Friends of the Dawn

Family is the most important thing in the world. Your family raised you, protected you, and contributed to the pony you are today. Never forget them or where you came from, because ultimately, you still have your family, even when you have nothing else.

-Memoirs of Iron Pick

The cool night of the Zebrica plains nipped at Iron Pick's black flanks like the sand fleas of the far off deserts. Were it up to him, he wouldn't have bothered with the trek into the exile's village, but a recent letter from his son reminded him why he had to return to Equestria.  In order to do that, he had to make friends with the very ponies he'd helped exile three years ago. He brought them all to trial with the help of his wife and her friends, and for that, the ponies of Exile Village reviled him as the source of their torment. Were it up to them, Iron Pick would hang from the trees like a pinata.

It was by pure luck that Celestia's orders included a provision against such aggression, and that if any pony were to meet an unnatural fate, the exiles would remain in the zebra lands for eternity.  Though they begged and pleaded against the judgment, Celestia was not one to change her mind about matters of friendship.

With the last of the Lunar Rebels dispersed to the winds, an air of calm enveloped the world and ponies once again settled into a life of friendship and caring. Surprisingly, the exiles managed to make friends with each other, despite their initially treacherous origins. Were it not for his own stubborn nature, Iron Pick and the exiles could have returned home last year when the Knights of Friendship came to check on them.

Maybe it is time to give up my crusade, thought Iron Pick as he walked the path to the exile village. I've been fighting them most of my life now. Maybe it's time to make friends with them after all.

The quiet giggle distracted Iron from thoughts; it was a zebra stallion and pegasus mare lost in each other's eyes as they sat beneath the stars. Iron Pick only shook his head, and continued on his way to the meeting. The couple was a sad reminder of a wife he'd spent less than a day with since their wedding three years ago. Though they were never in love, the companionship of marriage meant someone else to care for after all those years of being alone. It was really for her that he was here in the first place.

The sound of drums filled the air as Iron Pick approached the inner circle of the village. There a few dozen ponies gathered to share stories, enjoy drinks, and otherwise be sociable to their new found friends. It wasn't until Iron's stepped from the darkness that the party noticed him and came to a halt. Those three dozen pairs of eyes stared at the aged black unicorn as if he were Death come to collect their souls. The silence continued for a moment more before Iron Pick cleared his throat.

"Hello," he said, slowly scanning the crowd. "It's been a long time."

"You..." came a voice from the crowd. A ginger earth pony forced his way from the crowd to stare Iron Pick in the face. Iron simply squared his shoulders, and stared down his nose at Carmel Snack. "You strut into town after three years and expect what, Iron Pick?"

"I came here on your invitation, Carmel Snack," replied Iron Pick. "If I was mistaken, I'll just go home and leave you to rot. My home by the sea has served me well, and will continue to house me till the day I pass from this world." The corners of Iron's lips turned up in a half-hearted smile. "Where does that leave you?"

"Oh stop it," called a voice from the crowd. The orange earth mare stepped forward, and offered a hoof to Iron Pick. "I invited you and I'm glad you're here, even if my husband isn't."

"I'm glad to see that your life has moved on," said Iron Pick. Behind the three, the ponies and zebras went back to their celebration, though they kept an ear on their conversation.

"Life moves on indeed," replied Daisy Lane. "New life, to be precise. I don't want to raise our child here, Iron Pick. The zebras, while kind and welcoming, they..." she looked out to the crowd to make sure no one was listening. "They're just not Equestrians."

"Not that we're racist or anything," snapped Carmel Snack. "It's just... we all want to go home, Iron. We all had families in Equestria, and I'm sure your family misses you too. You always told me that family was the most important thing a pony had. I've got a beautiful wife and a foal on the way, and I'd like to raise them in the light of Celestia's sun. We've had our differences, Iron," he waved a hoof out to the crowd, "but we've learned from our mistakes, and we don't want to lose the friends that we've made here. It's been three years, and it's time to bury the hatchet." Carmel extended a hoof. "So, what do you say? Friends?"

Iron Pick regarded the offered hoof with suspicion. By accepting the offer of friendship with the exiles, he assured their return home. More importantly, he assured his own return back to Bridleburg where his family and friends would greet him with open arms. Even if it were just a ploy to return to Equestria to start trouble, there was no way he could pass up the offer. Iron pressed a hoof to Carmel's and shook.

"Then we are to be friends," he said. "Come, let us have a drink to celebrate."

The evening continued in revelry as Iron Pick came to either forgive or forget the differences that kept him and the exiles at arm's length. In the three years here, everypony had changed. Bloodthirsty generals and heartless commanders had become docile and mollified by a life of peace and family. Schemers and spies found the solitude enlightening and had become honest by the hard work of friendship. Even those with whom Iron had been bitterest of enemies became friends after a few rounds of wine and some shared songs.

Soon the entirety of the village found itself in joyous laughter at the prospect at coming home to Equestria. When the Knights came again, it would be to welcome them home, rather than to condemn them for their failures of friendship. To any pony watching, it was glorious sight, but to the zebras watching, it only meant that it was time to move.

As Iron Pick stumbled his way down the path toward home, he couldn't help but laugh at his inability to keep his feet from slipping beneath him. The Mare in the Moon stared down at him, as if to condemn him for his role in her downfall.

Iron raised a hoof to the sky, and let out a sharp laugh. "Yah can't keep frenship down," he slurred. He lost his balance and tumbled to ground with a giggle. "Long live the queen."

"I hope you are willing to say that her face," replied a voice from the darkness.

Iron Pick looked up to find the a horned head staring back at him. He didn't recognize the face, but something about the stripes shifted his brain from revelry to panic in split second. Unicorns didn't have stripes. In fact, unicorns weren't that big either. Iron rolled to his feet, only to find himself lifted in the air by a white aura of magic.

Holding him aloft was a zebra stallion nearly the size of Princess Luna. Though cataracts clouded his dull blue eyes in a way that assured blindness, the air of malice behind them was unmistakable. The zebra’s long horn continued to glow with the white aura as Iron tried to push back with his own magic.

"There is no reason to fret, Iron Pick," said the zebra. "You too shall join your friends in our pursuit to bring back Princess Luna. After all, we we not all kin of the moon?"

"Luna's gone!" snapped Iron Pick. "Her heart was taken by Nightmare Moon."

"My dear friend," said the zebra. "I do not think that you know what the power of friendship can do."

***

If it weren’t for the quiet flap of wings, Heart Chase would have sworn the chariot bore her through the sky flew of its own power. From up here, the world lay curved below her, a thousand miles of Equestria stretching before her in a grand display of the vastness of the empire. The pegasus magic of flight impressed her more than all the fancy tricks of unicorns ever could. Flight was the dream of all who looked to the heavens, and Heart often found herself dreaming for wings of her own.

Fascinated as she was by flight, it couldn’t distract her from nagging thoughts of Iron Pick in the Zebrica providence. Along with banished officers of the rebellion, he had been tasked by Celestia to “make friends” with the condition that if any of them “accidentally” turned up dead before returning, they would all forfeit their citizenship permanently. Because he captured the rebellion officers, he kept to himself in a coastal hut, preferring to let the traitors rot in Zebrica. The letter that had troubled Heart Chase earlier mentioned something about attending a party with the rest of the banished in an effort to “make friends.” The party probably ended in a brawl, and he was simply nursing a black eye and a bruised ego. Or maybe it had all gone quite well. Maybe he had actually started making friends. Perhaps even a marefriend.

The idea of Iron Pick spending time with another mare sent Heart’s ears burning in an overdrive of jealousy. It was not as if she’d been faithful to their marriage since their separation, and she even gave him explicit permission to seek the company of others. Yet, for some reason, she couldn’t help but silently resent him for something she didn’t even know he’d done yet. The thoughts pitched her in a cycle of hopeless despair, and the fact that her feelings were nothing short of complete hypocrisy didn’t help.

As the chariot began its slow descent towards the hot springs, relaxation was the furthest thing from her mind. The thoughts of despair surrounding her so-called husband, combined with boredom of the past year and the distancing of her friends, made her anything but receptive to the warm scents of sulfur trickling from the spa grounds.

She made her way past the sandy gardens, trying to force herself to take in the ambiance of the temple of relaxation. The soft sound of trickling water emanating from inside the temple did nothing to calm her nerves, and the darkened sandstone entrance gave her an uncomfortable feeling of being trapped underground. Even the tittering of the spa staff that greeted her weren’t enough to draw out a smile out of her.

“You must come with us,” said the green earth mare. “We have been asked to help you relax and feel as comfortable as possible. I am Chamomile, and this is Shangri La.”

The blue pegasus bowed. “We will be your personal attendants for the next few days.”

“I thank ya’ll fer tryin’ to make me feel better, but I don’t much feel like bein’ pampered,” said Heart, pushing the fussing mares aside. “I’d like to just take a bath and maybe a nap.”

“But we have so much more here to offer you,” Shangri La said.  It was a quiet rasp that attracted all the wrong sorts of attention. Heart immediately took notice, eyes falling across her soft blue wings and Yin-Yang cutie mark. “You will let us at least try to help you?” Her smile lit up the entrance to the temple with such warmth, Heart couldn’t help but allow herself to be drawn in.

“Fine,” said Heart with a sigh. “You got ten minutes to do whatever it y’all are gonna do, then you show me to my room. Got it?”  Shangri La only smiled and ushered Heart down a darkened hall.

The temple’s sandstone hallways served to focus the floral aromas mixed with the sweet scent of fresh flowers. Shangri La spoke of the spa’s healing waters and calming amenities as Heart’s eyes slowly adjusted to the darkened corridors. The clop of hoofsteps along the damp floor joined with the echos of a waterfall as they entered an even darker room, lit only by the soft violet luminescence of moss. Shangri La beckoned her to follow, tapping a hoof on a granite slab Heart could barely see.

“Please, lay down and relax,” she whispered. “I will make all your troubles go away.”

Heart flopped herself on top of the stone, expecting a rush of cold. Instead, she found the polished granite surface warm to the touch and relaxing in its gentle heat. Despite her predisposition against the spa experience, everything from the scent of flowers to the calming sounds of the waterfall washed over her in a relaxing wave. The gentle touch of hooves on her back, combined with quiet ambiance of the experience let Heart, for the first time in months, finally relax. She lay in silence for ten minutes as Shangri La worked her magic over her taut shoulders and tense flanks. It was as if there were hooves all over her, just massaging out the tensions and frustrations piled upon her. A soft whisper drew her back to reality from her trance of pleasure.

“It’s been ten minutes,” said the voice. “Do you want me to stop?”

“Honey, I don’t want you to ever stop,” said Heart Chase. She turned from her stomach onto her back to face Shangri La. “In fact, I’m thinkin’...” She stopped mid sentence to find not one, but two pegasi standing behind her. The Shangri La’s blue wings perfectly countered he rose wings of Constance, both of whom stood over Heart Chase.

“What the hay are you doin’ here?” asked Heart. With her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she looked around the sandstone chamber to find Bard and Ridgeline on similar stone slabs allowing themselves to be pampered by other members of the spa staff. Heart Chase tried to speak, only to have Constance interrupt.

“It wasn’t Celestia’s idea to send you down here,” said Constance, “but we knew that if anyone else told you to come, you’d have ignored them. I know it seems like we’ve been avoiding you, but we wanted to give you something special for your birthday.” Constance let a sly smile fill her face. “Surprised?” Heart continued to flap her jaws for a moment before Shangri La set to work on her legs with a strong hoofed massage that made Heart Chase lie back in enjoyment. Constance only smiled. “I knew you’d like it.”

From the massage room, the spa mares lead the four ponies to the crowning attraction of the temple. The sandstone walls of the hot spring room greeted them with the soft glow of a hundred candles arranged in zen patterns across the walls. Below them, hot water bubbled from deep in the earth ending at last in a natural pool. Though the room should have filled with the eggy scent of sulfur, the rows of candles replacing it instead with soft hints of rose hips and tulips. . As the spa mares left the four friends to the springs, Heart sat with a smile, enjoying the sight of her friends relaxing.

“Ya’ll didn’t have to do this for me,” said Heart Chase at last. “Heck, I forgot it was even mah birthday.”

“We couldn’t forget your birthday; we’re your friends,” said Bard. “I wanted to pull out all the stops: a show, dancing mares, bring in your family. The whole nine yards.”

“Ridgeline actually came up with this idea instead,” said Constance. “A few months ago, if I remember correctly.”

“So that’s why you’ve been avoiding me?” asked Heart.

“No, that was by accident,” Ridgeline replied with a sheepish cough. “I was so busy trying fix my, uh...” he stalled, trying to think of the right word, “condition, that I just tuned out the rest of the world.”

“And I’ve been so busy trying to prepare for the Gala that I didn’t even think to check up on you,” said Constance. She set her head on the edge of the pool, and relaxed her wings out into the bubbling spring. “I think we all needed to unwind a bit.”

Bard only shrugged, and sank deeper into the springs. “I’m just a lousy friend,” he admitted. “But I did get you a gift for your birthday. Well, sort of.”

“Now that you really didn’t have to do,” said Heart.

“You got me a gift for my birthday,” said Bard.

“I did?” asked Heart. She put a hoof to her chin as she tried to remember what she’d done. It came back to her in a sudden flash. “Oh yeah, that white mare with the red mane. Boy was she...” She glanced over at Bard, now frantically waving his hooves. Constance opened an eye and glanced over toward Heart.

“What’s that now?” she asked.

“Uh, I mean,” she stammered. “That fancy white mare with the fiery red mane who delivered it. Boy, I can’t hardly forget her.” Constance only laid her head back along the edge of the pool, seeming to miss Heart’s furious backpedaling.

“So tell me, Ridgeline,” said Bard, steering the conversation away, “how goes your quest?”

“Well I’ve hit a wall,” said Ridgeline. “It’s funny. I feel like I should be able to understand what I’m reading, but it’s like he’s blocking out my com... compre...” He stumbled over the words, trying to bring it to his lips.

“I can understand that,” said Bard. “I promise once we’re through this Gala nonsense, we’ll get that demon out of your head. Once you see what I’ve been working on, you’ll appreciate why I’ve been so absent of late.”

“And what’s that?” asked Heart Chase. Bard responded only with a chuckle.

“You’ll see,” he said.

Later that evening, the four sat around a glass table, taking in the quiet spring breeze along the patio of the spa. From up here, the whole of Equestria stretched before them with spires at Canterlot barely visible in the distance. It gave them all the chance to appreciate just how vast the kingdom really was and just how important it was for them to defend it.

The sharp ring of a dinner bell drew their attention to the waiters carrying steaming trays toward the table. The maitre di bowed and and presented the four with their evening meals: a butternut squash, sauteed and served with a honey lemon glaze. The waiters distributed salad and bread to the table before disappearing inside again. Though the food was delicious, they continue to talk, coming with a plan of action for the next few weeks. The conversation drifted from duty towards a concern they’d only run across recently.

“All these doom and gloom prophets we’ve been seeing coming from the coastlines are starting to worry me,” said Bard. “I’m not normally one to take notice of such loonies, but they just showed up in such huge numbers earlier this year.” He paused to take a bite of his salad. “It’s like some kind of apocalyptic zebra cult, I tell you.”

“I’ve known quite a few zebras in my time,” said Constance, taking a sip of wine. “and they don’t seem to be the type to just accept wild speculation. They’re a lot like earth ponies. Practical, hard working, grounded. No offense, Heart.”

“None taken,” said Heart Chase. “Truth is, I just started noticin’ them myself. They keep goin’ on about how ponies should abandon the coasts and avoid the oceans.”

“Well, that’s certainly not going to happen,” said Bard. “There’s so much trade off the oceans that it’d cripple Equestria to even think about something like that. What do they think is going to happen?”

“Maybe they’re getting instructions from somewhere else?” offered Ridgeline. “I talked to one a few weeks ago. He said that the sky would fall and that the coasts would drown in the folly of the princess.” He paused, as if the words didn’t make much sense to him. “I think he might have been drunk.”

“And since when has Her Majesty done anything wrong?” asked Constance.

“You mean aside from leavin’ the country fer five years?” asked Heart Chase.

“Or trapping her sister in the moon?” asked Bard.

“Really, now,” snapped Constance. “Let’s not start that nonsense again. We’re here to enjoy ourselves, aren’t we?”

The meal continued in cold silence for a few minutes. Though the next course of early strawberries tickled their tongues with tart sweetness, the snapped unpleasantry hung with them like an unwelcome guest.

It wasn’t until Bard remembered Heart’s gift that the silence ended in a soft pop of magic. His horn sparked with a soft glow, and a small velvet bag flashed into existence at the edge of the table. The bag opened, and from it, floated several medallions on chains. The other ponies paused to stare at the them as floated through the air and around their necks.

The medallions were hoof sized discs made from polished platinum and inscribed on with the old seal of the kingdom. Along the edges were filigreed in the shape of shape of sea stones, and turning it over revealed a lid embossed with a compass rose and a button to unlatch it. The button revealed a crystal face that held five colored needles pointing in various directions. Heart Chase studied it a minute before looking back to Bard.

“It’s beautiful,” she said. “It looks like a compass, but why all the needles?” Bard floated medallion  up to the group and pointed at the needles.

“This green hand here points north,” said Bard, “so yes, it is a compass. What’s more important is the other three.” He pointed the other colored needles. “The amber needle will always point to Heart Chase. The sapphire will point to me, the ruby to Constance, and the copper to Ridgeline.” He let the compass dangle around his neck for a moment before continuing. “I know we don’t get too far from each other anymore, and that it’s probably kind of silly to give you all something like this. But I always want to be able to find all of you, no matter what.”

“It’s so beautiful!” gasped Constance. “These things must have cost you a fortune. How did you get the needles to point to us? I had no idea you could even do this.”

“I didn’t make the compasses,” said Bard. “I had the royal jeweler do that, but the magic, that’s all mine.” The gathered ponies looked at their compasses, moving them around to see that the needles kept pointing at their respective targets. Heart learn across the table and gave Bard a giant hug.

“Well that’s the finest birthday gift I’ve ever gotten,” said Heart Chase. “Now I won’t have to keep huntin’ y’all down in the castle no more. Thank you Bard. It’s perfect.”

“That’s some fancy magic,” said Ridgeline, turning the compass over in his hooves. “I really like the compass on the back.”

“Ah, that,” said Bard with a smug smile. “That compass will serve as a focus for a teleport spell. Took me months to get it right, but now we don’t have to use circles and candles anymore to get from place to place.”

“So this was yer secret project?” asked Heart Chase. “No wonder you’ve been so busy. Bard. What’s better then always where knowin’ your friends are?” She picked up a glass and held it aloft. “Here’s to Bard. Greatest magician in all of Equestria, and the best friend a pony could have.”

***

It was well into the evening when the four found her way to their suite and into quiet relaxation. The shared suite broke up into four room with a common room draped in lush velvet and fluffy pillows. From below, the soft sounds of running water mingled with the croaking frogs of spring to make for a perfect evening. Heart Chase sat in quiet reflection, enjoying yet another glass of wine as the Mare in the Moon lit Equestria below. A soft hoof-fall from Bard’s room caught her attention.

“You’re still up?” asked Bard.

“Just enjoyin’ the night,” said Heart Chase. “I’ve been in the city so long I almost forgot the sounds of the country at night. It’s nice to just listen to the world go by.” She turned to watch Bard make his way to a pillow beside her. “What are you doin’ up?”

“I was actually headed to your room,” said Bard. “I... needed some advice.”

“You need advice from me?” asked Heart Chase, trying to suppress a laugh. “Bard, you are so much smarter than me, it ain’t even funny. What advice could you possibly get from me?”

“It’s about a girl,” muttered Bard.

“I can guarantee my approach and yours are gonna be different,” said Heart Chase.

“I know that,” said Bard. “I’m just...” He pointed to his sky blue coat, now spotted in places with the beginnings of grey. “It’s time to settle down, you know? I’m tired of chasing tails, and well... maybe it’s time to start a family.”

“Family’s the most important thing in the world,” said Hear Chase. “My daddy always said that. Come to think of it, so did Iron Pick.” She shrugged. “I dunno if I’m the one to be askin’ for advice on marriage. Mine is all politics, and kinda ended up a disaster.”

“How is your husband, by the way?” Bard asked.

Heart Chase shifted uncomfortably on her pillow, as if squirming could avoid the question. “He ain’t doin’ so well, I think,” she said at last. “He’s missin’ his son and you know that Quill and Red just gave him a grandcolt. I guess he just wants to come home. Seems like the exiles were keen on makin’ friends, so maybe he’ll get his chance.”

“Well you can always go and visit him,” said Bard. “Why don’t you go back with the Zebrica envoy?”

Heart Chase let the idea sink in for a moment before smiling. “That’s a great idea,” she said. “Shoot, and you were comin’ to me for advice.” She scratched her head. “What did you want anyway?”

“Oh, it’s nothing,” said Bard. “I just wondered if you can ever get a lady to change her opinion of you.”

“You talkin’ about someone I know?” asked Heart Chase. “I can put in a good word for you.” Her eyes went wide as he face filled with a smile. “It’s Featherfall isn’t it? Boy, I tell you, that filly can’t keep her eyes off you. You just need some courage to...”

“Courage has always been my problem, but it’s not her,” said Bard. “Look, don’t worry about it. Just, you know, keep the tales of our mare chasing exploits to a minimum, would you?”

Heart nodded and turned back to the window. The quiet background of the night’s music passed between them as they sat in silence. After a while, Bard finally stood and walked back to his room. Before the door closed, he turned back to Heart Chase.

“Happy Birthday, Heart Chase,” he said.

“Thanks, Bard,” she replied. “Good night.”

For a while longer, Heart Chase lingered in the common room, letting the cool night air soak into her coat and fill her restless mind with peace. She half expected Ridgeline or Constance to come out and talk to her, but instead found the night stretching before her in quiet solitude. She fell asleep on the pillows in a dreamless slumber far more relaxing than it had any right to be.

Early the next morning, the sounds of a far off rooster brought Heart’s ears to attention far ahead of the rest of her body. As the rest of her facilities came to her, she felt strangely warm, as if covered by a blanket. When the scent of licorice touched her nose, she only smiled. Without even looking, she knew that Constance had come out in the middle of the night. It was a pleasant reminder of the night’s they’d all spent together huddled together for warmth during their adventures. It seemed that no matter where they went, Constance just needed to be around somepony. With Heart Chase stirring beneath her wing, Constance's eyes fluttered open and a smile of content graced her lips.

“Good Morning.”

“Mornin’ to you too,” said Heart Chase. “Didn’t expect to wake up covered in my favorite blanket.”

“Well, seeing as how you couldn’t keep your eyes off her, I got up to go get Shangri La for you,” said Constance. “But you were already asleep, so I figured I’d just curl up beside you and make my wings useful. Besides, we haven’t gotten to spend much time together recently. I do love spending time with you.”

“You always know just how to make a lady feel special,” said Heart Chase. “Too bad you got so many boys chasing after you.”

“I’ll settle down when I’m good and ready,” said Constance with a flip of her silky auburn mane. “In the meantime, I’ll just let my gypsy blood take me where the wind blows. And right now, it’s blowing me to the kitchen. I think I’ll have a muffin.”

Constance wandered away to find breakfast, leaving Heart Chase shivering on the pillows. She was about to go to her room when Ridgeline emerged from his. He raised a salute to her and wandered onto the patio. Something compelled Heart to follow and stand beside him as he looked out onto Equestria. Ridgeline pulled up his compass, and gazed toward the north.

“Thinkin’ about a trip to see your family?” asked Heart Chase.

“I should really go,” said Ridgeline. “I mean, we’ve got good relations with the griffons now and it’s safe to travel to New Hoofswell, right? So why haven't I gone to see them? I mean, it’s been almost three years.”

“Well, you have been busy,” said Heart Chase. “Plus it’s somethin’ like a thousand miles to get there. They wouldn’t expect you to just up and walk there.”

“I know,” sighed Ridgeline. “I keep sending letters up there with my bits, and they keep sending letters back asking when I’m going to come visit.”

“Well, they don’t want yer money,” said Heart Chase. “They just want to spend some time with you. Can you blame them?”

“Not really,” said Ridgeline. “Do you think Bard could take me up there? I mean, I know it’s a lot of trouble for him, but...”

“Hun, of course he could,” said Heart Chase. “Ain’t you asked him? Shoot, he’d probably take you up there soon as we get done with all this Gala business. He offered to take me down to see Iron Pick, I’m sure we can make him drop you off up north. He does claim to be the most powerful mage in Equestria.” She wiggled her hooves as if to signify his great and mysterious power. Ridgeline only chuckled.

The rattle of the curtain brought their conversation to a halt as Constance held the beads to one side. Behind her followed Shangri La with a tray full of breakfast foods and fresh fruits. She smiled, bowed, and excused herself quietly, while Constance busied herself with a plate. Bard eventually emerged from his room to join the breakfast, and they all sat watching the sun rise over Equestria for the beginning of another beautiful day.

“So, I was thinkin’” said Heart Chase after breakfast, “maybe we all should go our separate ways for a bit.” The puzzled looks prompted her to continue. “I ain’t sayin’ that it hasn’t been nice to just get to relax with all, ’cause it has, I’m just saying that maybe we need to get out of each other’s manes for a bit.” She pointed out toward the patio. “Ridgeline ain’t been home since we left Hoofswell, and I ain’t seen Iron Pick since we joined the Knights. I’m thinkin’ we all should do some travelin’ and come back to Canterlot in a few months. Celestia ain’t got nothin’ for us to do anymore, so why should we be hangin’ around the castle makin’ more work for the staff?”

“Are you suggesting we abandon our posts?” asked Ridgeline. “I don’t think that der...derilc... “ He stumbled over the word, trying force it off his tongue.

“It ain’t dereliction if we ain’t got a duty to perform, kiddo.” Heart Chase ruffled his mane with a playful hoof. “We ain’t leavin’ nobody, and it ain’t like we’re not doin’ our jobs. We’re just takin’ some time off.”

“Well, I suppose I could go see my old caravan again,” said Constance. “I can’t remember the last time I was in Stalliongrad and I’m sure that I’m an aunt by now.”

“Don’t you ever write to your family?” asked Bard.

“Well, not really,” said Constance “It’s not like they’ve got an address I can just send mail to. Besides, life’s an adventure for my ponies. Staying in the same spot gets boring after a while, wouldn’t you agree?”

“I suppose you’re right,” said Bard. “Well, I’ll be more than happy to take all of you wherever you want to go,” said Bard. “I’ll even put a spell on your compasses that will give you a one way teleport back home.”

“Too bad we can’t just leave from here,” said Heart Chase. “I’m sure we’ll need a vacation after we’re done with all that Gala nonsense.”

The table fell silent as their plan solidified into truth. The four stared at each other for a minute before smiles filled their faces. They left the table, meeting back only minutes later with bags packed, ready to head toward Canterlot. Their smiles told each that they were thinking the same thing.