Mistress Do Well: Revelationby milesprower06ChaptersRevelation in the NightReconciliation in the HomeSolution in the DesertEpilogue: The Buried TruthRevelation in the NightMistress Do Well: Revelation by milesprower06 Revelation in the Night The forest expanded endlessly in all directions in the sea of black. An eerie feeling crept up Rainbow's back as she made her way through the hoof-high grass. This place gave her an overwhelming sense of deja vu and she didn't like it one bit. 'Get a hold of yourself, Rainbow, Slendermare doesn't exist,' she thought to herself, fighting back recollections of stupid fillyhood horror stories. But the forest was unnaturally quiet. There should be wind, crickets chirping, not to mention some variety in the vegetation. But it was endless trees, and they nearly all looked the same. She was fairly certain she was dreaming. Her dreams varied, sometimes she knew she was dreaming, and at times she didn't. But right now, she knew that she was still sleeping in Golden Oaks Library in Ponyville. She heard a rustling of leaves directly above her, freezing her in her steps. Looking up, her breath left her as she saw herself through the branches, sitting in the tree forty feet up, noose around her neck. "No!" She screamed, spreading her wings, pushing off the ground and taking flight. She didn't get ten feet up before a blast of energy came down from the tree, knocking her back to the ground. Dazed, she shook the disorientation away and looked up to see the cause, and her heart climbed to her throat. Rarity stood on the branch behind the Rainbow in the tree. Dash's pupil's contracted when Rarity gave a smirk, and kicked the roped pegasus off the branch. She fell, and her fall stopped after ten feet, when the rope went taut. Rainbow was already airborne again, going straight for her copy, who was struggling in the noose. Rarity let out a burst of blasts from her horn. Dash avoided them, but had to angle her flight path away from her copy to do so. She veered off harder to the right and rotated her body so she landed sideways against a tree, thirty-five feet up in the air. She stayed there for half a second, enough time for Rarity to believe she had a predictable target, then pushed off, avoiding another blast of energy, and flew right for the rope. She connected, but she was flung back from the rope, flipping backwards twice before regaining her sense of direction. Rarity had anticipated the move and cast a spell on the rope, knocking her back. She did rapid loops around the tree, keeping herself an unpredictable target as Rarity continued firing concentrated blasts of energy down at her. Looking up in anger, Rainbow flapped her wings vigorously, racing up, and knocked Rarity off of the branch with a flying tackle. The pair hit the ground with a thud. Wasting no time, Rarity tucked her rear legs in and kicked Rainbow off of her, springing to her hooves. Rainbow, going with the blow, rolled to the side and came up on her hooves in less than two seconds, skidding to a halt in the dirt. Rarity, giving a sneer smirk, powered up another spell in her horn as it began to glow. Rainbow spread her wings and prepared to dodge whatever came her way. Once the spell charged for five seconds, Rarity simply vanished in a flash of light. Not expecting such a move, Rainbow stayed alert, looking all around, preparing to meet at attack from any angle, until her eyes settled back on her copy, now hanging motionless twenty feet above the ground. Her throat went dry and her lips began to tremble as her emotions threatened to spill over. "You can't always solve everything on your own, Rainbow Dash," said a voice behind her; a familiar voice that she really didn't want to hear. Rainbow turned, and there, at the spot where Rarity had vanished, stood Princess Luna. Her anger rising up again, the pegasus took two aggressive steps forward. “What did I say? What did I fucking say?!?” “To never manipulate your dreams again, which I have not. I have done nothing, Rainbow Dash. I am simply here.” “What makes you think you're wanted here?” “You are obviously troubled.” “I don't care. I don't want your help!” “I'm not offering my help, but the help of another pony.” Rainbow continued to stand defiant. “Look. That is the very same branch you hung yourself from several weeks ago outside the Crystal Empire. Do you see it breaking, or even cracking or splintering?” Rainbow glanced back at the tree in the sea of darkness, as her body hung lifeless from the limb. She turned back to Luna, remaining silent, tears falling from her eyes. As much as she didn't want to admit it, this nightmare had chilled her to the bone. She remembered how lucky she had been that she had so poorly chosen the branch to hang herself from, that it had broken from her body weight before she had strangled herself to death. Or... It hadn't broken under her own weight. “You broke it.” Luna gave a slow nod. “Cadance alerted us that you had tried to use the Crystal Heart while under the protection of your enchanted cloak, convincing yourself that no one loved you. I could not let you end your life in vain.” “No, you had to spare my life so I could take somepony else's life in my sleep.” Luna simply stared down at the pegasus, brushing off her snide reply, and causing her to sigh in resignation. "I still believe what I did was for the best, Rainbow. If what I did is still troubling you, if screaming at me in the throne room didn't set your mind at ease, there is somepony that you can talk to about what you went through." “Who? Who could help me come to terms with what you made me do?” She asked just above a whisper. “There is a small town just east of Las Pegasus. Mustang Springs. There, at a small orphanage, you'll find a caretaker, a young pegasus, whom you may be able to relate to. He also has disagreed with some of the things I have done for him.” Reconciliation in the HomeMistress Do Well: Revelation by milesprower06 Reconciliation in the Home Conflicted. That was the only thing Rainbow felt inside as she stood at the Ponyville train platform at 6:00 in the morning. As much as she despised Luna for her actions, she had to wonder, then, why she had decided to travel 800 miles at the drop of a hat. What proof was there that this was going to help? Who was this pegasus pony in Mustang Springs, and how could they possibly help in her situation? She came to the conclusion, begrudgingly, that Luna was right; if screaming her head off at her in the middle of the Canterlot throne room wasn't going to get things off her chest, then she probably wasn't going to be able to take care of this alone. Seeing as how Thunderlane owed her a favor, she quickly swung by his house, and got him to cover her shift today. Due to the sun rise, she heard the train before she saw it approach the platform. It slowed to a halt, steam hissed from the brakes, and the doors opened. A dozen or so passengers got off the train, and the conductor stepped onto the platform moments later. "All aboard for westbound! Stops include St. Luna, Coltorado Springs, Las Pegasus, and Los Arabias." Rainbow was one of five to board the sparsely populated passenger car. Right now, she figured this was going to be a waste of two days and a train ticket. Twilight sighed for the sixth time in six minutes. Glancing at the clock, she saw it was barely past 10am. She didn't want to admit it. She refused to. She was in her element, the place where she could never run out of things to do. But alas, without Rainbow here for the first time in weeks, and having read every single book in here more than twice, there was no getting around it. Twilight Sparkle was bored. Rainbow had gotten her up insanely early, just to tell her that she was going on a trip to meet somepony, and that she'd probably be gone for a couple days. There wasn't really much time to explain things, as she had to catch the first train that came through. She just said she was headed somewhere near Las Pegasus. There had been a quick kiss and hug, and then she had gone right out the door. She started browsing the Fiction shelves, wondering what tale to get lost in for the day. "Ah, I've been wanting to read this one again!" She exclaimed, pulling Harry Trotter and the Horserer's Stone from the shelf. Her book of choice selected, she went to the kitchen to prepare a kettle of tea. Minutes later, teacup in her magical grasp, she was about to sit down and begin reading when there was a knock at the door. She got up to answer it, and upon seeing who her visitor was, knew that the wizarding world of Harry Trotter would be waiting for another day. "Hey there, little sis." Shining Armor greeted. "H-Hi, Shining. It's... It's been a long time." Twilight stammered. Indeed, it had been over a year since she had last seen her brother. "I finally got a day off, and figured I'd come down and see how you were doing. I thought we... I thought we could talk." "Of course, come in." Twilight offered, stepping aside, letting her older brother enter the library. Her boredom was suddenly a distant memory. "Can I get you anything to drink?" "Sure. That tea of yours smells pretty good. I'll take a cup." In seconds, Twilight was in the kitchen pouring a second cup, coming back out to the main area and setting it on the center table across from hers. "Say, where's Rainbow? I heard she's been living here with you." "She has been. She took quite the unexpected trip west today. Didn't say much about why, but she'll probably be gone for a day or two. So what did you want to talk about?" Taking a sip of his tea, Shining cleared his throat and looked at his sister across the table. "Look, Twiley. I know we've been very distant ever since... Well, ever since it happened. I want to be honest and say how reluctantly I signed that re-enrollment form as a witness, but I think at the very least you deserve an explanation as to why." Twilight sipped at her tea, listening intently. "I... I never told you, or mom or dad, how I got my promotion back in the Royal Guard." "Lieutenant, this is not a good idea." "That's funny. I thought saving innocent lives was among the best of ideas." "Yes, and so is obeying the laws we're set out to defend. This is trespassing and soon to be breaking and entering." Shining turned to his Second Lieutenant, Bulwark Shield. "Your objections have been noted. Twice. Yet you're still here. All of you are still here," he said, turning to the half dozen guards currently clothed completely in black cloth, to better hide them under the cover of night. "Because you all know that I've been undercover for the past four months searching for these kidnapping victims, and that if we wait to get through all this fucking red tape, that they're going to be moved and we'll lose them again." He turned back to Bulwark. "You had the chance to back out at base. We go all the way now." "I'm not talking about backing out. It's not easy going undercover or coming out, I just don't want to see a damn fine soldier's career end because he wasn't 110% sure." "Getting those mares is all that matters. I don't give a fuck about my career." With that, he peaked his head over the crest of the long hill they were currently hiding behind. In front of them was a sizable mansion, currently lively with a party of wealthy ponies. Shining made note of the patrol routes of the guards on the balconies, and was trying to judge the distance between his team, the wrought iron fence, and the entrance to the cellar. He saw the closest guard turn his back, retracing his patrol, and gave two sharp pointing motions forward with his right front hoof. The three unicorns cast Illusion spells to silence their movements as they quickly climbed the fence, and the pegasi effortlessly glided over, landing on the grass silently. Once they were all over, they made a cantering beeline for the door to the cellar. Bulwark opened it with a creak, and Shining was the first one down the concrete steps into the dimly lit basement. Coming out of the entrance hallway, his peripheral vision saw a hoof come flying towards his head from the right. He ducked to avoid it, but it came too fast, and it connected to the tip of his horn. He grunted, and swung back at the hired earth pony thug in the basement who had heard the door opening. He saw it coming and reared up to avoid it. Shining used the years of training he had at his disposal, and dropped and performed a long sweeping kick with his rear legs, catching the rearing guard completely off balance, and he crashed to the ground. Shining quickly pinned him, while one of his unicorn soldiers came and performed a sedation spell. Finally, Shining could get his bearings, and look at the rest of the basement, confirming his worst fears. Blankets had been strung up in the rafters of the basement ceiling. The grids of blankets made makeshift rooms. He came to the first one on his left, and brushed the curtain aside, and Shining was aghast at what he saw. It was nothing but concrete, a rug, and a cot. Laying on the cot was a young mare, who raised her head faintly and stared at him with half-lidded eyes. Shining knew this wasn't a look of seduction, but drugs at work to keep her docile. Her brown mane was tangled, draping down her silver pelt. She slowly got off of the cot and approached Shining Armor, her walk unbalanced and shaky. "Everything's gonna be alright, miss." Shining said reassuringly. When she got within inches of him, she suddenly ducked down in between his two front legs. As soon as she felt her begin to nuzzle his underside, he took two startled steps back, confusing the mare. "Bits... Please, give me bits..." Shining realized what had happened. This poor mare had been drugged and conditioned for one purpose; intercourse. With a sad look of concern, his horn lit up, and he cast a sedation spell on her, and she fell into his hooves and he set her as gently as she could on the ground. One of his teammates came into the tent. "Lieutenant, you'll want to come see this." Shining left the now-sleeping mare under the supervision of another one of his soldiers while he followed his other teammate to another blanket room down the aisle. Two others were already there. Shining stepped inside, and his heart dropped. On this cot, was a mare he recognized. It was a recent victim whose kidnapping had pushed him to volunteer for this undercover work. She wasn't even of legal age yet. Bulwark was already next to the cot, and put his hoof against her neck to check for a pulse. Several seconds later, he looked over to Shining, shaking his head. One of the pegasi came up to him. "Sir, we've completed our sweep. There's no one else down here. A total of seven mares." "Get our reinforcements, now. The pony responsible for this is most likely upstairs." Shining stood in the office of his superior in the Canterlot Royal Guard HQ. It had been three days since his raid on Shrewd Deal's mansion, and he was itching for a debrief. Even though he was back in headquarters, he was still, for all intents and purposes, undercover, and not allowed to contact his family. The door to the office opened, and Shining stood at rigid attention. "Captain Hidalgo, sir!" Shining saluted. Hidalgo, a pegasus, sat down, dropping a file folder down onto his desk. "Lieutenant Armor, you do realize that we had gotten your intel about the mansion, and were coming to a decision about an operation?" "Yes, sir." "But you didn't wait, and knowingly violated orders." "Yes, sir." "Explain why." "Sir, I felt time was more limited than what my superiors thought we had. I had spent four months tracking those victims, and did not want to risk losing them when I was that close, sir." "You don't regret any of your choices." "Only that I did not act sooner than I did, sir. Another life might have been saved." "You did what you could, Lieutenant." "I'm sure her family is comforted by that, sir." Shining replied, unable to keep the sarcasm from his voice. "Lieutenant, I know going deep undercover isn't the easiest thing, so I'll let the sarcasm slide this time. You willingly acted without authorization." "Yes, sir." "Because of that, six innocent lives are safe. I don't think I'm going to find a better note to retire on." "Sir?" "It's been a long time coming, Lieutenant. Your success in this undercover mission, your insubordination included, proves to me that you know one of the most important aspects of being an effective leader; knowing when to put ponies before procedures and protocol." Hidalgo got up from his seat. "First Lieutenant Shining Armor, I hereby promote you to the rank of Captain, with all the rights and privileges thereto." He opened his drawer and pulled out a polished oak box, and slid it across to Shining, who took it in his magical grasp, and opened it, revealing the shimmering bars of the insignia of his new office. "The paperwork will come through in the next few days. For now, go home to your family. You've earned it, Captain." "You shut down a sex trafficking ring? That's why we didn't hear from you in six months? You were... Undercover?" Twilight asked. Shining nodded. "Some of those mares needed years of psychological reconditioning to even basically function in society again. One was so bad that there was absolutely no improvement even with the most powerful spells, and we had to induce amnesia, completely erase her memory. We couldn't send her back to her family like that..." "Shining... I had no idea..." "I know. To this day, neither does mom or dad. I'm glad my promotion helped me vent, because I don't think the consequences were enough. Shrewd's punishment was behind closed doors. His fortune was publicly donated to charity, and he's been on a work farm ever since. But there was no public shame, because they were afraid it would tarnish Canterlot's image. Then when I heard that my little sister had possibly gotten involved in something like that..." "Shining..." Twilight said, tearing up a bit. "Rainbow... Rainbow and I are seeing each other... After everything that happened. Is it right? Do I deserve her love?" "I thought about that on the ride down here. I'm glad I was up in the Crystal Empire when this all went down, because if I was still part of the Royal Guard... If I had to see another sex crime get swept under the rug... I would have resigned my commission right then. But I did keep in mind that you were the one who put a stop to it. You were the one that pulled them out of there. That mobile brothel down in the basement... Twilight, I can say with absolute certainty that's where Rarity was headed. That is the future you saved Rainbow and Fluttershy from. If you two love each other, then it doesn't matter what happened, or what anypony else thinks." Twilight sniffled, the tears becoming more difficult to hold back as her gaze fell to the floor. "Twiley..." Shining began, bringing a hoof to her chin, raising her eyes to meet his. "I forgive you." That did it. Twilight broke down into sobs. "Hey, come here." Shining pulled Twilight into a tight embrace. Being held by a family member after all this time just brought on more of her waterworks. "I love you, Twiley. Don't ever forget that." The train ride from Ponyville to Las Pegasus had been long, boring, and uneventful, and the stagecoach ride fifteen miles east from there was a good deal hotter. But when she stepped out into the evening heat of Mustang Springs, she immediately wished for the shelter of the stagecoach. The setting sun wasn't terrible but the hot breeze made it feel like the middle of the day. The town was most certainly small; a speck compared to the neon-covered metropolis that was Las Pegasus. She mused that the only reason this town was in business was it's proximity to the casino-laden city, and the hot springs that dotted the landscape among the sand and rocks. A few small restaurants and a single hotel lined what she assumed was the town's main street. Off to the south, aside from the main drag, there were about two dozen dwellings, confirming the town's small population. She approached a stagecoach about to leave for Las Pegasus, and trotted up to the driver who was getting the reins ready. "Excuse me, is there an orphanage around here somewhere?" She asked. The driver pointed down the road to the edge of town. "Last one on the left," he said, before heading the opposite direction towards the city, the carriage wheels leaving a trail of dust in their wake. A tumbleweed blew across the road as Rainbow approached the edge of the town. There it was, on the outskirts, a simple adobe building, appearing entirely too small to be an orphanage. Across the street was a small wooden shed. Directly next to that was a 10-foot pole with a large bell at the top, with a rope hanging down to the ground. She felt a pang of sorrow in her chest when she figured out what the device was for. She walked over to the simple wooden door, and knocked a few times. Several moments later, the door opened, and there stood a pegasus with a midnight blue pelt. A long, purple mane nearly fell over his violet eyes. One ear was white, which transitioned to a dapple all across his body. His cutie mark was a simple lit candle with a candlestick. He greeted her with a warm smile. “Um, hi there, I'm-” “Rainbow Dash,” the pegasus finished, surprising her. Rainbow nodded. “Luna told me you might be coming. The mane kinda gave it away. It's nice to meet you, I'm Noctilucent.” Solution in the DesertMistress Do Well: Revelation by milesprower06 Solution in the Desert At first, Rainbow thought it was quite odd that she saw nearly all the businesses in town just opening up when she arrived at eight in the evening. "It's just too hot in the daytime during this time of year, so nearly everypony stays inside until the sun starts to go down." "How does everypony afford to stay open with so little business hours?" "Oh they're not open less or anything like that. Summer hours here extend pretty late into the night. Especially for the couples from Las Pegasus looking to get away from the city. I guess nothing's more romantic than a hot spring under the stars." Noctilucent walked up to the entrance of one of the smaller diners in town, and opened the door for his new companion. Together, they walked up to the front counter, and were promptly seated at a booth. The place had an old-timey feel to it, not unlike Appleloosa. “If you need a recommendation, try any of their pies, they're fantastic.” Noctilucent suggested. Rainbow barely had time to glance at the menu before a unicorn waitress came up with a pen and notepad. “Hello and welcome. Miss, can I get you a water to start off?” “Nah, I'll do a mug of apple cider and a slice of apple pie.” Rainbow replied, the waitress jotting her order down speedily. “The usual for you, Nocty?” She asked, the pegasus nodding with a smile. She wrote his order down, and was off to the back of the house. “'Nocty'?” Rainbow asked, amused. “Yeah, they give their regulars here pet names when they're over three syllables.” He joked, getting a chuckle out of Rainbow. She wasn't quite sure what to make of this stallion yet, but there was something about his eyes; he had been through something fierce, you could tell just by studying his features. “So I'm curious; what could I possibly do to help an Element of Harmony?” “I'll be honest, I'm not sure. I almost didn't come, simply because Luna suggested it.” “Ah. Well, we're getting somewhere already. Sounds like you've also had a less-than-favorable run-in with our Princess of the Night.” “You don't know the half of it...” Rainbow muttered. Noctilucent let out a chuckle. “That's a bet that I'd take you up on,” he replied. Rainbow gave him a small smile. That just wasn't small talk, Rainbow could tell he was serious. Maybe there was something he could do to help. The waitress returned levitating two glasses and two plates. The cider and apple pie was set down in front of Rainbow, and Noctilucent's “usual” turned out to be a cup of coffee and a slice of lemon pie with sour cherries on top. “Enjoy. Give a holler if you need anythin'.” She said before walking off to help another table of recently-arrived patrons. “We might need more than one slice of pie, because it sounds like we both have a story to tell here. So what's yours?” Rainbow said, taking a bite. "Well, saying I had a very rough time growing up would be putting it rather lightly. It seemed happiness was always in short supply wherever I went. My mom killed herself for reasons I still can't figure out, I never knew my father, and my grandmother cared for me until my early teen years, up until she passed away." "I'm... I'm sorry." Rainbow said, really not expecting things to take this kind of downward turn so instantly. "I heard that quite often when I couch surfed at my friends' places. I always tried to never overstay my welcome. It seemed I always felt alone. I was never very lucky in the relationship department either, even as far back as my first Hearts and Hooves Day card. It got even worse after I didn't have any family left. I hired a whorse, but didn't have the courage to go through with it. I helped my best friend get a mare drunk. After arguing with him, I walked out, letting him rape her." Rainbow would be wondering why the hell she traveled out here to hear this downer story, but Noctilucent was smiling all the way through it. He wasn't telling her his problems, he was telling a story. "So how did you make it after your grandmother died?" "Taking odd jobs here and there. After awhile, I tried getting something longer term, but I couldn't hold anything down. I barely made enough to pay rent in my joke of an apartment, and get the cheapest food in my belly. When I got tired of looking, I lived off of what little inheritance I had from my grandmother, volunteering at a hospital, reading books to terminally ill foals." "That's awfully generous of you." "It was too much. On my last day, one of them had died quietly during reading time. I couldn't take it anymore. I quit, and started pushing everypony else away." "So how did you end up over here in Mustang Springs?" Noctilucent took a sizable bite of pie, his lips puckering at the tart flavor. After swallowing, he looked back up at Rainbow. "I tried to kill myself." Rainbow didn't know how to react to this, so she bought herself a bit of time by taking another bite of pie. "I didn't know what else to do. I had pushed everyone away, no one to help me, or so I thought. So I went up the mountain a bit to a cliff, and broke my wing," he explained, glancing to his left wing, which was in a wire frame. "Luna caught me at the last second after I jumped. She took me to the hospital in Canterlot to get my wing treated. It took me a week to get well enough to travel. She placed a geas on me, essentially taking away my free will. Looking back, it's a good thing she did, otherwise I think I would've tried again." "You were okay with her taking away your choice?" "Not at first. At first I was angry. I hated her for forcing me to go on. But then when she sent me here, I saw what suicide does to those that are left behind. More than half of those orphans are leftovers from ponies who weren't able to endure, and took the easy way out. I can help make their lives better." Noctilucent glanced down at his cutie mark. "I guess you could say I'm the candle at their bedside." The dappled pegasus took the coffee cup in his good wing and took a sip. "Now, how about you?" Rainbow cleared her throat and took a swig of cider. “A year ago, I got my priorities a little mixed up, and my best friends responded by kidnapping me, locking me in a basement, and subjecting me to physical and sexual abuse. The ringleader, Rarity, had convinced all of them that they had to break me down and build me up into a better mare.” “She convinced the rest of your friends, your best friends, to do that?” Noctilucent asked, getting a nod in return. “I've thought a lot about it, and the only explanation I can come up with, the only one that I can live with, is that she used her magic to twist their sense of morality. It got steadily worse over three days, before one of them, Twilight, came to her senses and got me out of there." "Well, I guess there's the answer as to why she was stripped of her crown." Noctilucent mused. "She took me and healed the wounds that I had suffered. But it didn't help how angry I was, not to mention how scared out of my mind and psychologically damaged I was. I ran away. I took off in the night, stealing one of Rarity's fine jewels to survive. I spent a year going from place to place. I went all over the country, never feeling any better. The combination of what they did to me, and the horrible friend I had turned into to cause them to do it... It was debilitating. I hated them and I hated myself. After nearly an entire year, I had had enough. I was convinced that no one wanted me, and that no one loved me. I went to a forest up north just outside the Crystal Empire. I found what I thought was a suitable branch, and I got my rope ready..." Noctilucent knew all too well where this was going. "When I had the noose around my neck and jumped, the branch started to crack. It took a few seconds to break completely, and I spent the rest of the night on the forest floor. I just learned last night that it wasn't my body weight that broke the branch, it was Luna. That night, I dreamed of Twilight, and for the very first time, I started to wonder if I could ever forgive them for what they did... Or myself for what I did." "So that's what we have in common." "I guess so." "In situations like that, it's hard to see how selfish it is." Noctilucent offered, taking his last bite of pie. Rainbow thought about it, and agreed. "It was selfish of me. I wanted my death to hurt them. I wanted my body to be found and for news of it to reach them, so they had a permanent consequence for what they did. But thanks to Luna, I got the courage up to go back to Ponyville, and find that I had feelings for Twilight." Noctilucent leaned forweard. "Was it right what she did to me? Or you? I'm sure we could debate that forever. As ponies, we don't like our choices and decisions being taken away and made by somepony else. But she's given me happiness and a purpose here. If I had given it all up, I wouldn't be here right now for these orphans. What about you? Sure, her involvement ended when she cut you down from the tree, but I think that's because she knew that you had enough sense to go on. I don't think I did. I think I would have tried again if she didn't take away my free will. You, on the other hand, returned to Ponyville, and discovered your love for your best friend. Aren't you grateful for that?" “No, it's not that. Her involvement didn't end after I fell from the tree. It's what happened after I came back. That night, when I went to sleep, I dreamed that Rarity was the one chained down in the basement. As you can imagine, I took advantage of that. I was still very angry inside, and I took it out on her. I woke up the instant I slit her throat. The next day, I'm told she died in her coma that Twilight put her into a year ago. I know Luna played a part.” For the first time during this conversation, Noctilucent gave a truly perplexed expression. “I'm sorry, there has to be some mistake.” The cyan pegasus shook her head. “Luna told me herself. She called it 'poetic justice.'” “I'd say it's more of a poetic lie. Rainbow, Luna wouldn't harm a soul. Not in their sleep, not through the hooves of somepony else, no matter what they've done.” Confusion began to seep into Rainbow's thoughts. “What are you saying?” “I'm saying her stance is militant when it comes to preserving all equine life. She told me it has something to do with what she went through as Nightmare Moon. I don't know why she told you that, but everything I've experienced tells me that just can't be true. Did you ever see a body?” Rainbow's mind became increasingly desperate to not freak out, to try and reason with Noctilucent's argument. “No, Celestia had her cremated. I mean, we buried the...” Rainbow looked as if she saw a ghost as all this information collided in her mind. Without warning, she dug into her saddlebags, and pulled out her bag of bits. She left the appropriate amount for the pie and cider, plus tip. She replaced her bag, and reached across the table, shaking her dining guest's hoof. “I'm sorry to eat and run. It's been a pleasure, Noctilucent.” Rainbow bolted out of the diner, and was airborne before she was even three steps outside. Several seconds later, there was a loud bang, followed by a long sparkling noise, as the Mustang Springs dusk was ringed by an expanding Sonic Rainboom, as a rainbow trail blazed off into the eastern night sky. Epilogue: The Buried TruthMistress Do Well: Revelation by milesprower06 The Buried Truth The morning fog began to lift from central Equestria, as Celestia began to slowly raise the sun over the land. A new day beckoned. Down in the rock quarry, nothing stirred, not a sound could be heard; save for the shifting earth and labored breaths of a pegasus that had flown all night and was now digging desperately through the dirt. Rainbow Dash clawed at the grave with her small shovel as if her life depended on it. Dirt sprayed up from between her legs as she tried to hastily undo the work that it took five to do. 'It's not true. It's not true. It's not fucking true.' She told herself this over and over, and yet it did nothing to slow her from disturbing the burial site. Her heart pounded against her chest, her mind had become paralyzed by the possibilities during the overnight flight back. Everything came to a screeching halt the instant Rainbow heard the tip of her shovel hit metal. She paused for a split second, then dropped the shovel and did the remaining digging with her hooves. She flung the dirt out from both sides of her body until she was able to get her hooves around the cylinder and yank it from the dirt. She looked at it for a second, shaking it, and hearing the grainy sound in return. She twisted both ends to try and open it, to no avail. Trying harder, she became frustrated, throwing it at a nearby rock. "OPEN you piece of shit!" She screamed. She had to be sure. She picked it up, stuffed it in her saddlebags, and flew as fast as she could back to Ponyville. Even though Rainbow wasn't here to share her bed, that was one of the soundest nights of sleep Twilight had gotten in awhile. Her brother's forgiveness did wonders to put her mind at peace. That is, until she began to wonder what Rainbow was up to 800 miles away. Just what was she doing out there? As if on cue, she heard the rustling of leaves outside her open window, and a second later, Rainbow came tumbling down on to the balcony, a few twigs and leaves following. "Let me guess, you forgot to bring money for a return ticket." Twilight chastised, walking towards the door to her balcony. Rainbow quickly got to her feet and rushed inside, reaching inside her saddlebags and taking out the dirt-covered cylinder. Twilight gasped in shock. "What are you doing with that?!?" the alicorn asked, incredulous. "Open it." Rainbow said, pushing it against her marefriend's chest. "What???" Twilight said, backing away, causing it to fall to the floor. Rainbow stepped forward to pick it up. "I can't open it. I don't know if it's protected or not. I need your help." "Are you nuts? Rainbow, it's bad enough that you dug it up but if you expect me to-" "Twilight! I have been up for more than 24 hours straight and I've had more than one panic attack already. I don't care what you have to do, but I need you to open this, now! I need to be sure." Twilight stared at Rainbow in absolute disbelief. She was panting, she was dirty, and it did indeed look like she hadn't slept since she left yesterday morning. Taking a deep breath, Twilight picked up the gold decorated cylinder with her magic. "There's a magic seal around it. A very powerful one. I'd guess only Celestia or Luna could have put it on there." Twilight said, studying it carefully. "Can you open it?" Twilight set it down, and trotted downstairs. Rainbow picked up the cylinder and followed. When she got to the bottom of the stairs, Twilight was exiting the basement with a bottle of potion. Now even she had a look of dread on her face, also afraid of why Rainbow wanted the cylinder open. She popped the cork off of the beaker, and downed the glowing blue liquid in three gulps. "Set it down on the floor." Rainbow did as she was told, setting it in the middle of the floor. "Is there anything you want me to do?" She asked. "Yeah. Get behind something." Twilight warned, closing her eyes, beginning to concentrate. Her horn began to glow, as did the cylinder. Sparkling ribbons of energy started to circle her horn, as currents of wind from nowhere began blowing up from the floor. Rainbow could feel the air crackling with energy. Twilight began to levitate off the ground, and she concentrated a bit harder, willing herself slowly back down to the ground. Gritting her teeth, her horn was now glowing even brighter than when she had dealt with the ursa minor that had come rampaging through town all those years ago. Rainbow could hear the magic thrumming from her horn now, and the cylinder began to sparkle even more intensely. With the temporary aid from the elixir of magic, Twilight was able to gather up a higher amount of magic than she ever had before. Her brow began to sweat as she put every last ounce of magical force into her horn as she could without it bursting out in unconstrained chaos. Her eyes opened, a pure, almost blinding white, and with a held-back scream, the magic in her horn shot out towards the cylinder in a burning purple beam. It sparked and crackled, and the aura surrounding it finally exploded in a flash of light, sending Twilight flying against a shelf and Rainbow ducking for cover as a thunderous boom emanated from the impact point of the spell. As the echoes died down, Rainbow peeked up from behind the wooden chair, and saw the cylinder, still on the ground, smoldering but otherwise intact. She tiptoed up to it, seeing Twilight barely conscious against the wall. Slowly, she leaned down and picked up the gem-decorated urn. She gave the end a twist, and it gave way, falling to the wooden floor. Steeling herself, Rainbow turned it towards her and looked inside. "Oh fuck me..." she said beneath a whisper. Twilight shook her head, her horn tingling madly. Her vision cleared in time to see Rainbow walk up to her, open cylinder in hand. Tears were pricking her face. "Rainbow...?" she asked, concerned. Rainbow looked at Twilight, and then angled the open end down towards the ground, emptying the contents onto the library floor. The alicorn's heart crept up to her throat and her breath left her as she followed the cascade of white sand down to the pile it formed, followed by the startling clang of the cylinder hitting the floor as Rainbow collapsed into a sitting position. "She's... She's alive..." To Be Continued... Author's Note *dives behind recliner* Please don't hurt me...
Revelation in the NightMistress Do Well: Revelation by milesprower06 Revelation in the Night The forest expanded endlessly in all directions in the sea of black. An eerie feeling crept up Rainbow's back as she made her way through the hoof-high grass. This place gave her an overwhelming sense of deja vu and she didn't like it one bit. 'Get a hold of yourself, Rainbow, Slendermare doesn't exist,' she thought to herself, fighting back recollections of stupid fillyhood horror stories. But the forest was unnaturally quiet. There should be wind, crickets chirping, not to mention some variety in the vegetation. But it was endless trees, and they nearly all looked the same. She was fairly certain she was dreaming. Her dreams varied, sometimes she knew she was dreaming, and at times she didn't. But right now, she knew that she was still sleeping in Golden Oaks Library in Ponyville. She heard a rustling of leaves directly above her, freezing her in her steps. Looking up, her breath left her as she saw herself through the branches, sitting in the tree forty feet up, noose around her neck. "No!" She screamed, spreading her wings, pushing off the ground and taking flight. She didn't get ten feet up before a blast of energy came down from the tree, knocking her back to the ground. Dazed, she shook the disorientation away and looked up to see the cause, and her heart climbed to her throat. Rarity stood on the branch behind the Rainbow in the tree. Dash's pupil's contracted when Rarity gave a smirk, and kicked the roped pegasus off the branch. She fell, and her fall stopped after ten feet, when the rope went taut. Rainbow was already airborne again, going straight for her copy, who was struggling in the noose. Rarity let out a burst of blasts from her horn. Dash avoided them, but had to angle her flight path away from her copy to do so. She veered off harder to the right and rotated her body so she landed sideways against a tree, thirty-five feet up in the air. She stayed there for half a second, enough time for Rarity to believe she had a predictable target, then pushed off, avoiding another blast of energy, and flew right for the rope. She connected, but she was flung back from the rope, flipping backwards twice before regaining her sense of direction. Rarity had anticipated the move and cast a spell on the rope, knocking her back. She did rapid loops around the tree, keeping herself an unpredictable target as Rarity continued firing concentrated blasts of energy down at her. Looking up in anger, Rainbow flapped her wings vigorously, racing up, and knocked Rarity off of the branch with a flying tackle. The pair hit the ground with a thud. Wasting no time, Rarity tucked her rear legs in and kicked Rainbow off of her, springing to her hooves. Rainbow, going with the blow, rolled to the side and came up on her hooves in less than two seconds, skidding to a halt in the dirt. Rarity, giving a sneer smirk, powered up another spell in her horn as it began to glow. Rainbow spread her wings and prepared to dodge whatever came her way. Once the spell charged for five seconds, Rarity simply vanished in a flash of light. Not expecting such a move, Rainbow stayed alert, looking all around, preparing to meet at attack from any angle, until her eyes settled back on her copy, now hanging motionless twenty feet above the ground. Her throat went dry and her lips began to tremble as her emotions threatened to spill over. "You can't always solve everything on your own, Rainbow Dash," said a voice behind her; a familiar voice that she really didn't want to hear. Rainbow turned, and there, at the spot where Rarity had vanished, stood Princess Luna. Her anger rising up again, the pegasus took two aggressive steps forward. “What did I say? What did I fucking say?!?” “To never manipulate your dreams again, which I have not. I have done nothing, Rainbow Dash. I am simply here.” “What makes you think you're wanted here?” “You are obviously troubled.” “I don't care. I don't want your help!” “I'm not offering my help, but the help of another pony.” Rainbow continued to stand defiant. “Look. That is the very same branch you hung yourself from several weeks ago outside the Crystal Empire. Do you see it breaking, or even cracking or splintering?” Rainbow glanced back at the tree in the sea of darkness, as her body hung lifeless from the limb. She turned back to Luna, remaining silent, tears falling from her eyes. As much as she didn't want to admit it, this nightmare had chilled her to the bone. She remembered how lucky she had been that she had so poorly chosen the branch to hang herself from, that it had broken from her body weight before she had strangled herself to death. Or... It hadn't broken under her own weight. “You broke it.” Luna gave a slow nod. “Cadance alerted us that you had tried to use the Crystal Heart while under the protection of your enchanted cloak, convincing yourself that no one loved you. I could not let you end your life in vain.” “No, you had to spare my life so I could take somepony else's life in my sleep.” Luna simply stared down at the pegasus, brushing off her snide reply, and causing her to sigh in resignation. "I still believe what I did was for the best, Rainbow. If what I did is still troubling you, if screaming at me in the throne room didn't set your mind at ease, there is somepony that you can talk to about what you went through." “Who? Who could help me come to terms with what you made me do?” She asked just above a whisper. “There is a small town just east of Las Pegasus. Mustang Springs. There, at a small orphanage, you'll find a caretaker, a young pegasus, whom you may be able to relate to. He also has disagreed with some of the things I have done for him.”
Reconciliation in the HomeMistress Do Well: Revelation by milesprower06 Reconciliation in the Home Conflicted. That was the only thing Rainbow felt inside as she stood at the Ponyville train platform at 6:00 in the morning. As much as she despised Luna for her actions, she had to wonder, then, why she had decided to travel 800 miles at the drop of a hat. What proof was there that this was going to help? Who was this pegasus pony in Mustang Springs, and how could they possibly help in her situation? She came to the conclusion, begrudgingly, that Luna was right; if screaming her head off at her in the middle of the Canterlot throne room wasn't going to get things off her chest, then she probably wasn't going to be able to take care of this alone. Seeing as how Thunderlane owed her a favor, she quickly swung by his house, and got him to cover her shift today. Due to the sun rise, she heard the train before she saw it approach the platform. It slowed to a halt, steam hissed from the brakes, and the doors opened. A dozen or so passengers got off the train, and the conductor stepped onto the platform moments later. "All aboard for westbound! Stops include St. Luna, Coltorado Springs, Las Pegasus, and Los Arabias." Rainbow was one of five to board the sparsely populated passenger car. Right now, she figured this was going to be a waste of two days and a train ticket. Twilight sighed for the sixth time in six minutes. Glancing at the clock, she saw it was barely past 10am. She didn't want to admit it. She refused to. She was in her element, the place where she could never run out of things to do. But alas, without Rainbow here for the first time in weeks, and having read every single book in here more than twice, there was no getting around it. Twilight Sparkle was bored. Rainbow had gotten her up insanely early, just to tell her that she was going on a trip to meet somepony, and that she'd probably be gone for a couple days. There wasn't really much time to explain things, as she had to catch the first train that came through. She just said she was headed somewhere near Las Pegasus. There had been a quick kiss and hug, and then she had gone right out the door. She started browsing the Fiction shelves, wondering what tale to get lost in for the day. "Ah, I've been wanting to read this one again!" She exclaimed, pulling Harry Trotter and the Horserer's Stone from the shelf. Her book of choice selected, she went to the kitchen to prepare a kettle of tea. Minutes later, teacup in her magical grasp, she was about to sit down and begin reading when there was a knock at the door. She got up to answer it, and upon seeing who her visitor was, knew that the wizarding world of Harry Trotter would be waiting for another day. "Hey there, little sis." Shining Armor greeted. "H-Hi, Shining. It's... It's been a long time." Twilight stammered. Indeed, it had been over a year since she had last seen her brother. "I finally got a day off, and figured I'd come down and see how you were doing. I thought we... I thought we could talk." "Of course, come in." Twilight offered, stepping aside, letting her older brother enter the library. Her boredom was suddenly a distant memory. "Can I get you anything to drink?" "Sure. That tea of yours smells pretty good. I'll take a cup." In seconds, Twilight was in the kitchen pouring a second cup, coming back out to the main area and setting it on the center table across from hers. "Say, where's Rainbow? I heard she's been living here with you." "She has been. She took quite the unexpected trip west today. Didn't say much about why, but she'll probably be gone for a day or two. So what did you want to talk about?" Taking a sip of his tea, Shining cleared his throat and looked at his sister across the table. "Look, Twiley. I know we've been very distant ever since... Well, ever since it happened. I want to be honest and say how reluctantly I signed that re-enrollment form as a witness, but I think at the very least you deserve an explanation as to why." Twilight sipped at her tea, listening intently. "I... I never told you, or mom or dad, how I got my promotion back in the Royal Guard." "Lieutenant, this is not a good idea." "That's funny. I thought saving innocent lives was among the best of ideas." "Yes, and so is obeying the laws we're set out to defend. This is trespassing and soon to be breaking and entering." Shining turned to his Second Lieutenant, Bulwark Shield. "Your objections have been noted. Twice. Yet you're still here. All of you are still here," he said, turning to the half dozen guards currently clothed completely in black cloth, to better hide them under the cover of night. "Because you all know that I've been undercover for the past four months searching for these kidnapping victims, and that if we wait to get through all this fucking red tape, that they're going to be moved and we'll lose them again." He turned back to Bulwark. "You had the chance to back out at base. We go all the way now." "I'm not talking about backing out. It's not easy going undercover or coming out, I just don't want to see a damn fine soldier's career end because he wasn't 110% sure." "Getting those mares is all that matters. I don't give a fuck about my career." With that, he peaked his head over the crest of the long hill they were currently hiding behind. In front of them was a sizable mansion, currently lively with a party of wealthy ponies. Shining made note of the patrol routes of the guards on the balconies, and was trying to judge the distance between his team, the wrought iron fence, and the entrance to the cellar. He saw the closest guard turn his back, retracing his patrol, and gave two sharp pointing motions forward with his right front hoof. The three unicorns cast Illusion spells to silence their movements as they quickly climbed the fence, and the pegasi effortlessly glided over, landing on the grass silently. Once they were all over, they made a cantering beeline for the door to the cellar. Bulwark opened it with a creak, and Shining was the first one down the concrete steps into the dimly lit basement. Coming out of the entrance hallway, his peripheral vision saw a hoof come flying towards his head from the right. He ducked to avoid it, but it came too fast, and it connected to the tip of his horn. He grunted, and swung back at the hired earth pony thug in the basement who had heard the door opening. He saw it coming and reared up to avoid it. Shining used the years of training he had at his disposal, and dropped and performed a long sweeping kick with his rear legs, catching the rearing guard completely off balance, and he crashed to the ground. Shining quickly pinned him, while one of his unicorn soldiers came and performed a sedation spell. Finally, Shining could get his bearings, and look at the rest of the basement, confirming his worst fears. Blankets had been strung up in the rafters of the basement ceiling. The grids of blankets made makeshift rooms. He came to the first one on his left, and brushed the curtain aside, and Shining was aghast at what he saw. It was nothing but concrete, a rug, and a cot. Laying on the cot was a young mare, who raised her head faintly and stared at him with half-lidded eyes. Shining knew this wasn't a look of seduction, but drugs at work to keep her docile. Her brown mane was tangled, draping down her silver pelt. She slowly got off of the cot and approached Shining Armor, her walk unbalanced and shaky. "Everything's gonna be alright, miss." Shining said reassuringly. When she got within inches of him, she suddenly ducked down in between his two front legs. As soon as she felt her begin to nuzzle his underside, he took two startled steps back, confusing the mare. "Bits... Please, give me bits..." Shining realized what had happened. This poor mare had been drugged and conditioned for one purpose; intercourse. With a sad look of concern, his horn lit up, and he cast a sedation spell on her, and she fell into his hooves and he set her as gently as she could on the ground. One of his teammates came into the tent. "Lieutenant, you'll want to come see this." Shining left the now-sleeping mare under the supervision of another one of his soldiers while he followed his other teammate to another blanket room down the aisle. Two others were already there. Shining stepped inside, and his heart dropped. On this cot, was a mare he recognized. It was a recent victim whose kidnapping had pushed him to volunteer for this undercover work. She wasn't even of legal age yet. Bulwark was already next to the cot, and put his hoof against her neck to check for a pulse. Several seconds later, he looked over to Shining, shaking his head. One of the pegasi came up to him. "Sir, we've completed our sweep. There's no one else down here. A total of seven mares." "Get our reinforcements, now. The pony responsible for this is most likely upstairs." Shining stood in the office of his superior in the Canterlot Royal Guard HQ. It had been three days since his raid on Shrewd Deal's mansion, and he was itching for a debrief. Even though he was back in headquarters, he was still, for all intents and purposes, undercover, and not allowed to contact his family. The door to the office opened, and Shining stood at rigid attention. "Captain Hidalgo, sir!" Shining saluted. Hidalgo, a pegasus, sat down, dropping a file folder down onto his desk. "Lieutenant Armor, you do realize that we had gotten your intel about the mansion, and were coming to a decision about an operation?" "Yes, sir." "But you didn't wait, and knowingly violated orders." "Yes, sir." "Explain why." "Sir, I felt time was more limited than what my superiors thought we had. I had spent four months tracking those victims, and did not want to risk losing them when I was that close, sir." "You don't regret any of your choices." "Only that I did not act sooner than I did, sir. Another life might have been saved." "You did what you could, Lieutenant." "I'm sure her family is comforted by that, sir." Shining replied, unable to keep the sarcasm from his voice. "Lieutenant, I know going deep undercover isn't the easiest thing, so I'll let the sarcasm slide this time. You willingly acted without authorization." "Yes, sir." "Because of that, six innocent lives are safe. I don't think I'm going to find a better note to retire on." "Sir?" "It's been a long time coming, Lieutenant. Your success in this undercover mission, your insubordination included, proves to me that you know one of the most important aspects of being an effective leader; knowing when to put ponies before procedures and protocol." Hidalgo got up from his seat. "First Lieutenant Shining Armor, I hereby promote you to the rank of Captain, with all the rights and privileges thereto." He opened his drawer and pulled out a polished oak box, and slid it across to Shining, who took it in his magical grasp, and opened it, revealing the shimmering bars of the insignia of his new office. "The paperwork will come through in the next few days. For now, go home to your family. You've earned it, Captain." "You shut down a sex trafficking ring? That's why we didn't hear from you in six months? You were... Undercover?" Twilight asked. Shining nodded. "Some of those mares needed years of psychological reconditioning to even basically function in society again. One was so bad that there was absolutely no improvement even with the most powerful spells, and we had to induce amnesia, completely erase her memory. We couldn't send her back to her family like that..." "Shining... I had no idea..." "I know. To this day, neither does mom or dad. I'm glad my promotion helped me vent, because I don't think the consequences were enough. Shrewd's punishment was behind closed doors. His fortune was publicly donated to charity, and he's been on a work farm ever since. But there was no public shame, because they were afraid it would tarnish Canterlot's image. Then when I heard that my little sister had possibly gotten involved in something like that..." "Shining..." Twilight said, tearing up a bit. "Rainbow... Rainbow and I are seeing each other... After everything that happened. Is it right? Do I deserve her love?" "I thought about that on the ride down here. I'm glad I was up in the Crystal Empire when this all went down, because if I was still part of the Royal Guard... If I had to see another sex crime get swept under the rug... I would have resigned my commission right then. But I did keep in mind that you were the one who put a stop to it. You were the one that pulled them out of there. That mobile brothel down in the basement... Twilight, I can say with absolute certainty that's where Rarity was headed. That is the future you saved Rainbow and Fluttershy from. If you two love each other, then it doesn't matter what happened, or what anypony else thinks." Twilight sniffled, the tears becoming more difficult to hold back as her gaze fell to the floor. "Twiley..." Shining began, bringing a hoof to her chin, raising her eyes to meet his. "I forgive you." That did it. Twilight broke down into sobs. "Hey, come here." Shining pulled Twilight into a tight embrace. Being held by a family member after all this time just brought on more of her waterworks. "I love you, Twiley. Don't ever forget that." The train ride from Ponyville to Las Pegasus had been long, boring, and uneventful, and the stagecoach ride fifteen miles east from there was a good deal hotter. But when she stepped out into the evening heat of Mustang Springs, she immediately wished for the shelter of the stagecoach. The setting sun wasn't terrible but the hot breeze made it feel like the middle of the day. The town was most certainly small; a speck compared to the neon-covered metropolis that was Las Pegasus. She mused that the only reason this town was in business was it's proximity to the casino-laden city, and the hot springs that dotted the landscape among the sand and rocks. A few small restaurants and a single hotel lined what she assumed was the town's main street. Off to the south, aside from the main drag, there were about two dozen dwellings, confirming the town's small population. She approached a stagecoach about to leave for Las Pegasus, and trotted up to the driver who was getting the reins ready. "Excuse me, is there an orphanage around here somewhere?" She asked. The driver pointed down the road to the edge of town. "Last one on the left," he said, before heading the opposite direction towards the city, the carriage wheels leaving a trail of dust in their wake. A tumbleweed blew across the road as Rainbow approached the edge of the town. There it was, on the outskirts, a simple adobe building, appearing entirely too small to be an orphanage. Across the street was a small wooden shed. Directly next to that was a 10-foot pole with a large bell at the top, with a rope hanging down to the ground. She felt a pang of sorrow in her chest when she figured out what the device was for. She walked over to the simple wooden door, and knocked a few times. Several moments later, the door opened, and there stood a pegasus with a midnight blue pelt. A long, purple mane nearly fell over his violet eyes. One ear was white, which transitioned to a dapple all across his body. His cutie mark was a simple lit candle with a candlestick. He greeted her with a warm smile. “Um, hi there, I'm-” “Rainbow Dash,” the pegasus finished, surprising her. Rainbow nodded. “Luna told me you might be coming. The mane kinda gave it away. It's nice to meet you, I'm Noctilucent.”
Solution in the DesertMistress Do Well: Revelation by milesprower06 Solution in the Desert At first, Rainbow thought it was quite odd that she saw nearly all the businesses in town just opening up when she arrived at eight in the evening. "It's just too hot in the daytime during this time of year, so nearly everypony stays inside until the sun starts to go down." "How does everypony afford to stay open with so little business hours?" "Oh they're not open less or anything like that. Summer hours here extend pretty late into the night. Especially for the couples from Las Pegasus looking to get away from the city. I guess nothing's more romantic than a hot spring under the stars." Noctilucent walked up to the entrance of one of the smaller diners in town, and opened the door for his new companion. Together, they walked up to the front counter, and were promptly seated at a booth. The place had an old-timey feel to it, not unlike Appleloosa. “If you need a recommendation, try any of their pies, they're fantastic.” Noctilucent suggested. Rainbow barely had time to glance at the menu before a unicorn waitress came up with a pen and notepad. “Hello and welcome. Miss, can I get you a water to start off?” “Nah, I'll do a mug of apple cider and a slice of apple pie.” Rainbow replied, the waitress jotting her order down speedily. “The usual for you, Nocty?” She asked, the pegasus nodding with a smile. She wrote his order down, and was off to the back of the house. “'Nocty'?” Rainbow asked, amused. “Yeah, they give their regulars here pet names when they're over three syllables.” He joked, getting a chuckle out of Rainbow. She wasn't quite sure what to make of this stallion yet, but there was something about his eyes; he had been through something fierce, you could tell just by studying his features. “So I'm curious; what could I possibly do to help an Element of Harmony?” “I'll be honest, I'm not sure. I almost didn't come, simply because Luna suggested it.” “Ah. Well, we're getting somewhere already. Sounds like you've also had a less-than-favorable run-in with our Princess of the Night.” “You don't know the half of it...” Rainbow muttered. Noctilucent let out a chuckle. “That's a bet that I'd take you up on,” he replied. Rainbow gave him a small smile. That just wasn't small talk, Rainbow could tell he was serious. Maybe there was something he could do to help. The waitress returned levitating two glasses and two plates. The cider and apple pie was set down in front of Rainbow, and Noctilucent's “usual” turned out to be a cup of coffee and a slice of lemon pie with sour cherries on top. “Enjoy. Give a holler if you need anythin'.” She said before walking off to help another table of recently-arrived patrons. “We might need more than one slice of pie, because it sounds like we both have a story to tell here. So what's yours?” Rainbow said, taking a bite. "Well, saying I had a very rough time growing up would be putting it rather lightly. It seemed happiness was always in short supply wherever I went. My mom killed herself for reasons I still can't figure out, I never knew my father, and my grandmother cared for me until my early teen years, up until she passed away." "I'm... I'm sorry." Rainbow said, really not expecting things to take this kind of downward turn so instantly. "I heard that quite often when I couch surfed at my friends' places. I always tried to never overstay my welcome. It seemed I always felt alone. I was never very lucky in the relationship department either, even as far back as my first Hearts and Hooves Day card. It got even worse after I didn't have any family left. I hired a whorse, but didn't have the courage to go through with it. I helped my best friend get a mare drunk. After arguing with him, I walked out, letting him rape her." Rainbow would be wondering why the hell she traveled out here to hear this downer story, but Noctilucent was smiling all the way through it. He wasn't telling her his problems, he was telling a story. "So how did you make it after your grandmother died?" "Taking odd jobs here and there. After awhile, I tried getting something longer term, but I couldn't hold anything down. I barely made enough to pay rent in my joke of an apartment, and get the cheapest food in my belly. When I got tired of looking, I lived off of what little inheritance I had from my grandmother, volunteering at a hospital, reading books to terminally ill foals." "That's awfully generous of you." "It was too much. On my last day, one of them had died quietly during reading time. I couldn't take it anymore. I quit, and started pushing everypony else away." "So how did you end up over here in Mustang Springs?" Noctilucent took a sizable bite of pie, his lips puckering at the tart flavor. After swallowing, he looked back up at Rainbow. "I tried to kill myself." Rainbow didn't know how to react to this, so she bought herself a bit of time by taking another bite of pie. "I didn't know what else to do. I had pushed everyone away, no one to help me, or so I thought. So I went up the mountain a bit to a cliff, and broke my wing," he explained, glancing to his left wing, which was in a wire frame. "Luna caught me at the last second after I jumped. She took me to the hospital in Canterlot to get my wing treated. It took me a week to get well enough to travel. She placed a geas on me, essentially taking away my free will. Looking back, it's a good thing she did, otherwise I think I would've tried again." "You were okay with her taking away your choice?" "Not at first. At first I was angry. I hated her for forcing me to go on. But then when she sent me here, I saw what suicide does to those that are left behind. More than half of those orphans are leftovers from ponies who weren't able to endure, and took the easy way out. I can help make their lives better." Noctilucent glanced down at his cutie mark. "I guess you could say I'm the candle at their bedside." The dappled pegasus took the coffee cup in his good wing and took a sip. "Now, how about you?" Rainbow cleared her throat and took a swig of cider. “A year ago, I got my priorities a little mixed up, and my best friends responded by kidnapping me, locking me in a basement, and subjecting me to physical and sexual abuse. The ringleader, Rarity, had convinced all of them that they had to break me down and build me up into a better mare.” “She convinced the rest of your friends, your best friends, to do that?” Noctilucent asked, getting a nod in return. “I've thought a lot about it, and the only explanation I can come up with, the only one that I can live with, is that she used her magic to twist their sense of morality. It got steadily worse over three days, before one of them, Twilight, came to her senses and got me out of there." "Well, I guess there's the answer as to why she was stripped of her crown." Noctilucent mused. "She took me and healed the wounds that I had suffered. But it didn't help how angry I was, not to mention how scared out of my mind and psychologically damaged I was. I ran away. I took off in the night, stealing one of Rarity's fine jewels to survive. I spent a year going from place to place. I went all over the country, never feeling any better. The combination of what they did to me, and the horrible friend I had turned into to cause them to do it... It was debilitating. I hated them and I hated myself. After nearly an entire year, I had had enough. I was convinced that no one wanted me, and that no one loved me. I went to a forest up north just outside the Crystal Empire. I found what I thought was a suitable branch, and I got my rope ready..." Noctilucent knew all too well where this was going. "When I had the noose around my neck and jumped, the branch started to crack. It took a few seconds to break completely, and I spent the rest of the night on the forest floor. I just learned last night that it wasn't my body weight that broke the branch, it was Luna. That night, I dreamed of Twilight, and for the very first time, I started to wonder if I could ever forgive them for what they did... Or myself for what I did." "So that's what we have in common." "I guess so." "In situations like that, it's hard to see how selfish it is." Noctilucent offered, taking his last bite of pie. Rainbow thought about it, and agreed. "It was selfish of me. I wanted my death to hurt them. I wanted my body to be found and for news of it to reach them, so they had a permanent consequence for what they did. But thanks to Luna, I got the courage up to go back to Ponyville, and find that I had feelings for Twilight." Noctilucent leaned forweard. "Was it right what she did to me? Or you? I'm sure we could debate that forever. As ponies, we don't like our choices and decisions being taken away and made by somepony else. But she's given me happiness and a purpose here. If I had given it all up, I wouldn't be here right now for these orphans. What about you? Sure, her involvement ended when she cut you down from the tree, but I think that's because she knew that you had enough sense to go on. I don't think I did. I think I would have tried again if she didn't take away my free will. You, on the other hand, returned to Ponyville, and discovered your love for your best friend. Aren't you grateful for that?" “No, it's not that. Her involvement didn't end after I fell from the tree. It's what happened after I came back. That night, when I went to sleep, I dreamed that Rarity was the one chained down in the basement. As you can imagine, I took advantage of that. I was still very angry inside, and I took it out on her. I woke up the instant I slit her throat. The next day, I'm told she died in her coma that Twilight put her into a year ago. I know Luna played a part.” For the first time during this conversation, Noctilucent gave a truly perplexed expression. “I'm sorry, there has to be some mistake.” The cyan pegasus shook her head. “Luna told me herself. She called it 'poetic justice.'” “I'd say it's more of a poetic lie. Rainbow, Luna wouldn't harm a soul. Not in their sleep, not through the hooves of somepony else, no matter what they've done.” Confusion began to seep into Rainbow's thoughts. “What are you saying?” “I'm saying her stance is militant when it comes to preserving all equine life. She told me it has something to do with what she went through as Nightmare Moon. I don't know why she told you that, but everything I've experienced tells me that just can't be true. Did you ever see a body?” Rainbow's mind became increasingly desperate to not freak out, to try and reason with Noctilucent's argument. “No, Celestia had her cremated. I mean, we buried the...” Rainbow looked as if she saw a ghost as all this information collided in her mind. Without warning, she dug into her saddlebags, and pulled out her bag of bits. She left the appropriate amount for the pie and cider, plus tip. She replaced her bag, and reached across the table, shaking her dining guest's hoof. “I'm sorry to eat and run. It's been a pleasure, Noctilucent.” Rainbow bolted out of the diner, and was airborne before she was even three steps outside. Several seconds later, there was a loud bang, followed by a long sparkling noise, as the Mustang Springs dusk was ringed by an expanding Sonic Rainboom, as a rainbow trail blazed off into the eastern night sky.
Epilogue: The Buried TruthMistress Do Well: Revelation by milesprower06 The Buried Truth The morning fog began to lift from central Equestria, as Celestia began to slowly raise the sun over the land. A new day beckoned. Down in the rock quarry, nothing stirred, not a sound could be heard; save for the shifting earth and labored breaths of a pegasus that had flown all night and was now digging desperately through the dirt. Rainbow Dash clawed at the grave with her small shovel as if her life depended on it. Dirt sprayed up from between her legs as she tried to hastily undo the work that it took five to do. 'It's not true. It's not true. It's not fucking true.' She told herself this over and over, and yet it did nothing to slow her from disturbing the burial site. Her heart pounded against her chest, her mind had become paralyzed by the possibilities during the overnight flight back. Everything came to a screeching halt the instant Rainbow heard the tip of her shovel hit metal. She paused for a split second, then dropped the shovel and did the remaining digging with her hooves. She flung the dirt out from both sides of her body until she was able to get her hooves around the cylinder and yank it from the dirt. She looked at it for a second, shaking it, and hearing the grainy sound in return. She twisted both ends to try and open it, to no avail. Trying harder, she became frustrated, throwing it at a nearby rock. "OPEN you piece of shit!" She screamed. She had to be sure. She picked it up, stuffed it in her saddlebags, and flew as fast as she could back to Ponyville. Even though Rainbow wasn't here to share her bed, that was one of the soundest nights of sleep Twilight had gotten in awhile. Her brother's forgiveness did wonders to put her mind at peace. That is, until she began to wonder what Rainbow was up to 800 miles away. Just what was she doing out there? As if on cue, she heard the rustling of leaves outside her open window, and a second later, Rainbow came tumbling down on to the balcony, a few twigs and leaves following. "Let me guess, you forgot to bring money for a return ticket." Twilight chastised, walking towards the door to her balcony. Rainbow quickly got to her feet and rushed inside, reaching inside her saddlebags and taking out the dirt-covered cylinder. Twilight gasped in shock. "What are you doing with that?!?" the alicorn asked, incredulous. "Open it." Rainbow said, pushing it against her marefriend's chest. "What???" Twilight said, backing away, causing it to fall to the floor. Rainbow stepped forward to pick it up. "I can't open it. I don't know if it's protected or not. I need your help." "Are you nuts? Rainbow, it's bad enough that you dug it up but if you expect me to-" "Twilight! I have been up for more than 24 hours straight and I've had more than one panic attack already. I don't care what you have to do, but I need you to open this, now! I need to be sure." Twilight stared at Rainbow in absolute disbelief. She was panting, she was dirty, and it did indeed look like she hadn't slept since she left yesterday morning. Taking a deep breath, Twilight picked up the gold decorated cylinder with her magic. "There's a magic seal around it. A very powerful one. I'd guess only Celestia or Luna could have put it on there." Twilight said, studying it carefully. "Can you open it?" Twilight set it down, and trotted downstairs. Rainbow picked up the cylinder and followed. When she got to the bottom of the stairs, Twilight was exiting the basement with a bottle of potion. Now even she had a look of dread on her face, also afraid of why Rainbow wanted the cylinder open. She popped the cork off of the beaker, and downed the glowing blue liquid in three gulps. "Set it down on the floor." Rainbow did as she was told, setting it in the middle of the floor. "Is there anything you want me to do?" She asked. "Yeah. Get behind something." Twilight warned, closing her eyes, beginning to concentrate. Her horn began to glow, as did the cylinder. Sparkling ribbons of energy started to circle her horn, as currents of wind from nowhere began blowing up from the floor. Rainbow could feel the air crackling with energy. Twilight began to levitate off the ground, and she concentrated a bit harder, willing herself slowly back down to the ground. Gritting her teeth, her horn was now glowing even brighter than when she had dealt with the ursa minor that had come rampaging through town all those years ago. Rainbow could hear the magic thrumming from her horn now, and the cylinder began to sparkle even more intensely. With the temporary aid from the elixir of magic, Twilight was able to gather up a higher amount of magic than she ever had before. Her brow began to sweat as she put every last ounce of magical force into her horn as she could without it bursting out in unconstrained chaos. Her eyes opened, a pure, almost blinding white, and with a held-back scream, the magic in her horn shot out towards the cylinder in a burning purple beam. It sparked and crackled, and the aura surrounding it finally exploded in a flash of light, sending Twilight flying against a shelf and Rainbow ducking for cover as a thunderous boom emanated from the impact point of the spell. As the echoes died down, Rainbow peeked up from behind the wooden chair, and saw the cylinder, still on the ground, smoldering but otherwise intact. She tiptoed up to it, seeing Twilight barely conscious against the wall. Slowly, she leaned down and picked up the gem-decorated urn. She gave the end a twist, and it gave way, falling to the wooden floor. Steeling herself, Rainbow turned it towards her and looked inside. "Oh fuck me..." she said beneath a whisper. Twilight shook her head, her horn tingling madly. Her vision cleared in time to see Rainbow walk up to her, open cylinder in hand. Tears were pricking her face. "Rainbow...?" she asked, concerned. Rainbow looked at Twilight, and then angled the open end down towards the ground, emptying the contents onto the library floor. The alicorn's heart crept up to her throat and her breath left her as she followed the cascade of white sand down to the pile it formed, followed by the startling clang of the cylinder hitting the floor as Rainbow collapsed into a sitting position. "She's... She's alive..." To Be Continued... Author's Note *dives behind recliner* Please don't hurt me...
