin griped. "The Rep'talal isn't as uselessly huge as human ships, but there's still a lot of room in here for hostiles to hide. If I can't connect to the sensor network, rooting them all out will take days." Luna's Iron Gage shifted, and one of the gauntlets placed itself around her helmet with its thumb under her chin and the index finger across her vox grille, in imitation of a human's thinking pose. "Rep'talal 'tis a poor name," Luna decided while she plodded down the hall. "If this vessel shalt serve us, then it requires a title of great prominence and nobility." "The name means 'Swift Certainty' in your language," Jerriha interjected. "Or at least, that's as close as I think you'll get. It's not a perfect translation." "If we had another pony ship we could call one of them 'Love' and the other 'Tolerance'," Daniels said with a chuckle. "But we only have the one, so how about 'Friendship Express'?" Luna grimaced. "We desire a name with greater... how doth the youth put it... 'edge' to it." "A typical designation would best reflect the fleet origin," Gaela said. "Secondary and tertiary references would favor the shipyard or its system of intended operation, respectively." "Somethin' like 'Sword o' Centaur,' maybe?" Applejack asked. "Eeyup," Big Mac agreed, startling several people who had forgotten he was there. "Oh! I have an idea! Call it 'Rainbow Cruiser'!" Rainbow Dash said, nodding her head eagerly. "I rather like the translated name. 'Swift Certainty' has a sort of understated dignity to it, don't you think?" Rarity asked. Dest was still taking point as they advanced, but he briefly raised a claw before interrupting. "I like the name 'Friendship Express'." "How about 'Moonship'?" Twilight asked. The boarding party stopped moving, and several people groaned. "What? What's wrong with 'Moonship'?" the young Princess asked, sounding slightly hurt. The others started moving again, several of them shaking their heads. "I guess we should be glad it's not gonna be your ship," Rainbow snickered. "What would you call it then? Twiboat?" "No!" Twilight protested. "... I mean, that wouldn't be my first choice, at least. I think I'd go with 'StarSparkle'!" "Please, stop," Gaela implored the mare. Fennin shook his head and finally put away his engineering tablet, concluding it was useless to him at the moment. "You're all rather relaxed considering our current situation." "Our situation is near-optimal," Gaela retorted. "We've encountered only weak resistance and inconveniences, and suffered no casualties." "We were attacked by infectious monsters, we've lost power for no apparent reason, and you all seem to have forgotten that inexplicable psychic scream that alerted the infected to our presence," Fennin complained. "If nothing else, it's a bleak omen." "'Tis it!" Luna suddenly said brightly, snapping the fingers of one gauntlet. "Omen! This vessel shalt be henceforth referred to as the Omen!" "Huh. That ain't bad, Princess!" "Eh, I still like Rainbow Cruiser better, but okay." Fennin made a frustrated noise and was about to complain further, but he suddenly found himself staring at Dest's upraised, open palm. "Be silent," the Iron Warrior hissed, "we approach our prey." The pirates slowed to a crawl, and Applejack shouldered her way to the front of the group. The hallways were narrow, making it difficult to form a firing line with a larger squad, but the ponies being considerably shorter than the various bipeds allowed the latter a clear line of fire over the party's vanguard. "Ah'll blast the floor at their feet when Ah see 'im, and then y'all blast the varmint," the farmer said grimly, a puff of flame spurting from her weapon. "Could we actually NOT start any fires inside the ship, please?" Fennin asked with a groan. "Particularly when we're on emergency power? I don't remember if fire suppression is a system-critical function, and I'd really rather not find out the hard way!" "Fair point. Applejack, restrict your flamer usage until we've confirmed tactical necessity," Gaela whispered, taking up a stance with her axe. "Stand by for target verification." Luna almost shivered with excitement, her gauntlets squeezing into fists and sparking with magic. The sound of footsteps was audible as soon as the party stopped to listen. Not the awkward tread of misshapen daemons, however, or even the gentle plodding of infantry across deck plating. These were heavy, sluggish steps, not much different from those of Dest or Gaela. "That... That sounds almost like..." Jerriha mumbled to herself under her breath, and her heart raced. Ahead of the boarding party, at the next intersection in the hall, a Tau XV88 Broadside battlesuit staggered into view. No one fired, surprised as they were to see a Tau weapon still walking these halls. In addition, the battlesuit didn't take notice of the pirates, lurching forward with its heavy, broken gait. The suit was badly damaged. One leg sparked and sputtered with every step, and much of the armor on the front of the torso had been stripped away. A deep cleave bisected much of the suit's head, rendering that component useless, and the massive railgun - the signature weapon of this battlesuit class - had its barrel torn open. "Contact, Tau battlesuit. Pattern XV88," Gaela murmured, speaking for the purpose of recording the encounter. "Extensive damage to exosuit systems evident. Hostility unclear. Orders?" Dest glanced over at her, and then back at the battlesuit. It lurched from side to side, as if looking around. But the light in its sensor head remained dark, and its dead gaze passed over the boarding party without obviously noticing them. Its gun bounced loosely in its grip, as its elbow joints had been damaged, but the deadly weapon never turned to aim at the pirates. Sounds came from within the battlesuit: something between a moan and a mumble, and unintelligible to most of the boarders. But not all of them. "He... He said 'area secure, moving to next checkpoint,'" Fennin explained, his voice shaking slightly. Shas'ui! Report! Jerriha barked, her pulse carbine trained on the battlesuit. Are you part of Voidsong's contingent? What happened to the others? The battlesuit turned toward the boarding party. Weapons hummed and fingers tightened around triggers, but none fired. With a clear view of the front of the suit, they could see that a hole had been punched into one side, through the main armor layers and down into the suit's substructure. A four-fingered hand, sheathed in the common materials of Tau flight suits, hung out of the hole limply. Soldier! Identify yourself and power down your battlesuit or we WILL open fire! Jerriha commanded in her native language. The battlesuit turned away started walking down the hall. It's quiet. Where did they all go? the pilot murmured, his voice barely escaping from the ruptured armor. Comms are still damaged... "Uh, okay..." Daniels lowered his shotgun, shaking his head. "Are we really going to gun him down? Poor sod doesn't have a clue what's happening, but I don't think this one is infested." "Can't we just walk past 'im?" Applejack asked. "He ain't botherin' us none." "Unwise. We don't know what happened to the pilot or if it may become hostile under different tactical conditions," Gaela noted. "In addition, we are here to clear this vessel of obstruction. You don't want something like this stalking the decks when you're trying to work." "Apple. Seize it by the foot, then pull its legs out from under it," Dest commanded. "Sparkle, help me cut the battlesuit open when it falls. We'll remove the pilot directly, with minimal harm." He mag-locked his boltgun onto his hip. "Ready!" Twilight said, her harmonizer flipping around and extending an energy blade. "May We be of aid?" Luna asked anxiously, the fingers of the Iron Gage wiggling. "Just keep your guard up and your sorcery ready," the Iron Warrior growled. "This stinks of a trap. Apple! NOW!" Applejack's gravity lash whipped forward, latching onto the right leg of the XV88 battlesuit. It promptly blasted sparks from every joint, and a loud squeal came from the knee. A sharp tug pulled the leg back, and the battlesuit wobbled comically before teetering forward and crashing face-first onto the deck. Dest was on top of the battlesuit in an instant, pinning down its arm under a knee before stabbing his talons into the body. The force harmonizer stabbed into the suit's back, loosening it enough that Dest could pry the entire ventilation unit off the rear of the armor. The rest of the boarding party watched in grim silence as the pair performed their strange surgery, blades crackling with power and shrieking against the damaged armor of the battlesuit. The mumbling of the pilot didn't stop; if anything, it became louder and more agitated. But with the suit on its face and the noise of Dest's work, Fennin and Jerriha couldn't make out what was being said. Dest's shoulder-mounted blades punched downward, and then he ripped away a piece of the battlesuit's internal frame. Reaching in, he seized the soft, quivering body within and yanked it out. It was attached to the suit interior by several cables, and Twilight gingerly slipped her energy blade in from the side to cut them loose. Dest held up the battlesuit pilot in front of the speechless pirates, staring at the trembling body in his claws. "I think I see the problem," he said dryly. The pilot's eyes were gone. His face had been cut up badly, as if from a series of razors, and the sockets where his eyes had been were reduced to empty holes ringed with dried gore. The process had clearly not been done gently, yet the alien's body seemed largely unharmed otherwise. "We... We should leave," Jerriha said, swallowing the bile rising in her throat. "Why?" Gaela asked, pointing her axe at the pilot. "This soldier is clearly damaged beyond recovery. Let us destroy it and move on." "What do you mean 'why?!' Look at him!" Fennin shouted, already backing away. "I see it," Gaela said, sounding annoyed and somewhat perplexed. "I don't see a threat worthy of-" The blinded pilot screamed.
Rep'talal	Omen	Rep'talal An Age of Iron story by SFaccountant Chapter 2 Omen ** The Tau pilot, its eyes gouged out and its body held up like a limp doll, screamed. It was not a scream of terror or pain. It didn't even seem like a willful reaction to being seized and threatened by armed intruders. It was a scream of heart-stopping madness, and it echoed in the pirates' ears and wormed its way into their muscles. The pilot howled toward the ceiling, his voice continuing to rise in pitch and volume. His jaw and lips stretched like rubber, far beyond what should have been physically possible. The bulkheads seemed to tremble underfoot, and as it reached its apex the unearthly shriek pierced the hearts of the boarding team. One by one, the pirates collapsed. Fluttershy gasped and fainted almost instantly, followed by Rarity a moment later. Rainbow Dash fell like a stone, her legs buckling the moment she landed. Applejack shouted defiantly while her vision spun, only to hang her head when she fell unconscious seconds later. Big Mac too passed out while standing up, his helmet lumens flickering softly. Daniels staggered to the side, holding his head, and then slumped against the wall. Fennin and Jerriha seemed to go still for a moment, and then simply fell over. Gaela fell to one knee, a blast of static escaping her vox grille. Then her arms fell limp, and her power axe clattered to the floor. Twilight and Luna froze, feeling a sense of overwhelming dread seize them, as if claws of ice were trying to physically crush their hearts inside their chests. Their horns lit ablaze with magic, instinctively pushing back against the malevolent energies, but otherwise the mares could only gasp as darkness threatened to swallow their senses. Still, they remained conscious, so they were the only ponies to witness Dest snarling and tearing the Tau pilot in half. "Damnable witchcraft!" the Iron Warrior shouted, still holding the upper half of the alien. The Tau pilot didn't stop screaming, so he threw the soldier's torso onto the floor in front of him. His boot dashed the howling alien across the deck a moment later, finally silencing the debilitating shriek. Luna sucked in a deep breath, suddenly feeling the paralyzing sensation vanish. Twilight stumbled backward and started coughing and wheezing. "What... What..." Luna couldn't quite get the words out, and her heart leapt into her throat when she realized most of their party was lying on the floor. "Psychic attack," Dest hissed. "Such powers can extinguish a weak mind in an instant. This was a trap after all!" His hearts thundered in his own chest, reacting furiously to the attempt to silence them. To stun an Astartes with an act of psychic will was difficult, particularly when that Astartes was empowered by a daemonic spirit, but even the Iron Warrior felt badly weakened by the experience. "Extinguish... OH NO!" Twilight's eye bugged out, and she whirled around to check on the others. A wet growl came from down the hall. Beyond the fallen ponies and aliens was a hook-limbed daemon creeping low to the floor, its maw drooling a slime trail underneath it. Twilight let out a wordless shout and fired a magic bolt from her horn, blasting the monster to the side and hammering it against the wall. "Daemons! There are daemons too!" the young alicorn screamed, rushing over to Gaela. "Confirmed." Dest spotted another creature on the other end of the party, coming down the opposite end of the hall, and he snatched his boltgun from his hip. "Either attracted by the scream or here to take the bodies of those incapacitated." His gun bucked in his hand, and the daemon lurched backward while mass-reactive rounds punched into its torso. "Are our companions dead?" A graph showing Gaela's pulse popped up on Twilight's visor, and she felt her knees weaken in relief when she saw that it was still tracking a heartbeat, albeit a very weak and unsteady one. "I think they're still alive! Gaela! Gaela, wake up!" A separate window appeared over her augmetic display. Circulatory organ in critical state. Adrenaline surge administered. Neuro-electric pulse imminent. The Dark Techpriest suddenly recoiled as if she had been punched. Staggering backwards, a stream of Binaric Cant sputtered from her helmet while she glanced left and right. +Situational awareness restored. Warning: Combat systems engaged. Threat level omega. Target identification request.+ A hungry growl came from down the hall. Three more daemons raced toward the pirates, their bladed limbs and claws glinting in the dim light. +Target priority designated. Cleansing.+ Gaela snapped up her gun arm and a trio of fragmentation munitions burst from her arm. They struck the lead daemon and blasted it apart in an instant, and then swallowed the remaining creatures in a cloud of hot razors. All three of the monsters vanished into brightly-colored flames, their enraged screams silenced under the sounds of explosions. "Macintosh! Macintosh, We beseech thee, speak to us!" Luna shook the stallion furiously with the Iron Gage, nearly throwing him off his hooves. After a few seconds a crackling noise came from his chest and the cyborg pony flinched. Big Mac looked up in bewilderment, blinking repeatedly as he stared into the crimson slits of Luna's helmet. "Eee... whuh?" "Ironside! Thou art lucid?" Luna pressed, holding his head up to look her in the eyes. The sudden bark of a boltgun and another grenade explosion caused Big Mac to jump in shock. Dest and Gaela were holding each side of the hall, but a steady stream of daemons were racing toward the mostly comatose intruders. "Wake the others! We take to battle!" Luna's Iron Gage sparked with energy, and the Iron Skull on her chest gleamed even brighter. "They're trying to overrun us!" Dest snarled, spearing a daemon on his free hand when it tried to sprint past. "Keep them back!" Another monster dashed up to the Astartes, leapt up onto the wall next to Dest, and then ran across the bulkhead past the stabbing scythe-limbs of the pilot. With a feral screech it leapt toward the insensate ponies, talons reaching out to plunge into Rainbow Dash. A great black gauntlet seized it around the neck mid-jump. The daemon flailed its razor-tipped limbs, scraping them against the weapon, but its efforts proved useless. It was flung onto the ground onto its back, and then a second fist slammed down onto its head. "PERISH, FOUL BEASTS!! THE NIGHT SHALL SCOUR THIS CHARIOT OF THY FILTH AND CLAIM IT FOR OUR OWN!!" Luna bellowed, firing a beam from her horn and slicing another daemon in half. Daniels jerked awake at the shout, blinking rapidly and instinctively clutching his shotgun. "What? What the hell was that?! Where am I?!" "Get up and fight," Gaela said simply, not deigning to answer his questions. An autoloader swiveled another fragmentation shell into her launcher, and a laser beam fired from her servo harness with a shrill whine. As one daemon fell before the crimson lance, another one bounded along behind it, leaping up onto the wall and then jumping off with talons outstretched. Daniels fired his shotgun, blasting it in the chest, and the Warpspawn missed its landing. Gaela's axe came down, cleaving the monster's head from its shoulders. Her boot kicked what remained back down the hall before it could began to dematerialize, knocking over another daemon that was struggling to get up. "We are Chaos," the Dark Techpriest snarled, raising her grenade launcher again. "Denizens of the Warp will serve, or they will meet oblivion like any other enemy." The fragmentation shell launched into the staggered creatures, and they vanished in a cloud of fire and steel. Applejack finally came to her senses, the blurry mix of targeting and alert runes slowly crystallizing from an indistinct, reddish fuzz. Big Mac stood over her, the stallion's expression hidden behind the mask of metal plates and crimson glassine. He didn't need to say a word, and neither did Applejack. The farmer stood up fully, feeling the heft of her armor beyond the servo-motors that empowered her. Taking in the sound of fighting, she started to turn to face the largest concentration of oncoming daemons. Her gaze happened to cross over the insensate bodies of their Tau assistants as she did so, and she stopped short at the sight above them. A pale tentacle riddled with veins and barbs was snaking down from one of the ruptured air vents, stretching toward the closest immobile bodies. "Hey! Above the grays! Watch out!" Applejack shouted and bolted toward the aliens, tilting her flamer up above them. The blast of fire missed the Tau, swallowing the tentacle and the air vent above it. A furious screech issued from within the vent, and the tendril - still burning - dropped onto the Tau boarders below. "Erm... Twi! Little help?" Applejack asked. "With what?" Twilight stood over Rarity, who didn't seem to be getting up. She quickly turned her head to fire a magic bolt down the hallways that Gaela was covering. "We're really busy right now, Applejack!" With another howl a small, lithe body suddenly burst from the ventilation shaft, its body wreathed in fire. The daemon landed on Fennin's chest, promptly sinking its claws into the engineer's leg. Fennin screamed, lurching upright. The monster bounced onto the floor at Applejack's feet, and a blazing talon whipped around and slashed at the nose of her helmet. A boot slammed into it in retaliation, knocking it on its back. "WHAT'S GOING ON WHAT IS THAT THING WHY AM I ON FIRE?!" "Stop yellin' and get fightin'!" Applejack shouted back, jumping at the burning daemon. The creature bounced away with uncanny agility, and her hooves crashed onto the deck mere inches behind it. Her tail shot forward over her head, scorpion-like, and struck the daemon again. "I WARNED YOU NOT TO START ANY FIRES IN HERE!!" Fennin shrieked, scrambling away from the burning tentacle. His boarding armor was fire-resistant, like any hazard suit, but the heat still worked its way through the insulation layer to sear his skin dangerously. "Ah think we have bigger problems than that!" Applejack shouted back, chasing after her current target. The daemon flipped back upright, and for the first time she realized that the little burning monster had no distinguishable legs. Rather, it possessed seven arms, joined at seemingly random points on the fleshy blob that was its body. Some propped the thing up, some pushed sharply against the floor for locomotion, some whipped and stabbed defensively, and all were tipped by razor-edged talons that burned without being consumed by the flame. Applejack pounced and the daemon rolled, slipping away from the ceramite-clad hooves. "Somepony help me pin down this varmint!" she growled, kicking at it again. It scrambled away, bouncing and sliding, keeping just inches ahead of the mare. Then it suddenly bolted toward Fluttershy, who was still lying unconscious on her side. "FLUTTERS! FLUTTERSHY, MOVE! IT'S GONNA-" A pulse blast struck the Warpspawn in the side, throwing off its attack and causing it to trip just inches from its prey. The daemon rolled to bring a new pair of claws onto the deck, but then a second pulse bolt struck it in the core, stunning it. Applejack reached the flaming terror, landing on it with both front hooves. Spine-riddled bone and twitching muscle was crushed under her greaves, and then the false matter evaporated. The flames that clung to the monster fell away into showers of sparks, bouncing across the deck before winking out harmlessly. The farmer sighed in relief. "Thanks, Fennin." "My name is Jerriha," Jerriha grumbled, slowly pulling herself up. Her pulse carbine was in her hands, while Fennin's still lay on the floor. "How many contacts?" "TOO MANY!" Daniels shouted back. His shotgun bucked wildly in his hand, knocking back another scythe-limbed terror. "What's our path of retreat?" Jerriha demanded. "None." Gaela fired her last fragmentation shell down the hall, obliterating the monster that Daniels had stunned. "We fight or we die." Her servo arm swiveled downward and clamped onto a lever on her arm, and after a sharp twist the grenade launcher fell away. Then the augmetic split open at the end, revealing the mouth of her ion cannon. "Most likely both." A slowly building whine came from her arm, and flickering blue flames sprouted from the exhaust vents on her servo harness. "Tau'va take me, I hate you psychotic apes," the Fireblade snarled. "Fennin! Pick up your gun and help me form a firing line! Princess Purple, stop nudging the other ponies and help kill things!" "But... if I can wake them up..." Twilight hesitated, looking down at Rainbow Dash. The pegasus was curled up on her side and kicking, like she was having a bad dream. "They'll get up on their own or not at all!" Jerriha fired a burst past Gaela, cutting down a daemonic hound sprinting toward the pirates. "You're probably worth more in a fight than the pegasi anyway! Move!" "Hey! HEY!" Fennin shrieked, jumping back against the wall. "ABOVE!! LOOK OUT!!" A ceiling plate shook and cracked, and the track lighting built into it started flickering for no obvious reason. Then it went out and the entire plate fell loose. It landed on Big Mac, which barely startled the placid stallion. The shrieking daemon that fell a moment later was a very different matter. It was gaunt and bipedal, with pale skin stretched over a human-like skeleton, giving it the appearance of a naked, emaciated man. Except, perhaps, for the eyeless, earless head full of needle-like teeth, the long, curved talons on its hands and feet, and the many ink-black eyes dotting its torso like blisters. Claws raked at the daemon's perch before anyone could react, tearing long, burning gouges in Big Mac's armor around his barrel and the back of his neck. The stallion bucked hard, throwing the monster off, and it rolled across the deck while being chased by a panicked string of pulse blasts. "Lead it! Lead it! You're going to shoot one of us, Fennin!" Jerriha shouted, taking a moment to aim her own carbine. A burst of energy flares caught the monster in the side, tearing half of its body apart in an instant. The daemon collapsed onto the floor, flailing, and then twisted its eyeless face toward the Tau that had hit it. Its mouth opened and its tongue shot out like a bullet, stabbing a dagger-like bone shard into Jerriha's leg. She fell over, snarling curses in her native language while trying to line up another shot. Instead, Big Mac's hooves came down on the daemon's head, crushing it to a pulp that rapidly burned away to nothing. The monster's tongue and its projectile tip vanished as well, leaving the Fireblade clutching her wound tightly. "Medic! Where's our medic?!" Jerriha shouted. "S-Still asleep!" Fennin stuttered. "Then wake her up! Go! I'll cover the ceiling breach, but I'm bleeding!" A monstrous howl rolled through the bulkheads, and the lights flickered overhead. Another daemon rounded the corner at the end of each corridor of the ambush zone. Huge beasts of seething muscle and rock-like skin, they barely fit in the cramped, utilitarian corridors of the ship. Enormous arms, extending from points that could barely be described as shoulders, clambered across the deck awkwardly, digging gouges into the deck plating with long scythe-like claws. Their heads consisted of a gaping mouth full of teeth atop a mound of hard muscle and little else; if the Warpspawn had any eyes, they were hidden among the wide variety of small, hideous malformations dotting its hardened flesh. "War daemons. Try to destroy the limbs first," Gaela ordered, raising her ion blaster. "Hark! Mayhaps a worthy foe hast emerged!" Luna's Iron Gage tossed aside the evaporating body of a hook-limbed monstrosity, which hit the wall with a wet slap. The gauntlets turned to face the larger daemon, and small orbs of energy coalesced within their palms. "Back to the void with thee, daemon!" To her surprise, Dest jumped over and slapped the Iron Gage down. "Do NOT fire heavy beam weapons within a void ship!" the pilot admonished. He quickly turned his bolter on the new attacker, firing burst after burst of blistering explosives into its armored hide. "There are many sensitive systems and deceptively weak bulkheads! Do you wish to take this vessel intact or not?" Luna brightened in an instant. "Aye! Well met, Lord Dest! We shalt smite this wastrel with greater care!" One of her gauntlets pointed an index finger at the daemon, and a whip of dark blue lightning shot out of the end. The monster flinched and howled, its body covered by a web of crackling power. Dest heard his boltgun click empty and tossed the weapon aside, sprinting for the stunned Warpspawn. The claws on his gauntlets lengthened, spikes started poking through his armor, and his shoulder-mounted scythe blades twitched eagerly in anticipation. He tackled the daemon - twice the size of even a possessed Astartes - and slammed it against the bulkhead wall while his blades searched for a soft spot. Hey! I think I figured it out! Vel said suddenly. Okay, so you know that fear stench from before? It was ALL over that gray zombie bro. But- "Not now, Vel!" Dest shouted, digging his claws into what he estimated to be the daemon's throat. The monster hurled him away with a shove, and the Iron Warrior's greaves scraped loudly across the deck as he skidded to a stop. Slashing talons followed him, rending long tears in his armor but failing to reach the twisted flesh underneath. A black fist shot into the gap between the combatants, hammering the daemon in its jaw. The monster reeled, and then smacked the weapon aside, knocking it across the floor. Flames suddenly puffed from its mouth, flickering from green to blue to white, and then a beam of blazing energy fired down the hall. Luna was surprised enough that she didn't raise a barrier in time, and the beam scorched a line of eldritch fire across her helmet cheek, partially burning through the plating. She whinnied in pain and reared up, her horn sparking angrily. Dest charged again, but this time the daemon met him head-on, and little worse for wear due to the previous attacks it had suffered. Talons slashed through the air, and the Iron Warrior struggled to avoid the long, flailing limbs in such a narrow space. Then the beast surged forward, ramming straight into the Astartes and pinning him against a wall. Okay, is now a better time? This is kinda important, bro. The daemon lunged to bite, but Dest grabbed onto its head, straining to keep the enormous snapping jaws at bay. "Would it aid in the defeat of this creature?!" he shouted. Uh... no, not really... "Then it can wait!" Dest snarled, right before driving a knee-spike into the daemon's jaw. Across the hall, a steady stream of munitions and energy bursts sprayed against the other war daemon, covering its hide with heat flares and small explosions. The daemon held its arms together, stacked in front of it like a shield, and slowly trudged into the torrent of heavy bolts, ion blasts, pulse surges, and heavy shot. A burst of magic missiles briefly added to the barrage, hammering the monster with glittering orbs of purple light. They exploded into dazzling swirls of color, but didn't seem to inflict any more damage than the rest of the weapons. Gaela's ion blaster screeched, launching shot after shot of crackling energy bolts into the war beast. Steam puffed from the heat sinks, and electric arcs whipped between the claws of her arm. "This is useless. Our ranged weapons do not seem to be effective." A laser fired from Gaela's servo harness, drawing a scorched line across the daemon's face but doing little else. "Tactical shift proposed. Sparkle, immobilize target. Daniels, grayskins, prepare grenades!" "Can a photon grenade even affect that thing?" Jerriha demanded, leaning against the wall while she switched firing modes. "Uncertain. Attempt it anyway!" Twilight's horn pulsed, and then whips of purple energy spun out from the tip and disappeared into the ether. Seconds later, chains of glowing lavender burst from the walls and deck around the daemon, latching onto random points on its twisted body and going taut. The Warpspawn lurched backward, confused, and then started struggling against the bonds. "Shield your eyes!" Jerriha fired her photon grenade while Daniels hurled a fragmentation grenade at the daemon's feet. The strobing flash exploded against the monster, and Gaela's visor briefly blanked to avoid seeing the stun pulse. Then the fragmentation grenade exploded, tearing at the monster's legs and underbelly. The Dark Techpriest bolted forward, activating the power field on her axe. The daemon, not obviously hindered by either grenade, pushed forward, straining at the mystical chains. "Dark Gods, guide my blade!" the engineer-cultist chanted, beginning a long overhead swing that pushed her arms' servomotors to their limits. "Omnissiah, grant me strength!" The axe came down in an arc of scarlet, slicing through the daemon's hide with contemptible ease. The beast's right arm came off with a sharpened crack, and ribbons of crimson energy stung at the wound. Chains that hung in the path of the blade exploded into purple sparks, loosening the daemon's other arm. With a hollow roar, the Warpspawn shattered the rest of Twilight's spell and lunged for the Dark Techpriest. Its shoulder rammed into Gaela's chest, shoving her against the wall, while steel-rending talons swiped after her. A servo arm snapped forward and struck the incoming hand, grabbing and twisting, and the daemon tore it from its socket for her trouble. "Gaela! Hang on!" Twilight activated her force harmonizer, generating a humming energy blade. The Apple siblings galloped past on either side of her, smashing headlong into the daemon's legs. "Damn it, Techpriest, get away from it!" Daniels yelled while his shotgun blasted another shot into its hardened skin. "AJ, don't just run at the thing!" Grumbling that no one was listening to him, he removed the empty magazine and was reaching for another one when a pulse shot zipped over his head. "HEY! What're you-" "Above! Above! Another one from the ceiling!" Jerriha shrieked. Daniel didn't get the chance to react to her words before something landed on his back, striking him in the back and side with blades that punched through the boarding suit and into flesh underneath. He hit the ground belly-first and tried to roll, but the daemon on top pulled the other way, rearing back talons to land the killing blow. A wave of force suddenly pushed by him, like an intense wind, and suddenly the weight on Daniels' back was gone. Rainbow Dash yelled a battle cry and zoomed over his head, but the mercenary didn't stop to thank her. He rolled onto his side, seeing the gaunt, multi-armed daemon that was sliding away from him, and then brought up his shotgun while still lying on the ground. One blast to the chest pulverized the daemon's torso, and then Rainbow Dash crashed into the remains, smearing it across the bulkheads. Daniels pushed himself up again, struggling against intense pain from his lacerations, and quickly turned his weapon on the hole in the ceiling plating. Another daemon, this one covered in chitinous scabs and bony thorns, started clawing its way from the ceiling only to take a shotgun blast to its cyclopean head, stunning it. A pair of pulse shots drove it back, hissing angrily all the while. "Somebody do something about that ceiling panel!" Jerriha shouted, her aim sweeping back and forth. She could hear the sound of claws scraping within the ductwork, and the track lighting frequently flickered irregularly along the ceiling. "We're a little busy over here!" Applejack shouted back, slamming a boot into the war daemon. Claws slammed down over her, carving deep gouges into the top of her armor that nonetheless failed to pierce the layering. "Rarity! Are you awake?!" Daniels shouted, suddenly groping around his shoulder to unfasten his grenade bandoleer. "Ugh... B-Barely," the unicorn mumbled, swaying back and forth on her hooves. "Grenades! Pull the pins! Hurry!" Daniels ripped the belt free and held it out. Rarity's horn flickered, and with a weak grunt she did as instructed. A snaking blue glow danced over the explosives, and the grenade pins all slipped free and dropped onto the floor. "Wait, wh-what do you think you're doing?" Jerriha demanded, pressing her back against the bulkhead wall. Daniels didn't bother to answer, hurling the entire belt into the open duct above him. "Take cover!" Fennin shouted, dropping to the floor and covering his head. A rapid string of a half-dozen detonations tore through the ducts above the intruders, and several more ceiling bulkheads came loose and fell to the deck. How many daemons came with them was hard to say; the Warp-birthed flesh within the ducts had been thoroughly pulverized and shredded before tumbling onto the floor with the rest of the debris. Prismatic flame and psycho-reactive vapor mixed with the mundane fire and dust of the collapsed ducts, and the final angry howls of the victims inside them slowly faded to give way to the clashes at each end of the hall. Gaela's axe buzzed furiously as it bit into the hardened shell of the war daemon's hide, sprouting bursts of bright crimson arcs around the cleft in the monster's shoulder. Her servo drill stabbed forward, punching into the daemon's skull, and critically pushing back the snapping maw that reached out eagerly for the Dark Techpriest. Gaela kicked away, tearing her axe free, and then barely avoided being knocked over as Big Macintosh was sent flying in her general direction. The stallion slammed into a wall upside-down and then dropped down onto his head. Deep wounds had been carved into one of his augmetic legs, and one of his helmet horns had snapped off after he had stabbed it into the beast's leg. The daemon slammed its remaining fist down onto Applejack's back, which seemed to do more obvious damage to the deck plating underneath the mare than it did to her. A purple force blade darted in over the farmer before it could strike again, plunging into what could barely be considered its neck. "It's so tough!" Twilight complained as her blade quivered and sunk deeper into the false muscles and bones of the daemon. "Aren't there any vulnerable points? You already put a hole in its head!" A spray of shuriken scattered across the war daemon's chest, each ultra-sharp blade digging nearly an inch into its hide without apparent effect. Gaela's optics pulsed, and a building whir came from within her arm. "Focus a psionic pulse on the harmonizer cross. On my mark, release and then remove the weapon." Applejack bucked at the war daemon, staggering it, and then jerked back when it grabbed her tail. "Hey! HEY! Don't touch that! Don't-" The monster flung Applejack like a flail, slamming her into one wall and then swinging her around into the other. Then it dropped the stunned equine, and its talons reached down toward her helmet. The force harmonizer, still stuck deep in its neck, sparked dangerously. "Discharge!" Gaela yelled before she bolted forward. The harmonizer cross seemed to explode in a blast of purple energy, blowing open the wound and knocking the device away. The war daemon reeled, staggering backward, and a feral howl erupted from its twisted jaws. Gaela's power axe ripped into the daemon's neck at the same point the harmonizer had, hewing deep. Even so, the hardened flesh in its path was far too much to cut through, and reinforced by thick trunks of bone. The axe stopped, still buzzing with power, and the war daemon reared its claws back. Gaela let go of her weapon and stuck her ion blaster into the wound. The capacitors popped up along the length of the barrel, buzzing with energy and glowing a bright blue. "RETURN TO YOUR MAKER, WARP-BORNE WRETCH!!" the Dark Techpriest roared, overloading the weapon. A blue-white flash came from the ion blaster, flooding the injury and overcharging the disruption field around her power axe. The field expanded suddenly, sending spikes of atomizing crimson in all directions deep in the monster's torso. The war daemon came apart all at once, its limbs falling away from a rapidly disintegrating body. They seemed to crumble into sand, and that sand in turn deflated to a cloud of colored dust, spreading through the air into nothingness. Gaela's power axe clattered to the deck, trailing smoke and wychfire. "It's down! It's finally down!" Twilight cheered. She pulled her force harmonizer to her, and then turned around. "Now to take care of the othe-" A loud crunching noise came from the remaining war daemon as the gauntlets of the Iron Gage crushed its head between them. A sizzling hiss came from the weapon's disruption fields, and the defeated Warpspawn started to disintegrate. Dest was behind the daemon, and he kicked over its body as it fell apart. The Iron Warrior had clearly taken the brunt of the abuse from the monster, with deep tears and bloody gashes over his armor, but the wounds were already regenerating and his armor layer regrowing. The driver took a look around to ensure the area was secure, and then held a finger against his head. "Now you may speak," he said to Vel. "Uhm... well, I'm awake now, so... is anyone hurt?" Fluttershy asked. Fennin and Jerriha both raised an arm. Daniels, who was partially buried under fallen ceiling panels, pushed one off of himself, rolled over, and then held up an arm. Fluttershy quickly scurried over to him first, her manipulator arms unfolding from her chest. "What even happened back there?" Rainbow Dash asked with a shudder. "I remember... that Tau battlesuit, I guess, and then things are hazy..." "It was some sort of psychic trap that used the Tau as bait," Twilight hissed. "It nearly paralyzed all of us. Only me, Princess Luna, and Dest were able to resist it. After that the daemons moved in." "We got them, though, so... is that it? Are we finished?" Rarity said hopefully. "Not a chance," Gaela snorted. She was repairing her own armor, using a laser torch to re-attach the servo arm that the daemon had torn off. "This was merely a fraction of the horde that would have been necessary to silence a vessel of this size. It's possible we've dispatched their mightiest combatants by slaying the war daemons, but even that is doubtful." "So then what're the other critters waitin' fer?" Applejack asked. "Most likely they're waiting in ambush around more traps." The ponies groaned. Then Dest turned around to face the group. "I have news. The deranged creature in my head has identified our foe." "Hark! We were under the impression we merely faced numerous nameless scoundrels!" Luna declared. "Thou suggests We face an opponent of great infamy?" "That is the case, unfortunately," Dest grumbled. "Earlier, Vel noted that this place reeked of psychic fear-stench. The victims patrolling these halls with their eyes stolen seem to be the source, not the boarding daemons. The attacking daemons were entirely unremarkable to him, but Vel believes these puppets to be the work of..." He halted, and then put a finger to his helmet again. "... We can't pronounce that. Yes, fine, but THEY cannot... It doesn't matter!" He grunted in frustration, and then looked up again. "Let's call it Gharrl. It's a crude translation of its true name, and will exert no power over the beast, but it will do." "And what is 'Gharrl,' exactly?" Twilight asked, intrigued. "A lesser daemon lord. One that does not obey the four Great Powers of Chaos, or any other lesser power for that matter. It is known for not killing its enemies, but devouring the eyes from them in a perverse psychic ritual, leaving the victim a terrified, tormented shell of its former self reliving its final hours over and over. In such a state, they are little more than puppets, and can be used for all manner of profane purposes, evidently." Dest growled lightly. "We can expect more such victims. I advise we eliminate them on sight." "Wait, hold on..." Fennin asked nervously while Fluttershy carefully stitched together his cuts through the hole in his boarding suit. "Why are you speaking like we're going to keep going? We're turning back, right?" "Why would we do that?" Gaela asked, sounding genuinely perplexed. "Our efficiency thus far has been exemplary, even in the face of a prepared opponent. The vessel is showing minimal signs of Warp corruption and internal damage. This operation is proceeding far better than anticipated." "And this talk of daemon lords eating people's eyes doesn't make any difference to you?!" the engineer asked, his voice increasingly shrill. Gaela cocked her head to the side. "Your concerns are irrational. This daemon lord's unique behavior is no more lethal than that of the other Warpspawn that have attacked us. Besides, we can replace eyes." She tapped the visor of her helmet. "I believe Fennin's POINT is that the enemy is more capable and well-prepared than we'd hoped," Jerriha said tightly. Then she looked over to Twilight. "What say you, Sparkle? Are you really going to stride headlong into whatever else this monster has waiting for us? Is this empty hulk really so important a prize?" "No way are we retreating!" Rainbow Dash said, answering before Twilight could. "These daemon weirdoes caught us with our guard down and they barely scratched us! We're gonna thrash 'em!" "Barely scratched YOU," Fennin retorted hotly. "Okay, fair. I AM a better fighter than you, after all," Rainbow admitted, grinning. "We were both unconscious, you mutant avian! It was sheer chance the freaks got to me first!" Luna frowned beneath her helmet, and then calmly thumped the knuckles of the Iron Gage against the deck. "Praythee friends and allies, grant us thy attention," she said, breaking the argument between the Tau and the others. "We believe we hast come too far to withdraw now upon the first signs of serious resistance. However, if we face a dreaded foe capable of dispatching much of our party at whim, mayhaps a change of strategy is warranted." "What did you have in mind?" Twilight asked, sounding somewhat skeptical. "We shalt hunt the daemon lord ourself," Luna announced, gripping one gauntlet into a fist in the air. "Our magic shalt protect us from the beast's fell sorcery, whilst the rest of thee may remain out of harm's way!" "So your strategy is... to split up," Jerriha deadpanned. "It is not entirely absurd. Concentrating so much power in one area makes us difficult to overrun, but it slows our progress and leaves us more vulnerable to Warp trickery, not less." Gaela's ion blaster ejected a burnt-out capacitor onto the floor, and acrid smoke puffed from the component slot. "However... we need more data. The name of this daemon and its feeding habits are insufficient to form a battle plan." "I concur. But it seems Vel cannot track anything with the fear-stench of Gharrl's puppets around," Dest rumbled. "As always, the daemon proves himself so CLOSE to being useful, and yet..." Fennin groaned. "All right, fine. If we're going to do this, there should be a primary access terminal a few rooms down, next to the armory. I can rip some system data collected from before the power failure and maybe look into the core status while we're there." "Objective logged. Have all recent injuries been treated?" Gaela asked. "Yeah. I've got a gaping hole in my boarding suit which I'm going to regret if we depressurize, but Flutters did a decent hash of it," Daniel said, rolling his shoulder. "Luna, we have point. Apple, you have the rear," Dest commanded. "Destroy any contact on sight. Protect the engineer. Advance!" Rep'talal (reclassified: Omen) Armory deck The dim lighting flickered on and off within the armory lockers, briefly illuminating the rows of reinforced storage cells and the heavily armored blast doors on either side. Cracked holes in the track lighting sputtered sparks each time, spilling showers of golden particles over the gore-streaked, muscle-bound body standing in the middle of the room. Light from the sparks briefly danced across the dirty metal bolted to the body's ramshackle armor and the remains of a twisted, broken choppa. The ceiling lights weakly filled the room, briefly illuminating a green, snaggle-toothed head gaping in the darkness. The jaw hung slack, drool sliding freely from one side, while the top half of the face was hideous valley of lacerations digging deep into the eye sockets. The light winked out again, mercifully engulfing the maimed Ork in darkness. A thumping noise came from one of the doors, and it started to open. The Ork stirred, his cloying breath heaving through injured lungs. Fingers encrusted with dried blood tightened around the choppa's handle. Within the chaotic sea of absolute terror that had consumed the alien's soul, a distant but familiar impulse emerged. Enemy. FIGHT. The Ork's jaw twitched up into a half-grin, and it drunkenly turned around. A battle cry bubbled up its throat; a howl of glee and bloodlust twisted into a poisonous shriek to still the heart. Before it could scream, bladed talons of adamantium scythed into the Ork's neck, slicing through flesh and bone in an instant. The wail seemed to hesitate as the disembodied head tumbled to the deck, like a wheeze slowly building up into something more. The separation of lungs from larynx didn't silence the Warp-blasted creature, but it was enough to delay the alien's screech for a few precious seconds. Then a small blue orb struck the Ork's head, reducing it to a small black scorch mark across the floor. Luna strode into the armory behind Dest, her Iron Gage pointing a single smoking finger forward like the barrel of a gun. "Be this the extent of our opposition? A single greenskin?" "A single psionic trap," Dest corrected, holding up the decapitated body. Flames burst from his hand, and then he tossed the burning corpse away. "It seems the Orks met much the same fate as the Tau." "Hey! HEY! What did I tell you about starting fires in here?" Fennin complained while he and the others start filing into the room. "Especially when we're on emergency life support! If just one of the oxygen cyclers are taken off-line, then-" "Then you should check to ensure that is not the case," Dest interrupted firmly, pointing a claw to a terminal at the side of the room. "There is your cogitator. Get to work. We will protect you." Biting back a retort, Fennin trudged over to the system terminal, briefly flinching away from a burst of sparks overhead. The screen had dried blood splashed over it, but seemed to be otherwise untouched by whatever carnage had enveloped the room. It was, however, also completely dark. "Blast! It's unpowered! We have to find a power source," Fennin groaned. "Seriously? Shouldn't this system be able to tap into the emergency grid?" Jerriha asked as she and Daniels took up defensive firing positions just outside the room. "I don't know. This IS a prototype hull design, so I don't know what standards its system redundancies operate under. Naval engineers, bah." Then Fennin narrowed his eyes toward the entrance. "Then again, it might be because SOMEONE hurled a belt of explosives into the upper bulkheads. You could easily destroy a primary conduit that way." "Oh, sure, it was definitely my grenades and not the hundred or so daemons that have been tunneling through your ship for weeks," Daniels scoffed. "Don't blame us humans for your shoddy workmanship. That ventilation shaft came apart like it was made of hardboard. I'm sure your electrical work is rubbish too." "Our ships are made to take explosives from the OUTSIDE, not the INSIDE!" Fennin snapped back. "An oversight you might want to look into. Maybe someday you'll even be able to survive simple boarding tactics." Fennin started to snap at him again, only to have Gaela interject first. "Cease your bickering. Fennin, can you repair the conduit?" "Well, no, not from-" Gaela interrupted again. "Very well. We'll use a secondary power source." "Do you have a spare battery? A weapon pack won't do the job," Fennin warned. "Something like that," Gaela murmured, beckoning with her gun arm. Big Macintosh lumbered forward and looked up at the tech-cultist. Then Gaela kicked him squarely in the chest. The stallion barely budged, but his chest plating fell open a moment later. Then Mac's chest hatch popped open as well, and Gaela leaned down to reach into it. "Yer usin' Big Mac's cyber-guts as some kinda power supply?" Applejack asked. "Affirmative." Gaela pulled out a power cable with a sparking node on the end. "Do you object?" "Not really. Just don't overdo it, okay? Ah'm pretty sure he needs that juice to live," the farmer warned. "Eeyup." Mac stared down at the cable in mild concern. Gaela pulled the cable behind the terminal, and after a few seconds of cracking and buzzing noises a rising hum came from the system. The screens began to glow, and one by one they started to fill up with Tau symbols. "Commune with your device," the hooded cyborg commanded as she stood up. "Inform me if you require further technical solutions. I'm going to go scavenge fresh capacitors from your weapons." Fennin bit back a retort and went to work, setting his engineering tablet on the base of the terminal screens. "... So, uh... putting aside the Ork that was waiting for us here, this area seems very... bloodied?" Twilight observed, her voice slowly rising to a squeak. Streaks of gore and weapon impacts were everywhere over the walls and floor. Many of the munitions lockers had been opened, some of them by force, and discarded energy cells and bullet casings were scattered liberally across the room. "This was surely the site of more than one pitched battle on this vessel," Dest explained. "First, the Tau would have retreated here to try to repel boarders. The Orks would have likewise sought out this room for looting purposes." "It looks like they didn't get very far," Jerriha said grimly. "The storage seals to the main weapons supply are still intact. We have a complete weapons cache. The battlesuit racks aren't empty either. Not all the pilots made it here in time." "Such is the fury of the Warp rift," Dest intoned. The Fireblade shot him a glare. "You might consider more conventional means of assault in the future, if this weapon of yours turns ship interiors into crazy extra-dimensional charnel houses. You are pirates, after all." "We need excuse nothing," Dest retorted. "We won." While Jerriha fumed quietly, Twilight cautiously interjected again. "Okay, but as I was saying, there was obviously a lot of fighting here, but... no bodies." Dest glanced around again, as if to confirm her observation. Most of the others looked at Twilight strangely. "Well, yeah. They've all had their eyeballs eaten or been infested by bugs and been turned into space zombies, right?" Rainbow asked. "No, Sparkle is correct," Dest said, his talons lengthening in irritation. "Those victims would have been captured alive, or ambushed by the daemon lord itself. What of the other victims? Many crew and intruders would have been slain in combat against less discriminating enemies, yet the only bodies we've seen are those in thrall to Gharrl or Nurgle. Where are the corpses?" "Eaten?" Daniels guessed. "Daemons can eat - Gharrl does, clearly - but I believe most do not experience hunger as we understand it or require physical sustenance for energy. Besides, I'd still expect remains of some sort. The corpses have most likely been moved," Dest concluded. "I can think of no reason for daemons to amass corpses in one place that isn't extraordinarily profane," Gaela remarked while her servo arm tore a component from a fusion blaster. "So whaddya think they're doin'?" Applejack asked. "Daemons sometimes build constructs out of the fresh bodies of their victims. Idols of gore, fused with Warpfire into various hideous things." Fluttershy instantly engaged her cloaking device, winking out of sight. "Other times they take bodies to a central location and flay them of skin, or remove the bones. I am uncertain as to what purpose this serves, if any. Daemonology is not my area of specialization." Gaela plugged the component into her gun arm, and a buzzing noise came from the capacitor. Arcs of bright blue danced between the claws of the augmetic briefly, and then she tossed the rest of the weapon away. "So you DON'T think they're taking the bodies to use as more of those... screaming trap things?" Rarity asked. "Negative. The creation of a subservient psychic thrall requires specific conditions that a dead body cannot fulfill." Gaela turned back to the rest of the party. "The parasites we encountered on the loading deck could make use of such carrion, but those were the creation of a living cultist, and not aligned with our targets. Nor were there enough infected to account for all the Ork boarders, much less the original Tau crew." "So we'll definitely be stumbling upon a horrifying pile of corpses at some point during this mission," Daniels affirmed. "Affirmative. At least disposal will be quicker with most of them in one place." The Dark Techpriest swiveled a servo arm forward with several shifting needles on the end. "I am ready to begin repairs to damaged boarding suits. Sparkle, Dash, maintain perimeter watch." "While you're doing that, I think I've found our target," Fennin said. He was tapping away rapidly on his engineering tablet while occasionally reaching over to touch something on the console screen. "It's very hard to make sense of the data; we mostly use drones for internal sensor readings and they've all gone into standby due to the power loss. But there's one location experiencing such massive energy fluctuations that its been causing intense surges and outages through the power network, even on the backup generators. By logging the frequency and intensity of various points-" "You can pinpoint the anomaly source," Gaela finished while her servoweave stitched up Daniels' suit. "We have our daemon lord." "Correct! It's coming from the bridge, which is nice and dramatic." Luna's horn sparked immediately, and her visor lenses pulsed with energy. "Huzzah! Then We shalt take to battle at once! Mark thy quarry, smith!" "I'm... I'm not a..." Fennin shook his head. "Whatever. Fine. Inloading the coordinates and routing." "It will be quite dangerous, and the presence of traps is likely," Dest rumbled, "I will join you in the assault." "Well met, Lord Dest! Together the beast stands nary a chance against us!" the Princess of the Night cheered. "Are you sure you two will be able to handle it on your own?" Rarity asked. Big Mac also took an anxious step forward, pawing at the deck. "Aye. Our minds art protected from the perfidious magics of the foe. We fear that it should snuff the life force from thee with its mere gaze, and We could not protect thee," Luna explained somberly. A hand of the Iron Gage floated over to Big Mac, lifting the chin of the stallion's helmet. "'Twould avail us nothing to free this vessel from the claws of the daemon only to lose our dearest allies in the attempt. We implore thee, await news of our glorious triumph!" The augmented stallion snorted, and then nodded his head silently. The Iron Gage gently patted him on the cheek of his helmet, and then withdrew. The other ponies watched in mild confusion, uncertain what to make of the brief gesture. "So are we holding position here while you two head off to either heroic triumph or painful, agonizing doom?" Daniels asked. "Of course not. Engineer, map a route to the Omen's main reactor and determine the cause of the power failure, if possible," commanded Gaela while she repaired Jerriha's armor. "We must restore communications and basic navigation if we are to dock the Omen with our maintenance satellite." "Way ahead of you," Fennin replied. "The shutdown was caused by damage to a major regulator array. With no crew response, eventually the reactor created enough dangerous particles to force a safety protocol shutdown." "A relatively simple repair, then." Gaela looked up to Dest. "I estimate the reactor shall be functional again by the time you return, Lord." "Erm... does it seem a little odd to anyone else that this damage knocked out the power JUST after we boarded?" Rarity asked. "Our arrival definitely agitated the Warp-borne," Gaela admitted. "It may be no coincidence. But that does not change our objective." "Also!" Fennin continued. "You remember that containment tag I mentioned earlier? I cracked the personnel file attached to it! This ship was carrying a human psyker named Kyleth Jackson!" "So you did have one of the Black Ship's prizes here after all. Intriguing," Dest mused. "This feller is like a human wizard or somethin', right?" Applejack asked. "Like Serith?" "Lord Serith isn't very human anymore, but yeah, that's the gist of it," Daniels explained. "Kind of surprised it's a human, but not very. The Tau don't have any psykers from their own race." "That's a shortcoming Lamman Sept has sought to compensate for. And certainly the Imperium's liberated planets have been all too eager to give their gifted children to our diplomats rather than the fabled Black Ships." Fennin slid a finger across a display monitor, and an image of a fairly young man in a blue and black jumpsuit appeared. "We study the psykers to further our understanding of the galaxy and the myriad ways other species exploit it. Jackson was somewhat popular among his fellow subjects for adapting better than most to life in the labs and socializing well. If I recall correctly, psykers rarely endure more than a few years of our experiments without going insane or fatally burning themselves out." The horned ponies in the room stared at him with expressions ranging from horror to contempt. "And this is supposed to be... BETTER than what this 'Imperium' does to them?" Twilight asked. "Yes," replied Gaela, Dest, Daniels, and Fennin simultaneously. "Okay, cool, but what does any of this have to do with our job here?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Psykers are prized prey for daemons, and also marginally better at combating them. If we can locate the body, we may find something interesting," Dest suggested. "In addition, I'm interested in the research data," Gaela added. "After restoring power, we should locate the psyker labs and secure its research and artifacts." Jerriha tugged on the fabric of her boarding armor, testing the strength of the repair. "Wonderful. Some fifty years of backbreaking, dangerous research, all for nothing," she sighed. "Better it work to our benefit than be lost entirely within a daemon-infested hulk." Gaela completed the repairs on Fennin's boarding suit, and then yanked Big Mac's power cable free of the armory console. The cord wound its way back into the stallion's chest cavity, and then he quietly pushed the access plate closed. "Then We tarry no longer!" Luna shouted, rearing up briefly. "Soon the last of the daemons shalt lay broken at our hooves, and the Omen be free of their vile presence." She glanced over at Dest. "Aside from thee, of course." The Iron Warrior ignored her, tapping the side of his helmet. "Objective waypoint is logged. Farewell Sparkle. Keep the rest of the boarding group alive in our absence." "Of course! Good luck!" Twilight said cheerfully, raising a leg and waving goodbye. Rep'talal (reclassified: Omen) Navigation Center The steady, sluggish thump of plodding battlesuits filled the navigation center as the mutilated victims of the Rep'Talal shuffled across the deck. Before the massacre that had emptied it, the navigation officers of the Air Caste used the room to plot courses on the hololithic star map projected from the large round table in the center of the room. Given that Tau vessels couldn't translate fully into Warp space, inter-system travel was a major endeavor and involved extensive planning of their intended route. The latest star maps and records of solar anomalies, as well as countless overlapping arrays of gravitational fields, all had to be accounted for as well as the more mundane matters such as available supplies and fuel. Contingency routes needed to be planned as well, given the abundance and general hostility of alien life. The Tau considered themselves the inheritors of a galaxy teeming with opportunities and lost souls waiting to be united under their banner, but the vastness of space also contained untold horrors and unfathomable dangers. The eyeless psychic thralls shuffling around the deck seemed proof enough of that. Orks trudged from corner to corner, their bodies twitching while broken shootas and gore-streaked choppas scraped along the floor at their feet. Tau of various castes sat at the navigation table, babbling nonsense to themselves in the dim light. A trio of Crisis battlesuits patrolled the room in awkward, lurching steps, occasionally brushing by the Orks without apparently noticing them. All of the battlesuits were heavily damaged, with torn extremities and shattered sensor arrays, and each one had a hole carved or punched through the main body into the cockpit. A wisp of black smoke slithered across the floor like a serpent, seeping into the room and slowly expanding. None of the lurching thralls noticed the incursion, even after bits of crimson light pierced the shroud. A pair of hefty metal gauntlets emerged from the darkness, blue energy arcs dancing between their fingers, and they reached out toward the listless aliens seated around the table. "Hark, feeble victims of blackest sorcery! Deliverance hath arrived! Be cleansed!" Lightning flashed from the Iron Gage, striking the Tau seated around the table and bouncing from one thrall to another. The bodies quivered and disintegrated, burning down to ashes and scorched bone before the puppets could scream. A few stray lightning arcs struck the sightless victims patrolling the room, causing them to collapse onto the floor in quivering heaps. The others patrolling the circuit stopped, and then slowly turned around. Dest sprinted past Luna, slamming into the nearest battlesuit. His talons punched through the splintered cockpit armor and skewered the pilot inside, and then he incinerated the body with a burst of daemonflame. Gouts of crimson fire billowed from the cockpit breaches, and the battlesuit toppled onto the deck. Luna shot a few more magic bolts, felling three more Orks, but there were too many of the horrifying thralls. Their jaws stretched open in symphony, and Luna shifted focus to defense as a soul-chilling wail filled the room. A quiver ran down her spine, followed by a feeling of growing paralysis. Her vision spun, her stomach churned, and the minor concentration necessary to hold the Iron Gage aloft wavered. Still, she remained conscious, and her heart didn't stop. The supernatural bodies of the alicorn and possessed Astartes resisted the psychic shrieks, but not without difficulty. "HRAAAAAUGH!!" Dest hurled aside the battlesuit that hung on his talons, smashing an Ork against the wall. He raced to another greenskin thrall and slammed his gauntlets together over its head, obliterating the Ork's skull and silencing it at last. "Cease thy howling!" Luna demanded, throwing the Iron Gage forward desperately. They bumped into a battlesuit, and then they felt around the edges of the torso for the cockpit breach. After a few seconds they found it, gripped the open edge, and then tore the entire frontal plate of the battlesuit open. "We demand SILENCE!" the Princess shouted, punching one fist into the cockpit and reducing the pilot to a pulp. At last the scream petered out, and Luna felt the ringing in her ears stop. Dest also seemed to relax instantly, and some of the spikes that had sprouted up on his shoulders and back started receding as he tossed away the bodies he had decapitated. The respite didn't last long. A daemon rushed into the room, brandishing bladed limbs and spiked tendrils. A magic bolt cut it down, but three more scuttled in behind the first. "The hordes advance! Just as before, they await the howl of the daemon's puppets!" Luna's Iron Gage fired another beam into the group, and another monster fell to the deck. "Good. I prefer the conventional weapons of fire and claw to that infernal screeching." Dest hurled himself into the first enemy, his talons seizing its arms. His shoulder blades descended on the daemon's head a moment later, tearing through its face and neck all the way down to what passed for its sternum. He flung the disintegrating body into the remaining enemy, and then descended on it before it could recover. A tendril snaked down from a ventilation shaft, a pincer claw at the tip opening up while it approached the Iron Warrior from behind. A great black gauntlet seized it first, and then pulled back sharply. The vent broke apart, and a slimy, spindly daemon flopped onto the deck in a gurgling heap. Dest turned on his heel and slammed one boot down on the Warpspawn, smearing it across the floor. A furious roar heralded the next wave of daemons, which started flooding into the room from the bridge access hall. Crawling, lumbering, slithering, scuttling; the nightmares manifest seemed to represent every twisted physique imaginable in a tide of misshapen monsters. Bony spines and blobs of corrosive venom leapt out ahead of the horde, splashing across Dest's chestplate. The Possessed Astartes spread his hands before him, and daemon flame blasted into the oncoming Warpspawn. Most faltered in an instant, stumbling as their bodies started to crumble away, but a few of the bulkier monsters shouldered their way forward through the fire. Reaching the front of the pack, the daemons were quickly cut down by sword-like talons, and each fell before it could raise a claw against the intruders. Dest was a blur of flashing blades and swirling fire, every inch of his body a lethal weapon. An even larger form shoved its way into the hall, its thick hide protecting it from the remaining flames. A lumbering battle daemon thundered forward, a guttural snarl escaping its drooling maw. Dest kicked away another victim and punched his blades down into a struggling daemon, tearing it in two. He flung the remains at the new, larger daemon, but the creature didn't flinch away. The disintegrating body bounced off and was promptly trampled under the monster's tread. "Pilot! Withdraw!" Luna ordered. Her Iron Gage hovered in the air, clenched into fists and aimed toward the oncoming enemies. Magic swirled around the gauntlets, and a flickering blue blaze gathered around the wrist braces. Dest dove away, and one fist blasted forward like a cannon shot. It impacted the daemon with similar force as well, punching through its carapace and bringing its advance to a halt. The other gauntlet launched, crashing into the daemon's head. The Warpspawn keeled over backwards, and its body swiftly joined the scattered flames underfoot. "Clear. For now," Dest announced, looking around the room. His talons started shrinking, along with many of the other spikes and blades that had emerged from his armor. "The bridge lies ahead." "Aye! Let us finish this!" A black gauntlet slammed down onto the deck while Luna trotted forward. "We tire of slaying screaming thralls and hapless beasts! Face us, Gharrl!" The other hand reached forward, and it touched its index finger to the door leading to their destination. A hissing spark appeared, burning deep through the point of contact. Then the gauntlet dragged the finger down, slowly cutting through the door. "... The entrance isn't locked," Dest pointed out. "It simply closed automatically once the daemons stopped pouring through it. We do not need to cut through it." "We cannot simply prance into the enemy's lair like lost vagrants," Luna insisted, halfway through burning open the barrier. "The purging of a villain's bastion requires verve! Panache! This is to be a deed of heroic destruction, not mere disposal!" "If you say so," Dest mumbled, waiting patiently for her to finish. "Regardless of what happens, it has been... enjoyable to conduct this purge among your warriors." "Aye! And thine assistance hath been a great boon to us, Lord Dest!" Luna cheered. "With such prowess, 'tis a wonder thine army hath found any foe that couldst defy thee!" The Iron Gage finished cutting through the exit, and then the black gauntlets threw the doors open. Luna dashed into the bridge, her horn flashing with power. "Gharrl! Thy end hath come! Thou shalt be cast back into the purgatory that spawned thee!" Luna shouted, keeping her voice uncharacteristically restrained. Having her ears recently battered by supernatural shrieks had made her slightly more understanding of how obnoxious it could be. The bridge was a wide-open space, much larger than most of the rooms they had encountered and explored since leaving the docking bays. It consisted of two levels, with a number of command consoles, seats, and projection devices scattered around an upper platform centered around three large command seats. The caste markings for Air, Fire, and Earth were inscribed in each seat, with the Air seat, presumably belonging to the ship's captain, in the middle. Luna briefly recalled that there was supposed to be another caste in the Tau's Sept hierarchy, but couldn't remember anything about it and so brushed the thought aside. Around the raised level of the bridge was a trench of sorts, boasting an unbroken line of terminals and consoles all along the outer perimeter. The entire bridge was messy with dried blood and damaged from blades and bludgeons. It was here, after all, that the daemon incursion had begun, its command crew butchered at their stations. Like the other areas of the ship there were no corpses, either. Princess Luna entered hesitantly, looking back and forth. The daemons had been nesting in this place, judging by the horde that had emerged to attack them, but she didn't see any enemies. Surely the daemon lord hadn't raced out with the others and been dispatched in a blast of fire, had it? Dest entered the bridge more cautiously, and then pointed a talon off to the side. "There. The freak thinks he's hiding from us." His hand shuddered and swelled, twisting into a serrated crab claw. "We're not hapless prey bumbling into your web, monster! Submit to the scions of Chaos or be slain like the rest of your horde!" Nothing happened for a few seconds, and then, suddenly, a figure leapt up from behind a row of consoles and perched atop them. It was humanoid, with pale, rubbery skin stretched tight over a tall, hunched skeleton nearly eight feet from head to toe. Four arms spread from its torso, each one ending in a long, curved, sword-like claw. A large central eye dominated its face, black as pitch, leering at the intruders from over a mouth of needle-like teeth. The daemon possessed several other, smaller eyes, set all around its head like a spider. It was a large abomination, if not significantly smaller and frailer-looking than the war daemons they had already overcome. To Dest, its form reminded him somewhat of the Slaaneshi monstrosities; the lithe, sensuous daemons possessing caressing hands on one side of their bodies and cruel hooked talons on the other. But there was nothing alluring or exotic about this Warpspawn, and it bore the sigils of no Gods. It was a crass, wretched thing, stinking of death and misery. Luna did not spend nearly as much time observing the enemy. With a wordless shout, she fired a bolt of black lightning from the Iron Gage. The daemon moved, and the lightning bolt missed, crashing into a bank of control consoles and causing several of them to light up. After-images split away from the body in multiple directions, and the daemon became a blur of faded, flickering copies contorting themselves out of the projectile's path. Luna blinked, perplexed. She had never seen a creature dodge an attack in such a bizarre fashion before. "Don't falter!" Dest growled, rushing to flank the daemon. His crab-claw spat small, shimmering fireballs across the bridge as he ran, exploding across the consoles where their prey awaited. The daemon blurred again, its body contorting in impossible ways as it leapt onto another control console. Whether a trick of bending light or bending reality, it bounced from alcove to alcove while avoiding every projectile. "Thou canst evade us forever!" Luna proclaimed, her horn charging with more magical power. "Begone, wretch!" The Iron Gage released a spread of lightning arcs in the daemon's direction, striking numerous consoles and causing them to turn on and then immediately blow out from the power surge. The daemon itself tried to bend away, but as the Princess designed there was no escape from the crackling whips of power. It fell to the ground with a shriek, bright blue flames scorching its flesh. "I have him!" Dest announced, leaping atop a weapons control station and crushing much of it under his greaves. With another jump he was above their prey, his blade-edged claw snapping for its head. The daemon's body blurred again, hazy mirror images spreading out in all directions. Dest's claw struck the deck, carving a deep tear through the bulkhead plating. The Iron Warrior looked up, searching in either direction. He whirled around to look behind him. His target was nowhere to be seen. "Lord Dest? Didst thou dispatch the foe?" Luna asked. She didn't have a good view of where the daemon had landed, but it was hard to imagine the possessed Astartes missing such an easy strike. "No! It... moved. Blinked, perhaps. I know I didn't hit it," Dest snarled. "Vel! What is this? Where is it?" Dunno. I think he gated out. "Gated? What does that mean?" Er... you know, like your ships do? He bounced to the Warp, bro! He out! You won! "It... retreated? After suffering a single attack?" Dest scoffed. "I was under the impression daemons were not subject to such cowardice." "Indeed," Luna agreed, frowning. One of her gauntlets floated up under her neck to stroke her chin. "This doth not feel like a victory. Mayhaps... hm?" A small crimson spark appeared in the air in front of the alicorn, sizzling softly. Luna cocked her head to one side, curious. Her visor interface went red with alarm sigils. Warning screed flashed in front of her, but it all came too quickly for her to read. A blade emerged from the ember hanging in the air, stabbing for the startled pony. Were it not for the completely incidental position of the Iron Gage, it would have surely sunk into her neck, but instead it scraped across the gauntlet and plunged into Luna's chest. It punched through the hardened plate with only minor difficulty, slicing through the frame and into the flesh underneath. Luna gasped in pain, recoiling. Her horn started blazing with power, preparing to unleash waves of destruction in desperate retaliation. Then the blade pulled back into the glimmering breach, vanishing from sight. A wash of Luna's blood splashed across the deck; a fan of bright crimson painting the dull, flaky gray that remained of massacres long past. "Princess! What happened! What was that?!" Dest demanded, sprinting over to the equine. "The... The daemon!" Luna gasped. "The caitiff strikes from hiding!" She staggered backward, her head whipping left and right. A patch of shadowy fog curled up from nowhere and seeped into her armor breach to stem the bleeding. "Vel! I thought you said the beast fled!" Dest snarled, circling around Luna while searching for any sign of their foe. ... What's a "caitiff?" "Vel! Concentrate! I am no expert in fighting you Warpspawn!" the Astartes shouted. Well, yeah, but if you were then I probably wouldn't be here now, so- "VEL!!" Dest shouted. A red flare appeared in the air next to Dest's head. "Pilot! Flee at once!" Luna directed. Dest was moving before she even started speaking, diving away from a blade that was aimed to punch through his visor. The curved talon pulled back into the breach and vanished, the red light winking away in an instant. The Iron Gage punched through the air, swinging through the space directly under the point at which the attack had emerged. The second gauntlet soared by a second later, at another angle. Neither of them struck anything. "What is this? Yonder beast doth not appear before us, yet it attacks at will?!" Luna said angrily. Before she had thought the daemon had somehow moved invisibly, or with uncanny speed. With a clear look at its attack while trying to skewer Dest, she could only conclude that its body wasn't actually here. "It strikes from the Warp!" Dest concluded. "We cannot harm it there! But how? I've never heard of such an ability!" Probably a result of that rift thing. The barrier between the realms might be weaker than normal because you guys messed with it. I feel kinda tingly, myself. Incoming, by the way. Another four sparks appeared in the air, and Dest dove under them and hit the deck rolling. One by one the scythe-blades swung down after him, slicing through air just inches behind its target. "The embers mark the point of assault!" Luna declared, bringing her Iron Gage close. "I NOTICED!!" Dest retorted, jumping to his feet. One of the blades struck his backpack, its edge shrieking against ceramite before it ripped open a coolant valve. "Do something! You're the psyker! The Warp is your specialty!" "Aye! Come hither, Lord Dest! We shalt protect thee!" Luna ordered. The Iron Warrior sprinted back to her, his greaves pounding against the deck and a rapid sequence of daemon blades swiping after him. When he reached Luna he turned on his heel, sliding to a stop by her side. Luna's horn lit aglow, and a dome barrier enveloped them. Immediately Dest noticed crimson flame brushing against the edge of the shield in the direction he had come from. They burned across the face, causing ripples over the barrier surface, and then started crawling back and forth, as if seeking a weak point. "Huzzah! The foe is foiled!" Luna cheered. "This barrier's circumference traverses the dimensional veil! It cannot reach us here!" "Yes. Good," Dest mumbled, his eyes fixed on the flickering red energies dancing across the shield's exterior. "Can you use it offensively? Turn the same cross-dimensional energy into a weapon?" Luna grimaced. "'Twould be... unwise to attempt such an experiment now, out of desperation. Such magics are not used lightly. The repercussions may be calamitous." "More calamitous than an endless assault from an enemy we cannot harm?" the Astartes asked. "Aye. The most likely consequence We anticipate wouldst be a lasting breach in the dimensional veil, not unlike the weapon that deposited these fiends to begin with." Luna shook her head. "With time and an adequate laboratory We could devise such a spell without harm, but We dare not lash out so carelessly now." "Hmph. I'd not considered you to be the cautious type," Dest grunted. "We shalt consider that a compliment," the Princess said curtly. "But even the most destructive sorceries of Equestria art practiced ritual requiring extensive study. We shalt face this creature with what artifice We hast at hoof!" "Fine. Do you have any other ideas, then?" Dest noticed that the traces of red were no longer present around the barrier. Evidently the daemon had given up and was considering its next move, as they were. "Mayhaps. If this wastrel treads the realm between realms, then We can reach it." Luna looked back at the entrance. "However, We must withdraw from yonder beast's nesting grounds and the reach of its claws. We cannot maintain a barrier whilst We enter the world of dreams." "World of dreams. Sure. Why not," Dest grumbled. "So what should we do? Can you move this shield or are we running?" "We can, albeit with difficulty," Luna said, turning around. "We shalt retreat past the charting chamber, and then... dost thou hear that?" Dest did, in fact, hear it: A sizzling noise, just like the ones that had before preceded this daemon's trans-dimensional attacks. It was coming from somewhere nearby, but he couldn't pinpoint where. "It's attacking! Be ready!" Dest shouted. Luna shook her head. "Fear thee not, Lord Dest. The foe cannot pierce our barrier, no matter what manner of trickery it-" A sword-like talon shot up from the floor, and Luna's eyes bulged as it punched through her armor and stabbed into her abdomen. An angry shriek of pain erupted in her head, stunning her, and the magic energy of both her horn and the barrier winked out. "Damnable equine, I TOLD you!" Dest shouted, spotting several more red spots opening up beneath the mare. He grabbed Luna's wing and wrenched her away from the blade that had punctured her, spilling another fan of blood across the deck. The other blades emerged from the Warp breaches, scything up through the air and then falling back quickly. Another flickering red light appeared in the air next to Dest's knee, but the Iron Warrior was already bolting away with Luna under one arm. "Stay with me, psyker! I don't like my chances of fending off this creature alone!" The driver raced across the bridge, his greaves leaving divots in the deck and smashing chairs aside. Glimmering crimson lights seemed to trail him through the air, appearing and winking out of sight in an instant. Luna coughed, and a bit of blood spat out of her vox grille. "W-We art well! 'Tis but a t-trifle!" she insisted, her voice shaking. With a few blinks, Dest brought up Luna's biometric scan. "... He got you in the lung," he said grimly, vaulting over a terminal and smashing through the monitor screen on top of it. "My kind have organs to spare, but I imagine you need all of those." Luna snarled and spread her wings, pushing herself free of the Astartes. "Enough! This fiend Gharrl shalt not-HACK!" She promptly stumbled and started coughing, shielding herself with the Iron Gage. Gharrl? Why is she talking about Gharrl? Vel wondered within Dest's thoughts. "Yes, we KNOW that's not the daemon's true name, just..." Dest trailed off, and then brightened in epiphany. "His name! We have his name!" "A-Aye. Of what import is this?" Luna asked. "A daemon's name holds power over it. Many of them guard that knowledge jealously, as I understand it," Dest explained. A red flicker came from the air in front of him, and he lunged instead of dodging, parrying the daemon's blade against his own talons. Uh, but, dude- "Hear me, daemon lord, for I invoke your true essence!" Dest said, batting aside another strike from the Warp. "Emerge from your hiding place, and face me in open combat..." The next sound that emerged from the pilot's throat was completely incomprehensible to Luna, sounding like a twisted groan interspersed with clicking noises. It made her stomach churn slightly just to hear it, though as her magic was still trying to plug the holes in her torso it was hardly the greatest bodily discomfort the mare had to endure. The blood-colored embers flared brighter at the utterance, drawing across the air in front of Dest in strange, wavering patterns. Dude? Dest, bro, listen, that- "Not now, daemon!" Dest snarled. His arms bulged, and new spikes burrowed up from the gleaming ceramite while the talons on his arms lengthened. "Face me, Gharrl! Iron within! Iron without!" All four arm blades suddenly stabbed out of the Warp at once, skewering Dest through the torso. Blood gushed down the Iron Warrior's back, and a pitiful gurgling noise escaped his vox grille. Luna gaped in shock, and then sent the Iron Gage flying toward her ally. The gauntlets clamped on to one of the blades, trying to pull it free of Dest's body. "Th-This... was not... how that was... supposed to go..." Dest said, grabbing onto one of the blades himself and trying to draw away from it. One of the daemonic limbs stuck in his chest suddenly twisted to the side, causing a fresh spray of blood to paint the deck at his feet. Then the blade slipped out of Dest's chest and reared back to slash at the Chaos Marine's head. "Halt, daemon!" Luna shouted, grabbing the loose limb with the Iron Gage and holding it in place. "Thou thinks to ignore us?! Come hither, and test thy sword against the power of the night!" The arm-blades still stuck in Dest suddenly withdrew from his body, eliciting another pained grunt from the Chaos Space Marine. Two slipped back through the Warp breaches, while the other twisted about and stabbed between the fingers of the Iron Gage. With another twist it pried the gauntlet loose enough that the last limb could escape, and they vanished into the sparkling crimson flames. "I hope you actually have a plan," Dest gasped, stumbling toward an alcove. Blood and oddly-colored sparks leaked freely from the holes in his armor, although the plating was slowly working to seal itself over his wounds. "Steel and flame art our plan!" Luna shouted, rearing up and kicking her legs. "If thou cannot outwit the fell beast, then We shalt overwhelm the mongrel with sheer power!" "That's not a plan," Dest advised. A sword-arm pierced the veil between dimensions, only to be seized by a great black gauntlet before its point could graze Luna's armor. "We have thee!" she gloated, giving the blade a sharp tug. The blade failed to move much, but as it did another limb emerged and plunged toward Luna's head from the other side. The other gauntlet blocked it, taking a firm hold before it could withdraw. Yet another blade emerged, and Luna had no more weapons to block it with. Her horn pulsed just before the edge met her neck, freezing it within an aura of dark blue. When the fourth limb came, Luna could do little but dodge. Luckily, none of her means of immobilizing enemy weapons affected her own movement, but even so, the daemon's Warp-born weapons struck like vipers. The blade's point scraped across the cheek of her helmet, slicing the ebony metal apart and dragging showers of sparks across the mare's chest plate. The hit was nothing serious, especially compared to the wounds she had already suffered, but it was enough to shake her concentration. The telekinetic field weakened around the other blade, and it swung awkwardly across Luna's wing, tearing through the armor plate far enough to sink into flesh. Luna released an angry whinny, jumping back from the scythes cleaving through the dimensions. Rather than follow her, the limbs turned on the Iron Gage, quickly stabbing into the fists and levering open their grip. Within seconds all four sword-arms slipped back into the Warp, their departure marked by sizzling red spots in the air. Luna's horn flared brighter, and her jaw clenched. The eyes within the golden helm carved on her chest pulsed brighter in angry sympathy. Blood, adrenaline, magic, and cataclysmic fury flowed through her body in a heady mix, and reality started warping around her. Ripples flowed outward through the deck, like a pond that had been disturbed by a pebble, and several of the Omen's control consoles turned on by themselves. "Princess? What are you doing?" Dest asked in concern. He was still leaning on a console, although he had one arm propped up in case he needed to defend himself. "THOU HAST TASTED THE BLOOD OF A PRINCESS, MONGREL!! NOW THOU SHALT KNOW THE FLAVOR OF OUR WRATH!!" The Canterlot Voice shook the bridge with its volume, and all of the screens that had previously turned on immediately shattered. Her shouting was answered by a flicker of crimson floating in front of her: four sparks twinkling in the dim lighting, each hovering equidistant from the mare's snout. At once, the blades emerged from the Warp like bolts loosed from the gun barrel, each poised to skewer an equine skull at a different angle. A blinding flash filled the bridge, the light so intense that Dest's visor automatically cycled its vision modes. When it stopped showing various useless colored blobs and returned to default filters, Dest could see the daemon's blades frozen and quivering in the air, the tips just millimeters from Luna's face. The mare's head was exposed, her helmet having either withdrawn while he was blinded or been broken apart by the might of her sorcery. Luna's eyes flashed solid white, illuminating the bridge better than the track lighting overhead. Her horn was ablaze with power, its core a spike of pitch within a boiling aura of bright blue, which itself was circled by a spiraling thread of bloody crimson. Matter deformed freely nearby, with shattered consoles warping, shards of glass floating off the floor, and the deck plating cracking under the mare's hoof. Crimson fluid wept from the eyes of the Legion symbol on her chest, while cruel laughter echoed faintly from nowhere. "WE TIRE OF THY GAMES, SCUM," the Princess growled. The daemon's limbs shook from the reverberation of her voice, wrenching back and forth but unable to budge their sword-tips. "THOU WILST NOT COME TO US FROM THE SEA OF CHAOS? THEN WE DUEL IN MY REALM." She pounded a single boot on the floor, and the ground exploded. Dest was quite surprised to see it, if too badly injured and mystified to do anything about it. The deck surface seemed to peel away, rising off the ground in ruddy, colorful shards before withering away into mist. The ground underneath was dark and earthen, and riddled with tiny points of light. The air changed as well; a strange, greenish fog billowed out from Luna and quickly swallowing up the stale oxygen mix of the ship's bridge. Consoles and displays turned into mirrors or colorful sections of lighting, winking on and off according to some silent rhythm. Within seconds the bridge was no longer perceptibly the inside of a starship, but more resembled some sort of alien cave. The stench of death still hung in the air despite the notable absence of the gore that decorated the real bridge. It was cloying and sticky, and elicited an excited thrill from the daemon in Dest's head. Most importantly, the strange mist exposed the hidden body of the daemon. Lidless black eyes devoid of all emotion stared at the Princess. The daemon's mouth was equally expressive, its needle-lined jaw opening and closing without a sound. "THE NIGHT COMES FOR THEE." A black metal fist slammed into the daemon, finally breaking the magical hold on its limbs and hurling it across the netherscape. It recovered admirably, stabbing one blade in the ground and dragging to a stop, but the moment it halted the other half of the Iron Gage struck it with a wide backhand. "WHAT AILS THEE, DAEMON?" It flipped around and darted forward, only to run into a thread of lightning coursing between the two gauntlets. "'TIS THE BEST THOU CAN DO?" The daemon turned on the Iron Gage itself, punching a blade through the palm of the nearest one. The gauntlet simply grabbed onto the limb and spun in the air, throwing the entire monster onto its side. "LITTLE WONDER THOU HIDES BEHIND THE CURTAIN OF THE IMMATERIUM." The other gauntlet slammed down on Luna's victim, while the impaled weapon pulled away. Rather than the blade releasing the Iron Gage, the limb came off at the shoulder. "THOU ART A MERE RIPPLE IN THE SEA OF MAGIC. AN ABERRATION BORNE OF HATRED AND BEDLAM. A GALACTIC ERROR." The Iron Gage descended on the wounded daemon before it could get up, punching and grabbing at its arms. Whatever uncanny agility it had possessed before was either exhausted or impossible under the conditions, and the creature was rapidly dismembered, its other blade-limbs torn off or crushed. "WITNESS US, MONGREL. IN THIS REALM OF DREAMS, WE ART ASCENDANT." The Iron Gage seized the daemon by the head, dragging its brutalized form closer to Luna. Once it was just a foot away from the alicorn's hooves, the gauntlets tilted its head back so it could stare at the Princess. "GAZE UPON THY RECKONING." Luna's mane had turned from a starlit pool to a veil of shadows, covering most of the mare in darkness. Her eyes still shone furiously while they stared down at the Warpspawn, and her horn was a roaring torch of eldritch power. "DOST THOU KNOW FEAR, DAEMON? LET US INSTRUCT THEE." Black lightning surged around the Iron Gage, and then both gauntlets fell on the daemon like hammers. The daemon was smashed flat, its body almost instantly corroding to ash and twinkling sparks. Rather than simply disintegrating, however, the remains were instead sucked into the mouth of the golden relief on her chest, its eyes flaring ever brighter. An airy whistling sound swallowed the senses, as if a powerful wind were blanketing the area, but Dest could feel no such breeze. The dream realm rapidly unwound itself, with the previous visions of surfaces warping and peeling away happening in reverse. Material reality asserted itself, and within seconds Luna was standing over a section of badly dented deck plating, her breath heaving. Luna's eyes and mane had returned to normal, although the Princess still possessed a decidedly manic, imperious expression while she stared down at nothing. Her eye twitched, and then her head snapped upright. "Pilot!" Luna called, "let us rendezvous with the others at once! We demand coupling!" she shouted, her lip curling up into a snarl. Dest finally pushed away from the console still slick with his blood and walked up behind the Princess. "...... What?" "We... We must ensure the others art unharmed! 'Tis what We meant," she said, pausing to catch her breath and calm down. "Though We hast bested Gharrl, and doubtless freed his many puppets from malicious control, numerous hazards may yet remain. Once thou art sufficiently recovered, we depart." Dest paused slightly, turning his head to the side. Then he looked back to the mare. "That wasn't Gharrl." Luna blinked. Then she cocked her head to the side. "Pardon?" "That was not the daemon lord Vel expected. Hence why my gambit didn't even phase it," Dest grunted. "Vel claims he doesn't even know this daemon." Luna blinked again. "But... the xeno smithy confided that THIS was the lair of our target." "Yes, well, these things happen, and it isn't as if the Tau have much experiencing fighting daemonic incursion. Whatever it was that you killed certainly seemed powerful enough to warrant the confusion, anyway." Luna grimaced, looking unreasonably disappointed. "So then there art no daemon lord aboard the Omen? This unusually wily dastrel is all?" "I said the daemon you destroyed was not Gharrl. I didn't say Gharrl wasn't aboard," the Iron Warrior explained. "I can't say I trust Vel more than Fennin, but he claims the stench he encountered earlier is very thin here." An uneasy silence settled in the bridge. A droplet of sweat rolled down Luna's head, settling into the cut across her cheek. Her helmet suddenly engaged, enclosing her dirtied face within a glowering mask of ebony. "Sparkle! Sparkle, We must speak with thee!" she shouted into her vox. Crackling static was her only reply. "Techpriest Gaela? Fireblade? Farmer?" Dest pressed a hand to the side of his head while he cycled through the vox channels. Each one failed to link without explanation. "Macintosh! Please, Macintosh, We implore thee!" Luna said, her voice sounding increasingly frantic. Dest turned to the Princess. "You can contact Sparkle with your sorcery, correct?" "Incorrect," Luna replied ruefully. "We hast no spells for such a thing that do not require some degree of preparation. We had not anticipated this!" "What of your teleport, then? Can you bring us to the reactor?" "Were it so simple! We do not even know where this reactor is!" Exasperated, Dest returned to his vox link. "Engineer? Fennin, come in! Rainbow Dash! Obnoxious white pony!" He banged a fist against his helmet, as if hoping to knock the vox system into working order. "Rifleman, respond! Pink-" A moment after selecting Pinkie Pie's vox link, the static bursts were suddenly replaced by a loud, thrumming beat that caused Dest to recoil in surprise. "Desty! Yay! You're back! It's been really lonely around here!" Pinkie Pie shouted, her gleeful voice barely rising over the techno music playing in the background. After she spoke, there was a series of new drum-like noises that seemed to clash with the rhythm; Dest quickly recognized it as rapid cannon fire. "Pie! We've lost contact with the others! Are you engaged?" Dest asked. "Just a little!" Pinkie chirped, a heavy thumping noise interrupting the lighter, faster thumping noise thrumming around her. "Are you guys almost done? The gunship is still a-okay!" Luna connected to the vox link as well, and immediately winced from the noise. "Pinkie Pie! What bedlam encroaches upon thee? A daemon of great power still stalks this vessel! 'Tis he among thy foes?" "Dunno! I don't think so!" Pinkie replied cheerfully. "There's no big daemons or anything! A few little ones, but it's mostly Tau zombies! They're kinda different from the zombies in the hangar, but-" "Destroy the grayskins first!" Dest insisted, shouting to be heard over the background noise. "They have a psychic scream ability that can debilitate mere mortals!" "What? OH! So that's what they've been doing!" Pinkie laughed while a rapid series of booming noises again broke the techno rhythm within the walker. "I thought it was weird how their mouths were getting all stretchy and stuff! I couldn't hear them over the music, though!" Dest sighed, though Luna couldn't tell if it was in exasperation or relief. "Hold the area as best you can. We're moving to assist!" "Okie-dokie-loki! Byyyyye!" The vox link terminated, finally silencing the music rumbling inside their helmets. Luna looked over to him anxiously. "What of the others?" "The others are out of contact. We don't know exactly where they are or if they're even threatened. We assist Pie and kill anything that gets in our way." Dest's talons grew longer while he spoke, and then he dashed for the exit. "Move out!" ** Rep'talal (reclassified: Omen) Engineering deck The hefty green body slumped to the floor, its neck stump splashing blood across the gore-streaked deck. "Area secure. AJ, Jerri, take point. Watch the vents, ladies." Daniels kept his shotgun aimed squarely at the twitching Ork corpse while he spoke. "Fennin, what are we looking at, here?" Applejack stomped through the entrance, passing by Daniels with Jerriha following closely. Gaela and the other ponies stood by the entrance with weapons bared, and after a few more seconds Fennin entered the room. He recoiled almost instantly, gagging at the sight of the floor. "What in the name of Aun'va happened here? This place looks like more of a charnel house than the armory!" Dried blood of both Orkish and Tau hues ran across the floor in long streaks, almost covering it from corner to corner. Rotting gore caked most of the room so thickly that the deck felt spongy underfoot, even while wearing heavy armor. Like the rest of the ship interior there were no actual corpses (other than the one Daniels had just made), but this area was easily the bloodiest room they had encountered yet. "Okay, I know it's a mess, but what IS it?" Daniels asked again. "This... This WAS the main reactor's monitor station. If the reactor is compromised, critically damaged, or needs to be detonated to scuttle the ship, this is where you would do it." He turned his head at the sight of the large monitor above the main control station. It had a hole punched through it, while more viscera decorated the input tablets below. "They might have attempted that last option, but it looks like they didn't make it." "The damage means we'll have to diagnose and repair the reactor from inside," Gaela said. Then she opened a vox link. "Lord Dest? We've reached the main reactor." Static greeted her. "Lord Dest? Are you reading me? Princess Luna, respond," Gaela tried again, to no avail. "Oh no. You... You don't think...?" Fluttershy quailed. "Hold on a minute," Twilight said, cycling through her own vox links. "Linking to Applejack." The farmer turned around to stare through the ruby slits of her visor. "But Ah'm right here." "Yes, and despite that, I can't establish a link. Our vox is dead." Twilight shook her head. "So it doesn't mean that Dest and Luna failed." "Dreadfully bad timing. Can we use the ship systems to contact them? Or... track them, or something?" Rarity asked. "Not on emergency power," Fennin grumbled. "Then we repair the reactor," Gaela said decisively. "Rifleman, Fireblade. Take point. The ponies are to sweep the room with you. Fennin, begin analyzing the damage as soon as you enter." "Ah... Yeah... About that..." Daniels was at the reactor blast doors looking over the room. "What?" "I think I know what we're going to find in the generator room," the mercenary said, pointing to the walls. "Look at how little collateral damage there is in here. The console is broken but there are no ammo casings or energy burns on the walls. There was no firefight in here." Fennin looked around at the walls briefly, and then turned back to Daniels. "Okay, so... what?" "If there wasn't a lot of fighting in here, then where did all this blood come from? The trails stretch out into the halls in all directions." the mercenary asked. "Either they were moving victims from the reactor room to the rest of the ship, which would be a strange place for most of the crew to die, or..." Gaela's gun arm shifted into combat mode. "Acknowledged. Same formation plan as before. But this time I go first." "Gaela?!" Twilight gasped. The Dark Techpriest stomped up to the reactor room door and pointed her axe at the access console. "Engineer. Open it." "This is probably a bad idea, but it's a bad idea in ways that aren't appreciably worse than the rest of this endeavor, so whatever," Fennin mumbled while he used his override codes on the door access. With a swipe of his hand over the touchpad, the locks disengaged. The blast doors protecting the reactor room cracked, and then slowly yawned open. The pirates all had their helmets engaged and sealed, for which they were thankful, as the air that rushed out of the reactor room was visibly discolored. The interior of the reactor room was a long chamber bigger than a hoofball field, with several deep pits in the middle situated beneath enormous generator pylons that still hummed and glowed faintly with their charge. The facility was three stories tall, with ladders and lifts leading to platforms hanging over the bottom floor where the vanguard entered. Small machines were everywhere and servo arms with all manner of emitters and devices hung from the ceiling and platforms. It was a familiar sight to Gaela, and she could instantly identify the key components. She was also not unfamiliar with the sight of many, many dead bodies piled on the side of the reactor room, although at least the Chaos vessels had the good sense to move them before they posed too great an obstruction. Many had been moved into ritual circles, their bodies and dismembered limbs forming the lines of runic marks. Others had been arranged in inexplicable and gruesome ways, like being propped up along a wall or piled onto a particular device. There was no obvious pattern or sense to how they had been stored, but it was clear that the corpses had been toyed with extensively since expiration. "Good gravy, that's a lotta Tau," Applejack gulped, stopping dead as soon as she entered the room. "A fair number of Orks, too. Even a few humans," Daniels mumbled, moving to take cover behind a coolant tower. "And all of them..." "Had their eyes ripped out, yes." Gaela zoomed in on a random corpse, casting the bloody gouge over its face in high detail. Jerriha walked up to some railing and leaned against it, taking deep gulps of air within her environmental suit. "For some reason... when the daemon's feeding habits were described earlier, I got the impression it only ate the eyeballs of living creatures that it made into thralls." She fought back the bile rising in her throat and turned to face Gaela again. "I suppose that doesn't really make sense, in retrospect?" "No, it does," Gaela reassured her. "Daemons feed on the pain and terror of their victims more than any physical matter they ingest. It's unlikely Gharrl receives much satisfaction from devouring the eyes of the dead, if any." She shrugged, the bulbous metal shoulders of her armor rising and falling. "He probably doesn't realize how it works himself. Many daemons don't understand the Materium any better than you understand the Warp, and random dimensional rifts rarely dredge up the intelligent sort." "Oh... Aun'va help me," Fennin moaned, his body wobbling as he held his stomach. "I... I need to vomit again..." "I advise you do it with your helmet on, if you must. This area may not be safe to breathe," Gaela warned. "So, uh, wh-what do we do?" Twilight asked anxiously. Her and the other ponies stood near the entrance, looking over the carnage with awe and fear. They'd seen death of this scale before - participated in it, in fact - but there was something uniquely grotesque about this mass grave. Aside from the desecration of the bodies, there was... something else. A feeling in the air that set the equine's fur on end. Gaela, for her part, paused to consider the matter. "Rarity, hold the entrance. Watch for any incursion from our rear. Rainbow Dash, check the upper levels for anything unusual. Fluttershy!" A squeak of surprise came from the empty space between Rarity and Twilight. "M-M-Me?" "Your visor possesses superior bio-augurs. Sweep the bodies to ensure they're all dead." Gaela gestured to the corpse piles and arrangements around the reactor room. "Any one of these could be a living thrall waiting to attack when our guard is down. We may have to burn them here." "No! No burning!" Fennin interrupted, suddenly recovering from his queasy spell. "What did I tell you about lighting fires in the ship?!" "The risk differential is considerably less than that of a chorus of daemonically infested slaves," Gaela countered. "Besides, surely you have excellent fire suppression systems in your reactor chambers." "Of course we do! Because it has the most sensitive and important equipment! NO FIRES!!" Fennin insisted. "You're not giving the orders, alien." "Why did you even bring me along if you're just going to ignore my advice?!" "Because it saves me the tedium of having to dig through your ridiculous coding strata in order to get anything to work in here." "Oh, DO NOT get me started on bad code!" While the engineers argued, Fluttershy nervously went about her assigned task, walking toward the middle of the reactor room while scanning the corpses. One by one, her targeting reticule centered over each body, quickly cycling through a series of vision modes to determine body heat, movement, and neuro-electrical activity within a second before bouncing over to the next one. The effect was a rapidly shifting cascade of colored filters, which was disorienting but at least masked all the gore. After several minutes of this Fluttershy got the sense that Gaela's caution was wasted. The piles of dead were, in fact, entirely dead, and didn't register any parasitic infestations substantial enough to register on her visor like the infected in the hangar did. Still, there were a LOT of corpses, and she wanted to be thorough. She turned away from one corpse pile to check the nearest collection on the other side of the chamber. Her view panned over the nearest reactor pit, and her visor beeped and added a marker. "Wh-What? What was that?" Runes flashed in the corner of her visor and numbers scrolled across her view screen in an incomprehensible data string. Hesitantly, she crept up to the edge of the reactor pit. Her visor kept filling with more data and warnings, but most of it didn't make sense to the mare. She'd seen more than a few battlefields by now in her power armor, and the readings she was picking up were completely new. Reaching the pit's edge, she leaned out to peek at the bottom. "I hardly think you have scope to lecture me on the safety of voidship design while we wade through the heaps of your dead," Gaela said blithely, glaring down at Fennin. "This isn't a safety matter! You summoned a daemon horde into our bridge!" he shouted back. "Daemon containment is definitely a safety matter. You won't survive long aboard the Harvest of Steel with that attitude," she retorted. A shriek of terror snapped them out of their argument, and they whirled about with weapons primed. Fluttershy was cloaked, of course, so they couldn't see more than a distorted shimmer above the ground, but the panicked clambering of ceramite greaves over the deck plating indicated where she was easily enough. "Fluttershy! What happened? What's wrong?" Twilight asked, her force harmonizer already charging for battle. "Did you find a hidden thrall?" "Th-Th-Th-I-I-I-Ca-Ca-" Fluttershy was reduced to a stuttering wreck, and she collapsed face first onto the floor. Her armor briefly flickered into the visible spectrum from the impact, and then shifted back. Readings started popping up on the other armor visors, each of them locking onto a body floating out of the reactor pit and bracketing it with their targeting systems. It was a human body. Mostly. A thin, ragged man with a tall build and half-shaven head, with the unshaven portion of his hair hanging long over one side of his face. He wore medical scrubs that were torn and blood-spattered, much like his body. On the man's back was a daemon. It possessed a twisted, slug-like body that clung to the human's waist and stooped over his shoulder. Sharp hooks riddled its skin, many of which were firmly sunk into the body it had mounted. Tentacles wrapped around the man's waist and over his eye sockets, obscuring them from view, and tracks of dried blood streaked down his face like tracks of tears. The daemon's head possessed a single eye - bright yellow with a vertically slit iris - that studied the intruders with carnal intelligence. It's mouth was small and tube-shaped; hardly as intimidating as the massive, fanged jaws of many other daemons, but quite sufficient for what Gaela guessed was its own unique, grotesque feeding habit. Every weapon centered on the daemon-infested man, but none fired. Gaela's targeting brackets encircled the man but it simply didn't occur to her to shoot. She just stared blankly at him through her visor optics, trying to decide on a course of action but unable to reach any worthwhile conclusion. As if the possibility of violence was being suppressed in her mind. "What... What's happening?" Twilight grunted, her horn flickering dimly. The sound of a weapon hitting the deck came from behind. Twilight turned around just in time to watch Daniels crumple to the floor. It was not unlike the effect of the psychic shrieks from before, but... it felt different. More subtle. Less violent. The shrieks were sudden shocks, like being gut-punched. Whatever was happening now was the equivalent of psychic noise, choking and smothering the will of those nearby. "Kyleth... Ja... Jackson," Fennin managed to gasp out before he slumped to the deck next to Daniels. One by one the pirates collapsed, and even Twilight felt her knees weaken. She tried to feed energy to the harmonizer, to turn it toward the daemon and its host, but her thoughts kept going fuzzy and her concentration slipped. After a few seconds the force harmonizer fizzled and dropped to the floor. "Come... on! Wake up... everybody!" The words came uncertainly to her lips; she had to sound out every syllable and force it through. It also didn't seem to help. The ring of metal hitting metal came from the platform above, which was no doubt from Rainbow Dash losing consciousness. The daemon glanced up, narrowed its eye, and then stared back at Twilight. Kyleth Jackson floated to the deck, his bare feet finally touching the floor and relieving him of the effort required to maintain his own levitation. The tendrils around his body writhed, and the man wobbled unsteadily for a moment. The daemon's eye shifted colors, turning a rich gold while it stared at Twilight. "This one... stronger. Fear... taste it." Kyleth spoke in a soft, terrified whisper, his sentences broken by uncertainty and the physical limitations of his possession. "Only... one eye? Unfortunate." Twilight felt her heart rate jump, and a bit of her mental fog cleared. She could feel the psychic claws of the daemon closing around her thoughts, trying to choke off her magical senses. She was still conscious, though, and mobile. She was pretty sure the daemon would have put an end to that if it could. "Stay b-back! Leave us... alone!" the armored mare stuttered, trying to reach her weapon with her thoughts. Her horn casing flickered weakly, like a light bulb in its last moments. Kyleth started approaching, his gait unsteady. The daemon's eye stayed focused on Twilight, and it shifted colors again, from gold to a pale green. Twilight's vision in her left eye suddenly turned to static, while her right started to blur into a reddish wash of color. She felt the psychic presence push harder, forcing something past her defenses. It plunged into her thoughts like an insect's sting, delivering its poison and withdrawing in an instant. Her vision in her right eye returned, but she was no longer in the reactor chamber. She was on her back, holding her hand - her hand? - up in terror as a daemon lunged at her and chewed it off. Pain and terror surged through her, and she squeezed her eye shut. Twilight opened her eye again, but this time she was watching as a shoota loosed a furious and futile burst into the face of a war daemon. Her green arms - what? - felt hot against the machine gun, and when the monster reached arm's length she moved to club the daemon with her gun. The war daemon's claws reached her first, punching into her chest and scissoring off a shoulder. Pain surged through her body, and she flinched. One blink later, she was watching a screen while blood-soaked monstrosities pounced on Tau crewmen, tearing them down and eviscerating them one by one. She tried to move. Warning icons flashed around her constantly and weapons trackers auto-locked on the pack of Warpspawn. But she didn't fire. She wouldn't fire. The thought slipped through the cracks of her mind. A tentacle burrowed through the cockpit seal, worming its way toward her face... Memory after horrific memory played in her mind, each one a crystal clear image of a victim's last moments. The sights, sounds, and smells bombarded her as if she was there, to say nothing of the feel of each brutal maiming. With every vision the pain of the last one lingered, a shadow ache followed by more shadow aches, rapidly wearing down the last of her resistance. Twilight knew it wasn't real - to her, at least - but that insight didn't help her. The death kept coming, tormenting the young Princess and obscuring her real-world senses. Kyleth Jackson lurched forward, his daemonic master pushing him onward and guiding the blinded psyker's steps. Twilight squirmed and moaned, still standing but entirely helpless under the daemon's gaze. Tendrils slowly unwrapped from the man's waist, preparing for the Warpspawn's next meal. "No... No more... please." The man's whimpers were answered with a mild growl from the monster on his back, and he continued walking forward. The psyker raised a hand toward Twilight Sparkle, and the armored pony lifted off of the floor, her legs hanging limply in the air. "It hurts so much... not another one..." Kyleth begged. With a wave of his hand, Twilight floated closer, and he took another step toward the intruders. And then stubbed his toe on an invisible hunk of metal sitting on the floor in his path. Kyleth gasped, windmilling his arms before falling flat on his face. The levitation holding Twilight in the air instantly failed, dropping her in a heap just a few feet away. The daemon on Kyleth's back was just as shocked, even as it delighted in the brief jolt of pain the ran through its host. It quickly shifted about, its eye narrowing at the pony-shaped shell of metal flickering in and out of sight behind it. All at once, Twilight's senses returned. The violent memories blurred away to nothing, and the phantom pains vanished. Her augmetic eye cleared the static from her vision and then rebooted, once again showing the desecrated interior of the reactor room in perfect detail. Despite the sudden return of her faculties, Twilight spent a moment gasping breathlessly, her heart still thundering in her chest. She'd never been so terrified, even on the dozens of occasions she'd been injured by deadly enemies or the time she'd actually watched the vital signs of her friends go flat. It was a whole new level of fear that she'd never imagined: actual death, multiplied and injected straight into her stream of consciousness. Then she saw the daemon snake a tentacle around Fluttershy's neck. "FLUTTERSHY!! WAKE UP!!" the Princess screeched, her fear washing away in an instant. The force harmonizer jumped up off the ground and spun toward the daemon, its blade appearing with a sizzling crack. The daemon, in turn, glanced at the incoming weapon, and its eye turned blue. The harmonizer was suddenly deflected away, as if it had struck an impenetrable wall. Its blade carved a deep gouge into the deck, and then fizzled away to nothing as the weapon bounced across the floor. "GET AWAY FROM HER!" Twilight roared, galloping forward. A magic beam shot from her horn, striking the daemon in the side. It didn't seem to wound the monster, but its massive eye turned full attention back to Twilight while Kyleth finally pushed himself upright again. "Peace now... then pain," the psyker babbled, raising a hand toward Twilight. The alicorn Princess was suddenly hurled to the side, as if she had been hit by a truck mid-gallop. She bounced and rolled, and then slammed into a coolant tower. Jarred but still conscious, Twilight immediately pushed herself up. The psychic attack had come so fast and strong that she barely had time to defend herself, but she was no longer hindered by the constant psionic noise. She wasn't sure if her senses had adapted or concern for friend had sharpened her focus, but now wasn't the time to dwell on it. The daemonic parasite lifted Fluttershy off the ground, holding her up by a tentacle. Kyleth released an unintelligible whimper and then twitched a hand toward the unconscious pony, his blinded face turned away. A series of cracking and shrieking noises came from Fluttershy's armor, and Twilight watched in growing horror as her helmet came apart. Piece by piece, the plates and components were pushed, pulled, and then ripped away by an invisible force before dropping to the gore-stained deck. "No! Put her down, you monster!" Twilight shouted, moving toward the psyker again. Kyleth gestured toward her, the movement so swift and casual that she almost missed it. Twilight's horn casing blazed, and a bullet-like bolt of invisible, telekinetic force crashed against a magic barrier. The attack was undone, and she fired her own bolt of force at the psyker; wreathed in a spinning cloud of shimmering violet. Kyleth raised a palm in front of the projectile, and it struck his hand and vanished without a sound. The man's arm promptly went limp again, hanging loosely while he shivered in pain. Fluttershy's nose wrinkled as it was exposed to the fouled air of the reactor bays. Still, she didn't wake as the last pieces of her visor popped loose and bounced away on the floor. Another tentacle slipped free of Kyleth's shoulder and then snaked toward the mare's face. "FLUTTERSHY!!" Twilight's eye flashed solid white, and she switched spells. "WAKE!! UP!!" Kyleth raised a hand again, forming a barrier of sheer will to block the attempt. It was not enough. An aura of bright purple consumed the pegasus, sending shoots of warmth into her nerves. Fluttershy's eyes shot open, and she sucked in a deep, greedy breath of air. She promptly began coughing as she was bombarded with the vile stench of the room, oblivious to the monster holding her in the air. "Fluttershy! MOVE!!" The pegasus jerked to attention, startled, and then she finally got a good look at the creature that held her. The daemon's eye shifted color again, turning its original yellow, and a hiss escaped from its misshapen mouth. Fluttershy screamed and started flailing, kicking blindly at the tentacles and thrashing her head left and right. A photon grenade fired out of her launcher, shooting straight up with a soft pop and then immediately detonating on a particle damper hanging overhead. The daemon flinched from the flash, its eye recoiling and turning blue. Fluttershy - who had never fired the weapon without her helmet and its autosenses - was also blinded by the burst, which only leant more terror and confusion to her panicked flailing. "Fluttershy, get loose! Don't let it touch your face!" Twilight shouted, firing another blast from her horn. Kyleth intercepted the attack with infuriating ease, waving his hand in front of the purple missile and dispelling it. "No no no no no nononononoNONONONO-" Fluttershy thrashed harder, her flight pack igniting and pulling her away from the daemon. It lashed out with another tentacle, seizing her foreleg and dragging her closer in response. "Get AWAY!" she screamed, swinging her forelegs and accidentally stabbing her narthecium gauntlet into Kyleth's shoulder. The psyker barely flinched at the sudden punctures, but the gauntlet promptly began an injection cycle, flooding the man's body with a mix of serums before Fluttershy pulled it out again. Fluids spurted from the needle array on her greaves, splashing across the daemon even as it tried to reel her in closer. "Keep fighting it, Fluttershy!" Twilight shouted, firing another magic bolt. Kyleth intercepted that projectile as well, and the Princess fired again. Were the situation any less dire, and were she not afraid of falling under the suffocating influence of the psionic noise all around her, Twilight surely could have concocted a more clever tactic, but in her desperation she simply hurled magic bolts at her target again and again, hoping that somehow one of them would get through. And then, on the fourth try, one of them did. Kyleth Jackson groaned, and his head lolled to one side. The missile of crackling psychic power blasted by the man's head, passing closely enough to singe his ear before slamming into the daemon on his back. The Warpspawn reeled, shrieking, and its tentacles holding up Fluttershy immediately withdrew to wrap more tightly around its host. The pegasus broke away and flew to the far side of the reactor room, far out of the creature's grasp. Fluttershy then clipped a coolant tower and crashed, probably because she was still blinded by her own stun grenade. Still, she was out of the immediate reach of the daemon, and Twilight allowed herself a moment to calm her own panic. The daemon turned its eye on her, blood-red and trembling. Before the Princess could attack again, the psionic noise around her increased five-fold, and she clenched her teeth against the pain throbbing in her skull and horn. Multiple tendrils of malevolent energy approached invisibly, their evil resonating in her mind's eye. More memories of misery and death positioned themselves around her psychic defenses, like daggers seeking a gap in a suit of armor. Then the noise weakened. Several of the tendrils melted away, as if the psyker was losing focus. The psionic attack began to falter entirely. Twilight blinked in surprise at the sudden relief, and noticed that the daemon seemed even more agitated, snarling at its host. Twilight's optics zoomed in on the psyker. His gait was sluggish, and his head kept tilting drunkenly to one side and then the other, as if he was nodding off to sleep. Granted, he had been badly mutilated and possessed to some degree by the monster on his back so it was hard to say what his "normal" behavior should have been, but after a few seconds her optics added a scan marker that surprised her. "Chemical sedatives? Oh! The narthecium! Fluttershy must had dosed him with some painkillers by accident!" Twilight gasped. Her horn started to build up its charge, the purple circuit tracks blazing with power. Twilight reared up, and a brilliant corona blasted outward from her body, enveloping the unconscious intruders. Violet arcs of energy lashed between them and Twilight's horn, one by one, filling her friends' minds and bodies with invigorating magic. "Wake up, everyone! This is our chance! Please! I need you to WAKE UP!" System reboot confirmed. ERROR - psionic corruption detected; initiate protocol 7-2-c. Neural reroute confirmed. Memory core 1 and 4 quarantined for repair. Initializing combat engrams... For the second time that day, Gaela returned to consciousness with a jolt, snapping up her power axe and surging upright. Her targeting relays found Kyleth Jackson and his parasite immediately, but the Techpriest wasted no time studying his form or speculating on tactics. "Die, scum." A sharp whine came from her servo harness, and the heavy laser swiveled around to face the target. Gaela aimed at the psyker, just off the center of his chest, with a trajectory that would spear both man and daemon. Her cannon arm also engaged, splitting at the mouth while electric arcs flashed between her salvaged capacitors. The daemon's eye flashed blue, it's gaze turning toward Gaela. With a high-pitched shriek the laser fired, striking a translucent barrier that refracted the beam away from its target. "Daniels! Applejack! Big Mac! Rarity! Get up! You have to wake up!" Twilight could see the others stirring, but none of them jumped into full awareness the way Gaela had. "Fennin! Jerriha! You too! Come on!" She felt like she was forgetting someone, but the situation was too dangerous to second-guess herself. Her magic reached out to Applejack, surrounding the farmer with a soft violet aura. Gaela's ion blaster screamed as it released a trio of crackling bolts at the psyker, only for each of them to curve off-course and striking random machines in the room. The daemon snarled and whipped a tentacle against its host, angrily spurring Kyleth to action like a lazy mount. It worked, and Kyleth flicked a hand in Gaela's direction. The Techpriest suddenly staggered backward as an invisible force slammed into her shoulder, almost knocking her over entirely. The impact force was similar to that of a heavy bolter, albeit lacking in the armor-piercing qualities that made that ammunition so deadly. "Pain... calm... nice... so tired..." Kyleth mumbled, pointing at a lifter nearby. The piece of moving equipment, easily at least half a ton in weight, swiftly lifted off into the air and then sped straight toward Gaela while she was lining up another shot. "Oh, no ya don't!" Applejack's gravity lash locked onto the lifter, freezing it in place just a few feet from its target. Gaela spared the machine barely a glance before unleashing another salvo of energy blasts at the psyker, but the result was as useless as before. "Energy-based weaponry is ineffective! Attempt kinetics!" the Techpriest shouted, continuing to fire regardless. A shotgun blast followed her request, announcing that Daniels was conscious and had found his shotgun. The flechette burst struck the deck near Kyleth's feet, carving a black streak into the floor but failing to disturb the psyker. "Aw, c'mon! That nutty magic field works against all our guns?" Applejack complained. "No... No, wait... that was me. I missed," Daniel groaned, his hands shaking while he crouched in front of Jerriha. "Gimme a minute... head hurts..." "Not to make light of the very serious combat stress and surely detrimental side-effects of being repeatedly rendered unconscious by psychic assault but WE MAY NOT HAVE A MINUTE PLEASE HURRY!" Twilight finally located her force harmonizer partially buried in a pile of corpses, and she pulled it free with a sharp tug of telekinesis. The thunder of a heavy bolter finally joined the storm of violence streaming toward the infested psyker, indicating that Big Mac had recovered sufficiently. The heavy bolt rounds passed through the psychic refraction field with a hollow thud, visibly slowing on their approach before stopping dead in the air just inches away from Kyleth's chest. Several pulse shots also joined in the barrage, only to suddenly bend off-target and then spin into an orbit around him. "It seems kinetics are indeed ineffective," Gaela said curtly, "we'll have to engage at melee range!" "You want us to try to stab that thing to death?!" Fennin asked incredulously before loosing another burst from his carbine. "Not YOU, no. You are to get the reactors running again!" Gaela ordered. "Why would-" "No arguing! We don't have time!" Twilight cut off the alien as her force harmonizer flew by her head and then activated its melee blade. "CHARGE!" Twilight, Gaela, and Applejack surged ahead, with Daniels, Jerriha, Rarity, and Big Mac stumbling to shake off their exhaustion and catch up. The thunder of metal-clad feet and hooves pounding across the poly-ceramic deck filled the reactor room, along with the hiss of energy fields from multiple power weapons. The daemonic parasite reviewed its assailants, the bullets and energy bolts still frozen in the air or orbiting around it. Then its eyeball turned red. The heavy bolter shells and flechette bursts, previously frozen in the air, suddenly accelerated toward the oncoming warriors with shocking speed. Several of the heavy bolter shells hit Gaela - the largest target by a fair margin - and the Techpriest stumbled and lost her momentum against the barrage. The energy bolts came next, accelerating rapidly and shooting free of their orbit to fling themselves into the oncoming soldiers. Daniels and Jerriha promptly dove for cover, while the ponies faltered under the pounding of crackling pulse blasts. "Keep going! We can't let up!" Twilight shouted, yelping briefly after a glowing blue bolt struck her flight pack hard enough for her to feel the searing heat against her wing. "I've got you!" With the psyker only a dozen feet away, Twilight sent the force harmonizer spinning toward the daemon on Kyleth's back. Kyleth, still moving somewhat drunkenly, lifted a hand, and a metal crate flew off the floor to intercept the harmonizer before it could reach his Warp-borne controller. With a sizzling hiss, the harmonizer sliced the crate in half, but spent its momentum. A piece of bent piping flew after the first object, striking the harmonizer cross and knocking it off its attack trajectory. Another finger flick sent the pieces of metal trash sailing back toward Twilight like they had been fired from a cannon. A power sword stabbed toward the psyker from the other side, but with an errant thought a cable snaked around the weapon's grip and pulled it down to the floor. More trash floated off the deck and flung itself at the boarding party, following the hail of energy and mass-reactive bolts with a barrage of much less lethal but more pervasive detritus. Kyleth slowly retreated as he kept up the barrage, every twitch of his hand flinging more junk across the room. "It's just wasting our time!" Twilight complained before a spanner slammed into her visor. "Oof! It's trying to hold out so that the psyker can recover fully!" Applejack kept plowing forward despite the barrage, her armor shaking and sparking against the tools and garbage hammering against her body. "Ah have had about ENOUGH of yer mind games!" she snarled. Her approach became sluggish, as if she was trying to push through a powerful wind, but she still advanced. "Don't you dare use your flamer!" Fennin warned. "No fire! I warned you!" "Ah don't take order from you!" Applejack snapped, releasing said weapon upon the enemy. The tongue of fire that emerged was much shorter and more subdued than normal, no doubt due to whatever obscene and inexplicable defenses were protecting their foe. It didn't even really touch Kyleth, sputtering out before it could graze the psyker's skin. The residual heat seemed to have a significant effect all its own, however, and Kyleth screeched and recoiled in a manner that seemed very distressing to the daemon on his back. "HA! How do ya like them apples, ya dirty, daggum-" A coolant hose popping loose interrupted her gloating, and the farmer shouted in surprise as a jet of billowing, freezing mist blasted over her. The flamer was extinguished instantly, and most of her joints froze as stray moisture turned to ice. Daniels fired another shotgun round, only to growl in irritation as it slowed to a stop and then reversed course to slam into Big Mac's chest plate. "This is ridiculous! We can't touch that thing! We have to fall back!" "If we fall back, then it recovers! If it recovers, we perish!" Gaela said defiantly. Another laser blast came from her harness, only to be refracted uselessly into the wall. Twilight tried to clear her mind despite the storm of detritus and the panicked shouting of her friends. There had to be a way out of this. A tactic or spell that would swing victory in their favor. If she could only find a way to stun the daemon, or maybe just surprise it... "DEATH FROM ABOVE, EYEBALL FREAK!!" Rainbow Dash's flight pack ignited at the last second, and the daemon didn't even have time to blink before the pegasus slammed into it with a rocket-assisted kick. Kyleth promptly tumbled to the floor, eliciting another gasp and a whimper from the psyker. "Rainbow Dash! Yes! Thank you!" Twilight said, almost shedding a tear. "It's distracted now!" "So I should shoot it, right?!" Jerriha asked, her pulse rifle aimed at the writhing mass of daemon and pony. "What? No! You'll hit Rainbow Dash!" Rarity complained. "If we can't fire on it now when its vulnerable then what was the point of this?!" Gaela snarled and dashed ahead. Twilight saw, and then her horn began to glow again. Every attack - magic or mundane - that they had tried had faltered before the daemon's defenses. Perhaps another way... Rainbow kicked and thrashed against the daemon, but swiftly started losing ground after the initial shock of her assault. The Warp-borne creature was much tougher than it appeared, and its tentacles moved with uncanny dexterity to lash and tug at her legs. The hooks that adorned the daemon's flesh scored and stuck to her armor in a dozen places at once, like little grasping claws. But all of that seemed like a petty annoyance once the monster turned its eye on the mare. A blinking orange eyeball stared into Rainbow Dash, and her senses practically melted away. Her vision split into a dozen spinning mirror images, her head throbbed, and her heart rate became erratic. Her ears started filling with incomprehensible shouting from a hundred different voices, the smell of choking smoke seemed to fill her helmet, and she tasted battery acid on her tongue. Rainbow stopped trying to hit the creature and fired up her flight pack and impulse blasters in a panic. The pegasus burst away from her opponent with such force and speed that she almost brought the parasite with her, pulling it into the air for a dozen feet before she ripped free entirely and left it behind. The last tentacle connecting the daemon to its host was torn free as well, and Kyleth Jackson gasped painfully as the suffocating, sadistic will was finally lifted from his own. The moment the mare was clear, a pulse blast slammed into the side of the daemon, pitching it to the ground. Shotgun and heavy bolter fire followed after it, tearing away bits of flesh in flaming bursts. The daemon shrieked, and its eye flashed blue. A telekinetic barrier blocked the next volley of projectiles, appearing as a blurry streak in the air that sent the incoming fire wildly off-course. It was a much tighter and more active defense than it had used when it was attached to the psyker, and its assailants noticed. The daemon propped its slug-like body up on its tentacles, and then started scurrying back toward Kyleth Jackson even while the constant fusillade poured into its shield. Gaela stepped in its path, power axe crackling and a shining halo of purple energy around her hood. "To the black circuit, the ley conduit that links flesh, soul, and iron, I submit!" the Techpriest shouted, capacitors crackling on her back. "As I am one with the machine, so I am one with Chaos! Protocols of slaughter, sing a hymn to destruction!" The daemon surged forward, its eye turning red. The kinetic barrier blasted forward ahead of it, compressing to a fist-sized point of force before crashing into Gaela's chest. The psychic energy collapsed in a purple flash, taking the halo of magic along with it. Gaela didn't budge. The daemon tried to adjust its approach, but it was too late. Gaela's power axe chopped into the daemon's side, ripping through a tentacle and lodging in its body with a sizzling crack. Her servo drill followed after it, stabbing for the monster's eye, but it contorted out of the way while whipping its tendrils around. The daemon seemed to shift and reform its anatomy in an eye blink, with new tentacles emerging and swatting away the servo limbs threatening to tear it apart. Gaela's fist wasn't so easily deflected, and her free arm punched the Warpspawn to the deck before she ripped her axe free. Suddenly, several of the bony hooks along the daemon's body shot out at Gaela, bombarding her with a spread of sharpened spines not unlike a shotgun blast. One such hook punched into the augmetic array on her helmet, piercing the outer lens and cutting through the actual optical beneath it. Gaela swung her axe again, grazing her opponent, but the daemon rolled with uncanny agility, snaking a tentacle between her legs. It raced along the floor, extending far longer than any physical extremity could, and reached the emaciated psyker rolling on the floor while covering his eyes with his hands. A power sword suddenly whipped across the deck, neatly severing the tendril. The daemon's eye trembled in rage, and then blinked to the side. A silver blur briefly materialized into Rarity, and the unicorn offered the monster a brief nod. Then her sword speared forward, piercing the daemon's eye. "Finish it! Now!" Rarity shouted. Gaela's power axe bit into the daemon again, carving through Warp-borne flesh and psychic deflection fields. The monster hit the floor, and then its eye shifted colors again. A purple flash exploded around the Techpriest as Twilight's magic dueled with whatever ill effect the daemon intended. Armor plating bent and her robes tore apart under the currents of force and the chaotic mix of energies, but Gaela was singular in her purpose. She drove a metal fist into the daemon, then grabbed hold of the power sword lodged in its iris. Gaela wrenched both power weapons free, splashing bizarre and miscolored gore across the floor of the reactor room. Then she punted the psychic horror into the reactor pit from whence it had emerged. The daemon dropped below the edge of the pit, vanishing within the silo-sized hole. Gaela promptly dropped to one knee, power weapons laid gently to either side. "Machine God, empower the holy vessel. Let the power of the stars swell within the bellows and give life to this galleon of iron and its titanic blades of fire! Flame, light, current, glorious kinesis!" She idly wrenched the bone spike from her damaged optic and flicked it away, heedless of the fluids that seeped from the breach. A thrumming noise came from within the pit. Cabling started to hum all around the room, while the generator core hanging above hissed from the sudden injection of fluids. Suddenly, the sounds of awakening machinery were obscured by a feral shriek. The daemon rose out of the pit, slowly levitating under its own power. Its eye was a rich, swirling mix of green and aqua, surrounded by a circle of whipping tentacles like grasping flagella. Its earlier wounds were no more, and even the many bone hooks in its flesh had regenerated. The monstrous eye twitched from one invader to the next. Most of the humanoids and ponies met its gaze silently. No one moved to dodge or even fire a weapon. Out of those that weren't even paying attention to the Warpspawn, Fennin was twisting a dial on the control panel near the back of the room, and Gaela was still kneeling. "One more body to the flames. One more altar to the Black Engine is born," the Techpriest intoned. "Ignition." The bottom of the reactor pit opened up. A bright blue-white beam no thicker than a lamp post shot upward into the generator crucible. It sliced through the daemon's back directly, and its dark veins turned a bright red as the Warpflesh crumbled. The daemon's eye lingered, trembling, even as the mass around it burned to ash and vanished. There was a final distortion in the air, a last, hopeless attempt to wield its formidable psychic might against the interlopers and drag them back with it into the realm of Chaos. The attempt failed. The daemon's eye melted into bright orange sludge. This too evaporated before it even touched the floor, banished back to the Empyrean. More that one person heaved a weary sigh after the last traces of the Warpspawn vanished. Rainbow Dash was not one of those people. "I TOLD you guys we should have brought Tellis. He would have taken that guy down EASY." "Yes. Probably by hurling us at it," Twilight grunted. "I just went through something like thirty cruel, painful deaths being shoved through my brain and I'm not sure having him around would have been better." "Is it... Is it over? Truly?" asked a dry, rasping voice. Kyleth Jackson sat on the deck, quivering. His hands still covered his mutilated face, and he could barely move due to the extent of his other wounds. Despite being unable to see, he twisted his head about, jaw agape with wonder. "Gone... finally... Didn't think... Didn't hope... The voice..." Then a mechanical claw clamped onto his shoulder. "Two bodies to the flames," Gaela snarled. Then she hurled the terrified psyker into the reactor pit. "Okay, THAT was unnecessary," Jerriha snapped as the man was vaporized within the thermal column. "Don't you make use of psykers? You didn't have to kill him!" "He had already been utterly broken by the daemon, in body and soul. It was a act of mercy," the Dark Techpriest retorted. "YOU committed an act of mercy?" Fennin asked with a snort. "If you want some mercy too I can yet provide, grayskin." Twilight gasped, thankfully cutting into the conversation. "You guys! I'm picking up Dest's vox link! We're connected again!" She blink-clicked the rune, practically prancing as the comms system connected properly. "Lord Dest, we've secured the power core! Fennin is bringing main power back on-line, but we had to dispose of a daemon first. A really strong one!" Twilight paused while the Iron Warrior responded. Behind her, Big Mac pushed the still-frozen Applejack closer to the reactor where she could warm up. "... Yes, it was... Kind of small, with a large central eye and VERY strong psychic capabilities... Okay... Yes, they are." After another pause, the young Princess gasped and turned to her team. "You guys! That daemon was the daemon lord Gharrl!" "We KNOW," everyone else replied. Twilight blinked. "Oh... was it-" "It was the bodies. The bodies with their eyes plucked out," Daniels said, gesturing to the piles of corpses behind her. "And then we found only one daemon. What did you think we were fighting?" "Well... okay, yes. I suppose that it was unlikely to be a COMPLETE coincidence. It's just that Fennin seemed so sure it was in the bridge, and this daemon was... well, never mind." Twilight coughed and shook her head. "Anyway, let's set a rendezvous point so we can begin another sweep." "No need," Gaela interjected. The hum of the reactors grew louder as more of the systems came on-line. Servo-limbs craned over the pits and plugged into generators and deflectors. Cables that had been damaged sparked from the fresh current surging through them. "We're receiving drone sensor telemetry now. The network is reading null movement aside from us, and the energy surges have ceased," Fennin explained. "We'll need to have boarding teams give the vessel a full sweep just to make sure, of course, and probably do a purge of the air ducts entirely, but I see no indication of further enemy presence." Gaela tapped the side of her helmet. "Princess Luna, make your way back to the bridge. We'll need to contact the Iron Warriors for additional support and a temporary crew to get this ship to the orbital docking port. The Omen is yours."
Rep'talal	Rep'ilogue	Ferrous Dominus - sector 14 sub-level C Laboratorium C-22 : quarantine level Beta "Halt implantation. Thish ishn't working. The hosht tissue ish rejecting the inshertsh." +Acknowledged. Withdrawing article 9-731.+ +Analytic: Host cells are highly reactive to core radiation. Immunoresponse unexpected. Flesh complicates progression. Corrective: Render core inert for implantation process.+ "Infeashible. It won't lasht long enough unpowered. The rishk ish too great." +Corrective: Replace additional flesh to minimize rejection proxima.+ "Alsho bad. I want to presherve ash much ash posshible." Crackling static filled the room. "We're going to have to neutralize the cell mitoshish directly. Prepare precishion particle bombardment to shection V-421.3 with halienshish load. Concentration 9.2, shpread pattern 3. Prepare rad-shcreens." +Tissue damage will be extensive.+ "Affirmative. But temporary. Asshuming we can get the core inshtalled properly, of courshe. A few extra daysh recovery time ish no great price to pay. Proceed." Solon loomed over a large, metal operating table. His right augmetic had been replaced by an array of surgical tools at the end of small servo arms and servo winches, while a series of status holoscreens surrounded his head. A half dozen Dark Techpriests ringed the platform with him, each of them either working at cogitators or leaning over the table themselves to better observe their subject. Above the table hung an object securely held by a ceiling-mounted augmetic clamp. It was about the size and shape of a common coconut, with a gleaming gem-like exterior of bright, ruby red. Several tubes hung down from the device, some of them swinging loosely and some of them already attached to the subject of this strange surgery. A clunking noise came from above, and the array of heavy servo arms overhead started to move. Solon scuttled backward a few steps, and then swiped at one of the holoscreens. It turned into a plane of rapidly shifting code, and he paused. "Well that'sh shtrange. There'sh an unushual degree of data traffic right now. What hash Kaelith sho agitated?" the Warsmith wondered aloud. He was about to connect to the noosphere feeds when a vox alert from Sliver interrupted him. It was marked as mid-priority; not enough to describe an emergency, but serious enough to clear the protocols protecting Solon from frivolous contacts while he was busy. Curious, Solon connected the link. "Yesh Shliver, what ish it?" Solon asked, turning away from the table. "I hope I haven't interrupted you at an inconvenient time, Warssmith," Sliver began, "but I bring newss." "Good newsh or bad newsh?" "Good newss... and then better newss... perhapss." That didn't sound quite right to Solon, and he turned back to his experiment while he spoke. "All right, sho what ish it? And doesh it have anything to do with why Kaelith ish shcreaming acrossh half the nooshphere right now?" "The good newss, Warssmith, iss that we have recovered the landing ship that the Tau inssurgentss made off with during their gambit to flee thiss world. It hass been given over to Nurgle, incidentally, but with ssome conssecrationss and ssufficent prayer, it shall sserve again." "Excellent! That wash an important operating asshet!" A projector above the table started humming, and a continuous yellow beam shot down into the middle of the table. "Sho what'sh the other newsh?" Rather than speaking, Sliver linked him to a data feed. A new holoscreen appeared, showing a vid-feed that Solon immediately recognized as coming from the Company's orbital station. Centaur III itself was visible in the corner of the screen, but the bulk of the view was taken up by a void ship. A rather large void ship, bristling with weapons and painted blue and black. "...... Shliver, why ish a vesshel with a delta-level quarantine docked with the shtar bashe?" Solon asked. "The quarantine hass been... ressolved, Warssmith." Sliver snorted. "It sseemss your equine minionss decided to do ssomething usseful while you play with your new toy. They sseem quite... proud of their conquesst. I shall leave them to you." "Leave who to me? What happened? Shliver?!" Despite his questions, the vox link to Sliver terminated, and a new holoscreen opened over the orbital view. This one featured Princess Luna, standing in the interior of a void ship's bridge. Her helmet had been withdrawn, and several drones and servitors were working in the background to clean away the collected blood and gore. "Greetings, Warsmith! We return triumphant!" Luna cheered, stamping a hoof on the floor. "I... wash not aware you left," Solon admitted. "What happened? What ish thish?" "Behold, the Omen!" Luna announced brightly. "'Tis our mighty star chariot, rescued from the throes of ceaseless orbit and its crew of fell beasts! Is it not delightful?" Another series of screens opened up, displaying the scans of the omen's decks. "You... You boarded the Tau derelict?! Are you mad?!" Solon shouted. "You could have been killed! And not jusht in combat, againsht shome feral monshter, but from a lossh of core containment, or a munitorium fire, or shimply a shtatic Warp diffushion event! Do you have ANY idea how dangeroush a rift derelict ish?!" "Nay!" Luna said firmly, much to Solon's chagrin. "But 'tis no matter any longer! We hast recovered a star-sailing vessel in adequate condition! And We hast done so without casualty! Equinought Squadron shalt require further repairs to their wargear, however." "You took Equinought Shquadron with you?!" Solon shouted, bringing up a new series of screens to check the ID signums within the Omen. "You took GAELA with you?! You absholute fool! And you brought them into the quarantine zone with no shupport jusht sho you could claim the damned ship for yourshelf?!" Luna recoiled, surprised. "But... We art victorious!" A hefty puff of smoke blasted from Solon's exhaust stacks. "That... That ish quite fortunate, Princessh. But what are we shupposhed to do with thish?!" He jabbed a servo arm at the scan holoscreen, and the pincer clanked shut irritably. Luna furrowed her brow, still confused. "Thou need do nothing. We recovered the vessel. It needs but to be disinfected, and mayhaps given colors more similar to our own." "Oh, really? Then who'sh going to PILOT your new ship, Princessh? Who will man itsh gunsh? Who will operate itsh augursh? Are you going to flit about the galaxy carrying the entire heap with your pshychic will? Ish there a hosht of pony crew waiting with void craft shtamped on their rearsh?!" Luna had the grace to be embarrassed as Solon leaned in closer to the screen. Her ears flipped down, and a faint blush brightened her cheeks. "We... see thy point, Warsmith. We acted in haste, and without realizing the enormity of the task before us." Then she straightened. "However, We believe thy assignment of crew shalt bear dividend! Is this not a mighty vessel of war, with which We may excise thine enemies from the stars?" "It'sh quite an impresshive battlecruisher!" Solon volunteered. "If only it had a proper Warp drive rather than a worthless dive engine!" "...... We do not comprehend thy meaning." "The enginesh won't work properly, you petulant barn animal!" Solon shouted, slamming a fist on the operation table. The Techpriests flinched back, and the comms holoscreen floated closer to Solon's face so that his visage loomed in the vid-feed. "That heap of pretentioush shcrap can't maintain an acceptable shuperluminal shpeed! Itsh enginesh need to be completely overhauled if it'sh to leave thish shyshtem with the fleet! And asshuming that happensh, it can't even be sheen with the resht of the fleet! Our ship patternsh are bashed on Imperium merchant vesshelsh for a reashon! We can't fool an Imperial patrol or defenshe network with a damned Tau warship in our formation! And the munitorium! Did you even realize that we don't have manufactorum capacity for xeno ordnance of that shcale? You can't fit macro-cannon shellsh and plashma-ionizer coresh in Tau weaponsh batteriesh!" Luna didn't know what to say, clearly overwhelmed by the litany of technical issues that impeded her new space ship. And before she could muster a response, Fennin leaned in behind her and waved to the vid-screen. "Hi! As long as we're going over things that need to be fixed before this craft gets to go plundering booty and such, you should know that there's a roughly 30% chance that the reactor cores are haunted. We've experienced two overloads and a minor containment breach that managed to slip by automated protocols. The angry cyborg lady is praying right now to try to solve the issue. I do not expect this to help." Solon backed away from the screen. "That'sh fine, actually. If the reactor were not daemonically posshesshed, we'd probably have to corrupt it anyway to meet the extra power requirementsh of the Warp drivesh." "Lovely," Fennin deadpanned. "Also, we'll need to fix all the bridge equipment. The horse Princess of Really Loud Shouting broke nearly all of it while purging the daemons. I had to jury-rig the comms just to keep your ships from shooting us on approach." Solon groaned. "Fantashtic. Anything elshe?" Fennin laughed mirthlessly. "Of course there is. The atmospheric cycl-" He was interrupted when a black gauntlet suddenly flicked him in the shoulder, knocking him away and out of sight. The engineer screamed in pain and shock, and then a crash came from off-screen. "Warsmith, We confess We art quite benighted as to the myriad complications of managing a void ship!" Luna said, her voice pleading. "But We desired only to empower thy flotilla! This endeavor hath delivered a mighty boon to thine army, has it not? Dost thou not WANT the Omen to serve thy fleet?" "I'm sure we can find a ushe for it, Princessh," Solon said, sounding much calmer than before. "Perhapsh it can be refashioned into a defenshe orbital, or a bombardment fixture for asshailing the Orksh. But it will not sherve as your flagship. Ish that clear? The cosht ish too great and impractical." A long pause settled over the vox link, broken only by the loud humming of the radiation beamer. Then Luna sniffled. "What? You have shomething to shay?" Solon demanded. Luna squeezed her eyes shut, and her lips trembled. "We... We were but trying to ASSIST thee!" she said as the first tears rolled down her dark blue fur. "No you weren't! You came to me to demand a void ship of your own BEFORE you embarked on thish damned errand!" Solon shouted back, causing the alicorn to flinch and whimper. "Shtop that! Shtop weeping!" Luna did not stop, instead hanging her head and sobbing louder. Solon started sputtering blasts of angry Binaric Cant in response, trying to think of a means to calm the mare. Then another voice came from off-screen. "Princess Luna! What's the matter?! What's going on in here?!" Solon's smokestacks blasted out another jet of smoke at the sound of Twilight's voice. "All right! All right! I'll fix it! You can have the ship! Jusht shtop!" Luna snapped her head up immediately, blinking away her tears. "Truly? Thou shalt grant us a crew and the necessary accommodations?" Fennin stepped in behind Luna again, giving the vid-screen an incredulous look. "You can't be serio-" The Iron Gage immediately clamped onto his head and shoved him away. "Luna! Stop! What are you doing? You could kill him if you're not careful!" Twilight complained, still out of view. "I'll work shomething out! Jusht don't expect me to put everything elshe on hold to prepare it for you!" Solon fumed. Luna released a happy squeal, rearing up and kicking her forelegs. "Huzzah! Thank thee, Father! Thou shalt not regret this!" "I highly doubt that. Goodbye." Solon swiped his hand in front of the screen like he was swatting away an insect, and the holoscreen vanished. Solon finally moved back to the operation table and began a deep-tissue scan of the subject. The Dark Techpriests across from him did not join him, staring silently at the Iron Warrior through rows of bright green optic sensors. +Interrogative - Notation: Polite - How do you intend to address the previously mentioned discrepancy in hull pattern?+ asked one of the black-robed cyborgs. A disgusted noise emerged from Solon's vox grille. "I'll probably jusht inshtall a shtealth field and modify the engine block. It should be able to keep formation with the fleet without being detected, and shneak off when it needsh to." +A stealth field on a vessel with battlecruiser-scale mass displacement?+ "Yesh. Although I shtill don't know where I'm going to find enough crew for shomething that shize. Now shut up." The isotope projector shut off, and a heavy grinding noise came from above as the machinery mounted to the ceiling shifted to bring more servo arms to bear. The ruby-red core remained in place, a gentle clicking coming from within. "Cell responshe should be mitigated. All shcansh optimal. We proceed with implantation. One thing at a time..."
Warhammer 40k: Gemcutter	pre	"Now then," Celestia began, turning back to the group. "Perhaps we should head somewhere more comfortable?" "The tea room was finished, right?" Twilight inquired. Celestia smiled. "Excellent idea Twilight. We shall be in the tea room if anyone needs us." "Send my sister, and parents there when they arrive," Rarity added. "Shouldn't be long," Rainbow Dash offered. "When I flew by their place they were just closing up shop before they headed over here." "Shop?" Rarity inquired. "They kept your store open," Fluttershy answered. "Sweetie Belle took up sewing, and your mother operated the counter. Though they mostly reproduced your designs, Sweetie has gotten quite good." Rarity hummed softly. "How sweet of them. I must think of some way to thank them once I have told my tale." "Right then, shall we?" Celestia offered, extending a hoof towards a side passage. "After you," Rarity replied. Celestia smiled and took the lead, trotting away along with the rest of the group, minus Rarity. Who had noticed the door to the throne room had opened, revealing a resplendent Luna walking towards her. Like Celestia, the alicorn was changed, with her right forehoof now replaced with a metal alternative in addition to a few new scars. None were overly deep, but together they gave the dark princess an intimidating air about her. Rarity, however, was unbothered by the other mare's appearance, and even found that Luna appeared rather attractive. For once, Rarity herself was the one to blush and approach the object of her fascination, a soft smile on her face. "Hello again, princess Luna," Rarity offered, extending a hoof. Luna took the pony's hoof and kissed it gently, a grin crossing her face as well. "A pleasure to see you again dear Rarity. I admit I had given up on ever getting the chance to have that private soiree we spoke of all those years ago." "Well unless some evil chaos god plucks me away, I don't intend on leaving anytime soon," Rarity replied. "I doubt that will happen. Discord is quite content to spend his days in the dungeon," Luna exclaimed. "I was about to join your sister and my friends to recount the tale of my adventures. If you would like to join..." Rarity half offered, half stated. "I will have to send someone for the extra strong coffee, but I believe I could attend for at least a little while," Luna answered. Pinkie Pie peeked her head out from around the corner. "Oh, there you are. We thought you got lost for a second there." "No need to worry darling, I am in capable hooves now," Rarity stated, her tail caressing Luna's forelegs in emphasis. "So it would seem," Pinkie Pie replied, giggling as she disappeared around the corner. "It seems as though your trip has changed you," Luna pointed out. The pair followed after the pink pony, taking a slow, unhurried pace. "Not for the worse, I hope?" Rarity inquired somewhat nervously. Luna smirked. "I wouldn't say so. At least now I can look you in the eye. Even if those gorgeous pools have been besmirched somewhat.' "Ah yes," Rarity murmured, brushing a hoof through the flowing pink energy cascading from the edge of her eyes. "There is not much I can do about that I am afraid. Make-up remover has its limits you know." "Too true," Luna murmured, a hoof touching a deep scar on her neck.. The pair walked in silence for several seconds, catching occasional glimpses of the other group ahead of them. They passed by maids, servants, or other staff, who mostly kept to themselves and stayed far out of the way. A few stopped to stare, but thankfully they were in the clear minority and had the decency to not get underhoof. "So," Rarity began. "Am I right in saying that Celestia has lost her magic?" Luna sighed. "I'm afraid so. She is still an alicorn, so she will live a very long time, but she will not be capable of casting a spell for the rest of her life." "Who raises the sun then?" Rarity inquired, glancing at the dark alicorn out of the corner of her eye. "I do, but hopefully Twilight will take over that particular duty," Luna frowned. "I have certainly gained a greater appreciation for Celestia's burden during my exile. Moving a celestial body that isn't my moon is incredibly taxing." "You certainly don't seem to have any trouble doing so now," Rarity pointed out, her tail caressing down Luna's spine and causing the alicorn to quiver slightly. "What are you?-oh..." Luna blushed. "I appreciate the compliment dame Rarity. There are many who find us intimidating or pitiable in our current state." "Then they are shallow fools," Rarity stated confidently. "You're true beauty remains unblemished my dear." "I... thank you," Luna muttered somewhat half-heartedly. "Ahh there you guys are," Twilight offered, the mare standing in the doorway of a room with a smile on her face. "We ordered some snacks and coffee with extra espresso." "Wonderful," Luna exclaimed with a sigh. Rarity entered the room to find that it was a comfortable and surprisingly large space filled with puffy furniture. Though not nearly as opulent as Canterlot castle, it was homey, and relaxing, with a small fireplace sitting in the corner. No staff were present, only Rarity's friends, the princesses, and a couple of pads of paper arrayed in front of Twilight. "Your majesty," whispered a pony. "I'm sorry to announce that the train containing Rarity's family is delayed for the time being. Apparently, there was some manner of issue with the engine that could not be immediately remedied. Hard Nose thought it best to notify you of this immediately." The servant then ducked away, closing the doors behind him with a soft, thump. "Most unfortunate," Celestia exclaimed. "Indeed," Rarity muttered. "I suppose we should start with a short tale to begin. Hopefully, by then the others will be here." "If you want to. I know I'm eager to hear more about your travels, but no rush," Twilight hurriedly stated. "No, that's quite alright," Rarity replied, seating herself on a mound of pillows. "Now then, before we begin I had a question for the princesses." "Go ahead," Luna offered. "We will try to answer to the best of our abilities," Celestia added. "Well, there's no two ways about this..." Rarity frowned. "How exactly is Equestria so peaceful? This galaxy, this universe, it is unimaginably dangerous." Luna and Celestia exchanged a curious glance. "I'm afraid we aren't quite sure what you mean," Luna remarked. "You forget sister. Mother warned us of the greater outside," Celestia exclaimed. "It is why she and the other immortals of the time erected a barrier around our little solar system. One that I was told would keep us safe from those who may harm our peaceful little ponies." "So that is what she meant by that," Luna muttered, tapping her chin. "She was so cryptic about the entire thing that I guess I just ignored it like her other vague warnings." "Yes, mother had a habit of being purposefully obtuse," Celestia admitted. "Wait, barrier, the rest of the galaxy, what are y'all talkin' about?" Applejack demanded. "You will know soon enough," Rarity sat up, clearing her throat. "Our story starts immediately after my forceful departure from this world and picks up on a faraway planet. One much like our own, but also one that is so very, very different."
Warhammer 40k: Gemcutter	First Fall	Rarity found herself flying, falling, and standing perfectly still all at once. Stranger than even the seemingly impossible sensations rocking her body was the miasma of lighting, fire, and swirling clouds that surrounded her. It was as if she had been thrown through a great maelstrom of energy, only even that did not describe what she witnessed. For there was monster millions of times larger than her screaming past its thousands of mouths shouting a horrific cacophony beyond mortal comprehension. Rarity's own cries were so small, so infinitesimal against the great beast's that she couldn't even hear the noise she was making. But then it passed her by, half flickering out of existence, half rolling its great bulk in another direction. With its passage, Rarity found that a great number of nameless, partially formless creatures had appeared from the void. Emerging from the swirling mass of colors beyond counting were beasts, the most normal of which were several hundred reptilian creatures that resembled crocodiles. They had a semi-solid shape, and moved with purpose away from her, while the uncountable other things surged toward the mare. In an instant Rarity knew that they were being drawn to her, pulled to the pony by the light of harmony that burned within her. She tried to push, pull, tug, or swim away, but the things hunting for her were everywhere. Coalescing all around her, the many-limbed abominations, and planet-sized entities clawed past one another. As if they were all in a mad dash to be the first to reach their target, they attacked one another viciously. Or at least Rarity assumed they were attacking each other, as it was nearly impossible to tell where one began and another ended. Regardless of what she was looking at or how many there were, they were closing, and fast. With little other option, Rarity tried to use her magic but found that she couldn't get her horn to spark. That deep well of power that burned within her was simply gone, only it wasn't gone, but rather displaced. It had grown larger, so large that it encompassed her entire body, filling her every last cell with power. She tried to call forth some offensive spell of some kind but was interrupted when a gash in the storm opened before her. Rarity got only a brief glimpse of what looked like Equestria before she fell through it, returning to material reality. With gravity reasserting itself once more, she found herself falling in only a single direction. She ultimately landed on what felt like a soft, spongey mass of some kind but not before bouncing off something squishy. The pony was relieved by the fact that she was not immediately harmed upon entering real space again. Though that hardly negated the incredible panic that had been screaming through her right up until that moment. Still screeching, and scrambling in a random direction, Rarity was barely able to form a coherent thought. That was until she ran headfirst into something tall, and treelike. Nearly knocked unconscious by the unfortunate and abrupt meeting, she lay on her side, legs twitching as her brain rebooted. The moment she could organize herself, she realized that she was not in that horrible screaming place but neither was she in Equestria. Rather she was in some strange world that appeared to be alien in nature. From her position on the spongey, slightly wet ground, she looked out over a valley, in the center of which was a large lake. It wasn't like any body of water she had ever seen though, as it was a light teal color, with trails of purple drifting across it. Around this strange mostly circular mass was a beach made up of large white stones not unlike towering mounds of salt. In between these lumps of rock were trickling green streams, small fleshy-looking plants, and small creatures with far too many legs. Further, than that were trees, or at least they resembled trees, as they had no leaves to speak of. Instead, there were large canopies the shape and overall appearance of a mushroom cap. They were unlike any mushroom though as each tree sported dozens of these fungal-like growths of various sizes. Even the bark was different, though it was at least still a dull brownish color it had a rippled texture to it. It was like someone had stacked a thousand brown plates on top of one another to create what appeared to be a tree. There were other strange plans in the mix though, like a many-limbed cactus that nearly rivaled the mushroom trees in size. Beneath them, there were smaller bushes of yellow interspersed with bright gold flowers that resembled a jar that was missing its top. Even the lake had strange flora of a similar variety, with masses of white blobs drifting across its surface in large clumps. "Woah," Rarity murmured to herself. Her sense of wonder was only heightened when she saw an avian creature fly past her perch overlooking the valley. Sporting two sets of wings of different sizes, it looked at first glance to be an enormous bat. Only one with a beak, a long whiplike tail, and a complete lack of any kind of feet or other limbs. Rarity watched as it glided gently on a warm breeze, only lurching into motion to spear a bulbous blue beetle with its tail. Without slowing down, it took the creature from its tail, ate it, and continued floating by, barely even flapping its wings. They weren't alone, however, as other creatures could be seen moving amongst the verdant valley. They weren't what held her attention, however, as it was then that she noticed mountains in the distance as well as something far larger. An enormous reddish-pink orb a thousand times bigger than the Equestria's moon sat on the horizon. Great clouds of orange and purple nearly obscured the entire planet's surface, leaving only a few sharp, unnatural spires to pierce the upper atmosphere. "It's beautiful," Rarity murmured. "Horrifying, but beautiful." Slowly rising to her hooves, Rarity looked around at her more immediate environment. The tree she had run into was one of the mushroom plant things she saw nearly everywhere. Her landing had been cushioned by a low-hanging cap and then what looked like another mushroom growing on the ground. This one was short, squat, mostly greenish brown, and had several pointy yellow growths growing upwards from the top of it. These spikey things leaked a constant rust-colored ooze that flowed down their sides and onto the ground beneath it, creating a tiny moat around the plant. Though intriguing, Rarity was more concerned by the fact that she had some of this gooey stuff on her coat. "Ew, ew, ew!" she cried. Looking back at her flank, she hastily tried to wipe the stinging, and slightly smelly liquid from her sides using her hooves. It did not, in fact, remove quite as easily as she hoped, and coated her hoof instead of being removed from her fur. "Oh that's so gross," she muttered. Desperate to get the stuff off of her, she did the unthinkable and laid back down on the dirty ground. Once down, she rubbed her side against the earth, hoping to remove the cloying stuff that way. After a few rather uncomfortable seconds of dirtying her coat even further, Rarity could feel the stinging sensation lessen. A moment later she rose to find that dirt, and the tiny slightly fleshy grass that covered the ground was stuck to her side. She was about to try removing it with her hoof again when she noticed the grass start to wither and die. Peering a bit closer revealed that when the reddish goop touched it, the plant life died and the liquid became a bit more brown. "It's like a herbicide," she remarked aloud. "Well, at least it's not stinging anymore." That didn't mean the irritation had stopped, as the stuff still clung to her now ruined coat though it had at least lessened. Stowing her desire to scream, cry and panic deep down inside of herself, Rarity took another breath of fresh air. Which tasted a bit sweet for some reason, as if someone had just misted the air with sugar water. It didn't seem to make her dizzy, or uncomfortable in any way, so she assumed that she could breathe it normally. "Right, let's not panic Rarity," Rarity whispered to herself. "You're just on an alien world, a million miles from home, completely alone-" She bit her lip, stopping her train of thought right there. "First thing's first. Let us see if can't remove this dreadful grime from our cutie mark," she exclaimed aloud. With a goal in mind, she began to descend down towards the lake, careful to avoid the many colorful plants she saw along the way. What she didn't see much of were animals, as there only seemed to be fat blue beetles and the batlike creatures that ate them. There were a few other variants of both, but save for that there didn't look to be much in the way of biodiversity. She must have been wrong during her earlier observation, either that or her head injury had been worse than anticipated. There also didn't seem to be any indication of civilization, be it roads, discarded tools, or chopped trees. Nothing pointed to there being anything more intelligent than the weird birds flying overhead or the bugs that chewed on the plants. This was a thought that disturbed, and slightly relieved the mare, as at least she didn't have to worry too much about botching first contact. Eventually, she made her way down to the lake, where she saw fish swimming just beneath the surface. Slightly bulbous, with orange and blue scales, they lazily trawled through the water, occasionally nearing the surface to eat a mouthful of the goopy plant life that grew there. They were occasionally joined by froglike creatures with an extra set of legs and only a single giant eye. These leaping critters tended to stay in the tall jagged white rocks near the water's edge, where they croaked in an oddly musical manner. Slipping between two towering pillars of what looked like salt, Rarity was able to reach the lake. There she hesitated, sniffing the air and inspecting the waters a little closer. Again it was slightly sweet but with a salty undertone as well as a scent akin to nail polish. Using a long, pointed bit of white stone, she swirled the water and found that it had the same consistency as watery gelatin. It didn't bubble or do anything weird, so she decided to use her magic to gather a small bowlful of the stuff. "Owch," Rarity muttered, her horn shooting off bright red sparks. Immediately she felt a migraine coming on, and she took a mental note to not try to use any magic anytime soon. She figured that it was likely due to her passage through whatever horrible place Discord had flung her. She didn't know for certain if it would pass but chose to believe so as the alternative was too grim to consider. Putting a hoof into the water revealed that it did indeed have a slightly sludgelike texture, though that was only on the surface. Beneath an inch or so was what felt like normal water, the type Rarity had drunk and bathed with numerous times. Withdrawing her limb revealed that a bit of the slimy top level clung to her hoof, but a shake was enough to remove it. So began a slightly awkward, sort of gross removal of the muck from her backside. Using the water was a bit difficult, but nothing attacked her or even seemed to notice her presence really. A few of the fish came up to her, and several of the frogs hopped nearby, but they ignored her presence for the most part. Allowing the mare to hastily finish up, and retreat back up past the rocky outcropping. There she inspected herself to find that her fur was a bit shinier than usual, the goopy liquid leaving behind a slightly reflective film. It faded quickly once in contact with the air, her fur returning to normal with seemingly no ill effect whatsoever. Though she told herself that she should test to see if the water was drinkable, she didn't have the energy for that at the moment. So Rarity ascended back to the spot where she appeared, reminding herself to not stray far lest her rescuers be unable to find her. It was a bit of a pipe dream, but she was not ready to give in to hopelessness quite yet. Once there, she used a bit of finesse to make herself a small alcove within a rather dense pocket of bushy yellow flowers. Tying their fleshy branches together, she was able to make a space just large enough for her to rest inside of. Laying down on the slightly squishy, porous ground she mentally reviewed the day's events, committing everything to memory. Starting tomorrow she would need to start finding food, water, and better shelter, as well as eventually exploring. If she was lucky there would be some friendly locals but she wasn't going to hold her breath for such a possibility. That left her with the bitter realization that she may not see a friendly face for a considerable amount of time. The thought of being alone out in the wilderness for what may be days, months, or even years struck Rarity hard. Tears fell and soaked the ground for several minutes before eventually, exhaustion took her. Slipping into a dreamless, void-like sleep Rarity ended her first day on another world.
Warhammer 40k: Gemcutter	First Contact	"So it wasn't a dream," Rarity muttered bitterly. The unicorn lay there, staring at the slightly darkened world, noting that it must be night here. Peeking out revealed that it looked to be twilight but there was no visible source of light in the sky. The physics confused her, but she ultimately gave the entire thing little thought and pushed it from her mind. Whatever was going on in this strange place was beyond her comprehension, but that was okay. She focused instead on the things she could figure out, like what food was edible, and if she could drink the water. So began much testing, weaving, and general exploration of her new surroundings. She wasn't ready to leave the valley, but she did look around until she located a particularly tall hill. Standing atop it she found that there was absolutely no sign of civilization anywhere. Her valley sat to her right, with snow-capped mountains and rolling greenish-blue hills a dozen miles away. Outside of that, there was a rolling mass of forest that stretched on in every other direction, creating a brightly colored sea of mostly orange. "At least it's pretty, if a bit gouache," Rarity murmured. From there she started to test the local flora and fauna, starting with finding a way to boil the water. It wasn't easy, but thankfully the jar-shaped flowers hardened upon being picked. After being left out to dry for a few hours they were nearly rock hard, and had gained a crystalline sheen to them. Lugging one of these down to the water's edge, Rarity awkwardly filled the thing and made her way back up to her camp. From there she spent several hours testing what could burn, and what couldn't before finding that the smaller cactus plants worked perfectly. A few angry sparks from her horn as well as a bit of waiting, and Rarity had a roaring fire with which to boil some water. Several more hours of cursing, as well as trial and error, went by before she had created a system that worked. The bucket, which had sat atop the still sizzling hot coals, contained what she hoped was drinkable water. A sip confirmed that it didn't taste bad, containing only a slightly bitter twinge that Rarity couldn't quite place. After a bit of waiting as well as some silent panicking, Rarity confirmed that her process worked. Moving on to locating edible food, Rarity silently wished she had listened during one of their escapades into the Everfree where Twilight spoke extensively on how to determine which plant is safe to eat. Without that knowledge, she had to rely on trial and error, a process that she was not looking forward to. Thankfully she had water, and after a bit more work, a better place to rest. For as it turned out, gently braiding the spongey appendages of the bush created a cover so thick that it blocked out the light. Meaning she could enjoy a good night's rest without having to worry about the sun shining into her eyes. Not like that had happened, as it turned out that it never got terribly bright, nor terribly dark. Stranger still, the odd twilight lasted for only a few hours before brightening back up to what felt like mid-afternoon. Either way, it was a weird place, though one thankfully devoid of any real predators, or company. Laying with her head on the ground, Rarity wondered if she would ever return home, or if that was even a possibility. Discord and Tirek's words rang in her head, making her hope flicker and nearly die. A firm shake of the head and some light slapping of her cheeks dismissed it, however. "I will not give up. My friends would never stop looking for me," she told herself. "Besides, it's only been a day or... so. I can't rightly start panicking yet." Though the words rang a bit hollow, she chose to believe them and stick it out on that weird alien world. Her eyes closed, and though her stomach rumbled angrily, she was not so hungry that she couldn't sleep. For once she was glad that the process of just purifying water had been so arduous as she was too exhausted to care about how dirty she was. Mostly. She awoke the next day to an urgent need to use the washroom. After doing so, she set about finding some more water and beginning the dreadful process of finding out what she could safely eat. Careful to cook everything she put in her mouth, Rarity slowly boiled, fried, or accidentally burnt a little bit of everything. The tubelike, and slightly spongey grass took a bit of boiling, but after a while, it had the consistency of noodles. They tasted like boiled dirt and were tougher than half-petrified carrots, but they were easy to keep down. Unlike the large mushroom which was foul no matter what Rarity did to it, causing the mare to violently expel her lunch. Days passed with thankfully no life-threatening, or unpleasantness to speak of. Just a lot of gross food, slimy water, and a slowly improving domicile. The wildlife was growing more curious about her, but they still kept their distance, and Rarity was happy for it. She really didn't want to find out if something was poisonous so far from a hospital. Her ability to cast spells was still nonexistent, but thankfully gave her less and less of a headache when she tried. Wherever it was that she had been sent, had stuffed her inner wellspring with foul energy that overcharged her own internal magical circuits. She could feel her body slowly expelling the foreign power but it would take time, and more patience than Rarity feared she had. She cried a lot because of that, but slowly she fell into a routine of survival, and slow exploration. The pain of loneliness was constant but still distant, only striking Rarity when she laid down to sleep. The rest of the day she sang, hummed, or talk to herself in order to drive away the bad thoughts that tried to plague her. Nearly a month passed before something out of the ordinary occurred. It had begun normal enough, with Rarity waking up and clambering off her bed of carefully cultivated moss grass. Though not as soft as her bed back in Ponyville, it was surprisingly comfortable. Standing up in her one-room hovel made of sticks, and braided mushroom bushes, Rarity walked over to the fireplace. After stoking the coals with a bit of dried bark, and taking a long sip from the water pot, she walked outside. Pushing past the large leaf she used as a door, Rarity looked up and took a deep lungful of slightly sweet air. Like every day, it was warm but not hot, with a gentle breeze rolling from the direction of the mountains. There was the usual number of sparse pinkish clouds overhead, and insects zipping about through the trees. "This would make for a wonderful vacation spot," Rarity thought aloud. "Every day is nearly identical to the last, and it's always fairly nice if a bit dull." She had yet to see any manner of meteorological phenomenon at all. No rain, snow, or anything just an eternal springlike day that never quite seemed to end. It was pleasant enough, Rarity decided so she didn't complain about the lack of variety in things. Slinging a pair of bowls strung together by braided branches of the mushroom bushes, Rarity began her morning routine. Down to the lake, she went, her hooves thumping against the now well-worn path she had charted through the foliage. Along the way she stopped to pick a few leaves from a brow and purple bush, tucking the fern finger like hunks of plant into a pouch hanging from her neck. With that done, she began to hum a song, while making her way down to the water's edge. There she began to fill the buckets, taking care not to disturb the fish, or get too much of the top slime into her containers. After filling one, and placing it on the lake's edge, Rarity was about to repeat the process, only to stop when a strange feeling struck her. Hastily, she ducked back behind one of the white pillars of saltlike stone, peering out from around the corner. She was about to chastise herself for being jumpy when she noticed something dark brown move in her direction. Hidden beneath the water, Rarity couldn't make out exactly what it was, only that it was large, very large. Shaped vaguely like a crocodile, the mass grew larger until suddenly it breached the upper layer of the lake. Sharp, boney protrusions pierced the goo, making way for a thick hide of brownish-green scales. A pair of red beady eyes peered out from atop a mostly flat head, inspecting the water's edge closely. Careful to not move an inch, Rarity observed as the crocodile thing sat motionless, waiting for something. Stuck between an intense desire to run, and a fear so powerful she couldn't move, Rarity felt conflicted. Left with little else to do, she merely observed the creature, hoping against hope that it would just leave her alone. Nearly times as large as Rarity, sporting a crown-like arrangement of spines, that also went down its back, the creature was quite imposing. It also looked completely at odds with everything Rarity had seen so far on this planet. Here everything was small, mostly harmless, and had either bulbous bodies or a thin, whiplike appearance. This... thing, was clearly a predator, something Rarity had yet to find on this oddly peaceful planet. Rarity's thoughts were interrupted when the creature exploded into motion, revealing an enormous maw filled with wicked teeth. Each one was jagged, razor-sharp, and nearly as long as Rarity's hoof. They were also easily able to slice through one of the larger frogs that had swum too close to the creature's head. The poor curious critter soon found itself in the reptile's belly, dead before it could even realize what had happened. That seemed to satisfy the predator, who slipped back into the deeper parts of the lake, soon becoming invisible. Though it was gone, Rarity remained motionless for several minutes longer, waiting just in case it returned. When it didn't, Rarity gathered her buckets as quickly as she could, and took off back the way she came. "Where do I go, what do I do?" she whispered to herself. "I have to leave, but can I take that chance? What if there is no other water for a hundred miles?" So frazzled, and confused was the mare that she didn't even notice that there was a different set of hoof prints in the mud. Only when she neared her home and saw a group of five bipedal creatures standing near her hut did she realize that something was wrong. Stopping, and ducking behind one of the larger trees, she took several long, deep breaths in order to still her beating heart. With her burgeoning desire to panic now quashed, Rarity was able to think logically. She wanted to go out and greet them immediately but decided to observe them a little closer first in order to get a better judge of them. Peeking back around the side she noted that four of them were standing there, inspecting her hut rather closely. The largest of them was a towering creature with strange greenish skin, a powerful-looking jaw, and quills instead of hair. They had sharp, avian-like features, four clawed fingers, and an equal number of pointed toes on their feet. Vaguely masculine, he wore what looked to be tightly bound rags and a necklace of teeth taken from a predatory animal. Outside of that, he also had on a backpack bulging with supplies and a large staff like object with a tube at one end that he was currently leaning on. The creature was leaning down, and touching one of Rarity's hoof prints, tiny nostrils flaring as if inhaling her scent. His narrow, beady eyes then flicked up to her sleeping quarters, taking in her rather primitive setup. He was joined in this task by another of his kind, a much stouter, slightly shorter variant of the same species. Next to him were a pair of creatures that seemed to be of a completely different species, who were presumably of higher intelligence. While the birdlike quill-headed creatures were more bestial in their garb, these two were more civilized. Though one had the bearing of a warrior, the other carried himself much the way Twilight did when struck by a bout curiosity. The taller of the two wore what looked like plate armor, only it was of a design that Rarity had never seen before. Thick, yet not overly so, they had an elegance to them that the fashionista couldn't help but find intriguing. She pushed that thought out of her mind though and focused on his appearance, namely the weapons he had on him. The most notable of which was another long tube-like thing that he had slung casually over one shoulder. The other was more easily recognized as a sword though it was slightly bent and longer than any Rarity had seen before. Both of these items bore the same symbol his armor did, that of a circle with a smaller circle and a line through it. Thankfully his helmet was held loosely at his side, allowing Rarity to see that he had grizzled blue features. He had the kind of appearance one only gained after spending years in the royal guard and fighting plenty of bad folks. His eyes were dark, and his face was scarred, though Rarity could sense that the slit running down the center where his nose should be was natural. He shared his overall appearance with the shorter, unarmored companion currently crouching down inside Rarity's hut. A heavy brown work outfit of some kind covered nearly every inch of his body, from his short neck to his hooved feet. Rarity wondered if it also hid his face, though she couldn't see for certain given her current angle. Deciding to make her first appearance a good one, she straightened her spine, ran her hoof through her mane, and stepped forward. She only managed the single one, however, as a rough-clawed hand gripped the back of her neck. The pony was then yanked into the air with a confused yelp of surprise, a water jug spilling out in the process. A flurry of yips, whistles, and deeper noises that sounded more akin to the type of speech Rarity knew was shouted. In an instant the young pony found herself dangling above the ground, held in the rather cruel grasp of one of the avians. She also had several of the tube-like things pointed at her, and a rather intrigued-looking short, hooved creature peering at her. The shouting died quickly, and all eyes went to the shorter-hooved one as if waiting for orders. He then stepped forward, pulled a small metallic device from his pocket, and began to speak into it. After a moment, the device spat out a blurb of what sounded like words, only in a completely different language. Not like it helped, as Rarity didn't understand any of what had been spoken until that point. "I don't know what in Equestria you are trying to say but it had best be an apology for rifling through my things and handling me like a sack of potatoes," Rarity demanded somewhat nervously. The eyes of the lone non-warrior lit up, and after a few swift clicks, the machine in his hand spoke. "State your name, profession, and planet of origin," spat an uncomfortably monotone voice. "Rarity Belle, fashion designer, and Equis. I think," Rarity paused. "I don't think there is much agreement on the name amongst the various races of the world." There was a long pause, where the two hooved bipeds spoke to one another in their own language. During which Rarity caught very few words, though one of them was gue'la. It was spat with disdain several times by the larger of the two while the other used gues'vesa in a much softer tone. "Would you kindly unhand me?" Rarity asked, squirming. "Your nails are really starting to hurt." The smaller one waved at the avian creature dismissively, prompting Rarity to get dropped to the ground. The fall wasn't far, but it served to dishevel the already bitter mare even more than she had been. She glared up at the towering creature before harumphing and beginning the process of fixing the disaster that was her mane. She didn't get far before the shorter-hooved creature spoke into the box. Which then paused, before spitting out what he had presumably said, only in a language that Rarity understood. "What is your species, and how do you speak low gothic?" Asked the machine. "I am a pony, but to be more specific, I am a unicorn. As for your other question I do not speak gothic. I speak Equestrian," Rarity declared while continuing to fix her mane. The two hooved creatures spoke for a minute, pausing to converse with the tallest of their avian companions. After a bit of back and forth, they seemed to decide on a course of action. The smaller hooved creature stepped forward and knelt down to Rarity's rather diminutive level. "What do you know of humans?" asked the box. "Only that they supposedly lived on our planet thousands of years ago, but I find the entire theory rather preposterous," Rarity replied. "If they did live there, then we would have found some trace of them." That seemed to confuse, and intrigue the male, who spoke quickly. "Is your species related to that of the equine?" Inquired the machine. Rarity scoffed. "We are equines. Is that not obvious?" The moment Rarity stopped talking another question was launched her way by the monotone voice. "What is that tattoo on your side?" "It is not a tattoo, it is a cutie mark. Which I received from harmony for realizing my true purpose in life," Rarity declared. Upon her words being translated, several of the creatures snickered or shared barking laughter. The more inquisitive of them merely leaned forward, his brow tightening. "How did you get here to Ankila Three?" asked the box. "Long story short, Discord, the god of chaos flung me across space at the behest of his new friend Tirek," Rarity explained. That seemed to garner confusion, amusement, and alarmingly, fear. Mostly from the avian creatures who tightened their grip on what Rarity assumed was some manner of weapon. "What is Discord?" pressed the machine. "He is a bully, a ruffian, and a jerk," Rarity declared, puffing out her chest. "He thought to defeat us by throwing me through some horrible dimension of lightning and monsters but I survived. And eventually, I will find my way home so I can help my friends best him as well as his new ally." That seemed to take a bit longer to translate, and once it had been completed, the meaning was seemingly debated for a while. Thankfully it didn't take long, and when the issue was settled, the avian creatures were a bit more relaxed. "How long have you been here?" Rarity was asked. "A few weeks, I think," Rarity hummed and scratched her chin. "The days here are very short, so it's hard to mark the passage of time." "Have you seen a large green reptile?" Rarity nodded and pointed down in the direction of the lake. "In the lake. Only a few minutes ago. I've only seen it the one time." That made the group a bit happier, and a pair of the avians exchanged a grin. "Could you point us to where you saw it?" "I could, though I'm curious as to why you wish to locate such a fearsome creature," Rarity inquired back. "It is what's called a crotalid in the gue'la tongue. It is also invasive, and has evaded our trackers for weeks using the deep underground tunnels that connect the majority of the lakes on this moon," explained the smaller-hooved biped. "Then it must be relocated to its natural habitat immediately," Rarity proclaimed. "Yes, relocated," murmured the box, as if the speaker had not intentionally said that. "Perhaps you would like some assistance in this matter?" Rarity inquired, smiling widely. "I could point you in the right direction and in return maybe you could bring me back with you. I was getting ever so lonely out here all on my own." Though her charms went ignored by everyone present, the offer of assistance piqued the avian creature's interest. The ensuing conversation was brief, and one sided with the taller hooved biped reluctantly agreeing with his companions. The smaller of the two creatures stood back up and spoke one last time into the machine. "That is agreeable. Lead the way, Rarity Belle," announced the box.
Warhammer 40k: Gemcutter	First Blood	"I don't mean for this to sound rude, but what exactly are you?" Rarity asked. The three avian creatures were swiftly packing up what little supplies they had pulled from their bags. While this happened, the larger hooved biped was inspecting the strange glittering piece of glass on his wrist. He tapped at the various lights while peering intently at the thing, occasionally stopping to look around or speak into his collar. "We are tau," the box replied. The scientist, as Rarity came to refer to him, gestured around to the entire group. "Servants of the greater good and bringers of civilization to this backwater planet," he continued. "Though I assume you mean our individual species. Yes?" "Wait, planet? You can travel amongst the stars?" Rarity asked. That seemed to confuse the scientist, who frowned. "Yes. Can your species not do so?" he replied as if space flight was the simplest thing imaginable. "No. We have not left our home world," Rarity shook her head. "But yes, I was asking about your species, though now that I was thinking about it I would also request to know your names." "Our guides and companions are Kroot, though their names translate rather poorly I'm afraid," the box paused for a moment. "Though my name is Fio'La Fi'rios Arah, and my associate here is Shas'La Ka'mais Bun'ur." Rarity paused, trying to figure out if that was actually their names, or if the machine translating for them had broken down. The translator did seem to stutter for a moment and was interrupted by a mechanical whirring sound. Despite that, it was at least a fairly close approximation of their names, as they didn't seem quick to correct the tiny device. "Shas la, Ka..." Rarity frowned. "That's going to take some getting used to." "I wouldn't worry about our names, horse thing," declared the hooved warrior as Rarity mentally categorized him. The Kroot seemed to find that amusing, and Rarity was about to correct his choice of words but was interrupted. "Alright, let's get moving. Lead us to it," stated the hooved warrior. Rarity harumphed, the mare wanting desperately to reprimand the male for leaving her shelter in such disarray. She chose not to mention that or how they had wrecked the majority of the tools she had made. Instead, she focused on the fact that she was building bridges, ones that seemed especially worth maintaining considering they could fly the stars. With that bit of hope burning in her heart, Rarity straightened her spine and steeled her nerves. "Of course, ruffian," Rarity retorted. The unicorn then trotted off down her path, keeping her nose high in the air. Behind her, the kroot snickered their strange barking laughter. The other bipeds were either less easily amused or were restraining themselves for politeness' sake. Either way, Rarity paid them little mind, as she was already working her way around the first bend down towards the lake. As she moved, she thought about how she may deepen this potential friendship. She had little to offer, save for her sense of fashion which no one present seemed to value anyway. None seemed capable of magic, or perhaps even aware of the concept, as their devices were completely mundane. Even with spellcasting currently off the table, Rarity could still detect a complete lack of thaumaturgical energy. Though this was fascinating, it was something she decided to consider in more detail at a later date. Her curiosity could wait until after they had dealt with this invasive creature and made it back to whatever town they called home. Trotting down to the last stretch of trail, Rarity noted that two of the kroot were moving through the woods beside them. Their steps were nearly silent, their forms almost invisible amidst the slew of brightly colored foliage. Though impressive, Rarity got the impression that they could have hidden even better if they desired to. Clearly, they were skilled hunters, unlike the two hooves bipeds, who made no attempt to obscure their presence. The warrior amongst them added to their generally noisy arrival by deploying some manner of object from his back. The mostly flat disk rose into the air above them and zipped ahead of the group, unfolding as it flew. An antenna poked out from the top, angling itself backward while two short, armlike appendages swiveled this way and that. One had what looked like a boxy camera on it, while the other sported a miniature tube thing that the warrior had. From the way they carried such devices, Rarity assumed they were weapons of some kind, perhaps akin to the staves that old unicorns used that projected energy. Either way, her musings were put aside as they came to the end of her path. Standing a dozen meters or so from the edge of the water, they were in clear view of the lake. "Here we are," Rarity offered, gesturing to the spot where she had drawn water so many times. "The exact spot that I saw the beasty less than an hour ago." The kroot spread out, while the hooved bipeds stood on either side of Rarity, following her pointed hoof. The pair spoke over Rarity for a moment before the scientist clicked the box and talked directly into it. "How exactly did you come to see the creature?" asked the tiny machine. "I went down to the water's edge, and drew some water," Rarity replied. For a moment, Rarity worried that she may be forced into repeating such a motion. When that request or demand was not made and the warrior began speaking to the kroot, Rarity breathed a sigh of relief. "So," Rarity began, stepping a bit closer to the scientist. "How far away is your village or encampment?" "Our temporary base camp is not far, though our more permanent settlement is on the other side of the planet," answered the machine after translating for its owner. "There we are constructing a research station near the gue'vesa relay facility." For a moment it sounded like the machine had tried to say human and helper at the same time, but chose instead to say gue'vesa. The statement also earned a bit of ire from the warrior, who glared at his companion and muttered something under his breath. "I probably should not have said that," muttered the scientist somewhat guiltily. "Though I think the odds of you being some manner of infiltrator or violent Xeno species is unlikely." "I hardly have a violent bone in my body," Rarity proclaimed. "Well I hope that is a lie, as I think they are nearly ready to begin," stated the scientist, who paused. "We should probably take a few steps back." Rarity and her companion did so, walking several paces into the tree line where they paused. Once out of the way, the hooved warrior gave a hand signal before shouldering his weapon. Two of the kroot were arrayed around the narrow opening between the rocks while their smallest companion stood atop one of the taller white stones. The largest of the three avian creatures hefted a basketball-sized stone up onto his shoulder. He then took a step forward and shot put the thing into the lake, where it made a loud goosh noise. Heavy enough to break through the thicker, gooey top layer, it quickly disappeared beneath the liquid. The group sat in silence, the four warriors with their tube things pressed firmly against their shoulders and aimed at the gap. They remained in that same, tense position for several minutes before one of the kroot finally relaxed. Glancing back at the hooved warrior, he seemed to ask if he should throw another, as he pointed down at a second stone. The response started to leave the leader's mouth when a sharp barking noise from the one atop the rocks stopped them. Immediately all eyes turned back to the water, weapons pointing to a greenish blob making its way in their direction. Again, everyone tensed back up just in time to see a large reptilian head burst free of the water. It barely managed to break through the gooey upper level of the lake when a deafening crack nearly knocked Rarity to the ground. It was joined by several others, including the repeated thwip noise that came from the hooved warrior's tube thing. The effect was immediate, with the reptilian creature recoiling in surprise, wounds opening up all over its head. The kroot weapons were loud, and powerful, and tore chunks out of the crotalid's flesh, punching deep into its body. The hooved warrior's weapon was more elegant, firing white blur projectiles that moved nearly as fast as light. When these hit they burned like tiny suns, searing away sections of the creature and even blinding it in one eye. Though the damage was significant, the crotalid was not defeated yet and lurched forward with a roar on its lips. Surging up the bank and onto land, it accepted the plethora of fire seemingly without complaint or notice. All while bellowing in rage, its powerful voice making Rarity's teeth vibrate in their sockets. Too paralyzed by fear and surprise, Rarity couldn't move, though she didn't need to. The team of mostly kroot adapted quickly, stepping back and continuing to fire at the charging creature. More hunks of brownish-green flesh were cut from the central mass, though the damage didn't seem to slow it down. That was until the skinnier kroot leaped from his position atop the rocks, weapon raised high above his head. Like the rest of his kin, this smaller avian's gun had a carved spike of bone attached to the end, enabling it to be used like a pick axe. Which the screaming kroot planted directly into the top of crotalid's head, stopping it dead in its tracks. Instantly all strength left the creature, and it slid to a stop a few feet closer to the hooved warrior. Who merely stood there, weapon trained on the crotalid until it finally came to a rest. After a moment of hesitation, he clicked something and took a step back, the tube thing resting against his shoulder. He then shared what sounded like congratulations with the kroot, who whistled and barked atop the dead thing's head. His fellows joined in, patting their comrade on the back, and adding their own words of praise as well. The celebration was brief, as the three avians soon spread out, and began to retrieve knives from amongst their gear. "W-what?" Rarity stuttered. "I thought you were going to relocate it." The scientist seemed amused, and he paused briefly before responding. "Crotalids cannot be safely returned to their natural habitat." "But why?" Rarity demanded. "Surely if you can travel the stars you can bring that poor creature back to its home." "The crotalid is no ordinary animal," the scientist replied. "They are able to travel great distances using some unknown phenomenon. Once they reach their destination they consume everything, and then migrate again, sometimes appearing on worlds light years away." "That's..." Rarity murmured. At first, she thought it was a lie, but the scientist's face betrayed no emotion save for a mild sense of amusement. It was the kind of joviality she had seen in Twilight when the alicorn had spoken of some obscure fact she knew. Either way, there wasn't much she could do about it at that point, so Rarity just stood there, watching as the kroot began to cut chunks off the thing. The macabre ritual was disturbing, but not Rarity's focus, as that was the crotalid itself. Though familiar in its overall shape, size, and generally intimidating appearance it was not identical to the last one she had seen. This one sported the same crown of spikes upon its brow, though the centermost spine was broken off near the base. "That's weird," Rarity murmured. "What?" asked the scientist. "This one is smaller, and the one I saw had all of its horns," Rarity answered. The scientist stiffened and began shouting to his companions in their own language. Immediately they abandoned their attempt to harvest the beast's flesh. Grabbing their rifles, they managed to get a few steps before a second green shape burst free from the water's edge. Its approaching shape was nearly invisible due to the deep red, almost brown blood of its kin, the crotalid could only be seen once it emerged. The second it broke free of the goopy residue, the crotalid surged forward, a bellowing roar bursting from its lipless maw. The kroot shouted a warcry of their own but were barely audible over the large creature scrambling towards it. Rifles cracked, and piffed, peppering the reptile's head with a variety of projectiles. Though just as effective as tearing through flesh, the group of four was not nearly as organized the second time around. They had no time to set their footing or take proper aim before being forced to fire at the enraged beast. In an instant, it was nearly all the way up the bank having sustained no serious injuries in the process. Bits of its teeth, went flying, and hunks of muscle were ripped free but it barely even seemed to bleed. What few vital points the monster had could not be hit, sending a sense of panic through the group. The scientist hastily tapped at the glass panel on his wrist, causing the floating machine to descend. It unleashed its own smaller blaster but that too had little effect on the monster. Who had reached the scrawny kroot before he had a chance to slip out of reach. A fang-filled maw lurched towards the avian creature, snapping around his leg and dragging the male to the ground. A scream of agony and panic tore from the injured kroot's lips, spurring his allies to action. Firing until their weapons were empty, the kroot descended, using their projectile throwers like axes. The long spikes at the end sunk deep into the creature but seemed unable to locate anything other then tough scales or large muscle. Unbothered by its foe's attacks, the crotalid threw its jaws to the left and then swung its head to the right. Releasing the kroot in mid-air, only to chomp right back down on his head, shoulder, and the majority of his upper body. In an instant, the avian creature's cries went silent, and a moment later the only thing left of him was a half-eaten arm. The crotalid, injured but still enraged, spun on the closest enemy, and lurched towards him with mouth open wide. With his weapon already raised, the kroot probably thought himself lucky, as this looked like a perfect opportunity. Jamming his weapon into the creature's mouth, the kroot warrior fired off the last two remaining shots he had. Clearly expecting to be victorious, he did not notice the jaws clamping down on his arms. Razor sharp teeth tore through flesh and bone alike, severing the kroot's limbs and leaving him in shocked confusion. The only other avian alien left shoulder checked his ally out of the way before the crotalid could finish him off. Rolling to the ground, the clearly most experienced hunter of the lot sprang back up and fired several shots from a handheld tube. Each projectile struck true, but did little damage, most getting stuck in the reptile's abnormally thick hide. The crotalid moved to pursue the sole kroot still standing, but the hooved warrior was swift to cover his ally's flank. Pouring on white-blue projectiles he was aided by the hovering metal device and was successful in making the crotalid miss. Briefly blinded by the burning assault, the beast struck a tree instead of its target, enraged but mostly uninjured. It wasted no time in turning on its newest attacker, surging at him with clear intent on ending his life as quickly as possible. It was obvious that he was not nearly as quick-footed or as dexterous as the kroot though. Weighed down by his armor, and weapon, the hooved warrior was surprisingly fast, but not fast enough. A furious clicking drew Rarity's attention down to her cowering companion who was pressing something on his wrist. Looking back, Rarity expected to find that another of her associates was either dead or dying in the jaw of the beast. That was not the case, however, as the flying metal thing had ducked low, firing off every shot it could in an effort to make itself a bigger target. The effort warped the barrel of the thing's now red-hot weapon, but the thing made no complaints. Sure enough, the crotalid seemed to see it as its biggest target and snapped its jaws shut on the floating device. Cut completely in half, the drone beeped once and went dull, flickering lights finally turning off. That was all the distraction the hooved warrior needed, as he moved back behind a tree and began firing from cover. The kroot added to the volley by shooting his large club-like projectile thrower into the crotalid's back. Far from the tight, disciplined, and well-aimed shots of before, the pair were clearly hoping that they would hit something vital on accident. It didn't seem to do much to the enraged crotalid, save confuse the creature, and leave it without a clear foe. Spinning around, its beady red eyes latched onto Rarity, and the biped she was hiding in the bushes with. The moment it looked at them it began to use its enormous limbs to propel itself in their direction. The scientist scrambled backward, shocking Rarity out of her state of confusion and prompting the pony to run as well. As she ran, she heard the kroot and hooved warrior try to get the crotalid's attention, to no effect. Through one bush, and out the other side, Rarity pumped her hooves as fast as she could manage without tripping. Her companion did the same, though it was clear he did not know these woods like Rarity did. She knew to keep your steps brief, so as to avoid the many roots of the mushroom trees. The scientist did not, and soon found himself tumbling to the spongey forest floor, wind instantly knocked out of him. Rarity stopped and was about to offer him a hoof in assistance when she realized how close the crotalid had gotten. By the time the synapses in her brain made the connection, the bottom half of the male was in the beast's mouth. Hefted into the air, he was quickly torn completely in half, his blood painting the trees, and Rarity a bright purple color. As she screamed, the crotalid devoured the bottom half of its meal and was about to bite down on what remained of him. In that instant Rarity knew that if she did not do something she would be next and her scientist friend would be dead. Though most likely already mortally wounded, Rarity held out hope that he could be saved, if only she did something. The spell matrix to mana bolt leaped to mind, and in the blink of an eye, she began to cast the relatively simple spell. Yet try as she might, her sparking horn refused to complete it, power rushing through the appendage in such quantity that she couldn't concentrate. Closer and closer the crotalid got to the dying biped lying gasping at Rarity's hooves. Just as the creature was about to finish off the bleeding male, Rarity felt something snap, and with a scream, she finished the spell. Putting everything she had into the bolt, she aimed her horn down at the crotalid's face. A beam of red and black with trace flickers of blue burst forth from the mare blinding her completely. It lasted only a second, but it left Rarity completely winded, and with a pounding headache the likes of which she had never felt before. The unicorn swayed on her hooves, eyes rolling in their sockets as she tried to locate the crotalid. Try as she might, she couldn't seem to find the creature, only a sizzling, headless corpse where the beast should be. There was yelling, and soon the kroot as well as the other bipedal creature appeared. "Are they, are they okay?" Rarity asked, the mare straining to make her vision stop swimming. Squinting hard, she was able to see that the armless kroot was alive, but only barely, his companion tending to his wounds. The hooved warrior glanced down at his kinsman and shook his head before standing back up and eying Rarity carefully. He then spoke something that sounded like a command while pointing his weapon in Rarity's direction. He repeated the barking order, but Rarity barely even heard the end of it before she toppled forward, unconscious before she even hit the ground.
Warhammer 40k: Gemcutter	First Break	"And that was how I met my first aliens, almost died for the first time and killed for the first time," Rarity concluded, pausing to take a sip from her cup of tea. "And before you ask, no I did not editorialize anything. I merely avoided describing just how much I cried and how long I spent curled up in a ball too depressed to move." The unicorn took another long sip from her cup, savoring the sweet taste of apple and cinnamon that danced on her tongue. As she did so, she glanced out the window, inspecting Everfree City now that night had begun to fall. Ponies moved about the treetops, and guards continued patrols, the settlement remaining alive but much more withdrawn. Rarity quickly realized that it had been several minutes and no one had said anything. So she glanced over at her stunned friends and took in the full range of emotions on their faces. Applejack was angry but withdrawn as if she was thinking deeply on some topic. Rainbow Dash seemed to be struck between shock, and awe, the mare looking at Rarity with newfound respect. Pinkie Pie wore a forlorn expression on her face, hooves tucked tight against her body, and hair perfectly flat. Fluttershy appeared predictably distraught but also conflicted, no doubt attempting to rationalize what she had just heard. Twilight was perhaps the most predictable of all, as the pony was taking notes, writing questions, and formulating theories. From where Rarity sat, she could see that the majority of the purple alicorn's thoughts were observations on the Immaterium. Celestia was concerned but almost looked like she was expecting worse and was relieved somewhat. Luna was in a similar boat, though she was the least bit shocked, merely remaining silent out of politeness. Out of the lot of them, only Luna seemed ready to offer Rarity a shoulder if she needed it, though the dark alicorn knew Rarity didn't require it. At least not yet. "What the hay Rarity, that's freaking crazy!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, leaping up and standing on her seat. "Did all that stuff really happen?" "I swear that everything you heard is true. I would submit myself to a truth circle if you think it necessary," Rarity replied. "That ain't necessary. Y'all didn't lie. At least not about anything that mattered," Applejack remarked, the pony waving a dismissive hoof in the air. "Thank you Applejack... I think," Rarity murmured. "Were they really that bad?" Fluttershy whispered. "The crotalids?" "I'm afraid so Fluttershy," Rarity sat a little straighter, towering over nearly everyone in the room. "They eat and reproduce until they consume all available food before migrating elsewhere and repeating this process." Rarity smiled softly, and leaned over to Fluttershy, patting her on the leg. "If it makes you feel any better, the tau seem to believe that they are in fact a type of daemon, and aren't actually animals at all." Luna shrunk back into her seat at the mere mention of a daemon, while Celestia's jaw tightened. "Could these crotalid things be coming to Equestria?" Celestia inquired. "It's not impossible," Rarity answered, raising a hoof. "Though I'd say its incredibly unlikely, as the range on their teleportation ability is not far and our local area of space has mostly barren worlds as far as I'm aware." "That is true," Luna added. "Mother's barrier covers a significant distance of space." "Well that's... good," Fluttershy murmured. "I'm still not sure how to feel about it though. Did you meet any nice animals?" "Everything native to Ankila Three was quite nice," Rarity replied. "You gotta tell us more about those bad flanks that fought with you. They sound so cool," Rainbow Dash gushed. "Well, the kroot that lost his arms survived. And though he did eventually manage to regrow them he was relegated to a non-combat role. As for the scientist... well, as you expected he did not make it," Rarity answered. "A damn shame. He seemed like an honorable sort," Applejack remarked. "Indeed. These tau seem to be less xenophobic than the aliens that mother warned us about," Luna added. "Oh they have their own issues and I'll get to them but when compared to the other factions out there, the tau are rather tame," Rarity exclaimed. "Right," Twilight suddenly interrupted, picking up a long scroll. "Wait, where's Spike?" "I'm here," Spike offered as he entered the room, a clawed hand wiping his mouth. "Just, lost my lunch is all." "Perhaps we should break for dinner, or at least some fresh air," Celestia declared. "I just want to ask a few questions first," Twilight interrupted. "Make them short please," Rarity half asked, half ordered. "Right. This other world. What else did you learn about it?" Twilight began. Rarity slowly exhaled, picking up her teacup and swirling around its contents. "Oh, plenty. It's largely ignored by the wider galaxy and is really only useful to study the unique wildlife. The planet it orbits is a bit more valuable but not by much, with little in the way of useful ores being found there." "What about the chemical makeup of the atmosphere? And what kind of creatures lived there? What was that lake made up of? What-" Twilight's stream of questions was cut off by Rarity's magic forcibly closing the alicorn's mouth. "At a later date, we can discuss the finer details of Ankila Three. Until then keep your questions to yourself," Rarity stated. Twilight nodded quickly, prompting Rarity to drop the magical hold she had on the other mare's face. "You referred to the hooved bipeds as tau and the organization that included the kroot as the tau. Why is this?" Twilight asked. "It refers to both their species, and their organization, the tau empire. Of which they are the founding member," Rarity replied. "What were those tube things?" Twilight pressed. "The fire warrior used the rifle you saw earlier," Rarity declared. "As I saved his life in battle he was honor-bound to give me his weapon. Though he still locked it as I wasn't allowed to actually fire the thing." "What do you mean? What happened after that?" Twilight insisted. "I will get to that in due time. Now, are there any other questions?" Rarity asked. Twilight's hoof immediately shot into the air. "Perhaps we should have something to eat first," Celestia offered. "Maybe tomorrow would be a better idea as it would give everyone a chance to adjust their schedules, and relax," Rarity countered, glancing pointedly at Luna and Celestia. "An excellent idea, lady Rarity," Luna stated. Twilights shrunk and began gathering up her notes while the others slowly left the room. Barely a sound was uttered by anyone, and a few were rather quick to leave. Rarity couldn't blame them, for despite just how much they fought no one had ever died, not even an animal. "Hold, a moment," Rarity interrupted, stepping forward just as Luna was about to leave. "I was hoping to have a word with you." "Yes, what is it?" Luna asked, her voice slightly more standoffish than she seemed to have intended. "At a later date do you think we could share a bottle of wine and talk? I feel like you're the only one who really understands what I'm going through," Rarity asked, smiling somewhat sheepishly. "Yes, I suppose Celestia and I are the only ponies who have seen such violence first hoof as it were. Very well, a drink it is. Just let me know you would like to chat as it were," Luna replied. Rarity bowed slightly. "Thank you, your majesty. That means a lot to me." "Please, Luna is fine. We've long since gotten past the point of titles," Luna dismissed. "Very well, Luna," Rarity replied, rising from her bow. Following at the back of the group, Rarity observed as the majority of her friends split off. A few made their way towards the royal apartments, others the kitchen and two were headed in the direction of the library. Rarity observed as Spike waddled away, a stack of papers clutched tight against his chest. Quiet, and subdued, the dragon looked particularly unnerved and Rarity wondered not for the first time if it had been a mistake to include him. Pushing those thoughts from her mind, Rarity began to consider her next move. She would need more food, that much she realized almost immediately, but how she acquired substance was up in the air. That was until they neared the castle entrance, and Rarity noticed that a trio of ponies was standing there waiting for her. They had been speaking to the rather rough-looking griffon Rarity had seen earlier. That was until they heard the loud clacking of Rarity's hooves and turned to the mare as she approached. Her father, Hondo Flanks, mother, Cookie Crumbles, and sister, Sweetie Belle all gawked openly at Rarity. Hondo and Cookie were both put-off and didn't move initially. Sweetie Belle, however, all but leaped into Rarity's waiting hooves, burying her sobbing face in her elder sister's shoulder. That seemed to break the ice, and Rarity's parents joined a moment later, hugging their daughter tightly. Even Rarity felt her own internal barriers fall, and for tears to begin flowing, though she was quick to wipe away the pungent purple liquid that dripped from her eyes. "It is so good to see that you all are okay," Rarity exclaimed, gently pushing her family away. "I was so certain that I'd never see you again." "And we're glad that you are okay... you are okay, right?" Hondo remarked, leaning in close. Rarity chuckled. "Oh yes. Other than a bit of a make over I'm quite alright." "I thought you were gone forever!" Sweetie Belle howled, tears still trickling down her face. "We almost held a funeral for you but then your friends refused to give up and-" "Shh darling," Rarity interrupted, retrieving a handkerchief and patting the young mare's eyes. "I'm back, I'm in one piece, and I am ready to begin catching up." "Maybe we should go somewhere a little more private," Cookie offered. Rarity glanced at the small crowd of gawkers observing them or trying to get past them to the throne room. "An excellent idea. Perhaps a late dinner would be appropriate," Rarity offered. "Right, I know a great place on third. Follow me," Hondo declared. With the lone taking up the lead, the three females fell in behind without a word, content to simply enjoy each other's company for the moment. Sweetie Belle all but plastered herself to Rarity's side, silently gawking at her sister's armor and overall changes. Cookie was a bit more reserved, carefully inspecting each of Rarity's visible alterations with a critical eye. Rarity saw all this and merely smiled, taking it in stride, having seen such an outcome a mile away. Outside the castle, the streets had cleared somewhat, and what little traffic there was dwindling until it was nearly non-existent. Some shops and stalls stayed open, but the majority shuttered their doors and closed down for the night. Rarity thought it was a bit early for that, but nightlife wasn't exactly the first industry to come back after a conflict. Without many ponies or other creatures to get in their way, they made it to a small, out-of-the-way noodle place in little time. Operated by an aging griffon who didn't bat an eye at Rarity, the establishment was small but very cozy. Composed of a kitchen on one side, a row of barstools, and a single row of booths it didn't look like much but smelled amazing. "There we are, I told old Iron Guts to get us the usual. Hope your in the mood for something spicy," Hondo offered, the male plunking down in his seat and flashing Rarity a slightly weary grin. "Always," Rarity replied. "So... tell us about your... adventures," Cookie diplomatically remarked, having carefully chosen her words. "Oh don't rush the poor girl. She just got back," Hondo retorted. "It's quite alright, but I don't think it is an appropriate story for someone," Rarity replied, glancing at Sweetie Belle. Who frowned, and crossed her forehooves over her chest. "Hey, I don't know if you noticed but I'm an adult now." "I've noticed, but I still don't believe it," Rarity shot back. "I basically run carousel boutique for crying out loud! I've drank cider, I voted, I've... done all the things adults have," Sweetie Belle exclaimed. Rarity raised an eyebrow. "Oh, is that so?" "Y-yeah," Sweetie Belle murmured. "That's true. She's done a great job holding the fort while you were gone," Hondo declared, patting Sweetie Belle on the back. "Heck I'm surprised she didn't get a second cutie mark for sewing." "I'm not that good," Sweetie Belle muttered. "Oh pish posh dear," Cookie interrupted. "You've become a seamstress to rival even your sister." "I'd say she probably has the title, considering I'm a bit rusty," Rarity added. Sweetie Belle shrunk into her seat, blushing profusely. "Ha, so," Hondo cleared his throat. "Are ya gonna tell us what happened to get ya so tall? Kinda feelin' a bit emasculated here, to be honest." "All in due time," Rarity cautioned. "I'll tell you about my first few months on another world but after that, you can just join in on the little story time I'll be holding with my friends and the princesses." "Which I will be joining," Sweetie Belle declared. "No, you will not," Rarity retorted, narrowing her gaze at the younger pony. "I will," Sweetie Belle pressed on, unbothered by the pink miasma spilling from her sister's eyes. "Or I will just wait until after and hear the entire thing from Rainbow Dash." Rarity blinked, sitting back in her chair as if struck. "Rainbow Dash?" "Uh huh," Sweetie Belle stated. "She and I meet to talk about what romance novel we've been reading once a week and she can't keep a secret to save her life." "How did that come about? I know Rainbow Dash read but romance?" Rarity muttered in shock. "Oh it was just adorable," Cookie interrupted. "Rainbow Dash felt so bad about you being gone that she wanted to help out and do some of the things you did. She was quite reluctant at first but she totally fell in love." "I think we've read through your entire stash by now," Sweetie Belle piped up. "I... well," Rarity muttered, the wind billowing from her sails. "I suppose I don't really have a choice in the matter now do I?" "No, you don't," Sweetie Belle declared. Rarity smiled. "Then I suppose I should begin my tale." The clatter of bowls stopped Rarity before she could continue speaking. The mare barely had a chance to notice the enormous gallon of noodles in front of her before the server walked away. He left a box of chopsticks, some napkins, and a couple of flavor packets that had writing on it in a language Rarity didn't understand. "Talk later, food now," Hondo declared, cracking his chopsticks. "I bet you're looking forward to some Equestrian food," Cookie offered. "Come on Rarity. Your story can wait. Let's see who can finish theirs first!" Sweetie Belle challenged. "A lady must have proper table manners... but," Rarity smiled. "A lady never backs down from a challenge."
Warhammer 40k: Gemcutter	Interrogations Begin	Rarity settled into her seat, adjusting her armored body so she could sit comfortably for an extended period of time. Thankfully it seemed as though this seat was one Celestia favored as it was a bit more reinforced than the last one. That particular chair hadn't been made for the increased bulk of someone in armor, and who was alicorn sized. This was perfect, had an end table sitting next to it, perfect for holding a sandwich or some tea or perhaps both. The view was nice from her position near the back of the room, wall situated directly behind the seated pony. A bit of adjustment insured that the rest of the seating was angled nicely, hiding the fact that she had moved everything to her liking. The room was empty, so no one was there to complain about her moving. Either way, Rarity doubted that anyone would mention it, given especially since it looked nice this way. Not quite as nice as the view, though that was hard to beat. Overlooking the still chaotic gardens being slowly reclaimed from the forest, there were plenty of colors save for the omnipresent green of the trees. After a long glance out the window, Rarity looked back at the room, noting that there was just enough seating for everyone. Whenever they woke up that was, as the sun was only now poking its first tentative rays through the canopy above. Enjoying the quiet, Rarity relaxed, her mind churning over how best to discuss the next part of her story. Her musings were interrupted when Luna knocked once and immediately entered the room. The alicorn's shoulders relaxed, and a soft smile came to her face the moment she laid eyes on Rarity's seated form. "You certainly are an early riser," Luna remarked, stepping inside and closing the door behind her. "I didn't think you would be quite so eager to start another session discussing your adventures, at least so soon anyway." "Yes, well. I don't require much sleep anymore, so I thought I'd stop by a bit earlier and get everything ready," Rarity replied. Luna nodded, her gaze slowly moving about the room. "The twilight tea room. An excellent choice." The room lived up to its name, with the walls closest to the floor being a dull purple but slowly transitioning to gold when it reached the ceiling. This transition between night and day was prevalent everywhere, from the chairs to the tables to the decorations adorning the walls. "One of the few original rooms to survive, thanks to a preservation ward. It may be a bit on the nose, and a bit gauche as you might say, but I've always liked it," Luna remarked aloud. "Yes, well, sometimes being bold can be misconstrued as being blunt or brutish when in reality you are merely being honest," Rarity added. Luna nodded. "Very fair." The pair was quiet for nearly a minute while Luna looked about the room, clearly deep in thought. Rarity wanted to offer some compliment, or start a conversation, but held back as something odd caught her attention. For a moment, Luna's body seemed to flicker ever so slightly, as if she was wearing a glamor or some other minor illusion spell. Knowing how rude it was to ask for such details, Rarity kept that information to herself. "I bet no one's even here yet," whined the distinct voice of Rainbow Dash from beyond the room. "We should all go back to sleep." "You heard the guard, Luna and Rarity are here. Besides, we saw her parents walking up and she wasn't with them," Twilight retorted. "Would you two quit gabbin and just knock on the door already?" Applejack interrupted. "Oh, right," Twilight muttered. Before the purple alicorn could actually do so, Rarity cut her to the chase by opening the door with her magic. "You may come in," Rarity greeted, extending a hoof towards the open chairs. Predictably, Twilight was first through the door, the alicorn wearing a rather sheepish expression on her face. The rest of her friends were close behind though, filing into the room and quickly finding spots while Twilight remained standing. "Before we uh start. I was hoping to apologize for yesterday," Twilight began. Rarity blinked. "And what would you have to apologize for?" "We," Applejack interrupted. "We're hoping to apologize for not quite being as supportive as we would have liked." "Some of us were a bit caught off guard by how bloody that story ended," Pinkie Pie murmured barely loud enough to be heard. Fluttershy nodded alongside Pinkie Pie. "Well, I'm sorry to say that things don't get much better from here. In fact, I'd say its only going to get worse. Much worse," Rarity declared. "Oh... oh my," murmured Fluttershy. "I can spare you the more grizzly details but I can't avoid them all," Rarity continued. "Surely there is some way to politely sidestep the worse of it," Luna offered. "I will do my best, though I will not sugarcoat what Discord did to me. Everyone needs to hear what that monster put me through," Rarity replied. "Well it's not like he put the crotalid there," Spike spoke up. Rarity spun on the small drake, flashing him a dangerous glare. "It's hardly relevant if he put that beasty there. I would not be in that situation if not for him." "R-right, s-s-sorry," Spike muttered, slipping behind the couch in order to avoid Rarity's gaze. "Apologies darling," Rarity quickly exclaimed. "You may all defend him if you'd like though I'd prefer if you kept such opinions to yourself if that may be the case." Fluttershy seemed a bit defeated but other than that no one had any complaints, or at least had the bravery to speak them anyway. "So," Rarity began. "When will Celestia be joining us?" "She won't be," Luna replied. "She trusts me to relay her the most important parts while she and the under council handle the day-to-day management of the country." "You mean those buncha jerks that tried to fine Twilight for saving their lives from Tirek?" Rainbow Dash demanded. "I did blow up that one guy's mansion though," Twilight murmured halfheartedly. "He is a jerk," Fluttershy whispered. "Treated his servants like trash too," Pinkie Pie added. "Yes yes, lord Spoon is not exactly known for being kind but unfortunately he is quite wealthy and is a disturbingly good coordinator," Luna sighed. "Plus, try as I might, Celestia still relies on him too much to be rid of the old codger. So... where were we going with that?" "The bourgeois must be eliminated for true freedom to rain?" Applejack offered. "I mean that too, but I think Rarity was about to begin her tale," Luna exclaimed. "Before you begin just let it be known that we were sorry for not being as supportive. I know I speak for everyone when I say that we will do better, and try not to be as judgemental. Especially without hearing the whole story first," Twilight proclaimed. The rest of Rarity's friends, including Spike, all nodded to varying degrees of enthusiasm. "I appreciate it darlings but don't push yourself. I have unfortunately grown rather used to violence, blood, and the like so I'm afraid I don't think much of my tale," Rarity added. "We can handle it," Pinkie Pie proclaimed. The door opened suddenly, and the familiar face of Sweetie Belle poked inside. "Oh, there you guys are. Hey mom, dad. Rarity's over here!" Called the young mare. Walking inside, she was joined a moment later by Rarity's parents, one of whom was rather flush with embarrassment. "I coulda sworn it was on the east side," muttered Hondo. "Musta gotten mixed up somewhere." "Next time we are stopping and asking for directions," Cookie declared, holding up a hoof and cutting her husband off before he could speak. "And I don't care about your pride. This is exactly like our second honeymoon all over again." Rarity chuckled. "Welcome, Sweetie, mom, dad. Have a seat, I was just about to begin." The three newest arrivals did just that, plunking down in a rather luxurious loveseat just big enough for the trio of Belles. "Did I miss anything?" Sweetie Belle asked, glancing at Rainbow Dash. "Nah, you haven't missed anything sport," Rainbow Dash exclaimed. Rarity merely rolled her eyes. "Now then, if everyone is ready I am going to pick up after I regained consciousness." "That was after the whole crotalid thing, right?" Twilight asked, the alicorn having pulled several quills, an ink well, and numerous sheets of paper from an extra-dimensional storage space. "Yes," Rarity answered. "I woke up far from my little base camp, and though I was initially quite happy to be inside finally, my mood would soon sour." Rarity awoke groggy, and barely able to grasp what was going on or where she was. That only changed slowly as more and more of her senses returned to her. It started with her hearing which picked up what sounded like beeping and hushed conversations in a language she didn't understand. After that she felt a bed under her, a blanket over her, and a pillow beneath her head. She then smelled the distinct aroma of chemicals used to purify the air, as well as the heady aroma of plastic. Opening one eye, she looked up to find that a large pair of mechanical arms hovered over her head. Exposed joints were covered with plastic sheathes, and at the end, there were four metal fingers extended but currently immobile. Closing her eye, she breathed slowly in and out, taking stock of her body while resisting the urge to panic. She felt like she was on the verge of mana burnout, though her magic did at least feel normal now. Whatever had been plaguing her had been expelled, or burned away, allowing her well to slowly refill. The process was slow but steady, her reserves already fairly topped off despite how little time she felt as though she had been out. The headache she had felt coming on before falling unconscious was still there, but thankfully not nearly as bad. Her entire body ached, her mouth was dry, and everything else generally felt fairly terrible, though at least there wasn't much pain. After she was certain she wasn't suffering anything worse than a particularly bad hair day, she opened her eyes once more. This time she was greeted with what looked like an array of marble-like eyeballs at the end of a mechanical arm. "Ahhh!" Rarity screamed, lurching off the bed. The fall to the ground was longer than she would have liked, and though winded by the sudden impact, Rarity scampered away as quickly as possible. Her hooves hit the polished metal floor and carried her across the room, directly into a nearly invisible window. As she slumped to the floor, having lost what little dignity she had left, Rarity peered out to find that several bipeds were only a few feet away. All that separated them was nearly a foot of transparent glass harder than any metal Rarity had ever felt before. Though mostly obscured by lights pointed at her containment cell, the fashionable mare could see a few of them. Most were tau, a few lacked the distinct blue skin and lack of nose, but were generally the same body structure, if a bit taller on average. Each one wore a similar get-up as to the scientist that Rarity had seen before, though not quite as thick. "Wait, is uh... Fio'La Fi'rios Arah okay?" she asked, suddenly standing up. The mare was proud of herself for having remembered his name despite only being told once. Though that pride was somewhat hampered by the fact that she was fairly certain she knew the answer to that question. Still, she waited, staring down a confused biped that had been working on a machine that sat below her cell. "Repeat," came a monotone voice from above Rarity. "Is Fio'La Fi'rios Arah okay?" Rarity pressed. There was a slight commotion amongst the bipeds before finally, the voice returned. "He has passed," it responded. Rarity sniffed, the mare barely holding back tears. She had only known the male for minutes, but she knew that he had been a good person. Not wanting anyone to see her cry, Rarity looked back at the room she had woken up in and found that it was indeed a cell. There were no entrances, no exits, and very little in the way of furniture save for the bed which sat in the center. Save for that, there was also a tiny end table made for someone quite a bit taller than her and had deep enough drawers that she could nearly sleep in one. Other than that there was just a trio of mechanical arms and the strange mass of metal eyes that hung above the bed. Other features were sparse, though Rarity noticed two things that were off, one was a bit more obvious than the other. A section of the ceiling had a large panel on it, which was likely how she entered the room in the first place. The other was a weapon mounted on the outside of her cell. Sitting on a seethrough plaque, Rarity recognized it as the strange weapon the other tau had been using on the crotalid. It hung at just the right height for Rarity to read the words inscribed into the plastic at its base. "In service of the greater good," Rarity whispered. Pushing that odd bit from her mind, Rarity continued her inspection of the surrounding area outside her cell. She couldn't see much due to the lights shining in on her still, but what she could see was a bit at odds with her current domicile. The clean lines and simplistic architecture were forgotten and replaced by a dark grey bordering on black boxes. These bulky machines had green displays that flickered under the low light of the space just outside of Rarity's cell. As if on a pedestal or stage, these workstations sat below Rarity, allowing their operators to gaze up at her should they feel the need. They mostly kept to their work, however, with the exception being an unusually tall creature that Rarity hadn't seen before. Standing a full head above the other aliens, this one wore a dark scarlet robe edged in gold and made to appear gearlike. A deep hood hid the majority of their features though when it stopped to look at Rarity, she was able to see the creature's face. Or at least she assumed it was a face, as there was only a flat expanse of metal adorned with blinking red devices and two long tubes where a face would normally be. Shuddering in disgust, Rarity unconsciously stepped back, eyeing the strange thing on the other side of the glass. Standing on four metal legs much like a spider, it also had two arms like most bipeds, though one seemed to be a mass of metal cables that squirmed with a mind of their own. From a large metal, backpack extended a mechanical arm with two large pincers on one side and a large glass tube half filled with a glowing green liquid. "Someone's had quite the terrible makeover," Rarity muttered to herself. The robed metal monster spat what sounded like a blurb of electronic gibberish mixed with what noise over the speaker. Then it stalked away, its metal legs clanking loudly against the grated floor. The sound was incredibly unpleasant, and immediately put Rarity even more on edge than she had been before. Which was an achievement in itself. "Would someone please fetch me Shas'La Ka'Mais Bun'ur?" Rarity paused. "I think I said that right. Anyway, he should be able to clear this whole mess up in no time." It took only a moment before a familiar face became visible on the other side of the glass. The tau leaned down and spoke into a microphone. A moment later his translated voice came through the speaker above Rarity's head. "There is no confusion miss Rarity. You have been placed in containment for the safety of the staff and personnel of this base," declared the machine. "What? I'm no danger to any of you. Why I've never even..." Rarity's comment died on her lips the moment a memory flashed through her mind. The image of the crotalid's corpse was thrust to the forefront of her thoughts, transporting the mare back in time. The smell of burnt flesh, blood, and mud-filled her nostrils to the point of bursting. She could hear the cries of the injured kroot, the dying tau, and the soldier yelling commands over the confusion. Then she was back in the cell once more, confused, shocked, and more than a little disgusted. "My goodness. I killed that poor thing," Rarity murmured. "I've been told this is common for psykers though I've only ever seen it happen once on the battlefield. That was before last week," came the voice. Rarity looked down at the tau in confusion. "Last week? How long have I been out?" "A little over six days. It would have been less but we had to pump your stomach, filter your blood and clean out all the parasites you had," remarked the tau. "Excuse me. I do not have parasites," Rarity declared, crinkling her nose in disgust. "Not anymore," replied the tau after the translator had a chance to do its work. "The water. Boiling it didn't clean it enough," Rarity murmured. "That is the most likely probability. The critters on this moon are strangely hardy. Enough of that though, I have something to say," even through the translator, the weight of Shas'La Ka'mais Bun'ur's words weighed heavily on Rarity. "You likely saved my life, and you made an effort to save the life of Fio'La," he began. "As such I grant you my weapon. With that, my honor is restored, and my conscience clean. I leave you now in the capable hands of I-V S3I/H8T, our chief biologist." "Wait, wait!" Rarity called, but the tau had already turned and left. In his place stood the towering, metal spider creature Rarity had seen earlier. "Final medical examination will begin momentarily. A question period will follow, proceed by live testing of subject's psionic aptitude," declared the grating, slightly feminine tone of what Rarity assumed was the spider creature. "Advise rest." "What, what are you talking about? Hello? Who are you?" Rarity shouted. The spider creature was already striding away, quickly vanishing amidst the bright lights shining in on Rarity. Left with nothing else to do, Rarity retreated back to the bed, silently hoping that this all wasn't going to end up quite as terribly as it seemed it was going to.
Warhammer 40k: Gemcutter	Phase One	Rarity was startled to find that she had managed to drift off after laying down on the strangely plasticy bed. The sheer exhaustion she felt had evidently hit her harder than she had anticipated, but now it was wearing off. The ache in her bones and pain at the back of her head remained, but they were smaller now. It didn't feel as though she had been asleep for long, but it was also impossible to know for certain if that was true. There was no clock, no sun, no windows, just a white void, and the ever-present lights shining in on her cell. Accidentally staring into one of those blinding orbs immediately jolted Rarity into full wakefulness and caused her headache to flare. "Do you think you could turn down the lights a little?" Rarity asked. Her request went unheeded, and she sat up in the bed in order to glare down at where she thought she saw someone. Despite the power of her disapproving glare, nothing changed, and she fell back into her bed with an annoyed huff. No sooner had she closed her eyes and begun to pretend as though she was back home, when the speakers come to life, ruining the moment. "Rise, subject thirty-two," ordered the unpleasant voice Rarity associated with the spider-legged creature she had seen earlier. Rarity groaned but did as was demanded of her, sitting upright in the bed. "Would it kill you to say please?" "Extend forelimbs and await inspection," stated the voice. Rarity grumbled some more and raised her forelegs, holding them there impatiently. She didn't have to wait long before the mechanical arms as well as the mass of machine eyeballs descended. One grabbed her right foreleg, while the other wrapped a tight strap around the limb. She was then subjected to several pokes, prods, and squeezes that continued no matter how much she complained. When it was done, the pony retracted her limb and rubbed the fresh holes that had been punched into it. Though not much larger than a syringe, they hurt quite a bit and left behind a strange aching feeling. "How uncouth. The least you could do is inform me of what you have planned," Rarity remarked aloud. "Subject consent is not required," replied the unfeeling creature. Rarity wanted to complain, to demand answers, or freedom, but for once, held back on that particular impulse. It felt like a wasted effort for some reason, but thankfully Rarity still had some hope that she would be able to be a free mare once more. "I hope you've taken all the readings you require," Rarity offered. "Affirmative. Subject health within acceptable parameters," replied the voice. "Commencing phase two." There was a brief pause, during which the mechanical creature stepped up to the glass, allowing Rarity to see its strange form more clearly. "What is your species designation?" He asked. "Pony, but I am from the unicorn tribe, as you may be able to tell from the horn," Rarity answered, gesturing to the appendage on her head. "What level is your cultural development? For example, do you organize primarily via family units?" pressed the creature. "And so went over two and a half hours, broken only by awkward bathroom breaks taken in full view of everyone, of questions posited by that unfeeling beast," Rarity exclaimed with disgust. "Fret not, however, I gave him no specifics or revealed any secrets I was asked to keep." "No wonder you don't like Twilight's questions," Pinkie Pie offered. "Yeah, I'm kinda feeling bad about that now," Twilight murmured. "You couldn't have known darling. Though I would appreciate it if you were a bit less enthusiastic when it comes to your curiosity. The memory of that emotionless ruffian is still a painful one," Rarity added. "What is the possibility that this tau empire will invade?" Luna questioned. "Non-existent," Rarity paused. "Or close to it anyway. Their sphere of influence, at least in the scale of the entire galaxy is fairly small." "That's a relief," Fluttershy whispered. "I don't know, they sound pretty cool to me," Rainbow Dash exclaimed. "Your opinion of them will change, I promise you," Rarity replied. "What do you mean?" Twilight pressed. "You will see," Rarity answered, pausing to clear her throat and sit a little straighter in her seat. "After I spent several long hours enduring endless questions on Equestria, and its people, we advanced to the next unfortunate stage." "For the last time, I don't know enough about magic to answer that question," Rarity retorted with a groan. "I only know the more basic spells as I did not pursue study in the arcane at any higher level than high school." "To reiterate. The race you refer to as ponies, all have magical talents?" I-V S3I/H8T asked. "Yes! I've told you that a thousand times! Earth ponies can make themselves tougher and grow things, pegasi can manipulate the weather, and we unicorns can externalize our aura in order to cast spells," Rarity all but shouted, her voice cracking halfway through. Holding up a hoof, the mare grabbed the cup of water on her bedside counter and gulped down its contents. "Fascinating, an entire population of psykers that seem stable," murmured the voice before it picked up suddenly. "You are certain you have never heard of anyone summoning terrible creatures or going mad during or after the use of these 'spells' as you call them?" "Only once. Sweetie Belle had a minor magical flare but all she did was turn all the plates in the house green," Rarity exclaimed, her voice hoarse and barely more than a croak. "Subject vocal quality, dropping. Ending phase two," the robotic voice of I-V S3I/H8T declared. "Initiate phase three." "Oh thank the stars," Rarity muttered. The mechanical arms hovering above the unicorn's head collapsed and retracted back into the ceiling. They then reemerged, only this time, with five objects as well as a cage containing a rat that sported two large fanks, and a furry blue mane. The creature seemed confused, but was unharmed, running around its container squeaking. Turning her attention from the rather cute little critter, Rarity noted that the objects were just cubes of varied sizes, all stark white. "Stand on the floor," demanded I-V S3I/H8T. Rarity stepped down from her bed, watching as the cubes and the rat was placed several feet away from her. "What do you intend on doing with that furry little creature?" Rarity asked. I-V S3I/H8T ignored the comment and continued. "Pick up the smallest cube without touching it." "Augh, fine," Rarity murmured. Lighting her horn, Rarity winced as she tugged on her pool of mana for the first time in a while. Her magic was sluggish, and still recovering from being expended so violently a week earlier. The metal creature was patient, for once, giving Rarity the time she needed to bring her telekinetic field to bear on the smallest cube. With a small amount of exertion, she lifted it into the air, where it hovered for several seconds before being dropped. "I assume that is acceptable?" Rarity asked. "Lift the bigger cube, and hold it aloft for ten seconds," I-V S3I/H8T ordered. "You could at least say please," Rarity murmured. Lighting her horn, Rarity repeated the same task once more, lifting the second one up, holding it, and then finally dropping it. She wasn't sure what it was made of, but the second cube had been twice as heavy as the first one. Thankfully they were still relatively light, with the last one having reached the weight of a particularly heavy book. "Repeat the same task with the third cube," demanded the unfeeling voice. Rarity reluctantly did as was asked of her, stumbling only briefly as she adjusted her spell for the increased weight. This one was about the weight of her sewing machine but was only slightly larger than the second box. "Let me guess, pick up the fourth one?" Rarity asked sarcastically. "Affirmative." Rarity groaned once more, but knowing that there wasn't a way out of it, lit her horn once more. Wrapping it around the cube, she attempted to heft the thing into the air but found herself unable to do so. It was considerably heavier than the one that came before, reaching the weight of an entire wagon or maybe an anvil. "Lift the fourth cube, and hold it aloft for ten seconds," I-V S3I/H8T ordered. "I'm trying, it's heavy and I'm still suffering from mana burn," Rarity retorted angrily. "Lift the fourth cube-" "And hold it for ten seconds, I know!" Rarity snapped. Growling angrily, the unicorn lit her horn and with a bit of effort, managed to heft the cube from the floor. Holding it about three feet above the ground, Rarity found that she was having to expend a considerable amount of power. She hadn't had to lift something this large in a very long time, and like an ill-used muscle, her horn struggled to keep up. "-ten," Rarity declared. The moment the cube hit the ground, Rarity released a gasp, and nearly collapsed, her legs shaking. After a few calming breaths she stood back up and wiped the sweat from her brow, silently quite proud of herself. "Lift, and hold the fifth cube aloft for ten seconds," I-V S3I/H8T, or Hate as Rarity came to call them in her head, ordered. "I know!" Rarity shouted. "What part of 'I can't do you not understand, you overgrown toaster?" There was a short pause. "Administering encouragement," declared Hate. Rarity rolled her eyes. "You aren't exactly encouraging you know? Maybe if you offered me the chance to use a shower have a decent meal or use a real toilet rather than a hole in the ground I'd- yowch!" Rarity leaped forward and turned around to find that the mechanical arm had returned, only one of its fingers sported two prongs at the end. Between these metal spikes arced a series of tiny lightning bolts, each one just big enough to make a popping sound. "What are you doing?" Rarity demanded. "Lift and hold the fifth cube aloft for ten seconds," Hate's voice demanded. "I told you I ca-owch stop that!" Rarity shouted, batting the metal arm after it prodded her again. "Lift and hold-" "I know what you want you stupid machine! I am trying to explain why I- hey don't come near me with that!" Rarity warned. Backpedaling rapidly, Rarity avoided the arm right up until her butt hit the barrier of her cell. The moment this happened, the arm lurched forward and jabbed her in the midsection, sending thousands of volts into the pony's body. Her hair stood up on end and her body convulsed, muscles unable to keep her standing. "S-stop, p-please," Rarity begged. A moment later the arm retracted several feet. "Lift and hold the fifth cube aloft for ten seconds," Hate ordered. "Alright, fine," Rarity murmured. Standing on shaky hooves, Rarity stumbled back over to the cube and lit her horn once more. Grasping the box, she immediately knew that it was heavier by far than anything she had tried to lift. The only approximation was maybe Tom, the stupid boulder that Discord had forced her to become infatuated with. She was about to give up when she heard the rapid pop of electricity a few feet behind her. With a grunt, she hefted the thing into the air, her horn becoming almost painfully bright. The strain was immense, with Rarity able to feel what little reserves she had left quickly being burned. She tried to hold on, to keep what she had, but it was like grasping at sand, as it perpetually escaped her grasp. Not wanting to get electrocuted again, she resisted the urge to quit and held the rock aloft. Counting down the seconds, Rarity could feel her horn growing hotter by the second. Sweat poured down her face, her legs began to shake, and a pounding headache furiously began assaulting her mind. "Hnnngh, come on," Rarity muttered to herself. Seconds ticked by at a glacial pace, with each moment feeling like a short eternity. At the five-second mark she began to worry she might burn out a second time. Her aura began to flicker almost immediately after she began to consider that very real, and very uncomfortable possibility. "Augh!" Rarity cried. Her horn sparked, and her magic died, the pony hitting the ground at nearly the same time the cube did. Barely conscious, and breathing heavily, Rarity desperately resisted the urge to pass out. "I... did... it," she muttered. "Negative. Subject held the cube for only eight point six five seconds," Hate declared. "Administering encouragement." Rarity grit her teeth and waited for the bite of electricity. Only for the jolt to never arrive, leaving her confused. "Recalibrating," Hate stated, a second more distant voice whispering nearby. "Subject thirty-two's performance within acceptable parameters. Tests concluded." Rarity blearily looked up, watching as the arms grabbed the cubes, as well as the rodent, and retracted into the ceiling. A moment later the lights went out, and the strange glass-like walls of her containment cell darkened until she couldn't see out of them. "Testing will resume in nine hours," Hate proclaimed. A moment later, the speaker clicked, signaling that it had been disabled, at least for the moment. "Yaay," Rarity blearily muttered to herself. The pony glanced over at her bed all the way across the room. Lifting a leg, she tried to drag herself in that direction but found herself unable to do so. Attempting a second time resulted in the same response, so with great reluctance, she gave up. Laying her head on the cold ground, she pushed the scent of burnt hair from her mind. Focusing instead on the faint feeling of pride, and the pleasant sensation of the cool floor, she swiftly drifted off into a dreamless slumber.
Warhammer 40k: Gemcutter	Phase Two	"And thus began nearly two months of constant trials, questions, pokes, and prods," Rarity continued. "That damnable tech priest was relentless, barely giving me enough sleep before demanding I take part in another test." "How cruel," Fluttershy whispered. "Yeah, maybe these tau guys aren't the best," Rainbow Dash muttered. "But I thought that thing was a machine person which isn't a tau?" Spike offered, scratching his head. "I'm getting confused here." "I explained this before remember? The tech priest was a former member of the imperium of man, who became a member of the tau," Rarity replied. "Oh right. There's just a lot of names, and stuff getting thrown around," Spike murmured. "No kidding. Croatlids, tau, humans, alien empires. I feel like I need an encyclopedia just to know what's going on," Sweetie Belle muttered. "I don't like the sound of these humans. Despite a few working with the tau they seem... cold," Luna remarked. "You are lucky if you find one that is simply cold. The majority of them are intensely xenophobic and would sooner kill you than ask the time of day," Rarity answered. Luna frowned. "To think that the stars would be filled with so much hatred. Disappointing." "It's a dark, and grim place," Rarity added. "Surely there were some good things?" Pinkie Pie prompted. "It couldn't have all been bad, right?" Rarity hummed to herself. "I suppose there were moments of levity, and even a few times where I was able to use my special talent." "Really? Did tall dark and cold ask you for a makeover?" Applejack asked with a smirk. Rarity scoffed. "I wish. I'm not sure what was a worse crime. What they did to me or what they wore." "So, tell us of these times of levity. I do believe that a bit of good cheer is needed," Luna offered. Rarity's parents along with the rest of the room's inhabitants nodded as well. "I suppose so," Rarity admitted. "I will tell you a short tale about how I came to know Ardith. It all began after the first week of testing had come to an end, and-" Rarity grasped the edge of her bed and heavied with all the strength she had left in her body. Though the effort was titanic, the pony was able to pull herself up onto the thing and lay sprawled out. Her horn smoked gently, and every muscle in her body screamed at her, almost as much as her brain screamed that she was a mess. The urge to groom herself was only beaten by just how completely exhausted she was. However, the sting of her most recent string of tests left her unable to drift off into pleasant unconsciousness. So she lay there, staring at the ceiling and trying to conjure images of home in her mind in a desperate bid to ward off the feeling of loneliness. "I wonder what Sweetie Belle is up to right now," Rarity muttered to herself. It was then that she noticed that she could hear voices coming over the speakers. Though distant, they were audible, indicating that someone had accidentally clicked the microphone on and had forgotten about it. Seeing an opportunity, Rarity turned her head to where she knew the thing sat, and where I-V S3I/H8T usually stood. The towering cybernetic creature was not there, instead, there was a young human clad in the robes of a junior scientist. Only one among many of the hooded beings Rarity had seen through the glass, the human didn't seem to have any distinguishing features. Then she noticed the red eye visible just beneath the female's cowl, its light following after her hands as she cleaned the bank of cogitators. "Well hello there darling," Rarity called. The scientist paused and looked up at the pony, head cocked slightly to the side. "Yes, I was indeed greeting you," Rarity answered. "I hope you are doing well this evening, or at least I think it's evening." There was a moment of silent confusion before the young scientist leaned forward and spoke into the microphone. "It's actually morning," answered the untranslated voice of the woman. Rarity grinned. "Well that's good, I think." The researcher went to disable the microphone, only for Rarity to beat her to it. "Hold on a moment darling. Why don't we chat a little bit hmm? You can even continue working while we talk," Rarity interrupted. "That is... acceptable," came the reply over the speakers. Yes. Rarity thought to herself. "Well, you know my name darling so why don't we begin by you telling me yours," Rarity offered. "It is best not to tell a psyker your name, lest they curse you," answered the woman. Rarity rolled her eyes. "You know very well that I am not capable of such a thing. Now, don't be impolite darling." There was a moment of hesitation before the human replied. "Ardith. My name is Ardith," she stated. "Tell me about yourself Ardith. What do you do around here, hmm?" Rarity pressed. "I will not give you any information on my position or the station," declared Ardith. Rarity sighed. "Then don't. I am not asking you to. I am simply inquiring about you as a person. Surely you can tell me about... your favorite color?" "Mauve," came the response after a short confused pause. "It reminds me of my home world and the flowers that grew outside our home." "That's wonderful darling. I myself am rather fond of violet, though I've yet to find a shade of purple I have not enjoyed. Unlike yellow, so many unpleasant shades of that color," Rarity remarked, sticking out her tongue in disgust. "I suppose so. Though at last, it is not brown," the woman pointed out. Rarity chuckled. "Very true." "And so began a friendship that would begin rather standoffish, but would help to make my confinement at least a little more pleasant," Rarity explained. "I assumed she warmed up to you in time?" Fluttershy pressed. Rarity nodded her head. "Oh yes. She may have been a tech priest as well, but unlike that overgrown spider, Ardith had not started replacing her brain with metal parts." "That can't be good for ya," Applejack murmured. "Yes, that does seem like a bad thing," Rarity's mother remarked. "I don't know. If I could put a calculator up there that would really help me with work," Added Rarity's father. "Or maybe some kind of radio transceiver," Twilight muttered, mostly to herself. "Though useful, I'd advise caution in that field," Rarity warned. "I don't know which came first, but the head biologist became quite a cruel and calculating taskmaster." "Well it's not like that technology is anywhere close to real, at least in Equestria..." Luna paused and turned to Twilight. "Right?" "Oh yes it would take decades if not centuries for such advancement to come about and thats assuming it's even biologically possible for us in the first place," Twilight answered. "Regardless," Rarity interrupted, sitting forward in her seat. "I learned much of the tau, humanity, and the galaxy at large from Ardith. Though the companionship helped keep me sane, it was not to last I'm afraid." "What happened?" Pinkie Pie asked. "Don't tell me that spider dude messed everything up," Rainbow Dash remarked with a scowl. "I will tell you," Rarity replied. "You see it had been about two months since I had awoken in that damnable box when-" Rarity lay on her back, forelegs extended toward the ceiling. Above her danced an illusionary copy of herself, one that had been able to bath, trim her mane, and the like. The real Rarity, the one made of flesh and blood was nothing like the duplicate above her, as she was a mess. Her mane had grown long and unruly, her coat shaggy, and worse still, she stunk. With a sigh, she let the magical copy fade after it had completed its final pirouette. It felt nice to be able to use such a draining spell and barely feel winded, but that thought brought little relief. Though magically stronger than ever, she still didn't know any more spells then she had since she got here. The click of the microphone signaled the arrival of... someone, prompting Rarity to glance over at the usual spot. There stood a familiar, and thankfully pleasant face, one that wasn't more metal than flesh. "Good morning Rarity," greeted Ardith. "Oh it's so good to see you, darling," Rarity paused and narrowed her gaze, her vision now so used to the lights that she was able to peer past them with relative ease. "I see you took my advice in doing your mane, er hair I should say." "Yes it looks quite lovely, I must say," Ardith admitted, running a hand through her brown locks. "And to think it would take such little effort." "I told you a little bit would go a long way," Rarity remarked, rolling onto her chest and pushing herself up. "So, how did the date go, it seems like it went well. What with that spark in your one fleshy eye." Ardith giggled, a hand going to her cheek. "Oh, Rarity you can read me like a book. And yes, it did indeed go well. I didn't think that they would allow a human to court a tau, what with all their rules but here I am." "Tell me all about it," Rarity gushed, hopping off the bed and walking up to the glass barrier. "Did Varah appreciate the candle-lit dinner you had all setup?" "She loved it," Ardith admitted, pausing to giggle. "At first she thought it was a human intimidation tactic but after I explained things she seemed genuinely thrilled. We even set up another date for tomorrow night, and she's planning the whole thing." "And your verbiage? Not still struggling with those propositions I'd hope," Rarity pressed. Ardith shook her head. "No, I practiced it for hours the night before. Though I may not be able to pronounce some of the more complicated tau words like you seem able to, it was apparently quite endearing." "That's better than bad," Rarity countered. "I was hoping for romantic, but I can take just not being laughed at. That language is no joke. I wish everyone spoke binaric cant," Ardith confessed. "Yes, wouldn't that be convenient?" asked a new, and unfortunately familiar voice. "Unfortunately for subject thirty-two, it seems as though her vocal cords are too complicated for our implants." Rarity scoffed at the towering spider-like cyborg that stalked out of the gloom of a nearby doorway. "I would never allow my perfect singing voice to be mangled by one of your silly implants. No offense Ardith," Rarity hastily added. "A shame. Perhaps then you would be something approaching useful," I-V S3I/H8T remarked. "For as of right now you are much like junior researcher Ardith Mordain." "I've completed every work order given to me, head biologist," Ardith retorted. "I should rephrase that," remarked the large cyborg. "You have outlasted your true usefulness as a ploy to gain more information from our guest." "Ardith? Really darling? I trusted you," Rarity exclaimed. "I was never told to do that. I swear," Ardith professed. "She is telling the truth. I had merely left the microphone on, and manipulated her duties so that Ardith was nearby," I-V S3I/H8T admitted. "It didn't take much prompting for you two to hit it off as it were." "So that's why you mentioned that speaking to Rarity was not grounds for punishment," Ardith murmured. "I had hoped that a quote-unquote friendlier face would help garner more actionable intelligence from the subject. Unfortunately, that has not been the case," I-V S3I/H8T exclaimed, their sharp, spider-like limbs carrying them around the much smaller, much less augmented human. "And now you will assist me in another test." "Wait a moment. Surely she could just be transferred elsewhere. I've been told this is a rather large facility," Rarity interjected. "Y-yes," agreed Ardith. "Why I overhead sector five mention that-" "Silence," I-V S3I/H8T interrupted. "It is already decided. You will assist in testing subject thirty-two in a more vigorous manner than in previous." "What exactly are we testing for anyway?" Ardith inquired. "We will find out if my hypothesis on the stability of equine psykers is indeed correct," I-V S3I/H8T answered. The color drained from Ardith's face, while Rarity merely looked on in confusion. "What do you mean? Of course, I'm stable. We established this what... thirty times already?" Rarity pressed. "Though exceptionally resilient to the corruptive influence of the warp, no creature can truly be utterly free of its taint," I-V S3I/H8T explained. "All we need to do is push." "But if you are correct you could destroy the entire facility, nevermind kill the subject, and likely myself as well," Ardith retorted. "We have taken the necessary precautions to ensure that will not happen," I-V S3I/H8T stated. "Furthermore, the future of project wayfinder depends on these tests." "Project whatnow?" Rarity inquired. "Project Wayfinder," I-V S3I/H8T corrected. "Which aims to use your unique warp powers to aid in the creation of a new breed of navigators. Of course, that will take years, decades even, and would require the acquisition of many more of your kind but that is a concern for another time." "What is-" Rarity tried to ask. "Silence," I-V S3I/H8T barked. "I will not be taking any questions at this time. My patience has worn thin and I am eager to test the validity of my theory." "What would you have me do?" Ardith asked head bowed in subservience. "Go to the loading port, and wait there. I will transmit my orders once you have readied yourself," I-V S3I/H8T replied. "Ardith, you can't do what this thing says. I just know they are planning something terrible," Rarity pleaded. "I serve the omnissiah, not you. Subject thirty-two," Ardith shot back. With that the human walked away, exiting through a side entrance and vanishing from sight. "How dare you," Rarity began, rising up onto her back legs and jabbing a hoof at the cyborg on the other side of the glass. "Ardith did nothing wrong and doesn't deserve to be a part of whatever sick game you have going on." "She is a cog in the machine, as are we all. Even the tau," I-V S3I/H8T remarked. "We all serve to grease the great gears of progress, either with the sweat of our labor or with our blood." "What are you talking about?" Rarity demanded. "What does that have to do with anything, and what is this strange project you mentioned?" I-V S3I/H8T didn't initially respond, the cyborg visibly distracted for a moment before turning back to Rarity. "You see," they began, limbs clasped behind their back. "The tau move about the galaxy without the risks inherent in warp travel, but although safer, the method is not nearly as fast as traversing that other realm." "What is-" "Silence!" screeched I-V S3I/H8T, their face lighting up for a moment to reveal their mostly metal features. "Do not mistake this as a discussion, or conversation. I am merely using you as a sounding board for my own thoughts. Now then... where was I?" I-V S3I/H8T straightened and continued to pace. "Ahh right. The tau sunlight travel is good, but it could be better. Reproducing the necessary components such as Geller field generators and the like is nearly impossible, however. But-" I-V S3I/H8T held up a metal digit. "But what if there was a way to bypass this necessity by utilizing the organic Geller field generator that is that silly little horn poking out of your head." Rarity looked up at the ivory appendage curiously. "With the proper augmentations, and preparations we may be able to reproduce the power of the navigators. Only without all the madness, and instability that comes with a mortal mind brushing against the warp," I-V S3I/H8T remarked, not even speaking in Rarity's direction for the most part. "All we need to do now is find out just what happens when one of you equines breaks." "But if you kill me you won't be able to run any more tests!" Rarity exclaimed. "We can always put you back together again, and if we can't. Well, we have more than enough biological material in storage that we could simply clone more of you," I-V S3I/H8T replied. Rarity stood there aghast, jaw hanging open. "Aww good. Your new playmate is ready. Lower her into the containment cell and ready the containment protocols," I-V S3I/H8T barked, their voice turning into a mix of weird, harmonic static at the end. The pony fell back onto all fours and turned to look up at the large square set in the ceiling where the mechanical arms always emerged from. Sure enough, it had already pulled back into the ceiling, allowing one of the manipulator limbs to descend alongside a familiar figure. Ardith held onto the mechanical arm, riding it down into Rarity's enclosure, where she stood near the center, a dour expression on her face. "Ardith! Oh, thank goodness you are okay. After you disappeared I feared the worst," Rarity professed. The human didn't respond, at least not with words. Instead, they tossed a metal bar at Rarity, the hunk of pipe rolling across the ground and coming to a halt a few feet away from the pony. "What is this?" Rarity muttered. A burst of static drew Rarity's attention back to her tormentor, and head of biological research. "Commencing test number one hundred and thirty-six," I-V S3I/H8T began. "Subject thirty-two will now engage in combat with a junior researcher. This final stress evaluation should bring about more than enough evidence to sell this idea to tau upper command." "Combat, but I can't-" Rarity muttered. I-V S3I/H8T ignored the pony's murmurings. "Test begins in three, two, one, begin!"
The many issues of Playpony	pre	The next line was Ocellus's as the photo was of her bending over the desk as I fucked her. "I can't get enough of Roger. His penis, the way his love fills me". The last lines were on the double-page spread where their faces were covered in cum with my dick resting on their muzzles as they kissed each other. Ocellus's read. "The smell, so strong, so enticing. I love it" Smoulder's read. "Looks like I've found my treasure. Who needs jewels? When I have this to share with my friends". Now it was time for my next photoshoot, I've had loads of students asking me to shoot slash screw them for my next session But I've told them to ask Photo Finish for that and whenever they've complained that Ocellus and Smoulder were in the last two issues I've just told them that those two were representing their races as well as how well their separate races can work together. Thankfully, both Ocellus and Smoulder know better but it was something they've come up with just to help quell some of the potential jealousy that might arise from the other girls. As I entered my studio room, I saw Photo holding a parcel that had been wrapped up. The room itself had been changed to look like a post office as a familiar grey pegasi came into view. Photo walked up to me before dropping to her knees. "You shoot, I prepare you for your part," she said as she placed the package next to her before she started opening my pants. I readied my camera as I felt Photo fishing my dick from my pants, as she started stroking and licking me, Derpy started posing for me. The first few shots were of Derpy taking several parcels from one spot and placing them onto a trolly almost like she was sorting them out. She flashed me a smile as if to say "catch this shot" as she purposely took a misstep onto a parcel that was on the floor before doing the most amazing (safe) fall that I've ever seen. Sat down on the floor with her legs apart so I could see up her skirt, I took the next few shots before I realised she had somehow made the box land on her head like a hat. I also noticed the fall caused the top few buttons of her work blouse to pop off causing her lacey bra-clad cleavage to come into view. Taking a few more snaps. I felt Photo take me into her mouth as Derpy coyly started to play with her blouse. She started undoing the rest of the buttons before proudly exposing her chest to me. As she stood up, she allowed her skirt to ride up her hips as more of her panties came into view. Derpy posed for me before I felt Photo's mouth leaving my member only to place something else upon it just as Derpy started to approach me. Not missing a beat (granted I didn't know what Photo had done) I kept taking shots of Derpy as she came closer until she made a grab towards my crotch. Looking down, I saw a package where my member once was. Taking a photo, Derpy proceeded to move the package back and forth as I felt a wave of pleasure hitting me. Derpy then removed the package and showed me what had transpired. The package had a Fleshlight built into one side. I easily recognised the details on the fleshlight, the pussy and internal feelings were designed after Photo's own vagina. Speaking of Photo, She took the camera from me as Derpy placed the package onto the floor. Pulling her bra down, Derpy exposed her breasts as she rubbed her muzzle all over my dick until she decided to open her mouth to take my full length inside. Derpy proceeded to bob her head as Photo snapped away, taking every angle she deemed worthy. Derpy then removed me from her mouth before standing up, leading me by the hand, she took me over to an inactive conveyor belt that would be used for transporting the parcels. Derpy then bent over as she raised one leg into the conveyor belt before pulling her panties to the side. She looked back at me before saying, "No foreplay, I want you now". Taking the hint, I lined myself against her wet slit before slipping myself into her warm folds. As I pounded Derpy, I started removing my top knowing that the female readers would want to see more of me, I know Photo is loving what she's seeing. Pulling out for a second allowed Derpy to pull her panties off before turning around. Bracing herself against the conveyor belt, she raised both legs until her ankles were next to my head and over my right shoulder. Holding her with my right hand, my left proceeded to slip myself back into her before I resumed humping my hips into hers. "Don't stop" she pleaded, "fill me up. place your package into my storage space". It was kinda cute to hear her make a post based joke as she spurred me on. I noticed Photo taking a low angled shot of our genitals as she got ready for me to finish. "Don't pull out" Photo said as I felt my orgasm approaching, "stay inside her as you fill our postal mare". Obeying her, I sped up until I felt the first spurt escape the tip of my penis as Derpy and I came together. I stayed inside Derpy, fully hilted as the last wave of cum left my knob. I heard one last click of the camera before Photo gave my nuts a kiss as her hands helped to remove my bottoms. As I stepped out of my pants, my dick left Derpy's vagina before Photo gave it a quick suck. Photo then stood up before lowering her shades as she winked at me. Walking off with my camera, she gave my bottom a quick grope before leaving the room to develop the pictures. I turned back to Derpy who had removed her bra. Keeping her in my arms, I picked her up and carried her to the showers. "Imagine this," I said as the hot waters hit us. "When the next issue comes out, you'll be delivering yourself to me" I jokingly said as I screwed her under the shower.
Prose Equus	pre	He nods nervously. "A-aye, Your Grace!" before he looks to Tyr. "Milord! Heimdall claims something has escaped from the Underworld, an Argus!" Tyr swears as the bowing warriors rise, murmuring to themselves of the dangers. You hear mention of "acid-spray" and "baleful tentacles" from down on the floor. "Settle, all of you!" Tyr shouts, silencing the room. His gaze drifts over all in assembly. "Where is it?" "The mountains, just outside of a Midgard city known as "Stalliongrad"." The runner reports. Tyr slowly nods his head, looking solemn. "The Argus Panoptes was indeed sealed away in the Underworld back before the mortals were so widespread...but now it wanders near them, and our intervention would reveal us and our own horrors to them. It is not our place to stop this beast." "What a load..." You rub your jaw, feeling it and fearing it was dislocated, as you rise up and speak through the pain. "What coward lets a giant rampage through innocent lives because he's too scared to be seen? Were I you, I'd be too scared of being seen NOW acting as you are than to be seen trying to save them!" "YOU don't know the Argus Panoptes." Tyr retorts. "I know those damn mountains!" You point two fingers at the war god and everyone else in the room "No creature, not even this Helspawn you're talking about, can travel those peaks and hills without getting lost, the area is damn near a maze. Send someone with even half of an idea which way is which and you can find it before it gets anywhere close to Stalliongrad." "And whom would you send, No-name?" Sleipnir asks for her son. You hold up a trio of fingers to the Queen. "I'll give you three guesses, but I wager you won't even need one." "Indeed." She replies, stone faced as ever and directing her gaze to Tyr. "The order is yours to consider, Lord-Commander." Tyr looks at you from the corner of his eye. You still see the anger that prompted his earlier assault, but the fires of rage are smothered by the cool blue of the Lord of the Ulfirborg. "Summon a healer." He commands to any who will listen. "Stitch him up so he can fight, have Heimdall find a place we can send him." "I need a weapon." "We'll find you one." Tyr keeps his back to you as he climbs the stairs out of the arena. "No-name." You turn your gaze to Queen Sleipnir. "This is the third time I have had to save you since I brought you here. Continue this, and I will consider bringing you here a mistake. Do not make me do it again." You nod. "Aye." Your grace. No pressure.

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