Five Tales

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The present day

2 years After Battle of Canterlot (A.B.C.)

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Liberty forgot how tedious research could be. Sifting through the documents, letters, and memoirs made piecing together the whole story a real challenge. At least the piles had become much more organized now.

From across the table, Spike seemed fazed, holding his forehead in his claws.

“Sweet Celestia… Did all of that really happen? That was… brutal…” He mumbled, still staring at the papers in front of him.

Liberty nodded, setting aside a stack of papers on her side of the table. “If you went back to the sites of the battles around Ponyville and Rainbow’s Peak, you’d see the scars.”

“Wait, Rainbow’s Peak?” Spike asked, “Don’t you mean Rainbow Falls?”

“When the Canterlot Valley was fully secured, the ponies who were settling back into the Rainbow Falls wanted to call it something new,” said Liberty, “The Consulate approved renaming the cliff town Rainbow’s Peak. It was more fitting for a town which didn’t have any more falls, and the name was a tribute to the ponies and griffins who liberated it.”

Spike bobbed his head, his stiff neck cracking. He kept his attention on the documents before him, still trying to fathom the story.

“I still can’t believe all this. I never thought any of this could be possible in Equestria. The Fall, Cloudsdale, this war, the massacres. It’s too much…”

A sudden knock on the study room door was followed by a twisting doorknob. A Guardian of the Sun poked his head out from the hall, looking to Liberty.

“Sorry for the intrusion. But there’s a mare calling herself Lightning Dust here to visit. Should I let her in?”

Liberty perked up in surprise. “Lightning Dust? You can let her in. Thank you.”

As the Guardian held the door open, an aqua-coated mare with a bright yellow mane entered, dressed in rugged and durable clothes suited to a working mare. Liberty rose to meet her.

“Hey. Sorry if I’m showing up all of a sudden, but I got a request from the Bureau to come see you guys. Something about you doing research on the Striker unit I used to be a part of?” Lightning Dust sniffed, pulling on her jacket to stretch out her wings. They bore a full set of feathers, some longer and more unruly than others.

“Yes, we were reading about Rainbow Dash’s career as a Striker. We just finished reading a particular memoir which mentioned the time you spent with her.”

“Oh yeah! Rainbow Dash,” Lightning Dust broke into a grin, “She saved my life. Even when I had been a jerk to her she still saved me. I owe her a lot. I’m Lightning Dust, by the way.”

Smiling, Liberty took Lightning Dust’s hand, shaking it. The pegasus’ grip was firm, though her hand trembled. Liberty noticed it persist as they released each other.

“I’m Liberty, leader of the Guardians of the Sun. And this is Spike.”

Lightning Dust stepped over to greet Spike similarly as he left his chair.

“Hey. Princess Twilight’s dragon, right? I guess you knew Rainbow Dash too.”

“That’s right. I don’t think Rainbow Dash spoke much about you, though.”

Lightning Dust chuckled sheepishly, seemingly against her own nature. “I’m not surprised. I wasn’t the nicest pony when I first met her.”

The Lightning Dust here was different from her depiction in the Striker files. She seemed to have gained some humility during her experiences, and perhaps became a touch more mellow after recovering from her injuries.

“Hey, do you guys have a bar or something in this town? I’m staying here for a whiles and I need to know where I can get a good drink.”

Maybe not as mellow as Liberty thought.

“There’s no bar here, but there is a café inside the caves. We can head over now if you’d like.”

“That works. Let’s go.”

Lightning Dust turned back to the door, only to stop and whisk around again.

“… I have no idea where I’m going. Maybe you should lead.”

Liberty nodded with a smile, turning to Spike behind her. “How about it, Spike? You could use a break from all your hard work.”

“That actually sounds really good.” Replied Spike.

The brisk air of Haven changed from blue to a deep orange as Liberty led Spike and Lightning Dust inside the expansive caves of Haven. As it was on the outside slopes, the innards of the tunnels were under extensive construction, with working crews adding in new stone supports and laying walkways over the old paths used long ago. Navigating the scaffoldings in each corridor was much easier during the evening hours, when the workers have finished their shifts.

They arrived at the entrance of a cave hovel, the opening covered by a pair of red swinging doors. A sign etched into a wooden plaque dangled from two wires above the entrance.

Star Glow Café

Liberty pushed past the doors, stepping into the brighter lights of the café. Magic lanterns lined the walls and the ceiling, shedding light upon the small roundtables and patio-style chairs. Though the café felt like it would be more suited to an al-fresco diner, it fit well within its underground atmosphere.

A menagerie of ponies and other residents rested at the tables spread about, relaxing to the soft melody of a record player in the corner. A hint of jazz and strings mixed with the lovely voice of a mare, casting out her woes of a rainy day towards the pegasi crews of the sky. It was an old track, one Liberty had heard many times in her childhood. Knowing an old favorite was salvaged from the Fall brought a smile to her lips.

“Any reason why it’s called Star Glow Café?” Spike asked, following Liberty and Lightning Dust to the empty table.

“It’s named after one of the Seven Sentinels, a noctral named Star Glow. She actually ran this section of Haven when it was just a mess hall for the soldiers and refugees living in Haven.” Liberty enlightened as they sat at the table.

“I bet by the time this war’s over they’ll be renaming everything in Equestria after them.” Figured Lightning Dust.

Spike tilted his head. “Why’s that?”

Lightning Dust stared back, as if Spike had made a bad joke. “Because they’re dead. They were killed during the Battle of Canterlot. Died like the heroes they were.”

“Oh,” Spike muttered, folding his fan-like ears, “Sorry.”

As Lightning Dust waved it off, a waitress popped out from the nearby kitchen door, a colorful palette of stains on her working apron.

“Good evening, miss Liberty! What can I get you and your friends tonight?” chirped the unicorn mare. As Liberty looked to her companions to make an order, she noticed Spike’s eyes glance at the tiny nub of the waitress’ sheared horn. He quickly looked away.

“You got anything hard?” Lightning Dust asked, laying her elbows along the rim of the table.

“No cider, if that’s what you were hoping for. But we do have a noctral drink that’s popular in Umbra. Made of mangos and some other strange fruit. It has a pretty good kick.”

“I’ll take it.”

“Anything in particular, Spike?” Liberty asked as the waitress turned to them.

“Water’s fine for now.”

Liberty holds up two of her fingers. “Make it two, please.”

“Coming right up.” Replied the mare, briskly making her way back into the kitchen.

“I’m… really surprised. People here don’t seem to mind I’m a dragon. Aren’t they worried?” Spike said, speaking as though he was a tourist in some faraway nation.

Liberty smiled. “Ever since the beginning of this place, the people living in Haven have been some of the most tolerant and accepting people you’ll ever meet. Plus, you’re arrest was based on the concerns of only a few paranoid individuals. In reality, the average pony would only be worried about dragons if they started attacking us.”

As she finished, the waitress returned with their drinks, setting them down on their table. “There you are. Would you like anything else?”

“We’re fine for now, thank you Bubbly.”

“Uh…” Lightning Dust muttered, “Could I get a straw?”

Abiding by the request, the waitress procured a straw from one of her various pockets and handed it to Lightning Dust.

“Thanks.” She said, taking the straw and placing it in her glass as the waitress departed. She carefully gripped her glass with both of her shaking hands, making sure she had the straw in her mouth before lifting it slightly. Anyone could tell how the noctral beverage’s taste must have been, judging on Lightning Dust’s reaction alone. She shook her head as though she was just splashed with a bucket of water.

“Are you ok?” Spike asked, only now noticing Lightning Dust’s trembling hands.

The pegasus lifted a finger and tapped her temple, smiling proudly. “Concussions can have a lot of aftereffects. I got hit in the head pretty hard when we were taking Ponyville. According to the medics who took care of me, that blow to my skull left me with hand tremors. As far as I know, it’s a permanent thing.”

Liberty knew how lucky Lightning Dust was. If the blow to her head was any more powerful, it would have killed her instantly.

“What have you been doing since your recovery, Lightning Dust?”

“Nothing spectacular. I’ve been working in the Reconstruction Program as a surveyor. As much as I miss being a Striker… I’m glad I don’t have to be out there anymore. I never imagined war to be as brutal as it is. All of the fighting and the suffering… Never seems to end when you’re out there. It never helped that we have groups like the Reavers burning fields and leaving effigies everywhere they go either.”

At the very mention of the word, Liberty noticed a change in Spike. He rubbed his head, recalling their previous research.

“I’ve… been thinking about those Reavers that were mentioned in Rainbow Dash’s story. I just… can’t believe anybody could do things like that. Shouldn’t the New Monarchy put a stop to them?”

“They should be stopped,” Liberty remarked, sounding more sullen as she stared at the reflection of her gold eyes in her glass. “But so long as the caribou are still around, the Reavers will have free reign to do whatever they want. If Luna or the Consulate actually had some foresight, they would make disbanding the Reavers a priority. But the war comes first, regardless of the consequences.”

Before a silence could settle among them, Lightning Dust cleared her throat.

“Homicidal cultists aside, let me tell you about this one time I had to help corral a manticore on one of our building projects…”

As Lightning Dust went into her story, Liberty was grateful for the change in subject. Her thoughts stayed with her, however. If any attempt to return Equestria to its former existence were to be made, the Reavers would have to go. There would be no place in a better future for a group like that. A group obsessed with cleansing through bloodshed. Even if they were just targeting the caribou, they were still a threat to everyone.

The notion suddenly reminded Liberty of a mound of horrifying memories she had locked away not soon after making them.

The Reavers weren't the worst group out there. There was one other that was far worse. One which could, if successful, bring about a whole new Fall. A Fall which would make the caribou’s enslavement of Equestria seem like nothing.

Even underground, the morning birds chirped away to herald the Sun. It was safe to say that Haven was one of the few places where birds enjoyed nesting within caves close to the surface. Liberty remembered back when Luna had made Haven what it was. Many local animals had taken refuge within the natural fortress just as the ponies did. It was a sudden occurrence, but not a surprising one. The fauna would rather hide away with their old custodians than live in a neglected ecosystem. Many of those animal refugees still called Haven their home.

Flipping herself from the covers, Liberty let out a long stretch. Her time with Spike and Lightning Dust in the Star Glow Café had ended cheerfully. The noctral concoction Lightning Dust had gulped down through her straw had made her the most gleeful pony in the entirety of Haven. Not soon after did Liberty and Spike carry her out and to a room in the town’s inn. She'll likely sleep in today.

Dressed for the morning hours, Liberty stepped out of her chambers and made her way to the town hall study room, bidding good morning to the Guardians and townsfolk she passed. At the door to the archives, she found Spike awaiting her.

“Good morning.” Liberty said, herself bright and beaming.

“Morning. I don’t think I’ve ever slept that well in years.” Spike yawned, stretching himself from arms to tail.

“I’m glad,” Liberty pushed open the door, “Let’s see if any more documents have been sent our way.”

As they entered into the study room within Haven’s archives, a mare browsing through the bookshelves turned in their direction with a startled squeak. The coconut-colored mare with a sky blue mane appeared dressed for cold weather, a red scarf wrapped warmly around her neck and tucked underneath the folds of her brown trench coat. A large messenger bag was slung across her shoulder.

“Oh! I’m sorry if I disturbed your study room. Your guards said I could wait in here for when you showed up.”

“It’s alright. Are you making a delivery for the Bureau?”

“Yes! Though I’m not from the Bureau, exactly. I was asked to bring you the records on Operation Crescent.” Said the mare as she removed her messenger bag and laid it on the table.

“Operation Crescent? The liberation of Manehatten?”

“That’s right. I actually was in Manehatten during the operation. It was-Oh! I’m so sorry, I haven’t even introduced myself. I’m Coco Pommel. I work for the Consulate’s Civil Administration Branch in Manehatten.”

“A pleasure to meet you,” Liberty shook her hand, “You can call me Liberty. I’m the leader of the Guardians of the Sun. And this is Spike.”

Spike thought the mare’s voice was incredibly familiar. “Nice to meet you.”

Coco smiled. “You too, Spike. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Apparently a lot of ponies have. It’s hard to believe ponies still remember me.”

“It’s actually not too hard to believe. I learned about you from the stories Rarity told me.”

Spike shot upwards. “Wait, Rarity? When? Where?”

“Aren’t you aware? She was the one who was in charge of Operation Crescent. It was her Saboteurs who freed Manehatten.”

“Spike’s been out of the loop for a little while.” Liberty mentioned. She received a nod from Coco.

“Oh. Right. The house arrest. I know you didn’t deserve that, Spike. Rarity was really upset when she heard about it, though I’m sure she’d be delighted to know you’re free again. Anyways, maybe we should get started on these documents? If you don’t mind having a third study partner, I can help you with getting to the more critical parts.”

Liberty nods. “That would be great, thank you Coco.”

The three took their seats at the large table as Coco Pommel began taking out the organized folders, filled with reports, time-stamps, and reconnaissance photos of Operation Crescent.

“The operation had come to a peak at this particular date, during a very important mission at a place called; Horizon Towers…”