All Hail The Empress

“Ugh! Are we there yet?!” groaned Ruby as she walked alongside her mother, “We’ve been walking for what feels like forever!”

Take it easy, Sapphire. This will be worth it in the end. Besides, it’s Ruby. Thought Sapphire as she sighed, “No, dear we’re not. And we both know this could very well be a dead end. Which means we’ll have to walk all the way back.” The filly responded with a groan as her mother chuckled.

“What’s so funny?” asked Ruby indignantly.

“Just musing over how much you complain for a pony your age,” replied Sapphire, “You’re going to be fourteen this year and you complain more than ponies half your age.”

“Well, I’m sorry I’m vocal about things I don’t like!” retorted her daughter, clearly offended by what her mother had said.

“Listen, that isn’t something you need to be offended by,” explained the adult Dragon Unicorn, “That is a part of who you are, and you shouldn’t try to change that. But that doesn’t mean others can’t find it amusing or even annoying. I mean, your grandparents had things about me, your aunt, and your uncle they weren’t particularly fond of but they didn’t try to make us change it.”

“She’s right you know. On both of those,” said a disembodied voice, startling both Sapphire and Ruby. In front of the pair, a shimmering blue Unicorn mare appeared. Her Cutie Mark and tail were obscured by mist, but her mane was long with curled ends. Its natural coloration was lost by the form she was currently in. Sapphire’s jaw dropped when she realized who it was, “Hello, Sapphire. How is your father doing? And, Ruby. You’ve grown so much since I’ve been gone.”

“Mom, who’s this?” asked Ruby, confused not only by the mare appearing out of nowhere, but also Sapphire’s reaction.

“Ruby, dear, this is your Grandmother, my mother. I’m not surprised you don’t recognize her. You weren’t even a year and a half old when she got sick,” explained Sapphire, “I…it’s good to see you, mom. Normally, I’d ask how this is possible, but I know better now. Dad’s…holding up since you passed away. He wasn’t himself for a while, but he’s pretty well back to normal.”

“That’s good to hear. Although I can watch you all, I’ve chosen not to. It’s too painful to watch but not be there,” stated Sapphire’s mother, “Has Fire Comet been treating you well? I know Spike didn’t exactly like him being with you, even if I thought he was great.”

“Of course, mom. And dad’s gotten used to him being around, seeing as how we’ve been together for over twenty years,” replied Sapphire, “He’s with Scootaloo’s daughter and grandson, since neither of them can use magic.”

“That’s good to hear. There is something I need to tell you, though,” said the ghost Unicorn, “This path is actually a dead end, apparently. I didn’t see it myself, but Shining Armor and Cadance did. They recruited me and Sky Blazer’s late husband to tell you that. You need to go back to the entrance to the cave, and hurry.”

“Oh, come on!” shouted Ruby, leading to her mother and grandmother busting out laughing and her groaning loudly.

“Ruby, you remind me so much of me as a filly. I always did have a flair for the dramatics,” mused the ghostly mare.

“Mom, you were like that for pretty much my entire life. And if what I’ve heard over the years is true, you were like that for your entire life as well,” noted Sapphire, eliciting a glare from her mother and a laugh from her daughter, “Relax mom, it’s a compliment.”

“I know that, but it doesn’t mean I can’t have a problem with it,” stated her mother, “It’s the same with you finding Ruby’s complaints amusing. And with your father and me disapproving of some of your activities as a child.”

“What’d you do, mom?” asked the filly, sneering at her mother.

“Whenever she wasn’t helping me take care of your aunt and uncle, she’d constantly bother ponies, she’d constantly wander off and we’d have to look for her, and just all kinds of mischief.”

“Mom!” yelled Sapphire.

“I was only answering my granddaughter’s question,” said her mother innocently, “Anyway, our time together is over. Good luck whenever you finally bring the fight straight to the Empress. I’m afraid you’ll need it.”

“Good bye, mom,” said Sapphire, sadness filling her voice, “And, I’m sorry I wasn’t able to do more when you got sick. If I only knew….”

“Sapphire, stop. Do not kick yourself over that,” ordered the ghostly Unicorn, “You can’t exactly do much about something that you have no idea as to what it is. Look, I lived a full life. I got to see you, your brother, and your sister all grow up to be fine adults. I can honestly say that I died happy. Farewell, Sapphire and Ruby. I love you both, and make sure Spike, Elusive, and Emerald know I love them too.”

“We’ll do that, grandma,” said Ruby before her mother could say anything. With a smile, her grandmother turned and walked down the tunnel, disappearing after a few seconds, “Are you going to be all right, mom?”

“Yeah,” replied Sapphire, her voice cracking as she tried to hold back tears, “I will be. Let’s go.”

Meanwhile, Sky Blazer, Wild Blitz, and Fire Comet were still trudging along the tunnel at a slow pace. In terms of distance covered, they were lagging incredibly far behind the others. Only Sky Blazer had a problem with that, still trying to get the others to just go on ahead without her despite that meaning that her son would wouldn’t be under her watch.

“I am dead serious, just go without me!” pleaded Sky Blazer, though she didn’t stop walking while she did so, “I’m only slowing you down right now, and if you stay with me and this ends up being a dead end, it could take hours, possibly days to get back.”

“Give it a rest, mom!” shouted Wild Blitz, surprising the older Pegasus, “We are not going to just leave you here, okay?! Stop asking already!”

“He’s right, Sky Blazer,” noted Fire Comet, “We aren’t going to just abandon you. Especially with your wing the way it is. You’d be easy prey for wild animals, let alone the Empress’s armies.”

“Just because I can’t fly, doesn’t mean that I can’t handle myself,” said Sky Blazer, unamused by what Fire Comet had just told her, “And you do not yell at me, young colt.”

“Yeah, and where your wing broke is hindering your ability to move,” replied Fire Comet, “The fact that you’re telling us to go on without you because of how slow we’re moving confirms that.”

“And the only reason I yelled is because I was just getting sick of you saying you want us to leave you,” admitted Wild Blitz, “Do you honestly think that I am going to just abandon you, mom? And you really have no idea how hard it is to hear you ask that.”

“I-I…I’m sorry,” stuttered Sky Blazer, “I wasn’t thinking clearly. You’re right, it is a stupid idea.”

“It’s all right, mom,” assured her son, smiling at his mother as he did.

“No, it isn’t. How can I ask others to leave me when I know how much it hurts abandoning someone I loved with all my heart?” asked the Pegasus mare, tears beginning to stream down her face as she recalled many memories.

“Are you talking…about dad?” asked Wild Blitz, “Mom, I heard about what happened that day. You and dad agreed that one of you had to be a distraction so the other could get away. Otherwise, I’d have ended up being an orphan and we wouldn’t have the book.”

“Wild Blitz, I’m sorry but you have no idea how hard it was,” snapped Sky Blazer, “I have lived every second since then feeling like I abandoned your father, that I left him to die. Because of that, you had to grow up without a dad and I became a widow even earlier than your grandmother did.”

“Have you truly forgotten what we talked about before we left the Archives that day?” said a voice from in front of the group, which stopped to investigate. A glowing blue Pegasus Stallion appeared in front of them, naturally startling all three of them, “Because I remember it clearly.”

“D-Divine Bolt,” said Sky Blazer, able to recognize her deceased husband from his voice, “H-how?”

“All I can really say is magic is the cause,” replied Divine Bolt, “So, do you remember?’

“I don’t remember the exact details. That day and the days following are a blur to me, honestly.”

“Well, when it became abundantly clear we weren’t going to make it out of Canterlot alive if we stayed together, you came up with the option of creating a diversion,” explained her husband, “I volunteered because Wild Blitz would need his mother more than his father. You, naturally, volunteered to be the diversion, but I offered the fact that you were an all-around better flier than me. We said our good-byes, and we parted ways.”

“So, basically I abandoned you,” retorted Sky Blazer.

“No, you didn’t. Not in the least. I sacrificed myself so you could live. After all, you wouldn’t be right here if we hadn’t gone through with our plan.”

“Yeah, and I still feel guilty about it.”

“I understand, and I’m saying you shouldn’t feel that way,” said Divine Bolt, smiling at his wife, “Now, Wild Blitz, you’ve grown up so much since I last saw you. Then again, you were only two then. I take it you’ve been keeping your mom safe?”

“Yeah, even if she didn’t always appreciate it,” answered the Pegasus colt happily, “I’d do a bit more, but mom’s a bit protective.”

“And you’d expect anything less from a mother? My mom was just as protective of me,” said Divine Bolt, referring to the mother who had been deceased since before he had even met Sky Blazer, “So, Fire Comet. Sapphire keeping you on your hooves or has she settled down enough for you to relax?”

“She’s the same, not that there’s anything wrong with that,” replied the Unicorn stallion, “It’s great to see you again, my friend.”

“It’s great to see you too. Your parents did want me to say hello to you. For some reason, they couldn’t come to see you. Not sure why,” explained Divine Bolt, “But that brings me to why I came to see you. Yeah, this tunnel? It’s a dead end. You need to return to the entrance.”

“Wait, seriously?” asked Wild Blitz, unamused by the revelation, “What’s back there? And, are you aware how long it took us to get here with mom’s broken wing?”

“Well, I’m not exactly sure what’s there. I was asked to tell you guys that by Artemis’s parents,” answered his father, “And, yes, I know how long it took you to get to this point. But it is imperative you get back to the entrance as quickly as possible. And we need to say our good-byes now.”

“I had a feeling this would be short,” said Fire Comet, “Still, it was great seeing you again, like I just said.”

“Bye, dad. You’re in my thoughts a lot, and I’ll definitely make sure mom stays safe,” assured Wild Blitz, receiving a smile from his father.

“I love you, Divine Bolt,” managed Sky Blazer after a few seconds, “I miss you so, so much.”

“I love you too, Sky Blazer,” replied her husband. The two hugged before Divine Bolt turned. As he walked down the tunnel and disappeared, the trio turned themselves. Sky Blazer was the last to turn, but they all began to trek back to the entrance without a word.