Brothers and Sisters

Chapters

Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Epilogue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Canterlot

A long time ago, the Moon kept watch over Equestria’s night, while her sister, the Sun, protected the day. But the Moon was lonely, for though her night sky was full of stars, she had nopony to share them with. The Sun had created ponies to live on the earth below, but they slept through the beautiful night, preferring the brighter day.

If my sister has made ponies to bask in her days, thought the Moon, perhaps I could as well. And so the Moon descended from the heavens, taking the form of a pony. She wrapped herself in a coat made from the midnight sky, plucking stars to glitter in her mane.

She made her children in the image of her sister's ponies, weaving them forms from shadow and eyes from starlight. They lived peacefully together, revelling in the night.

But her children frightened the dayponies, who called out to the Sun. The Sun came down, a pony clad in blinding white, and confronted her sister. She accused the Moon of forging monsters that threatened her ponies. The Moon denied this, refusing to unmake her creations. The sisters fought, and the Sun prevailed, banishing the Moon back to the night sky. The Moon’s children were driven far away, to a land of frozen ice and snow where no one else dared venture.

And there they stayed, huddled close in the cold, watching the skies. Waiting for the day their mother would return to them…

… or so the stories went. It was one of several tales the Nycta had told amongst themselves for generations to strengthen their communal bonds. They were more than just an embattled people struggling for survival: they were brothers and sisters all, waiting for the return of their creator.

And then she had come back—as Nightmare Moon, no less. An unease had gripped the community as ponies petitioned Luna for answers, protested against Celestia, and reconsidered their worldviews.

But both Celestia and Luna had kept silent on the issue, and even though the initial burst of curiosity had settled, there was still a deep, simmering impatience for answers.

Many had turned to the Ascension of the Silver Moon seeking those answers.

Lucky still attended services when he could, but the question of whether or not Luna was their Mother Moon had long been settled in his mind. Others, like Comet, were still trying to find an answer that suited them. They tended to dance around the topic when it came up.

“Presenting The Reverend Snow Wing, Father of the Ascension of the Silver Moon, and his associates!”

A nyctan pegasus stepped through the door. He was old but sturdy, and he walked at a steady, deliberate pace. He was flanked by two ponies who kept half a step behind him. All three wore simple white linen robes, but Snow Wing’s was hemmed in silver. All three approached the podium and as one they bowed, their chins almost touching the ground.

“Rise,” said Luna. “Thou hast demonstrated the proper respect.”

“Your Highness,” said Snow Wing as he rose. “It is truly an honor to be in your presence.”

"We will not be flattered by mere words. State your business."

"Of course. During your exile, we have carried out your charge, doing our best to protect your night sky, and holding vigil in anticipation of your glorious return—"

"We were not merely exiled, Snow Wing. We were banished, and rightly so. Thou would do well to remember this."

Snow Wing bowed his head humbly. "Of course, Your Majesty. I merely meant to say that many of us are excited that you have returned to us, to guide us once more."

"We guide all of Equestria's subjects," said Luna sharply. "Not merely yourself and your brethren."

"I did not mean to suggest otherwise,” said Snow Wing with a quick bob of his head. “Nonetheless, we hope for your long and prosperous rule.”

Luna’s gaze was hard and unyielding as she continued to analyze the pegasus. “Proceed.”

“As you wish, Princess.” Snow Wing gestured to his assistants, who brought forward a large cart, covered with a large sheet, and a smaller cart, with several smaller bundles in it. He tugged the sheet off, revealing several bushels of apples, all a deep, rich purple.

“Our first gift to you, to commemorate your return, is a selection of our finest produce, reminders that even in the harshest of conditions life can still bloom.”

Luna reached out with her magic to pluck an apple from the basket, taking a small bite. She studied the apple as she turned the bite over on her tongue before finally swallowing it. “This apple hath a texture most pleasing, and a sweetness, yet there is a most unusual tartness to it.”

“Yes, Your Highness. It was once an unavoidable side-effect of adopting the the crop to its environment, but now stands as part of its uniqueness. A reminder,” added Snow Wing with a quiet smile, “that even imperfections can contribute to the beauty of a whole.”

Luna passed the rest of the apple to her assistant. “Be all of your produce so allegorical in nature?”

“Everything in life has something to teach us, Your Highness, if one is willing to keep an open mind. But to answer your question, no, not all of our lessons involve fruit.”

“Very well. We are quite certain the royal chefs will appreciate the chance to work with such a unique ingredient. Continue.”

Snow Wing bowed. “Of course.” One of the assistants removed a bundle from the second cart and carefully unwrapped it.

Underneath sat a small statue of Princess Luna, carved from shining silver. The statue’s wings were spread wide, and the statue gazed upward with two sapphire eyes, as if observing the princess’ indoor sky. The statue’s mane and tail were made from layers of fine gauze, embedded with a rainbow of small, precisely cut stones.

Luna descended from her throne to examine the statuette, gingerly lifting it in her magic to examine the details. “The craftspony who did create this piece hath a most remarkable eye for detail.” Her eyes narrowed as they traced over the outstretched wings. “Too fine an eye. Every feather upon this statuette is also upon Our royal wings. How come this to pass?”

Snow Wing’s expression drew reserved, and he paused to consider his words before speaking. “I cannot rightly say, Your Highness, except to remark that the silversmith who crafted this gift has an aptitude for fine details. Perhaps he saw a photograph or an old painting and recreated it from that?”

“We find this proposition doubtful.”

“I’m sorry, Your Highness.” Snow Wing bowed his head. “I did not think to ask too deeply into his process.”

Luna set the statuette down and turned towards the last bundle. “You would do well to remember that We do not condone idolatry. ‘Tis one of scarce few things that have not changed during Our exile.”

“Of course not,” said Snow Wing quickly, “and that is absolutely not the case. But can you fault any artisan for being drawn to such a fascinating subject as an alicorn, especially one with such a storied history?”

“A storied history? Quite.” Luna’s feathers rippled as she slowly stalked around the cart, circling the last package. It was a thick, rectangular slab, but the cloth hid any clues to its identity. “We are not completely ignorant of the tales of thy people. Tell Us, Snow Wing, how much faith dost thou place in these stories of thy beloved Mother Moon?”

Snow Wing shuffled his hooves as he took a calming breath. “The stories may not be literally true, Your Highness, but many have their roots in knowledge passed down from our ancestors, and serve as useful guides regardless.”

“So thou dost admit the stories are falsehoods?”

“I prefer to think of them as incomplete, Princess. Many of them do seem to have kernels of truth.”

Luna stopped in front of the cart again, still watching the last package. “And with a kernel of truth one may conjure any tale they wish.”

“I suppose there may be truth to that, but should you also not consider the character and the motives of those telling the tale?”

“Long have We considered the farce constructed from Our legacy, Snow Wing. But come now, present thy last gift.”

Snow Wing bowed his head. “With all due respect, Your Highness, I fear I have taken up too much of your time already. I wouldn’t want to overstay my welcome.”

“But thou hast traveled such a long way, Father. Whatever thou didst deem worthy of delivering over such a distance must be of some import. Moreso if, of these three gifts, it is both the smallest and the last.”

Lucky couldn’t see the last package from where he stood, but as he watched the pastor slowly turn to his associates, he couldn’t push out of his mind an itchy unease that had crept under his coat.

“Very well, Your Highness,” said Snow Wing, gesturing to his second assistant. The unicorn levitated the last bundle up into the air, slowly pulling away the sheet to reveal a thick, wood-bound tome, inscribed with the image of a silver crescent moon.

“Our book of stories,” started Snow Wing, “encompassing all of the lessons given to us—”

“Pray tell, Snow Wing. Who did give thee these lessons?”

Snow Wing bowed his head. “Our beloved Mother Moon, Princess.”

Luna settled back into her throne, looking down upon the priest. “A made—up mare.”

“A pity, then, that you and she were not one and the same.”

The princess nickered softly. “Thou has read a story too many, We think. After a thousand years your people remember nothing.”

“Then tell us, Princess.” Snow Wing turned from the cart and approached the podium again. “You and your sister have said so little about the events of a thousand years ago, yet our stories, the tale of the Mare in the Moon, and the few available historical records match up too well to be a coincidence. We just want to understand. You are just as our legends describe her, a maiden with a coat the color of midnight and a star-filled mane—”

“That is a lie!” Luna leaned forward, lips curled in disgust. “Thou worship’st naught but a foal’s bedtime tale. ‘Tis a fabrication! We shall not be made the object of thy adulation.”

Snow Wing bowed his head, just barely keeping his expression neutral. “If that will be your final answer, I will trouble you no more tonight, Princess. But I wonder, if our lies will not serve your ends, why you will not share the truth with us.” He slowly backed away from the podium and turned, his steps heavier and slower than when he entered. His assistants quickly bowed and followed him out.

The court attendants quickly ushered the carts into Luna’s private storage room, and the whispering of the audience quickly slipped into the silence left in the hall.

Luna’s attendant quietly cleared his throat. “Shall I—”

“Clear the hall.”

“I’m sorry? I don’t understand.”

“Is Our meaning not clear?” Luna gestured towards the court. “Remove these ponies from Our sight. We will see no more business this night.”

The attendant quickly bowed. “With all due respect, Your Highness, there are still a number of—”

“We care naught. Guards, clear the hall.” With a flicker of Luna’s horn, the canopy of stars collapsed, and Luna stormed to her office, the ringing of her hooves slamming against the marble filling the stunned silence.

Lucky and Comet exchanged a glance, and quickly descended down the steps, helping the other guards usher the watchers from the hall. The hall quickly emptied out, save for the guards and a smattering of castle staff.

Lily slipped into the room from the lobby, letting in a brief jumble of confused voices. “What in the name of Tartarus happened in here?”

“I think something Snow Wing said hit a nerve,” offered Lucky.

Comet only offered a noncommittal shrug.

“Great.” Lily massaged the bridge of her nose. “This is just what I need. Now I’ve got a whole lobby filled with some very confused and very upset ponies. You two—” she pointed to Lucky and Comet, “—are still on guard duty. Everyone else, with me! I want that crowd dispersed before someone starts stampeding.”

The rest of the guards left, and Lucky and Comet took up watch on either side of Luna’s office door.

* * * * * * *

Without any ponies to give the Night Court some semblance of life, its decor left it dreary and stifling. Lucky had been staring at the empty hall for half an hour now, only this time without the prospect of listening to solicitors to break up the monotony. The castle staff had long left, with the last being Luna’s aide, who had rushed unceremoniously away some time ago.

He gave his wings a slow flap, working out the joints one by one. “I don’t hear anything outside. I think they finally got everypony out.”

“Mmm. Probably. Lily’s good at clearing out a crowd.”

Lucky glanced over to Comet, who was staring pensively out one of the hall’s windows. “Something on your mind?”

Comet shrugged. “Stuff.”

“Yeah? Any stuff in particular.”

“I don’t feel like getting into it.”

“Fair enough.” Lucky lifted a foreleg and rolled the hoof around. “For what it’s worth, I thought she was Mother Moon at first, too.”

Letting out a long, slow sigh, Comet turned to Lucky. “Thanks. I guess tonight kind of cinches it, huh?”

“Kinda, yeah.”

“It’s just… The stories, you know? I mean, I know a lot of them are probably a little made up, but… It just matches up too well, you know?”

“No, I hear ya. I thought the same thing all of us were thinking. But then I saw how the Princess acted, and figured I was better off separating the two.”

“That’s all fine and good, but…” Comet ducked his head briefly to adjust a strap on his armor. “Where does that leave us? Mother Moon is the backbone of everything we learned as foals. If she’s not real…”

“Even if Luna isn’t Mother Moon, everything our ancestors did and passed down still matters, right? We watch out for clan and kin, just like we’ve always done.”

“I guess you’ve got a point, there.”

They both stood watch over the empty court a few moments longer before Comet spoke up again.

“Hey, Lucky, do you think—”

An anguished scream cut him off, followed by the creaking of wood. Both pegasi turned towards each other and then the office door.

“She could be in danger,” said Lucky.

“Mother Moon or not, what could bother an alicorn?”

Lucky was already rapping gently on the door. “She managed to foalnap Celestia. ‘Sides, we gotta be sure. Princess Luna? Are you okay in there?”

There was no answer except the splintering of wood.

“Princess? We’re coming in!” Lucky pushed the door open and peered around it into the office.

At one side sat an oaken desk. It was bare, with all of its contents swept onto the floor. Aside from a few chairs, there was nothing else in the room save another door across from the first. Lucky slipped in, quickly followed by Comet, and together they approached the second door.

Lucky raised a hoof to the door, when a faint tingle tickled at his forehead. He dropped to the floor just as a blade crashed through the door into the empty space his head had just occupied, showering him with splinters.

“Moon and stars!” Comet threw himself to one side of the door as Lucky scuttled to the other. “Lucky, you okay?”

Lucky flapped his wings, blowing the door shards off of himself. “Still breathing. I’m gonna look.”

Comet nodded his agreement, and both pairs of wings primed themselves for action as Lucky reached up and cracked open the door.

The storage room was in shambles. Shelves were overturned and sundered, and various broken knick knacks and curios littered the floor. Luna was in mid-rear, and as Lucky watched her hooves came crashing down to the ground, shattering a small pot. Lucky drew back as a shard flew out the door and loosely shut it again.

“Okay, unless she’s fighting an invisible gryphon or something, she’s just trashing the place.”

“Well, it’s all her stuff. It’s not like we have any right to stop her.”

“Yeah, but I’m worried what happens when she runs out of stuff to smash. Go find Lily. I think we need to get Celestia in here pronto.”

Comet shook his head. “And what, you’re going to stay here?”

“Well, you could stay here with an angry alicorn while I go get help. Either way I don’t think leaving her alone is a good idea.”

“Fine. Just try not to do anything stupid until I get back.” Comet leapt into the air, wings flapping furiously as he streaked into the hall.

“I’m reckless, not suicidal,” muttered Lucky as he backed away from the storage room’s door. The crashing sounds slowly subsided, and Lucky chanced another peek in.

Luna stood in the middle of the ravaged room, the silver statuette held in two pieces within her magical grasp. Her eyes were wide and wild, her breath coming in quick gulps.

“F-fool,” she muttered. “Ignorant, prideful fool. What didst thou expect a thousand years hence? To be welcomed with open arms? Those who do not fear thee worship thee as… as a savior. A messiah. Fools, all. Those who fear thee have the right of it.”

Luna dropped the body of the statuette and lifted the head up to meet its now one-eyed gaze. “Thou art naught but a monster most foul and despicable, unworthy of the adulation thou once didst seek.”

The door creaked, and Luna’s attention snapped towards it. “Who goes there?”

Lucky stepped out from behind the door frame, raising a hoof in salute. “It’s just me, Your Highness. I heard the racket, and thought I’d check to see that you were okay.”

Luna’s eyes narrowed as she studied the guard. “How much of this… ‘racket’ didst thou hear?”

“Well, there was all the crashing and banging… and the stuff that came after that.”

“Thou admit’st thou did eavesdrop on Our royal person!”

“I didn’t mean to, Princess. Look, it’s none of my business, but you should—”

Luna flung the statuette’s head aside, where it embedded itself into a stone wall. “We should what, pray tell? Thou would presume’st to lecture a Princess?”

Lucky’s eyes tracked the magically propelled statue head but quickly returned to Luna. “Princess or not, I know a pony in pain when I see one.”

“Thou art the selfsame stallion that did defy Our will this night past, is it not so?” Magic flared up the length of Luna’s horn, and the shrapnel around her hooves began to shift and rattle over the floor. “And now We find thy meddlesome presence in Our affairs once more. We had ways of dealing with disobedient currs such as thyself in Our time.”

Lucky quickly backpedaled into the office. “I’m only trying to help, Princess.”

“Thou art naught but a mere child!” The shreds and splinters at Luna’s hooves rose into a furiously swirling storm, circling the alicorn in an ever faster whirl of motion. “We need no succor from one such as thee.”

“It’s not a sign of weakness to ask for help, Princess.” Lucky kept edging back towards the hall.

“Silence!”

A bookshelf groaned in protest as it was suddenly wrenched into the air. Books and trinkets spilled from the few unbroken shelves, and Lucky tensed his wings, gauging the distance to the door in the back of his mind.

A clear voice rang through the small room. “Luna!”

Lucky looked over his shoulder to see Celestia standing in the office’s doorway, without her golden regalia. Her normal mask was stripped away, naked worry worn on her face. Lily and Comet stood behind and to either side, both turning alert as soon as they saw the stack of shelves hovering in the air.

Celestia stepped around Lucky, navigating the wreckage on the floor. “Luna, dear, we should talk.”

Luna casually discarded the shelves, throwing them aside without a look. “I do not need to talk, Sister. I will be taking in the night air. I do not wish to be followed.”

“Luna, clearly something is troubling you. Why don’t I draw up a nice pot of tea and we can talk?” Celestia searched Luna’s face, but the younger alicorn turned her head away.

“I will be taking in the night air. Please stand thee aside.”

“Luna—”

“Stand aside!” scowled Luna, her eyes flashing.

Celestia slowly shuffled to the side, bowing her head. “As you wish. But my door is always open to you.”

Luna pushed past Celestia and the guards. Once she was in the court proper she broke into a gallop. She leapt into the air and melted through the window, her body turning black and immaterial until she was on the other side. Luna flew off into the night sky, quickly vanishing from sight.

Letting out a tired sigh that sagged her shoulders, Celestia turned to face Lucky. “Are you injured?”

Lucky stopped brushing off his coat and snapped to attention. “No, ma’am. Just a little dusty.”

Celestia gave him a pained smile. “I’m glad you are unhurt, then.” She turned to the window Luna had leapt through. “I can count on you three to be discreet, correct?”

All three soldiers saluted. “Yes, ma’am!”

“Good. You are all dismissed.”

Lily and Comet headed towards the court’s entrance. Lucky stepped up to Celestia, who was staring at the window with the same faraway look he had seen earlier that night.

“Princess—”

“Private!” called Lily. “Get it in gear!”

Lucky waited. Celestia didn’t react to his presence, and finally he turned and headed for the door.

Manehattan

Lucky set down on a cloud and took in the view. He rarely traveled this far into Manehattan, but it wasn’t hard to mistake his destination.

Manehattan Academy lay before him. The campus was large and sprawling, with its buildings and fields spreading out over an entire city block. The school had multiple wings, providing continuing education for those students who would not leave for a more specialized institution. For a city where space was at a premium, its expanse said much to the wealth of its benefactors.

Students and parents congregated in the school’s main courtyard. Lucky’s hooves clenched at his perch as he watched; even from up here he could see all of the ponies dressed in either upscale clothing or the school’s uniform, and in moments he would have to go among them and put on a show of being respectable. Their respectable, not mine. Mine’s not good enough for them.

The uniform was just another form of constraint. The shirt and jacket tugged on his forelegs with every movement, and the tie felt too tight around his neck, no matter how often he adjusted it. The only solace he had was that his wings were unencumbered by his uniform, but without total body freedom it hardly seemed to matter.

The cloud bobbed slightly. He glanced to the side and then kept watching the crowds. “Hey. Took you long enough.”

“You fly a lot faster than I do, Lucky,” said Slip.

“Remember to wait up for your brother tomorrow, okay Lucky?” said Gale as she touched down.

Lucky rolled his eyes. “Yeah, Mom. I know. But you were flying with him. And I needed to stretch my wings. You wouldn’t let me out all morning.”

Gale gave Lucky’s slicked-down mane a pat. “And ruin your nice uniform? You both look handsome, by the way.”

“Thanks, Mom!” piped Slip.

Lucky just grumbled and flapped his wings to lift off the cloud.

“Lucky, wait.”

“I know, Mom. Pick Slip up after school.” Lucky turned in mid-hover to wave. “Bye, Mom. Bye, squirt.”

Lucky dove down towards the crowds below, circling around and making a short landing under the cover of a tree. Just act nonchalant, and nopony will notice you.

Repeating the mantra in his head, Lucky strode from the cover of his tree and into the thick crowd of students milling around. He headed purposefully to the front doors, keeping his gaze firmly ahead. But out of the corner of his eye he could see the heads of parent and child alike turning to watch him pass. Then there were the quiet murmurs: insults thinly veiled with ‘idle’ speculation and overly professed curiosity.

It was always the same.

Lucky was stopped at the entrance by a unicorn wearing a tweed jacket bearing the school’s crest. The teacher looked down the length of his muzzle at the colt, with his head tilted up as if trying to distance his nose from something foul.

“A-hem. I believe you’re in the wrong place, young stallion.”

“No, sir, I’m not.” Lucky pulled out his school schedule and showed it to the teacher. “See?”

The unicorn adjusted his glasses and peered suspiciously at the paper. “I see. So you are the one.”

Lucky put his schedule away. “Believe me, I’m not any happier about this than you are.”

“Pardon me?” The unicorn arched an eyebrow in a strangely menacing fashion.

He forced a smile. “My mother’s told me how prestigious your academy is. I can’t wait for my classes.”

“Hmm. Quite.” The stallion stood aside, and Lucky proceeded onward.

Just act nonchalant, and nopony will bother you.

At least the adults have tact, thought Lucky as he started searching for his first classroom. The students around him were openly pointing at his wings, and despite the cacophony of a crowded hallway he could still hear friends talking to each other about the ‘odd pony’ that now roamed their halls.

Lucky’s vision was suddenly filled with a scowling face. “Hey, get lost, batfreak.”

“Gee, haven’t heard that one before.” Lucky took a step back. “Hate to break it to you, this is my school now too.”

“Not for long,” said Stormcrasher. “And don’t think that just because you conned your way in here—”

“I didn’t con my way anywhere. You can ask the guy at the door.”

Stormcrasher snorted and stepped forward into Lucky’s personal space. “Your type doesn’t belong here, regardless.”

Lucky defiantly stood firm, staring Stormcrasher in the eye. “Look, I know we got off on the wrong hoof at the Guard picnic last year—”

“You humiliated me! You made me a laughingstock in front of everypony!”

“Look, would it help if I apologized? Because I’m sorry about that whole thing. Let’s let bygones be bygones, huh?” Lucky held a hoof up to shake.

The other colt snorted and whipped around. Lucky leaned back, letting Stormcrasher’s tail pass harmlessly by his face. A group of students—his posse, noted Lucky—followed the pegasus away.

Well, thought Lucky. That could’ve gone better. He plodded through the slowly-thinning hall of students.

A short, piebald teacher stepped into his path. “Excuse me, but your shades aren’t part of the dress code.”

“I need them to protect my eyes.” The colt lifted the shades just enough to show his slitted eyes, then slid them back into place. “They’re sensitive to sunlight.”

“Do you have a doctor’s note?”

“A doctor’s note? Why do I need that?”

The teacher cleared his throat and straightened his tie. “My goodness! If we let one student attempt to subvert our dress code, it could disrupt the orderly learning of every filly and colt here. Take those things off this instant and I won’t write you up.”

Lucky let out a deep breath through clenched teeth. “Sir, all nyctan ponies are photosensitive. It’s how we—”

“Not one more word, mister. I’d hate to make my first write-up so soon, but I will.”

“I’ll get a doctor’s note.” Lucky slipped his shades off and packed them safely away in his saddlebags. He squinted and waited for his eyes to adjust to the extra light.

“Very good.” The teacher smiled and started to walk away. “Have a pleasant first day, and I hope you enjoy your time at Manehattan Academy!”

“Oh, I’m sure it will be an experience, sir.” Lucky held the fake smile just long enough for the teacher to walk away, and then let a faint scowl crawl across his face.

In between the passing students, he caught the smug smirk of Stormcrasher. They made eye contact, and the other colt turned and disappeared into a classroom.

Lovely, thought Lucky. Class hasn’t even started and I’ve already made a friend! He checked the room number as he passed and suppressed a groan.

And we even have the same class together! Oh joy.

* * * * * * *

Lucky charged out onto the field. The morning’s classes had been about as dull as he had expected, but P.E. would let him spread his wings and display his skills for everypony to see. Not that he had anything to prove, of course.

He waited patiently through the expected stretching and warm-ups—all very important, of course—and couldn’t suppress a small smile as the students were finally split up and the flight instructor lead them up into the clouds over the field.

Lucky frowned as he looked over the course awaiting them. It was a typical pegasus flight course. A line of cloud rings marked out a simple path to follow, meant to measure basic flight capabilities and control. The rings continued and wrapped around a thermal in the middle of the course to test ascension and descension control. Finally, after exiting the thermal at the low point, there was a slalom underneath a series of gently raining clouds.

The pegasus colt craned his head around, but there was nothing but empty sky and clouds.

“Lucky Break! Let’s see what you can do.”

Lucky faced forward, flying over to the teacher, a stout pegasus mare. “On that obstacle course?”

“Yeah. Get your flank in gear.”

“Do you think we could tighten up some of the turns, or something?”

The teacher shook her head. “Listen, kid, I know you’re probably used to doing things differently, but I’ve got guidelines I have to follow.”

“I guess.” Lucky took his place on the starting cloud, pulling his tinted goggles into place. Well, if it isn’t challenging, I might as well have some fun with it.

The whistle sounded out, and Lucky took off, flapping his wings furiously. He dove to gain speed, then pulled up sharply, grinning as he felt the pull of the wind against his wings, flowing around his body and through his legs. The first ring shot past and he banked left, turning almost vertical and forcing himself ‘down’ as he skimmed the inside of the rings. He tapped the inside of each ring with a hoof, pantomiming a sideways gallop across the side of the ring tunnel.

The rings banked left and he let himself travel forward, aiming outside of the turn. With a quick twist he inverted, turning his body below the horizontal plane. Lucky let out a loud whoop as the world spun wildly around him. Now turned to the right, he slithered around the outside of the next ring, diving across the course’s turn to skirt the inside of the next ring in the sequence.

He danced around the edges of the rings until they started to bank right, and slipped back inside, driving hard to whip around the turn. The rings led upwards, the hot updraft of a thermal brushing against his side.

He grinned and dove out of the flight path into the center of the thermal. I’d like to see a daypony do this! A full extension of his wings halted his progress as the thermal pushed against him. The stretchy membranes of his wings filled with hot air and he rocketed upwards, soaring higher until he shot past the topmost ring.

He couldn’t help but smile. With the roar of the wind in his ears, and the wind blowing through his mane and coat, it was almost enough to put everything out of his mind but the flying.

And he owned the sky. The meran pegasi could keep their feathers. They’d never know the sky like he did. His wings were alive, and they could feel every tug and pull of the wind, every subtle variation in the air flowing across the skin. His wingbones let him flex and twist his wings in any way he could imagine, and with a thousand tiny adjustments every moment he could steer the wind in any direction he wanted.

Let them keep their feathers. He’d keep the sky.

He leaned back, watching the ground spread out above him. His body sailed out of the thermal, looping back around towards the topmost ring and diving through, circling around through the chilly downdraft wrapped around the thermal in a tightly controlled but breakneck dive, hitting every ring until he shot out towards the slalom and the last part of the course.

Lucky steered towards the first slalom gate. Rain fell him from above, peppering him with tiny droplets of cold.

The back of his neck crawled. He threw himself to the side just as a single bolt of lightning lanced past his stomach, singeing a single stripe across his belly. He spun out of control, stopping well clear of the clouds hanging over the slalom gates.

Live lightning? Not even my school uses that. Lucky glanced upwards and spotted a mane and wing sticking out over the clouds. Figures. Stormcrasher and his goons.

In the distance a shrill whistle cut through the air, but Lucky pushed it out of mind.

“Alright, Stormcrasher! You wanna do this? I’ll show you why they call me Lucky!”

Lucky dashed forward through the first gate. He swerved wide past a set of lighting bolts, letting them strike at empty air. He flew wide, sweeping around through the second gate at a wide angle, pumping his wings to make up speed.

He streaked through the third gate, a final lightning bolt cutting through the empty space behind him. Lucky shot past the finish line, letting his speed bleed off as he circled back towards the course.

Stormcrasher and his friends were trying to dart away from the still-thundering clouds, but the teacher was already upon them, blowing her whistle.

“You lot! Detention, all of you!”

“It was just a little harmless prank,” said Stormcrasher. “I didn’t think he’d be crazy enough to try and fly through that!”

“I don’t care. I will not have you endangering other students. Now get to the ground. You’re sitting class out today.”

The colts started to descend. Lucky flew over them and paused.

“Hey, Stormcrasher!”

Stormcrasher stopped, glaring up at the other pegasus.

“Just so you know? I got my cutie mark for flying in a thunderstorm. Thanks for the practice!” Lucky slapped his cutie mark for emphasis.

“Why you—” Stormcrasher started to ascend, but another colt pulled him back, and lead him back to the ground.

The teacher turned to Lucky. “As for you. I expect you to put your safety above your desire for hotdogging next time. Your life is worth more than your reputation. If you pull a stunt like that again I’ll give you detention too. Are we clear?”

Lucky rubbed at the back of his neck. “Heh. Right, of course. I understand.”

“Good. And next time I expect you to fly the course as intended so I can get an accurate assessment of your skills. Nice moves, though. I’ll see what we can do about challenging you more. Get with the rest of the class.”

Lucky sat down on the edge of the cloud platform where the class was waiting, and frowned as he examined his stomach. He ran a hoof through his coat, and several black flakes broke free. Needs a little snip, but not too bad. Could’ve been worse.

“Was what you said really true?” asked a soft voice.

Lucky didn’t look up. He kept brushing away charred pieces of fur. “Was what true?”

“About getting your cutie mark in a thunderstorm?”

He looked up. Standing well out of hoof’s reach was a filly with a soft red mane. She regarded him with curious green eyes, and smiled warmly when Lucky looked her way.

Lucky shrugged and went back to picking at his fur. “Yeah, it’s true.”

The filly took a step forward. “Your flying is very impressive, Lucky Break. I’m Rose Lark, and I just wanted to welcome you to our school.”

“Look, you can stop with this.”

“‘This’? I’m not sure what you mean.”

“This whole ‘making friends’ thing.” Lucky stood up and started to stretch.

Rose’s face grew tight with concern. “But I just wanted to apologize for how Stormcrasher acted, and let you know that not all of us are like that.”

Lucky bent his spine, flexing until it popped. “Look, I’m sure you’re nice, but I’m not here to make friends. I’m just here to wait out the year so I can go to flight school. And it’s going to be better for you if you’re not seen hanging out with somepony like me. And if you’re looking for a pity case, keep looking.”

The filly stomped her hoof. It sunk into the cloud, and she hastily pulled it free. “I don’t think you’re a pity case at all!”

“Maybe you don’t, but some ponies do.” Lucky lowered himself to the ground, and started pushing himself up with his wings.

“But not everypony. I don’t.”

The colt stayed focused on the cloud beneath him. “If you mean that, then thanks. But it’s still better if you don’t get involved with me. Ponies like Stormcrasher will give you nothing but grief for it.”

Rose slowly stepped closer, and sat down in front of Lucky. “That’s my choice to make, Lucky Break.”

The nyctan colt pushed up with extra effort, catching his hooves under his forebody and standing once more. “And it’s my choice not to talk to you, Rose Lark.”

Lucky lifted himself up into the air and set down on another cloud.

It’s better for everypony this way, he told himself. Better if I just slide through without bothering anypony.

* * * * * * *

Lucky stared at the dining hall. The tables were nicer, and the food seemed a bit more pretentious than in his old school, but the chatter and noise was familiar. He surveyed the room. There were only colts and fillies near his age; the younger foals had their own dining hall in their wing of the school.

At least I don’t have to worry about my brother at lunch, he thought to himself as he slowly flew through the dining hall.

He already had a tray loaded up with food; even now there was a tantalizing mix of aromas drifting past his nose as he searched for an open seat.

Over to his left, several chairs were ‘mysteriously’ pushed inward. To his right, he could see a saddlebag hastily pushed onto a chair, or a hindleg hooked around a chair leg.

In every direction he saw the looks: the suspicious stares or the outright contempt.

Don’t know why I expected anything different… Screw this.

With a quick flap he swooped through a window, ignoring the shouted protests of a teacher as he ascended into the afternoon sky and found an empty cloud to sit on.

They want to treat me like a freak? Fine then. I don’t need ‘em.

Rose lowered her hoof as she watched Lucky fly out the window. “Never mind, I guess.”

“Rose, whom were you waving to?” asked a filly at her table.

“I was waving to… Oh, I suppose it doesn’t matter now.”

Chapter 4

Canterlot

The train station was always a hub of activity: visiting tourists, dignitaries, and businessponies all made their way through Canterlot’s train depot. It had expanded rapidly since its construction, adding tracks as new rail lines were rapidly constructed to connect more of Equestria together. Canterlot’s architectural style had crept into the station, with flourishing touches like marble pillars contrasting against the station’s rustic brick interior.

Lucky covered his mouth with a wing as he yawned, waiting. A late night, long debriefing, and early obligations all added up to a morning lacking in sleep, although he had managed a few solid hours. Blizz lay next to him, the wolfdog curled up peacefully amidst the hustle and bustle.

Lucky smiled and reached out to pet the dog's side. "You can sleep anywhere, can't you boy?"

Blizz's only response was a twitch of his tail.

At least escort duty should be simple today. Celestia will be around, and that should keep things on track. A speech and some fanfare and I can get away to grab a quick nap, and still have plenty of time to spend with Mom and Dad.

Lucky glanced at the station’s clock tower. The wrought-iron arms ticked over to 9 o’clock exactly. Blizz's nose twitched, and he sat up with a loud bark.

A voice called out of the crowd. “Lucky!”

The pegasus smiled and sat up. His mother approached, wearing the exact same smile for him as when he had left home. Lucky cantered forward and threw his forelegs around her. “Hey, Mom.”

Evengale returned the hug. “Hello, dear. It's so good to see you.”

Blizz ran up and barked, hopping up on the mare with his tail wagging.

"It's good to see you too, Blizz." Gale let go of the hug to pet the dog, and stepped back. "Let me get a good look at both of you."

Lucky stepped back with a silly grin, standing up tall and puffing his chest out. He stretched his wings for a moment, posing with them in mid-flap. Beside him, Blizz matched his master's pose, punctuated with a loud bark.

“Look at you.” Evengale held her soon at leg's length and looked him up and down. “All grown up and you turned into a fine-looking stallion to boot. I see the Guard hasn’t been too rough on you.” To Blizz she gave a chin scratch. "And you look handsome as well."

Blizz responded with a tail wag and a pleased growl.

Lucky rolled his eyes while wearing the same grin. “Hey, after surviving basic, walking down hallways and standing still is a piece of cake.”

“I hope that’s not all you do,” added a deep voice. “I’d hate to think we spent all that money on a fancy Cloudsdale school so you could stand for a living.”

Lucky laughed and turned to wrap his father in a hug. Jetstream was still the same: Broad-chested, impeccably white coat, and the poster boy for a Royal Guard recruitment poster. A cart stacked with luggage was hitched up behind him.

“Hey, standing’s just the work. If I ain’t flyin’, I’m dyin’.”

Jetstream laughed and gave his son a crushing embrace, and then stepped back to greet an enthusiastic Blizz. “That’s my boy. You making waves in the Night Guard yet?”

"Eh…" Lucky scratched at the back of his neck. "Not really. Lots of patrol and escort work. Nothing to write home about."

"Oh, have either of you checked the train schedules?" asked Gale, hovering just over head height and scanning the crowd. "Slip was supposed to get in right after us, but I don't see him yet."

Lucky sighed and fetched the letter from his bag. "Yeah, about that. He's not coming."

"Oh, dear. Is everything alright?" Gale landed and inspected the letter.

"Yeah, yeah. He's not sick or hurt or anything. But he's helping a professor with this research project that's having some trouble, so…" Lucky shrugged. "You know. It's a good opportunity for him. I'm glad he's taking it."

“Sorry, kiddo.” Jetstream placed a hoof on his Lucky's shoulder. “I know how much you were looking forward to getting everyone together in one place again. We all were.”

Lucky shrugged softly. "Yeah, but he said he'd try to make it by in a week or two." Lucky tapped his hoof on the ground excitedly. "Hey, you know, Cloudsdale isn't that far. You guys should take a day or two and drop in on him. I'm sure he'd love that."

“You know, you’re right, it’s not that far,” said Evengale thoughtfully. “We could get there and back in a day if we wanted to. And it’s been a while since I’ve visited Cloudsdale.”

“I’m game. Lucky, you could come with us.”

“Normally I’d love to, but-” Lucky quickly stifled a yawn with a hoof. “We’ll see if I can stay caught up on sleep.”

“Honey, if you need to get some more rest—”

Lucky waved off the concern with a hoof. “Oh, don’t worry about it. Late night at work last night. Princess Luna held court and… it turned into a long story. I’ll be fine. I’ll catch a nap after the festival and I’ll be good.”

“Festival?”

“Oh, right. Apparently they have this festival for Hearth’s Warming in the castle courtyard. You guys should go. Both princesses are going to make an appearance this year. I got tapped to be Luna’s escort, but we’ll still have plenty of time to spend together after that.”

“That sounds lovely.” Evengale turned to Jetstream. “What do you think, dear?”

"That sounds great. Let's try that."

The three ponies and their dog set off down the busy street, laughing and chatting as they caught each other up on the year's news.

* * * * * * *

A short while later, Lucky stepped into the briefing room, outfitted in his armor. He dodged out of the way of a harried messenger, turning to Lily and Comet, who were having a hushed discussion around a table.

“Hey, guys. What’s going on? I heard something about them not needing us?”

“Luna’s missing,” said Comet, kicking halfheartedly at a chair. “Which means we’re not in the procession, which means I got up early for nothing.”

“Tell me you’re joking.”

“It’s no joke, Lucky,” said Lily. “She never returned from her ‘walk’ last night. Stand down and go home.”

Lucky shook his head. “Come on, it’s not like she’s really missing. We know where she is. Mostly.”

“All we saw was her flying in the direction of Mount Canter,” said Comet. “There’s no guarantee she’s still there or hasn’t flown somewhere else already.”

"Okay, so, what's Princess Celestia said about this? Is anybody looking for Luna?" Lucky flew over to an area map hanging on the wall, studying the mountain region.

"She's appearing at the festival by herself," said Lily. "And she doesn't want word of this getting out and causing a panic in the populace."

Lucky turned to Lily. "So she hasn't sent anybody to search for Luna?"

Lily shook her head. "Negative."

Turning back to the map, Lucky tried to hide a small grin. "Bet she hasn't said not to look for her, either."

"Can you diagram that sentence?" asked Comet.

"Don't tell me…" Lily stomped over to Lucky and knocked hard on the top of his head. "Hey. She almost flattened you last night. You really wanna give her a second shot?"

"Better me than some defenseless servant."

Lily fell back on her haunches, rubbing the bridge of her muzzle. "You realize there's a million things wrong with this idea, right?"

"Yeah, I know, but look…" Lucky glanced sidelong at Comet before dropping his voice. "Look, she needs help. I can't walk away from this without at least trying."

Lily let her hoof drop, and looked at Lucky with a stare underlined by a few bags of sleeplessness. "Okay, if you're dead set on this, I'll let you go. But only if Comet goes with you."

"Hey, what're you dragging me into this for?"

"Safety. I'm not about to send one person into the mountainous terrain solo." Lily sighed. "This isn't an order, since it's not an official search. But we're at least going to follow basic safety procedures."

Comet slumped back in his chair, forelegs folded over his chest as he stewed. "So you’re asking for a volunteer.”

“Look, I don’t expect it to make a lot of sense to you, but I have to try and find her,” said Lucky. “But I’d really appreciate your help with this.”

“Fine, but only because Lily’s asking too.”

"Thanks, Comet." Lily gave Comet a small smile. "I appreciate it."

"Yeah, yeah. You both owe me a drink for this." Comet took off from his chair and landed by the door. "Let's get this over with."

"Alright." Lucky started to move, but Lily's firm hoof on his shoulder stopped him.

"Hey. I meant what I said about safety. Don't take any unnecessary risks." She gave Lucky's helmeted forehead a hard knock. "And don't do anything to embarrass me out there."

"You can count on us."

* * * * * * *

Mount Canter jutted into the sky, casting its namesake city in shadow. More than a simple mountain, it provided defense, minerals and ore, runoff water, and plenty of cold fronts to harvest for the weather.

It also had a pretty nice view.

The freezing air nipped at Lucky’s coat as he cruised over the rocky terrain. The two guards were high up—Lucky estimated that they were well above even Cloudsdale's average altitude—but they were still in the safe range for unassisted flight.

The two pegasi roamed over the mountain's terrain, slowly working their way upwards. There had been little talk, their breath best saved for gaining altitude. After completing a climb, Comet swooped in close while they made another pass of the mountain.

"So, Lucky, got a question for you."

Lucky squinted as he scanned the landscape, trying to keep the excess sunlight out of his eyes. "Shoot."

"What happened to all that 'respect must be earned' stuff you were giving me two nights ago?"

"Huh? That hasn't changed."

Comet reached out to jab Lucky's side, and the other pegasus quickly veered away. "Come on. Two nights ago you were calling her a spoiled brat."

Lucky jerked his head up and started to climb, and Comet matched his ascent. "Yeah. So?"

"So this morning you wandered into the room with her while she was smashing everything up, and now we're on a wild goose chase for… why are we doing this?"

Lucky shrugged. "She looks like she needs help. That's about all there is to it."

"That mean you respect her now?"

"No. It just means… I think she needs help. They're not mutually exclusive."

"They're not, huh?"

"Sure." Lucky kept facing forward, schooling his face to suppress a grin. "I'd help you if you needed it."

"Hey!" Comet swung wildly at Lucky. "You saying you don't respect me?"

Lucky wheeled out of the way, laughing as he let the waiting grin out. "No, I just think you need a lot of help."

"Ha, ha. Very funny."

They climbed up over a ridge, and on a rocky outcropping the missing alicorn princess paced furiously, surrounded by a tangled mess of hoofprints. Lucky gestured to Comet, and both pegasi touched down.

A sharp hit stung at Lucky's foreleg.

Lucky rubbed his leg and turned to Comet with a flat stare.

Comet silently jerked his head in Luna's direction.

Rolling his eyes, Lucky stepped forward and cleared his throat. "Princess? Do you need any assistance?"

Luna stopped in her tracks, her mane blowing past her as she trained a hard stare on Lucky. "Nay."

"Would you like an escort back to the castle?"

"Nay." Luna resumed her pacing.

Great. All those drills and they don't have a protocol for dealing with a moody alicorn. Figures. Lucky glanced back to Comet, who only shrugged in reply.

Lucky weighed his options for a moment, watching Luna travel back and forth, muttering to herself in an old tongue he didn't understand.

Here goes nothing. "Princess, what's wrong? I know you're scared, but please, let me help—"

"Scared?"

Luna turned a gimlet eye to Lucky. “Scared?” Her voice rose in pitch, echoing off the mountainside as her nose crinkled with disgust. “Scared?!” An angry swirl of clouds sprouted above the cliff, quick, harsh winds swirling around the two ponies. Two bolts of lightning struck on either side of the princess, casting her in sharp relief as she slowly turned, fixing a piercing glare on the guard. “Think me a witless foal or a mewling kitten?!” Slowly she advanced, head held high with regal posture, her voice echoing in the rumbling thunder as the storm overhead grew darker and more twisted.

“I have commanded armies and won wars. I have strode into the heart of battle wielding naught but hoof, wing and spell. I have turned armies with my very presence! Dost thou think thou knowest of fear?” said Luna with a sneer. She towered over Lucky now, and the guard kept his gaze matched with hers.

“Thou art but a child. What couldst thou know of fear?” Luna leaned in, her hot breath washing over Lucky’s face. “The pony of today is a weak and indolent thing. Pampered and coddled, spoiled by prosperity. You want for nothing, and you do not know fear. Flee, tiny mortal, lest We become of a mind to instruct thee.”

"C'mon, Lucky," said Comet, already spreading his wings for takeoff. "Maybe we should—"

Lucky held out a wing to cut Comet off. His heart hammered in his chest, but he willed it to remain steady, holding the furious gaze of the alicorn.

"I won't run, Princess. Because you are scared."

Luna snorted, but Lucky pressed on.

"You're scared of yourself and the things you've done. All this yelling is just you trying to hide your real feelings, but I know that trick, and it won't—"

"Silence!" Luna reared back, her forehooves wheeling madly in the air. Her eyes and horn grew ablaze with crackling blue energy. A bolt leapt from her horn into the storm above, crawling along its surface.

The hairs on Lucky's ears prickled with static. A thunderbolt crashed down inches from his face, flooding the area with light. He turned his head, but the flash burned through his eyelids. Heat and the stench of burnt ozone washed over him.

Lucky threw himself sideways just as Luna's hooves smashed into the ground. The princess' strike sent tremors rumbling through the ground, causing a pile of rocks to clatter down the mountainside. Lucky rolled across his back, springing back up on all fours in a mostly-steady stance.

"Lucky! Hang on!" Comet stepped forward, sprinting forward with a flap of his wings.

Luna stalked closer to Lucky, a shimmering field of light springing up between her and Comet. "What now, child? Must We make an example of you both?" She glanced over her shoulder to Comet, who was pounding at the barrier. "Will thou defy Our will?"

Comet stepped back and looked between Luna and Lucky, then slowly shook his head. "I don't want to, Your Majesty, but this is getting out of hoof. Let me take Lucky out of here, and I promise we'll leave you alone."

"Stay out of this!" shouted Lucky as he slowly backed away from Luna's voice. He blinked rapidly, trying to clear his vision. The world was still washed out, but he could barely see sky and earth now. "I can handle this!"

"Thy compatriot possesseth more sense than thee. Thou art a fool, and We will tolerate no further insolence." Luna's horn lit up, and in a brilliant flash of light, she vanished. The swirling clouds overhead broke up and drifted apart.

Comet rushed to Lucky's side. "C'mon. Let me take a look at your eyes."

Lucky held Comet at bay with a hoof. "My eyes will be fine. What did you do that for?"

"That's a funny way of saying 'thank you.'"

"I didn't need any help. She wasn't going to hurt me. Not much, anyway."

"Oh yeah. Stomping your skull in is just her way of saying ‘hello.’" Comet waved a hoof in front of Lucky's face. "You still can't see, can you?"

Lucky blindly swatted at Comet's hoof. "It's coming back. I'll be fine. Did you see how badly she telegraphed that blow? And she didn't even aim that lightning strike at me. She was just trying to scare us off."

"Yeah, well, it looked plenty real from where I was standing."

"A bluff doesn't work if you can't sell it." Lucky took a few halting steps towards the edge of the summit.

"C'mon. Let's get you to a medic, and then we'll talk to the sarge." Comet pulled Lucky's foreleg over his withers. Lucky resisted briefly, then let the other pegasus guide him to the edge of the cliff and back to Canterlot.

Manehattan

The final bell rang and students flooded the hallway. Lucky took off, flying over the heads of the other students while ignoring the shouted warnings of a teacher. He headed for the lower-grade wings, where his brother would be waiting for him.

He pushed through a doorway, and smiled as the sky opened up before him.

A pegasus leapt up into his path. “Wait! Can we talk?”

Lucky braked to a halt, and raised a skeptical eyebrow. “What is it?”

The pegasus filly's mane was soft and golden, flowing off of her shoulders in large curls. “You’re Lucky Break, right?”

“Yeah. Did the wings give it away?”

“I’m Golden Gust. But you can call me Goldie.” She flashed a coy smile. “I heard you did some pretty fancy flying earlier.”

“Is there a point?”

Goldie drifted closer, her bright blue eyes staring deeply into his own. “Not everyone stands up to Stormcrasher like that. I have to admit, you leave me… curious.”

Lucky quickly back-flapped to put some space between them. “Curious? That it?”

“Mmhmm. And those ears of yours are kind of cute too.” Goldie traced a hoof slowly over the tufts on his ears, leaning in close again.

Lucky jerked his head back, drawing back again. “Hey, hooves off. I’m not some pet or sideshow for you to gawk over.”

Goldie laughed, a light and airy sound, yet devoid of mirth. “Oh come now, don’t be that way. I just want to get to know you better.”

“Yeah, I’m sure. I’m not interested, Goldie.” Lucky glanced around. A crowd was gathering, and he thought he spotted a familiar patch of gray through the onlookers.

“Am I not good enough to hold your attention?” asked Goldie, leaning close again. Her gaze flickered to something in the distance but then back to him.

Lucky snorted and rolled his eyes. “Actually, you’re really not. I’ve gotta fly.”

A shadow fell upon them, and the filly suddenly leapt back. Lucky’s vision was engulfed by a thick and sudden coldness, slimy tendrils crawling through his mane and fur. A ripple of laughter traveled through the crowd.

He shivered as it slithered down the back of his shirt, and reached up to wipe the substance from his eyes. The scent of chocolate overwhelmed his senses. “Pudding? Is this pudding?”

Goldie leaned in close, her smile sharp and predatory. “A gift, Lucky Break. From Stormcrasher. Enjoy.”

Lucky sneezed, spraying pudding on the ground. He turned, making a beeline for the doors. Two colts-Stormcrasher’s goons-barred the way.

“Can’t let you get pudding all over the nice clean floor, now.”

“Imagine what would happen if someone tripped on it.”

Lucky stared flatly at the two colts. He dipped his hoof into his pudding-covered mane and brandished it wildly, slowly advancing on the two colts blocking the door. “Let me in, or I’ll get your uniforms dirty.”

The two colts recoiled, and Lucky pressed forward, stabbing at the air. They skittered away from the door and he wrenched it open, stomping through the halls. The hallway crowds parted before him; whispers and stares followed in his wake.

* * * * * * *

Lucky fumed as he fought with the bathroom’s impossibly small sink. It was enough to politely wash one’s hooves with, but suited to little else.

It was definitely not equipped to handle the remains of an entire bowl of pudding.

The bathroom was a mess. The marble countertops, tile floors, and even a bit of the mirror were all covered in varying amounts of chocolate dessert. One sink was hopelessly clogged, and Lucky had moved onto the second, hoping to finish before it became unusable.

He hoped he had enough paper towels to finish the task; like the sinks, they were thin and suited to the task of polite hoof-washing, not pudding removal. The bathroom had started with a generous supply, but most of it was crammed into the wastebasket or strewn on the counter.

“Lucky Break? Are you in here?”

Lucky tilted an ear to the ground and concentrated on it. He sincerely hoped that wasn’t the trickle of pudding he felt, but he couldn’t be sure. Despite removing the worst of it, he still felt… squirmy. The dessert matting the fur underneath his shirt didn’t help matters.

“I’m busy!”

Rose stuck her head into the door. “I know. I brought you some towels. I thought you might need them.” She trotted in, carefully minding the pudding on the floor, and placed a small stack of thick, fluffy white towels on the counter.

“Huh. Thanks.” Lucky grabbed the top one and quickly toweled off the rest of the pudding he could reach. “Where’d you get these?”

“Nurse’s office. They keep the really good towels there. There’s some in the locker rooms too.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Lucky said dryly.

Rose found a clean patch of floor and carefully sat. “Lucky Break, I’m so sorry. If I’d known, I could’ve warned you—”

“Lucky.”

The filly watched Lucky curiously. “I’m sorry?”

“Call me Lucky.”

“Oh! I see.” Rose smiled. “Well then. Pleased to meet you, Lucky.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Lucky ran a dampened towel through his mane. “Don’t get any ideas. I still don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be seen with me.”

Rose’s ears fell. “Ah, I see.”

“But, uh… Thanks for the towels. I mean it. They’re helping.” Lucky looked at the filly’s reflection and gave her a small smile.

Rose smiled again. “You’re quite welcome, Lucky. But how did you get under Stormcrasher’s skin like that?”

Lucky shrugged and dampened a towel, using it to wipe the rest of his coat. “Oh, it was this stupid thing at the Guard picnic last year. He bumped me out of a line, I knocked his food on the ground, he chased me…” The recollection brought a grin to his face. “I outmaneuvered him and got him to crash into the mud pit for the tug-of-war. He looked ridiculous.”

“Oh my…” Rose quickly covered her mouth to stifle a laugh. “I can’t imagine he was too happy about that.”

“Yeah, well… Turns out he can hold a grudge.” Lucky quickly dried off his head and inspected the mirror. It wasn’t perfect, and he definitely still needed a shower and a brush, but he could at least make it home without dripping pudding everywhere.

He surveyed the room next. “I really should clean this up, but I’m running late as it is.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it. We have a cleaning staff, after all.”

The colt stepped carefully to the window, sliding it open. “Yeah, well, I like taking care of my messes myself. Take care.” He slipped out the window and hurried to meet his brother.

Rose waved. “You too!”

* * * * * * *

“Pudding? That must’ve been a pain to get out.” Lily snagged another roll and tossed it in her mouth.

“Yeah. Got the damn stuff in my ears. I swear I can still hear chocolate.” Lucky tapped the side of his head.

Lucky and his friends were gathered in his family’s living room. Lucky had spent the morning keeping watch over the house by himself, but having his friends around helped relieve the boredom.

“Perhaps, once the novelty wears off, they will simply leave you alone,” offered Glimpse as he read through his textbook.

“Yeah, I kind of doubt it. Stormcrasher seems like he has an axe to grind.” Lucky held up his book, studying a diagram.

“So what’s the plan?” asked Lily.

“What makes you think I have a plan?”

“You always have a plan.”

Lucky grinned. “Well, I have an idea. It’s not a plan yet.”

Lily rubbed her hooves together excitedly. “I can’t wait to do this. We’ll show him what the Nycta are made of.”

“I don’t know, guys…” Glimpse set his book down. “What if this just starts a cycle of retaliation?”

“Come on, Glimpse. Please? I really need your help on this.” Lucky got up and threw a foreleg over the other colt’s shoulders. “I’m gonna need your knowledge and expertise for this too.”

Glimpse tensed and quickly looked away. “I can’t help but think this will get out of hoof somehow…”

“I just need to do one big thing to convince them it’s not worth picking on me,” insisted Lucky. “To show them I’m not a pushover. Please? Do it for me? I’ll owe you one.”

The unicorn slowly sighed, hanging his head. “Okay, but only because it’s you asking.”

Lucky gave Glimpse a squeeze. “Thanks, buddy.” He dragged his textbook over to himself. “Now, can you explain this math problem one more time?”

* * * * * * *

Lucky did his best to stifle a yawn as he stared at the blackboard. The air was unseasonably muggy, thanks to the need for one more day of prep work for the autumn season. He glanced around as the other students filed into the classroom, noticing more than a few expressions of heat-induced stupor.

It had been three days since the pudding incident. Lucky had washed all of the pudding out of his coat the first day, but it had taken several days of hard scrubbing just to be sure.

More infuriating, however, had been the smug stares of Stormcrasher and his fillyfriend, Goldie. It ignited a slowly burning fury in the back of his head.

But two could play at Stormcrasher’s game.

Stormcrasher strode into the classroom with one of his flunkies. They had their heads together, holding a private conversation.

“Hey, Stormcrasher.”

The two ponies froze, and Stormcrasher fixed a withering glare at Lucky. “What is it?”

Lucky put on an easy smile and shrugged. “Nothing. Just had an interesting piece of trivia for you.”

Stormcrasher snorted and kept walking, moving to his desk. His friend sat beside him, and they resumed their conversation.

“The juice of a red-shelled stinkbug,” continued Lucky to nobody in particular, “has a lot of interesting uses.”

More students were filing in, as well as the teacher, who was setting up at the head of the classroom.

“For instance, it can be used as in perfumes and other aromatic substances, as long as you’re careful to neutralize the original smell.”

Lucky faced the front of the classroom, but watched Stormcrasher out of the corner of his eye. The other colt kept looking his way, despite doing his best not to. So were several other students.

“Of course, if you’re not careful, when it dries, it lets off the original stench.”

The colt hid a half-smile as he watched Stormcrasher’s head jerk up. The noblecolt leapt out of his seat.

“Sit down, Mister Stormcrasher. We are beginning class,” admonished the teacher.

Stormcrasher sat, and Lucky watched as he shared a few heated whispers with his cohort. The whispering quickly died down as the teacher began his lecture, but Lucky could feel the other colt’s gaze on him for the rest of class.

* * * * * * *

Lucky grunted as Stormcrasher’s goon shoved him against the wall. They were nominally out of sight underneath a stairwell; Lucky was sure that many of the students would conveniently ‘not see’ what was going on.

“What did you do, freak?!” demanded Stormcrasher.

“What did I do?” Lucky grinned. “Well, I woke up at midnight, had breakfast, did some studying, played with my pet dog some. We’re working on a pretty cool trick—”

The goon shoved Lucky against the wall again, and the nyctan colt just laughed softly.

“What did you do to my girlfriend’s mane?”

Lucky shrugged. “Oh, I didn’t do anything to her mane.” He ducked underneath another shove and slipped to the side, slowly circling around the two ponies. “I can’t be held responsible if Goldie goes around accepting gift baskets without checking who they’re from.”

Stormcrasher stalked up on Lucky, flaring his wings angrily. “You better tell me how to get rid of that stench right now, or so help me…”

“You’ll dump pudding on me again? Call me names?” Lucky pretended to pout. “Make me feel bad so I cwy?” He snorted. “Anything you can dish out, I can give back. So just back off, okay?”

The noblecolt pounced. Lucky slid underneath him and drove his shoulder up, flipping Stormcrasher onto his back.

“Don’t worry. The ‘antidote’, so to speak, is in the basket. Somewhere. Good luck!” Lucky waved goodbye and slipped into the crowd.

* * * * * * *

Lucky settled into his cloud with a weary sigh, carefully setting his plate down. A crisp autumn breeze swept past and he leaned into it, closing his eyes and letting the refreshing zephyr blow away the morning’s stress. Another day of being on his guard, of pretending to fit in, of avoiding Stormcrasher and his goons, of worrying about his brother. At least for the moment he could enjoy his lunch.

Lucky squinted as he looked over the school from above, slowly picking at his lunch. It had been a contentious month, and while the new arrangement had finally started to become routine, it still felt alien. He did his best to ignore the school, and it ignored him, for the most part.

Except for that guy, he thought as he watched the too-familiar pegasus ascending towards him. He kept eating his lunch, staring fixedly past his unwanted rival at the landscape below.

“Hmm. How sad. A single colt eating lunch all by himself.”

“It’s a nice lunch,” said Lucky, still staring at the ground. “As long as you stand downwind.”

“You always have a clever remark, don’t you?” asked Stormcrasher, folding his forelegs over his chest.

Lucky pushed his plate away from himself. “Look, you don’t like me. Fine, I get it. I’m the weirdo freak who threatens your sensibilities, or whatever you tell yourself to help your ego.”

Stormcrasher glowered. “You’re a stain on the reputation of this school. My ancestors built this city. My family still runs it. We like to have everything in its proper place. If you’d just learn yours, I could see my way to ignoring you.”

Lucky shook his head. “Yeah, this little back and forth nonsense between us is getting old. You take a swipe at me, and I’m just going to give it back as good as I get. You’re not happy I’m here—moon and stars, I’m not happy I’m here. Why can’t we just ignore each other?”

“I like having things be orderly. You,” said Stormcrasher with a sharp point, “are messy. You don’t fit. You don’t belong. Every time I try to squash you, you pop back up again.”

Lucky grinned. “Coming from you, that’s a compliment.”

Stormcrasher scoffed. “Hardly. And while I do hate violence, I can’t argue with its effectiveness.”

Lucky frowned. Stormcrasher seemed sincere. He seemed smug even, with a tight smile but an odd intensity in his eyes.

Lucky slowly craned his head around. In the few brief moments of conversation, three colts had ascended at a distance, and now that they were noticed they sped up their approach. They were all a year or two older than him, and much less reserved than their leader in their excitement.

He slowly rose to his hooves, stretching each limb and wing one at a time. “Trying to intimidate me, Stormcrasher? Do you really think that’ll work, after the last month?”

“Quite the contrary,” said Stormcrasher, as his face scrunched up into an ugly sneer. “I rather hope it doesn’t.”

Lucky bounced on the tips of his hooves, flexing his wings. “I don’t suppose I can finish my lunch first?”

“No.”

“Too bad. I thought the daisy lasagna was really delicious.” Lucky crouched low, wings up and primed to flap. “Oh, can I say one thing really quick?”

Stormcrasher arched an eyebrow. “And what’s that?”

Lucky scooped a wing under his plate and flung it at the other colt. “Duck!”

The noblepony ducked under the flying dish. He looked up just in time to see Lucky rushing at him. One of his forehooves was cocked back, and it sparked and crackled with electricity. Stormcrasher let out an undignified squeak, trying to flinch and draw back all at once, but he was too slow.

Lucky smirked as he felt the satisfying thump of his hoof impacting with the other colt’s face. His foreleg was prickly from the static, but the result would be worth it.

Stormcrasher clutched madly at his head. The entire left side of his face was twisted and warped, twitching in fits and spasms. He backpedalled furiously away from Lucky. “Get him!”

Lucky grinned broadly as he turned, shaking his hoof to restore sensation to it. He waited patiently as the attackers closed in, carefully studying their motions. They were all bigger than him, barely fitting into their uniforms. Not that muscle matters a whole lot up here.

The first attacker charged recklessly towards him with a wild punch. Lucky brushed the hoof aside, and with a quick motion wrapped his foreleg around his attacker’s. The attacking colt’s face barely registered surprise before Lucky wrenched himself around with his wings, shifting the colt’s momentum as they spun together in mid-air.

Gotta remember to thank Lily for this move!

Lucky flung the first colt into the path of the second rushing in . They collided with a solid impact, tumbling backwards as they attempted to right themselves.

The last colt snarled as he swerved around the first two and rushed for his target. Lucky flitted left to avoid a wild buck, then skirted right to avoid the follow-up double hoof stomp. As the colt righted himself, Lucky darted in and drove a hard knee into his attacker’s stomach. The other colt wheezed and backed away, gasping for air.

“Guess they don’t make goons like they used to, huh Stormcrasher?”

Two pairs of hooves grabbed at his forelegs from underneath, and Lucky grunted as he attempted to wrench his limbs free. As he struggled, Stormcrasher and his goons slowly assembled in front of him.

“Now then, Lucky Break. Let’s see just how strong your resolve is.”

Chapter 5

Canterlot

The flight back to Canterlot was short and lacking in conversation. Comet had left Lucky with a medic and then taken off to give Lily his report and get back to sleep. After a short exam, the medic declared Lucky fine and let him go, and the pegasus had found Lily in her office to give his report.

“…and that’s everything. She teleported somewhere, but I have no clue where.”

Lily frowned as she studied a map on her desk. The only marking was a single circle drawn in pencil, centered on the summit of Mount Canter.

Lucky tapped the desk contemplatively. “You know, it hasn’t been that long. If we can get a unicorn up there, we might be able to track her spell. I’m not sure how far she teleported, but I don’t think she’s sparing any magical power.”

“I don’t know if that’s the best idea, Lucky. Comet didn’t agree with your assessment of the princess’ motives.”

“Come on, Sarge. I know I’m right about this. If I can just have another chance to talk to her, show her that I understand, I know I can get through to her.”

“You know, you’re asking a lot of me here. What if Luna just wants to be left alone?”

“I told you to leave me alone once, remember?”

Lucky and Lily watched each other silently, until finally Lily sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. “Dammit, Lucky. I’ll see if I can cash in a favor or two. If I can get a spell tracker, are you sure you can find a path up there?”

“Not a problem, Sarge.” Lucky studied the map and frowned. “You’d think the Royal Guard would be doing more, though. I mean, Luna didn’t make a big secret about leaving last night.”

Lily shook her head. “We can’t worry about that right now. We have our own set of priorities to deal with. Sit tight while I go ask around and see who’s available.”

A soft, melodic voice spoke from behind them. “Sergeant, Private.”

Lucky turned and snapped to attention, raising his hoof in a rigid salute. He and Lily both called out “Ma’am!” in unison.

Celestia stood in the doorway with two bodyguards clad in gold armor. They were stiff and stoic, while the princess herself smiled warmly at the two night guards. “I hear you have news of my sister.”

“Yes, Your Highness. That’s correct.” Lucky glanced out the corner of his eye to Lily, but the sergeant’s face was set in a grim not-quite frown.

“That’s wonderful. Private Lucky Break, correct?” Celestia stepped forward, and the two night guards automatically parted, letting her view the map. “I believe you were with my sister last night. I do hope she didn’t try to injure you again.”

“Yes, ma’am. And no, she didn’t. But if I may, Princess, I think we need to make finding her a priority, for her own sake. She’s upset, and—”

A golden glow wrapped itself around the map and lifted up before Celestia as she studied it. “Of course. I certainly saw what she did, or tried to do, last night. Nopony wants to find her more than I do, Private. Is this peak where you found her?”

“Yes, it is. But it’s not just about last night. I think she’s still feeling—”

“And you reported your findings directly to your commanding officer, correct?”

“Yes, he did,” said Lily. The mare’s voice was suddenly tired. “Right?”

Lucky gave Lily an uncomprehending look. “Yes, I did. I came right here after I found her. But Princess—”

“And nopony else knows of this, correct?”

“No, Your Highness,” responded Lily.

The map curled up, and Celestia floated it over to one of her guards, who tucked it away in a saddlebag. “Equestria thanks you two for your service. And you have my personal thanks as well. I will handle the rest of this matter personally.” Celestia turned and began to walk towards the door in smooth, graceful steps.

Lucky stared agape as Princess Celestia departed. “But—”

“Private,” said Lily warningly.

He glanced at his friend, then at Celestia. “She teleported away! You’ll need to get there quickly if you want to trace the spell.”

Celestia stopped for a moment, looking over her shoulder at Lucky. “Many thanks, Lucky Break. If you think of anything else, please report it to myself or my honor guards. But for now, you should go home and get some rest. You’ve earned it, being up so late. Spend some time with your family while they’re in town. I’ll make sure my sister is cared for.” She turned and headed into the rest of the castle, her two escorts following with precisely timed steps.

“Go home?” said Lucky finally, after they were alone. “Princess Luna is still missing, and we can still help. How can she just say to go home?”

“Because she can. She’s the princess, she calls the shots.”

“Okay, but that doesn’t change the plan. I still know where Luna was. We just have to get a team together and—”

“Forget it.” Lily slid her helmet off and tossed it onto the desk, rubbing at the bridge of her nose again. “That was the nicest rejection you’ll ever get.”

“So that’s it then.”

“Yep.”

Lucky shook his head. “There’s gotta be something we can still do.”

“That was her way of telling us to drop it. Anything else we try to do, she’ll be watching us now. It’s over.”

“Come on, she was sitting out in plain sight. If Princess Celestia wanted to find her, she’d have beaten us there by hours. There wasn’t anybody else searching on that mountain.”

Lily watched Lucky contemplatively for several long, silent moments. Finally she asked, “Is this about this morning?”

“Well, kinda.” Lucky sat on the floor and tried to order this thoughts. “Look, Princess Luna is… Well, she was Nightmare Moon, and I think…” He gestured uselessly with a hoof. “I think she’s hurting. When I talked to her this morning, she wasn’t just angry, she was scared. I… well, you know.”

“Yeah, I know. And I think I get what this means to you, but we aren’t kids anymore, Lucky. I can’t just run off half-cocked on some crazy scheme just because you want to. I’ve got responsibilities now. And so do you.”

“Yeah, I know.”

Lily circled around the desk to sit next to Lucky, slinging a foreleg across his shoulders. “Look, I know you don’t want to hear this, but maybe this isn’t your fight. Luna is Celestia’s sister, so let her handle this. I doubt she’d do anything that would jeopardize her sister’s safety and well-being.”

Lucky grunted and let his head drop onto the table. Maybe you’re right. I don’t know where I’d start looking for Luna anyway. It’s not like I can go ask Celestia. And her teleport range has to be way larger than a regular unicorn’s.”

“Come on. Your folks are in town. Go spend some time with them. I’ll stop by later to say hi.”

Picking himself up from the table, Lucky let loose a wide, gaping yawn. “Actually, I think I need a nap first. But tomorrow I’m treating everyone to drinks. You’re welcome to come.”

“The usual place?”

“Yeah.” Lucky picked up his helmet in his hooves and lifted into a slow hover. “I’ll see you later, Lily.”

Lily gently punched Lucky’s shoulder. “Enjoy your nap. And don’t beat yourself up over this. You did everything you could.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

* * * * * * *

Lucky dragged himself through his front door, dropping his saddlebags with a heavy thump. A quick trip to his parents’ hotel to leave an apology and a note, and finally he could come home for some much-needed sleep.

Only a nap, though. He still had a dinner invitation and the pageant to see with his folks tonight. A pageant he now had an extra ticket for.

Lucky groaned and pushed that thought to the back of his head. Princess Luna had been a good distraction from thoughts of his brother, but now he didn’t want to think about that either.

“I need a distraction from my distractions,” he said to nopony in particular.

His apartment was small and cramped, but the most important feature was that it was all his. His own place to hang up his saddlebags at the end of the night, and a chance to be out of the confining castle barracks. One shelf in the living room held photos of all of his family and friends, while another displayed his trophies and medals. But it was the doily on the end table that drew his attention.

Lucky sighed as his eyes traced over the pattern. The ‘only bastion of culture and refinement’ in his apartment, it was just another reminder of a missing loved one. He threw himself sideways onto the small couch and laid his head down.

He was too tired to do anything, but too thoughtful to be asleep, despite being overdue for a nap. Lucky threw a hoof over his face and grunted as he tried to decide between being productive or chasing sleep.

A heavy weight thumped in the hallway outside his door. Lucky lifted his head, turning both ears forward to listen. The deadbolt rattled and slowly turned. Lucky grinned and sprang to his hooves, clearing the distance to the door with a single flap of his wings. Metal scraped as the key was withdrawn, and Lucky quickly unlocked the doorknob and threw the door open.

Standing there, her long, silky-soft mane falling over her face, stood Rose, head tilted as she gripped a key in her mouth. With a startled blink she let it drop against her chest, the key hanging from her neck by a chain.

“Oh! Lucky, I didn’t expect you—”

Lucky stepped forward and took her chin in his hoof, pressing his lips firmly against hers in a slow kiss. He kept moving forward, pressing his body against hers. Rose fell back on her haunches with a muffled squawk, but slid her forelegs up around Lucky’s neck, pressing back into the kiss. Lucky wrapped his wings around her, holding her tight.

"You don't know how much I've missed you."

“I can guess,” said Rose with a quiet laugh. “But I think—”

Lucky cut her off with another kiss, and they embraced for a few more moments before Rose finally placed a gentle hoof on his chest and pushed him away. Lucky leaned his head forward, desperately holding the kiss as long as he could until their lips finally parted.

Rose smiled up at him, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. “Dear, the neighbors can see us.”

“My neighbors are all asleep. It’s the middle of the afternoon.” Lucky leaned forward to kiss Rose again, and they wrapped each other in limbs and wings.

A cold nose suddenly intruded into their warm cocoon, and it took Lucky a moment to free up a foreleg to give Blizz a gentle shove. Bushy tail wagging, Blizz let out a soft bark and nuzzled at the couple again.

Lucky moved to shove Blizz away again, but the dog ducked underneath the hoof, prodding the two with his cold, wet nose yet again. Lucky reluctantly broke apart from Rose and shook his head. “Okay, I think Blizz is determined to kill the mood here.”

Rose laughed again, leaning up to kiss the underside of Lucky’s chin. “I’m in town for a few weeks. We have plenty of time to catch up.”

Lucky carefully stepped back and offered a hoof to Rose. She took it and rose to all fours, carefully brushing her mane back into place. “What happened, anyway?" Lucky asked. "I wasn’t expecting you in until next week.”

Blizz grabbed a suitcase handle in his teeth and dragged it backwards into the apartment. Lucky balanced a second suitcase on his back and followed the husky in.

“We had a cancellation, so me and the boys decided to hit Canterlot early and see if we could drum up an extra gig or two.” Rose carefully set her saddlebags by the door, next to Lucky’s, and took a long, luxurious stretch. She winced as her back popped.

Lucky smiled as he watched Rose’s slim form flex and bend. “Why didn’t you go to Manehattan to see your folks for Hearth’s Warming?”

“They were already meeting me in Canterlot next week.” Rose finished stretching and sat primly on the edge of the couch, where Blizz lay his head against her for a pet. “Besides,” she said with a coquettish smile, “Manehattan doesn’t have you.”

Lucky grinned and cozied up to Rose’s side, sliding a wing around her. “Are you saying you missed me?”

“As if,” replied Rose with a quiet but happy laugh. She leaned in and rested her head against Lucky’s shoulder. “Traveling by train may be quicker than carriage, but getting everything packed up and ready to go is exhausting. But how’s Canterlot? You said something in your last letter about Princess Luna holding court again?”

“Don’t remind me.” Lucky rolled his eyes. “That was last night and it turned into… a thing. And more of a thing today. In fact, I’ve barely been to bed as it is. I hate to leave you, but I really need a nap.” He buried his muzzle in Rose’s mane and inhaled. “Or course, you could join me.”

Rose slid off the couch, her tail swishing against Lucky’s leg. “I think that sounds lovely.”

* * * * * * *

Jetstream and Evengale were delighted to have Rose join them for dinner that night. Chez Cheval was pleasant enough, if a bit pricey, and having good company let Lucky relax and forget his worries for a while.

Afterwards they departed together to see the Hearth’s Warming Pageant. Lucky had splurged on tickets in anticipation of wowing his family, trading a few favors to get seats at one of the nicest theaters in town.

Canterlot had many theaters, of course, as many of the nobles in the city sponsored the arts. The Golden Dawn Theater was Celestia’s. She only sponsored it, but the ponies in charge had inevitably based the theater’s aesthetic on their ruler.

Alabaster stone formed a large dome, and on its front gold leaf and jewels were styled into a half sun bursting free from the confines of the earth. Spotlights around the facade’s perimeter ensured that the sun was a golden beacon in the night, calling ponies to itself.

Lucky fussed with his bow tie as they landed. “How did I let you talk me into wearing a bow tie again?”

Rose grinned and straightened the tie. “Because one, you had to pick the nicest theater in town to see the pageant at, silly.” She was wearing a sleek red dress, and she fussed with Lucky’s shirt and jacket before patting back a stray hair from his mane. “And two, while I love your ‘wild and carefree’ look, you look positively dashing when you take the time to dress up a little.”

Lucky grinned and puffed out his chest, posing with his wings held wide. “Dashing, eh? Even more dashing than when I’m in my guard armor?”

“Oh, I’d say it’s a very, very close second.” Rose fluttered her eyes at the other pegasus. “What about me, dear? I didn’t spend all this time getting dressed up just to make you look good, you know.”

“Rose, even on your worst day your smile would outshine the sun.” Lucky gently pulled Rose’s chin in with a hoof, kissing her lightly on the lips.

Rose responded with a murmur of appreciation, then pulled back and fixed Lucky with a stare. “And when, exactly, have I had a bad day?”

“Never,” said Lucky immediately.

Rose smiled again. “Handsome and smart. I knew you were a keeper.”

Jetstream and Evengale were already waiting near the door, watching the younger couple with a pair of amused looks.

Jetstream leaned against his wife, and stage whispered into her ear. “Dear, how come when we do that sort of thing in public, we’re old and sappy?”

“Cause we don’t have kids yet, Dad." Lucky rolled his eyes playfully. "Obviously.”

Evengale leaned against her husband, grinning widely. “Speaking of kids, should we be expecting wedding invitations anytime soon?”

Lucky blanched. “We’re not eve— That isn’t—”

Rose quickly turned away to hide a blush, pulling Lucky inside with her.

The two older pegasi shared a laugh and a hoofbump before following the younger couple inside.

The lobby of the Golden Dawn theater was extravagant, of course. A selection of paintings and statues—thankfully not all of Princess Celestia—lined the walls. Ponies milled about, filling the room with the quiet murmur of an art gallery. The biggest attraction tonight, however, was not the art.

Princess Celestia sat in the middle of the room, with a small entourage and a long line of ponies. The alicorn was chatting and smiling warmly, sharing a few encouraging words with each pony before they moved along, although many hovered around to watch and listen. Luna was nowhere in sight.

“Lucky?”

“Yeah?”

“You look like you’ve swallowed some sour milk,” said Rose. “Are you okay?”

Lucky forced a laugh and a smile to his face. “Oh, I’m fine. Just cursing my luck. Out on a date with the most beautiful mare in Equestria and my boss shows up. Bit of a buzzkill.”

Rose ran a wingtip over Lucky’s side. “Mmmm. Love the flattery, but don’t think I didn’t notice the deflection.”

“Sorry. I just got reminded of some work stuff.” Lucky pecked Rose on the cheek. “We’ve got some time before the show starts. Why don’t you explain to me what makes some of this art so impressive?”

“Actually…” Rose bit her lip and shuffled a hoof against the marble floor.

Lucky followed Rose’s gaze and shook his head. “You want to meet the princess. Of course.”

“Can you blame me? Everypony wants to meet a princess at least once.”

“Trust me. The novelty wears off when you see them every day.”

Lucky followed Rose to the line, with his parents right in front. The line moved quickly, and soon they were next.

Jetstream and Evengale stepped forward together. Jetstream saluted Celestia and said in a sharp, clear voice, “Sergeant First Class Jetstream, of Manehattan’s Forty-third Weather Brigade.”

Celestia inclined her head, wearing her soft smile. “The Forty-third, you said? As I recall, your brigade was deployed to the gryphon lands some years ago, correct? Your hard work repairing the weather system of the capitol has earned you the gratitude of two nations. Thank you, Sergeant.”

Jetstream bowed. “Thank you, Ma’am. It’s an honor to serve.” He stepped aside, and Evengale took center stage with a bow.

“I’m Evengale, Nighttime Weather Coordinator of the Manehattan Weather Bureau, Your Highness.”

“Ahh, yes. My trip to Manehattan last year was very pleasant. Your weather teams are skilled. Tell me dear, was it you who was responsible for the cricket chorus outside my suite? It was lovely.”

“It wasn’t mine, personally, but she is on my team. She’ll be thrilled to hear you loved it.”

“Of course. Please be sure to tell her. I look forward to my next visit to your fine city.”

Evengale bowed again, smiling. “Thank you, Your Highness. It was an honor meeting you.”

Husband and wife moved outside of the reception area, and Lucky let Rose step up first, staying half a step behind.

“Rose Lark, your Highness. I’m a singer. It’s an honor to meet you.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Rose. I’ve heard so much about you.”

Rose jerked up in surprise. “You have?”

Celestia smiled warmly and nodded. “Of course. Many among my staff have been talking amongst themselves about your performances next week. They are eagerly anticipated. I hope all of your shows are a success.”

“I’m sure they will be, if I have your blessings. Thank you, Princess.” Rose bowed and then stepped aside, looking expectantly at her coltfriend.

Lucky stepped forward and bowed. “Your Highness.”

Celestia’s smile was constant. “Ahh, Private Lucky Break. I hope your day has found you well.”

“Better and better since a certain somepony showed up in Canterlot a week early.” Lucky and Rose shared a glance.

“Well, well, well. You’re quite a lucky stallion.” She chuckled softly, and Lucky joined in.

“Thank you for saying so, Your Highness. If you don’t mind my asking, how is Princess Luna?” Lucky made a show of sweeping his gaze around the theater lobby. “I thought she would be in attendance. Did you find her okay?”

“Oh, she is well. Just resting at the moment. She’ll be back on her hooves soon enough.”

Celestia’s smile remained fixed, but the two ponies were watching each other’s eyes. The silence went on a few moments longer than was proper, and Lucky could feel everyone’s attention focusing on them: Celestia’s aide, Rose, his parents, and especially Luna’s two bodyguards.

Celestia’s aide cleared her throat, and Lucky promptly bowed.

“That’s wonderful to hear, Your Highness. I hope she recovers quickly, and that you and your sister have a wonderful Hearth’s Warming together tomorrow.” Lucky quickly stepped out of the greeting area, heading for the theater and forcing his parents and marefriend to catch up.

Behind him he could hear Celestia warmly greeting the next arrival.

Rose hastened to his side, and asked in a hushed voice, “What was that about?”

Lucky shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. Let’s enjoy the show.”

They settled in, and Lucky wrapped a wing around Rose’s shoulders as they waited for the performance to start.

But when the lights dimmed and the first actors appeared on the stage, Lucky glanced back and up, towards the small private booth where the Princess and her guests would be seated.

Celestia sat alone in her box, and while her eyes watched the stage, her gaze was far away.

* * * * * * *

Lucky and Rose strolled slowly down the streets of Canterlot. The streets were empty and silent, their only company an iterant owl in the distance. Overhead, Luna’s night sky shone, and the moon was steadily climbing upwards. Lucky blanketed Rose’s back with a wing, and her soft body pressed up against his as they walked, their necks resting together.

Wherever she is, thought Lucky, at least she’s well enough to raise the night sky.

“What a delightful performance! That filly playing Clover the Clever, in particular,” said Rose cheerfully. “She’s young still, but she’s got such a strong voice. I’ve heard singers twice as old as her who couldn’t project half as well.”

Lucky plodded along, staring at the ground in front of his hooves. “She sure was something.”

Rose leaned her head up, nuzzling at Lucky’s cheek. “Thank you, dear. That was a wonderful night.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it.” Lucky summoned up a smile for Rose, and then planted a soft kiss on the top of her head.

Rose’s wings fluttered briefly against Lucky’s side, and she leaned in closer. “Mmm. So?”

“So what?”

“What’s on your mind?”

Lucky slowly shook his head. “Who says I have anything on my mind?”

Rose laughed softly and came to a stop, pulling Lucky around to face her. “Dear, you’ve been wearing your thinking face all night.”

“My thinking face, huh?” Lucky arched a skeptical brow. “Have you been talking to Glimpse?”

“All the time, dear. Glimpse has a whole catalog of all your moods and expressions.”

Lucky tapped his chin thoughtfully. “You know, he’s always got that notepad around… That’d explain a lot, actually.”

Rose playfully hit Lucky’s chest and shook her head. “Back on topic, dear.”

Lucky’s hoof fell back to the ground and he stared down at the cobblestone road. “It’s… complicated.”

“Does it have something to do with the princesses?”

“Ahh…” Lucky rubbed at the back of his neck. “Let’s just say there’s a pony who’s having trouble adjusting to life in Canterlot. And the one person who should be helping her doesn’t seem to be doing anything.”

Rose watched Lucky’s face with a thoughtful frown. “How bad is it?”

Lucky turned the question over in his head. “Pretty bad, I think. She’s run off, and nobody can find her.”

“But you think you can.”

Lucky shook his head. “I don’t know where she is.”

Rose slid her forehooves around Lucky’s neck and kissed him lightly. “You think you can find her.”

Arching an eyebrow, Lucky pulled Rose closer and wrapped his wings around her. “Oh, yeah? And what makes you so sure?”

“Because,” said Rose quietly, “you’re wearing your ‘I’m about to do something foolhardy’ face now.”

“H—Hey,” said Lucky with a forced laugh. “I’m not planning on—”

Rose stopped him with a gentle hoof to his lips, and watched him with a quiet, patient stare, and a gentle smile.

Lucky sighed, his shoulders sagging as he touched his nose to Rose’s. “You know me too well.”

They held each other tightly, the warmth of their embrace keeping the frosty wind that swept down the street at bay.

“You know I worry about you when you get these crazy ideas into your head.”

Lucky grinned and kissed Rose’s nose. “You know you love ‘em.”

“As if!” Rose batted playfully at Lucky’s chest. “I really do worry about you, you know.”

“You know…” Lucky tapped his chin in mock contemplation. “I remember a certain filly that snuck into a bar with me once…”

Rose burst into a hearty laugh, quickly covering her muzzle with a hoof. “No, dear. That was still crazy. I was just too naive to not be swept away by your roguish charms.”

“Hey, I never imagined that someone like you would have been interested in someone like me. I had to use every trick I could to make sure it’d work out.”

“I never considered you beneath me,” said Rose somberly. “You know that, right?”

Lucky smiled warmly. “And that’s what makes you amazing.”

They kissed, and kept kissing as Lucky slowly guided them into trotting back home.

Manehattan

Lucky hissed and reflexively drew away as the nurse dabbed at his wounds. The chemical compounds burned, and the sharp smell of disinfectant filled the air.

“Stop squirming,” said Evengale. “Let the nurse do her job.”

“I’d stop squirming if this stuff didn’t hurt so much!”

The nurse shook her head, holding a levitating bottle in her grasp. “Maybe you’ll think about that the next time you decide to get into a scrape, hmm?” She continued to dab and dress his wounds.

“Yeah, yeah.” He tightened his muscles to keep from moving, but let out an agonized hiss through clenched teeth as the nurse dressed his wounds. He had several cuts and even more bruises, but the worst injury was a torn membrane on his left wing. He could still barely fly, but he had to compensate heavily to make up for the underperforming wing.

Finally, she finished and headed for the door. “I’ll let the doctor know you’re ready for him now.”

“Thank you,” said Evengale as she stood up, moving to her son’s side. A frown creased her brow as she looked her son over. “Well. I hope you’re proud of yourself.”

Lucky tried to stretch, and winced as his muscles protested. “Well, I’m pretty sure I gave Stormcrasher a black eye, and I know I managed a few solid hits, so I feel pretty good.”

“That’s not what I meant, and you know it.” The mare’s face softened, and she carefully wrapped a foreleg around Lucky’s neck, hugging tight. “Do you know how worried I was when I heard you’d gotten in a fight?”

The colt leaned against his mother, rubbing his forehead against her neck. His voice was soft and subdued. “I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean to worry you.”

“I know, dear. I know,” said the mother as she laid her head on top of Lucky’s. “What could possibly convince you to take on ten colts in a hoof-to-hoof fight?”

“Well, it was more like six…”

“Lucky Break,” said Evengale warningly.

“I didn’t go to them looking for a fight, Mom. They came after me. Stormcrasher's been doing these stupid little pranks on me trying to… I dunno, put me in my place or something.”

Evengale sighed and hugged her son tighter. “Why didn’t you tell me about this earlier?”

Lucky shrugged. “Because, Mom. I’ve just been taking care of it myself. He pranks me, I prank him back. Our ancestors never backed down, and I won’t either.”

“Oh, honey… It’s important to remember what our ancestors did, but you have things a lot better than they did. We don’t have to contend with harsh weather or unreliable food supplies.”

The colt sat up. He winced as his limbs protested, but pushed himself into a sitting position. “Yeah, but they got to stand tall and proud in their homelands. Here they just stare at us and whisper behind our backs.”

Evengale placed a forehoof over Lucky’s. “Lucky, I know it’s not always easy, but there’s a lot that the dayponies can learn from us, and a lot we can learn from them. We’re all ponies, even if we all look a little bit different from each other.”

Lucky pulled his hoof away. “They don’t think we’re ponies. They talk about Harmony, but that only applies as long as you’re not a freak like we are. Lily and Glimpse can hide their eyes, but how the heck can I hide these?” He spread out his uninjured wing and tapped the membrane.

“Sweetie, there is nothing wrong with the way you look.” The mare drew herself up, wrapping Lucky in a tight embrace of wings and hooves. “I’m sorry. You’re so self-reliant that I forget sometimes you need my help too. But you are my very handsome and wonderful son, and you need to always remember that, okay? I know how much it hurts to be judged just by your appearance, all of us Nycta do, but the only way things will get better is if we put our best hooves forward and show everyone what makes us special.”

The colt rested his head on his mother’s shoulder, his entire body sagging and deflating. “It’s just so hard, Mom. Trying not to let it all get to me. Knowing that every moment I’m in the room they’re looking at me and thinking that I’m a freak. How do you put up with it?”

Evengale slowly rubbed her son’s back. “It’s never easy, dear. But I just tell myself that every time I go out, I’m an ambassador for our people. I have to put my best and brightest face forward, so that people look past the exterior and see what makes me special.”

“But I don’t wanna be an ambassador. I just wanna be a flier.”

“I know, dear.” Evengale kissed her son’s forehead. “But that’s what works for me. It might take you some time to find what works for you. But if you ever need to talk about these feelings, tell me. Even if you have to wake me up to do it.”

Lucky sniffed and sat up, rubbing at his eye. “I will, Mom. Promise.”

Evengale ruffled her son’s mane. “Good. And Lucky?”

“Yeah?”

“I really do appreciate all the hard work you’ve been doing for the family. It’s really been a big help.”

Lucky rubbed at the back of his neck and averted his gaze. “Yeah, well… You’re welcome. Just don’t get all sappy on me.”

Gale chuckled softly. “Now then. Did you use the thunder hook your father taught you?”

The colt broke into a slow grin. “Yeah. Got that jerk Stormcrasher right in the eye. Can’t wait to see him try to cover that up.”

“Well, I can’t condone you getting into fights,” said the mare, shaking her head, “But I am glad to know you can protect yourself.”

“Hey, you should see the other guys. They’ll think twice before they mess with me again. And I did try to get away, honest. They just had more people surrounding me than I thought.”

“Did you try to get away before or after you hit Stormcrasher?”

“Well…” Lucky hedged.

“I thought so.” A knock sounded at the door, and the mare drew back from the table. “We’ll discuss your punishment later. Come in!”

“Aww, Mom,” muttered the colt.

The doctor stepped in, levitating a clipboard. “Good evening.” He was a nyctan unicorn, and he dimmed the room’s lights after closing the door. “How are you both?”

“Cut to the chase, doc,” demanded Lucky. “How long’s it going to take my wing to heal?”

The unicorn stallion kept consulting his notes. “Your injuries are all relatively minor, although you’ll want to keep them well-dressed for a few days. As for your wings…” He shot Lucky a glance as he started to open his mouth again. “I want you on the ground for two weeks, no using your wings.”

Lucky stared at the doctor. “Two weeks? Doc, I can’t go without my wings for two weeks! I’m training for a big race!”

“Two weeks,” said the doctor firmly. “And then I’ll look at the condition your wing is in. I might be able to allow limited flight after that, but until then, no flying. You need to keep from stressing the membrane while it’s trying to repair itself.”

“Mom, you gotta do something.”

“Listen to the doctor, dear.”

Lucky groaned and buried his face in his hooves.

* * * * * * *

Lucky Break and Stormcrasher stared at each other from opposite sides of the table. The principal sat between them. He was an older pony whose vest didn’t quite fit properly over his gut.

The table between them was polished wood, and too large with only three ponies present. The blinds over the windows were pulled down, but still let in far too much light for Lucky’s tastes.

The principal cleared his throat. “Now then. This rivalry between you two has gone far enough. At Manehattan Academy, we don’t condone any roughhousing of any kind, and especially not when students become injured as a result. We are going to work this out so we can have a safe and productive school year.”

Stormcrasher glared silently at Lucky. There was a dark ring around his eye that his gray coat couldn’t hide.

Lucky slumped in his chair and rested a cheek on his hoof.

“Now then. Would either of you like to apologize?” The stallion was met with silence.

I’d hit him again in a heartbeat, and we both know he’s only sorry he got caught. Lucky cleared his throat. “Sir, I-”

“I’d just like to say, Lucky Break, that I overreacted. It was improper and childish of me to retaliate for you hitting me, and I should have been the bigger pony.”

“Thank you, Mister Stormcrasher.” The principal smiled and turned his head to Lucky. “Mister Break, do you have something to say?”

When the principal turned his head away, Stormcrasher gave Lucky a small smirk.

“Yeah, I do. I hit Stormcrasher first, and I shouldn’t have. But he was about to sic his goons on me anyway, so I don’t see what difference it makes.”

The stallion gave a long-suffering sigh. “Mister Break, please realize that your actions reflect poorly on you. We’re trying to build up a foundation here so that we can move forward in a positive direction.”

“Sir, no disrespect, but I’m just waiting to get out of here at the end of the year. I wouldn’t even be here if it weren’t for my little brother. Stormcrasher has a stupid grudge against me, so when he messes with me I get him back to show him he can’t get to me. Tell him to back off and I’ll stay out of trouble.”

“Now, now.” The principal adjusted some papers on the table before him. “These problems aren’t quite so simple. It takes two to cause trouble like this, and we need to make sure both sides are on the same page.”

“Sir,” said Stormcrasher, clearing his throat and straightening his tie. “I’m willing to let bygones be bygones. I’d like to apologize for everything I’ve done, and offer a hoof in friendship.”

Lucky stared at the extended hoof suspiciously, and then at Stormcrasher's face. That smile was fake, he was sure of that much, but he couldn’t read what the other colt was really thinking.

Slowly, Lucky reached out a hoof and shake. “Then I’ll apologize too. I’ll drop it if he’s willing to.”

“Splendid!” The principal beamed. “I knew we could sort this out like civilized ponies. Why don’t you two both get on back to class?”

Outside, Lucky turned to Stormcrasher with a frown. “Okay. What’s your game?”

“Game? I’m afraid I don’t understand.”

“This apology act. I offered you an apology on the first day of class and you didn’t take it. Why the change of heart now?”

Stormcrasher turned his head to inspect his wings. “To be perfectly honest, this whole back and forth between us is becoming much too tiring. I have far better things to do with my time.”

Lucky shook his head. “I’m supposed to believe it’s that easy, after everything you’ve done?”

“Believe it or not, it is true. You did not break, and I suppose it behooves me to recognize you as the victor in our little squabble.”

“Yeah, I think that’s a big pile of-”

“Manners, Lucky Break. We are in a school hallway, after all.” The colt began to walk down the hallway. “Come, let us be getting to class.”

Lucky followed, silently turning the other pegasus’ words over in his head. What was he really up to?

* * * * * * *

Lucky sat underneath the pine in front of Manehattan Academy. It kept him away from prying eyes, but let him keep an eye on the students leaving the school for the day. He was waiting for his brother; Lucky had grown tired of the stares from the younger students and moved their pickup spot to the tree.

He frowned as he turned over the last week in his head. Stormcrasher hadn’t been any warmer, but the other pegasus had largely ignored him. That was a win as far as Lucky was concerned, but he couldn’t shake a nagging doubt in the back of his head, that it was too easy somehow. He had kept his ears open, but he wasn’t as tied into the rumor mill as he was at his old school.

Probably for the best, he thought. Most of them are probably wild theories about me.

He returned to his surveillance, watching the courtyard slowly empty out with a small frown. “Come on, Slip, get out here. You know I need to go to sleep soon. I swear if I have to come find you…”

Rose burst out of the front doors, frantically scanning the area. She spotted the colt and galloped over. “Lucky!”

“Rose? Look, you’re nice, but—”

“It’s Slipstream!” she blurted out. “I overheard Stormcrasher talking about how he figured out who your brother was, and that he's going to make you pay!”

Lucky felt his chest grow clammy and tight. “Oh moon and stars, don’t tell me…” He took off at a full gallop, and Rose scrambled to catch up.

They charged through the mostly-empty hallways, weaving through the remnants of crowds still loitering at the school. They ignored several shouted warnings from teachers as they left the main wing, charging for the lower-grade classrooms. Lucky caught a glimpse of a small group behind one of the buildings and ran towards it.

A lookout raised the alarm, and the group of younger colts took off running and flying. Slipstream lay in a puddle of mud, his uniform splattered and torn. His saddlebags lay nearby, their contents spilled onto the ground.

Lucky growled, his tail twitching angrily. He took a running leap and snagged a pegasus colt out of the air, slamming him to the ground. “Alright you little runt, who put you up to this?!”

The foal squirmed helplessly under Lucky’s hoof. “I’m not telling!”

The older colt snarled. “Wrong answer! If you don’t want to find out if any of those rumors about me are true, talk. Now.”

“Stormcrasher asked us to do it! He said he’d pay us and it’d be easy money!”

Lucky pressed his hoof tighter into the foal’s back. “You pick on that kid again, and you’ll regret it. Got it?”

“Uh huh!”

Lucky lifted his hoof. The pegasus foal took off running as fast it could. Lucky watched him turn the corner, and then turned to his brother.

Rose had helped Slipstream out of the mud puddle, and was collecting his school supplies and packing them away.

Slip lay curled up on the ground, and Lucky could see the colt’s shoulders shaking.

Lucky sat down and put a hoof gently on his brother’s back. “Oh geeze, Slip… I didn’t want to get you involved in this.”

The smaller colt didn’t respond. He curled up tighter, covering his face with his hooves.

Lucky’s hoof started to tremble, and he drew it away. “Stay with Rose. Rose, can you please take Slip to the nurse’s office? I’ll meet you there in a little bit.”

Rose closed the flap on Slip’s saddlebags. “Of course, Lucky, but what are you doing?”

The nyctan colt turned to stare at the school. “I’m going to go have a talk.” He took off in a flurry of wing beats, cutting a trail through the sky.

* * * * * * *

Manehattan Academy had several tables set up in a small quad, to provide an outdoor meeting space or a place to hold outdoor lectures. Many of these were claimed outside of class hours by one pony or another, and Stormcrasher had claimed the largest with the best shade for himself.

“Hey! Stormjerk!” Lucky skidded to a halt, sliding across the grass as he touched down. There was a searing pain in his wing, but it only sharpened his focus.

Stormcrasher didn’t look up from his book. “That’s Stormcrasher, Lucky Break.”

Lucky stomped up and sharply prodded Stormcrasher in the back. “You gave your word you were leaving me alone!”

The noblepony slowly turned a page. “And I have.”

“Then what’s the big deal sending your minigoons after my brother?”

“Hmm? I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

With a flap of his wings, Lucky alighted on the table. He slammed a hoof on the other colt’s book. “Don’t give me that crap! I know it was you!”

Stormcrasher finally looked up. “As I said, I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He waved away several other ponies who had started to climb up on the table after Lucky.

“Picking on a little kid is low, even for you. And from now on he’s off-limits. You have a problem with me? It stays with me.”

“But I don’t have a problem with you.” Stormchaser steepled his forehooves together, looking up at the other colt. “As I said before, no matter what I do to you, you’ll just bounce back. So enjoy the rest of your school year, Lucky. You’ll be off and away while your little brother will be here for… how much longer, still?”

Lucky wound a hoof back. “Why I oughta-”

“You ‘oughta’ what? Hit me again? In full view of all my friends, who will happily vouch that you showed up and attacked me, unprovoked?”

Lucky let his hoof drop weakly to the table. “No, I’m not going to hit you again. But you’re gonna leave him alone, or I swear you’ll regret it.”

Stormcrasher smirked and leaned in, a cold gleam in his eye. “That’s an empty threat. I don’t fear you, Lucky Break, and as long as your brother is here, I don’t have any reason to. I’ve finally found your weak spot, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

“This isn’t over.”

Stormcrasher picked up his book. “Believe me, it is.”

Lucky let out an anguished cry and took off into the air. He kept climbing, watching the table and the ponies around it slowly shrink away. The clouds drifted past him and he paused, hovering while he collected his thoughts.

His wing screamed at him. He told it to shut up.

Some ponies found crafting weather to be their calling: creating perfectly warm sunny days, pristine snowy landscapes, and delicately sprinkling gentle spring showers. Lucky’s father Jetstream had a particular talent for creating gusty winds of all types.

Lucky had studied basic weathercrafting—all pegasi did—but it didn’t speak to him the same way flight did. The thrill of pulling off a dangerous stunt, the pride and satisfaction of pushing himself beyond his limits. The serenity of having the endless sky as his domain, and the simple freedom his wings granted him.

But despite that, there was one element of weather that had always held his fascination. It was raw, dangerous, and primal. He liked to think they were kin, and not just because he wore its mark. He carried its spark within himself, and its anger rose up with his own, demanding release.

Lucky dove—

—and summoned the lightning.

Screaming wind whipped his mane and tail around. Bitter cold bit at his eyes and they watered, but he kept his gaze focused on his target below. Sparks began to dance and scatter across his coat.

The sparks intensified, arcing and jumping across his body before flying off, pulled into his wake. The arcs grew into tendrils of electricity, crawling and snaking across his body as he plummeted. They jumped off his body, sucked into the crackling lightning trail growing behind him.

The table came into view and he started to beat his wings furiously, guiding and adjusting his flight. A cone of air surrounded his body, slicing through the wind and resistance.

His wings and body were alight with furious energy. A tail of lightning stretched behind him into the heavens. The table rushed towards him and he turned, forcing all four hooves down to the ground, and braced for impact.

Lucky slammed into the ground. The jolt of impact traveled up through his legs and they buckled, absorbing the impact of his landing. A sharp lance of fire shot up through his right hindleg.

His tailwind came crashing down on top of him. It piled up, pushing him down against the ground. He snapped his wings open and the winds exploded outward in a flurry of motion, carrying a shower of sparks with them. The students at the table all shielded their eyes as the winds swept through, blowing away all of their papers and books.

Lucky kept his gaze on Stormcrasher, watching the surprise on the other colt's face slowly give way to anger. The other students gaped in shock. He stayed crouched, like a predator waiting to strike, and electricity danced and played along his outstretched wings. His eyes glowed a bright yellow in the shade of the tree.

"Stormcrasher. Let's talk."

"D-don't just sit there! Get him!" The other colt gestured frantically at his minions.

Several colts slid out of their seats and quickly moved to circle Lucky, while the other fillies and colts sitting between Lucky and Stormcrasher rushed to get clear of the table.

Lucky slowly glanced around and stood up. He snarled as the pain shot through his leg again. "I think I just broke my leg. Who's feeling lucky?"

The colts all glanced amongst themselves. Slowly, one by one, they retreated back, and Lucky turned his attention to Stormcrasher again.

He took a step forward. "Now then. Where were we, Stormcrasher?"

Stormcrasher stumbled backwards, falling over his seat onto the ground. "Y-you can't do this! I'll tell—"

"Go ahead!" Lucky cleared the table with a single flap of his wings and landed in a stalking crouch, glaring at the other colt. "Go ahead and tell. Do you think they won't figure out who roughed up my little brother? Two ponies pranking each other back and forth for a month, and then suddenly one of their little brothers gets hurt. All those minigoons you hired, do you think they'll all keep the secret? Do you think that even that idiot in the principal's office will be blind to what's going on?" He scowled. "So go ahead. Tell them. I don't mind going down if it means taking you with me."

Stormcrasher scrambled backwards. "You're insane! Do you think you can threaten me?"

Lucky stalked forward, his eyes glowing brighter as they progressed further under the tree's shadow. "I haven't made any threats," he said evenly. "In fact, I just want to talk. Tell you a little story."

"G-get away!"

"My ancestors were banished to the Frozen North. They had to carve a home out of ice and stone."

Stormcrasher backed up against the tree, staring wide-eyed at the approaching colt.

"They fought for warmth. They struggled to produce enough food to survive. And they fought every creature that lived there.

"They fought off the windigo. They defeated King Charlatan and his army. They stood by Princess Celestia's side when the dragon Hoardfrost struck her down. And now we guard Equestria's night."

Lucky stopped, his face inches from Stormcrasher's, his gleaming yellow eyes boring into the other colt's. "The Nycta are warriors. We protect our own, and I'll protect my little brother. I swear on the Matriarch's mane that if I ever find out a single hair in his head is ever harmed or a single feather is out of place, I'm coming directly to you. Mess with me all you like. Put stinkbombs in my locker or itching powder in my uniform. I don't care. Anything you do to me, I'll just give it right back."

Lucky snarled. "But my brother is OFF. LIMITS. Understand?"

The other colt gave a terrified nod.

"Good." All of the lightning on Lucky's body vanished, and he turned to hobble away.

Chapter 6

Canterlot

Celestia’s balcony shouldn’t be this cold, thought Lucky as he stared at the city below. It was an excellent view, of course. The people would demand no less, that Celestia could step out onto her balcony and see not just the splendor of her royal city, but the vast landscape of Equestria stretching far out into the horizon.

A gust of wind swept past the balcony, and Lucky hunkered down into the corner between the balcony railing and the outer wall. The cold bit through his coat and stung at his eyes, but he set his jaw and kept watch on the balcony doors.

Celestia was in there. He could see her shadow pacing back and forth across the glass. Every so often the shadow would stop, and he imagined the its head was looking directly at him. Then it would turn, look elsewhere, and resume pacing.

How long could he keep waiting out here? Would Celestia come out to talk to him, just because he wanted her to? Did he have more determination than their seemingly-immortal ruler, or the patience to outwait the sun itself?

The badge around his neck jingled softly, and he brought a hoof up, clutching it to his chest. The cold silver stung his skin, but its heft was a reassuring presence, a companion to his momentary loneliness.

In the middle of the badge was carved a silver crescent moon, and above and beneath was the Night Guard’s motto: Per Acerbus Noctis, Contegimus.

Though the dark of night, we protect.

Every Night Guard recruit swore an oath to live in service of that motto. It was a pledge to stand firm and resolute in the hardest of times. To never waver, if only a single candle flame shining in the dark.

Lucky slipped the badge off and held it up, letting the moonlight play over the embossed letters. For him, those words were more than a simple vow.

It was the fulfillment of a different promise he had made to himself long before joining the guard. A promise to always take action. A promise to look out for others. A promise that he would never let himself fail again.

Celestia’s shadow loomed large on the balcony doors before they slowly swung open, admitting the princess onto the balcony. She stepped up to the railing, surveying the kingdom. Eventually she looked up to the twinkling stars. “It’s a beautiful night tonight, isn’t it?”

Lucky stepped out of his hiding spot, squinting as he crossed into the doorway’s light. “It is. Did you do that or did Princess Luna?”

“Oh, I could never create a night sky as beautiful as Luna’s. Even with a thousand years of practice, mine could never compare to hers. It has been a joy to watch her practice her craft once more.”

They watched the sky in silence. “You lied,” he said after a time.

Celestia inhaled, a long and slow breath hissing faintly as she drew it in through her nostrils. Her wings fluttered as she let out an equally slow exhale. “Yes.”

“Wh—Wait, what?” Lucky frowned, watching Celestia’s back.

“Does it surprise you, my little pony, to learn that I am capable of falsehoods?” Celestia’s voice was quiet and subdued, and she did not turn to address Lucky directly.

Lucky shook his head. “Well, no. I just didn’t think it would be that easy to get you to admit it.”

“It would have been inappropriate for me to divulge the truth at the pageant. You understand this, correct?”

“I do. But that’s not what I’m talking about.”

Celestia remained silent.

“Where is she?”

“If you are referring to Luna, I am afraid I do not—”

Lucky stomped his hoof. “Horseapples! You know her better than any other living pony.”

Celestia finally turned to deliver a reproachful stare, brow creased in concern. “While I discourage undue reverence from my subjects, you would do well to remember you are addressing a princess of Equestria, Private.”

“Then act like one!” Lucky stood tall and resolute, meeting Celestia’s gaze head on. The bedroom’s light cast him in shadow, but his eyes still glittered with reflected moonlight. “You kicked me off the search and since then you’ve done nothing to find her. That’s your sister out there! She needs help, and you’re just sitting here not doing anything!”

Celestia’s disdain fell away to carefully measured neutrality. “There are not many who would dare to speak to me as you have just done.”

“Yeah, well, drag me up in front of the Tribunal if you want. Just tell me where Princess Luna is.”

Celestia slowly shook her head. “It is not your concern. I have absolved the Night Guard of any responsibility in this matter.

“Or blame,” she added as an afterthought.

“This isn’t about the guard. It’s about Princess Luna.”

“You should be well aware of Luna’s low tolerance for fanaticism.”

“Look, this isn’t—” Lucky rubbed the bridge of his nose. “This isn’t about Mother Moon, or the Guard, or any of that. It’s about Luna. It’s about a pony that almost flattened me this morning that needs some help.”

Celestia regarded him silently for a long moment. “What is your interest, then?”

Lucky dropped his hoof, considering his words. “I’ve been where she is. A long time ago I hurt someone I cared about.” His voice cracked, and he cleared his throat before continuing. “I nearly destroyed myself. If it hadn’t been for some really good friends… I don’t know what would have happened.”

He stood up straight, his shoulders square and his voice firm. “But Luna doesn’t have anyone right now. She’s out there, somewhere, all by herself, and the only pony who can help her isn’t doing anything! You’re the older sister! You’re supposed to look after her!”

Celestia’s head slowly swung away to the horizon. “If only…”

“If only what?”

“If only a great deal of things, Lucky Break.” Celestia strode past the pegasus into her bedroom. “Please join me for a moment, if you would.”

Lucky let Celestia pass by, then stepped through the doorway. A wall of comfortable heat greeted him as he passed over the threshold, permeating right through to his bones. He took a moment to savor the warmth as it chased away the accumulated numbness of his cold vigil, stretching and testing each limb in turn. When he was sufficiently warm, he took in the room.

He had expected something grand and ostentatious, but the room was surprisingly homey. A fireplace burned cheerily on the far side of the room, and a soft carpet cushioned his steps as he followed the princess.

By the fireplace, perched on a stand, a bird with brilliant gold and crimson plumage watched him with a curious but intent stare.

Celestia lowered herself to a pillow in front of the crackling fire, gracefully folding her legs beneath her. She inclined her head to a smaller pillow, and Lucky took a seat. Between them sat a small table, and Celestia levitated a small tea set onto it, the dishes making a faint clink as they settled.

“Do you drink tea, Lucky Break?” asked Celestia. Under the guidance of her magic, the settings rearranged themselves.

Lucky rubbed the back of his neck. “Sometimes, when Rose is in Canterlot. But not usually, no.”

“Would you care to join me for a cup?” A plain white mug set itself down in front of Lucky.

He stared down at the cup, frowning as he thought. “I’m… honored, that you would offer, but…”

“You are concerned about Luna. I understand.” Celestia looked away, into the dancing flames. The far-away look flickered across her features for a moment, before they returned to her carefully neutral mask. “But if you would permit me to be selfish, I would ask a small favor of you, to grant me a moment of your time.”

Lucky watched Celestia as the crackling flames filled the silence, but she did not return his gaze. Instead, he studied the mug before him. It had seen a lot of use. There was a faint ring around the inside of the mug that no amount of washing would remove, and on the rim there was a barely noticeable chip.

“Of course, Princess.”

Celestia smiled. It wasn’t the careful and cordial smile Lucky had seen so much of since his posting. It wasn’t the maternally proud smile she had greeted her subjects with at the pageant. This one was small and fragile, shy to be suddenly put on the spot.

“Thank you, Lucky Break. It is rare that I am able to entertain a guest in this manner.”

Celestia removed the kettle from its cozy and filled up the two mugs. She added a splash of milk and a spoonful of sugar. Lucky followed suit with two spoonfuls and slowly took a sip.

His nose crinkled up as the bitterness overwhelmed his tastebuds and hastily swallowed. “This is strong.” The warmth of the tea raced to his stomach and chased away the last of the lingering cold from his bones.

“Yes,” said Celestia as she calmly sipped from her mug. “Is it too strong for you?”

“No, it’s fine.” Lucky stirred another heaping spoonful of sugar and took another sip, letting the flavor play over his tongue. “This is black tea, isn’t it?”

“Indeed.”

“So when you said you rarely get to entertain guests like this… How rare is ‘rarely’?” In the back of his head, something was buzzing. There was a puzzle piece just out of reach, for a puzzle he didn’t know the shape of yet.

Celestia took a long drought from her mug, studying its remnants as she gave them a gentle swirl. “Let me answer your question with another. What does the public think of myself and tea?”

Lucky blinked and stared down into his mug, mentally prodding the tea to divine an answer for him. “Well,” he said slowly, “everyone knows it’s your favorite drink. It represents class and refinement. It…”

He grasped for words as he kept staring at the cup. It was, as far as he could tell, simple black tea. He could have made it at home, although probably not as well.

“That’s not the whole picture, is it? There’s something missing.”

Celestia set her mug down and leaned in. “May I share a secret?”

Lucky’s ears perked up, followed by the rest of his head. “Wha— A personal secret? Are you sure I’m the best pony for that?”

“If I had not been sure, then your reaction would have told me everything I needed to know.”

Lucky swallowed hard. “Okay then. If you’re sure.”

Celestia glanced sidelong to Philomena and then leaned in closer, gesturing with a hoof for Lucky to do the same. “The truth is… I love tea.”

“But that’s not a secret.” Lucky frowned. “Everybody knows you drink it.”

Celestia sat back up with a small shake of her head. “Not quite. The general populace knows that I drink tea. They know that I enjoy it. It is, as you said, a mark of class and refinement, and who is more refined than Princess Celestia?

“I take it in the socially prescribed way when I attend functions. I accept tea as a gift with measured gratitude. I have staff members whose sole duties involve the preparation of tea. Everything in precisely controlled amounts.

“But the truth is, I love tea. The many variations, the subtle nuances between different blends, and even its preparation.” Celestia held the tea cosy and teapot aloft in her magic, slowly examining it. “Do you know how many cultures have their own rituals for preparing tea? And each one produces a subtle variation in the flavor.

“The Neighponese tea ceremony, for instance, is practically a performance art. Every step happens with a deliberate purpose, from the arrival of the guests, the preparation of the tea itself, to the conversation. Ponies spend lifetimes studying and mastering these ceremonies, of which there are many variations. Not a single movement is wasted. But I cannot simply partake of such a thing. My last state visit was surrounded by attendants and briefings and reminders of protocol. And the press always watches, whether from near or afar.”

“So… Let me get this straight. Everyone knows you drink and appreciate tea, but they don’t know that you also really love it. They don’t know… because of manners?” Lucky shook his head to himself. “No, the nobles do it all the time. That means you don’t. Or…”

He tapped his forehead as he thought and stole a glance at Celestia. She was wearing the quiet, expectant smile of a teacher watching a student puzzle over a problem.

“You’re the princess. You can do almost anything you want. But there’s expectations. Obligations. Consequences…”

He lowered his hoof and met Celestia’s watchful stare. “You can’t tell them. Can you?”

“That is correct.”

“Why?”

“Because ponies take notice of what I do. If I were to express a direct preference for one type of tea over another, it would affect buyers and sellers of tea, as well as other goods, particularly the commodities related to tea. It would affect imports and exports. International trade, once affected, would exert influence on foreign relations, and all of the politics that entails. External politics inevitably affect internal politics, and the cycle begins anew.”

Celestia poured herself more tea and sipped it while Lucky thought. Finally, he asked, “What happened?”

“A depression. It was swift but severe. Once I realized what was happening, I took corrective measures, but the damage was done. The unsteadiness almost provoked a war with the gryphons, who saw a weakness they thought they could exploit. And later, when I was investigating the cause, I realized it all sprang from one careless comment made to exactly the wrong pony.”

“All of that because of tea.”

Celestia nodded. “Quite so. It was but one of many lessons I had to learn, and one of many changes I had to make to myself. Little by little, I became as you see me now.”

“As you are now… Then what were you like before?”

“Before Luna was banished? Times were much different. Equestria was recovering from Discord’s reign and trying to rebuild. There was discontent everywhere as ponies tried to seize the fragments of a shattered nation for themselves. What Equestria needed then was bold, decisive leadership. Luna and I both were proud ponies, unafraid to secure Equestria’s future with a strong hoof.”

“So you were more like Luna back then…” Lucky stared at his hooves. “I’m sorry for what I said, Princess. I think I understand what’s going on a little better now.”

Celestia gave a long roll of her head against her shoulders. When she settled again, the weight of centuries bore down on her shoulders, and a slow melancholy crept into her voice. “Do not apologize. The truth is, Nightmare Moon was the failing of both Luna and myself. Had I not been blinded by my arrogance… or had there been a pony like you brave enough to speak his mind, perhaps the last thousand years would have been very different.

“Or perhaps not,” she added after a moment’s contemplation. “A single word can change the tide of history, but it is folly to dwell overmuch on the past. I understand this better than most.” She cast her eyes downward, then turned to look at Lucky. “A lesson I suspect you are familiar with as well.”

Lucky shuffled his wings uncomfortably. “Some days I understand it better than others.”

“An honest answer, Lucky Break.”

“Princess? May I ask a question?”

“Please do.”

“Why tell me this? I mean…” Lucky shifted on the pillow. “I’m not anypony special. I’m not some royal advisor or something. Honestly, I think I might be in over my head here.”

“Squawk!”

“Philomena!” admonished Celestia gently, quickly trying to hide a smile behind her hoof. “That’s not a nice thing to say.”

Philomena let out a chirp, ruffling her wings.

“That doesn’t matter. Now be nice.”

The bird’s head turned in a way that Lucky could only interpret as an eyeroll.

“Nice to know I’ve got the support of the peanut gallery,” he said dryly.

Celestia schooled her face back into a neutral expression. “Now, then. As I have said, I must always take pains to present the right image to the public. I have a responsibility to the ponies I rule. And as much as I would love to throw everything else to the wind for my sister… sadly, I cannot.

“Even with those that are closer to me, I must wear some masks and follow proper social protocols. There are very few that I allow this close, who will understand, really understand, and be capable of seeing an old mare for who she really is. It is a great relief to be able to speak so frankly.”

“Oh, well…” Lucky bowed his head. “I’m honored you choose to trust me with this.”

“In truth,” said Celestia with a small, wry smile, “you choose yourself by appearing on my balcony tonight.”

Lucky rubbed at the back of his neck. “So what now? Princess Luna still needs help.”

“Indeed she does. Please understand, Lucky Break. While I planned for a thousand years for my sister’s return, I knew there would be no perfect way to console her, or to absolve her of her guilt. I can merely offer my support, ensure she has a place in this new age, and give her time and space to come to terms with all that has transpired.”

“So is that what this is? The ‘time and space’ part?”

“Yes.”

Lucky shook his head. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to leave her alone just now. Without someone to talk to, she could self-destruct.”

Celestia winced, turning her head away. “I believe my presence would only serve to exacerbate her upset state.”

Lucky rose to his hooves. “Then send me.”

Celestia stared deliberately into the fire. “To use your words, she ‘almost flattened’ you this morning. I could not ask you to take that risk.”

“You don’t have to ask.” Lucky stood tall and squared his shoulders. “I’m volunteering. No matter how dangerous it is, I have to try. It’s… well, not quite my talent, but it is my purpose.”

“Your duty as a guard does not obligate you to take this risk.”

“Maybe not, but my duty as a pony does. Look, I did a lot of soul searching when I was younger. My talent was for flying through storms, and I thought that I would just grow up and become an amazing aerobat. Then… well, then I hurt someone I cared about, and I had to ask myself what I was doing with my life.”

Lucky clutched the badge hanging around his neck with a hoof. “I decided that if my talent let me get through dangerous situations, then maybe I should use that ability to help others. To be a pony who could step forward when someone was in trouble and see them through safely.

“Please, Princess. Tell me where she is. She deserves to have someone who can be there for her like I had. I understand now if that can’t be you, yet, but someone has to be there for her.” Lucky took a deep, gulping breath and let it out slowly. “I know it might be dangerous, but even so, I have to try.”

Celestia gave Lucky a long, appraising stare. “Very well, then. Luna has returned home.”

“Returned home? But she’s not—”

Celestia watched expectantly as Lucky tapped his forehead. “Of course! I can’t believe I didn’t think of it sooner!”

Lucky turned and galloped to the door. He skidded to a halt on the balcony and looked back over his shoulder. “Thank you for the tea, Princess. And the talk. I promise I’ll do everything I can to help your sister.”

Celestia rose and strode to the doorway, bowing her head in gratitude. “I wish you a swift and safe journey, my little pony.”

Lucky leapt over the railing and spread his wings, cruising off into the night sky.

Manehattan

“This sucks!”

“Ssh, keep it down. Slip’s still sleeping.”

“Well, it does,” said Lily quietly.

“I know, I know,” said Lucky. He shifted awkwardly, his hindleg in a cast and his wing now thoroughly bandaged. “And the doctor said absolutely no flying or using my wing this time.”

Lily pushed her textbook away, laying her chin on her forehooves. “So we can’t even practice for the race now. Why’d you have to break your leg?”

“Hey, it’s not like I planned on this, you know.” Lucky lifted his hindleg, adjusting the pillow underneath it. The damage wasn’t severe, but the rest of the healing had to take place naturally. His wing would take longer to heal—the tear had grown much longer with the strain he’d put his wings through.

“Your aerodynamic profile was probably off-kilter because of your injured wing,” offered Glimpse.

Lucky rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I got that, thanks.”

“Did the doctor give a prognosis?”

“A what?”

“How long did he think it would take your wing to heal?”

“Oh. The doctor thinks that it’ll take about two months for my wing to completely heal.”

“Hmm.” Glimpse consulted a calendar. “That barely gives you a month to practice and prepare for the race, but that doesn’t take into account the time you’ll need to get your wing strength back up to normal.”

“I know, I know,” said Lucky. He shifted again, trying to get comfortable. “If my brother wasn’t such a wimp, all of this wouldn’t have happened. Heck, if it weren’t for him, I’d be in school with you guys, where I belong.”

“Tell me about it,” said Lily. “You’re the best sparring partner I have. And now you’re all laid up.”

“I told you I’d be more than happy to substitute,” said Glimpse.

“Yeah, except you keep trying to bring magic into it.”

“Your enhanced strength and endurance are magical, you know.”

Lily rolled her eyes. “Yeah, but they’re not magic magic.”

“Yet you’re always happy to take my assistance with studying.” Glimpse arched an eyebrow from behind his glasses.

Lucky tuned out the old debate as he prodded at his classwork.

It was going to be a long two months.

* * * * * * *

The last two months had been torture for Lucky. The only good that had come from his injuries had been a seemingly more permanent truce between himself and Stormcrasher. Apparently an injured pegasus wasn’t a fair target.

That, or Stormcrasher had believed his bluff. If it had been a bluff.

The cast had come off in short order, and once the doctor had declared his wing mended, it was time to continue his training in earnest.

His backyard had become a makeshift gym and training area, and he had assisted with spotting and other minor tasks while recuperating.

Lucky took a controlled breath through his nose, greedily sucking in the energy-giving oxygen before letting out a steady exhale. His hooves moved in a stationary trot, all four hooves tapping out a staccato rhythm. His muscles ached, liquid fire burned through his veins, sweat matted his coat and his mane kept falling into his eyes, but he didn’t dare stop running in place.

Lily slowly paced around him, a whistle hanging from her neck. She didn’t use it anymore, not after waking up Slip the first time, but she kept it to complete the look. “Get that left hindleg in line!”

Lucky wordlessly counted off the four-beat gait, shuffling through an awkward skip to force the left hindleg back into the right pattern.

“Good, good… Get ready and… Pushups! Go!”

The pegasus dropped to the ground, kicking out his hind legs. He caught himself with the forelegs and started a series of quick pushups.

Lily leaned on his back, pressing him down further. “All the way down. Work those muscles.”

Lucky grunted as his friend applied extra pressure, his muscles straining to meet the demand. Slowly he rose all the way up again and lowered himself for another repetition.

“Gallop!” demanded the filly.

Lucky pulled his legs up underneath himself and settled back into the four-beat gallop. His forelegs trembled, but he forced them to keep moving. He had to get back into racing shape, whatever it took.

“Buck!”

You’re killing me here! Lucky leaned forward onto his front hooves. They tried to slip, but he locked the muscles in his legs tight to keep them rigid. He lifted his hindquarters up, his body temporarily and precariously balanced for a fleeting moment. With a growl he kicked his legs straight out, driving them into the hanging bag behind him. His body pitched forward as his legs straightened, and with a frantic yelp he forced his forehooves forward to stop his fall.

Lily snorted and prodded his chest after he steadied himself. “You call that a buck? Watch your base and try that again!”

Lucky reached down inside himself and planted his hooves again, striking fast and true with every last ounce of force he could muster. The force of the blow traveled up through his body and down into his forelegs, but he didn’t topple forward. The bag rocked back away from his strike, and he resumed his run.

“Better!” called Glimpse from behind the bag.

“Better,” agreed Lily with an approving nod. “Almost done, Lucky. Give me…”

He tensed, and then forced himself to relax. Anticipating would only mean false starts.

“Right wingover!”

A wingover was one of the most basic flying maneuvers. It involved a pegasus flying straight up and making a turn without a roll, such that their wings traced out a fat horseshoe in the air, and the pegasus changed directions.

Lucky unfolded his wings, still sore from an earlier repetition of wingups, and jumped into the air. A quick flap and a turn of his body found him flying straight downward. The blood rushed to his head for a brief moment before he pulled up, landing in a four-point stance. All four knees flexed as he absorbed the impact of landing, and then quickly resumed running. He took a big gulp of air and then forced himself to breathe properly.

“Good! Last one. Left wingover!”

Lucky rolled his eyes and huffed. He dutifully crouched down low, and with a leap and a flap of his wings propelled himself into the air. His body turned, and he adjusted his wings to keep his trajectory stable.

His left wing suddenly gnarled with a twisting, searing pain. He spun out of control, the world tumbling around him. Gravity brought him crashing into the grass, and he tumbled and rolled before coming to a stop.

“Lucky!” Glimpse and Lily rushed to their friend’s side.

The pegasus pushed himself upright with a frustrated grunt. Everything smarted, and now he had bruises on top of his aches. “Dammit! My stupid wing cramped!” He twisted his head, trying to get a better view of his back.

“Stop moving,” said Lily firmly. “Glimpse, get the bottle. Getting some more electrolytes in you will help with the cramping.” She gently grasped the offending wing with her hooves and teased it flat. She gently massaged the muscles with small, circular motions, starting at the shoulder joint and working her way out along the wing.

Glimpse telekinetically fetched a bottle of sports drink from the porch and offered it to Lucky, who guzzled it down.

Lucky wiped his muzzle dry with a hoof and passed the bottle back to Glimpse. “I hate this! How can I compete if I can’t even do a bucking wingover without cramping my wing?”

“You’ve been pushing yourself really hard, Lucky. Stuff like this happens. Just keep your head in the game, and keep your eyes on the prize.” Lily released her friend’s wing. “There. Try that and see how it feels.”

He gave the wing a slow flap. It moved to his command, but there was still a small resistance. “Better. But it still feels too tight.”

“Stretch your wings out gently while you take a few cooldown laps. We don’t want anything else cramping up.”

Lucky clambered up to his hooves and started to jog around the perimeter of the backyard. “I hate this. All this time wasted because of that stupid Stormcrasher. Because I had to take care of my stupid brother.”

“You’re being too hard on yourself. Your performance is almost where it was two months ago, right Glimpse?”

The unicorn nodded, levitating a clipboard and flipping through it. “Better, in some areas.”

“See? And we got a week to keep working on it. You’ll do fine.”

Lucky stomped viciously on a clump of dirt as he trotted past. “Great. I’m back where I started. And Comet has had two months to train and get even better than I was when I started.”

“Actually,” said Glimpse, “I believe that he may have relaxed his training regimen a bit, with the news of your injury spreading around the school. If you make significant improvement in the coming week, you may catch him by surprise.”

“I hate this. Everything’s all screwed up because of that stupid school.” Lucky kicked a rock, sending it clattering into the fence. “I just want my sun-forsaken life back.”

* * * * * * *

The moon was high and bright, and background chatter filled the air. Lucky surveyed the field where the competitors of the triathlon were gathering. There was a large turn-out; there always was. Lucky had watched the last few years, but this was the first year he was old enough to participate.

The crowd was predominantly nyctan, although there were a few meran ponies in attendance. The triathlon had gathered more attention in recent years, and more and more dayponies were showing up to compete. Lucky wasn’t sure how he felt about that. If they wanted to compete on the Nycta’s turf, well… he could respect that. But part of him still didn’t like having them around.

The triathlon was based on an ancient Nycta ritual, a rite of passage given to a group of three foals just coming of age. Their task would be to overcome a treacherous challenge, often navigating the harsh lands of the Frozen North in the process. Tradition dictated a pegasus, earth pony, and unicorn be given the challenge together, to teach them about each other’s strengths and weaknesses and foster creative problemsolving skills that couldn’t be developed alone.

The modern triathlon had lost its significance as survival training, but participation still marked a milestone in a young Nycta’s life. The triathlon was a relay race run by a team of three, and part of the challenge was to decide which leg of the race to use each team member’s talents on.

Lucky stretched his wings and gave them a few experimental flaps, the test eliciting a pause. He flapped the left wing again. Did the muscle feel tight? Suddenly his stomach felt cold and leaden, and he took a few deep, slow breaths.

“Hey, Lucky! Good luck!”

Lucky turned to see his mother and brother descending from the sky. He stepped forward to embrace them both. “Hey, guys. Slip, what’re you doing up? Isn’t it past your bedtime?”

“I wanted to see you race! Mom said I could stay up, just this once.”

“It is a weekend, after all. And you didn’t think we’d miss your big day, did you?”

Lucky smiled, and his stomach lightened. “Thanks guys. I really appreciate it.”

Evengale kissed her eldest son’s forehead and give him a tight hug. “Your father would be here too, if he could.”

“Yeah, I know. Thanks.”

A shrill whistle cut through the area, and one of the race officials started shouting directions.

“Guys, that’s me. I gotta go. My section’s lining up.”

Slipstream jumped up and wrapped his forehooves around Lucky’s neck. “Good luck!”

Lucky ruffled his younger brother’s mane. “Thanks, bro.”

“We’ll see you at the finish line, dear.”

Lucky took off for the starting area. He was running the third leg of the race, whose path lead through Thunder Canyon to the finish line. Glimpse and Lily had taken the first and second legs, respectively.

Thunder Canyon was an area prone to intense magical weather, which tended to manifest as constant thunderstorms. Their starting line wasn’t quite at the mouth of the canyon, but the rolls of thunder echoing from it were still close.

It was a dangerous area, but that was why there were race officials and medics standing by. If a pony couldn’t stomach a little danger, a nyctan triathlon was not the place for them.

There were several earth ponies and unicorns joining him at the starting area. Pegasi had an advantage in dealing with the weather, of course, but the other races had their own talents. Earth ponies had resilience and fortitude, and were especially well-grounded to withstand the buffeting winds. Some unicorns knew shielding spells, and could ward themselves against the inclement weather.

Also joining the starting area was a pegasus he hadn't seen in a while.

“Comet.”

“Lucky.” The cinnamon-brown colt pulled a sleek pair of goggles into place. “I’m glad you’re here. I heard you’d turned into a sunkisser.”

“Not on your life, pal. Those the goggles you put up?”

Comet smirked. “You bet. Crystal lenses, weathertight seal, adjustable strap, and a water-resistant finish.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll put those fancy goggles to good use after I show you how flying’s really done.” Lucky pulled his much simpler goggles into place and took up position at the line, starting to stretch.

“Yeah, right. I’m gonna hang these babies on the wall next to your poster. Maybe I’ll get ‘em signed by a Wonderbolt, too.”

“We’ll see.”

Comet started to stretch. “I heard about your little ‘accident.’ Hope your wing’s good to fly.”

“Don’t worry about me. My wings are at a hundred and ten percent.” Lucky flapped his wings, lifting himself off the ground for a moment. He landed and gave his left wing a few more test flaps, turning his head to inspect it.

Comet leaned over. “So, is it true?”

Lucky folded his wing back into place. “Is what true?”

“I heard you got into a fight with fifteen sunponies.”

A grin tugged at the edge of Lucky’s mouth. “It was only six…”

“Who won?”

Lucky shook his head. “Nobody ‘won.’ We should’ve found a better way to resolve our differences.”

Comet rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, but seriously. Who won?”

Lucky broke into a full grin. “I did. Come on, there were only six of them, and Lily’s my trainer. You know what she’s like.”

“Nice. That’ll show ‘em what we’re made of.” Comet held out a hoof.

Lucky bumped his hoof with the other colt’s. “Thanks.”

The race started, and Lucky turned to watch for Lily. She appeared in the second group of scattered runners, galloping at a full tilt. She skidded into place besides Lucky and transferred a baton from her saddlebags to his.

“Good run so far?”

“Yep!” Lily slapped Lucky’s flank. “Bring it home!”

Lucky bolted off at a dead run. Once he cleared the staging area, he spread his wings and took off in flight, speeding towards the canyon.

* * * * * * *

Lucky coasted along the path, passing over several runners steadily making their way forward. He mentally checked them off and kept cruising towards Thunder Canyon. No sense using more energy than necessary now; he’d need it to navigate the canyon itself.

The path beneath him started to descend down the side of the ravine, and the pegasus spilled air from his wings, following the path. The rumble of the canyon was louder now, rising to a roar as Lucky slipped beneath the canyon’s insulating cloud cover.

Magical flares lit the winding path down into the valley. Racers weren't allowed to shortcut the path, but Lucky skirted each turn as tightly as he could, squeezing past an indignant unicorn before reaching the canyon floor.

More magical flares lit the way ahead, shining with an ethereal green light against the darkness. Several ponies watched from the sidelines, glowing vests that marking them as race officials. Stinging, bitterly cold rain pelted Lucky as he entered the canyon proper. Visibility was poor; even with the goggles on, Lucky had to keep a watchful eye out for the race markers.

A sudden gust of wind pulled at his wings, sending him spinning out of control. He immediately braked, regaining control and making contact with the ground. He leapt back into the air, wings beating fiercely as he attempted to pierce the howling gales, only to find himself effortlessly repelled. With a frustrated grunt he dropped back to the ground, yet immediately sprung forward, skimming along the surface.

They’re forcing us all down to the same elevation, he thought. But I can work with this.

Lucky skittered along the rocky canyon floor, weaving through the brush. A turgid river flowed nearby, offering fewer obstacles, but he resisted the temptation to fly over its waters.

Nothing nice lived in Thunder Canyon.

The tip of Lucky’s tongue tingled, and he slammed all four hooves into the ground, wings braking hard. Far ahead, a bright lance of electricity struck the ground, briefly illuminating the canyon, its thunderous roar washing over him.

He stared at the scorched rock, heart hammering in his chest. His left wing twitched, and he stilled it as best he could. Keep your head together! This is your moment!

“Interesting strategy!” shouted Comet as he flew over.

Lucky launched himself back into flight, tailing his rival. I can’t beat him at a flat-out sprint. I have to outmaneuver him and keep that lead. He’s not going his full speed because of the lightning and wind; I’ve got a chance to overtake him.

The two fliers tore through the canyon, passing several other racers. Lucky felt his tongue tingle again, and pushed forward, muscles straining. Comet slowed to avoid the impending lightning strike, but Lucky steered around it, taking a fragile lead. With each bolt he inched further and further ahead.

Up ahead the winding path ascended out of the canyon. Lucky tackled the incline, wingtips digging furrows in the dirt as he banked sharply left and right. He spared a glance to the side as he rose. Comet was just behind him.

Lucky put his wings to work as he broke over the lip of the canyon. There was a slow sting in his back and wings; sustained flight without the aid of thermals and against a headwind was grueling. He had pushed himself harder than he wanted to eke out a meager lead over Comet—now was the time to use the rest of his reserves. Wings pounding furiously, Lucky bolted down the track.

The checkered finish banner appeared from behind the crest of a hill. A large crowd was gathered, and as he broke over the hilltop, a cheer went up. Lucky allowed himself a small smile, pushing his straining wings onward.

A second, more sustained cheer went up. Lucky knew, with certainty, that Comet had just appeared over the last hill. He didn’t dare look: turning his head would ruin his aerodynamic profile.

Lucky kept his eyes locked on the goal. His muscles burned with fatigue. His lungs filled with fire.

Up down up down up down.

A second pair of wingbeats reached his ears. Lucky pressed on, ignoring his fatigueas he fought for one less iota of drag. One more chance to pull away.

The crowd at the finish line cheered and hollered. Only the sound of wingbeats filled Lucky’s hearing. The racetrack stretched out before them.

Perfectly straight. No tricks. No maneuvers. Only speed.

Lucky clenched his jaw. Everything else faded away as he concentrated on the tape. All that mattered was his forward momentum.

Updownupdownupdown.

Lucky didn’t remember passing the finish line. It loomed before him, and suddenly it was gone. He was gliding; why did he stop flapping his wings? There were ponies shouting at him to stop.

He dropped his legs, stumbling with an awkward gallop until he caught his stride. His wings were stiff, and he let them hang at his sides as he slowed into a trot. He gasped for breath, trying to get the stars in his vision to go away.

Comet and Lucky slowly came to a stop. They looked at each other, and then at the race officials.

“Who won?” they both demanded.

Lily and Glimpse came running up, along with Comet’s team members.

“C’mon!” demanded Lily.

A unicorn with a clipboard stepped up. “Comet pulled ahead just before the finish line. Victory goes to his team.”

Lucky fell to his haunches. “No way. That means…”

“Second place,” confirmed the official. “Still, good race, both of you. You both gave it your all. You should be proud.”

Comet shared a congratulatory round of hoofbumps with his teammates. The surrounding crowds started to close in on them, but the he stepped away and approached Lucky again.

Lucky closed his eyes, taking deep breaths to calm his pounding heart. I was an idiot to think that I could pull ahead in a straightaway like that. Not against Comet.

Comet smirked, buffing a hoof on his chest. “Hey, Lily. Whaddya think of my moves now?”

“Ah, stuff it,” said Lily with a snort. “You just got lucky, that’s all.”

“Oh yeah? Well your boy Lucky there choked.” The smile fell away from his face for a moment. “Never expected that from you, of all ponies.”

Lucky shook his head. “I don’t know what happened.”

Lily shoved Comet back with a quiet scowl. “Hey. You won already, so cut the crap! Making up lies won’t make you look any better.”

“He’s not lying,” said Lucky in a small voice.

Lily tensed up. She slowly turned, leveling a flat stare at her friend. “What?”

“I choked. Just once. On the first lightning strike. I…” He gestured uselessly with his hooves. “I thought my wing wasn’t up to it, so I stopped. It cost me the race.”

Quiet, deliberate breathing filled the silence. Comet looked at Lily and stepped carefully away. “Just drop off your poster whenever you can.” He rejoined his teammates.

Lucky snuck a guilty glance up at his friend. “Lily, I—”

“Save it!” The filly slammed both forehooves into the dirt, nostrils flaring as she took deep, angry breaths. “We busted our tails off for months to get ready for this race. I worked you to the bone for a month to get you ready! All that, and we came in second just because you choked?!”

Lucky drew back. “Hey, I—”

“I don’t want to hear it! You’re not the only one who wanted to win. You’re not the only one that had something riding on this! I can’t believe you let us down like that! You just… Ugh!” Lily’s tail lashed around as she turned on a hoof and stomped away.

Lucky silently watched her go.

“You know she doesn’t mean any of that,” said Glimpse softly, resting a hoof on Lucky’s shoulder.

When Lucky didn’t respond, Glimpse withdrew it. “Look, I’ll go talk to her.” He chased after their friend.

Lucky closed his eyes and focused on his breathing, trying to get his heart under control. The most damning thing, as thought as he played over the race in his mind, was that he couldn’t disagree with Lily’s words. He had failed them, and cost them their victory.

So much for their perfect year.

Chapter 7

Manehattan

There had been an award ceremony. The gathered ponies had cheered for Lucky and his team, though not like they did for for Comet’s. He was sure he had talked to a reporter or two—the triathlon was always a subject of interest among the nyctan community—but he couldn’t remember what they had asked him.

Lily was polite and gracious enough while everypony else was watching, but had stormed off the moment the ceremonies were complete.

They had carefully avoided discussing Lucky’s failure in the race.

Lucky stared at the blank spot on his bedroom wall. He had replaced the poster with his new silver medal, but it made a poor substitute. The space was too empty now; it was an emptiness he also felt within himself. He closed his eyes and rolled over, turning his back to the medal.

Sleep had eluded him for several hours. It was winter break, and he had been given a temporary reprieve of some of his brother-sitting duties, but despite having been up all day sleep remained out of reach.

There was a gentle knock at the bedroom door, followed by a soft squeak as it slowly opened. “Lucky?” came the voice of his mother.

“Yeah?”

“Do you mind keeping an eye on Slip for a little bit? I need to fly to the store really quick.”

Lucky shrugged underneath his blanket. “Sure. I can’t get to sleep anyway.”

“Thanks, dear. I appreciate it. I’ll make you some hot cocoa when I get back.”

There was silence as Lucky contemplated the offer. He rolled over to look at his mother. “With peppermint?”

Evengale smiled. “With peppermint. And marshmallows. If you need any help, go to Miss Nova next door.”

The colt stuck a hoof out of his blanket to wave his mother away. “I know.”

“Oh, and they moved next week’s storm up to tonight. I put the new weather schedule up. Don’t forget to look at it.”

Lucky rolled his eyes at the wall he was facing. “Yeah, yeah. Got it.”

“Don’t roll your eyes, dear. They’ll fall out of your head. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” The mare vanished from the door, but left it open. A sliver of light fell into the room.

Lucky burrowed into his bed. If he was lucky, Slip was playing by himself and wouldn’t bother him for a while. Maybe he could get a little bit of sleep…

“Hey, Lucky?”

The older colt groaned and resisted the urge to bury his face in the pillow. “Yeah?”

“Can I get a snack?”

“Sure, fine. Just go get it.”

“Um… I wanted an apple.”

Lucky rolled his eyes at the wall again. “So get an apple.”

“But Mom always cuts my apples into slices so I can dip it in peanut butter, and I’m not allowed to use a knife.”

“Just eat it normal. I’m tired and I’m not getting up just to slice an apple.”

“Oh, okay.”

Lucky listened to the quiet sound of hooves padding away and closed his eyes.

He had just managed to clear his head again when the small voice spoke up again.

“Lucky?”

“What?”

“I finished my apple.”

Lucky smacked a hoof into his face. “Yippee. Don’t tell me you want me to get you a drink now.”

The bed shifted as a weight climbed up onto it.

“No. I just wanted to ask you something.”

Lucky pulled the blanket tighter over his head. “One question. What?”

“Can I come hang out with you and your friends at the park? I wanna see what it looks like at night.”

“Ask Mom. I don’t go until after your bedtime, so probably not.”

“Oh, okay. Hey, Lucky?”

“Whatever it is, you can ask Mom when she gets back. Go read a book or something.”

The weight lifted off of his bed. It was replaced by the sound of books and papers being shuffled around. He rolled over to see Slip rooting through the mess on his floor. “Slip! What the hay are you doing?”

Slip paused, looking up to Lucky. “I was looking for a book about the Nycta. Our history book didn’t talk about them a lot, and I was wonder—”

“Stop wrecking my room!” Lucky threw his pillow at the younger colt. “You’ve wrecked my life enough!”

Slip ducked under the pillow, which harmlessly bounced off a bookshelf. He stared at his brother, blinking widely in disbelief. “What? I didn’t really wreck your life, did I?”

Lucky sat up, shaking off his sheets with a spread of his wings. “If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have to go to a stupid daypony school. If it wasn’t for you, I’d get to hang out with my friends.”

Slip took a step back, shrinking into himself. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”

Lucky’s eyes glittered in the thin beam of light from the bedroom door as he glowered at his brother. “If you weren’t such a wimp, I wouldn’t have had to protect you, and I wouldn’t have hurt my wing. Because of you, I lost the biggest and most important race of my life. So do me a favor, stop messing up my room, and get lost!”

The younger colt kept withdrawing. “B-but—”

“Go!” shouted Lucky, pointing at the door.

Slipstream sniffed, then turned and ran into the hallway. “I’m sorry!”

The older colt fell sideways onto the bed. He stared into the empty room. “Oh, buck me.”

Blizz lifted his head from where he lay curled on the floor. “Woof?”

Lucky groaned and buried his face into the bed. “I know, Blizz. I’ll apologize later. Just go back to sleep.”

“Woof!”

“I will, I will.”

* * * * * * *

Lucky stared at his bedroom floor. He had massaged the mess into three separate piles. Toys, books, and comics. The fourth, homework, was shoved under the bed, safely out of mind.

He snagged a paddle ball from the toy pile with his wing. The rhythmic thumping of rubber and wood filled the room as Lucky lay down in front of the book and comic piles. He pulled out a comic and began to read.

A frantic voice called from downstairs. “Slipstream?! Lucky Break?!”

“Up here, Mom!” Lucky turned a page.

The pounding of hooves and a flurry of wing flaps carried Evengale to burst through the bedroom door, still soaked from the rain.

She tackled Lucky, hugging him tight. “Thank the Mother you’re okay! Where’s your brother?”

“Yuck!” Lucky pushed his comic book away from the dripping mare. “I dunno, probably in his room. What’s going on?”

Evengale vanished without a word into the hallway. Lucky could hear her calling Slip’s name, and got up to go to his bedroom door. “Mom. What’s going on?”

Gale stuck her head out of Slip’s bedroom. “I can’t find Slip. The front door was open when I got home and if someone…” Her voice trembled. “Help me check the house.”

Lucky’s ears fell back, and he shrunk down to the floor. “Um, Mom. I think I know what happened to him.”

The searching in the next room stopped, and Gale stuck her head out again. Her voice was quiet but firm. “Lucky. What happened?”

“Well, I sort of got mad at him, because he kept asking me for stupid stuff, and then he was making a mess in my room and—”

Evengale suddenly towered over the colt as she stepped into the hallway, and he shrank back.

Lucky hiccupped and struggled to take a deep enough breath to continue. “I yelled at him. I’m sorry, Mom, I didn’t mean it, but I was just mad and, and he ran away, but I didn’t think—”

The mare wrapped her son up in wing and hoof. “We’ll sort this out later. Stay here. I’m going to check with the neighbors.”

A bright light flashed outside the window as they raced into the living room. “But Mom, it’s a thunderstorm! I should—”

“I need you to stay here and watch out for Slip if he comes home.”

Evengale left. Lucky rested his chin on the window sill and watched the sky churn. “I really messed things up…”

“Woof.”

Lucky turned his head to see Blizz scratching at the door. “Not now, Blizz. We have to stay here, and it’s raining outside anyway.”

“Woof!” Blizz leapt up and pawed at the door some more, punctuating it with another bark.

The colt smacked his face. “It’s storming outside.” Lucky got up and opened the door, pointing. “See? I’m not taking you out.”

Blizz ran between his owner’s legs and onto the porch, stopping on the top step. “Woof!”

“Get back here!” Lucky dove for the dog, who scrambled out of reach.

Blizz stopped at the bottom step and looked back to the colt again. “Woof!”

“You crazy dog! What the hay are you doing?”

The dog’s only response was to wag his tail.

“Fine! Have it your way! But I’m blaming you if Mom gets mad.” Lucky retrieved a poncho, pulling it on and putting the hood up as he ran out the door. “Okay. Where are we going?”

Blizz took off at a run, and Lucky followed, taking to the air. Angry gray clouds covered the sky, blotting out the almost-setting sun and casting the city in gloom. There were scant few Nycta out at this hour, but they were all darting between cover.

As they hurried along, several landmarks stuck out, and Lucky looked ahead down the street. “Wait, this is the way to the park.”

“Woof!” came the dog’s reply.

“Is that where we’re headed?”

“Woof!”

Lucky smacked his head. “Right! Blizz, you’re getting a big treat when this is over. Go find Mom and get her. I got this.”

“Woof.” Blizz skidded to a halt on the wet pavement and reversed course.

The colt set his wings into motion, the buildings and streets streaking and blurring beneath him. The winds pushed his hood back, and he left it down; he was traveling too fast to keep the rain out of his face anyway.

Lucky squinted through the rain. I should have gotten my goggles.

The park emerged from behind the cityscape, the normally vibrant trees and grass dulled by the storm’s cloud cover.

Against the dark grass a pale blue form struggled to gain altitude. Its flight was erratic, buffeted and knocked around by the winds.

“Slip!” Lucky tried to shout over the winds, but his voice was carried away. He pressed harder, closing the gap.

A blinding spear of light struck from the sky, and he covered his eyes. When it passed, he stared through the spots, looking for his brother.

Slipstream was plummeting.

Lucky dove.

The wind tore and pulled at Lucky, but he beat his wings harder, keeping his eyes locked on his falling brother. The back of his neck crawled and he rolled to the side. A bolt of lightning burned a line across his stomach. Rain struck the raw skin and he hissed through gritted teeth.

Another bolt struck. Lucky swerved around it, the electricity spearing a hole through his poncho. Heat flashed against his side, the fleeting stench of burnt fabric hitting his nose. Rain and wind put out the fire as Lucky righted his course.

He was almost there. Slip was only a few body lengths away.

All the hairs on his muzzle stood up at once, and the sharp metallic tang of copper flooded his mouth. Lucky surged forward. A volley of lightning bolts struck the air behind him. One lit his tail aflame. A quick flick put it out.

Lucky snatched his brother out of the air and clutched him tight to his chest. “Slip! Slippy! C’mon!” He dove to the ground, taking shelter underneath an awning.

He cradled Slip’s head with a hoof. Slipstream lay still, and Lucky tried to gently rouse him. “C’mon, c’mon. You gotta be okay.”

Slip remained motionless. A patchwork spiderweb of burnt fur radiated from his eye. A single line ran down his neck and onto his chest.

Lucky gently shook the smaller colt again. “Please wake up. This isn’t right.” He clutched Slip closer and whispered, “It shouldn’t be you.”

Thunder echoed in the distance. Lucky’s ears twitched softly. It was faint and almost inaudible: a sharp, ragged gasp.

“Thank the Mother. Slip, you gotta hang on. I’ll get you some help.”

Lucky spread his wings and took off into the stormy sky.

* * * * * * *

Lucky watched the doctors and nurses crowd around his brother. He had burst into the emergency room, soaked from head to hoof and clutching the foal to his chest.

The words ‘hit by lightning’ had barely left his mouth before Slip was pried from his grasp and put on a gurney. He had followed the procession along the labyrinthine hallways before being pulled aside by a nurse adamant about having his own injury looked at.

With his stomach bandaged, and a now-damp towel around his shoulders, Lucky sat and watched the doctors working through a window. He wanted to move, he wanted to fly, wanted to curse at the sky.

All he could do was wait. Wait and curse himself.

Evengale wrapped a wing around Lucky and pulled him tightly to her side. She had caught up to Lucky not long after his rescue of Slip, but had trailed the colt in getting to the hospital.

Lucky shook himself free of his mother’s embrace and pressed up closer to the glass. “You told me to protect him. You asked me to watch him.” His voice cracked. “I’m so sorry-”

“Ssh,” said Evengale soothingly as she softly ran a hoof through the colt’s mane. “No more of that. You caught him. He’s still alive because of you.”

Lucky shook his head. “If it weren’t for me, he wouldn’t have been outside in the storm.”

“Honey, Slip knew just as much as you do that he shouldn’t have left the house, even if he was upset. You’re both safe now, and that’s what I want to focus on.”

They sat in silence, watching the hospital staff work.

Eventually the doctors and nurses slowly filed out of the room. One nurse approached them. “Ma’am, your son is stable. He’s not awake yet, but you can come in if you wish.”

“Thank you, Nurse.” Gale stood. “Come on, Lucky.”

Lucky remained seated. “I’m not going in.”

“Don’t you want to see your brother?”

The colt shook his head. “He got hurt twice because of me. It’s better if I stay away from him.”

Gale drew her son into a tight embrace. “This is not your fault. You have to believe that.”

Lucky hugged his mother briefly and then pulled away. “Go be with Slip. I’m gonna go home.”

“Are you going to be all right? I can stay out here with you if you’d like.”

Lucky shook his head and headed for the door. “Go be with Slip. I’ll be fine.”

* * * * * * *

Lucky lay in a heap of soggy fur, staring at the empty living room fireplace, a slowly growing puddle of water staining the carpet beneath him. He sneezed violently and then lay still.

Blizz stood beside his owner. He nuzzled worriedly at Lucky’s mane and ears, letting out a keen whine.

Knock knock knock.

“Lucky!” called Glimpse’s voice from the other side of the living room door. “Are you there?”

“Woof!”

“Blizz? Is Lucky there?” asked Glimpse.

“Woof!” Blizz ran to the door and scratched at it frantically.

Pound pound pound.

“Lucky!” shouted Lily. “Get your butt over here and open the damn door!”

A key rattled in the door’s lock, and Blizz leapt out of the way as the howling wind threw the door open . The sound of crashing waves of water followed behind Glimpse and Lily as they stepped through, shaking the water off their slickers.

Lily shut the door, yanking off her coat and dumping it on the floor. Glimpse levitated his coat onto a hook and then flicked the light on with his magic. Both ponies caught sight of the pegasus lying in a heap.

“Lucky! What in the world happened to you?” Glimpse rushed to his friend’s side, holding a hoof to his forehead. “Why are you soaking wet?”

Lily hung back, watching Lucky with a guarded expression.

“Couldn’t find my poncho,” muttered Lucky. He sneezed again, and a violent tremble ran through his body. “Flew home without it. Had a hole anyway.”

“Moon and stars, Lucky. You’re a mess.” Glimpse sighed, brushing the pegasus’ mane out of his eyes. He stood up and stepped over to the fireplace. Several logs floated into the fireplace, igniting from a spark of his horn. “Lily, get the towels from the hall closet.”

Lily snorted and kicked at the carpet. “You’re being bossy tonight.”

Glimpse stared intently at the nascent flames. “Just do it. We have to get him warm and dry before he gets sick.” He shifted the logs around with a poker.

“Fine, fine…” Lily stalked off into the hallway and returned, a stack of towels balanced carefully on her head. She dumped them in a pile by Lucky’s side and retreated to the fireplace, grabbing the poker from mid-air. “I got this.”

“Thanks.” Glimpse wrapped his magic around several of the towels and applied them to Lucky’s coat, bundling his friend up. “Up with you, now.”

Lucky closed his eyes and remained still, save for a few faint shakes and tremors. “Don’t bother. Just lemme alone. I’m a horrible pony.”

Glimpse’s horn shone brighter, and he strained to wrench the pegasus upright. “You are Lucky Break, stalwart friend, ace flier, and—”

The pegasus shook the towels off, whirling around to his friend. “And I’m a horrible pony who almost got his little brother killed! Do you understand that?! The one thing I had to do, and I screwed it up. Heck, the first thing we learn is that we’re supposed to protect our own!”

Lucky stomped a hoof on the carpet. He wobbled, leaning heavily before righting himself. “And now I’ve screwed that up. Twice. What happens if I try a third time, huh? What if I really kill him next time?!”

The unicorn quietly listened to his friend as he laid a towel over the damp spot in the carpet.

“And… and…” Lucky became heavy and light all at once. The world shifted sharply, and he found himself looking at the ceiling.

Glimpse loomed over him, glasses glinting in the firelight. It took him a moment he realized his friend was holding him.

“Glimpse?”

“Yes?”

“When did you get here?”

“A few minutes ago. Your mother sent a messenger from the hospital.” Glimpse slowly lifted the pegasus back into an upright position.

Lucky drew back, staring at the floor. “I’m a horrible pony, Glimpse.”

Glimpse levitated a towel and vigorously dried off the pegasus’ mane. “No, you’re not.”

The pegasus shook his head slowly. “I am. I let you guys down, I let my brother down, I let my mom down… I don’t even know what Dad will think.”

The crackling of the fire filled the momentary silence as Glimpse watched his friend. Lucky slowly lowered himself down, laying his head against the floor. Lily ignored them from the fireplace, rubbing Blizz’s belly.

“Lucky,” asked Glimpse quietly, “do you remember the first time we met?”

“That camping trip? What about it?”

“You and Lily… You both stepped in to protect me, even before you knew my name.”

“I just wanted to kick some tail,” commented Lily.

Glimpse rolled his eyes. “Yes, yes. But even so. Lucky, you in particular told those bullies off, and then you got Lily to come with you into the woods to get me. You were… gallant.”

“I wasn’t trying to be gallant,” mumbled Lucky into the carpet.

“But that’s just it!” exclaimed Glimpse with a slow but eager smile. “You don’t have to try. It just comes so naturally to you. You hate when others are being treated unfairly, and you always know exactly what you want to do, and you don’t hesitate, and that’s why I, um…”

Lucky’s eyes were closed, but Lily was watching the unicorn with an uncharacteristically thoughtful expression.

Glimpse bit his lip and dropped his gaze to the carpet, his voice growing softer. “That’s why I know you’re a good pony. You just… You made some bad decisions, and you’ll have to live with that, but it doesn’t make you a bad pony. That’s what I think, anyway.” He pawed at the carpet for a moment and suddenly turned towards the kitchen. “Lily, I’m going to go make a pot of oatmeal. Make sure Lucky dries off, okay?”

Lily snorted as Glimpse vanished out the doorway. She stood and trotted over to Lucky’s side, giving him a firm prod. “Hey. Grab a towel.”

Lucky mumbled into the carpet but didn’t move.

“Fine. We’ll do this the hard way.” Lily raised her hoof, and carefully studied Lucky’s body. With a quick motion, she jammed it into a nerve in Lucky’s neck.

A spike of pain stabbed deep into Lucky’s muscles. “Ow!” Lucky started forward and spun around to glare at the filly. “Geeze, Lily. Did you really have to do that?”

Lily gave Lucky a smug smirk. “Nope.”

Lucky planted his haunches on the floor again, picking up a towel and half-heartedly dabbing at his fur. Finally, after he was mostly dry, he let it drop and poked at the threads in the carpet with a sullen expression. “I’m sorry I messed up the triathlon. I know you’re still mad about it.”

“Eh…” Lily blew at a loose lock of hair that had fallen into her eyes. “Yeah. Kinda.”

“Sorry I messed things up with you and Comet.”

“Don’t be. He’s kind of a jerk anyway.” Lily kicked at the carpet. “Actually, I’m kind of madder at him now for bragging about it so much. Put him in his place again and we’ll be square.”

“Gonna be hard to top winning the triathlon, but I’ll think of something.” Lucky rubbed at his foreleg awkwardly. “Thanks for coming. I probably shouldn’t be alone right now.”

“Yeah, well… Glimpse showed up at my place, and wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer.” Lily rolled her head against her shoulders, then glanced sidelong at Lucky. “Not that it took a lot of convincing, anyway.”

Lucky shuffled closer to the fire and threw himself on his side, pulling an affectionate Blizz to his chest. The now-roaring fireplace radiated a toasty heat, but he was too tired to move again. “I don’t know what I’m doing, Lily. I’m just… Everything feels like it’s out of control.”

“Is Slip okay?”

“I don’t know. I hope so. They got him stabilized, but…” Lucky’s voice fell, becoming small and shaky. “I left. I had to. I couldn’t bear to face him, just in case I screwed up again.”

Lily stood and stretched, slowly working out the muscles in each leg. “Running away’s not like you.”

“Yeah, well… This isn’t a stupid fight or some new trick I’m trying.”

“Your mom still at the hospital?”

“Yeah. I told her to stay with Slip.” Lucky gave Blizz a squeeze, and the puppy licked at his face. “He needs her more than I do right now.”

Lily repositioned herself to soak up some of the fireplace’s heat and laid down. “Guess that means Glimpse and me will have to stick around, then.”

“Glimpse and I,” said the unicorn reflexively as he reentered the living room, three bowls floating beside him.

“That’s what I said, isn’t it?”

Glimpse lowered a bowl for each of his friends before settling in near the fireplace. “Nevermind. It’s not important.”

Lucky let Blizz go. The puppy scampered around to Lucky’s other side and curled up, taking shelter from the blazing heat. The pegasus rolled upright onto his stomach and poked tiredly at his meal. “Hey, guys?”

“Yes, Lucky?” asked Glimpse.

“Thanks for being here.”

“Of course. What are friends for?”

Lily gave a vague grunt of assent, and the three friends continued eating in silence.

Canterlot

Lucky slowly crept back into his bedroom, smiling as he noticed both the lit lamp and a still form laying on the bed. In the corner a phonograph spun, letting a moody sax slowly unspool into the room.

“Hey there,” he whispered. “You didn’t have to wait up for me.”

Rose stirred, stretching out languorously on the bed. She was wearing a black dressing gown, which she pulled shut as she sat up with a yawn. “No, but I wanted to.”

Lucky leaned in and gave her a soft kiss. “That’s sweet of you, but I hope you weren’t too bored waiting for me.”

“Actually, I found something interesting to read.” Rose held up a pamphlet. “I didn’t know you were an EMT.”

“Heh, well, I’m not. Yet. It’s just… something I’ve been thinking about, that’s all. It’s a training course the Guard offers.” Lucky slipped his saddlebags off, stretching out his back.

“Oh, really?” Rose laid down again, resting her chin on her hooves as she watched her boyfriend. “You’re going to skip right past basic first aid to becoming an EMT?”

“Well, not exactly.” Lucky rubbed at the back of his neck. “I’ve had a first responder certification for years now.”

Rose tried to catch Lucky’s eye. “You never mentioned this before.”

Lucky dragged a hoof through the carpet. “Yeah, well, I didn’t want to make a deal about it. I didn’t think it was that important.”

“You know you have nothing to feel ashamed of, right?” Rose reached out to rest a hoof on Lucky’s shoulder. “This is about the accident, right? You don’t have to hide things like that from me.”

“Yeah, I know.” Lucky slumped against the side of the bed, craning his head up to rub noses with Rose. “Sorry, I’ve just had a lot on my mind today. I’ll tell you about it later.”

Rose pecked the tip of Lucky’s muzzle. “Later, as in after you get back?”

Lucky had the good grace to look sheepish. “How’d you figure I was planning on leaving?”

“You mean besides the fact that you haven’t climbed into bed with me to snuggle up under the covers yet?”

“Okay, I guess you got me.” Lucky stood up, leaning down to rub his cheek against Rose’s. “Sorry, but I found out where Luna is, and… I gotta go try and talk to her.”

Rose closed her eyes, sighing softly as she leaned in against Lucky. “And where, praytell, is she?”

Lucky straightened, moving to his closet and rummaging through its contents. “Oh, she’s just outside of town, so I’m going to hop over and see if I can talk to her. Don’t wait up.”

“Lucky,” said Rose, speaking slowly and deliberately as a wariness filled her voice. “Where is she?”

“She’s…” Lucky sighed and hung his head. “She’s at the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters. In the Everfree Forest.”

Rose bolted upright. “The Castle of the… Wasn’t that the place where Nightmare Moon was defeated?”

“It’s also Luna’s home.” Lucky wrenched a black flight suit free from his closet and began inspecting it.

“Dear, are you sure this is a good idea?” Rose stepped down off the bed and pulled Lucky around to face her. “You said yourself she’s been out of sorts. And to go back there, of all places… Lucky, I love you, and I think I know what this means to you, but do you really have to do this?”

Lucky slid his forehooves and wings around Rose, pulling her close so that the heat of their bodies mingled together. “How do I explain… Look, do you remember the first time we met in class all those years ago?”

“How could I forget? The way you took to that obstacle course, like there was nothing but you and the sky, and you were completely free…” Rose rested her head against Lucky’s chest, and Lucky nosed softly at her ears. “I was a little jealous of how free you looked right then, to be honest.”

“You saw something in me, something nopony else at that school would have seen, and you came over and tried to become my friend.” Lucky kissed each of Rose’s eartips, which wiggled under the loving attention. “What would have happened, if instead of that, your first impression of me was the angry kid who yelled at his little brother and sent him crying out into a storm?”

Rose fell silent, and Lucky gently rubbed at her sides as she thought. Finally, she slowly shook her head. “I don’t know. I probably wouldn’t have been very impressed. But there’s more to you than just that angry colt.”

“And there’s more to Luna than Nightmare Moon or even a bratty princess. When she held court last night, she did this trick where she summoned her night sky into the hall… It was so clear and bright, much brighter than seeing it like normal. Everyone was impressed, and for a moment, when I looked at Luna, she was smiling. She was happy—proud, even, that she could do something that impressed so many ponies like that.”

Lucky released Rose and turned to pick up his flight suit, starting to pull it on. “And that’s why I have to go. I think there’s a pony in there worth reaching out to.”

Rose immediately leapt on him, bowling over and pinning Lucky down while seeking his lips for a kiss. “You may go, but you have to promise you’ll get out of there at the first sign of danger.” She punctuated her statement with a firm poke to his chest.

“Rose, there is nothing in Equestria, including Nightmare Moon or Celestia herself, that could keep me from coming back to you.” Lucky gently cupped her chin and kissed her lips. “You saw things in me that I didn’t think anyone else ever could, and I am a much better pony for having you in my life.”

Rose drew back, color rushing to her cheeks as she composed herself, straightening her mane and drawing her gown closed. “How is it you manage to get so romantic right when I’m worried about you the most?”

Lucky laughed and pulled on the flight suit, shaking his mane and tail free as he stood up. The suit had a few scuff marks, but it had survived all of Basic; it would survive the night. “Well? How do I look?”

“Wild and carefree. Your best look.” Rose stepped up and bit the zipper, tugging it into place. “You know, just when I thought I had you figured out, you went and surprised me.”

“Gotta keep things interesting, don’t I?” Lucky slipped on his saddlebags and fastened them down. “You should get to sleep. I don’t know when I’ll be back. But I will be back.”

“I know how you are about promises, dear. Do you want me to put breakfast on for you?”

“I’m not sure. Better not.” Lucky leaned in and kissed his marefriend again. “Rose Lark, have I told you lately I love you?”

Rose leaned into the kiss, smiling as they broke apart. “I know.”

Lucky grinned and made for the door. “Sweet dreams.”

“Good luck.”

* * * * * * *

Lucky had heard all of the stories about the Everfree Forest. There had even been a briefing or two following the events of the Summer Sun Celebration. Animals and plants that took care of themselves, weather that changed without the intervention of ponies, dangerous creatures and beasts.

Nopony had mentioned how much creepier the gnarled and twisted forest would be at night. There were more than a few strange howls he would be glad to never know the source of.

Fortunately, he didn’t need to go into the forest to find the ruins of Castle Everfree. He cruised comfortably high over the canopy, letting a field of leaves breeze past below him. A deep gorge broke the monotony of the forest and he glanced ahead, spotting a broken formation of overgrown stones placed in a straight line. Past the broken wall were several structures, all dark and empty, pile after pile of rubble greeting him as he swept through the ruins.

Castle Everfree, better known as the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters, was the former seat of the Equestrian throne before it relocated to Canterlot. And a thousand years ago—yet also six months—it had been Princess Luna's home.

In a distant room a glimmer of light flared, and Lucky turned towards it. A skeletal tower reached shakily into the heavens, the night sky shining through the missing stones.

Lucky circled the tower until he saw the glimmer again, drifting in through a shattered wall. “Princess?”

Hornlight provided the only illumination in the room, but the tall silhouette of Princess Luna was unmistakable. Her back was to him as she pushed aside rubble with her magic, head frantically searching back and forth.

Lucky tested his weight on the rickety floor before touching down. He worked his wings slowly, the throbbing ache of long exertion quickly settling in. Louder this time, he called, “Princess Luna?”

“Gone, gone, gone!” muttered Luna to herself as she sifted through the rubble. “’Tis naught but dust and memories!” With a strangled yell she slammed a hoof down, a broken stone exploding into a cloud of fine powder.

The tower creaked, and Lucky cast an alarmed glance to the ceiling above. “Princess, perhaps you should take it easy.”

Luna froze, and slowly turned, the light of her horn spilling over Lucky and the rest of the room. Surprise reached her eyes, followed quickly by wrathful indignation. “You.” The word came out as a snarl. “How is it thou hast followed Us to this place?”

“Your sister told me where you were.”

“Feh.” Luna spat on the ground. “That wretched layabout is no sister of mine! Begone! We wish not to participate in her nonsense or to tolerate thy presence.”

Lucky shook his head. “She didn’t send me. Coming here was my idea. And I’m not leaving.”

“Thou would’st disobey Us here, in Our own domain?” Luna drew herself up to her full height, spreading her wings wide.

“Your domain? This isn’t—” Lucky’s voice caught in his throat as his heart tightened.

Luna’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “This is not what?”

“Please don’t make me say it, Princess.”

“Oh? Hath the mouse lost his spine?”

Lucky looked away. “This isn’t your home anymore, Princess.”

Luna recoiled, her next question a hiss. “What?”

Lucky met the alicorn’s furious stare. “This isn’t your home anymore.”

Silence fell over the room. The two ponies stared at one other, neither moving as the moments ticked past. Lucky’s face was mournful but defiant, while Luna’s slowly twisted up.

“Rampallion… Thou darest insult Us?” Luna’s horn shone brighter and brighter as her magic crept onto the piles of rubble. “Thou art a stain, a blight upon this good earth, and thy presence hath been tolerated for far too long.”

Lucky’s heart quickened in his chest. He slipped back half a step, tensing his muscles. “Princess, please. Think about what you’re doing.”

“We have thought overmuch on what We must do.” Luna slowly stalked forward, the stones now rising to swirl around her. “We… I must make amends. After tonight, the world will no longer know thy ilk.” With a flicker of her horn, she flung the rocks forward.

Lucky grit his teeth, already in motion. He threw himself back and let himself fall from the tower. Above, the rubble flew harmlessly overhead.

He rose back up to the room again, cautiously peering through the wall. Luna was frantically searching through the rubble again, snatching up the odd piece of junk to examine it, but discarding it just as quickly.

“Princess, what are you looking for? Maybe I can help.”

“It concerns thee not!” A single chunk of stone threw itself at Lucky. The pegasus casually leaned aside to let the projectile pass.

Luna snorted and promptly vanished in a flash of blue light.

“Dammit, not again.” Lucky turned and dove through the wall once more. He swept quickly through the ruins, frustration starting to pound at his temples. Hi, Celestia. Guess what? I lost your sister again. Whoops!

Half of a marble pillar came flying through a window. Lucky stopped and watched it sail through the air, tumbling end over end and snapping a stone bench in half.

Lucky lowered himself to the window, peering through cautiously. It was a large hall, with a raised dais at one end. Luna was methodically sweeping through the room. Her horn flickered rapidly, each flagstone briefly lighting up before her magic moved to the next.

Lucky perched carefully on the window frame, taking in more of the room. Tall, arched windows flanked either side of the hall, with dirty pieces of stained glass clinging desperately to their frames. Thick vines intruded through the windows, blanketing the walls and floor. On the dais, a mass of vines were still wrapped around a large object.

Lucky shrugged to himself and glided down into the room, touching down quietly beside the strange object. This close, he could see the tarnished silver peeking through the vines. Four, short legs and one tall, flat back marked it as a chair, toppled on its side. It was alicorn-sized, and Lucky’s eyes grew wide as looked to its top. He bit down on a thick vine wrapped around it and gave a fierce tug. It refused to budge, but Lucky pulled harder, adding wingpower to his efforts. The vine continued to resist, but Lucky slowly pried it away, catching a glimpse of the secret it hid.

The engraving of a single crescent moon, nearly lost to a thousand years of tarnish and dust.

Lucky let go of the vine, which immediately nestled back amongst its brethren. He turned to look at the rest of the hall.

Luna’s court… He hopped down to the bottom of the dais steps and stood at the corner, giving the room another look. I wonder if any of my ancestors stood in this spot a thousand years ago… From his vantage point the layout of the room came together: a place for the petitioner to stand there, and the entrance there, spectators over there, and Luna’s office…

Lucky craned his head back. Where the office should have been there was nothing but a dense collection of foliage. He flapped over and prodded at the mat of vines. Several pulled free and snaked out, reaching for his legs. He yanked his hooves clear and leapt back, watching as the entire wall began to squirm. Through their undulations he could see a wooden door.

What I wouldn’t give for a machete or a book of matches right about now.

“Princess, I think—”

“Move.”

The order was flat and neutral. Lucky turned to find Luna looking past him at the wall of writhing vines. He quickly stepped aside.

Luna moved forward and lowered her horn, pointing it at the wriggling mass. Magic swirled and gathered, forming into a steadily growing sphere. A fine mist fell from the spell and pooled around Luna’s hooves.

Lucky prodded at the mist as it spread across the floor; even through the flight suit the cold gnawed at his body’s warmth.

The spell exploded with a cold rush of wind. A thick layer of frost swept over the wall, trapping the vines in place. Luna flicked her head to the side, shattering a single vine that had found her horn. With another pulse of magic the entire wall fractured and cracked, shards of vegetable matter raining down in heaps. A simple but intricately carved wooden door revealed itself, and Luna stepped through.

Lucky kicked at a chunk of frozen plant and quickly followed.

The office was small and bare. The only object of note was a tall, slender mirror that Luna was already examining. She lowered her horn to touch the mirror’s surface, and the glass rippled like water. Luna withdrew her horn, producing a wet sucking noise as it pulled free from the mirror’s surface, which quickly stilled once more.

“Thousand years is a long time for an enchantment to last.”

Luna scoffed. “As if thou couldst doubt the potency of my spellcraft.” Her frown softened as she continued. “Yet ‘tis well the wild magik of the Everfree hath sullied not its enchantments.”

Lucky looked around Luna to examine the mirror. “So, some sort of portal spell? Where’s it go?”

“It leads…” Luna stared at the mirror, gazing at what lay beyond, though only her reflection stared back. “… to my workshop, though what lays beyond, I know not. Dangers may lie within.”

“You don’t remember what was in your own lab?”

“The memories are… unclear.” Luna gave her head a small shake. “I am besieged by phantoms and half-remembrances. It may well be perilous.”

“No time like the present.”

Luna arched an eyebrow towards Lucky.

Lucky shrugged. “Figure of speech. Sorry.”

“Be that as it may, I must ask of thee to stay thy hoof. The horrors that may lay within are mine alone to face.”

Lucky nodded solemnly. “Of course, Princess.”

Luna scrutinized the pegasus silently. “I was not born yesterday, as I believe the saying goeth. Thou intendest fully to follow me.”

Lucky broke into a small grin. “Of course, Princess.”

“Fool.” Lona snorted and turned away, but Lucky was sure he saw a wisp of a smile in Luna’s reflection.

“I never claimed to be smart.” Lucky stepped up to the mirror, examining his own reflection.

Luna lowered her horn to the mirror again but paused. “Wherefore dost thou persist so?”

Lucky tilted his head. “Beg your pardon?”

“Wherefore… Why dost thou persist?”

“Too stupid to know better, I guess.”

“I do not believe it only folly which drives thee.”

“A long time ago I almost killed my brother.”

Luna’s head jerked upright, a pair of suspicious eyes turned on Lucky.

“No, not like that, but… I was angry and young, and stupid, and I lashed out at him for something that wasn’t his fault. He was just a little kid. How was he supposed to handle that?

“He ran outside, right into a storm, and got hit by lightning. I went after him and caught him, but…

Lucky tapped the side of his head. “It hit his eye. The doctors tried, but they couldn’t completely fix it. Every time I look at him, I’m reminded of how I damaged him. I did that. He paid the price for my mistake.

“And the most damning thing of all was that he apologized to me, even though I know in my heart of hearts that the fault was mine and mine alone.”

Luna quickly looked away, hiding her face behind her mane. Lucky nodded to himself. Thought so.

“I know it’s not exactly the same, but…” Lucky rubbed at the back of his neck. “I know what it’s like to feel like an irredeemable monster. It’s like… It’s like being over this giant pit, this one colossal failure that’s going to swallow up everything you’ve ever done. And you’re barely hanging on, but little by little you’re slipping, and it’s only a matter of time before you just get sucked in.

“But if you’re lucky you have some important ponies who will reach out and hold on tight, who won’t ever let go, and little by little they’ll pull you away from the pit until you can make it on your own.” He smiled up at Luna’s reflection in the mirror. “And if I can do that for someone else, well… how could I refuse?”

“My sins are a burden most heavy,” whispered Luna. “They may yet be too much for even two ponies to bear.”

“Then I’ll just have to pull really hard.”

“Were that I was possessed of thy moral certitude, a happier pony I would be.”

Lucky shook his head. “I still have doubts, Princess. But as long as I can keep taking steps forward, I’ll get by.”

“Onward, then.” The word was weary and haggard. With a touch of magic the mirror’s surface rippled again, and Luna stepped through.

Lucky pressed a hoof against the liquid glass. It resisted briefly, then let him through. He took a deep breath and plunged through. A tingling heat washed over his coat before he emerged into a humid chamber.

Thick, dangling roots intruded from the ceiling like an upside-down forest, littering the floor with dislodged stones. The air was thick and warm, and moisture crept underneath the edges of Lucky’s flight suit.

Lucky pulled back its hood and shook out his mane. “How deep are we?”

“Not deep enough, I fear.” Luna strode briskly to the other side of the chamber, approaching a plain wooden door. A ripple of blue magic washed over its surface as Luna examined it.

Lucky drew his hoof from a stray puddle of water and hastily scraped a clump of algae off on the stone floor. “Is this it?”

Luna gave a small nod. “Verily, ‘tis so.” With the gentle push the door swung open.

The workshop fared no better than the chamber before it. One table had broken in half under a fallen ceiling stone. Others were overturned, spilling vials and rusted instruments onto the ground. The tables that still stood were covered in a moldy growth Lucky couldn’t identify.

Luna drew in a sharp breath. “My notes…” She galloped to a table and carefully extracted a piece of parchment from a moldy mass. She quickly put it down and sifted through the rest of her laboratory, muttering to herself in increasingly frantic mumbles.

Lucky sat by the door and silently watched Luna work. Eventually, Luna slumped to the ground with a weary sigh, closing her eyes and hanging her head. Lucky stood and carefully made his way over to her.

“Any luck?” he asked quietly.

Luna shook her head. “All is lost. These notes were the last vanguard of ancient and terrible knowledge ripped from my mind when I was released of my darkness. In freeing me, the elements have denied me my redemption.”

“If it was so terrible, how would it redeem you?”

Luna picked up a pair of rusted tongs and turned it around in her magic. “The knowledge I seek is that of how I made my soldiers.”

“Your soldiers? You don’t mean…”

Luna bobbed her head. “Thou hast the truth of it.”

“So you really are the—”

The screech of crumbling metal cut him off. Luna flung the twisted lump into a wall and turned a baleful glare on Lucky.

“You are aberrations,” she said in a scathing voice. “Ponies I twisted into weapons to fight my misguided war.”

Lucky watched Luna with a curious stare. “Is that all you see?”

“I see a mistake!” snapped Luna. “A mistake that turned pony against fellow pony, a mistake that cast a nation into disarray, a mistake that exiled innocent ponies to the Frozen North!”

“We persevered. We became strong and resilient.”

“You became deluded! You worship a lie!” Luna spat on the ground. “This so-called Mother Moon is a fabrication. A fantasy told by foals to protect themselves from the truth.”

“That’s a bit harsh, isn’t it?”

“’A bit harsh’?” mocked Luna with a sneer. “I have studied your legends. ‘A kind and lovely maiden with a star-filled mane, who created her children to protect her beautiful night sky.’”

“Why couldn’t that be you?”

Luna slammed a hoof down, a shower of dust and dirt raining from the ceiling. “I AM NOT KIND!” Luna’s furious bellow echoed and rattled off the walls. “The blood of innocents hath stained my hooves, my sister recovers still from the burden of raising my night, and I killed—” She bit the word off and turned away. “No matter.”

Lucky’s ears perked up. “Who?”

“Nopony of import.”

“He was important to you.”

Luna deflated, her body sagging as her gaze slipped away to long ago. “He was… a stallion most insightful. Untrained when first I discovered him, but possessed of a keen intellect and an unmatched thirst for discovery and understanding.”

She shook herself from her brief reverie. “I struggled to keep the taint of my madness from him, but ultimately it destroyed him as it did so many others.”

“What would he tell you if he was here? Would he want you to dwell on your past?”

“Nay, he would not. He would see me happy…” Luna shook her head. “But no longer do I know what is my purpose. Equestria is prosperous and safe. It needs not a foolish old mare.”

Luna rose and slowly shuffled from the room. Lucky followed, and they made their way to the surface. Luna collapsed on the stones with a heavy air of finality, beneath her wide-open night sky.

Lucky carefully sat next to Luna, slipping his saddlebags off to stretch. “What’s next, Princess?”

“There exists no ‘next,’ Private.” Luna closed her eyes. “My workshop entombs a pony beyond redemption.”

“Do you really believe that?”

“It matters little what I believe; ‘tis the truth of it. If I cannot repair even this…”

“There’s more than one path to redemption, Princess.”

Luna snorted but said nothing else.

Lucky reached into his saddlebags and pulled out two thermoses, setting them by Luna’s head.

Tiredly opening a single eye, Luna gave the thermos a suspicious stare. “What is this?”

“Soup. I don’t think you’ve eaten since yesterday.”

“I do not require sustenance in the traditional sense.”

Lucky resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “I may not know much about alicorn physiology, but I do know that a warm bowl of soup on a cold night has a way of… helping put things in perspective.”

Luna didn’t respond again, closing her eye and laying still. Lucky shrugged and took a long sip from his thermos. It was still warm—almost hot, even—and the hearty flavor lingered on his tongue as the heat raced down his throat, spreading into his chest.

They sat in silence as Lucky worked on his thermos, and finally Luna dragged herself up to her hooves and lifted her thermos to her lips, slowly sipping from it. The ruins were still and silent, save the occasional rustling of leaves from the forest periphery or a stray animal call.

“Acceptable,” said Luna finally as she put her empty thermos down.

“I’ll take acceptable,” replied Lucky with a small smile. “Feeling any better?”

“Nay,” said Luna flatly. A moment later, in a much softer voice, she added, “But thine effort is appreciated.”

“You’re welcome, Princess.”

Luna stood and walked into the middle of the clearing, sweeping her gaze around. “This was my home. Ponies did live and work here under the watchful eye of my sister and myself. ‘Twas our sacred charge, to shepherd our little ponies and safeguard them from all that would do them harm.” Luna hung her head. “A duty I ignored in my madness.”

She let out a bitter, hollow laugh. “‘Madness.’ Even now I find comfort in… what wouldst thou call it? A white lie? The shameful truth is that I was not driven mad. Driven by anger, by jealousy, by pettiness… But not madness. The darkness within my heart offered only a means to an end.

“‘Twas I that destroyed our home, this bastion of safety what once stood tall as a monument to our greatest victory. ‘Twas I that betrayed my sacred duty. ‘Twas I that sentenced generations to ignominy.

“These things I might yet bear…” Luna returned to her seat and sank heavily to her knees. “But she is so close, and yet so distant.”

“Princess Celestia.”

Luna shook her head. “That… That pony is not the mare I knew. She bows in submission when she should stand resolute. She is soft, and quiet, and…” Luna’s nose crinkled. “Matronly. ‘Tis the cruelest cut, that whilst she hath her sister returned to her, I am denied mine.”

“She’s still your sister. She just had to grow up a little bit.”

Luna sniffed disdainfully. “She hath become like unto our mother. I wish not to become such.”

Lucky chuckled quietly.

Luna glanced to the pegasus, arching her eyebrow. “Do I amuse thee?”

“Not at all, Princess,” said Lucky quickly. “I was just thinking that sometimes we grow up in unexpected ways.”

“I am glad that my plight humors thee, Private. At least it will serve some use.”

“It’s not like that at all, Princess. It’s just… If you had asked a younger me what I wanted to do for a living, ‘guard’ wouldn’t have been anywhere on the list. It took… a lot of time to figure out what kind of pony I wanted to be. I’m still working on it.”

Luna made a noncommittal noise and raised her head to watch the night sky. Overhead, a cluster of stars briefly shimmered.

“I desired…”

Lucky looked over to Luna, but remained silent.

Luna took a deep breath. “I did desire to give my sister a gift. It is… the custom now, is it not?”

“Yeah.”

“The one gift I sought to present is now forever denied me.” Luna dropped her head, letting her mane sweep forward to hide her face. “‘Tis fitting, I suppose. What place have I, one who hath caused such disharmony, on this night?”

“You know, a very wise pony I know told me once that the Hearth’s Warming tale wasn’t just about friendship, but about forgiveness, too.”

Something wet sniffed from behind Luna’s mane.

“And I’ve always thought it was a story about new beginnings, too.”

Luna took a deep breath and released it, two plumes of frosty air escaping from her nostrils. When she spoke again, her voice was short and terse.

“Private.”

Lucky saluted. “Ma’am.”

“We would see our sister. Thou wilt escort Us.”

“Yes, Ma’am!” Lucky slipped his saddlebags on, and then hung his badge around his neck. “Ready to depart, ma’am!”

“And Private, do not believe that Our candor entitles thee to any special privileges.”

“With all due respect, Ma’am, we both know that’s not why I came out here.”

“Quite.”

Luna’s horn surged with magic, and a bright flash of light consumed the two ponies, leaving nothing behind but stones and silence.

* * * * * * *

The world twisted around Lucky, and he fought the urge to drop to his knees.

He desperately tried not to think about the fact that his knees had stopped existing for several seconds.

After Luna’s spell had fired, all of his senses had contracted to a point. There had been a vague sensation of an aerial view of Canterlot, far higher than he could possibly hope to fly. Then Canterlot had crashed upwards at him, and an instant later the world expanded and he found himself standing in Luna’s empty court.

Lucky tapped a hoof on the ground, followed by the three others in rapid succession. Solid ground. Ground is good. I like ground.

Luna watched the guard dispassionately. “We offer Our most humble apologies if the process was unsettling.”

Lucky straightened up again. “Not a problem, Ma’am. Permission to ask a question?”

Luna inclined her head slightly.

“Were we just part of the moon?”

“In a manner of speaking.”

Lucky blinked. “Huh.”

Luna turned for the door, and Lucky hastily fell in behind her. He stepped forward as Luna waited for him to open the door, and then they proceeded into the castle.

Secrets were hard to keep inside the castle—at least when the secret was ‘a princess is missing.’ Particularly when, despite efforts to counter it, a tidy amount of bits could be collected for keeping certain wealthy ponies in the know.

Lucky was not surprised that Luna’s sudden reappearance had drawn stares and hushed whispers. Several servants and staff seemed to hover around them as they proceeded through the castle. A few almost approached, but caught sight of Lucky’s badge hanging around his neck and backed off.

The fact that some of those ponies were also pointing and talking about him was a bit alarming, though. The only thing that could spread faster in the castle than a secret was gossip, but Lucky had hoped—vainly, it seemed—that he would go unnoticed. Of course, showing up in the company of a missing princess and out of uniform didn’t help much with staying invisible.

Then again, it’s not like I’m really anybody important. Hopefully too much won’t come out of it.

Soon, they were standing in front of the doors to Celestia’s apartment. Two night guards had taken over the watch, and they both snapped to attention after shooting a brief glance at Lucky.

“Princess Luna, Ma’am. What may we do for you?”

“I wish to visit with my sister.”

One of the guards turned and raised a hoof to knock on the door. The door swung open on its own, revealing Celestia, her face calm and neutral. “Luna.”

Luna hung her head. “Sister, I—”

Celestia stepped forward, bowing her head and resting her neck against Luna’s. “I know, Luna, I know. Me too.”

The younger alicorn stiffened, then slowly leaned back against the elder, closing her eyes.

Lucky allowed himself a small smile as the siblings embraced.

“Come on in, dear. I’ll send for some coffee.” Celestia moved aside to let Luna pass.

“Many thanks. Prithee, wouldst thou also fetch my steward?” Luna looked to Lucky and gave him a small nod. “Thou art dismissed.”

Lucky saluted. “Yes, Ma’am.”

Luna stepped inside, and Celestia turned to Lucky. “You have my thanks, Lucky Break.”

“Just doing my job, Ma’am. Happy Hearth’s Warming,” said Lucky with a deep bow.

Celestia smiled warmly and genuinely. “To you as well.”

Lucky turned and trotted away, humming a quiet tune to himself. Lily stepped out from behind a corner, watching him with an amused look.

“Hey, Sarge.”

“Hey, Lucky.” Lily looked Lucky up and down. “You look like hell.”

Lucky glanced down at himself and shrugged. “I don’t know. I think I look pretty good, all things considered.”

“And what things are those?”

“Oh, you know. Flew to the Everfree Forest, went poking around in the ruins.” Lucky stepped around the other pony and kept trotting down the hall.

Lily did a double-take and broke into a brisk trot to catch up. “You flew to the Everfree Forest and back?”

“Nah, just the one way. Luna teleported us back.”

“You’re crazy, you know that?” Lily punched Lucky’s shoulder.

“Hey,” said Lucky with a lopsided grin. “Got the princess back, didn’t I?”

Lily shook her head. “I can’t wait to read that report.”

Lucky stopped and covered a gaping yawn with a hoof. “With all due respect, I’m dead tired. I barely slept all day, and I flew all the way to the Everfree forest a few hours ago. Can I get you that report in two days?”

“You’re off-duty, remember? Get it to me when you get back. But seriously, Lucky. You’re a piece of work, you know that?”

They reached an intersection and Lucky turned off, heading to the front of the castle. “Yeah, well… What can I say? Helping ponies is what I do, even if they’re a little lost. Night.”

“Night, Lucky. Get some sleep.”

“Trust me,” Lucky called over his shoulder. “I will.”

Chapter 8

Canterlot

Morning found Lucky snuggled up in bed, lazily enjoying the warmth of the thick covers and desperately trying to hold onto a few more minutes of sleep. With the weight of the journey to the Everfree forest already weighing on him, even the short flight back home from the castle had been exhausting. The badly needed shower that followed had threatened to put him to sleep on his hooves, but the thought of Rose waiting for him kept him going long enough to drag himself into bed.

In the morning, Rose slipped out of bed to start preparing the apartment for guests, careful not to disturb his rest. Among her many wonderful qualities was an understanding of his often-odd sleep schedule, and she was more than accommodating if it meant a happier and more functional coltfriend.

A little while later, a warm weight settled on top of him, and the sweet smell of roses filled his senses. Lucky smiled but kept his eyes closed. “Is it eight yet?”

Rose chuckled softly. “No, dear. But I have a special surprise for you.”

“You know I love your surprises, babe, but I’m pretty sure I heard my folks come in already.”

“Oh, they already know about it.” Rose nuzzled at Lucky’s cheek.

Lucky frowned and turned his head to kiss Rose, finally opening his eyes. “Rose, you know I need to get my sleep so I can stay up all day.”

“I know, hun, but trust me. You’ll want to see this.”

“Okay, okay. I’ll be out in a minute.”

“Good! Don’t take too long.” The weight lifted and Rose left, leaving the door open just enough for the light to keep falling on his face.

Lucky squeezed his eyes tight, trying to block the extra light. She doesn’t miss a trick. After a minute of futilely chasing sleep, curiosity got the better of him and he threw the sheets off, sitting up with a stretch. He inhaled deeply, the scent of hash browns reaching his nose. Well, if food’s going to be ready soon I might as well get up anyway. He ran a hoof through his hair to get rid of the worst of his bedmane, and stepped into the living room.

There, in middle of the floor, sat a stallion with a pale blue coat and gray mane. He was fully grown, but still lanky and all limbs. He was affectionately petting Blizz, the husky lapping at his face happily.

Lucky tackled the pony, squeezing him tight. “Slip!”

Slip laughed and hugged his brother back. “Good to see you too, Lucky.”

Blizz barked happily at the two, his tail wagging furiously. Lucky sat back up, giving the younger pegasus some space. “Sorry, it’s just really good to see you.”

“No need to get all moody.” Slip playfully punched Lucky’s shoulder.

“Yeah, yeah. Seriously though. Good to see you.”

Slip’s eyes studied Lucky behind his spectacles, one yellow, one orange. “You okay?”

Lucky idly pet Blizz as he thought on that. “You know, I think I’m doing just fine.”

“Glad to hear it.”

“Yeah. There’s… Well, I’ll tell you later.” Lucky shook his head to clear it. “Enough about me, how about you? I thought you were stuck on that project of your professor’s. And when did you get in? Did you manage the flight okay?”

“You know, it’s the strangest thing. We all got woken up in the middle of the night by a royal courier. Somepony wanted to fund our work, and on top of that, was very adamant that we all get home or wherever we wanted to go to see our loved ones. Included a huge stack of vouchers for travel and hotels.”

Slip grinned broadly. “I took a personal first-class sky chariot all the way here. It had a heating enchantment and a little ice box stocked with drinks. And super plush seats. I wish I could have enjoyed the view, but I ended up falling asleep on the ride over.” He stifled a yawn with his foreleg. “It was pretty early, after all. And dark.”

“I’ll bet. So who funded the research, anyway?”

“Somepony named… Midnight Song, I think.”

“Wonder how they found out about it.”

“Beats me.” Slip shrugged. “Seemed legit, though.”

“Well, however it happened, I’m glad to have you here. Happy Hearth’s Warming, buddy.”

“You too.”

“Who wants hot chocolate?” called Evengale from the kitchen doorway.

“I do!” called Slip.

“I do,” said Lucky as he stood up. “And I also want you out of the kitchen. You’re my guest, so I should be doing the work.”

“Not going to get your extra sleep?” Gale set a mug down in front of Slip, and then fetched a cup for herself and joined her husband on the couch.

“Who can sleep when they’ve got their family to be with?” Lucky slipped into the kitchen and put on an apron, giving Rose a brief nuzzle.

“Did you like your surprise, Lucky?”

“Couldn’t have asked for a better one. Alright. Let’s get this show on the road.”

* * * * * * *

Lucky didn’t put too much stock into the Hearth’s Warming holiday. He wasn’t the first nyctan to note the irony of celebrating harmony after his ancestors had been driven from the country. But even though he didn’t buy into all the trappings of the holiday, he had to admit that it had a few good ideas. Taking care of your loved ones was a very nyctan sentiment, after all.

And he had to admit that gift giving was pretty cool, too.

The apartment was cozy for five ponies and a dog, but nobody minded as they shared stories, swapped gifts, and enjoyed each other’s warmth and companionship.

Lucky’s parents slipped away for a private rendezvous, and Rose’s manager came calling with some urgent business to discuss. Rose apologized, but Lucky sent her off with a smile and a kiss.

That left Slip, and they took to the streets to enjoy the fresh air, fresh snow, and peaceful silence. Canterlot’s weather team was top notch, of course. The fresh snowfall blanketed the entire city in white, but wasn’t deep enough to prevent ponies from walking through it. The tranquility was only broken by Blizz’s intermittent barks, and Lucky occasionally pointing out some of the more interesting places they passed.

“…and then she teleported us back to Canterlot,” said Lucky. “That was kind of freaky.”

Slip gave a low whistle. “All the way from the Everfree?”

“Yep. And she landed right back in her court, too."

“Nice.”

“Yeah. It’s a nice trick, but give me a good pair of wings any day.” Lucky flexed his wings for a moment before tucking them neatly at his sides.

They walked along in silence, frosted breath hanging in the air ahead of them. Lucky contemplated the ground, but Slip watched his brother.

“So,” said Slip, “how are you holding up after all that?”

Lucky took in a deep breath and slowly released it. “I’m… okay. I think. Kind of dredged up a lot of old and uncomfortable memories.”

“Hopefully some good ones, too.”

A small smile appeared on Lucky’s face and then faded away. “A few, yeah. I just… I saw Princess Luna trashing that room and I just sort of knew what was wrong.”

“Takes a lot of guts to stare down an alicorn.”

“Yeah, or just being stupid. Honestly I’m not even sure which it is sometimes. Somebody falling in a river? Easy. Somebody killing themselves with guilt? I don’t know where to stop.”

Slip threw a wing over Lucky’s back. “Maybe bravery is being just smart enough to know what to do and just dumb enough not to consider the consequences.”

Lucky snorted, playfully giving Slip a shove. “You calling me stupid?”

“Nope!” said Slip with a grin. “I’m calling you just smart enough to do incredibly stupid things for all the right reasons.”

“I think that’s the weirdest compliment I’ve ever gotten.” Lucky considered that for a moment. “That is a compliment, right?”

“You better believe it.”

“Heh. Thanks, then.” They walked on, slipping into silence again for a few moments.

"So, Celestia's room. What was that like?"

"Kind of homey, actually. Nice rug, a fireplace. Phoenix by the fireplace is definitely different, but other than that… Kind of nice."

"I guess even princesses need a break from pomp and circumstance."

"I think… I think on some levels, they're just ponies too, like we are, you know?"

They turned onto one of the larger thoroughfares. A wagon clacked along on the cobblestone road, and there were a few more ponies around, but the city was still quiet, lacking its usual vigor.

“So how’s cloud college?”

“Really good, actually! I’ve got a paper being published next month, and they sent me the preview copy to look at already. I’ll show it to you later.”

“All right!” Lucky slung a foreleg over Slip’s neck in a one-legged hug. “Way to go, buddy. You’ll be the superstar of the meteorological world in no time.”

“Yeah, yeah. I still have to graduate, though. And survive another year of being in Cloudsdale.”

Lucky searched Slip’s face. “Something wrong?”

Slip shrugged. “Not really. Just a little homesick, I guess.”

“Missing the family?”

“Actually, I kind of miss the ground. There’s barely any plants, let alone a nice park. Hearth’s Warming doesn’t even give us any snow.”

Lucky rolled his eyes. “Only my brother would be a pegasus that misses the ground.”

Slip elbowed him playfully. “Yeah, and that’s why you’d say hi to all of us and then immediately take Blizz to the park for an hour whenever you came home, huh?”

The mention of his name drew Blizz’s attention, and he turned away from a scent he was investigating to run over to the two brothers. “Woof?”

“Yeah, well…”

Blizz jumped up at Lucky, planting his forepaws on the pegasus’ chest and licking at his cheek. Lucky laughed and gave the dog a playful growl and a nuzzle before pushing him down.

“Okay, okay. You both made your point. Geez.”

Blizz just barked again, his tail wagging furiously behind him.

“So, we’ve got a few hours to kill. What do you wanna do?”

“How about a tour of the castle?”

“Yeah, sure. I think we can do that.”

Slip stopped and turned to face Lucky. “Oh, and Lucky?”

Lucky looked over his shoulder at his brother. “Yeah?”

With a powerful downbeat of his wings, Slip blasted him with a spray of snow and took off flying towards the castle. “Race ya!”

“I’ll get you for that!” Lucky shook the snow from his mane and chased after his brother, their laughs ringing out into the clear and open sky.

Manehattan

Lucky stared at the morning sky. It was clear and bright, but for once it held no answers for him. The small backyard around him was still and silent.

His heart was still tied in a knot. The weight of it filled his chest. At times he could barely breathe.

It had been a week, and Lucky hadn’t returned to the hospital since the accident. He had holed himself away in his room, only coming out to eat at the insistence of his mother and friends. Today Lucky had spent the morning in thought with only Blizz to keep him company, but the puppy had long since retreated to his bed inside.

Gale had sent an urgent letter to Jetstream, who had temporarily returned to help with family matters.

The back door creaked open, and the large white stallion stepped through. “Hey, kiddo.”

“Hey, Dad.” Lucky gave a half-hearted wave without looking back.

“You’re up late.”

“I’m still on my school schedule, and I haven’t been sleeping well anyway.”

The deck creaked as Jetstream settled down next to his son. “How you holding up?”

Lucky shrugged. “Fine, I guess.”

“Your mom’s been sending me letters about the things going on around here.”

“Oh. Sorry I haven’t written.”

Jetstream slipped a foreleg around his son’s shoulders. “Don’t worry about it. I know we don’t talk as much as you and Gale do.”

Lucky rested his head against his father’s side. “Yeah. I don’t really talk with Slip a lot either.”

“Yep. Sometimes things get a little weird in houses like ours.”

“Do you ever get upset that Mom and I do things differently from you and Slip?”

Jetstream chuckled, ruffling Lucky’s mane. “You kidding me? I wouldn’t have you two any other way. Your mom being the way she is the reason I fell in love with her.”

Lucky looked up to his father. “Really?”

“Really. I met her when I was a fresh recruit, and… Well, she wasn’t afraid to tell off my buddies and me when we were goofing around and screwing up her work. And then later I ran into her at a bar and she drank me under the table. Found out she had a mean kick, too.” Jetstream rubbed his jaw thoughtfully.

“She kicked you? She got on my case for punching Stormcrasher!”

The stallion laughed. “Yeah, well, my buddy had it coming. I just got in the way.” Jetstream glanced around the yard conspiratorially and dropped his voice. “Don’t tell your mother I told you this, but she was very proud of the way you managed to hold your own against all those other colts.”

Lucky stared agape at his father. “Then why did she ground me?!”

“She wants you to be able to handle yourself, but she also wants you to not need to.”

“This is one of those confusing parenting things, isn’t it?”

“You’ll understand someday,” said Jetstream with a grin.

Lucky rolled his eyes. “And another one.”

Jetstream poked Lucky’s stomach. “You’ll say it to your kids someday.”

“As if.”

Both ponies fell silent. Overhead, a cloud lazily drifted by.

“Dad? Do you think it’d be better if Slip and I were closer?”

Jetstream thought for a moment. “Do you want to be closer to him?”

“I dunno.” Lucky shrugged. “I was thinking maybe it could have helped? It’s just… We’re so different. I’m nyctan, he’s meran. I love to fly, but he likes books and reading. We don’t even have anything in common.”

“Well, you could always try taking an interest in what he likes. Or share some of your interests with him.” Jetstream gave Lucky a gentle squeeze. “You’ll probably never completely agree on everything, but making an effort to understand him more couldn’t hurt.”

The back door squeaked open. Both ponies turned to look.

Lucky’s ears fell back, his voice wavering. “H-hey, Slip.”

The smaller colt stood in the doorway, bandages wrapped around his head and covering his right eye. The trail of burnt fur down his chest had been snipped away, showing bare skin. “Hi.”

Jetstream gave Lucky another squeeze before standing. “I’ll give you guys some time to talk.” He ruffled Slip’s mane gently as he passed, leaving the two colts alone on the back porch.

They stared at each other. Lucky cleared his throat and scratched at his mane. Slipstream shuffled his hooves along the worn wood of the porch.

“So… you’re out of the hospital.”

The younger colt nodded. “Yeah.”

“How was it?”

Slip shrugged. “Kind of boring. Kind of lonely. Some of the nurses were nice though.”

Lucky slowly nodded. “Yeah, I didn’t like being there when they were patching up my wing. Or my leg.”

The smaller colt traced a groove in the wood with a hoof, staring down. “Lucky?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you hate me?” Slip’s gaze flicked upwards briefly, then settled back on a knot in the wood.

Lucky sighed and moved to sit next to his brother. “No, Slippy. I don’t hate you.”

“You said I ruined your life.”

“Yeah, but I didn’t mean it.”

Slip kicked at the porch. “You sounded like you meant it.”

Lucky’s chest tightened. “Okay, at the time I meant it. But I was wrong, okay? You did not ruin my life. I was just mad about… Well, a lot of things.”

“Like what?”

“Well… All the stuff at school, not getting to hang out with my friends as much, losing the race…”

Slip sniffed. “But if I wasn’t here—”

“Hey!” Lucky shifted, lowering himself to the deck. He lifted Slip’s chin, meeting his gaze. “Don’t blame yourself for any of that. I’m the one that wrecked my wing by flying with it. It’s my fault I screwed up the race. And I still got to see my friends some, so it wasn’t all that bad.”

Slip blinked softly. “Are— are you sure?”

Lucky gave his brother a small smile. “You bet I’m sure.”

Slipstream’s gaze dropped again. “I wish I could be like you, Lucky. You’re not a wimp like I am.”

The older colt stared. “What?”

“If I wasn’t a wimp, I could’ve fought those bullies, or gotten out of the storm, or—”

“Oh, buck me.” Lucky grabbed Slip and pulled him into a tight embrace. “You stop thinking that right now.”

“But Lucky—”

Lucky squeezed him tighter. “No buts. I was wrong about that too. You are not a wimp.”

Slip pushed his way out of Lucky’s grip, stepping back. “I am too! You fought six colts all at once! I couldn’t even do anything… You weren’t afraid of the colts, and you weren’t even afraid of the storm. You’re not afraid of anything!”

“Slip, I don’t know if I’m brave or just stupid sometimes.” Lucky hung his head. “But there’s stuff I’m afraid of, you know.”

“Nah-uh!” Slip shook his head. He spread his still-developing wings and pointed at his older brother. “You’re never afraid of anything! You got your cutie mark for being fearless!”

Lucky laid down, keeping his gaze trained on his brother. “Sometimes I’m afraid I can’t be myself or that I look like a freak. I was afraid of losing you the night of the storm. And right now I’m afraid that I’ve made you think that you need to be something you’re not.”

Slip dropped his hoof. “You’re afraid of all that? Really?”

The older colt simply nodded.

The wings slowly folded. “But you’re always brave.”

“Yeah. When I’m flying, I am. It’s easy when you know it’s your talent. The other stuff isn’t that easy.”

Slip took a step closer. “Were you really afraid of losing me?”

“More than anything else I’ve ever been afraid of.”

The younger colt stared at Lucky silently. Finally he asked, “You really mean that?”

“You bet.” Lucky sat up and patted the porch next to him. Slip sat down by his brother’s side, and Lucky reached over to tousle his mane. “Look, sometimes there’s gonna be ponies who call you a wimp, or tell you to be something you’re not. Don’t listen, okay? Not to anybody else, and especially not to me.”

“Okay.” Slip leaned against him. “Hey Lucky?”

Lucky wrapped his brother tightly in a wing. “Yeah?”

“I never thought you were a freak. You’re just Lucky. And Mom’s just Mom.”

A fleeting smile tugged at Lucky’s lips. “Thanks. That means a lot.”

They sat together in silence, listening to the calls of morning birds.

“Slip, I’m sorry for all the things I said and did. I’m gonna try and do better by you, okay?”

“Okay. And I’m sorry I was bugging you so much.”

The older colt shook his head. “Thanks, but you don’t have to apologize for that. I was way out of line.” Lucky gave Slip a gentle squeeze and stood up. “Since Hearth’s Warming is tomorrow, I’m gonna spend the day doing whatever you want.”

Slipstream leapt to his hooves. “Really? You mean it?”

“Yeah. We’ll call it your Hearth’s Warming present from me.”

“Weelll…” Slip tapped at the porch thoughtfully. “Do you have any books about the Nycta? I wanna learn more about them.”

“Sure.” Lucky started for the door. “I’ll get Mom to make some hot chocolate.”

“Awesome!” Slip ran after him. “Oh! And you should come to the pageant tonight.”

Lucky froze in mid-stride. “The pageant? I dunno, Slip. That’s a daypony thing…”

“You promised!”

Lucky hung his head. “Okay, okay. But I’ll have to take a nap if I’m staying up that late.”

“Okay! I’ll go tell Mommy you’re coming!” Slip ran ahead into the house.

Lucky watched his brother vanish inside, and slowly shook his head.

“Geeze,” he said with a smile. “What a pain.”

* * * * * * *

Honey Hays Theater was a stately old building, located in the heart of Manehattan’s theater district. It was one of the city's landmarks, its facade built from brick and wrought iron. Carriages let out their attendees in front of the building, while a few pegasi flew in under their own wingpower.

Lucky let his parents fly ahead, hanging behind to guide his brother safely through the night sky. They carefully descended in front of the theater, touching down to where their parents were waiting.

Jetstream was wearing his military dress uniform, a crisp white jacket with gold trim. Evengale was draped in a sleek but elegant black dress, accented with a few pieces of simple silver jewelry.

Lucky and Slip were both wearing their best suits and ties; Lucky still thought it was too constricting, despite months of wearing a school uniform.

Gale smiled and stepped forward, straightening Lucky’s tie. “Have I mentioned how handsome my boys are?”

Lucky rolled his eyes. “Only about a million times.”

The mare stepped back, and Jet sidled up beside her, draping a wing over her back. “Well, my gal is the most beautiful one here.” He planted a soft kiss on her cheek.

Gale smiled and returned the kiss. “Flatterer.”

Jet grinned. “It’s not flattery if it’s true.”

Lucky nudged Slip with a wingtip and pantomimed a gagging motion. The smaller colt giggled.

Together they entered the theater. Evengale presented her invitation, and the doorpony admitted them with barely a glance.

Inside, the atmosphere was lively, with swarms of ponies socializing and rubbing shoulders. The hall itself was decked in festive greens and reds, an ornate holiday tree proudly displayed in the lobby.

“What’s everypony doing out here?” asked Lucky. “Shouldn’t they be sitting in the theater?”

“The pageant doesn’t start for another hour, Lucky,” replied Jetstream. “There’s a little soirée for everypony to socialize before then.”

“An hour?”

“Is something wrong, dear?” asked Gale.

Lucky quickly shook his head. “No, no. It’s fine. Just didn’t realize the pageant would be so involved.”

“Dear, some of our friends are waving us over,” said Jetstream, waving back.

“I know you two probably don’t know a lot of ponies here, so if you’d like to stay with us—”

“Hey Lucky!” exclaimed Slip, tugging on his jacket sleeve. “They’ve got a bunch of food!”

The older colt chuckled. “I think Slip wants to go check out the food. We’ll catch up?”

Gale leaned down and kissed Lucky and Slip’s foreheads. “All right. You look after your brother now. We’ll come find you in an hour.”

I won’t be hard to miss in this place. “Seeya, Mom. Bye, Dad.”

Jetstream and Evengale forged into the sea of ponies, greeting and chatting with the other attendees.

Lucky watched the throng of ponies, a roiling unease growing in his stomach. Here I am. Playing at being ‘civilized’ like a trained animal for all of these aristocrats. How does Mom do it?

Something tugged at his leg, and Lucky looked down to the smiling face of his brother.

“Lucky, if someone says something mean, I’ll stick up for you!”

The older colt laughed and ruffled Slip’s mane, the tension beginning to fade. “Hey, I think you got it backwards, bro. But thanks. Wanna get something to eat?”

“Sure!”

They made their way to the refreshment tables. Lucky lifted Slip onto his head, and they both looked at the dizzying array of foods on display. A uniformed unicorn waiter in a crisp vest watched the two colts as they tried to take it all in.

“Hey, Lucky?”

The colt lifted his head a little higher. “Yeah?”

“Do you know what any of this is?”

“Not a clue.”

A soft voice spoke up behind them. “This is a selection of cheeses.” Rose stepped up beside them. She was wearing an simple red dress, and her mane was done up in an elaborate bun.

Lucky smiled. “Hey, Rose. You look great.”

“Hi, Rose!” said Slip, giving a small wave from atop Lucky’s head.

Rose smiled back. “Thanks, Lucky. And hello again, Slip. Goodness, what happened to your eye?”

“Well, it’s a long—”

“It got hit by lightning! And Lucky saved me!”

Lucky scuffed a hoof against the floor. “Long story. I’ll tell you later.”

Rose nodded. “Well, I never expected to see you here. This doesn’t seem… um…” She winced. “Like your kind of thing?”

“Oh, our mom’s one of the nighttime weather supervisors. And our dad’s in the guard, so they both know people. So… yeah. Here we are. Hey, Rose?”

“Yes?”

Lucky rubbed the back of his neck. “Look, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking, and I don’t think I’ve been fair to you. If you wanna talk to me at school, or whatever, well… I’m fine with it. If you’re okay with it, I mean.”

Rose leaned against him briefly. “Thanks, Lucky.”

The server cleared his throat impatiently.

“Hey, guys? I think we should pick something.” Slip leaned forward to examine the food more closely.

The filly straightened and cleared her throat. “Of course. Do either of you see something you’d like?”

Lucky shrugged. “I’m not big on all this fancy stuff.”

“What would you recommend?” asked Slip.

“Well, let’s see…” Rose quickly scanned over the tables. “Do you feel like experimenting a little?”

Slip nodded eagerly. “Uh huh!”

“Okay. Sir? May I please have a plate with… Some Roquefort, Gryphonian Camembert, caviar, starfruit, and a couple of the robin’s egg quiches, and then a second plate with some of the chocolate-dipped fruits?”

The waiter bowed. “Of course.” His horn lit up as he started to put the two plates together.

“Chocolate? Now that’s a word I understand,” said Lucky.

“It’s probably richer than you’re used to, but you should give it a try.”

The server returned. “Shall I take these to your table?”

Lucky gave his head a small shake. “Oh, we don’t really—”

“Take it to my table, please,” interrupted Rose. “Come on, Lucky. I’ll introduce you and Slip to some of my friends.”

Lucky fidgeted with his hooves. “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea, Rose.”

“Lucky, I’m asking you to trust me.” Rose placed a hoof on the colt’s shoulder and gave him an earnest smile. “Just give it a try, please?”

“I don’t know…” Lucky watched Rose’s expression carefully, brow furrowed as he thought.

“Don’t worry Lucky. I’ll watch out for you,” said Slip, leaning down to gently pat Lucky’s muzzle.

The older colt laughed, playfully rolling his eyes. “Okay, okay. I’ll give it a shot.”

Rose led the two brothers over to her table. There were several colts and fillies already seated, but their conversation quickly petered out as Lucky approached. Lucky recognized all of them; they were in his class, but he’d barely spoken to them outside of class assignments.

He leaned down to let Slip scramble onto a chair, then turned to face the other youths.

“I ran into Lucky and Slip and invited him to our table,” said Rose. “I hope that’s not a problem.”

The seated fillies and colts exchanged several glances, and Lucky took a deep and slow breath. Come on. They’re kids just like you are. It’ll be okay.

One filly leaned forward. “May I ask you something?”

Rose gave him an encouraging smile, and Lucky slowly nodded. “Sure.”

“Is it true you drink blood?”

“Windy!” said Rose sharply.

Lucky rolled his eyes. “It’s fine, Rose. No, I don’t drink blood. I also don’t eat meat, insects, or souls.”

A colt spoke up next. “How did your wings get like that?”

“I was born with ‘em, same as you.” Lucky rubbed the back of his neck. “There’s, um, a myth we have about how that happened originally, but I’m not sure if it’s true or not.”

A second filly raised a hoof before speaking. “Did you really blow up that table?”

Lucky couldn’t hold back a bark of laughter. “Not really. I just blew all the stuff off of it, but yeah, that was totally me. I guess all the lightning got people confused."

“But why?” asked the second filly. “Don’t you know who Stormcrasher is?”

Lucky shrugged. “He took a grudge he had with me and sent someone to beat up my brother. I don’t care who he is, I wasn’t going to let him get away with that.”

The other ponies at the table dropped into hushed whispers amongst themselves. Lucky reached over to give Slip’s mane a soft tussle, snatching a chocolate-covered cherry from his plate and tasting it. The chocolate was soft and creamy, but the cherry flooded his mouth with a burst of sweetness.

“Mmm, oh wow. You guys know your chocolate. This is really good.”

“’Us guys?’” said Rose in a playful tone. “Just who are you talking about?”

Lucky hastily swallowed another mouthful and stammered, “You, uh… I mean, maybe this party won’t be as bad as I thought?”

Rose giggled and playfully poked Lucky’s side with a wingtip. “Relax, Lucky. We cater our parties one platter at a time, just like anypony else.”

“Okay, okay,” said Lucky with a laugh. “You’ve made your point.”

“See?” said Rose, smiling brightly. “I knew you’d like it.”

Lucky flashed Rose a grin. “This almost makes up for getting all dressed up. Almost.”

“Slip, was it?” asked the first colt.

Slip looked up from his plate, nodding. “Uh huh. My full name’s Slipstream, but you can call me Slip.”

“My little brother is in your class, I think. Red mane with a white stripe?”

“Oh! Yeah! I know him.”

“If anybody gives you any trouble, let him know. We’ll take care of it.”

“Okay. Thanks.”

“Thanks, guys. I appreciate it,” said Lucky. “But I can’t ask you to solve my problems.”

The second filly shook her head. “Nonsense. That goes for you too, Lucky. Stormcrasher’s always had… an over-inflated view of himself.”

“Thanks.”

Rose leaned against him, and Lucky leaned back, smiling.

“If you don’t drink blood,” asked the first filly, “then why aren’t you ever in the dining hall at lunch?”

“I usually just go and find a cloud outside.” Lucky looked at his classmates, who had started to frown. “Wait, is that why all of you thought—”

“I see they’re letting the rabble in.”

Lucky resisted the urge to sigh as he turned around. “Hello, Stormcrasher.”

Stormcrasher glared intently at him, dressed in a suit jacket that Lucky dimly recognized cost much more than his own. “What are you doing here?”

Lucky shrugged. “I’m here to see the pageant. But the food’s good too.”

“Being in my school wasn’t enough? Making me a laughing stock wasn’t enough?”

They were already too close. Stormcrasher stepped into Lucky’s personal space, and the nyctan colt quickly stepped back, bumping into the table.

“I didn’t mean to make you a laughing stock. And I overreacted when I came after you. I’m sorry. Honest. Bygones?” Lucky extended a hoof to shake.

Stormcrasher smacked the hoof away and pressed in close again. His hot breath washed over the other colt’s muzzle. “You think ‘sorry’ is going to cut it? That it’ll make up for what you’ve done to me?”

Lucky stood firm. “Look, I’m tired of fighting with you. It’s pointless. Can’t we just leave each other alone?”

The noblecolt suddenly reared up, brandishing his forehooves. Lucky quickly leapt back. Plates and dishes clattered and shattered behind him. Stormcrasher smashed into the ground. The sharp crack of hoof on marble rang out into the air.

“Lucky!” cried Slip.

Stormcrasher’s gaze slowly shifted to where the smaller colt sat. His face twisted, and as his hoof rose, Lucky was already in motion.

Lucky snapped his wings open with a leathery crack. He leaned forward, all four knees growing tense as he fell into a ready crouch. Everything but the other colt fell away from his vision, and the pounding in his ears drowned out the crowds.

Stormcrasher’s hoof jerked to a stop. A soft yellow glow wrapped around it, pulling the hoof back. The colt grunted and pulled, but it remained steadfastly stuck in mid-air. “Let go!”

“No, I think not,” said the second filly as she slowly walked around the table. Her horn glowed brighter as she pushed the trapped hoof down to the ground.

Lucky quickly slid in front of his brother. Rose and the other foals surrounded Stormcrasher, who thrashed against the magic pinning his foreleg to the ground.

“You’re all making a big mistake protecting this freak!”

“The only one acting like a freak is you,” said Rose. “Please leave. We’re trying to have a nice night with our friend.”

“Let him go,” said Lucky.

“Are you sure?” asked the second filly.

“I’m sure. Let’s just ignore him, like I should have done to begin with.”

The filly nodded, and the glow around her horn and Stormcrasher’s hoof vanished.

Stormcrasher scowled and rubbed his ankle. “This isn’t over.” He snorted in disgust and slunk away.

Lucky turned and grabbed the tablecloth with his teeth, tugging it gently to straighten it out. He spotted the small crowd of attendees watching the spectacle and waved. “Sorry folks. Got a little excited and bumped the table. Nothing to worry about.”

Rose and the other fillies slowly broke away from Stormcrasher, leaving the brooding colt by himself.

A server was already present, discretely tidying up the broken dishware. “Is there anything I can fetch for you? More drinks, perhaps?”

“Just some water, please.”

The server nodded and slipped away, broken dishware hovering beside him.

After the waiter left, Lucky looked around to the assembled colts and fillies. “Hey, if you guys ever need anything, I’m there. Count on it.”

“You know, Lucky,” started Rose, “you never elaborated on how you got your cutie mark.”

“I told you the day we met. Flying in a thunderstorm.”

“And you just happened to be outside in a thunderstorm as a colt?”

“Well, not really. It’s kind of stupid, really.”

Rose playfully prodded his side. “Stupider than divebombing a table?”

Lucky was silent.

“Well?”

“I’m thinking!”

“Go on, Lucky. Tell them! I really like this story,” said Slip.

The other foals nodded their agreement.

“Okay, okay.” Lucky looked around the table. All of the colts and fillies were leaning forward, ears perked up in interest.

“It all happened one rainy night in class. We had to stay inside for P.E., and I was upset because I liked doing the flight exercises, and I hated being stuck indoors. I said I wish I could be outside flying, and this other pegasus, Comet, says that nobody could fly in a storm like that. And of course, I said that I could. So he dared me to run the obstacle course in the thunderstorm.

“Now, we’ve always competed with each other for the title of best flier, so I knew this could be my chance to take it from him.”

Lucky looked around at the attentive faces of his audience, grinning as he continued his story.

“So of course, I go outside…”

Epilogue

Canterlot

The Blind Rat was known for good beer, good food, and good company. Founded as a nyctan pub, it had long been welcoming to all species, and thus the rumble of conversation was filled with neighs, squwaks, and growls.

Lucky broke into a wide grin as he stepped inside the dark, noisy pub, gesturing with a hoof. “So, I tossed off my saddlebags and ran right at the river.”

Rose and his family filed in with a mixture of groans and laughs.

Rose tried to hide a laugh behind a wing. “Oh, Lucky. Tell me you didn’t.”

Lucky stomped his hooves to shake off the extra snow. “Yep. Jumped the fence and dove right into the river.”

“The Canterlot River?” asked Slip. “That’s fed by the mountain runoff. Do you know how cold it is?”

“Yes,” deadpanned Lucky. “Yes, I do.”

“So then what?”

“I dragged the kid out and gave him CPR until a medic came. They had to treat him for hypothermia, but he was fine after.”

The bar was lit by candlelight, reflecting off of the dark wood furniture filling the room. There was already a crowd present, filling the room with a pleasant buzz of chatter and laughter. Comet and Lily were both seated at an empty table, and they waved the group over.

“Lucky,” said Comet with a disbelieving shake of his head, “you’re crazy, you know that?”

“Crazy awesome, maybe.”

Comet rolled his eyes. “You should be a pegasus pancake.”

Jetstream and Evengale pulled a second table over to the first, and took a seat. Gale shot her husband a questioning look, but the stallion only shrugged.

“Hey, Comet. Hey, Lily,” said Slip as he pulled up a seat.

“Hey Slippy.”

“I want a rematch, squirt. I’ve been practicing.”

Slip nodded. “Sure. Did Lucky tell you I’ve been working on a triple thunderhead cloud?”

Comet scoffed. “Yeah. And I’ll believe that when I see it.”

With a smile, Slip shrugged. “Sure. Suit yourself.”

“Good morning, everyone,” said Glimpse from the door.

A meran unicorn with a pale purple coat leaned tiredly against Glimpse, yawning as he gave a wave. “Hey, everypony.”

“Glimpse, Peppy! Great! You guys made it.” Lucky waved them over. “Grab a seat.”

The couple stepped through the door, and Glimpse gestured to someone outside. “I think we have another guest.”

Pinkblush stepped cautiously through, peering about the bar with wide eyes.

“Pinky!” Lucky reached the door with a single flap of his wings, pulling the mare inside. “Glad you could make it!”

“My Ma almost had a conniption fit when I told her where I was goin’.” She pulled a strand of mane from her face. “But I held firm.”

“She’ll come around. Or she won’t. Don’t worry about it.”

A gruff voice shouted from the door. “Lucky! Good to see you, lad!”

Pinky turned and froze with a quiet whimper as she saw the tall gryphon standing in the doorway, shaking off flakes of snow.

“Gordon! Perfect! I want you to meet Pinky here. She just started working at the castle.”

“Oh? Well, it’s a pleasure to meet such a bonnie lass!” Gordon gave Pinky a sharp, beaky grin, holding out a clawed hand. “Put ‘er there!”

Pinky dropped her head to stare at the talons, slowly holding out a hoof. With a hard swallow she forced herself to stare into the gryphon’s eyes.

Gordon grabbed the hoof and shook it vigorously. “Och, we got a brave one here.

“W-well…”

“Hey Lucky, make sure you get some water for the lass here. Filly’s a bit too young for the hard stuff.”

Pinky cleared her throat. “I beg your pardon, but if my father taught me one thing, it was that I should never let anypony—anybody insult my ability to hold liquor.”

Gordon laughed and threw a wing over Pinkblush, pulling her over to the table. “Good lass! You got a bit o’ pluck in you after all!”

The mare gave Lucky a panicked look, but he just waved her off. “You’ll be fine! I’ll get the drinks.”

Lucky approached the bar, calling over the counter into the kitchen, where an earth pony rushed back and forth. “Hey, Barley.”

“Mornin’ Lucky. What’ll it be?”

“I’ve got a big table, so let’s do a few sampler plates and some chili cheese hay fries. And a couple pitchers.”

“Sounds good. I’ll be up front in a sec.”

“Thanks.” Lucky settled onto a bar stool. He propped his cheek on a hoof and watched all the people chatting at his table with a content smile.

Evengale caught his eye and slipped away from the table, taking a seat next to him.

“Quite the group you’ve got here.”

“Yep. Always room for one more at the table, you know?”

Gale reached up and affectionately ran a hoof through her son’s mane. “My little ambassador.”

Lucky rolled his eyes, but was still smiling as he batted the hoof away. “I’m just a pony, Mom.”

“And you’ve turned into a magnificent one.”

“Aw, jeez.” Lucky scratched his cheek to hide the warmth growing in it. “You’re being all sappy.”

Evengale chuckled softly. “I’m allowed a little sap every now and again.”

Barley deposited two trays on the counter, loaded up with pitchers and glasses. “Need a hoof with that?”

“Nah, I think we got it.” Lucky slipped a wing underneath one tray, lifting it up. “C’mon,” he said as he trotted back to his family and friends, “It’s gonna be a great night.”

Manehattan

The living room lay still and silent. The only light was the dancing of a warm flame in the fireplace, the only motion the slow rise and fall of Slip’s chest as he lay curled up in front of the fire. Lucky sat next to his brother, staring into the flickering flames as he thought. Two empty mugs sat before the fireplace, and a poetry book lay open in front of them.

Lucky’s eyes grew heavy, and he shook his head to clear the cobwebs. The pageant had been… He wasn’t sure. It hadn’t been bad, but it hadn’t kindled an enthusiasm for the holiday. He doubted it ever would; it just wasn’t a Nyctan celebration. They had their own traditions.

But when he thought about sharing a laugh with his classmates around the table, being with his family, or even just watching Slip sleep by the fire, his heart felt lighter than it had in a while. He had to admit that, despite his misgivings about the holiday and the pageant, he had had a good time. He had enjoyed himself more than he had expected to.

He knew he’d never be able to forget what he had done to Slip, but he’d keep trying to put it right. He owed his little brother that much.

Lucky stood up and stretched, working the pins and needles out of his limbs. He retrieved a blanket and carefully draped it over his younger brother’s sleeping form.

“Hey, Lucky?”

The older colt smiled and gave his brother a quick nuzzle. “Go back to sleep.”

Slip’s eyes were still closed. “Did you enjoy the pageant?”

“Yeah, Slip. I did.”

“You know what my favorite part is?”

“What?”

The smaller colt opened his eyes and turned to look up to Lucky. “My favorite part is when all the ponies had to apologize and forgive each other for all the mean things they did.”

Lucky ruffled Slip’s mane fondly. “You know, I think I like your version of the pageant better.”

Slip smiled and closed his eyes again. “Good. ‘Cause I forgive you Lucky.”

Lucky waited for the younger colt to fall asleep again. He pulled the blanket up to Slip’s chin. “Maybe someday I’ll earn it.”

He walked slowly into the kitchen. His parents were cozied up together, sharing a kiss.

Lucky rolled his eyes. “Ugh, get a room.”

Jetstream broke from the kiss briefly to comment, “We got a whole house.”

The colt shook his head and sat at the table. “Yeah, yeah. Can we talk?”

The two adults carried on for several moments before Gale gently pushed Jetstream away. “Mmm. Later, dear. There’s plenty where that came from.”

Jetstream grinned. “I’m holding you to that.” He kissed Gale’s nose, and then turned his attention to the colt. “What’s up, Lucky?”

“So… Everypony has a special talent, right?” Lucky pushed and pulled at the tablecloth with a hoof. “And mine’s flying, and I don’t ever wanna stop doing that, but…”

Gale laid her head against Jetstream’s chest. “Are you having second thoughts about going to Cloudsdale?”

Lucky shook his head. “No, not really, but… What if I’m meant to do more than just fly and be awesome? What if I’m meant to help other ponies with my talent?”

“There’s nothing wrong with wanting to help your fellow ponies,” said Jetstream.

“Mom, if I said that I thought that I could be a protector, would that be okay?”

Gale smiled. “That sounds great, sweetie. We can talk about it more tomorrow.”

“Okay. Night, Mom. Night, Dad.”

“Good night, dear.”

“Good night, son.”

Lucky slipped away from the table and back into the living room. He carefully threw another log onto the fire, watching it flare up before replacing the grate. He curled up in front of his book and kept reading until his eyes drooped and he could no longer lift his head.

For the first time in a week, he slipped into a deep, restful sleep.

Chapter 1

Canterlot

Guards weren't supposed to smile, but Lucky Break couldn't help himself. The banquet hall was a cheerful storm of well-wishes and flurries of tinsel, full of ponies rushing back and forth to prepare for one of the castle's most anticipated events. In the center of the room a coordinated group of ponies worked to erect a large fir tree. Another eager troupe waited a respectful distance away, sifting through boxes overflowing with decorations. Princess Celestia swept easily through the working ponies, exchanging softly-spoken comments and compliments, while her sister Luna trudged silently behind.

From his post beside the hall's entrance, Lucky allowed himself a small stretch, his webbed, leathery wings spreading wide before folding compactly against his silver armor. He looked to his partner, standing on the other side of the door, who was wearing a neutral expression that bordered on boredom.

"C'mon, Comet. How can you look like such a sourpuss when everyone here is in such a good mood?"

Comet snorted softly, his slitted eyes sliding over to Lucky. "Figures you'd get into all of this sappy stuff."

Lucky shrugged, his smile growing a little wider. "Hey, everyone's enjoying themselves, my family's coming into town, and it's Hearth's Warming in two days. Why shouldn't I be in a good mood?"

"Sunkisser." Comet turned his gaze back to the room, a nearly-suppressed smirk on his face.

"Hey, call it what you want."

The nyctan soldiers straightened up to attention as the two princesses turned towards them, falling into place half a step behind as they strode into the corridor. Celestia walked with an easy confidence, radiating a calm tranquility that matched her sun, while Luna walked at a more deliberate pace, calmness layered over a barely concealed storming wrath.

Luna shook her head. "'Tis great folly, Sister. They suckle like foals at their mother's teat. Why dost thou indulge them so?"

"Now, now, Luna. Our little ponies work hard all year long. They deserve some recognition."

The younger alicorn snorted and turned her head away. "Be that as it may, thou knowest as I do this holiday is naught but a farce. 'Tis a foal's bedtime story, full of empty words and less sense."

"Time changes all, dear, especially stories. We know this better than most."

"An it please thee, thou summoned me not to discuss a… revelry. My time is limited, Sister. I have much work to attend, work thou did assign me."

Celestia and Luna stepped into a small waiting room, where Luna's attendant waited. He quickly bowed and joined the small procession into Luna's office, where Comet and Lucky once again took up their positions on either side of the door. As Luna moved to her seat behind the desk, she made a half-hearted gesture to another chair in front. The attendant slipped off to the side of the room, waiting at the ready.

Celestia settled easily into the offered seat. "Of course. I only wanted to discuss—"

"The budget proposals." Luna lifted a thick red folder from her desk. "I did review them this past fortnight."

"Ah, excellent. Have you reviewed the environmental impact studies?"

Luna snorted and opened the folder. "Aye. And the budget forecasts, the economic projections, employment reports; naught has escaped my scrutiny. If you will recall, I did run this country by your side, once. I am not… 'new', to use the vernacular."

Celestia's pervasive smile faltered for a brief moment. "I know, Luna. But a lot has changed. It's not like how it was when we were younger."

A heavy frown creased Luna's brow as she shuffled the papers back and forth on her desk, studying them aimlessly. "If I need assistance, I will ask for it. I need not to be mothered."

"Luna, I'm only trying to help you acclimate—"

"Is't so? Or dost thou simply wish that I do everything in thine own way?"

A tired wariness crept into Celestia's voice. "That isn't fair. I trust you to make decisions for Equestria, but I would be remiss in not ensuring that you were adjusting to the modern style of governance."

Luna snorted again but opened the folder and laid its contents out on her desk. "Very well. This first proposal—"

A knock sounded from the door, and Luna looked up. "Enter."

A young mare with a pale pink coat stuck her head through the door. "Your Majesty? I have your soup."

"Come forth.”

The servant girl scuttled forward, a large, silver tray balanced on her back. She carefully slid it onto the desk and then stepped back with a bow. "Do you require anything else, Princess?"

"I suppose this means you won't be joining me for dinner today," commented Celestia.

Luna lifted the cover from the soup, and leaned in to examine it. "Even I cannot conjure more hours in a day, despite my mastery of the heavens." She slammed her hoof into the desk with a sharp crack. "Wench! We demand an explanation!"

The mare flinched and shrank backwards. "Y-your Highness? Is there—"

Luna shoved the soup into the mare's face. It sloshed onto the carpet, and the attendant resignedly summoned a towel. "What manner of insult is this?"

"S-soup?" The mare shied away from a stray splash. "Lentil soup, Princess."

Luna slammed the bowl into the floor. It exploded in a shower of noodles and porcelain. She stood in one swift motion, knocking her chair back to the floor.

The fuming alicorn stormed around the desk, bearing down on the cowering mare. "We did demand a lentil stew. Are the ponies of this time possessed of such simple wit that base instructions are beyond their ken?"

Lucky shot his partner another sidelong glance and silently mouthed, ‘Lentil stew?’

Comet just gave another shrug and a small shake of his head. Lucky frowned and glanced to Celestia. The princess was still seated, her face a mask of quiet concentration as she studied the desk, although the faintest turn of an ear betrayed her interest.

The mare stumbled back. A thick drawl escaped her mouth before she corrected it. "Ah don't reckon— I mean, I don't know what happened, Princess. Th-they told me t-to—"

"Silence! Lame excuses will’st not mollify thine incompetence!"

A scowl pushed its way up Lucky's throat and he stomped it down. Something flicked at his foreleg and he glanced over to see Comet gesturing silently upwards with his chin.

He looked down at himself and realized he was crouched, his muscles tight and tense. He quickly stood back up and tried to relax, to return to a neutral but observant state.

His teeth ground together as he kept watching.

The mare was backpedaling faster now, but Luna was keeping pace with firm, deliberate steps. "Th-they just gave me the tray, Princess! I didn't know it was wrong. P-please, let me—"

Luna towered over the mare as she stared down, her disdainful gaze burning into the other pony's head. "Simpering simpleton! No excuses shall stay our hoof."

The serving girl stumbled back and fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face as she bowed her head. "P-please, I-I'll do anything—"

The scowl pushed its way out of Lucky's throat, and the pegasus found his wings flexing, itching for flight.

"Your Majesty," said the steward hesitantly, "perhaps—"

Luna shot him a baleful glare, and the attendant quickly bowed his head and fell silent. The alicorn snorted and turned her attention back to the mare. "Cease thy incessant whimpering, thou motley-minded—"

Lucky released the tension from his legs and leapt forward, clearing the gap with a couple of wingbeats. He slid into place between Luna and the servant, spreading his wings wide to shield the younger pony. "That's enough!"

Luna's eyes widened in surprise, but quickly settled back into a smoldering stare. "Stand thee down."

Lucky met Luna's stare with a defiant one. "Not a chance."

"Thou wouldst refuse a direct order from thy princess?"

"All I see is a spoiled brat throwing a tantrum."

The already hushed room froze, the helpless spectators tensing as they awaited the next retort.

Alicorn and pegasus stared each other down, neither flinching. Luna's silver-shod forehoof twitched before it flew into motion with a fierce backhoofed strike.

A twitch pulled at Lucky’s cheek. He jerked his head back, and Luna's hoof swooshed harmlessly past his face, the air currents tickling at his nose. Luna overbalanced from the force of her unresisted blow but quickly caught herself.

She bared her teeth and slammed her hoof into the ground, her horn alighting with furious blue energy. "Disrespectful cur! How Celestia tolerated your presence—"

"Luna." Celestia's voice was quiet but unyielding.

Luna jerked her head back to where the older alicorn sat. Celestia did not speak further, but Luna snorted contemptuously. "Very well. As thou wish’st." The magic from her horn sputtered out as she quickly strode to her seat. "Quit the room, all of ye. We have matters to discuss."

The attendant quickly shuffled out the door, carrying a soggy towel and still-dripping ceramic fragments in his magic. Lucky turned to the cowering mare and gently placed a hoof on her shoulder.

"Miss?" he said softly. "Let's get you out of here."

The serving girl’s head snapped up, and she shrank away as she made eye contact. "P-please don't throw me in the dungeon. I swear I'll fix it!"

"I'm just going to escort you someplace where you can calm down. Are your quarters close?"

The mare turned and fled into the corridor, tail tucked between her legs.

Lucky signed and stepped into the corridor. Luna's magic snatched the door and slammed it shut behind him.

A sharp rap on his helmet drew Lucky's attention. He turned to see Comet's irritated glare.

"Mother's mane, Lucky! What in Tartarus were you thinking?"

"Come on, Comet. You saw how Luna was treating that poor girl. What was I supposed to do?"

"I… I don't know, okay?" Comet quickly shook his head. "But it wasn't that. You shouldn’t have called her a spoiled brat."

Lucky gave Comet a flat stare. "Yeah, next time I'll just ask the immortal princess 'Oh, pretty please, mightn't you be nicer to the poor girl?’ Come on, that wouldn't have stopped her." Lucky rolled his eyes and took up his post beside the door.

"I know, I know." Comet settled into place on the opposite side. "I'm just saying you should be more respectful, you know? Considering who she is."

"Respect is earned, Comet, not given. Besides, none of the stories say anything about a brat that throws tantrums. And forget about me doing something— Why didn't Celestia do anything? She was sitting right there the whole damn time."

Comet shrugged. "Beats me. Maybe that's just how they were a thousand years ago."

Lucky snorted. "Celestia never lets any of the nobles get away with that kind of stuff. At least, not right in front of her."

* * * * * * *

The rest of the night had been uneventful. Luna hadn't strayed from her office for the rest of his shift, and he gladly gave up his post to a pair of royal guards sometime near dawn.

The day's sleep hadn't been particularly restful, but that was nothing a hearty breakfast wouldn't fix.

The cafe's patio was small and quiet, just the way Lucky liked it. The moon wasn't up yet, the last hour of the day casting the sky a warm orange. In the nearby street, passing ponies provided a soft background accompaniment of happy voices and hooves.

"… and then she threw everyone out of the room."

Lucky slumped back in his chair, resting his cheek against a forehoof.

Across the table sat Fleeting Glimpse, one of Lucky's oldest friends. The unicorn stallion was of a slight build, with a neatly-trimmed mane and a silky black coat. A pair of spectacles perched on the edge of his muzzle, and behind them his eyes—slitted like Lucky's own—glittered a soft blue in the pre-dusk light.

"What happened next?" asked Glimpse. A notebook and pencil hovered in the air next to him, scribbling away. The unicorn leaned over his plate to take a careful bite at a forkful of spaghetti.

Lucky gobbled down a bite of oatmeal before answering. "Nothing, really. Lily kinda chewed me out a bit, but I don't think I'm going to get in any real trouble for this. Still…"

"Still what?"

Lucky shrugged helplessly. "I dunno. Comet seems like he wants to buy into the stories."

Glimpse folded the notebook shut and carefully set it on the table. "And you don't approve?"

"It's not that I disapprove…" Lucky gestured helplessly with a hoof. "But I have a hard time matching Luna to any sort of 'kind and lovely maiden.'"

"Those aren't the only stories of her that survived, you know."

"Yeah, but they're the ones most of us focus on."

"True. However, it is difficult to trace the origin of many of these stories, especially in the early days. And don't forget, stories have a way of changing as they're retold." Glimpse lifted a breadstick with his magic and snapped it in half, taking a bite out of one end.

Lucky snorted, an ear flicking in Glimpse's direction as he turned to watch the street.

"Did I say something funny?"

"Not really." Lucky shook his head. "It's just that Celestia said something about the Hearth's Warming stories changing last night."

"I see. Is that what's bothering you?"

"What makes you think something is bothering me?"

Glimpse cleared his threat, and his voice took on a faint lecturing tone. "First, you've hardly eaten anything. Second, you're wearing your thinking face. Third, and most importantly, Hearth's Warming is in two days."

Lucky shifted in his seat, an all-too familiar restless unease creeping into his muscles and pushing him to take flight. Instead he turned to Glimpse. "Sorry. Just thinking about some stuff."

"Is it related to Princess Luna?"

"Sort of… I'm thinking of leaving the Guard."

Glimpse studied his friend with a neutral, thoughtful expression. He finally asked, "Because of last night?"

"Well, not just last night." Lucky picked up a lukewarm mug of hot chocolate, trying not to make a face as he chugged it down. "It's just… I want to help ponies, not play babysitter to spoiled nobles, you know? I can't help but wonder…" He trailed off.

"If your path lies elsewhere?" supplied Glimpse.

"Something like that."

"'They also serve who stand and wait.'"

Lucky swirled the remains of his cup around. "Waiting's not really my style."

Glimpse watched the pegasus with a small smile. "No, it's not."

Lucky caught sight of Glimpse's smile and frowned. "Something funny?"

"Just remembering a certain colt that took on twenty other colts in a fight once."

Rolling his eyes, Lucky couldn't keep a grin from his face. "Come on, there were only like six of them."

"Not how Lily and Comet tell it." Glimpse's smile grew a little wider.

"I kind of wish they'd stop blowing that story out of proportion."

"Stories change, remember?"

Lucky leaned forward, pointing his mug at the unicorn. "You're a historian. Don't you know the value of primary sources?"

Glimpse burst into a surprised laugh, raising his glass up. "Touché."

The two cups clinked together quietly, and Lucky leaned back into his seat. "Anyway. Enough about my problems. How are you doing? You went back to Manehattan for the Solstice, right?"

"I did. I invited Peppy to come along, as well."

"Oh yeah? What'd your folks think of him?"

"Peppy and my father spent the entire night arguing about photokinetic fields and their properties."

Lucky winced sympathetically. "Sorry to hear it went badly."

"On the contrary," said Glimpse as he dabbed at his muzzle with a napkin, trying to hide a happy, unabashed smile. "I think my father was quite impressed."

"Nice. That's not easy to do."

Glimpse shook his head. "No it is not."

"What about the cultural center exhibit you were working on?"

"I'm glad you asked." Glimpse lifted up his notebook and slipped out a small envelope, floating it over to Lucky. "I spoke with Gordon, and even though the exhibit won't open until after New Year's, it's complete enough that we can do an advance tour. I got passes for your entire family."

"I guess I’ll have to save Slip’s for later,” Lucky said as he put the envelope away. “He’s staying in Cloudsdale to help his professor with a research project. They had some funding dry up or something.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, Lucky. I know you were looking forward to having everyone together.”

Lucky waved off Glimpse’s sympathies. “I’ll be fine. It’s a good opportunity for him, and he said in his letter he’d try to swing by in a few weeks.”

They continued eating in silence as the sun slowly sank below the horizon. Street lamps flared to life, swirling balls of magical lighting ensuring the ponies would stay out late into the night.

“Hey, sis, look!”

“Wh-what?”

Two pairs of eyes peered from behind the hedges separating the patio from the street. Lucky slowly leaned forward towards his friend, keeping the watching eyes in the edge of his sight. “Don’t look now, but I think we have some fans.”

Glimpse neatly folded his napkin and placed it on the table. “Please don’t make a fuss about it.”

“It’s a batpony!”

“A-are you sure?”

Lucky sat up and stretched, pointedly spreading his wings out as wide as he could. “Since when do I make a big deal of anything?”

Glimpse arched a single eyebrow at Lucky.

“Do you think all the stories are true?”

“I hope not! Those stories are scary.”

Lucky did his best to hide a smirk as he lazily swept his gaze down the street. The two children quickly vanished behind the hedge. He slipped out of his chair and crouched low behind the hedge.

“Lucky…”

“Ssh. Don’t worry. I’ll be gentle.”

Lucky slowly crept towards the two foals, turning an ear to listen in.

“I hear that batponies can turn into real bats! And they have big fangs that can suck your blood out and turn you into one too!”

“That’s vampires!”

“Where do you think all the vampire stories come from?”

“I don’t know… Miss Daisy doesn’t think any of that is true.”

“It totally is. You know what else they have?”

Lucky leaned up over the hedge, and in a quiet, raspy voice whispered, “They have excellent hearing.”

Both foals, a colt and a filly with matching bright red manes, leapt to their hooves and spun around.

“We’re sorry mister!” shouted the colt. He shrank back, his eyes wide.

The filly scrabbled backwards, hooves slipping over the cobblestones. She clutched a doll in her hooves. “Please don’t eat us!”

“Eat you?” Lucky laughed. With a leap and a flap of his wings, he sailed over the hedge and landed on the other side of the foals. “Tempting, but I've already had my breakfast. Wanna know what it was?”

The foals spun around again, backing up against the hedge.

“Wh-what?” asked the colt.

Lucky lowered himself to the ground and slowly crept closer. “Oh, I don’t know if I should tell you two. You might not be able to handle it.”

“I-is it b-b-blood?” asked the filly.

“Oh, it’s a big…”

Lucky took another step closer.

“…steaming…”

He lowered himself down to stare the two foals in the eye.

“…bowl…”

The two foals pressed their backs against the hedge, their hooves trying to find purchase on the smooth stone.

“Of oatmeal,” came Glimpse’s voice. He had circled around the hedge, and was watching Lucky with a reproachful stare.

The two foals flinched, throwing their hooves over their faces. Lucky sat back with a shake of his head. “I was going to say oatmeal.”

“I’m sure,” said Glimpse dryly.

The colt lowered his hooves first and looked up at the stallion. “Did… Did you say oatmeal?”

“Yep!” said Lucky brightly. “With cinnamon.”

“Just regular oatmeal? Nothing weird or funny in it?”

“Well…” He drew out the word as he pretended to think. “There might be some honey and brown sugar in there too.”

“I bet your cup has blood in it!”

“Nope. Hot chocolate.”

“Really?”

“Yep. Believe it or not, we’re normal ponies. We just look a little different, that’s all.”

The filly slowly pulled away from the wall. “So… Do you got fangs?”

Lucky opened his mouth wide and ran his tongue over his teeth. “Ee? O ang.”

The colt stepped carefully up to Lucky, scrutinizing his coat. “Do you burn in sunlight?”

“Nope.”

“Allergic to garlic?”

“I like it on my pasta.”

“See in the dark?”

“Yep.”

“Cool.” The colt prodded at the membrane on Lucky’s wing. “Can you fly even though you don’t got feathers?”

Lucky laughed and gave his wings a few slow flaps. “Oh, you’d better believe I can fly.”

“Show us! I wanted to see the Wonderbolts, but they’re busy training.”

The pegasus quickly glanced around. There were still plenty of ponies on the streets, but the sky immediately above was clear. “Well, I need to get to work soon, but I can probably get one trick in.”

The filly stared up at Glimpse, who was sitting up straight, cloak pulled around himself.

“Are you a batpony too?”

Glimpse smiled softly. “Actually, the proper term is Nycta. I’m a nyctan unicorn.”

The filly hugged her doll tighter. “How come you look so scary?”

“Ah, well…” Glimpse glanced over to his friend.

Lucky smiled and leaned down. “Let me ask you this. Have you ever asked your mom and dad to check under the bed for monsters?”

The filly nodded.

“Well, we’re the guys that help your parents make sure there aren’t any monsters. We look like this so the monsters are more scared of us than we are of them.”

“Oh, okay.” The filly shuffled her hooves on the ground. “Um… Miss Daisy wants to know if you ever get to look normal.”

Glimpse and Lucky shared another brief look. Lucky reached out to pat the filly’s head. “Equestria needs a lot of protecting, kid.”

“Ruby Star! Ruby Sweet! I told you two not to run off!”

A pale pink mare ran up and scooped the foals into her forelegs. “I told you two not to run off! Canterlot is too big and too easy to get lost in.”

“Mooom!” said Star, trying to push out of the mare’s grasp. “Leggo! This one was about to do something cool!”

“None of that, mister. You two are coming with me right now. I don’t want you two talking to-” The mare looked at Lucky and Glimpse and then quickly looked away. “I don’t want you two bothering strangers.” She released the foals and natched the colt’s ear in her teeth, dragging him away.

A large red stallion, tall as he was wide, stepped up. “Mighty sorry about the kids. Could’ve sworn we raised them better’n to gawk at strangers.”

“It’s not a problem,” said Glimpse. “It happens every now and again.”

“No harm done. Have a good night." Lucky nodded to the stallion.

The stallion nodded. “Thank you kindly. You two have a pleasant night.” He turned and trotted down the street.

Lucky checked the sky. “I need to go report in. You gonna be at court tonight?”

Glimpse nodded. “Of course. It should be an interesting night.”

"I'm sure it'll be something. Tell me how it goes later." Lucky tossed his saddlebags on his back and took off into the slowly darkening sky.

* * * * * * *

The briefing room was only half full when Lucky arrived. Bulletin postings and pictures filled the walls, overflowing and overlapping each other. A podium stood at the front of the room, underneath a silver plaque engraved with the Night Guard's motto: Per Acerbus Noctis, Contegimus.

The other guards slowly filling the room were all fellow Nyctans, although the Night Guard counted the rare meran pony and gryphon among their number.

Lucky tossed himself into a chair, fidgeting with the fit of his armor. A moment later Comet sat silently next to him, carefully avoiding meeting Lucky's eyes.

"Hey," said Lucky to nobody in particular.

"Hey," replied Comet, also to nobody in particular.

"So… last night—"

Comet raised a hoof to cut Lucky off. "Don't, okay? It's fine, and I get why you did what you did, and I kind of agree with you a little, so…"

"Oh, good. 'Cause I was gonna say that I understand where you're coming from, even if I don't totally agree with it, so… yeah."

"'Kay." Comet suddenly slugged Lucky's shoulder. "Sunkisser."

Lucky grinned and immediately returned the blow. "I'm only half-sunkisser on my dad's side."

"You keep saying that, but I swear I can see the feathers growing out of your wings." Comet laughed as he ducked under another playful blow.

"Yeah, yeah," said Lucky with an exaggerated eyeroll. "But tell me… who's got the record on the training course right now?"

Comet nickered softly, wings flicking open. "I do. Two twenty-five."

Lucky tapped his chin. "Well, last I checked, two twenty-four was less than two twenty-five."

Comet took a swipe at Lucky, but the latter just leaned out of the way. "Damn you. You know how hard it was to get to two twenty-five to begin with?"

"Hey, it's not like it was easy for me either." Lucky poked Comet's side. "Not bad for a sunkisser though, eh?"

Comet shoved Lucky's hoof away and slumped forward onto the table. "Geeze. And I just set that record too."

"New goal to work for, right?" Lucky bit down on a strap running underneath his chest, giving it a quick tug.

"Yeah, yeah. So your family's coming into town, right?"

"Yep. They all get in by train tomorrow."

"Is Slippy coming too?"

Lucky stopped his adjustment to look at Comet. "He was, but I got a letter from him this morning. Why?"

"Oh, no reason." Comet grinned broadly. "Just been working on my double thunderhead, that's all."

"Good luck with that. Slippy said in a letter he figured out how to make a triple."

Comet stared at Lucky in disbelief. "No way. That's supposed to be almost impossible."

“Almost impossible is still a little possible."

"Yesh. You know, even if he's a giant bookworm, that's still kind of impressive."

"Tell me about it."

"Everybody settle down!" barked Sergeant Lily as she stepped into the briefing room. The soldiers quickly found their seats, and Lily took her place at the podium.

Lily’s pale white coat stood out amongst the dark pelts of her fellow Nycta, but the similarity to her namesake ended there. She’d dished out more than her fair share of bloody noses in her foalhood, and even now her wiry frame belied the extent of her earth pony strength.

"Alright. We've all got a long night ahead of us so I'll keep this brief. Her Highness Princess Luna is holding her first session of court tonight. She hasn't made a public appearance in the six months since her return, so we're expecting a large turnout. I want everyone alert. All the higher-ups are watching how we handle this, so don't screw it up. Am I clear?"

A chorus of "Yes, Sarge" filled the room.

"Good. I'm coordinating with another squad to provide exterior security. Lucky, Comet, you two are on escort duty again. You're also on board to escort Luna to the castle festival tomorrow morning. Be here at ten hundred sharp and make sure your armor is spotless." She leaned forward and fixed a steely gaze on the two pegasi. "Understood?"

Both pegasi promptly sat up straight. "Understood, Sarge!"

Lily nodded and turned her attention to the rest of the room. "Good. Our cousins from the north will be unfamiliar with the lay of the land. Many of them will have certain expectations of the princess. If you deal with any of them directly, be courteous. You all have your assignments. Get your tails in gear."

The soldiers started filtering out of the room. Comet slipped out of his chair, but Lucky remained seated.

"Lucky, come on. We've gotta get going."

"Yeah, I know. Just give me a sec."

"For what? We've gotta report in."

The room emptied quickly, and Lucky approached Lily, who had turned to a large map on the wall. "Hey, Sarge?"

Lily kept studying the map. "What is it?"

"Are you sure putting us back with Luna after last night is such a great idea?"

Lilly snagged a pin from the map in her teeth and adjusted it. "Honestly? Not at all. But tonight's too important." She turned to face Lucky. "There's a lot of people watching me to make sure this goes off without a hitch. If something unexpected happens with Luna tonight, I need someone who can adapt quickly. That's you two."

"Geeze, no pressure or anything."

"Hey." Lily knocked on the top of Lucky's helmet, forcing it down over his eyes. "I'm counting on you."

"Hey!" Lucky pulled at the helmet, popping it free from his head. "Since when did you start counting on me for stuff?"

"We aren't kids anymore. Now get going."

Lucky threw up a brief salute, and then the two pegasi quickly departed.

* * * * * * *

Lucky and Comet rushed purposefully down a hidden hallway, part of a labyrinthine network that formed the lifeblood of Canterlot Castle. Servants, chefs, and messengers all flowed past and around them as they neared the kitchens, a blast of warm air flooding the hallway as a cart rushed out, followed by a frantic server.

“Why is it we always get the daytime assignments?” groused Comet as he side-stepped the food-laden cart.

“Oh, that’s easy. I put our names on the sign-up sheet.”

Comet gave Lucky a suspicious glare. “That better be a joke.”

Lucky smiled sheepishly as he ducked under a series of levitating dinner plates. “Well, mostly. They asked if I wanted to be part of the procession. I didn’t think they’d assign it to you without asking first, sorry.”

Comet snickered softly. “Hearth’s Warming parties and festivals. What’s next, caroling?”

“Oh, definitely. I also knit you a scarf, and I wrote a letter to Celestia asking for presents.” Lucky rolled his eyes. “Come on, it’ll only be for a few hours, and you’ve been up longer before.”

“Yeah, yeah. I just wish they’d spread the ‘fun’ around a little more.”

Both guards fell silent as they reached their destination, a plain and unmarked door. They both took a moment to check and straighten their armor, then silently stepped through.

They emerged into the princess’ personal dining room, and silently took up their posts on either side of the main entrance. Their armor, more than being just a form of protection, was a uniform: nobody paid attention to a guard just going about his duty. Around the periphery of the room other ponies went unnoticed, servants ferrying trays and dishes back and forth.

The dining room was ornate in the castle's typical style, and dominated by a long banquet table. The sisters sat at each end, with an array of dishes before them: For Celestia, a salad and wine goblet. For Luna, a steaming cup of coffee and several selections of fruit.

"Sister, the new year brings the delegation from yonder gryphon lands, does it not?" mused Luna.

"That's right." Celestia dabbed softly at her muzzle with a napkin. "Just some treaty renewals and the like. Our relationship with the Gryphon Empire has been stable in recent years, thankfully."

"I did study the historical records. An it please thee, I wish to offer mine aid.”

"Of course," said Celestia almost immediately. "I would be delighted to have your help. I think that arranging the delegation's welcome reception and banquet would be an excellent way to introduce yourself and begin building a rapport."

Luna's spoon halted its ascent, and Luna's voice took on a measured tone. "Appreciate though I do the offer, I had hoped to play something of a more… integral role in the process."

"Luna, please understand, this is integral, the banquet in particular. There are many dietary concerns to be taken into account, and even beyond that there are several important mealtime traditions the gryphons wish to have observed—"

The spoon fell into the bowl with a heavy clank. "All work to be carried out by ones learned in those disciplines!" Luna leaned forward, pounding a hoof into the table. "I would deal with them in a manner which befits my station."

Celestia took a deep breath, deliberately setting aside her fork. "As you say, Luna, the negotiations proper will involve the hard work of many trained in that discipline, so honestly there won't be much—"

"Fie! Thine own self will be ever-present at the talks, as is always so. Thou wilt capitulate to the petty concerns of mewling fledglings, as thou has done all these long years."

Celestia's wings bristled for a moment but she set them firmly against her back. "It's not that simple." Celestia's smile slowly left her face, giving way to a tight frown. "But the gryphons have long memories, and I can't change a thousand years of reputation in a single night or six months. I am doing my best to help you establish yourself, but it takes time."

Celestia's voice was quiet but strained. Both alicorns stared at each other, one accusatory, one pleading. All the servants had slowed to a halt as the argument unfolded.

Finally, Luna bowed her head and slumped back into her seat. "Pray pardon, Sister. Mine impatience hath bested me once more. It is only my wish to—"

"I know," said Celestia softly. "But please believe me, I am doing everything I can."

Luna avoided Celestia's gaze, staring at her bowl as she stirred it listlessly. "Scarcely could I believe otherwise."

Celestia nodded to her steward, who cleared her throat and motioned to the other servants to carry on. The soft murmur of ponies at work quietly returned to the room, and Celestia lifted her goblet to take a long drought.

Celestia smiled, projecting her warmth once again. "So, your first court session is tonight."

“Certes, Sister.” Luna lifted up a pear to nibble on it. With a flicker of blue magic, she summoned a sheaf of papers in front of her and began to study them.

“If you need any assistance, I would—”

“I thank thee,” said Luna quickly, “but thine offer of assistance is unneeded. I have made certain that this night’s preparations are complete.”

The edge of Celestia’s smile frayed again the tiniest amount. “Oh, of course you have. I didn’t mean to—”

Luna wrenched her gaze up from her papers. “Nay!” She shook her head slightly. “That is to say, I spake poorly. Thine offer was unnecessary, but not unwelcome.” She shuffled the papers aimlessly.

Suddenly the younger alicorn stood, papers held close. “By your leave, Sister. I must make ready.”

Celestia studied Luna carefully, heavy thoughts weighing down her features before she slowly nodded. “Of course. You don’t need my permission. I hope your court session goes well.”

Luna nodded curtly. “Spirits keep thee, Sister.” She turned and strode quickly away from her mostly-uneaten meal, approaching the door. Lucky and Comet quickly snapped to attention.

Luna drew short of the door, and silently turned a critical eye on Lucky. The pegasus did his best to keep looking forward, but the weight of Luna's attention was palpable.

After a moment of inspection, Luna snorted and looked back to the door. "We leave."

The two guards quickly opened the doors and fell half a step behind Luna as she exited into the hallway.

Lucky cast one quick glance behind him as they trotted into the castles. Servants were already clearing Luna’s place at the table. Celestia’s steward was talking, addressing the princess, but Celestia herself was staring at Luna’s empty seat, barely attentive to her advisor’s words.

The door swung shut before Lucky could make out anything more and he faced forward, lost in his own thoughts as the small procession made its way to the Night Court.

Manehattan, Some Years Ago

Corney Island was a whirlwind of colors and sounds. Bright lights danced and twirled on roller coasters and ferris wheels, glowing brighter in the waning moments of sunset. Laughter and merry music provided a cheerful backdrop, while the salty ocean air enhanced the tantalizing aroma of carnival food. Corney Island was abuzz with life and activity, and it wasn’t slowing down now that night was falling.

“Awww, c’mon, Mom! Do I hafta?” Lucky stared up pleadingly at his parents. Crowds slowly flowed past the family, but he paid them no mind.

“Lucky, dear, it’s just for a little while,” said Evengale with her customary patience. She was a slender mare, her deep purple coat drinking the dying sunlight while her eyes glittered. “You know how hard it is for all of us to schedule our time together.”

“It’s good for you two to spend more time together,” added Jetstream. Unlike Lucky and Evengale, the stallion was a meran pegasus—a daypony. Wide-chested and solidly built, his bright white coat stood out in the fading light of day.

Lucky huffed. “But Mom, I can’t even take him on the roller coasters! I’ll be stuck doing all the baby rides.”

“I’m not a baby!” shouted a small, pale blue colt. Slipstream glared up at Lucky with bright orange eyes. His still-developing wings twitched at his sides.

“You don’t even have a cutie mark yet. That makes you a baby. And you’re a scaredy-cat too.”

“Am not!”

“Are too!”

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

“Boys,” said Gale quietly.

The two colts stopped in mid-shout and sheepishly turned to face their mother.

Gale smiled. “Now then. Lucky, could you please watch Slip for a little bit? Your father and I would like to spend some time together before he takes Slip home. You’ll have the rest of the night to do whatever you want with your friends, okay?”

Lucky scruffed a forehoof over the wooden planks of the boardwalk. “Yeah, I guess.”

“And Slip,” continued the mare, “don’t be too much of a burden on your brother. We took you on your favorite rides already, so why don’t you two try to find things you can both enjoy?”

“Okay, Mom!” said Slip eagerly.

* * * * * * *

“There’s no such thing as a sonic rainboom,” insisted Lucky as he leaned over the table, drawing a sip from his cup.

Three friends and one younger brother sat at a small table situated on a boardwalk overlooking the beach. Half-empty cups and food containers covered the table, and the smell of hay fries hung in the air.

“There was the sighting of an unscheduled rainbow in the sky that day,” said Glimpse. A notebook and pencil levitated beside him, suspended in a blue aura.

Lucky shook his head. “That could’ve been anything from a rainbow spill to a prank. Besides, nopony our age has the wingpower to do a sonic boom. Forget doing this rainboom thing.”

“Comet can!” said Lily with a wide grin. She reached out to pluck a hay fry from Lucky’s basket. Despite putting down most of the food that night, she was still fit and trim.

“What’s a rainboom?” asked Slip, peering over the edge of the table. An empty ice cream cup sat in front of him.

Lucky gestured with his hooves. “It’s like a sonic boom but it makes a rainbow explosion or something. It isn’t real, because nopony can do something like that.”

“Oh. Can I have another ice cream?”

“I already bought you one. And Dad’s taking you home soon, so no.” Lucky grunted and leaned back in his chair. “Anyway. Comet did one. Once. And he sprained a wing and had to be grounded for a week. It’s still not a real trick.”

“Well, I’ve actually been doing some research on that…” said Glimpse. The notebook flipped open and turned to present a page of scribbled notes. “The last purported sighting was two hundred and fifty years ago, in a small town—”

Lily and Lucky groaned in unison.

“Glimpse, buddy, it’s summer. You don’t need to do any book reports,” said the pegasus.

“Taking notes is not the same as doing a book report.” Glimpse carefully pushed an empty plate aside, and set his notebook down. “Besides, if you took better notes your grades would improve. Yours too, Lily.”

“There’s more to life than just studying, Glimpse,” countered the filly. “Like having fun!”

“I happen to enjoy reading, thankyouvery—”

“Guys, guys,” interrupted Lucky. “Let’s focus on something important. Like the triathlon.”

Glimpse shook his head. “Lucky, the triathlon is six months away. They haven’t even started taking sign-ups. Isn’t it a bit early to start worrying about that?”

“Yeah, and we’ve got that in the bag, anyway.” Lily reached into Lucky’s basket, found it empty, and frowned.

“Six months is plenty of time to start training. And you,” said Lucky with a nod in Glimpse’s direction, “can look at past triathlons and see if we can get an idea of what they might do this year. And we can all keep an ear out if we hear any news on this year’s route.”

“Of course I’d be glad to do that, but still… Six months is a bit much, don’t you think?”

“Look, next year, we’re all going our separate ways.” Lucky leaned in close over the table. “I’m heading to Cloudsdale, you’re heading to Canterlot, and Lily is heading up north. That means that this year has to be our best year ever. We gotta give it a hundred and ten percent, and absolutely wow everypony with what we can do. And the pinnacle of this year has to be the triathlon. Everypony’s watching, and getting first place is gonna be a great way to get noticed.”

Lucky held his hoof out over the table. “Who’s with me?”

Lily slapped her hoof on top of his. “Hay yeah!”

They both looked to Glimpse, who was watching Lucky with a quiet, amused smile.

“Pinnacle, huh?”

Lucky grinned and shrugged. “Hey, I do study sometimes, you know.”

Glimpse shook his head with a smile and placed his hoof on top of the other two. “Just when I think you can’t surprise me anymore.”

Slip climbed up onto the table and put his hoof in. “Yeah!”

Lucky groaned and gently pushed the smaller pegasus back into his seat. “Butt out, Slip. This is grown-up business.”

“I’m not a baby!”

“I didn’t say baby. I said grown-up. Now be quiet.”

Slip slumped into his chair and crossed his forelegs over his chest. “No fair. You guys get to do all the cool stuff like go to school and stay up late.”

“Being awake at night doesn’t count as staying up late.”

“You’re starting school this year, aren’t you Slip?” asked Glimpse. “Where are you going?”

Slip looked up and nodded. “Yeah! Mom said I’m going to Manehattan Academy. I can’t wait to start!”

“That’s a very good school. I’m sure you’ll learn a lot.”

“Yeah, but I wanna go to school with you guys.”

Lucky sipped from his cup, draining it dry with a loud slurping noise. “You’d just fall asleep all the time.” He looked at his cup and gave it a small shake. “Guess I need a refill.”

Glimpse quickly stood up. “I’ll get it! Want more hay fries?”

“Yeah, thanks.”

Lily held up her cup. “Mind getting me one too?”

Three cups lifted up, encased in the glow of Glimpse’s magic. “Got it.” He quickly trotted away.

“So,” said Lucky as he leaned back in his chair. “My dad’s been teaching me this new move that’s pretty cool. Still working on it, but I can’t wait to try it out on you.”

“Can’t wait to see it. Wanna do some sparring this weekend?” Lily blew a puff of air upwards to knock a stray hair from her mane away from her eyes. “We should get Glimpse to join us. He needs to get out of the books a little more.”

“Yeah, we can ask him when he gets back. He’s right though. We should probably try to do better with our grades. I mean, it can’t hurt, right?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“’Sides, we’ve got the best tutor around.”

“I guess.”

Slip piped up. "Hey, Lily! Guess what?"

"What's up, squirt?"

"Mommy was teaching me how to make rain clouds today! It's really cool. I wanted to do lightning clouds but she said it was too dangerous."

Lily rolled her eyes. "I'm sure it is. Tell me all about it."

"Okay!" Slip pointed out at the ocean. "First, you gotta get some water, like from a lake and stuff, and then…"

"Lucky," hissed Lily under her breath. "That was sarcasm."

Lucky leaned over to whisper back, "Just let him get it out of his system."

After several minutes of lecturing Lily laid her head on the table. “Where’s Glimpse? It’s taking him forever.”

“He probably just got caught in a long line.”

“Watch where you’re going, snakeeye!”

Two pairs of ears perked up, and as one Lily and Lucky turned their heads to look down the boardwalk. Glimpse was surrounded by four pegasi. A tray wrapped in his magic floated beside him.

Slip leaned up on the table, peering over. “What’s going on?”

Lucky slipped out of his chair. “Not now.”

“But what—”

“Not now!” Lucky shot Slip with a hard stare. “Stay down, and stay out of sight. I’m serious. I don’t want them to see you.”

“My apologies,” said Glimpse calmly. “I didn’t mean to bump into you.”

The leader, a colt with a storm-gray coat, gave Glimpse a small shove. “What if you’d gotten any of that junk on me? What would you do then?”

“I’d offer you a napkin and be on my way. Please step aside.” Glimpse attempted to maneuver past, but the colt moved to block him.

“You freaks think you can come in here and shove us around, is that it? We don’t need your kind in Manehattan.” Stormcrasher gave Glimpse a quick shove.

The unicorn stumbled back, lifting his tray up high. “I wish you wouldn’t do that.”

“Us ‘freaks’ might have something to say about that, Mudcrasher.” Lucky stepped with deliberate heaviness, the hollow sound of hoof on wood ringing out.

Lily stepped up beside him, slowly stretching. “We have a problem here, boys?”

The colt whipped around, and his friends all warily turned towards the new arrivals.

“That’s Stormcrasher, you buffoon—” His eyes widened in recognition, and then narrowed dangerously. “You. What are you doing here?”

“It’s a free country, Stormcrasher,” said Lucky. “Now leave my friend alone and get out of here.”

“As you say, it is a free country. So I can do what I wish.” Stormchaser snorted as he looked at the two nyctan children. “Besides, there’s four of us, and only three of you.”

Lucky made a show of slapping his cheek. “You outnumber us? Gosh, Lily. What do you think?”

Lily snorted and rolled her head against her shoulders, producing a loud crack. “I think all four of them together might make a decent warm-up.”

“Are you daft?” said Stormchaser with a scoff. “The earth pony thinks she can fight a pegasus.” His friends all snickered.

“Trust me. Underestimating Lily is a mistake you’ll only make once.” Lucky took a step forward and spread his wings. “Why don’t you save yourself the trouble and get out of here?”

Beside him, Lily stepped up and settled into a low crouch, her gaze focused on the leader.

“Hello, kids. You all having a good time?” said Jetstream, strolling up with Evengale at his side.

Stormcrasher and his friends all discreetly shifted away from Glimpse. The unicorn squeezed past, moving to stand next to his friends. Lucky folded his wings again, and next to him Lily relaxed, standing up and stretching.

“Yeah, Dad. Everything’s good.”

“Good.” Jet studied Stormcrasher appraisingly for a moment. “You’re Stormchaser’s boy, aren’t you?”

The colt’s voice was filled with forced politeness. “Yes, sir.”

“Mmm. Tell your father Jetstream said hi.”

Stormcrasher clenched his teeth. “I’ll be sure to do that. Excuse me. We’ve got to go.” He gave Lucky a disgusted stare, and then turned with an agitated flick of his tail. His friends quickly followed after him.

Jetstream watched the other colts depart. Gale looked her son over. “Are you all okay?”

Lucky shrugged. “Yeah. No big. Just some jerk. We could’ve handled them.”

“Peacefully, I hope, dear.”

“Pfft. We had ‘em right where we wanted them. They would’ve backed off any moment.”

Gale smiled knowingly. “Of course you did.”

“Mom! Dad! Lucky was gonna take on all those guys all by himself!” called Slip from the table.

“Hey, I was there too you know,” objected Lily as she walked back to the table.

“I hope you haven’t been too much trouble for Lucky, dear,” said Gale as she and Jetstream followed suit.

Glimpse moved to follow, but stopped to watch Lucky.

The pegasus was staring down the boardwalk, in the direction Stormchaser had left.

“You okay?”

Lucky shook his head and put up a hasty smile as he turned to face Glimpse. “Yeah. I’m fine.”

* * * * * * *

Lucky wasn’t fine. He sighed as he leaned on the ferry’s railing, watching the ocean waves pass underneath him. The mechanical ratcheting of the ferry along the submerged steel chain vibrated throughout the deck. The light and noise of Corney Island was already fading into the distance, and the ocean held nothing but silence.

The water was too choppy to reflect the stars, but it held the image of the moon, full and bright, and Lucky watched it contemplatively as the ferry shuttled along. He could have flown to the other shore in a quarter of the time, but he was with his friends; besides, his heart felt too heavy for flight at the moment.

Glimpse quietly stepped up beside him. “Hey. Are you okay?”

Lucky shrugged, resting his chin on the railing. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

The unicorn studied Lucky for a moment. “You’re wearing your thinking face. That means you’re not fine.”

“Hey, I might tease you about getting your nose out of your books, but I’ll have you know I do plenty of thinking.”

Glimpse chuckled softly. “You only think when something’s bugging you that you can’t solve by outwitting or outmuscling it.”

“It’s just this…” Lucky gesticulated aimlessly with a hoof. “The stupid thing with Stormchaser. What does he prove by picking on you?”

“I don’t know, Lucky. Maybe he’s scared of us.”

“Just because we look a little different?”

Glimpse sat besides Lucky, watching the rolling waves with a distant expression. “I wish I had a good answer for that.”

Lucky grunted in frustration and rapidly tapped a hoof against the deck’s railing. “I just… Ugh.” He glanced to his friend and playfully slugged the unicorn’s shoulder. “Hey, you okay though?”

Glimpse rested his head against the deck wall. A single hoof shuffled listlessly against the floor. “I’m fine, it’s just… I’m sorry you had to help me. Again.”

“Hey hey, none of that now.” Lucky threw a hoof over his friend’s shoulders. “We look out for our own, right?”

Glimpse looked into Lucky’s smiling face. He managed a small, hesitant smile before quickly ducking his head and looking away. “R-right.”

Lucky released his friend’s shoulders and took off towards the cabin. “C’mon. Let’s go find Lily. We’ve got planning to do.”

Chapter 2

Canterlot

Luna had spared no expense in appointing her court, but she had passed on light and color in favor of dark mystique. The floor was polished black marble, faint specks of white minerals swirling through its depths like nebulae. It gobbled up the light from the hall’s hanging silver braziers, leaving just enough illumination for the meran guests to see by. Up above, the vaulted ceiling was blanketed by a layer of shadow even Lucky’s vision couldn’t pierce. Tall, arched windows flanked either side of the hall, the glass filled with constellations and other patterns framed by intricate iron work.

Luna’s silver throne sat on a raised dais, with her standard hung directly behind for the entire hall to see. An almost-black midnight blue carpet led from the entrance up to a small platform placed for petitioners to stand upon when addressing the diarch.

On either side of the entrance was a small gallery, already occupied by a smattering of nobles, staff, academics, and journalists. Glimpse was already present, a notepad and pencil at the ready.

Beyond the entrance was a lobby and reception area. Castle staffers were hard at work assessing the concerns and issues brought forth, and keeping the queue orderly. Lily would be on hand out there to address any issues that developed.

Princess Luna entered from a private office in the back, her silver regalia gleaming in the torchlight. Her demeanor had changed: she now radiated command in the same way Celestia transmitted serenity. Lucky found himself straightening his posture just a little bit more as he marched behind the diarch to her throne. Luna ascended to take her place while Lucky and Comet quickly took their stations at the base of the steps. They would be a buffer between the princess and any who would approach the throne.

Princess Luna stood at the top of the small dais, gazing out at her court. A small but attentive crowd waited before her. She watched the gathered court silently before giving a minute nod at some imperceptible signal.

Her voice thundered throughout the room. “Citizens of Equestria! Your Princess of the Night welcomes ye to the Lunar Court!”

Luna’s horn lit up with a brilliant glow, and in unison all of the torches grew brighter, blooming into blue flames to match her magic. The flickering shadows grew longer and longer, criss-crossing on the floor, deepening and growing bolder despite the flaring light. A quiet murmur rose from the audience as they watched the spectacle.

The shadows crept up the walls, their edges cast in impossibly crisp detail. Forms and shapes danced in and out of them as they swallowed up the outside light, ponies and gryphons and even a dragon flitting between the lengthening darkness until they too were swallowed whole, the wall a pulsing and writhing mass of darkness. Several audience members cast a glance to the entrance, but the shadows had overtaken it as well, and the murmuring intensified into a series of frantic whispers.

Then the lights went out.

What in Tartarus…

A mare’s rising screech was implausibly cut off by the curtain of darkness falling over the room. Lucky leaned forward, ears turned towards the stands as he tried to capture any sound from the gallery. He reached out cautiously with his hoof, and it fell into cool, damp grass.

Lucky yanked his hoof back, staring at the ground beneath him. There, in the silvery-blue grass, was the fuzzy image of his hoofprint. In it he could see the beads of dew rolling slowly down the blades, but his coat was perfectly dry and warm. Almost like… the memory of the grass, or something. He set his hoof down again and the coolness returned.

Lucky glanced around himself. The grass continued as far as he could see, broken by gentle hills and the occasional tree. In the distance, the metal towers of Manehattan gleamed in the moonlight, looming like unreachable mountains against the horizon.

Overhead, the stars burned with a strange intensity, and Lucky frowned as he scoured their patterns. Nothing was in its right place, and the few patterns he tried to grasp at slipped away from him quickly.

“We have been gone these many long years,” said Luna suddenly, walking up from behind Lucky.

The pegasus started forward and whirled around to face Luna, wings up and ready to attack. The diarch gazed up at the sky without moving, and as she continued Lucky lowered his guard.

“Much has changed, and little is as We remember. Generations are born, live, and pass on to the hereafter, nations grow and mature, and even the stars themselves are not as we left them.”

The stars in Luna’s mane burned with the same intensity as the too-bright night sky, and Lucky wondered—not for the first time—just how real they were.

Luna was regarding him with an imperious stare now, and Lucky found himself straightening under the scrutiny. “You come here tonight to receive Our judgement. What will We find when We gaze upon ye? Noble hearts fueled by conviction? Iron wills forged with purpose? Strong backs that carry the weight of the nation? Pray that it be so.”

“But before ye would approach, know this: We are not easily fooled. Though We be new to this time, We are possessed of experience spanning countless years. Come before Us in good faith, and ye will be given the same.”

Luna reared back and slammed her hooves into the ground. The earth shook beneath Lucky’s hooves, and he pitched forward before he could take flight.

His hoof clacked against the cold marble of the Night Court.

Lucky quickly glanced around. The court surrounded him once more, and he could see clearly, although the torches had not been restored to life. Across from him, Comet was scanning the room with a similarly alert expression. In the gallery, the ponies were warily regarding their surroundings while the diarch reclained on her throne. Glimpse was frantically scribbling notes.

Several of the nobleponies suddenly rushed out, followed by their attendants, but many more stayed, sharing heated whispers that Lucky was sure weren’t positive. One of those nobles suddenly looked up and gasped, and others quickly followed suit.

Lucky looked upwards, eyes widening at the sight awaiting him. Contained within the vaulted ceiling of the hall was a perfect recreation of the night sky. Each individual star was crisp and bright, but this time Lucky was able to quickly trace all of the familiar patterns. That’s Orion, Canis Minor and Major… and the rest of the winter constellations there. Amazing. Even the clearest night sky never looked that bright.

Lucky dared a glance back over his shoulder at the princess. She wore the ghost of a self-satisfied smile. Lucky would have called it smug, if it hadn’t been on a princess.

Luna looked down at the guard and the smile vanished behind her regal mask once more. Lucky quickly faced forward and resumed his watch.

“Send in the first petitioner!” called the princess.

The herald by the door cleared his throat and lifted up his clipboard. His voice was no match for the princess’ in volume, but it still rang clearly through the hall. “Presenting His Highness Blueblood, Prince of Canterlot! Appearing about a matter of diplomatic relations!”

Next to the herald stood a unicorn stallion with a carefully-manicured white coat, a prime example of the white-coated unicorn noble. He wore his authority comfortably, standing tall and unbowed as he waited for Luna to recognize him. Lucky didn’t know much about him save for rumors and gossip, which ranged from being a paragon of the Canterlot elite to being a symbol of its self-importance.

Luna gave a stately nod. “You may approach.”

Blueblood trotted forward and bowed deeply to Luna. When Blueblood rose again, he was wearing a carefully arranged smile, meticulously constructed to inform its recipient that the wearer was nothing less than thrilled to be present.

“Your Majesty, it’s so good to see you. Why, I’ve scarcely had the pleasure of making your acquaintance since your return to us. I do hope you are acclimating well enough to the new millenium?”

Luna peered down her muzzle at Blueblood like she was studying an ant. “Our time is unlimited, Blueblood, not Our patience.”

The smile fell away from Blueblood’s face. “Very well, then. If you wish to dispense with the pleasantries, we shall do so. Why have you blocked my export negotiations with the confederacy ambassador?”

Luna leaned back into her throne, watching Blueblood disinterestedly. “Simply put, we find the enterprise without merit.”

“With all due respect,” said Blueblood in a tone that offered no respect at all, “I believe that is a short-sighted evaluation. A renewed trade agreement with the Canine Confederacy is beneficial for all parties involved, including Equestria. If you would review—”

Luna brushed Blueblood’s words aside with a hoof. “We did do so, and still we are not convinced. There have been confirmed reports of roving canine packs causing disruptions within our borders, have there not? The agreement as it standeth now would do little to address this issue.”

“It could, Your Highness, if you would simply permit—”

“Yet it does not.”

Blueblood chuffed softly, then took a slow breath. “Ambassador Baxter is not an unintelligent creature, Princess. He has assured me that the chieftains are all too aware of the harm caused by the black market goods produced by the rogue packs, and are eager to address the issue.”

“Then why is it—”

“Because these are systemic issues, Princess. It will take a multi-faceted approach, as well as mutual cooperation and time. The canine chieftains value our relationship too much to endanger it.”

Luna flipped through a report. “And yet, Blueblood, they do trade freely with the gryphic empire.”

“It must be noted, Princess, that we are on friendly terms with the gryphons.” Blueblood paused a moment and then added, “Despite your remarks on the subject.”

Luna arched a single eyebrow as she watched the prince. “Thou had best mind thy tongue.”

“Of course, Your Majesty, but it would be foolish to jeopardize our relationship with the Canine Confederacy for the sake of a centuries-dead grudge.”

“Silence!” snapped Luna. “Mayhaps thou hast forgotten the many atrocities those warmongers did level upon our people, but We remember them all too well.”

“I am not ignorant of the history between our two countries, Princess, but if you cannot bring it upon yourself to open your eyes—”

“Our eyes were open when the long gaze of King Gnaeus fell upon our lands, seeing a nation broken and divided. Our eyes were open when the first ships arrived, bearing a full legion of soldiers, and naught else but a message of surrender.” Luna rose to her full height, towering over every other head in the hall. “Our eyes were open as their soldiers did spill the blood of many a good pony. Blood we did pay to secure our independence and freedoms. I will not see their sacrifices betrayed!”

“Princess,” said Blueblood in a suddenly soft and soothing tone, “I appreciate the sacrifices our ancestors made, but it seems to me they made those sacrifices so that Equestria could grow and thrive, which it has. We stand on our own four hooves now, and the country no longer needs an avenging alicorn to protect it.”

Luna fell silent, and after a moment Lucky dared a glance back. All he saw was Luna sinking into her throne, staring silently at the floor.

Finally, she gestured weakly to the door. “Thou art dismissed. Our decision is final.”

Blueblood bowed deeply. “I hope the rest of the night finds you well.” He backed away and then took his seat.

Lucky let out a tense sigh and faced forward again, surveying the rest of the room. A nervous silence filled the hall, undercut by tense whispering amongst the spectators. When the crowd finally settled again, Luna gestured to her aid, who then nodded to the herald. Court lurched to a start again, though the subsequent visitors were overly deferential, and Luna had lost her vigor.

* * * * * * *

Escort duty was usually fairly easy. Stand still, stay alert, and don’t speak.

It also tended to be dull. Lucky clenched his jaw shut as he inhaled deeply through his nose, doing his best not to cause too much noise. The stream of ponies coming and going had blurred after a while.

"Presenting The Honorable Fancy Pants, Lord of Canterlot!" called the herald.

Fancy Pants, a stallion with a moustache and a monocle, strode forward. A young fellow, still gangly from the growth of adolescence, followed behind him, levitating a large, flat package wrapped in brown paper. Fancy Pants bowed deeply, the colt awkwardly following suit a moment later.

"Your Highness, so wonderful to finally meet you." Fancy Pants smiled broadly as he rose. "I realize you have many demands on your time, so let me come to the point. It gives me great pleasure to present you with this gift." Fancy Pants stepped to the side, inviting the younger stallion up with a gentle motion of his hoof.

The younger pony stepped up, lifting the package upright. While Fancy Pants talked, he carefully unravelled the brown paper, revealing a portrait of Luna, standing triumphantly on the crest of a hill.

"A while ago, we were examining an old collection stored in my family's vaults. Our progress in researching the history of this piece was rather slow, but thanks to the new information made available with Your Majesty's return, we were able to discern some of its history."

It was a younger Luna who stared defiantly from the frame. She was still possessed of two wings and a horn, but her mane was a silvery blue that gleamed in the moonlight, without its ethereal haze or her stars. Her stature was closer to a mortal pony's, but still proud and regal, her chest thrust forward in defiance. Shining steel armor covered her body from head to hoof, with two thin guards on her outstretched wings, all of it sparkling from the painted moon rising behind her. In the center of her breastplate sat a single blue jewel, carved into the shape of a crescent moon. The gem glowed with an inner light that matched the glow of Luna's eyes.

The current princess' eyes widened as they fell upon the painting, and she leapt to her hooves. "How come this to pass?"

"There were some in my family who considered themselves archivists, Your Highness. It seems that after…" Fancy left the implication unspoken. "After, when a great deal of works were being destroyed or condemned, they took it upon themselves to preserve what they could. They secreted them away, hoping obscurity would protect them until such time as they could be appreciated once more."

Luna rushed down the steps. The young stallion flinched away from the charging alicorn, putting the painting between them like a shield. Luna pulled the painting close with her magic, her hoof trembling faintly as she ran it around the edge of the frame.

"We remember this. A painting commissioned to celebrate a glorious victory. 'Twas an age ago…" She sighed wistfully, her voice softening. "How could I forget thee…"

"I beg your pardon, Princess?" asked Fancy Pants.

"This is Our Tidebreaker. We forged her from silver and steel and fired her in the light of Our moon itself. Into this moonstone We poured both a fraction of Our power and a small piece of power granted by the oceans themselves. She was a faithful and unwavering ally, blessed with the magic of My moon and inexorable as the oceans that granted their strength."

"You speak as if this… Tidebreaker were alive."

"It be not unusual for such a powerful creation to posses’th a will all its own."

"I'm afraid I must defer to your expertise on the matter."

Luna shook her head and finally looked away from the painting. "Enough of remembrances. Lord Fancy Pants, pray tell. Surely this painting, with its advanced age and years of neglect should not be so vibrant."

Fancy Pants chuckled softly and nodded to the stallion cowering beside him. "For that, Your Highness, I must give the credit to young Split Splat. He did the restoration of this painting himself."

Luna looked down her muzzle at the stallion trying to shrink back behind Fancy Pants. "Truly? One so young was entrusted with a task of such import?"

"Your Highness, he may be young still, but he has earned my full confidence." Fancy Pants stepped aside and gave Split Splat an encouraging smile. "Go on, my boy. Tell her your talent."

Split Splat cleared his throat and tried to stand upright, but wilted again under Luna's intense stare. "I, um, that is, I get these sort of visions. I can see a piece of art and how it should look—h-how it did look once—and I sort of understand how they need to be restored from that. O-of all the pieces in Mr. Fancy Pant's family's vaults, this one stood out the most clearly. It was so vivid and bright. I…" He ducked his head and forced the next words out in a rush. "I hope it's to your liking."

Luna turned a critical eye to the finer details of the painting. "It is most pleasing to Our eye, and thy skill is of a master artisan. Split Splat, thou hast Our gratitude. Lord Fancy Pants, thou hast earned Our gratitude as well. We would discuss thy family's collection further."

Fancy Pants smiled and bowed again. "But of course, Your Majesty. I would be glad to accommodate you at any time." He lifted his head to look Luna in the eye. "Day or night, of course."

"As for you," said Luna, turning to address the younger stallion. "We await the fruits of your next labours."

"O-of course." Split Splat hastily bowed. "I'm so glad you're pleased, Princess."

"By your leave, Your Highness?"

"We grant thee leave."

The two stallions departed, and Luna returned to her throne, sitting heavily. The portrait waited beside her as she signaled for the next petitioner. A unicorn stallion with a dark blue coat named Night Light trotted up to the stand. He shuffled nervously through a stack of papers before clearing his throat and bowing. “Greetings, Your Majesty.”

Luna kept examining the painting, but inclined her head in Night Light’s direction. “Speak.”

“Ah, yes. I’m with the Canterlot Astronomical Society. We operate the Royal Canterlot Observatory, and we wish to upgrade the observatory with a number of more modern facilities and equipment. We’d also like to extend an invitation to show you some of the exciting work we’ve been doing in the field of astronomy.”

Night Light stood and waited expectantly, but Luna offered no response. “Your Majesty? Shall I just move onto outlining—”

Luna suddenly stood. "We will adjourn for an hour. You all are dismissed." She quickly vanished into her office, carrying the painting along and slamming the office door shut behind her.

The hall filled confused chatter as Night Light stood, watching the empty throne in bewilderment until a staff member gently led him away.

Lucky and Comet turned to follow the princess, but a sharp, distinct whistle cut through the furor of voices and drew their attention. They both turned to see Lily rushing towards them at a brisk but not-quite-galloping pace.

“I hate schedule changes,” she declared as she came close enough to speak at a quiet volume.

“What’s up, Sarge?” asked Lucky.

“You two, go get lunch. Starshine and Darkhorse will cover the princess. Be back in forty-five.”

“Got it.”

The two pegasi slipped out of a side door, progressing through a back corridor and emerging into one of the castle’s cafeterias.

The castle never slept, and neither did the its staff. The rows of tables and chairs emphasized functionality over fashion; this was for the staff alone. A counter spanned one wall, behind which the cooks could be heard calling out to each other. The staff matched the commotion with sedate but still spirited chatter.

Lucky snagged a tray and slid into line, checking out the evening’s menu. He peered into a pot and addressed the mare behind the counter. “Miss? What’s the soup tonight?”

An earth pony mare with a soft pink coat stood behind the counter. She was locked up, staring at Lucky with a wide-eyed expression. The faintest of whimpers escaped her throat.

“Miss?” Lucky frowned as he studied the mare, until recognition hit. “Oh, you’re the mare from last night. Did you get to your quarters safely?”

The mare nodded mutely.

Lucky gave her his most disarming smile, thankful for the lack of fangs to ruin the effect. “Great! So, what’s the soup tonight?”

“Oh!” The mare jolted into motion like a wound-up spring. “It’s a white bean and hominy chili, with chipotle.” She grabbed the serving ladle in her mouth and dipped it into the pot. “Would you like some?” Without waiting for an answer she began scooping the chili into a waiting bowl.

“Well, since you’ve decided to start dishing it out already, I guess I might as well,” said Lucky with a wry grin.

The mare frozen and looked down at the half-filled bowl. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to presume.” She started to furiously ladle the chili back into the pot.

“Miss— miss— please, stop.” Lucky held up a hoof, gesturing for the other pony to stop. “I really would like to try it. I was just poking a little fun.”

“Oh, I see. Of course.” The mare hastily started shoveling the chili back into the bowl.

“Miss, just hold on—” Lucky rapped lightly at the sneeze guard. The mare continued to frantically fill the bowl, chili splattering onto the counter. Lucky rolled his eyes and pushed himself into the air, reaching over and tapping the serving girl’s shoulder. “Hey, just calm down a sec.”

The mare let go of the ladle with a startled squeak and bolted upright. Her eyes quickly traveled up to the guard hovering over her and she took a step back.

Lucky landed on his side of the counter and looked the other pony in the eye. “Take a deep breath. C’mon. In…” He took in a long, deliberate breath, and patiently held it until the mare slowly mimicked him. He let the breath out just as slowly, watching the other pony the whole while. “… and out.”

He lead her through several breaths, and slowly the mare relaxed, her stance loosening up. Lucky offered her another smile. “Feeling better?”

The mare nodded numbly. “Ah am. Sorry ‘bout that.” She cleared her throat and spoke more delicately. “My apologies.”

“New in town?”

She nodded again, her cheeks turning red under her coat. “Is it that obvious?”

“Working in the castle can be kinda overwhelming at first. I’m Lucky Break, by the way. Call me Lucky.”

“Pinkblush.” Pinkblush offered the pegasus a tentative smile.

“Hey.” Comet punctuated the word with a flick of his wingtip to Lucky’s side. “We don’t have all night, you know.”

Lucky gave Comet a playful shove and then gave Pinkblush an apologetic smile. “Sorry, duty calls. Remember to breathe. It’ll help.”

“Thank you, I will. Have a lovely night.”

They stood there in silence. Lucky watched Pinkblush expectantly.

The mare shuffled her hooves nervously. “I’m sorry. Was there something else?”

Lucky nodded towards the dish. “Just the chili.”

“Oh! Of course. Here you go.” Pinkblush placed the bowl on the counter, and Lucky took it with a smile.

Lucky and Comet made their way to Glimpse, who was eagerly waving them over from his table. “Guys! Did you see what the princess did?”

Lucky rolled his eyes as he slid into a seat. “Yeah. It was pretty hard to miss.”

Glimpse cocked one eyebrow at Lucky. “Jaded doesn’t suit you, Lucky.”

“Well, a couple of ponies fled the room in what I’m pretty sure was terror, and I just inadvertently gave someone a panic attack because of our ‘beloved’ princess, so yeah. Not impressed.”

“Man, I’ve never seen a sunkisser so grumpy before,” chimed Comet.

Glimpse nodded. “I think your natural pessimism is starting to rub off on him.”

“Ha, ha. Very funny guys,” said Lucky. “Look, if you liked that whole… whatever it was, good for you.”

“Oh, the terror-inducing part was excessive and unnecessary.” Glimpse lifted his notepad towards Lukcy, showing off a page filled with notes and diagrams. “It’s her stellar display that I’m excited about.”

“It’s a pretty cool illusion,” said Comet.

Glimpse shook his head. “It’s not an illusion. It’s the actual night sky.”

Comet and Lucky shared a skeptical glance. “Glimpse, buddy,” said Lucky, “I don’t see how that’s possible, even for a princess.”

Glimpse grinned and flipped to the next page, pointing to a section of the small, tightly-packed scribbles that were as incomprehensible to Lucky as the rest. “I know what illusions are like, and that is no illusion. I’m not sure what it was, but in some way it’s the real night sky up there. Well…” Glimpse tapped his pencil contemplatively against his notepad. “I suppose it could be a dimensional window, or a reproduction made of stellar matter…”

Lucky shook his head. “Sounds like she’s trying way too hard to impress everybody.”

“Perhaps,” said Glimpse absently as he drew some figures in his notebook. Comet was already tucking into his meal, but Lucky just frowned as he stared into his bowl of chili.

The thought had come easily enough, but now it wouldn’t leave him. He couldn’t keep from turning it over in his head, as some instinct tickling at the back of his mind told him it was important yet incomplete.

She’s trying too hard to impress everyone. Yelling, showing off, being forceful. It’s almost like…

A sharp knock on his helmet drew him out of his contemplation.

“Hey, what gives?”

Comet pointed at Lucky’s tray. “Eat. I’m not pissing off Lily by getting back late.”

Lucky shook his head and the half-formed thought was gone. “Yeah, right. Don’t wanna piss off the princess, either.” He started in on his food, the half-formed thought buried beneath the concerns of the immediate future.

Manehattan

Lucky coasted through the warm summer skies of Manehattan, scanning the sprawling cityscape spread out before him. The new metal towers gleamed in the silvery moonlight, but it was the city’s muted colors in the darkness that he loved the most. The daylight didn’t do it justice: it made the city too bright and garish. Even better, Manehattan’s socialites had long retired from their gatherings and parties, so there was nopony around to give him a distasteful look or a thinly-veiled complaint. Manehattan at night belonged to the Nycta.

Lucky descended into the darkened streets. The Nycta had carved out their own portion of the city, with shops and restaurants that catered to the truly nocturnal crowd. He made a quick stop at an all-night bakery, then took back to the skies once more.

He sped towards the night district’s sole park, rolling hills of silvery blue grass quickly unfolding before him as he broke free of the city streets. He sped through the park, tossing out quick waves and greetings until he spotted his friends, staked out on top of a hill in the middle of the park.

The pegasus grinned and snagged a cloud, dragging it down to the ground and throwing himself on it like a giant pillow. “’Sup, guys?”

Lily rolled her eyes and gestured to the unicorn. “Glimpse is trying to memorize a poem. Please tell me you have something more interesting to talk about than homework on our summer vacation.”

Glimpse just shook his head, closing the book levitating in front of him. “You just don’t have any appreciation for the classics. Penitent Verse is one of the most influential poet-writers of Nycta culture. His works influenced an entire generation that was struggling to find an identity for itself.”

“Don’t worry, Lily,” said Lucky as he tossed a still-warm bag of sticky buns on the ground between the trio. “I’ve got something way more exciting than homework to talk about.” He speared a bun with a wingtip and took a large bite. “Guess who is officially the second-best flier in all of Manehattan?”

“Classics schmasics. I care about what’s happening now.” Lily fished two buns out of the bag, biting into one and continuing to talk with her mouth full. “Congrats, Lucky. You get your results back?”

Glimpse slowly shook his head and levitated a single bun to himself, taking small bites. “Second place is commendable, particularly given your competition.”

“Comet got second.”

Lily and Glimpse stopped to look at Lucky.

“Then how did you do?” asked Glimpse.

Lucky grinned and threw a letter down on the ground, which Glimpse quickly picked up. “Lucky, congratulations!”

“Lemme see!” Lily snatched the letter out of the unicorn’s magical grip and skimmed over it. “Blah blah blah… First place? Holy smokes. You beat out every other pegasus?”

“Well, just in Manehattan, but still.” Lucky settled in more comfortably on the cloud. “I’m pretty stoked.”

“With marks like that,” said Glimpse, “you’ll get into the Academy for sure. Even with your grades.”

“Hey, I’m working on them. That’s what I have you for, isn’t it?”

“It’s so nice to know how much you value our friendship.” Glimpse gave Lucky an exaggerated eyeroll.

“Hey, you know I love ya, buddy. Besides, I got you a little something.” Lucky reached into his saddlebags and pulled out a flat bundle, dropping it in front of the unicorn.

Glimpse slowly unfolded the bundle, revealing a detailed topographical map. “Lucky… These are the weather department’s maps! I’ve wanted to see these for ages! How did you get these?”

“How do you think?”

“I know your mom works for the DoW, but they don’t just hand these out.”

“Well, technically they still don’t. I’m just borrowing these so I can show you. But I think Mom underestimated just how quickly you could make replicas of all of these.”

“So these maps are gonna help us win the triathlon?” asked Lily.

“They won’t guarantee us the win, but I think they’ll give us an edge,” said Glimpse. “This is just incredible. I’ll get started on these this morning.”

“But isn’t using super special maps cheating?”

“Well, technically anypony can get access to these maps, it just takes a while,” said Lucky. “I’m just… shortcutting some of the hoops, that’s all.”

“Nepotism at its finest,” added Glimpse.

“You’re too excited to be accusing me of nepotism.”

Glimpse just hummed happily as he flipped through the maps.

A voice passed over them. “Hey, losers!”

“Don’t let him see those! And don’t rip them.” Lucky leapt up into the air, hovering over the map and looking up towards the voice. Below, Lily and Glimpse quickly put the maps away.

A nyctan pegasus streaked towards him, his red mane and tail streaming in the wind. Lucky crossed his forelegs over his chest and waited, slowly flapping his wings to stay in place. The two pegasi stared each other in the eye as the newcomer charged closer, both hooves outstretched.

Lucky resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

The newcomer surged forward, opening his wings wide to brake. The distance between them closed rapidly, but Lucky held his position, and his heartbeat stayed calm.

The other pegasus snapped to a stop inches from Lucky’s face. The wind chasing him swept past them both, blowing back their manes and coats . They waited, Lucky staring at the smirking face of his rival.

“Hello, Comet.”

“Hmph. Not bad, not bad.” Comet pushed himself back a stride’s length.

“Yeah, yeah. What do you want? We’re in the middle of something here.”

“Like what? Doing summer book reports for school? Having a tea party?”

Beneath him, Lily nickered softly, and Lucky shrugged. “Actually, we’re having a poetry reading. Wanna join us?”

“Pfft. Pass. But I do see something I wanna get an eyeful of.” Comet descended and landed next to Lily, puffing his chest out. “Hey, Lily.”

Lily fetched another sweet roll and bit into it, pointedly not looking at the new arrival. “Hey.”

“So, I got an extra ticket for the Maretallica concert next week. Wanna go?”

Lucky threw himself back on his cloud. He watched a small smile creep onto Lily’s face before she pushed it down.

“Maybe,” said Lily. “Go five minutes with me on the mat and I’ll think about it.”

Comet scoffed. “Come on. I only lasted two minutes with you the last time.”

“Maybe you'll do better.”

“Yeah, right. I like all my limbs to bend in the right direction.”

Lily shrugged and bit down on another roll. “Suit yourself.”

“Did you come just to score a date, or was there something else?” asked Lucky.

“Oh! Right!” Comet fetched a letter out of his saddlebags. He grinned and his voice took on a self-satisfied tone. “Got my results back from the Academy testing. Just thought you’d like to know I came in—”

Both pegasi finished at once. “—second place.”

Comet stared agape at Lucky. “What?! How could you possibly know that?”

Lucky smirked. “Because I got first.”

“No way.”

“I’ve got the letter if you want to see it. Show him, Glimpse.”

Glimpse held up the letter with his magic, and Comet snatched it up in his hooves. Lucky waited for Comet to finish skimming through it.

“Dammit, Lucky. How’s that possible? I got better scores on the time trials.”

“I made up those points on the technical sections. But it’s nothing to be ashamed of. I am King of the Skies, after all.”

Comet scowled and threw the letter to the ground. “I’ve taken the title back before.”

“Couldn’t hang onto it though.”

“Fine then. You and me, one last challenge before we leave next year.”

Lucky waved a hoof dismissively. “Nah, not interested. Too busy with the triathlon this year.”

“The triathlon, then! Your team versus mine. I want everypony to see when I humiliate you.”

Lucky sat up, ears perked. “Interesting… Lily? Glimpse? What do you guys think?”

Lily slammed a hoof excitedly on the ground. “Yeah! Let’s do it!”

Glimpse merely shrugged. “The triathlon is supposed to be a test of skill and ingenuity, but I’ll support you either way.”

“You’re on!” Lucky jumped down from his cloud and put out a hoof to shake.

Comet grabbed the hoof and held it. “And just to make it interesting, let’s put something down on the outcome.”

“Alright. My Wonderbolts poster.” Comet started to object, but Lucky cut him off. “Signed by all of the active Wonderbolts, all of the still-living retired ones, and by Quickfeather.”

“Quickfeather isn’t a Wonderbolt!”

Lucky smirked. “He’s honorary. He did a show with them. My dad got his autograph the last time he went to Canterlot.”

“Fine. I’ll put up my new, state-of-the-art racing goggles.”

Lucky shook hooves with Comet. “Deal. I can’t wait to try them on.”

“And I can’t wait to hang your poster on my wall.” Comet shook and let go. “Later, losers!”

The trio watched Comet take off into the sky.

Glimpse sighed wearily and slowly erased a line from his notebook. “Lily, do you really need to string him along like that?”

Lily’s tail swished back and forth contentedly. “Relax, Glimpse. I know what I’m doing.”

“C’mon, guys.” Lucky bucked his cloud, dispersing it. “We’ve got plans to make.”

* * * * * * *

It was almost moonset, and the faint orange glow of morning was peeking out from behind the horizon. Lucky was looking forward to a good day’s sleep.

He swooped down to street level, coasting along at a brisk pace as rows of houses passing on either side of him. They were all two or three stories, packed together like Diamond Dogs standing shoulder-to-shoulder.

Lucky landed on the porch of a two-story building and quietly opened the front door. His father and Slippy would still be asleep for a while yet. Evengale sat on the living room couch, quietly reviewing some papers.

The younger pegasus smiled and trotted over to give the mare a hug. “Hey, Mom. I can’t wait for the triathlon this year. I think my friends and I’ve got a real shot at winning it.”

Gale smiled tiredly and hugged her son tight, giving his spiky mane a soft stroke. “I’m glad, dear. Go put your bags away and come back down. We need to have a talk.”

Lucky frowned and pulled away from the hug. “What you really mean is ‘I have to tell you something you’re not going to like.’”

“Just put your stuff away, dear. And don’t wake your brother.”

The colt dashed up the stairs to his room. He found an empty spot on the floor amidst the comic books and other clutter and dumped his saddlebags. A small white puppy scampered up to him, jumping up on him and licking at his cheek.

Blizz was young, yet already had the pointed muzzle of his wolf ancestry. His lineage stretched back to the Frozen North, where his ancestors were prized for their cunning and intelligence, not to mention their nocturnal adaptability.

"Hey, Blizz. I gotta go talk to Mom. I'll fill your food dish when I get back. Lucky gave the dog an affection nuzzle and a hug, then pushed him away with a playful shove before heading back downstairs.

Jetstream was seated on the couch when he returned downstairs. Despite the early hour, he didn't seem freshly awoken—his feathers were too neat for just waking up, but exhaustion still tugged at his eyelids. “Have a seat, son,” he said, giving the couch a pat.

Lucky threw himself into a chair instead. “Okay. What’s the bad news?”

Gale and Jetstream shared a parental look, and the stallion nodded to his wife.

“Lucky,” started the mare. “Your father’s unit is being deployed.”

“Okay. Stay safe, Dad. Is that it?”

The mare shook her head. “We’re still trying to work out the details, but we may need you to step up and help take care of your brother. He’s starting school this year, and I might not be able to switch to the day shift.”

Lucky leaned his cheek against a hoof. “What do you expect me to do? I sleep during the day too, you know.”

Both adults shared another parental look, two sets of wings twitching.

“Well,” started Evengale. “We were thinking of enrolling you in Slip’s school, so you could look after him.”

Lucky stared at both adults. “Wait, what? What about my friends? And my classes? We’re entering the triathlon this year!” He sat up, wings unfurling unconsciously as his voice grew more strident. “I can’t miss out on that!”

“Son, we’re not saying you have to miss out on any of that,” said Jetstream. “And we’re still looking for other solutions. This would just be a temporary situation. I know it’ll be tough, but we all—”

“We all have to pitch in and do our part,” finished Lucky. He crossed his forelegs over his chest. “Easy for you to say. You’re not being saddled with a dweeb of a younger brother and being shipped to a school full of stupid roundeyes.”

A small voice asked, “What’s a roundeyes?”

At the bottom of the stairs stood Slipstream, his tousled mane still flattened on one side. He trotted slowly into the living room, rubbing an eye as he looked at the rest of his family.

Gale swiftly stood and picked up the foal, cradling him to her chest. “Sweetie, what are you doing up so early?”

Slip yawned wide. “I heard you talking, and I got curious what was going on. What’s that roundeyes thing Lucky said?”

“Well, why don’t I let your brother explain that?” Her voice took on a deadly sweetness. “Lucky Break?”

The older colt stared at the ceiling, “Well, you see…”

“Look at your brother when you address him.”

Lucky sighed and lowered his gaze to meet the inquisitive gaze of his younger brother. “A roundeye is a word we have for dayponies, like you. Because your eyes are different from ours.”

“And?” prompted Gale.

The older colt groaned. “It’s not a nice word, and I shouldn’t have used it. I’m really sorry.”

“Oh,” said Slipstream. He looked up to his mother. “So it’s kind of like snakeeye?”

“Where did you hear that?” asked Gale.

“I heard it from some of the other kids. Is it a bad word too?”

Gale softly stroked Slip’s mane. “Yes, dear, it is. Please don’t use it.”

“Okay,” said Slip with a nod.

“Alright, kiddo. Let’s go get your day started.” Jetstream lifted Slip onto his back and headed back upstairs.

“You need to watch what you say. You know your brother can pick up on a lot.” The mare sat by Lucky’s chair and wrapped a wing around his shoulders.

“Sorry, Mom,” mumbled Lucky.

“I expect you to take good care of him when school starts.”

“But he’s not even that great of a flier. He just reads his books all day. What kind of pegasus doesn’t even like flying? And how’s he going to keep up with me?”

“We all grow at our own rates, dear. Maybe you could offer to teach him a thing or two?”

Lucky rolled his eyes and sank deeper into his chair. “I’ll think about it.”

The mare squeezed her son gently. “And maybe you could learn to open up a book a little more often. Your grades will thank you for it.”

“Moooom,” groaned the colt.

Gale smiled softly. “Just something to think about, dear.”

“It’s still summer break. I don’t have to think yet.”

They sat in silence for a moment. The sun’s rays were beginning to sneak into the living room.

“I know this will be hard for you, honey. It’ll be hard on all of us. But it’s important for us to look after our family and clanmates. You know that, right?”

“Yeah, yeah…”

Gale kissed her son’s forehead. “We’ll talk more tonight, okay? Just promise me you’ll keep an open mind.”

“Fine. I’ll try.”

“Thank you. Wash up and get to bed.”

Lucky got up and kissed his mother on the cheek. He mumbled a good night and ascended the stairs to his bedroom, ignoring his father and brother’s conversation.

The colt threw himself onto his bed, burrowing his head under his pillow. Blizz barked and scrambled up onto the bed, curling up against his owner’s side. Lucky sighed and reached out to give his pet’s ears a soft rub.

“At least you’re still on my side, buddy.”

* * * * * * *

“This blows!” said Lily.

Glimpse nodded. “It’s pretty unfortunate.”

The three friends were gathered in the park again, early in the evening. The sky was overcast, but the moon still provided enough soft illumination to see by.

Lucky sprawled on a cloud, while Blizz sniffed around at the grass underneath him. “Yeah, guys. I know. You guys will need to find another flier.”

“Forget about the triathlon.” Lily waved the issue aside with a hoof. “They’re really sending you to a roundeye school?”

“Yeah, except I can’t say roundeye or Mom’ll get on my case again. Slip already heard me say it and I think she was pretty mad about it.”

“I can’t believe they’re doing that. If they make any trouble for you there, let us know and we’ll buck their hides off for you.”

Lucky gave a mirthless laugh. “Thanks, Lily. I’ll remember that.”

“I know it’s tough, Lucky,” said Glimpse. “But duty is never easy.”

The pegasus rolled his eyes. “Yeah. Mom gave me the duty and clan speech already too.”

“Did it help?”

“Not really.”

“Oh.” Glimpse reached out to tentatively pat Lucky on the shoulder. “It’s only a temporary setback.”

“Well, this bites,” said Lily, kicking at a rock. The rock careened through the air and embedded itself in the trunk of a nearby tree. “And now I have to fix that. Great.” She trotted away to fetch the rock.

“I can’t wait a whole year for the next triathlon.” Lucky rolled onto his back, staring up at the sky. “I’m not even going to be here next year.”

Glimpse adjusted his spectacles and made a notation in his notebook. “Your family comes first. We can enter next year.”

The pegasus covered his face with his hooves. “Agh. That bet. If I don’t race this year, Comet will claim victory by default, and I’ll have to give up my poster. Or he’ll tell everyone I went back on our deal.”

“We could try explaining things to him…”

“Yeah. And tell him I’m going to a daypony school. I really don’t want that getting around any faster than it has to.”

“The other ponies will find out eventually when you don’t show up for classes.”

Lucky sat up, kneading the cloud between his forehooves. “I can’t believe this is happening. My best year ever is over before it even got started.”

“Not necessarily. What shift does your mother work?”

“Uh… I’m not sure. Regular third shift, I think. Why?”

Glimpse turned his notebook around, and offered it to Lucky. On it were listed the hours of the day, with the names Lucky, Slip, and Evengale displayed across the top.

“Glimpse, what am I looking at?”

“I propose a staggered schedule. Slip keeps to his normal schedule, so as to not disrupt his natural development. You'll sleep when you get back from school, and watch the house in the morning while your mother's at work. She'll sleep during the day and watch him in the afternoon and evening."

“So, what? I get to be up in the morning with nopony else in the house to talk to?”

“Incorrect.” Glimpse sketched out a fourth column. “You’ll have Lily and myself. We can come over after our school day to study with you and, time permitting, train.”

“Wait, so… We still get to hang out and do stuff?”

“We’ll have to be quiet. Your brother will be sleeping, after all.”

“Quiet’s nothing. Anything’s worth it as long as I have my best friends around. You’re a genius!” Lucky leapt off his cloud and threw his forelegs around Glimpse, squeezing him tight.

Glimpse stammered quietly, turning his head away. “Oh, I was just looking at the problem from a different direction, that’s all. Besides, I'd miss having you around too.”

Lily trotted up. “Hey, guys. What’d I miss?”

Lucky grinned. “Get your stuff, Lily. I’m staying in the race, and we’re gonna crush Comet’s team. Glimpse just figured out how we can keep training.”

Lily gave Glimpse a playful slap on the back. “Rock on!”