Tales From the Phoenix Empire

Chapters

Study Buddies
Love and Tolerance
Sapphire Schoolteacher
The Prisoner's Dilemma
Guest Tale: The Ugly Truth by Trinary
Pretty in Pink
Guest Tale: Forbidden Fruit by Ponibius
The Sun's Kind Embrace
Guest Tale: Captain Doo by Comma-Kazie
Hail to the Queen
Nopony's Perfect
Rarity v. Raptor: Dawn of Fabulous
Guest Tale: The Loyal Opposition Pt 1 by Ponibius
Guest Tale: The Loyal Opposition Pt 2 by Ponibius
Guest Tale: The Loyal Opposition Pt 3 by Ponibius
Guest Tale: Branching Out by Trinary
Broken Circle
Chasing a Cloud Pt 1 by Ponibius
Chasing a Cloud Pt 2 by Ponibius
Chasing a Cloud Pt 3 by Ponibius
Chasing a Cloud Pt 4 by Ponibius
Hearts And Minds

Study Buddies

I hate it when ponies waste my time.

“No, I don’t want to go to Moondancer’s birthday party.” I rolled my eyes at the crestfallen expressions on the faces of the three ponies in front of me. Really, what answer did they expect? “In case you weren’t aware, I am the Phoenix Empress’ personal student. That means I have far more important things to do with my time than go to somepony’s birthday party. I’m in the middle of revolutionizing teleportation theory—not that any of you would understand what I’m working on.”

“I was just asking.” The leader of the trio, who was presumably Moondancer herself, stepped forward. “If you don’t want to come to my party you can just say so. You don’t have to be mean about it.”

“I wasn’t being mean, I was just stating the facts.” I smirked at the three of them. “I do have more important things to do than your party, and I am studying advanced magic that’s way beyond what the three of you understand. Now, if you’d like me to start being mean then by all means, keep wasting my time and getting on my nerves. Otherwise, I’m going to go study.”

I started moving forward again, and the three of them wisely got out of my way. Though perhaps I was being a bit too nice in using the word ‘wise,’ because I heard one of them grumble under her breath, “No wonder she doesn’t have any friends.”

Normally I would’ve ignored that, but something about her tone got on my nerves. Not that I cared enough to actually stop, but I threw a response over my shoulder while I kept moving. “Where in the Empire did you get that idea that I want to have friends?”

Being Empress Sunbeam’s personal student is such a trial, sometimes. Not the actual student part of it, though. I like that. The idea that Her Imperial Majesty Sunbeam Sparkle, Empress of All Ponykind, the Eternal Flame, Guardian of Griffonia, and Defender of Zebrica would take time out of her schedule to train me in the ways of magic was extremely flattering. Even though she could only spare a few hours a week for me, the things I learned working with her were nothing less than incredible. I wasn’t exaggerating when I said Moondancer and her little friends wouldn’t understand any of my current projects—the Empress had taught me things the average pony didn’t even know existed.

Being the Empress’ personal student wasn’t a free ride though. The supreme ruler of most of the known world doesn’t take any random nopony off the streets to be her student. She only trains the best, and I was getting close to the end of my training. Not that I’d learned a fraction of everything she could teach me—I would probably have to be an immortal like her to actually learn all of it. I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life being a student though, and the Empress wouldn’t let me do that anyway. She was training me for a purpose. Whatever she had in mind, I planned to exceed her expectations.

From there ... ponies who serve the Empress well are justly rewarded for their efforts. I’d already planned on entering the Mage Corps once I finished my education, and with the Empress’ tutelage and favor I would probably make Archmagus within a few years. Maybe I could even manage it in time for the millennial celebration. That would give me a bit less than two years to pull it off, but I was good enough to make it happen. If I wasn’t, the Empress never would’ve picked me as her student.

That wasn’t going to happen unless I earned it, though. The Empress doesn’t let anypony just rest on their laurels. That’s why my work on teleportation theory was so important; it was my chance to prove that I deserved everything she’d done for me. This was my one chance to make a name for myself. If anything went wrong, that was it for me. I would just become a cautionary tale about the dangers of hubris. I know a lot of ponies think I’m a bit full of myself, but the simple truth of it is that I am that good—but just saying that wouldn’t count for much. Anypony can say they’re good, but only a few ponies can back that up with facts. I don’t want anypony thinking I’ve got nothing but empty boasting.

That’s the hidden cost of being the Phoenix Empress’ student: to whom much is given, much will be expected. An ordinary student could just do something reasonably interesting for a graduation project. The Empress’ personal student needed to do something revolutionary. Anything less would be a failure.

Talking about it wasn’t going to make it happen, though. That was going to take study time. I nearly had my new long-range teleportation spell down, but nearly isn’t good enough. Teleportation spells are an exact science; if the spell formula is even a little bit off, you could end up killing yourself in very messy and unpleasant ways. After seeing what was left of the grapefruit I’d tried my first version of the spell on, I’d quickly ruled out casting the spell on myself until I was absolutely certain it would work.

So, that meant another trip to the secure section of the Queen Celestia Memorial Library, looking over all of my books to see if I’d accounted for every possible factor. Spending three hours reading just to possibly make a tiny adjustment to a single variable in a massive spell formula might not be the most glamorous work, but that’s how magic works. The results were what counted; if I could produce a stable long-range teleportation matrix with sustainable long-term energy requirements, nopony would care how many all-night study sessions I’d needed to pull it off.

The guards let me into the restricted section without any trouble; even if everypony important in Canterlot didn’t recognize me by sight, I was a regular visitor. The secure section of the library held all the books containing magic classified as a potential security risk. Advanced combat spells, books that skirted or even outright broke the Laws of Magic, and anything else that could cause problems if the general public had access to it. Normally only the Imperial Magi had access to all these books, but as the Empress’ personal apprentice I was a natural exception.

The secure section of the library itself wasn’t anything special. Aside from the guards at the front door to ward off any casual passers-by, and the fact that the librarian manning the front desk was a member of the Mage Corps, it was just like any other part of the library. There were bookshelves, desks, and all the usual fixtures. The only real difference was that I usually had the place to myself.

I trotted by the same bookshelves I’d passed hundreds of times before, picking up the books I needed with the ease of long-established habit. It would’ve been nice if I could just take the books back to my private quarters, but all of the advanced works about teleportation were in the library’s secure section. I suppose it made sense—teleportation magic could easily become a security risk in the wrong hooves. There were plenty of precautions in place to keep enemies of the state from teleporting into the palace, but the best way to keep that from happening was to make sure they didn’t know how to teleport in the first place. Besides, the last thing anypony wanted was a bunch of overeager apprentices reading teleportation spells, and then messing it up and getting themselves killed. When it’s for the good of the Empire, I can put up with a little inconvenience.

I settled into my usual spot in the corner. I was a regular enough guest in the secure section of the library that nopony complained about me leaving a few things behind. Obviously I wasn’t going to leave anything too important, but having plenty of paper, quills, and ink waiting for me was convenient. It saved me time worrying about mundane things, so I could focus on what was actually important.

After that, it was back to crunching the numbers. My last test had gone awry due to an unanticipated aetheric energy variance. Most likely, it was a side effect of my working environment; between the Empress and a certain extremely clumsy but powerful spellcaster, there was a lot of ambient magical energy in the palace. It wouldn’t be a problem most anywhere else in Equestria, but I didn’t want to leave potential weak spots in the spell matrix. Besides, I was pretty sure I could compensate for it by hardening the spell pattern against outside interference; the tricky part would be doing that without significantly increasing the power requirements. Sure, an Alpha-level unicorn like me could just juice up the spell a bit to deal with that kind of thing, but the whole point of this project was to make teleportation viable for ponies of average talent.

Thaumaturgic theory regarding self-displacement had been set in stone since before the advent of the empire, but up to now, each unicorn that mastered it had needed to follow their own special talent to create a conduit stable enough to take themselves from one place to another intact—a magus whose talents lay in fire, for example, would usually require a hearth, while one who specialized in light-based magic would more frequently than not use a mirror. Aside from the Empress, there were maybe only one or two ponies a generation with the skill, power, and intelligence to manage medium-less teleportation. Naturally, I'd managed it.

My new research had the potential to level the playing field, and make teleportation of oneself—and possibly more, depending on a host of factors that I would probably have to invent a new type of math just to reliably calculate—a comparative breeze. If it all worked out I would be able to build sustainable long-term teleportation circles that could take a pony between two fixed points in space with a relatively minor infusion of magical energy. In a hundred years, Equestria might be replacing its train stations with teleportation platforms.

Once I got to work on my project, I was so absorbed in my research that I didn’t even notice when she showed up. I nearly jumped out of my seat when I heard her voice. “Excuse me, are you done with A Magus' Guide to Managing the Minutia of Magica/Mass Manipulation? I just need to borrow it for a minute to check something.”

I glared up at the pony who dared to interrupt my research. Then glared twice as hard when I remembered who I was dealing with. Twilight Sparkle. The last thing I needed right now was to deal with the Empress’ other, less talented student. “Sorry, I’m using it. Maybe you should try Star Swirl’s Simple Solutions for Simpletons instead.”

Twilight responded with an irritated flick of one of her ears, but took a deep breath instead of snapping at me. “Can I just borrow a single book from you for five minutes, and not have to have a big fight over it? Please, Sunset Shimmer?”

I gave in, just so I wouldn’t have to put up with her pestering me for it every five minutes. “Fine, you can have it. But only because you asked so nicely.” I pushed the book over to her.

Twilight Sparkle let out a relieved sigh, her shoulders slumping “Thank you.” She used her magic to pick up the book, then turned her back on me and started walking for the opposite side of the library.

I suppose I could’ve just let her leave, but she’d broken my concentration and bothered me. She’d more than earned a parting shot, just to remind her of the pecking order. “If there's anything you don't understand, feel free to ask.”

Twilight paused, gritting her teeth and letting out a low grumble. When she answered, her voice was tight with barely concealed irritation. “I'll be fine, Sunset. Just leave me alone.”

I let out a chiding little tsk, as if she were a filly who was misbehaving. “And here I was offering to help the Empress' junior student. Really, you’re practically my apprentice—it’s my duty to look out for you.” I gave a haughty sniff. “You could be a little more grateful.”

“You’re not helping me,” Twilight grumbled, turning back around to face me. “You're just being irritating. Again.” Her eyes narrowed. “And don't pretend you're not doing it on purpose. You’re always throwing out some little barb or nasty comment in an effort to get under my skin.”

“Why, Twilight Sparkle!” I let out a gasp as if she’d said something horribly offensive, instead of just stating the blindingly obvious. “What would your mother think if she heard you were trying to start a fight with your betters?”

That got an angry snarl out of her. “I am not trying to start a fight, and you’re not better than me!” For a second I thought she might snap, but then she closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. “I was only trying to do some research for one of my projects. Nothing more.”

“And I was just offering to help,” I shot right back. I would have gone through with it too, if only because it would’ve given me ample opportunity to remind her which one of us was smarter.

It’s a pity that, while she wasn’t as smart as me, Twilight was still smart enough to know what I had in mind. “Yeah, I'm sure you would just love to help me. Does that offer come with free condescension on the side, or is that just automatically assumed to be part of the package?”

That earned her a resigned shake of my head and a dramatic sigh. “Here I am, offering to help you purely out of the kindness of my heart, and you throw it back in my face.” I made eye contact with her, then smirked. “Don't think the Empress will expect less from you just because you're from her house. If anything, you’re under more pressure because of it.”

The Sparkles have always held a bit of an odd position in the Empire. On the one hoof, they were the Empress’ descendents from back when she’d been mortal, and they’ve never let anypony forget that. Thankfully, the Empress had largely done away with the idea that bloodline heredity actually meant anything. The Sparkles were still allowed to call themselves dukes and countesses and whatever, but the title carried no legal authority. If a pony wanted power in the Empire, they had to earn it.

The problem was, just because their bloodline and titles were meaningless didn’t mean everypony acted that way. While the Sparkles might not get any official favoritism, there were unofficial things. The Empress having her descendants over for a family dinner once every few months might not seem like a big deal, but a lot of ponies in Canterlot would sacrifice their firstborn to have regular private meetings with Her Imperial Majesty. Not to mention all the lesser officials who would offer a Sparkle extra opportunities in the hopes of currying the Empress’ favor.

The pampered little nag let out an angry grunt. “I worked very hard to earn my position as Her Imperial Majesty's student, thank-you-very-much. I study just as hard as you do—no, I study harder than you do, because I don’t waste any time being a petty bully.”

“Please.” I didn’t even dignify her obvious lies with a response. “You got into the Imperial Academy despite flunking the entrance exam, and then having a completely out-of-control wild magic surge. If you had any other name, you’d be lucky to find work as a street sweeper.”

That one finally got under her skin as she slammed a hoof down on the desk in front of me. “That isn’t true!” She shouted, earning her a condemning look from the librarian, which Twilight was far too angry to care about. “You take that back!”

I grinned at her, letting her know just how happy I was about finally getting to her. Which, naturally, only irritated her even more, thus further improving my good mood. “If it’s not true, then why are you acting like I touched a nerve?”

Twilight went silent for a bit, shooting an apologetic look at the librarian once she remembered herself. If not for the fact that she was a Sparkle and the Empress’ personal student, she probably would’ve gotten tossed out of the library for that outburst. “I’m angry because you're lying about me.”

“Oh really?” I offered an uncaring shrug. “Whatever helps you sleep at night, princess.”

That got an angry snort out of her, and soft guttural growl. “Why do you have to be such a nag all the time?” She walked up and jabbed me in the chest with a hoof. “No really, why? It’s like you just have to be as rude, nasty, and condescending as equinely possible every time you see me. I just don’t get what your problem is! Don’t tell me this is all about the stupid rivalry our families used to have centuries ago!”

“Of course not,” I snapped back, swatting her hoof away. “My problem is very simple. I don't like you. I’ve never liked you. I never will like you. And I don’t know why I’m wasting my time dealing with you.” I suited action to words, bringing up one of my books so it blocked my line of sight to Twilight Sparkle. The library instantly became a much more relaxing and pleasant place.

“Well the feeling’s mutual,” Twilight grumbled. Apparently that was the best she could manage as far as getting in the last word, so she turned around and stalked off to the other side the library.

Once I was sure she wasn’t going to bother me again, I got back to work on my teleportation project, going through my equation one variable at a time to make sure I’d accounted for everything. It was slow, tedious work, but that’s how it had to be done. Eventually, I would find some part of the formula I could tweak to get better results.

“Eventually being the key word in that sentence,” I groused to myself. I’d been working on this problem for a few days now, and I wasn’t getting anywhere with it. It was really starting to make my horn itch. The solution was obvious and simple, but every time I felt like I was getting close to it, it just slipped away. I really hate that feeling—I knew the answer. I was sure of it. But for some reason I just couldn’t quite go from ‘I’m sure I know this’ to ‘I know this.’ I think it would’ve been less frustrating if I just had no clue at all.

I was still stuck when Twilight Sparkle walked up to my desk again. “Here's your book back. And before you ask, no, I didn’t highlight the entire book, rip out any of the pages you need, or use a spell to translate it to some obscure language you don’t know.”

Amusing as it would have been to poke at her some more, I was too busy puzzling through my spell formula to bother with it. I could always go back to getting under her skin after I was done with my big project. “Thanks, just put it with the others.”

Twilight paused for a second, then slowly set the book down. Unfortunately, one of her many failings was far too much curiosity for her own good, and while she was putting my book up she looked at the other titles I’d picked out, reading each one aloud to herself. “Technical Tricks and Transitions Towards Traversing Teleportation, Making Matter Move More Materially, and Paranormal Phenomena and Porting Physics? What are you working on? A teleportation spell?”

“No, I just like surrounding myself with books on advanced teleportation theory for the ambiance it creates.” After giving that barb a bit to sink in, I decided to give her a straight answer just to spare myself from any more of her excessive curiosity or starting another pointless, time-consuming argument. “I’m developing sustainable long-range teleportation matrices between two fixed points in space.”

“Really?” To my intense irritation, instead of walking away and leaving me alone she leaned over and took a look at my notes. “Oooh, having trouble filtering out ambient magical energy in high-saturation areas? That would be a problem if you want to have a spell you can show the Empress. Have you considered the—” She must have finally picked up on the fact that I didn’t want her around, because she stopped talking. “Um, nevermind. I'll leave you to it.”

Instead of leaving like a normal pony, she just kept standing right next to me, bobbing up and down on her hooves like a schoolfilly who was waiting for the teacher to call on her. When she was still there after fifteen seconds, I decided to humor her so she would just go away. If nothing else, I could always just mock whatever stupid idea she offered. “What do you want?”

Twilight paused, one hoof scuffing along the floor, then quietly murmured. “Er, it’s just that, well, don't forget about Careful Conjure’s Conservation of Circular Causation theory.” She pointed to an area near the midway point of my spell formula. “You could probably tighten up these variables, if you need to squeeze out a bit more power.”

One of my ears flicked in annoyance. “Don’t be ridiculous, of course I didn't forget about...” I decided to have a look at what she pointing at, just to humor her. What I saw ... wasn’t important.

“I'm sure you just overlooked it.” Twilight shuffled a step back, a nervous little smile on her face. “I do that kind of thing all the time. Sometimes a pony just needs a fresh set of eyes, especially when you’re dealing with arcane formulae that long and complicated.”

I think she was worried I was going to rip her head off for pointing out my mistake. Not that a part of me didn’t find the idea viscerally appealing, but yelling at her wouldn’t change the fact that she was right. Making a big deal over the issue would just make me look like an idiot. “Right. Simple mistake. Would’ve caught it myself if I took a break and came back to it fresh.”

“Whenever I get stumped, I just take an evening off to spend time with my family.” Of course Twilight did. Her parents weren’t career magi in the service of the Empire, far away from Canterlot. Sure, her mother was still a magus, but stationed in Canterlot, and her father held a consulship. Hay, her brother was a colonel in the Phoenix Guard. Plus that brat of a little sister. Oh, and let’s not forget the Empress. She is a Sparkle after all...

While I was thinking over all that, Twilight had kept rambling on obliviously. “So you’re trying to set up some sort of long-term teleportation circles? Hmmm ... the teleportation platforms would likely need amber dust or some similar material added to their construction in order to prevent a critical loss of energy with multiple teleportation subjects.”

Rather than linger on old family matters, I got my mind back on task. “I was planning to go for a mix of amethyst, sapphire, emerald, topaz, garnet, and ruby.”

“Ah, tapping into the Rainbow Effect?” Twilight nodded along. “Of course, rainbows do have a lot of magical properties, and one of the things they’re commonly associated with is connections between two points. Not to mention the old mare’s tale about a rainbow bridge leading to—”

I held up a hoof to stop her from giving me a lecture. “I’m well aware of the magical properties of rainbows, Twilight. That’s why I’m using them in the first place.”

She responded with a sheepish smile and a faint blush. “Sorry, I’m used to talking to ponies who aren’t as knowledgeable as I am.” She paused and let a soft cough. “Anyway, if you wanted to get really fancy, you could use the gems to adapt the spell matrix so that it would draw upon outside power sources. Local ley lines would probably be your best bet. That way you could decrease the strain on the unicorn activating the platform—maybe even remove the need for one entirely, and just have a triggering device.”

“That would cut down on the power requirements,” I conceded, “but tapping into the ley lines would make it harder to filter out ambient magic, and I'm already having issues with that. We need less outside magic coming into the spell matrix, not more. Plus if we make the teleportation platforms dependent on ley lines we can’t set up a platform anywhere that doesn’t have them.”

“True,” Twilight admitted, “but every major city in the Empire has at least one ley line running through it. You might not be able to set up a circle in every single small town on the frontier, but at that point we’re talking about little villages where the expense of setting up a teleportation circle wouldn’t be worth it anyway.”

“That still leaves the problem of external energy contamination.” A second later the solution occurred to me. “Unless I could get the spell matrix to channel some of it the power it draws from the ley lines into passively hardening it. After all, the whole problem I was having with hardening the spell matrix was power requirements. A passive reinforcement would mean there would have to be a bit of downtime between jumps, but...” I took out a piece of scrap paper and jotted down some rough figures. “It looks like only a bit over a minute between jumps, right?”

Twilight took a sheet of paper and ran the numbers herself. “That’s what I’m getting too. It’s only a rough figure—obviously we’d need to do tests to get something precise. Still, needing a bit of downtime in between teleports isn’t a big issue when you’re covering distances it would take a pony days to walk, or hours on the train.”

I nodded along, not even trying to hide my excited grin. “It would probably take a couple minutes just to get the next group of ponies into position and make sure the platform's clear on the other end anyway. Not to mention the usual administrative issues and safety checks. Recharge time isn’t going to be much of an issue if it takes the platform less time to recharge than it would take to get everything else ready.”

Twilight smiled back at me, tapping against her chin thoughtfully. “The only potential issue I can think of is that if we have the spell matrix constantly gathering energy, we could get a buildup if the platforms go unused for too long. That’s small potatoes though. Just add in some eldritch capacitors to store any excess energy, and include a protocol to bleed off excess energy in a controlled manner if the capacitor is nearing its maximum capacity. Probably an emergency measure to ground it out too; we definitely want a bit of redundancy with something like this.”

“Exactly what I was thinking,” I agreed with a satisfied nod.

“Right,” Twilight concluded. “I think that’s all the theoretical issues handled, at least.”

“Easily. Just a matter of testing and refining the design now.” I pulled out my quill and quickly wrote down everything we’d just discussed—the last thing I wanted was to forget any of this. After I finished putting everything down, I hesitated for a second, then added a note beneath all of that to give due credit to Twilight for the contents of the discussion.

Twilight was, unsurprisingly, looking at my notes while I did all of that. When she spotted the citation reminder, she shuffled uncomfortably on her hooves. “You don’t need to worry about that. We were just talking.”

“Relax, it’s not like I’m going to putting your name next to mine when I present my results to the Empress.” I glanced over to her and smirked, thought it felt a bit different from the usual smirks I sent her way. Hard to quantify what about it was different, especially since I couldn’t see my own face. It just felt different. “I’ll just mention you in a footnote.”

Twilight hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “That’s fair, I suppose.” She didn’t say anything else, but her smile slowly turned strained and awkward. “So ... I guess I'll leave you alone then?”

“Yeah, I guess.” I stared at her, suddenly feeling at a loss for words. Sniping at the stuck-up nag came naturally, but now we were on unfamiliar territory. It was kind of annoying, having her suddenly act all nice and helpful. I don’t like it when things suddenly stop making sense and working the way they always did in the past. “Er ... thanks?”

Twilight’s mouth opened and closed a couple times, and I took a bit of comfort from the fact that she was clearly as confused as I was. “Right, no problem.”

Huh. I’d just had a somewhat civil conversation with Twilight Sparkle. Actually, better than civil. She’d been helpful. I’m not sure I liked that; if nothing else, I needed to balance the scales. The last thing I wanted was to be in her debt. “There anything you're stuck on with what you're working on?” To be honest, if things went as well as they had when she was being a sounding board for my ideas, helping her might not be that terrible...

Twilight stared at me for a while, then slowly shook her head. “Nothing at the moment. I think I have a good grasp on my current projects. Speaking of which, I really need to be getting back to those instead of bothering you, don’t I?” She quickly turned around and trotted off, not even waiting for my answer.

So that’s how it was. She wanted to hold this thing over my head; save the little favor I owed her until she could get the maximum payoff from it. Fine. She could do that. I guess I shouldn’t have expected anything else from Twilight Sparkle.

I had a meeting with Her Imperial Majesty the next day. We always met at least once a week to discuss my progress—it used to be more often than that, but she did have an empire to run, and I’ve mostly advanced to the point where I can learn on my own. Besides, she did have another student to take care of now—and a much less talented one too.

As usual, we were meeting in her private quarters. They’re not what you’d expect from the living area of a pony who rules most of the known world. If you listen to the talk on the streets, you’d expect everything to be made of solid platinum and covered in the rarest and most precious gems in Equestria. The truth was considerably more complex.

To begin with, there were two sections to the Empress’ private quarters. The first section was the part of her “private” quarters that wasn’t really private at all. There was a reception area, a dining room, and a few other locations suited to entertaining guests. This was all most ponies ever saw: a place where the Empress could honor various dignitaries and officials by allowing them into her private living area, without actually allowing them to intrude on her privacy. The area was nicely decorated, but in an understated way that lent a sort of timeless feel to it all—most of the walls were covered in tapestries depicting great moments in Imperial history, or portraits of prominent ponies. The Empress hardly needed to worry about keeping up with the latest Canterlot fashions, and trying to do so probably would have diminished her.

However, if the public reception area was modest for an empress, then the truly private rooms were downright spartan. That’s not to say that the Empress slept in a crude bed under a threadbare blanket or anything like that. All the furniture and other objects were of the highest craftsmareship, it was just that they were all very plainly made. I guess the best word to describe it would be utilitarian. Every single object in the room had a purpose, and was made to fulfill that purpose as effectively as possible. The few decorations in the room seemed to have a much more personal touch, including a rare portrait of the Empress in her mortal days, standing alongside her daughter. From the powerful preservation spells covering the painting, I suspected that it was not some fanciful artist’s imagining, but an authentic pre-Imperial painting.

The Empress herself met me in the dining area; as usual, our meeting took place over dinner. The meal itself was a relatively simple affair of bread and stew, likely to ensure that there would be no servants getting in our way and intruding on the private discussion.

Despite the fact that we had total privacy, and we’d been eating together for years now, I was still just a little nervous about meeting with the Empress. Even when we’re just eating stew together, it’s rather hard to forget that she’s the supreme ruler of the Equestrian Empire. Not to mention that my head only comes up to around chest level on her. At least I’d gotten a lot more comfortable with her over time; back when I’d first become her student, I would constantly worry that I was one mistake away from being dismissed and replaced.

Once we’d both settled in and gotten started on the meal, Empress Sunbeam asked her usual opening question. “How are your studies progressing?”

“Very well, Your Majesty.” I dipped a bit of bread into my stew. “I worked out a solution to the ambient energy contamination problem. It’ll require tying the portals to local ley lines, but that shouldn’t be an issue. Most of the places we’d want to set up a teleportation network are already sitting on top of a couple of ley lines anyway.” There was actually quite a bit of debate among scholars about why significant pony settlements were almost always on top of ley lines. It really boiled down to a variant on the old chicken-egg question: were ponies instinctively drawn towards ley lines when picking new places to settle, or did ley lines shift to pass through major population centers? Considering how inherently magical ponies were, both explanations were plausible, and nopony had gone to the trouble of building a major city as far away from any ley lines as possible to test the theories.

“Very good, Sunset.” I might not be a little filly anymore, but I’ll admit that I still felt a bit of a giddy thrill whenever the Empress praised me. I did have a bit of a filly-crush on the Empress when I was younger. Not really a romantic crush—more like I just really cared about her opinion and wanted her approval. I’d gotten over it once I grew up. Mostly. “I know you’ve been working on this for a long time, but it sounds like you’re almost done now. I’m looking forward to seeing the final result.”

“I have no intention of disappointing you, Your Majesty.” I took a moment to have another spoonful of stew before continuing. “I intend to make this new spell absolutely perfect.”

“I would expect nothing less, Sunset.” The Empress gave me an approving smile. “Your skill with magic has always been a credit to you. The greatest of your virtues, I would think.” I was riding a bit high after that compliment, and nearly missed her followup question. “How did you come up with that solution?”

For a moment, I was tempted to leave Twilight Sparkle out of it. There’s a big difference between mentioning her in a footnote of a hundred page report and discussing her contribution directly with the Empress. However, lying to the Empress, even by omission, is generally a very bad idea. She just knows things. For all I knew, she might only be asking me this question in the first place because she knew the answer, and wanted to see if I would tell the truth. So, I confessed. “It came up while Twilight Sparkle and I were bouncing a few ideas off of each other.”

“Oh really?” The Empress gave me a curious glance. “I was under the impression that the two of you had something of a rivalry. I take it you’re learning to work together now?”

“Not exactly.” Having one civil conversation with the nag didn’t mean we were suddenly friends. “More like we can get along a bit better as long as the conversation is strictly dealing with stuff like spell formulae and thaumaturgical design. Anything with enough objective facts to avoid the situation becoming messy.” The next words to come out of my mouth really took me by surprise. “It was actually almost kind of nice, in a weird sort of way. I mean, I might not like her very much, but at least when I was talking to her about what I was working on, I didn’t need to stop every minute to explain something she was too stupid to understand, the way I have to do when I work with anypony else.” I realized how that might sound, and hastily amended, “Well, anypony other than you, Your Majesty. It’s just that—”

“I’m a bit too busy running the Equestrian Empire to be available every time you would like somepony to talk things over with,” she finished for me, a knowing smile quirking at her lips. “I do wish I could spare more time for my students, but there’s always another trade dispute, monster problem, or some group of anarchists and cultists who’ve managed to slip past the Ministry of Heart and start stirring up trouble in the provinces.” Her Majesty let out a resigned sigh. “The burdens of leadership—there’s a limit to what I can afford to delegate to my consuls and praetors. Regardless, I’m glad you like having another pony who’s your intellectual equal.”

“Well, I don’t know if I’d call Twilight my equal,” I objected, “I’d just say she’s not so far behind me that she’s completely incapable of keeping up.”

“Ah.” The Empress frowned at me, and I realized I probably should’ve kept my mouth shut. All that time poking at Twilight over using her family connection to the Empress, and I was still stupid enough to insult Twilight right in front of Her Majesty. I guess I’d gotten so used to denigrating Twilight’s capabilities that I didn’t even think about who I was speaking to before the words popped out of my mouth.

The Empress held her frown for several seconds, making sure I was well aware of her disapproval before she continued. “I had hoped that the two of you were finally maturing to the point where you could move past petty schoolfilly rivalries. I am disappointed to learn that this is not the case. I expected better of you. Much better.”

I flinched at that. I‘d been doing so well, and then one stupid comment not only burned away all the good will I’d earned with the Empress, but had put me in disfavor with her. “I’m sorry, Empress. I was just—”

The Empress cut me off before I could even get started. “I am not interested in excuses, Sunset. You have failed me. Personally.” I briefly considered crawling under the table, but it wouldn’t have done any good. “I had been considering taking action after I spoke with Twilight yesterday, and now I am decided on the matter. As of now, you will work alongside Twilight Sparkle as a full and equal partner on your teleportation project. You will treat her with the utmost respect, and give her full and equal credit for all of your discoveries.”

What? Working alongside Twilight would be bad enough, but I had to give her an equal share of the credit too? That wasn’t fair! I’d spent years working on this all by myself! Now, when I nearly had a working prototype, Twilight Sparkle got to come in and claim just as much credit as I was getting, even though she hadn’t put in any of the hard work? “Empress, I—”

Her Imperial Majesty’s eyes narrowed, and her tone turned distant, carrying the full authority of the supreme ruler of Equestria. “Was there some aspect of my instructions you failed to understand?”

The unspoken implication was plain enough—she wasn’t interested in hearing any carefully-worded objections to her ruling. The Empress doesn’t mind a little bit of healthy debate, but once she makes a ruling that’s the end of it. There was only one response to give. “No, Empress. I understand your wishes, and will do as you command.”

“I never doubted it.” An uncomfortable silence hung in the air for several seconds. “Now then, let’s finish our meal before we need a reheating spell.”

“Yes, Your Imperial Majesty.” I dutifully went back to eating my soup, my mind furiously turning over what had just happened and trying to make sense of it. How could I have fallen so far out of favor on the basis of a single remark?

It wasn’t until I went back over exactly what the Empress said that I spotted the loose thread. The Empress said she’d spoken to Twilight yesterday. Probably right after we’d finished with our meeting in the library.

It wasn’t hard to put two and two together. That nag must have gone running to the Empress as soon as I wasn’t looking, spinning up some fairy tale about how she’d done so much to help me with my project, and I was going to steal all of her ideas and not give her a lick of credit. That would be just like her, wouldn’t it? The Empress had probably asked about it to gauge my reaction, but Twilight had already poisoned her against me to the point where a single comment was enough to convince Her Majesty that I was guilty.

That did it. Stealing my personal project was going too far. That nag was going to pay!

I didn’t bother knocking on Twilight Sparkle’s door. It was locked, but it takes one hay of a door to stop a righteously pissed off Alpha-level unicorn. Magically reinforced adamantine or mithril would take me a long time to get through, but the door to Twilight’s room in the palace was only made out of wood. The only magic on it was a basic privacy spell. I barely even needed to slow down while I ripped it to pieces.

Twilight Sparkle had been curled up with a book sitting by the fireplace when I barged in, but she hastily scrambled to her hooves at my entrance. I wasted no time giving her a piece of my mind. “You complete and utter nag!”

She stared at me, her jaw hanging open in shock. After a couple seconds of just staring at me like an idiot, she finally snapped to her senses. “Sunset! What the hay are you doing!?”

I stalked into the room, glaring at her. If not for the fact that we were in the Empress’ palace, I might have started setting things on fire. It would’ve been the least Twilight deserved. “You know, for a second there I almost bought your whole 'I'm naive and socially awkward and innocent' act!” I walked up and jabbed her in the chest. “But then you go to the Empress behind my back and steal my project!” I poked her in the chest again, this time hard enough to send her staggering half a step back. “What, was it too hard to do your own original research? Or were you just too stupid?”

“What?” Twilight tried to back away from me, but I followed her every step of the way. “What in the world are you talking about Sunset? Have you gone completely insane?”

“Oh please.” I snarled and tossed aside a couch she tried to put between herself and me. “I bet the instant we finished talking in the library, you went running to the Empress to leverage the fact that you're from her house. Did you think that just because you’re a Sparkle, I’d let you get away with it?”

“I didn’t do anything like that!” Twilight stopped backing away from me and stood her ground, glaring right back at me. “I’ll have you know I'm doing more than fine with my own projects! I don't need to steal anything from you to make myself look good, especially not a project you can't even finish on your own!”

“I was doing just fine by myself, until you stuck your nose in!” My eyes fell on a writing desk full of notes. “Have you ever actually done any of your own work? I bet every single paper you ever turned in was plagiarized. After all, everypony knows that the only reason the Empress picked you as a student was nepotism.”

“That’s not true, and you know it!” Twilight stomped over to me, trembling in anger. “I’ve never stolen anypony’s ideas or work! Ever! What the hay gives you the right to break down my door and start throwing out crazy accusations without a lick of evidence to back it up?”

“Well somepony’s feeling awfully defensive,” I observed.

“Of course I’m feeling defensive!” Twilight snapped. “You broke into my room and started accusing me of things! Get out!”

“Why, do you have something to hide? Or maybe you’re just suffering from a guilty conscience.” I trotted over to Twilight’s desk, and started looking over her notes. “I might as well have a look and find out who else you're stealing from now.”

“Hey!” Twilight tried to snatch the notes away, but I countered her telekinesis with my own. “Let go! Those are my notes, and you can’t have them!”

“What’s the matter?” I sneered. “Are you afraid I'll find some incriminating evidence?”

“You’re not going to find any incriminating evidence, because I haven’t done anything wrong!” Since magic didn’t seem to be working, she tried to grab the papers with her hooves instead. I didn’t let her get close. “You're probably just going to set it on fire and ruin all of my hard work—or you’re just trying to steal my research for yourself!”

“Set your notes on fire?” I wasn’t stupid enough to start a fire in the Imperial Palace, but I could certainly use the threat to goad her a bit. “Tempting. Very tempting. Thanks for the suggestion. You stole three years of research from me. Turnabout is fair play.” I shot out a few sparks from my horn, just to make her sweat.

Twilight flinched, but when once it was clear no fires were going to start just yet she scowled at me. “Don't you dare. I’ve put up with your bad attitude, but if you think I’m going to let you push me around like a schoolyard bully...”

“Again with giving me ideas.” I planted my hooves on her chest and shoved her back. She staggered, but quickly recovered her balance and unleashed an absolutely furious glare. “Oooh, you don’t like that, do you? Well what are you gonna do to stop me, princess?”

She let out a low growl, her shoulders trembling with barely suppressed fury. “Don't push me, Sunset! You can't just break down my door and accuse me of things I didn't do! When the Empress finds out about this...”

“When the Empress finds out...” I mockingly repeated. “Is that all you can do? I bet you don’t have the first clue about how to handle any problem where you can't steal somepony else’s hard work or go crying to your family to back you up. You’re just a useless little bitch.”

Twilight’s jaw dropped in shock, then a second later she went absolutely livid. “You can’t talk to me like that!”

“I can talk to you any way I want.” I shot right back. “If you don’t like it, go cry to mommy. Apparently that’s the only thing you know how to do, princess.”

“That does it!” I was a little surprised when she stepped up and slapped me across the face, considering that was the traditional way of starting a magic duel. Not that I minded things escalating to a duel one bit. “I am beyond sick of putting up with your horseapples! You want to start a fight, Sunset? Fine! Despite what you think, I’m not trying to steal the credit for your work, but I am going to take full credit for kicking your plot!”

“You and what army?” Just to even things out, I slapped her back. “Sparring yard, ten minutes.”

“See you there,” Twilight shot back.

The two of us stomped over to the Imperial Academy’s sparring yard, in no mood for conversation or even the usual glaring at each other. The sparring yard was one of the few places in Equestria where I could pound on Twilight without needing to worry about burning her to a crisp. The yard itself was a fairly simple place; a large outdoor field with individual sparring areas marked off in the grass. It was the spells that mattered, not the facilities. The safety spells covering the sparring yard had been put in place by the Academy’s founders, and had been continuously updated and reinforced in the centuries since then. An instant before a lethal or severely injuring spell made contact with a pony, the wards would nullify the spell and declare a winner. That way, we could duel at full power.

Twilight and I picked one the unoccupied sparring zones and stalked to opposite ends of it. The other students using the yard wisely withdrew to a safe distance. “Ready? This is your last chance to go crying to mommy for help before I start teaching you a lesson.”

“I’m more than ready to kick your sorry flank,” Twilight snapped back, taking up a ready stance.

“Never gonna happen.” I smirked at her, and readied myself. “I said I was going to teach you a lesson, and class is in session ... now!” I opened the duel with a simple fireball. Nothing big or fancy; I wanted to get a better idea of what she could do before I went on the offensive. Right now I was still just taking her measure.

Twilight went with the obvious counter, and a blast of water hit my fire halfway across the field. Clearly neither of us wanted to tip our hooves too quickly. When the spells hit each other it produced a massive cloud of steam, which Twilight used a wind spell to send towards me. The steam would’ve cooled off by the time it reached me, but the last thing I needed was a steam cloud obscuring my vision. Thankfully, I had an easy way to stop it.

A lot of ponies think that fire magic is all about creating fire, but anypony who has heard of Snowflame’s theorem on the conservation of energy can tell you that just creating energy from nothing is impossible. Fire magic is all about redirecting and concentrating existing heat. In laypony’s terms, I take a little bit of heat from everything within five feet of me, and concentrate all that heat into a tiny little area. Most ponies would never think to apply this particular skill in any ways beyond the obvious, but I hadn’t become the Empress’ student by only being as smart as most ponies.

I leached away the heat from the approaching steam, converting it back into water while providing myself with more than enough fire to toss a couple more blasts Twilight’s way. This time Twilight tore up a chunk of grassy earth and used it to block my fire instead of just trying water again. No surprise she was trying a variety a different defenses; her biggest strength and weakness was that she had a very broad magical education, while mine was more focused on spells that tied back to my special talent for fire. Did she think showing off how many different types of spells she could do would impress me?

After my fireballs exploded harmlessly against the chunk of dirt, Twilight followed up with a darkness spell, completely extinguishing all light within the sparring area. Unsurprisingly, she immediately followed it up casting a spell on herself to let her see in the dark. Even if I couldn’t see her at the moment, I could still detect her spellcasting.

I was already starting to get a sense for how Twilight Sparkle fought, or at least how she was going to fight against me. Both her offensive spells had been intended to change the battlefield to favor her, rather than directly attacking me. Not a bad way to fight, but not exactly my cup of tea. Then again, fire’s not the most subtle of weapons; it’s a wonderfully effective tool for pure destruction, but about all it can really do to change the nature of a battle is set the battlefield on fire.

As far as I was concerned, all her subtle work to prepare the battlefield wouldn’t count for anything as long as I could negate her tricks and just pound on her with offensive magic. Arranging perfect terrain wouldn’t give her a win if I set her mane on fire before she was done. Besides, I had ways to counter her tricks.

Take this darkness spell. I imagined she’d been hoping I would do something stupid, like start creating fires to get enough light to see by, thus making me stand out in the pitch black. Instead, I broke out a simple spell to let me see into the infrared spectrum. When one’s special talent is heat manipulation, being able to actually see heat sources is useful, even before considering the fact that it let me see in total darkness.

It wasn’t exactly hard to spot the unicorn-shaped heat signature scrambling into a flanking position. I tossed a quick magic blast her way, drawing a startled yelp from the mare. Sadly, I’d only winged her; my aim wasn’t as good when I wasn’t using my heat-related spells. Sadly, fire was out for the moment—the last thing I needed was a spell that could hide Twilight’s heat signature. Unfortunately, Twilight managed to either identify my spell or make an educated guess, but either way her body heat started dropping, while the ground warmed up.

She was trying to siphon her body heat into the ground to hide her position. Adorable. Too bad I knew that trick way better than she did. I took all the heat she’d been redirecting into the ground, and threw it out towards her last position in a broad arc. It was a gamble, but I suspected Twilight intended to stand her ground for a bit, since last time she’d tried flanking me.

The gamble paid off, as my cone of heat rippled over an orb of cold air. Very cold air, in fact. From the looks of things, Twilight had set up her own miniature snowglobe. A very impressive one too; without getting into a bunch of complicated thermodynamics, let’s just say that it took her a lot less energy to maintain her ice shield than it would have taken me to crack.

However, she’d made one big mistake, and it was going to cost her. A lot of ponies think of hot and cold as some sort of cosmological opposites. The truth is quite the opposite; on a scale that ranges from absolute zero to the temperatures found at the heart of the sun, what ordinary ponies consider hot and cold are practically sitting on top of each other. Compared to pulling enough heat together for an exploding fireball that could melt metal, the amount of heat manipulation needed to make a single pony-sized sphere fifty degrees cooler was child’s play.

Shortly afterwards, I heard the sound of a unicorn teleporting, and there was a pony-shaped void in the local ground heat about fifteen feet to my left. I really had gotten a good start on freezing her. Given that I’d just frozen her, it was only polite to give back the heat I’d leeched away. In the form of a fireball, of course.

There was a yelp and the darkness spell dropped. I hadn’t landed a solid enough hit on Twilight to end the duel yet, but a chunk of her tail had been burned off and there were a few icicles hanging from her mane. “Looks like that’s first blood to me. Well, metaphorically speaking.”

I was a bit too busy reveling in my victory to notice the ominous rumbling overhead, or the fact that despite the fact that I’d gotten a few good spells in Twilight was grinning. It wasn’t until my mane started standing on end that I realized I was in danger, and by then it was almost too late.

The Empress once told me that lightning could be seen as just another form of fire. Something about how heat and electricity are closely related forces, so if a pony can control one, the other isn’t so hard. Unfortunately, I hadn’t quite figured out how that worked. A lot of magic is purely mental—the Empress had come up with a way to relate lightning and fire, so she could use lightning a lot more easily. I hadn’t managed that, so I couldn’t manipulate electricity in any way other than the brute force approach. Considering Twilight had more raw magical power than me, trying to out-muscle her was an exercise in futility.

I threw up an ice shield to try and block the lightning strike, but it wasn’t enough. I managed to block enough of it to count as beaten according the safety spells, but what got through still made every single joint in my body start aching, not to mention making every bit of hair on my body stand on end.

Twilight Sparkle grinned triumphantly. “You’d think a pony who knows about fire would be familiar with what happens when you mix a lot of hot and cold air. Then again, from what I’ve seen of your spell repertoire, you don’t have anything beyond ‘hit it with fire’ and ‘hit it with ice.’”

I started slowly circling the sparring yard, with Twilight matching my movements. I wasn’t optimistic about finding any advantageous terrain or positioning in the middle of a perfectly flat sparring area, but I was mainly walking to work out the muscle kinks and soreness that the near-miss lightning strike had left behind. “Well, it looks like you aren't completely hopeless. This might actually be a challenge for a couple seconds.”

“Oh, I'm just getting started.” Twilight’s eyes scanned the battlefield, probably trying to come up with another trick to throw my way. I admit, using the darkness spell to cover for gathering all the energy she needed for that lightning blast, and using the effects of my own magic to help fuel it, had been a smart move. “I’ve got dozens of spells left. All you can do is throw energy around like a common thug!”

“I haven't shown you anything more than entry-level cantrips!” I snapped at the nag. “Once I start going all out, there’s not gonna be enough of you left to beg for mercy!”

Twilight glowered at me. “Fine, you want to move onto the more advanced stuff?”

“Thought you’d never ask.” I jumped straight into the offensive, but this time with a new twist to it. Instead of just hitting her with isolated fire attacks, I gathered up heat for my fire attacks in tight clusters, producing pockets of intense cold in the process. Then I sent both fire and ice flying at Twilight. To the uneducated, it might look like I was just throwing energy out wildly, but getting the pattern of fire and ice just right took a lot of timing, focus, and precision. It was worth the effort though; I had effectively doubled my casting speed while getting two spells for the price of one.

Twilight tried to block my assault with a bubble-shaped shield, but before long it was straining and showing visible cracks. I liked the way her eyes widened in surprise and perhaps a tiny bit of fear when she realized I was overpowering her. With her raw magical power, she probably wasn’t used to anypony other than the Empress being able to smash through her defenses. She might have more raw power than I did, but I was attacking with doubled energy efficiency, and while she had an edge on me she didn’t have twice as magical muscle as I did.

I smiled when she let out a frustrated yell, then teleported to try and get away from me. It only took me a second to find her again and get back into my offensive flow, but that gave her enough time to try a counter-attack. My own shadow suddenly came to life and tried to grapple me—if I’d been half a second slower it would’ve been a big problem, but now that I was back in the zone it wasn’t hard to just pull the ice portion of my offensive away and use it to create a defensive barrier around myself.

However, turning my ice to defense meant Twilight only had to block my fire. That bought her a bit more time to come up with something sneaky. Really, buying time was probably her best bet—my fire and ice combo style might be wonderfully efficient in terms of magic, but it was mentally taxing. If I tried to keep it going for too long I would eventually lose focus, mess up the timing, or mess up in some other way. Getting the timing wrong or losing focus would kill my energy savings and faster casting time, and without those there was no point in using the style. Not to mention that the amount of concentration required to pull it off wasn’t doing my situational awareness any favors.

Still, as long as I could keep it up Twilight was in trouble. Once I’d finished fending off her animated shadow I was free to go back to a full offensive, and then she had to teleport away again before I could smash her shield. This time, she tried something new, and instead of one Twilight popping back into existence a dozen copies of her showed up.

Great. One Twilight Sparkle had been intolerable enough.

I wasn’t in the mood to try some subtle trick to sort out the real Twilight from the fake ones, so instead I sent out a low-power pulse of energy to cover our entire section of the sparring yard. One of the trickiest things about any sort of illusion work is making sure that the illusions react appropriately to all outside stimuli. Even an experienced illusion specialist would find it impossible to keep up a dozen illusions being attacked at once at once—a pony can only split their attention so many ways.

Rather than even try to compensate for my counterattack, Twilight just let the illusion drop. A second later the wave of energy crashed into another bubble-shaped shield covering Twilight. Or at least, I assumed that was what the bubble-shaped void in my field of fire was. The illusion fell a second later, and I saw Twilight within it, scratching away at the ground. A quick look down at her hooves revealed a summoning circle. I wasn’t close enough to have a good idea of what she was trying to summon but I was pretty sure she was calling up something larger and more dangerous than a breezie. That meant I didn’t want her finishing that summons.

Stopping her was going to take some doing, though. This time she had altered her magical shield to resist fire and ice. I could still break through it, especially since she seemed more focused on her summoning spell than the shield itself, but it would take a bit. Not long, but possibly long enough for her to finish calling up whatever she was summoning.

Thankfully, her modified magical shield had a weak point. It would still hold up fine against most forms of magical attack, but it was only good against magic. Most ponies would think that’s not a big weakness in a duel between two mages, but one of the lessons my parents had given me was that a magus should always have some skill at physical combat. It’s usually smarter to rely on magic, but there are some problems a pony can’t solve with spellwork. Plus, ponies getting into a fight with a magus always expected to be attacked with magic, so you could catch them completely off-guard if you threw a punch instead.

So that’s exactly what I did. I teleported right next to Twilight, and got to work introducing my hoof to her her face. I’d managed to catch her off guard, and the punch did a fine job of disrupting the spell she’d been working on.

Twilight reeled back from the unexpected punch, but quickly got her hooves back under herself, then shifted to a defensive stance, glaring at me indignantly. “Hey! You’re not allowed to do that! This is a magic duel!”

I answered her with a smirk. “Who says I’m not allowed to hit you? I don't recall agreeing to any rules about there being no physical contact.” My smirk widened as I spotted a trickle of blood coming from her lower lip. “I already got the metaphorical first blood, looks like now I got the real version of it too.”

She brought a hoof up to her mouth and carefully wiped it, her eyes narrowing when she saw her own blood on it. Then she unleashed a death glare that would’ve impressed anypony with low standards. “Fine. If that's how you want to play it, then that’s how we’ll play it. My brother’s in the Phoenix Guard, and I’ve read about a lot of martial arts.”

And then she headbutted me.

I would’ve made a snarky comment about how that was probably the best use she’d ever found for her head, but I was a little preoccupied by the pain. For the record, headbutts hurt. Especially this one, since her horn had caught on mine. That was probably a bit of blessing in disguise though, since the horn-to-horn contact hurt her as much as it did me. Channeling magic makes a unicorn’s horn a bit sensitive, and we’d both been channeling a lot of magic.

Twilight seemed to recover a bit faster, since she’d at least known the headbutt was coming. She brought up a forehoof to rub her forehead and along her horn, groaning in pain. “Owww ... Shiny wasn’t kidding when he warned me that a headbutt can hurt you as much as the other pony.” A second later she tried casting a spell on me, but it fizzled, and she went back to rubbing her horn and wincing.

I didn’t even try to do any casting myself—we were both going to need a bit to recover after the mutual horn-smack. Since magic was out, I just tackled her instead. I didn’t really have much of a plan beyond knocking her over, then sitting on her chest and punching her in the face until the sparring yard’s safety spells decided to put a stop to it.

I got her down on the ground and put a few good hits in, but then she managed to work a hoof into my mane and yanked on it hard enough to wrench my head to the side. Since any pretense of this being a battle between two gentlemares had clearly gone out the window, I answered by chomping down on the offending limb. I didn’t let go until Twilight sliced open my cheek with her horn.

Things degenerated from that point on.

I’m not sure how long we spent just pounding on each other, but it was a pretty long stretch of time. Even once we got our magic back, we mostly just used it for stuff like magically-infused punches and kicks, or teleporting on top of each other while we grappled.

By the end of it I was lying in the dirt: battered, bruised, bloodied, and feeling completely beaten down. Much as I wanted to keep pounding on the nag, I could barely even manage to speak. “Bu ... bu ... buck you, Sparkle.” I tried to throw another fire spell at her, but all that shot out of my horn was a weak spark that barely even singed her coat.

At least I could take solace in the fact that I’d given as good as I’d gotten. Twilight was down in the dirt with me, and she certainly looked every bit as banged up as I felt, plus there were a couple patches of missing fur from her coat on account of some fire-infused punching. There were a few patches of ice on her too, but those would go away soon enough. Unfortunately, she was still conscious. “J... Jump in-into... a f-fire, Sunset.” She tried to fire off a spell but didn’t manage any better than I had.

I slowly rolled onto my side, mostly so I wouldn’t have to look at the nag anymore. That’s when I realized we’d picked up an audience. Mostly it was just students from the Imperial Academy; we were in a public sparring yard, after all. However, what was really important was that the audience wasn’t even looking at the two of us. Or at least, they weren’t anymore. They were too busy bowing.

Empress Sunbeam Sparkle stepped up to the two of us, looking down with an unreadable expression on her face. “Under the circumstances, I will forgive you for not rising.” She looked over the two of us, quickly taking stock of all the damage we’d inflicted on each other. Judging by the lack of healing spells, the sparring yard’s wards had done their job. Once she was done with her inspection, the Empress let out a disapproving sniff. “If you two are quite done, I think it's time we had a talk.”

I was grateful that having the Empress drag us to her quarters by our ears would’ve been beneath the dignity of her position. Following behind her like a filly who’d been caught raiding the cookie jar was bad enough, but at least I got to keep a tiny bit of my pride. It was a pretty safe bet that ponies would be gossiping for weeks about the fight I’d had with Twilight—any slim hope there might have been about keeping it quiet went out the window once the Empress hauled us through the palace. I wouldn’t even be surprised if that was the first stage of our punishment; dealing with the humiliation of having all of Canterlot know what we’d been up to.

I was briefly grateful that my parents were away on magus business. With any luck, they wouldn’t be back until after the gossip had died down. Then again, they had effectively given me over to the Empress’ care once I became her student; Her Majesty certainly wouldn’t hesitate to levy whatever punishment she felt was appropriate.

Once we’d arrived at her private quarters, she mounted the smaller throne she used for less formal occasions, glowering down at the both of us from it. Normally she never bothered with the throne when we were in private, but obviously she was making a point. When she spoke, the sheer weight of her words pressed down on my shoulders. It’s hard to explain exactly what the effect was—maybe it was an alicorn magic trick, or maybe she just knew how to project power and authority. Whatever the case, any thoughts of doing other than obeying fled my mind.

“Explain,” the Empress commanded.

I hastily averted my eyes from Her Majesty—if I’d kept looking, I might have started blubbering out apologies right then and there. Instead, I glowered at Twilight Sparkle. This whole mess was her fault, after all. “She stole my work!” I levelled a hoof at her. “When I confronted her, she refused to confess, and matters escalated from there.”

Twilight glared right back at me. “I did not steal any of your work, I wouldn’t want it anyway!” She pointed at me accusingly. “She busted down my door like a madmare, and started ranting and raving about how I had plagiarized all my work!”

“The fight was all her fault!” I countered. “She challenged me to a duel!”

“It’s not like anypony forced you to accept my challenge!” Twilight snapped right back. “Besides, you came barging into my room accusing me of being a thief and a plagiarist! I have a right to defend my honor! Hay, I bet you were accusing me of all those crazy things just so I would challenge you, and you could blame me for starting the fight!”

“Oh yeah! Well you—”

“Enough.” The Empress didn’t raise her voice, but the sheer authority in it was more than enough to cow myself and Twilight into submission. Her Majesty scowled down at us for long enough to communicate her displeasure, then rubbed her temple. “I swear, I’m getting too old for these horseapples.” She looked the two of us over, then sighed, “Very well, let’s settle this. Explanations, one at a time. You first, Twilight. Tell me exactly what happened.”

Twilight took a couple breaths, presumably trying to get her story straight. “I was just reading and minding my own business in my room, when this madmare broke down my door and started screaming at me like a lunatic.” She glared at me. “It was a little hard to make out what she was ranting about, but she accused me of plagiarizing her, and made up some story about how I had gone to you and taken credit for all her work. Then she started getting really aggressive, and threatened to set all of my papers on fire, and said the only reason I was your student was because of family ties. By that point I was beyond sick of it, so I challenged her to a duel to make her stop.”

The Empress nodded, then turned to me. “Sunset? Is what she said true?”

“Aside from the obvious bias about me being crazy and evil, she got most of the facts right.” I glowered at Twilight, and it was a struggle to keep my voice reasonably calm and even. “What she didn’t mention was that I spent three years on my teleportation project. Three years! And now Twilight's trying to get equal credit because she spent five minutes talking to me about it! Maybe I lost my temper with her, but she deserved everything I did to her, and more!”

“I am not trying to steal credit for your work!” She shouted back at me. “That's a lie, and you know it!”

“It is not a lie!” I yelled right back at her. “The Empress told me that herself!”

Twilight blinked and took a half-step back. “What? That doesn't make any sense.” Her confusion quickly faded, replaced by more anger. “I knew you were an evil nag, but I never thought you were a stupid evil nag! You could at least make up a lie that has some kind of logic to it. Why would the Empress do something like what you’re claiming? It’s completely illogical. I don’t deserve equal credit on your personal project because of a single conversation.”

“Exactly!” I took a step towards her, snarling. “You don’t deserve any of the credit for my hard work, and if you think I’m gonna let you get away with stealing it...”

The Empress’ voice snapped out like a whip crack. “Enough, children.” Twilight and I had both been squaring our shoulders and coming up with fresh insults, but the Empress’ voice killed any thought of that. “Twice, I have asked you to explain the situation in a calm and reasonable manner. Twice, you have failed to do as I requested. I do not like it when my students fail to obey my wishes. I advise you not to do so again.” She gave that warning enough time to sink in, then continued. “As for your current argument, I told Sunset that I wanted the two of you to work together. I had hoped it would put an end to your petty feud. Instead, I find you brawling in the streets like hooligans.”

Twilight very unwisely responded to her. “Well, technically we were sparring on a legal mage dueling ground, not brawling in the...” she slowly trailed off as her brain caught up with her mouth, and informed her that she was sassing the ruler of the Equestrian Empire. “Um, never mind.” Her voice came out as a small, terrified squeak.

Her Imperial Majesty said nothing, but her eyes narrowed and her attention was focused on Twilight. Words would have been superfluous; everypony in the room could feel the weight of Empress Sunbeam’s disapproval. Twilight slowly shrank down under the weight of her ancestor’s disapproval, until she looked like she wanted nothing more than crawl under the carpets.

That was when I made a very big mistake. I smirked at her predicament.

The Empress immediately turned on me, and I felt the same crushing weight of displeasure that had been turned upon my rival. “And you. Please, explain the logic of attacking your fellow student, after I instructed you to work with her. Given the choice between a calm and rational discussion of your intellectual property rights and provoking a fight that served no purpose other than to satisfy your bruised ego, why did the latter seem like the wiser course?”

Well, there was a rather loaded and terrifying question. I quickly scrambled to come up with reasonable answer. “Well, she pissed me off and...” I didn’t even need to look at the Empress to realize how completely inadequate that excuse sounded.

Twilight, for once seeming to possess an ounce of intelligence and common sense, wisely remained silent. It seemed to work quite well for keeping the Empress from noticing her.

The Empress looked down at me, then slowly shook her head. “I expected better from you, Sunset. Much better. Does all that I taught you have so little meaning that you would casually discard it simply because you’re in a bad mood? Is my student nothing but a common bully and thug?”

I flinched down at that. Apparently, being alive for more than nine hundred years had given the Empress ample time to perfect the guilt trip. I tried to think of something I could say in my own defense, but every excuse I could think of just sounded completely inadequate.

To my surprise, Twilight spoke up. “Um, Empress, can I ask a question?” The Empress turned to her and nodded, prompting Twilight to continue. “Is what Sunset said true? Was I really going to be getting equal credit for her teleportation project?”

“I wanted you two working together as equal partners,” the Empress confirmed, briefly pausing to give me a pointed look. “It would rather defeat the purpose of making you two learn to work together if Sunset treated you as nothing more than a menial assistant.”

Twilight shot a brief look my way, probably thinking about exactly how unpleasant I could make her life if I ever had authority over her. I have to admit, I had a few ideas. However, when she responded to the Empress, she caught me by surprise. “Why that project, though? Sunset already put in the vast majority of the work needed to finish it. From what I saw of her notes, she’s already finished all the theoretical work, and is just tweaking the prototype circle. There’s not really all that much I could do to help her other than being a sounding board for ideas on any little changes she needs to make.” She shrank down slightly, but slowly stiffened her shoulders. “If Your Imperial Majesty doesn’t object, could I suggest a different idea? It’s not that I'm questioning how you want to do things or anything, but couldn't we just start a new project together? That way we’d both be doing an equal amount of work, and we’d both deserve equal credit.”

“Neither of you has the time for a new ongoing project,” Empress Sunbeam answered with a dismissive wave of her hoof. “At least, nothing on the scale of Sunset’s current work. I don’t intend to have you two be full-time students for the rest of your lives.”

That got my attention. There had been a couple times in the past when the Empress had hinted at having some sort of plans for me, but this was a bit more concrete than some vague comment about how she intended to put my magical talents to use. Judging by her declaration that Twilight and I didn’t have time for a new project, it sounded like whatever plans she was hatching for my post-education career would come to fruition in the next year or two. Whatever she had planned for me, it had to be big. The Empress of Equestria wouldn’t have gone to all the trouble of personally educating me unless she had some kind of plan to make the investment worthwhile. I suspected she might announce it at the millennial Summer Sun Celebration; it would be the perfect event for that kind of thing.

Twilight seemed to be puzzling through the same line of thought, judging by the blank, thoughtful look on her face. “Oh. Well, if a new project won’t work, then why can't I just get the partial credit for what I did for Sunset's project? I wouldn’t want anything more than what I’ve earned, and with all the work she’s done there’s no way I could ever equal her contribution. Even if I did all the rest of the work on my own ... well, there’s just not that much left to do.”

The Empress raised an eyebrow at that. “Are you questioning my orders?”

Twilight immediately shrank down. “Of course not! I’m just ... um ... asking for clarification. Because the way I understand your orders doesn’t sound right, so obviously I must have misunderstood what you meant.”

A faint smile quirked at the Empress’ lips. “So you are questioning my orders, but you’re trying very hard to make it sound like you’re not because you’re afraid of offending me?” Twilight didn’t manage much of a response beyond a nervous squeak, and Her Majesty decided to have mercy on her. “Relax, Twilight. My pride isn’t so fragile that I fly into a rage whenever somepony disagrees with me.”

“Er, of course not, Your Majesty.” She let out a nervous chuckle. “I wasn’t trying to imply anything like that, I just wanted to make sure you understood that I was... erm ... actually, I think I should just be quiet now, before I start digging myself deeper.”

While Empress Sunbeam chuckled at Twilight, I stared at my fellow student, trying to make sense of what she’d just done. It just didn’t fit the Twilight Sparkle I’d thought I knew. That meant one of two things: either she was up to something, or I’d been wrong about her. Naturally, I assumed it was the former. I stepped closer to her, and voice dropped down to a suspicious whisper. “Alright, what are you trying to pull?”

Twilight frowned at me, and she actually sounded a little offended. “What’s your problem now? I’m trying to sort this mess out and help you, and you still—” She abruptly cut herself off, probably because she was worried the Empress might overhear us arguing.

“My problem is that it doesn’t make any sense.” I scowled at her. “You’ve got a perfect opportunity to take advantage of me and get most of the credit for my work. Why are you passing it up?”

Twilight looked at me for a bit, then sighed. “You know, despite our history, I don’t hate you. I hate how you're always so mean to me. I hate how we can’t spend five minutes in the same room without snapping at each other for no reason. I hate the way you seem to take every single accomplishment I have as a personal insult. And I hate the way this rivalry makes me feel like I’m a worse pony whenever I’m around you, because when you’re nasty to me it’s hard not to be just as nasty back. But despite all of that, I don’t hate you.”

I wasn’t sure whether to roll my eyes at her little speech, or go all the way up to vomiting in disgust. “Well aren’t you just a perfect saint? What, am I supposed to thank you for not hating me?”

Twilight shook her head. “It’s not about you, Sunset. It’s just that I can't really think of an instance where I've ever read about anypony being made happy with revenge. Hurting you wouldn’t make me happy, it’d just make me feel even worse; I already told you how much I hate feeling like a nasty, petty, vindictive pony. That’s why I told the Empress I don’t want credit for your project. You put three years into a project I put a few minutes into. I'm trying to get along in the world based on my own work, not that of others.” She paused, and her ears drooped a bit. “I ... I’ll admit, there’s a tiny, nasty part of me that likes the idea of stealing your work just to hurt you. But I’m not going to listen to that part of me, because doing that means betraying my own principles. Maybe you think it’s silly, but staying true to what I believe in matters a lot to me.”

I frowned at her, trying to work what everything she said meant, in relation to what she’d just pulled with the Empress. “So you’re saying that you care so much about your principles that you’ll stick up for a mare you don’t even like, even to the point of disagreeing with the Empress?”

Twilight hesitated for a moment, then very slowly nodded. “Um ... yeah, I guess I am. I have to be true to myself and what I believe in, right? If I want to tell myself that I believe in earning my own way and only taking credit when I deserve it, then I can’t throw that out the window just to get a bit of petty revenge. If I did that, my ideals wouldn’t really count for anything, would they?”

“Indeed not.” Both of us jumped in surprise at the Empress’ voice. We’d gotten so caught up in our side conversation that we’d practically forgotten she was there. Empress Sunbeam smiled at Twilight, offering an approving nod. “Your loyalty to your principles does you credit, Twilight. Sometimes, I find the greatest test is not whether one will be loyal to friends or family, but rather whether they can stay true to themselves.”

Twilight blinked at the praise, and a smile slowly crept across her face. “Thank you, Empress.”

For my part, I was still trying to work it all out. Maybe I was a bit closed-minded, but I’d gotten used to the idea that Twilight Sparkle was a spoiled, privileged, and all around worthless nag who coasted by on her family name. That she’d taken advantage of being a Sparkle to become the Empress’ student, while I’d had to earn the position by working my plot off.

However, it was starting to look like I’d been wrong about her. Her whole spiel about being loyal to what she believed in had been way too corny and unpolished to be some kind of rehearsed speech, so the only explanation I could see was that she believed every word of it. She really believed in earning her own way in life. To hay with coasting to success on her family name, she probably hated the idea that anypony would show favoritism towards her. It would make all her achievements seem cheap and fake. We had more in common than I ever would’ve suspected.

As soon as that thought popped into my head, I felt this really strange sensation. It’s hard to describe exactly what it was; the best parallel I can think of is kind of like when you’re working on a puzzle, and you finally find this one piece that just slides perfectly into place. It would be a couple years before I finally figured out what it meant.

For that moment I was focused on the problem in front of me. “I was wrong about you, Twilight.”

Twilight blinked in confusion. “Hm? Wrong how?”

“You're not what I thought you were,” I explained. I would’ve done a better job of telling her what I meant, but I was still wrapping my head around everything that had just happened.

Twilight cocked her head to the side, clearly puzzled. “What did you think I was? I'm just a student of the Empress like you.” She paused, and thought that over. “Granted, just being the personal protege of the ruler of an empire is a bit of a big deal, but...”

“I know what you mean.” It was a bit strange to realize how jaded we had become about regularly associating with the Empress. Sure, she could still be very intimidating when she really projected her royal authority, but for the most part I’d gotten used to being around her. I guess Twilight was the only pony who could really understand exactly how I felt about the Empress. Or a lot of things, come to think of it. We both knew all the frustrations that come with being the smartest pony in the room, having to talk down to everypony else around us. We both understood caring more about obscure aspects of magical theory than the latest juicy gossip circulating through the palace. Or how ponies were intimidated by our raw magical talent, and the fact that we were the Empress’ proteges.

I’ve never put much stock in friendship. From everything I’d seen it was usually just a distraction from the stuff that really mattered, like studying. Still, I couldn’t quite shake the feeling that if there was anypony in Equestria who I could maybe one day be friends with, it was Twilight Sparkle. And because of that feeling, I did something I wasn’t used to. “Sorry about your door, and all the yelling and accusations and stuff.” I awkwardly shuffled on my hooves, trying to figure out what else I should say. “In hindsight, I could’ve handled that better.”

“You think?” Twilight grumbled under her breath. She closed her eyes, took a few deep breaths, and calmed down. “Right, apologies. Well, if you're really sorry for it, then I guess I can try to move past it.” She took another breath, then slowly nodded. “Right. Okay. Apology accepted then. And as long as we’re on the subject, could you please stop being so mean to me all the time?”

My eyes narrowed at the last bit. “Okay, I started things more often than you did, but it’s not like it was all one-sided.”

Twilight frowned at me, but after a couple seconds it faded into a sigh. “Okay, fine, so I snipped at you few times too. But I’ll try not to do it anymore, as long as you don’t act like a na—as long as you don’t act unpleasant.”

I was about to snap at her for the barely averted insult, but I broke from my normal habits once more and let it pass. This whole trying to get along thing we seemed to be starting was never going to work if we kept going after each other over every little thing. “I think we both made some mistakes that we’ll need to be careful not to repeat in the future.”

“Yeah, I guess I can agree to that,” Twilight conceded. “You apologized, I accepted it. I guess we can try and give each other another chance—I’m willing to try starting over if you are.”

“That sounds like a good place to start.” I rubbed my forehead, then tentatively extended a hoof to Twilight. “It's weird, but it feels right in a weird kinda way. Not fighting with you, I mean.”

“Yeah.” Twilight gave me a faintly confused look. “I think I know what you mean.”

Empress Sunbeam smiled at the both of us, then surprised us by stepping off the throne and wrapping each of us in a wing. Her Majesty normally isn’t the type to show that kind of affection, but I guess she wanted to reward us for burying the hatchet. Or at least, that’s what I thought at the time. I wouldn’t really understand why she was smiling until the day after the thousandth Summer Sun Celebration.

Love and Tolerance

I love Equestria. I’m less certain about the Equestrian Empire.

I know that’s a strange thing for a prominent government official to say, but it’s true. Mi Amore Cadenza, the Aedile of Canterlot, has concerns about the Empire. I’m not saying I want to lead the charge in a grand revolution—those rarely end well. But I have concerns.

Thankfully, I had other things to take my mind off of work and politics. Like a visit to the Sparkle Estate. The Empress might not officially favor her family line, but the Sparkles have done very well for themselves under her rule. It probably helps that the family line has consistently produced some of the greatest ponies of our age.

Granted, my initial interest in the Sparkles came not from their status in the Empire, but from the fact that Shining Armor had a cute butt, and a little sister who needed a foalsitter. Those two things dovetailed rather nicely. While I absolutely loved taking care of Twilight, and would have happily done so even without Shining, it’s hard to ignore the fringe benefits. I certainly didn’t complain when his parents had another foal right when Twilight was getting a bit old to still need me around. I met two wonderful mares who are like sisters to me now, and Shining eventually worked up enough courage to ask me out on a date.

I do love it when a plan comes together.

The Sparkle Estate is a rather impressive home, though done in the traditional Canterlot style of stacking and attaching towers on top of one another until the foundation could support no more. It was charmingly haphazard, yet never reached the point of looking like a chaotic mess. It probably helped that the nigh-mandatory limestone and marble architecture of Canterlot kept the home’s style consistent, even though it had been gradually expanded by dozens of ponies over the course of nine centuries.

I tapped a hoof on the front door of the Sparkle home and waited to see who would answer. A second later Amethyst opened the door, a huge smile on her face. "Cadance!" Unsurprisingly, Amethyst looks a lot like her older sister, or at least what Twilight looked like when she was a teenager. She was a fair bit shorter than her sister, though she might still have one last growth spurt left to make up that difference. Her coat was a lighter shade of lavender that bordered on pink, and her mane lacked Twilight’s highlights. Not to mention being a messy mop of hair compared to Twilight's very neatly arranged manecut.

I returned her smile with one of my own. “Hello, Amethyst. Can I come in?” Shining always said I didn’t need to ask that question anymore, given that being engaged to him made me part of the family, but a little extra politeness costs nothing.

That question brought a mischievous light to her eyes, and I braced for trouble. She is a teenager, after all. “You want in? Sorry, you gotta pay the toll if you wanna get past me.” She gave me a grin composed of one hundred percent pure teenage sass. “I'll accept cash, dinner, a concert, helping me sneak a glass of wine when Mom and Dad aren't looking—or if you're really desperate to get in here and drag my brother off for a bit, I guess I could accept a hug. But it has to be a good one. The real deal, not one of those quick ones just to get me outta the way.”

I let out a long-suffering sigh. “Extorting hugs out of your old foalsitter. What has the world come to? Fillies have no respect for their elders these days.” I gave a resigned groan, and let the little blackmailer have what she wanted.

“You’re not old enough to be complaining about those damn kids who need to get off your lawn,” Amethyst countered with a smirk. “Besides, you owe me for that one time you dropped me, back when I was still a foal,” Despite the snark and complaining, Amethyst wrapped a foreleg around me and hugged as hard as she could. I had to crouch down a bit to actually manage the hug on account of the size difference. Not only was Amethyst short, but I’d been a tall mare even before ascension added a few extra inches to my height.

“That was Shining Armor’s fault.” In my defense, I was going through the hormonal teenage phase myself at the time, and Shining had just come back from his junior officer training, looking very sweaty and muscular and ... well, suffice to say I lost concentration for a few moments. “And in any case, you were fine, and I gave you a cookie to make up for it.”

“Yeah, yeah...” She gave a final squeeze, then broke the hug. “Anyway, it's great to see you again. C'mon in.” She opened the door and led me inside. “Dunno why my doofus of a big brother hasn’t just given you your own key already.”

He had, but as I said before I preferred to knock first. The foyer of Sparkle Manor was designed to impress, and did its job very well. The floors were Zebrican hardwood, very exotic and very expensive. The walls were paneled with the same, though relatively little of the two walls lining the entranceway was actually visible. The left wall was dominated by a massive portrait of the Empress and her daughter Midnight, the founders of House Sparkle, while the right wall contained an equally large and heavily enchanted family tree leading all the way back to the Empress herself.

I took a moment to trace down the family tree to the current generation of Sparkles. Somepony had already scrawled my name next to Shining Armor’s, and the messy penmareship gave away the culprit. “Thank you, Amethyst, but let’s wait until the wedding and everything’s official to modify the family tree, okay?

“Why wait?” Amethyst shot back, “Everypony knows you’re already part of the family.”

I swear, if Amethyst had her way Shining and I would elope tonight. I have to admit, there was a bit of appeal to the idea. “So how have you been, Amethyst? Staying out of trouble, I hope?”

“As far as anypony can prove, yeah.” I found myself recalling how much more of a hooffull Amethyst had been to foalsit, compared to quiet, bookish Twilight. “School's ... well, it’s school. Good news is that I’ve got next week off, which’ll give me a lot of great opportunities for staying out of even more trouble than normal.” She leaned in, and whispered conspiratorially, “Unlike certain cadets at certain military schools. You know how it goes—they still have to do their PT at ungodly hours in the morning, then go in, eat, shower, then do it all again with the odd drop of water still tracing down their flanks as they work out...”

Yes. I was familiar with that particular sight.

Amethyst smirked at me, probably knowing exactly what I was thinking back to. “Granted, you were eyeing a certain Sparkle when you did that, and I wasn’t, because that would be squicky. Now Solarises on the other hoof...” Her grin turned slightly dreamy. “Mmm, gotta love those toned flanks and bouncing cutie marks.”

I made a mental note to drop by the Imperial Academy and do a little investigating into the current crop of cadets from House Solaris. Assuming I could find the object of Amethyst’s affections and the pony passed inspection, I would have to see what I could do to help the two of them out.

Before I could start grilling Amethyst for details, her mother trotted in from the dining room. Twilight Velvet also bore a strong resemblance to the other Twilight in the family, right down to having a similar manecut—something I doubted was a coincidence. Most children do have one parent they idolize slightly more than the other. I suspect that if Twilight Sparkle dyed her coat white and replaced her pink highlights with white ones, everypony would think her mother had been hit with a youth spell. “Did I just hear you say something about getting into trouble, Amethyst?” Mrs. Velvet fixed her daughter with a piercing stare of maternal scrutiny, but broke it for a moment to offer me a smile and a nod.

Amethyst quickly plastered a look of such utter innocence onto her face that anypony with an ounce of savvy would know she was up to something. “Getting into trouble? Me? Why, Mom, perish the thought! I was just talking about how much of it I was going to stay out of.” She tried to keep that guiltless smile on her face, but her mother responded with a suspicious frown. Obviously she knew her daughter too well. Amethyst opted for a new strategy. “And anyway, look! Cadance is here!”

Twilight Velvet kept her suspicious gaze on her daughter for just long enough to make it clear she wasn’t fooled by the obvious attempt at a distraction, then turned to me. “Hello, Cadance.” She trotted over and gave me a quick a hug. “It’s always a pleasure to see you. Is this just a social call, or are you here on business?

I beamed at her and returned the hug. “Do I need a reason to visit my future family?”

“Of course not,” my future mother-in-law agreed with a smile. “I just wanted to know if there was anything we needed to discuss before Shining and my daughters started fighting over who would get to spend more time with you.”

“Well, she was our foalsitter before she was his fiancée,” Amethyst declared, latching onto one of my forelegs. “So we called dibs on her. Finders keepers, first come, first serve—whatever other clichés you need. Point is, I’m not letting go of her for the rest of the evening.”

I chuckled and shook my head at Amethyst’s antics, then turned back to her mother. “I was hoping I could stay for dinner. Shining mentioned you were having company over, so if you can spare another seat at the table for me...”

“You’re always welcome in our home,” Mrs. Velvet assured me. “Assuming you don’t mind pasta, of course.” I most certainly didn’t. “And yes, Twilight’s bringing a friend over for dinner.”

“To hay with staying over for dinner,” Amethyst cut in, grinning up at me. “You sure you don't want to stay forever? We’d all love it if you just moved in already.”

Tempting as that offer was, it wouldn’t have been a good idea. Sleeping under the same roof as Shining might make it a bit too tempting to do things that we ought to wait for until after we were married. Instead of dwelling on that line of thought, I decided to put my focus on the sneaky teenager in front of me. “Okay, you’re being way too flattering. What are you buttering me up for?”

Her mother turned to Amethyst with a knowing grin. “She's always up to something. In this case, I suspect she wants you to cover for her the next time she tries to sneak out at night.”

“Hey, I resent that remark,” Amethyst protested. “I just want my awesome foalsitter-friend-forever around more, is all.” Amethyst took a half-step closer to me, and added under her breath. “But, y’know, if you just happened to want to dispel Mom’s detection spells on my bedroom before you went to bed...”

I restrained the urge to chuckle at Amethyst’s general teenagerness, and refrained from letting her mother know about that request. “I come by all the time as it is.”

“Let's not quibble over details and just have you move in already,” Amethyst rejoined. “Like you said, you’re here all the time as it is. Why not just live here and save yourself the trouble of walking between our house and your apartment?”

I frowned, and tried to think of a polite way to explain the problems with that. Namely, that the last thing I needed was to give all the scandalmongers in Canterlot another reason to spread nasty rumors about me. Just ascending had been enough to paint a huge target on me. There were times I almost regretted becoming an alicorn.

Twilight Velvet must have picked up on my trouble, as she quickly swooped in to defuse the situation. “Now, Amethyst, she’s already engaged to your brother. I’m sure you can exercise just a little patience and wait until the wedding is done.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Amethyst tried to wave her mother’s advice off, though the attempt at teenage indifference was rather spoiled by the way she grinned at me. “Want me to go get Shiney?”

“Oh no,” I answered, my tone light and teasing. “I certainly wouldn't want to see the love of my life. My fiancé. The stallion I’ve promised myself to. I can’t think of any reason I would ever want to see him.”

“Works for me!” Amethyst offered me a sassy grin. “That just means I get more time with you.” She leaned in, and faux-whispered. “It’s okay, we all know you’re only marrying the big doofus so you’ll have an excuse to hang out with me and Twilight.”

I rolled my eyes at that. “I hardly need an excuse.”

Mrs. Velvet chuckled. “Oh my poor, spoiled baby of the family.”

“At least she's spoiled sweet,” I offered in Amethyst’s defense. Compared to most of the trust-fund foals I’d met in Canterlot, Amethyst was an angel. I suppose the Empress does deserve credit for dismantling the old nobility, so ponies couldn’t drag themselves into positions of power just by riding the tails of their parents.

“Amethyst is pretty sweet,” her mother declared, pinching her daughter’s cheek with a quick bit of telekinesis.

Amethyst responded exactly as one would expect from a teenager. “Mooom!”

Her reaction brought a particularly devilish idea to mind. “Mrs. Velvet? I think you should relentlessly mother her until she goes to get Shining.”

Mrs. Velvet clearly approved of that idea, stepping a bit closer to her daughter. “What's the matter, dear? Are you embarrassed by your mother?” She leaned over and gave her a quick nuzzle. “Don’t forget, no matter how old you get, you’ll always be my baby girl.”

Amethyst let out the obligatory teenaged grumbling at her mother’s affection, but returned the nuzzle. “Do you have to do the cheek-pinching?”

“No,” her mother admitted, “I don’t have to do it. But I want to.” She pinched Amethyst’s cheeks again. “They’re just so cute and pinchable.”

I decided to have a little mercy on the filly, and reminded her of how she could escape. “Amethyst, would you mind going to get my fiancé, or would you prefer to spend more time with your mother?” To help her along, I gave her a quick nudge towards the stairs with one of my wings.

“Okay, okay, I can take a hint.” Amethyst trotted over to the stairs, and took a deep breath, only to have her mouth clamped shut by a spell from her mother.

“Amethyst,” Mrs. Velvet chided, “Go upstairs and knock on your brother’s door, like a civilized mare. I don’t want you shouting like we’re on the parade grounds.”

“Fiiine!” Amethyst grumbled, reluctantly trudging up the stairs.

Once the teenager was out of sight, I threw up a quick privacy spell and removed several letters from a hidden compartment in my saddlebag. “From the Circle.”

Mrs. Velvet’s face briefly turned serious and she quickly took the letters and teleported them to a secure storage area. “May it remain unbroken.” Despite the privacy spell covering us, she took a moment to quickly check the room for any other ponies. “All is well?”

“Just more routine reports, for now. Siren had no new orders for either of us.” That last was a bit of a fiction, given that Siren was just my code name. I was almost certain that Twilight Velvet suspected the truth of that, but when you’re part of a technically-illegal secret society, maintaining plausible deniability is important. So long as Twilight Velvet didn’t know who led the Circle, she couldn’t compromise us if the Ministry of Heart brought her in for questioning.

Well, technically I was only the second-in-command of the Circle. Our true leader was a bit too immobile to manage our day-to-day operations.

“Well enough then.” A faint frown crossed her face. “Though I don’t know how much longer things will stay this quiet. As Luna’s return approaches, things are likely to become interesting.”

“No doubt.” I considered my words carefully. “I have an appointment with the Empress tomorrow. Hopefully, I will be able to glean something of her plans for addressing the matter.”

“Beyond the fact that she’s grooming my daughter for bearing one of the Elements,” Twilight Velvet added.

“If that is her destiny, then she will play her part.” I didn’t like having to sit back and think of a mare I’d helped raise as an asset. However, with the fate of Equestria hanging in the balance I couldn’t afford to be too sentimental. Twilight had her destiny, and trying to shelter her from it would not only stifle her, it could doom us all.

Mrs. Velvet was silent for several seconds, then reluctantly nodded. “I know, but she’s still my daughter.” She sighed, shaking her head. “I know I should have faith in her, but...” She sighed and ran a hoof down her face. “Hopefully it will turn out for the best.”

“I trust her.” I might have said something more to comfort her, but I heard the sounds of hooves coming down the staircase. One thing I do love about Canterlot architecture, the tendency to build up and have lots of staircases makes it harder for anypony to sneak up on you. I quickly dropped the privacy spell and put a smile on my face. “Shining? Is that you?”

Amethyst took the last few steps at a gallop, positioning herself so that she could properly present her brother. “Announcing the one and onlyyy Shining! Armor!”

Shining followed his sister down the stairs, a huge smile on his face. “Hey, Cadey!”

I beamed at him, and trotted over for a quick kiss. “Hey, you.” Amethyst took one look at the two of us, and tried to ruin the moment catcalling and cheering us on, complete with stomping her hooves in approval.

Shining did his best to ignore his little sister acting like a brat, focusing on me. “It's great to see you again.” He pulled me in for a hug, and stole another quick kiss.

Amethyst decided to keep up her brat act. “So, Shiney...” She turned on him with an evil grin. “The mom and the marefriend talking without you. You know that spells doom. Right, bro?”

“It was only a little bit of doom,” his mother assured him. “He should survive.”

His little sister smirked at him. “You hear that, bro? You’re doomed. Dooooomed!”

Mrs. Velvet offered her son a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, Shining. I've only told her a few of your more embarrassing childhood stories.”

I got into the spirit of things. “The best ones, of course.”

“Thanks, Mom,” Shining deadpanned. “Making me look bad in front of my fiancée. That's the perfect way to start a visit.” A second later his frown faded, and a smile took its place. “At least let me in on the fun when Twily's new friend comes over, okay?”

“Ah, yes.” Amethyst announced with a sage nod. “The first rule of sibling relations: the horseapples roll downhill.” The effect of her snark was somewhat spoiled by her mother’s disapproving glower at her less than polite language.

My ears perked as Shining’s announcement reminded me of that. “Twilight has a new friend?” Twilight was not the most social of ponies to begin with, and being the Empress’ personal student had put an enormous amount of pressure on her to perform academically. Between taking care of all her normal schoolwork and any special assignments from the Empress and her own private projects, Twilight barely had enough time for her family, let alone any kind of social life.

Shining grinned knowingly at me. “Uh-oh. Watch out everypony, Cadey’s Romance Receptor has started tingling. Flee, before she pairs you up with the first pony she sees!”

“Oh shush.” I playfully whapped him the chest. “I know love is my special talent, but I’m not that bad about it.” Although if Twilight and this new friend of hers were close, maybe I could give them a couple encouraging little nudges. I don’t want Twilight turning into a lonely old mare with only her books and growing collection of cats for comfort. So maybe I should help pair Twilight up with this friend of hers. It was for her own good, really. I just wanted her to be happy.

“Now now...” Mrs. Velvet chided her children. “Don’t be too hard on your sister. This is the first time she’s ever brought a friend over, and you know how easy it is to embarrass her.”

“Oh, I know.” The devious grin spreading across Amethyst’s face boded ill for poor Twilight. “Don’t worry, I won’t go too far. Just far enough.”

Shining chuckled at that. “Laugh it up while you can, Ammy. The second you bring home a friend, you can expect all kinds of terrible vengeance.”

Amusing as the sibling banter was, I had other matters on my mind. “So who is this new friend of Twilight’s? Is it somepony I already know? What kind of friend? Just a friend, or...”

“Whoa, breathe, Cadance.” Shining chuckled and gave me a quick squeeze on the shoulders. “And as for your questions, Twily says they’re just friends, but she’s spent the last half hour in her bathroom getting ready. Draw your own conclusions.”

“I could’ve sworn I saw her using makeup, too,” Amethyst added. “Makeup. From the mare who usually only brushes her mane and coat before an audience with the Empress.”

Oooh, sounds like there was something there. “I just hope Shining doesn’t get in the way this time. I still can’t believe he reassigned that one poor stallion to the frozen north.”

“That was pure happenstance,” Shining offered in his own defense. “Our garrison in Northmarch always needs a couple more ponies, you know how restive the caribou can be. It was a total coincidence that the one stallion who kept looking at my little sister in ways I didn’t approve of happened to be part our next shipment of fresh meat to one of the worst postings in the entire empire. Besides, it’s been fifty years since the last major caribou rebellion; he’ll be fine. Well, aside from the frostbite, ice trolls, snow leopards, and those two sleeping dragons.”

I made a mental note to make sure Shining didn’t find about the cadet Amethyst had her eyes on anytime soon. Not that I thought he would do that kind of thing to a pony his sister legitimately cared about—he’s not a monster, just a bit of an overprotective big brother. Besides, Amethyst was at least developing a crush on somepony suited to her family’s status. The Empire might not have a proper nobility, but there were still families of wealth and prestige who were usually expected to marry among their peers. Given that they were the descendants of the Old Queen Celestia and held many important offices in the Empire, a pony from the Solarises was certainly a suitable match for Amethyst.

Mrs. Velvet cleared her throat to get everypony’s attention. “Whatever the case may be, I hope you two will be nice to Twilight’s guest. If it’s an innocent friendship, I don’t want you two making a scene and embarrassing the family. And if there is something between them, we don’t want to push too hard. It wouldn’t do to extinguish the spark that might become a flame.”

I offered my future mother-in-law a smile. “Don't forget what my special talent is.”

“Oh, Empress,” Amethyst groaned, running a hoof over her face. “Mom's scheming again, and she’s gotten Cadance in on it.”

“Twily might as well start planning the wedding now.” Shining turned to his sister, nudging her towards the front door. “It's too late for us, Ammy. Run for it while you still can. Go and be free! Maybe if you run away and join the circus Mom won’t be able to find you!”

Amethyst and her mother both rolled their eyes almost perfectly in tandem. “Despite popular belief,” his mother informed him, “most of my scheming is being used for good. I just want all of my children to be happy.”

“Don’t worry, Shining.” I gave him a quick pat on the shoulder. “I'll keep her honest by joining the conspiracy.”

Mrs. Velvet offered a satisfied nod. “That settles it, then. I'm sure Cadance will be a moderating influence on my tendency to help my children, even though they don’t appreciate all the trouble I go to just to make their lives a bit better.”

Apparently, despite being a grown stallion and a colonel in the Phoenix Guard, Shining was still vulnerable to the maternal guilt-trip. “Sorry, Mom. We were just messing around.”

Amethyst, by contrast, could at least protect herself with a shield of teenaged snark. “I feel soooo reassured now,” she deadpanned. “I mean, you can just see it on my face. Don't I just exude reassuredness? It’s pouring out of my pores like sweat off of Twilight whenever she has to do something more strenuous than heavy reading.” The bratty little sister paused, then amended. “Well, at least that’d be how it was before she became the Empress’ student. I thought magus training was supposed to be about, y’know, magic. Never would’ve figured running laps was part of it.”

“A magus who can’t manage a five mile jog is only useful if every single threat to Equestria is polite enough to knock on the magus’ front door,” her mother explained. Mrs. Velvet would know, given that she was an imperial magus herself. Admittedly, it had been a while since she’d done active fieldwork; being a mother with three children made a safe research job in Canterlot a lot more appealing.

Shining grinned, and grabbed his little sister in a bear hug. “Speaking of, isn’t it about time we got started on your physical training? It’s about time you shed some of that baby fat and started putting some muscle on.”

“Gah!” Amethyst struggled in vain, but she was no match for her brother. “Lemme go!”

“What was that?” Shining asked, smirking at her. “You want me to noogie you? Well, if you really want it...” He proceeded to do exactly that, merrily ignoring her whines and whinnies of protest.

The two of them were making such a ruckus with their sibling bonding that I almost didn’t hear the sound of somepony knocking on the front door.

Mrs. Velvet heard it too, and directed a pointed look at her children. “That’s her. Quiet down, you two. Let’s try to at least present a somewhat dignified first impression.” The two of them stopped wrestling and started acting bit less like a pair of overgrown foals. And to think I was going to be marrying into this family.

I couldn’t have made a better choice.

My mother-in-law trotted over and opened up the door, a polite smile on her face. I was a little surprised to see Sunset Shimmer standing in the doorway. Last I had heard, Sunset and Twilight didn’t get along very well at all—something about the two of them fighting a duel at the Academy over a research project. Maybe this was less a matter of them being friends than it was the Empress trying to force them to bond after that fiasco? Or maybe it was one of those cases where once they’d gotten everything off of their chests, they could actually start getting along. After all, the Empress’ two personal students would probably have a lot in common.

Sunset gave a slight shuffle as she stood in the doorway, seemingly uncertain about what to do next. It was quite the change from the usual brash and arrogant Sunset. “Hello, ma'am.”

Mrs. Velvet offered the young mare a reassuring smile. “Hello, Sunset. Please, come in.” She stepped aside and swung the door open for her, and the Empress’ other student trotted in. “I’ll let Twilight know you’re here.” Her horn glowed, and a little wisp of magic shot up the stairs, presumably for Twilight’s room.

Sunset trotted in and waved to everypony, then paused and nodded to myself and Shining. “Aedile, Colonel. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“I take you already know my eldest, Shining Armor, and his fiancée then?” Mrs. Velvet inquired.

“Only by reputation, really,” she answered. I could say much the same about Sunset. I knew she was the Empress’ personal student, and had a bit of a reputation for being hard to get along with. I also knew her parents, mostly on account of Firstlight Shimmer and Scarlet Runeseeker both being Imperial Archmagi. I also knew that more often than not both of them were out of Canterlot on business, so it was no surprise that neither of them had come to dinner with her. Normally they would have accompanied Sunset when she was having dinner with another family of their stature, especially given that it involved a bond forming between two ponies of marriageable age. However, duty to the empire trumps all other concerns.

“Well, dinner should give us chance to get to know each other, then.” Mrs. Velvet trotted over to Amethyst’s side. “This is my youngest, Amethyst. Sadly, my husband’s tied up with work, and won’t be able to make it. I hope you don’t mind things being a bit informal?”

Sunset met the question with a shrug. “It’d sound pretty hypocritical of me to complain when neither of my parents could make it.” She trotted up to Shining Armor and shook his hoof.

“My pleasure to meet you.” He offered her a polite smile which I was a bit surprised by, given the history between Sunset and Twilight. I suppose he must have decided that if Twilight was willing to give her a second chance, he could too.

I shook her hoof next, and smiled as well. “I can’t wait to get to know you better, I’ve heard great things about your work.” Admittedly, most of the praise I’d heard for her academics was along the lines of, ‘She’s a nag, but...’ No need to mention that little detail, though.

Amethyst trotted forward, giving Sunset a once-over, and not quite succeeding at making her smile genuine. She was certainly trying, but she had a bit more maturing to do before she could master a proper poker face. Her smile was clearly a bit guarded as she declared, “Nice to meet you, I guess.”

We were saved from any awkwardness by the sound of hooves on the stairs. Twilight was coming down at an odd pace, some of the steps way too fast, and others ponderously slow. Almost as if a certain mare was torn between wanting to get to her destination very quickly and showing a bit more restraint, and thus wound up combining the two into a complete mess. Eventually Twilight finished coming down the stairs, and a huge grin popped onto her face as she saw her guest. “Hey, Sunset!” Restraint went out the window, and she took rest of the stairs at a fast trot. “Glad you could make it.”

All eyes in the room turned to Sunset, waiting to see how she would respond. Considering the production she’d made of just coming down the stairs, I was already fairly certain that Twilight was nursing the beginnings of a crush. Not that it was a surprise, considering Twilight had never really been close to another pony in her peer group before. The only pony she was close to outside of her family was the Empress, and Empress Sunbeam Sparkle was technically family too, however distantly.

Sunset’s awkward uncertainty faded away, and she grinned back up at her new friend. “Hey, Twilight. I was just meeting everypony.”

I was already fairly certain about Twilight’s feelings, but I decided to try a quick test to, as Twilight would put it, confirm my hypothesis. “Hello, Twilight. Did you do something special with your mane?” It didn’t look radically different, but there was a little extra curl and flourish to it. The sort of thing a mare might do if she wanted to make herself look nice for a special somepony, without making it too obvious she was trying to look nice. Presumably that was why she’d opted against makeup—it would stand out too much compared to how she normally looked.

I suddenly had an all-too-clear mental image of Twilight in her bathroom, stressing out over how much care she could put into her appearance without overdoing it. She has a bit of a bad habit of overthinking things, especially when she gets stressed. In hindsight, perhaps I should have gone upstairs to check on her beforehoof. Still, she seemed to have managed it well enough.

Twilight gave an embarrassed flush and an apologetic smile. “Sorry, I was in my room fixing my mane. To look nice. Because it needed brushing. Because manes need that done to them sometimes. I just wanted it to be perfect. Well, not perfect, because there are no objective criteria for evaluating the appearance of a mane, so absolute perfection is a logical impossibility; there will always be subjective elements to any judgement of physical attractiveness. However, there are some elements ninety nine percent of ponykind would agree on, so I tried to aim for a happy median of commonly accepted appearance traits. I just wanted it to be nice. I mean because Sunset is our guest and I wanted to be nice—for her, as our guest and my friend.” She plastered a very wide, very awkward grin on her face. “I’m fine! How are you?”

Amethyst leaned over and faux-whispered to her brother, “Who is this smooth-talking charmer, and what has she done with our sister?”

Twilight’s ear flicked at her sister’s sarcastic smartflankery. “Well sometimes my mane can get just a little messy when I'm stressed.”

Sunset cut in before either of Twilight’s siblings could get another word in. “I think it looks really nice.” She paused, and a moment later I caught a hint of a flush in her cheeks. “Although since there are no objective criteria for such an evaluation, as you rightly pointed out, that’s just my unsupported subjective opinion.”

Twilight blushed modestly at the compliment, though I couldn’t miss the smile on her face. “Thank you, Sunset. You look nice, too. Even though you didn’t really do anything special.” She paused, then hastily corrected herself. “Not that you needed to do anything special, you always look great! Your normal manestyle is nice and really complements your eyes and ... um...” Twilight trailed off, her cheeks positively flaming. Sunset wasn’t doing that badly, but she was undeniably blushing.

Considering my special talent, I had an obligation to help the two of them out. Besides, they were such a cute couple. “Well, shall we get to the meal?”

The question promptly distracted everypony from the budding romance of social awkwardness. Mrs. Velvet was quick to guess at what I had in mind. “I made enough pasta for everypony, even if Shining and Amethyst need seconds again.” She smiled at her two other children. “Everything’s already on the table under a warming spell, so we can eat whenever we’re ready.”

Like any growing teen, Amethyst could not resist the siren call of food for long, even if it meant passing up on a perfectly good opportunity to tease her big sister. “Thanks, Mom.” She gave her mother a quick nuzzle and cantered into the dining room, most likely already loading down her plate with everything she could fit on it.

Shining and I followed a short distance behind her. As we walked, Shining leaned over and murmured. “So, you’re the love doctor here. In your expert opinion, how long do you think they'll dance around the 'We're just friends' stage?”

I thought that over. “It’s hard to say, with how nervous and inexperienced those two are. Probably until one of them plucks up the courage to make a move, or gets so nervous she blurts out how she really feels.” I paused and gave a mischievous grin. “Or until somepony gives them a helpful little nudge in the right direction.”

“Somepony like you?” Shining prompted.

“Maaaybe,” I answered with a coy smirk. I tossed a quick look back at the lovebirds, and noticed they seemed to be sticking close together on the way to the dining room.

“I'll make sure Ammy doesn’t push them too hard,” Shining promised. “She’s a brat, but the teasing’s just how she shows she cares and is wishing them luck. Classic teen logic.”

“It works in such mysterious ways.” I grinned at the little troublemaker, and after a moment she noticed and smiled back.

Meanwhile, Twilight took a seat, then pulled out one next to her. “Do you want to sit here, Sunset? Next to me, if that's okay. Because there's plenty of chairs if it isn't, or if you’d rather sit next to somepony else.”

Sunset offered her an uncertain smile, then settled into the offered chair. “Sure, thanks.” She murmured a few more words to Twilight, and then started loading both their plates with salad and pasta.

Amethyst grinned at the two of them and was about to say something when Shining reached over and put on a hoof on her shoulder. I couldn’t hear most of the whispered conversation, but I did make out a half-audible whine of, “But Shineeey!” After a few more whispered words, the two of them fell silent, and rest of us settled in. Mrs. Velvet occupied Twilight’s other side, sitting opposite me, Shining was on my right, and Amethyst was on his right.

Once Mrs. Velvet was settled in, she waved a hoof at the rich spread of pasta, bread, and salad
weighing down the table. “Feel free to get whatever you want.” She paused and smirked at Amethyst, who had half of a breadstick poking out of her mouth. “Well, those of you who haven’t started already.”

Amethyst quickly swallowed her current mouthful of food and offered a sheepish grin. “Um, it’s really good. Thanks, Mom!”

Shining helped cover for his little sister. “This looks amazing, Mom!”

I joined in on it. “Yes, it does. Thank you.” Twilight and Sunset joined in on praising the food.

Flattery worked, and Mrs. Velvet decided to let Amethyst’s little slip-up pass. “Thank you, everypony. It’s really nothing special; cooking isn't that different from alchemy when you think about it. Both are just a matter of mixing ingredients and adding heat.”

Amethyst offered us a grateful little smile, then wasted no time diving right back into her dinner. The rest of us soon followed suit, though at a somewhat more dignified pace.

Once the meal had properly gotten underway, Mrs. Velvet turned to Sunset with a politely inquiring smile. “So, what sort of projects have you been working on for the Empress, Sunset?”

Sunset’s ears perked in interest at that. “I’ve been busy refining the aetheric trans-variance on my teleportation circle prototype … I'm trying to adjust for several issues within the spell matrix that are based on magical principles that were completely theoretical until I started this project. I think I can account for it by modifying the runic spell matrix of the stabilization pattern.”

“I’ve been helping,” Twilight added. “Nothing too serious—it is Sunset’s project, after all. But whenever she needs somepony to bounce a few ideas off of or help her talk through things.”

Well, that sounded promising. It was no wonder Twilight liked her, when they could both connect over their studies. I had always assumed Twilight would need a partner who could satisfy her intellectually as well as emotionally and physically. “So, you two are study buddies?”

Twilight rubbed the back of her mane, and shot a nervous smile at Sunset. “Pretty much, yeah.”

Shining finished off the last few forkfulls of pasta on his plate, then tossed out a question while he was busy refilling. “Are you two working on any joint projects together?”

“Nothing yet, we both have enough of our own work to deal with as it is.” Sunset used a quick spell to toast her bread, then loaded some of her pasta onto it. “So far, all we’ve really done is consult with each other on our own projects and train together.”

Twilight nodded along with that. “We're considering a couple ideas for some sort of joint project, but nothing concrete yet. No point in worrying too much about the details when both of our schedules are packed as it is.”

I took a sip of the lovely wine Mrs. Velvet had provided to go with the meal, and pointedly ignored Amethyst’s enviously pleading glance at my glass. Even if I were inclined to help corrupt an impressionable youth, Twilight and Sunset were occupying my attention. “Well, I think you two make a lovely couple.” I gave that remark half a second to sit on its own before amending, “of study partners.”

“Riiight.” Twilight let out a nervous little giggle. “Study partners. Who study together. For learning.”

“And science,” Sunset agreed. “And magic. Although really, the two of them are so closely related that they’re virtually indistinguishable.” The two mares fell into an awkward silence, both staring intently at their food.

Shining leaned over, and whispered into my ear. “I thought we weren’t going to tease them?”

“It was only a little,” I offered in my own defense. “And I can’t help it, the two of them are just so cute together.”

“Maybe you two should try a chemistry project?” Amethyst suggested. “I mean, you two do seem to have a real knack for chemistry. With each other.”

Shining and I both chuckled at that, but he also directed a meaningful look at his little sister. Amethyst’s ear gave a slight flick, but she got the message and returned to her meal instead of hitting her big sister with another helping of teenaged snark. A little teasing was fine, but I didn’t want things to get the point where they started getting horrendously uncomfortable. Just a little cutely awkward.

Mrs. Velvet seemed to have reached the same conclusion, as she turned to me and shifted the topic of conversation. “So, Cadance, I hope the Empress hasn’t been keeping you too busy. I know the Aedile of Canterlot has a lot to deal with.”

“Oh, there’s always a dozen things going on,” I agreed. In a lot of cities the office of aedile is a fairly minor one, but Canterlot was the political and social hub of the entire Empire. The Grand Galloping Gala, the Summer Sun Celebration, the Unification Day festival, and dozens of other events were all my responsibility. And Celestia forbid anything, however minor, goes wrong with even the slightest details of any event, or I would never hear the end of it. Not to mention the constant discussions with Quaestor Fancy Pants over how many bits I would need to pay for all of those events. As reasonable as he was about most matters, the expense of a massive event like the Grand Galloping Gala could be rather daunting.

It’s rather telling that I actually felt a bit relieved when something went wrong with the sewers. Most Aediles spend more time worrying about the public works side of the job than the public events side of it. I wasn’t that lucky. Still, nopony made a fuss over the sewers unless something went catastrophically wrong, and dealing with the occasional sludge demon was almost refreshing after putting up with all the bother of organizing the Unification Day festival. At least with that, all I needed to do to leave work behind at the end of the day was take a very hot, very thorough bath.

Mrs. Velvet let out a sympathetic murmur. “I know exactly how you feel. Night Light’s always busy with something. I suppose it comes with being the Tribune of Unicornia.”

I could scarcely imagine all the trouble he had to deal with. Representing the interests of every single unicorn in the Empire, appealing any laws or policies he felt were bad for unicorns, and advising the Empress on unicorn affairs was a huge responsibility. Not the mention the fact that tribunes were the only government officials beyond the local level who needed to worry about elections.

“I’ve heard talk that the caribou might be getting a tribune before too much longer,” Sunset idly commented. “Should’ve been done a long time ago; we could’ve prevented their last rebellion if they had somepony in Canterlot to tell us how upset they were with their governor’s policies.”

“They are still adjusting to being part of the empire.” Twilight paused in the middle of her explanation for another bite of pasta. “Electing a tribune is one of the most important steps on the pathway to imperial citizenship. It might be a while before they’re ready for that.”

“Would anypony mind if we don’t discuss politics at the dinner table?” Political discussions always made me wary. Maybe it was just paranoia, but I was worried that if I spent too much time talking about politics I might let what I really thought slip out. Some of the Circle’s opinions would be less than popular, especially with the Empress’ two personal students at the dinner table. Much as I love Twilight, she’s also very loyal to her teacher. All it would take is one offhoof comment about my opinions during one of her lessons, and I could find myself enjoying the hospitality of the Ministry of Heart.

Though speaking of Her Imperial Highness... “I will be meeting with the Empress tomorrow.”

That drew everypony’s attention, with Amethyst letting out an excited, “Really? No way! I mean, sure, Twi meets her all the time, but that’s kinda special.”

Shining offered me an encouraging smile. “Very nice. Is it anything you can talk about, or do you even know?”

“All the letter included was a summons and an appointment time.” Empress Sunbeam isn’t in the habit of explaining herself to her subordinates. “I have my suspicions though. I don’t mean to brag, but I do think I’ve done a very good job as aedile.”

“And Aedile of Canterlot is a great post for a pony looking to prove she has the potential to hold higher offices,” Mrs. Velvet added.

“It’s how Dad became popular enough to win the tribunal election.” Twilight added. “Maybe you could do the same.” She slowly trailed off flushing and shooting me an apologetic look. “Sorry, I forgot that wasn’t really an option for you.”

A tribune had to be a member of the tribe they represented. Considering the fact that the only other alicorn in the entire empire was the Empress herself, I didn’t think it likely there would ever be an alicorn tribune.

I quickly moved the conversation along, before it lingered too long on that awkward moment. “Whatever the case, I've never had a proper meeting with the Empress before. Sure, we’ve met at the Gala and other events, but we didn’t really have a conversation.” If I was honest, I was a bit nervous about talking to her. A single conversation with the Empress can make or break a pony’s career. “I suppose that’s no surprise, though. She usually only talks to officials who rank a bit higher than aedile.”

Mrs. Velvet connected the dots quickly enough. “It sounds like you’re hoping for a promotion.”

“Well of course she should get promoted!” Amethyst had to quickly put a hoof over her mouth to keep from spraying her dinner over the table. Her table manners have improved from when she was a little foal, but she was still learning. “I always have a great time at the U-Day festivals, and the last Summer Sun Celebration was awesome!”

“Cadey even managed to make the Grand Galloping Gala fun,” Shining added, grinning at me. “Anypony who can manage that deserves her pick of any posting in the Empire!”

“Flatterer.” I gave him a playful little nudge.

“You know it’s true.” Shining nudged me back, grinning.

Amethyst seemed to have gone silent, halfheartedly poking at her food. I was about to ask what was bothering her when she spoke up. “You're not going to have to move or anything, are you?”

I flinched at that possibility. The thought of leaving Shining and the other Sparkles behind was painful. Even if Shining managed to get transferred to wherever I wound up, that would mean he would be leaving his family behind too. Hopefully it wouldn’t come to that. “There are plenty of jobs in Canterlot—it is the center of the Empire, after all. I’ve also heard that the Praetor of Canterlot is considering retirement.”

“Cool.” Amethyst grinned at me. “You’d make a great praetor. I bet you’d be awesome at—you know—praetoring.”

Mrs. Velvet let out a long-suffering sigh. “Now I understand why Civics was your worst subject on your last report card.”

“Mooom!” Amethyst whined. “I told you, I know all that stuff! It’s just that my teacher’s a total jerk!”

“Uh-huh.” Her mother crossed her forelegs over her chest, fixing her daughter with a suspicious glower. “In that case, I’m sure you won’t have any trouble at all telling me exactly what a praetor’s duties and responsibilities are, right?”

“Of course not!” Amethyst’s grin was just a bit too wide and nervous to be genuine. “It’s ... um ... gimme a sec...” Shining leaned over, and I saw a tiny wisp of magic shoot from him to Amethyst under the table. A second later her eyes widened, and she shot her big brother a grateful little smile. “Right, praetors are the administrators who occupy the level between mayors and provincial governors. Easy. Told you I knew it.”

“Thank you for helping her, Shining,” their mother commented dryly. Either Shining’s magic wasn’t sneaky enough to get past his mother, or she just knew her own children too well. “Amethyst, just because you don’t like some of your school officials is no excuse for bringing home bad grades. I know you don’t always get along with Headmistress Harshwhinny, but—”

“Thinks she’s some kinda bigshot just because she also works on the Imperial Unity games,” Amethyst grumbled under her breath. “Like that’s even a real job, when the Imperial Unity games happen once a decade. If she was that great she wouldn’t be running a prep school the rest of the time. And all the other teachers are always getting on my case, or complaining about stuff that doesn’t even matter. Miss Rarity’s the only teacher in the whole school that’s actually worth a damn.”

“Language, Amethyst,” her mother chided. “Part of why you’re going to the Harshwhinny Preparatory Academy for Young Mares is so you’ll learn not to talk that way.”

“Anyway,” Shining cut in, defusing the budding mother/daughter confrontation. “I’m really proud of you for getting promoted, Cadey. You earned it. And if you have to leave Canterlot, we’ll find a way to make it work out.”

“The Empress usually tries to avoid splitting up families whenever she hoofs out assignments,” Twilight offered in her mentor’s defense. “If she does end up sending you out to the provinces, I have a feeling she’ll pick one where the local legions need a new colonel.”

“That would be like her.” I reached over and took one of Shining’s hooves in my own. “Whatever happens, we’ll work it out. Love always finds a way.” I leaned over and gave Shining a quick kiss. Twilight and her mother both answered with approving smile. Amethyst tried to show her usual teenage disdain for romance, but the huge smile on her face rather ruined the effort.

“I’m sure you’ll be wonderful, whatever post you get.” Mrs. Velvet beamed at me, pride clear on her face. “I don’t think Shining could’ve found a better mare in all of Equestria.”

Shining’s cheeks pinked. “Aw shucks, Mom.”

“Congratulations, Cadance.” If not for the fact that we were on opposite sides of the table, Twilight would’ve hugged me.

“Thank you, Twilight.” My attention shifted to her not-date. Sunset had been rather quiet for a while, and it wasn’t hard to guess why—she was the odd mare out in a fairly established group of ponies, Twilight was the only one she knew, and given her reputation for being antisocial I rather doubted Sunset was good at dealing with a room full of relative strangers. Especially when we were all so used to talking to one another that it was easy to unintentionally shut her out. “So Sunset, I read an interesting paper on pushing the boundaries between illusion magic and evocation the other day.”

“The one by Magus Lulamoon?” Sunset inquired. “I read it too, I wasn’t impressed. Lulamoon’s great at illusion work, but she should stick to that. Trying to play around with quasi-real magical energy to add substance to illusion-work is a non-starter. And that’s not even getting into the fact that quasi-real magic is inherently unstable.”

“I think it’s a promising line of research,” Twilight countered. “Granted, her theories are very raw right now, but if it pans out she could revolutionize the field.”

“Sure,” Sunset allowed. “If it pans out. Frankly, most of Lulamoon’s work sounds very impressive and has tons of potential, but I’m not gonna get too excited until she produces results. It’s easy to make a theory that sounds impressive on paper, a lot harder to actually produce solid data.”

“You’re just being an evocation snob,” Twilight accused with a good-natured grin. “Believe it or not, you can’t counter every illusion spell by just setting everything around you on fire.”

“Of course not,” Sunset agreed. “That’s why I have ice magic too. Plus all the enchantments I could learn from Mom and Her Imperial Majesty.”

“But no illusions of your own,” I concluded with a grin.

“Nothing beyond the basic standbys,” Sunset allowed. “A magus who can’t cast simple invisibility and displacement spells doesn’t deserve the name. Illusion magic is useful, I just think it’s not the best primary focus for a magus. Magus Lulamoon’s constantly trying to publish her latest theories and ideas, so anypony who’s done an ounce of research before they run into her in the field is going to know most of her magic is safe to ignore.”

“Illusions do work a bit better when you have the element of surprise,” I agreed. “So you’re thinking of joining the Imperial Magi, then?” Not that I was surprised by that, considering the fact that both her parents were archmagi, and Sunset had a natural talent for combat evocation. Really, it would’ve been a surprise if she had a different career in mind.

“If I have the option, yeah,” Sunset shrugged, turning her attention back to her meal. “Depends on what the Empress has planned for me. After all, I can’t imagine she took me on as her personal student without some kind of plan for what I would do once she was done training me.” She finished off the last bite of pasta on her plate, then turned to me. “I guess you’d understand, right? When the Empress hoofs out orders, we have to follow them.”

Sunset pushed her plate back and refilled her water glass, using a quick bit of magic to add some ice cubes to it. “Congratulations on the promotion, by the way. I’ve liked all the events you organized, so I bet you’ll be great at whatever the Empress has planned for you. And receiving a personal appointment from the Empress herself should finally put those rumors about you being a false alicorn to rest.”

The friendly smile I’d been wearing froze as soon as those words left her mouth. Shining slowly lowered his fork, still loaded with pasta, to his plate, an icily neutral glower on his face as he struggled to keep calm. Twilight was utterly mortified, and immediately met my eyes and mouthed a silent apology. For her part, Sunset took one look at everypony’s reaction and her ears slowly drooped, a confused frown on her face, as if she didn’t quite grasp just how far out of line she’d gone..

Most of the time I could shrug off all the ridiculous Canterlot gossip that circles around anypony who hold public office. Nopony seriously believed that I funded my activities as aedile by selling illegal drugs, or that I was Celestia reincarnated into a new body. However, the rumor that I was a false alicorn had gotten under my skin. The day I’d ascended was supposed to be the happiest moment of my life. The day I finally realized my full potential, and seized my destiny.

According to the rumormongers, I’d cheated my way to it. Ponies had tried that in the past, using dark magic and blood sacrifices to try and emulate or even outright steal alicorn magic. All they’d ever achieved was transforming themselves into a twisted mockery of everything alicorns were supposed to stand for. The idea that I could have done those sorts of things was beyond infuriating. I know Sunset hadn’t meant any harm, but the mere mention of the subject was enough to spoil my mood.

The silence was finally broken by Twilight. “Sunset...” Her ears were flat, but she was glaring at her friend and her tone carried the sharpness of reproach.

Sunset flinched at the open condemnation in Twilight’s voice, and mumbled. “Sorry. I was just trying to—I shouldn't have brought it up.”

“Damn right you shouldn’t have.” Amethyst growled, not even trying to hide her anger. “Anypony who takes that load of utter horseapples seriously is an uneducated moron who deserves a lifetime vacation at the Ministry of Heart.” She rose from her seat, trotted over, and latched her forelegs around me in a protective hug.

“I said I was sorry!” Sunset snapped, turning defensive. “No need to bite my head off.”

Mrs. Velvet cleared her throat loudly enough to get our attention, and shot a pointed look at Amethyst when it looked like she would continue regardless. “Is everypony enjoying the meal?”

I gave my mother-in-law a grateful smile, and quickly seized on the chance to change the subject. Sunset had already apologized, and dwelling on the subject would just ruin the rest of the evening. Not to mention it might push Sunset into a corner. Given her reputation, I didn’t think it wise to push her too hard when she had been trying to be on her best behavior for most of the evening. Besides, a disastrous family dinner might ruin her budding relationship with Twilight. “It's wonderful, Mrs. Velvet. Thank you so much.”

Shining dropped a hoof under the table, and gave me a quick supportive squeeze. “Yeah, the pasta's great, Mom. Thanks a million.”

Twilight turned her mother with a smile that was just a bit too wide to be genuine. “Great as always. Everything’s great now. Great great great.”

“Yeah.” Sunset listlessly poked at a breadstick. “Great.”

Amethyst was still glaring at Sunset and hugging me, so I whispered a few quick words to her. “Let it go, sweetie. She didn’t mean anything by it.”

The teenager closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and nodded as she untensed. “Yeah. Okay. That kinda talk just gets me...” She shook her head, and turned to face her mother. “Yeah, the food’s great, Mom. Thanks.” It took a few more seconds for her let go of me and go back to her seat.

“Thank you, everypony.” Mrs. Velvet turned to her houseguest, reintegrating her into the conversation. “So do you cook at all, Sunset?”

Sunset blinked in surprise, then offered a grateful nod to her host. “Yeah, I do my own cooking whenever I’ve got time for it. Dad said it was a good way to learn precise control with my pyromancy. ‘Course, when I’m in the middle of a big project I don’t always have time for it, but when I do...”

“Her stir fry is amazing,” Twilight added, grinning at her friend. Sunset was quick to return the smile.

Shining smirked at that news. “So you’ve cooked dinner for Twilight, have you?”

“We were just having a late night study session, and didn’t feel like going out,” Twilight hastily explained. “You know, eating in our room instead of going to Burger Praetor together.” She blinked, and her cheeks pinked again. “Well, not together together, just together. As study buddies. Together, in the same room, at the same table, but on opposite side of that table. Because the tables at Burger Praetor are set up that it’s more comfortable to eat that way.”

“I usually make enough stir-fry to have leftovers for a couple days anyway,” Sunset explained, every bit as flustered as Twilight. “You know, so I can save time by just reheating it all later. It’s not like I had to do anything special to cook for both of us. I mean, I did try to make it a little nicer than usual, since I was cooking for company. And I toned down the spices a bit because she doesn’t like too much of that, but that’s just part of being a good host. I wanted her to like my cooking, because she was going to be eating it. And ponies should like the food they eat.”

Okay, as adorable as those two were, I was going to have to do something to help them with their tendency to awkwardly ramble. Though perhaps the problem would fix itself once they properly hooked up. Shining was nervous when we first started going out, but he got over it after I kissed him a few times. It had been cute, and a bit flattering.

Twilight’s mother came to the young couple’s rescue. “Perhaps you could help me cook next time you come over for a family meal?” Knowing Mrs. Velvet, she would use the opportunity to thoroughly gauge Sunset’s suitability as a partner for Twilight. “What kind of stir-fry do you usually make?”

Sunset relaxed a bit more, back to the state she’d been in before her faux-pas. “Well, I vary it up a lot. It’s usually just whatever I'm in the mood for, or whatever ingredients I have available. You can make a stir-fry out of almost anything, really.”

“True,” Mrs. Velvet agreed. “Variety is the spice of life.” She offered Sunset an encouraging smile. “So, I think we should make plans. Are you free at the same time and day next week? We usually try to make this our family dinner night.”

Sunset considered that for a moment, then slowly nodded. “Yeah, I can make it.”

“Great!” Twilight pulled out her schedule book, and quickly jotted down a few notes. “Oh, I should probably put grocery shopping into the schedule too. And maybe we should pick up a cake or something special for dessert. And as long as we’re thinking of it we should write up a list of exactly what groceries we’ll need.”

I grinned at the budding couple. “Well, I know I’m looking forward to it.”

Mrs. Velvet nodded. “I’m sure we all are.” Mrs. Velvet leaned across the table, and whispered. “And I’m looking forward to helping the two of them along, as well.”

“Oh, definitely,” I agreed with a grin. I was already eagerly anticipating the chance to pair the two of them up.

Shining must have overheard us, because he murmured, “I tried to warn everypony about Cadey’s Romance Receptor, but nopony listened. Now look where we are...”

I had to wait outside the throne room for almost an hour before Empress Sunbeam would see me.

I’m sure she was very busy ruling over most of the known world, but the delay was still annoying. Maybe it was a side effect of spending so much time with Twilight, but I liked to think that if the appointment was for three in the afternoon, then I would meet with the Empress at three. Though I suppose in the grand scheme of things, formally promoting an aedile to higher office wasn’t anywhere near as important as dealing with the provincial governors or the tribunes, or whatever other affairs of state were occupying her time. Besides, it’s not like I would actually complain about it to her face. Chewing out the Supreme Ruler of Equestria for being a few minutes late would be good way to find myself reassigned to the frozen north.

I was in the middle of flipping through some of the paperwork for the next Summer Sun Celebration when she finally arrived. I was a bit disappointed to see that Shining wasn’t among the Phoenix Guardponies attending her, though I suppose it shouldn’t have been a surprise. The Empress’ personal security detail was just a tiny part of the overall Phoenix Guard. It still would’ve been nice to see him one last time before I met with the Empress, though.

I dropped into a respectful bow, and after a few moments she gestured for me to rise. “Aedile Cadenza, it’s a pleasure to meet you properly. I was most impressed with the last Grand Galloping Gala.” She continued down the corridor, right past the throne room. I didn’t say anything, but she must have guessed at my unspoken question. “We will be meeting in my quarters, not the throne room. I think I prefer something a bit more private for this.”

That was unexpected, but hopefully a good sign. A private meeting with the Empress was usually more prestigious than a public one. “I am honored, Your Imperial Majesty.”

She answered that with a neutral noise from the back of her throat, and we walked in silence for some time before she spoke again. “I trust the plans for the Summer Sun Celebration are proceeding well?”

“They are, though I confess that this year’s Celebration and the Gala are both likely to be overshadowed, with the millennial festivities coming up next year.” Despite the circumstances, I couldn’t help smiling at the next thought. “Fancy Pants is no doubt dreading all the extra expense of the millennial celebrations, but we can’t let the thousandth year pass without doing something special to mark the occasion.”

Of course, if certain prophecies were accurate, the thousandth Summer Sun Celebration would have one very unexpected and unwelcome guest. With that in mind, I would be fine with any expense, just so long as Equestria was in a position to have a thousandth Grand Galloping Gala at all.

The Empress made a few more polite inquiries for the rest of the walk, until we arrived at the entrance to her quarters. As the guards took position outside her doorway, the Empress used her magic to open the doors and strode in, then looked back at me expectantly.

I followed her into a foyer that was practically the throne room in miniature, though featuring a massive throne that had made a few concessions to comfort over grandeur. Through one of the side doors, I could see a dining room where practically everything seemed to be made out of a mix of gold and rubies. I have to imagine the silverware—well, gold-and-rubyware—was all but unusable. At least it all looked very impressive.

The Empress took a seat on her throne, which was set on a raised dais that allowed her to tower over me, then closed the doors behind us. I felt a hint of nerves as the doors shut, and a privacy spell settled into place. It was just me and the Empress; nopony else would even know what we talked about.

“Would you like something to drink?” The Empress drew a bottle and a pair of golden, ruby-encrusted goblets from the kitchen area. “The Tribune of Zebrica presented me with a lovely bottle of hibiscus wine that I’ve been very eager to try, and I think this is the perfect occasion for it.”

I usually didn’t drink alcohol beyond the odd glass of wine at dinner, and having dinner with the Sparkles had accustomed me to wine that had been watered down as much as it could be without losing the right to be called such. Powerful unicorns and alcohol were known to be a rather dangerous mix even in Star Swirl the Bearded’s time. The last thing Canterlot needed was a drunken Twilight ripping apart Sparkle Manor because she’d misplaced her notes.

Still, one does not refuse the Empress when she offers a drink. I took the goblet, thanked her, and tipped it back. A second later I nearly choked on it; the wine itself had a nice enough flavor, but it was quite a bit stronger than what I was used to. I politely set the goblet aside. “Thank you, Empress. It’s lovely. I’m just used to lighter drinks.”

“I do like my wine with a bit more bite to it than most do.” She sipped from her goblet, then directed a reassuring smile my way. “And there’s no need to worry. We are alicorns, child. We would have to finish the entire bottle for it to start affecting us.”

In light of that information, I took another sip of the wine. It wouldn’t do to seem ungrateful, and I didn’t need to worry about getting tipsy and making a fool of myself. I suppose I should have known one of the gifts of an alicorn would be an earth pony’s constitution, but I’d never thought to see how it applied to my alcohol tolerance. To be honest, if not for being friends with the Sparkles, I never would’ve developed my magic as much as I had. Considering the rumors that had been floating around ever since I ascended, I’d been wary of pushing the limits of my new status.

“Now then,” the Empress announced, setting her goblet aside for the moment. “I see no reason to leave you in suspense as to the reasons for our meeting any longer. As you no doubt suspect, I invited you here today for some most welcome news: you are being promoted.”

“Thank you, Empress.” I dropped down in a humbly grateful bow. “I would be honored to serve the Empire in whatever capacity you deem best.”

“Don’t thank me yet,” Empress Sunbeam murmured, pausing to sip at her wine again. “Northmarch needs a new Imperial Governor. Normally you would have to serve as a praetor for five years first, but one of perks of being Empress is that I’m allowed to make exceptions to my own rules, when the good of the Empire is at stake.”

My wine goblet clattered to the floor, completely forgotten. “Northmarch?” I repeated incredulously. “You’re sending me to Northmarch?” The frozen wasteland full of rebellious caribou that had been the Empire’s dumping ground for years for rejects and failures. That was my new post?

“That is where you are needed,” the Empress answered matter-of-factly.

“With all due respect, Empress, that is a mistake.” I took a deep breath, and carefully laid out a calm and rational argument in my head. “My performance as Aedile of Canterlot has demonstrated that I am a skilled administrator capable of organizing some of the most complex and daunting events in the Empire. Further, though I am not trying to brag, I am by far one of the most popular and widely liked mares to have ever held the post. Would it not be wiser to assign me to task within Canterlot, where I could build upon that existing good will to better serve the Empire?”

The Empress was silent for some time, idly swirling her wine in its goblet. “A well-reasoned argument, but you have overlooked a critical issue: your skill at both administration and winning the love of the common pony is precisely whyI’m sending you to Northmarch.”

“You’re exiling me because I’m too popular?” Did the Empress feel threatened by me? Was she afraid that I was scheming to steal her throne? It was not as if she had been terribly welcoming when I’d first ascended—she probably could have dispelled the false alicorn rumors with a few well-chosen words. Instead she’d let the rumors circulate. Why? To keep me weak and isolated? Was she that scared of me? And if she was, did that mean I had enough strength to be a real threat?

“Hardly.” Empress Sunbeam gave a lazy, disinterested smile. “Tell me, child, are you upset because you feel being transferred to Northmarch is a waste of your abilities, or are you upset because it would take you away from most of your friends in the Circle?”

I tensed in shock when she mentioned the Circle, then immediately forced myself to relax. It’s possible she didn’t know anything, and was just fishing for information. If she only suspected I was associated with the Circle, the last thing I needed to do was tip my hoof and give everything away. “The Circle? What, do you mean my circle of friends in Canterlot? I will miss them, yes, but I always knew that my duties might take me away from them.”

Empress Sunbeam let out a low chuckle and tipped her glass to me. “Well played, Aedile Cadenza. I almost believe you’re innocent.” She took a sip of her wine. “Almost. But back to business. I’m well aware of the problems in Northmarch, and why it’s considered the worst posting in the Empire. Which is why I’m sending you to clean it up. The caribou haven’t been fully integrated into the Empire yet, and I want that corrected. The last time I tried that, my governor took too firm of a hoof with them. I think this time, a softer touch is called for.”

I retrieved my own dropped goblet and cleaned up the spilled wine. “So this isn’t a matter of exile, but sending me to clear the province up?”

“Precisely,” the Empress agreed. “I don’t like the idea that any portion of my empire is only useful as a dumping ground for failures. I fully expect to see a caribou tribune in Canterlot by the time your term is done.” A cold smile crossed her lips, and she added. “And I want one of the most important members of the Circle far away from Canterlot for the thousandth Summer Sun Celebration. I’m sure I don’t need to explain why.”

I said nothing in response to that, and after a few seconds the Empress gave an impatient snort. “Child, if I intended to move against you, we would be having this conversation within the depths of the Ministry of Internal Security.” It took me a moment to remember that was the formal name of the Ministry of Heart, since only a few government officials actually used it. “Since we’re meeting in my private throne room, you can safely assume that I have no intention of throwing you in the dungeons for being a member of an illegal secret society.”

She had a point, but I still wasn’t going to confess anything I might regret later. “Assuming that I was a member of this Circle, why would you want me out of Canterlot?”

“I would think the reasons obvious, given the Circle’s history,” the Empress answered with a dismissive wave of her hoof. “Considering Celestia founded your organization, I have to imagine she left some kind of instructions regarding what to do once Nightmare Moon was released from her prison. Unless you’re in the mood to share what the Circle has planned, I think it best to remove it from the board. I don’t need secret societies with unknown agendas interfering in one of the most sensitive and dangerous security operations in the Empire’s history.”

I measured my words very carefully before I answered. “If I might indulge in purely hypothetical speculation based solely off of the information you’ve provided, I would guess that the Circle’s agenda would be to ensure Luna’s survival. Old Queen Celestia was very fond of her sister, and always regretted her madness. She would also be aware of your merciless default policies regarding threats to the safety and security of Equestria.”

“Executing most of Tartarus’ occupants did send a rather clear message,” Empress Sunbeam agreed. “Not to mention what I did to that one statue. Celestia always had a gentle touch. She believed that everypony and everything deserved a second chance. That you should always offer your hoof in friendship, even to your enemies.” The supreme ruler of Equestria shrugged. “I don’t see the appeal of risking the lives and safety of my subjects just to give a villain another chance.”

My eyes widened in surprise as I put it together. “You’re going to kill Luna?”

“Nightmare Moon,” Sunbeam corrected. “There might come a day when she is indeed Luna once more, but it’s been nearly a thousand years since she could claim that name. And yes, I will kill her without a moment’s hesitation before I allow her to kill even a single one of my subjects.” She held up a hoof to cut me off before I could object. “That said, I promised Celestia that I would do everything within my power to save her sister’s life and restore her to sanity, so long as she did not become an unacceptable threat to Equestria’s security. I have no intention of breaking that promise, if only because breaking a magically binding oath tends to carry a large variety of negative consequences.” She shrugged, then casually added. “And in any case, a redeemed Luna would be a valuable resource for all of Equestria.”

“In that case, why move the Circle out of the way at all?” I toyed with the empty wine goblet, for lack of anything else to do. “It sounds like you wouldn’t be doing anything they don’t approve of.”

“Just because our agendas are largely compatible doesn’t mean we might not come into conflict,” Empress Sunbeam countered, idly refilling my empty goblet. “The Circle is still an unpredictable variable in my plans, and I don’t like unpredictable variables. Besides, while the Circle has been an undeniably useful asset, I find the very basis of its existence offensive. Celestia didn’t need to create a secret society to keep an eye on me, and make sure I don’t—how did she put it? ‘Allow the darker aspects of my nature to come to the fore.’” She snorted in contempt. “As if I need moral guardians. Or Celestia had any right to lecture me on rulership.”

“Celestia was ten times the mare you are.” It was a couple seconds before I realized I’d been foolish enough to actually say that out loud. I thought about trying to quickly moderate my comment, but I never got the chance.

Empress Sunbeam’s reaction caught me by surprise. I would’ve expected her to yell at me, call her guards, send me to the dungeons, or even strike me. Laughter, on the other hoof, caught me completely off-guard. “Child, if you think being a good mare has anything to do with being a good ruler, then you’re even more hopelessly naive than I thought. Celestia was a wonderful pony, but she was too nice for her own good. And more importantly, too nice for Equestria’s own good. She may have been the better mare, but I’m the better empress.”

“That remains to be seen,” I grumbled before I could stop myself.

To my surprise, Empress Sunbeam let out a delighted chuckle. “Oh, it’s been too long since I had a good argument. I think that’s one of the few things I regret about the crown. Everypony’s afraid I’ll send them to the dungeons the instant they challenge me, as if I were some petty two-bit tyrant who can’t bear to hear an opposing viewpoint. It’s why I tolerate the Circle’s presence, even though the reasons for your existence offend me. I don’t agree with your perspective, but Equestria benefits from having an established loyal opposition. There have been times when my opinions have been modified by new facts.” She offered me a low, tight smile. “You’ll do very well in Northmarch. Both because you have the skill for it, and because I will accept nothing less than your best.”

Ah. Back to the subject of my trip to the frozen north. “Sending me to the Northmarch isn’t going to do anything to help those rumors that I used black magic to ascend.”

The Empress raised a single eyebrow at that. “If you can’t deal with a few nasty rumors, you should really get out of politics while you still can. It’s only going to get worse as your career advances.”

“But you could’ve stopped them!” I all but shouted at her, flinging my goblet to the floor in frustration. “All it would have taken was a single public statement from you, and all that talk would’ve gone away!”

Empress Sunbeam met my anger with reserved, detached calm. When she finally spoke, it was only to say, “You know, if you’re going to keep dropping your goblet every time I say something you don’t like, I don’t think I’ll share any more of my wine with you.” She teleported both our goblets and the bottle away, then turned her attention back to me. “As for your objection, I wasn’t aware that it was part of my royal duties to dispel every single rumor somepony finds upsetting. If that’s the case, I rather urgently need to visit an elementary school playground to let everypony know that one of the young fillies is not, in fact, a ‘booger-face’ as the rumors claim.”

“That’s not the same as—”

The Empress cut me off again. “You ascended without my permission. Without so much as even consulting me first. You joined a secret society dedicated to monitoring and manipulating me in line with the agenda of a mare who’s been dead for over eight centuries. And after that, you’re surprised when I don’t go out of my way to help you resolve a few petty inconveniences?” She settled back into her throne, and rolled her eyes. “Please. If a few rumors upset you that much, do something about them yourself. I am your Empress, not your nursemaid.”

“I understand.” I reluctantly dropped down for a formal bow. “Will there be anything else, Your Imperial Majesty?”

“I believe we’ve covered everything,” The Empress agreed. “There will be quite a bit of paperwork to attend to, of course. The usual things, like transferring your files to whoever I appoint as your successor.” She paused, and tapped a hoof on her chin. “Feel free to recommend somepony, if you have any especially talented subordinates. And of course you’ll need all the relevant files for your governorship. My secretaries can attend to that, though. Good day, Governor Cadenza.”

I couldn’t see anything especially good about it.

Predictably, I spent the rest of the day buried in paperwork. Between putting everything in order for whoever the Aedile of Canterlot would be and going over everything I would need to know for my new post, I barely had enough time to eat and sleep. I hadn’t even had time to drop by Sparkle Manor yet. Or maybe I was just putting it off. I wasn’t looking forward to telling them that I would have to leave them all behind.

I was almost tempted to resign. Managing the Circle would’ve been more than enough to keep me busy, especially since my conversation with the Empress indicated we had a security leak that needed to be plugged. Bits wouldn’t be a problem; I might not have much in the way of savings, but Amethyst wasn’t the only Sparkle who was eager for me to move in. I wouldn’t want to be a freeloader or a trophy wife, but Shining’s family would be more than willing to support me until I could find a new job.

Sadly, that wasn’t an option. Even if I wasn’t happy about the assignment, I still wanted to be part of the government. Besides, Northmarch needed a good governor. If somepony else took the job and made a mess of things, I would feel responsible. I might not like the Empress very much, but she was right about one thing: I could do the job. It would be hard and thankless, and I would probably be utterly miserable the entire time, but I could get it done.

After a long day at the office, I trudged back to my apartment. The Aedile of Canterlot might be a prestigious post, but the pay wasn’t especially impressive. My apartment was comfortable enough, but not exactly the height of luxury. Admittedly, I hadn’t felt the need to fancy up my home too much when I was a regular visitor at Sparkle Manor, and my Circle activities ate up a lot of my disposable income. Keeping up with the Circle from way up north was going to be difficult, but I would find a way.

At least the promotion came with a pay raise and new perks like an official residence. I suppose I should try to look on the bright side.

It was a little hard to do that right now, though. All I wanted to do was go home, eat more ice cream than I should, and hope that I could come up with some way to fix this whole mess.

I’d barely settled in with a tub of ice cream and a folder full of paperwork when somepony started pounding on my door. I opened it up to reveal Amethyst, still wearing her school uniform, grinning up at me. There was a newspaper floating beside her. “Cadance!” She leaped forward and latched her forelegs around my neck. “Why didn’t you tell us you were getting promoted to a governor?! This is the most awesome thing ever! And did you read today’s paper? ‘Cause it gets even better!”

“What do you mean?”

Amethyst hoofed over the newspaper. The front page was dominated by a story about the Sapphire Guardian foiling a bank robbery, but page two had an article about my promotion. Amethyst pointed to a line in the article and quoted, “In a brief public statement earlier today, Empress Sunbeam Sparkle declared, ‘I have absolute confidence that my fellow alicorn will perform her duties flawlessly.’” Amethyst gave an excited little bounce and squeal. “Don’t you get it, Cadey? She called you an alicorn! And not just that, her fellow alicorn! It’s right there in the newspaper and everything! Nopony can talk horseapples about you now!”

I stared at the text, trying to wrap my head around it. Why would the Empress do that for me after the way our conversation had gone? Had she decided she didn’t want ponies using those rumors as an excuse to question her choice? Maybe now that I was working directly for her she didn’t like the idea of rumors floating about that made one of her servants look bad.

Or maybe, as strange as it seemed, she’d just done it to be nice. Maybe that whole conversation wasn’t about why she wouldn’t help me, but why she wasn’t obligated to help me. That did sound like what the leader of the Circle had told me to expect.

While I’d been puzzling through all of that, Amethyst was still excitedly babbling along. “It sucks that you’re gonna be so far away, but it’s not like we’d never be able to visit. Shining’s already put in for a transfer, and one of the colonels up there had just retired so there’s an open slot for him. And oh yeah, you’re Governor Cadance now!” She grabbed one of my forelegs, and started yanking me out the door. “C’mon, there’s no way you’re not coming home for dinner tonight. We’ve got celebrating to do!”

Despite the fact that I had at least twice her body mass, there was no resisting Amethyst’s enthusiastic pulling. And in any case, between the article in the newspaper and confirmation that Shining would be coming with me, I was starting to feel like celebrating as well. “Okay, okay. Calm down, Amethyst. Just give me a minute, and I’ll be with you.”

“Okay, but make it a fast minute.” Amethyst sat in my doorway, impatiently tapping her hooves. After a few seconds her ears perked. “Oh, hey, Twilight wanted me to give you a present. Y’know, to celebrate your promotion and everything.” Amethyst rolled her eyes. “I know this’ll probably be a complete and utter shock, but her present is ... a book.” She pulled said book out of her saddlebag, and passed it over to me.

Needless to say, I wasn’t surprised. I still remember getting my book-shaped birthday present from Twilight, the little filly innocently grinning up at me and declaring that I would never guess what she’d gotten me. I looked over my latest gift from her while trotting over to the section of my bookshelf I had set aside for all my birthday and Hearths Warming presents from Twilight. “A History of Northmarch: From the Crystal Empire to the 4th Caribou Rebellion,” I read aloud. I set the book aside, and made a mental note to read it later. I should know the history of my new province, after all. “Okay, Amethyst, I’m ready.”

“Alright then!” She re-grabbed my foreleg, and dragged me out the door. “C’mon! Let’s go let’s go let’s go!”

I laughed and let myself be dragged off, pausing just long enough to put my ice cream back in the freezer. All the research, paperwork, and packing could wait for a bit longer—I wanted some time with my family.

Sapphire Schoolteacher

I had never planned on being a full-time teacher. In fact, not much of my life matched what I had planned back when I was filly.

When I was young, I’d dreamed of being a fashionista. Selling my designs in the most exclusive shops, seeing them worn by Equestria’s best and brightest. I’d fantasized about one day designing gowns for the Empress herself, or marrying a handsome stallion from the Phoenix Guard. Or perhaps a provincial governor, who could whisk me away to exotic Zebrica or the distant shores of Griffonia.

Teaching etiquette classes at the Harshwhinny Preparatory Academy for Young Mares was only supposed to be a way to pay the bills until my fashion career took off. Starting your own business takes quite a bit of time and money. I hadn’t even picked teaching as something I particularly wanted to do—I had been doing interviews wherever I could to find a job suited to my talents and interests, and Ms. Harshwhinny had been the first pony to make me an offer.

It was only supposed to be for a short while, until I’d showed off my designs to a few ponies to get my hoof in the door and saved up seed money to have a proper start to my business. It was just supposed to be a temporary job.

And yet, at the end of the semester, when Ms. Harshwhinny asked if I was interested in teaching full-time, I’d accepted. I couldn’t entirely explain why. There’s just something ... magical about teaching. Taking an unrefined young mare, and teaching her all the skills she would need in order to become a proper lady. My special talent is drawing out the beauty hidden within others, and even the grandest dress couldn’t compare to helping a young mind find the beauty within itself. A few bits of lace and fabric were nothing compared to the pony wearing them.

So that’s how I became a schoolteacher.

I trotted into my classroom, beaming at the score of young mares sitting at their desks. If you’ll forgive me for saying so, I do think the school’s uniforms looked absolutely smashing. The matching red-and-gold blouses and skirts looked very sharp on my students. I was rather proud of the design. I might have backed away from my dreams of a career in high fashion, but I could still throw together a lovely ensemble when I put in the effort.

My students were merrily chattering away with each other about all the usual things that occupy the attention of young mares. I was quite amused to note Miss Prose and Miss Sparkle going over this morning’s edition of the Canterlot Herald. It would seem the Sapphire Guardian had taken the front page again. Superheroines do have a knack for that. Still, it was time to get the girls focused on their lessons. Goodness knows high school gossip could go on for the rest of the day otherwise. “Good morning class!”

“Good morning, Miss Rarity,” my students dutifully chimed. I must admit, I absolutely adore the little darlings. Well, ‘little’ might be a bit of a misnomer, given that my students were teenagers. Whatever the terminology one uses, my students were a delight.

I bustled over to my desk and pulled out my notes. “Now, I believe the syllabus says we will be getting to one of the lessons I’m sure you’ve all been looking forward to: the proper way for a young lady to conduct herself during courtship.” I waited a few moments to allow the obligatory giggling that must occur whenever one mentions the subject of romance in a room full of teenage fillies. “So, young ladies, what are the ideal qualities one should look for in a mate?”

“A good dancer!” One of my students suggested.

“No, it should be somepony strong and hunky, like a Phoenix Guard!”

“No, I want somepony with bits! My last date tried to take me to Burger Praetor! Burger! Praetor! For a date! Can you say lame?”

“I just want a gentlecolt.”

“Or a gentlemare,” Miss Sparkle cut in. “I’m not picky. It doesn’t even have to be a pony.”

“Ew! But then your kids would be half-breeds!”

“Girls!” I quickly cut in before an argument could start. “Now then, Miss Sparkle is correct. Whether or not a potential partner is suitable should ultimately be a matter of one’s own preferences, whatever those may be.”

“Exactly!” I noted that Ruby was speaking, and mentally prepared myself for something unspeakably crude. “A silver tongue never hurts, either. After all, size doesn't matter if they lack the perjabber, so the real ticket is if they know how to lick it.”

I sighed and rubbed my muzzle. Teenagers are all hormones.

“Miss Prose!” I jumped in surprise at Headmistress Harshwhinny’s voice, and turned to see her standing in the doorway, glaring daggers at my dirty-minded young student. “It would seem your previous visits to my office have failed to make an impression. Perhaps a full week of detention will be enough to teach you?” Ms. Harshwhinny let out a refined sniff. “Though really, if you can’t learn to mind your tongue in the classroom, I have half a mind to bar you from tomorrow’s field trip to the Imperial Palace. I will not have any of my students embarrassing me in public. Am I understood?”

Ruby flinched down into her seat. “Yes, Headmistress Harshwhinny. I’m sorry, Headmistress.”

“Very good, then.” The headmistress turned to me. “Well—as I had intended to say before other matters claimed my attention—I need to speak with you, Miss Rarity. There are a few details to be attended to regarding your upcoming excursion to the Imperial Palace. If you would join me outside, for a few moments?”

“Of course, Ms. Harshwhinny.” I trotted for the door. The Headmistress spared one last disapproving glower for Ruby, let out a loud sniff and followed me out.

Thankfully, her office was just across the hall from my classroom. Much like the mare herself, Ms. Harshwhinny’s office was all business. Shelves full of schoolbooks, and several cabinets holding files on all the students and staff at the academy. The walls were covered in the numerous awards both she and the Academy had earned, as well as a few mementos she’d picked up while organizing the Imperial Games. She was rather proud of her role on the Games’ organizing committee, even if it meant spending a few months out of every tenth year away from the school.

Aside from those tokens of her involvement in the Games, there were no personal touches to her office, not even a single family photograph. When I’d asked about that, she stated that letting students know too much about their instructor's personal life encouraged them to become ‘too familiar’ and ‘caused students to view us as ponies, rather than authority figures.’ I’m not sure if I agreed with her reasoning, especially since the girls liked to joke that Ms. Harshwhinny was a golem assembled out of spare parts from a dozen former headmistresses.

She waved for me to have a seat. Predictably, once I was settled she went straight to business. “I do expect better behavior from Miss Prose and the rest of your students while at the Imperial Palace. The last thing we need is one of them causing a scene.”

“Of course.” Considering her rather disparaging tone, I felt obligated to say a few words in defense of my students. “They do know how to behave themselves; some of them can just get a bit rambunctious when they're in the classroom. While Miss Prose has rather poor taste in humor, they’re all very good young ladies, and they'll be on their best behavior while they’re at the palace.”

Headmistress Harshwhinny let out a faint murmur that might have been disapproving, but said no more on the matter. “Very well, then. I trust you to know your students and keep them under control.” She pulled out a small notepad, then dipped a quill into her inkwell. “Back to the matter at hoof. Given that you will be going to the palace tomorrow, I felt that a final check was in order to make sure there are no unexpected difficulties with the trip itself. I expect you've received all of the permission slips from the girls' parents?”

“Of course. The only pony who hasn’t turned one in yet is Silver Skip.” A faint frown crossed my face as I thought back to the classroom I’d just left. “She wasn't in class today. I suppose if she's come down with something, she won't be in any condition to join us on the trip tomorrow in any case.”

“Hrm. I’ll see if my secretary can get in touch with her parents. Though field trips are enough of a hassle that having one less young lady to worry would not be a terrible problem.” She scratched down a few notes on her pad with some of the best penmareship I’ve ever seen from an earth pony. “When last we spoke, you mentioned that you were looking into several options for lunch. Did you settle on one that was within an acceptable budgetary range, without resorting to feeding them fast food?” She let out a faint sniff. “Bits are a concern, of course, but we do have standards.”

“I think I settled on something acceptable,” I confirmed. “It took a bit of work, but I talked to a few ponies I knew and called in some favors. Of course, I also mentioned just whose daughters were going to be a part of the excursion. In the end, I was able to arrange for the girls to have luncheon at the palace's cafeteria.” Not a five star restaurant, but certainly prestigious enough, without costing too terribly much.

The headmistress lifted a single eyebrow at that. “Oh? I see. In that case, think it would be prudent if you briefly reviewed dining etiquette before the trip. Oh, and since a few of the girls have family members working at the palace, do remind them that they have to stay with the group for lunch, even if their parents are also present.” She jotted down a few more notes. “As for going to and from the palace, did you intend to just walk, or will we need to hire a few carriages?” Though she endeavored to keep her tone neutral, the faint frown on her lips when she mentioned hiring carriages made her thoughts plain enough.

Thankfully, I had already accounted for that issue, and predicted Ms. Harshwhinny’s preferences. “It's only a fifteen minute trot, so I thought a walk might be best. A bit of exercise won't hurt the girls, and it would cut the expense of the trip.”

“Keeping expenses down is always a consideration,” the Headmistress readily agreed. “However, I don’t want to, how shall we say, push that philosophy to the point of having this excursion done on the cheap. Parents do expect a bit more class out of a school with our tuition fees.” She delicately cleared her throat, then looked back to her notepad. “I am somewhat concerned about the security of our students if they walk to the palace, given the prestigious nature of many of the girls' parents. Still, the constables and the Phoenix Guard keep a very close eye on the palace and nearby environs, and I trust you weren’t planning to lead them down any dark alleyways.”

“Naturally.” I pity the poor thief or mugger who thought he could lay a hoof on my students. I don’t like to think of myself as a violent mare, but if anypony ever tried to hurt a single hair on my kids’ heads, then I would rip that bastard to pieces.

Miss Harshwhinny was, of course, completely unaware of that rather unusually violent turn of thought. “Of course, just making a note of it.” She scratched something off on her pad, then jotted down a few more things. She looked over her notepad, gave a satisfied nod, and then flipped it closed and set it back in her blouse. “What was the final estimate for this trip, with your adjustments?”

“Ten bits per student, and nineteen students,” I promptly supplied. “Twenty, if Miss Skip is able to make it after all.”

Harshwhinny raised an eyebrow at that. “I thought for sure it would be higher. Though really, that’s the last thing I should be complaining about. Very good, Miss Rarity. If you'll bring their permission forms to my office after you finish for the day, I'll file them for the school's records.”

“Of course, Miss Harshwhinny.” I glanced towards the clock, and then the door. It had been a full five minutes since I’d left the classroom. Hopefully the girls had not cause too much chaos yet. “Was there anything else?”

The headmistress tapped the end of her quill against her lips. “One other thing. Will you be able to handle all twenty of them on your own?” She looked me over with a faint frown. “You've seemed somewhat ... bedraggled, on occasion, and twenty young ladies is quite a hooffull.”

“I suppose I have been prone to burning the candle at both ends,” I confessed. “You know how it is: always more work for a teacher to do. Papers to grade, courses to plan, the usual bothers. I'll make sure to get a good night's rest before the tip. Trust me, I know exactly how hard a class full of excited girls can be.”

“Very well then, Miss Rarity.” She delicately cleared her throat. “I won’t belabor the point, but if you decide that you do require a second chaperone, do try to let me know before the end of class today. And if anything beyond that comes up, inform me promptly.”

“Of course, Ms. Harshwhinny.” I glanced back to the door once more. “Will there be anything else?”

“Not for the present moment, no.” She paused, then held up a hoof. “Well, one other matter, on something of a personal note. Do remember that there’s more to life than being a schoolteacher, Miss Rarity. Your students are very fond of you, and I am quite satisfied with your performance, but I am worried you might be ... throwing a bit too much of yourself into your work.” A very faint smile crossed her lips, and her voice turned a bit gentler. “Staying up until the wee hours of the morning grading assignments and planning lessons is a good way to burn yourself out, and that would be a terrible shame. I hope you at least have a few hobbies, the odd gentlecolt caller, or something beyond the schoolhouse.”

If only she knew... “Thank you for your concern, headmistress. For what it’s worth, I think I have a satisfactory balance in my life. It’s just that there aren’t always enough hours in the day.” I nodded to her, and rose from my seat. “If you will excuse me, I really should get back to my class. Goodness knows what they’ll be getting up to with no adult supervision.”

“I dread to consider,” Harshwhinny agreed dryly. “Good day.”

“Good day.”

I trotted out of the headmistress’ office, but before I could return to my classroom I was distracted by the sound of hooves slapping the floor in a rapid, frantic gallop. A few seconds later, young Miss Silver Skip came barreling around the corner, only to pull up to a fast stop when she saw me. “Miss Rarity! Hi. Um ... sorry I’m late.”

“Miss Skip.” I looked my student over, noting that her uniform was not sitting properly, and her white mane was rather bedraggled, and hanging down over half her face. By the looks of her saddlebags, either her classes were lighter than usual, or she’d left some of her things behind. “You are late for class. Is there some explanation for this?”

The young mare was silent for several seconds, slowly shuffling her hooves. “I ... I overslept. Forgot to set my alarm clock.”

“I see.” I pursed my lips as I spotted one other detail of her appearance that rendered her claim rather dubious, but now was hardly the time to pursue it. “We’ll talk about this after class.” The young lady flinched, and I softened my tone slightly as I opened the door for her. “In you go, now.” Silver trotted in, and I followed behind her, finding my students every bit as wild and disorderly as they’d been before the start of class. I suppose I should be grateful I taught young ladies, at least. Fillies and colts would probably be rampaging around the room causing as much destruction as equinely possible. The worst teenagers usually did was gossip and neglect their assignments.

It was also much easier to restore them to order. All I needed to do was clear my throat loudly enough to be heard over the general din of conversation and they all fell into respectful silence. “I apologize for my absence. Now then, shall we get back to it?”

I gave my students a few seconds to pull out their notebooks and put away whatever frivolities they had been playing around with while I was out, then got to business. “The two most important considerations for any young lady seeking a mate are, as some of you said, that your mate is of refined character, and that your personalities are compatible. I know it’s much easier to focus on looks, but those are easily modified. I’m sure you’re all well aware of the difference an hour of primping in front of the mirror can make. Personalities, however, are far more difficult to change. Besides, I know it’s a trite saying, but true beauty really does come from within.

“Now, one of the most important lessons for any young lady to learn is that...”

Sadly, I didn’t get as far as I would have liked before the end of class. The discussion with Headmistress Harshwhinny had rather disrupted the start of my lecture, not to mention her request to give the girls a quick refresher on dining protocol. There had been a rather extended delay when I explained the reasons why it was against protocol for two courting ponies to sit across the table from one another. I suppose I should have known that mentioning just how far a game of hoofsie could go under those circumstances would thoroughly distract hormonal teenage girls.

Still, I had at least covered most of the important introductory topics: Identifying a mate of suitable character, how to approach them, the suitable way of signalling one’s interest without being brazen, and other such things. Thankfully, this class seemed to have a firmer grasp than most of the idea that a lady could take the initiative. Far too many young mares had been mis-taught that making the first move was overly forward. From there, we had discussed the matter of family, and how one should go about securing the approval of both one’s own parents, and the parents of the object of one’s affections. Though such was important with any family, parental approval was of vital importance within families of class and distinction. It’s all well and good to dream of being the next Roamer and Tulip, but it’s far smoother if everypony gets along.

As the rest of my students filed out and headed for their Civics class, I fixed Silver Skip with a pointed look, lest she conveniently forget that I had asked to speak with her after class. She dutifully trotted up to my desk, and I waited until everypony else was gone, then shut the door for privacy. Thankfully, I had a free period after my first class of the day. I’d taken advantage of it to squeeze in a quick nap on occasion, but this time there was work to be done.

Silver fidgeted nervously, her eyes darting to the door. “Um, Miss Rarity? I kinda need to get going to Civics. Don’t wanna be late to two classes on the same day...”

“I can give your teacher a note, if it comes down to that,” I assured her. I pulled up a chair, and motioned for her to sit. “Now then, darling, would you like to tell me why you were late?”

“My alarm clock broke, and I overslept,” she insisted.

I sighed, and used a bit of magic to move aside her mane, revealing an ugly purple bruise that stood out against her light grey coat. “Darling.” I kept my voice as gentle and comforting as possible, “why were you late?”

Silver’s eyes dropped to the floor, and she used her forehooves to quickly shift her mane over to hide the bruise again. “I tripped. Fell down and hit my face.” Her voice was utterly flat and lifeless, and she refused to meet my eyes. A blind mare would not have missed such obvious signs of a lie.

Between her obvious reticence and the fact that the bruise on her cheek was hoof-shaped, it wasn’t hard to guess what had happened. The only question left to answer was who I was going to utterly destroy for this.

The obvious suspect in these sorts of cases would be her parents. It would certainly explain why she was trying so hard to cover up her injuries. It is an ugly but unfortunate truth that many children who are mistreated will try to protect their guardians. However, I did not think that was the case. I’d met her parents at one of the school’s open house events, and they didn’t strike me as the type to do that sort of thing.

Silver Skip was one of our exceptional students. Though the Harshwhinny Academy for Young Mares was an exclusive private school, every year we took in a few students who came from a disadvantaged background. Some ponies would call it charity, but I personally disliked the idea that any of our students were charity cases. Silver Skip was every bit as worthy of attending this academy as any other young lady here.

Her parents thought the world of her. Rock Solid and Silver Bit were both simple working-class ponies, but they wanted something better for their daughter. When I’d met them, they couldn’t stop talking about how proud they were of their daughter, and thanking me for everything I’d done to help her. The idea that those proud parents might secretly be mistreating her ... didn’t fit.

Still, I’d only met them in passing. A single thirty-second conversation in the middle of a very busy evening is hardly enough to really get to know a pony. If nothing else, they needed to be eliminated as possible suspects. Furthermore, though it seemed a bit cruel to suggest it, naming her parents as the likely suspects in any investigation might well prompt her to name the true culprits.

I shifted her mane aside again, and inspected the bruise once more. Silver briefly tried to hide it, but when I did not relent she subsided. “It’s really not a big deal, Miss Rarity. It doesn’t even hurt. Can I just go? Please?”

“Silver, please tell me what happened.” I took a deep breath, and asked the question. “Did your parents do this to you?”

Her eyes widened in shock, and she pulled away from me, glaring furiously. “No! Are you crazy? Mom and Dad would never hit me! They’re great!”

I carefully gauged her reaction. For the first time in the entire conversation, she wasn’t avoiding me or looking towards the door as if she were contemplating her chances of running for it. Instead she was meeting my eyes, snorting angrily as she stepped towards me and jabbed a hoof forward. “I can’t believe you’d think my parents would ... augh!” She turned her back on me, stomping further back into the classroom.

Well, that confirmed one thing for me. While I’m not a proper detective or psychologist, I do like to think that my years as a teacher have given me a certain degree of skill at spotting a liar. You would not believe some of the excuses I’ve heard over the years. I think my favorite was ‘Empress Sunbeam took it because she said it was the best homework she'd ever seen, and she wanted to hang it up in the palace as an example to students everywhere.’

In any case, I was as certain as I could be that Silver Skip was telling the truth. “It’s okay, Silver, I believe you. But if it wasn’t your parents, then who was it?”

Silver froze at my question, her eyes dropping to the floor again. “Nopony. It doesn’t matter. It just wasn’t Mom and Dad, okay?”

Much as I hated to put pressure on her after everything else she’d been through, I had to have answers. I wasn’t going to let some brute get away with injuring my students. “Silver, imperial law requires me to report any potential signs of abuse to the proper authorities. If you tell me who’s responsible for this I can include that information in my report, and that’s who they’ll focus on. If they don’t have any suspects ... well, I hate to say it, but suspicion would fall on your parents first.”

“No!” Her eyes darted around the room, as if she were looking for some way out. “If the constables show up where Mom or Dad works and start asking questions, they could lose their jobs! Please, Miss Rarity, you can’t report this. I’m fine! Really!”

“You are not fine,” I answered firmly. “Somepony hurt you, and I won’t rest until I get to the bottom of it. Now tell me who it was.” I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to calm down. I wasn’t upset with Silver Skip, after all. It was the whole situation that had me feeling rather emotional. “Silver, please, let me help you. Who did this? Was it a coltfriend?”

“No.” Despite the circumstances, Silver’s ears drooped, and she confessed with an annoyed grumble, “I don’t have a coltfriend.”

Ugh, teenager priorities. ‘Yes, yes, somepony’s beating me up, but the fact that I’m still single is at least equally upsetting.’

Silver took a deep breath, and her eyes darted around the room again. “Look, promise you won’t tell anypony? It’ll just get worse if they find out I snitched.”

“I can be very discreet when circumstances call for it,” I assured her. That wasn’t exactly what she had asked for, but it was the most I could give, under the circumstances. I certainly wasn’t going to stand idly by while one of my girls was in trouble.

“Okay.” Silver walked back to her seat, and slumped down into it. “It’s these two mares in my neighborhood. They’ve been giving me a hard time ever since I started coming here. Saying I’m putting on airs and thinking that I’m better than everypony else, now that I’m going to a fancy private school.” She groaned and rubbed the side of her head. “Look, you don’t really know how things are in Gemtown. It might be part of Canterlot, but it’s like a whole other world compared to here.”

I was a bit more familiar with Gemtown than she might have expected. Back when I’d first moved to Canterlot, I’d spent a few weeks working in the gem mines before I’d gotten my current job. It had paid well, especially with my gem-finding spell, but I just couldn’t bear to spend all day underground, poking around in dank, musky tunnels. Teaching might pay a bit less than I could make mining, but it was much more satisfying

Silver continued on, “The thing about Gemtown is, a lotta ponies don’t like the idea of somepony just ... leaving. Especially when it looks like they’re gonna be going to do something a lot better than chopping out gems for the rest of their life. Kinda pisses ponies off, you know?”

“So they’re envious of your success, then?” I frowned, and thought over the situation. “I don’t suppose I could convince you to go to the constables?”

“No chance.” Silver vehemently shook her head. “It’s my word against theirs over who started it anyway. All it’d do is let them know I talked, and make them come after me harder next time. And even if the constables did take them in, Tough Nails and Iron Pick run with the Rock Hards. I’d just be trading two bullies out for a whole gang full of them.” She sighed, and gingerly rubbed her wounded cheek. “I can avoid them most of the time, at least. They just caught me by surprise today.”

“There must be something you can do.” I wracked my brain for a good solution. “Have you told your parents? Maybe they could talk to the parents of these other mares...”

“I’m fifteen, not five,” Silver groused. “Telling Mom and Dad would just make them worry. I can handle it, really. It’s not a big deal.”

While it most certainly was a big deal, I couldn’t think or anything else I could say to convince Silver of that. She was being frustratingly stubborn about insisting that nopony could do anything about the problem. “Darling, there must be something I can do to help.”

Silver hesitated, then brought a hoof up to her injured cheek. “Can you do anything about this? I don’t wanna spend all day walking around with a bruise on my face, somepony else’s gonna notice it eventually. I think Amethyst might’ve spotted it already, and she’s even worse than you about not letting things go.” She paused, and a bit of pink showed up underneath the ugly purple mark. “Er, no offense, Miss Rarity.”

“None taken,” I assured her. I thought it over for a moment, and then pulled out my makeup bag. I didn’t want to feel like I was covering up the evidence of a crime, but the last thing Silver needed was to be the subject of the latest round of high school gossip on top of her other problems. Besides, makeup washes off easily enough, if the proper authorities needed to see it. I picked out one of my darker facial powders, which was close enough to match Silver’s coat. It was most fortunate that her light grey coat was only a couple shades off of my alabaster, or I wouldn’t have had anything suitable on hoof. “Hold still now, darling. I’ll try to be gentle, I’m sure it’s tender.”

I applied the powder as carefully as I could. Silver let out a few hisses of pain, but didn’t flinch or complain a single time. I was rather proud of her bravery. The makeup job wasn’t perfect, but it would certainly stand up to casual inspection.

Silver checked herself over with my compact, while I jotted down a quick note for her next class; by now, she was quite late getting there. Once that was done, I pulled out a brush and quietly fixed her mane as well. Silver offered me a small, grateful smile. “Thanks, Miss Rarity. I look good as new, now.” She hesitated a moment, then nodded and added. “Thanks for listening, too. I know you can’t really do anything to help, but it’s nice just to have somepony to talk to about this.” She hoofed over my mirror, and picked up the note I’d written out. “Um, I gotta get going, but thanks again.”

As she trotted off, I found myself faced with the rather unpleasant realization that she was right. There wasn’t anything Miss Rarity, etiquette teacher at the Harshwhinny Preparatory Academy for Young Mares, could do to help with this particular problem.

Thankfully, a proper lady has a few secrets...

I would like to state now that both of my parents, as well my little sister, are alive and well. My childhood was very pleasant, even if I did suffer the odd bit of embarrassment on account of my parents. Nothing horrible, mind you, just the usual pitfalls of being a mare of class and sophistication born into a family with somewhat ... simpler preferences. Still, I love my family dearly, and what’s life without a few interesting little complications?

I just want everypony to understand that I wasn’t doing this for some dreadfully clichéd reason. In truth, I hadn’t really planned it at all. Two years ago, we were having a staff Nightmare Night party at Proper Form’s home. As will sometimes happen, a theme had been set for the party—in this case, a superhero theme. It seemed a bit silly to me, but I certainly wasn’t going to ruin the mood or kick up a fuss over the matter. Most of my colleagues had been content to dress up as one of the Power Ponies, Supermare, or some other character out of a cheap comic book. Being a creative soul, I opted to do something a little more original.

What I hadn’t planned on was to come across a house fire on the way to the party. Apparently somepony had gotten it into their mind to add a few minor pyrotechnics to their haunted house, and had underestimated just how much fire would be produced and just how flammable their home was. The fire department was just minutes away, but not all of the ponies trapped in that burning building could afford to wait that long. I just did what any decent pony would do in that situation, really. I’ve never understood why ponies thought it was so remarkable. The fire department would have done the exact same thing—they do it every day. I just happened to be on the scene before they were.

Of course, my costume was a total loss. The embers had burned dozens of little holes in it, and no amount of washing would get rid of the smoke smell clinging to it. The cape was completely unsalvageable, and that had been some of my nicest taffeta too. I don’t have any idea what happened to my hat—it must have fallen off at some point during the evening. We won’t even discuss what state my mane was in. Needless to say, I decided to skip the staff party that evening.

The newspaper headlines the next day were quite a surprise. “Masked Heroine Saves Seven From House Fire.” I will confess, I was rather tickled to discover that my little escapade was front-page news. I had been a bit too busy to notice the photographer, but I have to admit I cut a rather dashing figure, pulling ponies to safety. Even if my costume was a bit of a wreck, and my cape was utterly ruined.

Despite rather enjoying my fifteen minutes of anonymous fame, that likely would have been the end of it if not for a conversation I had with one of my fellow teachers. I can’t even remember what exactly it was we were talking about—it was over two years ago. Some problem or other that was catching the attention of the newspapers in the wake of my little misadventure. Perhaps some sort of crime problem? The constables do their best, but they can’t be everywhere...

I suppose it doesn’t really matter. The moment that struck me about the whole affair was when Miss Harshwhinny declared that, “Somepony should do something about that.”

It’s a phrase that comes up a lot whenever ponies are discussing the ills of the world. ‘Somepony should do something.’ Though in truth, the phrase is missing a rather critical word. You see, what ponies really mean by that statement is ‘Somepony else should do something.’

It’s easy to find an excuse to ignore the little evils of life. Of course it would be good if somepony helped that girl who’s always being bullied, or that poor homeless stallion. But not ourselves, of course. We would like to help, but we can’t spare the bits right now, or we’re too busy to do anything, or we have responsibilities to our friends and families that take precedence. It’s easy to find an excuse to do nothing, and wait for somepony else to something.

I suppose I got tired of waiting for somepony else.

And that’s how the Sapphire Guardian was born.

Of course, the costume had to undergo quite a bit of revision. The hat and cape had to go. While they were both wonderfully fashionable, I had learned in my first outing that capes were also something of a hindrance, and hats were rather prone to getting lost when matters became frantic. I’ve been experimenting with ways to bring it back that would mix fashion and practicality, but so far I haven’t gotten any results I’m satisfied with.

As for the rest of the costume, I started with a full bodysuit of spidersilk dyed prussian blue—I wanted something light enough to not restrict me, while still providing some protection. Much as it pained me to do so, the bodysuit included a full mask and a wrap for my mane and tail. That was a must, if I actually wanted to keep my secret identity. Tinted plexiglass lenses for my eyes as well, though a do-it-yourself enchanting kit gave them at least some practical function beyond hiding their color. I had to trim my mane and tail back a bit to make it all fit, but one must make some sacrifices in this profession.

On top of the bodysuit came the sapphire blue armored body covering, which went over everything but my neck and head. While the original costume’s jacket had been purple, I could hardly be the Sapphire Guardian without some sapphire blue in my ensemble. The original costume had this all done in taffetta like the cape, but now taffeta was out, and kevlar was in. I shortly upgraded to kevlar with sewn-in steel plates for even more protection. I would have preferred mithril, but I had to pay for all of this on a teacher’s salary.

Once I’d settled on the name, I added a lovely sapphire brooch in the shape of a shield, to serve as something of a symbol. I added a few basic defensive enchantments to it. I wasn’t especially happy with them, but it was the best I could do on my own with the resources a teacher can afford. Perhaps someday I would have the time and money to upgrade things beyond what I could manage with a few cheap books and a mail-order enchanting kit.

But I think that’s quite enough about me: the Sapphire Guardian had a case.

A few quick inquiries with my regular contacts was enough to get me the story on the gang known as the Rock Hards. There wasn’t much to be said for them, as far as gangs go. They were just a petty street gang with a dozen members, and no ties to any particularly powerful or nefarious groups. Nothing but a collection of petty thugs with delusions of grandeur. Thus far, they hadn’t done anything severe enough to incur the wrath of the constabulary, but it was only a matter of time.

Unfortunately for them, they had incurred my wrath instead. Normally I’m not one to bear a grudge, but when somepony hurts my students I am well within my rights seek a measure of righteous reprisal.

The Rock Hards had set up shop in an old storage area attached to one of the mineshafts. When that particular shaft had gone dry, the miners had simply moved on to the next one, and left behind everything that couldn’t be picked up and carried off.

Thankfully, the gang had not shown much in the way of initiative when it came to improving their recently-claimed home. Mining storage facilities were designed for ease of access, not security. Add however long the facilities had been abandoned and lacking in proper maintenance, and there were at least a dozen ways I could’ve gotten into the building without making a sound. More, if I was in the mood to risk counting on the roof to support my weight. Not that it would have had overmuch to support ordinarily, but homemade armor tends to be rather heavy.

I was surprised to note two ponies walking a circuit around the warehouse. Patrols and lookouts were the sort of basic common sense that usually only came with a reasonably competent leadership. What I’d been able to find out about the gang indicated that they were nothing more than a band of young hoodlums. Patrolling their perimeter didn’t fit with that. I did not like unexpected developments, especially ones that indicated my opponents might be a larger threat than expected.

I settled down to watch the two of them patrolling. One of the most important elements of stealth is patience. Just like how a single misplaced stitch could ruin an entire dress, one mistake could blow one’s cover. So instead of rushing in and getting caught, I sat back, watched, and waited for my chance.

My chance came after half an hour when one of the guards trotted off to avail himself of what was left of the mine’s ... facilities. I suppose I should be grateful they weren’t just attending to those needs with a hole in the ground. That left the one remaining patroller isolated, with nopony to watch his back for a few critical minutes. That was more than I needed to sneak up behind the guard, and few quick taps incapacitated him long enough for me to secure him and move him somewhere isolated enough to prevent immediate discovery.

I was just finishing up when the other guard returned. He looked around, and upon failing to find his partner, called out, “Drill? Where you at?” When Drill failed to answer him account of being bound and gagged, the other pony began walking more slowly, taking careful note of his surroundings. “Drill? You better not be messing with me again...”

I had to move quickly, before the second guard had the sense to sound the alarm. I would be hard-pressed to reach melee range with a wary target, so I opted for one of the oldest tricks in the book. A quick bit of telekinesis knocked over a couple loose rocks prompting the remaining gangpony to immediately whirl about to face the distraction. “That you, Drill? This isn’t funny anymore, you’re freaking me out!”

With my target distracted, I closed the distance and locked him in a chokehold. Not the most elegant of maneuvers, but I wanted to disable him quickly and quietly. All it took was a few seconds of precise pressure on his carotid artery to end his resistance, and by the time he recovered he was bound and gagged next to his companion. “I do hope you remembered to wash your hooves after you finished.”

With the perimeter cleared for the moment, it was time to move onto the warehouse. I had no idea how long the patrol shifts lasted or how soon somepony would go looking for one of the two ponies I’d already disabled.

The inside of the storehouse was as unimpressive as the exterior. Mostly empty floor, except for an area in the center that hosted a collection of ratty cushions and furniture that had clearly been rescued from the trash heap. The remaining members of the gang were gathered around a single table, which was loaded with a salt lick and several dozen cider bottles which seemed to either be empty or in the process of being emptied. Most of the ponies who were currently indulging seemed to be a few years too young to be legally enjoying themselves in that manner. One of the gang members had already passed out, and most of the others seemed far too inebriated to be a threat.

“Not exactly the Empire’s greatest criminal masterminds,” I murmured to myself.

For the record, the place was absolutely filthy. Judging by the empty bottles strewn all over the floor, this was far from the first such gathering the building had hosted. The things I endure for Equestria...

A quick search revealed the leader of this little operation. The solidly built brown unicorn wasn’t hard to pick out from the crowd, on account of being twice the age of most of his minions. Likely a career criminal of some sort, then. The ready supply of cider made it easy enough to see how he was recruiting the young to his cause. To think, these children were going down the road to becoming nothing more than hooligans, simply because they’d been bought by a few dozen bits worth of cider...

Thankfully, all the drinking going on made my job that much easier. There was no reason not to sit back, watch, and wait once more. The longer I could put that off, the more my targets would imbibe. And a little intelligence never hurt.

The gang’s seeming leader had a dirty sheet of parchment and a pencil that had been a reduced to a tiny stub of wood attached to an eraser. I couldn’t tell what he was discussing with the others until I got a bit closer, but judging by the way he said a few words, got a response, then made a quick mark on his paper, I could surmise he was working his way down some kind of list. I’ve taken roll call enough times to recognize the process.

The emptiness of the storage house meant there was little in the way of cover, but the moon had been up for a few hours now. Aside from a few lanterns around the gathering area, there were no light sources in the entire warehouse. So long as I didn’t make any noise and remained far enough back, I doubted they would become aware of my presence.

“... to remind him why he should make his payments on time,” the leader rumbled.

“It’s not that big a deal, Mister Rock,” one of his little helpers declared, waving a cider bottle through the air fast enough to slosh some of the contents onto one the neighboring ponies. “Do we really gotta go mess up Mr. Greenleaf just ‘cause he’s a little late? The guy’s pushing eighty, and he’s just got a little two-bit cabbage stand. We can cut him a break, just this once.”

The leader, ‘Mr. Rock,’ let out an angry grunt. “You don’t get it, do you, Tough Nails?” My eyes narrowed slightly as I recognized the name of one of Silver’s attackers. “If we go easy on one of them, soon everypony will start asking for breaks. Did it escape your notice that we’re running a bucking protection racket? That’s not a business model that works if you decide to start ‘cutting ponies breaks.’ They either make their payments, or we make them examples.”

So, this gang was running a protection scheme? That fit what little I’d heard about their methods. The whole point of a protection racket was to keep everypony too scared of the gang’s retribution to do anything but make their payments. Nopony would go to the constables; a protection racket is hard to prove unless you catch the culprits in the act of making threats, and as long as it works everypony stays quiet. Somepony might be able to go to the constables and file a report, but any shopowner seen speaking to a constable would probably return to find their livelihood in ruins. Even if the criminals were ultimately arrested afterwards, that would be a cold comfort to a shopkeeper with no shop.

The good news, though, was that if I could take the gang down, there would be plenty of witnesses ready to confirm the charges. When I go out for a bit of crime-fighting, it is nice to know that the criminals I apprehend will actually pay for their misdeeds.

“I dunno, sir,” one of the others spoke up. “Mr. Greenleaf’s always been pretty cool. Used to always give the biggest ones when I had to pick up food for Mom. Just saying, we could ... I dunno, give him a final warning first or something.”

“We already warned him when we started our enterprise.” Mr. Rock stepped closer to the gathering, scowling. “He knew the consequences for missing his payments. And he chose to miss a payment, regardless. Maybe because he still thinks you're that same little kid, Sledge. Maybe it’s time you showed him he’s wrong.”

“I don’t know...” Sledge hesitated, looking around the room for support. “I mean, it was cool and all when we were just hanging out, drinking and stuff. And even shaking ponies down for a little money is okay, I guess. But beating up on an old stallion? Don’t you think it’s going a little far now?”

“What are you saying, Sledge?” One of the other teens asked. “Do you want out?”

Sledge turned to the side, refusing to meet the leader’s eyes. “Maybe I do.”

“Wrong answer.” Mr. Rock stepped forward, looming threateningly over the teen. “You forgot one of Uncle Rock’s rules, kid. You’re only out when I say you’re out.”

He drew back a hoof to strike, and I knew I had to act. Perhaps I was a bit too soft-hearted for my own good, but I couldn’t sit back and watch that brute rough up a young stallion just for standing up to him. Even if the teenager was something of a hooligan himself, he was still young enough to pick a better path for his life. And perhaps would do so, absent the influence of the most unpleasant Mister Rock.

I opened the engagement with one of my favorite spells. I’m not an especially potent unicorn, magically speaking. In terms of raw power, I’m only a delta—strictly average. I didn’t exactly have access to tomes of magic spells either; other than the basic spells every unicorn learns and my natural spells like the gem-finding one, the only magic I’d ever learned was what I could find in books I’d borrowed from the public library. Despite that, I do like to think I’ve come up with a few nice tricks.

One area I’ve had a bit of luck with is illusions. I’d initially intended to use a bit of illusion magic to enhance my fashion shows—add a little ambiance to the presentation. I might have moved on from my dreams of high fashion, but I’d found another use for light shows. A whole lot of bright, flashing lights right in front of a pony’s face can be extremely disorienting. Just to make things a touch unfair, the one spell I’d managed to scribe into the lenses of my mask was a simple little thing that let me see through my own illusions. Not especially fancy, but useful under the circumstances.

I activated my spell and waded into the fray. Though it was a bit unsporting, I dealt with the young and inebriated members of the gang first. I’m not an especially large or muscular mare, but hoof-to-hoof combat is more about knowing where and how to hit than raw musclepower. Even before I’d started this whole business of beating up criminals with my bare hooves, I’d been taking taijipon classes—mostly for the health benefits of it, though it is good for a lady to know how to handle herself in a sticky situation. Needless to say, once I’d started this venture I’d begun applying myself to my lessons much more vigorously.

The gang members went down as quickly as one would expect of drunk and disoriented ponies facing a martial artist with the element of surprise. That just left the leader, Rock. I certainly wasn’t going to call him Mister Rock, as he was no gentlestallion. However, as I closed in, his horn lit up, and the floor beneath me bucked up, a rather large rock striking me in the ribs. My shield brooch flared to life and took the brunt of the blow, but enough got through to be unpleasant.

I quickly retreated to assess the damage. All my limbs seemed to be functioning well enough, but I misliked the dull ache in my chest that sharpened whenever I took a deep breath. It reminded me of the time I’d tightened a corset a hair too much. Still, I had endured that, so I could endure this as well.

The larger question was how he had known where to strike. My illusion spell should have left the ruffian incapable of seeing his own hoof in front of his face, let alone locating me precisely enough to manage offensive spellcasting. It couldn’t have been a case of him firing blindly and getting lucky, he’d only cast the one spell. Somehow, he had found me despite being effectively blind and deaf due to my illusions.

I dropped the spell for the moment; no point in wasting magic on it until I knew how I had been found. Rock blinked a few times as the spell ended, then shook his head and started looking around the room for any sign of me. I’d already retreated back to the shadows, perched about halfway up the walls on a few half-rotted boards that were just barely managing to hold me.

After a few seconds of searching, Rock turned his attention back to his minions. After a quick assessment, he turned about, addressing the darkness. “If it was constables, there’d be more than one of you. If it was a rival gang, you wouldn’t have gone so softball on my soldiers. So what’s the famous Sapphire Guardian doing here?”

Blast, so he’d worked out that it was me. I suppose not every ruffian is as frightened of a little critical thinking as they are of a bar of soap. Well, nothing for it but to keep pressing on. I certainly wasn’t going to answer him and give away my position.

When no answer was forthcoming after a few seconds, Rock continued. “No way you came all the way down to Gemtown just to stop a two-bit protection racket, especially since I know nopony squealed on me. That means...” Rock scowled, walked over to the one young mare I’d already identified as Tough Nails, and kicked her in the gut. “I told you not to mess with that preppy nag! She goes to a school full of rich bitches with rich daddies, and now you’ve gone and brought down heat on us. And you didn’t even make any money from it! You forgot Uncle Rock’s first rule: don’t buck up and bring down heat.”

He tossed her out of the dim circle of light provided by his lantern, then threw another mare after her. Judging by the cutie mark, the second pony was Silver’s other attacker, Iron Pick. “Look, let’s be civilized about this. I already know your name, so let’s get the other half of the introductions outta the way: I’m Rock Slide. Now, I got no use for soldiers who can’t follow orders, and I got no bone to pick with you. Take ‘em, and we’ll call it off here. Everypony wins.”

No honor among thieves, indeed.

I was almost tempted to take the offer. I didn’t know much about this ruffian, but he’d managed foil one of my better tricks. And besides, I had the two ponies responsible for hurting Silver, and I rather doubted anypony else in the gang would even consider troubling her after this incident. My student would be safe.

Meanwhile, Rock Slide would continue to build his gang of foolish and disadvantaged youths, and slowly expand his power base. Mister Greenleaf would be roughed up for not making his payments, and young ponies who might have left the group, like Sledge, would be forced to stay in. What happened to Silver was just a symptom of a greater disease, and that brute was at the center of it.

Walking away wasn’t an option. However, I couldn’t continue the fight until I had some idea of Rock Slide’s capabilities. Armor’s not especially good at dealing with blunt force impact like fast-moving rocks, and I didn’t think my shield brooch could cushion another blow like the one I’d taken.

Given his choice of attacking me with stone and his name, I could make a reasonable guess that his magical talents might lie in geomancy. Perhaps that held a clue as to how he had been able to find me?

To test a theory, I hopped away from my current position, touched the ground for only the briefest of moments, then leapt up to a low-hanging rafter. As I’d suspected, Rock Slide instantly homed in on the location where I’d touched the ground, and an instant after I’d left the space a heavy stone sailed through it at a distinctly unhealthy velocity.

So, that explained how my illusions had been foiled: he could detect my hoof-falls on the ground. That explained why he didn’t seem to have any interest in getting any of his minions back in the fight. Not only had I already dispatched them quite handily, but too many hooves on the ground likely would make it far more difficult for him to find me.

Pity I had no wings, or this fight would be much easier to resolve.

There was no way I could hope to reach Rock Slide moving along the roof. Even if I could find a navigable route along the old, creaky rafters, he was standing in the middle of the storage area, underneath the roof’s highest point. The drop from that far up would probably be survivable, but I would be in no condition to fight.

His ability did, perhaps, explain why the floors here were so bare. It made it much more difficult for anypony to close in on him unexpectedly. Most likely the only reason I’d managed to get so close for my first strike was simple complacency, or perhaps that he needed to concentrate on the spell in order to make it work. Whichever it was, he wouldn’t give me an opening again. If I wanted to catch him off guard, I would have to make my own opportunity.

Moving one of the other ponies in order to give him a false signal was out. It might work, but his spells would probably severely injure whoever I used to draw his fire. I suppose I could just try to take him at a full gallop while dodging and jumping randomly, but that struck me as an incredibly risky course of action. It was a pity I didn’t have the magical strength or training to manage a good ranged attack spell. The closest I could manage was levitation, and even then my range and strength was limited. However, it just might be enough to get the job done.

First things first, I threw out a quick illusion spell. This time I didn’t try to completely blind and deafen him, all I needed was enough to conceal my own spellcasting. As I mentioned, my levitation isn’t especially powerful. It’s certainly one of my better spells—precise control is a must if you want to do any sewing—but it gets harder the farther away you are from what you want to levitate, and the heavier the object is. At my current range of about ten yards, the most I could manage was something relatively light. About the weight of an empty cider bottle.

Yes, I was smacking somepony with a cider bottle. Honestly, I might as well be fighting in a barroom brawl like a common brute. Still, one must make do with what is at hoof.

Rock Slide was caught completely off guard as the glass bottle smacked into his horn. Contrary to what you might see in cheap action films, glass doesn’t shatter at the drop of a hat. I didn’t have the magical strength to land an especially hard blow, but when you’re striking a unicorn’s horn, it doesn’t have to be especially hard. As I said, it’s all about knowing where to hit.

The strike disrupted Rock’s spellcasting. I’m not sure if that would include his earth-sense power or not; it would depend on exactly how it worked. That was largely academic, though; without his magic, he couldn’t use any attack spells against me as I closed in. I tossed in one more simple illusion as I approached, a displacement spell that made me appear to be a few inches to the right of my actual location.

As I closed in for hoof-to-hoof, Rock threw a clumsy, telegraphed punch aimed for my illusionary self. It was simple to grab his overextended foreleg, lock it, and followed up with a strike to the solar plexus that took most of the fight out of him. Just to make sure of that, I pinned his foreleg behind his back, then pulled out my rope and bound him. Given his skills, I added a cheap suppression ring to his horn as well. It wasn’t anything like military grade, given that I’d been forced to purchase it from a store that sold ... adult novelties. Still, it should hold him well enough until the authorities arrived.

After attending to the leader, I bound the rest of his compatriots. While Rock Slide was the true source of the problem, at the very least the members of his gang needed to be put into some sort of reform program, to help turn them into productive citizens before it was too late.

By the time I was done with that, I was running low on rope as well. I was going to have to re-stock on that and suppression rings soon. I’m always a touch worried I might run across one of my students in the midst of one of my shopping trips. I do not want to have to explain to any of them why Miss Rarity is walking out of an adult novelty shop with fifty feet of rope and a dozen suppression rings. It would rather destroy my image as a mare of class and sophistication.

Once that was done, I fired my Sapphire Signal into the sky, to let the proper authorities know that I’d apprehended criminals. After that, all that was left for me to do was make a discreet exit before they arrived.

I had intended to head straight home. I was rather sore from the night’s exertions, and I had a rather busy day planned for tomorrow. Well, technically later today, now. The price of leading a double life, I fear. Still, I should be able to manage a good five hours of sleep; that and a bit of tea should give me enough energy to make it through the day, though with some difficulty.

I was most of the way home when I came across a most unwelcome sound. Somewhere nearby, a young filly was crying. I let out a tiny resigned sigh, and got to work tracing the sound back to its source. It’s not like I really needed sleep anyway.

After a bit of work, I came across a girl who couldn’t have been any older than Sweetie Belle, huddled in an alleyway, curled up and letting out quiet, frightened sobs. She was wearing the remnants of what had once been a rather nice dress, but was now clearly in a sorry state.

I walked up to the poor dear. “There there, darling. What’s wrong?”

The filly let out a startled yelp at my approach, and tried to take cover behind a few empty orange boxes. I dropped low to the ground, resigning myself to the addition of alley-gunk to my already rather spoiled outfit. Silk makes a wonderful fashion statement and has rather impressive tensile strength, but cleaning it is an absolute nightmare. I kept my voice gentle, even, and soothing. “It’s alright, dear. I just want to help.”

The filly cautiously peeked out from behind her boxes. “N-nuh-uh!” She let out a quick sniffle and wiped away the last of her tears. “Daddy and Poppa say I’m not supposed to talk to strangers, even if they seem really nice and offer me candy and stuff.”

“Well, you do know who I am, don’t you?” I struck a bit of a pose. “I’m sure you’ve heard of the Sapphire Guardian, and since you know who I am, then by definition I’m not a stranger. If you’ve seen any of the pictures in the paper, you know it’s really me.”

The small child took a cautious half-step out from behind the boxes, looking me over. “I only read the comics, but I’ve seen you. I like the comics, even if Rumpy hogs ‘em sometimes.”

Well, that was the start of establishing a rapport, at least. “Rumpy? Is that your brother?”

She stepped out from behind her impromptu cover, looking me over. “Yeah, he’s my big brother. Well, kinda. We’re not really related, but he was with me even before Daddy and Poppa adopted us, and after we got adopted we were brother and sister for real. He’s nice, even if he is a dummy poopy-head sometimes.”

Ah, siblings. At least Sweetie Belle and I managed to get along a bit better than that, whenever I had the chance to visit her. Though the fact that those were usually limited visits instead of having her constantly underhoof made that much easier. “I have a sister myself, so I know exactly how you feel. Regardless, your brother sounds like a fine young colt. So, since you already know who I am...”

The girl hesitated at my question. I had managed to get her to open up a bit, but now I was asking for her to trust me, at least a little. For a moment I was afraid I’d pushed forward too quickly, but then she offered a shy smile. “I’m Katydid. Nice to meet you, Miss Sapphire Guardian.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Katydid.” I reached forward and gently shook her hoof. “Now, since it sounds like you have a lovely family, why are you are out here at this hour instead of at home with them?”

Her ears drooped, and she teared up again. “I got lost. 'cuz Rumpy an' me were playing, an' we were playing hide-an'-seek, an' I found a really good place to hide.” She wiped her nose on her dress, which normally would have horrified me, but in the dress’ current state she hardly did any noticeable damage. “I hid an' I waited for him to find me like he always does. He always does, 'cuz he's a big stupid cheating booger-brain, but he didn't find me this time, an' I waited until it started getting dark before I came out.”

“And you hid so well that you don't know how to get back?” I concluded.

She answered me with a sniffly nod. “I got lost, an' I kept going the way I came, but that just made it worse. Then I saw some ponies in an alley, an' I had to hide, 'cuz they didn't look nice, but hiding got stuff all over my dress. It's my favorite dress in the whole world, but I had to get stuff on it ‘cause I had to hide, an' they didn't go away, so I had to hide for a long time.” She looked down at the tattered remnants of her dress and let out a tiny little whimper. “I think I fell asleep, 'cuz when I woke up it was dark an' cold an' I was hungry an' thirsty an' there're noises everywhere. An’ then I started cryin’ ‘cuz I was scared and alone, and then you found me.”

As I’d suspected. I forced some cheer into my voice, in the hopes that it would prove infectious. “Well, that won't do at all. I suppose we'll just have to help you find your way home, won't we?”

Her ears perked up at that. “You can help me?” She attached herself to my foreleg, holding on desperately. “Please help me! I'm scared an' I'm hungry an' I want my daddies an' my brother even though he’s a booger-face and I wanna go hooome!” She let out a quiet little sob, then wiped her eyes on my costume. “Please help me find home, Miss Sapphire Guardian.”

I gave her a gently reassuring rub on the back with my free foreleg. “Of course I’ll help you, dear. Now, where do you live?”

“Um.... um...” Her eyes screwed up in concentration as she tried to remember. “It's, um ... it's on Crescent Way. 'Cuz you go past Daddy's shop, an' past the bakery, an' then you keep going 'til you get to Mane Street, then you turn on Crescent Way an' it's on the right.”

Crescent Way and Mane Street? That was practically the opposite side of Canterlot. It had no impact on my decision to help the poor dear, but I had rather hoped she lived a few blocks down the road, not on the opposite side of the city. No wonder she had no idea how to get home. Still, it’s not like I could just leave the poor dear because I needed my beauty sleep. “Well, I know how to get there. So, shall I walk you home?”

She offered a me a gap-toothed smile. “You’ll really help me get home? Thank you so much, Miss Sapphire Guardian!”

“It’s my pleasure, dear.” Much as I might lament the sleep it would cost me, one look at the relieved smile on young Katydid’s face was enough to reassure me that I’d made the right decision. In fact... “Oh, and about that dress...” I still remembered a few very useful spells from my brief flirtation with being a fashionista, including one rather useful one for repairing damaged and sullied garments.

Katydid looked down at her restored dress, and a huge smile spread across her face. A simple repair spell would not come close to managing the quality of proper repairs done by a seamstress, but I doubt she was overly upset that the stitching and coloring might be a bit off from how it was before. “Whoa! You fixed my dress! You diddit! Yup, yup, yup, you fixed it! Thank you so much!” She hopped up and wrapped her forelegs around my neck, squeezing with all the enthusiastic hugging strength she could manage.

“You’re quite welcome. It was no trouble at all, darling.” I took advantage of the fact that she was already hugging me to shift her up onto my back. “Now, let's get you home.”

By the time I’d escorted the young lady home and escaped the profuse thanks of her parents, it was well into the wee hours of the morning. By the time I’d showered and cleaned up enough to get into bed, I had less than three hours left before I needed to wake up and start getting ready for class. And not just any class day, but a field trip. I would have taken a sick day, but I was running rather low on those. Besides, Miss Harshwhinny might well cancel the trip if I couldn’t make it, and none of the other teachers were free. I couldn’t do that to my students.

Supervising a class of nearly two-dozen fillies was never an easy task, even for a properly rested and prepared mare. For one working on three hours of sleep—and three hours that had been rather rudely interrupted any time I rolled over onto my injured side at that—it promised to be utterly draining.

I would have to persevere. There was just nothing else for it. At least I had a fetching little blouse that would cover the bruise.

Miss Harshwhinny was waiting outside my classroom when I arrived at the Academy. Though I’d done my best to clean up and look refreshed and ready for a day of wrangling teenagers—as well as downing enough tea to keep me somewhat mobile—it’s rather hard to completely hide all the evidence of a night of lost sleep. Her lips thinned in disapproval as she took in my appearance. “A good night’s sleep then, Miss Rarity?”

“A couple things took a bit longer than I’d expected,” I confessed, doing my best to look a bit sheepish about it. “Don’t worry, I’m more than capable of handling the girls.”

“Let us hope so,” Miss Harshwhinny answered coolly. She sighed, and moderated her tone a bit. “Miss Rarity, your students are all very fond of you, and you’re one of our better teachers, but you’re going to the Imperial Palace. If anything should go wrong...”

I didn’t need her to finish that sentence. “I know, Miss Harshwhinny. Everything is going to go perfectly. I give you my word.”

Harshwhinny made a faint sound in the back of her throat. “See that it does, Miss Rarity.” Having said her piece, she trotted back to her office, leaving me with my students.

I trotted inside, and my class promptly went respectfully silent. “Good mo—” My greeting was interrupted by a yawn, which I quickly covered with a hoof. “Oh, excuse me. Good morning, girls. I trust you’re all ready for our trip?” Twenty voices immediately offered just as many variations on yes. “Well then, let’s not waste any time getting to it.”

Normally, the trot to the Imperial Palace wouldn’t have been a particularly notable exertion. But then, normally I wasn’t operating on less than three hours of sleep with a cracked rib. Thankfully, most of my students were not nearly as fit as I was, so I still managed to keep pace with them despite my rather sorry state. It just left me a touch winded.

Silver Skip seemed to have noticed my state, and trotted up to my side. “Miss Rarity? Everything okay? You look beat.”

“I’m fine,” I assured her. “Thank you for your concern, though.”

Our arrival at the Imperial Palace itself proved a suitably grand occasion. The palace is built to impress, and it does its job very well. To begin with, the sheer scale of it all almost boggles the mind. Granted, most of the original palace had been built long before the Empire, but our Empress had certainly added her own flair to it in the centuries since she’d taken over. Most notably, much of the plain marble and limestone had been adorned in the red and gold of the Empire.

We began our tour by going through the Museum of the Empire. As always, I found it a most uplifting experience. Certainly pre-Imperial history had its share of glories and triumphs, and I’ve always felt a certain mournful affinity for the alicorn sisters. Perhaps that was why I preferred Imperial History: The Griffonian Pacification, the destruction of Chrysalis and the Changeling Swarm, saving the Free Minds from her tyranny. Equestria’s incorporation of the collapsing Zebrican Empire, saving them from falling into barbarism. It all made for a much nicer story than all the sorrow and pain of Luna’s madness and the Equestrian Civil War.

Now, I know the official histories tend to gloss over a few of the more regrettable aspects of those incidents, but I’ve never really seen the point of dwelling on such unpleasantness. Wars are a nasty, ugly business. What was important was that it had all worked out in the end. The griffons and zebras were happy imperial citizens now, and I had a feeling the new governor in Northmarch would finally bring the caribou around too. The Empire wasn’t perfect, but I was still proud to be a citizen of it.

Of course, all the different exhibits naturally made managing the girls a bit more difficult, as they all wanted to go look at whatever topic happened to catch their interest. Thankfully they had largely been content to collect into a few relatively large clusters of young mares, rather than each wandering about individually. Four groups of students spread around the room was manageable, if difficult. Twenty individual students would have been impossible.

Silver Skip, Amethyst Sparkle, and Ruby Prose seemed to have taken an interest in a number of exhibits devoted to Midnight Sparkle. Hardly surprising, given that she was one of Amethyst’s ancestors. The Empress’ trueborn daughter had quite the career, rising to the post of Archmagus of Canterlot, as well as inheriting the post of Consul after Old Queen Celestia’s passing. Not to mention her key role in the Griffonian Pacification and in dealing with the Diamond Dogs, back when they had been a force.

I stepped up behind the three young ladies, joining them in looking over the display cases containing a few of Midnight’s possessions. A shirt of finely crafted mithril links she’d worn while fighting in the Griffonian Pacification. A complete original edition of her memoirs, a tome so old and worn by time that the markings within it were all but illegible. One of the cloaks she’d worn after being promoted to the post of archmagus. There were also a few other odds and ends from her various companions, such as one of Stalwart Solaris’ wing blades and the head of White Knight’s halberd. Finally came the purely personal effects, though I cannot imagine what historical value one of her old manebrushes would have.

I was so preoccupied with watching my students and struggling to remain fully awake and alert that I didn’t even notice how the low murmur of conversation had died out, or hear the hooffalls of somepony coming up behind me. “Excuse me,” the new arrival asked, “You’re Miss Rarity of the Harshwhinny Preparatory Academy for Young Mares, correct?”

It took a moment for the question to actually register. “Hmm? Yes, I am.” I slowly turned to face the speaker. “Can I help yoWAHAAAH!” I stumbled back in surprise, bumping my students up against the display cases hard enough that Amethyst’s face wound up smooshed against glass. Thankfully, the glass itself was undamaged. Though my pride and composure were in tatters.

In my defense, it’s not every day one turns around to find themselves face-to-face with the supreme ruler of all Equestria.

A second later my rather worn out brain registered that I had screamed at her, and currently wasn’t bowing. I hastily dropped to the ground, ignoring my cracked rib’s protest at the sudden movement. Amethyst and her friends followed suit, now that I was no longer pinning them against the cases containing the last few mementos of the Empress’ daughter. “Your Imperial Majesty, I am so sorry. I was just so focused on display and keeping an eye on my students that I wasn’t minding my surroundings, and ... well...”

Oh, when Miss Harshwhinny found about this, I would have to clear out my office.

To my immense relief, the Empress did not seem to have been mortally offended by my little outburst. Instead, she waved the matter aside. “Think nothing of it, my child.” She offered a brief reassuring smile. “Now then, as I was going to say, there is a matter I would discuss with you. I trust you can spare a few minutes for your Empress?”

“Of course,” I answered at once. A moment later, though, my eyes drifted back to my students, and a worrying thought occurred. “None of the girls have done anything, I hope.”

Empress Sunbeam let out a faint chuckle. “You can relax, they’ve all been perfect ladies.” A hint of a smirk played across her lips, and she added, “Or at least as close as one would expect from teenagers.”

Oh. That was a relief. Maybe I would be able to keep my job after all. I noted that the Empress was already walking from the room, clearly expecting me to follow her. I would have done so at once, had I not cast another look back at my students. They were already returning to their hooves, and I felt a brief pang of guilt when I saw Amethyst rubbing her cheek. However, that did bring one rather important issue to mind. “Ah, Your Imperial Majesty? I really shouldn’t leave my students unattended.”

The Empress paused, then turned to one of the nearby Phoenix Guard attending her. “Colonel, I trust your ponies can handle a class of teenagers for a few minutes?”

“Of course, Empress.” The colonel stepped forward and removed his helmet, revealing himself to be a rather dashing stallion I vaguely recalled meeting at the Academy’s open house night. Amethyst’s older brother, I believe. I couldn’t recall his name off the top of my head.

I heard a couple sighs from behind me, and surmised that the colonel now had the dubious pleasure of being the object of several teenage fantasies. A second later Amethyst let out an indignant and most unladylike squawk. “That’s my brother, you floozies!”

“How come you never told us your brother was a hunk?” Ruby murmured to her friend.

Amethyst answered that by smacking her upside the head. “Because he’s engaged, you miserable puddle of hormonal ooze!”

I let out a long-suffering sigh. “Girls, try to behave like proper ladies while the colonel is keeping an eye on you.” I turned to him, and offered a smile. “Thank you ever so much for that, by the way.” I quickly trotted to catch up with the Empress, leaving the poor Guard colonel looking at the twenty fillies he’d just been charged with. From the look on his face, I suspect he would be calling for backup soon.

And then I was walking the palace corridors alongside Empress Sunbeam Sparkle. I confess I felt rather dwarfed by her sheer size and presence. Not to be immodest, but I am a very attractive mare who usually draws quite a bit of casual attention from passers-by. However, standing next to the Empress, I might as well have two inches tall and covered in mud.

As she led me deeper into the castle proper, I wracked my mind for what the Empress of Equestria could possibly want to talk to me about. I really hadn’t the faintest idea. The only topic I could even begin to imagine might have drawn me to her attention was the fact that Amethyst Sparkle was a part of my class. She was a distant descendent of the Empress, and her older sister was one of the Empress’ protégés. Still, one would think that more a matter for Amethyst’s parents than the Empress, and Miss Harshwhinny would be far better placed to speak of Amethyst’s education in general—I was only one of her teachers.

To my utter surprise, the Empress led to her private throne room, then signalled her guards to remain behind while she escorted me in. She ascended to her throne, then summoned a comfortable chair and waved for me to be seated. “Do you know why I wished to speak with you?”

“I’m afraid I don’t, Your Imperial Majesty,” I confessed. “I’m just a—” I had to pause briefly for another yawn. “—just an ordinary teacher.”

A faint frown crossed her face at the yawn. “I think I would like to have you at full effectiveness for this conversation.” Her horn glowed, and for a moment it felt like I was on fire. Before I could even scream from the pain it was over, and once it passed I felt ... good. Like I’d just come back a two-week vacation spent in idle luxury. The nagging pain caused by my cracked rib was completely gone as well. I felt like a brand new mare. “My apologies,” the Empress murmured. “My healing is very effective, but it’s not especially gentle.”

“I have no complaints, Your Imperial Majesty.” A moment’s discomfort was a small price to pay for everything her spell had restored.

“Good.” She offered a single pleased nod. “To our business, then. As you said, I have no reason to meet with Miss Rarity, etiquette instructor at the Harshwhinny Preparatory Academy for Young Mares. However, there are a few things I would like to discuss with the Sapphire Guardian.”

I stiffened in surprise as she mentioned my costumed alter-ego. How could she possibly know that I was—

“Relax, my child.” She offered me a knowing smile. “Would you like some tea? The Freeport Tribune brought some absolutely lovely jasmine tea with him the other day.”

“Jasmine tea is my favorite, Empress.” I rather doubted it was a coincidence that she just happened to have some on hoof. Not that I was about to complain.

She nodded, then called a teapot out of the kitchen, added in the water and tea leaves, and immediately set it to boiling without the benefit of any kind of stove. “First, allow me to reassure you that your precautions have not failed, and your identity hasn’t been compromised. I haven’t shared your identity with anypony, nor do I intend to do so unless circumstances require it.”

“Thank you, Your Imperial Majesty.” I think it perfectly understandable that there was a bit of nervous tremble in my voice. Technically speaking, vigilante activity was against the law. Admittedly, the Canterlot Constabulary didn’t seem to feel any pressing need to pursue me, given how helpful my activities had been, but the law was the law. If the Empress told them of my identity, they would be obligated to arrest me.

“So,” the Empress continued, “the question before us now is what should be done about your activity as the Sapphire Guardian. Personally, I am of two minds on the matter. On the one hoof, your activities are legally dubious, and as such really ought to be curtailed. However, I also cannot ignore the fact that you’ve saved quite a few ponies’ lives since you adopted your dual identity, foiled several crimes, and have generally been a positive force within the city.” Her ears perked, and she turned the teapot. “It’s done, by the way. How do you like your tea?”

“I usually take jasmine tea plain, thank you.” Adding milk and sugar would have just overpowered the subtle sweetness of the tea itself. The Empress filled a teacup for me, and passed it over. One sip was all I needed to confirm that it was absolutely divine. I’ve had jasmine tea plenty of times in the past, but there was a massive difference in quality between what I bought at the store and what came from the Empress’ personal stocks. “It’s lovely. Thank you so much.”

“Of course.” She poured a cup for herself. “Now then, as I see it the current status quo is unacceptable. I can’t have you breaking the law, but it’s clear in this case that enforcing the law would not be in Equestria’s best interests. You have done so much for Canterlot, given so much of yourself, and you haven’t asked for a single thing in return. Jailing you would be a poor repayment of your generosity.” She took a sip of her tea. “In light of that, I think I have no choice but to modify the law.”

She produced a small sheet of paper, and passed it over. “Keep these on you whenever you’re active in the field. They officially authorize you to continue your activities, and state that all members of the constabulary are to consider you as an effectively deputized member of Canterlot’s law enforcement. The law is preserved, and you continue your operations with official Imperial sanction.”

I took the paper, and quickly read over it. “That does seem like a most efficient solution.” I allowed. My eyes widened slightly when I found mention of a stipend being deposited directly in my bank account. “You’re going to pay me?”

“You are an employee of the Imperial government, now,” the Empress answered with a smile. “If you don’t like the idea of being paid for what you do, use the funds to cover the expenses of your activities. I’m rather amazed you’ve managed to make it all work on a teacher’s salary. I’m sure a few upgrades to your equipment won’t go amiss.” She passed over a few more papers. “Pursuant to which, these licenses will allow you to legally purchase materials that civilians normally don’t have access to. Mostly spellbooks and the like.”

“Goodness.” I took the new set of paperwork, and filed it away. “I ... I don’t know what to say.”

A faint grin crossed the Empress’ lips. “‘Thank you’ never hurts.”

“Oh! Yes! Thank you!” That didn’t sound nearly grateful enough, so I trotted up to the throne and kissed one of her hooves. “Thank you ever so much!”

She placed a hoof on my shoulder, and gently moved me back out of kissing range. “You’re quite welcome, my child. Though I might caution you against thanking me too much. To whom much is given, much will be expected.”

“Oh?” Wariness subsumed my glee at those words. Considering how generous the Empress had been thus far, I was rather worried about what could possibly equal such gifts “What precisely did you have in mind?”

“Two things.” She passed over the final sheet of paper. “First given that you’re an agent of the crown now, you’ll need to follow a few rules and regulations. Nothing excessive, I believe it’s mostly just a codification of your own unwritten rules. Obviously we can’t have the government-sanctioned Sapphire Guardian murdering criminals in the streets, or employing underaged child sidekicks. I think the only major change is, fittingly, that you’ll be expected to cooperate a bit more with our other law enforcement organizations.”

“That seems reasonable,” I cautiously allowed. “And the other request?”

The Empress took a sip of her tea. “I’m ... assembling a team, you could say. A team of ponies with very specific assets, designed to face unconventional threats to the safety and security of Equestria. It’s still in the planning phase for the moment, I haven’t even finalized a roster yet. However, I am absolutely certain you would be a valuable addition to this team.”

Well, that was delightfully cryptic. “What sort of commitment would this be? If I have to quit my job as a teacher...”

“That won’t be necessary,” she assured me. “It’s more of a reserve formation than an active duty posting. You should be able to live your life with a minimum of disruption, beyond spending some time on the weekends getting to know your teammates. However, when the time comes, when Equestria needs your help, I will expect you to answer the call.”

“I see.” Informative, but still not nearly enough information. “And precisely what would I be doing as a part of this organization? I would like to know something a bit more about what to expect beyond being told that I will be facing unconventional threats. That could be anything from anarchists or rebels to one of the ancient evils returning.”

“I can’t give you all of the details until you accept,” The Empress answered gravely. “Nor can I give you the identities of any of your teammates. Some of this information is too sensitive to risk any security leaks. I can tell you that you won’t be facing mere anarchists or rebels. These will be threats of the highest order, enemies the Imperial Legions can’t engage.” She pulled a contract, and I could feel the magic pulsing off of it even from this distance. “You will be equipped for the challenge, but I won’t lie about the dangers. You’ve already given so much to Equestria, but now I have to ask for more. Maybe everything. I wouldn’t ask this of you, if not for the fact that the price of failure could well be the end of the Empire itself.”

Well, that was certainly concerning. A high likelihood of death, and battling against some threat large enough to concern even the Empress. Likely a small chance of success, too. I rather doubt the Empress would be recruiting a teacher-by-day and vigilante-by-night for her team unless she had no better options. But everypony in the Empire was counting on me to help them. That made my decision very clear. Somepony had to do something, and I wasn’t going to wait for somepony else to step forward when I had the strength to act. “I’m in.” I signed the contract. “When do I start?”

The Prisoner's Dilemma

Ah flinched when they barged on into my cell. Ah had no idea how long the Ministry of Heart had been holdin’ me, but it was long enough for me to lose track of how long it’d been. Didn’t help that my cell didn’t have a clock or a window in it, so there wasn’t much to judge time by other than when Ah got tired and when my meals came. However long Ah’d been here, it wasn’t long enough to get used to ponies barging on in whenever they felt like it. Ah reckon that’s just part of the whole experience, but that don’t mean Ah gotta like it.

Like always, one of the jailors walked up to the entrance and tossed in a set of chains, then sat back and waited for me to put ‘em on. Ah’d been here long enough to know what that meant. Interrogation time again. Ah put up a fight back when they’d first brought me in, but pretty soon Ah realized that all that got me was a bunch of soreness. Ah got mah pride, but Ah’ll settle when fightin’ ain’t gonna do no good. For the moment, at least.

The guards didn’t say much as they put the chains on me, and Ah got up and shuffled to the door. They ain’t much for talkin’—some of ‘em could give my brother a lesson in not wastin’ words. To be honest, that was mostly a good thing. As long as you kept quiet in your cell and didn’t cause any trouble, they’d pretty much leave you be, other than for bringing meals and dragging you out for interrogations.

The guards led to me the same room they always used with me. Well, maybe it was the same one, or maybe they were all just built to look exactly the same. Don’t reckon it really made much of a difference in the end. It looked like the same simple table with a single candle on it that barely lit the room at all, and two cheap, uncomfortable, government-issue chairs.

The interviewer this time was a mint-green pegasus mare with a blue and white mane. Or at least, something that looked like a pegasus. Ah’d heard talk that the Ministry kept all their interrogaters and such under illusions, so nopony’d know who they really were. She was sitting at the table, looking over the same folder full of files the interrogator looked over every time Ah came in. Ah took a seat and waited for her get started with things.

She let me stew for a couple minutes before cleared her throat and got down to business. “Alright, Applejack, you’ve been here long enough to know the drill. I want to know everything you can tell me about your involvement in the conspiracy to assassinate Twilight Sparkle.”

“Ah already done told you everything Ah know.” Ah shifted around on the uncomfortable chair, trying to find some good way of sitting on it. “And what Ah know is that Ah don’t know nothing about it. Ah’ve been telling you that for Ah don’t know how long, but y’all won’t listen to me.”

“Your account still has several holes in it.” What bugged me most about all these interrogations was how gosh-darned calm the interrogator always sounded about it, like it weren’t no skin off her back if Ah ever got outta here or not. Which Ah guessed it weren’t, for her. Ah was just another prisoner to the Ministry. There were probably dozens of ponies just like me in here. Ah didn’t reckon anypony in the Ministry’d get too fussed over me, and everypony who actually cared didn’t even know Ah was in here.

The interrogator sighed and reached across the table to give my hoof a quick pat as she flashed me a supportive smile. “Look, Applejack, for what it’s worth, I believe you. You did say you have no idea how those weapons got on your cart, right?”

“Exactly. Ain’t got the foggiest notion.” Ah put on my best poker face for that. It might not have been strictly one hundred percent true. Now, normally Ah’m an honest pony, but Ah was pretty sure if Ah went naming names it’d just put mah cousin in the cell next to me. Family’s the most important thing a pony’ll ever have, and Ah wasn’t gonna squeal on mine. Besides, Ah didn’t even know for sure that Braeburn had done anything wrong. For all Ah knew, he was duped just as bad as Ah was.

My interrogator groaned and rubbed her face. “Okay, so you don’t know anything. If it were up to me, we would’ve let you go home a week ago, right after we interviewed you for the first time.”

So Ah’d only been here a week? Huh. Felt like it’d been forever.

“The thing is, it’s not up to me.” She set her hind legs up on the table and leaned back in her chair, using her wings for balance and support. “I don’t think I need to explain the problem to you. The Empress is taking an assassination plot targeted at her student rather personally. She wants answers, and she wants them yesterday. I want to help you out, but you’ve got to help me too. Just give me something, anything I can take to my bosses to show them how cooperative you’re being with our investigation. As soon as we get that taken care of, we can get you out of here and back where you belong. You should be with your family, not languishing in a Ministry prison cell.”

“Ya got that part right,” Ah chimed in. “Ah told you Ah don’t know how many times that Ah ain’t done nothin’ wrong, and Ah don’t know nothin’ about no weapons. The sooner y’all cut me loose, the sooner y’all can get to work chasin’ the real criminals.”

“Hey, I’m not the one you need to convince.” She gave me a friendly little smile and reached across the table to give my hoof a squeeze. “I’m on your side, remember? It’s my bosses you need to convince. With the Empress herself looking over their shoulders, everypony wants to make sure their plots are covered.”

Ah let out a snort at that. “Typical. Always figured there’s a reason the last three letters in bureaucrat are ‘rat.’ Ah can’t go one harvest season without somepony from the Ministry of Agriculture coming by and getting all up in my mane. Ah don’t care if some zebra alchemist has whipped up some fancy new fertilizer everypony’s swearin’ by, or some unicorns made a fancy cider-squeezing gizmo—Sweet Apple Acres has always run just fine doing things the old-fashioned way, thank you very much.”

She let out a groan at that. “You think you have it bad? Try actually working in the government. We probably would’ve cleared this whole thing up days ago if not for everypony either trying to claim the credit for busting the conspiracy against Empress Sunbeam’s students before it got too far or else pinning the blame on somepony else for letting it get as far as it did. Most of my bosses don’t do anything to earn their paycheck except make it harder for me to do my job. Most of them haven’t even done any fieldwork, because important ponies never do fieldwork.”

“Ain’t that the truth.” Ah snorted as Ah thought back on the last Agriculture Ministry worker they’d sent out to my farm—a chubby, soft-taloned gryphon who couldn’t spend five minutes out in the sun without sweating like a pig. “Ah swear, ain’t a single employee in the whole agriculture ministry that’s done an honest day’s work on a real farm, and yet they got it in their head that they know more about farming than Ah do.”

“The joys of dealing with the Empire.” She got up and stretched her wings. “I swear, I never would’ve signed up if not for my parents being in the service. Still—well, you know how it is. When you’ve got a family legacy to protect...”

“Eeyup.” Ah reached up for my hat, only to be reminded that they’d taken it away when they locked me up. Ah swear, if there was so much as a single stain on it when Ah got it back, there’d be Tartarus to pay. “Spying might not be anything like apple growing, but the way Ah figure it, family’s the same no matter what.”

“You’re right about that.” The interrogator sighed and slumped down into her chair. “Whenever I wasn’t sure about going into the family business, I just reminded myself that there’s nothing in the Empire more important than your own family.” She paused, and a fond, distant smile popped up on her face. “I’d do anything for them.”

“Same here,” Ah agreed without a moment’s hesitation.

She studied me for a moment after that, then nodded and dropped a hoof into her saddlebags. “Dunno if you’re hungry, but I’ve got an extra bag of apple chips. I’d eat them myself, but on top of everything else, the bosses have been getting on my case for eating too much ‘junk food.’ Like it’s any of their business what I eat.”

When she passed one of the bags over to me, Ah opened it up and went to town. Sure, they were cheap mass-produced apple chips that didn’t have a quarter of the love and care that went into what we made back at Sweet Apple Acres, but apples hadn’t been on the menu once since Ah’d been locked up. Ah’ll take what Ah can get. “Thank you kindly. Don’t seem right to take food from a mare without knowing her name.”

The mare briefly set aside her own bag to offer a hoof to me. “Strumming Heartstrings, nice to meet you.”

Well, maybe it was nice for her. Regardless, Ah gave her hoof a good shake and decided to ask a question of my own. “So how’s it gonna work out from here?”

“Straight to business, huh? Good.” She chomped a couple of her chips before she carried on. “So here’s the deal, Applejack: I need something from you to get the bosses off my back, and the Ministry off yours. Hay, it can even be confirming something we already know, so you don’t have to worry about implicating anypony. You could even just give us the name of that cousin of yours we picked up right after you. The one you’ve been protecting.”

My jaw dropped at that. They’d known all along? Ah suppose Ah should’ve known. Everypony always says the Ministry of Heart knows everything worth knowing.

Dangit, Ah’d just spent a week in jail, a week away from my family, for nothing. My shoulders slumped in defeat. “It ain’t ... don’t get the wrong ideas, Braeburn ain’t a bad pony. He just kinda gets caught up in things sometimes. He’s one of those types where as soon as he meets a pony he wants to make friends with ‘em.” Ah sighed and shook my head. “When you’re that nice, sometimes you end up making the wrong sorts of friends. The type who aim to take advantage. This time he fell in with a real bad crowd, and before he knew what the deal was he’d gotten himself up to his neck in trouble, and me along with him.”

“Alright.” Strumming pulled out a notepad and a quill. “Why don’t you start from the beginning?”

“Alright then.” Ah took a deep breath, and got to it. “It all started when Ah opened up my front door to find out who was pounding on it like a hammer working a bent nail...”

Soon as Ah opened up the door, Braeburn grabbed me and hugged me hard enough to make me start worrying about my ribs. “Well howdy, Applejack! How ya doing?”

“Braeburn?” Ah extracted myself from the hug as quickly as Ah could without being rude about it. Braeburn’s a nice stallion most of the time, but he’s a touch too excitable for his own good. Reminds me of this one pony Ah met over in Quarry Junction, though he wasn’t quite that bad. Once Ah was free, Ah gave him a slap on the back. “Well look at you! Ah didn’t figure Ah’d see you for a while yet, what with you settling down in ... what was that place again?”

Ah should’ve known better than to ask, ‘cause as soon as Ah did he reared up and took a deep breath before belting out “Aaaappleloosa!”

Ah swear, ain’t no other pony in the Empire who can get that worked up over just saying the name of his hometown. Ah mean, Ah love Ponyville and all, but that don’t mean Ah gotta shout out its name every time it comes up.

“Yeah, there.” Ah rubbed my ears and waited for the ringing to die down. You deal with Braeburn enough, and you’ll get used to him being so ... well, the way he was.

“Well it is the best little town in the Empire.” He grinned and smacked me on the back. “But that’s enough about me, I ain’t seen you since the last reunion. How you been? How’s Granny Smith and Apple Bloom and Big Mac?”

“Ain’t much changed with Granny.” Ah did a quick check to make sure she wasn’t listening in, then dropped my voice. “You know Granny, she’s made up her mind about how she liked things way back when she was a filly, in the days of old queens Luna and Celestia.” Braeburn and Ah shared a little chuckle at that. “Mac’s about the same, likes things all quiet and such. Apple Bloom’s growing on up, though. T’hear her talk, she’s gonna be getting her cutie mark any day now.”

“Ain’t that always the way with kids? Always in a rush to get their cutie marks, but don’t know the first thing about how to actually go and get ‘em.” Braeburn gave the farm a quick once-over. “Looks like old Sweet Apple Acres is doing as good as ever.”

“We’ve been doing just fine.” A bit better than fine, but Ah ain’t one to brag. “More interested in how you’re holding up. You mentioned you were thinking of starting up a farm down in Appleloosa back at the reunion. Ah ain’t never known you to quit once you got a notion to do something, so how come you’re on my doorstep instead of tending your own trees?”

He hesitated for the moment, then took off his hat and couldn’t quite look me in the eye. “My trees will keep for a bit. I—uh—I need a favor, Applejack.”

It didn’t take long for me to guess at why he might be here. Starting up a new orchard’s a hard thing to do. Ah might not be all that fond of carrots, but the one thing they’ve got going for them is that it’s faster to start a farm with ‘em. Apple trees don’t just pop up overnight; you’re gonna be waiting years before you’ve got enough full-grown trees to make a living off of. It’s part of why keeping the family farm up and running was so important—taking over an orchard with full-grown trees was twenty times easier than starting one up from scratch.

Ah tried to think of the nicest way to bring it up, but Ah ain’t never been one for beating around the bush. “How you doing for bits, cousin?” Sweet Apple Acres wasn’t rich, but we weren’t poor neither. Big Mac did most of the fancy mathematics on our finances—once you start getting into all the government subsidies and incentives, it just gets downright messy and confusing. All Ah really needed to know was that whenever we needed some new equipment or wanted to go on vacation, it wasn’t a problem. Which also probably meant we could spare a bit to help out family in need.

Braeburn immediately shook his head. “Ain’t money, Applejack. I’m fine on that. Great, actually. Friend of mine got me a job doing deliveries for this shipping company. Ain’t fancy, but it’ll put food on the table until my orchard gets running. Though ... well, that’s part of why I wanted to talk to you, actually.”

“That so?” Ah opened up the door and led him inside—Ah had a feeling this was gonna be a bit long of a talk to be having in the doorway. “Take a seat, Ah’ll get us some cider.” Ah made a quick stop-off in the kitchen, then came back with two mugs of the stuff and passed one to him before taking a seat in Granny’s favorite chair. It might be her chair, but she wasn’t here, and it was her favorite because it was the coziest chair in the house. “So why don’t you tell me more about this favor you want?”

“Ain’t much to it, really.” Braeburn stretched out on the sofa, idly swirling his cider. “You see, the guys paying me for these deliveries are usually dealing with stuff a bit outta the ordinary. You know, the kinda thing you can only find out on the frontier. Right now, Ah got a cart full of fruits off of the prickly pear cactus. Ain’t never cared for ‘em myself, but the folks paying me think they’ll be the next big thing in Canterlot.”

Braeburn ran a hoof through his mane. “The only problem is that you’re talking about a desert plant that’s used to being in the desert. Means we gotta store ‘em in special conditions, and the barrels have to be sealed up until we can get ‘em into the storehouse. If the barrels get opened up, all that humidity and moisture could get in there and ruin the whole set.”

“Ah’m with you so far.” Needing to seal up these cactus fruits in airtight barrels sounded like a bit of overkill, but Ah didn’t know much about how desert fruits worked. Apples could be awful particular about how you stored ‘em though, and Ah reckoned it made sense that a fruit that grows on a cactus out in the desert might not appreciate too much water. “So what’s the favor you need from me?”

“Well...” Braeburn shuffled about in his seat, and took a long pull of his cider. “Mister Cause told me that the last shipment ran into some trouble with the health and safety inspector. Apparently, he didn’t much care for being told he couldn’t have a look at the food we was bringing in and insisted on opening up all the barrels, even after the delivery guy tried to explain that he’d spoil the fruit if he did that.”

That got a sympathetic flinch outta me. “Can’t imagine his bosses were happy about that.”

“They weren’t.” Braeburn shuffled on his hooves. “Why do you think they needed to hire me?”

“Figured as much.” Spoilin’ a whole load of cargo is a pretty good way to lose your job as a delivery pony. “So you wanna make sure the same thing don’t happen to you? Makes sense, though Ah don’t reckon its too likely.” The health inspector couldn’t check every load of food coming into Canterlot without slowing traffic down so much the city would probably run out of food, so he usually only checked one out of every twenty wagons or so—enough to keep everypony on their toes while still letting folks into the city without too much trouble. Not to mention he probably got an earful over ruinin’ somepony’s cargo.

Ah frowned at Braeburn and tried to tie it all together. “Alright, so where do Ah come in? Ain’t much Ah can do about the health inspector.”

“You do enough business in Canterlot to be a familiar face,” Braeburn answered, shooting me a hopeful little smile. “I figure they’re more likely to go after somepony they’ve never seen before than somepony they know always has good produce.”

Gotta admit, he was right about that. Ah'd been selling my extra apples in Canterlot for years now—there’s only so many apples a small town like Ponyville can eat. Ah preferred dealing with ponies face to face, especially since it usually got better prices, and Ah usually got to see them enjoying what they bought. Still, when a good apple tree can put out more than six hundred apples a year, and you multiply that by several fields’ worth, it wasn’t hard to figure out that Ah was gonna have way too many apples to one-at-a-time every single one of them.

It had been a long time since any of the health inspectors had taken a look at my apples. Like Braeburn said, they knew who Ah was and that Ah only ever sold good apples. No reason to waste everypony’s time and money checking out somepony they knew did honest business. So long as they didn’t have a reason to think the way Ah did business had changed, there weren’t no reason to check my cargo out.

Still, it didn’t quite sit right with me. Ah mean, the reason Ah could always breeze through the health and safety regulations is that everypony knew Ah was an honest businesspony, and Sweet Apple Acres was a quality name. Except now Ah was gonna be using that name and reputation to do somepony else’s business, not my own. It just didn’t sit right with me, letting everypony think all the cargo was mine when some of it wouldn’t be. “Ah don’t know, Braeburn. Just seems a little fishy, doing things that way.”

Braeburn’s ears drooped, but he gave a slow, resigned nod. “I getcha, Applejack. You gotta do what’s right for your business. I’ll find a way. Shoot, the odds I’ll get pulled over for a cargo check aren’t that high anyway, I’m probably worrying over nothing.”

“Probably.” Ah quickly turned to my cider and focused on that for a bit. Whenever you tell Braeburn no, he gets this pitiful hangdog look about him, like somepony just kicked him in the gut and took away all his birthday presents. Made me feel like a right mule for turning him down when he needed my help. What kinda mare was I, putting business over family? That ain’t the Apple way.

Ah groaned and gave into the inevitable. “How many barrels of this cactus fruit do ya have?”

Braeburn’s face lit up like a firefly dancing with a junebug. “Just half a dozen. It’ll be no trouble at all.” He got up and wrapped me in another one of his bear hugs. “Thanks, Applejack. I owe you one. I mean it; anything you need, anything at all, you got it.”

Normally Ah would’ve just waved that off—family don’t have to worry about debts—but then Ah remembered that the sheep and cattle pens were due for some cleaning up. “Tell you what, Braeburn, stick around a couple days. Help keep everything running smooth while Ah’m in Canterlot, and we’re square. Fair deal?”

“Sounds more’n fair to me.” We swapped a hoofshake that nearly turned into him trying to hug me again.

Ah grinned at him. “We’ll see how fair you think it is once Big Mac works you for a couple days.”

Braeburn chuckled at that. “Ah guess we will. Thanks again for helping me out, cuz. You won’t regret it.”

The trip into Canterlot weren’t nothin’ interesting. Visiting the capital was real exciting the first couple times Ah’d done it, but by now it was just another business trip. Like Braeburn figured, Ah didn’t have any trouble with the health inspectors. They just nodded when they saw me and let me march my apples right along.

After that, it was just a quick trot to the warehouse district to unload everything. It was getting late in the day by the time Ah made it there—it’s a pretty long walk if you hoof it all the way from Ponyville, especially with a cart full of produce. Ah could’ve taken the train, but that would’ve added an extra round of loading and unloading everything, not to mention Ah would’ve needed to pay for the train ticket, a cargo storage fee, and then Ah’d have to rent a wagon in Canterlot to actually deliver the apples. Walking’s free.

Besides, hoofing it gave me an excuse to stay overnight in Canterlot. Ah might be a farm girl at heart, but that don’t mean Ah can’t appreciate the big city a bit. Ah’d figured that out when Ah spent a bit with my Aunt and Uncle Orange in Manehatten. It was a lot of fun, helping out with their shipping business and all. Let me see what life was like outside of the farm, even if at the end of the day it just reminded me how much Ah loved Sweet Apple Acres. Sometimes a pony needs a change of scenery like that. Now Ah knew that Ah farmed because Ah loved it, not just because it was what Ah was raised to do.

‘Course, Ah needed to make my deliveries before Ah started thinking too much about what Ah’d do with the Canterlot nightlife. No sense in counting my chickens before they hatched.

Delivering the apples went smooth as ever, other than needing to stop them from taking Braeburn’s barrels along with mine. Ah didn’t expect any trouble, since we’d done this particular song and dance plenty of times before. Ah come here pretty regularly to sell off all my extra apples, so there weren’t no need for any haggling on the price or such.

That just left Braeburn’s delivery. His barrels were going to a different part of the warehouse district from where Ah normally did business. There were actually a pretty good number of warehouses in Canterlot, mostly clustered around the train station. Since every railroad in Equestria connects back to Canterlot, the capital’s pretty much the central hub for all of the rail travel in this part of the Empire. You could find a warehouse in Canterlot for just about anything a pony would want to buy.

Naturally, Ah was used to doing business with the places that specialized in storing food. Ah’d figured Braeburn’s barrels would be going someplace nearby, but the directions he’d written out for me weren’t pointing anywhere Ah was familiar with. As Ah followed them, Ah couldn’t help but notice that Ah was headed for the shabbier part of the warehouse district. Granted, it was only shabby by Canterlot standards; ain’t no way the Empress would tolerate a bunch of run-down eyesores of buildings in her capital.

Ah pulled my cart up in front of the warehouse and knocked on the front door. “Howdy. Anypony there? Ah got your shipment of cactus fruits waiting out here.”

Ah was about to try knocking again or check if the door was unlocked when Ah heard the sound of several bolts clicking open, and then the door opened up just enough for me to see a pair of eyes glowering out at me suspiciously. A male voice growled out from the shadows. “You don’t look like our description of Braeburn. Who are you?”

“Name’s Applejack.” Ah extended a hoof, which was completely ignored. “Ah’m his cousin. Since Ah had business of my own in Canterlot, we figured just one of us could to go into town and handle both the deliveries.”

Mister Suspicious chewed on that for a bit, then grunted. “He was supposed to deliver the goods himself, not send somepony else.”

Ah was getting just a mite annoyed with all of this. There weren’t no reason to make such a production outta dropping off a couple barrels full of fruit. “What’s it matter who drops them off so long as they get here? You want your cargo, so how about we stop flapping our jaws and you come on and get it. Got better things to do than sit here shooting the breeze with somepony who won’t even show me his face.”

That got me another grunt outta the fella on the other end of the door, and then he shut it in my face. Ah could hear some muffled conversation going on behind it, though Ah couldn’t make out a word of what anypony was saying. After a bit the door cracked open again. “You didn’t open any of the barrels, right?”

“Ah sure didn’t,” Ah assured them. “Kept ‘em sealed up tighter than a jar of pickles, just like you told Braeburn to.”

“Good.” The door closed again, but this time it opened up a couple seconds later, and several ponies filed out and headed for my wagon. One of them, a big earth pony fella with a dirty white coat and short-cut red mane, stopped in front of me. Once he spoke, Ah knew for certain he was the one Ah’d been talking to before. “Once we get the goods in storage, I’ll have my ponies give it a quick inspection. As long as everything’s in order, there won’t be any problems. Like you said, who does the delivering is less important than the fact that it gets here.”

“Best news Ah’ve had all day.” For a minute there Ah’d been afraid the whole job was gonna go belly-up and Ah’d be left trying to explain to Braeburn how things had gone wrong for him. He didn’t say anything about it, but given that his orchard wasn’t up and running yet, he probably needed the bits from this job pretty bad. Delivery work usually isn’t the kinda job a pony takes ‘cause they just love running all over the place hitched up to a cart.

Ah took a look at the ponies unloading Braeburn’s barrels. They seemed to be having a time of it; Braeburn and Ah had found out just how heavy them cactus fruits was when we’d first loaded them onto my cart. Lucky for us, Big Mac had been around to help out. The ponies offloading my cargo didn’t have anypony close to his size, though. In fact, most of them looked a bit on the weedy side for professional teamsters, and between that and all the trouble they were having with the unloading, Ah was starting to suspect they weren’t proper unloaders at all.

Would be just my luck to get stuck with an unprofessional operation like this. Ah ain’t a stickler for doing everything just so, but there are right and wrong ways of unloading cargo. At the rate they were going, somepony was gonna end up hurting themselves or dropping something. Ah might not care too much for their boss’ attitude, but Ah still had my professional pride. “Hey, y’all need any help unloading?”

“They can handle it,” their boss grumbled at me. “Just stay out of the way and let them do their job. The sooner they finish, the sooner you can get paid and get out of here.”

That had been why Ah was ready to help in the first place. Waiting for the amateurs to get the job done was gonna take twice as long as it would if Ah showed them the ropes real quick. Ain’t like the trick to carrying heavy stuff is all that complicated. Besides, Ah’d be doing them a favor in the long term by showing them how it’s done.

Ah wasn’t in the mood to argue it though, even if Ah was right. Instead, Ah just sat back and watched as they slowly and painfully tried to work it out on their own. They did at least seem to be figuring out the best way to get the barrels out of the cart and into the warehouse through trial and error as they went along. Ah swear, their boss must’ve just grabbed the first two ponies he saw without so much as a thought to whether they could properly do the job.

They were getting the second-to-last barrel out of the cart when the inevitable happened. One of them lost his grip, and instead of gently rolling out the back of the cart and onto his partner’s back, the barrel tumbled right out. A lot of Canterlot streets have a bit of a slope to them on account of the city being built on a mountain, so pretty soon that barrel was rolling downhill, picking up speed as it went. Instinct kicked in as soon as Ah saw the barrel rolling down the street, and Ah chased after it. It was getting late enough in the day that the streets in this part of town weren’t all that crowded, and what ponies were around seemed more interested in getting outta the way of the runaway barrel than in lending a hoof.

The warehouse staff were right on my tail. Ah’d nearly caught up when the barrel came to an abrupt stop, courtesy of a lamppost. The barrel wasn’t exactly a high-quality one made outta the best wood money could buy, so the impact split it open and popped the top off. That’s when Ah got a look at what Ah’d been carrying, and it sure as hay weren’t no cactus fruit.

Ah pulled out one of the items, a crossbow that looked fancy enough to be worth a whole lotta money and heavy enough to be all kinds of dangerous. “What in the world?” It wasn’t the kinda weapon a pony could run around with in the middle of Canterlot without facing a whole lotta difficult questions and certainly not the kinda weapon anypony should be sneaking barrels full of into the capital. And Ah had a buncha barrels full of the things sittin’ in the back of my wagon, after Ah’d snuck ‘em right past the Guards. What in the hay was goin’ on here?

Something heavy and hard smacked me in the back of the head an instant later. In hindsight, Ah probably should’ve gone on guard once Ah realized that Ah’d been smuggling weapons to some ponies. Ponies trying to sneak a bunch weapons into the capital weapons generally ain’t up to anything good. Probably would’ve figured it all out, if Ah’d been just a bit faster or they’d been just a bit slower. Didn’t help that they knew what their cargo was, while Ah’d needed a couple ticks to figure it out.

That smack scrambled my brain pretty good. It didn’t knock me out or anything, but there wasn’t too much fight in me when they grabbed me and dragged me back to the warehouse along with their lost barrel. By the time my head started clearing up, they’d already gotten me inside the warehouse and outta sight.

“Horseapples,” one of them groaned, frantically pacing around the room. “We are feathered, we are so feathered!”

The leader of the trio let out an annoyed growl. “Quit your whining and keep it together, Whisper. We got the goods, and ain’t nopony gonna call in the gendarmes on us. Ain’t like we’re the only ones who’d lose out if the law started poking around and seeing what they can turn up.”

The twitchy one, Whisper, took a couple deep breaths and seemed to settle a bit. “Yeah. Right. Like you said Chestnut, everything’s fine.” He took another couple breaths, then looked down at me. “So what do we do with her? Geeze, Mr. Cause is gonna be pissed when he finds out about this. We are so...”

“Chill, Whisper.” The big guy grabbed him and shook him. “Freaking out on us isn’t going to make this any better. Let’s just take her to Cause and let him figure out what to do next.”

While those two were busy arguing, Ah was still shaking off the effects of a kick to the head. The world wasn’t spinning no more, and while Ah still felt a little woozy, Ah was more than good enough to make life difficult for these bushwhackers.

Ah rolled around a bit to get a good angle. Ah couldn’t get up on my hooves without giving myself away, but that still left me plenty of options. Ah settled on my old standby and set my forelegs on the ground. Ah couldn’t buck anywhere near full strength when Ah was coming up from the floor, but after years of apple-bucking, even a weak buck outta me was something most ponies wouldn’t like. On a good day, one buck from me could leave hoof prints in solid wood.

Just to be safe, Ah also picked my target carefully. After that, it was just a matter of waiting for the right moment. That didn’t take too long to come around, and once it did, Ah up and bucked Chestnut right in the ... well, in the chestnuts. Ah don’t care how big and tough a stallion is, there ain’t a one of them in the world who’s still in a fighting mood after taking a hit like that.

Chestnut went down like a sack of potatoes, whining and moaning all the while. Ah got up to my hooves and faced off with Whisper and his silent buddy. They was already looking nervous, so Ah decided to help them along. “Word of advice, idjits: next time you try and foalnap a mare, y’might wanna tie her up.”

Ah took a quick look around the warehouse. The inside was a lot shabbier than the outside, with junk strewn all over the place without any thought for neatness or organization. There were even a couple spots where the floor had been torn up, leaving chunks of concrete littering the floor. From the looks of it, somepony was trying to make a secret tunnel into the caves under Canterlot.

Ah paced around the room, keeping a wary eye on Whisper and his buddy. Ah kept on talking—Whisper looked twitchy enough that Ah was pretty sure Ah could rattle him without trying too hard. “You see, if you don’t tie up your prisoner after you nab ‘em, you leave yourself open to all manner of unpleasantness. Like this!” Ah knocked one of the loose bits of concrete into the air, then did a quick about-face to buck it straight into the nose of Whisper’s silent buddy. In the contest between high-speed concrete and a pony’s nose, concrete wins every time.

That just left Whisper himself, and by now he was looking more nervous than a cat in a room full of rocking chairs. “S—stay back!” He quickly pulled one the crossbows out of the barrel and pointed it at me. “I’m warning you!”

Ah might’ve been intimidated by that, if not for one problem. “You are aware that crossbow ain’t loaded, ain’tcha?”

“Huh?” He stared down in confusion at the very obviously loaded crossbow, giving me more than enough time to handle him just like Ah’d handled his two friends.

Ah took a minute to make sure there wasn’t any fight left in them, then took a moment to pronounce final verdict on the matter. “Idjits.” Ah was halfway tempted not to report them to the Imperial Guard, since that’d mean admitting they’d managed to get the jump on me for a bit. Only halfway tempted, though.

Ah’d turned around and was headed for the door when a crossbow bolt planted itself into the wood in front of me. Ah looked back and saw a unicorn stallion standing on the other side of the room. He had a pure white coat and a long, wavy golden mane, but most of my attention was focused on that big crossbow he had pointed at me. One that he’d already reloaded.

Ah played it cool, keeping a close eye on the fella. He was staying as far away from me as he could without leaving the room, making sure Ah couldn’t close in on him the way Ah’d done with Whisper. “Ah’m gonna guess you’re the brains of the little operation, since you’re the first one I’ve seen who looks like he actually has a brain.”

The unicorn smirked and nodded, his eyes never leaving me. “You guess correctly.” He spared a disdainful glance for the ponies on the floor. “Goodness knows somepony has to do the thinking. I’m afraid you haven’t come visiting at the best time; if you had shown up during one of our meetings, you would see that things are usually a bit more professional around here. Sadly, our best and brightest aren’t the ones assigned to watching the warehouse in off-hours.”

“Kinda figured that part out on my own.” Ah spared a glance down at the idjits, who were slowly getting back up now that they didn’t need to worry about me hitting them again. “Mind telling me why Ah’m getting foalnapped and held at crossbow-point?”

“I hardly think the crossbow needs an explanation, after what you did to my acolytes.” He frowned down at the idjit trio. “As for the foalnapping, I have no idea why they did that, and I suspect I won’t like the answer.”

Of the three, Whisper seemed to be in the best state to answer. “She saw the weapons, Mr. Cause! We had to do something to keep her quiet!”

The unicorn, Mr. Cause, sighed and shook his head. “And you decided on openly committing a major felony instead of just asking her to keep it quiet and offering a few extra bits for her trouble because...?”

Whisper slumped down. “I didn’t think of that.”

“I’m wondering at what point you did think, Whisper.” Cause turned his attention back to me. “Well, clearly we’ve started this meeting off on the wrong hoof. Just Cause, pleasure to meet you. I’d offer to shake your hoof, but...” He hefted his crossbow by way of explanation.

“Applejack.” Ah frowned at him, despite the charm he was pouring on. Well, if Ah’m honest, because of the charm. Don’t ever trust a pony who’s trying to charm you while pointing a lethal weapon at your head. “And for the record, Ah’m a law-abiding citizen, so if you tried to buy me off Ah would’ve told you to take your money and shove it.”

“Pity.” He carefully walked around his three downed helpers, giving them enough room to get up on their own without blocking his line of fire to me. “I should also point out that if you tried to go to the authorities, we would have more than enough time to drop off the map. It would be a waste of a perfectly good base of operations, but given the alternative...” He trailed off and offered a slight shrug. “Really, if you contact the Guard you would be the worst off of us. My associates and I will be able to make a clean getaway while you’re finding somepony to listen to your story, and if you tell them what happened, the Guard would probably arrest you for smuggling illegal weapons into Canterlot.”

That gave me cause for pause. Sure, Ah hadn’t known that Ah was carrying weapons, but that might not be enough to keep me from getting in trouble. At the very least, there’d be a whole lotta pointed questions about what Ah’d been up to.

That almost tempted me to just walk away and let the whole thing drop. Almost. The thing was, much as Ah didn’t like the idea of having trouble with the law, Ah liked the idea of what these fellas would get up to with six barrels full of weapons even less. The only reason Ah could see for sneaking that many weapons into Canterlot would be if they were aiming to kill somepony, or a lotta someponies. Ah didn’t want that on my conscience.

Ah met Cause’s eyes and looked for the nearest bit of cover Ah could run to. Ah didn’t like my odds of getting there before he could shoot me, but Ah dang sure wasn’t gonna just stand there and make it easy for him. “Sorry, but Granny didn’t raise no cowards. If Ah end up with law trouble on account of reportin’ you, Ah reckon Ah’ll just have to buck up and deal.”

Ah half-expected he’d just put a crossbow bolt into me as soon as Ah said that, but to my relief, he didn’t do anything of the kind. Instead he just kinda smiled and nodded. “I can respect that. I might still have to kill you, but you have my respect. And really, if we respect each other, we should be able to find a better way of sorting this whole mess out. Hiding bodies is so terribly inconvenient. I’d rather turn you into an asset.”

“An asset?” Ah repeated incredulously.

“Quite so.” He shifted his stance so the crossbow wasn’t pointing right at me anymore, but he could still bring it up at a moment’s notice. “Thus far you’ve shown intelligence, determination, and a strong moral center. Those are all qualities my organization could use. It seems like your main objection is that you think we’re up to some nefarious scheme, so let’s stop threatening each other, and I’ll explain exactly what we’re doing. I expect you’ll be more than happy to help, once you realize what I intend to do.”

Well, somepony was awful impressed with himself. Ah didn’t reckon Ah’d be too quick to join in on some kinda murder plot, but Ah didn’t see the harm in letting him flap his jaw for a bit. If nothing else, it’d give me more info on what exactly Ah was dealing with when Ah went to the gendarmes. And anything that bought me more time to find a way outta this whole sticky situation was a good thing. Ah was pretty sure that if Ah turned down the tour he would’ve put a bolt in me right then and there, and Ah really didn’t wanna get myself shot. The smart move was to play along with him until I got a chance to rabbit. “Alright. Say what you’re gonna say, and Ah’ll hear you out.”

“Smart move.” Just holstered his crossbow at his side, though Ah didn’t have any doubt he could get it back up in a jiffy if Ah got ornery with him. “So let’s talk this all out like civilized ponies. I assure you, once you understand the situation you will be more than willing to join me.”

“Reckon we’ll see about that.” So far all Ah’d heard outta this guy was a lotta talk about how he was gonna win me over, but nothing to back that up. Talk’s cheap, especially when you’re dealing with somepony who seems awful fond of the sound of his own voice. “First you better tell me what you’re up to and why Ah should trust you, ‘cause right now all Ah know is that you’ve got more illegal weapons than anypony with righteous intentions oughta have, and you lied to me and my cousin to get ‘em here. That’s two pretty darn big strikes against you.”

Just turned around and led the way deeper into his warehouse, trusting me to follow behind him. His three flunkies were watching his back anyway. “I apologize for the deception, but sometimes we need to resort to trickery to achieve our goals. I assure you, everything I have done is ultimately for the greater good.”

We went down a couple staircases, heading down into the tunnels. “Wonderful. How’s about we stop dancing around and you lemme know what’s what already?”

“I could tell you...” Just paused in front of a heavy security door. “But I think it might be a bit faster if I showed you.”

He undid the locks and the door slowly ground open, revealing a large chamber underneath the warehouse itself. Compared to the shabby building above us, this place was all kinds of fancy. What caught my eye wasn’t the silver candlesticks or all the gems and precious metals worked into the floor in some kinda intricate pattern, though. It was the big ole tapestry sitting up on one of the walls.

The tapestry itself would’ve been enough to get everypony in the room in a Ministry of Heart cell for a long talking to. pictures of Nightmare Moon standing triumphantly over the Empress’ body tend to do that. Horseapples, I was really in it now. “Y’all are Nightmare cultists?”

Just stepped up to the tapestry and looked it over with a faint smile on his face. “I suppose they would call us that, yes. I’m not terribly fond of the term myself, though. It has a rather negative association with madponies who want to unleash eternal night and doom all life on the world, and I assure you I have no intention of doing that.”

“Right...” Ah didn’t buy that for one minute, but Ah ain’t one to burst a crazy pony’s bubble. Most folks crazy enough to think joining up with a mad alicorn who wanted to destroy the sun was a good idea weren’t the kinda folks who responded rationally to criticism of their beliefs.

The cult leader either didn’t notice how Ah wasn’t buying what he was selling or he didn’t care. Instead, he just kept right on talking. “Our support for the restoration of Luna as the rightful ruler of Equestria is more a matter of logic and reason than religious fervor. The tyrant and usurper Sunbeam Sparkle must be removed from power, and Luna is the old queen’s rightful heir. Surely you cannot support the Empire’s evil and oppressive policies? How the basic and freedoms of all ponykind, and every other race, have been stripped away?”

Truth be told, Ah always had figured the Empire was just a bit too big for its own good. Ah’ve always been of the mind that the best kinda government is the kind that doesn’t make life hard for everypony living under it. Might be that the Ministry of Agriculture helps out a lotta ponies, but for me they’ve just been a pain in the flanks since the day Ah started working Sweet Apple Acres. Ah don’t need some government worker telling me how to make my farm more efficient, it was my farm. If Ah wanted to make my cider by hoof instead of running it through some fancified machine, that was my business and nopony else’s.

“Ah, yes, I know the look in your eyes.” Cause smiled to himself, walked up to my side. “I’ve seen that same look on so many other faces. The look of a pony who hates having their choices taken away from them. Because that’s what the Empire is all about—taking away everypony’s right to choose, then telling them it’s for their own good.” He made a grand, sweeping gesture with one of his hooves. “I’m sure you know your history, Applejack. You’re a smart mare. I’m sure you know that back before the Empire, the earth ponies actually got to choose their own leaders. Not just a tribune who was allowed to advise the Empress, actual leaders.”

“Ah know it.” Ah felt just a bit of family pride as Ah added. “One of my ancestors was nearly the Chancellor of the Earth Ponies at one point.”

“Exactly.” Just Cause grinned and slapped me on the back. “I knew you would understand. We used to have freedom and democracy, but ever since Sunbeam took the throne all we’ve had is her Empire running things with cold, uncaring efficiency. Always looking at the big picture. It doesn’t matter if things are bad for some ponies as long as the Empire as a whole is better off.” He paused, and let out a bitter snort. “Of course, it’s a lot easier to say that when you’re not the one losing out so the rest of the Empire can be better off.”

He turned and pointed to each of his companions in turn. “Chestnut and Walnut lost their jobs in the mines ‘cause it was more efficient to have a machine do it. Same for Whisper, because it was more efficient to use zebra tooth repair potions for most of the things a pony used to see a dentist for. My family lost everything we’d spent centuries building up because the nobility was inefficient.” He scowled something fierce when he mentioned that; Ah reckon it was a sore point for him.

He put a hoof on my shoulder and looked me in the eyes. “Trust me, if the Empire keeps going the way it has been, one day they’ll decide they don’t need you anymore either. They’ll find some way to let one pony run a farm that normally takes ten workers to handle and not even think about the fact that it means nine out of every ten farmers are out of a job.”

He stepped back and waved his forelegs to encompass the entire room. “That’s how the Empire works. What the little pony wants—all your personal desires and freedoms—are completely irrelevant. The only thing that matters is keeping the Empire running at maximum efficiency. It serves no purpose other than sustaining its own existence and crushing however many ponies it needs to in order to keep itself functioning. And anypony who doesn’t go along with that gets a visit from the Ministry of Heart.”

Ah’ll say this for Just Cause, he knew how to make a real pretty speech. His followers seemed to be hanging on his every word, and even Ah had to admit he had some point about how the Empire wasn’t perfect. ‘Course, Ah’d known that long before Ah’d ever met the stallion. Saying the Empire ain’t perfect is about like saying the sky is blue. Ah don’t reckon even the Empress would argue the system was flawless. What Ah wanted to know was exactly what Just had in mind for fixing it, beyond putting Nightmare Moon on the throne. Pointing out problems was a lot easier than figuring out solutions. “So what’s your plan?”

Just grinned to himself, apparently taking that question as a sign that Ah was open to signing on with him. “It’s simple enough. Soon we will free Luna from her prison, and she will lead the liberation of Equestria from the tyrant who murdered her sister and seized the throne. Until that day arrives, we must lay the groundwork for her return, both by recruiting new members to the cause and ... taking care of a few problems.”

“Ah take it that’s what the weapons are for?” Ah shot a look at Just’s crossbow, hanging from his side. “Taking care of a couple of those problems that happen to be pony-shaped.”

“Yes,” Just answered matter-of-factly. “As the bars of her prison weaken, Luna herself has found a way to contact me. When last we spoke, she gave me a dire warning. There are six ponies who have the potential to destroy everything that she has worked for—to deny Equestria the freedom it deserves. They have to be removed before Luna’s return.” He hesitated for a moment. “I admit that I don’t like the idea of being an assassin, but when you weigh the lives of six ponies against the liberation of Equestria from the tyranny of the false empress...”

“Sucks to be them,” Chestnut concluded.

Oh. Well ain’t that just dandy. Bad enough they had to be crazy evil cultists, but now they were planning a buncha murders too. Ain’t no way Ah could go along with something like that, even if Ah agreed with the rest of what Just Cause was planning on. As it was, Ah just needed to figure out how to get away as fast as Ah could.

Soon as that thought popped into my head, another one took its place. Worrying about my own neck was all well and good, but if these fellas were planning on doing some murdering then Ah wasn’t the only one in trouble. Ah oughta at least try and find out who they were after so Ah could see about warning them somehow. “Right, so who are these ponies you’re after? Some kinda government officials or something?”

“Not exactly.” Just frowned and tapped the weapon at his side. “Though Luna, in her wisdom, has not revealed all their identities yet, only the ones known to our enemies. If we attempted to remove one of the six and failed, we would only inform the Empress. As it stands, the only ponies Luna has warned me of are a schoolteacher and Twilight Sparkle, the Empress’ student.”

Oh, ponyfeathers. Ah didn’t know much about the Empress, but Ah figured it was a pretty safe bet that if this Just fella took a shot at her personal protégé, he’d be in for a world of hurt. Him and anypony else who’d gotten themselves mixed up in it. One thing was for sure, Ah definitely wanted to be the one to warn the gendarmes about this—if they found out Ah was mixed up in this business in from somepony other than me, Ah could be in for a world of trouble.

That just left figuring out how to get outta there. Ah was probably gonna have to pretend to sign on with the cult—Ah was pretty sure the ‘join us’ offer had come with an unspoken ‘or die’ at the end of it. Ah’m an honest mare, but Ah’d gladly tell a couple fibs if it was the only way to get outta getting killed for nothing. Besides, nopony would be able to warn the Empress about the loonies who were planning on killing her student if Ah died here.

“Alright, fine.” Ah tried to fake as much sincerity as Ah could. “You made a good case, Ah’ll see where you’re going with this. What do Ah have to do?”

Normally Ah ain’t a very good liar, but in this case Ah did have one thing going for me. Namely, that Just Cause really wanted to believe he could win me over by just talking at me for a couple minutes. Lies always go down a lot easier when the other pony wants to believe ya. Just grinned and threw a foreleg over my back. “Excellent. Welcome to our numbers, sister. We won’t be able to arrange a proper initiation until our next meeting, but I would be more than happy to have you stay as my personal guest until then. I insist.”

Oh, well that’s just swell. Ah suppose Ah should’ve guessed he’d take some kinda precaution against me pulling exactly what Ah was trying. He might wanna believe he’d talked me around, but he wasn’t an idiot. Ah thought about trying to talk my way outta spending a couple days hanging out with Nightmare cultists, but Ah couldn’t see any way of doing it without making myself look suspicious. Ah could try saying my family would be suspicious if Ah didn’t come home, but he’d just tell me to write ‘em about being busy in Canterlot or something. Ain’t no way he was letting me loose until he was sure Ah was one hundred percent committed to the cause.

Considering all that, Ah didn’t have much choice but to go along with what he had planned and hope Ah could find a way outta this before Ah got in too deep. Pretending to join the cult was one thing, but Ah wasn’t gonna pledge my soul to Nightmare Moon just to keep up the charade. Ah was kinda attached to my soul and had better plans for it than feeding it to Nightmare Moon, or whatever it is Nightmare cultists do.

Before Ah could ask any more questions, Ah noticed Just Cause’s minions were busy lighting the candles and generally tidying up. Seemed a bit odd for them to be doing that, especially when their boss had been talking about heading home just a bit ago. Cause must’ve picked up on my confusion, ‘cause he decided to explain what was going on to me. “I was preparing to commune with Luna’s spirit when you arrived. It seems a pity to waste all that preparation, especially when I have a new sister in the faith to introduce to her.”

“Er ... yeah.” Ah was starting to wonder if Ah should’ve just admitted Ah thought they were a bunch of loonies, and took my chances on fighting it out. Ah should’ve known that lying would just end up dragging me into deeper and deeper trouble. “So y’all can just call up Nigh—er, Luna whenever you want and have a chat with her?”

That got a smile outta him. “Oh, it’s a bit more complicated than just that. I would suggest you find somewhere comfortable to take a seat.”

It didn’t take long to figure why he said that. Well, Ah guess in a manner of speaking it did take a long time, ‘cause all the prep-work he and his acolytes had to do fer this ritual musta taken at least an hour to get done. Candles had to be lit, a whole buncha complicated symbols had be written all over the floor, and there was enough incense burning to make my nose itch something fierce. While his flunkies were busy doing all of that, Just Cause was busy painting himself up with just as many weird symbols as the fellas had put on the floor.

By the time all that was done, my head was starting to feel a little fuzzy on account of all the incense they’d been burning. Just Cause stepped up to the circle and started chanting in some language Ah didn’t know, though there was enough about it that sounded vaguely familiar that Ah could guess it was one of the Old Equestrian dialects. Guess it figures you’d need to use some old-fashioned language to talk to a pony who’s been locked away from the world for a thousand years.

He’d been at it for a while when Ah felt something suddenly change. There was something standing in the middle of all those runes now. Not a proper pony, but definitely some kinda something, dark and shadowy. Big, too. Though Ah couldn’t really describe it—just lookin’ at it hurt mah eyes. Ah couldn't even start to make out the whole thing, but Ah felt it as much as Ah saw it, and way more past that. It just being there about knocked me back like a breezie in the wake of a dragon's breath; Ah don't think it could stop itself from doing whatever it was doing even if it wanted to. Can’t say for sure if he’d really called up Nightmare Moon or just deluded himself into thinking he had. Don’t reckon it matters all that much—whatever he’d done, he’d gotten something nasty as all get out to show up.

The dark presence in the circle spoke to him. It was in the same ancient speech he’d used to call it up, only when the creature talked it was a lot louder and deeper. Dust shook down off the rafters with every single word. More than that, the way it was talking sounded wrong. Nothing Ah could put my hoof on, just ... wrong.

The more Ah listened to Just Cause chatting away with Nightmare Moon or whatever it was, the less Ah wanted to be there. Dang it, Ah’d just been trying to do a favor for my cousin! Ah hadn’t asked for any of this! Ah’m a simple farmer, not some kinda monster-slaying demon-hunting superhero or something.

Ah wanted outta there so bad, Ah’d started edging towards the door before Ah even realized it. The good news was that Just and his three flunkies were so focused on that thing in the circle that they didn’t even notice me trying to make a getaway. Only problem was, the creature itself had a perfect view of me. Ah’d just about made it to the door when Ah suddenly felt it focus in on me, and Ah froze on the spot. Then it talked at me. “Eilikríneia foréas Applejack! Skóto̱se Applejack, mou ypálli̱loi!”

Ah didn’t have the first clue what any of that meant, but Ah recognized my name, and the rest of the words didn’t sound all that friendly. That suspicion was pretty quickly confirmed when Just Cause pulled his crossbow and the others went scrambling for whatever weapons they could find. Ah bolted for the door. I felt a hot line of fire across my flank as a crossbow bolt nickedme, but Ah’d take that in a heartbeat over what could’ve happened. Ah ran up the stairs as fast as Ah could; between the freaky monster thing and the fanatical cultists trying kill me, Ah darn sure didn’t wanna be there anymore.

As Ah ran for it, the creature’s shouts followed me up. “Dákry i̱ sárka apó ti̱s ostá! Férte mou ti̱s diakópsei kranío!” My knees went weak every time Ah heard its voice, but Ah dug down deep and forced myself to keep running.

Ah got up the stairs fast enough to set some kinda record and ran for the door outta the warehouse. It was locked up tight, so Ah gave it a couple good bucks. Much to my surprise, that didn’t work for once. Guess it figures they’d have a good strong lock on their warehouse when what was inside would get them all killed very dead.

Dangit, Ah had to get outta there! If those guys caught up with me, Ah was dead. Or maybe something worse, if they brought me back to that thing they’d called up. Empress above, it had known my name! If Ah never saw that creature again, it’d be too soon. Ah ain’t a pony who scares easy, but the mere thought of them dragging me back to that thing in the other room... Ah don’t know what it was, but it weren’t nothin’ I ever wanted to see again. Think Ah’d rather just go down fightin’.

Ah desperately searched the warehouse for another way out, but the closest Ah could find was an open skylight. Not ideal, especially since Ah had no idea how Ah was supposed to get up to it, but ‘any port in a storm’ ... Ah hopped up onto the nearest couple boxes, then made a desperate leap for the exit. Ah managed to get my forelegs through the window, and did my best to find some way of pulling myself up. Problem was, there wasn’t anything around to grab hold of other than the window itself. Ah gave that a try, but the glass wasn’t strong enough to support the weight of a full-grown mare trying to pull herself up.

When Ah saw the glass cracking, my grip slipped and Ah tumbled back down into the warehouse. Ah hit the floor hard enough to knock the wind outta me and needed a couple seconds to get myself back up. Shame Ah didn’t have that much time to spare. Ah heard hoofsteps on pavement, and a second later there was a crossbow pointed right at my face.

The only bit of good news was it was Chestnut the lackey carrying it, not Just Cause. In fact, Ah didn’t see hide nor hair of the cult leader. Ah wasn’t gonna complain about that; as long as Ah was up against his three moron followers, Ah had a chance. Just needed to figure out a way to turn things to my advantage.

Chestnut grinned and waved the crossbow in my face, clearly savoring the moment. Guess he took that kick to the chestnuts a little personal. Ah decided to stall for time. “Don’t suppose there’s any way Ah could talk you outta this?”

“Not happening, farmgirl.” He shot me a nasty smirk. “I was hoping I’d get to kill you. The fact that Just says you’re one of the six we’re after is just icing on the cake.”

Wait, Ah was one of the six ponies the Nightmare cult wanted dead? But that didn’t make a lick of sense! Ah hadn’t done anything to make them get ornery with me up until today, and from the sounds of things, they’d been aiming to kill those six ponies for a long time now. Besides, Just wouldn’t have bothered with the whole recruitment song and dance if he’d known he was gonna kill me anyway. It just didn’t make a lick of sense. The only explanation was that the Nightmare had said something about that while Just was talking to it. The thing had known my name, after all. Ah just didn’t have the first clue why she’d be out for my head.

Didn’t look like Ah’d ever find out the answer either, if Chestnut had his way. He slowly lowered the crossbow from my head, settling it right over my guts instead. “Tell you what, I’ll give you a choice. You wanna die quick and painless, or slow and painful?”

Ah was about to tell him to go buck himself, assuming he still could after Ah'd done so much damage to his down-below, when somepony else spoke up from behind him. “Really now, sir, that’s no way to talk to a lady.” A pair of hooves covered in blue fabric grabbed the thug and promptly introduced his head to one of the nearby crates in a manner that looked all kinds of painful.

By the time Ah’d gotten back on my hooves and started figuring out what was what, Whisper and the other one were down too. Ah got a good look at my rescuer and did a double-take. It’s one thing to read about the Sapphire Guardian in the papers, and a whole ‘nother thing to actually be rescued by her in person.

The Guardian brushed her hooves off, then took a quick look around the warehouse while she secured the three acolytes. Or at least, Ah think that’s what she did. It was a little hard to tell with that mask covering her face. “Were those three the only ones, or are there more?” Huh. Ah’d always kinda figured the Guardian would have one of those deeper heroic voices, like you see in hero movies. Not something quite so ... elegant.

Silly of me to be worrying about that right now, though. “There’s another fella in the basement, or at least Ah think that’s where he is. They’d also called up some sorta creature that’s serious bad news.”

“Lovely.” The Guardian headed down the staircase, and Ah followed behind her for lack of a better idea of where to go. Ah figured the safest place in the warehouse right now was next to the trained superhero, so that’s where Ah stuck to.

We got down to the secret basement room, only to find it completely deserted. The only sign of life was a whole lotta papers that were burning up on one of the tables. Ah rushed over and stomped ‘em out as quick as Ah could. Ah had no idea what all the paperwork was, but if Just Cause thought it was worth burning, then Ah figure it was probably worth saving for the gendarmes. “Looks like the leader rabbited once things went pear-shaped.”

“Pity.” The Guardian took a quick look around the room, and froze when she spotted the Nightmare Moon tapestry. “Oh dear. Well, I imagine the authorities are going to have quite a few questions for you.”

Ah leaned back in my chair, met Strumming’s eyes, and shrugged. “Reckon you know the rest of the story from there.”

“Pretty much, yeah,” the pegasus interrogator agreed. “Wish you’d told us the whole truth a bit sooner. It would’ve saved us a lot of trouble and yourself a week in our cells.”

Might be she was right, but Ah wasn’t gonna apologize for trying to protect my family. Speaking of... “Braeburn’s not gonna get in any trouble, is he?”

“As long as your story checks out, he should be fine. We probably won’t even need to take him into custody, assuming he doesn’t try lying to us.”

Now hold up just a minute there. “Y’all said you’d already grabbed mah cousin! What’s this about not needing to even arrest him?”

“Oh, that.” Strumming waved her hoof dismissively. “I lied. Well, half a lie, and half an educated guess. A guelie? Liess? Whatever. Anyway, I was pretty sure you were protecting your family, and your grandmother’s too old for revolution, your sister’s too young, and your brother doesn’t fit the profile. Same thing for your aunt and uncle in Manehatten. So cousin was the most likely suspect, especially with how broad and vague that term can be.”

Ah wasn’t too happy about that. Not one bit. “You lied to me!”

Strumming snorted and rolled her eyes. “Oh, like you’ve got any room to complain. At least I lied to resolve a threat to the Empire’s safety and to help deal with a problem that could get a lot of ponies hurt or killed. And to get you out of prison. I think I can live with that.” She shot a little glower my way, though there wasn’t too much heat behind it. “Your lies didn’t help anypony, they just made things worse for you. As you might have noticed, we really don’t appreciate it when ponies think they can lie to us. Tends to hurt your credibility and make us think you’ve got something you want to hide.”

Complaining about me lying was real rich, coming from a Ministry of Heart spy who probably lied every time she opened her mouth. For all Ah knew, they had Braeburn sitting in the next interrogation room over and had somepony pretending to be him. “Ponies are allowed to have secrets,” Ah grumbled.

Strumming answered me with an uncaring shrug. “Anything a pony would want to keep secret from the Ministry of Heart is doing something they probably shouldn’t be doing in the first place.” She got up and stretched the kinks outta her wings. “Assuming we can confirm your story now that we actually have it, you should be alright. You’re not one of the bad guys, just a farmer who got caught up in the middle of things. Just give us a day to check it all out and set up a time and place for you to swap with the Free Mind we’ve got doubling for you. Oh, and don’t mention being in our jail, or let anypony know that the Applejack they’ve been talking to for the last week or so was a changeling.”

“Ain’t like Ah’ve got the option of saying no to any of that,” Ah grumbled.

“You could try, though I really wouldn’t recommend that. We might have to bring you in again, along with whoever you talked to.” Strumming reached into her saddlebags and pulled out a candy bar, then tossed it to me. “We might’ve cleared you, but you should still keep you nose clean for a while. We don’t like having to pull the same pony in a second time. Especially since we only do changeling replacements on major cases. Your life would get all kinds of inconvenient if everypony knew you’d been arrested by the Ministry.”

“Don’t worry, Ah ain’t planning on making waves.” To be honest, Ah just wanted to go home to my family and try to forget that any of this had ever happened.

Strumming grinned at that. “See, that’s why I told my bosses you were a smart one. I’d say ‘see you around,’ but I’m actually hoping we never see you again. ‘Cause, you know, that would mean you’d gone and gotten yourself in trouble, and you really don’t wanna show up on our repeat offender list.” She paused, then tapped a hoof to her chin. “Although actually, we are gonna keep an eye on you for a while. We haven’t managed to snag Just Cause yet, which is really getting my cousin worked up. Since he did try to kill you, it’d be smart to keep an eye on you until we get him.”

“Ah won’t complain about it.” Ah’d probably feel a bit better about having Ministry ponies watching me if Ah believed they were actually worried about my safety. As it was, Ah had a feeling they’d be there more in the hopes that Cause would show up and they could nab him than outta any concern for me and mine. Cause was right about one thing: sometimes the Empire cares so much about the big picture that it lets the little pony get squished underneath it.

Strumming opened up the door outta the interrogation room and tossed a casual wave back to me on her way out. “So long. And don’t forget, we know what evil lurks in your heart.” A faint smirk crossed her lips. “The Ministry does have a cool motto, doesn’t it?”

“Heard better.” Against my better judgment, Ah got smart with her. “And if y’all are so good about finding evil, how come you didn’t figure out Ah was just fudging things to keep Braeburn safe? And how come you didn’t know about them cultists?”

She paused in the doorway and looked over her shoulder at me. “We always find out the truth eventually. Like Just Cause is about to find out, nopony can hide from us forever. He might be able to hide from us for a bit, just like you managed to lie for a bit, but the Ministry always wins in the end.” She walked out the door and tossed out one last line right before locking me in. “Oh, and be sure to eat that chocolate I gave you before it gets all gross and melted.”

“After spending a week in jail, Ah ain’t likely to forget it.” Ah took a seat, and for lack of anything else to do while Ah waited to be escorted back to my cell, Ah got to work on that candy bar. It was pretty tasty, at least. Sometimes you gotta stop and appreciate the little things, even when the big things stink to high heaven.

Guest Tale: The Ugly Truth by Trinary

“I did it! I did the Sonic Rainboom!” I flew around and around the house, happier than I’d ever been in my entire life! This was easily the Best Day Ever!

My dad smiled, and I zoomed over to hug him. He had come straight from work to pick me up from camp. I told him everything and showed him my cutie mark! He was so happy and impressed—especially by all the ponies with cameras and stuff—that he took me home to celebrate.

I was just so happy I—I thought I might explode! Maybe even twice! “Yes you did, Rainbow.” He held me so tight I almost squeaked. But I didn’t cuz that wouldn’t be cool. And I’m way past cool. “I’m so proud of you!”

“You should’ve been there!” I grinned. “I saved Fluttershy from some jerks and then I won the race and blew those jerks out of the sky and I got my cutie mark while doing the Sonic Rainboom! It was so awesome!”

“That’s my Dashie.” Dad nuzzled me. “That’s my baby girl…”

“’M not a baby!” I protested. “I have my cutie mark and everything!” Sometimes Dad could be so slow.

“Of course, you’re not,” Dad said. I nodded, happy that he got it … but why was he smiling as he said it? Maybe he thought of something funny.

Then I got back to what was important. “Yeah! I’m a big pony now! I’m getting my pictures in the newspaper and everything!” I hopped down and opened the curtains . A whole lot of bright flashes started up from ponies with cameras, all taking pictures of me!

Then Dad closed the curtains and picked me up again. “Of course,” he said again. “So, how else would you like to spend your big day?”

I thought really super hard, for like, ten whole seconds. “I want a party! With cake and ice cream and cookies! And we can invite Fluttershy and Cloud Solaris and Derpy—um, I mean Ditzy Doo—from camp to come and I can show them all my cool tricks and then I can fly back to camp to show those dumb colts one more time!”

Dad did that thing where his eyes rolled around. Kind of like Derpy, but not quite. “Let’s get started on the treats. We’ll invite your friends over when things … calm down a little.” He looked outside and made a face.

I nudged him. “If all the cameras are hurting your eyes, I can go outside and make them stop.” Being in the newspapers was cool, but nopony hurts my Daddy. “Or I could get you some sunglasses! Then they could take all the pictures they wanted of me and you and your eyes wouldn’t get all flashy and crossy like Derpy’s!”

He chuckled. “It’s fine, Dashie. Now let’s dig into some snacks and celebrate!”

“YEAH!”

Me and Dad started having an awesome party. We pigged out on cookies and cake and ice cream. We hadn’t had this many snacks since that party he threw to cheer me up after Cloudsdale didn’t get to host the Equestria Games. But this was much cooler, because we were celebrating something awesome! Could this day get any better?

That was when somepony knocked at the door.

Dad was in what he called a food coma, whatever that is, so I went to the door. “I’m coming!” I flew up and opened the door and outside was—“WHOA!”

There were three ponies, all mares wearing blue and gold flightsuits. The one in front was bigger than the other two and maybe a bit older than the other two. I didn’t really care about that because... “Ohmygosh, Ohmygosh, Ohmygosh! You’re the Wonderbolts!”

“Looks that way,” the one in front nodded with a smile. “And you must be the little pony who’s been kicking up such a storm.”

“Yeah! I’m Rainbow Dash!” I flew up so I could show them how good I was. “Wanna race?”

Dad shook himself awake and walked over. “Dashie…” He did that thing where he groaned but was smiling anyway. Dunno what was up with that. The two younger Wonderbolts also found something funny about me wanting to race them.

The big Wonderbolt looked at them. “You have something you want to say, rookies?” They stopped laughing and stood straight up. “No, Fleetfoot? How about you, Spitfire? Nothing?”

“No, Commander Jetstream!” Fleetfoot and Spitfire said together.

Jetstream snorted. “Thought so.” She looked back to me. “Maybe someday soon, kid … we’re here to talk to you about something important. How’d you like to be a Wonderbo—”

“YES!” I zoomed around her. “Yesyesyesyeyes! I wanna be a Wonderbolt! I’m gonna fly super fast and win every race and do bajillion tricks and—” a wing opened up and caught me as I was flying “—oof!”

Jetstream put me down on the floor. “Okay, geez, I admire your energy, but becoming a Wonderbolt isn’t easy. You’ll have to work hard, fly steady and do everything we tell you. Understand?”

I nodded. Yeah yeah, blah blah blah, who cares? “I’m gonna be a Wonderbolt!” I looked over at Dad. He was staring at the Wonderbolts and me, smiling and … crying? “Daddy?” I flew back over and hugged him. “Why’re you crying? S’good stuff! I’m gonna be a Wonderbolt!”

“I know … I always knew you would be.” Dad hugged me close. “Just…don’t grow up too fast okay? Have fun while you’re still a kid.”

What was he talking about? Of course I was gonna have fun. As a Wonderbolt!

Jetstream talked to my dad a bit about how they’d start training me after school. Blech, I wished I could skip school and just train instead, but they said I had t’get a ‘good education.’ (Whatever that meant.) She said the days would be really long—but that wasn’t a problem since I could just take extra naps at school!

She talked a bit more to Dad about boring legal stuff, so I went over to Fleetfoot and Spitfire.

“Hey kid.” Fleetfoot looked down. “So you’re gonna be the next big thing, huh?”

“I am a big thing!” I announced. “My Dad says I’m the biggest thing to ever happened to him and I did a super big thing by doing the Sonic Rainboom, so I must be, like, the biggest thing ever.”

“Pretty sure that’d be her ego.” Spitfire whispered to Fleetfoot, but I still heard her.

Fleetfoot just nudged her. “Come on, she’s just a kid who did something amazing. I think she’s allowed to be proud.” Then she looked down at me and smiled. “Jetstream said that I’m going to be your trainer.”

“Wow! COOL!”

Totally the BEST. DAY. EVER!

Looking back, that might have been the last major decision I ever made.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the ‘Bolts just as much now as I did way back when, but I was a little kid who didn’t quite understand everything that came with the job. And what didn’t come with it—like spare time.

Training started every day after school. It was exhausting. I would barely get home before falling asleep. I don’t think I saw my Dad for more than an hour each day, and my friends from flight camp just sort of got edged out of my life. Once I got done with school, things only got more intense from there. I went to special training camps away from home. I barely ever saw my friends, especially after Cloud Solaris and Ditzy Doo joined the Guard.

That stung. I felt like I was the one leaving them hanging, even though we all had different goals and places to go in life. In fact, that was the other big thing. You know how in school they always say stuff like ‘You can be whatever you want to be?’ Well, after I started training with the Wonderbolts, nopony ever said that to me anymore. When teachers talked to other kids about what they wanted to do, they’d say something like, “Well, Cloud Solaris is going to be a guard pony and Rainbow Dash is going to be a Wonderbolt.” Like it was written in stone or something.

That just bugged me for some reason. Like they took my lifelong dream and just constantly crammed it down my throat like it was a job tattooed on my flank instead of a cutie mark. It sucked a lot of the fun out of it. It was like being forced to read a book for school that you might have liked if you had read it on your own, but being made to do it as an assignment made it a chore. Well, more so than reading in general was.

But, hay—those were minor complaints. If that was the worst thing about being a Wonderbolt in training, then I really didn’t have anything to complain about.

Only it wasn’t.

Don’t get me wrong; despite that, I wouldn’t have traded being a Wonderbolt for anything. Then came my first performance. I wouldn’t headline since I was still a trainee, but Soarin’ sprained a wing and I got selected to fill in for him. You wouldn’t believe how excited I was.

I went with the ‘Bolts on tour. It was one of the better perks of being with the Wonderbolts: all the places we got to visit. Westmarch, Vanhoover, Seaddle, Trottingham, Manehattan ... you name it, I’ve flown there.

The last stop of our tour was a celebratory show in Appleloosa, the one place I’ll never, ever, ever forget thanks to one really overeager pony… Anyway, that stop marked the anniversary of the signing of the treaty between the buffalo tribes and the Empire. After the show, I took a nighttime flight. I saw a young buffalo mare (or whatever it is they call females) doing some pretty cool tricks: running really fast across the plains, doing some twirls and spins as she leapt over gorges and racing through canyons.

I was about to fly down and offer to race her when she stopped in the middle of nowhere, sat down and started to cry.

After feeling really awkward, I came down and asked what was wrong. That’s when she dropped a bombshell on me. Little Strongheart—that was her name—came out running because this would be the last chance she ever got to run over the buffalo’s ancestral stampeding grounds. The Empire was going to build a dam that would completely flood the place. She said that the buffalo protested, but the Empire just waved the treaty in their face, saying it gave them permission to do that. The buffalo would have to be relocated somewhere else, away from their ancestral stomping grounds.

And oh yeah, that treaty? It was signed by Little Strongheart’s grandfather when he was old and senile. Plus, it turns out buffalo don’t read Equestrian. So I just took part in a celebration of the screwing over of an entire race of beings.

Kinda put a damper on things.

I loved the idea of performing as much as the next pony (the next three ponies if you believe that smartflank Soarin’), and I admit, seeing all the ponies looking up at the sky, rapt and awe-struck and seeing me and the other ‘Bolts do things they hadn’t ever even dreamed of … it was pretty amazing.

But now I felt like I had just helped celebrate something bad and that somehow made me partly responsible for what was happening. I was awesome and amazing and that made everypony feel awesome and amazing and that made them think that what was going on was awesome and amazing. And it wasn’t.I didn’t think I wanted to be the awesome, cool front for some celebration of how great the Empire was because it put down a caribou rebellion or had conquered some new province. It made me feel like somehow I was now responsible for what the Empire did, especially since recruiters for the Imperial Guard tended to have booths at a lot of our shows.

This wasn’t the first time I heard complaints about the Empire. Not by a long shot. My family? We trace our lineage through the Cumuli back to the Charger Clan. One of the last Ephors, Bright Charger, was my great, great, great-something grandmother. She was a total badflank according to my family. It was pretty cool being related to her, despite what happened to her later in the war, but it wasn’t that big a deal to me. I’d rather be recognized for my own awesomeness, not the awesomeness of somepony who’d been dead for almost a thousand years. I mean, it sucked that the Clans were dissolved and that my family was just me and my parents. Would’ve been nice to have a nice big family the way Cloud Solaris did, but I managed.

But yeah, pegasi still remembered what Cloudsdale and the pegasi used to be and grumbled about what they had lost. Of the three types of pony, pegasi had always been the least popular in the Empire. They remembered Pegasopolis and the time of the Clans. Back before she’d become the Empress, Sunbeam had apparently done quite a job of making herself thoroughly unlikeable. So much so that even nine-hundred years later, she was still remembered as a nag. I remember there being some whispers that the reason Cloudsdale didn’t get to host the Equestria Games when I was a filly was because the Empress still held a grudge against Cloudsdale, one that was returned in full.

But it was one thing hearing nine-hundred year old complaints from older pegasi and egghead historians who looked back on the Clans—and even, ironically, the Old Queen Celestia. It was another thing to come face to face with somepo—someone—who was losing their home, their culture and their history all in one go.

I had a gryphon friend when I was younger. Gilda and I used to get into all sorts of trouble because we just wanted to have some fun. There were a million-billion rules about everything. You’re not allowed to race through the streets. Not allowed to play with clouds to scare folks or make loud noises—so boooring! But we didn’t care. We didn’t talk about history or politics or anything eggheaded, but just the stuff she’d mention casually about how gryphons lived… it reminded me that not everything was hunky-dory in the Empire, especially if you weren’t a pony. And hay, gryphons were citizens. They had rights, even though most of the laws were written by ponies and so were most of the bigwigs. The buffalo didn’t even have that.

It was a real eye opener for me. I won’t say that it made me want to quit or not perform for crowds anymore. But now whenever a show was announced, I had this feeling of dread that we’d be celebrating something else that was … wrong. Remember when I said that being ‘encouraged’ to be a Wonderbolt and turning it into a chore sucked a lot of the fun out of it? Well, having your chore turn out to be making ponies happy about something bad was even worse. It was like taking something magical and wonderful and turning it into its opposite. That’s what the Empire did, not just to the Wonderbolts, but to all of Equestria.

And for better or worse, I was a part of that Empire. All I wanted to do was fly and be awesome. Why was that so complicated?

My back and wings ached. I needed a massage and a preening something bad. Spitfire had always been one for tough training sessions—I guess the idea was that it made the actual shows easier, but there were days that mare could just about make a pony’s wings fall off.

But in the meantime, a hot shower was the next best thing to paradise after a show. I may have let myself doze off a bit in there, because when I stepped out of the shower and dried myself off, I saw that everypony else was gone.

Well, almost everypony. When I headed over to the lockers I found Fleetfoot, my training supervisor, rooting around in her locker. She was awesome—the only Wonderbolt who even had a chance of keeping up with me when I went all out. We went way back.

So way back that I felt a little payback for all the extra laps she had me do today was in order. I snuck up behind her, licked one of my pinions and ran it up along her spine. Fleet’s fur and wings stood on end as she let out a startled shriek. “Gyah! RAINBOW!”

Perfect. I grinned. That’s when I noticed her fumbling with a cardboard box as she spun to face me. She must’ve been getting it from her locker when I unleashed my awesome prank. “Hey, Fleet. What’s up?”

“Oh the usual!” Fleet answered a touch quickly. And loudly. She shoved the box behind her back. “Training hard?”

“Of course!” I tilted my head, trying to get a better look. “Whatcha got there?”

Fleet shifted around, trying to keep the box away from me. “S'nothing important.”

Why did anypony ever say that? That just confirmed that whatever was in the box was important. “Yeah? So why not let me take a look?” I grinned. “Checking out the newest issue of PlayMare? Seeing if you made the newest photospread in the swimsuit edition?” I could ride her about this for weeks! “Come on, Fleet … you can tell me!” Then something else popped into my head. “Is it the new listings?! Am I in?!”

“It’s nothing, Rainbow!” Fleet insisted, taking a step back. The box she was trying to hide knocked against the open locker door and slipped out of her hooves.

With my awesome reflexes and timing, I swooped in and grabbed the mystery box of mystery before it hit the ground. “And Rainbow Dash makes the save!” I grinned at Fleetfoot, awaiting her thanks.

“Can I have that back, please?” Fleet asked testily. Some ponies have no appreciation for awesomeness.

I shook the box, feeling like a filly on Hearth’s Warming morning. “What’s in here? New uniforms? Exercise gear?” I shook it again, listening carefully. Something rattled around in there. Maybe something glass? “Are we doing a gift exchange again? Is it for me?!”

“It's nothing, Rainbow. Just give it back.” I looked over and ... whoa, Fleet was looking really tense. Her wings were twitching, and she was looking this way and that. Suddenly, I felt like a heel.

“Okay, okay,” I reached out to give it back to Fleetfoot. She sighed with relief as her hooves grasped the sides of the box—just as the bottom of the box gave way. “Whoa!”

My hooves whipped out and grabbed the pair of items that fell out. I was about to comment on just how fast even my hooves were when I noticed just what I had saved: a hypodermic needle and a glass bottle labeled ‘tetrahydrogestrinone.’ No athlete wouldn’t recognize that name. It was the main ingredient used to make Rampage, a drug. The illegal kind. The illegal, performance-enhancing, career-ending kind.

No … oh feathers, no—I looked at Fleetfoot. “Fleet…” My mouth opened and closed but the words couldn’t come.

“Dammit.” Fleetfoot rubbed her face, giving this world-weary sigh. She’d never sounded so tired.

I cleared my throat. “Fleet...” I hope she missed the waver in my voice. “Tell me you confiscated this from some dumb sleethead at the gym or something. Tell me this isn’t yours.”

“Yeah, sure, let's go with that.” Fleetfoot shifted from hoof to hoof.

“Is it the truth?” I asked hesitantly.

“Yeah.” Woah, way to convince me, Fleet. She pressed me. “Look, let's just keep this between you and me, alright?”

I couldn’t be hearing this. “Fleet ... why? You—you're my trainer! You made me work until my feathers were sore … you told me that Wonderbolts worked hard and had to train to be the best, and that there were no easy ways out.” I was practically shouting now and didn’t care. “Why are you taking these?!”

She sagged, her wings drooping. “Wonderbolts have to be the best, Rainbow. Training's great, but it only gets you so far. You start getting older and slower, and all those little training injuries start adding up. A few years ago I was winning races by an easy margin. Then a comfortable margin. Now it’s practically by a hair. You know how much of a hardflank Spitfire is—if I can’t make the cut, then I’m off the team.” She trembled and slumped against the locker. “I’m like you, Rainbow. Trained to be a Wonderbolt since I was old enough to fly. If I can’t be a Wonderbolt ... I got nothing. They’re my life!” Her eyes glistened. “I—I can’t not be a ‘Bolt!”

“So your answer is to take drugs?!” I whispered in disgust. “That's so … so … wrong! It's dishonest and lame and … wrong! Spitfire’s a year older than you, and she’s still the best flier on the team!

“I had to keep up somehow,” Fleet sighed. “Look, just keep this quiet, okay? You're right, I need to stop taking the stuff—and I will. Just don't tell anypony.”

“I wanna believe you, Fleet, I really do. But ... I think you need to come clean and get help.”

That made her eyes widen in fear. “Um ... look, tell you what. Keep this quiet and I'll make sure you make the team. That's fair, right?”

I idly felt my jaw drop. This was just one shock after the next. She couldn’t seriously be trying to do this.

I guess she took my silence as a sign to keep going. “Hay, you're practically a shoe-in already. Just do me this one favor here and I'll pay you back.”

Fleetfoot just offered me my lifelong dream, gift-wrapped and tied with a bow, in exchange for keeping her dirty little secret. I never thought I could hate somepony this much, but in that instant? Yeah, I hated her for that. Hated that she thought she could bribe me after all we’ve been through. Hated that she would dangle my dreams in front of me like a dog treat, hated that she could take something as awesome and amazing as being a Wonderbolt and turn it into a backroom deal.

But…

It was still so tempting. To wear the full uniform, to be a full-fledged Wonderbolt. I’d be able to march home to my dad and show him that yes, all the time apart and sacrifice had paid off. And he’d be able to see me perform at every show, not just every couple of shows. I could go find my old friends and show them my uniform with pride—and all it’d cost was a single, solitary lie. Not even a lie, all I had to do was not tell anypony the truth—to not open my big mouth.

I thought about Fleetfoot and what she had said. About getting older, getting slower. I felt a chill run down my spine that made my feathers twitch. Is this going to be me twenty years from now? Doping and threatening 'cause I can't imagine life outside the Wonderbolts?

That really made me wonder just how much of a good thing it was for the Wonderbolts to recruit me right after I did the Sonic Rainboom. I’d just been a filly. I had my whole life laid out for me. I could’ve been anything I wanted to be. But once I got nudged onto the path of being a Wonderbolt, nopony even suggested that I could be anything else. How many other ponies had been ‘encouraged’ to do this or that? How many of them had a real choice in the matter? How many wished they could’ve gone back and been something else? Did they just convince themselves that it would’ve been impossible to be anything other than what they were?

Well, I had a choice, right here and now. And so did Fleetfoot. And nopony, not even the Empress, was going to make it for me. Yeah, I’ll get old. But I'm gonna stay on top of my game as long as I can and more importantly, I'll play it straight. Because that's what I do. That’s who I am.

I’m Rainbow feathering Dash, andthat’s the truth.

“No.”

“What?” Fleetfoot looked at me, confused.

“I said no,” I repeated. “When I talk about how awesome the Wonderbolts are and ponies ask me how I got in, what am I supposed to say? ‘No, it wasn't hard work or training or being amazing, it was making a deal in a locker room to lie and help cover up somepony's drug problem.’” I stared at her. “I couldn’t face my dad, my friends, or any of the other ‘Bolts if that’s how I earned my spot. Being a Wonderbolt means everything to me. I don't want to cheapen that by getting in like this.”

I saw Fleetfoot’s face fall, looking desperate and panicked. I hated seeing her like this. I could see that everything was falling apart for her. “I—I’m your trainer! You owe me!” She pleaded. “Please Rainbow—I—I can’t!”

“Fleetfoot, you owe it to yourself to not be the mare you’re turning into.” I reached out a hoof. “I want to help you and I will. But not like this.”

Swallowing nervously, Fleet backed up against her locker. She shut her eyes for a minute, and when she opened them again they shone with a hard glint. “If being a Wonderbolt means that much to you, you better keep your mouth shut. If you report me, you'll never make the team.”

“You'd really do that?” You’d think the threat of seeing all my dreams crushed would make me angrier than I was before. But for some reason, all I felt was … sad?

Fleetfoot’s ruffled her wings, her eyes downcast. “I'd rather not, but if you force me to...”

After realizing just how ponies were molded into their jobs, I could understand why Fleet thought something like that would scare the feathers off of me: it certainly had scared her.

But she isn’t me, and I’m not her. I’m Rainbow Dash.

“Is it worth it?” I challenged her. “To lie and cheat and do drugs, just to stay a 'Bolt? You’re Fleetfoot. You're awesome! You were one of my heroes growing up.” She winced. Good to know that her conscience was still there. “And you’re still my hero, my teammate, my trainer—and most importantly, my friend.” I reached out and put my hoof on her shoulder. “When you're old and can't fly anymore, what're you gonna tell the next generation of future Wonderbolts? That hard work and honesty isn't enough, and they're not gonna get anywhere without cheating and blackmail?”

Fleet slumped down until she was sitting on the floor, hugging herself. I’d never seen her like this. She’d always been strong, independent. The kind of mare I wanted to be ever since I met her. I sat down next to her and wrapped my wing across her back. “I can't do it, Fleet. I just … I can't. If you wanna get me bounced from the 'Bolts, go ahead. I can't stop you. Spitfire and the others will probably even believe you over me. But what happens when you get caught again? Sooner or later they’re going to have a random drug test, and your name is gonna come up. Or if those drugs do something to hurt you? What's that gonna do to the 'Bolts? Hay, what’s it gonna do to you?”

“I…” Fleet tried to say something more, but she just went quiet.

When she didn’t say anything else, I decided to keep going. I really wasn’t good at this heart-to-heart stuff. Cloud and Ditzy always told me I was too blunt. And Dad. And Fluttershy, in her own way. And Spitfire and Soarin’ and my third-grade teacher, and my guidance counselor and … hay, just about everypony. Maybe they’re right. I just call it like I see it. So that’s what I decided to do here.

“You can't keep this a secret forever. There's always some snoopy reporter or stalker fan, or clumsy teammate—” I gave her a small grin “—who'll stumble over it. That's assuming some doc doesn't find out during a physical or whatever.” I bit my lip as I let that sink in. “If this comes out, the 'Bolts will be disgraced. Everything we’ve done, everything we will do, will be questioned and doubted. And in the end, you’ll still get bounced.”

Fleet hugged her hindlegs to her chest. “I just needed a little edge, you know? I was slowing down, making mistakes. Not to the point of messing up any routines, but it was getting close. You know what a hardflank Spitfire can be: one public screw-up and…” She made a cutting gesture across her neck with her wing.

“Then I can work with you, help you stay on top!” I urged. “If Spitfire is going too far then I'll tell her to back off myself. I promise, if you come clean with Spitfire, I will go down there with you and be with you every step of the way. I’ll fight to keep you flying in the blue.”

“I'd probably have to go to rehab or something,” Fleetfoot sighed. “I dunno if they’ll ever even let me headlight again…”

“It beats a hospital. Or the unemployment line.” I sighed. “M’sorry, Fleet. I can't lie about this or cover it up. I'm going to have to tell Spitfire about this. I want you to come with, ‘cause it'd be better if she hears it from you.” I leaned in close, even though there was nopony else there. “And it'd help me see you as the totally awesome pony that I know you still are.”

“...Okay.” Fleetfoot nodded. “Yeah, alright.”

I mentally cheered, until I realized that this was just the beginning for Fleetfoot. “All right … let's go talk to Spits.”

I was, of course, drenched with sweat and had the world’s worst wedgie when I got it: an imperial summons.

Joy and rapture.

It had been about two months after Fleetfoot and I had talked to Spitfire. She’d spit her bit when Fleet confessed—no surprise there—but I talked Spitfire down. She just wanted to toss Fleetfoot on her tail and have that be the end of it. No revelations, no public scrutiny, no explanation.

Nothing doing. I told Spitfire that if Fleetfoot was out, then I was out too. We argu—okay, we yelled at each other for a bit. She said that what Fleet did was damaging to the ‘Bolts and it’d hurt their reputation, which is what I had said to Fleetfoot. I argued that getting Fleetfoot help was more important than a reputation. Plus, not throwing her out would encourage anypony else who might have been taking drugs to come forward without fear of losing their position.

I think what sold Spitfire was Fleetfoot’s promise to help the guard bust up the drug ring and turn in her dealer and whatever. Fleet was suspended for two months. All the trainees got turns filling in for her while she was out and today was my turn. Actually, it hadn’t originally been my turn, but for some reason Spitfire swapped out Lightning Dust and put me in instead. Lightning had been spitting thunderbolts. She really wanted to show her stuff since the Empress was going to be attending.

It was a big celebration and send-off for Mi Amore Cadenza, Aedile of Canterlot and newly appointed Imperial Governor of Northmarch. I guess either Cadance had messed up or had gotten too popular, because she was getting dumped in the frozen north to keep the caribou in line after their last rebellion. Frankly, this wasn’t something I really wanted to celebrate. I was half-tempted to back out and let Lightning Dust show off for the grand poobahs, but that wasn’t my style.

I didn’t even have time to shower or even get out of my uniform before I was directed up to the Imperial Box Seat.

Being in a hot, tight flightsuit didn’t help. Plus, I stank. Really bad. You work hard, you sweat hard, y’know? So the first thing you wanted to do after a show was to strip down and shower off. Word to the wise? Wonderbolt outfits are amazing, but they cling. But remembering that show in Appleloosa and the look on Little Strongheart’s face, I guess there were worse things than having your uniform riding up your butt.

The guards checked my summons then let me in. I swear, statues have more expression than those guys. I hoped my old friend Cloud still had some semblance of a personality left. Inside and behind them was Empress Sunbeam. “You wanted to see me?” I was tired, smelly and not really thinking clearly. I finally remembered to add a few extra words. “Uh, your Empressness?”

Empress Sunbeam smiled gently. Somehow that just made her even creepier. “Yes I did, my child.” My wings twitched. I wasn’t a child, and I certainly wasn’t her child. “My apologies for not giving you the chance to rest after your performance, but the demands on my time are considerable, and I needed to meet with you. Might I offer you a drink? Perhaps some Zebrican Spiced Apple Cider?” She smirked enigmatically as a bottle hovered in the grip of her magic.

I know I should be disturbed that she knows that I like apple cider—thanks to that same excitable Appleloosan pony—but I was too hot and parched too care right then. “Thank you!” She poured a glass for both of us. Mine was half empty before she took her first sip. It was good cider. Say what you want about her, but the Empress had good taste. She was still wearing that mysterious smirk. It was, well, pretty creepy. I cleared my throat, “So did you enjoy the show?”

“It was an impressive exhibition of skill.” What did I say about her having good taste? “Though I still look forward to the day when you become a full member.”

“You and me both.” That came out without even thinking about it. I should really stop doing that. “But why did you summon me?”

“Ah, straight to business then.” She nodded. “Very well. The Empire has need of you. Will you answer the call?”

I blinked. “Is that all you’re going to tell me?”

“Well, I suppose you should get the details,” the Empress mused, sounding nonplussed that I didn’t immediately say yes. “Not all of it is something I can discuss openly, mind you. This is a rather sensitive and developing situation. Suffice to say there is a growing threat to the Empire, and I have need of ponies with a very specific set of skills and assets to combat it.”

“And you want me to join?” I knew I was awesome but—why come to me in secret and not tell all of the ‘Bolts? “Okay, that makes sense. I can do that, but who else is involved? The Imperial Guards? The Wonderbolts?”

To my surprise, she shook her head. “This isn't the kind of threat that they are equipped to deal with. You'll be working with several other exceptional individuals, though for security purposes I cannot reveal their identities as of yet.”

As awesome as super-secret missions sounded, I wanted to make sure I wouldn’t be involved with anything like the buffalo situation or putting down a rebellion by some species that wanted to be free. “What will I have to do?”

“You will be facing one of the largest threats to the lives and safety of the Empire in centuries.” Her smirk vanished, replaced by a grim, heavy-lidded look. “I won't lie to you, the risks will be considerable.”

Wow, vague much? “What happens if whatever it is gets loose?”

“The worst case scenario?” Sunbeam shrugged. “Everypony dies.”

Oookay then. “I’m in.”

“Very good then.” The Empress smiled. Why was this a good thing? You should not be allowed to smile less than a minute after saying ‘everypony dies.’ She magicked a contract and quill out of … somewhere … and floated it in front of me.

“Do I need a lawyer or something?” I was suddenly afraid that I might accidentally sign over my life, my soul or even my non-existent marriage in the fine print.

She shook her head. “No, it's very simple. In summary, you will aid the Empire in this matter and not divulge any of the secrets you learn. In exchange ... well, let's just say you won't have to work for a living if you don't want to.”

Seriously? I looked down at my uniform. “Will I not be a Wonderbolt anymore?”

“You will still be a Wonderbolt and be able continue your training and performances,” she assured me. “However, when I have need of you, that takes priority over everything else. If necessary, I shall provide some explanation to your superiors. It goes without saying that you are not to mention that you will be engaged in a secret operation.”

Okay, this all sounded pretty heavy. But then again, she was still being as clear as a storm cloud over what I would actually have to do. “Will I have to show up at fancy parades or hobnob with a bunch of elite snobs?” She looked at me expectantly, and I added, “Your Highness?”

“Your Imperial Majesty,” she corrected firmly, like a particularly overbearing school teacher. It was the tone of her voice that set my wings bristling. “And no, this isn't exactly a high-publicity role. That would rather defeat the point of a secrecy contract.”

I rubbed my face. After meeting Little Strongheart and finding out about the buffalo, all the fun had gotten sucked out of the Imperial celebrations the Wonderbolts performed. Give me a good old race or a simple stadium full of fans over box seats full of military brass and Imperial bureaucrats any day. That must’ve been weighing on my mind a bit more than I had thought. As much as I loved being a Wonderbolt—and the idea of being some secret hero wasn’t exactly horrible either—I didn’t want to be putting my personal, public stamp of approval on the Empire.

“Fine. If it helps the ponies—and zebras and gryphons and caribou—of Equestria, I'll do it.”

“So you are prejudiced against buffalo and donkeys, then? Unfortunate.” I could swear she was practically smirking at me.

“No, I’m not!” I blurted out. Okay, that got me riled up. I mean, who was she to talk? She was the one who went out conquering every other species around. It wasn’t until I saw the frown on her face that I realized I’d said that last bit out loud. I clasped my hoof over my mouth. Too late though, it was always too late...

Her frown somehow made her look even more cold. “Ah. You disapprove of the Empire's expansion, then?”

I grumbled something under my breath that wasn’t really meant to be an answer. “You mean taking over everyone else…”

“The Empire has been good for them,” the Empress answered. “They enjoy a level of peace, prosperity and stability that they never had under their own rulers. The Empire's resources have also allowed us to engage and remove threats that Equestria never could have ended.”

“Whether they want it or not, huh?” I grumbled. But hay, if it’s for their ‘own good’ … my ear twitched as I thought about that last bit. “Doesn’t seem like all the resources of the Empire are enough to help you stop whatever's so bad that you need me for, is it?”

I guess I was starting to get on her nerves, because Empress Sunbeam’s wings twitched. “Different threats require different responses,” she replied coolly. “You are my best option, but far from my only one. If you would prefer to let all of Equestria burn because of some petty grudge about events that happened centuries before your birth, then you lack the needed qualities to perform the task I require.”

Ah, and there it was. Bringing up the War. Because that had to be the reason why a pegasus didn’t think the Empire was the greatest thing since competitive racing. Because pegasi had a beef with her 900 years ago, clearly that must be why I didn’t like stepping all over ponies and other races. Seriously, what an ego.

I guess I was finally learning to not automatically blurt out everything I thought, because I didn’t say that. Instead I shot back, “I never said that! I would never let anything bad happen to everypony and everyone!”

“I know.” She surprised me by putting her hoof on my shoulder. “I don't ask you to like the Empire. I do not even ask you to like me, personally. But the Empire, the world, needs your help.”

Like I would just walk away after hearing all this. “I won't do it for you or the Empire. But I'll do it for Equestria and everypony—and every creature—that lives in it.”

“So long as it is done,” Sunbeam dipped her head. “Thank you, my child.”

“I’m still not your child,” I grumbled as I signed the contract. I guess not saying everything I thought was going to be a work in progress.

“Definitely Bright Charger’s descendent,” Sunbeam murmured, so low that I’m not sure if I was meant to hear that or not. The Empress turned away and looked out over the stadium as it emptied out. “You are all my children. The ponies. The gryphons, the zebras, the caribou and every other race in the Empire. They are all my children.”

With a mother like her, I’d prefer being an orphan. “Most parents don't try to run their kids' lives forever.”

“But they do guide their children along the proper path,” she countered.

“But kids eventually get to grow up and make their own decisions. You’ll always be around and you’ll always be older.” I looked up at her. “We’ll always seem like kids to you. You won’t ever let us get the chance to grow up and make our own choices.” I frowned, my ear flicking as I thought of something else that always rubbed me the wrong way. “Parents send kids to their room. Not to the Ministry of Heart.”

“Most parents don't have to deal with anarchists or cultists of mad gods,” Sunbeam noted casually.

I grunted. “Wouldn’t know it by hearing my parents talk.”

She paused, raising an eyebrow at me before grinning. “You were quite the rambunctious youth.”

I couldn’t exactly deny that. “Yeah, I—how'd you know?”

“An Empress has her sources.” Ugh, again with the being all cryptic and mysterious. She stood in thought for a minute before resuming. “Your honesty does you credit, Rainbow Dash. It is something I find rather lacking in far too many ponies.”

I didn’t quite know what to say to that. “Uh, thanks?”

She half-turned away. “You will be contacted by my agents when the time comes. For now, continue to live as you had before.” I caught a faint-grin tugging at the corner of her mouth. “I look forward to seeing your first performance as a full Wonderbolt.”

As much as I didn’t like her, it was hard for me to resist a challenge. "Everypony—er, everyone—that's coming is coming for a show. I'll sure as hay give 'em one to remember!" I gave her a challenging smirk. “It'll knock even your socks off!”

And that’s the truth.

After leaving the Imperial Box, I made my way down the corridor to the locker room. Finally I'd get a chance to shower and change. So naturally, it was then a large pony seemed to step out of the shadows and directly into my path.

“Rainbow Dash, can you spare a minute?” Stepping into the light was a pink mare with cream, pink and purple colored hair.

“Gyah!" I totally wasn't scared, just ... surprised, is all. "Who are—" That's when I spotted the horn and wings. Seeing as I just got done speaking with Empress Sunbeam, that left only one other pony this could be. "Aedile Cadenza?"

Cadenza nodded with a wry smile. “Indeed. It's a pleasure to finally meet you properly. Spitfire said quite a bit about you at the last Grand Galloping Gala.”

Okay, Spitfire was talking to the Aedile of the city about me? This was too awesome! "What did she say?" I leaned forward eagerly. Then I started thinking about just what she might have told her. "Because if this is about that incident with the Guards, I swear I had nothing to do with putting itching powder in their helmets!" I cast a glance from side to side and scrunched my muzzle, trying to look my most innocent.

It never seemed to work. Cadenza raised her eyebrow at me skeptically. “Is that so? And so soon after the Empress praised your honesty…”

I felt my face grow hot. Gyah! Why was I such a lousy liar? "Look, it was on a bet and—wait a second, how do you know what I was talking to the Empress about?" I demanded.

“I have my sources.” She shrugged as if she was merely commenting on the weather.

Okay, what? "Huh? What're you—what's going on?"

“There's something I would like to talk to you about, Rainbow Dash. A secret society called the Circle. Have you heard of it?

Great. More politics and more secrets. And she didn't even give me any cider first. I rubbed my muzzle. "Look, it's been a long day, and I haven't even had the chance to change out of my uniform. Can we talk about this in the locker room? It should be cleared out by now." I cast a look around. "Or do you want to talk about your secret society in the corridors as the cleaning crew is about to come out?"

“Oh, they're going to be a bit delayed,” Cadenza assured me. “But the locker room is fine.”

Finally! "Thanks." I trotted down to the locker room. Sure enough, it was empty. "You mind if I take a shower while we talk?" Personally, I didn't really care if she did mind at this point. My uniform felt like it was starting to merge with my coat, and I smelled like dirty gym socks.

“That's fine.” A faint smile graced her face. “And I'm engaged, so you don't need to worry about your honor.”

I blushed and tried to shrug it off by rolling my eyes. Alicorns. I shucked off my uniform and trotted into the shower stall. The cold water felt positively amazing on my coat. I could've just stood under the showerhead for the rest of the day and was pretty darn tempted to do just that. But I doubted she'd leave without talking about—whatever it was—so that was out. "Okay, so what did you want to talk about again? The Circle?" I shook out my mane, washing away the sweat. "That's not that role playing game that Soarin's into, is it?"

The alicorn sighed, sounding weary. “No. It's a secret society founded by Old Queen Celestia to serve as a check against Sunbeam.”

I poked my head out of the shower and wriggled a hoof in my ear to make sure I didn't have any water in it. "Say again?"

“We keep Sunbeam honest.”

"Wow, that must be a full-time job." Dammit, when was I going to learn to keep my mouth shut? This could all be some plot by Sunbeam to make sure I was loyal or whatever. There could be Ministry of Heart agents waiting outside to drag me away!

But nopony burst down the locker room doors—good thing too, I wasn’t done showering—and Cadenza merely shrugged. “It's more like a hobby, really.”

Well, since I had already went and stepped my hoof in it, I figured I might as well keep going. "Okay, so what exactly does your Circle do? Doesn't seem like it's done all that much for the buffalo or the caribou." I couldn’t keep a bit of scorn out of my voice with the last bit.

“Our resources are rather limited, especially when it comes to the short term,” she admitted with a sigh. “I will be working on the caribou situation, of course. Hopefully we can get them to finally accept citizenship. That's how we helped the gryphons and zebras.”

“Even if they don’t want it.” I came off more snarky than I intended and shook my head, letting the cold water cool me off. "What do you want with me anyhow?"

“That's simple. We don't have somepony inside Sunbeam's special group yet. We'd like you to be our inside mare.”

Yeah, because that was totally simple—wait. I popped my head over the top of the stall. "You want me to be a spy?" I always knew I had what it takes to be a totally awesome super-secret spy! Misty Fly owes me ten bits.

“In a manner of speaking,” Cadenza confirmed. “Just as importantly, I want sompony in that group who cares more about doing what’s right than she cares about making Sunbeam happy.”

Weird. The Empress said almost the same thing … "Do you know what this group is for? What it's going to do? Who else is in it? Sunbeam wasn't exactly big on the details."

Her expression turned even more serious. “I do. How much do you know about Nightmare Moon?”

"The old ponies' tale?" I snorted and started to scrub my sides. "The pony who would gobble me up if I didn't give her half my candy on Nightmare Night? S'just a cheap way for parents to steal their kids' candy."

Cadenza nodded. “Yes, but like many legends, there's an element of truth to it.” She closed her eyes and when she spoke again, it was like she was repeating something she had memorized. “On the longest day of the thousandth year after her exile, the stars will aid the escape of Nightmare Moon, and she will unleash eternal night upon Equestria once more.” She paused, stepping closer to the stall so she could look me in the eye. “In a month, it will be nine hundred ninety nine years since Nightmare Moon's exile.”

I dropped the soap in surprise. "I take it she's not returning to give me back my candy then." This was getting surreal. "How do we stop her?"

“Sunbeam has a plan, involving you and five other ponies with certain ... unique qualities. The qualities needed to unlock the Elements of Harmony, which defeated Nightmare Moon a thousand years ago.” The alicorn bit her lip. “Though I fear what she could do with the Elements at her disposal.”

"Wait, so you're saying that me and five other ponies are gonna somehow use some magic weapon to stop an ancient legendary evil?" This. Was. Awesome! It was like something out of a comic book! Then the rest of what Cadenza had said hit me. If we beat Nightmare Moon, then these Elements would just end up under Sunbeam's control. "Oh horseapples."

“You beginning to see the problem?” Cadenza asked dryly.

Great, so either the world gets cast into Eternal Darkness or Empress Conquers-A-Lot gets control of a magic weapon capable of defeating an evil alicorn. I'd be lying if I said Sunbeam wasn't clearly the lesser evil here, but I still didn't want to be responsible for turning something that powerful over to her. "You could say that."

“And thus, you understand why I want somepony to regulate the use of the Elements.” She sighed softly. “Twilight is ... too loyal to Sunbeam. And Sunset is her creature through and through.”

I vaguely knew those names. They were the Empress' students or something. Probably thugs to carry out her dirty work to boot. I let the water just wash over me for a minute. This all sounded a bit convenient. I got recruited by the Empress after having a fight with her, and Cadance just so happens to show up inviting me into some conveniently ancient and unheard-of anti-Sunbeam conspiracy? "Okay. But how do I know I can trust you?" I stepped out of the shower to confront Cadance. "You're an alicorn and one of the most powerful ponies in the Empire. How do I know you aren't just looking to get rid of the competition? Hay, how do I know this isn't some trick by Sunbeam to test me?"

Despite everything, she looked utterly calm and composed. “I suppose you'll just have to trust me,” she replied evenly.

Seriously? "...You aren't gonna give me a little more to work with?" I urged.

Cadenza shut her eyes for a moment. Then she sighed. “Alright. Can you slip away for a few days? There's somepony ... well ... something I'd like you to meet.”

That sounded mysterious, which by this point in the day, was pretty par for the course. “Who?”

“The leader of the Circle.”

I rocked back on my hooves a bit. Despite not knowing everything about what was going on, I could tell when a big deal was going on. And hay, that sure was something. "Deal."

Cadenza nodded. “Good. I’ll contact you once I’ve made the arrangements.” She paused, then smirked. “I think you may want to grab a towel before you leave, though.”

Huh? I looked down at myself, still wet and dripping. Oh, right. I hurried back behind the stall, banging my head gently against the wall. I just—in front of the second most powerful pony in Equestria? Stupid, stupid...

Author's Note

Check out more of Trinary's work here.

Pretty in Pink

I love pronking through Quarry Junction.

Yes, pronking is a real word. Ask Gummy, he’ll tell you I’m right. I used to just walk everywhere, but that got boring. I mean, everypony walks the same way! I tried doing some fun and silly walks. If you ask me, that’s something the Empire really needs a ministry for. But nopony would give me any grant money for that no matter how many times I asked. Eventually I gave up on the silly walks; they made my hoofsies get all sore anyway.

Maybe I would’ve gotten used to it if I’d kept trying, but instead I decided to try skipping, and that turned into pronking. I used to just call the way I went around hopping or bouncing, but then some smarty pants told me the technical term for it was pronking. Which seemed really nitpicky, but pronking is such a fun word to say that I didn’t mind it all. Just try and say it without smiling. Go on, try it! I see a smiiile...

Wait, what was I talking about? Oh yeah, pronking through Quarry Junction. It wasn’t the fanciest place, since it was a rock mining town. Everypony was too busy farming rocks to spend much time making it look nice. But really, you should’ve seen the place before I got to work on it. No laughing, no smiling, just lots and lots of rocks. That’s when Pinkie Pie came to the rescue, pronking around and brightening up everypony’s day. Wait, I mean everyone! I don’t wanna sound like one of those meanie-pants pony superiority types, ‘cause really, that’s just dumb. I mean, there was this really nice family of gryphons living on the next farm over; I’d even played with their kids back when we were growing up. Skipping stones over the pond, and games like Capture the Rock, Red Rock, Green Rock, Blind Stallion’s Rock, and Maud’s favorite: Igneous, Sedimentary, or Metamorphic? All the classics.

It wasn’t just gryphons, though. Lately we’d been getting some zebras, a couple minotaurs, and even one of those Free Minds. ‘This one has heard that there are many opportunities for employment to be found in Quarry Junction.’ One of the neat things about being in this huge empire is that you get to meet and make friends with all kinds of new creatures. I’d been so busy with welcome parties lately. Not that I was complaining, I love throwing parties. Even if reloading the Welcome Wagon two or three times a day was a little tiring, it was all worth it for the looks on everyone’s faces when I was the first one to welcome them to Quarry Junction.

Giving them all a good greeting became even more important when I found out why there were so many new rock farmers in town. Apparently somepony had come up with some kind of machine that let them do all the mining in Canterlot twice as fast while being a whole lot safer. The problem was, if the machines let them work twice as fast, they only needed half as many ponies to get the job done. So a whole lot of the new folks showing up in town were miners who had come to Quarry Junction looking for new jobs as rock farmers. Anypony who’s lost their job needs some cheering up, and that’s what my job is!

No, seriously, that’s my job. Pinkie Pie, Aedile of Quarry Junction, at your service. My parents were a little sad I was working for the government instead of pitching in on the family farm, but they were also really proud of me. I’d never expected to be a boring old bureaucrat, but the good news was that I didn’t have to do any of that boring paperwork stuff. My job was really just to go around making ponies happy, because happy rock farmers are better than sad ones. The mayor didn’t care how I did that as long as I stayed within my budget. Balloons and confetti were a lot cheaper than some of those silly propaganda posters they’d been using before they hired me, and they actually worked. Everyone loves a good party!

Especially Maud. Oh yeah, that’s right! Maud was coming to visit! She spent most of her time in Canterlot getting her rocktorate in rocktology, but she still came by every once in a while. We were her family, after all! I just hope nothing sad happened this time around. Not that Maud visiting was anything to get sad about, but y’know that mining machine I was talking about earlier? Well, since Maud is such a super-smart smarty pants about rocks, she was one of the ones who helped design it. I’m sure she didn’t mean to cost anypony their jobs, because she was only trying to help. I hope nopony got mad at her because they were unemployed.

I pronked on over to the train station to meet her. I got there early ‘cause meeting Maud at the station was super-important. Waiting around would’ve been boring, but there were a couple kids waiting at the station with their parents, so I kept busy by making funny faces and whipping up a couple balloon animals for them.

That all stopped once the train showed up. Nine fifteen, right on time. Ponies were always saying that at least Empress Sunbeam made the trains run on time. I dunno why they said that, though. She was probably way too busy empress-ing to worry about train schedules and stuff. Really, you’d think an empress would know how to delegate little stuff like that to conductors and railway managers. But ponies kept saying that, so I guess it must be true. I dunno how she finds the time to worry about that many trains, though; maybe she had some kinda spooky railroad-managing powers or something.

Anyway, Maud came off the train, and she was super-excited to see me! You could tell by the way her mouth almost twitched a little bit. I’d never seen her so wild and full of enthusiasm. “Hello, Pinkie. It’s nice to see you again.”

“Hi Maud!” I galloped over and glomped her. Speaking of fun words, glomp’s a great one. It just sounds so ... huggy.

Maud hugged me right back. “I missed you. How is everypony?”

“They're doing great! Happy happy happy, just like you!” I grinned and bounced around her for a bit to get a better look at her. She was wearing one of those amazing dresses of hers, this time a really nice shade of turquoise. It looked super-cool on her. “You're practically glowing today. Like a fluorescent mineral!”

Maud stared at me and blinked very slowly. Her face barely even twitched. Like I said, she was happier than I’d ever seen her before. “I’m not glowing, ponies do not glow. But if you meant that as some kind of metaphor, I would say I was glowing like scheelite or zippeite. I'm just really happy to be visiting. It’s been too long since we got to spend any time together. I’m looking forward to making our rock candy necklaces.”

“Oh yeah, I’ve already got twenty pounds of rock candy made! I hope that’ll be enough.” I’d wanted to make more, but aedile-ing is really busy stuff. Especially since I wanted to get everything taken care of so I could afford to have a few days off to spend with Maud. “I'm just glad you're here! I just hope you're studying hard, but also playing hard!” The second half of that was really important. Partying is serious business. If a pony doesn’t fulfill their party requirements, they can turn into a boring mean old frowny-face, and that’s just awful.

Maud aaalmost smiled just a tiny little bit. “I’ve been remembering to take a few breaks, Pinkie. Yesterday I went to visit a rock museum.”

Oooh, a rock museum? I bet Maud was like me in a candy shop! “Was there a gift shop? Tell me there was a gift shop!”

“There was a gift shop.” She reached into her saddlebags and pulled out a package, which she handed over to me. “I bought you some things.”

“Ooooo~” I love getting presents! Especially surprise presents like this. Oh no, I didn’t have a present for Maud! Well, I had a ‘welcome back home’ gift waiting at the house, and a ‘great to see you again’ present and a ‘so long and thanks for visiting’ one, but I didn’t have a ‘thanks for getting me something from the rock museum’ gift! This was terrible! Horrible! Disasterous!

Oh well. I could pick up something before she left town.

I opened up the package and took a look at what she’d gotten for me. It was a bunch of rocks. Not just any rocks though, it was all the best kinds of rocks. There was some schist and graywacke and wackestone and tonalite and taconite. “These rocks are amazing! They really speak to me, y'know? I’m definitely bringing the taconite to the next Taco Night!”

“Yes.” She reached into her dress and pulled out another rock. “I especially like this one. I think I'll name it Boulder.”

“That's a great name! Much better than what I had in mind.” I leaned over to get a better look at the rock. “Hi there, Boulder! I’m Pinkie Pie, and I’m Maud’s little sister and bestest best friend!”

Maud gave me a couple seconds to meet Boulder, then put him away again. “What name were you going to suggest?”

“Rocky.” Yeah, it was a little obvious, but ya gotta respect the classics.

“Oh.” Maud got quiet after that. She does that sometimes. She usually only talks to somepony if she’s got something worth saying. The two of us headed out from the train station and into town. Just two sisters out and about. We were passing by a couple nice food places when Maud spoke up again. “Do you want lunch?”

“Dunno! I'll ask.” I quickly consulted with my tummy, which got the rumblies. “Yeah, I guess I do.”

“Okay then.” Maud looked around for a bit, then trotted over to the Rock Quarry Cafe. It was a nice little open-air place the two of us always ate at when she came to visit. Well, except for the times when we didn’t eat there. It was one of our things. The two of us headed for our usual table and took a seat. It was a nice day out, so eating outdoors was perfect. We could sit right next to the street, and I could wave at everyone passing by and let them know Maud was back. I’m sure they were all really happy about that, even if most of them just kept on walking. I mean, who wouldn’t be happy about my cool big sis being in town?

Maud just sat across from me and watched. Right after I came back to the table from tackle-hugging Greengrass the grocer to let him know about Maud, she asked me a question. “Are you enjoying being an aedile? It looks like you are.”

“Sure am!” I had to pause for a bit ‘cause Simple Shale was walking by, and it was his birthday, but I got back to Maud real quick. “I think I'm lucky to have a job where all the paperwork I have to do involves stamping a smiley face on things.”

“That sounds like you would like it.” Maud opened up her menu and started looking through it. “I know I like my rock research.”

“Whoooa, calm down Maud.” Maud always gets super-excited when she starts talking about her rock stuff. The only other thing that makes her get that worked up is seeing me, so when we get back together and talk about her rocks, she practically bounces off the walls. “We haven't even had a drink yet, silly.” You should see Maud when she’s had a couple ciders. She’s a total riot.

“Sorry. Sometimes I get very excited about my work.” Her hoofsies were twitching just the teeny-tiniest little bit, which only happens when she’s super-duper excited.

“Must be the student lifestyle of drinking coffee every day,” I declared, nodding sagely. “All that caffeine is getting you worked up.”

“That must be it,” she confessed. “I've been working very hard on getting my dissertation ready. Though at least my prototype rock crusher and rock tumbler designs seem to be doing well. Soon a lot more ponies will be able to have nice rocks and rock accessories. I’ve heard they worked so well in the Canterlot mines that the head of the Imperial Mining Commission wants to buy the designs for mass production.”

Oh. Right. Those. The reason why a lot of miners didn’t have their old job of crushing or polishing a bunch of rocks, gems, and other stuff. And it sounded like a whole lot more miners might be losing their jobs soon too. But I guess it was nice that there’d be more stuff for everyone. I mean, progress is good, right? Unless you’re a miner.

Ugh, I didn’t wanna focus on that kinda stuff. Maud was here! This was supposed to be a happy time, so let’s ditch all the doom and gloom and focus on the good times! “Must be nice to catch a break with your sis, right?”

“Yes, it is.” The waitress came by, and the two of us placed our orders. She got the watercress salad, while I went for a slice of cherry pie à la mode. Why do they call putting a scoop of ice cream on top of your pie ‘à la mode’ anyway? You’d think they’d call it something way more obvious, like ‘Hey guys, there’s a big scoop of super-delicious ice cream on top, making this already yummy pie even yummier!’ Though I guess that was a bit longer than just saying à la mode. ‘With ice cream’ didn’t seem like that much more work, though.

Maud looked up at me and almost smiled again. “I've been looking forward to this for weeks.”

“Me too!” The waitress brought over my pie, which I swallowed up in a single bite. Mom always said I should chew slower and take time enjoy my food, but it was just so tasty!“I was counting the days until you finally made it here. I tried everything to make the time go by quicker. Even feng shui with calendars.”

“Oh.” Maud chewed her salad slowly and thoughtfully. “I just waited.”

“I need to get better at that.” Mom and Dad were always telling me I needed to be more patient, like Maud was. It’s not that I don’t try, it’s just that there’s so much stuff I wanna do and not enough time to do it all! So when there’s something I wanna do, or somepony I wanna see, I wanna do it now, not later. Later was, like, forever away from now.

I guess Maud must’ve been thinking about our parents too, ‘cause she asked about them next. “How is the rock farm doing?”

“It's going on like a train that just can't stop!” I assured her. “You know how Mom and Dad are; I think they'll turn into rocks before they stop working! And Marble and Limestone are helping them out, but they've always been their own little unit.”

“I'm glad they're doing well.” She nibbled at her salad a bit more. I thought about asking her how it was, but I’d probably just get an answer like ‘It tastes like lettuce.’ Maud’s really literal about how she looks at the world.

“Me too. I think that farm will be around forever and ever. Which is good 'cause it's home.” I know Mom and Dad would agree. Dad was saying he was starting to get a bit old and worn out, but he still managed to do way more work on the farm than I could when I visited. He always liked to joke that my government job had made me soft and took away all my farm muscles. Dad’s a real kidder sometimes. It was probably true, though. Throwing parties and making everyone happy is still hard work, but it’s a different kinda hard work than farming rocks.

“Yes, so long as there are rocks, there will be rock farms.” Have I mentioned that Maud can be really deep sometimes? “But it's not just the farm, it's the ponies who work it. That’s what really makes it home.”

“Yeah, sure is.” I grinned and thought back. “Why, just the other day I was—WHOOOooooOOO!” My whole body got really weird and shaky all of a sudden, and I had no idea why.

Maud, being a smarty pants, figured it out first. “Pinkie Sense?”

“Must be.” I jumped and trembled again, shaking so hard I ended up knocking the table over. “This is weird though, it’s a doozy of a doozy, the dooziest one I’ve ever had. Whatever’s gonna happen, it’s gonna be big.”

Maud frowned and started looking around, trying to spot whatever might be giving me the doozy. I don’t think it worked that way, though. If you could just look around and spot the doozy, then it wouldn’t be much of a doozy now would it?

I was about to tell her that, when all of a sudden something smacked into my chest so hard it knocked me off my hooves. It really hurt, and for a little bit I was just lying there, trying to figure out what the hay had just happened. Then I heard Maud yelling. Maud never yells. “Pinkie!”

She was staring down at me, her eyes wide and her jaw hanging open. I’d never seen her react like that. She’s Maud. She barely even reacts when she’s super-duper excited. What could be going on that would make her act like that?

I tried to get up, but the instant I moved my whole chest got really hurty. I craned my neck down to get a look at it and found a big metal shaft with a couple feathers on the end sticking right out of my chest! That’s when it all clicked. Somepony had just shot me! With an arrow!

“Oh.” I chuckled weakly as the world started fading away. “Oh wow. That is one heck of a doozy.”

“A Level Five Curfew is now in effect. Civil Privileges are suspended for the duration of the emergency. All citizens are to remain indoors and fully cooperate with the Imperial agents investigating the terrorist attack at the Rock Quarry Cafe. If you must exit your home for any reason, contact the nearest member of your local imperial law enforcement for authorization. This is for your protection. A Level Five Curfew is now in effect. Civil Privileges...”

Having that message repeating on a loop was getting really annoying. I get why they had to keep playing it for a couple minutes every half hour so nopony could claim they hadn’t heard it, but it was still annoying as hay to listen to. Though probably not as annoying as it would be to have everypony in town standing around gawking at me while I was trying to work.

It would’ve been easier if the killing had been done quietly. Since Aedile Pie had been shot in public, there’d been medics all over her. It had been too late to save her life, but they’d managed to destroy plenty of evidence in the process of trying. Maybe that was what our killer had in mind? Probably not. I always preferred my kills to be quiet and discreet. Fun as it was to play around with fancy bladework, blackmailing someone into suicide was usually a lot safer. Murders tended to get everypony upset and stirred up. The Empress didn’t like that. The best assassins are the ones who make their kills not look like kills at all.

Obviously, whoever had put a crossbow bolt into the aedile didn’t agree with that line of thought. The attack was bold. Brazen, even. Risky, doing something that openly. Too many chances to get spotted in the process. Which inclined me to think the publicity of the kill was one of his objectives. He didn’t just want the aedile dead, he wanted everyone to see him pull off the murder. Why? Maybe some kind of grudge?

My cousin Strumming was talking with the local coppers. Maybe that would turn up something, but I doubted it. The Empress wouldn’t have sent us in if she thought the locals could handle things. I was too far away to hear what they were saying, but she’d just give me a summary anyway. Eventually she must’ve gotten everything she wanted from them, because she came trotting over to me. “Got a couple nice tidbits. You got anything, Lyra?”

I used one of my magic hands to hold up a crossbow bolt. “Forensic magi are still going over the bolt, but they gave me enough information to find a similar bolt in the armory and a list of common crossbow models that would fit it.”

“I’ll get that to the locals, have them check it against the weapon registry.” Not that either of us expected that to yield any results. Only an idiot would commit a high-profile murder with a weapon registered in their own name. Still, you needed to cover all the bases. That kind of dull, tedious busywork was the perfect thing to keep the local law busy while Strumming and I handled things for the Ministry.

I rolled the replica bolt around in my hands, getting a feel for its weight and balance. I was tempted to pick up a couple crossbows as well; get a feel for how the bolt sat in its weapon. Maybe later. “Might be able to get some idea of where the shot came from. I’m sure the forensic magi will run it down eventually, but if I can get answers now, so much the better. We don't have much else unless the locals got lucky and dug up a witness for it.”

“They got plenty of witnesses.” Strumming rolled her eyes and scoffed. “They haven’t gotten anything clear and consistent out of any of them. They’re holding onto more than a dozen ponies who swear they saw the killer, but the witnesses can’t even agree what species it was, let alone any kind of useful description.” My cousin shot a look over at the local coppers, who were still milling around the crime scene. “They did say that the angle of the bolt indicates that the shot probably came from one of the rooftops, assuming it wasn’t a flier. Our victim didn’t have any known enemies, though. From the way the locals talk about her, you’d think she was a saint. They’re currently running with the theory that the shooter was aiming for the victim's sister and missed.”

“Her sister?”

“Maud Pie,” Strumming filled in for me. “Lotta ponies in Quarry Junction are here looking for work because they were replaced by Maud’s inventions. If one of them saw her, they might decide to get a little payback. Not sure I buy that, though.”

I frowned, rolling the crossbow bolt from hand to hand. “It doesn’t fit the facts. This isn't the kind of target practice or hunting arrow one of the locals would happen to have lying around. It’s a military-grade bolt designed for military-grade crossbows. Not to mention the Empress wouldn’t be sending us here if it was something that simple.” I was one of her most valuable and trusted agents, after all. Sending me to investigate a simple, straightforward murder of a minor government official would be a waste. Something bigger had to be going on here. “If the killer was a professional, there would be no way he or she would miss such an obvious target. The two of them were sitting down at a table, and the attack took them completely by surprise. He would’ve had plenty of time to line up his shot.”

Strumming nodded and grunted. “Not to mention the shot was too perfectly on target for the aedile. I’d buy it being a lucky miss if it just nicked an artery or something, but a perfect chest shot? Either our shooter has insane luck, or he hit exactly what he was aiming for.” Strumming paused and dug out a couple files she’d gotten from the local law enforcement. “According to her sister’s statement, the visit was something they’d planned in advance, but the stop at the cafe was completely spontaneous. It would be hard to find a good sniping position with only a couple minutes to set up. An amateur almost certainly would’ve been spotted.”

“So it was either an incredibly lucky moron or a pro,” I concluded. I suppose that did clear one thing up. If we were after an assassin, it explained why I was here. I did have rather unique insight in the field, even if I preferred different methods. “The sniper must have been following them, or using somepony else as a spotter.”

“Seems likely.” Strumming spread her wings. “Good news is the locals haven’t checked any roofs yet. They’re big on their private property rights, so the coppers are going through the system to get warrants first.”

“Which gives us more than enough time to investigate ourselves.” I would hate having to work in a job that required me to respect civil privileges. Really, why do ponies even need some kind of right to privacy? If they’re up to something they don’t want the Ministry knowing about, then it’s probably something they shouldn’t be doing anyway.

“Being in the Ministry of Heart does come with some handy perks,” Strumming agreed with a grin. “So, you take the rooftops, and I’ll check the local clouds for any evidence. Quarry Junction’s way too short on flying detectives. You know how these small earth pony towns can be.” Strumming flicked a hoof and spread her wings. “You know what to look for on the roofs. Misplaced tiles, disturbed debris, anything that would suggest somepony sat there and did some sniping.”

“Right, right.” I might not be an investigator, but I knew basic stuff like that. This was why I usually liked working alone. With how many of my family members were in the Ministry, having a partner meant being stuck with somepony like my big cousin. Don’t get me wrong, I love my family, but I think Strumming still kinda saw me as her cute little cousin Lyra, not as an experienced field agent and imperial assassin. She wouldn’t be going over basic stuff with any other agent.

Strumming looked at me for a bit, then sighed and opened up her saddlebags, then pulled out a couple candy bars. Dark chocolate and almonds. “Want one?”

“Please.” I knew she was probably just bribing me to make up for riding my flank a bit, but dark chocolate and almond was my favorite. Her seemingly limitless supply of junk food had always been my favorite thing about having my older cousin come over to visit back when I was a filly. I had to wonder how she stayed so fit and trim despite scarfing down all those candy bars and bags of chips. If I had all that junk food, I’d probably start getting pudgy.

Strumming grinned and tossed me the candy bar, which I promptly opened up and tore into. I hadn’t really had anything to eat for a while, so some sugary chocolatey goodness sounded just about perfect. Strumming seemed to agree, since she was chowing down just as fast I was. Snacks are important for field agents. Gotta keep your energy up.

Climbing up onto a roof wouldn’t be too hard, especially with my magic hands—translucent golden constructs attached to forehooves, which were really useful for grasping things when hooves just couldn’t do the job. The hands were really just an advanced form of telekinesis, but attaching the spell to my hooves let me mix musclepower and magic. I’m not very strong magically, so I needed that extra help.

Once I’d polished off the chocolate, I got straight to work. I did appreciate the energy boost I got from the candy. The Empress hadn’t given me much advance notice on this mission—none, really. So she’d caught me at a bad time. One of the downsides to being involved in a casual thing with the Tribune of the Free Minds - feeding time always left me a bit wiped out. Not to the point where I couldn’t do my job, but enough that I wasn’t quite at a hundred percent.

Still, climbing up onto the roof of one of the nearby stores was foal’s play. The first thing I discovered about roofs in Quarry Junction—they’re very dusty. Probably from all the rock farming going on around here. Crushed up rock dust gets everywhere. On the one hoof, this was good news, since it would make it even easier to spot whatever hiding spot our sniper had used. On the other hoof...

“Ah-choo!”

Darn rock dust. Well, at least my investigation of the roof had turned up a tissue sample.

Once I was done scrunching up my muzzle and cleaning up the mess, I got to work. At least all the dust worked to my favor exactly like I’d hoped it would. I found an area where all the dust had been disturbed on top of a haberdashery that had a perfect view of the cafe. To the shooter’s credit, he’d tried to compensate for that by clearing out a lot of the dust on the roof. It wouldn’t stop me or any later investigators, but it would slow us down.

I trotted over to the roof’s peak and started checking the tiles there. The shooter had almost certainly set up shop on the back side of the peak, giving him a good position to brace his crossbow, and letting him duck down out of sight after firing at the aedile. Sure enough, I found a slight indentation in one of the crown tiles. A quick look back at the cafe confirmed that it all lined up perfectly. I smirked, and tapped the telltale tile. “Gotcha.”

I was getting started on a preliminary scan of the area when Strumming came down, hovering a meter or so over the roof. “Well, the clouds are a bust. You get anything?”

“Sure did.” I proudly pointed out the sniper nest I’d uncovered. “So there we have it: proof that Lyra will always beat Skyra.”

Strumming rolled her eyes, like she always did when I called her that. “No idea why you ever came up with that name. I was here fifteen years before you. If anything, you’re the one copying me ... Strumhorn.”

“Maybe, but you're missing an important fact.” I smirked up at her. “Strumhorn just sounds terrible as a nickname. Skyra flows right off the tongue. Ergo, I win.”

Strumming countered my argument by flapping dust into my face. Much sneezing followed.

While I was suffering terribly, Strumming landed and took a look at the sniper nest. “Yeah, looks like you found it alright. Now to see if he left anything behind for us.” She poked around for a bit, sniffing the air like she was some kinda dog or something.

I tried to get back into professional mode. One of those things you have to learn in the business—the difference between being on the clock and relaxing in your off hours. Retirement was hard on a lot of Ministry employees, as going back to being a normal civilian after spending your whole life as a spy made for a rough transition. Needing to keep up that barrier between home and work was also another reason I didn’t like working with family. Made it harder to decide if I should be ‘goofy off-hours Lyra’ or ‘stoic and serious on-duty Lyra.’

It was almost enough to make me wonder if I’d made the right choice when I joined the Ministry. Almost. Family and duty were just too important. I mean, being a Heartstrings meant going into the Ministry of Heart. Dad always joked that the whole reason it was called the Ministry of Heart was because of us. I’m pretty sure that was just him telling another one of his lame jokes, though. You’d think the guy who runs the most feared branch of the Imperial government would be a bit more serious, but he was a total clown in his off-hours.

“Well, this confirms that it was a quick shot.” Strumming’s voice snapped me out of that little bit of introspection. “If he'd been lying in wait for hours, he would've left behind more evidence.”

Well, that explained the sniffing. One of the less glamorous parts being an assassin is that when you spend hours lying in wait for your one chance at making a perfect shot, you don’t have the luxury of stepping out for a bathroom break. Funnily enough, none of the Con Mane movies ever featured him pissing himself five hours into a stakeout—it would kinda ruin his whole cool and sophisticated image. So would a lot of the stuff I’d done on the job. For the record, there are not nearly enough dangerously sexy mares throwing themselves at me.

“So we're dealing with somepony good enough to find a sniping position, get into it, and take a shot with only a couple minutes to pull it all off. Definitely backs up that we’re dealing with somepony who knows his stuff.” I thought about that and grinned. “Good. I’m always up for a challenge.” It would certainly be more satisfying than persuading that corrupt idiot of a governor in Northmarch to remove himself so we could put somepony competent in charge.

“Seems like it,” Strumming agreed. She glanced to me, a faint frown on her face. “Did the Empress tell you anything? I don’t mean to pry, but you are one of her favorites.”

“Well, I don’t mean to brag, but...” She did seem to use me for a lot of her special missions. She’d trusted me with information nopony else knew, because she knew I was loyal. I mean, everypony in the Ministry was loyal, but I was loyal. Empress Sunbeam was such a wise and glorious leader, so how could I not be utterly loyal to her? I know Dad was a little taken aback when I’d joined the Phoenix Cult, but worshipping the Empress just made sense, really. The Empress was our goddess for all intents and purposes. I would gladly die if she asked it of me, because I knew she would only do that if the greater good required it. That was why she trusted me.

Sadly, that trust didn’t translate to any special insight this time around. “No, she didn’t tell me anything other than the standard info, and that she really wants whoever killed the aedile found.”

“Which doesn’t tell us anything beyond the fact that it's probably not just some random killing.” Strumming sighed and rubbed her temple. “Not exactly helpful. I don’t suppose you can tell me if it’s tied into whatever she's been up to lately?”

It’s definitely possible it was tied into one of The Six, but that bit of information was something only myself and the Empress knew, and even I didn’t have the full story yet. Like who all The Six were. The victim did fall into the same general age range as the other known members of the group, though, and that opened up some very scary possibilities. If one of them had been killed before we could secure them ... well, I didn’t know the whole story on what The Six were supposed to do, but everything the Empress had told me indicated that it was fate-of-the-Empire important. If we didn’t have the full set, Bad Things would happen.

Still, that was all need-to-know information, and the Empress said Strumming didn’t need to know. “Whatever other projects the Empress may or may not be pursuing are not any of our concern right now. We need to focus on capturing the killer.”

Strumming groaned at that. “My own little cousin’s stonewalling me. Super. Just for that, I’m not sharing a bag of chips with you next time I get snacky.” She spent a bit pouting and refusing to meet my eyes, which was just annoyingly unprofessional. She got over it after a couple seconds, but that was still time wasted. “Anyway, back on task. Let’s catch this killer with what we’ve got, even if it would be easier if I knew the whole story.”

“Nopony likes a whiner, Strumming,” I chided. That made her start pouting again, so I decided to throw her a bone. “The Empress wouldn’t have given us this job unless she thought we could pull it off. Anything she didn’t tell us is information we don’t need to accomplish our current goal. It’s not like she knows who the killer is, and is just sending us to investigate because she wants to give us busywork. If she knew everything, she wouldn't need the Ministry in the first place.”

“Yeah, yeah. I just don’t like operating on incomplete information. Especially when it’s my own side holding out on me, and double-especially when it’s my cousin.” She scowled at nothing in particular for a bit, grumbling under her breath, then shook her head. “Ugh, back on target. So, got any theories on the crime? I don't see an obvious political motive.”

I decided to push the limits and give her as much information as I could, in the hopes that it would make her a bit less annoyed with me. “I’m just speculating here, but perhaps the Empress had a greater plan for her. By all accounts, she was a very popular and effective aedile, and Canterlot needs somepony to replace Aedile Cadenza. It is a possible angle, although it’s disturbing that the killer might have such inside information on Canterlot politics. It means we could be getting mixed up in something a lot more dangerous than an ordinary murder.”

Strumming turned that around in her head a couple times. “It would fit with one theory that’s been percolating in my head. I've been tracking down a Nightmare Cult that has an assassination list. Pity the list itself got burned badly enough that we couldn’t get more than one name off of it, and that was one our witness already confirmed.” She scratched at her chin and frowned thoughtfully. “However, now we’ve got a highly professional murder of a seemingly random pony, which the Empress is taking an unusual interest in. Maybe I’m being paranoid, but I suspect these two facts might be connected. Especially since I know you’ve been doing a lot of surveillance work lately ever since you got back from Northmarch. And on rather unusual targets.”

That got my attention. “You’ve been monitoring my movements?”

“Of course not!” Strumming gasped in mock-horror at the very suggestion. “I just pulled your expense and equipment reports. Way more reliable and easier to manage than having somepony spy on you. I don’t suppose you can tell me why you spent a month staking out the Everfree Forest, or about your trips to Cloudsdale and Appleloosa?”

Okay, now she was getting way too close to some stuff she definitely wasn’t allowed to know about. I dropped any pretense of being friendly family with her and hit her with my best death glare. “Strumming, you don’t want to continue this conversation. Whatever I may or may not have been doing in those locations, assuming I was ever there to begin with, is a matter of Imperial security that is beyond your current clearance level. If it got out you were trying to find out what I’m doing for the Empress, you wouldn’t like what happened next.”

Strumming bristled at that. “For the record, I was doing it on orders. MH’s, in fact.” She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and relaxed a bit. “Your father’s worried about you, Lyra. I am too. Ever since you hooked up with the Phoenix Cult, you’ve been getting ... really intense. We’re both worried you’re gonna get too deep into something you shouldn’t.”

I didn’t like the sound of that at all. “Whatever I’m doing, if the Minister of Heart doesn’t know it, then the orders must come from the Empress herself. Which means both of you are overstepping, and prying into something top secret.”

“Secrets. Yeah, sure.” Strumming let out a breath and shook her head. “You wanna know what I’m afraid of? Seeing your name pop up on the memorial wall back at HQ. If you’re running some kind of black ops for the Empress ... well, you know the old stories about how the ancient magi kept their greatest spells secret.”

“By killing everypony else who knew the spell,” I supplied. It was a struggle not to roll my eyes while I answered. “Relax, Strumming. The Empress wouldn’t do that.” I left the second half of that thought go unspoken. Unless there was no other way. Not that I thought anything I’d done was that secret, but if the Empress felt that such extreme measures were necessary, then so be it. I’d been raised from birth to serve the Empire in the Ministry, and I was prepared to give my life for my Empress if it came down to that. I’d die to preserve her secrets if an enemy of the state was trying to torture the information out of me. Dying to prevent that risk from ever coming up in the first place wasn’t all that different. I believed in something greater than myself: an empire, and its empress.

My cousin frowned at me for a bit, then turned her attention back to the sniper nest. She didn’t say anything to me for a long time, so eventually I broke the silence myself. “If we're dealing with Nightmare cultists, then it would explain why you're tagging along with me. You’ve got more experience with cult-busting than I do.”

Strumming grunted and gave a barely perceptible nod. “That, and this is a mission where you need a good facilitator.” I took offense at that, but she was quick to elaborate on her point. “You’ve got all the stealth, infiltration, and investigation stuff down, but you’re not very good at dealing with other ponies. Frankly, your networking skills are pretty much nonexistent.”

Yeah, I didn’t like where this was going. “I'm not bad at it. I’ve got my contact with the Free Minds, and they can get into places most ponies can't. Not to mention all their other skills. How many cases have we cracked thanks to a quick grab and swap? Not to mention it lets us keep everything running even more smoothly than when we just disappeared the bad guys.”

“I’m not saying your contacts with the Free Minds aren’t an asset, but the Ministry has plenty of them working for us already.” Strumming let out a long-suffering sigh. “But I think you missed my main point. When it comes to handling ponies, or any of the Empire’s races other than the changelings, you’re ... well, you kinda suck at it. I mean, you don’t even have a social life outside of work, unless you count—”

I cut her off. “Oh, so now you're worried about me? That’s rich. Dad was training me up to be a good little Ministry agent when I was still a little filly. He pushed me to be the best I could possibly be, and I worked my plot off every damned day to make him proud. I'm sorry if I haven't turned out as perfect as you all expected me to. Maybe if you didn't want me ending up as 'messed up,' you shouldn't have robbed my childhood.”

Strumming had her mouth open to respond, but I didn’t even let her get started. “If you're going to give me a speech, it can wait until we're done with the task at hoof.” The last thing I needed was another lecture from one of my family members about how I needed to ‘get out more.’ If I was focused on my work, it was because my work was far more important than anything else. Every moment I spent goofing around with friends or family, or trying to find somepony to love me, was time I could be spending serving the Empire. The Ministry of Heart and its agents couldn’t afford to take vacations or spend the weekend getting drunk with friends. We had to be constantly vigilant and ready to serve the Empress.

Strumming waved the matter away. “Right, right, focus on the job. Can you run a magical sweep, or should I get one of our analysts to do it?”

By that point I was feeling prickly enough that the question offended me. “Yes, I can do a basic magical sweep of a crime scene. I’m the Empress’ personal agent, not a first year academy student.” To prove my point, I scanned the area thoroughly. There wasn’t much—whoever had done the shooting had obviously tried to cover his tracks—but he’d made one mistake. Wedged in between two of the roofing tiles was a single long, golden hair.

Strumming grinned as I pulled it out. “Nice. He must've gotten sloppy.” She carefully took the hair from me and looked it over, a frown slowly growing on her face as she did so. “Hrm. Well that’s a messy development.”

Intriguing. “Whatcha got?”

“Nothing important.” Strumming looked the hair over for a bit longer, then carefully tucked it away. “It’s probably just a coincidence.”

I swear, she was holding out on me just to get payback for all the stuff I couldn’t tell her. “Oh come on, Strumming! Don’t tease me when we’re dealing with serious business.”

Strumming gave an annoyed little huff, then pulled the hair back out. “It matches the tail color for the leader of that Nightmare Cult I told you about earlier. Nothing remotely conclusive, but...”

“Yeah, I don’t think it’s a coincidence either.” Call it a gut feeling, or maybe my mare’s intuition, but I was pretty sure we had our pony. One of the few things the Empress had divulged about The Six was that they had some kind of connection to Nightmare Moon.

“Yeah, have to agree.” Strumming stared at the hair for a bit, then passed it back to me again. “Can you run a trace on it?”

“Sure, just gimme a minute...” Tracking spells weren’t exactly my forte, but I was decent with them. Tracking was much more about precision and control than raw power. I’m a low delta on the unicorn scale, so I couldn’t really fling heavy magic around. Not that I’d ever needed to. Way too many unicorns with good magic end up letting their bodies go soft. I might not be a magical powerhouse, but I was in good enough shape to keep up with most earth ponies.

I ran through the tracking spell and waited to see what it would turn up. To my annoyance, I got exactly nothing. I tried a couple more times, but the spell still fizzled. I got a couple little twitches, but it was like something was blocking the connection. After the fourth casting, I started developing a nasty headache, and gave up on it for the moment. “Odd... either I'm still tired from feeding, or my trace is being interfered with.”

“Probably the second one,” Strumming opined, taking the hair back and securing it in an envelope. “If I'd just pulled a high-profile assassination, I'd take countermeasures against tracking spells too. I'll run the hair over to our analysts once we’re done here. Maybe one of the specialists will have more luck with it.” She paused, then frowned at me. “You’re letting that changeling gnaw on you enough to affect your performance?”

My eyes narrowed, and there was a bit of a snarl in my voice. “'Gnaw' is such an ugly word. The tribune just needs to drain a bit of my energy. The biting’s just one way to do it.” Not that I was especially eager to try out the alternative of going into a cocoon for a couple hours. Sure, it would spare me the hickeys, but I preferred just having it be a little extra-nippy when we were fooling around to going inside a cocoon. That just felt too ... impersonal. It made me feel like food, not its marefriend. “It doesn’t really even hurt or anything. It actually feels kinda nice once you get used to it. And no, it doesn't affect my performance. I only need a nap and a good meal after a session, and I’m ready to go.”

Strumming let out a skeptical snort. “But you just said it was leaving you weak enough that you were having trouble with your spells. So which is it?”

Ugh, I was beyond done with this conversation. Bad enough to have Strumming prying into my work as a Ministry Agent and my personal life, but if she was gonna get started on my love life too... “I was joking. I’m okay. Now let’s drop it and get back to work. And please, for the love of the Empress, no more personal talk. I get enough of that from my parents. I get that you’re all worried about me, but I’m fine. Got it?”

Strumming stared at me for a bit, then sighed and shook her head. “Yeah, sure, whatever you say. It’s hard to tell when you’re joking, once you’ve got your game face on. Especially since I almost never get to see you without it these days. Reminds me, you'd like the aedile's sister. Almost as hard to read as you are. Though if we take the killer alive, I’d suggest not letting her anywhere near him.”

“Sounds prudent.” Ponies could get all kinds of irrational when family was involved. Just look at all the trouble I’d been getting from Strumming. She and my parents were poking around in stuff they knew was none of their business just because they were worried I might be in trouble. Ugh, now I was letting myself get distracted by personal problems. “Right, so what’s the plan?”

Strumming held up the envelope containing the tail hair we’d recovered. “I’ll get somepony to run this back to the magi, see if they can get anything off of it. It’s a priority case, so we should get to the front of the line instead of going onto the waiting list. I guess until then, we'll do things the old-fashioned way: hit the usual sorts of hideouts you’d find in a town like this. With a level five curfew going on, he's gotta be hiding somewhere.”

“Unless he got out before we locked the town down.” Though if he’d managed that, we would be reduced to just looking around at random and hoping we got incredibly lucky. I suppose it was best to proceed on the assumption that lockdown had worked, since it at least gave us something productive to do while we waited. “Any suggestions on where to go first? Since I keep hearing I have bad pony skills, you would know better than me.”

My cousin let the barb pass without comment, which made me feel a bit bad about getting snippy with her in the first place. “Like I said, we start with the usual places a fugitive would go to hide out. Dingy bars, empty warehouses, that kinda thing. Check the town’s criminal records too, and see if there’s anyone who’d be inclined to help a fugitive Nightmare cultist.”

“Sounds like a lovely night out.” I do like my dry sarcasm.

“At least we'll have the city mostly to ourselves.” Strumming waved a hoof at the deserted streets. “One thing I do love about having a job outside of the capital. Out here in the country and small towns, ponies don’t get nearly so upset when we need to step up security a bit—they’re all just being nice and cooperative. If this were going on in Canterlot, I’d be up to my wingtips is bureaucrats, tribunes, legates, merchants, and anyone else with money and connections who felt inconvenienced by our investigation.

“I guess.” I shrugged. “Never really made much difference to me, honestly.”

“Probably because you and I have very different jobs,” Strumming countered. “My job’s to uphold the peace, protect the innocent, and keep the whole machine running smoothly. I resolve threats to the Empire before they reach the point where ponies die. You’re...”

“An assassin,” I finished for her. “But don’t think that means I don’t serve the Empire just as much as you do. Sometimes the problems the Empire needs solved happen to be ponies, or some other sentients. I guarantee you, if you compare the number I’ve killed to the number who would’ve died if I did nothing, it’ll come out in my favor.” I shrugged. “I’ve never had any trouble sleeping at night.”

“That’s what worries me.” Strumming groaned and flicked her wings, preparing to take off. “Whatever. I’ll go find somepony to run this in, and then we’ll get started.”

The searches turned up a whole lot of nothing, not that I was especially surprised. I never made a kill until I had my exit strategy worked out and a dozen backup plans in place. Often, the hardest part of an assassination wasn’t making the kill or dealing with the mind-numbing boredom that often came with waiting for the most opportune moment to strike. No, the hardest part was getting out after the job was done. It’s why a lot of the most infamous assassinations were done by fanatics; it’s a lot easier to kill somepony if you don’t care about getting away with it, or even surviving the attempt.

That’s what made our killer, who Strumming had ID’ed as Just Cause, so dangerous. He had the drive of a fanatic, but he still kept a cool head and thought things through. He wouldn’t stop, not until he’d accomplished whatever insane goal he believed Nightmare Moon wanted from him. And yet, as insane as his motives were, his methods were cold, calculated, and logical. It was a bit chilling to realize that he had a lot in common with me. We just worked for different sides. If he’d been working for the Empire instead of some lunatic cult, we might’ve been friends.

How bucked up is that?

Since Quarry Junction had been a bust, there wasn’t much else to do except wait for the analysts to finish going over all the evidence we’d retrieved. That was another thing most of your spy fiction gets wrong. Sure, I go on all kinds of crazy missions, but I’m kind of the exception that proves the rule. For every pony like me that went out on crazy missions, there were dozens who investigated, analyzed evidence, and interviewed suspects.

Unfortunately, that left me with nothing to do except wait around for the eggheads to come up with answers. Well, that and avoid my family. I was pretty sure that after how things had gone in Quarry Junction, Strumming and Dad would wanna pull me aside for a talk. A talk I really didn’t want to have. Everything was so much simpler and easier to deal with when I just didn’t worry about all that stuff. Maybe I should go see Tribune Codex tonight. The sessions with it always helped.

It didn’t help that my apartment was pretty bare bones. I’d just never really seen a need for most of the stuff most ponies accumulate. I mean, I’ve got some books and a battered old lyre, but that was about it. I just didn’t need anything beyond that. Most of my bits went back into my job, picking up extra non-standard gear. Not that the Ministry didn’t keep me well-supplied, but there are some things you can’t get from the quartermaster. Like enhancement potions that could be dangerous if you weren’t careful about using them.

I was rudely dragged out of those idle thoughts when Strumming flapped into my apartment. “You need better locks on your windows,” she offered by way of greeting. “Not why I’m here, though. Analysts came through, we’ve got a location on Just Cause. He’s hiding out in Undertown. No surprise, when our reports say he’s been recruiting a lot of unemployed miners to fill out his cult.”

Undertown. So he’d been right under our noses the entire time. Not really a surprise, though. With all the gem mining in Canterlot, Mount Avalon was honeycombed with a huge network of tunnels and caverns that would take a pony days to walk through if it was all laid out end-to-end.

Undertown sat at the base of Mount Avalon, or rather within the base of Mount Avalon. For a long time, it had just been a minor mining outpost until the Empire started laying the railroad down. Naturally, Canterlot was one of the Empire’s main railroad hubs, but making all the trains that were just stopping over or switching tracks climb all the way up the mountain would’ve been a huge waste of time and resources. So Undertown became a railroad hub, and got a new lease on life.

The problem was, before it had been a railroad hub, it had been something of a gathering point for all of Canterlot’s ne’er-do-wells. Places like Gemtown and the warehouse district can be a bit rough, but the Imperial Guard never let things get too bad. Undertown was where the hopeless cases wound up. Naturally that had to change once Undertown became a railroad hub, but that just shoved the criminals back into the abandoned tunnels. The Guard and Canterlot authorities kept an eye on them and cleared the area out when they could, but there was no way you could ever stop crime completely. It was just part of how ponies lived.

“So we’re going tunnel diving?” I got up and stretched until one of my back legs popped. “Great, I’ll gear up. We scouted the place out yet, or do you want me to do that?”

“Upstairs is sending in a magus to handle that. Imaging specialist. They’re worried any scout we might send in could tip them off, and they’d run for it. They’ve already gotten away from us twice.” Strumming scratched her chin and frowned. “Thus, sending in Magus ... whatever her name was. Heard she’s got an ego the size of Canterlot, but skills to back it up.”

“Do you mean she has the same inflated ego as most of the magi, or that her ego’s big even for a magus?” I shivered at the possibilities presented by the second option. “What is it about magi that makes them all so weird? Has there ever been a normal magus in the history of Equestria?”

“I'm sure there was one,” Strumming answered dryly. “Once. Somewhere.”

Heh. Still, we were getting magus support. The Empress was taking this one seriously. In that case, I might as well pull out all the stops. “I’ll stop by the Phoenix Temple for some of their knights, then. If we’re going into a Nightmare Cult’s base, we’ll want them.”

“I’d rather use Sol Invictus Knights.” Strumming sighed and shook her head. “Yeah, I know you don’t like that Old Queen Celestia still has followers, but their knights are a bit less ... zealous. Phoenix Knights always want to break out the holy fire.”

Oh goodie, another chance for Strumming to bug me about the Phoenix Cult. Really, the Order of Sol Invictus was borderline treasonous. After all, a lot of their leadership was tied to the Circle. Granted, the Circle hadn’t crossed the line with the Empress yet, but if they ever did, the Order’s knight’s would probably take the Circle’s side over the Empress’. Really, following the Old Queen wasn’t that far separated from being a Nightmare cultist. They were sisters, after all.

“If I’m getting knights, it’ll be ones I trust.” I took a breath, and softened my tone just a bit. “I don’t think the Order would be all that eager to loan me some of their knights anyway. You wanna talk to them, then go ahead. But I’m still getting some Phoenix Knights.”

Strumming sighed and waved the matter off. “Do what you’re gonna do. I’ll meet you in Undertown in three hours.” My cousin headed for the front door, but paused on the threshold. “The aedile’s funeral is in two days, and the Empress will be attending. I’m sure Her Imperial Majesty would like to be able to tell Pinkie Pie’s family that we brought her killer to justice.”

“Using her superior magical abilities, the Great and Powerful Trixie has done what nopony else could and succeeded in constructing the following facsimile of the cultist base. The Great and Powerful Trixie would further suggest that...”

Strumming wasn’t kidding about the ego. Is it bad that I was secretly hoping our magus would turn out to be a traitor just so I’d have an excuse to kill her?

Right on schedule, we all met up in Undertown’s outer tunnels. We were far enough away from the settlement that everything was practically lightless. We probably could’ve fixed that by throwing out a couple light spells, but that might give us away to any lookouts the cultists would have. Light can carry a long way in the dense and cramped underground tunnels. Besides, spells and charms to let a pony see in the dark were pretty easy to come by; judging by the fact that nopony was stumbling around blindly, we’d all managed to lay our hooves on some kind of solution before coming down here. We just needed to be careful to avoid any sudden bright lights; most spells for seeing in the dark made ponies’ vision more sensitive to light.

Praetorian Red Shield, the leader of the Phoenix Knights I’d acquired to help with this operation, looked over the map. “We’ll need to put blocking forces at their escape tunnels here and here.” He pointed to two small side-tunnels. “After that, it should be pretty simple. Send a shield wall down the central corridor, and clear out the side tunnels and chambers as we go. Take it slow and methodical, and we should mop them all up. I’d like to see them try to break our shield wall.”

The magus decided to throw in her two bits. “Trixie will, of course, easily counter any magic they might attempt to bring to bear against us.”

Which just left myself and Strumming to justify our roles. My cousin filled that in pretty quickly. “Since this is a Ministry operation, I’ll be in overall command, though of course I’ll offer due weight to the praetorian and magus’ advice on whatever comes up. Lyra can help with clearing out the side passages. Some of them look a bit too rough for a shield wall.”

“Our incendarii can support her,” the Praetorian offered.

Strumming winced at that. “My Old Unicornian is a bit rusty, but I’m pretty sure I can piece together what incendarii do. I’d like to recover some prisoners and intelligence from this operation, and burning everything to cinders might complicate that just a bit.”

“They are capable of showing restraint, Agent Heartstrings.” It was hard to get a read on the praetorian when he was covered from horn to hoof in the red and gold armor of the Phoenix Knights, but I’m pretty sure he was a bit miffed by the implication that his soldiers were out-of-control pyromaniacs. “Though I expect our best chance of taking prisoners will be once we have them trapped between two shield walls, not from the side passages with the incendarii.”

“Fine, fine.” Strumming grumbled and flicked a wing. “Just tell them to exercise discretion with the incend-ing. I don’t want them burning anything that’s more useful to us un-burnt. Not to mention how nasty things could get if they start a big fire. Underground tunnels do not have good ventilation, and I can’t breathe smoke.”

The magus decided to chime in. “Trixie agrees. While she can protect herself from a little fire, she would prefer not to be covered in soot and have her robes ruined.”

“Noted, then,” the Praetorian answered tersely. “If there is nothing else?”

Nopony else had anything to say, so Strumming nodded. “Let’s not waste any more time, then. Let me know when the blocking forces are in place, and we’ll get down to business.”

After that, I didn’t have much to do for a while but wait. I did all the usual stuff, like checking my swords, armor, and other gear, but that was just a way to kill time—I’d already checked all of it before I came down here. I mean, I guess I could try talking to the others, but that would mean my cousin who’d probably wanna nag me about my personal life, the insufferably stuck-up magus, or the praetorian who was busy getting his troops ready for battle and probably didn’t want me making small talk to pass the time.

I conjured up my magical hands, then drew my blades. It had taken me a long time to get used to fighting on my back hooves, but it did give a lot of advantages, like having more reach. Granted, there were also all the disadvantages of being preciously balanced on half the limbs nature intended me to use, but so far I’d managed. All those potions I took to help improve my dexterity and coordination probably helped.

The sabre went in my right hand, and the parrying dagger in my left. I’d tried fighting with two full-length sabres for a while, but even with magically enhanced reflexes that was a bit too much to manage. The dagger was a bit easier to use, and it gave me more versatility with my combat style anyway. Plus I could hold onto a couple extra daggers a lot more easily than swords. Nopony carries a cold iron sword unless they know they’ll be fighting a magus in the next five minutes and not facing any mundane opponents with decent armor. A cold iron dagger, on the other hoof, wasn’t so hard to always keep handy.

I took my blades through a few quick warmup exercises, just to get loosened up and ready for the fight. That at least gave me something useful to do. Pretty soon I was lost in the easy flow of combat maneuvering, effortlessly shifting between stances and blade positions. I’d had to get most of my lessons in swordsmanship from a gryphon, since ponies almost never fought this way. Talos hadn’t been the nicest instructor I’ve ever had—I’d left most of my practice sessions sporting several new bruises—but by the time I was done with him I’d learned everything I needed to know to hold my own in a fight.

Naturally, the troops got into position right as I was really getting into my exercise routine. Ugh. Oh well, soon I’d be applying my skills for real. Practice is all well and good, but nothing’s quite the same as a proper battle.

The Phoenix Knights lined up four abreast and three deep, which would be enough to pretty much fill the tunnel once we entered. They carried shields held in front of them by special harnesses along with spears attached in standard lance mounts. Each shield was designed to lock together, and had a small hole in the side that was just big enough to fit the spear’s shaft through. Once the shield wall was set up, it was just about impossible to crack, unless you hit it really hard or had some powerful magic. Or outflanked it, but managing that feat was just about impossible in narrow tunnels.

Once the Knights started marching down the tunnel, we’d pretty much lost any hope of making a surprise attack. Their wall of shields and spears might be just about unbreakable, but one thing it definitely wasn’t was quiet. A dozen ponies in heavy full plate with locked shields and spears make a lot of noise, especially in a narrow tunnel. If the cultists had missed all of us getting into position, they definitely knew they were under attack now.

It wasn’t long before cultists started tumbling out of the side passages, curious about what the hay was making so much noise. Most of them took one look at the line of heavily armed and armored ponies marching towards them and beat a hasty retreat. Not all of them were that smart, though. A couple came charging at the shield wall, brandishing mining tools they’d converted into weapons and screaming Nightmare Moon’s name. They learned how big of a mistake they’d made pretty quickly.

“Good thing we busted their weapon smuggling operation,” Strumming grimaced as one of the cultists met a quick and messy end by charging the shield wall with nothing but a pickaxe. “This’d be a bit rougher if they had proper weapons. As it is, I’d complain about this not even being a fair fight, but they’re Nightmare cultists, so screw ‘em.”

As we approached the first of the side rooms Strumming waved me forward. “I’ll stick with the shield wall, you take some of those incendarii and work on clearing the side passages.”

I certainly had no objection to that; my swords were just about useless when I was stuck behind three ranks of shields and spears.

More of the Phoenix Knights came up, staying close on the shield wall’s back. Instead of heavy shields and spears, these ones were carrying lighter, more maneuverable weapons. I was pretty sure those were the incendarii troops the praetorian had mentioned earlier. It wasn’t hard to guess why they were getting so cautious as we neared one of the side rooms. I’m no expert at military tactics, and even I could tell that the wall of shields and spears wasn’t a flexible formation. Pretty much all they could do was face forward and march. If somepony came after them from one of the side passages, they would need the extra support.

The apparent leader of the incendarii squad was also a bit of a surprise to me. Mostly because when he opened up his helmet’s visor, I saw stripes. I knew the Phoenix Knights accepted all species, but I guess I’d always assumed that every single equine-shaped figure in their armor was a pony. Obviously I’d been mistaken. The zebra turned to face me. “Are we ready to begin our stage of the attack, Agent Heartstrings? I promise victory will follow us on swift wings.”

“Yeah, ‘course it will.” To be honest, I wasn’t really much of a leader of ponies (or zebras). Probably part of that whole lack of social skills thing Strumming kept bringing up. So, rather than try and say something inspiring, I played it safe. “You and your soldiers know what to do. I’ll follow your lead, and offer support.”

“One moment.” I cringed at the magus’ imperious voice. “The Great and Powerful Trixie has seen little need for her presence supporting the shield wall. She will accompany the others into this side passage, so that she can better apply her talents.”

After a brief mental struggle, I resisted the urge to plunge my cold iron knife into her back. It was a close thing, though. Instead I let the not-so-great-or-powerful Trixie take the lead. Maybe her antics were good when it came to impressing the easily impressed, but to anypony who knew the score, she was nothing but a loudmouth. Personally, I’d rather focus on actually being effective than bragging about how amazing I was. My results spoke for themselves.

Just to make things better, Trixie seemed to have picked up on my lack of leadership skills, and was more than happy to fill the gap herself. “Trixie will send illusionary doubles further up the tunnel, in case there are any ambushes waiting for us. She will also cover the group in spells that will hide us from our enemies until we have the perfect opportunity to strike.”

I couldn’t come up with a good reason to shoot the plan down, on account of it being annoyingly sensible. Why couldn’t she have come up with an obviously stupid plan full of holes I could spot and point out to make her look bad? It was so much easier to look smart and cool when your opponent was obliging enough to make themselves look like an idiot without any effort on your part.

The magus concentrated for a bit, and a bunch of illusionary doubles of our formation popped up a bit further down the tunnel. She spent a bit touching them up to make everything as close to a perfect match as she could, and then we marched onward with the illusions about ten meters in front of us. I would’ve preferred having them further ahead, but the magus needed to keep the illusions within her line of sight to properly manage them.

A couple seconds later, I felt two layers of magic settle over me. For a moment, everypony around me disappeared completely, but a second later they all popped back into existence, though a bit fuzzy. Presumably she’d tossed on a spell to conceal us, and then a spell to let us see each other. It would be rather embarrassing if we ended up tripping all over ourselves.

Because the universe hates me and enjoys my suffering, Trixie’s precautions wound up paying off. As the illusionary force moved out of the narrow tunnel and into a wider open cavern, a hail of missiles met them. Most of it was just ponies chucking rocks or other nearby debris, most of which would just bounce off armor. However, a crossbow bolt shot right through the head of one of the soldiers and bounced off the floor to come skittering to a stop near my hooves.

Okay, that could be a problem. The bolt that had hit the aedile was a military one. It stood a decent chance of punching through the knights’ full plate if it hit in the right place at the right angle. If he had any cold iron bolts, the magus could be in danger too. I got a lot more worried when the second shot came in, and went right through my illusionary double. At that moment, I became acutely aware of the fact that I wasn’t wearing as much armor as any of the knights.

“Hold fire! They are illusions!” One of the cultists called out. The voice sounded a bit too upper-class and educated to be one of the miners. We might have Just Cause himself cornered. Our information did suggest he was a dispossessed ex-noble, so the classy accent fit.

I was about to take charge and order an advance when Trixie stole my thunder again. “Hold just a moment, the Great and Powerful Trixie has a nasty surprise in store for them.”

The Stealthy and Dextrous Lyra was getting really tired of putting up with Trixie’s ego. With a little bit of work, I could totally make it look like she’d been taken out by the miners and nobody would investigate too thoroughly. Especially if she had as many enemies as I suspected she might.

She spent a while working whatever new spell she had in store, then nodded to herself. “Very well then, everything is ready. Trixie will send her group in, and then we should follow close behind to take advantage of the terror and confusion they will sow. It should allow us to roll up the cultists quite quickly and easily.”

More like allow us to do the actual fighting, while Trixie sat in the back and took all the credit. Though come to think of it, there was a rather obvious flaw in her plan. “They already know they’re dealing with illusions. Why would making the fakes charge have any impact?”

Trixie let out a frustrated little grumble. “Has nopony read the Great and Powerful Trixie’s brilliant and groundbreaking papers about quasi-real illusions?”

Even if I had, I wouldn’t have given her the satisfaction of admitting it. “Nope.”

She stomped on the floor and let out a frustrated little growl. “Trixie has made no secret of the incredible advances she has made in the art of illusion magic. She has been published in every single major magical journal! How can you be unfamiliar with her accomplishments?”

It was no doubt because I had long since mastered the ancient and venerable art of not giving a flying feather about what stuck-up magi were up to. “Tabloid articles aren't really my thing. I prefer something a bit more classy.” I let the remark hang in the air long enough to make my point, then got back to business. “So how about you stop telling us what a genius you are, and start explaining what the hay it is you’re talking about?”

The magus huffed. “Well, since Trixie must work alongside ignorant fools who do not understand the depth of her brilliance...” She took a deep breath, and finally got to work, “I will attempt to explain it in simple terms for simple minds. Suffice to say, Trixie has uncovered a way to make her illusions at least partially real. For a few critical seconds, some aspects of her illusion work can gain a limited degree of solidity. In this particular case, the edges and tips of the weapons used by your illusionary doubles.”

Okay, much as I hated to say it, that was a bit impressive. Not that I would ever give Trixie the satisfaction of admitting as much to her. Her ego was inflated enough without any praise. “Yeah, sure, whatever. So are you gonna keep patting yourself on the back for your brilliance, or are you actually gonna get to work and do this thing?”

The magus gave a melodramatic sigh. “Like all true geniuses, Trixie is unappreciated in her own time. So be it.” She sent the illusions charging in, with the rest of us following close behind them, still invisible. Just as she’d predicted, the cultists took a couple potshots to confirm they were illusions, and then completely dismissed them as a threat. I guess they hadn’t read any of Trixie’s articles either. I have to admit, as much as I didn’t care for Trixie herself, it was rather satisfying watching the cultists freak out and panic when the illusions hit and actually started cutting them down.

The attack only lasted a couple seconds before the illusions vanished completely, and when that happened the spells hiding us went down too. A quick look back at the magus revealed Trixie was breathing hard and sweating. I guess that trick of hers took a lot of juice to pull off.

I closed in on the cultists, who were already having discipline problems. Fanatics just aren’t very good substitutes for real soldiers. They were either too quick to panic when things went wrong, or so eager to get into the fight that they’d go charging in swinging wildly. I ran into one of the latter as I approached, a large musclebound stallion who came at me with a pickaxe, clearly intent on planting it in my head. I brought my saber up high to catch his improvised weapon before he could start the downstroke, then quickly closed to inside his weapon’s effective range and put my dagger to work. Another cultist came at my back while I was engaged with the stallion, so I quickly whirled and threw a backhoof slash at him. The attack wasn’t all that accurate, but I caught him on the side of the head hard enough to put him down.

I wasn’t here for the rank and file cultists, though. The incendarii could handle them just fine. I found out why they had that name pretty quickly, as once the battle was joined most of their weapons burst into magical fire. Watching their comrades being stabbed and burned at the same time was not very good the cultists’ morale.

Some instinct told me that our crossbow wielder was none other than Just Cause himself, and there was no way I would let him get away again. I didn’t like it when ponies got away from me. It offended my professional sensibilities.

The problem was finding Cause. He wasn’t mixed up in the general melee between the Knights and the cultists. He’d probably set himself up somewhere he wouldn’t be noticed, and was planning on putting that crossbow of his to use. That at least made finding him easy. I just kept a close eye on all the good hiding spots and waited for him to take a shot.

Just as I’d hoped, I spotted him when he popped out of cover in one of the cavern’s hidden corners. To make things even better, he took a shot at Trixie. The magus was the most obvious threat, after all. The arrogant nag took the bolt right in her chest and went down hard.

It’s always nice when everything in your life lines up perfectly.

I went after Cause, sticking to the shadows and using a bit of magic to make myself even harder to see. I might not have Trixie’s talent for illusions or the raw skill of a magus, but I was a lot better at mundane stealth. I didn’t need a perfect invisibility spell when I was already pretty good at sneaking without any magic at all.

I closed in on Cause without too much trouble. He was hiding behind a fairly large cluster of stalagmites, using them as cover from the main battle. He’d already reloaded his crossbow and had it trained on the zebra leading the incendarii. Thankfully, he hadn’t gotten a clear shot yet.

I suppose if I’d been an action hero of some sort, I would’ve called him out and we would’ve had an epic climactic duel. But I’m not a hero, I’m an assassin. My dagger slammed into the back of his skull and straight through his brain. He died without even realizing I was there.

As I was wiping the blood off my blade, the empty air to my side let out an annoyed huff. A second later Trixie, looking entirely too unperforated for my liking, popped into existence. “Trixie nearly had him!”

I guess she must’ve used one of her illusions to fake her death and draw him out then. Pity. “I guess you should’ve been faster.”

The not-so-great-or-powerful Trixie growled, then picked up Cause’s body and chucked it out into the open, where everypony could see it. Then she hopped up onto the stalagmites so everypony could see her, and struck a dramatic pose. “Enemies of the Empire! Your leader is dead, and you are facing enemies with superior weapons, armor, and training. Refuse surrender, and you will surely join your wretched leader in death!” Trixie called up half a dozen huge fireballs that were almost certainly pure illusions. “Make your choice, and make it quickly, for the Great and Powerful Trixie is not a patient mare!”

A second later, one of the cultists threw down his pickaxe and dropped to his knees. “Oh please spare us, mighty Trixie!” With some amusement, I noted that I hadn’t seen that particular cultist at any point during the battle. I rather suspect that he was another one of Trixie’s ... tricks.

Illusion or not, it had the desired effect. Soon real cultists were tossing down their weapons and surrendering too. A couple of them insisted on dying for Nightmare Moon—a desire the incendarii had no problems at all accommodating.

We were just about done mopping up and securing the rest of the prisoners when Strumming came in, along with more of the Phoenix Knights. Her eyes flicked down to Just’s body, and she gave a small satisfied nod. “Nice work. Looks like you guys got most of the action. The rest of the cultists went down pretty easy once we caught them between the shield walls. Especially since they didn’t have their leader.”

“It was easy for a mare of Trixie’s abilities.” The magus paused, and a shot a slight glower my way. “Though Agent Heartstrings was the one to remove their leader, and Trixie does not mean to neglect the contribution of the incendarii. All played a vital role in the victory under Trixie’s brilliant leadership.”

Amazing. Even when she was trying to be a bit modest and share credit, it still turned back into another way to praise herself at the end. I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised, really. At least she was consistent.

I took a look around the cavern and shrugged. “Looks like you guys have things wrapped up here.” There would be a lot of evidence to sort through and prisoners to interrogate, but that wasn’t really something I usually involved myself in. I didn’t have Strumming’s knack for spending an hour chatting with a prisoner and sharing some crisps with them, and somehow getting them to spill everything they knew.

Strumming nodded. “Yeah, we can handle things from here, and somepony needs to tell the Empress that we’ve cleaned the nest out. So go ahead and...”

Strumming trailed off, her eyes widening and her mouth hanging open as she stared at something behind me. I quickly whirled around and brought my weapons to the ready. Just Cause was moving again, which ought to be impossible after I’d stuck a dagger into his brain. He slowly climbed to his hooves, his movements slow, jerky, and unnatural.

“Possession,” Praetorian Red Shield hissed. “We should destroy it at once.”

Strumming held up a forestalling hoof. “Wait. Burn it if it does anything hostile, but we might get some kind of useful intel out of it first.” She cleared her throat, and turned to face the corpse. “I am Special Agent Strumming Heartstrings of the Imperial Ministry of Heart. Identify yourself, and state your purpose.”

Just’s head twisted around to an angle that should’ve broken his neck. When he answered, the voice was cold, regal, and feminine. “Iustam regina Equestriae non redierit canibus latronibus.”

Red Shield hissed and readied his weapon. “It is the Nightmare herself! Agent Heartstrings, we should—”

“Shut up and let me see if I can get anything useful out of it,” Strumming hissed back to the knight. Then she turned back to the possessed cult leader. “I don’t suppose you should switch over to something a bit more modern than Old Unicornian? All I got out of that was something about Equestria, and I’m pretty sure you called me a dog.”

“Irreverens stulte, ut subjiciam ante faciem tuam vera regina!” The Nightmare snarled at her, and its voice picked up a lot of volume as it continued. “Cum liberabo de mea claustro, venatiam te et bibam de tua calvario! Exorciam tua viscus de tua taleris et texam eam in nova palle! Precati eritis dulci liberatione mortis!”

Strumming weathered the ranting, then casually looked over at the rest of us. “Any of you get all of that? I got something about how I should be bowing before her, and some stuff about turning my skull into a drinking cup and my flesh into her new cloak, but the crazy ranting is all coming a bit too fast for me.”

“Trixie would say you gathered everything of importance, then.”

“Right.” My cousin turned back to face the Nightmare, singularly unimpressed by her threats. “Any last words before we burn your vessel?”

The Nightmare struck as proud and haughty a pose as it could manage while jerkily possessing a dead body. “Cogitatis viceratis? Tua victoria est sine excellentia! Interfeci una electae fabluae! Non utilitatemini Elementa Harmoniarum a mihi! Deficitis! Omnes qui resisterint mortes clamare in dolore cum tuae falsa imperatrice!”

Strumming nodded to Red Shield, and he plunged his spear into the corpse. An instant later it burst into flames, consuming Nightmare’s Moon’s vessel.

A part of me wished we’d kept the Nightmare around for just a bit longer, though. I didn’t know for sure what she’d meant about the whole ‘destined ones’ and ‘Elements of Harmony’ thing, but I had a bad feeling that they were connected to The Six that the Empress had taken such an interest in. And Nightmare Moon seemed pretty sure that she’d just made a winning move. All I could do was hope that Nightmare Moon was wrong, or the Empress had a backup plan.

Guest Tale: Forbidden Fruit by Ponibius

I love working in a lab. There is nothing like being able to sit down and get some real science done. Sure, books are really nice to learn from, but reading about things like chemical reactions or spell applications isn’t the same as doing them yourself.

My old teacher Magetrix once said that her laboratory felt like home. Really, she wasn't far off the mark. Sanitary facilities are usually shared, and there's almost never room for a bed, or a cot, or more than a desk—and if you try to bring them in, ponies give you the strangest looks. And I guess storing food doesn't really work either, since experiments would almost always contaminate it—or vice versa. Or both, as I once learned with the peanut butter incident.

Okay, okay, so maybe Magetrix wasn’t quite on the mark; maybe ‘home’ is the wrong term. A laboratory is a laboratory, but for ponies like her and me, and now Sunset too, they’re definitely comfort zones.

I entered the lab, saddlebags filled with the objects we would need for today’s experiment. The Empress had been kind enough to set aside one of the labs in the Imperialia Schola Ingeniorum Unicornium. Thankfully, the ruler of Equestria had agreed to us being lab partners to help Sunset move the teleportation project along. If this all panned out, then near-instantaneous travel would be possible between the major cities of Equestria. We were on the cusp of what was potentially being the greatest magitech advance of our generation.

The lab had everything we really needed. Some open space, a desk, some chalkboards, and potassium chlorate crystals—the basics. What was really special were the two carefully crafted rings of metal set onto the floor. The magic circles were covered in arcane runes Sunset and I had carved into them, in addition to a hoofful of meticulously selected gems.

Sunset turned to look at me, turning away from the huge blackboard we had been using to keep our notes. “Hey. Get everything?”

“Mhm.” I placed my saddlebags onto the table and pulled out some apples, rocks, gems, and a Smarty Pants doll. “This should at least give us something to test the teleportation circles on.”

Sunset gave the items on the table a quick glance over. “Yeah, all of that should work.” Seemingly satisfied with what I had brought, she turned back to the blackboard. There, she picked up an eraser and proceeded to wipe away part of one of my equations.

My ear twitched. “Sooo ... what are you doing there?” I couldn’t shake a slight feeling of annoyance over my lab partner doing work on my precisely measured half of the blackboard.

“Hm?” She had put the eraser back down and was halfway through redoing one of my equations when she looked at me and stopped upon seeing my unhappy expression. “Er ... you messed up the math. I was fixing it.”

I gave her a glower. “You could have waited until I got back before fixing anything.”

Sunset was silent for a long moment, probably deliberating on what she would say next. Not surprising when she knew she was doing something she shouldn’t be. “But it was wrong.”

I groaned in frustration. “I thought we already went over this! In the event we need to make minor changes to each other's work and don't want to forget it, we mark it down on one of the smaller chalkboards I bought just for that.” I levitated over one of the small chalkboards and waved it in front of her to emphasize my point. “Remember?”

Sunset shuffled in place so slightly. A small enough movement as to be easily mistaken for her shifting in place. “I was going to do that once I was done.”

I rubbed at my face, not believing we actually had to have this conversation again. “There isn't much point when you alter the original work!”

Her ears flattened against her head. “This is another one of those things I need to apologize for, right?”

“I'd appreciate it,” I said stiffly. “How would you like it if I changed some of your work without asking you?” It was so frustrating when Sunset did stuff like this. It reminded me of when she had been little more than a bully to me—always demanding, wanting her way, or being dismissive towards me. I had been working with her to break those habits, but we still had a ways to go. The fact I wasn’t an expert on friendship hadn’t exactly helped either. In a lot of ways, I was still stumbling through ... whatever it was that Sunset and I had—just as much as she was.

Sunset’s posture turned rigid, and her tone became more defensive. “Well, there aren't any errors on my side of the board, so...”

“Oh reeeallly?” I started looking over her side of the blackboard. The complex equations danced before my eyes. “Mind if I have a look?”

She stuck up her nose. “Go ahead.”

I carefully went over line after line of Sunset’s work. Determining that she hadn’t changed anything since I had last studied it, I moved on to her newer work. It was there I found a problem. “What about this right here?” I pointed at the equation. “That isn't how Glitter Dust's Frank Fragmentation Law works.”

Sunset craned her head up to see where I was pointing. At first she didn’t answer, but a moment later, her shoulders sagged. “Right. That needs fixing.” She sighed and murmured something under her breath as she marked that the section of the board would need to be redone.

“Right. And how would you have felt if I had fixed it all on my own?” I asked, not ready to let the whole thing go that easily. I really didn’t like her touching my half of the board without asking first. We had rules for a reason.

“Right, right.” Her head drooped towards the floor, causing me to feel a twinge of pity. “Sorry, old habits. Old, bad habits.”

I sighed. As unhappy as I was with Sunset, I didn’t want to make this a big deal. “It's okay, just don't do that anymore. Alright?”

Sunset nodded. “Got it.”

“Good, because I don't like getting into arguments.” Drama was never fun in my experience. I could never understand those ponies who seemed to thrive on it.

“I don't like arguing with you either.” She hesitated, a pregnant pause building between us. “It's ... it's a lot nicer having a study buddy than a nemesis.”

A cautious smile crept onto my lips. “Yeah, really is. Before, I thought group projects were the worst. Now ... well, at least they're nice with you.”

“Ugh, don't get me started on group projects.” You would think she was considering eating bugs from the way she said it. “I’m always stuck with three other ponies dumber than me, and at least one of them is too lazy to do their share and just counting on the others to carry him. I usually wind up having to do all the work myself, just to make sure it actually gets done right. You have no idea how nice it is to finally have somepony who can actually make an equal contribution.”

“Oh, I've been there before.’ I shuddered, trying not to think about the reticulating telekinesis project. “Trust me. I’m lucky if the whole group even showed up for the day of the presentation, which was a huge pain when part of your grade depended on everypony putting in an equal share of work. It's way different doing it with somepony that actually cares about how the project turns out.”

“Yeah, it really is. I'm glad I'm working with you.” An awkward smile worked its way onto her face. “Sorry if sometimes I'm not so great at being a partner.”

I returned the smile, feeling every bit as strained as Sunset looked. “Well, we're working through it, right? Just try talking to me more in the future?” That’s what friends did to prevent problems, right? Talked? That sounded like the right thing to do.

“Yeah, I will.” She took a hesitant half-step towards me. “Thanks for understanding.”

“Hey, what are friends for?” Her closeness made me feel ... something. Reassured? Yet still somewhat uncomfortable, though not in a bad way. Stupid feelings. They were so much harder to figure out than math.

“Yeah ... friends.” Sunset shuffled ever closer and half-lifted her forelegs as though to offer a hug, though she seemed unsure about the idea.

“So, um...” I mimicked her motions and after getting over my hesitation, embraced her for a quick hug. Just a friendly one, of course. The pat on her back made sure that it was just friendly.

We broke the totally platonic hug, and then stood opposite of each other again. A long, awkward silence descended between us. Thankfully, Sunset finally broke it when she said, “I guess we should get back to work, right?”

“Um, yes!” I quickly agreed. “We have science to do. Because science doesn't do itself, right?”

“Yeah. Science.” She coughed, clearing her throat. “We should definitely go back to doing science, because science is important. And right now we're just standing around, and standing isn't important at all. Well, it is important sometimes, but not right now. Not like science is.”

I nodded. “Science is more important than standing around.” And much less awkward than hugging.

“So...” Sunset headed back to the board and her invalid equation.

“Right...” I started looking over Sunset’s changes to my own notes, hoping they hadn’t been anything too major. Otherwise, I was going to have to reexamine everything to be on the safe side.

It was a couple hours later when I noticed that Cadance had entered the lab. “Cadance?” I hadn’t expected her to show up all of a sudden. She was pretty busy getting ready to go to Northmarch to take up her duties there.

Cadance gave the two of us a warm smile. “Hello, girls. How's the research going?”

My spirits rose when I saw my old foalsitter. It was always really nice when my future sister-in-law came to visit. “It's going great!” I waved at the teleportation circles. “We were about to try our test our models on some samples.”

Cadance gave me a nuzzle that I returned. “Sounds interesting. Mind if I watch?”

Sunset shrugged. “I don't mind, as long as you don't get in the way or anything,” she said more tersely than I liked to my old foal-sitter.

“I'm sure Cadance knows not to cross the magic circle.” I didn’t try to hide the rebuke in my tone.

Sunset’s ears drooped, and she looked away from the two of us. “Right, sorry.” She returned to the chalkboard to do some work. I felt a pang of guilt. Sunset really had been getting better with how she talked to ponies, even if sometimes her old nature of being a ... of not being nice came out now and again. When I called her on it, it tended to make her moody. Once again, friendship isn’t easy.

I put a hoof on her shoulder. “It’s okay.”

Sunset gave me a cautious smile before looking to Cadance with a less certain one.

“Oh, don't worry.” Cadance waved her hoof dismissively. “You'll barely even notice I'm here.”

“Thanks, Cadance.” I leaned towards her and lowered my voice. “Though seriously, don't break the magic circle. Bad things would happen.” I pointed to the safety equipment station we had set up. “You should also wear eye protection. Just to be safe.” Sunset and I were already wearing a pair each, of course. There were rules where the lab was concerned.

“Of course.” Cadance strapped on a pair of safety goggles. “So what is all this, exactly?”

I pointed at the circles. “We’re just about to test Sunset’s long range teleportation artifice. It may not have the range Sunset’s projecting, but it’s only a model right now. If this works like we’ve intended, then we can go to the Empress for funds to create a larger and more powerful version.”

“I see.” Cadance smiled. “Though isn’t Sunset’s project supposed to allow ponies to teleport to different cities?” She waved at the models. “Those are only a few steps away.”

“Well ... yes,” I said lamely. “But we have to make sure they can work over short distances without issue before we try using them to teleport clear across Canterlot. Considering that teleportation accidents can fuse a pony to a solid object or make ponies arrive at their destination in three different pieces, you really want to make sure it’s done right.”

Cadance eyed the circles warily. “I can understand why you’re trying something a little less ambitious right now.”

“Right.” I turned to Sunset. “What shall we try teleporting first?”

“I was thinking the apples.” Sunset picked up one of the apples and placed it in one of the circles, pausing over it. “Actually, come to think of it, I missed lunch.” She took a bite out of the apple. She looked at me, giving me a guilty smile. “Um, if you don’t mind, Twilight? I know you got these apples for the experiment and all...”

“It’s fine.” I waved for her to continue eating. “I had a couple myself on the way here. They're from that gnarly old apple tree in the palace gardens. I asked the Empress if we could use some of its apples for this experiment—she said it was okay and even assured me that I didn't need to fill out any forms in triplicate to do it. So, go ahead—I brought plenty.”

“Thanks,” Sunset said, taking another bite out of the apple.

Cadance grinned and stepped closer to me. “While Sunset's having her snack, do you think I could borrow you for a second?”

“Um, that should be fine.” I wondered what she wanted to talk about. She was set to go to Northmarch soon, so maybe there was something she wanted to cover before going. Either that, or she was just trying to work in some future-sister-in-law bonding time, something I wouldn’t mind. Though I didn’t really want to offend Sunset since this was lab time.

“Great.” Cadance wrapped a wing around me and pulled me to the side where we would have a bit more privacy. “So...” She gave me a teasing grin. “I was just wondering how things were going with you and Sunset.”

“Oh, good.” I shuffled in place, feeling strangely uncomfortable all of a sudden. “We're getting along really well as study partners. Sunset's come a long way opening up and is even letting me help her with her teleportation project, which is a really big deal to her since she’s been working on this for years.”

“That's great. And how are you two getting along in ... other areas?” She winked and nudged my shoulder.

I wasn’t quite sure I liked the direction this conversation was going. It sounded like a number of conversations I’d been having with my parents lately. “What do you mean? Like physical locations other than the labs or the Imperial Library?”

Cadance gave me a knowing smile. “Twilight, you know what I mean. You two went on a date last weekend.”

“That? We were just going to the theater!” My voice sounded abnormally squeaky to my ears. “Together. To relax. As research partners. And friends, even.” I quickly glanced in Sunset’s direction. She had turned away from us, probably to give us a bit more privacy. “There isn't anything weird about that.”

Her smile turned coy. “And the dinner date after the show?”

My eyes looked over to Sunset, who was still facing away from us. “It was late, and we were hungry.” I really didn’t know why Cadance was making such a big deal about this. Ponies could spend all day cooped up with one another in confined spaces, interacting heavily, and do activities afterwards without it being any kind of big deal. Right?

“So why pick a nice, fancy, romantic restaurant instead of just stopping at Burger Praetor?”

Was Cadance keeping track of where we were going now? It couldn’t have been that interesting to follow us, but the thought was more than a little bit creepy. “Um, well you see, that is ... it was a spontaneous decision. We didn't want cheap food, and there weren’t very many family style restaurants open at that time of night.” Honestly, I forgot exactly why we had chosen the admittedly romantic restaurant, but I’m sure we had good, non-romantic reasons for doing so. Maybe Sunset just liked that type of food. I mean, I had mentally categorized a lot of the foods she did and did not like so that I knew what to get her when I brought lunch to the lab, and had even made her a few lunches over the last couple of months—but that was just for practical purposes.

She teasingly prodded me with a wing. “And what about the fact that you've been staring at her rump instead of making eye contact with me?”

That comment caused my head to snap back to Cadance and severed communication between my mind and mouth as I sputtered incoherently for several seconds. “I-I am not!”

Cadance put a hoof over her mouth as she giggled. “Oh, Twilight...”

“I-It's not like that!” I protested. “Her rear just happens to be facing our direction, and I wanted to make sure she was alright and that our conversation hadn’t extended to the point we were holding the experiment up.”

She patted my shoulder and smiled encouragingly. “I would really like to see you two get together properly before I have to leave for Northmarch,” she said in a more serious tone than before. “It'll probably be months before I get the caribou settled enough to be able to visit you, and I’m already regretting everything I’m going to miss.”

“We're just research partners!” I insisted. Some guilt built up in my chest. More than a little of me wanted Cadance to be happy, but I couldn’t change reality for her. “It isn't romantic or anything like that. Moon and stars, we were fighting each other a few months ago. For years, she was a complete bi—” I stopped myself, remembering that Sunset wasn’t that far away. Why was it so hard to control what I said when I was flustered like this? “I mean she wasn’t as nice then as she is now.”

“A lot can change in that much time. I think you’re a good influence on her.” She shook her head wryly, as though she had just thought of a private joke. “Just think about it, alright?”

“Okay, I’ll think about it. But I’m not guaranteeing any more than that.” I could give Cadance that much. She was the Alicorn of Love, so I couldn’t really blame her for trying to find and push romantic interests where she could. I had seen her bring ponies together more than once. Though she was pretty great, she was like everypony else in that she wasn’t perfect; she could be prone to wishful thinking, saying that everypony had a special somepony just for them. I was pretty sure there were at least some ponies who had no interest in romance and had never needed to hook up with other ponies to live complete and fulfilling lives. Cutting her some slack seemed like the right thing to do for my old foalsitter.

I knew she had the best intentions for the both of us, even if she was reading a bit too hard between the lines here. “Besides, I don't think Sunset would even be interested in something like that.”

The mirth in her tone disappeared. “How will you know, unless you ask her?”

That was a logical enough question. “Well, even if I was interested in her like that, I don't really want to risk what we already have.” I looked down and scraped my hoof along the floor. “I don't have many friends, you know. It’s kind of hard to risk something that’s in short supply to start with.” I had dedicated most of my life to my studies, to prove that I was worthy of being the Empress’s student, that I was worthy of my family’s legacy. I wanted to be the best I could be, and that meant I didn’t have time for a luxury like friends. The only friends I had for most of my life were in my family, and I pretty much had to interact with them every now and again.

“Ah, that old dilemma.” Cadance sighed in exasperation. “Just promise me you'll think about it? That’s all I ask for. I just want you to be happy. You deserve it.”

“For you, I will.” I was pretty sure I had given the topic as much thought as I needed, but there didn’t seem much point in outright crushing Cadance’s hopes. She was hardly in the wrong for wanting something nice for me.

“Good.” Cadance wrapped me up in a hug which I returned. We held each other for a few moments before breaking the hug. “So, on with the experiment?”

I looked over to Sunset—and not at her rear, thank you very much—and saw that she was done eating. Her hoof was tapping in that way I knew meant she was getting tired of waiting, but also trying very hard to be patient about her impatience. If that makes any sense. “I think Sunset is getting tired of waiting. She's been looking forward to this for a couple weeks now.”

Cadance glanced at Sunset and nodded. “Alright, I’ll stand over here and let you two get to work.”

“Thanks.” I trotted over to Sunset and gave her an apologetic smile. “Sorry about that.”

“It's fine,” Sunset said in a tone that told me that it wasn’t 100% fine, but she didn’t want to make a big deal over it—especially now that the experiment was about to begin. She glanced over at Cadance, then back to me, and her expression softened a bit. I’ve always liked it when she looks at me in that gentle, nice way. “Everything alright?”

“Yeah, just some personal stuff she wanted to talk about. It's not that long before she's heading out to Northmarch.” The fact that she was going to Northmarch soon and the promise I just made to her caused me to consider something. “So ... if everything goes fine here, want to do something afterwards?” No harm in just hanging out again, right?

“Sure, I'd be up for a victory celebration.” Sunset strapped on her own safety goggles. “What'd you have in mind?”

“Err.” I shuffled in place, not feeling all that confident about where I was supposed to go with this conversation. I needed to read some more books on socializing. “Maybe something nice? This is a pretty big day if this works.”

Sunset’s mouth turned into a teasing smirk. “How specific.” Something about that smirk became more nervous, and a few more awkward seconds hung between us. “But yeah, something nice sounds ... er, nice. We should do that.”

I returned with a smile that felt strained around the edges. “Good. We'll do that when we're done, then.”

“Cool.” She cleared her throat. It was probably just a trick of the lights, but the orange around her cheeks had turned into a light shade of red. “So, um, ready to get started?”

“Sure am.” Sunset had already placed an apple core into one of the circles. Waste not, want not and all that. She was like me in that she liked to be efficient with the resources we had.

The two of us took positions at different circles, with Sunset at the one with the apple core. While the circles would get most of their power from the magical leylines that ran through Canterlot, they still needed to have somepony to activate and control them. We hoped we could make them more automatic in the future, but right now we were working on making the ‘teleportation’ part of the teleportation circles work correctly.

“Great. So ... here we go.” Sunset channeled magic into the test circle, and its runes started glowing with her power. She examined the circle, and I detected her feeling it out with her magical senses. “All readings normal so far. How are things on the receiving end?”

I powered up my circle and began probing with my own magical senses. “Everything looks good. I think we’re ready to proceed.”

Sunset smiled, a sense of triumph in her features. I couldn’t help but smile myself. It felt good that we about to make a big step in her research. I really wanted her to succeed, and helping her get to this point was all the more satisfying. “Alright then, let's do this.”

Both of us poured magic into the test circles, activating them in order to teleport the apple core to the other circle. Everything seemed to be going well when I felt a sudden lurch like something was trying to pull my heart out of my chest. The circles exploded in a disorientating flash of light.

The next thing I knew I was lying on the floor, blinded by the flash. My ears were ringing something awful, and my brain seemed to be doing its best to pound its way right out of my skull. An intense sense of vertigo kept me on the cool floor. The oddest sensation of the bunch was the taste of apple in my mouth.

“Twilight?” somepony asked, sounding tinny and distant. “Twilight, are you alright?”

I tried to blink away the spots in my vision. “Cadance?” Some part of my brain realized that it must have been Cadance talking. “W-what happened?” I rasped. My voice sounded off, though that might have been due to the ringing in my ears.

“I don't know, Sunset,” Cadance said, sounding like she was on the other side of the room. “There was a bright flash, and you and Twilight both fell down.”

“What happened?” asked somepony else. She sounded familiar, but she didn’t sound like Sunset. Had somepony else run in when the experiment ... did whatever it did? “All the readings were normal.” Okay, so maybe it wasn’t somepony new. How else would they know that the experiment’s readings were normal? I wished the pounding in my head would stop so that I could think this through, or that the spots would go away.

“I don't know what went wrong.” I rubbed at my head and managed the feat of rolling onto my belly. “All I remember is a flash of light.”

“Well, at least you're both okay,” Cadance said. “Let's get you to the infirmary to make sure, though. Let me help you up, Twilight.”

“Oookay...” I raised a hoof to let her help me up. And then I waited for her to help me up. And waited.

“Thanks, but I thought you were helping Twilight,” said the other pony in the room.

There was a moment of silence before Cadance asked, “What?”

I rubbed my eyes and blinked them a few more times. My vision finally cleared enough for me to see, and right there standing next to Cadance was ... me? Or somepony who looked exactly like me. “Cadance, who is that?”

Cadance head tilted as she looked at me. “What do you mean, Sunset?”

The pounding in my head intensified as I tried to puzzle out the scene in front of me. A dozen explanations came to mind for what could have happened, but I had trouble concentrating on any one of them. “I mean why is there a second Twilight standing right next to you? And why are you calling me Sunset?”

The other Twilight rubbed at her eyes. She blinked a couple of times and then just stared at me. “Oh you have gotta be bucking kidding me,” she said with disbelief and indignation.

Cadance’s head swiveled back and forth between me and the other Twilight. There was a spark of comprehension in her eyes as she turned to my double. “Sunset?”

“Yeah?” she said. I could see the wheels turning in Cadance’s head, and her eyes slowly widened.

Oh, I did not like the sound of that.

Cadance turned to me, concern written on her face as she frowned at me. “Twilight?”

“Yes?” A sinking pit formed in my stomach as all the pieces of the puzzle came together. “Oh, oh no...”

“I think we have a problem,” Cadance said, speaking what had to be on all our minds.

“No, really?” the other pony said with enough snark to sound eerily like me.

Going off what all the facts were telling me, I used my magic to create a mirror out of ice. I looked into it and saw what I feared. Standing there in the mirror was Sunset—or rather, Sunset’s body. The answer for what had happened was staring me in the face: I was in Sunset’s body.

I dropped the mirror and screamed.

It seemed fair to say that switching bodies with Sunset constituted a minor crisis. The situation I now found myself in was a new one. I might have panicked a bit—just a little bit. It’s not like I ran out into the hallways and screamed at the top of my legs about how the body I was in was not my own. That would have caused a really embarrassing scene.

Thankfully, we had Cadance there to usher the two of us off to meet with Empress Sunbeam Sparkle. Soon we found ourselves being looked over by the Empress in her personal quarters. We must have caught her at a good time, because we didn’t have to wait half the day for her to get out of a meeting. We promptly explained to her what had happened in the lab.

Empress Sunbeam hummed to herself as she finished scanning me with a variety of spells. “Now try and cast a simple spell for me, Twilight.” She had already examined Sunset and had moved onto looking me over.

“Okay...” I concentrated, focusing on casting a simple light spell. Something I would normally have been able to cast perfectly in my sleep, but in Sunset’s body it came as a struggle. It just felt wrong,somehow. Magic just flowed differently in the body I now possessed, and when spellcasting requires a certain level of finesse, that’s a problem.

My difficulties with the spell caused me to default to the brute force method of making a spell work—I poured more magic into it. It should have been enough to make the spell at least work normally, but something deep sparked within me. It was as though I had touched upon something fundamental to my very being.

The light spell worked—too well. A bright flash of light lit up the room, and for the second time that day, I was blinded. I groaned in pain and rubbed at my eyes, and I heard cries of protest from Cadance and Sunset from elsewhere in the room.

I blinked the spots out of my eyes; thankfully, supercharging the light spell had been the only thing to go wrong this time. At the rate things were going, I wouldn’t have been particularly surprised to find out the sky was falling or that the Empress was about to give us a pop quiz.

Empress Sunbeam continued to look down at me, looking unperturbed by my light spell. I could only guess that her dominion over the sun kept her from being easily blinded by any light source. That was something I would have asked my teacher about, as it would have been really interesting to learn exactly what the Empress’ abilities were and the full extent of them, but as a habit, she wasn’t prone to giving more than hints about exactly what she was capable of. She always cited that she couldn’t afford to let her enemies know exactly how strong she was or what her limits were. That was a letdown for the scientific side of me, but I could understand the logic behind that decision.

“It seems that your special talents were another thing that didn’t transfer with your accident.” Empress Sunbeam walked around me, and I felt her eyes briefly fall on Sunset’s cutie mark, still firmly attached to her rear where it belonged. I wasn’t sure if that fact was reassuring or not given our situation. “Did you experience the same problems with using your magic as Sunset, Twilight?”

Sunset had her own incident when trying to use telekinesis on a quill. Said quill was now embedded into the stone ceiling above us. It seemed that my special talent had super-charged Sunset’s spell, while Sunset’s special talent for fire and light magic had cause my attempt at light magic to blind all of us. Good thing I hadn’t tried something like lighting a candle. Setting off a fireball in the Empress’s quarters would not have been my best move.

I nodded. “Yeah, it just doesn’t feel right. Like I’m trying to use a new tool that I’m not familiar with, or something like that. It’s just off, but I think with time I could grow used to it.” I squirmed in place. “Sunset’s body in general feels off. Like it’s too big in some places, and too small in others.”

“Please, tell me more about how terrible my body is,” Sunset grumbled, rolling her eyes. “It's definitely not going to annoy me. I mean, your body is just perfect, right?”

My cheeks burned, either from embarrassment or because Sunset was irritating me. Maybe a little bit of both. “I didn’t mean it that way, and you know it. Don’t start putting words in my mouth again.” I snorted and lifted my nose up. “For the record, there's nothing wrong with your body, Sunset. It's just different from mine. Your snout's a little shorter, and your barrel is a bit wider around—”

“Did you just call me fat?!” Sunset fixed me with a nasty glower.

“Girls!” Cadance stepped between us. “Stop this.”

The Empress let out a sigh that she normally reserved whenever she had to mediate between two particularly irksome parties. “I know is a stressful situation, but fighting with each other is just going to slow down finding a solution. So can it.”

Our teacher’s disapproval was more than sufficient to cow the both of us into silence. I had read of instances where the Empress had lost her temper with ponies who had made her unhappy. It happened pretty rarely from what I heard, but it was not something I wanted to be the focus of. Not that being the center of her displeasure was exactly fun either.

Seemingly satisfied by our continued silence, the Empress addressed us. “Now that we are all acting like civilized ponies, we can decide how best to approach this problem.”

“Can you put them back in their proper bodies, Your Majesty?” Cadance asked.

Sunset raised a hoof. “I’ll go on record saying that I like that idea.”

“I do not blame you for wanting everything to go back to normal.” Empress Sunbeam sat down on a large cushion that oversaw the room. “Though that is easier said than done. Near as I can tell, the switch of your minds was complete, though nothing else seemed to have shifted during your accident. Do either of you know what went wrong with your experiment?”

I scratched at the top of my head. “Not really, no. Everything seemed to be going normally until the magic of the circles just went wild. Or at least, that’s what I think happened. The whole experience is a bit blurry.”

“I don’t get it.” A frustrated growl rolled out of Sunset’s throat, though it still seemed a weird sensation to see myself standing there and carrying on a conversation. “The experiment should have worked. We checked, double-checked, and then triple-checked the test circles.” She gave me a slightly pointed look. “Somepony wouldn’t even let us think about running the test without the triple-check.”

“Hey! Those triple checks probably helped keep something worse from happening,” I sniped back.

“Girls,” Empress Sunbeam said in warning tone.

“Sorry,” I quickly said. Sunset seemed content to stay quiet and cast her eyes down at the floor.

With the two of us sufficiently cowed again, the Empress continued. “Again, I realize that this is a stressful situation for the both of you, but I need you to act like reasonable adults. Especially when I’m not going to be able to fix this right away.”

“You’re not?” My confidence crumbled at the news that the Empress wasn’t going to quickly be able to fix this mess.

My teacher shook her head. “Not right now, but I am certain we will be able to sort this out and get you two back in your own bodies soon enough. We just need to figure out what exactly went wrong. I don’t want to risk making your conditions worse by acting with undue haste.” Her expression briefly softened, and she put one of her wings over each of us. "The two of you are too important to me to allow such a needless risk." She pursed her lips, and I could see her thinking behind those piercing green eyes of hers. “First, I want to make sure that none of the rules of the universe have shifted on me since last I checked, and after that, look into a couple pet theories of mine.”

Cadance pursed her lips, looking like she was thinking the situation over. “How long will that take? I hope they won’t be stuck like this for too long.”

“It’s hard to say, but I’m confident it won’t take too long.” The Empress pulled a dusty tome that must have been at least a century old off one of her bookshelves and opened it. “Some of these things take their own time to complete, and I do still have an empire to run.” She raised a hoof to forestall any complaints. “I assure you, your current conditions are stable. No harm has been done to your spirits or minds, and your bodies are healthy. I’ve detected no signs of degradation going on or suggestions that time is of the essence, so we have time to make sure we can do this and do this right. In the meantime, I would advise the two of you check over everything involved in the experiment. Thoroughly. If you two can figure out a way to fix this all on your own, so much the better.”

“So ... we’re supposed to go out into the world like this?” I motioned at Sunset’s body. “I mean, we’re in each other’s bodies.”

“So?” Empress Sunset shrugged. “This is far from the worst thing I’ve seen happen from a failed experiment since you two should be more than capable of continuing with your everyday lives.” She paused a moment, as though considering her last statement. “And you should both get more practice using your magic. Starting with simple spells, preferably. No sense risking any accidents.”

“B-but we’re in each other’s bodies!” I had trouble probably conveying how wrong that was. “What will everypony say? How are we going to explain this? What if we’re trapped like this for months and months?!”

“You are both intelligent and capable mares. I have every confidence you will figure this out.” The Empress nodded to Cadance. “I’m sure the aedile can give you some assistance over the next couple of days. It might be best if you all stick together for now. While I am reasonably certain that there isn’t any danger to your health, I would feel better if Cadance could easily watch over the both of you.”

“That does make sense.” Sunset frowned as she rubbed at her chin. “It would also let us study together to try and figure out what went wrong with the experiment.”

“Might be best to go to my place then,” I offered. The Sparkle Manor had pretty much everything we would need, and would help cut down on the number of incidents where we would have to explain what happened to us. I wasn’t wild about my parents finding out about me being in Sunset’s body but I wasn’t likely going to be able to hide that one for very long anyways. Plus, meeting Sunset’s parents for the first time under these circumstances would probably be even worse.

Sunset shrugged. “Sounds good enough to me. My parents aren’t home anyways.” I didn’t like the hint of bitterness with which she said that. She hadn’t really spoken of them much, but I got the sense that the subject of her parents was a sore topic. From the bits and pieces I had gathered, her parents hadn’t been there for her as much as she would have liked. Too busy with work to do things like go to her birthday parties.

Cadance smiled at the both of us. “That sounds like a good idea to me.”

Sunset looked at me. “Just please tell me we aren’t going to do something stupid like try and pretend to be each other. I’ve gotten to know you a lot better than I used to, but there’s no way I could fool your family for very long.”

“Oh no, nothing dumb like that,” I agreed. “We could never pull it off.”

Cadance put a hoof on my shoulder. “Best just to be honest. That will make everything go much smoother and easier on everypony in the end. Trust me, keeping secrets, even if you can keep them secret, is hard on you.”

“Yes, quite.” Empress Sunbeam gave Cadance a contemplative look. “But you three better get going. We all have our work to do, and the hour is getting late.”

I looked at the clock and blinked when I saw just how much time had passed since the experiment. Time flies when you’re mocking the laws of nature.

Cadance moved so that she could wrap a wing around my and Sunset’s backs. “Come on, you two. We have an awkward conversation to get through with Twilight’s family.”

Oh yes, that was not a conversation I looked forward to.

Amethyst’s laughter echoed through the Sparkle Manor after I finished explaining what had happened to me and Sunset. Mercifully, only Mom and my little sister were home today. Dad was off on a meeting in Vanhoover—something about a recent negotiation with the buffalo, if I remembered right—while Shining Armor was off on whatever assignment the Empire had called him to this time. The nature of his job sometimes prevented him from telling us as much as he might like. Not so mercifully, that still left my other family members to explain the situation to.

My mom looked between the two of us. “So that’s the depth of it, is it?”

“Pretty much,” I said with a sigh.

“And you’re sure you’re both okay?” Mom frowned as she looked us over. “Well, as okay as you can be, all things considered. Though I can’t say I’m thrilled by what I’m looking at.”

“You and me both, Your Grace,” Sunset grumbled. “But yeah, we’re fine. The Empress herself said so.”

I nodded in agreement. “She said that she was going to look into it and told us to do our own research to fix this in the meantime.”

Cadance smiled encouragingly. “And I’m here to keep an eye on them, just to be on the safe side.”

Amethyst held a hoof up over her mouth. “Oh, I don’t know, I think I like how you two are right now. I-I mean, look at you two!” Losing her self control again, she laughed uproariously at our condition. “There’s so many jokes I could make right now, I’m not sure where to start!”

I rolled my eyes. “It’s not that funny, Ammy.”

“N-no.” Amethyst clutched at her heaving sides. “It’s h-hilarious!”

Sunset glowered at my sister. “Your sister can be a real brat sometimes, Twilight.”

“Oh, I know it,” I assured her. “After living with her, I have conclusive proof she represents the largest concentration of brattiness in our municipal district.”

“Love you too, sis.” Sidling up next to me, Amethyst whispered conspiratorially. “You know, now that you’re behind Sunset’s counter, you could check out the merchandise before you make a purchase.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I hastily reassured her. About the last thing I needed right now were my little sister’s perverse insinuations.

Sunset’s ear flicked. “And you know you’re talking loud enough for me to hear you, right?”

Amethyst gave Sunset a mischievous smile. “That’s what makes it funny.”

Mom cleared her throat to catch our attention. “Okay, Amethyst, you’ve had your fun. How about you start up dinner while I have a short chat with everypony?”

Amethyst puckered out her lips in a well-practiced pout. “But Mooom! This is comedy gold. When else am I going to get an opportunity like this?”

“Amethyst...” Mom said in her ‘you better do as I say or else’ tone. I still wasn’t sure if that was just something you picked with experience or if it just came with the package upon becoming a parent.

“Fiiine!” Amethyst let out an exasperated groan. “You got off lucky, Twi. Just so you know.”

“Don’t make me buck you to the moon,” I shot right back. It might even technically be possible. Granted, it would take a lot of magical energy, but the way Amethyst was annoying me...

“Whatever.” My sister turned to make her way to the kitchen. “Have fun walking a mile in each other’s horseshoes, lovebirds.”

“How many times do I have to tell you we’re not dating?!” I yelled after her.

Sunset watched Amethyst as if considering how flammable she was. “World’s. Biggest. Brat.”

Mom gave Cadance a smile. “Cadance, would you mind helping her while I have a word with these two?”

“Sure thing.” Cadance started after Amethyst. “See you all later.”

Turning back to the two of us, Mom eyes scanned us with an appraising look. “So then, you two were ‘experimenting’?”

“That’s what we said,” I said hesitantly. Something about Mom’s tone set off some warning bells.

Mom continued to give us that evaluating stare. “What kind of experimenting were you doing?”

“Mom, we just went over this.” I glanced over at Sunset for an affirmation. “We were working on Sunset’s model teleportation circle when this happened.”

“Twilight, you can be honest with you mom about what you two were really doing.” Mom must have noted my questioning look as she continued speaking. “Trust me, I know how tempting it can be for two young, high-level unicorns to use their magic to add some excitement to their relationship. I’ve been there myself, but you need to be careful not to have little accidents like this happen in the future. As amusing at it might be, you hardly want the Empress to be repeatedly distracted by this type of thing.”

My eyes widened as I understood where my mom was going with this. “I-it isn’t like that! We weren’t—that is ... we’re not...” Words failed me as I tried to think of the proper response for my mom thinking I had done that with Sunset.

“It’s nothing like that!” Sunset assured my mom. The lavender of her—my coat had become decidedly red around the cheekbones. Was my blushing always this noticeable?

“Girls,” Mom said with a chiding tone. “You’re both intelligent young mares, and we are past the age where I need to shelter you from the facts of life. For one, I’m happy to see that you two are together and trust each other enough to ‘experiment’ with one another. All I’m asking is that you both act responsibly—especially when you use magic.”

“Mooom!” I was starting to understand why Amethyst complained about her sometimes. “It was nothing like that! Ask Cadance, she can tell you!”

Mom raised a hoof to forestall further protest. “Okay, okay, I believe you.” She paused, then smiled and chuckled to herself. “Though that does remind me of your father and I ... well, if you two want some advice on some fun but perfectly safe things you can do in the bedroom...”

All Sunset and I could do was stare on in bewilderment and embarrassment as Mom went into giving me the advice I had never asked for nor desired. It was at that point I knew how my life was going to end. The mare who had brought me into the world was going to kill me with embarrassment.

After a thoroughly humiliating talk with my mom and a dinner where Sunset and I couldn’t meet each other’s gazes, it was time to start winding down for bed. I was just thankful that this awful day was finally ending. It had started out so promising with an experiment we had both looked forward to for a couple of months, only to end disastrously. Still, I had managed to take a shower without bursting into flames, drowning, or running out of shampoo, so at least that had gone right.

With a spell, I cleaned off the fogged-up mirror to get a look at myself—or rather, me in Sunset’s body. The shower had felt so good that I had nearly forgotten about the switch earlier, but now it was literally staring me in the face. It was still disturbing to see myself moving Sunset’s body like this, or Sunset walking around with my body. I could only hope we would be able to fix this quickly. This was not something I wanted to get used to.

Still, I needed to go through the daily routine. Somehow I doubted Sunset would approve of me no longer bathing for a minor thing like exchanging bodies. Probably doubly so right now, considering it was her body I was responsible for at the moment. I sighed and went about drying myself. The practice with my telekinesis was at least helping me get down using Sunset’s horn and magic. I didn’t feel safe about using any big spells at the moment, but minor conjurations weren’t a big deal anymore.

I looked at myself in the mirror as I continued drying myself. It was then that I found my eyes staring at my—Sunset’s—whoever’s rear. I realized that I had probably been doing that for a bit too long to be decent, and I remembered Amethyst’s comment about how I could peruse Sunset’s wares before I made my purchase. That prompted me to fog the mirror right back up to stop the staring. I didn’t think of Sunset like that. Not at all. Nope. Not going to think about how good Sunset’s rear looks, or how appealing the dimensions of her facial features were, or how I liked the colors of her mane. I only noticed such things on a purely analytical basis.

Nope, wasn’t going to think about it one bit.

“What do you mean?” I glanced at the mirror to see Sunset’s half-brushed mane. I didn’t think it was possible, but Sunset got even worse bedmane than I did. I had been brushing out the knots out of her long locks for at least fifteen minutes. “I’m brushing it like I always do.”

“Yeah, that’s the problem.” She grabbed the brush and started going at her body’s red and yellow mane. “You are not going outside with my body with your typical manedo.”

I frowned. “What’s wrong with my manedo?”

The brushing stopped suddenly. “Um, nothing. It’s ... just not me. Your manedo is, well ... plain.”

My frown deepened. “Well, it has to be. If I did my mane like you do yours, it would be a complete mess.”

“Oh, that so?” Sunset looked at herself in the mirror and started combing my body’s mane. “It can’t be that hard.” She grinned. “And besides, I’ve been wanting to do something nice with this mane for a while now.”

“Good luck with that,” I grumbled. “I have to go to a salon if I want to do anything more complex than my usual look. There are practical reasons why I do the mane the way I do.”

“Oh? Why’s that?” Sunset asked while trying to put my mane up into a bun.

“Because it’s difficult as all Tartarus to keep all the colors of my mane straight.” A slight smirk creased my lips as I watched Sunset struggle with doing up my mane. As evidence to my point, the stripes of my mane had tangled with one another to create a mess. Sunset didn’t pay as much attention to details as I did, but her scowl spoke of how unhappy she was with the disorganized mop on top of my head.

Her head. Gah. “I have to go the salon every other week to trim my mane, and help keep those stripes apart from one another. Otherwise I’d be spending twice as much time as you do in the bathroom.”

“I like to look good,” Sunset said defensively. She grunted as she pulled the bun apart and started over. “You seem to like my manestyle enough. You’ve said you liked how it looked in the past.”

“I said I found is aesthetically pleasing!” I was perhaps a little too quick in saying that. The stress of the whole situation we were in was perhaps taking its toll by now. Really, could I just have things at least appear normal? Close enough, at least?

Sunset snorted. “Yeah, sure. Whatever. But you could stand to pretty yourself up a little too, you know.”

That comment caused a number of emotions to flash within me. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Think you could be bothered to use at least a little makeup?” Sunset went about opening and closing the cabinets of the bathroom, looking inside of each. “It wouldn’t kill you, and it might even...” Her voice trailed off and she blinked a few times. She shook her head and slammed one of the cabinet doors a little harder than necessary. “Whatever. Look however you like. It’s not my business, right?”

I felt a stab of something in my chest. “Are you saying there's something wrong with how I look?”

“No! You look fine! Great! It's just ... erm ... that is...” Sunset trailed off into an embarrassed mumble.

“Well ... your look is fine too.” I shuffled in place. “I mean your whole body is different than mine. Its legs are a big longer, and the barrel larger—not that’s there’s anything wrong with that! The proportions are different, is all.”

“Er, right.” Sunset coughed to clear her throat. “Yours is different too. Your rump is, um, different, and neck slimmer. It’s, um, yeah...”

For whatever reasons, that caused my own cheeks to blush. The two of us stared at each other, not saying anything. I hated moments like these. I knew I should say something, but in turn, I prayed Sunset would break the silence. I wasn’t sure with what, but it had to be better than the silence, right?

A minute passed by before I finally blurted out, “We need to fix this! I mean our bodies being switched! Well the mane thing needs to be sorted too, but the body swap is our first priority!”

“Right!” Sunset nodded enthusiastically. “We just do what we can with our manes, get breakfast, and then work out what went wrong so that we can fix it! I am not living like this a second longer than I have to.”

Cadance made a disapproving hum as she watched the two of us prepare the teleportation circle back at the lab. “Are you two really sure about this? I’d hate for you two to get hurt if something should go wrong.”

Sunset looked up from reexamining the runes of the circle. The two of us had double-check and then triple-checked all of our work on the project, and thus far we hadn’t discovered the reason for why the experiment had failed. “I told you, I’m not living like this. Twenty-four hours like this has more than convinced me that I don't want to go another day, much less a week or more.”

“There must be some factor we just weren’t aware of.” I finished looking over the half-eaten apple before placing it in one of the circles. “We’re pretty sure that if we recreate the experiment exactly how it was done before we can reverse whatever happened before.”

“‘Pretty sure’ isn’t the same as ‘certain,’” Cadance cautioned. “I don’t like a big maybe where your safety is concerned.”

“It’ll be fine.” Sunset rolled her neck and shoulders, something she normally did when she was about to try something big and complicated. “There are a ton of safeguards built into the circles anyways. The worst that should happen is that nothing happens.”

Cadance frowned, looking like she was mulling the issue over. “Shouldn’t we at least ask the Empress before doing this first? No offense to your safeguards, but I’d feel a lot better if she were here in case something went wrong.”

I shook my head. “I would really prefer not to bother her. She said she was busy, and besides which, this was our mistake to start with.” Not to mention I agreed with Sunset about not wanting to be like this for a minute longer than I had to. In theory, doing exactly what we had before should create the same results. Only with the two of us being put back in our actual bodies this time. We hoped. Darn it if we didn’t hope.

But there wasn’t much else we could do if we wanted to fix this anytime this year. Not without a big, lucky breakthrough on the very nature of teleportation magic and the metaphysical laws of the universe. Admittedly, this exercise was only based on theory and conjecture, but it was the best we had at the moment.

And the Empress might not approve of us doing this. As much as I hated to admit it, sometimes it was easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. Hopefully, she would understand after the fact.

Sunset braced her stance, and her horn glowed. “You ready on your end, Twilight?”

I summoned forth my own magic, carefully preparing it to use the magic circle. “As ready as I’m going to be.”

Cadance looked back and forth between us. “Girls, can’t we talk about this a little bit more? There’s no rush. Look, how about we have lunch and make sure this is really what we want to do at this point in time?”

I thought about it and looked up to Sunset. “Think we should at least do that before we start? A couple hours aren’t going to make a big difference either way.”

Sunset snorted. “No way, I’m not risking us getting cold hooves now and procrastinating. We’ll spend forever going over and over the numbers and coming to the same results. Sometimes you just have to plow ahead and see what happens.” She rolled her head, causing her neck to crack. “Now, you in?”

She stared at me with a determined look that helped give me confidence to move forward. “Yeah, I’m in. So shall we?”

Sunset grinned confidently. “We shall.”

Our course set, the two of us started pouring magic into the magic circles, just like last time. The two of us had spent a couple of hours each practicing with the magic of our borrowed bodies, and even if we weren’t at 100% yet, we were confident enough in our abilities to use the magic circles.

The circles glowed with our spell. Sensing nothing wrong, I poured on the magic, and in concert with Sunset. Once again, there was a bright flash of light. After a few disorientating moments, I found myself on the floor. At least that much had happened again, my foggy brain worked out.

“Are you two alright?” I heard Cadance say. She stepped over to me and looked me over with concern. “Twilight? Sunset? Are you two back in your bodies?”

I blinked a few times, and looked down at my hoof—Sunset’s hoof. I groaned and rubbed at my eyes. “It didn’t work.” That admission had hurt more than a little bit. It seemed just repeating the experiment wasn’t going to cut it.

Cadance trotted over to Sunset to examine her. “Sunset, are you okay?” I felt a brief pang of worry shoot through me as I waited for Sunset to respond.

Sunset groaned, sounding as miserable as I felt. “Yeah, I’m fine. Relatively speaking. I’m alive, at least.”

“You two need anything?” Cadance asked. “Water? Something for the headaches?”

I rubbed at my eyes. “Some aspirin sounds really good right about now.”

“The same.” Sunset rolled onto her back. “Looks like we’re going back to the drawing board. There must be something we’re overlooking.”

“Um, girls?” There was an edge of worry in Cadance’s voice that I didn’t particularly like the sound of. “I think there might be something wrong with your apple.”

“Huh?” I turned my eyes to the teleportation circle where the apple now lay.

Sunset shifted to get a better look herself. “Is it just me, or is the apple ... growing?”

Staring at it, the apple was growing. Not only that, but regenerating. The two of us had eaten the apple down to the core, and now it had managed to replenish about half of its mass. Within a few seconds, I watched it go from the size of a particularly large apple to that of a volleyball.

“Sunset,” I said. “We might have a problem.”

“That's weird.” Sunset concentrated and cast an analysis spell. “I've got no idea why it's growing.” She frowned. “Or how to stop it.”

I cast my own analysis spell, fighting through the difficulty of using Sunset’s magic. It was definitely giving off a magic aura, but one I wasn’t at all familiar with. I had seen everything from various forms of pony magic, zebra alchemy and shamanistic magic, diamond dog earthshaping, gryphonic words of power, and caribou runestones, but this was different from anything I had experienced in the past.

Cadance quirked an eyebrow at the apple. “It's just a big apple, what's the worst that could—”

The now pony-sized apple had a horizontal split open to reveal a fanged filled maw. It unleashed a roar that made my ears ring. Leaves ripped out of its stem. The leaves whipped down to the floor and it actually propelled itself at us.

Cadance let out a yelp of surprise and, drawing on her pegasus instincts, launched herself into the air to avoid the apple that seemed determined to take a bite out of us.

Unfortunately, that left me and Sunset in its path. Each of us thinking the same thing, we both teleported to opposite sides of the lab to get away from it. When I popped back into reality, my vision swam and I had to brace myself to keep from falling over. My control over Sunset’s magic was still poor, and the fact I hadn’t recovered from using the teleportation circle hadn’t helped. Given the way Sunset was shaking her own head, she must have been having the same problems. At least the teleportations had bought us a little bit of time to think.

Cadance flapped her wings, staying well out of range of the apple. “Girls, what is that thing?!” She yelped in surprise when one of the apple’s leaves stretched out to ensnare her, only avoiding it with a quick dive and bank to avoid crashing into one of the labs walls.

Sunset growled as her horn lit with the magenta of my magic—erratic sparks shooting from it. “Hay if I know,” A pillar of fire leapt from her horn and consumed the apple. I was forced to cover my face as it suddenly felt like I was in an oven. “But it’s trying to kill us, so I’m killing it back!”

“Careful there!” I yelled at Sunset. “Pyromancy isn’t safe when you don’t have fine control anymore!” I wasn’t exactly comfortable with Sunset playing around with one of the more temperamental forms of magic when she no longer had the perfect control she normally had over it. Messing around with pyromancy was a good way to burn a building down, especially since I had more raw power than her.

Sunset scowled at me through the smoking remains of the apple. “It worked, didn’t it?”

The smell of burnt fruit filled the room, and the smoke gradually thinned enough for us to see the charred remains of the apple. That seemed to be end of it—that is until the apple started shifting, growing even larger and regenerating the damage done.

“Oh come on!” I protested. “That doesn’t even make sense! There’s no way teleportation magic makes apples grow massive, defy the conservation of mass and energy, grow fangs, gain the ability to move, give it some level of sentience, regeneration, and give it a hunger for equine flesh! This isn’t possible!”

“Twilight! Shut up and fight!” Sunset yelled as the apple started scurrying towards her. It had grown to the size of a carriage, and I didn’t want to think what would happen should it collide with my friend.

Cadance fired a bolt of energy into it, causing a quarter of the apple to explode and throwing the rest of it against a nearby wall. It let out a wail that was equal parts rage and pain. As I feared, it started regenerating the damage without missing a beat and kept right on growing.

“Stop that!” I drew upon more of my magic, feeling the wild energies flow into my horn that only seemed to feed off my anger. “Stop not making sense! You aren't physically possible! Your existence violates at least a dozen laws of magic and physics! Stop it!” I cast my spell and a dozen chains as thick as my leg formed out of the aether. At my will, they wrapped around the apple and the ends slammed into the ground, holding the nonsensical apple in place.

“Gotcha!” Sunset pushed enough magic through her horn to cause it to spark, and I felt the temperature of the room heat up—making me reasonably worried that she could accidently fry everypony in the room. I could feel her drawing in the heat energy from a considerable area and concentrating it for her spell. My chains grew red hot as the area immediately around the apple heated up. The heat was great enough that the apple burst into flames, and I flinched back, feeling like I was standing right next to a roaring bonfire.

The three of us cautiously watched the physics-defying apple for a few long seconds. For a moment I thought we got it when the apple shifted again, its regeneration starting once again, and I could feel its growth putting a strain on my chains.

“Oh come on!” Sunset screamed through panted breaths. Her not being used to my level of magic probably meant she had wasted a lot more magic than she needed to in order to cast that spell. “You’re still not dead after that?!”

“This doesn't make any sense!” I scanned the magic of the apple more carefully now that it was held down. What I felt was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. Rather than working based on some sort of structure or logical pattern like every other form of magic, this magic seemed to flow randomly and with no purpose. It just was. “I don’t get it. This magic, it’s—it’s just ... chaos!”

Sunset reached out with her own magic and grimaced. “She’s right, this ... I don’t know what to make of it. I can’t even guess how to counter this magic or break it down.”

This wasn’t working. I knew it was only a matter of time until the chains were broken, no matter how much magic I poured into them. Sunset’s inherent magic wasn’t as good as my own for maintaining this type of spell. I couldn’t restrain the apple, and Sunset couldn’t destroy it outright. We needed a new plan if we were going to get out of this one. Of course, making a plan while the giant physics-defying mutant apple was trying to eat my face was going to be a bit difficult. “Cadance, can you keep it occupied while Sunset and I work on a plan?”

“On it!” Cadance maneuvered around to face the apple. A stream of pink energy hearts shot from her horn and slammed into the creature, causing large sections of it to get splattered and blasting it against the wall.

I ran over to Sunset, careful to keep my distance from the equine-eating apple. “Sunset, we need to come up with a plan, now!”

“You think I don’t know that!?” Sunset snapped.

A bright blue barrier covered in pink hearts sprang up around the apple, holding it in place. Cadance spared a quick look back at the two of us. “Girls, less bickering and more planning. My Love Shield won’t hold it forever.”

Sunset shot my old foalsitter a flat look. “Love Shield? You actually have a spell named Love Shield? Seriously?!”

“I was a filly when I came up with the name!” Cadance snapped.

“That doesn’t mean you have to keep it!”

I yanked on Sunset’s head to make her face me. “Plan now, silly spell names later!”

“Okay. A plan.” Sunset flinched when the apple slammed itself up against the shield. “Our talents are still reversed, right?”

“That is the source of our problem.” I let out a frustrated huff. “We aren't at the top of our games because of that. We probably would have beaten this thing by now if everything was normal.”

“So we need to adapt.” Sunset rubbed her chin. “Your magic won't work the way I want it to, so that probably means I have to make my spells work with it instead.”

“Right.” I thought over our options and picked out the one that seemed most viable. “So we switch it up. You try and use the types of magic I’m good at while I focus on lumimancy and pyromancy.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Sunset said. “There anything else I need to know about your magic?”

I could see that the apple was straining against Cadance’s Love Shield as cracks were already starting to form. That meant we needed to keep this explanation short instead of going into a more elaborate exploration of the topic I would have liked. “There is a lot of it. Just embrace it and go with the flow. It's not like your magic where you have to hold a death grip on it to control it.” I had found it infinitely frustrating how much I had to control every minutia of Sunset’s magic just to make it work the way I wanted it to. I guessed that it was just part of Sunset’s natural gift for pyromancy and how it was vital to keep tight rein over that school of magic.

Sunset shook her head. “My magic is about more than just control. It comes from emotion, too. Pyromancy, lumimancy, all of it. Those spells come from your heart, not your head.”

That was a significant difference from what I normally did with my magic. Sure, I used emotions for some of my spells, but it wasn’t a lion’s share of most of how I casted. My magic was usually much more analytical in nature. But I was dealing with Sunset’s magic at the moment, which meant I needed to adjust my thinking if I was going to use her talents to maximum effect.

“Okay, what emotions do I use for what?” Our fruit-based nemesis managed to punch a pair of holes through the shield and grasped at Cadance. “Quickly, please.”

Sunset took a steadying breath, probably to keep herself from getting panicked. “Fire comes from passion, light takes more of a ... internal harmony, I guess is the best way to describe it.”

“I think I can manage that.” All I had to do was change how I normally approached spellcasting on a fundamental level. It’s only like learning how to dance on my hindlegs while blindfolded. Easy.

“While I have to embrace yours.” Closing her eyes, I could feel Sunset concentrating. “Just kinda gently guide it along instead of forcing it. Huh. I'll give it a shot.”

I turned to face our enemy. Cadance was badly straining, and her shield probably wasn’t going to hold for much longer. “So, you ready for round two?”

Sunset grinned and squared herself. “Only one way to find out for sure.”

I couldn’t help but find Sunset’s grin to be infectious. “We're only fighting an evil apple that defies the laws of magic and physics. We got this.”

“Easily. If it can regenerate, then we just have to kill it faster than it can heal itself.” Sunset reached out and offered a hoof to me. “Together.”

I took her hoof and squeezed it. “Yeah, together.”

The apple had another growth spurt and strained against the shield until it finally broke from the pressure. It bellowed another ear-ringing roar and charged me and Sunset. Closing my eyes and taking a precious moment to calm myself, I gave Sunset’s hoof another squeeze. The problems of the world seemed to flow away from me. Right there, right then, being with Sunset, I felt an inner peace—a tranquility that I could never remember feeling before. I was part of something bigger, grander and a spark with me ignited. Sunset’s magic suddenly flowed through me, but no longer the wild inferno like it had been before.

No, this time I knew how to direct it. In fact, it even seemed drawn to my will.

Bars of light formed around me. With a touch of my will, they shot forward and impaled the apple. They blasted right through the apple and bit into the ground, holding the apple in place. Sunset squeezed my hoof, and I felt her relax and let my magic flow through her. She flung a blast of pure magical force that nearly blinded me. It struck the apple, blasted it to pieces. The chunks of apple smeared the walls and floor and they sizzled from the power of the magical attack.

The sight sent a thrill through me, and I seized upon those emotions as I built up my next spell. A roar of flames echoed through the room as I sent a wave of fire at the apple shards, igniting every last piece I could see. Some of the apple chunks started to move, but they were halted when they were wrapped up in the magenta aura of my magic. Sunset grinned as she held down the chunks until I could turn my pyromancy on them. Still, the apple chunks continued to regenerate, fighting to survive against our onslaught. What was it going to take to actually kill this thing?

Cadance stepped up next to us, her own horn glowing. Her magic fell over me and Sunset, increasing the sense of harmony I had with her. I don’t know what spell we cast together in perfect tandem. It just ... happened. A feeling of perfect euphoria passed through me as we fired a small beam of rainbow light. The rainbow fell upon the apple chunks and they disintegrated on contact.

When the spell ended, my breathing was ragged, as though I had just finished running a mile and my horn ached from the effort of using so much magic. Whatever magic that had been. Despite the fatigue, I couldn’t help but smile at Sunset and she returned the gesture.

“We got it,” Sunset said through panting breaths.

“Yeah, I think we did.” I checked around me, and while some smeared remains of the apple were spread around the room, none of the remnants seemed to be moving. “That was ... wow.”

“Yeah. It was.” The two of us stared into ones another’s eyes, soaking in the moment. Then Sunset half-leaned in towards me, and my heart started racing when her lips pursed slightly.

I found myself leaning in also, but I stopped short—some imperceptible barrier standing between us that neither of us could seem to make ourselves breech. “Um, so, um, you okay?” I asked. “No apple-related injuries?”

“Er, yeah. Fine.” Sunset blushed. “So we're both okay then, right?”

“I don't think anypony was hurt,” I said. Cadance seemed to be alright, though she was frowning pretty heavily at us for some reason.

Sunset glanced away, the awkwardness of the moment as we remained close to one another building up. “Yes. I mean no, nopony was hurt. You look good.” Her face flushed redder. “I mean, you don't have any injuries.”

“Right, y-you do too.” My own cheeks started burning fiercely too. “I mean don't have any injuries, that is. That is what I meant to say.”

“Oh come on!” Cadance threw her forelegs out in exasperation. “I am sick and tired of this unresolved sexual tension! You two obviously like each other! Big glowing signs couldn’t make it more obvious! Just acknowledge it already! It’s okay! You like each other! It’s healthy for you two to say it and act on it! Hook up or move on! But don’t pull this holding pattern that’s going nowhere horseapples! You’re both better than that!”

My jaw dropped at the sudden, uncharacteristic explosion from old foalsitter. There were only a hoofull of times I could remember ever seeing her flustered. To state the blatantly obvious, love was serious business to the Alicorn of Love.

Sunset blinked in shocked silence before turning to me and shrugging. “Yeah. So ... um...” She leaned in, lips pursed again.

“Um, so Sunset. Would you like to, um, that is...” I took in a sharp breath. “Oh buck it.”

I kissed her.

It was an awkward, forced thing fumbled about with due to inexperience and only a concept of how it was to be done right. And it was wonderful. Then I felt something flow through us, and gradually the kiss became more natural and enjoyable. I closed my eyes and reveled in this moment—my first kiss with Sunset Shimmer. My fillyfriend.

A blast of pink magic washed over us, and the whole world jerked on me. I nearly fell over and had to steady my stance before I could concentrate on the world around me. I blinked through blurry eyes to see Sunset in front of me, shaking her own head. No wait, Sunset in her own body! A smile creased my face as the realization hit me, and I lifted up my hook to look at it and saw a familiar lavender hoof.

“Sunset!” I grasped her in a hug and hopped up and down. “We’re back in our original bodies!”

Sunset laughed and jumped with me. “We really are! Thank goodness.”

“Yes! Finally!” Cadance whooped in triumph. “You’ve finally acknowledged your feelings for one another!” She paused and then looked around the lab. “Oh, and the mutant apple was destroyed too, and you’re both back in your bodies.” She made a half-hearted swirling with her hoof, “Woohoo.”

Sunset flicked her ear. “Nice to know you have your priorities straight, Cadance.”

“But why are we back in our bodies now?” I asked. “All we did was kiss. Kissing on its own shouldn’t cause something like that.”

“You didn’t just kiss,” Cadance said patiently. “It was true love’s first kiss. You should remember how powerful that can be from all the stories I told you when you were still a little filly.”

That was true. Love was a pretty primal and powerful force in the universe, if a bit unwieldy to use. Magi had spent centuries studying it and still only had a foggy idea on a lot of the details. I’d tried to study it myself, but Cadance never had much success with teaching me. Apparently love magic was really hard to logically analyze. Maybe Sunset would have a bit more luck at understanding it.

“I guess that is true,” I finally agreed. “I suppose I shouldn’t complain.”

Sunset grunted. “Better than where we were starting out, and I wasn’t eaten by a giant fruit. So I’ll take it.”

Cadance nodded. “And no more dancing around each other like awkward fillies in school.”

“We weren’t that bad, were we?” I asked.

Cadance gave me a flat look. “Yes, you were that bad. Embarrassingly so.” Her flat expression became a much warmer smile. “But hey, that’s in the past now, right?”

I shuffled in place. “Um, well, that kind of depends on what Sunset thi—”

My crisis of confidence was cut off when Sunset kissed me on the lips.

A grin worked it’s way onto Cadance’s features. “Yeah, you two are fillyfriends, alright.”

In its own way, it was a wonderful moment. I still didn’t think I had the whole kissing thing down, but ... it was still nice. I was really starting to get into it, when of course, Empress Sunbeam Sparkle stepped into the room. That caused the two of us to immediately break the kiss. My cheeks burned as the ruler of the Empire’s eyes scanned the applesauce-covered room before falling on us. Suddenly, I felt like a little filly who had been caught with her hoof in the cookie jar.

Empress Sunset flinched when a glob of applesauce dropped from the ceiling onto her muzzle, causing me and Sunset to gasp. Before any of us could form an explanation for what she had walked into, our teacher’s mouth turned up into an amused grin as she wiped it off. “I do hope there is a good story behind all of this.”

Sunset cleared her throat. “Well, you see, we decided, after careful study, to recreate our experiment to reverse our mishap yesterday. It didn’t work the way we hoped.”

“It also created a carnivorous apple monster with physics-defying growth and regeneration,” I said.

Cadance gave the Empress a smile that probably wasn’t as confident as she hoped. “Which we destroyed. Hence the mess. At least Sunset and Twilight are back in their bodies again.”

The Empress seemed to take a moment to digest what we had told her. “And I trust you are all well?” We all confirmed we were. “Then I suppose it was all for the best. Though in the future, my students, do wait for me to be here when you decide to do something so dangerous.” Her normally stern features softened. “I would not like to hear news that something unfortunate happened to you.”

“Err, right.” I rubbed at my upper leg. We kind of did decide to proceed with trying to fix our condition without her knowledge. At least she didn’t seem to be mad about that. “We’ll keep that in mind, Your Majesty.”

The Empress nodded. “See that you do. Though I expect all of you to clean this lab and not leave it to the custodians to deal with. This was a result of your experiment, and you should deal with the consequences.”

“Of course, Empress,” Sunset said demurely. All in all, it was a pretty light punishment. Not to mention we had made this mess.

“But enough of that.” Empress Sunbeam’s horn glowed and a small stone popped into existence. “One bit of good news is that I discovered the likely cause of your recent mishaps.”

I tilted my head in confusion. “A pebble?”

“Not just any pebble,” my teacher said. “A fragment of Discord’s statue. Centuries ago, I smashed his statue and spread the remains about Equestria. Unfortunately, the chaos inherent in the fragments caused incidents of chaos magic wherever they were buried. I was forced to dig them up again and take other safeguards to make sure that Discord didn’t threaten anypony ever again.” She frowned at the stone. “I had thought I had gathered all of them, but it seems I had missed one in the palace gardens. One which a certain apple tree had grown over.”

“So that’s why our experiment had failed.” Sunset shot the stone a disgusted look. “An outside variable we didn’t know about. Stupid variable...”

I had to wonder how she could have forgotten a shard of Discord in her own backyard, but decided it would be best not to question her about that. She had probably broken the statue into enough pieces that losing one or two shards would have been easy. Especially considering how busy she normally was—what with her being the Empress of Equestria. At least, I hoped that was the explanation for how that fragment had been missed. Other explanations were potentially much scarier.

The Empress cast another spell, and the pebble disappeared. “In any event, I destroyed the tree and the surrounding vegetation after retrieving the fragment. There shouldn't be any more incidents, so you can run another test without a problem.”

Sunset and I shared a look. “I think we'll hold off on that for a bit.”

“If you don’t mind, Your Majesty.” Sunset had a mischievous glint in her eye as she smiled at me. “Twilight and I have some ... other experiments we would like to do with one another.”

Empress Sunbeam chuckled. “No doubt. Well, considering what you've been through, I have no objections to you taking a few days off.” She and Cadance shared a knowing grin.

I offered Sunset a hoof. “So, want to experiment over dinner? Someplace nice perhaps?”

Sunset took my hoof. “As long as apples aren't on the menu.”

The Sun's Kind Embrace

I’ve been working for the Order of Sol Invictus since I was still in Flight Camp. At first it was just a little volunteer work on the weekends and after class, but I decided to become a full-fledged member once I was done with school. The day I became Dame Fluttershy, Knight Hospitaller in the Order of Sol Invictus, remains one of the proudest moments of my life.

Since then, I had been very busy helping citizens across the Empire. With how huge the Empire was, there was always somepony somewhere who needed our help, whether it was containing a feather flu outbreak in Westmarch, disaster relief after that earthquake in Southmarch, or helping to evacuate some of the outlying Freeport islands before a tsunami hit. It didn’t matter where we went so long as the Order was doing good work and helping those in need.

Thankfully, my business in the Zebrican province was a bit less urgent. There was a new vaccine for the pony pox—which was somewhat misnamed since it affected zebras too—and the Order was helping to distribute it to the populace. Of course, we weren’t just performing vaccinations: the Order offered free medical care to anyone who needed it, so there were always plenty of other matters to take care of. Not that I minded the extra work; I was just glad to have a chance to help.

I found myself helping a young zebra colt who had cracked his hoof playing with some friends. I had helped young ponies with similar injuries plenty of times, and there’s really not much difference between zebra and pony anatomy. We’re all the same underneath. We all have hopes, fears, dreams, and ambitions. I still don’t understand how some ponies can think other sapients are so different from us. Maybe they’d just never had a chance to talk to a zebra or a buffalo or some other species. They were probably just confused and scared; it’s easy to be scared of a species you’ve never met.

At least the Empire was helping to bring all these different species together. A couple of the other knights say I’m being naïve, but I really do believe that one day ponies, zebras, gryphons, changelings, and all the other species in the Empire will learn to live together in friendship and harmony. Maybe it’s a bit unrealistic to think that there will never be any problems with all the different races, but if nobody ever dreams about that kind of thing, then it’ll never come true. If believing that one day we could find true unity and harmony makes me silly or naïvely optimistic, then that’s fine. I’d rather have a silly but beautiful dream than tell myself that the world was an ugly, cruel place and there was nothing I could do to change it. Sometimes you just need to believe that everyone has the capacity to be good.

I know the Empire isn’t perfect. I know that some of the member-races weren’t given much choice about joining, but all of that was a long time ago. We can’t change the past, but we could make a new future for ourselves if we worked together. One where all the intelligent species on the planet worked together to make the world a better place. The Order used medical techniques from all across the Empire, combining the knowledge of a dozen different species to do things that no single one of them could have managed. It was like the old metaphor about how a single stick was easy to break but a bundle of sticks tied together would be strong.

After I finished setting that young zebra colt’s hoof, I needed to restock on a few of my supplies. Our chapter house in Zanzebra wasn’t as big as the one in the old Zebrican capital of Zekara or the new provincial capital of Fenixmji, so things were a bit crowded now that a bunch of other Hospitallers, myself included, were visiting for the vaccination drive. The medical ward had been built to house half a dozen doctors and had enough beds for fifty patients, but right now there were a dozen more visiting doctors counting me, and more zebras than I could count crammed into the area. Considering we were supposed to vaccinate everyone in Zanzebra, there really wasn’t enough room.

The storage closet that would normally have all our bandages and disinfectant was full of vaccination supplies instead, so I had to go to one of the smaller supply closets hidden in one of the back corners of the room. Getting across the room was a challenge all by itself; luckily my armor and a few kind words were enough to clear a path. Even with a doctor’s coat over the steel, I probably looked a little intimidating. Sometimes I really wish the uniform standards within Sol Invictus were a bit less strict—I don’t like scaring my patients.

When I reached the supply closet, I noticed that the door was slightly ajar. It was supposed to be locked up tight, but considering how hectic things were, it was understandable that somepony had overlooked it. I would just have to be extra careful about shutting the door behind me.

However, once I was inside I realized that the problem was something else entirely. A young zebra stallion wearing a face-concealing cloak was rummaging through our supplies, stuffing several boxes of antibiotics into a plain brown bag. I hadn’t been in Zanzebra long enough to get to know everyone who worked here, but I was almost certain this zebra wasn’t one of our employees, especially given his behavior.

That meant he was a thief. Stealing. From a hospital.

I removed my coat, firmly placed myself between the thief and the exit, rested a hoof on the hilt of my dagger, then politely cleared my throat. “Excuse me, but I don’t think those belong to you. Would you please put them back?” It doesn’t cost anything to be polite, even to a thief, but in my years with the Order I’ve learned that sometimes you’ll accomplish more with a kind word and a dagger than you will with just a kind word.

The thief froze, his eyes flicking over his shoulder at me. That was the other reason I’d tried to look just a little scary: if he just saw a doctor, he might try to run away with everything he’d stole, or even fight past me. If he did that, I might have to hurt him, and I didn’t want to do that. “If you just put back everything you stole, you won’t be in too much trouble.”

The young zebra took one look at me, then swallowed nervously and began slowly removing the stolen medical supplies from his bag. Sweat was trickling down the back of his neck, and his shoulders slumped. “I—I did not mean to—” He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. “I am not a thief. My father is hurt, and I want to bring him relief.”

“I’m very sorry to hear that your father was hurt,” I answered levelly. “But that doesn’t give you the right to steal from a hospital. If you bring him here, we would be happy to help, or we could try to arrange a house call. But I can’t just let you steal supplies we need to help everyone else who comes here.” Even though I wanted to believe this young zebra was just a frightened colt trying to help his father, a part of me was also suspicious of his claim. As important as it is to think the best of others, I’d learned to not let others take advantage of my kindness. Maybe he really did have a sick father, or maybe he was just a thief who wanted to steal our supplies and sell them.

I thought it over for a moment. “I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to put you in one of our cells for the rest of the day. Once I’m done helping to vaccinate everyone, we can go visit your father, and I would be more than happy to help him.” I paused, then pointedly met his eyes—Cloud and Rainbow both said I had a very intimidating stare back in Flight Camp. “We’ll also need to talk to him about what you’ve done.”

The thief swallowed, his eyes darting around nervously. I think he would have tried to run if not for the fact that I was blocking the only exit. “P-please stranger, let me go on my way. I need this medicine today—my father is bedridden and very bad health; your medicines work best and you have a great wealth.” He waved to the large stockpile of supplies.

I sighed. “Do you even know what he’s sick with, or what medicine would be best to treat him? If you use the wrong thing you could just make his condition worse. That’s why we have doctors, and why I’ll need to see him first.”

“It’s something we know very well, but something I’m not supposed to tell. I’ve left everything else alone, please … let me go back.” His eyes darted towards the door. “On my own.”

I frowned at his answer; claiming he needed the supplies for his father but refusing to let me help was rather suspicious. If he was trying to lie his way out of trouble, I was going to be very upset with him. “After what you did today, I’m afraid you don’t have any choice. I’m sure you were just worried for your father, but stealing from a hospital is a very serious crime. If you can prove you were just trying to help your father, then we can take that into consideration.” I took a moment to remove my hoof from my dagger’s hilt, and toned down the intensity of my stare. “If we can’t talk to your father, somepony might call you a liar, and then you’ll be in much more trouble. And if your father is sick enough for you to steal from a hospital, then he really needs my help.”

The colt’s entire body slumped in defeat. “I wanted to care for him privately—he doesn’t like accepting help, you see. He’d refuse to come in out of pride, so I wanted to help him in a way that wouldn’t be brushed aside.”

Oh dear. I’ve had plenty of difficult patients over the years. Sometimes the locals are wary of accepting treatment from a pony doctor, sometimes they prefer their own traditional medicine, and there are a few who are just difficult on principle. Still, I couldn’t let that stop me. “I’m sure I can handle whatever’s wrong with him. Just tell me where your family lives, and whatever you can about his illness.”

“It...” His eyes nervously darted around the room. “There are creatures here we don’t talk about. Their names alone … it’s better to wait it out. I wish I never knew, and you’re a good pony. I wouldn’t want one of them to come to you.”

“Oh my...” A monster attack was something completely different from an illness. That was really a job for the Long Patrol, not a doctor. I was about to say as much when the obvious problem sprang to mind: if his father refused to even have his injuries properly treated, of course he would also refuse to report the attack to the proper authorities. “I would be glad to help your father with his injuries, but I’m afraid I will also have to report the attack. I understand your father wouldn’t want that, but if someone gets hurt or killed because I kept his secret then that would be my fault. “

The young thief nodded, sighing in resignation. “I understand. This expedition did not go as planned. I am Mosi, son of Mwenye.” He smiled sheepishly. “It is a pleasure to meet you today.”

I smiled and nodded. “I am Dame Fluttershy, Knight Hospitaller in Order of Sol Invictus. I know these aren’t the best circumstances for an introduction, but it’s a pleasure to meet you regardless, Mosi.” I stepped out of the doorway. “Will your father will be safe until we finish up here?”

“He should be.” A moment later he blinked in surprise when I passed some supplies to him, “Wait, did you say we?”

“Yes.” I loaded him down with a few more things. “I don’t think you’re a bad zebra, so you might as well get a start on making up for your crime by spending the day helping out at the hospital. Maybe meeting some of the zebras whose medical supplies you tried to steal will be a good lesson.” I paused, looking back out at the crowded medical ward. “And goodness knows we could certainly use the help.”

He didn’t say anything else, but he didn’t need to. I understood his hug just fine.

Mosi put in several hours of work before the day was over. He was very helpful, which reassured me that I’d made the right decision.

Administering vaccinations is rather dull as far as medical work goes. A quick physical and check of the patient’s medical history for any potential issues, then give them the shot. The simple, repetitive nature of it all gave me plenty of time to think.

Quite a few of my old friends had been very surprised when I decided to become a knight. To be quite honest, I was still a little surprised myself, and I’d been a knight for a couple years now. Joining the Order of Sol Invictus was one thing, but most of their members just did charity work like what I did in the hospital. The actual Knights of Sol Invictus were few and far between these days; between the Long Patrol, Imperial Security, and the Phoenix Knights, a lot of ponies didn’t think the Order even needed knights anymore, beyond a token security force to do things like stop anyone from stealing our medical supplies.

I suppose if I really thought about it, I became a knight because of my childhood friends: Rainbow Dash, Cloud Solaris, and Ditzy Doo. I’d always felt like I was the weakest member of the group when I was with them. Rainbow was just so brave and fearless, while Cloud and Ditzy were both going to be soldiers when they grew up. And then there was shy, scared, weak, and helpless little Fluttershy, who always needed her friends to take care of her.

I hated feeling like I was a burden to my friends, but for the longest time I didn’t know what to do to fix it. Even after I started volunteering at Sol Invictus I still felt terrible. While I knew I was helping by being a medical assistant, deep down I was still the same scared, useless filly I’d been back at Flight Camp.

That all changed after I met Sir Solemus. He had been a knight once, but he had become too old to really take care of himself. At first I just brought him his pills and did a couple other little things to help, but he was a very nice old stallion who was also very lonely. He didn’t have any family on account of spending his whole life serving the Order, so nopony ever came to visit him. I stopped by his room every day though, even when helping him wasn’t part of my chores.

Once I was spending a couple hours with him every day, he started telling me his stories. He had been a knight for more than fifty years, so he had so many of them to tell. I loved those stories, full of bravery, heroism, chivalry, and all kinds of things I wished I could do. As much as I enjoyed his stories, they also made me sad because they reminded me of all the things I would never be strong enough to do.

Finally, it all came spilling out one day. I just started crying uncontrollably in the middle of one of his stories. I tried to stop myself before the old knight saw my tears, but it was no good. The fact that I couldn’t even stop myself from crying just made me feel even worse than I already did. I buried my face in my hooves.

A few seconds later I felt a gentle touch on my shoulder. “Fluttershy? What's the matter? I hope my story didn't upset you.”

My voice cracked as I answered him, “N—no.” I tried to give him a better answer, but it was hard to even speak through the tears. “It's not you, it's—it's me.”

“You?” His kindly old face crinkled in confusion. “What could be the matter with such a kind and gentle soul such as yourself?”

I sniffled and wiped my nose. It always started leaking when I cried too much, and it made me look horrible. “In—in that story, I'm the damsel in the tower.” I grabbed a few tissues and messily blew my nose. “I'm scared and useless, and I can't do anything except wait for somepony to rescue me.”

“Oh, gentle Fluttershy.” His forelegs wrapped around me. “Do you want me to tell you something important but so very true?” I whimpered out a weak affirmation. “To be honest, I was almost always scared during those stories, either for my life or for others. It's a heavy burden to know that the slightest misstep could cost a life, whether my own or another. It's the type of fear that can paralyze a pony when they need to act, or wake them up screaming in the middle of the night long after.”

I stared at him, trying to make sense of that. “But you're so brave.”

He answered me with a smile that showed all the wisdom of his years. “Bravery is not the absence of fear, my dear. Bravery is overcoming fear to do what you must. The bravest of us all is the pony that must overcome the most fear.”

I thought about that for a minute, and a nervous laugh bubbled out of my lips. “I'm scared of everything, so...”

“If you’re scared of everything, then you must be a very brave filly indeed.” He gently tipped my chin up, meeting my eyes. “Not just anypony would spend their free time tending to an old warhorse like me, or helping the sick and wounded down in the medical ward. That requires a strength of character only a few ponies possess.”

I smiled at the compliment, even though I didn’t really think I deserved it. I didn’t want to hurt his feelings. “This is easy. I just show up and help ponies. But ... but I'll never be brave the way knights are. I'll never be strong. I'll just be useless.”

Sir Solemus was quiet for a long time, staring at me thoughtfully. When he spoke, his words carried much more weight than they normally did. “Do you truly want to be strong? To have the power to help others, no matter how dangerous or frightful the situation?”

I knew the answer to that question the instant he asked it. “More than anything.”

He nodded at my answer, seeming quite pleased by it. “Then I suggest you become a knight.”

“What?” I was certain I must have misheard him. “M-me? A knight? No, I couldn't ... nopony would ever think I could be a knight.”

Sir Solemus threw back his head and let out a hearty laugh. “Oh Fluttershy, just because nopony would think it doesn't mean you can't make it true. You become a squire, you do the training, and your masters will whip you into shape. Trust me on that. Why, I was nothing more than a whelp of a lad when I became a page. And I've heard stranger tales than your own for ponies who became knights.”

I still couldn’t believe my ears. “But—but I wouldn't even know where to start...”

“You know Dame Quiet Dreams?” I told him that I had seen her at the Sol Invictus compound a few times. “Go talk to her, tell her you want to become a knight. She'll help you through the first steps of that. Tell her I sent you.”

Quiet Dreams was a big, strong, confident mare. She always looked so huge and dangerous walking around the compound in her armor. The mere idea of just going up to her and telling her that I wanted to be a knight was... “She'll take one look at me and know I'm not good enough.”

The old knight gripped my shoulders. “Do you want this, Fluttershy? Do you want to be strong enough to help ponies? You said a minute ago that you wanted it more than anything.”

I thought about that for a bit, and felt a bit more sure of myself. “Yes. I want to help others. That’s all I’ve ever wanted to do.”

He smiled, “Good answer. If that’s really how you feel, then go to her and act like it. Don't take no for an answer. If you do, then you don't really want it. Prove that you really want it.”

I blinked, shocked at the suggestion. “But, but what if she gets mad at me...?” If she said no and I didn’t listen, she would probably be furious. She would probably go around telling everypony how awfully I’d behaved, and maybe even make it so I couldn’t volunteer to help everyone at the Order. She could even bar me from seeing Sir Solemus again.

The old knight didn’t seem to be worried about that, though. He just chuckled and patted my shoulder. “You can be firm without being rude, my dear. Dame Dream is a big filly. She can take whatever you throw at her. I dare say that you at your absolute rudest would still be one of the more pleasant conversations she’s had with a prospective recruit.”

“But ... but...” I trailed off, staring down at the floor and shuffling my hooves. He patiently waited for me to put words to my fears. “But what if I'm not good enough?”

“How will you know if you’re good enough unless you try?” he countered. “I think that if you work at it, you will be. Being a knight is about more than just the strength of your body. It's also about character, being a protector of the weak, acting upright, and being a defender of justice. If you keep to your moral compass, you can't stray too far.” He put a hoof on my chest, right over my heart. “It’s much easier to teach someone with a good heart to be strong than it is to teach someone strong how to have a good heart.”

“Do you really think I could do it?” I stared up at him uncertainly, and he nodded, smiling encouragingly. “O-okay. I guess I could give it try.”

He very gently shook his head. “Don't try. Do it. If something is worthwhile to you, you need to commit to it wholly.”

“I don’t...” He wanted me to commit to being a knight right now? What if I didn’t like it? What if two weeks into the training I realized I would be a terrible knight, and I would completely miserable if I went through with it? What if I was so terrible that all the other recruits laughed at me and called me names? What if my old friends from Flight Camp found out, and even they thought it was so silly that they started laughing? What if...

What if.

What if I spent the rest of my life regretting the time I turned away from being a knight because I was too scared to try? I could always find dozens of reasons not to do something, no matter how much I wanted to. But never doing anything because I was too scared of ‘what if’ was how I had become a damsel who was scared of everything. If I wanted to be a Knight, I needed to stop worrying about all the things that might go wrong, and start focusing on what I wanted out of life.

I took a deep breath and made my decision. “I'll do it!” Just saying the words made my heart flutter, and soon I was smiling. “I'm going to become a knight!”

And I did. It took a long time, and the training was very hard. I thought about quitting more than once, especially in the early stages while I was still getting in shape. For weeks I went to bed tired and sore, and I never got enough rest to fully recover before the next day’s work began. I think everypony expected me to quit after the first week, even my parents. But no matter how hard it was, I kept trying. Eventually the workouts were easier, the weapons started to feel like a natural extension of my body, and before I knew it, I was squired to Quiet Dreams herself. I still can’t believe it all happened, but I will always be glad I decided to take a chance and chase after my dreams.

Mosi’s family home caught me by surprise—I had been expecting something a bit more ... zebra. I know that sounds rather prejudiced, but the house seemed to be deliberately modeled on an Equestrian home. From the outside, it looked like a home that would fit in perfectly in any pony city. The inside was a bit more unique: all the furniture was Equestrian, but I don’t know many ponies who keep such a large picture of the Empress in their front room.

I fixed the young zebra with a rather pointed look. “This seems like a rather nice house for someone who has to break into a hospital just to get medical supplies. Why didn’t you just buy what you needed from a store?”

He almost tripped over his own hooves, and an embarrassed flush appeared on his cheeks. “Well, father would have ... erm ... that is ... I didn’t think of that.”

I softly sighed and rubbed my forehead. It seemed that regardless of species, teenagers were prone to acting without thinking things through. For a moment it reminded me of one of my old fillyhood friends, Rainbow Dash. I hadn’t seen her since she’d gone into the advanced training program after Flight Camp. I really should catch up with her some day.

I returned my attention to the troublesome teenager in front of me. “You really should have thought things through. I know you were probably just scared and not thinking straight, but you committed a serious crime.”

He stared down at his hooves. “I ... understand. It was poorly planned.”

I sighed and let the matter drop for the moment. “Now, what can you tell me about your father?”

Mosi’s gaze shifted to his home, and his chastened demeanour faded as he snorted loudly. “I’m sure you noticed my father is very patriotic. He believes the relationship between the zebras and ponies ought to be more symbiotic. Some have claimed he is nothing but a phony, and deep down wishes that he was born a pony.”

“Oh.” I obviously didn’t know all the details of what was happening in Mosi’s home, but I’ve spent enough time in the provinces to know it was part of a broader trend. Every single species in the Empire had to deal with the issue of Imperial identity versus their own local one. Some like Mwenye tried to embrace the Empire and modernity, while others clung to their old traditions in the face of a changing world. I suppose the key was to find a balance that let everyone be part of a greater whole without abandoning what made them unique and special.

Mosi stepped inside, and I was quite happy to feel the rush of cold air as we stepped in out of the heat. My armor had enchantments to help deal with the climate and general discomfort of wearing it all day, but I still appreciated getting out of the sun. Especially since the home had Equestrian-style climate control, presumably provided by ice gems.

Mosi led the way upstairs, knocking on one of the bedroom doors. “I have returned, father, and with new help on offer. A pony doctor to check your injury and hopefully help lessen your current misery.” I couldn’t help but notice that he put a bit of emphasis on the fact that I was a pony. Though I suppose that if his father was a big believer in imperial integration, the fact that I was a pony might convince him to accept treatment.

His father answered through the bedroom door. “Very well, come in. And stop that infernal rhyming nonsense, Mosi, it sounds ridiculous.”

Mosi tensed and scowled. “I honor our ancestors’ ancient ways, even if you do not believe them worthy of praise.”

“So long as you live under my roof, you’ll honor what I tell you to,” the older zebra groused. “And if you put such honor on our traditions, you’d know that only shamans, aristocrats, and social climbers ever bothered with the whole rhyming business.” Mosi offered no answer of his own, but glowered at the door.

I heard several thumps from within the room, and then the door opened. Mwenye looked much like his son, though older and larger. He moved slowly, like someone in significant pain who was taking great care to avoid any action that might worsen his condition. His eyes, both of which bore half-faded bruises, widened a bit when saw my armor, confusion replacing his welcoming smile. “I ... it is a pleasure to meet you, Miss...”

I offered him my hoof. “Dame Fluttershy, Knight Hospitaller of the Order of Sol Invictus.” I kept a polite smile on my face, though internally I was quite surprised by his condition. He certainly didn’t look like someone who was bedridden by illness. If anything, he looked like he’d been attacked and savagely beaten.

The uncertainty faded from his eyes, and he smiled and enthusiastically shook my hoof. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, madam. I’ve heard great things about the Order and their hospitallers, and it is an honor to have a knight as a guest within my home. If you need anything, anything at all, please let me know, and I will provide it at once.”

“Thank you, that’s very kind of you.” I would have politely declined his offer, but the scowl on Mosi’s face made me think that perhaps sending him away on an errand would be prudent. I hardly wanted to be caught in the middle of a family argument. “Perhaps a glass of iced tea?”

Mwenye nodded, then shot a pointed look at his son. The colt trotted away, leaving the two of us alone. His father then turned back to me. “I apologize for any words you overheard between my son and me. Things have been ... difficult between us, of late.”

I answered him with a gentle, understanding smile. “I took no offense, sir. Every family has problems.” I politely cleared my throat. “Now then, your son told me you were injured recently? I hope it was nothing too serious.” From what I could tell, he had nothing worse than bruises, and obviously his wounds weren’t severe enough to leave him bedridden, but I needed to perform a proper examination anyway.

“Oh, yes, that.” He waved a hoof over his bruised face. “Nothing to worry about, I just slipped and fell on the stairs.” A bit of nervous sweat sprang up on his brow, and his voice grew slightly strained. “Just an ordinary household accident, certainly nothing worth bothering a knight over.”

I frowned at his answer, especially since I suspected he wasn’t being completely honest with me. I could hardly accuse him of being a liar, though. “Well, since I’ve come all this way, I might as well check your injuries. Though your son said you were attacked by a creature, not that you were injured in an accident.”

Mwenye shot a glare in the direction of the kitchen. “My son was mistaken. He has read too many of his foolish old books and spent too much time with that witch doctor. The Popobawa is nothing but a bunch of superstitious nonsense spread about by zebras who are too attached to the old ways.”

Ah. At least now I had a name for the creature that threatened Mwenye. Though I had no idea what a Popobawa was, I could always report it to the nearest Long Patrol detachment. If this Popobawa was some kind of monster, then the Patrol would probably know all about it. That was their job, after all.

There was just one problem with that plan: I had no proof that there was a monster at all. As long as Mwenye stuck to his claim that he was hurt in a household accident, the Patrol wouldn’t make any investigation a high priority. Considering how difficult things were between him and his son, they might well assume it was just some sort of family argument. If Mwenye was in danger, I needed to either convince him to file a report or find some other proof that he’d been attacked by a monster.

Unfortunately, his injuries didn’t provide any evidence. Maybe somepony who’d studied forensic medicine would’ve found something, but I was just a doctor. There weren’t any obvious claw marks or other signs of an attack, just bruises. Maybe they were in the shape of a monster’s limbs, or maybe he really did just get them from falling on the stairs.

I confirmed he didn’t have anything worse than minor injuries, then gave him something for the pain and swelling. That was strange too—I can’t think of any monsters that would just bruise someone they attacked without trying to eat them or anything. Then again, I didn’t really know anything about this Popobawa creature Mosi believed was responsible for his father’s injuries. Since Mwenye didn’t even believe that the creature existed, I doubted I could get much information from him.

Once I was done with his father, I found Mosi in the kitchen preparing my glass of iced tea. His ears perked up when I entered, and he passed the glass over to me. “What is it? Is my father going to be alright? Can you help him?” He paused, then hastily added. “I was worried that without aid his prospects were dim.”

“He wasn’t too badly hurt,” I assured him, “and I’ve done everything I can to help make him comfortable.” I frowned, mulling over exactly how to put my next question. “Why did you lie to me about what was wrong with him?”

His cheeks once more lit up with shame. “I know I should not have lied to you, but my father refuses to admit that the monster is true. I know he holds great respect for Imperial ways, and thus I thought that—”

“I wouldn’t believe in the monster either,” I finished for him. I thought it over for a moment, and reached my conclusion. “I don’t really know enough about the creatures in Zanzebra to say if any monster exists or doesn’t, and I don’t know if I can trust you after how much you’ve lied to me.”

“No, please!” He desperately grasped one of my hooves. “The Creature will attack him again!” Mosi’s eyes drifted up towards his father’s room, and he worried at his lower lip. “It will keep coming every night until he is slain.”

That did sound somewhat plausible, at least. Mwenye’s injuries might have been mild because the monster wasn’t done with him yet. Many monsters enjoy that kind of thing, stalking and frightening their prey for days, weeks, or even months. Some of them even feed on the fear of their victims, growing stronger from it. If that was the case, then the attacks would only get worse.

Unfortunately, while that answered one or two inconsistencies with Mosi’s story, it didn’t prove anything. Especially since Mosi’s previous lies made it rather difficult to trust anything he said. However, if his father’s life was at stake I couldn’t ignore the possibility that this time he was being honest with me. I would have to dig a bit deeper. “Mosi, is there someone in Zanzebra who knows about Popobawas?” His father had mentioned a witch doctor he spent time with; a shaman would probably know all about the local monsters, and could even discern if Mwenye was being attacked or not. Not to mention a second zebra confirming his story would help offset Mosi’s unreliability.

“I know someone who can help,” he confirmed. “She has taught me the old secrets of our people since I was a whelp.”

“Great. Can you take me to her?”

“Yes.” He started to rise from his seat, then paused and frowned. “I ... erm...” He frowned, tapping a hoof and murmuring words that rhymed with ‘yes’ under his breath. Then he took a deep breath and cleared his throat, probably just hoping to start the sentence over again.

Though I’m normally not one to be flippant about respecting other cultures, this problem was just a bit urgent. It was already well into the evening, and most monster attacks, especially ones that happened indoors, happened late at night. I didn’t want to let Mwenye get hurt again. “We should hurry. You can worry about the rhyme later.”

He sighed, nodded, and led the way.

I made a quick stop by the Order’s armory to pick up my spear and a helmet, as well as letting them know where I was going. Once that was done Mosi led me to the shaman’s hut. The shaman lived in the woods a couple miles outside of the Zanzebra City, and by the time we arrived at her hut, the sun had fully set. Thankfully, though, the moon provided enough light for us to make our way through the forest.

I only knew a bit of general information about zebra shamans. They were more than just spellcasters like our magi; they were also guardians of the lore and traditions of their race. It made them quite different from unicorn magi, who really didn’t have much of a role in society beyond using their magic in the service of the Empire. They still gathered information, but it was more along the lines of finding information about monsters and magic, and they guarded that information closely. Shamans were just the opposite: they wanted to share their stories with as many zebras as possible.

The shaman’s hut was built in the old, traditional zebrican style, though that might have been as much a matter of practicality as adherence to the ancient ways. Traditional zebrican homes were certainly better suited to the climate than Equestrian-style buildings, absent slow-release cold gems—the Order’s chapter house would have been horrible without those. There was a large garden in front of the shaman’s hut stocked with dozens of different herbs, some of which I’d never seen before.

Mosi trotted up to the door and knocked. “Shaman Zecora, it is me, your sometime-apprentice Mosi. I brought a friend who needs to speak to you about my father and the beast that beat him black and blue.”

“Come in, come in, you and your friend.” The female voice coming through the door carried a heavier zebra accent than I was used to, but at least she still spoke Equestrian. It was rare to meet somepony in the Empire who didn’t, but the shamans were supposed to be one of the most traditionalist groups within zebra society. I wouldn’t have been surprised if she only spoke Zebrican.

The shaman opened the door, smiling at Mosi. “I hope your father’s wounds continue to mend.” She was younger than I had expected; probably only a few years older than me. Her blue eyes were a bit unusual for a zebra, but that might just mean she had a bit of pony heritage. It was fairly common: most of the soldiers stationed in zebra territory wound up marrying zebras since our species looked so similar.

Her home’s simple wooden walls were mostly bare of decoration, only dotted with a few masks that were rather intimidating. Herbs, spices, and talismans all dangled from the ceiling on fishing line, and a large cupboard and table were tucked away in the far corner. Both of them were quite messy, strewn about with ingredients, bowls, fetishes, and half-finished talismans strewn about in a kind of organized chaos that probably made more sense to the shaman than it would to her visitor.

She turned to me, her eyes flicking over my armor. “And who are you, fair pony knight? It is quite a surprise to meet you this night.”

“I’m Dame Fluttershy.” I offered her my hoof, then removed my helmet and smiled. “And no offense, but I think it might be cheating to rhyme knight and night.”

She smiled and nodded. “Perhaps so, but if you had to come up with a rhyme for every sentence, you would soon find that you will not be perfect in every instance. Especially when visitors come late at night, and one of them is a pony knight.” A faint smile played across her lips at the deliberate repetition of that rhyme.

I smiled and dipped my head, acknowledging her point. I can’t imagine I would ever be able to rhyme all the time. Even with lots of practice, it must be very hard to do, especially since somepony had probably asked her about oranges at some point just to tease her. Really, the whole rhyming thing seemed just a bit silly to me, but I was sure that there were plenty of pony customs that seemed strange to zebras too.

Besides, I was here on important business. “Mosi has told you about what’s wrong with his father, correct? And that he believes a monster is responsible for the attacks? Is there anything you could do to help with that?”

She immediately nodded. “Yes, yes, but first come inside. Who knows what troubles the night might hide?” She opened the door all the way, inviting us into her home. “May I fetch you something to drink? A cup of tea often helps me think.”

While I took a seat, Zecora trotted to the other end of the room and poured three cups. “So what can you tell me about this ... Popobawa?” Mosi twitched at the name, but Zecora just calmly set the cups of tea down in front of us. I took a sip; it was a rather nice, slightly minty herbal mix with just a little bit of jasmine in it.

“The Popobawa is a troublesome beast.” She swirled her own tea contemplatively. “Though in recent times their presence has decreased. It has two legs and the wings of a bat, and moves as silently as a hunting cat. Its head has only a single eye, and in hunting its prey it is quite sly. It always attacks those who deny its existence, and thus will be slow to ask for assistance.”

I frowned down at my drink, slightly confused. “But why would Mwenye keep denying that the monster exists after it attacked him? I mean, now that he’s actually met it...”

Zecora sighed and shook her head. “Mwenye’s weakness has always been his pride; so long as it holds, the creature will be denied.”

“Oh dear...” I sighed and sipped some more of the tea. “I suppose I will have to take care of the monster without his help, then. Do you have any idea where its lair might be? Does it have any weaknesses? Is there any way to convince it to leave Mwenye and everyone else alone without resorting to violence?”

She frowned, her head cocking to the side. “Popobawas are not peaceful creatures. A thirst for violence, pain, and fear are chief among their features. You do not intend to slay the monster? Most knights would be quick to do so and enhance their honor, yet you would end this without seeing it harmed?” She waved a hoof at my weapons and armor. “If that is so, then why are you armed?”

“Some monsters would see an unarmed pony as nothing more but an easy meal.” I frowned, then slowly shook my head. “While I don’t want to hurt it if there’s another acceptable way of handling this problem, I also can’t let a monster go around attacking innocent zebras. If I can’t persuade the Popobawa to leave him alone, then I might have no choice but to force him.”

“He is not innocent!” Mosi snapped. “It was his disrespect for our traditions that brought this ancient beast upon him.” Zecora shot a pointed look at the young colt, who closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and calmed himself. “I am sorry, my reaction was not proper. I am ... my father’s circumstances are weighing heavily upon me. I am usually much better behaved, you see.”

Zecora answered him with an understanding smile. “You are forgiven, my young apprentice. Fear for our families often makes us senseless.” She turned back to me, finishing her tea before she spoke. “I know where the beast likely makes its lair. I hope you will not mind if I accompany you there.” She rose from her seat, then trotted to a closet and opened it up, producing a staff and several small saddlebags. “I had hoped the traditional cure could be applied, but it seems Mwenye has far too much pride. It is foolish of him to draw its attack when the monster could be so easily turned back.” She sighed and nodded to herself. “A Popobawa is dangerous to face alone, which is why I have not sought it on my own. It has been some time since I went on an adventure, but I will bring some useful skills to this joint venture.”

Oh. I hadn’t been expecting her to go that far to help me, but I certainly wasn’t going to turn her down. After all, she knew the local area much better than I did, and might know other useful things about the monster we were hunting. “The more the merrier. How soon will you be ready to go?”

She secured the last of her pouches to her saddlebag and retrieved a rather stout-looking staff. “I already am. If you will follow me, ma’am.” She trotted out the door, but paused and glanced back at Mosi. “Return to your father’s side, young colt. Go home, lock the door, and set the bolt.”

Mosi meekly nodded, following us out and starting down the path back to the city. While he did that, Zecora and I moved deeper into the forest.

The forest is a very scary place at night. Once Zecora and I moved off the beaten path, the trees grew so thick that there was barely enough light to see by. That wasn’t nearly as bad as the underbrush, though. I was very glad I was wearing my armor, because I couldn’t go more than a couple dozen steps without tangling my legs on a fallen branch, a thorny vine, or something else. If not for my armor, I would probably have cuts and scrapes all over my body. I briefly tried hovering a short distance off the ground to escape the undergrowth, but that just made low-hanging branches a problem instead. Getting tangled up every once in a while was far less dangerous than possibly hitting my head.

Zecora moved through the woods without any trouble, somehow always knowing exactly where to put her hooves so she wouldn’t have any problems. It didn’t take long for me to realize that my best option would be to follow her hoofsteps as closely as possible. That made things go a bit more smoothly, though I still moved much more slowly and made far too much noise.

After the third time I stepped on a dry twig, which let out a very audible snap, Zecora sighed and muttered under her breath, “The Popobawa will surely know that we are coming; I don’t make that much noise when I’m drumming.”

“Sorry,” I mumbled just a little testily. “I was just a little busy earning my knighthood and a doctorate, so I haven’t mastered woodcraft yet.”

Zecora met my eyes, then offered a barely perceptible nod. “I suppose no pony can master every skill. I only hope it won’t send this mission downhill. If I might offer one piece of advice to make our journey a bit more nice...” She gestured with her staff, drawing my attention downwards so I could see how she used it to check the ground in front of her for roots, twigs, and other such obstacles. I quickly followed her example using the butt end of my spear.

We traveled onward in relative silence for some time. Well, there wasn’t any talking, at least until Zecora glanced back at me. “Since the Popobawa will hear us coming from a mile away, we might as well pass the time with some conversation, okay?”

I suppressed the urge to make a less than polite remark. “Alright then. Was there something you wanted to talk about?”

She stared at me for a while longer, her muzzle crinkling in thought. “Why do you roam so far from your home? From the pony city of Canterlot to the jungles of Zebrica, where it’s hot. You could be sleeping the night away in a comfortable bed, but instead you’re on a journey that could end with you dead,—and all this for a zebra you met earlier today. It is a bit strange, wouldn’t you say?”

“Strange?” I nearly tripped over a root. “What do you mean it’s strange?”

“I do not understand why, my erstwhile ally,” she answered. “I am here because it is a shaman’s responsibility, but you owe Mwenye nothing but basic civility.”

I thought that over for a moment. “It’s easy, really. I can help him.”

“As could many others, but they are not here.” She pointedly looked around the empty forest. “Other than us, the coast is quite clear.”

“Maybe, but that doesn’t change the fact that I can help.” I thought back to something Sir Solemus had told me shortly after I became a squire. “Being a knight isn’t about honor or glory or fame, it’s about helping others. That’s why I trained so hard for so many years: so I would be strong enough to be able to help. If I don’t do that now...” I shrugged. “Well, I suppose it would make all the time I spent becoming a knight a huge waste. I think anypony who has the power to help others should do so.”

Zecora nodded slowly, a faint smile on her face. “Yes, the old creed of the nobility: with great power comes great responsibility.” She gave me a quick pat on the shoulder. “I am impressed you would go so far out of simple kindness. Truly, only a fool would call you spineless.”

“Thank you.” I was glad it was late at night, because getting complimented always made me blush a bit. One of my favorite things about wearing a helmet was that it kept everyone from seeing my face. I’ve gotten a lot better about it over the years, but a part of me is still very shy and nervous around others. I normally didn’t wear it while I was taking care of medical issues since it made me look a bit too intimidating for a doctor, but I picked it up when I’d stopped by the armory to retrieve my spear.

After another half hour or so of walking, Zecora silently signaled a halt. I could dimly make out a mound of rocks in the distance through the trees, and once I studied it a bit more closely, I saw the entrance to a cave. Zecora had mentioned that the Popobawa had a few bat-like characteristics, so I suppose it made sense that it would sleep in a cave. The shaman quietly whispered to me, “I cannot guarantee that the Popobawa will be there, but that is most certainly where it makes its lair.”

“Okay.” I took a deep breath and readied myself. “If there’s anything else I need to know about this monster before we go in...”

She frowned thoughtfully and adjusted the pouches on her saddlebag. “If you are ready to proceed, I suggest we go and do the deed. Hopefully the matter can be resolved with diplomacy, for in battle the Popobawa has significant potency. While not large or strong it has great speed, and if we fight it will make us bleed.”

I nodded and stepped into the cave. It was very dark: what little moonlight made it through the trees barely trickled into the cave entrance. The cave stank of sulfur and bat guano, and I decided to hover rather than walk through it. I normally liked bats, but it would take hours to clean up my armor if I stepped into too many of their droppings. Zecora followed behind me on hoof, doing her best to avoid the droppings and growling something in her native tongue when she stepped in something that smelled rather awful.

Once I was a bit further into the cave, I noticed a gentle red glow coming from further within, probably from a natural crystal formation. The light was too steady and even to be coming from a fire. “Um ... hello? Anyone home?” There was no answer, so I flew a bit deeper into the cave. Now I was completely out of the moonlight, with that dim red glow as the only source of illumination. I looked up and saw a red orb hanging from a stalactite. The Popobawa must have found an illumination gem somewhere.

The cave itself was very shallow, and it only took a few minutes to check all the walls and tunnels. There was no sign of the Popobawa, so I had to assume it was out. I turned back to Zecora, who was busy scraping her hooves on a clear patch of the cave wall. “I don’t think it’s here. What should we do? Wait for it to come back? Though if it’s out it might be attacking Mwenye again...” I frowned, mulling the problem over. “But there’s no guarantee of that, and we probably couldn’t make it all the way back to his house in time to stop the monster. And if it comes back to its cave while we’re out looking for it then it might know we’ve been here, and then when we come back it will be ready for a fight.”

“I would suggest that we wait here,” the shaman answered. “It’s entirely possible that the Popobawa is still near. And even if it hunts Mwenye this night I would not be alarmed, it will be some time before he is too seriously harmed. The beast enjoys drawing out its hunts, it would not go too far after only attacking once. It enjoys the taste of its victim’s fear, there is nothing else that can fill it with such cheer.”

“So I guess that means we’re wai—” I abruptly stopped talking as the red light hanging over our heads vanished. It came back a second later, but very slowly, as if someone were opening a set of drapes.

Or an eyelid.

I looked up at that orb again, and the stalactite it was hanging from. This time I noticed that the orb had a narrow, slit pupil, and the bumps in the stalactite looked suspiciously like wings and claws. A moment later a mouth opened, revealing a maw full of sharp, needle-like teeth. Its deep voice had a thick Zebrican accent, and there was an odd rasping quality to it that probably came from being monster. “I was wondering how long it would take you to notice me.”

The eye closed again, plunging the cavern into total darkness. I listened as carefully as I could, but there was nothing to tell me whether the Popobawa had moved, or where it might be now. I didn’t like being trapped in the dark with a monster, but I knew I couldn’t show my fear. The Popobawa was a predator, and acting like scared, vulnerable prey around it would be very dangerous. Instead, I spoke as confidently as I could. “We’re here about your attacks on the zebra known as Mwenye.”

The voice came out of the darkness just a few feet behind me, and it took all my self-control not to jump in surprise. “Ah, yes, Mwenye. Mwenyeee...” The creature slowly drew out his name, and I saw its teeth gleaming in the light cast by its eye. “Three times he has denied me. It is my right to take offense at such a crime. He has marked himself as my prey, and I will not stop until I have my retribution.”

“The knight and I say you must leave him alone,” Zecora snapped, her voice utterly uncompromising. “And for the harms you have done him, you must atone.”

The eye closed, and moment later reappeared in front of Zecora. The fact that the Popobawa could move so swiftly and silently was rather worrying. “Oh I must, must I? Come now, shaman, you know the old codes. I have spared your village and all those who acknowledge me. Only those who offer the insult of denying my existence become prey, as it has been since the time of your grandfather’s grandfather. Mwenye must be taught the price of eschewing the old ways.”

I scowled, unlimbering my spear. “I’m afraid that’s just not acceptable. I’m sure it hurt your feelings when Mwenye said you didn’t exist, but that doesn’t give you the right to attack him. Sometimes ponies say things that upset me, but I don’t stab them.”

The monster let out a low chuckle, its eye turning to me. “You think I merely target him because I am offended? No. Is it the fault of the apple that you find it appealing, knight? That it is your prey? That is simply the nature of things, is it not? He refuses to provide me with the respect that tradition demands, and so he forfeits that protection. If you leave your home with the windows open and doors unbarred, you have only yourself to blame when a thief robs you. It is only proper that he be punished for such foolishness.”

Zecora sighed and reluctantly nodded. “I have told Mwenye many times how he could ward the beast away, but when told to honor our old traditions, he always says neigh.”

“And by doing so, he gives me the right to hunt him,” the Popobawa answered with a nasty, tooth-filled grin. “It is the law.”

“No.” I scowled and brought my weapon to bear. “Maybe that was how things worked a long time ago, but Mwenye is a citizen of the Empire, and subject to its laws and protections now. You do not have the right to hurt him just because you don’t like his opinions. If you won’t stop, then I’m afraid I’ll have no choice but to make you stop.”

“Oh is that so?” He showed me his teeth once more. “By all means, you are welcome to try.”

The eye closed once more, and I heard a rush of wind before something slammed hard into my chest. The blow knocked me out of the air, and I slammed into one of the cavern walls and then fell to the floor. My armor protected me from the worst of it, but I was still going to have some very unpleasant bruises in the morning.

The Popobawa’s eye appeared again, and I stabbed out at it with my spear. However, I still hadn’t picked myself up from the cavern floor, so my attack was weak and off-balance. It dodged the attack without even trying, letting out a low, malevolent chuckle. Then the eye winked out once more.

A moment later Zecora’s voice rang out. “To you foul creature, I say hark! You cannot hide within the dark!” A second later there was a bright flash, and then a gentle green light filled the cavern. A quick glance at the cavern floor revealed that she’d scattered some sort of glowing powder.

I got a brief glimpse of the Popobawa before it darted out of the circle of light Zecora had created. The creature had a build similar to that of a minotaur, though somewhat smaller and less muscular. It had a pair of bat-like wings instead of arms, and its feet ended in cruel three-toed talons. Its head had no visible nose, ears, or any other features beyond its single eye and toothy maw. The green light made its skin look dark brown-red, like dried blood.

Zecora quickly helped me to my hooves. “My light will only last for a short while, and to fight the beast here would be a trial. I suggest we take this fight outside, where it will not be as easy to use the darkness to misguide.”

“I think that sounds like a very good idea.” Even the limited amount of moonlight that made it through the trees would be much better than the complete darkness of the cave. “I don’t think it will let us leave, though.”

The Popobawa’s teeth glinted in the darkness. “No, I’m afraid I won’t. And as you might have noticed, I’m quite a bit faster than you. You’re welcome to try escaping, though.”

My first instinct was to put that boast to the test, but I wasn’t optimistic about our chances. Escape wasn't an option either—even if we split up, it would easily run at least one of us down.

The Popobawa chuckled again, its glowing red eye hovering between us and the exit, just outside of the area illuminated by Zecora’s powder. “How much light can you make, shaman? How long will it last? Is it measured in hours or days? In either case, I assure you I can wait as long as I must. Far longer than either of you.”

Zecora scowled and tossed out more of her powder. However, this time the monster was ready for her. It began flapping its wings the instant she made her move, creating a gust that sent the powder flying right back into our faces. The shaman muttered something in her native language. I didn’t know much Zebrican, but the few words I did understand were enough that I was glad I missed the rest of it.

I stepped over to her side, murmuring quietly under my breath, “Do you have anything else that we can use against it? I could try to fight it, but as long as it’s staying in the dark it won’t be easy.”

Zecora frowned and shook her head. “I’m afraid that to most poisons and potions it is immune; when facing a shaman, ‘tis quite a boon.” She tapped her chin, glancing down at one of her other pouches. “I do have ways to enhance my own might, but I only got the dosage for a zebra right. If you were to partake of one my potions it could end being more of a poison.”

I suppose there was no helping that—I didn’t know too much about alchemy, but I knew enough about medicine to know that zebras and ponies have different reactions to some drugs. Those cases were rare since ponies and zebras were so similar, but I would rather not risk the five percent chance that one of Zecora’s potions might kill me.

What we needed was some way to lure the monster into attacking. It was fast, but not so fast that I couldn’t compensate for that as long as I could see it coming. That kind of speed can actually be a bit of a disadvantage. Something that’s moving very fast has more momentum, so it might not be able to stop itself in time once it committed to an attack. Not to mention that it could still only think and perceive at the same speed as a pony. Maybe even less, since having only a single eye probably limited its range of vision and depth perception.

“Cowards,” the popobawa hissed. “Hiding in your safe little circle of light. Maybe I should just leave you there. I wonder how many of the zebras back in the village I could kill before you caught up with me? Ten? Twenty? More? And there’s no way you could stop me. You’ll just stand there helplessly, being useless.”

Those words made me flinch. To think that after all my training, everything I had gone through, I was still weak and helpless against this monster.

No. I couldn’t accept that. There had to be a way to stop this creature. The only way it would win was if I gave up—which was exactly what it wanted me to do. The truth came to me in a flash of insight: Zecora told me that the Popobawa liked to draw things out with its victims because it enjoyed their fear. It didn’t want to run off into the village and start a massacre. It was just trying to frighten us.

I planted my hooves and glared at the glowing eyeball. “I am not afraid of you. If anything, it’s you who’s afraid of us!”

The eye blinked, and the beast chuckled. “Oh really? What a curious claim. Fear is the most delicious seasoning one can apply to meal, and yet you claim that I am afraid? And of a mere pony knight that I could tear apart without even trying?”

“If you’re not afraid, then step into the light,” I challenged. “You call me a coward, but you’re the one who’s hiding in the dark. If you were really that much stronger than me, you wouldn’t be afraid to fight me fairly.”

The Popobawa scoffed. “That’s not fear, it’s simply intelligence. You can’t see in the dark; I can. Why should I surrender an advantage?” His teeth gleamed out of the darkness. “I could just as easily say you are a coward for not fighting me in my chosen terrain. I’m rather disappointed by your ploy. Was demanding that I fight you fairly really the best you could do? You seem to be under the delusion that I’m an honorable knight like you. I, foolish pony, am a predator. And you are my prey.”

Zecora downed one of her potions, then answered its smile with one of her own. “I think the strength of your taunt is somewhat blunted by how easily fortune turns hunter into the hunted. Overconfidence has been the downfall of more than one of your kind, your pride so easily renders you blind.”

“Pride...” Something about that word reminded me of what had started this whole mess to begin with. Mwenye, who wouldn’t even admit that he was being attacked by the Popobawa because he was too proud to admit that it existed. And that gave me a rather devious idea.

I met the creature’s single eye, and very slowly and deliberately declared, “Popobawas do not exist.”

The creature let out a low, angry hiss. “What did you say?”

I answered him with implacable calm. “I said that Popobawas do not exist.”

It snarled, and I could hear its talons scraping along the cavern floor. “You dare?! I am standing right in front of you! How can you deny my existence?!”

“It’s very dark, and all I can see is an eye and a vague blur.” I smirked at the monster. “And whatever you are, you’re obviously not a Popobawa. Because they don’t exist.”

The Popobawa shrieked in anger and charged into the light, heading straight for me. I tried to put my spear in its path, but it was moving too fast. At the last moment, it hopped into the air, then its talons slammed down on my back. The attack drove me down to the cavern floor and drove the breath from my lungs.

Rather than take advantage of my moment of weakness, the creature remained perched on top of me, posing dramatically. “Deny me now, foolish little pony!” it crowed. “Take those words back, or you will die screaming!”

I might have denied its existence one more time, but it proved to be a moot issue. The monster was so enraged by my taunt that it had completely forgotten that I wasn’t alone. Zecora brought her staff down on one of its wings, swinging her weapon with incredible speed. There was an audible snap as the blow landed, and the Popobawa’s wing dropped, hanging limply from its side.

Unlike the monster, I did not waste my opponent’s moment of weakness by gloating. Instead I quickly drew my dagger and stabbed the monster in the belly. The creature let out a high-pitched keening wail, staggering off of my back and flopping weakly to the cavern floor.

While the Popobawa flopped about weakly, Zecora helped me back to my hooves. After taking a moment to check my injuries, I recovered my spear, then moved to put the monster out of its misery. However, it did something I hadn’t been expecting.

“Mercy!” The Popobawa pressed its forehead to the cavern floor in supplication. “I am beaten. Spare me, oh great one, and I promise I will never harm another living being for the rest of my life. I swear it!”

I stayed my hoof, though I still kept my weapon at the ready. The Popobawa would not be the first enemy to try to turn a battle in its favor by offering a false surrender. However, I couldn’t murder it on mere suspicion. “I accept your surrender. Zecora, do you have anything we can use to tie it up? I hope the local jail can hold it until we can arrange for a trial.”

The shaman frowned and shook her head. “The Popobawa is not a beast that can be jailed, as every attempt to do so has failed.” She hefted her staff and gave it a few practice swings. “The only solution is to leave its body to rot; I will take care of that if you cannot.”

The Popobawa whined pitifully, covering its head with its only working wing. “Please! I surrendered! Spare me! Have you no honor?”

“Zecora, no.” I reluctantly shifted to place myself between her and the monster. “I know it’s probably just lying to try and attack us while our guard is down, but if there’s even the slightest chance that this is genuine, we have to allow it the opportunity. I’ll need your help to stop the bleeding.”

She frowned at me. “A minute ago this creature would have gladly seen you dead, yet now you are concerned for the blood it has bled?”

“Showing compassion, even to your enemies, is one of the most important qualities of a knight.” I stared down at the wounded, groveling creature. “I know that if the situation were reversed it wouldn’t offer me mercy, but that doesn’t excuse me from doing the same thing. I am a knight, I’m supposed to be better than the monsters I fight.” I blinked, then shot a faint smile at my companion. “Now you have me rhyming too.”

She smiled in return. “It is a known hazard for a layman when they spend too much time with a shaman.” The good mood didn’t last, though. “This creature will betray you at the first opportunity; a Popobawa will break its word with impunity.”

“Maybe, but I have to give it a chance.” I frowned down at the monster. “Zecora, I’ll need more light to work with if I want to properly bandage up that knife wound. Do you mind?”

The shaman sighed, but dutifully spread some more of her light powder. I was glad I had thought to bring my own first aid kit, because I was fairly sure she would refuse to lend me any of her own medical supplies to treat the monster’s wounds.

Removing my dagger from the creature’s belly was unpleasant. Treating an injury I had caused always upset me. Sir Solemus said that was a good thing; being aware of how much damage I could cause to my enemies would make me properly appreciate the responsibility that came with being a knight. The weight of the decision I made whenever I chose to draw my weapons.

After removing the dagger, I quickly applied a salve to slow the bleeding, then put a simple pressure wrap over the wound. Far from perfect, but it would at least keep the monster from bleeding to death. I could properly treat its injuries once we had it in custody and under guard. I didn’t know much about Popobawa biology, but I should at least be able to keep it stable until a specialist from the Long Patrol arrived. Whoever the Patrol sent would have to decide on the monster’s final disposition.

Once I was done treating its injuries, I slowly backed away, keeping my eyes on it the entire time. It remained in place, its one working wing cradled over its wounded stomach, while the damaged wing hung from a simple sling I’d improvised from my medical supplies. Once I was fifteen feet away from it, I turned my back on the Popobawa to retrieve my fallen spear.

That was when the monster made its move, charging my unprotected back.

Even with a damaged wing and a stomach wound, the Popobawa was much faster than me. However, it needed to cross fifteen feet of cavern floor to reach me with its talons. All I needed to do was finish lifting my spear. By the time the Popobawa realized the danger, it was already too late. Its own momentum doomed it, and the monster impaled itself.

Despite having the tip of my spear through its chest, the Popobawa was still alive. Its one working wing twitched weakly in a vain effort to free itself. I turned around and faced it once more, sighing. “I would have spared you if you allowed it, but now I’m afraid now there’s only one last mercy I can offer you.” A quick thrust of my dagger put the monster to rest. “May the blessed light of the sun guide your soul to a peace it never knew in life.”

Once that was done, I took a few minutes to give the Popobawa a quick cremation. It may have been a murderous, treacherous monster, but it still deserved that much. Zecora watched me prepare the cairn with a bemused smile. “Even after it betrayed you, you still treat it with honor. Though I hope it never comes to pass, I fear that one day your kindness will prove to be your undoing.”

I thought that over for a moment, then slowly nodded. “Perhaps it will, but I think I’d rather be too compassionate than the alternative.” A mournful smile crossed my face. “Besides, just because I believe in letting every monster have a second chance doesn’t mean I have to trust them blindly. I’m kind, not stupid.”

She chuckled and dipped her head, acknowledging my point. “Still, I am glad I had the chance to work alongside one of the Knights of Sol Invictus. You are not what I expected, but I think that perhaps that is a good thing.”

“Thank you.” I paused, cocking my head to the side. “Why did you stop rhyming?”

She sighed and tiredly gestured towards the Popobawa’s cairn. “The hour is late, and I am weary from our fight. This has been a long and difficult night.”

“Yes, it has.” I quickly cleaned my weapons. “Thank you for helping me, I couldn’t have done this without you. If I have time before I have to leave Zanzebra, I would really like to have tea with you again. I would love to learn a bit more about zebra herbalism—I’ve heard you can make some incredible medicines. I’m sure there’s so much we could learn from each other.”

“I do know many things, it is true. And I would be glad to share them with you.” She grinned and winked at me. “But not the secret of rhyming, I’m afraid. That must remain the shaman’s secret trade.”

I smiled and chuckled tiredly. “I suppose I can live with that. I wouldn’t want to spoil our friendly chat.” I paused, putting a hoof to my lips. “Oh my, now you have me doing it again.”

I returned to the Order’s chapter house, looking forward to a thorough bath and a good night’s rest. Unfortunately, those plans fell apart shortly after I entered the building. One of the young pages galloped to my side as soon as I stepped through the door. “Dame Fluttershy, Palatine Weaver has been looking for you.”

“Oh dear, I’ll go see her at once.” Palatine Weaver was the commander of the outpost, and if she wanted to talk to me it must be something important, especially this late at night. I quickly trotted up to the palatine’s office, quite aware of the fact that my armor hadn’t been cleaned from my venture into the Popobawa’s lair.

When I stepped into his office, Palatine Weaver directed a rather pointed look at the blood and bat droppings adorning my platemail. “I presume your monster hunt was successful, but your timing could have been better. We received a messenger from the capital half an hour after you left.” He waved towards the next room. “She’s waiting for you in there.”

I stepped into the next room and gasped in surprise when I saw who it was. It might have been years since we’d seen each other, but I would never forget that lavender coat, the blond mane, and those mischievous purple eyes. “Cloud? Is that you?”

Cloud Solaris, one of my oldest fillyhood friends, rose from her seat, grinning. “Hey, ‘Shy! It’s been way too long.” Her eyes flicked over my messy armor, which made me feel even worse when I contrasted it against her own immaculate Phoenix Guard armor. “I hope you’ll understand if I don’t give you a hug right now.”

“That’s quite alright.” I looked her over again, taking note of the rank pips on her shoulder. “So you’re a major now? And in the Empress’s bodyguard unit? That’s wonderful!”

She answered with a gently teasing smile. “Yeah, I get to spend all day protecting a pony who could kill me with all four hooves tied behind her back.” She paused, then cleared her throat. “Well, that and I get sent out on errands, which is why I’m here. Business first, we’ll have plenty of time to catch up later.”

She reached into her bright red armor and produced a letter, opening it up and taking a deep breath. When she spoke, there was a stilted formality to her voice. “Dame Fluttershy, Knight Hospitaller of the Order of Sol Invictus: Her Imperial Majesty Sunbeam Sparkle, Great Mother of all Races, Beloved Unifier of the World, Valiant Protector of the Empire...” Cloud waved her hoof, passing over the rest of her titles. “...cordially invites you to attend her at the 834th Feast of Remembrance and join her at her table.”

I gasped in shock. The Feast of Remembrance was one of the most important events in the year. It held special significance to all members of my order since it commemorated the passing of Old Queen Celestia, the spiritual icon of our order. It was one of the most exclusive, prestigious parts of the Summer Sun Celebration. Having dinner with the Empress was one of the highest honors a pony could receive.

I had no idea what I’d done to earn such a reward. A second later a thrill of nervous panic settled into the pit of my stomach. “Oh my. Oh my goodness. Oh dear. That’s such an important event! What if I say something that offends the Empress? Or if I ... if I ... I don’t even have anything to wear other than my armor!”

Cloud chuckled and draped a reassuring wing over my back, ignoring the messy state of my armor. “Oh Fluttershy. Never change.”

Guest Tale: Captain Doo by Comma-Kazie

Appleoosa was a sight for sore eyes—even off-kilter ones like mine.

It was a small enough little town that I had to double-check before banking down for a landing. Contrary to what some ponies thought, mirages can affect you at any altitude, and it had taken me a little longer than usual to familiarize myself with the area. In the best of conditions, the desert frontier could play tricks on the mind; factor in the blooming afternoon heat on a mind already weary from a full morning of surveying, and it was understandable that a pony could pass over the town 200 meters above the ground.

This little town was just getting onto its hooves. Honestly, I was a little amazed that they’d built up as much as they had. The starting population of a few hundred ponies, gryphons, and zebras would have been enough of a strain without an underground reservoir; planting an orchard large enough to sustain it was right out. The best they’d managed so far was a few acres of long-suffering and sun-baked orchard, and even those had been painstakingly transplanted from a town near Canterlot.

Not all of them had survived, either. It wasn’t as bad as my (brief) attempt to nurture a potted plant, but unrelenting heat and limited water had killed a few trees. It looked like some of the Appleoosans had started cutting the dead ones down for firewood, as a few of the ones closer to town had notch marks in the trunk and axes and saws leaning against them, abandoned until the temperature dropped in the evening.

A few beads of sweat trickled down across my eyes as I flitted—fluttered—okay, forcefully inserted myself at the town limit, and for the umpteenth time since arriving here, I quietly thanked my family for the recent addition to my gear. When he got word I’d be deploying in a desert, my brother had ‘borrowed’ my canteens and gotten them both enchanted with some kind of cooling spell. I forgot the name almost as soon as he’d mentioned it, but all I really needed to know was they now instantly chilled its contents to 3° Centigrade. Cirrus always preferred practical gifts, and he’d really outdone himself with that one.

I’d always enjoyed a few extra luxuries on account of having traders for a brother and father, and over the years I’d gotten some additional equipment from them that the Guard usually wouldn't provide. Never anything illegal of course, but one of the truths about military life is that your equipment is usually provided by the lowest bidder.

I got my canteen out and tilted my head back, catching the last few mouthfuls of gloriously cold water. As I did, my lazy eye caught a hint of movement off to the side. All things considered, I was thirsty enough that I was willing to brush off whomever for a few more mouthfuls of water; I never meant any disrespect, and luckily, everyone out here would understand that water trumped decorum every time. Nonetheless, I swallowed as quickly as thirst would allow before turning to the newcomer.

I was met by the widest, most cheerful smile I’d seen since my nephew had been born. A pair of wide, green eyes greeted me, shielded from Sunbeam’s—er, sunbeams—by a brown stetson. The stallion had a matching vest which, if I’m honest, complimented his amber coat rather nicely.

“Afternoon, Captain!” he said, leaning a little too close into my personal bubble.

Not that it bothered me. Some of my squadmates might have been put off by him, but he had this infectiously bubbly personality that was hard to not like. “Hello, Braeburn.”

He tipped his hat to me. “Ah thought Ah saw you makin’ your way back. Hope Ah didn’t spook ya none.”

I chuckled at that, shaking my head. After the mess with that ice drake up in the Frozen North, being snuck up on didn’t bother me at all. Much to Cirrus’s chagrin, but he’ll get over it.

“Well, no harm, no foul.” Braeburn brushed off his stetson before putting it back on his head. “Say … speakin’ of fouls, Ah don’t think Ah ever gave you the grand tour.”

I politely shook my head. “No, I don’t think you did.” I already knew the layout pretty well, but I didn’t see any reason to decline. “I’m done with my assignment for the morning, so why not?”

“All right!” He reared up and actually whinnied, and it was right then that I remembered where I recognized him from. “Here's your inside look at Aaaaa—”

My hoof snapped up and hastily plugged his mouth before he could deafen me. “Your beautiful little town, yes,” I finished for him. I remembered hearing this welcoming cry from the other side of the train station, back when my company first arrived. I can forgive a little enthusiasm in a shout, but this guy could out-shout a drill instructor.

“Hmph hnm hmph?” he asked.

I removed my hoof carefully. “Please, lead the way. I just need to top off my water first.”

“Awrighty then!” Braeburn led the way, seemingly not off-put in the slightest by my interruption or the mouthful of sandy gauntlet I’d just treated him to. Oops. I felt a little bad, but by the same token, I rather needed my hearing.

After a quick stop by the well, he led the way through town. Although I wouldn’t say it out loud, there really wasn’t too much to see. Sure, Appleoosa was a frontier settlement, but it actually looked like something right out of Daring Do or The Waco Colt: a few rows of shops, houses and other such buildings, separated by a few streets and surrounded on all sides by sand and mesas. Hay, an honest-to-goodness tumbleweed actually rolled past us as we trotted down the way, making its way towards the train tracks at the end of the road, and even the wide-brimmed hats worn by a lot of Appleoosans looked like something from a bygone era.

Braeburn loved every bit of it. “This here is Mane Street—or leastaways, it will be once we get some in some cobblestones an’ proper signs.”

“A street sign?” I couldn’t help but laugh a little at that. “You really think somepony could get lost in Appleoosa?”

“Well, not now,” he conceded. “But someday down the line. We gotta think ahead, after all!”

“Points for that, I suppose.” I shrugged, and noticed a pile of planks and pipes off to the side. “What’s that for?”

His eyes lit up so brightly that I’d swear they shifted to a different shade of green. “That there's gonna be our water tower. Anything that ain’t fer drinking is gonna be up there, so that’ll help take some pressure off our wells.”

I could only imagine. Lieutenant Strata knew more about the water table than I did, but in a climate this arid, it’s instinctive to want to save as much water for drinking as possible. “Have you ever had to implement a water ration?”

“Not yet—and Empress willing, we’ll never have to.” The prayer in his tone was subtle, but definitely there. “We’ve got the plans for rationing though, and yer geologist has been helpin’ us look fer new aqua-fers, so it looks like we’ll be okay until yer dam project goes up.” He paused, then shot me a grin. “Pardon mah language; Ah mean yer darn project.”

I didn’t give him the satisfaction of groaning in reply. I’d learned long ago from Cirrus that the more I reacted to his bad jokes, the more he’d make them. “How does the dam figure into your outlook on the town's growth?”

Sure enough, he didn’t try any further jokes. Yet. “Well, we figure we'll have a whole passel of new folks comin' in once the dam's finished, an’ it'll help our orchards get irrigated, too. We could double our crop of apples—maybe even triple.”

Which in turn would go a long way towards weaning Appleoosa off of food deliveries from other parts of the Empire. It would still take the better part of a decade for this venture to bear fruit—literally, in this case.

The trader in me wondered why the Appleoosans had set up the town to rely on their namesake crop. Orchards and arid climates didn’t mix all that well under the best of circumstances, and more desert-friendly plants like prickly pear cacti or blue agave would be easier to grow while being much more profitable to export, when they got to a point to do so.

It was ultimately their call, I suppose—or at least the call of whichever Imperial planner had signed off on this expedition. I’m a civil engineer, not an agricultural one, so it was my job to help them build the dam they needed to raise the plants they wanted. My wings flitted in a shrug as I turned back to Braeburn. “Are there any other big development plans, aside from the dam?”

“Nothin’ else like that. The rest is just what you see, buildin’ up the rest of the town. We're looking to start a county fair here—start some rodeo competitions and the like, and maybe start cider production once we get enough of an apple surplus.”

“Oooh, now you're talking.” That sounded amazing, especially on this assignment. Regulations aside, the only thing that would make my job better would be doing it with ice-cold cider at hoof. “How long do you think it’ll be before you start brewing?”

“Well…” I blinked in surprise as his face fell. And not just in ‘the cider is gone’ disappointment (which, admittedly, would leave me pretty down too), but genuine anxiety.

“What?” I asked. When Braeburn didn’t immediately answer, I nudged him with my wing. “Come on, what is it?”

He sighed and straightened his hat. “We're havin’ a mite bit of trouble with the buffalo. Seems like they don't much care for the dam project.”

From the tone of his voice, it sounded like more than a ‘mite bit.’ I kept my face carefully neutral as I pressed him. “What’s going on?”

“It sounds like the dam’s gonna end up flooding a patch o’ land that the buffalo care about, an’ Ah don’t think they aim t’ give it up. Their Chief Thunderhooves came in an’ raised a right ruckus about it with the praetor one time, talkin’ about how it’d been the grounds of his father, an’ his father before him, an’ his father before him, an’ his father before him, an’ his father before him, an’—well, you get the idea.”

“Yeah, it sounds like it goes back a ways.” My smile became more strained as I felt a cold pit in my stomach that had nothing to do with my canteens. “And the town won’t survive without the dam, will it?”

Braeburn shook his head sadly. “The whole town might go under in a few years. All our hard work just… Ah can't even stand t’ think of it.” He frowned, glancing at the orchard behind us as we turned down the street. “And this is probably the only spot for miles around that could support the orchard we already have—an’ even then, that’s probably only ‘cause we’re as close to the river as we are.”

“Damn.” I rubbed my face in exasperation. “Not another one.”

“Another what, ma'am?”

“It’s…” I sighed. Sugar-coating it wouldn’t do the situation here any favors. “Imperial history, is all. It’s an ugly cycle. There were a couple of other settlements like this in other cultures. More often than not, the beings there didn't like the intrusion. The ones that didn't get out of the way were just kind of stepped over.” I didn’t offer details, and I gave thanks when he didn’t ask for them.

His ears drooped even lower. “Were there, uh, any stories that had a happy ending for everypony? And uh, every—one?”

I chewed my lip, scouring my memory as quickly as I tried to remember the Empire’s various expansions. Gryphonia had been the first to have the dubious honor of being ‘added’ to the Equestrian Empire, being an old, traditional foe. The history books have to be taken with a grain of salt, granted, but the gryphons attacked first after the old Queen Celestia died. From the sound of things, they hoped that the new regent would be softer pickings.

Instead, they had avoided extinction. Barely.

After that had come the downfall of the Zebrican Empire, the pacification of the camels, the extinction of the changelings linked to Chrysalis … hay, if I had to guess, things with the caribou up north had only gone as smoothly as they had due to Governor Cadenza’s mediation.

“Ah'm guessin' that's a 'no', then,” Braeburn said after a couple of minutes.

“Weeeelllllll…” I drew out the word as much as I could, scrambling to find something good to point to. “The Scharfrekrallen Pass was a concession.”

He stared blankly at me. I guess it figured he wouldn't know about that one; it was a relatively small detail in the war with Gryphonia, and—while I hated to stereotype—probably not one a farmer would care about anyway.

“So once that war ended,” I continued, trying to end this little tangent as quickly as possible, “it was Equestrian territory anyway—and the gryphons were able to adjust well enough! Mostly.” I forced my eyes into alignment to give him the most reassuring smile I could muster. “But that was a long time ago, and that was with gryphons, not buffalo!”

Braeburn looked less than reassured. In fact, he looked halfway ready to panic. “W-what're we gonna do?! We don't want no war or anythin'. Hay, them buffalo seem pleasant enough folk, but we don't want our town t'go under. It's our home!”

It was probably a good thing I had become an engineer. I was almost afraid to think about the kind of damage I could do as a diplomat or psychologist. “War's not going to happen! It's—look, the stuff with the gryphons was completely different. Besides, we already have a treaty with the buffalo.”

“Oh.” He visibly calmed down, although it wasn’t hard to see he was still on edge. “Well, that's good, innit?”

I thought carefully before answering. “It’s … a very good start.”

“That's great!” He beamed at me in the fastest emotional turnaround I’d ever seen. “Ah reckon I'll go tell Sheriff Silverstar there's nothing to worry 'bout. Thanks, Captain!”

It took a few seconds for me to process that, and by the time it clicked, he was halfway across the street. I launched after him in a panic and wrapped a wing around his shoulder. “WHY don't I tell him? Later?” I tried to point him away from the sheriff’s office as subtly as I could. “I have a report to give him anyway about a thing. In the place. From that time.”

Unfortunately for me, he got the hint about as well as the idea of an ‘indoor voice.’ “Oh, don’t you worry yerself about it! Ah can let him know there ain’t no problem, an’ Ah’ll even let him know t’ expect yer report soon!”

More unfortunate still, he kept right on going in spite of—well, me. In hindsight, I should have seen that coming, since anything short of full plate mail probably wouldn't have slowed down a pony used to pulling a plow. I had to think fast “Nonono! Really, I can get it myself. Besides, we’re still doing the tour of the town, right? Tell me about ... uh…” I turned and pointed at the first building I saw. “This charming establishment!

He beamed at me. “Why, that there's the local cathouse! Mah cousin Goldie Delicious owns the place.”

Oh.

Dear.

Gods.

I had no words. I really didn’t. I just stood there, smile frozen on my face and hoping the ground would open beneath me just to get me out of there.

“Eeyup. She’s probably the sweetest mare around, too.” Braeburn nodded far too proudly for the words that had left his mouth. “All those poor cats would’ve starved or died o’ thirst.”

“...right!” What else could I have said at that point? “ANYWAY! I was actually pointing just a little to the left.” I whirled around to the building behind us, confident that with that awkwardness out of the way, things could only get better.

“That's the local waterin’ hole, the Salt Block!” Braeburn’s smile didn’t slip an inch as patron sailed through the swinging doors, stumbling to get back to his hooves long after he’d hit the ground.

Desperately hoping that the third time was the charm, I shifting my hoof over to the right, pointing to a building two doors down.

“An’ that's the sheriff's office and local jail.”

That at least made sense—keeping the drunk tank close to the saloon would probably keep response times to a minimum. And, more relevant to me, I now knew which building to avoid for a while. I kept my foreleg around Braeburn, trying to avoid looking like I was dragging him away while I dragged him away. “Very nice, thanks for the tour! Maybe we should go for a flight, next? I bet you haven’t seen the dam site, have you?”

“Uh…” He stared back at me, lifting his hat to scratch his head. “When you say ‘we,’ y'do know I don't have no wings?”

Details. I almost suggested that he just hop on my back for a quick flight, but I caught myself at the last minute. Having trained in full combat armor, I could do a Plus One flight easily enough, especially with the thermals around to give me a quick and easy boost, but from what I’d seen around Appleoosa, Braeburn would probably turn redder than the apples on his flank if I suggested he get on my back.

I guess communal barracks and facilities had made me a bit accustomed to the idea of a nonexistent personal bubble. And, seeing that even the gryphons, with all their feathers, wore clothes out here in the desert, the cultural pendulum was more on the side of extreme prudishness rather than casually platonic closeness.

Or maybe they just liked the hats. Honestly, it was anypony’s guess.

Either way, I decided to nip that problem in the bud. “Right. How about we just walk, then?” It would’ve been too much trouble to try and find a sky-cart that I could pull; besides, with the midday heat, I didn’t want to add another layer of straps and harnesses to what I was already wearing. I’d refill my canteens on the way out, so as long as we were careful, we could make the hike without a problem.

He led the way out of town, treating me to a rather nice view on top of the desert scenery. I tried not to stare too much. Tried.

What? I’m only equine.

Eventually, I realized he was glancing back every once in a while. While he didn’t seem to mind me checking out his orchard—quite the contrary, so I guess I’d been wrong about him being a prude—I cantered up to him to avoid being too creepy. “So .... what brought you out here?”

Braeburn took a deep breath, looking around as he answered. “Ah wanted to carve out mah own place, Ah reckon. Plant some roots of mah own.”

“I can understand that. Looking for a new life away from the chaos of the city, right?”

“A little bit,” he said. “More like ... s'more freedom out here, y'know? Less rules n' regulations, more free sky.”

“I suppose.” That got me thinking, though. “Question for you.”

“Shoot.”

“When this gets bigger, the rules and regulations are going to follow. Appleoosa may be out on the edge now, but give it a generation and it’s going to grow into a proper city. What'll you do then?”

He fanned himself with his stetson, settling it back onto his head before answering. “Ah guess I'll get used to it. Leastaways, this way I'll have a say in makin' the rules for this place, y'know?”

“Maybe.” I had to admire his optimism, if nothing else. “The Empire’s bureaucracy follows its population, though. If I had to guess, you’ve got a lot of leeway now only because nopony’s sure if this is going to work.”

“If’n so, Ah guess Ah’ll move on again—sell mah share an’ find a quieter patch o’land.” He saw my confused look and focused on my good eye as he explained. “Ah’ like t’settle down, sure, but on mah terms. Besides, Ah’d be better set fer buildin’ a lastin’ home out here if Ah can make a tidy profit sellin’ mah share.” He chuckled. “Mah ol’ Granny Smith would probably tan mah hide fer buyin’ and sellin’ land like jam at a market, but she was a lot more married to her orchard.”

We shared a chuckle and pressed on.

By the time we got to the river, I was kicking myself for walking. The heat I could manage since it was at least dry (never again would I take a posting in a humid climate if I could help it), but I could see thermals all around us. The air actually rippled around us, and even with a passenger, I could’ve ridden them up half a mile. From there, we could’ve gotten a good look at the cliff face where we would be setting the dam into the walls—I could point out the bits we’d hewn out on the sides, or maybe explain how we tested that it would all stand up against the pressure of a full reservoir. It wouldn’t take me too much time to grab a cloud and a cloud-friendly mat to hold him.

Probably for the best that we didn’t, though. I’d hate for him to get antsy and slip off or something. Or fall on the way up.

Hypothetically.

Anyway, we’d still get a decent view. The little outpost we’d built near the river had a tall, if somewhat haphazard-looking, tower that stood over a bunker we’d dug into the ground. It wasn’t anything entrenched or particularly robust—adobe was better at warding off heat than attackers, and the tower was barely a dozen meters off the ground. It wasn’t meant to be a holdout, but as a waypoint for me and the other surveyors, it did the job well enough.

We were close enough that I could see a glint of metal on the door when Braeburn slowed to a halt. “Say, Captain—you have anypony out here?”

“Not in the heat of the day,” I said. “Why?”

In response, he pointed to a small cloud of dust that was quickly coming our way. I pulled him down against a nearby sandhill, then pulled my binoculars out of my saddlebags. With a few small adjustments, I got a better view of the runner. “A buffalo. Juvenile or a small adult, if I had to guess. The coloring’s wrong for an adult.”

That didn’t make any sense. They always travelled together—a dozen or so at bare minimum, and more frequently as an entire herd.

“Huh.” Braeburn scratched his head. “Maybe he got lost?”

“Maybe.” I doubted it, though; the area around Appleoosa has some some pretty distinct landmarks. Getting lost in the desert was probably even scarier for the ground-pounders than it was for me, and from the sound of things, even the civs had memorized the most important ones within a few months of arriving. They would’ve been even more important and more ingrained to a species that spent its entire existence on the move.

Still, that would explain why he was running for the outpost. It was in good shape, so even somebody with zero survival training would be able to tell that it was regularly maintained—which meant somebody would be there soon, if not already.

I hoofed the binoculars to Braeburn. “Wait a minute, Ah think Ah know that one. Ah’ve seen her around a few times when the new chief paid us a visit.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Eeyup. Never really talked, though.”

I only grunted in reply. That buffalo had to be fairly important to accompany the chief on a visit to non-buffalo. Her being out and alone made even less sense. I stood up and was about to fly out to her when she reached the outpost … and kept going. Not past it, but through it. She smashed into one of the doors, and not the main door either—it was one of the padlocked storage areas, rather than the front door. I dragged Braeburn back down into cover, and we watched to see what would happen next.

A dozen thoughts ran through my mind, from the perfectly reasonable to the completely insane. Even if she was looking for weapons—and I hoped she wasn’t—they were all secured at the armory back in Appleoosa, and she was close enough to the river that it’d be easier to just dunk her head in rather than raid a water store. Food was a maybe, but if she had enough strength to smash through a padlock at a dead run…

My questions were answered quickly enough when she reemerged with a bag of quick-drying cement over her shoulder and carried it towards the river. She murmured something to herself, threw it in, then ran back to the outpost for another.

Okay, that was enough. I slunk back, pulling Braeburn with me. With any luck, we could return to town without being noticed and get reinforcements to—

“Hey, she can't take that!” Braeburn stood up, pulling my foreleg up with him. Stupid earth pony strength. “Hey there!”

I facehooved.

Lectures about things like stealth would have to wait for later, though; the young buffalo froze when she heard Braeburn’s voice, but only long enough to drop the cement. She took off like an arrow, running away from the outpost as quickly as she’d come.

I took to the air after her, and Braeburn followed on hoof. He set a pretty good pace, but there was no way he could match somebody who had probably been running since she was a child.

Luckily for him, he didn’t need to.

The thermals took me into the air almost effortlessly, and even in spite of the buffalo’s head start, it didn’t take me long to catch up. It was more than a little satisfying to see her glance up with a look of panic right as I slammed into her. We hit the ground hard, but being between me and the ground, the buffalo was worse off. We tumbled a few times, but I hung on.

She tried to get her hooves back under her, but I kept her busy long enough for Braeburn to catch up. He hesitated at first, but that ended when I took a hoof to the face. My helmet caught the worst of it, but it still stunned me enough that the buffalo was able to slip out of my grip. She got about five paces away when a lasso swung out and snagged her hindleg, jolting her back and onto her belly. He reeled her in, clapped his forelegs over her ears, and then expertly hog-tied her.

Never again would I make fun of a rodeo. It raised a few questions as to why they would need to know skills like this, but for the moment, I wasn’t going to question it.

I trotted over, rubbing my head under my helmet. “Not that I’m complaining, but where did the rope come from?”

“Mah hat.” Braeburn didn’t even look away from checking his knots. Sure enough, his hat was on the ground back where he had been standing.

I got it for him and dusted it off. “Seriously? You keep a coil of rope in your hat?”

“Doesn’t everypony?”

I decided not to pursue that line of thought any further. Locals.

The young buffalo struggled a little while longer, then rolled onto her side, panting. She looked up at the two of us, her eyes wide. It wasn’t just panic, either—or not the spur-of-the-moment panic that comes with being caught red-hoofed; her breathing skyrocketed the instant she got a good look at me, and even tied up like she was, she still kept squirming away from me, and towards the river.

Something about that sat wrong with me. I trotted to her and put a forehoof on her shoulder—not with any kind weight to it, so much as just letting it be there. “Hey,” I said, giving her a gentle smile. “It’s all right now, okay?”

Surprisingly, the young buffalo was less than reassured by a smile from her armored captor. She stopped moving, but her eyes locked onto me, darting at every subtle move I made.

“It’s all right—really, I’m not going to hurt you.” I shifted her to a more comfortable position, then got out my canteen and offered it to her. She stared at it like it was an explosive glyph, so I unstopped it, took a swig, then swallowed very clearly so that she could see. “It’s just water, I promise. Nice and cold.”

She still hesitated, so Braeburn took a swig as well, then cradled her head and offered the canteen to her. She seemed to relax just a bit after that; she blinked in surprise when the ice-cold water hit her lips, but then guzzled the offering as if it were fresh cider.

“See? You’re all right now.” I took off my helmet and offered the most reassuring smile I could. “So … when you’re ready, you want to tell me what all that was about?”

“Nothing.”

She even sounded like a teenager. There was no way she was over 16. “Right ... okay, look, this doesn't have to go anywhere past here. But, you have to talk to me. Otherwise I have to take you in.”

The young buffalo blanched, but then glared up at me. “And then your legions will execute me.”

“Say what?!” Braeburn yelped.

I wasn’t quite as horrified as he was, but hearing a child say that still jarred me. “That's absurd. We don't execute ponies—or buffalo—for theft.”

“You came here to destroy our homes,” the young buffalo snorted. “Why not take our lives too?”

“B-but, we didn't come to destroy nopony—” Braeburn caught himself, though not fast enough to escape a glare from the young buffalo. “Er, nobuffalo's homes!”

“You're going to drown our homes under a lake.”

“Nobody. Is killing. Anybody.” I took a half second to steel myself, and to make sure I sounded as non-threatening as possible. “Now ... what were you doing with the cement?”

“I was throwing it into the river.”

“And then?” I pressed.

“I would get another bag, and throw it in.”

“And when you ran out of bags?”

“I would find something else.” She sounded like she meant it, but also subdued—as if this was the first time she’d heard her plan aloud, rather than just in her head.

“And when you got caught?” I pressed again. “And that's a 'when'. If it wasn’t me today, it would’ve been somebody else. Somebody not as nice.” I hated to add that last part, but it was true. A lot of our maps had ‘OpFor’ on the buffalo territory, and while we’d never officially engaged each other…

I put that thought from my mind. The young buffalo, on the other hoof, seemed to have it front and center in hers, and the longer the silence stretched on, the more she tried to curl in on herself. Poor girl.

Finally—mercifully—Braeburn spoke up. “What's your name, ma'am?”

“Little Strongheart.”

“Little Strongheart, is it?” Braeburn offered a disarming smile as well, which probably worked a little better than mine on account of his eyes. “That's a pretty name. Mah name's Braeburn. And this here is Captain Ditzy Doo.”

“You can just call me Derpy, if you want.” It was an old nickname, but I figured it would be better than something official.

I guess Strongheart didn’t agree; she seemed less afraid of me than before, but only slightly. “Why are you telling me your names?”

“Because we don't wanna be enemies,” Braeburn said. “Hard t'be enemies with someone you know.”

“Is this some kind of trick?” Strongheart glowered at us.

“Of course not.” Little Strongheart still looked less than willing to trust me. Shocking.

“It ain't no trick, ma'am.” Braeburn doffed his hat, and gave Strongheart the most adorably disarming smile I’d ever seen. Which, from him, was quite a feat.

I wasn’t sure what else I could do to reassure her, short of stripping out of my armor. Which wasn’t going to happen. “I'm with the Imperial Corps of Engineers. I'm here to help, not to lie to you.”

“Engineers.” Strongheart spat the word like an obscenity. “You are the ones building the dam that will destroy our homes. Our stampeding grounds.”

“We don't want to destroy nothing,” Braeburn murmured. “But … well, we need that water.”

I rubbed my chin. “I thought you were nomads, anyway.”

“Some lands are precious to us.”

I lay down beside her, taking a sip from my second canteen. “How so?”

“These are our sacred stampeding grounds,” Strongheart answered simply.

Braeburn doffed his hat and put it back on his head. I briefly hoped that he wasn’t going to do that every time he spoke to her. “Uh ... pardon me, miss, but what makes 'em so sacred? Aren't there other grounds?”

Strongheart snorted, sounding insulted by the thought of it. “My father stampeded over these grounds. And his father before him, and his father before him, and—”

“Yes yes, I've heard this story.” I hated to cut her off like that, but if I let her follow that to its conclusion, I’d run out of provisions before she finished.

“Then you understand why it is so important,” the young buffalo said.

I sighed. “Yes, but is this ... is stealing from us worth it? How does that help?”

“If we stop you from building the dam…”

Braeburn spoke up before I could find the best way to break it to her. “But ya cain’t. We got a treaty with the buffalo.”

I sighed, and nodded in agreement. It was a nice dream, that the Empire could be undercut so easily. From the way she said it, I had a feeling that she wasn’t the only buffalo who thought that way, either. They just didn’t know… I didn’t think they could know. I doubted they had ever come across something like this before. From what we knew, the worst their society had faced before now was a dragon that had taken its hundred-year nap on one of their ancestral grazing pastures. It had taken a generation, but life had gone back to the way it always had been for them.

The dam wouldn’t go away, though, and they knew it. Waiting wasn’t an option, but… “If the treaty was broken, the Empire would have to step in. And before you get any ideas, fighting … just don’t.”

“We can,” Strongheart said, frowning up at me. “We have always prevailed.”

“Not this time.” I thought for a moment, trying to find the best way to break through to her. “The Empire can build a wall that can stop a river, sweetie. And it’s done it hundreds of times over hundreds of years—and thousands of ponies, gryphons, zebras, and more live near each of them. If you fought, all of them would come here to fight back.”

“But…” The young buffalo faltered. “But … we cannot let you take our homes.”

There wasn’t anything I could say to that. So I hugged her instead. She stiffened, and for a moment I thought she was going to headbutt me. An instant later, I realized how badly that could end, what with my helmet off.

I hugged her anyway.

Braeburn fiddled with his hat. “We could build you some homes. Y’know, make you part of Appleoosa.”

“It is not the same!” Strongheart snapped. “We would have to give up our way of life! And this dam would destroy it!”

“The treaty made the buffalo lands Imperial territory,” I said weakly. “Chief Stronghorns agreed to it, and—”

“Stronghorns?!” Strongheart stared incredulously. “He was simple! He would ask his wife when she was due every morning for years after their son was born! He only knew the stampeding paths because he had run them from birth!”

Oh. Oh no.

Dementia wasn’t as well understood then as it was today, but ponies had known about it since before the Civil War. If Strongheart knew, generations later, there was no way the Empire would have missed it. The Ministry of Heart was just as efficient and frightening back then as it is today, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if I found out that the Empire had watched Stronghorns from his early childhood, and drafted and reworked the treaty year by year until they were ready to approach him.

That sounded a little paranoid even as it ran through my head, but in my experience, if one wasn’t paranoid about the Ministry of Heart, one didn’t really understand the Empire.

Regardless of my feelings on the matter, nopony could deny how conveniently everything had fallen into place for Appleoosa, at the expense of the buffalo. We had an airtight treaty, diplomats ready to brandish it, soldiers ready to enforce it, and a public more concerned about the frontier and the ponies settling it than anyone who might have been there first.

I struggled for so long that I wound up not needing to say anything at all. Strongheart’s face fell, then tightened into a glare that was as unbelieving as it was angry. “This is wrong!”

“I know,” I said. “I’m sorry.”

“Then stop it! These lands are our homes!”

Braeburn shuffled awkwardly beside me. “This place is our home too, now. Ah mean, it ain’t right what happened with Chief Stronghorns, but that was a long time ago. An’ … well, when we founded Appleoosa, we packed up everything we had, said our goodbyes, an’ put our all into this town. Some of us don’ have no place else to go.”

Strongheart stared at Braeburn, as if seeing him in a new light. I wondered how much the Appleoosans and buffalo had talked before now—actually met and talked to each other, as individuals instead of opponents. “I do not know what you should do,” Strongheart said, “but making your home by destroying ours is wrong.”

I nodded, still lost for words. We were going in circles, and the more she spoke, the more sense she made. Calling it ‘uncomfortable’ was a hay of an understatement. All this seemed so … distant, at home. Far away, but more than that, long ago. There was that tiny, guilty little voice everypony gets in the back of their mind when the topic comes up—that we could wash our hooves of something done by someone else.

And now I was that someone else. The dam hadn’t been my idea, but it was still my work. All Strongheart had wanted to do was protect her home, and even if she was going about it the wrong way, it was all she knew. And now she was bound at my hooves, and lucky that was the worst of it.

I couldn’t leave her here, but bringing her in would create so many more problems than it would solve. There was only one thing I really could do. “I'm going to untie you, okay? But first I need you to promise you won't attack us.”

Strongheart blinked in surprise, but nodded. “I don't want to hurt ponies. I just want to stop the dam.”

I undid the knots, and Braeburn helped Strongheart to her hooves. I hadn’t noticed it earlier, but she was massive—she wasn’t even close to full-grown, and she was almost eye-to-eye with Braeburn. I suppressed a shiver and thanked the moon that she had come on her own. “Look…” I said, hoofing her my canteen. “For what it's worth, I don't like it either.”

“You do not?” When Braeburn and I both shook our heads, Strongheart frowned, her skepticism plainly evident. “Then tell your Empress to stop it.”

Braeburn chewed his lip, wearing the same expression I’d seen on Cirrus and his husband a few times when trying to find a way to explain themselves to their wife. In fairness, I probably had a similar expression. “Uh…” I drew the word out as long as I could. “You … you really don’t understand how that works, do you? Nopony—nobody—just tells the Empress what to do.”

“Is she not bound to you?” Strongheart pressed. “All Chiefs must listen to their herd. If they do not, then they will soon find themselves without any herd to follow them.”

If only. “That’s not how it works for us. Everypony gets a chance to share their point of view, but once the Empress gives an order, that’s the end of it. Her herd is…” I tried to think of a way to describe those rat-fink bastards in the Ministry of Heart. I decided to spare her the horror. “She doesn’t make every decision in the Empire, but it’s big enough that if you say no, they can just send somepony else in your place.”

“But if you tell her that this is wrong…”

“Imperial citizens have a home here, now. In the Empire’s eyes, it would be wrong to take that away.” Propaganda is always a game of perspective, but it still grated on me to explain it.

“But you are one of her soldiers!” Strongheart exclaimed. “She will listen to you!”

“I'm a captain.” I got a blank stare in reply, and I remembered that the buffalo had a far simpler chain of command. “I’m not very important. Just getting to talk with the Empress would be a trick, and I'm so far beneath her that I don’t think she would remember it in a month.”

“But … but there must be something we can do!”

“I wish I knew of something. I swear to you, I really wish I knew.”

Braeburn gingerly put a hoof on the young buffalo’s shoulder. “Miss Strongheart, Ah came out here because Ah wanted to create something new. T'have my own farm and … Ah didn't know we’d be steppin’ on y'all’s hooves like this. And Ah'm powerful sorry. But…” He looked out at the plains. “Ah can't imagine a day that didn't start with me seein’ the sun rise on the prairie.”

Strongheart glowered at him, and Braeburn flinched like he’d just kicked a puppy. “Mah pappy's pappy may not have lived here, but Ah do now. Ah want t'have a family here, to make a life here. And … Ah don't know what to do.”

The young buffalo turned to me. “Your commander is one of the striped ones, and I have heard they get the Empire's justice. How can the buffalo receive it?”

I decided to spare her the history lesson I’d given Braeburn earlier. “They get it because they've been full citizens of the Empire since before my father's father was born.”

“Would your empress spare our stampeding grounds if we became citizens?”

“I don't know,” I admitted. “The site for Appleoosa was chosen because of how close it is to the dam site. The town can't survive without enough water.”

“But she would hear us, at least?” I didn’t miss the desperation in her voice.

“I’ll do what I can,” I assured her. It wasn’t quite an empty promise—the Empress would be visiting the town soon as part of a tour of the frontier—but I didn’t want Strongheart to think that getting an audience with the Empress would be the same thing as changing her mind. “Until then … please don't steal any more, alright? It won’t make them listen, and if somepony else had caught you…” I let the thought go unspoken. Major Batur wasn’t actively looking for casus belli, but he had a knack for pacification. He wouldn’t be light-hoofed in punishing sabotage.

Strongheart nodded, and she seemed sincere. I hoped she was. “We only want to save our homes.”

“I understand.” I let her drain my canteen, then gave her a final hug. “If you need me again, I'll be in Appleoosa when I'm not out surveying.”

The young buffalo nodded again, then took off like an arrow. Braeburn and I watched her until she was just a speck of dust on the plain

The next few weeks went by without a problem. Actually, they were better than they had been before. After meeting Little Strongheart, I went over the supply records and found a pattern of disappearances. The shrinkage wasn’t obvious in day-to-day work, but it added up quickly enough: a few bags of concrete from one outpost, or the dumpy level and Jacob’s ladder from another.

Come to think of it, that might explain where my good telescope had gone. I’d have to ask Strongheart about it when I saw her again.

Still, things were going missing, and even if I hadn’t caught Strongheart red-hooved, somepony would have put the pieces together sooner or later. What I worried about the most, though, was the fact that the buffalo were stealing at all. I had a feeling that they knew crime wasn’t a problem in Appleoosa, and anyone who wasn’t a professional thief would be caught quickly enough. Still, even with soldiers around—and proper soldiers, not just gendarmes—our supplies were going missing.

If that was what they would do when we were just surveying, I was afraid to think of what would happen when we actually started construction.

I wasn’t sure what Strongheart had told her people after our encounter, but whatever it was, it seemed to be enough to get them to leave our supplies alone. Still, I couldn’t help but worry what she’d said to them—what she’d said that I could do to help them. Sure, I wouldn’t be the one overpromising if worst came to worst, but explaining that to a large, angry crowd didn’t sound like it would end well.

I wished I had somepony to talk to about it. Braeburn was sweet, understanding, and one of the kindest ponies I’d ever met, but all the two of us could (and did) do was talk about the growing impasse. Neither of us had the experience or the authority to do much, beyond a general protest. He did get it in his head to write to the regional praetor, and I had him send a letter or two for me. It was actually a pretty good setup: I didn’t want to put my name on anything, and Braeburn didn’t mind having a ghostwriter. It’s not that I thought the Ministry of Heart would swoop in on a moment’s notice, but the possibility of reassignment was firmly in the back of my mind.

I wanted to help the buffalo, but if my superiors thought it would interfere with my work … well, I wasn’t the only civil engineer in the Empire.

The eternal question was how to help them. Correspondence was well and good as a PR stunt, but even as I dictated letters to Braeburn in candlelit evenings, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was just banging my head against the proverbial wall. It got to the point where I was losing sleep over it—although part of it may have been Braeburn’s snoring.

I swear, that stallion sounded like he was sawing his way through a petrified forest. I had new sympathy for Canan; she had my brother and their husband to deal with. I probably could have avoided that easily enough by going back to the barracks, but we’d get so engrossed with our work that it was just easier to borrow Braeburn’s couch and alarm clock.

Anyway, I was looking over his latest letters at the barracks’ supply office when somepony knocked at the door. I hastily filed Braeburn’s letter in with the rest of my reports. “It’s open!” Major Batur trotted in, and I made sure not to jostle my reports as I stood to salute him. “Sir. Something I can do for you?”

The major returned my salute, his blue eyes creased in a hint of a smile. “I was just surprised to see you on base, instead of at your coltfriend’s place.”

The evenings spent working on the problem at hoof couldn’t go unnoticed forever, but I had been more worried about being associated with the buffalo than with Braeburn. I chuckled and quickly explained, “Huzubuwa?”

That sounded a lot better in my head.

The Major smiled at me with teeth as white as his stripes. Great, he wasn’t going to let me off the hook so easily. “You know, the yellow one with the hat and loud voice? From what I'm told, he is quite choice.”

“Yes, choice. Very nice, too, and a great ass. Asset!”

Batur actually laughed at that. I only hoped that nopony else had been passing by during that little gaffe. Luckily for me, he held up a hoof before I could dig myself any deeper. “Don't worry about that fraternization; I know you'll loyally serve your nation.”

I nodded. “Of course, sir. I came here to do a job, first and foremost.”

“As long as you remember that fact, I think your relationship can stay intact.”

“I'd never let my personal life get in the way of a job, sir.” I was just a bit defensive at that, even if Braeburn and I were just friends.

Batur nodded, sat down, and then mercifully changed the subject. “Anyway, to business. You were out on the building site the other day. Are the buffalo still getting in the way?”

“Things seem to have leveled off for the time being, sir.” I tapped the inventory reports on the desk. “It's a lot smoother right now, but the impression I get is that that's ... well, because they're waiting to see what happens next.”

The major smiled. “I’m glad our plans have finally been accepted, I was worried I would have to start having them arrested.”

“Not ... quite, sir.” Feeling no pressure whatsoever, I took a swig from my canteen to buy myself a few seconds. “I think it's more a question of putting a better hoof forward.”

“Explain.” The smile faded, and the lack of a follow-up rhyme worried me.

“It's a question of honey rather than vinegar, from what I can tell.” I tapped the inventory reports again. “Shrinkage is at an all-time low, but somepony's started writing to the regional praetor on their behalf. They're trying to ask that the project be delayed, or even called off.”

“That’s unacceptable.” Batur’s ear flicked in annoyance. “We're already behind schedule.”

“The case they’re making says we don't have the right to build it at all.” Even I knew that was a long shot, and I was the one who said it. I dug through my saddlebags for a minute and pretended to look for the notes I’d spent the last several nights working on. “I was compiling a report for you, but with things quieting down, it kind of went onto the backburner.”

The major waved a gold-shod hoof. “I won’t fault your priorities, but since it’s now just you and me…”

Time to bite the bolt. Come to think of it, I wished that I had an actual bolt to bite on; splinters or no, it would’ve distracted me from the nervous pit in my stomach. “The crux of it boils down to the treaty between the Empire and the buffalo, and that it was signed under false pretenses.”

“‘False pretenses?’” Major Batur frowned. “As I recall, the treaty was signed under peaceful circumstances.”

“Well, we didn’t exactly have them at spearpoint when they signed,” I conceded, “but it’s common knowledge among the buffalo even in his time that Chief Stronghorns wasn’t entirely there.” I tapped my forehead pointedly.

“In that case, I wonder why they left him in charge of negotiating a sensitive treaty.” The major leaned forward, and I gave him one of my canteens.

It was a good question, and one that I had spent entire evenings wrestling with. I could comment on the treaty’s convenient timing, since first contact had been made generations before Stronghorns’ birth, but that would be pushing my luck too far. At best, it would be written off as a coincidence, something I’d bought into less and less the more Braeburn and I had talked it over.

I believe in coincidences, certainly, but not when an empire capable of manufacturing them benefits from one. “This was all a long time ago, and their culture relies more on the spoken word.”

“Yes, yes, so I've heard. If I might be blunt, Captain, I think it absurd.” He paused to take a sip before continuing. “Which do you think more likely? Tales of convenient mental degradation, or altering their oral traditions for validation?”

“From our perspective that would make sense, sir, but that would mean they're altering their entire history on a whim. In societies that relied on oral tradition rather than the written word, lying like that would be one of the worst things they could do to their heritage.” Book burnings would at least leave a trail of ashes and conspicuous gaps in the written record.

I don’t think the major was on the same page I was, though. His ear flicked, and his blue eyes narrowed in annoyance. “I doubt it’s anything so seedy, but are you aware of the terms of the treaty?”

I nodded. I wasn’t quite able to cite it verbatim, but I’d read it enough that I knew the basics. “The initial treaty stated that we would provide them with a large variety of trade goods and supplies in exchange for the right to build a dam after twenty years.”

“And twenty years have passed since that pact was sealed, and now the buffalo refuse to uphold their end of the deal.”

I understood that things like tools, fabric, food, and medicine weren’t things that nomads could usually produce on their own, much less on a level that would sustain them indefinitely, but something still didn’t add up to me. “What kind of goods would a nomadic society need that are on par with a dam? And not just any dam, sir, but one that would flood their sacred stampeding grounds?”

“Has it always been so sacred? The buffalo have been quiet for some time with the knowledge that it would be traded.” He drained his canteen and gave it back to me. “They made a treaty with our nation, and now want to avoid their obligation. The terms to which they agreed saw to much more than just their need.”

And that was true. The railroad through buffalo territory had been invaluable to our frontier expansion and supply lines, and Appleoosa just would not survive without a nearby reservoir. “That’s true enough,” I offered, more than ready to steer the conversation back into safer waters. “Anyway, sir, that’s my report on the matter.”

The Empress was coming to Appleoosa.

That might be great news to your average citizen, but even under the best circumstances, an Imperial visit is a logistical nightmare. Security is the most obvious hassle, but in addition to that, supplies have to be stocked for the influx of beings in the Imperial retinue, every Guard project worth reporting on had to have the ‘i’s dotted and the ‘t’s crossed on the off chance of inspection, and the entire town underwent a cleanup. Not that we had a litter problem or anything like that, but tumbleweeds tend to build up if you let them.

In addition to the official side of it, Braeburn and I had gone into overdrive with our side project. With our letters going nowhere, it was pretty obvious to us that we’d need something much more direct. We had a loose manifesto by this point, but that was only a start; getting on our soapbox wouldn’t do much good if we couldn't find a way to make everyone else want to listen.

Luckily, the Appleoosans were setting up a stage for a welcoming presentation. Braeburn signed himself up for a performance, and our evenings shifted from writing to rehearsing. I felt horrible for keeping Little Strongheart out of the loop, but neither of us had any idea how to broach the issue, and we weren’t sure she wouldn’t storm up to the Empress right there at the train station.

Either way though, we had a plan now. We both lost sleep as we committed everything to memory, but it was worth it.

I got the weirdest smirks when I reported in looking tired. I have no idea why—it’s not my fault Braeburn snores.

He and the other townsfolk got the stage set up the morning of the Imperial visit. Naturally it was crawling with some of my fellow Guards, and again after the train arrived by a few nondescript ponies who were probably some flavor of EIS or Phoenix Guard. The Empress seemed … well, curious about it. It wasn’t the Grand Canterlot Theater by any stretch of the imagination, but Braeburn and the others had made it more presentable than just a ramshackle wooden construct.

The visit went about as well as we’d hoped; I only briefly saw the Empress as part of the greeting ceremony when she disembarked the train, but the worst that happened was Braeburn proudly showing off Goldie Delicious’s cathouse during the main tour.

In hindsight, I probably should have told him to skip that part.

As the day drew to a close and the Empress made a show of lowering the sun, I excused myself to head to the stage and get ready. Braeburn was there as well, and while we were supposed to be going over the manuscript one last time, neither of us said a word to each other. A hot ball of nerves wound itself up in my stomach the closer we got to the show, and from the way Braeburn was fidgeting on his hooves, he was probably in similar shape.

We stayed that way, half-reading our scripts as the performances ahead of us played themselves out. Finally, the curtain dropped, the stage was set, and the voices outside died down to a murmur. Braeburn gulped, then trotted out. I heard his voice, but I didn’t really listen.

My mind went back to everything I was going to lose with this. There was no way I wouldn’t be reassigned, but … gods, how far would this extend? Would I get dumped onto some distant project like the Northmarch? Going to that pit would be the end of my vocation, at least as far as the Guard went—careers never bounced back from a tour there. If I was lucky, maybe I could get a discharge and go to a civilian firm.

Another thought hit me, and the twisted knot in my stomach redoubled. I knew what I was getting into with this, but I represented a lot more than just me as a captain. I hoped this wouldn’t come down on anypony else in my company, below or above me—for all my disagreements with him, I liked Major Batur. I’d have to find some way to make it clear that all of this was me, and only me. Gods, I felt so short-sighted thinking about that now. I’d been so focused on finding a way to help the buffalo that I hadn’t thought about collateral damage.

Nothing for it now. Braeburn was winding down, and the curtain would be rising in a few seconds. He came back and got into place, and I did the same.

The curtain rose and revealed hundreds of eyes, some of which stared out from under helmets. The Empress was front and center, and I could feel her gaze boring into me like a thermal drill. It took all my willpower to focus on Braeburn as he opened the scene.

“Thank yew, everybody, fer comin’ tonight.” He nodded to the Empress, somehow keeping on track as her attention shifted to him. “We got a mighty fine show lined up, even if it’s a bit of a modest greetin’ by comparison. But we’re nothin’ if not neighborly out here, an’ on behalf of the ponies, gryphons, zebras, changelings, an’ all the other races of the Empire, welcome to the frontier.” The townsfolk murmured their agreement, and the Empress nodded politely, a curious gleam in her eye. Braeburn met it with a smile as he continued. “Why Ah even heard we’re gettin’ ourselves a seapony out here!”

“A seapony?” I echoed. “In Appleoosa?”

Braeburn nodded. “Somepony’s gotta talk t’them buffalo, an’ nobody else speaks in bubbles.”

“Oh, right! The reservoir!” I paused for effect, noting a few uncomfortable shuffles from the audience. “But isn’t that going up over their sacred lands?”

“It’s a dam shame,” Braeburn said, drawing laughter and groans in equal measure. “But Ah took out an ad in the paper t’learn how to give ‘em swimmin’ lessons. Y’all know where Ah can get flippers in a size 30?”

“I don’t know … this sounds like it’s going to ruin all of their ancient traditions.”

Braeburn shrugged. “Yeah, but it could be worse. We could end up with buffalo in bikinis.”

I tried to keep a straight face. And failed. Judging from the audience’s laughter, I wasn’t the only one who ended up with that mental image. I pointedly kept my eyes (both of them) on Braeburn and off the crowd as we waited for them to settle back down. “Maybe I should ask for Photo Finish to come out on the train with the flippers.” I paused and tapped my chin. “So, what’s your plan for teaching them how to swim, anyway?”

“Well, Ah was gonna handle it the same way Granny Smith taught me an’ mah cousin Macintosh.”

“If it involves bikinis, I don’t think I want to hear the rest of it.” Although I did wonder if Braeburn had one somewhere in his cabin …

I tucked that not-so-unappealing image away for later. Duty before booty, as an old friend once put it.

“Naw, nothin’ like that,” Braeburn said. “Ah was lookin’ t’get a bunch of them floaty things, like Mac wears when he goes swimmin.’”

From the way he smirked as he said that, I wondered if he was serious about that. “They’d have to be pretty big to fit a buffalo, and it’d take a lot of hot air to fill.”

“Ooh, yeah. An’ Appleoosa’s plum outta politicians. Ah might lose a few…”

“Well, you could still turn a profit if they drown. If the worst comes to worst, some species in the Empire eat meat.”

“That’s terrible!”

“Terribly pragmatic, you mean?” I asked, ignoring a few horrified gasps from the audience. “You can send them out to the gryphons with an Appleoosa apple in their mouths. It’s great advertising!”

The stetson came off of Braeburn’s head to rest over his heart. “Waste not, want not, them poor, unfortunate souls … but then, it ain’t like they’re Imperial citizens. ‘Sides, not everyone in the Empire can survive offa apples alone.”

“True, true.” I paused, then turned to him. “Maybe we should celebrate your new swimming school over dinner. How’s buffalo steak sound?”

“Great! As long as it ain’t too runny.” That got another groan from the audience. Cirrus would’ve been proud.

The curtain dropped in front of us. It hadn’t been planned, since we would’ve signalled the stage helpers (assuming they were still here at all). Braeburn’s apprehensive look over my shoulder gave me a hint as to who had ended the production early, and Major Batur’s furious voice confirmed it.

“Captain. My office, if you please.”

I knew I was in trouble when he didn’t follow that up with a rhyme.

Major Batur didn’t explode at me—or, not in the way one would usually think of the word. He didn’t stomp menacingly on the way to his office or slam the door, or get in my face and yell at me like a Drill Instructor. He even pulled my seat-cushion out for me before sitting down at his desk, but I could hear him grinding his teeth as he did so. “I would like to know what the intent was behind that show.”

“Was there something about the play you didn't understand, sir?”

“First Lieutenant Doo, I advise you to watch your tone; that performance has already left you very much alone.” His voice cracked like a whip in spite of not rising in volume, and I still winced at the implicit demotion. It wasn’t official, but after that production a lot of the paperwork involved would probably be fast-tracked into the record.

“I merely offered my opinion on Imperial policy, sir. There's nothing wrong with that.” I’d made my bed long before the curtain rose. Time to lie in it.

The major glowered at me. “When bandying words that biting, Master Sergeant, you shouldn’t do it when it's the Empress we're inviting!” I winced again as I lost my officership. “That was far too sarcastic a pill to be swallowed, and there is a set chain of command to be followed.”

“Somepony needed to say it. If I get punished for it, then so be it.”

“Well, Corporal, you've just guaranteed your career's dead in the water now, so I hope it was worth your indiscretions with that stallion and cow.” My mouth was half-open to protest when I realized that he wasn’t insulting Little Strongheart so much as referring to her by species. Then the other half of my brain kicked in as the rest of what he’d said sank in.

Corporal.

That was it for me. My degree, the years I’d spent at the Imperial Academy, the projects I had lined up after the dam was over … all gone. Any drop in rank stays with your record long after it’s happened, even if you get promoted again later on. A drop this big … gods. Corporal was only a few rungs above the recruits coming out of Basic Training, and eight full steps down from the bars currently on my shoulders. Soldiers spent decades working their way up to a rank as prestigious as captain, and I’d lost it over the course of a few brief words.

The door opened behind me, jarring me from my reverie. I’d had a guess as to who it was from the lack of a knock, and from the way Major Batur shot out of his seat I’d guessed right. I quickly stood up and saluted with him as Empress Sunbeam trotted into the office.

“Major Batur.” She met our salutes with a polite nod. “I hope this isn’t a bad time.”

The Major shook his head. “Of course not, Your Majesty.” It’s not like he really could have said otherwise.

The Empress smiled faintly, probably thinking something similar. “Good, then. If you’ll give us the room, Major, I would like to speak to Captain Doo in private.”

With another salute and a slightly awkward shuffle to get to the door, Major Batur departed, leaving me alone with Empress Sunbeam. It was … unnerving, to put it mildly. Sure, most of the buffalo could match her in terms of simple bulk, but they were just buffalo. Any alicorn is a thing of legend, and the Empress had this raw presence that really had no comparison. Probably obvious, but I would’ve put my money on the Sun Mantle—her mane and tail ruffled and ebbed ever so slightly in spite of the lack of air current in the office, and she looked down at me like a scientist looking looking through a microscope.

I tried very, very hard to not think about how she had tortured and butchered my ancestors with gleeful abandon in the Equestrian Civil War as I met her gaze. “W-” I swallowed and tried again. “What can I do for you, Your Majesty?”

“Your production was rather singular, Captain.” She spoke about the whole affair with the serene casualness of somepony talking about the weather. “That was very boldly done, and raised a few rather interesting points.”

Well, she was talking calmly with me, and in person rather than through the bars of a cell. That was a good sign. She’d also referred to me by the rank of captain, which was a nice break from the demotions I’d just received. Granted, they might stay in place at the end of the day, but if she decided I was still a captain, I doubted Major Batur would fight her over it. I sat up a little straighter. “Something had to be done, Your Majesty. I tried a few other avenues, but when nothing came of it…” I trailed off, not really sure what else to say.

The Empress nodded, her green eyes half-hidden by the action. “Indeed. It takes a brave pony to speak an unpleasant truth, but that is what you did today. And you had the sense to use humor to take the bite from your words.”

I nodded and smiled cautiously, grateful I’d listened to Macintosh Apple’s advice and not thrown out his letter. “Like I said, Your Majesty, something had to be done. If I have to face the music for it…” My smile fell, and I shrugged. “Well. Here I am.”

Empress Sunbeam sat back quietly, giving me the Microscope Look once more. I stood stock-still, as if I were on parade ground inspection—which, to be honest, probably wasn’t too far off as comparisons go. I focused my good eye on her diadem, and briefly let myself wonder if it was the same one she had taken from the old Queen Celestia or if it was something she’d had made after gaining the throne. Finally—thankfully—the Empress broke the silence, regally drawing herself up as she spoke.

“Captain Ditzy Doo, I am officially charging you…” She paused, and I braced myself. “...to perform a survey of the valley, and determine if a practical way can be found to preserve the stampeding grounds while still filling Appleoosa's needs.”

The Empress has a cruel sense of humor.

“Y-yes, your Highness, I—” I chewed over how best to respond, then sighed. “May I speak freely? I'm afraid I'm only funny if I have time to plan my jokes.” The Empress nodded, and I continued. “The geology of Appleoosa means the town has to be here. I’ll be happy to find the full report in our records if you’d like, Your Highness, but the fact of the matter is this is the best spot for development within 20 kilometers.”

Empress Sunbeam arched an eyebrow. “There is truly nothing else inside that radius?”

“No, your majesty. Not unless our budget is increased enough to allow for record-breaking geoforming projects a kilometer upstream.”

“How much of a budget increase?”

The sum I provided gave me the rare privilege of seeing her astonishment. “Yeah … it wasn’t really feasible beyond an initial estimate.” I paused, then quickly added, “Your Majesty. And the town would have to move with the reservoir, regardless.”

The Empress sighed and rubbed her head with a gold-shod hoof. “I suppose if it were that simple, it would've already been solved.”

“I wish I had better news to give you.” I hesitated for a heartbeat, then took a chance. “I just don't think it's right that the buffalo have to take the hit for it.”

“But Appleoosa has needs too,” she countered. I didn’t have an answer for that, and she frowned. “However, regardless of the outcome, your little performance did reveal something critical: the buffalo need better representation within the Empire. You have good relations with their leadership?”

I rubbed my ears, not quite believing what I was hearing. “I'm on good terms with the chieftain's daughter, yes ma'am. Your Majesty, sorry.”

“The chieftain's daughter? Hmm…” She tapped a hoof to her chin, either not noticing or not caring about my slip in protocol. “And you find her an educated, intelligent individual?”

As much as a nomad could be. It wasn’t that she was slow or anything, but a sharp mind can only do so much with limited access to information. Still… “Yes ma'am. And she's dedicated to the wellbeing of her fellow buffalo.”

“Very good. Inform her that henceforth she will be serving as the acting tribune for the buffalo tribes until such time as the citizenship process is concluded and elections can be arranged.”

“As soon as I see her!” It was a bit of an effort not to bolt out of the window right there. One thing came to mind, slowing me down a bit. An official voice would go a long way for them, given how completely ignored they had felt until recently. We’d been lucky that nothing worse than low-level sabotage had happened. Now … “Thank you, Your Majesty. Really—thank you. Things are a lot calmer now since they got even a little help. With this…”

“Hopefully, we will have a peaceful land and quiet subjects.”

“That's a balance that will take some doing, even if we sort out the reservoir.”

“Oh yes,” the Empress said with a chuckle. “But I'm rather used to playing that game.”

“I wish I had your patience for it. I'm only an engineer.”

“Indeed.” Her smile didn’t quite fade, but it froze as she examined me once more. “I have one other thing to ask of you, Captain. Would you accompany the new tribune to Canterlot, at least for a short time? The Feast of Remembrance is coming up quickly, and I would prefer she have somepony with her if she wishes to attend.”

I blinked in surprise, but nodded. “Of course! I'd be happy to help Little Str—the tribune settle in.”

“Good, good.” The Empress stood, and I followed suit. “If there is nothing else…”

“Not for the moment. Just … thank you, Your Majesty.”

“But of course, Captain Doo.”

I met up with Braeburn later that night. Or rather, I was waiting for him at his place when the Phoenix Guard finally released him. To be honest, I don’t really know how I got there—I have a big gap in my memory between leaving Major Batur’s office and Braeburn trotting in to find me shaking like an aspen in an autumn storm. It had been dark when I left, dark when I got there, and dark when he got there. Anything in between … honestly, if somepony had told me I’d lost time, I wouldn’t have had a hard time believing them.

Not that Braeburn was in much better shape. Either he’d had less comfortable treatment than I had or the Empress had come to talk to him as well, but in both cases, he’d come out of it even worse for wear than I had. Hay, I at least had training; he was just a well-meaning civilian.

Good intentions, and all that.

We hugged, not trading a word for what felt like weeks. When we eventually stopped shaking, we both exchanged a look that asked the other how it went.

“Well,” I said, finding my voice first. “At least that’s done now, right?”

Braeburn chuckled weakly and nodded. “An’ here we are, in one piece. Ah thought Ah’d be joinin’ mah cousin Applejack at the Ministry o’ Heart fer a spell. Already enjoyed their hospitality a few months ago.” He shivered at the memory, and I hugged him tighter. “Either that, or they got a two-strikes policy an’ they got rid o’me after all, an’ the other side ain’t quite what Ah thought it’d be.”

I laughed far harder than I probably should have. “If the afterlife is a bachelor pad, I’ve been had.”

“Hey now.” He nudged me good-naturedly, probably just as happy to have something to laugh at. “Ah told ya already, it don’t have to be much to be home.”

“No, no, that’s true.” The late nights I’d spent here had made that abundantly clear. It’s not like a hard floor, a few dust bunnies, and the stack of dishes to be washed ‘later’ were the worst I’d ever come across. Especially in college.

The somewhat-awkward laughter eventually died down. Braeburn rubbed the back of his head. “So…”

“So?”

He poked me. “So. You an’ the Empress shot the breeze fer a bit. What’d she say?”

I rubbed my face. “I don’t know if I’ll be here for the long haul anymore … she tasked me with helping Little Strongheart as she gets used to the Empire proper. As a tribune.”

Braeburn’s jaw hit the floor. “That’s good, right?” he asked. “The Empress makin’ her a tribune means she’s gonna hear her out now, don’t it?”

“She’s listening,” I said. “That’s it. She’ll listen and consider it, but … well, to be honest, she’s got others to listen to as well. Hay, I told her about my survey reports, and that’s just one report out of dozens.”

Braeburn’s face fell, and I quickly followed up before he hit me with those sad, green eyes of his. “But she’s listening, and the fact that she gave Strongheart a title means she’ll listen to her. That’s something. It’s not a guarantee, or a promise, or even an offer. But it’s a chance. I’ll take that.”

Braeburn smiled at me like he’d just won the lottery. “Well, Ah reckon we owe it to Little Strongheart to let her in on the good news, don’t you?”

I nodded, smiling back at him. He opened the door for me like a proper gentlecolt, and I knelt for him to fly out to the buffalo. Their camp wasn’t too far out by wing, but we didn’t arrive until dawn.

Braeburn and I had to have a private celebration first.

Author's Note

Props to Comma-Kazie for helping out with this latest Phoenix Empire installment. Because we always need more Derpy. And DerpBurn, apparently.

Naturally, another round of thanks goes out to my pre-readers and editors. Because they're awesome, and willing to work on guest chapters.

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The Accidental Brony
Benjamin McLaren
Brayden
Christoper A Cope
Combine
Comma-Kazie
Cyanhide
Deep Cover
Dixie Daley
djthomp
Donraj
Ebony Gryphon
Emlyn Costilow
MoistGooDragon
Ponibius
QuinnShyrock
Singularity Dream
Steven Ilten
Waritah

Hail to the Queen

I stand before Celestia’s tomb.

Not the large public mausoleum I erected to her memory in the middle of Canterlot. The grave there is empty; I would never be stupid enough to leave her body in a place where any two-bit warlock could try to steal it. The last thing I need is for every fool who wears too much black to get the bright idea of turning Celestia into a zombie.

I stand before her real tomb, hidden inside a vault known only to myself and one other pony. All my secrets lie within here. Dangerous artifacts. The bodies of my most dangerous enemies, and prisons holding a few others believed to be dead. By sunset tonight, six more ponies will have come here. I am not certain if I care for that. This has always been my private sanctum. However, it is necessary.

Unlike the massive and overdone public memorial, Celestia’s real tomb is a simple thing. The stasis spell within the glass-topped coffin has preserved her body perfectly, even after more than eight hundred years. She looks exactly as she did on the day she gave up her immortality. I had been tempted to restore her to her former appearance after she passed on—return her to the mare I knew at the height of her power, rather than the wise but humble mortal who had served as my adviser after I took her throne. I am not sure if that would qualify as restoring her body or desecrating it; I also am not sure which of those I would prefer.

“We’re nearly there,” I murmur to the corpse. “Eight hundred and forty three years since you died. And more importantly, nine hundred and ninety nine since you sealed your sister away. I still remember your last request.” I chuckle humorlessly, shaking my head. “Redeem your sister. Spare her life, even though she would undo all of Equestria if she could. Even though ponies have already died because of her cultists. I know you never expected me to honor it; killing Luna is logical. Both to remove the threat to my children within the Empire, and to destroy a potential rival to my rule.”

My mind turns to one of the many objects sealed within the vault. Five spheres of solid stone, which I had recovered from an abandoned castle. Why she’d left one of the most powerful weapons in Equestria to gather dust in a moldering ruin, I will never know. Probably guilt and shame over turning that weapon against her sister. That was the sort of ridiculous reasoning I had come to expect from that damned fool of a mare.

I think I love her, in my own way. Sometimes I even love her more than I hate her.

“The pieces are all falling into place,” I continue, still speaking to her mortal remains. “Six virtues, and six ponies to wield them. Ridiculous way to wield a weapon, but I suppose you liked the idea that only the pure of heart could wield the Elements of Harmony. Rather pointless, though, if the ponies with the requisite qualities aren’t conveniently available when the crisis strikes.” I place a hoof on the glass of the coffin. “But I suppose you would say that when Equestria needs them, the destined ponies would appear. I do wonder what you would have to say about the fact that your sister’s cultists put a crossbow bolt through one of those destined ponies. Or was that just another part of the grand plan?”

I turn my back on her for several seconds, my eyes resting on the room’s other occupant. My daughter, Midnight Sparkle. Watching her grow old and die while I remained immortal and unchanging had been ... hard. More than once, I had been sorely tempted to break my word to Celestia and grant my child dominion over the moon. Let her stand immortal at my side. But then she would just have to experience the same pain I had when her children aged.

Perhaps one of the things I hated most about my immortality was how much it had made me resemble Celestia. Immortality changes one’s perspective on the world. When I had been mortal, I strove to accomplish as much as possible within the short time I had on this world, then leave behind a lasting legacy. Immortals do not have that sense of urgency. Why fight a war to conquer another nation when a few simple acts over the course of several centuries could lead to peaceful unification?

Still, the crown suited me, and in a way it never truly suited Celestia. She had always been too kind and free-spirited to truly love ruling over Equestria. The years after she’d given up her crown were some of the happiest of her life. She was free to do as she pleased, no longer constrained by the duties and expectations of her position and content with the knowledge that the world was safe in my hooves. To be sure, there had been numerous plots and counter-plots, wars and rebellions, but I always triumphed in the end.

In a way, I was almost looking forward to Nightmare Moon’s return. The prospect had loomed over my head ever since the day I took the crown. Perhaps even longer, given the war against her Avatar in my mortal days. It was strange to think that in a year’s time it would all be over. Luna finally redeemed, or one of us dead.

“I will save your damned sister,” I growl at Celestia. “I know you expected me to murder her, given half an excuse. Your little Circle is still keeping an eye on me, and I’m sure they have orders from you to stop me if I try to kill the nag, even though she’s earned it many times over. Yes, she deserves to die. And yet...” I start pacing around the room, too agitated to remain still. “And yet, I will save her. Not because you manipulated me, or because the agents who still serve your will after all these centuries are watching me, but because I chose to. You asked it of me on your deathbed, and for all our disagreements I ...” I hesitate to say the next words for some time. “I will honor your request, Celestia. Just this once, we’ll try it your way.”

I nod my farewell to the body and exit the vault.

The Feast of Remembrance long ago supplanted the Grand Galloping Gala as the most prestigious event in Canterlot. Primarily because the Feast is far more exclusive; nearly a thousand Gala invitations go out every year, while only twenty-three others join me for the Feast. And of those invitations, more than half are reserved for my tribunes and other high officials.

I am sure this year’s guest list raised quite a few eyebrows. The newly named Tribune of the Buffalo would come as no surprise, nor would my students Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle. The others, however...

Dame Fluttershy, Knight Hospitaller in the Order of Sol Invictus. Rainbow Dash, the newest member of the Wonderbolts. Captain Ditzy Doo of the Imperial Engineers. Rarity, a teacher from the Harshwhinny Academy for Young Mares.

After them comes a zebra who’d recently made a major alchemical discovery and a gryphon social worker who’d won a prize for his work with the disadvantaged. With six extra ponies attending the feast, I needed to do something to balance things out. Not that any would care all that much: ninety-nine percent of the Empire’s citizens were more concerned about taxes, food, or the economy than they were about the guest list at a social function in Canterlot. Still, it was only prudent to compensate for it. One of the necessary balancing acts of running a massive multi-racial empire.

However, it is the last guest on my list that occupies my attention. The dinner invitation was just a formality to get her to come to Canterlot. Our real business is far too secret to discuss anywhere other than my chambers. Well, the private side of them, anyway.

She is waiting for me when I enter my lesser throne room. The pageantry of inviting her to a feast just to have a single conversation is a bit silly under the circumstances, but we both have our parts to play. Once I’m settled into my large, impressive, and not particularly comfortable chair, I gaze down at my guest.

To all appearances, she is a simple pegasus mare, though with an unusually silvery grey coat and mane. Someone who studies her closely might notice thin lines of slightly darker hair running along her coat, so fine and subtle that most would mistake it for a trick of the light. And only someone who was extremely well versed in magic would recognize that all those lines actually form a single pattern so complex and intricate that even I hadn’t fully unraveled it.

That might be enough of a clue for a skilled observer to realize that the individual before me is not a pony at all. I appreciate the transformation spell, considering the fact that her natural form would take up the entire grand ballroom. Ancient dragons do grow rather large, and Argentium the Runescaled is quite possibly the oldest living dragon in the world.

I am a bit surprised she opted to take an equine form; she normally prefers a caribou appearance when her full draconic size is impractical. Perhaps she wanted to blend in a bit more with the rest of Canterlot, or maybe she just wanted a form with wings. “Thank you for accepting my invitation,” I begin formally. “It is a very great honor to have such a distinguished guest beneath my roof. Please, feel free to avail yourself of the hospitality of my home.”

Even if she is wiser and more benevolent than the average dragon, Argentium is still a dragon. Respect, formality, and a little careful flattery will go a long way with her. Bribery too, if I can find the right way to handle it. She is too proud to take a bribe openly, but she still has a measure of the traditional greed and possessiveness of any dragon.

Argentium answers with a smug grin. “I'm sure it is an honor for you, Sunbeam.” I am a bit tempted to comment on her tone—it is irksome to be treated so flippantly when I am making a point of being polite and respectful. However, I am quite certain she is baiting me, and I am not about to give her the satisfaction of rising to it.

Instead, I get straight to business. “I trust you know why I requested a meeting with you? I know we ought to spend a few hours making polite small talk first, but that’s what the Feast is for. If you will forgive me for getting to the heart of the matter, Nightmare Moon is coming. I know that someone as powerful and well-connected as you has seen the signs.”

“Indeed I have,” the dragon confirms. “One can hardly miss them if one knows how to look. I take it that you have been suppressing information about their activities?”

“Of course,” I answer easily. “The last thing I need is ponies panicking in the streets thinking there are dozens of mad cultists waiting to leap out of the shadows and kill them in their sleep. Not to mention the inevitable idiots who would try to join those cults.”

Argentium murmurs something soft and noncommittal before responding, “A reasonable enough measure, I suppose. From a certain point of view.”

A statement that is just open-ended enough to imply that she disagrees with me, but stops short of actually saying it. Under other circumstances I would quite enjoy a good verbal sparring match with the old wyrm. Alas, I need this conversation done in time for the Feast. “I know we have had our disagreements in the past, and there are still some points of contention, but I hope we can agree that now is the time for a united front.”

“A united front?” The dragon repeats skeptically. “That sounds very nice, but united for what purpose, and against what enemy? I am sure you are aware that Luna was an old friend of mine. If you think I will help you murder her...”

I sigh and immediately wave her objections away. “If we reach the point where we have no choice but to kill her, then it means that nothing of your old friend remains.”

Her eyes narrow suspiciously. “But you do mean to kill her, don’t you? You always did prefer to murder those you saw as a threat to your power, and Luna is far more dangerous to you than a prisoner locked away in Tartarus.” She proudly lifts her chin, refusing to meet my eyes any longer. “You will slay her to secure your crown and eliminate the last threat to your throne and empire. The legacy of the Sisters has always hung over your head, and this gives the excuse you always wanted to wipe it out.”

My eyes narrow as well, and I sit a bit taller in my throne, forcing her to look at me once more. “Do not presume to judge me, especially when you are a guest in my own home. For the record, I promised Celestia that I would spare her sister’s life if at all reasonable. Whatever else you might think of me, I am a mare of my word.”

“Yes, your ‘word,’” the ancient dragon scoffs. “I know all too well how you keep your word. Your agreements are always carefully open-ended when you want to retain the option of adhering to the letter of them while utterly violating the spirit. You use words like ‘reasonable’ because you know that what one individual might mean with that word will be very different from what you can ultimately twist it into.” She snorts, shaking her head in a manner that looks subtly off for an equine, but would have seemed perfectly normal in her natural form. “You may technically uphold your agreements, but you interpret every word in every sentence of those agreements to your advantage.”

I groan, rubbing at my forehead as I feel the beginnings of a headache developing. One unfortunate reality of dealing with immortals is that they have long memories, and unlike mortals they are not inclined to forgive and forget. I take advantage of one ambiguously-worded agreement nine hundred years ago and still hear about it every time I try to forge a new pact...

Still, there is nothing to be done about it now. As the earth ponies say, there is little point in closing a barn door after the cows have left. “I will be plain, then. So long as Nightmare Moon does not threaten innocent lives, I will use nonlethal force. Celestia provided me with a weapon suited to the task of redeeming her sister. I will make a good-faith effort to use that first.”

A contemplative frown crosses Argentium’s face as she thinks over my answer. Like many of the old immortals, she takes her time before giving an answer. Beings that have lived for thousands of years usually see no problem with taking hours or days to think something over carefully. “I see. She gave you those, did she?”

“She did.”

“Yes, I suppose that would do the job,” she murmurs more to herself than to me. “But if you truly have the Elements, why do you wish for my help? Are you not confident in your ability to use them?”

“Of course I am,” I answer without a moment’s hesitation. “But I also believe in having backup plans. When failure means global extinction, one cannot afford not to.”

Argentium lets out a low, irritated growl. “So you called me all the way to Canterlot to ask if I would serve as mere backup if your plans fail?”

Ah, it seems the dragon’s pride has been stung. I suppose it was too much to hope she could put it aside for the greater good. “That is far from the only concern I have,” I quickly say to salve her ego. “There are also her cultists, who have already made multiple attempts to kill potential wielders of the weapons. If they succeed in removing the wielders despite the best efforts of my security forces, I might not be able to find suitable replacements in time.” The incident with Pinkamena Pie had made the risk plain, though I have no intention of letting Argentium know about all the messy details of that.

I opt for a bit more careful flattery. “Given your considerable power, influence, and resources, I thought it best to inform you of the risk. And should the worst happen and we are forced to engage Nightmare Moon without the Elements, you are one of the few beings in the world with sufficient strength to subdue Nightmare Moon without killing her.”

That did the trick. A hint of smugness enters her tone as she replies, “Wise enough on your part.”

“It only seemed prudent and courteous to consult with you on this matter, and ensure we were in accord.” I might be laying it on a bit thick, but the last thing I need is to irritate the proud dragon again.

“But of course.” For a moment I wonder if I already have her agreement, until she turns the full force of her piercing gaze upon me. “A question for you, then. Let us suppose the Elements function as intended. Nightmare Moon is stripped away, leaving a purified Luna behind. What happens to her after that?”

“Oh, what anyone would expect,” I answer simply. “She will be allowed to live out her life as a citizen of the Empire. She will be discretely watched to ensure there are no further incidents, of course. However, so long as she remains stable and violates no laws I see no reason she wouldn’t be able to live a full, free, and happy life.”

Argentium chooses to interpret my answer in the worst possible way. “So you do plan on killing her after all. You merely intend to use time as your assassin rather than dirtying your hooves with her blood.”

“And what would you propose?” I shoot back.

The dragon primly tips her nose into the air. “Precisely what I am sure Celestia intended for her sister: once we are certain she is sane and untainted, restore the moon and her rightful mantle to her.”

The proposal is so utterly ridiculous that I can’t stop myself from laughing. “Oh please. You can not be serious.”

Argentium does not share my mirth. “I am.”

For a moment I wonder if it is possible for an ageless immortal to still go senile. “Let me see if I fully understand your position. You want me to pass control over the moon and power equal to my own over to a pony whom we will have just stopped from enacting global genocide? Is that an accurate summary?”

“Nightmare Moon’s actions are the result of an illness.” The dragon’s eyes shifted to the side, her gaze clouded and distant. “I knew her ... before. We fought alongside one another in the fall of the Crystal Empire. The mare who helped me undo Ember the Crystalline and his dread master Sombra would never have endorsed Nightmare Moon’s actions.” Her eyes refocused, her attention turning once more to the present. “Once the Elements purify her, she will be as she once was. I see no reason why she should not be allowed to resume her old duties.”

“Do not think that just because I am newer to immortality than you that I am ignorant of history,” I caution. “And if anything, I know recent history better than you. I saw the atrocities perpetrated by her Avatar during the Equestrian Civil War, and the murders and sacrifices her dark cultists still perform in her name. Those do not cease to be simply because she was once your friend.”

“As I said, she is unwell,” the dragon countered. “A mad pony should be treated and healed, not executed once her sanity is restored.”

“I hardly think allowing her to live out her natural lifespan qualifies as an execution,” I grumble, beginning to grow annoyed with her stubbornness. “And you are not proposing that I heal the mad pony, you are saying I should immediately release her and then give her all the tools needed to enact a new massacre.”

Argentium scowls, but when I remain unmoved she slowly and reluctantly nods. “Perhaps a period of atonement would be appropriate. Both to show the public her remorse for Nightmare Moon’s actions, and to ensure she is cured of her madness.”

“If Luna is half the mare you and Celestia both believe her to be, she will seek that out regardless.” Since I am finally making progress with her, I explain my reasoning further. “Luna’s initial madness was born out of jealousy because the common ponies loved the daytime and her sister more than they loved her. Tell me, do you think she is likely to be more loved now that she has spent the last millennium as a monster responsible for numerous terrible crimes as well as multiple attempts to exterminate all life as we know it?”

“It is possible she might well fall into madness once more.” Argentium stares at me for several long moments, her borrowed equine face unreadable. “However, it sounds as if you have already given her up as a lost cause—and she most certainly will fall if everyone treats her as nothing more than a ticking time bomb. I suppose that should come as no surprise. You never truly believed in redemption.” She scoffs, shaking her head. “Ironic, considering a far better mare than you gave up her life in order to grant you a second chance.”

I do not rise to the bait regarding Celestia. Her death was difficult for me, but it was also a long time ago. I got over it. However, I offer a compromise in order to keep the discussion from degenerating. “It seems to me that we are debating Luna’s hypothetical actions years into the future of her potential cleansing by the Elements. Perhaps it would be best to shelve the issue of her receiving the moon’s mantle until a later date? We can certainly both agree that the matter doesn’t even bear consideration until we are certain she is psychologically and morally capable of using her power responsibly.”

Argentium glowers suspiciously at me, no doubt searching my words for some hidden meaning. Eventually, she relents. “That seems reasonable enough, to wait and see what Luna actually does, rather than endlessly debate what she might do. I agree on one condition: I will have regular and unrestricted access to her after the Elements purge her. If she is going to be redeemed, she needs to have companions who actually believe she’s capable of redemption.”

“Supervised access,” I counter-offer. I suspect that Argentium played some role in fomenting the caribou rebellions; she has always been very fond of them. The last thing I need is for her to start turning Luna against me. I will have enough of an uphill battle winning her over once she learns her sister is dead.

“Only if you allow one of my caribou to watch over her whenever your agents are with her,” the dragon insists. “If you won’t trust me alone with her, I certainly won’t trust you.”

“It is not a matter of trust, my dear Argentium,” I lie smoothly—I certainly don’t trust her, but it would hardly be prudent to come out and say that. “It is simply a matter of ... well, as Celestia once put it, ‘trust, but verify.’”

She grunts skeptically. “I don’t recall her saying anything like that, and I knew her for much longer than you did. Though regardless, I suppose it’s a reasonable enough position. Keeping an eye on each other will prevent any misunderstandings.”

“Exactly.” I smirk, allowing myself to relax back in my throne. “If she stays as evil as she’s been for the last thousand years, it would be all too easy to turn us against each other with a few strategic lies. Claim that I am abusing her in your absence, and tell me that you are trying to persuade her to overthrow me and seize my crown.”

The dragon grunts, stretching her wings. “I suppose. And now that we’ve settled that, there’s just one other question on my mind.” Her eyes narrow, fixing me with a piercing stare. “What assurance do I have that my head will not be on the chopping block next after you have dealt with Nightmare Moon? You have a proven history of eliminating immortals, and now it seems you have yet another one in your sights. One of my oldest friends to boot. Perhaps it would be more prudent of me to join forces with her instead.”

I know a bluff when I hear one. Not even Scorpan hated me enough to side with Nightmare Moon, and I’d murdered his brother. “Feel free to do so. The eternal night will almost certainly kill the caribou first. It’s already so cold in the north to begin with...”

Argentium’s sapphire eyes remain fixed upon mine for several long moments. “Perhaps I should just stand aside, then? You have already encroached upon my territory, and if you should fall I would be able to reclaim what is rightfully mine. And even without your involvement, I am confident in my ability to deal with Nightmare Moon. In fact, I expect I could do a far better job locating and guiding wielders for the Elements of Harmony than you will. You already lost one of the wielders, after all. Explain, then, why I should help you.”

I grimace at the mention of Pinkie Pie’s loss, particularly since nopony was supposed to know she had been one of the ponies on the short list for potential Element-bearers. “Because you’re smart enough to understand probability,” I answer. “I have had nine hundred years to prepare and an empire’s resources at my disposal. I desire your help to make the process easier, but even without it I am quite likely to emerge triumphant. And when I do win, I will remember those who stood at my side ready to support me, and those who hovered like vultures hoping I would fall. Consider which category you would like to be in.”

Her eyes narrow, and a hint of a warning growl enters her voice. “Are you threatening me while I am a guest in your home? Such a violation of the laws of hospitality would—”

“I offered no threats,” I quickly interrupt. I had certainly implied them, but that is something else entirely. “I merely point out that those who aid me will have my gratitude, while those who remain on the sidelines will not. Your opinion on Luna’s future would certainly hold more sway if you played an active role in her redemption.” The dragon grunts and nods, conceding to my argument. “Which just leaves your complaints that I encroached upon your territory. Which I find frankly baffling, considering you controlled no territory.”

She glares at me, and a puff of smoke streams out of her nostrils. “The North is mine to do with as I desire.”

Ah, the classic possessiveness of dragons. Once they decide something is theirs they will not part with it willingly, whether it’s territory, gold, or anything else. Which is especially problematic because most dragons consider anything they want to be their rightful property. Argentium’s draconic instincts were far less pronounced than most, but even a good dragon is still a dragon. After all, her initial friendship with Celestia and Luna came about because Sombra’s pet dragon was encroaching on her territory.

I quickly worked to dispel the myth that she owned the North. “I suspect there are millions of caribou, ponies, and other sapients who would disagree on whether you own them. Not to mention that slavery has been illegal since before the Empire’s founding.”

“Do not play word games with me, Sunbeam.” The dragon’s borrowed equine lips peel back from her teeth in a snarl that would be quite intimidating in her natural state, where each of her fangs was easily as large as a full-grown pony. “The North is my area of influence, and has been since before your ancestors were anything more than mere peasants.”

“And you still hold influence there,” I countered. “Just because it is now Imperial territory does not mean the locals do not continue to admire and respect you. I have done nothing to change that.” Admittedly, less because I was fine with her wielding so much power than because I had not yet found a plan to undermine her that carried an unacceptable risk of provoking the proverbial (and in this case literal) sleeping dragon.

“Do not think I am blind to your desires,” For a moment her snout elongates and her teeth sharpen, until she takes a calming breath and restores her transformation. “You would gladly reduce me to irrelevancy if you could.”

“If you feel your influence in the North is less than it once was, you have only yourself to blame,” I riposte. “Lingering in your cave for decades at a time, only leaving to take the occasional promising runecaster under your wing. Influence is a resource that must be cultivated, or else it fades away over time. You spent over a century sleeping, and then were shocked and offended that the world continued on without you rather than remain in stasis until you woke.”

“For longer than you have existed, the North and the caribou have persevered,” Argentium growls at me. “And the North will continue to carry on long after your empire crumbles into the dustbin of history. No foreign conqueror can hold a free people in eternal bondage.”

“Conqueror?” I repeat incredulously. “For a creature that constantly harps on ancient history, you show a very poor understanding of recent events. There was no conquest of the North. Well, other than Yakistan, and they declared war on the Empire first.” Because the cheese at the diplomatic reception wasn’t exactly like yak cheese. Honestly, I had done the yaks a favor by getting rid of leadership that criminally stupid.

“The yaks brought their fate upon themselves,” the dragon reluctantly allows, “but what is your excuse for the rest of the North?”

“Need I remind you that the Altheng repeatedly voted to pursue closer ties with the Empire? It is hardly a conquest if they invite us in.”

“The Altheng hardly had the authority to surrender the entire North to a foreign power.” Argentium’s tail lashed about agitatedly. “I know the concept of a society made up of independent communities without some overwatching authority at the top is rather difficult for you to grasp, judging by the way you run your empire. The Altheng is merely a forum for discussion and coordination between communities, which each of the local thengs sends representatives to.”

“I’m aware of that,” I reply a bit testily. “It has been an imperial province for a few centuries now. If you want, I’m sure we could retrieve the voting records for every single individual theng and go over it all in detail. For the sake of brevity, let us simply say that the individual thengs all agreed to an imperial presence.”

Of course, the sticking point for the last few centuries had been how much of a presence the Empire should have. Almost all of the thengs were quite happy to have Imperial trading posts improving their economies, Imperial soldiers guarding their roads and farms, and Imperial engineers improving the infrastructure. The problem was that not all of the thengs had been as enthusiastic about accepting Imperial laws, paying taxes to the empire, or having Imperial soldiers garrisoned on their territory.

Funnily enough, many of the thengs that didn’t want to pay taxes or let troops garrison their land still wanted us to keep performing anti-monster patrols in their territory.

The end result was that the Imperial Province of Northmarch was a horrendous patchwork affair of conflicting agreements with different localities, many of which were eternally being argued over and renegotiated, especially since elections frequently changed just who was in charge of the various thengs. Inevitably, problems emerged, some of which led to violence. Thankfully it had never escalated to the point where all the thengs wanted the Empire out, though one of the caribou rebellions had started when a coalition of thengs demanded that we leave Northmarch entirely, despite the fact that just as many thengs still wanted us to stay.

“Yes, the caribou have persevered, and I see no reason that they cannot continue to persevere and flourish under Imperial rule.” I spared a quick glance at the clock, confirming that we still had a bit over half an hour before the Feast would begin. “The only difference is that now they also have an Imperial governor providing unity and direction, Imperial engineers building roads, Imperial soldiers dealing with the odd menace like trolls and yaks, and the chance to be part of something greater than themselves.”

Argentium flicks one of her wings dismissively. “Imperial governors to take away their freedoms. Imperial engineers to build forts to strengthen your hold. Imperial soldiers to conscript them into your legions to fight and die in foreign lands expanding your empire even further. Imperial tax collectors to maintain your palace and your governors’ decadent lifestyles.”

I chuckle and roll my eyes. “You obviously haven't met Governor Cadenza yet. Honestly, that mare would benefit from a little less austerity. Surrounding oneself with the trappings of power is an important part of holding power.”

“Ah yes, the newest governor you’ve dispatched to my land,” the dragon rumbled. “Tell me, will she be like Governor High Brow, who sparked the entire North into revolution?”

“Of course not. High Brow was an idiot.” Though I couldn’t entirely blame the fool for getting so frustrated with the thengs that he tried to abolish them, the fact remained that he’d come dangerously close to uniting all the caribou against the Empire. Thankfully I’d salvaged the situation by having Lyra remove him from office, followed by immediately restoring the thengs. “Cadenza has promised to work closely with the Altheng and local institutions to repair any bad feeling remaining from that unfortunate incident.”

“And so make your hold on the North all the tighter,” the dragon concludes with an angry snort.

“Yes,” I agree dryly. “I advance my nefarious plan to respect northern traditions and allow them to preserve their traditional way of life. What villainous scheme shall I conjure next?”

“You respect their traditions for now,” the dragon growls, “but only so you can gradually grind them away over the course of a few centuries.”

Well, I could hardly deny that I would like to see Caribou culture fall a bit further in line with Imperial norms, but nowhere near to the extent she implied. “I see no reason to change their traditions entirely. So long as the caribou play their part in the Empire, I could care less whether their cities are ruled by mayors, barons, or thengs. The only thing I want is a peaceful, quiet, and unified empire.”

“Docile servants, you mean.”

I sigh and roll my eyes. “No. Docility leads to stagnation, and that is the last thing I want. A stagnant empire quickly becomes a decaying one.” I pointedly cleared my throat. “If you want me to leave your Northmarch, you can always work to persuade the thengs to request that we leave. That is how the institutions are supposed to work, yes?”

Argentium lets out a loud, irritated huff. “So that is it then. Help you defeat your rival, and then be relegated to my cave as long as I do not cause any trouble for you? All while I am to let you turn my caribou into happy little drones in your empire. Cogs in the machine is how I believe the term goes.”

“They are not your caribou,” I answer simply. “They are free beings and imperial citizens.” I take a breath and continue as calmly as possible. “And whatever our disagreements on the matter of the caribou and their future, I think we can both agree that Nightmare Moon killing all of them is unacceptable.”

“That sounds like the only thing we will be agree about,” the dragon grumbles.

“It's enough for now,” I answer confidently. “We can resolve our issues after we prevent a global apocalypse, yes?”

“Perhaps,” Argentium allows. “Though I do not see you feeling the need to negotiate.”

“I have no interest in a war with you,” I answer honestly. “It would be very expensive, both in blood and treasure.” After a moment’s consideration, I throw in a bit more careful flattery. “Not to mention that even with all my power and my legions, I cannot be certain I would win. You are a rather impressive dragon, after all.”

Argentium draws herself up as far as her pony form would allow. “You flatter me.”

“Only a little.” After a moment’s thought, I summon something from my wine cellar. “Now, I have some Zebrican firewine I've been saving for a special occasion...”

The dragon lifts a single eyebrow. “Well, normally I’m more partial to mead, but I suppose there is no sense letting it go undrunk forever...”

Thus the bargain was struck.

The Feast itself wasn’t particularly memorable, perhaps because I was more focused on what had happened both before and would happen after the Feast. I made the requisite small talk with all my guests, but my mind was on the six young mares I had brought here for a special purpose.

Twilight and Sunset were of course mainly interested in one another, though they did also talk quite a bit with Twilight’s father, attending in his capacity as the unicorn tribune. To be frank, my students had been just a bit distracted from their studies lately. Young love will do that. It wasn’t enough of an issue to bear commenting upon, though.

Rainbow Dash, Ditzy Doo, and Fluttershy had claimed a quarter of the table for themselves, chatting animatedly with one another. The three were old childhood friends, so that came as no surprise. Rarity did not have any connections to the other guests, yet she seemed quite at ease rubbing shoulders with some of the most powerful individuals in the Empire. Quite the social butterfly for a mare who routinely wore a mask and beat up criminals with her bare hooves.

After a lovely chat with the newly named tribune for the buffalo, I call the feast to an end and make my way back to my private quarters. Lyra will see to gathering the six and bringing them to my rooms. She has been a valued asset for me and will continue to be so, especially in this matter. I will have to find a suitable reward for her once the matter is done.

I am waiting for them on my throne when Lyra escorts them in. Twilight and Sunset are the first to bow, but it is a simple, almost perfunctory gesture. They have both known me long enough that they’re quite used to it, and I hardly need them grovelling to know they respect me. Rarity’s bow is perfectly executed, as befits an etiquette teacher. Ditzy salutes like a proper soldier, while Fluttershy pauses and hesitates, then both salutes and bows.

Rainbow Dash is the exception. She is the last to bow, and when she does it is an almost insolent, minimal effort. If she thinks such small shows of defiance upset me, she is quite mistaken. I must find out if Cadenza has recruited the mare for her secret society yet. If not, perhaps it would be a good idea to arrange such. Though I am not overly fond of them, the Circle would at least channel Rainbow’s rebellious instincts into a more productive direction.

“Rise, my children.” Rainbow is the first to rise, tossing her head and shaking out her wings as if the mere act of showing me a moment’s respect discomforted her. I smiled down at the group. “Thank you all very much for coming.” I waved towards Lyra. “Now we have a number of highly sensitive matters to discuss, so I will have to ask you to sign some standard secrecy contracts. In summary, don’t share anything you learn of this evening with anypony, or else you’ll be in quite a bit of trouble.”

Twilight dutifully reads over the entire contract, frowning faintly. “It doesn't exactly say what type of classified information we'll be looking at.”

“Telling us the secret before we agreed to keep it would rather defeat the point of the exercise,” Rarity points out.

“Well yes, obviously,” Twilight agrees, sounding slightly miffed at the correction. “I just meant that generally you at least have a department or agency named for these, or something like the code names for whatever files we’re going over.”

“This is a somewhat non-standard situation,” I explain. “You will be working directly for me.”

Rainbow Dash glowered down at her contract suspiciously. “Should I get my manager to look this over? Or maybe hire a lawyer or something? I mean, if I could go to prison or get banished or something for breaking this contract...” She frowned, turning the sheet of paper over in her hooves. “What if I see something important? Like, something that could mean life-or-death stuff, where the only way to save everyone is to share the information.”

“Then ask me for permission to share it,” I answer simply. “Or barring that, break the contract if you think it’s important enough. If it’s really a matter of life and death, I will be reasonable and pardon you for any technical legal violations.”

“Hrmm...” Rainbow frowns, squinting down at the paper. “Wait, what does this part mean? ‘The party of the first part shall be known in this contract as the party of the first part?’” Her gaze drops to the bottom of the document. “And what's this bit? A sanity clause? Now I know you're pulling my leg. There's no such thing! And what about—”

“Rainbow,” Captain Doo murmurs under her breath. “Would you please just sign the damn thing? We'll get the full explanation in a minute.”

Rainbow looks around the room, noting that all the other ponies are looking quite annoyed by the way she is holding things up. With an annoyed sigh, she signs her name and hoofs the contract over to Lyra.

“Thank you very much, my children.” I descend from my throne, leading them towards the truly private section of my royal quarters. “Now if you will all follow me...” I ignore Rainbow Dash’s grumbling about how she isn’t a child and certainly not mine, trotting over to an old, well-used bookshelf. I shift several books out of the way, then extend a hoof towards what any visitor would think is nothing but a small deformation in the wood. The spells woven into the shelf carefully scan the hoof, confirming my identity as thoroughly as possible. The shelf will not open for anyone else unless I am dead and another set of other special conditions are fulfilled.

Once the defenses are satisfied, there is an audible click as a hidden section of wall slides aside, revealing a passageway. In reality the doorway is actually a portal into a pocket dimension rather than a proper secret passage; after all, the Vault is far too large to fit into the Imperial Palace without somepony noticing that there was quite a bit of unaccounted space. Not to mention it is far easier to protect from outside intruders this way.

Sunset’s jaw drops in shock as the entrance is revealed. “I never knew that was there, and I eat dinner here once a week! How did I miss that?”

I chuckle and wrap a wing around my student. “Well, I do like to think I still have a few good tricks up my sleeve.”

Rainbow chuckles, staring through the portal. “This is just like something out of Daring Do. I bet the mechanism is that one really awful book she'd never actually read. The one about the sparkly vamponies? What was it called again…?”

Twilight huffs, shooting an annoyed glare Rainbow’s way. “Can you be a bit more respectful? This is really important, and you keep interrupting everything by trying to be funny.”

I lead them through the portal, ignoring the bickering for now. If I intervene it will likely only make things worse, given Rainbow’s confrontational nature. Besides, they will have to learn to work these issues out for themselves at some point.

“What?” Rainbow grumbles, matching my student’s irritation. “I can be respect ... ful...” She trails off as she enters the Vault and her eyes fall upon the two coffins that occupy the front room. Until now, Lyra is the only currently living pony who has been inside the Vault with me.

Twilight’s gaze is instantly drawn to my daughter’s body. She certainly knows her family history well enough to recognize my child. After several seconds, she silently walks to my side and places a single hoof on my shoulder. She says nothing, and in truth I prefer her silence. Any words she might offer would only make things difficult in the future. I am her mentor, not a bitter old mare who has lived too long and lost too much.

Fluttershy stares at Celestia’s corpse, a cavalcade of emotions playing across her face. No doubt it’s quite a shock for a knight of Sol Invictus to come face-to-face with the body of her order’s spiritual icon. After several seconds, she very quietly asks, “Um ... Empress, would you mind if I…?” She waves towards the coffin. “I promise I won’t take too long.”

“Go ahead,” I gently assure her. Some of my more devoted followers forget that in my mortal life I donated generously to the Cult of Sol Invictus. While I naturally prefer my own cult now, I still have a bit of nostalgic fondness for Celestia’s, so long as its members avoid the sort of sedition that Cadenza and her Circle flirt with.

The Sol Knight steps up to the coffin, then lowers her head and begins softly murmuring one of her order’s hymns. Rainbow’s head cocks to the side as she takes in her old friend’s actions. “Uh, Shy? What're you doing?”

My faithful Lyra answers, not even making a token effort to hide the contempt in her voice. “She's praying.”

Ditzy does not miss my agent’s tone, glaring angrily and rising to the defense of her old friend. Matters might have escalated had I not defused them with a pointed look Lyra’s way. The veteran assassin wilts at my disapproval and quickly mumbles out an apology.

Fortunately, Rainbow misses the brief confrontation, remaining focused upon Fluttershy instead. She stares at her friend for several more seconds, as though trying to make sense of a particularly complex puzzle, before finally admitting, “I don’t get it.”

“You don’t even know who Celestia is?” Sunset asks incredulously, a note of mocking contempt entering her voice as she continues, “What are you, stupid or something?” A moment after the question leaves her lips, Twilight gently steps on her hoof and directs a pointed look her way, shaking her head.

Rainbow does not take the insult well. “Hey, I know perfectly well who Celestia is! I just don't spend all my time with my nose stuck in a book, looking up corpses. You've probably got issues.”

Twilight instantly shifts from chiding her romantic partner to defending her. “Hey! You can’t talk to my fillyfriend like that!”

“Why not?” Rainbow demands. “‘Cause you both think you’re so special just ‘cause you’re the Empress’s students? Like that really makes a difference. If you’re gonna be a jerk or a weirdo, that’s what I’m calling you no matter who your teacher is.”

“Stop this.” I do not raise my voice; it carries more authority when I sound perfectly calm and in control. “Sunset, you should not have called her stupid. Rainbow, you will learn to control your temper before it controls you. Both of you will apologize at once, and this behavior will not repeat itself. Now, all of you will be quiet, and allow Dame Fluttershy to finish her meditations in peace.” I pause in thought for a moment, then add, “And as an apology for disturbing her, you will both volunteer to work in an Order soup kitchen this weekend.”

Sunset reacts quite quickly, bowing to me. “Of course, Empress. I ... I’m sorry.”

Rainbow, by contrast, seems to be on the verge of outright defying me until Ditzy places a restraining hoof on her shoulder, and her gaze flicks back to Fluttershy. The fire leaves her eyes and her shoulders slump. “Fine, whatever.”

Not an ideal response, but I saw no point in forcing an insincere apology from the mare. The effort would make me look petty.

Instead, I am respectfully silent, and the others follow suit, allowing Fluttershy to finish her prayers in peace. Once she is finished, I lead them further into the Vault. There are two high-security cells between the entrance and where the Elements are stored.

The first contains something my students recognize all too well, if the telltale shivers that pass down their spines are any indication. I’m sure after that incident with the body-swapping and the gigantic killer apple they had done enough research into Discord to recognize his statue. Or at least what was left of it.

Destroying the statue had not been one of my better notions. When I had been a younger mare and still fresh to my powers, I had foolishly thought Discord’s threat could be ended by simply taking a sledgehammer to his statue. I had at least recovered almost all of the statue since then, but every few years a shard of it resurfaced in the most unexpected places, causing all manner of trouble until I managed to contain it. Discord never fails to irritate me, and all the moreso because I know he is only so much of a problem because of my own mistakes.

Rainbow stares at the shattered and reassembled statue for several long moments before declaring, “I really don't get modern art.”

“That’s not art,” Twilight grumbles. “It’s an ancient spirit of chaos called Discord. Old Queen Celestia petrified him.”

The others seemed more interested in the occupant of the other cell. A changeling whose size and stature equalled my own, strapped to an impressive amount of medical and magical equipment. Keeping Chrysalis trapped in an artificial coma for several centuries was a rather difficult task, but necessary to remove her from the field. Death was no obstacle when she could reincarnate into a suitable drone’s body, and leaving her conscious carried the same risk if she could restore her connection to the hive mind for even a fraction of a second.

The Free Minds had demolished most of the hive mind and uplifted the remaining drones in the centuries since Chrysalis had ceased to be a threat, but I was quite sure a few drones had slipped the net. If nothing else, there were likely a few dormant hives buried deep underground. Chrysalis is canny enough to leave herself a few emergency spares if all her other resources are lost, and if she gained her freedom she could start breeding a new army entirely too quickly.

Rarity is the first to guess her identity. “I could swear that looks like Queen Chrysalis. I recognize her from the exhibits in the Imperial Museum. But that can’t be right, I’ve always heard the Empress slew her in...” She trails off, her eyes flicking back towards me. “Oh. Oh I see. Well, no wonder you wanted us to sign secrecy agreements.”

Rainbow looks between the two vanquished villains. “So, is this just like, your junk drawer for ancient baddies?”

“Among other things, though I think you’ll find it’s far more secure than the average junk drawer.” After all, most junk drawers would not incinerate their contents with solar flames if the security measures were compromised. “The Vault holds ancient evils, dangerous magical artifacts, proscribed tomes of forbidden knowledge, and anything else that should be hidden away from the world for the greater good.”

One of Ditzy’s eyes turns back towards the two coffins behind us. “And a few items of personal significance?”

“That too,” I concede. Quite a few of the more dangerous items in my vault don’t have an ounce of magic in them. I’m sure half the Empire would explode if a copy of my current last will and testament ever became public knowledge. Adopting Sunset and Twilight as my royal heirs then restoring the old Diarchy under them would certainly ruffle quite a few feathers, even though I had no intention of letting that particular chain of events occur.

“How big is this place?” Twilight asks, her curiosity coming to the fore. “And what do you call it? The Secret Archive? The Forbidden Warehouse? The Dark Library?”

“It is quite large. Several kilometers in each dimension.” I barely restrained a chuckle as Twilight’s face screws up in confusion for a moment as she works out how I managed to fit such a large structure into the Imperial Palace. “To answer your second question, I call it The Vault.”

“Just ‘The Vault?’” Rainbow comments. “Lame.”

“I think it has a certain elegant simplicity to it,” Rarity counters.

This touches off an amicable debate about alternate names for The Vault which I am quite content to let them all carry on with. The topic is harmless enough, and considering the task I have planned for them the sooner they could start bonding the better.

I call a halt to the discussion upon arriving before a particularly massive and well-secured door. It still baffles me that Celestia was content to leave the Elements in the rotting ruins of her old palace for more than a century after her sister’s defeat. A weapon as potent as the Elements of Harmony ought to be kept under the tightest possible security.

I step up to the door and activate the controls. A number of incredibly detailed magical scans quickly confirm my identity, but all of the cells within The Vault have time delay locks. A moment after being scanned I receive a mental warning from The Vault’s security systems, informing me that someone is attempting to access the Elements. The door will not actually open for another half hour—more than enough time for me to arrive and dispatch any intruders if someone were attempting to break past my security.

“I suggest you get comfortable,” I inform the others. “This will take a while.”

Rainbow lets out a long-suffering groan. “I hate waiting.” She takes off into the air, flying as much as she can without leaving the area. I am thankful she has enough sense to realize that going exploring in the vault full of dangerous artifacts would be unwise.

Sunset is more sensible, conjuring up an icy sofa and making herself comfortable for the wait. After a moment’s hesitation Twilight joins her, blinking in surprise as she settles in next to her fellow student. “It’s not cold. How did you make ice that isn’t cold? Did you use a Cold Be Gone spell? Or maybe a sensory block? No, you couldn’t have done that, I would’ve noticed if you cast a spell on me. Or maybe a thin layer of warm air hovering over the—”

“Twi,” Sunset gently puts a hoof over her lips. “Just relax and enjoy it. I’ll show you the spell later, if it matters that much to you.”

Twilight chuckles sheepishly, then nods and cuddles up with her fillyfriend. I had not anticipated the romance they’re developing, but it suits my plans. It’s certainly far more productive than their previous rivalry, even if it does mean enduring the occasional sickening cuteness of young ponies in love. And their children will no doubt be unicorns of singular talent, given that both of them are likely a match for my own raw potential in my mortal life.

Rarity delicately clears her throat. “Ah, Sunset, I hate to impose, but might I ask if you could possibly…?” Before she can even finish the question three chairs emerge next to Rarity, Fluttershy, and Ditzy.

Naturally, Rainbow notes her own exclusion, glowering down at my older student. “Hey, why didn’t you make one for me?”

“Ask me,” Sunset demands, smirking at the Wonderbolt. “Say please. And don’t forget to thank me once I do it.”

“Go feather yourself,” Rainbow predictably answers. Instead she flies over to Fluttershy’s seat, trying to perch on the back of it. However, since she is trying to perch on ice her hooves slip out from underneath her, and she lands upside-down in the knight’s lap. Fluttershy responds with a squeak that sounds most out-of-place for a knight decked out in her best ceremonial armor.

“Rainbow...” Derpy chides, rubbing her forehead. “Could you try to be a little more careful?”

The young Wonderbolt, still resting on her head with her hindquarters in the air, looks up at her old friend and sheepishly grins. “Er, hey there, ‘Shy. ‘Sup?”

Fluttershy’s cheeks pink, perhaps on account of the rather awkward positioning. “Hello, Rainbow Dash. It's ... erm ... nice to see you again.”

“Yeah, same here, Flutters.” Rainbow rights herself, sitting next to Fluttershy despite the chair really not being sized for two ponies. Apparently respecting her friend’s personal space is not Rainbow’s top priority at the moment. “Been a while. What've you been up to? I barely recognized you dressed up in that tin can outfit. How’d you wind up as one of those Sol Invictus Knights? That one time I skinned my knee at Flight School you nearly passed out when you saw the blood.”

“Oh ... I suppose I’ve grown up a little since then.” Fluttershy answers while shifting out of her chair, giving it up to Rainbow Dash. For a moment it looks like Rainbow is going to insist on giving it back, but I shoot a glance Sunset’s way and she produces another seat for Fluttershy, earning a grateful smile from the knight. “I stopped fainting when I learned how to take care of ponies and animals. You can't really do stitches if blood makes you faint.”

“Okay, I’m with you so far,” Rainbow nods along. “I mean, you going all into the whole charity thing makes sense. But how'd you go from being a doctor to making with the stabby-stabby on big monsters?”

“That's a bit of a story.” Fluttershy settles into her new seat, which I note seems a bit more comfortable than the one Rainbow unintentionally stole from her. “I met this really nice old knight of the Order who was always very friendly and encouraging.” Her gaze drops to the floor. “I really wished I could be as brave as he was, and he told me I could if I tried really hard.. So ... I became a knight.”

“Huh.” Rainbow peers at her friend. “So you really do the whole knight thing? Rescuing damsels in distress, fighting for truth, justice, and the Equestrian way, slaying dragons, all that stuff?”

Fluttershy lets out another one of those distinctly un-knightly squeaks. “Not dragons. A lot of the other stuff, but not dragons. Not if I can help it.”

“Besides,” Sunset cuts in. “Not all dragons are bad. I mean, there was a dragon at dinner: my mother’s worked with Argentium before. And slaying one of the guests in the middle of the feast would've been rude.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widen. “W-wait? Argentium was a dragon? But she looked like a pony! Oh my ... well, she seemed n-nice enough...”

Rainbow chuckles and scoots a bit closer, draping a wing over Fluttershy’s armored shoulders. “Still scared of dragons, huh? Well, at least even after you become an awesome flank-kicking knight, you're still the same old Fluttershy. S’cool, if you changed too much it’d be like ... well, like you weren’t my old buddy.”

Fluttershy smiles sheepishly, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. “I really am much better, I promise. It's just some things scare me more than others.”

“Relax, Flutters, I’m just having fun with you.” Rainbow nudges her in the side with her elbow, which doesn’t exactly work out given that Fluttershy is wearing armor. After taking a moment to rub her sore elbow, Rainbow continues. “You want scary, try sharing a locker room with some of the Wonderbolts.” She shivers dramatically. “Soarin' was so much cooler before I found out how much suit funk he builds up during a show. Seriously, I nearly hurled the first time I smelled it.”

Fluttershy smiled, chuckling softly. “Oh my, that does sound bad. But I do think having giant evil monsters trying to eat me is just a teeny-tiny bit worse than body odor. I mean there was this time when I was part of a task force sent to deal with a striga.” She shivers at the memory. “That wasn't very nice.”

Unsurprisingly, Rainbow is ignorant of the topic. “A stri-what? Are those giant monsters with huge pointy teeth or something?”

And just as unsurprisingly, Twilight is eager to answer the question. “A striga is a female sapient creature that has been cursed to transform into a monster. The curse manifests at a very young age, so the victim is usually targeted because of something the parents did. Strigas are filled with a baleful hatred towards all living creatures and a tendency to try and devour them. Um, at least that's what I read in my books.” She smiles shyly, clearly hoping that this information will win her the approval of the others within the room.

Rarity unexpectedly joins the conversation. “And trust me, darlings, you do not want to fight one. They're horrible beasts.”

Sunset frowns skeptically. “Aren’t you a schoolteacher? No offense, but when my parents were thinking of sending me to the Harshwhinny Academy, I didn’t see anything about how the etiquette teachers handled monster lore lessons.”

“I can still read about them, just like Twilight did,” the teacher responds with a ladylike sniff.

Twilight picks up the conversation thread, no doubt worried that Sunset’s acerbic temperament might show itself again if not reined in. “They are one of the monsters listed in the general Imperial Monster Manual, and several regional bestiaries like the Canterlot Monster Manual.”

Sunset’s eyes widen a bit, and she nods along. “Yeah, I remember there being one in the deep mines a couple months back. What wound up happening to that?”

Twilight, being blessed with an eidetic memory, quickly provides the answer. “If I remember right, the Sapphire Guardian managed to lift its curse, and turned her over to the Imperial Magi. Though I'm not sure exactly how she managed to do that all by herself.”

Naturally, that little tidbit explained Rarity’s knowledge about strigas quite well. The Sapphire Guardian had been even more active than before now that she enjoyed unofficial Imperial support.

Fluttershy filled in the rest of the information for the others. “Oh, it's quite simple to remove a striga's curse. Well, at least in theory. You just have to survive an entire night in its tomb, until the third rooster's crow. It took myself and four other knights to subdue the creature long enough to lock it up in a cage, but after that it’s just a matter of waiting for the sun. But they’re so strong I don’t think anypony could beat one by themselves.”

“Oh, a couple ponies can.” Twilight turns to me, grinning. “Isn’t that right, Your Majesty?”

I delicately clear my throat, a bit surprised by the question. “Well, yes, the Sapphire Guardian isn’t the first. I cured a striga once, back when I was still a young up-and-coming magus.”

“A most impressive feat, Empress,” Lyra dutifully announces, breaking her long silence. “Could you tell us how you managed it?”

“Oh, I’m afraid the story really isn’t all that interesting,” I answer with a bit of false modesty. The truth is that, like so often happened in my younger days, my solution had been simple and brutal. Her family had been a bit upset that I had cured their daughter by staking her down with an ice spear through one of her legs. At the time, I felt that returning their daughter to them with a limp was far better than her never coming back at all.

Though the fact that Rarity had managed to replicate my feat without injuring the victim did damage my pride just a little. Though she did have the advantage of nine centuries of technological and magical advances, and far better equipment and logistical support. If anything, the fact that she outdid one of my accomplishments just went to show that she truly was qualified to wield one of the Elements.

I waved the matter aside. “In any case, I imagine you have far more interesting things to discuss than my old war stories.” My gaze turned to Ditzy, who had been relatively silent thus far. “Besides, if you want those, we do have an actual soldier in our midst.”

“Well, I’m really more of an engineer than a frontline soldier,” Ditzy answers modestly. “The closest I’ve gotten to an actual war was when we raided this one bandit hideout in an old Gryphon fortress. I was just supposed to set a demo charge on the gate, and then fall back. It turned out the wood was really old and rotten, so when I slapped the charge on it just went right through. Those were some very surprised bandits.”

Rainbow snorts. “I’m surprised you didn’t just bash the door down with your bubble-butt. I remember back in Flight School, you’d destroy anything with that!”

Rarity lets out a disdainful ladylike sniff. “Could you possibly be any cruder?”

Ditzy chuckles and grins at the vigilante, while Fluttershy tries to be a bit more diplomatic. “You can be bit ... um ... direct, Rainbow.”

“S'what makes me awesome!” Rainbow declares, zipping from one side of the room to the other in the blink of an eye. “I get from Point A to Point B. No beating around the bush or hesitating. While other ponies are wasting time, I get stuff done!”

“A lady should show a little sophistication,” Rarity declares primly, her nose high in the air.

Ditzy chuckles, making a token effort to hide it behind her hoof. “Rainbow’s one of my oldest friends, and she's many, many things, but I don’t think anyone has ever accused her of being a proper lady.”

“Well, every mare should aspire to be one, regardless of their current flaws.”

Twilight giggles. “No offense, but I think an etiquette teacher might be just a bit biased about that subject.”

Rarity looks at her askance for a few moments, until she connects the dots. “You’re Amethyst Sparkle’s older sister, correct?” Twilight confirms as much. “I thought so. She has mentioned you once or twice.” A faint smirk crosses her lips. “Or at least, I assume it was you she meant when she mentioned how her older sister was a teacher’s pet.”

“Oh, the stories I could tell...” Before Sunset can take that thought any further, Twilight hoofs her in the shoulder, fixing her with a glare that is only mostly playful. “But I won’t,” my other student continues. “Because if I did Twilight would kill me. Or if she’s really mad, she’ll spend hours lecturing me.”

Twilight rolls her eyes and pokes her paramour in the side. "Yes, because that's obviously the worst thing I can do to you."

“You haven't heard yourself go on,” Sunset shoots back with a playful grin. “I swear, sometimes the only way I can make you stop is by kissing you.”

“Hey!” Twilight huffs, trying and failing to hide the smile on her face. “My lectures are filled with important information.”

“True, but it's usually stuff I already know,” Sunset shoots back, playfully nudging her. “And in any case, making out is more fun.”

“All the time we spend kissing is ruining my study plans,” Twilight grumbles, although her grin is ample proof that she does not really mind.

Sunset is quite aware of her true feelings on the matter. “I think that's the first time I've ever heard you not sounding upset about your study plans being ruined...”

Rarity delicately clears her throat and cuts in before my students can become too caught up in each other. I am privately grateful for that—young love tends to be a curious mixture of adorable and sickeningly sweet. “If we are going to be exchanging tales, I have no shortage of stories about your little sister. Truth be told, she is one of the more difficult students. Still, molding crude young mares into sophisticated ladies is my job, and Amethyst is far from the worst I’ve ever had to deal with. Even if she did put disappearing ink in everypony’s inkpots before an exam.”

Twilight grins and shakes her head. “Yup, that sounds like Ammy.”

“How old is she?” Ditzy asks.

“Sixteen, biologically speaking,” Twilight answers. “In terms of maturity ... well, she’s the baby of the family, so she’s been a massive brat ever since she was born.”

“Ooh dear.” Ditzy chuckles, holding up her hooves. “I'm the younger of two, so I don't know if I should offer my condolences or apologies.”

“I prefer to consider my sister's sins to be her own,” Twilight answers diplomatically.

“A fine policy,” Rarity agrees. “Heavens knows I would be at my wit’s end if I had to take responsibility for all the trouble my little sister causes.” She turns to Twilight with a smile. “But I must say, you certainly seem far better-mannered. And if you’ll forgive me for saying so, you and Sunset do make an absolutely darling couple.”

Twilight flushes, which only grows worse when Sunset nuzzles her. “Er ... thanks.”

The mares fall into a long enough silence that I am about to make an effort to stimulate the conversation when Rainbow Dash finally speaks up. “So what're you doing here, Rarity?”

“What do you mean?” she asks.

“Well, we've got soldiers,” Rainbow points to Derpy, “knights, the Empress's super-magic personal students who’ve probably learned all kinds of crazy magic, and the most awesome Wonderbolt in the history of the team.” She points to each of the others in turn, ending with herself. “And then we have an etiquette teacher at some fancy private school. How's that song go? ‘One of these things is not like the other, one of these things doesn’t belong...’”

“Oh.” Rarity freezes, her eyes darting about uncertainly. “Erm ... well...”

“She's here for a reason, Rainbow,” Ditzy cuts in. “As are we all.”

“Yeah, but would it kill us to actually know what that was?” Rainbow shoots back.

Rarity’s eyes flick to me, silently requesting aid. I am somewhat torn about the optimal course of action. On the one hoof, protecting her secret would earn her gratitude and avoid a great many potential complications. On the other, I do want the six of them to function as a team, which might be difficult to manage if they feel they cannot trust Rarity on account of her secrets. And if I take action to preserve her secrets, that will most certainly confirm that she is hiding something from the rest of them. A team without trust is no team.

“She has a point,” Twilight agrees. “No offense, but you are the odd mare out in this group.”

“Why is this group all mares, anyway?” Rainbow cuts in. “I mean, you’d think there would be a couple stallions or non-ponies in here if it was balanced.”

Twilight ignores her tangent, hunting after the mystery she has detected. “It just doesn’t make any sense unless there’s something you’re not telling us, like that you’re secretly the Sapphire Guardian, or maybe you’re part of the Ministry of Heart or the Shadow Knights. For all we know, you might not even be a pony; you could easily one of the Free Minds. If we’re going to work together, we can’t have big secrets hanging over our heads.”

Despite her best efforts to remain still, Rarity twitched just a tiny bit when her vigilante identity was mentioned.

“Yeah...” Rainbow zips over to Rarity, firmly invading her personal space and getting eye-to-eye with her. “Are you a spy?”

“What? No!”

“No, Rainbow.” Ditzy cuts in dryly. “The spy's over there.” She levels a hoof at Lyra.

“Yo.” Lyra waves casually to the rest of them. “Just your friendly neighborhood Heartstrings here, watching you all and learning your secrets. No wait, I did that when I vetted you for this group.” She pauses, smirking faintly at Rarity and Rainbow. “And yes, that includes both of yours. I’m just that good.” Having said her piece, she returns to her customary silence.

Rarity briefly glowers at my favorite agent, then turns back to Rainbow Dash. “Well, as you can see, I'm certainly not with the Ministry of Heart.”

“Oh. Okay then!” Rainbow gives her a friendly clap on the back, eliciting a squawk of protest from the demure mare. “But seriously, what do you bring to the table? ‘Cause I know we’re supposed to be a team, and I’m pretty sure the Empress wouldn’t bring you on just to teach us how to hold our teacups and sit down without wrinkling our dresses.” She pauses, then grumbles under her breath. “Never did get the hang of that, but dresses are dumb anyway. Way too much air resistance to fly in.”

Rarity smiles, but there is a slightly brittle edge to it. “If you would like, I would be more than happy to teach you such useful skills. If you are going to be a member of the Wonderbolts, let alone this particular team, it would be nice if you didn’t act like an oaf every time you went out in public.”

“Image is important,” Fluttershy quietly declares, earning a grateful smile from Rarity. “A lot of my training was about that. Citizens don’t just trust the Order because we know how to fight, they trust us because we have a good reputation in the public eye. That makes it easier for us to help others in need.”

Rainbow and Twilight both frown skeptically, but Rainbow is the one to put words to it. “You can’t be serious. You really think we need an image consultant for this ... well, whatever it is we’re doing? I don’t even have all the details yet.” She turns her attention to me, temporarily forgetting her suspicions about Rarity. “So when do we get the rest of the story anyway? You’ve just had us sitting around talking in the middle of your creepy vault for, like, hours.”

“It hasn’t been hours,” Sunset comments acidly. “You really need to buy a watch or something. It’s only been twenty-nine minutes.”

Rainbow shoots a glare at my older student, then pointedly looks down at her bare foreleg. “You don’t have a watch either. How do you know how long it’s been?”

“The time vault’s nearly done ticking down,” Sunset answers matter-of-factly. She then turns to me, a proud little smirk on her face. “Yeah, I noticed it was a time vault.”

“Well done, my student.” In all honesty, were it not for the fact that I was grooming her as the leader of the Elements and a potential heir in the worst case, Sunset would have graduated from my tutelage some time ago. While she still had a deal of learning and growing to do before she reached her full potential, there is only so much a baby bird can learn before it must leave the nest. Stifling Sunset’s growth for the greater good of the Empire did not sit well with me, but slowing her career by a few years was a small price to pay for stopping the Nightmare.

As the time lock finally expired, the reinforced door clicked open. I step into the door, looking upon the Elements of Harmony for the first time in centuries. They are just as I remember them: a collection of five inert stone spheres, each with a symbol representing one of the Elements. Magic suffuses them, but I have never been able to make heads or tails of it despite spending several decades working on them at one point. I am sure Celestia would be most amused by my failure.

I step out of the cell, carrying the Elements with me. “Each of you was chosen for a reason. For your skills, your achievements, and most importantly, your virtues.”

Rainbow cocks her head to the side. “Our virtues are a bunch of rocks?”

“Don't take it for granite, Rainbow,” Ditzy snarks.

I chuckle and set the first stone down in front of the most difficult member of the team. “Rainbow Dash, never afraid to speak your mind, even when it would be wiser not to ... you represent the Element of Honesty.”

Rainbow stares at her Element for several seconds, giving the rock an experimental poke. “Er ... okay then? What, does this mean I get rewarded for telling the truth? Does the rock turn into a sweet set of battle armor once I’m honest enough?”

I ignore her question, moving on down the line. “Ditzy Doo, your use of humor to point out the flaws in Imperial policy suits you to the Element of Laughter. Rarity, your sacrifices for the good of Canterlot have earned you the Element of Generosity. Fluttershy, your noble heart makes you the ideal recipient for the Element of Kindness.” Finally, I arrive before my students. “Twilight Sparkle, your loyalty to both me, Sunset, your family, and most importantly of all, your own principles, means that you will wield the Element of Loyalty.”

Sunset stares at me expectantly for several seconds, until the silence stretches out long enough to become awkward. Finally, she speaks. “Er ... do I get one?”

Twilight nodded along. “There are supposed to be six of them. At least, that’s what it said in the book I read.”

“There are six Elements of Harmony, but only five stones.” Not something I was especially happy about. Even from beyond the grave, Celestia manages to complicate my life. “The sixth Element, the Element of Magic, was sealed away long ago to prevent its power from falling into evil hooves. Now it will only reveal itself once the other five Elements have been activated by their wielders.”

“Oh.” Ditzy looks to the others in the room, grinning. “No pressure, then.”

“So how do we turn these things on?” Rainbow demands, still poking her Element. “I mean, there isn’t an on button or a switch or anything, and nothing happened when I told Derpy her bubble-butt is still ginormous or Fluttershy that she was the mousiest knight I’ve ever seen.” Rainbow ignores the glares that the two mares in question send her way.

“That is what I want you to discover.” Which was another way of saying that—much to my displeasure—I didn’t have a feathering clue how the damned things were supposed to be used. “The Elements are ancient magic, far older than even I am. And only six special ponies with the right virtues can wield them.”

“That doesn’t tell us anything about how to use them, though,” Twilight grumbles. “Do you have any books or other reference materials on how to use them? I know I read about them somewhere before, so there has to be more information.”

I nod and extract a few tomes from within the vault. I start with a particularly simple and easy book entitled: The Legend of the Elements of Harmony. That one goes to Rainbow Dash, naturally. It uses small words, and there are plenty of bright, colorful pictures that should hold her interest.

Despite my efforts to accommodate her, Rainbow groans in protest. “Seriously? Is this some kind of joke?”

I smile wryly, and give her something a bit more appropriate. Rarity, Fluttershy, and Ditzy also receive books suited to their intelligence and education. “I also have everything Old Queen Celestia told me about them before she passed on.” I extract by far the largest tome of the lot and set it down before my two students.

They set to on their respective books, some with far more enthusiasm than others. After a minute Fluttershy slowly raised a hoof. “Excuse me, Your Majesty, but this book says that the Elements are used to restore harmony when the world is out of balance. What exactly will we be using them for?”

Ah, I was wondering how long it would take one of them to come up with that question. I could have opened with the looming threat, but that might have scared them off. Better to get them used to seeing each other as part of the same group first, then raise the stakes. However, now that she had asked the question, an answer is required. “How many of you are familiar with the old prophecy of the Mare in the Moon?”

Rainbow frowns, tapping her chin. “Wait, you mean the mare who steals half my candy on Nightmare Night? There’s a prophecy about her?”

Ditzy’s eyes widen, and she murmurs a rather impressively inventive series of expletives. “Your Majesty, please tell me this isn’t the part where it stops being a legend.”

Twilight shakes her head, her hoof tapping one of the books. “No, wait that doesn’t make any sense. That old prophecy says that the Mare in the Moon escapes on the longest day of the thousandth year! It's only 887!”

“By the Imperial Calendar,” I explain. “But naturally nopony was using the Imperial Calendar before the Empire was founded. The prophecy of the Mare in the Moon was made under the old Celestial Calendar ... where the current year is 999.” I held up a hoof to forestall any panic. “We still have a year before the summer solstice of 1000 CR.”

Twilight’s eyes widen. “So you want us to use the Elements against Nightmare Moon? As in, ‘Nightmare Moon, the mad alicorn who tried to plunge the world into eternal darkness.’ Who even Old Queen Celestia couldn’t permanently defeat? That’s who you want us to fight?”

“It is.”

My student lets out a nervous giggle. “And to think, yesterday I was worried about what questions would be on my next exam!”

Rainbow flies up until she’s at eye-level with me. “Why didn’t you tell us about this before? I think it would’ve been nice to know we’re going up against some crazy-psycho-murder-alicorn just a little bit sooner!”

“I told you when you were ready to know,” I answer calmly.

It is complete horseapples, of course. The real reason I held off on telling them is revealed in Rainbow’s very choice of words. ‘Why didn’t you tell us.’ My Element bearers need to start thinking of themselves as a team if they are going to have the unity of purpose needed to defeat Nightmare Moon. A small measure of common resentment would help bind them together in the early stages, and would fade away as they became absorbed in their duties. It was a trick I had learned from one of Shadow’s training sergeants during my mortal life.

I ignore Rainbow’s glower and resume speaking. “Lyra will serve as your liaison with me for the duration of this assignment. If you need anything to complete this task, tell her, and she will see to it. She is also in charge of your protection. The Nightmare does have followers, and if they learn you are destined to wield the Elements they will target you. You are Equestria’s best hope for holding off the coming darkness.”

No need to mention that the cultists had already put a crossbow bolt into my original first choice for the Element of Laughter. I didn’t want to scare them too much. The same applied to my backup plans in case the Elements failed.

“So....we're gonna be heroes?” Rainbow asks. “Save the world stuff? Ha! I knew it! As soon as this is all over, I’m gonna go back to my old school and tell my third-grade teacher to eat it! Said I'd never amount to anything, and now I'm a Wonderbolt and I’m gonna be a hero who saves the world! Take that, Ms. Chalkboard!”

“If we succeed,” Twilight cautions. “It’s a little early to start planning the celebration when we don't even know how to use the Elements of Harmony yet.” She glances towards Sunset, then nuzzles her. “Not to mention we’re still missing one.”

I rest a hoof on her shoulder. “I am quite confident you will succeed, Twilight Sparkle. You and Sunset Shimmer have never let me down before. My blood runs through your veins.” I toss an idle glance Rainbow’s way. “Yours too, though more distantly.” Her horrified and disgusted expression is far too amusing.

“I know we’ve never let you down, but this isn't like a test or an essay assignment!” Twilight’s eyes dart around the room, and her breathing quickens. “This is about saving the world from a demigod that will bring about an eternal night. If I fail, the stakes are just a little bit higher than you possibly sending me back to magical kindergarten!”

“Hey.” Sunset hugs her until her breathing slows. “We can handle this.”

Rainbow Dash flutters over to the two of them, landing on the back of their sofa. “Yeah, chillax, egghead. You got me behind ya. No way that crazy monster’s gonna win.”

“Oh joy.” Sunset rolls her eyes. “We're saved now.”

Ditzy playfully glares at Rainbow. “You know, as much as you love to talk about the size of my rump, your head is easily twice as big.”

Fluttershy giggles, earning a betrayed look from Rainbow Dash. Rarity is quick to join in on the fun. “Really now, Rainbow Dash, a bit of confidence serves a lady well, but there can be too much of a good thing.” She smirks, and amends, “Though I think you passed that particular point a long time ago.”

“Hey, I can be all polite and professional and stuff.” Rainbow offers in her own defense. “I’m in the Wonderbolts, I know how to look good in front of a crowd. I’m just not a snob about it. And since I’m supposed to be the Element of Honesty or whatever, what’s so bad about being honest about my own accomplishments? If you ask me, pretending to be modest is even more stuck-up.”

Sunset blinks in surprise. “That’s ... actually a pretty reasonable point.”

I smile at the conversation, quite pleased to see them starting to come together. Teamwork and friendship aren’t things that spring up overnight, but that is why I brought them together a year before the Nightmare’s return. If Celestia were still alive, she probably would have just left it all in the hooves of destiny with a few vague mumbles about what was meant to be and how they would know what to do when the time was right.

But, as some ponies never tire of reminding me, I am not Celestia. The conversation I have with Lyra later that day proves that.

Once the new wielders of the Elements are settled in and hard at work on their task, I take Lyra aside for a moment. “Agent Heartstrings, give me your report on the team.”

Lyra looks them over one last time before delivering her conclusions. “Unorthodox. Rough. Dull blades. But I have faith that you'll sharpen them in time.”

“We do have a full year to work on them,” I point out. “That should be enough time. Any potential problems?”

Lyra wastes no time answering. “Rainbow Dash is one. Thick as a brick and as potentially destructive. Not to mention her seditious impulses border on treasonous.”

“I don't need her to love me,” I answer bluntly. “I just need her to stop Nightmare Moon.”

Lyra grunts and nods. “If I might make a suggestion, Your Majesty: once Nightmare Moon is gone, she becomes disposable.”

I immediately shake my head. “We might need the Elements again.” After a moment’s thought, I reconsider. “On the other hoof, we do have secondary candidates. None of them are as suitable to Honesty, but it doesn't matter how well she can use her Element if she refuses to use it on Nightmare Moon or tries to turn it on us.” I nod to myself, certain of my decision. “Keep an eye on her. So long as she stays on task, I don’t care if she dislikes me, but if it looks like she is trying to turn the other Elements against me, or anything else that could critically undermine Equestria’s defense...”

Lyra nods, understanding at once. “Quickly, cleanly, silently, and with no evidence left behind.”

I smile and pat her shoulder. “I knew I could count on you.”

Author's Note

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Nopony's Perfect

It all started with a simple, spur-of-the-moment idea.

It had been a week since the Empress briefed us on Nightmare Moon’s return and the Elements of Harmony. It was still a bit hard to believe. I was leading an elite team hoof-picked by the Empress to confront the insane sister of Old Queen Celestia, with the fate of the entire Empire at stake. I’d always believed the Empress was preparing me for a great destiny, but I’d never imagined it would be something like this.

Unfortunately, my first try at figuring out the Elements hadn’t borne any fruit. Twilight and I had tried channeling our magic into the stones to activate them, but all that got us both was a nasty shock and a worse headache. Plus the Empress had said it would take all six of us to unlock the Elements, which almost certainly meant that I couldn’t just do everything with Twilight while the other four members of the team sat back and watched.

That was when I’d hit on a random, but plausible, idea. I was supposed to unlock the Element of Magic. Rarity, the only other unicorn in our group, was not a particularly good spellcaster compared to myself and Twilight. She was probably a bit above average for a normal civilian unicorn, but Twilight and I were both qualified warmages trained by the Empress herself. Teaching somepony magic seemed like as good a way as any to activate the Element of Magic.

Plus, it was worth doing anyway. One of the few intelligent things Rainbow Dash had said was when she pointed out that Rarity was the only member of our team who didn’t have combat training. Well, she did say she’d taken a few self-defense classes, but that was a long way from what Twilight and I could do. Teaching her some proper combat magic was smart, considering what we were up against.

Unfortunately, teaching was one of those things that sounded nice and simple in theory, but was a lot harder to pull off in practice. Which was how Rarity and I wound up in my old training room, with me clenching my teeth and trying very hard not to start shouting at her. “You're still not hitting the targets,” I managed to growl out, almost sounding civil about it.

The schoolteacher huffed and glowered at me. “Well honestly, Sunset, how am I supposed to hit those targets when they’re small, on the other end of the room, and you keep moving them around?”

“It’s supposed to be hard!” I snapped at her. “If you could do it without any effort, we wouldn’t be here.” I paused, took a deep breath, and tried to get my temper back under control. Mostly by thinking about how Twilight would’ve been giving me that faintly disappointed frown she broke out whenever I snapped at somepony. I really wished she was here—much as I hated to admit it, she was a lot better at teaching than I was. She just had the right sort of personality for it.

Unfortunately, my girlfriend was visiting her brother and his fiancee, all the way up in Northmarch. Which ... well I was happy for her, but also sad that she was gone. A part of me wished I’d gone with her, but working on the Elements took priority. I’d have plenty of time to visit friends and family after I’d finished saving the Empire from eternal night.

I shifted tactics and tried to say something nicer, like Twilight would do. “You're ... um ... improving quickly, but we need to keep pushing the limits so you’ll keep getting better.”

That seemed to work, since her shoulders untensed. “I'm aware of that, darling. But I'm not like you—I can’t fire off several dozen magical blasts without wearing myself out, especially when you want each attack to be at long range against a moving target. Perhaps you don’t realize how much harder it is for me to keep the beam coherent at that range?”

She was right, of course. One thing Twilight and I had both learned very quickly while working with Rarity was that she just didn’t have a special talent for spellcasting. Twilight said that between the Imperial Magus Academy, our families, and being taught by the Empress, we had a slightly skewed idea of what a unicorn could ‘normally’ do with their magic. Rarity might be above average in skill and potential, but compared to the sorts of company we normally kept...

Teaching Rarity was ... frustrating. I kept needing to go back and explain things that seemed incredibly obvious to me. Sometimes I even needed to explain something more than once before she actually understood it. Maddening.

“Er, look, Rarity, I...” I struggled to come up with a way to explain the problem that wasn’t some variant on ‘you’re stupider and less talented than me.’ I have been trying to work on the whole diplomacy thing. “Look, I’m an Alpha, my parents were Alphas, I was trained by the Empress, Twilight’s an Alpha...” Well, technically an Alpha-plus.

The schoolteacher grimaced. “Whereas I am merely a Gamma.”

“Right.” I was glad she’d volunteered that information on her own. It’s a bit rude to ask another unicorn what their magical ranking is. I’d pretty firmly pegged her as a Gamma already, but it was always nice to get a little confirmation. “Anyway, my point was ... well, I’m kinda used to things working a bit differently.”

“I'm aware of how unicorn power rankings work.” Rarity sniffed, sounding faintly annoyed. “Though I’ve read quite a bit about the inherent flaws in the current system. Really, the idea that you can summarize a pony’s entire magical capacity into a single letter is frankly preposterous. The whole system seems wildly inconsistent; take Archmagus Mossy Banks, for one—he was classed as a Beta normally, but while in his swamp he could likely have ranked as an Alpha-plus. Or how a pony with a talent for electrical magic would get a different ranking if the testing equipment is poorly insulated or grounded. Not to mention—”

“I know it’s not perfect,” I interrupted. “But until somepony comes up with a better system, I’ll stick with it. It’s a lot easier to be a critic than it is to come up with solutions.”

Rarity delicately cleared her throat. “Yes, of course. Well, regardless of the flaws with the current system, I merely wanted to point out that quite a few of my students are either magically gifted, or have family members that are the same. I am familiar with the issue you’re raising.”

“I figured you would be. After all, Twilight's sister is in your class.”

“Precisely,” she agreed with a satisfied nod. “And while of course I haven’t been crass enough to actually ask, it’s no secret that the Empress’ descendants have demonstrated a considerable talent for magic, and she certainly seems quite capable with her spellwork. Which, between you and me, lets Amethyst get into all sorts of trouble.”

I smirked. “According to Twilight, she’s a massive brat. Matches what I’ve seen of her, though Twilight tries to avoid her whenever we’re hanging out. Presumably because she’s worried about her bratty sister stirring something up.”

Rarity coughed delicately. “Well, it would of course be most improper for me to publically say something like that about one of my students...”

I grinned and leaned forward. “But just between the two of us?”

She returned the grin and whispered conspiratorially. “Oh, just between us girls, she is quite the little rascal. It’s a classic case of her being the spoiled baby of the family. Nothing malicious, mind you—I wouldn’t stand for anything like that—but she knows exactly how much harmless mischief she can more-or-less get away with.”

“That’s what Twilight always says too.” I paused, and an idea popped into my head. Not an idea I especially liked, but one that was undeniably sensible and would probably make this whole arrangement quite a bit easier for both of us. “So ... you're a teacher. I'm trying to teach you. Any advice?”

Rarity blinked, seeming a bit surprised by my question, but quickly rallied. “Ah, certainly. First and foremost, patience is paramount. Every student learns at their own rate, and that's something you have to take into account for your lessons. Getting frustrated will only make it harder on everypony involved.”

“Yeah, kinda already figured that part out on my own.” I ran a hoof through my mane and tried to come up with a diplomatic way of explaining myself. “I think part of what’s making this so hard is that you're ... er, no offense, but I'm a genius prodigy, and you're not.”

Rarity sniffed softly and used her magic to primp her mane. “I suppose that is true. While I like to think I’ve applied myself to learning, I simply do not possess your natural gifts, nor do I have the benefit of a lifetime of training by the Empress herself. A few impromptu lessons in our spare time is hardly going to change that.”

“Right.” I sighed. “So ... patience it is?”

The schoolteacher nodded. “Everypony should learn patience, darling. It’s one of the foremost virtues of a proper lady. While there are certainly times when one should push to get what they want, I have found that far more often one will have to wait on others. Especially where students are concerned.” She delicately cleared her throat. “Not to mention that impatience is one of those things another pony will pick up on quite quickly unless you are very good at hiding it, and then the whole process becomes all the more frustrating for both of you.”

“Okay, that all sounds very reasonable. It’s just...” I grimaced and waved towards the calendar. “We are on a timetable with Nightmare Moon coming back. We’ve only got so much room left to be patient.”

“So I'm aware,” Rarity conceded. “But we do still have nearly a year before her return. It is a bit early to start panicking. Especially when there are some things that simply can't be pushed too hard. I'm sure you've heard of the saying ‘haste makes waste.’”

“I’m familiar with the saying, yes.” I scowled and blasted one of the targets she’d been practicing on to let off a little steam. “I just don’t want to risk procrastinating on all of this. It’d be way too easy to get in the habit of putting things off because we have plenty of time before her return, and then next thing we know she’ll be back soon and we won’t have done any prep work to be ready for her.”

“I am certainly familiar with that problem,” Rarity conceded. “Every time I remind my students that some major project is due next week, I always see a few looks of barely concealed panic from the girls who haven’t even started working on it yet.” She tapped her lips, frowning in thought. “Hmm, if I were making a lesson plan for this, it would seem best to prioritize the most important things we would want to cover. Just like how my students always try to focus their studying on whatever material they think is likely to be on the test.”

“Except that this time the test is going to be an insane alicorn who wants to destroy the Empire trying to kill all six of us. At least if we fail the class, we won’t have to repeat it next year.” We both chuckled at my gallows humor, then got back to business. “Still, the basic idea is sound. So far the lessons have just kinda been a random ad-hoc thing, so planning it out a bit more should help. Shame Twilight’s not here, she’s always been good at organizational stuff. So ... priorities.” I tapped my chin and thought it over. “If I had to pick one thing to focus on, I would say it’s your defenses. After all, Twilight and I can handle the offensive side of things on our own. So, you said you took a couple self-defense classes, right?”

“I did,” she confirmed. “Though they were general lessons, if I'm going to be honest. Basic self-defense courses for repelling a mugger or less dangerous monster, and hardly comparable to what you learned from the Empress.”

“Exactly.” I tried to moderate my tone. “You’re the only member of the team without some degree of military training. Twilight and I are warmages, Captain Doo’s in the army, Fluttershy’s a Sol Invictus Knight, and the Wonderbolts have combat and search-and-rescue training along with the stunt flying. I’m sure your self-defense classes were nice, but it just doesn’t compare. So, no offense, but if it comes to a fight you'd probably be better off focusing on defense until one of us can step in.”

Rarity frowned and huffed haughtily. “I'm hardly some shrieking damsel in distress who must wait for others to rescue her. I know how to take care of myself.”

“I'm not saying you're helpless,” I clarified, trying not to be annoyed that she’d misunderstood me after all the trouble I’d gone to making myself perfectly clear. “Just that compared to the knights, warmages, and professional soldiers in the group, you’re the least prepared for life-and-death battle. Have you ever even been in a real fight?”

Something I couldn’t quite place flickered across her face before it settled into a carefully neutral mask, though she couldn’t quite hide her frown. “No, I haven’t. I suppose I see your point.”

“Right.” I let her think it over for a minute so she would absorb my point. “So, I was going in the wrong direction with blasting spells and accuracy drills. What we really need to focus on is shields. For that, I was thinking we should try something a bit more intense.”

“You think so?” She tapped her chin thoughtfully. “I admit, I have been having some trouble with shields. They seem like very magic-intensive spells. After all, if you stop putting power into the shield, it stops working.”

“They can be,” I conceded. “A lot of the trick to being good with shield spells is knowing how to time them so you’re not wasting a ton of energy.”

“Of course,” she agreed, nodding thoughtfully. “Keeping a shield up when I’m not in danger would tire me out and accomplish nothing.” She sighed and shook her head. “I suppose it would help if my talents were more suited to combat magic.”

I waved her worries away. “I guess you’re not familiar with the Empress’ Theory of Talent Self-Actualization?” I took her faintly bemused frown as an answer, and filled her in. “Basically, back in her early years, everypony said that a pony whose special talent was fire would be terrible with ice, and vice-versa. After all, they were two opposing forces. For generations, you had pyromancers who couldn’t conjure an icicle, because they believed their talents barred them from it.” I felt my chest puff out a bit as I continued. “Then the Empress showed them all they were wrong. Hot and cold weren’t opposing forces, just two points along a single line. And that allowed her to use both with equal skill.”

I waited a moment to see if she would grasp the point on her own, and when she didn’t say anything I continued. “Because ponies believed that their talents restricted them, they did. That’s where the Theory of Talent Self-Actualization comes in. How we interpret our specials talents is what determines how we use them.” I gave her a bit longer, then impatiently waved for her to speak up.

“Ah, was that it?” Her polite response made me realize her silence had probably been born out of not wanting to interrupt me. Etiquette teachers are kinda required to be picky about manners. “I think I see what you’re driving at now, Sunset. If I believe my talents are unsuited to a certain type of magic, I should look at them from a different perspective.” She frowned, then slowly nodded. “It is an intriguing concept. I recall a ... well, when one of my students was having a bit of a difficult time, and I helped her. I did a few things that were outside the norm for an etiquette teacher, but I was thinking about protecting her right to grow and develop into the fine young mare she deserved to be. In a way, it did connect back to my talents...”

I grinned, glad to see she was getting it. “And I bet you did really good at it, didn’t you?”

She answered with a modest smile. “I would like to think I did, yes. She certainly hasn’t reported any problems since I intervened.”

“Well there you go,” I said, smiling to myself. And to think, I’d been worried I wouldn't be a good teacher. It wasn’t all that hard after all. “Now you just need to apply that perspective to your spellwork.”

She frowned thoughtfully, then shook her head. “That might be easier said than done. I hardly see how enhancing beauty can be applied to spells that blast and mangle my enemies, and thinking of my spells as protecting my own beauty just seems horrendously vain.”

I groaned and ran a hoof down my face. So close... “Just ... just work on it, okay? You need confidence. It’s pretty much the single most important part of spellcasting. If you don't believe the shield will work, it’ll crack like an egg.”

“Well, I can hardly conjure up confidence out of nowhere,” she huffed, though a moment later her eyes lit up. “Buuut ... like I always tell my students, fake it until you make it. Though I suspect covering one’s insecurities with a facade of confidence works far better for social situations than it does for combat.”

“Yeah, spells don’t really care about your social image.” However, Rarity’s statement set a few gears whirling in my mind, and pretty soon an idea popped out. “Though there might be other ways to fake confidence that could work.”

“I hope you’re not suggesting hiring a motivational speaker,” the schoolteacher scowled to herself. “The one time Miss Harshwhinny tried that at the Academy, the results were ... less than satisfactory.”

I was almost tempted to ask what had happened, but I really didn’t want to get distracted from the lesson. “Not exactly. I was just thinking that if we could get your adrenaline pumping, you’d feel a lot better about trying this.”

“Hmm,” A thoughtful little frown creased her features, and after several seconds she slowly nodded. “That seems like it might work—at the very least I don’t see the harm in trying. What exactly did you have in mind? I suppose we could go for a light jog on the palace grounds, then try the exercise. As long as we don’t push things too far and wear ourselves out...”

“That might not be a bad idea,” I allowed, “but I’d rather not have a fifteen-minute exercise session just to practice a single spell. Especially since after the first try I’ll probably need to spend a bit giving you advice, and by then the adrenaline would be out of your system. We’d have to start all over again.”

I paced across the room a few times, mulling over a couple other ideas. “I suppose if we can’t come up with anything else, I could always throw fireballs at you.”

She blinked in shock. “Beg your pardon?”

I thought over the crazy idea for a moment and actually found myself warming to it. “Don't worry, it would be completely safe. When it comes to pyromancy, my control is absolutely perfect.” Just to demonstrate, I conjured up a tongue of flame and ran it through my mane, keeping it from actually igniting my hair with a simple effort of will. “I wouldn't burn a single hair on your head, but the danger should look real enough to get your heart pumping. What better way to train you to block an attack than to attack?”

She gaped at me for several seconds, then vigorously shook her head. “No offense, but no matter how perfect you think your control is, I’d rather not test it by having you hurl fire at me. If something were to go wrong, the results would be rather horrible.”

One of my ears flicked, and my jaw felt slightly sore from resisting the urge to grind my teeth. “I said I have perfect control. Walking down the streets of Canterlot is more dangerous than letting me throw fireballs at you.”

“Be that as it may...” She started to shake her head, then her ears perked up hopefully. “Maybe you can just use an illusion instead?”

I grimaced and shook my head. “If you know it's fake, it won't work.” Though I had already been planning to do something like that by having my fireballs explode into a very large and frightening wall of flame that was actually quite harmless since the heat was too spread out to really cause any damage.

“Surely we can do something a bit tamer?” she asked, arching a single eyebrow. “I imagine you have no shortage of other spells at your disposal which pose far less risk of something going wrong and disfiguring me. We're hardly at the point where we need to use fire.”

I sighed and threw up my hooves in defeat. “I suppose I could go for a harmless little spray of water. The biggest threat would be getting your mane wet, but it’s still something your shield would hold off.”

“That sounds much more reasonable,” she agreed, just as I’d expected she would.

“Yeah, great. Are you ready?” I waited until she nodded and planted her hooves, concentrating on the spell she would be casting just as soon as I struck.

Then I smirked and conjured up a fireball. “Changed my mind!” Before she could protest, I hurled it at her, though slowly enough to give her an extra second or two to get over her shock and put up her defenses.

Rarity let out a panicked shriek, then threw up a pretty impressive shield compared to her earlier efforts. For a moment I eagerly anticipated proof that I’d been in the right. Sure, Rarity would be upset that I’d changed the plan, but the results spoke for themselves. She had just cast a very good shield spell.

Unfortunately, I never got the chance to see just how good it was. A heartbeat before my fireball would have hit her shield, there was a blinding flash of light, and a gold-shod hoof smacked my fireball away with contemptuous ease. Then a pair of bright green eyes fixed me with the most furious glare I’d ever seen.

Rarity recovered from the surprise first, the perfectly drilled manners of an etiquette teacher taking over as she bowed. “Y-your Majesty?!”

Hearing her speak reminded me that I was still not bowing or acknowledging her. Which was an especially bad move when she was scowling at me like I’d just declared my undying allegiance to Nightmare Moon. “E-Empress! Wh-what—?”

Then the Empress spoke. I’d heard stories about how, in the time of Old Queen Celestia, they used the Traditional Royal Canterlot Voice. From what I’d read, it was so loud the Old Queen could stand in an open field and issue commands to an entire army. Ponies standing too close to her sometimes got knocked off their hooves by the sheer force of it.

The Empress’ voice wasn’t like that. It wasn’t so much loud as it was ... penetrating. Like I could feel the words cutting through my skin with such force that my bones vibrated almost painfully. I could swear the windows actually rattled in their panes as she spoke. “Leave us, Rarity. I would have words with my apprentice.”

Rarity let out a squeak that reminded me of the sort of noises I made when my parents caught me sneaking extra sweets. “Yes, Empress.” She maintained enough dignity to not outright run for the exit, but only barely.

Once Rarity was out of the room, I swallowed my mounting panic. “Empress, what’s—”

A sharp, fiery pain erupted in my cheek before I could get any further, and my head jolted to the side hard enough to blur my vision.

It took me a moment to process what had just happened. It just seemed so impossible. The Empress, my teacher, the pony I’d always sought the approval of and tried to model myself upon, had just slapped me. I couldn’t believe it. Or maybe I just didn’t want to.

“Sunset Shimmer.” The tremble her words sent through me was only partly on account of her voice this time. “Return to your quarters in the palace. You will remain there until I decide upon a punishment suited to the gravity of your crime. Am I understood?”

My rational mind was telling me to start grovelling and doing whatever she wanted, but the rest of my brain was still trying to figure out what the hay had happened. “I—what did I...?”

“Go,” she rumbled at me. “Now.”

I fled.

Just as the Empress commanded, I spent the next two days locked in my rooms at the palace. Well, technically not locked, since I could open the front door. But every time I did, Lyra was standing right there, blocking the way out. If I asked for food, water, or anything else I needed, it was provided, but I had no doubt she wouldn’t let me set one hoof outside the door. Everypony who spent any time in the palace knew that Lyra was utterly loyal to the Empress. I was pretty sure she would fall on her sword without a moment’s hesitation if the Empress ordered it.

Of course, being locked up in my rooms all day left me with no shortage of free time. For a while I tried to do something useful and study, but I could hardly concentrate on teleportation equations or reading after everything that had happened. Besides, the Empress was probably going to kick me out of the palace and cancel all my projects whenever she got around to seeing me again.

The worst part of my fall from grace had been how sudden it was. No warning, no buildup—hay, I still didn’t even know what I’d done to cause it all. One minute I’d been training Rarity on shield spells, the next I was locked up like some kind of criminal. I had heard ponies could fall out of royal favor quickly, but that was usually because they’d failed a vital task or abused her good will.

I’d been upset at first, but there’d been plenty of time for the initial surprise to wear off. Now ... now I was just angry. It wasn’t fair! I wanted to find the Empress and scream at her, but I hadn’t seen her since she’d locked me away in my quarters.

However, her little pet was standing right outside my door. Since I was unlikely to get a chance to let the Empress know how angry I was, Lyra would have to suffice. The next time she brought in one of my meals, I let her have it. “Hey, got a question for you.”

The spy set my tray down, then paused, meeting my eyes with cool, calculating apathy. “Ask.”

“Does it bug you?” I smirked at the faint bit of confusion that flickered across her face. “About the Elements, that is. After all, you’ve spent years following after Empress like a stray dog hoping to be fed a few scraps from the table, and when the time finally comes, you get nothing.” My smile took on a nasty edge. “It must really hurt.”

The spy’s eyes narrowed, but her voice came out tonelessly flat. “We all have our place in the Empire. You play your part, I play mine.”

“I suppose,” I closed in on her, aiming for what I hoped would be a weak point. Maybe it was spiteful of me, but I wanted to make that stuck-up spy nag feel just as rotten as I did. “Still, it must really eat at you that she didn’t pick you for one of the Elements. I could understand her not offering you Honesty, considering your job. And I suppose Kindness and Generosity would be off the table too.” I let that hang in the air for a moment, then went in for the kill. “But Loyalty ... oh, I could see that. But that went to my Twilight, not you. You’re not the Empress’ most loyal servant. I bet you’re not even in the top ten.”

It was a little hard to tell, but I could swear I saw her teeth clenching. “I know you’re just trying to piss me off. It’s not going to work.”

Somepony was knocking on the door, but I was far too focused on Lyra to pay any mind to it. Not when I’d finally found a chink in her armor. “Well, I guess I can’t blame the Empress for doubting your loyalty. I mean, you are a spy. Everypony knows spies have dubious loyalty. Maybe she thinks you’re a double agent...”

Lyra’s muscles tensed, and one of her hooves twitched towards the blades on her back. “The Empress does not doubt my loyalty. She shared the secret of the Elements with me before any of you. I was the one who vetted all the potential bearers.”

I continued to ignore the knocking, despite the fact that it was becoming much more insistent. “But of course, you couldn’t vet yourself,” I shot right back. “So I guess we’ll never really know who you’re loyal to, will we?”

“You might wanna watch your mouth,” Lyra snarled, one hoof rising up and sprouting a magical appendage to grip her sword. “You might not have noticed, but you’ve fallen out of favor with the Empress. I haven’t. I’m sure she’d understand if I told her I had to cut you a little to prevent you from escaping.”

The threat took me by surprise, but my shock quickly turned to anger. “You wouldn’t dare. I’m the Empress’ personal student! If you lay one hoof on me—”

“You were her student,” Lyra cut me off. “But right now she’s pretty pissed off at you. It’s only a matter of time before you get kicked out of the palace. Once that happens ... well, you won’t be much of anything, will you? Little noponies need to respect their betters, or they might just get themselves in trouble.”

I was about let her have it when the door flew open and Rarity strode in. I guess she must have gotten tired of knocking, or maybe she’d heard us through it. Lyra and I hadn’t exactly been watching our volume. The etiquette teacher strode confidently between us. “Now now, ladies. I don’t know what you two are so upset about, but I think it would be best if we all calmed down and talked the matter out like civilized ponies.” She stepped a bit closer to Lyra and put a gently restraining hoof on her sword-arm.

That was a mistake. Lyra was so on edge from my needling that it didn’t take much to set her off, and somepony trying to disarm and restrain her, however kindly, was more than enough. The spy exploded into motion, her hooves lashing out in a series of unarmed strikes I could barely even follow. But that wasn’t the really shocking part.

Rarity blocked every single punch and kick Lyra sent her way, dropping into something I vaguely recognized as a martial arts stance. I knew just enough about how to fight with my hooves to realize that Rarity was good. Really good.

There was a tense standoff between the spy and the schoolteacher as Rarity waited to see what Lyra would do next. However, as the moments dragged out, Lyra slowly relaxed, then nodded to her. “Not bad. Not bad at all. You got all that just from a couple self-defense classes?”

Rarity answered with a wintry smile. “My teacher did say I was a fast learner.”

“Yeah, I’m sure that’s it.” The spy turned her back on Rarity. “Well, I doubt you’re here to see me, so I’ll give you two the illusion of privacy. I’ll be right outside the door if you need me. And Rarity ... I could use a good sparring partner. Maybe we can set something up.”

Rarity’s tone was carefully polite, but I didn’t miss the slight glare she sent at the spy’s back. “I will consider that offer.” Once Lyra was out of the room she turned to me, offering a warm and friendly smile. “I do apologize for that unpleasantness. I wasn’t expecting Lyra to react so badly to a simple touch. I hope you don’t mind, but after what happened the other day I thought I should check in on you. Especially since Twilight is still out of the city.”

I wasn’t quite sure what to make of that, but considering I’d just spent the last couple days locked up with no social contact beyond the Empress’ pet, I wasn’t going to complain about it. “Thanks, Rarity.”

She nodded, acknowledging my gratitude. “I had also been considering speaking to the Empress on your behalf. From what I’ve heard—not to mention the rumors flying across the city—she is rather displeased with you over what happened during our training session. Since I was there, I feel I have a right to say what I think of the affair.”

She paused, pursing her lips thoughtfully. “In all honesty, I can’t say I particularly cared for your choice of training tactics. A surprise fireball was ... not something I wished to experience. That said, I did notice my shield was quite a bit stronger than normal, and I am not blind to the reasons behind your actions. I was far too frightened and startled by the attack to even consider my own doubts about my abilities. In that, you were quite successful.”

She frowned, tapping a hoof on the floor. “Given all of that, I don’t think I am being too terribly unreasonable by saying that, while I do not approve of your actions, I do not think they merit a severe punishment. Certainly not anything on the scale of what that dreadful Lyra was saying you might face. Given that most ponies would regard me as the ... injured party in this case, I think my opinion ought to have some weight with the Empress.”

“Yeah, that makes sense.” I sighed and trotted over to my favorite chair by the fireplace, slumping down into it. “I ... thanks for offering to petition the Empress for me. I’ll take whatever help I can get right now.”

“But of course.” She trotted over to the chair opposite mine, which was normally reserved for Twilight. She’d spent fifteen minutes carefully placing it for optimum light, proximity to the fire, and being close to me without being distractingly close. However, considering what Rarity was doing for me, objecting to her using Twilight’s chair would’ve been really stupid. Like I’d just said, I couldn’t afford to piss off the one pony who might be able to help me get out of this mess.

Once Rarity was comfortably settled into Twilight’s seat, she shot me a sympathetic smile. “But enough about your problems. How are you doing, darling? I can’t imagine the last few days have been easy for you.”

I probably should’ve kept a tighter rein on my temper, but after two days of not having anypony to talk to, I needed to vent. “Of course it hasn’t been easy! I've been locked up in my suite like some sort of criminal! I’m too worried to be able to focus on anything that could distract me, but since the Empress won’t tell me anything I can’t stop freaking out over what’s gonna happen. I feel like I’m gonna go nuts if this keeps up much longer!” I groaned and ran a hoof down my face. “Not to mention what Twilight’s going to think when she finds out about this. What if ... what if once she finds out the Empress is throwing me out, she doesn’t want anything more to do with me? I mean, she got Loyalty, so she’d be loyal to the Empress, right?”

“Or she will be loyal to you,” the schoolteacher answered levelly. “I admit I don’t know either of you terribly well, but from what I’ve seen of her, she is not the sort to abandon someone she cares for just because the political winds have shifted. And if she is, then she was hardly the best choice of paramour to begin with.” She delicately cleared her throat, shifting away from that potentially dangerous topic. “Would you like some tea? I know that always soothes my nerves when I’m feeling frazzled.”

From what I vaguely recalled of my own etiquette lessons, it should have been me offering her tea. After all, she was the guest, and I was the host. Though considering her profession, I guess she’d decided my lapse was forgivable. “Tea ... sounds nice. Thank you.”

“Oh, it’s my pleasure, darling.” She got up from Twilight’s chair. “Now if you wouldn’t mind showing me around your kitchen? It would save me a considerable amount of trouble, since I don’t know where you keep everything.”

“Oh, right.” I got up and led her over to the fairly simple kitchen I’d put in one of the smaller side-rooms. Most of the private suites didn’t have those, since it was usually easier to just have food sent up from the palace kitchen. The only reason I had my own private kitchen was to practice my magic, which brought a problem to mind. “I’ll need to help you make the tea. I don’t exactly have a stove to heat the water with.”

She paused frowning to herself. “Oh really? No offense, darling, but a kitchen without a stove isn’t much of a kitchen. How can you cook anything?”

I grinned and tapped my horn, feeling just a little bit like my old self for the first time in a couple days. “I’ve always had a knack for fire. That’s why I have a private kitchen: cooking my own food was good practice. Maintaining steady, even heat on a pan for half an hour takes a lot of concentration and precision.”

“I certainly can’t imagine holding onto a spell for that long,” the schoolteacher admitted. She sighed and shook her head. “Darling, don’t take this the wrong way, but I think you sometimes don’t realize how incredible your magical gifts are compared to the average pony.” She held up a hoof to keep me from saying anything. “Oh, I’m sure you know you’re talented, but the degree of it ... both you and Twilight Sparkle casually talk about feats of magic that I couldn’t even dream of managing. I wonder if that might be part of why you had trouble teaching me. Your natural gifts are so great that it’s hard for you grasp how limited the rest of us are.”

“Oh.” My ears drooped a bit as I realized she was probably right. Between my parents both being Archmagi and then being the Empress’ personal student, I’d never really had much exposure to what an ‘average’ unicorn could manage. The closest example I had was ponies like Lyra who’d opted to focus on physical skills over their magic, and that wasn’t the same thing as ... well, somepony ordinary like Rarity.

Maybe that was why the Empress had made her part of our group? Myself, Twilight, and the others were all elites, the best of the best. Perhaps she thought we needed an ordinary pony to help keep us grounded? It wasn’t the craziest explanation.

Then again, this ordinary little schoolteacher could somehow go hoof-to-hoof with the Empress’ pet spy. Maybe Rainbow Dash was right, and she was hiding some secrets. If she was, I’d need to find them out someday.

The schoolteacher softly cleared her throat, holding up a teakettle filled with water. “In any case, shall we get to making that tea? I’ve taken the liberty of selecting a lovely jasmine blend, I hope that’s alright. I must say, you had a very nice collection.”

“Yeah, Twilight really likes tea.” I drank a fair bit of it too, though less because I liked it than because it had plenty of caffeine to fuel our late-night study sessions. As well as the mornings after our late-night study sessions. “Glad you like all my tea. It’s one of the perks of being the Empress' personal...” I slowly trailed off, a shiver running down my spine as I remembered that pretty soon I might not be her student anymore.

Rarity must have been able to read my body language, because she stepped over and put a reassuring hoof on my shoulder. “Now now, you mustn’t work yourself into a state worrying about what the Empress will do. You’re a very talented mare, and whatever happens, I am sure you will do quite well for yourself.”

“Thanks.” I sighed and ran a hoof through my mane. “It’s just that ... well, I really like being her student.”

“I’m sure it comes with many advantages,” Rarity agreed, though with a faint frown. “Though I feel I must point out that one can hardly be a student forever. Surely at some point the Empress plans to have you apply your education?”

“I’m pretty sure that’s what this business with Nightmare Moon is.” I chuckled to myself. “The Empress set up one hay of a final exam, didn’t she? But ... yeah, there were times I wondered why I was still a student after so many years. At least now I know the truth: she was preparing me to take on Nightmare Moon. I really wanna see that through. Assuming she’ll still let me after ... well...”

“Yes, I suppose that is the question of the hour.” She sighed, and turned her attention back to the teapot. For a couple minutes neither of us said anything, until the tea was done and we were both back in our chairs. After a few sips, she grimaced and shook her head. “I’m terribly sorry, but it seems I haven’t managed to lift your spirits at all. Rather the opposite at the moment. And considering what you’ve been through, I really wanted to help. After the Empress slapped you...”

I flinched. “You heard that?”

She reluctantly nodded. “Sorry to say I did. Not that I intended to overhear, but I’d only just left the room when...” Her eyes dropped down, and she swirled her tea thoughtfully. “I have not mentioned it to anyone else, of course. Such events are ... not something that ought to be put about for public consumption.”

I slumped down into my chair. “Thanks. There’s probably enough ugly rumors flying around already.”

“Actually, I haven’t heard anything.” She tried to give me a reassuring smile. “I think most of the palace is simply assuming you’re hard at work on some private project, and Lyra is skulking about to make sure you aren’t disturbed. With any luck, we can resolve the matter in a way that allows the rest of Equestria to continue thinking exactly that.” She sipped her drink. “The last thing you need right now is to have this whole affair turn into a tabloid scandal that will set everyone’s tongues wagging.”

“No kidding.” I groaned and slumped down further. “I think I’d go nuts if everypony in Equestria knew about it. All of them looking, judging, talking about it.”

“It would be a rather dreadful situation,” she agreed with a sympathetic smile. “But I don’t think we need to worry too much about that at the moment. The Empress ... well I wouldn’t presume to know her better than you do, but I suspect she would prefer to handle this matter quietly and ... in-house, as it were. I suspect that even if she does end your ... status, she would do so in a way that avoids publicly shaming you. Likely she would just declare your education completed and put you on some task that will keep you far away from the capital.”

“I wouldn’t exactly call that a win for me.” My eyes flicked out the window. “I’d be leaving behind my entire life. All my studies, everything I’ve worked on. Twilight...”

“Well, yes.” She tried to force a little cheer into her voice. “But let’s not dwell too much on the worst possible outcomes. I was trying to calm your fears, not multiply them. I truly do think that the Empress will be more reasonable than that. She was clearly in quite a state when she confronted you the other day, and she should be calmer now.” The schoolteacher paused, and a shiver ran down her back. “Though I must say, seeing the Empress when she’s beside herself with anger was a ... well, it gave me a rather frightful scare.”

My ears went flat. “How do you think I felt? You were just on the periphery of it, I was the one who got the full blast.” I trembled again as the memories came back. I’d spent so much time being used to the Empress as my demanding but ultimately fair teacher that I’d forgotten she was also an incredibly powerful alicorn who could probably rip me in half with a single spell. I was never going to forget that again. Not after I’d seen what she was like when she was angry.

“I can only imagine.” Rarity left her tea behind, trotting over to my side. For a moment she just patted my back, but then she gave me a quick hug. “Don’t worry, darling. Everything will work out, I promise you.”

I blinked in surprise at the hug, my own hooves freezing uncertainly. “Er...”

She quickly pulled back, a demure blush on her cheeks. “Oh, sorry. Was that too much? I didn’t mean to presume...”

“It’s fine,” I waved her apology off, mostly because the whole situation was awkward enough and I didn’t want to make it worse. “Just caught me by surprise.”

“Regardless, my apologies.” She smiled, a touch awkwardly. “I ... well, you looked like a mare who rather desperately needed someone to hug her and tell her everything was going to be alright, and I thought we were on good enough terms that—”

“It’s fine,” I repeated. “I’m not angry or anything. Just ... well, Twilight’s about the only pony who ever hugs me, normally.” My parents also qualified, and the Empress a couple times back when I’d been a little filly who needed hugs more. It had been months since the last time I’d really seen my parents, though, and I’d outgrown hugs from the Empress a long time ago.

Rarity slowly nodded. “Ah, I see. Well, I certainly hope you know I wasn’t trying to intrude upon her territory.” She smiled nervously. “I suppose my own social circle is just a bit more ... huggy, I suppose.”

“It’s fine,” I told her one last time, hoping she would finally get the message and drop the subject. Talking it all out was just making it worse.

She studied me for a moment, then nodded to herself. “Yes, of course.” She delicately cleared her throat, then levitated over her teacup. “Well, in any case, it seems you’re managing quite admirably under the circumstances. Unless you need anything else, I suppose I should see to my meeting with the Empress.”

“Yeah.” That sounded a bit ungrateful, considering all the trouble she was going to for me, so I took a deep breath and tried to put aside any lingering awkwardness from the hug. “And Rarity? Thanks for checking up on me and talking to the Empress.”

She gave me one last parting smile before trotting out the door. “But of course, da—Sunset.” Despite the awkward turn our conversation had taken at the end, I was still a little sad when she left.

The Empress’ guards came for me a couple hours later. Much to my relief, Lyra wasn’t with the group. I’d be perfectly happy if I never saw the spy again, though I knew that probably wouldn’t happen. For some reason that completely escaped me, the Empress liked her. Maybe the Empress just appreciated her absolute, unquestioning loyalty.

The guards led me to the Empress’ private quarters, down the same path I’d followed hundreds of times since I’d become her student. It felt ... different, this time. Probably like how a condemned criminal feels while being led to their execution.

The guards led me straight to her semi-private throne room. The Empress herself was already waiting atop the throne, staring imperiously down at me as I stepped through the doors, her face a regal but expressionless mask. She nodded perfunctorily to the guards. “Leave us. I do not wish to be disturbed, unless it is an emergency.” The guards bowed and exited, leaving the two of us alone.

I hesitated for a moment, and then my mouth started talking without consulting the rest of my brain first. “Empress, I—”

An upraised hoof cut me off. “I have much to say before you speak, my child. Be silent.”

My mouth shut so fast that my teeth produced an almost audible click. The last thing I wanted to do was give the Empress any more reasons to be unhappy with me.

The Empress drew herself up in her throne, towering over me. “Sunset Shimmer, while I cannot understate the seriousness of your grave lapse of judgement, I feel that I would be remiss if I did not concede that my reaction may have been...”

She grimaced, then shook her head and grumbled something under her breath. I couldn’t make out most of it, but did catch Old Queen Celestia’s name. Then the Empress sighed heavily, slumping back against her throne. Something about her ... changed. It took me a second to put my hoof on it; the Empress looked ... old. I’d known she was over nine hundred years old, but she’d always had this sort of ageless, eternal beauty to her that defied the passage of time. Like ruling the entire known, civilized world was as easy for her as making a cup of tea. I didn’t know what to make of the old, tired mare in front of me.

Empress Sunbeam smiled bitterly at me. “I had a wonderful speech planned out. I would carefully dance around actually showing weakness by apologizing, while making it clear that I regret my actions. And of course, it would also leave you quite convinced that this entire mess was entirely your fault, and not mine. I was reasonably confident it would move you to tears as well. Unfortunately, I can’t find it within myself to actually use the damned thing.”

My eyes went wide as I tried to wrap my mind around what she was saying. She’d never acted like this around me before. Even when she’d been friendly with me, she’d always still been ... well, still the Empress talking to a subordinate.

“You know, Sunset,” Empress Sunbeam continued, “you often remind me of myself when I was your age.” My chest puffed out a bit, causing her eyes to narrow. “If you had ever met me then, you would realize that I have not just paid you a compliment.”

She scowled and angrily shook her head. “I was so often a fool in those days, seeking the simplest, most direct solution to my immediate problems with no thought to the long-term consequences. I suppose I never truly learned the significance of my actions until I gained my crown. How a single death can cause echoes that reverberate across all of history. In my youth I was more than willing to sacrifice a single innocent to save a dozen and call it a righteous victory, because I could not see beyond the immediate. See how such an act could cause further troubles a decade into the future.”

She sighed and removed her crown, idly holding it in her hooves and toying with it. “But of all my youthful mistakes, there is one that haunts me to this very day. One that you, in your actions with Rarity, came entirely too close to replicating. That wound ... it seems even after all these centuries, it is still raw enough that I react poorly when reminded of it.”

My mouth hung open as I took everything she was telling me. “Empress, I—I had no idea that ... I’m sorry, but—”

“I am not yet finished, my child,” she gently chided me. She paused, then scoffed and shook her head. “I suppose there is a sad kind of irony to it all. In attempting to prevent you from repeating my mistakes, I have succeeded only in finding entirely new ways to make a mess of things. For that, you have my deepest, most abject apologies.” To my utter shock, she climbed down off her throne and stood before me, almost like an equal. “I have failed you.”

It took me several seconds to kick-start my brain after all the surprises she’d thrown at me. It was just all so ... surreal. The Empress never apologized, never showed weakness in front of others, and never stopped acting the part of an absolutely confident ruler. At least, not until five minutes ago. It was like everything I’d ever known about her was suddenly different.

I hesitantly stepped towards her, and my mouth finally formed a coherent sentence. “Empress, I ... well, everyone makes mistakes, right?”

She slowly nodded. “Yes, but when an Empress makes a mistake, the consequences are far worse. And with my insight and experience, such lapses are far less forgivable.”

I took a deep breath. “Well, I'm not mad about it.” I paused, and reluctantly amended. “I mean, not a whole lot or anything.” She had hit me, after all. I was allowed to be a little upset. “I'm just glad you're not angry at me anymore.”

The Empress answered me with a sad smile. “It was still wrong for me to strike you, not to mention how badly I must have frightened you. Yes, I was upset for somewhat understandable reasons, but that is no excuse for my behavior. It seems even after all these centuries, I can still make bad decisions when it matters most.”

I hesitated for quite a while before I dug up enough courage to ask the big question. “Empress, you said what I did reminded you of something. A mistake in your past. Can I ... would you tell me what happened?”

She turned to me, her face carefully unreadable. She kept me waiting for a long time, wondering if I’d pressed my luck too far. Perhaps I should’ve been content with just accepting her apology and moving on. After all, she’d already told me that whatever had happened in the past was still something that bothered her enough that even being reminded of it had set her off. I might not have the best social skills in the world, but even I knew that poking around old wounds like that is usually a bad idea. Especially when I knew the Empress generally preferred to bury her dirty laundry so deep nopony even knew it existed.

However, once again the Empress surprised me. Her horn lit up, and several fresh privacy wards wove into the walls of the room. “I'm only going to tell you this because I feel that you have earned it after what happened.” Her eyes narrowed, and the fierce authority I was used to seeing from her returned in an instant. “But you are never to speak of this with anypony. Ever. If you do, the consequences will be severe. Do you understand?”

I flinched back half a step by pure instinct. The sheer intensity of her words was more than a little intimidating. “Yeah, got it,” I squeaked out.

She nodded sharply, then trotted for the door. “We should discuss this in my private chambers.” After a quick detour through her personal wine room to retrieve a couple bottles, she led the way back to her most private rooms. She set down one of the bottles on a coffee table, then waved for me to take a seat on the nearby sofa. She kept the other for herself, opening it up as she walked over to a nearby window and gazed out over the city. It was raining, so there wasn’t much to see beyond lots of grey. She took a long pull from her bottle, then began. “As I mentioned, in my younger days I had a tendency towards strong, direct action. The shortest distance between two points was a straight line, after all. However, that philosophical bent was not limited to my duties as archmagus or grand vizier, it influenced every aspect of my life. Including how I raised my daughter.”

My brain immediately came up with a pretty good guess for where this was all going, but I figured it was better to let the Empress tell me at her own pace. “So ... Midnight?”

She nodded, her eyes never leaving the window. “The ponies around me always said she was the best part of me. Or perhaps it was just that she brought out the best parts of myself. I suppose it matters little which it was. What truly matters is that they were right. Raising a child took my life in directions I never would have anticipated, and defined me in ways that took me a lifetime to fully grasp.”

She sighed and lifted a hoof, slowly sliding it down the window. “I used to have problems similar to your own when it came to teaching. My first effort to take an apprentice as a political favor to one of my allies ended quite badly. The poor young colt had some talent, but hardly enough to make a proper magus. As was my way, I was rather impatient with his failures and quite blunt about his lack of ability. Midnight ... oh, she was every bit as brilliant and talented as I was. However...”

When she trailed off and didn’t say anything for a long while, I threw out a prompting question. “What was the problem?

“The problem was me.” Her eyes fell to the floor, and she took another long drink from her wine. “Midnight was talented, but she still had areas where her natural gifts shined more brightly. Her progress in learning shielding spells was not as rapid as I desired, nor as swift as that of some of the other apprentices learning from other masters.” A bitter smile tugged at her lips. “I was terribly proud, then. Well, I still am, to be honest. The idea that I and my daughter were inferior to others in any aspect ... rankled.”

“So you tried to speed things up,” I concluded. “And I guess you did pretty much what I was gonna do with Rarity?”

“Worse, actually.” She stared out at the city, her eyes and voice distant. “You must understand that nine hundred years ago, the training of apprentice magi was a much harsher process. In fact, many of the laws preventing such harsh training methods were put into place by myself in the early days of the Empire. In those days, there was a common saying when it came to training apprentices in defensive magics: ‘Fear of pain is excellent motivation.’”

My jaw dropped as her story continued. “I am sure you can guess how things proceeded from there. I thought the best way to teach Midnight to better focus on her shield spells was to use rocks. It seemed reasonable. Merciful, even. My master used knives when he trained me.” She scoffed and shook her head. “I had hoped that after a few bumps and bruises she would be driven to master the spell and spare herself further pain. I told myself that a few bruises and cuts were a small price to pay for teaching her skills that would save her life a dozen times over.” She drained her bottle dry. “One of the great flaws of a brilliant mind, my child, is that we can be quite good at convincing ourselves to do stupid things.”

A shiver ran down my spine as I tried to imagine where her story was headed. I had a good guess, but the details... “W—what happened?”

There was a pause, and then the wine bottle she’d provided me with lifted up, caught by her magic. She poured me a single glass, then took the rest for herself. “Matters ... did not proceed as I had planned. Midnight’s first shield was a partial success, deflecting the rock from its intended path without stopping it. It broke her leg.” She grimaced and swiped at her eyes. “She had been so trusting of me, so confident I could do no wrong and that my training regimen must be right.”

She finished half the bottle in a single pull. “And then I hurt her, badly. My healing skills were not as well developed in those days. The damage I had inflicted upon her was beyond my skill, and I was forced to seek outside help. Which, of course, made it impossible to hide what had happened. Celestia, Shadow, Gale ... all of my friends and allies were quite furious. And with good reason. For all that I might claim ‘twas merely an accident and I should not be blamed for it, her health and wellbeing were my responsibility. At best, my actions were grossly reckless. At worst ... Celestia believed them abusive.”

She finished off the second bottle, then chuckled humorlessly. “I wonder what she would say about how I treated you? Probably much the same. This situation is far too similar to what happened in the past for me to be comfortable.” She finally turned away from the window, walking over to a large painting of herself and her daughter. I suspected that once I was gone, she would be visiting the Vault again to see her daughter’s remains.

I tried to force a little optimism into my voice. “It’s not all that bad. Rarity's fine, and I...” I tried to put on a confident smile, but it felt way too artificial. “I’m fine too. It takes more than you yelling at me a little to shake me up.”

The Empress stepped over to my side, wrapping one of her massive wings around me. “Relax, my child. It is just the two of us here. You don't need to keep up a brave face.”

I leaned into her touch and took a deep breath. “Okay, yeah. It scared me. But I can deal with it. I'm not some delicate flower who can't handle being yelled at by her teacher. Besides, you’ve already apologized, and I've dealt with it. I’m not exactly happy about what happened, but I’m not traumatized or anything, and I’m not gonna need years of therapy. We're okay. Everything’s gonna be fine.”

She took deep breath, then slowly nodded. “I suppose that will have to be good enough, then. Thank you, Sunset.”

“Yeah.” I took a moment to just enjoy being close to her. “Empress? Thanks ... for everything. Telling me about ... well, I know it was probably hard.”

“A bit,” she admitted. Her wing gently squeezed me. “It is not a pleasant memory to revisit, but you deserved the truth. And ... you have earned my trust. I am very proud of you, my child. Of all my descendants, you and Twilight are the two I am proudest of since Midnight herself. I know you will both accomplish great things together.”

I smiled, my chest swelling at her compliments.

She grinned, and gently prodded me with the tip of one wing. “Though I do think we need to work on your teaching methods at some point in the future. After all, with your considerable talents I expect your foals with Twilight will be exceptionally gifted.”

My jaw practically hit the floor. “F-foals?! We just started dating!”

The Empress chuckled to herself. “Oh, my child, forgive me for planning a bit too far into the future.” She looked up at the painting of herself and Midnight once more. “It seems to be a flaw that is all too common amongst immortals. None of us are perfect, after all.”

Author's Note

As always, thanks to my pre-reading and editing team for all their hard work. Also, I would like to thank all my dedicated Patreon supporters. You guys are awesome.

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Rarity v. Raptor: Dawn of Fabulous

Living a double life is immensely complicated. By day, I am Rarity the etiquette teacher at a prestigious private school by day; by night, I am the Sapphire Guardian, defender of Canterlot. To be quite honest, I had nearly run myself ragged before the Empress stepped in to lend a hoof. While I was of course immensely grateful for her aid, that assistance had come with an attached price. One I could hardly object to—Nightmare Moon obviously had to be stopped before she plunged the world into eternal darkness—but it was yet another commitment upon my time.

I now had to associate with this odd little group of Element-wielders on a regular basis as part of our mission, whilst keeping my night life secret. The nature of the project added yet another layer of secrecy upon my life; I also had to hide my association with them, lest someone discovers the connection between myself, the others, and the Sapphire Guardian. I had no doubt the Empress had her reasons for trusting them, but the best way to keep one’s secrets is to never share them with anyone, no matter how trustworthy they might be. Even the most loyal and discreet pony might make an accidental slip or be coerced by extreme circumstances.

Thus, I had gone to some pains to prevent all my secret lives from overlapping one another as much as possible. The Sapphire Guardian generally avoided anypony who was well acquainted with Rarity, and vice-versa. While I like to think I am a reasonably talented actress, I would prefer not to put my skills to the test needlessly. A single overlooked piece of body language or poorly chosen turn of phrase could give away the entire game.

And so, it was with some trepidation that the Sapphire Guardian approached the rather large and quite impressive family home of Abacus Cinch, mathematics teacher at the Harshwhinny Academy. I was not especially close to Abacus—to be quite honest, I found her to be haughty to the point of rudeness—but the nature of the case made it all but impossible for me to ignore it.

Canterlot’s Civil Guard was already on the scene when I arrived at her home. In the past, I would have waited until they left to begin my own investigation; however, the Empress’ tacit approval of my vigilante activities had opened several new doors to me. Instead of skulking in the shadows, I dropped down from my hiding place, landing in front of a sergeant. “Excuse me, but I believe I have some pertinent information.”

The sergeant, a somewhat short and rotund hippogryph, took half a step back in surprise before recovering his composure, affecting an air of forced calm and disinterest. He drew out a simple notepad and a pen, looking at me expectantly. “Is that so? Then hurry up and share it, Ms. Guardian.”

So he wanted to play the calm professional? Good, that would make the entire process much smoother. “Last night, somepony broke into an apartment in the Cloud District. The owner, a stallion by the name of High Standards, reported that his entire residence had been ransacked but nothing appeared to be missing. I presume that the same is the case here?”

“That’s what our initial report says,” the sergeant admitted. “Though with a house this big, it’ll probably take days to properly inventory everything. She must come from a rich family, because there’s no way she could afford a big fancy mansion like this on a teacher’s salary.” He grimaced and shook his head. “But that’s beside the point. The MO might be similar, but that’s a pretty thin basis for saying the two cases are connected. The Cloud District’s halfway across town, and a middle class neighborhood instead of upper class.”

“That’s true...” Unfortunately the mask prevented the sergeant from seeing my triumphant smile as I delivered the most important fact. “But did I mention that High Standards happens to also be an instructor at the Harshwhinny Academy? He’s the music teacher.”

To the good sergeant’s credit, the only sign that I’d surprised him was a brief pause before he resumed taking notes. His carefully neutral expression made me suspect he would be excellent at playing cards. “Interesting, but it could just be a coincidence.”

I was hardly a trained investigator—to be honest, before I’d become the Guardian most of what I knew about how to investigate came from reading Shadow Spade and other private detective novels. A lady is allowed to have a few guilty pleasures. In the current circumstances, I couldn’t help but recall one of Spade’s many memorable turns of phrase: ‘It’s not that I don’t believe in coincidences. Coincidences happen all the time. But I don't trust coincidences.’

Of course, that also explained my own involvement in the case. If somepony was breaking into the homes of teachers at the Harshwhinny Academy, then presumably I was a target as well. I most certainly did not want somepony violating the sanctity of my apartment, nor all the troublesome attention from the Civil Guard that would inevitably follow. While I tried to avoid leaving evidence of my double life lying about my home, I was in no rush to put that to the test by having the Guard thoroughly inventory every single thing I owned.

Not to mention ... well, there were only so many reasons somepony would break into and search the homes of a bunch of schoolteachers. While the Civil Guard would no doubt start with the assumption that it was a disgruntled former employee or a student getting up to mischief, I could not help but wonder if I was the cause. Had some criminal worked out enough clues to realize that one of the teachers at the Harshwhinny Academy was the Guardian? If I had put my fellow educators at risk, it was only proper to resolve the matter myself.

The sergeant pulled me out of my contemplations with an annoyed grunt. “Still, no harm in seeing if the two crimes are connected. Cover every angle, and all that.” He spared a half-hearted glare at me. “I’m not wild about having some masked vigilante poking around my crime scene, but someone way above my pay grade seems to like you and what you’re doing. I’m not going to rock the boat and risk pissing off my boss’s boss, so you can look around as long as you share anything you find and don’t touch anything without one of the Guard there to document it. Last thing I need is you tainting evidence or breaking chain of custody.”

“I understand. Thank you for your cooperation.” The sergeant wasn’t exactly being inviting, but sparing him a little politeness didn’t cost me anything and just might help my cause. “If it makes you feel any better, I have been studying Civil Guard procedures to ensure that I don’t cause any problems.”

The only answer the sergeant gave was another grunt, this one at a slightly less annoyed pitch. One of the many things about males which sometimes baffled me was the sheer variety of grunts they used, as though it constituted an entire separate language. One which, I confess, I was still learning the nuances of. However, I was reasonably certain that this particular vocalization was intended to acknowledge my remark without inviting any further conversation.

I trotted off to start my investigation, one of the junior Civil Guard dutifully escorting me towards the crime scene. However, I had barely started when another of the sergeant’s subordinates rushed to his side, whispering something I couldn’t quite catch. The sergeant’s response, on the other hoof, was quite clear. “More outsiders sticking their nose into my crime scene? Did someone put up a sign saying this was amateur detective night?”

That remark piqued my curiosity, and I made a show of investigating the broken door while keeping one eye on the sergeant. The new arrivals did not keep me waiting long, and I found myself once more reflecting on Spade’s remarks about coincidences.

“Hello, I'm Dame Fluttershy of the Order of Sol Invictus,” my acquaintance introduced herself. “These are my friends, Rainbow Dash of the Wonderbolts and Major Ditzy Doo. We were just wondering if there was anything the Order could do to assist in your investigation? I don’t mean to intrude, but one of our chapter houses is just two blocks away, and it was hard not to notice that something was going on.” She smiled hopefully. “It would be our pleasure to help in any way we can.”

There was a stunned silence as the sergeant recovered from the unexpected appearance of three high-ranking officials. “Ma’am, this is highly irregular. I…” He sighed, gently rubbing his forehead with one of his talons. “Oh, why bother?” He lowered his claw and formally reported. “Break-in. Second one in a string of them, according to her.” He waved irritably towards me. “She could probably tell you more than me.”

Ah. No doubt he hoped that his two unwelcome guests might cancel one another out. I had far more pressing concerns, though. Much like with my fellow instructors, my acquaintances in the Empress’ special project knew far too much about Rarity for me to be entirely comfortable with any of the meeting the Sapphire Guardian. However, I could hardly run away—I suppose I would just have to hope my acting skills were up to the challenge after all.

As the three of them spotted me, something most unexpected happened. Rainbow Dash let out an excited squeal of the sort I normally would have expected out of one of my students discussing whatever attractive young stallion was currently in vogue. “Ohmygosh! Guys, do you know who that is? It's. The. Sapphire. Guardian!”

Major Doo blinked, frowning slightly. “I think I’ve heard about her. Some kind of vigilante, right? And the Civil Guard is just letting her poke around a crime scene?”

Rainbow’s eyes widened and she grabbed her friend’s shoulders, shaking her and staring into her eyes. “Derpy! Don't you know who that is?!”

The major’s eyes wobbled as Rainbow shook her, settling in an off-kilter position. “Yes, I just said that I did. But dressing up in a crazy costume doesn't make her an honorary guard.”

“Yeah, she's even better!” Rainbow squealed, staring at me as though utterly enraptured and perhaps a little smitten. “She's a super-hero! Like, the best super-hero ever! That’s way cooler!”

Major Doo frowned and rather pointedly nudged her friend’s shoulder. “Rainbow, could you not insult the civil guard while they're standing right in front of us? Please?”

Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Oh come on, Derpy. You know I think the Guard’s awesome too. How could they not be when they’ve got two of my best gal-pals? It’s just ... c’mon! She’s a superhero! How cool is that?”

Dame Fluttershy frowned skeptically. “A superhero? Are those actually real?”

“You bet your butterflies they are!” Rainbow grinned like a madmare. “There’s the proof standing right in front of us! Not only is she real, she’s totally, completely, one hundred percent pure awesome! She has her own comic book and everything!”

A comic book? Since when did I have a comic book? I suppose somepony must have used my image and popularity to promote their own stories. Which I suppose was technically a violation of some sort of copyright or intellectual property laws, but it would be rather difficult to file a lawsuit without compromising my secret identity.

Rainbow Dash seemed to realize I was looking at them and began enthusiastically waving like a small child, almost frantic to get my attention. I politely returned the gesture, which drew an excited squeal and a huge grin from her.

“Um, Rainbow Dash?” Fluttershy gently prompted. “She’s probably very busy right now. Maybe we shouldn't bother her?”

Rainbow stared at her incredulously. “Are you kidding? Come on, do you really want to miss out on a chance to meet a real-life superhero?!”

“She’s probably a bit too busy doing the superhero thing to sign an autograph for you, Rainbow,” Major Doo deadpanned. “Actually being a hero probably takes priority over basking in the adoration of all her fans.”

“Oh come on guys, I just wanna meet her,” Rainbow whined. “It’s not like I’d get in her way for that long. Besides, we're practically heroes ourselves, aren't we?”

Fluttershy hesitated for a moment, then nodded thoughtfully. “I suppose it wouldn't hurt to ask if she wanted some help.”

Rainbow’s grin grew so wide I was amazed it still fit on her face. “Ohmygosh, that’s the greatest idea ever! We could team up with the Sapphire Guardian! They might put us in the next issue of the comic book, and we might even get super powers and costumes or something!” She grabbed her two friends without another word and dragged them over to me. For a long moment she didn’t say anything, content to grin at me while her wings flittered eagerly.

I decided to have mercy on the poor dear and break the ice. Hopefully they wouldn’t recognize my voice—I tried to shift my tone, accent, and choice of vocabulary while in costume. “Hello, Rainbow Dash. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am the Sapphire Guardian.”

A moment later, I realized that I might have made a terrible mistake. We hadn’t been properly introduced to one another, yet I had said her name without thinking. Had I just given myself away with the very first words I said to her? Or would they just assume I had overheard them speaking earlier? Having a dual identity is so stressful.

Rainbow’s jaw dropped, and her eyes went as wide as dinner plates as she let out a loud gasp. “You know my name!” She squealed like a schoolfilly. “The Sapphire Guardian knows who I am! Is that some superpower of yours, or have you actually heard of me? I mean, I’m a Wonderbolt and stuff, so I guess you would’ve heard of me. You’ve heard of me, right? ‘Cause that would be awesome!”

Major Doo shot her a flat look. “She probably just heard us all talking to the sergeant.”

Rainbow scoffed and waved her friend’s remark away. “Yeah, but she knows my name!” She beamed at me, practically dancing on her hooves. “So, yeah. Hey. Er, hi. Hello. I’m Rainbow Dash, but you already know that. Plus I’m in the Wonderbolts and stuff, so I’m pretty cool. Not as cool as you are, but...” She trailed off, seeming to be at a loss for what to say next.

Fluttershy stepped up to fill the gap. “Um, hello, Ms. Sapphire Guardian. I am Dame Fluttershy of the Order of Sol Invictus. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

The last of the trio snapped off a quick salute, apparently reverting to her military instincts. “Major Ditzy Doo, Imperial Corps of Engineers.”

Well, so far, so good. I offered a hoof to each of them in turn. “It’s lovely to meet you all. It seems I don't need to bother with introducing myself, though.”

Rainbow Dash immediately snatched up my hoof, shaking it with considerable enthusiasm. A look of almost childlike glee spread across her face. “I'm shaking hooves with the Sapphire Guardian! So cool! Quick, somepony take a picture of this!” She flitted over to one of the guardponies taking crime scene photographs and snatched away his camera, tossing it to Fluttershy. “Shake my hoof again so she can take a picture of it. I wanna show it to everyone!”

I chuckled demurely and went along with Rainbow’s request, much to the annoyance of the poor photographer whose camera she had stolen. “Something of a fan, I take it?”

“Are you kidding?!” Rainbow squealed out. “You're awesome! I’ve read all about all of your adventures!”

Major Doo sighed, sitting down and rubbing her face. For her part, Dame Fluttershy returned the stolen camera with a faintly embarrassed blush and murmured an apology to the guardpony it belonged to.

I decided to play the part of the hero for a bit longer. While I wasn’t normally one to bask in public attention and let it feed my ego, I will admit that it was rather gratifying to be so admired. Especially when Rainbow Dash had made a point of questioning whether I actually deserved to be on the Elements team. “A few of my exploits have been mentioned in the newspapers, yes.” I modestly brushed a hoof along my chest. “Though I don’t do it for the fame. Really, it's just a pleasure to be able to help ponies who need it.”

Dame Fluttershy smiled approvingly. “That sounds very noble. You know, the Order does the same sort of thing without needing to wear a mask or costume. Have you ever considered joining us? I’m sure somepony as kind as you could do so much more than you already are if we all worked together.”

Before I could even consider whether to accept the offer or politely decline, Rainbow Dash whirled incredulously on her friend. “Excuse me? Were you just trying to team up with the Sapphire Guardian behind my back? Because if anypony’s gonna team up with her, it oughta be me!” She turned back to me. “I know everything about you. I’ve practically got every single one of the comics they made about you memorized! Are you really the last survivor of a long-lost tribe of ponies, dedicated to fighting evil to avenge the loss of your parents as foal with amazing super powers you got by being struck by lightning while being bitten by a magical breezie?”

My jaw dropped at the utter madness spewing out of the mouth of an otherwise reasonably sane mare. For the first time in quite a while, I was at a complete loss for words. How does one even begin to respond to such absurdity?

Major Doo seemed share my opinion, groaning loudly and burying her face in her hooves. Ever the diplomat, Dame Fluttershy gently tried to explain everything wrong with what their friend had just said. “I don't think that's how anything works in reality, Rainbow.”

“Darn.” Rainbow sighed, her shoulders slumping in disappointment. However, a moment later she perked right back up. “Oh well, you still fight crime and stuff. And that's awesome! Actually, it might even be more awesome that you don’t have a bunch of super powers. I mean, since you can’t break boulders with your bare hooves and you don’t have a bunch of crazy spells, you just have to be even cooler to make up for it.” She grinned a threw a couple air punches, no doubt imagining that she was fighting off a horde of villains at my side.

“Lots of ponies go out and try to make the world a better place without needing special powers to do it,” Major Doo cut in, frowning. “Most of them don’t need to wear a costume and mask to do it, either.” She held up a hoof to forestall Rainbow’s inevitable objection. “And yes, I’m sure she needs to keep her real identity secret to protect her loved ones or something, but I don’t have to wear a mask to protect my family from my enemies.”

“What enemies?” Dame Fluttershy asked, a faintly confused frown creasing her face.

Major Doo grinned sheepishly. “Gravity and walls, mostly.”

Rainbow Dash countered the major’s point with the best argument she could think of. “But it’s cool! Plus, think about it—the idea that anypony could be the Sapphire Guardian is part of what makes it work. It makes the bad guys think twice about messing with anyone. Plus, y’know, it makes her like a symbol and stuff.”

“That is a good point,” Dame Fluttershy gently cut in. “But perhaps instead of debating the merits of costumed vigilante activity right in front of her, we could ask the Sapphire Guardian if there’s anything we could do to help?”

Rainbow blinked, then nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah, what's the scoop? We can help!”

To be quite honest, I was tempted to turn them down. None of them were really equipped for a proper investigation, and the last thing I wanted was to have them tagging along and potentially compromising my identity. On the other hoof, I doubted that refusing them would make them drop the idea and head home. Most likely they would just go off on their own and do something dangerously unpredictable. If I told them a few things, I could hopefully at least point them in a less dangerous direction. “This home belonged to Abacus Cinch, one of the teachers at the Harshwhinny Academy for Young Mares. Last night, another teacher's home also suffered a break-in, so I was thinking that—”

Rainbow Dash interrupted me. “Wait, the Harshwhinny Academy? We have a ... friend who works there.”

“Oh dear,” Dame Fluttershy murmured. “I hope Rarity's place wasn't hit. Oh, that would be so scary to have somepony break into her home, especially when she doesn’t know anything about how to protect herself against an attacker. She’d be completely helpless.”

I took a moment to swallow my annoyance at that remark—maintaining a secret identity required making a few small sacrifices. If it were widely known that I was a martial arts master, I would seem like a much more likely suspect for the Guardian’s identity. Once I had composed myself, I got the conversation back on track. “In any case, I was planning to warn all the other teachers once I was finished here. It’s only prudent, given the circumstances. I can stop by your friend’s residence as well.”

Dame Fluttershy frowned. “I don’t understand. Who would want to attack teachers? They work so hard to help young children grow up to become good adults.”

“And they don’t get paid all that much.” Major Doo paused, her eyes flicking to Cinch’s rather sizable estate. “Barring ponies with family money, that is. I don’t suppose we know what got taken? They’ll probably need a month to inventory everything, but I’m sure the owner’s already checked on the obvious stuff like the jewelry collection.”

I nodded along thoughtfully. “So far as my own investigation and the Civil Guard’s have been able to determine, nothing has been taken. Certainly all the obvious valuables were left behind, so we can likely rule out simple greed. Judging by how thoroughly both residences seem to have been searched, I think our thief is searching for something in particular. If I might speculate, something he knows one of the teachers has, but not which one.”

“You think it could be something like a kid trying to get the answers to next week’s test?” Rainbow paused, then snorted. “How would an etiquette teacher even do tests, anyway? What, do they all just sit in class for an hour, and anyone who burps, farts, or doesn’t cross their legs the right way fails?” She scoffed and shook her head. “But seriously, why would some crook even wanna break into a bunch of teacher’s houses? What’re they gonna have that he can’t get anywhere else?”

“I don't know yet,” I admitted. Due to Rainbow Dash’s rather fervent admiration putting me in just a bit of a whimsical mood, I couldn’t resist the urge to strike a heroic pose as I declared, “But I intend to find out.”

Major Doo nodded, her eyes flicking back to her companions. “Yeah? Well, good luck with that, I guess.” Her attention shifted fully to her friends. “We should warn Rarity ASAP. If this guy's targeting her peers, she could be in danger.”

Dame Fluttershy immediately nodded along. “She is just a teacher, after all. She could be in danger, and might need somepony to protect her.” A faintly amused grin quirked her lips. “I am a knight, after all. Protecting damsels in distress is part of my job.”

“You're right!” Rainbow shouted, bolting up into the air. “Rarity can't protect herself. She’d probably scream and faint as soon as somebody kicked in her front door!”

Once more I found myself struggling not to say something to defend my own honor. While I had carefully covered up my combat skills, I certainly hadn’t imagined that I’d done such a thorough job of it that my companions were convinced I was utterly helpless. I’d only wanted to downplay my skills enough to allay any suspicions about my secret identity, not convince everypony who knew me that I was barely capable of surviving on my own.

More urgent than that, however, was the fact that the three of them seemed intent upon galloping straight to my front door. If I wasn’t there, one of them would probably kick up a fuss instead of just assuming that I was out on the town or shopping for groceries. But rushing home would naturally curtail my activities for the evening. I tried to find a way out of my current dilemma. “I can warn her for you, if you would like. I will be warning all the other instructors in any case, so it’s no trouble at all.”

Dame Fluttershy smiled politely and waved my offer away. “Thank you for the kind offer, Miss Guardian, but you’ll already have your hooves full with all the other teachers. We can take care of Rarity. It’s the least we can do. Besides, I'd love to help. I really like Rarity anyways.”

“Maybe you could come with us?” Rainbow Dash suggested. “You probably don’t know her, but she could use all the help she can get. Besides, there's something I wanted to talk to you about on the way over there.”

Blast, they seemed bound and determined to warn me. At least Rainbow’s offer would let me get a bit more time to find a way out of this mess, or at least let me follow them most of the way back without arousing suspicion. I restrained my annoyance at her low opinion of my civilian identity once more, and prepared for what was almost certainly going to be Rainbow asking if she could be my sidekick. “Very well, what was it you wanted to discuss?”

“It's something big.” Rainbow nervously looked around, no doubt trying to be discreet but really only drawing all the more attention to her secretiveness. “It’ll have to wait until we’re somewhere a bit more private, someone might hear. Besides, we really need to hurry up and find Rarity right away. I mean, do we even know for sure that’s she’s safe? She could’ve been kidnapped already, or being a damsel in distress and stuff.”

Dame Fluttershy and Major Doo started trotting off in the general direction of my apartment, and I had no choice but to follow them. I was in quite the pickle, but my only option was to tag along and hope an opportunity would present itself. Once we had gotten a safe distance away from the crime scene, I cast a simple privacy spell, which would hopefully be enough to satisfy Rainbow Dash and make her share whatever was on her mind. “Very well, we have privacy now. What did you wish to discuss?”

Rainbow scanned the area once more, then nodded to herself. “Alright, here’s the thing. There's this big threat coming, and the Empress put me and my friends in charge of stopping it.”

“Careful, Rainbow,” Major Doo chided, frowning at her. “We’re supposed to be keeping that as quiet as possible.”

“Relax, it’s not like I’m giving any of the really secret stuff away.” Rainbow rolled her eyes. “I’m not an idiot, I know how to be discreet. Anyway, here’s the deal: I'm not entirely sure if some of the ponies in our group are up to the challenge. I mean, Rarity for instance. She's okay and all, but she's an etiquette teacher. What's she gonna do, give the bad guys a low grade if they try to eat us using a salad fork? Lecture them about sitting up with proper posture until they get so bored and pissed off that they kill themselves?”

Oh, that mare really was impossibly infuriating. I would have to find some way to extract a measure of righteous retribution against her some day. “Sometimes ponies can surprise you.”

“Well, yeah, I guess.” Rainbow shrugged. “I mean, Fluttershy turning into a knight was pretty out there. Back when I met her in flight school she was practically scared of her own shadow, but now she beats up monsters.” Rainbow grinned and slapped her friend on the back with a wing. “By the way, Shy, have I mentioned how awesome you are now? ‘Cause you’re awesome. But Rarity’s something else. If the fate of the world is on the line, would you want to risk everything on a pony with who just doesn’t seem to have any useful skills?”

“Perhaps you haven't seen all that she's capable of yet,” I suggested.

“It’s not like any of us know her all that well,” Major Doo agreed. “I guess she’s so busy between being a teacher and our work together that she doesn’t really have much time for socializing.” She paused and shot a pointed look at Rainbow. “Especially when one of my friends doesn’t exactly like her that much.”

Rainbow scoffed. “It’s not like I hate her or anything. She’s fine. It’s just that if she were here, all she'd add to the group would be saying was how your posture is bad or how your outfit is tacky 'n stuff. A team’s only as good as its weakest link, and right now she’s the one who’s gonna be holding us back when things get serious. If I have to spend time in a fight protecting her, that’s gonna put all of us in more danger.”

“I understand why you’re worried, Rainbow,” Dame Fluttershy began. “I don’t want her to get hurt helping us either. She’s such a nice pony, even if she is a bit out of place in our group.” She paused, tapping her chin thoughtfully. “Now, was it a right turn at this street, or a left one? Sorry, I’ve only been to her apartment one time, and that was just for tea after we’d spent all afternoon working with Twilight Sparkle on the ... project.”

I saw my opening and pounced on it. “I believe her residence is that way.” I deliberately pointed in the wrong direction. Hopefully that would buy me enough lead time to get home and clean up before Dame Fluttershy realized her mistake and reversed course. “It seems like you have this well in hoof. Unless there was anything else you wished to discuss, I really ought to go spread the word—there are over a dozen other teachers and school officials at the Harshwhinny Academy, after all.”

“Alright.” Major Doo casually waved goodbye. “Nice to meet you. Hopefully we'll see you again under better circumstances.”

“Oh yes, it was a pleasure.” Dame Fluttershy smiled politely. “You seem really nice. Please do think about what I said earlier—the Order could always use a new member with your drive and dedication to doing good.”

Rainbow frowned and playfully poked the knight in the shoulder. “‘Shy, if you poach my teamup with the Guardian, we’re gonna have some words.” She turned back to me. “Oh, and one last thing before you go...” She bit down on her lip, repressing a giddy squeal. “Can I get your autograph? I am your number one absolute biggest fan!”

I chuckled and shook my head. “I’m afraid I don’t have a pen on me at the moment, or anything to sign. Thank you all very much, though. Especially you, Rainbow Dash—it’s always very gratifying to know that all my hard work is appreciated.”

With all the farewells taken care of, I slipped away from the group and darted down a dark alley. As soon as I was safely out of sight I clambered up a nearby wall and onto the rooftops, then began doubling back to reach my apartment while staying reasonably covert. So long as none of them flew up to get a wider perspective I should be able to make it home without getting spotted, even if the situation was less than ideal. Normally I never wore the Guardian outfit anywhere near my home, but there just wasn’t time to stop by one of my storage areas and change.

As it was, by the time I came within sight of my apartment building, I caught a glimpse of a rather distinctive rainbow tail slipping in through the building’s front door. Apparently my false directions hadn’t slowed them down nearly as much as I’d hoped. By the time I worked my way across the exterior of the building and slipped into the window of my unit, Rainbow was already pounding on my apartment’s door. “Come on, Rarity, open up! You okay in there?”

I scrambled to get my costume off as fast as possible, but a full bodysuit isn’t the kind of thing one can remove in a matter of seconds. Especially since I needed to be careful not to rip or tear it. While the new material purchased with the Empress’ stipend were much more durable than simple cloth, I didn’t want to push my luck. A few seconds of haste now could cost me hours of repair work later.

However, I might not have much choice in the matter. Rainbow Dash pounded on my door again. “I mean it, Rarity! If you don’t open the door in five seconds, I’m breaking it down!”

“She might not even be here,” Major Doo cautioned her. “And do I even need to point out the inherent problem with breaking into her home to warn her that someone might be planning to break into her home?”

“Or the bad guy could be in there right now!” Rainbow countered. “She could be tied up and in danger while we’re sitting out here talking!” She seemed to have convinced herself of exactly that, because a moment later she declared, “Alright everyone, stand back, I’m knocking the door down!”

Oh dear, that wouldn’t do at all. Not only would she catch me halfway in my outfit, but I would need a new door. I cleared my throat and yanked the mask off so it wouldn’t muffle my voice. “Don’t you dare break down my door, Rainbow Dash! For your information, I was in the shower until you started that infernal racket. What will my neighbors think?”

My lie kept the impulsive mare from breaking in, though it didn’t do anything to help Rainbow’s opinion of me. I could hear her clearly enough through the closed door. “She’s in the shower? Great, that means we’re gonna be stuck waiting out here for at least another hour.”

“Now be nice, Rainbow,” Dame Fluttershy chided. “There’s nothing wrong with a mare caring about how she looks. I wish I could have such a long, beautiful mane and tail, but it just doesn’t fit inside my armor.”

“Not unless you want the worst case of helmet hair ever,” Major Doo agreed before shouting through my door. “Sorry to bother you, but is there any way you could let us in now? It’s really important.”

Major Doo’s remark about helmet hair reminded me that I would need to tend to my mane as well. Spending several hours wearing a full mask tended to absolutely ruin it. I let out a loud, melodramatic huff. “This had better be important if you’re showing up at this hour and threatening to break down my door! Just give me a minute to dry off and put something on!” I scrambled to get the rest of the outfit off as quickly as possible while simultaneously running a brush through my mane and hastily applying enough makeup to look at least semi-presentable.

While I was hard at work, Rainbow let out a loud groan. “Can you believe this? Is she gonna ask Nightmare Moon to pause the fight halfway through so she can powder her nose?”

I could clearly hear the sound of Major Doo’s hoof meeting her own face. “Dear ancestors, Rainbow, I’m not defending you if she hears you. I swear, it’s like you took this whole Element of Honesty thing as an excuse to completely remove your brain-to-mouth filter.” She cleared her throat, then raised her voice for my benefit. “I know this isn’t the best time, but it really is important! Some of your friends have been—” There was a sudden, very loud crack as my front door suddenly collapsed of its own accord, giving all three of them a clear view into my apartment.

I let out a startled shriek and quickly darted behind the couch, calling my bathrobe in from the other room and draping it over myself to hide the bits of my outfit that I hadn’t gotten off yet. I hastily stashed the rest of it underneath the couch—hopefully the outfit wouldn’t be covered in dust or develop a musty smell before I could retrieve it. “You broke down my door!”

Rainbow groaned, burying her head in her hooves. “Derpyyyy...”

Major Doo’s ears fell flat against her skull. “Sorry. I'll pay for that. Must’ve been a structural flaw in the hinges, or maybe something inherent in the manufacturing? Rainbow’s pounding probably exacerbated it, and then—”

Rainbow half-seriously glowered at her. “Don’t try to engineer your way out of this, Derpy. You knocked the door down with your ... Derpy-ness.”

For her part, Dame Fluttershy smiled apologetically. “Sorry about your door.”

I finally managed to hide all the evidence of my secret identity, though far from well enough to satisfy me. I suppose I would just have to hope nopony was struck by a sudden urge to look underneath my couch. Not to mention I’d barely even gotten started on making myself presentable, especially since all the stress of running home and hastily disrobing had built up quite a sweat. “Well then ... come in, I suppose.”

Rainbow trotted right in, suspiciously staring around the room as though she expected the burglar to leap out from behind the kitchen sink. “Is everything okay? Some of your fellow teachers got robbed and...” She trailed off, frowning at me and sniffing. “You're awful sweaty for somepony who just took a shower. And ... well, no offense, but you’ve got a bit of a BO thing going on right now.”

I really was beginning to dislike that mare. “I was about to take a shower for exactly that very reason. I’d just wrapped up a bit of light calisthenics; I’m no athlete, but I do like to try and stay trim—especially since certain parties keep commenting on my physical skills.”

“I thought you said that you were already in the—” She cut herself off, shaking her head. “Nevermind, not important. Did you hear about the break-ins?” Her eyes instinctively flicked back to my own poorly treated door. “I mean, the other ones. Not the one Derpy did just now.”

I took a moment to figure out how much would be safe to say. “Of course, there was no shortage of gossip about what happened to High Standards last ni—wait, did you say break-ins? Plural?”

“Yeah,” Rainbow confirmed. “There was another one, another teacher from Harshwhinny's.”

“Another one?” I faked a dramatic gasp. “Oh. Oh dear. Who was it?”

“It was...” Rainbow trailed off, then glanced back to her friends. “Um ... either of you remember the name? I kinda ... got a little distracted once the Sapphire Guardian showed up? I think the name was, like, Calculator Girdle or something...”

Dame Fluttershy pointedly cleared her throat and took charge. “We were worried and wanted to make sure you were okay. I’m sorry if Rainbow was a bit too enthusiastic, but she was worried for your safety.”

“Oh!” I smiled politely. “Well, thank you for your concern, but as you can see I am quite fine.” I paused, my eyes lingering on the now permanently open doorway. “Well, I was fine. Now I seem to have a bit of an issue to discuss with the building manager...”

Major Doo smiled sheepishly, a faint flush coloring her cheeks. “Don’t worry, I’ll cover the cost. No, better than that—I’ll upgrade it. Me-proofing your door is the least I can do to make up for all the trouble.”

Rainbow’s ears perked up. “Hey, idea! We can stay to guard you until the door is fixed. I mean, we kinda have to now, right?”

Oh dear. The last thing I needed was three nursemaids tying me down and ensuring I couldn’t do anything as the Sapphire Guardian. “That's really not necessary...”

Unfortunately, Dame Fluttershy seemed quite taken with the idea. “We just want to make sure you're okay. We don't want you getting scared about somepony breaking into your home. And since there’s three of us, taking the job in shifts shouldn’t be a problem at all.”

“Thank you for being so thoughtful, really, but I wouldn’t dream of asking you to go to so much trouble for me.” I scrambled to come up with a good excuse to get them out of the apartment. “I can stay with a friend for tonight.”

“Sleepover at my place,” Rainbow offered, grinning. “Sounds cool. We can order pizza, I can show you all my stuff from the Wonderbolts, and then we can read comics and—” She blinked and cut herself off, her ears perking up. “Oh hey, guess what? You just missed the Sapphire Guardian! She’s checking out the whole robbery thing.”

I quickly got into character. “Oh, that dreadful vigilante?”

Rainbow stared at me incredulously. “What? Are you kidding? She's awesome!”

I sniffed haughtily, putting a little bit melodrama into it to cover my tracks. “It's just so ... crude. Going out and beating criminals to a pulp with her bare hooves every night. What kind of mare would even want to do something like that? It would ruin her hooficure.”

Rainbow scoffed. “Come on, she fights crime and saves ponies and looks awesome doing it!” She glared at me for daring to question her idol. “What, would you want to teach someone trying to rob you good poise?”

I answered that with another sniff, sticking my nose primly up into the air. “Well, that was rather uncalled for.”

Major Doo sighed and casually whapped her friend upside the head with a wing. “Sorry about barging in on you like this. What Rainbow meant to say was that we heard about the trend and wanted to make sure you were okay. And since it’s our fault your apartment isn’t really safe anymore, it’s only fair that we let you bunk with us until it’s fixed.” She shrugged. “I’d invite you to my place, but my base housing doesn’t have room for four ponies.”

“I just have a room at the Sol Invictus compound,” Dame Fluttershy added. “Sorry, but I think Rainbow’s the only one with a big enough house for all of us.”

“It’s cool,” Rainbow assured us. “My place is awesome, and it’s got tons of room for everyone. Good thing being a Wonderbolt pays so well.” She grinned at me. “I’ve even got two and a half bathrooms, so it’s not a problem if you need to take one up for hours in order to get your mane just right.” She grinned and slapped me on the back in an entirely too familiar manner. “Don't worry, Rarity—we got this covered. Between the three of us, we won't leave your side until this whole break-in mess is settled. I’ll even let you sleep on my best couch.”

Major Doo nodded emphatically. “Whatever you need, we’ll take care of it. And first thing in the morning I’ll go buy you a new door and get to work installing it.”

Unfortunately, I couldn’t think of any reasonable way to refuse such a generous offer. Not without being rude and upsetting them all, which I didn’t want to do. Major Doo and Dame Fluttershy were being perfectly kind and admirable, and Rainbow ... well despite her numerous rough edges, she clearly meant well and wanted to help. None of them could possibly know that their assistance was going to make it nearly impossible for me to operate as the Sapphire Guardian. So I answered the only way I could. “Thank you all so much, I truly appreciate your generous offer. Could I have a few moments alone to pack my bags?”

While the remainder of the evening passed pleasantly enough, I found it hard to enjoy myself while constantly worrying about my fellow teachers. I simply could not shake the feeling that I was neglecting my duties as the Sapphire Guardian. Yet what choice did I have? Rainbow, Fluttershy, and Ditzy seemed determined to watch me like a hawk. I probably ought to have been flattered that they cared so much, but it was rather irksome to have my movements so heavily restricted on account of their well-intentioned interference.

Fortunately, they were at least willing to let me go to work without hovering over me. No doubt the presence of a few Guard investigators at the Harshwhinny Academy persuaded them that I should be reasonably safe there. Not to mention that they also had jobs of their own.

I was looking forward to at least enjoying a bit of normalcy with my students. No doubt they would all want to gossip about the Guard presence and the break-ins, but I knew a thing or two about keeping a classroom under control. Though given how many of the girls I spotted staring with great interest at the ponies in uniform, I suspected that at least some of the gossip would have nothing to do with why the Guard was here. Admittedly, there is something about a pony in uniform that is uniquely appealing.

The presence of a few comely guards was small consolation in the face of the larger problems I faced: namely, that there were ponies in danger. No, not just ponies, my friends and co-workers. And as long as Rainbow and others were determined to keep helping me, I couldn’t do anything about it. What if somepony was home the next time a break-in happened? They could end up being hurt or worse because I wasn’t there to do my job. Could I live with myself if one of my fellow teachers was hurt on my account?

Fortunately, I was not completely bereft of options. The Empress had provided me with the means of contacting her discreetly should the Sapphire Guardian ever find herself in a difficult situation. It wasn’t anything especially fancy, just a simple magical gem I could activate to let her know I needed to speak with her as soon as possible.

However, it wasn’t the Empress who responded to my call. I was in the middle of my lunch break when Lyra Heartstrings stepped into my classroom. The Empress’ personal agent waved casually at me, then strode over to a desk and flopped down into it, setting her hind legs up on top of it. “Empress sent me. What’s wrong?”

I gave her a concise summary of the last few days. “So, I need some way to get out from under their watchful eyes long enough to become the Sapphire Guardian and apprehend the criminal.”

“Uh-huh.” Her eyes narrowed. “Y’know, it’s not like you have to be the one who solves this. I know the Sapphire Guardian is popular and all, but the Canterlot Civil Guard still handles most of the crime in the city. They can catch one burglar without your help.”

“You’re probably right,” I conceded. “But if I start thinking that way, I’d probably retire from being the Guardian. Yes, the city won’t plunge into chaos if the Guardian takes a few days off, but there are always ponies who need help. Even if it’s just little things, like helping a lost little filly find her way home, I can make a difference. I can’t sit back and wait for somepony else to take care of everything. It’s just not in my nature.”

Lyra stared at me for several seconds, then shrugged. “Fair enough. I get that—if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.” If not for the fact that interrupting her would have been rude, I might have pointed out that her interpretation was rather different from what I had actually said. Thankfully, she moved on from that point. “So fine, you wanna get back into action. Why not just tell them what’s going on?”

My jaw dropped open at the sheer ridiculousness of that suggestion. “Excuse me?”

“Just tell Rainbow, Fluttershy, and Ditzy,” she repeated. “Isn’t it obvious that they’re only protecting you because they think you need protection? If they knew you were the Sapphire Guardian, they’d all back off and give you space to work.” Lyra paused, a smirk flickering across her lips. “Well, Rainbow might bug you for an autograph, but Fluttershy and Major Doo wouldn’t give you any more trouble.”

“But they would know my secret,” I explained, trying to put it as simply as possible.

“So?” Lyra shot back. “The Empress knows your secrets. I know them. It hasn’t been a problem so far. In fact, it’s actually made your job a lot easier than it used to be. Besides, you’re supposed to be working as part of a team with those three and the Empress’ students. Teammates don’t need to tell each other everything, but they do need to share enough that they can trust each other. You really think you can work with them for a year and not have the truth come out at some point?”

I frowned, thinking over what she’d just said. Annoyingly, she had raised a fair point. It certainly would make my life a bit less stressful if I didn’t have to hide my dual identity from quite so many of my associates, not to mention a few accomplices could help cover for any unexplained absences on my part. However... “No, I’m afraid I’m not comfortable sharing that with them. Perhaps at some later point, but it will be at a time and place of my choosing. Not because circumstances have forced my hoof.”

Lyra’s eyes rested on me for several uncomfortable moments, but eventually she shrugged. “Your call. Just remember that secrets have a habit of slipping out at the worst possible time. If you want me to arrange a getaway for you, I can pull it off. I’ll have to call in an old favor to make it work, though. You’ll have to make it up to me.”

Ah. Being in Lyra’s debt was hardly ideal, but it seemed the best solution available under the circumstances. My only other acceptable option was to remain stuck on the sidelines. “It seems we have a deal, then.”

Lyra nodded, rising up from the desk she’d been lounging in. “Good. I’ll need a bit to set everything up. We’ll make the swap tomorrow.”

I hadn’t been sure what to expect from Lyra, but as it turned out I was in for quite the surprise. When I stepped into my classroom the next morning, I found myself face-to-face with a most unexpected sight: myself. Somehow, there was another Rarity sitting at my desk, straightening my pens and wiping down the chalkboard. “I ... what? Who are you? What are you doing here?”

“You’d think a pony who looks in the mirror as much as you do would recognize her own face.” My eyes darted up to the ceiling a second before Lyra dropped down in front of me. Normally I would have noticed her right away, but I suppose I had been understandably stunned by seeing my own double. Still, the fact that the Empress’ personal spy had been able to get that close to me without my noticing was ... troubling. “As for the rest of your questions, meet Kunai. She’s gonna take your place for the next couple days, until things settle down.”

The other me casually waved. “This one is pleased to make the Rarity-mare’s acquaintance. It assures her that it can imitate her well enough to fool any who are not intimately familiar with her.” Kunai paused a moment, her posture subtly shifting, and when next she spoke her voice sounded almost exactly like mine. “Of course, I would have preferred a bit more time to get to know you first, darling, but Lyra did provide a very detailed profile.”

Lyra nodded along. “Yup. I gave her everything she needed to know.” I noted the emphasis, and a moment later Lyra confirmed my suspicions, softly whispering to me. “I did leave out your big dark secrets. Easiest way to make sure she doesn’t give something away.”

“Thank you for that,” I murmured.

Kunai grinned at me in a way which seemed rather odd when I was looking at the expression on my own face. “I must say, darling, it will be a rather interesting change of pace. I’ve never had to pretend to be an etiquette teacher before.” She paused, tapping her chin thoughtfully. “I should be able to manage well enough as long as you have some lesson plans I can work off of, and a seating chart so I’ll know all the students’ names. Is there anything I should look out for? Something that wouldn’t be in Lyra’s profile?”

Lyra shot a half-serious glower at her. “Please. My profile on Rarity has everything, unless she’s made some crazy, massive, life-altering decision in the last couple hours.”

Well, that was rather disconcerting. I didn’t like the idea that anypony knew that much about me, especially not a rather dubious individual like Lyra. I really don’t understand why the Empress seems so fond of her. Well, aside from her ability to ferret out secrets, and her seeming absolute devotion to the Empress herself.

Which actually did rather explain it, come to think of it. Competence and loyalty are both traits the Empress approved of.

I cleared my throat and tried to put those thoughts aside, turning my attention to the changeling who would be taking my place. “There’s a seating chart in my desk, if you need to know my student’s names.” I opened up my saddlebag and deposited my lesson plans for the next few days. “That should cover everything they’ll need to learn—if I’m not done by the time you run through all that material, we’ll work something out. Is there anything else you need to ask me?”

“I believe I should be able to handle the rest of it.” She shot me a confident smirk. “If anything unexpected comes up, I’m good at improvising. I’ll just blame any little oddities on stress, or having some bad hay for lunch. Ponies almost always go for a more mundane explanation for odd behavior than ‘Rarity’s been replaced by a changeling.’”

I admit, I would have had a similar reaction if one of my co-workers were acting oddly. Or at least, I would have before this little chat. I suspected I would be a touch more paranoid in the future. “In that case, thank you for your help, Kunai. Now, if there is nothing else, I believe I have other matters to tend to.”

I began trotting towards the door, only for Lyra to step forward and block my path. “Not such a good idea. If ponies see you walk out of the classroom, then come in and see you sitting at the desk ... well, it might give things away.”

“I see.” It was rather hard to dispute her logic. “I suppose I will have to make a more discreet exit, then.”

For the record, leaving a building through the window is an even more undignified act than entering through one. Only wings could lend the act a touch of finesse, though the fact that ponies like Rainbow Dash or Major Doo were the sort to make such exits shows that just because one has wings does not actually grant one finesse. Still, I survived the experience with my body and dignity mostly intact. Thankfully I’d stashed a few things near the school just in case of an emergency like this. Hardly my full gear, but enough to for the Sapphire Guardian to rush out into the morning.

I just hoped my students would be alright without me. I’d trusted them to substitute teachers before, but this situation was rather ... unique.

Unfortunately, there were no thrilling heroics to be had once I’d assumed my alter ego. A few careful inquiries with my sources revealed precisely nothing. Though that in and of itself was somewhat revealing; if nobody knew anything about the break-ins, then it was reasonably likely I was dealing with a lone criminal rather than some grand conspiracy. Not that I expected to learn anything different, but it never hurts to confirm one’s suspicions.

From there, my course of action was both perfectly clear and utterly dreadful. It was quite reasonable to assume that there would be another break-in tonight, and right now catching the burglar in the act was my best hope for learning anything about them. Thus, I faced the prospect of one of the most offensively dull parts of any investigation: a stakeout.

As there were still several teachers whose homes had not been broken into, including my own, I had to make a choice regarding which residence to watch. After some consideration, I opted for Headmistress Harshwhinny’s home. She was the highest-ranking member of the school faculty, and thus the most prominent target. Far from perfect reasoning, but any other choice would have been equally arbitrary. Alas, the Sapphire Guardian can only be in one place at a time.

I settled in on a rooftop across the street from Harshwhinny’s somewhat modest three-story residence. It might seem odd to describe such a large residence as modest, but the Headmistress of a wealthy private school does enjoy a rather healthy income, especially given her involvement with the Imperial Games. She certainly could have afforded something a bit larger and more opulent if she’d wanted to, but thankfully the mare had good taste.

I wasn’t alone in my vigil. The Civil Guard had evidently reached the same conclusion as I had regarding how best to locate the burglar, judging by the pair of out-of-uniform guards who were trying very hard to look inconspicuous. It rather amused me that I was less noticeable despite wearing blue tights, but that was the advantage of being on the rooftops. Most of Canterlot’s citizens were not in the habit of looking at the roofs nearly as often as they did the streets.

Just as I was feeling very good about my stealth skills, somepony brought a rather obvious flaw to my attention. While I was rather well hidden from ground level, there were quite a few flying races within the city. Thus, Rainbow Dash had relatively little trouble spotting me from above, then coming in for a landing next to me. “Hey. ‘Sup?” Her attempt to play it cool might have worked a bit better if there wasn’t a giddy grin on her face.

“Hello again, Rainbow Dash.” I politely nodded, never taking my eyes off the home. “What brings you by? I thought you would be busy keeping an eye on your friend.”

Rainbow shrugged. “She’s got Derpy and Fluttershy there, she’ll be fine. Besides, I wanna be out here, where the action is.” She hesitated for a moment, then grimaced and added. “Plus they started talking about giving each other makeovers, since they were having a sleepover and stuff. Which is just ... ugh. Makeup always feels weird and gross on my face, and I really don’t get why anyone would wanna spend hours doing their mane. Any fancy style’s just gonna get messed up anyway as soon as I fly faster than a gentle breeze. Besides, my hair’s awesome the way it is.”

“And so you decided to join me instead?” I prompted.

“Well, yeah!” Rainbow beamed at me. “I mean, who wouldn’t wanna hang out with you instead of Rarity?”

Oh, I was almost tempted to take off my mask just to see the look on her face. Almost. Instead, I decided to cut the conversation short before she made any more unfortunate comments. “I appreciate the thought, but I’m in the middle of a stakeout right now, so...”

“Can I help?” Rainbow Dash asked, her ears eagerly perking up. “I’ve got awesome eyesight, and I can fly around looking for stuff if you need it. Just tell me what you want, anything at all, and I’ll get it done.”

For a moment I was tempted to brush her off. I was still a bit miffed at her rather poor opinion of me whenever I wasn’t in costume, and from what I knew of the mare she would be a rather large detriment on a stakeout. Even if she could refrain from fangirlish squealing for long enough to avoid giving me away, Rainbow had never struck me as a pony who was capable of immense patience. It was quite likely she would be bored out of her wits within an hour, and then try to alleviate that boredom by doing something unwise.

Still, I could certainly find a use for her. After all, one of the biggest problems of a solo stakeout was that I couldn’t do anything without leaving my post unattended. As my stomach was rather pointedly reminding me, I hadn’t had a proper meal since breakfast, and was unlikely to get one until I either caught the burglar or abandoned the stakeout. “If I might ask a favor, could you possibly go get me something to eat?”

“Oh.” Rainbow’s ears fell flat—no doubt she’d been fantasizing about fighting gangs of minions at my side, not running a few mundane errands for me. However, she had spent enough time working with the Wonderbolts to understand how one must pay one’s dues to get one’s hoof in the door, and a second later she smiled and nodded. “Sure thing. What do you want? I think there’s a hayburger place pretty close by, or I could run and get you a pizza. Or how about a basket of cheese fries? And some soda to wash it down?”

“Actually, if it wouldn’t be too much trouble I was hoping you could stop by this lovely little cafe I spotted a few blocks over, and pick up a salad for me. Caesar salad, with vinaigrette dressing, capers, and haybacon. Some earl grey tea to go with it, if you please.”

Rainbow stared at me for several moments, then slowly nodded. “Er ... yeah, I guess I could do that too. I mean, that’s food.” I reached back to one of my pouches where I kept a few bits on hoof, but she immediately shook her head. “Nah, I got it. S’the least I can do to help you out after all the awesome stuff you’ve done.”

I smiled and nodded gratefully, though my mask obscured the expression. “Thank you.” Rainbow grinned at the acknowledgement, then darted away.

Unfortunately but unsurprisingly, nothing of interest happened between Rainbow’s departure and her return. Stakeouts really are impossibly dull. It seemed that the two guardponies keeping an eye on Harswhinny’s residence had similar concerns to my own, as one of them had trotted off to presumably acquire food as well. Or perhaps she needed to use the little filly’s room. That was certainly an issue I was staunchly hoping would not come up for me.

Upon Rainbow’s return, I noted that my salad had become somewhat more tossed than normal on account of the flight, but at least none of my tea had been spilled. One look at the hopeful grin on Rainbow’s face told me she was quite hungry for approval. “Thank you very much.”

“No problem.” She frowned, cocking her head to the side. “Um ... how you gonna eat with your mask on? I mean, if you have to take it off for a bit, that’s cool. You can totally trust me, I wouldn’t tell anyone who you are. I mean, if I even recognized you.”

That ... was actually a rather good point. A mask that completely covered my mouth made eating rather difficult. I suppose I could lift it up just enough to expose my mouth, but that would still show Rainbow Dash more than I cared to. While she probably would not recognize me just from looking at my neck and jawline, she would certainly at least know what color my coat was. And ... well, between her impulsive nature and the fact that she was supposed to be wielding the honesty element, I wasn’t entirely certain I could trust her to keep my secrets. Despite her assurances to the contrary.

I tried to let her down as gently as possible. “Actually, do you think you could fly a three block perimeter for a few minutes? Even I have a hard time being perfectly vigilant while also having dinner. I would really appreciate the help.”

Rainbow nodded, but I didn’t miss the brief flicker of disappointment in her eyes. “Uh, yeah, sure. No problem. Whatever you need.”

Once I felt Rainbow was far enough away for me to be reasonably safe, I tossed a quick privacy spell over myself for added security, then carefully lifted my mask just high enough to let me eat. Perhaps I was being a touch overcautious, but I infinitely preferred that to being undercautious. I did have a secret identity to protect, after all.

To Rainbow’s credit, my salad and tea were quite good. However, as I had warned her, I wasn’t able to keep a perfect watch on Harshwhinny’s home while I ate, which explains how I missed whatever happened to the one remaining Guard. He was simply gone when I looked up from my meal, and I noticed one of the windows had been cracked open.

I immediately leapt into action, springing down to ground level and rushing over to the window. A cursory inspection confirmed that the latch had been forced open, and after a careful scan through it I quietly slipped inside. If the burglar was in there, why not use the same entrance he had?

As soon as I was within the home I heard the sound of desks opening from the other room, as well as a voice grumbling to itself. The burglar’s voice sounded ... curious. Every few words was punctuated with a small whistle or trill—not as one might with a gap in one's teeth, these sounded almost birdlike. Even stranger was a sharp hiss, followed by a series of deep, somewhat muted staccato clicks the likes of which I had never before heard from any species I had encountered. “Not there, not there ... where is it?”

I couldn’t resist the urge to play up the drama a bit, stepping out into the living room. “Let me guess: you misplaced your keys?”

The burglar whirled around to face me. I wasn't sure what I had been expecting, but this was ... truly alien to me. Being bipedal was strange enough in its own right, but the talons at the ends of its legs tapered into vicious-looking claws, one of which was far larger and deadlier than the others. Both its arms were similarly endowed, each of its hands defensively flaring open to bare three razor-tipped fingers.

Stranger still were its feathers. How something covered from snout to tail in feathers could go unnoticed was beyond me; the muted blue on its back tapered to black at the tips of its tail and arms—if one could even call them arms—and its mottled white belly was terribly conspicuous. The burglar's pupils shrank into slits as it sized me up, a hiss emanating from an elongated maw of serrated fangs, each sharp enough to cut through spidersilk like butter.

“Who ... what ... are you?” I had certainly never seen anything like it before—if I hadn’t heard it speaking earlier, I might have suspected it was just a monster.

The beast’s head whipped around to face me, and hissed angrily, showing me all those fangs once again. I tensed up, expecting it to charge and put those vicious talons to use, but instead it darted towards the door, trying to get out of the study and presumably the house itself. While the burglar had taken me by surprise, I recovered quickly and interposed myself between it and the way out. “Oh no you don't!” I dropped into a combat stance, doing a quick mental inventory of my equipment. “I don't know why you're here, but you will not get away. Why were you going after teachers?”

The creature halted its charge, hissing again. Then it slowly cocked its head to the side, like a bird studying its prey. “Here seeking that which was taken. It is not your concern.”

I met the burglar’s gaze levelly. “I am making it my concern.”

“Foolish!” the creature growled. “No time for foolish! Mission to complete.”

“What mission?” I demanded. “What are you trying to do?”

“Take back what belongs to us.” The burglar let out a sound halfway between a click and a whistle. “Centuries ago, the Talen-ka was stolen from us by the striped ones. My ancestor charged with guarding it when taken, family dishonored when it was stolen. Must find it and take it back to restore honor.”

I frowned, trying to make sense of it all. “The Talen-ka? Striped ones ... you mean zebras?”

The creature nodded. “Zebras, yes. One of their traders came from their island, through the great jungles of the thunder lizards. Came to our lands, dromaed lands. Came as friend, gave strange drinks to all that weakened minds. Then traded precious treasures for trinkets and more drink.”

“Zebra island ... thunder lizards...” I recalled a few things Dame Fluttershy had mentioned about her time on Zanzebra, and suddenly it all made sense. “Your people, the dromaeds, live in the jungles off Zanzebra past the thunder lizards?” The creature’s head bobbed up and down, confirming my guess.

Well, that certainly explained why I had never seen anything like it before. Zanzebra was already one of the Empire’s most distant holdings, and from what Fluttershy had mentioned about the thunder lizards, we weren’t going to be getting through those jungles anytime soon. Twenty foot tall beasts that could swallow a pony whole made building cities a rather difficult prospect, especially when Zanzebra was already a distant outpost.

“So,” I began, trying to make sure I understood the situation properly. “This Talen-ka of yours was stolen by a zebra centuries ago, and your family has been trying to find it ever since? And I presume your search has somehow taken you all the way here?” The dromaed’s head bobbed again, and I frowned at it. “I don’t suppose it ever occurred to you to ask about it, instead of just breaking into ponies’ homes at random? If it’s the rightful property of your people, I’m sure the current owner would be willing to give it back.”

“Give?” The dromaed hissed. “Not yours to give! It belongs to us!”

“I expect the current owner doesn’t know that.” I pointed out, trying to sound calm and reasonable. “I’ve never heard of this Talen-ka of yours, or even heard of your people. It’s entirely likely that whoever has it doesn’t even know what it is, or that it was stolen from your people centuries ago.”

The dromaed snarled and shook its head. “That changes nothing. It is still ours, and it was still stolen. I will take it back, restore family honor.”

“I see.” This conversation was clearly going nowhere, so I opted for a change of subject. “Perhaps we’ve started things off on the wrong hoof. I am the Sapphire Guardian; what is your name?”

The creature answered with a hiss, click, and growl that I struggled to convert into something I was actually capable of pronouncing. “Stass?”

Stass cocked its head curiously to the side. “Acceptable. I am hristak—knight, I think? Yes, Knight of Green to srilvak of hrngarl. Is like ... praetor to ponies? Aedile? One of the ranks. I serve person of importance, must restore family honor to rise higher. Green led me here, but it is distant in this stone city. Said one of teachers in school had Talen-ka, but not which.”

I was having a bit of trouble understanding all the details, but I understood enough. “If you would come with me, I think we should speak with somebody who can settle this matter without any further trouble.” Taking the matter directly to the Empress might be a bit overzealous, but considering the circumstances I thought it prudent. The last thing I wanted to do was cause some sort of diplomatic incident by arresting a knight from a distant land. Giving him back this Talen-ka he was searching for seemed like the best solution to the problem.

The dromaed’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “I will not surrender. I am Knight of Green, would rather die than surrender.”

“I promise, you’ll be treated fairly,” I assured him, “But I cannot allow you to continue breaking into homes. It’s wrong, and if you keep this up someone is going to get hurt.”

“I do not want to hurt ponies, but must complete mission.” Stass leveled one his claws at me. “Cannot allow Sapphire Guardian to stop me. Family honor must be restored, nothing is more important than that. Surrender only make dishonor worse. Stand aside.”

“I'm afraid I can't do that, darling.” I pulled out a set of cuffs and tossed them down at its feet. “I really would prefer that you just come quietly so we can sort this whole mess out without any violence. I have no intention of dishonoring you, but I can’t just let you continue doing this. Please don’t force the issue.”

Stass’s tail thrashed back and forth, his shoulders dropping in something that seemed entirely too reminiscent of a predator preparing to pounce. “Last warning. Stand aside, or I make you move. Will try to avoid vitals, but battle is dangerous.”

I sighed, resigning myself to the inevitable. “As you wish, then. I promise to do my best to avoid hurting you any more than I must.”

Both of us moved at once. Stass’s legs tensed, which I took as another sign that he was about to pounce, and countered by pulling out and hurling a thunderflash gem at him. However, the dromaed’s preparations had apparently been nothing but a feint, as he suddenly spun around and swung his massive tail at me. The move caught me off guard—in my defense, I had never fought a dromaed before and didn’t know how to read their body language. Not only did my thunderflash stone have little effect since he wasn’t facing it when it detonated, but his tail sent me staggering as it caught me across the barrel. The only good news was that I managed to turn into the blow enough to spread the impact across my chest; still painful, but it meant I would have a massive bruise in the morning rather than a few broken ribs.

I growled and settled back into my stance, shaking away the pain. “It. Is. On.”

Stass snarled feinted another pounce at me. However, this time I was able to read the bluff, and when he tried to to run for the door I was there to meet him, jumping up and kicking him in the face. “No you don’t!”

The dromaed knight hissed and spun around, trying to smack me with his tail again. However, now that I knew to watch for the attack, it was easy enough to see it coming and duck. “You can't use the same trick twice, darling.” Since I’d already dropped low to dodge his tail, I opted to sweep his legs out from under him while I was there.

Stass snarled as he fell, but the dromaed wasn’t going to make things easy for me. One of his heavily muscled legs kicked out at me as he went down, the large and viciously curved talon on the end coming perilously close to tearing a massive hole in my chest. I stumbled back in shock, letting out a frightened yelp.

“Oh, this won’t do at all.” Going hoof-to-hoof against a creature with claws wasn’t likely to end well for me. Even if I came out ahead in the end, I was likely going to end up losing far more of my flesh and blood than I cared to, not to mention it would ruin my costume. Fortunately, I had other options. I reached out with my magic and snagged one of the many drawers Stass had opened up during his search of Harshwhinny’s study, hurling it at the dromaed’s head.

Stass managed to turn his head enough to avoid the worst of the blow, but it still struck with an audible thump, and I could see a small cut and not-so-small bruise forming through the thinner feathers along his head. Stass’s head whipped around to face me, his eyes narrowing in a furious glare.

While my mask ruined the effect, I couldn’t help smirking. “Oh, you didn't like that, did you? I should apologize, but...” I reached out to Harshwhinny’s desk, snatching up several quills she’d left lying there. Very nice, steel-tipped ones that should be more than capable of ruining Stass’s day if I threw them at him hard enough.

Stass reached down to a belt attached around his midsection, pulling out a small pouch. “If you use your magic, I use mine.” He opened up the bag, and a second later a rather large and angry looking wasp darted out of it, heading straight for me.

I tried to swat it out of the way on pure instinct, but the wasp dodged past my swipe, then stung my leg. I couldn’t help flinching, and Stass wasted no time rushing in to strike while I was off-balance. Despite the rather painful distraction, I managed to block the brunt of his claw strikes, though I took several glancing hits. Thankfully my costume, now much more armored thanks to the Empress’ funding, managed to absorb the worst of the damage, though he did break the skin a few times.

However, Stass continued to keep up the pressure, and my blocks and dodges were getting narrower and narrower. Matters weren’t helped at all by the infernal wasp stinging me at the worst possible times. I finally managed to catch one of Stass’ claws in a lock for long enough to buy myself a free moment, and used that to hurl Harshwhinny’s quills at the insect. None of them managed to properly skewer the pest, but I did hit one of its wings hard enough to knock it loose, taking it out of the fight.

Stass snarled and swiped at my face, and if not for the crystal lenses in my mask I would’ve lost one of my eyes. I stumbled back, but now that I didn’t have that wasp constantly bothering me I could spare a moment’s concentration to focus on a spell. I was hardly a battle mage, but Sunset Shimmer had taken it into her head to give me a few lessons.

Stass’ next strike bounced off the wall of force I’d conjured between the two of us, and his follow up strike hit the wall dead on. Judging by the way he stepped back and hissed while shaking his wrist, that had gone about as well as punching a wall usually did.

“Ha! Take that, you ruffian!” I dropped the shield and closed in, aiming a kick at his already injured wrist. While this was hardly a formal duel, I thought it reasonably likely that we would call an end to it once one of us took a significant injury. A broken wrist would certainly qualify.

Stass shrieked as my hoof caught the delicate bones, but rather than surrender he snapped at me. I stumbled back on sheer instinct as that maw full of razor-sharp fangs came rushing towards my face. Stass charged forward while I was off balance and backing up, his shoulder catching me in the chest as his raw bulk slammed me backwards. His charge pushed me all the way back to the door, and then right through it.

For the record, being smashed through a door was extremely painful. Painful enough that after the two of us spilled onto the street, I needed to lie down on my back and take a moment to think about just how much that had hurt.

Thankfully, I managed to come to my senses just in time to see Stass’ taloned foot rushing down towards me, and I managed to roll out of the way before it hit. I stumbled back to my hooves and shook out the mental cobwebs, getting my mind back in the fight.

Stass closed in once again, but now that we were both out in the open I had a bit more room to maneuver. As he closed in I fell back, and the fight slowly moved from the open street back to Miss Harshwhinny’s immaculately groomed lawn.

As soon as all four of my hooves were in the grass, Stass grinned in a way that almost certainly boded ill for me. He slapped one of his talons down the dirt and hissed out something in his own language.

For a moment nothing happened, but then the ground shifted beneath my hooves, and when I tried to move I felt something grab my leg and hold it in place. I risked a quick look down, and could scarcely believe what I saw. The grass of Harshwhinny’s lawn had wrapped itself around my hooves, stalks and roots shifting to bind my hooves in place.

Stass grinned, showing me all his fangs. “I am hristak of Green, Sapphire Guardian. Even in your city of stones, there are places where the Green can be heard.”

I growled and tried to pull my hooves free. I made a bit of progress—Harshwhinny’s lawn wasn’t thick enough to entangle me too badly, but I would need a couple seconds of concentrated effort to get free. Stass wasn’t going to give me that long.

“Is over, Sapphire Guardian.” He lightly tapped his talons on my neck, causing no injury while making it abundantly clear that he could if he wanted to. “Worthy opponent. Glad we could fight, you were honorable. Leave me to my hunt until I take back the Talen-ka.” He turned his back on me, tapping his chin with a single claw and musing to himself. “Not finding it in teacher’s homes. Perhaps was wrong, and is in student’s home? Signs from Green hard to read...”

The instant he mentioned my students, I saw red. I reached out with my magic, snagged the largest remaining chunk of the door and slammed it into his head at a distinctly unhealthy velocity. Then ... well in the heat of the moment, even an etiquette teacher can be forgiven for saying a few unfortunate things.

“You motherbucker!” I shrieked, ripping myself free from the grass and closing in on the dromaed, smashing him hard down to the ground. “You threaten my kids?! You threaten my kids! I will rip you to pieces!”

Stass tried to get back up, and I promptly put him back down by slamming my improvised club onto his leg hard enough to produce some very unpleasant sounds. Stass fell to ground with a loud screech, clutching his wounded limb.

I wound up for another strike, but a blue and rainbow blur shot down from the roof and carefully restrained me. “Whoa! Easy there, Rarity! I think he’s had enough!”

I blinked in surprise at Rainbow Dash’s sudden intervention. Then I looked down at Stass again. Rainbow was right; the dromaed was out of the fight. In the heat of the moment, I had perhaps gone a touch overboard. Fighting to defeat an opponent was all well and good, but I had been on verge of beating him while he was down. That ... was not something the Sapphire Guardian ever ought to do, no matter how badly she was provoked.

A second later the other half of what Rainbow Dash had just said registered. “What did you call me?”

Rainbow paused, a faint blush building on her cheeks. “Um, well, your costume’s a bit torn up, and when you started calling the students at the Academy ‘my kids’ ... well, not too hard to put two and two together.”

Oh. Oh blast.

I had to make something of a hasty exit after that. It wouldn’t do to meet the authorities with my costume tattered enough to potentially reveal my identity. Even if the Empress had officially sanctioned my activities, I still preferred to remain discreet. In any case, the authorities could see to Stass from there.

I spent the evening in the simple safehouse where I stored most of my equipment, which thankfully included a first-aid kit I could use to see to my injuries. Nothing too severe, but it would be prudent to wear a cloak for the next few days so I didn’t have to face any questions about where all those scratches had come from. Perhaps I should also see about adding some more armor to the costume. Maybe mithral strike plates? If I could persuade the Empress to pay for them, that would provide increased protection without adding too much weight to my ensemble. And mithral was very receptive to enchantment...

After a good night’s rest, I was feeling much more like my old self. A few careful inquiries told me that that authorities had taken Stass to the secure wing of Midnight Memorial Hospital, and once I knew where to find the dromaed it wasn’t too hard to arrange a visit. The Empress, through Lyra, was more than willing to provide me with the needed credentials to get past the guards and meet with him in private. I had to go without the costume, since one of my outfits was in shreds and the other was sitting in my overnight bag at Rainbow’s apartment.

I stepped into Stass’ room, carefully looking him over. While the cast on his leg was ample testament to the condition I’d left him in, he seemed otherwise unharmed. Though I can’t imagine he cared for the cuffs keeping him in bed. As I approached, his head whipped around to face me and his nostrils flared. “Sapphire Guardian.”

I sighed, running a hoof through my mane. “You recognized me without the suit?”

His head bobbed. “You may look different, but you smell the same.”

Oh. I hadn’t even considered that possibility. I suppose that as long as I was upgrading my suit, I would have to do something about that as well. Surely there was some way to nullify my scent. I could just use perfume, but that might cause more problems than it solved.

I cleared my throat and tried to retake control of the conversation. “Yes, well, it seems you’ve been taken care of well enough. It only seemed proper to look in on you.”

He cocked his head to the side and blinked. “Yes. I do not enjoy confinement, but have been treated decently.” One of his confined talons waved towards the table, which had a rather large black rock covered in thin white lines. “Imperial official asked questions, I told them of the Talen-ka. Seems that mistress of school kept it on her desk. Used as a paperweight. Had no idea of its importance. Offered to return so long as damage to home was repaired, compensation paid.” The dromaed’s lips peeled back, and it took me a moment to realize he was grimacing. “I was ... foolish. Guardian was right, ponies returned Talen-ka once they knew it belonged to dromaeds. Zebra thief was long dead, ponies did not know it was stolen.”

“So you will be able to return it to your people then?”

His head bobbed again. “Must make apologies, pay debts to those whose homes were damaged. Then ... yes, Empire allows me to return home with Talen-ka, restore family honor.” His eyes flicked down to the cast on his leg. “Will need time to heal, too.”

“Ah, yes.” I had the grace to flush as he called attention to his injury. “I owe you an apology for that. I overreacted when you mentioned my students.”

“You thought I threatened them.” He let out a sound that was halfway between a chirp and a hiss. “I do not judge you as dishonorable. Chose words poorly, not used to Empire’s language. Would not hurt young, did not want to hurt any ponies. Only sought to reclaim Talen-ka. Would have taken it from any who held it.”

“Well, I suppose the important thing is that you have it now,” I answered diplomatically. I was at least relieved he wasn’t carrying a grudge over his leg. I might have acquitted myself well enough against him in our first battle, but I wasn’t especially eager for a rematch. “I do hope the Empire and your people can avoid such incidents in the future.”

“Perhaps.” He shrugged as best he could while in bed. “Dromaed lands far from here, thunder lizard territory hard to cross. Once I return home, will probably never see the Empire again. Quest is finished, no reason to leave.”

“Oh.” I suppose that shouldn’t have come as a surprise; given how far he had traveled and the nature of his quest, Stass had probably been away from his home for years. No doubt he was terribly homesick. “Well, I wish you the best of luck and a safe return.”

Stass’ head bobbed again. “Yes, my thanks. Will tell my people of honorable combat with the Sapphire Guardian. Was battle worthy of remembering.”

“I ... thank you, I suppose.” I still didn’t know what to make of Stass’ people and their strange culture, but I knew he intended to honor me with that remark. And to be honest, while I’m not terribly egotistical the idea that dromaeds on the other side of the world would know about the Sapphire Guardian was rather flattering.

With nothing more to say, I trotted out and made my way back to my apartment. As she’d promised she would, Major Doo had seen to repairing my front door, and in even better condition than it had been before she broke it. However, I discovered an unexpected houseguest when I stepped inside.

“Hey, Rarity,” Rainbow waved, seated in my favorite recliner and setting aside a book. “How’s it hanging?”

“Tolerably.” I frowned, struggling not to feel terribly suspicious of her. “What can I do for you, Rainbow Dash?”

She rose from my chair and stretched all six of her limbs. “You kinda ran off pretty fast last night, didn’t gimme a chance to say some stuff.” She held up a hoof to forestall any response I might offer. “First things first, your secret’s safe with me. And ... uh ... hope you’re not too pissed about some of the things I said about you when I didn’t know about...”

While I honestly was still a bit irked with her, a lady doesn’t bear a grudge. “Water under the bridge, darling. And ... thank you for your discretion.”

“S’no big deal,” she assured me with a casual grin, which only grew wider as she continued. “But I was thinking ... well, if you do want a partner, I’m pretty much perfect for the job now. I mean, I already know your secret identity, and that’s stage one of any superhero team-up. And we wouldn’t even have to be partners right away. I could be your sidekick for the first couple months, until I get the hang of everything. I still haven’t decided on a name, though. Maybe something like Rainbow Dynamo or Zapp Dash.”

I groaned and buried my face in my hooves.

Author's Note

As always, thanks to my pre-reading and editing team for all their hard work. Also, I would like to thank all my dedicated Patreon supporters. You guys are awesome.

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Guest Tale: The Loyal Opposition Pt 1 by Ponibius

The train ride to Northmarch was a long one. That became abundantly clear as I finished the last page of the last book I’d packed. I had hoped that my supply of books would last long enough, but there had only been so much I could pack for the journey. Maybe I should have foregone some of the other things so that I could have squeezed in another book?

I sighed and placed the last book atop the others next to me on the bench. “I should have brought more books...”

Agent Strumming Heartstrings raised an eyebrow as she looked up from her candy bar. “Yeah, five clearly wasn't enough.”

Strumming had been assigned by Agent Lyra to be my bodyguard while I visited Shining and Cadance in Northmarch. I didn't think I really needed a bodyguard, but Lyra had insisted on it rather vehemently since I was a part of the Elements of Harmony project. The only way I was going to go without a bodyguard for the entire trip was by pleading to Empress Sunbeam herself, and I had a good feeling that she would side with Lyra if I pressed the issue.

At least Strumming hadn't been quite as ... intense as Lyra always seemed to be. Something had always seemed a bit off with her, even if I couldn't point to any one thing about her that put me on edge.

Strumming scooped up a bag and shook it. “I've got some chocolate-covered pretzels. Want any?”

I glanced at my finished pile of books and nodded with a sigh. “I might as well. We've still got a way to go.”

“Alright.” Strumming tossed me the bag, which I only just managed to catch. “I suppose you could always interact with your fellow ponies instead.” She gave me an easy smile. “I know I'm not a book, but I like to think I'm pretty nice to spend time with too.”

“I didn't realize a bodyguard would have any interest in talking,” I said. “Most of the time I've seen bodyguards they've been ... stoic.” In truth, I would have preferred it if Sunset came along too, or even my parents. At least then I would have somepony I was comfortable talking to. Shame Sunset was chest deep in a project she couldn't pull herself away from, and my parents were busy with work.

Strumming shrugged. “I'm not your usual stoic slab of muscle.”

“No offense,” I said as I looked her over, “but you don't look like a guard at all.” Rather than the heavily muscled body that one would expect from the Imperial Guard, she was slim, even if it was more of a wiry slimness than a lack of substance. Still, ‘intimidating’ is not a word I would have used to describe her.

Now that I thought about it, the fact that she was a Heartstrings explained why she didn’t look like a soldier. The Heartstrings were known for being spooks and agents of the Ministry of Heart. I didn’t know either way, but I had to wonder if they had anything to do with the naming of the Ministry of Heart.

“Twilight Sparkle, but you probably already know that much. I know about the whole ‘need to know’ thing, so I’m going to guess that you have a pretty good idea about who I am.”

Her grin became wider. “Yup! And a lot more on top of that. How were those eggs you had for breakfast? They looked a bit overcooked to me.”

I narrowed my eyes at her. I had in fact eaten eggs for breakfast this morning before heading out. “I would ask if you were spying on me, but that seems a bit redundant.”

Strumming shrugged. “Honestly, I just made up the egg thing.”

“Uh-huh.” Now I was even more suspicious of her. Either she was playing me or she really was spying on me. I didn't know which one would be worse. “You know the fact you're a spy makes anything you say suspect, right?”

“Yeah. Doesn't help that I'm also a pathological liar.” Her smirk was both wide and shameless. “Or am I?”

I applied my hoof to my face. Suddenly it didn't feel like a smart idea to converse with my bodyguard. “Maybe I should just reread one of my books.”

“Relax.” Strumming waved dismissively. “I'm a friendly lying, morally bankrupt secret agent.”

I rolled my eyes. “Oh yes, that makes me feel sooo much better.”

“Glad to hear it,” she said, either missing or ignoring my annoyance.

I sighed. “Why do I bother?”

“I dunno, why do you?” Strumming asked. “I thought I was being friendly and making small talk 'cause I'm a friendly pony.”

“It makes it a bit awkward when I'm not sure if it's sincere,” I pointed out.

Strumming friendly smile didn’t waver. “Relax, we're on the same team. I'm just doing a bit of teasing to pass the time.”

“Shame I don't know anything about you.” My parents had always warned me not to talk too freely with the agents of the Ministry of Heart. I had never really known why I should worry growing up, considering we had nothing to hide. We were descended from the Empress herself, after all. The Ministry of Heart did have its reputation though, and part of me had to wonder if there might be some kind of modern rivalry between House Sparkle and House Heartstrings I wasn't aware about. Both houses had competed for influence, power, and position over the centuries.

Hadn’t the Empress taught me to play different power groups against each other for one’s advantage? Both houses were influential in the government, if in different sections of the government most of the time. Now that I thought about it, House Sparkle and the Shimmers, both descended from the Empress, had been rivals for centuries—right down to me and Sunset, at least until we hooked up not long ago.

What had even gotten the two of us at each other’s throats in the first place? Old rivalries? I had always thought of Sunset as a bully growing up, but I had seen a completely different side of her over the last few months. Why had she even picked on me to start with?

Had the rivalry between us been the design of my teacher?

No, no, it couldn't be. That made less sense the more I thought about it. We were all loyal to the Empress, especially my family, so there wasn't any reason to have such games going on. Besides, the Empress had been pretty supportive when she found out Sunset and I were dating. Though that left a nagging question in the back of my mind: had she encouraged our relationship before or after she had decided we should be bearers of the Elements of Harmony?

Before I could fall too deeply into my ruminations, Strumming continued our conversation. “You could ask about me. That seems the best way to get to know me.”

I silently scolded myself for being so paranoid and concentrated on the pony across from me. “So, where did you come from?”

Strumming grinned with a mischievous air. “Well, it all started when Dad caught my mom checking out his flank during an intel briefing and—”

“You know what I meant,” I quickly interrupted. I was beginning to wonder how carefully I would need to word my questions with the mare. Spooks were infamous for being difficult to get a straight answer from.

Strumming held up her hooves in surrender. “Okay, okay, just pulling your leg. To answer your question, I’m Canterlot, born and bred.”

That gave us a little common ground to work with, at least. “Me too, though that's probably a bit obvious.”

Strumming opened up another bag of chips. “Yeah, we've both got long family ties to the capital.”

“That is true,” I said. “So what made you decide to become a spy?”

“Family business.” Strumming popped a chip in her mouth. “Same for you becoming a magus, right? I mean, you are working for your grandmother.”

“Great-something-grandmother a long ways back, yeah,” I conceded. “And yes, that's what I'm going for, I think.” At least that what I imagined the Empress was going for. She hadn’t said specifically what she intended for me, but I was sure she knew what she was doing. She always did.

Strumming nodded. “Gotta honor those family traditions.”

“They are pretty important.” I smiled. “I'm proud to be serving the Empress.”

“Aren't we all?” she asked, though in an almost neutral tone.

I tilted my head slightly. “I would hope so. Otherwise this would be a little awkward.” I tried to say that in good humor, but it sounded a bit stilted even in my ears.

“Well yeah, the Empire's ... kinda why we're all here.” Strumming shrugged and popped more chips into her mouth. “That, and checking up on your brother and future sister-in-law.”

My ears perked at the mention of the ponies I was visiting. “Right, I'm hoping they're doing well.”

“They were, last I heard,” Strumming said. Considering she was a spy, she had probably read some report about the situation in Northmarch. I admit, I had my own reservations about the two of them heading to one of the more troubled holdings of the Empire, but I was sure the Empress had good reasons for sending them. Besides, it was Shining and Cadance; they would know what to do, even in a rebellious province like Northmarch.

“I'm really looking forward to seeing them,” I said.

“Yeah, family's the most important thing.” Strumming offered me a chip, and I took one. “How close are you and the future in-law?”

“Pretty close,” I said. “She was my favorite foalsitter, and we've remained good friends since then.”

“So you two get along pretty well?” she asked.

I nodded. “We do. She's a great pony.”

Strumming’s gaze became more focused upon me. “You and her ever disagree about stuff? You know, stallions, food ... politics?”

I frowned at the odd turn in the conversation. “Um, not exactly. I was always too embarrassed to talk about stallions, I'm pretty easygoing where food is concerned, and she doesn't really talk about politics with me.”

“Huh.” Strumming leaned back in her seat. “Interesting.”

“Really? Why is that?”

She shrugged. “Just a little surprised politics never comes up.”

“It's only come up a few times, and even then it was more how work was going for her than anything else.” It was a little bit odd now that I thought about it, at least when I considered how involved my family was in the government. It was mainly Dad who brought up politics at dinner. Though I figured that had to do with the fact Dad was more involved with decision-making as a tribune, where Mom worked as a magus in the Sealed Repository.

Strumming continued with her inquiry. “Any idea where she is on politics? She a Reformer? Conservative? Decentralizer? Restorationist? One of those crazy Equalists I’ve heard about? News is they’re forming some sort of weird little cult in Manehattan.”

I scrunched up my muzzle in thought. “She’s a Reformer, I think. She mainly seems to want to make ponies happy.” Though even that was based on pretty scant information. Cadance had always avoided discussing work whenever I brought it up. There had only been a few times when she’d off-hoofedly mentioned how some things should be better in the Empire than they were.

“Nothing wrong at all with that,” Strumming said. “We all do.”

“Well yeah,” I said. “It's just how to go about it that's the question.”

“True enough.” Strumming crumpled up her chip bag once she’d fished out the last morsel. “The Empress believes you have to maintain order and rule of law above all else. Chaos doesn't make anyone happy.”

“Nopony besides anarchists anyways,” I agreed. “Though I would like to think the laws are good ones.”

“Most of them are.” Strumming plucked a pretzel from the bag of chocolate pretzels I was eating from. “We got the occasional dumb one, but for the most part they work.”

“That seems to be the case.” I rubbed my chin as I thought back on everything I had read about politics, history, and other related topics. “Even if there are a few... wrinkles, I suppose you could call them.”

Strumming’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Wrinkles?”

“Look at Northmarch, for instance.” I pulled out my copy of A History of Thengs: Clans, Blood, and Rivalries from the pile of books to show her. “It's a legal mess. The Empire had a separate treaty with each of the caribou thengs, resulting in a messy patchwork of alliances that allow Equestria to control Northmarch. Rather than one organized system of laws for the province, each town has its own set of laws, and also a system of imperial law that’s inconsistently applied across the territory depending on the treaty we signed with each theng. And that’s not even getting into the unofficial customs, traditions, and rights that haven't been written down by each Theng, town, and clan. It's so, so ... disorganized.”

“A mess your in-law's in charge of sorting out,” Strumming observed.

I looked down at the floor, not feeling great about the situation. “Yeah, seems so. I'm a bit worried for them. It’s only been a couple of years since the caribou last rebelled, and the Empire hadn’t been able to save the governor before restoring order.” Suffice to say, I didn’t want anything like that happening to my brother and future sister-in-law.

“That's a fair point.” Strumming rubbed her chin. “Admittedly, the whole reason they revolted in the first place was because the governor tried to disband the thengs. The revolt came to an end once the governor had been killed and the Empress publically stated she had no intention of disbanding the thengs. The legions sent north only had to fight a few skirmishes to get things settled again.”

“That is true,” I said. “I don’t see Cadance trying anything like that—especially with the benefit of hindsight.”

“Exactly.” Strumming fished out a candy bar from her mysterious, bottomless stash and opened it up. “The Empress seems to think she can handle it, so she’ll probably be fine. It’s not like Her Majesty wants Northmarch to rebel again.”

“I sure hope not.” I ate a few pretzels as I considered the issues involving Northmarch. Strumming was probably right. The return of Nightmare Moon was enough of a danger to the Empire without the added threat of Northmarch rising up in revolt again. That was a distraction we just didn’t need when the safety of the world was on the line. “The Empress almost always knows what she's doing. It should be fine.”

Strumming rose one of her eyebrows. “‘Almost’ always?”

Realizing how my idle musings might have sounded, I quickly clarified, “She’s not omniscient! She can't see and know everything. That means that sometimes she doesn't have all the information she would want to make a decision. Taking that into consideration, mistakes are going to happen sooner or later.”

Strumming grinned. “Nice save.”

I frowned. “It's only the truth.”

Strumming shrugged and took a bite out of her candy bar. “Not a truth everyone wants to hear.”

I shuffled in my seat as I considered that unpleasant fact. “No, I guess not. I mean, the Empress is so smart and wise and experienced... It's hard to think of a being more qualified than her to run the Empire. Especially when you consider how much better she’s made Equestria over the centuries.”

“I don't think there’s a better pony for the job,” Strumming agreed.

“Realistically speaking, even if she made a mistake now and again, how could any of us do any better?” I asked. “It’s hard to beat how experienced she is at being empress, not to mention how intelligent she is. She’s literally written the book on how to rule.”

Strumming smiled and nodded. “Good attitude. It's nice and ... realistic.”

I couldn’t help but smile in response. “That's me, realistic and logical.”

“Not bad qualities to cultivate,” Strumming said.

I had at first been worried that Strumming was going to be another Lyra, but to my surprise she was being pretty good company. I decided to keep up the conversation instead of re-reading one of my books. “I like to think so. They’re good qualities to have for serving the Empire, and my family has been loyal to the Empress for centuries.”

“Since the start, right?” Strumming asked.

I nodded. “Considering she’s the one that founded House Sparkle? I would think so. I mean, I'm her descendant. How much closer can you get than that?”

“Not much at all.” I could see the wheels turning in her head before she added, “I'm kinda jealous, actually.”

I smiled as I felt a profound level of embarrassment. “Oh, I haven't really done anything yet. I’m only related to her by an accident of birth. Thus far I've just been a student; you would have to look at my ancestors to see ponies that have really been impressive, from Princess Midnight right down the line.”

“Gotta start somewhere, right?” Strumming asked neutrally.

“I guess.” I squirmed as some uncomfortable thoughts I’d had in the past returned to the surface. “It's just so much to live up to, you know? Eight centuries of accomplishments to compare myself to, and all I’ve done is turn in some tests, reports, and projects. Nothing that’s revolutionized Equestria.”

Strumming gave me a considering look as she finished off her candy bar. “Lotta pressure?”

I sighed and nodded. “Yeah, I'm worried about ... failing, I suppose. I have some really big horseshoes to fill. Princess Midnight ended the threat from Gryphonia forever, Evenstar Sparkle was responsible for the successful integration of the Zebrican Empire into the Empire, Glimmering Sparkle helped revolutionize gem enchanting, and so on and so forth. So much is being placed on my shoulders, and I don't know if I'm going to live up to it.”

“Any reason you wouldn't?” Strumming asked. “I mean, everything I've heard says you're a good little student.”

My eyes turned to the floor. Was a good little student the only thing I could be? The Empress wanted me to figure out how to the use the Elements of Harmony to defeat Nightmare Moon, but none of us had made any real progress on how to do that—and even my fiercest book report wouldn’t do much to defend Equestria.

“It's a bit of a difference between a test and the real thing,” I pointed out.

“Ah,” Strumming stroked her cheek contemplatively. “Worried about how you'll do in the field?”

I nodded. “Pretty much.”

“Well, only one way to tell for sure,” Strumming said

I let out a long breath. “True enough. I just hope I can measure up.”

“I think you will.” Strumming reached over to pat me on the shoulder. “The Empress has never doubted you.”

“I'm sure the Empress knows what she's doing.” I wrung my hooves, trying to summon up more confidence. “She's rarely wrong, after all. I won't let her down. I'll do my very best.”

Strumming snickered at that. “Very loyal, but not what I meant.” She poked me in the chest. “Have you ever considered that if the Empress believes in you, maybe you should too?”

“Maybe.” I let out a long sigh. “And here I am, getting a pep talk from my bodyguard spy. There’s something I never really expected to say.”

“Seriously, the Empress believes in you,” Strumming said. “Way I figure it, that means you've gotta have something going for you. I think you'll be fine. Just have a little confidence, alright?”

“I'll try,” I said, sounding less than confident. “It's just a bit hard.”

Strumming hummed in agreement. “Yeah, it's not like you can just instantly wish yourself into being confident. Still, give it a shot?”

I nodded, not feeling all that much better about the weight lying on my shoulders. “I have a feeling I'm not going to have a choice before long.”

A few hours later, the two of us stepped off of the train into the Northmarch capital of Coldharbor. Ponies, caribou, and gryphons going about their business around us, largely oblivious to our presence. As a major port that served as the focus of the imperial presence in Northmarch, the city attracted individuals from all the surrounding territories of the Empire.

But the thing that really grabbed my attention as I trotted into the train station was the bitter nip of the cold wind. I instinctively wrapped my scarf tighter around my neck. “Geeze, you can hardly tell it's spring here.”

Strumming nudged me with an elbow. “Shockingly enough, it's cold up in the frozen north.”

I shot her an amused flat look. “Nooo, really? You could have fooled me. All my books were super specific about how nice the weather was up here.” Nice if you liked the snow, anyways. This far up north, the winters effectively lasted around six months of the year.

“Either way, it’s a good thing you packed a scarf,” Strumming replied, fixing her beanie hat to better cover her head.

“Well, I don't really need it thanks to the spell I cast that protects me from the cold.” Canterlot being a mountainside city, it went without question that anyone who wished to reside there needed some way to counteract its frigid winters.

Strumming arched an eyebrow. “Then why wear it?”

“Um...” I smiled shyly. “Sunset gave it to me. And it seemed inefficient not to wear it. I mean she spent the money to get it and I was coming up north, where it’s supposed to be cold anyways...”

“Oh, just admit it's romantic, you big goof.” Strumming nudged me again. “Nothing wrong with acknowledging love. Besides, it’s cute.”

“Oh, good to hear.” It still felt a little weird to admit I had a fillyfriend. I really liked her, but it was still embarrassing to talk about. It was as if I was doing something forbidden, when rationally I knew there wasn’t anything wrong with us being together—especially since everypony seemed super supportive of it. Though I sighed as I remembered one little wrinkle in that. “Though my sister tends to complain about how sappy we're being.”

“Your little sister's being a pain?” Strumming smirked. “They do that.”

“Amethyst is very consistent at being a pain in my rear,” I grumbled.

“I can believe it.” Strumming led the way down the street towards the governor's manor.

“Do you have any siblings?” I asked as I followed Strumming through the well-maintained cobble road streets.

Strumming shook her head. “Nah, just a cousin.”

“Oh, right, Lyra,” I said. “She's ... prickly.”

Strumming let out an annoyed huff. “If only you knew...”

I winced at her response. If she had that type of response towards her own cousin... “She's even worse than that?”

“She's ... well...” She paused in thought, eventually settling on a helpless shrug. “I could go on all day. I worry about her.”

“Worry? Why's that?” I had some idea of why she would be concerned, but I wanted to know more about the mare that was supposed to be watching over us. Especially when she unsettled me so much with her demeanor. At least in my experience, it was easier to solve a problem when you fully understood its various dimensions.

Strumming frowned. “You know what she's like.”

“She's ... not somepony I feel safe with,” I admitted. “She's just so wound up. And it's like she doesn't even look at me like a pony. Or anypony for that matter.” I knew the Empress valued agents that were absolutely loyal to her, but something seemed off with Lyra, even if I couldn’t say exactly what.

“She’s very mission-oriented.” Even as she offered her defense, I could tell Strumming didn’t have her heart in it.

“That's putting it mildly.” I checked the names of the streets of the intersection we were on to make sure we were going the right way. “I can imagine her using the term 'collateral damage' a lot in a report.”

“She's not that bad.” Strumming shook her head. “It’s just—I'm not wild about the way she's been going. She’s gonna burn herself out at this rate, and I can’t even talk to her about it. Not in a way that’ll make her listen.”

“Do you think there is any way to help her?” I asked.

Strumming stared down the road, not meeting my gaze. “I'm working on it.”

I gave her a smile I hoped would encourage her. “I don't suppose there's any way I can help? I am going to be working with her for a while.”

“Sorry, but no,” Strumming said with a level of neutrality that felt as cold at the bitter wind swirling through the Coldharbor streets.

“Alright then...” It didn’t feel like we going to make much more headway on the topic, so I decided to drop it for now.

It wasn’t too long before we approached the governor’s manor. Shame there was a bit of a problem before we could get too close: hundreds of caribou were gathered on the street between us and the manor, and they did not seem happy. With a unified voice, a chant rolled down the streets in a wave of sound that it made me flatten my ears against my head.

“No Empress of the North! No Empress of the North! No Empress of the North!”

I couldn’t quite see through the mob, but it looked like they were burning some sort of effigy—an effigy vaguely equine in shape and pink in color, with a prominent horn and wings. Was that intended to be Cadance? Did they actually think Empress Sunbeam intended to install Cadance as some sort of Empress of Northmarch? That was ridiculous. She wouldn’t do something like that, and Cadance certainly wouldn’t be crazy enough to declare herself royalty.

Before I could figure out how to react to the throng of protesters, Strumming grabbed me by the leg and pulled me into a nearby alley. Her grip was stronger than I would have expected from the mare, and wasn’t easy for me to shake off. “Hey, what’re you doing?!”

“Keeping the both of us out of trouble.” Strumming finally let me go after we were out of sight, peeking out of the alley towards the mob. “Just saying, I don’t think all those caribou are going to let us past.”

“But that's where we need to go.” I tried to look out for myself, but Strumming held me back with a hoof to the chest.

“Sorry, don’t think it’s a smart idea to go waltzing up to the gate like we’re tourists right now.” She glanced around the corner again. “Seems they’re mad at the governor, for whatever reason. But you’re right; we need to get past them.” She rubbed her chin. “I think I have an idea for how to get past them. First, we—”

I interrupted her with a teleportation spell that landed us on the manor’s lawn. Thankfully, a gate blocked the protesters from reaching the manor itself—and by extension, us.

I grinned at a whoozy-looking Strumming. “There we go! Safely behind the manor gate.”

Strumming blinked a couple of times and looked around. “Oh. Well. That works too.”

“I thought it was the most efficient thing to do,” I said. “No sense trying to find a way around the mob when I can just teleport us to where we need to go.”

“Got the job done.” Strumming pulled herself up and regained her composure. “Nice work. I'm sure the Empress would approve.”

“Oh, it's not that impressive.” I brushed my hoof along the grass, feeling embarrassed at the praise. “Just a quick spell to get the job done.”

“Still pretty cool.” Strumming looked at the front door of the manor, and where a couple of guards were looking down at us with narrowed eyes. They were whispering something to one another, but hadn’t yet moved to check out what we were doing. “So, off to see the governor?”

“Her and my big brother,” I confirmed.

“Well alright then, let's go.” Strumming took a single step before stopping herself. “Though my plan would have totally worked for getting past the caribou. We would have gotten some disguises and totally have slipped by them.”

I fixed her with an amused smile. “Uh-huh, suuure it would have.”

The guards led us into the manor quickly enough. Thankfully, the facts we were expected, I was the Empress’ personal student, and that Strumming was an agent of the Ministry of Heart smoothed over that we hadn't entered the major grounds through official channels. I didn't like to abuse my status, but it was preferable to being arrested just for taking a shortcut past the protesters.

We soon arrived at a large office, which was extremely well decorated and prominently featured memorabilia of the Equestrian Empire. No doubt the room was intended to impress anyone that happened to visit the personal workroom of the Empress’ chosen governor for all of Northmarch.

At the far end of the room was Cadance, seated behind a particularly large desk and deep in discussion with a couple of important-looking ponies. She smiled when she saw me. “Twilight!” She waved her hoof, dismissing the ponies she had been speaking with as she stepped around the desk.

I quickly closed the distance and gave Cadance a big hug. “It's good to see you!”

“You too, Twilight.” She hugged me back just as fiercely. “It's been too long.”

“You're telling me.” The two of us slowly broke the hug and I smiled widely. I had been looking forward to seeing her since she left for Northmarch, so it was really good to finally see her again. “It's felt like forever.”

Cadance nodded. “Way more than two months.”

“I hope you're doing alright up here.” To reassure myself, I looked her up and down to examine her. She was clad a purple coat with the badge of her office sewn into it. It seemed that most people chose to wear some sort of clothing to help keep warm. It probably did help to keep down the cost of heating.

“I'm managing,” she said. “It's cold and it’s not home, but I'll make it.”

“Good to hear.” I paused, feeling the glares of the two officials Cadance had dismissed and suddenly feeling very conscious about how I had just barged into a meeting. “Um, I didn't interrupt anything, did I? I just wanted to see you so much and I wasn't thinking about what you might be doing.”

Cadance shook her head. “You didn't interrupt anything I couldn't afford to have interrupted. I've been looking forward to your visit all week.”

I nodded enthusiastically. “Oh yes, Shining told me about all the things we could do while I was here. Skiing, visiting the local museums, checking out the crafts at the market—I'm super excited!”

“I bet.” Cadance’s smile faded a bit. “Shame he's not here to meet you.”

My ears wilted at that news. “He isn't? What happened?” We had planned this since he and Cadance first left for Northmarch. I could only imagine that if he wasn’t here now, it had to be for a good reason.

“Sorry.” Cadance sighed. “There was a problem with some ice trolls, and he wanted to go out and take care of it himself. He said that he’d get back as soon as he was able.”

“Oh...” I looked down at the floor and considered the implications of that. “I can understand that. He wouldn't go if it wasn't important.” I gave her a shaky smile. “I guess it can’t be helped.”

“He would be here if he could help it.” Cadance led me back to the desk, and we sat on the cushions beside it. “But in the meantime, let's enjoy ourselves without him.”

I reinforced my smile and did my best to put aside my disappointment with Shiney’s absence. “Right, I'm sure there is plenty we can do together.”

Cadance nodded. “I expect we'll do just fine.”

“Right. So, what first?” I cast a summoning spell, and a scroll popped up with a magical crack of energy. “I drew up a small list of things we could do just in case you didn't know what you wanted to do first.”

“Actually, I had something special I was planning for you.” She fixed me with a beatific smile. “Assuming you don't mind adding something to the list.”

I shook my head. “Not at all! Let's just enjoy ourselves. There are a few things I would really like to do, but I can be flexible.”

“Alright, there's someone who really wants to meet you,” Cadance said.

I tilted my head. “Oh? Who would that be? Is it somepony I know?”

“Not somepony,” Cadance said with a coy smile. “And I expect you only know Argentium the Runescaled by reputation.”

I blinked, taken aback by that revelation. “Argentium?! You mean the most influential dragon in Northmarch, and the one I've read so much about?!”

Cadance nodded. “The very same.”

“And she wants to see me?!” That seemed impossible. Argentium the Runescaled was one of the most important dragons ever. I had read books dedicated to just her. The idea that she would take notice of me was ... unfathomable.

“Yes, she's heard a lot about you,” Cadance said.

I chuckled modestly. “Oh come on, I haven't done much. I’m still a student. She’s ... Argentium. An ancient dragon over a thousand years old.”

“Perhaps not. But your name carries a lot of weight. You are the Empress’ student, after all.” Cadance grinned mischievously. “And I might have bragged about you a bit.”

It took me a few seconds to properly register that. “You're bragging about me to one of the most important beings in the world!”

Cadance’s grin never wavered. “Why yes, I suppose I am. And why not? You are pretty impressive when you get right down to it.”

“Not that impressive,” I grumbled.

“Impressive enough,” Cadance assured me. “I'm certainly proud of you.”

I blushed at the compliment. “You're just saying that. Well, you're a lot more impressive than I am.”

Cadance chuckled. “Now you're flattering me.”

“It's not hard to do when you're so amazing.” I took a moment to examine the situation before me. This was pretty big stuff, and I wanted to make sure I made the right decision. If she did want to see me, then this could be a unique opportunity that others would kill for. “So Argentium really wants to see me?”

Cadance nodded. “She does.”

As the idea I mulled over, I saw a pretty significant problem. “And it would probably be really rude to not see her, wouldn't it? As in diplomatic incident levels of rude?”

Cadance’s smile became frail at my question. “Yes, especially with the current tensions. It seems like the slightest thing will set the caribou off. Right now they're worried that I'm planning to turn Northmarch into my personal fiefdom since I'm an alicorn.” She shook her head. “There isn’t a shred of truth to it, but plenty of caribou still think that’s what we’re going to do. Enough to form a protest, at the very least.”

I winced. “So I noticed. They were getting pretty ugly out there.” Even now I could hear the protesters through the thick walls of the manor. “They were even burning an effigy of you earlier.”

Cadance sighed and shook her head. “I'll need to talk to Argentium about that too, the next time I see her.”

I took a steadying breath. I knew what I had to do. If there was any chance this might help Cadance, then meeting Argentium would be worthwhile. “I guess it wouldn't hurt to see her. I admit, I am really curious to meet her. I’m sure there is a lot I could learn from her if I get the opportunity.”

“Great!” The confidence returned to her smile. “I'll let her know and set up the meeting.”

“How long will that take?” I asked.

“Not too long, I hope.” Cadance stepped behind her desk and started writing. “Dragons move on their own time, but she seemed pretty eager to see you.”

“If it will help you, then I'll be happy to see her.” The idea gained traction with me and I smiled. “I could ask her so many things! She's been around for so long, seen so many things—this could be a priceless opportunity!

“I think it will help me,” Cadance said. “And you, too.”

Deciding to put the best face on this, I smiled and gave her a big hug. “This is so exciting. Thanks, Cadance!”

Cadance hugged back and chucked. “ You're welcome.”

I just hoped all of this would turn out alright.

Guest Tale: The Loyal Opposition Pt 2 by Ponibius

Cadance and Argentium had exchanged messages in the days since my arrival in Coldharbor to sort out the details for our meeting. While the trip to a hot spring and a tour around Coldharbor had been very nice, they hadn't completely dispelled the mounting pressure I felt over this meeting. I think what bugged me most was not knowing why Argentium wanted to see me. Sure, I was Empress Sunbeam’s student and I belonged to an important family, but I personally wasn't that important. Maybe someday I would be of significance within the Empire, but that day felt a long way off.

I severely doubted she wanted to harm me in any way. In her letter, Argentium had extended an offer of hospitality to me, and the rules of hospitality tended to be very important to very old and powerful beings like her. After all, if you made a habit of murdering people you invited to your home, people would catch on pretty quickly that they shouldn't drop in for a visit. Reputations were pretty important, especially when you were going to be around for a long time.

Maybe she was just curious about me?

In any event, I was going to find out what Argentium wanted before too long. The pine forests of Northmarch crawled under me as the sky chariot took me to Argentium the Runescaled. Already I could see the Silver Spire Mountains growing quickly on the horizon. It wouldn't be long before we arrived at Argentium’s lair. Sadly, Cadance hadn't been able to come to the meeting; she had an important meeting with the leaders of the earlier protests that she couldn't put off, at risk of provoking an outright riot.

Strumming stretched out her wings on the opposite side of the chariot. “Ah, the lazy way is the best way to fly.”

I grinned at my companion. “Aren't you a pegasus?”

“Really?” Strumming gasped and stared at her wings in shock.

I shot back with a round of sarcasm. “There were one or two hints, yes.”

“Huh.” Strumming shrugged. “Well, what do you know?”

“Oh lots of things,” I said with a grin. “Magic, chemistry, alchemy, biology, history, sociology, literature, enchanting—the list goes on and on.”

Strumming chuckled. “I like you. You're a smartflank.”

“I have my moments.” I buffed my hoof on my chest. “It helps that Sunset really likes me being a smartflank. Have to make the fillyfriend happy, right?”

“Makes life a lot more harmonious, yeah.” Strumming tightened her scarf. Even with the chariot’s enchantments against the elements, we could still feel the bite of the northern wind. Strumming had a bit of an edge over me thanks to her innate pegasus resistance to cold, but even she was reaching her limits.

“So.” I leaned against the side of the chariot as I faced her. “What do you think of Argentium? You should have something to say, being a spook.”

Strumming leaned languidly on the opposite side of the chariot. “Oh, I've heard all kinds of things.”

“Are you going to share any of that, or shall I go into this with just what my history books have told me about her?” I prompted her. I had long figured out that Strumming was a something of a tease, so I might as well play her game to get what information I could out of her. I for one always felt proportionally better about dealing with a situation when I had more information to work with, especially for something like meeting an ancient dragon under mysterious conditions.

“Well, she's a dragon.” Strumming grinned teasingly at my flat look. “A nicer dragon than most, but still a dragon.”

I crossed my forelegs over my chest. “That doesn't exactly make me feel better. Dragons can be a bit temperamental. And greedy. And prideful. And a half dozen other things to be wary of.”

“Relax.” Strumming waved dismissively. “She's not the type to gobble ponies up on a whim.”

“By dragon standards, at least,” I groused. There were plenty of stories out there about ponies who had ran afoul in their dealings with dragons.

“She's got all the usual dragon pride and greed,” Strumming conceded. “She's just not a jerk about it.”

“At least that much is true.” I looked to the wrapped package large enough to cover my back sitting next to me. “Good news is that we had the sense to bring along a gift for Argentium with us.”

“It's only prudent,” Strumming said. “Dragons do like adding to their hoards.”

“It should butter her up.” I scooted a bit closer to my gift. It wasn't likely to fall off the chariot, but I didn't particularly feel like taking a chance. I looked out ahead and saw Ancalagon Peak slowly growing as we got closer. The snow clung to the mountains year-round this far north, and evergreen forests surrounded its base. “I think we're almost there.”

Strumming peeked over the side of the chariot and pointed. “That's certainly a big dragon-sized cave.”

Her superior pegasus eyesight had let her see the cave first, but it wasn't long before I saw the opening in the side of the mountain. It was larger than would have formed naturally, and was flanked on both sides by intricate sculptures of watchful dragons carved from the mountain stone itself. As we got closer even more elegant statues became visible, with arcane runes and artistic carvings etched between them. It must have taken at least a decade to do all of it.

I whistled at the display. “You could fit a small village inside of the entrance. And the masonry...”

Strumming nodded in agreement. “No kidding. That’s one way to say ‘Here there be dragons.’”

“Now I have to wonder how much of the mountain she has carved out.” I’d read before coming out here that she’d hollowed out a chunk of the mountain, but there hadn't been much in the way of hard numbers about the dimensions of the lair. Probably a result of the normally secretive nature of elder dragons.

Strumming pursed her lips in thought. “Considering how long she's been around? The whole thing's probably hollow.”

“There's a crazy thought,” I said. “Considering it took generations of unicorns to mine out Mount Avalon for materials.”

“Dragons do things a bit bigger.” She shrugged. “Comes with being huge.”

“Right, and with how old she is...” I mentally calculated her potential natural size. There were some rough calculations for how big dragons got over time, but they were far from perfectly accurate given that dragons didn't really like others poking and prodding them for information. I had seen Argentium at the palace once, but she had been disguised as a pony at the time and I’d had no clue who she really was. Still, even with nothing more than a rough guess... “Her natural form must be massive.”

“Dragons just keep getting bigger the older they get, and she's really old,” Strumming agreed.

“It is really fascinating. Zoologists have been trying forever to figure out how that works,” I said. “There are only a handful of animals that have that property, though dragons are the most noteable because of their size and magical nature. Which has led to a couple theories...” I said as I launched into a lecture about everything I knew about dragons. For her part, Strumming grinned and sat back to listen. I didn't stop until the chariot suffered a sudden jostle. A quick check confirmed that we had landed in front of the cave. Thankfully there had been more than a reasonable amount of space to land. There was even a wide trail that led further down the mountain, probably worn into the landscape by the generations of caribou who consulted with Argentium.

“It looks like we’re here.” One of the pegasus guards that had flown us here assisted me as I stepped off the chariot. The opening looked even more intimidating up close.

Strumming hopped off next to me. “Unless we landed at the wrong ancient dragon cave, yeah.”

“Well, we can pick up with the nature and properties of dragonfire later.” I wasn’t quite able to keep the disappointment out of my tone.

“I can't wait,” Strumming deadpanned.

“This should be interesting, at least.” I stretched my stiff muscles. “It would be nice if I could ask her some questions ... if she won't be offended, anyways.”

Strumming glanced all about the entrance of the cave. “No way to tell until you try.”

“I'm usually not snack-sized to whomever I'm asking questions,” I grumbled. “Still, we've come this far. Might as well go all the way.”

As the two of us headed towards the entrance, a caribou cow came out to greet us. She was in her late middle age and bundled up in a heavy coat, though what really caught my eye was the plethora of small stones dangling from her antlers. They clicked and clacked against one another as we approached one another, and I saw that each had a small rune on them.

“Greetings.” She bowed courteously. “Argentium the Runescaled expects you. Follow me and I will take you to see her.”

I glanced Strumming’s way, but her only response was a helpless shrug. Seeing no objection from my bodyguard, I nodded to the caribou. “Thank you. Just lead the way.”

Without further comment, she led us further into the cave. The further we walked into the ornately sculpted cavern, the less Strumming’s theory about the mountain being hollowed out seemed like an exaggeration. The hallways alone were massive, though surprisingly well-lit, with lighting gems periodically spaced to create a consistent glow everywhere we walked.

After the entrance, the first real chamber we’d entered opened up before us. All about us were massive statues, arranged as though they were part of some sort of elaborate museum. As we got closer, more treasures and artifacts became visible, each displayed independently of the other as though to be admired in their own right. It wasn’t the great mound of treasure I was expecting for a dragon’s hoard, but that didn’t make me any less impressed.

“Oh, wow!” I scanned some of the statues as we passed them. “Where do I even start? These statutes date from across centuries, I'm sure of it. I can see evidence of Reneighssance influences here.”

Strumming whistled as she looked over a marble statue of dragon grappling with what looked like some sort of demon. “Yeah, it's all very dramatic and impressive.”

“I didn't have any idea she had all of this.” I stopped to examine a dozen Fabergé eggs that sat inside a glass display. “When you think of a dragon horde, you think of—you know, a big pile of gold coins and gems, with an odd crown or necklace thrown in.”

“Looks like she's got more sophisticated tastes,” Strumming said.

Our caribou escort hummed in agreement. “The Great Runescaled is not some mere wyrmling who lies in all his meager holdings. My mistress is a dragon of taste and distinction.”

“You won’t get an argument from me.” That was in no small part because I didn’t want Argentium to think that I had insulted her in her own home. That could only end poorly. “I have to wonder if some of those paintings on the wall are originals. Some of them were reported missing or lost a long time ago.”

Strumming nodded. “I'd put pretty good odds on it.”

Our escort’s only answer was a knowing smile as she led us even deeper into the cave. I had a feeling that part of the reason for the pseudo-museum display was to awe any visitors like us. Granted, it had worked on me pretty well.

The caribou showed us into a chamber that I could best describe as an audience hall. It was similar to Empress Sunbeam’s own throne room in design and purpose, but on a grander scale than what even the Empire found necessary. On either side of the room were enormous paintings of Argentium that stretched across the length of the hall, each showing various aspects of their dragon owner. One presented her as the leader of the caribou, placing her in front of a large herd, while another showed her teaching the mysteries of runic magic. Flanking it was a painting of Argentium as a patron of heroes, and I recognized some of the figures drawn in front of her, facing towards the watcher as though ready to face some kind of evil.

Along the ceiling was a vast fresco that seemed to be a depiction of Argentium’s life, starting above the entrance and then finishing on the other side of the room. While I still had a great many questions about this visit, there was one thing I was all but certain about: Argentium could never be called modest.

On the far end of the room sat a vast throne—if a seat the size of a building could still be described as a throne. It looked as though it were carved out of the mountain itself, its base flowing right into the floor. Even from a distance I could see the precious metals and gems that encased the underlying stone, glittering in the magical light of the room.

As impressive and daunting as all of this ostentatious display of wealth was, it somehow managed to pale in comparison to the being that lounged atop it.

Argentium the Runescaled was larger than any living creature I had ever seen. I had seen the bones of some of the mightiest tyrant lizards in the Royal Museum of Natural History, and they could have been pets to the dragon before me. I was reasonably certain that her teeth were bigger than measly little me. Her scales were the color of tarnished silver and there were runes carved into them. She almost could almost have been mistaken for a massive statue if not for the occasional slight movement.

There was also a sense of power that I had rarely felt, a deep, strong, suffocating presence in the room. The closest I had to anything like it was when Her Majesty was doing some display of her own power, or some great feat of magic done by a group of magi working together. I had seen a hooffull of dragons in the past, but I realized there were dragons and then there were dragons.

My ears wilted as I stared up at Argentium. “Oh, she's ... really, really big.” I gulped as I stared up at her. “But we can't stop now, can we?”

Argentium’s lips spread in a toothy grin, confirming my initial assessment of her teeth size. “You have come an awful long way to turn back now, and I wouldn't expect one of Sunbeam's children to be a coward.”

I hunched my shoulders and suppressed a squeak. The dragon hadn’t been too loud per se, but her voice had carried weight and it fell upon me. That, and I hadn’t realized she could even hear us speak.

Still, I stepped forward to properly present myself. Erring on the side of caution, I bowed before Argentium. “Um, greetings. My name is Twilight Sparkle, Empress Sunbeam Sparkle's personal student. It's a pleasure to be guest in your home.” Following what I had read about caribou traditions, I levitated my wrapped package to her. “I've brought a gift for you to show my thanks for your hospitality.” I forced a smile onto my face. “I hope you like it.”

Argentium’s eyes lit up. “A gift? How thoughtful.”

Realizing that a being that size might have trouble unwrapping a pony-sized gift, I quickly pulled the wrapping paper off, revealing a collection of books nestled in a wooden holder decorated with pictures of Daring’s various adventures carved into its surface.

“It’s a rare collector's edition of the Daring Doo series,” I clarified for her. “It contains the first seven books of the series. I admit, I really like how each of the books was made to look like an ancient hoof-made tomb.” In truth, it had surprised me to find something like that in a Coldharbor bookstore, but I wasn’t going to complain about getting something I thought would be a nice gift. Sure, I could have gone with something like gold and gems, but I figured something a bit more personal should work at least as well. “They’re my favorite adventure series, and I've read each book several times. I wouldn't want to give you a book that I didn’t think was amazing, of course.” I laughed awkwardly. “You're a big, very impressive, ancient dragon, so I wouldn't want to waste your time with anything but the best.”

“My my, quite impressive.” Argentium carefully took the book collection into her massive talons before gingerly putting the books aside on her throne’s armrest. “I'll have to set aside a few days to enjoy these properly. But first we have many things to discuss, Twilight Sparkle.” She paused and narrowed her eyes ever so slightly at Strumming. “Just Twilight Sparkle.” She flicked a claw at my bodyguard. “Leave us.”

Strumming stiffened at the dismissal, no doubt unhappy with the idea of being away from her charge. She had barely left my side since departing for Northmarch. Little surprise, considering what it would mean for her if something were to happen to me—the best-case scenario for her would be the Empress dead-ending her career.

It seemed best to try and defuse the situation as quickly as possible. Given the old rules of hospitality, Argentium might become seriously offended if it was suggested I was in any kind of danger while under her roof. The few times in history someone had tried to hurt one of Argentium’s guests all ended very, very poorly for the attackers. “I'm sure I'll be perfectly safe with her, Strumming.” I gave her the best reassuring smile I could muster. “No one would think to hurt me while I'm under her hospitality, naturally.”

Strumming frowned as she considered the situation and then nodded. “Yeah, anything that can get past the ancient dragon's probably too much for me.”

“I'll be fine. As fine as I can hope to be.” I gulped as my eyes turned back to Argentium. “Besides, this is important, right?”

“I would hardly have called you all this way for a trifle,” Argentium said, reminding me that she could still hear the two of us even when we spoke softly.

One of Strumming’s wings flicked irritably, but she nodded. “Right. Well I'll be just outside, pretending not to listen in on your private conversation.”

Argentium’s eyes narrowed further, and even from this not insignificant distance, I could hear a growl rolling through her throat.

Strumming gulped. “Or maybe I'll give you your privacy.”

I leaned in and whispered into Strumming’s ear. “Dragons are supposed to have really good hearing. So be smart, alright?” I didn’t think Strumming was dumb enough to go skulking around a dragon’s lair and doing something like stealing her treasure, but I would really not be in any way responsible for a diplomatic incident. Explaining to Her Majesty why Strumming had been burned to ashes would not be easy.

Strumming was still when she spoke. “Yeah. But call me if you need me.” She gave my shoulder a quick squeeze, then trotted out back towards the exit.

That left me alone. With Argentium the Runescaled. Probably the most important figure in Northmarch. For unknown reasons. No need to panic. The worst thing that could happen was that I did something to cause another war between Equestria and the caribou thengs, resulting in thousands dying in what should have been a preventable war, and in turn causing valuable resources to be squandered right when a dark demigod was on the verge of returning to inflict an eternal night on the world that would cause all life on the planet to freeze to death.

Okay, maybe there was a reason to panic.

Before I could find new and completely justified reasons to want to run away screaming, Argentium hummed to herself and started scratching something onto the floor with one of her talons. “Just in case...” She finished her scratching and gave whatever she had carved into the stone floor a quick tap. There was a snap of unfamiliar magic as some sort of spell exerted itself over the chamber. “And now we have our privacy.”

I blinked at the sudden display of magic, and my horn glowed as I probed at it to try and figure out what it was. While it was different from any kind of pony magic I had dealt with, the spell itself was one familiar to me. “That was a privacy spell, right? Only one using runic magic?” Whatever we were to talk about, Argentium didn’t want anyone to hear. While privacy spells were pretty basic, this one was very solid in its makeup.

Argentium nodded. “Very good. I suppose Sunset has been showing you a few things she learned from her mother?”

“That’s right,” I said. “I don't know as much as her, but I've been studying them more lately.”

She probably knew about my relationship with Sunset thanks to Cadance. That made me wonder what else the two of them had said about me; Argentium was an ancient dragon who probably had her own information gathering resources too, now that I thought about it. Could she even know about the Elements of Harmony? She had been around when Queen Celestia and Luna had been using them. It was strange thinking of someone being as old—no, older than Empress Sunbeam.

“Very good then.” A toothy grin worked its way onto her lips. “Always nice to have my work appreciated. Sunset’s mother learned about runic magic from me, you know.”

“Is that so?” In truth, Sunset had barely mentioned her parents to me, only giving me the basics about them like their occupations and a few other tidbits. I had dropped a few hints that I wanted to meet them, but she hadn’t even seemed to consider the idea. It made me wonder if everything was okay between them. “I guess that isn’t surprising. You are supposed to be the foremost authority on runes. I mean you've literallywritten the book—books on the theory, application, uses, ethics ... you know, everything you need to know about runes.”

“That is true.” Argentium chuckled throatily. “Flattering my draconic vanity, I see.”

I smiled with no little embarrassment after being caught in the act. I thought flattering Argentium would make her like me more. Dragon pride had been noted in more than one book I had read, and I really wanted to be on her good side. “Nothing I said wasn't true. It's hard for me not to get excited to talk to an expert of your caliber.”

“Yes, of course.” She purred. “But I think my ego has been stoked enough for now. We're not here to talk about me, after all.”

My heart started pumping fast as the conversation moved to why I was here. “Right, what are we here to talk about, if I may ask?”

“You.” Argentium’s gaze somehow became more intense as she focused on me. “I admit, you've rather piqued my curiosity.”

“Me?” My smile became very brittle. “Oh, I'm not that interesting...”

“Ah, such modesty.” She sounded amused. “I am somewhat curious about your place in your ancestor's plans for the future.”

I blinked. Did she know that I was supposed to use the Element of Loyalty? The Empress had somehow known I could use it, and Argentium was one of a hoofful of beings in her league when it came to power and knowledge. Maybe I could avoid that particular topic? I didn’t want to say something I shouldn’t.

“Oh, um, I'm sure she has plans. Probably important ones. I can't imagine she would waste her time on me if I wasn't going to be useful to her and the Empire.”

Argentium smile turned into a deep frown. “No, that is not her way. Always she looks to find a way to make others ... useful to her.”

“Well, yes. She's the Empress.” I tried to make my tone gentle, and sound less like I was directly contradicting the ancient dragon and more like I was merely extrapolating the facts. I wanted to defend my grandmother’s actions, but the trick was doing so without offending the fire-breathing dragon. “She has to find people of talent who can help her run the Empire effectively. Delegation is one of the most important management skills a ruler can have.”

“Yes, and the more she takes, the more she needs to rule over.” Argentium’s wings flicked and she narrowed her eyes. “It amazes me sometimes that she goes to all the trouble. Who would want to spend every hour of an immortal life immersed in the minutiae of leadership? Always dealing with details that mortals are far more suited to. Always appointing ministers, figuring out how much in taxes everyone should pay, making them actually pay their taxes, and spending countless hours pouring over documents written by self important bureaucrats all trying to cover their own rear ends. It seems a rather dreary existence, especially when one knows that it will never end.”

“She gives a lot of herself to the Empire,” I countered. “She thinks it's really important. Without her, the Empire would fall apart.” I did not mention how Argentium’s management style had resulted in Her Majesty scooping up Northmarch out from under her. It hadn’t helped that Argentium had been in the middle of a hundred-year nap at the time.

Argentium did like to keep the caribou she had always cared for at arm's length and ruled indirectly. She always liked to pull strings, supported and educated heroes, leaders, and sages, and acted as a mediator between the various tribes of caribou, and only acted openly in dire emergencies. It was very different from my grandmother’s much more hooves-on approach to governance. I wondered how much of that was deliberate and how much was based on her draconic nature. You never read about dragons being paper pushers, after all.

Her head tilted in a curious gesture. “Would it now? Most societies survive quite well with mortal leadership.”

I bit my lip as I considered the validity of her statement. “Some. Though those societies are somewhat uncommon, historically speaking. Most nations with mortal leadership tend to suffer a number of problems. For instance, thanks to having an immortal Empress, Equestria doesn't have to deal with a periodic succession crisis, not to mention it helps give the Empire a consistent direction and leadership that most other nations wouldn't enjoy. Nations like the Zebrican Empire suffered periodic civil wars to determine who would be the new sultan, and had to deal with a shift in policies every time it got a new ruler. Those flaws were exactly why they eventually agreed to annexation by Equestria.”

I worried I had stepped a bit too far as a growl built up within Argentium’s throat. Given her size, I could feel it reverberating in the floor. “Such an arrangement can also lead to stagnation.” Before I could form a counterargument, Argentium stretched out her wings and stepped off of her throne. Each step caused me to jerk slightly as it created a tremor in the ground. “But enough about politics, the subject bores and angers me in equal measure when discussed at length.”

I hunched my shoulders as I looked up—and up, and up—at Argentium standing at her full height. My voice came out raspy as my throat threatened to clench up. “Oh, s-sorry. I didn't mean to make you u-unhappy.”

“No offense was intended, and none was taken.” Argentium waved the issue off. “Shall we move somewhere more comfortable for this chat? This room is fine for greeting guests, but it lacks a certain warmth I prefer for a private talk.”

I looked around the cavernous chamber and found myself in complete agreement. “That would be nice. I'm sure it's fine for you, but this chamber is really, really big for a pony.”

“Indeed so.” Argentium’s lips peeled back in a smirk. “Perhaps a different form too, then? I would be a poor host if you got a neck cramp from looking straight up all the time.” She traced a claw over on of the designs in her scales. To my mild surprise, she actually did shrink down from her colossal mass. It took a minute, but soon she stood before me at a much diminished size. Relatively speaking anyways; she was still at least as big as Empress Sunbeam.

“That was amazing!” I blurted out, looking her over to make sure it had been transformation magic instead of some sort of illusion. “You managed to change your mass by that much? That takes a lot of talent. Normally it takes a senior magus to be able to do anything more than superficial changes to a body.” I was pretty good with transformation spells, but I couldn't change the mass of a creature that much. Not without a significant amount of preparation, in any event.

Argentium smiled proudly, puffing out her chest while doing so. “I do have a few thousand years of practice.”

“I can only imagine,” I said. “It always feels like I can learn more and more, but there's so little time to do it all. But you've had so much time to learn everything.” I sighed at the constraints of reality that prevented me from being a better student. “I guess there isn't anything that can be done about that.”

Argentium’s lips pursed in thought. “There are always ... options. Follow me.” I tagged alongside of her as she led the way to another room.

My eyes widened at the sight I saw. Like all the rooms in Argentium’s lair, the room was massive in its dimensions. But what really caught my eyes were the numerous tall shelves stacked with books. Even at a quick look, I judged that this might very well be the largest personal collection of books I had ever seen, and I could smell how ancient some of the tomes were. It was all I could do not to squeal in delight and run off to read something.

Argentium led the way past a few of the bookshelves before walking between a pair of them. “I might as well put your gift in its proper place.” She reached up and placed the Daring Do collection on an empty place on one of the shelves.

“This is amazing!” I glanced over some of the titles. Many of them were first editions, more than a few were preciously rare, and I was reasonably sure at least a few were custom jobs. “This is one of the largest libraries I've ever seen! These books are wonderful!”

“Well, perhaps not the largest,” Argentium said with a sense of false humility. “I am a bit selective with what books I own. Though I admit, reading can help pass the time. But enough of that.”

Argentium walked over to a pair of reclining couches that sat against the far wall. “So ... how much has Sunbeam told you about Nightmare Moon?”

I couldn’t help but wince. So she knew about that, too. It made me wonder how many were in on that secret. “Um, I know that she's going to be coming back in a matter of months, and ... I'm not sure how much I'm allowed to say.” Argentium wasn't on the list of people I was allowed to talk about the Elements of Harmony and Nightmare Moon, which made this conversation extremely awkward in more than one respect.

“I knew Luna in the days before madness claimed her,” Argentium said. “I quite likely know more about her return than your Empress does. I doubt you can tell me anything I don't already know.”

“Right, so...” I considered my options. What I had before me was a unique opportunity. Argentium had been around when the Elements had actually been used, something even the Empress hadn't been alive to see. If she had information that could help us use them, then we probably needed to know about it. “You know about the Elements, then?”

“Indeed I do,” Argentium confirmed. “Which one did she give you?”

“Loyalty.” Having already come this far, I didn’t see the harm in sharing that.

“Naturally.” While Argentium had spoken that word casually, there was still an undercurrent of displeasure in it. Maybe even a hint of contempt. “You are of her bloodline, after all. And how did you earn this Element?”

“My family has been extremely loyal to the Empress.” I smiled at Argentium. Whatever she may have thought about my family’s relationship with my grandmother, I was proud of it. “Though it is a bit of a story for why she picked me...”

I told her about the incident between me and Sunset, and how the Empress had chosen me to be the bearer of the Element of Loyalty.

“Interesting,” Argentium mused. “Very interesting. So you were loyal to your ideals, yes?”

“Yes, I was.” I wondered why she thought ideals were important at this moment. “I didn't want to see Sunset get punished for something she didn't do, or for her not to get credit for her project. Her teleportation circle project was really important to her, and it wouldn't have been right for me to steal credit for it.”

“Out of curiosity, what are those ideals?” Argentium prodded.

I thought the question over. “If I had to state them, doing the right thing, loyalty, duty, and helping others.”

Argentium frowned. “That seems like a rather vague response. I would have expected a pony as well-read as you have laid out an entire ethical system.”

“Hey.” I puckered my lips out in a pout. “I'm sure I could with a little bit of time and study. Ethics is a very expansive topic, and one open to interpretation.”

“But how can you be loyal to your ideals if you don't understand what those ideals are?”

I crossed my legs over my chest. “I think I have a pretty good idea about what's really important in life.”

“And what is that?” Argentium prodded.

I was really starting to wonder where she was going with this line of questioning. It was tempting to just outright ask her, but most likely she would be evasive. So it seemed best to play along for now to figure out what she was aiming at.

“Family, those I care about, Equestria, for a few things,” I declared.

Argentium tapped at her cheek with a talon. “Curious that the Empress is not on that list.”

“Of course she is!” I snapped out. “She's my grandmother! Not to mention my teacher. And she's the Empress of Equestria. That’s kinda a big part of Equestria.”

One side of Argentium’s mouth quirked up in a smirk. “And what would happen if she asked you to do something that went against your morals?”

I grimaced at that moral quandary. “It ... it depends on the situation. The question is too open ended. Sometimes someone has to do something that could be seen as immoral in order to do a greater good. The world is imperfect, after all.”

Argentium’s smirk only widened at my answer. “Imagine if the Empress felt that the only way to save Equestria and thousands of lives was to sacrifice your life? Or Sunset's?”

I couldn’t help but wince. “I don't like the idea, but it might very well benecessary. The Empress would never ask me to do something like that without a very good reason. Plenty of soldiers have died for Equestria under her reign. I can hardly expect others to sacrifice themselves while thinking I ... or Sunset are above that.”

Argentium grunted in concession. “It is a common enough tale, but rather different when it is your loved ones being sacrificed for the greater good. It is well and good to say that you’re willing to make the ultimate sacrifice; it’s another to actually face that choice in the flesh.”

I squirmed in my seat, not having a satisfactory answer for that. How would I react if I found out I was going to have to give my life fighting Nightmare Moon, or if Sunset or somepony else I loved might die? “I can’t really argue with you there. Can't say I'm comfortable with the idea.”

“With all the lives at stake once Nightmare Moon returns, how much do you think Sunbeam would be willing to sacrifice to stop her?” Argentium pressed, almost as if she were reading my mind.

I clenched my teeth. “A lot. Nightmare Moon threatens everything. Nearly everything on the planet is going to die if she wins.”

Argentium nodded in agreement. “And if her plan succeeds and the Elements purge Luna of her madness, what then?”

I tilted my head, not understanding what she was getting at. “What do you mean? If we beat her with the Elements, we’ll have won. The threat will be over.”

“And what happens to Luna?”

I opened my mouth, then closed it again when I realized I didn’t have an answer ready. I honestly hadn’t put much thought into what was going to happen to Luna after we had used the Elements. All of my efforts had gone into just trying to figure out how to get the Elements to work to start with. Planning for the aftermath of using them on Nightmare Moon had seemed like getting ahead of myself.

“I'm not sure,” I admitted. “The Empress hasn't said what she’s going to do with her afterwards. I'm not even sure what the Elements will do to her. Looking at the records, half the time the Elements were used they just turned the subject into stone. The Empress says they will cleanse Nightmare Moon of her madness, but for all I know, they’ll just trap her on the moon again.”

Argentium pointed a talon at me. “Perhaps that's something you should consider? If you're going to strip away Luna's powers...”

“Maybe she'll be allowed to live a normal life?” Even as I said that, it didn’t sound right, and my brain worked to catch up to the topic and think the question all the way through.

Argentium snorted derisively. “And what exactly is a normal life for a former ruler of Equestria? Think. A pony as well-read as you should have some idea.”

“Historically speaking?” I mused and decided on the most likely answer, knowing my grandmother and her normal way of doing things. “That's usually results in something like house arrest or outright imprisonment.”

“And how do you feel about that?”

“She did try and end the world,” I pointed out. “Shouldn't she be punished?”

“Do we normally punish the unwell once they are cured?” Argentium asked.

“Well, no.” That was a good point. According to everything I had read, Luna had been becoming increasingly erratic in her actions up until her fall from grace. Causing an eternal night wasn’t exactly a rational thing to do, especially considering her reasons for her doing it. Sure, ponies might notice her night sky after she won, but they wouldn’t have long to appreciate it before they all froze to death. If she was lonely before, everypony else being dead would definitely make it worse.

That taken into account, I continued. “Legally speaking, somepony that is clinically insane should be treated of their illness, and once they have been demonstratively cured they should be allowed to return to normal life if at all possible.”

Argentium nodded. “Just so. That is perfectly reasonable.”

I frowned as my thought process led me to the next step. “But the Empress isn't going to tolerate a threat to her rule, and an old queen of Equestria would certainly qualify as one. Even if the Elements cure of Luna of her madness, Her Majesty won’t like a rival claimant to the throne running around.”

“Indeed not.” Argentium shook her head. “And that means acting ... decisively.”

My ears fell flat to my head as the implications of that impressed themselves on me. “Is she going to kill her?”

Argentium eyes became as cold and hard as the glaciers of the harsh northern climate she lived in. “Do you think she would?”

I rubbed my leg, now feeling very uncomfortable. Was I abetting in the murder of a mare whose only crime was losing her sanity? “The Empress argues that one should destroy a potential threat to oneself. Her history is certainly full of incidents where she did just that.” My gaze fell to the floor as I was unable to meet Argentium’s gaze. “Her Majesty would be ... heavily inclined to kill Luna to make sure there isn't a threat to her crown. Not to mention there would be the risk that she might go insane again. I only have the loosest idea about how the Elements work, so I have no idea if they'll really fix her or not. Or if it will stick.”

Argentium continued with her questioning, her voice uncompromising and cold as she spoke. “And what would you think if she killed Luna to ensure she would never be a threat again?”

I wrung my hooves at the question. “I wouldn't be very comfortable with it. If she's really mentally sick, and we do cure her, it wouldn't seem right to turn around and kill her. It shouldn't be that hard to ... I don't know, give her a comfortable lifestyle? I remember reading about how the Empress put the last Gryphonian royal family on an estate to live out their lives in peace in Equestria.”

Argentium hummed neutrally. “I would suggest you think carefully about where your loyalties truly lie.”

“B-but, I, that is...” It was as I struggled with how to respond when a lightning strike of an idea hit me. “Wait.” I narrowed my eyes at the dragon. “Are you trying to make me question my loyalty to Empress Sunbeam?”

Her own eyes narrowed. “Am I?”

I felt something in me start to burn as I realized I was being manipulated. Had the whole purpose for Argentium calling me here been to make me question my loyalty? “You're asking the right type of questions. They’re certainly questioning if the Empress is doing the right thing, and asking me what I think we should do instead.”

Argentium’s chin rose slightly, giving me the sense she was looking down on me. “So you don't think the Empress wants the right thing?”

“Th-that's not what I said!” I bolted from the couch and started pacing about. “She's in a tough spot. Wearing the crown isn't easy. She has to make hard choices—and this is a very hard choice, but somepony needs to make it. Even if the answers aren’t something everypony will like.”

Argentium shrugged. “A common rationalization.”

“It's still true.” I stomped a hoof. “I mean, I might do something different than her, but I'm not the Empress. And there isn't anything I can do. All I can do is try and stop Nightmare Moon—it’s Her Majesty’s choice on what to do after that.”

“You're not helpless,” Argentium countered. “Would you do nothing as an injustice is about to happen?”

My ears wilted. Why did knowing what to do have to be so hard? If only I had the answer... “What am I supposed to do? Use the Elements, if I canuse them with the others to start with, and then grab Luna run as fast and far as I can?”

“If it's the right thing to do, then you have to do something, yes?”

I bit my lip. Should I do something? Could I do something? I wanted to save Equestria, but I wasn’t sure what should be done with Luna afterwards. Grandmother would want to do one thing, Argentium another, and then I ... I wasn’t sure.

“Maybe I can convince her not to kill Luna?” I said cautiously. “She'll listen to me. She always listens to reason.”

“Perhaps.” Argentium scratched at her cheek. “Especially as she has no intention of doing so to begin with. Not without exhausting all other options. Or so she told me, at any rate.”

I blinked, taken aback by that new fact. “Wait, she isn't planning on killing Luna?”

“She gave her word to Celestia.”

Initially I felt a wave of relief wash over me as I realized I wouldn't be put into the moral quandary of killing Nightmare Moon, but then my brows furrowed as another thought struck me. “Then why did you make it sound like she would?”

Argentium shrugged indifferently. “There is value in theoretical exercises.”

I rolled my eyes at that response. “Now that is something you and the Empress hold in common. You both like making me think with theoretical thought exercises.” I was getting a pretty good idea about what Argentium really wanted: she wanted somepony who agreed with her among the bearers of the Elements of Harmony.

Argentium peeled back her lips and drew herself up, a growl rolling out of her throat as she did so. “Do not compare me to her.”

I winced as I realized I may have pushed her too far. Especially now that I wasn't going to be walking out of this cave as one of her agents. “Sorry, sorry! I didn't mean it like that.”

Argentium growled more sedately and settled herself back down on the couch. “Consider what we have discussed. If Luna is restored to her right mind, she deserves better than a mortal life in a gilded cage.”

I frowned as I considered the more practical issue before us. “And what would you suggest? I have a pretty good feeling you've already been thinking about this and have an answer.”

Argentium huffed out a breath through her nostrils. “Luna is a very old friend. She does not deserve to be murdered by your Empress. While the Elements will remove her madness, they will also take away her eternal life—and if that happens, forcing her mortality is merely a delayed execution. Your Empress need only wait for time to remove Luna from this world.”

“But what are we supposed to do then?” I asked. “The Elements are our best weapon for ending this quickly and without bloodshed. But from what you're saying, they're effectively going to kill her in the end anyways.”

“She can be restored,” Argentium said. “It is only natural that sun and moon balance one another.”

My eyes widened at what she was getting at. “You want to give her the Moon Mantle back. That would give her back her eternal life and probably a lot of power.”

Argentium nodded. “It is hers by right.”

I frowned at the obvious snag in that solution. “I think the Empress would disagree.” Considering the Empress held both the Sun and Moon Mantle and that she didn't like Luna, it didn't seem likely Luna was going to get her Mantle back without a fight.

Argentium’s eyes narrowed and she spoke with a deep growl. “I will have quite a bit to say about that.”

“I can't really think of a way to convince the Empress to give Luna the Moon Mantle,” I said. “I know what her arguments would be and ... she has personal reasons not to like Luna.” The two of them had a long history with one another, even if it had always been a step apart.

“And what do you think?”

I bit my lip. Here she was, asking me difficult questions again. “I would like to see what Luna is like, to make sure she's healthy, and ask her what she thinks. A lot has changed since she was last on the world, and I have no idea what she’ll think of her situation.”

Argentium hummed in agreement. “Yes, that much is true.”

“It would have to be awful.” I shifted uncomfortably and sat back down on the couch. “Everypony she ever knew is ... gone, just gone.”

Including her sister.

“Not everyone,” Argentium bristled, reminding me I had completely forgotten her in the equation. “But yes, Celestia should be here. It is only because of your Empress that she is not.”

I winced, for I couldn't argue with her on that point. When the Empress had taken the Sun Mantle, it had consigned Celestia to a mortal life. That only made the current situation even sadder.

“I still don't quite understand that decision,” I said. “The one where Celestia just ... gave up, I mean. Was it just too much to lose her sister?”

“I suspect it was a matter of depression.” She let out a long sigh. “The pressures of leadership combined with the loss of her sister proved too great a burden for her. And perhaps ... other factors.”

“Other factors?”

Argentium frowned deeply. “Her relationship with Sunbeam was very ... complicated.”

I looked down at the floor as I considered some past conversation I had with the Empress over Old Queen Celestia. “That doesn't surprise me. It's just... an impression I got from the way she talks about her. It's hard to describe it.” It didn’t help that the Empress tended to quickly change the topic whenever the old monarch of Equestria was brought up. It could be frustratingly difficult to pin down nigh-immortal beings on a topic.

“Sometimes I think she hated Celestia, and sometimes I believe she loved her,” Argentium said.

I quirked an eyebrow. “Loved her?”

“I suspect it was both.” She waved dismissively. “As I said, complicated.”

“The Empress can be surprisingly complicated sometimes.” As her descendant, I had seen more of her than the vast majority of ponies. It was strange sometimes. There would be times where I would be treated as just another one of her subjects, if a favored one. Then others as her student, and during rare and treasured moments, as her granddaughter. “I think I understand her on occasion, but then she shows some other aspect of her personality that throws me off again. She's so many things. My Empress and founder of my house and family. A mother whose children are dead. An immortal being that carries the weight of centuries of life. Strong, but with moments of vulnerability...”

I rubbed my forehead as I felt a headache coming on. This whole conversation had been extremely stressful and it was wearing me down. “I already know the Empress isn't perfect.” I narrowed my eyes at Argentium. “But neither are you.”

“Excuse me?” Argentium blinked in surprise; I was probably the first being in a long, long time to call her self-assured dragonic perfection into question

“You've brought me here under your own motivations,” I pointed out.

Argentium snorted. “But of course. Is it any great surprise I had reasons for speaking to you? I did not do so on some whim.”

I kept pressing, getting tired of dancing around whatever had brought me here. “No, but I have to wonder what your goals are in all of this.”

“To help you learn the truth about your teacher.”

I rolled my eyes. “And what truth is that? That sometimes she makes mistakes? That's she's ruthless at times? That she's ran roughshod over half a dozen nations? You think I'm blind to all of that? I’ve read the history books. Hay, a bunch of them were assigned by her.”

Argentium’s tone became more testy. “Then why do you still work with her?”

“Because she's still my grandmother and my teacher, and I love her.” I ground my teeth together as my patience wavered. “She's important to me, and important to Equestria.”

The two of us locked gazes and for a minute neither one of us spoke. To my surprise, it was Argentium who broke the silence first. “I see. Loyalty indeed.” From the way she said it, I wasn’t sure if that was a condemnation or if there might had been some admiration in her tone.

I chose my words carefully as I address the ancient dragon. “Loyalty ... loyalty means sticking with someone, even when it's hard. Especially when it's hard. Anypony can be loyal when it's easy—when you can just go with the flow without conflict. A true test of loyalty is sticking with somepony when it's going to hurt to do so.”

Argentium folded her forelegs over her chest and gave me an impassive look. “I see. So that is the way of it.”

I shook my head. “I know this isn't what you want to hear, maybe you want me to fold like wet paper, but I'm just not like that. Not when it's important.”

“So be it.” She stood from the couch and looked down upon me. “I only hope you remember this discussion.”

“So ... you're not going to eat me, are you?” I asked, smiling sheepishly. I had perhaps been a bit too confrontational.

The stony demeanour she had been wearing slowly faded and she chuckled. “No, I'm not going to eat you. I don't eat ponies. And it would make me a poor host, besides.”

“Oh, good...” A moment later, I added, “And you’re not kill me in some way?” My cheeks ached as my smile became strained. “I've gone through the word game before with the Empress.”

Argentium shook her head. “I have no intention of harming you. It would damage my working relationship with the governor, which is complicated enough already.”

“Right, I do want you two to get along. It's why I came here.” Though it was a bit curious she had mentioned Cadance instead of Emperor Sunbeam. Most people would have been more concerned with offending Her Majesty than one of her governors.

“Thank you for that,” Argentium said. “Working with Cadance is much more complicated than previous governors. Something Sunbeam no doubt intended when she sent her here.”

“Why is that?” I asked, curious about what sort of relationship the two of them had.

There was a long pause, and I could see Argentium thinking behind her ancient blue eyes. When she spoke, it was with a slightly guarded tone. So slightly I wasn’t certain I had even heard it. “She is less objectionable than previous governors.”

“I see.” I wanted to press further, but if my experiences with the Empress had taught me anything, it was to know when a being like Argentium wasn’t going to divulge any more information than they had already given. Which in-of-itself told me a great deal. Even if she hadn’t intended to tell me what I had just learned.

Argentium stretched out her wings. “Well, if there is nothing else...”

I sighed and nodded. It seemed that our conversation was pretty much over. “I think I'm pretty worn out by this point.”

Argentium bowed her head slightly. “Then I wish you good day, and hope we might meet again under more pleasant circumstances.”

“I would like that.” I gave her a smile I hoped looked genuine. “There is a lot I would like to ask you. You are the foremost expert on runes, not to mention an invaluable source on history.”

Argentium tilted her head and the barest grin worked its way to her lips. “Perhaps we can arrange something.”

My smile widened. “I would like that.” Maybe this trip wouldn’t be a complete waste after all.

“Good,” Argentium said. “And give my regards to your sister-in-law.”

“I'll do that.”

Shame that I didn’t think my next conversation with Cadance was going to go very well.

Guest Tale: The Loyal Opposition Pt 3 by Ponibius

The next day found me back at the Governor’s Manor in Coldharbor. I hadn’t wasted much time returning to Cadance’s office. A number of ideas had been running through my head after my conversation with Argentium, and they weren’t going to go away until I spoke with Cadance. Thankfully, I reached her office door without incident. Being the Empress’ personal student and the future sister-in-law to the governor had been more than enough for most of the guards to let me see her.

My hoof rose to knock on the door, but I stopped myself. I turned to Strumming, giving her an apologetic smile. She had been my shadow since leaving Argentium’s cave, but despite her proddings I had refrained from telling her much about what we had spoken about. She hadn’t been happy, but she hadn’t been in a position to do anything.

“Hey Strumming, mind if I talk with Cadance in private?”

“Sure thing.” She moved to take a position by the door, but then stopped herself. A faint frown found its way on her features. “Everything okay?”

“I just have a lot on my mind lately,” I assured her. “It would be nice to talk with somepony I've known for a while and trust. You know how it is.”

In truth, I didn't want an agent of the Ministry of Heart to be in the same room as us for what was probably going to be a pretty sensitive talk—at least if what I suspected was true. Part of me felt guilty for sending her away, but this was something I wanted to do alone and without outside interference.

Strumming stared at me thoughtfully before nodding. “Sure thing, Twilight.” She reached over to give me a quick pat on the shoulder. “I'll be hanging out the lobby. Want a chocolate bar? I've got one to spare.”

I gave her a half-hearted smile. “Thanks. And sure. I wouldn't mind one after I've talked with Cadance. How about when I'm done here, we see about getting some snacks for the trip back home. I'm sure they have some interesting stuff up here.”

“Probably lots of ice cream.” Strumming considered me for another moment before giving my shoulder a supportive squeeze. At that, she turned and walked down the hallway.

Now left alone, I took a long breath to ready myself before opening the door and strolling in. “Hey, Cadance!” I said with as much cheer as I could muster.

Cadance looked up from her paperwork and beamed at me. “Twilight! Good to see you again. How was your trip?”

“It was alright.” Despite myself, I couldn't help but let my wariness a creep into my tone. “Hey, think we could talk about something serious?”

Cadance’s smile was replaced with a far more serious look. “Of course, Twilight. You can talk to me about anything.”

I silently wondered it that was true as I cast a high-quality privacy spell over the room. Once that was done, I quickly checked to make sure there wasn't any sort of magical presence in the room that I wouldn't want there for a private conversation. Satisfied that no one was magically spying on us, I sat opposite of Cadance. “It's about my meeting with Argentium.”

Cadance nodded. “I thought as much. How did it go?”

“It was ... very interesting,” I decided upon. “The two of us talked about a lot.”

Cadance’s ears perked, and I could sense her weighing my every word. “Argentium is always interesting to speak with.”

“You can say that again,” I agreed. “There is so much I could learn from her if given the time.” I shuffled on the cushion I was sitting on as I built up the courage to broach the topic that had brought me here. “Of course, not everything we talked about was exactly fun.”

I saw something flash behind Cadance’s eyes that I couldn't readily identify. “I hope it wasn't too upsetting.”

“‘Upsetting’ isn't the word I would use.” I pressed my lips together as I considered how best to move forward with the conversation. “Nightmare Moon was a prominent part of our discussion.”

Cadance blinked. “Nightmare Moon? What about that old legend?”

I frowned. Did Cadance really think she could lie to me? “I think you know.”

Cadance rose one of her eyebrows in a questioning look. “Excuse me?”

I took another long breath as I built up my resolve to move forward. “Cadance, I'm not stupid. Quite the opposite in fact, if we look at various statistics, tests, and my education. I know I may not be the best at reading ponies, but I can put facts together. That’s not even getting into the fact that I was taught by one of the foremost politicians ever. I have experience with dealing with ponies who just want to manipulate me. You think I haven't had ponies try to suck up to me or use me because of who I was? For who my grandmother and teacher was? Hay, I could have had a small army of sycophants following me everywhere by now if I really wanted it.” I narrowed my eyes. “So sooner or later, I'm going to figure out when I'm being manipulated. Do I really need to spell this out for you?”

“Twilight, I don't know what's gotten into—”

I reared up and slammed my hooves on the desk, causing Cadance to flinch away from me. “I said I'm not stupid!” I stared her right in the eyes as I continued speaking, all the frustration that had built in me during the flight bursting out. “Cadance, I like you. I really like you, and I know my brother is gaga for you. So I'm really hoping you'll be honest with me and not pretend I can’t see what's right in front of my eyes. Yes, I know I'm a scholastic bookworm who spends most of her time with her nose in a book, but that isn’t the same thing as saying that I’m blind.”

I got off of her desk, but I still kept my gaze right on her. “Let me lay it out for you so you know exactly what I'm talking about: you had me come north, and then my brother just so happened to not be around when I got here, nor is anypony else I know. And it just so happens that now of all times, Argentium wanted to see me? Without warning? You certainly didn't mention anything about something as important as me meeting Argentium the Runescaled in our last letter, yet she mentioned she had talked to you, and that you were the most tolerable governor she had met.”

Cadance leaned back in her chair, her eyes wide. “Twilight, what are you saying?”

“What I'm saying is that you're working with Argentium,” I told her. “She talked with me about Nightmare Moon and the Elements of Harmony. You called her an old legend, but Argentium would have everyreason to tell you about Nightmare Moon and the fact that she’s coming back in a few months, what with you being the only other living alicorn in the world. Considering she wants to help Luna, it only makes sense to bring you into her plans, and I think she has.”

Cadance stared at me in silence for a time before she finally spoke. “That would be a very serious charge.”

“You're telling me.” I shook my head. Even now I was having trouble believing I was having this conversation with my old foalsitter. It wasn’t like I had many concrete facts to string together, but I knew I was right. Argentium and Cadance were working together in preparation for Nightmare Moon’s return. “Technically, it could be considered treason.”

Cadance scowled. “Do you think I'm a traitor?”

“That depends on what you're really doing.” My ears wilted, and I felt some of the fire go out of me. I sat back down, waiting to hear what she had to say in her defense.

Cadance’s gaze fell to the ground. When she spoke, her voice was weak and listless, like all the fight had gone out of her. “I'm ... I'm not doing anything, Twilight.”

“Don't lie to me, Cadance.” I ground my hoof on the floor. Why was she keeping this up? I just wanted to know the truth. Didn’t she think I could handle it? “I don't want to think that you're doing something that's going to harm Equestria. If I do... I'm going to have to do something.” I pointed to the door. “There’s an agent from the Ministry of Heart just down the hall from this room. I don’t want to think I’m going to have to have a conversation with her about what I’ve brought up, especially when it’s you I’m worried about, but I’ll do what I think is best.”

My heart ached for Cadance as she flinched at the mention of the Ministry. What secret was she keeping that could be so bad? Did she think she couldn’t talk to me because I was the Empress’ student? I really didn’t want to talk to Strumming about Cadance, but things looked worse and worse for her the longer we spoke. If she was somehow conspiring against Equestria and Empress Sunbeam, even with the best of intentions...

“Cadance, talk with me.” I reached across the desk to her. “I want to understand what's going on. Argentium was talking about Nightmare Moon—Luna, whatever you want to call her. The Empress has her plans for her, I'm sure Argentium has her own, and I’m really not sure where you stand in all of this. Considering what’s at stake here, I need a little more information than nothing right now.”

“Twilight, I ... I don't know what...” Cadance shrunk away from me. “I ... I can't...” She wrapped her legs around herself and sighed. “I can't lie to you. It's ... too painful. I love you too much for that.”

“Well, that's two of us.” I sighed and felt my own shoulders slump. “I want to be able to trust you.”

“I ... for a long time, trust has been very difficult for me.” Cadance took a deep breath, and I could see her making a decision. “For a long time, I've been part of an organization known as the Circle.”

I tilted my head at the name. “I've never heard of it.”

“I would be worried if you had.” She ran a hoof through her mane. “It is supposed to be a secret society, after all.”

I sat back as I mulled that over. “Then I guess we better start with the basics, then.”

“What did you want to know?”

“I suppose everything would be a bit much for one go?” I asked.

Cadance chuckled ruefully. “It might be good to have a starting point. I suppose you should know what the Circle does. We watch over Empress Sunbeam and ensure that she doesn't go too far.”

My eyebrows furrowed. “Too far with what?”

Cadance spoke with careful deliberation. “I'm sure you've noticed she has a certain ... brutal pragmatism.”

I rubbed my leg. “Just a bit, yes. I have had lessons with her.” The Empress has always taught me to deal with problems in an ... efficient manner. A manner that often did not often consider things like mercy as an option. No, she argued for crushing a threat in such a way that it could never hurt you again, rather than giving it a second chance to redeem itself.

Cadance nodded. “Then I'm sure you understand that sometimes she needs somepony to remind her that there are better ways to do things.”

I frowned at the way she said that. “Well, yes. That's what her advisors are for.”

“Which is why her advisors have often secretly included members of the Circle,” Cadance said. “But the problem is that her advisors are subject to her authority. If she doesn't like how I manage Northmarch or disagrees with my advice, she has the legal authority to strip away all my power and reduce me to an ordinary citizen. Or worse.”

I scowled, not liking the way she was making my grandmother sound. “She's not that unreasonable. You should know that.”

“Her pragmatism usually outweighs her wickedness, yes,” Cadance reluctantly agreed.

“She's not wicked!” I snapped. “Not really. Sometimes she has to make hard decisions for the good of Equestria.”

Cadance spoke in a soothing tone. “Twilight, she's conquered every single nation her armies are physically capable of reaching. I'm sure she plans to annex the dromaeds as soon as she can find a way to get past the thunder lizards. That’s the way she is.”

I shook my head. “Most of our neighbors did attack Equestria first. The gryphons had been raiding and waging war on and off with Equestria for centuries, so you can’t tell me that she was wrong in finally ending that threat. And that’s not even getting into how Gryphonia and the gryphons are way better off now than they were both in terms of economic prosperity and political stability. Then the Zebrican Empire had been an expansionist empire when it ran up against Equestria. It was their stated policy to conquer Equestria and bring it under the rule of the sultans, so go figure the Empress wasn’t wild about that idea. And do I really need to get into the type of piracy and slave-den Freeport was before it was conquered?” I waved dismissively. “And most of Empress Sunbeam’s conquests were centuries ago.”

“What about Northmarch?” Cadance shot back. “The conquest of the caribou was relatively recent.”

“That's ... complicated.” I could easily have written a small book about the integration of Northmarch into the Empire just from what I knew off the top of my head. The situation was made all the more complex thanks to the fact each of the thengs were separate political units, and that the absorption of each theng happened separately and under different circumstances.

Cadance sighed wearily. “Yes. It is a complicated situation, one not even Argentium and I can agree on. I've been trying to find a way to ease the transition into the Empire while Argentium seems determined to derail the process.”

I frowned as I remembered everything I had read about Northmarch. “From the sounds of it, the current system just doesn't work. Thanks to Equestria having to deal with each theng separately, it’s a mess to actually manage Northmarch. That was a big reason for the last revolt here—the previous governor had gotten so sick of dealing with dozens of political units that he tried to disband the thengs in order to make the province more manageable.”

Cadance nodded sympathetically. “You have dozens of treaties, with there no consistency among them beyond a few points.” She rubbed her forehead. “It’s a nightmare. The status quo isn't viable, but nobody can agree on how to fix the problems.”

I bit my lip as I considered the problem facing Cadance. “Maybe you should get everyone together to find some common ground on what will fix the problem. Have you ever thought to call an Alltheng to discuss how to fix Northmarch’s problems?”

Cadance shook her head. “The Alltheng has no authority to pass legislation.”

I wasn’t going to be shot down so easily. “Unless everyone agrees that it does. If you, the Empress, and the leaders of the thengs agree to abide by a central authority, then it becomes the de jure and de facto ruling body of the province. After all, laws are effectively rules we all agree to. If an Alltheng came together under you, you get most everyone to agree on creating a new system like a permanent Alltheng, and they can get the thengs to agree to submit their authority to that body of government.”

I could see the wheels turn in Cadance’s head as she considering that idea. “True, it is theoretically possible. Though getting everyone to agree to such an arrangement...”

“It wouldn't be easy, no.” I rubbed my chin, my mind racing as I considered one idea after another. “But if you could get Argentium to agree to the idea, you would meet with a lot less resistance from the caribou at least.”

“If.” Cadance frown as she thought it over.

I smiled encouragingly. I was pretty sure I was onto something here. If I could just get past the initial resistance... “As the Empress would always say, you just need to know what someone wants to get them to agree to an idea. Everyone wants something.”

Cadance grinned. “Teaching me your teacher's lessons?”

I chuckled and rubbed the back of my head. “If it works...”

Cadance chuckled in turn. “True, true. Though there are other problems too. There’s the fact that I’m still getting used to my position. I’ve never been anything like a governor before, and Northmarch is one of the most difficult posts in the Empire. I need to get a grip on what I’m doing before I can do a radical policy shift. The previous governor tried to change how Northmarch worked, and well ... he’s dead now.”

I winced. “I guess I can’t argue with that.”

“Then there’s the issue of bringing all the leaders of the thengs together,” Cadance said. “A lot of the thengs have rivalries, bloodfueds, alliances, and so on. Putting them all together could make for a pressure cooker. It could explode in my face if I’m not careful.”

I rubbed my chin as I thought over the problem. “At least you should have some idea what all those inter-theng dynamics are, and you would have the local Guard units to help deal with any issues here in Coldharbor.”

Cadance bit her lip pensively. “Maybe. But there’s another big problem. If I call an Alltheng, it creates a big opportunity for all the caribous’ leaders to come together and conspire against the Empire. I could end up creating my own revolt with this, or a permanent Alltheng might bring enough unity to the thengs to all them to start a major revolution. Not even getting into how the caribous would then have a body of government from which they could start issuing demands from the central government. That’s not something the Empress will like.”

I grimaced as I thought of all those problems. “Those aren’t small issues, no.”

She shook her head. “No, they’re not. Not to mention I’m going to be pinned down to do a lot politicking. If I’m going to be working with a legislative body, then I better be very sure I have the votes to make a measure pass, or otherwise I’ll be undermining my own authority. It’s going to erode away at my influence every time I attach my name to a bill and it gets voted down by the Alltheng.”

“Legislatures can be messy like that,” I said. “Still, it might be something to look into. You can’t deny that the current system is almost broken as is.”

“It’s a long way from perfect, but I don’t want to break it ever worse while trying to fix it.” Cadance sighed. “I’ll think the idea over, maybe ask my advisors think about it. You might be onto something.” Her smile slipped a bit. “The problem is that while Argentium and I might both be in the Circle, that doesn't mean we agree about everything. Just like I don't always agree with your moth—” She caught herself and slapped a hoof over her mouth.

“What about Mo—she's in the Circle too?!” That couldn’t... My family was... That didn’t make sense! She couldn’t have hid something like that from me all these years, could she?

Cadance grimaced. “It probably would've been better if I had let her tell you that.”

I gave her a flat look. “You think?”

Cadance rubbed her face. “The Sparkles have been involved with the Circle to one degree or another since its founding.”

I buried my face in my hooves. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. After all the talk about how loyal my family had always been to the Empress, now I was hearing my family was at the core of a conspiracy against her. “How far back does this go?”

“All the way back to when Sunbeam took the throne,” Cadance said. “There were ... concerns about whether she would rule as well as Celestia had. Thus, the Circle was formed to watch over her.”

I ran my hooves over my face as I tried to absorb this latest battering of information. “Right, of course this conspiracy is centuries of years old. How have you kept it secret for all these years?!”

Cadance bit her lip. “We haven't. At least, not all of it. Sunbeam knows more about us than I would like.”

My mouth worked uselessly for a few moments before I could say comprehensible words again. “How have all of you not been arrested yet? Empress Sunbeam isn't exactly favorable to conspiracies, you know.”

Cadance sighed and nodded. “I suppose even she realizes that she needs to have a loyal opposition.”

I rubbed at my head as I tried to digest that idea. “I think I can see her logic. Kinda. She has always told me that knowing who your enemies are is important. As well as the fact that the spy you know about is far less dangerous than the one you don't.”

“I am not her enemy,” Cadance said testily. “Perhaps not her friend, but we both ultimately want what's best for Equestria. That's why I want to help peacefully integrate Northmarch.”

I took a long breath. “So, what should I do with that information? If I were to tell the Empress that I knew about you...”

Cadance grimaced. It didn’t take much imagination to figure out what the Empress might do with her and her conspirators if she decided to deal with them. The best they could hope for ... I didn’t really want to think about it. “I would prefer that you didn’t.”

I sighed. “So would I.”

“So what do you want to do?”

That was the question, wasn’t it? What was I supposed to do? “I want to do the right thing,” I told her. Whatever that was.

Cadance stepped around the desk to place a hoof on my shoulder. “Then help me. Join the Circle.”

I bit my lip. “Me?”

Cadance smiled warmly and nodded. “Yes, you. You would be so helpful to the Circle, and you could do so much good with us.”

“B-but I'm the Empress' personal student!” I protested. I could hardly believe what I was hearing. Me? A conspirator against Empress Sunbeam?! “I-I-I ... it would be unimaginable!”

“Exactly.” Cadance squeezed my shoulder. “She listens to you. Trusts you. And the Circle wants what's right for Equestria, too.”

I looked away from her and down at the floor. “And what about Luna?”

Cadance paused before answering me. “A difficult question. Much will depend on her state after the Elements are used on her. Empress Sunbeam will never trust her. Not after what she's done. I ... would be willing to give her a chance.”

“The problem is convincing my teacher to do that,” I told her.

“Is that something you want?” Cadance asked gently.

I wrung my hooves. “I want my teacher to do the right thing. The trick is making it happen.” I shook my head. “But it seems the first step is stopping her from ending the world. After that ... we can see.”

Cadance nodded. “We can work out the details of Luna's fate after we save Equestria. One step at a time.” She tipped my head up so that we could look one another in the eye. “And I need you to take this step with me. To join the Circle. Please.”

Could I do this? Could I join the Circle? Cadance stared at me, her smile was so warm and welcoming, but behind that smile I could sense her desperation for me to join. She needed this. Desperately and deeply. How must have keeping so many secrets have affected her? Something told me that even Shiny didn't know about the Circle, that she had kept that secret from him. Now she wanted to be able to share her secrets with me.

I couldn't imagine Cadance wanting to do anything evil. That went against everything I knew about her. Not to mention my mom was part of the Circle too, and I of course trusted her. The both of them being in the Circle had to say something. I wanted to help Luna too, even if defeating Nightmare Moon and making sure she didn't return to be a threat took precedent.

I so badly wanted to tell her yes, make her feel better and say that I would stand by her.

But then I remembered my grandmother, and about how she had trusted me with the Element of Loyalty.

I narrowed my eyes. “No.”

“No?” Cadance’s smile dissolved into a look of bewilderment. “But why? We're trying to do what’s best for Equestria, the same as you.”

“Because you’re trying to turn me against Grandmother Sunbeam!” I took a step back from Cadance and she flinched as though I had slapped her. “She’s given me everything! The manor I live in, a comfortable lifestyle that only a hooffull could imagine, a first-rate education with heras one of my teachers, and so much else. And most importantly, she’s given me her love. Yes, I know she might not always show it, but she does love me, and I love her right back.”

Cadance reached out a hoof. “Twilight, I—”

“I'm not done yet!” I slapped her hoof away. “What's more, she’s entrusted me with something incredibly important. She’s trusting me to help defeat Nightmare Moon with the most powerful artifact in Equestria’s history. Do you have any idea how hard it is for a pony like her to do that when she has so much trouble trusting anypony?”

Cadance lip quivered as she spoke. “I'm not asking you to turn against her. Please, listen to me.”

I shot her a hard look. “No. I’ve heard what you have to say and what you're asking me to go behind her back and conspire against.” I jabbed her chest with a hoof. “And for what?! To help some old queen who went bonkers and tried to kill everyone? Or is this over some dead queen who threw in the towel over eight centuries ago?”

Cadance's own features hardened at the mention of Celestia. “Now that isn't fair. She was grieving and she couldn't handle the depression. It was hard on her to lose her sister.”

I met her gaze without flinching. “Yeah, and so what? Here's the hard truth, Cadance: Celestia is dead, and she has been for a very long time. She gave her crown to Grandmother, and then rolled over and died. She left the job of dealing with her insane demigod sister to the Empress, and maybe you should trust the mare Celestia left in change to clean up the mess she left behind.”

Cadance shook her head and I could see the mounting anger in her face as she scowled at me. “You don't have all the facts. If you knew what I did—”

“But I don't!” I stomped a hoof. “Because you, Mom, and everypony else in your precious Circle didn't trust me with those facts! You had months—years to tell me the truth, but you didn't!”

Cadance put up a hoof to try and forestall me. “Twilight, please, calm down. We had very good reasons for not telling you the truth. If you'll just hear me out, I—”

“I already know why!” I yelled, running right over her attempt to explain. “It's because you didn't trust me. Because you thought I was so blindly loyal to the Empress that I’d do whatever she tells me to. You thought that the very first thing I would do after you told me the truth was go running to my grandmother and blab everything you told me, ruining the so-called secrecy of your organization.”

I shook my head and turned away from Cadance. I was furious with her. She had put me on the spot, and now I was tearing her down for it. I felt sick. “So let me tell you how it is: I know where I stand, and that is by the Empress. I’m not going to betray her trust by joining you. Loyalty goes both ways, and I know at the end of the day the Empress will stand by me.” I looked over my shoulder to see Cadance. “I’ll stay true to myself and do what I think is right, and right now, that’s sticking with the pony that’s been there for me my entire life. While that may be far from perfect, at the end of the day, all we can do is all we can do.”

Cadance sniffled, her eyes now puffy as she tried to hold back tears. “Please, reconsider. I do trust you. Just give me a chance.”

I huffed out a long breath, thinking over my words carefully. “Alright then, I just have one last question.” I narrowed my eyes at Cadance, and she gulped under the glare. “My brother—the stallion you love, who you're going to marry, and who’s the reason you're part of our family. Have you told him any of this yet?”

Cadance opened her mouth but nothing came out. Sobs started wracking her sides and she looked away from me. If there was a more broken and miserable pony in all of Equestria, I didn’t want to see them. But that didn’t change the fact that she didn’t trust me. Not really. Not with the truth.

“That's what I thought.” I stormed out of the office, and the sound of Cadance’s crying followed me.

I felt like the most miserable pony alive on the train ride back to Canterlot. After my argument with Cadance, I didn't want to stay in Coldharbor. A guilty part of me felt bad that I hadn't been gotten to see Shiny, at least assuming he wasn't part of the Circle too and the whole scheme to bring me over to their side through trickery.

I sighed and rolled over on the bench as I ran over everything that had happened, from when I had arrived in Coldharbor to the conversation with Argentium, and finally my argument with Cadance. I was sure I had done the right thing. If the Circle had really valued my opinion—if they had respected me—they would have been much more forward with me, and a lot sooner.

Instead, Cadance had only told me the truth after I had cornered her. Endless night, I had threatened to tell the Ministry of Heart my suspicions if she hadn't opened up with me.

Then I had found out they wanted me to work against my grandmother to help a pony I had only read about, a madmare who was liable to try and kill me and everypony I cared about if she won. All for a series of promises made to Old Queen Celestia, a mare who had died centuries ago. It wasn't like Celestia didn't have other options available to her. She had been an alicorn, a former queen, and in favor with the Empress she had put on the throne. I could think of half a dozen solutions that would have worked better towards helping her sister. For all anyone knew, she might have been able to place herself under some sort of suspension until her sister returned and have helped deal with her personally.

Instead, she had dumped everything on a mare she apparently didn't trust and left ponies like me who hadn't known about any of this with a big mess to clean up. Now my relationship with Cadance had fallen through, my vacation had been ruined, I probably had a very uncomfortable conversation with my mom coming down the pipe, and a whole other dimension had been added to the Nightmare Moon problem.

It wasn’t like the Circle was going to accomplish much, anyways. If I knew the Empress, she already had at least three plans ready to go to shut them down and make sure they didn't disrupt her plans for Nightmare Moon. So way to plan ahead, Mrs. Old Queen Celestia.

No, I was going to follow in the lead of a mare who had it right. Princess Midnight Sparkle had been loyal to her mother her entire life, and had accomplished so much during that time. She had helped her mother stabilize Equestria after the devastating Lunar Rebellion, won wars of conquest against Gryphonia, the Diamond Kingdom, and the Zebrican Empire, and put Equestria on the road to becoming the prosperous empire it now was—all without plotting behind the Empress’ back. That’s the pony whose example I needed to follow. I might want to avoid the wars and conquest, but the general emphasis was the same.

Shame Midnight had died a long, long time ago. Otherwise I would be sorely tempted to talk to her about my own loyalty problem. Discussing the problem with her and writing a report about it sounded a lot more fun than my current situation.

Strumming reached over from her bench and poked my shoulder. “Okay, who are you and what've you done with the real Twilight?”

I blinked at the sudden interruption of my thoughts. It was definitely thinking and not sulking. “Huh?”

“You're not reading your books.” She pointed to the untouched pile of books I had bought for the trip back south.

“Oh.” My ears wilted as I realized how I must have looked. “Sorry, I haven't really felt up to it.”

Strumming moved over from her bench to sit next to me. “Why not?”

“I'm a bit down at the moment.” I sighed as the memories of my argument, still very raw, came back in a roaring torrent of anger, frustration, and guilt. “I ... had an argument with Cadance.”

“Oooh, that's no fun.” Strumming patted me on the shoulder.

I shook my head. “No, no it isn't, and I'm pretty miserable about it.” I could only imagine how this was going to go over with Shiny, too. He must have wanted to see me too while I was up north, and now that wasn't going to happen. Depending on if he was in the Circle or not, he was going to have a lot of questions about what happened.

“What'd you fight about?” Strumming asked.

I sat up and shuffled in place. Now it came to what to tell everypony about what happened between me and Cadance. I could tell Strumming everything that happened, and she would almost certainly tell the Empress in turn. From there, I wasn't certain what would happen. The first option was that she would just sit in that information and not do anything she wasn't already doing with the Circle.

The second option is that the Empress would act openly and eliminate Argentium, Cadance, and potentially the whole Circle as threats. Empress Sunbeam could certainly interpret the Circle’s attempt to undermine her authority with the bearers of the Elements as a direct attack against her. If the Elements were as powerful as the old stories said, then they could potentially be turned against her. That type of threat wasn't something she was prone to tolerating.

That could easily lead to some sort of conflict. The Empress could pretty easily deal with most of the Circle, unless they had some ace in the hole to deal with the her—which in of itself was a scary thought, if an unlikely one. If the Empress had even a hint they had a weapon like that, she would have acted a lot sooner. Argentium would be a trickier proposition; dragons didn’t get as old and powerful as her by being careless.

Chills went down my spine at the thought of those I cared about fighting each other. If the Empress ended up fighting those that I loved, right at the worst possible time...

“It's a bit private,” I lied. Half-lied, I guess. “Sorry.”

Strumming shrugged. “Family stuff, I get it. Anything I can do?”

“I don't think so.” I didn’t agree with what Cadance was doing, but that wasn’t the same thing as wanting her to be seized by the Ministry of Heart, or worse. Besides, it wasn’t as though the Empress didn’t know about them, and she had to at least suspect what they were up to. If she hadn’t acted thus far, then she had her reasons. “It's a big mess that has been around for a long time.”

“Hate those.” She scooted closer to me. “In that case ... need a hug?”

Thinking it over, I nodded. “I wouldn't say no.”

Strumming wrapped me in a hug that felt really good after all that happened. I returned it. “If I'm not allowed to do this, don't tell anyone.”

I grinned at the idea of Strumming getting yelled at for breaking some regulation about not hugging those under her protection. “I can keep a secret if you can.”

Strumming grinned back. “Deal.”

I squeezed her, already feeling at least a little bit better, even if it didn’t really solve the underlying cause of my misery. “Thanks. You're a pal.”

“Cool.” Strumming slowly broke the hug to face me properly. “What perks come with being the pal of the Empress’ protege?”

“Probably getting stuck watching me read all the time,” I snarked.

“Well, I already do that.”

I rubbed my chin, thinking a bit more seriously. “The Empress might like you a little bit more... As long as you don't misuse this newfound friendship to your advantage. She's driven off a few sycophants over the years, so I’d recommend not just befriending me because of who I am and who I’m related to. It probably won’t end well.”

“I figured as much.” She waved dismissively. “Relax, no nefarious schemes here.”

“That's a relief.” I narrowed my eyes at her. “Unless my spy bodyguard is lying to me. What with being a spy, a trained liar, and all the implications that go with those things.”

Strumming flashed me the most perfectly innocent of smiles. “Would I do that?”

“If you thought it was your job to?” I shot right back.

Strumming shrugged in resignation. “Yeah, in that case, I would lie my very shapely plot off. But at least I'm not lying to you about the fact that I'd lie to you.”

“There is that at least.” At least Strumming was honest about who she was. I still wasn’t sure about being buddy-buddy with a spy, but at least I had an idea about where I stood with her. “Granted, I'm not sure how firm of a foundation that is for a friendship.”

“Sorry, that's the best I can do.”

“I think I can understand.” I ran a hoof through my mane. “You are who you are.”

Strumming nodded. “Your grandmother tells me to jump, I jump.”

“Now that's something I understand.” I remember when I had turned in an essay a week ahead of time to the Empress. Her response was to give me a pat on the head and then promptly tell me I would have to do two essays with the same amount of time the next week. “You probably don't want to know the type of assignments she's given me.” The Empress could be ... inventive with her assignments sometimes.

“Probably not,” Strumming agreed. “That's just part of how it goes in my line of work. You just have to accept the boss knowing things you don't.”

I frowned as I was reminded of my own problems with Cadance. “Doesn't it ever bother you to know that you're not being told everything? That there are so many secrets you would like to know, but ponies are keeping from you?” I knew that was already happening all the time around me. Certainly the Empress didn’t tell me everything, but that was always for very good reasons. I didn’t need to know every state secret.

Strumming rubbed her chin as she considered the question. “Sometimes I get curious, or I worry about ponies I know. So ... yeah, I guess it bothers me sometimes.”

“How do you handle it?” I was curious to know how she dealt with problems similar to my own. She probably had a lot more experience at it.

Her gaze became more distant as she spoke. “I guess ... I guess I'm just used to it. And I hope that whoever's making the decisions knows what they're doing. I have a hard time with it, sometimes. Like with my cousin.”

“Seems like mixing family with secrets only makes it worse.” I sighed, feeling grumpy again. “I'm really getting tired of secrets.”

Strumming smirked and poked me in the shoulder. “Good thing you're not a spy, then.”

I chuckled harshly. “I think that would drive me crazy.” Considering how I had a nearly insatiably hunger for knowledge, dangling information in front of me just wasn’t going to end well.

Something changed in Strumming’s more jovial attitude, though I couldn’t really tell exactly what it was. “So ... what was Cadance keeping secret from you?”

I winced at the sudden change in topics. “It's ... not something I feel comfortable talking about right now.” It was tempting, way too tempting to tell her the truth, but I fought against that temptation. It just didn’t strike me as a good idea. Now I had to wonder if it was because of problems like this that made Mom warn me not to go blabbing to agents of the Ministry.

Strumming shrugged again. “Your call. I'll be right here if you change your mind.”

I gave her a brittle smile. “Thanks for that. It means a lot to me, especially right now.”

“Anytime.”

I hugged her again. I liked to think Strumming had at least some good reasons for helping me. “I'll make sure to pay you back someday.”

“You don't need to worry about that.” Strumming patted my back. “I'm here to serve.”

“I'm sure the Empress appreciates your loyalty.” I said.

“I hope you do too.”

I think I did.

The day after I returned to Canterlot, I made my way to Empress Sunbeam’s personal quarters. There was something I knew I needed to tell her. Not to mention she would probably like to know I was back in town. Well, she probably already knew, but there’s finding out I had returned through her spy network, and then there’s actually going to her myself. Besides, I liked visiting her.

The guards let me into the miniature throne room that served as a sort of entrance to her quarters. “Empress Sunbeam? It’s Twilight. Can I come in?”

“Of course, my child,” she called out from further back into her quarters.

Following the Empress’ voice, I entered her lab. Rather than displaying the ostentation of the smaller throne room, her lab was largely utilitarian in function. Various enchanting tools were carefully laid out, alchemical instruments sat on tables, and shelves were covered by jars and boxes filled with ingredients.

“Wow, it's been awhile since I've been in here.” I had been given plenty of lessons about enchanting and alchemy in this lab. It was one of the Empress’ specialties, and I knew she liked to enchant in the few hours she had to herself. Getting something she had enchanted was considered to be one of the greatest signs of royal favor in the Empire, and I had seen such gifts prominently displayed in the homes of some of the ponies who had received them. My family’s own manor had a bunch of artifacts like that lying about, now that I thought about it.

“I suppose it has been, at that.” The Empress put down a pair of enchanting tools by a set of very expensive-looking robes. She stood up from her worktable cushion and smiled at me. “You did pick a good time to visit. Hold still for a moment...”

“What for?” I instinctively froze for her.

The Empress pulled out a measuring tape and went about wrapping it around my barrel like a seamstress. “Just making sure I had everything right...” She finished her work with the measuring tape and nodded with satisfaction. “Yes, I think that should fit properly.” She put it aside and then lifted up light, silver shirt of finely crafted mail. “Try it on.”

I blinked as I took the armor and gave it a more careful look. “W-wait, armor? For me?”

She nodded and a flicker of pride burned behind her eyes. “It's mithril chain. You'll barely even notice you're wearing it, especially once we finish working on it.”

“We?” I gave the armor a second look. The Empress wanted to enchant a suit of armor with me? It was such a massive honor. I could only think of a hooffull of ponies that had been given that type of opportunity, and the types of enchanted items they had made together were the artifacts that ponies told stories about.

“A new project for you, my child.” The Empress motioned towards the table, where more pieces of the armor lay waiting to be enchanted. “Between that mess with the Discord Shard and a few other ... incidents, I think it is high time you learned to equip yourself as a magus should.” Something flashed over her features, and a wistful look came to her eyes. “Ah, I remember when I helped Midnight make her first set of magus gear...”

“You did?” I asked as I put on the chain shirt. “What was that like?” More than a little bit of me was tickled by the idea of being given an honor one of my distant ancestors, the Empress’ own daughter, had received.

“It was ... a curious sort of thing,” she settled on. “I enjoyed working with her, but it is somewhat disconcerting to make armor for your child. To know that one day my Midnight's life might depend upon the quality of my craftsmareship.”

“That must have been hard.” I walked around and even did a few stretches. The armor was surprisingly light and easy to move around in; instead of feeling like I was wearing a bunch of interlocking links of metal, I was no more constricted than if I was wearing a cotton shirt. “Even harder when—well, she was her. From everything I read, she was in the thick of it a ton of times. She fought just about every other type of monster and enemy to Equestria out there.”

“Yes, she was.” There was a brief period of silence as the Empress got a distant look about her. This was something I had grown accustomed to with her. Once she had gone silent for a full five minutes thinking about something in her past. It made me wonder if that was some kind of side effect of living so long. It would make for a fantastic study about the nature of alicorns. Shame I didn’t see the Empress letting herself be turned into some sort of lab rat.

Eventually, the Empress shook her head and returned to the present. “And it seems likely that you and Sunset will be too. At least, you certainly ought to be properly equipped when the time comes to face Nightmare Moon.”

I grimaced as that issue came up again. “I can't argue with you there.” I shuffled in place as the feelings of my own insufficiency weighed on me. “I hope you won't think less of me if the idea of facing her scares me a little.”

The Empress gave me a warm, grandmotherly smile. “Twilight, I would be very worried about your sanity if you weren't scared.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at that. “I'd be a bit worried about a pony who wasn't worried about fighting a demigod too.”

She wrapped a wing around me. “Do not worry, my child. I intend to do everything I can to help keep you safe.” After a brief moment, she added, “Starting with teaching you to enchant your own armor.”

I smiled up at her. “I would really like that.”

My grandmother guided me towards her enchanting table. “Well then, shall we get started?”

“Let’s.” I stopped just short of the table to look to her. “But first, there was something I wanted to tell you.”

“Yes?”

I wrapped my legs around her in a big hug, squeezing her as tightly as I could. “I don't think I've told you this enough, but... I love you, Grandmother.”

Grandmother smiled and returned my hug, all but engulfing me in the gesture. “And I love you, my child.”

I didn’t know what all was going to happen in the future. I didn’t know if we would be able to use the Elements of Harmony, or if everything would turn out alright with Cadance and the rest of my family, or with Sunset, or a hundred other things. What I did know was what I was loyal to: my principles, my country, my family, and my grandmother. It wasn’t going to be easy to balance all of those things, especially in days like these. Conflicted loyalties were probably going to be one of the most difficult things I was going have to deal with in the near future. But as I had told Cadance, all we can do is all we can do.

Besides, nopony ever said loyalty was easy.

Author's Note

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Guest Tale: Branching Out by Trinary

Guest Tale: Branching Out
by Trinary

I was in the showers when I got the message. Naturally.

The Wonderbolts had just finished knocking the socks off the crowd in Ponyville for some charity event, and we were cleaning up and cooling off. Believe me, there’s nothing more awesome than getting to wear the uniform, but it gets hot after performing high-g stunts for over an hour. And the less said about the smell, the better.

Captain Spitfire was under the showerhead next to me. She gave me a nod that said, ‘You did good out there.’ No need to make a big deal out of it or anything—she’s a professional after all. And so am I.

Rainbow Professionalism Dash. That’s me. Still cool that she gave me the nod though. I mean, I always do great out there, but its still gives me a little thrill that Spitfire—Spitfire!—recognizes how good I am.

I was one of them. I belonged. I was a Wonderbolt.

Plus, this was Fleetfoot’s first show with us since getting back from rehab and being reinstated. I didn’t try to make a big deal out of it or anything, since I know she didn’t want that—but she made it clear how much she appreciated what I did for her. I didn’t care so much about that as just having her back with the rest of the squad. She’d been practically another aunt since I started training to join the Wonderbolts. I couldn’t wrap my head around the idea of her not being there, and having her back made things so much more awesome. So I was feeling pretty good about myself.

That was when Lightning Dust strolled in. She and I came up through the Academy together, almost literally neck-and-neck from start to finish. I won since I was made a full ‘bolt a full two weeks before she did. Naturally, I was the bigger mare and wouldn’t rub that in her face or anything. Unless she started it.

The two of us would ride each other every chance we got, always trying to prove who the better flyer was. We were … what the hay were we? Friendly rivals? Frenemies? It was hard to describe. Was there a word for rivals who occasionally fooled around with each other? Whatever. Point is, I liked her—but she could be a major pain in the flank.

Sometimes literally.

“Think fast!” Lightning called about a millisecond before a rolled up towel snapped my rump. “Too slow!”

I totally didn’t yelp, because that would’ve been lame. And everypony else in the showers started snickering because they must’ve been thinking about that stand-up comedian we saw last week. “Dammit, Lightning…” I glowered at her, but I think it needs some work. Instead of being fried to a crisp beneath my vengeful glare, all she did was smirk. The fact that my face was half-covered by my mane probably didn’t help.

“Hey Dash,” she said casually. I wanted so much to wipe that smirk from her face. “Got a minute?”

“For you, I have ten seconds.” I did my best not to grumble as I turned around, the cold water numbing the sting on my backside. “What do you want?”

She dropped the towel she smacked me with and rolled her neck. “Messenger came by and dropped off a letter for you. Thought you’d like to know.”

Was it possible to actually be able to taste smug? “Thanks, Lightning.” I grinned. “You’re a pretty good messenger yourself. Might want to look into that, y’know, professionally.”

Lightning couldn’t hide her annoyance. “Yeah yeah ... yuck it up. Just come out and sign for your feathering mail.” She tried to inject a little sweetness into her voice. “Be sure to be properly dressed for a change, hmm?”

I felt my ears burning as more snickers broke out, so I ducked my head back under the showerhead. Scheming little... A while back, I took Lightning’s place during a show in Canterlot. It was actually a command performance for Governor Cadance and Empress Sunbeam. Lightning had been so jealous that during one practice she undid the back-flap of my uniform when I wasn’t paying attention. Naturally that was the practice where a photographer for Illustrated Equestrian Sports magazine was visiting. “Whatever, still more attention than you’ve ever gotten.”

“Is that right?” Lightning’s smile was forced. “Rainbow Crash?”

I felt myself go hot and then cold all over, and it had nothing to do with the shower. “Not at all, Lightning Dust.” I didn’t use a nickname back, to let her know that this wasn’t playing around time.

The rest of the shower room grew quiet, except for running water. The silence was so tense that even Lightning managed to realize how badly she stuck her hoof in it, the other Wonderbolts frowning at her like she just farted during a eulogy.

Fleetfoot frowned at her. “Lightning…” I held up a wing and she stopped. Much as I appreciated it, I didn’t need to her stand up for me. I turned off the shower and started to head out.

“Wait, Rainbow…” Lightning put herself between me and the door. “‘M sorry.”

I just grunted, not wanting to dwell on it. “Fine.” I toweled my mane dry. “Catch you later, Lightning.”

She nodded. “So … later tonight?” She tried to keep her voice casual, but the way her wings shuffled gave her interest away.

“I’ll think about it.” I started to walk past her—then stopped. “Actually, Lightning…?”

She leaned in closer, clearly excited. “Yeah?”

“Think fast.” Fun fact: a wet tail can be even better than a towel. Lightning let out a hilarious shriek that set off some more laughter from the rest of the ‘bolts. Since I had won that round, I decided to make my exit to see whatever it was this messenger had for me.

Imagine my surprise when I found the messenger waiting by the staff entrance. Only, it was a rather familiar messenger. It was hard to forget the pink coat or tri-color hair, but it was the whole ‘being an alicorn’ thing that really sealed the deal. “Governor Cadenza?”

“Hello, Rainbow Dash. And please, when we’re alone you can call me Cadance.” She smiled as if we were lifelong friends. With most ponies I would’ve called it fake, but with her I could actually buy that she thought that way.

Her smile made me feel uncomfortable. Cadance was so beatific and kind that it made me feel like I didn’t belong in the same room as her—especially since I’d just finished messing around with Lightning in the locker room shower.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I hated her or anything. But when Cadance shows up, things get … complicated.

Case in point, this. “I thought Lightning said there was a messenger here.”

“A minor spell to make anyone looking at me think I was simply a mailpony.” She explained it so casually like it was an everyday thing for anypony to do.

I felt myself tensing and tried to relax. “So, what’re you doing in Ponyville? Here for the show?” Somehow, I couldn’t make myself believe that she came all the way down from the North to see a Wonderbolt show, even if I was being totally awesome in it.

“Actually, I’m the one who arranged for it to be here.” She winked as she let me in on the secret. “I encouraged one of our local friends to request the Wonderbolts perform here to raise funds for the new children’s wing at the local hospital. After that, it was just a matter of asking a friend in Canterlot to run into Spitfire to convince her to accept the job.”

The way she said ‘friend’ made it clear that she was referring to more members of her Circle, with a capital C. The whole thing made my wings twitch: the secretive deals and bargains and arrangements. Anypony who knows me will say that I’m pretty above board on most things. I’d rather fly under my own colors than sneak around.

Unless I was a superhero. Superheroes don’t count.

“Uh, okay … that doesn’t really explain why you did all that stuff.”

Cadance looked around cautiously. “We needed to talk.”

If I was uncomfortable before, now it was getting into downright bizarre territory. All that running around and stuff, just so she could talk to me? “And you couldn’t just drop by and do that because…?” But I knew the answer even as I answered my own question. “The Empress.”

She nodded solemnly. “The Governor of Northmarch coming all the way down just to meet with a new Wonderbolt would’ve raised more than a few eyebrows. But I have a history with one of the doctors in the pediatric wing, so our running into each other while you’re here isn’t as conspicuous.” Her lip twitched. “And the show did help the hospital and the foals, so I managed to do some good while getting to meet with you.”

Remember when I said Cadance made things complicated? That’s what I was talking about. “I get that but … can’t you do anything, y’know, simple?”

“I am just a pony,” Cadance replied. “Equestria is large, and the wider world is even larger—and so are the threats they face. I can only do so much, especially if I’m to have my own moments of joy and love in my life. I may be a powerful pony, and I want for nothing, but the one thing even I cannot afford is to do things simply.”

“Okay, okay—so what did you want to talk to me about?” I knew I sounded impatient, but I didn’t care. This cloak-and-dagger secret agent stuff was cool to read about, but having lived it? It basically just means being jerked around by a bunch of different ponies who never let you know what the whole deal was.

A big part of becoming a Wonderbolt was training to be in-synch with your squadmates. You knew exactly where you were in relation to them, even if you couldn’t see them. You trusted them and they trusted you. You eat with them, shower with them, live with them on the road … there were darn few secrets between ‘bolts. We laugh at each other, at ourselves, support one another but above all we have to know where we stand with each other. That’s a big part why Fleetfoot’s doping hit me as hard as it did.

But now? It feels like my life was becoming nothing but secrets. First Empress Sunbeam tells me I’m part of a super-secret team to stop Nightmare Moon from destroying the world in a couple of months. Then I get recruited by Cadance and the Circle into making sure Sunbeam doesn’t use the Elements of Harmony to kill Luna or conquer the rest of the world. And then Rarity—Rarity, of all ponies—turns out to be the Sapphire Guardian, and I have to keep her secret from the rest of our group.

With the Wonderbolts, everypony trusted me and I trusted everypony. With this new group, I had none of that.

I mean, I get having secrets. Everypony has a few. But when it gets to the point where you’re wondering if that janitor really is a janitor or a spy for Cadance or the Empress, or if there was some secret message you missed because you thought their ‘code’ was somepony trying to sell you a carrot-dog, that’s just way too much.

I guess Cadance or one of her ‘friends’ had picked up that I was getting fed up with the lack of answers, because she said, “You said you wanted to meet the Circle's leader. And that’s why we’re here.”

“Your leader is in Ponyville?” I had to admit, that was pretty brilliant. I mean, nopony ever really thought much about Ponyville except to say that it had a really unoriginal name.

“Close by,” Cadance corrected. “Do you think you could slip away for a few hours without raising suspicion?”

Spitfire would be PO’ed if I wasn’t back in time for lights out, but that wasn’t for a while. “Sure. When do we leave?”

Cadance beckoned me with a wing. “Sooner is better. And now is better than sooner.”

“Sure.” I flew up alongside her. I was getting tired of straining my neck upwards to look at her. “But I think you might have forgotten something.” I smiled. Cadance frowned, trying to figure out what I meant. It was nice to have her looking all confused for a change. “The second we get out of here we’re gonna be mobbed by a ton of screaming fans.” I shot her my best smirk. “Would kind of defeat the purpose behind you trying to meet with me on the sly, right?”

Cadance grimaced and grumbled something I couldn’t quite make out. “A valid point.” She sighed. “I’m sorry. I’ve been … distracted lately. Hold on, this will just take a moment.” Her horn began to glow and I felt a cool tingle work its way up my spine. It faded but didn’t quite go away completely. “There. That was the Background Pony Spell. It makes us appear unremarkable and unimportant so nopony will pay us any mind.”

Huh, so that’s what being a retail worker felt like. “This is cool! Think of everything you could do like this! The pranking potential alone...”

“I’m glad you’re impressed,” she chuckled. “Come on. We have a flight ahead of us. Are you coming?”

Like she even had to ask. I was out the doors before she had even spread her wings. I even managed to score a short rest on a nice, fluffy cloud before she caught up to me. “What took you so long?”

“We’re not all professional athletes, Rainbow Dash,” she observed dryly.

“Yeah, but you are an alicorn,” I observed helpfully. “Aren’t they supposed to combine the best strengths of all three types of ponies or something?”

She tilted her head at me, probably impressed with my insight. “That’s more or less accurate.”

“Then you should be one of the best flyers in Equestria. Come on, show me what you got!”

“We should get to the meeting place…” Cadance trailed off, seeing my expression. Just to drive the point home, I crossed my hooves at her response. “Alright,” she conceded. “But we’ll do it on the way.”

“Yes!” I pumped my hoof in the air. Before I started my victory dance, I recalled one little detail that hadn’t been mentioned. “Um, on the way to where, exactly?”

Cadance glided past me, heading for the boundaries of Ponyville. “The Everfree Forest.”

Whoa. I had heard about it. It used to be a massive, wild forest filled with all sorts of creatures that wouldn’t think twice about devouring a pony. Since then, the expansion of Ponyville had cut the Everfree down to size. I could see a bit of that expansion as we flew over the coliseum, the hotel the Wonderbolts were staying at, a couple of apartment complexes, factories … it was a good five-minute flight to the reach the outskirts of Ponyville. Of course, I could’ve made in a fraction of that time, but Cadance wasn’t that fast a flyer.

I did a couple of loops and rolls as I flew so Cadance would have a chance to keep up with me, then spun a couple of clouds around, performed a few steep dives where a split second was all that stood between me and becoming a smear on the rooftops. You know, nothing major.

Cadance was suitably impressed when I rejoined her. “That’s some very impressive flying. It’s no wonder you’re one of the youngest Wonderbolts in history.”

That made me grin. “Thanks. Of course, aren’t you pretty young to be a governor? I mean, I could be wrong, but all the other governors had much longer beards than yours.”

She chuckled. “Just so. I suppose I have this to thank for my rapid rise.” She tossed her head, displaying her horn.

“Meh.” I tucked my hooves behind my head and coasted alongside on my back. “Seems like you wouldn’t have that horn and your wings if you weren’t awesome, so my point stands.”

Cadance smiled modestly but didn’t say anything more about it.

That’s something that a lot of ponies really don’t get: they think that modesty is always the right way to go, that self-confidence doesn’t really have a place. I’ve seen a lot of potentially great flyers just never become as great as they could be because they mentally held themselves back. Granted, I’ve seen more than a few ego cases crash and burn in a spectacular display—but seeing somepony else’s career never get off the runway because they didn’t have the confidence to give it their all isn’t any less tragic for being less visible.

Instead, all Cadance said was, “I understand the Empress has introduced you to the rest of your companions. Might I ask your impressions of them from that first meeting?”

I shrugged. “Well, turns out that I already knew some of them. Fluttershy and Derpy Doo are two of my old friends from flight camp, so that was cool.”

Cadance smiled. “I’m glad to hear that.”

“Yeah, I mean—Fluttershy’s a Knight now. Order of Sol Invictus. And Derpy’s a captain in the Imperial Corps of Engineers.” I laughed. “I did not see either of those coming.” I mean, Fluttershy, winner of the Miss Meek competition for four years running becoming a sword wielding knight? Derpy, whose talent for accidental destruction got her bubble butt listed on insurance claims in her hometown, actually building things? All of a sudden the old indignation I felt towards the Empire for guiding me to being a Wonderbolt flared up. At least they managed to change since they were younger. I was exactly what I’d been trained to be. Even if my life now was awesome, I didn’t need to be led to the Wonderbolts on a leash.

If Cadance could tell what I was thinking—and it might be paranoia on my part, but sometimes I wonder if that was the case—she gave no sign of it. Her smile was genuine, at least. “I’m glad that you managed to reconnect with your old friends.”

“Are you going to ask me to bring them into the Circle stuff?” I half-expected her to say yes. If she was anything like Sunbeam, she’d already be working the angles of how to best use my friendships to get what she wanted.

I was almost grateful when she shook her head. “I don’t think so. It’s a major commitment, and it’s difficult to open up to somepony about the Empire without giving too much away.” Cadance hesitated. “I wouldn’t want you to use your friendships like that. Even if you and they disagree about the Empress or the Circle, don’t let that ruin them.” Okay, points to her for saying no. It helps me know I’m on the right side here. “What about the others in your group?”

I frowned. “Well, the others are Rarity and the Empress’ two students: Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle. But you probably know them.”

“And you don’t like them?” She didn’t give me much time to think of a nice way of saying it.

“Not really.” I shrugged. “Rarity is actually pretty cool once you get to know her. She’s—” I wondered if I should tell her that Rarity is the Sapphire Guardian. The Empress knew, but I doubted if Cadance did. I promised to help the Circle stand up to Sunbeam, but I also promised Rarity I’d keep her secret. Which one counted more? I could practically feel Cadance’s eyes boring into me, so I had to finish the thought. “—fussy and kind of prissy. I mean, really prissy. A teacher at Harshwhinny’s, you know?”

Cadance dipped her head. “I’m familiar with it. She teaches Twilight’s younger sister at the academy. But what about Sunset and Twilight?”

I let out a groan. “Twilight’s like the anti-me: she likes sitting inside all day and studying, obsessed with research and reading dusty old books. She just does what she’s told, especially when it comes from Sunbeam.” I thought I saw Cadance wince briefly, but she might have just swallowed a bug. It’s a hazard of flying. “I mean, she isn’t annoying or anything, she’s just not somepony I’d probably hang out with if, you know, the fate of the world wasn’t riding on it.”

After that Cadance just rubbed her face for a moment before pressing on. “And Sunset Shimmer?”

“She’s a nag.” That I could say without the slightest bit of hesitation. “She’s like a mini-Sunbeam. She’s obnoxious, naggy, and is pretty much an Empress’ pet. I’ve met yaks who were more pleasant.”

Cadance blinked once. “Well, there’s certainly no doubt about why you were given the Element of Honesty.”

What can I say? I like having ponies know where they stand with me. None of the tiptoeing around the Ursa Major in the room. I mean—wait a second. “How did you know which Element I got? Not even Twilight or Sunset knew about the Elements of Harmony or Nightmare Moon until Sunbeam spilled the beans.” It had been hard pretending that I had no idea what they were talking about when the Empress showed us around her little trophy room, made worse by having to put up with Sunset Shimmer being so condescending and smug. I had so wanted to rub it in her face that I knew the score even before the much-vaunted personal student of the Empress was allowed in on it.

“The Empress does love her secrets,” she commented, which had the benefit of being true and avoiding the issue. Politicians, am I right?

So, I decided to be a bit more direct. “So who are you that you knew about it before they did?”

“Somepony who's very well-connected.” Again, not very useful. “Our leader filled me in.”

“And who is she? I mean, you were the aedile of Canterlot and now governor of Northmarch. And you’re an alicorn! Who could be above you?”

She just smiled mysteriously. “Who indeed?”

Ugh, seriously? “How’d you get involved with this Circle business?”

Cadance thought it over. “I suppose one could say that destiny led me here.”

So she was going with that old dodge, huh? I rolled my eyes. “If you didn't want to talk about it, you could've just said so.”

Cadance shook her head. “It's not that. I got lost in this very forest when I was a very young filly, and that's when I met her.”

Now we were getting somewhere! “Who?”

She gave one of the enigmatic smiles I was coming to associate with alicorns. “You'll see in just a minute.” She held up a hoof to cut off my objection. “Before you get too upset, it’ll be faster to show you than it would be to explain it.”

Before long, I spotted something half-shrouded by fog. It was a ruined castle in the heart of the Everfree, broken down and crumbling with huge gaps exposing the place’s innards as vines grew over the rest. Clearly housekeeping hadn’t been by lately. “Is that it?”

Cadance shook her head and flew lower. “That’s the Castle of the Two Royal Sisters. It was their home until Princess Luna became Nightmare Moon, after which it was abandoned for Canterlot. From what I understand, it was truly magnificent a thousand years ago.”

“If you say so.” We landed on the far side of a chasm by a rotten and fallen rope bridge. Somepony should really fix that. “So this is where your leader lives?”

“Below, actually.” Cadance pointed to a flight of stairs carved into the mountain that I swear I didn’t notice despite looking almost right at them. She trotted down while I flew behind her. I mean, what’s the point of wings if you’re not gonna use them?

When I reached the ground I spotted a cave, big and dark and—well, cavernous. Then, for just an instant, there was this bright twinkle of light from somewhere in the deep. It was so fast I wasn’t sure if I imagined it or not. But somehow, I knew I hadn’t.

“Go on.” I hadn’t even heard Cadance approach me. I totally didn’t flinch though.

“Wha—er, right, right.” I coughed. “Did you bring a light or—” Her horn began to glow. She gave me this tiny little smirk and trotted on ahead of me. Alicorns. Ugh.

The cave was bathed in the bluish light of her magic, though there wasn’t much to see. Then her light refracted off something and the entire place lit up. I had to cover my eyes with a wing to keep from being blinded, and wishedI had brought my goggles for what little good they would have done.

I blinked as the source of the light came into focus: a giant tree made entirely of crystals.

I kept it cool though. “That is ... what is that?!”

“Thatis the Circle's leader.” Cadance dipped her head to it. “Rainbow Dash, this is the Tree of Harmony.”

I did not hear that right. “A tree?!”

“Well, it's not just a tree,” Cadance said in her defense.

Yeah, sure. “That is a tree. I know a tree when I'm looking at one, even if it’s a weird crystal tree-thing, and I’m looking at one right now!” I groaned and facehooved. “Your leader is a tree. You should've called in Fluttershy. She would love this.”

The tree began to shimmer, twinkling in random places—and then, a new voice echoed in the cavern. “Once, in the time before the Empire, I was queen. I ruled for hundreds of years before stepping down. In my last days, I realized that there were dangers which the Empress was unaware of and could not defeat on her own. So I chose to merge my essence with the Tree of Harmony.”

The voice was strange: gentle but firm, with an odd echo to it. The more it talked, the more the tree sparkled. The tree was talking.

I wasn’t even aware I was sitting down until my rump hit the cold stone floor. “You're the Old Queen Celestia.”

It lit up again. “Yes.”

Okay, limit reached. I tried to say something—anything—but nothing came out.

“I am sure this must be very startling for you,” the tree—Celestia (Treelestia?) said. “I apologize.”

“Just a bit,” I said weakly. “So, uh, what’s up?”

The tree seemed to hesitate. “What's ... up?”

Cadance glanced towards the tree. “I told you she was a bit unique.”

“I didn't ask for a courtier with perfectly refined manners,” the Queen responded. “I asked for Rainbow Dash. Now, my little pony, was there anything else you wished to ask?”

“Oh no, nothing much only, just a little—I don’t know—everything!” I yelled. “How did you get to be a tree? Didn’t you die? How the feather is this happening? I mean, you’re a tree!”

She did ask.

“It would be more accurate to say that my spirit is currently contained within a tree.” That just explained so much. “To call me a tree would be inaccurate; in my current state, I am connected to and a part of all life in Equestria. In many ways, I am now at a higher plane of existence than I occupied as a pony.”

What the hay are you even supposed to say to that? “Okay, so … how’s that working out for you?”

Celestia paused. “Fine. I find it very relaxing.”

So. Weird. “Sooo, can you see me, like right now?”

“Yes, I can.” The tree moved a branch reaching down and brushing my side. I jumped back. I mean, who wouldn’t? A tree had reached out and touched me.

“How can you do that?”

“I can do much more than that,” Celestia responded. “The Tree of Harmony can see events all across Equestria and beyond.”

Okay, that seemed like a bit much. “Really? Being a tree lets you know what’s going on everywhere? I’ve heard of sinking roots into a place and branching out, but this is ridiculous.”

Cadance moaned. “Rainbow…”

“Perhaps she requires proof.” Celestia offered, twinkling. Why did she sound so pleased by the prospect? “I could perhaps tell her something that I shouldn’t know, being a tree rooted in one place? Hmm … There is her crush on Fluttershy...” I felt my jaw drop open and a sudden flush of heat rush up my face. Oh. My. Goddess. I dimly heard Cadance giggling.

Apparently Celestia had a mischievous streak—which I would normally appreciate if it were under different circumstances—because then she oh-so casually added, “Of course, there is also your very personal time with your wingpony, Lightning Dust.”

Dangit, why couldn’t I speak? I could only communicate in squeaks! Now I could definitely hear Cadance chortling. I snuck a peek and saw her looking positively giddy. I am so doomed.

“I trust you are satisfied with this little demonstration?” Celestia asked. “If not, there was also that incident at the Wonderbolt Academy—”

“Alright alright, you made your point!” I shouted. Geeze, didn’t she know there’s such a thing as too much honesty? Cadance didn’t even try to hide her mirth. I groaned and rubbed my face. This is so not how I expected this to go at all. “So, you’re the leader of the Circle? You sent Cadance to talk to me?”

“I am indeed.” Her branches glimmered. “I felt it was time I got to know you better for myself, and to more fully include you in the Circle’s activities.”

Okay, I’m game. “Sure, go for it.”

Celestia chuckled. “Unique indeed. Cadance?”

She dipped her head to the tree and took a breath. “We’ve managed to secure the election of a tribune who’s friendly to us, as well as several new governors and a dozen mayors. We managed to influence Sunbeam to adopt a more conciliatory policy towards the caribou.” She paused, looking nervous about something. “Argentium met with me and the Empress, and stressed the importance of Luna regaining her mantle as Princess of the Moon.” She bit her lip, her eyes flickering over towards me.

What, did I have something in my teeth?

“She is going to be in the middle of all this.” Celestia said. “You can speak plainly in front of her.”

“Very well,” Cadance sighed. “I know you want to see your sister restored, Your Majesty, but given that she’s spent the last thousand years in the grip of madness, it’s going to be hard for ponies to accept her. How can you even be sure the Elements will completely heal her mind?”

Celestia didn’t seem put off by the question—then again, she was a tree. I guess you could say her expression was a little wooden. “I understand your concerns, but I know what the Elements of Harmony are capable of. They can restore my sister.”

“Even if they do,” Cadance conceded. “How do you know that her isolation won’t cause her to backslide again? She’s been gone for a thousand years. Everything she knew is gone … including you. If she could fall before, what’s to stop her from doing so again—especially once she learns how much Sunbeam has changed?”

“I have faith in my sister,” Celestia said solemnly. Really, that’s it? I guess she must’ve guessed what I was thinking—or that Cadance was thinking the same thing—because Celestia added, “Sunbeam assumes the worst of everypony and everybeing, based on her own tragic experiences. She feels that if there is even a minute chance that some ill could come from a pony’s choice, she must take that choice away. But we can show her a better way. If we are to do so, we cannot allow ourselves to write anyone off merely because there is a risk that a pony may someday do something harmful. Otherwise, how is our thinking any different than hers?”

Cadance sighed, unhappy and unconvinced but at least willing to give it a chance. “As you say.” She hesitated, before clearing her throat. “I arranged for Twilight to meet Argentium, in private. She figured it out and...” For the first time since I’d known her, Cadance needed to stop to go regain her composure. Even then, it wasn’t terribly convincing. “I—I don’t think Twilight will be open to joining the Circle anytime soon.” Her shoulders slumped. “I also accidentally revealed her mother’s place in the Circle.”

Whoa. Twilight’s mother was in the Circle? That was a pretty big deal. I felt myself leaning forward to hear more, but Cadance didn’t add anything else. Even though she was just a tree, I could somehow tell that Celestia was focusing on me now. “Do you understand what the Circle is and what we intend to do?”

“Yeah,” I nodded, trying to not be distracted by wondering about Twilight and Cadance. “You want to keep Sunbeam honest. But what I don’t really get is what I’m supposed to do exactly. All I’ve got is a big round rock. Unless the goal is to throw it at Nightmare Moon or Sunbeam really hard, then I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.”

“You will learn to unlock their power through the magic of friendship.” The tree sighed, which was something I never expected to hear. “Despite Sunbeam's hopes, I do not think it is something you can learn by reading books.”

“If it was, then Twilight would be a friendship expert by this point.” I wished I could take that back the moment after I said it; the hurt look on Cadance’s face was actively painful to look at. “Sorry.” I coughed. “Queen Celestia, can I ask you something?” Ugh, I was asking permission of a tree. Here I was complaining that my life had too much direction just a little while ago…

The tree lit up. “Of course. You may ask anything you wish of me.”

Alright, might as well go for the big question. “Why? Why are you leading the Circle? Why’d you even step down and make Sunbeam the Empress if you were just going to end up opposing her anyway?”

“Is that what you think we’re doing?” She turned the question back on me. “Opposing her?”

I looked around. We stood in a hidden cave in the middle of a wild forest, sneaking out of Ponyville by magic and Governor Cadance wore a nondescript cloak. Yeah, color me crazy, but that did kind of suggest a secret opposition.

When I said as much, Celestia answered, “Our position is not one of opposition so much as ... guidance.”

She really liked splitting hairs for a pony who didn’t have any. It bugged me. “Okay, fine but why even put her in charge if you're just going to have to guide her into doing the right thing anyway?” I snorted. “If you didn’t trust her to run Equestria, then maybe you shouldn’t have let her off your leash.”

Even Iknew that was pushing it with that. I expected to get my head bitten off for that (or whatever the equivalent would be from a tree), but instead all Celestia did was sigh. How she sighed without having lungs, you got me. “Because I was tired of ruling. Tired of the price my mistakes had on my subjects. And because she deserved to be saved.”

“So instead you let her take over to make even worse mistakes?” I growled. “She conquered half the world! She’s told every race she comes across 'Join the Empire' or else!’ She created the feathering Ministry of Heart!”

“And you think if I had retained the throne, there would be no evil?” Celestia didn’t even sound fazed. “Under my reign, pony slaughtered pony because of my mistakes.”

I grumbled, having heard a bit of the old history from my family. “Well, okay, but would you have forced every race around to bow to you?”

Celestia’s lights seemed to dim for a moment, as if depressed. “No.” I shrugged, not seeing what else to add. But Celestia had more to say. “I am not pleased by all of Sunbeam's solutions, but her methods do often yield positive results. It has always been a question of whether the benefits justify the price.”

This was why I preferred flying to politics. “Okay, I get that you don't want to rip everything down. But what is the Circle actually doing to make things better?”

“To begin with, we've worked to ensure that the citizenship process truly is fair and equitable.”

Well, that’s something at least. But that didn’t answer the big question. “What happens if tomorrow Sunbeam wants to take over another other race?”

“We would work to persuade her that conquest is not the best way to expand.” Celestia sighed, though this time I could see her branches sway slightly. “Believe it or not, the situation with the caribou and the buffalo represents an improvement; expansion through cultural and economic hegemony rather than direct conquest. Nine hundred years ago, she would have mustered her armies and driven the buffalo out. This time, she negotiated a treaty.”

A treaty that swindled the buffalo out of their ancestral stampeding ground because their chief was old and senile. I sighed. Derpy had told me about how she managed to convince the Empress into at least listening to the buffalo. Just thinking about all this was more tiring than an entire performance. “Look, I know you don't want to start another civil war or anything; I don't either. But you can't just go around acting like her conscience or whatever. Sometimes you just gotta stand up and loudly tell her 'No.'” I paused, then added, “And maybe hit her with a rolled up newspaper or something.”

“Which is why we are pressuring her to reopen negotiations with the buffalo,” Celestia answered evenly. “And why we arranged to have Cadance put in charge of the caribou situation. We will show her that there is a better way.”

Huh, that was news. “You arranged it? I thought Sunbeam posted Cadance there.”

“She made the formal appointment, yes. But where do you think she got the idea?”

“You mean you put ideas in her head?”

“Not directly, no. But several members of the Circle hinted at the idea, and she took it to heart.”

Well, that begged the million bit question. “Does she ... know about you?”

The tree lit up. “She has known about the Circle almost since its founding. It was inevitable, when we recruited so many ponies who were close to her. And yes, that means it is quite possible she knows about me as well.” My eyes widened. Damn. Celestia certainly liked to live on the edge … for a tree, I mean. “She doesn't seem inclined to kill me or take other aggressive action. In her own way, I think Sunbeam loved me, as much as she was capable of such a thing.”

“If you say so.” I ruffled my wings, trying not to dwell on the Empress’ bizarre feelings. “This is really serious isn't it? I mean, after Sunbeam and Cadance spoke to me, there was that aedile who got killed…”

“Yes.” I don’t know how a tree could sound pained, but that’s exactly how Celestia sounded now. “Pinkie Pie, who was destined to wield the Element of Laughter, just as you were destined to wield Loyalty.”

Loyalty? But I was honesty! Wasn’t I? “How can that be? I mean, if it's destined to happen—how can it if she's dead? And I'm not that loyal; not to Sunbeam anyway.”

“Destiny is ... more complex than a set of events immutably written in stone,” Celestia said, clearly measuring her words.

Not that it helped all that much. “Huh?”

The tree lit up. “Would you like a very long and complicated explanation that would likely be over your head, or a simple analogy?”

“I’m not stupid,” I grumbled, tired of having ponies talk down to me. “...simple analogy please.”

“Destiny,” Celestia illuminated the cave as she spoke, “is not so much a single set line of events as an infinite spiderweb of potential.”

I stuck out my tongue. “Hate those things.” Cadance let out a quiet snicker. “What? I’m totally not scared of spiders, if that's what you're thinking. I just … don't like them is all. Like eggplants. I’m not scared of eggplants, who is? But I don't like 'em.”

“I think we might be getting lost in the metaphor,” Celestia observed dryly.

“Huh? Oh right.” I shook my head. Okay, focusing. “So how can something be destiny if can not happen?”

“In short, because ponies always have the capacity to chose.” Celestia’s branches lit up. “It's terribly complicated. Sunbeam always hated the topic.” I had never felt more sympathy for her. “A great deal is likely to change with my sister's return. How much ... remains to be seen.”

I thought back to my talk with Empress Sunbeam. “It’s like you said, the Empress always assumes the worst of everyone and plans things out that way. She’s convinced that she’s the only being in the entire world who knows what to do and that nopony else can be trusted to do things right. To her, if there’s like less than a one percent chance of someone screwing up, she wouldn’t risk it. Especially when it comes to letting anyone else make a choice for themselves.” I rubbed my neck. “She'll probably try to lock Luna away for what she did as Nightmare Moon—or maybe just not let her become immortal again.”

“I will not allow my sister to rot away in a dungeon cell or be robbed of her rightful span, rest assured of that.” Celestia’s branches flared at the proclamation, and I believed her. “But I suspect there is more to her plans than that. I have a question for you, Rainbow Dash: she gathered you and the other Element bearers together in her private vault. I would have your impressions.”

I told them about how the Empress got us together in her study and how she laid it all out for the others—I had to pretend not to know what was going on, but I think I pulled it off (for some reason Cadance coughed suddenly when I mentioned that). When I told them about all the stuff the Empress kept in the vault, I could feel their attention grow, especially when I got to the part about the Empress’ holding onto the bodies of Celestia and Midnight Sparkle.

Which, yeah, I don't blame them. Keeping corpses around your private trophy room? That's not messed up at all. Of course, it had to be even weirder for Celestia.

But that’s not what she asked about. “Did you ... notice anything about Sunbeam and her child?”

Besides the fact that she kept her dead daughter on display in her den? I thought back. “Well, she stopped in front of her for a bit and we had to wait for her.”

“So would you say she still mourns her daughter?” Celestia asked.

“I guess?” I shrugged. I wasn’t a mind-reader.

“Of course,” Celestia answered her own question—then why even ask me? “The only pony she truly loved. That raises a very troubling question for me: the Circle knows that Sunbeam has no intention of restoring Luna to equal status once she regains her sanity. Which begs the question...”

What, is she waiting for me to fill in the blanks? “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Why she ever let her daughter die in the first place, when she could have passed dominion over the moon to her?” I got the sense that she’d be frowning if she still had a face. “At the very least, she could have given her daughter the moon mantle until Luna’s return.”

Is this going to be a thing, where they keep asking me stuff I couldn’t possibly know? “Maybe she is that cold-hearted of a nag.”

Celestia didn’t seem to think so. “Would somepony that cold still keep their child's body and visit it daily?” I just shrugged. Her tone was cautious. “I can't find a reason why Midnight Sparkle isn't alive. Not one that satisfies me. And when I can't find a rational explanation for something that important, it bothers me. Because it means I'm missing something. There must be an answer. And I think we need to know it before Luna returns.” She paused, I guess wanting it all to sink in. “Do you understand all this, Rainbow Dash? Can you handle it?”

“If you didn’t think I could, you wouldn’t have asked me to come.” I grinned. “Be-leaf me, I’m not easily over-elm-ed.” Out of the corner of my eye I saw Cadance groan and facehoof. Naturally, I kept going. “I ash-ure you, everything will be oak-ay, even if it is a larch problem. I’m sure we can get Luna to turn over a new leaf and stick around, lay down some new roots and stuff. Maybe even spruce up Sunbeam’s attitude while we’re at it, provided she doesn’t charge us all with tree-son.”

“Rainbow Dash,” Cadance looked positively pained.

Frankly, I felt proud of myself for holding off on the tree jokes for as long as I did. Who says I can’t focus on what’s important?

There was a long moment of silence as Celestia’s tree went dim. It was just long enough for me to start to worry that maybe I had gone too far … but then it lit up again and Celestia laughed, loudly. “Very true! I think yew should know, I’ve pine-d for a pony who would be maple to keep up with my sense of humor. But be careful, cedar or later you’ll go too far and then you’ll be in deep fertilizer!”

I grinned. I’m going to like working with her.

Cadance groaned. “Don’t encourage her…”

On the flight back to Ponyville I noticed Cadance was being unusually quiet. I did a quick loop around her, but she didn’t even seem to notice me. Well, I’m not one to turn down a challenge, so I settled for setting myself right in front of Cadance. Luckily for both of us, she wasn’t so out of it that she would miss something blue and awesome in her flight path.

Drawing herself up short, Cadance whinnied in confusion. “Rainbow, what in the world—?!”

“Hey, I had to get your attention somehow and I didn’t think you wanted me to do a Sonic Rainboom under your snout.” I smirked wryly. “Not exactly good for us sneaking around, right?”

She rubbed her face. “Yes, that would make things difficult.” She started around me, but I sped in front of her. I was a professional flyer. She wasn’t going to get around me or lose me without bringing out the magical big guns, would have about the same impact as me doing a Sonic Rainboom. In other words: she wasn’t about to lose me.

When I told her as much, she grimaced but couldn’t argue against my awesomeness. “Is there something wrong, Rainbow?”

“Yeah, you’re stealing my line.” I leaned forward. “What’s wrong with you? And don’t tell me nothing’s wrong. You look like somepony peed in your rain cloud.”

Cadance wrinkled her nose in disgust, but apparently decided not to argue the point. “You’re right, it isn’t nothing. But it’s nothing you can do anything about.”

That was precisely the wrong thing to say to me. “Why don’t you let me determine what I can or can’t do?”

“Rainbow—”

I waved her objection off before she could even make it. “Nothing doing. I’m not stupid, Cadance. I can tell that something’s bugging you about how your meeting with Twilight about the Circle went down.”

If we were playing battleclouds, I would’ve just zapped her weather pony; she couldn’t stop herself from flinching. I felt a bit of satisfaction in knowing that I was right, but that died after seeing how miserable she looked. “Wanna—” I started before catching myself. “Need to talk about it?”

Cadance’s body posture, usually so well poised and stunning, slumped. Her body looked like a sack of potatoes held up by her wings. “I foalsat for Twilight when she was a little filly. Her sister Amethyst, too. She was always so happy to seem me. We had our own activities, even a special greeting.” Her voice quavered. “When I was with them—it was like I was already part of their family, well before I proposed to Shining. It was wonderful.” She swallowed an emotional lump in her throat. When she continued, her voice sounded painfully raw. “Then in a moment, it all started to fall apart.”

“Hey.” I flew next to her, letting my outstretched wing slide over hers in an old pegasus expression of support. “It’ll be okay. Twilight was probably just surprised about all this Circle business. If she’s half as smart as she acts, she’ll see that we’re doing the right thing.”

But it was like she didn’t even hear me. “Twilight was furious,” Cadance whispered. “She knew I had arranged for Shining Armor to be away, knew I had set up the meeting with Argentium. I tried to put her off, I knew she would be too upset to understand why the Circle exists. But she … pushed.”

Something about the way she said that made my ears twitch. “She ‘pushed’ you? How?”

Cadance shook her head. “She didn’t mean it, she wouldn’t really…”

I suddenly got that feeling when get when you stop flapping and feel yourself plummeting down, your gut sinking and twisting up. “She wouldn’t really have what?” I demanded, dreading the answer. “She didn’t threaten you, did she?”

“She wouldn’t really have have gone to them...”

There was only one them in Equestria that sounded that ominous. I felt my jaw hanging open. “She threatened to rat you out to the Ministry of Heart?!” Okay, I got why Twilight was pissed, really I did. Ponies she knew and trusted were keeping secrets from her. I’ve been there, and I get how much that hurts. But to threaten Cadance with the feathering Ministry of Heart? Bluff or no, that’s going too far, dammit! “What the feather?!”

Cadance must’ve seen I was pissed. Then again, it wasn’t that hard to notice. “Rainbow Dash, I need you to stay calm...”

“Feathercalm!” I shouted. “Feather Twilight, feather the Ministry and feather Sunbeam! I’m going to fly out to Canterlot right now and deck that Twilight right in the snoz!” I wouldn’t wish the MoH on my worst enemy, let alone my future sister-in-law! That was—she—what was wrong with that pony?!

I suppose I must’ve said that last part out loud, because Cadance sighed gently. “She’s very loyal to her grandmother. She’s allowed her love for her and her accomplishments to blind her to Sunbeam’s very real and very serious flaws.”

Okay, I was all for loyalty—kind of a prerequisite when you’re in a team as close-knit as the Wonderbolts—but not when it let you become blind to what was going on around you. Blind loyalty is a recipe for servitude and slavery.

Still, there was a problem in front of me and I knew just how to solve it. “Stay here, Cadance. I’m going to fly to Canterlot, kick Twilight in the rump until her brains start working again and she realizes that you were right.” I tried to move but found myself surrounded by a pink bubble of magic. Feathering bubbles. “Cadance … you know you can’t keep me here.”

“Rainbow Dash, please listen,” she urged. “I know you want to help me and I really, really appreciate that. But trust me when I tell you that this won’t help. You can’t force Twilight to get over her feelings of being angry at me and her mother, and exposing your own connection to the Circle would jeopardize yourself and everything we’ve been working for!”

Dammit, I hate it when other ponies make sense. Especially when it would feel so satisfying to kick somepony’s flank. After a moment she let the shield disappear. Introducing Twilight’s rear to my hoof was out of the question, so I settled for kicking irritably at a passing cloud.

Cadance looked over, clearly relieved that Twilight’s plot wasn’t going to be wearing my hoofprints. “Thank you, Rainbow.” She leaned over to nuzzle me. “You’re a good friend.”

“Yeah, well…” I grunted and kicked at another cloud. “What do we do now?”

She didn’t even have to hesitate. “Prepare for Nightmare Moon’s return. Things with Twilight will run their course. And hopefully, we’ll mend fences before then.” She couldn’t quite repress a sigh as she spoke.

That didn’t sound nearly good enough, especially since she didn’t even seem to really believe it. Cadance nudged me gently. “In the meantime, we should get you back to the other Wonderbolts before lights out. I’d hate to get you in trouble with your commanding officer.”

Spitfire did love yelling at ponies for anything and everything. “Good point.” But I wasn’t quite ready to just leave Cadance looking so depressed. She was to the Circle what Fleetfoot was to the Wonderbolts: my mentor and friend, almost like an aunt. I didn’t leave Fleetfoot hanging when she needed help, and I wasn’t going to do any less for Cadance. I tried to think of something to help her when inspiration hit me. “So, before I turn in for the night, think you’d be up for helping me with a little prank?”

Cadance’s ears perked. “A prank? What kind of prank?”

Oh the possibilities that having a partner—and alicorn!—offered. How could I choose just one? Wait, who said I had to? “We’ll brainstorm on the way back. We still got some time.”

She thought it over and nodded. “That’s true. We’ll also have plenty of time to talk about you and Fluttershy … or would you rather discuss Lightning Dust?”

Oh, horseapples.

The End

Author's Note

As always, thanks to my pre-reading and editing team for all their hard work. Also, I would like to thank all my dedicated Patreon supporters. You guys are awesome. And of course, extra-special thanks to Trinary for writing this guest chapter. If you like this, be sure to check out his other works—namely the Dashverse.

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Broken Circle

Movie night had been something of an informal tradition with me and my friends back in Flight Camp, and we’d gotten right back to it now that we were all together again. It helped that now we could go to an actual theater instead of having to make do with whatever we could find lying around at Camp. Not that making fun of forty-year-old PSA films wasn’t fun, but...

While I thought we were enjoying a slightly higher standard of entertainment now, not everyone agreed. As the rest of us trotted out of the theater idly chatting about our favorite parts of the movie, Rainbow paused to glower at one of the film’s posters and let out a loud snort. “So there's two hours of my life I'm not getting back.”

I glanced back at her. “You’re kidding, right? Sacrifice of an Imperial Hero is a classic, and for once the remake didn’t screw it up too much.”

Rainbow scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Did we even watch the same movie, Cloud? Or are all you Solarises just really into stupid patriotic movies? If I wasn’t with you guys I would’ve walked out in the first five minutes. The whole thing was a huge load of horseapples!”

Derpy sighed and shot a patient look back at her. “You do know the whole movie’s based on real events, right? And they actually tried to have the remake be more historically accurate than the original?”

“Twilight said she only found fifty-seven historical errors in the movie,” Fluttershy added. “And most of those were things like costume design or combining a few characters to keep things simpler. It was much easier to just have one Equestrian general that Rossfreund worked with when he really had to coordinate with dozens of officials.”

I still wasn’t sure what to make of Fluttershy talking so casually about the Empress’ personal protege and descendant. I knew she, Derpy, and Rainbow were all mixed up in something that kept them at the palace—something high-level enough that they wouldn’t tell me anything about it. Everything I knew about it came from unofficial sources, so I had to play dumb whenever I was around them. I wasn’t exactly wild about lying to my friends, but orders were orders.

Rainbow snorted again pointedly turning her back on the poster. “I’d take Twilight’s stupid egghead history commentary track any day over actually listening to the dialogue in that ... well calling it a movie is an insult to good cinema like Bulk Biceps and the Plant Monsters of Doom or Tirek Versus Chrysalis III.”

Only Rainbow would call those cheesy low-budget action movies quality films. Though speaking of Rainbow’s love of action... “I would've thought you would really like the battle scenes, at least. Even if they did go a little overboard up the MGI.”

“I miss when they didn’t use magically generated imagery for everything,” Derpy sighed softly. “I guess it’s cheaper and easier than practical effects, but knowing it’s all a bunch of illusion spells really just takes me out of the movie. It’s just ... sometimes it’s too obvious that it’s not actually real.” She shook her head. “Plus, I’ll never be able to blow something up for a movie.”

“I don’t care about the effects,” Rainbow snapped. “I just couldn’t have any fun when the whole movie is just a bunch of lies to make it seem like the Empire conquering Gryphonia wasn’t such a bad thing.”

Fluttershy shuffled uncomfortably. “Well, Heinrich Rossfreund did ask our armies to remove the horrible Duke of Gryphonstone who burned his village. Just like the movie said...”

Rainbow groaned and rolled her eyes. “Yeah yeah, I’m sure they technically got a lot of the facts right. But they used all those facts to tell a big stinking lie! C’mon, guys, the whole point of the movie was obviously that the gryphons should be grateful that we conquered them, because they’re just sooo much better off now than they were under their old rulers.”

“I don’t think you can use facts to lie to people, Rainbow,” I shot back dryly. “It’s totally BFO that there was probably a bit of spin on it, I have a decent GOFO, Dash. It’s inevitable when the film got backed by the MoH. I heard they even got a magus to help them out with the MGI, and the IMA helped them with extras. Explains why the battle scenes were PFA.”

Rainbow smirked and poked me in the side. “Cloud, you’re speaking in acronym again.”

Derpy chuckled and shook her head. “Need me to translate? I’m reasonably fluent in TLA.” At Rainbow’s confused frown Derpy grinned and explained, “Three Letter Acronym.”

“I think I got the gist of it,” Rainbow grunted. “Let’s not talk about that stupid movie anymore, it’s just annoying the horseapples out of me. Wanna go do something else?”

“Sure.” I was more than happy to move on from the budding argument before things got serious. “But we can’t be out too late, I’ve got an ITX in the morning.” Rainbow glared at me, and I held up my hooves in mock-surrender. “Okay, okay, I’ll stop.”

Derpy nodded sympathetically. “I hear that loud and clear, I’ve always hated training exercises. Good idea in theory, but it usually wound up being a WOFT—er, a waste of time and money.” She shot a halfhearted glare my way. “Now you’ve got me back to speaking in Acronym too. Anyway, it's been much too long since we had a chance to catch up. Even now that we’re all back in one place, it seems like there’s always something going on.”

“Ugh, tell me about it,” Rainbow groaned. “Being in the ‘Bolts is awesome and all, but between training, shows, more training, public appearances, and more training, I’m running all over the place. Is it the same with you being a Knight, Flutter-butter?”

“I do need to train a lot,” she agreed. “Not to mention all my medical work. There are lots of times when the hospital really needs an extra set of hooves.”

“Oof, yeah.” I wrapped a wing around her. “Being a Knight Hospitaller means you must be pulling some serious double duty.”

“I don’t mind,” Fluttershy answered with a gentle smile. “It’s a lot of work, but I couldn’t just sit back and do nothing when someone needs help.”

“I still don’t get how the whole Knight Hospitaller thing works.” Rainbow casually replaced my wing with her own. “So you beat people up, and then you heal them? I guess that’s one way to make sure you have job security.”

While Derpy struggled not to snicker at her, Fluttershy shook her head. “It's not exactly like that, Rainbow. Well, maybe once or twice, but most of my medical work is in charity—”

“You know I'm just kidding,” Rainbow cut in, chuckling and mussing her mane.

Fluttershy’s eyes narrowed slightly, and there was soft grumble in her voice. “Rainbow...”

While subtlety normally isn’t in Dash’s dictionary, she managed to pick up on the warning signs and stopped messing with Fluttershy’s hair. “Okay, okay...”

Naturally, I couldn’t resist an opening like that. Everyone knows that an important part of being friends is ruthlessly mocking your dear companions any time one of them leaves you an opening. Well, good-natured ruthless mockery. “I think Rainbow's scared of big bad Knight-Shy.”

Derpy snorted and joined in on the fun. “Don't worry, Rainbow—we'll make sure Fluttershy doesn’t beat you up and steal your lunch money.”

Alas, the joys of mockery and teasing were largely lost upon Fluttershy. Probably ‘cause of Flight Camp. The instructors clamped down hard on bullying, and the rest of us were there when the teachers weren’t, but we couldn’t stop everything. Anyone who tells you all children are innocent little angels hasn’t spent enough time around kids.

Thus, she didn’t join in on the fun. “Oh, I wouldn't want to scare my friends. And Rainbow’s so brave, I couldn’t imagine her ever being scared of me or anyone else.”

“Exactly,” Rainbow agreed with a satisfied nod. “Fluttershy’s way too nice. I could never be scared of her.” She paused, looking Flutters over with a faint smile. “Although, you are getting to be something of a badflank, aren't you ’Shy?”

“Um ... maybe?” she answered modestly.

I smirked and leaned over to faux-whisper, “Hey Derpy, five bits says Fluttershy could beat Rainbow in a fight.”

Derpy sighed and rolled her eyes. “Cloud, I'm not going to bet against my friends like that.” She let that hang in the air a moment, then amended, “Now if you want to make things interesting, I could go for thirty bits...”

Rainbow scoffed and pointedly turned her back on us. “You guys suck, you know that?”

“I would never want to fight Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy added in, her eyes nervously flicking to the mare in question. “I mean, maybe a training spar with lots of safety equipment, but never an actual fight. What if I hurt her?”

Unfortunately, that remark hit Rainbow right in the pride. She whirled around to face Fluttershy, eyes narrowed and teeth clenched. “Oh, so I'm just a pushover now? Just ‘cause the Wonderbolts are a PR unit and I’m not a knight doesn’t mean I can’t handle myself in a fight!”

Fluttershy blinked and took an instinctive half-step back. “O-of course not!

Rainbow followed her, poking her in the chest. “You don't think I can throw down?”

Instead of backing away again, Fluttershy stood her ground and met Rainbow’s eyes. “I never said that.”

Derpy hastily interposed herself between the two of them before things could get any more heated. “That’s enough of that, let's change the subject.” She paused, fumbling for anything. “Um—so, er, how've your sex lives been?”

Credit where it’s due, Derpy’s question thoroughly distracted both of them from what they’d been arguing about. Rainbow’s eyes bulged out and her mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water, while Fluttershy’s face turned so red I had to wonder if there was any blood left in the rest of her body. “Oh ... um ... er ... I haven't ... uh ... oh my...”

I looked at the two of them, then chuckled softly. “I think you broke them.”

Derpy was looking pretty flustered herself, grinning sheepishly at the chaos she had wrought. “Oops. My bad.”

Rainbow was the first to recover from her shock, swatting Derpy on the back of the head. “You bubble-brain! What the hay was that?! You can’t just go around asking ponies about their ... gah! What is wrong with you?!”

I swooped in to back Derpy up—partly because I’m a gentlemare, but mostly because it was obvious she’d struck a nerve with Rainbow and I wanted to get a few hits in. I poked her in the ribs, smirking like a kid in a candy store. “Speaking of sex lives, I do recall reading about something in the tabloids...”

Rainbow’s eyes widened, and she hissed, “Shuddup!”

Like a big, grey, wall-eyed shark, Derpy smelled blood in the water. “Ooooh, what's this about the tabloids? I don’t normally bother with them, but...”

“Oh, you know...” I deliberately left her hanging for a few seconds before delivering the goods. “They ran a story a while back about some Wonderbolt locker room shenanigans. I wouldn’t have paid any attention to it if not for the interesting photo of my old flight camp buddy on the front page.”

Rainbow’s cheeks lit up again. “That picture was taken outta context! It’s not—it wasn’t what they said it was!”

“Another case of someone lying by telling the truth?” I shot back with a smirk.

Rainbow hit me with a supremely frustrated glare, while Derpy stared at both of us (wall-eyes are handy for that), then desperately turned to Fluttershy. “Come on—details, somepony!”

“Oh, I'm sure all those stories about wild Wonderbolt sex parties are exaggerated,” Fluttershy answered reassuringly. Then she froze, her face soon going even pinker until it matched the color of her mane. “N-not that I read about that kind of thing. I only even saw the article because Zephyr showed it to me. I’m sure there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation for why it looked like Rainbow, Spitfire, and Soarin’ were—”

Rainbow let out a strangled squeak, planting her hooves over Fluttershy’s mouth. “They're not true! I mean, look, maybe our parties get a little wild: a little booze, some pranks and shenanigans, but there’s no sex! For Celestia's sake, we're professional fliers, not a college fraternity!” She snorted and shook her head. “Besides, they’ve been training me since I got out of flight camp. Mom always joked that Fleetfoot was pretty much an honorary aunt. Getting busy with them would just be ... weird.”

“Oh, guess that makes sense.” I shrugged, slightly disappointed to know that all the delicious gossip was just horseapples. It took away so much teasing fodder. “Though I suppose that if you want some wild college stories...” I chuckled and nudged Derpy with a wing. “We definitely got up to a lot back at IMA.”

Derpy groaned and shook her head. “Empress' teats, Cloud, you had to bring those up again.” She held up a hoof to forestall any objection on my part. “Don’t get me wrong, those were fun times. Little embarrassing in hindsight, but it was fun at the time. Let's just focus on turning Rainbow beet-red for now, then we can fly down memory lane.”

Rainbow sat down and crossed her forelegs over her chest, pouting. “You're all a bunch of perverts. Why’s everyone gotta pick on me?”

“Because it amuses us,” I answered with commendable honesty. “So, you want some cheese to go with all that whine you’ve got?”

Rainbow answered with a less than polite wing gesture. “You’ll get yours, Solaris. You just jumped to the top of my pranking list. You too, Derpy.”

Derpy shrugged helplessly and offered an innocent smile. “This is all news to me. I'm just going off of what Cloud and Fluttershy said.”

“No way.” Rainbow wrapped a wing around Fluttershy. “You're in my corner, right, ’Shy?”

“Of course,” Fluttershy answered with a smile. “I only ever read the article because Zephyr showed it to me. And ... well I was curious about how you were doing. I’m glad none of it was true though.” She blinked, then hastily amended, “Not that I would be upset if you were in a happy relationship with one of your teammates. I just want all my friends to be happy.”

I chuckled and shook my head. “Okay, I think you’ve had enough. This time. Guess that means I need to find something to tease Derpy about...”

Derpy smirked and stepped over to Rainbow’s side. “Or the three of us could all team up on you instead. Turnabout is fair play.”

“But I’m far too lovable to tease.” I was about to join in on the group hug when something stopped me. Or rather, someone. Thankfully, she hadn’t seen me yet when I spotted her. I quickly darted behind my friends. “Oh horseapples, hide me!”

The only answer I got was three blank, confused stares and three variations on, “Huh?”

I groaned and ducked down. “It's my ex.”

Derpy glanced over, her eyes widening slightly. “Oh, I remember her. Weren’t you two dating way back in IM—”

“History lesson later!” I snapped. “Hide me now!”

Derpy nodded and shifted to the side a bit to hide me more effectively. That also resulted in her stepping on my hoof, but I bit my lip and bore through it. I was a soldier, I could deal with someone stepping on me.

Rainbow leaned against the wall, blocking quite a bit of my line of sight with her (admittedly very nice and athletic) butt. Fluttershy covered the rest of me, though I didn’t want to risk moving enough to see if she was checking my assets out. I’m gonna blame that on stress, though maybe Rainbow was right about me being a bit of a perv.

As for Derpy, she was still standing on my hoof, frozen indecisively. Moving too much might give me away, but on the other hoof—ow. She tossed a nervous look back at Fluttershy, then with forced cheer asked, “So, uh ... any new developments from Zebrica?”

Fluttershy made a conscious effort to look innocent, and like most ponies who are trying to look like they’re not up to anything, that instantly made her seem twice as suspicious. “Oh, no, nothing. Everything is totally, one hundred percent normal and not conspicuous or awkward at all.”

Rainbow groaned and facehoofed, grumbling under her breath. “I swear, I’m supposed to have magical honesty powers and I can lie better than both of you.”

While my three friends continued to do a remarkably bad job of trying to blend in, my ex trotted past. I guess she either didn’t notice Derpy, didn’t recognize her, or just didn’t feel any need to acknowledge somepony who was only the friend of a mare she dated several years ago. Whatever the answer, I wasn’t going to complain.

She still looked just as nice as she had the last time I saw her: a purple coat so light it verged on being pink, offset by a darker purple mane with a teal stripe running through it. That stripe matched the aura coming off her horn as she levitated a small bag of popcorn. Her indigo eyes were narrowed as she trotted past, looking vaguely annoyed by something. Probably whatever was on her mind at the moment. Unless she’d undergone a major personality shift since the last time I saw her, it wouldn’t take her long to find something she didn’t like. The movie we’d just seen certainly wouldn’t be to her taste.

Once she was safely out of sight and earshot I let out a relieved sigh. “Damn ... what’s she doing back in town?”

Derpy frowned after her. “Okay, I think I need to know the rest of the story. You and Starlight were still pretty tight when I deployed. I half-expected that the next time I saw you there’d be wedding bands and a cute little unicorn or pegasus foal scampering around the place.”

I grimaced and shook my head. “Didn’t exactly work out that way. And, as you probably guessed from the running and hiding, things between me and Starlight didn't end so hot.”

Derpy gently wrapped a wing around me. “What happened?”

I sighed and rubbed my forehead. “Things were going great for a while, but then she kinda got a little bit ... uh...”

Rainbow decided to finish the thought with her usual bluntness. “You dated crazy, didn't you?”

Fluttershy scowled at her. “That's not very nice, Rainbow.”

Rainbow shrugged nonchalantly. “Hey, I know what Cloud is like.”

I shot her an annoyed glare. “Gee Rainbow, thanks for all the friendship, support, and understanding.” I knew Rainbow wasn’t the most diplomatic of ponies, so I decided not to press the issue beyond that. It’s not that she’s trying to be a jerk, it’s just that when you try to talk to her about tact she usually gets confused because she thinks you mean the little pins you use to hang things up on walls.

I turned back to Derpy, and my annoyance with Rainbow quickly faded into the background. “Starlight wasn't crazy when we ... well it was college, so her getting worked up about politics wasn't that weird.”

Derpy nodded along. “Yeah, I remember her dragging you off to a big ‘Save the Breezies’ benefit concert. Or that protest about how ponies shouldn’t have three tribunes while every other race in the Empire only gets one. And that time when she wanted them to raise the minimum wage to fifteen bits an hour. Or the huge fuss she kicked up about her school spending more on the hoofball team than the academic decathlon because it wasn’t equal. Or—”

“Geeze, sounds like she was always getting her tail in a twist,” Rainbow cut in.

“It’s not like she was the first college student to ever get worked up about politics,” I shot back. Sure, we might’ve broken up, but that didn’t mean I was okay with Rainbow ripping on her. “But ... yeah. It’s one thing when she was running around trying to change the world in college. It was something else when she was still pushing radical politics while I was in the Guard.”

Rainbow tapped her chin thoughtfully. “How radical are we talking about?”

“Radical enough,” I grunted out. “It cost her a chance at getting into the Magus Corps, and after that she decided to not bother with a job and just become a full-time protest organizer. That was pretty much the beginning of the end for us.” I sighed and shook my head. “I wanted a slot in the Phoenix Guard, and ... well you can imagine what being married to an anti-government dissident would’ve done for my chances. There just wasn’t a future for us.”

Fluttershy frowned disapprovingly. “So you broke up with her just to get a better job? That doesn't seem very fair for her.”

Rainbow’s nose wrinkled and she nodded sharply. “Gotta agree, Cloud. Dumping her just to get a promotion doesn't sound classy.”

Derpy sighed and shook her head. “No, I think I see where Cloud’s coming from. I can’t imagine things would work out too well if Starlight reacted to Cloud getting deployed by launching a public protest. Spending months or years away from home is hard enough without your wife going on about how you’re part of the oppressive system holding down the masses.” She shot a sympathetic look my way. “Not to mention it would make things hard on her in-laws. Shockingly, someone who hates the government usually doesn’t get along too well with a military family.”

I sighed and nodded. “Yeah, I always had to warn Mom and Dad not to bring up politics whenever I brought her over. Which worked for a while, but then she just brought it up on her own. And then once things got heated I backed up Mom and Dad instead of taking her side.” My shoulders slumped at the memory. “That was ... well we didn’t break up for a couple weeks after that, but I think that was when I finally admitted to myself that it wasn’t gonna work.”

“Oh.” Fluttershy’s wings drooped, and she gave me a sympathetic nuzzle. “Um ... that does explain things a bit. I’m sorry we jumped to conclusions.”

“It’s alright, you didn’t have the full story.” I sighed and ran a hoof through my mane. “Anyway, that's why I'd rather not run into her again. Starlight and I had some good times, but if I talked to her we’d probably just end up opening up old wounds.” I glanced in the direction she’d trotted off, frowning thoughtfully. “Wonder what she's doing back in town anyway? She moved to Manehattan after we broke up. I hope it's not—” I quickly cut myself off before I could say too much.

Rainbow poked me in the side. “C’mon, spill.”

I knew Rainbow well enough to realize that she wouldn’t give me a moment’s peace until I told her. “I heard some crazy Nightmare cult stirred up some trouble recently. And ... well Starlight was pretty radical.”

Fluttershy frowned. “Oh dear. That’s more than just reformist politics, that’s crossing the line into outright treason.”

“I know.” I grimaced as the reached the unavoidable and extremely unpleasant conclusion. “Dammit, I'm gonna have to talk to her.”

Derpy frowned pensively. “Is that really a good idea? Like you said, the best case scenario is that you're just going to open up some old wounds.”

“And worst case, we've just let some crazy Nightmare cultist walk right past us!” Rainbow snapped out. “We better warn somebody before she tries to—”

Derpy’s eyes widened, and she quickly shoved a hoof over Rainbow’s mouth. “No, Rainbow! For the love of—think before you act! Just once! If you report her as a Nightmare cultist she’d end up in a Ministry holding cell. I’d rather not do that to anyone unless I’m absolutely sure they deserve it, and I’m pretty sure you feel the same.”

Rainbow answered with an annoyed grunt and a nod. I suspect that when it came to the MoH, Dash would probably get along pretty well with Starlight.

“If she's in trouble...” I sighed, my shoulders slumping in weary resignation. “Dammit, I can’t just leave her hanging out to dry. If she’s in trouble I have to do something about it. Otherwise it’ll eat me up.” Yeah, I’d broken up with her, but that didn’t mean I hated her or anything. Maybe I’m too sentimental for my own good, but there was definitely a part of me that still cared about her. Maybe even a stupid little part that was hoping she’d gotten over all her crazy political ideas and was back in Canterlot because she wanted to reconcile with me. I knew that kind of thing only ever happened in really stupid, cheesy romance stories, but...

Derpy was staring at me, and from the worried look her face she obviously had some inkling of what was going on in my head. “If you're that concerned about it, then you should talk to her.” She paused, shooting a rather pointed look at Rainbow. “Alone. The last thing she needs is us hovering over her shoulder.”

“Unless she wants our help,” Fluttershy offered.

I smiled gratefully. “Thanks, but I think I'd rather handle it on my own.”

Rainbow grumbled something under her breath about how I was stupid and stubborn before finally conceding with the amount of grace and tact I’d come to expect from her. “Fine. But don’t come crying to me if it all blows up in your face. Stupid Solaris.”

Derpy rolled her eyes. “That’s Rainbow-ese for ‘I’m worried about you and hope you’ll be okay.’” She chuckled and patted Rainbow on the back. “We'll be at my parents' place when you're done. Good luck.”

I took a deep breath and nodded. “Thanks. I'll need it.”

Despite what I told my friends, I didn’t go looking for Starlight right away. For one thing, I had no idea where to find her. Even if she was still somewhere in the theater, I’d be stuck searching all over the place and probably pissing off the staff in the process. Not to mention that if things got heated, I’d rather not have it be in the middle of a public venue. It was a lot smarter and safer to just go to Star and have her set up a tracking spell. I still had a couple of Starlight’s old things that she’d left behind, and she’d never given me any contact information.

But that wasn’t the real reason I was holding off from meeting her. Rainbow, Fluttershy, and Derpy had their secret work for the Empress, and I had a couple secrets of my own. Starlight needed to be reported, and out of the two ponies I could report to I certainly wasn’t going to pick Dad. This whole situation was awkward enough without bringing him into it. And so, I found myself knocking on the front door to Sparkle Manor.

After a minute or so, a teenager who I vaguely recognized as the youngest of the Sparkle children answered the door. She greeted me with the sullen stare of a teen who’d been dragged away from her teenagerly activities. “Yeah?”

I put on my friendliest smile in the hopes of thawing the ice. “Hello. Is your mother in?”

“Yeah,” she grunted out. She looked back over her shoulder and shouted, “Mom! There’s a Guardpony here to see you!”

“Tell her I’ll be there in a minute,” her mother called back. “Take her to the parlor and get her something to drink.” There was a brief pause, and then she added, “And don’t stand in the doorway shouting down the hall, Amethyst. It’s not ladylike.”

“‘Kay!” Amethyst yelled back. She turned to face me, a sardonic grin on her face. “Mom’ll be with you in a bit. Wanna chill in the parlor until then? I can get you something to drink, if you’re thirsty.” She smirked and leaned in closer. “If you want something with a little kick, I can get you that too. Mom’s not as good at hiding the hard stuff as she thinks she is.”

“My hearing, on the other hoof, is just as good as ever,” her mother shot back dryly.

The teenager groaned and facehoofed. “Well, I’m busted. I swear, she must have some kinda monitoring spell on me.” She sighed and led me to a rather large and impressive parlor. “Mind if I ask what you're here for? If it's that thing with Momma and her fertilizer project, she'll start her reports back up s'soon as the lab's rebuilt.”

Despite a bit of understandable curiosity, I decided not to ask just what she was talking about. “Sorry, my business here is need-to-know.”

Amethyst answered me with a teenagerly eyeroll. “Damn, so much for my plans to sell the info to the Cat-Petting Eyepatch-and-Monocle Combo League of Evil.” She snorted, then politely asked, “So, you hungry or thirsty?”

“I’m good, thanks.” I settled down onto one of the very large and extremely comfortable couches.

“Right, cool.” Amethyst flopped onto the couch across from me, levitating over a cheeseball and some crackers for herself. “Sooo, you look weirdly familiar.”

I shrugged and offered her my hoof. “Major Cloud Solaris, Phoenix Guard.” Considering I was part of her brother’s chain of command and stationed in the palace where her sister lived and worked, we’d almost certainly met in passing at some point.

Amethyst shook my hoof, staring curiously at me. “Solaris? You got a sister? Grey dapple, blue mane, magnifying glass?”

“Sounds like my cousin Star.”

“Huh, cool.” She shrugged and affected an air of forced nonchalance. “I've seen her around a bit, but never caught her name.”

I could guess where she’d spotted Star, judging from my own experience. I smirked at her and leaned in. “Lemme guess, the high school mares still like ogling the IMA cadets whenever they’re doing drill practice?”

Amethyst’s cheeks lit up in a way that made it clear I’d hit the mark. She stumbled for several seconds before finally managing to speak something reasonably coherent. “I wasn’t—I was just—it’s uh—IMA? Wait, Imperial Military Academy, right? With Shiny around I had to learn a little bit of Acronym.”

“That’s right.” I grinned. “And nice job changing the subject from how you like staring at my cousin enough to remember her butt symbol.”

Amethyst groaned and buried her face in her hooves, but after a couple seconds seemed to shake it off. “Er, no. You’re wrong. A lady doesn't ogle, and Mom raised a proper lady.” She let out a very prim and proper huff, sticking her nose up in the air and crossing her forelegs over her chest. She held the post for a couple seconds, then grinned and whispered, “I'm just a work in progress, s’all.”

“A work in progress who's also supposed to be doing her homework and chores,” Twilight Velvet announced as she trotted into the parlor. “Not bothering my guests.”

“Aw, Mooom!” Amethyst whined out in a tone familiar to any teenager suffering the horrors of parental oppression. “You told me to get the door, so I got the door.” She stuck her nose up in the air again and adopted a ridiculous parody of a posh accent. “And a proper lady never leaves a guest unattended until the hostess is ready.”

“Well played,” her mother conceded with a slight smirk. “But as you can see, the hostess is ready now. Which means you’re free to get back to work.”

Amethyst let out a melodramatic sigh that let me know just how horribly her mother was repressing her. “Yes, Mom.” She got up and trudged for the door, looking over her shoulder and waving to me as she went. “Cool to meet you.”

“Likewise.” Amethyst had a bit of a smartflank streak to her, so Star probably would like her if they ever met up. Which I might wanna arrange at some point, come to think of it; Star could certainly do worse than marrying into the Empire’s unofficial royal family.

Once Amethyst was safely out of the room, Twilight Velvet turned to me with a welcoming smile. “Cloud, it's good to see you again.”

I smiled politely, but my heart wasn’t in it. Now that Amethyst was gone, I had to get back to business. “The Circle remains unbroken.”

“May it remain whole,” she answered automatically. The phrase and counterphrase exchange always struck me as a bit silly and melodramatic, but maybe you needed that kind of thing in a secret society. Her horn lit up, presumably putting a privacy spell over the room. “I take it that means this isn’t just a social call?”

I sighed and nodded. “Yeah, we’ve got a problem. Starlight's back in town.”

Mrs. Sparkle frowned. “I see. That explains why you’re reporting to me instead of your father. Do you know anything about why she’s back?”

“No, I just spotted her from a distance. But I can't help wondering...” I ran a hoof through my mane and let out a loud breath. “We kicked her out because she was too extreme. And then the MoH rolled up a bunch of crazy Nightmare cultists a couple months back. And now she’s back in town. Maybe it’s all just one big coincidence, but one of the first things Dad told me back when I was initiated is that we’re never supposed to assume something’s just a coincidence.” I groaned and my shoulders slumped wearily. “It's—look, I'm worried about her, and for her.”

The older mare nodded, rubbing her forehead. “So am I. Especially since I was the one who sponsored her initiation. If she’s gotten herself into some sort of trouble because of the world we introduced her to ... well, I can’t help but feel a little responsible for it.”

I couldn’t entirely disagree. I’d first met Starlight through the Circle, back when we were both young and idealistic kids who loved the idea of being part of an ancient secret society dedicated to truth, justice, and the Equestrian way. A lot of stuff had changed since then. It was easy to dream about changing the world when you hadn’t really lived in it.

I’d thought all that was ancient history, but now it looked like it was about to become relevant again. “Anyway, when I saw her I thought I ought to report in, see if you had any orders. Is Siren still out of town?”

“Near as I know,” she confirmed, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. “I know it might be a bit awkward for you, but I would like for you to try and talk to Starlight. You were the one closest to her, after all. See if we can bring her back into the fold. For all we know, that might even be why she’s back in town. Barring that, at least try to convince her to moderate herself so that she doesn't get anyone hurt, herself included.”

I nodded along. “That was pretty much what I planned to do. I don’t wanna jump to any conclusions, but I’m wary of getting my hopes up.”

“Agreed on both counts.” The older mare offered a sympathetic smile. “For your sake, I really do hope she’s here to mend some fences instead of burning bridges. If that’s the case, I’ll even sponsor her for provisional readmission. Her zeal for the cause was admirable—she just took her enthusiasm a bit too far. The Circle’s role is to subtly influence Imperial policy, not start a public crusade against every decision we don’t like.”

“Yeah, she was always pushing to direct action.” I groaned and flopped back against the couch. “I really hope she hasn’t gone from talking extreme to acting extreme. If those cultists the MoH purged were tied to her, we’re going to be in for all kinds of trouble.”

“If that is the case, then we might very well have to be more proactive than I’d like.” Twilight Velvet frowned. I had a feeling that I wouldn’t like what sort of ‘proactive’ measures she had in mind. “We're getting to a very sensitive period of time right now, and we need to be careful in how we manage events. What we have planned is going to be hard enough as it is. The last thing we need is to bring extra attention down on our heads along with the sorts of associations that would land us all in hot water.”

“Exactly what I’m worried about,” I agreed. “If the MoH decides she's a Nightmare Cultist, they’re going to give her the third degree and take a hard look at any of her known associates. It’s not exactly a secret we were dating for a long time, and if Starlight cracks and tells them about the Circle...”

The older mare’s grim scowl told me exactly what she thought about that. “If the Ministry finds out about the Circle and can tie us to a Nightmare Cultist, we’re all going to spend a long time getting familiar with the layout of their holding cells. And that’s if we’re lucky. I’ve seen what was left of the cult lair they raided in the Undermountain.” She took a deep breath and nodded. “Let’s not dwell on doomsday scenarios. For now what we need to do seems pretty simple. I want you to find Starlight and—”

The doorknob started glowing, and her mouth abruptly snapped shut. A couple seconds later, her elder daughter Twilight Sparkle stepped into the room. She looked at me, then her mom, then back to me. Her eyes narrowed, and her gaze finally settled on her mother. “I didn’t know we had company, Mom. Who is this?”

The matriarch smiled, but there was a hint of brittleness to it. “Hello dear. This is Major Cloud Solaris, General Tornado’s daughter. Cloud, I'm sure you remember my daughter, Provisional Magus Twilight Sparkle.”

I put on my best charming smile. “Of course. Hard to forget the Empress' protege.”

My attempt at charm hit a brick wall as she scowled balefully at me. “So you're one of those types of family friends, then?”

I hesitated, a bit taken aback by the hostility. “Uh ... what type would that be?”

Her mother stepped forward, her tone gently chiding. “Honey, Cloud is a guest within our home. Would you please—”

Her daughter cut her off. “Don't play dumb with me!” She turned her back on me, fixing her mother with a positively furious glare. “You know I hate that! I'm pretty sure I made that pretty clear in the essay I wrote to you about this. You think I can't figure out what you mean when you say she's a family friend and you have a bucking privacy spell over the room? Or did you think your sweet, innocent, oblivious daughter was too stupid to connect the dots?”

Twilight Velvet took several deep breaths, and while she managed to retain a calm, pacifying tone there was obvious strain in her voice. “Dear, as I've tried to tell you—”

“Tried to tell me?!” the younger Twilight shrieked at her mother. “When were you going to tell me she was part of the Circle?!” She stomped forward and jabbed her mother’s chest. “Huh?! Maybe sometime after you've sent us off on a playdate? Gone out to see a play or movie together. Or maybe something along the scale of never.”

Her mother scowled at her. “Now you're just making crazy things up and not even giving me a chance to talk.”

“Well how about we talk now?!” She shifted her attention to me, clenching her teeth, then glared at her mom. “Let’s talk about how you lied to me for years! How you’re part of some crazy conspiracy to overthrow the Empress and put Nightmare bucking Moon on the throne!”

“Uh...” While I was rather tempted to correct her clearly mistaken impression of what the Circle did, that would mean jumping into this mess. Like most ponies trapped in the middle of someone else’s ugly family arguement, my first instinct had been to either discreetly get out of the room, or keep quiet and wait for the noise to stop. There was just no way it could possibly end well for me; both of them would resent me sticking my nose into something that was none of my business, and I’d probably just end up pissing both of them off if I tried to play peacemaker.

On the other hoof, I wasn’t wild about abandoning a Circle meeting just because things were getting a little uncomfortable. I was in the middle of discussing some really important stuff with her mother, and whatever family drama she had going on couldn’t be allowed to stop that. This stuff with Starlight could be huge.

Velvet apparently agreed. “Twilight Sparkle!” her mother snapped in the most authoritative tone she could manage. “That isn't the tone we take when there’s a guest present.” She turned to me with an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry Cloud, but maybe you should—”

“Yes,” Twilight growled at me. “You should. I don’t know what sort of plot you two are hatching now, but I’m not going to let it happen right under my nose. If you think I’m just going to let you treat me like an ignorant little child you can ignore and manipulate...”

“If you don’t want to be treated like a child,” her mother cut in acidly, “then perhaps you should stop acting so childish.”

That’s when I did something I probably shouldn’t have. In my defense, Velvet had just scored a very nice bit of snarkery against her daughter. I couldn’t really be blamed for chuckling at it. Unfortunately, that reminded Twilight that I was still there, and laughing at her when she clearly wanted to be taken seriously was ... not the most diplomatic move.

Twilight whirled on me, glaring angrily while her cheeks flushed. “You ... why are you even still here? So you can plot treason and make fun of me?”

“Twilight!” her mother snapped, stomping over to her daughter. “For the love of—this is not about you! We’re in the middle of a very important discussion, and you’re throwing a temper tantrum like a little filly who didn’t get her favorite sweets!”

“Excuse me?!” Twilight shouted back. “Oh, so being just a little bit upset to find out you’re involved in some crazy ancient conspiracy is just me being a stupid little foal now? Maybe you didn’t notice, Mom, but I’m a grown mare now. No wait, of course you didn’t notice; the Empress spent far more time taking care of me than you ever did!”

“Then maybe your father and I should’ve stopped with Shining! Magetrix at least gave me a daughter I’m not ashamed of!” A second after the words left her lips Velvet blinked in shock, one hoof slowly coming up to cover her mouth.

Right, that was my cue to get out of there. I probably should’ve been long gone a while ago, but now I was definitely one hundred percent sure I wanted to be anywhere but where I was. Discretion was the better part of valor, and all that.

I managed to make it to the door before things boiled over, and quickly slipped out and slammed the door shut behind me. The shouting started as soon as it latched shut, and even the privacy spell still hanging over the room didn’t do more than muffle things a bit. I couldn’t make out any of the specific words, but the sheer volume was more than enough to get the general message across.

I sighed and shook my head. “Well, my relationship with my mother just started looking a lot healthier.”

Finding Starlight was the easy part of the plan. All I had to do was find Star and give her a few of the things Starlight left behind. Eventually my cousin was able to find enough of a trace on one of them to get a fix on the mare herself. After that, there was just one other stop to get myself a backup plan. After my run-in with Twilight Sparkle I wanted to be sure I’d be safe from any pissed-off, unstable, and magically powerful unicorns. Maybe going out after Starlight while fully armed and armored was a bit much, but I think my paranoia was justified under the circumstances

The tracker led me in exactly the direction I’d hoped it wouldn’t: down into Undermountain, towards where the Nightmare cult had set up shop. “Dammit Starlight, what the hay have you gotten yourself into?”

I followed her trail past some carefully shifted crime scene barriers, and into a series of charred tunnels that stank of several things I couldn’t identify, along with a few other things I just wished I didn’t recognize. Then I spotted the all-too-familiar teal glow of her magic.

I rounded the corner and finally spotted her, poking through what was left of a metal filing cabinet. She was far too focused on her work to notice me coming up behind her until I announced myself. “Hey, hot-flanks.”

Starlight jerked in shock, then whirled around and leveled her horn at me. A second later her eyes widened in recognition. “Cloud?!”

Despite the circumstances, I grinned. “The one and only.”

“What are you doing down here?!” she hissed out.

“I could ask you the same thing,” I shot right back. “After all, I’m down here because I was following you. Normally I don’t hang around in burned-out crime scenes.”

She took half a step back, eyeing me warily. “And why exactly were you following me?”

“I knew you were back in town,” I answered simply. “The open question is why you’re back in town. And specifically, why the first thing you’re doing after coming back to Canterlot is poking around down here.”

Starlight sighed and shook her head. “I'm trying to figure out what happened to some ponies I knew.”

“The Nightmare cultists?” I groaned and ran a hoof through my mane. “For the love of—I was hoping I was just jumping at shadows, but you actually went and did it! Starlight, what were you thinking?!”

Her eyes widened and she desperately shouted out, “It's not what you think!” Her gaze fell to the soot-stained floor. “I only knew some of them. We worked in some of the same social circles, and as soon as I found out Just Cause was working for the Nightmare I cut all ties with him. You think I would be walking around Canterlot if I was involved with a Nightmare cult that just got burned? I’d be running for the farthest corner of the Empire I could find!”

I wanted to believe her, I really did. “I don't know what to think when it comes to you. I haven't for a long time.”

She reared back and glared at me. “And what's that supposed to mean?”

I sighed and shook my head, already regretting the words. “This whole conversation is awkward enough without us digging up all our old baggage.”

In a move I really should’ve seen coming considering how many times it had happened in the past, Starlight didn’t let it go. Instead she stomped up and poked me in the chest. “Hey, you came looking for me, not the other way around.”

“I was worried about you!” I snapped.

“You have a funny way of showing it,” she snarled acidly. “As long as we’re talking about the past, let’s not forget that you’re the one who dumped me because I was holding back your oh-so-precious career working for the bucking Empress we’re both plotting against!”

I grunted and shook my head. “Maybe I was the one to make it official, but you’re the one who left me first.”

“Only because you wouldn't come with me!” Starlight shouted. “I'm doing important things, Cloud—things that need to be done for the good of the entire world. What are you doing? Guarding hallways all day?”

“I’ve been working with the Circle,” I shot back.

“Oh, please.” She rolled her eyes. “Don’t tell me you still buy all the horseapples they’ve been peddling, They're not getting anything done. It's just been nine hundred years of them patting themselves on the back over one or two little tweaks to imperial policy, while the Empress keeps getting her way with everything that really matters.”

“Sometimes you have to be subtle and work within the system,” I explained patiently. “Change things a little bit at a time.”

“And sometime you need to tear the system down and start fresh!” she yelled loud enough to disturb some of the soot on the ceiling. “You can’t fix the Empire as long as the Empress is sitting on the throne, pulling all the strings.”

I groaned in disgust and ran a hoof down my face. “Do you have any idea how much chaos and destruction that would cause? I’m not exactly the Empress’ number one fan, but what happens if we just get rid of her? The Empire would tear itself apart!”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.” She shook her head. “I'm not saying any of this would be easy or painless, but we have to take a stand. Yeah, there’ll be losses, but in the end the world will be better for it. Call it a sacrifice for the greater good.”

My eyes narrowed. “That's a cold-blooded way to talk about a lot of innocent beings dying.”

“Not all of them are so innocent as you think,” Starlight scoffed. “Just look at our good old Circle contact, Twilight Velvet. How can she be a revolutionary when she's benefitting from the system she’s allegedly trying to fix. The Sparkles just love reminding everyone how they’re descended from the Empress herself, and even though we always say that doesn’t matter, she’s far more wealthy than most people, politically influential, and a powerful magus. You honestly think she's going to enthusiastically support the common people when she has so much to lose if the system gets upturned?”

I frowned at her. “Twilight Velvet's been a member of the Circle since before we were born. I don’t think she’d be involved for that long if she didn’t believe in it.”

Starlight snorted derisively. “Yeah, I'm sure she's doing everything she can. I bet in between the trips to the fancy opera house to eat thousand bit a plate meals and going to sleep on a gilded bed with silk sheets, she’s spending all her time busting her flank to help the poor, homeless, and unemployed.”

“So what?” I demanded. “You'll burn Equestria down to save it?”

“If that's what it takes,” she shot back stubbornly. “Besides, you make it sound like the current Equestria is worth saving.”

“I dunno about you, but even if the system’s flawed there’s still plenty of things I like in this Equestria.” I shrugged. “All my stuff is here. I’ve got friends and family. That’s a lot to lose just because you think you can get things done a bit faster than the Circle.”

Starlight snarled and slammed a hoof down on the cavern floor. “Your family is holding you back! See, this has always been your problem—everypony's problem. You're not willing to risk what you've got for something better! You're scared about losing the table scraps you've got, so you cling to them like they're a lifeline.”

Alright, no more Miss Nice Mare. I stormed up and got right in her face. “It's not a lifeline you stupid nag, it's a feathering life! You're so wrapped up in your precious little cause that you’ve thrown everyone and everything else into the garbage heap! You talk about how ponies should sacrifice for the greater good, but that’s easy when you don’t have anything to lose!”

Starlight glared right back, getting muzzle-to-muzzle with me. “The cause is everything! I want to make Equestria better! I want to make it fair! I want to make it right! I'm telling you to open your eyes, but you’re too scared! You take one look at the truth of the world around you, and then you decide you’d rather spend the rest of your life hiding from it! Well bad news, Cloud. Just because the Circle likes to pretend they’re making a difference while sticking their heads in the sand doesn’t mean the truth goes away!”

Okay, I’d had just about enough of her horseapples. “Dammit, what about this truth?!”

And then I grabbed her and kissed her. It seemed like the thing to do at the time. It was … rougher than how we used to do it, but all things considered we ran with it. Starlight squeaked in surprise when I grabbed her mane, then quickly tried to assert control, wrapping a foreleg around my head.

We melted into it, finding old patterns and stroking familiar spots. I wanted to keep going, but I knew there was too much left to resolve. I slowly broke the kiss, gazing into her eyes and whispering softly. “What about that?”

Starlight at me, her mouth opening and closing wordlessly as half a dozen different emotions played across her face. Finally, her shoulders slumped down, and she refused to meet my eyes. “You think I liked breaking it off?”

“If you didn’t like doing it, then why’d you do it?”

She looked up, setting her hooves stubbornly. “Because I know what's important.”

“No, you don't.”

“So what?” she snapped out, angrily pacing back and forth. “I should give everything up I believe in because I like kissing you?” I blinked and stepped back, stung by her choice of words, and she her gaze shifted down and to the side. “No ... not just that. I loved you.”

“Same here.” I couldn’t quite meet her eyes either. “Except ... maybe the past tense doesn’t apply in my case.”

“The kiss kinda gave that away.” She sighed and shook her head. “I thought we were done. Have to move on with our lives, right?”

“I thought so too, until I saw you again.” I grumbled, impotent frustration welling up in my voice. “Soon as that happened, it was like we were right back where we started.”

She slowly nodded. “Same here. Makes things a lot more complicated. Guess that explains why we both wanted to say it was all over: the relationship might’ve crashed and burned, but apparently nobody got around to telling our hearts about that.”

“Guess not.” I took a deep breath, and shifted to a slightly less volatile topic. “The Circle's scared you'll bring heat down on us.”

Starlight’s eyes narrowed. “I'm not with the Circle anymore. You should know, you were there when they kicked me out.”

“I know, but you were. That’s enough for it to be a problem, from our perspective.” I tried to keep my tone gentle and even—the last thing I wanted to do was start another argument. “If you end up in an MoH cell...”

“I wouldn’t talk,” she answered instantly.

“I’m sure most ponies who get caught by the Ministry say that,” I responded. “They’re good at what they do, and even if you’ve been gone for years, you know enough about our membership and operations to give out some damaging intel.”

“That’s only a problem if they catch me.” I caught a hint of a confident grin on her face. That borderline arrogance had always been one of her more interesting qualities. On a bad day it made me want to strangle her, but on a good one it could be very attractive. Confidence is always sexy.

“If I have anything to say about it, they’ll never catch you.” I paused for a moment, then amended. “And I mean that in the good way, not the ‘We'll kill you to keep your secrets safe’ way. Just thought I should be clear.”

She smirked at me. “Glad to hear that, because I'd have something to say about that if you tried.”

“It has been a while since our last friendly spar.” I grinned and rapped a hoof on my armor. “I did come prepared. Not that I didn’t trust you, but I had an ugly run-in with a unicorn earlier. Made me decide I needed some insurance before meeting you. You’re a lovely mare, but you always did have a bit of a temper.”

“Pissed off another unicorn did you? What happened? Jilted girlfriend?” Starlight asked with an unreadable look.

“Nothing like that.” I shook my head. “Just got caught in the middle of someone else’s family drama.”

I caught a very faint smile flickering across her lips. “Good.” She squared her shoulders. “And for the record, I came ready for trouble too. You never know who you might run into digging around a Nightmare cult base.”

“All things considered, you lucked out only running into your ex.” We shared a quick smile, and then got back to the matter at hoof. “So ... what’re you looking for down here? Because I’m pretty sure the MoH has already picked the place clean.”

“Probably,” Starlight agreed. “But considering just how much I’ve got at stake, ‘probably’ wasn’t good enough. I had to come down and check everything myself.”

“So basically, the same thing we’re panicking about?” I concluded.

“That’s the fun thing about working against the government.” She chuckled humorlessly. “If one group gets burned, everyone with any sort of connection to them has to worry they might be compromised. And then everyone connected to someone who might be connected to them, and so on...” She shook her head. “Big surprise, but I’m not all that wild about the prospect of ending up in a MoH interrogation cell.”

“I'm right there with you.” I grinned, finding a bit of humor in the whole ridiculous, grim situation we’d found ourselves in. “Y'know, if they arrest you I’d almost certainly be right there with you in a more literal sense. Odds are they’d have some questions for your one-time long-term girlfriend.”

Starlight’s eyes narrowed. “See, that's exactly the type of thing I'm fighting against. You shouldn’t have to worry about getting arrested just because I’m—”

I held up a hoof to cut her off. “Can we not? Please?”

She grumbled something under her breath, but nodded. “Fine. It’s not like talking about it one more time would make a difference.”

“I think we're both pretty set in our positions,” I agreed. “You have to go out and fight against tyranny and oppression, and I have to keep working with the Circle to try and fix things our way.” My shoulders slumped wearily. “Dammit.”

She sighed and shook her head. “Not exactly fair, is it?”

“No, it isn't.”

She was quiet for several seconds, then very softly whispered, “You can still come with me, you know. I’ve got a group in Manehattan. It’s not much, but they’re all dedicated to making the world a better place. We could really use your help.”

For a moment I was tempted, but I knew it was nothing more than a dream. I couldn’t just drop my entire life—my career, my friends, my family, everything—just to run off with my ex and go play at being a revolutionary. Maybe I just wasn’t built to be a fanatical true believer. I liked having a house, a steady job, and a safe, predictable life. The Circle let me have all those things while still working to make the Empire a better place.

Of course, running off with Starlight wasn’t the only option. “You could stay.” I took a deep breath, then repeated myself. “I want you to stay. Please.”

“And then what?” she asked.

My ears drooped, because I already had a pretty good idea how that would go. “You'd utterly loathe being a Guard wife, wouldn't you?”

“I’d hate it,” she agreed with a sad smile. “Do you really see me sitting alone at home, wringing my hooves and taking care of the kids, quietly hoping you come back every time you go out on deployment? Hay, I’d probably be out protesting against whatever stupid war you’d be off fighting. You can bet that would make all the other spouses and your entire family despise me.” She shook her head. “No, back when we were dating I met some of those Guard spouses. I could never be like that.”

“I know. To be honest, that was part of why I liked you.” I chuckled at the cruel irony of it all. “Guess that means it was never gonna work, if the things that made me like you so much were the same things that ensured we could never be a long-term thing. So ... I guess that means you have your cause, and I have my duty.”

“Yeah,” she agreed resignedly. “Looks like it.”

Neither one of us said anything else for a while. Really, what more could we say? I still loved her, and she apparently still loved me, but we both knew it would never work out. Not unless one of us completely threw away everything we believed in just so we could be together. Which ... yeah, maybe that would work in a fairy tale, but I didn’t think we were that lucky. We’d probably end up miserable and unhappy, with whichever one of us gave up everything resenting the other.

I finally broke the silence with something inane. “I still have some of your old stuff.”

“Oh.” She ran a hoof through her mane. “Right. I guess I did leave in a bit of a hurry last time. No surprise I didn’t get everything.”

I sighed, and resigned myself to giving up on the last foolish hope that maybe she’d come back for all the things she’d left behind. Her books. Her quills. Her me. “Wanna swing by the compound to pick it up?”

“Seems like a good idea,” she reluctantly agreed.

We set off for the compound in mutually miserable silence.

The walk back to the Compound was one of the more painful and awkward experiences in my life. I kept feeling like I should say something to Starlight, but what the hay was there for us to talk about? The weather?

She glanced over at me and half-opened her mouth, then shook her head and looked away. I had no idea what was going through her head, but if I had to guess I’d say it was about the same thing that was going through mine.

Breakups suck.

It was late enough at night that the streets were pretty much empty. At least the fact that I was still wearing full plate and carrying a pair of wing blades meant I wouldn’t need to worry about anyone trying to mug us.

As the painful silence continued on, I finally decided to mare up and say something. “We had some good times, didn’t we?”

“Yeah,” Starlight answered with a wan smile. “I wish—”

I never got to find out what it was she wished, for at that moment a shadow detached itself from one of the nearby roofs and hurtled down onto her back. The figure drove Starlight to the ground, prompting a shriek of pain and surprise. “What the feather?!”

I whirled to face her attacker. The black cloak draped over it hid most of the attacker’s distinguishing features, though I could at least make out a horn glowing with golden light. A second later I found out what spell the unicorn was casting, as I saw some weird magical constructs on the end of its forehooves. More important than the constructs themselves was the fact that it was using them to hold a pair of long, thin, curved knives. The attacker placed one weapon at Starlight’s throat, and a female voice with a light Canterlot accent declared, “Starlight Glimmer, you are under arrest by order of the Ministry of Internal Security.”

Feathers. The Ministry of Heart.

“Don’t resist,” the MoH agent whispered. “We just want to question you. What’s so bad about letting me take you back to headquarters and ask a few questions? Unless you have something to hide from the Empress?”

Before my brain could inform me that it was probably a bad idea to get mixed up in this my wing blades were out and I was moving forward. “Get off of her.”

The MoH agent kept her blade at Starlight’s throat, but one of her eyes shifted to me. “You don’t want to get involved with the Ministry of Internal Security, Major Cloud Solaris.” Somehow I wasn’t surprised she knew who I was. “We were prepared to overlook your ties to Miss Glimmer on account of your history of good service to the crown. It would not be wise to give us any reason to question that conclusion, and it would be extremely foolish to throw your life away for her sake. Be smart and walk away.”

I took one look at Starlight, pinned down on the ground with a blade at her throat, and I knew there was only one way I could answer. “I don't give a flying feather who you are or who you work for. Get off of her. Now.”

“I am a servant of the Empress,” the MoH agent announced flatly. “My orders are to bring Starlight Glimmer in for questioning. I will execute those orders, and will I not allow anyone to stand in my way. Do not think your rank, your father’s rank, or any friends you might have will protect you.”

“You’d be surprised,” I growled. “What do you wanna bet that if you tried arresting me, it’ll end with your boss apologizing to me and firing your ass?” Yeah, the MoH had a lot of pull, but there were limits to what they could get away with. Especially when I had plenty of friends in high places thanks to my family and the Circle. “You wanna talk to Starlight? Fine. Instead of jumping her in the middle of the night like a thief, come to the clan compound in the morning and talk to her like a civilized pony. I want your name, and your supervisor’s name.”

“You don’t get to set terms or make demands, Major.” The agent pressed her knife against Starlight’s neck, drawing a little blood. “I let you go, and she’ll be long gone come morning. She’s coming with me now. If you think I’m overstepping, try to get an appointment with the Empress and tell her you don’t like how Agent Lyra Heartstrings is doing her job. I’m sure Her Imperial Majesty would love to hear your assessment of my performance.”

Starlight gasped as Lyra shifted her blade, leaving behind a small cut left on her neck. The new wound seemed to finally shift her from being frozen in terror to acting. Her horn lit up, disrupting one of the agent’s blade-holding constructs and sending the weapon clattering to the ground. “Get off of me you psycho!”

Lyra slammed the hilt of her other blade onto Starlight’s horn, disrupting the spell. “Bad move. Resisting arrest will only make things worse for you.”

As Starlight groaned in pain and Lyra started bringing her free blade back up to her throat, I did something very brave and a bit foolish. I rushed forward and reared up on my hind legs, lashing out at the MoH agent with my forehooves.

Lyra easily rolled back and to the side to avoid my attack, but that got her off of Starlight’s back, which had been my main goal. Her eyes narrowed, but despite the facemask I could make out a hint of a smile on her lips. “That was a mistake.”

Starlight quickly scrambled to the side, getting as far away from Lyra as she could before glaring back at her defiantly. “You wanna talk about mistakes, look at your ministry!” She tried to put together a spell, but it fizzled halfway through casting. Lyra must’ve hit her horn pretty hard.

Lyra called back her dropped blade and remade her other hoof construct to hold it, then started advancing on Starlight. I immediately put myself between the two of them. “I don't think so.”

“Fine,” Lyra answered flatly. “I’ll take you both in.” She reared up on her hind legs, and actually stayed standing on them, then rushed forward with both blades held in her hoof constructs. I managed to catch her blades with mine, but the angle was weird. I’d never seen a pony who fought like this.

After a few exchanges she managed to catch both my blades in a lock, then smirked and pulled out a pouch from within her robes and threw it at my face. I had no idea what was in that pouch, but I was pretty sure I didn’t wanna find out by getting a faceful of it. I quickly ducked my head, using my helmet crest to bat the object aside, then rolled out of the blade lock.

I was still in between her and Starlight, and feeling pretty good about my chances. The fighting style was weird, but I’d been trained to deal with weird. “You sure you wanna do this? I’d rather not have the mess of killing an MoH spook, but you’d be surprised what you can live through.”

“I know that better than you do,” Lyra shot back coldly. “Perhaps I’ll give you a few lessons in the subject while you’re in Ministry custody.”

“You're overstepping,” I answered without missing a beat. “Torture threats? Please. You’re way too full of yourself if you think you can get away with that—not to mention you have to beat me first, and that’s not happening.”

“We’ll see.” She telekinetically threw out several darts, but I recognized the feint and just shifted to the side, letting the projectiles bounce off my armor.

A second later the main strike came, with Lyra using her constructs to swing both blades at me from polar opposite angles. I managed to block one of them, but the other broke through my defenses. The good news was that I’d deflected the strike enough that the blade just bounced off my armor, but if not for my gear...

“Nice trick with that spell,” I conceded. “You’re surprisingly competent for someone who usually only fights by stabbing unaware targets in the back.”

“I'm just getting warmed up,” Lyra answered with a confident smirk. She pressed the offensive, throwing out more of those lightning fast cuts and thrusts. Her fighting style was weird, but it seemed to give her a definite advantage in reach over my wing blades, and there were a couple tricks I’d never run into before. Which wasn’t good, since she’d almost certainly been trained to fight against a wing blade wielder.

As we whirled about exchanging blows, I caught a glance of Starlight out of the corner of my eye. Her horn was glowing, but she was growling in frustration. “Cloud, move away from her! I can’t get a clear shot!”

Yeah, that wasn’t happening. Much as I liked the idea of just letting Starlight blast the spook, right now the fight was too intense for me to be able to disengage. I’d be giving Lyra a free shot at my back, and an MoH agent’s probably at their best when it comes to stabbing their target in the back. I was lot better off keeping this as a straight fight.

A second later I spotted a potential weak point. Her style gave her range and speed, but it also halved the number of hooves she could keep on the ground. Anyone who really knows how to use a blade will tell you that hoofwork is as important as what you do with the actual blade. “One problem, spook. You're in a straight fight with a soldier, not some scared little civilian or a two-bit untrained thug.”

I slashed low, aiming for her hind legs. While she managed to block the strike, it took both of her blades and put her at an awkward angle. “You think I don't know how to fight soldiers?” she spat out defiantly.

“I think you're using light and concealable weapons, and I'm wearing full plate.” I stepped in and shoulder checked her, sending her staggering back and struggling to keep her balance. She managed to throw out a single off-balance slash to try and hold me at bay, but I caught the blade on one of my bracers and batted it aside. Then I followed it up by getting her muzzle closely acquainted with my armored elbow. I don’t think she enjoyed the meeting, but it did leave behind one heck of a first impression.

Lyra went down, and before she could get back up again I had a wing blade at her throat, just like she’d done to Starlight. “Word of advice: stay down.”

Lyra’s eyes narrowed, and there was no sign of a smile on her face. “Do you really want to throw away your career over this, Cloud? Resisting an agent of the Ministry of Internal Security has severe consequences. Both for you, and those around you. I just want Starlight for questioning. No sense digging a hole for yourself.”

“I'll take my chances.” Threats from a spook sounded a lot less impressive when they were coming after I’d kicked her butt. “If you want her for questioning, come to the Compound and ask questions. Don't jump her in the street and put a blade to her throat. Oh, and send someone else to ask, because I don’t like your attitude.”

“You made your choice, then.” A second later a thick cloud of smoke erupted from within her robes, blinding me completely. I felt her slip out from underneath me, and I was willing to bet that she had some other dirty trick planned to follow up the smoke bomb. While trying to run out of the cloud risked leaving me open for an ambush, I had wings and Lyra didn’t. Flying up worked just as well as going any other direction, and was a lot safer.

I cleared the smoke cloud and managed to blink my stinging eyes back into working condition after a couple seconds. To my relief, Lyra didn’t have any more nasty surprises waiting for me. The bad news was, it wasn’t me she was after: she was closing in on Starlight.

Dammit, should’ve realized. I was just a distraction from her real goal. All she really needed was to get me out of her way long enough to—

“No!” I roared out, rushing in to try and catch Lyra before she got to the mare I still loved.

Starlight grinned savagely, planting her hooves and firing up her horn. “Bring it, bitch!” Right as Lyra was about to close with her, she fired off a massive magical blast.

The assassin tried to dodge the attack, but it was a point-blank shot and Starlight had the raw power and training to be a member of the magus corps. All of Lyra’s spook training and reflexes wasn’t enough to make up the difference. Starlight’s attack caught her right foreleg, and a second later the spy didn’t have a right foreleg anymore.

Time seemed to slow down for a brief moment as I realized several things.

I’d been coming up right behind Lyra when Starlight launched her spell. Lyra’s leg had taken the brunt of the attack, but that hadn’t been enough to stop the spell’s progress. It was still barreling forward, and the next thing in its path wasn’t Lyra—it was my face.

“Oh horseapp—”

Author's Note

As always, thanks to my pre-reading and editing team for all their hard work. Also, I would like to thank all my dedicated Patreon supporters. You guys are awesome.

Click here if you want to join the list of awesome people who support my writing.

Chasing a Cloud Pt 1 by Ponibius

The aftermath of my fight with Mom felt … strange.

On the surface everything seemed normal around me. The Canterlot night seemed the same as always. A thin throng of ponies continued to wander the streets despite the late hour. I passed the odd patrol of guardponies, and the sky was nearly cloudless as the Mare in the Moon stared down on us.

Yet for all that outward normality, it felt like so much in my life had been upturned recently. So much of my worldview had been upset by the revelations that had been laid on me. First, I had been told that I was the bearer of the Element of Loyalty and that I needed to use the legendary artifacts called the Elements of Harmony to defeat Nightmare Moon, not that I had a real clue on how they were used yet. Then there was the revelation of the Circle’s existence, both what it was and what it supposedly did.

For my entire life, the ponies most important to me—ponies that I loved—had lied to me. They had done so deliberately, conspiring against my grandmother the Empress for the better part of a millennium. I was now relatively certain their true intentions were to put Luna back on the throne, despite all the very good reasons that was likely to be a bad idea. Thus, I was placed in a terribly conflicted position on what to do.

My first talk with Mom on the topic of the Circle had not gone well, to say the least. The follow-up conversations hadn't gone any better. I was just so ... so mad at them. What made it all the worse is that I didn't even have a neutral third party I could talk about it to. After all, most of my family seemed to be involved with the Circle, and I didn't really have much in the way of friends outside of that. But … talking to Her Majesty could have terrible complications, and even worse fallout if things went wrong. I didn't know what to do.

I had gotten into another round with my mom after I found her talking with another one of her Circle agents in my home—Cloud Solaris, if I remembered her name right. She’d gotten caught in the crossfire, and I felt all the worse for exploding on somepony I had only just met. Then Mom had gone and said … well, I stormed out of Sparkle Manor after the argument.

Strange. I used to think of my home as a place of safety; a sanctuary against the world when I needed one. Now, I couldn't help but see it as a den of spies. A mere headquarters of a larger organization with my parents and other family plotting against our grandmother.

I didn't want to get drawn into the conflict brewing within my family, but could I really stand on the sidelines? And I knew they would eventually come to a head. The long-dead Queen Celestia had put plans into motion, built an entire organization that had lasted centuries, to save her sister. They weren't going to stand still once Nightmare Moon returned, and after so many conversations with my grandmother about the subjects of politics and power, she wasn't going to leave Luna in a position where she could threaten her.

And that was the problem, wasn't it? As long as Luna was alive, she was a threat to the Empress. Her mere existence made her a rallying point for ponies to gather in opposition against Her Majesty, and Grandmother wasn't in the habit of tolerating threats.

Which put me in a spot. The Empress wanted me to use the Elements of Harmony to stop Nightmare Moon. If I did so and cured Luna of the madness that possessed her, and then Grandmother went ahead and killed her in cold blood to protect her position, did that make me complicit in a murder? But what else could I do? Aid Luna in trying to overthrowing Her Majesty? No, I couldn't do that to family. But putting Luna on the throne, albeit alongside of Grandmother, was exactly what the Circle and so many of my family members were plotting to do.

I was going in mental circles now. Around and around I went, looking at the problem from every angle, but I couldn't find a solution. It was driving me crazy. I was running out of time as everything threatened to explode on me.

Thus, I found myself before the door to Sunset’s apartment. I didn't know where else to go to so late at night, not when I didn't want to sleep at Sparkle Manor. I needed to get away from ... everything, even if I knew deep down this wasn’t more than a reprieve.

Sunset blinked in surprise when she opened the door. “Twilight? What happened?”

“Happened?!” I blurted out. “What do you mean ‘happened?’ Nothing happened.” I gave her the best smile I could manage, even though everything was far from alright.

Sunset frowned, not looking the least bit convinced. “You look awful.”

“I do?” I asked, trying to sound innocent. I didn't want to just dump all of my problems on her. Though I realized that if I didn't want to do that, then I had made a pretty big error in judgement by coming here to start with.

“Yeah.” She pointed at me from top to bottom. “Your mane's a mess, your eye is twitching, and one of your ears is flicking like crazy.”

“That ... doesn't necessarily mean anything,” I said, feeling my resistance crumbling.

Sunset shot me a flat look. “Twi...”

I let out a long, tired sigh. “Sunset, could I maybe move in with you? At least for a bit?”

“Um...” She ran a hoof through her mane and her face flushed ever so slightly. “That's ... that's a big step. And kinda sudden.”

My eyes widened as I realized what it must have sounded like. “I-I mean, that is, I was wanting to ask, ack!” I covered my face, flushing even deeper red. “Can I start over?”

Sunset took a deep breath. “So ... what is it?”

I took a couple of seconds to gather my thoughts. “I'm kinda having an argument with my parents.”

“Oh. Yeah, sure, c'mon in.”

My shoulders slumped as I realized how that must have sounded too. Instead of me coming to her place for happy reasons, I had messed it up by turning this into an issue about my parents. “Sorry.” I stepped into her apartment, not even able to look at her face to face. “I don't mean to hurt your feelings. I didn't mean to make this sound... Sorry.”

Sunset shook her head. “No no, it's fine.” She closed the door after me. “Stay as long as you want.”

“It is nice to have somepony I can trust like this,” I said, trying to salvage things.

Sunset nodded. “Always.”

“Thanks.” I hesitated for a moment before nuzzling her. “You're the best.”

Sunset nuzzled back. “What happened?”

Deciding there was no point in trying to avoid the topic, I said, “My mom and I got into an argument about ... politics.”

My fillyfriend wrapped a leg around my shoulders and guided me to the couch. “Tell me about it.”

I frowned, trying to think about the best way to put it. Did I really want to drag her into this big mess? Did she deserve to know the truth? Had I already dragged her into this just with my presence? “I ... don't exactly agree with some things she's doing.”

“That's nice and vague.” Sunset nudged me. “Come on, you can talk with me about anything.”

I rubbed the back of my neck, not feeling the least bit comfortable with the topic. But I could feel my resistance crumbling under the need to talk to somepony, anypony about what I had been going through. “Some of what we're arguing about is really sensitive. It's not something I want getting around. Ponies could get into trouble if it did.”

“I can keep a secret, if that's what you're worried about.”

I took a deep breath, steadying myself for the plunge. I told her everything I knew about involving the Circle, about my talks with Argentium the Runescaled, my arguments with Cadance and Mom—everything I could think of.

After I finished, Sunset stared at me, wide-eyed as she digested everything. “That ... that's ... wow.”

I sighed. “You’re telling me. Not everyday that you learn about a centuries-old conspiracy that's been tied up with your entire life. You may have noticed that I haven't exactly been on the top of my game lately.” I did feel little better getting all of it off my chest. That was something, at least.

“I noticed you'd been acting a bit weird, but I had no idea.” Sunset shook her head to clear her thoughts. “Does the Empress know?”

I nodded. “Near as I can tell, although I haven’t talked to her about it. I worried there ... might be consequences if I told her that they tried to recruit me. What with us planning on using the Elements against Nightmare Moon. I'm sure you can understand how she would feel about a threat to one of her most important plans.”

Sunset’s ears flattened. “Oh.”

I groaned. “I don't even know what to do about this! What do you do about something like this? I don't want them to all be arrested by the Empress, but they’re plotting against her! And apparently they've been around since the founding of the Empire, and the Empress knows all about them.”

“Really? That's ... kinda crazy. You sure?”

I nodded. “That's what Cadance told me, and I don't see why she would lie about it when she’s trying to get me on board. So now I'm asking to stay with you for a while because I’ve been arguing with nearly everyone else I know and love, and now I'm keeping secrets by proxy. It's like my whole world is getting overturned on me, and I don't know how to fix any of this.”

Sunset bit her lip. “That’s pretty rough.” She drew me into a hug and I hugged her close. At least I could depend on Sunset to stand by me. “I'll do what I can to help you figure it out.”

I nuzzled her. “I could certainly use the help.”

She nuzzled me back. “Anytime.”

“You're the best.”

Sunset ran a hoof through her mane, looking slightly embarrassed. “Just trying to do the right thing.”

“Any idea what my first step should be?” I asked. Getting a second opinion on this might be exactly what I needed.

Sunset tapped her chin in thought before shrugging her shoulders helplessly.

I sighed. “I figured as much.”

“Sorry,” Sunset apologized. “I just ... finding out so much of your family are traitors is huge.”

“They're not traitors!” I snapped, the words whipping out of my mouth before I could stop them.

Sunset blinked and leaned back. “Right, right, sorry.”

I sat back as well. I really was a mess if my temper was that out of control. “Sorry. My nerves are a bit shot right now. The last good night's sleep I had was ... I don't remember.”

“It's okay.” She took my hoof and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

“Thanks,” I said, feeling relieved. “I have no idea what to do next.”

“Maybe you just need a few days to clear your head?”

“Maybe.” It was at least the start of a plan, even if it didn't go beyond step two yet. But that was better than anything else I had at the moment. Getting into arguments and making myself sick with worry certainly wasn't working.

“Stay as long as you want, okay?” She patted my hoof. “We can pick this up again once you've had some time to relax.”

“That sound like a pretty good idea.” I looked around Sunset’s apartment and immediately noticed an issue. While it wasn't spartan, the apartment was clearly a small bachelorette pad, mainly intended for a single student. The amount of guest room was pretty negligible.

“Oh. Right. Um...” She picked up on the problem as well, and pressed her lips together in thought. “Well I have a couch and some spare blankets and pillows. That should work for now.”

I nodded in agreement. “Right, I can sleep on your couch for a couple of nights. That should be alright.” It wasn't really a good long term solution, but it would serve for now.

“Or I could take the couch,” Sunset suggested.

I shook my head. “Oh no, I couldn't ask you to sleep on the couch of your own home.”

“I don't mind,” she assured me. “It's pretty comfortable, and you look like you could use a good bed.”

She did have a point there. I was pretty badly strung by this point and in need of a good night’s rest to pull myself together. Still, I'd feel bad about exiling Sunset from her own bed. “You need sleep too, and by the sounds of it, I might be here for a while.”

Sunset rubbed her chin. “We can trade off, then.”

“Maybe.” I mulled over the idea when an idea struck me—one that immediately made my cheeks flush. Still, it was a potential solution that was at least worth exploring. “Um, how big is your bed, by the way?”

“Full size,” Sunset said, not catching on to where I was going with this yet.

I had to fight down my reflex to drop the embarrassing proposal, and went ahead with my suggestion. “We could, um, if you want to, that is, we could ... share your bed.”

Sunset’s eyes widened slightly and her face flushed. “Er... I ... suppose it does have sufficient room for two fully grown mares.”

“Right. I mean there's nothing wrong with us just sharing a bed,” I said as much to assure myself as Sunset. “We've been dating how long now?”

Sunset nodded in agreement, much to my relief. Part of me had worried that I might get my rear kicked out for the somewhat scandalous suggestion. “From what I've read and seen in film, it's not unusual for couples who've been together as long as we have to cohabitate and share a bed. So it wouldn't be considered inappropriate.”

That all sounded perfectly logical to me. “And we're two responsible adults, right?”

“Yes. Yes we are.” Sunset had tried to make her words sound confident, but I couldn't help but notice a trace of uncertainty in her tone.

“So there aren't any problems with us sharing a bed,” I reasoned. “Especially when it would help make sure we're both sleeping well tonight. “

Sunset squirmed slightly on the couch. “Everything you've said is true according to all accepted social norms.”

“Right, so let’s go ahead and use the same bed,” I said, not feeling nearly as sure as I was trying to make myself sound. Still, I gave her the best smile I could manage. “Not like we're having sex or anything crazy like that, right?”

Sunset’s face grew even redder. “Um, I suppose that is true, yes. Not that I would ... uh ... that is to say that ... er...”

Oh no, what did my mouth get me into this time? I said the first thing I thought of to salvage the situation. “Not that I don't find you physically and emotionally attractive! Because I do, and because you are.”

“Uh, yeah, likewise.” She didn't look directly at me when she said that, but I could only guess why she didn't. “I certainly find you attractive enough to desire. It's just a matter of ... er...”

“Er, what?” I asked, curious.

“You know.” She waved her hoof vaguely.

“Neither of us have actually done that before?” I hazarded.

Sunset wrung her hooves together while not looking at me. “Uh ... well ... I haven't.”

“Neither have I,” I admitted, shuffling uncomfortably. “I hadn't even kissed anypony before you.”

“I was never really into that kind of thing either.”

“Right, before I hooked up with you, anyways.” I groaned and rubbed at my face. I was going to die of embarrassment at this rate. “I mean, the two of us do seem to be compatible. We get along, find each other attractive, and have a number of similar hobbies. Those are all good signs.”

Sunset nodded. “Yeah, I don't see any reason we couldn't do such things if we wanted to and felt emotionally prepared to do so.”

“Exactly. So, um, we certainly could, if we decided too.” I gave her a smile that felt terribly strained at the edges and my cheeks burned.

Sunset blushed equally as brightly. “Yeah, we could.”

“W-would you like to?” I croaked out.

“I ... I wouldn't dislike it,” she managed to force out.

“I think I-I would like it.”

“I think I would too,” Sunset said. “I mean, I haven't actually actually done it, but I'd imagine I would like it. I mean, I've heard it's enjoyable.”

“That's what my books have said.” I continued, trying to keep an awkward silence from filling the void. “And I haven't heard of anypony saying they didn't like it. I mean it is supposed to be one of the perks of a successful relationship, right? I mean, if nothing else we could ... cuddle, if we’d both be comfortable with that.”

Sunset fidgeted, her eyes flicking between the bedroom and me. “Cuddling doesn’t sound too bad.” She offered me a hoof.

I tentatively took it, my smile feeling like it was going to strain my face into a permanent grin by this point. “We could go to your bed, and see where it goes.”

Sunset squeezed my hoof. “Yes. Yes we could.”

Deciding to go for it, I pecked her on the lips. “So shall we?”

She pecked me back. “Yeah, we shall.”

The two of us went to Sunset’s bedroom to get some badly needed sleep—with the option of some other pleasurable activities to go with that sleep.

A week later I was in the Empress’ vault studying the Elements of Harmony. I still hadn't figured out what I was going to do concerning my family and the Circle. That was a knot that was beyond me at the moment, so instead, I decided to concentrate on something that at least had some basis in science of the tricky world of interpersonal relationships, spies, and lies.

I had hooked up the Element of Loyalty to an arcane-magic scanning device I had dragged down with me. Wires ran from the solid stone orb to my scanner, and the machine hummed with power as it scanned. The results were less than satisfactory. I let out a frustrated groan when I realized I wasn't getting anywhere and turned the scanner off.

I heard a soft sigh behind me. “Any luck?”

I sighed and shook my head. Turning around, I saw Fluttershy lying in a couch, impassively staring at her own Element and making about as much progress as myself from the looks of it. “No. I can tell there's some sort of magic in these things, but it's so inert that I can't get a proper reading of them. I don't even have a clue what they might react to”

Fluttershy stood up from the couch and placed a hoof on my shoulder. “We still have six months, I'm sure we'll figure it out.”

“I hope so. Otherwise we're going to be in a lot of trouble.” I ran my hoof down my face. Whether I wanted to admit it or not, I wasn't making any progress on this project. Which was really bad considering what consequences were going to be for failure. If we didn't succeed in using the Elements, then the most likely result was a god-tier throwdown between Nightmare Moon and my grandmother. Unless the Empress had some sort of backup plan to pull out first, which was a possibility. She had been planning for this for the better part of a millennium, after all.

That still left the rather unpleasant thought that the Empress was likely to kill Luna unless the Elements worked.

“I'm sure we'll find a way.” Fluttershy sighed softly. “Maybe I would be making more progress if I wasn't so...”

“Something on your mind?” I asked. Given how much I had been focusing on my own problems as of late, it would probably feel refreshing to deal with somepony else’s problems.

“It's one of my friends, Cloud Solaris.” Fluttershy bit her lower lip. “She's missing.”

I frowned, the name sounding familiar. “Missing? Have you told the Guard?”

“Of course.” Fluttershy’s lip quivered slightly as she continued. “She’s in the Guard, after all. So far, all I've heard is that her ex is a pony of interest in the investigation.”

That’s when I recalled where I had heard the name before. Wasn't Cloud the name of the Guardpony that mom saw the previous week before we got into our last argument? I tried not to grimace as I remembered how I had driven her off. That had probably not been the correct way to deal with that situation.

Fluttershy was starting to stare at me, so I pushed the memories aside to try and deal with the current problem. “Okay, how about you start from the beginning?”

“About a week ago we were all at the theater, and Cloud saw her ex-fillyfriend, Starlight Glimmer,” Fluttershy explained. “Cloud said something about wanting to talk to her. She was afraid Starlight might be in some kind of trouble. After that ... all I know is they found some of her blood on the street near her house. I'm really worried. She wouldn't be gone this long unless something was wrong. She’s not the type of pony to go AWOL, especially for an old flame.”

That all certainly sounded bad. I wasn't familiar with Starlight Glimmer, so I slotted away her name in my memory. “And the Guard hasn't told you anything?”

Fluttershy shook her head. “Nothing beyond Starlight being a pony of interest and that the investigation is ongoing.”

I rubbed my chin thoughtfully. “And you said that your friend's name was Cloud Solaris? And that she was in the Guard?”

“That's right. She's a major in the Phoenix Guard.”

“Could you describe her for me?” It struck me as a good idea to confirm that this was the same Cloud Solaris as the one I met at Sparkle Manor. No sense jumping to crazy conclusions without making sure I had my facts straight.

She nodded. “Alright. Um, lavender coat, yellow mane, pegasus, a bit on the tall and well-built side, but not huge or anything.”

“I see...” I turned away from Fluttershy, I didn't want her to see my face at that moment. That sounded exactly like the pony meeting with Mom. I didn't have any real proof at the moment, but my gut told me that all of this wasn't a coincidence. Though the question now was how were Cloud, Starlight, Mom, and Cloud’s disappearance related.

Fluttershy tilted her head to the side. “What is it?”

I shook my head to keep myself from falling too deep in my thoughts. “I'm just thinking about a few things. Exactly how many days has she been missing?”

“Eight days.”

That lined up with how long ago it was since my last argument with Mom, but now I found myself wondering what I should do next. There were a few things I could try to figure out what really happened. “Maybe I could look into it,” I said hesitantly.

Fluttershy’s face brightened up. “Really? That would mean a lot to me. Maybe some of your spells could help?”

“I can't promise anything,” I quickly said. “I mean, I've never done anything like this before, and...” To be honest, if I kept right on going, I may very well have talked myself out of helping find Cloud, but then I saw the desperation in Fluttershy’s eyes. Eyes that, possibly futilely, hoped that her friend could be found. Found by me. I couldn't bring myself to say no to eyes like those. I sighed. “I’ll see what I can do.”

Fluttershy’s mouth spread into a gracious smile. “Thank you.”

I hoped I was making the right decision.

Feeling slightly out of my depth by offering my help to Fluttershy, and not having a long list of ponies to go to for assistance, I decided to seek Sunset’s help. Return to her apartment—our apartment? I wasn't sure where the status that stood at the moment, considering I wasn't exactly in a rush to return home quite yet.

In any event, I walked into the apartment and found Sunset reading a book on the couch. “Hey, Sunset.” Feeling like it was probably the fillyfriend thing to do, I gave her a nuzzle.

Sunset returned my nuzzle. “Hey.”

I sat on a cushion opposite of her. “Could I talk with you about something? It’s kinda serious.”

Sunset closed her book and placed it to the side to give me her full attention. “Of course.”

Deciding there wasn't any sense in beating around the bush, I dived right into the issue that had brought me here. “You see, I offered to help Fluttershy with a problem of hers. One of her friends in the Phoenix Guard went missing last week. From what Fluttershy told me, Cloud ran into her ex last week, and after chasing after her… well, she disappeared. So far they’ve only found a little of her blood.”

Sunset leaned back into the couch and rubbed her chin. “That’s something alright.”

“And it actually gets weirder from there.” I grimaced despite myself, not enjoying the next part. What I was about to tell her might be considered a breach of trust, or even set some unpleasant events into motion, but if I was going to get Sunset’s help in this then she was going to need to know everything I could tell her. “Cloud was at the manor the night she disappeared, meeting with my mom.”

Sunset blinked. “Wait, what?”

“I think it was Circle business.” I explained. “Though I can't really confirm that at the moment. It just struck me as ... more than coincidence. I don't have any proof of that, but I just have a feeling there’s more going on here than what we know at the moment.”

“Agreed.” Sunset frowned. “Yeah if she was mixed up in the Circle and just mysteriously vanished...” After a moment she added, “I suppose you still don't want to go to the Empress about it?”

I frowned as I considered that option. It was a potential solution to the problem. If she was inclined to help, the Empress could bring a lot of resources to bear to figure out what happened. And that was assuming she didn't already know what had happened to Cloud or had investigators on the case. At least besides the ones Fluttershy had talked to. Of course, if I did bring what I knew to Grandmother, then that could set a lot of unfortunate events into motion. Events I would have no idea how to manage, that could get a lot of ponies I did and didn't know arrested, and who knew what else.

“No.” I shook my head. “Not yet, anyways. Frankly, we don't know what's going on here. All we know was that Cloud was visiting my mom the same night she disappeared, with some of her blood found near her home. It’s suspicious, but it’s only a start to figuring out what happened.”

Sunset crossed her legs over her chest. “So what, you want us to do our own investigation?”

“I guess?” I sighed and covered my face with my hooves. “I told Fluttershy I would look into this. Though I don't know why I did that. It's not like I'm an investigator or anything like that.”

“Me neither,” Sunset said. “But I suppose we do at least know something the Guard doesn't. And if we can't report it to them...”

“Right.” It looked like I was stuck. Either I fulfilled my promise to Fluttershy and did everything I reasonably could to find out what happened to Cloud or I was going to give up without even really trying. I had been taught a number of things but being a quitter wasn't one of them. Even if that sometimes lead me to some uncomfortable situations. While I didn’t like it, there seemed to be one clear path for me to follow at this juncture.

I took a deep breath as I decided my course. “I think I need to have a talk with my mom.”

I stood outside staring at Sparkle Manor for a long time, unable to force myself to go inside. I kept telling myself that I needed to mare up and get moving, but that was easier said than done. It wasn't hard for me to imagine what waited for me in the manor: the place that had been my home for most of my life and I didn't look forward to it.

But I had come here to do a job, and I wasn't going to get it done standing around. A pony’s life was quite likely in danger, assuming it wasn't already too late. Either way, I wasn't helping matters by standing around doing nothing. I let out a long breath, drew myself up, and opened the door.

It didn't take long for me to find the pony I sought. Mom was scribbling away with her quill in her office. She didn't seem to notice me as I approached, engrossed in whatever she was writing. That being the case, I knocked on the office doorframe to catch her attention. “Mom?”

Her body immediately tensed, and there was a forced calm in her voice as she spoke without turning. “Hello dear.”

Well wasn't this a perfect start? Already the air felt thick enough to be considered a solid. “So ... how have you been?”

“Fine.” Mom finally turned to face me. “And you?”

“I'm getting along,” I said through gritted teeth. “Though there's something important I wanted to talk to you about.”

“Very well then,” Mom’s eyes narrowed. “I'm listening.”

Jumping right to business might not have been the best way to approach the conversation now that I thought about it. Not after I hadn't seen her for a week. Still, I'd come too far to stop yet. I cast a privacy spell to keep anypony from listening in on us. “It’s about Cloud Solaris.” Mom’s face went carefully blank mention of her fellow Circle member. “I know that she went missing last week—on the same night you met with her. Near as I know, nopony has seen her since, beyond a few specks of blood was found near her home. Some mare named Starlight is a pony of interest in the disappearance.”

Mom revealed nothing, her face a careful mask of neutrality. “And how exactly would you know all of that?”

I sighed and turned my eyes away from Mom. I could sense that she was mad at me, and she had good reason to be. After what some of the things I had said to her... I wondered if it was going to take a miracle for me to get anything useful out of her. “Dame Fluttershy of the Order of Sol Invictus asked me if I could find her. She's one of Cloud's friends, and she's really worried about what happened to her.”

“I see.”

I flinched at the utter lack of recognition in her answer. I couldn't remember a time when Mom had spoken so coldly to me. She was normally so warm and inviting. Now? Now I wondered if I had done irreparable damage to our relationship.

“Look, it's not hard to figure out that Cloud’s visit and disappearance are related somehow,” I said, trying to overcome the wall of frigid hostility I was getting from Mom. “Not when she was meeting with you during the middle of the night.”

“And who have you told about this?” Mom demanded.

“Sunset.” I knew Mom wasn't going to like hearing that, but I decided I wasn’t going to get very far if I just lied to her. The thing with a secret organization is that it kinda needs to be secret to remain effective, and here I had gone and told my fillyfriend everything about the Circle. If she went ahead and decided to tell the Empress in turn...

Mom’s narrowed. “And who has she told?”

“No one,” I said, perhaps a bit too quickly. “I asked her not to.”

“Is that so?”

I winced at the accusation in her tone. “I ... don't want you to get arrested or anything like that. You're my mom.”

Something flashed over Mom’s features that I couldn’t put my hoof on. She took a deep breath and I could see her dropping her mask, if ever so slightly. “Thank you.”

Some of the ache that I had been feeling in my heart dissipated at the change in Mom's tone. “I don't like fighting with you, you know.”

“Neither do I,” Mom said quietly.

I pulled my head up to look at her. “It's just hard to have everything changed on you like this. The secrets, the lies, the everything.”

Mom’s shoulder drooped. “I never wanted to hurt you either.”

“It still did.”

I instantly regretted saying that, as Mom suddenly looked very old and tired. She had always had a certain vitality and energy to her, but now... “I know. In truth, what I wanted was to spare you of everything. I knew all of this would be hard on you. It was hard on me when I first found out. You were just so happy being the Empress’ student and ... I didn't want to take any of that happiness away from you.”

My eyes fell back to the floor. “All I want to do is the right thing, but that's so hard to figure out these days. It's looking like my family are lining up on different sides of a battlefield and I'm being asked to pick sides. What are you supposed to do in a situation like that?”

“We're not battling against each other, you know.”

I gave Mom a level look. “You think our grandmother feels that way about it?”

It was a long moment before she answered. “I don't think we're her enemies, and I hope she feels the same.”

That was a very diplomatic answer. “You can't be blind to how she feels about threats. You learned from her too.”

“We aren't a threat to her,” Mom tried to assure me. “We're helping her.”

I clenched my teeth as I felt my anger resurface. “She's not going to see it that way when you try and put Luna on the throne!”

Mom blinked. “Put Luna on the throne? Is that what you think we want to do?”

I quirked an eyebrow. This hadn't been the reaction I had expected. “That's what Argentium told me.”

A slight frown worked its way into her features. “Ah.”

“‘Ah’?” A realization dawned on me. “You're not all on the same page, are you? Within the Circle, that is?”

Mom took a deep breath, and I could hear an annoyed grumble in her words. “Every group has a few differences of opinion.”

“This is a pretty big one,” I said, pointing out the obvious. “Argentium wants to give the Moon Mantle to Luna after—” I bit down on my tongue before I accidently said anything about the Elements. “She comes back.”

“I've heard she and the head of the organization favor that,” Mom admitted with obvious reluctance. “To be honest, Siren—Cadance and I favor a different course.”

“And that is?” I still wasn't happy about the fact that Mom was in a big conspiracy like this, but that still couldn't suppress my natural curiosity about the Circle and its workings.

“Working within the existing Empire as it is and pushing reform policies,” Mom explained. “Putting Luna on the throne is not something I can imagine the populace ever supporting.”

“Considering she wants to inflict an eternal night on the planet? I think everypony would kinda object to the slow cold death of the planet.

Mom shook her head. “Only on account of her madness, or that is what our leader and Argentium believe.”

“Right, that.” I had to wonder who this leader was, but I had a good feeling Mom would deflect any questions about her identity. Better to focus on questions she was likely to answer for now.

Mom stared at me for a long moment, and I got the sense she was thinking very hard about something before she finally spoke. “How determined are you to look into the matter of Cloud Solaris?”

I was slightly surprised by the change in topic, but part of me was happy to get back what had brought me here. “Considering I've already talked it over with Sunset, made a promise to Fluttershy to look into this, and I've already come this far with you, pretty determined.”

Mom sighed and rubbed her nose. “Starlight is a member of the Circle as well. Or rather, a former member. Much like myself and Argentium, we had our ideological differences.”

Now we were getting to something I could actually use. That being the case, I decided learning more about Starlight was a good idea. “And what does Starlight believe in?”

“That we can't work within the existing system.” Mom shook her head to herself. “It's why she's a former member now—she’s gotten it into her head that the only way we’re going to change things is through revolution. She’s always had strong beliefs like that, and revolution was something the Circle never believed in.”

“Did she get kicked out or just leave?” I tried to get an idea of a mare I might be dealing with in the near future.

“We asked her to leave.”

At least I was getting good information now and putting the pieces of the puzzle together. “And what has she been up to since then?”

“Gathering a few like-minded individuals in Manehattan,” Mom said. “As far as we can tell, she came back to Canterlot either to expand her group or as damage control because some extremists with potential ties to her were purged by the Empress' forces.”

I suppressed a grimace. There had been that story in the news where a group of dissidents had been eliminated a while ago, though the details about that had been limited. Was Starlight involved with that somehow? “And let me guess: that's what Cloud wanted to talk to you about?”

Mom nodded, but a frown found its way to her lips. “The two of them had ... personal history.”

Another piece to the puzzle. “The good or bad type of history?”

“The complicated type,” Mom answered. “They dated for a while, and Cloud was the one who introduced her to the Circle. The relationship fell apart around the same time Starlight was asked to leave.”

“Ah.” I mulled over the facts presented to me. “Think they might have seen each other the night Cloud disappeared?”

“Cloud did intend to find her.” Mom rubbed at her temple. “After she left the manor, nopony we could find has seen her since.”

What had just been revealed to me certainly painted a picture and gave me a couple potential explanations for what might have happened to Cloud. The first explanation was that Cloud had simply joined with Starlight after they had met. They had been an item in the past, and the heart causes ponies to do crazy things. Though that didn't seem quite right to me; according to Fluttershy, Cloud was an inherently reliable pony, which flew in the face of that entire hypothesis. Especially when she hadn't even told her parents she was leaving. It was still a possibility that she had dropped everything to become a revolutionary, but a very, very remote one.

The other big possibility was that Starlight had done something to Cloud if she managed to catch up with her. The investigators had Cloud’s blood near her home after all.

“How dangerous is Starlight?” It struck me as a good idea to know exactly who we were dealing with here.

“She was going through magus training, and only failed due to being too outspoken and disruptive when it came to politics.”

“Sounds like she's a true believer,” I commented. “Do you have any idea where she is now? Or Cloud, for that matter?”

“Not for certain, but we've sent an agent to Manehattan.” Mom shrugged. “It was where Starlight set up shop after she left us. We’ve been too busy with other things to keep track of her. Honestly, we were hoping that she would rejoin us after taking some time to cool down and see the world. That type of thing has happened in the past.”

“Great, that’s only one of the biggest cities in the Empire,” I grumbled and ran my hood down my face. “How hard can it be to find a pair of mares?”

Mom nodded sympathetically. “That's been our problem. It can be very hard to find somepony in a city who doesn't want to be found.”

“And I'm going to guess you've already tried some scrying or divination spells?” Might as well cover the basics while I was here.

“Of course. Starlight has her defenses up.” It wasn't hard to note the frustration in Mom’s tone. “Otherwise, the only question would be whether we'd beat the EIS to her.”

“It figures that it wouldn't be that easy.” Tapping my hooves together, I considered the problem from another angle. “If I were her, I'd have defenses up against all the regular magical means to find somepony.”

Mom nodded in agreement. “She is, for all intents and purposes, a magus. She knows all the tricks of the trade.”

“So, I have to find her or Cloud. At least one of whom doesn't want to be found, and has magical means to make sure she isn't found,” I grumbled. “Oh, and Starlight is part of her own organization of political radicals in one of the most populous cities in the Empire. Is there any other bad news I should know about, or does that cover everything for the doom and gloom report?”

Mom grinned wryly. She had probably been working with these frustrations longer than I had. “The Empress will likely object to you running off to Manehattan.”

The mention of the Empress made me pause for a moment. Mom had a point there. “If she knows about it, yes.”

A dry smile showed on Mom’s lips. “Twilight, do you really think she doesn't have you watched?”

I felt myself deflate. That was a rather large hurdle for me to overcome if I was going to help Fluttershy. “She most likely does, and I’m going to guess saying she hasn't told me not to go to Manehattan isn't going to cut it?”

“She's taught you for years,” Mom replied dryly. “How do you think she'd react to that?”

“She's not very keen when ponies go against her intentions,” I admitted.

“Just so.” She leaned back against her desk, looking old and tired again. “It's up to you, dear. You obviously won't let me tell you what to do.”

I winced at the well-played guilt trip. I was justified with a lot of the issues I had with her, but that didn't mean I liked rift between us. “Mom...” I extended a hoof towards her but stopped short.

For her part, Mom stared at my hoof, her own twitching on the desk. “Will you be coming home soon?”

I shuffled in place. This was one of those questions I had really hoped I could avoid. “I'm not sure what I'm doing right now. I was just wanting some time to think things through, get my thoughts together—and then this came up, and Sunset's been really nice, but her place isn't that big for two ponies, but I didn't want to come back here and get into another big argument with you or Dad, but all my stuff is here, so it makes it really awkward when I keep having to buy stuff I already own like toothbrushes, otherwise I end up using Sunset's stuff, which still feels really weird, aaaand I'm rambling, aren't I?”

Mom chuckled softly. “A little bit.” The slight smile on her lips died as quickly as it had been born. “At least pack a proper bag?”

I rubbed at my leg, feeling extremely uncomfortable. “For Manehattan, or for Sunset's?”

Something briefly flashed over Mom’s face. “Both.”

“Right.” I couldn’t exactly disagree with that idea after everything that had happened between us. I just needed a few more ... what? Days? Weeks? Months to figure things out? One thing at a time. Figuring out what happened to Cloud was my first priority at the moment. “That makes sense. I'll make sure to do that.”

Mom nodded. “Good. Remember your manebrush.”

I smiled sadly. “I'll make sure not to forget it.”

“And a couple nice dresses,” Mom added.

“Um, right, for formal occasions,” I agreed.

Mom studied me before saying, “And I do hope you and Sunset are at least being ... safe.”

Okay, how to address that in the fastest and most non-detailed way possible? “Um, yes, we are.”

Mom nodded again, though the strain in her face hadn’t dissipated. “Good.”

Feeling now was as good of a time as any to say something I had been meaning to, I added, “And, um, I'm sorry, Mom. For everything.”

Mom sighed and drew me into a hug. “So am I, dear. So am I.”

I hugged her back, wondering if things between us could ever be like they were before.

“... and that's everything I found out,” I finished telling Sunset.

The both of us were back in the Empress’ vault. Thankfully there wasn’t anypony else there, which gave us plenty of privacy to talk. I hadn’t even seen Lyra for weeks now. Whatever was keeping her busy was keeping her from watching all of us. The fact that all the Element Bearers weren’t here to study the Elements was probably testament to the progress we were making at the moment. I didn’t know what made me feel worse: how little progress we’d made with the Elements, or whether that time would have been better spent looking for Cloud Solaris.

Sunset pressed her lips together thoughtfully. “I guess it shouldn't be a shock the Circle has its own factions.”

“I guess not.” I rubbed the back of my neck. “Kinda makes me feel a bit bad about yelling at my parents partially over some misconceptions. And I still get the impression I don’t know a tenth about everything there is to know about the Circle.”

Sunset shook her head. “No way you could've known. It's not like they told you about all this before.”

I scowled at that little reminder. “That's kinda one of my core issues, yeah. That problem hasn’t gone away.”

“I think you weren't wrong to be mad.” Sunset huffed as she plopped down on a couch. “Anyway, we still going after Cloud Solaris?”

My gaze fell to the floor as I thought the proposition over. “I'd like to because ... if I'm going to be honest, I feel guilty.”

One of Sunset’s eyebrows rose. “Guilty?”

I began pacing as I tried to put my feelings into words. “I ran her out of the manor the night she disappeared. She was in the middle of a conversation with Mom when I came across them, and I didn't react well. I can't help but wonder if I'm partially responsible for what ended up happening to her. If I hadn't been so angry, then Mom might have asked me to help Cloud.” I shrugged helplessly. “Or maybe Mom would have gone with her and kept Cloud from disappearing instead of going into another round of arguments with me, or maybe have arranged somepony else to go with Cloud. I mean, Cloud was Starlight's fillyfriend. Which means she could have made a bad mistake while dealing with some political radical she didn't really know anymore.”

Sunset stood back up to lead me to the couch. “Hey, you can't blame yourself for that. You're just speculating on what could've happened now that you have perfect hindsight. There's no way you could've realized what was going on.”

“Maybe.” I rubbed at my face, feeling very worn down all of a sudden as I sat with her. “But I might have had a better understanding of what was going on if I listened instead of just yelling at them.”

Sunset wrapped a leg around my shoulders. “Remember what I said about hindsight?”

I sighed and nodded.

“Nopony's perfect, Twilight.” Sunset nuzzled me. “Not even the Empress.”

Not able to argue with that, I decided to move onto something more productive than self-recrimination. “How about we figure out our next move then?”

“Finding Starlight, right?”

“Her or Cloud,” I answered. “Cloud would technically be better, since she’s the one Fluttershy wants to see again. Catching the crazy radical pony isn’t exactly our mission here.”

“Whichever one we can find,” Sunset agreed. “It seems our best guess is they're at the same place.”

I crossed my hooves over my chest, feeling better about working on a problem that I could actually come to grips with rather than messy emotional issues. “The problem is that Starlight's magically protected herself against scrying, and magic is our best bet.”

Sunset grinned savagely. “Yeah, but we're better than her.”

Despite myself, I grinned back. “I would hope so, with the amount of bits that's been put into our educations.” I stood up again to start pacing around again. “So, she has magus training, but didn't graduate. Let us assume she knows all the basic anti-scrying tricks. Otherwise the Ministry would have found her by now.”

Sunset nodded in agreement. “Obviously. They'll have full magi on staff.”

I rubbed my chin. “So how do we beat the most commonly used and effective anti-scrying methods available?”

“Nonmagical tracking methods,” Sunset replied. “Ponies worry so much about magic they forget about more mundane options. Of course, the Ministry would have those too.”

“Right, and apparently they haven't caught her yet with those methods either.” That was one of the big problems we were facing: we didn’t have near the resources available to the Ministry of Hearts, and they hadn’t caught Starlight yet either. It didn’t fill a pony with confidence.

“So ... we have to try something that's not in the book,” Sunset grumbled.

“Either something she isn't ready to counter or hasn't been tried by anypony yet.” I was deep in thought when my eyes fell on one of the doorways in the vault. Specifically, the one that had a large portrait of Midnight Sparkle besides it and led to where the Empress kept all of her daughter’s possessions. An idea struck me. “What if we tried something that hasn't been done in centuries?”

Sunset frowned ponderously as her gaze followed mine. “A spell so old nobody thinks to defend against it? That could work”

“What I was thinking.” I pointed to the Hall of Midnight. “Didn't the Empress use her daughter to hunt down a bunch of people when she was alive? You know, warlocks, rebels, foreign leaders, the works? At least according to the history books, she always succeeded in catching whoever she was looking for.”

Sunset stood up from the couch to approach the doorway. “She was pretty good at it from what I’ve read, yeah. That’s why the Empress depended on her so much early in her rule.”

“So it stands to reason that she probably had a bunch of spells to find people,” I concluded. “A lot of those she hunted would have had counters to tracking magic.”

Sunset nodded. “Well, they developed counters for her tricks, but then she just came up with new tricks. It's been 800 years since she’s been able to flesh out her repertoire, though.”

“That is one of the issues with magic,” I agreed. “One counter leads to another counter, on and on forever. Buuut we know all the culmination of all that back and forth and where magical theory now sits.”

“Yeah, we can go through her whole big list of tricks and see if there are any that are so old and outdated that Starlight didn't think to counter them.” A smile spread across her lips.

“That's what I'm thinking.” I stepped next to her in front of the door, and a problem occurred to me. “Of course, we were told not to go back there.”

Sunset’s smile vanished. “That's true.”

“Buuut there should be a goldmine of material back there,” I continued. “Stuff nopony has looked through in centuries other than the Empress. And it's not like we want to damage anything. We're responsible adults.”

“Yeah, but if the Empress finds out we went into Midnight's things...” She let that hang in the air. The possibilities were not pleasant. Not at all.

“True, but this doesn’t seem like something she really needs to be bothered with,” I tried to reason. I didn’t know for certain, but I had a good feeling that exactly what we needed lay with my ancestor’s things. If only we could get into the room. “It's not like we're asking to shift through the Sealed Repository. They're just things my distant ancestor owned centuries ago.”

Sunset nodded in agreement. “Nothing wrong with what we're doing.”

“Right. We have nothing but the best intentions.” With it being established that it was perfectly fine for us to look through Midnight’s things, the only thing to do was enter the forbidden reaches of the vault and risk the Empress’ wrath for disobeying her directions.

Neither of us moved forward.

“Think she'll buy that?” Sunset asked, sounding very, very uncertain about the prospect.

I sighed. “Not in a million years. Maybe we should just bank on not getting caught?”

Sunset frowned, not looking the least bit convinced. “You think we can actually pull that off?”

I stared long and hard at the open doorway, its darkness beckoning. “Maybe we should check if there are any magical defenses in place first?”

Sunset rolled her eyes. “Sure, that won't end badly. You know how many magical defenses can be set off just by trying to scan them?”

Admittedly, I wasn’t overly eager to get burned to a crisp by setting off a dozen wards by the most magically skilled pony in the world. “Do you have a better suggestion? Chances are this is a time-critical situation.”

Sunset’s brow furrowed in thought. “Maybe try asking the Empress for permission to see the books?”

“Think that would work?”

Sunset shrugged. “If we gave her a good reason, maybe.”

“What reason could be give her?” I asked. “Maybe that we're just really curious about her daughter? If we're being honest, we are a couple of bookworms. We could give it a shot at least.”

“Sounds a lot safer than going behind her back,” Sunset said, sounding more than a little bit relieved.

“Let's go see her and see if we can work this out.”

A little while later, we were allowed into the Empress’ office. She seemed to be in the middle of a snack, with a small bowl of soup before her.

“Empress?” I called out from the doorway. “Can we have a few minutes?”

The Empress put aside her bowl and gave us a welcoming smile. “Of course, my children. What is it?”

Sunset stepped forward first. “We ... wanted to ask you for something.”

“Right.” I stood next to my fillyfriend. “We were, um, curious about the room where you keep all of Midnight's things.” A very strained smile spread across my lips.

The Empress raised an eyebrow. “And why would that be?”

My smile became all the more brittle. “We're really curious about it. We've been studying in your vault for months now, and we've never been allowed to go into that room.”

“My daughter's personal effects are inside that room,” the Empress said neutrally.

I nodded. “We figured that much, but we were wondering if we could go in there and look around?”

I could feel it as the Empress’ concentration bore down on me. It made me feel like a mouse under the gaze of a hungry cat. “Just to satisfy your curiosity?”

Now we were entering dangerous waters. We needed to get into Midnight’s section in the vault, but without getting shut down by the Empress. For whatever reason, she didn’t seem keen on the idea of even her students seeing her daughter’s possessions. “We are kinda a couple of bookworms like that. Remember how much we like to visit museums?”

The Empress frowned slightly and a reproachful tone entered her voice. “This isn't a museum. It's where my daughter's personal possessions are.”

My ears wilted and I grimaced. This wasn’t off to a good start. “Sorry. I know Midnight’s things must be important to you. It’s just that I wanted to learn a bit more about my ancestor.” I widened my eyes with the best sad-puppy dog look I could manage.

The Empress’ eyes narrowed. “Twilight, I know when I’m being manipulated. You are not the first pony to try that look on me.” The Empress studied me for a long moment, making me feel very guilty before she sighed and stood up. “Though I suppose there isn’t any harm in it. Lucky for you, I have a soft spot for my grandchildren. Very well then, I'll lead you there.”

My ears perked. “Really?”

My grandmother nodded. “Of course, my children. Now follow me.” My heart felt much lighter as she lead the way back the vault. This was a huge step in the right direction for finding Cloud.

Soon we were before the entrance to Midnight’s things. “A moment, my children.” Her horn lit up as she started unlocking several potent protection spells.

Sunset leaned closer to me to murmur, “Good thing we didn't try to sneak in.”

“No kidding,” I murmured back. “That could have ended badly.” Whatever was in this section of the vault, the Empress really wanted to protect it. Most bank vault and sensitive military installations were less protectively warded than this doorway was, and that was on top of all the formidable defense measures she had placed over the vault itself. It was difficult to even tell just how many of the wards there were and how they were all interlinked. It likely wouldn't have turned out well for me or Sunset if we had tried to disarm them ourselves.

After a few minutes the Empress finished disarming all her wards. “There, now it’s safe to enter.”

The three of us walked through the doorway and I stared wide-eyed at what was within. Instead of just one room like I expected, I found myself in a set of very large chambers that more closely resembled living quarters than a vault. All around us were Midnight’s personal possessions: furniture, bookcases filled with tomes, arms and armor, old clothes, oh, and lots and lots of skulls—many of them covered with faded pink paint. It all gave me the sense that I accidently stepped into the storage basement of some evil overlord. Without trying, I could sense the preservation magic that kept everything from degrading. It was almost like I had entered a time bubble to the first century.

Sunset whistled. “Wow, this is ... extensive.”

“I had no idea there was so much in here,” I agreed.

Sunset’s attention fell on what looked like shelf covered by old enchanting tools and materials. “Yeah, it looks like she could move in tomorrow.”

That got Sunset a sharp look from the Empress, and Sunset smiled sheepishly in reply. It seemed that her deceased daughter was still a sore topic for her even after all these centuries.

“Sorry, but this is amazing,” I said, trying to draw some of the heat off of Sunset. “It’s like a historian's dream in here.”

That at least seemed to end the Empress’ ire for Sunset. “Glad you like it.”

I turned to one of the bookshelves to see if I could find where Midnight’s books on magic were stored. Then I realized a problem: there were a lot of bookshelves covered by books. I was reasonably sure at least one of the chambers was filled by nothing but books as I glanced through its doorway. Normally, I wouldn't have considered having so many book available to me to be a problem, but we probably didn't have time to go through everything. Though the Empress was very good at hiding what she was thinking, I got a sense of slight apprehension from her as her gaze shifted back and forth between me and Sunset—like a mother trying to keep track of her children inside of a shop with many easily breakable objects. Considering how she had acted thus far concerning Midnight’s belongings, it didn't seem likely that she would let us stay here unsupervised.

The Empress smirked as she watched me ogle the books. “Anything in particular you’re looking for? It would save us both quite a bit of time if you just told me what you wanted to see.”

It did seem best to get the Empress’ help. I would be surprised if she didn’t know this whole place like the back of her hoof. “We were pretty curious about what spells she used, considering she did a lot when she was alive. Her spellbooks should be really interesting.”

“We were interested about her tracking spells, specifically,” Sunset added.

“Simple enough,” the Empress said. One of the large tomes floated off the shelf to levitate before me. “And here you are.”

“Thank you!” I grasped the book with my magic, but then found it didn’t move when I tugged on it. Momentarily confused, I looked to see that my grandmother was still holding onto it, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

She grinned, in no rush to let go of the spellbook. “So who are you trying to find that needs an eight-hundred-year-old book of tracking spells?”

My heart sank as I realized that we had been caught. It had been a gamble to try and get Midnight’s tracking spells, and we had just lost. My grandmother knew we were up to something, and I didn’t see a way out of admitting what we were doing. We probably should have known better than to try and pull a fast one on our teacher.

Sunset broke first and sighed. “Cloud Solaris.”

My ears wilted. No sense keeping secrets now. Maybe there was still a way to make this turn out alright if we told the truth here and now. “Right. Her. She's one of Fluttershy's friend, and she went missing a number of days ago. We were hoping to use one of the spells in this book to try and find her.”

“I'm aware of the situation.” The Empress tapped her chin thoughtfully. “So you think one of Midnight's spells could find Cloud or Starlight? Interesting. Some of her tracking spells were certainly unique. One of these spells might offer an angle of attack the Ministry hasn't tried yet.”

Sunset nodded. “That was what Twilight was thinking.”

“It at least seemed worth a try,” I said. “Better than any other idea we could come up with, anyways.”

“Alright then.” The Empress released the tome to me. “Try it. If the results seem promising, I'll have somepony help you to see this through.”

“If that's alright,” I said, still feeling slightly confused. Was she actually authorizing us to find Cloud and all that intoned? It felt like there was a lot more going on than I could see right now, but my thoughts were still whirling to absorb everything. “We'll give it our best shot and tell you whether it works.”

A proud smile showed itself on my grandmother’s face. “I would expect nothing less. Well done, my children.”

Chasing a Cloud Pt 2 by Ponibius

“Updating this spell has been a bit harder than I thought it would be,” I said as I helped set up a table in the royal gardens. The project of finding one of Midnight’s tracking spells and updating it for our purposes had taken us a couple of days of work, and we were only now confident about trying it out.

Sunset unfolded a couple of the table legs and the two of us placed it on the old stones that covered one of the little meeting places within the garden. “It is a very old spell.”

“Being eight centuries old does give it age credentials.” If not for the Empress’ preservation spells, I doubted the old spell book would even have survived as long as it had. It was kind of sad that so many artifacts belonging to my distant ancestor were locked away from the world like they were. It would have been nice if they could be out where they could be seen and studied, but I doubted the Empress would ever allow it considering how prickly she was about her daughter’s things

“And updating all the outdated matrices was going to take some work no matter how we went about it,” Sunset said. “Then we extended its range, the search criteria, making it more efficient, and all the other bells and whistles we ended up adding.”

I placed the copy of the updated tracking spell on the table, as well as some of the other materials we would need for the spell. “All without updating it in a way that will get it countered by common countermeasures.”

“Exactly.” Sunset picked up her own copy of the spell and scanned over our work. “We had to update it, but not update it too much.”

“Or at least not update it in the wrong way. Since we didn't want it to be counterable by the usual anti-tracking spells.” I studied the arcane notes on my piece of paper. I would have liked more time to examine my work, but time was probably of the essence. Updating Midnight’s old spell had already taken more time than I would have liked, and using more time refining everything wasn't preferable. So in the end, we had decided to do a live test of the spell. “It's been a long time since I've seen a familiar-based tracking spell like this used. It’s pretty unique.”

“Well, we wanted something different.” Sunset frowned before finally putting her paper down. “So, looks like it's maybe ready-ish to me.”

“We've been working it over for a few days now, yeah.” I sighed and put the paper down, unable to see any mistake we had made. In a way, that was more worrying than if I would have found some mistakes. The two of us had been keeping our noses to the grindstone to finish this project, and everything about the spell was beginning to blur together for me—which was one of the reasons why I would have preferred to spend a day away from the spell to rest and then review it with a fresh mind. But if Cloud really was in trouble and time was of the essence... “It shouldn't blow our horns off, anyways.” I wasn't sure if I was trying to convince myself or Sunset with those words.

Sunset shrugged. “Only one way to find out for sure.”

I nodded. By this point I just wanted to get it over with, whatever the results were. Another sign of stress and fatigue, I knew, but everypony had limits and these weren't ideal circumstances. “You want to try it out, or shall I?”

“Hm.” Sunset rubbed her chin. “I can probably handle the fallout better if something goes wrong.”

“That's probably true in this case.” Sunset was a bit better than I was at dealing with raw forces of magic. It came with being a pyromancer and dealing with extremely temperamental forces like fire magic. Our magical mishap where we had switched bodies had certainly given me some insight into what her magic was like. “Let me get everything set up and give the spell one final look over.”

“Go for it.”

Sunset watched me as I went about preparing the spell. Midnight’s spell wasn't a simple conjuration and thus needed a bit more work to be properly cast. I carefully made a circle of salt on the stone. The circle was a magical construct intended to help me concentrate and focus my magics. Next, a small pile of corn and a photograph of Cloud Solaris were placed inside the circle. It would have been nice to have a feather or a lock of hair to focus the magical energies on, but that would require something like asking to get into Cloud’s house, which I wasn't ready to do quite yet. Not for a spell I wasn't completely sure would even work. A photograph would have to do.

All the preparations done, I reviewed the spell, making sure I had memorized it right. Double checking everything, I couldn't think of any other reason to procrastinate. Looking to Sunset, I said, “Wish me luck.”

“Luck.” Sunset stepped back, giving me space to concentrate without distraction.

I pushed aside the thought about how exactly Sunset could be distracting before I made a full list on that topic. One of the problems with hanging with Sunset was that it could be very tempting to do things like kiss her and hold hooves rather than focus on my studies. But that was a balance I was going to have to figure out later. Right now, I needed to concentrate on what I was doing.

My horn lit up as I drew up the magic I needed. I then began casting the tracking spell, concentrating on the photo of Cloud and the corn, and using the circle to help direct my magical energy. I imagined Cloud, why I wanted to find her, and that need being real. After a minute, the casting was complete.

As expected, I felt a new sensation as my magical senses touched the active tracking spell. I smiled as a wave of relief settled over me. “Okay, I think it's working now.”

Sunset gaze turned up to the sky as she searched for something. “Then where are the ra—”

We had expected maybe a couple of ravens to respond to the tracking spell. It wasn’t a couple. It wasn't a dozen or even a few dozen ravens that came to the summons. It was a swarm of the birds that descended on us, their caws filling the garden. There had to be at least a hundred of them, though I had no idea where they all came from. Reflexively, I covered my face when at least a half dozen of the ravens swooped down on me.

For a moment, I feared that something had gone wrong and the unkindness was about to start pecking and clawing at me. I did feel the ravens’ talons settle along my back, but not painfully so. I opened my eyes and saw that the unkindness of ravens were covering every branch and open surface they could find space on, including Sunset and I. It was a bit creepy as they all stared down at us, but it could have been worse, all things considered.

“There’s your ravens,” I answered flatly. “The spell didn't say there were going to be this many ravens showing up, did it? I didn't miss that, right?”

“It did say multiple ravens.” Sunset shrugged. “It didn't lie.”

“If this is the biggest problem we’re having with the tracking spell then I call it a success,” I said.

As thought to spite me, the ravens let out a great unified caw of, “Death! Death! Death!”

Sunset frowned at the poor portent. “Are they supposed to be saying that?”

“Maybe?” I shook my head, trying to put the oddness of the situation to the side. We were here for a reason, and I could still feel the magic of the tracking spell working. “It might have something to do with the spell. The idea behind this spell is that ravens are supposed to be able to find the souls of the dead to take them to the spirit world, and thus theoretically be able to find anypony, no matter where they are. Anyone with a soul, at least.”

That was probably all a bunch of superstition, but that apparently didn't keep the spell from working. Magic ran by its own rules, and sometimes it was more important that you believed something was true than what the rules of physics said. The key here was that I had to wrap my head around the idea that ravens could find souls. Thankfully, I had plenty of practice with such mental gymnastics where magic was concerned.

“That should cover Cloud Solaris, then.” Sunset glowered at the ravens covering her back. “Even if we got more help than we really need here.”

“Let us see if they're doing what they're supposed to be doing then.” I stepped over to the table, and with both a physical wave and a compulsion given through the tracking spell, the ravens took off from the table. “Okay, can you guys tell us where Cloud is?”

“And while you're giving them instructions, ask them not to perch on us.” Sunset justled herself, but the ravens stayed perched on her back.

“And could all of you get off of us too?”

The ravens cawed sadly, but they did as I asked and fluttered off of us.

“Thanks,” Sunset said, rolling her shoulders now that the ravens were off of her.

“No problem.” It sure made me feel better not to have them on me. At least the unkindness seemed to be obeying my commands like they were supposed to. That being the case, I unrolled a map for them and pointed to it. “So back to finding Cloud. Where is she?”

One of the ravens swooped down onto the map. It hopped around for a few moments before placing a shiny pebble onto Manehattan.

“Wow.” Sunset’s gaze shifted back and forth between the raven and the pebble. “That ... just like that? Even after helping to modify the spell I expected a bit more. You know, something flashy or complicated.”

“As long as the spell’s working I can live with it.” I could feel the tracking spell tugging in the direction of Manehattan through my connection with the ravens. “They've at least narrowed down the search to a city, if a major one.”

“Would make sense,” Sunset said. “Didn't your mom say Starlight worked in Manehatten?”

I nodded. “She did. So this does fit.”

“Guess we've got a good starting point, then.”

“That we do.” I suddenly wished we had brought more maps with us, it would have been nice to test the spell a bit more, but this would just have to do for now. If we go to Manehattan the ravens should be able to narrow down where Cloud is even further. They might be able to do that now, but I would like to be closer just to make sure the spell is being accurate.”

Sunset grinned triumphantly. “Looks like we can tentatively declare it a successful spell.”

I smiled at Sunset. “I’ll agree with you there. I guess we should tell the Empress that we've succeeded? I doubt she's going to want us to go to Manehattan without permission.”

“To go after a missing guardpony who's crazy radical ex with magus training might be hanging around?” She shook her head. “No way. Not when she doesn’t like us to leave Canterlot on a vacation without telling her first.”

I frowned, knowing all of that was true. It wasn’t something I wanted to think about, but I had a feeling that the Empress wasn’t going to let us see this one through to the end. As much as I might want to, my grandmother seemed pretty risk averse where we were concerned. For perfectly good reasons, and in the past I didn’t mind it at all, but now...

I shrugged. “She’ll know what to do with this. Let's go see her.”

It wasn’t long before the two of us were bowing in front of the Empress in her quarters. The normal ritual was thrown off a bit by the ravens that had followed us into the palace. They were now perched about the furniture, patiently watching us with black eyes. Even the windows had ravens waiting on the other side of the glass.

“Hello, my children.” Empress Sunbeam’s gaze briefly turned to look at a raven standing on the mantle for her fireplace. “I see the spell worked.”

I smiled awkwardly for my grandmother. “It's a bit obvious, isn't it?”

“I admit, it has been far too long since I saw that spell in action.” She looked wistfully at the raven before shifting her gaze back to me.

“Ravens seemed to be a common theme of a lot of Midnight’s spells.” It wasn’t too hard to imagine why she was unique in that. Having so many ravens following me around was eerie to say the least. They just kept watching me, as though waiting for me to say or do something. “Anyways, we think we've managed to get the modification of her spell to work. The ravens say Cloud Solaris is in Manehattan.”

“Oh? That is excellent news.” The Empress smiled approvingly, and I felt my heart rise at that look. It always felt good to make her happy. “I’ll need to have somepony follow up on that.”

Sunset took a deep breath and stepped forward. “We could.” The words had come with an edge of hesitation, but Sunset’s jaw was clenched with determination.

I stepped forward also, finding myself reacting instead of acting on any kind of plan like I normally did. “I would like to see this through, too.”

“So would I,” Sunset said, sounding more sure of herself now. I could sense the fire in her alighting now, giving me confidence in turn. “We started this, we should finish it.”

The Empress’ eyes narrowed, and it was a struggle not to flinch away from that disapproving glare. “You two are my personal students, and need I remind you, in the middle of vitally important work. Do you think I can just send you gallivanting off on some missing pony quest? I have others who can deal with this matter. You’re both needed here.”

Those were facts, but ... this was something I wanted to see through to the end. I had come this far, but just leaving it here would bother me. I just knew it would. “I did promise Fluttershy to do everything I could to find Cloud, Empress, and...” I thought quickly. What the Empress responded best to was logic. Emotional pleas weren’t likely to move her, but coming up with good reasons for why Sunset and I could see where the tracking spell led us might just work. “Maybe it would be a good idea for us to get some field experience in? We’ve learned a lot from you, but several books I have read said that no amount of teaching can replace real-world experience.”

Sunset nodded. “We can't be your students forever. Sooner or later we need to learn how to actually do things for ourselves.”

The Empress frowned thoughtfully. We hadn’t fully convinced her yet, but we had budged her in the right direction. Time to come up with more arguments in our favor.

“That's what you've been educating us to do, right?” I asked. “To be able to serve you and the Empire? This would do this, right?”

“That is true,” the Empress allowed reluctantly.

Sensing she just needed a little more of a nudge, I said, “And wouldn’t it be a good idea for the two of us to get some experience about how things are really done before we go up against something like a demigoddess? I know you believe in us, but I would feel better if I’d already gotten my hooves wet on something a bit simpler than that.”

The Empress considered us for a long moment before making her decision. “Very well then. The two of you may pursue the matter.” Before either of us could say anything, she added, “But not alone. I’ve put far too much time and energy into you two for anything to happen to you.”

Sunset frowned. “Who are you going to send with us?”

The Empress hummed with contemplation. “A magus, perhaps. Somepony experienced, just as a matter of security. I do need you two alive.”

“I guess that’s alright,” Sunset allowed, sounding unhappy about the idea. There was something in her tone that told me she didn’t like the idea of being babysat by another magus.

As for myself, I grimaced as the idea that I had just talked myself into something where I could get seriously hurt or die. Cloud’s blood had been found at the last location anypony could point her to. It might just be that I had gotten myself in over my head. Having somepony experienced along sounded like a pretty good idea, really. “I'm not wild about the idea of dying, no.”

“Dead! Death! Death!” the unkindness cawed out.

Well wasn’t that an omen for how things were going to go. I felt a shiver run up my spine. Was this some sort of hidden effect of the spell I had cast that we hadn’t spotted? That didn’t seem like a detail we would miss after all the work we put into upgrading the spell. So I didn’t know what to think about the unkindness.

The Empress’ attention returned to the ravens. “I see my daughter's influence on the Great Unkindness still remains.”

“They keep doing that because of her?” I asked.

The Empress nodded. “So far as I can tell. It was one of her more ... unique gifts.”

I frowned as I looked up at all the ravens staring down at us. “It's a bit ... creepy if I'm going to be honest.”

“Many said that about my daughter.” The Empress shrugged. “I suppose we should be glad that particular trait has left the family line.”

Sunset smirked. “I don't know, Twilight has her moments.”

I scowled slightly. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“Well, when you get into a hardcore study trance it can be a bit overkill,” Sunset said. “Remember when I had to drag you away from your books when you were in the middle of a study binge?”

“I was really busy,” I said, sounding more defensive than I liked.

“You hadn't slept for two days and hardly ate a thing,” Sunset countered. “I was getting kinda worried. You were starting to look like a zombie by the time I literally dragged you to bed.”

“I'm very focused...”

“I have noticed,” the Empress said with a hint of disapproval. “I admire your dedication, but you still need to take care of yourself.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” I didn't meet the Empress’ gaze. It didn't strike me as wise to argue with her on the matter. Sure, maybe I had gone a bit short on sleep a few times, missed a few meals, and lost all concept of time, but I didn't have a problem. Deciding it might be better to change the topic a bit, I said, “It's not like my whole family is creepy.”

Sunset grinned all the wider. “You sure? There’s your brother too.”

“Shiny?” I raised an eyebrow. “What’s weird about him?”

“He did play big brother protector pretty hard when we told him we were dating.” Sunset cleared her throat. “You and I didn't exactly get along before we dated, if you’ll remember. He sure remembered. And I think he was sending ponies to spy on me for a while, and I caught a couple of scrying spells on me for a couple months there.”

“Shiny is ... very protective of me.” And there was another thing I was going to have to talk with him about later. Him chasing off Sunset was not something I wanted him doing, to say the least.

“My descendants seem inclined to have ... quirks.” The Empress’ gaze shifted to Sunset, a grin on her lips. “And you are no exception, Sunset.”

Sunset’s eyes narrowed. “What? Name one.”

The Empress chuckled softly. “You certainly inherited my pride.”

“And you have a bit of a temper,” I added reluctantly.

Sunset crossed her legs over her chest and jutted out her jaw. “I do not.”

“Sunset, you're getting upset right now,” the Empress said in a dry tone.

“Do you want me to bring up the incident at the bookstore?” I asked. “You remember? The one where that filly took the last copy of that book you had been waiting months for?”

Sunset sniffed at that. “My reaction was perfectly reasonable.”

I let out an exasperated huff. “You made that little filly cry.”

“That filly just wanted the book because she thought the cover looked pretty,” Sunset said, and I could almost hear her teeth grinding. “She had no appreciation for its academic value.”

“You got us kicked out of the store.”

Sunset turned her head to keep her gaze away from mine. “That shop owner was a jerk anyway. ”

“You certainly told him. In very colorful language,” I said flatly. “It’s going to be a long time before we’re allowed in there again.”

“He deserved it,” Sunset groused.

I sighed, taking a patient tone with my fillyfriend. “You sure you didn’t overreact?”

Sunset’s features remained stony for a long moment before they softened a bit. “Maybe a little...”

It felt good to have Sunset say that. Dealing with her rougher edges hadn’t been easy over the last few months, but she really was getting better. “I guess our families are a bit ... eccentric,” I said, giving Sunset an olive branch.

The Empress let out a long sigh. “I suppose I am ultimately to blame for that...” She shook her head as though to clear her thoughts. “Well, that's enough idle chatter. I'll expect you to work well with the magus I’m going to assign you under.”

Curious about who we were going to be working with to find Cloud, I asked, “What is she like?”

“An illusion specialist,” the Empress said. “Proud, like Sunset. Also quite good. She’s done some brilliant work on corporeal illusions.”

Sunset’s ears perked in interest. “I remember reading an article about that. It seemed pretty interesting.”

“Huh, I didn't know it was possible to make illusions that can actually affect the material world. Fool ponies into thinking they’re real and cause several different sensations, sure, but not what you’re suggesting.” I rubbed my chin, suddenly very interested. Maybe this wasn’t going to be so bad if I could learn something new about illusions—in addition to all the practical things I should learn working with her.

“They're not normal, it's...” Sunset shook her head. “Just read her paper. It got published about a year back. You’ll probably like reading it.”

“I'll make sure to do so.” I turned back to the Empress. “What’s her name by the way. I’m looking forward to meeting her already.”

“Her name is...”

“The Great and Powerful Magus Trixie Lulamoon! A pony among the most decorated and accomplished young magi in the Empire!”

Trixie wasn’t exactly what I had expected for our escort to Manehattan. Posing for us in the Canterlot train station, she wore a confident—arrogant might have been a better word—smile. She wore silver-painted scalemail with a sheen that made me suspect that it had been magically enchanted to sparkle, and an azure cloak decorated with stars. She certainly made an impression, even if that first impression felt ... grating.

Behind her were four guardponies who seemed content to remain silent for now. I wondered if that was due to instructions given by Trixie, or their own personal preferences.

For our parts, Sunset and I were in our own armor and magi cloaks. We had worked with the Empress to give them top notch enchantments, and I had to admit, while they didn’t feel natural to wear yet, they did look really good. Sunset’s scalemail had been painted a shining gold, with her cloak being a shade of red that went well with her mane. My own scalemail had been given a simple coat of silver, and my cloak dyed midnight blue. We looked the part of magi, at least. Now whether we were up to the job or not time would tell. It made me grimace to think about it, but it might have been really nice to talk with Mom about being a magi right about then.

I gave Trixie a forced smile. “Um, hi, nice to meet you. My name is Twilight Sparkle, and this is Sunset Shimmer. We’re magi too.”

Trixie tossed back the hem of her cloak in an extravagantly dramatic fashion. “Trixie of course knows who you both are, for she has already saved both of your lives by destroying the Nightmare cultists beneath Canterlot.”

Sunset frowned at Trixie and already I sensed Sunset’s pride being pricked by our escort. “The Empress said something about Nightmare cultists, yes.”

Trixie’s smile became all the wider, and more arrogant. “Indeed. Trixie lead a force of Phoenix Knights into the very heart of the enemy fortress, cutting down their leaders and fanatics by the dozen. In the end Trixie found herself before the Avatar of the Nightmare, spitting out empty threats until it finally fell before Trixie”

I blinked. “Wait, really? She made another Avatar? How in the world did you beat something like that?” The last avatar Nightmare Moon had made, at least that I knew about, had been extremely powerful and dangerous. That hadn’t been mentioned by the Empress, though to be fair, she hadn’t said much more than the threat had been nullified, but that we should still be careful in the future should someone else take a shot at us. Still, it was a very worrying prospect. If she had done it twice thus far, what was stopping her from doing so again?

“Well, perhaps not quite as powerful as the one she made in the past,” Trixie admitted, though with obvious reluctance. “But only because of Trixie's intervention. Naturally it would have been foolish to allow the Nightmare to possess a vessel that could threaten the entire Empire. Thanks to Trixie, the threat was dealt with long before anypony was hurt.”

“That certainly sounds like quite the tale.” Maybe I wasn’t being fair to Trixie, but there was something about the way she told her story that made me wonder if there were some facts she was leaving out.

“Assuming it's true,” Sunset said, believing Trixie as much as I did.

Trixie scoffed. “You doubt the Great and Powerful Magus Trixie Lulamoon's honesty?”

“You have to admit, it's a pretty outlandish story,” I explained. “Not saying it's impossible, just that anypony going up against an avatar of a demigod is not something you hear every day.”

“Hmph!” Trixie lifted her nose in a haughty look. “Trixie has no time to waste on neigh-sayers. In any case, Trixie understands she is tasked with escorting the two of you in Manehatten? Naturally the Empress picked a mare with Trixie’s experience and skill to protect you and show you how to be proper magi.”

I nodded, thankful to get to business. “That's the idea. Have you ever heard of Starlight Glimmer or Cloud Solaris? I'm not sure how much you've been briefed thus far.”

“Of course Trixie was briefed all about the recent disappearances,” Trixie said. “Trixie has been lead to believe that you have discovered a way to find her?” Her eyes shifted to a pair of ravens perched on a lightpost. All about us were dozens of ravens from the Great Unkindness, waiting to show us where Cloud was.

“We think we have a spell that can find Cloud, and she's in Manehattan.” Or at least I hoped so. It was going to be embarrassing at the very least if we went through all this trouble but found out that the tracking spell hadn’t actually worked.

Trixie quirked an eyebrow. “Oh really? Go on, Trixie is listening.”

Sunset spoke up next. “We modified an eight-century-old tracking spell. The idea was to get around the usual counters by using a spell that nopony has seen in a long time.” She gestured at a group of ravens that had taken up a whole bench. “And at least according to the ravens, Cloud’s in Manehattan.

Trixie sniffed derisively. “How would such an ancient spell succeed where Trixie has failed?”

“Like Sunset said, we updated it,” I said. “But rebuilt it in a way that wouldn't be blocked by the the most common anti-scrying measures. At least according to the theory of the spell, ravens can find the souls of the dead, and by that logic, they can find ponies that are still alive.” I looked to the ravens, all of whom seemed to be watching our conversation with eerie interest. “Even if it’s a pretty weird idea to get your head around.”

“That is a strange way of solving the issue.” Trixie shrugged and turned to walk towards a train that had just finished off-loading its passengers. “Come on then, let us see how well your tracking spell really works. To Manehattan.”

“Did the ravens have to join us on the train?” Trixie shot a raven that had landed on her shoulder a dirty look before shooing it away.

“We kinda need them to find Cloud,” I explained to her.

Trixie glowered. “Alright, then did we need so many of them?” She gestured at the rest of the interior of the train cart. Ravens covered all of the benches besides the ones that Sunset, I, and our escorts sat on. I wasn't sure if I should consider it comical or creepy. The Great Unkindness had flooded into the train cart when we had boarded and just perched themselves on the benches. They had hardly made a squawk since then as the train made its way to Manehattan.

“I'm honestly not sure,” I admitted. “We didn't really have time to give the spell a proper test run before trying it out for real. Not when we might be on the clock to find Cloud.” That excuse probably would have sounded a lot more convincing if it hadn't been nearly two weeks since Cloud had gone missing. Not that delaying would have helped matters much.

“Great, just great.” Trixie let out an annoyed huff. “You are lucky that Trixie is such a consummate professional and loyal servant of the Empire, or she wouldn't be nearly as tolerant of...” She waved vaguely at the Great Unkindness. “This.”

Sunset scowled at Trixie, her legs crossed over her chest. “You’ll live, they're just ravens. It’s not like they're hurting anypony.”

“No, they just chased everypony but us into the the other train carts,” Trixie said.

“Not intentionally,” I said lamely. Admittedly, if we hadn't been on imperial business we might very well have gotten kicked off the train for bringing a whole unkindness of ravens with us. Especially when they made themselves at home. So the other passengers had decided to spend their trip elsewhere on the train—causing me to feel pretty embarrassed.

Before our conversation could go further, one of the service ponies on the train stepped into our cart as he pushed along a tray full of food. His steps slowed when as one, the unkindness turned their heads to look at him. But with a determination born out of professionalism, he continued forward.

He stopped in front of us and retrieved a couple of bowls. “Are you ladies ready for your lunch? We’re serving vegetable soup with crackers and cornbread.”

“Yes please,” I said, relieved to have a break from the tense conversation we had been having.

Sunset shrugged. “Sounds good to me.”

A trio of ravens fluttered over to land on the server’s back, making him tense as they stared into him.

The server cleared his throat, his eyes darting between us and the ravens as he filled our bowls. “And will your, um, pets require anything?”

“Corn?” the raven closest to the server’s head asked.

“Corn. Corn. Corn,” the unkindness echoed, their heads bobbing in agreement.

I smiled awkwardly for the server. “You have any corn for the ravens?”

The server opened his mouth, and I got the sense he was going to tell us no, but then he took a nice long look at the many, many attentive ravens as they stared at him with those black eyes of theirs. Taking another moment to no doubt consider his options, he said, “If you will be so kind as to wait, I will see what I can dig up for you.”

“Thank you.” I sighed as he turned to leave and I rubbed my face. It was going to be a long trip

It was a very long trip. Once she got over her annoyance with being hemmed in by the Great Unkindness, Trixie became quite talkative. While at first it had been nice enough to talk with her, a problem developed. That problem being that Trixie’s favorite topic was herself and it was a topic she spoke at length about. By the time we reached Manehattan, I was reasonably confident I could have written a biography about Trixie’s life running from her childhood all the way up through to today with her various adventures as a magus. Granted, I wasn't sure how accurate that biography would be based purely on Trixie’s word. At the very least, there was a fair share of embellishment—though whether there were any outright lies was harder to tell.

In any event, it was a massive relief when we finally arrived at Manehattan. Sunset and I were among the first to get off the train. It probably helped that all the ravens also wanted to leave with us. Nopony seemed to want to compete with the Great Unkindness on getting out first.

Trixie and the guardponies weren't far behind us, and she glanced around before turning to us. “So where do your ravens want to lead us next?”

“One moment.” I walked over to a stand filled with tourist brochures. Looking at the selection, I found one that had a map of Manehattan and pulled it out. I laid it out on a bench and pointed at it for the Great Unkindness. “Where’s Cloud right now?”

Once again, one to the ravens fluttered down to the map and placed a pebble.

I checked where the pebble had been placed. “Looks like we’re heading out to the suburb section of the city.”

Trixie craned her neck to get a better look herself. “In one of the nicer parts of the city too. That’s where many of the ‘old money’ families live.” She narrowed her eyes. “Curious.”

“That is a weird place for Cloud to be,” Sunset agreed.

I couldn't disagree with them. If Cloud was with Starlight then I would have expected her to be in one of the less pleasant parts of Manehattan. Like in the warehouse district, the public housing, or in the sewers. Places where you could easily hide and stay unnoticed. One of the richest neighborhoods in Manehattan wasn't where I expected a radical revolutionary to be spending her time. Of course, there might be something we don't know about yet.

I shrugged. “It’s where the ravens say she is.”

“Then that’s just where we’ll have to go.” Trixie gave me a frown that had more than a little bit of contempt in it. “Let us hope you are not wasting Trixie’s time.”

“It’s working,” I said, more out of wanting to stick up for myself than any confidence I felt about an untested spell. “Let's just go and see what we find before we make any judgements, okay?”

Trixie looked like she was about to argue when she turned away from me. “Fine. Follow Trixie, she will lead the way.”

Sunset scowled after Trixie, but I shook my head to tell her not to do anything. As hard as it was to get along with Trixie, we had been instructed to do as she said by the Empress. That being the case, we followed the magus to try and find Cloud and Starlight.

Author's Note

The rest of the story will be coming out shortly, but considering the length I couldn't ask my pre-readers to do the whole thing in one go.

As always, thanks to my pre-reading and editing team for all their hard work. Also, I would like to thank all my dedicated Patreon supporters. You guys are awesome.

Click here if you want to join the list of awesome people who support my writing.

Chasing a Cloud Pt 3 by Ponibius

“Call it a guess, but I think that's the place we're looking for.”

I pointed down the street to a manor that was covered in ravens. The grey tiles of the roof could barely be seen under the solid layer of black feathers, creating quite the contrast with the manor’s white-painted stone. The building looked old, made in the classical Pegasoplan style with formidable stone pillars and archways. All around us were manors that looked just as old, and they projected an image of status and wealth to anypony who might find themselves in the neighborhood. Being from Canterlot, it wasn’t hard for me to imagine that was the intent.

Sunset pursed her lips as she studied the manor. “Sure looks like it.”

Trixie rolled her neck. “At least your spell doesn’t leave room for doubt.”

I frowned, not liking the condescension in her tone. “So Great and Powerful Trixie, what's our next move?”

Trixie shot me a confident smirk. “We investigate the residence, obviously.”

I rolled my eyes. “I figured that much. It’s the how that I'm curious about.”

She chuckled to herself. “Isn't it obvious? We knock.”

“Subtle,” Sunset said flatly.

Trixie glowered at Sunset. “Trixie is an accredited magus in the middle of an official investigation. She is allowed to go where she needs to when she needs to. If the ponies in that manor allow us in to investigate, then good. If they try and disrupt our lawful investigation, then even better—we’ll know they’re up to something.”

That seemed logical enough, though I could think of plenty of reasons why anypony would be nervous about our party suddenly arriving at their home and demanding entry. I knew I would be. Still, I couldn’t think of an argument against the course. It wasn’t like sneaking into the place was a better option, considering the situation.

Trixie turned her gaze to the manor. “But enough chitchat, we’ve wasted too much time as it is. Watch and learn as Trixie works her magic.”

Trixie led the way up to the door and knocked.

A moment later, an earth pony stallion with a yellow coat, neatly trimmed orange mane, and wearing a crisp uniform of a household servant opened the door. He immediately grimaced at the squad of magi and guardponies standing at the door. “Um, can I help you?”

Trixie lifted her nose to look down at the servant and spoke with a clear and authoritative voice. “I, Magus Trixie Lulamoon the Great and Powerful, demand entrance as part of an ongoing investigation.”

The servant winced and his ears fell flat against his head. “Do you, um, have a warrant?”

A disapproving frown worked its way onto Trixie’s features. “I am an Imperial Magus in the middle of an investigation. Stand aside.”

“M-Magus Iron Knock said not to admit anypony until further notice.” The servant gave us a smile that was as brittle as cracked glass. “Delicate experiments, he said. Veeery delicate, very important, and not to be disturbed. Yep, that’s what he told me.”

I shot an incredulous look Sunset’s way, and she reciprocated with an equally doubtful glower. This was certainly suspicious. If I was in this stallion’s shoes I would have been tripping over myself to comply with Trixie, however insufferable she might be.

Trixie’s eyes narrowed, and she pulled herself up to her full height. “You seem to misunderstand the situation; Trixie did not ask if your master was busy, or if this was a convenient time for him. I saidto get out of my way. Now move, or you will arrested for impeding an investigation.”

The servant nervously glanced around for some kind of escape. “Can I ask the magus what he thinks I should do first?”

“No,” Trixie snapped. “Three. Two...”

Trixie didn’t reach one before the servant swung the door open and stood to the side. “Okay, okay! Sorry, I just had instructions, and...”

“Your instructions do not interest Trixie,” Trixie said as she imperiously strode past him.

The rest of us followed her into the manor and entered a large foyer dominated by a large staircase. The room was made of marble, impressive statues and buttresses lined the walls and staircase, and a shining chandelier with dozens of glowing crystals lit the room. Whoever this Magus Iron Knock was, he definitely aimed to impress his visitors.

I regarded the surrounding opulence with a wary eye. Something felt off here, though I couldn’t say what yet, and the servant’s behavior didn’t make me feel any better.

The servant pieced his brittle smile back together for Trixie. “Maybe I should tell the magus you’re here? I’m sure he would like to know he has guests.”

“Stay where I can see you.” Trixie nodded to one of the guards. “Keep him here and guard the door.”

The guard saluted and took a position by the door, giving the servant an unhappy glare as he did so. For the servant’s part, he didn’t meet any of our gazes and shuffled uncomfortably in place as we looked around. I couldn’t help but feel like a bully with how Trixie had steamrolled him, but the important thing was that we were closer to our goal.

Now that we were inside of the manor, I reached out with the Midnight’s tracking spell again. Half a dozen ravens flew in and took position by one of the doors in the foyer. I felt a tingle against my magic senses. It had been there since I had cast the tracking spell, but now it felt stronger than it had ever been.

The ravens raised their heads as one and cawed, “Doom! Doom!”

As if I couldn’t feel more nervous than I already was... I leaned in close to Sunset and Trixie. “She feels ... close. It's hard to describe.”

Sunset nodded. “I'll take point.”

Trixie held up a hoof before Sunset could do just that. “Trixie thinks not. It is her job to keep the two of you safe, so Trixie will be taking point.”

She brushed past us to the doorway. Sunset’s eyes narrowed, but I placed a hoof on her shoulder and shook my head. Sunset exchanged a look with me and let out a annoyed grunt, but nodded back. Crisis avoided, thankfully, we followed after Trixie with the guardponies in tow.

The doorway led us downstairs to a large room with strategically placed pillars likely intended to support the building. The walls were lined with a variety of arcane machinery that thrummed with activity. It seemed that Magus Iron had a very well stocked magus lab, though unlike the lab back at Sparkle Manor, the equipment here seemed to be scaled down industrial equipment.

I whistled as I took in the sight around us.

“Interesting.” Trixie’s horn glowed as she started scanning the magic in the air.

Sunset’s horn lit up as well. “Huh, somepony's been busy.”

“There's some really fancy equipment down here. Looks like a bunch magical artifice gear.” I pointed at one of the machines ahead of us. “That looks like a new model of mithril refiner and enchanter right there.”

Trixie’s frown deepened as she led us further into the basement lab. “So what is he making?”

Now that was a very good question. “It's hard to say,” I said, trying to study what the machines were making. “This stuff looks pretty advanced. Though it does seem like they’re making components for something, you could use this ... for...”

My answer died on my lips as we rounded one of the larger machines. The wall previously blocked from sight was covered by a large … I don’t even know if there’s word for it. Hoof-sized cubes line the wall from floor to ceiling, and a quarter of them contained a glowing symbol reminiscent of a cutie mark.

What in the world had we stumbled across? This wasn’t like anything I had seen before, and I could only guess what purpose it might serve. The inquisitive part of my mind buzzed and pleaded to study it.

A dozen or so ponies ponies worked the materials as they built more cubes. Most of them froze when they saw us, confusion playing over their faces as we approached.

One of them, a unicorn mare with a pink coat and a purple-and-teal mane neatly done up, stepped forward, glaring at us. “And who might you be to barge into my home?”

Trixie grinned like the cat that had just caught the mouse. “Starlight Glimmer. I am Magus Trixie Lulamoon, the Great and Powerful, and you are wanted for questioning by the Imperial Magus Corps.”

Well, at least I knew my tracking spell wasn’t completely off. I didn’t see Cloud anywhere, but finding Starlight was a step in the right direction

Starlight grinned right back at Trixie, too confidently for a pony who had just been cornered by the law. “Is that so? Well sorry, but I'm a little too busy to be arrested right now. There's so much to do and so little time.”

If Trixie was perturbed by Starlight’s reaction, she didn’t show it. “So sorry to inconvenience you, but Trixie must insist you come in for questioning.” Her horn lit up, and I could feel her magic flowing into it. She was not bluffing. “Trixie assumes you will not be coming quietly, then?”

Starlight tsked and shook her head. “Sorry, but I'm finally starting to get some work done here, and I'm not going to let some uppity magi stop me.”

She her horn glowed as she prepared a spell, and Sunset did the same. I didn’t like this. Everything was escalating so quickly, but I didn’t know what to do to stop this from becoming a fight. My grandmother had always emphasized that you could never look weak in front of the opposition, and trying to seek a peaceful resolution to the situation on my part could be seen as undermining Trixie. As much as I didn’t like her personally, she was in charge. As my brother had told me, you followed your CO’s orders even if you didn’t like what they were doing. Otherwise you could end up doing more harm than good in the middle of a crisis.

Seeing little other recourse, I drew upon my own my own magic and braced for a fight.

“Such a shame...” Trixie cast a spell, and several dozen illusionary guards stormed in from behind us to pack our half of the enclosure. The ponies near Starlight quailed, but they didn’t have anywhere to back away to. There was one exit near Starlight, but none of them seemed willing to bolt—yet.

Starlight sneered and placed a hoof over her chest. “All these guards for little old me? I'm flattered.”

“Trixie does not believe in overkill.” Trixie turned her attention to Starlight’s supporters. “We represent Imperial justice. If you don't resist, we will be merciful. If you do...” She let the obvious threat hang in the air.

One of the ponies, a pegasus mare with a faded green coat looked to Starlight. “Starlight, maybe we should—”

Starlight’s head snapped her direction. “Quiet!” Her nostrils flared as the mare wilted in front of her. “This was always your problem: as soon as things got tough, you folded. Always saying we should be cautious, always delaying, always doing nothing. Well that's why I'm in charge now.”

Sunset leaned to me. “Hey, you see all those ponies’ cutie marks?” she murmured

I checked the cutie marks of the ponies around Starlight, and my eyes widened as a realization stuck me. “They’re all equal signs.” All of them but Starlight, at least. That didn’t strike me as a coincidence. “Think it's magical or mundane? Something feels off here. I just can’t put my hoof on it...”

“Probably magical.” Sunset nodded at the wall. “See that thing she's working on?”

“It's a little hard not to notice.” The wall positively thrummed with magic. My chest tightened as a horrifying thought struck me. “Wait, could those symbols in the boxes actually be cutie marks?”

Trixie cut in before Sunset could answer me, still talking to Starlight. “Last chance: surrender now, or you'll be charged with resisting lawful imperial authority.”

Starlight snorted. “And I wouldn't want that, eh? So that you can toss me into a cell and let some Ministry thugs torture and interrogate me for as long as they like? Sorry, but I stopped trusting imperial authority when I got jumped by one of the Ministry's goons.”

Trixie grin was replaced with a frown. “Opposing the Ministry's lawful authority is tantamount to treason.”

“I'm the traitor?” I could almost hear Starlight’s teeth grinding from across the room. “It's the Ministry that's betrayed the people! They spy on us, throw everyone in prison whenever they want to, and bully whoever they want. All they care about is perpetuating their own power and keeping everyone scared and defenseless so that the elite can maintain their rule. And they nearly killed my fillyfriend!”

Wait, her fillyfriend? Did she mean…?

“Choose who you are loyal to—now,” Trixie told the workers with dreadful finality.

The ponies opposite of us hesitated, nervously glanced shifted between Starlight and us. Then to my relief, one of them laid down on the floor and held up his forehooves in surrender. The dam quickly broke as more of them did the same. That was good. Trixie’s illusionary guardponies were a good bluff, but things might have gotten ugly if Starlight’s group called it. We were outnumbered, and while all of us were trained to deal with this type of scenario to one degree or another, I still didn't like the idea of being charged by a couple dozen ponies in such a confined space.

When better than a dozen of the ponies surrendered, it looked like we might be able to resolve the crisis without violence, or at least with only Starlight to deal with. Then that would allow us to question her about Cloud, find her with the tracking spell, and wrap this case in a nice little bow.

Unfortunately, Starlight had other ideas.

She stomped a hoof and at those around her. “Stop!” A strong pulse of magic shot out of her horn, and all of her supporters stood up straight in unison, the doubt on their faces gone.

My eyes widened when I realized what had happened. “She's using mind control on them!”

“Damned right I am!” Starlight shot back and a nasty grin spread on her lips. “And I'm loving it.You see, no matter what group I worked with, there was always a major problem. All we ever did was talk. We argued about the best course of action and what our goals should be, how we should recruit people, print brochures, gain the support of the people. There was always a thousand and one things to talk about, but you want to know what we actually got done? Nothing! The people were suffering, being kicked down and oppressed, and we had trouble agreeing when we should have meetings and what concessions to bring each week.” Her features darkened. “And you want to know what I figured out a couple of weeks ago? That things go so much smoother when ponies just do as I say. Since I took over, I've taken control of this manor and its lab from its elitist master, grown our membership, and so much more. Give me a couple of weeks and I'll be running this town.”

As she rambled, I realized I was dealing with a madmare. She had to know the consequences of using mind control on ponies, had to know that she was violating the very essence of their being and free will—and that she was doing it on a mass scale. Whatever her reasons, however noble she thought her intentions, it didn't mean what she was doing wasn't evil at its core.

Trixie must have agreed, because her features hardened. “Bring her down!” The room descended into madness as the guards—both real and illusionary—guards charged forward with a battle cry, and the ponies under Starlight's mind control did the same.

“Damn!” Sunset scowled and worked to counter the mind control.

Starlight glared at Sunset as she cast her spell. “No you don't!” Dozens upon dozens of objects floated in her teal magical aura. Tools, safety equipment, and artifice construction materials flew at us in a mass wave over her followers’ heads. Two dozen of Trixie’s illusions popped out of existence as they were struck and one of the guardponies only barely managed to dodge the worst of it by reflexively dropping to the ground.

Seeing the oncoming threat , I cast a shield spell over myself, Sunset, and Trixie. The objects pinged against the shield and fell to the floor uselessly, many of them broken by the collision.

As Sunset completed her spell, half of the ponies under Starlight’s control staggered as though struck by a physical blow. But the other half kept right on coming. Whatever mind control magic Starlight was using must have been powerful stuff if Sunset’s spell couldn’t break the connection.

But I didn’t have much time to think about that when the charging ponies collided. More of the illusions disappeared as they were struck by the mind-controlled ponies. I expected that part of the fight to turn against us as the illusions were quickly destroyed, but then to my surprise, some of the illusionary guards actually started hitting back and grappled their opponents down to the ground.

Trixie’s face was a grimacing mask of concentration, the strain was obvious on her features. Then I figured out what she was doing: it seemed that her ideas about making illusions semi-real were more than mere theory, and she was replacing her illusionary guards almost as quickly as they were destroyed. I had to admit, it was no small feat of magic to maintain all of that, but it was working.

Seeing the threat as the guards through her line of coerced supporters, Starlight fired energy bolts into several of the illusions that charged her. Sunset fired off a sheet of ice around Starlight’s legs to try and pin her in place, but Starlight freed herself with another beam.

“You think you can take me?!” Starlight screamed as she poured more magic into her horn. “Nopony is going to stop me! Never again!”

Despite her words, Starlight was badly pressed. She fired off more magical beams as more of the illusionary guards closed with her. Sunset sent a fireball at her, forcing Starlight to throw up a shield to block it. Seeing an opening, I fired off a carefully aimed stunbolt that curved in midair and around Starlight’s shield. She tried to redirect it , but she was dealing with too many attacks from too many angles, and it was three magi against one half-trained dropout.

The stunbolt struck Starlight in the side and she gasped in pain as she collapsed to the ground. She tried to push herself back up to her hooves, but illusions piled onto her. Her horn glowed as she tried to cast another spell, but one of the illusions struck it and canceled out her magic. Several more blows followed the first as she was beaten into submission. It seemed that Trixie wasn’t big on mercy where mind controlling warlocks were concerned.

Then just like that, the battle was over. It took several moments for it to really register for me. All of Starlight’s supporters were now down, the real guards quickly and efficiently slapping manacles on each of them as the illusions restrained them. The bulk of them remained on top of Starlight to ensure she was down for the count.

For her part, Trixie was panting and sweating heavily, but she had a triumphant grin on her face. “Starlight Glimmer, Magus Trixie the Great and Powerful is proud to announce that you’re under arrest for mind control, treason, resisting arrest, and a half dozen other things Trixie will have to spend hours of paperwork on later.”

Starlight squirmed futilely to get the illusions off of her, struggling that became increasingly futile as one of the guards came over, a pair of manacles pulled out just for her. “Y-you think I'm even close to being done yet?”

“You look pretty done to me,” Sunset mocked.

Once Starlight was in manacles, Trixie let the illusions drop to her visible relief. “Bark as much as you want, but you’re going to be spending a long time in a jail cell. And Trixie is sure the Ministry will want a few words with you.”

“Then they’re just going to have to wait.” Starlight grinned up at us, despite her plight. “Because I'm not dumb enough to depend upon all of these losers to get anything done—not when the Imperial Guard and the Ministry comes knocking. So I decided to summon up some help.”

Trixie’s eyes narrowed. “What are you talking about?”

Starlight’s lips curved in a feline smile. “Oooh, after I ... convinced Magus Iron about the validity of Equalization, I found some very interesting stuff in his family’s personal library. Such as the names of some new friends I made from another dimension.”

That did not sound good. There were all sorts of nasty things you could summon from other realities if you really wanted to, though that tended to end poorly for anypony who tried unless they knew what they were doing. Considering Starlight seemed to be a couple screwdrivers short of a full toolset, it sounded like we were fast heading towards ‘ended poorly’ territory.

“What did you do?” Trixie asked, trepidation creeping into her voice.

As if to answer Trixie’s question, the temperature in the room dropped, and the lights dimmed enough to make the shadows creep towards us as if of their own accord.

I backed up next to Sunset and Trixie. “This might be a bit redundant what with the crowd, but I don't think we're alone in here.”

Trixie stood back-to-back with me and Sunset, her head darting around in search for the threat. “Be on your guard!”

Starlight smiled smugly despite being held down and constrained. “Meet my new friends from the Shadow Realm. I gave them a door to let them into our dimension, and boy do they want to meet some new ponies. New ponies like you.”

Sunset’s horn re-alit and she glowered at the shadows. “Are you crazy?!”

I prepared half a dozen protection spells, ready to cast any of them at a moment’s notice. “Half the creatures of that plane are anathema to our reality! Do you have any idea what you’re dealing with?!” I’d only read bits and pieces about the Shadow Realm—a lot about the plane was considered forbidden knowledge—but what I knew wasn’t very good.

“Trixie agrees. You’re a madmare!”

Starlight snorted. “You only say that because you don't have enough imagination. So many stupid things are forbidden by the Empire when they could be put to so much good, at least when you have someone with the right vision holding the reins. Like how I'm going to use the power of the Shadow Realm to kick your plots from here all the way back to Canterlot!”

“You have no idea what you're trifling with, you foal!” Trixie countered.

“I know exactly what I'm doing.” Starlight’s eyes glinted with mad excitement. “I'm going to draw on everything I need in order to tear down the whole corrupt system that's the Equestrian Empire! I’m going to burn it all down and make Equestria fair, equal, and just again! And if I have to break a few eggs to do it, then so be it!”

The temperature continued to drop, enveloping everything in a layer of frost. Starlight’s followers started to shiver, and I had a feeling it wasn’t just due to the cold as they glanced around with wide eyes. Did they have any idea about what Starlight must have summoned?

A pair of writhing shadowy forms, indistinct in shape, darted at us with blinding quickness. Dark tendrils grabbed the guard holding Starlight down and flung him against a nearby wall with a meaty thud. The guard fell to the ground listlessly.

The second shadow-creature flowed around the other two guards and several of Starlight’s followers. Screams died almost as soon as they rose as the shadow enveloped them.

It had all happened so fast. In less than a minute, we had gone from having the problem under control to it spiralling into madness.

I barely got a dome shield up when the Shadow Realm creatures came for us. They slammed into my shield like a charging , cracking it almost instantly. Writhing tendrils probed for weaknesses in the shield, and I could feel them trying to force their way in.

Trixie leapt to counter attack. A cloud of sparkling blue magic wrapped itself around one of the shadow-creatures. The living shadow immediately turned on Trixie’s construct and the two forms writhed in a swirling mass, each trying to overwhelm the other.

The other creature continued its assault on my shield, and as the cracks kept growing I started to get desperate. “Sunset!”

“Got it!” A jet of flame as hot and furious as anything I had ever seen from Sunset poured forth, and I pressed my ears against my head to try and block the unearthly screech. Soon the stone and machinery around the shadow were baked red and then white hot, stone and metal melting and bubbling from the incredible heat. The magical fire burned away at the writhing mass of shadows all the remained was sizzling stone and wrecked arcane machinery.

Trixie’s construct continued its death-grapple with the other shadow, her gaze locked in concentration. “Trixie ... will not ... let you ... win!” Somehow, Trixie’s blue cloud pinned the shadow to the floor, though it was clear that she was only doing so by the barest margins. “Trixie has you!”

A stick of chalk flew out of Trixie’s saddlebags and quickly drew a circle around the shadow. Once it closed, it glowed with Trixie’s magic as she worked another spell. “The Great and Powerful Trixie banishes to your dark realm of shadows and nightmares, foul creature! For one hundred years and a day, you shall not return to this realm of existence! Begone!”

A harsh blue light flared within the circle, and the shadow started sinking into that light, vainly struggling to prevent its banishment. A final tenebrous screech echoed through the hall, followed by a second blast of light, and then there was nothing.

Trixie fell to her haunches, deep bags under her eyes and a worn but triumphant grin on her lips. “Hah ... hah ... Trixie ... cannot be...” She collapsed, and I barely caught her in time as she collapsed.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

Trixie grunted and weakly raised a hoof. “After...”

I looked to where she was pointing and saw that Starlight was running up the stairs, her chains broken. She must have escaped while we were distracted by the shadows. Sunset didn’t waste any time running after Starlight as she darted out of my view.

I stared down at Trixie, unsure whether to go after Starlight or to stay with her. Trixie must have figured out what I was thinking, because she waved me off. “Go. Trixie ... be okay. Stop her. Before...”

I wasn’t wild about the idea of leaving her alone, but I was less wild about letting Starlight go. That mare was clearly off her rocker. There was no telling what she might do next with her reckless spellcasting, and if she was willing to violate one of the most fundamentals laws of magic just to set up her base of operations, nothing was off-limits to her.

I gently laid Trixie down and ran after Sunset and Starlight. The thumps of magic impacting magic reverberated down the stairway as I ascended it. When I reached the top, Sunset was holding a smoking ice shield while Starlight glared at her, her horn whisping from expended spellcasting. Near the door was the guard Trixie had left behind, lying motionless. Whether he was alive or dead I could only guess.

Starlight seethed as she turned to face us. “You know, I have to wonder. How in the world you managed to find me? I’ve been able to avoid imperial authorities, then all of the sudden you show up.”

Sunset smirked. “Trade secret.”

“Aren't you a cheeky bitch?” Starlight fired off a beam of pure heat-energy at her.

Pity for her that she was dealing with an expert pyromancer. Sunset almost casually redirected Starlight’s attack right back to her. Starlight’s eyes widened, and she barely managed to grab a nearby statue in time to toss it front of her. The statue exploded when it was stuck, causing Starlight to get peppered by shards of marble and she was knocked back a few steps.

I fired another stunbolt in the hopes of catching her while she was on her heels, but another statue took the shot for her.

“Don't call my fillyfriend a bitch!” I snarled. I turned the stone under Starlight’s hooves into a slurpy mud that she sank into with a yelp. “Now, give up; it’s two against one, and you can’t outcast the both of us at the same.”

It was applied theory for how magi were supposed to deal with a warlock in a spellslinging battle. As long as I concentrated on defense, Sunset could concentrate on the offense until she got the upper hoof and both of us could go on the attack to overwhelm Starlight. With Sunset and I both being alpha unicorns, it was highly unlikely Starlight would be able to outlast the pair of us.

Starlight struggled to pull herself out of the chest-deep mud and barely moved an inch. It seemed that logic was something she was only peripherally aware of, because she refused to acknowledge that this wasn't going to end well for her. “Then I'll just have to even the odds. Cloud! Help me!”

Cloud?

A pegasus in crimson armor burst into the foyer, screaming in a voice that was simultaneously familiar and alien. “Starlight!”

I blinked at the sight of the pony. “Cloud? Is that you?!”

The mare looked like Cloud, but ... not. Where before she had been a pony of flesh and bone, now the left side of her body had been replaced with some form of metal, from her face, neck, and torso to her left front leg and left wing. A red gem stared at me from one eye socket, glowing as it scanned the foyer.

“Leave Starlight alone!” Cloud roared, charging me and Sunset.

Before I could say anything, Sunset threw a fireball at Cloud, almost out of instinct—but instead of exploding or setting her on fire, the fireball parted around her harmlessly.

“Cloud, stop!” I pleaded. I had never wanted to fight anypony, much less the mare we were searching for, but she charged with her wing blades outstretched. In response, I created a series of air bands and sent them flying at Cloud. They wrapped themselves around her without causing too much damage, and I hoped I could undo whatever illegal spell Starlight had her under.

But like Sunset’s fireball, the holding spell slid off of her. Sunset followed that attack up with a pair of icy spears, which shattered against her breastplate and barely dented the magically enchanted armor.

Cloud closed the gap between us as I could got another spell off, swinging her wing blade right as I cast a teleportation spell. As Sunset and I reappeared on the other side of the foyer my neck burned and I instinctively pressed a hoof against the spot. I felt something wet on my hoof and withdrew it to see it stained with blood. I had been a fraction of a second from death.

Sunset spread out her legs in a combat stance and drew up more of her magic to continue the fight. “Careful, she's got some kind of magic resistance!”

“I noticed!” I drew upon more of my magic, trying to think of a way to disable Cloud without hurting her.

Starlight grinned nastily at us as she telekinetically pulled herself out of the mud. She landed beyond the pool as Cloud took position beside her. “What’s the matter? Not so hot now that you can't depend on your magic to deal with your problems?”

“What did you do to her?!” I demanded. “She wasn't like this the last time I saw her!”

“I saved her!” Starlight screamed. “I did what I had to to save her life after your damned Ministry nearly killed her! Look what one of their agents did! I had to take over this manor so that I could get the parts I needed to put her back together.”

Sunset raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Really? 'Cause it looks like you turned her into an abomination.”

Rage flashed over Starlight's features. “She is not an abomination! You two think you're so smart? Well you don't know anything! She would be dead without me!”

“Maybe she'd be better off that way,” Sunset said, giving Cloud a disapproving frown.

For her part, Cloud remained silent staring at us impassively and standing by Starlight’s side. There were several possible explanation for Cloud’s current status, but I couldn't be sure without studying her properly.

“And who are you to make that judgment?” Starlight demanded. “What gives you the right to say what's right and wrong? All you imperials judge and judge and judge, but it's the people who suffer for all your rules.”

Sunset rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I'm sure the dozens of ponies whose free will you ripped away or the Imperial Guardsmare you murdered and brought back as an undead abomination haven't suffered at all.”

“Things are better this way!” Starlight screeched, the veins on her head and neck pulsing. “No more arguing, no more bickering—everything is going so much better now that everypony just does as I say. I know what needs to get done and it's finally getting done.”

“Subverting the free will of ponies is wrong!” I snarled back. “Never mind whatever else you’ve been getting up to.”

“Like what the Empress does is any better!” Starlight was nearly foaming at the mouth. If there was a point where we might have been able to reason with her, we had long since passed it. “She's got you all on puppet strings and you don't even see it!”

“Oh, just shut up!” Sunset snapped back, a sentiment I wholly agreed with. “Nopony wants to hear your horseapples.” She launched a fireball right at Starlight. Cloud dodged to the side and charged us. The fireball struck Starlight’s shield with enough force to crack the marble around her and send stone shards flying. Sunset then created a solid sheet of ice under Cloud’s hooves; Cloud skidded as she ran, but flapped her wings to regain her balance.

“Let's get them, Cloud!” Starlight fired an energy beam into the ceiling. The chandelier creaked and fell along with chunks of the ceiling. Not wanting to be crushed , I teleported myself and Sunset out of danger and onto the top of the staircase overlooking the foyer.

Cloud turned and flapped her wings to speed towards us, wing blades at the ready. Sunset started casting another spell but I held up a hoof; instead, I ripped up a large rug near us and tossed it at Cloud. She tried to dodge it by jerking to the side, but to no avail. It slammed into her and wrapped it around her, slamming her into the railing. She fell to the floor with a painful thud.

“Freeze her!” I called out to Sunset.

Sunset responded immediately with an ice spell. While Cloud herself was resistant to magic, the rug covering her wasn’t. Chunks of ice grew on top of it, encasing Cloud in a solid layer of ice.

Sunset looked over the railing at her handywork. “Okay, I think—” A pair of loud bangs cut her off as Cloud’s metal leg smashed through the ice. “... Damn.” Sunset responded with another, thicker, layer of ice. “I’m not sure how long that’s going to hold her.”

“Then let's deal with Starlight before she gets out.” I turned to look down at Starlight. “Give it up. You can't overpower both of us.”

“Oh yesI can.” Her attempts to sound confident were undercut by her sagging shoulders and the obvious fatigue in her face. Still, her confident grin hadn’t wavered. “You see, once I realized all the rules shouldn't apply to me, it expanded my options in ways you wouldn't believe.”

“I thought I told you to shut up already!” Sunset tossed another fireball at Starlight which she again blocked, though her shield flickered this time. Whatever she was talking about, she was nearly tapped.

“Fine!” Starlight glared at Sunset as she expanded her shield into an all-encompassing dome. Her horn lit and started glowing brighter and brighter. Power—a lot of it, even by the standards of our fight—started flowing into her. I could feel the wall in the basement thrumming to life, feeding unhealthy levels of magic into its master.

Sunset’s face tightened. “Whatever she's doing, I don't think we want to let her finish!”

“Agreed!”

The both of us fired full powered magical blasts at Starlight. My magenta energy beam met and Sunset’s white-hot heat attack collided with Starlight’s shield, and the world in front of us exploded.

I coughed on the dust and smoke as I tried to make out the damage. The dust slowly cleared to reveal a large hole, and the glow of the wall shone through the gap. Despite the devastation around her, Starlight stood unharmed. A glowing white disk of energy under her hooves kept her aloft, and she grinned maniacally up at us with glowing eyes. Most worrying of all, that major upsurge of magic hadn’t abated at all.

“You two are so lucky.” Starlight raised her magical disk to stand above us. “You're going to see what the power of the masses really looks like.”

“What did you do?” Sunset demanded.

“Jealous? I don’t blame you.” Starlight laughed. “You see, I've been thinking about a lot of things recently—like why ponies are so unhappy and why the Empire is such a mess. The problem is that everypony is unequal. Be it wealth, talent, social class, all of it. So what I'm going to do is ... level it. Step one of that is taking away all the cutie marks, and make every individual be equal in ability to one another. Take everyone down to the same common denominator.”

So that’s what she had been doing. Had she actually found a way to take away ponies’ cutie marks? Was that what that wall was? A cutie mark storage unit? The implications of that were horrifying. Doubly so if Starlight had figured out a way to draw on their magic.

“What about all the non-ponies in the empire?” Sunset asked, wanting to pop Starlight’s bubble. “Gryphons and caribou and Free Minds and buffalo don't have those.”

Starlight’s face twitched. “I-I'll figure that out once I find a method to do the same thing to them too! I've stripped cutie marks from ponies, so I can figure out how to do something similar to everyone else to make a perfectly equal society. It’s just details by this point.”

Sunset frowned. “Yeeeah ... I don't think we can let you get away with that.”

“Just saying, you're loopier than a gordian knot,” I added.

Anger returned to Starlight’s voice. “Yeah? Well just try and stop me!” She charged up an energy blast, one I didn’t even want to try to block. When she fired it, I teleported back to the foyer base floor. The blast hit the top of the stairs and annihilated them, making me feel much better about the decision to evade rather than block.

“I have the power from all of the cutie marks I've removed!” Starlight laughed in a way that put the state of her sanity even more in question. “This is the power of the masses. No one of them might be as strong as you, but all of them together...”

“Yeah, only question is whether you blow yourself up using all that power,” Sunset pointed out.

“There are reasons why nopony does anything that crazy,” I agreed.

Starlight scoffed at us. “Please, I'm in perfect control here.” The debris in the foyer rose and started revolving around her. “And soon enough, I'm going to have enough power to be able to beat the Empress Sunbeam Sparkle herself. With her out of the way I’ll make a perfect Equestria.”

She wanted to hurt my grandmother? Well of course she did. She could hardly bring about her crazy vision of Equestria unless she overthrew the Empress.

Sunset leaned over to me. “We have to disrupt her connection to that ... that thing she's storing the marks in.”

“Right! Cut her off at the source,” I agreed. It was the best plan I could come up with at the moment, in any event.

“Hey! No planning mid-fight!” Starlight fired off another blast at us, too quickly for us to do anything but throw up a unified shield in response. The shield held—barely. It spiderwebbed under the strain of the attack, and I had a feeling that Starlight hadn’t thrown her full might behind it.

Sunset and I exchanged a look, and a silent agreement was made. I would try and shut down the artifice while she distracted Starlight. Sunset was better at combat casting, while artifacts like the wall were more up my alley. It wasn’t perfect, but it was all we had unless we wanted to run.

To keep her guessing, I created a dozen illusionary copies of myself that scattered about the room, then followed that up with an invisibility spell over myself. Sunset opened up with a rapid exchange of fire and ice to grab Starlight’s attention. The attacks bounced uselessly against Starlight’s shield, but her attention was now firmly on Sunset. I teleported down to the basement while she was distracted.

“You're a mosquito to me!” Starlight screamed above me, and a loud crash and explosion shook the manor. “And I'm going to squash you!”

I tried to put the fight above me out of my mind. Oh sure, every second I didn’t figure out how to shut down an extremely complicated device was another second where Sunset might be horribly killed, no sweat. Whatever the difficulties, I had to turn this thing off if we were going to stop Starlight.

“Twi, whatever you're doing, do it fast!” Sunset call from upstairs as another explosion rocked the manor.

I bit down on my tongue to keep from wasting time responding. Each cube was an independently locked storage container which fed the device with the innate magic of the cutie mark within it. Problem one, this thing had apparently not been designed with an off switch, or at least one hadn’t been installed yet. Its failsafes and power surges were only barely sufficient to channel the contained energies contained, with the power regulators of each individual cube intended to handle most of that. Whether that was a design oversight or a part of its incomplete nature I couldn’t tell. Though maybe—

My thoughts were interrupted as the roof above my head was ripped away and tossed aside. Starlight grinned down at me. “There you are!” A fireball collected in front of her and then shot down towards me.

“No!” Sunset screamed and teleported in front of me. An ice shield formed in front of us just in time to block the fireball. It shattered from the force of the impact, and Sunset was thrown against me and and us slammed into the wall.

Stars flashed in front of my vision, and it was suddenly very hard to concentrate on anything.

Sunset tried to stand but winced when she tried. “Twi...” She grunted with effort but couldn’t stand. Was she already tapped from our battle with Starlight?

I tried to gather my thoughts, but I had been completely derailed by that last attack. We needed some means to shut Starlight’s wall down safely, but I didn’t know how to do that yet. I needed time, but time was what we were out of as Starlight gathered up another fireball.

Starlight smiled smugly. “Aaaw, you two are tuckered out.” Her fireball grew in size as she wound up her finishing blow. “Let me put you two to bed. Permanently!”

Sunset groaned, and her horn only threw off sparks as she tried to cast a spell. “Twi, I don't think I can block this one.”

Starlight lifted her fireball when an orb of light shot up next to us. Her eyes widened, and she hastily diverted magic from her fireball to her shield. While her shield would have been more than sufficient protection against a direct attack, it didn’t protect her from the deafening roar and blinding flash of light that went off right next to her head.

Even from all the way in the basement, I had to to close my eyes and flatten my ears against the assault against my senses. I didn’t even want to think about what Starlight was experiencing. Starlight herself screamed in pain and dropped her fireball. My heart clenched, but sheer dumb luck saved us as the fireball fell outside of the hole into the basement and exploded harmlessly.

Trixie’s invisibility spell fell away, answering the question of who had cast the thunderflash spell. Her face was pale from exertion and she fell against the cube-wall next to us. She looked to me, her face tight with fatigue. “Twilight, if you’re going to do something, Trixie suggests you do it now.”

She was right. Starlight probably wouldn’t need long to recover enough to attack again, and I wouldn’t have the power to stop her alone.

I forced myself up to my hooves and turned towards the collection of cutie marks, still at a loss for a delicate way to shut it down. I didn’t like it, but if there wasn’t a efficient way to stop this then there was always brute force. Closing my eyes, I drew deeply on what remained of my magic, sought out the wall’s energy wells, spell matrixes, and magic conductors, and hit them with everything I had.

Despite its size and complexity, the setup proved to be surprisingly delicate. Sparks shot off the artifice as its compensators overloaded. Cubes burst open as the building power within them demanded release, their stolen cutie marks darting out like so many fireflies. Those that belonged to the ponies nearby returned to them while the rest flew out of the manor. Cracks formed and more sparks fell as the wall died a sudden and horrible death.

It whined menacingly in its death throes, which made me realize that standing right in front of it probably wasn't the smartest idea. Sunset grabbed me and pulled me to the floor, shielding me from the explosion with her body. I just lay there for a time, ears ringing and body aching. Eventually, I blinked my eyes and coughed out a mouthful of dust. Sunset was still on top of me, unmoving. “Sunset! Are you okay?”

Sunset groaned and rolled off of me. “Yeah.” She coughed as well before looking herself over, wincing. “A little torn up, but I don't think it's anything other than surface damage. I am gonna feel that once the adrenaline wears off, though. Good thing we were wearing armor.”

“No kidding.” That was something I was going to have to thank Grandmother for once this was all over.

“Trixie is fine too, by the way,” Trixie grumbled from under a table. She crawled out from her cover, grumbling something unflattering about rookies and how unfair the universe was as she dusted off her hat.

I couldn't help but chuckle; it felt good, even though I felt like I could sleep for a solid week after everything I had been through. “I think that worked.”

“I sure hope so. Starlight hasn't blown us to smithereens yet, so that’s a good sign. ” Sunset grunted and stood up. She wavered for a second, but righted herself before she fell. Her gaze looked about the smashed up basement laboratory. “Found Starlight.”

Sunset helped me to my hooves and we all walked over to where Starlight lay. Her supporters milled about the basement as though in a daze. Considering what they had been through, I didn't blame them for being a bit stunned.

Starlight glared hatefully at us as we stood over her. She looked at least as bad as the rest of us. Having fallen through the hole to the basement, I would be surprised if she hadn't broken something. “W-what have you d-done?!”

“We stopped you,” I said. “That's what.”

Sunset nodded. “Yeah, so give up and ... uh ... ooh.” She grimaced with a pained look on her face.

I instinctively placed a comforting hoof on her shoulder. “Sunset, what is it? Are you sure you’re all right?”

Sunset shook her head. “Not me. Her.” She pointed down at Starlight.

My eyes widened as I realized what had caught her attention. She clutched her sides as several sparks shot out of Starlight’s horn in a magical discharge. “What ...what did you—ah! Do to me!?”

Sunset hissed through her teeth. “Looks like the backlash really messed her up.”

Trixie pulled a magic suppression ring out of her robes. “Trixie will have a doctor look her over once she’s safely in custody.” She slid the ring onto her horn—but then it slowly slid through her horn like it was jello. The ring fell to the floor, leaving Starlight’s horn seemingly untouched. Trixie frowned at the sight. “That ... is not normal.”

No, no it wasn't. I scanned Starlight with a basic medical spell. Then I whipped up more detailed scanning spells. “Oh ... oh no. This isn’t good.”

More magical electrical arcs shot off of Starlight, and she screamed in pain as she temporarily divided into three translucent versions of herself. She came back together, but the agony was clear on her face. “What. Did. You. Do. To. ME?!”

I bit my lip and looked at the others. “She’s in a lot of trouble. It looks like the spell she was using to harness all those cutie marks had a stabilizing factor. Part of it went straight to holding her molecules together, since that much power running through a pony’s system would normally rip you apart. That part of the spell is still holding up, but now that she’s been cut off from the cutie marks it’s losing the capability to hold her together—which is a big problem when her molecules are still pulling away from each other thanks to being super-excited by being oversaturated with magic.”

Trixie frowned contemplatively. “Meaning?”

“She's gonna go boom, isn't she?” Sunset asked quietly.

I nodded. “Her very metaphysical being is slowly being torn apart. It’s just a matter of when the glue fails. And when it gives...”

“E-explode?” Starlight blurred and her voice became weirdly distorted. “I-I-I-I c-c-c'n't ex-ex-plode! Theeere's so m-m-much to do! T-thiiis i—t right! H-help-p-p meee!”

I couldn’t meet Starlight’s pleading gaze. Maybe if I was completely fresh and had the right tool I could have done something, but I was nearly tapped out from the fight. My brain felt like it was fighting through molasses, and I was only surrounded by a bunch of broken tools and machinery. I hated thinking it, but Starlight was a lost cause if I was right. All I could do was concentrate on what I could save.

“I’m sorry Starlight, but there isn’t anything I can do.” I turned my attention to the others. “I think we need to get everypony out. Maybe if we put up a shield around the manor we can contain the explosion within the building.”

Trixie nodded sharply. “Then we get everypony out of here.” She raised her voice to address Starlight’s followers. “Get moving, all of you! You’re not allowed to die until Trixie’s interrogated your treasonous hides! Move, move, move!” She grabbed the nearest pony and pushed him along, throwing out more encouragement and curses as she went.

I started to move to help her when I saw something flying down the hole to the basement. “STARLIGHT!” Cloud Kicker screamed as she landed next to volatile unicorn.

Starlight reached a hoof out to her. “Cloud, p-please, help!”

A look of horror flashed over Cloud’s face as she looked her over. “No, no!” She reached for Starlight, but got hit with a magical discharge for her trouble and yelped in pain.

I reached out for Cloud but stopped myself short of her. “Cloud, no! There isn’t anything you can do to help her!”

If Cloud even heard me as she stepped toward Starlight, she didn’t show it. She was hit by more magical discharges, but slowly forced herself forward.

Sunset grasped my leg. “Come on, there’s nothing we can do.”

I almost allowed myself to go with her when Cloud actually managed to reach Starlight. Her magical resistance must have given her enough protection to pick her up and put her on her back, then start running for one of the doorways.

My eyes widened as I saw a disaster unfolding before my eyes. I created a wall of ice that Cloud slammed into. “No! You can't run with her! All the buildings around here have ponies in them!”

Cloud stabilized herself and looked down at the spasming unicorn for a long moment. She then turned her gaze to meet my eyes—eyes filled with ... sadness?

“I'll go up.” Those were the only words she said, but I could hear what she was begging me to do. It wasn’t anything I could describe, but as I looked into her eyes, I knew she what she planned to do.

“You sure?” Not that I was sure I could stop her. Not without getting myself killed either fighting her or when Starlight finally self-destructed.

Cloud nodded.

I cast a spell over her, forming a magenta bubble around her. “The shield will travel with you and help contain the explosion.” There was a lot more I wanted to say to Cloud. Of all the ways I imagined this journey ending, this wasn’t it. “I'm sorry, for everything.”

Cloud’s nodded again, then took off and flew straight up, out of the basement and through a hole in the roof.

I worked with Sunset and Trixie to evacuate the manor. By the time we made it outside, Cloud and Starlight were barely a speck in the air. Then, without warning, a second sun emerged from the blue, the light bright enough that it was painful even through closed eyelids. A moment later, the shockwave hit hard enough to drive all of us to the ground. It was some time before I managed to stand back up.

I looked to the sky, but saw no trace of Cloud or Starlight.

Author's Note

As always, thanks to my pre-reading and editing team for all their hard work. Also, I would like to thank all my dedicated Patreon supporters. You guys are awesome.

Click here if you want to join the list of awesome people who support my writing.

Chasing a Cloud Pt 4 by Ponibius

“...and there wasn’t any trace of them after that, Your Majesty,” I said, finishing our report about the events at the Manehattan manor. A couple of days had passed since the battle with Starlight and now Sunset, Trixie, and I stood before the Empress in her public throne room. Currently the seat of power of the Empire was empty except for us and a hooffull of guards standing around unobtrusively.

Empress Sunbeam nodded from her throne. “I see.”

I shuffled in place as I stood under her gaze. “Things ... didn't exactly go perfectly.”

“Little does in Trixie's experience, even when she is part of the operation,” Trixie said, amending her statement.

“Considering the circumstances, it seems you were lucky it went as well as it did,” the Empress said. “There were only two deaths. The explosion Starlight created could have easily caused a hundred times that.”

Sunset’s eyes narrowed. “Remember all the crazy crap Starlight was pulling? Mind control, stealing ponies’ cutie marks, summoning forbidden creatures—and that's just stuff we knew about. Things could have gone a lot worse. Especially with what she planned on doing eventually.” An angry fire burned in her eyes. “She even wanted to overthrow you.”

The Empress smiled dryly. “Something I rather strongly object to.”

“That is all true...” It was hard to argue that Starlight needed to be stopped and stopped quickly. Who knew what sort of damage she could have caused if she had been allowed to build momentum? A unicorn with Starlight’s raw power and ability could have gotten up to all sorts of trouble. The idea of her taking on my grandmother with the power of thousands of cutie marks was something that could keep me up at night.

Trixie tisked. “The arrogance of some ponies continues to amaze Trixie.”

I gave Trixie a flat look. “Yeah, it's pretty crazy, isn't it?”

“Beyond belief, almost,” Trixie agreed with a staggering level of obliviousness. “Trixie would not believe it herself if she hadn't seen it with her own eyes.”

The Empress diplomatically changed subjects. “So then, you can confirm that Starlight and Major Solaris are deceased?”

I nodded, frowning as I answered her question. “Near as I can tell. We tried a variety of tracking spells, but none of them worked. We weren't getting interference, the spells just weren't locking onto them. Then we tried a few divinations and summoned some spirits to question.” I didn't meet her eyes. “They all confirmed that they're dead.”

Sunset spoke next. “Unless they found some completely new way to hide themselves, they’re definitely gone.”

“Then it is as certain as can be without a body,” the Empress said, sounding pleased by the news. “Not that the explosion would have left us with one.”

“That explosions was pretty big,” Sunset confirmed. “It probably atomized them. Our tracking spells would have locked onto anything bigger than that.”

I remembered the final horrible moments Starlight and Cloud lived and the look Cloud gave me when she told me that she would take Starlight up. “Cloud ... seemed pretty determined to go out with Starlight.”

The Empress shrugged. “Love often makes ponies act in strange and irrational ways.”

“And I know I wouldn't want to exist as some sort of abomination,” Sunset said.

I winced slightly at the word abomination. “If that's what she was.”

“You saw her, Twilight.” The look in Sunset’s eyes was hard and uncompromising. “Starlight wasn't exactly showing anything that could be called restraint. Turning her girlfriend into some sort of undead monster is the type of thing that was right up her alley.”

Starlight’s madness was as plain as day, but I wasn't one hundred percent sure about Cloud. There were a few possible explanation for what she might have been. The first was that she was some sort of advanced undead, a walking corpse that retained something of its sapience. The second was that Starlight had summoned some sort of spirit to possess Cloud’s corpse to reanimate it. The third was that it was still Cloud, but Starlight had mind controlled her just like everypony else around her.

I couldn’t say for sure which one was true, without a chance to study Cloud more thoroughly or at least check Starlight’s notes. Neither of those things seemed possible now, though. Cloud had been vaporized, and if Starlight had written any notes they had probably burned with the manor when it caught fire after the battle. I just knew this mystery was going to bother me for a long time. I was used to always being able to find out the answers to the questions I had—usually by going to the library and reading a book on the topic, but that wasn’t going to help this time. That wasn’t going to be the answer to a lot of questions I had these days.

I sighed, deciding to change the topic. “I suppose Cloud's family are going to be need to be told what happened? And Fluttershy too, for that matter.” Now there was something I didn’t look forward to. Rainbow and Derpy were also Cloud’s friends, now that I thought about it, so they’d have to be informed as well. This just kept getting better and better.

The Empress nodded. “Naturally. Major Cloud Solaris will receive full military honors; according to your report, she sacrificed herself to make sure Starlight's self-destruction was contained.”

“That is true.” I shuffled in place, the mention of Cloud’s sacrifice reminding me about something. “I'm kinda curious about something Starlight said, if I may ask about it.”

“What is it, my child?”

I swallowed, knowing that my question could get me into trouble, but I pressed ahead anyways. “Starlight said ... that it was the Ministry that hurt Cloud.”

Sunset snorted. “Because we can trust a single thing that nutjob said?”

“I admit, our information on what exactly happened the night Cloud disappeared is incomplete,” the Empress conceded. “But it does seem entirely likely she was blaming others for her own actions.”

Trixie nodded. “That was Trixie's assessment of her as well. Trixie has heard traitors and criminals say all sorts of things to make themselves seem innocent, and most of the time they lie. Unless there is evidence to the contrary, Trixie is not in the habit of giving too much credence to anything they say.”

I sighed and rubbed my face. “You probably have a point.” There was just something wrong about all of this. Probably because nearly everything about it was wrong.

Sunset placed a hoof on my shoulder. “Don't worry about anything Starlight had to say, Twilight. You'll drive yourself crazy trying that.”

“I would not dwell on it,” the Empress said gently. “Not unless there is something to be gained by it.”

“And there isn't here.” Sunset wrapped a leg around me and nuzzled me. “Look, I know it kinda sucks, but we did the best we could given how crazy everything went.”

The Empress gave me a soft smile. “That is my own assessment. And I am the Empress, so...”

“You're probably right,” I allowed. It didn’t seem like there was much more to report on the incident. Nothing productive, anyways. “So what next then?”

“The matter, or at least your role in it, is finished,” the Empress said. “You will of course need to write a report about the incident, but otherwise you don’t need to worry about this anymore.”

“Excellent.” Trixie bowed elaborately before the Empress. “It is the Great and Powerful Magus Trixie’s pleasure to serve you, though she thinks she will be taking a few days off. Even Trixie can use a break after nearly being killed by some madmare.”

Admittedly, Trixie probably had a good idea of spending some time off. We turned to leave, but the Empress called out to me. “Twilight, stay a bit longer.”

I stopped, wondering why the Empress wanted to talk to me. Sunset also paused, her gaze shifting between me and the Empress. “I'll wait for you outside.” She gave my leg a supportive squeeze. “We can do something nice like go out someplace to eat once you two are done.”

“That sounds nice.” I pecked her on the cheek. “I’ll try not to take too long.”

Sunset stepped out, and I returned to stand before the throne. “What is it?”

The Empress’ head tilted slightly as she considered me. “You seem troubled.”

My ears wilted slightly. A lot of things were bothering me at the moment, but I knew there wasn’t any sense in denying it. My grandmother wouldn’t believe me for a second if I tried, so instead, I brought up one of the things that had been plaguing my conscience for the past couple of days. “I ... killed a pony.”

“She left you no choice, Twilight.” The Empress stood from her throne and descended the flight of stairs leading up to it. “You attempted to arrest her, something you had every right to do, and she attacked you for trying to do so. If you had done nothing, you, Sunset, and many others would be dead.”

“I know, it's just...” I sought the words to try and describe what I was feeling. It wasn’t easy. “It’s hard to come to grips with.”

The Empress wrapped a wing around me. “It usually is for most ponies.”

I grimaced out a smile. “You aren't disappointed with me, are you?” More than one of our lessons had involved needing to make hard decisions, such as when it was necessary to kill. But as I had come to learn, there was a vast difference between those lessons and actually applying them in real life.

She shook her head. “No, Twilight. I think you did very well in an exceptionally difficult situation.”

I leaned against my grandmother, needing the comfort that brought me. “Maybe I just need time to process everything, is all.”

“Maybe.” The Empress squeezed me with her wing. “Talking to your mother might help too.”

I couldn’t help but wince at the mention of Mom. “I was ... thinking about it.”

“Perhaps you should do it instead of thinking about it?”

I sighed, not missing the slight reprimand in her tone. “You're probably right.” It was something I had been thinking I should be doing in any event. Especially after ... everything.

The Empress smiled dryly. “I usually am. I like to think that being over nine hundred years old gives me a little wisdom.”

My smile turned less brittle at that. “That is an advantage of great longevity”

She nodded, then led me to her private waiting room behind the throne room before continuing. “Now, what caused your fight with your mother?”

My gaze shifted to the floor. This wasn’t a talk I wanted to have, but I had a feeling it was all but inevitable. Of course Grandmother would have found out about my fight with Mom. She always found out about everything eventually. “Politics.”

“What sort of politics?” she prompted, turning to face me.

I shuffled in place while under her gaze. “Different opinions on how the Empire should be ran,” I temporized.

The Empress frowned slightly. “Is it about the Circle?”

I winced. “Yes.” Looks like that was what the Empress wanted to get to the heart of, big surprise.

“Ah.”

I sighed and shook my head. “I guess it isn't much of a surprise I learned about them, is it?”

“It was bound to happen sooner or later,” Grandmother confirmed.

I turned from her to look at around the room. Portraits of members of my family from across the centuries line the walls. “You've probably gone through this a hundred times by now, considering the Circle seems to have been around nearly as long as you have.”

“In one form or another.” The Empress circled around the waiting room, her eyes flicking from one picture to the next. “Though I suspect some of them do not recall their original purpose. Fortunately, your mother is one of those who remembers.”

Not quite wanting to talk about Mom yet, I said, “That seemed to be part of Starlight's problems. She ... I don't even know where to start with her brand of crazy.”

“She was a deeply troubled pony who apparently lost all control after Cloud Solaris’ death,” the Empress said matter-of-factly. “That is also something I have seen more than once. Some ponies take the deaths of those they care about harder than others. For some, it utterly breaks them.”

“Small mercies Mom isn't anywhere near as crazy as that,” I grumbled. “Still doesn't change we're not really getting along at the moment.”

“I know, but I think that perhaps it is important that you understand at least part of what the Circle is.” The Empress stopped before a portrait of Old Queen Celestia, one that featured her in her full grandeur when she still held the mantle of the sun. “While she still lived, Celestia was one of my closest advisors. She wanted to ensure that others would take up her role after her death. In that capacity, the Circle is an invaluable resource. Celestia and I ... did not always agree, but her perspective usually at least merited consideration.”

“So you ... don't see them as traitors?” I hazarded.

She hook her head. “Those who hold to Celestia’s original vision, no. However, as you have noticed, the Circle also includes ponies like Starlight Glimmer.”

“It's like most groups in that even those with a similar ideology can have very differing opinions.” Certainly there were plenty of examples of that. In fact, I had trouble remembering any organization where that wasn’t true. Organizations were made up of ponies or other sapient creatures, after all. And when you got a bunch of individuals together, differences in opinion are bound to crop up.

The Empress nodded. “Exactly.”

Now that the topic of the Circle had been broached, I decided to move onto some of the stuff that was really bothering me about them. “It was just a ... shock to find out about the Circle. I had no idea that it existed, or that so many ponies I knew were involved.”

“They should have been honest with you.” Grandmother returned to my side to guide me to the couch.

“I really wish they had been,” I grumbled, that pain of being lied to returning.

“As do I, my child. But we must live in the world that is, not the world we wish for. Expecting perfection out of it will only lead to disappointment.”

“Isn't that the truth...” I looked up at her, frowning. “Why didn't you tell me about them?” It felt almost like a breach of trust to broach the question. I wasn’t in the habit of questioning the Empress. She usually had very good reasons for doing everything she did, even if I didn’t always know what those reasons were, but this was something I needed to know.

“I didn't want to put you in a difficult position, my child,” the Empress answered gently. “Perhaps that was a mistake.”

I groaned and applied my hoof to my face. “That was the same excuse I got from them.” It was an effort to suppress my anger. Blowing up in front of the Empress was one of the last things I wanted to do. I had already done enough of that in front of everypony else. That was part of why ... things turned out as they did with Cloud.

“You were our little girl, Twilight.” She tipped up my chin so that I would look into her emerald eyes. “I remember holding you the day you were born. Your first day of school. The day you earned your cutie mark and I announced you would be my student. It can be hard for anypony to see that wonderful little filly and think about dragging her into the less pleasant aspects of the world. We wanted to spare you from all our adult games of politics. As I said, we underestimated you; you deserved to know the truth sooner, but understand why we did so. It wasn’t because we thought less of you, but because we wished to save you the pain we knew it would bring you.”

My eyes returned to the floor. She did have something of a point. Learning about the Circle had hurt, and I couldn’t really think of a time when finding out about everything wouldn’t have negatively affected me to some degree. There didn’t seem to be an ideal point to tell me, in any event. It wasn’t an easy truth for me to admit, but I knew it was the truth.

“So, how do I deal with it going forward?” I wrapped my arms around myself, rubbing my upper leg. “I feel terrible about all those arguments I got into with everypony, and ... I don't know.”

My grandmother drew me close to her with her wing, all but engulfing me in a feathery embrace. “Family always says things they regret when they fight. Part of knowing a pony so well is knowing exactly how to hurt them. It’s why it hurts so much to argue with family.”

“That's a long way from me liking it,” I said.

“I would be very worried if you did like it, my child.” She gave me a nuzzle. “Talk to your mother. Give her a chance, and I know she will too.”

I frowned at the idea but nodded in acquiescence. “I will. That mess with Cloud and Starlight put a certain perspective on things.”

One of the Empress’ eyebrows rose inquisitively. “Oh?”

When I finally spoke, it was with a quiet voice. “I don't like the idea of ... having unfinished business with my mother. If things hadn't gone as well against Starlight as they had... The idea that one of my last conversations with her could have been me yelling at her—half of it about things I hadn't even been right about—doesn't sit well with me.”

“Child...” Grandmother drew me against her chest.

It started slowly, first a sniffle and then the tears came. Soon I was sobbing into her coat. All the pain, terror, and confusion of the last few weeks poured out of me in a torrent that I couldn't stop. I felt like a confused and hurt little filly after everything that had happened and for this moment, I couldn't hold my emotions in check.

Grandmother gently shushed me and rubbed my back. “It's okay, my child. Let it all out.”

I lost all track of time as I cried in her embrace. Eventually I cried myself out and started to pull myself together. Looking me over, Grandmother wiped away my tears with a handkerchief. “Feeling better now?”

I sniffed and nodded stiffly. “A little.” Part of me felt ashamed of having lost control of myself before my teacher and empress, but the damage was already done where that was concerned. To my relief, she didn't seem upset by my crying fit as she looked me over with concern.

“After what you’ve been through, it’s not surprising,” Grandmother said, almost as though reading my mind. She smiled sadly as she finished wiping at my eyes. “Don't worry. You’re not the first pony to cry on my shoulder over the centuries.”

“Okay then.” She gave me the handkerchief and I used it to blow my nose. “Sorry. It’s just that intellectually you can understand what death is, the risks for it happening when taking certain actions, but to face it like that...”

The Empress sighed and nodded. “You were too young for such a thing. But then, weren't we all, the first time? I know I was full of fire and vinegar to prove myself when I went on my first assignment as a magus. Spilling blood for the first time was ... not what I had expected. Then, despite my best efforts to give her a nice and easy first mission, Midnight faced a much greater threat than any of us realized. The same for your mother and brother, now that I think about it.” She smiled and stroked my cheek with maternal love. “Still, you were equal to the task, even if the danger was far greater than I realized. I am very proud of you, my child.”

I couldn't help but smile with pride at the praise. “That much is good to hear.”

“Now then,” Grandmother said, her tone switching to something a bit more serious. “Do you promise to talk things over with your mother? I don't like to see my family fighting one another.”

I nodded. “I will. I might want a couple of days to pull myself together after everything that's happened, maybe write a couple of practice speeches about what I want to tell her, but I promise not to procrastinate anymore than that.”

“Good.” She hugged me again and I hugged her back. “I love you, Twilight.”

“And I love you too.”

The day after returning to Canterlot, I had met with Fluttershy, Derpy, and Rainbow Dash within the Empress’ vault to tell them what had happened to their friend. My verbal and written report of the incident hadn't made the retelling now any easier for me. Not that I had room to complain considering I hadn't even known Cloud—unlike the ponies before me.

Their reactions were about what I expected for the news. The sudden death of a friend wasn't something that could be taken lightly. Fluttershy whimpered softly to herself, with both of her hooves covering her mouth. Derpy’s face had whitened, her mouth half agape. Rainbow’s face was every bit as ashen as Derpy's and her wings were outstretched as though she were ready to leap at a moment’s notice, though the conflicting broil of emotions rolling over face revealed the indecision over what to do just yet.

“Thiscan'tbehappening, thiscan'tbehappening, thiscan'tbehappening...” Rainbow murmured to herself, probably without realizing she was doing it loud enough for everypony to hear.

Fluttershy took a deep breath and her voice came out as a croak. “Are you sure?”

“As sure as I can be,” I said, trying to find a way to soften the final blow. “We tried a number of spells and rituals to see if it wasn't, but...” I shook my head. “I'm sorry, but she's gone.”

Fluttershy bit her lip. “But you didn't find a body...”

Derpy shook her head. “An explosion like that wouldn't leave much, if anything.”

Rainbow’s wings tensed as her face twisted into a snarl. “Then maybe you're just not trying hard enough!”

I blinked in surprise. “Excuse me?”

Derpy put a restraining hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “Rainbow...”

“No! It’s true!” Rainbow jabbed a hoof in my direction. “Cloud’s gone because these two weren't good enough! You should've brought us along! I could have saved her!”

“I wasn't allowed to just bring anypony along, Rainbow,” I said, though my heart wasn’t in it. The Empress probably wouldn't have let me bring all the bearers of the Elements on a potentially dangerous mission. It had been difficult just to convince her to let me and Sunset go. But I hadn’t exactly tried. I had trusted that Sunset, myself, and the escort the Empress sent with us would be good enough.

“What about this moron Trixie you went with?” Rainbow frowned. “You brought her along despite her being an idiot.”

I narrowed my eyes. “The Empress assigned her to help us—and I’ll have you know she’s actually a really skilled magus.” I didn’t like the idea of Rainbow criticising Trixie when she wasn’t here to defend herself. Sure, Trixie wasn’t perfect, but she had put her neck on the line for us.

Rainbow scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Yeah, sure sounded like it when everypony else was doing her job for her. For being so great and powerful, she didn’t do any better at saving my friend.”

Fluttershy’s eyes turned to the floor, her ears wilting. “It doesn't sound like there was much you could do.”

“Exactly,” Derpy reluctantly conceded. “What could we have done that three high-ranking mages couldn't?”

“How about not let Cloud fly off to get herself blown up by her crazy ex?” Rainbow demanded, tears welling up in her eyes. “Would that really have been too much to ask for? She was our friend!”

“You think I wanted her to blow up?!” I snapped back at her. “I went there to save her!”

“But you DIDN’T!” Rainbow’s chest heaved and a sob escaped her gritted teeth.

Fluttershy spoke soothingly, but I could hear the strain in her voice. “Rainbow, do you really think Twilight would do less than her absolute best to save our friend? I asked her to help when she didn't have to, and she found Cloud when nopony else could. She was almost badly hurt when she tried to get Cloud back. It isn't fair to blame her for what happened.”

“That isn't good enough!” Rainbow shot back. “Her best is clearly crap! If she couldn't stop Starlight and save Cloud, how's she going to hold up when Nightmare Moon comes calling?”

That ... I didn't have a good response to that. Would I be good enough to face Nightmare Moon when the day came when I couldn't save Cloud from some run-of-the-mill lunatic?

Derpy rounded on Rainbow. “Rainbow, that's enough! This isn't helping anything!”

Rainbow didn't back down a step to the challenge. “And what, patting her on the head and going ‘Oh well, you tried—here’s a gold star,’ is? Cloud is DEAD! And nothing is bringing her back!”

I winced and looked away from Rainbow’s furious glare.

Fluttershy shifted to stand besides me. “I wouldn't have asked Twilight to help if I didn't think she would do her best.”

Rainbow continued to glare, but it was undercut as tears streamed from her eyes. “It's not a matter of her ‘doing her best.’ Kids putting on a play do their best. When it comes to saving lives, doing your best isn't enough if you still fail!”

Fluttershy took a deep breath and spoke with a strained voice that risked cracking. “Rainbow, sometimes ... sometimes you can't save everyone.”

Derpy nodded. “You can do everything right and still lose, Rainbow. That's life.”

“So what?” Rainbow hiccuped and turned her back to us. “We should just shrug Cloud off as a practice run?”

I opened my mouth to reply but then stopped myself. Hadn’t I convinced the Empress to let us go to Manehattan because this was an opportunity for Sunset and me to get some experience before facing Nightmare Moon? I had made that argument so that I could see this matter through, but might it have been better to let more experienced ponies go?

Or maybe I was just looking at everything with hindsight. Maybe all of us were.

“No. But what happened wasn't Twilight's fault, it was Starlight's.” Fluttershy shook her head. “I should've known there was something wrong. I knew Starlight was trouble...”

Rainbow let out another sob before kicking over a nearby bookstand. “S-stupid Cloud ... she always could pick the worst ponies imaginable to lust after...”

“Come here, Rainbow. C'mere...” Derpy drew Rainbow into a hug and covered both of their faces with a wing. Rainbow returned that hug fiercely like she was a life preserver and cried into her shoulder. “I don't want... I keep wanting to tell myself that she's just going to come through the door tomorrow, or that I'll wake up in a minute.”

“Did any of Starlight's allies get away?” Fluttershy asked quietly, and there was something in her voice that set off an alarm in me.

“There are probably still equalizers somewhere in Manehattan,” I answered. “I think we got everypony in the manor, and the Ministry is interrogating everypony we captured. I’d be surprised if they hadn’t made some more arrests. Knowing the Empress, she had probably told her agents to crack down on the equalists. Between Sunset and I nearly being badly hurt, Cloud being killed, and the fact that Starlight had threatened the throne itself, the Empress was going to reduce the threat they posed.” At least that’s how things were going to go if I had to guess based on how my grandmother usually reacts to stuff like this.

Fluttershy trembled, and she bit her lip as she clamped her eyes shut. “I want to help make sure this never happens to anypony again. All we can do is make sure nobody else is hurt, and that the ones responsible are brought to justice.”

“Fluttershy, what are you planning on doing?” I asked. “Maybe we should—”

“I need to go,” Fluttershy interrupted. Before I could object anymore, she was gone. Something told me I could go after her, but what could I tell her to make her stop? I couldn’t think of anything.

Rainbow broke her hug with Derpy and marched off of after Fluttershy. “Knew we couldn’t trust a nag like you,” she growled as she passed me on her way out of the vault.

I was too beaten down to reply to her barb. The only good thing I could say about this meeting was that at least Sunset wasn’t here. Something told me that she and Rainbow would’ve gotten into it if Sunset had also been here to give the news, and I had wanted to avoid that. Not that things had gone all that much better.

Derpy sighed. “Look, I know you did your best. Rainbow does too, deep down anyways. Give her time, and ... it's just...” To my surprise, she wrapped her arms around me in a hug.

I blinked in surprise but hugged her back. “I understand. I ... don't exactly have many friends, but I can understand that it hurts.”

Derpy grunted and let me go. “We've... Empress, we go all the way back to Flight Camp, and...” Her words broke up with a squeak as her eyes started welling up with tears. “I'm going to ... um. I'm going to check on Rainbow. Be back.” She exited the vault in a hurry, and I could hear her breaking down as she left.

I slumped down on a nearby cushion. “Great job finding Cloud, Twilight. You sure are a winner.”

I returned to Sparkle Manor later that day. As I promised Grandmother, I was going to talk with Mom. Not that I expected this to be an easy conversation, and I had perhaps delayed it a bit longer than I should have. Grandmother had already set the sun and I was running the risk that Mom might head to bed early that night.

Steeling my courage, I went looking for Mom. I found her in the manor library, lying on one of the old couches in the room in the middle of reading a book. “Mom?”

Mom’s ears perked and she turned her head to face me. “Twilight.” She took a deep breath, though whether it was one of relief or to calm herself I couldn't tell. “I heard you had some ... trouble.”

“I was sent on my first magus assignment.” No sense denying the truth and something she probably already knew.

Mom sat up, giving me her full attention and setting her book aside. “How did it go?”

I rubbed the back of my neck. This was a part of our conversation I knew I wasn't going to enjoy. Especially after my report to the others earlier that day. “Do you want the full truth, or the version that will make you feel better?”

“I think we both need the truth,” she said with a slightly reproachful look.

I sighed and nodded. She did have a point. Keeping secrets or sugarcoating what happened wasn't going to fix anything, and it wasn't like the Empress didn't know what was likely to come up between us when she encouraged me to talk to Mom.

I gave Mom the unabridged version of everything that happened. By this point I had all but memorized the story, even if that didn't make it that much easier to tell it again. By the time I finished, Mom was grimacing. For that matter, she hadn't stopped grimacing since I got the part where we found Cloud. “So it's even worse than I heard.” She shook her head as she let out a sad sigh. “I'm just glad you made it back. I don't even want to think about the idea of you being hurt.”

“You and me both.” My ears wilted. “Not everypony else was so lucky.”

“Magus work is hard and dangerous.” She took a deep breath. “I'm glad you didn't ... I would not have wanted things to end this way.”

I rubbed my leg, as it wasn't hard to deduce what she meant. After all, hadn’t I said that wasn’t how I would have wanted things between us either? “Same here. What happened with Starlight ... put a certain perspective on everything. I didn't want one of my last conversations with you to be us yelling at one another. To act like we couldn't stand to even be in the same room.”

“Neither would I.” Mom stood up from the couch. She looked at me for a long time, looking older than I was accustomed to seeing her. Then she finally, if hesitantly, hugged me.

I hugged her back, even if the gesture felt awkward. “I don't want to fight with you anymore, Mom.”

Mom sniffed and nodded shakily. “It hurts too much.”

“It does,” I agreed.

She rocked me in her hug, something I hadn't realized I needed until I was in the embrace. “So can we make peace?”

I nodded and gave my mom a squeeze. “I would like to.”

Mom slowly broke the hug, but she kept a firm hold on my forelegs. “Even if we don't agree, we're still family.”

“That seems like something that we should keep in mind,” I agreed.

“I never forgot it,” Mom said, an unyielding look in her eyes as she stared at me.

I winced. Mom probably hadn't intended for that to sound as accusatory as it had, but it still stung—a lot. Looking back at everything, I had done things I wasn't very proud of. “I ... kinda did.”

Mom put a supportive hoof on my shoulder. “I think we both said things we regret.”

“Can we put it behind us?” This certainly wasn't something I wanted to dwell on forever. Not that it felt like I had a right to demand forgiveness from Mom. Yes, she had lied to me, and that fact probably wasn't going to go away overnight, but that didn't justify how I had acted towards her. I should have dealt with what I had learned differently than I had.

“I would like to,” Mom admitted. “I should have been honest with you a lot sooner, and I plan on being better about that in the future.”

“Thanks.” I rubbed my eyes. While I felt a lot of relief from finally getting all of this off my chest, the experience still left me profoundly drained. “Everything has just been too much lately.”

“I know.” Mom led me to the couch and we sat next to one another. “I can't imagine how Tor's going to take this.”

I grimaced as the topic turned back to Cloud. Probably inevitable now that Mom and I had patched thing up again. “You mean Cloud's father? Trixie said she was going to take talk to him and the rest of Cloud’s family. Something about how they would probably prefer to hear the news from an experienced guardpony.”

Mom sighed and nodded. “I don't envy her.”

“Me either,” I agreed. “Her friends took it pretty hard too.”

Mom rubbed her nose and squeezed her eyes shut. “The Circle is going to have a hard time dealing with this.”

“How bad is it going to be?” I might as well learn a bit about the Circle while I was at it. If keeping secrets was what had driven a wedge between us, then maybe some honesty would help mend things. Not that I expected Mom to tell me everything, for reasons of operational security, but at least she would be honest with me if she told me that was the reason she couldn't tell me everything.

“You remember what I said about how the Circle has its own divisions?” Mom asked.

“I do.” That had been one of the biggest revelations I had heard about the Circle since I had discovered its existence. Not that I knew many details about those divisions quite yet.

“Starlight was in one faction, while Cloud was in another,” Mom explained. “And what we’ve been able to piece together, Starlight killed Cloud and turned her into some sort of undead abomination. There’s going to be serious fallout from that.”

I couldn't help but grimace. “That sounds like the type of thing that could start an internal conflict. It probably didn't help that I killed Starlight.” Near as I could tell, the Circle seemed to recruit pretty heavily among family. That made a type of sense; after all, if you couldn't trust family, then who could you trust? In addition to ideological divides, there were also familial clans within the organization. But by the same token, it made things so much more than just a betrayal if someone broke faith, or worse—actually killed someone else. Depending on how the Circle dealt with internal divisions, this could have serious repercussions both within the Circle and without.

“Exactly.” Mom frowned. “I'm going to be very busy trying to put out this fire.”

“Wish I could help, but I'm probably the wrong pony for that.” The fact I wasn't a member of the Circle and that I was knee-deep in this mess pretty much disqualified me.

Mom waved off the issue. “The Circle can take care of itself, Twilight. You focus on your own life.” She sighed. “I don't want to drag you into my problems.”

I placed a hoof on her shoulder in support. “We're family, aren't we?”

“Yes. Yes we are.” Mom wrapped a leg around me and pulled my head to her chest. “But here’s the thing: you have your own life to live, and you're doing important work for the Empress. Cloud ... she was pulled into the Circle because of her family. I don't want that to happen to you.”

That put a certain perspective on things. I had to wonder how many ponies had ended up joining the Circle out of a feeling of familial obligation? The idea that Cloud might have died for an organization she didn’t really want to be a part of was ... depressing.

“That does make a bit of sense,” I finally said. “I'm probably going to have a lot on my plate anyways.”

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Do you have any idea on how to activate centuries-long dormant ancient artifacts of great power?” It was a pretty fair guess that the the Circle knew all about the Elements and the Empress’ designs for them, even if they didn’t seem to have a unified policy on what to do with Nightmare Moon after she had been defeated.

Mom shook her head. “Sorry, not without months of careful study.”

“Didn't think so,” I grumbled. I was starting to become seriously worried about how little progress we were making with the Elements. We might need to start to take more extreme measures in short order. Looking at the history of other magical artifacts offered at least a bit of insight into how to activate them, though a lot of them weren’t particularly pleasant. But for now, I decided to ask Mom about something she might have an easier time helping me with. “How about some relationship advice for Sunset?”

Mom smiled and stroked my mane. “You two seem quite happy together.”

I also smiled as I nuzzled her. “I like to think so.”

“That's the most important thing in any relationship.”

“Though her place is a bit on the small side for the both of us,” I said. “There isn’t exactly enough room for both of our book collections.”

Mom chuckled at that. “You could always come home. It’s been kinda sad to have two of my babies out of the house.”

“I guess.” I bit my lip. “Though I do like being with Sunset too.” Ugh, this was going to be one of those type of decisions where I had to pick between two things I liked. “I don't suppose I could invite Sunset to stay here too? We would have a lot more room here than in her apartment.”

Mom frowned and stopped stroking my mane. “Ah. That would be ... awkward, if I’m going to be honest.”

I groaned and rubbed at my cheek, still feeling tired, but at least not as stressed as I had been a little bit ago. “Thought it would be.” Go figure, my parents would find it awkward to have their daughter bring her fillyfriend under their roof. Especially since we were … um. Intimate.

“But I could spare some bits to help you two get a nicer apartment,” Mom said. “Though honestly, I'd have to imagine Sunset's place is small by choice rather than because of her budget. Really, what you should be doing is asking her what she wants. There’s no sense making these type of plans without her.”

That seemed logical. Sunset wouldn’t exactly be thrilled if I made a major decision like that without talking to her first. It felt like I had already pushed my luck with moving in with her on short notice. “I'll make sure to ask her what she thinks next time I see her.”

Mom nodded. “Take it from me, communication is the key to a happy relationship.”

I rolled my eyes. “I know that, Mom. I read it in a book.”

“Not everything about relationships can be found in a book, Twilight,” Mom chided lightly. Still, she kissed me on the forehead. “I just want you to be happy.”

“Thanks.” I let out a relieved sigh as I leaned against Mom. “After everything that's happened, that's good to hear.”

“That will never change. No matter what.” She nuzzled me in the way only a mom can.

I wasn’t going to pretend there weren’t hard days ahead for all of us, but at least this much was going right.

Author's Note

As always, thanks to my pre-reading and editing team for all their hard work. Also, I would like to thank all my dedicated Patreon supporters. You guys are awesome.

Click here if you want to join the list of awesome people who support my writing.

Hearts And Minds

It is only natural to be curious about the progress of my element bearers, especially in light of some their recent trials and tribulations. However, in doing so I face one of the age-old problems of anyone attempting oversee another: the observer effect. All of them will radically modify their behavior in the presence of their Empress, no matter how much I try to remain in the background.

The only solution is to remain hidden in the course of my observations, something that I am fortunately quite able to do. Divination is not my forte, but with nearly a millennium of experience in the magical arts even my lesser talents are still considerable enough that neither Twilight nor Sunset detected my scrying spell.

My element bearers are assembled in my vault for their weekly meeting, attempting to unravel the secret of the Elements of Harmony. Just as they had done for the last eleven months. Progress has been somewhat less than I would have hoped.

Sunset is hard at work channeling several new spells into Twilight’s element, while Twilight herself alternates between recording results and reading through several of the tomes I loaned them. I know for a fact that Twilight has already read each of them several times, and while I commend her worth ethic I doubt she will glean any new insights from a sixth reading. She doubtless already has the books memorized by now.

While my students are hard at work on one of the elements, the rest are occupying themselves in other ways. Fluttershy and Ditzy are exchanging idle gossip and catching up, while Rarity alternates between reviewing her lesson plans and making a few tweaks to her Sapphire Guardian costume so the belt will stop riding up over the course of several hours of patrolling. Rainbow Dash is the most openly impatient, rolling her element about in her hooves as if it is nothing more than an oversized ball. After several minutes of this, she finally gives voice to the thought that has been brewing in her mind for months. “This is stupid.”

Rarity closes her notebook, sighing. “I hate to say it, but she has a point. I’m sure Sunset and Twilight are doing their best, but I don’t feel like we’ve made any real progress with these elements since the Empress first showed them to us.”

Ditzy grimaces and nods along. “I’ve done dozens of tests and checked every resource I have, and I still have no idea what these things are even made of. Never mind figuring out how they’re supposed to work.”

Twilight groans and slams her book shut. “I just don’t get it. Nothing seems to be working. I’ve spent months researching these things, and I still haven’t gotten any closer to figuring out how to activate them.”

Rainbow scoffs and rolls her eyes. “So this has all been one big waste of time. Great.”

Sunset shoots an annoyed look her way, but quickly regains control of her temper. “Maybe we just can’t activate them under controlled conditions? Considering they’re supposed to be some sort of magical superweapon that destroys great evils, they might just be dormant until there’s some sort of evil force for them to oppose.”

“Possibly.” Twilight frowns down at her element, carefully inspecting it. “It definitely feels like we’re missing something. Like there’s a 2500 piece puzzle, but we only have 2499 of the pieces we need.”

“I think we’re missing a lot more than just one piece,” Ditzy murmurs. “The question is where we’re supposed to find the answers. I doubt the Empress would hold anything back if these are as important as she’s making them out to be.”

“She might if she felt like it,” Rainbow grumbles.

Sunset rolls her eyes at Rainbow’s typical sourness. “Considering how important using these successfully is, I can’t imagine why she would. Can anyone think of any reason why she’d want to make it harder for us to save her own empire?”

Twilight frowns and pokes her own element with a careful hoof. “It might be she was hoping we would find out something about them that she hasn’t been able to on her own. That makes way more sense than her bringing us together to try and find out a bunch of information she already knows. Maybe if she wanted independent confirmation for her own conclusions, but you’d think she’d get it in an less strangely convoluted way if that was the case.”

“I’m not really good at analyzing magical artifacts,” Fluttershy agrees. “I’m afraid that unless it’s armed combat, unarmed combat, battlefield tactics, field medicine, pediatric medicine, pathology, preventative care, or veterinary medicine, there’s really not a whole lot I can do to help.”

“Nice humble brag, ‘Shy.” Rainbow chuckles as her friend’s face lights up in a modest blush. “Still, none of this makes sense. If she’s got no idea how these things are supposed to work or how we make them work, why’s she betting everything on us?”

Twilight grimaces, her eyes dropping down to the floor. “Knowing the Empress, this probably isn’t her only strategy to defeating Nightmare Moon.” One of her hooves slowly scrapes along the floor. “She always tells us it’s important to have a backup plan. Actually, you want more than one backup, just in case the first one doesn’t work out either. And ... well, she’s had nine hundred years to plan for Nightmare Moon’s return.”

Ditzy nods along thoughtfully. “It’s one of those basic rules that gets hammered into us in engineering school: test everything, and then make it twice as good as you think it needs to be. I mean, the Elements are basically the equivalent of an untested prototype. You don’t bet everything on something you can’t count on.” She scowls and nudges her element. “But ... at the same time, just because the Empress probably has a backup plan doesn’t mean we should just give up. I don’t want to let her down.”

Rainbow grunts and scowls at the floor. “For once, we’re all on the same page. I’m not okay with giving up and hoping Plan B is up to the job. For all we know, they’re having just as much of a bad time as we are, and are desperately hoping we don’t drop the ball.”

Sunset clenches her teeth, rising to her hooves. “Yeah, there’s no way we’re giving up and failing. Not if I have anything to say about it.” Her horn lit as she shot a beam of raw power into one of the rocks. The rock slowly lifted into the air, suspended in a magical field that matched Sunset’s magical aura. When that does not yield the results she wants, Sunset closes her eyes and groans in effort, her horn lighting up almost painfully bright.

Ditzy and the other pegasi shield their eyes with their wings, while Rarity uses her notebook to block the light. Twilight is the only one who does not turn away, worrying at her lower lip as she watches her lover’s work. “Sunset, be careful—you can’t just brute force it! The backlash could really hurt you!”

Sunset gasps and releases the spell before it can go any further. The backlash from her spell would have knocked her back against the walls if not for Twilight cushioning the blast.

The Element of Harmony settles back down to the floor, seemingly unchanged. The others stare at it hopefully for several seconds before Rainbow finally voices their collective frustration. “Aaaand nothing was accomplished.”

Twilight sighs and nuzzles her lover. “It was a good effort.”

Sunset grimaces and returns the touch. “Thanks.” The disappointed frown on her lips makes it plain how little Twilight’s words comfort her.

Rarity frowns thoughtfully, taking a closer look at the element. “I don’t think we're going to accomplish anything with brute force.”

Ditzy nods in agreement. “Another engineering rule of hoof: if you have to force it, you’re doing it wrong.”

“That sounds right,” Twilight concedes. “If it was just a matter of raw power, I’m sure the Empress could have done the job without us. She picked the six of us for a reason, so logically whatever we need to do to make these stones work has to be something only we could do.”

Rainbow scoffs and rolls her eyes. “Yeah, assuming your Empress made the right calls. Let’s face it, you two aren’t exactly wowing us with your record of success.”

There is a collective intake of breath among the other ponies in the room at the barb. Twilight frowns at her, tension thick in her voice. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means what it sounds like,” Rainbow counters, refusing to back down from the budding conflict. “It means you can’t cut it. It means that when the pressure’s on and ponies are counting on you to succeed, you screw up and fail. Maybe that’s fine when you’re just a student, but ponies are gonna die if you mess this up.”

Sunset groans and runs a hoof down her face, muttering several less-than-cordial things about Rainbow under her breath. Twilight meets the challenge directly, scowling at her. “Is this about the Elements, or is this about your friend?”

Rarity pointedly clears her throat, making a token effort to defuse the argument they all know is inevitable. “Now now, let’s stay civil. I know we’re all a bit frustrated, but yelling at each other is hardly going to help.”

Rainbow ignores her, glaring at my younger student. “Oh gee, did I hurt your precious little feelings? I’m so sorry that I’m still upset that your screw-ups got Cloud killed. It was so thoughtless of me to actually care about my best friend. Clearly I should think more about how hard all this is for you, and less about the fact that one my friends is dead because you can’t do anything right!”

Twilight glares back in response. “For someone who wasn’t there, you seem to think you know an awful lot about what happened and what I should’ve done. Like I told you the last twenty times you got on my case, there wasn’t anything I could’ve done about it! Your friend was gone before I even knew she needed help!”

Rainbow’s eyes flick to Ditzy and Fluttershy, silently seeking their support. Fluttershy refuses to meet her eyes, while Ditzy grunts and drops her gaze to the element rock resting between her hooves. Each of them handles the pain of loss in their own way; Fluttershy hides it within her heart and sheds her tears in private, while Ditzy hides from it, finding new projects and distractions to leave her with no time to dwell upon her loss.

Rainbow lashes out at the world, trying to find someone to blame.

She stormed towards the younger of my students, her wings aggressively flared out. “You really don’t get it, do you?! She was one of my best friends! Unlike some ponies around here, that means something to me! You don’t just forget them, or cut them out of your life because you had an argument!”

Rarity steps up, quickly interposing herself between the two of them. “Rainbow, perhaps we should step out for a bit of fresh air? You know how terribly stuffy this vault can get with six ponies stuck in such a small room...”

Rainbow scoffs and waves her away with a wing. “Pretty sure you can find your way outta here without me. I’m just a little busy dealing with the complete nag whose incompetence got my best friend killed!”

Twilight groans and buries her face in her hooves. “For the last time, it wasn’t my fault! Empress above, you’re treating me like I’m the one who actually killed her!”

“You as good as did it!” Rainbow snaps back. “I know you didn’t care about her like I did! I would’ve done anything to save her! You didn’t—Cloud didn’t mean anything to you, so you didn’t try hard enough to make it in time. And the Empress thinks you’re supposed to have some magic loyalty powers? Give me a break.”

Twilight’s eye twitches, her teeth grinding. “I don’t need to listen to this. Not from somepony that wasn’t even there. If you’re such an expert, tell me how I was supposed to save a pony who was already dead before I even knew anything happened to her?! I’ve tried to be patient and understanding considering everything you’ve gone through, but I swear, if you don’t back off...”

Rainbow scoffs and rolls her eyes. “Oh, what’re you gonna do?” Her eyes narrow venomously. “Lemme guess: you’re gonna threaten me with the Ministry of Heart too? From what I’ve heard, that’s pretty much your go-to solution to ponies telling you things you don’t wanna hear.”

Rarity loudly clears her throat again. “I think that’s more than enough out of both of you. Perhaps it’s time for both of you to go for a powder break. You can come back once you’ve settled down enough to work together.”

Ditzy and Fluttershy move in to take charge of their irate friend. Ditzy gently but firmly puts her hooves on Rainbow’s shoulders. “Rarity’s right, Rainbow. Let’s take a break.”

Fluttershy nods, occupying Rainbow’s other side. “This isn’t helping anything.”

For a moment it seemed as though the argument had been at least temporarily defused, but then Twilight broke the tentative truce. “What did you mean when you said that threatening ponies with the Ministry of Heart is my go-to solution? I’ve never done that.”

That shatters whatever hope there was for a de-escalation as Rainbow angrily shakes away her friends, unleashing a baleful glare on my student. “Horseapples! So now we know you’re liar on top of everything else! Cadance told me what you did, and what you threatened her with.” She scoffs and tosses her head. “You’re supposed to be loyalty, but I don’t trust you to have my back. Maybe that’s why this group hasn't gotten anything done!”

Twilight’s eyes narrow. “You talked to Cadance? Why would she even...” Her eyes widen as all the pieces fall into place. “You’re part of the Circle, aren’t you? That’s why Cadance told you everything!”

Ditzy looks between the two of them, her eyes losing focus as she tries to track both mares at the same time. “Rainbow’s part of the what? What circle? What are you two even talking about?”

Sunset holds up one of her hooves. “Wait wait wait, Starlight was mixed up with them too. So let me get this straight: Rainbow’s part of the group of crazy rebels that got her friend killed? Where the hay does she get off giving us a hard time about it?!”

Rainbow snorts and rears up on her hind legs, looking as if she wants to charge my students. “I—that's a lie!”

Twilight is not impressed by her bluster, scowling and standing her ground. “Is it? Why are you talking with Cadance about me threatening her then?!”

“Because we’re friends!” Rainbow shoots back without a moment’s hesitation. “She could use one after what you did!”

“When have you two ever been friends?” Twilight demands. “Cadance has been in Northmarch for the last year, and she never so much as mentioned you to me!”

Rainbow snorts and shakes her head. “Oh yeah, I’m sure she tells you all about every friend she makes, especially after what you did to her last time she trusted you with something. What, are you upset that you didn't threaten her with the Ministry enough?”

Twilight flinches back, and Sunset quickly rises to her defense. “You are just an unbelievable nag. Makes me wonder if maybe the reason you’ve been on our cases so much is because you were mixed up with Starlight. After all, both of you were running in the Circle. For all we know, Cloud Solaris found out about something you two were up to and...”

Fortunately, Fluttershy and Ditzy got over their shock at the implied accusation before Rainbow herself did. I doubt one of them alone would have been able to hold Rainbow back. “You—you feathering, lying...” Rainbow snarls and tries to push her way past Ditzy and Fluttershy. “Lemme go! When I get my hooves on that worthless—”

Rarity groans and buries her face in her hooves, perfectly mirroring my own thoughts on the matter. I will need to have a discussion with Sunset later to remind her that just because someone angers her is no excuse for saying something so deliberately hurtful and provocative. There is a time and place for driving a pony into blind violent rage, but it is almost never a good idea to do so with someone you need to work with the next day.

Rainbow puts up a few more token struggles before finally giving up. “Okay, okay...” She waits for Fluttershy and Ditzy to let her go and drop their guard, then tries to rush Sunset again. “You lying nag!”

Fortunately, Fluttershy and Ditzy know their friend well, and catch her before she can get away and attack Sunset. Ditzy tried to reason with her. “I know she was completely out of line saying that, but she’s not worth it.”

Deprived the opportunity to inflict any physical violence, Rainbow resorts to words. “Starlight was just a nut! I told Cloud she was bad news! Dammit, if she’d just listened to me...”

Twilight sighs and slowly nods in agreement. “Starlight being a nut is probably one of the few things we can actually agree on.”

Rainbow snorts and shakes her head. “Oh, please. You’d just love to shift the blame for Cloud’s death on anypony else, wouldn’t you? That’s why your stupid nag girlfriend is trying to make it sound like it’s my fault just because I’m in the Circle, even though that’s a total load of horseapples because Starlight got kicked out years ago. Because that means that you two didn’t screw up! But guess what? You did!”

A painful silence settles over the room, until it is carefully broken by Fluttershy. “Rainbow, are you part of the Circle? Because what you just said made it sound like you are.”

Rainbow freezes, realizing what she said far too late. The obvious solution would be to lie to her friends, but in the heat of the moment she hesitates. The delay drags long enough that any denial would sound insincere. She grimaces, plainly realizing the dilemma before her: to either tell an obvious lie, or admit a dangerous truth. She ultimately opts to take the middle road. “That’s ... um ... I can’t really say.”

Fluttershy and Ditzy exchange a look, subconsciously taking a half-step away from her. Ditzy is the first to voice their shared thoughts. “That isn’t a no, Rainbow.”

“It’s basically a confession,” Twilight points out.

“No it isn’t.” Rainbow grumbles weakly. “S’just ... not saying.”

Sunset crosses her forelegs over her chest. “So then, miss honesty, why don't you just say it outright? If you’re not part of the Circle, say it.”

Rainbow glowers at her, regaining a bit of her fire. “You’re one to talk about your elements, Miss Magic. It’s pretty feathering obvious your magic isn’t up to the job. Not only did you screw up and get Cloud killed, you’re so bad at what you’re supposed to be doing that you don’t even have a rock like the rest of us!”

Sunset is about to retort when Rarity finally snaps. Even the most composed and poised etiquette teacher can only endure so much. “Enough! I simply cannot endure this any longer! We are supposed to be a team, but all the rest of you ever want to do is hang out in your two little cliques and snap at each other! Well I am sick of it! Absolutely sick! Rainbow Dash, I understand how painful it must be to lose a close friend, but stop lashing out at the ponies who tried to help you just because you can’t accept Cloud’s death! Twilight and Sunset, try to show just a little more understanding that Rainbow is going through a difficult time, and is saying things she’ll probably regret once she has the time to think it over! Perhaps Twilight was onto something when she said we needed to work together—it certainly explains why we haven’t made a smidge of progress despite spending almost an entire year! We aren’t a team! We’ve never been a team! We’re just a bunch of ponies who don’t even like each other, crammed into a single room and ordered to find a way to save the world!”

She rises to her hooves, her magic yanking open the door. “Out! All of you, out! And don’t you dare come back here until you’re capable of working together!” Rainbow starts to open her mouth, but Rarity doesn’t let her say one word. “I said OUT!”

As the rest of my element wielding team slowly files out of the room, staying as far away from each other as they could while also giving Rarity a wide berth, I cancel the scrying spell and sink back into my throne. I can only find one word to sum up my thoughts on the matter. “Well ... Horseapples.”

The facts before me lead to a single, inescapable conclusion. I do not like it. I have made a point of not going to that place for many years, and would have been quite content to ignore it for the rest of my immortal life. Or at least until she finally broke down and asked me to come see her.

However, far more than my pride was at stake. I would not allow my empire to fall and my children to suffer because of my own stubbornness and wounded pride. Indeed, I had perhaps allowed this unspoken feud to drag on for far longer than I should have. Not that I had no cause for my anger—her actions had been deeply offensive—but allowing it to persist for so many centuries had not brought me any joy. I had simply become accustomed to our estrangement.

It is a strange feeling to approach the Everfree Forest knowing what lies within, and even stranger to be doing so alone. I am somewhat accustomed to the pageantry that inevitably accompanies the role of ruler of most of the known world. Such displays of power are one of the many requirements of wearing a crown, for a ruler must always stand above their subjects. Those who suggest that I or any other monarch should cast aside the trappings of office to mingle with the commoners fail to grasp the nature of power or rulership.

That is not to say that a ruler should be cold and aloof. An Empress who has no contact with her subjects might become divorced from all reality, surrounded by courtiers and sycophants. However, that contact must always be in the guise of monarch and subject. A ruler who casts aside such trappings might be tolerated as a curiosity for a time, but will soon be naught but an object of contempt. The common workers are not so foolish as to be deceived by a ruler who plays at sharing their experiences before returning to a sumptuous ten course banquet and bedding down in a palace surrounded by an army of servants.

I am pondering over political philosophy to delay this meeting. It is a rather foolish thing to do. Perhaps inevitable, though. One does not lightly end an eight-century estrangement.

That said, I am no coward. I take a deep breath, then step into the hidden cavern beneath the ruined castle.

She is waiting for me. Not that she has any choice in the matter, given her current form. It is very strange to see the mare I once knew as a massive crystalline tree, but her presence is undeniable. Even though I have not felt her for more than eight hundred years, I could never forget Celestia.

I move forward until I am plainly within her field of view, then stop. I have come this far to break the silence, she can at least do me the courtesy of speaking first.

Celestia finally breaks centuries of silence once it is clear I am waiting for her. “Sunbeam. It’s been a long time.”

“Yes.” I glare at her, making no effort to hide the resentment in my voice. “It has.”

If my obvious anger concerns her, she gives no sign of it. Not that I could read a tree’s body language, but her tone seems light enough. As if this was just a casual meeting, rather than a reunion after eight centuries. “Too long. You could have visited, you know. My current form makes it rather difficult to come to you.”

My teeth clench at her light-hearted refusal to acknowledge the obvious. “I never visited because you never invited me. You never even told me you were still alive.”

Once more she refuses to engage me. “How alive I am is something I imagine the scholar could spend many years debating.”

“You’re alive enough,” I snap back. “We’re having a conversation, aren’t we?”

“That much is true.” The tree’s crystalline leaves shift in a nonexistent breeze. “And should you wish to speak to me, I am sure you were more than capable of coming here without my invitation. It is not as if I asked you here today. How long have you known?”

“Midnight told me,” I answer simply.

“You’ve known where to find me for eight centuries, then,” Celestia answers calmly. “And yet it took all this time for us to see one another again.”

“I should never have heard it secondhand from Midnight,” I snap back. “I deserved to hear it directly from you. So why didn’t I?”

The tree’s leaves rustle to produce a sound almost like a sigh. “Because you would have tried to stop me. As I aged and grew older, you made your feelings on the matter quite clear. You would never have sat back passively and allowed me to do as I thought best.”

“I thought you were dying!” I snarl. “The whole reason I was acting that way was to keep you alive! I never wanted to lose you!”

Celestia is silent before some time, and her voice is softer and more subdued when she finally responds. “I am sorry for that. It seems that both then and now, there are times when we cannot truly understand one another.”

I sigh and run a hoof down my face, trying to suppress the annoyed growl bubbling up my throat. “You always have had a singular talent for vexing me. Fine, enough ancient history. I suppose you already know why I’m here?”

“I think you’re here for more than one reason,” Celestia answers. “Though I suspect that what finally drove you to move past your anger is the Elements.”

“You’re right.” I grimace and admit something I’d rather not. “They aren’t coming together, and I can’t fix this on my own. I need your help.”

The tree is silent for some time before finally answering me. “I think the problem stems from the fact that you tried to force them to come together instead of trusting destiny to bring them together in their own time.”

“So I should sit back, do nothing, and pray some ephemeral guiding force directs things properly?” I scoff and shake my head. “I recall how well that ended with your plans regarding Lance Charger. Talking about destiny is just an excuse for passively ignoring what you know you have to do and hoping it all somehow works out in your favor.” I scowl and begin pacing. “Perhaps I made mistakes. Perhaps I acted too soon, or perhaps not soon enough. Losing Aedile Pie and needing to rely upon one of my secondary choices for Laughter might have disrupted everything.”

Celestia’s branches dip. “Her spirit burned brighter than most, and it pained me to see it so cruelly snuffed out.”

“The Nightmare outmaneuvered me,” I confess. “Perhaps fatally. Or maybe that’s just an excuse, and the team would have failed even if they had her.”

“They have not failed yet,” Celestia assures me. “Nightmare Moon can still be stopped. Just because the team has not come together yet does not mean they will fail when the time comes. You still have several weeks before her return.”

“You’re right,” I allow. “They could work.” The emphasis I place on the word make my thoughts on the matter clear enough.

Celestia’s voice becomes a touch firmer. “They are still your best option to both contain Luna and purge her of her madness.”

“And one I fully intend to use,” I remind her. “But I hardly think I can rely solely upon them, given the problems with my chosen team of wielders.”

A hint of wryness enters her voice. “I do not think you would, even if the team had no flaws, perfect chemistry, and a proven record of success with the Elements.”

“Would you?” I ask simply.

“No,” she concedes. “I have every faith that the Elements will be used successfully, but the price for failure is too high to ignore the possibility that something could go awry. I am sure you are familiar with the old expression about the best laid plans of mice and mares.”

“And there you have it.” I sigh and take a seat next to the tree. “As ruler of Equestria, I must consider every possibility. You know she might force my hoof.”

The tree darkens slightly, and anger tinges Celestia’s voice. “You promised you wouldn’t take it that far unless you had to.”

I rise to my hooves, glaring at her. “Do you think I’m breaking that promise?!” I jab at her, my hoof thudding against her crystalline trunk. “You left me to clean up your damned mess with your sister! You know I don’t want anything to do with her—the damnable bitch tried to murder my daughter! And yet, I’m still giving her a chance, purely for your sake, and you have the unmitigated gall to question my honesty in doing so?!”

Celestia says nothing, weathering the story. Once I finish, a long, awkward silence hangs in the air between us. When she finally responds, it takes me by surprise. “I’m sorry. I know I have asked a great deal of you, and shall ask for more ere this is done. Luna is ... a difficult issue. Can you blame me for not wanting to fight my sister? She’s my flesh and blood. I love her. Nothing she will do can ever change that.”

In a sudden moment of clarity, I realize the truth. “You’re afraid to face her.”

“Yes,” Celestia admits. “How could I not be? As always, your logic is as undeniable as it is distasteful. I know that the Elements may fail, and that if they do ... Nightmare Moon must still be stopped. I have not forgotten what she did during the civil war, and that was a mere puppet to her will. Luna herself...” Another rustle passes through her leaves. “I do not know which outcome would horrify me more. That I might hesitate to act against her and allow my subjects to die, or that I would act swiftly and decisively, and not hesitate to cut down my own sister.”

“Which is why you placed all your hopes on the Elements of Harmony,” I concluded.

“Not just them.” One of her limbs slowly creaked down to rest on my shoulder. “I have trusted you with Equestria, and the fate of my sister. The two most precious things in the world to me.”

Her response leaves me at a loss for words. I suppose some part of me has always believed she thought of me as a flawed, broken thing. There was no denying that in my mortal life, my mind had been twisted by things that medical science would not even begin to understand for many centuries, and I often felt she only tolerated my presence because of my brilliance and unique perspective. It ... it has weighed upon me to know that she viewed me in such a way, despite my many years of loyal service.

I enjoy a few moments of contentment before the ugly truth rears its head once more. “If you trusted me, then why make the Circle?”

Celestia’s branches rustle. “The Circle was intended to help prevent something like the Lunar Rebellion from ever happening again. I became far too content in Canterlot, living comfortably in my palace surrounded by courtiers who told me what I wished to hear. It was vital to make sure that you didn’t stray too far from the righteous path.”

I scowl up at her. “So you thought I would go mad with power and turn into some sort of ridiculous tyrant if I wasn’t constantly supervised? That you needed agents seeded throughout my government who could remove me from power at a moment’s notice? Why make Cadance an alicorn at all? Are you already grooming her as my replacement?”

“No,” Celestia answers firmly. “Cadance’s ascension represents her fulfilling her own destiny, and is not an attack upon you. It was never my intention for the Circle to be your enemy. I wanted to make sure that you would always have good council. I know how hard that can be to find sometimes. That is why you were among my closest advisors during my reign: even when we disagreed and I overruled you, my own thoughts were that much sharper for being challenged. When you took the throne, you valued my own advice just as much. However, I knew I would not always be there. Someone would need to speak with my voice after I could no longer do so.”

That ... did explain quite a few things.

A hint of wry amusement enters her voice. “They do come to me now and again for my advice and wisdom. Or at least, Cadance and Rainbow do. I will admit that some elements of the Circle have their own opinions.”

“I’ve noticed,” I shoot back dryly. “Which is one of the reasons I would prefer to hear everything directly from you. The Circle does seem rather redundant.”

Celestia chuckles softly. “Merging my essence with a magical tree was a mad enough idea that I felt it wise to cultivate a backup plan. Not to mention I do still need agents to go out into the world—one of the disadvantages of my new form.”

“There were better options available than becoming a tree,” I grouse. “I believe I offered you several of them.”

“You did,” Celestia allowed. “I think that, despite the obvious drawbacks, I made the right choice.”

“You may believe that if you wish.” Considering the eight hundred year estrangement her decisions had spawned, I have a rather low opinion of her decision-making capabilities in this matter. However, tempting as it would be to restart an old argument, there seems little point in it when the matter is a moot one. Especially since I have more pressing matters on my mind. “How much will you hate me should the worst come to pass?”

Celestia says nothing for a long time, doubtless trying to decide on the most diplomatic way to answer my question. Her answer confirms it. “No more than I would hate myself.”

I scoff and shake my head. “That is not an answer.”

A soft sigh whispers through her leaves. “Sunbeam, she is my sister. The only family I have left. No matter what crimes she commits, she will always be my sister. Can you blame me for wanting to save her?”

“No.” I draw myself up to my full height and do my best to find some equivalent to her eyes. “But how many of my children need to die to save your sister?”

Her long silence makes the truth plain enough. Regardless of her love for her sister, she cannot in good conscience allow others to die so that the Nightmare may live. “If the Elements work as intended, you should be able to stop Luna without needing to ask that question.”

“Thus explaining the considerable effort I have gone to in securing them and trying to forge a team that can properly wield them.” A team whose very failure has prompted me to come here. I know what I must say, but it certainly rankles my pride to speak the words aloud. “If you have any advice for how to bring them together...”

“I would be happy to help,” Celestia assures me. “However, friendship is not something you can force to happen on your own timescale. It needs to grow organically.”

“Yes yes, a very charming sentiment,” I grouse, waving a dismissive hoof. “But the safety of the Empire, countless innocent lives, and the fate of your sister all depend on them becoming friends within the next few weeks.”

“I’m aware, Sunbeam,” Celestia responds testily. “And you are not wrong. We might have little choice but to resort to extreme measures. Sometimes shared adversity can create the strongest of bonds, when the right elements come together.”

“So throw them all into danger and hope they bond over it?” I scoff and shake my head. “And to think, ponies said that I was the amoral and manipulative one.”

“I wasn’t suggesting you hurl them into mortal peril and hope for the best,” Celestia answers mildly. “Simply that even if destiny should be guiding them towards using the elements, sometimes destiny needs a little poke in the right direction.”

I scoff and roll my eyes. “Destiny. Must we have this discussion again?”

“Much as I enjoyed our many debates on the topic, I think it's clear we won’t change each other’s minds at this point.” Celestia made a sound that was oddly like clearing her throat—something quite strange to hear considering she had no throat. “However, philosophical debates aside, you can’t deny that something needs to be done. Considering how close we are to Nightmare Moon’s return, I am sure we both agree that we cannot afford to take a slower, more gradual approach to preparing them. I would think you of all ponies would be at ease with taking a more proactive stance towards binding them together.”

I rise to my hooves yet again, slowly pacing back and forth. She was quite right, of course. However, it was quite a bit harder to find a way to do it that sounded acceptable.

“I can’t say I’m wild about the idea either,” Celestia assures me. “As you said, it is more than a little manipulative, and there are many ways it could end badly. However, as I am sure you would have counseled me, there are lives on the line. Manipulating and deceiving a half dozen mares to save the entire world and my own sister is unpleasant, but it is a relatively small price to pay all things considered.”

I grimaced and nodded, though a small part of me could not help but be amused by how our arguments had been almost juxtaposed. Perhaps it was simply a matter of our perspectives and desires; Twilight and Sunset were my descendants and students, while Nightmare Moon was an enemy I would gladly cut down if not for her sister. To Celestia, my descendants were naught but distant figures she only loosely knew measured against her own flesh and blood. Or perhaps I was merely using my sudden attack of conscience as a convenient excuse to do what so many of the less enlightened members of the Circle accused me of—wanting to give up on the Elements and cut down a mare I had every reason to want dead.

No. I would not end her. I would not give the damnable fools in the Circle the satisfaction of it. I would not let them murmur about my supposed bloodlust, and how Celestia had been a fool to ever trust me. I would not fail Celestia herself, not in this task. Wouldn’t it be such a lovely little coup to show them all that I was a far better mare than any of them gave me credit for? And more importantly...

I gently lay a hoof on Celestia’s trunk. “I have more than half a mind to uproot you, drag you back to Canterlot, and make you deal with this mess yourself.”

Celestia chuckled, one of her limbs bending down to rest on my shoulder. “That is certainly one way to do it, though I would recommend against it. I’m sure you know how many leylines this tree is rooted to, and where they all lead.”

I was well aware of exactly how impractical the idea was, and had not seriously been considering it. “Then maybe I should move my court here and find some way to make a throne room that can fit a tree.” I smirk at her. “Or, given the exact nature of what you are now, I could always turn you into a new throne for myself.”

Celestia sighs patiently. “Sunbeam...”

“It would keep you very close at hoof for whenever I want your advice,” I point out.

“Is that the way of it, then?” Celestia asks. “Underneath all the anger and annoyance, what you really want is to have me by your side once more? I would think it much simpler to just say that, rather than empty bluster and threats we both know you would never carry out.”

I am tempted to snap at her once more, but she is right. Denying that would only make me weak and foolish. “I miss you. I have for many years. Even arguing with you.”

“I have often found myself missing you as well,” Celestia concedes. “It is, perhaps, one of the occasional issues with the Circle. Most of them regard me with such reverence that they would never dare to argue with me, especially not as passionately as you did.”

“So why hide yourself away?” I demand.

“For many reasons,” Celestia answers cryptically. “No small part because I was tired.”

I scowl at her, surprised by the emptiness of her response. “You spent eight hundred years hiding from me because you were tired?!”

Celestia’s tone remains even and patient, though I know her well enough to catch the barest hint of irritation in her tone. “I didn’t hide from you, and you know it. With the benefit of hindsight I should have been more assertive in contacting you, but I had little reason to think you wanted to see me. The last years of my mortal life were often ... contentious. At the time, it seemed best to allow a few years for tempers to cool, and for you to fully come into your own as a ruler.”

I grimace, but can’t entirely fault her reasoning. Despite the many years she spent as my nominal servant and advisor, there were many within my court who still looked upon her as their true queen. For the first few years of my reign I had barely been able to even hold court when she wasn’t present, while she frequently had to inform me of royal matters given over to her that should have come directly to me.

The stress of that seeming refusal to acknowledge the changes, combined with the fact that I had never wanted to take her throne to begin with, had led to many arguments. “I expect that so long as you remained alive and in Canterlot, I never would have ceased haranguing you to take the throne at my side, as all the world seemed to want.”

“You can be remarkably stubborn when you set your mind to it,” Celestia agrees.

“It is not simply a matter of stubbornness,” I counter. “It is simply trying to obtain my goals. You know I wanted to rule at your side, not replace you.”

“We don’t always get what we want, my little pony.” Celestia chuckles bitterly. “I am sure you recall many of our arguments from before you ascension. More than once, you said it did not seem as if I even wished to rule, and that I should give over the crown if I had no desire to wear it. I would have thought you would be glad I took your advice. I have had a great deal of time to reflect upon that, and ... you were right. It is very hard for a good mare to be queen.” She sighs. “The Lunar Rebellion shook me, you know that. So much senseless death from a few simple mistakes...”

“Yes, you did err. That is precisely why you needed a co-ruler.” I grimace, and admit a truth I usually prefer to ignore. “And ... I suspect it is why I need one too. I am not so proud that I am entirely blind to my flaws. Not to mention that we were both at our strongest when working together. You challenged me to justify my beliefs and explain my reasoning, and I did the same for you. In the end, both our decisions were stronger for it.” My eyes narrow. “You had best hope I never find a way to yank you out of that tree and shove you back into your body. I think if I do, I will simply demand that you share the throne with me instead of politely asking.”

“I am surprised you haven’t tried yet.” Despite having no face, I can hear the grin in her words.

“I’m figuring out the details,” I counter testily. “I wouldn’t want to destroy the Tree in the process of removing you. But considering we’re both immortal, I have plenty of time to work out all the kinks in my plan.”

“That you do,” Celestia concedes. “Though I will say I am quite happy with my current state of being, and would prefer that you not disturb it. Despite what you might think of the Circle and what its goals are, I am quite content to let you play your part while I play mine.”

Normally I would be very happy to hear Celestia admit that I was right and she was wrong, but long experience taught me to beware whenever I thought myself triumphant over her. Celestia did not win arguments with long careful lines of logic or passionate please, but by changing the very nature of the discussion. It was such a well-laid trap that had resulted in me taking up the crown, after all. I always try to avoid making the same mistake twice. “Elaborate.”

“I never wanted to rule over ponykind,” Celestia clarified. “What I wanted was to guide them to harmony and enlightenment, and to protect them from the dangers of the world. The crown was merely a tool to allow me to achieve that. You of all ponies should understand that, given the level of insight we both hold. Ponykind has unlimited capacity for greatness, and they wish to achieve it—all they need is a light to show them the way.”

I stare at her for several seconds, as the truth slowly sinks in. I want to be angry at her, but I find that I can’t help but me amazed by the sheer audacity of it. “Oh you clever nag! Celestia the queen will always be a fallible and imperfect ruler, but Celestia the martyr with her message of love and harmony...” I chuckle and shake my head. “You die while I become the ruler of most of the known world, and yet somehow you still managed to come out on top.”

“I do have my moments,” she agrees with a touch of false modesty.

I sigh and shake my head. “Why do I think we would both have been much happier if we had this conversation eight hundred years sooner?”

“Likely because we both would be,” Celestia concedes. “You could have come to me sooner.”

“You never invited me,” I point out once more.

Celestia sighs. “Sunbeam, we haven’t seen each other in eight hundred years. Do we really want to argue about this right now?”

I chuckle softly and answer with a wry grin. “Well, we do have eight hundred years of missed argument to make up for.”

“I suppose we do,” Celestia agrees, glowing brightly as the tree shakes. I suspect she might be laughing, though there’s no sound to confirm it. “Still, I would prefer to discuss other matters before we start debating philosophy, ethics, and the political changes you’ve made to Equestria in my absence.”

“We do have quite a bit of catching up to do,” I agree. I lie down amongst her roots, resting my back and head against the trunk. “Where shall we start?”

“How about with Midnight?” Celestia suggests.

I cannot help wistfully sighing at the mention of my daughter’s name. “Ah, my child. I miss her more than even you or Shadow.” For a moment I wonder if she might suspect something of what passed between me and my child, and decide it might be best to distract her. “And considering I’ve spent nearly nine hundred years as a celibate because you and Shadow were the only remotely acceptable partners I could have taken...”

To my mild irritation, Celestia ignores the remark entirely. “She was your daughter. It’s only natural that you would love her dearly.”

I answer with a flat look. “You were always frustratingly difficult to fluster.”

Once more, an amused note enters her voice. “Weren’t you just saying you enjoyed being challenged? I was just trying to be accomodating.”

“Yes, I am sure that was the truth of it,” I counter dryly. “But you are not wrong. Now then, tell me a story of my daughter—one I don’t know.”

“Oh dear, one you don't know?” The tree lights up, and I have the distinct impression that she is thinking it over. “Hmm, well there was the one time the two of us snuck off for cake when she was only a filly...”

Author's Note

As always, thanks to my pre-reading and editing team for all their hard work. Also, I would like to thank all my dedicated Patreon supporters. You guys are awesome.

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