The Black Ponies

by Shinzakura

Rating: teen
Tags: Adventure, Dark, Alternate Universe
Length: 113671

Pinkie Pie must recover the Elements of Harmony, using the ability only she posesses: Paries Quartus

Disaster strikes Equestria twice: the realm is invaded by mysterious black ponies, whose goals are unclear and origin unknown. At the same time, the Elements of Harmony have disappeared, to places far beyond the reach of even Celestia and Luna. As the nation descends into war, Celestia, Luna, Twilight and the others must fight to prevent their home from being conquered by the enigmatic foes.

But it is worse for Pinkie Pie: haunted by dreams of the black ponies, she must venture alone to seek out and retrieve the Elements, for only she possesses the mysterious power that can save them all: the magic of Paries Quartus, the ability to transcend the boundaries of space time…that which pony philosophers and poets have referred to as "the Fourth Wall."

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2012-04-21 06:22:30 UTC

PRIMUS: From All Directions

From breakfast until several hours after, the group went over everything they could, covering each detail of what had transpired since the first appearance of the black ponies.  After it was clear some records were going to be taken, Twilight called down Spike from his duties in her tower.  The six were glad to see him again, as it had been months in some cases; Twilight, in particular, noted that Rarity had blushed slightly when he’d embraced her.

“It’s great to see all of you again!” he commented, his voice squawking in the broken tones of a male dragon starting to approach puberty.  He was much taller and bulkier now, too large to be given rides by Twilight or other ponies; but unlike so many others of his species, he was mass in strength and pure muscle, not the avaricious obesity of others his age.  His years in Ponyville – and especially his brief flirtation with his worse nature – all but ensured that he would grow up to be a wise and stately dragon.

“Spike!  Ain’tcha sproutin’ like an apple sapling!” Applejack blurted, clapping him on the shoulder with her forehooves.  “Lookin’ plum handsome, y’are.”

“Um, thanks, AJ,” he commented, turning away.  Scales on his face briefly went a rosy tone instead of their natural hues, and upon seeing that, Applejack just laughed all the more for her young friend.

Rarity, on the other hoof, had a brief flash of – jealousy? – cross her face.  It quickly disappeared when she saw Rainbow Dash looking straight at her, cataloging the moment for future good-natured torture.

“Spike, it’s really good to see you again,” Fluttershy said with an earnest, winsome smile, “but if things are as bad as Luna says they are, we should probably just hold off on the greetings until after.  If that’s okay with you.”

Luna nodded.  “Fluttershy’s absolutely correct – now’s not the time for pleasantries.”  Closing her eyes, she willed a magical map into being. The glowing map, floating in the air, showed the boundaries of Equestria, as well as the closest parts of the immediate bordering nations.  A blue glow lit up on the map close to the country’s eastern seaboard, the location of Canterlot.  In turn, smaller dots populated the map, from major cities such as Manehattan, Torontrot and San Caballo, to smaller towns like Ponyville, Appaloosa, and Rockton.  A second wave of dots began to populate the map, these ones hued green and representing the military garrisons. Lastly, a series of red dots popped up sporadically on the map, that of the known incursions of the Black Ponies.

“This is the latest map, updated just before you all arrived, indicating three more incidents in Saddleback Ridge, Colton, and Hoofington.  But that’s not all – there are now reports of Black Ponies in Caballus as well.”  Caballus was the ancestral homeland of the three pony tribes; those that had not emigrated to Equestria thousands of years ago still remained in the older land, which had since been united under a different ruler.  “Several reports were given around Trottingham Castle, as well as Trotterdam and Barceloneigh.”

“So we’re dealing with a wide-scale problem, then.  Any chance the Caballan military will be able to assist?” Rainbow Dash asked and for that received deadpan stares from both Twilight and Luna.  Despite the latter’s mention of the country, the whole topic of Caballan government was a sore spot for both mares, probably for some time to come.

“Mayhaps it’s best to change the subject then,” Rarity interjected.  “What can we do in the meanwhile?”

“I’d like you to stay at the ready for the next few days while we gather intelligence.  If the Black Ponies are nothing but a brief nuisance, the military should be able to handle it, likely with some support from all of us.  But if this is a full-scale invasion….”

“Oh, my….” Fluttershy realized the implications of the unspoken words: Equestria would be at war.

“Scoots, fly back to the team as fast as you can.  Tell them they’re off stunt status and to prep for standby.  Then find Spitfire and give her an update; if I remember correctly, the Wonderbolts are performing at the New Spurlin Air Show this weekend.  We’ll need both squadrons ready if we have to go to combat.”  She placed a forehoof on her protégé’s head.  “And please be careful.  We don’t know what the Black Ponies are capable of in the air.”

Scootaloo suddenly lost her bravado at that; death-defying stunts were one thing but this was risking one’s life in an entirely new way.  “I’ll be careful,” was all the young pony could say.

But the blue pegasus wasn’t done yet.  “Fluttershy, we’ve got to let Cloudsdale, Las Pegasas and the other pegasi settlements to warn them of what’s going on.”  Turning back to Luna, she added, “We’ll be back as soon as we can.”

“Best t’ send other flyers, Ah reckon,” Applejack suggested.  “Y’all’re too important.”

Rainbow shook her head.  “Sorry, but they’re nowhere near as fast enough, and as much as I hate to admit it, when Fluttershy pushes herself, she can fly even faster than me.”

“Rainbow Dash is right – we’re faster than most of the other pegasi and we can be spared for a day or two.”  As always to the girls, it was always a note of pride when Fluttershy set aside her natural shyness and timidity, taking on nerves of steel.  “Besides, we can’t just sit here when we can do something.  I can’t just sit here with tact, when I need to act.”

Rarity groaned.  “Fluttershy, dear, it sounds as though you’ve been watching those dreadful Iron Will videos again.”

“Well, um, no, not really.  He actually called me the other day to see if I’d be willing to write some lines for him.  I told him I would get back to him on that shortly.”  A thought crossed her mind.  “Oh, I do hope he’s okay.  He wasn’t the best teacher, but I’m sure he’s helped somebody.”

“What-ever.”  Rainbow Dash had already tuned out the conversation.  “We’ll be back as quick as we can.  Even quicker than that, maybe.”

“Then go and be careful, my little ponies,” Luna said.  “Be safe, and I expect you to all stay that way.”  Favoring the princess with earnest smiles, the three winged ponies walked away from the table and towards the window to begin their trips.

As the trio left, Pinkie felt a sense of dread.  Not a “Pinkie sense” type of dread, but a feeling as though she’d never see her friends again.  Before she realized what she was doing, she reached out towards them as they shrank into the distance, as if she could pluck them from the sky and hold them safe to her.

“Pinkie?” Luna called out, “is something the matter?”

“I..uh….”  She forced a giggle.  “Just, um, waving goodbye until next time, ya know?”  She jumped to her feet.  “Now, if you’ll all excuse me, I’ve gotta get down to the kitchens and get the staff to prep for a Pinkie-style paaaar-tay!”  The whole bit looked as forced and limp, as un-Pinkie as could be.

Almost on cue, the sun began to creep over the horizon, signaling dawn and the start of a new day.  “Great,” Luna muttered.  “I forgot there’s a Day Court session today that I’ve got to stand in for Celestia.  Sorry, heavy lies the mane, crown and all that.”

“Ah guess Ah’ll git headed t’ Ponyville t’ let th’ mayor know,” Applejack responded.  “From there, Ah c’n round up th’ fastest runners in th’ town an’ have them head to other parts.  But Ah’ll be back sooner ‘n you c’n count.”

“Looks like we’d best leave soon,” Rarity commented.  “We should ask the Day Guard to prepare a transport – it’ll be faster than waiting for the train.”

“Rarity, if you don’t mind, I’d prefer if you spent some time at the Academy learning some protective spells, something that you can use,” Twilight commented.  “I’ll send word to Autumn Wood to assist you.  He’s a good teacher, and he’d be more than happy to do so.”

“Yes, but, Twilight, all things considered, I think I should head back to Ponyville as well.”

Twilight shook her head.  “Rarity, you need to learn other types of magic, because how will you be able to protect yourself if nopony’s around?  Besides, think of your sister – if you learn the spells, you can teach her so she can protect herself.”

“You’re serious about this, aren’t you, Twilight.”  It wasn’t a question.

“I wish I wasn’t.  At least you’ll be able to learn general protective and defensive spells.  Because of my position and abilities, I have to learn the offensive ones as well.”  Twilight sounded genuinely disconcerted at that; while they had all been in some form of combat before, the battles against Nightmare Moon and Discord were in hindsight much less dangerous than they’d seemed at the time.  “I’d be lying if I said I wanted to learn them, because somepony will get hurt when I start using the heavy spells and worse, I’ll be the one doing the hurting.  But that’s my duty now.”

Chastened, Rarity nodded in agreement.  The inconvenience was worth it if it meant she could protect Sweetie Belle, duty to the Equstriani crown or no.  “Let him know that I’ll meet him prompt at noon.  For now, I’d like to at least get a couple hours of beauty sleep.”

“Spike, would you show Rarity to the guest quarters in our tower?” Twilight asked gently before adding with a growl, “Pinkie and I have to have a little talk.”

“Sure thing, Twi!” both Spike and Pinkie said at the same time, though their tones were vastly different.  Both Rarity and Spike caught that something was suddenly wrong between Twilight and Pinkie, but felt it wasn’t best to intervene.  Instead, as a gentledragon, Spike escorted his charge towards his and Twilight’s apartments.

As the two left earshot, Twilight turned on Pinkie.  “You’re going to the Infirmary, now.”  Pinkie was about to say something when a look from Twilight shut her up.  “You’re not acting like yourself, and I’m worried – I think everyone else is starting to pick up on it as well.  I promised I wouldn’t say a single thing, but at this rate I don’t have to since you’re doing a good enough job of broadcasting it yourself.”

Pinkie buried her head in her hooves.  “Twilight, I don’t know what to do anymore.  I’m just…afraid.”

Twilight hugged her friend.  “So are the rest of us.  This isn’t like anything any of us have ever been through before and I can’t imagine all the bad memories it’s bringing up for Celestia and Luna right now – they were the ones fighting in the last two wars, hundreds of years ago.  And they’d do everything they could if it meant we wouldn’t have to put ourselves in danger.”  She sighed.  “At least let Candystripe give you a sedative or something so you can sleep.”

“I’d really rather not, but I’ll do it for you,” Pinkie said in somewhat defeated tones.

“Give me a second to contact her.”  Twilight’s horn flickered with the violet hue of her magic signature as she started the communications spell.  “Candystripe?  It’s me, Twilight.  Do you have a second?”

A tinny, small voice seemed to emanate from Twilight’s horn; as it did, flashes of pink danced in time with the voice.  “Twilight, I’m glad you called.  Look, I don’t have much time, but I’m going to have to cancel tonight.”

“Is something wrong?”

“We took some of the most serious wounded from the Everfree Garrison, and they’re going into trauma, so we’re working overtime.  I won’t even be able to pick up Caney from school, but fortunately she’ll be staying over a friend’s place tonight.”

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Twilight asked, her concerns about Pinkie momentarily forgotten.

“Not much, to be honest. They’re not responding to healing spells, so we’re doing it the hard way with medicine.  Dr. Carehooves is a part of the Guild anyway, so he’s looking into what else can be done.” Some background murmur, followed by, “I’ve gotta go, Twilight.  If something really urgent comes up, you’ll be the first person I’ll call.”

“Okay, take care then,” she said as she broke the line.  “Well, looks like you get a reprieve, but I’d really like you to go there first thing tomorrow.  Promise me, Pinkie.”

“I will.”

“Pinkie Promise me.”

“Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye,” she intoned as she performed the pseudosolemn ritual; it was not lost on Twilight that it was the least convincing promise Pinkie had ever done.  “Does that make you feel better?”

“It does.  Since you really don’t have anything to do here today, I think you should get some sleep.  I can cast a delta sleep spell on you, if it will help, and I already had Spike prepare the guest chambers for all of you.”

Pinkie sighed.  “If it’s okay with you, I think I’ll just stay at my sister’s place.  I haven’t seen her in a while anyway, so it’d probably be a good idea to drop in.”

Twilight suddenly growled softly, a clue that she’d forgotten about a vital detail.  “Ooooh, I’d completely forgotten that Octavia lives in Canterlot.  Maybe you just need to be around some family for a bit.  Go ahead and give her my regards.  But if something comes up, you’re always welcome to stay with me.”

“Thanks, Twilight.”  She nuzzled her friend.  “Don’t know what I’d do without you.”

About an hour later after stopping by the Court to inform Luna of her whereabouts as well as briefly mingling with her fellow nobleponies, the taxi carriage dropped Pinkie off at a familiar brownstone townhouse on the other end of Canterlot City.  The house was stately yet relaxed, the ivy vines scrambling up the façade of the building, giving it that special touch.  Hanging over the door was a wooden sign in the shape of a cello: MUSIC SCHOOL, Ms. OCTAVIA, EDUCATOR.  As always, Pinkie appreciated her younger sister’s lesser talents; in many ways, they were almost as strong as her true talent, the one that gave her the cutie mark.  Blinky always had a way with plants.  Walking up to the door, she knocked, then sat and waited.   She didn’t have to wait long, as there were some steps and a musical voice calling out, “Just a moment, please!”  A second later, the door opened, and an elegant gray pony with a long black mane appeared from behind.  “Good morning, what can I – sis!”

Pinkie reached over and embraced her sister.  “It’s good to see you, Bli…I mean, Octavia.”

“Please, come in and make yourself at home, dearest sister.”  Turning away briefly, Octavia clapped her forehooves sharply, calling out, “Students, the remainder of the day will have to be home study.”  A small chorus of dissenting cries made Octavia smile briefly, before she said, “Now, as much as I would like to continue your lesson, I do have an important visitor.”  Gesturing to Pinkie, she said, “Students, this is my sister, Lady Pinkamena, Duchess Vanner and the Knight Elemental of Laughter.”  As the colts and fillies “ooh”ed and “aah”ed, she commented to Pinkie, “My, aren’t you the popular one.”

Pinkie dropped down to face the kids at their level. “Keep at it, and you’ll be as good as me!”

“You can play, Lady Pinkamena?” one unicorn filly inquired.

Pinkie grinned from ear to ear.  “Maybe your teacher will tell you ‘bout the time I stopped parasprites from eating Ponyville by making a one-mare band.”  That got amazed looks from the students and it took several more seconds for their teacher to calm them down.  “Well, she’ll tell you later, I guess.”  As they were ushered out the door, Pinkie overheard the foals gushing like “A real knight!  Wow!” and “Someday I wanna be like her!”

After ushering the students out the door, Octavia exhaled in relief.  “Sis, I don’t know how you do it,” she said, as she pulled off her bow tie.  In that simple action, “Octavia” was gone, replaced by Pinkie’s younger sister Blinky.  “I’m always wiped out by my students at the end of the day.”

Pinkie giggled.  “What, Mistress Octavia is worn out by her students?”

“Mistress Octavia finds her students to be a delight and an honor to teach,” Blinky said in the formal tones of her alter ego, before adding in her regular voice, “But it’s me who gets worn out at the end of the day.  Getting old, I guess.”

Pinkie plopped down on the couch.  “Sis, you’re 25.  How are you old, exactly?”

“I don’t have the advantage of being a Knight Elemental to keep me going,” she said with a bright grin.  “So, what brings you to town?”  She went to the kitchen to get some drinks.  “Want some cider?  Just picked up a batch of Appaloosa Acres Private Reserve.”  Blinky popped the tops off two bottles, heading back into the parlor room.

“Thanks,” Pinkie said, taking a bottle from her sister.  “As to what I’m doing here, it’s official government business.  I don’t know if you’ve heard anything about it.”

She nodded.  “One of my colleagues in the orchestra is dating a Guardsmare.  Apparently there’s something about mysterious ponies being spotted all around Equestria?”

“Something like that – I was only briefed this morning, and we don’t have that much information at the moment.”  Pinkie’s voice was flat and even.  “There’s more to it, but that hasn’t been disseminated to the public just yet.”

Blinky narrowed her eyes.  “Sis…go get some sleep.”

“Huh?”

“You can’t fool me.  I’m not like your friends – I’m your sister, and I’ve known you long enough to know that when you’re really tired, you start getting very terse and formal.”  She pointed to the stairs.  “You know where my bed is, so I want you to get some rest.  Later tonight, we can go out for dinner – there’s a new restaurant I’ve been dying to try – and catch a movie.”

“Blinky, I’m fine.”  Pinkie took a long swig from the bottle.  “Just been a lit—”

“You’re acting like Mother.”  That pulled Pinkie up short.  “I thought we agreed that Inky takes after our parents, while you and I are like our grandparents – you, especially, are like Grandmother.  But if you keep up the act, I’ll take you down to the salon to have your hair done in a bun.  So tell me, wire-rim glasses work for you?”

“Hmph.”

“Just teasing, sis.  Call it payback for when you and your friends trashed the Gala way back when.  Yes, you told me later that the Princess specifically asked you guys to come so she could play one huge prank on the gentry, but that was my first year in the orchestra.  Do you know how much I was freaking out when you kept shouting asides to me?” she laughed, clapping her sister on the shoulder.  “I wish I had known about all of that, it would have saved me from almost passing out.”  Blinky’s laughter was infectious, and soon both mares were roiling on the couch, giggles of glee echoing throughout the house.

“I needed this,” Pinkie admitted.  “Don’t get me wrong, I love my friends, but there are just times when you need family.”

Blinky nodded.  “You really sound as though you’re having it rough.  Explain to me how a duchess and one of the personal knights to the princesses has a rough life.”

“Whenever I’m being ‘Duchess Vanner and the Knight Elemental’, quote unquote,” Pinkie shrugged.  “I live in a small town where everypony knows me as a filly who moved from a rock farm – and most have no idea what a rock farm even is – and became a baker’s apprentice.  Ponyville isn’t a place where I’m all my titles and all my stations, I’m just Pinkie Pie, just like you’re Blinky when no one’s around.”

“Okay, now I really know you need sleep – you’re getting sappy.”

“I’m always happy.”

“And you’re always playing word games.  Go,” Blinky pointed, brooking no arguments.  Pinkie rolled her eyes, then obeyed her sister’s wishes and went to lie down.  She might not get some sleep, but maybe just being there would help.

═╬═

In the park across the street from Blinky’s townhouse, a pony lazed on a picnic blanket, a half-eaten lunch the remains of an idle day relaxing.  The pony was a deep shade of orange, with a mane of grass green tied in the back by a black ribbon.  Her flank was unadorned, an unusual situation for a mare her age but not exactly unheard of.  She turned the page of the book she was looking at with feigned interest and to any passersby she was nothing more than one of the rare misfortunate ponies to be a “blank flank” into adulthood.

None of them could have ever suspected that this was all a lie.

As the pony turned the page once more, she rubbed a hoof on her bookmark, an ornate cloth design that suddenly began to vibrate and glow a deep green.  The markings on the ward flashed in staccato synchronicity with the soft hum that began to emit from the object.  Eventually that hum became a voice, crackling and buzzing too much to be easily identifiable, which was the point.  “Hunter One, report.  What is your status?”

“I’ve located one of them, the one they call Pinkie Pie.”  The pony identified as “Hunter One” spoke the name delicately, as if uncomfortable speaking it.  “She is currently at the home of another pony and has been there for a few hours now.  I have not located any of the others, nor either of the princesses.  It seems that she would be the easiest to deal with.”

“Have you confirmed this with any of the other Hunters?”

“Two pegasi fitting the descriptions of two of our targets were seen departing the castle around six this morning.  The sun princess is presumably still in the zebra kingdom, and as there is a Day Court session currently ongoing, the moon princess is likely standing in her sister’s stead.  As for the others, they are most likely in the castle somewhere.”  Hunter One scanned the area with a disinterested look, as though she was just resting her eyes before focusing back on her book.  “Pinkie Pie seems to be the one least defended and most accessible.”

“Good,” the other voice said.  “With this…Pinkie Pie…out of the way, we will have prevented them from using their strongest weapon and dealt a fatal blow to their morale.  The unicorn Twilight Sparkle would have been the better target, but she’s as well defended as the princesses.  In any case, you have permission to carry out your orders.  Will you be able to handle this yourself, or do you require assistance?”

“No, I will be fine,” was the response, terse and prepared.  “I will not fail.”

“See that you don’t.  She will not be pleased if you do.  Besides, we have other means of dealing with the remaining ‘problems’.  Contact me as soon as your mission is complete.”  The communication abruptly stopped, and the bookmark stopped glowing and began to smolder.  Looking around quickly to ensure that nopony else was watching, Hunter One stepped away from the picnic setting, but not before tearing off two orange strips from her flanks, revealing her cutie marks.  She also ran her hooves through her mane, and on cue, the color began to change from the soft green to a delicate shade of lavender.

As she departed, the picnic blanket, food and book began to disintegrate into nothing, with no sign that any pony had been there.

═╬═

Rarity walked into the Unicorn Magic Academy.  Part of her felt slightly embarrassed, as she was a full-grown mare and here she was, learning from one of the teachers as if she were still a school-age filly.  But then again, the Academy was run by members of the Mage Guild, the most elite magic users in Equestria; and any unicorn foal living in Canterlot, regardless of station, attended the school.  Had Rarity grown up here instead of Ponyville, she would have attended the Academy instead of the Ponyville Unified Elementary School.

But then, I wouldn’t have learned from Miss Daisy Days, she thought, the nostalgic memory bringing a smile to her snout.  It had been the fastidious but kind pegasus that had first noticed Rarity’s interest in fashion and had encouraged the young filly to look in that direction; it had also been Daisy Days that had found Rarity after her first, wild lapidimancy spell had dragged her hundreds of miles away from home.  When she retired from teaching, Rarity found it a shame, as she felt it would not have taken Sweetie Belle long to find her true talent had Daisy Days been at the blackboard – by no means was that a mark against Cheerilee, but the earth pony was a different kind of teacher with a different teaching style.  As it was, whenever Rarity found herself in Palomino Springs, she always made a point to visit her old teacher.

As the lunch bell rang and dozens of unicorns streamed out of the classrooms, she began to look for Room 105.  Ah, here it is.  Knocking on the door, she called out, “Excuse me, is there a Professor Autumn Wood present?  I have an appoi…oh, my.”  Surprise, to say the least, was an understatement.  Seated at the desk and grading some papers, was a rather large stallion with a tan coat and short, tousled indigo mane.  He was almost as big as Applejack’s brother Macintosh, broad and muscled. There was another thing like Big Mac as well: there was a gentle look in his eyes, obscured as they were behind slightly out-of-date eyeglasses.  His hooves shuffled the papers with a delicate, artful grace.  He was certainly handsome, eyecatching to any mare.  But…

The pony at the desk turned to her and chuckled.  “I tend to get that look at lot from my student’s parents.”  He rose from his desk and walked over to Rarity, introducing himself.  “You must be Rarity.  I’m Autumn Wood, just ‘Woody’ is fine.  Twilight sent me a message to expect you.”

She flushed.  “I’m…sorry,” she stammered, “Please, you’ll have to forgive me: I’m just a bit surprised that—”

“—there’s an earth pony teaching unicorns magic?” he finished her sentence, smiling.  “Don’t be.  My special talent is understanding magic – I just really can’t utilize anything beyond the inherent agrimancy that earth ponies have.”  Sure enough, from his head to his very unusual cutie mark, there was nothing to even remotely indicate that he was anything other than an earth pony.  “Sure, I can tell you everything there is to know about Rosemary the Sage’s book Monas Caelestis et Lunarum but don’t expect me to perform the basic light spell on page six.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, er, your cutie mark?”

“Ah, that.  It’s the ouroboros, the ancient serpent eating its tail to signify wisdom and eternity.  Well, that, or it’s really hungry.  Speaking of which, I was just about to step out for lunch.  Would you care to join me?  There’s a nice café across the street.”

With that, Rarity smiled, relaxing instantly.  It was clear why Twilight had asked this pony; he was knowledgeable enough to be able to teach her while his status as an earth pony ensured she wouldn’t feel pressured at performing to the teacher’s level.  “I would be delighted,” she responded, moving next to him to have him lead the way.

“Ah, it seems I’ve arrived just in time,” a gravelly and somber voice intoned.  Both looked to the door to find a bearded and wizened unicorn of pale gray coat and white mane standing there in very stately robes.  “You must be the Duchess Lippizan, I presume.  It is a pleasure to meet you, milady.”

Woody adjusted his glasses, shocked at this new arrival.  “Archmagus Gainsboro?”  For the second time in the past hour Rarity was somewhat surprised, the Archmagus was the head of the Mages Guild and, aside from the princesses, the only unicorn that outranked Twilight.  “C-can I help you, sir?”

“I had just been passing through the school to see how the teachers were doing, when I had the misfortune to run into Lady Fleur de Lis.  She was looking for you, something about her daughter’s grades.”  Gainsboro shook his head in sympathy.  “I sympathize with you, Professor.  She was a handful when she was my student in bygone days, and it seems as a parent, she’s only gotten worse.”

Woody looked caught off-guard.  “My apologies, Rarity, but duty calls.  Would tonight be a better time to teach you?  I can meet you at the castle – that is where you’re staying, correct?”

“That would be wonderful, thank you,” she answered.  “If you’d like, I can talk to Fleur – I know her well enough, and I could probably defuse whatever mood she’s in.”

But the Archmagus stepped in.  “Thank you, milady, but I will have to intercede on that.  It is paramount that the teachers deal with these matters personally, regardless of how a parent feels.  If they do not, many of the gentry may attempt to use their stations as an excuse to bully the faculty, and I will not stand for that.  Additionally,” he said with an amused glance, “Woody is more than capable of taking care of this.  Anypony of the mundane tribe who can keep up with, and in many cases surpass, any of the magic tribe is more than adept at dealing with a petulant parent.”  He stepped forward, “So, if you’ll follow me back to my office, we can begin.”

“But I thought Twilight asked Woody to instruct me.”  The Archmagus was pleasant, certainly, and years ago, Rarity would have preferred to be taught by him, if only for the status.  But she was a different Rarity back then, and now she found it odd that the head of the Guild would have such an interest in a unicorn only proficient in her special talent and lapidimancy.

“Please, don’t get me wrong: I’m more than sure that Woody will be handing the heavy lifting, as it were.  But it would be shameful of me if you came all the way out here to miss your appointment through none of your own fault, and I would be unworthy of my title and duty to the princesses if I did not at least give you some sort of training while you were here.  I must also confess that if that happened, regardless of the situation, Mage Sparkle would not let me live it down.”  He favored her with another smile.  “As you well know, our mutual friend is a bit…brusque, shall we say, when it comes to planning and administration.”

There was something in his tones that bothered Rarity when he mentioned Twilight, but she let it pass for the moment; it was probably something she misinterpreted due to his deep baritone voice.  “Twilight is one of my dearest friends, but I certainly understand her faults, Archmagus.”

“Please, just Gainsboro – I find that titles tend to get in the way of everything.  So, shall we?” he asked, gesturing towards the door.

“We shall…and just call me Rarity.  Do lead on, dear sir.”

═╬═

Worn to the bone, Fluttershy almost crash-landed in a small town six hundred miles to the south of Canterlot.  In retrospect, Rainbow Dash had been right about two things: one, that when push came to shove, the frail yellow pegasus was anything but, and in truth was probably the faster flyer out there; and two, that speed didn’t mean squat if one’s range was almost non-existent, as it tended to be for the usually non-flying Fluttershy.  As this was an emergency, she pushed herself harder than she ever did before and easily reached the hypersonic speed of just under Mach 10…for all of two minutes.  After landing on the first available tree so she could hyperventilate for a few minutes, she then continued her journey at an easier to handle – and definitely sub-sonic – speed, the rest of which took her much longer to head to her destination.

As she approached the main street, she realized a graceful landing was not in the cards, so she spread her wings out as much as she could for stability and coasted the rest of the way into the town.  The touchdown was as bad as she feared, sending her in a head-over-tail tumble for several feet before coming to a violent stop courtesy of a nearby wall.  Disregarding the world-spinning that was going on in her vision, she ignored the pain and tried to lift off, only for her wings to give out, her strength spent.

“Lady, are you crazy?” someone behind her snarled in a gravelly voice.  “You almost hit two ponies with that sorry attempt of a landing!  That doesn’t happen in my town.”  Fluttershy looked up and saw a large blue earth pony standing in front of her.  He seemed as if chiseled out of stone, and the short, buzz-cut mane only served to enhance his look.  But most important, the pony wore a black shirt with a badge on it, the symbol that he was one of the town authorities.

“Excuse me,” she said, sitting down to rest, “where am I?”

“Great – another one of those happy-go-lucky types,” he muttered under his breath.  “Listen, missie, this is the town of Horseshoe Lake.  I’m the town sheriff, Hardcase, and unless you’re just in town on the way somewhere else, I don’t want you messing things up here, got that?”

Horseshoe Lake…that’s about thirty miles north of Fetlock Mountain.  Fetlock Mountain was Fluttershy’s goal, one of the few places in Equestria where pegasi lived on solid ground as well as the location of the local weather station and rainbow factory.  I’ll just rest here a while, then I should be there in twenty minutes.  Fluttershy was jolted out of her thoughts by the unwelcome violation of her personal space as Hardcase stuck his muzzle mere inches from her.

“I just told you, missie, I don’t want any problems here.  That includes lying here in the street like you’re some kind of tarpan!  If you want to lollygag around the town, either hit the hotel or get out of here, got that?”

Tarpan?  Fluttershy inwardly cringed at the epithet.  “Oh, my apologies, I wasn’t aware I was still in the street.  I’ll move right away.”  Fluttershy began to stand up…until her knees buckled and she found herself back on the ground.  “I must be more tired than I thought.  Would you mind giving me a helping hoof…that is, if it’s okay with you.”

“Why do I get all the town crazies,” Hardcase muttered under his breath, reaching down and violently yanking the pegasus to her feet.  He smelled something suddenly and…  “Do I smell cider on your breath?”

“No…I haven’t had anything to drink in the past couple of days….”  Suddenly she smelled it too.  She looked down and realized that there had been a half-consumed bottle of cider spilling its contents by where she’d sat; she looked up and noticed she landed by the town bar.  She must have gotten some of the bottle’s remnants on her coat, having knocked it over without noticing.

“Yeah, yeah, tell it to the judge.  It all makes sense now.  Your drunk flying, smelling like you’re a cider brewery and laying around in the middle of the road like you’re Princess Celestia herself.”

“Oh, I would never pretend that I’m Celestia.  She’s a friend of mine and that wouldn’t be very nice of me.”

Hardcase rolled his eyes.  “Oh, so the Princess is a friend of yours, huh?  What are you, one of the Knights?  Lemme guess…you’re Fluttershy, right?”  Hardcase saw two of his deputies and waved them over.  “Hey boys, lookie here.  We got an actual ce-le-bri-tee here with us.”  His mouthing of each syllable clearly underscored his intent.  “Boys, why don’t you take Lady Fluttershy here to the holding tank until the cider wears off and we find out who Miss Cantering Princess really is.”

One of the two deputies, a unicorn named Gumshoe nodded.  “Roger that, chief.  C’mon, lady.  We have a personal castle just waiting for you to sober up in.”

“I truly appreciate the offer, but I need to get to Fetlock Mountain as soon as possible.”

Hardcase barked a short bit of laughter.  “Yeah, sure, and I’m Prince Blueblood.  Gum, get her to the tank now.”

“On it.  Lady, I’ve already had a bad day, and you really don’t want to make…Holy Celestia….”  He looked up, his jaw dropped and his forehooves dropping off of Fluttershy.  At nearly the same time, everyone else’s attention was fixed on what Gumshoe was staring at, and the looks of shock suddenly began to turn into looks of horror.  Fluttershy immediately turned around to see what the matter was.

In the distance, Fetlock Mountain was aflame.  Colorful mushrooms of smoke reached for the sky as the ingredients in the rainbow factory cooked off, belching gouts of technicolor flame.  Parts of the sky became speckled dots as whole groups of pegasi raced off in panic, trying to escape the prismatic firepit that had been their town.  The sides of the nearby mountains glowed with a riot of colors that would have in other times been cheerful and bright, but for now, it was a sign that something was terribly, horribly wrong.

Hardcase reacted immediately, turning to his pegasus deputy.  “Johnny Law, round up the rest of the force and have them meet me by the Fire Station.  We’ve got to get to Fetlock immediately.  Gumshoe, you’re in charge while I’m gone – and get that two-bit nag out of my sight!”

“How dare you.”

“Excuse me?” Hardcase heard the change in tone, but it happened so fast he really wasn’t sure if it was real.

“HOW DARE YOU!” Fluttershy snarled, wheeling around and staring him straight in the face, practically snout to snout.  “Innocent ponies’ lives are at stake, and you’re sitting here, parading your authority around like a prancing stallion instead of saving lives!  And if you so much as treat me like a foal again, I swear I’ll….”

“That’s it mare, you’re done.  Gumshoe, get a hobble on her now and lock her away until whenever the judge wants to deal with this looney!”

“Fluttershy?” a voice called out.  The three in the middle of the argument turned to look at an earth pony and a pegasus, looking right at them.  “Wasn’t expecting to see a friendly face here,” the blue pegasus said.

“Oh, hello, Wind Whistler.  I didn’t expect to see you here,” Fluttershy said, her attention and temper taken off her impending arrest for the moment.

She nuzzled next to her husband, Caramel.  The earth pony grinned and said, “I had some business here in town, and Windy thought that it’s been a while since we took a vacation…”

“So we decided to stay here for a few extra days!” she chirped.  “But what are you doing here?”

“I’m on royal business and was on my way to Fetlock Mountain and I needed to rest a bit.  Unfortunately, I seem to have run into a misunderstanding with the local authorities.”

Hardcase suddenly did a doubletake.  “Wait…you mean you’re the real Fluttershy?”

Caramel looked at Hardcase.  “Um…Hardy…you didn’t know she’s Fluttershy?  You really didn’t know?”  The mustard-colored pony looked at Hardcase and shook his head.  “Cousin, you’ve been to Ponyville how many times now?  She lives just outside of town, and in all this time that you’ve passed her house on the road, you’ve never seen her?”

“I…uh…”  He looked at her and she favored him with a slightly embarrassed smile, complete with a squee.

Gumshoe suddenly decided it was in his best interests to step a few paces back from a mare who could pretty much put him out of a job with a word.  “Hey, Chief, didn’t you and your wife just name your newborn daughter after her?”

Hardcase did a facehoof.  He suddenly imagined himself being stationed to garbage patrol if he was lucky.  He found someone tapping him on the shoulder and he said, “Not now, I’m counting the minutes in what’s left of my career.”  He looked up and found himself face to face with his worst nightmare.

Fluttershy just favored him with one of her most heartfelt smiles.  “Don’t worry about it, it was just a mistake.  Now, if you don’t mind, if you’d please get all the emergency responders in one place, we’ll head to Fetlock as soon as we can.  I hope we’re not too late.”

“Is there anything we can do to help?” Wind Whistler asked.  “Caramel and I will do whatever we can.”

Fluttershy was about to speak when Hardcase interrupted her.  “Caramel, you and Windy take um, uh….”

“The Duchess Andalusia, Knight Elemental of Kindness,” Wind Whistler said, rubbing it in.  She liked Caramel’s cousin, but he seriously needed to learn to unwind.

“Um, yeah.  Meet me by the Fire Station in five minutes and we’ll all head out from there.”  Turning back to his deputies, he said, “Round up everyone now, boys, pronto!  The Lady’s in charge.  Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to head back to my office real quick.”

“Paperwork?” Caramel inquired.

“No, some aspirin and a stiff drink.”

═╬═

Day Court had just ended, and Luna asked one of the pages to announce that this evening’s Night Court would be suspended.  Divinity or not, listening to requests and demands, dealing with court intrigue and expecting to hold opinions on the most banal of subjects would tax anypony.  Sometimes I envy my friends, she thought to herself.  They’re largely free of all this bucking garbage Tia and I have to deal with.  Leaving the throne room, she magicked away her royal cape, wishing she could permanently do the same with her royal tiara and gorget.

As she entered the hallway, Twilight was waiting there for her, looking out the window at her namesake.  The sky was a beautiful array of colors, reminding the night princess how very lucky she was to have this young mare in her life.  “Twi, were you waiting for me?”

She turned away from the window, and Luna could see that she looked crestfallen.  “We just got a report from Fluttershy an hour ago.  Fetlock Mountain – it’s been completely destroyed.”

Destroyed?  Luna couldn’t believe it, and part of her was furious with herself for having wasted the day in court.  “What’s the report?”

“I have a paper copy here, if you’d like to read, but…” Twilight paused for breath.  “No, you probably wouldn’t.  As of the last count there were nearly a hundred wounded, but thankfully nothing worse than that.  Considering the size and importance of the town and the weather factory, as well as all the rainbow ingredients stored there, it’s a miracle that nothing worse happened.”

“But you’re worried about the homes lost and the fact that the weather will run wild for a while.  I can see that in your eyes, Twi.”  Luna closed her eyes.  “I feel worse than you, if that makes you feel better.  It is not the job of a princess to rule in joy while her people toil in sorrow.”

“There is one bit of good news, though: a unit of guardsponies that were in the area found no sign of…well, you know.”  Twilight’s sudden discretion in her words accompanied the sudden sound of hoofsteps clacking against the marble in the distance; the last thing they needed was for some bored and chatty noblepony to make things worse.  “Every indicator seems that it was just a very horrific accident.”

“I understand.  Thank you for the news, my stalwart mage.”  The courtier walked past them, both mage and princess returning the informal nod of acknowledgement they had been given.  “It is almost time for me to raise the moon.  Will you come with me, my mage?”

Twilight nodded.  “Yes, your majesty.”  The two walked a bit, with Twilight peeking behind her occasionally to ensure that no one was in earshot.  Once she was sure it was clear, she said, “When I was younger, people couldn’t stop me from being so overly formal.  Even Celestia asked me once or twice to just drop the title when we were alone and I just couldn’t do it.  Now, I’d do anything to not have to choke over every ‘princess’ and ‘my lord’ that gets me through the day.”

“And you wonder why Tia and I have mischievous streaks – when you’re an immortal divinity, you need something to keep you tied to reality and to the mortal world.  But now we have you all,” she said, lowering her neck to nuzzle her friend.  “That way, it makes it unnecessary for a princess to ask her mage as to the condition of one of her sworn knights…and simply for Luna to ask Twilight what’s wrong with Pinkie.”

“I promised her I wouldn’t,” Twilight began, “but I’m sure you figured it out by now.”

“I thought about entering her dreams at one point, but your thoughts and dreams are none of my business, since it would be rude, to say the least, to peek in on your innermost thoughts.  Unfortunately, that means I can’t protect Pinkie from whatever’s bothering her.”  As they approached Luna’s apartments, she asked, “I’m sure I’m stating the obvious, but did you insist she go to the Infirmary?”

“Unfortunately, they’re tied up with multiple trauma issues from the Everfree Garrison, and I suspect that regardless of what Candystripe says, they won’t be able to see her tomorrow either.  I offered to put a delta sleep spell on her, but she insisted otherwise.  I did make her promise – Pinkie Promise, that is – that she’d go as soon as possible.  In the meanwhile, I did the best thing I could for her: she’s staying at her sister’s place.”

Luna nodded.  “Good call.  Well, I’m famished.  Let’s get Rarity and Spike and we’ll grab dinner, then go do something fun this evening.  I’m tired of being a princess 24/7.”

“Sorry, but I’ll have to take a raincheck on that.”  Rarity approached them, looking as if she were burnt out.  “I’m expecting Autumn Wood tonight for an evening session, but I’m not sure I’ll be able to do it.  As our dear Applejack is fond of saying, ‘Ah’m plum tuckered out.’”  The imitation was passable, and the three mares chuckled at it.

“Tired?  Was your earlier session with him that draining?”

Rarity shook her head.  “Unfortunately, when I arrived, dear Woody could not stay long due to his duties.  Fortunately, the Archmagus himself was present, and Gainsboro was more than willing to give me some training in Woody’s stead.”  She lifted her head and the blue aura of her magic signature lit briefly before guttering out like a dying flame.  “I have simply not felt this tired in years, and I think Gainsboro is at fault here.  For an educator, he is a stern taskmaster.”

“I’ll say.  I might have more raw power, but it’s amazing how much refinement he has over his abilities.  But that’s why he’s the Archmagus.”

“Well, I have to admit, you were right, Twilight, and I cannot thank you enough for changing my mind.  It did allow me to meet Woody.  I’m curious: how did you meet such a wonderful stallion?”

Twilight blushed at that and tried to speak, without success; Luna took that as a sign to mercilessly tease her friend.  “Twi and Woody dated for a little while.  Not sure why any relationship between two very introverted ponies wouldn’t take off, but they were able to maintain their friendship.”

“Ah,” Rarity said, figuring it was best to leave things be, or at least not give Luna any further ammunition.  At this point, one of the pages approached her; she already knew what it was about and asked the page to escort the professor to the south garden.  “Well, off to my second battering of the day; I hope I don’t end up with a hornache in the morning.  I’ll see you both later.”

In the end, the two were alone.  “So, your place or mine?” Luna said, with a laugh.

“Well, since Spike’s at my tower, I guess we should head there.  In fact, why don’t I just make dinner for the three of us tonight?  It’d be a nice change of pace to have a simple meal without waiters and pageantry.”

“Sounds fine, but only if I do the cooking; after all these years, you really still haven’t learned to cook.  Admittedly, I’m immortal and divine, but I’d rather not test that theory, if you don’t mind.”

═╬═

“There, you’ll be okay, I promise.”  Fluttershy tied a bandage around the frightened colt’s foreleg; it was broken, but it would heal.  Long before her life changed she was nothing but the town veterinarian who ran the local animal shelter, so she was used to medical care for animals.  The past few years, however, had convinced her to learn at least a certain degree of first aid for sentient species as well.

“Thank you,” the poor foal said, before adding, “I want my mommy.”

“Why don’t you come with me, and I’ll help you look for her,” Caramel said in calm, parental tones, as Fluttershy gently placed the foal on the earth pony’s back and briefly gave him a look of thanks, letting her get back to the aid station.   Having Caramel and Wind Whistler here was a calming effect on both the foals that had been separated briefly from their parents as well as Fluttershy’s own nerves.  She had long realized her own faults, and while she was able to rise to the occasion when needed, trying to change her daily attitude usually met with disastrous results.  Fortunately, the current situation let her operate in the former attitude vice the latter.

Hardcase approached Fluttershy, and there was a look on his face that was disconcerting.  “Lady Fluttershy?  Do you have a moment?”

“Of course,” she said, setting down the bandages and letting another volunteer take over.  “And please, just call me Fluttershy.  I’m not entirely comfortable with titles.”

“Certainly,” Hardcase said, much calmer now that he realized his encounter with the knight had been a genuine misunderstanding and that she was not holding it against him.  “I just spoke with Sheriff Pumpernickel – she’s the top cop here – and she said one of her deputies found something strange near the feed lines of the factory.  You may want to look at this.”

The two ponies walked away from the rescue station, walking through the burnt streets of the now-ruined town, headed for the rainbow factory on the other side.  Since the town was in the mountains, it was pretty much just one long main street, and as they walked, they had plenty of time to see how much had been done to the place.  When they’d first arrived, it was clear the destruction had been extensive, as it had burned some of the mountains around the town.  Even still there were a few places, such as the Town Hall, which were still aflame in prismatic colors and tying up some of the firefighters.  But mostly there was the smell of burnt wood, scorched plastic and the cinnamon scent of the rainbow ingredients that had been spewed around the town.

“Worst thing I’ve ever seen,” Hardcase commented to her as they walked through the center of the main street.  “When I was just a brand new deputy ages ago, I worked in the Pransing Sheriff’s Department…it’s a suburb of Detrot.”

“I know where that is.  It’s a beautiful place.  I have an aunt that lives there.”

“It’s my hometown,” Hardcase pointed out.  “Anyway, there had been an accident in the local Mage Guild office and wild magic was setting everything on fire.  I worked security to make sure nopony was harmed, but by the time the fire department was done, the guild building and houses in every direction for a couple of blocks were ruined in one way or another.  This…this is worse.”  Fluttershy, not knowing what to say and already feeling terrible about the now-wasteland surrounding them, decided to continue to the factory in silence.

As they approached the factory, they were met by Pumpernickel, the local sheriff.  A huge brown pegasus with a tan mane – almost as large as Big Mac, certainly as tall as Luna – stood by the entry gate, flanked by a few of her deputies and a couple firefighters.  “Heya, Hardy, glad you could make it.  And you must be Lady Fluttershy.  It’s a pleasure meeting you.”

“So, Nicky, what’d you find?” he asked as Fluttershy and Pumpernickel shook hooves.

“It’s on the back end.  Follow me and I’ll show you.”  As they started to walk around the perimeter of the factory since the building was too damaged to simply walk through, she continued to explain.  “It almost escaped our notice, but one of my deputies has a wife who works here, so he’s familiar with the place.   The object – we’re not sure of what else to call it – was placed on the wall as if it was a part of the building itself.  From the burn marks, it looks as if there were several of them and there was only one that survived.”

“Could it be a bomb?” Hardy asked.

“Doubt it,” a pony near the site said, having overheard them.  “Bombs are round metal balls with fuses and explosives inside.  I don’t know what this is.”  As they approached the wall, all ponies present got a good look at the “object”.  It was a black object that looked reminiscent of a calculator, with a display on the screen that showed 00.00.01.  There were several colored wires coming out of the back, all of which were stuck to what looked like a giant piece of white bubblegum, which was in turn stuck to the wall.  The orange numbers on the dark screen continued to blink repeatedly, as if it were saying something…or stuck.

Something in the back of her mind told her something wasn’t right.  While Fluttershy didn’t have Pinkie’s inexplicable sixth sense, she began to back away slightly.  Pumpernickel looked at Fluttershy and said, “Is something wrong?”

“I’m getting a bad feeling…I think we should leave it alone,” Fluttershy said, unable to take her eyes off the thing.  It felt alien and wrong, as if it were something that didn’t belong in this world.

“Well, I guess we should take this back to the lab to study,” the deputy said.  “Someone pass me an evidence bag.”  With that, he put his hooves around the object and pulled.

“Don’t!” Fluttershy found herself yelling suddenly.

BEEP

There was a massive burst of light and an ear-shattering roar, followed by a blast of something that threw her clear.  Being a pegasus, she knew exactly what hit her: a bow shock, a physical force that was only created when a flyer broke the sound barrier…or an explosion.  As she stopped her tumbling by careening into a tree, she immediately forced herself back to her feet and looked at the situation.

Flames – regular flames this time – were scattered lightly, but nowhere near as much as earlier.  Several other ponies had been knocked back as well, though none as far as she had been.  Running forward, she noticed that Hardcase and Pumpernickel, closer to the scene were moving as well, as well as firefighters immediately turning on a hose and letting it blast full force.  There was a sickening smell, something that she’d never encountered before.

I have smelled that before, she suddenly realized as her stomach began churning.  She smelled it on the rare occasions Twilight had made a certain dinner for Spike.  While ponies were mostly vegetarians, they needed protein and usually got it from chicken eggs.  Spike, however, was a dragon, and dragons needed protein from a different source.  Twilight had told Fluttershy more than once that she felt really bad about it, and that said meal was magically created, so it didn’t come from a natural source, per se, but it was designed to perfectly mimic the real thing.

Meat.  Specifically, charred meat.

Fluttershy nervously stepped forward.  The fact that everyone there was already silent and stock still was the first warning.  The second was the steaming, acrid smoke in the air.  The third was the burnt blast crater where the deputy had been.   The yellow pegasus looked…and then ran for the nearby treeline.  She didn’t know if she was going to be sick, cry, or scream.  When she got there, it was all three.  An hour ago, she’d reported to Twilight that there was a small miracle that no one had been killed.  That was now, horrifically, monstrously, untrue.

═╬═

In a deceptively pleasant Canterlot evening, two ponies walked down the street, somewhat staggering.  The restaurant had been better than prescribed, and both Pie sisters had probably eaten a little more than was necessary.  So they were talking a stroll around the shopping district to burn off some of the food before sitting down to catch a movie.  Plus, it gave both mares a chance to enjoy the evening air and spend time together.

For Pinkie, it was like coming up for air after being submerged for so long.  Twilight had been right, as usual; Pinkie had not been herself lately, and only now was she starting to feel a bit like the old Pinkie Pie.  Whatever was bothering her earlier was just night after night of being really busy and had nothing to do with their current problem.  Once Pinkie had completely relaxed, she’d look at the problem from her particular point of view and probably confuse her friends a couple of times before explaining her solution in a way they could understand.

As they turned the corner, something suddenly popped into Pinkie’s mind.  “Weird…we’ve been out for a couple of hours now, and you haven’t been bothered for an autograph.”

“Well, for starters, orchestral musicians aren’t as famous, as, say, Vinyl Scratch.”

“Who?”

“DJ P0N-3.  That’s her real name, but like me, she prefers a stage name.  Anyway, dance music is more popular than classical, so I’m less likely to be stopped.  But you’re right, there are groupies for everything, and unfortunately Ivory Keys, who is one of our piano players, has a lot of them.  Fortunately, his wife is a unicorn who has disguise magic, so she made us some enchanted items to give us some everyday breathing space.  In my case, it’s this baseball cap.”  She looked up at the white-and-pink hat on her head.

“Um, okay, but you look the same to me.”  Despite her affinity for costumes as part of her natural talent, Pinkie was horrible at disguises.

“That’s because you already know what I look like, silly.  But because I’m not speaking with my Octavia voice right now, and with the ballcap on, they can’t even confuse me with her.  After all, we don’t have the same cutie mark,” she said with a smug grin.

“Sis, ponies don’t ch…hey, waitaminit…when did your cutie mark look like mine?”  Indeed, on Blinky’s flank was no longer the magenta G-clef she usually had, but three plum-colored balloons, similar to her older sister’s.

“Magic, like I said.  And it’s not your cutie mark I chose it to look like, it’s Grandmother’s.”

“Wow….” Pinkie’s eyes lit up like gems.  “Can I try?”

“When we get back to my place.  I promise.”

“Well, you’re my sister, so I won’t make you Pi—”  Pinkie suddenly stopped dead in her tracks.  Her ear suddenly began twitching, a clear sign something was about to happen.  “Uh-oh…”

“Surprise Sense?” Blinky asked.  She’d remembered the stories about their grandmother’s inexplicable ability to foretell something coming, but their mother had told them more than once it was nothing more than a superstitious old pegasus spinning tales for her grandfoals.

“W-e-l-l, I c-a-l-l i-t P-i-n-k-i-e S-e-n-s-e n-o-w.”  Pinkie was jittering, more so than she ever had in her entire life.  Both ears flopped at the same time, followed by her eyelids shutting, followed by her knees giving out.  It had never happened before, and in all the times her grandmother had discussed their mutual abilities, nothing like this was ever brought up.  Pinkie continued to vibrate on the floor as if plugged into an electrical outlet, while Blinky just looked supremely embarrassed, giving an apologetic smile to another pony as she’d walked past.

After what seemed like forever, Pinkie stopped shaking and looked up at Blinky.  “Wow.  That was…weird.  Kinda fun, too.  Very much an E ticket ride.”  The pony closed her eyes for a second, actually savoring the moment.  “But very weird.”

“You okay?  That looked pretty rough.”  Blinky extended a forehoof.  “For a minute there, I thought you were going t—”  Blinky stopped in mid-sentence, the words dying on her lips.  She pitched forward, falling towards Pinkie, who moved up to catch the grey pony.

“Blinky?”  Pinkie felt something warm and wet.  She moved her hoof back and saw blood.  “Blinky!”

“I didn’t mean to stab her, so I apologize.”  Pinkie looked up and saw the pony that had moved past them a couple of seconds ago.  She stood on her hindlegs, carrying a bloody knife in her forehoof; on her other foreleg was a bandolier with several other knives.  She had a lavender mane and orange coat, and a very unusual cutie mark.  Despite the blood on her knife, the pony looked a bit sad.  “It’s not the best way to make amends, but I’ll kill you quickly to spare you the pain of seeing your sister die.”  With that, the pony stabbed forward, jumping with the speed of a well-trained dancer.

Pinkie leapt back, turning.  The blade missed her, but in the process, it sank into Blinky’s coat, plunging far enough to stick in.  The assailant let it go, reaching for one of her other knives instead.

Pinkie’s eyes went wide.  “Wh-what are you doing?”

“Lady Pinkamena, this is called an assassination.  I’m an assassin.  That’s what I do.”  Putting the blade in her mouth briefly, she closed her eyes and stretched her forelegs out as far wide as they could go.  A blast of green magic shot out from her, stretching out for several hundred feet before enveloping everything in the area in a domed spell.  “There, that should do it.  I’ll have to do this quickly, a spell such as this cannot last long before any authority notices it.”

Under normal conditions, it would seem impossible than one of the earth tribe could do magic.  Moreso, this was powerful magic, far more than the average unicorn could do and on the level of someone in the Mage Guild.  But Pinkie didn’t care about that in the least.  She was terrified for her sister, not even thinking that the stranger was here specifically to kill her.

Twilight!  Luna!  Somebody help me! she screamed in her mind, unable to the bring words to her mouth.  She looked at her sister, holding her close as if mere proximity would save her.

“Pinkamena…Pinkie, isn’t it?”  The pony bent down, and she seemed genuinely contrite at her mistake, as if that would make a difference.  “You’re hurting her by shaking her like that.  She’ll bleed to death before you do if you keep that up.”  The pony got back up on all fours and said, “Please run.  If you get a distance enough away from her, you won’t have to see her go like this.  Treasure those happy moments with her as your last.”

“No.”  Pinkie felt something in her snap, an anger building in her.  This was magnitudes stronger than when she thought her friends abandoned her or when she was corrupted by Discord.  Her skin began to flush with anger, turning the pink pony briefly closer to magenta.

“Pinkie, I’ve done this many a time before, and it doesn’t get easy for either me or my target.  Go.”

“No.”  Pinkie stood on her hindlegs, stepping between the pony and Blinky.  “I won’t abandon my sister.”

The pony shook her head.  “You’re truly brave.  I thought you, the yellow pegasus and the white unicorn were the weaker half of you six Knights.  I may have to revise that.” And with that, she moved forward in a twist, turning and bucking Pinkie in the side, knocking her off her feet.

Pinkie felt something crack in her side, an agonizing pain ripping across her flank and hurting like nothing she’d ever felt before.  She’d had plenty of bumps, bruises and faceplants, but nothing ever felt like this.  She bit down on her lip to prevent herself from screaming as she got back to her feet.

“Yes, very brave,” a voice said from behind her and she felt a sharp pain in her back, then a tearing sensation.  Pinkie collapsed to the ground, her mind spinning.  Somewhere distant, she heard two voices.  The first was the assassin’s: “I’ve met beings that haven’t faced their death as bravely as you have, Duchess.  You have my sincerest respect.”

The second voice, becoming stronger and louder, was a memory:

In the bedroom she shared with her sister Blinqestra and their yearling sister Incara, young Pinkamena heard her grandmother walk into the room.  “Pinkie, dear heart, are you awake?” Surprise asked.

Pinkie sat up, rapt at her grandmother’s visit.  “Grandmother!” she said, reaching out to the elderly pegasus.  “I love you!” the foal cooed, nuzzling and being nuzzled in return.

“Pinkie, I came by one last time to say goodbye,” Surprise said, “and I wanted to talk to you and you alone.”  Pinkie looked around and found that her sisters had been removed from the room.  “I asked your parents to allow Blinky and Inky sleep with them tonight; I’ll sleep here with you.  What I have to say is for you and you only.  Your sisters won’t understand, your father doesn’t believe and your mother, as much as I love her, refuses to admit it.”

“I don’t understand,” Pinkie said, and she didn’t.  She was just a foal, having just turned eight.

“You don’t have to, not right now,” Surprise answered.  “Pinkie, I’m an old mare, and it’s my time to go.  I’ve been given a wonderful opportunity, one that means a lot to me, and I’m going to take it.  It means I won’t see you all ever again, but I’ll never be away from you, never in my heart.”

“You’re going away?”  That was the only thing the pink foal understood.  She held her grandmother closer to her, pulling with all her tiny might.

“I know this is hard for you, and it’s not easy for me either, dear heart,” Surprise said, wiping a tear from her eye.  “But someday you’ll understand what I’m about to tell you: Pinkie, you are powerful, strong in a way you don’t understand yet.  You are filled with laughter and joy, just as I am, and you will bear my mark.  You will be a mare amongst mares, a pony apart from others.  And you will know when that day comes – I have seen it in my dreams, though I cannot explain in words.”

“I’ll be strong, Grandmother,” Pinkie said.  “I’ll be strong and protect Blinky and Inky.”

Surprise smiled.  “I’m proud of you for that, but it’s not what I meant.  But always remember this: your true power comes from inside and beyond.”

Inside and beyond.

Inside and beyond…

Pinkie closed her eyes, and remembering her grandmother’s advice, reached inside – and then beyond.  She felt something brush against her hoof, something she could use to protect Blinky, just as she promised so long ago.  With all her strength, she grabbed whatever it was, and it filled her hoofspace, solid and sure.  She opened her eyes, in time to see the assassin leaping at her for the final blow.

“Goodbye, Lady Pinkamena.  I will remember you as one of the brave ones,” the pony said, diving with two knives forward, ensuring the kill.

“Lady, I don’t think so!”  Before she could realize it, she was on her feet, leaping at the assassin, righteous rage in her heart and something to protect Blinky with in her hand.  The next thing she realized, she’d swung her foreleg forward, hitting the assassin as hard as she could with the object.

The world exploded in electric blue.

PRIMUS: The Gypsies

“Pinkie, wake up, my little pony.”  She dimly heard a voice, sweet, light and loving, full of joy and glory.  Slowly, painfully, Pinkie opened her eyes and found herself looking into the relieved eyes of the sun princess, Celestia.  “Good, you’re awake now.  How do you feel?”

Pinkie blinked, struggling to sit up in the hospital bed.  “I feel horrible,” she admitted.  As she sat up, she Luna, Twilight and Rarity.  The other three weren’t there: Applejack had returned to Ponyville, and the pegasi had taken off to warn other cities in Equestria.  All were looking at the pony with various degrees of relief.

“Princess,” Pinkie asked, noticing the other medical staff in the room, “what are you doing here?”

An amused grin crossed Celestia’s face.  “Well, the moment I heard you were attacked, I immediately informed the zebra and gazelle leaders about everything that was going on and that if Equestria fell, well, they’d probably be next.  King Xerxes and Chancellor Swift Tail not only signed the treaty in record time, but they additionally started negotiating a military alliance with us.  I left things in the hands of Ambassador Zecora, so I returned immediately.  The medical staff had already started working on your wounds by the time I arrived, but I felt it was necessary to use magic to accelerate your healing so you wouldn’t have to live with a broken rib and fetlock for a few weeks.”

“So the zebras and gazelles are falling over themselves to work with us?” Luna asked.  “Rather sneaky of you, sis.”

Sis!  Pinkie got out of bed, shouting, “Where’s Blinky?”

“Please, you need rest, and we don’t know who this ‘Blinky’ is,” a nearby nurse said, helping Pinkie back into the bed against her will.

“Octavia,” Pinkie answered, starting to get hysterical.  “She was with me when we were attacked!  Where is she?”

“Nurse, I’ll take responsibility for her,” a doctor spoke up.  She was light pink, with a red-and-white mane; she wore a labcoat that covered her cutie mark.  “If the Princess used a healing spell to restore her, she must be fine.”  Candystripe looked to Twilight.  “She’s all yours, Twilight.  With apologies to the princesses, the Hippogriffic Oath prevents me from releasing a patient to the divinities.  Since she’s a friend of yours, I leave it to you.”

“Thanks, Candystripe.  Have the paperwork sent to my office and I’ll fill it out later, if that’s okay.”  When the unicorn nodded, Twilight looked at Pinkie.  “Let’s go see your sister.”

At the other end of the Royal Canterlot Infirmary was the trauma care center.  Most of the seriously wounded from the Everfree attack were still in there, and considering the infirmary’s status as a military and government medical center – the city proper was handled by Canterlot General Hospital – there were enough beds to handle “special” cases.  Being rather egalitarian, most of the gentry and celebrities were handled at CanterGen, but once in a while, the Infirmary would accept an out of the ordinary patient, especially when said pony was a minor celebrity and the sister of one of the more important ponies in Equestria.

Placed in a secure, guarded room, a gray earth pony lay in the bed.  She was unconscious and looked frail and fragile, delicate enough to break.  She was breathing through a snout mask, the clear mask fogging up occasionally with her breath.  She was hooked up to diagnostic equipment, with the medical monitor’s heartbeat indicator beeping in time with her pulse.  Several parts on her body were bandaged and those that weren’t were either covered with a medical smock or the blankets she slept under.

Pinkie leaned against the glass from the outside, her own breath fogging the window.  The look on her face broke her friend’s hearts, hating to see her like this.  After a few seconds, she turned away, collapsing into Rarity’s embrace.

“She lost a lot of blood by the time I was able to break the barrier spell,” Luna said by way of apology.  “It was something…something I’ve never seen before and I couldn’t override immediately.  I rushed to get her here as fast as I could, while Twilight teleported you here herself.”

Twilight dully read from a medical chart.  “Three stab wounds, one serious; severe loss of blood.  Doctors had to pump an antitoxin from her system, and they’re not sure they got it entirely.  Like the guards from Everfree, she’s not responding to magic healing.”

“Pinkie, what happened out there?” Celestia asked.  “We found another pony out there, and she had knives on her.  She’s in the brig in the castle right now, heavily guarded.  I assume she was the one who attacked you?”

Pinkie looked up from crying into Rarity’s mane; her eyes were red with tears.  “Yes.  She was the one who attacked us.  She was also the one who used the magic spell.”

At that, everyone had a shocked look on their face…all, curiously, except Celestia.  “Tia, I think I’d better see to the detention personally,” Luna said, the surprise clear in her voice.

“Please do.  Weave as many spells as you can, and set them for anti-chaotic strength.”

“Discord?” Twilight gasped, dropping the chart.  “You don’t mean….”

“Not exactly, but I think I know what’s going on,” The sun princess rose up, and in that moment, Twilight’s mentor and their friend was gone, replaced by the ruler of Equestria.  “Pinkie, I know this is hard for you, but I need your help.”

“No.”  Pinkie was surprisingly defiant and frantic.  “My sister needs me…has anyone told my family?  My parents, I don’t know how they’re going to handle it.  I’m not sure how I’m handling it.”

“I’ve already sent transport to get them,” Celestia continued.  “I’ve also sent messengers to notify Applejack and Rainbow Dash to return immediately.  Fluttershy left Fetlock Mountain this morning and is enroute.”

“I’ll stay here then, until my parents arrive,” Pinkie said, turning back to the window.  “I broke my promise to protect my sister, and I won’t leave her again.”

Celestia moved forward and nuzzled the distraught pony.  "But you did protect her, Pinkie – you protected both of you.  You would have been killed if you hadn’t done what was you did.  And that’s part of the problem and why I need to talk to all of you, but you most of all.  And it ties into your Pinkie Sense.”

“My Pinkie Sense?”

“Yes, and I wish I’d known of it sooner,” she intoned.  She then turned to her protégé.  “Twilight, why didn’t you tell me about it?”

“I did.  It was my fifteenth report.”  Twilight closed her eyes, and repeated her report from memory: “‘I am happy to report that I now realize there are wonderful things in this world you just can't explain, but that doesn't necessarily make them any less true. It just means you have to choose to believe in them. And sometimes it takes a friend to show you the way.’”  She thought about it and added, “I guess it wasn’t as clear as I could have been, but then again, it was a report on friendship, not on Pinkie.  But what does that have to do with her?”

“Forgive me for sounding a bit melodramatic, but both our current problem…and solution…may come from Pinkie.”  She sighed and said, “We’ll talk about this later, tonight, when everyone reconvenes, but for now, Twilight, I want you to take a special message to the other ministers.  Talk to them privately, and make sure that they understand that none of this is official but to prepare for it regardless.”

“Yes?”  The purple unicorn knew what her mentor and ruler was going to say, but she waited for the words to be spoken.

“Tell them…tell them to start preparing for war.”

═╬═

“There, that should do it.”  Luna’s indigo aura dissipated as she completed the spell; violet lines and runes covering the walls and door of the detention center began to throb with embued power.  “Mage Snowcatcher, have the Guild station at least two mages here to monitor the spells at all times – and they need to be certified mages, not apprentices or students.”

The aqua unicorn nodded, her mulberry-and-pink mane falling in her face.  “Yes, your highness.  I’ll take first watch myself.”  He looked at the runes strewn all over the place and studied them.  “Princess, this is an extremely potent spell.  Are these spells necessary for a single earth pony?”

Luna smiled, but there was no merriment in that gesture.  “That earth pony supposedly created a spell that took me a while to break.  Let that sink in for a second.”

Snowcatcher looked in the cell, staring at the wounded pony sitting on the bed.  Despite her serious wounds, she had her eyes closed as if she were asleep.  Or meditating….  The thought unnerved the unicorn.  “I’ll double the mages.  I’d better get everyone on duty and contact the Guild to set watch shifts.”

“I’ll stay here for the nonce, until you return,” Luna said, sitting down.  “I’ve got one more spell to set, and the pony should be no trouble while I’m present.”  The mage bowed and departed immediately on his mission, leaving Luna alone outside the cell, to watch the pony within.  As soon as Luna was sure the prisoner would remain harmless for the moment, she closed her eyes to begin her spell…

…and opened them, standing in the center of the nocturnal planes that were the dreamlands, a place only she could reach while awake.  The stars and moon above were a spray of jewels, the iridescent colors of nebulae and deep space just behind the starfield.  The long grasses stirred with a wind that could not be felt or discerned and appeared, if anything, for looks only.  Such was the nature of the dreamlands.

Luna walked a ways, passing the occasional pony whose dreams had carried them here.  Most of them were foals, pure of heart and untainted by daily cares; as the night princess passed by, they smiled and waved at her; she, in turn, returned the smile warmly, silently wishing them a wonderful sleep and a refreshing wake.  As she walked deeper into the dreamlands, she saw less and less ponies, and it briefly saddened her to realize that Pinkie’s sister Octavia couldn’t be here to enjoy this; despite the name, a coma was not the same as true sleep.

Eventually, she reached a place in the land where a miserable being sat, held fast by stone chains glowing with a rainbow aura.  He looked like he’d given up attempting to break through the shackles and was merely waiting through the irritating time that these chains would weaken and break and allow him to be free once more, though he knew not when.  To Luna, however, he seemed a sorry, pitiable wretch who could never be forgiven his crimes, even as he could be excused from them.  Such was the pathetic state of Discord, divinity of chaos.

“My, I seem to have a visitor,” the draconequus said, trying to find a comfortable position in his current state.  “Ah, dear Luna.  Such a pleasant surprise to see you here, visiting poor little me.  I am poor in fellow travelers on the road of immortality, so to see one of my favorites here pleases me.”

“Favorites?”  Luna arched a brow.

“Of course.   Celestia, despite her humor, is too prim and proper to be a true friend.  You, however, are not afraid to let down your mane when it counts.”

“I wasn’t quite myself then, and you know it.  I was a spoiled foal, acting out against my sister, and it took six mares who I now view as my closest friends to bring me to my senses,” the alicorn princess replied, her tone firm.

“Such a shame; I see your sister’s dourness is starting to rub off on you.  Be that as it may, it is still good to see a fellow immortal.  I even forgive you for imprisoning me the first time, as I suspect it was Celestia’s idea.  But you are here to see me, which means you want something.”

Luna sat down before him, relaxing.  This was going to be a long, long talk.  Willing a cup of coffee into existence, she took a sip.  “Care for one?  I’m not as much of a tea drinker as my sister is.”

“Straight black, if you please,” Discord said, and a second later, a cup appeared before him.  He drank the cup and let the liquid remain, which floated in the air in the event he required a “refill.”  Looking at her with large eyes, his bushy eyebrows furrowed as he said, “I know why you’re here, Luna, you don’t have to tell me.  I still have some attachment to the real world, you realize – you cannot remove chaos from the world, not completely.  But I know why you’re here.”  He laughed, a cacophony of sounds that sounded like mirth in several languages and species.  “I’ve been watching them you know.  Watching them cause all sorts of problems around Equestria.  It’s rather cute in its own way.”

“I’m here to tell you to stop it,” Luna said.  It wasn’t a threat, merely a statement.

“And allow me to tell you, dear Luna, something you might not believe, but it is true nonetheless: they are not mine.  I have no truck with them.  They are their own brand of anarchy, and I suspect they don’t even know of my existence.  In fact, I must admit this: I hope you win, I truly do.  I know what these ‘Black Ponies’ are up to, and why they are here.”

“Tell me about them, please.”

However, he waggled a talon in negation.  “Sorry, I do hate to be petty, but this is my revenge against Celestia.  She has imprisoned me twice, and in both cases, she didn’t even bother to get her hooves dirty, not really.  I hold nothing against you or the other six; I’m actually rather fond of Pinkie Pie, truth be told.  But since we are friends, dear Luna….”

“Are we?” Luna asked, somewhat caught off-guard by that response; it sounded genuine, not faked.  Discord is being sincere?  Something’s wrong here.

“I consider you one, even if you don’t feel the same way,” he said, matter-of-factly, “as my problems are with your sister and she drags so many of you into our personal conflict.  But since you are my friend, I will tell you this much: this is all your mother’s fault.  That isn’t an insult or a taunt, it’s the truth. Long ago before you were born, and when Celestia was still naught but a newborn foal, your mother Faust made a decision and now the crows have come home to roost.”

“My mother?” Faust, the first alicorn, the creator of the universe and the princesses’ mother, had long since departed the world for who knew where.  She had done so when Celestia was young and Luna just born for reasons Luna didn’t know and Celestia never explained.  In fact, Luna had been so young when her mother left and had been raised by her older sister, she’d initially thought Celestia had been her mother until the sun princess had to clarify.  In truth, the reason Celestia, as ruler of Equestria, made the realm a principality instead of a kingdom was because she was never comfortable with taking their mother’s title of Queen; it would be an admission their mother was gone and would never return.

When Discord nodded, Luna took it as true.  He had no reason to lie; if anything, it seemed as if he was going against his very nature to be open and forthright with her.  However, there was something else Luna could see, something he didn’t and would never admit but she saw it regardless.  “I see.  Thank you, Discord.  I appreciate the honesty.”

“Luna, I do have a request, if you please.”  To her surprise, the request was not to be released, as he knew Celestia would never allow it.  “The birds that come by the garden…they’ve been quite messy, thinking me to be nothing more than a statue.  As much as I value the…randomness of it all, it is still insulting to be used as a bidet.  Would you move me?  Somewhere preferably where birds aren’t as likely to be a problem.”

“I’ll ensure it and have your form cleaned as well,” she replied, genuinely appreciative of all he’d told her.  “It’s the least I can do…for a friend.”

═╬═

It was nighttime when all were gathered in Celestia’s private dinner room.  Dinner had been brought to them, and all waiting staff and guards were told to leave them be.  Pinkie had spent time with her family in the intensive care unit and she was stunned when Celestia had asked that they be present as well.  Fluttershy had arrived several hours ago and looked like she’d been through an ordeal; she broke down sobbing when she recalled the deputy’s death.  Rainbow Dash had arrived ten minutes prior to dinner and was being filled in on what had transpired since the day before; the look on her face was that of someone just short of blowing a fuse.  There were a few others invited, such as Blueblood and Gainsboro; when the royal unicorn asked as to what country bumpkins were doing at a royal function, a dark stare from Celestia herself shut him up.

As dinner completed, the plates left as is due to the dismissal of the staff, Celestia began.  “Thank you all for coming.  I realize this is a very uncomfortable time for many of you; you, especially, Mr. and Mrs. Pie.”  The Pie family all acknowledged their sovereign’s notice, and she continued.  “What I say here is a closely regarded royal secret and must not leave this room.  Some of you are not in the government, but I trust in your honest hearts that you will keep this confidence close to you.”  She paused.  “I will also admit this will be hard for many of you to hear.  It will be just as hard for me to tell you.”  Had this been court, the room would have buzzed with sudden outbreaks of whispering here and there, but as this was a different group than courtiers, they merely remained silent.

With a breath, Celestia began.  “Many of you know the story of Earth’s creation.  My mother, Faust the Muse, created heaven and earth, the stars, sun, moon and seas.  When she was done, she left the care of the world in the hooves of her daughters.  But as we were still too young to rule, the three tribes argued and broke into three nations: the earth pony nation, the unicorn kingdom and the pegasus stratocracy, until the tribes departed Caballus and arrived here, creating the Equestrian republic, the predecessor to modern Equestria.  The republic would remain the way things were until Discord tore everything asunder and Luna and I came into our own, defeating him and starting our reign.”  She gestured towards everyone.  “You still see remnants of the old republic and before, such as the Gates of Tartarus or Prince Blueblood’s line.”

“Wait,” Blueblood asked, “I am not descended from your line?”

Celestia rolled her eyes.  “Blueblood, has it ever occurred to you how you’re supposedly my nephew on my mother’s side, 52 times removed, when my only sister is Luna, who’s younger than me and hasn’t had any foals?”

“Well, isn’t ther—”  He suddenly shut up and his face went ashen; he looked with fright at Luna who merely gave him a faux-innocent look.

“As I was saying, the period of the Great Sundering – the period where the tribes were at war with one another – was drastic and nothing that any pony would ever wish to live through.  The problem is, they said that the last time, too – during my mother’s reign.”  Celestia closed her eyes, and her horn lit with the very power of the sun.  A huge grimoire appeared before her, leathery and ancient and true in a way no one there could comprehend.  “This is my mother’s journal,” Celestia explained.  “Only I have had access to it – sorry, Luna – and no mortal has ever seen this book until now.”  She looked around the room, adding, “I don’t intend to open it, as I value and respect my mother’s privacy, but I present this just to prove that the tale I am about to tell is true.”

Celestia then recalled from her foalhood the memory, the story when she was barely able to comprehend language.  She remembered her hair back then, pink as the first rays of dawn, and her mother’s face, the deep red of her mane seeming always to frame the smile for her then-only foal.  “In a time before any pony remembers, when the earth was far younger, there were four pony tribes: the pegasi, who were known for their flight; the sea ponies, known for their ability to live both in and out of water; the unicorns, whose command of magic was more general than it is today; and the earth ponies, stalwart and strong.  Together, these four tribes lived in peace and harmony.”

“Sea ponies?” Twilight inquired, her natural curiosity coming to the fore.  “But I thought they were a myth, Princess.”

“No, they once lived.  After tonight, many of you here will have very different views on what is myth and what is real,” she said kindly to her former student.  “At first, the four tribes had no need for government, save for the veneration they gave my mother and I.  For the most part, they kept to each other, only interacting as needed.  In retrospect, this was a grievous error, as it led to the rise of ponydom’s first tragedy and would set the stage for the way things are now, millennia later.”

“Beggin’ pardon, Princess,” Applejack asked, “But how far back wus this?”

“A lady never gives away her age, Applejack,” Celestia said with amusement.  “Suffice to say it happened thousands of years ago.  But to continue, there were a group of earth ponies who felt strong, stronger in a way nopony had ever been before, powerful in a magical way.  Shunning their brethren, they went north of the earth pony lands, until they found a place far away which suited their needs, a canyon made almost entirely of gypsum.  It was there these ponies settled, creating arcane spells and advancing magic to new highs, higher than any unicorn was capable of then…or since.”  Her words were not lost on the unicorns present, particularly both Gainsboro and Twilight.  “These ponies sequestered themselves in the canyon for generations, learning and refining their talents in a way unicorns had not yet thought to do.

“Eventually, these ponies were considered a separate tribe entirely from regular earth ponies, and began interactions with the other four tribes as such.  These magical earth ponies referred to themselves as the gypsum tribe.  But to the other tribes, they were known as the gypsies.  It was the gypsies that formed the first government, soon emulated by the others; it was the gypsies who created homesteading, where before ponies were nomadic.  The gypsies shared these innovations with their pony brethren, and the five tribes lived in harmony for hundreds of years, though there were some difficulties between the unicorns and the gypsies over who were the better magic-users.

“My mother, focused on raising me and preparing for her eventual pregnancy with Luna, stayed out of the bickering, seeing it as a relatively harmless and bloodless problem, presuming the elders of the two tribes would eventually sort it out.  What she didn’t realize was that the solution was already on the horizon – a brutal, fatal solution.

“One year, the gypsy king died, leaving his only foal as the leader of the tribe.  Her mother had died in childbirth, and he was forced to raise her alone; out of respect for his wife, he never took another mare as a bride.  The problem with this was that the filly grew up spoiled and coddled, and eventually petulant and vain.  Worse, she’d inherited her mother’s magic talent, her mother having been a prodigy even amongst the gypsies – no offense, my mages, but Queen Starlight was easily as powerful as either of you, and her daughter that much more so.”  She paused both for breath and to let that set in.  “So when she was enthroned, Princess Bright Eyes took a new name, one that suited her fashion and nature.  She decreed that she would now and forever be known as the Queen of Magic.

“At first, relations with the other tribes were cordial under Queen Bright Eyes.  But little by little the Queen of Magic no longer saw them as equals.  She saw them as lesser, and then eventually, slaves.  One day, she declared that she was the true ruler of all the pony lands, and that any who was not a gypsy was nothing more than property.  Needless to say, the other tribes chafed under this and rebelled, but none more so than the proud, independent sea ponies.  Their ruler, Wavedancer, sent a message to the Queen of Magic to meet on the great field near Gypsum Canyon, where the two sides would either straighten out their differences, or wage war.

“On the day of their parley, Wavedancer and all her sea ponies met on the field to face their potential foes.  What they met, instead, was death.  Having realized the potential of losing to the much larger tribe, Queen Bright Eyes instructed her ponies to set great sigils on the plain, turning the ground into a huge trap.  When the sea ponies were in the center of the field, the spell was activated and hundreds of acres were set aglow with horrific, destructive sigils.  The screams of death were enough to catch my mother’s attention, but by this time her pregnancy with Luna had begun, sapping her strength – while no gypsy could hurt her, the very real possibility that she could destroy them all would add to the holocaust now unfolding, and so my mother was at a loss to solve the problem even as the gypsies, now emboldened, began their bloody war against the rest of the tribes.

“But fortunately, there was a glimmer of hope: a newly-marked mare named Strawberry Surprise.  She had been too young to set the sigils that destroyed the entire sea pony tribe and found herself horrified and enraged by her queen’s warmongering.  With a small band of mares and stallions just barely out of foalhood, Strawberry Surprise found the leaders of the other tribes and swore an alliance with them, good gypsy to counter dark.  These good gypsies lost many a pony; it was said that Strawberry Surprise had found love with one of her followers, Secret Star, only to see him killed at the hoof of Queen Bright Eyes herself.  But instead of the intended effect of destroying the good gypsies, Strawberry Surprise instead led the tribes to ultimate victory with the death of the Queen of Magic.

“And so, Strawberry Surprise led a delegation of victor ponies to plead to my mother.  They petitioned for the gypsies to have their magic removed, their realms destroyed, and to be treated in the same way as the very sea ponies they had killed.  As for the good gypsies, they vowed to rejoin the earth ponies and to have their own magic erased for the good of the world.

“My mother, saddled with a daughter becoming aware of what was happening in the outside world and heavily pregnant with another, made a compromise.  Using her magic, she exiled the dark gypsies to a land vibrant and lush but whose magic had died out a long time ago.  Over generations, the gypsies would slowly lose their power until they became normal earth ponies, and without Queen Bright Eyes, they would never have the magic necessary to return to ours.  As for the good gypsies, she allowed them to keep their magic, but trusted Strawberry Surprise’s promise that never again would they wield it, leaving magic to the unicorn tribe.  Lastly, she sent the tribes over the sea and away from the cursed land, to a new home, one they would eventually call Caballus.

“But the damage was done.  Because of her reluctance to intercede and a compromise they found abhorrent and disgraceful to the memory of the sea ponies, the tribes would no longer entirely trust my mother and the path had been set for the Great Sundering.  As for my mother herself, not long after Luna was born, she left me with the care of the moon, stars, sun and earth…and a baby sister to raise.  At the time, I was the equivalent of a fourteen year-old mare, already with my royal cutie mark, but still not entirely wise in the ways of the world.  To this day, I still don’t know why she left, and unless I open her book, I probably never will.

“Perhaps if my mother had stayed longer, trained me a bit more, I could have prevented the Sundering.  Perhaps I would have realized that Discord would escape from his eternal prison in the earth and I could have found a way to permanently imprison him.  Perhaps I could have done a lot more.  But Equestria would never have been founded, and things wouldn’t be the way they are now.”

Luna was silent throughout this time.  Just as many of the others here, she was hearing much of this for the first time, and though she was thousands of years old herself, it became clear to her just how much older her sister was.  Eyes welling, she said, “All in all, I think you did a good job of raising me and handling Equestria…Mom.”  Luna’s teasing remark was rewarded by a rare blush from the sun princess.

However, Celestia quickly recovered.  “No, I didn’t.  If I had, you wouldn’t have been so sad and I would have prevented you from turning into Nightmare Moon.”

“That was not your fault, Tia.  That was something I had to overcome…and failed.  The rest, as they say, is history.”  She levitated a glass of wine to her lips, not wanting to say more.  Now was not the time to air personal laundry in front of those assembled.  The room grew silent as the two alicorns looked at each other, unsure of what to say next.

Fortunately, the uncomfortable silence didn’t last long.

“Okay, history, yeah, whatever.  But what does any of that have to do with what’s going on…or Pinkie, for that matter?” Rainbow Dash, always the impatient one, spoke.  While she loved the history lesson – she could probably tie it into a Daring Do fanfic when she got a chance – it was a waste of time to figure out how that tied into reality.

“That’s easy, Dash,” Blueblood spoke, gleeful at putting the brash pegasus in her place.  “We’re being attacked by strange ponies, many of which we’ve never seen before.  We have one of them in our stockade.  Obviously the gypsies – or what we call the Black Ponies – have found a way to return to our world.”

Luna narrowed her eyes.  “That is confidential information, Blueblood.  I wonder how you came about it.”

The unicorn suddenly looked nervous.  “I, uh,” he stammered, tugging at his collar.  “Um, would you believe there was a note left for me at my desk?”

“Your highness, it matters little for the moment how Prince Blueblood came by the information,” Gainsboro said, giving him a stare.  “The point is that he will keep it in confidence, won’t you, my lord?”

“Sure!  Absolutely.  State secrets and all that,” Blueblood blurted, wondering how humiliating it would be if he spent the rest of the meeting under the table.

“Very well.  Please, dear sister, continue.”

Celestia nodded, and only those closest to her noticed the slightest upturn of her lips, silently chuckling at the aside at Blueblood’s expense.  “Blueblood, however, is correct.  I remember the undercurrent magic signatures of the dark gypsies and there has been a lot of that going around as of late.  Soon, we will be at war with an enemy the likes of which we have never seen before.”

“The likes of which even Discord is afraid of,” Luna added.  Before anyone could stare further, she added to her sister, “I had a talk with him in the dreamlands, where he is still vital.  He admitted, quite truthfully, that he has nothing to do with these invaders.  What he didn’t tell me was what I saw in his eyes: he was afraid, because his body still remains in the mortal world, and thus even Discord can be slain.  As I know from experience, even a divinity has limits.”  She reminded herself that first thing in the morning, she’d assign someone to clean his fossilized body and to arrange for it to be moved to the Royal Museum.  She did promise him, after all, and she kept her promises.

Celestia gave her sister a curt nod, a silent signal that they’d be talking about that in private later…which probably meant the elder sister would scold the younger.  “Things have been progressing so fast that it never occurred to me that the dark gypsies have returned.  But now two things have occurred that may help us. The first, as Blueblood has mentioned, is the capture of the assassin.  Should she prove to be a descendant of the dark gypsies, we will know our enemy.  But the second is just as important, and possibly tied together in fate.”  It was at this point that Celestia looked straight at Pinkie.  “Pinkie, do you remember how you defeated the assassin?”

“Um, no, not really,” she said, thinking about it.  “I just remembered that I had to do something to save her, since I promised my grandmother that I would always protect my sisters.  And then I remembered some advice that she once gave me.”

“What was that, if I may?” Celestia said softly.  The fact that the middle Pie sister was lying in a trauma bed in the Infirmary on the other side of the castle complex was not lost on her.

“She told me my greatest ability was to reach inside…and beyond,” Pinkie said.  “So I did.”

“We’ll get back to that in a moment,” Celestia said gently.  “A little over sixty years ago I had the chance to meet a wonderfully happy-go-lucky pegasus named Surprise.  She told me about her ability to predict things, something she referred to as her Surprise Sense.  She was vital and chipper, much more bouncy than people half her age.  I wasn’t aware that Pinkie has the same abilities…or that she looks a lot like Surprise.”

Mrs. Pie shot to her feet, stunned; the looks her husband and youngest daughter’s faces were equally slack-jawed.  “Surprise is…was…my mother,” she said before turning to face her oldest foal.  “Pinkamena…do you mean to tell me your Grandmother’s tales were true?”

All eyes focused on Pinkie at that moment, and while the pony usually had no problem being the center of attention, something about it this time was unnerving.  “Princess, while you were telling that story, I was remembering all the stories my grandmother told me, and they don’t sound very different.  She never told me where she got them from, and I was under the impression that she’d made them up, or they were folk tales I wasn’t familiar with.  But now….”  Pinkie closed her eyes, and then began to pull things out of thin air as easily as a unicorn could make them materialize; in short order, she retrieved a ball, a pack of cards, her banjo, a tennis racket, a bunny plushie and a baker’s dozen of cupcakes.  Looking at her mother, she said, “Grandmother so very much wanted you to believe, but since you didn’t have the ability, you couldn’t.”

“But sis, how can ye do all th’s stuff?  Be ye really a gypsy?” Inky asked, looking at her sister in a new light.

“I always thought I just had whatever I had on hand whenever I needed it, or any of my emergency stashes around Ponyville – balls, eye patches, comic books, you name it.  But I didn’t bring anything in with me to this meeting today—” she quickly ducked behind the table, and just as quickly reappeared in a turban and cape, wearing a large earring.  “—and yet I can suddenly put on my Fortune Teller costume.”  She looked at everyone, suddenly feeling really small.  “I guess I am one.  I hope you don’t hate me for it.”

“Pinkie, we could never hate you,” Twilight said.  “But I’ll admit, now I’m a little jealous of things you can do.  I just thought that part of your special talent involved sleight-of-hand, but this….wow.”

“Yeah, it just makes you that more awesome, Pinkie.  Almost as awesome as me,” Rainbow Dash announced, and after that, all her friends and family joined in expressing their approval for her newfound abilities.  Blueblood and Gainsboro, not familiar with her, kept a respectable distance, as did the princesses, who would voice their own opinion for their friend in private.

As the bit of commotion died down, Celestia started up again.  “Pinkie, you may have provided an explanation as to what is going on, because of the particular item you brought into our world.”  Celestia levitated a wooden box from the floor, which then opened in a position for only her to see its contents.  “Archmagus Gainsboro, Mage Sparkle, would you two be so kind as to combine a barrier spell, please?”

“Of course, your majesty, though I wonder why,” Gainsboro said as his horn lit with a soft gray light, setting a protective dome around the table.  Twilight had no need to even ask, immediately adding a second layer to the dome.

The sun princess looked at everyone with a slightly amused smile and said, “You should be safe, but just in case, you might want to duck.”  With that, she pulled the object out of the box…and using her magic, flung it as hard as she could.  A bright blast of light rocketed away from the alicorn, headed straight for the wall.  Once there, it bounced off, changing trajectory and heading in the direction of another wall, but would impact into a flower vase, first.  It shattered the container and kept going, bouncing off that wall, heading for the ceiling, where it destroyed the chandelier and kept going.  The chandelier fell with a hard and loud crash upon the barrier, spooking nearly everyone but leaving them otherwise unharmed.  Meanwhile, the object continued its destructive flight, bouncing off walls a few more times – and breaking two more vases and a spare chair against the wall – before heading back to Celestia at blinding speed,  who merely turned slightly to let it pass her before reaching out to catch it in her hoofspace.

She set the object on the table for everyone to see.  It was a flat, toroidal object made in a black material not familiar to anyone.  One of the sides was covered in a related but different material, which was textured.  The sides of the object, as well as a ring around the center and four small dots on the surface of the toroid, glowed a brilliant electric blue.  The item sat there, humming softly, until Celestia pressed a hard-to-see button near the textured area.  With a soft beep – Fluttershy winced, suddenly reminded of the last time she’d heard that noise – the object shut down.

“Had anyone not familiar to me brought this into the world, they would be in a prison cell next to the assassin,” Celestia said, with all seriousness.  “This object is forbidden technology, something that neither my mother nor I would ever allow in this world.”

“What is it?” Rarity asked.  “It looks dangerous.”

“It is, Rarity, more than you can know,” Celestia replied.  “It’s a weapon.  Specifically, it’s a human weapon.”

The looks on everyone’s faces clearly indicated they had no idea what to make of that.  “Princess,” Twilight asked, wanting to believe in her mentor, but somehow not being able to wrap her mind around it, “you haven’t been listening to Lyra’s crackpot ideas again, have you?”  Once a talented and promising musician, Lyra Heartstrings had been all but laughed out of town for her insistence that the mythological creatures known as humans once existed.  Eventually she settled down in Ponyville as a music teacher, but her rather odd hobby of “anthropology” (as Lyra called it) always got her unusual glances from everyone in town, including her best friend Bon-Bon.  This was especially the case, when the celeste-colored unicorn tried to emulate the supposed human lifestyle.

“I can’t say that I know anything about her ideas, Twilight, but in this case, she’s not wrong.  Humans do exist, and they once lived on Earth, long before ponykind existed.  However, it’s fair to say they no longer do – whether they became extinct or moved to other worlds is a matter of debate – but based on this, they likely exist somewhere out there in space in our universe.”  She set the weapon back in the box.  “Humans are or were special in that only a fraction of them had any abilities to use magic, and even then on the smallest scale – the most powerful of human mages could easily be outdone by the average unicorn.  But what they had, and what made them so special, was an ability to create and understand technology in the same way we understand magic, possibly more so.  Our technology comes in uneven spurts – we’ve created advanced things like calculators and alarm clocks, but we’re still using locomotive technology that is over a hundred years old.  With a society such as ours that uses magic extensively, there’s not as much of a demand for ‘tech’, as the humans called it.  Humans, because they didn’t have magic, could make technological leaps and bounds, in many cases beyond our comprehension.”

“We’re not havin’ t’ deal with humans’ are we?” Applejack asked, thinking of her younger sister’s hula hoop that she played with when still a foal, then looked at the box and its deadly contents.  It was one thing when Apple Bloom expertly flicked the hoop off her tail and knocked an apple from a fence post.  It was something entirely different when a smaller hoop made of an entirely different material was strong enough to break through an apple tree and keep going, especially when brandished by those mythical ape-like creatures.

“No, otherwise we’d be in even worse straits.  But it’s clear that someone’s bringing in forbidden weapons; that assassin pony was carrying throwing knives of various types, a couple of which were even coated in a toxin.”  Celestia said no further on that; there was no need to make the Pies worry any further.  “But these are all human weapons and they’re being used against us – and Pinkie, you’ve just proved how they’re doing it.  They’re breaking Paries Quartum.”

“Para-what?” Blueblood asked.

“I see someone fell asleep in the Academy,” Luna cooed.  “We know of four dimensions of existence: height, width, depth and perception.  The last one has been called ‘the fourth wall’ – paries quartum, in the old language – by scientists and mages because it’s the wall that keeps us separate from other universes.  Like a wall, it’s not supposed to be broken easily.  Once in a while, there’s a unicorn mage who can ‘see’ through the barrier, which is how a lot of our inventions are made – they’re copies of human inventions.”

Wordlessly, Pinkie’s friends stared at her.  She’d often look in a random direction for no reason, stand on the side of an invisible wall and other extremely odd things.  Most of the time, it was chalked up due to Pinkie being Pinkie.  But now they knew Pinkie was being Pinkie for an entirely different reason, one she wasn’t even aware of until now.

The sun princess could have continued for several hours more, but the looks on the faces of those assembled indicated that more than enough information had been given tonight…probably too much.  “From the looks of you all, it’s been a frightfully long night, so we’ll call this an evening.  Blueblood, please ensure that someone escorts the Pie family to their guest chambers – my apologies to all of you, but my day is hardly done yet.  Pinkie, please feel free to join your family, if you’d like.”

“I will ensure that,” Blueblood said, though the look on his face showed it was the least thing he’d rather do.  Pinkie, not catching the veiled insult, told him she’d take care of it and the seneschal sighed in relief.  Stating that he had more duties before retiring for the evening, he bade his farewells and departed, probably somewhere to ease his bruised ego.

“Thank ye fer ev’rything, yer majesty,” Mr. Pie said as he bowed, his accent thick enough to cut with a knife.  “Oi canna tell ye how blest we be that yer taking care o’ me daughters.”

“The pleasure is mine, good sir,” Celestia responded.  “Pinkie is one of my most valuable right-hoof ponies and I admit to being a fan of Octavia’s music.  I promise both will be fine.”

Meanwhile, Rarity and Applejack went up to Pinkie, and it was the unicorn who spoke first.  “Pinkie, dear, I find myself just a bit confused.  Your family’s accent is thicker than Applejack’s, yet you don’t seem to have it.”

“Y’re one t’ talk, Rarity,” Applejack accused, “since yo’rs ‘s plum fake as an apple bush.”

“It not faked, it’s…acquired,” Rarity responded in a feigned huff.  “Designers, for reasons I don’t understand, need to have Caballan accents to be taken seriously, and I learned mine under my apprenticeship to Double Stitch.  I can assure you I spent long and arduous hours perfecting it.”  Rarity leaned over to her pink friend and asked again in conspiratorial tones, “But your father and your sister have a very heavy accent, dear.”

“Well, Father’s from the old country, in his case, Inverneighs, so he still has the thick regional accent.  Inky’s extremely impressionable and pretty much adopted it.  Mother finds it quaint but obviously doesn’t have it, Blinky can’t use it as herself or as Octavia, and ‘Oi’d be a haard-bit t’ oonderstand if Oi spoke loik this.’  A party professional should be easy to understand; communication is the key,” she said proudly.

Rainbow Dash came and joined them.  “Celestia told me to let you guys know to meet Luna down in the detention center.  She, Fluttershy and Twi are already down there.  Pinkie, go ahead and take your parents to their room, but I don’t think you should stay long, since there might be something the assassin knows that might be important to you.”

═╬═

“I’m sorry, your highness,” the senior of the four guard mages on duty said, “But she's not talking.  We’ve tried everything possible, from Berryshine trying to talk to her, to Dewdrop Dazzle threatening her.  Lovestruck even tried to cast a, well…she says it works on her fillyfriend, but apparently not on the prisoner.”  In the background, the white-and-hot pink unicorn blushed.  “To be honest, we’re completely at a loss, and somewhat worn out from maintaining the wards.”

Twilight clapped the brown unicorn on the shoulder. “Thanks, Cherry Spice.  The Princess and I will take it from here.  You can all stand down until your relief arrives.”

“Believe me, we’ll be glad to.”  Looking over her shoulder, she said to her team, “C’mon, fillies, we’re done for the night…and Lovestruck?  Down, filly. Your hormones are in overdrive.”  Giving a bemused smile to Twilight, Luna and Fluttershy, the four mages departed, leaving the trio to themselves in the ensorcelled space of the prison area.

“I’ll talk to her,” Twilight offered.  “I’d be safer going in there than Fluttershy, and you should probably stay out here to keep the wards up.”

“Be careful, Twi.  She put up a spell that could counter me; there’s no knowing what she could do.”  Luna sounded genuinely worried; a momentary doubt in her own abilities?  Twilight gave her friends an encouraging nod and opened the cell door, entering.

Manacled by to the ground by heavily-enchanted chains and bound up in the bandages from her own injuries, the pony sat on the bed, laying in a quiet, reflective pose.  It was likely a meditative posture, though it was one that Twilight had never seen.  The pony took a slight inhalation before she opened her eyes.  “Ah, finally.  It is a pleasure to meet you, Royal Mage Twilight Sparkle, Duchess Shetland and Knight Commander Elemental of Magic.  Your reputation precedes you, milady.”

“Well, you know a lot more about me than I do about you,” Twilight commented.  “And you are?”

“No one of consequence, as I will likely be dead by the morning, Lady Twilight – may I call you Twilight? It’s so much easier than wasting syllables tripping over every title and flourish.  As for me, you may call me Hunter One, or merely Hunter for short.  That’s not my name, but as I mentioned, I will not be alive long enough for you to truly miss my presence.”

“Why do you say that?  You attacked my friend, but nopony here’s going to harm you because you have to face trial.  That’s how we do it here in Equestria.”

Hunter shook her head.  “You misunderstand me.  I understand you Equestriani are squeamish about the nastier things. I used to be that way once myself, but innocence lost can never be regained.  I lost my innocence when I was chosen to serve her, and as I have failed, my life is in her hooves…or rather, her Mortem Incantatores.”

“No.  I won’t let that happen.”  The look on Twilight’s face was severe.  “No one deserves to die, not even you, Hunter.  If there’s even a chance of a death spell getting past the Princess’ wards, it won’t get past me.  Period.”

Hunter laughed, a gentle sound that would have been pleasant under different conditions.  “You would spare me, Twilight?  You have a gentle heart for such a fearsome knight.  No, don’t deny it – I have heard the tales.  You defeated a monster that possessed your princess.  You rescued your friends from corruption and fought back the very divinity of chaos itself.  You have faced churlish dragons, treacherous diamond dogs, bestial hydras.  If the rumors are true, you even survived being turned to stone by a basilisk.  You’ve done all that and cannot call yourself a fearsome and potent mare?  If no, then you truly have the heart of a poet and scholar, lady knight.”

“You don’t sound like someone who would kill Pinkie.”

“As I told her, I did not mean to harm her sister.  And yes, I attacked Lady Pinkamena – Pinkie – and no, I don’t care for my job.  But it is my special talent, a talent that, quite surprisingly, my mark does not indicate.  Such a gentle, innocent mark I have; no indicator of what I’ve become.”  The pony leaned back against the prison bed’s pillow.  “And before you ask any more, Twilight, the fact is, I cannot tell you anything else.  Nothing against you; you seem like a wonderful sort, and should the situation ever change, I would be honored to strike a friendship with you.  But my time is short, I will be dead soon, and I think it would be best to spare you my untimely end.”  Nothing more to say, she lay back on the pillow, laying there until Twilight left the room.

Twilight came out just as everyone, save for Pinkie, was there.  “She calls herself Hunter – she won’t tell me her real name,” she told her friends.  “She’s a very charming pony, and I get the feeling that she’s doing all of this against her will.”

“Oh, c’mon, Twi!” Dash blurted out.  “A killer magic earth pony who hates killing?  That’s got ‘badly written Daring Do fanfic’ written all over it!”

“Uh, Dash, this is real life, sugarcube,” Applejack pointed out.

“Maybe it is true,” Fluttershy thought.  “After the Hearths Warming Eve play, I read a biography about Private Pansy.  Turns out she was actually a very capable warrior, not at all like me, but also very loving and kind.  She became Commander Hurricane’s successor eventually, so it is possible.”

“Well, however she feels, she’s convinced that she’ll die soon.  She says she’s under the thrall of a death trigger spell and since she’s failed, whomever set the spell should be setting it off shortly.”

Luna looked at the spells she set.  “We’re in trouble, then.  These things are meant to keep something in, not to keep something out.  I can start setting another set of barrier spells, but we have no idea how much time we have.  Fortunately, if we move fast enough, we might be able to short circuit the spell.

“Short circuit a death spell?  That’s new to me.”  Twilight’s natural curiosity kicked in once again.  “I didn’t think anything like that could be circumvented.”

“Personally, I’d rather you not know,” Luna said sadly.  “These are dark, horrid bits of magic that I’d rather no one know.  But thankfully, there is a way to countermand these sorts of things.  Leave it to me.”

═╬═

The Pie family stood before the windows of the room Blinky was in.  Guards were posted everywhere, and at Pinkie’s request, they stepped slightly away, allowing the family some private time.

Mr. Pie was shaking with anger.  “Pinkamena, Oi swear Oi’ll….”  The pony couldn’t finish his words, instead, shaking a hoof in anger.   “An’ ye have th’ attacker as a prisoner?  That canna be roight.”

“She’s in one of our heavily guarded facilities, Father.  We have the most experienced of the guards watching the place, and it’s heavily locked down with magic.  She’s not going to get out, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

Mrs. Pie looked to her husband, then to her oldest daughter.  “Pinkamena, what your father’s trying to say is that it’s not fair that the prisoner’s unharmed, and your sister….”  Her eyes were red from crying, as were all of theirs.  “And frankly, I would agree with him.  It isn’t fair that your sister is seriously wounded and the attacker’s okay.”

Inky looked at her parents, mildly annoyed.  “Mother, Father, did ye not ferget that Pinkie was also ‘urt?  Th’ Princess used her magic t’ heal Pinkie, but couldna do the same fer Blinky.”  The youngest daughter then faced her sister. “What happened t’ her that the Princess was able t’ fix ye but na sis?”

Pinkie leaned down and kissed her younger sister on the forehead.  “I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.  Pinkie Promise.”

═╬═

The door to the cell opened once more, and Fluttershy walked in.  She took a deep breath, whispered to herself, “You can do this,” then moved to the table in the room and took a seat.  She sat there patiently until Hunter took notice of her.  “Hello,” Fluttershy said, giving the prisoner her most earnest smile.

“Well, this has been a day for surprises.  First Twilight, and now you, Lady Fluttershy – this is quite unusual.  My reports indicate that you are likely the weakest of the knights, and yet here you are.  You are aware of what’s expected to happen to me within a short amount of time, are you not?”

“Well, yes, and that’s why I’m here,” Fluttershy said, beckoning Hunter to come to the table, which she did, slowly but surely.  As soon as she sat down, the yellow pegasus leaned against the table, saying, “I’m here to ask you to please work with us.  Despite what you did, no one wants to see you die.”

“What can you do to prevent that, milady?  I’m likely doomed within the hour, and I spared Twilight the horror of seeing my end.  I suspect it would be much worse for you.  Please leave before it’s too late.”

Fluttershy shook her head, refusing to leave the table.  “Twilight thinks you were forced to do all of this.  I feel I’m a good enough judge of character to say that I agree with her.  So please, surrender, um, if you’d be willing to.”

“Surrender?  I’m already your prisoner,” Hunter said, arching a brow.

“I mean, join us.  We’ll protect you.  You’ll still have to face trial for what you did to Pinkie and her sister, but that’s better than the alternative.”

“As much as I would quite honestly like that, my fate is sealed.  But I thank you for the offer nonetheless.”

Fluttershy nodded her head in quiet understanding.  “I was afraid you’d say that.  I was afraid she’d hear that.”

“She?”

Suddenly, the lights flickered and the room began to rumble.  Both ponies stared at the ceiling, which briefly warped under the jolt.  “Looks like she’s here,” Fluttershy said in a nervous, disquieting voice.  The table shook with a groan, the sound of a platform holding a weight that it was never meant to support.  The room suddenly grew cold and still, the magical lights suddenly growing dim and pale.

Hunter looked up at a black figure looking above him.  The creature was as dark as the deepest night, its wingspan almost covering the whole room, its horn daggertip fine at the end.  The alicorn’s indigo mane flowed like black flame, burning a trail straight up to its capped head.  It looked on the magical pony with unnatural, cat’s eyes, completely ignoring the quivering pegasus behind her.  For a moment, either the creature was larger than the room or the chamber itself shrank, but the monster seemed to encompass all.

Nightmare Moon looked at Hunter, as if assessing her next meal.  “I understand you are looking for death,” the creature said in a bassy, reverberating voice.  “If so, I will be most willing to oblige you!”

“Ah, Princess Luna,” Hunter said, bowing as much as she could.  “I am honored by your presence, your highness.”

“Um, t-that’s not Luna,” Fluttershy said, shaking in the presence of the beast.  “That’s N-Nightm-mare Moon!”

“Oh, please, I am not a fool,” Hunter said, staring back into Nightmare Moon’s eyes.  “You six defeated Nightmare Moon.  This is merely your princess pretending to be her.”

Fluttershy started to back away from the table, to the door.  “T-that’s what we told everyone,” she said, gulping.  The pegasus looked genuinely frightened now, clearly not an act.  “The t-truth is, we…only s-separated them into two.  Luna’s n-not…that.”

As if by coincidence, the door opened, and Twilight and Luna popped their heads in.  “Fluttershy, we heard you were interrogating the prisoner, and we wanted to see if the earthqua….”  The night princess’ words trailed off as she stared at her dark alter-ego.  “Oh, sweet stars,” she said, eyes growing wide with fright.

“GET.  OUT.”  The voice, cold as the grave, came from Nightmare Moon.  She wrapped her tail around Fluttershy, throwing the shivering pegasus at Luna, who barely managed to catch her in a magical net in time.

Luna slammed the door shut immediately, shouting, “Sound the alarm!  Twilight, find the others!  Nightmare Moon is loose again!”  There was a sudden cacophony on the other end of the door as the guards were called to alert.

“And now, then, for you.”  The monster turned its attention to focus on the imprisoned pony.  “I smell death on you, and it smells wonderful.  I think it is time to claim that scent for my own.”

“You mean you’re not…?” Hunter said, staring into the baleful eyes of the beast.  Nightmare Moon in turn, smiled at her prey, but there was no mirth in that grimace, merely to reveal jagged, razor sharp teeth.

On the other end of the door, there was an unnatural, monstrous bellow of a creature ready to consume its prey, followed by the bloodcurdling scream of a prisoner breathing her last.  After that everything was quiet and still as a grave.

“What’s going on here?”  From the entrance to the detention center Celestia approached, with Pinkie Pie and the four night-shift mages following close behind.  “I thought I heard a scream.”

“Well, suffice to say, we took care of our little mage problem,” Luna said to her sister, as the door to the cell opened, with Nightmare Moon walking out, proud and fearsome…

…which made it all the more bizarre that her first action was to nuzzle Fluttershy.  “Sorry about that,” the demonic alicorn said to the smaller pony in soft, worried tones that sounded very much like Luna.  “I was afraid I threw you too hard.”

Fluttershy giggled.  “That’s okay, I was prepared for it, so you don’t have to worry.”

Celestia, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie and the four mages stared at this very surreal scene unfolding before them.  “Would someone care to fill us in?” Cinnamon Breeze, the seniormost of the night shift mages asked, confusion in her voice.

“Well, the prisoner informed Twilight that she was under a Mortem spell, so we had to stop it or lose her.  The only way to do it was scare the horsefeathers out of her so she couldn’t unconsciously help protect the spell,” Nightmare Moon replied.  “It wouldn’t have worked unless Fluttershy had been willing to pretend to be scared out of her own wits.”

“I had to learn some acting skills for my modeling career,” she said.  “Glad to see they got some use.”

“Since she thought that I was a separate individual from Luna, she screamed in panic and fainted.  That gave me just enough time to yank the spell out of her and destroy it safely,” Nightmare Moon said, as she transformed into Luna.  “She’s asleep now, but she’s still got a lot of nasty spells on her.”

Celestia looked at the two Lunas, nodding approval.  “Not the way I would have done it, but effective.  So, would you two like to tell me why the Luna has been doubled?”

“Because we love you, Tia?” both chirped at the same time, before one shimmered and shrank back into Twilight’s form.  The night princess looked at the smaller unicorn and said, “You do a great me, you know that?”

“Thanks!” Twilight said.  “But I’m not the only one who can do a good imitation, right, ‘Twilight?’”

“It wasn’t easy, Twilight dear,” the purple unicorn said in Rarity’s voice, as one unicorn suddenly became another.  “But as you said, I’ll need practice, so this was as good a chance to use the disguise spell as possible.”

The ruler of Equestria looked at the four mares, all of them giving each other sly grins.  Sighing, she commented, “Why do I get the feeling it’s going to be a long day tomorrow?”

“I wouldn’t know, sis,” Luna laughed.  “After all, you’re the day princess.  Now, it’s almost midnight, so we’ve all got better things to do.  I’ll see you all in the morning, I’m already late to the Night Court session.”  With that, the younger princess strolled off, singing in a merry tune:  “Trololololololololo….”

PRIMUS: Ars Zingaria

Morning came, and it with it a new watch.  Harmony Grass talked to the evening shift and found out about the progress that Princess Luna and Twilight Sparkle had made over the course of the evening and that the chances of anything with the prisoner were less likely to occur.  While they weren’t yet out of the clear, they were keeping four-pony teams of mages to guard the cell until further notice.  After relieving Cinnamon Breeze’s group, he sat down with his three other mages, hoping it’d be a quiet shift.  He brought some paperwork with him: the newest dissertation by Mage Trixie Lulamoon regarding a perpetual motion engine was impossible, but he’d peer review it and recommend she be replaced on the scientific research committee – her weird notions were starting to come up one too many times.

“Reading Mage Lulamoon’s paper?” a voice called to him; he looked over and saw that while the other two mages had decided to just doze off, his third teammate, Island Rainbow, had brought paperwork of her own.  Originally from tropical Hoofolulu, she seemed quite studious and professional; really cute too.  She looked back at him and said, “I’ve met her.  Arrogant as an alicorn, and I’ve heard she and Royal Mage Sparkle do not get along.”

“Like oil and water,” he chuckled.  “They were both at the Central Thaumaturgical Conference in Salt Lick City six months ago and ready to tear each other apart by the second day.  By the end of the week the Archmagus was ready to start selling boxing tickets.”  Using his telekinesis, he shook the papers.  “While Lulamoon’s work’s incredibly detailed, it’s also incredibly wrong.”  He chuckled.  “Would you believe that in her last submission she came up with the crackpot idea that the atom can be divided?”

“Really?”  Island Rainbow clucked her tongue in annoyance.  “Somehow, that doesn’t surprise me.  I peer reviewed the one she did where she claimed to find a human skeleton – humans, of all things; you think she could have at least said something feasible like a proto-minotaur – and the fossil record showed it to be dwarf dragon bones.  I still have my copy and read from it occasionally when I really need a laugh.”

“I don’t think I’ve seen that one.  Perhaps I could borrow it sometime, if you don’t mind.”  Yup, Harmony Grass thought, really cute.

“Sure, I’d love to.  Maybe we could talk about it…over dinner?  You free tonight?”  Her winsome smile pretty much said everything that needed to be said.  Harmony Grass got up and moved closer to her so they could go over more of the paperwork together and get to know each other a little more.

“Excuse me,” a voice called from the other side of the cell.  “I’d like to speak to Her Majesty Princess Celestia, Her Highness Princess Luna, Knight Commander Sparkle and Lady Knight Pie, if you’d please.”

Harmony Grass, busily drinking in his exotic companion’s eyes, absently said, “Yeah, I’ll get to it when I get to it, prisoner.  You’re not my highest priority right now.”

“I’d better be – or else she’ll spend an eternity being torn apart and reassembled by powers you can’t comprehend…and you, you’ll spend that eternity, watching, unable to help,” Hunter said nastily.  “Alternately, I could also introduce you both to the Eldritch Horror that is Zalgo….”  Hunter held up a hoof and closed her eyes.  The tiniest flicker of magic appeared; it was as much as she could do, given the heavy wards, but he probably wouldn’t know that.

What Harmony saw was a prisoner who could potentially break the barriers…and chose not to, on purpose.  She wanted something and wanted it now.  I don’t have time for this.  Irritatingly, he opened a comm spell while Island Rainbow went back to her work, trying not to look as if she was terrified for her life.  “Twilight?  It’s Harmony.  Our, ahem, ‘guest’ wants to see you, Pinkie and the princesses.”

A pause for a few seconds, followed by a groan.  “Sorry, Harmony – just woke up.  Let her know I’ve got to round up Pinkie and the princesses.  I’ll send Spike down in an hour to get her; I’ll need you to escort as well.”

“Sure, will do.  Harmony out.”

═╬═

Stalliongrad, located on the northern coast of Caballus, was the world’s paramount refinery town.  Not far from the polar bear nation of Arctica, the city was responsible for most of the normal and magical metals in the world.  If it was a metal – iron, copper, gold, aluminum, mithril, alkahest – chances are you got it from Stalliongrad.  Granted, the ponies that lived here weren’t the only ones who sold their wares in the global market; the southern diamond dog nation of Canistralia was a major competitor, and the jaguars in Mewrugay were said to be setting up their own industry as well.  Even still, all the nations, from Gryphonland to Equestria, from Dragonica to Zebrababwe, from the Gazelle Republic to the Democratic Republic of Beasts, got the lion’s share of their metals from Stalliongrad.

At least that’s how it was until yesterday.  Now, there was nowhere to buy steel…unless you planned to pick up the boiling hot pools of metal that were strewn everywhere.  Huge gouts of natural or mystic flame belched into the sky as a new refinery or smelting plant was destroyed.  The city itself was covered in thick, oily smoke, which was a blessing; now the fleeing residents were spared seeing their homes and livelihood destroyed by a huge host of black-clad earth ponies that seemed to come out of nowhere and in numbers too huge to believe.

Rumors were rampant: the earth ponies were using magic; they were using human weapons; they were Windigo spirits, given a new form to rain destruction upon ponykind; they were Discord’s followers, come too late to rescue their lord but would continue the anarchy in his name.  As the casualties continued and the number of evacuees fleeing the city went from a trickle to a torrent of panic, stampeding bodies, it became worse and worse.  Firefighters fought in vain to put out the fires and help evacuees to safety and the town sheriff’s department was overwhelmed trying to solve a military invasion with police tactics; eventually even these emergency services had to pull out of the dying city.  The truth was, Stalliongrad was lost and it would take a long, long time – if ever – to rebuild.

Based on a hill overlooking what was left of the town, a unit from the Caballan military sat, collecting intelligence.  Dispatched too late from their base and far too small to even consider fighting, the squad opted to camp and gather as much information as possible to relay to headquarters, and to help the survivors once complete.  Two groups of scouts had been deployed, one earth pony team for ground work and one pegasus team for aerial surveillance, and their commander sat waiting for them to return as the unicorns compiled the data to send to HQ.  Additionally, a few unicorn medics had been sent to carefully make their way to the city to see what they could do to assist.

The unit commander paced back and forth, her frustration growing; to show up in full force would be complete suicide for the troops under her command, but at the same time the civilians needed assistance.  Setting up intelligence gathering had been the best compromise, but to her it was cowardly albeit necessary.  But that was the burden of command, she knew: sometimes she was the one who got to sit in unwanted safety while ordering good mares and stallions to their fate.

At last, the pegasi came swooping in, looking the worse for wear and already battle-weary for a non-combat action.  But that turned out to be a lie; while some of their wear was from flying through the tarry smoke of the city, some of it was the scars and burns of magical attacks.  As the pegasus lieutenant ordered his wounded flyers to see the medics immediately, he strode up to the captain.  “Captain, I’m back.  I’ll have to tell you, though, it wasn’t easy and it’s not pretty.”

The captain nodded.  “You don’t look good, Windmane.  You probably need to see a medic after this.”

“Probably,” he admitted, holding out his left wing for inspection.  Some of his remiges looked as if they’d been shattered.  “Got attacked with an ice spell and barely moved out of the way.  If I hadn’t, I would’ve been the biggest ice cube in Stalliongrad…for about two seconds.  As for the main brunt of the report, we’re seeing upwards of 6,000 enemy troops vice our platoon of fifty.  It’d be a slaughter.”  He looked nervous, moving from one foreleg to the other before asking, “Permission to speak freely, Captain.”

“Granted.”

“Gilda…they’re killing innocents out there!” he whispered harshly, wanting to explode but not wanting to set off the unicorns compiling the new evidence.  “I know you’re not a pony, but…seeing those bodies out there….”  He shivered; Windmane had been a career military pony coming from a family of military ponies, but even still, this had shook him to the core.  “How could those killers be so bucking feral?”

Gilda gave him a concerned look.  “Hey, Windmane, these are my ponies too…well, sorta.  You get what I mean.”  And it was true; having grown up in Equestria instead of Gryphonland, she was mentally more pony than gryphon.  After having had a falling out with her only friend, she considered moving amongst her kind, but instead went across the ocean to Caballus, where she’d since fared much better in a military career (she was from a predator species, after all) and other friends.  Still, she missed Rainbow Dash and hoped someday to make amends.  She’d also tempered her attitude quite a bit; military life had since taught her that ultimately she’d been responsible for that day, not anyone else.

“Look, if it was up to me, we’d be going in there full claws and beak, but like you said, we’d be toast in a minute.  The best thing we can do is to get this information to HQ, so we can come up with something: we’re facing some kind of attack and I’ll bet my pinion feathers we’re not the only place getting hit right now.  Get your best flyers ready and we’ll send the info back soonest, then we’ll do what we can to help the refugees – these attackers can’t be so feral that they’d hit evacuees.”  The look on Windmane’s face said he doubted her words.  Turning to one of the unicorns, Gilda asked, “Mulberry Silk, how much time do you have left until that report’s ready to go?”

“Another ten minutes, Chief,” the unicorn answered as she worked at the typewriter, pausing only briefly to adjust her glasses.  “Just typing up a spare copy now in case something happens to the original.”

“Make it fast,” Gilda said as she looked out towards the burning city.  “If Stalliongrad is today, Trottingham might be tomorrow.”

═╬═

It was a beautiful morning in Equestria.  The sun had been raised a couple of hours prior, the birds were chirping and a couple of specifically designed clouds were hanging lazily in the sky.  The local weather board had voted to have some light showers early in the afternoon, but in the wake of the Fetlock Mountain incident it was being held off until further notice.  All in all, from the western garden patio, it was a perfect scene, the hope of peace ever present in the air.

It was, Hunter admitted, a frightening naivety for a nation on the very brink of war.  But maybe they didn’t have to be, she thought to herself.  The events of last night – and this morning – had given her food for thought, even as she had been invited to breakfast.  What she thought would be a somber affair was one held in the light of day, surrounded by the warmth of Celestia’s sun and ponies that were earnest and honest in their dealings – quite the opposite of what she was used to.

Using her magic to lift the teacup to her lips, she said, “It seems I am alive today, thanks to one or more of you.  When I thought the Mortem would activate that it would stop my heart or something equally gruesome, not bring a demon to my very hoofsteps.”

“Well,” Luna said, sounding as if she were grasping for straws, “Nightmare Moon…isn’t as strong as she used to be.  She knows she…can be killed with regular weapons now and is more of a nuisance than anything dangerous, really.”  She immediately drank from her coffee mug, lest she need to invent any other details on the spot.  Note to self: come up with better excuse next time.

“I see,” Hunter said, thoughtfully.  “Well, I’ve had time to consider your decision and to think about my own mortality.  If you are willing to protect me, I will tell you everything I know.  The truth is, I’ve hated killing since my very first one, and each life taken has been complete torture for me.  I would relish the chance to escape my bondage.”

“Then why do you do it?”  Surprisingly, it was Pinkie who asked.  Prior to the meeting, both Princesses and Twilight had made her Pinkie Promise that she wouldn’t do anything; in fact, Spike sat next to her in case he needed to use his considerable strength to corral her.  “You tried to kill me.  You seriously injured my sister.  And you’re telling me you hate it?”

Hunter nodded.  “Pinkie, you might find this hard to believe, but I had no choice.  I am in thrall by the dozens of spells placed upon me, and when I am given an order, I have no choice but to obey.  Worse, there is nothing I can do to countermand any of it; even death by my own hand is not an option.”  The very mention of suicide left the pink pony quiet.  “And after what I’m about to tell you, you might think very differently about me.  I hope you’ll find it in your heart to forgive.”

“I have this feeling we’re not going to like what you’re about to tell us,” Celestia said, pouring herself a cup and refilling Hunter’s.  The ruling princess was being friendly yet detached; she weighed her duties to her people against the potential that the gypsy pony stated.  Moreso, Celestia looked at the spells interwoven into Hunter’s being – for a divinity that lived and breathed magic, they were impossible to miss – and while she didn’t entirely understand, it was clear they were keeping her the way she was for a reason.

“You won’t – no sane being would.”  She looked down into her drink as if for courage, then back at the others.  “My name…my name is Pumpkin Tart.  I don’t know who my mother and father were, and I was chosen to be one of the Hunters, along with my siblings.  That’s ‘siblings’ as in colleagues, not blood or bond,” she added.  “We’ve been serving our liege for two years now, and…despite how I look…next month I’ll turn six years old.”

All sound at the table stopped at the mention of her age.  After a few seconds to think it over, Twilight asked, “Six?  Forgive me if I don’t believe you, but I don’t believe you.”  She looked the same age as Twilight herself, and amongst her circle of friends she was, at 27, the youngest, with Fluttershy turning 30 later in the year.

“She’s telling the truth,” Celestia said.  “Those blue runes…those are artificial aging ones, aren’t they.”

“Correct, your majesty.  A series of them were placed in our bodies so that we would never grow younger than 18 or older than 36 physically.  The orange ones were to help us mentally, emotionally and physically develop to someone of the equivalent age.  I often wonder how much of that is me, and how much is my acceleration,” she admitted, oddly calm for someone who admitted to being nothing more than a puppet for a creature.  “I’d like to think that part of me is myself, but then I see all the runes on me – I can see them as well – and I wonder if they were all removed, who would I be?”  She shook her head, and then looked back at them.  “And then I tell myself I’ll manage somehow, one way or another.”

“Well, that settles that: you’re technically a foal and even aside from that, your actions were under magical duress, to the point that you couldn’t even kill yourself to stop the bloodshed,” Luna intoned.  “I think it’s fair enough to say that we can let you go.  Sister, would you please write up a royal pardon, just in case?”

“I have a stack of pre-signed ones I keep in my desk in case of emergencies like this.  But let’s get back to the subject.  Who are you sworn to?”

“Well, you now, I suppose,” Pumpkin Tart said, with a hint of a smile.  “But I suppose you’re referring to my former employer, to turn a phrase.  My sister Hunters and I – there are ten of us – are the primary warriors of the leader of the Gypsy ponies, She Who Calls Herself the Queen of Magic.”  Again, there was surprise, and she laughed softly.  “I thought that would catch your attention.  But please don’t ask me to tell her your name – that would lead to a very untimely death for me, most certainly.   She pointed down towards her heart, and the three mages present used their powers to see the glowing black line of magical runes that encircled her heart.

“That’s terrible!” Twilight said, seeing just exactly what had been done to this young mare…filly?...pony.  “Did they do the same thing to the rest of you?”

“All my siblings have been, save for the oldest, Hunter Zero, who is our leader.  She, however, has the actual special talent of being an assassin and thus had no need for enhancement.  In fact, it was Zero who stole the Elements and left behind the evidence that was used to attempt to frame Rainbow Dash.  Zero is the best of us and she is fiercely loyal to the Queen.”

“So, all we have to do is capture this ‘Hunter Zero’ and then we should be okay.  What’s her name?  Do you have a description?  How powerful is she?  Where did she take the Elements?”

“Not as easy as it seems, Twilight.  She was probably ordered to disperse the Elements to other realities so that you would never get your hands on them.”

“Other…realities?  I understand there are other realities, but I didn’t think they could actually be travelled to.”

“Absolutely they can…where do you think we came from?”  Looking at the princesses, Pumpkin Tart said, “I understand that it is your belief that when Faust sent the original gypsies away, she sent them across the sea to a new land, where magic had died out but the terrain was lush and vibrant, is that not correct?”  When Celestia nodded, the gypsy pony continued.  “I presumed that was the case.  It’s similar to our own, save without the vitriol.  The truth is that Faust sent us to another reality, one that in truth was vibrant and lush and perfect for us gypsies to settle on.  The problem was that with her choice – one she probably couldn’t have foreseen – was that as the magic was dying and our own powers were fading, the very world itself was dying as well.”

“Then how did you…?”

“About ten years ago, when the dying began in earnest, several ponies travelled the world in hopes of finding a miracle that would stave off our extinction.   Most never came back, so I’ve been told and of those that did, their missions ended in failure.  All, except for a pair that found a temple in a faraway jungle that had managed to somehow survive.  What they found was two things of importance.

“The first was that Queen Bright Eyes had an emergency plan for her people should they ever be defeated by the ‘lesser tribes’.  She imbued a crystal with a seed of her power, one that was designed to grow the magic within it until the day a worthy successor was found.  Several of her closest hoofmaidens traveled to this new world, then went away from their own, building a temple on the far side of the world, where it would sit for millennia until found.

“The other, and possibly more important, was that there was not one successor, but two.  The two that had traveled to the site were good friends, lifelong friends…and both were direct descendants of the queen.”

“I knew Bright Eyes briefly, before her corruption,” Celestia said.  “I don’t recall her having children.”

“She used a spell in which she induced the image in her mirror to become pregnant with her children.  I don’t know the full legend, but I don’t think there was a sire involved.”

“Parthenogenesis?” Luna asked.

“There’s a word for that?  Interesting….” was Pumpkin Tart’s reply before continuing.  “When the once the image gave birth, a second set of hoofmaidens took the children to raise as their own, so that should Bright Eyes’ line fall, there would be some day someone who would return the gypsies to their glory.  These two children, raised apart with no knowledge of each other, became the ancestresses of two different lines that would meet in the friendship shared by the two travelers.

“But once they came back, the older of the two began to experiment with the magic crystal, plumbing its power, commanding its mystic energies, and eventually proclaiming her to be the next Queen of Magic.  The other one, however, had not absorbed as much power, and it was her desire to use the Gypsy Crystal to rejuvenate their world, even though it would exhaust all the magic in the crystal; eventually people saw her as a holy maiden and called her the Hierophant.  Despite their deep friendship, the Queen and the Hierophant eventually went to war with each other over the fate of our world.

“The Hierophant sounds like a cool pony,” Pinkie chirped, her animosity at this poor pony now all but forgotten.  She may have hurt my sister and tried to hurt me, but it wasn’t her fault.  She was just used.  Pinkie grinned inwardly; sounded like Pumpkin Tart needed an “I-forgive-you” party and she was just the mare.

“I wish she’d won – maybe I would have had a normal life.  The fact is the Queen won and slaughtered all the Hierophant’s followers; possibly even the Hierophant herself.  She then made an ultimatum to the rest: she was moving to conquer this world in revenge for what was done to her people and nothing would stop in her way.  And that’s where we are now.”

“So, we’ve lost the Elements, then,” Spike blurted out, having been quiet all this time.  He knew what that meant, and for the first time in his life, he was truly afraid for Twilight, Rarity and the rest.

“No, there may still be hope.  Someone can travel to the other realities and retrieve them,” Pumpkin Tart pointed out.  “Unfortunately, that won’t be me; I’d be a marked target in a heartbeat once they found out I changed sides.  But…there’s an advantage that you do have: you have a gypsy of your very own.”

“Me?” Pinkie asked, looking at the orange pony with a jaundiced eye.  “I mean, I just learned yesterday that all my prestidigitation was actually teledigimation.”

“I can teach you the technique, Pinkie.  It’s not hard, for gypsies such as us.”

“No.  I know what you’re saying, Pumpkin Tart, but it’s too dangerous,” Celestia said, firm in tone.  “We’ll find another way.  I won’t risk any of my sworn knights – my personal friends – to risk their lives.”

“Tia,” Luna said, “We have to think of the realm – how many times do you tell me that?  Pinkie’s one of my closest friends, but if she’s the one chance we have, we have to take it!”

“Are you willing to risk our friend like that?  I’m not, so I forbid it.  It’s not going to happen.  Case closed.”  Her tone was firm.

“No, sis, you’re wrong on this one,” Luna countered, equally as firm.  “If I could do it, I would – I’d spare all of them, if I could!  She goes!”

Celestia bolted from her seat, rearing up to her full majesty.  “You would dare defy your princess?”

Luna jumped to her feet as well.  “Buck yes I would!” she yelled.  “I am your heir, and am expected to act in defense of the realm, even when its sovereign is acting like such a bucking horse!”  The profanity rolled straight off the younger sister’s tongue, and both princesses glowered at each other, to the point that it almost felt like a replay of a thousand years back.  The others were aghast at the scene; in all their years together they had never seen the royal sisters disagree so vehemently.

“Luna, Celestia, please.”  To their chagrin, Twilight, brave as always, stepped between the two divinities, pleading for calm.  “This is going to be rough for all of us, but remember that Pinkie has a say in this too.”  Chastened, the two alicorns stopped to consider how Celestia’s protégé was probably more deserving of divinity than they were at the moment.

“You’re…right, Twilight,” Celestia said, reseating herself.  “I didn’t think about Pinkie’s thoughts in all this; I only sought to selfishly protect someone I care about.  I’m sorry for not considering your thoughts, Pinkie.”

“Yeah, me too,” Luna said, dejectedly.  Her tone was still defiant, but at the same time, carried an undertone of worry.

Pinkie got up from the table.  “Pumpkin Tart, let’s you and me find a place to practice.”

“We won’t need anything large.  A gypsy gate, properly created, does not take up a lot of space.”

“Hey, I’m a first timer, so I suspect it won’t be properly created.  Oh, and Spike, might need your help.”  She said the last more to spare the young dragon the angst of seeing the adults arguing than any actual need for his assistance, but he clearly picked up on that and eagerly agreed.

“Sure, Pinkie, coming!”  He looked at the three left behind with a glance that said it all: it was ultimately Pinkie’s decision.  Nothing more to say and not willing to scar each other emotionally any further, the princesses departed for their own duties.  Feelings would be soothed and things would be mended later, but a cooling off period was probably best for the moment.

That left Twilight alone at the table, staring at a trio of pegasi in the distance, playing tag in the air and living a carefree life.  That would probably change soon, and not for the better.  “Great way to start a morning,” she said sadly as she drank her cup of tea and waved over waitstaff to clear the table.

═╬═

Unbeknownst to Twilight, the three pegasi she’d been staring at in the distance was Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Bamboo Grove.  Bamboo had tried out for both the Wonderbolts and the Starbolts, and right now was just happy to be in the air with the Starbolts’ CO.  Hundreds of feet above the earth the trio flew, lounging in the natural space that was the domain of the pegasi.

“So is it true what they’re saying, Dash?  That we’re headed to war?”  While Bamboo wasn’t as timid as Fluttershy, she still had a hesitancy to her that both Rainbow Dash and Spitfire agreed that she’d need to get over before she qualified for either team.  “My twin brother’s an earth pony with the guard.  He’s stationed down south at the base in Outer Flanks.”

“He should be fine,” Fluttershy said, uncomfortable with the height they were at but dealing with it, as Rainbow Dash said she needed training.  “We really don’t know much about the Black Ponies yet, so the Princess said to prepare for it, but preparing isn’t the same as being in one.”

“Yeah, I wouldn’t worry your head over it, Bamboo,” Rainbow Dash said as she lazily performed an arc turn called an Immelmanm after a famous pegasus that had invented the move during the days of the old stratocracy.  “Just focus on what you need to do, especially if you want to make either of the teams!”

“Bamboo flipped a salute.  “Aye aye!  So, what are we practicing today?”

“Supersonic flight.  Both Fluttershy and I can do it, but I want to make sure that you can as well.  As for you, Fluttershy, I want to you to practice endurance – if we get into some kind of trouble in the air, I want to make sure you can get safely away, which means pushing yourself to hold up faster, okay?”

“Oh, but I’ll be fine, Rainbow Dash, because I have you and the others—”

“Don’t think that way, Fluttershy.  There might come a time where it’ll be you and you alone, and I want to make sure you’ll be okay.”  Rainbow Dash gave her friend a brief concerned glance before turning back to Bamboo.  “Okay, so here’s the deal: quick run to Mt. Gaskin.  We’ll start off at supersonic right off the bat.”  The blue pegasus pointed to the spire mountain in the distance, hundreds of miles away.  It had been where both she and the gang had encountered the sleeping dragon; since then, the huge cave had been turned into an airbase for the pegasus guard fleet.

“Wait, isn’t that a little dangerous?” Bamboo asked.  She could go to Mach 1 easily, but Rainbow Dash was talking about starting off at Mach 5; going from zero to 3800 mph in a heartbeat seemed risky, at best.

“That’s the way it works, Bamboo.  The stunt teams require riskiness and the like; I had a hard time starting off even at Mach 1 when I first decided I wanted to join the Wonderbolts way back when,” Rainbow Dash admitted.  “But you’ll notice that your best tricks come at those really awesome speeds.  Yeah, sure, simple soundbooms come instantly at Mach 1, but the really radical stuff comes when you hit hypersonic.”

“Well, if you’re sure….”  The tea-green pegasus was anything but.

“Sure I’m sure.  Fluttershy, why don’t you start us off?”  Blue wings beat slowly, as if mirroring their owner’s contemplation.  “Now, I want you to think on this one, Bamboo: Fluttershy is one of my closest friends in the world, and as fragile as she is – uh, no offense, Fluttershy.”

“None taken,” she said, sweetly, while focusing on the mountain in the distance.

“See?  Now as I was saying, I’d never risk Fluttershy’s safety, but as a knight, she has a duty to be prepared for things like this.  That’s the way these things go when you sign on the dotted line.”  Rainbow raised a hand, calling out, “Ready?”  A she watched Fluttershy hunch in the air like a sprinter ready to take off, Rainbow Dash chopped the air, shouting, “Go!”

And go Fluttershy did – and Rainbow Dash completely dropped her jaw at the result.  From the moment Fluttershy took off there was the loud roar as she passed the transonic barrier; pegasi ears were naturally immune to the air-shattering noise of a point-blank soundboom.  But as she hit Mach 5, a curious thing happened.  While it wasn’t exactly the sonic rainboom, from Mach 5 on, there was an explosion of what appeared to be butterfly shaped magic, which floated in the air briefly before turning back into water vapor.  As she melted into the distance, Fluttershy trailed behind her a contrail composed of mystical lepidopterans, as if leading a huge flight of butterflies into the distance at hypersonic speed.

Rainbow Dash blinked her eyes.  Wait…did she just do what I think she did?  She immediately blasted off, rocketing into Mach 5 within seconds.  As she felt the familiar shudder of a sonic boom and then the bigger jolt of the sonic rainboom, she found that she was having a hard time catching up to her friend.  Rainbow quickly did the math:  so if I’m pushing 7, she’s pushing…10?  She looked behind her and saw a vapor cone in the distance as Bamboo had just passed into transonic speed.

Everything ended, quite literally seconds later, when Fluttershy reached the mountain and landed at the foot of the entry to the base.  Almost right behind her was Rainbow Dash, shouting for Fluttershy to stop.  A few seconds later, a very exhausted Bamboo Grove all but crashed on the ground, panting heavily as she’d exerted herself far beyond what was expected.

“I feel exhausted,” the yellow pegasus said, looking at her friend.  “I felt…as if something left me.  Does that make sense?”

“Does it ever!” Rainbow Dash shouted, not sure if she should be proud of her friend or jealous.  “Did you see what you j—”

"Halt!"  A group of guard pegasi came running out.  “This is a military garrison and…oh, it’s you, Commander Dash.  Sorry about that – base has been on high alert since the news.”

“News?” Whatever Rainbow Dash was going to ask was immediately forgotten.  “What news?”

“You don’t know?” the guard pegasus was shocked.  “You’d best see this, then.  Just got it by dragon fax twenty minutes ago.”  He handed her a scroll.

Rainbow Dash looked at the scroll, then blanched.  “Fluttershy, you’d better see this, too.”  Though not bidden, Bamboo looked at the scroll as well.

--

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

Distribute to all guardsponies

There have been reports of attacks on the Caballan cities of Stalliongrad and Barceloneigh, the Gryphonland city of Highmount, and the Dragonica base at Lonely Mountain.  These attacks have been caused by the group or groups of enemy forces that have been probing Equestriani defenses for the past few weeks.  At this time, the Caballan government has announced that they are now in a state of war with the enemy designated “the Black Ponies” (TBP) and that Gryphonland and Dragonica’s parliaments are also considering declaring war against TBP as well.

While we have informed the Princess of what has transpired, there is no expectation that Equestria will declare war immediately; however, all guard garrisons, fleet bases, and mage guild offices are reminded that vigilance is required, as anything may transpire soon.  Furthermore, with this joint declaration, all leave statuses are cancelled and all reserve centers are reminded to keep in touch with the reserve forces, as they may be activated at any time.  All unit commanders are required to report into their respective branch commander as to their unit readiness.  Lastly, any sightings of TBP forces should be immediately reported to the authorities immediately.

More information will be disseminated as we have it.

In Her Majesty’s name,

Goldengrape, GEN, Earth Pony Guard Forces

Upper Reaches, ADM, Pegasus Guard Fleet

Gainsboro, Archm., Unicorn Mage Guild

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

Distribute to all guardsponies

--

“Unbelievable,” Fluttershy whispered.  Three major cities had been attacked, which meant casualties.  The Black Ponies, that is, the gypsy ponies were behind it, which meant that Hunter’s people were behind it, and they apparently did not share the same gentle heart as the assassin did.

“We’d better get back, soonest,” Rainbow Dash said.  “The Princess will be looking for us, and I’ve got to report to the Admiral as soon as possible.  “This is getting serious.”  Rainbow turned to Bamboo.  “You see what’s going to happen, are you sure you still want to join the squadrons?”  When Bamboo nodded in the affirmative, Dash continued.  “Okay, as of now you’ll be training with my team.  If we go to war and we’re in a combat situation, you’ll be prepared.”

“Perpared for what?” Bamboo asked, unsure.  While her commitment was unwavering, what did a pegasus do during wartime?

“I don’t know,” Rainbow Dash answered in a quiet, soft voice.  “I don’t know, and Celestia as my witness, I’m hoping we don’t find out.”

═╬═

Rarity walked into the Academy, ready for her daily training. To her surprise, the school was empty, and Autumn Wood was waiting for her by the front door.  “Good afternoon, Woody” she said, all smiles.  “Were you waiting for me?”

He blushed.  “Well, as dazzling a mare as you were last night while training, I had to catch a glimpse of such fairness in the day,” he said, soul of a poet and tongue-tripping over every word.  “Seriously, though, the students are all in the main auditorium.  Apparently there was an attack today on three foreign cities today and those three nations are declaring war.  So the Academy is holding a special lesson on the history of war.  Besides, it was my turn to help with hall monitor.”

“Good heavens,” Rarity said, shocked.  She hadn’t been told anything about that this morning while having breakfast with Applejack and the Pies, but it was entirely possible the information had been left out as to not disturb any of them.  “That’s horrible!  Is everything okay?”

“No, I’m afraid not,” he said, reaching into his sidebags and pulling out a scroll.  “You might want to look at this.  It’s official, but you’re one of the Knights, so it should be okay for you to see it.”  Rarity took it with her telekinesis, unfurled and began reading.

“Oh, Holy Celestia, is this true?” He nodded.  “I’d best get back to the castle immediately.  Would you let Gainsboro…I mean, the Archmagus, know that I won’t be able to attend our session this morning?”

Woody nodded.  “It’s just as possible he wouldn’t be available, either, as he’s been in a meeting all morning with General Goldengrape and Admiral Upper Reaches.”

Rarity nodded.  “So, I’ll see you tonight?”

He nodded.  “Absolutely.”

“I’ll see you then,” she said with a wave and a second later, blowing a kiss.  She hadn’t even realized she did that until she left the Academy ground, and then idly wondered why.

A figure watched as the Duchess Lippizan departed the school.  The plans were in motion now, and if all went perfectly, another of Celestia’s knights would fall.  While there had been no word that Hunter One had succeeded in her mission, it was expected that news would be squelched that one of the most important ponies in the land had been attacked.  However, Hunter Seven had reported that the rather distraught family of Pinkamena Pie was in town, a sign that she was dead.  Of Hunter One, there had been no sign either, but it was likely that her usefulness to the Queen was up and Hunter One had been sent to the Great Pasture in the beyond. Such was the life of a Hunter; that pony had not been the first to bear the name “Hunter One” and she would not be the last.

Still, that odd earth pony could put a crimp in the plans to deal with Lady Rarity.  There would have to be a way to keep them apart; perhaps their ally in the Equestriani government could be of assistance; he was, after all, doing this in return for a very healthy reward from the Queen should she succeed.  The figure laughed softly; the Equestriani government had been compromised and the alicorns didn’t even know it!  Of course, that wasn’t a surprise: what could so-called “divinities” do, compared to the great machinations of the Queen of Magic herself?

Enjoy what little peace you have remaining, Rarity, Hunter Zero thought to herself.  You’ll soon have plenty of time to regret ever knowing your life as it stands.

═╬═

In retrospect, Spike had turned out to be useful; Pumpkin Tart had told him to ensure that nopony was to approach the north gardens, as what they were about to do would probably turn the worldview of anypony who saw it upside-down.  In truth, she was right; Spike was a dragon, but had very much been raised like a pony, and it was making him freak out somewhat.

However, as if proving her gypsy heritage, Pinkie was taking it in stride; not only that, she was a quick learner.  While this had been a rush course in how to do things the gypsy way, it was becoming apparent that Pinkie had learned much of this on her own without even realizing it and hundreds of her quirks had actually been unconscious application of spells.  Now that she was conscious of her abilities, she was performing at a level very much like the average gypsy, possibly above average.

“You’re a fast learner,” Pumpkin Tart said, impressed.

Pinkie waved it off.  “Piece of cake.”  As if to illustrate a point, she reached behind her, bringing forth a slice of cake.  Munching on it, she asked, “Wanb a bibe”?

“Ah, no, but thank you regardless.”  The comical site brought smile to Pumpkin Tart’s face and it dawned on her how powerful Pinkie could be; the smiles had possibly been an application of her ability as the Knight Elemental of Laughter; she had no idea how the Harmonic powers worked, but a pony with two different sets of magic could very much be a dangerous pony to her enemies.  She then thought about Twilight Sparkle, the Knight Commander and Royal Mage, who was said to be almost as powerful as the alicorn sisters themselves.  Maybe it was a good thing that I was assigned to deal with them; I don’t think I’d want to be any of their enemies.

“So, how’m I doing, teach?” Another thing about the pink pony: when she was in good spirits, she seemed to run on pure sugar and giggles; it was very different from the earlier, dour look on her face when they’d first met.

“Well, I’m not a magic teacher, but I’d say you’ve got the basics known by any gypsy.  But now here’s the hard part: creating a gypsy gate.  It’s a simple matter, but you must be careful.  You’ll be transporting mass whenever you use one for yourself, and nature abhors a vacuum.  Some mass, no matter how little, must be swapped with you and anypony traveling with you, or else the gate will go awry and you may end up making things difficult for the place you left behind.  During training, one of the Hunter candidates opened a gypsy gate, but did not bother to account for mass.  When the gate closed, he’d displaced a baby atlatch-nacha – a giant spider – and even baby atlaches can be aggressive and lethal. Two of our numbers were slaughtered by the thing before Hunter Zero had destroyed it.”

That news sent a shiver down Pinkie’s back.  “What happened to the candidate?”

Pumpkin Tart’s suddenly looked crestfallen.  “He…never came back.  It was believed that he gated right into an atlach nest on the other side and became an instant meal.”  But she looked right up and said, “The best way to do it is the moment you cross over, materialize something small, a rock, for example, and then toss it in to close the gate.  If not, the closest thing that is not you or your fellow travelers will be sucked into the gate to maintain the balance.”

“Okie dokie, Loki!” she said, absorbing the information…as well as to remind herself not to go wherever that student did.  “So, how do I do it?”

“You just think about where you wish to go, and create the gate,” Pumpkin Tart commented.  “There’s not a formula or spell, it just is.”

Okay, you can do this, Pinkie.  She closed her eyes, and as always, she reached inside…and beyond.  Instinct told her to reach out and tap the air, and so she did.  Soft blue light burned into existence as a circle of energy began to draw itself in the air.  Light pink and soft yellow motes of light joined in the tracings, and unreadable runes of magic began to appear on the gate.  When it was done, it was a wonder to behold: a great alchemical circle of blue, with a triangle of pink in the center overlaid over a smaller yellow circle in the north-east position.  Embedded in the triangle were three smaller circles, each with a rune in it and a line connecting to the greater circle.  Lastly, in the center of it was another rune-scribbled circle, and the centerpiece of the gate was the creator’s mark: burning almost as brightly as the sun were three balloons, two blue and one yellow, revealing the gypsy whose work this was.

Pumpkin Tart looked at Pinkie, back at the gate and then back at Pinkie, who merely said, “Um, I can’t read any of that.”

“Pinkie…you just created a gate in seconds.  It usually takes any traveler minutes of concentration to do this…it takes me about five minutes to complete a fully-formed gate, and I don’t think I’m a slouch at all.”

“Um, beginner’s luck?”

“Close your gate, quick.  We don’t want any accidents, and we’d better tell the princesses that you’re ready.  Then you can decide if you want to do this or not.”

Instead, Pinkie began to approach the gate.  “No.  If I go now, there won’t be anyone to stop me, not even Celestia.  Somepony has to find the Elements, and that pony is me.”  She stepped within inches of the gate.  “Tell everyone I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“No.”  Pumpkin Tart reached over and grabbed her tail.  “That should be your doing.” She paused and said, “Pinkie, I’ve never had any family or friends, just so-termed ‘siblings’ that try to kill me as much as I tried to kill them whenever we weren’t on a mission.  As short as it’s been, my life has been diamond-dog-eat-diamond-dog and I’m still trying to comprehend how you all live yours.  But you, Pinkie – you have a family and true friends, ponies who love you and would be hurt if you didn’t say goodbye.  Think of your family: they’re afraid of losing one daughter, what happened if another one just disappeared?”

“I…I hadn’t thought of that.”  Even now, Blinky was present on her mind; how would her family react?  How could she do that to them?  Unbidden, the gate closed, vaporizing into colorful confetti of light.  “You’re right.  I can’t do this without letting anyone know.  Thank you, Pumpkin Tart,” she said, nuzzling the other pony.

At first, Pumpkin Tart flinched, Pinkie had invaded her personal space in a very huge way, and the only time that had ever happened without warning was punishment, or an attempt for a candidate to kill an existing Hunter to take her place.  But just as fast, the orange pony realized that it was something she’d never really experienced before: affection.  Timidly and hesitantly, she returned the gesture.  If normal life was like this, filled with caring and friendship, then her former Queen had robbed Pumpkin Tart of something truly precious and valuable…and had just made a new enemy from her own ranks.

Pinkie’s gate did not go unnoticed.  The reality-breaking magic was strong enough to catch the attention of every magic user on the planet.  Most of them thought nothing of it, however; when two divinities who essentially controlled the cosmos lived on the mortal sphere, one gets used to sensing that level of magic every once in a while.

However, Hunter Zero sensed it and knew what kind of magic it was; furthermore, it came from the castle.  The power of the gate had been too short for an existence to have been fully formed, she knew; could it have been that Hunter One survived after all and was attempting to escape?  Well, if that was the case, it would fall to Hunter Zero to assist in that escape.  Such loyalty to the Queen could not go unrewarded, and in any case, to leave a gypsy in the hands of lessers would be an insult to their entire tribe.

═╬═

Applejack stared at the larger earth pony when he’d told her.  “Yer kiddin’, right?  Ah’m pretty sure yer jokin’ at any rate.”

“No, I’m not, Duchess Mustang,” General Goldengrape had said as the two sat at his desk.  He’d requested an audience with her earlier in the day after having wrapped up his meeting with the other branch heads.

“Please, just ‘Applejack’, if’n y’ don’t mind,” she said.  “Ah’m not keen on titles.”

“Then, please, just call me Goldengrape.  But as for a title, you may have to be keen on them, Applejack.  You are a Knight Elemental, with a sworn duty to our princess.  But as you may also know, your title and duty also comes with responsibilities martial.  While I understand your primary duty in that regard is the personal protection of her majesty, your responsibility is to the platoon that is assigned to someone of your rank.”

Applejack’s brows furrowed.  “In case y’ haven’t noticed, Ah’m hardly the leader type.  That’s why Twilight’s the Knight Command’r, and why Dash leads a squad of her own, not me.  Sorry, but Ah’ll have t’ decline.”

“I see.  Well, I feel you undersell your own abilities, but there’s nothing to be done for that.  But there’s something else, something a little more personal, that I felt you must be informed of.  Normally, we wouldn’t do this, but considering the situation, one of my junior officers felt it was a good idea and I agree with her.”  He pushed what looked like a report in front of her.  “Do you know anything about the military?”

“Not much,” she admitted.  “Mah older brother Big Mac did a stint in when Ah wus a youngin’, but that t’was my cousin Braeburn’s idear.  Thought they’d make a name fer themselves while in th’ Guard.  Neither of them liked it, so they left ‘s soon as their time wus up.”

“Well, each service has their elite units.  The pegasi have their precision squadrons, The Wonderbolts and the Starbolts – as you mentioned, your friend commands the latter unit.  The mages, not so much, but they create special teams as necessary, and those teams are the best of the best.  But we earth ponies have a long and storied tradition with our own wartime elite: the Destriers.  Destriers are pretty much unstoppable juggernauts, fully vested in the military arts and capable of supreme amounts of destruction when called to do so.”

Applejack was reading the report, and at first she didn’t like it: the report turned out to be her brother’s service dossier.  But as she got to the status of duty, she began to blanche.  Big Mac didn’t like talking about his military years, and while he didn’t act as if they were a shame, he just didn’t discuss them.  Now she knew why.  “Is this true?”

Goldengrape nodded.  “As true as Luna moves the moon, Applejack – as you can see in the report, I was your brother’s CO during the dragon incursion fifteen years ago.”  Applejack remembered that; when she was a filly, there had been a group of dragon separatists trying to create a break-away nation within Equestria’s borders.  The dragon king of Dragonica had sent assistance to Equestria but it was mostly intelligence and non-material support.  It had been left to the Guard to deal with the separatists, and shortly after it ended, Mac and Braeburn had left the military.  Since his time was up, it had seemed coincidental, but now….  “Your brother left, not because he was dissatisfied with the job, but because he was too good, and it disturbed him.  He has the only recorded single-hooved kill of any pony against a dragon.”

Applejack’s eyes scanned the incident report.  Goldengrape had been the unit commander at the time, and Big Mac, then a sergeant, had rescued a group of children from a town that had been attacked by the separatists.  The dragon had been about to roast them with its flame, so Big Mac did the only thing he could, according to the report: he rushed in for the attack, breaking his lance off in the dragon’s stomach, then as it was down, he killed it with his sword.

“Another Destrier who was on-scene reported that a couple other dragons saw that and immediately turned tail and ran, saving the town.  Your brother is a hero – it apparently runs in your family,” Goldengrape said with a smile.

“No!”   Applejack’s tone was frantic as she slapped the report down.  “Ah know whut yer tryin’ to do.  Please don’t.  He got married jest a co’pla months ago.  Our granny…she’s not got much longer t’ live, and someone has t’ take care o’ li’l Applebloom.”  In her mind she could already see a funeral – a double funeral, as her grandson’s death would probably be the end of Granny Smith; Cheerliee in the grieving black of a widow; Applebloom without a father figure, even though she was nearly grown up already.

“Well, you could countermand it.  You do have that authority, even over me.  But if you do, it will require a royal review because of the level used to counter the request while we’re gearing up for potential war.  Someone higher than you, maybe Mage Sparkle, Senseschal Blueblood, or perhaps one of the princesses themselves, will have to review it.  It won’t look good, Applejack, it’s called nepotism, and as I understand it, her majesty doesn’t tolerate it, even from her closest advisors and friends.”

“Ah’m beggin’ ya.  Please.”

“Fortunately, there is a compromise.  As I’m the head of my particular branch now, I can’t just go out into the field and lead whenever I want.  You are due a command, but you’re turning it down.  I propose that your brother take command of the platoon that would be assigned to you.  We would have a trained and talented Destrier whenever we need, and as a unit commander he likely won’t see as much action as some of his junior ponies.”  He leaned forward, sinking back to a speech he’d given more than he liked.  “Look, if this were a perfect world, you wouldn’t have to worry about this.  But you’ve been in battle twice, as I understand, against forces far more powerful than what we’re likely facing.  Plus, he’ll be a Destrier commander, surrounded by stallions and mares just as capable as he.  Truth be told, he’d be far safer in uniform than he would be at your family farm, should anything come up.”

“Ah don’ like this.  Ah don’ like this one bit.”  Applejack’s eyes narrowed.  “But yer right, the princess won’t back me on this.”  Getting up, she signaled the meeting was over, whether Goldengrape agreed or no.  As she reached the door, she turned to him and snarled, “If anythin’ happens t’ him, you and Ah will have words, y’ got that?” She slammed the door as she left, not giving a buck about how it looked.

Goldengrape looked at the door as she left; she’d broken one of the hinges in her huff and the door now hang at a broken angle.  “Well, that went well,” he said to himself.

═╬═

Pinkie, followed by Pumpkin Tart, walked into the court.  “Celestia, can we talk?”  The court came abuzz with the scandal that a commoner would even dare to address the princess by name.  Others talked about the scandal that one of Celestia’s knights demanded a personal audience, perhaps to inform on the oncoming winds of war.  Yet others were scandalized that court would be upset by the private matter, as it took away from the natural intrigues of the nobility.

The day princess didn’t know whether to laugh or at least feign discomfort; while she knew Pinkie was never one for formality – not any of them, really, save for Rarity – she should have at least figured that the court was a place for it.  “Pinkie, I’m working right now!” she said, breaking into an amused laugh.

“I’m going, Celestia,” Pinkie said firmly, sitting down before her princess.  “You don’t want me to go, nopony does – I don’t even want to go.  But if I don’t, something very bad will happen, I’m sure of it.  It’s not a Pinkie Sense thing, it’s a…general feeling.”

Celestia’s smile died.  “Okay, clear the court, we’re done for the day,” she said, clapping her hooves.  As the gentry began to depart, Celestia descended the dais and faced her.  “Pinkie, are you sure about this?”  Seeing Pumpkin Tart behind her, she asked, “And did you suggest it to her?”

“No, she didn’t.  The choice was mine.”  She looked up into her princess’ eyes.  “If we don’t get the Elements, we’ll have to fight a war, and ponies will die.  The last two times something has come up, the Elements saved us, and nopony was hurt.  That’s the best option and that’s what we should be going for.”

“Pinkie, I’d rather you not go.  It will break everyone’s heart.  You may never come back and we will never know what happened to you.  This isn’t just a happy jaunt to the beaches of San Caballo, this is travelling far, far beyond even the range in which Luna and I can help you.”

“Then I’ll go with her,” Luna said as she walked into the court.  “I…came to apologize for my outburst, but it seems I’m needed after all.”  The night princess stood by her younger friend.  “I’ll go with Pinkie.”

But Celestia shook her head.  “Luna, you’re needed here.  If for some reason something happens to me, it will fall to you to rule.  And…it’s selfish of me, but you’ve only been back a while from your exile.  I don’t want to lose you again.”

“Then send Twilight or one of the others,” Luna said, knowing she was going to lose that battle.  “One of them can accompany her.”

“We can’t send any of them.  Their mere presence maintains the seal on Discord, and just sending Pinkie alone weakens it.”

“I’ll go alone, then,” Pinkie said.  “To some degree…I’ve always been alone.  I have a power that sets me apart from my family and friends.  I’m probably the pony that least likes being alone, and yet I live by myself.  I live hundreds of miles away from my family, and though I lived with the Cakes for a number of years, again, I live alone.  I’ll be fine, Celestia; if anything, I’m more worried about you all.”  She looked at everyone around.  “I’m the only one who can go.”

“Then let us see you off, then.  A dinner and a chance for everyone to see you off.”  The white alicorn smiled.  “Think of it as a going away party.”

“I’d rather see it as an until-next-time party,” Pinkie said.  “I’ll get started.”

“Oh, no you don’t!” Luna said, grasping the pinky party pony in her magic.  “You’re the Guest of Honor – your job is just to sit around and let everyone else plan for a change.”  Nodding her head towards Pumpkin Tart, she said, “I’ll let my new hoofmaiden deal with that.”

“I’m your hoofmaiden?”  Pumpkin Tart didn’t even really know what one did, and she’d rather not kill again, though the navy-hued alicorn probably had little need for those types of assignments.

“Well, do you have anything else to do?  We don’t have a need for an assassin, and Tia has Twilight as a hoofmaiden, sorta.  I could use an assistant.  Besides,” she added, “you need to get away from knives and all that.  A new job means a new life…and who knows?  Maybe you’ll even figure out what your cutie mark means.”

“Sure,” Pumpkin Tart said, genuinely grateful for the princess’ understanding.   “Just point me to the kitchens, and I’ll get started.”

═╬═

Once preparations had started, Luna explained everything to the others regarding Pumpkin Tart’s existence and with that the girls accepted her as one of them; Applejack even joked that had she shown up just a few years earlier, she probably could have been the fourth member of the now-defunct Cutie Mark Crusaders.  They also agreed not to tell Pinkie’s family about any of it; if they knew, they probably wouldn’t understand, even if Celestia and Luna explained themselves.  As far as everyone was concerned, the new pony was selected from a distant village to be Luna’s hoofmaiden and was just fully taking the role as of today.

As for Pinkie, she spent the remainder of the day talking to her family and convincing them of her mission.  As expected, her parents were less than thrilled; her father practically cursing the divinities for the cruel fate that had befallen his family; as for the blasphemies, both princesses understandably took them in stride.  She then spent the last few hours before dinner in quiet repose with them as they sat in the ICU room with Blinky.  It was then that a doctor told them of a small bit of hopeful news: she had been stabilized enough that she could be moved out of ICU, though long-term hospitalization for a coma patient was the result.

As she was moved to the new room, Pinkie took her sister’s hoof in her own.  It felt so small, so frail.  Pinkie kissed it and whispered, “You’d better get well by the time I get back, sis, or I’m going to be mad.”  The whole family stayed there until visiting hours ended, and Spike was sent to retrieve them.

“How you holding up, Pinkie?” he asked, concern clear in his voice.

“I’d be lying if I said I was fine,” she admitted, “But I’ll manage.  Now, let’s get to the party.  Can’t wait to see what everyone planned!”

Dinner was a stately, subdued affair.  They’d intended to be more cheerful, but when one you love leaves forever, it’s hard to remain upbeat.  Celestia had everything set up in the grand ballroom, with explicit orders not to disturb at all unless all-out war had begun.  No servants allowed, this was only for them and Pumpkin Tart would handle the rest.  Even then, she wasn’t left out of the festivities; a new expansion to the circle of friends.

But finally, as everyone grew tired, Pinkie decided it was time to go.  Stepping slightly away from everyone else, she tapped the air, summoning her gypsy gate for everyone to see.  Every one of them were impressed with the gate but at the same time reminded by its beauty that the pony they loved would soon be gone.

“Pinkie, for your travels I give this to you,” Celestia said, presenting a gray cloak.  “May its warmth remind you of the embraces you’ll miss.”  She hugged the smaller pony and said, “If I could take this burden from you, I would.”

“For my friend with the odd tastes and bottomless stomach,” Luna said with a grin, hugging Pinkie in turn.  “A magical set of bags, ensorcelled to have no end.  When you can’t use your magic, these will always help you, as much as I wish I could.”

“Pinkie, I hope this book will help you through your travels.”  Twilight presented her with a book entitled The Official Guide to Staying Out of Trouble.  “I’ll miss you,” she said, holding her friend.

“Well, I’m glad Celestia gave you that cloak, but a lady oftentimes needs other things for warmth.”  Rarity’s gift was a matching set of scarf, saddle and leg warmers.  “I hope you come back soon, dear.”  Rarity’s hug bordered on the melodramatic, but understandable.

“Ah’ve never dun good at goodbyes,” Applejack said, hugging her friend, “an’ Ah don’ know what t’ say.”  She explained that her gift was already in the bags Luna gave her, about ten barrels of the Apple Family Special Premium Cider.  “When y’ drink it, remember us.”

Fluttershy looked positively heartbroken as she presented her gift, a pendant with a crystal that repeatedly changed colors.  “It’s supposed to lead you home to us, if the story’s true.”  Hugging her friend and starting to break into tears, she said, “I hope it is.  I really hope it is.”

Rainbow Dash was next.  Surprisingly, the pegasus had no idea what to say, so she gave her friend a quick hug and presented her gift.  “I, um, it’s a bunch of Daring Do fanfics, that…well, let’s just say I hope by the time you get back, the publisher will let me turn them into a real book.”

Last, finally was Spike, who presented a heartstone, one of the rarest gems in the world.  “Twilight got this for me for my birthday last year,” he said, as if parting with his favorite object in the world…which he was.  “I want you to hold on to it until I see you again.” He hugged her tight, feeling another part of his young life passing.

The friends stepped away to let Pinkie and her family have the last words.  “Pinkamena…Pinkie,” her father said, stammering, “Oi…Oi know Oi ain’t done roight by ye, not been th’ Father Oi coulda be,” he said, holding his daughter and not wanting to let go.  “Oi’m proud o’ ye,” he said, meaning every syllable of every word.

“If we could go in your place, Pinkamena, we would,” her mother said, adding to the embrace.  “Your father’s right, we are very proud of you.”

“Ye come back soon, sis!” Inky said, joining the embrace.  “Oi want t’ hear all ye stories!”

Finally, Pinkie broke away from their embrace, walking back to the gypsy gate.  “I love you all,” she said, wiping a tear from her cheek.  “I’ll have the Elements and come back in a jiffy!  Say, what is a ‘jiffy’?”

Wiping her eyes, Twilight said, “It’s about four milliseconds.”

“That’ll take too long,” Pinkie lied.  “I’ll be back before that.”  With that, she stepped into the gate, melting into it as one steps into water.  She passed through it, and was gone.  A second later, a paper airplane soared through the gate and with it, and the gate…and Pinkie...was gone, possibly forever.

Inky practically dived for the paper airplane.  Opening it up, she saw a message, which she read aloud: “Dear everyone, I love you all and don’t worry.  I’ll be home soon.  Pinkie Promise!  Love always, Pinkie.”

The room grew still and silent as if grieving for one lost.  Then the tears began, immediately followed by tear-stained embraces, and finally Mrs. Pie fainted, the stress of losing two daughters too much for her.  As the others moved to assist, there was a knock on the great doors.

“Come in,” Luna shouted, walking across the room towards the doors.  Celestia was better at the social stuff, so she could see to Mrs. Pie’s needs better than the night princess could.  As the guard came in, she met him immediately.  “I’m presuming this is important enough to disturb us,” she said, knowing it to be so but underlining it just in case.

“Yes, your highness.  I understand this was a private function with her majesty’s orders not to disturb you all unless it was the most urgent of matters,” the earth pony said.  “We’d already forwarded this to Prince Blueblood, but he felt it was critical enough to risk disturbing you all.”

“And it is?”  Luna somehow knew what the answer would be, and the thought chilled her blood.

“It’s the town of Dodge Junction, my princess.  It’s been attacked…and completely destroyed.  There were no survivors.”  The pony gulped.  “The time her majesty feared has finally come: we are at war.”

ALTER: The Hierophant

The portal opened, and out stepped Pinkie, her hooves stepping onto a land most strange and uncertain.  As her tail cleared the portal, the flash of yellows, blues and pinks vanished, leaving her in this world…wherever it was.

What she faced was the very lands out of her nightmares.  The ground was scorched, ruined and almost volcanic in its bleakness.  For what seemed in miles in any direction, the only signs of life were the occasional weed that poked out from the blasted earth or some insect that scuttled across her path in a search for sustenance.  The sky itself was an angry magenta and orange, colors that would have reminded the pony of her friend Scootaloo had menacing black clouds not covered most of the sky.  The sun, if it existed here in this plane of existence, was obscured from everyday view, barricaded behind the baleful dirge that was the heavens above.

But worst of all was the sound – or rather, the lack of it.  Real life had a sound, a cacophonic fugue of life and vitality, from birds chirping to foals crying to music and chatter and the other tones of the real world. But here, silence reigned supreme, with the only sounds coming from the pony herself: the dull clop of her hoofsteps against the dead earth, the soft exchange of her breath, the squeaks and groans of her packs as they moved along with her gait, the soft rustle of her cloak as it also conformed to her movements.

And so it was on like this for miles.  Nothing but the broiled firmament and the charred terrain, with patches of dying weeds, and nothing else, for as far as the eye could see.  Minutes of this stretched into hours.  At nightfall (she was only able to tell because everything became pitch black), she stopped on the side of the road, ate a quick meal of some food that had been packed in the bag, then settled down on the rough ground for a very uncomfortable sleep.  Strangely enough, she wasn’t worried about anything harming or harassing her; the very fact that there was nothing but sky and ground in every direction to the horizon meant that she was quite literally alone.

Hours later, after an uncomfortable sleep, a quick breakfast (magic at least allowed her to create her favorite foods at will) and looking at what she assumed was the morning sky, she continued her journey, step after step after step, with no clear direction or goal and nothing but the company of her own thoughts.  It made her think: what was she doing here?  This was the job of a hero, like Star Swirl the Bearded or Commander Hurricane.  Twilight would have been a better choice.  Applejack would have been a better choice.  Heck, for all Pinkie was concerned, her clumsy but otherwise dependable next-door neighbor, Derpy, would have been a better choice.

But Pinkie?  No, she was no hero.  Yes, she saved Luna and stopped Discord.  She rescued Ponyville from a dragon and single-hoofedly from the parasprites.  But those were just things that needed to be done, no epic and grand adventures that necessitated a hero.  Heroes were brave and fearless, not alone and somewhat afraid in an unknown world.  A Duchess?  Yes.  One of the Knights Elemental, sure.  But a hero?  Never.  Heroes didn’t worry about their friends and their loved ones back at home when there was a job to be done.

They don’t worry about their younger sisters being on the edge of death when there are draconequi to be defeated.

She wanted to stop and cry, to turn around and find the weak spot in the fourth wall that would let her open a gypsy gate to take her home.  But she didn’t.  Everyone was depending on her to find the Elements or else they’d be in even bigger danger.  And how could she face Blin…Octavia knowing that she turned tail and ran?  Or worse, to have to tell her Ma, Pa and Inky that she let Blinky die because she didn’t even try.  She couldn’t face Dashie or the rest of them, couldn’t tell Celestia and Luna that she was worthy of the honors they gave her, most of all their friendship.

Pinkie was no hero and never could be one, she decided.  But Lady Pinkamena Diane Pie, Duchess Vanner and Knight Elemental of Laughter, just got drafted to fit the bill.  And on that spot, with nothing to witness but her own self, she made herself a Pinkie Promise to never give up until she found the Elements and returned home safely.

With that, the self-designated hero picked up her pace to a trot.  There was a long road ahead, and she didn’t have time to dally.  Well, not much, anyway.

═╬═

It was two days later when she saw the first signs of life.

The long, unyielding road finally gave way to tufts of yellowed, dying grass, which almost suddenly became a field of vibrant green.  The sky also began to normalize, as ochres and umbers gave way to celeste and sky blue, clouds changing from dark overhead monoliths to the playful, wispy clouds she was used to.  For the first time in days, a weight had lifted from her heart and she found herself merrily cantering down the path, which soon led to bouncing as the dirt road became cobblestones.

Hours later, a castle began to stretch over the horizon.  Well, not exactly: to call it a castle would be a stretch; rather, to call it the ruins of a castle would be far more accurate.  The ruined bastion seemed to be made of a soft pink marble, the silver and white threads within enhancing the beauty rather than detracting.  Tattered flags fluttered from its shattered parapets, and as Pinkie approached the remnants of what had once been vibrant and dazzling stained-glass windows sat in sorry maws.  Like a frosting sculpture left on a rotting cake the castle sat, its ruined beauty and lush greenery seemingly the final bit of splendor in a darkened dying land.

By about noontime she stood before the castle.  While not as large as the Canterlot palace complex, it was larger than the main palace itself.  A moat encircled the grounds, and seemed well-tended; the drawbridge from the outer walls was down, and no indicator that it had been used in quite some time.  Pinkie walked across, seeing the great gate’s winch completely ruined and wondering how many years, possibly centuries, it had been since this grand portal had been used as it was designed.

As Pinkie walked into the castle grounds proper, she noticed that the grassy knolls within the courtyard were covered in a series of even rows of slabs, most likely taken from the castle detritus.  But they were arranged in a way that was common sense to anypony who saw them, and so Pinkie made a note to stay clear of the graves.  But aside from those resting in eternal slumber, it didn’t seem that the castle had any inhabitants, and that it was lifeless and empty.

“Hello?  Is anypony here?” she called out, her voice echoing in the emptiness of the castle grounds.  The reverberations just continued into silent infinity, with no answer and no indicator there would be one.  Pinkie called out once more, hoping that the second, then the third time would be the charm, but with still no answer.  Finally, dejected, she readied to leave the castle grounds, at least to look around a little more for signs of life before she moved on.  Chances were none of the Elements were here – she hadn’t performed the recognition spell Celestia had taught her – and this was just a needless detour from a gypsy performing her first reality jump.

“Wait!  Don’t go!”  A voice called from above, and Pinkie looked up to see a shining figure in white, standing at the top.  The speaker was clearly a pony and from this high up all she could tell was that the coat color was similar.  “Another survivor!  You are most welcome in the castle, most welcome indeed!  I’ll be down shortly!”  The sounds of a pony at full gallop rang through the castle, its sounds emitting from the broken windows as if the citadel were nothing more than a stone bell.  As the clatter of hooves seemed to reach the ground, the door was opened, though no one was there to greet her; instead, the voice called out, “Please, come in and make yourself at home here in the castle, though as you can expect, there’s not much left of anything.”

Pinkie walked in and despite the wreckage in the main foyer, it had been turned into a makeshift kitchen and living room.  A ramshackle table sat to one corner, decrepit as the building but at the same time worn in a well-loved way.  The kitchen was just as cobbled together: an outdoor-style cooking fire lay within easy reach of a set of somewhat modern shelves and cupboards.  To the far right was a well-stocked pantry, far more complete than anything Pinkie or Bon-Bon had at Sugarcube Corner and possibly some restaurants as well.  Other, much welcome signs of life were present as well: songbirds sat in the rafters of the foyer, a dazzling array of colors and species, all gathering around this hearth as if instinctively knowing it was the safest place there was.

“The tea should be ready shortly; I could have used my magic to speed things up, but things done the natural way are so much better, don’t you agree?  And I made some scones this morning; they should work.  I also have some croissants with some fresh butter and boysenberry jam, if you prefer.”

“That sounds great!  Thanks!” Pinkie chirped, appreciating the offer.  But then she looked at the form focused so intently on preparing tea for them.  At first glance, the pony didn’t seem to be anything out of the ordinary: from what Pinkie could tell, her coat was a slightly deeper shade of pink than her own, leaning more towards magenta.  However, from what she could see of the tail, it was a very soft, delicate tea-rose pink, the color of cotton candy.  The pony wore a simple hood and cloak like the pink party gypsy pony did; however, the other was a beautiful white with gold brocade, as if befitting a station.  But it was the magic that made Pinkie surprised most of all: the pony was enveloped a great aura of brilliant, beautiful light, as holy and pure as Celestia herself.  The light cascaded everywhere with a sense of warmth, and Pinkie understood why the birds felt so safe here: it was as if the light itself declared the castle neutral grounds for predator and prey, and as she’d said, all were welcome.

“It’s a peppermint tea, I do hope you like,” the pony said as she set the tray down on the table.  “But I do have other ones, if you’d prefer.”

“Naaah, that’s okay,” Pinkie said, plopping at the table.  “Um, nice…place you got here,” she said, searching for a way to start the conversation.

“It was in better condition once, so beautiful and grand…but now it fits me and my failures.  Some holy maiden I turned out to be.”

“Holy maiden?”  Realization swam into Pinkie’s mind.  She’s the Hierophant from Pumpkin’s story!  I’m on Pumpkin’s world!  “So…why are you here all alone?”

“It’s my punishment.  All the ponies that depended on my to protect them, to protect our world, gone.  My best friend, turned into a monster, and nothing I could do to stop it.  With the power I received from the gypsy crystal, I was still unable to find a way to reverse this end of the world – you’ve seen it out there, the dying.”  She sighed, coming to a sudden halt.  “Oh, but where are my manners?  I haven’t even introduced myself, though you probably already know of me as the Hierophant.”  Reaching up, she removed her hood.  “But my name…is Pinkie Pie.”

Pinkie found herself staring into a near copy of herself.  Yes, there were some differences: the Hierophant’s – other Pinkie’s? – coat was darker, as she noted earlier.  The mane was that shade of tea-rose pink, and the manestyle was closer to some she’d seen in fashion magazines than her own naturally frizzy curls.  The eyes were also a slightly darker shade of blue, and although obscured by the white cloak, what little of the cutie mark that Pinkie could see indicated that it was very similar to her own.

“Oh, and who might you be?” The other Pinkie – the Hierophant – asked.

Well, in for a bit, in for two, Pinkie mused.  As she reached up for hers, a line that she’d read from one of Twilight’s books suddenly came to mind: In some realms, names are power; to relinquish your name is to relinquish your life.  So as she removed her cloak, she said, “I’m….uh, called Surprise.  Really.”

The Hierophant looked at the new arrival.  “Wow, I guess it really is true what some ponies say.”

“What’s that?”

“That eventually you run into somepony that looks the same as you do.”  She giggled softly, a musical sound that the birds seemed to use as the start of a new song.  “We could practically be sisters!  But, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Surprise.  Where do you come from?  I thought there was no one left…after the war between myself and the Queen.”

Pinkie fought back the unintended stab at the mention of sisters and forced herself to focus on the question.  “I’m…from a ways away from here.”

“It seems as though you came from the eastern road, so…you must be one of Kimono’s relatives.”  The Hierophant suddenly turned away, unable to face Pinkie.  “I’m…sorry.  Kimono was the smartest of us all, and so very loyal to me.  She didn’t deserve what happened to her.  None of them did!”  A hoof came down hard on table, sending things flying.  “I failed you all, everypony…” she sobbed, collapsing into a tear-driven mess.  Even her aura seemed to dim slightly and the birds stopped chirping.

Pinkie decided to do what Pinkie did best.  Getting up from the chair, she went over and hugged the other Pinkie for all she was worth.  A part of her felt as if she was embracing herself, and perhaps to a certain point, it was true.  The two stayed there, one Pinkie crying into the other for what seemed like an eternity.  Finally, with red eyes, the Hierophant looked up at her visitor.  “Thank you…I thought I’d cried every tear I could for those I loved and lost.  I thought I was going to become a madmare from not being able to shed any more tears.”  She leaned against Pinkie, relaxing in the comfort of having somepony there.

They stayed that way for who knew how long, but it was something that one Pinkie needed and the only thing that one Pinkie could do.

═╬═

Their conversation continued into the long hours, long after the tea had gone cold and the last scone had disappeared.  It had been clear that the Hierophant needed to get a lot of stuff off her mind…correction, Pinkie Pie had to grieve for ponies she loved and lost, and “Surprise” was more than willing to listen.  As the pink holy pony continued to talk, Pinkie wondered for a brief second what she would have done if their situations were reversed, and immediately shut down that line of thought; her sister was a reality away in a hospital bed, and the person who put her there wasn’t even truly at fault.  It was more uncomfortable to think about it than she’d thought.

“…and there she was, the Queen of Magic.  Though I hadn’t seen it at the time, she’d rent us apart, tore our circle of friends asunder.  Waterfire, Star Song and Minty backed her while Sparkleworks and my twin sister Peachy Pie backed me.  We had both absorbed enough magic from the gypsy crystal that we were equally as magically potent as the other, the first ponies in hundreds of generations to become gypsies again.  It was natural that others joined us, and that it slowly set the stage.”

“I see…” Pinkie said, both interested and horrified in the story she was hearing; it was like one of Shakespur’s stories come to life, stories in the vein of Prospuro, Mackintoshbeth, and Roanmeo…but so very, very true.  Their sage, Kimono, had sent out teams of ponies in all directions, and the seven friends had traveled across the world, finally finding a lost temple in the center of the distant Everfree Jungle.  Entering the temple (there had been bones of other animals everywhere, as if the temple was designed to keep out anything but ponies), the group had walked through it forever until they entered a chamber, ancient…and magical. Filled with water and with beams of light emanating from glowing rocks in the ceiling, there was a huge crystal, radiating like a star that had settled upon the land.  Seeing that it was too heavy for one, the Queen had asked Pinkie Pie to help, and as both touched the crystal they were rocketed back, blasted away by the power.  Both had fallen into the water below, much to the fright of their friends, but as both recovered – safely; the water had been deep enough as if that had been an expected result – the crystal was a smoking, charred, cracked wreck…but both ponies had begun to glow, fully imbued with the legacy of the Queen of Magic of ages before.  As they left, one of the two glowing ponies had wished they were all back in their home town, and with a shock, a second later, they were.

(There was also the fact that this Pinkie had only one sister, a twin named Peachy Pie.  She hadn’t grown up with two younger ones as Pinkie had (in fact, Peachy was the older twin, as the Hierophant had said) and the only relative Pinkie had by the name was a second-or-third cousin who had just happened to live in Ponyville…and she was a young filly, slightly younger than Applebloom and her friends.)

“Got a question: why don’t you say the Queen’s name?  Weren’t you two close?”

“Very.  She was just as much a sister to me as Peachy, in a sense.  But I promised myself if there were any other survivors, the very name could cause them pain – so I just don’t use it.”  The Hierophant looked down at the floor for a second, “Besides, when the end came, she tried to kill me herself, casting a Mortem Icantatores – a death spell – at me.  It didn’t work, maybe because I was too powerful, or maybe because she planned a different punishment for me.  I’d like to think that it was because at the last moment, she couldn’t bear to kill another pony that she loved so dear.  But I’m getting ahead of myself.

“Things changed quickly once we got back.  She and I started to look for ways to save our civilization and branched off on two very different paths.  The Queen looked into the history of our world, searching for some vital clue in the past; even the myths of the dark divinity Faust, who was said to have exiled us here, and the historical Queen of Magic, who sacrificed herself to protect our tribe from Faust’s murderous armies.  She was the one who found there were other worlds than ours, and eventually she sequestered herself, working on the magic that would remove us from here, as well as delving into ancient history of the world and the wrongs done to us.

“As for myself, I did what I could.  I used my magic to cure the lame, make the blind see, and work to heal our world.  I’ve never been much of a historian; would you believe that me, nothing more than a baker and mare who wanted to throw parties, had become more than she ever bargained for?”

“I…think I understand.”  Had either Twi or Luna been present, either one would have pointed out the very palpable irony; probably both, as they shared the same mindset.

“Maybe I’m not the only one who understands,” she said cryptically, before continuing.  “I had to use my powers for everyone, as far as I was concerned.  The magic had been a blessing from the past, and I couldn’t keep it all to myself; I had to use it for the betterment of all ponykind.  Eventually, ponies began to see me as a holy maiden and insisted that I live in the Castle of Dreams.  It was one of my earliest followers, a pony named Sweetberry, who found a name for me in an ancient tome; and with her choice, from that point I had ceased to become Pinkie Pie and had become the Hierophant.

“What I didn’t know was that at the site of the old temple, my closest friend was slowly becoming my nemesis.  She had returned to the temple to see what other magic lay there, and our three friends joined her.  Eventually others had as well, and many there began to see her as a fighter willing to return our tribe to its once-great glory.  Eventually, they declared her to be a new Queen of Magic, a celestial maiden who would face dark Faust to protect us all…but she would win.”

The Hierophant paused, looking out the window, the day heading towards the end, and the brilliant speckled night starting to show through the sunset.  “My, how the time has flown.  Maybe this is something to continue tomorrow, once we are rested…and my throat isn’t as parched,” she said, looking at the tea kettle and water jugs, long since emptied.  This had been the longest in forever since she spoke, so naturally being out of practice was expected.  “I’ll make dinner and then we can retire for the night.  But first, I must attend to my friends; while the predators probably sought out something, somepony must care for those not as strong.”

Pinkie smiled.  “Don’t worry ‘bout dinner.  I’ll take care of that, okay?”

The Hierophant gave a bright grin in return, and to Pinkie it felt like looking at a mirror.  “Thank you, Surprise, I’m grateful.  The fresh ingredients are in the icebox, while the spices and other items are in the cupboards.  I’ll be back soon.”  With that, the holy maiden practically waltzed from the room while Pinkie headed over to the kitchen to see what she could do.  It was significantly different from her kitchen in terms of tools and utensils, but the layout and the way things were, not surprisingly, exactly the way Pinkie had set things up in the residential kitchen back in Sugarcube Corner.

With that, a gypsy pony named Pinkie Pie began to make dinner for herself and the resident, a holy maiden named Pinkie Pie.

═╬═

She woke with a start, surprised that she did so.  Tonight had been the first night in a while that she’d had a decent night’s sleep, and part of it wondered if it was because she was no longer in her world, where portents and dreams haunted her…or if those dreams were now darkly, manifestly real.  Stretching, she got out of the bed, glad and somewhat perplexed that the guest rooms in this wing of the castle had been maintained…or that they had somehow survived the assault to begin with.

As she stood, she felt something.  At first, she thought it was heartburn from the burdock-and-carrot curry she made; it was a tad too spicy for her counterpart, but maybe that was due to their slightly different upbringings.  After a while, it became apparent to her: she was feeling her own magic…sorta.  Maybe?

Maybe I’m feeling her magic, Pinkie mused.  Now that she was conscious of her own skills, she could sense when she was using magic intentionally; this felt like an intentional use and she hadn’t really done anything other than wake up.  Remembering a spell she’d seen Twilight use once, she formed a small globe of light floating before her.  With that, she got up, leaving the room and following the “scent” of the magic.

She didn’t have to get very far.  As she ascended to the top of the northwest parapet, she found a glowing beauty staring at the stars.  There, the Hierophant sat, sleepless and still, watching the stars as if she hoped they would give her a sign of some kind…of what sort of answer she expected, however, Pinkie didn’t know.  From this angle, it seemed as though the other pony was filled with sorrow and shame, almost as if she used her great aura as a security blanket.  Pinkie also got the distinction that whatever was going on was a very private moment.

She retuned back downstairs and headed for bed.  Tomorrow the Hierophant would explain if she felt the need to, and tell her the rest of the story.  From there, Pinkie could decide her next step.  As she settled into the sheets, the pink gypsy felt that her reason to be here was coming to a conclusion, but how she knew that was anypony’s guess – and hardly a concern for her a second later, as she slipped into the land of dreams.

═╬═

The next morning it was green tea and elderberry tarts for breakfast.  The green tea (which looked more yellow than green, to be told) was something not familiar to her, and Pinkie found it a bit tart; when she took the Hierophant’s suggestion to add honey, it made the flavor that much better.  Stirring in yet more honey, Pinkie thanked her host for breakfast and asked her to continue.

“It was Kimono who had found our legacy: in archives at the temple, she found the scrolls that had explained everything…including the fact that Peachy, the Queen and I were of one line, descended so long ago from the Bright Eyes.  The Queen, for reasons I’ll never know, forbade Kimono to tell me and my followers about that; according to Kimono, that was the moment when she realized that the pony she followed had become a different one, a tyrant and a monster – I didn’t believe her when Kimono told me that, but I had much to learn later.  She fled the Queen’s temple and ran to the castle, asking – begging – for asylum.  Not long after, the Queen’s followers arrived, demanding that we return Kimono to them, or there would be consequences.

“For me and my followers, this was a shock.  The Queen’s followers were aggressive, angry, filled with indignation and rage – things that were very unponylike and more like some of the wild animals than ponies.  I was occupied researching ways to create an aqueduct to irrigate some of the nearby farms, so I was too busy to see to the matter instantly.  I asked Peachy to look into it, and with a group of some of her trusted ponies – her lieutenants, she called them; that should have been a warning but I was too blind by my own work to see that – they made the journey to the temple, in hopes that this would straighten out and we would have an answer.

“A week later, we did…and I will hate myself forever for it.  On a deceptively bright and sunny day, a battered and injured delegation returned from the castle.  They looked like they’d been through fate and fire, and though I didn’t know it, they had.  With them, they carried a bier, upon which a bloodstained cloak was laid over a body.  It was my sister….”  The Hierophant choked, pausing for a moment to compose herself from the old pain.  “Her delegation had wanted to negotiate peace, but to let the queen know that Kimono felt too afraid to return and that she would stay with us.  Wisteria, who had been lamed in the attack, told me that the Queen had become so enraged in what she called my sister’s audacity, that she had killed Peachy…and that she had been shocked and grieved by what she did.  But after that shock, she ordered Peachy’s delegation killed before they could inform me.  Out of a delegation of twelve, only five returned…and only four lived.

“Regrettably, my followers readied for war.  Kimono retrieved all the books she could from the town library and set the nearby lands for war.  She especially felt guilty, she told me later; had she not sent us out to retrieve that crystal, my sister and her followers would not have died…or the thousands of others that did later, in the war…a war my side lost.

“Do you remember when I told you that the strength that the Queen and I was the same, in equal doses?  I found out during that war, it wasn’t, not really.  While we had the same power levels and ability, I had turned mine towards the healing arts and wellness of the world.  The Queen, however, had plans of conquest and domination, to revenge our tribe against Faust and her world.  That rage and anger, I found, made us target practice for the arts of war she planned to wage.  My followers did what they could, but they were cut down, butchered.  The Queen and her generals, ponies I once considered my closest friends, used their magic – she had restored the gypsy magic to her generals – to bring horrible and destructive magics and weapons that nopony could believe existed.  And yet, there they were, being used against us.”

“I’m sorry…but I don’t understand.”  Yes I do, Pinkie thought with a screaming clarity, but she couldn’t admit it.

“Allow me.  This is one of the few weapons my followers recovered from the Queen’s soldiers, and I keep it with me in case I ever need it – and I hope I never do.”  She went to one of the cupboards against the wall, pulling out a silver, somewhat ornate flashlight.  Holding it in her hoofspace, she clicked a small button on the handle and instantly a spike of orange radiance leapt into being as a humming sound emanated.  As the Hierophant moved the blade, it hummed and warbled, and it dawned on Pinkie that this was a sword, similar to that which guardsponies carried, but made of energy.

Without warning, the Hierophant plunged the blade into the nearest wall, and the blade sank in easily.  A few seconds later, the stone began to turn red and the air warped from the heat.  She pulled it free, and the orange blade continued to flicker like light, unharmed.  The Hierophant pressed the button on the blade again, and the orange length retracted into the handle once more.  “This is a weapon from beyond our world.  Who uses such as this, I don’t know and don’t care to know.  But her followers had these and others and cut us to pieces.”

“When it was all over, she made an ultimatum: those who weren’t involved in the war would follow her army into Faust’s world to take what was theirs; they would be lesser subjects, but they would be at least accorded to them the rights that belonged to every gypsy.  Those that didn’t, especially my followers, would be left to die here on this world…assuming they would be left alive to die here.  One by one, despite my screams to stop, to surrender, to give their lives over to the Queen so that they would be spared, they wouldn’t abandon me, and they were all killed: Cherry Blossoms, Spring Parade, Piccolo, so many others.  Sparkleworks, thankfully had been killed earlier in battle, so she would be spared seeing this atrocity; but before my very eyes, Kimono the Betrayer, as the Queen’s followers called her, was killed in a ruthlessly brutal fashion – she was tortured! – just for the Queen to prove that no one escapes her wrath.

As for me, as I mentioned before, the Queen…just couldn’t do it when it came to me.  So I was left here to die, alone in this world, or so I thought.  Then you came.”

“You’re not alone,” Pinkie began.  She chose her words carefully, wishing she had the skill at words as Celestia had.  “Your followers loved you and would never abandon you.  Even here in their graves, they proved their belief in your dream, wishing to be free ponies with you than…the alternative.  They knew what they faced, and they did it for you, to the very end.  You should be proud: you gave them a life and they treasured it as they should, a gift to be remembered.”

The Hierophant grew still and quiet.  “I never thought of that before.”  Her eyes watered, and she said with a smile that said volumes, “Thank you, Pinkie.  I’ll always treasure those words.”

“You’re welcome, P…what did you just call me?”  Pinkie was surprised at the revelation.

“You’re asking how I know who you are?” she said with a chuckle, wiping her eyes.  “I felt you, from the moment you came into this world – all gypies, so I’m told, can feel their own magic; and when I suddenly felt my magic coming up from the eastern road.  I knew it wasn’t me, so when I saw a figure walking up the road, I grew suspicious.  When I saw your face, I knew, but I couldn’t say, because I had to know more.  And despite what I said earlier, I knew just about every pony in this world, and Kimono had no relatives.”

“Then why didn’t you tell me you knew?”

“Because I had to be sure, but that didn’t last long.  You’re kind and caring, and I get the feeling you’re acting a bit more restrained than normal,” she said.  When Pinkie nodded, she giggled.  “You had a very different upbringing than I did, I suspect.  So, are you really who I think you are?”

Pinkie stepped away from the table, putting her forearms out in a clearing gesture.  “Hold on, let me use that line Rarity made me memorize in case I ever needed it.”  Assuming a very august and noble stance, she said in formal tones, “Know that I am Pinkamena Diane Pie, Duchess Vanner and Knight Elemental of Laughter, sworn knight of my sovereign, Princess Celestia of Equestria.” She sighed.  “Y’know, even Twilight thinks that’s a bit overblown, and Twi’s a stickler for formality.”

It was now the Hierophant’s turn to be surprised.  “You serve Celestia?”

Pinkie nodded.  “Yes, and she would be horrified to hear what happened to your world.  She would have offered every bit of aid.  Luna herself – Celestia’s younger sister – would have overseen aid efforts personally.”

The Hierophant looked as though she’d been sucker punched.  “The legends mention Faust’s daughter, but said Celestia was a vain and silly foal, not fit to be her mother’s successor.”  There was scant mention of a younger sister in the legends, the holy pony added.

Pinkie shook her head.  “Celestia’s one of the kindest ponies I know, and I’m not just saying that because she’s my friend!  Even before I knew her, she was our beloved princess, always taking care of the land she ruled so lovingly.”

“I don’t doubt you; you wouldn’t be the way you were if it were otherwise.  But I’m surprised to her that she rules?  Wouldn’t it be her mother?”

Pinkie then went on, quickly explaining things from her side, leaving nothing out: from Faust’s departure of the world, to Celestia’s raising of her baby sister; the rise of Discord and his defeat at Celestia and Luna’s hooves, thanks to the harnessed magic of the Elements; Luna’s despair, which became its own being and possessed the night alicorn, turning her against her sister and resulted in the banishment of both Nightmare Moon and Luna; the thousand years since and Nightmare Moon’s return, followed by six ponies wielding the Elements, destroying Nightmare Moon and rescuing Luna, becoming Celestia’s sworn knights in the process; the return of Discord and his last-moment defeat; the six becoming heroes and legends, earning entitlements most of them couldn’t care less about; and finally the current problems and Pinkie’s discovery.

“So our tribe is invading your world, they’ve taken your most effective protection and you alone had the power to try to recover them.  The prophecy came true, then.”  The Hierophant raced up the stairs, telling Pinkie to wait by the table.  Ten minutes later, she returned, carrying an ancient scroll.  “Kimono told me about this scroll; that it was different from the others and while it hadn't been destroyed, it had been neglected, a bit of forbidden knowledge that couldn’t be removed from the world but merely allowed to exist and nothing else.”  It told the story of a beautiful gypsy named Strawberry Surprise, who went against everything she knew to save the world, and that when she died, she left everything to her child.

“Child?” Pinkie asked.  Nothing in Celestia’s story mentioned that.

“When she spoke with Faust, she spoke as a mare in mourning, having lost her true love.  But Secret Star had left her something, a gift more precious than the world: he left her with foal, a child of theirs to raise.”  At those words, both ponies blushed; that sort of thing usually happened in marriages, and nothing in their respective chronicles said anything about that.  “Strawberry Surprise’s daughter, Morning Glory, inherited the power, and carried it down the line.”  The Hierophant looked at Pinkie.  “This is from your world, somehow brought over and mixed up in our records.  You are the eventual child of Strawberry Surprise, many descendants removed, meant to oppose the Queen’s legacy.  A white gypsy, like me, destined to counter the dark, except it could be said I turned against my family line.  You, however, are meant to be the counterbalance.”

“So, um, no pressure then or anything, huh?” Pinkie said awkwardly.

The Hierophant rose from her chair once more, but now she did so with a purpose and strength that Pinkie had not seen in the short time she had been here.  “So, you cannot stay here, Pinkie. You must go and do your duty of duties: you must stop the Queen.  This is more important than your duty to your princess. Find your Elements and defeat the Queen’s legacy for once and for all.  This you must do.”

“But I’m not sure if I can,” Pinkie admitted.

“You can – you made it here, despite it being supposedly impossible.  You brought me joy and hope, when all I did before was count the days until I died or my world finally died first.  You must not let your Blinky go the way of my Peachy.  Please, if for nothing else, do it for your sister and the memory of mine.  Go now, for every precious second that passes the Queen’s hold becomes that much tighter on your world.”

Pinkie nodded, and something went off in her head: it was time to go, the reason she was here was now complete.  In the large space of the room, she created her gypsy gate, ready for the next destination.  But before she did, she turned back to the Hierophant.  “Come with me.  You don’t have to be alone, not anymore.”

But the Hierophant shook her head.  “I can’t, and you know it.  This is my fate, not yours.  Besides, what would happen if two Pinkies, both with the same powers, went through a singular gate?  I’d hate to see the results.”

Pinkie looked downcast, but only for a moment.  “I’m coming back for you someday, so don’t get too comfy!” she promised, as she began to go through the gate.

“Just one thing, please!” the Hierophant shouted as her counterpart began to disappear.  “When you see the Queen and defeat her…tell…tell Rainbow Dash that I forgive her!”

Rainbow Dash?  But there was no time to ask as Pinkie fully departed through the event horizon.  Seconds later several rusty and bent sheets of metal came back through with a noisy clatter as the gate dissipated.

Pinkie Pie, the Hierophant of her world, looked at the metal left behind by her counterpart.  She knew about the theories of reality travel, the necessity for “equivalent exchange” and the like.  But as she stared at the corroded and oxidized plates, she wondered: where was that pony’s destiny leading her?

═╬═

In the burnt crater that had once been the ruins of Stalliongrad, a castle of crystal was being assembled.  Sheer, spiky and beautiful, it was meant to amplify its owner’s power and bring this world – Faust’s world – to its knees.  In the part that had been built, a black-cloaked pony passed by dozens of vassal ponies, as well as the Afflicted.  Seeing the Afflicted was horrifically true as he had been warned, but fortunately their curse was only applicable to the lesser of this world.  In any case, it mattered little; he was a pony on a mission, with no time to spare a thought on the fate of the cursed.

Within a minute he reached the throne room of the castle.  The second thing to be built – to speak of the first was to court death – it was tailor made as a ruling platform for their regent, the reborn Queen of Magic.  As he reached the doors, he said, “I have an urgent message for the queen, and it must be delivered immediately.”

“The queen is in repose at the moment.  You may either wait, or leave it here with us,” the guard assured him.

“Or you may give it to me, darling,” a voice cooed, and immediately all ponies present went to their knees in deference.  A cyan earth pony with a mane colored like a rainbow walked up to them.  “Ah, Comet Tail, my loyal Hunter, you are most welcome.  You said you have a message for me?”

Seeing her, the guard on duty bellowed out, “All within my voice, you shall now bow in submission of our lady savior, the sovereign of power, Rainbow Dash, our Queen of Magic!” The guard used magic to amplify his voice, and so for several feet around, all gypsies bowed in reverence of their queen; the Afflicted, under the thrall of that magic, fell to the ground, writhing in the pain of their curse.

Comet Tail, known to his siblings as Hunter Four, was beckoned to face his queen and so stood as bidden.  “I have news from both General Misty and my sister, Hunter Zero.”

“My, this should prove interesting,” the queen said, with a smile.  “Please, do go on.”

“Misty reports that the attacks have succeeded as planned, and that the exceptionally strong strike on the town of Dodge Junction was felt all the way in the enemy castle.  Additional attacks have succeeded in making our presence known to the neighboring nations, and while they are gearing up for war against us, a few strikes from our great host would make it clear they have no chance of winning.”  A thought came to Comet Tail and he ventured a question, hoping it would not be his last.  “My queen, I have a question, if I may.”

“Of course, my Hunter.  Please inquire away.”

“Our focal attack is here, in Stalliongrad, in the country they call Caballus.  However, we are going after the Equestriani capital of Canterlot.  Aside from denying the other nations their metalworks and setting your throne a suitable distance from the filth of the lesser, why have we not settled on the northwestern continent, perhaps even in the southwestern continent and waged our way north?”

“A good question, my Hunter, one that deserves an answer,” she said.  Moving one of her forehooves in the air, she conjured up a magical globe of the world.  “Here we are, in the northeastern continent.  A distance away, and to truly deny them any chance of victory, we would have to smash the lands of the southeastern continent, the great eastern continent and the grand island of Canistralia.  That I understand.”

“But then…?” he asked.

“Hope, my dear pony.”  The answer was simple and succinct, as if the fate of the world depended on it.  “Caballus is the traditional homeland of the tribes, where we all come from.  It represents a sort of succor and comfort to the ponies, even as Equestriani residents have no interest in residing in this land.  But if you smash it—” she said as she punched her forehoof through the globe, breaking it into countless slivers of magical light, “—it discomforts them, making them think, ‘If Caballus fell, will Equestria be next?’  And I assure you, Canterlot will come next.  Celestia has no idea how much her days are numbered.”

“And that is the second thing: the classified portion of the report, which comes from Hunter Zero.”

“I see.  Everyone, leave us now.  We would have privacy here.”

“My lady,” a guard spoke.  “This is the outer vestibule.  Surely wouldn’t the throne room be more secure?”

His reward was for the Queen to throw a blast of lightning at him, searing his coat and leaving him in wincing pain.  “I don’t recall this being up for discussion.  When I give an order, I expect it to be obeyed.”  No further discussion was had and everyone ran from the vestibule, including one very injured pony who made for the castle infirmary.

“But he is correct, my queen,” Comet Tail said, opening the door for his regent.

“True, but a word of advice, my Hunter: never let them wheedle you; you lead them.  The guard relished a chance to please me without merit, and I’ve been watching him for quite some time.  Ponies who are impertinent but loyal I will suffer; sycophants I will not.”  She led them to a small table in the corner, where they could sit.  “Now, please, the report.”

“The first is that your portents were true, and that Celestia rules as princess with her sister Luna as heir.  Of Faust, there is no sign save for a great statue in the center of town.”

“Interesting.  So Faust has died and her idiot daughter rules, just as I suspected.”  Queen Rainbow Dash had read the ancient scrolls; none were too flattering of the older daughter and there was little, if anything, about a second.  “And cannot even call herself queen, either.  This should be like taking candy from a foal.”

“Not so much, your majesty,” he pointed out.  “Our report indicates that Celestia keeps the coronet open in honor of her mother.  Additionally, Celestia may be more powerful than the reports say: documentation in this world says that she defeated a chaos divinity, and that when her sister was consumed by a demon, she defeated that.  There are also reports of Celestia’s knights defeating Nightmare Moon a second time and saving Luna, as well as defeating the chaos divinity Discord once more, but at this time we believe that to be nothing more than propaganda.”

“I see.  And of the jewels?”

“The so-called Elements of Harmony?  Myself and Hunter Nine disbursed them throughout the cosmos as your majesty desired.  We also left evidence from your mane, as requested, so that Faust would know.”

“Unfortunately, she won’t; if she is gone, her idiot daughter won’t recognize the mane colors as belonging to Queen Bright Eyes, and thus me as her true descendant.  But it is still good that you dispersed them; from their position in the vault it was indicated that they were of highly important value to the legitimacy of the Equestriani throne.  At least, our mole in their government says so.  Speaking of which, what more does he say?”

“Oh, him.  Forgive my impertinence, but why him?  He’s a useless fool, and his demands…they’re baser than even what a lesser would crave.  Frankly, I don’t believe a word he says and I feel he’s trying to play both sides.”

“All fools have their uses, darling.  He asks for little and can potentially give us much, so his request is a reward I can easily depart with.  And should he be playing both sides for profit, we will teach him that there are just as many other potential allies to be dealt with instead…and he can make a deal with death.”

“There is one last thing: Hunter Zero had one of ours perform an apparently successful assassination one on of Celestia’s personal knights, thus proving a lie to their own magical prowess.  But in the case, Hunter One was captured, and she thought you would use a Mortem to resolve loose ends.”

Rainbow Dash shook her head.  “I’ve used no Mortem spell as of late.”  There was a quizzical look on the cyan pony’s face, but the Hunter chose not to pry further.

“Two days ago, Hunter Zero felt several failed attempts at trying to create a gypsy gate.  She believes that Hunter One may still be alive and unable to escape.  With your permission, she would like to mount a rescue operation.”

The answer was quick.  “Granted.  I always value success and hate to waste such a trusted resource as my Hunters.  Furthermore, I would never let any of my ponies suffer the indignity of spending any time being treated poorly by lessers.  Mount the rescue immediately and have Hunter One sent here.  She deserves a reward for striking such a blow against Celestia.”

Comet Tail rose from his seat.  “With your permission, then, I shall be off after a short period of refreshment.”

“Do so, my loyal Hunter.  You have earned it.”  With that, she waved him off, and with a bow, he left the room immediately.  Left in the throne room, the Queen looked out a window, feeling strange, as if she felt something she’d not felt in a long time.  She immediately laughed, there was no way her once friend and now nemesis, the Hierophant, could be up to something to stop all this.  After all, she was alone on a dead world and there was nothing to stop the Queen’s plans from conquering all.

You have failed, my dearest friend and vilest enemy, Queen Rainbow Dash thought to herself as she looked out the window, as if trying to send the thoughts to another world.  You are lost, oh Hierophant, a piece removed from the chessboard.  There is no way for you to strike a blow, my dearest Pinkie.  Even if there were more than one of you, you can’t win.  With that, she went back to her private apartments to put on her armor.  There was a meeting with the former residents of Stalliongrad…well, the ones that had survived, at any rate, and she would give them the same demands: surrender or suffer the consequences.

This world would be in her hoof soon enough, bit by bit.  It was just a matter of time….

TERTIUS: Shantytown

There is a saying, “between a rock and a hard place.”  There is also a similar saying, often used in a joking relation to the first: rock, meet hard place.  While the first talked of being trapped between two hard choices, the latter was often used as a result of when said choice was made.  There was, however, the odd occasion when the statement was more an analysis of physics than a philosophical discussion of moral issues.

Jumping into the new reality, Pinkie Pie found this out the hard way as soon as she entered.  She stepped, and found herself about ten feet above the ground.  Legs wheeling in the air, she practically swam across the void in an attempt to reach the building across the way, but even gravity occasionally held sway over the pink gypsy pony.  Down she fell, landing with a painful THUD.

Ow….  What happened?  I could have sworn that I was on solid ground.  Pinkie scratched her head, wondering what could have possibly gone wrong.  Fishing in her bag, she pulled out her gift from Twilight, The Official Guide to Staying Out of Trouble.  Pinkie flipped through to the chapter on teleporting, and halfway down the page was her answer: “When teleporting long distances, make sure that where you’re going is the same incline as where you are – leaving from a hill might put you over a cliff when you stop.”  Pinkie thought back to the Hierophant’s castle, and how it had been on a hill; the same rules that applied to teleporting apparently applied to reality jumping and so next time Pinkie would have to be a lot more careful about staying on solid ground.

There was a sudden loud shriek above, and Pinkie whipped her head to look up.  As Pumpkin Tart had warned, the mass exchange requirement was occurring, and sections of roofing on the building next to her were sucked into the gate before it winked out of existence.  Pinkie had been incredibly lucky that it had been some inanimate objects that had been pulled into the other Pinkie’s world and not something worse.  Sorry, Pinkie, I’ll make it up to you.

But now that she had a chance to get her footing, she looked around.  The world, to put it simply, was dirty; dirty in a way that would give Rarity conniption fits.  While the white unicorn often teased Applejack (and occasionally Pinkie) about farm life, this was far dirtier than anything the fashionista could imagine.  The cleanest thing around was probably the road she stood on, cracked and well-trodden much like the dirt roads around Ponyville, but that was where the similarities ended.  The buildings in the town were ramshackle, cobbled together from various materials and looked like they were coated with multiple layers of rust and soot.  The houses were stacked much too close together, even closer than the townhouses in Blinky’s neighborhood.  The road was like this as well; extremely narrow, so much so that somepony like Big Mac would have a hard time walking through.  That, or if he tried to do so, he’d probably get a scrape from one of the various pieces of rusty metal and probably would require a tetanus shot from Doctor Stable.

The dirt seemed to extend to the sky, it seemed.  While the air above didn’t seem to be as bad as the parts of the Hierophant’s dying world, in some ways the unnatural colors would have been preferred, because they were at least prettier than what Pinkie was seeing now.  The sky was a uniform gray, much like a winter day before the Equestriani Weather Service started a snowfall session.  Trails of wispy green-and-charcoal smoke traced lines through the horizon, too thin and ragged to be clouds, but what else could they be?  In the distance, something smoky seemed to be dropping towards the earth in a haze; it looked at first like a distant rain shower, but Pinkie had never seen rain like that.  As she attuned to this place, she noticed that while there was no silence like the dead world she’d left, there was a lack of distinctive natural sounds, but plenty of artificial ones: engines thrummed in the background, wires above gave the hum of electricity, and somewhere there was the deep reverberating bass of a huge motor running.

This place is weird, she admitted to herself.  Not scary, but…sad and dreary.  I’m not even sure I could put a smile on anything here.  As the road was empty and the area seemingly deserted, she moved on, following the long, curving road until she met an intersection.  Turning right, she followed the equally-long pathway, until she started to hear signs of life on the other side of a crumbling, dingy white wall.  Unfortunately too high for Pinkie to climb, she followed the wall for a while longer until she found a break in it large enough for her to squeeze in.

The place turned out to be a huge open-air market in the center of an amphitheater.  There were thousands of ponies present, pressed together by narrow pathways between the stalls and the everyday bustle of ponies shopping.  Various voices called out, busking their wares: “Get your Baked Reds here!”  “Silky-smooth Yellows available now, guaranteed fresh from the fabricants!”  “We only carry the finest Blues and Greens; don’t settle for anything less!”  The crowd continued to mill through, many wearing cloaks or something, but, like the sky and the buildings, it was all shades of gray and brown, and it seemed for even a second that despite the usual spectrum of pony coats, the world was somehow muted and intent on ending the existence of anything other than earth tones.

And lastly, posted on huge screens like the TV she had at home, a repeating message: a symbol of a star, superimposed with alicorns on either side of a shield, with thick block letters underneath: GLORY TO THE QUEEN.  Occasionally, the message would be replaced with other information that didn’t make sense: P through Z, BLOCK A to report to STATION 6 today.  All in BLOCK Q are reminded to see medtechs no later than Floreal 16th.  As Pinkie watched, she saw a bit of news regarding the Queen’s Own defeating EFRA in someplace called Sector 7.  She couldn’t complain about that last one: she’d heard plenty of odd names when it came to sports teams (she was a fan of the Canterlot Secretariats when it came to hoofball, and she and Derpy – a fan of the Maneiapolis Seabiscuits, for some reason – always had a game party during the rival teams’ annual showdown.)

It was after spending a few minutes making her way through the throngs when she realized something else: everyone here was a unicorn, with not a single pegasus or earth pony in sight.  From the ponies running the stalls to the shoppers, from the young children looking with amazement at everything to the ponies sitting bored in the corners, all had the horn of a unicorn.  Suddenly, despite being surrounded by dozens of ponies, Pinkie felt alone in a way she’d never felt before.  Being in the world of the Hierophant with only one other soul didn’t feel so alone as being the apparent solitary individual of your tribe when all else were others, and in that second Pinkie understood whenever Luna talked about the desolation of the moon and being trapped within herself for a thousand years.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t feel her pack being undone and then stolen; by the time she did feel it, she saw a white blur taking off into the distance, working its way through the crowds.  The thief was fast and agile, able to weave through the crowds the same way Rainbow Dash regularly rocketed through Ghastly Gorge.  Within seconds, that spot of white was lost in the press of ponies, well in the distance away.

Pinkie grinned; had this been anyone else, they would have called for the authorities, but by that time it would be too late.  While someone was trying to be a Meanie McMeanerson by stealing her packs, she’d just have to take care of the issue herself – Pinkie style.

═╬═

Racing through the crowd, the thief was as quick as a fan’s breeze and as agile as a scuttlesnake as she wove her way through the crowds.  With the ease of someone very acrobatic, she leapt through an unattended cart, onto a nearby box and leapt over the wall, pirouetting in mid-air before landing on the ground with a soft thump.  Moving back against the wall, she took quick, shallow breaths, ready to take off if needed.  After waiting a few seconds and deciding the coast was clear, she sat down, the thief began to rifle through the bags, searching for something good – maybe a high-quality Purple or that treasure of treasures, an Orange.

She had been so busy, she never noticed the pink pony standing next to her.  “Hi!” Pinkie chirped in a friendly manner.  “While running around is fun, I’ve got other stuff to do, so can I have my bags back, please?”

Without so much as saying anything, the thief immediately took off at a high speed, Pinkie bouncing along merrily.  The thief rushed down two long streets, then climbed up a hastily-built ladder to scurry over a few rooftops before jumping down onto a wall and back to the street.  There were now dozens of buildings between the thief and the owner, so there would be no chance of—

“That was fun!  But like I said, I really need my bags back.  So, would you please return them?”

And so the cat-and-mouse game continued.  The thief would take off in a random direction, using every trick in her arsenal to escape, only to find the strange pink pony somehow just one step ahead.  They kept this up for hours, racing around the city and into every possible escape route, the pursued completely unable to shake this dogged pursuer, something that she’d never had a problem with before.  Finally, they came to a stop in an area crossed by a slime-encrusted river.  Access to parts of the river, which burbled up the stench of ammonia everywhere, were blocked to prevent jumpers from diving in, though how anyone would want to swim in that river was beyond the reasons the thief could think of.  Even just steps away from the river, the acrid odor seemed to penetrate everything.  “Fine, you win,” the thief said, throwing Pinkie’s bags back at her.

“Thank you very much,” she said, slipping her bags back on.  “They’re important to me; I got them from a very dear friend.  But why would you want to steal them?  There’s nothing in them except for some food and books.”

“All the more, then; in case you hadn’t noticed, folks here are poor – my family can’t afford anything but Blacks and some Grays; once in a while the neighborhood gets together and pools the money to get a huge batch of Whites for a celebration.  We can’t even dream of honestly affording Reds or Yellows, much less those Silvers and Golds.”

“Um, what are all of those?  They don’t sound familiar.”

The thief rolled her eyes.  “What, are you going to tell me you eat real food instead of fabricae?”

“What’s a fabricay?” Pinkie asked, a curious look on her face.  “And of course I eat food – doesn’t everyone?”

The thief looked at Pinkie, mouth agape in shock.  “Cynthra’s Bones, this is stupid.  You’re quicker than a diveskink, can shadow me better than any justiciar, and have no idea what a fabrica is?  Okay, which Sanctum are you from and why did the medtechs let you off your pharmas?”

“I followed you because you took my bags,” Pinkie accused.  As she began to argue with the other pony, she finally got a good look at the thief.  A white unicorn mare (white was a relative term, because she was dirty enough that the actual color was questionable) with a long mane in various shades of blue and vivid red eyes; she wore a pair of grimy goggles around her neck that seemed to be more ornament than actual tool.  Lastly, though Pinkie couldn’t see the thief’s cutie mark at this point, it probably wasn’t necessary; she knew who she was looking at, or at least this world’s version.

DJ P0N-3’s a thief in this world.  Pinkie struggled to keep a straight face when she realized the identity of the cutpurse; back in her world, the electronica musician and deejay had put out a new album the month before all this began entitled The Rhythm Thief, and Pinkie remembered the cover, with DJ P0N-3 dressed in a catsuit, carrying a solid gold musical note under her arm and watching out for the spotlights.  At the time, it was a cute pun for a fun album.  Suddenly the humor in that memory just suddenly went south.

Meanwhile, the thief had tried to rush out of the way while Pinkie seemed off-guard.  Jumping forward, her horn got caught on Pinkie’s hood and yanked it off even as the pony tripped and fell.  As she got up, she turned to look at her captor, and when she got a better look at Pinkie’s unhooded face, she cried, “Oh, Cosmica’s Blood, I’m doomed – you’re an erpo!”

“TEQUILA, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE THIS TIME?” a voice roared behind Pinkie.  The pink gypsy pony turned around to face a mountain of a unicorn, just as tall and nearly as broad as Monolith, Ponyville’s town sheriff.  The unicorn was a light shade of blue with a turquoise-and-white mane and goatee; his cutie mark was a flower of a kind Pinkie had never seen before.

“Pop, you’ve got to believe me!”  The white mare looked up at the huge stallion and went into some sort of panic mode.  “I didn’t do anything!  This erpo was—”

“You will not use slurs while you live under my roof, do I make myself clear?” he said in low, growling tones.  Turning to Pinkie, he said, “Milady, I ask that you please do not report this to the justiciars.  My daughter may be a fully-grown mare, but as you can see, she doesn’t act like it; even still, without her our lives would be that much dimmer.”

Pinkie looked at the father, then at the mare – her name was apparently Tequila – and then back at the father.  “I just wanted my bags back, no harm done.”

“I thank you, milady, for your kindness and generosity.   And as for you, Tequila Sunrise, I’ve a mind to finally kick you out of the house.  You’re a full-grown mare and still behaving like a foal, stealing like a common criminal.  Your mother and I raised you better than that!”

“But I did it for the family!” she cried, breaking down.  “Pop, I know you and Mom work your hooves off in the station and yet you’re paid almost nothing for it!  I heard you telling Mom last night that we don’t have enough money anymore to afford to send Rummie to the Educatorium and that she’d have to work in the station too!  I won’t let that happen to my little sister!”

The look on his face turned conflicted between shame at his daughter’s act and pride in her reasoning.  Shaking his head, he said, “But Tequila, if we stoop to being criminals, we’re no better than what Solestra thinks we are.”

Tequila, however, refused to give in.  “But you and Mom work like slaves for nothing, when ponies like her live like virtual divinities in Hightown!”  The look in Tequila’s eyes was full of hate and rage.

A quizzical look crossed Pinkie’s face.  “But I’m not from Hightown, wherever that is.  I’m from Ponyville.”

“Ponyville?”  The stallion’s face grew surprised.

Pinkie nodded.  “Well…I’m originally from Rockton, but I moved to Ponyville when I was 18.  Does that count?”

“Indeed it does.”  The stallion’s demeanor had changed from one begging for the safety of his daughter to a pony of stern demeanor.  “Let’s get out of here.  Solestra’s eyes are everywhere.”

═╬═

In a throne room quite a distance away from where Pinkie was, an earth pony carried an extensive collection of papers into the room.  Bowing to his queen, he said, “Your majesty, you were correct – there was an extensive magical discharge an hour ago.  While the technicians are doing their best to pinpoint the location, the preliminary reports indicate that it was in Sector 317.”

“The neighborhood around Station 12, correct?” a voice said, sultry and sinuous, even as its speaker sat in the darkened portions of the room.  “It seems one of them has not been giving his or her full potential.  They have been hiding something from me, and I will not allow that.”

“With all due respect, your majesty, it’s more than that.  The power scales are quite intense, and for something this large it would have to be somepony that has never been tapped before, likely an early-developing foal with….”  He looked at the charts.  “Oh, my – your majesty, while this power pales in comparison to yours, should it be used in force it will do extensive damage to anything in the vicinity.”

The voice chuckled sans humor.  “Well, we can’t have that, can we?”  There were steps as the figure descended the dais, and into the light an alicorn came.  She was white, with a black, red and gray mane that seemed to flow in a breeze that never came.  On her flank was her mark, a black sun.  Lastly, while her face had the same features as a certain sun princess a reality away, no one would confuse this alicorn with that caring sovereign.   This was Solestra, the divine queen of her ponykind, and she was not pleased with the defiance she was now hearing about.   “Have your ponies pinpoint the location immediately, and then inform my daughter.  She has…a vested interest in ensuring the behavior of our subjects.”

“Your will shall be done, my queen,” the pony said, bowing briefly before departing the throne room and heading towards the analysis labs.  But before he did, he made a quick stop by the nearby restrooms, where a bored-looking earth pony guard sat on one of the benches across from the facilities.

The analyst approached the guard carefully.  “Hello, friend.  I haven’t seen you in a while.”

The guard looked left and right before saying in measured tones, “Yes, it’s been some time.  Not since Ponyville, correct?”

The analyst shoved the papers into the guard’s hooves, whispering a quick “Hail to the EFRA,” before disappearing.  As for the guard, he tucked the papers into a satchel at his side, then went on his rounds – he would still need to complete them before the day was done.  But once he left for the day, he’d have to move fast.   The codeword had been given, meaning something serious was afoot.

═╬═

Thirty minutes later, the trio had arrived at their destination: a house, slightly larger than the others here that Pinkie had seen.  Tequila explained that since her parents were both shift managers at the local station, they’d been accorded the luxury of a larger house.  Of course, as seemed to be the norm in this world, luxury was a relative term; the house was smaller than Fluttershy’s cottage and from the looks of the outside, wasn’t as well built as her chicken coop.  In some ways, the house was worse than the ones in the center of town; the owners of those looked as though they’d already given up on improving their lot, while it seemed Tequila’s family was still bent on fighting a losing battle against decay.

As they entered, Pinkie noticed that strangely enough, the house’s insides brought memories of her foalhood to mind.  Life on the Pie Rock Farm (yes, she knew it was technically a quarry, but “rock farm” sounded so much better) was simple because her parents believed in a very spartan existence.  However, while the Pies had access to all sorts of creature comforts, in this world this family had to make do with what little they had, and that they very much did.  Despite the condition of the wooden floor, it was well maintained.  Clean but threadbare rugs sat beneath cobbled but well-tended tables.  And in the center of the room, cleaning like it was her divinity-given duty was a unicorn mare, with a light brown coat and deep yellow mane in a very short cut.  She wore a string of pearls, and at the moment, an apron as well.  “Oh, dear, you’re home already!  And I see we have a visitor.  Welcome to our home, young miss.”

“Yes, please excuse my earlier brusqueness,” the stallion said to Pinkie.  “I’m Pomace Brandy, and this is my wife Bourbon.  You’ve already, uh, met my oldest daughter, Tequila Sunrise,” he said with slight embarrassment.

His wife caught on that.  “Tequila, have you been up to something again?  And to think I raised you to be a lady!  No stallion will be interested in you if you keep this up.”

“Big whoop, Mom,” Tequila said, plopping down on the worn, off-color couch.  “I don’t trust anypony anyway.  They’re all phonies.”

“Please forgive my daughter, miss,” Bourbon said.  “I do so try, but…oh, I didn’t catch your name.”

“Pinkie Pie,” she said, extending a hoof.

“Miss Pie says she’s from Ponyville,” Brandy commented, matter-of-factly.  Bourbon’s eyes lit up as if something vital had been expressed in those words.

“So…what brings you here from Ponyville, Miss Pie?”

“I’m looking for something,” she said, honestly, and she could feel it: one of the Elements had been placed here on this world, and while she wasn’t sure which one it was, she knew one of the six existed here.

“I…see.  Well, where are you staying, may I ask?  You’re quite a ways from Hightown, and to be rather honest…earth ponies usually aren’t seen in Shantytown.”

“Well, I just arrived a few hours ago, and I really haven’t looked into a place yet,” Pinkie admitted.

“Well, we do have a guest room, so you’re more than welcome to stay with us.  We realize this isn’t what you’re accustomed to, but we feel we must offer our aid.”

Pinkie looked around the living room, appreciatively of all that Brandy had accomplished with so little.  “I like it.  It reminds me of when I was just a little filly.  This is a really nice place.”  Both Brandy and Bourbon looked at each other as if she’d said something weird, but the moment Pinkie gave one of her earnest smiles, they relaxed, understanding that her compliment had been genuine.

“The honor of having you here is ours,” Bourbon said.  “Well, dinner should be ready soon, so if you’d like to relax and freshen up before the food’s ready, Tequila can show you to the guest room.”

“No thanks, I don’t do maid for erp…earth ponies.”  Before her parents could chew her out further, she said, “I’m gonna check on Rummie.”

As the white unicorn stomped her way downstairs to the basement rooms, Brandy sighed.  “I’m terribly sorry, Miss Pie.  Tequila can…be a bit difficult to deal with.”

“Call me Pinkie!  And your daughter doesn’t seem like the trusting type, no offense.”

“None taken.  But she’s always been that way, and I wish there was a way to get through to her.  She only lets down her defenses in front of us, and sometimes not even then.  The only one she’s really been unconditionally open with is her sister, Coconut Rum – she adores that kid.”  There was a note of fatherly concern in Brandy’s voice.  “But enough of that.  Let me point the room out to you.”

Pinkie shook her head.  “Naaah, you had a busy day at work, I can tell.  I’ll find it.  Downstairs?”

“Last door on the right.”  As the pink pony descended the stairs, Brandy had a thought that was both true and sad: I wish my daughter was as happy as that mare.

As Pinkie reached the bottom of the stairs, she heard jubilant laughter coming from the first room on the right.  The door was ajar, and Pinkie couldn’t help but peek in.  When she did, she saw a sight that warmed her heart: Tequila, apparently laughing with someone.  Pinkie craned her head to see if she could peek in more, but really couldn’t.  Her curiosity piqued, she thought about using some of her magic to peek in further, when she heard a voice:  “You know, snooping is pretty fraggin’ rude.  Or don’t they teach you erpos that?”  Pinkie looked down and saw Tequila, looking straight up at her, and not very kindly, either.

“I’m sorry.  I just heard you laughing, and thought it would be a good time to meet your sister.  I didn’t mean to intrude.”

“Well, you did.  Fortunately, it’s really hard for me to keep a frown when Rummie’s around, so you can come in and meet her.”  With that, Pinkie went in and met Tequila’s sister, a young unicorn on the cusp of marehood, with a pink-and-lavender mane and brilliant green eyes, tied into a smile that Pinkie knew well.

“Sweetie Belle!” she found herself saying aloud.

“What’s a Sweety Bell?” Tequila asked.

“Oh, sorry, she looks like my friend’s younger sister.”  Too much like Rarity’s sister.  For the second time today, Pinkie took a mental note that no matter who she came across in the other realities, chances were it wasn’t ponies she knew.

“Ah.  Anyways, my little sis is probably the prettier one.  Anyway, this is my kid sister Coconut Rum.  Say hi, Rummie.”

Pinkie waved hello.  “Hi! I’m Pinkie Pie!”  To her surprise, the younger unicorn reached down and picked up a sketchpad and pen and started scribbling. A second later, she held it up for Pinkie to see, in beautiful cursive hoofwriting: [Hi, I’m Rummie!  Nice to meet you.]

She can’t talk?  Pinkie patted the filly on her head.  “You’re just adorable, you know that?” Though no sound came from the unicorn, it was clear that she was giggling.

Rummie wrote another message, an inquisitive look on her face: [So you’re going to be living with us for a while?]

“That’s the plan.  Maybe we can have some fun later, okay?”  Rummie nodded enthusiastically and Pinkie grinned, a new friend in a new world.

“Hey, Rummie, would you mind helping Mom prep dinner?  I gotta talk to Pinkie for a bit.”  Pausing only to hug both Tequila and Pinkie, she raced upstairs, bright and cheerful against a rusty and dreary world.

“Your sister’s adorable,” Pinkie said, meaning it.

“Yes, and I’d like to keep her that way.”  From what very little Pinkie knew of Tequila, this protective side was rare.  “As you can already guess, she’s mute.  Traumatized by what happened to her in the past.  Pop thinks that it’s the same reason why she’s a blank flank at her age.”

“What happened, if I can ask?”

Tequila nodded.  “She’s adopted.  Pop found her when she was around five, we guess.  Her real family had been killed, and even though it was a risk, he took a chance and brought her home.  I’m glad he did.  Rummie’s practically my whole life and I’d be a wreck if anything happened to her.  I don’t like admitting this, but all the things I do – and I know it just quirbles my parents – is because I want to make sure that Rummie has a better life than we have.  If I can find a way to bring back her voice, I can get her out of this pit.  I don’t even care what happens to me; I just want to see her smile for the rest of her life.”  She shook her head and for a brief second, a smile flitted on her face.  “Listen to me: I’m telling a complete stranger who doesn’t give a frag about all this.”

“Hey, I care.  Your sister’s a nice mare.”

“Hah!  A mare – next year, maybe; she’s only 17.  And what do you care?   You’ll be in, get your thing, then back out and we won’t see you ever again, just quick as you please.  I know Mom and Pop’s secret, always have.  You’re just another dead end on the road to ‘freedom’.”  Tequila would have probably slid into more venom had she not heard her mother’s call from upstairs.  “Go on, put your stuff in the spare bedroom and let’s go up and enjoy ‘the feast.’  Since you’re here, Mom’s probably using some of the leftover Whites from last Summersun.”

During dinner, Pinkie got her answer as to what a fabrica was (and that fabricae was the plural): a nutrient paste that met the daily needs of the average unicorn that ate them.  Fabrica was, as expected, artificially created, grown in vats at the fabricants (hence the name), had a very long shelf life and could be shaped into various forms to enhance the consuming experience.  The rather obvious flipside of that was that taste wasn’t a primary concern, and the very basic “flavors” (Blacks, Grays and Whites) were just barely palatable.  It wasn’t until one tasted the spectrum varieties (Reds, et. al.) that actual spices and herbs were used in their creation and the metal variants (Bronzes, etc.) actually started to approach real food, whatever that was – there were rumors of “real foods” being consumed in the Queen’s citadel city of Hightown, but who had proof of that?

Today’s dinner had been called correctly by Tequila: due to Pinkie’s arrival, Bourbon had used the rest of the Whites for a special meal.  So today, it was grilled Whitesteak, with sides of mashed Gray and steamed Black cubes.  The four residents ate with gusto, thrilled to enjoy the rare treat that was White fabrica.  As for Pinkie, she politely poked and prodded, trying not to let it show on her face what she really thought: that fabricae tasted like glue mixed in with paste and cement…and coming from a pony that practically ate anything, this stuff was completely stomach-churning.

Brandy, however, understood otherwise.  “I understand this isn’t the usual fare for you, Pinkie, but down here in Shantytown, that’s all we know.”  He smiled.  “I remember when I was younger, just a stallion who hadn’t met my wife yet, a group of friends and I got a Copper.  We all split it and ate it quickly before the word got out.  I will never forget the taste: it was…I can’t describe it.”  His face darkened as he added, “We later found out that one of our friends had actually stolen it from a bureaucrat that had come to do an efficiency inspection on one of the stations.  My friend was caught, and sentenced by the justiciars to serve in the Detentum.  We never heard from him again, and eventually my friends and I all split apart to make sure we stayed safe.”

“But that’s…not right!”  Pinkie was floored.  Even Luna, who had essentially served the longest prison sentence in history, would have found that completely beyond the pale.

“Yeah, welcome to reality, Miss Sunshine,” Tequila snarled.  “Infoflash: bad things happen to good ponies everywhere.  This isn’t one of those ‘Happily Ever After’ entervids.”

“But this?” she said, pointing at the food.  “You…I….”  Pinkie was at a rare moment, a loss for words.  How could anypony live like this?

“We’re hoping someday that our foals’ foals won’t have to live this kind of a life,” Bourbon said.  “This isn’t a life for anypony.”

Pinkie would have asked at that point if Celestia knew about this…but Celestia wasn’t in charge here.  They mentioned the ruler earlier, someone named Solestra, and whomever that was, it was clear that the leader either didn’t know or didn’t care.  There was no joy here, no hope; the Hierophant felt her world had become like that, but this was truly a bleak world.

“You should be happy!” Pinkie chirped, as an idea came to mind.  “And I’m going to fix that right now.”  She raced downstairs towards the guest room, than just as quickly came back, a tray in hoof.  “I brought these for my journey, but I want you to have them.”

The four unicorns stared at the objects on the tray.  They were roughly cylindrical in shape, and were in a color none of them had ever seen before.  There was one for each of them, and the smell that was coming from them was something that none in the family had never experienced.”

“What kind of fabrica is this?” Tequila asked.  “Never seen it before.”

Pinkie laughed warmly.  “Silly, these aren’t fabricae, they’re called 'cupcakes'.  They’re real food.”  At those words, the four reared back as if having been offered a priceless treasure, like Colticelli’s famous painting The Birth of Celestia.  “Please, I want you to have them.”

“I…Pinkie, these are gifts beyond words,” Brandy said.  “We can’t take them from you.”

“You’re not taking them from me, I’m giving them to you.  Besides, they’re just cupcakes.  I can make them whenever I want.”  If her last words stunned them, these ones truly knocked them for a loop.  Who was this strange earth pony who came to a town without hope and started distributing such unimaginable gifts as if they were Black fabrica?

Seeing that they weren’t taking them, Pinkie took drastic action.  She put one on each of their plates, and then flashed her biggest smile.   “Please?”  She then went around, moving the food around as if it were puppets, providing voices for all of them:

“Well, I think we should be eaten because we taste great!”

“Oui, I zink zis iz ze right thing to do!”

“Ya jus’ can’t beat us for taste!”

“Oi think we’re pos’tively scrumpt’us!”

With all of her comical antics, she got them to laugh from the silliness of it all.  Once they realized she was doing it for their sakes, they relented and took bites of their cupcakes.  After years of eating nothing but hyperbland food, Pinkie’s equally hypersugary cupcakes hit them like a ton of gingerbread bricks.  Four pairs of eyes lit up in practical perfect states of gastronomic nirvana, and before the seconds went by, their moment in paradise gone as quickly as it came.

Bourbon looked at her empty plate.  “Goodness, I don’t think I will ever have anything that will top that in my lifetime.  Thank you, Pinkie!”

Tequila didn’t show it on her face, but her mind was roiling.  She never told her family, but on one occasion she had successfully stolen a Yellow and hungrily ate it all.  Until now, that had been the best thing she’d ever tasted.  This was magnitudes better.

Brandy agreed.  “The Copper was nothing compared to this.”  His eyes began watering.  “Thank you, Pinkie.  You’ve given my family a gift we can never hope to repay.”

But the biggest reaction came from Coconut Rum: she hadn’t eaten all of hers, but she savored every bite, each morsel bringing a huge smile to her face.   Halfway through, she went over with the last bits to Pinkie to share.  Pinkie looked at the younger pony with true appreciation in her eyes; the poor filly had so much taken away from her and she still had a generous heart.  Just like her sister would have, if she survived.  Pinkie thought about this reality’s Rarity, or whatever her name was, and wondered what kind of pony she’d been; probably too young to have reached her potential.

“Go ahead and eat it, Rummie,” Pinkie told her gently.  “Like I said, I can always make more.  And I’ll share those, too.  Pinkie Promise.”

═╬═

Pinkie did not sleep well that night; in contrast to the guest room in the Hierophant’s castle, this bed was more like the previous few days she’d slept on the ground.  Definitely not like the waterbed she had at home (why did she have a waterbed at home? was a common question she was asked, with the answer being so she could play pirate occasionally, duh!) or even the old regular bed she had back when the Cakes had owned the place.  But that wasn’t the thing that was bothering her.  No, it was the deep, reverberating thrum that seemed to boom through everything.  While she had noticed it earlier in the daytime, at night, with everything else at rest, the bassy hum was at its loudest.  Her failed attempt at sleep had been like this for the past few hours.

For the third time she tossed and turned, and just couldn’t sleep.  She opened her eyes, sitting up in bed and figuring she’d just call it a night.  When she focused, however, she found Rummie, sitting by the bed, looking at her.  “Hey, kiddo, what’s up?”

Scribble, scribble.  [Can’t sleep?  It took us a while to get used to it when we moved here five years ago.]

“Yeah, this is a lot noisier than my place, that’s for sure.”

[Your place must be nice and pretty.  Can I go there someday?]

“Maybe,” Pinkie said.  She didn’t know what the rules were regarding transporting anything else – a week ago she didn’t even know there were rules, period – but she decided she couldn’t just leave this family here.  They all deserved better, and she knew Rummie and Sweetie Belle would get along great.  “But I’m guessing you came here for something else, right?”

Rummie nodded, scribbling on her pad.  [I know I’m probably being a bother, and I don’t want to be a problem for you, but can I ask you something?]

“You’re not a bother,” Pinkie said, reaching over to hug the filly.  “What’s up?”

[Will you make Tequila stop stealing?  I know she’s worried about me all the time and wants to make me happy, but I know what she’s doing – she fights with Mom and Pop all the time because of it.]  Page flip, scribble, scribble, scribble.  [My happiness isn’t important if the justiciars sentence her to a life in the Detentum!]

“I can’t promise anything like that, Rummie.  Your sister is her own mare.  But I will promise that I’ll do my best to prevent it when I can.”  That earned Pinkie a quick hug, kisses and nuzzles.  Smiling, Pinkie felt a wave of exhaustion hit her and she told Rummie with sleepy eyes, “I think I’m about to crash now, Rummie.  G’night, and I’ll see you in the morning.”

═╬═

The following morning, the three of them were out.  It was a (relatively) nice Quartidi, and while both parents had to work at the station that day, it was a day off from the Educatorium for Coconut Rum and no performances for Tequila Sunrise (just as Pinkie had expected, her cutie mark was the same as her otherworldly counterpart, but unlike DJ P0N-3, Tequila’s main job for a living was a guitarist; not much call for one in a world where entertainment was rare).  So after a quick yet unpleasant breakfast of scrambled Black and Gray rashers (after which Pinkie offered to do all the cooking while she was here), the three were headed off to the main portion of Shantytown to see if they could find clues about the object Pinkie was looking for.

[If you tell us what you’re looking for, we can help!] Rummie wrote, very willing to be of assistance to Pinkie.  Scribble, scribble, scribble.  [I’ll do everything I can!]

“Thanks, Rummie,” Pinkie said, nuzzling the younger unicorn.  Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Tequila’s irritated look.  “Rummie, d’ya mind if I talk to your sister in private for a second?”

[Sure.  I’ll just be over by the klik-klak vendor.]  Rummie tried to hide her disappointment; she knew what was going to happen – her sister was going to pick a fight.  Funny how not being able to talk made everypony think she couldn’t hear things either.

Tequila waited until her sister was out of earshot, then cut loose.  “Y’know, I’d really appreciate it if you stopped filling my sister’s head with your dumb ideas.  She told me about your talk last night and how you invited her to your place.  You know fraggin’ well that’s never going to happen.”

“Why not?  Your family doesn’t deserve to put up with all this.  I can help get you out of here.”

“What, you gonna take us to the EFRA?  Hah, puh-lese.  Us corns don’t get that lucky.  No, we’re the carb of the universe: not as blessed as you erpos, and we’re not lucky enough to be pegs and just fly outta here.  So we have to deal with reality – I’m sure somewhere you’ve heard that word – and that means no dreams of cupcake houses and the like!”

“Look, Tequila, I don’t know why you dislike me,” Pinkie began, “but I mean it: I’d really like to help.”

“Look, Pinkie, don’t get me wrong: I don’t dislike you, I just don’t trust you.  You’re an erpo, your kind doesn’t change – always backstabbing.  And for the record, you’re not the only one.  I don’t trust Mom and Pop half the time, and the only one I know I can count on is Rummie.  So I’d appreciate it if you stop fi—”

A voice shouted out from somewhere, “MAKE WAY FOR HER ROYAL HIGHNESS!   CLEAR THE PATH FOR HER HIGHNESS, PRINCESS SUNMANE!  ALL BOW DOWN BEFORE HER GLORY!” Sure enough, crowds began to clear as a retinue passed through the center.  The trio was too far from the group to see any member of the princess’ escort, but they saw the crowd was quickly moving out of their way.

“Great.  Sunmane’s here – that won’t end well,” Tequila hissed under her breath.

[They’re meeting at the center stage.  Should we go see?]  Rummie nearly dropped her pad in trying to get back to them, hoping to break up the fight, but also wanting to get close to the goings-on.

“Rummie, I think you should stay clear of this, sis,” Tequila began.

“I think I should go see this,” Pinkie said.  “Maybe I can get the princess to help.”

Tequila’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.  “Are you fraggin’ stupid?  You really think you’re gonna get any help from the Butcher Princess?”

“No, just ignorant of the local scene,” she replied.

[Sis…]  Rummie repeatedly waved her pad in Tequila’s face to underline what she was trying to say.

“Cynthra’s Bones, but you’re an idiot.”  Tequila sighed when she saw the disappointed look on her sister’s face.  “Sorry, I forgot you’re from Ponyville.  But they really didn’t explain anything to you when you got here?”

“I don’t think anypony knew about this,” Pinkie replied.  She knew that had Pumpkin Tart had info on where she was, she would have spilled it in a heartbeat.  “Just presume I don’t know anything and start from the top.”

“Well, Sunma—”

“Start with the Queen, whatshername – Solestra, right?”

“Cosmica’s Blood, that’s going to take forever!”

“Then let it take forrrreeeeevvvvveeeerrr,” Pinkie jovially hissed.  Rummie silently giggled at the extended word, and Tequila just wanted to abandon the pink earth pony to her own stupidity, but she did agree to help….

“Okay, fine.  Here’s the basic carb: Queen Solestra is an immortal alicorn.  Some ponies consider her a divinity, but not everyone.  But before her was her mother, Cosmica.  Queen Cosmica was the first alicorn and supposedly evolved us from Equus caballus, creating the three pony subspecies: Equus sapiens familiaris, the earth ponies; Equus sapiens bellerophon, the pegasi; and Equus sapiens monoceros, the unicorns. Supposedly she also made the heaven and earth, the oceans, and a primitive form of fabrica called ‘ambrosia’ – I wouldn’t buy any of this, by the way, it’s all bunk.

“So anyways, Cosmica supposedly had a daughter immaculately, namely Solestra; my guess is that the fraggin’ tart probably had a one-night-stand with one of her guards.  Anyway, Queen Cosmica and Princess Solestra were a happy pair for thousands of years, whatever that means.  But one day, Cosmica announced that she was pregnant with a second child, a daughter she would call Cynthra.  Y’see, Solestra was supposedly named for the sun she embodied, and Cynthra was to be named for the moo – you following any of this?” Tequila snarled.  “It’s makin’ my stomach churn just talking about it.”

Pinkie was rapt.  “Yup, totally listening.  What, you don’t believe any of it?”

Tequila rolled her eyes.  “Hello?  Divine birth?  Embodiment of the sun, which is a flaming ball of gas out in space?  The only things even remotely true about the story are the magic and the fact that Solestra’s immortal.”  She buried her face in her hooves, stunned that anypony could even believe any of this; where would Pinkie even get the idea that an eternal sun divinity alicorn was true?

“Well, okay, we’ll just agree to disagree.  Continue – I’m all ears.  Well, not really, I am a pony, after all, not a giant ear, but you get the idea.”

This erpo’s going to be the death of me.  “So anyway, about two-thousand-or-so years ago, Cosmica gave birth, but it all went wrong.  She lost too much blood in the delivery and died; while the attending apothecaries – that’s what they called medtechs back then – were able to rescue the baby, Cynthra was an extremely weak foal and didn’t live through the day.  In the span of a day, Solestra went from being a simple princess to an older sister to a queen in mourning.”  Tequila’s voice had a slight catch at that; this part of the story always got to her.

“For two thousand years Solestra ruled alone, our Queen of Sorrows in mourning.  But during this time, the land and its ponies was neglected, and soon enough some unicorns and pegasi started to challenge her rule, culminating in a rebellion six hundred years ago that ended in the utter defeat and death of all pegasi – by the way, that I don’t believe.  As for the unicorns, their power was sealed within them, only able to use their magic for the most feeble and basic of telekenetics, but to never grow to the heights of magicraft.  As for the earth ponies, who remained neutral, Solestra rewarded them with the status of nobility.  The titles, land and honors of every pegasus and unicorn noble was forcibly removed from them, given to the earth ponies, all because they were too afraid to stand with the other two tribes and Solestra mistakenly confused that with loyalty.

“For hundreds of years, she continued to rule alone, but a bit less than thirty years ago, an earth pony noble family was completely assassinated by supposed unicorn separatists.  Solestra personally saw to the execution of the unicorns – who were probably framed for it – and adopted the lone survivor, a newborn foal.  That pony is her daughter, Princess Sunmane, who bears an intense hatred of unicorns that borders on the merciless.”

“But why would the Princess hate her own subjects?  They are her fellow ponies.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, Pinkie.  We’re her subjects, but she’ll never consider unicorns fellow anything.”  Trumpets played in the distance, and more unicorns began to gather around the center stage.  “You’ll see why she hates us all and we hate her back.  But don’t say you weren’t warned.”

By the time they’d reached the gathering location, there were enough unicorns assembled that it required Pinkie, Rummie and Tequila to sit on a nearby stack of crates.  Around the central dais was a sea of unicorns, all facing the center, all a-shivering.  Some shivered in fear, some shivered out of respect.  But as Pinkie looked into the eyes of some of them, those rare cases, shook with barely concealed rage at the group on the stage.

As for those on the stage, it was three broken unicorns, the trio looking completely miserable.  On either side of the three were two heavily-armored earth ponies, carrying various weapons and looking as though they meant business.  But at the front of the stage, facing the assembly was the daughter of Solestra, Princess Sunmane.  Standing there in resplendent armor and carrying a sword at her side, the princess wore no helmet, the better to be noticed.  Her coat was a beautiful orange hue, well taken care of as befitting royalty.  Her mane and tail were a luxurious shade of blonde, well-kept and tied up in braids.  She had white freckles on her cheeks, markings that would have made her look like a coquettish beauty if it weren't for her eyes.  Those eyes were fierce green balls of fire, screaming contempt and rage for the ponies sitting before her.

Pinkie couldn’t see her cutie mark as it was covered by the armor, but she didn’t have to.  Inside, a part of her heart was slowly breaking.  “Applejack,” she whispered, not believing what she saw before her eyes.

“Yeah, it’s him,” Tequila drawled, misunderstanding Pinkie’s word.  “I told him not to get greedy, or it was going to bite him in the flank.  And now he’s caught, by Sunmane no less.  I almost feel sorry for him; he would have been better caught by the justiciars.  At least then he’d live.”

Pinkie caught those words.  “What?” she blurted, not sure she heard Tequila’s statement.

“Subjects of Shantytown, I have come to you because I have heard a rumor,” Sunmane began, pacing back and forth, her baleful eyes on the crowd.  “It seems somepony has been lying to my mother, your beloved queen.  Around noontime yesterday, there was a huge outburst of magic.  As we all know, there is only one tribe in all of our fair land who could have done that, hmm?”  Her attempt at a smile held no trace of merriment.  “This means that one of you, somewhere out there, is playing false to the throne.  And to you who have done so, you have committed a crime against the Crown.”

She continued to look at crowd, as if searching for something.  “Of course, all of those assembled here being true and stalwart loyalists to my mother, Queen Solestra, you would never hide one of your own, even though he or she is a marked criminal, am I correct?  That each of you to a one would eagerly and willingly fulfill your sworn duties as subjects of the queen?”  Sunmane paused, though only for breath; she was clearly not interested in the possible answers.  “But, never fear, I am quite sure you will rise to the occasion and perform your duties with pride, my loyal subjects.”

She signaled to her men, and they brought the three unicorns forward.  “But, my subjects, I must admit a failing on my part: I owe you all an apology.  I swore to protect Shantytown from crime and filth, and as of late I have been remiss in attending to this, and you have all suffered greatly as a result of my neglect.”  She bowed to the audience, as if begging their forgiveness.

“Actually, I could live with her remaining out of Shantytown much longer,” Tequila seethed from where she sat.  “That mare will kill us all and not even bother to blink, just watch.”

Meanwhile, Sunmane completed her bow and addressed the crowd once more.  “But today, that changes.  Today, as I promised, I bring you the Queen’s justice, straight from my royal hoof.  Guards, bring the prisoners forward!”  Spears at the ready, the chained unicorns were prodded forward, all three knowing their lives hung on the slimmest of threads.

Sunmane looked at the first one, and it seemed as if her eyes were filled with a malicious glee.  “Mister…Applejack, is it not?  You have been accused of multiple counts of thievery, larceny and burglary.  Your crimes are well known to this assembly.  How plead you?”

The red-and-green unicorn trembled, praying that his words would reach mercy.  “I plead for forgiveness, your highness.  I admit to theft, but it was to feed my starving family!  I only took the bare of what was needed!”

“You’re nothing but a pathetic wretch,” she snarled, spitting on him.  To the crowd, she turned and with an outstretched foreleg, called out, “Is what this lout says true?”  Various voices in the crowd began to call for his innocence; not enough to be significant, but enough to make it clear he told the truth.  Sunmane closed her eyes, nodding.  “I see your wisdom, my ponies, and thank you for your counsel.  Applejack, you are free.”

He exhaled, visibly relieved, uttering, “Thank you, my pri—” but never finishing his sentence.  In a move that horrified all who were assembled, Sunmane unsheathed her sword and then slammed it straight into Applejack’s chest.  Darker red welled on his red coat, and the unicorn barely had time to look at her in shock before he collapsed, dead.

“I free you from this life, criminal,” she said with a satisfied grin.  To her guards, she said, “I already know these two to be guilty, so execute them and be quick about it.”  As the screams of the sentenced sounded from the doomed unicorns behind her, Sunmane faced the crowd, a cruel look on her face.  “Justice be done, my subjects.  And to prove my vow to rid Shantytown of its crime, I shall be here every day until justice shines like a glistening sword.”  She retrieved her sword, pausing only to wipe the blood on Applejack’s mane before sheathing it.  “And now, I bid you farewell until the morrow.”  With that, she and her guards walked away from the dais, the crowd parting to give her room, lest they find themselves part of a future mockery of justice.

There were wails in the crowd as the family of the dead approached their slain loved ones, but Pinkie didn’t hear them.  She didn’t hear Tequila’s repeated cursing at the back of the princess and her retinue, nor did she hear the silent cries of Rummie.  All she could hear was the rushing of blood in her head, the deaths of those who called for mercy.  All she could see before her was the face of Applejack, her dearest friend and fellow knight, whose image was now made into a bloody mockery by the princess who wore the same visage.

“...and that’s why we call that fraggin’ nag the Butcher Princess,” Tequila finished, holding her horrified sister close to her and feeling Rummie’s hot, wet tears on her coat.  “Someday she’ll pay, mark my words.  Someday, she will pay.”  She looked at Pinkie, who had a faraway look on her face.  “You don’t look so good, Pinkie.”

She shook her head sadly, still unable to believe that this killer wore the face of one of her closest friends.  “How could somepony who claimed to love her ponies so, be so cruel?  This isn’t being just a meanie…she’s a murderess!”

To Pinkie’s surprise, the white unicorn had no ready retort, but instead said, “Do me a favor: take Rummie home.  I knew both Applejack and Pisco Sour, and I think someone needs to tell their families they were innocent, and it wouldn’t surprise me if that third corn was innocent as well.  Greedy, yes.  Stupid, probably.  But they didn’t deserve that.”  Before Pinkie could say anything further, Tequila added, “And before you ask, yes, I’ll behave myself.  As Mom so often moans, she did raise me to be a lady, so I can fake it when needed.”

Pinkie, feeling disgusted by what she had just seen, forced it to the back of her mind.  Right now, someone needed her, and she’d already made a Pinkie Promise to herself to rise to the occasion.  Kissing Rummie on the forehead, she whispered, “C’mon, let’s get going.  We’ll head back and when we get there, I’ll teach you how to make cupcakes, okay?”  Leading the distraught filly, the pair turned and headed towards the outer rim of the town.

Once Tequila reached the dais, the crowds had all but dispersed, leaving nothing but blood behind as a reminder of the atrocity that had been committed here.  In their haste to collect the dead, the families of those lost had left behind the packs of the three accused, and they lay untouched and slightly stained with blood on the stage.

Tequila immediately grabbed Pisco’s and Applejack’s bags; now that both stallions were gone, their families would need those stolen items more than ever.  It was times like this that she wished that the entervid stories about Thieves’ Guilds were true as such an organization would have dutifully looked after the families of those lost.  As it stood now, Tequila and some of the other thieves that knew the families would pitch in to help, but those families now had huge question marks clouding their futures.

As for the third bag, it looked far more ornate and durable than the average pack of a thief; if she didn’t know better, it seemed more like the equipment afforded to a justiciar.  But why would a thief have the pack of a justiciar?  It practically advertised that you stole it from one and invited extra attention from the authorities.  It was suicidal and guaranteed to have you landed in the Detentum.  So, since the pony in question no longer had need of it, she decided to make it her own.  Her pack was starting to get too threadbare to be of use, and the only reason she attempted to steal Pinkie’s was because she needed a new one.  She hoped that this one would serve her better than it did its former owner.

As she secured her new pack and hooked the other two to it, she left the central stage area.  It wouldn’t be much longer before scavengers would come to claim these bags; she’d been lucky that everyone had been so shocked by the killings that they stayed clear long enough for her to take ownership.  In any case, the first and second stops were to Applejack’s and Pisco’s respective homes and to deliver their bags; then she’d go home and see to Rummie.  While Pinkie seemed to care a lot about Tequila’s sister, she didn’t trust anyone to tend to the poor filly’s needs other than herself.

So lost in thought was she that as she departed the area, she didn’t bother to notice that’d she’d been watched all this time.  The figure observed the direction Tequila had ventured off towards, and, sure that he’d recognize her if he saw her again, he disappeared himself, winding down a labyrinthine amount of pathways through the town, eventually leading into the subterranean underbelly.  Passing through a hard-to-maneuver set of pipes, the figure found a small doorway and clambered in, quickly shutting it behind him.

“Welcome, dear friend,” a voice said, soft, simple and female, but with an undercurrent of steel.  “That is, of course, if you are a friend.”

The newcomer suddenly felt two sharp objects at his side.  “All who love Ponyville are,” he said, nervously.

A light suddenly blinked into existence, and a mare sitting at a table waved a forehoof to each of the guards.  “Stand down, guardsponies, we know he is safe.”  To the newcomer, the voice said, “Lieutenant Thundermane, it is good to see you again.”  She gestured towards a chair.  “Please, sit.  You look worn.”

“That I am, Commander.”  He wiped sweat from his brow.  “If I may confess, I don’t know how you do it.”

The Commander gave a small smile.  “A mare’s got to have her secrets.  So, what’s the status of the package?”

Thundermane looked down.  “We lost a good stallion today, and with all due respect, Commander, this plan sucks.  Shadowsnap was one of our best agents out there and for him to have thrown away his life like that—”

“He did no such thing,” the Commander said, her tone firm.  “Shadowsnap volunteered for this mission; he knew what he was getting into, and we should honor his choice.  Truthfully, if I had my way, none of this would be necessary, and none of our own would die.  But if it meant Solestra’s final defeat, I would gladly ‘throw my life away’, as you so put it.”

“I’m sorry, ma’am, but…he was my life-long friend.  He didn’t choose this path any more than he chose to be a unicorn and me an earth pony.”

“None of us have those choices, Thundermane.  The best we can do is to lead brave souls to their death and tell ourselves we’re doing the right thing.”  The look on her face was sad and distant, and Thundermane had to remind himself that as much as it cut him to see his best friend cut down, the Commander had seen too many innocent stallions and mares go.

“There is one bit of good news, though,” he forced himself to say.  “The package was intercepted and removed from the scene.  I identified the pony that took it, and I’m confident within a day or two we can make the switch to get it to the right ponies and get it out of here.”

“I hope so, Thundermane.  Too much rides on that package getting out of Shantytown.  Too many lives hang in the balance.”

Rising from his seat, he said, “I’d best get going, Commander.  I’m due back at Hightown in an hour, and if I’m late, well…while I don’t think they’ll be suspicious, I might get penalized from getting those choice positions.”

“Then go, and please take care of yourself.  When I say I’d hate to lose any more valued ponies, I also include one of my best lieutenants.”  She paused, letting the tension flow out before she added with a terse smile, “Or my kid brother, for that matter.”

Thundermane grinned.  “I’ll be careful, sis.  You stay safe as well.”  Flipping an irreverent salute, he said, “Hail to the EFRA.”

“Hail to the EFRA.”  As her brother departed, the Commander took a drink from her now-cold coffee cup.  Looking at the brown liquid within, she said to the guards, “Contact Lord Jadarite or Lady Anthracite.  I’ll need their counsel as soon as possible.  Tell them I’ll meet them at the usual spot.”  With that, the Commander of the Everfree Revolutionary Alliance got up to head off to take care of her other duties.  So long as Solestra and Sunmane lived, there was no rest for the wicked…which meant no rest for her and her allies, either.

TERTIUS: Clarion

Several days later, Solestra stood at the window of her private chambers.  She’d just raised the sun a half-hour prior, and was waiting for her executive assistant to complete the litany of the day’s events.  She really didn’t care what was on the schedule anyway; most of it was political favors for her trusted ministers and supporters.  She’d done things like this the previous month, and year for her current ministers; a generation ago for her prior ones and generations back for those predecessors.  That was the problem of being the sole immortal in charge for centuries: everything eventually came around again, an entervid on perpetual repeat.

“…and at 9 pm are the opening remarks for the initial meeting of this year’s Hightown Great Ball preparatory committee.  That should only be about ten minutes, after which your schedule is clear for the next two days, as you desired,” the assistant said, setting down the clipboard.  She stood there, waiting for the next command from her queen, eager to prove her usefulness.

“Are there any final issues before I meet with my daughter?” Solestra asked.  When the earth pony shook her head, she said, “Dismissed, and thank you for all your work.”  The pony bowed, departing as silently as she could.  There was a knock at the door, followed by a guardsmare poking her head in.  “Princess Sunmane is here to see you, my queen.”

“Please, let her in,” Solestra said as she walked towards the door.   Sunmane walked in; at the moment she wore her accoutrements of station: silver tiara and gorget, upon which were embedded beautiful jewels of citrine.  Also, due to her lack of armor, her cutie mark could be seen: a golden apple superimposed over a brilliant sun.  Both ponies embraced, then Solestra held her daughter at foreleg’s length to admire her beauty.  “You grow more beautiful each day, Sunny.  You make this old mare envious.”

Sunmane blushed at the compliment.  “Mother, I couldn’t hope to be as beautiful as you.”  The two sat down to breakfast, and as they ate, the princess began talking.  “As suggested you suggested the other day, I went down to Shantytown to inquire about the magic burst, and as expected, the rabble played dumb about it.  I ended up having to demonstrate a show of authority – nothing much, just executing a few known criminals – and I made it clear that I would be repeating it unless somepony got much smarter.  I followed it up with a couple more demonstrations yesterday and the day before, and I suspect I’ll only have to do this for a day or two more before my point is made.”

“Good work, my daughter,” Solestra said with a proud smile.  “The unicorns must be shown who their betters are.”

Sunmane began to slice an apple.  “I understand there was an additional breach last night?  These separatists are beginning to become a true annoyance.”

“Actually, it happened earlier in the week, likely around the time you went to make your first display in Shantytown,” Solestra commented.  “I was informed about it this a few minutes ago during my morning briefing; you’ll likely receive the report when you arrive at your office.  It seems that somepony on my personal science staff stole a copy of the plans for Project Clarion.”

“Project Clarion?  Mother, that could be disastrous!”   Sunmane stabbed her knife through a second apple hard enough to penetrate the wood of the table.  “These fools grow too bold.”

However, Solestra merely waved it off.  “The Project is too far in an advanced state to be stopped now; you of all ponies know that.  Besides, what could the rabble do with those plans?  They couldn’t assemble a Clarion project of their own; the price is just too costly for them.”

“They could get assistance from one of the other nations.  The dragons, in particular, would love to see us squirm.”

“Lord Pyroxene doesn’t have the support amongst the Council of Drakes to go against us, not officially.  Besides, we own nearly all the mines the dragons require, and it would be utterly easy to cut them off at the knees by slowing the gem supply.  I wouldn’t worry about the gryphons, either; King Sharpfeather owes me quite a bit for our aid in quelling the manticore incursion he had years ago.  As for the zebras, well…they’re of no consequence and they never will be.”

“But we want to send a message that theft from the Crown will not be tolerated, am I correct?”

Solestra nodded.  “Yes – the very least thing we need for them to do is to grow bolder.   Do what you must to ensure that this message is understood above all; kill whomever you must and make a spectacle of it.”

“So I have your permission, to ‘run wild,’ as the saying goes?”  Green eyes became brief twin suns of hatred.

“I expect nothing less from Equestra’s princess, my daughter.”   She smiled, and there was a perverse sense of motherly pride in that rictus.  “Soon, Clarion will commence, and this world will change for the better, Sunny.  I assure you, things will be much different then.”

═╬═

Morning came, and with it some unusual smells.  Tequila yawned, turning over in her bed, only to find herself staring at a bouncing bubbly younger sister, holding up a sign and almost dropping it in her enthusiasm: [Sis!  You have GOT to try this!]

“Try what, Ru…wait, what’s that smell?”  The white unicorn sat up, the scents hitting her in full.

Scribble, scribble, scribble.  [Ooooh, these are SOOOO good!  You’d better get up there before everyone eats them!]  As if to physically underscore her statement, Rummie rushed out of the room and clambered up the stairs as fast as she could.

“Ugh, what is going on?” Tequila muttered as she ran her hooves through her mane in hopes of straightening it out.  The smell hit her again and this time it went straight through to her stomach, making it growl.  Tequila paused as she contemplated the noise; while she knew the concept of borborgymus (even knew the word!) and seeing her parents suffer through it on times when there was just enough money to buy fabrica for only the foals, it was something she’d never experienced herself.

Wonder if they bought a metal fabrica? briefly went through her mind, until she remembered their guest, and the recent introduction of that near-mythical luxury called food.  Wondering what it was this morning, she ventured up the stairs and into the main portion of the house.  What she saw there pretty much made her eyes bulge: Pinkie was at the fabrica preparer, pouring some sort of tan liquid onto the heating catalyst.  With a spatula, she flipped it to and fro.  Strangely enough, the liquid congealed into a brownish sort of platter; there were three of them on the catalyst.

“Oh, mornin’, Tequila!” Pinkie chirped before looking over her shoulder at the others still seated at the table.  “Got three more, ready to roll.  Who wants?”

“Oh, as much as I would love to, Pinkie, Tequila hasn’t had any yet so let’s give her a chance.”  Her father seemed very different today, but she couldn’t figure out why.

“That would be a great idea, dear!” Bourbon laughed, and Tequila began to really wonder what was going on.  They were acting, well, strange, like they were half their age; actually like they were her age.

“Okay, Tequila, here ya go!” Pinkie said, slipping a plate in front of her, as well as some bottles filled with colored liquid.  “Brown one’s maple, red’s strawberry, blue’s blueberry, yellow’s butter pecan.  If you want, I also have boysenberry, too – that’s my favorite!  Didn’t have butter, though, so sorry about that.”

Tequila picked up a fork and poked at the three platters, which had been stacked on one another and were steaming.  Poking it with the fork made it indent slightly; they were soft and squishy.  The smell was very palatable as well.

[You pour the liquid on them!] Rummie “said”, helpfully.   [I *really like the red one!*]  Her pad had splotches of all four colors on it as if she had been one very experimental mess with the liquids.

Grabbing one of the bottles, Tequila poured some of the red liquid onto the platters.  Cutting it with the fork, she could smell a plethora of scents coming from the small bite.  As she put it in her mouth, it exploded with flavor.  Yet another new experience coming from the mystery pony and her cornucopia of real food.  Mouth still full, she asked, “Whaf if thif callf?”

“They’re called pancakes.  It’s an everyday breakfast thing where I come from.  Tomorrow, we’ll try something different for breakfast: how does huevos con chorizo sound?  Most use the regular soy chorizo, but I go straight for the habanero variety!”  Pinkie bounced around the kitchen, making more pancakes as hearty eaters needed them for the next few minutes.

“Oh, I don’t think I could eat another bite, or I’ll explode!” Brandy said, several more minutes and pancakes later.  “It’s a good thing I don’t have to go to work until later today; I don’t think I could move another inch.”

“Pinkie, you work absolute wonders with anything!  I’m in awe of your cooking!” Bourbon commented, appreciative of both not having to cook the past couple of days and of being exposed to things she’d never thought possible.

As for Rummie, she didn’t communicate her feelings other than to grip Pinkie in a tight hug, expressing everything she could in that embrace.  Pinkie returned the hug, saying, “Thanks, Rummie.  I’m glad you like the food.”

As for Tequila, any enjoyment she had with the food suddenly just went out the window.  “I…I gotta go out for a walk.”  At Bourbon’s critical look, Tequila waved her hooves and said, “Just a walk, Mom.  Not even leaving the neighborhood, okay?”  Before there was any further discussion, she stomped out of the house, completely angry.

Scribble, scribble.  [What’s wrong with sis?] Rummie asked.

Bourbon put a foreleg around her younger daughter.  “Don’t worry about it, sweetie.  Your sister’s just going through some issues right now.”  She looked out toward the open door, knowing exactly what it was.  “Just a natural part of life.”  She looked at her husband, and both of them made a mental note to talk to her together when they had the chance.

The room was quiet for a few minutes before Brandy said, “Well, I haven’t felt this good in a long, long time.  You know what?  I think I’m going to go fix that hole in the roof I’ve been meaning to do.”  Whistling to himself, he went towards the back door and the tool shed behind the house.  The door, shed and backyard the shed sat in were another sign of the family’s relative fortune; houses with backdoors and backyards were considered for management-types and only those who lived in the biggest houses in the residential district, on the edge of Shantytown’s perimeter walls, had them.

“Actually, now that you mention it, I’ve felt better recently than I have as well,” Bourbon said, as if surprised at the revelation.  “Must be your incredible cooking, Pinkie!”

The pink pony’s cheeks went higher up on the red scale.  “Thanks, Bourbon.”

“You’re quite welcome.  Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll get caught up on the laundry; I’ve been meaning to do so for the longest time, but just didn’t have the strength.  I don’t think that’s an issue now!”  Practically dancing, Bourbon pranced down the stairs towards the second basement, where the laundry was.

[Well, it’s just us.  Since the Educatorium isn’t teaching today, should we continue your search?] Rummie inquired.

Pinkie was slightly torn; on one hoof, she noticed Tequila’s sudden burst of jealousy at how her family was treating their visitor; I’d probably be a little jealous myself if the situation was reversed.  On the other hoof, she ultimately was here for a specific reason, and she’d probably spent too much time on things closer to her special talent and not enough on her duties as Celestia’s knight.  Taking Rummie, who apparently thought the world of Pinkie, much to Tequila’s chagrin, might make things worse.  But, when you put two and two and two together, two ponies were better than one at looking for something.

“Sure, that’d be nice,” Pinkie replied.  “Let’s go get our cloaks and get going.”

═╬═

“Hey, we got a positive ID.”  A pony looked up from his workstation.  “Better call in a supervisor.”

“You don’t have to bother; I’m already here.”  Thundermane walked into the room, calm and collected.  “What’s this information?  You got a positive ID?”

The sensor tech nodded.  “Yeah, lucky for us, Sergeant.”

“How so?”

A second pony sitting right next to the first spoke up.  “Well, Sarge, all of Royal Official Business is carried out on ensorcelled paper, especially the classified documents, right?  Well, the documents stolen last night have them a magic signature as well, and I’m guessing whomever stole them didn’t know.”

Thundermane kept a cool look on his face; however, inside, he was roiling.  How could I have forgotten something that basic?  I’m going to get nailed because of that!

“Well, fortunately for him or her, whichever pony took them out of Hightown was wearing a magiscrambler, so it couldn’t be detected at all, otherwise we would have had something much earlier than this.”

Thundermane coughed; magiscramblers were built into their armor as protection in case any unicorn had enough raw power to harm them; the magic would be nulled the moment it came into the scrambler’s own spell range.  He just found out, quite serendipitously, that they had other effects as well.  “Yes, lucky for that pony…and unlucky for us.  But you mentioned we have a new trace?”

“I’d be more worried about the magiscrambler, Sarge.  That would indicate we have a s—”

“I’ll report that to the scrambler techs discretely and have them remotely reconfigure all of our local scramblers,” Thundermane interrupted.  “If we do it that way, we should catch the pony in question that much faster; there’d be no way a spy would know.  In any case, these documents, I’ve been told, are of the highest priority – it has the attention of the Queen herself, so let’s focus on those, shall we?”

At that last bit, any thought about the scramblers went south.  “Understood.  To continue, about twenty minutes ago the remainder of the null field wore off the documents, and they started radiating their signature again.  We were able to cross-reference the signature against the documents database and confirmed it.  We’re trying to get a better fix on the location, but so far we know they’re in Sector 317.”

“317.  Shantytown.  Wonderful.”  Inwardly he cringed; if they could track it there, they could track it to the other pony in a heartbeat – even faster than he would be able to with his EFRA agents.  “Well, keep at it and inform me – and only me – of the results, once you have them.  It is imperative that we recover those documents before they get into the hooves of the separatists, got it?”

“Shouldn’t we inform any other supervisors?” the first tech asked.

“This is a ‘need to know’ sort of situation,” Thundermane warned.  “I’ll contact the others directly and alert them to the situation as required.  If you’re correct, and there’s a spy here, he or she could be anywhere and we don’t want this information getting out.”  Especially since they’ll execute me in a heartbeat if they know it’s me.  “As it is, only a few guardsponies know about this and it best stay that way.”

“I quite agree with Sergeant Thundermane’s assessment,” a new voice spoke behind them.  Thundermane caught the barest flicker of shining metal in the room; there was only one pony whose armor was kept at that level of brilliance.  As one, the three in the room turned around...and then bowed.

“Princess Sunmane!  This is an unexpected visit, your highness,” Thundermane said as he bowed.

“How so?  One of my duties is command of the entire guard, and I take those duties seriously, not just my own unit.”  She shrugged.  “I admit, while I do spend most of my time with my unit, I would be remiss if I solely paid attention to the Queen’s Own at the expense of the rest of the service.”

“So, how may I be of assistance?”

“Actually, you have been.  More so than you realize.”  She whipped out her sword, a stern look crossing her features.

Great, nothing like an execution in the morning, he thought.  Well, he promised his sister if he was going to go, he was going to go with honor.  He looked at the princess, his face becoming as sober as her own.  But of all the ponies in the universe to be killed by….

With the sword, she tapped him on either shoulder.  “For your dutiful service to the Crown, on behalf of the Queen and as my duty as Commandant of the Guard, you are hereby advanced.  Congratulations on your promotion, Lieutenant.”  With a flourish, she sheathed her sword, smiling.  “This has been a long time in coming, Thundermane, and truth be told, there’s hardly a pony more deserving.”

The two techs behind him clapped, and at the moment, Thundermane was at a loss for words; he thought the loss would be his head.  “I’m…appreciative, your majesty.”

“And at a loss for words, I see,” she said with a smirk.  “In any case, if you have a moment to spare, I would like to see you in private.”

“Of course,” he said, trying to keep up his image.  “Keep at it and see what else you can find, then report back to me,” he ordered his techs as he and Sunmane walked out into the main hall of the citadel.  Things were quiet as the two moved on, passing several sets of other ponies, until Thundermane asked, “Your highness, may I ask….”

She sighed.  “Thunder, you don’t have to call me that when we’re by ourselves.  Not me.”

He smiled.  “Force of habit, Sunny.  Besides, I wouldn’t want anyone to think the princess is favoring an old Educatorium friend unfairly.  That wouldn’t look good for you.”

“I know, but it also affects you – you should have made Lieutenant months ago, but my mother thought it would be best to leave things as is so that there would be no charges of favoritism.”  She looked at him and said, “I just wanted you to know that I’m sorry it took so long.”

“The great Princess Sunmane, apologizing to a common pony?”  She looked at him disconcertingly and he laughed.  “Just kidding, Sunny.  Besides, how do you know I earned it?  I could be the evil spy everyone’s looking for.  I even have my EFRA membership card in my other set of armor.”

“Don’t even joke about that.”  The look in her eyes was pleading.  “The justiciars found the spy last night.  It was Dr. Burret Clamp, one of my mother’s most trusted lab assistants.”

“Was?”  I’m not going to like this.

“He apparently committed suicide shortly after his act; was probably ashamed that he sold the realm out to those separatists.”  The look in her eyes was dark.  “The authorities were warned when he didn’t come into work the second day in a row; the justiciars forced their way into his home and that’s when they found the body.”

“That’s horrible.”  Thundermane tried not to let it show on his face; Burret Clamp had been a part of the EFRA ever since his wife, a unicorn, had been murdered by the justiciars, or so he said.  Why would he kill himself?  A second later, the tragic answer came back to him: so he could be in the Great Pasture with her.  In death, he would finally be reunited with his wife, but as any death proved, there were still some issues to be dealt with by those who were left behind.

Not seeing her friend’s inner conflict, Sunmane continued.  “The lead justiciar investigating thinks that he may have had an accomplice, as there’s no record of Dr. Clamp ever leaving Hightown; he also said that it’s entirely possible that his accomplice may have killed him to prevent any accidental leakage.  In any case, the justiciars will continue to investigate the matter, and as it continues, they’ll forward any pertinent information on to you.”

“Me?”

“You were right in what you told those techs; this is critical business and we can’t let it get out into the open.  Besides, as much as I hate to admit it, there are only a hoofful of ponies I trust wholeheartedly in the service to do their job, and one of them is you.”

“I appreciate the confidence, Sunny.”  Part of him inwardly felt downtrodden at that.  He remembered the girl he’d gone to Educatorium with and was surprised on the Day of Educatorial Completion that she turned out to be the princess; just as big as a surprise when he joined the guard and found she was the Commandant.  Still, despite all that they remained friends, even as he became horrified at the monster she’d become.  Part of him wondered how she’d react if she ever found out that he was one of the rebellion’s top spies and the younger brother of the rebel leader.  Part of him wondered how different they’d be if life had been much different for either.

“I….”  She suddenly flushed, slightly at a loss for words.  She looked down to catch her breath, then looked up.  “Have you ever thought of how different life would be if things had taken a different turn?  Like if Mother hadn’t adopted me and I’d lived my life with my birth family?”

“How so?”

“Um…nevermind.”  She looked around, then back at him.  “Uh, I’ve got…to get back to my daily rounds.  Justiciar Fairsword is the one leading the investigation and should be the one contacting you.”

“Right. I’ll let you get back to what you were rounds, then.  Talk to you later.”  He went back to his office; her scent still filled his nostrils and he really need to calm down before he did something stupid.  Rule Number One: never start falling for those you’ll betray.  He remembered the line from the guidebook on espionage.  Well, blew that one years ago, I think.  Why can’t my life be easier?

As she walked in the opposite direction, she ran into one of her own guards, a jet black pony with dark gray mane, leaning against the wall.  “So, boss, you going to confess to him or not?”

She stared at the pony bleakly.  “We’re different ponies, Shadowstar Haze.  A princess does not ‘confess’ to a mere commoner,” she said, haughtiness in her voice.

“You’re forgetting who you’re talking to, Sunny.  A princess might not just confess to any mere commoner, but a mare that’s been mooning over a stallion who didn’t know she was a princess for years might just do that, especially when said princess isn’t really of royal blood.  After all, hasn’t said princess known a commoner – and a pretty common one, too – as her best friend for her entire life?”

Sunmane laughed.  “Okay, you got me there.  So what’s up, Shades?”

“For your mother’s plan to stir the pot – we might have an idea on how to do that.  Station 12, down in Shantytown, has an unusually high number of secondary and tertiary involvements in a number of crimes in the area.  The justiciars probably don’t see it because that’s not their job, but our threat analysts saw the pattern outright: the station is a nexus point for EFRA activity.”

At that, Sunmane’s bright disposition went brutally dark.  “We give them so much, and yet those blasted unicorns continue to take advantage.  What’s your plan?”

“Easy: we go in, arrest everyone.  We sort out the bad from the good – relatively speaking, of course.  The ones valuable to our intelligence, we bring here to the Incarcatoria.  The ones who are useless?  We execute all but a few the following day in the public square.  The ones we let live, we release back to their families.  That way, we’ve picked up some vital information, we’ve sent a message to the public, and the ones who survived will be so grateful, they’ll do anything to find that unicorn that has the above-average magic.”

“Brilliant.  Inform the rest of the unit, we’ll go in tonight.  They won’t know what hit them.  Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to let Thunder know what’s going on.”

“Why?”

“Because it might tie into his investigation and I’d like to have one of his techs there for further analysis.”

“Right, sure.  Just save me an invite to the wedding, okay?” Shadowstar teased.  Sunmane giggled as she walked off and for a short second anypony watching could have confused the armored pony with a giggling schoolfilly than the deadly Butcher Princess – but only for a second.

═╬═

It was several hours later when Tequila returned back to her house.  Yes, she hadn’t left the neighborhood, but in a place where the very definition of what a neighborhood was, it was pretty easy to choose one’s own selection of that.  Besides, she needed to clear a lot off her mind, and it didn’t help that the pink idiot was staying with them.  It also didn’t help that this was, in a sense, a self-punishment of Tequila’s own design.

If I hadn’t tried to steal Pinkie’s bags, she wouldn’t have entered our life…and I wouldn’t be on the outs with my family.  It was clear to her now; all her life her parents had wanted an older daughter they could be proud of and had found a sort of surrogate in the newcomer.  Tequila had been fighting off and on with her parents for what seemed like years; more than once they threatened to throw her out of the house since she was an adult now; and just as often she threatened to move out for once and for all for the same reason.  It had only been mutual financial co-dependency that had kept things stable; well, that and her younger sister.

But that isn’t the case anymore.  Since the new pony had moved in, she’d been of great help to both her parents and sister; in just a hoofful of days Pinkie had managed to supplant Tequila’s place in her own family and that meant the unicorn was now on the outside of the ponies she’d loved for so long.  But I’m just a failed guitarist and semi-successful thief; who can compare that to a pony who seems to be the daughter they always wanted?  After all, I can’t come up with mythical food on a credit and all the other things she can do….

Waitaminit?  How does she do it?  She’s not a unicorn, and even for a unicorn, what she’s doing takes too much power.  Her mind went back to the first time she ran into Pinkie; nobody had ever been able to keep up with the agile unicorn before, yet the pink pony did without a hitch.  It was almost like…teleportation?  Like in the old entervids?  But that’s another unicorn skill and I don’t even know of any that have it to begin with.

Then, with a sudden realization that almost hit her like a buck to the face, she remembered the Butcher Princess’ words from that day: “Around noontime yesterday, there was a huge outburst of magic.”  Tequila had run into Pinkie shortly after noon on that fateful day.  But if that was true, that would mean that Pinkie was somehow the source of the magic, despite everything that pointed otherwise.  Somehow, that made blinding sense, except for one thing: the pink pony didn’t have a horn.

Those aren’t easy to hide, and the way her manestyle is, there’d be no way to hide one.  Then again, someone that powerful could make it appear as though she were just a regular earth pony.  Either way, it has to be true: the magic is tied to Pinkie, somehow.  She might not even be a pony; the things she can do I don’t think anyone can do save for Solestra herself and some of the other magical creatures.

Tequila stopped in her tracks.  If she turned Pinkie in to the justiciars, it would solve two birds with one stone: she could have her family back, and the pink pain in the flank would be gone.  They might even give her a sizable reward for solving their issue.  Granted, her family would have to do without the exceptional meals they were having lately, but as Pinkie had said the morning before, “to make an omelet, one must break a few eggs.”  Tequila didn’t know what that meant other than to make that delicious object that looked sorta like a Yellow, but somehow the phrase now made sense.  There was also the fact that she’d be doing something for the Butcher Princess, and more than the loss of the real food that made her sick to her stomach.

But I haven’t seen Rummie this happy in a long time, she thought.  And I don’t know if it’s because Pinkie brought some joy into her life…or because she would rather have her as a sister.

Glumly, she walked into the house, calling out to nopony in particular, “I’m home!”  What she saw a second later made her panic more than she’d ever had in her life: her new bags were sitting on the table.  At the table, were her mother and father, and both of them had serious looks on their faces.  As she walked in, both looked at her at once.  “Tequila, sit down,” her father said in a tone that would not be disobeyed.

“Look, I can explain all this,” she started, knowing that it was the talk.  She somehow knew that sooner or later this was going to happen, and it had finally come to a head.  “But I suggest we talk somewhere else.  I really don’t want Rummie or Pinkie to hear this.”

“You don’t have to worry; they’ve been out for the past few hours,” Bourbon said.  Holding the bag in one hoof, she said, “Now, would you care to explain this?”

“I, uh, well….”  She was lost for words.  Here she was, probably the most critical event of her life, and she didn’t have a single thing come to mind.

“Do you understand what you’ve done?  This bag, these documents?”  Her father rapped a hoof against the documents on the table.  He stood up from the table, almost knocking the table’s bench back.  Her mother did the same, lightly bucking her bench as she rose.  The bench fell to the floor with a soft thump.

“Look, it was an accident!  I…I didn’t…!”  Visions of her parents grabbing her by the forehooves and shouting that she wasn’t their daughter anymore and that Pinkie was a better daughter filled her heads.  She tried to say something – anything – to forestall her doom, but she just couldn’t.  She just couldn’t say anything anymore, couldn’t argue one more word with her parents.  Despite everything, she loved them too much.  So it stunned her that she suddenly felt the embrace of both her parents holding her tight.

“Tequila, you should have told me earlier that…your hobby…was trying to support our, er, hobby!  How long have you know about us?”

She blinked.  Wait, they’re not throwing me out?  Moreso, they were revealing their big secret to her.  “Um, how’d you know about the bag?”

“I went to change the sheets on your bed and found it hidden underneath the mattress.  I’m guessing you wanted to keep this a secret from Rummie so she wouldn’t be involved?”

“Um…yeah!  Rummie’s been through…enough!  She, uh, doesn’t need to get involved with all of this.”

“I see,” Bourbon said.  “I wish you would have said something earlier; there’s a magic tracer on these documents that could have led the justiciars – or worse – to our doorstep.  I’ve spent the past hour removing the spell.”  She patted her daughter on the head.  “But this…did you know what that guard was carrying?”

That’s a guardspony bag?  Small wonder it didn’t look entirely like a normal justiciar bag; it wasn’t one.  “No, not really.”

“It’s big, bigger than anything I’ve ever seen, and if it’s real, it’s time to be very afraid.”  Bourbon looked at Brandy.  “We’ll have to get this out of town, soonest.”

“How so?” Tequila asked.  “The transitways to Ruston and Ironburg are closed due to maintenance, and we can’t exactly go to Hightown carrying this.”

Brandy grinned.  “We’re going outside.”

“I was just outsi…wait, you mean ‘Everfree outside’?”  When her parents nodded as one, she said, “But that’s impossible!  The walls around civilized Equestra are like, fifty feet thick!  And there’s nothing out there but the wild Everfree, with manticores and basilisks and hydras!”  She’d seen all of those when her Educatorium class took a field trip to the Hightown zoo when she was a schoolfilly; those things were ugly, dangerous beasts and from what her lector told her, the wild was crawling with them.

“That’s just propaganda.  They are out there, but the other nations keep them under control and the EFRA protects the free villages.” Brandy looked back at his wife.  “In any case, we’d better come up with an excuse as to why we’re leaving town, one that will buy us a few days before they realize they’re gone for good.”

“I have an elderly uncle that lives all the way in Ore Mountain.  If we tell them that he’s deathly ill and we’re his only family, it should work,” Bourbon commented.  “Ore Mountain is far enough and so sparsely populated that it’ll take days before they even know.”  With that, she quickly stuffed the paperwork back in the guard bag and gave them to Tequila.  “Don’t let these out of your sight and don’t let anypony see them unless it’s somepony significantly high enough in the EFRA or unless we tell you to, okay?  You can probably let Pinkie see them; these documents are likely the reason she’s here.”

“We’ve got to go to work now, or things will look suspicious.  When Pinkie and your sister get back, have them get ready to leave soonest.  Pack only what you need; leave the rest behind.”  Brandy kissed his daughter on the forehead.  “We’ll be back after the end of the day, and then we’ll go.”  The pair paused for a second to regain their bearings, and as soon as they were confident in their composure, they grabbed their everyday packs and cloaks and headed out the door to work.  But before they closed the door, her mother looked at her and said with a smile, “We’ll be in Ponyville sooner than you think.”

As they left, Tequila felt unable to stand for a few minutes.  She was leaving the house forever, but not for the reason she thought.  She looked at her new bag; somehow it had acquired a lethal quality that she couldn’t abide any longer; as her father had said, when he first knew of her “hobby”, it would be a monumental change in her family the day she brought something home that was too big to cover up; although he’d meant something quite different at the time, the results were still the same.  This was no longer a durable bag; it was now her ball and chain.

═╬═

[Pinkie, I don’t think I can walk anymore,] Rummie “said” as she sat down on a crate near the entry to the residential district.  [We’ve been at it all day and we still don’t see what you’re looking for.  I wish you’d tell me, so I could help.]

“I wish I could, but it’s really hard to explain,” the gypsy pony replied.  “It’s instinctive, intuitive.  I wish I could explain more, but….”  She paused, feeling something.  She closed her eyes, and using Celestia’s spell, felt out for the hidden Element.  In her mind, it flickered and grew slightly brighter, not enough to give a location, but just enough to announce its existence on this plane.

“It’s here, it’s here somewhere,” Pinkie said, an idea formulating in her head.  “Close your eyes, Rummie, I have an idea.”  Rummie closed her eyes, and Pinkie leaned forward, touching her forehead to the unicorn’s horn.  Twilight, Rarity and other unicorns she knew always used this method when applying a precision spell, and she didn’t see why it wouldn’t work in reverse.  As both ponies had their eyes closed when the connection occurred, they didn’t see the slight flash of light blue that occurred.

Rummie’s eyes opened with a flicker of surprise.  [Is that what you were looking for?] she “asked.”

Pinkie nodded.  “Like I said, it’s really hard to explain, but yup, that’s it.”

[But it seems so far away, like it doesn’t want to be found yet.]

“Probably not.  The last time I came across…one of them, there was a challenge that needed to be overcome.  If it’s the same as last time, it won’t reveal itself until then.”

[Well, I guess we can look tomorrow, then.  We should be getting home soon anyway.]  Rummie looked around, just in case the object would somehow magically reappear.  [Sorry I couldn’t be much help.]

“You’re always a big help, Rummie!  Speaking of which, when we get back, would you like to help me make dinner?”  The response was an enthusiastic hug, as always.  Nodding, the two ponies left the area, headed on their way back home.

═╬═

“And that’s the thing, Appletini,” Bourbon said as she looked at the station manager.  “I would have given advanced notice, but we just got the electropost this morning.  I’m the only family he has left, and it could be problematic if he passed on without any loved ones at his side.”  Brandy sat next to his wife, giving her the emotional comfort she needed through this dark time; she looked very distraught, the manager noticed, and it was only through her dedication to the job that she was able to hang on today, she admitted.

“Well, you know the rules about authorized leave; you need at least two weeks advance notice for any reason,” the light green unicorn said.  “But since you two are my top workers, I think I can bend the rules just a tad.  How long do you think you’ll be gone?”

“I don’t think we’ll be gone longer than a week, at most,” Brandy commented.  “The medtech said he was pretty close to the end, a couple of days ago.  Plus, we’re traveling to Ore Mountain, and you know that even under the best of circumstances, travel between Metalville and Ore Mountain can be messy.”

“Well, if there’s anything we can do to make things as easy as I can within the regulations and statutes, you know I—”  A loud noise sounded at the far end of the station.  “What in the name of Solestra…?”

The main doors at the end of the cargo bay exploded in a brilliant flash of energy, and in charged several dozen armored ponies, armed to the teeth with swords, bolt-flingers and various other weapons.  In the center of them strode the Butcher Princess herself, flanked by several more ponies.  “This is a royal raid and you are all under arrest!” she shouted.  “Anyone who attempts to escape will find out my troops have orders to kill.  We have reason to believe that there are several members of the EFRA who have been basing themselves out of this facility, and I intend to find out.  Station manager, before me, now.”

As bidden, Appletini galloped down and bowed before Sunmane.  “Your highness!  There must be some mistake!  There are hardworking, honest ponies here, no rebels!”

“I’ll decide who’s hardworking and who’s not,” she said, barely hiding her contempt.  “Now, I expect to see all your personnel files right here within five minutes.  Your diligence in this will determine whether or not you’re hiding something.”  Facing the other unicorns again, she cried out, “If you cooperate, you may see your homes by this time tomorrow.  But if you don’t, I can guarantee you’ll never see your homes again!”

═╬═

Rummie and Pinkie had just arrived when Tequila told them immediately what was going on and what they were doing.  She was wearing her pack and cloak, as if she were just about to head out the door, an indicator that this wasn’t just a joke.  [I don’t understand, sis,] the younger unicorn inquired, her note holding the confusion she had at the moment.  [What do you mean we’re leaving?]

“Look, Mom and Pop will be back after work to explain, but suffice to say…we’re going away for a while.  Um, Ore Mountain.  Mom has an uncle there that’s really sick and we need to take care of him.”  The lie did not sit well on Tequila’s tongue; she hated lying to her family or anyone for that matter, but when push came to shove, she could do it as well as anyone else.  “Best train to catch is the overnighter, which is why we’re going to be leaving right after they get home.”

“Should I make something portable to eat?” Pinkie asked.  “I can throw together some sandwiches, if you’d like.”

“Sure, whatever that is,” Tequila snarled; now was not the time to have to deal with the pink pony’s weirdness. “As for you, Rummie, pack only what you’ll need for the trip. We’ll, uh, be back later, so you don’t need everything.  I promise.”

From the kitchen, Pinkie offered her unrequested advice: “Breaking a promise is the best way to lose a friendship forever, so don’t forget that.”

Tequila was about to snarl something at Pinkie the unicorn was going to regret later, when a frantic knock started at the door.  “I’ll get it.  Everyone…keep doing what you’re doing.”  The knocking didn’t stop even as Tequila shouted, “Hold on, hold on, I’m coming, okay?  Relax….”  She opened the door, and a large stallion rushed past her, moving to all the windows, then to the back door.  When he came rushing back, he said, “Grab everything, we’re leaving now.”

“Uncle Julep?  What are you doing here?”  Their father’s younger brother, Mint Julep worked at Station 12 like the others, but he had the overnight shift; as a result, Julep didn’t have much of a schedule that matched Brandy’s and so didn’t come over often.  However, when he did, he was overly generous and playful with his nieces, and needless to say out of all their aunts and uncles they loved him the best.  But those memories didn’t fit the panicked, overly cautious tan and green unicorn that stood before her now.

“The guards did a raid on Station 12.  Everyone from the mid-day shift was taken into custody, including your parents.  As soon as I heard, I headed over here to get you out immediately. They’re going after everyone from the station now, including families, so they’ll be here soon.  We need to leave immediately!”

“But what about Mom and Pop?”  Tequila was frantic.  At the sound of the visitor, Rummie came upstairs and was glad to see her uncle, but that quickly disappeared once Tequila explained what was going on.  Meanwhile, Pinkie, long familiar with urgencies, finished making the sandwiches and tossed them into the picnic basket she conjured.

Meanwhile, Julep peeked outside the door.  In the distance, a few blocks away, a number of justiciars were at a door, pulling several unicorns of all ages out of the house.  “Hurry!  They’ll be here within minutes!”  As he turned his head, he finally noticed the stranger in the house.  “Who’s she?”

“Hi!  I’m Pinkie Pie!” she waved.  “Nice to meet you!”

“She’s, uh, from Ponyville,” Tequila stammered.  “She’s safe; Mom and Pop trust her.”  Turning to Pinkie, she said, “Get your stuff; we gotta get going now!  Rummie, you too!”

“Already ready to go!” she chirped, and both Tequila and Julep blinked.  Less than a second ago she wasn’t wearing her cloak or packs, and now?

“How’d she—”

“She’s special like that.”  As Rummie worriedly came up the stairs with her cloak and packs, she was about to ask something when she said, “Rummie, this is important: we don’t have time to stop and talk.  Something’s gone wrong, and Uncle Julep’s going to take us to safety, okay?”  When the younger unicorn pled with her eyes for some kind of response, Tequila cut it off with a “You’ll just have to trust me right now, sis.”

“Okay, if everyone’s ready, let’s go.  The justiciars are only a block away now, so we’ll have to go out the back door.”  Locking and shutting the door, Julep raced to the back door. Peeking outside and making sure that all was clear, he said, “Okay, everyone run to the perimeter wall and wait right there.”  Turning to Pinkie, he said, “Look, I don’t know you from Cosmica’s housecat, but if Brandy trusts you, then so can I.  I’m going to lead the way, can you follow?”

Pinkie grinned.  “Got it.”  The look on her face indicated either a complete lack of understanding of the situation, or something wasn’t quite all there – who could smile at a time like this?

Julep sighed.  “I don’t have time for this – either you got it or not, okay?”  Opening the door, he shouted, “Run to the wall and don’t look back!  Tequila, if we don’t make it, follow every third orange arrow on the pipes!  Go!”

The two unicorns raced as fast they could, beyond the boundaries of their own backyard and to the thick perimeter wall that indicated the city enclosure.  Tequila raced ahead, with her sister close behind.  Hiding behind two overgrown bushes by the perimeter, Tequila waved quickly to signal that they were safe and waiting.

Meanwhile back at the house, there was a thump at the front door.  “Open up in the name of the Queen!  Justiciar business!” the muffled voice at the other end said.

Julep sighed and looked at Pinkie.  “Somepony has to keep them busy so it gives the fillies enough time to escape…and that someone has to be me.  Listen: I need you to take care of my nieces.  If my brother and his wife trust you, then I’ll trust you, too.  Please protect them.”

At a word, Pinkie’s emotions changed.  “Don’t worry.  No one’s getting hurt while I’m around, okay?  Leave it to me.  Pinkie Promise.”

“Good,” he said, as the front door exploded into a hundred shards, blown to pieces by the disintegration spell.  Promising to buy time, he charged at the bigger and burlier justiciars; even if it was just a second of time he bought for them, it would be worth it if they escaped.  Yelling over his shoulder, he said, “Remember what I said!  Protect them!”

Pinkie needed no further arguments.  With that, she took off towards the distance, leaping the small fence that bordered the house and into the perimeter track by the wall.  As she cleared the fence, an idea came to mind, and she stopped.  Out of nowhere she started to walk slowly towards the wall, trailing a huge series of small silver discs behind her as she did.  “Quick!  Somepony’s escaping through the back!  Get them!” a voice shouted, and that was enough for the pink pony to stop what she was doing and head over to the bush.

“Where’s my uncle?” Tequila said, frantically.  Behind her, Rummie sat, terror beginning to sit in.  No one was really explaining what was going on, and with no quick way to respond, it ensured she’d stay in the dark.

Pinkie shook her head.  “He’s staying behind to protect us.”  Back at the home, several justiciars began to boil out the back door, racing for their position as quickly as possible.  The group raced towards the back fence, as one shouted “Stop right there in the Name of the Queen!  You’re all under arrest!”  The justiciars leapt over the fence, ready to run to catch them the moment they alighted on the ground, and considering these were highly trained, professional ponies whose job it was to apprehend criminals, it was quite feasible they could catch them – while Tequila, and possibly Pinkie, could escape, there was no way that Rummie, already half-out of it with fright, was going to be able to get away.

Unfortunately, the officers hadn’t quite counted on dealing with Pinkie Pie.  As they landed, they alighted upon the silver discs, and as they did, the small mechaisms performed what they were designed to do.  Small bursts of electricity, not enough to injure, but certainly enough to shock, jolted through the justiciars’ bodies, the current amplified by their armor.  As they fell to the ground, more of their bodies were exposed to the discs, and more electricity coursed through ponyforms, stunning them or at least giving them a nauseous feeling.  As others came to help, those that avoided stepping on the discs made the mistake of trying to help their fellow ponies up, creating circuits as they did.  Within a span of seconds, fifteen of Shantytown’s justiciars were defeated – by simple joy buzzers.

“Wow, maybe those Qinlingese buzzers aren’t as safe as the box said,” Pinkie mused to the absolute shock of Tequila.  “Remind me when I get back, I need to let Luna know so she can pass that info on to the customs inspectors.”

“Wha…how’d did you…what did you….what is this, I don’t even,” Tequila stammered, not believing what she just saw.  Justiciars were easy to get away from if you were fast, but if you weren’t, you didn’t have a chance of outmuscling them; she’d seen enough unlucky thieves who had attempted to, as well as the rather brutal results.  But now, fifteen of them – fifteen! – had been laid low by something Pinkie had called “buzzers”.  Was it a weapon?  Some sort of protective device?

“The batteries aren’t meant to last forever, so we’d better get going,” Pinkie said in the meanwhile.  “Where’s the pipes your uncle mentioned?”  By this point, Rummie had recovered enough be merely frightened and pointed at a line of sickly trees, with a hole in the distance.  The hole was covered by a grate, and just beyond it, barely lit by the light streaming into the entry, was the beginning of pipes.  The trio ran to the grate, and found to their horror, the grate was secured by a lock.

Tequila looked back.  “They’re starting to get up!”

“No problem!” Pinkie chirped and a second later, she was on the other side of the grate.  How she did it, didn’t seem to make sense: there was no flash of teleportation, no walking through the gate as though it was water, it was just her on one side and then suddenly on the other.  She opened the door from the other side as the others raced through.  Pointing to the first turn, she said, “Stay right there!”  She reached in her bag and pulled out a plastic bottle attached to a long tube underneath; below that was a handle and a trigger – the whole thing looked like a moisture applicator for baked fabricae, but what was coming out of it sure didn’t look like water.  As Pinkie stood on her hind legs and began to walk backwards toward them, she pulled the trigger, spraying streams of light yellow string everywhere.  As she did so and coated the whole of the entryway, it began to look like a prettified version of a venomcrawler’s nest, only less organized and with way too much room for one of those tiny critters to move around on.

“You left the door open!  They’ll come in!” Tequila yelped.  Behind her, Rummie was shaking, unsure of what to do.

“You don’t understand, I want them to come in!” she said, spraying the last of it and putting the item back in her pouch; it was then that Tequila noticed for the first time that Pinkie’s bags were too small to contain everything she’d brought forth from them in the past few days, and even then, the object she’d put back in was still too large for it; yet in it went with no indicator that anything was amiss.  The moment Pinkie noticed Tequila set her eyes on the bags, she said, “See?  Told you they were special.”

“You only said there were food and books in them!  Not the fraggin’ equivalent of the whole market!” Tequila accused.

“Sorry, forgot to mention there were a few other things in there besides that,” she said, not wanting to admit that she was creating everything out of whole air – if the bottomless bags were hard enough to explain, there’d be no way to make them comprehend her gypsy powers.  “Ah, here they come.  Hide behind the pipes here, until I tell you to go.”

“Are you crazy?  They’ll break through those strings in a heartbeat!”

“Nope, trust me on this one.”

Enraged by being attacked, the justiciars roared in, ready to do some serious damage against the pursued; their reputation was at stake and no one escaped the justiciars when the dogged force of the law was against them.  After a brief check to see that there weren’t any of those electrical traps on the ground, they rushed in, ignoring the yellow strings before them…but not for much longer.  As they collided against the strings, the began to slow down and even though pushed by the crush of other bodies, the huge number of strings began to adhere and solidify, and soon the group found that they were stuck in a huge version of a venomcrawler’s nest, only in a soft shade of yellow and giving off an unidentifiable sweet scent.  No matter how hard the bulky ponies tried, they couldn’t move, and within minutes, were completely encased in the web, only able to scream helpless profanities as they were unable to break free.

“How…?”

“Sticky string – great for parties and one of the classics.   It’ll keep them there for several hours, plenty of time to let us get out of here.”  With that, they left the justiciars in place, and the trio delved into the forest of pipes, heedless of the calls for them to turn themselves in, that they would be lost in the forest of pipes and die, that there would be no one to rescue and mourn them.  Even still, the three ponies continued into the labyrinth of steel and iron, rust and steam, the uneven heat and eerie cold, and the eventual increase of dark.

Finally, a few hours later, as the dark became too much and the orange arrows were almost impossible to discern, Pinkie asked, “Do you think you could come up with a light?”

Tequila stared as if the earth pony just qualified for the moron of the moment award.  “You’re kidding, right?  Unicorns haven’t been able to do that since our power was sealed away after the war, ages ago.  At most, we can do TK, but even that eventually wears out.”

“Okay.  Well, let me see what I got.  Ah, here we go.”  She pulled three odd hats out of her bag, placing each on a pony’s head, including her own.  Tapping a button on the front of the hat caused a brilliant shaft of white light to appear from it, and the light seemed warm and inviting.  “We’ve been walking a bit now, so let’s eat something before we continue.”  Reaching into the bags, she passed out the sandwiches from earlier, as well as a bottle of water she’d had just in case.  While the looks on the unicorns’ faces indicated that once again, real food had won the day, the sorrow of both had been too much and they looked like ten miles of bad road.

“C’mon,” Pinkie said, as the food was finished.  “We’ve still got some ways to go, and we’ll get there in a hop, skip and a jump!”  Neither unicorn spoke, but instead morosely followed Pinkie as they continued along the path of arrows, heralds for a destination that they knew not where.

The path continued for several more hours, until they reached a huge, gaping hole in the wall.  The gash looked as if it had been created by a huge beast, and it was large enough for the three to walk through abreast with no issues.  As they stepped free of the wall’s innards, their feet fell upon soft loam, the scent of grass and flowers thick in the air.  Though it was night, the evening’s stars rained down such raiment of light that the trio immediately turned off their helmets.

Pinkie smiled briefly; the sight was beautiful, but it reminded her of the Everfree Forest of her home…and the friends so very, very far away.  “Isn’t it beautiful?” she said, putting her forelegs around the two sisters in a chummy embrace.

“Everfree….” Tequila said, as if she was in a waking dream.  Even at night, with little to see, it was beautiful.  Beautiful in a way she’d never seen in her life and never thought she would.  All her life, she’d been told the Everfree was nothing more than a hazard, a nightmare, a blight upon the world; but now seeing it for the first time made her realize the painful truth: her life had been spent in the blight, not here.  She chanced a glance at her sister’s face, and Rummie’s was awestruck in the way of a young filly, mere steps away from marehood but still able to appreciate those last wisps of her foalhood.

“I’m glad you like it,” a new voice spoke out, and all three ponies tensed.  Instinctively, Pinkie moved in front of the unicorns to protect them, assuming an aggressive posture.  Though Pinkie couldn’t see the speaker, she heard a soft chuckle.  “I’m not here to harm you; if that was the case, you would have never made it here, I assure you.”  The voice sounded soft and gentle, though with a tone of iron in them.

“If you’re not here to hurt us, then please, show us who you are!” Pinkie shouted to the darkness.  There was something to the voice that was instinctually trustworthy, but at the end of the day, she was still a Knight Elemental and that meant protecting the innocent.

“I assure you, Lady Pinkamena, I mean you no harm, but it would be rude of me not to comply.”  A very familiar yellow pony stepped into the moonlight, a gentle smile on her face and a caring light in her eyes.  “On behalf of the Everfree Revolutionary Alliance, I welcome you to New Ponyville.  I am the EFRA military commander, Posey.”

═╬═

An hour later, they were in the semi-permanent military camp known as New Ponyville.  Seeing the traumatized horror that Rummie went through, Posey immediately made room for the young unicorn in the commander’s personal yurt.  She also had refreshments brought for the two new arrivals, knowing their long ordeal.  “I didn’t think anyone would make it out of the attack,” she admitted.  “It came so out of nowhere that our agents inside Shantytown and the government didn’t have any time to warn us.  I understand that comes as scant comfort to you and your sister, but consider yourselves very lucky, and with one of the best protectors on this planet, am I right, milady Duchess Vanner?”

Pinkie stared at the mare sitting across from her, who looked almost exactly like Fluttershy; there were, of course, differences.  Posey, was first and foremost an earth pony, that being the most obvious difference.  The second was her cutie mark: while it was the same color as Fluttershy’s, it was that of flowers instead of butterflies.  But last, and possibly the biggest, was Posey’s outgoing personality.  While the pegasus Pinkie knew lived up to her name, Posey seemed to be both gentle and tough, able to care for Rummie with a maternal instinct even as she commanded the military aspect of the rebellion against Solestra.

Posey laughed.  “I know what you’re thinking, and I suppose wings would be of use to me, but alas, we can’t all be like your friend Fluttershy, Lady Pinkamena – may I call you Pinkie, by the way?  Perhaps, there will come a day when this world would accept a pony as gentle as your friend, but not now.”

“You seem to know a lot about me, but I don’t ever recall meeting you,” Pinkie said.  She wasn’t worried, though the situation did put her a bit off.

“I understand your trepidation.  One of our allies read your mind as soon as we were alerted you were approaching.  Just enough of your mind was gleaned to ensure that you were friendly, so I very much apologize for any transgression in privacy.  As to how we did it, that will have to wait until tomorrow, when Jadarite returns from his personal task.”

“Excuse me,” Tequila asked, “but why do you keep referring to Pinkie as ‘Lady Pinkamena’?  You also called her a duchess?”

“Correct, young one,” Posey commented, briefly looking at Pinkie to see if revealing her secret was okay.  “Whether intentional or no, for the last few days you’ve been in the presence of Lady Pinkamena Diane Pie, Duchess Vanner and sworn Knight Elemental to her royal highness, Princess Celestia of Equestria, am I correct?”

Tequila, tired, worn out and still unable to deal with the events of the day, took it entirely incorrectly.  “Pinkie…you work for Solestra?  You…fraggin’ nag! Get away from me!” the unicorn snarled, stepping away from the pony she her family had taken in.  Something about Pinkie working for the enemy hurt Tequila, hurt her in a way she couldn’t quite pin down.

“Tequila, sit down,” Posey said in a tone that sounded more commanding than her father’s.  “You misunderstand: Pinkie swore her oath to Celestia, the ruler of a land very far away from here.  I don’t know anything of Celestia other than what was gleaned from Pinkie’s mind, but if I’m correct, she would fight tooth and nail to protect everyone from Solestra’s depredations.”

“She would.  Both her and her sister Luna,” Pinkie clarified.  Then, turning to Tequila, she took the unicorn’s forehooves in her own, and looked the other pony straight in the eyes.  “This might come as a shock to you, Tequila, but it’s true: I’m from another world.”

Tequila’s eyes grew as large as dinner plates for a second.  “Excuse me, that’s some kind of joke, right?  I mean, yeah, for an earth pony – if you really are an earth pony – you’re pretty special, but an alien?  Really?  That only happens in entervids.”  She chuckled, and to her surprise, found no one else was chuckling.  “You are kidding, right?”

Pinkie shook her head.  “Nope.  I really am from another world, but I’m an earth pony; a special one, but still an earth pony and not an alien.”

“I beg to differ,” a deep voice thrummed from just outside the yurt.  The curtains opened, and a huge dragon wandered in, barely able to fit into the structure.  He looked fearsome and muscular, with scales of deep plum and olive.  His eyes, however, held a soft smile.  “Being from another world technically does make you an alien, though not anything from the minds of entervid creators,” he laughed in a booming chuckle.

Posey motioned towards the dragon.  “This is Lord Jadarite, son of Lady Anthracite and grandson of Lord Pyroxene, Chancellor of the Council of Drakes.  Jadarite, I thought you were out hunting for dinner.”

The dragon shrugged.  “Nothing out there large enough to satisfy my protein cravings, so I ate a rock outrcropping instead.  I’ll worry about it in the morning.”  Turning to Pinkie, he added, “Lady Pinkamena, I’m the one who read your mind.  I am a magic dragon, much like your friend back at home; in truth, I am probably this world’s counterpart.”

“But you seem so much…dragonlike,” Pinkie commented.  “Spike’s not that way at all.”

Jadarite smiled a toothy grin.  “What you see me as will be his full adult size, as he apparently imprinted on pony magic once he hatched and thus inwardly thinks himself a pony, whether he realizes it or no.  I, on the other claw, imprinted on the dragon magic of my family and am actually many, many times larger than this.  To make things easier for my fellow EFRA colleagues, I use a shrinking spell on myself whenever necessary – what Posey flippantly refers to as my ‘sleep size mode.’  But I’m glad I was able to show up before you turned in for the night, because it allows me to apologize for violating your privacy like that.  I’m sure you can understand why, but nonetheless I find it rude and distasteful.”

“Naah, that’s okay, my mind’s probably filled with useless stuff anyway,” Pinkie said, brushing it off.

“Not quite: an unshielded mind can be turned against you in a hard way,” Jadarite warned, “and not all mind-readers are as scrupulous as I.  If you’d like, I can teach you a simple shielding spell to guard against such forced intrusions.”

“I’d appreciate that, but I think I’ll need some sleep first.”

“I’ve had some blankets laid out for you two, next to your younger sister,” Posey said to Tequila.  “However, Jadarite read your mind as well and noted that you’re carrying some documents that we need to see.”  The unicorn handed them over reluctantly, and Posey sensed that.  “I understand your trepidation, but we’ll do what we can to rescue your parents as soon as we can.  You have my word.”  With that solemn agreement, the two settled down to a well-earned sleep.  When Tequila noticed her sister had cried herself to sleep, she immediately crawled into the sheets with her, holding the younger unicorn close to her and weeping silently herself, letting blessed sleep carry herself into dreamland.

The following morning, the two woke up, famished.  Tequila smelled the rich symphony of Pinkie’s cooking.  Both got up and went towards the scent, only to run into Posey and Pinkie, already at the table, eating from some dishes.  Pinkie looked at Posey and said, “This is good!  Can I get the recipe from you?”

“I’d be delighted to,” the yellow earth pony replied.  “It’s rare when I get a chance to be asked about my cooking.”

“Well, I’m a baker and party planner by profession,” Pinkie admitted, “and my duties to Celestia didn’t take precedence until fairly recently.”  Catching the two out of the corner of her eye, she said, “Oh, good morning!  How’d ya sleep?”

[Not well,] Rummie answered via her sketchpad.  She didn’t have to say why, and no explanation was needed.

“Well, please, have something to eat.”  Warm, steaming bowls were placed in front of them, filled with a soft brown mixture.  Tan and red bits filled it and the scent was cloying.  Both ponies partook, and pronounced it to be as great as Pinkie’s cooking.  “I’m glad,” Posey said with a warm smile.  “Not many ponies care find oatmeal with nuts and berries to be that much of a simple pleasure, but I like making it often.”

“You made this?” Tequila asked.  “I thought that Pinkie did.”

Posey shook her head.  “The very fact that you needed to ask that is just one of Solestra’s many crimes that she’ll need to answer to, albeit this one a small one.  You’re probably used to eating fabricae on a regular basis, am I right?  Well, fabricae is a nutrient, as described, but what the fabricants don’t mention is that it’s just barely enough to meet a pony’s regular needs.  That’s why everyone’s so exhausted at the end of the day, and the real reason why unicorns can barely use anything other than the weakest of TK – not because your magic was sealed, as the propaganda says, but because magic requires a strong body and mind, and fabrica does nothing to help either.  Pinkie has told me that she’s been cooking for your family for the past few days, and you’ve all had a marked change as of late, if I’m correct.”

As Tequila thought about it, it had to be true: her parents had more energy than they’d had in a while; Tequila felt herself getting faster and stronger, and while she hadn’t asked Rummie about that, the answer would have been the same.  The nutrients that she’d worked hard to steal, that her parents scrimped and saved to afford, was barely keeping them alive.  More and more, her life – the life of everyone she’d ever known – was nothing more than a complex lie thrust upon them by their Queen.

“But that’s not the only crime, I’m afraid,” Jadarite said as he came into the yurt.  “Ah, nothing like fresh protein to keep you going through the day.”  Looking at Posey’s curious face, he added, “No, I didn’t think I had enough time to hunt this morning, as I need to return to my homeland to give my grandfather the latest information and to see what more aid the Council can give us.  So I asked the barracks cook to make me some eggs.  I’m afraid I’ve wiped out your week’s supply,” he said with a laugh.

“We can always get more,” Posey assured him.  “But I presume you’re referring to the documents that Tequila brought, am I correct?”

Jadarite nodded, then turned to Tequila.  “Young miss, you cannot understand what critical information you’ve brought to the rebellion.  If this information is even remotely correct, this is by far and away the biggest crime against life that Solestra has committed, and we wouldn’t have known that if it wasn’t for you.  We owe you a huge debt of gratitude.”  Both Posey and Jadarite bowed to Tequila, making her feel self-conscious.

Posey was about to explain when a dark stallion rushed into the yurt.  “Sis!  Are the reports true?”

“Good morning, Thundermane, what brings you here?”  To the rest, she said, “This is Thundermane, one of my trusted spies in Solestra’s government.  He’s also, as you heard, my younger brother.”  Turning back to him, she asked, “And how did you come by this information?”

“I sent it to him via telepathy,” Jadarite responded.  “I felt he needed to know…and, for that matter, he needs to tell you something as well, don’t you, Thunder.”

“I’m on my day off, so as far as the guard’s concerned, I went on a daily excursion to the resort on Clearlake,” he replied.  “I’ll be back tomorrow.  But what Jadarite told me…is it true?”

“What about your report?”

“You first, sis,” he replied.  “My information will clarify it.”

“Very well,” she answered.  “Yes, it’s true.  Solestra’s pet project, Clarion, is near completion.  The project will use hundreds of years of stored-up magic gleaned from unicorns to create a new alicorn to rule beside Solestra.  Moreso, Solestra’s daughter, Sunmane, was especially prepared for the project, raised specifically for that purpose.  It’s why we believe her family was assassinated by Solestra’s assassins in secret – so she could be removed from her family and raised as a candidate.  An enticed candidate is a willing candidate, and there can be no other than a pony whose family was murdered and then ‘avenged’ and adopted by the queen herself.  Sunmane’s devotion to her adopted mother must be absolute, I’ll warrant.”

“So she will be an alicorn then?” Thundermane asked.  There was an odd catch in his voice.

“No.  She’s a sacrificial lamb.  The project will create a new alicorn, but it won’t be Sunmane; only her body.  Only the spirit of an alicorn can truly control that level of power, and so Solestra plans to bring her sister or her mother back from the dead.  As for Sunmane’s spirit, she will spend an eternity trapped in a body she no longer owns, or worse.”

“Then we gotta rescue her!” Thundermane cried.

“Rescue the Butcher Princess?” Tequila roared from her spot; her place to speak or not, that was the most insane idea she’d ever heard.  “You’re crazy!”  She leapt from her seat and would have attacked the Thundermane, had not Pinkie held her back.

“If this ‘Project Clarion’ is true, she’s been brainwashed since birth to hate unicorns!  She’s a victim, just like all those she’s slain!” Thundermane snarled back.  “You’re not being fair to her.”

“Aside from the fact that we need to stop this Project Clarion, I wonder how rescuing the lynchpin to the whole thing will make a difference.  Simply slaying her would be just as effective, and put the memory of a good number of truly innocent to rest,” Posey answered back.  “I think your feelings for her are getting in the way.”  Posey looked to the rest and explained.  “My brother has been deep undercover since his secondary Educatorial years.  He attended school with Sunmane before she was revealed as Solestra’s daughter and later joined the guard only to find she was the guard commandant.  From what reports I get, you’ve been in love with her for quite some time, and it’s not unrequited.”

“H-how did you know that?” Thundermane said, stunned.   “I never told you about…wait, did you just say Sunny feels the same way?”

Posey smiled.  “Surely you didn’t think you were the only spy I had in the government, did you?  Yes, I’m sad to hear about Burret Clamp taking his life, but he was not the only one.  And under any other circumstance, I’d be happy for you, little brother.  But your true love is a murderer and even if she could be convinced that her life has been a lie, she will likely spend the rest of her days behind bars.  You wouldn’t have much of a life together.  Is that really want you want?”

Thundermane lowered his head.  “You’ll hate me all for this, but…yes.  I would rather see her behind bars, so I could see her again, then to see her die unrepentant.  And even if she never does, even if she hates me and curses my name for sparing her, it won’t stop how I feel.”

“You do realize this puts me in an awkward position, correct?  As the military commander, my duty is to ensure she’s captured and brought before a tribunal.  The tribunal is under the auspice of the political wing, and that’s not my balliwick.”

Jadarite rubbed his snout, pondering.  “Perhaps there is a way to solve both issues.  You haven’t informed Posey of your part of the information, have you?   Now is a good time to do so.”

Thundermane sighed.  “Last night, several hundred unicorns were rounded up and captured by the guard.  They’re separating the ones vital to intelligence from the ones who are not.  Those who were not separated will be used to power the final sequence of a special project being developed in the Queen’s Scientium, in the restricted district of Shantytown.  They will be executed by being drained of their magic, and ultimately their life force.”

That caught attention.  “What about my father?  My mother?  My uncle?”

“I’m sorry, Tequila.  Your parents were simple couriers, as was your uncle.  They wouldn’t be considered vital enough to Solestra’s needs to be spared.”

“Then rescue them!  They always believed in the EFRA!  Forget the Butcher Princess,” Tequila cried, putting a foreleg around her sister, “it’s our parents that deserve to be rescued.”

“I don’t know if we can,” Posey admitted.  “The bulk of our troops are committed elsewhere, and most of my saboteurs aren’t trained for a full out raid on Equestran military facilities.” She turned to Jadarite.  “Would the Council be willing to lend us a hoof?”

Jadarite shook his head.  “Material aid is the most you can expect out of the Council for now.  Actual troops would take a unanimous vote on the Council, and Solestra’s allies Lord Nitre and Lady Feldspar are too much in her pocket.  My grandfather is having difficulties as is keeping them from reporting further information to their mistress.”

“So we are lost, then,” Thunder raged, his anger impotent against facts.  “We can’t raise troops in time to save them or stop Project Clarion.”

“Please…sa…ve Mom.  Sa…ve…P…op,” a raspy, hoarse voice uttered.  All eyes turned in the direction of the voice.  Rummie was looking straight at her older sister, and the tears in her eyes reflected a clear pain as she forced herself to use her voice for the first time in years.  “Te…qui…la, pl…ease!”

“Rummie,” the older unicorn said, tears welling in her eyes.  “You spoke!”  She reached over and held her sister tight, prouder of her than ever.  “You spoke, sis!”

“That settles it.”  Quiet for several minutes, Pinkie now spoke, and her eyes were filled with determination.  “I’ll save them.”

“We don’t have the troops, Pinkie, and to be honest, this isn’t your fight,” Jadarite said softly.  “You’re here for a different reason, on a different mission for your own conflict.”

“No,” the pink pony countered.  “Celestia would never let Solestra do this to innocent ponies, and as her knight, I can’t stand for it.  As a pony, I won’t stand for it.  They need to be rescued, and that’s my responsibility – heck, that’s my middle name, Pinkamena Responsibility Pie.”  A second passed before she added, “Okay, so my middle name’s really Diane, but you get the idea.”

“Are you sure about this?”

Pinkie sighed.  “Please don’t make me recite my oath.  It’s really, really, really overblown, and I’m going to have Rarity rewrite it when I make it back.  But yes, I’ll rescue them.”

“Okay.  I’ll send the town guards and reserves with you.  They’ll carry whatever weapons they can, and you’ll have to move quickly, because I don’t think we have much time.  Thundermane will provide you with a map of the facility.”

“I’m going with you,” Tequila said.  “I don’t know if I can be of help, but they’re my parents.  I can’t let them down.”  Her words earned a happy kiss on the cheek from her younger sister.

“Good, because I’ve got an idea.”  Pinkie then explained her idea, in full.  Those assembled listened raptly, then had reservations, then just outright dropped their jaws at the whole thing.

“Um…that’s certainly interesting,” Posey said after the details were complete.  “I will say that in all my years as a soldier, I’ve never heard of anything quite like that.”

“Quite so,” Jadarite said, floored.  “If it works, it will be one for the history books.  Pinkie, I’d recommend you rethink this.   It’s just not feasible.”

But it was Tequila who spoke up.  “Pinkie says it will work, and as little time as I’ve known her, she hasn’t been wrong.  It’s the most insane thing I’ve heard of, but if she says it’ll work…well, I believe her.”  She looked at Rummie, then at Pinkie.  “I believe in you.”

“Yay!  Then I’ll get started,” Pinkie said, hopping up from the table.  “I’ll start getting things ready on my end, and you get the ponies I need.  I’ll need them here in an hour so we can get ready, and we move tonight.”

“We’re going with that plan?” Thundermane said, still not believing what he heard.  “It’s the most bizarre thing I’ve ever heard in my life and you all agree to it?”  The stallion shook his head.  “It just can’t be done.”

“I’ll get it done, don’t worry,” came Pinkie’s reply.  “We’ll be back quick as a wink.”

“But it’s not going to work!  Nothing works that way – life just doesn’t work that way!”

Pinkie looked at Jadarite, then at Tequila and Rummie, who were putting all their confidence in her; she couldn’t let them down – she wouldn’t let them down.  “Trust me.  It will work,” she replied to the doubting stallion.

“No, it won’t!  It’s physically impossible!”

Her face lit up in a bright, knowing smile, one that folks at home knew all too well.  “Screw physics – I’m Pinkie Pie.”

TERTIUS: Fighting Fires with Vihuelas

An hour later, the group stood in front of Pinkie.  They looked out of shape, confused and unready, and as far from military life as could be.  Perfect.  Marching up and down the line, she barked, “Okay, all of you have until tonight to study and practice everything on the documents that I gave you.  It has to be perfect, the best you’ve ever done.  Lives are on the line, and I don’t want any slipups, you got that?”

One of the ponies, a scrawny pegasus with huge cheeks, looked at the document.  “You’re serious about this?” he asked, tapping the paper with his hoof.  “This is just crazy, lady!”

Pinkie nodded.  “Serious as a CMFIS.  You have until sunset to practice, then to get into the outfits I provided.  Then after that, Thundermane will get us into the restricted base, and like Red Five, we’re going in.”

Another pegasus, this time a mare, spoke up.  “Um, what’s a ‘red five’?”

“Um, that’s not really important.  What is important is that you’re all going to have to give it your all, and I mean your all!  Can you do that for me?”  The crowd murmured.  “Aw, come on!  Can you do it for everypony tonight?”  A few more cheers.  “Can you do it just to lay the biggest prank of all time straight on Solestra’s snout?”  Suddenly, there was a huge cry from the small group gathered, and the cheer was enough to stir the emotions of everyone involved.

“Pinkie,” Tequila said, as she looked at the other pony, “I hope this works.  I have faith in you, but you gotta admit: this is a huge longshot.”

“They won’t know what hit them,” the pink pony assured her.  “After tonight, it’s going to be una gran aventura para ti y para mi!”

“What does that mean?  I have no idea what you just said.”

“I’ll tell you when we’re back,” Pinkie said with a wink, “but when we’re done, they’re going to wish we didn’t.”

═╬═

Hours later, night fell on Equestra.  The sun had gone down as a red ball of flame, the sunset a deeper shade than anything that had been seen in years.  Throughout the land, ponies who saw it would say years later that it was an omen, a portent, a harbinger of a grand event to come.  The truth was, however, that Solestra simply had things on her mind when she lowered the sun and set the moon on its evening trek across the sky.  But for now, things were, as the saying went, ahoof in Shantytown.

The restricted base on the far end of Shantytown was both a remote Incarcatoria and a Scientium base.  With the recent betrayal of Dr. Burret Clamp, Solestra ordered Project Clarion moved to the facility.  Though it was away from Hightown and thus closer to sabotage from EFRA, the plan was so close to completion that nopony could stop it now.  However, just to be sure, the guards assigned to protect the facility were doubled, heavily armed and ready to face even the most battle-hardened of rebel troops should an attack come.  Should the base be in imminent danger, Solestra herself would intervene and destroy any attacker, but the chances of that were so remote that there was no need.  It was strong and ready for conflict, a monolith ready for anything and would not fall.

Silhouetted by the light of the moon, the guard walked up and down before the great gates of the base, a silent vigil with a heavy duty bolt-flinger.  His orders had been simple: to anyone arriving, if they could not identify themselves within five seconds, the guard was to shoot to kill, regardless of who it was.  He had been informed of this by his superiors, with the word that the order had come from the Queen herself.  So it was that two cloaked figures strode up the hill, walking side by side.

“Halt in the Name of the Queen!” the sentry barked, aiming the bolt-flinger.  “Identify yourselves!”

“I am Princess Sunmane,” came the reply, “and I approach on royal business.”  As the two ponies approached, sure enough, it was the royal princess, escorted by the second in command of the Queen’s Own, Captain Shadowstar Haze.  Both mares wore cloaks, but for a change, Sunmane wore her accoutrements as a princess, not the armor signifying her position as commandant of the guard.

“My apologies, your highness,” the guard said, saluting with his weapon.  “Her majesty ordered me to guard the way and require identification for all who crossed the great gate, milady Commandant.”

“Ah, I see,” Sunmane said with an observant look.  “Well then, carry on, guardspony.  You do me proud.”  As they walked away from the entrance into the gate proper, Sunmane let the arrogant look on her face drop.  “I’m nervous, Shades.  About tonight, I mean.”

“How so?  You’re going to be helping your mother conduct an experiment, and you’ve done this hundreds of times.  Moreso now than ever since she’s fired nearly all of her science staff after that incident with Dr. Clamp.”

“Tonight’s a little different,” Sunmane said hesitantly.  “Truthfully, I wish Thundermane were here.  I wanted to talk to him tonight.”

“Finally planning to tell him how you feel, Sunny?  Can’t you just tell him tomorrow when he gets back from his day off?”

Sunmane shook her head.  “After tonight…it might not be appropriate.  It may never be appropriate again after tonight.”  She sighed.  “Would you do me a favor please?”

Shadowstar Haze grinned, the white of her teeth contrasting with her dark coat.  “Just as long as it’s not going to get me into anything I have to explain my way around, sure.  Have a rep to protect as the unit flank-buster, you know.  And stop saying 'tonight' over and over again.  It's redundant and I get the point: tonight's important.”

Sunmane produced a scroll from the folds of her cloak.  “When you see him, give him this, and once he reads it, tell him how much I wish I were a normal pony that could love him the way he deserves.”

“You do know that this is really cheesy, Sunny.  Grade-A cheddar, got that?” her friend said, taking the love letter and tucking it in her cloak pocket.  “But I’ll tell him for you.  Just…don’t expect me to pass on a kiss from you to him, okay?  Not going there.”

“Thanks, Shades.  You’re the best friend a mare could have.”  As they reached the inner door to the base, she said, “Look, I need you to stay here and help the guards.  I want you to see the surprise when we’re done.”

“Surprise?  Hopefully it comes with chocolate,” she said with a saucy grin.

“I’ll get you some, but this is a bigger surprise,” the orange mare whispered.  “I can’t wait to see the look on your face when I come back.”

“What, a new manecut?” Shadowstar jibed.  “Ah, get going and say hello to your mother for me.  See you when you get back.”  Sunmane waved as she went into the facility proper, leaving the dark pony sitting by the door, waiting for what would come next.

═╬═

“It’s getting dark…” a voice commented.  “You sure this is going to work?  Never done anything like this before.”

“Look, Brassy,” Pinkie told the unicorn with the large cheeks, “Everything will work out perfectly.”

“You sure these, um, uniforms are correct?  These look, really, really weird.”  Tequila looked in the mirror to make sure it fit.  Truth be told, she kinda liked the look, but these didn’t look like any sort of uniform she’d seen before.

“Hey, it’s me, right?” Pinkie said, shrugging.  “I got this.”  Turning to one particular pegasus, she said, “Airy Strings, fix that a bit more…perfect.  Now, is everybody ready?”

“Not at all!” several of them cried at once.

“Good, that means we are.”  As Posey, Jadarite and Rummie approached, she said, “Okay, looks like Thunderbirds are Go!”

“I’m going to assume that means something on your world,” Posey said, completely unable to comprehend the reference.  “But be careful: we just got a report that both Sunmane and Solestra have arrived at the facility, which means that Clarion is in its final stage.  I don’t think I need to tell you how critical this is.”

Pinkie bowed.   “I love performing before an important audience,” she snickered.   “We’ll be back in a jiffy!”

“What’s a jiffy?” Jadarite asked.

“Oh, about four milliseconds.”  Pulling a triangular-shaped gem out of nowhere, she said, “Okay, Thundermane, you ready on your end?”

There was silence on the other end before a squawking voice came from the other end as the crystal glowed.  “Pinkie, this thing…um, what do you call them again?”

“It’s a medium crystal,” she spoke into the gem.  “Also called a ‘chatterbox’.”

“Okay, I’ll have to remember that, these things are extremely useful – you’ll have to show our mages how to make them.  Anyway, I’ll have the space ready in a moment.  When I contact you again, then you can go.”

“Roger dodger!  We’re ready to roll!”

═╬═

The guard saw another figure coming up the hill.  “Halt and identify yourself in the Name of the Queen!”

“Lieutenant Thundermane, Guard Technical Corps,” the stallion cried out.  “I’m here as part of her majesty’s business.”

“Okay, welcome then, Lieutenant,” the guard said as Thundermane walked up.

“Busy night, Private?” Thundermane asked.

“Yes, sir.  Both Princess Sunmane and her escort arrived not less than ten minutes ago, and her highness looked anxious.  Something important must be going on, my guess.”

“It’s likely royal business and not for us to know unless we’re told,” the officer told the private.  “As the old saying goes, ‘the business of alicorns is for the favored or the foolish.’”  Thundermane checked the clock by the guard station and asked.  “Hrm…8pm.  Has your relief showed up yet?”

“No sir,” the guard muttered.  “Lieutenant Stonehooves put us all on a double watch so the guard numbers could be expanded.  I wish he’d set up a regular watch detail, I need to use the latrine.”

Thundermane smiled.  “Tell you what, Private: I don’t have to be before her majesty for another fifteen minutes, so if you’d like, I’ll watch the post while you head to the little colt’s room.”  When the guard gave him an odd look, the stallion added, “I know your lieutenant; he tends to forget the small but important details like these.  If he gives you any trouble for it, I’ll have a chat with him personally.”

The worry washed away from the guard’s face as he gave Thundermane his bolt-flinger and sword.  “Thank you, sir!  I’ll be back shortly.” As he turned, he felt something sting him in the neck.  As he turned to face the lieutenant, he barely had time to gurgle something incomprehensible before he fell to the floor unconscious.

Setting the weapons down, Thundermane wasted no time dragging the guard into the dark.  The small knife he always carried with him was more than capable of killing the watchpony in a heartbeat, but Pinkie had insisted that no one was to die tonight, not even the enemy; hence, she had provided him with a small needle containing something that would knock out the guard for several hours.  After throwing that away, he poured a canister of cider on him as suggested; anyone who found him in the morning would say he drank on the job – he would be severely punished but better that than killed.

As he set the “drunk” guard down, he heard the click of a bolt-cutter weapon being readied.  “Forehooves on your head, no funny stuff.”  Thundermane turned around and found himself staring at Captain Shadowstar Haze.  “You do know you’ve committed treason by knocking out a critical guard under such a vital duty, correct?  Under these circumstances, it does not look well for you.”

Caught, just at the moment.  Well, in for a bit, in for two.  “Go ahead and kill me, then – be Solestra’s gelding, Shades.  You’re a friend of mine, and I’d hate to have to kill you.”

“Are you so sure you can?  After all, I’m the one with the weapon pointed at you,” the mare commented drily.  “And ‘Solestra’s gelding’, really?  Geldings are male, Thundie.  I thought you’d at least come up with a logical insult.”

Thundermane blinked.  “‘Thundie’?  Nobody’s called me that, except for—”

“Your cousin, Shady Days,” Shadowstar grinned.  “You’d be surprised what a little coat and mane dye will do for a pinto coloring.”

Realization set in.  “You’re the other spy?”

“Cynthra’s Bones, Posey said you could be clueless at times, but I didn’t think it was this bad.”  She lowered the weapon and flashed him another grin.  “Oh, and Hail to the EFRA, in case you really need to hear me say it.”

Thundermane was mortified.  “All this time, my cousin was the other spy.  You’ve seen me and Sunny all these years, and I never knew.”

“That’s because I’m just awesome that way.”  Shady Days smiled again, this time warmly and genuine.  “Thunder, she loves you like no mare has ever loved a stallion.  Solestra has turned her into a monster, and now she’s about to die as a sacrificial lamb for the Queen’s schemes.  You have to save her if you love her.”  She produced the love letter, handing it to him.  “She wrote this for you when she thought she’d never be able to tell you how she feels.  And if you don’t save her, you’ll never hear it from her lips.”

“Are you sure you want me to save her?” Thundermane asked.  “Posey’s against it, but Jadarite thinks we should.  You know how I feel.”

“You’re forgetting who her best friend is.  I’ve seen the sweet mare no one else has, her innocent side and pure heart.  Solestra did this to her, and words have a powerful way of brainwashing a soul if that’s the only thing you hear.”  Shady shook her head sadly and said, “I’m sure they told you that if you save her, she’ll probably spend the rest of her life in prison.  But better that than to die for her adopted mother’s machinations.”

“But what about you?” he asked.  “You’re her second-in-command.”

“Sure, I’m the second-in-command of the Queen’s Own, but in battle?  I’ve actually never killed anypony, just lightly wounded my opponents and told them to play dead.  Many of the soldiers with the EFRA are ones I ‘killed’ personally, quote unquote.  After this is over, I’m going back to my real life: Shadowstar Haze is just as much a monster as the Butcher Princess, and my suggestion yesterday proved it.”  She turned her eyes away from her cousin.  “I never thought Sunny would take my suggestion regarding Station 12 seriously, and now innocents will die because I made a bad gamble.”

“I won’t let anything happen to you, and if it’s true, the others will speak out for you.  You said Posey already knows, and my sister will do everything she can to ensure your safety.”

“Thanks, Thunder.”  She hefted the bolt-flinger again, ready for action.  “Well, lovercolt, don’t tell me you’re soloing this.  You might be a good soldier, but you’re not that good, and we can’t count on the my squad: the ones loyal to me are defecting tonight and the other half are just as incapacitated as that guardspony.”

It was his turn to grin.  “Nope, I’m bringing in the big bolt-flingers: got a powerful friend who might even be a match for Solestra herself.”  At that, Shady’s eyes went wide, and that was just enough of a hint for Thundermane to speak into the chatterbox.  “Okay, we’re ready on this end.”

Pinkie’s voice came back clear as a bell.  “Okie dokie Loki!  Go ahead and give the signal.”

“The signal?  You mean the codewords?  They don’t make any sense.”

“I need you to say the codewords so I can get a fix on your location.”

“Really?”  Thundermane briefly did a facehoof; none of this plan made any sense to anyone but Pinkie.  “Okay,” he muttered.  “Shoop.  Da.  Woop.”

“Ima firin’ mah lazer!” the words on the other side said.

═╬═

“Time to go, folks!” Pinkie said to the group.  “Now hold on to your hats and horns, because we’re tele—”

═╬═

“—porting!” she finished.  The group stood in the large bay of the base, just before the main doors.

Thundermane grinned as they arrived, saying to his cousin, “She apparently knows how to make a grand entrance.”

Shady blinked her eyes to make sure she wasn’t seeing things, but recovered quickly.  “You’re taking on a whole heavily armed base including an immortal, omnipotent alicorn and you brought in the clown brigade?”

“Actually, I’m just the backup band.”  Thundermane shrugged, then pointed at the pink earth pony standing on two legs at the front of the group.  “Pinkie, it’s your show now.  I don’t need to tell you that all of Equestra’s hopes are on you.”

She waved it off.  “No biggie.  I’ve already saved my world twice, saving a different one just gets me the high score.”

Shady looked at Pinkie as if she were insane.  “What is she chattering about?” she retorted to Thundermane.

“Long story.  But suffice to say, she’s our best hope.”

Pinkie walked over to the large iron door.  Despite the fact that it was controlled by a digital access lock that was currently in use, Pinkie just opened the door without touching the control pad.  “Um…this door is ugly, Thunder.  Somepony might want to paint it a color that matches the rest of this place.”

“She just opened a locked magically encrypted door,” Shady gasped, again not believing what she was seeing.  The oddly-dressed pony just defeated a security system in seconds, one that usually took the best technicians hours to do…and certainly not with their bare hooves, as she had.  Watching the pony continue to walk on her hind legs, Shady pinched herself to ensure she wasn’t imagining the whole thing.

Meanwhile, Pinkie made sure everyone in her team was ready to go.  “Okay, ready, colts and fillies?  Showtime!  Thunder, you and your friend make sure no one gets in, and we’ll take care of the rest.  And-a one, and-a two, and-a one, two, three, go!”

═╬═

The inside of the facility was quiet and orderly, as befitting a military facility, one especially belonging to the Realm of Equestra under the rule of the Queen of Order.  Machines hummed softly, guardsponies and scientists worked quietly as trained, and naught could be heard but the silent sounds of the realm at the verge of its finest moment.  Of the final scientists kept on the project, strict orders ensured that they’d stick to Solesta’s commands, lest their lives be ended with a flick of her horn.  From a location visible to those in the project space, dozens of unicorns were hooked up to the power system, the great machine ready to suck their magic and more until their bodies were spent, wasted husks devoid of life.

But at the moment, it was mother and daughter before what was being dubbed the mirror pool.  The plan was that Sunmane would submerse herself completely in the pool, and when she came out, she would finally be worthy of calling herself Solestra’s daughter, a true alicorn in full.  The pool was as described, a silvery, mercurial liquid that sat there, looking like a mirror.  For both, it would be the finest moment in the history of Equestra.

Solestra looked at her daughter with pride.  “Whenever you’re ready, Sunny.”  She noticed her daughter standing at the edge of the pool, staring, but refusing to go in.  “It’s always nerves, dear.  But we shouldn’t dally much longer: we only have a small window of opportunity for this to work.”

As for Sunmane, she noticed her mother’s smile stayed on her face, but…something felt off.  The earth pony couldn’t quite figure out what, but somehow, something felt wrong.  She looked at the pool, but where her mother had described a mirror-like sheen, all she could see was a boiling pool of blood, and in the center of it the image of a very young alicorn filly mouthing something to her.  The filly was dark blue, and she looked incredibly sad and worried as she continued to mouth something to Sunmane.  It took the princess a few more tries before she could successfully read the other’s lips: Run, while you still can.  Run, save your life!

Cynthra?  Sunmane remembered the stories that her mother had told her about her younger sister, and how she’d longed that the would-be moon princess would have had a life of her own, but it was cut short by a weak birth; Sunmane felt a sort of kinship with the aunt she’d never known and wished she did.  Solestra’s description of Cynthra fit the young foal crying out to her now.  Run from what?  Why?  What’s going on?

Solestra, not seeing any of what her daughter was envisioning, looked at her daughter.  “Sunny, it’s time.  Enter the mirror pool.”

Sunmane looked back at her mother.  “Mother, I feel…something’s wrong.  Can we run another batch of diagnostics?”

“They were done five minutes ago, dear.  This is wasting precious moments.  Enter the pool.”

“Mother, don’t you see it?  Something’s wrong with the pool.”  Sunmane took a step away from the edge of the mirror pool.

“Sunny, you are wasting valuable time.  As your mother and your Queen, I order you to get in the pool!”

“No!”  Sunmane’s response was sharp enough to catch the attention of the few others present.  “Something is wrong, I know it!  As your heir, I’m asking you to look into it!”  The response to that was the sudden carmine glow of Solestra’s horn, followed by Sunmane’s body being enveloped in a restricting, choking field of magic.

“You will get in now!” Solestra threatened.

“Mother – you’re hurting me!” Sunmane yelped; indeed, any attempt to step away from the pool resulted in a sharp spike of pain. Panic began to set into Sunmane’s eyes as she looked at her mother, crying, “Mother, what’s gotten into you?”  A deep look into her mother’s eyes revealed the immediate answer of an alicorn, living alone for centuries, finally succumbing to her madness.   Not knowing what to do now, Sunmane called out to the others present for immediate help, to no avail; dark stares from their ruler made it clear that any attempt to intervene would result in death, if not worse.

As she felt herself being pushed more towards the pool, she finally realized what was going on: her aunt somehow reached from beyond the grave to warn her, though it appeared to be too late.  Inwardly, Sunmane sent a silent cry to Thundermane or Shadowstar Haze, hoping either of them would come rescue her – she’d even live with a unicorn coming to her aid at this point.  But now, faced up against the fearsome power of her mother, it would take a miracle.

Enter one miracle.

“¡Hey!  ¡Hey!  ¡Hey!  ¡Hey!  ¡Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!”

From the entrance to the facility the loud, raucous shout came, accompanied by guitars, horns, violins and maracas.  In strode eight musicians dressed in white with overly large, wide-brimmed hats of the same color; both outfits and hats were festooned in gold brocade.  The musicians walked in on their hind legs, done so from long years of practice.  Leading them was a pink pony, dressed in the same outfit but black in color with silver brocade, singing in a loud but beautiful voice.

As one, nearly everyone in the station stared at the visitors, completely oblivious to the fact that this group had just entered a highly secure facility without permission.  Ready for an attack by any military force, the guards were prepared.  But as they stood there, completely baffled, it was clear that they were no match for the might of…

…Pinkie’s impromptu mariachi band.

“¡Estes ‘La Mariachi Loca!’” the pink pony belted out, her voice reaching throughout the whole of the facility as the group played their hearts out.  Buoyed by their mastery of the music, she let out a vociferous ranchera call as the mariachi band began their “invasion.”  Stopping in the middle of the central room, the group played, no sign of worry on their faces that this was, by far and away, the gig of their lives.  On one guitar, a particular blue-maned unicorn played and sang along, trying not to look at the faces of her parents and uncle as they recognized her guitarwork.

The eyes of the base on them now, the mariachis sang a tune that most of them had no idea what it meant:

“¡La Mariachi Loca quiere bailar!

¡La Mariachi Loca quiere bailar!

¡Quiere bailar pero no hay pareja,

Quiere bailar pero no hay pareja!”

Meanwhile the pink mariachi pony seemed to be everywhere, getting the band worked up even more and hopping amongst the various guards and trying to get them to dance.  This, however, did not work, as they seemed to be too busy staring slack-jawed at the completely incomprehensible event occurring before them.

“¡La Mariachi Loca quiere tomar!

¡La Mariachi Loca quiere tomar!

¡Quiere tomar pero no hay sidra,

Quiere tomar pero no hay sidra!”

As one, the band continued to sing and play, somehow heedless of the fact there was enough ammunition in the room to blow them up several times over.  However, as Pinkie had so wisely pointed out, they had to actually have the presence of mind to use said weapons.  Needless to say, it was rather difficult for the guardsponies to have any presence of mind when they were being serenaded by festive music nowhere near native to their world and watching the rhythmic dancing and singing of the pink mare and her band.

“¡A ver, a ver, a mover la colita!

Si no se puede a mover la hermanita!

¡A ver, a ver, a mover la colita!

Si no se puede a mover la hermanita!”

Meanwhile, Pinkie was ready for the next step.  Singing along in tune with the song as to seem as part of the lyrics, she sang, “¡Baila de la libertad, mis compadres!” punctuating it with a ranchera call that would have made any busker in San Caballo proud.  As she did so, a second group of costumed performers came in, this time dancers.  On cue, the band continued to sing their corrido.  As they did, Pinkie danced around, shaking her flank as hard as she’d had during the last time she was at a dance club.  Blue and yellow balloons on a field of pink swayed and shimmied as she used her tail to point directions for the dancers.  Once they were in position, it was time for her big solo:

“Asi se mueven los violinistas,

Se mueven las trompetas,

Mover el guitarron,

Y tambien la vihuela”

Little Miss Mariachi then strode up to Solestra herself, while continuing to sing.  With no effort, she carried off Sunmane as if the princess were a cardboard cutout, while the pink pony sarcastically added,

“La reina no entiende,

Su fuerza de algodon,

No siempre comprar a

El poder de la corazon”

And if that wasn’t enough to give everyone apoplectic fits, she then placed her somebero firmly on the queen’s head.  Solestra, still somehow completely in shock from what was going on, did nothing to stop her daughter’s abduction…or wipe the drool forming on her mouth from being slack-jawed for so long.

As Pinkie had the queen completely distracted, the dancers raced to the power device and quickly undid the shackles on the prisoners.  “Thanks for saving us,” Brandy said to the pegasus undoing his shackles.

“Don’t thank me, thank the weirdo pony who’s somehow managed to hold back Solestra herself with all this,” he replied, still not believing any of this was occurring.  “I swear, when I joined the rebellion, dancing was not one of the skills I planned to use.  Besides, we’re not out of it yet.  We still need to get to safety.”

“How are we going to do that?” Bourbon said, fighting down the need to ask about her foals for the moment.

The pegasus shook his head.  “I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but when I give the signal, chicken dance – chicken dance like you’ve never chicken danced before.”  Turning to one of the other dancers, he said, “Signal that lunatic and let her know we’re ready.”

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught the signal from one of the pegasi dancers.  She grinned; time for the final act.  Passing the pseudofrozen Sunmane to one of the dancers she’d brought forth with her, she brought a pair of maracas out of nowhere, ready to complete the song.  As the band saw her move, they began the final stanza of their “attack”:

“¡Los pollitos dice ‘piyo, piyo, piyo’,

Los pollitos dice ‘piyo, piyo, piyo’!

¡Cuando tiene hambre, cuando tiene frio,

Cuando tiene hambre, cuando tiene frio!”

As the chicken dancers began, they began vanishing, one by one, leaving the band still playing.  As the last dancer disappeared, the band began to march out of the facility, straight out the large iron door, with Pinkie in the rear.  As the final one left, the music finished and she called out, “You’ve been a great audience!  Thanks for listening and hasta luego!” And with that, they were gone.

The facility was silent enough to hear a pin drop.  Soldiers and scientists suddenly came to, as if waking from a dream.  As they did, there was the sudden mass shock of realizing that something had just hit them, but no one was quite sure what had done so.  After a few seconds, the voice of one sole guard seemed to sum up the absurdity of the past few minutes: “What was that?”

Hearing that got Solestra’s attention.  Not concerned with the fact that she, the most powerful thing on the planet, had just been humiliated, suddenly realized her daughter’s abrupt departure.  “Signal the alert!” she roared.  “Guards, get out there and capture those…those…freaks IMMEDIATELY!”  Her horn lit with power once more and turned the sombrero on her head into charred ashes that flitted away into nothing.  As the ashes blew away, however, a note fluttered down, and Solestra snatched it from the air.  Holding it in front of her, the queen quickly scanned it before becoming so enraged, she blew a hole through the wall.

--

Dear Queen Solestra,

Being a monstrous tyrant has resulted in a penalty.  You have been fined the following:

- several captives

- one daughter

- several members of the military, who were actually spying for us.

In addition, we’ve managed to ruin Project Clarion for you.  We hope the cleanup won’t be too bad.

Sincerely,

- “P”, Commander, EFRA

on behalf of free Equestra

--

Written below that, in sloppy penmanship was added:

--

PS – Don’t feel bad, because I added a recipe for cherrychangas!  Hope you like! - PDP

PPS – Do they have cherries here? Haven’t seen one.

PPPS – I’m not the same P as P above, in case you didn’t notice

PPPPS – Maybe I should have written this on an entirely different letter

--

Enveloped in red, the note crumpled in on itself until it combusted under its own pressure.  “Find them,” Solestra hissed to her soldiers.  “Find them, or none of you will be long for this world.”

“Your majesty,” a guard called out from the door, “there’s nothing here.  No evidence anything was ever here.  Whoever did this used some seriously powerful magic.  We’ll expand the search cone and catch them, don’t worry.”

An hour later, the alicorn departed the facility, headed back towards Hightown.  The moon was high in the sky, but it was very bright out – the flames from the remains of the now-decommissioned-via-magic-blast base lighting up the sky.  Tomorrow morning the Guard would report that several dozen guardsponies were slain in the attempt to protect the queen and princess from the separatist terrorists.  It would mean the news of Sunmane’s disappearance would be made public, but enough weeping for the cameras would ensure that all the right blocks would fall in place once more.  Besides, all things considered, Solestra did care for her adopted daughter; it wasn’t her fault that she could never be a true alicorn.  But with her in rebel custody now, the Queen of Sorrows had centuries of planning ruined, and would have to begin the search anew for a new daughter to adopt and appoint as her successor.

Just wait, dearest sister, Solestra thought to herself as she approached her castle, you’ll be back to life in no time.  Such a line of thought was interesting, because if one could pierce the veil between the living and the dead to ask the moon alicorn herself, she would have begged otherwise.

═╬═

Later that night, there was a celebration back at New Ponyville.  Everyone had come away without a scratch, even the “drunken” guard, who was taken with at the last moment; that turned out to be a bit of serendipity, as he turned out to be considering deserting but didn’t know how to contact the EFRA.  The band members, having assured themselves a place in history by pulling off the most bizarre rescue known to ponykind, played the night away for the revelers.  The newly freed unicorns, thrilled to not only have been rescued but brought to the free villages, immediately promised their know-how to the cause.  All in all, it was a jubilant night for most.

But not all.  The moment they arrived in the free zone, a dozen EFRA justiciars arrived to take Sunmane into custody.  She was horrified by this, but even more disgusted to discover that two of the ponies she was closest to in the world were working for the enemy.  “And I trusted both of you!” she snarled at Thundermane and Shady Days (who swore right after this, she was washing off the dye.)  “How could you turn out to be rebel dogs?”

“Because your mother murdered my parents and his,” Shady replied, “and they did nothing other than to be in the wrong place at the wrong time – just like many of those ponies at Station 12.”

“Sunny,” Thunder admitted, “neither of us ever meant to hurt you.”

“That’s Princess Sunmane to you, gelding!” she roared imperiously.

“See?” Shady cracked at her cousin, poking him gently in the ribs.  “That’s how you use that insult.  You could really learn from her.”  Turning back to the princess, she added, “And before you play Pretty Princess Pissed-Off Pony, you should know that we hadn’t done what we did, you’d be dead tonight.”

“That’s a lie!” she said, though there was an unsure undercurrent in her voice.  “My mother was trying to tu—”

“Solestra was going to use you as a sacrifice to revive her sister from the dead.  It would have been your body, but not your mind,” Shady interrupted as she held up the Clarion files.  “Read it for yourself.  Doubt it all you want, but the signature and seal at the end is your oh-so-saintly mother’s…and she’s the only one who has the ability to use the Seal of the Sun, and you know that.”

“Shall we take her away, Captain?” the justiciar asked.

“Yes.  But I want constant guards on watch; someone might want to take revenge on her.  And see that she gets proper accommodations…and I mean that.  Enemy or not, she’s still the Princess.”

As they took her away, they hadn’t gotten farther than a hoofful of steps before Thundermane called out, “Wait!”  Rushing up to them, he did something completely unexpected: he went and kissed her, breathing, “Even if you hate me until the end of time, Sunny, it won’t ever change how much I love you.”

As he looked at her, there seemed to be a brief war of emotions reflecting in her eyes, before she said in a soft voice, “Remember yesterday when I asked you if you ever wondered what it would have been like if our lives were different?  Now more than ever, I wish they had been, so I could be with you.”  Turning away from him sadly, she whispered to the guards as she choked back tears, “Please, take me away.”

As they walked away, he said, “Well, there’s the story of my life: finally admit it as soon as it’s too late to do anything about it.”

Naah, Thunder, don’t worry about it,” his cousin assured him.  “Hope springs eternal: after all, didn’t we just hand Solestra her own flank?  It might not be an easy relationship, but you have her heart.  Now, c’mon, I need someone to help me wash off all this dye.”

Watching from a distance, Posey and Pinkie looked at the unfolding love.  “I’ll do everything I can for her,” Posey promised.  “Even if she was brainwashed all her life, she killed innocents, and that can’t be excused.  But apparently even a monster can feel love, it seems.”

“There was a mare once,” Pinkie began, “that grew jealous of her sister to the point that she used black magic in a pointless display of attention.  Unfortunately, the magic took over and possessed her, gaining a personality of its own.  Trapped in the abomination she created, the mare was exiled from her home but eventually returned for revenge.  But in the end, deep down who that mare was knew she was hurting her loved ones needlessly, and so she fought back against the black magic just enough to help those there to rescue her.”

“You sound like this story comes from experience.”

“Possibly kinda sorta maybe.”

Posey shook her head as the pair turned and headed back towards the celebration.  “I don’t think someone like Solestra could ever be redeemed.”

Pinkie’s answer was to merely look at the night sky while she replied, “Luna would definitely tell you otherwise.”

“So, you saved the world and delivered a major victory for the rebellion.  It’s fair to say we’re very grateful, and we could use a pony of your considerable skills.”

She shook her head.  “Sorry, but you know I can’t stay.  I did what I could, but there’s already a war raging back in my home.  I need to find what I came here to look for, and I can’t do that if I stay.”

“But we need you!  You’re the only one who’s ever been able to beat Solestra at her own game!”

“When I’m done with my mission and the war back on my world, I’ll come back with help.  Pinkie Promise.”

Posey nodded; the pink pony had done more than anypony could have ever expected, but miracles on tap were anything but.  “I’m saddened, but I understand.  But will you at least stay the night before leaving?  This celebration wouldn’t be possible if it weren’t for you.”

Pinkie grinned.  “What, me miss a party?  Not happening, not this Pinkie.  I’ll stay and head out first thing in the morning.”

“Then I’m going with you,” Tequila said as she approached, her family behind her.  “I owe you, and after everything you’ve done, it’d be unfair for you to keep going by yourself.”

[I’m going too!] Rummie added.

“You can’t go,” Pinkie replied, with a twinge of sadness.  “It’s too dangerous, Rummie.  What I’m going through makes facing Solestra look like a cakewalk.”

“But you’re not going alone.  I’m going with you, and you can’t talk me out of it,” Tequila insisted.  “You’re stuck with me.”

“Are you sure?” Posey asked.  “You have rather…um, unique skills that would be very much of value to the EFRA.”

“What I am, truth be told, is a failed guitarist but a very successful thief.  I’m half-surprised that my cutie mark isn’t that of a robber’s mask,” she admitted.  “If I stay here, eventually I’ll do something stupid and end up in a detentum, either by Solestra’s justiciars or your own.  But if I go with Pinkie, maybe I can put my talents to use helping her.  I’m very appreciative of your offer, Posey, but in the end I’d just be a thorn in your side.

“And while I’m at it,” Tequila continued as she turned to face Pinkie, “I owe you a huge apology, Pinkie.  I was jealous of you.  You’re everything my parents wanted me to be and I thought you were forcing me out of my own family.  Since the very beginning, I’ve treated you like carb and you never deserved it.  And despite all that, you did everything you could for my family: you rescued my parents and uncle from being killed, and it’s probably thanks to your food that Rummie was able to talk again.”

Bourbon gasped, turning to her younger daughter.  “Is…is it true?”

[Posey asked the doctors to look at me yesterday and they said that magic’s starting to heal my larynx.  It wouldn’t have happened unless I was getting extra nutrients from Pinkie’s food.  It’ll take some time, but I’ll be able to speak again sometime in the near future.]  Scribble, scribble, scribble.  [Pinkie, I don’t want you to go!]

Pinkie mussed the filly’s mane.  “I’ll come back, I promise.  I said you’re welcome at my home, and you can’t get there unless I show you how, right?”  Turning to Tequila, she asked, “Are you sure about this?  I’ll be up front and tell you the same thing Celestia told me – there’s a chance you may never make it back and the trip will change you forever.”

“I said it: you’re not leaving me behind.”  To both Pinkie’s surprise and her own, Tequila nuzzled the pink pony.  “You’re the only friend I have, one of the few ponies I trust.  You have my loyalty, one hundred percent.”

The world exploded in red, enough so that it blinded all present.  Shielding their eyes, it was assumed initially that Solestra had somehow found them.  Posey was about to scream for all personnel to get to battle stations when the light died down as quickly as it came.  Several sets of eyes blinked repeatedly, ignoring the screaming sensoria that had briefly set in.  When all eyes adjusted again to the moonlight, all eyes suddenly fell on Tequila…or rather, the new piece of jewelry she wore, a golden necklace with a huge glowing ruby in the shape of a thunderbolt embedded within.

“The Element of Loyalty!” Pinkie cried out in stunned surprise, even as Rummie furiously wrote [That’s the thing you were looking for!  I can feel it!]

Tequila looked down and saw what she was now wearing, and nearly passed out.  It had to be worth a billion bits at least, and…no, not getting into this again.  Taking it off, she immediately handed it to her friend.  “You might want to hold onto this.”

“Thanks!” Pinkie said, hugging her newfound friend and traveling companion.  This had been the best night in a while: one of the Elements had been found and in the process, she’d found a new friend, someone who would ensure her travels wouldn’t be a solitary journey.  Pinkie sighed contentedly; tomorrow would be a new stage on her desperate mission, but at least for now, there was a sliver of peace, a small bit of hope.  She only wished Twilight and the rest could be there to enjoy it with her.

I’ll be back home soon.  I’ve been gone too long already.

═╬═

In the nearly-completed castle dubbed Bright Eyes’ Citadel, Rainbow Dash, the Queen of Magic, was not happy.  Sure, she’d repelled attempts by the Caballan military to take Stalliongrad back, and even now was making inroads into the rest of the country proper.  The polar bears of Arctica had sent assistance to their Caballan allies and field reports indicated that the supreme commander of the Caballan military, the prince consort himself, was sallying forth into the field to meet some of her forces.  It was said that he was a brilliant solider and a supreme tactician; the chess game between herself and he would be a very bloody and brutal match, indeed.

“Rainbow?  You’re being awfully quiet,” a heavily-armored mint-hued pony commented.  At the moment, said pony sat at a table in the queen’s private chambers, sipping from a glass of wine and running a hoof through her rose-colored mane.  “Always brooding in style?”

The Queen chuckled.  “Always so direct, Minty.”

Minty shrugged as much as she could in the heavy armor and cloak.  “I do what I can.  So, I take it I have permission to start marching on Inverneighs?”

“Of course.  You’re to drive north while Star Song continues her expedition towards Barceloneigh.  Also, I’ve ordered Autumn Skye and Amberlocks to continue their incursion into Arctican and Qinlingese territories, respectively.  Our numbers are steadily increasing, and the Trinity Cannon should be ready for another operation soon.”

“So, are you going to tell me why you’re being Her Moodiness today?  We’re gaining successful ground on recapturing our homeworld, and meanwhile over in Equestria, Her Royal Stupidity can’t even find the courage to declare war.  I’m glad her younger sister isn’t in charge; from the intelligence reports, Luna’s a bit feistier and battle-ready, but she’s loyal enough to her sister to let this all blow up in Celestia’s face.”

“Didn’t you feel it?”

“Feel what?  Remember, I’ve been a bit busy as of late slaughtering our enemies, using the Affliction spell on those who survive, and planning full-scale war against every civilized being on this planet that isn’t on our side.”

Rainbow Dash chuckled.  “You always had a way with words.  No, I feel her.”

Minty narrowed her eyes.  “I told you, you should have killed her.  If Pinkie Pie can find a way to thwart us, she will – and believe me, she’ll do it.  We may all have been friends once, but as far as I’m concerned, that ended the day she became the Hierophant and refused to help reclaim our home.”

“You’re right.”  It was a rare admission of error from the Queen of Magic.  “This morning, I felt one of the Elements of Harmony – the Equestrian royal jewels – removed from the dimension we placed it in.  There’s only one pony who would dare thwart me in that manner.”

“Well, there is the chance that there’s somepony of gypsy blood here that we don’t know about.  Our earliest scouts reported enough cases of some earth ponies having more than the average amount of preternatural abilities.”

“Yes, and I read those reports; for someone to be able to open a gypsy gate, it would have to be either one of their strongest unicorn mages, or somepony who inherited the full gypsy blood.  The former is possible, but remote; our ally in the government has ensured that.  The latter is impossible; the only gypsies that remained here back when sealed their power away permanently and forever; only traces of the power would pass on.  Plus, even if you’re correct about a full-blooded gypsy being born here, well, would they even know how to cross the paries quartus?”

“Good point.”  Minty finished her glass, then rose to her feet.  “Well, it matters little in the end: the Elements are little more than pretty baubles for Celestia’s amusement.  It’s not like they’re some sort of superweapon; our ally would have mentioned that.  In any case, even if Pinkie recovers them all, she doesn’t know the way to get here from our old world, and she’s a gypsy – they’d already be prejudiced to her.”

“I hope so.  I’d hate to see all our plans turned to dust because we left something out.”

Minty laughed.  “Dear, dear Rainbow, I wouldn’t worry.  Soon, I’ll crush all of Caballus under my hoof, and you’ll have your path to Equestria.  And nothing Pinkie can do will stop us; she’s trapped in her own prison by her own design.  And it’s not like she’d find someone to do her job for her.  We have this world, as certain as the sun.”

PRIMUS: Antebellum

Over the course of the following days, they arrived at Canterlot castle: a near parade of dignitaries from around the world, from the panda empire of Qinling to the sultanate of the nomadic winged dragons; from the noble zebras of Zebrababwe to the gryphons of Grifonica; from the polar bears of Arctica to the foxes of Inari and so many other of the civilized species and nations.  The main courtyard of the castle complex began to take on a festive, carnival atmosphere, but there was little levity as even the most unsophisticated pony in Canterlot City knew the reason for the visiting luminaries: a council of war was to be convened, and by the end of the council, it was all but certain that Canterlot would declare war against the Black Ponies.

In her private chambers, Celestia prepared for the meeting.  The meeting was important enough to warrant formal attire, and so Rarity had worked overnight to create a gown for the sun princess.  Now she wore a gown of royal blue silk, the deep color contrasting with her coat, giving it a more alabaster look.  Her usual gorget and tiara had been cast aside in favor of her formal coronet, and to top it off, Rarity was currently braiding Celestia’s mane, interspersing it with flowers at the princess’ request.

Sitting across from the fashion construction, Luna smirked as she drank from a huge mug of coffee inscribed with WORLD’S GREATEST MOON PRINCESS.  “Oh, am I glad I don’t have to sit in this one.  Believe me, Tia, I’m very grateful that during my absence you restructured the sovereignty to demote me to heir instead of diarch.”

Celestia, however, was in a pensive mood.  “Luna, I think it’d be good for your growth as a princess if you attended this council – preferably if you dealt with it instead of me.”

“Couldn’t talk me into it if you tried, sis.  Besides, this is the first time in a while that you’ve had close dealings with some of these nations, and so that diplomatic dance has to start from scratch.  But just as bad, too many of them still think of me as Nightmare Moon, and that would only make the meeting more difficult.  And for the record, I’m not getting off scot-free; Twilight, Pumpkin and I have to head around the realm for the next few days, inspecting the troops for morale’s sake.”

Celestia sighed, then threw her forehooves up in resignation.  “I’d really like to avoid this.  Meetings with other nations, especially the ones we don’t have regular relations with, tend to be very messy affairs.  I can guarantee the Alaxsaqi and Canistralian delegations will bicker, and the Qinlingese will try to lord their rising economic status over everypony…er, everyone,” Celestia corrected herself to use the rare species-neutral version.

“Celestia, please!” Rarity gave the princess’ mane a slight tug.  “It’s difficult enough braiding your mane since it’s so long, but when you’re moving around it makes it nigh impossible!  Besides, I’ll be right there with you in Luna’s place.”  It suddenly sank in as to what that meant.  “Oh dear, I need to throw something presentable together!”

“Sorry, Rarity,” Celestia said.  “I’m guessing it’s not going to be an easy day for any of us.”

“Not in the least, not for any of us.  Birdbrain…sorry, Blueblood will be inspecting the national emergency system to prepare for catastrophic urgencies, Moondancer’s inspecting the same thing on the west coast, and Fancypants is in a meeting with many of our diplomats on how we’ll be working with the other nations.  Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Spitfire went with Upper Reaches to start planning fleet warfare strategy—”

“Fluttershy’s in a war planning session?” Rarity gasped.

“She is a knight, like you, and thus technically senior military personnel.  One of a knight’s duties is military, so technic ally she does need to have some involvement in this.  She wasn’t too happy about it, however.”  A thoughtful look crossed the night alicorn’s face as she added, “I’m glad, too: Upper Reaches can be a do-or-die military type, so having her there might temper that.”

“Fluttershy’s a delicate sort, and I worry about her being exposed to the harshness of a soldier’s life.”

“Rarity, no offense, but Tia and I have to worry about everypony.  To continue, Applejack went home for personal reasons, but she’ll be back again in a couple of days.  That’s our major players; I’ve got a full list here if you want to read the thirty volumes’ worth of assignments.”

“Done!” Rarity said, racing for the door.  “I’ll meet you by the entrance to the ballroom in ten minutes, Celestia!”

“I wouldn't have minded if she’d decided to skip this,” the sun princess said once Rarity was out of earshot.  “She doesn’t deserve the punishment of dealing with this crowd.”

“She’s there because I can’t be.”

“You know what I mean.  Just because I deal with other dignitaries doesn’t always mean I want to; and some of those represented out there will be the nastiest ones.  I’d rather spare her that headache.”

“Tia, she’ll be there physically because of her oaths to the realm and its ruler.  But in her heart, she’s there for you. A knight protects and aids her princess, but Rarity would do anything for her friend Celestia.”

The white alicorn flashed a brief smile.  “When did you grow so wise?”

Luna nuzzled her sister, responding with “When I had a wonderful older sister willing to do anything for me, including putting up with a millennia-long temper tantrum.”  Walking with her sister towards the ballroom, she said, “Now get in there and be all princessy.  Twi, Pumpkin and I will be back soonest.”

═╬═

“Okay, here we are,” Rainbow Dash said as she and Fluttershy, accompanied by Bamboo Grove, arrived at the fleet main base, forty miles north of Canterlot, in a mountain pass called Saddleback Ridge.  The base was huge, as many of the airships used by the fleet’s east coast flotilla were maintained here.  Arcing their way down, they headed straight for the main building at the far side of the base, pausing only to land by the entry gate to be cleared by the base guards.

As they approached the door, Spitfire was already there.  “Hey, Dash, was wondering when you were gonna get here.  The Admiral’s wanting to get the show on the road, so he ain’t going to wait much longer,” the Wonderbolts’ commanding officer said.

“Heya yourself, Spitfire.  Got here as soon as we could – hey, is that the new flight gear?”  Rainbow Dash walked around Spitfire while the latter just stood there.  “Looks kinda lame, if you ask me.”

“It’s supposed to – you don’t want something that the enemy can spot you with a dozen miles out,” Spitfire replied.  “These new suits are supposed to magically shift between pale blue and haze gray to mimic the types of sky we’ll be flying in.  The areas near the vital points are actually armored—” She thumped her chest to make a point, “—and the weapons pods on the forelegs are modular, so we can swap them if they run outta juice.  There’s also a helmet that goes with this suit; there’s a multi-channel chatterbox gem built in so we can actually talk during flight.  The lone weak point of the whole thing is the wings; those can’t be armored since we need them for flight, but they’re at least covered.  Tail also has to be tucked in, though that decreases drag.  So, whadda ya think?”

Rainbow Dash eyed the flight suit critically before looking at Fluttershy.  “Looks like a retread of that Mare Do Well idea you guys cooked up years ago.”

“Oh, hi, Fluttershy!  Didn’t expect to see you here.”

“Um, well, I didn’t want to be here, but Princess Luna said I had to be…because of my duties as a Knight.”  She looked around the whole of the complex and added, “Military bases make me nervous.”

Bamboo Grove sighed.  “Everything makes you nervous, Fluttershy.”

Spitfire looked at the newcomer.  “Who’s she?”

“Oh, been meaning to talk to you about her,” Rainbow replied.  “She’s Bamboo Grove.  Very good flier, too good for the regular pegasus guard squadrons, but not good enough for our specialized teams – yet.  She’s been training with my folks and I thought I’d intro you to her.”

“Well, spots on my team will be opening up real soon,” Spitfire said as she extended a hoof to the newcomer.  “In case you hadn’t heard, they took almost all of my senior members and are making them COs and XOs of their own units.  Soarin’ has wanted a shot at command for the longest time and now he’s got one.”

“Well, good for him,” Dash replied before adding, “Well, the meeting will probably be starting up soon, so we’d best get there.  Lead the way, Spitfire.”

“What?  That’s a first.”

“Huh?”

Spitfire grinned.  “You actually want to follow.  Usually you complain that I’m always in the lead.”  When the blue pegasus shook her head, acknowledging the joke, she then added, “C’mon.  Upper Reaches won’t wait forever.”

═╬═

“From the Qinling Empire, Minister Liang Bufen,” Spike, dressed in formal attire and acting as the page, announced as a portly panda, dressed in resplendent silk attire, bowed before Celestia.

“It is my nation’s greatest honor to work with the great sun divinity, and I am humbled that her beauty outshines the great star itself,” the panda said.  Celestia nodded in turn, already sensing the panda was going to be problematic to deal with; in her long experience, diplomats who spoke with honeyed tongues cared more about looking good than getting things done.

“From the Kingdom of Zebrababwe, Ambassador Zecora.”

Zecora bowed before Celestia, whispering, “This meeting may be vexed, ‘tis true, but know your friends are here for you.”

“Thanks, Zecora,” Celestia whispered in turn, glad to have at least one ally present.

Spike went through a litany of names, each introducing themselves (or saying hello again, in some cases) to Celestia: Chief Thunderhooves, representing the protectorate buffalo tribes in Equestria; Rex, the alpha of the protectorate diamond dog tribes in Equestria; Spot, the alpha of the independent diamond dog nation of Canistralia; Aspenclaw, the wolf king of Alaxsaqa; Queen Isabella, representing Grifonica; Tsar Sneg-Kogot of Arctica; Ambassador Moonlight Serenade, representing Caballus; Generalissimo Sharphorns, the minotaur leader of the Democratic Republic of Beasts; Sultan Al-Anbar, representing the nomadic winged dragons; Princess Haruka of the Inari fox kingdom; Prince Odanuki, of the tanuki of Ezo; Ambassador Fastfoot of the gazelle nation; and second to last, Lord Bauxite, representing his mother Lady Anyolite of the magic dragon dominion.  Celestia sighed; there were fifteen more nations not represented, which means either they had no intention of getting involved…or they were already involved in ways worse than Caballus’ situation.

As the last one arrived, Spike had to read more than once to make sure he was getting it right.  “Rarity,” he whispered, showing her the papers, “is this right?”

Rarity, standing in a simple blue dress as honor guard, giggled.  “It is.  He’s an old friend, but he can give Pinkie a run for her money in the oddness department.”  She winced inwardly at the absence of her friend; Pinkie had been gone on her desperate mission for nearly a month now and there was no word nor sign of her, almost as if she’d never existed.  She could be dead now and we’d never know, she mused.  She looked at Spike and saw the brief look of sadness on his face; he’d thought the same thing when her name came up.  “Spike, go ahead and announce him.”

“Okay….”  Spike took a breath and said, “Lastly, representing the Commune of Sea Creatures, Ambassador Steven Magnet.”

Slithering into the room in such a way that it was unclear if he was moving normally or dancing, a long purple sea serpent undulated in.  “Heeellllllo Princess!” he intoned, sidling up in front of her, before taking one of her hooves and laying a kiss upon it.  Under most circumstances, the serpent would have looked ridiculous: a dragon-like creature, with a huge mane of hair in a pompadour and Fu-Manchu mustache, also currently wearing what was apparently formal attire for him: a long red paisley open-chested shirt and a huge silver chain ending in a pendant that was about the size of a disco ball – which, in fact, it was.  Despite herself, Celestia giggled; if the effect was meant to lighten what would normally be a dour and dry summit, it certainly succeeded.

Spike was definitely confused.  “Well, at least the Princess likes him.  Who is he, anyway?”

“A dear friend of mine,” Rarity murmured.  “I helped him out shortly after I met you and Twilight and we’ve been friends since.”  As if to underline that statement, the moment he reached his seat, he excitedly waved hello at Rarity, who meekly waved back.  “If we have any allies here, it’ll be the griffons, the Caballans, the zebras, and Steven’s nation – they’re like the Republic of Beasts in that there are several species involved in government.”

As all the dignitaries were seated, Celestia began.  “Fellow dignitaries, I’d like to thank you for coming.  I have called all our nations together because right now we face a grave peril; one so ancient, it dates back to when I was a filly.”  At those words, all present became rapt; of all the other nations at the table, only the dragons and foxes were long-lived, and neither as old as the alicorns.  “Thousands of years ago, my mother exiled a group of dangerous ponies – gypsies, earth ponies with magical abilities greater than those of unicorns – to another reality as punishment for a lengthy war which almost tore the world apart.  For thousands of years, they remained trapped in that other realm, a place where they would slowly lose their powers and revert back to regular earth ponies.

“As you well know, three weeks ago there were initial attacks on several cities around the world, as well as our base in the Everfree Forest.  At the time, we all felt that these were isolated incidents by a small group or group of malfeasants.  But what has not been revealed until today was that they weren't.  Shortly after that attack, a secure vault here at the castle was destroyed and the Elements of Harmony were stolen.”

All in the room gasped now that the news was being made public; after an extended period of shocked silence, Queen Isabella spoke, her feathers ruffled from the shock.  “Your Holiness,” she asked, “do you mean to tell me that the most powerful weapon in the world is missing, or worse, in the control of our enemies?”

Celestia took heart at the gryphon’s words; Isabella had revealed her nation’s position on the Black Ponies.  “The Elements cannot be used by the gypsies; my mother created them so that only those in tune with the gems can use their power.  As of current, the only ones who can are my Knights Elemental.”

“Weapons can be reconfigured or copied,” Al-Anbar snarled, rubbing his scaly chest, “and new doctrines of warfare developed.  I would know more on the position of these…gypsy ponies…before we take action.”

“Quite simple, really.  They intend nothing less than the complete conquest of the world and all its inhabitants.  Back thousands of years ago in the days of Queen Bright Eyes, it was a few hundred thousand civilized beings on our world.  If the census from last year is true, we have close to 12 billion on this planet, and all of them a potential slave for their current leader, who calls herself the Queen of Magic.”

“I’m nowolf's slave,” Aspenclaw snarled, raking his claws across the desk.  “I bring death to those who dare.”  Pausing to adjust his tunic, he looked at Celestia, an irritated look on his face.  “So let me see if I understand this, whelpling.  Th—”

“You’re out of line, Aspenclaw,” Bauxite said.  “I will not stand for Princess Celestia to be insulted, especially in her own home.”  Spike saw the dragon give a dark look to the wolf king, and in that look, it was somehow…familiar.  The young dragon couldn’t put a finger on it, but he’d seen that look somewhere before.

“That’s King Aspenclaw to you, cur!”  The wolf king hopped to his feet, hot-blooded and ready to attack the dragon in a heartbeat.

“You fancy yourself a king, yet you dare to insult the regent of another nation – one that is ostensibly your ally?”  Bauxite bent down and looked Aspenclaw right in the eyes.

“She is a princess.  I am a king.  I do not bow before lessers,” the wolf king seethed.

Bauxite thrust a claw towards Celestia, though no malice was intended…well, none for her, in any case.  “She is a goddess.  I think that’s just a bit higher up the priority chain than you.  Unless you care to have the sun permanently parked in your front yard, barbecuing the place, I strongly suggest you apologize to her.”

“Um, I’m not really a goddess, just a divinity.  From an academic standpoint, there has to be a separa—”

Aspenclaw raised his paw; his claws sharp and ready.  “You have one last warning to step away, dragonwhelp, or I’ll adorn your snout with scars.”  His tone changed from arrogant to menacing, a sign he was about to attack.

“Please do; it’s been a while since I’ve had Baked Dog for lunch,” the dragon said, coolly.  “Tell me: would you rather be flash-fried or slow-roasted?”

The attention taken off her for the moment, Celestia sighed.  Wow.  Five minutes in before the first fight.  I think that’s a new record.  Looking out the corner of her eye, she could see the sympathetic looks of Spike and Rarity; though she didn’t look in the opposite direction, it wouldn’t surprise her if Zecora gave one as well.  This council is definitely going to be a lot longer than expected.

═╬═

“I just had a shiver go through my spine,” Luna said, as she tried to get some shuteye while in the carriage.  It was the middle of the day, and the Princess of the Night was usually fast asleep during this time, usually cuddled with one of her royal plushies or the rare occasion when Celestia took a nap at her side.  She wasn’t one to admit it, but in many ways the immortal, ageless princess was still a filly; in terms of development she was probably more a peer of Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle or Scootaloo than her usual clique.  It was probably the reason she was taking a liking to Pumpkin Tart, as technically the “mare” was in truth just barely old enough to start school and the magic that had boosted her to adulthood still stood fast – Luna herself was somewhat acquainted with that, as when she was freed from Nightmare Moon’s control she’d been retarded in her growth and it took a year to recover from that.

“Something wrong?” Pumpkin asked.

“Nothing, but thanks for asking,” Luna replied, shifting on the makeshift bed to hope for some success.  After all, even she couldn't live on coffee forever.  She managed to close her eyes for a few seconds before she felt something standing over her.  “What now?”

Luna looked up to see Pumpkin, standing there, looking at her as though she was a filly in a candy shop.  “She’s sooooooo cute!  Twilight! C’mere and look!  Can I keep her?”  Now that she’d become a part of the circle, she was letting her metaphorical mane down and everypony found that while Pinkie was weird and the alicorns were impish, Pumpkin was as much a sarcasm queen as Twilight.  Since Pinkie’s departure, the gypsy pony had become a very welcome presence; she’d never be a replacement for the pink gypsy pony but was an addition to their little ad hoc family.

Most of the time.

Twilight, currently sitting at the table across the way, didn’t even bother to look up from her paperwork as she replied, “Pumpkin, I think you might want to let her sleep.”  With a slight smile, she then added, “Luna, don’t put Pumpkin in orbit around Ganymede.  We might need her later.”

“What’s Ganymede?” the orange pony asked.

Twilight answered, “It’s one of the moons of Jupiter, roughly 724 million miles out in space, give or take.”  Pumpkin furrowed her brows at that comment before looking down at her princess, who simply flashed her famous faux-innocent grin.  The gypsy pony took that as a sign to leave her employer alone lest she get launched beyond Earth orbit.

Luna tried a couple more times to sleep, only to finally give up.  “So what’s on the agenda?” she half-mumbled through the pillow.

“Well, my plan was to let you sleep and I could handle everything myself or with Pumpkin’s help.  I was guessing your plan was to imagine how you were going to get some sleep.”

“Twi, as much as I appreciate it, I should be doing something.”  Willing a cup of coffee into existence, the indigo alicorn rose walked over to the table.  “So what’s the agenda?” she repeated.

“Today, we’re headed to the earth pony guard training center outside of Fillydelphia to inspect the facilities at the request of Goldengrape.  Tomorrow, we head to Mountreal, where Soarin’ will be establishing a new squadron and he wanted to have us attend the commissioning ceremony for the….” Twilight flipped through the papers for the new squadron’s name.  “Ah, here it is – the Stormrunners.”

Luna took the report in hoof and quickly read through the whole thing.  “That should be interesting for Spitfire – most of her senior squadron members are being reassigned as new COs or XOs of new squadrons.”  A thought suddenly crossed Luna’s mind.  “It just occurred to me that everything I know about pegasus military tactics is very out of date.  A thousand years ago, we were using them mostly for scouting missions and spear bombardment.”

“About three hundred years ago, there was a radical change in tactics when a pegasus named Sirius had an idea.  He spoke with Star Swirl the XXIVth….”

“Star Swirl had twenty-four descendants with the same name?”

“Remind me sometime to introduce you to the current Star Swirl, the thirty-seventh in her line.  She’s apparently the first mare in her family strong enough to merit the name – she’ll have to explain how that works.  Anyway, Equestria was at war with Grifonica back then, and pegasi were unable to stop gryphon attacks because spears were too slow to stop the gryphons, which were tearing apart the pegasi.  Right about that time, there was the news that mages were able to keep the diamond dogs at bay, as the diamond dogs were using the chaos of the war to start raiding small villages.  Star Swirl 24 had created an innovative version of the standard magic blasts unicorns use – the new one was smaller and while not as strong, could still do a lot of damage due to its higher speed, like a crossbow quarrel.  The new blast was easier to take down fast opponents with.

“Sirius saw the new attack and had an idea: if there was a way for pegasi to use the smaller weapon, they could shoot the gryphons, or at least stun them enough to airbuck them out of the sky.  Star Swirl worked for months to create something, and after a several attempts, he created what he called a ‘magic missile launcher.’  Sirius immediately put the weapons on – at the time, pegasi wore them on their barding armor, like packs – and single-hoofedly fought off a pack of gryphons.  The tactic was so successful that all pegasi adopted it, and eventually winged dragons and gryphons did as well.  The tactic ended up being named after Sirius, in a fashion: since he was named after the Dog Star, and his enemies nicknamed him ‘Celestia’s Dog’, the style of warfare became known as dogfighting.”

“My, that is interesting,” Pumpkin said, completely rapt at the story – a side-effect of her rather unusual growth – she was an assassin by training and used any opportunity to learn new skills.  “Does Celestia know about it?  The nickname, that is.”

“She doesn’t like talking about it, to be honest: she told me once that he lost his life in a huge air battle towards the end of that war and that Sirius’ wife Forest Fern blamed her for his death every day until her own time came.  But even today, the fleet uses dogfighting, or air superiority as it’s often called nowadays, as a major part of its warfare doctrine.  The weapons have been modernized to the point that they now fit on modular bracers on forelegs, so that they can be aimed better; they can also be as a ground weapon if the pegasus needs to go groundside

.

A dark look crossed Luna’s face.  “Modernized weapons?  I’m not sure I like that.”

“Nopony can get away with rocks and spears forever, so the weapons mages still maintain them and the fleet still trains with them, but they’re really only brought out in times of war…but let’s be honest: we’re getting ready for a state of war, and while I’d rather that nopony be injured by them, we’re going to start seeing casualty reports in the near future.”

“So then what’s the difference between, say, the Wonderbolts and the regular pegasus units?”

“Good question.  Gimme a sec.”  Twilight opened up a book sitting beside her, looking it up.  “Regular Pegasus Squadrons, or PEGRONs, for short, serve a variety of missions, from guard duty to search and rescue to general aerial bombardment.  An example of that is PEGRON 355, the Night Guard, which is the designation for the pegasi in your specific guard detachment.  However, a Pegasus Dogfighting Squadron – PEGFITRON – almost exclusively trains in dogfighting and attack bombardment, and during peacetime serves as the public face of the pegasus fleet by doing demonstration shows and the like.  The book’s example is PEGFITRON 001, the Wonderbolts, who were the only standing squadron until you created Rainbow’s unit.”

“But I’d only created the Starbolts as a gift to her; I never thought they’d serve as an instrument of war.”  Luna bit her lip; since her return, she’d never taken the time to look up any of this; warfare had substantially changed since she disappeared, and what she thought was battle-ready soldiers as her daily guard were now largely ceremonial functions.  Furthermore, what she knew as “the Guard” was actually a joint unit composed of various personnel from the military, which had been broken into three distinct services.  Lastly, there was also the fact that they’d only been discussing pegasus forces; earth pony and unicorn military tactics had probably changed by far more.  Her belief that nothing had changed was turning out to be a massive Achilles’ fetlock; Celestia may have known about all of this and might have even organized it that way herself, but even Celestia admitted she couldn’t do everything alone.

Using her magic, Luna split each book into three exact copies; Twilight’s originals, a set for herself and a set for Pumpkin.  “Looks like we’ve got a lot of catching up to do.  If we’re really going into this, we’re going to be as prepared as we possibly can.  And Pumpkin, I know that I told you earlier that I wanted you to have a life away from this, but that may be out of my hooves now.”

Pumpkin favored her with a smile.  “Luna, the fact that you want me to have a life without war is better than what I had before.  And if I have to ever pick up a weapon again, I’d rather do it as a protector of life than a destroyer of one.”

Luna winked at Twilight.  “Yup, you’re right, we can’t afford to put her around Ganymede if she screws up.  Phobos would be more practical.”

═╬═

“Bauxite, as much as I appreciate the assistance, I don’t think it’s in our best interests to irritate potential allies,” Celestia said to the dragon in her private offices.  The negotiations had somehow amazingly continued beyond the initial arguments and something close to progress was nearly achieved in the three hours before the lunch break occurred.  While the break was in theory to all the delegations to eat, in truth, this was where the first stages of backroom agreements took place.

The deep brown dragon smiled.  “Oh, please, Celestia – Aspenclaw needs us more than we need him.  He just survived a coup attempt recently, or whatever barbaric succession rites the wolf tribes have, so he’s desperate to look good in front of his fellow rulers, or the else folks back home will start packing his funeral pyre.  Trust me, Draconia has watched its borders for quite some time, and there’s a reason why we have an open border policy with your nation and a heavily-patrolled border with theirs.”  Bauxite paused for a second before adding, “But he does bring up a point.”

“How so?”

“With Bauxite’s thoughts I must agree: Equestria’s queen you must now be,” Zecora answered as she sat on the sofa, teacup in hoof.  “Some mindsets are easy to guess; they’ll not follow a mere princess.”

“Celestia, you’ve told me numerous times why you’ve chosen to remain a princess instead of a queen,” Isabella added, “and I respect that.  But the problem is, Aspenclaw certainly doesn't, and he’s not the only one.  If I had to hazard a guess, Al-Anbar, Sneg-Kogot, and Sharphorns probably think that way as well.”

“Sadly, you can count my ruler in that as well, your majesty,” a deep blue pegasus sitting next to Zecora added; she was Moonlight Serenade, the ambassador from Caballus.  “She confided in me that while she very much understands why you won’t ascend the Throne of Eternity, she feels if there is any ruler on this world that deserves the title of queen, it is you – no offense, Queen Isabella.  In truth, I was supposed to request an audience with you so that I might relay my liegelady’s concerns.”

“So noted,” the sun princess said.  She took a sip of her own tea before asking, “Curiously, no one seemed to have a problem when I was addressed from the divine point of view.”

“That won’t hold out for long.  Neither you nor your sister can withhold the sun or the moon from the countries that oppose you without affecting other ones, and they know that,” Bauxite answered.  “Please forgive my impudence, but from everything I’ve read, I suspect that’s why your mother chose to be a goddess rather than a divinity – as you so mentioned earlier, gods are remote from their followers and thus a mystery; divinities are everpresent and thus knowable.  In this case, your lack of a question mark puts you at a decided disadvantage.”

“That’s ironic, because it was my mother’s remoteness and mystery that caused much of these issues; plus, you’d be surprised how even being as ‘close and knowable’ to my subjects as I am still makes me much more remote than I’d like.”

“A ruler’s duty’s much too large – I thank the stars I’m not in charge,” Zecora said with a smile.

At that point, the door to the office opened, and Spike popped in.  “My lord and ladies, five minutes until we start again,” he said, bowing with a flourish.

“Thank you, Spike.  We’ll be there shortly.”

Bauxite looked at the young dragon.  “Is this one of the Unborn?”

Celestia merely added, “And somepony I consider a part of my family.  He’s a stallion amongst stallions and such a wise and gentle soul for his age.”

Spike tried not to blush from Celestia’s compliment, instead focusing on the larger dragon’s word.  “Unborn?”

“Were you Trueborn or Halfborn, you’d not be here.”  The giant dragon instead lumbered up to Spike, before leaning forward and sniffing.  “Ah, I see.  Spike, is it?  Who’s your family?”

“Well, I was raised by Twilight Sparkle, who hatched me – she’s my big sister,” the young dragon answered.  “But if you mean who laid my egg, I don’t know who my parents are.”

“There is no shame in being tied to such an important individual as the Royal Mage of Equestria,” Bauxite stated, “though many of my tribe would not see it that way.  Will you be available later?  I think you and I have much to discuss that may be of interest to you.”

═╬═

Princess Haruka bowed to Rarity before they entered the door to the meeting hall.  “For the tour of the castle grounds, I thank you, Duchess.  It has been a delight.”

Rarity curtsied in return, wishing she’d had enough time to read up on some of the customs of the foreign nations.  “It was a pleasure, your highness.”

“I do have another small request, if I may: do you know if the Royal Mage is present?  I’ve corresponded with her now and then, and I was hoping to actually meet her this time and compare magic notes.”

“Unfortunately, she departed this morning with Princess Luna on official business.  However, is there something I might be able to assist with?  Twilight is one of my dearest friends, and I would be remiss if I did not offer to be of assistance.”

“That would be most appreciated!  Are you much versed in magic?  Mage Sparkle had inquired into the aspects of Inariese paper magic and I had desired to discuss with her the aspects of shielding magic.  Would you be able to assist me with that?”

“Well, unfortunately, not really, I’m afraid – I’ve only begun studying advanced magic of recent and I’m not sure that my current level would be what you’d desire, but perhaps my tutor may be able to assist.  I’ll be meeting with him tonight, and you’re more than welcome to come.”

“That would be lovely, thank you, Duchess!”

“Please, call me Rarity.  Then we are on for tonight, your highness?”

The golden fox nodded.  “Yes, and please, call me Haruka.”

═╬═

The map was sprawled out for all to see.  Upper Reaches, the Admiral of the pegasus fleet, adjusted his garrison cap before looking at those assembled.  He was an old stallion, grizzled and probably would have retired had it not been for his unswerving duty to the Crown, the Fleet and his family – in that order.  The sky-blue and haze-gray pegasus pretty much was the embodiment of the term “Old Warhorse”, and there were even jokes that the color-switching system in the new flight suits were actually based on his colors so the admiral would be everywhere.  Regardless of the jokes, though, there was no doubting his devotion to his duty or the subsequent respect of the fliers under him.

“This, stallions and mares, is the coast of Inverneighs,” he started in his gruff, deep voice.  “About three days ago the city fell to the enemy, and the largest port in Caballus was cut off to the world.  The Guard Council firmly believes that once Princess Celestia declares war—”

“‘Declares’, sir?” one pegasus asked.  “Aren’t we being a bit presumptive?”

Upper Reaches stared at the questioner as if he were terminally stupid.  “I’ll be sure to ignore you now.  Anyway, for anypony else with half a brain and are paying attention to what’s been going on for the past month, once we get authorization from her majesty to initiate military operations, we will be launching a full strike on Inverneighs, with the intent of either capturing it on behalf of the Caballan government or completely obliterating it with their permission.  We cannot allow that port to remain in enemy hooves, as it cuts off vital supplies our allies will need and gives the enemy a point from which to invade our continent.”

At the back of the room, Rainbow Dash sat with Spitfire, Fluttershy and Bamboo Grove.  “Just keep quiet and the Admiral won’t tear you a new one,” Spitfire said.  “The Old Warhorse’s definitely in his element today, and he’s going to pretty much going to buck anypony who isn’t up to snuff.”

“Yeah, I can see that,” Rainbow Dash replied.  “Gonna definitely be interesting working for him.”

“Wait, just remembered: aren’t you supposed to outrank the admiral?”

It was Fluttershy who answered; the fact that she did meant she was a little calmer despite her earlier fears.  “They have more experience than we do, so it makes sense to answer to them.  Twilight’s the third highest in the Mage Guild despite outranking the two above her, so if she can deal with it, so can we.”

“I’m so sorry we interrupted your tea party up there, ladies, but considering this is a strategy session, you might just want to pay a teensy bit of attention!” the old stallion roared from over by the huge map.  At being singled out, Fluttershy practically shrank in the chair; there was nowhere else to run in the room without slamming into somepony else and, their chairs being against the back of the wall, she couldn’t dive behind it for cover.

“Now then,” Upper Reaches said, not quite letting them off the hook yet, “Commander Spitfire, Commander Dash, either of you care to refute Lt. Commander Vapor Trail’s assessment?”  With both mares stared blankly, Upper reaches repeated.  “Vapor Trail just pointed out that if there were any weapons emplacements, they’d be on both the rocky shoreline towards the southern portion of the port, as well as the wetlands on the northern part; the wetlands will probably also have a series of traps to make up for the smoother terrain in order to ensure we won’t have an easy time punching in that way.  His recommendation, which for the record I concur with, is that that we approach from due west, as that’s where the ships are moored.  With the infrastructure required to load cargo on the ships and warehouses to store materials, there’s not a lot of space where they can place ballistas or other anti-flyer weapons.”

The two pegasus commanders looked intently at the map, alongside the red magic dots pointing out Vapor Trail’s thoughts on weapons emplacements and the huge green arrow recommending their particular path of assault on the port.  Neither mare could see any problem with it, so they wisely kept their mouths shut while the aged pony glared in their direction.

However, Fluttershy was also looking at the map and had a very different picture in mind.  “Um, Mr. Admiral, sir?  I have a question.”

Upper Reaches focused his rapt attention on the yellow pegasus; if he showed any surprise as to who spoke up, he didn’t show it.  “Lady Fluttershy, is it?  Please, enlighten us on your opinion.”

“Well, it would seem to me that it wouldn’t be a good idea to put traps and snares in the Inverneighs Saltmarsh.  I usually get reports from the Caballan Royal Wildlife Society, and there was a monograph last year about the Inverneighs Marshduck, and in the monograph it detailed how the RWS had just completed an extensive restoration of the marshlands to make it easier for the ducks and other animals.”

“I…see.  So you think they won’t lay any traps or the like because it would do damage to the marshlands?”

Fluttershy’s smile was sweet as she nodded.  “After all, nopony ever wants to hurt poor defenseless animals.”

The room fell deadly silent at that point.  Spitfire and Rainbow Dash looked at each other, wondering at what point Upper Reaches was going to snap and how many pegasi it was going to take to hold him down before he attempted to massacre poor completely-out-of-her-element Fluttershy.

Several seconds passed by before the admiral just shook his head and chuckled.  Those who’d served with him a long time knew that expression: it was the one he saved for ponies who weren’t in the military and thus whose opinions really didn’t matter; in many ways it was worse than if he’d just merely verbally ripped her head off.  “Lady Knight Fluttershy, while I’m very appreciative of somepony of your stature giving your opinion, I’m afraid I’ll have to disagree.  Your counterpart Commander Dash – excuse me, Lady Knight Rainbow Dash – has not disagreed with the review of the situation, and she’s been working with me for quite a bit longer.”

At that point, Fluttershy realized she’s just walked into the hydra’s lair – and it wasn’t in a particular friendly mood.

But the admiral wasn't done yet.  “Your pacifist methodology is well known and to be honest, I’m actually glad somepony holds those viewpoints.  But this is war, not a symbolic shootout in Appaloosa with crème pies, and I can guarantee your infamous Stare won’t work against thousands of enemy forces at once.  While your gentler methods may actually be useful at some later juncture in the conflict, the first strike must always – always – be brutal and decisive, to show the enemy we mean business.  I guarantee that my counterparts are telling their own forces the very same thing.  So, please, just sit and let us plan this.  Later on, you and I can discuss what can be done to get them to surrender once we regain significant portions of Caballus.  But not until then.”  Not even waiting for an answer, he started to detail the particular attack patterns for this operation.

Fluttershy looked as though she’d been slapped several times; in fact, she probably would have preferred to have been.  She’d just been humiliated and dismissed in front of the whole room.  Like earlier, she wanted to run, hide, maybe even punch a hole in the wall behind her and head home as fast as she could.  But that would only validate everypony’s thoughts of her: the coward, the wimp, the pacifist.

“Fluttershy….” Rainbow Dash whispered gently, wanting to hold her friend, extricate her from this place and put her on the first train back to Canterlot.  But she couldn’t; she had a unit to command and a duty to ensure they’d be safe.  So all she could do was let Fluttershy stew in her own fears…and hate herself eternally for letting that happen.

═╬═

“So, was anypony else bored by that whole display?”  Luna said as she slumped upon the bed in the senior officers’ quarters that had been prepared for her.  “I mean, I’m just the Crown Princess of Equestria, The Princess of the Moon, et cetera, et cetera, ad nauseum, but maybe a full-out military parade was just a bit over the top.”

“You noticed that too, huh?” Twilight said, sarcasm on full force.  She’d taken notes of the whole inspection as part of Goldengrape’s request, and he wasn’t going to like what she had to say.  Granted, she wasn’t a military expert, but common sense alone knew this whole thing had been a joke; the garrison commander was merely currying favor as much as any noble or bureaucrat.  “All in all, I’d say today was a complete waste of time.”

“Well, back on my world, the saying was that a spit-polished military was one about to die, because they did no training.”  Pumpkin Tart was looking over some of the notes that the unicorn mage took, adding a few of her own.  “I wouldn’t say that it was a complete waste, Twilight; we did have a nice afternoon stroll on a beautifully sunny day while looking at the comical antics of woefully undertrained soldiers.”

Twilight read over Pumpkin’s added notes; while Twilight had noticed the obvious, their resident military expert had figured out at least seventeen different ways to kill each soldier – and that was just up close – taking advantage of the subpar training…and that was without using magic.  “You always know how to put the most positive spin on things, Pumpkin.”

“Of course – how could I be a proper hoofmaiden to my lady princess or her gallant knight commander if I wasn’t?”  The orange gypsy pony continued to read over the remainder of Twilight’s notes, adding yet more documentation.

Luna sighed.  “Look, as much as I’d love to hear the continuing tales of Team Sarcasm, we have a real problem on our hooves – this is the biggest of the three Earth Pony Guard training facilities, and it’s pumping out a bunch of glorified street sweepers!”

“Not true, Luna – we have no confirmation that they’re even trained to do that much.”  When the night alicorn stared at her hoofmaiden, Pumpkin returned a smile.  “Seriously, though, this is bad.  Not ‘if they’re on the front lines they’ll break ranks and run’ bad, but ‘if they’re on the front lines they’ll be slaughtered in seconds because they’re almost completely useless’ bad.”

“I do have a suggestion how we might be able to fix it, though.”  At Twilight’s words, both listened.  “I’ll let Goldengrape know of what’s going on…and then I’ll recommend that Strongback be promoted to Brigadier and assigned to command this base.  He’s due for a promotion, he’s been assigned to the castle longer than is good for his career, and if I remember correctly, his wife is from this area, so it would do him a world of good and we’d have a responsible commander here.”  A thoughtful look crossed Twilight’s features.  “As for the current commander, he does look a tad on the old side, which means he’s probably due to retire.  Let him retire – despite the fact that we probably shouldn’t be letting anypony do so now – and it will get a thorn out of your side while sparing Goldengrape any undue grief.”

“That’s a wonderful idea, Twilight!  The question is how long would it take to retrain everypony and what about those that have already been reassigned to other garrisons?”

“Anypony who’s here presently will have to go through additional refresher training.  As for those who’ve already been reassigned, we’ll have to discretely send out the word that they need additional training, and their own units can deal with that.”

“Fair enough; I suppose what’s done is done.”  Luna put her head down on the bed, less than thrilled about the compromise.  “I’m hoping that we won’t have to deal with this tomorrow; I don’t think I could deal with another day of ineptitude.”

“Fortunately, that won’t be the case tomorrow.  When it comes to the Pegasus Guard Fleet, pretty much any pegasus wants one thing: to be able to join the Wonderbolts or Starbolts, so even if they don’t get the training, they’ll train themselves.  And as Soarin’ is a former member of the Wonderbolts, you know he’ll make his unit so top notch that pegasi will want to join it, too.”  Twilight then had a huge smile of pride as she added, “As for the Guild, we have to deal with so many things in addition to military duties, all of our ponies are constantly trained – just because you pass apprenticeship and become certified does not mean you can kick your hooves up and call it a day.”

Luna looked at her old friend; as always, she had come through.  “Twi, I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Good, now that that’s settled, let’s go get something to eat,” Pumpkin chirped.  “Saw a pizza place not too far from here, and I don’t know about you two, but I’m just craving a pizza with double cheese and extra thistle!”

The two horned mares looked at each other uneasily before looking at Pumpkin and blurting as one: “Thistle?”

“Yeah, I know – acquired taste and all that, but really! It’s good!  You should try some!”

Luna considered her other options.  “I wonder if they have hayball sandwiches.”

═╬═

Spike knocked on the door to Bauxite’s private quarters at the Draconian embassy.  “Please, come in!” the deep voice said.  Spike opened the door and found Bauxite finishing a roast that he’d prepared.  “I do hope you’re hungry; I usually only cook a couple of slabs of venison for myself, but since I was having company over for dinner, another one couldn’t hurt.”

Spike blanched; usually on the rare occasions he ate meat, it had been mystically prepared by Twilight and thus in some preset form, like a steak or whatnot.  Seeing it like this – the dead remains of a deer, hopefully the non-sentient variety – was something entirely different.

Bauxite took it in stride.  “I understand for you that it’s quite unusual seeing the real thing rather than something magically created, and I am aware of Equestria’s laws against hunting non-sentient animals.  But, the embassy is technically Draconian territory, so we can do as we please.”  A pause, followed by, “But you needn’t worry – these are hunted on Draconian lands and teleported over.  We do respect the laws of our closest ally.”  Mindful of Spike’s size and upbringing, the huge dragon produced a knife and cut Spike off a portion, before setting it on a place and giving it to the smaller dragon.  “Tableware and the like are on the table, as well as some wine.  Please, help yourself.”

Spike took the plate and sat at the table, pouring himself a glass of wine, which was unusual to him, and cut a piece before taking a bite.  The flavor exploded on his tongue in a way he’d never had before.  Seeing that, Bauxite chuckled.  “Sad to say, those who create meat analogs without actually knowing what it tastes like will never get it right.”

Spike had to restrain himself from inhaling the meat; it was delicious in a way he’d never had before.  Unbidden, Bauxite dropped a second, larger piece on the smaller dragon’s place before tearing off a haunch for his own meal.  “This is delicious!” Spike said with gusto.  “Thanks!”

“You’re quite welcome.  To be honest, it’s commonplace for those of us Trueborn to eat game on a regular basis.  The Halfborn mostly eat farm-raised animals, and have game for those special occasions.  Unfortunately, situations like this are the only times Unborn such as yourself ever experience true meat.”

That, Spike knew, was his cue to begin.  “About that term: Unborn.  I don’t quite understand.”

“Well, how much do you know about magic dragons, Spike?”

“Not much, to be honest.  I honestly thought all dragons were one and the same, to be honest.”

“All dragons are the same in the same way as all ponies are the same: that being, they’re not.  Similar to the three extant pony tribes, there are four dragon tribes: the winged nomads, magic dragons such as myself, the solitary wyverns, and the rather…well, to be honest, frivolous sea serpents.  You obviously saw Ambassador Magnet today, and he’s not very atypical for his tribe.  But I digress.

“The most visible, of course, are the winged dragons.  They go where they please, and they vaguely follow the edicts of their leader, their sultan.  However, they meet once a generation at the mystic tribal lands on the other side of the world during a period they call the Great Migration.”

Spike looked embarrassed.  “When I was younger, I tried to go on one of those migrations.  I ran into a bad crowd and barely managed to escape once I told them I wasn’t going to go along with their stunts.”

“Good for you – it wouldn’t have gone well for you once they’d realized you were a magic dragon.  The winged tribe can be very provincial.  Anyways, to continue: the wyverns mostly keep to themselves, living in subterranean caves in Caballus.  To be honest, they’ve pretty much degraded themselves to nothingness.  You noticed the difference between Alpha Rex and Alpha Spot, correct?  The grand vizier of the wyverns should honestly ask for protectorate status from the Caballan Crown at this point, but they’re too lazy to do even that much.  I suspect Trottingham will just have to do that themselves, as Celestia needed to for Rex’s followers.”  Spike had noticed the difference between the two diamond dog rulers: Rex had practically begged for Celestia to give him an opinion even as she’d asked him for his own unvarnished thoughts; Spot, contrariwise, was very opinionated

.

“As for Mr. Magnet’s tribe, they ostensibly follow the lead of a ruler whose name changes from generation to generation; last I’d heard, their leader was the oddly named ‘Disco King’, and considering Mr. Magnet’s attire, he may very well be said Disco King.  But how much authority any sea serpent ruler has since they threw their lot in with the Commune, I can’t say.

“This, of course leads us to my tribe, the magic dragons.  At the most superficial, you could say we’re like the unicorn pony tribe, the dragons that interact with magic on a daily basis.  However, that’s a gross oversimplification: the truth is, as much as we are masters of magic, so too are we its slaves.  Your social position, lifespan, and even genes are determined by whose magic you absorb at birth.

“I, for example, am a Trueborn.  What that means is that during my incubation and eventual hatching, I absorbed the full magic of my natural parents and it affected me both within and without.  So when I was born, I was born with all the abilities of a full magic dragon, as well as the station befitting one.  I am a lord amongst my tribesdragons, and I enjoy all the benefits of being one.  But I must also exercise the duties of a lord, one of which is looking out for and recruiting Halfborns, as well as advising the rare Unborn when necessary.  I may choose a mate only from a Trueborn caste; were I to do otherwise, the resulting egg would always be sterile.  So as you can guess, marrying for love amongst Trueborns is rare.

“The next are the Halfborn.  Halfborn suffer needlessly: they are magic dragons that for some reason are hatched by somedragon other than their natural parents, yet still dragons; for example, the egg of a dragon lord may be inadvertently hatched by a servant, or stolen magic dragon eggs hatched by winged dragon bandits.  When that happens, they absorb the magic of that hatcher, and become lesser in magic, genes and the like; they start to look or act less like magic dragons and more like those they are bound to.  They have the general lifespan and abilities of their ‘parent’ species instead of their true heritage.”  Bauxite shook his head as if pitying the situation of the Halfborns.  “Did you, by chance, notice the two guards at the gate, and how they looked slightly different from the rest of us within the embassy?  Those poor souls were stolen and then hatched by winged dragon raiders out of spite to a magic dragon noble family.  They were denied their birthright out of spite.  We treat them well and give them as many rights as we can be accord them, but in the end, they have no access to the expansive magic of my tribe, and they will live out the relatively short lifespan of a winged dragon, a mere five hundred years.”

“So then, what about Unborn?” Spike wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer, but he had to know.

“Are you sure you want to know?” Bauxite paused.  “In some ways, it will probably be of great comfort to you, but at the same time, it will be of great pain to you.  Truthfully, I would spare you this pain if I could, and not even Celestia could force me to utter it.  But if it is your will, so be it.”

Spike nodded assent.  “I have to know.  I’ve spent my whole life not knowing, and even though I’m happy with my life as it is, it would answer so many questions.”

“So long as you understand the gravity of what I am about to tell you.  You are an Unborn, perhaps the most tragic, and paradoxically the most blessed of all the castes: Unborn are those hatched to species other than dragons.  Your magic, your genes, everything about you becomes mapped to the hatching species.  You, in essence, are nothing more than a pony trapped in a dragon’s body, your genes are closer to a pony’s than a dragon’s, and under other circumstances, you likely would live no longer than the average pony – a hundred or so years, at the most.”

“Under other circumstances?”

“I see you caught that; very shrewd of you.  Yes, your circumstances are much different.  Of all the ponies to be bound to in this world, you are special, because you are bound to the Halfborn Alicorn herself.”

“Halfborn Alicorn?  You mean Twi?”

“It is a name we magic dragons have for your sister.  I suppose it is difficult for you to understand, considering you’ve been with her your whole life, but understand this: out of the five strongest magic users on the planet, four are ponies, and three of those are alicorns, divinities.  To us, she is if she was meant to be an alicorn, but had the unfortunate stigma of being Halfborn.  Of course, ponies don’t have the same situation or birth status as that, but it’s meant to signify the level of respect – and in some cases, fear – we have of Twilight Sparkle.”

At that pronouncement, Spike wasn’t sure how to react to that.  Twilight, somepony to be feared?  The same pony who took care of him when sick, tucked him into bed and read him bedtime stories as a baby, who was as nurturing with him as she was strict?  He pictured the view of the Twilight he knew in his mind with the image presented to him, a sort of wingless Nightmare Moon…and the two just didn’t match up.  Was Twilight somepony to be admired?  Sure.  Loved?  Of course.  Feared?  Never.

“I see you’re having quite a time trying to wrap your mind around what I said.  I don’t blame you; if all I ever saw was her gentle side, or even her mildly angered side, so would I.  But that’s not important.  What I’m referring to is the fact that because of your specific bonds to her, you are the only Unborn in all of creation with the potential magic levels of the Trueborn.”

“Really?”  Obviously Spike knew the voluminous range of magic Twilight had at her disposal, but now to be told he had the same potential….

Bauxite nodded.  “Under normal circumstances, it would be proper and best if your sister instructed you in the arts magical, but I suspect she will be extremely busy; plus there are some things that would not translate well, even with your mindset, from pony to dragon.  If you are willing, I offer my services to bring you up to speed on the magic arts.”

Spike’s answer was instantaneous: “Sure!  But can I ask why?”

“It would be unusual if you didn’t.  Sure, I could spin you a tale of how unfair your life has been as an Unborn and that it’s a miracle that you were bound to Twilight Sparkle or that you are deserving of at least a minor amount of your true heritage.  But the simple truth is, we are on the verge of war, and if there is a way to produce an extra Master Mage-level talent out of nowhere, then I will do it.  The use of your magic talents could very well spell the difference between victory and defeat.”

═╬═

The fox princess held her forelegs out, her eyes closed, her body and eight tails aglow with the sparkle of magic.  Underneath her a circle of pure white surrounded her, motes of magic rising from it.  “As you can see, in most Western schools of magic, you draw the energy from within, but we Inariese draw from the earth directly,” she said to her rapt audience.  “The strongest of us, the kyuubi, the great nine-tailed foxes that are my parents the Emperor and Empress, can actually use more than one school at once just as your princesses can.”

As they watched, the motes of light came together, forming a simple sheet of paper in front of them.  As it floated in the air, it began to fold, forming shapes.  A butterfly.  A crane.  A frog.  Then it began to form more complex and non-paper forms: a sword.  An earthenware bowl.  Cherry blossoms.  An apple.  “This is Iniariese paper magic, kami no mahou.  We draw from the earth to create of earth: paper, made from trees, which come from the earth.  We then use the magic to further trace it down the lines of what comes from the earth until we have what we need.”  She smiled.  “I suppose it’s needlessly complex in comparison to Western styles, but if it were simple, it wouldn’t come from Inari.”

Both Autumn Wood and Rarity watched, amazed by the radically different style of magic.  “Wow, Princess,” Woody said, trying not to sound like a rube, “That is the most impressive thing I’ve ever seen!”

“I suppose.  If anything, I’m impressed by the more direct styles, such as the pony or dragon forms – they’re extremely quick and efficient, which is why I was hoping to learn something from Mage Sparkle.”

“Well, I did promise to teach you the shielding spell, and so I shall.”  With that, Rarity moved away from the pair and stood.  Her horn lit up with a soft blue aura, and a sphere of azure energy enveloped her.  It sparked and shimmied, before taking on a translucent appearance.

As Rarity set her shield, Woody explained.  “With unicorns, they simply think about it and it happens.  If they’ve got the spell memorized and have enough energy and talent to use it, it’s there.  And as unicorns have a natural affinity with magic, even the most forgetful of them can instantly recall a long and complex spell even as they forgot what they had for breakfast.”

“Well, if you’re ready, Woody!” Rarity called from her location.

“And now, time for the test.”  Three balls sat on the table next to him, all of the same size.  Picking up the first, he threw it as hard as he could; the whiffle ball bounced off the shield as expected; immediately afterwards, the tennis ball impacted against the shield, with no sign of stress on the barrier.  The heavier and faster baseball, however, visibly rebounded, ringing with a hollow gong.

“Okay, ready for the next!” Rarity cried triumphantly.

“Princess, if you’d be so kind,” Woody asked, and Haruka did so, summoning up an apple and sending it rocketing towards Rarity’s shield.  Just before it reached the shield, however, the aura around Rarity’s horn sputtered and died, and the shield dropped just in time for the white unicorn to take the relatively hard fruit straight in the face.  The apple shattered on impact, but that wasn’t as surprising as what had happened to Rarity.

“Rarity!” Woody and Haruka raced forward, only to see a dizzied unicorn splayed out on the grass, mumbling something incoherent.  Woody, ever the gentlestallion, scooped her up and placed her gently on a nearby bench while Haruka stood there worriedly.

“Will she be okay?” Haruka asked.

“She’ll be fine, your highness; but I was afraid this was going to happen.  She’s plateaued.” When the fox asked, the earth pony explained: “Like those who exercise physically, mystic exercises push you to a certain limit your body and mind will accept for a while before you can move on to the next level and anything otherwise is just diminishing returns.  I’m sure she hasn’t told you this, but she’s been in intense training both day and night for the past few weeks, and today was the first ‘rest’ she’s had in days…and you saw how little a rest that was.”

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

Woody scooped her up again.  “All she needs is some rest, though I don’t foresee her getting any until after the summit.  The best that can be done is to see her to her room, which I will do.  If you’d follow me to her room, I can then escort you back to your embassy afterwards.”

“No, as much as I fear I’m to blame for what happened to her, I must get some rest myself to be prepared for tomorrow.  When she wakes, please let her know that I apologize and will find some way to make amends.”

“She won’t blame you, I promise you that.  Are you sure you won’t need an escort of any kind?”

The fox princess smiled sweetly.  “I am an eight-tailed fox, on par, magicwise, with the most senior of your mages.  Besides, this is a city of peace, I can feel it.  Thank you, but I will be fine.”

She obviously doesn’t know about the attacks a few weeks ago, Woody thought, but she seems determined.  Well, I won’t worry her then.  “Well, then have a wonderful evening and we’ll see you later.”

Haruka bowed.  “Oyasumi.”

═╬═

Through the night, two pegasi flew back to Canterlot.  Bamboo Grove stayed the night at the fleet base, in order to train with Spitfire the next morning, leaving just two old friends flying in very uncomfortable silence.  Finally, Rainbow Dash couldn’t take it any longer.  “Fluttershy, would you say something already?  You’re freaking me out here.”

The yellow pegasus just kept flying silently for a few more beats before asking, “Do you think I’m weak?”

“Do you even need to ask that?  Fluttershy, you faced off a cockatrice that even Twilight couldn’t beat!  You’ve faced manticores, dragons, the Cerebus, and all sorts of other things?  Where do you get any idea that you’re weak?”

“Because I don’t like fighting,” she said, simply.  In a strange display of perfect timing, she flew past the dark cloud shrouding her, and the moonlight hit her at that exact moment, giving the yellow an ethereal, saintly glow.

“I think you’re overreacting to the Old Warhorse’s comment a little too much.  He still wants you on his staff to help come up with peaceful solutions; he just doesn’t think the first engagement will be very peaceful.”

“I’d rather we find some last attempt to try to make peace with them.”

“If it was going to happen, it would have happened before Stalliongrad or Rhine-Mane got turned into conquered territory,” Dash replied.  “Look, we’ll pound some sense into them and they’ll see the light.  Don’t worry.”

“What, can’t I be worried about you, or Scootaloo, or the rest?  You realize that you’re going to be the one out there fighting!”

“Don’t you think I don’t know that?” the blue pegasus screamed, jarring her friend.  After a second she said, “I know, Fluttershy, and I think about it all the time.  And you know what?  I’m not afraid of anything happening to me…I’m afraid of what will happen to Scoots.  She follows me always and everywhere, even when I tell her not to.  She’s the kid sister I never had, and I’m terrified of what will happen to her.  I think about her…and then all I can see is how Pinkie just fell apart when she saw Octavia.”  The moonlight illuminated Rainbow Dash and it showed that she’d been silently crying all this time.  “We don’t even know if Pinkie’s still alive.”

Fluttershy flew over and gave her old friend a hug.  “Pinkie’s fine.  Pinkie’s always fine, you know her – whenever she’s in a jam, she’ll find a way out of it.  And if you promise me you won’t worry about her, I won’t worry about you, okay?”

Rainbow cracked a smile.  “Pinkie Promise?”  At that, the two pegasi repeated the ritual, breaking down into relieved laughter by the time it was over.  Feeling buoyed by Pinkie even if she wasn’t present, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy continued flying towards the bright lights of Canterlot, miles distant.

═╬═

In his private tent, Aspenclaw slept uneasily.  He thought that by sleeping away from the pretty lights and pointless frippery of Canterlot, he might get some rest.  But the gaiety and sparkle of the white city invaded his mind like pretty ivory daggers.  Shaking off the sheets, he looked out the window at the main gates of the city.  Celestia called this a town?  Please – the Alaxsaqi citadel of Eversnow, now that was a fortress, built to withstand any and everything that went against it, to wear its enemies down until they could be destroyed.  Eversnow was made for war – Canterlot was a life-size doll house.

As he stared at the castle, his anger grew.  He’d ordered his men to hunt for dinner that night; he knew well the Equestriani laws against it, but what did that matter against the needs of the wolf king?  Unfortunately, his hunters then revealed that Canterlot had prepared for it and had so driven all the animals within dozens of miles away from the palace.  Aspenclaw and his men would be forced to eat their emergency rations and it would make the journey back to Eversnow difficult.  Just yet another insult piled on insult courtesy of Equestria’s little whelp of a princess.

And then thoughts of Celestia directly made his blood boil, so much so that he absentmindedly shattered the dressing mirror before him.  The little princess fancied herself a deity?  What a joke!  Deities only provided for those who succeeded in earning favor, such as his god the Great Aurora Wolf.  They didn’t make a nation of brainwashed simpletons who fawned at her every word.  Was she the most powerful mage on the planet?  Even Aspenclaw couldn’t argue with that.  Was she a member of a rare equinoid species?  She was probably the next step in the evolution of ponies, come a little early.  Immortal?  Who even believed that?  What this made her in total was a very powerful preternatural creature, but supernatural.  All it would take was one chance, one swipe, and there would be black and red all over that fine white coat.

“Hello, your majesty.  I bring you some gifts, the first of many.”   The voice came out of nowhere, and Aspenclaw turned, he noticed several dozen bodies of freshly killed deer and rabbits that adorned the floor.

Aspenclaw turned to face the new arrival.  He was an earth pony, orange in color with a tricolor mane of magenta, pink and yellow.  He stood there, relaxed with the ease of a trained killer…who was not there to kill, but deliver a message.

Perhaps my fortunes have changed, the wolf king thought before saying curtly, “I care not for Celestia’s trinkets.  I would rather starve beforehand.”

“Your majesty, I know you’re not a fool.  You know who I serve.”  Purple eyes stared right into the wolf king’s ice-blue ones.  “She asked me to pass a word to you, on how difficult it must be to have to bow before those who are your lesser, instead of working alongside those who value you as an equal.”

“I see.  And you are?”

“I am her Hunter.  I need no other name, your majesty.”

The wolf king gave a terrible smile.  “Please let her majesty the Queen of Magic know that I will be back in Eversnow within a week, and we will most warmly welcome an envoy from our new ally when it is convenient for her.”

Hunter Four bowed.  “It shall be done at once.”  As he turned, he added, “And now for my gift to you, your majesty.  The nights in the north are cold, and there is nothing like having warmth in the bed.”  He raised a hoof to signal behind him, and a bundle was tossed forward.

Princess Haruka looked up at the gypsy pony and the traitorous King Aspenclaw.  Moreso, she heard the Hunter’s words, and knew exactly what was meant.  Terrified, she tried to break free, but the bonds were too strong.  She tried summoning her magic, but the bonds she was tied with somehow nullified her craft.  After a few minutes, she was reduced to horrified screaming, blocked by a gag she couldn’t remove.

The wolf king looked at his newest trophy.  “Little vixen, you will have the honor of being with a king for the duration of the trip.  I hope you appreciate that.  If not, well, my men have needs as well.”  The thought of that shut down the young fox’s mind and she passed out into relatively safe unconsciousness.

Aspenclaw looked appreciatively at her young body.  “Such a gift deserves one in its own.”  He walked over to his closet, producing a sword.  Handing it to the Hunter handle first, he intoned, “The sword is the word of a wolf amongst wolves, it is a prize of blood and honor.”

The Hunter took it and bowed ritually.  “The prize is a bond of blood and honor, wolf amongst wolf, equal amongst equal.”

Aspenclaw nodded appreciatively.  “So you know the words of the Book of the Wolfsong.  I am most impressed.”

Hunter Four bowed once more.  “It is the directive of my Queen.  We honor our allies and destroy our enemies.  Now, your majesty, I must take my leave and report back to my liege.”

“Do so with my gratitude,” the wolf king said, waving his ally off, who disappeared as quickly as he came. Looking at the treasures given to him, things were finally looking up.  Tomorrow, he would bid farewell to this farce of an alliance and join a true victor – and there would be more.  More befitting his status as the Wolf King of Alaxsaqa.

PRIMUS: Every Day is Silent and Gray

“Every day is like Sunday,

Every day is silent and gray….”

Cheerilee turned up the radio just slightly and bobbed along to that old nugget by Moorissey.  She had to admit, the emo minotaur was one of those artists who just didn’t age well, which is why she always listened to his earlier albums or the stuff back when he was with the Blacksmiths.  Unfortunately, his more recent albums showed signs of a performer just retreading his hits until retirement time, which was a shame.  Oh well, there was always those rumors that the ‘Smiths were getting back together, so hope springs eternal….

Now, she happily confessed to herself as she took the eggs out of the fridge, if you wanted a band that showed the test of time, it was her all-time favorite band, Echo and the Bunnymares.  Except for a brief hiatus back in the mid-90s, that was a group that knew how to rock without all the infighting and drama most bands had.  Their new album was supposed to come out later in the year and you could bet your calculators she was going to get it.

But as she cracked the eggs on the pan and started making breakfast, she wondered why she was listening to Moorissey.  She usually started off the mornings with the classics: Siouxie and the Barn-shes, Trotson Twins, Pet Shop Colts, Clopture Club, and, of course, Echo and the Bunnymares, or occasionally whatever was on the “Awesome Always 80s” station EATY.  But today, for some reason, she chose Moorissey, something she didn’t do unless she knew she was in a bad mood.  And how could she be in a bad mood?  Life was great right now.  Her husband, who always got up earlier than her, was already working the northern fields.  Apple Bloom was working on yet another one of her Special Projects; ever since she got her cutie mark, that little mad scientist was always up to something or other.  Granny Smith was sleeping peacefully, her retirement years earned, and Applejack was off taking care of some government business in Canterlot.  Other than some unexpected overcast clouds due to the unfortunate accident over in Fetlock Mountain, there was nothing to worry about.  And it was a Saturday, so she could grade papers at leisure.

“Cheerilee, how many times Ah gotta tell ya, y’ gotta stop list’nin’ t’ that rubbish ‘fore it rots yer mind,” a voice said from the door.  “Y’ gotta listen t’ the good stuff, like Haylon Glennings or Applebama.”

Cheerilee laughed, “AJ, not all of us listen to country music.  Care for breakfast?”

“How Big Mac puts up wit’ ya, Ah just don’ know,” she said with a laugh.  “If y’d please.”

“Can you pass me the hay bacon?”  The purple earth pony added more eggs to the pan and began to chop up veggies for the omelet.  “Besides, if you want to talk about bad music, explain Apple Bloom.”

“No foolin’ there.”  AJ shook her head as she went to the fridge.  “What the hay is ‘fat beats’ and ‘wicked porch music’?”

“House music,” Cheerilee corrected.

AJ dutifully passed the bacon strips.  “Don’ sound like it’s fit fer any house, if’n y’ ask me.  Well, she’s mah li’l sis, so Ah s’pose Ah gotta deal wit’ it….”

“Wit’ what?” Big Macintosh said as he came in the house.  Walking over to kiss his wife, he added, “D’Ah miss sumthin’?”

“Oh, nothing much, dear, just talking about how good music has somehow missed Apple Bloom’s generation.”

“Yeah, tell m’ ‘bout it,” he said with a grin and a shake of his head.  “Been tryin’ t’ get her to listen t’ Van Haylen or Billygoat Squier, but well, y’ know….”

Both mares looked at each other in that secret glance known only to females of any species: Stallions. They then giggled simultaneously, ensuring the time-honored tradition of leaving said stallion completely clueless.

“So, sis, whut brings y’ back from Canterlot so early?  Wuz expectin’ ya t’ be there fer a spell,” Big Mac asked as he washed his hooves and got ready to set the table.

“Well, Ah got news.  Mite wanna wake up Granny an’ get Apple Bloom fer this,” she said as she took the tableware from him and started setting up the table herself.  For a second, it seemed as if she wanted to get away from him.

“Aw, let Granny sleep,” he commented as he got the plates.  “She wus up late last night watchin’ a mar’thon o’ her ol’ fav’rite TV shows.”

Applejack took a breath then said what was on her mind.  “Mac, Goldengrape show’d me yer service record, an’—”  There was a sudden crash as plates slammed against the floor, breaking and when Applejack turned, she found her brother staring at her, angry and shaking a hoof at her.

“Y’ had no right, AJ, no consarnin’ right!” he snarled.

“Mac, Ah had ta!  Ah’m a Knight, which means Ah’m a senior guv’ment official!  Didn’ have much a’ choice, an’ y’ know if Ah couda, Ah wouda!” she pled.

“Fine – y’ go get Granny.  Ah’ll get Apple Bloom,” he seethed as he stormed out of the house.

“AJ, what’s going on?” Cheerilee asked.  All it had taken was one word about Mac’s military career, something he’d said was a brief time, and he’d suddenly blown up, something he never did; furthermore, Applejack had a miserable look on her face, as though she knew she was about to do something wrong but that had to be done.

“Ah’m sorry, Cheerilee,” was the only response that came from the orange pony’s lips.

Maybe Moorissey was the proper thing to play today, after all.

═╬═

Groaning, Haruka strained against her bonds.  She’d heard the plan, and if she didn’t hurry soon, she was done for: Aspenclaw would sit through the summit, gather as much information as he could about his former potential allies, then leave as soon as possible.  Once he did, there would go any hope of rescue, as he threatened to cut off all her tails – foxes’ tails were central to their magic and de-tailing her would essentially destroy her, leaving her weaker than a newborn kit and completely at his less-than-tender mercies.

Fortunately, the arrogant wolf king made a huge mistake in her favor: he’d ordered no one save for him to enter the tent, under pain of instant death.  That meant that regardless of what she tore apart in this…horrorshow…of a king’s tent, she would be left alone, which meant it would give her just the slightest chance to find a way to escape.  And the one way to accomplish that was to get help.

She turned over just about everything in the room, searching for something that came from the earth in some fashion or other, but the wolf king was a true monster, having just about everything in his room coming from life: skull food bowls, blankets made of animal furs, utensils made of bone or similar.  Haruka fought back the urge to gag; she needed to focus if she ever planned to survive this abattoir.

At last, a miracle came: one of the swords in Aspenclaw’s armory chest had a handle not of bone, but wood.  Wrapping her bound paws around it, she focused with all her might.  Directly touching the wood was for amateurs, but with the ensorcelled bonds sapping her strength, it was all that she could do.

She felt a trickle of her power flow into the wood, and what was once wood slid away from the metal, forming a piece of paper, floating in the air before her.  The paper formed a small butterfly before landing on Haruka’s snout.

Find Rarity, she thought.  Find her and bring her here.

The butterfly flew out the window, headed straight towards Canterlot castle…and the only hope the fox princess had left.

═╬═

Flying higher than she’d done in a while, enough so that she could see the great dome of the sky stretch from horizon to horizon, she soared, just enjoying the simple pleasure of being airborne.  Too many pegasi took it for granted, often using it as mere transport to get from A to B or because they preferred wingpower over hoofpower.  While there were some pegasi she knew, such as Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo, who loved pure, unadulterated speed and aerobatics, she wasn’t sure that even they enjoyed flight for the sake of flight.  But for her, it was a good way to just get out there, grab some air, and spend a few moments of respite from everything.

“DERPY!  GET OVER HERE!”

She sighed, “Okay, coming, you don’t have to get pushy about it, sis.”  Brought back to earth, metaphorically at least, Derpy went to join her sister while on their trip, winging over to an identical pegasus.  As she got closer, once again, it seemed like she was looking in a mirror; despite the fact that they weren’t twins and she was actually two years younger, Derpy and her older sister Orange Box looked very much alike save for a few slight differences.  The first was their mane shades: Orange’s, true to her name, was a slightly redder tone than Derpy’s.  The second and bigger one was obviously the eyes: when Derpy was born, there had been a complication in her birth and the result had been that the pegasus ended up with strabismus.  She learned to deal with it over the years, but unfortunately it turned her into a one-mare flying disaster circus.

The other became more apparent when one spent enough time with the both of them.  As their mother had said, “Derpy had the brains while Orange had the looks”; however, Derpy’s best friend Golden Harvest had said it best: at least the younger sister isn’t a harridelle.  It showed in spades: though Derpy, Ponyville’s mailmare, lost mail frequently and often inadvertently damaged things, she could always be counted on to help and it was that generous heart that led her to adopt two daughters.  Orange, on the other hoof, was a Cloudsdale party queen and usually could be counted on to have the exact opposite reaction than her sister, and most of the time that was very much not a good thing.

At present, the two were en route to Whinnypeg.  Derpy’s older daughter Sparkler had moved there a couple of years back when she was accepted for apprenticeship in the Mage Guild.  Sparkler had shown an exceptional ability in pyrotechnical magic, far beyond the baseline level of a cutie mark-enabled special talent; after hearing about it, Twilight sponsored Sparkler’s entry into the Guild, pairing her up with a fellow pyrotech mage named Oriental Blossom.  The trip to see Sparkler had been in planning for months; but unfortunately Dinky had caught a case of strep horn and had to stay home.  However, she asked her mother to visit Sparkler anyway, so Derpy had brought her sister along for the trip.  Flying directly would be quicker than taking the train in any case, as Dinky was now too big to fly on her mother’s back.

“Derpy, how many times do I have to tell you, you’re the one who knows how to get there, not me!” Orange snarled.  “I haven’t been to Whinnypeg since we were fillies.”  She huffed, adding, “I swear, you act like such a foal, sometimes I wonder if my nieces ran the house instead of you.”

Instead of an apology, Orange instead got a fond smile from her sister.  “Awww…you’re so sweet, sis!  I don’t think I’ve ever heard you call my little muffins your nieces before.”

Orange rolled her eyes; unlike her sister, she didn’t have a problem doing that.  “Well…they are my nieces, Miss Clueless.  You’re my sister, they’re your daughters; ergo, Derp-o, they’re my nieces.”  A rare considerate thought crossed her mind and she asked, “I don’t think you’ve ever told me about how you adopted them, and Mom and Dad haven’t mentioned it either.”  One thought became two, and she added, “They are adopted, right?  I mean, whatever you do in your own life is your business, and if you’re sleeping around, that’s really none of my concern.”

Derpy bit off a nasty retort; she loved her sister dearly, but Golden Harvest was right: Orange often acted like a bucking tarpan.  “They both needed a home, and I fell in love with both of them from the day I first saw each of them.  How could I not adopt them?”

“Sis, you really need a life.  You know what?  Let’s go clubbing while we’re in town!  A friend was telling me about this hot place downtown that—”

“Hey, what’s that?”  Derpy pointed to a small black line that seemed to slither along the road, heading towards Whinnypeg.  Seeing the black line from this high up meant that it was long, seeming to snake away from Grand Flanks and towards their destination.

“Hay if I know,” the older sister replied.  “Everything looks like ants from all the way up h…Derpy, come back here!”  Curious as to what it was, the younger pegasus dived towards the line, wanting to discover its secrets.  Muttering half-serious comments on how it probably would have been better to have been an only child, Orange followed.

As the pair got closer, they began to see that the line was a caravan of ponies, headed straight for the city.  As they got even closer, an unnaturally foul smell hit them like a rock, enough to make them both blank out for a second.  Forcing themselves to fly through the rotting stench, they got closer and what they saw horrified them both: the line was made of ponies, all right: if ponies came back from the dead.  Stumbling like lepers, the ponies were scraggly, emaciated and stared straight forward with glassy eyes’ wings were withered and twisted, horns were bent or broken.  To a one they were black as night, save for the blood red eyes.  The only sound coming from them were moans of pain, cut short as one or another fell and were stepped on by the slow-motion stampede of the others.  This proved they weren’t dead; death would have been a mercy for them.

“Hey, this doesn’t look good.  This looks like something outta Zombie Massacre VII.  We need to get out of here, Derpy!”

“We’ve got to get help.  Let’s get to Whinnypeg immediately.”

“What, are you crazy?  That’s where these things are going!”  As if in reply, one of the creatures looked up at Orange with its haunting eyes and she felt icewater roll through her veins.   “I’m not going to go anywhere near that place, you got me?  Not for anything.”

“Fine.”  Derpy’s crossed eyes now became a cross look as she stared her older sister down.  “If you don’t give a bucking trot about my daughter, then you can just go to Tatarus!” she snarled.  “My Sparkler means the world to me and if…you know what, why am I even wasting breath talking to you?”  Seeing that the line of the damned had moved a quarter mile during their argument, Derpy immediately rocketed off towards the larger town, racing the clock.  She didn’t have any of Rainbow Dash’s natural speed to propel her, but she had the metaphorical afterburners of a mother’s righteous fury.

Wordlessly, Orange took off in a beeline to catch up to her sister.  Derpy’s byzantine, twisty flying style notwithstanding, she was a mare on a mission and that mission led her to Whinnypeg.  Despite Orange’s reservation regarding the creatures below – are they getting faster? – she did care about her family; she just didn’t really vocalize it at all well.  She’d just have to think of a way to make it up to Derpy; she was carefree enough that just an apology would make everything better.

Ten minutes later and in a speed that would have impressed Rainbow Dash, Derpy found herself just above the Mage Guild office, in the center of town.  As luck would have it, several apprentices were leaving for the day, headed for another afternoon of homework at their domiciles; a few seconds later, Oriental Bloom came out – the bright yellow unicorn with the red, orange and pink mane was pretty hard to miss, since she seemed to glow like a living firework.

“Bloom!” Derpy dived, meeting her on the ground hard enough to rattle the cobblestone pathway.  “Am I glad to see you!”

“Oh, hello, Derpy.  Sparkler’s back at home; I gave her the day off since she was expecting you.”  After a second of looking into Derpy’s worried eyes, she added, “I get the feeling you want me, instead.”

Derpy nodded her head like it was about to fall off.  “There’s something out there!  Scary, too, and it’s coming this way!”

“Derpy, you’re not making sense.”  Bloom looked at the pegasus, who seemed uncharacteristically shaken.  Her eye condition aside, Derpy was a reliable and caring parent, unlike most parents who had mage foals – having a colt or filly with powers well above the average tended to freak out the everyday parent.  But for Derpy to be wound up, something had to be very wrong.  “Let’s get some tea, and we’ll talk about it.”

“No time!” a voice said from above.  Bloom looked up to see what appeared to be another Derpy, this one however, more annoyed and with straight eyes.  “Time for you mages to go justify what I pay in taxes!”

“Excuse me, and you are?”  Whomever it was, the Derpy-alike was certainly ruder than the real thing, Bloom thought.

“Orange Box.  I’m Derpy’s older sister.  I came along to visit my niece, but we ran into someth—”

“Bloom!” a voice exploded from within the building as an old unicorn mare raced out.  “We need to round up the mages and apprentices.  Just got word from Sheriff Whitesnow – there’s something out there headed straight towards the city, and whatever it is, it’s attacking every pony in its path!”

“We know, we just ran into them a few minutes ago,” Orange explained, coming down to earth.

“Would you be willing to come with me over to the Guard station on the other side?  An eyewitness would be helpful.”  Orange agreed, and with that, the senior mage teleported both to the other side of town, where the guard base was.

“Derpy, why don’t you tell me what you know about all of this?  It’ll help us find a countermeasure.”  Bloom turned her head quickly and her horn glowed with pink energy before three bursts of red roared into the air, exploding far above with a booming echo.  It was a predetermined signal for all mages to return to the Guild office immediately – that a crisis was now upon them.

As Derpy followed Bloom into the building, she thought about all the rumors lately regarding a war on the other side of the world and the recent tragedy at Dodge Junction; there was also news that military reservists were being called back to duty, and a fair number of them lived in Ponyville, making the town seem that much less populated.  Thinking about it all, Derpy sighed; all she wanted was a peaceful world for her and her daughters, and if the rumors were true, the chances of her wish coming to pass had just been trampled under the hooves of the black horrors coming this way.

═╬═

Three mares, one filly on the verge of adulthood, and one stallion sat at the table, all looking at each other.  No one had anything to say; this hadn’t changed in the past fifteen minutes or so.  The breakfast omelets and hay bacon sat on the plates in front of their potential consumers, now cold and unlikely to be eaten anytime soon.  The clock in the background ticked each minute passing, birds chirped in the distance.  Other than a brief yawn from the barely awake Granny Smith, nothing had come from the house’s residents.

Applejack exhaled; she’d screwed this up like she expected she would, and now she was going to have to make it right.  “Liss’n, Mac, Ah’m—”

“No, sis, Ah’m th’ one who shoud apolagize,” the red stallion interjected.  “Ah shouda known Purp’d make ya out t’ be th’ sniper.”

“Purp?”  Apple Bloom asked.  “Whut’s a purp an’ whut’s it do?”  Applejack looked at her younger sister, appreciating how beautiful the teen filly had become…in theory, anyway; Apple Bloom’s special talent pretty much pulled away from any focusing on her looks, much to the chagrin of Apple Bloom’s best friend Sweetie Belle.  Pretty much the family’s “mad scientist,” the filly was more often spotted wearing welding goggles, protective gloves or the like than her old manebows.  Everyone in the Apple family understood Twilight’s assessment of AB’s talent – that she had an innate knowledge of tech and building things that could put a unicorn inventor to shame – but her daily antics made them wonder how she’d build a life out of that.

“Heh.  Purp wus Goldengrape’s nickname ‘n mah ol’ squad,” Mac explained.  “We all had ‘em, based on our marks so’s it’d be harder t’ pin us down based on real names or coats.  Ah was ‘Greenie’ on account o’ mah mark being green, while he wus Purp, ‘cus he has grapes as his.  There were others: Silver, Blues, Reddie, an’ such an’ like.”  He turned to Cheerilee.  “They wus all at our weddin’, but only a cop’la ‘em introed themselves.  Th’ others didn’ ‘cus of nat’nal secur’ty.”

Cheerliee giggled.  “Mac, you’re such a kidder!”  A few more seconds of Mac’s serious face immediately put a halt to that.  “Wait – you’re not kidding?”

“No, an’ there’s a lot o’ stuff ‘bout mah Guard career Ah ain’t toldja, honey,” he said, in a voice that said he’d be in the doghouse with Winona tonight.  “The truth is, Ah wus a Destrier.”  Turning to face his sister, he said, “Lemme guess: Purp wants m’ back in his unit?”

“That’s a negative, Greenie,” a voice said from the door.  Everyone turned around and saw Goldengrape standing there, wearing a jacket and a ballcap embroidered with OPERATION DRAGONSLAYER on the front.  The choice of the general’s hat was blatantly obvious: it was the name of that fateful mission so many years ago.

AJ’s anger rose like the sun.  “Why y’ sneakin’….”  She bit off the retort; while Apple Bloom was nearly an adult, the instinct not to curse in front of her sister was still everpresent.  “We had an’ agreem’nt, Goldengrape!”

“Indeed we did, Applejack, and I kept to it – the deadline was yesterday, as per our agreement.  You can’t blame me that you took all of the three weeks you asked for to avoid telling them.”  She looked as though she wanted to buck him through the next tree, but he took it in stride; he was long used to reactions like that.  “Actually, Mac, the plan is for you to take command of our old unit.  I’m the head of the EPG now, so I’m stuck playing desk jockey.  But you…best Destrier there ever was, Mac, a one in million.  I need you back – Equestria needs you back.”

“Y’ know Ah’m done wit’ that part o’ mah life,” he said, looking at his old friend with daggers.

“Mac, you’re the only one who has ever killed a dragon single-hoofedly,” Goldengrape said, awe in his voice.  “You’re the only one I know fit to command Destriers.”

Cheerilee’s eyes went wide in surprise…and not the good kind.  “Mac…you’ve killed somepony?”

Oh, buck me.  “It wus a Destrier op, an’….”  He fell silent, knowing that merely explaining things wasn’t enough.  “Y’ really wanna know whut Ah did in the Guard, honey?”  With a fast flicker of his forehooves, he picked up the knife sitting in his set of cutlery and flung it.  The blade cut a trail through the air until it embedded itself in the exact center of the clock.  The motion happened so fast, no one had really expected it, save for Goldengrape.

“Heh.  Still can toss a sticker too, I see,” Goldengrape added, pointing to the clock.  As everyone’s eyes finally followed the trail, all suddenly grew quiet once more, but for an entirely different reason.

“Ah need sum time alone,” Mac said, rising from his seat and just heading out the door, pausing only to glare at his old friend.

“’S this how y’ planned t’ tell mah family, Goldengrape?” Applejack accused.

“No, but apparently the result would have been the same,” Goldengrape admitted.  “This is a part of your brother’s life that he’d rather not relive, and I can’t blame him for that.”

“Goldengrape?  I need to know something.”  It was Cheerilee.  Her face had a confused, enigmatic look on it, but the tone of her voice was clear: her husband needed her and she was now stepping into the fray.

“No, no, y’ don’t.”  The answer had come from Granny Smith herself; up until now, no one thought she’d really been listening, and had actually been asleep.  “There are sum things don’ need t’ be told again, Cheer’lee.  Take it from this old mare: sum things ‘re jest best left gone.”

“No.  He’s my husband.  I’m sorry, Granny, but I won’t let this go.”  Cheerilee felt hooves on her own; she looked and it was the Apple sisters.  They were family, and they’d march into this together.

“Cough it up,” Applejack told the EPG general in her harshest tones.

“Since you insist,” Goldengrape said, taking Macintosh’s seat.  “It all started when Mac was selected for Destrier training….”

═╬═

“Have you seen Princess Haruka this morning?” Rarity asked Spike as the dignitaries filed into the meeting chamber.

“Nope, not at all.  Something up, Rarity?”

“We agreed to have breakfast in the morning and she didn’t show up.  I hope the poor dear doesn’t think I’m cross with her for what happened last night.”  When Spike’s brow rose at that, Rarity explained, assuring him she was made of sterner stuff than seemed.

“I’ll keep an eye out and let you know.  I’m sure there’s a good reason for it all.”

From down the hall came both Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy.  Both were walking down the hall and had noticed their friends.  “Hey, ‘sup?” Rainbow asked.

“Just another glorious day of sitting around in tedious meetings with dignitaries who lie enough to give Applejack a heart attack.”  Rarity then grinned as she playfully added, “And those are our friends.  You should see the others.”

“No thank you,” Fluttershy commented.  “I’ve already had enough of bad feelings for the week.”  She chose not to elaborate further, and the four just continued to chat idly while the plenipotentiaries continued entering the room.  As the last of them were entering, at no time did anyone notice the representative from Inari arrive.

“I think we’d best head to the Inariese embassy,” Rarity said to her friends.  “Even if the princess couldn’t make it, they’d send the ambassador or someone.”

It had flittered in so quickly that it almost hadn’t been noticed.  The tiny paper butterfly danced in the air, making repeating corkscrew of turns until it alighted on Rarity’s dainty snout.  The act had been so sudden and abrupt that her friends had burst into amused giggles shortly after the event.  That didn’t last long, however, as the butterfly exploded into a blood-red sheet of paper with a white inscription on it: HELP ME!  The red paper shrunk back on itself, becoming a much easier to see butterfly.

As the red butterfly flitted in the air just before Rarity, the four looked at each other, the same thoughts through their minds: Did you see that?

“That’s no prank,” Rarity said with a tone of finality.  “Let’s go.  Spike, discretely inform Celestia of what’s going on and that we’ll handle it.”

“Will do, but you all take care, okay?  That magic doesn’t look very safe.”

“It’s very safe, I assure you, but where it’s leading us might not be,” she answered.  “Let’s go, ladies.”  Not even waiting for an answer from the others, Rarity thundered down the hallway, following the butterfly as fast as it flew.  Half a second later, the two pegasi took to the air to catch up to their friend.

═╬═

No sooner than the carriage arrived at the Mountreal base that Soarin’ himself raced up to the door.  “Your highness, my apologies, but the commissioning ceremony’s going to have to wait.”

One of the pegasi pulling the carriage spoke up.  “Something wrong, Commander?”

“I’ve got my squadron getting ready to take off, weapons ready.  There’s something going on at Whinnypeg, and the Guard there’s overwhelmed.”

“Whinnypeg?  That’s quite a distance away.”

He nodded.  “They asked for the nearest PEGFITRON – whatever it is, regular squadrons aren’t cutting it.  We’re the nearest one, so we’re leaving now at best speed.”

Luna poked her head out of the window, looking at the carriage drivers.  “Lieutenant, prepare to leave immediately.  Soarin’, get your ponies in the air and we’ll follow.”

“You sure you’ll be safe, ma’am?” Soarin’ asked, force of habit.

She smiled.  “Thanks for your concern, but…lunar divinity, remember?  I’m pretty sure I’ll be fine.”

“Well, since you put it that way….”  He turned to her drivers, shouting, “We’re scrambling in five, then moving at full speed.”  Looking at her one last time, he added, “See you in the air, Princess.”

Luna turned to look at her attendants.  “You heard?”

“Do they have any indication of what’s going on in Whinnypeg?” Twilight asked.  “That’s too far inland for an invasion, and if they even tried that, we’d have armies there within days.”

“Not necessarily: you’re dealing with a group of ponies in which each combatant is a full-fledged mage,” Pumpkin pointed out.  “Besides, at the risk of sounding morbid, I daresay the former residents of Stalliongrad – those who are still alive, at any rate – will necessarily agree with you as to what is too far inland.”

“You have a point.”  Twilight looked out the window and saw two dozen gray-suited pegasi reaching for the sky; a few seconds later, they felt the pull towards the rear as their own cart took off.  The lead driver, equipped with a chatterbox gem, spoke, his voice filling the room: “We’ll be in Whinnypeg in two hours at current speed.  The mages will send a report shortly.”  Sure enough, a puff of turquoise-colored flame appeared before Luna, immediately coalescing into a scroll which unfurled immediately.

Her eyes scanned the parchment, darting to and fro on the script.  “Whinnypeg might not have two hours to spare, even if this is the fastest our fliers can go,” she said, flitting the report over to the other two.

Twilight only needed a second to read the report before blanching.  Pumpkin’s warning was terribly accurate; there was no such thing as safety by distance any longer.

═╬═

So far the shield was holding.  So far.

Right now, every mage and apprentice in the city of Whinnypeg was either directly powering one of the two shields extending around the city or lending their magic to those who could.  The primary shield had wavered and buckled more than once as over 2500 unicorns funneled their power into the barrier; the second one, so far untouched, was backed by another 1500.  But there was only so much that could be done as the press of the unnatural equines continued unabated.  As more mages grew exhausted, it wasn’t going to be long before civilian unicorns would be pressed for their power.

As the creatures surrounded the city, their noxious odor wafted in.  Ponies were getting sickened by it and there was no way to stop it.  It was almost a separate assault of its own, and those who could stand it had no other recourse than to do so.  Those who could not gave into their biological functions and became wretching, vomiting masses, unable to stand from dizziness or debilitated in some other manner from the stench.

Fortunately, not all were affected.  “Muffin!”  Derpy saw her daughter and moved in for the kill…or rather, the glomp.  “I missed you!”

“Kinda busy, Mom,” Sparkler said, her face grimacing in concentration as she pumped all of her magic towards the primary shield, as well as staying on her feet, knocked off balance by the hug of a loving mother.  “But I’m glad to see you.”

“Hello, Sparkler,” Orange said briefly, pulling Derpy out of the way.  “If that shield comes down on our heads because your daughter got distracted, so help me Celestia, I’ll—”

“Your attention, please: all able-bodied pegasi are needed at this time at City Hall.”  The voice request was magically enhanced to ensure all ears heard; the telltale tickle of magic brushed the ears.  “Repeat, all able-bodied pegasi are needed this time at City Hall.”  The bickering was immediately dropped as both headed towards the center of town, to City Hall.

Upon arrival, they saw the city mayor and his council, standing at the front, already explaining.  “Look, we don’t have much time: as it stands, I spoke to Master Mage Peaceful Night and she said that the shields are holding, but they won’t hold out forever.  If that happens, we will start the immediate evacuation of all civilians from the city; foals and infirm get first priority, followed by teens and then adults last.  The doctors and nurses are rounding up those from the hospitals and we’re asking the city sheriff’s department to round up every foal we can, as well as every wagon possible.  When we give the word, all of you are to start evacuating towards Maneiapolis, towing a full cart – yes, that far.  Don’t expect on coming back.”

A pegasus towards the back shouted, “You’re asking us to evacuate the entire city with just a hoofful of pegasi, and all the way to Maneiapolis?  We don’t have the ponypower to do so!  And you want us to remain there after arrival?  What if we don’t evacuate everyone?  I have a husband and two teen-age foals – are we supposed to just abandon them?”

The mayor looked at the mare with equally sad eyes.  “I’m sorry, but we have to think of the younger foals and infirm.  I know how you feel – my wife and son are part of the Guild holding that shield up, and if I wasn’t a pegasus, I’d be the first in line to stay behind.  But unless any of you can think of how we’re going to beat those…things…out there, then we have to do what we have to do!”

At those words, Derpy wanted to feel sick and cry or scream or something.  This was supposed to be a time when she’d get to see her oldest daughter after a year of being gone, and now she was going to see her die if something didn’t happen.  She felt so numb, so completely out of her element, that she didn’t know what to do – if she could, she’d pack everyone and take them all the way to Ponyville where they could all be safe.  But this was real life, not fantasy, and things like that didn’t happen.

“Sis, pray that Celestia gives us a miracle,” Orange said at her side.  “I don’t have foals of my own, so I can’t imagine what you’re going through, but you’d better not show that weak face in front of Sparkler, okay?”

Derpy felt her sister nuzzle her.  “Okay, who are you and what did you do with my big sister?” she asked, surprised at the change in attitude.

“I deserve that, I guess.”  Orange fell silent herself, concerned that Derpy was going to lose it.  A thought came to her the other day that she’d joked with a friend that the war over on the other side of the world had nothing to do with them, because if it did, it would be at their doorsteps.  Well, if these strange black ponies were part of the war, someone was showing up for dinner.  “Derpy, I’m serious: Sparkler needs your support by you remaining calm, so you need to be calm, okay?”

Several groups of ponies raced past the city hall and someone asked aloud, “What’s going on?”

“Primary shield’s down.”  A Fleet pegasus – one of the reinforcements that had arrived in the past hour – landed by the mayor to give him an update.  “There’s a breach on the southern perimeter bridge, and we’re getting troops there in position in case the secondary shield fails, but if it does, that’ll be your cue to go!”

The crowd grew restless, but they knew what they had to do.  As the carts were being brought in, the pegasi, two at a time, began to harness themselves in, ready to fly at a moment’s notice.  Orange and Derpy hooked up to one carrying nothing but a nurse, two sickly ponies and a pair of fillies.  “Don’t worry, we’ll get you out of here safely,” Derpy turned to assure her passengers.  “I’m the town mailmare in Ponyville, so I’m used t—”

The cross-eyed pegasus looked at both fillies.  Both were unicorns, one was slightly older than the other, and both had variant shades of purple for their coats.  While they didn’t look precisely alike, the similarity was hard to ignore.  “Are you okay, miss?” the older filly asked, seeing the sudden look in Derpy’s eyes.

“I’m…okay,” she said, turning away before she cried.  She looked at the shield, and just minutes before, it had been a beacon of hope.  Now, with the knowledge that her daughter was powering that shield and it was the only thing keeping the city from turning into a full-scale battlefield, Derpy prayed to Celestia that it would hold; that a miracle would come.  If Derpy left, knowing Sparkler would never survive, her heart would be eternally broken.

At the edge of the flickering shield, the pony-like creatures continued to push hard against the mystic barrier.  As they were pushing against it, they somehow seemed to be growing stronger, as if they were draining the shield, absorbing the power into their own.  The shield shrunk back, inch by inch, under the onslaught of the beings.

On the Southern River Bridge, several guards were in position, ready with crossbows, swords, lances, spears and magic missile pods.  The sergeant in charge of the position, an EPG lieutenant, had all the troops ready.  “We can’t let them reach the bridge,” he told the troops, “it’s the weakest position and if they hit that point hard enough, it’ll break the secondary shield.”

“I don’t know about any of you, but I’m not letting them in,” an EPG sergeant snarled in a scratchy voice.  The earth pony hefted a large crossbow, and had it aimed at the center of the oncoming throng.  “My wife just had our foal last week, a filly.  No way those freaks are gettin’ past me.”

“We got your back, Sergeant Irontail,” a Fleet pegasus stated.  She was one of the reinforcements from Maneiapolis, and while she was wearing the older olive combat flight suits, she had the current generation gunpods.  “Gotta make sure you get back to your family.”

“Tell ya what,” another pegasus said on the other side of him as she had her pods at the ready, “Ensign Seaside Shore an’ I’ll do the cleanup, and you’re paying for the next round of cider.”  She then flashed a squeeful smile at him, and Irontail laughed.

As the ebon horde approached the bridge, that was the cue.  Picking up a spear, the lieutenant roared, “HIT THEM!” as he threw his spear.  At the cue, the troops cut loose with a barrage of offensive weaponry, hitting their targets with trained precision and leaving a cloud of black dust and smoke.  To their horror, the creatures rushed through.  Spears and quarrels stuck in their flanks briefly before popping out with a sickening slurp; body parts blown off by the magic blasts began to heal.  The creatures looked crazed, as if they were terrified to approach the guardsponies even as they kept on coming.

As the pegasi kept firing, the earth ponies charged forward, lances ready to kill.  With screams of rage, the lieutenant rushed forward, and with all his strength, he slammed his lance straight through the closest of the black ponies, driving it straight through the heart and viciously enough to completely impale the creature on it.  Turning to Irontail, he shouted, “Next lance!”

The look on the sergeant’s wide eyes should have been the warning, but he said it anyway, “Sir, look!”  As the lieutenant turned, what he saw next would haunt him for the next remaining seconds of his life.  Like something dragged through a viscous liquid, the lance fell through the bottom of the pony with the same sickening sound as earlier, leaving the creature unharmed.  Before the EPG trooper could react, however, three of the black ponies were on him, biting furiously.  The officer began screaming, a death knell as Irontail watched his officer being torn to shreds by the creatures.  There was blood everywhere, and the sergeant went into shock as he became soaked in sprays of red.  Soon, the other EPG soldiers were caught by the creatures, being dismembered in shrieks of agony.

Irontail felt a tug on his shoulder, and he almost screamed before he was turned face-to-face with Petty Officer Chocolate Blueberry, the one that made the cider demand.  “Get out of here,” she ordered.  “We’ve got this.”

“Are you cra—” he was going to say before he was cut off by her hoof.

“Go.  You’ve got to get your family to safety,” she said.  She quickly turned to look at her officer, but Seaside Shore, as well as the other fleet pegasi, was fixing edgeknives to her wings, reading for close-quarters combat.  Quickly ripping a locket out from under her flight suit, Chocolate Blueberry passed it to Ironeyes.  “There’s a stallion in Ponyville, name of Noteworthy.  Give this to him and…tell him I won’t be home,” she said, tears forming in her eyes.  “GO!  GET THE BUCK OUTTA HERE!” she roared again, turning to open fire on the black ponies as the fleet pegasi rushed in valiantly…and vainly.

He ran to the other end of the bridge and saluted them before turning and running.  He didn’t want his last memories of such brave ponies to be brutal, vicious deaths.

═╬═

“For the last time, pony,” the Alasxaqi sentry at the campsite snarled, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.  We have no contraband here, and even if we did, diplomatic conventions rule that this area is technically Alasxaqi land while we’re camped, thus making it subject to our laws.  Searching for what doesn’t exist is useless.”

“Oh, but then, you wouldn’t mind if we took a quick look then, if it’s okay with you,” Fluttershy said, offering her brightest smile to the dour wolf.  Behind her stood a detachment of guard that had been hastily grabbed by the three of them at Rarity’s insistence.  While they knew that this was going to be a potentially dicey situation – international incident with a potential ally, anypony? – none dared to show any emotion on their faces.

Rarity stepped forward.  “What my friend means to say is that we wholeheartedly believe you on that front,” she started, full well not believing a single word of it.  “It’s just that such accusations have a potential chance to drive the alliance apart, so Lady Knight Fluttershy and I stepped in to intervene.  If we take a look for ourselves, anyone daring to doubt further would have to go against the word of the Knights Elemental.”

The guardwolf shrugged.  “And that’s supposed to mean what to me, pony?  I don’t know what a Knight Elemental is from a Night in White Satin.  What I do know is that if King Aspenclaw finds out about this, he’ll have my hide, then yours, and then he might bring up a complaint with your ruler.  I like keeping my head attached, so no way no how are you getting in here, got it?”

“Sir, I must protest!” Rarity answered.  “The fate of the alliance hangs in the balance, and if the enemy is spreading baseless rumors, it could have a very damaging effect on the war effort.”  A thought suddenly came to her and she followed it.  “But imagine, if a smart and valiant wolf such as you were to assist us in investigating this – I’m quite sure such a forward-thinking and loyal act would be heard straight by his majesty himself.  After all, we will be going into war soon, and I’m sure King Aspenclaw will need plenty of brave officers in his retinue.”

The wolf scratched his chin in thought, and everyone could almost hear those rusty gears set into motion.  “I’m a private right now; I could make sergeant, maybe even lieutenant!”

“Or, perhaps…what’s your name, good sir?”

“Rimefur.”

“Just think of it: Rimefur, a brave and noble captain of the Alasxaqi army!”  She painted that picture with as liberal a flattery brush as she could muster.  “Dozens of troops, all riding forth on the field of battle, ready to gain more glory and honor for their gallant officer.  One of Aspenclaw’s rightpaw wolves, a name to be honored and spoken with the highest tones of awe.”  She faked a shiver of delight, adding, “Is that not just grand?”

“You’re absolutely right!”  Rimefur waved over two more soldiers.  “Head to the castle and let his majesty know that me and the Equestriani knights are looking into the false accusations.”

“Oh, I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” Fluttershy said, slightly stepping in front of the two other wolves without making it seem obvious.  “They were supposed to be in closed-door negotiations today and not even we can get a hold of our Princess.  I’m not sure they’d allow your wolves in either.”

“You’re right, I didn’t think of that.  Well, let’s get started, then.  The sooner this is over and done with, the sooner we can put those fears to rest,” he said before whispering, “Captain Rimefur – I think I like the sound of that.”

Rarity and Fluttershy looked at each other, the look signifying the first part of the plan had started.

At the far end of the camp, cleared by the events going on in the front, Rainbow Dash rocketed to and fro between tents, searching for the foreign princess.  The butterfly had led them here, and while Rarity and Fluttershy, backed by the guards, agreed to get the attention of the sentries, Dash could live up to her namesake and check the camp as quick as a wink.  In the space of the few minutes since the guards had been distracted, the blue pegasus had thoroughly checked four of the five tents.  What she saw in them pretty much made her sick; just because she was the supposed tomcolt of the Knights didn’t mean she could deal with everything…and what the wolves had as part of their culture would make just about any herbivore queasy.

Running around the far side of the largest tent, she looked for a window.  This was the king’s tent, the last one to be searched.  Considering everything she saw before, this was going to probably be by far and away the worst of them all.  She swore she could even smell the stench of cooked meat wafting from within the animal hide tent.  At last, she found a small window, just barely large enough for her to fit through, and the stench flowing through it.  Breathing in a big gulp of air and holding it in, she dived through the window, ready to be assaulted by the odor.

As she jumped in, she noticed the princess, looking at her with a mixture of shock and surprise.  Rainbow wasted no time in starting to undo the fox’s bonds, telling her, “Rarity got your message.  We’re here to bust you out.”

Haruka looked at her rescuer with no small amount of appreciation.  “Thank you.  I take it you’re Lady Knight Rainbow Brite?”

“It’s Rainbow Dash.”  Seriously, where did that whole “Rainbow Brite” thing come from, anyway? she wondered, having heard it once too many times.  Well, nevermind that right now.  “How you holding up?”

“I can walk, but the bonds drained my magic – it’s going to take hours for anything significant to come back,” she replied.

“Well, looks like the way I came in ain’t gonna be an option,” the pegasus mused.  “We’re going to have to go through the front door.”  The pair made for the tent opening, steeling themselves, as they knew there’d be resistance…when things got worse.  A guard, moving ahead of the searchers, raced into the King’s tent to clean things up, instead ran into both escapee and rescuer.

“Um…hi?” Rainbow waved before rushing past him, dragging Haruka in the process.

“Intruders!  They’re stealing the King’s mistress!”  The guard howled, a warning bay echoing through the tent and sounding out into the beyond.

“‘Mistress?’” Haruka shouted as she regained her footing.

“Later, Princess!” Dash yelled back.  “No time for….”  She immediately hit the brakes as she noticed what was pointed right at her; a split-second later the fox princess careened into her, sending both tumbling to the ground, making it easier for the now-alert wolves to point pikes right at them.  As for Rainbow Dash, while she could probably blast away without a scratch, she couldn’t do so while carrying Haruka in some form, and there was no chance she was leaving the fox behind.

Fortunately, she didn’t have to.

“Guards!  Arrest everyone on the compound!”  Rarity’s voice carried from the far end of the compound, and the guard escort rushed in, expecting battle.  Dash and Haruka looked at the wolves with knowing grins as one ordered two to guard them while the rest joined the fray.

Rimefur looked at Rarity, half-shocked and half-enraged.  “You tricked us!”

The unicorn thrust an accusing hoof in the direction of the mob.  “And you lied to us, and enslaved the Inari princess!  What do you have to say to that, ruffian?”  His answer was to swing a claw at her, with the fashionista barely able to dodge.  Magic lit up her horn, and she flung the wolf several feet away from her and Fluttershy.  “Fluttershy, dear, you need to move!”

Unfortunately, from the moment the battle began, Fluttershy found herself frozen in her tracks.  She felt nearly all but her mind shut down, as she was only able to watch as if disembodied, her Cartesian theatre featuring a live-action wargame.  She wanted to scream for them to all stop, for there to be a way to resolve this peacefully, but as the first blades clashed, the chances of a placid resolution became nigh impossible, a fact buoyed a second later as one of the wolf sentries raked a bloody streak across the face of a pegasus, who only had time to roar in pain before his attacker shoved a sword through his chest, killing him instantly.  The wolf, however, didn’t last long, cut down a few seconds later by the sure hoof of a unicorn archer.

Nonononononononono…. StopstopstopstopstopstopstopstopstopstopSTOPSTOPSTOPSTOPSTOPSTOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*  Fluttershy screamed in her mind, unable to get the words out to the combatants as the world became bloodier and blurrier.  She couldn’t discern true figures anymore, just movements of black turning into sprays of red as they died, all action timed to the sound of her own heartbeat on overdrive, a heart that seemed to be saying the same thing over and over at an increased rate: *Pacifist.  Failure.   Pacifist.  Failure.  Pacifist.  Failure.  Pacifist.  Failure….

No, I don’t want anyone to die!  Please, stop!

Failure.

But I can’t move!  If I do, I’ll end up in the fight, too!

Pacifist.

But if I fight, others will die!

Failure.

There was a sudden rusty scream in the blurry distance of Fluttershy’s fear-blinded vision.  A huge hulking smear of black stood over two smaller smears, one with a red streak.  The larger smear rushed towards the smaller ones, and the red-stained one barely dodged, protecting the smaller one.  For some reason, Fluttershy focused on this one: the smaller blurs were going to lose.

Then the stained one turned light blue.

“I SAID STOP!”  Before she even knew that she’d moved, the yellow pegasus noted a dizzying, stomach-churning change in her view.  When it stopped, everything became crystal clear, and she found herself looking straight into the terrified face of a wolf sentry, sword held over his head for the kill.  The look on his face grew more and more terrified, and it suddenly started to dawn on Fluttershy that she wasn’t looking at the wolf – she was Staring at it, her natural weapon on full glare.

The wolf turned and ran, dropping his sword; that was all the blur behind Fluttershy needed to tackle the wolf, pinning him by the tail with his own sword.  The wolf’s scream shook Fluttershy to full realization, and she noticed Rainbow Dash, bleeding from a gash on the arm, holding the wolf down, refusing to let go of the sword she’d buried in his tail.

“Rainbow!” Fluttershy screamed.

“Arrgh…it looks worse than it hurts, Fluttershy,” the pegasus grunted, focusing more on the sword and the fact that at any moment, the wolf would turn around and start attacking her.  Fortunately that didn’t happen: three guardsponies, looking the worse for wear, held their weapons at the downed sentry, signaling for his surrender.  As one of the guard unicorns magically bound him, Rarity raced towards them, carrying bandages.

“Rainbow, dear, are you okay?” she asked, proffering the first aid kit to Fluttershy, who immediately started to dress the wound.

“I’m okay, Rarity, sheesh, you guys worry too much,” Rainbow feigned, though the smile on her face indicated she was grateful for her friends’ concern.  “But we would’ve been toast if wasn’t for the fact that Fluttershy only comes through in emergencies!”  A couple of seconds later she realized she unintentionally insulted her friend and amended it with, “Sorry, I meant she really comes through in emergencies.  Sorry, Fluttershy, I guess my brain’s working faster than my mouth again.”

“Oh, that’s no problem, I understood what you meant.”  Out of all her friends, she’d known Rainbow Dash the longest, which meant there were certain mannerisms that the yellow pegasus could read that the others hadn’t quite figured out yet, and right now, all Fluttershy could see was tension.  She’s mad at me because I didn’t step in sooner.  She’s mad at me because I’m a coward.  Had Fluttershy been truly paying attention, she would have noticed the tension was from Rainbow’s reaction to the stinging pain of the cleaning solution that had been applied to the wound before Fluttershy began wrapping it.

Meanwhile, Rarity had turned to the Inari princess.  “Haruka dear, are you okay?  Those brutes didn’t do anything to you, did they?”

“A little sickened by the barbaric decorations of King Aspenclaw’s tent, but otherwise unharmed,” Haruka replied.  “I suppose I should be grateful that he decided to ‘save’ me for the trip, but I’m rather hard pressed to show any appreciation.”

“Well, you can just show him in the flesh, then,” Rarity answered, her eyes filled with indignation.  “Princess Celestia must be informed about Alasxaqa’s betrayal before they depart or else we’ll be compromised.”

═╬═

Under the pressure of the black ponies, the shimmering shield finally sputtered and died.  “Shield’s down!” Peaceful Night shouted.  “Begin the evacuation!”

“NO IT’S NOT!”  The command had roared like a voice of a vehement god, and quite literally all eyes went skyward.  As they did, they noticed a thick wall of energy, blistering with power, surrounding the entire city in an instant.  Up high above, a violet star fumed in the afternoon sky, radiating with a brilliant glow to rival the sun itself.

Someone shouted out, “It’s the Knight of Magic!” and gasps of relief and cheers began to fill the sky.  The Knight Commander Elemental of Magic was now on scene, and woe be to the enemy that dared to cross Twilight Sparkle.  A few swore that despite how high up she was on that pegasus carriage, they could make out her august and imposing figure, daring the ebon monsters to challenge her.

“Showoff!” Soarin’ laughingly called from his position, seeing something quite different from the city below saw.  Sure, there were very few ponies alive who had the capability of casting a magic barrier around a city, but most of them tended to do so from the ground, not perched precariously on the top of a pegasus-drawn carriage.

“I don’t suppose you could do this, could you?” Pumpkin snarled at him.  Right now, she was doing all she could to ensure that Twilight stayed safely planted on top of the carriage; so focused was she on the spell, she hadn’t thought of setting a stabilizing spell previously.  “By the way, if she falls, you’re going next, got that?”  Pumpkin’s eyes narrowed; she meant every word of that threat she uttered.

“Easy, Pumpkin.  Soarin’ didn’t mean any harm by that.”  Beneath them, the door to the carriage opened once more, and the Princess of the Night jumped out, stretching her dark wings and taking to the sky.  “She tends to be a bit protective of us,” she explained to the ice-blue pegasus.

“A new member of the Knights?” he inquired.

“Actually, she’s my hoofmaiden and private assassin.”  When Soarin’ blanched at that, she added with a shrug, “Well, I am trying to break her of the latter habit….”

The Stormrunners’ CO ignored that last comment; it was well known that Princess Luna’s sense of humor ran toward what could charitably be called bizarre.  “Well, we’re ready to begin our attack run when you give us the go, your highness.”

“Have your fliers prepare to descend to assist the city; they’ll need all the hooves they can get.  I’ll take care of this myself,” she said, her eyes growing grim as she sped away from the rest, coming to a point just above the shield.  She began to glow, stronger than moonlight, more than twilight – and Twilight – and briefly became a fierce blue ball of power, enough to rival Celestia’s sun in brilliance.  That soon ended as she screamed “YOU WON’T HARM ANOTHER OF MY PONIES!” and let the power flow down at the horde of targets below.

When the lightning hit, it was nothing less than the literal strike of an angry divinity. The creatures began to scream in unearthly tones of pain as the plasma raked across their unnatural forms, coursing through them and impaling them on dozens of angry jags of magically-created electricity.  They quaked and jittered with the telltale signs of being electrocuted before beginning to bloat as if they were part of a fleet of black balloons.  Finally, the thousands of black ponies popped, a burst sending a sickening scent over the skyline of Whinnypeg.  Black ichor, the remains of the ponies, rained against the shield—

—and suddenly, they were gone.  No sign that they had ever been there, save for the external damage done to the city limits outside of the original shields.

As Twilight began to drop her shield, Soarin’ approached the princess.  “Faster than we could have done it.  Nice job obliteratin’ them.”

She looked at him, and the surprise never fell from their face.  “You don’t understand: they disappeared on their own.”

The hours fell towards night, and the citizenry of Whinnypeg were treated to the rare sight of seeing Luna both lower the sun and raise the moon – with Celestia’s attention on the summit, Luna agreed to handle both for a couple of days; it was a fun challenge for her, as she had to correct the angle of both celestial objects to take account of her difference in location from Canterlot.  It also brought hope to the beleaguered city that both the Night Princess and the Knight Elemental of Magic were present this night to protect them.

While Luna stayed in the town to be a figure of comfort, Twilight moved out to the battlesite to get a better idea of what had occurred.  She was escorted by Irontail, the lone survivor of the twelve ponies fighting outside the shield to protect the bridges.  Twilight had specifically asked for his presence, as it would make her investigation easier; as for Irontail, when a Knight asked for your presence, a stallion just couldn’t turn down that level of authority.

Her horn currently in use as a flashlight, Twilight turned to Irontail.  “So, this is the place where you and the others were pinned down?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Irontail answered.  “It was me and Lieutenant Golden Raisin an’ some squaddies; and we were joined by two fleet pegasi, an ensign and a petty officer.  Can’t remember the name of the former, but the other was Chocolate Blueberry….”  He trailed off as he saw the look on her face; it was obvious.  “You knew her?”

“Not personally, but I know her fiancé, Noteworthy – he’s going to be devastated.  What happened?”

Irontail shook his head.  “She saved my life, because my little filly was born last week.”  The grief just slammed him, survivor’s guilt on full auto.  “I should have been out there to die with them, but she insisted that my little filly needed her father.”  He finally broke down, the tears coming.

“They were brave and did the right thing.”  Twilight patted him on the shoulder.  “One of my friends grew up without parents, and she told me in many ways, it’s the most horrible thing ever.  Your fellow troops all knew that and couldn’t let you make that sacrifice.  Honor theirs by living – this war isn’t over yet.”

“I have something that she passed me to give to Noteworthy.”  He was going to pull it out of his utility belt, but Twilight stopped him.

“No.  That’s your mission, Sgt. Irontail, her last wish.  I’ll see that you get permission to leave for Ponyville to do so.  Noteworthy will understand; he’s a very sensible stallion.”  She turned around to focus back on her duties, when she stepped on something.  “What’s this?”  She used her magic to float it to her face, then turned to Irontail.  “Did this belong to…?”

“No, ma’am.  None of the others were wearing any visible jewelry, far as I know.  EPG regs prevent it, and all of us were stallions.  While the pegasi were nearly all mares, I’m guessing Fleet regs are probably even stricter due to flight hazards,” he answered.

“I thought so…I recognize this, in any case.”  Twilight immediately conjured a communication spell.  “Princess Luna, can you hear me?”

“I hear you perfectly, my knight.”  Both were on the clock, so their usual informality gave way to duty.  “Is there something amiss?”

“I just found something: a barrette with a cherry design on it.  I recognize the design, and if I’m right…let’s just hope I’m wrong.”

“I know you, my stalwart mage, and you are scarcely amiss.”  Twilight translated that to her friend’s real concerns: you’re probably not wrong.

I was afraid of that.  “The barrette…belongs to Cherry Jubilee, a cherry farmer south of Oatmaha, a friend of Applejack’s.  Those ‘things’ that attacked today…they’re the residents of Dodge Junction.”

“So you think…?”

“The enemy’s using everything against us.  Including necromancy.”

═╬═

The sun had long set in Canterlot, and the meeting drew to a close.  All in all, it had been a fairly productive day; all had agreed to form an alliance to face the Black Ponies.  While there was little they could do, Ambassador Magnet pledged that the sealanes would stay open, and that his country would ensure that supplies made it from one continent to another if they had to go by sea.  The lone holdout in any of this had been Inari, who had not sent a delegate and may have somehow been offended by something.

“Your majesty,” King Aspenclaw stated in formal tones, “it is entirely possible that…the Inariese…they may have allied with the Black Ponies.”  As others gasped, he shook his head sorrowfully.  “Can it be anything else?  They have not sent a delegation, and they have a full embassy here in Canterlot, unlike many other nations.  There can be no other explanation.”

Bauxite looked at his rival; the very fact that the wolf king was being excessively polite was a danger sign.  “Your majesty, with all due regard: you’re being rather…civil today.”

Aspenclaw nodded.  “I had much to think about last night, some of which was my scandalous behavior of the prior day.  I owe both you and Princess Celestia a great apology, and it is my desire to speak with both of you later in private,” he said, bowing to both Bauxite and Celestia in turn.  “But for now, we must do something about our former Inari allies.  They have clearly tur—”

“STOP!”  The great doors to the chamber room flew open, and Rarity burst in, flanked by a huge retinue of guards.  “Guards, seize King Aspenclaw!  Aspenclaw, I arrest you on charges of rape and kidnapping while on Equestriani territory!”

“What?” Aspenclaw’s face went from surprised to murderous all in a matter of seconds.  “You dare to attempt to arrest me, a king?”

“Rarity, would you clarify?”  Celestia left her seat, walking towards her knight.  While Spike had discretely notified her of what was going on, the accusations were as serious as who she was accusing.  There would need to be evidence, and while Celestia would easily take the word of her knight and friend over anything Aspenclaw said, there had to be concrete proof that could be used to nail his hide to the wall.

Not taking her eyes off him, Rarity snarled, “He and his allies – the Black Ponies – captured Princess Haruka last night.  The plan was to spy on us, then to take her back with him to Eversnow as his ‘entertainment.’” She spat the word, looking at the wolf king as fiercely as he looked at her.  “You, who would take the innocence of a fair maiden?  You’re no king; you’re scum of the earth!”

Celestia looked at Aspenclaw, her face contorting in anger.  “Explain yourself.”

The wolf opened his mouth, but his voice came from elsewhere: “Please let her majesty the Queen of Magic know that I will be back in Eversnow within a week, and we will most warmly welcome an envoy from our new ally when it is convenient for her.”  He looked up and found Princess Haruka, flanked by Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, using her magic to recreate the scene.  A paper diorama played before her, the tale of the treacherous king.

Haruka faced Celestia, relief and gratitude shining in her eyes.  “Your majesty, I would be still trapped and my homeland falsely accused of treachery had it not been for the efforts of your Knights Elemental.  I am eternally in their debt, and I pledge that Inari stands with you against the Black Ponies.”  She then looked at Aspenclaw and added, “And their allies.”

“You mangy cur!” Aspenclaw roared at Haruka.  “You’ve undone my plans!  When I am done with you, you’ll beg to be my plaything!”  Enraged, the wolf king launched at the fox princess, ready to tear her to shreds with his claws, murder in his eyes.

He never got that close.

The lights went out, and any semblance of warmth suddenly drained from the room, leaving a chill not unlike the native lands of the wolf king.  But then it got colder, more than anything Aspenclaw had ever faced and enough to send a shiver through his body.  As for his body, he found he could not move, somehow locked into place by magic.

“You’re a fool, Aspenclaw.”

The voice was echoing, angry and righteous.  In the dark of the room a flare of white flickered into existence, painful enough to burn his eyes even as he couldn’t remove his eyesight from the view of the burning star before him.  The star walked closer to him, and he noticed its shape: wings, horn, a scowl on its beautiful face.  On her beautiful face.

“You dared to hurt someone under my protection in my lands, Aspenclaw.  All for the sake of being a pawn for the Queen of Magic.”

Stars winked into existence all around them.  The billions of lights against the dark sable, all occulting with brilliant existence, all bearing witness to his treachery.  As one, they all seemed to shine on Celestia, adding to her brilliance all the more, making his pain even more unbearable.

“You betrayed us, and for what?  Nothing.  You call yourself a king, but in truth, you’ve become a pawn of the Queen, a pawn about to be removed from the chessboard.  Oh, your country will fight to avenge you, but they needed a reason to do so; and by sacrificing you, the Black Ponies can oh-so-nobly say they stand beside Alasxaqa in its war against Equestria.  A war they started using you as bait.”

Though he could not so much as move a single muscle even in his mouth, his mind was his own, and he screamed at her with it. I will yet live, Celestia, and I will have my revenge.  You cannot harm me, whelping.  I am a king, and you but a mere princess.

No.  I am no mere princess; you should have realized that by now.  But, I suppose you’re too stubborn to think about such things.  She sighed, and though the sound was soft, it felt like each note pounded his eardrums.  But it matters little, and I’ve no reason to punish the commoners of your lands because of your stupidity.

Reality shifted again, and all stood in the room once more.  Every eye in the room was fixed on the Sun Princess, and not a few with horror: what she had done she’d shown all and made it clear: no further treachery would be tolerated.  The looks on the faces of the polar bear, tanuki and winged dragon representatives made it obvious that they too had been approached by the Black Ponies; the three were now hastily rethinking their newfound alliances as the Princess of Equestria had just exposed them to the error of their ways.

“Spike,” she started, “take a letter.”  He’d expected it, and had one on standby.  Pausing long enough to ensure he was ready, she said, “Through my authority as Divinity of the Sun and Princess of Equestria, I, Celestia, hereby declare war against the unnamed one who calls herself the Queen of Magic and her host, who we know as the Black Ponies or the gypsies.  I order my military to immediately initiate hostilities against them as directed by my needs or those of my allies.”  She looked down as she finished the dictation; to her, the very act of going to war for the third time in her life was an abject failure on her part.

Remembering what was transpiring, Celestia looked at Bauxite.  “Lord Bauxite, I request that Draconia begin a military campaign against Alasxaqa immediately.  Make it quick and decisive; no commonfolk should be harmed because of the folly of their rulers.”

“You shall have it, with our thanks,” Bauxite replied as he humbly bowed.  “We will be in their capital in a week, Your Holiness, and we will treat all our new subjects with the greatest of care.”  With that, he departed the room, headed back towards his embassy to order the assault.

That done, Celestia turned back to Aspenclaw.  “There: you no longer have to worry about your kingdom, Aspenclaw.  Within a week it will be a protectorate of Draconia, and probably a permanent part of it within a few years.”

“You can’t do this!” he roared at her.  “I am a king!”

“And I am not merely the so-called Princess of the Sun – I am the sun!”  The fire in her eyes raged more than anything Aspenclaw had ever seen before, and for the first time in his life, he tasted fear, as well as a haunting realization: she truly was a divinity, and he was truly at the end of his days.  He felt the heat of her wrath on him, and it was hard to miss: the temperature in the room suddenly flared a dozen degrees and she blazed brighter than anything in the sky.  Her broiling heat burned mere inches away from him, and he whimpered, a sound that did not go unnoticed.

Seeing the look of utter defeat cross his face, she relaxed a little and the room’s temperature returned to normal.  She gave all in the room a look of apology, and then she looked back at Aspenclaw.  “Aspenclaw of Alasxaqa, you have been found guilty of attempted rape, kidnapping and conspiracy, and the Crown of Equestria holds you in judgment.  I have but one last thing for you.”

Aspenclaw stood before her, shivering.  Whatever existed of his bravado was now a long-gone memory, and the wolf king had been reduced in a manner of seconds to a titleless, landless pup.  “What?” he asked, knowing it was the last thing he’d ever say in this life.

Celestia smiled at him, but there was no mirth or happiness in that smile, only judgment.  But her eyes, her luminous eyes held a glee in them, a merriment that bordered on the monstrous.  “Tell me, Aspenclaw: do you like bananas?”

═╬═

They found him on the field bordering Golden Harvest’s carrot farm.  As he’d been out there the whole day, Applejack and Cheerilee decided to give him as much time as was needed.  Bu now, it was extremely late out and he hadn’t eaten a thing all day, so the mares packed some food and went off to find him.  Goldengrape had left hours ago, citing a need to return to Canterlot and leaving the situation in Applejack’s capable hooves.  Apple Bloom wanted to go along, but they asked her to remain behind with Granny Smith; the underlying message had been clear: it was something the three of them had to work out separately.

What they found on that barren field, was a magnificent sight.  Silhouetted by the stars and the moon on the mostly unused land, there was Mac, practicing long-unused sword movements.  He flowed in a rhythmic, fluid way, the large stallion moving so swiftly and gracefully in ways that neither mare had ever seen before.  As they watched his hypnotic sword routines, it was almost like watching another pony entirely, and not the gentle, kind stallion both had loved for so long.

He suddenly stopped and without looking in their direction said, “An’ Ah’ll teach y’ and th’ others t’ fight like this, Applejack.  Ah’m not lettin’ mah sister out there without bein’ able to protect herself, even if y’ outrank me.”

Applejack smiled.  “Goldengrape told me t’ tell ya, whate’er y’ want, ‘t’s yers.  He’s goin’ t’ set ya up wit’ th’ best Destrier team there ever wus.”

She could see his smile.  “Tell ‘im Ah’m puttin’ th’ band back together. Purp’ll reckon whut Ah mean.”

Cheerilee stepped forward.  “Mac, Goldengrape told me everything.  He didn’t want to, but, well, you know me.”

Mac’s smile disappeared.  “Ah didn’t want’cha t’ know, honey, c—”  He was immediately silenced by her kiss.

She looked him straight in the eyes.  “You’re no killer, Mac.  You’re a hero and the stallion I love, the stallion I married.”  She kissed him again before nuzzling him.  “You’re the most gentle and wonderful pony I know, and you did what you had to in order to save lives.  That’s nothing to be afraid of – it’s something to be proud of.”

“But Ah could do it agin,” he explained as he looked into her loving eyes.

“Then Ah reckon yer prolly savin’ more lives,” Applejack answered.  “Neither y’ nor Ah came inta this life expecting this.  Ma ‘n Pa, they ne’er wouda let us have lives like this if they couda done something ‘bout it.  But there’re killers out there, an’ we have t’ do sumthin’ ‘bout it.  Yer an Apple, and we Apples nurture th’ land an’ feed the ponies…but sometimes, we gotta protect it all, too.”

Macintosh reached over and embraced two of the mares closest to him in his life.  He had to protect them: the storm was coming and he stood between it and his family.  If he could teach Applejack how to protect herself with a sword and keep the enemy from his family, he would do so.  “Ah’ll protect y’ both.  Ah’ll protect y’ all,” he whispered, holding them both close.

Cheerilee held her husband as well.  She loved him and nothing would ever change that.

Applejack looked at her brother and sister-in-law.  This ‘s the reason Ah’ll fight, she thought to herself.  T’ protect their happiness.

As they let go, Cheerilee took that moment to start undoing the picnic supplies.  “There’s nothing like a moonlight picnic to spend time together,” she said, “and you probably haven’t eaten anything all day, have you?”  Cheerliee started breaking out the food and for a moment, there was just absolute peace.  Tomorrow would be a different day, another day, but for now, there was nothing but love and peace.

PRIMUS: The Calm Before the Storm

Dawn rose on the land of Caballus…or what used to be the land of Caballus.  In less than a month, a third of the nation had fallen to the Black Ponies and was now the land belonging to the Queen of Magic.  She hadn’t named the land yet; in fact the only thing that had been named since the gypsies had returned to their homeworld was the nearly-complete castle, Bright Eyes’ Citadel.  Most of the jagged, crystalline structure had been finished, and the sculptors had begun work on the masterpiece, the gold-and-marble statue of Queen Bright Eyes that would adorn the top of the castle.

From her position in her room, Rainbow Dash, the Queen of Magic, watched as her subjects built the monument to her ancestress.  Once complete, the statue would be placed in a way to forever watch over the ruins of Canterlot, a fitting honor for such a wronged queen.  Rainbow Dash could only wish that she’d have met Bright Eyes in the flesh; the two would probably agree that such an honor was well deserved.  There was even a tiny mausoleum under the left forehoof of the statue, so that when Celestia and Luna were killed, they would be forever interred there, destined to spend eternity under the hoof of their better.

As she sat up in bed, a cooing sound emanated next to her: the young mare that had spent the night with her; quite a few, in fact.  A beautiful earth pony with a rose-colored coat and honey-colored mane, she was willing and eager and didn’t care what others thought.  She wore the manacles of a lesser, a native of this world; due to her position as the queen’s plaything, her manacles were an ornate silver and gold affair.  In the week since she’d chosen Rose Hills to be hers, she was under no illusions: Rainbow thought of her as fondly as she would a pet, and Rose was probably seeking a way to escape the fate of so many of the other lessers.  Looking at the mare’s still, beautiful form, Rainbow thought that maybe once the war was over and everything was rightfully hers, she could perhaps consider a longer relationship with Rose, but that was for a future time.

There was a knock on the door, and Rainbow called out, “Please, come in.”  Minty walked in, followed by two other mares: a gray pony with a fiery orange mane, and a magenta one with an amber mane.  “Ah, my generals.  Welcome, my friends.”

As Rainbow made to get up, she felt a tug on her shoulder: it was Rose.  “Do you have to leave so soon?” the mare pouted.

Rainbow bent down and kissed her.  “Duty calls; I shall be back shortly.”  Slipping on a robe, Rainbow Dash said to the others, “Let us talk in the tea room. I’m sure it’s private.”  The four left the room, heading to the next.  As they sat by the table, Rainbow smiled.  “It’s good to see all of you, my friends.”

“First off, Waterfire and Star Song apologize for not being able to make it, but they’re both currently involved with field operations,” Minty said.  “Second, it’s good to see you smiling again.  Your fillyfriend there has got you wrapped around her hoof.”

“Hardly.  I’m fond of Rose, but I’m hardly picking out matching accessories.”  Minty just gazed at the queen before she answered with, “Okay, I do find her attractive.  Is there anything wrong with that?”

“Yes, there is,” Amberlocks said in a huff.  “If you were looking for comfort in the bed, you could have called me.  You know I’d sleep with you in a heartbeat.”

“Amber, you know I don’t feel that way about you; I consider you a dearest friend, but you’re not my type.”  But the argument wasn’t done.  “And I see you have a complaint, Autumn, darling?”

“What you do with your free time is your call, Rainbow, and as your friend, I’m happy for you.  But as your general, I must point out to you the danger of treating a lesser as an equal.  The more you stay with her, the more you equalize your relationship, and the more you put a lie to all our tribe has ever known about this world and its inhabitants.”

“So what would you have me do?”

“Kill her and make it publically known she was there to please you and only that.  If you don’t have the heart to do it, I’ll do it for you.  Or we can let Amber do it – Amber, I’m sure you’d be more than happy to off the little minx that took your spot, correct?”  The way Autumn phrased it, had not Rainbow been sitting there, Amberlocks would have went straight in the bedroom and ran her sword right through Rose, if not worse.

“No.  She is mine and that is all there is to be said of that – and if something happens to her, you two are the ones I will doubt most of all.”

“She’s a weakness that can be exploited, Rainbow.  If you must have somepony to keep you warm at night, take one of our own tribesponies.  There are plenty of mares who would jump at the chance.  Even a few stallions too, I daresay.”

“No.  We are done with this conversation.”  Before anypony else could say further, she changed the subject.  “How long will it be before we march on Trottingham?”

“Truthfully?  We could be there in a week.  But as your orders were to go slow and steady, we will take the rest of the country first.  That will slow down the march another three months, presuming no major offensives from Caballan forces or those of its allies.  That should give plenty of time for panic to set in as well as the ability to fortify our position on the other fronts until we have the entire northeastern continent under our hooves.”

“What about the southeastern and great eastern continents?”

“I will swing south and start eliminating any sense of organization in the southeastern lands,” Amberlocks answered.  “From what we know, the nations there have historically been disorganized, so it should be foal’s play to sweep any combatants off the battlefield.  The challenge will come from the sheer size of the great eastern continent.  It will take all five of us to put down that beast of a landmass: the nations there have, unlike the southeast, a history of warfare and being brutally good at it.  The nation of Inari, in fact, has had nothing but a history of internecine warfare up until their emperor solidified power a little over a hundred years ago.  We can beat them, but to do so thoroughly will take at least a year, and that’s without any assistance.  I would count on that being the biggest issue of our fight to take back our world.”

The Queen of Magic mused.  “That would mean a timetable of three, possibly four years to take this world back.”  She looked at her generals; save for the two absent, they all nodded in agreement.  “Then so it shall be.  We waited three years to find our home, another two years of preparation and that’s atop the three years of war against the Hierophant.  Another hoofful of years is a small price to pay to ensure we regain what is rightfully ours.” She stood up.  “So be it.  Take Trottingham in three months, then settle down for the long haul.  All of you, relax and enjoy the day while you are still in our lands.  As for me, I have my own duties to attend to.”

“Oh?” Minty asked.  Though the others didn’t speak, it was clearly on their minds as well.

“Of course.  The large-scale use of the Afflicted on one of the Equestriani cities last week proved to be quite a boon in the terror department.  I intend to create more, and start scaring Celestia’s allies as well.”

“Necromancy – I don’t care for it,” Amberlocks answered.  “It feels a step too far, Rainbow.”

“Perhaps.  But when I swore I’d lead my tribesponies home, I vowed to do everything in my power to do so.  And if that means damning myself to ensure the future of our tribe?  So be it.  All of you dismissed, save for Minty.  Minty, darling, I need to talk to you in private about something very important.”

“As you will, my Queen,” the three said in unison.

═╬═

A house in Ponyville, dark as night, lights out: an oddity for the midday; also an oddity that it was a house and not a home.  But a week ago, it stopped being a home, would never be one again.  And if Noteworthy had anything to say about it – or rather, drink about it – it’d just end up as his mausoleum.

But not if Macintosh had anything to say in that matter.  “Notes, git up, git sober, an’ let’s git goin’.  Y’ can’t jest lay here an’ die.”

Noteworthy drank the fifteenth? Sixteenth?  Whatever number of cider and stumbled away from the fridge.  “I can’t, Mac.  She’s gone.  The love of my life is gone.”  His hooves gave out from underneath him and the blue earth pony collapsed to the floor, the can of cider spilling all over the place.  “CB….” he moaned, burying his face in his hooves.

“Ah said, git up, Notes.  She woudn’ wanna see y’ like this.”

“Do you know what the funniest part of all this is?” he slurred in an almost dreamlike voice.  “All the years I was in the EPG and she was a civvie, she was constantly afraid of something happening to me.  So when she joined the Fleet and I got out, we joked that nothing was ever going to happen.”  His head seemed to bob on the way down.  “I’m a fool, Mac.  We should’ve married last fall, like I wanted, but she wanted a summer wedding, and….”  Depression gave way to the moan of a soul, completely lost.

Macintosh reached down and pulled the other stallion back to his hooves.  “Y’ want at those buckers who done y’ wrong?  Ah’ll break th’ world t’ help ya wit’ that, Blues.  But Ah won’t help ya wit’ drinkin’ yerself t’ th’ grave, got it?”  Noteworthy looked at him with bleary eyes before nodding.  “Good.  Let’s get y’ cleaned up, an’ we’ll go put th’ hurt on them.”  He left the drunken pony standing there while he walked to the door.  “He’s back,” he told those waiting.  “Might not be perfect, Ah reckon, but ‘ts better than th’ alternt’ve.”

Cheerilee stood with Bon-Bon at the front door, relieved at the news.  “That’s great to hear, honey,” Cheerilee said.

“I’ll keep an eye on him,” Bon-Bon promised.  “He and CB were a perfect couple…it’s hard to believe she’s gone.”

“War does that,” Mac drawled with a tone of regret.  “Gotta git ‘im cleaned up an’ ready t’ go.”

“You two go do whatever you need to; I’ll take care of it,” the cream-colored earth pony replied.  “I’ll toss him in the shower and get him spiffed up – nothing I haven’t seen before.”  Suddenly, she found both her friends staring at her.  “Well, I, uh, experimented in college,” she explained, “dated quite a few stallions before I found what I really wanted in a mate.  Just don’t tell Lyra – she thinks she’s the first.”

Cheerilee giggled.  “Your secret’s safe with us.”

“Excuse me,” a young pony said, catching their attention.  He was in his early 20s, well-built and had the mane cut of somepony in the EPG who still stuck a bit too much to the regs.  “I’m looking for a Mister Noteworthy.”

“An’ ya are?”  The pony was easily half Mac’s age, reminding him just how old he’d become while the world caught up to him.

“Sergeant Irontail, EPG, 114th Infantry, out of Fort Whinnypeg.”  He sighed.  “I’ve got…I’ve got something to give him.”

“Y’ can give it t’ me,” Mac said, intervening.  “Major Noteworthy’s not up t’ seein’ anypony at th’ moment.”

“And you are?”

“Brigadier Macintosh, 1st Destriers.”

Irontail’s eyes went wide open; despite both being in civilian attire at the moment, the younger pony saluted.  “Sorry, sir!  But I was asked specifically to give this directly to him, from Fleet Petty Officer Chocolate Blueberry.”  The mares standing there turned away, and the mood went darker.  “I guess you already know, then.  It’s been a week, so….”  He opened his saddlebags and pulled out her ID tags.  “She wanted him to have this.”

Mac took it, passing it to one of the mares.  “Bon-Bon, make shure Notes gets this when he’s good ‘n sober.  No likely knowin’ whut he’d do wit’ ‘em otherwise.”

“Absolutely,” she said, taking them.

Meanwhile, Mac looked at Irontail.  “Well, c’mon, Sarge, we got work t’ do.”

“Sorry, sir – I’m only in town to pass this on to him, then I have to return to my unit.”

The russet earth pony shook his head.  “Not anymore.  Y’ were sent as th’ sniper, so way Ah sees it, y’ owe Blues.  Only way t’ fix that is t’ be wit’ us.  Ah’ll take care o’ it – yer with th’ Destriers now.  Fer now, Ah need ya t’ round up a few more ponies in town.  After that, yer headin’ back an’ get yer family – yer movin’ t’ Ponyville.”

“Um…how’d you know I have a family, sir?”

Mac’s only answer was to shake his head while Cheerilee spoke up.  “You smell like baby powder, sergeant.  Only newborn parents have that smell.”

“I…see.  That’s how she knew.”  As they looked at him, he explained everything, from his running into CB to her sacrifice.  “I wouldn’t be standing here if it wasn’t for her.  I owe her everything.”

“Trust me,” Mac said in a voice with no humor, “we’ll make shure yer paid up.”

═╬═

They stood at the edge of the gangplank, the five remaining Knights, along with Scootaloo, who had just arrived the previous night.  Not wanting to distract the military ponies from their duty, both Celestia and Luna opted to remain at Canterlot, having said goodbye to their friends earlier.  But now it was just the five, spending the final moments together before they would be separated by war.

“Fluttershy, I must say, you look incredibly dashing in that flight suit,” Rarity commented.  Like Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy was now wearing the PGF flight suit.  Strangely enough, it looked better on Fluttershy than her friend, and Rarity wondered if the part-time model was embarking on a new venture as a military mascot.  “It gives you a rakish sort of flair.”

The yellow pegasus blushed, a color nearly matching her mane.  “Well, the Admiral wanted everypony on staff to be suited in uniform, combatant or not,” she explained.  “Even though I’m just on the operations staff as a post-conflict planner, wearing a uniform is supposed to be good for morale.  I’ve also been given a commander’s rank as well, probably for the same reason.”

“That part’s different,” Rainbow Dash clarified.  “Our knightly ranks are way too high, so we’d inadvertently spook the brass that way; and we can’t be commodores, because that would step on the toes of fliers who’ve been in long before us.  The Admiral thought commander ranks were the best compromise and it still gives us room to grow into our jobs.”

“Well, look on th’ bright side,” Applejack drawled.  “Y’all don’t have t’ spend th’ next few weeks learnin’ t’ use a sword, like me an’ Twilight.”  She unconsciously rubbed her arms in anticipation of the long days of sore muscles to come.  “Rarity got lucky; ‘cus o’ her heavy magic trainin’, she gets ta skip all the sword hooey.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me,” Twilight grunted.  “Now I’m wishing I could have learned at least the basics from my brother when I was a foal.”

“That’s right: Ah fergot about him,” Applejack replied.  “Well, too bad he c—”

The officer of the deck yelled down from the gangplank, interrupting her comments.  “Commander Dash, Commander Fluttershy, Lieutenant Scootaloo, we’re departing in five minutes, so you’ll need to finish up and report to stations.”

“What, can’t you give us any more time?” Scootaloo shouted back.

“Sorry, Lieutenant.  Not my call to make,” he commented.

At that pronouncement, all embraced as one.  There had been nothing said, nothing needed to be said – they had been through so much together, anything that had ever been voiced had already done so years ago.  Nothing was also said about their missing member and how much her absence tore at them.  They merely held and found comfort in one another’s presence; friends, sisters, family.

Finally, they all let go, unable to delay the pegasi forever and bound to their own duties.  As they separated, Twilight voiced the words that were on the minds of the three remaining behind: “You three take care of yourselves, okay?”

Dash, true to her nature, waved it off.  “Fluttershy’ll be aboard the whole time, and while Scoots and I’ll be out there in the battlezone, there’s nothing fast enough to catch us.”  Unmentioned by all was the human weapon that Pinkie had summoned the month prior, likely because it would have brought up memories of Pinkie, something none of them wanted to broach.

“Don’t worry about it, Twilight,” Scootaloo bragged, pointing a proud hoof back at herself.  “I’ll make sure they’re in good hooves.”

The OOD reappeared.  “Sixty seconds to launch, mares.”  With that, the three winged ponies walked up the gangplank, waiting on the outer deck by the rails as the airship prepared to take off.

“I hope they’ll be okay,” Rarity whispered.

“Ah agree wit’ ya, Rarity,” Applejack admitted.  “This ain’t nuthin’ like what we’ve e’er dealt with in th’ past.”

“They’ll be fine and back in a few weeks,” Twilight answered, not entirely confident in her own words but having to say them to assure the others.  “We’ll see them again soon.”

Removed from the bitts, the hawser lines were pulled aboard the great airship by its crew.  The Sword of Equestria, unfettered by the bonds that kept it tethered to the earth, rose and turned as the great propellers swung the ship about, headed on its course.  The great pegasus carrier was but one of the battlegroup being sent on the mission to aid their fellow ponies.  Lifting beyond the confines of the fleet base, it was joined by fourteen other ships, from other carriers such as the Shield of Canterlot and the Spirit of Manehattan to interdictor combatants such as the Sirius and Clover the Clever, all bristling with onboard weapons and complements of pegasi squadrons.  As the ships of the PGF Task Force Alicorn’s Roar slipped into the distance, shrinking from great aerial structures to mere dots on the horizon, the hope of peace was for once and all shattered, replaced by a hope the war would not be protracted and bloody, and that peace would return soon.

Standing on the weather deck by the cannons, Rainbow Dash, Scootaloo and Fluttershy watched until the base disappeared from view, lost in the mountain range that was itself becoming diminished as the ship moved on towards its destiny.  As the began to swing east, Canterlot came into view, a speck of ivory, bright and beautiful against the drab gray and deep greens of the mountainside.

“And so the fun begins,” Scootaloo said, rolling up the sleeves of her flight suit.  “Should be pretty interesting.”

“Do…do you think they’ll be okay?” Fluttershy asked.

Rainbow clapped her friend on the back.  “You still worried about that?  Angel’s pretty smart for a bunny, and with some help from Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, he should have things well in paw.”

“I…wasn’t thinking about that.”  Fluttershy smiled; it was the kind of smile that indicated that wasn’t the thing on her mind and that Rainbow had now given her something else to worry about.  “I was talking about the others.”

“Oh.”  Dash was quiet for several more minutes as even Canterlot disappeared from view.  “They’ll be fine, I’m sure of it.  I think I’m the one who got dealt the worst cards, and I’ll manage.”  That being said, Rainbow Dash walked over to the metal hatch sealing the ship’s insides from the elements.  “C’mon, let’s go find our bunkroom.  We can be roomies again, just like Summer Cloud Camp when we were foals!”

“I’ll stay out here for a few more minutes,” the yellow pegasus answered.  She did not take her eyes off the receding ground, even as they were high enough now that the mountains were a mere gray line on the earth below as it started to run up against the deep blue of the Eastern Ocean.  Her body language made it clear: she would have done anything to have stayed down there with her friends and family, instead of marching off to war – well, flying on a giant airship, really.

The two veteran pegasi stood there by the hatch, not knowing what to say, merely watching their friend.  “Rainbow, you’re not going to let her just sit there like that?” Scootaloo asked.

“Did you think I would?  We don’t let each other down – you know that.”  Rainbow immediately went behind Fluttershy and hugged the other pegasus.  “Look, I’m not going to lie to you: this is probably harder than anything any of us have ever done.  I don’t doubt the princesses are blaming themselves for letting the war occur.  But we have to believe in each other and in our friendship.”  Pointing a hoof past Fluttershy, she continued.  “Somewhere out there, Pinkie’s risking everything to get the elements.  It’s our job to make sure she has a place to come back to, okay?  I dunno about you, but I’m looking forward to Pinkie’s ‘Yay I’m Back’ party, followed by her ‘I Got the Elements’ party and the ‘Let’s Win the War!’ party.”

Fluttershy smiled slightly as she turned to face her old friend.  “I guess you’re right.”

“Of course I’m right!  We’ve known each other since we were just little fillies and I’ve never steered you wrong, right?” Rainbow boasted as she let go of her friend.  “Okay, well, not much, anyway.  C’mon, let’s go inside.  We’ve got a lot to do before we get back and this adventure’s just gettin’ started.”

═╬═

The antiseptic scent annoyed Vinyl Scratch.  She’d smelled it one too many times in all the clubs and raves she performed in, and too often in some of the recording studios she made her albums in.  Contrary to her rock star image as DJ P0N-3, in private Vinyl lived a pretty quiet and sedate life.  She’d picked that up from her best friend and it probably saved her from the pitfalls of the high-flying celebrity lifestyle.  But her house smelled of violets and vanilla, not isopropyl and other disinfectants.

But that didn’t matter right now.  Normally, she went out in public as DJ P0N-3, all the better to be able to hide when she needed to – but not today, not when said best friend was dying.  It was enough for her to put on a button-up shirt, tie her long two-tone mane in an intentionally unfashionable bun, and put on her eyeglasses (few knew that her famous shades were actually prescription lenses) that revealed her magenta eyes.  Although she would rather be wearing her shades right now; it might hide the tears.

“Vi, don’t bother with the brave face; I know you too well.  You, of all ponies, are allowed to break down,” Lyra said as she sat next to the white unicorn.  There were four of them in the room, three friends keeping a watch over their fallen companion.  When Lyra had found out about it, she immediately headed to Canterlot, pausing only to get messages to the other two of their circle: Vinyl, who cancelled several dates she was supposed to be playing on the other side of the country this week; and Licorice Pizza, the rock guitar pegasus and vocalist for the band HUFSTOMPR; he put a halt to the recording of his band’s latest album to be here.

Licorice tugged at his tie and tailed mane; like Vinyl, he’d dressed himself up to look more presentable at the hospital and less conspicuous; he probably didn’t do quite as well a job, considering he still had his trademark goatee.  Looking at Lyra, he asked, “What happened?  I mean, obviously it’s bad – she’s in a bucking coma, for Celestia’s sake – but she just didn’t get this way normally.”

“I don’t know much,” Lyra admitted.  “I found out the same time Bon-Bon did.  Apparently she got caught in an assassination attempt on her sister.  Blinky was seriously injured, and they barely got her here in time.”

“Who’s her sister?  I don’t keep up on the news much,” he admitted.

“Pinkie Pie – the Knight of Laughter,” Vinyl replied.  “Blinky told me about it a couple of years ago, but it really didn’t mean anything until Pinkie became important a few years back.  They look so different, you wouldn’t know they’re related.  Plus, from the few times I’ve run into Pinkie, she doesn’t strike you as anypony serious, much less a senior government official.”  She looked at the pegasus, and her eyes were growing red from the tears being restrained.  “But you’re right.  This shouldn’t happen to her – or anypony at all.”

“Well, from what little Twilight was willing to tell me, Pinkie made it through okay, but got sent out a month ago on a special assignment,” Lyra said.  “She couldn’t tell me anything more, but the look on her face tells me it has something to do with the war.  Twilight was able to get me a visitor’s pass for the Infirmary, but she insisted she couldn’t tell me anything further and if it’s big enough that the enemy’s trying to outright murder VIPs, whatever’s going on is serious business.”

Vinyl shrugged.  “I only know Rarity and Pinkie on a casual basis, not anywhere near as much as you do; and I only met the others at the wedding a few years back, since I got hired to be the entertainment.  I swear, Blink’s sister or not, I will never let that lunatic near my decks again.”

At that point, a nurse poked her head into the room.  “Visiting time’s over in ten minutes, folks.”

“Well, I guess that’s it,” Lyra said as she rose from her seat.  “I’ll be in town for a few more days.  What about you guys?”

“Haven’t even checked into a hotel yet,” Vinyl admitted.  “I’ll have to do that.”

“I’m staying at my parents’ place,” the celeste unicorn replied.  “Why don’t you stay over?  I’m sure they’d be glad to see you again.  What about you, Lic?”

“Unfortunately, flying back to Las Pegasas tonight.  Record label’s really pushing for the new album, because they want to release it on that new format – cassette tapes.”

“Really?  New format?”  Lyra sounded interested.  “You’ll have to tell me about it.”  The pair walked out of the room, leaving Vinyl alone with Blinky.

“Yeah.  The label thinks this new format will take off and even replace records, believe it or not.  As for me, I like records.  Heck, me and Vi were named after records, and I can’t see anypony naming their foal ‘90-Minute Double-Side Cassette.’”

“Well, what about that one colt who played the bass guitar back when we were in the conservatory?  Eight Track?”

“Yeah, okay, so you have a point,” Licorice conceded, “but that rolls off the tongue better.  Either way, music sounds better on vinyl, case closed.”

Meanwhile, Vinyl Scratch sidled up closer to the unconscious Blinky’s bed, and went and stroked the gray earth pony’s mane.  “Blinks, you’d better come out of this.  I need you, you’re my best friend and my stable,” she said, voice quavering and tears soaking the fur near her eyes.  “I wanted to tell you: I wrote a song that I wanted you to play cello on and sing – your voice is so much better than mine.”  She put her head down on the bed, then started to sing, keening notes in a broken voice, lyrics which soon gave way to broken sobbing.

“Never quite said what I wanted to say to you,

Never quite managed the words to explain to you,

Never quite knew how to make them believable,

And now the time is gone,

Another time undone…”

“Please come back,” she whispered, completely breaking down.

The singing didn’t go unnoticed as her friends stood outside.  “Vi’s really taking it hard,” Licorice said.  “She gonna be okay?”

“Yeah, I’ll make sure of it,” Lyra promised.  “But can you blame her?  She grew up with three brothers, and she and Blinky have been as thick as thieves since they first met.  If it wasn’t for the fact that Vi’s had a string of boyfriends, I’d almost swear they’re like Bonnie and I.”

“Bonnie?”

“A nickname for my fillyfriend, Bon-Bon.  It’s a human name that’s simi—”

“That human junk again?”  The pegasus laughed.  “Lyra, someday that load of horseapples is going to get you in trouble – worse trouble than getting kicked out of the Royal Orchestra.  In fact, I’ll bet if anything useful ever comes out of it, I’ll eat my prize ’65 Rickenbucker guitar.”

She huffed, crossing her forelegs.  “I’ll hold you to that.”  But she looked at the distraught musician and said, “Let’s get her out of here.  Can you at least stay for dinner?  There’s this great place over on Steeplechase Road that opened up fairly recently.”

Licorice looked again at their distraught friend.  “Looks like she’s going to need all the support she can get – and she’s not the one in a coma.  Let me get a note to my producer that I need to stay a couple more days.  Know where I can find a flamefax messenger?”

═╬═

“Form it in your claws,” Bauxite told his pupil, “and the minute you are ready, point and release – but you can’t just let it go; you have to push it and give it direction with your mind.  That is the power a fully-invested magic dragon has, and by luck of your bonds that you have.”

Spike held the pulsating, sparking sphere in his claws.  Just holding it hurt like nothing before, and he knew why.  He was a dragon, used to fire and the heat of magma.  But this…this was a ball of lightning, made of plasma, burning thousands of times hotter than anything he ever experienced before.  He remembered Twilight once told him Celestia’s sun was made of plasma, and that it was powerful enough to radiate the 93 million miles away from the world.  Such a ball of energy would be incredibly powerful.  And right now, he held a relatively microscopic version.

“Spike, release it before it damages your claws – you don’t have the training to keep holding one just yet.”  At his mentor’s command, the young dragon pushed the ball forward with his right claw, like throwing a ball.  The thunderball wobbled and waved as it rocketed forward, burning the ozone in the air until it crashed against its target, shattering and scorching the wooden dummy in a spray of sizzling embers.  Bauxite looked at the target and grinned.  “Well, at least this time you hit the target.”

He looked embarrassed.  “Look, I’m sorry I set your tapestry on fire.  I’ll find some way to make it up to you.”

The larger dragon chuckled.  “It’s no problem, Spike.  You should have seen me the first time I threw a thunderball – I shattered a precious glass statue that was to be given to the gryphon king the following day.  My mother was seriously angry with me, and as punishment she forced me to learn the art of potirimancy – magical glassmaking.  Oh, did my claws hurt for weeks!”  He shook his head at the memory, a fond smile coming to his snout.  “But on the bright side, it comes in use for impressing foreign dignitaries.”  He snapped his claws, and a second later a perfectly formed glass rose sat in his palm.

“Actually,” Spike said, “I wouldn’t mind learning that.”

“I’ll teach you once we get to the geomancy portion of your training.  Glass is nothing but liquid sand, so it is necessary to learn geomancy first.”  With that, he stood in an august pose once more, and said, “Now, create another one and this time see if you can hit the center of the target.”

There was a knock at the door, and a servant poked his head in.  “Please forgive the intrusion, Lord Bauxite, but you have a visitor.”

“Thank you, Borax.  Please see them to the meeting room and I will be there shortly.”  Bauxite looked, and his pupil was creating a second thunderball; it was still painfully slow, but as a beginner, it was expected – a well-versed Trueborn could create one in seconds.  “Spike, keep at it until I get back.  If you get tired, then take a short break and read some of the texts on fulmimancy.”  Seeing that the young dragon had all well in control, he headed down to the meeting room.

When he arrived, he found a surprise; another servant was setting down tea in front of a very familiar purple unicorn.  “Ah, Twilight, it’s good to see you again.   How have you been?”

“Busy,” Twilight responded, floating the teacup to her lips.  “With the war commencing, I’ve been running around the country and doing other things for both the princesses.  And how about you?”

“Between dealing with the initial strikes on our former allies in Alasxaqa and training Spike, I’ve had my claws full.  Speaking of which, you should be very proud of him – he’s learning at a pace on par with the strongest of young Trueborns, and I suspect you have much to do with that.”

“I can’t thank you enough for tutoring him in magic,” she said, gratitude clear in her voice.  “If I’d known he had magical abilities other than his flame, I would have started training him ages ago.”

“Well, you didn’t have a dragon such as me to see the Unborn bonds between you and he.”  Bauxite drew in the air with a single claw, the magical lines traced was a simplified picture of Twilight and Spike, with a two-way arrow between him.  “As you’ve grown stronger over the years, it’s how his bond developed.  If you were someone of lesser talent, say, like the current Star Swirl, there would be no strong bond enough to draw magic from.”

“No, it’s more than that, Bauxite,” she said, an unreadable look in her eyes, “and you know it.”

“The apprentice is as smart as her teacher, I see.  Celestia has taught you well.”  Bauxite looked straight at her as he asked, “How much do you know?”

“Enough.  Since you started training him, I’ve put it all together.  My question is, have you told him yet?”

“I would think that it would be better that it came from you, Twilight.  You are his sister, after all, and even if you weren’t, he loves and respects you.”

“But I’m just his sister because I hatched him; the imprinting was natural!  But y—”

“No.  Now is not the time,” Bauxite said, the look in his eyes pleading.  “You must understand: you see me as a cultured, traditionalist dragon, but amongst my kind I’m very progressive, perhaps radically so.  I shouldn’t be doing what I’m doing at all.  At most, I should have told you about his potential and left it up to you to decide.”  He took another sip of tea.  “Do you love him?”

She rolled her eyes.  “I can’t believe you’re even asking me that.  I’ve never really been close to my family, and it’s mostly been just Spike and me.  Of course I love my little brother with all my heart.  How could I not?”

“If that’s the case, then you must take responsibility for this.  If I tell him, it will have serious – perhaps disastrous – effects on the political relationship between Draconia and Equestria.  Our nations have been allies since Equestria’s founding.  Are you prepared to shatter that?”

“No, no, I’m not.”  She felt as if a great weight had been dropped on her.  Again.  As usual.  “But now I know…and he doesn’t.  And it’s not fair to him.”

“Then tell him when you know it’s right.  You know him like no other; you’ll know when it’s time.”  Finished with the tea, he rose from his chair, looking back down the hall towards the magic training chamber.  “By now, he should be completely exhausted if you’d care to take him home.  He’ll need a decent night’s rest since tomorrow’s training will be extremely intense.”

“He’s not the only one,” she sighed.  “I start sword training tomorrow.”

The brown dragon arched a brow.  “Sword training?  You need that as a Royal Mage?”

“No – as the Knight Commander Elemental.”  She smiled wanly.  “Very long story.”

═╬═

“Oh, buck, the Commodore is going to kill me….” the pegasus whined.  He sat in the middle of a large space on the Sword of Equestria, surrounded by crates, pallets and other equipment.  Dozens of pegasi junior to him were looking through the crates, and they hadn’t reported any good news.  “Keep looking,” he said nervously.  “There’s gotta be the right ones in here somewhere….”

“Nope, sorry, L-T,” one of the other pegasi said, shrugging.  “We haven’t gone through all the cases yet, but it doesn’t look too hopeful, sir.”

“Thanks, Petty Officer,” the lieutenant replied, mumbling under his breath, “Oh, I am sooo dead.”

“Sir?” another pegasus spoke up, sympathy in her eyes.  “All the other crates contain ship gear, not uniforms.  Unless there’s something we missed, it looks like that’s all of them.”

“Great, great – may as well plan my execution now,” he moaned to no one in particular.  “I wonder if they still bind wings and make ponies walk the plank, or if I’ll just get fired out a cannon.  I’m done for!”

“Perhaps I can help,” Fluttershy said as she walked in.  “Is everything alright?”  The pegasus had his back to her, and his histrionics were on full.  He somewhat reminded her of Rarity during her worst drama queen periods.

“Nothing that assigning me to the most remote guard base on the planet couldn’t fix,” he moaned as he turned around and saw the pony asking.  “I…uh, good evening, Commander!  Lt. Supply Chain; I’m the ship’s Acting Supply Officer.  Lt. Commander Wishlist normally did the job, but she was reassigned just before we got underway.  And you are?”

Fluttershy smiled demurely.  “Oh, I’m Fluttershy.  I mean, I’m Commander Fluttershy.  Sorry, I’m not used to ranks, Mr. Chain.  I mean, Lieutenant Chain.”  She felt horrible for screwing up his rank and mumbled a quick “Sorry.”

“What can I do for you, ma’am?”

“Oh, I’m just looking around.  The admiral assigned me as the new ship Supply Officer, so I’ll be working with you.”

“Oh, good!  Someone else can take the blame!” he blurted aloud, then realized he just inadvertently set his new superior officer up for a fall.  “Sorry, ma’am.  Anyway, let me introduce you.”  He pointed at each pegasus in turn.  “The cyan stallion over there is Chief Petty Officer Diamond Dust; Chief Dust is our senior enlisted flyer.  The lilac mare over there is Petty Officer Violet Meadow; she’s responsible for ensuring each of the ship’s departments get what they need.  The red mare is Petty Officer Songbird; her job is to make sure that the other ships in the battlegroup let us know what they need.  Lastly is our newest teammate, Aviator Wheatstalk.  This is Wheatie’s first assignment, so we’re getting him used to Fleet life.  We have a few more ponies assigned, but they’re working in other spaces right now.”  Looking at the team, he said, “Everyone, this is Commander Fluttershy.  She’s the new Supply Officer.”

“Hello, it’s nice to meet you all,” Fluttershy said in a quiet voice.  She was feeling very nervous right now, but in the back of her mind she knew that if she tried to hide or anything of the sort, she’d lose the respect of these new ponies.  Rainbow Dash had been right; she was in a very different world now, one that Fluttershy wasn’t used to and her nature wasn’t fit for.  So instead, she just shut up and tried not to let her panic show.

Wheatie peered intensely at her, as if he recognized her.  “Commander, you look familiar, for some reason….”  A second later, it hit him.  “Now I know who you are!  Wow, and I thought this cruise was going to be boring, but hey, my commander’s the Knight Elemental of Kindness!”

“You’re one of the Knights?” Supply Chain repeated in a shrieking voice.  He was definitely a goner now, he thought in his panic-absorbed mind; of all the ponies he had to complain to, and he picked one who even outranked Admiral Upper Reaches himself, a pony who only answered to the princesses themselves!  I’m going to die, and then they’ll resurrect me so they can kill me again!

“Oh…no, please, I’m just using a commander’s rank for now,” Fluttershy said, realizing the situation had already gotten worse. From what it seemed, Supply Chain was completely worried that she wouldn’t perform the duties she was assigned.  “You don’t need to worry about my knightly rank; I won’t be using it while I’m on the ship,” she explained, hoping it wouldn’t make her sound even more cowardly.

“I…uh…I….”  Supply Chain’s mind had completely shut down by this point, imagining death by crossbow firing squad, a guillotine and being burned at the stake all at once.

“Wheatie, looks like th’ lieutenant’s a mite stressed at th’ moment,” Chief Dust spoke in a lazy drawl that reminded her of the Apple family.  “Escort him t’ his bunkroom, wouldja?”

“Aye, Chief.  C’mon, Lieutenant.”  Grabbing his arm, the junior enlisted flyer took the beyond-frazzled officer out of the supply spaces.

“There.  Y’ hafta excuse th’ L-T, ma’am.  He’s bin under a ton o’ stress since we prepped fer th’ mission, an’ Ah think he’s bin given a bit too much responsibility.  Some ponies jest can’t do th’ job, Ah guess.”  The older stallion leaned against the wall, crossing his forelegs.  “But Ah’m sure y’ know ‘bout that, bein’ a Knight an’ all.”

Fluttershy wasn’t sure how to answer that; it was probably better to change the subject before she made a terminal mistake.  “So, what was the problem that Lt. Chain mentioned?”

Dust’s face broke out in a wide grin from ear to ear.  “Getting’ right t’ th’ deck – Ah like that, show’s y’ know whut yer doin’.  Anyway, Lt. Chain’s buzzin’ ‘bout th’ flight suits.  Each combat flier’s s’posed t’ be issued five flight suits, but we have a problem that’s preventin’ us from issuin’ out th’ rest o’ the suits today – we got a bad shipment o’ spares.  Songbird, show th’ nice Commander whut Ah mean.”

“Got it, Chief!”  As befitting her name, the red pegasus had a beautiful, musical voice; while her flightsuit covered her cutie mark, Fluttershy figured it was probably musically-based.  “There must have been a problem of some kind when the Mage Guild made the new flightsuits for us, because these won’t work out very well for the PEGRONs and PEGFITRONs we’ve got onboard the ship.”  She reached into the crate and pulled out one of the flight suits in question, it was sable black, as dark as night and would stand out starkly against the sky. “I’ve no idea what they were thinking when they created these.”

“But they can switch between clear and cloudy colors?” Fluttershy asked.  She had a bad feeling she already knew the answer, but she had to ask.

“Well, I think Meadow should show you.  Care to do the deed?” Songbird said to the other pony, who was already wearing one of the spare suits.

“Yeah.”  She put a helmet on, fastening the locks to the neck.  The helmet itself was enclosed like the normal flight helmets, but its visor was a bright red vice the clear of the usual ones.  The helmet, like the suit, was colored in a flat black.  Through the helmet, she could hear the petty officer’s voice.  “Okay, switching colors…now.”  The suit began to fade, but unlike the regular suits which went from a sky blue to a hazy gray, this one went translucent, leaving behind a dark, diaphanous pegasus-shaped blur.  “The blur is still clear enough to see in the daytime, so it makes these outfits useless.  Plus, with the red visor, it miscolors everything.”  With a pop, she removed the helmet.  “Honestly, I have no idea what the uniform mages were thinking when they created these.”

“No idea either.  I suppose we could just throw them away, but….”  Songbird shrugged.  “Your call, Commander.”

“Well, put them aside for the moment – the Admiral mentioned that we were supposed to get a unit of mages onboard once we reach Inverneighs, so hopefully they can fix this,” Fluttershy said, thinking that this was what Twilight would have done in this situation.  “For the meanwhile, send fliers to the other ships and see if they can spare any extra suits.  It’ll leave them with less spares, but it’s only until we get these fixed, right?”

“See, folks?” Dust had a huge grin on his face as he pointed at Fluttershy.  “Now, she’s a milit’ry expert.  Y’all learn from her, y’ll get yer jobs done right.”  They all beamed hopeful smiles at their new superior officer, and as Fluttershy smiled back, a part of her screamed that this was wrong, that she should really be focusing on a way to stop the war.  But at the same time, to do so would be to lose the respect of everyone who counted on her.  So she opted to focus on the supply duties, hoping that she’d find a way to fix everything before it was too late.

═╬═

Celestia sat outside on the terrace, looking into the nighttime sky.  Pegasus combat patrols filled the air, special reserve squadrons that had been reactivated to add to Canterlot’s defenses.  And as the Princess of Day looked at the CAPs, she felt a huge amount of shame welling up in her.  For the second time in her long life, she felt like a failure.  Not since the day she’d banished Nightmare Moon – with Luna still trapped inside – did she feel like she’d been undeserving of being a princess.  And not unlike that last time, ponies were going to die as a direct consequence of her actions.  But this time it was worse, oh so much more worse: last time, it was just her younger sister who suffered.  Now, it was her whole family.

She smiled briefly to herself; her mother had told her one of the worst things about being immortal was that she would never have a family.  Well, Mother, I am proud to say you were so very, very wrong.  First it was Luna, and though it tore Celestia apart to send her away, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise.  Because hundreds of years later came the focal point of everything: her student, Twilight Sparkle.  But even on the day Twilight impossibly hatched the dragon whelp that became Spike, Celestia knew her one and only student was special.  She just didn’t know how special it truly meant.

Over the years, Twilight became so much more: she became like the daughter Celestia could never have, or considering Luna’s upbringing, at the very least another younger sister.  When the day came that Nightmare Moon would return, she sent Twilight out, hoping her young student could somehow do the impossible and save Luna.  Though she’d never admit it to Twilight, it was one of the stupidest things Celestia felt she’d done in her long life, risking someone so very precious on a thin hope that she might be able to undo a thousand-plus years of sorrow and despair.  And if she lost Twilight, at the very least suffering the loss of her beloved student would have been the very least the sun princess would have deserved.

But Twilight survived and did more than the impossible: she found Faust’s Elements of Harmony, the weapons belonging to Celestia’s mother that the sun alicorn used against Discord and lost when she’d used them against Nightmare Moon – and Luna, in the process.  Twilight had found five friends, ones who embodied the abilities of those Elements, and together they brought back Celestia’s dear sister.  After that, Celestia reluctantly let Twilight live in Ponyville, mainly because the sun alicorn had a new burden: a stunted sister that needed help returning to normal.  She missed her student very much, but at the same time, Twilight deserved to be out of the shadow of her mentor and to have a life of her own.

But over the course of the following year, so much more came to pass.  Discord’s return and defeat, all at the hooves of the six.  That next week, the five defended Twilight against Celestia herself when the unicorn had the inevitable CMFIS breakdown and was to be punished for her use of black magic; the fact that they were willing to face off against their ruler showed how strong their friendship with Twilight was.  Luna’s return to public life, aided by Twilight; upon her return to Canterlot after the week spent with Twilight, Luna had told Celestia “I know why you care about her so much, Tia.  She was never a replacement for me – she’s an addition to our family.”  It was the first time that Celestia was able to admit it, but it was true: Twilight was more than just a protégé, she was truly family.

That year faded into the next and the next: the six’s defeat of that noxious creature of hate and destruction called the Smooze, as well as several more adventures and time spent with the others; while the six hadn’t defeated the Changeling Queen, they’d played a very instrumental part in their defeat.  As she got to know them all and they got to know her, walls fell, titles stopped being used.  To them all, she and Luna were no longer princesses, but friends who just happened to be princesses.  And the time of the Hearths Warming Eve of two years ago, they spent it together as one.  When Celestia woke that morning to raise the sun, only to find Luna and Twilight beside her, she felt complete, but it was Twilight’s words that crystalized it: she snuck out of the room quietly as to not wake “the rest of the family.”

By then Celestia desired giving them what the six had also so very much earned on their own: noble titles and the first knighthoods in hundreds of years.  But there was a problem: while they had most certainly earned sobriquets, they were all very close to her, so nepotism was a concern.  However, it had been Blueblood’s mocking comment about how tragic it was that six “mere commoners” protected the land that urged Luna to insist Celestia issue those knighthoods and upgrade the titles just to stuff it in his face.  Once they were, the nobility in Equestria nearly had a collective seizure: the six were all made duchesses, meaning they were now above all save for the princesses and (technically) Prince Blueblood.  But it was the knighthoods that were the killer statement – with that pronouncement, they were the highest ranking government officials in the land, again, save for the princesses and Blueblood as their seneschal.  The uproar would have pretty much started a riot amongst the gentry had it not been for two things: the first was the wholehearted support of Baron Fancypants and his wife, Baroness Fleur de Lis.  The two knew Rarity very well and supported her ascension, declaring that should any insult the newly-minted Knights Elemental, they would deal with him first.  Having formerly been the highest noble in the land, he held a lot of sway with the other nobles and turned their opinions around in short order.

The second was the in-depth story that the newspaper Equestria Daily did on the knighthood/investiture event.  The astute reporter had picked up on how the six, Spike, the younger fillies and the princesses acted when together; and the when the EqD’s photographer asked them to sit together for a picture, it was no surprise that it seemed more a picture of a large extended family than an official picture of the princesses, their right-hoof assistants, and a few other important dignitaries.  Along with the interviews and other pictures that had gone in, the whole thing had become a multi-part story entitled, quite fittingly, “The Royal Family.”  It had earned the EqD the Foalitzer Prize that year, as well as a private thank you to the Editor in Chief from Celestia herself.  She even had a copy of the paper with the first part, complete with their picture, framed and hanging on a wall in her office.

So you were wrong, Mother.  I have a family now.  Luna’s back, and I have wonderful surrogate siblings in Twilight and the others.  I love them all and they love me just as much.  And that means more to me than you can imagine.

And now everything was going to Tartarus in a hoofbasket.  Her world was under invasion by ponies her mother had exiled, and they weren’t going to stop at anything short of total domination or utter defeat.  After finding out that she was related to the invaders, Pinkie went off to find the missing Elements in the hope of saving them all from war.  But that had failed and in the month since her disappearance war had come.  Now, she was sending the rest of her family out to battle, sacrificing them to their duties even as she had her own.  Even now, a reminder faced her: in the near-midnight evening, Rarity trained with one of the Guild Academy professors in order to master combat magic; while the unicorn didn’t originally care to do so, the urgency of the situation had spurred her, and now she was becoming adept at the basic spells, though she might never become a mage.

“So, you couldn’t sleep either,” Twilight’s voice sounded from behind her, tired but cheerful.

“Shouldn’t you be asleep right now?” Celestia told her protégé.  “I hear Pumpkin’s going to be a taskmaster at teaching you both swordfighting, and that’s just to get up to speed before Applejack’s brother reports to Goldengrape in a few days.”

Twilight moved into view and slumped in the seat next to her mentor and friend.  “Just too much on my mind right now, moreso than normal.  I got up to take a walk; Luna’s busy with readiness reports, or else I would’ve talked to her.  I didn’t want to disturb Rarity’s training, but then I noticed you were sitting here.”

“And so you came to keep me company,” the sun alicorn said in a grateful voice.

“Just like a little puppy,” Twilight smiled to herself while looking at the stars.  “Do you remember the first Gala you asked me to come to?  The others, they had all these great and grand dreams they wanted to fulfill.  Me, I just wanted time to spend with you.  Maybe I’ve always been like that.”

Celestia caught the near-imperceptible catch in the unicorn’s voice.  “Twilight, is something wrong?”

“Yes, yes there is…and you’re not telling me.”  Pupil turned to teacher, and there was sorrow in her eyes.  “Luna and I have been worried about you the past few days.  I can say in all my years I’ve never seen you like this.  So, as a wise pony told me once: shut the buck up, cut the trot, and spill it.  Now.”

Celestia looked at her protégé with new eyes.  No one had ever spoken to her like that, with the exception of Luna.  “I see my sister’s starting to rub off on you.”

“Yes, because we love you both, Tia.”  Other than the occasional joke, Twilight had never called her mentor by the diminutive before.  “I…I mean….”

The look on Celestia’s face was somewhere between touched and wonderment.  “Twi,” she said, because she’d never used the diminutive either, “you, of all ponies, long since earned the right to call me that.”

“I never have, because I always wanted to treat you with respect,” she admitted.  “Of course, look how long it took me to stop calling you Princess in private.  I’ve never really been good with my feelings.”

“That’s my fault, because I’ve never been good at it either and I think you picked that up from me.  Everyone’s seen noble and regal Princess Celestia, but only you and a few others have seen Celestia,” she admitted as well.  “And it’s only been recently that I’ve been able to put that aside and just be Tia.”

“Then will you tell me what’s bugging you?  Please?”

The Princess of the Sun sighed.  “Do you know what I secretly wish for at times?  What I really wish?  That I could just give it all to Blueblood, and then you, me, Luna and Spike could just settle down in Ponyville with the rest of our family.  That I could have the hassles of rearranging the library with you or watch Luna make cupcakes with Pinkie.  That we could spend all those precious moments together.  That I could hold you all close to me and never, never let go…instead of watching you all march off to die.”  She looked at Twilight, and while there were no tears yet, the sorrow was clear and palpable.  “Pinkie’s been gone for a over a month now and today Rainbow, Fluttershy and Scootaloo departed for the fighting in Inverneighs.  Rarity’s over there learning war magic, and you and Applejack have to learn the arts of war as well as your own war magic.”

Twilight said nothing, just rose from her seat to embrace Celestia.  “Do you really have that little faith in us?” she asked, her tone firm.  “Do you have so little faith in all the training you’ve ever given me or Luna, or in the courage and comfort you’ve given to the rest of us?”

That was not the answer she’d been expecting.  “No, it’s not that – I’m afraid of not being able to protect any of you.  I know your skills, Twi, I’ve trained you myself, and then you went beyond that training; I couldn’t be more proud of you.  But remember that I told you how much it hurt when I banished Luna?  Death is worse: it’s permanent, and no deity, whether a god or a divinity, has the power to bring someone back from the afterlife.  If there’s a way, my mother never told me.”

“Well, that’s simple: I don’t plan to die.  I don’t plan to lose this war or my life or anyone I love.”  In a meaningful reverse of what had been the norm for years, Twilight reached up and kissed her mentor on the forehead.  “Bauxite once told me about how his kind call me the Halfborn Alicorn, and that some fear me.  It’s rather interesting being feared, but I’d rather our allies not do so.  I’d rather nopony ever fear me, but that option is long gone.

“Tia, you’ve been everything to me.  A friend, a mentor, a mother, a sister.  I don’t think there’s a word in the dictionary to sum up how I feel about you.  But I know this: through everything, you’ve taught me to stand up for what’s right.  And I am your Knight.  And whatever it takes from me to bring our world back to normal, well, all I can do is just thank the stars that you’ve always taught me that.”

The two embraced again, finding comfort in each other’s presence.

“Well, I’m quite glad that’s settled, whatever it was,” Rarity commented from the distance, a beatific smile on her face.  “Neither Twilight nor Celestia really know how to express their feelings, so it’s always a beautiful moment when they do.”

“Huh?” Woody said, looking at the scene.  “I don’t get it.”

“It’s probably why you didn’t get far in your relationship with Twilight,” she said with a smirk.  “Celestia and Twilight have an extremely complicated relationship.  They are mentor and protégé, but also like mother and daughter and sisters as well.  Between the two of them and Luna, it brings to mind that old nursery rhyme, the one we learned in school when we were just in kindergarten.”

“I learned a lot of nursery rhymes back then,” he teased.

Rarity fished it out of the memories of old then canted it: “In day there is the golden sun, and then the moonlit night.  But ‘twixt the two, bridging their views are the violet hues of twilight.”  The white unicorn looked at the brilliant spot of glowing white not too far away, with the purple spot in front of her.  “I wonder if the pony who wrote that ages ago was just writing doggerel or prophecy.”

“Well, since you’re in a thoughtful mood, let’s call it a night,” he said with a smile.

“That sounds fine.  But if you don’t mind, could we skip tomorrow evening?  I’m feeling frightfully drained the past few days.”

“Absolutely!” he chirped nervously, before he stammered, “Um, since we’re, uh, not, then, would you…uh, would….”

She looked at him with a smile brighter than Celestia.  “I was wondering when you were going to come around to that.  Pick me up at 8pm tomorrow night?”

What th…YES! Autumn Wood’s mind screamed as he simply said, “Sure!  I’ll be here sharp!”

Rarity leaned in and gave the earth pony a kiss on the cheek.  “I knew you would, my dear Woody.  I’ll see you then.”  With that, she walked off towards Twilight’s tower while Woody just watched her leave before he bounced off on his own, cantering like a colt.

The alicorn and unicorn watched him bounce away merrily.  “Well, I see they finally got together.  Good for them.”

“It doesn’t bother you that Rarity’s seeing your old coltfriend?” Celestia inquired.

“Oh, Woody and I were never that serious, honestly, and he’s got a thing for Rarity…and she does too, considering she’s always asking about him and details about when we were dating.”

“Well, if you’re….” The words trailed off as a meteor shower filled the sky.  “That’s new.  Never seen this shower before.”

Twilight moved back to her chair.  “Luna mentioned there weren’t enough meteor showers as she liked, so I guess she decided to improve on things.”  The two watched silently as the meteors fell, a light display that seemed as if just for them.

From her spot at the window, Luna observed everything.  It seemed Rarity and Woody had hit it off; Good, she thought, I haven’t found a decent way to tease Rarity yet and this might just be the thing.  It was all in good fun, of course; she still enjoyed the good joke when Rarity had designed that extremely (and intentionally) chiffon pink and pearl dress for last year’s Gala that completely clashed with her own dark colors.

But more importantly, it was good to see that Twi and Tia had cleared the latter’s issue…neither Celestia nor Luna were good at expressing their feelings and that had been an unfortunate thing that the sun princess had instilled in her student.  But it was a good thing they were together there; both of them loved each other very dearly and Tia had been the central figure in Twi’s life, probably always would be.  Luna knew how that was, because she’d been raised the same way by her older sister.

In fact, she thought, that sort of makes Twi my little sister, doesn’t it?  She then remembered the line of poetry she’d written about fifteen hundred years ago, the one kids were now taught as a nursery rhyme.  At the time, she was simply writing about how sunset – or twilight, the word she’d used – bridged the part of the day between sunlight and moonlight.  But it turned out to be prophetic: the namesake mare had bridged the gap between the two sisters, she’d bridged the gap between a displaced Luna and her subjects, and between their friends and the alicorns.  She was truly Twilight, in both name and deed.

Then the crowning moment was the new meteor shower.  She set it up six months ago – one had to plan for these sort of things – and had planned on it occurring some time the following week, but now, now it was perfect.

“Your highness?” a servant behind her spoke.  “The guards would like to see you and give you the watch report.”

“Thank you,” she said without turning her view from the window.  “I’ll be down shortly.”  As much as she wanted to be out there with them, to pretty much give everything over to Blueblood and just take them all to Ponyville where they could have normal lives, life itself didn’t work out that way.  For better or worse, she was the Princess of the Night, and she had a war to help prosecute.

Pleasant evening, my sisters, she thought to herself as she walked away from the window, a wide smile on her face.

═╬═

The following afternoon, Rarity strolled into Archmagus Gainsboro’s office in an incredibly chipper mood.  “It is a beautiful afternoon, dear Gainsboro, and I am ready to learn the next lesson, my good fellow!”

She found him, sipping from a flute glass, a clear green drink.  “Unfortunately, Rarity, I am unable to do so today, my apologies.  You see, today is the day I mourn the loss of my beloved wife, Chantilly Lace.”

“Oh, I’m terribly sorry,” Rarity said.  “My apologies for not knowing.”

“I wouldn’t worry, my young lady,” he said with a nostalgic tone.  “She died long before you were born, fifty years ago this very day.”  He smiled gently, but the look in his eyes was of pain fresh as the day it was minted.

Rarity could not leave a poor soul in such a state, so she immediately sat down.  “Please, if you feel the need to talk about it, sir, I am all ears.”

“That is very much appreciated,” he said, pouring the green fluid into a second flute.  “Would you care for some perry?”

“Perry?” Rarity asked.  “I’m not familiar with it.”

He grinned.  “It’s like cider, but it’s made from pears.  I was not always the Archmagus, you see; long before that I was born into a family of pear farmers.  My family is nowhere near as famous as the Apples, but still, we were prosperous, enough so to let a young unicorn born to the family see his dreams of joining the Guild.  So I went to study here in Canterlot, and eventually became the student of my predecessor, Archmagus Alakazam Lulamoon, a true gentlestallion and one of the finest magic-users I have ever known.”

“Lulamoon?  Was he related to…?”

“Yes,” he said with a chuckle.  “He’s the great-grandfather of Senior Mage Trixie Lulamoon.  I’ll be the first to admit that her attitude is rather lacking, but I promised him I would watch out for her, and though it’s been a strain at times, I’ve kept to that.  I would hope most of all that she ends the feud between her and Royal Mage Sparkle, but they’re more alike than either cares to admit.”

Rarity took a sip of the perry, it was sweet and tart at once, the full flavor of pears coming in.  “This is quite good.”

“I thank you for that; the perry is one of my family’s prized products.  My nephew runs the main family farm now and every year sends me some of the best batch, and I only share with certain ponies.  Vice Archmagus Blue Danube tries to coax a bottle out of me every year, and it’s always fun teasing her about it.”

“I’m quite sorry to have interrupted.  Please, tell me more about your wife.”

He leaned back in his chair, swirling the perry in his flute and letting the memories come to mind.  “It was my first assignment, a posting to Cloudsdale, to assist in the setting up of the Guild Office there.  The Fleet had requested one be created if possible; since it took the most talented of unicorns to set up the facility, I felt proud that Alakazam assigned me to this special duty.  For four years I had constant use of ensorcelled shoes that let us live on the clouds.  Some of the more adventurous of us used a Papilio Alis spell – it’s a spell that lets you create temporary wings.”

“Really?”  Rarity inwardly flinched at the memory; her own vanity would have gotten her killed had it not been for Rainbow Dash.

“Yes, it’s not a very safe spell, however; the wings are extremely fragile since they’re based on the structure of butterfly wings, and no one, as far as I know, has ever been able to improve upon the spell.  In any case, I never used it.”  If he noticed her discomfort, he didn’t mention a thing.  “It was during my first day off that I was looking around town, when I happened to come across this very peculiar pegasus, a gray mare with a light-pink mane and white lace as her mark.  She was walking down the street, just playing a saxophone, not caring who saw.  She had a pretty face, her hair was in a simple tail, a giggle in her talk and a wiggle in her walk.”

“That’s…rather peculiar.”

“I realize it does sound rather odd, but those are my first memories of her, so let an old stallion have his fantasies, please,” he chortled.  “Anyway, because she wasn’t paying attention, she bumped into me, and apologizing gave us a chance to talk.  She told me her name was Chantilly Lace, and that she’d wanted to be a musician, but since saxophones weren’t taught at the Music Conservatory at the time and her family couldn’t afford to pay to send her there anyway, she worked in the rainbow factory just like her parents did.  She hated it, though, and played her sax every time she could.

“Over the four years I was assigned to Cloudsdale, Chantilly and I became extremely close, and on the day I learned I was going to be reassigned to the facility at Oatmaha, I asked her to marry me, and she happily did.  After a quick honeymoon in Hoofalulu, we arrived in Oatmaha.  The office there was in terrible need of leadership, and I’d been assigned as the head mage there, so I took it with gusto.  Chantilly, not wanting to be bored, found work with the local weather team; they were missing a rainbow specialist, so she happily took the job.  For three years there, it was joy and bliss, and our life together was grand.

“But then came that day fifty years ago.  Princess Celestia was visiting Oatmaha for the first time in a hundred years, so everypony was obviously celebrating.  The mayor asked the Guild to come up with a fireworks display, so I tasked my pyrotechnics specialist, Firecracker, to come up with something.  The EPG was working with the city sheriff’s department to come up with a secure parade route, and the regional weather facility in Colts Town, where Chantilly worked, was ensuring clear skies and gorgeous weather that week.  We were all proud that the Princess of the Sun would be meeting us at our city.

“When she arrived, it was a grand festivity; we’d created one to practically rival the Summer Sun Celebration itself.  We mages were gearing up for the evening’s fireworks displays, the local pegasus squadron assigned to the city was doing aerobatics displays with colored smoke, and the parade was a sight to behold; I think we even managed to impress the princess.  The mayor told me that she’d been very impressed with all the planning, and that everyone was looking forward to the display that evening.

“As for Chantilly, she’d felt ill that week, but even still took off towards the skies to ensure that rainbows would be available for all.  She took her duties so seriously; to see the ponies smile from a well-constructed rainbow, she said, was as much of a value to her as ponies clapping from her occasional sax solos in the park.  That morning, I didn’t want her to go; she’d been sick when we awoke and felt dizzy; she’d gone to see the doctor a couple of days prior.  But she promised that as soon as the rainbows were released that day, she’d head straight back to bed.  She teased me about something, but at the time, I’d forgotten what it was, since my mind was on the planning for the whole event.

“The day was perfect, etched into my mind as one of the high points of life.  Then it happened.  Tell me, do you know what a ‘bolt from the blue’ is?  And I don’t mean that pop singer Blue Bolt.”  Rarity shook her head and Gainsboro continued, but now his voice grew hard.  “It’s a very rare weather phenomenon, so much so that it falls into the ‘freakish’ category.  What it is, is an extremely powerful bolt of lightning, so strong that it will launch from a cloud miles and miles away, to eventually land in a cloudless area, hence, ‘from the blue.’”  Rarity immediately put two and two together, but let him continue.

“There was a sudden blast of lightning above us, and a blackened pegasus plummeted from the sky, crashing down straight through the roof of city hall.  Celestia noticed and rocketed towards the building immediately, everyone swore they’d never seen anything move so fast.  As for me, I’d seen it myself, and headed over – while I didn’t know who the downed pegasus was, I knew that my magic would probably be needed.  But as I approached, I was blocked by one of my wife’s friends, a co-worker of hers named Barrel Roll.  Roll begged me not to come closer, and in doing so revealed to me the victim.  I pushed her aside and galloped as fast as I could to the city hall, but as I arrived, it was too late.  In the center of the shattered city hall, a body had been covered by a white sheet that was already staining with blood, and Celestia looked at me and said that she’d tried to save my Chantilly, but that the bolt of lightning had done its job while she’d been airborne and that she was already dead by the time she’d hit the roof.

“I don’t remember what happened immediately afterwards, but that night I do remember that my friend Quick Fix was there.  He was also our doctor, and it was his sad news to tell me everything, though Chantilly had begged him to keep quiet until she could tell me.  She’d been sick because it was morning sickness; she’d been with foal, and Fix was so very sorry he couldn’t do a thing to help me in my time of pain.  What he said mattered little to me: in that moment I’d lost both my loving wife and a foal I’d never know.

“Celestia, to her credit, stayed that week for the funeral; she also asked the Guild reassign me as soon as possible so that I wouldn’t have to live with the pain of remaining in the town where my wife had lost her life.  Unfairly, I blamed her for not being able to save my wife; I knew that Chantilly had been dead from the moment she’d been struck, but Celestia was a divinity, couldn’t she have brought my love back from the dead?  I didn’t know at the time that even she cannot do that.  As for my friends, they did everything they could to cheer me up, but I was disconsolate, and it wasn’t until three months later when I was reassigned to the Guild Research Base in East Portillo that I uncovered that I was able to uncover more of what really happened.”

“What really happened?”

“There had been a huge stormfront moving northwest towards Detrot at the time, and several pegasi from various regions had been dispatched to break it up, as it would have caused some serious damage to the city otherwise.  However, a report had come out about Celestia’s tour of the country, and the decision had been made to just push the storm out of the way, because otherwise breaking it apart on-site it would have delayed the Princess’ convoy.  By pushing it over a sparsely-populated part of the country, the huge storm could safely rage over the land while specialized teams from Marelena and Coltgary could be dispatched to break it up.  But by doing so, because Celestia couldn’t afford to be delayed, they pushed it aside, letting the storm inside build to monstrous proportions, enough so to create a bolt from the blue.”  His voice sounded angry and raging; he clearly blamed someone, but it was as if he was forcing himself not to blame Celestia rather than blame somepony else, if any pony needed to be blamed at all.

“I…” Rarity was lost for words.  The only other pony she’d ever seen this angry before was Nightmare Moon, and that was in that creature’s nature, nothing at all like her inadvertent creator.  But this, this was a nurtured and cultivated animosity, a ravenous beast that had been caged only by Gainsboro’s better nature yet still hoping for a day of horrific freedom.

“Rarity,” he said, his eyes narrowed in unconscious viciousness, “I’d like…to be alone right now, if you don’t mind.  We can continue tomorrow, and I apologize once again for the inconvenience.”

He probably needed the time alone.  “Understood, and I hope you have a pleasant evening, dear Gainsboro,” she said as she departed the room, leaving the aged unicorn archmagus to his pet odium.

═╬═

Rainbow Dash, the Queen of Magic stared out the window.  Tomorrow, she would ride out for the first time, sally forth into battle herself.  Her spy in Canterlot informed that Equestria was moving against her forces at Inverneighs, and that they were intending to strike a very punishing blow and take the port for their besieged Caballan allies.  Well, she would have none of that; while Star Song was already on site, Rainbow would soon join her and tear apart that attacking fleet.

With that, she looked at the new armor created for her, sitting on its stand; the armory mages had done nothing less than their finest work for the Queen.  The armor was a deep black, with trim that glowed with a rainbow hue.  The helmet also had the same look, designed to protect her head from the worst of attacks.  But it was the cloak that was the masterpiece: a shimmering, shining cape of soft, comfortable iridescence that was actually a strong metal that would ward off any attacks; in a pinch, it would even transform into a magical pair of wings to let her take to the air for brief periods.  Between the three, her sword and the voluminous array of magic at her disposal, she would bloody that incoming attack and show Celestia how powerless she was.

Rainbow suddenly felt two soft forelegs encircle her from behind.  “Are you coming to bed?” Rose whispered in Rainbow’s ear.  “You look so stressed…you need to unwind.  Let me help you.”

“Rose,” Rainbow asked, “Do you wish to be here?”

“In the arms of the Queen of Magic?  Do I need answer that?”

The spectrum-maned gypsy pony turned to face her lover.  “Please tell me the truth, no varnished lies.”

Rose was silent for a few seconds before speaking.  “Before you arrived, I was the daughter of the most prosperous florist in Stalliongrad, the scion of a wealthy family.  But that was a lie.  Mom had died years ago, and Daddy…well, let’s just say he loved his daughter a little too much.”

Rainbow’s eyes narrowed.  “That is…sickening.  If you’d like, I’ll have him killed.”

She smiled brightly.  “You already did; he was one of the ones you killed very publically when you sent your ‘message’.  When you did that, you immediately won my respect; others called you an invader, but all I saw was a shining savior.  When it was discovered that you were looking for…whatever I am….”

“The term is Royal Consort,” Rainbow said.  “Some prefer the term concubine, but those with royals deserve a better name.”

“Ah, I’ll have to remember that.  When it was discovered, I played every little trick to ensure I’d be chosen, and when you did, it thrilled my heart.  By that point, I’d already vowed to myself that my body was yours because you saved me from my father.  But in the last month, you’ve received more than that – you’ve gotten my heart.”  She nipped Rainbow’s ear lovingly.  “Promise me something, would you?”

“I cannot make promises, Rose, but I will do my best.”

“Promise me that should I die, that it will be by your hooves.  Not Minty or Amberlocks, or any of the others.  By yours.”  The Queen of Magic looked at Rose suspiciously and Rose leaned her head against Rainbow’s shoulder.  “No, I didn’t spy on you, but I’ve seen how deeply Amberlocks hates me, and when you were yelling at them in the other room yesterday, I had my suspicions.  And I know that you are trying not to love me, because of your tribe’s traditions.  But I suspect that if we were just two mares, you would.”

“Rose, you must—” Rainbow began, before she was silenced by Rose’s tender hoof.

“You can never say it, I know,” she said, dragging the gypsy pony towards the bed.  “But you can always show me, and tomorrow, when you head out to battle, think of me.  And when this world is finally yours, maybe as Queen of All you will have the strength and ability to defy tradition and let me be yours publically.”  Rose kissed Rainbow deeply and she fell back on the sheets, she said, “Now show me what you can never say.”

═╬═

The room had been dark, but not for long.  The room filled with blaring klaxons and red lights as voice spoke over the intercom: “THIS IS NOT A DRILL, THIS IS NOT A DRILL.  GENERAL QUARTERS, GENERAL QUARTERS.  ALL PONIES REPORT TO BATTLESTATIONS.  NOW SET CONDITION ZULU ONBOARD SHIP.  REASON FOR GENERAL QUARTERS: PREPARATION FOR ATTACK ON AREA DELTA BLUE.  NOW SET GENERAL QUARTERS.”

In their bunkroom, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash jumped out of their beds and slipped on their flight suits.  They’d been practicing this regularly onboard ship for the past few days, as had the rest of other vessels.  Even now, as they raced out of the rooms, galloping for their assigned stations, it didn’t seem real, like everything had been nothing but imagination for the past few days.  But now, with dozens of ponies filing out of their rooms, and racing towards their assigned spots, this was the new reality and everything they’d left behind in Equestria was the dream.

As the two pegasi filtered into the passageway, they ran into Spitfire and Bamboo Grove.  “You ready for this, Commander?” Bamboo said, proudly wearing her new flightsuit embroidered with her name, rank, and the uniform patch of the Wonderbolts.

Instead, Rainbow Dash joked with Spitfire, “Hey, how’d she get on the Wonderbolts and not me?”

“Shut it, Dash – you had your pretty princess friend make you a squadron rather than earning a place on one,” Spitfire replied with equal humor.  “Fluttershy, when we get back, you make sure the ciders are ready, okay?  I get the biggest mug for taking down the most baddies.”

“No way!  I’m gonna get that!” Scootaloo said as she raced up to them.  Seeing the newly-minted combat flier, she said, “Lookin’ good, Ensign Grove.”

“Thanks, Lieutenant!” she chirped.

Finally the group reached the junction in the passageway where the fliers would head down the right passageway to head to the flight deck, where Fluttershy would head up the stairs towards the infirmary, where her position was medical assistant.  By this time, she knew she was a failure, because they were minutes away from throwing the first strikes of war, and she’d failed everyone, by her cowardice and pacifism.  The look on her face was one that she feared her friends would die, and if they somehow managed to make it back, they would hate her forever.

In truth, they misread her face…at least part of it.  “Fluttershy, we’ll be okay,” Spitfire insisted.  “I’m the one used to this the longest, and I’ll keep an eye out for everypony.  I promise.”

“Gotta get into position,” another pegasus shouted as she ran past the group.

“See ya when we get back, Fluttershy!” Rainbow Dash waved as the rest of them ran down the hall, leaving Fluttershy to reach out to them as they raced into the distance, and down another passageway, out of site.

“Rainbow…no….” she whispered before dropping her foreleg.  She held onto the rails of the stairway, unable to believe that her friends were now gone.  She shivered as she held the rail; ponies would be dead by the end of the day, and she would have failed them.  She was undeserving of her military rank, underserving of her knightly rank and ducal title, underserving of the faith and friendships the princesses had in her.  She was nothing.

Another pegasus came up from behind and saw Fluttershy shaking.  “Commander, are you okay?”

“No, no I’m not,” she whispered.  “I don’t know if I’ll ever be again.”

As the four raced into the passive platform that was the flight deck, the pegasi squadrons were already grouping up in the teams of twenty-four that made up each squadron.  As Rainbow and Scootaloo reach the place on the deck where the Starbolts were meeting, the squadron XO, Lt. Commander Dewdrop Dazzle tossed them their helmets.  “About time you joined the party, mares!” the pegasus joked.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, Daz,” Rainbow said as she put on her helmet.  “Do you have the intel on what we’re up against?”

“Yeah, got it right here,” he replied, placing a map on the deck.  “We’ll be in the center of the whole attack, right next to the Wonderbolts, with the Jetstreamers and the Cloud Dancers right behind us.  We have ninety minutes to secure the port and eliminate the enemy, or else the long-range bombing squadrons have orders to saturate the place.”

“So, it’s time,” she said, standing back up.  “You guys ready to put down some baddies?”  None had actually said the word that was on everypony’s minds: kill.  By the end of the day, they would take lives, and some amongst them would lose theirs.  It was a sobering thought, and part of the reason why the “k-word” had been unofficially banished from the vocabulary.

For minutes they sat there in silence, waiting for some word, some sign to start the operation.  In many ways, this was worse than anything else: anticipaton dragged on the mind, and a mind with plenty of time to think had plenty of time to panic, which was not what anypony needed right now.  So instead, there were small conversations that broke out, a couple of ponies singing and the like, normally small infractions of military protocol but understandable given the situation.

At last, a flicker of light appeared before them all, and the princesses appeared before them; not actually the two alicorns, but instead an illusion prepped by an ensorcelled crystal; similar crystals were playing the illusion throughout the whole battlegroup.  “My little ponies, my brave fliers,” the image of Celestia spoke, with Luna seated behind her to her right; Rainbow swore she could see the faint image of Twilight sitting in the distance behind the sisters.  Celestia walked up to the lectern and began: “First off, I must apologize to you all: we are at war and I have failed to prevent that.  It has never been my desire to see any of my ponies – or any other beings – lose their lives to the senseless violence of war.  But invaders from another world have brought it upon us, and we now have no other option than to fight.

“In minutes, you will all be engaged in a fight to recapture Inverneighs on behalf of the Principality of Caballus.  Many of you know that Caballus is the cradle of ponykind, and many of you also know the truth: that the invaders are also ponies – that we will wage war against our own kind to save the world.  But make no mistake: the group we call the Black Ponies have already killed thousands of Caballans, not just ponies but other residents of that nation, such as wyvern dragons and gryphons.  We cannot allow this to continue.  We must stop them.

“Many of you will face difficult moments while down in the field of battle.  Many of you may not come back from this.  Princess Luna and I have both been combatants at one time or another in our lives against forces that could have killed even us, so I understand what you all face.  But I know you will do us proud, do Equestria proud, and perhaps by your blow even bring an end to the potential for future conflict.”  She paused, and then said, “And now a few words from Princess Luna.”

As Celestia stepped back, Luna walked towards whatever had recorded the message.  “I am nowhere near as notable a speaker as my sister is, so I shall be brief.”  A smile that many who knew the moon alicorn had seen often flashed on her face as she casually leaned on the lectern and said, “So, in the words of a wise pony, ‘Get out there, kick some heads in and show ‘em Equestrianis don’t buck around!” Though she couldn’t see the look on her sister’s face, every viewer was treated to a rare sight of their ruling princess facehoofing at Luna’s words.  Luna, however, continued.  “So we’ll see you all when you get back and remember: every time you hurt them, they can’t hurt you.  Luna and Celestia, signing off!  Good luck out there!” The illusion vanished just as quickly as it had appeared, leaving a bunch of very confused pegasi.

“What was that?” Scootaloo asked.

“Knowing Luna, it was probably planned.  I swear, she loves going to extremes,” Rainbow commented; she knew that after that recording the younger alicorn probably got a mouthful from her older sister; despite Celestia’s casualness, Luna went from utter formality after her return and settled on just pure bluntness.

There was a deep clank of metal from in front and behind, and the flight deck opened to the sky.  Below them were dozens of clouds, and in the distance, framed by the creeping rise of dawn, was the dark shore of Inverneighs.  There was a flash of light atop the newly-opened hatchway, the signal to launch.

“Okay, Starbolts,” Rainbow said, “Stay on chatterbox channel six and don’t forget your callsigns!  Let’s go, go, GO!”  With that, hundreds of pegasi boiled out of the ship, all racing at top speed towards the land below.  Around them, the other carriers did the same, and the combat interdictor ships moved into position in order to start their attack runs.

The war for the survival of the world commenced.

PRIMUS: The End is the Beginning

It all began, as so many adventures do, not with a bang, but a whimper.

In her bedroom, one Pinkamena Diane Pie, commonly known to her friends as Pinkie, slept uneasily.  She tossed and turned in her bed, as she had for nearly a month now.  Images filled her head, dark, insidious ones, writhing and undulating around a group enshrouded in darkness.  She couldn’t see who they were, but they were clearly nopony that she was familiar with.

As always, one of them spoke, her tones angry but strangely cultured: “You stole from us what was rightly ours.  You and your kind.  You usurped us, displaced us, and we would have back what you stole – what was always meant to be ours.”

But I don’t understand, Pinkie responded in the dream, confused.  What did I take?

“The very fact that you ask is an insult!” a second voice shouted.  “So very comfortable in your larceny that you can’t even imagine it being anything other than yours.  You mock us, jibe us with your false innocence and we will have none of that.”  A dark foreleg, black as night, reached out and slammed Pinkie across the face, sending the party pony staggering back.

“But we know.  We know and we act,” said a third voice that joined the other two.  “We act, and when we are done, we will bask in the truth of our own victory.  And there won’t be enough left of your bones to dance and trod upon.”

Pinkie began nervously humming her grandmother’s song – “Giggle at the Ghosties” – as a ward to protect herself.  But these were no ghosties, nor were they in the mood to be giggled at.  From beneath a dark cloak, one of the black ponies produced a dirtied, scarred pointed staff that at closer glance, looked like a broken-off horn of a unicorn.

“Prepare for your end, usurper.  You won’t have long.”  The pony stabbed forward with the broken horn.  And as always, in the end, the dream ended with an explosion of blood, one that Pinkie was sure was hers.

She vaulted up with a scream, shaking and shuddering on the bed, sheets soaking wet from sweat.  Again.  As usual.

Get a hold of yourself! she told herself.  Tomorrow, for sure, you’re going to go see the doctor.  Maybe you can get one of your friends to go with you.  Besides, no need to be so silly-billy, Doctor Stable isn’t scary or anything, since you just did a catering job for his office two weeks ago.  Even then, she’d been to Ponyville Hospital plenty of times, for various reasons.

She thought about rolling back into the bed for sleep, but the soaked sheets made that uncomfortable; furthermore, she knew that if she did, within an hour or two she’d have the dream once more and the result would be a sleepless night in any case.  Things had been like that for a couple of weeks now, and even for the usually chipper Pinkie it was starting to wear on her.

A knock on the door immediately caught her attention.  Who would be knocking on the door at this hour?  It was probably two or three in the morning and nopony – not even her – did anything at this hour.  Well…so there were the occasional sleepover parties for all her friends.  And DJ P0N-3’s weekend raves.  Oh, and Dazzle’s midnight fireworks shows in the park.  And….  Okay, so maybe there were a lot of ponies who were up at this hour.  With an uneasy yawn, Pinkie decided that sleep was a write-off for the evening and went to go answer the door.

As she descended the stairs from the household towards the front door, she looked at the unlit expanse of Sugarcube Corner.  Three years since she bought the place and even still she couldn’t believe her good fortune.  The Cakes had moved to San Franciscolt when Cup’s mother had grown ill; they offered the business to Pinkie so it would remain in good hands, and after going into a partnership with Bon-Bon (who needed a bigger kitchen for her own confectionary) and a much-appreciated loan from Pinkie’s sister Blinky – I’m so never gonna get used to calling her “Octavia”, stage name or no – the business was hers...well, hers and Bon-Bon’s.  The upstairs residence, however, Pinkie kept as Bon-Bon and her roommate Lyra already had a nice place of their own down on Haymarket Street.

The pounding on the door dispatched her from her thoughts, and the baker called out, “Hold on, hold on, okay?”   She repeatedly blinked her eyes and opened and shut her mouth for a second or two more to hope she looked somewhat awake, before opening the door.  “Um, we don’t open for several hou – Twilight?  What are you doing here?”

Twilight Sparkle, former Ponyville Librarian and current Royal Court Mage, waved weakly to her old friend.  “Um…hi.  I’m sorry if I woke you, Pinkie.”

Despite her exhaustion, at the sight of her old friend, Pinkie couldn’t help but grin.  “Naah, couldn’t sleep anyway.  C’mon in and I’ll make some coffee.  What are you doing back in Ponyville?  You could’ve sent a letter letting me know you were coming, you know.”

In response, Twilight shook her head.  “I’m sorry, Pinkie, but I’m not here on a social call.”  She gestured behind her, and standing there, three other ponies also looked half-awake, their other friends Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rarity.  Behind them was one of the larger carriages meant for group transport.  “We’re needed back in Canterlot.  Immediately.”

Pinkie blinked once more, making sure she wasn’t seeing things.  “This early in the morning?  Must be big.”

“Elements big, dear,” Rarity called from near the carriage.  “Now, the sooner we get to Canterlot, the sooner I can get my beauty sleep – don’t want to look such a mess in front of the court, you realize.”

“Sure,” Pinkie responded.  “Give me a second to get my things and we’ll go.  But I’ve got to let Bon-Bon know I’m leaving.  And who’s going to watch over Gummy?”  She worried about her pet, as while Gummy had reached the four-foot length of an adult dwarf caiman, he’d curiously never grown the teeth of one.

“Applebloom’s already offered t’ let Bon-Bon know an’ watch over th’ pets, sugarcube,” Applejack said in between a yawn.  “She’ll be here first thing in th’ mornin’.”

“Um, I can give you a hand packing,” came the soft tones of Fluttershy’s voice.  “That is…if you want.”  The pegasus had wrapped her wings around her for warmth, chilled by the early morning air.  As the norm, the veterinarian and occasional model looked so young and fragile despite being the oldest of their group.

Pinkie grinned.  “Naaah, I got this.  Be back in a second.”  In less time than it took for the others to blink, she dashed from her position at the front door and back, packs firmly in hoof.  “Wow…that took an actual second.  I must be really tired.”

“Well, if you’re ready, let’s get back on the carriage.  We’ve got an hour’s flight to Canterlot, and you’ll probably want to at least sleep a little while we’re on the way,” Twilight commented as she led her friends back to the carriage.  The five clambered aboard, and within minutes, the pegasus-drawn craft bounded into the northeastern sky, straight towards the mountain citadel that was Canterlot.

Minutes later, within the magically pressurized cabin, three ponies gently slept, all cuddled next to one another in the comfort of good friends.  Rarity and Applejack sandwiched Fluttershy, the trio covered by a blanket Twilight had thought to bring just in case.  On the other side of the cabin, however, both Twilight and Pinkie sat at the table, caught in the spell of their relative businesses.

Twilight looked at her old friend and commented, “You don’t have to stay up for my sake.  I’m already used to working odd hours thanks to my duties.”

Pinkie went over some paperwork that she’d brought to do during the trip.  “This gives me a chance to catch up on all the odds and ends of my business.  I’d ask Bon-Bon to do it, but if she has a weak spot, it’s paperwork.  Since somepony has to get it done, it may as well be me.”

Twilight giggled.  “Look at you, Ms. Serious Businessmare.  Never thought I’d see that.”

“I have my moments now and then.  Besides, we all can’t be silly fillies forever.  And just because I’m serious about my business does not mean that this Pinkie’s a stick in the mud.  Nope, not me.”  She went back to her paperwork, but then stopped after a moment when she realized Twilight was staring at her.  “Something wrong?”

“Pinkie…are you okay?  You don’t look good.”

“You woke me up at two in the morning, Twi.  How am I supposed to look?”

“You have bags under your eyes, and you look…harried, and not in the ‘Why am I up this early?’ sense.”

Pinkie turned her head away; as usual, the unicorn was astute.  “I…haven’t been sleeping well the last couple of weeks.  I was planning to set up an appointment with Dr. Stables today if you hadn’t come by.”

“If you’d like, when we get to the castle I can ask Dr. Candystripe in the Infirmary to look at you.  She’s a nice pony, and I’m tutoring her daughter in math, so she owes me a favor.”

“I can wait until I get back home,” Pinkie countered.  “I don’t want to inconvenience anyone.”

“Candystripe won’t mind.  Besides, you’re supposed to stay in tip-top shape, Duchess Vanner, Knight Elemental of Equestria.”

“Ugh,” Pinkie moaned.  “I appreciate that the princesses did that for me, but I hate using my title.  Makes me look like I’m rubbing it in.  Besides, only Rarity – excuse me, Duchess Lippizan – uses it regularly and even then only in her business dealings.  What made you bring that up anyway, Duchess Shetland?”

“Okay, I deserve that, I was just teasing you.  But since you were going to stop by the doctor’s anyway, tomorrow is as good a time as any to go. I can go with you if you’d like, since I’m tutoring Candycane in any case.”

Pinkie nodded absently as she focused back on her work.  “Sounds fine by me.”

The remainder of the trip was in silence, accompanied by the music of three mares’ snores and the occasional tapping of calculator buttons.

═╬═

The moment the carriage alighted at the front of the castle, the five rushed out of the carriage, not waiting for the footponies to open the carriage doors, nor waiting for ceremony.  The group moved forward, skipping formalities and pleasantries due to the urgency of the situation, and considering that five of Canterlot’s Knights Elemental were gathered in the same place in this hour, the whispers began in earnest, the rumors only increasing as they moved through the castle, towards their destination.

That destination led them to a brightly hued hallway…or what was left of the hallway, at any rate.  Much of it was so much sundered stone and shattered glass, torn carpeting and destroyed facades, exposing the whole structure to the outdoors.  To say that an explosion had gone off in the enclosed space was an understatement.  But it was the gaping hole at the other end of the ruined passage that caught the five by surprise.  The huge metal doors were torn off the hinges as though they were paper, and it looked as if blood was splattered on them.  Whatever wisps of sleepiness had remained on the five was now dispatched by the unassailable fact that the Chamber of the Elements of Harmony had been destroyed.

Twilight went to the nearest of the guards – the fact that a platoon of Royal Guards had been stationed here underscored the seriousness of the situation.  “Strongback, has anything changed since I left?”

Strongback’s gruff voice held a tone of barely concealed anger.  “Four of my best guardsponies were hospitalized and we still don’t have a flying feather about what happened.”  He shook his head.  “As for anything else, no other incidents were reported to the Night Guard, though we still have to compare notes with the Day Guard captains when the shift change occurs.  I presume all of you will be sitting in on that, Twilight?”

“I’m afraid you’ll just have to record notes for them, Captain,” a regal voice said from behind them.  None of the mares needed to turn to know who said that.  “Ladies, if you’ll follow me, I had an early breakfast prepared.  It’s probably been a rough night for you – it sure was for me.”  Wordlessly, the five followed in step behind their friend and liege lady, The Princess of the Night, Princess Luna.

As they entered Luna’s personal apartments a few minutes later, the night alicorn sighed.  “First off, I’m truly sorry for dragging you all out of bed, but everything happening at such breakneck speed.  We’ve been having increasing incidents over the past few days and our intention was to call you all at a more reasonable pace, but the attack on the castle gave us no choice but to send Twilight to gather you all.  As it is, Celestia’s still mediating the peace treaty between the zebra kingdom and the gazelle nation, so she’s still stuck in Quaggaton for a few more days.”

“Luna, dear, you’ve nothing to apologize for,” Rarity spoke.  “But I would appreciate being brought up to speed on what’s occurred.  You mentioned that something’s been awry for the past few days?”

“More like past few weeks,” Twilight admitted.  “It started about three weeks ago, with strange sightings around Guard outposts and garrisons.  Sightings of black ponies have been seen around all of Equestria.  At first, it was merely unusual – these ponies are pitch black—”

“—and they’re none of my Guard,” Luna interjected.  “My sister and I mostly use the same troops, and she’s…um, very picky about how they look.  As it is, Strongback, Lightwing and Bravesoul are the darkest of the Guard and they’re hardly anywhere near dark colors.”

“—and at first, it was nothing more than sightings of unusual ponies,” Twilight continued without skipping a beat.  “But then we got other reports, ones more disconcerting: reports that the black ponies were monitoring troop movements and members of the Mage Guild.  We got a report from Moondancer that she was being stalked while she was on business in Manehattan last week, and Starbeam Twinkle was threatened while she was giving magic lessons in Appaloosa.  And then….”

“An’ then whut?” Applejack commented first, though the others had the same thought on their minds.

“The garrison in the Everfree Forest, at the site of the old castle, was attacked,” Luna answered, taking over for Twilight.  “At first, we sent a platoon of Guards to deal with the issue, but we got an immediate request for additional support – heavy magic support.”  Though not mentioned directly, everyone understood what the implication was: the need for warfare-level magic.  “By this time, Celestia had already left for the peace summit and there was no one else to remain on site, so both Twilight and I departed immediately for the garrison.”

“But by the time Luna and I arrived, the battle was mostly over, and the black ponies – hundreds of them, apparently – all melted back into the forest.  The base had taken heavy magic damage and there were dozens of wounded, so we stayed overnight to make sure the emergency was over.”  Twilight bit her lip hesitantly.  “Unfortunately…that left just enough time without a heavy magic user on duty here at the castle….”

“We would have back what you stole – what was always meant to be ours.”  The words burned in the back of Pinkie’s mind.  “So what happened to the Elements?”

“We don’t know,” Luna answered.  “Well, the Elements really didn’t go anywhere, not really; they’re inside all of you.  But the so-called ‘Elements’ are actually focusing crystals to bring out the power.  Twilight really doesn’t need hers and with enough practice, Rarity probably wouldn’t either.  But the rest of you….”  Luna shrugged her wings, an unspoken gesture that the conversation was entering territory unknown even for the Night Princess.  “Even still, you should feel a bit diminished by the disappearance of the crystals.”

“Well, um, now that you mention it,” Fluttershy offered, “I had an, um, brief panic attack last night.”  She blushed furiously as she admitted, “It, uh, sort of ruined my date last night.”  She gave Rarity a helpless look, one which the unicorn immediately understood and moved to her friend’s aid.

“I have to admit, I felt something last night as well.  I was hemming Sweetie Belle’s costume for her school musical, and my hooves and horn went numb.  Next thing I know, I hemmed something…well, let’s just say my dear sister may be wearing that on a honeymoon someday, but nothing suitable for everyday use.  It wasn’t one of my better moments,” she said with an awkward grimace.

“Well, Ah can’t say Ah felt anythin’ out of th’ ordinary, but Big Mac an’ Ah were tossin’ back a few mugs o’ cider last night, an’ for a sec Ah felt tipsier than usual, kinda hoof on the barrel.  Ah didn’t think Ah drank too much, so maybe it was the….”  Applejack mentally wrestled on what to call the sensation, but ultimately left it nameless.

“Well, I didn’t feel anything myself, but I’m practiced at protecting myself against potential weaknesses, and I was a bit tied up at the Everfree Garrison.  What about you, Pinkie?”

“You usurped us, displaced us, and we would have back what you stole – what was always meant to be ours.”  “Um, nothing.  You know me, so loopy that I really don’t notice these things,” Pinkie stammered unconvincingly.  The group looked at her suspiciously, particularly Twilight.  She gave the unicorn a brief pleading look, hoping for a brief moment of respite.

“Well, if you say so, Pinkie,” was all Twilight responded with, letting it drop to the earth pony’s great relief.  “I’m wondering how Rainbow Dash felt.  I hope she wasn’t airborne at the time.”

“She’ll be alright, sugarcube.  Dash always manages t’ land on her hooves with no problem.”

“Funny that you should mention her, milady,” an approaching pegasus from the Day Guard commented.  Looking directly at Luna, she said, “Your Highness, a bit of your time, if I may – it requires, ah, some discretion.”

Luna set down her cup of tea.  “Captain Windsong, please go ahead.  The Knights Elemental are more than willing to keep confidence.”

“Milady, it is somewhat confidential,” Windsong pled.

“Captain, may I also remind you that both as duchesses and knights, these mares well outrank you?  You have my word when I tell you that they will keep confidence.”  Unspoken was the fact that Luna did not want her friends disturbed after a rough night, nor would she keep secrets from those she felt closest to.

Windsong sighed.  “I would rather have done this in private, but as Your Highness wishes.”  She began to reach into a pouch at her side.  “One of my troops found something in the ruins of the vault.  It was easy to see how the Night Guard missed this; and to be honest, had the guardspony not been so new, chances are the Day Guard would have missed this as well.”

“Missed.  What.”  Luna’s tones slid into a low growl.  Over the years since her return, and no small thanks to Fluttershy, Luna learned to consign the Royal Canterlot Voice to the dustbin of history – especially since she found that keeping a low, threatening growl was much more effective.

In any case, for Windsong to suggest that an inexperienced guard found a vital clue said that either the veterans were inept…or that they discounted something potentially problematic.  Whatever it was, it wasn’t going to be good; and chances were that it was going to be politically, perhaps even personally, dicey.

“This.”  Windsong proffered up a single strand of prismatic-hued hair.  “Your Highness, miladies Duchess, there is only one pony in all of Equestria who has a mane such as this.”  From the sudden gasps at the table, the captain knew she struck the nerve she wanted to avoid and was now counting the seconds left before she was reassigned to the Equestriani arctic.

“So you’re telling me that the Duchess Jennet is culpable for what occurred?”

“My ladies, I realize that she is personally dear to you all, but there can be no other explanation.”  Windsong held the strand for every one of the assembly to see.  “Please understand, I feel ashamed to even think it, but all things considered, who else could it be?”

Pinkie immediately spoke out.  “But Dashie would never do anything like that!  Besides, she’s been on the other side of the country for the past week!”

“I was on the other side of the country, Pinkie,” a voice suddenly gasped.  Everyone turned to see Rainbow Dash, looking the worse for wear and wearing the uniform as Commanding Officer of the Starbolts, a group Luna formed for her friend after multiple failed attempts to join the Wonderbolts.  “Sorry I couldn’t make it here sooner, Luna, but I didn’t think you’d – gasp – mind if I got here late.”

Her friends looked at her, completely aghast, and it actually fell to Windsong to speak the unspoken question.  “Lady Jennet…you were over 4,000 miles away, were you not?”

Rainbow Dash gulped down more air before answering.  “Um, yeah – took a whole hour to get here.  I know that sounds awesome, but between you and me?  I’m exhausted.”

“Do you realize how fast you must have been going to cross the continent in such a short time?”

She shrugged weakly.  “Sure, Mach…7, I guess?  I stopped counting after Mach 2.”

Windsong did some quick numbers in her head and immediately started getting a headache.  “Maybe that arctic outpost wouldn’t be so bad after all,” she mumbled under her breath.

“DASHIE!” Rainbow Dash immediately found herself in Pinkie’s high-speed glomp.

“Uh, Pinkie, please let go – I’d really like to start brea—”

“INCOMING!” a voice suddenly shouted even as Rainbow Dash turned around and muttered, “I told her not to come….”  An orange blur rocketed into the room, but didn’t stop in time and punched through the marble wall, pulverizing the impact zone into dust.  As everyone present winced, Windsong said to herself, “Wonder how many scarves I’ll need for the North Pole….”

Breaking free from Pinkie’s grasp, Rainbow Dash stomped over to the carbon-scored hole in the wall.  “Scoots, I told you to stay with the team!”

The teenaged pony poked her head out of the hole, looking somewhat crisped by the impact energy release, but otherwise none the worse for wear.  “Thank Celestia for bowshocks, or else that would have hurt.  She suddenly realized who she was with, and added a quick, “Uh, no offense, Princess.”

Luna quickly stifled a giggle.  “None taken.”

Rainbow Dash was seriously ticked at her protégé.  “For the third time already, kid, I told you to stay with the team!  Luna called me, not you.”  She began stripping off her uniform; unlike the Wonderbolts, she didn’t feel the need to wear it all the time.

“But…I figured you needed me.”  Scootaloo pulled off her own uniform.  “Besides, where you go, I go.”

Rainbow just facehooved at that point.  “Twi, were you ever this bad with Celestia?”

The unicorn’s face nearly split in half from the grin.  “You’ll have to ask my mentor about that.  Oh, and make sure you set aside a few hours – she’s probably got plenty of stories to tell.”

“Ahem.”  Windsong cleared her throat, hoping to get this over and done with; if she could get it done in the next few minutes, she could just make it for the next train to Whinnypeg.  “We still have the matter at hand to discuss.”  She held the hair aloft.  “Duchess Jennet, may I inquire where you were as of last night?”

Rainbow Dash blushed.  “Um…that’s really none of your business, is it?”

“Oh really?” Rarity cooed, seeing her friend’s sudden flush.  “So, who was she?”

If Fluttershy’s infamous Stare was genetic to all pegasi, Rainbow Dash would have used it at that point.  “Okay, that joke has worn a little thin, Rarity.  For the last time, I am not—”

“This isn’t one of hers.”  Scootaloo peered intently at the strand of hair Windsong was holding up.  “I mean, it looks like it on a casual glance, but the colors are brighter, for one.  And it’s a different color pattern.”  The younger pegasus went to her mentor, running a forehoof through the latter’s mane to pull a loose strand, then put the two together for comparison.  “See?  Rainbow’s isn’t as bright.”

Windsong looked at it as well.  “And while the Duchess’ hair is truly a rainbow pattern, this one merely has the colors, but not the order, of the spectrum.”

Fluttershy sighed in relief.  “So that means that Rainbow Dash is innocent.”

“Well, yeah, I’m just awesome that wa—what do you mean ‘I’m innocent’?”

“Long story,” Applejack drawled.

“Well, since this clears her of any implications, Captain, please have your team begin an investigation immediately.  I want to know who exactly did this – and why they went to pains to apparently frame Duchess Jennet.”  Luna dismissed the pegasus.  “Oh, and before I forget, Windsong: you have my apologies for my earlier outburst.”

“Quite understandable, Your Highnes—”

“And I wouldn’t pack you off to Fresian Garrison.  Much too cold and you’re much too valuable of a guardspony.  If anything, I’d send you off to command the garrison in San Caballo.  I think the weather there would be more to your liking.”

Windsong went wide-eyed, wondering how the princess could have known what she was thinking before realizing exactly what the princess was.  Deciding it was probably not in her best interests to be near a divinity for the foreseeable future, the pegasus took off, making a beeline straight for her office.

Fluttershy sighed in mock disgust.  “Hundreds of years old and you’re playing pranks with the staff.”

Luna feigned a wounded look.  “But…if I don’t do it, Celestia will.  Somepony’s got to keep up with her.”

“Could anypony explain what’s going on?” Rainbow Dash inquired.  “I hope I didn’t just nearly burn myself out to catch the tail-end of a slumber party.”

“No, it’s more serious than that, Dash.  But have a seat and have some breakfast – you too, Scootaloo.  This is going to be long and probably painful.”

She raised an eyebrow at that.  “How painful?”

“Prepare for your end, usurper.  You won’t have long.”  “Very painful, Dashie.  Very painful.”  As Pinkie made her statements she hoped she was wrong.  But in the back of her mind, she knew she wasn’t.