The Last Letter

Chapters

A Dash of Hope
Love
War
Foundations
Birds of a Feather
The Song of a New Day
Memoirs of the Heart

A Dash of Hope

The Last Letter - Chapter 2: A Dash of Hope

The train ride to the Crystal Empire seemed to take forever for the young princess. Where confidence and resolve once held strongly in her mind, now rested doubt paired with a hint of fear. The ordeal she endured the night before began to make the lavender mare question just how feasible this prospect was. The journey had yet to begin in earnest, and already there was a problem which boldly presented itself. Exhausted, Twilight sunk into the chair beside her; sighing heavily as she turned to stare distantly out of her window. Her lead chin came to rest upon her front hoof as she began to think.

She was grateful for Big Mac's support last night and it had been a long time since she was able to just stay up late and admire Luna's night sky. It seemed to let reality - and all of its problems - seep away, while tracing constellations with her eyes. As the soothing relaxation wandered in to her mind, the hopeful thought of a spa day with her friends entered her mind and became increasingly enticing the longer it lingered. The vision made her smile and lifted her confidence. For the time being, Twilight decided to replace her promise to Celestia with a simpler goal by dedicating the spa idea to memory.

'If... no, when we all get back together again, I'll take everypony there to unwind and catch-up. That would be a perfect way to wrap up a sincere apology. I hope Rainbow Dash has grown to appreciate a good sprucing...'

As her mind began to wonder how exactly she'd get a hold of that nomadic adrenaline junkie, the conductor announced the train's arrival to the Crystal Empire, and began to wind it down to as graceful a halt as the steam engine could achieve. Twilight felt her body slowly lean forward and then jerk back into the cushioned padding of her seat. A loud hiss of steam signaled to the princess that they had come to a complete stop and it was now safe to disembark.

Trotting into the open station with a dark blue travel bag held firmly in her magical grasp beside her, Twilight looked out upon the Crystal Empire in all its brilliance. The brightness of its luminescence seemed like it should be impossible to stare at directly, but, oddly enough, the vibrant color and light was not harsh at all. On the contrary, the light seemed comfortably inviting, seeming to embody the light of love it represented.

Staring at it now, Twilight began to wonder what the Crystal Spire might look like. From the description of her book, it didn't seem like the Spire would be all that different from Cadance's castle. Would it be just as large? Might it be a castle itself? Was there a connection between this Spire and the castle standing before her? Or was it simply coincidence that they both could spread love over a large area of land?

Another hiss of steam from the engine behind her pulled Twilight back to reality, allowing her to proceed to her original objective. She was here to see her family and pick the first two of her own personal guard. While trotted along, Twilight slowly picked up pace to a canter, excited to see her family again. Secretly, she was glad that she wouldn't have to talk with any of her old friends today. Her encounter with Applejack instilled doubt in her mind, causing her to fear what her other friend’s reactions would be.

'I'll worry about that later.' she thought to herself. 'Applejack is going through a hard time. Surely, all the others are happier in their lives right now… right?'

After a mentally calming trip through the empire on her way to the castle, Twilight finally arrived at her destination. The ponies of the Crystal Empire were something both exotic and intrinsic. They were foreign and, yet belonging. It reminded her of the enchanting alterations the Crystal Heart gave her coat and mane when it reached full power. Along with the mane-style, which Twilight decided to adopt a near-perfect replication of that she'd mastered for more formal occasions. Today, however, would be casual. So her normal flowing mane-style, which rested around one side, was all that she wore today, complimented with a small smile. The beat of her hoof-steps quickly turned into a harmonic echo as she entered the castle from the ground floor, large halls giving way to many paths and doors. The occasional crystal guard would be seen coming in and out of view as they went about their business. A select few who happened to pass by her would throw up a quick salute, a gesture of respect for her royal presence. She'd simply return this with a nod and a smile.

Rounding one corner on her way to where she figured her brother and sister-in-law would be this early in the morning, Twilight stopped abruptly with an, "Oh, my!" of surprise, nearly running right into a gold-clad orange stallion. The surprise was returned by the guard's shrinking blue eyes and short whinny as he, too, halted just a few inches shy of Twilight. Twilight gave a small sigh of relief before offering a sheepish grin. "Sorry for the start, there."

The stallion heaved his own sigh of relief, having stepped back to give Twilight back her personal space. "It's fine, really. At least I don't need a cup of coffee anymore." The two shared a slightly awkward couple of laughs before he looked at her a bit more closely. A sudden expression of realization came onto his face. "Hey, I remember you. Princess Twilight Sparkle, right?" he gave a short, courtly bow before her. "What brings you to the Crystal Empire today, Princess?"

Twilight looked him over oddly for a moment, before she finally remembered his orange coat and deep blue eyes. "Flash Sentry!" A light blush dusted her cheeks for a moment as she remembered her experience with a Flash Sentry in the realm beyond the crystal mirror. This, in turn, prompted a quickly passing wonder as to how Sunset Shimmer was doing after all these years. Twilight then pushed herself to answer his question. "Oh, I'm just here to see my family again and spend some quality time with them."

"The prince and princesses? They should still be in the breakfast hall. Would you like an escort?"

"That would be great." she replied with a gleeful nod, choosing to trot along beside Flash. "How is Skyla doing, by the way? The last time I saw her, she was just a small filly. She couldn't have been bigger than I was in magic kindergarten."

"She's grown into quite the princess, your highness. Though, I hear she's gotten a taste for adventure."

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind." she began with an amused chuckle. "I might know of an adventure book or two to recommend her."

"I bet she'd love that."

After a short trot, the two came to stop before a pair of large doors which led into the dining hall. Flash Sentry went ahead, cracked the doors open, and disappeared beyond them. Twilight took this moment to make sure her mane and tail were in proper order while Flash announced her arrival. A familiar, more robust voice acknowledged Flash Sentry and asked to have her brought in. Twilight looked back to the doors just in time for the orange guard to slip back out.

"They're ready for you, Princess. Enjoy your stay."

"Thanks, you too..." Twilight responded as she watched him pass by. After a moment, she realized how she responded to his bid. This caused a sheepish grin before she brushed it off. "I'm sure he knows what I meant." she assured herself.

Once Twilight entered the dining hall, the three royals each got off of their seats to go and greet her. Cadance was the first to personally welcome Twilight the only way she knew how. "Twilight!"

"Cadance!" Twilight exclaimed, cantering up to meet her honorary sister halfway. Her dark blue luggage case set down behind her while they both did their song and prance in unison.

"Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves, and do a little shake!"

The two then giggled like little school fillies as they shared a firm hug with each other. Once they broke the embrace, to two gave each other a slightly more casual exchange of welcomes.

"It's so great to see you, Twilight!" Cadance began.

"It's great to see you too, Cadance."

"Hello, Auntie Sparkle!" Skyla interrupted as she galloped over to stand before the two. Skyla bore a wide grin, holding small yet fond memories of Twilight.

"Skyla! Oh my gosh, you're so big now!" Twilight took a moment to face the young mare and take in her image. This alicorn was about the size of an average mature filly her age. Wearing her own little crown and a set of ornate golden shoes, she seemed like the spitting-image of the young Cadance she once knew. The only details separating the two were a slightly deeper colored coat, sky-blue eyes instead of lavender, and a not-too-different mane-style consisting of purple with a single golden yellow highlight.

As gently as her excitement would allow, Twilight gave Skyla her own hug before continuing. "How's my favorite niece?"

"I'm your only niece!" she playfully objected.

Twilight gave a small chuckle. "I suppose you're right."

"Twily!" came Shining Armor's own greeting. Unable to wait for his turn any longer, he came up and stole a hug from his sister. "How are you, Sis?"

Twilight felt a small twinge in her stomach as she gave the last of her hugs away. It then donned on her that she didn't remember eating anything before bed last night. In addition, she had opted to skip breakfast in order to spend as much of her day as she could with her family. "Right now, I'm hoping you've got room at the table for one more." she replied with a nervous smile.

"Of course! I'd have it no other way." Shining responded, holding out a hoof to the table to further invite her to dine with them.

The quartet spent a while together, talking and catching up well into mid-day. Subjects ranged from what Twilight had been doing in Ponyville since the time of her last visit, to regaling wild adventures from a seemingly past life to an awe-filled Skyla. While together, Twilight got the chance to be shown the room she would be sleeping in for the night, which looked like it was used only for guests of honor. She also got to see some of the improvements they've made over the years, including some additions and a small selection of crystal replicas that were masterfully recreated from original historic stone and marble statues.

Pretty soon, the topic of their discussions turned towards more recent events, and eventually the subject of Celestia's task for her was brought up by Shining Armor. "So, Twily, Celestia's told me that you'll be needing a couple of guards for this mission of yours," he said casually.

Twilight nodded a confirmation. "Celestia wants me to lead a band of ponies to settle the old frontier, and reclaim the Crystal Spire."

"You're going on another adventure, Twilight!?" Skyla asked, barely unable to contain her excitement. Twilight nodded and Skyla gave a small jump of joy. "You're so lucky, Aunt Sparkle! I wish I could go on adventures like you. The Crystal Empire isn't as eventful as it looks. I think the most adventure I have here is when my friends and I play in the snow at the border."

"Oh, so you have some good friends?" Twilight asked, straying from the original topic a bit.

"Yup! I went to school with them. We used to do all sorts of crazy things back then. Its mellowed out a little bit now, but we still have some fun."

Twilight's smile weakened some as she heard that, slowing coming to a stop in the hallway. Twilight thought back to when she was just a regular old unicorn taking her first steps into Ponyville. Running into Pinkie, meeting the Apple family, and receiving her very first patented Rain-blow Dry. Though all of it was so long ago, Twilight held onto the fond memories like they happened yesterday, which made it that much harder to swallow the fact that her friendships were not what they once were.

"Auntie?"

"Is something wrong, Twily?"

The combination of Skyla and her brother's voices shook Twilight out of her daze, but not out of her slump. "Huh? Oh, nothing, sorry. I was just... remembering something." She looked away for a moment in though, but forced a small smile.

Cadance and Shining Armor both shared a concerned glance, before they looked back to Twilight and sat in the middle of the hall before her. It was Cadence who broke the silence, "You can tell us anything, Twilight. If something's bothering you, you shouldn't keep it bottled-up inside."

Twilight sighed heavily, "That obvious, huh?" They all nodded, which prompted her to sit as well, Armor and Skyla taking their own seats to listen. "After Celestia gave me the task, I went to Applejack's last night to tell her about it. I was excited because I thought we'd all meet up again and make some new memories together, like we used to...I thought she would be excited too, but she practically threw the offer in my face and I can't blame her. We never saw much of each other after I became Mayor, much less spoke. I found out later that AJ went through a pretty bad break-up and she's still really hurting. I'm hoping that I can get the rest of my friends together and get her out of this pit of depression, but... what if we can't? What if I can't? All because I never made time for her?"

Skyla looked down while brushing one hoof with the other nervously. Mostly because she didn't have an answer, but part of her felt like she brought out this negative feeling in Twilight. Shining Armor, on the other hoof, came over to sit next to Twilight, putting a hoof behind her back. "Hey, hey. You can't blame yourself, Twilight. Sometimes, when you grow up and get into bigger things, drifting can happen. It's a natural part of life, Twi."

Shining armor took a moment to think about a couple of his experiences with friends who drifted. "I'll admit, it's not easy. Whenever I first moved here to the Crystal Empire, I felt like I was so far out of the loop that I had somehow abandoned my friends in the Royal Guard. When we both had Skyla, it became even harder to keep up old connections. I've missed a lot about my buddies from Canterlot. It took me by complete surprise that one of my friends had fallen on hard times, having hurt himself in an accident after drinking too much. I may not have been there to help him at the time, but when I found out, I sent him all the bits he needed to get back on his hooves."

Shining armor took a moment to think about a couple of his experiences with friends who drifted. "I'll admit it's not easy. When I first moved here, I felt like I was so far out of the loop that I had somehow abandoned my friends in the Royal Guard. When we both had Skyla, it became even harder to maintain old connections. I've missed a lot about my buddies from Canterlot. It took me by complete surprise when I learned that one of my friends had fallen on hard times, having hurt himself in an accident after drinking too much. I may not have been there to help him at the time, but when I found out, I sent him all the bits he needed to get back on his hooves."

Shining chuckled slightly at the memory. "Oh, you can bet that didn't sit well. Gilded Shield wasn't one for charity and it took me a while to get him to accept it. Some friends and I, who were concerned for him, finally convinced him to take the money and get himself into a decent spot in life again. After that, things picked up for him. We still may not talk much or see each other, but the friendships we make, Twily, are strong and ever-lasting. All I can say is this, do what you can to help your friend. It might take a while, but she'll come around. Your friendship will be better for it."

Twilight smiled a bit, grateful to have so many good ponies in her life. "Thanks, Shining. You don't know how much that means to me. I'm certain now, as long as the others are with me, I can get Applejack out of her slump."

"Think nothing of it, Sis," he brushed it off with a gesture humbly. A thought then occurred to him, signified as he placed a hoof to his chin for a moment. "You know, come to think of it, I remember hearing a familiar name earlier today." He thought about it more, taking a moment to glance over to Twilight and see her curiosity. "Yeah…there was that rally scheduled during lunch today. I thought I recognized one of the competitors on the sheet. Rainbow Dash is one of your friends, isn't she?" Shining now gave a sly smile, knowing it should brighten her spirits some.

"Rainbow Dash is gunna be here today!?" Skyla asked with notable excitement, remembering her name coming up several times in Twilight's tales of adventure. Specifically, that Rainbow Dash was the mare of the group with a thing for thrilling excitement. She could hardly resist the opportunity at more adventure stories. "Can we go see her!? Please, please, please, please?"

Sklya gave Twilight such a broad grin of excitement, her eyes the size of dinner plates. She could hardly feel right denying her niece the chance to meet such a popular legend of today. Besides, being a Wonderbolt, Twilight doubted it would be easy to find that busy mare again. It was unlikely that Rainbow would be this conveniently close to the next few stops on her south-bound journey. "Sure, why not?"

"Yes! Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, YES!" Skyla jumped circles around the small group exuberantly.

Twilight gave off a blush with a nervous smile as she watched Skyla do this. While Shining Armor just gave a chuckle, already used to Skyla's natural charisma. "If you've ever doubted that she's your niece..." he whispered to her, and they both gave a small laugh. "I think I'll come with you two and help make sure Skyla keeps her flank planted in her seat during the race."

"Daaad! I'm not a foal anymore!" Skyla objected, but knew he'd still go anyway.

Twilight smiled at them both before looking to Cadance. "Are you coming with?"

"I would love to, but I'm afraid I've put off some important business for long enough already. You'll be back for dinner, right?"

"Of course!" Twilight doubted she'd miss it for the world. If she was lucky, she might get Rainbow Dash to join them as well. "See you then!" she called as Cadance left the three to go about her business. Twilight turned back to Shining Armor as she began her next question. "So, when should we head out for the rally?"

"The Wonderbolts should be already, prepping for the race. If we leave now, we can get settled in to the V.I.P. box and have some lunch delivered before they fly the course."

"Sounds like a plan!" Twilight replied as she got up.

"How many epic stories do you think Rainbow Dash has, Twilight?" Skyla inquired.

"More than I could count, I'm sure. If you ask her, I bet she'd even tell you how she got her cutie mark."

Skyla gasped, as if the idea that there was an awesome way to earn a cutie mark was foreign to her. "I can't wait!"

"Now you're just intentionally riling up my daughter." Shining Armor commented, to which Twilight countered with a prideful smirk.

Rainbow Dash stood proudly at the starting line, taking in the glory and attention of the crowd. The deafening noise of endless talking and cheering invoked a tingle that slowly moved up and down the back of her neck. Slowly, Rainbow began her routine. One leg stretched out, she explored the reaches of its free movement before firmly planting it back into place below her. As is did she accepted the returning weight and adjusted accordingly while another leg did the same. Then another, until all four were both tensed and tested. Her tail flicked while her wings came up to their full span and their area of motion explored. Everything felt fine and ready to go.

The announcer began his speech and that's when the world around Rainbow Dash was selectively tuned out. The roar of the crowd slowly died down as he carried on.

"In the first lane, Captain of the Wonderbolts. Spitfire!"

The crowd seemed to raise in volume some, but only slightly to Rainbow Dash. She had a method to maintain. A zone she needed to hone in on. Focus was something she pounded into her mind to deter her boastful nature from milking the crowd and making a foal of herself. Not only that, it just wasn't courteous to the other racers, whom she held much respect for.

"...Co-captain Soarin!"

Rainbow Dash took in a breath, the crowd now drowned out by the stillness in her mind. There was only one directive in her mind at this point. Fly like the wind.

"...living legend, Rainbow Dash!"

The faint sound of her name prompted the cyan mare to open her eyes again, breathing out as she did so. She became fully aware of the blaring crowd once more as she affixed her goggles over her eyes.

"Lightning Dust!"

Rainbow Dash looked to the last of the Bolts for today's race, remembering her from the academy. Lightning was little more than a bad egg in her eyes back then and was dropped for her inability to work with a team. It was only recently that Rainbow Dash heard from Spitfire that the mare redeemed herself, which made her today's hot new up-and-comer. Dash hadn't personally seen Dust's improvement, but she had hoped that it were true. Lightning held the potential to be a great Wonderbolt and an even better competitor.

Lightning Dust took notice of Rainbow's watchful eye, returning her silent scrutiny with a confident smirk and a nod forward, telling her to be ready. Rainbow Dash nodded once back in acknowledgement.

"Ready!"

All four now crouched to a prone position, ready and waiting.

"Set!"

Eight wings sprang up in unison. Rainbow Dash could feel the tension in the air with the smallest of her feathers. It sent an invigorating tingle down the back of her neck.

"Go!"

Black clouds, a jagged blue and yellow streak, and a ribbon of rainbow color now took place of the space these Wonderbolts once occupied.

Inside that instant of takeoff, adrenaline surged through Rainbow Dash from mane to tail and time seemed to slow down around her. Her senses exploded as she became aware of the invisible force she fought through to reach the finish line. Aware of the lightest of currents, timing the down-strokes of her wings for maximum propulsion. Her heart raced, giving Dash an oddly invigorating feeling in her chest.

As they approached the first curve, Rainbow looked to the left-corner of her vision. Her eyes see Soarin slowly falling behind, a result of his less-than-healthy diet.

'Three.'

Just beyond him, she could see Spitfire inching into the lead. With the inside-most lane, she held the advantage over the others.

'Two.'

Her eyes now turned towards the right side of her view. Rainbow watched an overly-confident blue and yellow mare creep passed Rainbow as they rounded the second curve, leaving her in third just ahead of Soarin.

'One.'

Rainbow blinked, returning her focus to her own lane and letting the world around her fade into obscurity. A visible veil of wind that was slowly forming before her now struggled to keep the power-house of color contained. Soon, it came to its limit.

Boom!

A deafening crack resounded through the stadium almost instantaneously. Her cyan hoof finally pierced the thin plastic sheet between Dash and the ultimate rush, sending a rainbow-colored ring of light and sound in all directions. A wave of force shot through the stadium, sharing the thrill of the event with the whole crowd. The four rapidly began to approach the finish line, vibrant streaks of cloud and color trailing behind all of them. A flash of light finally signaled the end of the race, and the four skid to a stop along the track. The crowd fell silent. The race was so close to the average pony's eye, but the four each already knew who won. Regardless, they waited for the announcer to receive the instant image and make the call.

"And it's Rainbow Dash by a hoof!"

The stands came to life with excitement as Rainbow Dash took a leap of victory, her wings keeping her in the air for a short moment. Touching back down, the other three came in to give their congratulations with a repetition of hoof-bumps. Rainbow Dash loved racing. The audience was nice, but they lost some of their luster over the years, representing little more than a garnish on the rush of flying at top speed.

"Great race, guys! First round of drinks is on me!" The other three gave a short holler before following Dash off the track.

It didn't take long for the team to get back to the competitor's lounge, where they settled in to enjoy some grub at the personal bar. Soarin made himself comfortable with a fresh baked pie and a bottle of Dos Caballos. Spitfire kept it to a simple plate of greens and glass of water. Rainbow Dash decided to binge a little for her win and get a bowl of fruit salad with a cup of nectar. Before cider, it was Rainbow's favorite alcoholic drink. She always had a thing for fruit-flavored poison.

"That sonic rainboom was pretty sweet, Dash. Never got to see one that close before." Lightning Dust commented playfully.

"All in a day's work," Rainbow Dash gloated, looking over to the most recent addition to the team. Lightning Dust had ordered steamed vegetables with a side of fruit and a bottle of hard lemonade. "You're not half-bad yourself, Lightning. I knew you were fast, but I didn't expect you to overtake Spits, here." Rainbow bumped elbows with Spitfire to poke harmless fun at her.

The other three shared in a chuckle while Spitfire gave them a small, but prideful smirk. "Keep laughing, you two. There's always going to be someone faster than you."

"Pfft. Not even on my worst day!" Rainbow boasted.

"I'd be willing to bet I could beat you on your worst day." Lightning commented before taking a drink.

"Them's racing words right there, Lightning." Rainbow shot back with a small grin.

Soarin took a moment to bump Spitfire for a short moment of her attention. "Fifty bits on Blonde-y." he said aloud without care.

"You're betting on the same pony as me, Soarin." came Spitfire with confidence.

"What do you say, Rainbow Dash? Are you feeling up to the challenge?" Lightning inquired. "That is, unless, you're just a big scared-y pony."

"Goading me like that won't win you any brownie points, Lightning Dust." Rainbow Dash commented, seeming a bit full of herself. Lightning looked to her a bit quizzically, which Dash noticed while she took a big drink of her nectar. A deep sigh of satisfaction escaped her before continuing, looking directly at her now. "I still haven't forgotten what got you booted from the academy, you know." Rainbow Dash's blunt words left Lightning looking a bit sour that she'd brought it up. But it was plain to see Rainbow had long sense let the act go. Nopony got hurt, but the principle was still there. It was a grievous misuse of ability.

Soarin looked to Spitfire inquisitively. But she just rolled her eyes. Soarin gave a small shrug and continued eating his pie enthusiastically.

"You can't still be bothered by that?" Lightning finally broke the off silence in the room.

"Nah. I was young and stupid once, too..." Rainbow started matter-of-factly. "I've put it behind me. But that doesn't mean I'll give you boasting rights before I see that you have changed. Keep working well with the team and I'll definitely take you up on your challenge." Rainbow Dash then casually held out a hoof towards Lightning.

Lightning Dust looked down to the hoof, and her confident demeanor returned, meeting it with her own hoof in a bump. "Don't keep me on the bench too long, Dash. You won't get any younger and I'd hate to be the reason you retire."

Rainbow laughed. "Me? Retire? Never! I was born for the race track and, by Celestia; I'll die on the race track."

"Buck..." Spitfire snickered as she closed her eyes, drawing the attention of the other three. She was trying to avoid drinking tonight, but Rainbow Dash always managed to get her blood pumping. "I'll drink to that. Hard nectar, please!" she called to the bar keep, who was quick to get her a mug of her desired drink. Spitfire raised the cup towards Rainbow and Lightning. "Here's to going out in a blaze of glory!"

"Buck yeah!" Rainbow exclaimed while she and Lightning both bumped their drink into Spitfire's, causing a small, collective splash to spill out onto the table. They each then took an equally long drink together, giving a deep and satisfying sigh in unison.

Soarin offered a hearty chuckle to the three kindred spirits. "You go ahead and have your dying glory on the race track. I plan on going out muzzle-deep in a hot pie!" That's when he gave a suggestive smirk to the others.

"You know, Spits, I never quite understood that." Rainbow began, grabbing Spitfire's attention.

"What's that?"

"How does a diamond dog like Soarin become Co-captain of the Wonderbolts?"

Lightning Dust tried holding back a laugh, but couldn't help a snicker.

"Hey! I represent that remark!" Soarin exclaimed in faux indignation.

"Don't you mean 'resent', Soarin?" Lightning Dust inquired.

"I know what I said," the stallion commented, making the joke more apparent. They all shared a small bit of laughter then before returning to their food.

After a bit of time passed, Rainbow Dash heard the door to the lounge open. Her multi-colored mane turned to look and see who it might be and gave a gasp as her eyes shrank. There, in the doorway, stood a familiar lavender alicorn with a sheepish grin. Dash noticed a couple of others she thought she might have met once or twice, but at that moment she was focused on the mare in front. "Hey, Twilight!"

"Rainbow Dash! It's good to-hurk!" Twilight was cut off when a blur of rainbow color sent Dash right up to wrap her hooves around Twilight. Twilight felt herself lift off the ground, Dash pulling the two into the air nearly without effort "Rainbow...! You're... crushing... me!"

"Oops, heheh," Rainbow realized what she was doing and quickly let Twilight plop down onto her flank. "Sorry, Twilight, it's hard to control my Wonderbolt strength sometimes." Cyan hooves firmly touched down to the ground, letting Rainbow Dash fold her wings back down. "So, what's going on, girl!? Last time I saw you was when you held a rally in Ponyville. Weren't you mayor or something?"

Twilight nodded with a smile. "Yes, I was. That race was great, too. It brought in some much-needed revenue to stimulate the town's economy."

"I'll bet the Apple Family got a pretty bit serving all their treats in the stands. I remember Applejack talking about having more bits than she knew what to do with. Speaking of, any of the others come with you? Who's all in the hall behind you, there?"

Twilight's smile shrank some as she shook her head. She didn't have the heart to tell her about Applejack. Not yet, anyways. She didn't want to ruin the good mood. "Unfortunately, everypony else was busy today."

Rainbow Dash sighed heavily. "Everypony is always too busy. At least I see them in the stands once in a while, I guess."

Twilight nodded some, and stepped in away from the door to let Skyla and Shining Armor enter. "Shining Armor came with me today, though. So did his daughter, Sklya. Skyla, this is Rainbow Dash."

After Twilight introduced the two, Skyla stared at Dash in awe. "Auntie Twilight told me you used to go on adventures together!" she exclaimed, hoping to get a story or two out of her.

"Hay yeah!" Rainbow replied, a grin of slight superiority plastering her demeanor. "We did do some pretty awesome stuff back in the hay day."

"She told me about how you defeated Luna when she was the wicked Nightmare Moon and the time that you each overcame the trials of Discord! Oo! And the evil King Sombra!"

Rainbow Dash blinked slightly, vaguely remembering something missing from that line-up. It then came back to her in an instant. "She didn't tell you about the time we chewed flank and kicked bubblegum when the changelings invaded Cadance's wedding?"

Skyla gasped in excitement, turning back to her father. "You didn't tell me they were there fighting with you!"

Shining's face turned cherry red from embarrassment, which prompted Rainbow Dash to fall onto her back in a fit of laughter. "Shining Armor? Fighting changelings!? Bwah-hahahaha!!" she managed to blurt in between gasps of breath.

Skyla's confusion quickly turned to a glare of scrutiny at Shining, who tried to avoid eye contact while nervously whistling. Twilight tried to hide her own small amount of blush and a chuckle behind her hoof. But nopony was fooling Skyla anymore. "Were you even there, Daddy?"

"I was!" Shining Armor shot back in an effort to piece his pride back together. But the harsh gaze of his daughter paired with the uncontrollably laughing rainbow behind her told him that he was pretty much busted. "... but, I may have glorified my role in the event with a garnish... or two..."

"Daaad!"

Finally coming down off of her laughing high with a slight pain in her side, Rainbow Dash got back up and put a hoof around Skyla's shoulders. "Don't worry about it, kid. I'll tell you all about what really happened."

The other three Wonderbolts, while enjoying the little show of excitement, were getting a little bored. So they slowly trotted passed the group, Lightning Dust taking a moment of Dash's attention. "Hey, Dash. Me and the others are gunna go find a nice patch of cloud to relax on for a while. You got the tab covered?"

Rainbow Dash raised a hoof to about chest-height, using a single brush-like motion. "Scout's honor, see you guys later!" she waved them off, before leading the others to the seats at the bar. "Now, where was I?"

"You were going to tell me what really happened at Daddy's wedding!"

"Right, right! You see, it all happened like this..."

Twilight and the others spent a good while talking about the good ol' days, weaving yarns together while Skyla drank in all that she could. After a couple of hours of entertaining story-telling, Twilight stole Rainbow Dash away from the adventure-drunk princess by offering to take her somewhere to catch up. Reluctantly, Sklya was peeled away by Shining Armor, who offered a place at the dinner table for them both when they were done. As the two friends traveled the bustling city streets, Twilight offered to treat them both at a cafe, but was talked into taking Rainbow Dash to her favorite bar she spent time in whenever she was in the Crystal Empire. The rainbow mare ordered another mug of hard nectar, having refrained from drinking anymore in the presence of Sklya. Twilight seemed content with a small cup of berry wine paired with a small helping of beer nuts.

They talked about what has all happened for each other since their last brief time together in Ponyville, Twilight actively straying away from talks about Applejack in every subtle way she could. Eventually, their discussion turned to recent events and Twilight felt fully comfortable and ready to make her offer.

"So, what else is new with you? I'm kinda surprised the Mayor of Ponyville found the spare time for a full day's stay in the Empire."

"Funny you should mention that, actually. I resigned from office yesterday. I'm just a regular alicorn now."

"Say what?" Rainbow Dash asked with general interest. She took another good drink before inquiring further. "Why'd you do that? I thought being Mayor meant a lot to you?"

"It did." Twilight replied simply, taking a sip of her glass using her magic. Once it was set back down, a lone peanut coated itself in her magenta aura and hovered into Twilight's mouth.

"So? What changed?" The impatient mare next to Twilight asked.

Twilight offered a big smile before continuing. "Celestia gave me a new task. She wants me to settle the old kingdom near an ancient relic, the Crystal Spire."

"Well, alright, Twilight! Finally getting your own kingdom and stuff! I was beginning to wonder if you'd ever fully embrace your princess-hood." Rainbow Dash turned to the bartender and waved for his attention. "Hey! How about you bring an order of hard nectar for the new princess-to-be?"

"Oh! No, no, no, no. My wine is fine enough, thank you." she denied passively, putting her hooves up in protest. In spite of her objections, a mug of frothed nectar slid before her, causing her to watch it hesitantly.

"C'mon, Twilight! Loosen up a little bit. Don't be a kill-joy!" Rainbow pressed on her friend playfully, taking another few gulps of her own. As if she was trying to show her how to enjoy hard alcohol.

Twilight looked over to Rainbow Dash, who honestly seemed to enjoy her cup of the brew. Purple eyes wandered back down to the mug before her, the bubbles slowly sliding down the side. Letting her guard down, Twilight took up the cup and pressed it to her lips to take a light drink of it. Suddenly, she felt Rainbow's hoof press down on top of hers and tilt the mug further.

"You drink nectar like this," she chuckled. After somewhat forcing down a few solid gulps, Rainbow let go of Twilight's mug, watching her set it down against the table firmly.

Twilight's eyes dilated as the last of the nectar in her mouth pushed down her throat. The strong aroma of alcohol burned in her nose. It had a hint of fruity flavor to it, but this was nearly overpowered by the fiery touch of the liquid, leaving her gullet feeling something in between the flavor of spicy and sour. When she finally drew in a sharp breath, Twilight's whole being tingled in an off way as she felt the odd warming sensation the nectar left in its wake. For a moment, it visibly frizzed her mane and tail, best characterized as what it would look like after a strong electro-static discharge from fleece. The experience overall was different, but Twilight was unsure if she cared for the rest of what was left.

Despite her indecision, seemingly without rhyme or reason, a smile curled her lips while Twilight's head gently swam through the air. Cheeks alight with a rosy-pink blush. She now pondered if she could let a gifted drink go to waste, before a hearty chuckle called her attention.

"Feels great, doesn't it?"

Twilight offered a small chuckle, unable to deny that much. "Can't say that it doesn't; although, I think I'll do without the helping-hoof next time." Twilight now opted to drink some more, in a less lady-like fashion. She grimaced at the overall flavor, But she enjoyed the warming feeling it gave her.

"Just wanted to make sure you got to have an honest buzz before you tie yourself down to royal duties at this new kingdom of yours. Be sure to let me know when you need the Wonderbolts to stimulate your economy. I'd love the chance to race a new track."

"Funny you should mention that. I actually have a proposition for you, Rainbow."

"Oh?" Rainbow took a moment to have another Drink. She noticed that Twilight ever so slightly pushed her nectar away to keep from getting too buzzed. Rainbow chuckled slightly. "I can take that if you don't want anymore." She should've known Twilight was a light-weight. Princesses were notorious for not being party ponies.

Twilight gave a sheepish grin and let her magic slide the mug over to Rainbow Dash, who took it and added the remnants to her own cup. "Thanks for the drink. It's just too much for me."

"Don't sweat it. Now, what's this offer?"

"Oh, right! Well, in order to settle a new kingdom, I'm going to need a sizable band of ponies. It would be great if I could have an experienced Pegasus, like you, help out." Twilight suggested subtly. Somehow, it didn't seem so hard to ask Rainbow Dash now. It was kind of relaxing, really. She slowly began to understand why Rainbow always celebrated with a drink. All the while, Twilight gave a comfortable smile in anticipation of Rainbow Dash's answer.

Rainbow Dash stopped in mid-gulp, swallowing hard and looking over to Twilight. Her light blush and blissful smile betrayed any seriousness Dash was looking for. Rainbow Dash looked to the side slightly, and then scratched one fore-leg with the other hoof. "I-... I don't know, Twilight. The thought is tempting, really. It's just that I've been with Spits and the other Wonderbolts for a while. I've been working towards becoming a Captain for a few years now..."

Twilight's smile quickly turned into the smallest of frowns. She tried to uphold a brighter demeanor, but that effort was simply in vain. "Oh. I see."

"Please, Twilight, don't look like that." Rainbow Dash nearly begged, feeling bad now. "If it had been a few years ago, I would have been all on board with it. It would be nice to maybe get everypony back together and do something fun and worthwhile. But, I've invested too much effort to my promotion to just cut and run for some good old adventure. Spits is pretty laid back once you get to know her, but I'd lose all of her respect if I didn't stick with it. Dedication is a big thing for her. I wouldn't be very loyal if I just did whatever I wanted..." Dash heaved a sigh, seeing Twilight slump down against the counter. Perhaps she shouldn't have gotten her hard alcohol.

Rainbow Dash moved over and put a hoof around Twilight's shoulders. "Listen, Twilight. I really wish I could just buck all and go with. If I could just go up and take my promotion right now, I would be there with you! Sometimes we get dealt a bad hoof and all we can do is make the best of it."

Twilight nodded as much as the counter would let her, letting Rainbow's words bounce around in her mind. Suddenly, a thought occurred to her and she lifted her head off the counter in subtle contemplation. Something bold came to mind. Right now, Twilight was fully willing to go bold. A small smile graced her lips again and she felt Rainbow Dash take her in to a sideways hug.

"There, that's better; all good, now?"

Twilight nodded. "Well, I guess you can't blame me for trying. I think I should be heading back though. I need to trot off this buzz. It was great hanging out with you, Rainbow."

"It was nice to hang out with you too, Twilight. I'll meet you back at the castle later, okay?"

Twilight nodded, getting off of her seat. She almost stumbled for a moment, but took the time to correct her shifted balance. She could hear a small giggle from Rainbow, to which Twilight shot a dirty smirk. "Take your time. Just promise me you won't show up drunk?"

Rainbow returned Twilight's dirty smile with one of her own. "Pinkie promise." The two shared one more laugh together before Rainbow Dash watched Twilight walk away. Refusing her offer was very hard for the Wonderbolt. But she had her own agenda to diligently follow.

Meanwhile...

A neon pink mare worked joyfully in a kitchen with two others: a yellow filly with a fluffy orange mane and a tan colt wearing a suave flowing brown mane. In the midst of her mixing a thick batter, the pink mare stopped when she felt a tingle in her nose. She turned away when it grew in intensity and finally released a sudden and startling sneeze. A hoof-full of confetti flew out and proceeded to flutter down to the ground. Pinkie watched as they did so, waiting until the last one hit the floor before looking up to the other two.

"You okay, Pinks?"

"Yup! One of my Pinkie Senses went off!" Pinkie hummed a tune while getting back to mixing the batter, naturally assuming the other two knew which one that was.

The other two looked to each other with slight confusion, and then back to Pinkie. "Which one was that?"

"When I sneeze, it means that someone just made a funny reference about me, silly!"

"Uh, don't you mean someone was talking about you?" As what the typical myth of randomly sneezing usually meant.

"Duh! You'd have to talk about me to make a funny reference about me!" She chimed cheerfully and then continued to hum.

The other two looked to each other and then shrugged with an off smile before getting back to their own work.

Meanwhile, back at the plot...

Twilight appeared near the stadium that held the race earlier that day, galloping off beyond the doors and down the halls. 'I just hope they're back here and haven't gone off for food yet...' she thought to herself. Soon enough, she reached the competitor's lounge and came to a halt before the door. Listening carefully, she could hear a slightly familiar female voice behind the door. 'Yes!' Twilight clapped her hooves together in hopeful excitement. 'I hope this works...'

Twilight took a moment to make sure she looked proper before knocking her hoof against the door and waiting patiently. She would have simply walked in like she did earlier, but it didn't feel right knowing that Rainbow Dash wasn't behind the door this time.

Spitfire was sharing in a fun little game of poker with the other two Wonderbolts still there. She loved to play poker with the others. Even Rainbow Dash couldn't best her at the game of cards. A steely stare came up from her hoof, looking over the other two like a lion watching its prey. She remained perfectly stoic and unreadable, even after hearing some knocks at the door. While Soarin tried his best to exercise his own poker face and Lightning Dust generally using an expression of boredom to hide her hoof, Spitfire calmly placed her cards down, but not before tossing in a few bits. "I raise three. Let me go check the door really quick."

Lightning Dust sighed as she tossed her hoof to the table, a poor combination of cards revealing themselves. "I'm out."

Soarin grumbled slightly, setting his hoof face down. "I'm out." he said reluctantly. All he had was a pair of eights. Noticing that Spitfire didn't look back, Soarin leaned over the table to sneak a peek at Spitfire's winning hoof. His jaw dropped to see that Spits only had a queen-high. Lightning Dust laughed silently, while Soarin cursed his luck. "Sometimes, I think her cutie mark should have been poker-related..." he mumbled to himself.

Spitfire opened the door, finally expressing slight surprise to see the princess standing behind it. "Princess Twilight? What brings you around here?"

"Can I come in? I was hoping to talk about something with you."

"Ohf!" Spitfire backed away slightly, placing a hoof over her nose. She hadn't expected her nose to be assaulted by the scent of hard alcohol.

Twilight's slight blush grew more apparent. "Sorry! Rainbow Dash... kinda made me down some hard nectar."

"Probably should've warned you about that... yeah, come on in Princess. What did you want to talk about?"

"I wanted to talk about Rainbow Dash's promotion," she began bluntly, while walking in so that Spitfire could close the door.

"Excuse me?" Spitfire retorted sharply, earning the attention of the other two in the room. Spitfire let the door close by itself and came to stand before Twilight as she turned around to face her. She didn't much care for other ponies telling her how to do her job, but she decided to humor herself by letting the princess speak her piece before making judgements. "I hope Dash didn't put you up to this."

"Not at all. May I explain?" Spitfire gave her a stare that signaled open ears with moderate interest. Twilight cleared her throat some, attempting to take on some of her former mentor's natural ability to move the conversation peacefully in her desired direction. "You see, I have been tasked to found a new kingdom far into the South and I was hoping that we could discuss the opportunity that this presents."

"Opportunity?" Spitfire asked sternly, but still with mild interest.

"Yes, of course. I have an opportunity to expand the reaches of the Wonderbolts." Twilight noticed that Spitfire raised a brow and mentally did a hoof-pump. It was working well so far. "You see, as the new kingdom builds up over the years, the number of pegasi will grow with it. While I'm sure that the life of a humble weather pony is fine enough for most, there will be those who will wish to test their merit as a Wonderbolt. That being said, until I can construct a safe and reliable means for ponies to travel to and from the kingdom, the cost for young fillies and colts to get to the closest academy may prove to be too much. I had originally planned to come to you and discuss Soarin's ability to start up and maintain a branch for my kingdom-to-be. That being said, Rainbow Dash told me that she's been working on her promotion for a while now; I was hoping that I could inquire if hers could be expedited in any way, for favor of having as many ponies as possible that I know and trust. Being the element of Loyalty, I don't believe I could ask for a better Pegasus to lead this new branch. She is also very experienced in weather control and would be able to lead other weather ponies with efficiency."

Spitfire actually took a moment to consider all that Twilight said. It certainly seemed like a sound judgement on her part, but, there was just one problem for her. "I wish I could, Princess Twilight, but the simple fact of the matter is that I cannot break protocol for you friend. She still has a full month to go before her promotion can be arranged. In addition, Rainbow Dash still has to prove she has the ability to be a Captain."

Twilight heaved a mental sigh, but decided to persist a little further. "Are you certain there is nothing I can do?"

"No can do, Princess. Not even your royal stamp of approval could move the deadline up."

"Oh, just give Dash her promotion, Spits!" Soarin called, gaining the attention of everypony else. "You know, just as well as I do, that Rainbow Dash was due for her promotion a week ago."

"Soarin!" Spitfire hissed.

Just when all hope seemed lost, Twilight finally saw a light at the end of the tunnel. All she had to do was chase it! She now looked down on Spitfire with somewhat of a glare, as if demanding an explanation. This caused Spitfire to pause in her thoughts. "Is this true?"

Spitfire hesitated to respond, deciding to simply explain her reasoning. "Princess, being Captain isn't just about speed and saving a few ponies. It takes teamwork and dedication. It is a labor of love. Not unlike being a princess. I have to do whatever I can to make sure any and all candidates are tested to their full extent. Only then can I make a sound judgement. Right now, I'm sorry to say, but I haven't seen Rainbow Dash's full commitment."

Twilight cast a discerning eye over Spitfire, evaluating the logic behind her reason. After a few moments, Twilight looked up to Soarin. "You are the Co-Captain, Soarin. What are your thoughts on the matter?"

Soarin took a moment to leave his chair, heading over to stand beside Spitfire, who he could tell was shooting daggers with her eyes. "Honestly, Princess, Spits has pushed Dash's deadline three times already. While her method is proven, I think Rainbow has stuck with the program exceptionally well. I don't see any reason to stall her promotion if it means we can reach out to your kingdom and give a helping-hoof. Rainbow Dash is quality Captain-material if I ever did see it, Princess."

"Thank you, Soarin." Twilight then looked over to Spitfire, who didn't look too happy about having her authority undermined. "What do we need to make this official?"

Rainbow Dash showed up to the dining hall in the castle, having been guided by a pair of guards. She was running a little late, so she wasn't surprised to see Shining Armor, Cadance, and Skyla all set at the table and waiting. What did surprise her was not see Twilight there with them. "Hey, everypony. Sorry I'm late..." Dash paused before the table as Shining dismissed her escorts. She looked around the hall a little bit, before giving her attention back to Shining. "Where's Twilight at?"

"I thought she'd be with you?" Shining Armor replied, starting to feel a little concern take hold now.

Rainbow Dash shook her head slightly. "She left the bar a while ago to trot off her buzz. I figured I'd given her enough time by now."

"That's strange. It's not like Twilight to be late..." Shining Armor turned to Cadance, as if somehow she might know where his sister disappeared to.

Cadance felt a little worry as well. But she simply took in a breath with a hoof to her chest, extending it out with her exhale. "I'm certain Twilight will be here shortly, Dear."

Allowing some of his worry to leave him, Shining Armor offered a nod. "Perhaps I should send out a couple of guards, just to be safe. It shouldn't be too hard for a couple of Pegasi to spot her."

"I hope I didn't keep you all waiting on me." Twilight called as she entered from a separate hallway, the other Wonderbolts under wing.

"Twily!" Shining called back, going over to make sure she was alright. "You had us wondering for a minute, there." Relieved, Shining brought his attention to her crew. "I didn't expect you to have company, either."

"We wont be long, Prince Armor." Soarin commented.

"So, what are you guys doing here, anyway?" Rainbow questioned with general interest as she trotted up before them.

Spitfire looked over to Soarin, who gave an approving nod. She then stepped forward, stopping directly in front of Rainbow Dash. "Normally, I have a more formal process for this. That being said, given some circumstances that were brought to my attention, I decided it would be good enough to just give you this in person." Spitfire took a sealed letter from Lightning Dust, who had been holding on to it for her. The letter was passed on to Rainbow Dash, whose eyes visibly widened upon receiving it. Spitfire watched as the mare opened it with the greatest of care and looked upon her letter of promotion. Signed, stamped, sealed, and ready for framing. "Congratulations, Rainbow Dash. You're now a Captain, fully ready to head your own branch, if you wish."

"Ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh!!" Rainbow Dash sounded off her excitement while taking advantage of the wide-open space in the hall to fly a chaotically elaborate pattern in the air. After she was able to calm down enough to stay in one spot, Rainbow looked over to Twilight's awfully proud demeanor and gave a sly grin. "You had something to do with this, didn't you Twilight?"

"I may have pulled some strings..." Twilight's eyes rolled over to look towards Soarin, who just gave a subtle wink. Silently, Twilight gave him her gratitude before her attention was reclaimed by the cyan mare, who lifted the alicorn up into another tight bear hug. "You are the best friend a pony could ask for! I'd definitely go with you on the adventure, if the offer is still open."

"Of course it is, Rainbow." Twilight was ready for Rainbow's strength this time and toughed through the tight embrace.

"Don't get too full of yourself, Dash." Spitfire began, drawing their attention. She waited until Rainbow Dash let Twilight back down onto her hooves again. "We may be equals now, but I expect nothing less than perfection from you. Keep me informed of your progress and give me visible improvement with each report. Come inspection date, I will personally oversee the detail. I will not hesitate to send your flank right back to the academy if I even suspect you're slacking. Don't think for a moment that I can't attain the power to do so either."

"Yes, Ma'am! I'll do my best, Ma'am!" Rainbow Dash saluted with respect.

"I'll be the judge of that." She then turned to take her leave with the others. "Keep your outfit tight, Dash. I look forward to our next visit."

"Don't forget my challenge, Dash." Lightning called, as her own little 'goodbye for now'.

"Keep it real, guys!" Once they left, Rainbow Dash looked back down to the letter in her hooves. "Captain Rainbow Dash. It even sounds as good as it looks!" With great care, Rainbow folded the letter and placed it back into the envelope, gently tucking it in the fold of her wing to keep it close and safe. "Getting this promotion reminds me of the story of how I decided I wanted to be a Wonderbolt..."

"Tell us, Rainbow Dash!" Skyla implored enthusiastically.

"Oh boy. What have I gone and done?" Twilight replied playfully, joining everypony at the table with Rainbow Dash beside her.

Author's Note

Chapter two!

So, I wasn't able to get into college this semester. But that's okay, just means I'll have more time to write. :3

Also, Flash Sentry! Yay! Yeah... ! Whoo... !
Silence
Okay, so maybe Flash Sentry doesn't like you either! :P lol

All kidding aside, I've got big plans for this guard pony. Love him or hate him, he's gunna start getting more and more... uhm... "screen time". I guess that still kinda works, you're all reading this on a screen, lol.

Skyla was a hard pony to figure out. I wasn't sure how exactly to portray the heir to the throne. After several hours of development, I decided to go for a combination of innocence and exuberance.

And before anybody asks, yes. Rainbow Dash's race was a single lap. It was more along the lines of a sprint, really. Or maybe, dare I say? A dash. Mwua-hahahahaha! X3

Missing anything else? Don't think so... well, as always, enjoy the story! :3

EDIT:
Newly improved Chapter 2 is brought to you with the help of themanesix, one of my new proof-readers! :3

And also, because I apparently forgot, a shout out to all those who have helped! You know who you are. :raritywink:

Enjoy your read!

Love

The Last Letter - Chapter 3: Love

Flash Sentry awoke bright and early the next morning, the moon hanging low in the sky in wait to be replaced by the sun. When the stallion became fully conscious, he forced his body to carry him off the bed and start the day. He was still somewhat tired. But his guard training had taught him to ignore his morning lethargy. And a good cup of coffee usually helped too.

Flash's body carried him into a showering area, where some of the other guard ponies had begun their morning rituals. Flash's was fairly unique compared to most. While many of the others took the time to relax under hot and steamy water - what little time they were allotted, anyway - Flash appreciated an ice cold shower. It helped him shake out the fog in his head, and even felt more refreshing than a hot shower.

Coming under an unoccupied shower head, Flash pushed on the left knob below its respective spout. Allowing an ocean-cold spray of water to quickly dampen his coat. having done this for so long, Flash was quite use to the sudden chill of the icy water, so it didn't affect him much. But he couldn't help how it tightened his skin and revealed some definition of his toned muscle. Nor the cooling rejuvenation that came with it.

"Cold shower again, Flash?" Came the voice of a red stallion, who went over to the shower next to Flash's and turned it over to hot.

Flash jumped slightly as he heard the voice, not expected him to be there among the others. "Black?" The red pony faced him and nodded with a cheeky grin. "Hey, Black Solleret!" Black Solleret was a unicorn he knew from the academy. They both were a part of the day guard, both in Canterlot and most of their service in the Crystal Empire. In recent years, however, Black opted to take a night shift after one of the night guard retired.

Flash offered his old friend a chuckle as he sat down and took some shampoo from a dispenser and began to massage it into his coat. "I'd give you a hug if we weren't in the showers right now."

Solleret gave a hearty laugh to that, working his own bit of soap over his fore-legs. "Save the PDA for your marefriend, Flash." he joked.

"So, what are you doing here anyway? Isn't it a little early for the night guard to be turning over?" Flash inquired, having worked to his mane and tail now.

"Word trickled through the ranks that Prince Armor has requested volunteers, for an important mission, to come in and present ourselves in the grand hall. Orders probably haven't filtered down to your level yet on the day guard."

"Important mission? Did anypony say what kind, or where to?"

Black just shook his head. "I'm sure they'll reveal the details there."

Flash looked down in thought, while he let the cold water rinse the soap from his fur. "Wonder if it has anything to do with Princess Twilight..."

Black's eyes flashed with a hint of evil intent, watching Flash Sentry ponder that thought. Black gave a foolhardy grin before completely turning towards him. "Why not? Then you two can get together and make out under the guise of night!"

Flash Sentry nearly gasped at Black's assumptions, mouth agape as he tried to counter. "W-What! It's not like that!, It's just that... I ran into her yesterday-"

"Oh, my!" Black continued in a sultry, yet sarcastic tone. Flash continued his gaze full of denial, but the coloring of his face betrayed his claim to innocence. Black Solleret just laughed, some of the other guards, who were listening in, releasing their own little snicker to keep from getting spotted. Finally, Black slapped a hoof around Flash, pulling him from under the cold water. "Lighten up, Flash! I'm just pulling your leg a little. Lots of guards fantasize about the princesses. It's become quite common after Prince Shining married Princess Cadance. Shit, you should hear who Princess Luna's secret admirer is!"

Flash couldn't help the redness in his face, nearly rivaling the natural color of his friend's coat. But the discoloration of his cheeks were dispelled when Black mentioned that Luna had an admirer. "She has a what!? Who?"

"Can't say..." he replied simply, letting go of Flash to rinse off under his own shower. Teasing his curiosity. "All I'll tell you is that he's a good friend of mine."

Flash grew his own smirk as he saw his opportunity for revenge, and seized it. "It's you, isn't it?" Flash shot Black a pair of bedroom-eyes when he looked back. Where he then proceeded to do his best imitation of Luna, slowly strutting over towards his friend. "Thou hast requested a secret meeting in thine wash room. Would thou love to speakest of thine affections for us here?" Flash then gave a very feminine flick of his mane, which did more of an ungraceful flop than anything else.

Black Solleret watched on with a bit of surprise, his red coat masterfully concealing his blush. While the rest of the guards watching now openly laughed, Black further hid his embarrassment by laughing as well. "Nice try, Flash. You know just as well as I do that Luna is not my type." he lied smoothly.

"The sergeant is coming!" one of the others called as quietly as the hissing showers would allow him to. Everypony was quick to silence themselves, getting back to what they were doing in a hurry.

Sergeant Iron Hoof soon appeared, trotting in slowly towards his usual shower head. "Listen up, Ladies! Prince Shining Armor has requested some of the day guard to show up in the grand hall to be chosen for a mission. I'm told it is to be volunteers only. If you've been looking for a chance to prove yourselves, I expect to see your armored flanks there, dressed and polished, at exactly O'-nine hundred. Have I made myself clear?"

"Crystal clear, sir!" everypony chanted in unison.

"Good! As you were."

After a bit of silence, Black Solleret bumped a hoof against Flash Sentry's side. "So, you gonna show up?"

Flash shrugged. "Sure, why not? I'm kinda curious to see what this mission is."

Black Solleret chuckled slightly. "Just try to keep it in your armor, Casanova."

Twilight slowly opened her eyes as she felt the warmth of the sun creep up her coat. Her blank stare distantly fell onto the covered window. Watching the silhouette of the sun rising to its morning position. She heaved sighed before lazily pushing the covers off of herself and scooting over to the edge of the large bed. One hoof touched ground after another, allowing her to move away from the bed and give a good, long stretch.

A hoof came up to rub the sleepies from her eyes, ushering the light of full consciousness to fill her previously dim gaze. Once that was done, her lavender coat sauntered over to a small vanity desk, where a pad of elegant stationery sat, waiting to serve the needs of its guest. Magenta aura gently took one sheet from its mild adhesive binding and hung it in the air, while a quill from a nearby inkwell came up to write on it.

Dear Princess Celestia,

I am writing to you from the Crystal Empire with some good news. Rainbow Dash was visiting today as well, and we were able to hang out and do a lot of catching up yesterday. After some much needed R&R, and a short discussion, she was happy to join me on my quest to the old kingdoms. She will accompany me while I gather the rest of my friends. I also wanted to let you know that I should be in Canterlot by noon. I have plans to visit my parents for lunch, catch up with Rarity and Spike afterward, and maybe see if there are any ponies willing to travel with me to the land of the old kingdoms. Assuming that all goes as planned, I should be able to spend dinner with you and Princess Luna, with plenty of time to receive four guards before bed, or early in the morning. I'll be sure to keep you and Princess Luna updated if anything causes a change in my schedule. I look forward to spending some more time with both of you.

Always your faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle

The length of paper then rolled itself up while the quill was put away. With the power of her magic, the parcel wrapped itself in a red ribbon and seal before disappearing into thin air. On it's way to its intended recipient. Once that was done, Twilight took the time to fix her mane in the mirror before going about the rest of her daily morning mantra.

Rainbow Dash was up and out of bed the moment the sun began to rise from behind the horizon. Spitfire was always pretty laid back in her personal life, but being a Wonderbolt meant business to her, and she expected much the same from all those who made the commitment. Waking with the sun, no matter how late you were out, was a big thing for her. And, so, it became a big thing for the prismatic pegasus as well. Though, that didn't necessarily mean that she would be aware and diligent until she got some food in her.

Cruising through her own waking habits on auto-pilot, Rainbow Dash went over to where she laid out her uniform and stuffed herself into the skin-tight outfit. Getting the tail through had been the most difficult part about it, but she'd become quite adept with dressing up fast. Once that was done, she looked over to a mirror, gazing lazily at her glorious, unkempt mane. Half of her bed-head swished upwards and stuck out in a lackadaisical way. A hoof came up to swipe across her moistened tongue, before she began to pet her hair back down to where it was suppose to be. Streaks of red, yellow, and orange fought against her tough love valiantly, but ultimately lost the battle and filed into place.

Content with her refurbished style, a knocking at her door drew her attention from the reflection. Legs still getting up to speed, cyan wings unfurled into a stretch before carrying the mare over to the door to open it. Upon doing so, Rainbow Dash was greeted with the image of her lavender friend with a suitcase under hoof. "Morning, Twi. What's up?" she greeted warmly.

"Just making sure you make it to breakfast. Want to walk with me?"

"Sure!"

Rainbow Dash was presentable enough for now. She'd worry about a more adequate cleaning later in the evening. Shutting the door behind herself, Rainbow fell in line beside Twilight as they walked towards the dining hall. Remembering all that happened yesterday, Dash opted to break the silence first. "So, I gotta ask. How'd you get Spits to hand me my promotion so early? Must have taken quite the effort..." Thinking about it, Rainbow Dash couldn't help feeling the slightest bit peeved that Twilight had gotten it for her. But these feelings were quelled by the fact that Rainbow was fully confident in her ability to have gotten it by herself. She also didn't want to offend her more than generous friend for having gone through the trouble.

"Well..." Twilight thought on it for a moment. She wondered if Rainbow would get mad, but she seemed like she was good enough friends with Spitfire that she wouldn't get bend over it. "You see, Soarin brought it to my attention that Spitfire had pushed your promotion back. Several times, in fact. She wanted to test your dedication... though, I couldn't fully agree with the reasoning."

"I already knew about that..." Rainbow stated casually. Though, it appeared to be news to Twilight, as she had stopped to look at Rainbow Dash with surprise. "What?"

Twilight couldn't understand how the knowledge of the situation just rolled right off of Rainbow. "You knew? But, Dash! She was unfairly denying you what you'd earned! Did you ever even press the matter?"

Rainbow Dash merely shook her head. "I'll admit, when I first realized it, I was kind of let down. I found out pretty quickly, too. I might be pretty laid back, but I don’t forget things like initial promotion dates. And it didn't take me long to figure out Spit's angle. She may be a little uptight about her operation, but she doesn't ever do anything without a solid reason. She wanted to see if I would have what it took to push through for myself, as well as the team. I just took it as a challenge. I would've worked for it all my life, if that's what it took to prove to Spitfire that I am ready! And you can believe that I will continue to work for my title. I was prepared to give it my all! Now, I'm going to give it an extra twenty percent. Because I'm cool like that." Rainbow Finished off her monologue with a savvy tone, emphasizing her air of limitless self-confidence.

Twilight was a bit surprised by her reply. The Rainbow Dash before her now seemed almost different from the one she grew up with. The level of patience she exercised in her situation was beyond what the Dash of her past would have cared to utilize. It almost felt surreal. Deciding to take it as it was, Twilight shook off her surprise and continued their trot down the hall. "Wow, Rainbow. That was... very commendable of you." was all she could say, for a lack of a better word at the time.

"Yeah, it was pretty awesome. You still haven't answered the question of how you did it, though."

Twilight blushed slightly for having gotten off subject so easily, then cleared her throat before continuing. "I explained to Spitfire that it would be very difficult for future ponies of my kingdom to enroll in her academy. If I were to have a Wonderbolt Captain to start a branch, especially one with prior weather experience, it would be much easier for my little ponies to attain more fulfilling lives. She wasn't quite ready to give you up, but Soarin gave me a hoof in getting her to say 'yes'."

“What did Soarin say?"

Twilight chuckled. "I believe he finally had her at, 'if you don't, I will'."

Rainbow gave a hearty chuckle. "That pie-munching defiant! Spits is gonna fry him one day." After that, another thing came to her mind, causing Rainbow to look over to Twilight with an expectant smile. "So, who else is going?"

Twilight Lost some of her smile at that question. "I... haven't asked anypony else yet. You were the first one."

Rainbow gave Twilight an off look. "Me? That doesn't make any sense. Pinkie, Fluttershy, and AJ are all still in Ponyville, right? Why haven't you asked any of them yet?" Twilight seemed to be looking away in thought for a moment. Twilight might be good enough with poker faces to get one over on Spitfire, but she didn't share the same realm of existence with Rainbow when it came to weeding out lies. Gently, her wings took the cyan mare up into the air and let her back down in front of Twilight, stopping them both. Her patience visibly growing thinner. "What are you not telling me, Twilight?"

"Nothing! I am not hiding anything!" Twilight shot back somewhat nervously.

"Horse apples!" Rainbow Dash retorted. "You may think that you were able to fly below my radar last night, Twilight, but I could tell you were holding something back. Every time I brought up our friends, you steered the conversation into a different direction." Twilight now looked down, taking a moment to plant her flank on the cold floor. "It wasn't just our friends in general, either." Rainbow continued. "It was when I would talk about Applejack. You'd talk about any of our other friends except for her."

Twilight heaved a sigh, and gestured for Rainbow Dash to sit down with her hoof. She did, and Twilight looked back to her with a hint of sadness in her eyes. "I... wanted to wait until we saw Rarity and Spike today to tell you. But, I guess I wasn't as inconspicuous as I had hoped." There was a bit of a pause as she pondered how to say it. "Applejack... is not doing well, Rainbow. She's hurting really bad right now."

Rainbow looked on with slight confusion. Out of worry, the first thing that came to mind was Applejack in a hospital bed tethered to life support. Which didn't help ease her mind in the slightest. "What? Buck the others, we need to go see her, then! Why didn't you tell me sooner!?"

Rainbow Dash went to fly off, but Twilight stopped her with a hoof. "No, no, you don't understand Dash. She's been through some emotional hardship, and she isn't coping well."

"Oh... okay?" Rainbow felt her heart rate slow down now, fearing less for her best friend. However, she could tell there was more.

"I did ask her first, the other night. I was just so excited at the prospect of getting back with everypony and having a good time again. Together. But... AJ just shut me down. It really hurt me to see her in such a bad way. It hurts even more to know that I could've made a difference. I guess it just never occurred to me how much time has really passed. How much has changed. I didn't think we ever would. Especially her. I can see now, though, that it was just a foal's dream."

Rainbow felt somewhat uneasy now. She cursed herself for having pressed the matter. She should've known better than to assume Twilight was hiding something without a good reason. "I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't have-"

"It's okay, Rainbow. I shouldn't have kept it from you. I know you care about Applejack a lot. So do I." Twilight took a moment to stand up now, a level of cool determination returning to her eyes. "That's why I am going to fight for our friendship. I'm going to prove to AJ that we all still love and care for her. No matter what it takes. We will have our Apple back! I'll make sure of it."

"That's the spirit!" Rainbow Dash said with renewed excitement. "C'mon! All this talk has made me hungry."

"Me too." Twilight agreed after a small chuckle, walking alongside her friend to meet with the others in the dining hall.

O' nine-hundred finally rolled in for the orange stallion, standing in line with the rest of the day guard, facing the night guard line-up on the other side of the throne. Waiting for something to happen. While the silence allowed him the clarity of thought, Flash Sentry began to wonder what exactly this mission could be. In all his years as a royal guard, Flash has never heard of the opportunity for a mission. The fact that it was volunteer-based instead of being assigned also made him question the nature of the task. 'What could it be?'

Before his thoughts could linger too deep, the doors opened wide, giving way to Princess Twilight, Princess Cadance, Prince Shining, and the freshly promoted Captain Rainbow Dash. Though, Flash was unaware of her promotion, so he only saw Legendary Wonderbolt Rainbow Dash. 'So, this mission does have something to do with Princess Twilight...'

Shining Armor and the others stopped just outside earshot of the guards before sitting down and looking to his not-so-little sister. "Alright, Twily. This is your show, now."

Twilight nodded with a small, somewhat uneasy smile, and trotted forward to address the guards. This kind of interaction felt foreign to the young alicorn, but she knew she could do it. Coming to stand right at the mouth of the royal guard gauntlet, Twilight took a moment to seat herself. "Thank you all, for coming today. I am sure you're all very curious as to what it is you may be selected for." Twilight half-expected to hear a response, but was only met with stoic eyes which secretly expected her to continue. A bit odd, but only because it was beyond Twilight's norm of Ponyville. "Ahem, well, I will be traveling to the lands of our forefathers far into the south, where Princess Celestia has asked that I settle a new kingdom. To help ensure that the journey is a safe one for myself, and my future subjects, Prince Armor and Princess Cadance have offered two guards to help lead my charge. Normally, a task like this might be assigned to you, but I have opted for volunteers to present themselves because of the nature of your duties, should you be chosen."

Twilight took a moment of pause before continuing. "I will be picking two guards to become a permanent part of my own. Which means you will not see your familiar territory here in Equestria for quite some time. So, please, if you have somepony special in your lives here, or simply don't wish to go, you may be dismissed from the hall. Nopony will think less of you."

It took a little bit of time, but soon enough, a small number of ponies from either side fell out of line, making their way out of the grand hall. Once they were gone, a decent amount of guards still remained. Twilight smiled, seeing that there were still plenty to pick from. Enough so that she could look each side over with a single glance. This would be good, too, because it would work in with her original plan. "Thank you. Now, when I ask, please present your name and rank." Twilight started with the day guard, slowly looking over each one as she passed. Eventually, her eyes fell upon an orange stallion with blue eyes, which caused her to stop. "Hey, Flash!"

Flash Sentry looked to Twilight with a hint of nervousness about him. "Aren't I suppose to say my name?"

Twilight blushed slightly, quickly taking another seat before him. "Right, right! Please, go ahead."

Flash gave a short smile before following through. "Flash Sentry! Private First Class of the Day Guard, your highness!"

Twilight could here Rainbow snicker across the hall after Flash presented his rank aloud. She merely rolled her eyes at the rainbow mare's dirty humor before continuing. "Do you feel that you can serve me dutifully and diligently under the weight of a foreign land?"

"It would be my honor, and my pleasure, Princess." Flash didn't have the slightest bit of hesitation in his voice.

"Very well." Twilight looked to the others on the day guard. "The rest of you may be dismissed." The entire row, save for Flash, fell out of line in unison and made their way out of the hall. It was at this point that Twilight looked over to the night guard, watching each pony with the utmost of scrutiny. Behind the veil of her expression, however, Twilight was at a bit of a loss. Aside from Flash Sentry, she didn't know any of these guards. Making it harder to choose which one to take. After some time, Twilight looked back to Flash, whose eyes seemed to wander slightly. "Can you give me a hoof, Flash?"

Twilight's voice snapped his eyes back to attention, and he raised his hoof into a quick salute before replying. "How can I help, Princess Twilight?"

"Tell me, do you know any of these ponies?"

Flash seemed to be a bit confused. But, mostly, surprised she even asked. "Uh. Yeah, sure. That one there is Jade Arrow. He's still a Private, but has shown an aptitude for archery. A fine ranger, I hear."

"I can clip the wings off of a Parasprite at two-hundred yards by Luna's light alone, your highness!" he said with a quick salute of his own, giving in to a small amount of boasting. Sounding eager to be picked.

"Impressive skill, Private Arrow." Twilight commented, then looked over to the one next to him. "Any of the others?"

"Well, that there is Staff Sergeant Ruby Facet. Among the few mares in our guard. I hear she's quick as a whip, and is adept with the use of many different weapons."

"A mare in the guard?" Twilight looked at her more closely now. In the face of a mostly uniform line based off of appearance alone, she did now notice that one seemed to be a little on the short side. Going over to stand before her, Twilight observed Ruby more closely. "I must say, I've never heard of a mare in the guard before..."

The unicorn, Ruby, threw up a hoof in salute, taking on a more stern expression now. "I may not be as strong, but I am quick and nimble, Princess. I'm proficient with the spear, axe, mace, and have mastered the eight sword technique."

Twilight looked genuinely surprised. "An admirable feat, Staff Sergeant! Not many ponies can consciously keep track of so many swords at once."

Twilight was even more unsure now, after having heard about a couple of the others. Though, she had noticed that Flash was pointing out ponies he'd only heard about. She looked back to him now. "Flash, have you ever worked with any of these ponies?"

Flash put a hoof to his chin, but not for too long. He quickly pointed out Black Solleret in the lineup, taking Twilight over to him. "Only one. Black Solleret, Private First Class. Me and him trained together in the Canterlot Royal Guard. I think I'll let Black speak of his achievements himself."

Black gave his own salute to the princess, though with a smile instead of a serious look. "Your majesty. I am experienced with the sword, like Ruby. Though, not on the same level. My specialty is battle magic. Primarily defensive and neutralizing magics, but I am no stranger to offensive spells. My most notable achievement would have to be my development of a nullification field."

"Nullification field?" Twilight inquired.

Black nodded. "The null field is a magic spell - if you will - that I developed myself, which scrambles the manifestation of magic in a given area. It was part of a tactic me and Flash developed for use against foes wielding powerful magic. We called it the sword and shield. Flash was the sword. I was the shield."

"Interesting!" Twilight was amazed that a pony could effectively turn off magic at will. Certainly, this would be very useful to her at some point. "How does it work?"

"It's a continuous 'spell' which floods the area with randomly alternating magic wavelengths. Invisible to the eye, but can be felt by the horn. These wavelengths disrupt magic by introducing themselves into the wave pattern of the other castor's magic aura, and disrupts it. Though the method is not perfect... one pony managed to unintentionally grow a tree beneath their hooves. But, for the most part, the random wavelengths render all magical intent useless. Thus far, I can hold a twenty yard radius for fifteen minutes, or a fifty yard radius for five. Double those times if I push myself from full charge to full exhaustion. It doesn't seem like much, but it can be more than enough to turn the tide of a magic battle.

Twilight seemed a bit confused now. Letting her inquisitive nature take hold of the mare's mind. "But, wait, if it nullifies spell-casting, how do you keep it from folding in on itself?"

Black chuckled slightly. "With all due respect, you majesty, the null field is not exactly a spell itself. I flood pure magical energy into the air in sort of a pulsing fashion. By adjusting the speed of the pulse at fast, random intervals, the released magical field then begins to interfere with the harmonized wavelength of all other spells."

"Fascinating! I can't believe I've never thought of that!" In the midst of her excitement for magical knowledge, Twilight almost lost herself. She pushed through to calm down some, and remember why she was there. With that, she cleared her throat some. "Mm-hmm, well. It sounds like you two were quite the team. I extend my offer to you, then. Do you feel that you can serve me dutifully and diligently under the weight of a foreign land?"

Black Solleret gave another salute to his princess. "It would be my honor, Princess Twilight."

Twilight gave him a nod, before looking to the others. "The rest of you may be dismissed." Again, one solid line of guards, save for Solleret, stepped back in unison to file out of the hall. Once they were gone, Twilight looked on to her two new guards. "I trust that you two can have your things packed and ready quickly?"

Flash and Black gave a firm nod at that. "We're guards, afterall. The sum of our possessions can fit in a saddle pack." Black replied.

Twilight gave them both a soft smile. "Great! Please be at the station within the hour. Dash and I will meet you there after I've said my goodbyes."

"With haste, Princess."

As they left, Twilight went back to join her small group of family and friends. "Well, that went much better than expected."

"You did great, Twily." Shining commented warmly, the group following her as they headed back to find Skyla. "Are you sure you don't want to stick around long enough to see if any of the crystal ponies would like to join you? I'm certain there would be a few who would be happy to help you pioneer the Far South."

Twilight simply shook her head. "I can't ask that of them. The crystal ponies only just recently got their home kingdom back. The kingdom they built themselves. There will be no castle to use in the old country. No homes, or even the simplest of luxuries. Not for a while. Things your ponies deserve for the hardship that King Sombra put them through."

"Things they all have now, thanks to you Twilight. Nopony has forgotten the role you've played in their freedom." Shining implored further.

"Spike was the one who saved them, Shiny. Spike." Twilight shot back calmly. Though, she could still taste the bitter hint of failure for not having been the one to do it like Celestia originally asked. "I know you mean well, Shining, but my mind is simply made up. Besides, I know this is just a ploy to get me to stay longer."

Shining Armor just offered a nervous chuckle. "Can't blame me for trying, though. Just promise me you'll be careful, Little Sis. If you need our help at all, just send a letter, and we'll be there for you, okay? Come Tartarus, or high water."

Cadance gave a small chuckle in amusement of Shining's brotherly love. "Just don't forget to invite us over to your new castle when it's finished. I'd very much love to see it."

"Of course! I'd love to have you over." Twilight then returned to her search for Skyla.

One hour passed by quickly for Twilight and her slowly forming company. All on the train headed for Canterlot. Flash and Black both took up seats behind the other two, watching the Crystal Empire fade away into the snowy land. Twilight seemed pretty preoccupied with Rainbow Dash right now, so Black bumped Flash gently to get his attention, then spoke in a low voice. "Hey! You told me you knew the princess, but you didn't say she knew you too."

Flash carried a low volume as well to reply. "So what? She knows my name. That's it!"

"That's it? Flash, buddy, you need to get your head out of your helm once in a while, it's cutting off circulation to you common sense!"

Flash gave him an odd look. "What is that suppose to mean?"

"I was there in the line-up, you know. I heard the way she said your name, I saw her expression. More importantly, the moment she saw you, she pretty much told the rest of the day guard to buck off. She didn't even ask you about your own combat skill, for Celestia's sake! Doesn't that say anything to you?"

“That I'm exceptional?" he said innocently, trying to avoid the inference he knew Black was making.

Black gave a low chuckle, shaking his head some. He knew Flash wasn't this dense. "You keep believing that, Flash. All I'm gonna ask is, how long do you think she'll wait for you, while you're waiting on yourself?"

"I'm not waiting on anything!" Flash said aloud indignantly. The whole train car fell silent, while Flash's face turned a shade of red for each pair of eyes now fixed on him. He only offered a nervous, half-hearted chuckle in explanation. He felt like the size of an ant right now.

"Is something wrong, Flash Sentry?" Came Twilight's voice with moderate concern.

"N-no... no. Everything is fine, your highness. I just... got a little excited." Flash Sentry then squeaked a bashful grin. Rainbow Dash stared at him with a level of disbelief, while Twilight seemed to contemplate the merit of his sincerity. Eventually, the two looked to each other, shrugged, and picked up their conversation where they left off. Much of the rest in the car did the same. Flash could feel a bead of sweat trickle down the side of his head after having narrowly dodged that incredibly odd situation.

The train arrived in Canterlot Station right on time, and the small group of four filed out in short order. Twilight with her dark blue case, Dash wearing her Wonderbolt outfit with the lightest of a rectangular impression below the collar. And the two guards, Black and Flash, both with a saddle pack over regulation armor. After all the excitement of his morning, Black Solleret was beginning to feel his body winding down rapidly. He'd already missed a couple hours of sleep just to volunteer. An additional hour and a half was lost to packing and the trip. Without much more energy to spare, Black was another half hour away from accepting the ground as his bed for the day. The sun that he normally loved watching rise into the sky just before sleep, to feel of its warmth and glory, now stung his eyes with divine anger. Secretly, he hoped Twilight would not convert him over to the day guard. It would be rough to accept the tough love of the sun after living under the cool, calming moon for so long.

"So, where are we headed first, Twi?" Rainbow inquired with moderate interest, lazily flying low in the air.

Twilight looked back out of the corner of her eyes to check on her guards. She had not forgotten that she picked one from the night guard, and for good reason. Solleret seemed to be having a hard time staying awake now, while keeping pace at the same time. Her eyes quickly shifted back to Rainbow without missing a beat. "I plan on visiting my parents first. I'm hoping a guest room will be in order for our nocturnal friend."

Black gave a fatigued smile. "I think I'd very much appreciate that, Princess."

"Are you okay, Black Solleret?" Twilight asked out of concern. Though he was managing to keep up, Solleret looked absolutely dreadful.

Black grunted while he gave a vain attempt to shake off his weary state. "I'm fine. Nothing rest won't fix..."

Twilight looked over to Rainbow Dash, both exchanging a knowing glance. Dash gave a nod and leaped up into the sky to retrieve a tuft of cloud large enough for one pony. Meanwhile, Twilight's horn glowed vibrantly, casting her magenta magic on the unsuspecting guard. Before he could ask or protest, the spell was cast, with Rainbow bringing the small cloud down before him shortly after. "Take a rest, Black. I can't have you working your night shift without proper sleep."

A more alert mind might have wondered how Twilight expected this unicorn to step on a cloud, much less rest on it. But as Black looked on to the white marshmallow puff, he couldn't help but test the water without question. A hoof came up to push on the top of the cloud, and found that it offered some resistance. It was then that he figured out what spell it was she used on him. Without thinking on it further, Black Solleret pushed himself up onto the cloud in a less-than-graceful way. Black hooves took a moment to put the cloud in an inviting form before plopping down to rest on his little slice of sky. It was every bit as comfortable as he imagined it would be, and then some. With a relieved sigh, Black smiled before closing his eyes. "Thank you, your highness. You're too kind."

Flash came up behind the cloud and gently pushed it along while the other two continued to lead the way. It wasn't much longer before they all arrived at their destination. For how casual Twilight sounded about this place, Flash Sentry half-expected it to be a quaint little upscale townhouse. But the gate they walked before now said it all. Twilight's parents lived on an estate. Beyond the fencing, on the top of a cozy hill, sat a mansion that reached three stories into the sky. It was charmingly rustic with a modern hint here and there, suggesting that the building has seen its fair share of tasteful remodeling. The only thing Flash could think at the moment, was that Twilight's parents were loaded. Somewhere, in the depths of his mind, he also wondered how Twilight turned out so well. Being a royal guard, Flash has met his fair share of rich folk. Not many of them were nearly as respectable as Twilight herself. Needless to say, this was a rather unexpected turn of events.

As they neared the entrance gate, a pony dressed in a royal blue private sector uniform came into view. Twilight hastened her step some to greet the guard. "Hello, sir!" She was sure she knew the guard's name at one point in her life. But it currently escaped the mare. It had been a while since she'd been home, after all.

When the voice called his attention, the guard looked over to see Twilight approaching with a few others behind her. He immediately recognized the alicorn heading the pack and began to open the gate for them. "Princess Twilight! Good to see you home again."

"It's good to be back. Is Mom and Dad home?"

"Of course! I last saw them in the lounge."

"Thank you." When the four finally passed through the gate, the guard closed it and continued to watch outward.

Trekking the small incline, Twilight came to stop at the door which held large knockers hung from the mouths of iron manticore heads. Twilight took one into the care of her magic and gave three good raps against the metal rest which the heavy ring laid against. After a short wait, a robustly aged pony opened the door to greet the estate's guests. "Ah, Lady Sparkle. How good of you to stop by for a visit." Came his formal tone. "Please, do come in." He opened the door wider to invite Twilight and her friends into the home.

"Thank you, Pennyworth." Twilight gave the earth pony a warm smile while she led the others into the open hall.

Pennyworth was a respectable stallion who had been the family valet and butler since she could remember. Light tan in coat color, with a white mane and tail. His mane had lost some of its former sheen, now resembling something akin to slicked-back snow, and the receding hair line was noticeably farther back. His tail, as always, was cut short in a uniform fashion. As a foal, Twilight always wondered if his tail hair ever grew, because that much never changed about him. His muzzle was accented by a thin mustache of the same shade as his mane and tail. Pale blue eyes being the only source of color on him that wasn't neutral in tone. A black and white tuxedo hugged his slender, lean build, stopping at the center of his barrel, allowing his black bow-tie cutie mark to show. To top off this personified formality, Pennyworth wore white cuffs just above his hooves which blended perfectly with his attire.

Twilight waited at the head of the line while Pennyworth closed the door behind the last guest. He then trotted along beside Twilight, where they all began to traverse the manor. Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash continued to look in awe at the marvelous estate. "Wow, Twilight! I knew your parents lived in Canterlot, but I didn't think they were loaded!"

Twilight simply rolled her eyes. "My parents are not loaded. They just manage their money well."

"There's enough real estate here to declare independence. They're. Loaded." Rainbow shot back.

"Don't be ridiculous. To declare independence, there would have to be enough land to grow an adequate amount of food to sustain everypony on the property. Considering the level of difficulty there is of growing anything on a mountain, they'd probably have to acquire at least another nine-hundred acres of land. Not to mention the cost of irrigation, and..."

Twilight carried on like this for about another minute and a half before Rainbow Dash had enough. "Guess I should've known better than to exaggerate in the presence of Princess Egghead." was all that Dash had to comment to grind her tangent to a halt.

"I am not an egghead! I am... well read!" Twilight shot back in mild protest. Though, a small blush powdered her cheeks for having gotten caught up in the subject.

"Totally never heard that one before."

In an effort to best the situation, Twilight immediately adopted a regal posture and cleared her throat. "Pennyworth, please explain to Rainbow Dash..."

"If you were any more well educated, Lady Sparkle, you'd have your own pedigree. However, I do believe we're all at an age now where we should not be taking offense to harmless banter."

"Yeah, Lighten up Twilight!" Rainbow chimed in.

"Especially when the name-calling comes from a school filly level of mentality." Pennyworth finished with a small smile curving his lips.

"Hey!"

Twilight and Flash gave a small chuckle while Pennyworth looked proud of himself. Choosing to draw the conversation in a different direction, Pennyworth took them down a different hall. “I presume you’ll be needing a guest room for your friend?”

“Oh, yes. Black Solleret is one of my night guards. I’m kinda surprised that he made it this far into the day.”

“Indeed.” Pennyworth soon picked up his pace to the head of the pack, before coming to a stop in front of a door. The others gave way for Flash, Pennyworth opening the door so he could settle Solleret into the room.

At first glance, one would not consider this room to have been made for guests. It was quite spacious, roughly just shy of what you’d expect the master bedroom of a typical house. A queen bed lay in wait for its guest, with a nightstand, a bureau, and a desk comfortably placed against the walls. Off to one side, there was a small closet, and a half-open door leading into a bathroom. This room alone held all the comforts of home for the average royal guard.

By the time Flash took in the glory of the guest room, he’d pushed the cloud holding the slumbering stallion up next to the bed. He knew Black to be a bit of a heavy sleeper. This late into the morning, he doubted a train wreck would wake him. So, instead of prodding him back to life, Flash made his best effort to remove the saddle pack and some of the armor Solleret still wore, setting it all into a neat pile at the foot of the bed. He then tilted the cloud to allow Black to roll off onto the bed, and then gave the cloud a swift buck to disperse it. Having been disturbed some, Black snorted obnoxiously before his body tossed over into a more comfortable position to continue his deep slumber. Flash gave a quiet snicker before leaving the room to join the others.

“He’s going to be out cold for the rest of today. Probably won’t wake up until the moon has already risen.” He commented to Twilight after the door was shut.

“That’s fine. I'm certain I can have somepony tell him where we'll be when he wakes up."

"Indubitably, Lady Sparkle."

Twilight turned her calm smile towards Pennyworth now, ready to move forward. "If you could take us to my parents, Pennyworth, I'd appreciate it. I'm on a tight schedule today, and I'm sure they'll want all the time I have to talk."

"Of course, right this way." Pennyworth began to backtrack through the halls to lead them all to the lounge. "A word of caution, though. Madam Velvet has been in a bit of a fuss about not having grandchildren from you yet. She's been awaiting the day for some time now."

Twilight's ears flicked to the faintest sounds of a giggle from Rainbow Dash. Though, she didn't let the topic faze her. "Her and Celestia both." She commented with no large level of joy in her tone. Still, she gave a small smile and continued. "Mother will just have to wait a little longer. Besides, I cannot afford to settle down anytime soon. I still have a few adventures left in me."

"I wouldn't doubt it, Lady Sparkle," Pennyworth began with a cheeky smile of his own. He turned down a new hall now, the rest following suit. "Just make sure you don't forsake your love life for the promise of a thrill. You may still be young, but youth is a fleeting thing anymore."

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind." she chuckled.

Rainbow Dash groaned slightly now. "I hope half of the conversation isn't wasted on talk about having foals. Seriously! I get that other ponies want that stuff, I just don't understand it when they act like its a hype."

Twilight rolled her eyes at the rainbow mare. She could've guessed that Rainbow Dash would feel that way about the subject. "Maybe you'll understand more when you have somepony of your own in your life, Rainbow. If you ever slow down enough to allow that to happen." she teased.

Rainbow opened her mouth to protest, but quickly bit her tongue. 'What am I gonna say, that I do have somepony in my life?' At that, Rainbow Dash heaved a sigh, "Whatever..."

Twilight chuckled a bit to herself and looked back towards Flash Sentry. “What about you, Flash? You seem like the kind of stallion that would understand.”

Flash thought on it for a moment, the lightest of blushes dusting his cheeks. “Yeah… kinda…”

“What do you mean, ‘kinda’?” Rainbow jumped in. “You either want foals or you don’t.”

Flash opted to look away now, finding a great deal of interest in the choice of wall paper. “I’m not sure. I mean, I would like to have a family of my own, I guess. I’ve just… had a bad experience once. Besides, successful relationships and the royal guard don’t always mix well.”

Rainbow Dash couldn’t understand how Flash could be unsure of such a decision, but considering the context of his last statement, she figured it’d be the best not to press further.

The concerned Twilight, however, didn’t share the same sentiments. “You say that like it’s a bad idea to try…”

The blush was long gone from Flash’s face now, replaced with a slightly down expression. “In a way, it is. You see, for a guard, the crown comes first. no matter what. It’s part of our sworn duty. Even if the princess observes a holiday, the guard cannot. The day guard works all day, and the night guards work all night. So finding the time to foster a relationship is hard enough. Finding the extra time to start a family… well. It’s tough. Most guards find out the hard way. It’s something you learn after a few years of service.”

Twilight thought about that for a moment. “But you’ve tried once before, right? Isn’t it worth trying again?”

Flash shrugged now. Unsure of that as well. “I have tried, once…”

“... and?” Rainbow Dash inquired.

Flash just shook his head, not wanting to open up old wounds. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.” was all he said after a moment of silence. His tone carried the words like they were a valuable lesson, backed with experience.

Twilight’s mind lingered on the subject for a minute. It was plain to see that Flash didn’t want to talk about it any further, so she decided to put a different spin on it. With confidence and a smirk, she looked forward, like the knowledge of a bright future had shown itself to her. “Well, when we settle the new kingdom, that’s going to change!” The group stopped for a moment, allowing her to turn back to her future subjects and share the light of her cool demeanor. “No pony in my kingdom, guard or citizen alike, shall be without the promise of a relationship, in all its forms. From friendship, to love, and every color in between. Everypony deserves the chance to pursue their dreams.”

“Well said, Lady Sparkle.” Pennyworth chimed with notable enthusiasm.

“I could drink to that!” Rainbow chuckled.

Flash felt his heart skip a beat at that, his muzzle agape slightly. In his eyes, you could see the image of a stallion that was presented with the instructions for a second chance at life. Not dissimilar to a foal who was given the recipe for the ultimate cookie. Though, after a few moments, Flash Sentry recovered himself, slowly shaking his head. But he couldn’t help a hopeful grin. “Pretty big words, Princess, if I may say so. I can’t help but feel a bit skeptical, though. How would you go about doing that?”

“Oh, don’t you worry. I have a knack for figuring things out. But maybe it would make you feel better if I put you personally in charge of keeping me true to my word.” Again, this earned a small bit of surprise from Flash. Twilight gave a small giggle with a blush gracing her cheeks for a short moment. She then turned around to lead them with Pennyworth beside her, finalizing her statement. “A princess is nothing without her resolve, but it never hurts to have a reminder.”

Flash took a moment to gather himself once more, trotting along with a bit less weight in his step now. He held a feeling within himself now that he could only describe as gratitude, or maybe admiration. All he knew was that it seemed to put a frog in his throat that prevented him from speaking his gratefulness. ’Thank you.’ He wanted to express it so badly, but unwillingly decided to internalize it for now, and save it for the time when this idea became reality. ’... thank you...’

“Oh! Twilight! It’s so great to see my little princess again!” came the excited tone of Velvet after seeing Twilight come in through an open door. She instantly came down off a couch and went over to properly greet her daughter.

“It’s very nice to see you too, Mom.” Twilight said as she met her mother with open hooves. Allowing her blue case to set down off to the side for now.

Flash Light took a moment to himself to fold up his newspaper and set it to the side for a moment, a robust Calabash hanging from his muzzle. From the smell that subtly filled the air, you could tell it was a perique blend smoldering away in the golden-brown meerschaum bowl. A couple of puffs leapt from the corner of his mouth before the pipe was pulled away to allow him to speak. “It’s great to have you home, Honey.” He began with a fatherly smile.

“Thanks, Dad.”

“Who’s this with you!?” Velvet chimed in curiosity, moving passed Twilight towards the two new faces.

Before Twilight could react, Rainbow Dash took on a proud demeanor while putting a hoof to her chest, “Name’s Rainbow Dash. Captain of the-”

“Oh my, would you just look at this!”

Rainbow’s eyes shot open, quickly realizing that Velvet had little interest in the rainbow mare yet. Twilight giggled to herself at Dash’s expense, before all eyes fell upon Flash Sentry. Who was currently being circled by the observing mother.

"He's Flash Sentry, my first guard." Twilight elaborated for her mother, hoping that would get her to stop scoping him out the way she was.

"Uhh... pleased to meet you, Ma'am...?" He said nervously. Under his helm, a bead of sweat ran down the side of his neck, quickly taking notice that Velvet was spending more time outside of his field of vision than inside it. Suddenly, Flash stopped hearing hoof-steps, and his nerves wouldn’t allow him to turn around and see what she was doing.

“You are quite the charming stud.” Velvet continued, her tone just a little too dirty for comfort. Flash felt a hoof going through his crest, almost as if it was his mane, and his eyes visibly narrowed, locking on to Twilight now. ’Help me?’

Twilight couldn’t help a small laugh to herself, seeing her mother get her hopes up. She also couldn’t contain a small blush at the thought. “Mother, please stop molesting my guard. We’re just friends, not an item.”

It was Velvet’s turn to blush now, pared with a small and lady-like gasp. “Molesting? I was doing no such thing!” Her hoof quickly came down from the crest of his helm after that, not wanting Twilight to get her by technicality. “I’m just… uhm… you know, me and your father were just friends once, too…” she continued, changing the subject about as smoothly as she could at the moment. She then leaned in to Flash Sentry’s ear for a short moment to try and sneak a whisper. ”She likes Neightallian food the most.”

Twilight rolled her eyes while her mother trotted happily back to Twilight’s side, feeling like she’d just sparked the beginning of a relationship. Meanwhile, Flash looked like he’d been mercilessly violated, while Rainbow Dash was stifling her laughter. Pennyworth merely expressed a smug grin for his humor. “Well, now that you’ve met my guard,” Twilight then gestured to Rainbow Dash for her introduction. “This is one of my best friends, Rainbow Dash. The recently promoted Captain of the Wonderbolts.”

“Oh, wow, a Captain now? You sure didn’t waste any time since you appeared on the scene, did you?” she commented as she came over to shake the mare’s hoof.

Rainbow kind of shrugged it off. “The key is in not slowing down.” Was the playful quip she offered.

Twilight gave a small chuckle along with her mother, the two sounding very similar in the way they laughed. “Rainbow, this is my mom, Twilight Velvet."

"Huh, two Twilights? Shouldn't be hard for me to remember that."

"Took me a while to get use to it. It gets kind of weird when you call one name and have two mares answer you back." Flash Light commented lightly, having finally joined the little group. He came right up to Twilight Sparkle's other side and gave her a short nuzzle of their cheeks.

Both Twilight and Velvet offered their own nervous chuckle to that statement before introductions continued. "This is my father, Flash Light."

"Pleased to meet you, Rainbow Dash." He started as they took a turn shaking hooves.

"Likewise." She replied, before something occurred to her. Rainbow looked back to the guard curiously, who looked like he might have noticed it as well. Then, back to the others. Velvet shot a knowing glance, while the other two seemed just slightly confused.

"Something the matter, Rainbow?" The alicorn asked.

Rainbow stifled a snicker as best she could, before elaborating. "Oh, nothing. I just noticed how you and your guard buddy share the same name as your parents. What are the odds, right?"

Twilight would have instantly offered a statistic, but the revelation put her mind elsewhere currently. This caused a slight pause before her answer. “Without doing the math in great detail, about one in ten million would be my best guess…” She heaved a sigh after that, though quietly. After a moment, she put on a small smile and looked over to her father. “So, how have you been, Father?”

Flash Light offered a knowing smirk before he put a hoof around his daughter’s shoulders, walking her over towards a door. “Well, I’ve been great, Sweetie. Lots to talk about… what do you say we sit down to lunch?”

“That sounds great.”

The small group of ponies made their way to the dining room, Twilight enjoying herself now that they were all finished trying to throw her into the guard’s hooves. Velvet talked about her latest books and commented on the work of others, sharing many opinions about the same stories with her alicorn daughter. Flash Light, however, seemed content with talking about current events, which Twilight didn’t mind either. Sometimes she would get to talk about some of the things she has done in a seemingly past life, in which Rainbow loved to interject all of the flowery details to perfectly capture the intensity of certain moments. Flash Sentry was not without his own input. Velvet hadn’t forgotten the fetching stallion.

The group shared a laugh with plates of salad before them, while he regaled one on his memories of guard academy. This story was of an incident he had with his drill sergeant, when it was discovered that Flash had prevented the passage of a commander on his first day of sentry duty. A commander whom Flash Sentry had a rather sour run-in with previously.

“So, after Commander Storm raised a big commotion, Sergeant Withers came up to me and demanded I give one good reason why he shouldn’t smoke me until I couldn’t even feel my feathers. That’s when I told him, ‘Sir, with all due respect, my job was to spear anypony trying to gain access without a special entry pass. Commander Storm is lucky that I wasn’t told if I was suppose to spear him, or the escort pulling his chariot!’ “

Everypony shared a good, but short laugh after that. “Did you get smoked, Flash?” Rainbow Dash asked, knowing too well what the term meant.

“Best one-thousand wing-ups of my entire career.”

Feeling her inquisitive nature beg for an explanation, Princess Twilight was compelled to ask. “Smoked? What does that mean?”

Flash put a hoof to his chin while he thought of the best way to word it. “Well, it’s guard lingo for a form of punishment. When you’re out of line, and you get smoked, it means that you were pushed to do physical training until you were sore. Sometimes its wing-ups. Sometimes its galloping and exercise. Sometimes, for the unicorns, you’d be pushed to magical exhaustion. But usually it was some form of physical training regimen.”

Twilight’s brow furrowed slightly at the thought of being forced to train until her body was sore. It certainly wasn’t a pleasant one. “That sounds… archaic.” She commented, trying to put it lightly. She wanted to say barbaric, but the lack of displeasure in his tone suggested that he didn’t mind it as much as she did.

“You wouldn’t understand it, Twilight. Smoking builds strength and character. Helps you learn to work with your team. I mean, sure, it burns, but you get used to it. And that’s when you know you’re strong!” Rainbow finished her statement while flexing a foreleg. The definition in her muscle tone became momentarily prominent as it creased her suit, before letting her leg relax back into its normal smoothness.

“It still sounds archaic.” Twilight continued.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes some. “It’s harmless. Smoking never killed anypony.”

“That doesn’t stop it from sounding archaic.” Twilight chuckled. Finding a small form of amusement in Rainbow Dash trying to justify the subject. She ate some more of her leafy greens before Velvet decided to turn the topic in a new direction.

“So, Twilight, what brings you to Canterlot?” Velvet asked. She knew her daughter well, and she knew that Twilight didn’t go anywhere without a reason.

Twilight thought on it for a moment, wondering how to say it without her parents reacting dramatically. She quickly began to doubt that was even possible. “Well, I’m here to gather some ponies together for this task Celestia gave to me. She needs me to settle the old kingdoms where a crystal relic is.”

Rainbow Dash nodded. “I’m going to be helping with weather control, and heading my own division of the Wonderbolts.”

“I think that’s wonderful, Twilight!” Flash Light said without hesitation. Velvet, however, didn’t seem quite as enthusiastic.

“Oh… wow! Old kingdoms? Castle and everything?” Velvet asked, a hint of apprehension in her tone.

“I’m going to have to build my castle, in all likelihood. I’ll probably start small first and work my way up to having a castle. But, yeah, I’ll have my own kingdom to tend soon enough.”

“That’s… nice, dear.”

Flash Light rolled his eyes. “Well, don’t break out into song and dance now, Honey.” he commented sarcastically.

“No, no no no! I mean, it’s great, Twilight, Sweetie. But, I was kind of hoping you’d end up… somewhere closer to home.”

Twilight offered a knowing nod. “I know it won’t be easy at first. But its not like I’ll be gone forever. You can come visit whenever you want to. You’re welcome to move with me just as well. I’m going to need a lot of ponies to start a settlement.”

Velvet looked over to Flash Light, who shook his head slightly, but still smiled comfortably. “I would love to, Twilight, but we’ve got too much here to just uproot and resettle. Besides, this is your big move, Honey. Your time to shine. Having me and your mother along would slow you down more than anything else.”

Twilight seemed a little bit down by the response, as well as Velvet. But, all the same, her father’s smile allowed her to keep her own. “Thanks, Dad. I’ll leave my offer standing in case you ever change your mind.”

He nodded in return. “Much appreciated, Twilight.”

Twilight looked over to her mother now, whose eyes were watering slightly. Twilight gave a small, playful sigh. “Don’t worry, Mom. I promise to let you know the moment I have foals so you can come spoil them.”

“Don’t get cheeky with me, little miss. You may be a princess, but I’m still your mother.” Velvet snickered her response. None of the three noticed that Rainbow Dash was using her fork to pretend to gag herself while Flash Sentry muffled a laugh.

“So, you say you need some ponies, huh?” Flash Light began, a thought coming to mind. Twilight hummed her response before he continued. “Well, have you thought about asking Pennyworth?”

Twilight’s eyes widened slightly at the thought. “I… don’t think I could ask of something like this from Pennyworth. This trip isn’t going to be easy, the railroad doesn’t even go halfway to the territory.” Her first and foremost concern was that the family friend might be too old for a long-distance travel.

Flash Light gave a hearty chuckle. “Pennyworth may be older, but he’s not helpless, Honey. Besides, you are kind of like family to him. Pennyworth probably looked after you just as much as Cadance did.” Twilight nodded slightly before Flash Light continued. “And I’m certain that building up an empire won’t make it easy to have your own family, much less raise a foal.”

Twilight cocked a brow. “Cadance and Shining seemed to have faired well.”

“They also took over a pre-existing kingdom, and had no short supply of help available to them.” came Light’s counter.

Twilight considered that for a moment. That made sense when she thought about it. “Well, I mean, if it would be that hard, I’d just wait until I could be more prepared anyway.”

Flash Light gave a small chuckle, “If you say so. Still, you cannot deny that it wouldn’t hurt to ask.”

“Well, no, but…” Twilight sighed. There wouldn’t be any arguing with her father. He was the inventor of reason. “Fine, I will ask him. But, tomorrow, in the-”

“Pennyworth, can you come here for a moment, please?” Flash Light called, to Twilight’s dismay. However, she fully well knew his policy about putting things off. Soon enough, Pennyworth strode in from the doorway to the kitchen, where he’d been doing some cleaning.

“How may I be of assistance, Master Light?” Pennyworth inquired.

“I believe Twilight has something to ask you.” Light now directed Pennyworth’s attention over to her, casting a hoof to point him towards the correct Twilight.

Holding everypony’s attention, Twilight could feel the tension of her nerves now, a bead of sweat rolling down the back of her neck. Her eyes first glanced to the patient stare of Pennyworth, then to her parents, before looking over to Rainbow and Flash. Rainbow just shrugged, as if to say, ‘Why not.’ Flash seemed relatively indifferent as well.

This took all of a moment before Twilight forced down her off feelings and cleared her throat. “Well, Pennyworth. You see, Princess Celestia needs me to settle the land of the old kingdoms, near an important relic. To do this, I’m going to need a lot of ponies. And the more I can get that I know and trust, the better. So, what I’m trying to say, I guess, is, uhm-”

“I’d gladly journey with you, Lady Sparkle.” Pennyworth began, wanting to swiftly end her discomfort that she obviously displayed in her tone. Twilight looked surprised by how suddenly he’d answered, and he gave a small smile back in return.

“But, Pennyworth, are you sure? The old kingdoms are far away, and you won’t be able to come back to Canterlot for some time. To see any family or friends.” She expressed moderate concern now.

This time, Pennyworth put up a hoof to more politely cease Twilight from speaking further. “Of course I’m sure. While I might miss my acquaintances here in Canterlot, it would be against my nature to turn down a mare in need. And you, Lady Sparkle, are in need of good help.” Pennyworth obviously had deeper reasons for wanting to go, but he always held a certain level of professionalism about himself. “I won’t have anymore protests, Lady Sparkle. Just lead the way.”

Twilight smiled warmly, though somewhat more reserved than normal. “If you insist.” she chuckled. “How long will it take to pack your things?”

Pennyworth didn’t even have to think about that one. “The majority of my items are formal attire. Some odds and ends. Nothing that I couldn’t reacquire later. I can depart as soon as you would like.” Pennyworth wasn’t the kind of pony to invest himself in material objects. He had a couple of neat things he found to be convenient, but he could just as easily do without them.

Twilight looked over to a clock on the wall, observing that it was a little passed one right now. “I still have plenty to get done today. But perhaps, in the morning, you might enjoy getting to meet a couple of my other friends. You may have heard of one before. Rarity?” She asked after looking back to him.

“Ah, yes. I’ve had my suit repaired by her a few times now. Impeccable work, if I do say so myself. I think I would enjoy a more proper introduction with such a talented seamstress.”

“Then it shall be so.” Twilight shared a smile with him, before he excused himself to finish what he was doing and let them all get back to conversing.

“Here you are, Professor. Your tie is as good as new!” Rarity chimed happily while a deep red tie floated over from her work table. The tie exchanged from Rarity’s light blue magic to the professor’s purple aura, allowing him to affix his favorite accessory to its matching suit. He seemed very pleased with how well it came out.

“I can’t thank you enough, Miss. How much will this be?”

“Oh, I can’t charge you for a simple little re-seam. Consider it my pleasure.”

The professor gave a happy little chuckle while purple aura floated six bits out of his pocket and onto her front counter. “Well, then, consider this my gift to you.”

Rarity watched the bits fly over to the counter for a moment, offering a smile before he turned to leave her shop. “Thank you, and good day!” Once the door closed, Rarity placed her attention back on the bits, using her magic to guide them to her register.

Trotting merrily through the store, Rarity was still very much the image of perfection. At least, a slightly redefined version of perfection. Some of her curves, while still healthy, were a little more pronounced than in previous years. However, Rarity had a good reason for taking on an otherwise... robust physique. One that grew with time, though she didn’t mind it in the slightest.

“Spike, dear!” she called, heading over to her work bench to continue work on an idea, letting a thin stick of charcoal breath life to her artwork.

“Just a moment.” Spike called back, his now deeper tone matured by age. After a bit, Spike came out from a side room of the store, which seemed to have been dedicated to files, documents, and a safe. The once baby dragon now stood somewhat larger than a typical stallion. His scales were curved to a point now, instead of being rounded. His arms and legs had grown more dragon-esque and stalky as well, which allowed him to easily switch between walking on two legs, or as a quadruped. His claws were prominent, his muscles defined, his muzzle long and menacing, and his figure more rigid. Anypony that ever once laid eyes on a fully grown dragon would think that Spike was a wingless, pony-sized version of them. Well, kind of pony-sized, anyway. “What’s up, Rarity?”

“Add six bits to the books, please.” she replied, still keeping a majority of her focus on her drawing.

Spike nodded, reaching back to grab a clipboard and quill before carefully jotting down the transaction. “And, for what service?”

“Another donation.” came her short answer.

Spike looked on to the section of the chart that held the details for each debt and credit. A majority of them were donations, written ‘tip’ for short. Jotting down ‘tip’ once more, Spike smirked at the thought that they probably got as much money in donations as they did for custom-tailored designs. Which is to say a lot. “That cracks it,” Spike began, which earned the undivided attention of Rarity. “there’s no longer a doubt in my mind. Your generosity is contagious.”

Rarity grew the lightest of blushes, brushing away the idea with a hoof while giving a bashful laugh. “Please, Darling, it’s hardly contagious. It just brings out the good in everypony. If that good compels them to give something in return, I simply can’t deny it.”

“Never said it was a bad thing.” Spike commented, setting his things down to stroll over beside Rarity. “It does make the the taxes a lot easier.”

“That’s not a selfish reason.” Rarity commented sarcastically. Though, with a playful smirk.

“Hardly.” Spike agreed, placing a claw to his chin. “I’d call it... generosity working on a deeper level.”

“Hah!” Rarity huffed, slightly piqued at his half-hearted justification. “That’s not what charity is about, and you know it, Spikey.”

“You’re right.” Spike replied, carefully pinching the charcoal between two claws to interrupt her work. “True charity would be allowing yourself a day of rest after working a whole week straight.”

Rarity sighed, letting go of the charcoal now in Spike’s possession. She quickly replaced it with a spare, however, and continued her work. “I am taking a break. The only thing more relaxing than getting out a fresh idea, is a hot cup of chamomile.” A comforted look came across her demeanor now as she got back to work on the drawing.

Spike rolled his eyes, setting the coal stick down where the spare use to sit. “If that were true, why is there a Prench Twist in your mane?”

Rarity gasped slightly, looking to him out of complete surprise now. But she thought quickly to cover up that oversight. “W-what ever do you mean, Darling? I always do my mane up in the back. It’s professional!”

Spike cocked a brow with an expression that said it all, which made Rarity wish she could’ve taken that last declaration back. “Exactly. You wear the twist in the back on business days, and a Prench Braid on the days you take off. You know, ‘cause AJ said it looked good on you.”

Rarity sighed. She always did think that the braid was a little too… country for the Canterlot elite. But it made her happy to know that it brought her friend some comfort on her visits. At least, it use to. “Yes… AJ liked it. But, she doesn’t visit anymore. So, there’s no reason for me to wear it.”

While Rarity continued her work, refusing to face Spike again, he could feel the downer that his words gave Rarity. Which caused him to frown some himself. He then got an idea to brighten her spirits, his eyes locking on to the ornate comb which held her twist in place. It held three jewels oriented to match her cutie mark, and they gave a tasty gleam in his eyes. “Well, if you need a reason to change your do on the weekends, I miss the days that you would let it flow naturally…”

The moment she felt a claw graze her comb, Rarity instantly dropped what she was doing to turn away, taking a few steps back to prevent him from messing her with style. “You wouldn’t dare! I spent hours making this look absolutely perfect!”

“All the more reason to spend a few hours giving it that natural look I love so much!” Spike carried on, taking a step closer to her every time she took one back.

Rarity gave a mellow-dramatic gasp, catching on to what Spike was trying to do now. Which also prompted a blush to pepper her ivory cheeks. “Ugh!? That natural look you love so much was the reason I had to spend hours taming it! Once a day is plenty enough, and you took your fill this morning.” In an effort to regain control, Rarity now adopted an authoritatively posh stance, closing her eyes and turning away.

Bad move. Spike leaped at the opportunity, choosing to attack his lover with a barrage of tickling claws. “You didn’t protest much this morning!” Spike chimed over Rarity, who giggled and laughed uncontrollably at his mercy.

“Bffffff-hahahahaha! Stop! Snngk-ha-hah-hahaha! Don’t!” she managed to plead through her giggle-fit, flailing her hooves all the while. She then noticed a claw reach over ever so slowly for her comb, as if she wouldn’t notice it.

Spike took a moment to laugh some now. “Stop, or don’t stop?” he teased coyly.

One hoof came up to push his arm back while tossing and turning to try and avoid the other one attacking her belly. Her hind legs finally gained enough sense to shuffle her back and away. A fruitless effort, however, as he followed her right up to a wall without missing a beat. Quickly, Rarity pushed herself up, forcing back both of his claws and the overbearing weight behind them. Though, she had yet to come down off of her laughing-induced high, still feeling ghost claws over the sensitive spots on her barrel. “Spike, please! I’m busy!” she pleaded further.

“Sure looks that way, Rares.” he shot back, refusing to let up.

Twisting and turning every which way, the battle was soon lost to her when she finally felt the comb swiftly leave her hair, letting her mane cascade down over the back of her neck. Rarity gasped once more, annoyed that he actually did it, but an evil smirk stretched across her muzzle after watching him back up a bit to give her space. “Oh, now you’ve gone and done it!”

Spike’s smile disappeared from his face in short order when he saw hers. Sky-blue magic whisked the comb from his claws, taking it to a safe haven on her work desk. “No…” He watched Rarity scratch a hoof across the floor in preparation of a charge. “No no no…” Immediately after that, Rarity raced up to the scrambling dragon. “No-ack!”

Too late, Rarity pounced on her prey, proceeding to dish out her own tickle attack on his light green scales. “Oh, what’s the matter, Spikey-Wikey? I thought you loved Momma’s massages?”

“Hello?”

Spike’s laughter bellowed from deep in his throat, drowning out all other sound, save for the mare closest to his ear. “No, please! Not there! Ah-hahahahahaha!” he pleaded.

“Excuse me?”

“Oh? How about here!” Rarity exclaimed joyfully, lowing her head to him.

Spike gasped a small moan when he felt her teeth playfully grasp a fold of his neck. “Now you’re just playing dirty!” he managed to get out between fits of laughter.

“Eewwww…”

“Dirty!? I’ll show you dirty!”

“I think I just chuked in my mouth a little…”

Flash Sentry silenced a chuckle at Rainbow Dash’s comment, before clearing his throat. “Presenting Princess Twilight Sparkle!!” He called aloud from behind the counter.

The announcement instantly caught the attention of the love-birds, who froze in their actions to look over and see that, indeed, their friends were there and watching them have at it in the middle of the store. Twilight hid a small giggle behind her hoof. Rainbow Dash looked like she was gagging on an invisible spoon she was holding, and Flash kind of seemed indifferent. All the while, both Spike and Rarity’s faces turned a shade of red that made Big Mac’s coat seem pale in comparison.

After a few moments of silence, light blue magic whisked her comb back over to her mane, while another aura of the same color grabbed her hair and quickly twisted it back into its previous fashion before the comb sealed it. Having only memory to go off of, she didn’t do a half bad job. That’s when she jumped off of Spike and cantered up to the counter. “Twilight, Darling! It has simply been too long!”

“I hope I didn’t interrupt anything?” she inquired coyly.

“Oh, no, not at all! Some-dragon thought it would be fun to impede my work today…” At her snide remark, Rarity shot Spike a very embarrassed, highly annoyed glare, and she could feel him shrink for a moment. “What brings you to my shop?”

“Well, if you aren’t too busy, me and Twilight wanted to hang out for a while…” Rainbow began. Though, when she looked around the shop some, she began to wonder if her being there was a great idea. She remembered how much Rarity loved to have an actual pony stand in instead of a poniquin. And there was no lack of frou frou presets about the walls.

“Hey, yeah!” Spike began, going over to join the group. If it weren’t for having been caught up in his embarrassment, he would’ve pounced Twilight into a big hug the moment he saw her. “Rarity was just about to close the shop anyway!” Before she could protest, Spike had flipped the sign in the window over. That’s when he turned to face his maternal figure, scooping her up into the tight embrace he planned on giving. “It’s so great to see you again, Twi!”

In the tight dragon-hug, Twilight gained instant proof of her assumption that Spike had gotten bigger since she last saw him. He was also toning up well, too. A sure sign of his physical maturity. She could feel her wings crushing under his arms. “It’s… great… to see you… too!” He finally let go of her, allowing Twilight a moment to pant for the air that she was missing in her breath.

Spike turned to offer Rainbow Dash a hug, who shrugged away from him some. “Uhh-heheh, no thanks! I’d like to keep my wings…”

Spike bellowed a chuckle from his lungs. “That’s right, I forgot.” Instead of offering an embrace, Spike held out a closed paw, to which Rainbow Dash eagerly bumped with her hoof.

“So, what’s with the necklace? I didn’t think you were into jewelry.” Rainbow Dash pointed out Spike’s shining platinum neck band. Ornate engravings riddled the face of it, all originating from a heart-shaped sapphire.

“What, this?” Spike asked, holding a claw over it for a moment. He then brought attention to Rarity’s necklace, the one she had set with a fire ruby he’d given her, with its own decorative engravings. “Mine and Rarity’s wedding bands. Mine was a gift for our anniversary five years ago, cut from a rare color-changing sapphire. Ever since I had to start walking on four legs, regular rings don’t last long in my care. They aren’t exactly made from durable metals…”

“That’s cool.” Rainbow commented, though with indifference.

“Color-changing sapphire?” Twilight inquired, looking over the gem set in the center of the band.

“Oh, yes, simply the most amazing gem I’ve come across yet!” Rarity chimed, going over to stand before Spike. “This gem changes color depending upon the brightness of ambient light. When it is bright out, it gives off a rich blue color. And, as it gets darker out…” At that, Rarity cast a shadow over it with her hoof, and the color of the gem under the shadow instantly looked to take on a mixture of blue and purple.

“Oh, wow!” Twilight voiced in awe.

“That’s awesome!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. The properties of the gem instantly and dramatically increased its own value in her eyes.

Spike chuckled some, sharing sentiments with Rainbow. “Under Luna’s light, it turns completely purple. No matter what time of day, it matches Rarity’s mane color, too.”

“Aw, that’s so cute!” Twilight smiled.

“Slightly less awesome now.” Rainbow Dash joked, causing Twilight to roll her eyes. “That wouldn’t happen to come in other colors, would it? Those would make for some pretty sweet studs.”

Rarity thought for a moment. Going over the few types of gems she knew to display similar qualities. “Well, unfortunately, the only other color for sapphires is green to violet. Those hues wouldn’t work well for you… oh! But I have some garnet that would just match your mane perfectly!” She began to canter off to the back, naturally assuming that Rainbow Dash would follow her.

“Do those change color?” Dash asked, her wings allowing her to drift through the open air of the store after her.

“But of course, Darling, why ever would they not?”

“Sweet!”

Spike smirked a bit, before looking back to Twilight, Flash standing not far behind her. He’d noticed the guard there before, but only just now got curious about him. “So, Twilight, what’s with the guard?”

“Huh? Oh!” Twilight blushed for a second, having nearly forgotten about him. She wasn’t use to having a detail yet. “This is Flash Sentry. He’s my new day guard. Flash, this is Spike. He was my number one assistant before he married Rarity.”

“I didn’t know dragons lived among us in Equestria.”

“Mostly just me, that I know of anyway. Twilight hatched me from an egg.” Like he did for Rainbow Dash, Spike leveled a closed paw to Flash, who quickly caught on and met it with a hoof bump. “Flash Sentry… I feel like I’ve heard that name before…”

Flash just shrugged some. “Can’t say that I recognize you.”

“If you ever saw him at all, it would’ve been almost twenty years ago, when he was still a baby dragon. Even then, me and Spike were preoccupied with a very… interesting mirror.” Twilight elaborated.

“Oh! Heyyy!” Spike finally remembered where the name came from, shooting a smirk to the purple mare.

“Please, don’t.” Twilight sighed, trotting passed the counter to find herself a comfortable spot.

“I didn’t say anything.” Spike defended himself, following after her in equal pace. “So, why do you have a day guard? I didn’t know mayors got to have them.”

“Well, they don’t. But that’s why I’m here, actually.” Twilight smiled now.

Spike now looked confused. “I don’t think I followed that…”

Twilight chuckled to herself. “I’ll tell you and Rarity about it later. Right now, I just want to relax a bit.” Halfway through the shop, Twilight paused when she noticed that Flash wasn’t following. “Flash. Would you like to join us?”

Flash Sentry shook his head some. “If you don’t mind, I think I’ll stay here for a while and guard the door.”

Twilight nodded slightly. “Okay. Feel free to join us whenever you want.”

“Will do, Princess.” he smiled, watching them leave after the other two before turning to face the door. He watched ponies pass by every now and then before heaving a content sigh. “Feels kind of nice to be back in Canterlot again…” he voiced to himself quietly.

Author's Note

First part of a two-chapter update!

Gods, this took me forever!! DX

So, to explain myself - because I didn't want to be another writer that takes months to update - this and the following chapter was very hard for me to get into. Lots of details needed to be hashed out, and there were a few characters that I had a hard time writing because I don't particularly resonate with them. Most notably being Discord. I apologize for those of you who are fans of Discord, but I did my best.

Another thing was that I kept getting writer's block, which is annoying as shit when you've got a large chunk of story begging for completion. Eventually I just powered through it and opted to fix things in my revision process. My editors had a field day with this one, lol.

On that note, big thanks to Skydrake and jardex22. You both do nothing but help, even with having to put up with me. ( I know I can be difficult, lol ) Hopefully, this story will eventually turn out to be better than we all expected.

With that, please enjoy these chapters, Love and War.

War

The Last Letter - Chapter 4: War

The four friends soon found themselves upstairs, where the store took on a new life. Similar to her old place in Ponyville, this store doubled as a home. Though, unlike her previous house, all the amenities for living were found upstairs, instead of having the kitchen and dining room be downstairs. Rainbow Dash raved a little bit about her new garnet stud, which Spike helped cut and set for her. She also warned them not to tell Spitfire, who would have her flank on a silver platter if she was ever caught with it on. Rarity carried on about recent fashions and noteworthy encounters, while Twilight chose to share her political achievements. Rainbow Dash talked about her life as a Wonderbolt and her recent promotion, leaving Spike to talk about more humorous occurrences that he and Rarity experienced since moving to Canterlot.

As time passed on, the subject of Twilight’s guard came up.

“So, Twilight, you haven’t said why you have a guard, yet.” Spike inquired.

“And such a nice one, too. Usually, guards tend to be more… stoic.” Rarity commented.

Twilight stirred a couple of sugar cubes into her tea. After hearing about how great their life has been in Canterlot, she doubted that they would accept her offer. However, she could hear her father’s advice whisper in her mind.

”It wouldn’t hurt to ask, Twilight.”

Though she still held her doubts, Twilight decided to share the news anyway.

“Well, a couple days ago, Celestia visited me in Ponyville, and we had quite an interesting discussion.” Spike and Rarity seemed to lean in closer, signifying that their ears were open. Rainbow Dash chose this moment to look over a suit-covered hoof or two. “She had a task for me to do, and I couldn’t refuse. She wants me to settle the land of the old kingdoms, where an important relic lies. Since then, I stepped down from mayor-ship and have been looking for ponies to join me in building up this new kingdom. I was wondering if you’d like to join me as well.”

Rarity shared a contemplative glance with Spike, their neck bands glinting in the sunlight that danced through the windows. This lasted for a quick moment before they both looked back to their friend. “I think we’d love to go with you.” she smiled.

“I understand,” Twilight quickly belted out, “you both have a good thing going here, and - wait, what?” Her expression quickly went from hidden depression to surprise with a hint of confusion. “A-are you sure? I mean, I thought living in Canterlot was your dream?”

“Was being the key word, Darling.” Rarity explained, though Twilight still seemed confused. Actually, befuddled seemed to be a more accurate term now. “I’ll admit, it’s nice here in Canterlot. Close to my customer base, the social gatherings, the acquaintances. Living here has been nothing short of a dream! But, I’d drop it all, without a second thought, to help you build a new castle. Besides, think of the new avenues that would be available to me. Not many ponies get to design top-of-the-line fashion. Even fewer still are offered the chance to design interior decor for a royal castle! What, with the tapestries and the art, not to mention the prospect of discovering new kinds of gems. I’d be mad if I refused such a chance! Not to say I wouldn’t do it simply just to help you, Darling, I’d do it all the same. But it is opportunities likes these that get ponies recognized for generations! Generations that will want a castle designed in a fashion that they can be proud of and admire. I simply can’t allow any other pony to fill those halls with anything less than perfection! Not to mention the fact that I would be the first pony to design and supply fashion in your kingdom. After all that, I can’t think of a higher achievement for a designer like myself.”

Spike nodded in agreement. “And I wouldn’t be a dragon of my word if I refused to help either of you. Besides, All that glitters is not gold. It’ll be nice to have a little adventure again.”

Twilight still felt a little stunned. She had to face a lot of resistance in the past two days. For her to get an instant positive response twice within hours of each other just felt unreal. “I… I don’t know what to say.”

“You needn’t say anything, Darling. The honor is ours.”

“So who else is going?” Spike asked enthusiastically.

Twilight shrugged. “So far, just us. I have a night guard resting at my parent’s house, and there’s Pennyworth. Then I’ll be getting four more guards from the princesses. Beyond that, I haven’t asked anypony else yet.”

“Don’t try to lie again, Twilight.” Rainbow Dash warned, not having forgotten what she tried to hold back from her.

Twilight sighed, while Spike and Rarity looked to each other. Spike began to scratch the back of his neck, while Rarity found interest in the reflection of her tea. Rainbow Dash raised a brow slightly, thinking that was a bit odd for them to suddenly do. Finally, Rarity decided to speak up. “It’s about Applejack… isn’t it?” It was just too obvious to not pick up on.

It was Twilight and Dash’s turn to exchange glances now, before Twilight looked to them curiously. While Rainbow seemed a bit annoyed. “You… know about Applejack?” Twilight inquired.

Spike and Rarity both nodded slowly. “Part of it happened here in the store, I’m afraid.”

“Am I, like, the last pony to know or something!?” Rainbow declared rhetorically.

“Rainbow, calm down. This hasn’t been easy for any of us.” Twilight said, attempting to quell the mare.

“Calm down?” Rainbow huffed, jumping up onto her hooves now. Her wings flared out in annoyance. Annoyance that was now directed at the couple. “You knew the whole time, and you want me to calm down? Applejack is our friend. She’s my friend. My best friend. If I knew, I would’ve been there for her! Every day! No matter how long it took!”

“Rainbow, please, you’re blowing this out of proportion.” Rarity shot back sternly.

“Is that so?” Rainbow countered. “Because I happen to think I’m the only pony acknowledging the seriousness of the matter right now. Did it really not cross any of your minds that I might have wanted to know?”

“That’s enough, Rainbow Dash!” Twilight now stood up, flaring her own majestic wings.

That’s when Rainbow reared around to glared at Twilight now. “Does Pinkie know? Does Fluttershy know?”

Twilight didn’t falter, nor even wince. Though, in her mind, she could feel the seething anger burrow through her resolve. Then her eyes shifted slightly for a moment. “I know you know better than to pin something like this on Fluttershy.”

“So she does know, huh?” A level of pain seeped out from her tone now. But that was covered up by her apparent feelings of betrayal. “Did you even try, Rarity!?” The fire in her eyes now turned back onto the fashionista.

“You got something to say, Rainbow Dash?” Spike spat as he stepped before Rarity to defend her. But a hoof came up to his side, causing him to look down to the mare beside him. Rarity took her stance beside the dragon, starring Rainbow Dash down with eyes that showed both pride, and sadness. There, they stared each other down as if they were rivals. Passionate in their own beliefs.

“... More so than you’ll ever know.” Rarity finally expressed calmly.

Rainbow Dash’s eyes narrowed, as if looking for the slightest indication of lies or deceit. When the ivory mare refused to show weakness, that’s when she leaned in. “Then it wasn’t enough, was it?”

Twilight had enough now. Magenta magic gently moved the table aside, allowing her to step in front of Rainbow Dash and block her view. When Rainbow Dash looked up, her eyes met with Twilight’s. Tears streamed gently down her cheeks, but the slight blurriness in her vision did not stop her disappointed glare. When she opened her mouth, pain choked her tone, but resolve still commanded its presence. “Go get some fresh air.”

Rainbow Dash snorted in protest, but said nothing further. She promptly spun around and trotted out of the room. Twilight continued to stand there, watching her friend disappear behind the stairs. Soon enough, a bell jingled. Shortly after, a thunderous crack filled the air, causing Rarity’s tea set to vibrate for an instant. Out the window, one could see a shimmering rainbow arching to the south against the sunset sky.

A dot of moisture suddenly appeared on the floor with a ‘thap’. And then another. Twilight could feel her legs tremble slightly below her. Weakened by the emotional experience. It wasn’t until she felt a set of claws on her back when she realized that the tremors were not exclusive to her hooves.

“Are you okay, Twilight?” Spike’s deepened voice asked.

A weak smile came across her muzzle, though her bangs continued to obscure her eyes. “This all could’ve been avoided…” she forced out through a burning coal in her throat.

“Nooo, no. I know that tone, Twilight.” Rarity began, going over to Twilight’s other side. Her and Spike both wrapped their friend in a blanket of warming love, the embrace causing the alicorn to plop down on her haunches. “There are things in the world that are simply beyond our control, Darling. Letting them get to you is the same as admitting defeat. Last I checked, you are not the kind of mare that rolls over so easily.”

“But… Rainbow Dash is-”

“-Being Rainbow Dash.” Rarity interrupted bluntly. “She has always been devoted to the ponies she cares about. Sometimes that devotion prevents her from thinking clearly. As her friends, we have to accept that. Though, that doesn’t mean we can’t expect an apology from her later on, Darling. But, for now, just let it be.”

Twilight sighed. She couldn’t argue with the logic, but it didn’t help much either. Even when it was easy, it was hard. Slowly, she rested her head on Spike. At least she found a little bit of comfort in the moment. “Thanks, you two. I should probably get going soon, though. I have a dinner date with the princesses.”

Spike and Rarity let go of the purple alicorn, Spike taking a moment to pat her back lightly. Rarity could tell that she was still down, though, and wondered if she could do more. Slowly, she smiled at a thought. “You know, Darling? I think we might have just the thing to help you feel better. When’s the last time you had your regalia resized?”

Twilight chuckled, rubbing the tears from her eyes. “My regalia? I haven’t worn those stiff things since my coronation…”

Rarity gasped slightly. “My word, Twilight, you’re going to be ruling your own kingdom before you know it! You simply must let us prepare you new ones, Twilight. It’s the mark of a princess, after all.”

“You can make them?”

“Well, not me specifically, no. But Spike here is very adept at metal crafting, and I’m certain to have some spare materials that would make you quite the fetch, Darling. Now, come on! Let’s see how silver or platinum works with your coat before I get too far ahead of myself.”

“Hmhm, you’re the boss.” she joked halfheartedly. On their way down into the store, Twilight noticed that Flash was standing just beyond the stairs on the ground floor.

Flash Sentry caught eyes with the princess when she finally came into view, notable concern in his eyes. When he heard the raised voices, he’d come over to make sure Twilight was safe, but stopped at the bottom of the steps when he could hear what was being said. “Are you okay, Princess?” he asked quietly, seeing the dried-up streams on her cheeks while he walked beside her.

She nodded slightly. “Fine. Just… just fine…”

The lack of confidence in her voice wasn’t very reassuring, but he wasn’t going to question it. Still, perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to stay close by for the rest of the visit. “I’m certain things will work out for the best.” Flash thought aloud, which earned a small smile from the alicorn.

A yellow pegasus merrily strolled about the outside of her cottage, doing her daily rounds to make sure all her little critters were getting their dinners. Chickens gathered in circles about her until a mound of seed was poured out for them, which they quickly swarmed. Little bird feeders hung from the branches of nearby trees saw their own fill of feed. While the rabbits and mice received the nourishment they loved and craved. As the last feeder came into view, Fluttershy’s wings gently lifted her up to fill it with sweet, vibrant nectar while a small flock of hummingbirds waited in anticipation. “There you go. All good, and ready to eat.” came her benevolent tone. “Hah-Ah-ah-ah-Ahh!” She sang, and the hummingbirds hummed the rest of the verse in unison before taking delight in the red liquid. This was arguably her favorite part of feeding time.

Stepping inside to prepare her own meal, Fluttershy ducked quickly when a flying tortoise zipped on by. “Oh my.” she chuckled, gently catching him the second time around. That’s when she helped him out of his flying harness and set him down on the floor. “How about we take a break from flying to eat, Tank?” The little green half-shell gave a slow nod, which prompted Fluttershy’s smile. “Wait right here.”

Fluttershy disappeared into the kitchen, reappearing momentarily with a plate of leafy greens in one hoof, and a bowl of the same in the other. The plate found its home before the reptile, who lethargically took a piece of salad to begin munching. Fluttershy found comfort in dining on her food directly across from him. Just as she took her first bite and swallowed, a faint clap of thunderous sound caused her ears to twitch.

“What?” she pondered aloud, looking over to nearby windows until she found the cause of the familiar sound. A ribbon of rainbow colors raced its way towards Ponyville, which simply looked marvelous against the sunset. If it weren’t for being baffled by the sighting, Fluttershy might be overjoyed. “Rainbow Dash? But… she just had last weekend off…”

Knowing where this prismatic streak was going to end, Fluttershy quickly rose to her hooves and made off into the kitchen again. She took a bowl out and grabbed the remaining spring mix from the cinched bag, pouring it out into the bowl. A few other things found their way onto the dish, mostly flavorful accents. Seasoned croutons being the last thing added. Just as she picked up the prepared meal, Fluttershy heard the front door open, and wore a smile as she trotted on over into view. “Rainbow Dash! You’re just in time for dinner. I started making your favorite salad the moment I saw-” Fluttershy’s train of thought ground to a halt when she noticed Dash’s peeved stare. These days, it took a lot to aggravate the cyan mare, which left Fluttershy with a few pieces short of the puzzle. Her mind tried random tiles to see if they would fit. None seemed to stick well, however. “... i-is something wrong, Dashie?” she asked nervously, her forced smile giving way to internal fear.

The moment Rainbow opened the door, she stood there in silence, going over the endless number of conversations in her head. Even as Fluttershy showed up and inquired, her hoof was held solid against the door. Staring at her with unmoving eyes. In the periphery of her view, rosey-violet eyes locked on to the figure of her beloved pet merrily crunching on a fresh lettuce leaf. Dash forced a smile as she finally stepped in and shut the door. Carefully, her hooves picked up the lovable tortoise, where she proceeded to nuzzle their noses together. “Hey there, Buddy.” her affection for him voiced smooth and warm, before setting him back down and patting his shell. From there, the happy pet continued to eat. “Fluttershy. Kitchen.” her motherly voice continued, professionally masking the bite her tone was suppose to emphasize.

Fluttershy couldn’t help feeling stunned. She’d never seen this side of Rainbow Dash before, and she couldn’t help a flinch when she heard the mare speak her full name, where the sting of her words were most prominent to her. Silently, she abided, fearing for the worst. ’Is she mad at me? Did I do something wrong? I can’t imagine why, or whatever for. Maybe something happened between her and the Wonderbolts. Oh, I hope she wasn’t dropped for some reason...’ These thoughts quickly emptied her mind when she turned around in the middle of the kitchen to see the mare was suddenly right behind her. A sub-zero tremor shot down her spine, not having heard a single hoof step, nor a wing beat. It was very unsettling, especially under her scrutinizing gaze. It made it hard to fathom the idea of voicing her concern, yet she could not replace the thought with an apologetic plea if she didn’t know what she could’ve possibly done. Caught between a rock and a hard place in her mind, the only thing she could manage to do was wait patiently for something to happen.

“How long have you known?” finally came her cold tone, equally matched by her icy eyes.

“Wha-... what do you mean?” she asked out of confusion, though shrunk away slightly after finally getting that it was something she’d done.

“Applejack.” was all that she elaborated. Fluttershy’s eyes quickly became the size of peas, which was confirmation enough for the rainbow mare. “How long have you known!?” she reiterated, a bit louder this time.

Fluttershy heaved a heavy sigh. “I-I’m sorry, Dashie. I was only trying to-”

“Fluttershy.” Rainbow commanded her attention once more. “How. Long?”

Fluttershy nervously rubbed one fore-hoof against the other, unable to make eye contact with her anymore. “... A few years, now…”

“Years!?” she exclaimed, causing Fluttershy to flinch. “What possible reason could you have to justify this? Why am I only just finding out today, that my best friend was hurt? Is hurting!? After all this time, all that we’ve shared! How could you do this to me, Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy was pushed to the point of tears now, physically shaking while attempting to bury her face as much as she could. She always feared this day would come, but the reality was worse than she ever imagined. It wasn’t the anger or the shouting that got to her the most, but the disappointment. Dash’s disappointment. Her own disappointment. “I… I didn’t… want to… see you hurt, Dash. I never meant to… to…”

Rainbow Dash pushed herself to step back, mentally. She had to remember that Fluttershy always tried her best to do well by her friends. Seeing her like this, the images of Twilight’s sorrow and Rarity’s resolve flashed through her thoughts.

’Go get some fresh air.’

Rainbow Dash bit her tongue as Twilight’s words resonated through her ears. Finally taking a moment to look away from the yellow pegasus. “... I’m going to go see AJ. When I get back, we’re going to talk about the things you can’t censor from me anymore.”

Fluttershy looked up to her, eyes welled up from her silent sobbing. “Dashie, wait! I-I’m sorry! Just-”

“No.” She dismissed her with a hoof. “The fact that you kept something like this from me… I feel like you don’t trust me anymore, Fluttershy. Now, all I can wonder is if this is the only thing you’ve hidden from me.”

“Nothing!” she choked out. “I’ve never kept anything else from you! I promise!”

Rainbow Dash looked back to her, then down, and back away again. “How am I suppose to believe that?” The spite that once filled her tone was now replaced with pain. While she had half-hoped for a response, all Fluttershy did from there was bury her face again. After a moment, Rainbow Dash slowly trotted out of the cottage.

Applejack sat alone in her room, belly-up on the bed with a tired, blank stare cast upon the ceiling. Another day. Just another day. They all passed by so slow that time seemed to blend together anymore. If she had to guess, she'd hold enough confidence in today being a Wednesday.

Once that felt settled, thoughts of Twilight danced in her mind for a bit. The events of her visit five days ago... five? No... that doesn't seem right. Two, maybe three days at most. Or, maybe it was farther back? She couldn't tell anymore.

Tossing over to one side, Applejack sighed heavily. Why was she even thinking about her? It’s not like Twilight cared. Not truly. That thought caused a small ember to root itself in her throat. A discomfort that she wanted to get rid of.

Letting a fore-hoof slide off the edge of the bed, Applejack felt around under the frame until her hoof laid on cardboard. She pulled out a hidden box she had, and opened it to reveal its secret contents. Whiskey, in a decent-sized bottle that looked like it cost her fifty bits to purchase. Taking it into her hoof, she popped the cap off and stormed down a good eight gulps before tilting the bottle back down. A heavy, somewhat satisfied sigh left her as she replaced the cap and stuffed it back into its original hiding spot. Normally, she wouldn’t care what anypony caught her with, but after a couple of incidents that transpired while she was in a drunken stupor, Big Mac would probably kill her if he found out she got more alcohol.

As the warming burn settled in to her throat, finally masking the pain of the ember, her mind slowly began to swim through the buzz. A pleasant feeling that ever so slightly curved the corners of her mouth. For a short time, Applejack could forget about the pain and the suffering. She could forget about her friends and family. Lost love and missed connections. None of it mattered. For, there in that moment, Applejack felt nothing but subtle bliss.

After a few moments, Applejack heard knocking at her door. Three firm raps. She sighed heavily. “What?” Applejack asked plainly.

“AJ! Open up, will ya?”

Applejack immediately sat up at the sound of the voice. It sounded like Rainbow Dash just asked her to open the door. Though, it wouldn’t be the first time she’d mistaken a voice. She pushed herself off the bed and went over to the door, unlocking it before turning the knob and revealing the rainbow mare. Applejack stared at her for a moment, wondering if she was having another one of those realistic dreams again. As she watched her, AJ noticed that the mare seemed to be holding something back. From the moment the door was opened, Rainbow smiled, then let her mouth hang slightly agape, before visibly forcing it into a small grin with water beading at the edges of her eyes.

“L-long time, no see! H-how are ya, AJ?”

The cyan pony before her choked out her conversation starter. Applejack wasn’t paying close attention though, eyes scanning her face while her mouth struggled to find an appropriate emotion to portray. In her search, Applejack noticed the stud in her ear. That was something new. There was also this odd-looking indentation on the side of her neck, like a card was resting under her suit. Applejack felt like she was suppose to be looking for something specific, but couldn’t seem to put a hoof on it.

“AJ?” came her small concern.

“Huh?” Applejack blinked back into reality for a moment. So many thoughts were going through her mind, it was hard to organize them. A similar feeling she had when it was Twilight standing there before her. At the thought of Twilight, her last visit surged to the front of her mind, which caused her to close the door enough to not let the mare’s eyes wander behind her. This seemed to surprise Rainbow Dash, who’d taken a step back. Applejack gave something of a scowl at her now. “What do you want?”

Rainbow Dash thought quickly, not wanting to have to yell through a door to be heard by her friend. “Hey hey!? Chill out, I just wanted to hang out for a while. Maybe go get a drink or something. Do I need a reason to want to cool off with my best friend now?”

“Best friend?” Applejack asked, opening the door completely now. She watched the mare before her look beyond now, gazing in awe at the mess in her room. “Now ah know you’re lyin’ to me.” Applejack commented, her tone becoming harsh again. It was just like when all the others visited. They’d claim to be her friend, but all they wanted was to make themselves feel better. Masking it with concern and worry. She was already tired of it, and now Rainbow Dash wanted to go through the same old song and dance. Taking steps forward, she resolved to end this conversation the way it always does. “You’ve got some nerve, ya know that?”

Rainbow was more than surprised to see this negative reaction from her. But unlike the others, Rainbow was not going to back down. Applejack attempted to intimidate her by chesting up, so she mimicked the motion. “What’s that suppose to mean?” she shot back, just inches from her face.

“You claim to be my best friend. What makes you think we’re even friends?”

“What? What kind of question is that!?”

Applejack pushed out a sarcastic laugh. “Name the last time we hung out then.”

Rainbow’s eyes widened slightly, before she plunged deep into her memory. “I, uhh… after the rally in Ponyville! I know that one for sure!”

“Wrong.” Applejack replied flatly. “Not that ah expected you to get it right to begin with. You spent the rest of that day gettin’ wasted with your little flyin’ club pals, before you stumbled your drunk flank over to your buck-buddy’s cottage, an’ howled at the moon all night long!”

“What!?” Rainbow Dash backed down now, sweat visibly forming while her eyes darted around, making sure nopony else was there. “Me and Fluttershy are not buck-buddies!” She declared in a hushed tone.

“Ah didn’t say it was Fluttershy’s cottage ya went to…” Applejack remarked coldly.

Rainbow Dash bit her lip some, walking blindly into Applejack’s trap. “I… uh… how would you know something like that anyways?” came her attempt to turn the conversation around.

“Ah ain’t dense, Rainbow. I’d be more surprised if nopony else knew! Ya moved all your stuff into her place, ya spend entire weekends with her alone, and ya aren’t exactly subtle.”

“Whatever.” She forced the subject aside to get back on topic. “What does any of that have to do with anything anyway? I’ve never stopped being your friend, Applejack. I’ve never done anything to even make you question it!”

Applejack put a hoof to her forehead in aggravation. “You’ve been foolin’ that filly so much that some of her stupid rubbed off on you.”

“Fluttershy is not stupid!” Rainbow quickly defended. “Leave her out of this!”

“Why don’t you just git outta here and go buck your marefriend’s brains out like you always do, Rainbow Dash!?”

“Not until you tell me what the buck is going on with you!”

Applejack grinded her teeth now. She hadn’t pushed this hard since Pinkie Pie insisted on finding out what was wrong. But even Pinkie Pie had her limits. “Like you even care!”

“I do care!” Rainbow shot back. “I’ve always cared!”

“LIES!” she shouted. Before she realized it, Applejack’s hoof collided with Rainbow’s face, who was knocked into the wall before she slipped to the floor. Applejack panted heavily, glowering at the image of sheer shock. Pain shot through her leg, which she ignored. Though, it was easy to tell that she favored it now compared to her other legs. It was silent for a moment, until Applejack decided to shatter that silence.

“If ya cared so much, it wouldn’t have taken you years to come around, would it!? If ya cared so much, why is she the first one you go to? Better yet, why am ah the last!? If ya care half as much as you claim, why is it that you were the first one to leave!? Why so quickly!? Was stayin’ here and bein’ friends so bad!? Was ah just too borin’ for you, Rainbow Dash!?”

“Shut up!!” Rainbow finally found the sense to retaliate, sending her own hoof against the orange mare’s face. It was now Applejack’s turn to stumble back and fall over, though her own fall was more violent. She lacked the weight and strength she once had, making it much easier for Dash to do some damage.

Applejack laid against the floor for a bit before she struggled back up to her hooves. She’d forgotten just how strong Rainbow Dash was. Applejack’s cheek was already swollen. A searing pain made itself known to her after that, which her tongue tried to sooth. After a moment, however, she turned towards Rainbow Dash and spat, a bloodied tooth bouncing to the floor and stopping against her cyan hoof. A spattered trail of blood and saliva in its wake. That might have hurt more if she hadn’t already drank a good portion of alcohol. Though, she might have gotten up faster as well.

“Do ya still feel loyal, Rainbow?” she asked, looking up to her face now. Rainbow Dash was practically in tears now, and visibly shaken. A war going on within the mare’s mind. “That’s because you ain’t nothin’ but a self-centered deserter.” Feeling that her job was done, Applejack lethargically trotted back into her room, not bothering to close the door just yet. The first thing on her mind was getting rid of the pain. Once more, a hoof searched under the edge of her bed until it pulled out a box. The bottle of whiskey touched her lips again, holding the drink in her mouth this time and washing her wound in it. She grunted and groaned hard while the alcohol burned intensely. Soon enough, however, the pain numbed up a bit, and made the sore more tolerable. The blood-stained whiskey had little left to do now but slide down her throat. The flavor made her cringe a bit, but she got over it. The numbing warmth that seemed to course through her core made the flavor worthwhile. By now, Applejack felt like she was floating. The experience might be more fun if Rainbow hadn’t been there.

Rainbow Dash just watched her for a bit. Something in her saw that AJ's argument held a valid point. But she desperately tried to find something to counter back with. If she just gave up and left now, she’d only be proving her right. That wasn’t a move she’d be willing to take. Applejack was too important to the mare. Some of her best memories were with her. Memories…

It didn’t take her long to find something. Even with the tears rolling down her cheeks, Dash regained her air of confidence, pushing herself to stand behind the mare once more.

Applejack heard the hoof-steps stop behind her, prompting an annoyed sigh. “Don’t you know when you’re not welcome anymore? Leave! Ah ain’t got the patience for you anymore."

“No problem,” the prismatic pegasus began. “just one last thing, Applejack. One last question, and if you can provide a reasonable answer, you won’t see me ever again.” She was willing to bet her friendship on this one. AJ stared at her blankly, finally raising an eyebrow as if acknowledging the challenge. That’s when Rainbow’s eyes narrowed intensely, forcing her gaze through welled-up eyes. “If you had the time to go visit Rarity and Spike, why didn’t you ever even stop by to say ‘hi’ after any of my races or events?”

Applejack’s eye’s went wide now. Thought’s didn’t seem to process right anymore, and her feelings became conflicted. Applejack had attended a few of her events in the past, but she didn’t think Rainbow was able to single her out in the massive crowds.

“I know you attended a few of them. Aren’t many orange cowponies in the Crystal Empire, or Canterlot, are there?”

“Ah… err… ah…” she stammered. Trying to find the right response. “... what, in all things oats an’ apples, makes you think that ah spend time with Rarity!?”

“Don’t try to bluff me out, AJ! If you want proof, I’m wearing it!” A hoof quickly pointed to her garnet stud in her ear. “She told me that, whatever the buck you’re flank-hurt about, it went down in her shop. And I tore her a new plothole for not telling me sooner! I’ll tear everypony a new plothole if that’s what it takes to show you that I do care. But I’ll be horse feathers if you think that this is somehow all my fault. You had just as much opportunity to take time and visit me as I did you! And don’t give me any, ‘how was ah suppose to find you?’ bullsnot, all the Wonderbolt rallies and events are advertised throughout Equestria. There’s no way in Tartarus that you couldn’t have known where I’d be staying!”

“Well,” She thought quickly. “how in tarnation was ah suppose to even say ‘hi’? First thing ya did after each rally was shrink away with the rest of your pals!” she defended.

Rainbow Dash shook her head some. “All you’d have to do was talk to security. Somepony would’ve come by to confirm that you were my friend and let you in!”

The whole time, Applejack could feel her world crashing in on her. Suddenly, all of her arguments with everypony seemed invalid and built upon lies. Anger collided with sadness, resentment mixed with loneliness, fear, anguish. It was dizzying. “No…” she began, fighting with every fiber to remain in the right, to bring back justification to everything she had done. She wouldn’t be able to live with herself if it was all wrong. What else could she have done?

“No…!” she shook her head some now, eyes dilating from the strain. “No! You… you can’t shift this on to me! Not when you were wrong!”

Rainbow Dash sighed. Looking away slightly for a moment. “I’ll admit that… I didn’t come spent time with my best pal as often as I probably should have. And… I’m really sorry for that, AJ. But, I didn’t think that you needed me at all. I may have been the first pony to leave chasing down her dreams, but I wasn’t the only one. Rarity got her store and made frou frou friends. Twilight became Mayor and got her political connections going. Pinkie had the Cakes. I guess I just assumed that you had moved on to bigger and better things too, in my absence. Was it so wrong for me to believe that you were living the good life, regardless of if I was there with you or not?” The atmosphere around seemed to settle down some now. The need to yell was gone, and the tension could be felt easing off.

But this moment of near-peace was short lived.

“Get out…” Applejack began quietly. She couldn’t take another word. Her morality was already placed upon a fractured, rickety pedestal. If any more guilt and regret were to plague her mind… “just… just leave me alone. That’s all ah want.”

“I want to help you, AJ, but I can’t do that if you don’t let me in.” Rainbow Dash insisted.

“Ya wanna help? Leave! That’ll help loads!” She began, turning away from her to tend to her secret stash box.

“I wont leave you like this, AJ. You want to go loosen up at the bar, that’s fine with me. I don’t expect you to spill out everything on me, but at least accept what you wanted to begin with. You want me to hang? I got all buckin’ night!”

Applejack could feel some part of her twinge at that. “Ah don’t want to go to a bar. Ah don’t wanna go anywhere! An’ especially not with you! So, go away!”

“Fine, we can stay right here then.” Rainbow then firmly planted her flank to the floor.

Applejack growled now, her anger reaching its boiling point. “Just leave me alone, Rainbow Dash!”

“No! If you didn’t want my help, you wouldn’t have gotten so bent!”

“I’ll bend you if ya don’t leave!”

“Try me!” Rainbow challenged.

“Go!” Applejack said while she shoved Dash. Which achieved little. Rainbow Dash was prepared now, and thus felt like trying to push a boulder around.

“Just tell me what’s wrong, AJ!”

“No!” She continued her efforts to force the mare out of her room. Efforts that proved to be fruitless.

“You don’t have the strength to push me around, so just give it up.”

“Celestia help me, ah’ll put you through a damn wall if you don’t leave this instant, Rainbow Dash!”

“Would you look at yourself, AJ? You couldn’t put me through a wet paper bag!”

Applejack physically got the shakes. She couldn’t take it anymore, she needed to regain control of the situation. By any means necessary. Without even thinking about it, a hoof reached back to grab something, anything. Anything to finally get the peace and quiet that she wanted. “GET OUT!”

Shatter! “ARGH!” Crash! Thump! Thump!

Applejack panted heavily with a broken bottle neck dripping liquid sanctuary. Dilated, seething eyes glared down at the rainbow mess on the floor, while her mind trudged through her panic attack. Before she knew it, Big Mac had raced up the stairs, coming to find the scene before them both now. He seemed to be stunned for the moment.

Having finally regained control, and some semblance of her sanity, the reality of what she’d just done finally hit her. Suddenly, Applejack’s breath caught, causing her to drop the broken bottle in her hoof. “... R-Rainbow? ……. Rainbow?” At first, Applejack was quiet, but the second inquiry was slightly above normal volume.

Big Mac couldn’t believe what he was looking at. Shattered glass littered the hall, alcohol was splattered against the wall, and a small pool of blood slowly began to form beside Rainbow’s limp frame. The last time he saw a level of violence like this…

“Git outta my house…” came his gruff tone, looking back at Applejack now with dead eyes. She looked at him with complete shock. But didn’t respond, nor move. “Git! Outta! My! House!!” he bellowed now, his words ringing through the walls. Before he could hesitate further, Big Mac swept Rainbow Dash up onto his back and carefully hauled her away from his sister. “Apple Bloom! Cheerilee! Help me take Rainbow to the hospital! Quickly!”

Applejack continued to sit there in her doorway, completely beside herself now. The whole situation was starting to feel like a nightmare that she couldn’t wake up from. Unable to do more than stare off, Applejack listened as the others got together a couple of things and rushed out the door. It was dead silent for a moment, until she could hear shaky hoof-steps make their way up the stairs slowly. After what felt like half an hour, she could see Granny Smith come into view in the hall. While Big Mac and Apple Bloom had always made an effort to love and care for her, Applejack had lost her grandmother’s favor a while ago. Granny Smith still cared, but AJ had made mistakes in recent years that she hadn’t been very willing to forgive yet.

And now, she was staring Applejack down with intense disappointment. The worst kind of steely gaze that she’d ever endured. “Ah-ah’m sorry!” she blurted out to Granny, who didn’t let up. “Ah didn’t mean to-... ah just wanted to be alone…!

“Well, now, you get to go anywhere you want to be by your lonesome. Just not here, not anymore.” she retorted with a cold bite in her words.

“Ah’m sorry!” Applejack slumped to the floor now, hooves scrambling to try and dust away the broken glass into a pile. “Ah’m so sorry…”

“You heard yer brother. Don’t mind yer mess none, and just go.”

Applejack solemnly admitted defeat now, pushing herself back up and slowly drifted over to the stairs, repeatedly having to correct her balance. Just before she was about to pass Granny, tearful eyes looked back up to her. “Ah’m… not comin’ back… am ah?”

Granny heaved a sigh, closing her eyes to think on that one for a moment. “That’s somethin’ the rest of us are gunna have a talk about tomorrow. If’n ah were you, ah’d be more concerned about that poor filly you just attacked…”

The burning coal came back full force in her throat by now, and all she could resolve to do was wander down the stairs and out the door, and maybe hope she had enough bits on herself to get a room for the night at the bed and breakfast.

Luna entered the dining hall of her castle shortly after having raised the moon, finding her sister in her usual seat whilst a few other ponies there busied themselves with the settings. “Good evening, dear Sister.” Luna called as she made her way to her own seat.

The table itself was a unique, hoof-crafted piece made from a large, old redwood stump. It was round, and allowed for as many as thirty guests to sit comfortably. The face of it was engraved with an intricate design that combined the sun and moon in the middle, leaving one half of the table to portray the princess of the night dancing against her star-lit sky. The other half held a regal sun alicorn who brought forth the warming light of her sun for the kingdom. These engravings were accented with a masterful burning to bring out a high level of depth in this otherwise ordinary carving, completed with a lacquer coating to both preserve and enrich the final product. The chairs that accompanied this set was also treated with the same care, all decorated with smooth carvings under their coat of finish. On opposite ends, the princesses’ larger chairs were emblazoned with their cutie marks on both faces of each backing. One was then given stars around its edge with a crescent moon at the top. The other decorated by the sun’s rays with her solar insignia up on high as its finishing touch. The rest of the chairs were also themed to match their half of the table, but less extravagantly so.

“Good evening, Luna.” Celestia chimed contently, indulging in a small cup of tea while she waited.

Luna looked around for a moment, noticing that the guest of the hour was not there yet. That’s when she turned back to Celestia. “Where is Twilight? It is not like her to be late…” she asked with slight concern.

Celestia gave a soft chuckle. “Few things in this world put Twilight off of her schedule. I’m sure if she’s caught up with something, it is because it is important.”

“I suppose…” Luna sighed slightly. She wasn’t sure if Celestia should be right or wrong for not showing the slightest bit of worry. But that thought negated itself quickly. There was more to Celestia than her composure implied. For all she knew, Celestia could be just as concerned, if not more.

“Presenting Princess Twilight Sparkle!” called an orange guard, who then stepped aside to allow Twilight passage into the hall.

Luna gasped quietly while Celestia’s smile simply broadened at the sight of her. Twilight walked in at a slow pace, boasting her new set of regalia. Platinum covered each hoof, all of which given a similar, single engraving for a hint of accent. The forward two sported two magenta-colored gems cut in the shape of a star-burst, like her cutie mark. On either side of each sat smaller, purple gems. The shoes on her hind-hooves were of similar scheme, but instead of having star-bursts as the gem of focus, they were just larger gems of the same magenta hue, cut with seven perfect facets.

A necklace adorned her, resting just above the withers. It was almost small enough to consider a choker, but wasn’t as snug of a fit. This band held more ornate engraving underneath another star-burst gem, and four other smaller purple gems along either side. Lastly, her crown was styled similar to Celestia’s - perfectly matching the outline of her shoes - but was a couple inches shorter. This, too, held a rosy-pink star-burst gem with two small purple gems on either side in a matching scheme, all perfectly drawn together with decoratively simplistic engravings. This star-burst was slightly different from the rest, and for good reason. Twilight had Spike form the setting to the exact dimensions of her Element of Magic. When she made it back to Ponyville, she intended to give her old relic a fresh new look upon this crown. To top it off, Twilight’s mane had been given a little extra volume and bounce to bring some life into her basic mane-cut. All in all, if captured in the right light, you could see the metal turn silvery-blue hues before returning to a vibrant, near-chrome color.

“I hope I haven’t kept you waiting long.” she began, holding a small bit of blush on her face while she took a seat right in the middle of day and night. She had the opportunity to see herself in a mirror before leaving, and felt that it was all a bit much. But she trusted Rarity’s fashion sense, despite her own thoughts on the look. It also did make her feel better in its own way, too. She was quite pleased with the hoof shoes. Having been custom made for her hooves, they seemed significantly more comfortable than she remembered her old regalia feeling. She doubted she’d go entire days in them, but it was still a nice fit.

Luna marveled at the majesty of Twilight’s new regal accessories, her eyes wide and sparkling. She probably loved the new look more so than Celestia did. “Mother of me! Twilight, you look amazing! Where in Equestria did you get those made?”

This just made her blush a little more. “Spike seems to be quite adept with metal-crafting…”

Celestia tilted her head slightly, picking up on something. “You don’t like your new look?”

“No, no, I do!” Twilight quickly defended. “I really appreciate all that they did for me today. It’s just that… it feels… overdone?”

Luna shook her head. “I think it suits you well, Twilight Sparkle.”

“Thanks.” Twilight replied sincerely. She was actually kind of surprised to see Luna show so much interest in it. But, then again, it did have a similar silvery-gleam to hers, and there were stars all over her now. Realizing that, she wondered how Luna wouldn’t love it. That’s when a thought came to mind. “You’d probably get a kick out of this, Luna. Some of the gems change color with the ambient light. When it’s darker out, they are purple. But when it’s lighter out…”

Suddenly, Twilight’s horn lit up with a simple light spell, causing all the purple gems her light could touch to shift to more of a magenta hue. Letting the spell fade, and the gems return to their previous color, Luna gave in to a little bit of clapping. “Simply magical! You have quite the befitting set of royal garnishes.”

“Let’s not let it go to our heads, now.” Celestia chortled.

“Do I detect jealousy, dear Sister?” Luna quipped playfully.

“Not at all.” she replied plainly, taking a moment to drink more of her tea. Looking back up, Luna gave her a knowing smirk, while Twilight resumed her small blush, combing a hoof through the end of her mane a little. “Perhaps a little.” The three shared in a small chuckle. “It really does look nice on you, Twilight.”

“Thanks, Celestia. I’m glad you both like it.”

"I take it that your efforts to gather your friends is going well?" Celestia asked, deciding to change the topic now.

Twilight thought for a moment, nodding slowly as she did so she wouldn't appear to hesitate. "I've gotten three so far. Just three more left." A smile forced its way upon her mouth, which neither seemed to question.

"And I see you've gotten yourself a fine pair of guards." Celestia continued.

Twilight looked back to find that Solleret had joined his friend at the door when she wasn't looking. She caught eyes with Flash Sentry, who seemed to be waiting for her to notice. She gave a small nod away to him, silently giving him the go ahead to find a place to rest for the night. Once he turned away to leave, Twilight looked back to the sisters. “An exceptional pair indeed.” she agreed with a smile.

“Have you worked out all the details?” Luna inquired, deciding to jump right into a discussion about the task.

“Mostly.” Twilight hummed. “I figure the bulk of my settlers will come from Ponyville, Cloudsdale, and Appleloosa. Both Ponyville and Appleloosa have grown a lot over the years. Much of their population are experienced in farming and construction. All of whom are no stranger to hard labor. And Cloudsdale turns out many great weather pegasi. Under the pretense that I acquire thirty ponies, excluding my friends and guards, I should have a pretty tight outfit. Five ponies will prepare the land for crops under the care of Applejack. Five will be in charge of food and gathering supplies with Pinkie. Another five under Rainbow Dash will manage the weather and do general land surveillance. Fluttershy’s team will handle the documentation - and relocation, if necessary - of the local fauna and flora. Leaving Spike and Rarity in charge of a team for construction.”

Luna did the math in her head as Twilight listed off the teams and their duties. “Okay… and the remaining five?”

“Divided up between Spike, Rarity, and Fluttershy. Fluttershy will oversee seven ponies, Spike and Rarity will share the other eight.”

“And, for you?” Celestia inquired, though she already knew what the answer was.

“Naturally, I will be utilizing my skills to oversee the entire operation, making sure everything is completed on schedule, and supply help where needed. As other teams finish their duties, I will also be handing reassignment.”

“What about a medical team?” Luna chimed.

“Fluttershy’s team will consist of at least one trained nurse and one experienced doctor. Fluttershy herself is a capable veterinarian, so she will be caring for any critters that need attention. In the grand picture, the guards will have their knowledge of proper field dressings, I can perform some medical magics for mild cuts and abrasions if needed, with the doctors there for treatment of more severe illnesses and conditions."

“And then safety precautions?” Celestia asked on reflex, though it sounded more like a statement.

“Everypony will be working in groups of two or three, and will be advised to not work alone. Ponies will have to report to their team leader once an hour, and team leaders will report to me every two hours. Lastly, Flash Sentry and Black Solleret will continue to be my personal guard, while the remaining four will do general policing, or even aid in tasks if they wish. Flash will head the day guard, Solleret will head the night guard. This will ensure that both guards can keep up healthy communications at dawn and sunset. Lastly, expeditions away from the settlement will be assigned one guard for every three ponies, with a maximum search team of six ponies and two guards possible. As long as everything goes as projected, I should have a decent little town of my own within a few months at most, and maybe a castle after one year. If the railroad were to begin expanding its reach towards the old kingdoms the moment I leave Appleloosa, I could likely have it all done sooner.”

After having mentioned the guards and their duties, a thought occurred to her. “Princess Celestia?”

“Yes, Twilight?”

“I had something come to my attention earlier today that I wanted to inquire about. Is it true that the day guard work the whole day, and the night guard the whole night?”

Celestia and Luna both exchanged knowing glances before returning their attention back to Twilight. “It is true.” Luna confirmed.

“But, doesn’t that make it hard for them to lead normal lives?”

“It does.” Celestia nodded slightly, pausing for a moment when a few ponies came into view with serving platters. Laid before each princess was a dish with steamed mixed vegetables, a sweet roll, and a small serving of cheese lasagna. Perfectly proportioned for a not-so-athletic lifestyle, while still big enough to enjoy. Once the servers left, Celestia chose to continue. “It is unfortunate, but at present unavoidable. Many ponies understand this, and come to accept it in their own time.”

“In the kingdoms before,” Luna chose to elaborate some more, knowing the purple mare would question further. “It was a policy of the royal guard to draft stallions when their numbers fell below a set integer. This ensured that all guards were given shorter hours to allow for adequate social interaction, but this also removed many ponies from a line of work they enjoyed because their exports were deemed unnecessary.” Luna’s disdain was made apparent at the notion. “As such, when Tia and I defeated Discord and took up position as rulers, we changed the policy so that only those who desired to be guards were accepted into training. In the beginning, we had plenty of guards, but their numbers did not increase with the population…”

“Ahh, yes, I remember those days quite well!” a sinister voice resonated throughout the hall.

The three alicorns seemed slightly startled by the sudden presence of the voice, Twilight notably more so than the other two. Soon enough, Discord’s figure faded into existence in one of the chairs at the table, on the opposite side of Twilight. Solleret noticeably tensed up, ready to cast magic the instant he was given a sign of trouble. Without even looking back, however, Twilight held out a hoof, and then lowered it slightly. A gesture he took to mean for him to stand down. He respectfully refused, however, remaining steadfast.

“Discord.” Twilight addressed him, though with the slightest hint of impatience. She’s not had the brightest of histories in her begrudging friendship with the draconequus. She took notice that the other two alicorns seemed to show a level of indifference, though. Perhaps they were just better as masking their disdain.

“Twilight Sparkle! It’s so nice to see you again, I can hardly remember the last time we had the chance to talk. Mind if I join you?” At the snap of his fingers, a platter and utensils appeared before him, covered by a dome lid. Discord elegantly removed the cover, revealing a large stick of butter.

Twilight felt her stomach flop, knowing Discord fully intended to eat pure butter in front of them. Deep purple eyes followed the knife as it carved out a piece, only for him to stick his fork in the large portion and take a bite from that. Wrapper and all. Suddenly, Twilight’s appetite ran away from her. “Please do.” her lips pushed out, actively forcing herself to mind her reactions to the chaos spirit.

“How have you been, D?” Luna began, who lifted her own silverware into her light blue magic to begin eating as well.

“Oh, my day has been simply de-lightful! Drama’s are my favorite genre of entertainment. Wouldn’t you agree, Celey?”

“Quite.”

Choosing to sit back and observe, Twilight managed to ignore the butter enough to begin eating as well, not wanting to give Discord any ammunition against her. She noticed that Luna seemed to express genuine interest, while Celestia just appeared to hold a tolerant demeanor. It was no big wonder that it meant Discord popped up in the castle frequently.

“Speaking of drama, how is Applejack doing, Twilight?” Discord asked with a knowing smirk.

Twilight’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly, and she hoped it wasn’t enough to notice. “Well enough.” was all she was willing to say on the matter. Something told her that Discord knew exactly how Applejack was doing, and asked merely to push her buttons. Pushing buttons seemed to be a hobby of his. “So, you were talking about the old policy of the guards?” Twilight pushed back on topic. She figured that if Discord was going to be there, he’d make himself useful.

“Oh, yes, how rude of me to forget.” Discord continued, taking another large bite of the butter. Twilight had winced slightly after that, and put her food down. Apparently, she just couldn’t enjoy lasagna. He couldn’t help but wonder why, as he gave a thoroughly appeased smirk. That’s when Celestia spoke up.

“Not to be rude, Discord, but I couldn’t help noticing that your haunches seem bigger than I remember them being…”

“Oh, I know!” Discord whined, turning himself to rest his weight against his neck. Allowing him to hoist his lower body into the air. Twilight gave a puzzled look, until his legs visibly grew to twice their size. “I’ve just been an absolute mess lately. Fluttershy’s been having a dreadful time coping with a few things, and I couldn’t help but empathize. I feel like I’m falling apart!” At that, Discord literally fell into pieces in his seat before his head poked up from under the table. “It isn’t showing too much, is it?”

“Might I suggest a diet that isn’t high in fat?” Twilight couldn’t help but jab at the fact that he was eating butter. In a very small way, it made her feel good. But mostly, she just wanted him to stop.

Discord gave a watery-eyed smile, assembling himself together again while returning his body back to its normal physique. “Ah! As always, you are right Twilight. What ever would I do without such good friends?” Having got his kicks from disgusting the princesses, Discord snapped his talons. A basket of pears then appeared before him. The pears jumped out of the basket, the butter hopped off the platter, and the two combined under a quick breath of fire to make a heap of butter-roasted pears. Discord grabbed one by the stem and took a large, obnoxious bite from it, visibly enjoying the delight to his core.

Twilight quickly found her appetite return to her at the smell of the delectables. Something she would never admit. At least she was comfortably able to resume eating.

“Mmph! I’m going to have to remember to thank Mr. Hyde for this wonderfully delicious idea…” Discord remarked with his mouth full.

Twilight waited until she finished her bite to try and steer the topic back on course. “About those guards, Discord?”

Discord raised a brow slightly. “Guards? You’re more concerned about the past than you are of your friends?”

Twilight sighed. “If Fluttershy is having problems with something and didn’t come to me, she must not want me to know about it. While I am concerned, I will respect her privacy and wait for her to feel comfortable enough to talk to me. I am not so low as to weasel information about them from others.” She then took a moment to eat a bit more of her food before continuing. “If you wish to talk about it, that’s your prerogative. But I would like to remain on the subject of my journey, and political problems I would like to try and resolve for my future kingdom, while I am here with Celestia and Luna. Now, please, if you will?”

Discord gave a heavy sigh, snapping his fingers once more to have his plate of food disappear without a trace. “Well, since you asked nicely. I suppose I could indulge my favorite princess.” Nimbly, he twirled a finger against the table, and the carvings appeared to blend together like a smoothie. Bending the details to his will, it began to play animated scenes for Twilight’s enjoyment.

“Before the time of the Princesses, the military of each pony type did draft stallions from time to time. Because of this, stallions didn’t always pursue their dreams because they felt that eventually, they all would be forced into the position of a guard. Any who did not show up when picked were considered deserters. Depending upon the kingdom, punishment ranged from hard time in jail, to outright banishment to the desert. One of the reasons why it is called the Badlands. Used to be my favorite place to stir-up some good ol’ fashion chaos…”

The carvings continued to play out the scenes until he stopped talking. It then swirled into a vortex once again, before forming back into its original scene. “I assume you know what happened next. I got bored and played with all of the ponies at my leisure, Celey and Luna found the elements of harmony, and I became the most handsome garden ornament for a thousand years! Yadda yadda.”

“Because of the disharmony caused by forcing ponies into guardianship,” Celestia began, picking up where Discord left off. “It was in all of Equestria’s best interest to abolish that policy and have the guard rely on a volunteer basis. So many ponies were so grateful that we had saved them back then, that guards were plentiful. Each guard only served two or three hours a day. They had plenty of time to achieve their dreams and take up trades as they wished. But, even with the many things they were grateful for written in the history books to remind future ponies of the hardship they would otherwise endure, the reasons faded away to distant memory. Leaving simple gratitude for just being here to remain. While I have personally vowed to never reinstate the drafts, my kingdom cannot be guardless for large portions of the day and night either. All I can do is promote the position with the promise of high honors, compensate the guards as much as I reasonably can, and hope I never have to take drastic measures...”

“Guards have had many reasons to stay over recent years.” Luna furthered. “Some stay for the honor. Some stay because they have somepony to protect. Some stay to uphold the law. Some stay because they truly wish to be a guard, and others still do it for the mares. But many of them choose to be a guard because they know that if they don’t do it, nopony else will. It gives many, many other ponies the opportunity to live a happy life and follow their own path. Even if most of the guards never came to understand the fact that they have allowed another filly or colt the benefit of so many options, my sister and I could never give enough thanks to their sacrifices. And it hurts us greatly to see them struggle to have normal lives of their own.”

Twilight nodded slightly, having felt very enlightened on the subject and its troubles now. Though, she did notice something there. “You mostly talk of stallions when it comes to the guards. Have you ever tried advertising to the mares as well? Though mares are smaller and have a harder time equaling the strength of a stallion, it would definitely help balance the numbers. Shining and Cadance have a few mares in their guard themselves, and the one that I spoke with sounded very gifted.”

Reactions to the inquiry varied across the table. Celestia abruptly paused to pat a napkin over her mouth momentarily. Luna looked away with something of a rosy blush across her face. While Discord snickered, secretly wondering who would say it first.

Celestia was the first to respond. “We have advertised to mares once before, but that caused a greater problem…”

Twilight didn’t seem to catch on. “How could it have caused an even greater problem?”

Luna swallowed some of her pride to continue for Celestia. “The first mares who were accepted, when the guards were beginning to experience longer hours… well, all had to take maternity leave within the first few months of active duty, save for two mares.”

Twilight found herself with a blush to call her own now, and wondered how she didn’t see the problem sooner. “O-oh… I see.”

“The palace garden at night was quite the lively place in those times.” Discord chuckled, earning a disapproving stare from all three alicorns. “Oh, please! Like none of you ever think about it! I happen to know for a fact that you have a secret admirer.” Discord threw at Luna, who gasped, before looking over to Celestia. “You don’t even have room to talk.” Celestia tried to remain unfazed, but the lightest hint of a blush betrayed her, as well as a slight increase in the heaviness of her glare. “And you…!” Discord now turned to Twilight, tapping a talon to his chin for a moment. Trying to find something against her. “You…! Have a suspicious fondness of books?” Discord then proceeded to shrug, “Honestly, I don’t even know about you. Sometimes, I wonder if you even swing that way.”

“That’s quite enough, Discord.” Twilight balked the subject, while trying to remain civil. Though the shock of him suggesting that she might be lesbian made her want to slug him where he sat. “It is not our place to discuss the personal lives of others.” she reiterated to him.

“Oh dear! Celestia forbid I should ever talk about sex in front of you gaggle of prudes.” came his disappointed tone. Discord held his arms up into the air, a set of hoofcuffs appearing and ensnaring his wrists. “Fine! Slap the cuffs on me, throw me in the slammer! Tell me I’ve been a bad little foal!” he continued dramatically, until he fell onto the table in a fit of laughter.

“Contain yourself, Discord.” Celestia warned gravely.

“But I have been already!” Discord threw his cuffed claws into the air, and giggled some more. When he looked upon Celestia’s face however, he sighed heavily, teleporting back into his seat, proper and unbound. “Don’t you ever miss being fun, Celey?”

The three chose to ignore him for the moment, allowing Twilight to jump back on topic once more. “That is certainly a problem. Have you ever tried promoting the use of contraceptives?”

Celestia nodded. “I have even offered full reimbursement for ligations…”

“Yet another problem arose from the promotion of even everyday contraceptive practices. Many complaints arose that we were, in a way, promoting sexual deviancy among the ranks, and the officials were not sitting well with the idea either. They wanted us to enforce abstinence instead. None of these were turning out to be viable solutions, however. So we stopped the encouragement of mare guards completely. We have not denied any since, but we do make sure they are aware of the dangers. Overall, it’s simply not a popular concept.”

Twilight sighed heavily, having finished her meal like the others by now. “The more I think about it, the harder the problem gets…”

Discord nodded thoughtfully. “If only there were a way to make it so not as many guards are required for the same duties…”

He seemed to be teasing them with the idea, as if he knew a solution that could solve the whole dilemma. This annoyed Twilight some. “What are your thought’s, Discord?” she asked, shifting the spotlight onto him now.

As the other three now stared at him, awaiting his response, Discord shrugged. “I personally don’t see the need for guards. They haven’t exactly been effectual during any of the major attacks in the past.” he smirked. All three gave him a disappointed look, almost commanding him to try running the thought by them again. Twilight even gently lifted a brow at him, looking on expectantly. “Perhaps if they only had a faster means of communication. A way to relay an emergency message over a distance that wouldn’t alert any unintended recipients…”

Twilight thought on that for a moment. The benefits were there if every guard could communicate with each other, and each other only, over a large distance. That would mean that fewer guards could cover the same area, and make a call for additional support when needed. Trouble was, without installing hard lines all across Equestria and having call boxes placed all over the streets, and an adequate power source, technology couldn’t answer the question.

Or, could it?

Twilight’s eyes brightened as a thought suddenly occurred to her. She looked back to Black Solleret, instantly catching his eyes. “Black Solleret, could you come here for a moment?” she asked with the standard gesture.

Black did not hesitate to comply with his princess, quickly coming to stand at attention beside her. “Yes, your highness?”

“I require a demonstration of your null field.”

“Null field?” Luna asked. Celestia and Discord both seemed equally interested. “What is a null field?”

Black didn’t seem sure of where this was headed, but proceeded to explain. “The nullification field is a battle magic I developed myself, that cancels out all other magics in a given area. If no pony is currently using their magic right now, I could show you.”

“Hah!” Discord leapt up into the air over the table now, coming to hover just before the red unicorn. “Magic that cancels magic? Preposterous! Such a thing would collapse under its own pretense.”

Black looked back over to Twilight, who gave a nod paired with a smirk. Solleret returned the smile, and focused on flooding the immediate area with unadulterated magic. None of them seemed to notice it until he began pulsing it randomly, to which all the princesses reacted as if their horn had been enveloped by an unseen force.

Discord could feel it too, though the sensation was very odd. He laughed some, none the less, seeing the unicorn so thoroughly exert himself. “Oh no! My magic is suddenly gone! Somepony stick a fork in me, I’m done for!” His talons snapped to do the usual dramatization of what expression he was using at the moment, but nothing happened. It was quite odd. Annoyed, he gave another snap, but in the direction of Twilight’s silverware. Instead of bringing them to life like Discord intended, several copies of each utensil leapt out of the original, making a loud clatter as they all bounced across the table unceremoniously.

The noise of the duplicated silverware launching themselves from the original caused a few gasps to be made. All now looked to Solleret, along with a dumbfounded Discord. Solleret stopped the null field after that with a bit of a blush, feeling like a fool after Discord was able to do something. “Eh-heheh… it’s not perfect. But it does work most of the time…”

“I’ll say…” Discord sneered.

Each of the princesses shared in a small giggle at Discord’s expense, who crossed his arms in reaction. “Ha-rumph! Maybe it is possible. But I don’t see how such a thing could be useful in increasing the effectiveness of the royal guard. If anything, it would make them even more useless.”

“That’s where I disagree, Discord.” Twilight began, calling upon everypony’s attention. “You might have a great imagination when it comes to entertaining yourself. I, however, put my creativity to the benefit of all.” A magic beam shot out from her horn to trace out a projection field with which she could use to illustrate her idea. “The thought came to me when Black Solleret first told me about the null field. He explained that he used wavelengths in alternating patterns, which could be felt by the horn. which got me to thinking. If the horn can feel magic at certain wavelengths, while magic casting in general goes unnoticed, perhaps there is a wavelength in which can’t be felt, and won’t interfere with other unicorn magic.”

The image of a pony casting the null field then showed up, the null field being represented by a visible wave pattern emanating from its horn. The random wave patterns then leveled out to a uniform one. “If I can make a devise that passively senses this proposed wavelength, and creates a tone when this wavelength is within range of it, we could use Horse Code to allow unicorns to send out messages across a given area, which can then be interpreted by the recipient in real time.”

Celestia smiled some, while Luna put a hoof to her chin thoughtfully. “Seems like an interesting theory…”

“Just one problem.” Black interjected. “Thus far, I can only project the field at a maximum distance of fifty yards. Though it wouldn’t take long for other unicorns to learn the magic, I expect ranges will be much of the same until I can develop a means of broadening the effective area. Even if this device were to work, how would it drop the number of required guards? Something like that would demand more than what’s already here.”

“I’m glad you asked, Black Solleret.” Twilight chimed, returning her attention to everypony again. “It has been studied and documented that certain antenna arrays can amplify magic. Though research into the discovery had been limited after finding that it didn’t increase raw power, it had been noted that these arrays could increase the distance at which magic could be used for things such as levitation. If sentry towers were to be strategically placed inside of the city, with a transmission amplifier antenna on top, it could possibly increase the distance that this signal could be projected. For the sake of example, lets assume that Canterlot would only require five towers…” The light display shifted to an overhead view of the city. Each block was represented in a sky-blue color. Yellow lines then broke up the map into four quadrants, and then five red dots appeared all at equal distance from each other. One in the middle of each quadrant, with one in the center of all four. “Then, assign one pegasus and one unicorn to each tower, and give them three hour shifts. Each tower would then only require eight operators over a twelve hour period, which is forty ponies by this diagram. The pegasi can do aerial patrol while the unicorns serve as a general lookout. While teams of two ponies do rounds on the ground. If something occurs, the ground units simply have to alert aerial patrol, who can then signal the tower to send out a message to all the receivers in the quadrant, and perhaps even each tower if they’re placed within range. Guards would then receive the message and, if they’re close enough to the source of the disturbance, can provide additional support. Just as well, if I could devise a receiver, I might be able to figure out how to store magic into a ‘cell’ of sorts, which could then be used in an emergency transmitter with a set message. With this placed in range of the tower, we can cut down the number of guards needed further still.”

Several small orange dots now appeared, all placed within an approximated range of each tower. “Cut each quadrant into sections, and place one ground patrol unit to each section that does not have an adequate number of transmitters, and you only need six ground units per quadrant. That’s an additional forty-eight ponies. Give the ground units four hour shifts, and that brings the grand total of required guards to one-hundred and eighty-four for every twelve hours.”

Twilight smiled now, happy with her figures. “With these projected figures in mind, how many guards do you each have?”

“I currently have just shy of two-hundred and fifty guards in all.” Celestia chimed.

“And I, just above two-hundred.” Luna commented.

“Perfect!” Twilight clapped her hooves in excitement. Feeling proud of herself for having figured it all out. “Give the towers some basic amenities like showers, offices for the paperwork, and perhaps a gym, and you have one complete system which drastically increases the efficiency of the guard, with plenty leftover to monitor the castle if it were supplemented with a similar transmitter-receiver system. Celestia may have to reassign some of her day guard to a night shift to compensate, but I don’t think that would be a problem.”

“Not at all.” she smiled.

After the magic projection faded, Solleret couldn’t help one extra concern he found. “This is all great in theory, but even if this were all feasible, Horse Code can take a while to send a whole message. And the guard will need to be able to react quickly to any given situation.”

“I’ve already thought of that.” Twilight sounded out, almost in a boastful tone. “Messages will be coded in a strictly numerical system, and broken up into three individual numbers. The first number will be the crime or situation in progress. The second will be the quadrant, and the third will be the block number. For the sake of example, lets say that the message - four fifty-nine dash one dash twenty-three - is guard code for a burglary in quadrant one at block twenty-three. A pony trained in Horse Code could transmit this message in about five seconds, the tower would then be able to resend the message over the entire security net within the same time frame. Allowing for proper response inside of a minute. Efficiency through simplicity. Of course, this is all figuratively speaking. I’d still have to work out the science behind it all, but I’m confident that I can make this solution a reality. Determined, even.”

“Well, I think that I speak for everypony here when I say that I have every confidence in you, Princess” Discord commented, over-exaggerating the little term of endearment at the end.

“Thank you, Discord.” Twilight deadpanned.

“You will be a fine princess, indeed, Twilight.” Celestia added in her own comforting tone. Twilight seemed to take that more to heart.

“Are you certain you won’t require more guards for the trip?” Luna asked, trying to mask her deep concern all the while.

“No no, six should be plenty.” Twilight reassured. “Taking away too many guards will only make everypony’s job harder, and I want to try and keep this group as small as possible. Once the railroad is extended, we can discuss the idea of more ponies.”

“Perhaps I could lend a hoof?” Discord chimed as enticingly as he could, giving off the gestures of a typical school-filly.

“No!” Twilight quickly shot out, before placing a hoof over her mouth. Discord acted as if he took offense, but something deep inside her knew he was just trying to play her. “I mean… no, thank you. I already have more than enough help.”

After he was finished playing like his feelings were hurt, Discord smirked slightly. “Hmhm, well, as much fun as it has been, I have some chaos to monitor.”

Twilight raised a brow slightly. She’d never heard that one before. “What does that mean, exactly?” came her suspicious tone.

Discord gave a wry smile, knowing she’d ask. “Maybe you should write me sometime and find out.” He then gave a small, teasing chuckle. “You know how to reach me!” he called before disappearing from existence.

Once Twilight was certain enough that he was gone, her attention was drawn to Celestia. “Do I really want to know?”

Celestia took a moment to try and figure a way to put it that she might understand. Luna took the opportunity to speak up, knowing a bit more about it. “It’s something akin to a royal duty.” she began, now finding the explanation to be a bit more complex than she first anticipated. “You see, Twilight, Immortals such as ourselves have certain tasks of our own to uphold. Almost all ponies ever know is what we do here in the physical realm. But we also have duties that extend beyond the physical. My job is to monitor the dreams of ponies and help them overcome the fears that create nightmares. Discord monitor’s the level of chaos in the realm. He’s not ever told me what he does to resolve the problems that arise… but he does insist that he takes measures to prevent chaos from running rampant in Equestria. I feel like I can trust that much most of the time.”

“Okay… I guess that makes sense…” Curious now, Twilight turned back to Celestia. “And, what do you do? If you don’t mind my asking, that is…”

Celestia visibly sighed, though the untrained eye would mistake this for a slightly deeper breath. “I maintain the balance. That is… all I’m willing to say on the matter.”

Celestia seemed to speak as if her role bared down horribly on her shoulders. Given the vague description, Twilight could only imagine why that might be. But given the hint of a grave tone, she was afraid to inquire further. It was simply another secret her mentor kept, and Twilight knew the alicorn well enough to trust that she kept certain things hidden deep for only the best of reasons. Twilight decided to shift the subject from Celestia. “Well… are there any duties I need to fulfill?”

Celestia smiled slightly, the air around her seeming to lighten, even if only a little. “But of course, my little pony!” she responded, accidentally giving in to a force of habit. She immediately noticed it, but Twilight didn’t seem to mind at all. In fact, it felt like the endearment made her smile that much brighter. “Just as Cadance spreads the light of love in other ponies, you promote friendship and harmony in all those around you.”

Twilight seemed slightly confused now. “Huh? But, I don’t know of any spells like that…”

Celestia chuckled slightly, seeing where Twilight might have gotten that notion from. “Not all feats of harmony require magic, Twilight.”

“Oh!” Twilight blushed with a silent squeak. “I see, now.”

The three shared in a small giggle before Celestia continued, nearly on a serious note. “Don’t ever forget your lessons, Twilight. No matter what challenges you face, no matter who you meet, friendship is always a solution. If nothing else, Discord serves as an example, and reminder, that friendship can be found in even the strangest of strangers. Even if you don’t always see eye-to-eye with them.”

Twilight rolled her eyes at the mention of Discord. She found it hard to get behind the draconequus. “Is it wrong to hope he doesn’t make it a habit to start popping up randomly in my castle?”

Celestia chuckled warmly. “I know that Discord can be… rough around the edges. And it makes it hard to empathize with him. But, believe it or not, Discord was once a good-natured being with friends of his own.”

“I find that hard to believe, Celestia.” Twilight tossed out. She didn’t want to speak negatively behind his back, but she also didn’t need to explain why she just couldn’t put faith in him.

“The life of an immortal is not a kind one, dear Twilight Sparkle.” Luna began, more serious than Celestia now. She couldn’t always agree with Discord, but she has made efforts to call on him as a friend once more. Sometimes, he does display good taste in humor, and it has brightened her day on a few occasions. After having somewhat been in his shoes, she could not help but at least defend him a little.

“We have had many close friends come and go with the ages. We have done many things we regret. And, sometimes, we regret the things we haven’t done equally.” Twilight slowly grew more downtrodden in the face of Luna’s revelation. “Evil is not born, Twilight. Some just... have a harder time coping with negativity…”

Twilight nodded slightly. Somewhere in her mind, she felt like a bad individual for holding the past against Discord. Another still also reminded her that it was his own fault. “I should… probably give him more of a chance, next time. I guess…”

Luna raised a hoof while shaking her head slightly. “I am not saying that you should always give him the benefit of the doubt, nor for you to give pity. But, it wouldn’t hurt to open up to him a little here and there, and allow him to do the same. Once you get beyond the antics and occasional ill humor, you may find that he can still be a good friend.”

Twilight nodded, seeming a little less down now. A few days ago, she might not have fully understood the meaning of this lesson. However, she felt like she knew how bad it was to lose a friend. Though she could hardly hold a candle to any of their hardships, Twilight could imagine the weight they feel. “I understand. I’ll be sure to keep that all in mind next time.”

Celestia and Luna both shared a smile, but Celestia’s was visibly warmer. “It was nice talking with you again, Twilight. Though, I think that we should get some rest now. I’m sure it has been a long day for you.”

“Too long.” Twilight sighed, getting up from her seat.

“Will you need a place to sleep?” Luna asked.

Twilight shook her head. “I promised my parents that I would sleep at home tonight. I should get heading back now, anyway. I’ll be by first thing in the morning to pick my guards, though.”

“Do you have any preferences, Twilight?” Luna inquired.

“Just that they be volunteers. I can work out the details at the lineup.”

Both sisters nodded at once. “I’ll put word through my night guard before I begin my duties, then. Good night Twilight.”

“Sleep well.” Celestia bid.

“Good night.” Twilight chimed to them both, heading out the way she came with Black Solleret.

When she left, Celestia looked over to Luna, choosing to address something that she’d placed on the back burner in her mind. “So, you have a secret admirer?” she smirked.

Luna blushed slightly, brushing off the fact. “One of the guards, I presume. He is… quite the talented writer.”

“Do you plan to do anything about it?”

“I-I don’t know…” Luna seemed to take interest in her hooves now, rubbing one against the other for a moment.

Celestia chuckled slightly, taking Luna into a side-long embrace to help make her feel better. “Don’t wait too long this time, Lulu.” Celestia commented, before giving off a small yawn. “I’ll see you in the morning, Sister.”

“Y-yeah. Good night, dear Sister.” Luna called as Celestia walked away. She then turned towards a different door to start off on her duties.

As the two traversed the city streets under the pale light of the moon, Black Solleret’s ear flicked at the sound of his princess heaving a weighted sigh. “What’s wrong, Princess?” he asked out of concern.

Twilight gave a half-hearted chuckle. “I don’t think anything is more humbling than to be told by one pony that you’re the princess of friendship, and then immediately be told by another that you’re not being a very good friend…”

Black nodded slightly. “Well, to be fair, Princess, it’s not like Discord doesn’t deserve the scrutiny.”

“True as that is,” Twilight began, “Luna does hold a strong point. I cannot expect others to do better, if I do not hold the same expectations against myself. He may not be the best of friends with Celestia or Luna, but he must not truly be all that bad if Luna is willing to defend him. And I know he’s been trying to call my bluffs for a long time now.”

“Call your bluffs, Princess?”

Twilight nodded. “I’ve done things for him before, for the sake of being a friend. But only because he held my friendship morals against me. Morals that he shouldn’t have had to drape over my head to begin with, if I was as much of a good friend as I claimed to be. If anything, Fluttershy has been more of a friend to him than I have ever been with anypony.”

Solleret looked down at his hooves as he trotted alongside Twilight. He didn’t personally know this Fluttershy, but he could tell that she must be one hell of a pony by the way Twilight mentioned her. “Don’t put all the blame on yourself, your highness. Discord may not have been born bad, but he wasn’t forced to be evil either.”

Twilight remained silent for a short while. By the time they were halfway to her parent’s estate, a late night bar came into view after rounding a corner. After all the drama of her day, a glass of drink or two didn’t sound half bad to unwind with. Just before they were going to pass it, Twilight stopped, staring at the door and its invitation. “Would you like to get a quick drink, Solleret?”

Solleret noticed that Twilight stared at the bar longingly all the way up until they stopped at it. When she asked him, he gave a slightly uneasy cough. “Uh… I normally wouldn’t refuse, but I don’t drink while on duty, your highness.”

“Oh!” Twilight exclaimed, looking back to him. Though the armor made it blatantly obvious, she had forgotten about it. “I’m sorry, Black Solleret. I’m not used to having a guard.” She gave a nervous blush now. “Nevermind, we should just go back.”

Black chuckled some, holding his hooves up in protest. “There’s no judgement here, Princess! I’m all too familiar with those kinds of sighs. If you want a glass of something, you’re more than welcome to it.”

Twilight smiled warmly, though it was weighted by her slowly growing fatigue. “Thanks, Solleret.” He went over to open the door for her, proceeding while he held it. “I promise I’ll be quick. I just want a little bit wine to settle my nerves.”

“Take as long as you need, Princess.” he replied reassuringly, trotting in after her.

Twilight drifted right over to the bar, where she took up a stool with Black taking a seat on his haunches behind her. She didn’t actually notice it until she sat down, but there were no other ponies there save for the bartender. A pale, light-blue stallion, wearing a hoof-combed mane of an off-blue color. If ice were to have the lightest of blue tints to it, that would probably best match his coat. Befitting, seeming as his golden-yellow eyes looked as cold as his color.

The bartender finished up with cleaning a glass and setting it aside before he finally looked up to his customers. He immediately recognized the purple mare to be an alicorn, which kind of surprised him. Though he’d never seen her before, part of him felt like he should recognize her. “Princess?” came his thick accent in a slower, gruff tone. Though somewhat surprised, the stallion came over to take her order, figuring that the guard sitting with his back turned meant he wasn’t planning on drinking. “Vwhat can I get you zhis eveningk?” he asked as politely as he could manage. Normally, the stallion didn’t have a very welcoming demeanor for other ponies. But it would seem he was serving royalty tonight.

Twilight gave the bartender something of an off look. He bore an accent she’d never heard before, which made her pause in curiosity. It also took her a moment to process the words into an understandable phrase. When she realized she was staring, however, she nervously busied her eyes with the wide selection sitting upon the shelves behind him. “Oh! Uhm… sorry. I just want a glass of wine, please.”

The barkeep nodded slightly and pulled out a small rocks glass, setting it down before her. “Any specific kind?”

“Whatever kind you’d recommend for a long day.” Twilight let some of her fatigue leak out in her tone now.

“I know zhe feelingk.” he thought aloud. Without hesitation, the icy stallion went over and picked a bottle from a grouping of crystal clear alcohols, bringing it over and filling the glass to about a third full.

Twilight eyed the drink curiously, bringing it up before her with her magic. This was certainly an odd wine, being devoid of color or even a single bubble. Letting it drift down below her muzzle, she took a whiff before backing away slightly. She could smell the strength of it, as well as… grain? “What kind of wine is this?” she asked curiously.

The barkeep let the smallest of smirks pass over him for a moment. “It is bread vwine.”

Twilight laid eyes back on the cup. Figuring it couldn’t hurt, she took a drink from it to sample the flavor. The resulting face of thorough displeasure jerked a few good laughs from the stallion. It tasted of something along the lines of a dry wheaty-potato flavor, but the strong acidic quality of the drink overpowered any desire she could find in it. It went down hard, leaving something of a burnt aftertaste in her throat.

“Somezhingk tells me you’ve never had bread vwine before, da?”

“And I hope I never do again.” Twilight commented, giving off a hesitant chuckle. “Can I just get some red wine instead?”

He gave a firm not, seeming to be a bit brighter for the moment. “My apologies, Princess. I should’ve vwarned you zhat it’s not a popular drink here.” Taking the time to set up another glass with a fruity, sweet wine. Seeing her take much more delight in that, the stallion took her previous cup and set it under the counter. Something about her itched at the back of his mind since he saw her, but he couldn’t place a hoof on what it was. “Have vwe met before, Princess…?” he asked in a way as to inquire her name.

Twilight stopped for a moment, shaking her head. “I would remember an accent like yours. I’ve never heard it before.” she then smiled slightly. “You can call me Twilight Sparkle, though.” Twilight noticed that the moment she said her name, the barkeep’s expression dropped significantly. This caused her own small smile to lose its strength. “Is something wrong?”

“No.” He said abruptly, busying himself with the cleaning of another cup. “Vwill you be havingk anyzhingk else?”

The sour disinterest was palpable to the alicorn mare. “Uh… no, just this is perfect, thanks.”

“Zhat’s good.”

Twilight looked at him curiously for a moment, then turned back towards Black. He seemed to have noticed it too, because he looked to her at the same time. Her expression begged the question, but Solleret shrugged his answer. Well, at least he noticed it. That’s all the confirmation she needed. “Have I offended you, mister…?” it was her turn to ask for a name now, realizing she hadn’t gotten it yet.

“Oliver.” he said plainly. “And it’s nozhingk you did, Princess.”

Twilight’s eyes widened when he said his name. Still fresh in her mind, she could hear friend’s voices explaining the story.

”... AJ found this stallion by the name of Oliver Salad. A bit of an odd pony. Held an odd accent ah'd never heard before…”

“... They were pretty happy for a while, takin' turns visitin' each other n' such. After about a year, though, somethin' happened between the two…”

“Part of it happened here in the store, I’m afraid.”

The pieces of the puzzle were aligning up perfectly, now. “Oliver Salad?”

Oliver instantly froze in place. He didn’t think that Twilight knew of him. But, considering her sudden shift in tone and knowledge of his full name, she’d been told something. After a pause, He continued cleaning the cup. “Da. Oliver Salad.” he confirmed grimly.

A torrent of emotion crashed through her being now. Anger, sadness, hatred. Among others of similar shades. Twilight pushed the glass away now, getting to her hooves and treading firmly over to stand before the stallion, the counter keeping them separated. Despite the many trials and villains she’d faced before, Twilight never felt this strong an urge to buck someone just for the satisfaction of having inflicted pain on them.

Still, Twilight was a reasonable pony. Though she wanted to, Twilight kept her hooves on the ground. But if looks could turn ponies to stone, she imagined Oliver would be petrified right now. At least, he would if he wasn’t remaining focused on the glass that was surely clean enough already.

Black had gotten up as well, but hung back for fear of getting caught in the crossfire. However, at the same time, he wanted to pull her back and just leave the stallion alone. Mixed up in his indecision, he resolved to hold off intervention until it looked like it was going to get physical.

“You’re going to Ponyville with me, Mister Salad.” Twilight finally said in a commanding, yet calm tone.

Oliver’s eye twitched slightly, choosing to finally put the glass down and look up to the alicorn. She was obviously holding back, and he knew he should tread carefully around the angry princess. But his pride kept him from showing any give. He merely returned the scowl in kind. “Vwhy, in all of Equestria, vwould I go zhere vwizh you?”

“Because, if you have even a shred of dignity, you’ll swallow whatever notion of pride you have that allows you to sleep soundly at night, and apologize to Applejack for the pain that you’ve caused her.”

Oliver blinked a couple of times, as if he’d been asked to publicly humiliate himself in Canterlot Square. “Apologize?” he echoed. “To her?” Oliver visibly began to seethe now. “Zhe pain I caused!? Vwhat pain could I have possibly inflicted upon her!?” Grinding his teeth as he took the glass and put it away, he began to mumble something angrily to himself in a foreign tongue for a moment. He then looked back to the Princess, who seemed a little less sure of her ways at the moment. A hoof pointed out to her now. “Tell me, zhen! Tell me vwhat it vwas zhat I did vwrongk, and I’ll gladly apologize to her.”

Twilight hesitated. Her scowl receded, leaving analytical scrutiny in its wake. Watching his expression and body language. Counting the intervals of his breathing. Factoring his tone of voice.

After the few moments of silence, Oliver sighed heavily. “Do you even know vwhat happened?”

“By all means, enlighten me.”

Oliver’s eyes narrowed some. He then trotted over to where she previous sat, and pulled the glass of bread wine out from under the counter top. He then came back and placed it on the table between them. “Have a drink, and I’ll tell you.”

Twilight gave off a confused, slightly bitter look. “Why not just tell me?”

“I don’t know!” Oliver began sarcastically. “Because I don’t appreciate it vwhen ponies vwaste my favorite drink. Because you have zhe nerve to point zhe hoof at me before gettingk your facts straight. Because seeingk your displeasure gives me joy. Because cleaningk glasses settles my nerves. I’ve got a whole list of reasons, pick your favorite.”

Twilight sighed heavily. At least she could agree with the second reason. Grudgingly, the glass was lifted into the care of her magic, which floated the nasty beverage to her mouth. There was a short pause as she thought of the best way to attack this. Deciding to go with the band-aid strategy, Twilight’s head flicked back with the edge of the glass against her mouth. Trying her best to let gravity carry the liquid down her throat without touching her tongue as much as possible, her head came back down after a hard swallow. Her coat and tail visibly ruffled themselves while her muscles tremored uncomfortably in disgust. Having failed in preventing some alcohol from splashing against her tongue, she began to rake her teeth against it a couple times in a fruitless effort to scrape off the overpowering desire to puke. She could swear it tasted ten times worse the second time.

Reaching her magic out to the unfinished cup of red wine, Twilight took a large gulp in from the sweet drink, washing away some of the horrid burnt flavor. Once Twilight was certain that her blood wasn’t being curled anymore, she leveled eyes with Oliver that demanded what he owed her now.

Oliver smirked proudly to himself, taking the glass to carefully begin cleaning it. She tried to intimidate him with a silent gaze, but seeing her begin to slowly rock to and fro ever so slightly, it was just too comical for him to take her seriously.

Though, for as much joy the event granted him, dark and sullen thoughts filled his mind, robbing him of that momentary happiness. Preparing his thoughts, attention was brought back to the glaring mare and her guard. Both of which were standing there expectantly. He didn’t like that. “It is as cheap sittingk as standingk, Princess.” It seemed to take her a moment to process the expression, but dropped her plot in short order. Even tipsy, she caught on a lot faster than most ponies did.

“Applejack… vwas by far zhe most unique mare I have ever met. Strongk. Dependable. Honest. Mostly…” Taking a moment to inspect the clarity of the glass, Oliver continued after deciding to scrub it further. “A few years ago, on zhe day of our… how you say, date-iversary? I had Applejack come to my restaurant, vwhen I vwas a head chef. I made her zhe Apple Sharlotka zhat vwon me her heart, vwizh a glass of fresh apple cider. I zhought it vwould be perfect…”

A hoof left the cloth in the glass for a moment to reach into a vest pocket. In short order, Oliver pulled out a thin necklace with a golden ring looped in, a green gem stone set flush in the band. This was place on the counter and pushed towards Twilight, who took it up in her magic to examine. “I placed it in her drink. It vwas zhe most romantic vway I could zhink of doingk it. Vwhen she saw it, and I proposed, I could see it in her eyes. I vwas sure I had done it right…” A hint of residual passion accented his words now, before Oliver simmered down to something of melancholy.

Twilight was unsure of what to say as she looked upon the ring. This? In a drink? Twilight had never even thought of such a way to be proposed to. The beauty of it all formed teary beads at the edges of her eyes. After a moment, she noticed that Oliver had stopped and looked away. Returning the necklace to the table, Twilight brought her attention back on him. She already had a vague idea of what came next, but the question burned all the same in her mind. “What happened?”

“She ran.” he said simply. “Vwizhin zhe blink of an eye, her gaze vwas filled vwizh horror, and she ran.”

“Damn…” Solleret commented sympathetically under his breath.

Twilight’s mouth hung slightly agape. If she wasn’t hearing it directly from him, and able to see his pain, Twilight would never have believed it. Part of her still couldn’t. That sounded nothing like the Applejack she knew. For the moment, words failed her. None could convey the sheer awe.

“She broke it off not longk after zhat…”

“Oh my gosh… I’m so sorry…” she voiced weakly, feeling like her words meant little more than putting a band-aid on a third-degree burn.

“She vwouldn’t even tell me vwhy!” he blurted. The cup hit the counter with a loud thunk. His aggression spiked once more, causing him to slam his hooves against the countertop. “Vwhy!? Vwhat have I ever done to deserve zhis!?” His teeth clenched, and eyes shut to try and hold back the tears, he could hear the last thing she’d said to him.

”... Ah guess ah never loved you to begin with…”

Oliver yelled something incomprehensible as he struck the empty glass, sending it into a shattering collision with the wall to his left. Twilight flinched at the sound of broken shards bouncing around the floor. All she could do was watch him sink back and hold himself. Presumably to quell his trembling. Something told her that if she wanted to get Applejack out of whatever she was stuck in, he might be the key. But then, of course, she’d have to get him to go. As well as not blow up the moment he saw her.

Hesitantly, she asked the one question that would ultimately decide if he could help them or not. “Do you still love her?”

That was the question, wasn’t it? Oliver himself wasn’t sure anymore. He was certain that he’d put it behind him. But, if he did, why did he still have the ring? His eyes reluctantly fell upon the golden band now as it glimmered in the dim light on the table. After he had enough time to think about it, Oliver slowly pushed the ring off the counter, hearing it drop to the floor on the opposite side. “How can I love somepony who betrayed me?”

Twilight looked away for a moment, contemplating his answer. She took notice that Solleret was looking at her, and he nodded towards the door once. Twilight confirmed with her own slow gesture. Twilight finished what was left of her drink and set it down at an empty table. A few bits were produced and stacked neatly on the counter, before the ring necklace was gently lifted up and suspended before Oliver. Her next words came from a princess who understood love more so than any other pony Twilight has met.

“Love doesn’t begin and end the way everypony seems to think it does. Love is a battle. Love is a war. And choosing not to fight anymore... doesn’t end it.” One of his hooves slowly came up to receive the necklace, to which Twilight let it drape down into his grasp. When he looked to her, Twilight pushed herself up to a stand, heading out with Solleret. Before she left, she looked back to Oliver one last time. “I’m going to Ponyville tomorrow, to pick up the fight. I sure could use your help. Think about it.” With nothing left to say from either party, Twilight left, longing for a bed to rest on after the stress of today.

Author's Note

The second part to an incredibly drawn out chapter.

Originally, this one and the previous were one whole, and titled "All That Glitters" because the main focus was originally on the ease with which Twilight found in the recruiting of Pennyworth, Rarity, and Spike. On top of that, Pennyworth was going to simply be a call back to one of my favorite childhood series. Kudos if you can figure it out.

But as I wrote the chapter, it seemed to transcend it's original focus, turning over instead to what I can only call matters of the heart. That instantly reminded me of the saying that all's fair in love and war. So, for having to split the chapter into two parts, and seeing an almost perfectly even divide between the shifts in moods, I decided to aptly tittle them "Love" and "War". So, yeah, enjoy that fun little play on words.

For all you Sparity fans, I do hope you enjoyed this, and will come to enjoy their further interactions in the future. Sparity and Flutterdash ( or Rainbow Shy ) are my most favoritest ships! ( that's right, favoritest. Because 'favorite' was not adequate enough )

Again, big thanks to my editors and collaborators, you know you are, and enjoy the read! :3

Foundations

The Last Letter: Chapter 6 - Foundations

As Celestia’s morning sun rose to awaken the crystal-clear skies, so too did Twilight slowly sit up on her bed and give a mighty yawn with a good stretch. Tired eyes fell upon her vanity desk for a little bit in thought, wondering if she shouldn’t just take an extra hour to sleep in this morn. Eventually, habit got the better of her, forcing four purple hooves out of the bed.

Twilight plopped down before the mirror, purple aura lifting her brush from the desk and combing the bristles through her mane. Crafting frizzy hair into a straight, fixed frame of defined lines.

Once that was done, the brush was placed precisely into its original spot. Allowing the mare to unfurl her wings with an invigorating stretch and a couple of test flaps. Then the left wing curled out before her, subjecting itself to the careful scrutiny of her preening.

Hoof-tips buried in the wing, Twilight carefully stroked and aligned each feather. Being extra careful to ensure a perfectly uniform look today. Only stopping to remove stray flecks of dust or lint left from her linens.

She needed to look her best today. Every bit as regal as her title insinuated. Not just for her friends or for the town, no. What made this day special was the task still laid before her - the gathering of settlers. A job not without its own gravitas. It would be hard to establish the beginnings of a kingdom without a healthy number of able-bodied ponies. Aside from that, even Celestia would just be another regular pony without her subjects. Exceptionally tall, but still just one pony. Not that such teachings changed Twilight’s opinions on a less rational level.

Thoughts of the other royals quickly gave way to the guardsponies, however. More particularly, Black Solleret and his progress with nullification magic. An astounding discovery of magical capabilities. Yet, seemingly, with the simplest of properties. So simple, in fact, that it seemed perplexing. He was persistent in his comparison of magic to that of waves and frequencies. But if all magic were something akin to wavelengths, why does it take a special technique for magic to interfere with magic? Another perplexing question; why didn’t it always work? Was there an extent to its effectiveness? Better still, could it really have uses beyond that of cancellation? What groves of treasured knowledge could this development bring to light? What is that smell?

Truly a great mystery…

’Wait.’

Twilight was ripped from her deep thoughts by the smell of delicious food, stopping halfway through preening to point her nose towards the door. Taking a few more audible sniffs at the air, Twilight was able to identify the smell. “Grass pancakes?”

Though she could easily figure out who must be cooking at this hour, Twilight’s curiosity and sudden hunger compelled her to leave the room. Nimbly traversing the stairs, the purple alicorn rounded the corner into the kitchen to find Pennyworth before the stove, with Flash Sentry and the other Day Guards sitting patiently around the dining table.

“Good morning, Princess,” the three guards chimed the moment they saw her.

“Good morning,” Twilight replied with a smile. Pleasantly surprised by both the sight and smell.

“Ah, Lady Sparkle. So good of you to join us. Breakfast is almost served.” Pennyworth then inspected the edges of the pancakes before flipping them over to finish cooking.

“Thank you, Pennyworth.” Twilight joined the group at the table, taking up a free spot across from Flash Sentry. “Hope you all are ready for today. After a quick check on Rainbow Dash, I plan on visiting some ponies to inquire for their aid in settling the new kingdom. That means we all need to look our best for our potential subjects.”

“Of course, Princess,” the guards agreed in unison.

“Will you be joining us, Pennyworth?” Twilight asked while unfurling her wing to finish straightening her feathers before breakfast could be plated.

“If you require me to, Lady Sparkle.” After another quick flip, Pennyworth was satisfied with the pancakes and transferred them to the rest of the stack. He then proceeded to nimbly move each dish to the center of the table. Ten steaming pancakes sat high, ready for distribution. Along with: a bowl of sliced apples, a pitcher of orange juice, a container of maple syrup, and a plate of peppered hay bacon.

Twilight looked up from her wing for a moment to take in the feast laid out before her, hiding a small smirk when she saw her guards practically watering at the mouth. “Wow, Pennyworth, this looks great!”

“Ah-hem…” Pennyworth looked on to his princess in mild disapproval.

The alicorn gave him a curious glance before looking back down to her hooves, which were still in her wing. Whereupon she looked back to Pennyworth with a slight blush.

“We do not preen our wings at the breakfast table, Lady Sparkle.”

Twilight gave a nervous chuckle while tucking her wing back against her side. Once Pennyworth nodded, she turned back to the food to quickly change the subject. “Right, let’s get this plated then!”

Magenta magic charged forth from her horn, lifting all the food into the air. Dividing everything into neat portions, breakfast came to lay on each plate in perfect uniformity while juice poured itself into each cup in fixed measurements. Syrup adorned each pancake in a single, thick dollop, before what was left replaced themselves back at their appropriate places in the middle of the table.

“Thank you for this wonderful meal, Pennyworth,” Twilight chimed, a hinting undertone gently directed to her guards.

“Thank you!” each guard quickly tossed out.

“You’re quite welcome,” Pennyworth commented with a nod, prompting everypony to dig in.

Flash Sentry and the other guards held no reservations when it came to eating. Ever since basic training, the stallions were taught to eat fast or not at all. After all these years, it was simply second nature to them.

It wasn’t until after Flash had consumed his bacon and nearly swallowed a pancake whole that he noticed the casual pace in which Twilight and Pennyworth were eating. Neither ate quite so daintily as the other princess’ did, but they certainly weren’t eating like it was a competition. Unlike himself and the other two.

Subtly, Flash shouldered Lance and Cirrus to grab their attention, before giving the slightest of nods to the Princess and her valet. When they noticed too, blush peppered their muzzles for a moment while they scratched the back of their heads.

“Is something wrong?” Twilight asked, having heard her guards all but stop eating suddenly.

“Please excuse us, your Highness,” Cirrus began.

“We’re not used to eating in the presence of royalty,” Lance elaborated.

Twilight offered a curious stare for a moment, before she chuckled in realization. “Oh, please. Being royal doesn’t mean that we all eat with grace and formality. At least, not all the time anyway.”

Her guards seemed a little bit confused now. She could just see them thinking back to all the times that the other princesses would eat, and finding that her words didn’t match. “For instance, my favorite place to go in Ponyville is the Hay Burger. I go there twice a month.”

The guards remained speechless in utter shock. An expression which they wore like a fashionable accessory.

Twilight merely snickered. “We’re not finicky eaters either. Just ask Pennyworth; he knows.”

Pennyworth took a moment to wipe his mouth with a napkin before speaking. “Your eating habits are simply atrocious, Lady Sparkle.”

“Uh… thank you, Pennyworth?” Somehow, Twilight expected a better response from him.

After clearing her throat, Twilight gave her attention back to the guards. “The point however, is that being a princess does not magically make me so much more different from any other pony. I still eat regular food. I still love reading and learning. And, believe it or not, I still have dreams and aspirations.”

Each guard spent a moment to absorb this information. Each a little perplexed as to what a princess could dream of, or aspire for. Lance and Cirrus Stream seemed to be content enough to leave it at that, but Flash’s curiosity was an inkling too strong to ignore.

“Please excuse my asking, Princess Twilight,” Flash began, “but you’re a princess. What else is there?”

Twilight smiled slightly, looking up in thought. “Well… to be honest, I never really wanted to be a princess. That just… kind of happened.”

Unbeknownst to the purple alicorn, each guard’s eyes became the size of saucers.

“No, what I really wanted to do was become a pioneer in all things magic, like Starswirl the Bearded. My life-long dream was that I would someday be as great as him, and maybe be Celestia’s right-hoof mare.”

Twilight smiled at the thoughts of what could’ve been, nearly losing herself in her fantasies. Bliss plastering her face. But the smile slowly faded and she gave a small sigh. “It’s kind of funny. When I completed Starswirl’s unfinished spell… I really thought that I had realized my dream. But… I guess it just wasn’t my destiny after all.”

Flash Sentry, like the other two, looked down and fumbled in awkward silence. They all knew well what it was like to be let down. “I’m sorry, Princess. I shouldn’t have asked…”

Twilight quickly regained her composure and shook her head. “Oh, no, please, it’s not your fault!” She then scratched the back of her head with a nervous chuckle. “Really, don’t worry about it. I mean, sure, becoming an alicorn wasn’t exactly the top of my list for accomplishments, but it’s still pretty nice. It’s not like I won’t be able to develop new magic. I still have the opportunity to work with Black Solleret on this null field spell.

“And, who knows, I might have the chance to mentor another pony with potential. Like Celestia did for me. I think it would be just as great to potentially be the one who taught the next great magical conjurer.”

A bright and hopeful smile hung from her muzzle, which seemed to ease the guards a little. That’s when she decided to subtly alter the course of the conversation. “Besides, I have other things I dream about. You know. More, uhm… mundane desires. Like finding love, and having a family.”

The moment it left her lips, Twilight immediately wished she could’ve taken it back. Knowing the situation her entourage was in, and the note of Flash’s prior experience, caused her to place a hoof to her mouth. “Uh, heheh… sorry…”

Each guard looked to each other and shrugged slightly.

“It’s okay, Your Highness,” Cirrus commented.

“Having a wife and kids someday gets tossed around the Mess Hall more often than you’d think.” Cirrus and Flash gave a slight nod in agreement with Lance.

Cirrus made a split-second decision and nudged Flash into Lance. “Well, hey! Tell us about your dream mare, then! I want to hear it again!” Cirrus chuckled slightly.

“Oh no…” Flash proceeded to place a hoof firmly against his forehead.

Mentally, Twilight was clapping her hooves together in excitement. A bonding moment like this would surely lighten the mood, and perhaps help her to get to know her guards better.

Lance blushed slightly. But judging by the look of Twilight’s subtle enthusiasm, he figured it couldn’t hurt. With a small shake of his head, Lance began to recall the way he best described her. “Well… you’ll probably think it’s silly, but I saw her in my dreams once, and I could never get her out of my head…

“She’s a white mare. Not like white-white, but like a creamy, cool-colored white, ya know? With a robust frame. Curvey, but in the right places. A bit older, but more refined. A little bit of white perfectly mixed in with her purple mane, ya know? Easily passing for a business mare. Vibrant blue eyes like the morning sky, and a coat as soft as the moon’s glow.

“Sultry stare, silky voice. Oh man, and her tail was like velvet!” Lance shuddered slightly at the mere thought of her. “Oh, the things I would give to meet a mare like that.”

Twilight’s smile softened as she began to piece together the image of Lance with this mare he was describing in her head. Yet, as he went on into detail, her eyes slowly widened at the thought. Until her mouth hung slightly agape with the final portrait.

Flash was nearly in tears, trying to hold back his laughter. He wasn’t sure what was worse, the image that Lance just painted for all to share, or the fact that he was oblivious to the mixed reactions of his depiction.

Pennyworth, himself, had a slight rosy-ness to his cheeks. Which, for the sake of composure, he attempted to ignore.

Twilight fought with every fiber of her being to contain her outward expression. She knew that he meant well by it, but she couldn’t entertain the idea in the slightest.

Quickly, Twilight’s eyes darted over to Cirrus, who seemed pretty enthusiastic about the description made. Purple eyes then fell upon Flash, still trying to contain his laughter. Twilight hardly thought this was laughable as she gave him the slightest of a disapproving glare. “What about you, Flash?”

Flash scrunched his muzzle, no longer finding trouble in containing himself now that he was called on. He then gave a nervous chuckle and fumbled with his hooves a bit. “I… certainly don’t have one so detailed as Lance. I’m a pretty open stallion, so I don’t have much of a preference. Just… you know, a mare.”

“Oh, c’mon Flash!” Lance began in subtle disappointment. “If you’re going to play the game, you have to do it right! These are just dream-mares, not a speed date. It’s suppose to be fun.”

Twilight gave a soft chuckle in response to Flash Sentry heaving a sigh. “You don’t have to share if you don’t want to, Flash.”

Flash took a moment to think about it, his eyes shifting between thoughts. Debating if he should or not. The pegasus then just shrugged. “Sorry guys, my desires are a little more simple. Just a mare. Smart… funny… understanding. Simple stuff.”

“Meh…” Lance rolled his eyes slightly, completely disinterested. “What about you, Princess? Got any dream stallions?”

“Uhhh…” Twilight put a hoof to her chin pensively. Soon enough, those familiar thoughts of Big Macintosh drifted into her head. The alicorn shook them off and offered a bashful smile. “Sorry boys, guess I’ve never considered the prospect before. Besides, I would have to take a similar stance to Flash Sentry. I don’t care so much about looks as I do qualities.”

“As much as I enjoy idle gossip, Lady Sparkle, you do still have preparations to finish, and a job to carry out. Unless you plan to address the public with a half-preened wing?”

“Oh!” Twilight looked over to the clock quickly, before turning back to her guards. “Let’s hurry up and finish. We all need to be at our best.”

“Lady Sparkle?” Pennyworth waited for a moment to gain Twilight’s full attention. “Do you really think it’s wise to go around the town with three guards?”

Twilight gave her valet an odd look. “Uhh… well, sure; why not?”

“Don’t you think that going around talking to other ponies with three guards is a little odd? I might find the sight to be very unnerving; a princess and a hoof-full of royal guards on my doorstep.” Pennyworth then continued to eat some more.

Twilight thought on the notion for a moment. “I guess I didn’t think about it like that. Maybe I should just go by myself then. I’m sure you guys could use a day off?” she offered with a smile.

The guards gave one another a look of uncertainty before Lance spoke up. “That… goes against our better judgement. I’m sure Ponyville is nothing short of safe, but we were told to stick with you no matter what. At the very least, one of us has to go with.”

At least one? Twilight didn’t have to think long at all. There was practically no contest. “Okay. Well, would you like to join me, Flash? It would be a great opportunity to see Ponyville. I did promise to show you around, afterall.”

Flash nodded slightly. “Sure, I’ll go with.”

Twilight smiled her delight, turning her attention to the other two. “Lance, Cirrus, feel free to take the day off if you wish. You’re welcome to stay here as long as you want, but I think it’ll get boring pretty fast. Unless you like reading a lot.” She gave a small chuckle at the thought. The guards still seemed unsure, but Twilight busied herself with finishing her meal. She had a lot to do today, and not enough daylight to do it in.

Applejack shifted slightly, before giving a horrid groan. Light from Celestia’s golden sun jabbed at her eyes for a few moments as she tried opening them. Daylight not being something she was terribly used to anymore, nor could she remember the ground ever being this hard.

More and more of her consciousness rapidly drifted back to the orange mares’ mind. And it didn’t take too many questions to remember where she was, and why she was there.

Applejack lazily looked down upon the end of her muzzle, the feeling of tear-stained fur instilling a level of disgust. Accompanied by the urge to shower. Looking up, she found Oliver’s chin resting upon her head. Orange ears perking to the sound of slow, deep breaths. Followed by a deep, rumbling snore shortly afterwards.

Beyond all this, Applejack became aware of the source of her discomfort. Half of his body weight was supported by her back, and something small and hard was being squished between them. Making a sharp soreness known to the mare, along with a nearly crippling stiffness in her spine.

Not to mention the mind-numbing emptiness in her core.

In short, she was beyond compelled to get up and go home.

“Oliver… Oliver?”

The stallion in question gave a rough snort before smacking his dry lips. Eyes remaining closed for fear of the piercing light. “Hm?”

“Get up, Sugarcube. You’re crushin’ me…”

Oliver gave off a lazy chuckle. “Sugarcube? You have no idea how much I’ve missed you callingk me zhat.” The stalling raised his head to give a mighty yawn, before the thought processed in his mind. “Does... zhis mean vwe’re... togezher again?”

“How about we start with you gettin’ offa me, an’ we’ll see where it goes from there?” Applejack replied blandly. Though, a small smile curved the ends of her lips. If only just.

Once Oliver got up, the farmer shakily rose to her hooves. Stretching long and hard to wake every corner of her body. A vain effort, though. AJ still found her muscles resisting her demands; a feeling of weakness she didn’t care for at all.

Oliver only needed a moment to wet his mouth in order to wake up completely. Thoughts of southern comfort in the form of a steaming hot breakfast filling his hopes. That was pushed aside when he noticed Applejack taking a while to warm up though.

It kind of felt odd now. Being with her used to feel so… natural. Now it was different. Almost like it was their first date again. Both struggling to find their common ground. Outside of farming, anyway.

“... How do you feel?” he asked, breaking the silence between them.

Applejack sighed heavily. “About as low as a toad in a dry well. Just as hungry, to boot.” Right on cue, the mare’s stomach let out a soft rumble. She then remembered the sore feeling on her shoulder and began to rub it roughly. Attempting to work out the pain.

Looking over to him, AJ quickly became aware of what caused the ache. The country mare stared at his necklaces dumbly for a moment, before averting her gaze back to him. “You… you still have those?”

“Uh?” Oliver looked down to the rings for a moment. Blushing slightly before he continued. “Oh… vwell, da. Vwhy vwouldn’t I?”

“Ah… Ah guess Ah thought you wouldn’t have kept ‘em after… everythin’ that happened.”

Oliver’s eyes wandered away for a moment. He was almost ashamed to admit that he was ready to throw them away the day before last. But Applejack didn’t need to know that. “I told you… I never stopped lovingk you.”

That sentiment and a warm smile put a tear in Applejack’s eye. One that Oliver moved in to slowly wipe off, before nodding back towards the farm house. “Come on. Vwe should head back and vwash up. Everypony else is probably puttingk breakfast on zhe table right now…”

“Yeah… if they haven’t turned the house upside-down lookin’ for me yet…” A thought suddenly occurred to the mare right then, causing her to look back to the grave markers. Where a lonely hat sat snugly on one of the carved stones. As much as she convinced herself that she didn’t deserve it, AJ never felt whole without it.

The farmer padded over to her father’s grave, where she sat for a moment. “... If ya don’t mind, Pa…”

She waited a few moments after speaking to thin air. Looking up into the big apple tree, as if expecting some form of reply.

Without resistance, Applejack carefully donned her coveted accessory with a fond smile. “Thank you.”

Once all was said and done, the pair began the long walk back home.

White. For a while, that’s all that could be seen. White, with a little bit of texturing. It was a color that weighed heavy on Rainbow’s eyes as she laid there staring at the ceiling. Restless, yet fatigued at the same time. She wanted to get up and go do something. Even if it was just to stretch. But her body refused, like she’d done a week’s worth of Wonderbolt training in an hour.

Dash’s mind was still groggy. Her eyes bloodshot and sore. But sleep was something she couldn’t find. Though, to an extent, she didn’t want to sleep anyway. She’d had the same dream yesterday when she managed to catch a short nap. Being left behind by her friends, and scolded by her best pal. Taunted. Humiliated.

Rainbow Dash shut her eyes tightly for a moment. Giving off a low groan as she tried to dismiss the bad dream. That’s all it was, afterall. A dream. Her friends would never abandon her like that.

…Right?

“Dashie?”

“Huh?” Rainbow inquired with a moan. Slowly, she moved her head to the source of the quiet voice. Trying to keep her eyes trained on the yellow mare resting on a small love seat in the room. She’d slept by her side most of the night. Though, Rainbow could tell that sleep was a fleeting thing for her friend as well. She wore her pain and worry a little more openly than the cyan mare would. Even as deeply troubled as Rainbow Dash felt, the Captain seemed more bored than anything in her bedridden state.

The rainbow pegasus stared at Fluttershy for a few moments, processing the information she could hold on to through the fog in her mind. It felt harder to think than ever before. The one thing she knew, though, was that Fluttershy was incredibly sensitive to how the daredevil flyer felt. To an extent that could be described as empathic. So she needed to put on a strong exterior to keep her calm.

Thus, Dash finally hung a small smile from her face. “Morning, Butterfly.”

The yellow pegasus in question just woke up herself, stirred by the pained groan of her marefriend. In the long pause that existed between their acknowledgements, Fluttershy keenly observed the condition of the Wonderbolt. She was still much akin to a wreck. The sores on her eyes deepened in color, and spread a little bit too since she last got a good look at her. It made Rainbow look like death itself. Which invoked no shortage of fears for her condition.

The patient’s mane was a mess as well. Not that Fluttershy’s hair fared any better. The part that stood out the most though was the redness of Rainbow’s eyes. Though they still oscillated from her vertigo - if only more slowly now - she could still see their every detail. Restlessness and anxiety the most prominent features of their rosy color.

It was enough to make a lesser mare cry…

Fluttershy forced herself to remain strong, though. Just like Rainbow Dash would. The doctor himself said that Rainbow couldn’t be under any stress. So the shy, sensitive mare dammed up her feelings for a later time, when her love would be in a better state to endure them.

Flutters smiled back, though meekly. “H-How do you feel, Dash?”

Rainbow Dash took a moment to process the question, before making a brushing motion as best as she could manage. “I’ve had hangovers worse than this.”

Fluttershy gave a small, but hopeful smile. “Did… you sleep well?”

Rainbow blinked a couple of times. Which, with how much her eyes hurt, was beginning to feel like a foreign part of her body. Releasing a sigh, the mare fidgeted to get more comfortable on the bed. “Well enough.” Even though her silver-tongued response was smooth, something told the Wonderbolt that Fluttershy was unconvinced.

It was a bold-faced lie, and Fluttershy knew it. But she left it alone for now. “O-okay. Do you want me to… get you anything to eat… or… to drink?”

Rainbow Dash mulled over the question for a moment before shaking her head. “Nah, I think I’m good for now.”

“Okay. I’m right here… if you need anything.”

Dash gave the yellow mare a half-hearted smile, which drifted away with her thoughts. Here Fluttershy was, being a good friend. Like she has been since the day they met. Never asking for anything in return but kindness and respect. And all Rainbow could think about was how she had treated her last night.

“… Hey…” The Wonderbolt watched Fluttershy’s ears perk slightly in the hopes to be of use. “About… last night.” The moment she mentioned it, the quiet Pegasus drooped her ears and looked away slightly. Opting to tease the end of her mane a little in shame. “I… need to apologize about last night. I was being selfish, and stupid. I just felt so angry, and—“

Fluttershy put up a hoof to silence her friend, shaking her head in response. “I’m the one who should be sorry, Dashie. I was being selfish by not telling you. Even though I knew you were close friends with Applejack.”

Rainbow Dash brushed it off with a gesture. “I know you were just trying to protect me. I would’ve done the same…” The cyan mare gave her mate a warm smile. However, this diminished when she noticed that Fluttershy was still reserving something. Shown by the lack of eye contact. “What’s wrong?”

Fluttershy heaved a quiet sigh. “I… have to admit something. And, I wouldn’t blame you if you hate me for it…”

“Hey, hey, hey…” Rainbow gave a hard grunt as she pushed herself to sit up on the bed, nearly losing her balance in the process. Not to mention the cookies she hadn’t eaten yet. Thankfully, the mellow mare was quick about rushing to her side, trying to keep Rainbow from straining herself.

It was at this point that the captain took and carefully pressed her forehead to Fluttershys’. It was there that the sky-blue pegasus exercised all her focus to lock gazes with those vibrant, gentle blue eyes. "I know I'm not the best at saying it... or showing it. But I love you, Shutterfly. I may get anxious, annoyed, and maybe even a little short with you. But I could never hate you. Ever. You got that?"

Slowly, with the same love returning through her softened eyes, Fluttershy gave a small nod in response. She felt Rainbow nuzzle their noses for a moment, and then let go. Patiently awaiting for Fluttershy to speak again. It was still hard to recall the event, but significantly less so now that she was reminded of her mate's fiery passion.

"I did want to protect you from her," Fluttershy began, pushing aside her fears. "but there's much more to the reason why I didn't tell you.

"I know Applejack was going through something tough. That much wasn't difficult to tell. But... she said things to me, Dash. Hurtful things. Words that can never be taken back. I didn't tell you... because I don't want to be Applejack’s friend anymore."

Fluttershy watched the surprise slowly plaster itself over Rainbow's face. That's when she chose to look down and away again. Ashamed by the fact that her boundless kind and forgiving nature... had limits.

"I'm not sure if I can forgive her, Rainbow. Maybe one day... but... I do know that I will never forget. Everything that reminds me of AJ brings up those awful words. It's like I've seen an entirely different pony, Dashie... and I don't like it.”

Listening to her, Rainbow Dash remembered what Applejack said during their argument. If she was willing enough to say all that to the prismatic mare’s face… what would she have been willing to tell Fluttershy?

Rainbow gave a frustrated sigh. She had a lot to think about now. “... If you don’t mind, I could go for a cup of water right now…”

“Of course.” Fluttershy smiled weakly at her lover, before taking a moment to fix her covers. Just as she was about to go get some drink, the yellow pegasus stopped for a moment in thought. “Rainbow… I don’t want what I’ve told you to color your mind. After today, if you still want to be friends with Applejack, that’s fine with me. I won’t do anything to come between you. But, please… if you can help it… don’t bring her around me. I… still need time to think. C-can you do that for me?”

Rainbow Dash took a moment to mull over everything. She wasn’t entirely sure how to not let this all affect her judgement of Applejack. But, at the very least, the Wonderbolt could agree with Fluttershy’s wishes. With that, she gave a slow nod. “Yeah… yeah, of course. No problem.”

The yellow mare offered her partner a warm smile now. “Thank you, Dashie. I’ll get you some water now.”

Once the hospital doors gave way for the princess and her guard, Twilight stole a moment to sit down and heave a small sigh. As much as she enjoyed her visit with Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, it was painful to see them both so bad off. The alicorn knew Fluttershy was taking the event pretty hard. But to find out she’d spent the whole night with the Wonderbolt?

“Are you okay, Princess Twilight?”

Twilight looked back to the concerned Flash Sentry, nodding slightly in response. “Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just really hard to see my friends like this…”

Flash looked to the side in thought. Observing a tree as its leaves gently swayed in the breeze. It was a tough site for him as well, but not so much as it was to see Twilight being affected by it. That’s when he decided to pitch an idea. “If I may, your Highness… maybe you should take a break today. You and the doctor said it yourselves. Rainbow Dash isn’t going anywhere for two whole weeks. I think you can afford a day to yourself.”

Twilight simply shook her head. “I can’t do that. I need to make sure everything is going according to plan, and the schedule is met. There’s still a lot to do. Building up my settlement team, hunting down supplies, acquiring wagons, reserving adequate train cars. Not to mention checking in on Rainbow Dash whenever I can, and making sure Applejack is doing fine as well. Getting my friends all back together…”

The list went on and on, Flash assumed. But he knew she needed this, and he couldn’t stand by this time. “Pri-... erm, Twilight.” Dropping the formality seemed to garner the alicorn’s immediate attention. So Flash took the opportunity to go stand by her side. “I know that, as your guard, I am to follow your orders. But I’m saying this as your family friend. Take the day off. Enjoy what you can while you can do it. We, your followers, are not the only ones subject to the burdens of a foreign land.”

Wide purple eyes scanned over the guard’s face while Twilight gave it some hard thought. After a minute, though, the mare gave in with a sigh. Perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to take a day for relaxation. “Alright, Flash. You win,” she commented with a small smile.

Flash Sentry gave a soft chuckle. “Well, I wouldn’t be much of a guard if I didn’t win some of my battles,” he quipped.

Twilight warmed the air between them with a laugh of faux indignation. “Don’t let this victory go to your head. I could just as easily have you court martialed for insubordination.”

“Hmhm, I’ll be sure to tell Ruby Facet that the position opened up in that case,” the stallion mused.

With the mood officially lightened, Flash took the opportunity to change focus. “So, Princess Twilight, what do you like to do to unwind?”

Twilight looked up in thought while starting off towards town square, choosing to walk beside her guard instead of leading him this time. “Well, normally when I find myself with the spare time, I enjoy taking a refresher course on my Fundamentals of Understanding and Mastering Advanced Arcane Magic for the Astute: Volumes One through Forty-Two. Or one of the many other condensed versions of advanced magic books in my private library, which I keep for personal enjoyment…”

Wisps of smoke could be seen visibly fuming from the guard’s fried brain by the mere mention of this. ’“Condensed”? By Celestia, how many volumes does the original lesson plan have?!‘

“But, considering recent events,” the mare continued, “I think some time at the spa would do just as well. Er, unless spas aren’t your thing?”

’Given the alternative…‘ Flash gave the alicorn the broadest grin he could muster. “Are you kidding? I love the spa!”

“Sounds like a plan, then.” Twilight chuckled. Another thought then occurred to her, which seemed to sullen her demeanor, if only a little. “I think I should invite Applejack as well. It… it would be good for her.”

Flash wasn’t an expert on reading between lines, but he was certain that the sentiment was more for Twilight than it was for Applejack. He could tell by the way she said it. It was the tone of a pony that just needed reassurance.

The guard nodded his agreement. “I think she’d enjoy the opportunity…”

As the conversation drifted into silence from there, Flash Sentry contemplated saying it himself, just to help brighten her day. He couldn’t deny that he was investing a part of himself into the alicorn mare. Especially with all that was seen and done in the past few days. But he still had his apprehensions. Little fears that have existed in the back of his mind, which reached out and inhibited his confidence like rusty iron shackles.

It was stupid to have such vapid anxiety. Moronic, even. And he knew this. But it seemed that knowing it wasn’t enough to get past it.

Flash looked back to Twilight, who stared off distantly in thought. Unaware of her despondent exterior, as it would seem. That’s when he gained the resolve to shake his thoughts out for a moment. Reservations would not get the best of him right now.

“Hey, Twilight?”

The purple mare in question stopped abruptly to give her guard an inquisitive expression. “Yes, Flash Sentry?”

Flash carefully placed a hoof between her withers, noting the slight tension he could sense underneath his gilded shoe. “Everything’s going to be okay…”

Twilight continued to give her guard a dumbfounded stare for a moment, having not expected to hear it. Nor the level of sincerity in his voice. He’d said it to her before… but not like that. It caused her to blush a little bit, before offering a small smile in return. “Y-yeah… of course.”

Finally, her thought-process had caught up with what she’d just said, deeming it as an inconsiderate response. He’d just said something she’d needed to hear. At least some thanks was in order. But the princess was too embarrassed by her meager reply to find the words with which to correct herself. Instead, Twilight continued her now sheepish smile while once again starting off towards their next destination. While trying to figure out in her mind what exactly caused her to slip up like that.

Flash Sentry shared his own light blush in light of what just transpired. His conscious screaming at him all the while. ’Was that too bold? Dear Celestia, I’ve gone and made her uncomfortable! Stupid! Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid…!‘

“Ah just don’t understand it!”

“There ain’t much ta understand ‘bout your older sister anymore, Apple Bloom,” Granny Smith sagely commented to her granddaughter, while she finished setting breakfast down on the table for the family. Big Mac and Cheerilee in attendance as well, and both seeming a bit perplexed. But mostly unconcerned.

“Applejack is going through a hard transition right now, Apple Bloom. She’s suffered such inner turmoil for three years, and held it back for far longer than that,“ Cheerilee began to reason with the frustrated filly. “Last night was a much needed step in the right direction… but these kinds of things take a little time. The best thing we can do for her right now is give her space to think when she needs it.”

“Eyup.”

“Ah can understand needin’ some space. But a little bit of warnin’ would be nice! Disappearin’ without a word just doesn’t feel right. It didn’t even look like she slept in her bed! I checked the barn, the fields, the orchard... nothin’! It just ain’t natural, even for my big sis.”

With that said, Apple Bloom gave a rough sigh as she looked down to her plate. A heap of hay and apple wedges staring back at her. Though, at the moment, the farmer couldn’t find the stomach to be hungry. “Maybe Ah should go n’ check the barn again.”

“Now, don’t you go frettin’ over AJ just yet. She’ll be back soon enough. Fer all you know, she just went into town and got some supplies. Considerin’ the unexpected feast we served up last night…”

Apple Bloom mulled over the thought while propping up an apple slice onto its side and spinning it a little bit. “Maybe you’re right…”

“Darn tootin’ Ah’m right! Now eat up, Young’n; Ah didn’t cut those apples so you could make ‘em dance.”

Suddenly, the front door could be heard being swung open, followed by an announcement from a familiar voice. “Ah’m home!”

“Applejack!” Apple Bloom shouted, nearly jumping right out of her seat to run and greet her. “Where’ve you been? Ah’ve been lookin’ all over, and—”

The young mare’s mind stopped at the sight she now beheld in the hallway, her mouth agape to the point where her jaw could be mistaken for a pendulum.

Applejack gave an uneasy smile. “Uh, heheh. Hopin’ y’all don’t mind. Ah’ve brought company.”

“Oliver?” came the dumbstruck Apple Bloom’s response.

The stallion in question offered his own sheepish grin. “Hi zhere.”

Granny and the others casted wide-eyed stares across the table, before rushing off to stand behind the excited yellow mare. The air around them filling with a level of awe and disbelief.

Sure enough, there Oliver was beside Applejack.

Granny Smith was the first to break the silence, drifting on over to greet the icy-blue stallion properly. “Oh, Oliver, it’s been far too long! Ah almost forgot what you looked like.”

Oliver welcomed the neighborly hug from the olden mare, before another caught his attention.

“Does this mean you two are back together again?” Apple Bloom asked enthusiastically, bouncing in place before them much like a young filly would.

“Uhhh….” was the chef’s only response before looking over to Applejack. She still hadn’t been very clear on that one. Honestly, he wasn’t sure himself.

Applejack was still undecided. A small part of herself felt undeserving of such dedication. And she wasn’t likely to get over that anytime soon. It was still much too uncomfortable to think about. The orange mare placed a hoof on her sister to subtly curb her enthusiasm. “That’s a question best saved for later, Sugarcube. Right now, Ah’m hungry as a timberwolf.”

“Well, it’s ‘bout time!” Granny exclaimed sternly while taking a jab at Applejack’s ribs. “Yer already show’n enough bone to put most of them Tackers to shame. You know how yer granny hates the sight of them girls. All sick-lookin’ an’ starved. Though, what boggles my noggin is the fact that stallions like the look!”

Granny Smith carried on while she creaked on back into the kitchen, leading the family with her. Unaware of the many eyes that rolled in knowing she was going to start up another tale of her youth. “Why, when I was a filly, thin and scrawny wasn’t some hot little trend; it was cold hard reality! Course, food was a little more scarce back then. An’ it was the fat ones you were really after! Hoo-wee, did your Uncle Strudel look like quite the fetch back then. Too bad he wasn’t as content with Ponyville as your grandfather was, bless his heart. Too adventurous for this simple, old soul.”

“Vwhat’s zhat?” Oliver asked almost indignantly once they were all in sight of the breakfast table.

Granny Smith chuckled. “An old soul? Well, me of course!”

“No no no, zhat!”

All followed the hoof he cast at the table, still filled with plates of hay and apples.

“Oh. Well, that’s breakfast, Sonny,” Granny corrected herself.

Applejack looked back at Oliver, who seemed a bit perplexed by the sight. “We, uh… had a lot of ponies over last night. Haven’t had the chance to restock the shelves yet, Ah imagine.”

Oliver’s eyes widened slightly. “Zhis is not breakfast! Breakfast is a meal; zhat is snack food.”

Oliver quickly got a look in his eyes. One of fierce pride to accent a confident smile. “Nyet, zhis vwould never do. I vwill have to make you all a breakfast.”

“Oliver, Ah really don’t think—” Applejack had moved to try and stop him before he could get started.

But Granny Smith took her own initiative, pulling the rest of the family towards the table. “Why don’t you take up a seat with us, AJ? Let Oliver do what he does. Ya can’t tell me you’d rather have hay an’ apples…”

Applejack looked back to see that Oliver was already gone, off to Celestia-knows-where in his adventure for breakfast. She didn’t want him to have to do anything like this, but she was too tired and sore to go stop him now. She heaved a sigh and went over to join the others at the table. “Not without lyin’, Ah suppose.”

“So, when did Oliver get here?” Cheerilee inquired.

“An where have ya been? We’ve been lookin’ for you all morning!” Apple Bloom proclaimed.

Applejack stole a moment to look down at the plates there on the table. While deep inside she highly anticipated what little nothings Oliver could turn into something delicious, she was too drop-dead hungry to wait. So she snatched-up a couple of apple slices, taking a sizable bite out of one before explaining.

“Ah couldn’t sleep very well last night, so Ah took some time to clean up my room and such…”

Flash Sentry indulged himself in the scenery of his surroundings as Twilight continued to lead them both up Applejack’s property. The orchard which lay at the edge of town was nice and quiet, with a calming tone from the sounds of small birds and other wildlife in the area. Peaceful was a good word for it all. Even the guard had to admit that the Crystal Empire wasn’t always this nice. Sometimes… but not often enough. “Is Ponyville always like this, Princess Twilight?” he asked out of simple curiosity to break the silence between them.

“Most of the time, yes,” Twilight commented as they neared the farm house. Enjoying the simple bliss of the quiet herself. “There’s been a small hoof-full of times where the town had been… hectic. But normally, it’s a rather quiet and serene place.”

“It’s nice…” Flash trailed off in thought for a moment before another question surfaced. “Do you think the new kingdom will be like this?”

Twilight stopped on the porch of the building now, taking a moment to think on that one. “I’m sure it will be in the beginning. At least, I hope so. I’ve grown quite used to it being like this.” A slight chuckle escaped the alicorn before finally raising a hoof to knock on the door. The indecipherable chatter from beyond the entry died down slightly, before hoofsteps could be heard reaching the door.

“Hey, Twilight!” Apple Bloom said cheerfully after opening the door.

The alicorn returned the optimistic smile. “Hello, Apple Bloom. Is Applejack home?”

“Eyup! Come on in!” Apple Bloom stepped aside to let the purple mare and her guard through the entrance, before directing them with a hoof. “She’s in the kitchen helpin’ Oliver with the dishes.”

“Who?” Twilight instantly responded with both shock and surprise, catching AB and Flash off guard.

“Uhh… Oliver?” the young mare offered again hesitantly. “Do ya know him?”

“Kind of…” was the royal’s response. Twilight looked back towards the kitchen for a moment, before moving closer to the young farmer and continuing in a lower tone. “How are they doing?”

“Not too bad, if ya ask me. Sometimes there’ll be an odd silence between them, but you can tell they’re tryin’.”

Twilight grew a small and hopeful smile. More and more it seemed that the worst of it all was behind them now. Things were starting to fall back into place.

Turning back, Twilight was the first to head over towards the kitchen, stepping through the entryway to find Applejack and Oliver rinsing off some plates. The rest of the Apples conversing at the table, save for Apple Bloom, of course. “Hello, AJ, Oliver. Hope this isn’t a bad time.”

“Princess?” Oliver spoke first, taking note that she didn’t at all seem surprised by his presence. The stallion set down a plate and took a moment to give a short, respectful bow of his head. “Sorry… I vwasn’t expecting you.”

Twilight perked a small smile. “There’s no need to bow, Oliver. I prefer that my friends don’t, anyway.”

“Uh…” Oliver gave the princess an odd look of uncertainty. “We’re friends?”

“We can be, if you would like,” was the purple mare’s hopeful answer.

The chef only responded with a small and nervous smile, allowing Applejack to speak up now. “Is there… something Ah can help you with, Twilight?”

Twilight noticed that the farmer’s voice was still full of uncertainty, and a hint of depression. “Well… I was wondering if you and Oliver would like to join me at the spa today. It’s been a long week for the both of us, and I thought you might like it.”

Applejack seemed to take a few moments to crunch on the idea. “Ah… Ah don’t know, Sugarcube…”

“Hey, vwhy not?” Oliver implored. “I zhink it vwould be nice.”

Applejack gave a reluctant sigh. “Yeah… it would be good. Alright, Ah’ll go.” That’s when she looked over to Apple Bloom and continued. “But only if y’all don’t need me to help with chores for a while.”

Apple Bloom thought on it for a moment, but just shook her head. “Nah, we should be good for today.”

“Well… alright, then.” Applejack looked back to Twilight now. “If’n y’all are ready?”

Rainbow Dash laid in wait on her hospital bed, sleep deprived eyes giving a weighted stare at the ceiling again. Nothing to break the silence or give distraction. It had only been a day, and already the tired yet restless mare grew bored of finding hidden images in the walls around her.

Fluttershy had taken the time to go back to the cottage and make sure her animals were properly cared for, and the nurse had already came by with a meal and a check-up. So there was no hope for idle conversation currently either. The Wonderbolt had already lost track of all the times she’d counted the number of blotches in the texturing of the ceiling.

None of this was what really weighed the most on her mind, however. The pegasus couldn’t contain her thoughts about Applejack. Fear, concern, worry, anger, resentment. All these feelings were mixed together in a festering brew, and then some. It was like trying to solve a puzzle full of blank pieces. There was so much she didn’t fully understand yet, and it hurt too much to think about it all. Rainbow needed a distraction.

A quick couple of knocks on the door pulled the flyer out of her thoughts, her sight wandering over towards the source of the disturbance. The portal quickly gave way to an orange filly, accompanied by two white ponies and a dragon.

“Rainbow Dash!” the familiar orange mare called as she rushed up to the bedside. Looking both glad and horrified to see her.

“Hey… Squirt!” was the only name the prismatic pegasus could draw on. When the orange pegasus got close enough, Rainbow exercised her hoof by ruffling the young mare’s mane a little.

Scootaloo welcomed the sisterly gesture with a small smile. But this was lost when her eyes fell back upon the Wonderbolt’s face. “Sweetie Belle and Rarity told me everything. Are you alright?”

“I’m Fine. Might need a little wing polish for my pride, though,” Rainbow admitted.

Scootaloo hesitated slightly, but gave a small smirk. “Well… I hear Wonderbolts get that stuff for free.”

“That’s the spirit,” Rainbow chuckled.

“Glad to see you’re feeling better today, Darling,” Rarity chimed as she and the other two joined Scootaloo by the bed.

Rainbow’s eyes scanned Rarity for a second, before giving a fool-hearty laugh. “Radiance, I don’t ever stop feeling awesome,” she boasted her smooth lie. “it’s all just different levels of awesome.”

The fashionista shot the patient a glare of faux offense. But, really, she couldn’t have expected the cyan pegasus to retort with anything else. She could also see that it was just a front.

“Radiance?” Sweetie asked, looking over to her sister and Spike in the hopes of an explanation.

Spike shrugged. “Doc said she’d have difficulty with actual names and places for a while. Some of the names are actually pretty cool though.”

“Huh. Wonder why that happens…” The young singer raised a hoof to her chin in thought.

Spike wracked his brain to try and remember. “Something about… drawing on memories she associates closest with the names? I can’t remember for sure.”

“Makes enough sense, I guess,” Sweetie agreed. She then got a small bit of excitement at the prospect, quickly turning back to Rainbow Dash. “Oh! What’s my name?” the young mare asked enthusiastically.

“Uhhhh…” Rainbow Dash had to think on that one for a few moments, obviously struggling a little. The flyer had no idea thinking could be so hard. “Oh yeah, Sing Song.” Having been declared, Rainbow gave a confident smile of achievement.

“That’s not half bad,” Scootaloo commented. “Considering I’m still Squirt.” At that, the weather pony visibly dropped to a lack-luster demeanor.

Sweetie Belle giggled slightly. “I think Squirt is a cute name for you.”

“Could be worse, she just calls me Lizard,” Spike deadpanned. Having admitted that, the dragon slumped heavily while everypony else laughed.

Once Rarity calmed down, she placed a hoof on Spike’s arm. “Don’t feel bad, Spiky-poo. You’ll always by my love-lizard.”

The dragon blushed a little from the lovey-dovey sentiment. “Maybe it’s not that bad of a name…”

Sweetie Belle chuckled some more. Unbeknownst to the others though, Scootaloo just rolled her eyes while Rainbow Dash used her typical gagging expression. As comical as the sight was, Scoots’ smile flattened at the site of her idol’s current state. Beaten and run ragged. It boiled her blood. Which was made apparent as she let out a frustrated sigh. “I just can’t believe Applejack. She’s gone too far this time.”

“This time?” Rarity asked hesitantly.

Sweetie Belle shared a glance with Scoots, before rubbing her hooves together in thought. A hint of shame and regret hidden behind her emerald eyes. “This isn’t the first time AJ fought with somepony. There were a couple of times I caught Abby with a bruise. She’d just cover it up with dirt and insist she’d been working extra hard. But we knew she was lying.”

“That’s only half of it,” Scootaloo continued indignantly. “A few months back, when Applejack started drinking again, Apple Bloom showed up at my house late one night. All I could get was that her sister yells in her sleep sometimes when she gets drunk.” After a moment of odd silence filling the air, Scootaloo was able to calm down to a sullen sympathy. Almost as if realization had hit her. “But… I always suspected that there was more to it.”

Sweetie Belle’s ears folded back at the revelation. “Abby never told me that…”

The orange pegasus timidly brushed her hoof against the floor. “She... kinda asked me not to tell anypony. Apple Bloom said it wasn’t a big deal; just that she really needed a good night’s sleep. I could tell, though… AB was almost ready to give up that night.”

“Oh my… the poor dear,” Rarity said quietly with a hoof raised to her mouth.

Spike appeared to contemplate the new information for a while. These thoughts were pushed aside, however, when he remembered one crucial thing. “That’s all in the past now, so it doesn’t matter.” Suddenly, all eyes fell upon the dragon in a rainbow of mixed emotions. Some confused, some disbelief, and even a trace of anger. He continued to stand firmly behind what he said regardless.

“You want to run that by me again?” Scootaloo asked aloud, as if requesting a reason to chew him out.

Sweetie Belle seemed to be among the confused portion of the group. “What is that suppose to mean?”

Spike now thought a little bit more carefully about what he said next. Knowing how well Scoots took after Rainbow Dash, his reason would have to outweigh her fiery passion. “Well, yesterday, Twilight managed to break through to AJ, and made her realize just how much damage she was doing to herself and everypony around her. In that moment… I witnessed true remorse. Remorse for all the wrong that she ever did.”

Spike allowed for a moment of silence to let that sink in. Sweetie Belle had joined Rainbow Dash in pensive contemplation, while Scootaloo could be more closely described as frustrated. Seemingly not knowing what to do with herself now. “We all got together late last night, and Applejack made amends with everypony there. And we all gave her our support in turn. So, I guess what I’m trying to say is; if somepony is sorry, truly and honestly… isn’t forgiveness enough?”

Scootaloo didn’t have to work hard on that thought for long. “No. I don’t believe it is enough. There’s a difference between yelling at somepony, and physically attacking them. She abused Apple Bloom, and hospitalized Rainbow Dash. Things that normally merit time in a dungeon. Applejack can be sorry all she wants behind bars.”

Spike shook his head. “What good would imprisoning Applejack serve, Scootaloo? Would it take back the pain and suffering?”

The orange flyer seemed to be taken off guard by such a question. “W-well… no.”

“Would it undo what had been done?” Spike continued.

“... No,” Scootaloo answered hesitantly.

Spike nodded. “Is she meant to contemplate what she did wrong? Or be aware that what she’s done was wrong? Because I’m pretty sure she realizes that now.”

Scootaloo shrank down slightly. “Well… I guess not.”

“So, what? Is it just to make you feel better?” the dragon implored.

“Maybe a little…” the young pegasus admitted with a hint of doubt.

“Alright. So we put AJ in prison, and it makes you feel better,” he reiterated plainly.

“Well… yeah,” the orange mare agreed again, with equal hesitation. Uncertain as to where Spike was going with all this.

“Isn’t that just a little bit unjust?” This time, Spike didn’t receive an answer. Though, the pause seemed to suggest that he expected one.

In the absence of Scootaloo’s voice, Sweetie Belle decided to try and follow the thread further. “I understand the idea that it serves no real purpose… but how is it unjust?”

“There’s a fine line between justice and vengeance,” Spike finally began to elaborate. “Justice, as defined, is just behavior or treatment; the quality of being fair and reasonable. But the problem here lies in the fact that what we consider to be fair and reasonable is based on our own opinions and moral beliefs. Only to be guided by laws based upon the beliefs of our ancestors. Who were influenced by what they were taught and learned. Further blurring the concepts of fairness and reason.

“Despite all this, I’ve found that you need only one question to truly and absolutely retrace the defining line between justice and vengeance. Does it foster improvement? Not just for one, but for all. Is it allowing for a positive change in all involved? That is what really matters.”

Sweetie Belle meditated on the sagely wisdom of a young dragon for a while. Much the same as every other pony in the room did. Finally, the alabaster mare gave a small nod. “Well… if Abby can forgive her sister... I think I can too.”

Scootaloo felt that it was now her turn to voice her verdict as well. Though, she could not find the words as easily as Sweetie seemed to. Largely uncertain, the young flyer turned towards the only pony who could truly sway the mare’s opinion. “Do you forgive her, Rainbow Dash?”

All eyes fell upon the Wonderbolt in anticipation of her response. Truth be told, the cyan pegasus had never really given the notion any real thought. She certainly didn’t resent Applejack for anything she did. But Rainbow wasn’t happy with any of it either. It was too hard to say right now, and even more so to even think on it. “I… don’t know,” was all she could provide as an answer.

Scootaloo resumed her pensive demeanor, her eyes shifting between thoughts. Eventually, the orange pegasus looked over to the clock before giving a sigh. “I, uhm… need to get back to work for a bit. I’ll be back later, though.” Before she could leave, Scoots got up to the bedside and gave Rainbow Dash a small hug paired with a warm nuzzle of their cheeks. “Get better soon, alright Dash?”

The Wonderbolt offered a comforting smile as she returned the gestures. “Only if you promise to keep being awesome, Squirt.”

“My brand of awesome doesn’t have an off switch anyway,” the young flyer quipped, earning a good chuckle from the patient. Once parted, Scootaloo trotted off to take care of business. As well as think about recent events.

After Scootaloo left, Sweetie Belle turned to the others. “I think I’m going to see if Abby wants to hang out a little bit today. Hope you feel better soon, Rainbow Dash.”

“Thanks.” Rainbow watched as Sweetie left the room as well. When her eyes fell upon Rarity and Spike, the pegasus gave them the smallest of smiles. “You guys don’t have to hang around if you don’t want. I can’t really do anything anyway…”

Rarity merely shook her head. “Nonsense, Darling! You don’t have to do anything but let us keep you company. Besides, this room is so dreadful. Not an ounce of color or taste for miles.” Cantering over to the window, Rarity began to fuss with the curtains. Fixing them so that they could hold the appearance of an accent.

While Rarity worked, Spike shared a small chuckle with Rainbow Dash after each had rolled their eyes. He then began to make himself comfortable next to the flyer’s bed before continuing to watch Rarity do her work.

Author's Note

And that is Chapter 6! (Keep reading for details on this week's contest!)

Okay, omg, first of all; I'm sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo so so sorry that this took 6 months to write! Lots of crazy shit has happened in that time, but I shouldn't have let it drag on this long. Not to mention that I feel like the worst person ever for allowing it. @.@ (which is why I'm holding a contest. It's my own little way of making up for it *^-^*)

But, it's done and up now for you to enjoy!

Originally, this chapter was going to be longer. Probably about 50% longer. But we've already reached one high point in the series, and I really want to keep a good trend for the word count/high point ratio. So, you'll have to wait for the next chapter to find out about the rest of this day. But, just as a fun little teaser, I think I can safely say that the next real high point in time will be once the Mane Six get started off into the desert. Epicness awaits!

Now, for the contest! That's right, readers, I'm going to hold a contest with some awesome prizes for three lucky winners! Prizes include some arts from yours truly, a chance to have your OC or canon character of choice show up in one of my chapters(or more depending upon who it is), and even a link to my Google Docs Chapter 7 all to yourself, which will allow the winner to both read the chapter before anyone else, and even leave comments or suggestions on the side bar if you'd like. Hey, if you sign in as well, you're also welcome to chat with me while I'm working!

So what are you waiting for!? Check out how to participate in this weeks contest by heading on over to my blog! It's easy to enter, and you could win big!

Thanks for sticking with me this far guys! As always, enjoy your read!

Lastly, big shout out to all who have helped me! Jardex22, Dumbgamer99, Holyme, and anyone else I might be forgetting(sorry about that). You're all awesome!

Birds of a Feather

“Welcome!” came the chime of two ponies as Twilight walked into the spa after her friends.

“I’m Lotus!” rang the blue mare with a pink mane.

“I’m Aloe!” came the pink pony’s introduction, immediately afterward.

“How may we service you?” they chorused together.

Having finished their greeting, Flash looked on with a forced smile to hide slight nervousness and disbelief. ’Certainly a charismatic pair...’

Oliver shared sentiments with the guard, proven by his similar demeanor.

Twilight moved to the head of the pack with a broad smile in anticipation of quality relaxation. “Hello, Aloe, Lotus. How’s your day?”

“Very good, Princess Twilight,” Lotus smiled.

“How is your day going?” Aloe asked in return.

“Fairly well, thank you. I’d like to order The V.I.P. Service for my friends and me today.” After making her request, Twilight produced a hoof-sized pouch full of bits which the twins took quickly.

This was taken to a register to be deposited before the two produced a couple of plastic bins, each labeled with a number. “May we store your belongings during your visit?” Aloe asked with a smile.

Flash was the first to step up, nimbly removing his armor and packing them neatly into bin thirteen. While Oliver put his necklaces in bin fourteen, he looked over to Applejack, who hadn’t taken her hat off yet. An odd silence existed before Oliver finally spoke up. “You’re, uh… vwelcome to share a bin vwizh me if you vwant.”

Applejack gave him an off look for a moment before she realized what he was talking about. “Oh, right. Guess Ah forgot Ah was wearin’ it…” Removing the accessory from her brow, the farmer stared at it for a moment before slowly placing it in Oliver’s bin. Continuing to watch it as the sisters put the tubs back into their appropriate cubicle.

Twilight and the other two noticed Applejack almost space out. No one really knew what to say for the moment, so the alicorn decided to try and steer her back on course. “Well, the V.I.P. treatment is pretty much an all-access pass. What do you guys want to do first?”

Flash Sentry rubbed his chin for a moment in thought. “Whole kit and kaboodle, huh? Well, what is there exactly?”

Aloe and Lotus both seemed rather alarmed after hearing the question, almost as if it was a crime to not know all that a spa could offer. “Oh my! Have you never been to a spa before?” asked Aloe.

Flash blushed slightly in reaction. He wasn’t sure why, but it seemed almost embarrassing to admit. “Well… no, not really. I guess I always thought it was only for mares?”

The twins exchanged another look of shock with each other. “Only for mares!?” they exclaimed in unison. Quick as a whip, both sisters grabbed the stallion’s forehooves and dragged him to the back.

“Spas are a place to relax and rejuvenate the body!” Lotus informed.

“It scrubs away the old and calloused exterior, and promotes a healthy coat!” added Aloe.

“We simply cannot allow you to leave.”

“Not until you’ve been properly treated!”

Being dragged along by possibly the two craziest ponies he’d ever met, Flash Sentry attempted to backpedal with his hind hooves. A fruitless effort. “W-where are you taking me! I-I can walk on my own. Help? Help!?”

Twilight gave in to a chuckle at her guard’s expense, leading the other two behind her as they all followed the twins. “You should’ve known better, Flash, now you’re really in for it.”

Left with nothing but to accept that his fate was sealed, the solar guard let himself be dragged off by the spa sisters. “Me and my big mouth…”

Once the group reached the back where all the amenities laid in wait, Twilight turned towards the farmer and chef to introduce them to the different parts of the spa; Aloe and Lotus being preoccupied with getting Flash personally acquainted with a side room. “Well, this is it!” she said merrily to them, most of her attention directed towards Oliver. Applejack was already plenty familiar with it all.

Casting a hoof over to the room that Flash Sentry got sucked into, Twilight began her explanation. “That room is the sauna. It’s a steam room that is used to stimulate pores and reduce stress. The large tub over there is for a mineral bath, which is really great for the coat and skin. The mud bath is similar to the mineral bath, but the concentration of minerals is higher. It’s also infused with volcanic ash for aches, pains, and joints. That other room there holds the tables for massages. Showers are over there for rinsing off between treatments, and the lounge area there is for mud masks and hooficures. But you can just call it a filing if it makes you more comfortable.”

The alicorn chuckled at that comment, before returning her attention back to the stallion. “What would you like to do first?”

Oliver took it all in stride, thankful that Twilight was there to give the basics of what everything did. He doubted that the two who dragged off that poor guard would’ve divulged anything if they found out that this was his first time as well. Looking back to the sauna, the icy-blue stallion then shrugged. “I guess I’ll try zhe sauna first.”

Twilight just smiled, both mares watching him wander on over to the door. Once out of sight, the alicorn now looked over to Applejack. “How about you, AJ? What do you want to do first?”

Green eyes looked down in thought for a moment. Applejack wasn’t sure where to begin. She almost didn’t want to. Yet, dulled aches in her body begged for it, and she was already here. Might as well do something. “Ah don’t know, Twi. Suppose the mud bath is as good a place as any to start.”

Twilight’s smile fell slightly. “What’s wrong, AJ?” Of course, the purple mare already knew the answer. The question was merely wishful thinking, a hope that it would be something different this time.

Applejack sighed as she let them both towards the mud bath at a lazy pace. “It just… doesn’t feel right, Twi. Ah don’t feel like Ah deserve any of this…”

A wing nimbly folded out to stop Applejack and rest on her withers, offering the small bit of comfort that Twilight could give. “AJ, this isn’t about deserving anything. This is about healing. You’ve already made amends with all of us, and we all have forgiven you. Now, you need to heal from within; body, and mind. Applejack, if you want to move on, you don’t need us to be okay with it all. You need to be okay with it.”

The farmer watched Twilight for a moment, before looking down as she thought in silence. Obviously troubled. Perhaps even confused. These weren’t things she’s ever had to deal with before. Or, more accurately, things she never really did deal with before. She didn’t even know where to begin. “Ah… don’t know if Ah can be okay with any of it. Would it even be right to?”

Twilight gave a comforting smile as she retracted her wing. “I can help you if you’ll let me?” Applejack was slow to respond but gave a slight nod. “Okay. Let’s get settled in, and we can try a couple of exercises when you’re ready.” Twilight now took the lead to finish closing the gap between their first stop.

Once the spa twins had the sauna going and got the boys settled in, Flash and Oliver took up opposite ends of a bench seat. Both were just beginning to relax, signified by the weighted sigh that resounded from both of them. Oliver then gave a slight chuckle. “Perhaps zhere is somezhingk to zhese spas after all?”

Flash could feel the relaxation slowly start to seep in as well. He didn’t much care for the heaviness in his lungs, but otherwise, it seemed pretty nice. “I could get used to it, I guess…”

Silence followed for a little while. It was a little awkward, being alone in a room with a pony he’s hardly known. It made Flash wish that Black was there. He was great with the ice-breakers. ’What would Solleret say?’ Deciding to run with the first thing on his mind, Flash looked over to the icy-blue stallion. “So, you and Applejack seem to have quite the history.”

“Da,” Oliver agreed, rather plainly.

The mood in the air changed, if only a little. Flash mentally face-hoofed. Perhaps spilling his first thought wasn’t the best idea. It was too late now, however. He might as well fly with it. With as much confidence as he could muster without sounding arrogant, the pegasus chuckled slightly. “C’mon, tell me about it! I can tell you like her a lot, there must be some fun memories, right?”

Oliver followed up with a smug smirk. Every time he thought of her, there was always one memory that came up first in his mind. “Vwell… vwe’ve spent a lot of time togezher before in zhe past. But, I vwill never forget zhe first time vwe met.”

Flash chuckled. “Ah, the first time is always the best, isn’t it?” he tossed out fondly.

Oliver looked to the guard a bit curiously now. “Speakingk from experience? I’ll tell mine if you tell yours…”

“Fair enough,” Flash smiled.

“Hmhm. Vwell, I used to be a chef in Canterlot. Had my own restaurant and everyzhingk. She came into my kitchen table one day with her friend, Rarity. I could tell right avway zhat she vwas out of place. Applejack vwas not as prim and proper as ozher Canterlot ponies. She didn’t share zhere taste eizher, and tried to tell me zhat I couldn’t cook anyzhingk zhat vwould satisfy her.”

Flash gave in to a short whistle of surprise. The accent was a bit hard to follow, but he was able to piece it together well enough. “Bet that stung. What did you do?”

“Zhe only zhing I could do,” he chuckled lightly. “I made her my best dish, Apple Sharlotka.”

The guard flashed him a curious look. “An apple what-now?”

“Apple Sharlotka,” Oliver reiterated proudly. “A prized recipe, hoofed down zhrough my family for generations. Is quite simple; some diced apples, and a basic batter of sugar and flour. Bake it for an hour, and zhen dust it vwith powdered sugar.” Just describing it made Oliver’s mouth water for the fruits of his homeland. “In a vway, you could say zhat it is vwhat vwon me her heart. Vwe talked for a long vwhile after zhat. Zhen, vwe just kinda started datingk.”

Flash smirked slightly. “Gotta love those storybook romances.”

Oliver gave a small nod before changing the subject with an expectant look. “So, vwhat vwas yours like?”

Flash took a moment to settle into his seat and heave a small sigh. “I met her in Canterlot while I was in Basic. Me and a couple of the guys used to bar hop a lot, so we’d always see plenty of mares. Our favorite place to go was Thermals. Usually, the mares who went there were rebels. They’d do anything to piss off their parents, and well… we just didn’t care.”

“Hm,” the icy stallion grunted slightly. He never had a high opinion of that place. “Bet the mares loved you there.”

Flash blushed slightly. “It was pretty hit-n-miss for me… I was a different pony back then.”

“So, this mare… you met her there?” Oliver inquired, getting back to the story.

Flash nodded slowly. “Saw her there one night, hanging out at the ground bar all alone. Rough day or something, I can’t remember exactly. When I saw her all alone, though, part of me thought she was a prime target for a quick night of fun. But even back then, I thought that ponies didn’t deserve to drink alone. I’ve been there before… it’s not fun.”

“Da…” Oliver agreed, obvious experience behind his tone.

Flash chuckled slightly, “I went up to her and offered to buy her next drink. Just the usual pick-up line. She must have heard it before, because she threatened to clip my feathers.”

“Vwhat?” Oliver asked in confusion, unfamiliar with the act.

“It was a pretty popular thing for pegasi at the time, especially for kids whose parents were fiercely proud of anything flying. They’d get about an inch of their feather tips cut off, and it would keep them from being able to fly. It was a very strong statement to make. It created a lot of problems, though, and the trend faded away,” Flash explained.

“Hmm… so she zhretened to clip you… zhen vwhat?” Getting back on track now, Oliver awaited the rest of the story.

Flash chuckled slightly. “Most stallions would’ve stopped there… but I was an idiot, and she was very beautiful. So I said she could take both wings if it’d give me a chance to know her. She laughed and remarked, I made a sappy comeback, and it just kinda filtered into a conversation from there. Heh… it was funny, really. I’d been in the game a while, and I’ve had mares before her. But she was different. She had problems, but she never said a word about them. She wasn’t the type for attachment… but it was the longest relationship I’d ever had. I didn’t even know that much about her.

“We almost never talked about each other. It’s weird when I think about it now, but we used to exchange promises. Dates, times, places. Like it was a game, and I couldn’t stop playing. Neither of us could. But, after a while, I became a full-blown royal guard, and I started to lose her. It became harder for me to keep my end up… and sometimes she would forget as well. Probably on purpose to spite me. I didn’t want to lose her for good... so I did something really stupid.”

By the time Flash realized that he was carrying on too far, he already had Oliver on the edge of his seat. When the silence grew too long, the icy-blue stallion was compelled to inquire. “Vwhat vwas it?”

“I promised her forever,” Flash said simply. “A guard with no time to spare promised the rest of his whole life to a mare he barely knew. She must have known I could never fulfill those words, because I never saw her again after that…”

Oliver looked down to his hooves now. He knew exactly how that felt, and there wasn’t anything he could say that would help. “How long did it last?” he asked quietly.

“A few months,” Flash answered in an equally low tone. “I’ve never dated since then. Haven’t even thought of it much… not until recently, anyway.”

Oliver saw an opportunity to try and move the conversation into something a little bit lighter and seized it. “Oh? Vwhat’s changed?”

A slight blush paired with a small smile at the thought. “Princess Twilight has promised to work out a way to effectively lessen the workload for guards. If it pans out, the entire royal military will see a significant increase in free time. I know it’s little more than a pipe dream right now, but… she gives me hope. She’s got this determination about her, and I can’t help but believe she’ll figure it out.”

Oliver smirked slightly. The way he looked and talked about it, he could see a little bit of himself there. “You like her, don’t you?”

The guard’s blush deepened. “Uhh-err, yeah! She’s the Princess of Friendship… who doesn’t like her?” Though nervous now, he tried to play it off.

Oliver chuckled slightly. “Zhat’s not vwhat I meant, and you know it.”

Flash sighed slightly. “I… I do,” he admitted. “I’ve always been a little smitten by her. She’s a very beautiful mare. I used to just write it off as that. She was just appealing and well put together. Lately, though, I see more and more of what makes her special… and I just think, ‘Wow... This is the kind of pony you would regret not giving your forever’.

Oliver nodded slightly in agreement. “So… vwhat’s stopingk you?”

Flash’s demeanor dropped slightly, as he gave in to a long pause. “The fear that I won’t be able to give her the forever she deserves…”

Oliver looked off for a moment. It was certainly a tough one to answer, but soon enough he had it figured out. “I zhink zhat zhe point of it all is not in zhe promises zhat you make to each ozher… but zhe promises zhat you make togezher. Any good pony deserves more zhen vwhat zhey have. But zhe special ones can recognize zhat anyzhing more zhan nozhingk is already a blessingk. I can tell zhat zhe princess is a special kind of pony.”

“Thanks, Oliver.” Flash gave a light smile now as he leaned back to relax some more. After that, both stallions let the steam carry a soothing silence of relief.

"Ya sure nopony's gunna recognize us around here?"

"Chill out, Des. I told you, I’ve been here before. These ponies don’t even know what rock is.”

A group of three griffons were casually walking down the dirt road right at the edge of Ponyville. One Desmond, the youngest of the group with a guitar strapped to his back, seemed rather anxious about the ordeal. “I sure hope so. They’re great fans, but I’m not sure I could take another raving mob! All desperate for attention and such...”

Diesel, the oldest, gave a firm chuckle at that. “Know us or not, we might have been a tad more inconspicuous if you’d left the guitar back in the hotel. We’re taking the day to relax, aren’t we?”

Desmond smirked proudly. “Inspiration’s a fickle bird! Better to be ready than ill-prepared.”

Gilda rolled her eyes. “You know he never parts with it. Why even bring it up anymore?”

Diesel gave off a warm and hopeful smirk. “Griffonstone wasn’t revitalized in a single night.” was his only comment.

“Ugh,” Gilda scoffed. Those weren’t very fond memories. Though, it did remind her of why she’d moved back there so long ago. For a moment, Gilda day-dreamed of a time when the sky was a boundless ocean of confidence when colored by a prismatic mane. Cares were few, worries were non-existent. Pensively, she wondered how Rainbow Dash was doing. She’d never heard from her since their last visit. Not that she expected letters after the sour note they parted on. Gilda just hoped that the flavor has had enough time to dissolve and fade from the mare’s palette.

“So you keep saying you’ve been here before, but you’ve never told us yet what you were doing here,” Desmond implored casually.

Gilda thought on it for a moment. “It, uhh… it was a past life, Des.”

“Uhhh…?” was his response, unsure how to carry on that topic.

Diesel chuckled. “Means some things shouldn’t be dug up, Little D.”

Desmond pondered the notion, before becoming distracted within his own mind. “That could be a rockin’ song…”

“Save that thought for another time,” Gilda interrupted as they neared the town. Ponies quickly began to come in and out of view. Many giving a passing glance to the band, a few even taking a double-look followed by disinterested expressions. Likely for the piercings they all wore. For the most part, however, none seemed to care. Gilda smiled. “We’re officially unrecognized, guys.”

“Praise the Idol!” Diesel said with mild joy, caution still evident in his tone. “Well, this is your turf, G. What are we going to do?”

Gilda shrugged. “Browse around, see the sights, eat exotic food, get plastered with foreign alcohol, break something, spend the night in jail, and then take home a souvenir for the fond memories of the day we got to kick back and relax old school. The usual.”

“The usual it is, then,” Diesel agreed.

Desmond was looking around for the moment, only paying half of his attention to the subtle joke Gilda tossed out. He managed to meet eyes with a mare for a moment and shot her a wink. She didn’t respond positively, but he didn’t care. “How many love songs ya think I’ll have to play before I score some tail?”

“Gross,” Gilda tossed out, mild repulsion laced in her front of indifference. Diesel just rolled his eyes.

“No harm in sampling the local cuisine! There are some pretty birds in this town to boot,” Desmond defended. That’s when he gave Gilda a malicious smirk. “Would do that attitude of yours some good. I hear stallions are bigger than griffons. Ya can’t tell me you’re not even curious.”

“Puh,” she scoffed. “Bigger than Diesel?”

“Oh, I’d bet money on that doubt.” Pride leaked from Diesel’s demeanor at that.

“Most griffons,” Desmond quickly corrected himself. He nearly forgot that Diesel was fairly large for his species.

“I don’t call him Big D just for his size,” Gilda chuckled. Then she paused and looked back to Desmond to further tease him. “Oh wait, that’s exactly why I call him Big D.”

Diesel gave a hearty laugh while Desmond’s expression turned a bit sour. He shouldered the smaller griffon after they continued their walk down the street. “You should know better than to sass G.”

Desmond grumbled something before continuing. “That’s pretty low, even for you, Gilda. Busting my balls like that…”

“Oh, cry me a river, Des,” she responded in a light-hearted tone. “If you want to spend your day chasing mares, go for it. Just keep in mind that we have a concert to get to tomorrow night.”

“And a back-water town also means you have no street cred here, Desmond. Can’t rely on your popularity to get you a free bird.”

“Bah! I can score fans at any point in time. I’d appreciate the challenge here.” From there, Desmond looked around for a moment before breaking off from the pack. “I’m gonna go find the pub and try there first. Catch ya later!”

Diesel smirked as their bandmate departed from the group, leaving him alone with Gilda. “You know he’s going to get himself into trouble, right?”

“I try not to concern myself anymore,” Gilda said with a grim undertone that betrayed her false negligence. “Right now, I’m more concerned with us. What do you want to do?”

“I usually let birds pick first.” he commented.

Gilda chuckled. “Desmond get you all wired up?”

“Kinks and knots,” Diesel joked, though his stride became more masculine now that the subject was brought up.

“Guess we’ll have to find some place to take care of that,” she suggested. Lewd thoughts began to tease the back of her mind, inciting her feathers to momentarily fluff up along the back of her neck. Diesel gave a short hum of delight, obviously having seen what happened.

“How are you feeling?” Twilight was now sitting with Applejack in the mineral bath, both keeping their eyes closed while the former was trying to teach the farmer a bit of meditation.

For as well as it seemed to work with Twilight, Applejack was a bit frustrated. The hardest part was keeping her mind clear, and letting go of any distractions. It wasn’t for a lack of trying or detailed instruction. It just felt like this negative energy hoo-hah was less like a solid load and more like molasses. AJ just couldn’t get it off her. “Ah’m not sure that meditation’s right for me, Twi,” she finally commented with defeat.

Twilight relinquished a sigh, placing a hoof on her friend’s shoulder as a comforting gesture. “It’s alright. I wish there was more I could do to help. My only other suggestion at this point is to just talk about it.” As much as Twilight hated to admit it, most of what she knew was meant for getting rid of everyday stress and mundane negativity. It all might help Applejack manage, but that could only last for so long.

“With who, though?” was AJ’s concern.

Twilight thought about it for a moment. “Well, you haven’t talked to Rainbow Dash or Fluttershy yet. It might help enough to finish up current business and get some closure. From there, you’ve got lots of friends, and we all handle stress in our own ways. Fluttershy might just be the best mare to talk to. She knows a thing or two about loss.”

Applejack considered the notion for a moment, before looking away slightly. Fluttershy probably was the best pony in their group to talk with. Was. “Ah, uhh… Ah’m not sure if-”

Both mares stopped when they heard a pair of hoof steps coming their way. Looking over, they found Oliver and Flash as they were coming back from the showers, and they seemed pretty comfortable with each other. “You two look better already,” Twilight voiced with a small smile.

“Da,” Oliver agreed in a light tone.

“Far from the worst decision I’ve made in my life,” Flash chuckled slightly. Both stallions joined the mares for a dip in the bath. The guard gave off a deeply satisfied sigh as his body became immersed in the cold water. “Kinda wish they’d brought me here first, though.”

Oliver joined Twilight in a small laugh while Applejack pushed out a meek smile to not dampen the mood. Upon inspection, though, Oliver could see the front plain as day. “How are you feelingk, Jackie?”

“Fine enough,” she pushed out.

He would have openly called her bluff, but that was just asking to pile the stress back on to an otherwise peaceful afternoon. Which wasn’t exactly the point of being here. Oliver just let it be at that.

It became quiet for a moment, and Applejack decided to both return to the previous topic, and gently push it in a different direction. “So, uhm… h-how is RD doin’?” It was suppose to be more of a question on when a good time to go see her would be, but the intent didn’t want to leak out. Mostly due to the fact that she wasn’t sure she could bear to look at her again.

Twilight sighed slightly. “Rainbow is… well, Rainbow. She seems to be doing just fine, but you know how she can be. Fluttershy’s doing a good job of watching over her and keeping her company, so she shouldn’t get too stirred up.”

Applejack looked down and folded her hooves together. “Ah… messed her up pretty bad, didn’t Ah?” she asked in a low, remorseful tone. “She probably doesn’t even want to see me again…”

Twilight’s expression dropped some as well. Purple eyes searched for something to say. “I wouldn’t assume the worst so quickly. I doubt she’d greet you with open hooves from the get go, but she was still concerned for you when she woke up and wanted to talk to you before I did.”

“Say what?” she asked in subtle shock and disbelief. “But Ah… Ah-”

“-Were in need of help,” Twilight interjected. “And in some ways, you still are. Rainbow answered the call, and she won’t stop until the job is finished. Don’t think she doesn’t have the patience to see it through, either. I’ve seen her do some pretty amazing things over the last few days.” Twilight now offered a soft smile to her friend.

Applejack couldn’t help but break a small, hopeful smile across her face in return. “Maybe… maybe Ah’ll go see her after this. Keep her company and what not…”

Flash played with a sensitive idea for a moment before deciding to throw his ball in the court. “I’m not sure if it’s your speed, but you could try a psychologist for your… deeper anxieties. I talked with one for a while after a bad evaluation. Doctor Cote really helped me turn back around.”

Twilight perked up slightly. “Cote? Crestin Cote?” Flash confirmed with a nod. “I know her, she started working out here in Ponyville a short while back. I’ve heard that she’s really good.”

Flash smiled slightly and looked back to Applejack, who seemed to be apprehensively mulling it over. “It’s just an idea. You don’t have to if you don’t want to… but I can personally guarantee that you wouldn’t be disappointed.”

Applejack still seemed unsure, even as she looked to Oliver as if to ask him what he thought. He himself couldn’t help but agree. “Never hurts to try. Zhis Doctor Cote sounds like she’s as good as zhey come.”

Applejack sighed. It seemed like the best choice to make. “Ah’ll… swing by after the hospital an’ make an appointment. Couldn’t hurt any to try, Ah reckon…”

Zhat’s zhe spirit,” Oliver said as he nudged her gently.

“Room for one more?” The deep voice of an oversized griffon drew the attention of all four ponies as he wandered over to the tub. None responded verbally, but there was no protest or fanfare as he carefully slipped into his own side of the bath. He gave a deeply relieved sigh, prompting Diesel to lean back against the edge and hang his arms along the rim.

Once settled, Diesel closed his eyes and simply enjoyed the crisp bite of the cold water. That was until he noticed the odd silence that loomed since joining them. Slowly, he lifted his head back up to investigate. He found eight eyes watching him with interest. One pair in particular could be better described as rapt fascination. “Hi?” was the only response he could fathom.

The positively glowing eyes of Twilight blinked back into the moment, and she gave a small blush with an embarrassed smile. “Sorry! I’ve seen some griffons before, but I’ve never met one as large as you are. Heheh… heh…”

Diesel gave a mental sigh of relief. He was beginning to wonder if these four actually knew who he was. At that, he gave them a grin. “You’re a pretty decent size yourself,” he commented back, using the others for reference.

“That’s just because I’m an alicorn,” Twilight dismissed lightly. Then she realized that she’d forgotten something. “Oh! My name is Twilight Sparkle. This is my guard, Flash Sentry. Applejack and Oliver Salad there are my friends.”

Each gave their own small greeting before Diesel spoke next. “I’m Diesel.”

“Diesel?” Flash asked, taking a moment to put a hoof to his chin in thought. Suddenly, it seemed that the right tune struck his head as he continued. “I thought I recognized that voice… you’re the lead singer of Featherback, aren’t you?”

’Oh boy…’ Despite looming thoughts, Diesel nodded slightly and spoke with confidence. “The one and only.”

Flash gave a humbled laugh before kicking back in his spot very similar to the way Diesel was now. “I’m taking a bath with Featherback’s Diesel… the others will never believe this.”

Diesel smirked. At least he wasn’t going nuts. “Just keep it on the down-low. We’re taking a break today.”

“I guarantee nothing,” he shot out playfully. Flash almost giggled when Diesel rolled his eyes unenthusiastically at the all-too-common reference to a phrase Desmond said on stage a while back. “So if you’re here, where’s the others?”

Diesel shrugged slightly. “Des wanted to find a bar; trin' to catch a few birds. G was supposed to hang out with me, but she split last second. Could be gone for the rest of the side trip, knowing her.”

“Birds?” Twilight echoed, both interested and confused. She thought on it for a moment before continuing. “Why would he go to a bar for birds? The pet store has plenty.”

Both Diesel and Flash looked to Twilight, before giving a good holler of amusement. The other three weren’t sure what to think now as deep laughter filled the air between them, but it was obvious that they were missing the context.

Once they calmed down, Flash merrily clarified. “Heheh, sorry, Princess. In the griffon kingdom, a bird is a loose term for a female, but it’s mostly used for ones they find attractive.”

Twilight understood now, though she still seemed perplexed. “Interesting… but I’ve read up a lot on griffons, especially their sociology. That never came up.”

“Clever girl,” Diesel hummed. “Bird is fairly recent. Our band and a couple others are making it popular. Wouldn’t be too surprised if pegasi start using it after our tour through Equestria. We rocked Cloudsdale pretty hard last night.”

“Certainly is catchy,” Flash noted with a comfortable smile.

Twilight clapped her hooves with mild excitement. “I can’t wait for an updated version of Hoofington’s Study of Griffon Social Structure.”

Diesel chuckled before looking over the small group. “Speaking of catchy birds, mine skipped out on me. Wouldn’t happen to be any free birds here, would there?”

Amidst the initial shock between the two mares, Diesel’s eyes first fell upon Applejack. Oliver wasted no effort in pulling the mare in close and tight to himself. “Taken.” Oliver then offered as comfortable a smile as he could manage, despite his now dry tone.

“How about you?” The large griffon now looked over to Twilight, whose pupils shrank ever so slightly. Given her high level of interest in his species, and the fact that she easily equaled Gilda in size, she seemed like the perfect mare to ask.

Twilight remained wordless for a moment. All she could think about was the sheer presence of his being. Every scenario that played against her will all said the same thing. ’He could destroy me…’ Without letting the pause get too long, she offered a nervous smile paired with a heavy blush before grabbing her trusty day guard, all but suffocating him as she held him to her like a stuffed animal. “I would love to, but I already have a coltfriend.”

Flash gave off his own rosy hue after having become so intimately acquainted with the texture of Twilight’s fur.

“Worth a shot,” he commented before allowing himself to fully relax again. “Lucky stallion. Can’t imagine too many of you get to say you’ve dated a princess.”

Meanwhile, flash managed to get Twilight to loosen up enough and allow him to get comfortable. Considering she was still keeping him close, though, he decided to test the water a little bit by casually casting a hoof around her shoulders. About as casually as his nerves would allow anyways. She certainly didn’t protest furthering the facade, so he just nodded. “Heheh, thanks. I certainly do feel lucky.”

For a little bit, it felt kind of weird for Flash, actually being this close to Twilight and her accepting the gesture. Probably because it was just to save her flanks. Yet, it also gave him a little bit of hope. Certainly, this was a sign that she wasn’t opposed to the idea. His smile grew slightly when he thought of the irony, though. Most of the trip so far, a few ponies had all but thrown her into his arms, and she wasn’t a fan of it. Now, if she had him any closer, she’d get a mouthful of his orange coat. The others began to fall back in relaxation, and he couldn’t help but follow the herd. ’The others are totally never going to believe this…’

Rainbow tossed and turned in her bed as she sat alone in the room, grunting and groaning while falling through the same dream. Soundless mutters of protest left her mouth. After a few minutes, her eyes shot open and her body launched up to a sitting position as she gasped aloud.

Trembling.

Shaking.

Tears streamed down her cheeks while shifty eyes tried to make sense of everything. Soon enough, Rainbow Dash remembered where she was, and knew she was fine. That didn’t stop her body from sitting there, however. Sniffling and miserable as she looked down at her lap.

Putting her face in her hooves, the flyer couldn’t help but feel like this was the worst situation ever. Overnight, she’d gone from almost always hanging out with friends, to long periods of time without much of anypony. Even Fluttershy was away at the moment. She’d nearly forgotten the crushing emptiness that consumed her core from being alone a lot when she was younger. These nightmares seemed to serve as a hellish reminder of a time nearly forgotten. Every part of her being wanted to throw up at once right now. The vertigo didn’t help that.

Meanwhile, she could only wonder if this was how Applejack had felt ever since the group started drifting. It was tough enough just to survive a few nights.

’This sucks…’

“Geez, you are a wreck.”

Rainbow Dash froze for a moment to the oddly familiar voice. Looking over brought her the image of a griffon she’d stopped calling a friend for a long time now. In the initial shock, all Rainbow could do was stare at her dumbly. Gilda looked so different now. She looked nothing like the innocent little kid she’d met in flight camp in her seemingly past life. Her makeup seemed darker now than what shade it used to be before, and her frame was more lean and robust. Her expression seemed almost neutral, but there was some concern behind those golden eyes. The sum of five or six piercings adorned her visage as well.

“Hey, Dash,” Gilda said to break the silence.

Rainbow finally gained enough of her bearings to form a response, which was about as sour as a lemon while she crossed her hooves and looked away. “Featherbrain.”

Gilda’s expression dropped slightly. never-the-less, she continued to slowly find her way next to Rainbow’s bed. “I was hoping you’d have outgrown those feelings I left you with when we last met.” Rainbow Dash just exaggerated a sigh in response, but Gilda couldn’t really feel this forced emotion of anger or disappointment. She was just being difficult… or perhaps Rainbow wasn’t expecting to be visited by an old friend that did wrong, and just didn’t know how to feel. Either way, what came next was a long time coming. “I’m sorry, RD. I never wanted to hurt you… I just felt like you’d abandoned me for your new friends, and I couldn’t handle that. We used to be so tight, and then… well, I guess you grew up... and I didn’t keep pace.

“I know we’ve never talked since that blow-up at the party… but I was hoping that we could maybe let that be in the past now, and start fresh. I’d like to be your friend again.”

Rainbow Dash finally looked back over to Gilda and watched her, eyes constantly scanning her face. Gilda didn’t seem too put off by this. More importantly, however, Dash could tell that Gilda herself has done some growing. Perhaps she’s been put through the wringer a few times in life as well. She was more mellow now. Gilda had changed, and seemingly for the better. With a small smile, Rainbow held out a hoof to her as steadily as the dizziness would allow. Gilda met the age-old gesture with a fist bump before returning her own small smile. “Yeah… we’re cool,” the mare confirmed.

After a bit of thought, Rainbow let her hoof back into her lap and looked down again. “How did you know I was here?”

Gilda took a seat beside the bed and looked towards the window. “I overheard that puke stain feeling sorry for herself at the spa with some others. Nopony said it directly, but I knew something happened. I had to see it for myself…” After a bit of silence, Gilda looked back to RD, letting her expression drop some. “It’s pretty painful to see.”

Rainbow’s expression hardened once she could process the griffon’s words. “Don’t call her that.”

“Sorry,” Gilda responded quickly. She then took a level of interest in the situation now. “Last time somepony made you cry, I shoved his dick so far down his throat that he could taste balls. Remember that?”

It took time for Dash to reign in the memory, but she gave a soft chuckle after a bit of time. “You never told me what you did to him. You just gave me the tape and said it was taken care of.”

“I almost made him eat the tape,” Gilda admitted. “But I decided on something more poetic. It was yours anyway. I knew you needed to be the one to burn it.”

Rainbow’s expression dropped slightly. It took her a minute to push out the words. “You know… I never did destroy it…”

Gilda was surprised, but she didn’t let it show too much. “You kept it?”

“I buried it,” Rainbow elaborated, though Gilda wouldn’t know that it was more metaphorical just yet. “I drowned it, locked it up, suffocated it. No matter what I did to it, though, it still controlled me. It changed me… and the harder I tried to forget, the more it consumed me.

“After a while, it kind of faded away. I thought that I’d left it behind in Cloudsdale… but it still hung around in the shadows. I never really learned to deal with it until Soarin showed me how. And now… now it’s just a part of my life that happened. Sure, it sucks, but I’m better for it. Accepting it and moving on is… all I really can do.”

At that, Gilda’s face broke into the first broad, genuine grin she’s had in a while. It was awkward to hear that come from a beaten-up, tear-stained face, but no less powerful in impact. “It’s so nice to see how much you’ve grown, Dash. Kinda makes me feel like an ass.”

Rainbow cocked a brow slightly. That certainly wasn’t a reaction she was expecting. “Since when did you get so sappy?” she joked.

Gilda chuckled, choosing to let that one be. “I’ll still kick her flanks in if you want me to, you know.”

“I’d rather you not. Would mess up my rep if I went crying to a griffon to settle my fights.”

The two shared a fond laugh before Rainbow’s eyes caught something yellow in the doorway. Giving it her full attention caused Gilda to check back as well.

Fluttershy was sitting in the doorway letting old friends share a moment together. She’d contemplated coming back later, but she was caught before she could put thoughts to action. “Oh, sorry girls. I was just, uhm… I can come back later…”

“You can come in,” Gilda said, stopping Fluttershy before she could leave. “We’re just talking about nothing, really…”

“Oh, well… alright.” Fluttershy slowly trotted on in, taking up the other side of Rainbow’s bed. “How are you feeling, Rainbow?” she smiled.

“Getting better by the hour,” was Rainbow Dash’s comment.

Fluttershy nodded, before taking a fold of her bed sheet into one hoof. “Looks like it.”

Dash sighed heavily in mild protest as Fluttershy rubbed off the dried tears. “It was just a bad dream,” she explained, knowing that her marefriend saw through the lie. She should’ve wiped her face earlier. “How long were you here?”

“Apparently, there’s a stallion out there who’s intimately aware of what his beans taste like.” Fluttershy mused. “I’m sorry if I, uhm… overheard something I wasn’t supposed to. I just wanted to make sure you were alright.”

Rainbow Dash sighed slightly. “It’s… complicated. We can talk about it another time.”

Fluttershy nodded. “Only if you want to.”

Rainbow smiled warmly at her, before moving attention back to Gilda. “So uh… this is Gal Pal. Gal, this is Butterbutt.”

Gilda quickly became confused now, especially as Fluttershy froze up and turned beat red. “Uh… I… err... what?”

Fluttershy mumbled now as she nervously brushed a hoof against the floor. “Rainbow Dash is, uhm… temporarily incapable of remembering the right names for things. Her brain uses nicknames and memories associated with them instead.”

Gilda watched them more closely now. Dash wasn’t half bad at playing it off, but Fluttershy was pretty much a dead giveaway. “You two are buck-buddies, aren’t you?”

“SOO-ho-hooo not true!” Rainbow Dash quickly defended, acting surprised by the accusation.

Fluttershy was suddenly very busy within her own world now. Not that Gilda needed any more confirmation, but it was always fun to call her friend’s bluff. “What’s her name again?” she asked casually.

“Honey Bear,” Rainbow said calmly, attempting to act natural.

“Honey Bear?” Gilda deadpanned.

Rainbow sighed heavily. “Sun damn it.”

“Honestly, I shouldn’t be surprised,” Gilda commented dryly.

“Just don’t tell anypony, please?” Rainbow looked back at her with pleading eyes. “It could damage my position as Captain.”

Both Fluttershy and Gilda paused for a moment once the patient uttered it. “You… you mean you’re a captain now?” the shy pony asked first. Rainbow Dash nodded, and the yellow mare couldn’t help an overwhelming fit of joy. “Oh my gosh, Dashie! You’re finally a captain of the Wonderbolts! I can’t believe it!” Without thinking, Fluttershy swept Rainbow into a tight hug, nearly squashing the flyer’s face into her chest.

Rainbow tried to fight it, but there was no escape. She looked to Gilda for help, but she was just sitting there pretending to gag. This just intensified her own blush. “Argh! Butterscotch…! No PDA…!” the mare whined.

“Oh! I’m sorry…” Fluttershy let go of her marefriend before making sure her sheets were straightened back out, stealing a glance back at Gilda for a moment.

Gilda could only find herself giggling slightly at the scene. “At least you got yourself a nice pony,” she commented to Rainbow.

Dash seemed slightly confused, but mostly because she only had their childhood and teenage years to go off of. “You don’t think differently of me?”

“I think it’s gross,” was Gilda’s dry response. “but it’s just my perspective and preference. As long as you’re happy, Dash, I really don’t care what or who. Won’t stop me from pulling your leg once in a while, though.”

“I think I can live with that,” Rainbow chuckled. “So what’s new with you, G? You seem so… different now.”

“Nothing too major. Got depressed for a while. Existential crisis… crashed pretty hard, fell pretty low. Things slowly picked back up when I made a couple of friends. Found my own little piece of love. Explored inside myself for a while, learned a lot. Started a band a little while back. We’re on tour right now. Just blew the roof off of Cloudsdale last night.”

“No way!” Dash’s excitement began to show now. “What band? What’s it like? What do you do?”

“Featherback,” was all she had to say, and Dash became visibly ready to go nuts. “I do drums and percussion. Did backup vocals for one song, though. Desmond wanted a few high notes behind his voice. Sometimes I help them both with writing, too. Even got a couple of my songs out. ‘Picture’ was one of them.”

“Oh my goodness! I love that song!” Fluttershy chimed, only for the other two to grind to a halt and watch her in subtle amazement. She responded to the attention with a nervous chuckle. “I, um… listen to your album collection when you’re not home sometimes, Dashie. Sorry…”

“You like rock?” Rainbow asked with subtle surprise still plastered on her visage.

“I can be pretty hard too, you know,” Fluttershy commented calmly. Of course, this got Rainbow snickering and Gilda stifling a good laugh, which is what she was gunning for. It brought out her own smile and a small giggle. “I mean, Featherback has a wonderful sound. I’ve tried some of the others you own, like Stone Flour and Five Feather Death Wing, but they’re not really my speed.”

Gilda gained a sneaky smirk at her next thought. “Which band is your favorite?”

Fluttershy put a hoof to her chin in thought. “That’s a tough choice… but if I had to pick one, it would have to be Hoot Town.”

“Wouldn’t have pegged you for that band, Dash.” Gilda chuckled while Rainbow blushed slightly.

“I like the optimism and the innocence,” the captain admitted. “Kinda reminds me of when things were… simpler.”

Fluttershy gave a warm smile to a fond memory of her foalhood. “Like when I used to practice singing to the woodland critters…”

Gilda embraced the new direction by adding her own blissful expression. “Takes me back to a time when I didn’t care about anything.”

“Flying,” Rainbow spoke in a loud whisper. “It was all that ever mattered. Reaching new heights. Breaking new speeds. Feeling the currents, riding the swells… the breeze on my soul. The feeling of… freedom…”

Each shared a light sigh simultaneously, letting a calming silence diffuse the air. Gilda could see how much more relaxed her old friend felt now. The mare’s eyes bogged down lazily. Rainbow was dead tired but still resisted sleep. Gilda’s smile lessened, but only for a moment. “Hold on to that, Dash.”

“Hmm?” Rainbow inquired.

“That feeling. Freedom. Keep it in your mind. Fill every corner. Anytime you feel scared or alone, take a step back and remember what it’s like to just do what you love. It’s part of who you are, and what makes you great. Remember it… and then move forward. Everything else will fall into place…”

Rainbow Dash was unsure what to think about all that. Yet, there was a level of comfort in the advice that she didn’t expect. She could feel her world slowly drifting away now as she thought back on it.

Fluttershy caught on to what Gilda was doing and remained silent now while gently rubbing Dash’s hoof.

“If things were different for one day…” A softened voice began to play a little melody as Gilda thought back on an old piece she’d written but never shared. “Would you go back to your old ways? Would you stay, stay with me? Or would you go back to how things used to be? Stay with me! Stay with me, stay with me.

“Stay with me! Stay with me, stay with me. If things were different for one… day. Would you go back to your old ways? Or would you stay, stay with me? Would you stay, stay with me? Stay with… me…”

Cyan fur slowly raised and lowered to a slow tempo while Rainbow Dash drifted off to sleep. Fluttershy left her marefriend’s side alone now, not wanting to disturb her rest. “Thank you, Gilda,” Came Fluttershy’s quiet voice. “It was beautiful.”

“Yeah,” the griffon agreed, despite a small level of indifference. “Just don’t go sharing it with anypony. That one’s kind of special to me.”

“Don’t share what?” Fluttershy responded calmly without missing a beat. Gilda seemed to get the implication as she just rolled her eyes and left it at that. “Did you want to stay a while, Gilda? There’s a couch over there that you can lay on.”

The griffon just shook her head. “I’d love to, but I kinda ditched D by coming over here. I need to get back to him. Maybe I’ll bring him by later tonight, though. He’d enjoy meeting a celebrity fan.”

“Okay then. Have fun.” While the griffon turned to leave, Fluttershy mosied on over to the aforementioned couch and hopped on, making herself comfortable before resting her chin on the arm. She just watched over Dash while she slept, figuring she’d probably get a cat nap in as well.

“Thanks for the support, Twilight,” Applejack began as the group now exited the spa feeling a bit more refreshed and relaxed all around. AJ’s spirits were still pretty low, but Oliver was pretty dedicated to standing by her side and keeping her on the mend. All she had to worry about now was following through. “Ah think Ah’ll go try an’ talk to Dash before Ah find this Crestin Cote.”

“I’ll be stayingk vwizh Jackie for the time beingk,” Oliver tossed out casually.

Twilight offered a nod, feeling comfortable and confident in the progress made so far. “You both know where to find me if you ever need me. Please, don’t hesitate to ask me for anything.”

The pair waved their goodbyes before turning to head off into their own direction, leaving Flash alone with the princess for the moment. Though refreshing, the whole spa experience had taken him through a few different highs and lows. In the end, he was quite glad to finally be out of there. “So what now, Twilight?” he asked casually as they began a slow trot in their own direction.

“I’m not sure,” Twilight responded thoughtfully. “I had anticipated our day at the spa lasting longer… but things got really awkward after Diesel hit on me.” Twilight could feel a drop of sweat bead down the back of her neck at one final picture of her imagined griffon mate towering over her mental form with a menacing, yet somewhat ruggedly handsome demeanor. That’s when another thought occurred to her. “Sorry if I got too close to you back there. I just really didn’t want him to ask again…”

Flash offered a small chuckle, scratching his crest lightly to try and mask a momentary blush. “Oh, it’s fine, Twilight. It was kind of nice, anyway.” The guard suddenly went bug-eyed as he could hear his train of thought crash in a horrific mess of twisted and mangled metal.

“Uhh…” Twilight gave him an odd look now. That certainly wasn’t a reply she was expecting. “Nice?” she echoed, imploring for elaboration.

“I mean-!” Flash Sentry’s mind now sped through alternative meanings that might save his hide. “Er, not that it was nice! I mean, it was… I think. Not like the good kind. I mean, it wasn’t bad! I just, uhm…” Flash stopped in his tracks for a moment now. He cleared his throat as a means to reset his mind flow, before trying again. “Professionally speaking, of course! It was… professionally nice.”

Twilight held a small amount of suspicion behind the faintest of blushes. He wouldn’t notice, though, as he was too busy trying not to make eye-contact with her now. She rolled her eyes away while brushing off the gentle heat of her cheeks. She just might have to see how this one plays out. “It’s alright, Flash. You don’t have to be so nervous, we’re friends.”

“Right…” Flash now recalled the discussion he had earlier with Oliver. He sighed silently. Mentally, Flash determined that he needed to buck up and be a stallion. If he kept letting it sit on idle, nothing would ever happen. “Actually… if I may speak freely, Twilight?”

Twilight stopped to give him her full attention. It was still a bit off-putting to interact like this, but she attributed it to him trying to keep within a comfort zone. She let it be while giving a small nod. “Of course.”

“I, uhm…” Flash prepared himself with a deep breath. A part of him wished he could still have the cool he used to have with mares when he was younger. Then again, Twilight wasn’t just any mare, not to him. He needed to be real with her. “I really like you,” he stated as firmly as he could. “I’ve… always thought that you were beautiful… but I never said anything because I didn’t know you. But, these past few days, I’ve gotten to see a lot of who you really are. I’d… well, it would be an honor if you’d allow me the chance to know you better.”

Twilight kind of saw it coming, but she still didn’t expect it much in this way. For the moment, she was left largely speechless with a rosy hue dusting her cheeks. “Flash…! I-”

“Of course, I completely understand if you don’t want to,” Flash added, looking away with a timid smirk as he rubbed his forehooves together. “I am just a guard, after all…”

Twilight smiled slightly as she watched him. She had to admit that his mannerisms were awfully adorable for an adult stallion. She decided that there couldn’t be any harm in letting this play out and seeing where it went. “You want to go hang out somewhere?” She asked casually, betrayed only by her remaining blush.

Flash finally looked back to her with a bit of surprise, but mostly cheerful. It wasn’t a direct ‘yes’, but it was plenty enough to start with. “Sure! Any place, in particular, you like?”

Twilight chuckled. “Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m a bit hungry. How about the Hayburger?”

Flash returned with a soft laugh. “Only if I’m buying.”

“You drive a hard bargain, Flash Sentry.”

Author's Note

Sorry guys! This was a looong time coming. :twilightblush:

Things are starting to look better within the story. Probably going to have one or two more chapters of slow pacing and character building before we head into the next arc, at which point I may end up skipping ahead to the beginning of the trip. Not all too sure yet on that, though. I'll have to see how it all comes together before that point.

That aside; I've got a couple of goodies for you! I've had Gilda, Diesel, and Desmond sitting in a special folder on my desktop for well over a year now, and they've waited long enough. Look in my journal blog for a special post to see them drawn in all their griffon glory!

Also, I've recently cleaned my blog up and made a post asking for some feedback, primarily what y'all would like to see more/less of from me. I'd like to boost the signal a bit here and ask the same. More details in the blog post, but the long and short of it is; I want to start my blog fresh and keep things relevant, but I'm not sure what I should do. So please leave a comment here - or on my blog - telling me what you think would be cool of me to do. I can post art, discuss topics, answer questions, the posibilities are endless. Mostly, I just want to try and be a little bit more involved with my followers and provide more fun content. Tell me what you like, and I'll probably start doing it! :twilightsmile:

Beyond that, shout out to Gold4tune and some of his buds for doing some editing, s11jande for being a pal, and Hellpony for participating in the contest that put Gilda and the crew in this chapter. More to come, and enjoy your read! :3

The Song of a New Day

The Last Letter - Chapter 1: The Song of a New Day

The bright beams of an early morning sun danced across the frame of a lavender mare as she lay in a deep and comforting dream. As the warmth crept farther and farther up her body, she shifted under her covers in a subconscious effort to delay the inevitable. It wasn't until the sunlight began to envelope her face, that the fight for sleep was lost. Lazily, purple eyes stirred open with a heavy sigh escaping under the guise of a grunt while she forced herself to her hooves.

Twilight had not always exactly been a morning pony. And though her aging was more graceful than most could hope for, it did nothing for her early morning rises. But, as she plopped down off the bed and began to stretch, a small smile of what she could best describe as youthful excitement for this new day hung comfortably across her demeanor. After all, today was a special day for her. Princess Celestia had made plans to visit Twilight for an important discussion over lunch.

It wasn't all too uncommon for her former mentor to schedule trips to Ponyville to make small talk and catch up under the guise of discussing politics. However, today felt like it was going to be different. Maybe it was because today started the weekend. Perhaps it was because this meeting wasn't scheduled days in advance, or even that the letter announcing her coming was more personal than it was formal. Either way, Twilight looked forward to the meeting regardless of circumstance, as it was rare for the busy mare to meet up with her beloved princess anymore.

Twilight went through a mental checklist of her daily morning routine, starting out first with the brushing of her mane while she preened her wings. This was followed with a slightly more casual up-do with her hair while her teeth were scrubbed to maintain their pristine condition. After having spent adequate time to uphold a tidy physical appearance, Twilight descended from her bedroom and into the kitchen, where an actual checklist lay for the mare to make sure her mornings started perfectly.

Enveloping them in her soft purple magic, the scroll unraveled partially while a quill drifted from its ink well. Markings scratched into their appropriate boxes for having completed the first few tasks, while nimble eyes drifted down to find what would be for breakfast this morning. To her delight, it would be oats paired with an apple. Nothing at all fancy, but it would be quick and easy. Which would give her more time to spend with Celestia. Mild excitement painted across her face while her magic prepared the breakfast. A casual glance was shot to a nearby window, where the sun dominated a clear sky. As if she could be heard, Twilight let out a soft bid.

"Good morning, Celestia."

High upon her balcony in the ivory castle, Princess Celestia slowly rose the sun after her sister finished lowering the moon. It seemed like today would be a grand day as she scanned the horizon. She didn't see or hear Luna fly from her balcony over to this one, but she didn't need to. A strong, sisterly bond like theirs sometimes didn't even require spoken words, but just a presence and a glance to synchronize their thoughts. Through this innate sixth sense, Celestia could tell that Luna was there, and something was bothering her. Before the sun alicorn could debate whether she should be the first to break up the silence, her sister's concern pierced the ice in the cool morning air between them.

"Good morning, dear sister," Luna began, notes of doubt and concern lining her tone.

"Good morning," Celestia replied while taking one last look across her kingdom. A small smile forming as she eyed Ponyville, as if greeting it too.

The ivory mare then turned to face Luna, seeing the troubled look on her face. "Is something bothering you, Luna?" she asked with considerable curiosity in her voice. However, she already knew what it was that Princess Luna was worried about.

Luna looked down slightly in hesitation. She knew Celestia would easily counter her woes. But she needed additional reassurance. An ill feeling or two nagged at the back of her mind, and she hoped her sister might be able to finally lay it to rest. "It is about Twilight. Are you certain it is for the best, Sister? Do you truly believe she and her friends are up for it? Our land is still filled with dangerous beings, and they are the Elements of Harmony-"

"Precisely why, dear Luna, they are fully capable and ready for one last task," Celestia interjected before Luna could finish out her concerns. Normally, she would not be so bold as to cut her sister off like that, but they've discussed the subject a few times before, and Luna's worries have not changed since the idea had first come up. Celestia understood her sister's concerns, but she has also quelled them several times now.

Celestia remained patient, however. If there was any one thing that she has learned in her life, it was that patience bore the sweetest fruit. While Luna allowed her frustrations to surface, Celestia permeated an air of soothing calm with a small, humble smile gracing her lips. "I am sorry, Luna. Truly. I shouldn't have interrupted you that way. But we have been over this before. You know just as well as I that Twilight and her friends are more than ready for this."

Luna still seemed to be a little bothered by having been cut off, but she remembered to keep in mind that Celestia loved and respected her more than any other. She also understood that it was likely annoying to have the same conversation over and over again. Secretly, she admired Celestia's ability to keep a level head. Luna guessed that to be why she was the bearer of kindness and generosity.

Once those thoughts entered her mind, Luna quickly changed from an annoyed expression to a downtrodden one. "No, Tia. I am sorry. I should not doubt your judgements so much. But I just can't help this feeling that we should give it more time! The ponies of our generation could not handle the responsibilities of the Crystal Spire. I'm fearful that they cannot either..." Luna finally admitted what weighed the heaviest on her conscious.

Celestia raised a hoof, as if Luna's fear was a physical presence with which she could pluck from the air between them, and destroy it as she placed her hoof back down. "I thank you for being honest with me," She began, which gained her a small blush at a fond memory from Luna. Celestia then gave a quick nod, silently asking her sister to come by her side. Luna hesitantly came over while Celestia slowly turned so they both faced their kingdom. "Look out there, sister. What do you see?"

Luna gave her sister an unsure expression, curious as to what point she could make. But, looked out over their land with a wonder-filled stare. As if scanning the horizon for Celestia's point, Luna's eyes wondered between visible landmarks. Until her gaze came all the way down to Canterlot, watching the ponies go about their busy day. She spied a business mare coming out of a cafe, juggling a coffee container and a danish in her magic. Over on another corner, a dingy stallion humbly went on washing the window of a restaurant. While some of the more posh in the populace enjoyed fine early dining under the glory of the morning sun.

Unable to tell what she was suppose to be looking for, she came to the only conclusion she could muster before turning back to Celestia. "All I see is a typical morning in Equestria."

Celestia gave a soft chuckle, holding out her hoof as if to introduce the land to eyes which have never seen it before. "Look again, Luna. Look harder..." she replied, placing a subtle emphasis in her last word.

Luna looked out again, eyes searching for the lock in which the key from the stressed word belonged to. This time, Luna did as her sister asked and nimbly scanned their land once again. Luna felt a little bit of frustration, wishing she could see what Celestia saw. All Luna could see was a land that was only vaguely familiar to her.

Before her banishment, there were not as many cities over the land. The air was louder back then, too. Filled with the incoherent mumbles and hums of a seemingly different society. Starting to feel the fatigue from her night post, Luna closed her eyes as she heaved a sigh. Drinking in the calmer air of her current time. It was in this moment that she began to sense it. A gentle breeze she hadn't felt before caressed her fur and ethereal mane. A bird sang an upbeat tune to celebrate its life in the distance. It was peaceful.

Luna opened her eyes suddenly at the thought, and looked over the land once more. Instead of focusing in on landmarks or specific noises, she looked out over Equestria as a whole. Allowing the sight and sound to flood her senses, the alicorn began to feel the warmth of a homely feeling fill her being to the brim.

Luna now felt that she might have the answer her sister seeked. Or, at least, one more closer to it. "I'm not sure that I see what you mean yet, Tia... but. I do sense a change. It's almost... peaceful." A small, content smile plastered the princess' face now, as if admiring the fruits of her labor.

Celestia nodded some before looking back out to the horizon. "Yes, Sister. Exactly," she praised. "It is the peace of our land that you see and hear. Ponies no longer hate and resent each other, but extend love and friendship to even the strangest of strangers. From the buffaloes beyond Apple Loosa, to the crystal ponies of Cadance's empire. Many even stay up to watch and admire the stars. The darkness of night is no longer something feared like it was when we were younger.

"This is why I believe it is time that we reclaimed the Crystal Spire. Equestria will never be more ready for that responsibility than now. And nopony is better suited to care for, and oversee the Spire than Twilight and her friends.

"Has your mind been made more at ease now, Luna?" Celestia Asked.

Princess Luna hung on the thought for a moment, but nodded slowly. "I am still a bit... apprehensive about it. But, significantly less so than before. Thank you, Celestia."

The two sisters shared a heartfelt nuzzle of their cheeks together before Luna pulled back with a yawn. Keeping a hoof before her mouth until it passed, Luna betrayed her regal composure further by lazily smacking her lips. "I will definitely rest easier today than I did yesterday. Good day, Celestia. I shall see you at dusk."

"Good day, Luna. Rest well." As her bedroom door closed, Celestia couldn't help a small chuckle that escaped under her breath. In all the time that she and Luna ruled together, it still felt comically odd to bid her sister 'Good day', when everypony else typically said 'Good night' to their sleepy friends and family. Speaking of comically odd...

Celestia finally got up off of her haunches and exited her room. Just a short trotting distance from her door stood a guard, whom she beckoned over.

"Yes, your highness?" The guard gave a short bow before awaiting orders.

"Please have my chariot prepared. I have an important appointment with the mayor soon."

"Right away, your highness," he replied before saluting Celestia.

While the guard trotted off to take care of business, Celestia shrank back into her room for a small bit of grooming and a good meal to prepare herself for the day ahead.

As mid-day quickly approached, Twilight decided to take some time away from her paperwork to grab a couple of things for Celestia's impending visit. On her way to the local market, ponies in every direction greeted her with all manner of social niceties.

"Good morning, Princess Twilight!"

"Wonderful weather, Princess Twilight!"

"Hello, Princess!"

"Hello there!" Twilight replied to her latest greeting with sincerity.

In the back of her mind, she'd never fully accepted becoming an Alicorn. And, there in, a princess. It was hard for her to understand how everypony's mannerisms shifted around her since. But she learned to get use to being addressed with her high title over the years. Not before she managed to get everypony to stop dropping what they were doing simply to bow, however.

"Looking great, Mayor Sparkle!" a young filly called, trotting along with her mother.

"Thank you!" she returned the comment with a grin.

Now that was a title Twilight had no problem being addressed by. It had been a long time since Twilight ran in the election after Mayor Mare stepped down. The heated debates with her competition were still fresh in her memory. The title of Mayor was something that Twilight had worked hard for. It was kind of disappointing that only the most recent generation see her as Mayor while everypony else still called her Princess. But she has long learned to let ponies call her what made them comfortable. Some liked Princess, others liked Mayor.

Approaching the stand she was looking for, the vendor gave his own warm greeting, to which Twilight returned before producing a hoof-full of bits and placed them on the makeshift counter top. "A jar of Jasmine, please."

The rugged stallion smiled while reaching down, pulling out a jar of dried jasmine blossoms which he slid across the counter. "That Carl's Jasmine blend sure is popular today, Princess."

Twilight gave a warm smile, taking the jar carefully into the care of her magic. "Oh? Perhaps Princess Celestia has made other appointments in Ponyville today." she bantered playfully.

The vendor offered a cheeky grin before waving Twilight off. "Enjoy your tea, Princess Twilight."

Twilight gave a casual wave back before facing forward again. Trotting along joyfully, almost as if to an upbeat tune, Twilight took in the simple pleasure that came with being the Mayor of Ponyville. It was a rural town, bearing only the essentials and a small amount of luxuries. But that was the beauty of this town. It was simple, and uncomplicated.

The purple alicorn moved briskly around the interior of town hall, setting the scene for her and Celestia's little get-together. Twilight, now, seemed nearly a stark contrast to her former self years ago. She remembered her first visitation from Celestia after becoming Mayor. Running around like a wild goose, checking and double-checking that everything was perfect. Triple-checking, even. However, her many lessons and trials have molded her into a more calm and collected mare.

She hummed a soft tune to herself while a few feather dusters floated around the place, dusting out the corners and surfaces. Meanwhile, a short wooden table wrapped in a magenta aura glided from its storage spot. The table touched down near the center of the hall, along with a couple of plush red pillows which settled down on either side. Large and fluffy enough for two royal tushies.

A small tea set quickly followed suit after the table and pillows, an ornate gift from Rarity for having won the election. These decorated the empty counter space between the two pillows. While the dusters put themselves away, Twilight came over to the table with her jar of tea and opened it. A small helping floated out of its container and into the kettle. Twilight gave it a moment to settle into the water, before zapping the kettle with a spell. Right before her eyes, the water heated up and let off a gentle steam, before it was lidded to trap in the warmth and aroma.

Twilight then checked to make sure the sugar and milk container both held fresh and adequate quantities of optional additive. Once done, her rump plopped heavily onto the claimed pillow seat. Her horn glowed once more, and a list came into view with a quill. Unraveling slowly whilst items were checked off, these disappeared back to their original spot before Twilight gave a content sigh. "Now, to wait for Celestia."

Almost as if on que, Twilight spied the golden chariot glimmering in the sun through a window as it descended into Ponyville. Within a few moments of it having left her view, Twilight heard it touch down and stop just beyond the door. One or two of the guards gave a nicker, and a couple words were said before the door opened. Twilight watched as Celestia let herself in and shut the door with her golden yellow magic.

The two exchanged a fond smile, Twilight quickly getting back up to meet Celestia half-way and engage in a warm embrace. "Princess Celestia! You're just in time. Tea will be done momentarily."

"It's good to see you again as well, Twilight." When the hug was finished, Celestia took a moment to look over the mare before her. "I see you have grown in these recent years. You must be as tall as Cadance now."

"Hmhm. Last I checked, Cadance still has me beat by an inch." The two giggled slightly as they went back towards the table. Thinking about it now, Twilight never really noticed the difference before. She knew she was taller, but she didn't actually feel any taller until after having shared her embrace with Celestia. It wasn't nearly as hard to wrap a hoof around her former mentor's shoulder anymore.

Once the two sat down, magenta-colored magic got to work pouring the tea into both cups. Twilight then gently stirred in one sugar and a splash of milk, while Celestia raised her own up to enjoy it straight and fresh.

She recognized the blend right away, as Twilight always made jasmine tea for their visits. It was quite the cup of delight. "Ponyville seems to be doing well under your rule," Celestia began, breaking the silence.

Twilight gave a soft chuckle. "Oh, Celestia, I hardly rule Ponyville." Her mentor always knew how to lighten the air in a conversation. Twilight liked that about Celestia. "I just... gently nudge it in the right direction. Ponyville has become quite efficient at operating itself."

"I see," Celestia replied before taking another small drink. After a moment, Celestia began to notice the soft glow about Twilight. "Is there anypony special in your life?" The ivory alicorn was pretty sure she knew the answer to that question, but it would be fun to bring it up once more. She always asked during each visit, hoping that one day her answer might be different.

Twilight paused abruptly in mid-sip. Taking a moment to place her cup down and clear her throat. A subtle rosy blush dusted her cheeks as she looked away. "You and Mom always ask that every chance you get. I'm starting to think you two are in cahoots with each other..."

Celestia gave a sultry smirk at a thought. "You know, I could always set up a more personal introduction for you with Prince Blueblood. I've always hoped he might find a fetching mare who would set him straight..."

This time, Twilight all but gagged on her tea, while Celestia let out a deeply amused giggle. Twilight could feel her face flush as she pushed herself to regain some composure. That bit of tea went down hard before she could speak again. She remembered meeting the pompous Prince Blueblood once before, and heard of Rarity's encounter with him many times. Knowing his character, the purple mare was hard pressed to find him even remotely attractive in any way. "I'm just going to pretend I didn't hear you suggest him," she replied with a hint of unease in her tone. Still, she could see the humor of the notion, and expressed a smile to acknowledge the joke.

After taking a moment to completely gather herself, Twilight let her cup set back down on the table again to look up to Celestia curiously. "I'm hoping you didn't schedule this visit to talk about my love life. Or lack there of. Given the contents of the letter, I was worried that the nature of your visit might be something more... urgent?"

Celestia took a moment to finish her tea and set her cup down. It seemed she was contemplating how to start off the conversation. But it only took her a moment to speak up once more, giving Twilight the impression that she'd had plenty of time to go over her approach. "Do you recall the book I gifted you for last Hearth's Warming?"

Twilight seemed a bit perplexed by the sudden shift of topic. But she knew Celestia too well to protest, so she thought about it for a moment. "Ah, yes! Magical Myths and Mysteries. It was quite the interesting read. Though, I could tell it was among the first of the reprints. Some of the factual knowledge we know now was not present in the book, and there were some typographical errors here and there.

"The one I found to be the most intriguing was the Crystal Spire. I could tell whoever wrote this was thinking of the Crystal Empire. But this pony had some pretty off ideas on what it actually looked like. I figured that they just never got a very up-close look at Cadance's castle before it disappeared. They got pretty close though."

Celestia gave Twilight a certain smirk uncharacteristic to her usual expressions. From Twilight's best guess, it was a smirk of knowing something that Twilight didn't, and Celestia was reveling in it. Twilight returned the off smirk with that of cautious wonder.

Before she could say something, though, Celestia spoke up first. "Very intuitive, Twilight. It is true, that copy was an early one. But you've underestimated how early. That book was the first in its series to be written, and was given to me by the hoof that wrote it... the day that I became Princess Celestia."

Celestia could see the gears turning behind Twilight's eyes as she began to put the pieces of the puzzle together.

Before long, the young mare gasped in realization. "But...! That would mean the book you gave me was written before Equestria was founded!"

The brilliant ivory pony gave a gentle nod in confirmation. "Nopony had ever traveled far enough north to discover the Crystal Empire back then."

"But, how can that be? The descriptions were far too vivid to be myth and legend!" Twilight took on a characteristic amount of fluster now, trying to wrap her mind around the revelation. The notion of this Crystal Spire was now difficult to rationalize.

"The Crystal Spire is certainly no myth. But, back then, it was quite the mystery..." Celestia saw Twilight's eyes gleam as she looked back at her.

The purple mare was overflowing with questions, but seemingly without the voice to speak them. Then, a thought seemed to occur to the her. "You've seen the Crystal Spire before, haven't you?"

Her mentor simply gave a soft nod. Twilight no longer doubted its existence. But a plethora of new questions burned in place of that one inside her mind. "But... where?"

"The Crystal Spire exists near the heart of the previous three nations. It was a magical, mysterious crystal construct which held the natural ability to spread light and love in a comfortable veil across the land. This property of the Spire made it sacred to the ponies, and only a select few were allowed near it."

"But I don't understand..." Twilight began, taking this new information in to account. "If this Crystal Spire could spread love over the land... how was it that the three nations could bicker so strongly that it drew the attention of Windigos?"

"Isn't mystery a wonderfully complicated thing?" Celestia replied simply. The young mare put a hoof to her chin in deep thought. But, before she could get too lost within her mind, Twilight's attention was drawn to Celestia as she spoke more. "This is why I have arranged a meeting today on such short notice. I have watched you grow into a strong, smart, beautiful mare over these many years."

Twilight allowed a light, rosy blush to pepper her cheeks again at the compliment. Paired with a big, toothy grin.

"Not just you. All of your friends, and the whole of Equestria have grown into a loving and caring society. Thus, I feel that we are ready to reclaim what was once ours. It is a task I do not take lightly, however. I would only entrust it to you.

"So, your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to lead a group of ponies willing to settle in the old land and found a new kingdom. Which you will rule."

Twilight took some time to think about the offer. It was a hard decision to make. Ponyville was her home, and she its mayor. A responsibility that she couldn't simply drop on a bit. On the other hoof, life was growing increasingly dull and lonely here as well. She could feel an emptiness within her where the love and friendship she shared with the others once resided. Part of her longed for the opportunity to share in an adventure with them again. And this might be her last chance to do just that.

After some time, Twilight found the offer too tempting to refuse. Her bones whined at the chance for excitement, and her mind wondered into the possibility of getting to analyze such a mysterious crystal construct.

"I accept," Twilight finally answered with the fire of determination in her eyes. "Under one condition."

"I'm listening."

"I would like to personally hoof-pick who goes." Twilight offered a cheesy grin, to which Celestia couldn't refuse.

"I see no reason why not," Celestia replied with a knowing smile. "Take as long as you need. I suspect you'll want time to visit your family and friends." Her protege nodded in a grateful way. "I have already discussed this with Luna and Cadance. The three of us have agreed to assign you six guards to start off your own personal detail. Two from each of us. If you visit Shining Armor in the Crystal Empire first, you may get your first two. Choose and care for them well, Twilight. In return, they will serve you in kind."

"Thank you, Princess Celestia. I wont let you down." Twilight expressed her gratitude.

"I suspect you wont, my dear Princess Twilight." The two shared in another heart-warming embrace, which lasted longer than the first.

When the they had their fill beside the table, Twilight parted from her coveted sun princess and began to organize her thoughts. "I wish we had more time, but I must get to work. I'll need to fill out the paperwork for my resignation from the office, and compile a list of things I'll need and ponies to talk to.

"If I start my journey with the Crystal Empire, I'll be able to fluidly work my way down south to Apple Loosa. Once there, we can use the train to take us part way, and then hoof it the rest of the way in a wagon caravan." Twilight might have just found out the truth to the Crystal Spire, but she needed no direction when it came to the kingdoms of old. She already knew plenty enough to know her destination was far south.

Celestia nodded, following Twilight to the door so she could head back and finish out her own work for the day. "Luna and I will clear some time in our schedule for your arrival to Canterlot. Just let us know when you'll be there."

"I will. Thank you."

As it reached closer to the end of the day, and the sun began to slowly disappear behind the horizon, Twilight could hardly contain her excitement. Having dropped her position as mayor on a bit, and mentally thrust herself headlong into the mission, gave her a strong feeling of euphoria. Or, at least, what she could only describe to be euphoria. Enthusiasm leaked from every fiber of her being, and she even got a moderate rush from it. It was exhilarating to say the least.

She wanted to save Applejack for last. She was suppose to be, if Twilight were to extend her offer to each of her friends in order of north-to-south locations. But she had been so enthralled by the mission that not even her organized approach towards the gathering of her friends seemed to matter.

Twilight was oddly cheerful as she cantered down the beaten path to Sweet Apple Acres. Perhaps the fact that she would not see Ponyville for a long while, or much of her familiar territory in Equestria, had not hit her in full yet. But, it's not like she would never see any of it ever again. She could always visit.

The real world suddenly hit the young princess like a fence post, having trotted right into one of the vertical beams which held up the family farm sign. Twilight fell back onto her flank as she quickly put both fore-hooves to her face. After the small pain began to subside, Twilight chuckled a bit to herself. "I shouldn't get so swept up into this. How would it look to my subjects if I ran into something every time I got excited?" she asked herself rhetorically.

None-the-less, Twilight eagerly got back onto her hooves and looked up to the Apple House, watching as light gently floated from inside the structure. For the moment, she had to focus on Applejack. Part of her began to wonder how the strong, southern-styled mare would take this. Applejack was a family-oriented pony, and would likely be rooted to the orchard for it.

But, at the same time, she also knew that Applejack had been rather unhappy in recent years. She'd become something of a recluse. At least, that's what Twilight heard from the connections she had left. Come to think of it, she hasn't seen Applejack running the stand in the market for a while, now.

Deep down, Twilight wondered what it was that might have caused AJ to become like that. But, she was always too busy to find out. Even then, she'd been told that Applejack is rather guarded about the subject as well.

Twilight shook off her worry like a dog shook off water, head shaking some for no other apparent reason. Whatever it was that Applejack let bother her, Twilight was sure she wouldn't let it get between herself and the group. They were all friends, after all. Friends forever! Nothing ever got between them, and there was no problem they couldn't tackle! Once Twilight's strong conviction set in, she merrily strolled across the property.

When she reached the front door, her hoof rapped against it three times. Twilight began to make a conscious effort to filter her enthusiasm when she realized that she might have knocked too loud. Still, she heard the shuffling of hooves moving towards the door on the inside, being greeted with Big Mac's emerald eyes.

Twilight would be lying if she said she'd never thought about Big Macintosh in a romantic way once or twice. He was a strong, well-mannered stallion. Yet, humble and gentle at the same time. But, Twilight was certainly no love-struck foal for him. The two existed in nearly opposite worlds. Where Big Mac would be content with the apple orchard his whole life, Twilight wanted something more than that for herself. There were so many wonders about magic and science. Wonders that the responsibilities of a farm would hinder significantly.

Farming wasn't exactly Twilight's strong suit to begin with. Not that she felt herself above hard labor. It was just something she seemed unable to fully get behind and be happy at the same time. There was also the fact that Big Mac was engaged. Nopony in their right mind would touch that. Especially one of royal standing. A scandal on such a scale would haunt her all the way to her grave.

"Princess?" his husky voice called to her in slight worry.

Twilight blinked a couple times as reality shifted back into her mind once again. Her eyes wandered down to see he was still in somewhat of a bow. Unsure if he could break the respectful gesture to make sure she was alright.

"Oh, sorry Big Mac. I have a lot on my mind right now, I guess..." she explained, somewhat sheepishly. She mentally scolding herself for having gotten so distracted by him.

Seeing that she was fine, Big Mac pushed himself back up before continuing. "Is there somethin' you want to talk about?"

Twilight pondered the notion for a moment. Originally, she was just here for Applejack. But, this was also going to be a discussion centered around a weighty decision. Applejack would likely want the rest of her family to hear it as well, and gauge her answer based on their reaction.

Twilight was fine with that possibility, but she also wanted to see her old friend again. It would be rude to show up randomly one night and toss out a one-way ticket to a total life change without even saying hello first. "I was wondering if Applejack was available right now?" Twilight inquired.

The red stallion thought about it with the lightest hint of apprehension. This caused her smile to weaken slightly, but picked right back up when he gave her an answer. "She's upstairs in her room. You're welcome to go visit her."

"Thank you, Big Mac."

"Eyup."

Once invited in, Twilight ventured through the door and up the stairs. Walking down the hall until her memory told her which door to stop at. It just so happened to be the only door with a light on behind it. This late into the day, all the other Apples were likely downstairs getting ready for dinner. This thought caused her to wonder why she wasn't downstairs too. Regardless, Twilight knocked on the door, lightly this time in case her old friend might be trying to catch an early nap.

"Ah'll be down in a few, Big Mac..." Came Applejack's monotone voice.

Something didn't quite sit right about that tone, but Twilight wasn't quite ready to question it yet. Instead, she gave a small chuckle and moved her head closer to the door. "Applejack, it's me! Come on out!" Enthusiasm leaking out into her voice once more.

"Twilight?" A small shimmer of bewilderment showed in Applejack's tone this time, and a group of hooves fell to the floor.

Soon enough, the door opened, and behind it stood a rather lethargic Applejack. Twilight offered a broad grin as she moved in to embrace her friend. "It's so good to see you again!"

Twilight didn't hear or feel the sentiments return, however. A bit dumbstruck, Twilight let go of Applejack and stepped back some to examine her more closely. Applejack seemed a bit lost in a daze. Like she was trying to determine if Twilight was a figment of her imagination or not. This aroused some concern. "Applejack, what's wrong? You haven't said a word..."

"Huh?" Applejack took a moment to press a hoof to her forehead, and then shook her head as if to get the cobwebs out of her limp ears. "Ah-ah'm sorry, Twi. Ah must've overworked myself today. Is there somethin' ah can help you with, Sugarcube?"

Applejack seemed to regress to her monotone voice again, which kind of put Twilight off. The AJ she remembered wasn't as lively and easily riled as Rainbow Dash, but she was certainly more animated than this. In her eyes, Applejack seemed to personify the textbook definition of 'depression'. Twilight wanted to inquire further, but she also didn't want to offend the orange mare. "Why don't we go downstairs and get you something to eat, Applejack? You look famished."

"Ah think ah'll pass for now, if it's all the same to you. Ah'm just too tired to be bothered with food," she replied lamely.

Twilight cocked her head to the side slightly. The air between them was growing odd and rigid. She didn't want to bring it up so suddenly, but part of her said that she needed to pull out all the stops for some reason. Like maybe the shock factor would jolt her old friend to life. "Oh, o-okay. Well, I guess I'll just go ahead and get right to the news then! I stepped down from office today."

Applejack's eyes seemed to widen suddenly for a moment, registering that the action was a significant move. "What? Why'd you do that?"

Twilight grinned again, as if holding in the excitement of two and a half mares. "Celestia visited me today, and we had quite the interesting discussion. She told me about the three nations of old, and the legend of the Crystal Spire, and-"

"Is this going anywhere, Sugarcube?" Applejack interjected.

Twilight herself was taken back by how blunt she was about it. But tried to rationalize it as Applejack trying to fight sleep or something. Still, it was awfully uncharacteristic. "Uh... Sorry. But, uhm. Celestia gave me a new task! I'm going to go on an adventure! To... settle a new kingdom in the south. I... was wondering if, you know... you wanted to come with me... and everypony else?"

Enthusiasm that once filled her being now slowly sucked away as if she'd sprung a leak. Applejack seemed so nonchalant about the whole thing. Not one bit of it earned her interest. Looking at her now, the mare hardly even cared for herself. Her once vibrant orange fur now seemed pale and scruffy. Her golden-blonde mane was dusted in a week's worth of dirt. Frizzy strands poked out from the outline of her style. She also seemed more slender than Twilight remembered. Meanwhile, all Applejack did was offer a distant stare. It disturbed Twilight to her core.

"Applejack?"

"Huh?" the orange mare replied, though she did catch the gist of what Twilight said.

"Applejack!" Twilight now freely expressed her concern. Their conversation was getting nowhere fast. "What is wrong with you? You look like you haven't eaten in days! And since when do you ever tire this early?"

Twilight looked beyond her for a moment to see that her room was a bit of a mess. Old dinner plates and half-eaten treats laid about on counter space, and the small garbage pale was struggling to hold a mountain of tissue and other garbage. "When's the last time you even left your room, for that matter? What is going on, Applejack?"

Applejack closed her door some when she realized that Twilight was peering in beyond her. Her expression quickly changed from stoic to heated in an instant, and reared the discussion right back onto Twilight. "Ah'm sorry, Hun, but ah'm finding this just a tad hard to believe."

"What?" Twilight retorted in surprise.

"This. All of this! For the last ah-don't-know-how-many years, ah don't see hide nor hair of you. Then you just show up out of the blue, and expect me to jump on the band wagon with you to Celestia-knows-where? Since when do you do anythin' spontaneous!?

"Then you talk about some adventure off the map, like the six of us are just gunna get together and pretend we haven't grown up and moved on?"

Twilight's surprise left her utterly speechless.

But Applejack didn't feel quite done yet. "Ah can't much speak for the others, Darlin'. But Ah, for one, cannot drop my obligations to my family and the farm. All just to try and relive the glory days by reminiscing over a campfire in the woods!"

Applejack heaved a sigh, visibly calming down some after realizing just how shocked her friend was. "Ah'm an old, tired mare, Twilight. Ah just want to be left alone..."

Applejack then receded into her room as the door closed. She paused for a little bit to see the awe plastered so blatantly across Twilight's face. Applejack resolved to simply looking away. "Ah'm sorry... if Ah raised my voice a lil', Princess. Please, don't bother me again..."

The door shut silently after that, and tears streamed down Twilight's cheeks. She felt like her heart was wrenched from her chest, and torn asunder before her own eyes. The last time she felt pain like this, the world was collapsing around her when she thought she'd embarrassed and disappointed Celestia at Shining Armor's wedding rehearsal. No. Actually, this felt like it burned more. Silently, she wept, as if in mourning of a dearly departed.

Her attention was drawn to the stairwell when a familiar deep voice cleared its throat, just low enough for her to hear. Slowly, Twilight wandered over to Big Mac, following him down the stairs and out to the front porch.

There, Big Mac closed the door behind him and plopped down onto his haunches firmly beside Twilight. He tried searching for something to say while the princess sniffled and stifled a cough. The walls in the house were thin, so he was able to hear most of the conversation from the bottom of the steps. At least, all the important parts anyway.

When frustration set in, the red stallion heaved a weighted sigh. "Ah'm sorry, Twilight. Ah knew it wasn't a good idea to let you see AJ. Ah guess Ah hoped you'd be able to bring 'round a good ol' smile or two, 'n lighten her spirits a bit."

"No... Applejack was right." Twilight admitted painfully. "Once I became Mayor, I never visited anypony. I knew Applejack was going through a hard time long ago... but I was just too caught up in myself to be a good friend. It's my fault."

A toned foreleg hesitantly came around Twilight's shoulder and pulled her into a sidelong embrace. Twilight didn't seem to have much of a problem resting against him and accepting his token of comfort. But it made him a bit uneasy. Comforting mares wasn't something Big Mac made a habit out of. But, given the circumstances, he was willing to make a short exception tonight.

"Nope." he began bluntly, taking a moment to find the right words. "What Applejack is going through isn't your fault. It ain't nopony's fault."

Twilight still sniffled some, seemingly unconvinced by his argument. He sighed again, attempting to relieve his tension. On a side note, comforting a princess would likely be the highlight of his thoughts for a while. Not that anypony would believe him, but the thought that he could possibly raise at least one mare's spirits tonight gave him a small, but hopeful smile.

"Maybe it would help if Ah told you what little of the story we know." He looked down to her for a moment, seeing her finally open her eyes and look up to him expectantly. Waiting for some kind of explanation to all of this.

Big Mac looked up to the sky as the stars began to show themselves and the moon rose high into the sky. "You see, a few years ago, AJ found this stallion by the name of Oliver Salad. A bit of an odd pony. Held an odd accent Ah'd never heard before. But he was an honest fellow, n' y'know how my little sister is about honesty."

Big Mac gave in to a short pause before continuing. "They were pretty happy for a while, takin' turns visitin' each other n' such. After about a year, though, somethin' happened between the two, n' they stopped seein' each other after that. Ah don't know any details. She wont talk to any of us. All Ah know is, my little Jackie has been hurtin' somethin' fierce since then. But, she refuses to get passed it. Ah feel like Ah can't do anythin' to save her. Ah have to argue with her just to get her to eat somethin'."

"Oh my gosh. I had no idea," Twilight finally muttered quietly. "If only I had come around more often. She wouldn't be like this..."

Big Mac looked down to Twilight again, pondering how exactly to put his next point. "Friendship is a two-way road, Twilight. Applejack could have just as easily gone n' visited you when you had the spare time to talk. Besides, if she keeps refusin' to talk about what's really botherin' her, how are we even s'ppose to help her? If any of this is anypony's fault, it's Applejack's."

The alicorn mare seemed to calm down some throughout the duration of their talk, her sniffles shallow and random. Gradually decreasing in frequency.

"AJ's gunna realize eventually that she can't keep livin' like this. Granny, AB, and Cheerilee. We all just want Applejack to be happy. But, none of us feel like she'll ever be happy again wastin' the rest of her days on this farm. Ah think havin' her go with you to a new kingdom would help get her back to her ol' ways again. Finally allow her to put this business with Oliver to peace. But she needs a swift boot to the rear before she'll get with it. Ah think if you can get the rest of your friends to come over n' help, AJ will finally budge."

Twilight nodded, feeling her mane bunch up slightly against his red fur. "Thank you, Big Mac. I really appreciate the help."

"Eyup."

Twilight smiled weakly and looked down at the hoof still wrapped around her. One of her own came up to gently pad across the toned leg, before realization hit and she quickly shrugged away from his grasp. Big mac looked to her in a bit of surprise, while Twilight avoided eye-contact. Trying to hide her blush. "Sorry! Sorry. I just, uh-heheh..."

"Is somethin' the matter, Princess?"

Twilight sighed hesitantly. "I know you're engaged to Cheerilee and everything. I... it's just... after everything with Applejack, I've just realized how lonely I've been, too. Feeling somepony this close to me is... all too comforting, I guess." Twilight nervously brushed one leg with the other. She contemplated taking her leave, before Big Mac interrupted that thought.

"You don't have to be embarrassed, Twilight. There's a difference between bein' a good friend, n' bein' a scoundrel. I'm certain if Cheerilee were here, she'd understand."

Twilight staggered in her thoughts. She looked up to the position of the moon for a moment. The last train to the Crystal Empire would be leaving soon. She had expected to be on her way there already. She really lost track of time. But, after what happened tonight, Twilight desperately wanted somepony beside her.

"I can catch the morning train..." she thought aloud, and placed her head back against his warm, red fur. A toned hoof came back to rest around her shoulder, seeming more comfortable in the gesture now.

Big Mac sure was an interesting pony. For being a stallion of few words, he sure could talk when he felt he needed to. Other than that, he was quiet and understanding. Ever-listening and caring for everypony around him. How could she have ever thought it wouldn't work between them? Silently, she scolded herself for the missed catch. All she could do was comment Cheerilee on her find. "Cherilee's lucky to have such a great stallion in her life."

"Eyup."

"Hey, Big Mac?"

"Eyup?"

"Have you ever thought about me? You know... romantically?" At the time, Twilight thought it was a legitimate question. Though, sometimes for her, a question was deemed legitimate if it peaked her interest enough.

"Once or twice, ah s'ppose." he hummed after a moment of thought.

"Big Mac?"

"Eyup?"

"You and Cheerilee wouldn't happen to have an open relationship, would you?"

"Don't ruin the moment, Twilight."

Twilight chuckled slightly. "Sorry, couldn't resist."

After that, it was silent. Twilight simply enjoyed a brotherly embrace while gazing up at the silent, starry night.

Author's Note

The first chapter of many! Now edited with improved grammar and a more proper placement of speech! And edited once more, because improvement is magic!

This is likely going to be a long and pain-staking project for me. Lots of things I need to take care of. Hopefully, I'll be getting into college soon, which will really mess with my writing time. I can only ask you, the reader, to be patient. I plan on writing as often as possible. Just don't expect more than one chapter a month. ^^;

A big shout-out to jardex22, who has helped me a lot with the production of this story. From bouncing ideas around to helping hash out the characters. This story wouldn't be nearly so clear in my mind without him. Thank you! Please enjoy the story.

Memoirs of the Heart

The Last Letter - Chapter 5: Memoirs of the Heart

Rainbow Dash soared through the air, blissfully grinning whilst sporting her Wonderbolt Academy suit. The wind whistled in her ears, the clouds all blurred together, and her heart raced with each downstroke of the wing. Flying faster and faster, the air began to tug at her jowls and sting her eyes. Yet, Rainbow Dash couldn’t let up. Flying fast was the most exhilarating experience she has ever known. A rush that seemed to defy the laws of physics. It was simply the only way she could describe it.

A visible barrier began to form before her, the wind swirling around in resistance. It was strange, but at this point, Rainbow Dash could swear that she saw a tunnel or path. An air-way that guided her in flight. Wordlessly instructing when and where to bank, helping keep her wings in time, silently whispering the promise that if she followed its every command to the letter, nothing bad would happen.

But, since when has Rainbow given in to command alone?

Seeking the extra thrill, her frame moved ever so slightly while her wings altered their pattern, sending the mare into a corkscrew. Almost as if the action could bend the timeless, invisible force to her will, she could feel the air rushing past at greatly increasing speed. The barrier creased narrower and narrower, until it broke like a plastic film, sending Rainbow Dash right into a sonic rainboom. The resulting rainbow trail that was left in her wake twisted and turned with her like a drill, creating a rather unique effect. Soon enough, she felt herself begin to tire, and she rapidly receded from the sky. She dropped down through the air towards a nearby hill which held her friends, all jumping and cheering at the performance. Joining them, Rainbow touched grass just before striking her usual, cocky pose.

“That was amazing Rainbow Dash!” Twilight chimed.

“Simply marvelous, Darling! I didn’t know you could do that!” Rarity commented.

“Look, it even flies by itself!” Pinkie proclaimed as she pointed to it.

“Wha-?” Rainbow looked back to see her rainbow trail spinning on its own, slowly inching across the sky. It then appeared to curve and fly in directions as it desired, which she thought was kind of weird. But, it was awesome. That much couldn’t be denied.

A trail of electrified clouds suddenly came into view now, as Spitfire rapidly appeared on the scene.

“Hey, Spitfire! Check it out, is it awesome or what?” Rainbow directed her towards the animated rainbow trail.

Spits looked over for a moment with scrutiny, before returning her gaze back to Rainbow Dash. “Yes, remarkable. Now hurry up! You’re gunna be late for the rally!”

“What?” Rainbow now seemed confused. “B-But, I’m not a Wonderbolt yet. Right?”

“Did you get wasted last night or something? You’re a Captain! And as Captain, you have to attend all the rallies. Now get your flank moving!” Spitfire barked.

Rainbow was genuinely surprised, but somehow the notion seemed to make sense. After all, why wouldn’t she be a Captain? “Oh… okay, sure. Let me just say goodbye real quick.”

Spitfire cocked a brow before looking around. “To who?”

“My friends, who else?” she gestured behind herself, but jumped when she realized that they were all gone. Walking back towards Ponyville together. “Hey, wait up!”

“Rainbow Dash!” Spitfire beckoned authoritatively, stomping a hoof into the ground while Dash flew after the others.

“What the hay, guys!? You just left me up there!” Rainbow announced in annoyance after having caught up.

Each of her friends looked up towards Rainbow as she flew over the group, all smiles while they continued their trot. “Sorry Rainbow, but I have important research to do. Ponyville doesn’t run itself!” Twilight explained before she disappeared in a magical burst, leaving the group entirely.

“What?” Rainbow was beginning to feel weird now. Something didn’t seem to ring true, but at the same rate she couldn’t argue with it.

“My apologies Dear, but I must get back to Spikey. We have things to do today that simply can’t be put off any longer! I’m sure you understand,” Rarity reasoned, who then suddenly disappeared into her own magical burst. Now Rainbow knew something was off about that.

“Pinkie, you never leave without saying goodbye!” Rainbow sputtered, trying to get something other than eerie smiles from the remaining three.

“Sorry Dashie, but I’ve got parties to plan! whoo-hoo!!”

Then, without rhyme or reason, Pinkie just disappeared into thin air. No magic, no logic, just nothing. Mouth agape, Rainbow quickly shot down in the middle of the path right before Fluttershy and Applejack, stopping them. “C’mon, this isn’t like you guys!”

“I’m sorry Rainbow. I just didn’t want to get in between you and the Wonderbolts. They are everything you’ve ever wanted, after all.” Fluttershy then came up and gave a quick peck on her lips. “I’ll make you your favorite salad when you get home!” Fluttershy promptly flew off, humming a tune as she left.

Rainbow might have stopped her, but the sheer surprise of having just been kissed so casually threw her off. Yet again, some part of her couldn’t say that it was wrong either. Watching her fly off for a moment, Rainbow shook her head before turning back towards Applejack. “Uh… well, you won’t leave me hangin’, right A-...J…?”

Looking back to the orange earth mare, Rainbow was blasted with a deathly scowl. Applejack suddenly seemed different in both appearance and demeanor. Her previously healthy frame was replaced with that of a frail and lean one, and her coat was dulled.

“Deserter!” she declared, throwing Rainbow back slightly. “Why don’t ya just go get blasted with your drinkin’ pals, and buck the night away with your marefriend!?”

“Applejack, what the hay!?” Rainbow shot back.

“Was stayin’ here and bein’ friends so bad!? Was ah just too borin’ for you, Rainbow Dash!?”

“W-what!? N-no, that’s not it!”

“Do ya still feel loyal, Rainbow?”

“AJ, wait!” she called, trying to go after her friend as she trotted off. But it seemed as if she was going nowhere. Yet, the ground moved by below her. Suddenly, she found her limbs very hard to move, like they were weighted down by lead. Taking flight was found to be equally fruitless.

“AJ, don’t leave like this!” Dash called after AJ. Who was slowly disappearing on the horizon. The sun setting with her.

Suddenly, a loud whistle blow claimed Rainbow’s attention, seeing Spitfire show up in heated anger. “You’re late! I’m sending you back to the academy, Rainbow Dash!”

“What!? No, wait!” Dash looked back to try and find Applejack again, flapping with all of her might. But a spiral of rainbow color collided with the prismatic pegasus that created it.

Rainbow was now hurdling through the air, fighting as hard as she could to get away. “Wait! Stop! I need to see my friends!” Unable to free herself from the rainbow trail, she began to flail against it to try and beat it off of her. It responded by swiftly curving upwards, slamming into her jaw as it soared away. Shocked, Rainbow Dash began to fall through the sky, plummeting towards Ponyville. Just as she was about to hit ground at break-neck speeds, the fabric of reality seemed to shatter around her, leaving the hyperventilating mare at wits end.

Nothing made sense, and she couldn’t process what was going on around her. Spinning around in the darkness, voices of her friends began to talk down to her. Calling her a deserter. A fillyfooler. An arrogant boaster. And many others all trying to claim dominant insult in her ears.

“No! No! I didn’t know! I didn’t know! I’m sorry! Just give me a chance! Stop it, please!” The cyan mare pleaded. Desperate to end this living nightmare.

“Mmph… ergh… no… stop it,” Rainbow muttered in her restless slumber, tossing and turning all the while. Then the cyan mare jolted to life, flailing the covers off of her.

“NOOOOO!”

Rainbow quickly found herself in a very strange place. Nothing seemed to sit still, even though she was sure she was. The prismatic mare felt like she’d just fallen back into her body, which wasn’t a pleasant experience. If RD had to compare the feeling to something, it was most like having just been run down by a large stallion.

There were some gasps in the strange room with her when she’d woken violently. Rainbow Dash looked around desperately to find the source, breathing heavily while her heart tried to jump free from her chest. However, all this succeeded in was the loss of her balance, and she fell on herself in a miserable heap in the middle of the bed.

“Rainbow! Rainbow, calm down, you’re going to hurt yourself!” commanded a familiar voice.

“Wha-! Where-... where am I!? What’s going on!?” RD cried desperately, trying to grasp reality once more. Soon enough, she felt hooves grab a hold of her shoulders, which pushed her back into a proper resting position. Being forced to remain still under the weight of another’s hooves, Rainbow looked around as best as she could. The images of Cheerilee danced around before her, quickly joined by Big Mac, Apple Bloom, and a slightly more distant Fluttershy.

Seeing them constantly move like a broken record made her quickly aware of her painful headache. Rainbow gave a horrid groan as she placed her own hooves to her head. Her eyes tried to look up towards a white ceiling, but even that seemed to twist and turn in a never-ending loop. Closing her eyes, she soon remembered what this feeling was.

“Oh, Celestia… I’m so dizzy…”

A short thought passed through her mind that the sentence she’d just formed didn’t make any sense. But, somehow, she couldn’t dispute it either. It hurt her head even more to try and focus on the notion, but she couldn’t stop thinking about it either. Rainbow Dash was at wit’s end right now, and she could feel her heart racing to try and keep up.

“Rainbow Dash? Rainbow, can you hear me? You need to calm down.” Cheerilee continued with well-controlled concern. She could see the mare’s eyes shifting slowly, and her body continually moved in a repetitive order as well.

Rainbow Dash closed her eyes now. She could hear somepony talking, but it somehow didn’t register. Leaving them without a response.

Cheerilee didn’t like this. She looked back to Apple Bloom who seemed equally worried, but didn’t hide it as well. “Apple Bloom, go call the doctor.”

Nodding her acknowledgement, Apple Bloom galloped out of the room and down the hall. Cheerilee then returned her focus to the distraught mare, and forced herself to speak slowly and calmly. “Rainbow? I need you to relax, Sweetie. Slow, steady breaths…”

Rainbow heard the voice call to her again, but more quietly now and with serenity. She still didn’t fully understand, but somehow the sound itself informed her that she was safe. Soon after, she could hear the sound of deep breathing, slowed to the pace of a lazy trot. She then became aware that this was not her own breathing, and found her lungs to be working erratically.

With what focus she could summon at the moment, Rainbow Dash began the efforts of mimicking the soothing sound. Over the course of about a minute, she was able to work down to a steady and low pant. By the time Apple Bloom returned with a doctor, Rainbow was able to maintain a mostly normal breathing cycle.

“Move aside, please! Move aside,” Doctor Stable began, moving over to the side of Rainbow’s bed while everypony else backed away some. Stable started to check through the heart monitor, before bringing his attention back to Rainbow Dash. She was holding her head, an obvious sign of a headache. That was to be expected.

“Can you open your eyes, please?” he asked calmly. the mare didn’t seem to comprehend. He took note of that. “I’m just gunna take a quick look here…”

Carefully, Doctor Stable lifted her puffy eyelids to reveal slowly shifting eyes. Rainbow was quick to squirm from his grasp however, holding a hoof before her face to block the light. At least, that’s what he could tell. Her hoof was held so far away from her face that it almost hit him. “Can somepony shut the blinds?”

The other four were quick about covering up the windows and turned off the light over Rainbow’s bed. Again, Doctor stable inquired to the mare, “Can I see your eyes, Rainbow?”

Rainbow seemed to be able to understand a bit better this time. Hesitantly, one eye inched open to make sure it wouldn’t hurt this time.

“Good. Now the other.”

Rainbow made her best attempt to stay focused on the source of this new voice. “I… wha?” she muttered.

“Open the other eye…” Stable repeated a bit more slowly.

“Uhm… oh…” Rainbow acknowledged him that time, and slowly opened the other eye. Both eyes repeatedly scanned his general area, to which he nodded slightly.

“Can you tell me how you feel?” Rainbow gave Stable something of a vacant stare before he repeated once more. “How do you feel?”

Rainbow crunched on the words for a moment, before she was able to attempt her self-evaluation. Which brought little success. “I… I don’t know. Head… hurts. Dizzy… I think. No, I can’t… just… where am I?”

“You’re in the hospital, Rainbow. Do you understand?” Stable made sure to sound out each word carefully, hoping to get her to understand him the first time.

Again, Rainbow gave him something of a dumbfounded stare. “Hospital…?” She knew what that was, but yet couldn’t seem to grasp a concept.

After a moment of labored thought, she attempted to look around slightly, before struggling to find the doctor again. “But… where are all the books?” The doctor shook his head slightly, which didn’t make her feel very comfortable.

“What’s the last thing you remember?” Again, Rainbow didn’t seem to fully catch his phrase. “What is the last thing you remember?”

Rainbow seemed at a loss for words. She looked away to where she guessed was down and tried to think some more. After a moment, she managed to find something.

She remembered seeing an orange mare, whose name she couldn’t fully place. Something to do with oranges? “Orange mare…” she began, waiting for more to reveal itself. Something came from the side and blurred her vision, and then nothing. “She hit me… I think… or bucked me… I…” Rainbow suddenly groaned, shutting her eyes while her hooves patted around until she found her temples and gently rubbed them. “My head hurts! I can’t think! Where am I?”

At this point, Doctor Stable sighed. “Try to relax, Rainbow. I will have a nurse bring something to ease the pain. Okay?”

Rainbow wasn’t fully sure what a nurse was, but the stallion seemed reassuring enough, so she let a nod escape her.

At that, Doctor Stable lead the other four over to the other end of the room where Rainbow wouldn’t hear their conversation.

“Is she going to be okay?” Fluttershy asked, first to voice her concerns the moment they were far enough away. She seemed almost as distressed as Rainbow at the moment.

“It’s too early to say for certain.” Stable began. “Your friend here has suffered a concussion. Recovery rates are high, so if all goes well, she should be fine in about a couple of weeks. But Rainbow is also showing a lot of symptoms. From what I’ve gathered so far, she has; dizziness, impaired coordination, light sensitivity, and disorientation. And that’s just going off of what’s apparent to me. She needs to be under twenty-four hour observation for at least a few days to see what all she has, and if the symptoms worsen. If they do, it could mean that she has lesions.”

Fluttershy put hooves to her mouth instantly.

Cheerilee didn’t like the sound of that. “Well… okay. If she were to have lesions, what could that mean?”

Stable shook his head. “It’s too hard to just tell. Lots of ponies have returned to their normal lives. Some, however, suffer from a disability. Some retain a speech impediment. Some suffer from delusions. Others have experienced neurocognitive deficiencies, and even intellectual disability. Changes in personality are common. Any of these can be temporary, or permanent.

“I won’t have a more definite answer until I’ve ran some tests. But even then I can only speculate about any long term effects and how long they will last. The odds are well in her favor…” Stable trailed off subtly at that. He didn’t want to say, ’but it is no big secret that the Wonderbolt does a lot of drinking, which could alter her chances’. He doubted that he could find any surprise if Rainbow ended up with a long-lasting symptom or two.

After a moment, Stable shook the thought from his mind. “Regardless, Rainbow Dash will most likely be confined to that bed for at least a week. She needs plenty of sleep, and absolutely no cognitive activities until her condition improves. No books, no games, no work. Nothing that requires focus or concentration.”

“Where is she!?”

A voice shouted from down the hall where a receptionist sat at her desk. The small group instantly recognized it, and Big Mac stepped out into the hall to see that Twilight was there with Rarity, Spike, three guards, and an older, tan-coated earth pony. The receptionist pointed Twilight’s eyes down the hall, which instantly caught sight of Big Mac.

He gave a short wave to tell them to come over, even though that was unnecessary. Twilight bolted over as soon as she saw him. She was in such a rush that Big Mac had to stop her from running by and bowling everypony else over.

“Well hold on now, Twilight!” Big Mac grunted, using all his strength to hold the alicorn back.

“Let me see her, Big Mac! I can help!” Twilight pleaded, trying to force her way through his hold.

“Princess, please, you need to calm down if you want to see Rainbow,” Stable urged in a level tone. Grateful that Big Mac had caught her. He came over to rest a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder as she slowly stopped her struggle. The princess was strong enough to put up a good fight, but Big Mac ultimately won.

When she calmed down enough, Stable continued. “Try to remain calm, Princess. Rainbow Dash is awake, and she will be fine, but she’s disoriented and confused. I cannot have her panicking.”

Once Twilight was done trying to escape Big Mac, and the doctor explained, Twilight heaved somewhat of a relieved sigh. Though, it didn’t settle her nerves any. In a slump, she wiped the tears from her face and looked up to the doctor. “O-okay… I’m… okay. Can I see her now?”

Stable nodded, prompting the large red stallion to let go of her. Cheerilee and the others parted to let the two through, before Rarity and their group came in to fill the gap. Two guards sat outside the door and waited patiently, while Flash opted to sit inside the room just beside the crowd.

“What in the world happened to her?” Rarity asked in a hushed tone. She could just make out the famous Wonderbolt laying in the bed like a mess with two black eyes dominating her face.

“Granny didn’t tell ya?” Apple Bloom asked in an equally low tone. No guess work involved in figuring out how they knew Rainbow Dash was here.

Spike shook his head. “Twilight raced off the property before she could explain.”

“Ah know what happened,” Big Mac interjected, closing the door behind him. “Ah was waitin’ near the bottom of the stairs after Rainbow went up ta see her…”

Twilight painfully forced a small smile on her face when she finally saw Rainbow, awake and okay - for the most part. Rainbow’s shifty black eyes trying to keep her in sight. The princess had been looking all over for her the moment she got into Ponyville with the others. First at Fluttershy’s cottage, and then each place the alicorn thought the Wonderbolt might be on her way to the Apple farm. She was worried that the daredevil pegasus had been hurt the whole time, but never imagined it would be physical.

“H-how are you, Rainbow?” Twilight choked out.

Rainbow Dash didn’t respond. Not at first. She could hear the concern from… Sparklefly. But the way Dash had left her and the others last night put a hot iron in her throat. Though she felt justified in her anger, Rainbow could admit that there was a more subtle way of going about it.

“I’m sorry,” came the patient’s response after a few moments.

Twilight couldn’t help a small, half-hearted laugh at that. “There’s nothing to be sorry about.” Rubbing her eye with a foreknee once again, Twilight pushed a little harder now. “How are you feeling? I… might be able to help.”

It took the cyan mare a little bit to process the inquiry. “My… head hurts. Can’t think. Kinda dizzy…”

Twilight nodded slightly, before looking over to the doctor. “What’s her condition?”

“Concussion,” he began simply. “She has the typical symptoms. Headache, dizziness, confusion, delusional, and poor coordination.”

“Tired…” Rainbow commented, only just happening to perfectly add that to Stable’s list.

They both looked to her for a moment before bringing their attention back to each other. “And lethargy. If I didn’t know better, I’d say she’s another Stormball patient.”

Rainbow Dash’s injuries told a different story, however. They were just too obvious. The bandage strapped to the side of her head indicated that she was struck by an object that caused cuts or gashes. And her black eyes seemed to have the shape of horseshoes around the edges. And there was no guess work required to tell which was inflicted first, or who caused them. Twilight took a moment to shake the thought from her mind. Now was not the time to dwell on that.

“I know a spell to treat headaches, if it’ll help,” she chipped in, thankful that she had the opportunity to learn it from her sister personally in the past.

Stable nodded slightly, prompting the alicorn to face Rainbow. Her horn became aglow with magenta aura as she concentrated on the magic, quickly casting the healing spell on her friend. It’s gentle warmth enveloped the pegasus momentarily, then diminished. “Feeling better, Rainbow?”

Rainbow grit her teeth some as the magic seeped into her skull. But only for a moment. As quickly as the spell dissipated, so did her mind-numbing headache. She opened her eyes upon hearing the voice again. The room was still moving, but at least it didn’t hurt as much. She could even feel a portion of clarity return to her mind as well.

“Do you feel better?” Stable reiterated after a few moments.

“Uhh… yeah… a little,” Dash confirmed. Feeling like she could process her thoughts now, a question came back into her mind. “Where am I?”

“You’re in the hospital, Rainbow,” the purple mare elaborated.

Stable watched as Rainbow Dash looked around in confusion again. Seeming as if she didn’t think that this was a hospital. “She’s going to have trouble with recognizing places and ponies for a while,” he remarked.

Twilight seemed troubled by this. “Do you… know who I am?”

Rainbow thought about that for a moment. She knew that she recognized the ponies around her, but somehow she felt like she didn’t at the same time. It almost made her head hurt to think about it. Out of frustration, Rainbow picked the first name she could think of. “Yeah! Uhh… mmm… Princess Egghead!”

Twilight couldn’t help a small snort at that, holding a weak smile afterwards. “Close enough.” Twilight’s eyes then drifted slightly, looking over to a clock. It was nearly a quarter to twelve. She then looked back to Doctor Stable. “How long do you think she’ll be here?”

He shrugged a response. “That’s wholly dependant on her rate of recovery. If you’re looking for an approximation, I’d say a couple weeks. Give or take a few days.” A heavy sigh from the prismatic mare drew their attention for a moment.

Twilight shook her head some. “I should’ve flown after you, Rainbow…”

Rainbow Dash offered a blank stare until the comment fully processed. At which point she shook her head slowly. “Why must everything be your fault?”

Twilight didn’t seem to have an answer for that one. Or, at the very least, she didn’t offer one. “Blame the white one,” RD commented. She then heard a familiar, dramatic tone gasp abruptly, before trying to form a word or two of retaliation. But it would seem that the voice just gave up after the third or fourth try. This earned a weak laugh from the patient.

Rainbow then quickly lost her train of thought. She felt like she was suppose to be going somewhere, but wasn’t sure where. At wits end, she decided to pick up where she left off. “Why must everything be your fault?”

After having repeated herself, Rainbow felt like she’d already heard somepony make the joke. Frustrated, she just sighed. “Ugh… this sucks. Still can’t think straight. Too tired to care.”

Twilight kept hold of her small smile for the moment. At least she didn’t seem different. That was a good sign. “Don’t worry about it. Just focus on getting better. I’m going to fix everything, I promise.”

Rainbow stared for a moment, before shaking her head slightly. “No, you don’t worry. Apple Mac is mine.”

“Rainbow, you’re going to be here for at least two weeks. Am I suppose to just ignore her until you’re better?” Twilight reasoned. However, Rainbow Dash continued her determined stare. Twilight wasn’t sure if Rainbow didn’t hear her, or if she was just ignoring what she said. Either way, the outcome would be the same.

“When you’re better, you can have any discussion you want with her. But once I find her, I intend to have my own with Applejack,” Twilight decreed firmly.

Rainbow Dash continued to stare for a moment, before looking away in disappointment. She’d only just awoken minutes ago, and she was already aggravated by being bed-ridden. “Fine,” she sighed. “Just… don’t hurt her… okay?”

Twilight watched Rainbow for a minute, her rosy eyes drawn back to the alicorn. She wasn’t sure if she should be more surprised that Rainbow thought Twilight would intentionally harm the earth mare, or at the fact that Rainbow was still genuinely concerned for her friend. Putting one another in the hospital was not exactly on her ‘How to Pass the Time with my Best Friend Today’ list. Such things generally fell upon her ‘Reasons to Avoid Certain Ponies’ list.

Nonetheless, Twilight offered a small nod, “I promise.”

Stable took a moment to clear his throat, grabbing the attention of the mares. “I think we should let Rainbow get some more rest. She can be visited again in a few hours.”

Twilight nodded to the doctor before looking back to her friend. “I’ll visit as often as I can, okay?” Rainbow spent a few moments before a nod escaped her. That’s when Twilight looked back to the doctor. “If you need anything at all…”

Doctor Stable chuckled slightly. If only he had a bit for every time a friend or family member of a patient expressed their uncertainty to him. “There’s no need, Princess. Though I understand your concern. Just try to refrain from galloping through the halls and disturbing the patients. Rainbow is not the only one who requires uninterrupted rest…”

“Right… sorry about that…” Twilight blushed for a moment, before returning her attention back to Rainbow Dash. “Try to rest well, Rainbow.” The pegasus mare nodded slightly after a moment. Prompting the alicorn and the doctor to turn on their hooves and leave her.

Rainbow watch Twilight walk away slowly before something came to mind.

“See ya later?” she tossed out, though more as a question than a statement.

Twilight stopped to look back and smile warmly. “See you later, Dash.” The Wonderbolt gave up a weak smile before returning to her own little world. Twilight rejoined the group, who all seemed to have been watching them.

“How’s she gunna be, Twilight?” Spike asked in a low tone.

“Well… the doctor thinks she’s going to be okay. Besides, she’s holding together surprisingly well. Despite what happened…” Twilight spoke softly.

Rarity gave her a curious look. “You know what happened?”

“It’s not hard to see. The lack of defensive wounds means that both strikes happened in quick succession. The first was obviously a large, fragile object, like a bottle or vase. The second was a buck to the face.” She looked on to see Big Mac offer a nod to confirm this. “Knowing Rainbow, she pushed and pushed until Applejack resorted to violence.”

“Essentially,” Big Mac responded. There was a little more to it than just that, but that was the cut and dry of it.

Twilight nodded. “Well, the way I see it, there’s only one thing left to do.” The alicorn then leveled her narrowed eyes on Big Mac.

“Where is Applejack?” the princess requested with authority.

Big Mac mulled over the decision to tell Twilight that she was likely at the motel, as he witnessed what could be best placed as a vengeful glare from the princess. He almost felt like he was standing before an entirely different pony for the moment. “A-Ah don’t know if confrontin’ her’s such a good idea today, Twilight. Ah think this needs a day or two ta blow over and settle down first.”

“I admire your concern, Big Mac, and I might be inclined to agree under different circumstances. But this is unacceptable.” A wing pointed back towards Rainbow for a moment, who was turned away on her side to try and find some comfort in her bed. “Friends don’t hurt friends. Not like this. It’s painfully obvious to me that leaving Applejack alone is simply no longer an option. Now, if you don’t want to help, that’s fine. But I respectfully ask that you not impede me either.”

Big Mac could feel himself shrink away, mentally. While he didn’t want to tell her, something told him he should stay close so he could intervene if he needed to. “Well… what do ya plan on doin’?” Her answer to that would be the deciding factor for him.

“Simple.” And yet, everypony there leaned in slightly, hanging from the one word that couldn’t describe the situation. “Applejack is going to give me a piece of her mind…”

Earlier, that morning…

Applejack laid awake on her motel room bed, the sunrise having just crept through the window and blanketed her tear-stained face. Yet, even as the sun welcomed her to a new day, and invited her to start it off, all she could do was stare blankly at the ceiling. Dwelling on the prior night. Replaying it over and over again in her mind.

Eventually, it all boiled down to the one question left standing…

’Is this it for me?’

She hadn’t forgotten what Granny said to her either. Overall, it was pretty much the hardest part to take. But at the same time, Applejack couldn’t envision herself continuing to stay on the farm any longer. It now held too many painful memories. Memories she wanted to escape.

Finally, the orange mare moved her head to the side where a clock sat. It was just a few minutes before six-thirty. Knowing her family, they'd have taken the morning off to stay with Rainbow Dash.

That was fine.

The earth mare got out of bed slowly now, collecting her hat off the nightstand before taking her leave of the room. She checked out at the front desk before sauntering through the early morning streets of Ponyville. As her eyes wandered, other citizens came in and out of view, all going through morning preparations and catering to early risers. Things seemed eerily normal as she passed through town: the restaurants held ponies who were abuzz over breakfast delights, shops here and there were busy with consumers, and foals raced each other playfully towards the school.

As she approached the market, Applejack stopped for a moment. Her eyes locked onto the usual setup spot for the apple farm. It was empty right now. But, for the farmer, a little shimmer of the past played before her eyes. A nicely built stand came into view, operated by herself... and a pale-blue stallion.

"So, zhis is vwhat you do?" the stallion asked, circling the stand to test it against his scrutiny.

Applejack shook her head, comfortably seated behind the stand. "Not always, no. But considerin' you've never been apple buckin' before, Ah thought you might like to take it easy at first."

He stopped where he stood to look over at the mare, acting as if he took offense to her statement. "Vwhat? You zhink I can't handle zhe vwork? I vwas a farmer vonce too, you know!"

Applejack chuckled. "Heheh, buckin' ain't as easy as Big Mac makes it look, Oliver. Besides, Ah didn't want us to be too tired tonight." With that, she tossed him a playful smirk.

Oliver raised a brow slightly. "Oh? Got a hot date tonight?"

"Ah might..." she teased.

Oliver now moved in close to his marefriend, nuzzling their cheeks together slowly. "You should tell me who. I might have a bone to pick vwizh zhem later." Yet, as he said this, there was only the lightest hints of lust in his voice. No notes of betrayal or animosity to be found for miles.

"Hahaha! You're so weird, Oliver." Applejack smirked as she pushed him off. “Alright now, stay focused! Ah think we’re about to have our first customer today…”

Applejack watched on as the memory faded after that. She shook her head slightly before continuing on her path. Ears flat with her gaze down low.

Soon enough, the houses and shops gave way to big, open fields and grassy plains. The path became a little more coarse, not having been traveled as frequently. Then trees came into view, all bearing delicious apples.

Stopping before a fenced-off section, another shimmer of the past bled into view.

"Vwhy is zhis vone locked?" Oliver asked, jiggling the fence gate as if the effort would unlock it for him.

"That there's a part of the orchard that some fruit bats nested in,” Applejack elaborated. “Me and Fluttershy turned it into a sanctuary so that they'll leave the rest of the apple trees alone. If ya look close enough, you might get to see one."

“Hmm…” Oliver now cast a squinted stare up into the trees, trying to find a sign of life among the leaves. Suddenly, a fruit bat flew in and out of view, quick as a whip. The excited Oliver threw up a hoof in the general area it left to. "Oh, hey! Zhere's a red vone!"

"Eyup. The whole section is filled with the little varmints." Applejack remained stoic as another one came up to perch itself on a branch and partake in the delicious red fruit before it.

"Zhey're kinda cute," Oliver commented, getting a good look at the new one.

Applejack shrugged. "Ah guess they can be, compared to the vampire fruit bats anyway."

"Vampire?" Oliver asked nervously.

"Ah wouldn't go gallopin' to see them anytime soon if Ah were you," Applejack warned, nodding off towards the path to signify that they should continue walking.

Oliver rubbed his chin in thought, trying to envision a vampire fruit bat all the same. "Hm, I'll just take your vword for it." He then rushed right up to trot alongside the mare.

Just as quickly as the two translucent figures came into view, they disappeared. Headed off to the farm house. Even though they were shadows of the past, Applejack couldn't help feeling left behind.

Continuing her small journey back home, Applejack managed to get back to the house without fanfare. It seemed just as she figured, everypony was gone away from the house. It was quiet there now, save for the light melody of Granny Smith’s snoring coming from her room. She wasn't too concerned about waking her. Granny was too heavy of a sleeper.

Looking around the house, random shadows played at the edges of her vision. All memories that she'd nearly forgotten about. Too far back to even piece together a single event.

Hooves guided AJ up the stairs and back to her room. Opening the door, the earth mare finally realized how much of a mess she was living in. But Applejack couldn't worry about that much anymore.

Hooves began to sort through the clutter, allowing her to dig up a saddle pack from underneath old clothes. She quickly strapped it around her barrel, and began to fill it with some travel essentials. As she packed, Applejack came across an old duster jacket. Attention was quickly brought upon the mare’s own image, turning her head to see that her physique had diminished in recent years. It was nothing new, but she couldn’t help feeling slightly self-conscious about it now. The jacket was picked up and dusted of debris before it was wrapped around her person.

It was a slightly loose fit, which was fine. Applejack would have room to grow. If she were to get her appetite back anytime soon, that is.

Looking herself over again, her unkempt body didn’t stand out much anymore, which made AJ feel a little better. But, the pale grey color didn’t suit the rest of her attire well. She planned to change that, though.

When Applejack felt like she had everything ready, she took one last look around the room. Her eyes fell upon the corner of the room which held her bed, where the ambient light seemed to dim slightly. A ghostly light flickered, guided by another pair of shadows.

Oliver huffed and panted, sweat dripping from his brow. A wipe from the fore-leg flicked the beads away, before he looked back to Applejack. “Huff, huff… fhew! I zhink I have a deeper respect for vwhat you do here now.”

Applejack giggled at her coltfriend’s expense. “Why don’t you take a rest on the bed, while Ah wash up real quick.”

“Don’t have to tell me tvwice!” He smirked before pushing himself up onto the bed.

While Applejack disappeared into the bathroom, Oliver finally had the chance to catch his breath. As he did so, he looked around the room. Not really having gotten the chance to see it before.

It was tidy and quaint, yet it seemed to lack personality. The only decorations to mention was a painting above the headboard, and a single picture frame on the night stand. Holding an image of more ponies than he dared to try and count, all standing before a large red barn.

“What’cha got there?” Applejack asked, having come back in with freshly washed hooves.

“Huh? Oh, I vwas just lookingk at zhis picture. Is zhis your whole family?”

Applejack nodded before going over to sit on the bed next to him. “Eyup. That there’s from the Apple Family Reunion that Ah organized myself. Largest gathering in Apple history!” She chuckled.

“I can see zhe resemblance…” Oliver’s eyes scanned over the photo some more, before looking back up to her. “So, vwhich vone of zhese ponies are your parents?”

Applejack’s eyes widened slightly, before looking down, ears laid flat against her skull.

Oliver bit his tongue immediately. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to-”

“It’s alright, Sugarcube. Ya didn’t know…”

Applejack hopped off the bed and wandered over to her night stand. She pulled the drawer out and dug up a small three-by-five photo. A warm smile creased her muzzle as a hoof gently slid over the face of the picture, before she gave it to Oliver. “My parents… died a long time ago… when Ah was just a young’n…”

The mare watched Oliver carefully take the picture into his hoof to look it over. “That there’s when Pa first taught me to buck apples. He gave me his hat as a reward,” Applejack elaborated.

Oliver stared at a young filly playfully nestled atop her father’s back, grinning as he placed an oversized hat upon her head. Beside them was one of the many apple trees, with a hoof-full of apples about the ground.

He could really see the resemblance between them. This stallion was big and bulky, like Big Mac. But he had almost the exact same coat color as Applejack. The only real distinguishing difference between the two, besides size and gender, was their mane colors. The father had a red mane, almost similar to Apple Bloom, but not quite as rich in tone. “You look just like him.”

“Heheh… everypony use to say that all the time. ‘Specially Ma.” She smiled slightly while a tear was wiped from her face.

“Do you have a picture of her?” Oliver asked hesitantly, holding out the picture for her to take back.

“Course Ah do.” her smile brightened some, which prompted a warm smile from him. “H-here… let me get ‘em all out for ya.”

She grabbed the small stack of pictures she owned and hopped back onto the bed, sharing her memories behind each photo with him.

The room slowly lit back up as the shimmers faded, leaving a messy bed in its wake. Applejack wandered over to her drawer and pulled it out, revealing the aged stack of photos of her parents. Some of her happiest memories were there in that stack. Something told her she would need those to get by. So, she carefully picked them up and placed them in a safe spot inside her saddle pack.

Beside that, among the other things she almost forgot about, was a little filly’s diary bearing her name. She opened it up and glanced through the pages. All manner of foalish topics were listed there. Dreams and aspirations. Among other typical things. Soon enough, Applejack got half-way through the little book, where the rest of the pages remained blank. She could never work the courage to continue writing in her mother’s gift for her. After so many years, she doubted she ever would again.

Taking a pencil into her mouth, Applejack flipped half the journal under itself and set it down on the stand to write on.

My Dear Family,

I have a feeling that you might come across this some day soon. I don’t have it in me to face you anymore. Not after all the problems I caused. But I know I’d regret it if I didn’t leave you with one last note. To Granny: I love you. I’m sorry. I’m just not good enough for you anymore. I know now, that I failed you. I really am, truly, sorry. Cheerilee: please forgive me. I haven’t added up in your eyes. And I never meant anything I said against you. I know you’ll make a fine mare for my brother. Big Mac: please, don’t hate me. I just can’t stand by your side anymore. I never meant to hurt you. For Apple Bloom: dear, dear A.B. Please don’t blame me. I’ve always done what I could. What I thought was truly right. But, lately, I haven’t had my head on straight, and I ended up hurting you the most. I remember everything… and I wish I could take it back. If there was one last thing I could do for you, I would take it all back. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sor

Her lips failed, the pencil falling from her mouth before she could finish it. A few stray tears dotted the page. Applejack sniffled slightly while rubbing her eyes, before flipping the diary over to a fresh page on the other side. It wouldn’t do any good to leave them a messy note. But the coal in her throat wouldn’t allow her to jot down another long message. So, she resolved to writing a simple, three-word apology in the center of the page. Followed by ‘goodbye’.

Under the guidance of her hoof, the journal found its way to the middle of her bed before she left, making sure not to wake Granny Smith as she did.

Farther down the orchard, past the sanctuaries and beyond the fences. In the farthest reaches of the property, there sat a hill with a lone apple tree. Big and tall and strong. Even more so than the other trees below. And at the foot of the hill, Applejack sat. Staring at the old tree.

She wasn’t sure how long she’d been sitting there. But, judging by the position of the sun, she guessed that it was likely around eight in the morning by now. Looking back towards the tree, Applejack took a moment longer to marvel the serenity of it, leaves rustling gently in the breeze.

The voice of a young filly quickly drew her attention to the right, however.

”Whoa! That tree is huge, Pa!” exclaimed a young Applejack.

A large, orange earth stallion sporting a red mane chuckled aloud. “It sure is.”

“Why is it all by itself, Pa?” the little filly inquired.

“ ‘Cause it’s special, AJ,” The stallion elaborated without missing a beat. His voice deep, yet soft and soothing.

“Bein’ big makes it special?” The little filly seemed a bit confused by the statement. “Wouldn’t that mean that Big Mac is special?” That thought came with a sad, puppy-dog face. Which was directed towards her father.

He chuckled again, scooping the filly up into a hug. “No more special than you or Ah am, Applejack.” The little filly giggled as she accepted her father’s warming embrace, before being placed on his back.

“Now, what makes this here tree special isn’t its size. Me an’ Ma would always go an’ sit under that tree in our free time. Share a lunch an’ such. Watch the clouds pass by... and wonder ‘bout the little things.” He smiled.

“Did you and Ma kiss there too?” Applejack asked, disinterest apparent in her voice.

The stallion’s eyes widened slightly at that. “Now who went an’ put that idea in yer head?”

“Granny said you two would be out all night every now and then, kissin’ and huggin’ under the moonlight before Big Brother was around. If this tree is your special tree, then this is where you and Ma must’a kissed, right?”

Applejack smiled slightly. Oh, the ignorance of foalhood…

The stallion chuckled nervously now, a drop of sweat rolling down the side of his neck. “Ah guess ya caught me red-hooved!”

“Did you give Ma colt cooties there, too?” The little filly’s disinterest in the tree slightly increased now.

“Yer just full of ideas today, aren’t ya AJ?” The stallion bellowed his laughter.

“Tell ya what, little filly. Why don’t we go up to the tree, and you can see for yerself why it’s so special. You can see the whole apple orchard an’ everythin’ from up there! Nice, cool breeze. Great for after a hard day’s workin’!” the stallion carried on as he took her up the hill on his back.

“Ah’m not gunna get colt cooties too, am Ah?”

Applejack laughed now, going up the hill alongside her father, who laughed with her.

”Ah’m not gunna give ya colt cooties, Ah promise. But, ya know? One day, yer not gunna think colt cooties are all that bad…”

As she neared the top, the memory faded from Applejack’s mind, receding back into the past. There, under the shade of the tree, sat two headstones. One beside the other. Both worn and chipped by time.

Stopping some distance away, another pair of shadows played across her vision before the grave markers, both sitting in sullen silence. There were a few moments where neither talked or moved, before the stallion spoke up.

”Zhis vwas zheir favorite spot, huh?” Oliver asked quietly.

“Yeah. Ah like to come by and visit them whenever Ah’m feelin’ sad or alone. Talk to ‘em... an’ think about the little things.” There was a short moment of silence before she continued. “Nopony else knows Ah ever come here,” Applejack remarked in a low voice.

Oliver looked around some, taking in the glory of the scenery. “It’s beautiful up here. I can see vwhy zhey loved it so much.”

“Ah reckon it is,” Applejack agreed plainly. The hill once had an appeal to her. But, these days, she couldn’t find anything spectacular about it anymore. It was just a physical reminder of the tragedy she endured.

When she felt a hoof slowly wrap around her shoulders, the farmer leaned her head against her coltfriend, closing her eyes in a vain attempt to hold back a stray tear. “Ah miss them... so much.”

“Da, da… I’m... certain zhey miss you too…” Oliver silently cursed himself. He wanted to try and make her feel better right now, but he recognized that those probably weren’t the best choice of words.

Taking a moment to think more, he continued to try and console her again. “Deazh leaves a heartache zhat nopony can heal…” Oliver looked down to her now, a sniffle escaping her muzzle. “But love leaves a memory nopony can steal.”

Applejack slowly looked up to meet Oliver’s eyes after that. “Wh-hat’s that suppose to mean?” she choked out.

Oliver smiled, albeit somewhat weakly. “I’d be lying if I said zhat it gets better vwizh time. But, zhe ponies zhat you love are never truly gone. Zheir memories help zhem live on… right here.” He gently placed a hoof over her heart. “Remember zhat zhe next time you feel sad, or alone. And, vwhen you come here… focus on zhose memories. You just might hear zhem speak back… vwhen you need zhem zhe most.”

Applejack returned his smile with her own small one. “Thanks, Oliver.”

She then leaned up and pecked him on the lips, before lowering her head onto his shoulder and making herself comfortable. Focusing on good memories to try and see if she could hear her father again.

The memory quickly faded, allowing the orange mare to go over and sit down where she once was before the graves.

Only, truly alone this time.

It was eerily quiet for a short while as she observed the stones. She then closed her eyes, and thought back on all the good memories she had of her parents. Learning how to buck apples, making her first pie. The first time she helped sell at the market.

Soon enough, a light breeze blew by, which sent chills running up and down her spine. For a moment, Applejack felt as if there was somepony on either side of her. Not wanting to lose that familiar warmth, Applejack kept her eyes shut.

“H-... hi Ma. Hi Pa. It’s… been a while, hasn’t it?”

Applejack couldn’t help feeling a little weird. Half of her mind told her that there was no logical way they were there. But the other half would swear by it. This war of feelings was short-lived, however, when Applejack felt something strike her on the head.

“Ow!”

A hoof came up to rub her scalp, finally opening her eyes to find that an apple had fallen from the tree and knocked her on the head. A nervous chuckle escaped her at that. “Ah guess Ah deserved that, didn’t Ah? Ow!!”

Another one hit her while she was watching the first one. The second apple bounced off the back of her head before rolling away down the hill.

“Alright, alright. Ah really deserved it. Ya got one each, so can Ah talk now?” She chuckled meekly.

Suddenly, it didn’t feel so odd sitting there on the hill, talking to the air. Maybe it was just because her eyes weren’t closed anymore. Carefully taking the apple that didn’t roll away, Applejack placed it atop her mother’s stone. Then, she removed her hat and held it over her chest.

“Ah’m so sorry, Ma. Ah know you’re disappointed with me. But… Ah just don’t have the strength to fight anymore. Ah’ve lost too much here. You, Pa… Oliver. My friends. My happiness… Ah’ll never have any of that here again. Ah need to… to start over… somewhere…”

As she carried on, she could feel the sadness and despair plague her. Where would she go? Who would she turn to? Who could she turn to? She shook her head slightly. “Maybe… maybe if Ah settle down somewhere different, Ah can… Ah can forget… about…”

Another sniffle escaped, her body tremoring under a cold, dead chill. The memory of losing her parents. Her mother compelling her to leave with Big Mac and AB, while she stayed behind.

Blood.

Bruising.

The howling.

Another gentle breeze brought her out of the dark memory, pulling her attention back into the present. Applejack heaved a weighted sigh before continuing. “Ah just… can’t stay here any longer. Ah’m gunna miss you, though. Maybe… if Ah’m ever in town. Maybe Ah’ll stop by and visit again. Okay?”

Now it was her fathers turn. Moving over slightly to sit before his stone, Applejack placed the hat down on the top of his marker. It fit nice and tight, reassuring her that it wouldn’t go anywhere. “Ah’m sorry, Pa. Ah haven’t done anything to deserve this anymore. I-... it was yours, anyways. Thanks for lettin’ me hold on to it for ya, though…”

Applejack took a moment to think, before continuing. “You’re probably disappointed the most. You’re the one that taught me hard work and honesty, after all…” A half-hearted chuckle escaped her at that. “Ah’m so sorry…”

Applejack felt like she was at a loss for words now. Simply put, there just wasn’t much more left to say. Stifling a choke, Applejack got up onto her hooves.

“Ah guess… this is goodbye, then. Ah… Ah love you.”

A strong breeze enveloped the mare in a soothing, cool feeling, sending welcome tremors throughout her body. Applejack closed her eyes to enjoy it as it blew through her mane.

”We love ya too, AJ.”

“Be strong, my little Apple.”

A smile graced her lips as she experienced the warmth of their voices, relishing in the opportunity to have heard them again. Even if it could be mistaken as the wind. For, in that moment, while the breeze swirled around her… Applejack felt the warmth of her mother’s love once more. fortified by the strength of her father’s pride.

Nothing left to say or do, the mare slowly turned around and left the graves. As she descended the hill, the shadows of a large orange stallion sitting next to a green earth mare appeared. His hoof around her shoulders as they watched Applejack leaving. Both a hopeful smile on their faces, and tears in their eyes.

“Here ya go, Derpy!” A tan-coated pegasus cheerfully slid a paper bag across the counter, labeled with a muffin topped by a lemon wedge. “Last of the batch, just for you!”

Derpy chimed her glee as she took the bag into her hoof, exchanging a small sack of bits for it. “Yay! Thanks Pound Cake! I really do love these.”

“Anytime,” he replied cooly, waving the googly-eyed pony off as she left. With the last of the breakfast line taken care of for the morning, Pound Cake settled the bits into the register before going back into the kitchen to check on the others.

“How’s everything going, girls?” he asked as he casually walked into the kitchen.

“Super-duper!” Pinkie cheered, who was currently decorating a dome-shaped cake with different colors of frosting. Blue and white dominated the decorations, with a little bit of yellow for a sun. All slowly coming together to make a masterful skyscape. Themed for a pegasus, in all likelihood. Or perhaps a pony that really liked the sky.

A ‘ding’ rang out on the other side of the kitchen, prompting Pumpkin Cake to grab an oven mit. The door opened to reveal a tray full of freshly-baked cupcakes, all toasty and puffy. Those were taken from the oven and set to cool while another batch of batter-filled cups went in and the timer restarted.

Setting the mit down, Pumpkin smiled her delight. “Doin’ pretty good over here as well!”

“Great!” Pound replied with a smile. His attention was redirected to the cake Pinkie was decorating, Pumpkin joining in on the watch as well. “That’s looking pretty good, Pinkie. Who ordered it?”

“Nopony ordered it. I’m trying out a new recipe I thought up in the bubble bath yesterday. I thought to myself, ‘Pinkie, how awesomely fluffy would a cake be if you made it with clouds?’ So I put clouds in the batter before I baked it!” Pinkie offered a broad grin to them before finishing up the last touches to the design. “And, since I made it with clouds, I thought, why not make it a cloud cake? And now it’s got lots and lots of clouds!”

The twins exchanged quizzical glances while the earth mare hummed a delightful tune. That’s when Pumpkin spoke up, “Sounds good. But… how did you get clouds for the batter?”

“With a measuring cup, silly! How else would I know when I have just the right amount?” the party pony reasoned in an upbeat tone.

The other two were still left without the intended answer, but decided not to inquire further. Even with having lived with Pinkie Pie all their lives, neither could figure her out. It was odd, but in a comical way of speaking.

Taking it at face value, Pound Cake shrugged it off and went over to grab a set of plates and a knife. “Well, I’ll bite. Certainly sounds like it would be interesting.”

Having finished her latest creation, Pinkie giggled at a thought. “And fun, too! Watch this!” She then took the knife and a plate from the stallion and began to carve out a slice. The blade was then pushed under the cake, before swiftly flipping it into the air as if it were a pancake.

The twins gasped under their breath, expecting it to flop to the side. Instead, it softly and slowly flipped through the air, landing safely upon the plate Pinkie was holding on her other side.

Pound’s jaw hung loose at the spectacle. Much the same as Pumpkin’s did. Though, he was the first to break the silence. “That’s wild, Pinks…”

The earth mare giggled. “Not at all. It’s actually pretty tame. If it were wild, it’d probably be all, ’Whoo-hooo!!’ Or maybe, ’Vrooooom-neeerrooom! Awm-narm-rawrm, wrahr!!’”

The three shared in some light-hearted laughter at the pink mare’s joke before two additional slices were cut out and plated.

“Well, here goes!” Pound sounded, before taking a bite out of the creation. They each moaned their muffled delight in the new experience.

“It’s so fluffy and light!” Pumpkin exclaimed after having swallowed her mouthful.

“I think this is my new favorite!” Pound commented before eating some more.

“Mega-fun-tasti-rific is the first word that comes to my mind!” Pinkie chimed, enjoying it a lot herself. “Lots of ponies are gunna really love this!” Such a notion only filled her with glee. In her excitement, Pinkie ate the rest of her slice whole, deeply enjoying the experience.

Savoring the texture with a satisfied sigh, Pinkie was brought back from Candy Land when she heard the door bell jingle. Pound and Pumpkin were both busy eating. So, naturally, Pinkie Pie opted to go help the customer. “I’ll go take care of that,” was all that was said before she was out the kitchen door.

Merrily strolling down the short hallway, Pinkie began to speak before the customer had a chance to feel like nopony was there, “Welcome to Sugarcube Corner! Where everything is-”

Pinkie’s train of thought was ground to a halt, just like her stride, when her eyes fell upon a slightly uncomfortable Applejack standing behind the counter.

AJ expected as much from her. Out of all her friends, Pinkie took the brunt of her aggressions the most personally. Though, instead of a disgruntled mare, Pinkie would find that Applejack now seemed down, and a little desperate for help. Which wasn’t far from the truth at all. Silence pervaded for a couple of minutes, before Applejack summoned the courage to break it. “Pinkie Pie… can… Ah talk with you… for a minute?”

Pinkie had never felt such shock and awe in all of her life. Or, at least, she couldn’t remember a time in which those feelings were greater. Which was unlikely, because she made an effort to remember everything. Right now, all she could remember was everything that Applejack had ever said to her. How hard she pushed her away, and the lows she summed to for her peace.

Pinkie now seemed to exist somewhere between anger and depression. Resulting in mixed feelings for the orange mare. Something decided to give the benefit of a doubt, though. Her legs took her over to the edge of the counter, and wordlessly gave the smallest of nods.

Applejack shuffled her forehooves slightly before giving a small sigh. She wanted to start with an apology, but it was kind of hard to voice out for some reason. “Ah’m...sor-... sorta leavin’ Ponyville.”

“Sorta leaving?” Pinkie inquired, giving her an odd look.

Applejack simply nodded.

Pinkie Pie couldn’t help feeling a little sad about that. “Well… okay. I mean, what about the farm? And your family… and friends?”

“Ah overstayed my welcome,” came Applejack’s reply, a hint of sadness in the undertone.

Pinkie’s mane deflated slightly, her eyes losing a notable amount of vibrance. She hadn’t talked to her in about three years now because of the things she said. But, deep down, after all they’ve shared together, she still held a place in her heart for the down-to-earth country mare. It was simply her nature to love and accept her as family. “You… can stay with me… if you want,” the pink mare offered hesitantly.

Applejack just shook her head slowly. “That’s mighty kind of you, Pinkie… but Ah need a new town… not a new bed.”

Pinkie looked down and to the side now. Lazily brushing a hoof against the ground. “So… is that all…?”

Applejack remained quiet for a minute or so. Fumbling a hoof against the floor in the same manner as the baker. She then managed to swallow her pride enough to look back to her. “Ah was wonderin’... if Ah could borrow some money. Ah need a train ticket to… somewhere.”

Pinkie subconsciously shook her head slowly. “Don’t ask me to help you leave,” She said in a low tone.

Applejack sighed. “Ah can pay ya back later…”

Pinkie Pie thought about it deeply for a moment. Her gaze wandered over to the register, then back to Applejack. Watching her pleading eyes.

For an instant, Pinkie resented the fact that she looked so defeated. What gave her the right to play at this like a victim? But, then, Applejack wasn’t always that way. She was once a good pony and a great friend. That’s when a thought came to mind. “I’ll give you what I can… if you tell me what’s wrong.”

Applejack’s eyes narrowed slightly at the trade offer. “Why do y’all care so much about my own personal business?”

Pinkie didn’t have to think long at all on that one. But the pause she spent made it seem that way. “Because we’re friends. Friends help each other… no matter what.” There existed a long list of other reasons that could answer that question, but the one she gave summed them all up pretty well.

Applejack sighed heavily. For a moment, she contemplated telling her what she wanted to know just so she could get her bits and leave. That route was quickly thrown to the side, however. “This ain’t somethin’ you can fix with hugs and smiles, Pinkie. Nothin’ can. Can’t Ah just leave it at that?”

Pinkie shook her head again. Some of her fluffy mane returning to her now. At least she didn’t get a negative reaction this time. Maybe if she were to push for it, Pinkie might finally get an answer to all this.

“No, you can’t,” she began, taking a moment to open the register. A sack sat within her view, likely holding somewhere between twenty or thirty bits. This was taken by a hoof and set down on the counter between them.

Both eyed the pouch for a moment, then each other. “You want to leave? That’s fine. But if you want this, you’re going to have to sing.” Pinkie now watched her with determination.

“Sing?” Applejack deadpanned.

Pinkie nodded. “Like a stool pelican.”

AJ raised a brow, catching the gist of what she meant. Applejack had to think about this one as she exchanged glares with the pink mare. She could easily rebuke the notion, but this situation wasn’t quite so simple now. It pretty much all boiled down to one question.

How badly did she want the money?

Applejack debated just hoofing it to the south. But, to make any decent time, she’d have to cut through Everfree. Going around it would cost her a couple of days. A tough journey if she didn’t have supplies. And she needed bits to get supplies. This left AJ feeling trapped between a rock and a hard place. A feeling she didn’t much care for.

“Ya want the truth, Pinkie Pie?” Applejack began indignantly.

Pinkie flinched slightly, but for the most part held firm with a solid nod.

“You couldn’t understand the truth! You don’t know what it’s like to live life constantly reminded ‘bout the things you’ve lost! The ponies ya loved most, who raised and cared for you, stolen from your very hooves in an instant!” Watery eyes now betrayed Applejack’s spiteful anger as she choked a cough, staring the wordless mare in the eyes. “Ah had to watch ‘em die, Pinkie! Leave ‘em in the middle of the forest covered in their… their blood!”

By this point, the pain she so thoroughly fought to escape crashed her entire being, flooring Applejack in a tired, trembling heap of sorrow. Pinkie Pie hesitated while she listened to her friend sob unceremoniously in the middle of the store. She looked around for a moment, before slowly going around the counter to stand by Applejack’s side.

Pinkie slumped down to the floor by the orange mare and held her tightly in a side-long embrace. The only thing she could fathom doing. She never knew the whole story, but she knew that something awful had happened to Applejack. Pinkie never imagined it was quite this bad, though. “You’ve always been afraid that it’ll happen again, huh? To you… or somepony else you love?” Pinkie ventured a hunch instinctively.

Applejack wordlessly nodded. “Ah can’t get past it… every time Ah try… it hurts too much.”

Pinkie remained silent while Applejack finally let everything out, tears and all. The pink mare held her friend close to make sure she didn’t feel alone.

When Applejack’s crying finally wanned, Pinkie lightly nuzzled the sides of their heads together, choosing to talk in a low voice. “You’re right. There’s nothing I can do to fix it. But… I do know what it’s like to lose somepony special to me…”

There was a brief pause before Pinkie Pie continued. “Three years ago… I lost a good friend of mine. A pony I never thought I would have lost. A pony I consider family. When I did, I felt like a part of my soul was lost with her, and it made me feel empty and alone. My friends loved and cared for me, but I couldn’t get over it. In a way, I never did…”

When Applejack realized who she was talking about, Pinkie Pie nodded a silent confirmation. She then looked to the country mare and offered a weak smile. “After a while, I began to see that my depression was starting to affect the ponies who were trying to help me. And I didn’t want to hurt them too.”

Applejack sniffled slightly before looking away. “Wha-... what did you do?”

“I smiled,” Pinkie answered resolutely. “I smiled and laughed until it hurt, and smiled some more.”

Applejack seemed confused, prompting the party pony to elaborate. “I realized that the ponies I love, who care about me and love me back, don’t want me to be sad. They want me to be happy. And it makes them happy to see me happy. So, I made myself happy, and I stayed that way. Because I don’t like to see them sad.”

Applejack didn’t quite understand that. “So, what? Ah’m s’ppose to just… brush it off? Act like nothin’ happened?”

Pinkie Pie shook her head. “No. It’s not meant for you to try and forget the loss. It’s meant for you to weigh what’s more important to you. The ponies you’ve loved and lost… or the ponies still here, who love you, and are afraid of losing you too.”

Applejack seemed to be deep in thought now. But at least she appeared to feel a bit better.

Pinkie patted her back lightly before getting up. Her hooves went over to snatch-up the coin pouch, before going back to offer them to the farmer. “As promised…”

Applejack stared at the money in front of her face for a moment, before slowly completing the exchange. Pinkie watched her rise up to her hooves and dust herself off a little. That’s when the pink mare found the impulse to ask. “Can I… see you off at the station?”

Applejack offered the weakest of smiles with the smallest of nods, which Brightened Pinkie Pie a little herself.

“Wait here.” Pinkie Pie slowly trotted off towards the kitchen, stopping at the beginning of the hall to see Pound and Pumpkin slouched against the wall. Both looking down and concerned. “Hey, guys.” she said quietly. “What’cha doin’ here?”

Pound and Pumpkin both exchanged slightly worried looks before their attention was given back to the pink mare. “You alright, Pinks?” Pound asked quietly.

Pinkie Pie threw out a grin, but her still slightly deflated mane betrayed her act. “Yeah. Never better.” That’s when she opted to give them both a firm hug to help them feel better. Or maybe it was for herself. “I’ll be right back, guys. I’m gunna take Applejack to the train station. Can you two manage the store for a little bit?”

They both nodded silently, and she smiled a little bit before turning around to leave with Applejack.

Presently…

“Excuse me!” Twilight began as she entered the main lobby of the motel, gaining the attention of the pony behind the counter.

“How may I help you, Princess?” the lean stallion asked, an old smile hung from behind his spectacles.

Twilight bore a warm smile as she trotted up to the desk. “I’m looking for my friend, Applejack. I was told she stayed here last night. Could you tell me what room she’s in?”

“Applejack?” he asked, unfamiliar with the name. He then adjusted his glasses while opening his log book, flipping to yesterday’s page. “Applejack, Applejack… Jack, Jack, ah! Here. It says she stayed in room seven. And…” He then flipped over to today’s log page, sliding his hoof down the lines. It then stopped, and he shook his head. “Sorry, Princess. Your friend checked out early this morning.”

Twilight let a small sigh escape her. “Did she say where she was going?”

The stallion shook his head again. “No, I don’t believe she did. Awfully quiet for her age. Rather down and pale, too. Wish I could help more, Princess.”

“It’s fine. Thanks, anyways.” Twilight turned to leave after that.

“Have a good day, Princess Twilight,” he bid as he waved her off.

“You too,” Twilight offered back before leaving through the door. Outside, the rest of the group was waiting for her.

“Is she here, Darling?” Rarity asked.

Twilight shook her response. “Applejack checked out some time this morning. She didn’t say where she went.” Twilight then turned her attention to Big Mac, Cheerilee, and Apple Bloom. “Do you know of any other places she goes?”

The three exchanged thoughtful glances. A hint of concern mixed in. Big Mac probably felt the worst out of them all. He was the one that told her to leave to begin with. “Ah’m… not sure. Ah don’t know if she has other places she frequents…”

“She’s kind of always been in the fields over the years. There were the times she’d go ta Canterlot an’ the market. Ah don’t think Ah’ve seen nor heard her go much place else,” Apple Bloom added.

Cheerilee nodded her agreement. “The farm has pretty much been Applejack’s whole life. The only times I would see her were when I’d come over for lunch or dinner. Occasionally, I’d see her at the market selling apples. Once I saw Applejack having lunch with a stallion at a cafe, before she found Oliver. But, typically, any other place she’s gone to was for a delivery.”

Twilight mulled this over as she began to think about how to attack this. Their next step would have to be casting a wide-net search to see if she was still even in Ponyville. Twilight hoped that she was. Else, the farmer could be anywhere in Equestria, and a search that big could take weeks.

Looking back to the group, it would seem all eyes were upon the princess for direction. “Cheerilee, you and the Apples go check the farm. Fluttershy and Cirrus Stream will go with you to help search the orchards.”

“Yes, Princess!” her pegasus day guard saluted. Him and Fluttershy then took to the sky while the others galloped off towards the farm.

Twilight now turned her attention towards the rest of the group. “Spike, Rarity, Pennyworth, and Lance. You four will split off into groups of two and check around town for her.”

Spike and Rarity both nodded before looking to each other. “I will take Pennyworth, Darling,” Rarity began.

“Me and Lance will cover the south side of town,” Spike finished.

“Meet up at the farm when you’re done, and send me a report!” Twilight added, before the two groups split off to cover their designated sectors. There, that left only her and Flash Sentry.

“What should I do, Princess?” Flash asked after everypony else left.

Twilight gave her attention to him now. “You and me will both be checking the outskirts of town.” Her wings unfurled, giving him the cue to follow suit. Twilight then lead him into the sky towards their first destination.

When the two touched down into a large, grassy clearing, Flash Sentry looked around the place. Keeping pace with Twilight while she searched the usual places for disturbances. There was a small lake nearby with a tree close to the edge for shade. It was quiet and serene here, the occasional chirping of birds the only sound to break the silence.

“Wow…” Flash let out under his breath. “This place is nice.”

Twilight gave a half-hearted chuckle. “You say that like you’ve never seen anything like it before.”

This caused Flash to pause in his step, a small blush escaping him. Twilight must have noticed he wasn’t following anymore, as she stopped to look back with curiosity. “Well… I haven’t, actually…” he admitted with slight embarrassment.

Twilight almost couldn’t believe it. “You mean you’ve never seen a lake or a grassy plane? This is one of our favorite hangouts… lots of ponies come here,” Twilight rationalized.

Flash just shrugged. “Canterlot and the Empire aren’t exactly well known for their natural scenery. I’ve read about stuff like this in books, but never actually seen them for myself. Closest I’ve come to this is the Oasis Bar.”

Twilight cocked a brow. “Were you raised in Canterlot?”

Flash nodded at that. “Surprising, I know, being a pegasus and all. My parents weren’t big on traveling. Canterlot and the Crystal Empire are the only parts of Equestria I really know.”

Twilight nodded slightly. On a personal level, she almost understood his position. If it were not for that fated day before the Summer Sun Celebration, Twilight would have never left Canterlot either. Not because she loved the city too much, but because of her indifference for the rest of Equestria. Back then, Ponyville was just a dot on the map. Now, she doubted she could ever call another place home and still feel the same way.

“Well, maybe when all this blows over, I’ll show you around Ponyville a little. It really is a great town.” Twilight smiled slightly.

Flash returned the smile with one of his own, glancing downwards some to redirect her attention before a blush had the chance to form. “Yeah… well, what are we looking for here?”

Twilight returned her eyes to the grass, scanning over her immediate area. “Some kind of indication that Applejack might have laid here somewhere. But it doesn’t look like any pony has been to this place yet today. C’mon, there’s more ground to cover before we’re done.” Twilight took to the sky once more, with Flash following close behind her.

Rarity cantered along down the street of Ponyville with Pennyworth close behind her. Masking her rush by putting a spring in her step. They stopped alongside every building to sneak a glance about for her friend. After a short time, however, she looked back to Pennyworth to find that he seemed to be struggling in his search. “Is something the matter, Dear?” Rarity inquired quietly.

Pennyworth took his attention from the many ponies going about their daily business to look at Rarity. “I’m afraid that I don’t quite know who I’m looking for, Miss Rarity.”

Rarity blushed slightly. “Oh, right, you’ve never been formally introduced to Applejack, have you?”

Pennyworth shook his head. “I’m afraid ’an orange country mare’ is the best I have to work with.”

Rarity placed a hoof to her chin in thought. “Oh, I do wish you could have met her previously…”

That hope trailed off, replaced with some quick thought on how to give Pennyworth a better visual description. The rubbing of her hoof-tip against her jaw, however, was fuel enough for a decent idea.

“Applejack owes me a hooficure when this is all said and done…” Rarity muttered under her breath. Picking a patch of loose dirt, Rarity began to lightly scratch into the ground, using her artistic skill to render the image of their missing friend. This took no more than a minute, adding in the last detail of her signature hat before stepping back to let Pennyworth see it. “There! I know ’orange’ isn’t much to go on, but Applejack doesn’t really do fashion. The only thing she does wear is her hat. Other than that, she’s all pony tails and freckles, with a moderate country accent. You’ll know her went you see her, Darling.”

“Undoubtedly,” Pennyworth agreed while he eyed the drawing to get a solid mental image of the pony in question. “If I may say, you are quite the artist, Miss Rarity.”

“Oh, do go on, Pennyworth,” Rarity replied with a blush.

“Rarity?”

Rarity turned quickly to the sound of a familiar voice calling her name. The pony that came into view was her sister, Sweetie Belle. Bearing saddle bags filled with groceries.

Rarity gasped mellow-dramatically, running over to greet her sister. “Oh, Sweetie Belle!”

Sweetie giggled slightly as she welcomed Rarity into a short-lived open embrace. “It’s good to see you, too.” When they parted, Sweetie Belle gave them both a curious look. “So, what brings you to Ponyville? And who’s he?”

“Its a bit of a long story…” Rarity started hesitantly. “Sweetie, Dear, you wouldn’t happen to have seen Applejack at all today have you?”

Sweetie Belle raised a brow slightly. “Uh… well, yeah, I saw her this morning. But, it was weird…”

Rarity’s eyes brightened up slightly. “Do tell, Darling, I need to find her!”

Sweetie nodded a little. “I saw her moaping through Main Street while I was eating breakfast with Scoots. Seemed to me that she was heading back to the farm. It didn’t dawn on me until after she was out of sight, but this was soon after Celestia raised the sun. Too soon. Like, ponies were still setting up shop, soon. And I didn’t remember seeing her enter Ponyville before hand. So, she had to have already been in town before the sun was even raised.”

Thinking back on it, this brought another subject to the white mare’s attention. “This wouldn’t happen to have anything to do with Abby, would it? She wasn’t working the apple stand today…”

Rarity gave off a sigh of relief. “Oh, this is good, they might have already found her, then…” she consoled herself. Rarity then gave her attention back to Sweetie Belle. “Apple Bloom is fine, Darling. She should be back at the orchard looking for Applejack right now with the others. I need to go, but if you run into Spike, could you be a dear to tell him that I’ll be at the farm as well?”

“Uh… sure,” Sweetie Belle replied with moderate confusion. Wondering why they were separated to begin with. Before she could ask, Rarity began to gallop off towards Sweet Apple Acres.

“Promise me you’ll come by later and tell me what this is all about!?” Sweetie called after her sister. But without getting an answer back, she could only hope that Rarity heard her. Now having more questions than answers, Sweetie Belle shrugged it off for the moment and returned to her chores for the day.

Twilight and Flash touched down once more before a dense line of trees not far from a cottage bustling with critters. Flash looked about while Twilight snooped with her nose to the ground, looking for more clues of activity. But this wasn’t Flash’s current focus.

Standing before a lone pathway beaten into the ground over the years, Flash simply stared deep into the darkness beyond the trees. This forest was unlike anything he’d ever seen before. The coverage was so thick that it almost seemed like nighttime existed just a few more steps away. Some of the plant life there around the entrance looked different, too. Even the trees were unique to this forest.

And he could swear, as he stared into the abyss, that something was staring back at him.

"Flash?" Twilight called when she noticed that he was just sitting there. Being taken in by the mysterious forest. He didn't seem to hear her though, so she went over to gently rest a hoof on his back.

"Huh?" Flash nearly jumped from the feeling. His body immediately reacted by moving away, before he looked over to see that it was just the princess. "Oh... sorry, Princess Twilight. I just..."

His line of thought trailing off, Flash looked back over to the foreboding path. "What is this place?" he managed to utter under his breath.

"This is the Everfree Forest," Twilight answered, looking in to it with him. "It's a dangerous place to be alone, especially at night. Even I try to avoid it when I can..."

Flash swallowed hard at that statement. If the princess, an Alicorn, was afraid of this place, he feared what kinds of things could be lurking just beyond the shadows. "Do you really think your friend would be in there?"

"It's hard to say," Twilight began, looking around some more for freshly disturbed ground. "Applejack is no stranger to it. The trail blazes a shortcut to some of the towns she would deliver to. And one of our friends, Zecora, resides in the forest itself."

"Somepony lives in that thing!?" Flash blurted out. Only to blush in realization of who he'd just raised his voice to. "Uh-uh-uhh, your Highness...?" He correctly hastily.

Twilight stopped for a moment to look over to her guard. "I've never fully understood it myself, but Zecora actually loves living in the forest. And Zecora is more of a Zebra than she is a pony," she added tactfully.

"A Zebra?" Flash asked, interested in the fact.

"Mmhm," Twilight confirmed. "She is something of a mentor to me, too. She has taught me a lot about magic. Maybe you'll get to meet her before we leave Ponyville." She ended on something of a high note before taking a final look around.

"Well, it doesn't look like anypony has been through here recently..." Her thoughts halted, however, when a scroll magically appeared before her horn, dropping to the ground once it materialized. There were only a hoof-full of ponies, and one dragon, that this could have possibly came from.

Twilight's horn became alit with magenta aura, which whisked the scroll into the air before her and unraveled it. Bright purple eyes quickly scanned over it, before becoming wide. "Quickly, Flash, with me! They found Applejack." The scroll swiftly rolled up and disappeared in a magical burst, allowing both ponies to take wing and hurdle off into the sky.

Applejack was seated in the middle of the room. Pinkie Pie by her side, with the Cakes, Spike, and a royal guard opposite of them. Spike had just finished blowing a scroll into his magical green fire before having joined them.

The air was filled with a stale silence that irritated AJ’s body like a bad itch. An itch that couldn't be scratched. The Cakes seemed to hold a level of concern, while Spike's demeanor was too hard to read. Mostly because she couldn't bring herself to look at him. A constant running theme of her day, it seemed.

the silence ate at Spike's mentality as well. Personally, he'd never been offended by Applejack. But, then, that was likely because him and Rarity didn't try butting in to her problems. Even though they probably should have. Given the current state of their friends, and her relationship with them thus far. It was a nagging guilt that existed behind his stoic expression. Guilt that he probably could've done more. That his inaction might have allowed this whole thing to happen. Though, honestly, he may never know what help he could've been. Especially if Rainbow Dash couldn't do it.

To that end, Spike finally decided to break the silence. "What happened to you, Applejack?" He meant for there to be concern in his tone, but somehow it wound up being more stern and disappointed. Feelings he also couldn’t deny.

Applejack paused for a moment in thought, before shaking her head. "It's... difficult to explain."

"Applejack," Spike began, finally getting her to look at him. His eyes narrowed slightly. "I saw Rainbow Dash."

Her eyes widened, before looking away in shame.

"We all saw Rainbow. She's a mess!" Spike continued.

"Spike, I-"

"No, Pinkie, Applejack needs to hear this." Having silenced the party pony, his attention fell back to the orange earth mare. "Especially considering I don't know what Twilight will do once she gets here."

Applejack winced at the mention of her name, even if only in a subtle way.

Spike merely nodded. "Yeah, she's pissed, AJ. You've probably got one minute before this becomes emotional ground zero. I can try to help, but nothing I say or do will mean anything if I don't know the story."

Applejack shut her eyes tightly to try and stop them from watering while she grit her teeth. It took everything to keep from falling into her habit of bucking all and shoving it in his face. A habit that landed her in this position to begin with. A gentle hoof on her shoulder, however, leveled that desire. With watery eyes, Applejack looked over to the owner of that pink hoof. Who gave her a sympathetic nod.

"You have to talk, AJ. We can help you." Pinkie voiced calmly with a small smile. "Be honest. Not for us, but for yourself..."

"We're all concerned, Applejack." Pumpkin added, with Pound Cake giving a nod in agreement.

The guard, Lance, took this moment to quietly get to his hooves and trot off to a distant window and watch for his princess, out of respect for the group of friends.

Applejack took this moment to fiddle with her hooves, trying to piece together the right words to say. It was all so simple. Yet, the words just couldn't manifest themselves. Part of her wished that this never would've happened. That she never tried dating to begin with. Life would've been so much more simpler. Alone...

Finally, she looked up to her friends. All waiting patiently. Even Spike didn't seem angry. Maybe disappointed. Definitely disappointed, but there was some level of understanding there. Applejack gave a heavy sigh. "Ah-"

"The princess is here," Lance announced subtly.

Applejack swallowed hard, attempting to steel herself for the talk of her lifetime. A fruitless effort, she imagined. The farmer watched Lance pad over to the door, his gilded hoof shoes thumping against the wood floor. To Applejack, the low rumble of his steps sounded more like the thunder before the storm.

When he opened the door, Twilight stood there. Wings flared. Staring at Applejack with unmoving eyes. After a moment, Twilight entered Pinkie's house, looking around subtly to see the textbook definition of uncertainty plastered on everypony's face. She stopped a short distance beyond the doorway, returning her gaze back to Applejack. Flash slipped by to join Lance beside the door, but she didn't pay any mind to him after that.

"Meet me outside." Shortly after she spoke, Twilight turned around and slowly exited the house.

Applejack looked at the others for a moment before hanging her head down low. "Ah'm... sorry, y'all..." Once that was finally said, she got up and left at an equally slow pace to Twilight.

Twilight glanced over her shoulder to make sure Applejack was there behind her. Once that was confirmed, she started forward again. "Follow me."

Twilight started off the venture with a slow trot. Applejack took a moment to look back to her friends, watching from the open door. Drooping her head once more, Applejack began to trace Twilight's hoofsteps with her own, silently wondering where she planned to take her.

Pinkie watched the event fold open in awe. She'd never seen this side of Twilight before. Ever. But, then, how could she expect anything else from Celestia's own protege. It was just like the coveted sun princess, after all, to emulate the seriousness of a situation. When they were out of earshot, Pinkie looked back to the others. "So, who's going with me?"

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Pinkie?" Spike inquired.

"Abso-pony-positivi-lutely! AJ may have been mean, but she's our friend, and she needs support. I have to make sure support is exactly what she gets!" Pinkie carried on.

Flash Sentry shrugged. "Well, unless ordered, I'm not suppose to let the princess out of my sight. And she didn't ask me to stay..."

"That's the spirit!" Pinkie cheered. "Follow me!"

Spike watched the two slink off in Twilight's direction, before looking back to the others. Lance seemed to be following Flash Sentry's policy, while the Cakes appeared unsure. "You two coming?"

"We're suppose to be running the store..." Pumpkin thought aloud.

Pound Cake was on the fence about it too. After a bit, though, he nodded in agreement. "Pinks is a strong mare, she can handle this with you guys. Thanks for helping us find her, Spike, but we need to get back to the store."

"I understand," Spike nodded, allowing the two to leave before closing the door behind himself.

"Keep an eye on her, please?" Pumpkin requested.

"Like a dragon watches his gems," Spike affirmed before heading off to join the group.

The walk with Twilight was long and silent. Not even the sound of Ponyville's citizens doing their daily routines around them could be heard. The tension was too thick. Creating a barrier around and between the two, blocking all sound that dared to interrupt.

Numerous times, it seemed, did Applejack want to dodge around a corner and hide, or even just roll over and die. Why couldn't Twi just stop and lay out the judgement now? Throw her into a cell and be done with it. Any of that would've been easier than this.

Before too long, Ponyville Hospital came into view. But Twilight began to deviate from the path leading to the entrance, and go along the left of the building. It seemed weird, almost. She thought that Twilight was going to take her into the hospital, not around it. Was she trying to kill her with the silent treatment? Wait until it finally broke the orange mare?

Suddenly, Twilight stopped before a window and turned around. Applejack felt the full force of her glare, before a wing pointed out towards the glass.

"Look inside. Tell me what you see." Twilight commanded in a level tone.

Applejack watched her disapproving eyes for a moment longer, before turning her head to the window. Slowly, her hooves took her to the transparent barrier, her being casting a shadow which she could use to see through the glare.

“Ah see…” the farmer’s voice trailed off. ‘Rainbow.’ She couldn’t say the name. The pegasus looked… okay. Ruffled by her restless sleep, bruised, and bandaged… but still just… okay. “Ah… Ah put her there…” Applejack admitted with regret.

Twilight looked at her friend, she saw the silent battle that was waging, Applejack looked beyond burdened, and the princess was loathe to push this further. Though she would need to do just that. “Rainbow suffered a concussion, and is at risk for brain lesions. She might never fully recover…”

The earth mare heard the words, yet all that registred was ‘never recover’, and it was her fault. It was all her fault, “Ah… Ah!”

The quiet internal struggle Twilight was watching exploded outward, Applejack turned to her, eyes small, panicked breaths. She looked crazed, boiling in silent desperation. And while no words came, her jaw worked to form them.

“Applejack!” Twilight called as her friend’s stance shifted. The Alicorn firmly planted a hoof down over the end of her friend’s tail before the earth mare could get far. Applejack was crying now, a hoof pulling at her ponytail. It looked like she was about to trample the wall just to get to Rainbow.

“Dash!” The farmer didn’t know what would never recover. Did she cripple Rainbow’s wonderbolt future? She had to do something, so she turned, and walked half a step...

Into Twilight's embrace.

"Do you know what I see, Applejack?" Twilight’s voice came, muffled by embracing hooves, and all encompassing wings. "I see one of my best friends in need of good help. Help that I am not sure I can give her anymore, because I fear she might be too far gone. But, I am going to try my hardest, because I love and care for her. Deeply, and truly. That is what I see..."

Applejack couldn't stand it anymore, she stopped fighting the hug. All the tears she'd been holding back and the emotions she felt flooded into existence. Hooves covered her tired eyes while she sobbed quietly. "A-Ah'm sorry!" She choked. "Ah didn't... Ah never... meant to hurt anypony! Ah just..."

"I know... I'm sorry too," Twilight finally said quietly, wings hugging harder.

Applejack opened her eyes. Where a once angry alicorn stood was now just her friend, and sad teary eyes replaced her scowl.

Applejack was bewildered by the statement. What did Twilight have to be sorry for? She didn’t do anything wrong. “T-Twilight...!? But... what-"

"I'm sorry," the purple mare repeated, cutting Applejack off. "I'm sorry that I wasn't there for you when you needed me the most. I'm sorry that I allowed this to happen. I'm so sorry, AJ!" Another sniffle escaped before she continued. "Sorry, that I wasn't a good friend to you. I had gotten so caught up in making sure I would be a good princess... that I had forgotten to be a good friend."

Applejack took this time to fully absorb what was happening to her. When reality finally set in, Applejack hesitantly raised a hoof, before fully accepting Twilight into her own embrace. Holding her tightly to her chest. "Ah... never should've blamed you. All of you. Ah was wrong... this ain't nopony's fault but my own. An' it's about time Ah owned up to it..."

Twilight gripped Applejack harder, thankful that it could all be over now. "I just want my friends back... all of them."

"Ah'm here, Twilight," Applejack consoled, rubbing Twilight's back gently. "Ah'm never goin' anywhere again..."

Pinkie Pie and the others watched from around the corner, tears in her own eyes. As well as Spike's. Flash Sentry, however, was best described as completely blown away. The emotional shift from one extreme to the other was utterly derailing for him. Yet, at the same time, moving. He never would've guessed that the enraged Alicorn he'd been following was just a front. A level of benevolence, surely, even Celestia would commend. Out of respect, they all just sat there and watched on in silence.

When Pinkie was sure that everything was going to be okay now, she turned back to the others. “Looks like everything’s going to be okey-dokey-lokey from now on. I need to get back to Sugar Cube Corner. Tell Twilight to not worry about Bringing AJ to me. We’re already good and solid again.”

Spike nodded slightly, prompting the pink mare to bounce off gleefully to finish her work for the day. Shortly, however, Spike ran by what she said once more, and looked towards her curiously. “Wait, wha-?”

Too late. The crazy party pony was already out of earshot. The dragon’s questioning gaze now fell upon the guards, who shrugged their response with an equal level of confusion. Before their curiosity could get the best of them, their attentions were returned to Twilight and Applejack.

The two mares had finally separated from their bonding embrace, allowing the alicorn to wipe away her tears with a wing. “I know this was hard for you… but I’m hoping you can do an encore for everypony else.”

Applejack’s gaze wandered over to spy her reflection in the glass. For a moment, her vision pushed through the barrier to where Rainbow laid, troubled in her needed rest. As much as she wanted this whole ordeal to be said and done, Applejack had made a mess, and she needed to clean it up.

Yet, at the same time, she felt nervous. Causing Applejack to look down to the ground. “Ah… Ah’m…” The earth mare heaved a sigh before looking back to Twilight. Who held both pleading, and encouraging eyes. After another few moments of thought, Applejack slowly nodded. “Could you be there with me, though?”

Twilight gave her old friend a warm smile. “Of course, Applejack.” She then turned and nodded off towards the direction of the farm. As she started off, the orange mare trotted along beside her.

The princess could feel the nervousness seeping out of her friend’s being, though. Her first instinct was to get the farmer talking a little bit to try and ease her thoughts. But with recent events, trying to strike up some casual conversation without creating an odd and stale air around them would be difficult.

Several topics flowed in and out of the purple mare’s mind without any seeming to stick. Her day, the new duster jacket, apples, the family. Et cetera. As unsettling as it might be, keeping the topics to recent happenings would be easier than trying to change the mood entirely. Five minutes into the walk, Twilight couldn’t stand the silence herself any longer. “Forgive me if the topic is touchy, but where have you been all day? We’ve all been looking for you all over town…”

Applejack might have heaved a tired, heavy breath, but she couldn’t help some small bit of curiosity. That, and the silence was eating at her as well. Any subject would do. “All y’all?”

Twilight confirmed the vague question quietly, knowing that she was talking about both friends and family.

Applejack’s eyes fell to the ground again, watching her every step as she began to trace back her day. “Well, Ah went back home to grab a few things an’... think for a short while. After that, Ah went to see Pinkie about borrowing some bits for a train ticket…”

She trailed off from there for a bit, leaving a question dangling from Twilight’s lips. “You were going to leave?” the alicorn finally voiced, answered only by unsettling silence. “Well… something must have kept you, right?”

At the station…

“Could Ah get a ticket?” a country mare asked at the train station booth, accompanied by her pink friend.

The booth pony nodded slightly. “Where to?”

Applejack studied the list of destinations for a moment, before looking back to the train. Still off-loading ponies at the station. “Where’s that train goin’ to?”

The booth operator looking down to the schedule for a moment before returning his gaze back to the orange mare. “Las Pegasus,” he answered bluntly.

Applejack looked over to Pinkie Pie for a moment in thought. The baker didn’t seem to like the idea, but her thoughts on the destination were not the orange mare’s concerns at the moment. AJ was more focused on the kinds of jobs she could pick up in Las Pegasus.

The city that never sleeps. Populated mostly by pegasi and earth ponies, this city was a breath-taking combination of beautiful skyscapes and feats of earth pony architecture. Best known for its casinos, theaters, and many other tourist attractions. Great place for business and sightseeing. But not so much for living. Wages there are low, and the prices are staggering. Not to mention the kind of activities the city hid behind its shadows.

Applejack heaved a weighted breath. With all the guilt she wore, Pinkie Pie could see plain as day that she would have no problem going there. Perhaps the orange mare even felt like she deserved it. “You’re not seriously considering going to Pegasus, are you AJ?”

‘I-It’s not all bad, Pinkie,” the farmer began, trying to find the words to assure her friend. “Las Pegasus ain’t just nothin’ but Tackers… n’ stuff. Ah can find honest work…” Giving the pink mare a weak smile, AJ turned back to the booth worker and pulled out a hoof-full of bits. Those slid by under the window, and a goldenrod ticket was exchanged.

Once that was done, both mares turned back towards the train, passengers already boarding it.

“All aboard for Las Pegasus!”

The farmer looked down to her ticket, then over to Pinkie. The two shared a short hug goodbye, before AJ went to join the end of the line for boarding. Looking back out of the corner of her eye, it all but broke her heart to see the happy-go-lucky pony look so… defeated. Applejack took a moment to raise the collar of her jacket before moving forward.

“Ticket, please. Thank you! Ticket? Thanks.” The ticket pony carried on and on, stamping each pass before allowing them onboard. Another pony boarded before he looked on to a pair waiting patiently. A mother and her son, by the looks of it. “Tickets please.”

The mother nodded and reached into her saddle bag, riffling through her things. One was pulled out and given to the colt, before she reached in again for another. After a moment, the mother’s eyes shrank slightly. “Where is it!?”

The stallion at the door gave her a curious look. “Is something the matter, miss?”

the mare chuckled nervously. “Oh, no, I’m sorry, I just… have to...huh?” hurried searching eventually revealed to her that a hole existed in the back corner of her bag. “Shoot! It must have fallen out!”

The ticket pony shook his head. “I’m sorry miss, but I can’t let you on without a ticket.”

“No no! I-It’s here… heheh! Uhm… let me just, uh…ooh!” She began to look around frantically for any sign of a dropped ticket.

Applejack watched on for a moment, almost feeling lost. Her eyes wandered down to her ticket as she waged a full-blown debate with herself. Soon, the mental image of posing on stage with a glittery outfit came to mind. With a sea of faceless stallions…

’... maybe this was a mistake…’ the orange mare looked around, seeing other ponies in line getting restless. After a quiet sigh, her better nature finally compelled her hooves to move.

“Beg your pardon,” The farmer interrupted, grabbing the attention of the mother almost instantly. A hoof came out to present her ticket to them. “Ah, uhh… think this here belongs to you.”

“Oh, thank Celestia!” the mare exhaled in relief, taking up the ticket and offering it to the stallion for her stamp. “Thank you so much, miss…?” she left it open in the hopes of a name.

“Applejack,” the farmer answered simply.

The mare gave her a warm smile. “Thank you, Applejack.”

AJ watched the two board the train before turning away. Pinkie coming over to join her. “Applejack, you gave away your ticket!” she whispered.

The earth pony nodded slightly. “She needed it more than Ah did…” Suddenly, the cowpony felt herself become caught in a Pinkie hug. Before she could say anything, the orange mare’s stomach spoke up first. Letting out a low and empty rumble.

Pinkie leaned back to give her friend a blank stare before bearing a weak smile. “The next train won’t be in for a while. Want to come back to my place for some lunch?”

Applejack nodded slowly. “Yeah… Ah guess so.”

Pinkie happily bounded off, leading the way for the farmer.

Thinking back on it, the country pony just released a sigh. “Ah don’t rightly know what possessed me to stay. Ah suppose… suppose Ah couldn’t leave until Ah fixed things first. Maybe…” She wasn’t very willing to admit that it was because she feared winding up as some nameless sex icon for ponies to drool over. Twilight didn’t need to know the details of everything. What mattered now, was that everything was starting to turn out for the better. Now she just had to keep the ball rolling.

“Listen, Twi… Ah know your heart’s in the right place, but Ah don’t much what to think about the past anymore.”

“I understand,” the princess said quietly. “Just know that if you ever need anypony to talk to, I will always have time for you AJ.”

The farmer gave off a meek grin. “Thanks, Twilight…”

As night began to fall, Applejack found herself to be somewhat restless still. Today was a long and stressful day. So many ponies around her, all of whom she had to apologize and explain to. An explanation that was tough to get out. But, in a small way, therapeutic. Hugs were passed around, words of sentiment. Other’s followed Twilight’s hoofsteps and said that they were sorry too. Pinkie and the Cakes came around and brought her stuff back. Food got passed around, and soon enough the house was alight with conversation.

Applejack couldn’t help feeling out of place the whole night, though. The fact never left her mind that she hospitalized her bestest of friends. Twilight had put on a strong face and assured them all that Rainbow would pull through. But Applejack knew fear when she saw it. The young princess was drenched in it.

The orange mare groaned slightly, tossing her covers off. She couldn’t sleep with all these thoughts running around in her head. ’Maybe if Ah clean up a little bit...’

Looking around, her room was still a huge mess. Lighting a small lamp, Applejack began to get to work as quietly as she could. tossing dirty clothes into a hamper. Carefully moving a few stray dishes to one neat stack. Garbage in the garbage. Belongings where they belonged.

A chore such as this might have taken her ten minutes, tops. But, with everypony else trying to get some shut-eye, and plagued by mental fatigue herself, it seemed to take at least half an hour. But, eventually, all that was left were dusty surfaces.

Starting at the window sill, a hard breath blew away much of the particulates. A few brushes across the surface with her hoof took care of the rest. Inspecting the surface, Applejack turned up the corners of her muzzle, before something instantly caught her attention.

The farmer stared out the window, senses on high alert, trying to find the source of the anomaly that first drew her eyes. She could’ve sworn she saw something moving between the trees. Her mind first tried to rationalize that it was the wind. Closer inspection, however, revealed that there was no wind this night. The leaves were perfectly still.

Applejack locked in as close as she could, holding a hoof up over the window pane so she could see more clearly. Suddenly, the shadow reappeared, drifting between another set of trunks farther up the property.

the earth mare sighed heavily. “What the-... who the blazes could that be?”

All of her friends had gone home for the evening. The only ones without an honest bed was Spike and Rarity, and they left early to see if Sweetie Belle might let them crash at her place for the night.

Seeing the shadow drifting farther once more, Applejack groaned to herself. “Well, Ah ain’t gunna figure it out just sittin’ here…” Grabbing the lamp, Applejack began to make her way through the house and out into the orchard, tracing the path of the intruder.

The journey through the orchard was long, and somewhat confusing. But that was to be expected. It had been a long time, after all. And he’d only ever been taken here once…

But, here he sat now. On top of a tall hill, under an old apple tree. Before two grave markers. One bearing a familiar hat.

Oliver heaved a sigh, taking a moment to bring two necklaces into his vision. The golden chains bearing two shining rings. One thick and plain. The other; simple, yet pretty.

Thinking back to the day, Oliver began to wonder if this was such a good idea anymore. The only reason he came was because he knew that he cared deep down inside. Even if he wasn’t going to be with her, he still wanted her to be happy.

Letting the rings fall back against his chest, Oliver reached out to the brim of the hat, removing it from the head stone. The stallion’s eyes wandered over the worn material, before his gaze rose to the stars above while he held it close to his chest.

“Vwhat vwould you have me do, Tvwilight Sparkle…?” He had hoped to find Applejack here on the hill. But it seemed he’d missed her.

“Oliver...?”

Or did he?

“Huh?” The ice-blue stallion looked back to see Applejack coming over the hill, holding a lantern. The memory of a hearty mare with a deep coat quickly gave way to a pale luster, and a malnourished frame. The sight nearly left him speechless. “A-... A-Applejack…!”

The orange mare was just about as surprised as he was. “What are you doin’ here? In the middle of the night?” Her eyes wandered down to see her father’s hat being held against his chest. “What do you think you’re doin’ with my Pa’s hat?” she asked, a bit more sternly now.

Oliver’s eyes widened, darting down to see the hat still in his hoof. Half of his mind compelled him to replace it upon the grave marker post haste. The other half told him that it might be a good idea to try and cover up the rings for as long as possible right now. Revealing them might make things go from bad to worse.

“Uh… nevermind zhe hat.” Oliver began, looking back to her. His expression loosened up to that of great concern now. “Applejack… vwhat happened? Zhe princess said you needed help, but…”

The earth mare sighed, placing down the lantern and slowly moving towards him. Oliver took a step back, but only one. Passing by him, AJ carefully took the hat from his care to put it back where it belonged. Nice and tight upon the stone. after a bit, she heard what sounded like nervous shuffling behind her. Sucking in a deep breath, the country pony steeled herself for one more performance. “Ah’m sorry…”

Oliver had taken the necklaces off and set them aside in a patch of grass where they wouldn’t be seen easily. Taking advantage of the fact that she wasn’t watching him anymore. When she spoke up, though, his full attention snapped to the mare. “Vwhat?”

“Ah’m sorry, Oliver. Sorry ‘bout everythin’. Breakin’ your heart, an’ pushin’ you away…” Applejack explained with a burning coal in her throat.

Oliver went to say something, but just sighed and looked away. He wanted to dismiss the whole thing. Tell her it was all fine. But, fact of the matter was the whole thing hurt him. A lot. He was still sore about it, even. But, sometimes you have to sit back and reorganize your priorities in life. Now wasn’t the time to be bent about something nopony could change.

“Forget about it…” he finally said, nearly choking on a portion of his pride that he swallowed. “None of zhat matters right now.”

Applejack felt his hoof wrap around her shoulder in comforting measure. But she just shook her head. “You’re a horrible liar.”

Oliver voiced a weak chuckle. “Isn’t zhat, how you say? Zhe kettle callingk zhe pot black?”

“Hmhm… close enough,” Applejack agreed plainly. It then fell silent for a moment, before the mare brushed the hoof off her shoulder gently. “Listen, Oliver… Ah’m a might glad you were concerned enough to check up on me an’ all. But, Ah’m fine now. Really. So… you don’t have to stay any longer. If you don’t want…”

The stallion cocked a brow at her statement. Which he thoroughly didn’t believe. Puffing out his chest, the chef scoffed in faux offence. “So, vwhat, zhat’s it? I’m sorry, you can leave now?”

Applejack shook her head. “Well… what do you want me to say?”

“Do you love me?” He asked, a bit more seriously than he intended.

Applejack winched slightly, but chose to remain silent.

Oliver decided to press a little harder. “Jackie… you pissed me off… you lied to me, tore my insides apart, and zhen left me to pick up zhe pieces. Vwizhout even so much as an answer. Yeah, I’m angry about zhat. I lost my job. I lost my motivation. Lost my vway. But, despite all zhat, and zhree years of emptiness and restless nights, I never did vonce stop lovingk you. And I never vwill…”

After a moment, the mare looked to him a little bit, with tears in her eyes, giving a small sniffle in response.

“I don’t care vwhat happens. You could go off and marry somepony else. Move far avway from me. Have foals, be successful, vwhatever! And I’ll be angry and bitter, and hate everypony. But I vwill still love and care about you. And be zhere for you. So, forgive me if I am beingk selfish right now, but zhis is kind of important to me. And I vwant your honest answer…”

Applejack nodded slightly, prompting the stallion to continue.

“I love you, Applejack. Do you love me?”

Applejack took a moment to wipe the tears off of her face with a foreknee, before nodding with a sniffle. “A-Ah do… Ah Love you, Oliver. Honest.”

He nodded. “Zhen, please! Tell me vwhy! Vwhy did you leave?”

“Because I was afraid!!” Applejack blurted out to the sky. Visibly catching the stallion off guard.

Finally looking him in the face, the farmer met a dumbfounded stare. Begging for an explanation. She heaved a weighted breath of air, before looking to the graves. “Did Ah ever tell you how my parents died?”

Of course not. She didn’t need to look back to see his answer. She knew he didn’t know. “AB wasn’t even a year old yet when it happened. Pa rounded us all up in a wagon and took us to see some family down south of the forest. We all had such a good time that we didn’t realize how late it was until the sun was already startin’ to set. They asked us to stay the night… but we needed to be back in the orchard bright an’ early for harvest. We didn’t have a choice.

“Travelin’ the Everfree is pretty risky durin’ the day. We all knew that. But we’ve never run into trouble before, so we figured it was just going to be smooth sailin’ home, so long as we stuck to the path. But luck has a funny way of turnin’ sour when you’re least prepared for it.

“A pack of timberwolves attacked us on the way home. They tried gettin’ at me an’ the kin first, but Ma… she…”

Applejack shuddered and trembled at the ice cold memory, shrinking to the ground in the hopes that she might just disappear. Slowly, she felt Oliver come over and huddle up next to her, casting a hoof around her shoulders to try and comfort her.

In a way, it helped. She didn’t feel like she had to bear so much of the pain anymore.

“She got real torn up protecting us from their claws. Pa was quick to jump in an’ fight ‘em off. Ah wanted to help fight, too. Oh, Celestia, Ah wanted to help so bad… but Ma and Big Mac grabbed me an’ AB and ran for the end of the forest. Ran and ran… until finally, Ma just… just fell over. We were only yards from the end, Ah could see the clearing beyond the forest. Me an’ Big Mac tried getting her back up… but she was bleedin’ too much…”

A cold chill descended over the hill at that point, followed by a deathly silence. Oliver, for his part, was in utter shock. In all his years, he could have never imagined such a tragedy to endure. It soon became vaguely apparent what this was all really about. And nothing he could think of saying would help. So, instead, he just held the mare closer and tighter while she silently wept.

“The last memory Ah have of my parents… is Pa disappearin’ in the darkness… and Ma tellin’ me to run home… covered in her blood. Ah never saw them again after that…”

Oliver took a moment to rest his cheek against AJ’s, gently rubbing their heads together. “I’m so sorry, Jackie…”

Applejack was inches away from a complete emotional meltdown. Trembling uncontrollably while she tried to keep a leash on her sobbing. “Ah’ve always been afraid that it would happen again. That Ah would start my own family… just to lose it all in one cold night. For all my life, Ah had to push it all back and carry on the family business. Ah… had to be strong. Fight off every single reminder of the pain. Without knowing why.

“Bein’ with you helped me forget about everythin’. But, when you gave me that ring… it all just… Ah couldn’t…” Finally, Applejack’s limit had been broken. Strength and reserve were thrown to the wayside as she flopped over before the headstones. Crying hysterically. “Why!? Why couldn’t we have just stayed!? Why does it have to be like this!? Why!?”

Oliver watched on in silence for a while. The scene before him the most heart-wrenching and pathetic event he has ever experienced. The mare carried on in a tangent, though most everything she said at this point was garbled, drowned, and incomprehensible. Looking down and away to hide his own sadness, the stallion caught a glimpse of the rings he’d nearly forgotten about. Slowly, delicately, her scooped up the jewelry and placed them around his neck once more. A subtle glow reflecting off the polished metals.

Moving back over to the mare, Oliver laid across his belly to rest, gently pulling Applejack back into a tight embrace. As she cried, the stallion dipped into his childhood memories for a moment. Then he shut his eyes, and began to hum a tune he could vaguely remember. Starting off slowly and quietly, only getting to a decent level with mild confidence when the melody finally started coming back to him.

Minutes passed. Long, painful minutes that seemed to drag on for hours. While Oliver continued to hum an old, wordless bedside rhyme to the sorrowful mare. Over and over again, long after Applejack finally quelled down to mere sniffles and streams of tears. And with each repetition, her eyes fell heavier and heavier.

Lullay, dear child, goodnight angel, mine. Rest now, in Luna’s soft glow. Troubles give way to calm bliss now, I bid. And fears I shall tame on my own. Think not of sadness, of pain, nor of strife. And carry the warmth of love’s light. Angels, fly down and protect one more soul. Cast all guilt out far from this mind. And sleep well now, sweet child of mine.

Having remembered enough words to piece together a decent version of his childhood lullaby, the orange mare was finally cast off into a deep sleep. Seeing as he wasn't in a hurry to go anywhere anytime soon, Oliver lightly rested his head on top of hers and patiently waited for his own impending rest.

Author's Note

And thus finally ends the Applejack Arch! :3

I am sooooooo sorry this took so long, guys! But I hope the extra length makes up for it!

Lots of feels, lots of drama, a little bit of character-building here and there, and way the fuck too much work to edit and correct! @.@

20,481 words! There are too many words! Why are there so many words!? (now I just need a Don Knotts emote...)

Ah, but now for a little bit about the chapter. For those of you that don't follow my blog, this chapter took so long because of a couple of deaths that happened recently. My grandma and a close friend. The ladder of which I was there to experience first hand. Doesn't generate much desire to write a chapter that deals with death.

Now that most of the depressing shit is out of the way, I hope to continue to be able to update once every 2-3 weeks like I originally intended.

So, we finally get to see what it is that's been eating AJ alive all this time. And we also get a glimpse of how it affected Rainbow Dash.

Ugh, I thought I would have more to talk about, but I'm just too dog-shit-tired to thing straight right now. Kinda pulled an all-nighter to finally get this done. So, I really do hope you all like it, and comments are very highly encouraged. :3

A big shoutout to all my editors and contributors, you've all helped me out so so much! Skydrake, jardex22, Gold4tune, and holyme. My shit would not be half as good without all of the help you've given me. X3

Not sure what to do for next chapter. Probably going to do some focus on Twilight and Rainbow Dash individually, and a few others who have yet to get screen time. It's hard to say. Feel free to make suggestions.

Anyway, have a great day y'all, and as always, enjoy your read! ;3