Iris Rising: Dreamfall (retcon planned)

Chapters

FIRST BLOOD -revised
PRINCESS CELESTIA - revised
THE RESERVES - revised
SHATTERED DREAMS - revised
LYRA HEARTSTRINGS - revised
GRADUATION - revised
KILLZONE - revised
SUNSET SHIMMER - revised
GROWING STORM - revised
DREAMFALL - revised
IRIS RISING - revised
THEATRICS - revised
AERIAL FRIENDSHIP CANNON (CLIMAX) - revised
HEARTH'S WARMING EVE - revised
KARMA -revised
HER JOURNEY CONTINUES (EPILOGUE) - revised
EXILE (EXTRA) - revised
HER WORLD SLIPS AWAY (PROLOGUE) - revised
THE ROYAL SISTERS - revised

FIRST BLOOD -revised

Author's Note

STAT stands for Statistics, Tracking, and Analysis Tool. It is a software agent for the SHADE, not A.I.
In the Blue Marble universe, Appleloosa, Las Pegasus, Dodge Junction & Hayseed Swamps are under Southern Kingdom's rule; Crystal Empire is replaced by Diamondia, therefore Crystal Ponies do not exist; Diamond Tiara & Silver Spoon are mare-aged; and Shining Armor & Cadence do not exist.

FIRST BLOOD -revised

Everfree Forest, Equestria – Three Months Earlier

Somewhere in Everfree Forest lies a wide field of blue flowers. The surroundings were dark and creepy, due to the sunlight inability to pierce through the dense foliage. A faint female weep could be heard from somewhere in the field. The reason for it is unknown but a pony was hiding amongst the flowery plants.

A dark purple-cloaked figure, whose face is obscured under her hood, approached the spot where the weeping sound originates.

“Oh you poor little thing...” the figure spoke up coldly, apparently a female.

The sobbing immediately stopped.

“W-who are you?” the unknown pony asked in distress. “What do you want from me?”

Without the answering the question, the figured said, “She did it, didn’t she? She crippled you, robbed you of your best friend. So you could die here all alone.”

Sniffling, the pony asked bitterly, “Are you here to make fun of me too?”

“Oh, no,” said the figure, with subtle hints of sarcasm. “It’s nothing like that. After seeing your condition, I wish to help you.”

“How?” the pony eagerly asked.

Excellent, the figure thought. Looks like this one can easily be manipulated. “Do you not feel hatred building up inside you?”

“I do!” the pony’s voice was almost screaming. “I want to kill her!”

Satisfied, the cloaked figure went on to tempt the unknown pony. “Oh, no, no, no. That’s way too easy. That harsh, selfish, inconsiderate pony sinned against you by taking your friend’s life. Why not condemn her, like the way she condemned you here? “

“That’s true,” the pony agreed. “Yes, I should torture her first!”

“And should you stop there? Why not go after Equestria as well? Hmm? What was that you said about others making fun of you?”

“Yeah! They are nothing but bullies! All the time they tried to take her away from me! They all too must pay!”

The cloaked figure smirked devilishly, for the mentally unstable pony was now in her grasp. “As they should be, for the world is full of wrongdoers who don’t deserve happiness.”

She produced the Alicorn Amulet from under her robe. Embedded on it is a red round jewel with black impressions of electronic circuitry. “I will give you power, and this power will give an army for you to command.”

A mysterious object of enormous proportion rose from the ground behind the cloaked figure. The semi-solid, shapeless mass spread around, trying to gain its true form, whatever that may be.

“They are coming to life thanks to the fiery rage in your heart,” the figure proclaimed to the pony. “Your anger will give you the strength you need. Let it drive you in your quest for vengeance.”

She raised the amulet forth so that the pony hiding in the field could see it clearly. “Wear this and they will be fully devoted to you. They will help you wreak your vengeance and do your every bidding without questioning.”

“Why?” the pony asked suspiciously, because the offer is definitely tempting, yet it also sounded too good to be true “Why would you help me?”

For a while, the figure did not say anything.

“You and I are so alike,” she said finally, pain from long distant memories hinted in her words. “Where I come from, a certain someone powerful wronged me, so I suffered. The rest look the other way. While they’re happy living their lives, I continue to suffer. From that experience, I learned how to mend my hurt feelings through my anger.”

The pony understood it immediately- vengeance.

After a long pause, she declared her decision, “I accept your offer. Celestia will be mine. I will take everything from her, just as she took everything from me. Then I shall rule over all those bullies, punishing them severely as I see fit.”

“Excellent!” The pleased unknown figure placed the amulet on the ground next to the flower field. “I’m putting this down here so whenever you’re ready to come out, you can just take it.”

“By the way,” she said, curiosity prevented her from leaving immediately, “you do realize the plants your hiding in are Poison Joke, don’t you?”

“Err… Mmmmmaybe- No.”

The cloaked figure shook her head. Typical.

“Hey, before you go,” said the pony hurriedly, “can I ask you something?”

“Yes?”

***

Canterlot, Equestria - Current Day

Currently occurring in the night sky is a strange phenomenon unknowingly called the Void. A haloed pitch-black sphere, slightly larger than human-size and surrounded by moving webs of bright violet energy has materialized in midair. Then out of it fell an armored female figure who then landed hard in the backyard of a boutique cum jewelry store. All this went unnoticed by the sleeping inhabitants of Canterlot.

It was now dawn. A second armored figure was sprinting across the dark woods. He cleared over a gulley, landing faraway on the other side and afterwards made it out into a golden brown meadow. He came to a full stop to catch his breath. Through his opaque visor, he spotted his destination over the distance. Atop the plateau, stands the city of Canterlot.

The visor retracted back, revealing the figure as a blue anthromorphic cat. His name is Zachary Logan Watterson, an Operative-ranked Battlecaster Godslayer. The sophisticated and rugged bodysuit-like armor he is wearing is known as the Arcanist SHADE. Aside from the Godslayer crest, the armor also sports a Bronze Star insignia.

The Godslayer glanced back to make certain that he is not being followed. Not wasting anymore time, he strode towards Canterlot Plateau instead of running to conserve his stamina.

Watterson was wrong however. Deep in the woods, three figures had raced all the way from the Southern Kingdom in pursuit of the Godslayer.

Manbearpig, or MBP for short, is a savage beast that, as implied by its name, might be an unholy offspring of a human, a bear and a pig. Its red, bulging right eye appears to be prosthetic.

White Bunneh is a child-sized ‘female’ humanoid with white hair, wearing a featureless chrome mask with red ornamentation on its forehead and a metallic hairband with ‘rabbit ears’. The outfit consists of a tight white bodysuit with large black boots and gloves.

Lastly, the ‘female’ humanoid feline dressed in jungle warrior outfit is called Mithra. A band with a flower-shaped ornament is worn on one arm.

Yet these three are not living beings. They are advanced robotic constructs whose existence in this world is meant not to be. Having only partial free-will and no emotions, they serve only to carry out the orders of their leader. One of which is killing Godslayer Watterson so as to finish the job back in Appleloosa.

Dash woke up. She found herself lying on a bed in an unfamiliar bedroom. She slowly sat up. Trying to remember where she is, she waited a few seconds before slowly pulling the covers back and getting to her feet. She is wobbly and unsteady. Her movement is heavy, as if she has not walk for days.

She looked down at her clothes, puzzled. She was wearing a turquoise-colored jacket over a white tank top and brown cargo pants. It is not the same clothes she remembered last wearing. She slowly moved over to the window and looked out.

It is past dawn outside. The colorful, vintage-designed buildings all looked strange to her. The trees lining the cobblestoned streets has turned golden brown. Dry leaves littered the sidewalks.

“Is it fall already?” she wondered.

She rubbed her eyes then retreated back to the bed. “Ugh, I’m seeing things. How much did I drink last night?”

The door opened. Dash turned her head back to see a strange-looking pony entering the bedroom. It has a magenta coat and wore a headband on its wavy violet and white mane.

Dash snapped back to reality as soon as the pony started talking.

Having never seen a human being before, the cautious Diamond Tiara tried to sound friendly. “Hi, err... Good morning. I’m glad to see you’re now up.”

“T-t-t-t-”

Dash’s reaction alarmed the Earth pony. “You feeling all right? Should I get you anything? Herbal tea? You do drink tea, right?”

“A TALKING HORSE!?”

Dash jumped and in doing so, tripped herself by accident.

“Aw geez,” she muttered to herself on the floor, “this can’t be happening. I’m not crazy. I am NOT crazy. This is just a dream. I was having an emotional breakdown last night then I had too much cider and now I'm lying naked on the floor, hallucinating about talking horses.”

Dash proceeded to smack her head with her own hands. “Wake up, wake up, WAKE UP!!!”

As soon as she sat up, her face fell- she is still in the same bedroom, with the talking Earth pony. “Aw, come on…!”

Dash backed away until her back touched the wall. They stared at each other warily.

“Please stay calm,” Diamond Tiara tried to reassure the delirious Dash. “I mean you no harm, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“Okay, okay. Relax. Stay cool, Dash. Try to act rational. Think of what Twilight would do in this kinda situation.” Dash took a deep breath, then… “WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU!?”

“How rude!” said offended Diamond Tiara. “I found you passed out in the backyard few days ago then brought you up here! You could’ve at least showed a bit of gratitude!”

Only then the Earth pony cringed inwardly, having regretted for abruptly raising her voice.

Leaning against wall, Dash rose to her feet.

“W-where am I?” she asked whilst edging around the room towards the door.

Diamond Tiara’s gaze followed her. “This is my boutique.”

That is not the answer Dash was looking for. “No! I mean, where is this place!?”

“You’re in Canterlot,” the Earth pony stated. “Look, I don’t know where you came from but you’re obviously traumatized-”

Having reached the door at last, Dash uttered a sharp goodbye then fled out of the room.

Silver Spoon co-owns the store with Diamond Tiara. Her size is relatively small compared to her friends due to her being the youngest in the group. And because she has severe vision problem, the grey Earth pony has to wear glasses all the time.

Over at the jewelry counter display case, she is met by Trixie Lulamoon. The unicorn wore a simple barrette at the side her long, pale blue and white mane.

“Trixie! Hi!” Silver Spoon greeted her friend excitedly. She cannot wait to tell Trixie about what she and Diamond Tiara have in their bedroom upstairs.

“Morning, Spoony,” Trixie greeted back cheerfully. “Just want to return this before going back to work.”

After placing the book titled 1000 Card Tricks on the counter, she with an appreciative smile said, “Thanks. It’s quite a good read.”

“That’s great!” Silver Spoon was happy to hear that. “I’ve several more similar books like that. You can borrow them anytime you like.”

“I sure will,” Trixie promised before glancing around. “Where’s Tiara?”

“Upstairs. You will not believe what we just found in our backyard!”

It was then that a crashing sound was heard coming from upstairs. They turned to see a human being tumbling down the stairs.

Dash immediately got back on her feet. Her eyes widened in shock upon seeing Trixie and Silver Spoon. “Aw geez! Not more of them!”

Shortly, Diamond Tiara had made her way down the stairs. “Please wait! At least let me get a doctor to check up on you!”

But Dash instead rushed past several pony mannequins, each fitted with its own dress, fashion jewelries and other accessories, and out to the front entrance. The three ponies watched as Dash jumped over the low fence, strangely a mere few feet away from the opened gate.

The dumbstruck Trixie looked at Diamond Tiara, then at Silver Spoon. “What was that?”

“That’ll be it.”

Dash ran as fast as she could, without knowing exactly where to go. Upon arriving at a cliff, only then she realized the city was actually built on high ground. She marveled at the panoramic view of the plain. From the west, forested mountain range (known as Unicorn Range) overlook vast meadows to the east, of which it is divided by a wide icy blue river flowing from Canterlot and coming from the south is the main road with a cable bridge linking Canterlot and Ponyville across the river.

Dash backtracked and ran to another direction. Had she waited longer, Dash would have noticed a mechanical object streaking across the sky, making it way towards Canterlot. Its angular design and sharp edges suggests it did not originate from this world.

The still-confused Dash went through several empty alleys. Along the way, she kept on running into some empty barrels and tripping herself by accident. After exiting the alley, the exhausted young woman immediately stopped to catch her breath. After she recovered, what Dash saw next shocked her. She gaped at the surrounding environment. By now, it was now clear to her that the entire city is inhabited by horses- ponies, unicorns and pegasus of various colors and strange ‘marks’ on their flanks.

The ponies became wary as soon as Dash’s presence was made known to them.

“Is that a talking monkey?” one pony asked his companion who in turn replied, “I think so.”

“Yeah, I believe they’re called ‘humans’!” said another. “But I thought they’re just a myth made up by the Star Swirl the Crazy.”

More came to join the muttered conversation. Others only stared in silence, uncertain on how to react.

Dash felt weak in the knees in response. “Aw, I think I’m gonna pass out…”

All of a sudden, panicked screams emitted all around her.

“Faust Almighty!” shouted one pony as he pointed up his hoof. “Incoming!”

A figure was hurtling through the air over a building. Panicked ponies galloped for cover as soon as the figure impacted on the ground, just a few feet away from Dash. She stepped away in alarm because the figure’s armor was flaring as if it is emitting electricity. Once the flaring stopped, a band of electricity flowed up over the armor.

The figure is none other than Godslayer Watterson. He rose to his feet with a groan before noticing Dash’s presence. After his visor retracted, the Godslayer looked at her strangely.

“Huh? This can’t be right…”

Aw great, now a talking cat, Dash thought. What next?

Godslayer Watterson mistook Dash as a fellow Godslayer, after seeing the crest embedded on her jacket. “What are you doing here? You’re not from my lance.”

The feline’s words baffled Dash. “Urk! ‘Scuse me!? Do we know each other!?

“Of course not.” He then introduced himself as Watterson.

Dash’s brows furrowed upon hearing the name. “Zach? Zach Watterson?”

Genuine surprise came over the Godslayer. “Yeah. How did you know?”

Apart from his teammates, he himself does not know all the thousands members of the Godslayer Corps let alone their full names.

“I…I dunno why I said that.” Dash was confused as he is.

“You’re not making sense, comrade!” The Godslayer came close to her with a sharp stare. “Why were you sent here!?”

But then, he noticed something highly familiar regarding the young brunet, though he is unable to put his put my finger on it. “Weird, I think I’ve seen you before…”

“No,” Dash said immediately. “I don’t think so.”

More screams emitted. Ponies backed away into the surrounding shops upon the sudden appearance of MBP.

“We’ll talk later,” Godslayer Watterson said, “after we deal with these Nanite construct.”

Huh? I don’t get this dream, Dash thought.

The deafening sound of an engine roared in the distance. Godslayer Watterson, having realized the sound was approaching from their rear, shoved Dash out of the way. A bronze winged tank armed with twin cannons, known as the Dalek, swooped low above ground level, passed dangerously close to Dash and slammed hard into Godslayer Watterson. She stared bafflingly as the tank flew off with the Godslayer. Upon hearings a menacing growl behind her, Dash turned around. The MBP now stood towering over her.

MBP started scanning Dash with its vision. After the analysis on her clothes was completed, the construct recognized the human as a potential threat. Sharp claws protracted on its right paw. It tried to lash at Dash but she managed to dodge the attack. Still, the MBP managed to catch Dash in her attempt to flee with its left human hand. With one mighty throw, she hurtled across the street.

Fearing for her life, Dash clenched her eyes tightly and braced for impact. Over the course of this event, a glow was flowing over her clothes. It began to change color and distort, moments before she crashed through the wall.

Wincing in pain yet unscathed, Dash got up to her feet. Bits of wood and broken stones trickled off her shoulders.

‘kay, not a dream after all, she thought.

Surprised at how she somehow managed to survive the crash, Dash looked down to examine herself. “Hey, what happened to my clothes!?”

She was now clad in the Fleet variant of the SHADE. The bodysuit portion had similarities to Zach’s armor. The protective armor plates, forming the shoulder pads, breastplates, arm guards and leggings, appear to be made from carbon fiber-like materials. All of these gave her a futuristic soldier-look. However, unlike Zach, her armor only sports the Godslayer crest without an insignia.

The blue-silver armor flared briefly until its energy shielding was fully recharged. She moved her arms and body. The SHADE’s non-bulky design, from the bodysuit’s flexibility to the spread of the plates, enabled her to freely move around. It also bears no weight at all, like cloth. Looking closely, the fabric of the bodysuit appears to be made out of a mesh composed of tiny hexagonal crystallines, and the plates consist of multiple layers of interconnected pieces, anchored to it.

Godslayer Dash looked around and saw that she is in an empty bowling alley. Littered all over the floor are debris from the broken wall, furniture and bowling balls. Just then, MBP seized Godslayer Dash from behind and hauled her up.

“No, get away from me! You freak-”

Struggling to free herself from its strong grip, she made a few accidental but very powerful punches and kicks, causing MBP to release her. She dropped to the floor as the beast staggered behind.

Godslayer Dash got up, feeling astonished at her inhumane strength. “Whoa, did I just…”

Before she could say more, the recovered MBP came at her. Acting on instincts, she started grabbing the bowling balls on the floor.

Godslayer Dash declared, “Dodgeball!” and proceeded to batter the beast with bowling ball salvos.

The MBP froze. Its body began to erode away and finally disintegrated into glowing particles, or dusts…whatever.

Godslayer Dash scratched on her helmet, puzzled by the phenomenon. She walked out of the building through the gap in wall. She looked to her side then broke into a run in the opposite direction, with a grenade launcher-wielding White Bunneh in pursuit.

Godslayer Dash screamed in panic as she ran as fast as she could from the explosions behind her. “WHY THE HECK IS THIS HAPPENING TO ME!?”

Unbeknownst to herself, she was sprinting at an amazing, almost superhuman speed. Up ahead, a cart was blocking her path. The passengers got off as soon as they saw her. She easily cleared over it in one big leap. As she ran away, the cart exploded behind her.

Soon, a big wagon carrying barrels came out of a junction to inadvertently block her path. She vaulted over it and after making a perfect landing on the other side, she continued to run. Like the cart before it, the wagon was blasted into pieces by White Bunneh.

Discord Goodguy Jr, the captain of the Equestrian Royal Guards exited the shop with a bag of candy popcorn in his hands.

“Another beautiful day in Canterlot,” he said pleasantly. “No chaos happening around. Just me and my pop- WHAT THE FAUST!?”

Almost colliding with the draconequss, Godslayer Dash leaped in the last moment. She performed a horse vault over the captain’s helmet, in doing so caused the popcorn to spill on the ground. Godslayer Dash landed on behind him and managed to say sorry before running away.

A short moment later, the winged tank was back. At high speed, it hit Godslayer Dash from her side then dragged her up high above the city rooftops. The tank appeared to be damaged, as it was sparking and leaking gas all over. Godslayer Dash scrambled over the tank. After which, she lost her grip and fell off.

The ground seemed to rush up to meet her. Suddenly, the thrusters on the armor’s rear breastplate and leggings fired powerful streams of jet. It barely stabilized her but did manage to slow down her fall. Barely had any control over the thrusters, she zigzagged across the sky above the park, screaming in panic.

Godslayer Watterson watched this happening from a rooftop. “Oh gosh, don’t tell they sent a newbie!”

He slid down the roof to head towards where Dash is.

Godslayer Dash landed on top of a canopy tent then bounced off. The pony manning the tent ducked under the counter then escaped as soon as the Godslayer hit the ground. After shaking off her pain, Godslayer Dash was on her feet again. Suddenly a blow missed her by an inch. She looked at her current opponent. It was Mithra, wielding a club. She swiftly dodged and parried Mithra’s strikes using Jujutsu moves learned from her time with the royal air force.

Concurrently, the winged tank touched down nearby. Sections of the tank retracted and stacked over each other, transforming it into a hulking one-eyed mech, with disproportionately oversized fists and tracked feet. The turret became its shoulder cannons drawn into its back. A red disc is engraved on its chest.

Godslayer Watterson darted right in front of Mecha-Dalek. He conjured an arrow made out of solid-state energy with a fiery aura around it on his tek-bow. He successfully acquired a headshot, whereupon the mech broke apart into glowing particles.

“Hey!” Godslayer Watterson angrily called out to Godslayer Dash whom is the midst of fending off Mithra’s attacks. “What is wrong with you!? Use your Ethereal weapon!”

“A wha-!?”

He expressed his extreme surprise by gesturing erratically. “What do you mean ‘WHAT’!? Conjure it!!!”

In trying to understand understand that really meant, Godslayer Dash was caught off her guard, allowing Mithra to land a hit. Enraged by the pain inflicted on her, she lunged at Mithra. She parried another strike and proceeded to disarm Mithra. After acquiring the club, Godslayer Dash swung it across Mithra’s legs, causing the construct to fall. She then wasted no time in beating it up mercilessly.

Huh, whichever works... Godslayer Watterson thought.

He spun around upon when White Bunneh showed up from behind and firing grenades at him.

Resist Shield!

A huge Ethereal shield materialized right before him, appearing as a ‘magic circle’ surrounded by mystical markings and with a flame symbol in the middle. The shield blocked all the shots with ease.

Suddenly, Godslayer Dash sprinted past him. Using the club in her hands, Godslayer Dash delivered a blow that hurled White Bunneh backwards.

“That’s for trying to blow me up to smithereens, you freak!” she said triumphantly.

As soon as the Ethereal shield dematerialized, Godslayer Watterson finished off White Bunneh with a head shot. With that, the battle was now over. Godslayer Dash’s visor retracted. She was breathing heavily and a little shaken.

Still holding onto his tek-bow, Godslayer Watterson carefully approached her from behind. “Hey, what kind of a Godslayer are you!?”

Godslayer Dash turned around, then spoke in a shaky voice, “Look, I-I dunno what’s going on but I don’t belong here! A-and I’m not who you think I am!”

The revelation shocked Godslayer Watterson. “What the what!?”

Godslayer Dash gestured at the Fleet SHADE that she is wearing. “I dunno how this- this thing got on me. You’ve gotta believe me. All I know is I was having a drink last night. A-and the next thing I know…I woke up in this wacky ponyland!”

But Godslayer Watterson was unconvinced. “Man, that is the most ridiculous excuse I have ever heard in my life!”

“Gimme a break! I’m telling the truth! All this is so weird to me I’d rather go back to my old boring life!”

Godslayer Watterson was still uncertain whether to trust the woman before him or not. “Gee, I don’t know… GOSH DARN IT!!!”

Shock came over Godslayer Dash as Godslayer Watterson abruptly bore his tek-bow at her. “Wait, no, no, no, no!”

Taking a step back, she tried to shield herself with her forearms. “Don’t kill me!”

MagNet!

An Ethereal ‘magic circle’ (it has the exact same appearance as the Resist Shield) materialized under Godslayer Dash’s feet. Her body movement was paralyzed by the glow projected by the ‘magic circle’.

Godslayer Watterson released the Fiery-Ethereal arrow. It shot past Godslayer Dash’s neck and hit Mithra instead, which happened to be trapped in the ‘magic circle’ too. In its hand was a dagger. It was trying to backstab Godslayer Dash.

After Mithra disintegrated, a quick thought crossed Godslayer Watterson’s mind. STAT, Access the armor’s log files. Scan for the ident of the owner. Enter credentials. Name: Zachary Logan Watterson. User ID: 458524. Password: Old Marshal Winter.

Underneath the visor, Watterson’s expression fell at the data pulling up on his HUD. He recognized the real owner of the Fleet SHADE.

Download all the data logs to my armor then encrypt the originals, he instructed the SHADE’s software engine. Is it possible to shut down her armor?

The HUD flickered red: negative. Godslayer Dash’s armor belonged to someone of higher rank.

Godslayer Dash fell to her knees once the ‘magic circle’ disappeared. She glared furiously at Zach. “You shoulda warned me first!!!”

Godslayer Watterson’s tek-bow also dematerialized in the same fashion, thus revealing the weapon is also Ethereal-based. He took a step closer to Godslayer Dash and scolded her. “You idiot! Why the heck didn’t you finish it off when you had the chance!?”

“She wasn’t moving! I thought-”

Godslayer Watterson cut her off, “It’s NOT a she! Sheesh, what a noob!”

“Hey!” Godslayer Dash exclaimed in irritation at the name call.

After the visor retracted, Godslayer Watterson cast a sharp and calculating glare at her. “Can’t say I totally believe everything you just said, but I’ll take it anyway. From this moment on, you’re with me but I’m keeping an eye you. If you try anything funny,-”

He then spoke in a scary voice which sounded comedic rather than intimidating, “Well, let’s just say I got some skills, scary skills, which I’ve acquired over a long career as a Godslayer. And you really don’t wanna know what those skills are.”

Godslayer Dash rose to her feet, shooting a defiant glare with arms akimbo. “Hey, I don’t take kindly to threats, y’know!”

Godslayer Watterson reverted to his normal voice. “I’m being cautious since I don’t know you. Now, pay attention. If you’re anything but the bad guys, then you’ll do as I say and you can’t go anywhere without my permission. As long as you don’t interfere with my job, I’ll help you sort out this mess, deal?”

“No way!” Godslayer Dash protested. “You ain’t the boss of me!”

“Good luck, then.” Godslayer Watterson turned and casually walked away from her.

“Wait, where’re you goin’!?” Godslayer Dash immediately chased after him. “Urgh! Okay, it’s a deal! Geez!”

A momentary sly smile formed on Godslayer Watterson’s face before turning around.

“I dunno where to go to in this wacky place anyway,” Godslayer Dash conceded and offered a handshake. “Let’s shake on it.”

“Hmm, you might wanna do better than that.”

Godslayer Dash extended a closed fist. “Fist bump!?”

Godslayer Watterson shook his head. “No.”

“Aw, c’mon!” Godslayer Dash thought for another way. “‘Kay, fine! This might look childish, but here goes!”

Godslayer Watterson watched in wonder Godslayer Dash made the Pinkie Pie Promise.

The latter gestured mimicking her phrase, “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.”

“It’s supposed to be a sign of an irrevocable bow not to break a promise,” she said afterwards. “A friend taught me that. You happy now?”

Although still fraught with uncertainty, Godslayer Watterson nodded. “Now, change back to your normal clothes.”

“How do I do that?” Godslayer Dash asked.

“How’d you get into armor mode in the first place!?” the feline asked back in surprise.

“I dunno! Honest!”

“Fine,” Godslayer Watterson sighed. “Say “SHADE Armor, time out”.”

Godslayer Dash repeated the words. The helmet separated. The protective plates detached from the bodysuit. They hovered in a circular motion around her, like magic as the bodysuit transformed into her previous clothes. Each piece separated further, changed color and reshaped into thinner, more flexible sheets. They embed themselves onto her boots and clothes. Once the process was completed, the transformed pieces did indeed appeare as if they are part of the attire.

“That was aww-some!” Dash said in amazement while looking down at herself.

Godslayer Watterson’s Arcanist SHADE followed suit, transforming into grey trousers and a brown-tan sweater. The Godslayer crest is embedded on the sweater the same way as Dash’s jacket.

“Hey, how’d you do that without the phrase?” Dash asked in surprise.

“By using the power of my mind,” Zach said, without bothering to offer a detailed explanation. “Say, what’s your full name?”

“I’m Iris. Iris Dashiell. Dash for short.”

“Why didn’t you use your first name?”

“B’cuz it doesn’t sound as cool and awesome.”

Zach shrugged his shoulders. “Whatever.”

Shortly, Captain Discord, whose armor suit was smoldering after getting hit by White Bunneh’s grenade earlier, showed up and was advancing on the two.

“Halt in the name of the Royal Sisters!” he proclaimed whilst waving his staff-mace threateningly. “Surrender now or suffer the wrath of my Exquisite Ban Hammer!”

Prince Umbra, a handsome grey unicorn with and green eyes and stylish black and blue-streaked mane. He is apparently of royal descent as seen through his opulent red robe.

“It’s all right, captain,” he said. “The blue feline is with me. As for this, err…”

The prince regarded Dash with fascination as he set his eyes on a human being for the first time in his life. “-stranger, she’s a hero, for I saw the whole fight with my own eyes.”

“Really?” Discord was rather uncertain about Zach and Dash, whom he considered as outright strange. “You mean she’s not on the same side with that gun-toting white bunny-monkey thingy?”

Nonetheless, the captain eased up and lowered his weapon. “Very well.”

He then eyed Dash quizzically. “What creature are you supposed to be?”

Zach dropped to one knee in deference to Prince Umbra. “Your Highness.”

At the same time, Discord looked over at Dash then to Zach. “That’s strange. I clearly remembered you had different clothes on.”

“Stand, Lord Watterson,” Umbra ordered. “I am so relieved you that you finally made it here from your scouting mission in Appleloosa.”

He then turned to speak to Dash. “Oh, where are my manners? I am Prince Umbra of the Southern Kingdom. What is your name, newcomer?”

“Just…call me Dash.”

“Splendid, Miss Dash! You two are comrades, yes?”

Zach tried to answer on Dash’s behalf but Dash cut him off with a clear “no”, prompting the prince to regard her quizzically.

“Sorry, uh, your-royal highness…sir. By all seriousness, I dunno where to start.”

“Then you can tell us along the way. Come, Miss Dash.”

“I shall prepare the transport at once!” Discord said.

“Where’re we headin’?” Dash asked.

“Oh, I almost forgot!” The captain hastily handed her a small piece of paper.

“What’s this?”

“It’s a ticket, for ruining my candy popcorn.”

“Say WHAT!?”

As Dash went after Captain Discord to complain about the fine, Zach walked off slowly, his arms folded, thinking. “Iris Dashiell…Dash…”

Realization hit him. Her nickname, her facial appearance, the Pinkie Pie Promise… “Rainbow Dash…?”

Inside the carriage, Zach was sitting next to Umbra and warily looked on Dash while listening to their conversation.

“So you say you come from a world called Earth?” the prince asked.

Dash gave an affirmative nod.

“Fascinating! I have no knowledge of it as human beings are supposedly mere legends crafted by the Star Swirl the Crazy. And judging from your clothing, I could’ve easily mistaken that you and Zach were from the same place. But how did you come to be here?”

“That’s the problem. The last thing I remembered was me chatting with a guy that I don’t know over the table in a diner. That was yesterday… Or at least I think it was… I can’t even remember what the conversation is about. After that, everything’s suddenly becomes total blank.”

Umbra seemed to understand the predicament Dash is going through. “Ah, you’re suffering from a memory loss, I see. Perhaps Princess Celestia can assist you, as the story goes she is quite knowledgeable in advanced magic.”

“Wut? There’s magic here?”

“Yes. All unicorns, including myself, can perform magic but the skills vary considerably from pony to pony.”

“What kinda magic?”

“Oh, basic ones- levitation, shielding, create bonfires. Nothing overly complicated. However, I have every confidence that advanced magic such as a memory spell shouldn’t pose a problem for a pony of Princess Celestia’s stature. Isn’t that right, Lord Watterson?”

“Huh?” Startled, Zach snapped out of his thoughts and faced his master. “Oh- Oh, yeah. Sure, Your Highness.”

“You are unusually quiet,” the prince commented, looking at his bodyguard with concern. “Is something bothering you?”

“Me? Nothing. Nothing’s wrong, Your Highness. I’m totally fine.”

It was then that Dash decided to find out more the place. “Princess Celestia, she’s in charge here, right?”

“That is correct,” Umbra answered. “She is the benevolent ruler of Equestria, this very land you found yourself in.”

Dash frowned upon hearing the name Equestria. “That’s weird.”

The country where she is from is also named Equestria.

“Anything wrong?” the prince asked her.

“No, it’s nothin’,” she said dismissively.

“Anyway, truth be told, I never met the princess before. But I have heard of the tales. By wielding Elements of Harmony, she had once defeated her sister who attempted to usurp the throne after said to be possessed by a malevolent supernatural entity called Nightmare Moon.”

Of course, having come from a different world means Dash did not understand some of the terms. “The Elements of Harmony? What’s that?”

“It is a mysterious magic artifact said to hold unimaginable power,” Umbra explained. “You see, the evil creatures you just fought were a part of an army that had recently invaded my kingdom. If it weren’t for Lord Watterson here, I couldn’t have made it out of there alive. In return for his help, I knighted him as my personal bodyguard. We are heading to the princess’ castle as we speak to seek her assistance.”

Dash suddenly remembered the strange term used for the aforementioned creatures. “Hey Zach. You mentioned something about ‘Nanite constructs’, right?”.

Zach laughed nervously, when he realized his stupid mistake. “What? Did I really say that? I have no idea what that means. Nope, you heard me wrong. I meant those monsters got me ‘knickers in a twist’ for following me all the way here.”

Dash leaned back to the couch in disappointment at Zach’s response.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness,” Zach said. “I should’ve been more careful.”

“It’s all right. I’m sure you’ve done the best you could.”

“Is that it?” Dash was glancing out the window.

Came into her view are the many turrets and spired towers of a magnificent castle.

PRINCESS CELESTIA - revised

Author's Note

Twilight Sparkle's behavior is based upon the character Twilight 'Sparkle' Mengele.

PRINCESS CELESTIA - revised

The carriage entered through the unguarded main gate of a castle that stands majestically with its many ivory towers and turrets with golden spires and domes, atop a small hill with terraced gardens built around it.

After the passengers disembarked from the carriage, Discord became furious at the lack of security around the castle. “Goodness! Where are the guards!? I swear to Faust Almighty I’ll turn them into candy popcorn if I catch them sleeping on the job! Imagine all the chaos that could’ve happened in their absence.”

Dash and Zach waited, chilly autumn air blew in their faces, as the captain opened the main entrance for the visitors.

“Y’know, this is unbelievably light for an armor,” Dash remarked. “Why’s it called a SHADE?”

“If I tell you,” Zach said, “will you stop bothering me with the questions?”

“Um, okay.”

“It’s backronym for ‘Superior Highly-Advanced and Durable Exoskeleton’.”

“So is this magic too? ‘Cuz that name sounds more sci-fi than magic fantasy.”

“Quit it already,” Zach said in irritation.

But Dash ignored him. “And why’s yours look different?”

“Hey!!! Let’s not talk about it anymore, okay!?”

Crossed, Dash folded her arms and looked away. “Lame!”

“Look, Dash. Considering how I feel about public nudity, the only reason I’m letting you keeping that is because, in case you didn’t notice, it’s the only thing you’re wearing right now.”

She looked down at her clothes in realization.

“And don’t forget your promise,” Zach reminded her. “When we get to Princess Celestia, let the prince do all the talking. You just observe and play along with me.”

Dash shrugged her shoulders. “Yea, yea. Whatevs.”

Discord addressed Price Umbra as they all entered the main entrance into a vibrant hallway lined with decorative pillars, diamond chandeliers, stained glass and antique vases. “Before your audience with the princess, I shall need to take you to see the Chancellor.”

“Of course,” the prince agreed. “But we mustn’t waste too much time.”

Sitting at the grand table before them is Sir Blueblood, the Chancellor of Equestria. Discord stood guard at his side. Dash watched in awe as a quill wrote on its own on a piece of paper, both floating in midair before the unicorn.

“What do you mean by the princess isn’t available, my good sir?” Umbra asked in utter dismay.

“I’m truly sorry, Your Highness,” Blueblood said. “It’s not possible to see her right now. But you needn’t be too concerned. I guarantee that should any threat cross our border,-”

“But sir,” Zach interjected, “four of them already have!”

Discord snapped his fingers and casually said, “I can vouch for that.”

Blueblood shot an annoyed glare at the captain.

After Discord apologized, Blueblood turned his attention back to the guests. “Now where was I? Oh yes. Should any threat cross our border, our royal army will be more than adequately to take on them.”

“That won’t do, sir!” Prince Umbra protested. “I’m afraid you don’t fully understand the threat we are about to face! A great war is approaching! Brought upon an evil ‘Alicorn’! Only your princess and the Elements of Harmony can be hoped to defeat this new evil.”

Dash tensed up at the mention of word ‘war’. First talking ponies, then some freakish creatures tried to kill her and now this? Things were getting worse and it was not even past one day.

Blueblood and Captain Discord exchanged a cryptic look.

At this point, a female unicorn was storming into the office in a fit of panic. “SIR!!!”

She stopped to catch her breath. When she did so, the unicorn was taken aback by Dash’s presence.

“Faust Almighty!” Blueblood was appalled by his assistant’s behavior. “Sunset Shimmer, calm down!”

Dash glared at Sunset Shimmer bitterly as the unicorn’s appearance vaguely reminded her of a person who is her greatest antipathy. Even their voices are the same. She then shook her head to shrug the feeling off.

“Sorry about that,” Blueblood said to his guests. “This is Sunset Shimmer, my assistant.”

As much as Sunset Shimmer wanted to question the foreign guests’ business here, there was a much urgent matter need to be dealt with first. “Sir, she escaped from the asylum!”

“What!?” Blueblood exclaimed, knowing full well who Sunset Shimmer was referring to. “How!? Dr. Horse’s anti-magic barrier was supposed to be impenetrable!”

“That’s not all! She’s h-”

The unicorn was cut off by a sweet, angelic voice echoing from the hallway outside the office. “My dear nephew, who are you speaking to?”

Blueblood and Sunset Shimmer paled from fear. Faust Almighty, help us all.

Fully aware that the chancellor is the Princess of the Sunlight’s nephew, Umbra got up expectantly. He headed to the door, followed by Dash and Zach. Sunset Shimmer attempted to stop them but they were already outside the office.

In the hallway, the prince was delighted to finally meet the elegant white Alicorn with flowing multi-colored mane. “Ah, Princess Celestia! Just the royal pony we need to see.”

Sunset Shimmer chased after him. “No, stop! There’s a shocking fact you must know about her!”

“Sunset Shimmer!” The princess’ voice was stern and commanding. “It’s impolite to interrupt when our guest is speaking!”

Sunset Shimmer cringed. Based on her expression, she is definitely afraid of the princess, but why?

Celestia smiled confidently at the guests and spoke in a calmer voice, “You may speak.”

Meanwhile, at the rear, Blueblood leaned close to Discord, both looking worried.

“Captain, get the royal guards here now.”

“I would have if I could find them.”

Sunset Shimmer joined in and whispered something to them both. Whatever it was about, Blueblood’s was very shocked to hear it.

“It happened a short while ago,” Sunset Shimmer informed him.

Umbra bowed in respect before Celestia. “Let me introduce myself. I am Prince Umbra of the Southern Kingdom.”

He gestured at Zach. “These are my acquaintances. Lord Zachary Watterson. He claims to be a knight-errant from the Badlands.”

Dash wondered if Godslayer is synonymous with knight-errant. But then again, he did deny when asked about the ‘Nanites’.

Oblivious to Dash’s reaction at him, Zach bowed to Princess Celestia and then knelt on one knee.

“And this is Miss Dash.” Umbra paused briefly to think. “An…associate we happen to meet on the way here.”

Dash was unsure of the protocol. She merely copied what Zach was doing.

Celestia appeared to be astonished to see Dash. “Why, she’s a human being. It seems that Star Swirl’s stories might have a ring of truth in it after all, yes?”

“Indeed,” Umbra agreed.

“Now, pressing to the matter at hoof. What brings you here all the way from the South, Prince Umbra?”

“Is it all right for us to speak here, princess?”

“If it is so urgent, then yes, you may proceed.”

"Very well. First and foremost, it is an honor for me to be admitted in your presence, Princess Celestia. But alas, I could only wish it was in better circumstances.” Umbra raised his voice a little, so as to sound dramatic. “We risked ourselves journeying here to bring troubling news. A war is approaching!”

Zach rose to his feet, hastily followed by Dash.

The prince continued, “Tales of your victory over Nightmare Moon were widely spread in the land. We humbly request that you wield the Elements of Harmony once again for a new evil have emerged from Everfree Forest.”

Zach gestured broadly. Blueblood and Sunset Shimmer gasped in awe as an array of virtual display screens surrounded them.

Both unicorns were thinking of the same thing. A being other than unicorns capable of magic? Unbelievable!

Discord seemed delighted however. “Ooh, is it magic show? I should’ve brought some candy popcorn.”

As for Celestia, she remained composed.

An image of a fully armored female pony standing in a perfect upright position appeared. Her armor is styled in the manner of a robotic Alicorn, with spiked wings and a red horn-shaped crystal on her helmet. The visor blocks all view of her face, leaving only two menacing glowing eyes visible.

“An angry pony going by the name Ragingheart has taken over my kingdom! Numbering in the millions, we were hopelessly overwhelmed by her army!”

On the other screens, innumerable MBPs, Daleks, Mithras and White Bunnehs massed out from Everfree Forest and Ghastly Gorge towards Appleloosa, the capital city of the Southern Kingdom. War erupted across the myriad screens. Explosions wreaked havoc on Appleloosa as Godslayer Watterson along with the outnumbered defenders battled Ragingheart’s forces.

“We have come to believe Ragingheart has set her sights on Equestria as we speak, planning on bringing chaos to this kingdom as she previously did to mine! Homes and cities will be demolished-for no reason! Ponies will be damned as slaves in rock farms, digging rock-for no reason! And forced to eat nothing but tofu bacon for their meals!”

Another screen showed Mithras and White Bunnehs commanding a group of pony slaves in the rock farm. Ragingheart gestured triumphantly amid the chaos in the final screen.

While that entire scene is playing, Dash thought to herself, Seriously? Rock farms, tofu bacon. This place is wacky!

By now Umbra prepared to conclude his speech. “Oh, great Princess Celestia! As the bearer of Elements of Harmony, you are everypony’s last hope! Let us join forces to defeat this evil ‘Alicorn’-”

“So is she an angry ‘Alicorn’ or an evil ‘Alicorn’?” Celestia abruptly interrupted him. “I’m confused here,”

“Why, she is both, princess… As I was saying, let us join forces to defeat this evil ‘Alicorn’ before the light of good is extinguished forever.”

Zach made another gesture. All the screens immediately vanished.

He then gave the prince a thumbs-up. “Great performance, Your Highness.”

“I couldn’t have done it without your speech, Lord Watterson.”

Zach and Umbra eagerly waited for the princess’ reaction.

Finally, Celestia looking distressed spoke, “That’s…terrible. I’ll be in my room! And don’t even bother to find me until everything is all over!”

Her horn lighted up in a dark purple aura. A split second later, she disappeared in a flash, stunning everyone there, except Blueblood, Sunset Shimmer and Discord.

“What, that’s it?” Dash said to break the awkward silence.

Celestia suddenly reappeared in the same manner right before Prince Umbra. Now wearing sunglasses and a black business tie.

“Before that,” she grinned widely at him, which is rather uncharacteristic to her elegance and beauty, “may I interest you in an anti-fire and anti-theft policy for only fifty bits premium?”

Umbra became confused by the princess’ demeanor. “Pardon me?”

“The only way you can make a claim with this coverage is if your house is robbed while it´s burniiiing!”

Dash and Zach both gazed at Celestia strangely.

“You’re kidding, right?” Dash said to the seemingly deranged princess.

“Problem? Don’t let me frighten you into a hasty decision. Sleep on it tonight. If you wake in the morning, then give me a call then and let me know.”

Celestia gave each of the guests her ‘business card’ before disappearing from there- again.

They all take a closer look at the card:

TROLLESTIA INSURANCE.

Best Coverage, No Gimmicks – probably!

Baffled, Zach asked the now nervous Blueblood, “What was that all about!?”

“It’s not what it looks like. She had recently started a-”

“Please, sir!” Sunset Shimmer interjected, having decided that enough is enough. “We can’t hide this forever from the other kingdoms, especially when things have gotten out of hoof!”

Sir Blueblood relented with a heavy heart.

Sunset Shimmer turned to the guests and began telling the truth regarding Princess Celestia. “The battle between Princess Luna and Celestia-”

The way Sunset Shimmer addressed the latter princess drew disapproval from Blueblood.

“The battle between Princess Luna and Princess Celestia,” Sunset Shimmer corrected. “This is how it really goes...”

Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria, there were two royal sisters who ruled together and created harmony for all the land. To do this, the eldest used her unicorn powers to raise the sun at dawn. The younger brought out the moon to begin the night.

Thus the two sisters maintained balance for their kingdom and their subjects. But as time went on, the elder sister became resentful. The ponies partied in the night her younger sister brought forth, but worked through her beautiful day.

One fateful day, the older Alicorn refused to lower the sun to make way for the dusk. The younger sister tried to reason with her, but the bitterness of the old one’s heart had transformed her into a wicked mare of hatred. She surrounded herself with a brigade of evil traitors then stole seven powerful magic artifacts from her sister’s treasure chamber- the Alicorn Amulets.

With their newfound power, the evil forces under Princess Celestia fought the good Princess Luna. Eventually, Princess Celestia defeated her younger sister and banished her to the moon.

A moment of silent disbelief passed until Dash decided to break it. “You’re making this all up, aren’t you?”

Zach nudged her arm in response.

“Please excuse her,” he said to Sunset Shimmer. “So… about the Alicorn Amulet, it’s Dark Magic, isn’t it?”

“Yes," the unicorn confirmed. "For using it, they paid a terrible price.”

“How?”

“When Princess Celestia was left as the sole ruler for a year, she ordered the cover up of her battle against Princess Luna. Everything was peaceful for a while. But as time goes by, she gradually fell into insanity.”

“Calling herself Trollestia, nonsensical ramblings, silly pranks,” Discord added, “things like that. Whichever mad gods created those amulets, they really went all out.”

Blueblood felt deeply hurt that more secrets to his family’s disgrace are made known to guests.

***

Lyra Heartstrings is a mint-coated unicorn capable of walking on her two hind legs- probably the only one able to do so. One day, she was eagerly showing her sketches to her eccentric friend, Derpy. Eccentric not due to her googly eyes, but the muffin the pegasus seemed to always carry around on her mane.

Trollestia then appeared out of nowhere to interrupt the two friends. “Hey, hey, hey! Any of you like bananas?”

“Sorry, Your Royal Highness,” Derpy said earnestly. “I don’t.”

Trollestia however did not like the answer at all. “You don’t like bananas? How could you not like bananas? What could possibly be better than the super delicious yet nutrient-deficient yellow vegetable?”

“It is not a vegetable, Your Royal Highness,” Derpy pointed out.

Trollestia took notice of the muffin on Derpy’s mane. She grinned maniacally. Her eyes become crazed.

“Oh yeah?” she said. “Then off to the moooooooooon!”

After a dark flash, Derpy had completely disappeared without a trace. The incident sent chill Lyra’s spine and she immediately ran off as Trollestia laughed like a total maniac.

“‘Cause you won’t be finding any muffins on the moooooooooon!”

Trollestia picked up the muffin inadvertently left behind by Derpy. She took bite then spitted it out in disgust.

“Ewww, raisins! Why would anypony eat something that makes everything tastes like poop!?”

After throwing the muffin away, Trollestia proceeded to go after Lyra. “Hey, hold on! Aunt Molestia wants to lick your plot!”

“Leave me alone!” the poor unicorn cried, without looking back.

***

Upon hearing this, Umbra shook his head in dismay. “Pity.”

“Fed up with her antics,” Sunset Shimmer continued, “Sir Blueblood managed to trick the princess into locking herself up in Dr. Horses’s asylum surrounded by an anti-magic barrier.”

***

Blueblood tossed a banana into the padded cell, prompting Trollestia to chases after it. He then magically locked the door, sealing the demented princess in the asylum for good. Or so he thought.

***

“Only Faust knows how she’d escaped,” Blueblood sighed.

“Afterwards,” Sunset Shimmer said, “we confiscated all the amulets and destroyed it along with the other Dark Magic artefacts.”

“So who has been raising the sun and the moon all this time?” Zach asked.

“I did.”

“And tell me. The traitors, one of them don’t happen to be a purple unicorn with a long princess cut hairstyle?”

“Twilight Sparkle?”

“Uh-huh.”

Dash unwittingly reacted to the name. “Twilight!?”

Everyone in the hallway stared at her.

“Nothin’!” she said nervously. “It’s a nice name. Go on.”

Sunset Shimmer turned her attention back to Zach. “How did you know?”

“Uh, never mind that. So what happened to her?”

***

A wide grin ran across Twilight Sparkle, whom is dressed in a white lab coat. She looked proudly upon her latest creation- a pathetic-looking ‘death ray gun’ cobbled together out of cardboard, metal scraps, paperclips and rubber band, attached on top of a microwave oven. At the end of the muzzle is a potato placed on a table.

“Behold my latest experiment, Spike! Through the mighty atomic power of the microwave oven combined with unique magical properties of humble scraps of all stripes, I shall bring this potato to life!”

Spike looked at the machine with zero optimism. “Doc, you sure this is safe?”

“Of course, my silly little gay assistant!” the unicorn said confidently. “For I have recreated this wonderful machine from the Star Swirl’s blueprints perfectly!”

Spike glanced at the blueprint, supposedly belonging to Star Swirl, pinned to wall. It is definitely identical to the real thing. And it was drawn in crayons. It is doubtful that Star Swirl drew this one.

“I‘m pretty sure ponies don’t use crayons a hundred years ago, doc.”

“Don’t say such nonsenses, Spike! Now less talk, more magic! Go and flip the switch!”

“One army of zombie potatoes coming up,” the dragon pronounced as he flipped a switch on the wall.

Twilight Sparkle put on her goggles, laughing hysterically as the gun began lighting up and shaking wildly. “Oh yeah! This is my kind of magic!”

BOOM! The Golden Oak Lab imploded into a million splinters of wood.

***

Sunset Shimmer concluded, “She was the most gifted students at magic school and Princess Celestia’s most…promising...apprentice, yet she was also the first to fall to the amulet’s corruption.”

Dash scratched her head, uncertain whether the unicorn was joking or being serious.

Zach meanwhile was in a state of shock. Bug eyed, his jaws dropped open. It took a while before he regained his composure to ask about the rest of the Mane Six.

***

In a dark alley illuminated by the full moon, terrified ponies galloped away from Fluttershy. She wore a ski mask and wielded a machete in her mouth.

A freak show voice called out to her, “Hey you, lesser evil! Get out of here! This is my turf!”

The insane pegasus turned around. The voice is revealed to belong to Pinkie Pie, dressed in a Freddy Krueger costume. Sharp knives attach to her hooves like claws. And they are not fakes.

They both charged at each other in a showdown, resulting sounds of metal clanging, blood spattering and flesh tearing apart puncturing the silent night.

***

The double-shocked Zach gestured his hands erratically. “What the WHAT!?”

Captains Discord stepped forth and said, “I can tell you what happened to Rarity, Applejack and Rainbow Dash.”

***

Rarity and Applejack stopped a group of young trick-or-treaters. Rarity, wearing a fake moustache and an eye patch, threatened the fillies with a spoon. She speaks with a comical Russian accent.

“Everypony freeze! This is a stickup! I got a spoon and I know how to use it!”

Applejack, dressing up as a country outlaw, pointed at them a toy gun that shoots rubber darts. “Give us de candies if y’all know what’s good for ya!”

The sullen and abnormally quiet Rainbow Dash grabbed the bags of candies from the foals.

Discord, whom is in his red caped superhero costume, happened to see this and heroically tried to stop the crime in progress. “In the name of the Royal Sisters, I, Captain Discord Goodguy Jr., order you all to halt! Stealing candy on Nightmare Night will not be-”

Before the captain could finish, he was stampeded over by the Rarity, Applejack and Rainbow Dash followed by an angry mob brandishing pitchforks and torches.

“Bullies! Get ‘em!” shouted the Earth pony leading the mob. “Stealin’ from mah fillies, will ya!?”

As soon as the mob passed, Discord was lying on the ground, twitching from his pain.

“Medic,” he groaned, “I need candy popcorn!”

***

“Last I heard they were chased all the way to Ghastly Gorge, never to be seen again,” Discord concluded. “The Quarray eels most likely got them.”

Dash palmed her face. I can’t tell if they’re crazy or just plain stupid...

And Zach, he was bumping his head on the nearest pillar, feeling so disappointment. Aw, man. What kind of world does those six ended up as idiots?

The disheartened Blueblood stepped forth and gave a brave face at the guests. “As the Chancellor of Equestria, I take full responsibility. I decided to continue the cover up despite Princess Celestia’s imprisonment so as to prevent my family’s name from being tarnished.”

“So all this time, you’ve been running this country in the name of the Royal Sisters, am I correct?” Umbra asked him.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Very well, moving along then! As Third-in-Command and the sole legitimate authority present here, will you agree to let your army join forces with me in the upcoming fight against Ragingheart?”

Captain Discord looked embarrassed. “Err…what army would that be?”

Zach braced for more bad news.

“Moments before you guys arrived,” Sunset Shimmer revealed, “Princess Celestia declared war on…cheese and, uh, ‘teleported’ the entire royal guards to the moon.”

Wow, ‘great’ timing, Dash thought sarcastically.

“What!?” Zach exclaimed. “What about the standing army!?”

“All of them,” Discord said.

“Are you saying that Canterlot is practically defenseless!?”

“At least we still have the reserve guards,” said the captain. “And myself, of course.”

Blueblood hoofed his face. “We’re still doomed.”

Zach however decided to remain determined. “Oh not yet we don’t! Sunset Shimmer, what about the Elements of Harmony? Do they actually exist here?”

“Yes, but nopony actually knows how it works.”

“Surely, the Royal Sisters might’ve mentioned something to you?”

“None! I never get to finish my study under Princess Lu-I mean, Princess Celestia. There’re not even a references about it in the castle’s library.”

“Then…I’m sure we’ll work it out somehow. I understand that the Elements of Harmony are like the counter-balance to the Alicorn Amulets. It’s our only chance to beat Ragingheart’s unstoppable army.”

“Or maybe,” Dash suddenly voiced out, “we could just convince Trollestia to teleport this Ragingheart along with her army to the moon.”

They all glared at her with a disapproving look, especially Zach.

“What?” Dash said. “Sounds like a plan, right?”

Zach palmed his face and sighed heavily before getting back to Sunset Shimmer. “Where are the Elements now?”

Sunset Shimmer opened the double doors to the treasure chamber. She entered first, followed by the rest. Inside, they found Trollestia attempting to put the Elements of Harmony in a suitcase. Seemingly taken by surprise by their presence, Trollestia intentionally dropped the Elements of Harmony on the floor.

“Oops, no Elements of Harmony here!” she said while pretending to examine the suitcase’s content.

“What the-!? Princess!” Zach said in total shock. “You’re not trying run away with the Elements of Harmony, are you!?”

“What, you mad?” Trollestia said back with a cynical tone.

She then asked Dash, “Say, you like bananas?”

Confused, Dash’s only response was “Huh?”

Sunset Shimmer abruptly shut Dash’s mouth with her hoof and uttered, “Yes! Yes, she does!”

“All righty then. Gotta roll! Trollestia…awayyyyy!” Trollestia disappeared from the chamber, along with suitcase.

Blueblood and Discord both sighed in relief.

“That actually went well,” said the latter. “We’re still here.”

“Indeed,” Umbra agreed. “The Elements of Harmony were not taken away as well. There is still hope.”

Dash picked up one of the gems and examined it.

Courtesy of the knowledge she learned from her friend Dorothy, she frankly stated, “It’s a fake.”

Dash tossed the gem onto the floor. Blueblood and Sunset Shimmer gasped as they watched in dismay the gem easily broke into pieces. The Elements of Harmony left in the chamber were merely glass copies.

“That’s it, we’re definitely doomed!” Sir Blueblood said despairingly.

Zach was furious. “Aw, I can’t believe this crap!”

Discord gently patted on Blueblood’s shoulder to ease his despair. “There, there, Blueblood. Calm down.”

Umbra gazed sympathetically at his hosts.

“Lord Watterson,” he said, “it’s now up to you to help these poor ponies to defend Canterlot.”

“You want me to stay here, Your Highness?”

Hope and expectations filled Sunset Shimmer. “You’ll help us?”

Zach felt uneasy about his master’s suggestion. “But what about you, Your Highness?”

“There isn’t much time,” said the prince. “Ragingheart’s forces will probably arrive in a week or even sooner. You must help them in any way you can. In the meantime, I shall travel to Diamondia to seek their aid.”

“But, I can’t just leave your side. Isn’t it dangerous?”

“Do not worry, Lord Watterson,” Umbra assured him. “Their kingdom is located in far north, beyond Ragingheart’s reaches.”

“But that might take weeks, even longer than it took us to get here through Dodge Junction.”

“You can borrow one of our Super Speedy Chaser 6000,” Captain Discord suggested. “It’ll cut short considerably the time needed to get there.”

Zach considered all this. He glanced briefly at Dash. Though still hesitant, he finally agreed.

“Excellent!” Prince Umbra said delightfully upon hearing his bodyguard’s decision

Dash raised a hand at Zach. “Hey, what happens to me?”

“Don’t worry,” said the feline. “You’re still with me.”

At that moment, Trixie came into the chamber. She was very surprised to see Dash again, but quickly changed her attention and whispered something to Sunset Shimmer’s ears.

“Then it’s agreed,” Umbra declared. “Stay strong and pray that I return to Equestria in time with reinforcements! I shall leave immediately!”

He cantered out of the chamber in haste.

“Can I persuade to stay a little longer, Your Highness?” Sunset Shimmer called out to him. “I was informed brunch is ready.”

Prince Umbra immediately returned to the chamber. “Very well! I shall leave in two hours!”

***

Trollestia stood motionless for a while in the middle of a vast sandy dessert.

“Where in Equestria am I?” she asked herself. “Meh, I’m sure I can find my way back home later.”

It is then revealed that the real Elements of Harmony was in her possession all along.

“Hah, I knew it all along!” she grinned.

THE RESERVES - revised

Author's Note

Sunny Emerson = Sunset Shimmer

THE RESERVES - revised

The centerpiece of Ponyville Town Square is the town hall, a round tower-like building with a spire structure on top.

Mayor Mare exited the hall and strolled across the street to meet up with another Earth pony, Doc Top, only to stop in her tracks. Doc Top and all the ponies around the square were fixating towards the direction of the river.

Mayor Mare turned to the same direction. What she saw shocked her.

“What in Faust Almighty are those things!?”

“I don’t know,” Doc Top said. “But it doesn’t look good.”

Numerous White Bunnehs emerged from the town area across the other side of the river, each armed with either gauntlet blades or a grenade launcher. The first batch of invaders crossed the bridge linking directly to the town square unopposed.

Dash sat in the waiting room until Trixie came to her with a cheery smile. She immediately recognized the unicorn.

“Oh, it’s you.”

“Hello, Miss Dash. I didn’t get the chance to properly introduce myself earlier.”

Trixie bowed her head politely then introduced herself. “My name is Trixie Lulamoon. I am the head servant of the castle. If you follow me, I will show you to your room.”

As Dash followed Trixie out the office, she remembered how the unicorn reacted in their early encounter. “You’re not freaked out by me, are ya?”

“Well, can't say I'm not curious, Miss Dash. I’ve never met a human being before.”

They reached a walkway, overlooking the courtyard where Dash suddenly stopped. Something below had caught her attention.

“Trixie, hold on for a sec.”

In the courtyard, Zach and Discord stood before an assemblage of uniformed guards that is the army reserves.

“That’s it? Only five?” Zach said in dismay. “Plus they look like bunch of ragtag crews of a rusty old ship doomed to sink to the bottom of the ocean.”

“Yes, they don’t look like much,” Discord admitted, “but they are best we’ve got.”

“Have they ever fought in a real battle before?”

The captain shook his head. “No. The Reserves are usually given guard duties and some other chores by Princess Celestia. But each of them possesses a special talent that might prove to be useful in the coming battle.”

Zach felt doubtful about that however. They both proceeded to inspect the first Reserve whose sheer insect-like wings and iris-less eyes made him look out of place with the other ponies.

Dash stared down curiously at the unicorn-like creature but is actually something else entirely. “Trixie, what kind of unicorn is that?”

“He’s a changeling.”

“What’s that?”

“You’ll see.”

Nova saluted to Discord. “Nova Elite, reporting!”

“Show him what you can do, Nova,” the captain ordered the changeling.

“Aye aye, captain!”

Nova demonstrated his shapeshifting abilities by changing into a complete likeness of Rainbow Dash. “Yo! I’m Rainbow Dash the totally awesome pony and always 20% cooler than anypony in every way!”

The other Reserves could not resist smiling at the way Nova tried to act like the real deal and failed miserably.

Zach however was unsure what to make out of it.

“I’ve always wanted to send him on a spy mission to the Minotaur Kingdom,” the captain said to him. “I’m pretty sure they’re up to no good...again.”

The sight of Nova-Rainbow Dash offended Dash. Creepy on so many levels. It’s like I’m looking at a pony version of myself.

The next Reserves in line is a pair of unicorn siblings, Flim and Flam or collectively known as the Flim Flam brothers. They saluted to Captain Discord before introducing themselves in unison. “Flim and Flam reporting!”

When Zach asked them if they are brothers, they replied in unison, “That’s correct!”

“So what do you guys do in the army?”

“Neighborhood crimes watch duty!” Flim answered.

Flam then took over. “After we lost our farm to the rotten Apples in a crooked card game many years ago, we’ve come to accept it as our duty to fight crime and injustice on the streets!”

Zach looked at them with contempt. “Why would you two be so stupid to wager your own farm in a dumb gamble!?”

None of the brothers knew how to justify their decision so they decided to change the subject. “So, anyway…”

***

Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom and Bab Seeds that make up the Cutie Mark Crusaders (CMC) sped down the dirt road in a stolen carriage. Flim and Flam in their Super Speedy Chaser 6000 appeared next to them before they drove into a cave.

“Hey!” Flim shouted from his vehicle. “Pull over and step out of the stolen vehicle!”

“But we’re just trying to get our cutie marks!” Sweetie Belle shouted back.

The CMC used their slingshots to shoot at the stalactites above but the brothers skillfully dodged the falling stalactites. The Super Speedy Chaser 6000 narrowly went under the last stalactite before it hits the ground then exited the cave.

The brothers saw ahead that the Cutie Mark Crusaders are at other end of a destroyed bridge while taunting back at them. The Super Speedy Chaser 6000 jumped the gap effortlessly and crashed into the CMC’s carriage. In the aftermath of the crash, the brothers and the Cutie Mark Crusaders wincingly crawled out of the wreckage.

“Does this mean we don’t get our Cutie Marks now?” This was from Scootaloo.

Flam chided the filly, “Young lady, stealing and running away from the law is wrong, therefore are not a worthy talent.”

***

“Those crusaders are a menace, I tell ya,” Flam said, making it sound like a big achievement.

“Yup!” his brother said triumphantly. “The princess was right! We and the Super Speedy Chaser 6000 do make a good combination.”

Zach was unimpressed. “Dude, we’re about to go to war, not chasing some misguided fillies going on a fruitless cutie mark hunt.”

Flam tried to think of something to impress the foreigner. “We also apprehended the Terrible Cake Twins, Diamond Rough, Mane-iac Mayhem, Boss Braeburn-”

“Okay, okay, enough!” Zach cut the unicorn off. “I get it. You two are good cops. Moving on!”

A tall but skinny red centaur now stood before Zach. He stared in disdain at the Reserve’s body build.

“What’re you supposed to be?” he asked without bothering to wait for the centaur to introduce himself first.

“I am Tirek, ready to serve your meal three times a day, not a single minute late!”

“Seriously? How useful could a cook be on the frontlines?”

“Beating flour and eggs?”

Zach palmed his face in dismay. “Dude…”

“Wait,” Discord said, hand on the feline’s shoulder, “there’s more it than that.”

***

Tirek came out of the kitchen, in his mitten-clad hands a pot filled with smoky, concentrated red liquid.

“Who wants to try my experimental super-hot red chili pepper soup?” he announced to the royal guards whom are eager to have their dinner served on their table soon.

He put the pot on the table, but it started going down, melting the table. All the royal guards watched as the pot melted through the floor, and continued down into the ground.

***

Discord looked thoughtful. “I’m sure that we can weaponize that soup in one way or another.”

“You’ve got to be joking,” Zach said in disdain.

He and the captain went to inspect the last Reserve.

Zach seemed to recognize the confident-looking female pegasus. “Lightning Dust?”

When Lightning Dust showed her surprise, Zach cringed after realizing his mistake then quickly came up with an excuse. “I mean, I heard of you. You were…in the Wonderbolts, right?”

Lightning Dust looked sheepish. But it faded away almost instantly, replaced by determination.

She raised her voice saying, “Yes, I am an ex-Wonderbolts flyer. I can fly so fast I can literally create a mini tornado. But, here I’m the royal chauffeur.”

“A chauffeur? Oh, great!” Zach’s voice was full of derision.

He turned to Discord, looking displeased. “What good is a pair of cops, a shapeshifter, a cook and a chauffeur, against an army of one million killing machines!?”

The captain understood Zach’s point. “I don’t deny that. As the saying goes, desperate time calls for desperate measures. With their talents, through special training and ‘inspiration’, I will turn them into a fighting force worthy of our main army.”

“What main army? They’re still only five of them!”

It was then that Lighting Dust decided to speak up. “With all due respect, I believe you underestimated us!”

“What did you say to me!?” Zach glared at Lightning Dust with great contempt.

The pegasus stared into Zach’s eyes with a great sense of determination. “We are here because we dare to stand up for we believe in. We’ve taken our oath and I’m willing to lay my life to uphold it! And without a single doubt, my comrades will do the same! We will defend this kingdom, with our lives and honor!”

The other Reserves darted their eyes towards Lightning Dust, with a broad smile across their faces.

“She has a lot of heart,” Discord told Zach. “And can be persuasive at the rarest of times. That’s how she got herself in the royal army in the first place.”

Impressed by Lightning Dust’s determination, Zach backed down. “Yeah, she got some guts all right.”

“What’s a Wonderbolt?” Dash asked Trixie.

“It’s a squad of Pegasus ponies who perform aerial acrobatics and demonstrations.”

“A pony flying circus? Riiight,” Dash said without thinking whether the term might be offensive or downright rude. “Anyway, I like her attitude.”

***

Seven Years Earlier (Earth's Timeline)

During junior high, Dash, due to her appearance and timid nature, was an easy target for bullying and teasing by a redhead girl named Sunny.

AJ spotted Dash being pushed around by Sunny and her two cohorts. Being a temperamental person, this was the last straw for AJ. Her friend has been bullied far enough. The freckle-faced country blonde decided to confront the bullies. It was not long before the situation turned into a heated argument.

Sunny retaliated by pulling down AJ’s hat then shoved her back. The latter’s expression darkened. Her temper spiked. She raised a fist to punch Sunny’s sneering face. But then a hand caught her wrist. To AJ’s surprise, it was Twilight who had stopped her. With a worried look, Twilight shook her head at AJ.

***

“Bold, confident, not afraid to speak her mind,” Dash said. Just like me.

Trixie gazed at Lighting Dust with a hint of sadness in her voice. “Yes, she is.”

“Anyway,” she said, “let’s get going, shall we?”

Dash nodded.

Soon, they arrived at a room with a carved cedar door.

“This is your room, Miss Dash.” Trixie opened the door for her. “I hope you’ll find it hospitable.”

Dash stared in amazement at the white bedroom. Everything from the curtains, bed sheets, pillows to the flowery arts on the walls and rug have magenta and bright yellow accents. Paper pompoms and ribbons hang on the ceiling above at the bed.

“It’s really somethin’,” she gave her remark.

“If you don’t like it, I could change you to another room.”

“No, no. The color isn’t really my thing but it’s fine. Sorta reminds of me of a friend.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, although she’s more to pinkish hearts and balloons.”

“Ooh, she sounds a like cheery one. If only I could meet her.”

“Doubtful,” Dash uttered.

Trixie smiled and nodded politely at Dash. “If you require any assistance, please don’t hesitate to call me or the castle servants.”

“Oh, okay. Thanks.”

After closing the door, Dash looked around the room, examining the furniture and decorations out of curiosity before sitting on a chair. She mused for a moment and after getting up again, walked to a spacious area of the room. She assumed a combat-ready stance and then thrusted one hand forward. The power of her punch did not feel strong like before.

“Huh, so it wasn’t me after all,” she said to herself.

She looked down at her clothes. “Umm, how did it go again? SHADE Armor, time in!”

Her clothes did not change so she tried again. “SHADE Armor, activate?”

She made several gestures while trying out different phrases- ‘power up’, ‘transform’, ‘deploy’, ‘morph’, ‘roll out’, etc.

Still nothing happened.

“Urgh, whatevs!” she muttered before dropping on the bed.

It was not long before Dash heard a knock on the door. She went to open it and to her surprise, it was Zach. They greeted each other awkwardly.

“Hi.”

“Hey.”

“Can I come in?” Zach asked.

“What!?” Dash exclaimed, notably offended.

“Be cool,” Zach said. “I just want to talk in private.”

“Get outta here, you perv! If you really have something to say, say it right here right now!"

Zach stared at the hallway in both directions.

“How about we go to someplace else?” he suggested.

That someplace else turned out to be in the terraced gardens.

“Why’d you bring me out here?” Dash asked, both of them were relaxing under the shade of a tree.

“I thought it’d be more relaxing if we talked outside,” Zach replied. “So, what were you doing while I was away?”

“Nothing!” Dash insisted. “I was just resting in my room! Why ask!? Still don’t trust me!?”

Zach tried to sound assuring. “No, no reason at all.”

“Seriously,” Dash said. “Whaddaya wanna talk about?”

“Well, there’re a few things you need to clear up to me,” Zach said carefully.

“Like what?”

“For starters, how do you know my full name when we’ve never even met before?”

Dash’s surprise was genuine. She did mention Zach’s full name accurately. But it was impossible for her to know. She just got here and of course she had only met strange talking animals just today.

“I dunno. It just…blurted out of my mouth?”

Zach was unconvinced. “It can’t be a wild guess. Someone must’ve told you.”

After a quite hectic morning, all Dash wanted to do was to have her mind rested, not being disturbed by questions which she holds no answers to.

“Listen, pal!” she said in raised voice. “I’ve already told you everything I know! Maybe it’s you who should be explaining things around here!”

“What do you mean by that?” Zach asked, not quite understanding.

“Godslayers, Nanite constructs- what does that all mean!?”

“That’s not for you to know!” Zach barked. “I’m the one who will be asking the questions here. I think you know more than you’re letting out. So help me out here!”

Angrier than before, Dash responded, “Geez! I can’t even begin to tell you how annoying you turn out to be! I wish I could tell you more, but I seriously can’t recall anything on how I got here, okay!?”

“Did you remember anything might’ve led you to experience amnesia?” Zach persisted. “Like an accident, or-”

“Nope!”

“Aw come on, you must know something!”

Dash had finally lost it. “I don't remember anything other than what I’ve told you!!!”

Zach’s mind was fraught with disappointment. Remembering the log files that he downloaded earlier, he decided to check on it later to see if it can yield any clues.

Dash then got up, was ready to leave.

“Okay, okay!” Zach got up as well. “Suppose you’re telling the truth, then…try to jog your memory within these few days. Any clues, no matter how vague it is, are crucial to shed light on the reason why you’re here. One last question.”

“What!!?”

“Clearly,” Zach said, “you have no knowledge on the SHADE’s underlying workings, yet somehow you managed to activate its armor mode.”

Calming herself down, Dash folded her arms and tried to recall the event in her mind. “All I know is these clothes changed by itself after that man-bear-pig freak almost got myself killed-”

Suddenly, a piece of memory played in her mind, in which she saw herself hurtling towards the wall, so fast. Then in the last minute, the wall abruptly changed to a forest floor. Her body received a violent blow on impact. Her vision went black in a split second later.

Dash flinched. She raised her hands on her forehead and let out a pained cry.

Alarmed, Zach caught the stumbling Dash in his arms. Wrapping his arms tightly around Dash, Zach noticed her labored breathing.

“Breath,” he said. “Breathe slowly.”

Shortly Dash began to recover. Her face was sweaty and eyes teary.

“Did you see anything?” Zach asked.

That prompted Dash to push him away from her. “Get away from me, you freak!”

She collapsed on the ground, face buried in her arms. “Just stop it…”

Zach looked down at her with sympathy, almost convinced that she was not faking. Immediately he went to get Trixie.

Zach lurked at a corner of the castle wall as Trixie and a servant attended to Dash. A small virtual screen materialized before Zach. It was showing to him a brain scan image (similar to a PET scan) and heart rate/blood pressure readings, all of which confirmed his assumption. After screen dematerialized, Zach left in a hurried pace.

Sunset Shimmer and Trixie watched over the frail and gloomy Dash sipping herbal tea on her bed. After finishing her drink, she placed the empty glass on the bedside table.

“Please rest now, Miss Dash,” Sunset Shimmer said gently.

Dash nodded meekly while keeping her head down. As Trixie attended to the empty glass, Dash tucked herself in bed. Sunset Simmer pulled the blanket further, covering up to Dash’s neck. Dash slowly closed her eyes and dozed off.

After dinner, one-by-one the Reserves left the mess hall, with the exception of Tirek, who being the cook had to clean the dishes.

“Remember to be at your designated stations on time,” Discord reminded them all. “I’ll be coming to check up on you regularly, for the security of this castle depends on it.”

Afterwards, only Zach and Discord were left at the table. Sensing his chance, the former decided to inquire the captain regarding the Reserves’ existence.

“Captain?”

“Yes, Lord Watterson?”

“Why’re there only of five members of the Reserve team? It’s hardly sufficient as a backup army.”

The captain answered slowly, “The truth is…I didn’t create the Reserves.”

***

Celestia was not impressed after perusing the recruitment form. Close-by, Luna was discussing an unrelated matter with Trixie.

“Captain Discord, did you actually read on her background?”

“Yes, I did. Official report is that it was an accident. Although the instructor decided that the consequences of her actions were too severe to be ignored. Other versions of the event are mere rumors.”

Celestia shook her head. “I can’t. I simply cannot approve this pegasus from joining the royal guards.”

“She has a lot of heart and is very persuasive,” the captain said firmly.

“She's a misfit.”

It was then that Luna decided to intervene. “Oh come, sister. If the captain really thinks this pegasus is good enough, then why not trust his judgement. Besides, surely you can find something for her to do in the castle.”

Celestia conceded only to avoid arguing with her younger sister.

“Fine,” she said. “We’ll throw her in with the other misfits.”

“You mean the Reserves, Your Royal Highness,” Discord corrected the elder princess.

“Yes, the Reserves!” Celestia barked. “Which I specifically created because you keep bringing in complete, utter misfits into my army. The Equestrian Royal Guards is built on unquestionable loyalty, unwavering courage and sheer strength. It does not need the absurd contraptions, undercover nonsense, and certainly not a pathetic centaur whose strength loses even to a mare!”

“Sister, obviously you're still stressed from the pubic audience,” Luna said. “Why don’t you take a break for the day and let me do the rest for you?”

“Yes, you’re right, Luna,” Celestia agreed, after calming herself. “I should take a break.”

After receiving the recruitment form from the elder sister, Luna called for Trixie. “Trixie, please prepare a scrumptious afternoon tea for me and my sister. I’ll join after I finish with this.”

Trixie bowed her head in compliance. “Yes, Your Royal Highness.”

She immediately caught up with Princess Celestia. “Please let me accompany you to the dining hall.”

Yet the elder princess scorned Trixie’s offer. “I can find my way to the dining hall just fine, servant!”

Trixie felt a bit hurt by the treatment, but she tried not to show it, not right in front of Princess Luna. She waited until Celestia exited the throne chamber before making her way to door herself.

Luna looked over the recruitment form. “Now, let’s see who this new recruit is… Lightning Dust, that’s a nice name. Oh, and a former Wonderbolt too.”

Trixie was stunned upon hearing her friend’s name.

***

Zach was crushed upon hearing the truth. With no Elements of Harmony or the royal army, Canterlot’s defense now lies on five ‘misfits’. Despite being impressed by Lightning Dust’s determination, despite Captain Discord’s faith in them, his mind questioned again the dependability of the Reserves, when even Princess Celestia herself considered them as nothing more than excess baggage in the army.

His bedroom strikingly differs from that of Dash. The walls are painted lime green, decorated with colorful geometric murals and sconces. Zach sat on his bed with a large virtual display screen hovering before him.

Nothing unusual in the System Integrity Log. “STAT, bring up the Firewall Log.”

He read the data scrolling down in one pane of the screen. A schematic diagram of Dash’s SHADE armor is displayed on the adjacent pane. He shook his head when he was done.

This doesn’t make sense, the feline thought. The SHADE is supposed to be hardwired to respond only to its original wearer. So how’d she…? “STAT, what about the Intrusion Detection Log?”

He looked over the screen again as more texts scrolled by. Then something caught his attention. He frowned at the information displayed before him.

But why? “STAT, bring up the Life Support Log.”

A 3D anatomical diagram representing Dash’s body appeared on screen. Several data-engraved symbols are dotted all over it. He gestured at the screen, manipulating and examining the diagram carefully.

Multiple FRX, abdominal trauma, TBI… Maybe Dash was telling the truth after all, he began to realize. “STAT, bring up the Travel Log.”

Images of various planets and cities scrolled past before him.

He then instructed the software, “STAT, compile all the logs into a single archive then save it to the File Explorer.”

All the data scrolled away immediately. Icons arranged in a grid-like structure now filled the entire screen. Each icon represents a data file. One particular file whose attributes are out place with the other files, caught his interest. It appeared to be important since it is addressed to him directly.

What’re you trying to tell me, sis? Zach tapped on the icon to access it.

He frowned as the file was revealed to be corrupted since the data presented on the screen is unintelligible. “I can’t make out any of these. Aw man, my mission is becoming more complicated.”

He gazed at the window, to see a full moon in the sky. As he watched it attentively, a plan is being conceived in his mind.

***

After coming across Sunset Shimmer and Trixie in the hallway, Blueblood inquired them regarding Dash’s condition.

“She is still in bed, sir,” Sunset Shimmer answered him. “The panic attack might’ve taken its toll on her worse than expected.”

“I’ll continue to check on her every few hours,” Trixie promised.

Just then, Zach was coming down from the opposite end of the hallway.

“Ah, Lord Watterson,” Blueblood said. “Good morning to you.”

Zach nodded politely and greeted back. “Morning. Is…Miss Dash around?”

“She’s still lying fast asleep in her room the last time I checked up on her,” Trixie informed him

“Sorry,” Sunset Shimmer immediately said. “I couldn’t help you regarding your inquiry yesterday.”

Zach dismissed the unicorn’s apology. “Nah. I blame myself. Finding herself in an alien world-”

Blueblood frowned. “Alien?”

Zach quickly corrected himself, “I mean, foreign! She found herself alone in a foreign world and got attacked in a single day. All of it probably weirded her out.”

“But why would they target Miss Dash?”

“She was wearing the special armor that happens to belong to my guild,” Zach said, taking care not to give himself away to his hosts. “My guess is they thought she was a threat to them. I have to know how she got hold of it especially when she claimed she’s from another world.”

“So that’s why you asked about the spell,” Sunset Shimmer finally realized.

“Yeah, she said she can’t remember anything on how she got here. I’d probably do her more harm than good if I keep pushing her. Maybe it’s for the best that I let her have some time to herself.”

Sunset Shimmer felt sympathetic for Dash’s predicament. “I really feel sorry for Miss Dash. Whatever happened to her before, I hope it wasn’t too terrible.”

“So I hope you don’t mind if she stays at the castle at the moment.”

Sunset Shimmer gazed at Blueblood expectantly. “Sir?”

“That can be arranged,” said the chancellor, “as I understand she had nopony to turn to.”

“Yeah,” Zach agreed. “It’s only right that I take her into my custody.”

It was then that Sunset Shimmer had noticed Zach’s fatigued eyes, which suggests he did not have much sleep. “Lord Watterson, you look tired.”

Zach politely waved away Sunset Shimmer’s concern. “It’s nothing. I stayed up last night, thinking of a plan to take down Ragingheart.”

“We can’t thank you enough for your help,” Sunset Shimmer said gratefully.

“Don’t thank me yet,” Zach said. “I haven’t done anything to deserve it.”

He then inquired Blueblood if he has any idea on where Princess Celestia might have gone to with the Elements of Harmony.

“For all I know,” Blueblood said, “she could be anywhere right now. Actually, I’ve never seen her left Canterlot in all my life.”

“Never?” Zach asked in surprise.

“All matters outside of Canterlot were always handled by Princess Luna,” Sunset Shimmer explained to him.

“Oh. Err, has Princess Celestia ever mentioned any places she used or likes to go to? Maybe when she was a filly?”

“I don’t think she ever divulge her secrets to anypony other than her younger sister,” Blueblood replied.

Zach lowered his gaze, pondering on the information available to him.

“Why do you ask?” Sunset Shimmer wanted to know. “Are you still thinking about the Elements of Harmony?”

Zach raised his gaze back at Sunset Shimmer. “Oh, I believe in it. Welp, sorry if I’ve taken too much of your busy time.”

He took his leave then went off to the castle’s training ground.

Zach stood by Discord's side, facing the Reserves.

“Attention!” the captain called.

The Reserves stomped on the ground. Zach stepped forward and began addressing them.

“Listen up, greenhorns!” He was abruptly interrupted when Nova raised his hoof. “Yes, Nova?”

“Our horns aren’t green,” the changeling pointed out.

“I wasn’t talking literally!” Zach chided. "Now where was I? Oh, yeah. The enemies you are to face are not to be trifled with. Ragingheart’s army do not feel! They do not tire! Heck, they don’t even have the word “surrender” written in their dictionary!”

Nova raised his hoof again.

“What is it, now!?” Zach was now feeling a bit irritated.

“They have their own dictionary?” the changeling asked him.

“Urk! No!”

“Oh, okay…” Even though Nova accepted the answer, he was actually still confused.

Zach continued to address the Reserves again. “My original plan was to have Princess Celestia use the Elements of Harmony to wipe them all out in one go. But since that got thrown out of the window, we go to Plan B. We intercept Ragingheart’s army long before they reach Canterlot then engage them with everything we got. Outmatched, they’ll push us back so we'll make a tactical withdrawal when the time feels right.

“And while retreating, we maintain fire upon the enemy. We make our way to the higher ground and finally to the castle at which point we'll make our last stand there. We hold our position long enough until Prince Umbra with his reinforcements comes to our rescue and then let them do the rest of the work. The end.”

Lightning Dust raised her hoof and regarded the feline with contempt. “That’s the best plan you can come up with?”

“Yes,” Zach replied frankly.

“Lord Watterson, we had high hopes in you,” she mocked at him.

The words stung Zach, but it was the truth.

He inhaled deeply and said, “Okay. You’re right. Who am I kidding? I’m no strategist. Otherwise, Appleloosa wouldn’t have fallen so easily.”

Zach turned towards Flam after the unicorn raised his hoof. “Flam.”

“We do have a fairly large stock of rocket munitions.”

“And?”

“We could modify the bazookas by adding timing and auto-feeder mechanism to it. After mounting them on the southern cliff sides and timing the delay correctly, the artilleries will rain fireworks on the enemy, the least to slow their advance on Canterlot Plateau.”

Zach was both surprised and irritated at the same time. “You could actually do that!?”

“Duh, my brother and I created the Super Speedy Chaser 6000,” the unicorn said with a hint of smugness.

“No it wasn’t that obvious! Why you didn’t mention about this yesterday!?”

“Err...”

“Never mind,” Zach interjected. “I think it’s brilliant. It won’t cut them all down but that’s still better than nothing.”

He looked at Discord for approval. “What do you say, captain?”

The captain snapped his fingers and with a prideful smirk said, “That’s why I let them into the army. I knew they’ll come in handy one day.”

Zach nodded. “All right then. We’ll go with their idea. But don’t use up all them. Save some to bring into battle, because even the strongest of Ragingheart’s army is vulnerable to explosives. If any of you knows high level offensive magic, that’ll be useful too.”

“I don’t know about high level, but I do possess a magic weapon!” Discord showed off his staff-mace weapon. “Behold, my Exquisite Ban Hammer!”

“Is it that powerful?” Zach asked out of curiosity.

“It is!” Discord proclaimed. “It can unleash a powerful ban wave!”

Something about the draconequss’ tone made Zach feel doubtful. “Captain, are you making all this up?”

“I could show you its power!” Discord raised his Exquisite Ban Hammer up high, seemingly ready to hit the ground. The Reserves reacted by cowering back in fear. Whereas Zach, who was still doubtful, stayed at where he is.

The captain lowered his weapon abruptly. “But I won’t. The result would be chaos.”

Zach found it hard to believe him. He was beginning to think the draconequss was deluded, similar to Trollestia.

The Reserves, having regaining their composure, sighed with great relief.

“Speaking of which,” Discord turned to Flim and Flam, “I believe you two have concocted something else in your minds, yes?”

“Make that two things,” Flam said. “We also can do something to weaponize Tirek’s special hot sauce.”

“You’re still joking about that, right?” Zach asked the captain disbelievingly.

“No,” Discord was genuinely puzzled by the feline’s reaction, “why would we?”

“Okay,” Zach sighed, “I’ll take your word for it then.”

Not wasting anymore time, he proceeded to address the Reserves. “All right, greenhorns! Whatever you need to do, then do it! I, Zachary Watterson, really look forward to your graduation to the main army.”

“As the saying goes, if you want to succeed,” Zach raised his hands up high, “reach for the moon!”

The Reserves all looked up, puzzled since the sun was shining brightly in the sky.

“Not literally!” Zach shouted angrily.

***

Not a single pony in Canterlot was aware of what is happening in Ponyville. Day two and Ragingheart’s forces were still busy taking control of the town.

Several Assault-White Bunnehs were using their grenade launchers to demolish Mulia Kitchen, a cafe-cum-bakery owned by Mulia Mule. Nearby, MBPs broke their way into homes to take the entire household as their prisoners. Elsewhere, Fighter-class Mithras and White Bunnehs rounded up the town’s citizens into wheeled cages. After most of the citizens, if not all, were taken prisoners, all the constructs marched on the town hall.

Mayor Mare lay on the pavement hurt after she was hurled out through the stepped entrance. A shadowy figure with glowing red eyes emerged and descended the flight of steps, revealing itself as Ragingheart. As one, her minions genuflected and went on one knee in reverence to their leader.

SHATTERED DREAMS - revised

Author's Note

I listened to Immediate Music's Book of Memories while writing the flashbacks near the end of this chapter.

SHATTERED DREAMS - revised

Seven Years Earlier (Earth’s Timeline)

Dorothy, AJ, Twilight, Felicia, Vanessa and Dash lay down side-by side on the grassy slope of a foothill, swept over by gentle summer breeze.

“I want to be an astronaut,” Twilight declared.

AJ gazed at her friend in surprise. “Really, Twi? An astronaut?

“Imagine all technological possibilities years from now,” Twilight said. “Planetary colonization, interstellar travel… I want to be there when it finally happens. I could learn more about the universe, maybe even help discover the secrets of existence along the way. Wouldn’t that be interesting? Say AJ, what do you want to be when you grow up?”

“Ah dunno,” the country girl sighed. “Mah family have been farmers for generations. Maybe ah’ll just lead a simple life, so long as mah family and de farm are well taken care off.”

“As for me,” Dorothy said, deciding to join in their conversation, “I’m planning to move to Mainhattan,”

“Why?” Twilight asked curiously. “You don't like it here?”

Dorothy smiled optimistically. “One day I’ll prove myself and leave my mark there as the most talented fashion designer in the world. I can picture it clearly in my mind.”

She closed her eyes to put her imagination to work. “Gorgeous models parading my designs, shining under the bright spotlight like diamonds, audiences awe in amazement, recognizing me as the Fashion Queen of Mainhattan...”

Dorothy opened her eyes. “That’s the future I’m looking forward to.”

“Dorothy, did you just rhymed?”

Had Twilight not mentioned it, she would not have realized it. “Oh, now that you’ve mentioned it, what an odd coincidence.”

Twilight turned her gaze towards the curly-haired girl right next to her. “Felicia, how about you?”

“I kind of like working at the Sugar Cube Cafe. Even it is only part-time for now.”

“So what, you want to work at the cafe your whole life?”

“Yeah, sure!” Felicia said with a broad smile. “Nothing wrong with that.”

“Yeah, y’all keep it up. Mr. and Mrs. Dazzle like ya so much dey just might hand over de Sugar Cube to ya someday.”

A wide grin ran across Felicia’s face, revealing that she is wearing dental braces. “If only.”

When asked by Twilight about her dream, Vanessa said in a low, shy voice, “I haven’t figured it out yet. But sometimes I imagined myself traveling and helping people over the world.”

“A humanitarian, huh?” Twilight said with thought. “Sounds more like volunteer work than a real career. But if you want to help people so much, I suggest a doctor or maybe get into business and become a philanthropist.”

Twilight fixed her sight at the friend furthest away from her. “Hey, Dash. What about you? What do you want to be?”

Dash was not listening as she was attentively watching the clouds drifting across the sky. A silhouette of a jet airliner came into her view, soaring under the bright sun.

She closed her eyes, imagining something in her mind. How does it feel if you could literally fly that high?

“Dash,” Twilight called out impatiently, “did you hear me? Dash?”

Dash heard a knocking sound, then someone else’s voice. “Miss Dash?”

Dash immediately opened her eyes. She was now lying on a bed, facing at the window. She shielded her eyes at the sight bright setting sun.

“Miss Dash?” It was Trixie.

Dash lazily climbed out of the bed and went to open the door.

“Feeling any better now?” Trixie inquired as soon as she saw Dash.

“Yeah, I think so...” Dash answered, her voice lacking in vigor. “You’re here just to check on me?”

Trixie nodded her head. “You were unconscious for a whole day.”

“A day!?” Dash was absolutely shocked to hear it. “I was out for a whole day!?”

“Yes. And since you’re awake, dinner will be served in a few hours. If you’re still not feeling well, I could have the servants send your meal to your room.”

“No, no. I’ll go.”

“That’s great to hear,” Trixie said with a small smile. “I will inform Sunset Shimmer.”

“Hey, do you have any idea if Zach will join for dinner tonight?” Dash asked with slight hesitation.

“Zach? Oh, you mean Lord Watterson. No, he’ll be having dinner with the Reserves as usual. Only Sir Blueblood and Sunset Shimmer will accompany you.”

“‘kay. Thanks.”

After closing the door, Dash walked out to the balcony to get some fresh air. Resting on the balustrade, she saw that it was getting dark. She also spotted Sunset Shimmer doing something strange, in the terraced gardens below. The unicorn’s eyes were shut in full concentration and her horn glowed with opal-colored aura. Dash looked back and forth between Sunset Shimmer and the sky. After the sun had completely set, a full moon slowly rose from the horizon.

Seriously? Dash thought. This is weird on so many levels.

Her mind still could not grasp the concept of ponies raising the sun and the moon manually with magic.

Magic… Suddenly remembering what Prince Umbra had told her about unicorns, Dash directed her full attention at Sunset Shimmer.

Dash sauntered down the hallway and was about to turn another corner but immediately stepped back. She watched out of the corner Sir Blueblood together with Trixie and an exhausted Sunset Shimmer.

“Thank you for your hard work as usual, Sunset Shimmer,” Blueblood said.

After the chancellor left, Trixie looked at her friend with great concern. “You should go rest now.”

“I’m all right,” Sunset Shimmer assured Trixie.

“If you say so. But don’t push yourself.”

“It’s not that that’s bothering me.”

Trixie understood what Sunset Shimmer was thinking. “I know you’re worried about Lightning Dust. But we’re not fillies anymore. Whatever she chose to become or do with her life, it’s her decision alone.”

Sunset Shimmer sighed. “She could’ve become a messenger pony, a delivery pony or even a weather pony. I thought it’d be okay, but suddenly this invasion thing happens.”

With a tender smile, Trixie leaned close to Sunset Shimmer’s face. She closed her eyes and their foreheads touched intimately.

“Don’t worry, okay?” Trixie said in a reassuringly. “Everything’s going to be all right. Now show me a smile. That sad face doesn’t suit you at all.”

Sunset Shimmer’s somberness gradually turned into a small smile. “You’re right. There’s always hope. We just need to hold on until Prince Umbra returns.”

Trixie and Sunset Shimmer hugged each before moving in separate directions.

It was now apparent to Dash that the mares’ relationship was more than fellow staff of the castle. Touched by their gesture, Dash stepped back to the corner. She leaned on the wall, gazing down, recalling her past.

***

Seven Years Earlier (Earth’s Timeline)

Sunny stepped out of the girl’s bathroom with a self-satisfied smirk. That could only mean there is trouble, Felicia thought. She entered the bathroom and heard a sob and a familiar voice coming from one of stalls. She moved towards it, to see Twilight comforting Dash, who was crying on the toilet. On one knee, Felicia looked at Dash compassionately. Mustering a tender smile, she embraced Dash and gently spoke with soothing words of encouragement.

***

Sunset Shimmer sudden appearance startled Dash.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” Sunset Shimmer regarded Dash with concern. “You’re sure you feeling okay? You didn’t seem to notice I was standing here at all.”

“I’m…fine.”

“So, is there anything I can help you with, Miss Dash?”

Hesitant, Dash took her time to ask for help from the unicorn. Just then, there was a sudden knock from the outside a window and Sunset Shimmer moved to open it. Hovering outside was a relatively large female griffon. She is wearing a gold bracelet on one wrist.

“Hey, Sunset,” the creature greeted casually.

“Gilda!?”

The griffon looked past Sunset Shimmer in astonishment. “Is that a-?”

Dash waved a hello. “Hi.”

“Whoa,” Gilda uttered. “I thought human beings aren’t supposed to be real!”

By now Dash had gotten bored of hearing the same remark over and over again. “Hey I’m here, aren’t I?”

Gilda shrugged and looked back at Sunset Shimmer.

“More importantly, have you seen Lightning Dust today?” she asked expectantly. “She wasn't at her home on her day off. I couldn’t find her at Tiara’s place either.”

“I haven’t seen her all day to be honest.”

Gilda was disappointed to hear that. “I’m beginning to think she’s avoiding me again.”

“I’m sure she has a good reason,” Sunset Shimmer said confidently. “Maybe she was just real busy. Listen, I’ll talk to her when I see her again, okay? Now go home before Discord catches you for trespassing.”

What, with only five guards? Dash thought sarcastically. Heh, good luck with that.

After saying thanks and goodbye, Gilda flew off into the night sky.

“Another friend of yours?” Dash asked Sunset Shimmer.

“Yeah.”

Dash mustered her courage to say to the unicorn, “Actually since you’re here, I got something to ask you.”

“Yes?”

“Well y’see, Prince Umbra told me that unicorns can do all kinda magic spells.”

Sunset Shimmer said, “Yes. Generally, unicorns can perform basic spells. But that really depends on each individual. The advanced ones need to be specially taught.”

“Yea well, I could use some help on a certain, advanced magic spell…”

“I see,” Sunset Shimmer said, nodding. “Why don’t we talk about it after dinner, hmm? Right now I really need a short rest.”

Dash smiled, a small and appreciative one. “Yeah, sure.”

Blueblood politely excused himself. The dining room where the three was having dinner is meant for high level staff of the castle. Before the Battle of Royal Sisters happened, he used to have dinner with his aunts in the royal dining hall. After the servants finished removing the empty plates and cutleries from the table, Dash and Sunset Shimmer remained at the table.

“A memory spell?” Sunset Shimmer said. “Actually Lord Watterson did ask me about it yesterday.”

“He did?” Dash was surprised to hear it.

“Yes. Theoretically, it can be used to look into someone else’s memories and restore lost ones. I told him, I know every inch of the royal library. But I did a double check anyway. Because spell is susceptible to abuse like mind control and memory tampering, it’s probably out there somewhere, most likely not in writing.”

Dash’s heart sank. “So you’re saying you can’t help me.”

“I’m terribly sorry,” Sunset Shimmer said apologetically.

Dash sat in awkward silence for a moment, uncertain whether she should just leave or change topic. She then remembered the baffling event she witnessed earlier from the balcony.

“So, uh...I watched you from the balcony earlier. Did you really do that? Raising the sun and the moon?”

“I did, ever since Celestia became all crazy. Didn’t I mention it before?”

“But how’d you manage to do that?” Dash was curious to know.

“I’ve used a manual,” Sunset Shimmer said frankly, which baffled Dash even more.

“Wait, there’s a book on how to raise the sun and the moon!?”

“Thank Faust Princess Luna bothered to write it down! Yet performing this feat even with the manual still isn’t easy, I’ll tell you that.”

“That makes even no sense! Aren’t the sun and the moon supposed to revolve around-”

Sunset Shimmer abruptly clenched Dash’s mouth shut with her hoof.

***

Blueblood and Discord both were overseeing Sunset Shimmer’s first time of raising the sun. The sun slowly rose up to the sky, albeit not normally. Instead going straight up, it veered alternately to the sides in its ascent. Anypony who saw this would have thought Princess Celestia was seriously drunk.

“I do hope nopony saw that,” Discord said with worry. “We surely do not want ponies galloping around shouting something the impending apocalypse, don’t we?”

Sir Blueblood decided not to be judgmental. “It’s good first try, Sunset Shimmer. You’ll get the hang of it if you keep it up every day.”

Sunset Shimmer, greatly exhausted both mentally and physically, put away the manual. “Sir, I have a question.”

“Oh, what is it?”

“If the sun and the moon are manually raised, and we aren’t orbiting anything, why are there years?”

“I’m afraid that knowledge is only known to the Royal Sisters, and probably Star Swirl-”

Unexpectedly, Trollestia appeared right behind Sunset Shimmer seemingly out of nowhere. “Questioning the nature of things? I ought to send you to the-”

Sir Blueblood and Captain Discord could only stand watch as Trollestia teleported Sunset Shimmer to…who-knows-where.

Later on, Sunset Shimmer found herself in the countryside, facing a billboard that says, ‘Welcome to Fillydelphia’.

***

Sunset Shimmers gasped at her impulsive action and immediately withdraw her hoof. “I am so sorry! Bad memories.”

“It’s okay,” Dash said, a bit shocked but showed no hard feelings.

Sunset Shimmer asked hurriedly, “But why do you sound so surprised? Doesn’t it work the same way in your world?”

Dash shook her head. “Nope.”

Bafflement came over Sunset Shimmer, which is ironic looking from Dash’s point of view. “Really??? First, there’s no magic. Then the sun and moon move by themselves. That’s sounds crazier than even Trollestia and Star Swirl’s level of insanity multiplied by each other.”

“Ugh,” Dash said, “I keep hearing this name around. Who the heck is this Star Swirl?”

“One of the brilliant academic minds from the past,” the unicorn explained, “albeit also a crazy one,”

“How so?”

“His teachings and research on magic artifacts are standard in many magic schools. But the ‘Crazed’ moniker only came later after his prime. According to legend, he decided to try fixing a microwave with his magic one day. Then he ended blowing it up and accidentally opened up a portal to another universe. It was said from that moment on he began writing crazy fairy tales of his ‘encounter with human beings and some other strange creatures’.”

Another universe? Dash thought. Maybe, just maybe- “Hey, do you think this Star Swirl pony could somehow help me find my way back home?”

“I doubt that,” Sunset Shimmer said frankly.

Yet Dash stayed firm to her notion. “Think about it! Y’all think human beings are phony but here am I right in front you in flesh and blood. Maybe there’s some truth in it!”

“I really, really doubt it has anything to do with Start Swirl.” Sunset Shimmer’s tone was firmer than before.

“Why!?”

“He disappeared a hundred years ago,” Sunset Shimmer revealed to her. “I’ve gone through all his written works. There’s absolutely no mention of anything related to ‘inter-dimensional portal spell’. The legend of Star Swirl opening a portal to another universe remains a legend, verbally passed on because there’s not a shred of evidence of it ever happened.”

Dash slumped in disappointment, prompting Sunset Shimmer to regard her with obvious sympathy.

“If it makes you happy, we could go to my friend’s place tomorrow,” the unicorn suggested.

“She can help?”

“Not quite. She does have a vast collection of the original copies on Star Swirl’s human fairy tales.”

“Original copies?”

“The printed copies were lawfully banned many years ago by Princess Celestia for being ‘mind corrupting’.”

“Trash,” Dash uttered. “Your friend risked herself of breaking the law, why?”

“This particular pony is…to put it mildly, eccentric. She’s so fond of anything human, she even went as far as mimicking…one…” Sunset Shimmer suddenly frowned, slowly digesting her own statement.

“Yeah?” Dash noticed the unicorn was not responsive. “Hey, Sunset. What’s the matter? Hey!”

She waved her hand in front of the unicorn’s eyes, causing the latter to startle.

“Huh? Oh! N-nothing. Sorry.”

“So who’s your friend?” Dash asked.

“Her name’s Lyra. She would’ve love to meet you and hear stories of your homeworld…if weren’t for Trollestia.” There was bitterness in the way Sunset Shimmer pronounced the name of Princess Celestia’s alter ego. “So her home’s abandoned now. But if we’re lucky, maybe we can find something useful there.”

“Lemme guess, she’s trapped on the moon?”

“It’s hard to tell,” Sunset Shimmer said, looking rather uncertain. “Maybe she was banished to the moon or maybe to someplace else. One thing’s for sure, she was never seen again ever since.”

“Can’t any of you bring ‘em back?”

“No. The teleportation spell is a very advanced type of magic. It’s possible to teleport an inanimate object through a short distance. But teleporting a living being all the way to the moon? It has to be Dark Magic because not even Princess Luna is capable of such feat. Ugh, if only she was still here! Learning advanced magic would be so much easier.”

Dash vaguely remembered the unicorn mentioning something about being in magic school. “Is Princess Luna like your teacher in magic school?”

“No,” Sunset Shimmer said, “Actually, I was Celest-I mean, I was one of Princess Celestia’s personal pupil. An apprentice, if you like, on becoming an Alicorn Princess.”

Dash regarded Sunset Shimmer thoughtfully. “And tell me. Princess Luna, what was she like?”

“She’s not much that different from Princess Celestia, actually.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. They’re both very commanding, strict. And, they…both enjoy celebrations.” Sunset Shimmer paused for a brief moment, thinking. “Okay, maybe they are a little different.”

“How so?”

“Princess Luna prefers lively and ‘open’ events. Unlike Celestia who wants everything to be formal, adhering to protocols and whatnots.”

There it is again, Dash thought. Why is that? “I don’t understand. What d’ya mean by ‘open’?”

“Princess Luna likes to mingle with ordinary ponies. For instance, the Nightmare Night party she hosted at the castle is open to the public. She’s really more outgoing than her elder sister. Hey, once I even saw her going out into the city without her regalia.”

“It sounds to me you have a soft spot for Princess Luna, Sunset,” Dash said frankly. “As for Princess Celestia, it’s a whole different story.”

“Why would you say that?” Sunset Shimmer asked, looking a bit tensed.

“Sorry, I really didn’t mean to offend you. It’s just that I realized that you don’t always refer Princess Celestia by her title. And the way you mentioned about her. It felt…‘different’.”

Sunset Shimmer cringed in her seat. She had given herself away so much even the human being whom she just met could see right through her.

“You’re right actually. That was rather immature of me. Princes Celestia is still royalty. Yeah, you could say that I resented her. Not just for what she did to Princess Luna, but also for heavily favoring Twilight Sparkle back then. She always busied herself with Twilight, so Princess Luna decided to fill in, making her my unofficial mentor.”

“I don’t know why,” Sunset Shimmer sounded even bitter now, “but Princess Celestia suddenly changed when Twilight Sparkle was enrolled into magic school. Trixie and I began our study long before she did, then it’s like...I don’t exist anymore. And Trixie-”

“Oh, so you and Trixie went to the same school?” Dash immediately asked her.

“As Princess Celestia’s apprentices, Twilight Sparkle and I sought to learn advanced magic and what it means to be a ruler, so that one day we could fulfil our dream of being crowned princess and co-rule Equestria by her side, as Princess Luna did. Meanwhile Trixie took regular classes. She was different from others. She was the kind of pony who loves attention. Since she was filly, she dreamed of becoming a magician, to entertain ponies in an extravagant show.”

“But she didn’t...”

“Trixie’s father is an Earth pony,” Sunset Shimmer revealed. “That makes her a half-unicorn. So her test scores were below average at best. In the end, the school decided that she isn’t worth it and then got her expelled.”

“I see.” Dash felt a strange feeling came over her. What is this? Sympathy? For a talking pony? Really? “I’m sorry to hear that...”

Sunset Shimmer’s expression turned lively again. “Hey, don’t be. Yeah, Trixie became a gloomy pony after that but it all worked out for her in the end. Don’t you think your room is lovely?”

“She did all that?”

“It’s part of her job. And she’s really good at it. She even helps plan the events for the royal celebrations. If only you’ve seen the Nightmare Night Party or the parade for Canterlot Day! It was amazing! Everypony was enjoying themselves! And even Princess Luna loved it! So finally Trixie decided to be content with what she has.”

“Is she?”

“Sure she wasn’t the star of the show like she once imagined, she still made everypony happy. So I guess she managed to fulfil her own dream...in a way.”

Dash looked away enviously, melancholy flooded her voice. “That’s great. Really…great.”

Sunset Shimmer gazed at Dash strangely. “Miss Dash? What’s wrong? You seemed…down.”

“No, I… It’s just that…I know…how it feels, to lose a life-long dream…”

“Oh, so do you...want to talk about it?”

“I dunno. I never talk about it to anyone.”

Sunset Shimmer could detect a hint of sorrow in Dash’s eyes. “Does your family know about this?”

“I only have a foster family,” Dash confessed. “And my best friends. They’re only ones I got left.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Sunset Shimmer said sympathetically. It does not take a genius to figure out that Dash is an orphan.

“It’s okay. It was a long time ago. I got over it.”

“What about other family ties?”

Dash shook her head. “None.”

“I see...”

For some reason, Dash began to open up. “They were as close to me as a real family could ever get. But in the end I’m the one who chose to stay away from them…”

“I don’t understand,” Sunset Shimmer said, “Why would you do that? Did you have a fight with them?”

“B’cuz…I was embarrassed. I don’t want ‘em to find out…”

“It’s okay,” Sunset Shimmer encouraged her. “Let it out,”

“I don’t want ‘em to find out what a total loser I’ve become. That it was partly my fault, that I’ll never live my dream…”

“Which was?”

“To be a part of the Thunderbolts.”

Sunset Shimmer raised her eyebrows. “Thunderbolts?” Is that something like the Wonderbolts?

“Where I come from,” Dash said, “it’s an aerobatic demonstration team for the air force.”

“As in air army? You were a soldier then?”

Dash explained that she was a junior cadet and the air force was merely an excuse for her to get into their flight academy. To be illegible for a spot in the academy, one must go through at least one year of military service, and be promoted to the rank of an officer.”

“So what happened?” Sunset Shimmer asked.

“I trained really hard, pushing myself to my limits, enduring every humiliation, every unpleasant experience thrown at me. Being in the Thunderbolts team was all I ever wanted. But now it’s dead. ‘Cuz, I…screwed up.”

“How do you ‘screwed’ it up?” All of a sudden, Sunset Shimmer changed her mind, deciding that it was of no importance. “No, ignore that question. What did you do after that?”

Dash sadly looked down at the table without answering the question.

“What, nothing?” Sunset Shimmer asked, seemingly taken aback by Dash’s lack of response.

Dash replied despairingly, eyes still on the table, “What’s the point? There’s nothing in life worth pursuing anymore. It’s over-”

“Miss Dash, stop!” Sunset Shimmer’s voice was stern. “I don’t want to hear such crazy talk! Now please look up at me!”

Dash looked up, wondering what the unicorn was being upset about.

“I apologize if you think I was being rude just now,” Sunset Shimmer was speaking calmly now. “As awkward as this might sound, I want you to think of me as a friend. Just for a moment, okay? I’m going to tell you a story about a pony named Lightning Dust.”

“The green pegasus,” Dash recalled.

“You’ve met her already?”

“No, not really. I just saw her with the others in the courtyard yesterday. She mentioned something about the Wonderbolts.”

Perfect, Sunset Shimmer thought. No need for introductions then. “Yeah, she used to train in their academy. She’s an excellent flyer with a lot of potentials. She’s been training so hard her who life to achieve her dream as the lead pony and the fastest flyer in Equestria. But as time goes by, she became overly competitive, egoistic, reckless, always wanting to be in first place in everything no matter what. This eventually led to her to unwittingly cause an accident during one their routine training drills.”

“What happened?”

Sunset Shimmer inhaled before telling Lightning Dust’s story in a way that will not make her friend look bad. “Lightning Dust was supposed to clear out a whole bunch of clouds out of the sky. But she was a little impatient. She wanted to be the first pony done, to impress her instructor. So, she decided to make a tornado to speed things up but ended up losing control of it, injuring the other cadets as a result. Even though she apologized for her actions, she was still kicked out from Wonderbolts. And that’s how her dream was taken away because of one mistake.”

Dash regarded this with disdain. “So? It’s her fault and she deserved it, right?”

“Lightning Dust isn’t a bad pony,” Sunset Shimmer insisted. “She would never have tried to actually hurt anypony. I guess she just wanted to show that she was Wonderbolt material. I honestly thought she’d be disciplined or demoted at worst. She almost couldn’t carry on her life since then. But eventually she did. Look at her now.”

“But why the army?” Dash asked.

“I don’t know,” Sunset Shimmer admitted. “Lightning Dust never told me the actual reason. It's a wild guess but I figured she wanted to make up for her mistake back in the Wonderbolts Academy.”

“And how does being a chauffeur supposed to help?”

“Hey, everypony needs to start from scratch before getting to the top. That’s just how all things work. Oh, that reminds me of another story. Care to listen, Dash?”

“Yea, sure.” Still, she was not sure what to expect out of this conversation.

“Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, I believe you’ve met them already, from what Trixie told me.”

Dash recalled the two Earth ponies whom she saw were with Trixie at the boutique.

“Silver Spoon is the youngest among us,” Sunset Shimmer then began. “She used to belong to a very wealthy family.”

“Used to?”

“She lost her parents at a very young age.”

Dash’s expression fell upon hearing that. Sunset Shimmer stopped for a moment. She pondered on how to continue the story. In the end Sunset Shimmer decided to spare Dash the details of how the grey Earth pony’s parents died.

“After her parents died,” she continued, “her family’s business went down due to some ‘unfortunate circumstances’, thus reducing her wealth to almost nothing. Fortunately, one pony decided to adopt her.”

Dash made a wild guess. “Diamond Tiara?”

“Yes. Diamond Tiara once dreamed of opening a successful fashion chain in Manehattan. She figured the only way she could get enough bits and reputation is through the Manehattan Fashion Week. She traveled there very often to show off her designs to the critics. But every time she was unsuccessful. Competition was tight, the critics were harsh. That didn’t stop her for trying again though. She was so sure that all her efforts will pay off eventually.”

Suddenly Sunset Shimmer sounded somber. “But in the end it was all for nothing. The only thing she achieved was making herself broke.”

“Broke!?” Dash blurted aloud. As if a shattered dream wasn’t bad enough!

“She’s burning money every time she makes the trip to Manehattan. Accommodations, train fares, not to mention the costs for making all those fancy dresses. So without making any returns on all the money she spent…”

Dash felt sadden upon hearing that. “That’s awful…”

“It is, isn’t it? After Silver Spoon was adopted, we did what we could to help ease their burden. Then something unexpected happened. Do you know what it is?”

“She has her own store right here in Canterlot, so she must’ve made it in the end.”

“Almost right. Actually, it was Silver Spoon who bought that place, after she secretly sold her own pearl necklace, her only valuable possession at the time.”

“No way, she did that for Diamond Tiara?” Dash felt herself touched by Silver Spoon’s sacrifice.

“She did. It wasn't a big business, yet it’s a start.” With that, Sunset Shimmer finished all her stories. “So Dash, can you conclude anything from the stories?”

However, the point of the three stories was still not apparent to Dash.

Sunset Shimmer finally explained what she was trying to tell her. “My point is that there’s always a second chance in life. Plans can change but by not giving up, by making choices as best as you can in the present, you can find something worthwhile to work for even though it wasn’t the future you’ve imagined from the beginning.”

Dash considered Sunset Shimmer’s advice. She now realized that the unicorn actually understands her, which is weird considering the situation involving a ‘talking animal’ and also that Sunset Shimmer bears a vague yet eerie resemblance to her ex-tormentor whom she still hates very much. She then quickly shrugged that thought her mind. She was not in her own world after all.

Placing the pieces together, it is not just Sunset Shimmer’s friends who had experienced dreams. With Princess Celestia gone insane, the unicorn herself never managed to realize her dream to become the princess’ co-ruler. Yet, they all managed in the end. Sunset Shimmer, for one, being an Assistant Chancellor has to count for something.

“I dunno what to say,” Dash said.

Sunset Shimmer regarded a sincere and gentle look. “No need. But I sincerely hope you can find your way back home and when you do, please think it over. You’re still very young, and I am sure that your family is worried sick about you. In time, I hope you realize that is there’s more to life than one dream.”

“Thanks,” Dash said gratefully. “I appreciate you’re talking to me like this,”

Then it struck her that there was something strangely familiar regarding Sunset Shimmer’s words. “Weird… A part of it sounded familiar, like I’ve heard it before.”

“Who? Was it from one of your friends?”

“I don’t think so...” Dash tried to recall her memory, but found that she could not. Something felt missing from her life. Failing to figure out what it is, she quickly dismissed it. “Nah, it’s not important now.”

She then went on to say absentmindedly, “Anyway, it’s funny really, hearing this from you.”

“Meaning, what?” Sunset Shimmer asked.

“Sorry. It’s just that when I first saw you, your look reminds me of someone back home. Someone unfortunately I don’t really like. As weird as it sounds, it’s like you’re a unicorn version of her.”

Dash cringed when Sunset Shimmer just stared at her blankly. “Oh no, no! Please don’t take it the wrong way. I wasn’t making fun of you. I’m just sayin’. Honest!”

“Is that so?” Sunset Shimmer jested. “Well, two can play this game. Let me tell you something. You looked a lot like Rainbow Dash. A human version of her, to be exact.”

“Puh-leez!” Dash scoffed. “There’s no way I’m that sore loser. First off, I do not say ‘20% cooler’. What’s it supposed to refer to anyway?”

“Yeah, exactly!” Sunset Shimmer giggled. “That pegasus kept pestering everypony on making everything ‘20% cooler’ like her, without explaining things. Really, how do you make something cooler by 20%? How?”

“If I was her,” Dash said, her mood elated by the unicorn’s friendliness. “I’d say something more sensible, like awesome.”

“Yeah, that sounds about right,” Sunset Shimmer agreed.

As they talked and traded jokes, it is revealed that Zach was eavesdropping on them from outside the dining room’s entrance for who-knows-how-long.

Later, Zach was standing motionless on the balustrade for a few seconds, staring at the full moon illuminating brightly the clear night sky above.

SHADE Armor, Arcane Focus.

After his clothes changed, the Godslayer leaped from his balcony to the ground below and proceeded to sneak to the terraced gardens. He effortlessly climbed over the tall castle wall and then landed on the other side.

STAT, open the Void. Set coordinates to the moon.

A haloed pitch-black sphere with moving violet web energy materialized before him. This is the very same sphere that Dash emerged through into this Equestria. He walked into it then disappeared from view.

For the Godslayers, the Void is both a gateway to another universe and a method to travel between locations almost instantaneously. In order for an individual to cross through it however, he or she must be shielded to protect him or herself from the radiation field. For now, only full-armored Godslayers and crafts were known to have use the Void.

The same sphere appeared on the moon surface. Godslayer Watterson emerged from it shortly before the portal harmlessly collapsed into a bright flash. After which, his Arcanist SHADE reverted back into his normal clothes.

Zach warily looked around, only to see that he was alone in a vast grey dessert riddled with rocks and craters.

Man, there’s a lot of ground to cover...

Back in the castle’s reading chamber, Dash and Sunset Shimmer both were looking through an album containing foalhood photos of the latter and her friends.

One set of photos showed the six friends playing at the beach. Gilda was giving Silver Spoon a shoulder-ride while sauntering along the shoreline. And then there was Sunset Shimmer who was competed with Trixie in a friendly contest of building the biggest and most complex sand castles using their unicorn magic. But the most fun the friends had was when they played in the waters together.

Next, Dash found out the ponies had their own version of Halloween. Here the celebration is called Nightmare Night. Sunset Shimmer looked a bit funny as a princess due to over-the-top gown she was wearing at the time. The unicorn explained it was Diamond Tiara who lent her the dress. In another photo, Trixie, in her wizard/magician costume, was shown to have collected the most treats among the six friends.

Later Sunset Shimmer showed photos of a surprise birthday party they held for Gilda. Dash really liked how Gilda reacted when the griffon was greeted with confetti and pop-out streamers as soon as she came in through the door. The griffon’s surprise really showed through her bug-eyed expression. One photo revealed that Gilda’s bracelet was actually a birthday gift from Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.

Before turning in, Dash had one last look at photos taken during a sleepover at Silver Spoon’s mansion. All six friends were shown engaged in various activities- creating paper arts learned from Silver Spoon’s library books, playing board games, playing dress up with wardrobes from Diamond Tiara’s ‘Closet of Shame’ etc. Sunset Shimmer also told Dash that whenever they played hide-and-seek at the mansion, she could never understand how Silver Spoon managed to be so good at hiding thus win every time.

***

Trixie refused to accept her expulsion. Without caring for her own dignity, Trixie went on her knees and begged Princess Celestia to intervene with the school’s decision. However, the princess coldly dismissed her and had the royal guards dragged the unicorn away. Not even Princess Luna’s advice to reconsider was able to change the elder princess’ mind. Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle both witnessed this. The former was very saddened at the fate of her friend, the other merely regarded the sight with indifference.

Lightning Dust was stunned by what she had done. She could only stand watch as emergency ponies attended to the injured Wonderbolts cadets. Emergency ponies carefully lifted Gilda, the cadet who took the worst of it, to a stretcher and haul her away. One of few Wonderbolts who was lucky enough to avoid the tornado was Rainbow Dash. Later, Spitfire, the Wonderbolts’ captain, berated Lightning Dust for her ‘reckless’ action. After ripping the Lead Pony badge off Lighting Dust’s uniform, she immediately discharged the cadet in disgrace.

Diamond Tiara’s eyes ran with envy at the stylish clothing on display behind the glass window of a famous fashion boutique, imagining the place is hers. Her heart was fraught with disappointment after she lost her place in the Fashion Week to Rarity earlier. Back in her hotel room, Diamond Tiara packed the all dresses she made, along its accessories (one of which is a diamond-encrusted tiara). Despite the latest setback, the Earth pony refused to believe that she was too ambitious for her own good.

Back when Silver Spoon was a filly, she wore an exquisite pearl necklace with a spoon-shaped pendant. She also loved to share her stuffs and treats with her peers. This is how she gained a lot of friends in kindergarten. Years later, her parents passed away and Silver Spoon was seen mourning for them at their graves under heavy rain. Ever since the Earth pony lost all her riches, none of her so-called friends came to visit her. Gilda, Lightning Dust, Trixie, Diamond Tiara and Sunset Shimmer were the only exception.

***

Trixie, still angry from her expulsion, was surprised to see Princess Luna coming to visit her. The princess regarded of the artistic illustrations of the scattered stage props with interest and so offered Trixie work. Trixie started off as maidservant at the castle. She diligently did her chores without complaint and was very proactive. Eventually, Trixie rose to the rank of head servant. One of the first of many tasks assigned to her was help plan the events for the Canterlot Day celebration.

Lightning Dust poured out her insecurities to Trixie for being the only junior in the royal army. It was then that the Flim and Flam along with Tirek and Nova decided to approach the pegasus in a sincere attempt to befriend her. Seeing how depressed she looked, Tirek offered his cupcakes in order to cheer her up. Nova shapeshifted into Captain Discord’s likeness then made some funny faces and silly poses. In response, the brothers made jokes about the captain. Lightning Dust’s sullen face gradually faded.

It was not easy for Diamond Tiara after taking Silver Spoon into her care. She depended heavily on her friends’ help and the meager income from the sewing shop she runs at her shabby home in order to feed them both. This hardship drove Silver Spoon to take action on her own, and that meant sacrificing the only heirloom left to her. It was not until a year later Silver Spoon was finally ready to unveil the premise for their boutique and new home to Diamond Tiara.

***

LYRA HEARTSTRINGS - revised

Author's Note

In Blue Marble Equestria, Bon-Bon is a nickname for Sweetie Drops.

LYRA HEARTSTRINGS - revised

Sunset Shimmer knocked on the door, expecting Dash to answer. But to her surprise, she was greeted with silence. The door was actually unlocked and she found the bedroom empty with the bed tidied up.

Opening up to Sunset Shimmer yesterday yielded a positive effect on Dash. Now in better spirit, she had gone to the courtyard early in the morning to test her fitness. After the last lap around the courtyard, Dash took a short break. Though tired and covered with sweat, it actually made her feel good, with all her calories getting burned. Having rested enough, she continued her exercise with fifty full push-ups.

“Working out, I see?” It was Sunset Shimmer.

Dash stopped her exercise and proceeded to greet the unicorn. “Hey, mornin’!”

“Morning to you too, Miss Dash.”

“Y’know what? Let’s cut the formalities. Call me Dash from now on, ‘kay?”

Sunset Shimmer smiled. “Hmmm, okay.”

“And yeah. Ever since I got here, I feel like I’m out of shape whenever I get off the bed.”

“So you’re a physical type of person,” Sunset Shimmer said. “Are you strong?”

There was a sort of smug look on Dash. “Heck yeah! Why ask?”

“Oh, nothing in particular,” Sunset Shimmer said. “It’s just that Prince Umbra and Lord Watterson mentioned how bravely you fought the other day. You even managed to disarm one of the creatures with your bare hands.”

“It’s a form a martial art I learned,” Dash told her. “Actually it’s not all about being strong.”

Dash stepped back and got into a combat-ready stance. She demonstrated a series of moves involving aggressive yet fluid series of punches, kicks and blocks (a martial arts exercise called kata).

“It’s a combination of speed, reaction and technique,” Dash said after finishing her last move.

“It that something they taught you in the air army?” Sunset Shimmer asked curiously.

“Uh-huh.”

“I see. If you’re done, why don’t you go clean up yourself then join me for breakfast?”

“Hay salad?” Yesterday’s dinner might have been considered a delicacy here but for a human like Dash…

Sunset Shimmer smiled jestingly. “Nope, we’re having hayburger.”

“Great,” Dash said in a mocked enthusiasm.

Giggling, Sunset Shimmer said, “Kidding! We’re having good old classic bread with butter and jam. How’s that sound?”

Normal food! That made Dash so happy. “Now you’re talkin’!”

As they walked through the hallway, Dash wanted to ask Sunset Shimmer, “Uh, hey Sunset. About…”

But the unicorn already knew what Dash was going to say. “Don’t worry, Dash. I remembered what I said last night. After I get some paperwork done, we’ll go after lunch time. Okay?”

“Thanks.”

Something outside the castle caught Dash’s intention. She stopped and looked through the window.

“Is that Zach?”

Sunset Shimmer’s eyes followed the same direction as Dash’s gaze. In the terraced gardens below, Zach was self-training in armed combat with a pair of batons, wielding them like swords.

“Oh, yeah,” the unicorn said. “Captain Discord witnessed him doing his self-training starting at dawn.”

“What kinda fighting style is that?” Dash wondered.

Abruptly, Discord bent over her shoulder, staring through the window with a serious look. “Yes, strange isn’t it?”

“Hey, where’d you come from!?”

“I’ve never seen technique that uses two swords at once and puts so much emphasis on slashing,” the captain gave his remark, ignoring Dash’s question. “Together with his unusual clothing and use of grammar, I’d almost say he’s not native in this land as well,”

He straightened up, his expression suddenly eases. “Welp, that’s just my opinion. If anypony needs me, I’ll be in the canteen, having my usual breakfast of candy popcorn,”

“Is he really that obsessed with popcorn?” Dash decided to ask Sunset Shimmer just as the captain was walking away with a carefree look.

“Well, uh… He’s, you know, eccentric. He’s a little eccentric. Then again…”

“What?”

“Many ponies in Equestria are.”

Dash rolled her eyes. Riiight…

Later at the workshop, the Flim and Flam unveiled to Zach and the captain their automatic firing artillery, modified from a bazooka. Mounted on wheeled platforms, it is fed from the ammunition barrel through a belt-fed system. In the firing trigger’s place is now a complex timing control mechanism wired to a mechanical alarm clock.

Flim pointed at the mechanism. “See this device here? All you need is to wind up the clock to a pre-set time. Once the countdown reaches zero, this baby’ll fire in rapid successions until all the ammunitions run out.”

Flam demonstrated how the artillery cannon’s angle of fire can be adjusted through a kickstand underneath the cannon.

“This kickstand here isn’t just propping it up. You can set the cannon at different angle by simply tilting the kickstand. We also made friction-resistant, just so you know.”

“Excellent work, you two,” said the captain, notably pleased with the brothers’ work.

“It’ll definitely give them hell-” Realized that he made a slip-up, Zach quickly corrected himself, “Hard! A hard time!”

Laughing nervously, he said, “Yeah, that’s-that’s what I meant...”

The term hell is non-existent in Equestria.

Zach stood beside Discord, facing the Reserves.

“Attention!” the captain called.

The Reserves stomped on the ground. Zach stepped forward.

He opened his mouth, as if to say something to them then stared at Discord puzzled. “Why am I here again?”

“They all need to be physically prepped, before moving on to their special training,” the captain explained.

“That still doesn’t explain why you want me here.”

“I believe you can be of assistance in one of their physical training, if you don't mind sparing a bit of your time.”

“Are you sure about this, captain? I mean, I don’t want to be meddler and all, you know.”

“Positive,” the captain said firmly.

“Okay then, let’s do this!” Zach raised his hands up high. “Let’s reach for the stars!”

Lighting Dust immediately raised her hoof.

“What?” Zach asked the pegasus.

“Yesterday you said ‘reach for the moon’,” Lighting Dust pointed out.

“Yes, that was yesterday. And since the stars are much further away than the moon, it's even better. It means today we’re aiming to achieve something even higher.”

The pegasus lowered her hoof.

“That actually make sense for once,” she said, satisfied with Zach’s explanation.

“Good.” Zach raised his hands up high again. “Now let’s reach for the stars!”

The Reserves responded Zach’s call with royal guard’s standard battle cry, “Ooo-rah!!!”

And so begins the rigorous physical training…

***

Lightning Dust get strapped onto the Dizzitron, a ‘spin-out simulator’ that looks like hypnotic a wheel with gears. The Dizzitron spun the pegasus around in circles at maximum speed. Discord activated a lever that releases Lighting Dust from the contraption. She spun out into the air for a while and then seemingly recovered. But instead of gliding back, she shot upwards through the clouds, only to come back half an hour later.

Ursa-Nova was doing a push up exercise in a laborious fashion due to Zach sitting cross-legged on his back. Apparently, changing into a strong animal does not actually make the changeling strong.

Flim and Flam struggled to keep up on the speeding treadmill but soon failed and both get thrown off it as a result.

Tirek mustered all his strength yet he struggled to lift the dumbbells. Given his skinny build, it was hardly surprising. He barely raised the dumbbells a few inches from the ground before giving up.

Lighting Dust was released from the Dizzitron. She spun out into the air for a while, then recovered and flew back towards Discord and passed him. She continued to fly in a straight line, past the castle walls and out into somewhere in the Canterlot suburbs…

Ursa-Nova failed miserably in his attempts to do pull ups. The best he could do was lifting his hind legs up to his lower torso. In the end, his arms could not take it longer. He let go of the bars and fell flat on his hips.

Tirek succeeded in lifting the barbell over his head. But soon enough his arm jerked and gave in to the weight, resulting in the barbell falling on top him. On the ground, the centaur could not move at all, with the barbell pinning him down on his chest.

Tirek, Flim and Flam were finally able to match their galloping speed with their treadmills...after a hundred fails.

All the Reserves raced each other around the field, pulling the Super Speedy Chaser 6000s chained to each of them. Lightning Dust fared better than the rest. Though her experience in Wonderbolts was not designed for such heavy labor, it still has a positive effect on her overall fitness. She was the first Reserve to cross the finishing line ahead of the others.

Discord watched calmly the Reserves attacking an unarmed Zach with batons and sticks. There were sounds of beating, grunts and groans for a while. Not long after, the Reserves got thrown right in front of the captain. None of them could hold a candle to Zach.

***

Noticed how tired Sunset Shimmer looked, Dash asked her, “Why don’t you ask Sir Blueblood to help you?”

“No, Dash. We have our fair share of the job. Really, it’s not like he’s delegating everything to me.”

“Yeah, but you look very tired sometimes.”

“It’s called work,” Sunset Shimmer pointed out. “That’s normal. And I am fine, as long as I take a short rest once in a while.”

Enough said, Dash decided to change topic. “So, do you get along with Blueblood?”

“We had our differences,” the unicorn said flatly.

“Like…the cover up thing?”

“Yeah. That really pissed me off. He can be a little selfish at times.”

“At least he didn’t usurp the throne and declared himself as ‘King Blueblood, the sole, undisputed ruler of Equestria!’, right?” Dash joked. “Like Trollestia did.”

“That’s…true,” Sunset Shimmer realized. “He never acted for once like he owns this castle. In fact, he’s the one who taught me the ins and outs of Equestria’s administrative system. We get along just fine because of it. I guess...I am immature.”

“But still,” Dash said, “why didn’t you just tell the truth yourself if you’re so eager?”

Sunset Shimmer was reluctant to answer the question. Fortunately for her, they ran into the Reserves, all exhausted and lightly bruised. The Reserves nodded politely as they passed by them. Sunset Shimmer gave a warm smile at Lightning Dust, which the pegasus returned.

Far behind, Nova hurried to catch up with Lighting Dust.

“Lighting Dust,” he called, “wait up!”

The changeling nodded to Sunset Shimmer in a gesticulated manner before skittering off to Lightning Dust. Then came Captain Discord and Zach. Catching sight of Dash staring awkwardly at him, Zach nodded curtly before walking off.

Dash turned her head over her shoulder, looking at Nova, who is chatting happily to Lightning Dust, then at Zach..

“Don’t worry, my dear,” Discord responded to Sunset Shimmer’s question regarding progress on the Reserve’s training. “I still have faith in them.”

He then walked off optimistically, leaving the two slightly baffled.

“Actually, that didn’t sound very encouraging, doesn’t it?” Dash remarked.

“I guess…” Sunset Shimmer said with uncertainty. “Say, have you asked Lord Watterson’s permission to go out?”

“Why the heck would I need his permission!?”

“I can see you don’t like him that much. But he did say that you’re under his custody. Listen, he’s just worried about your safety that’s all. So at least let him know.”

Dash then remembered the deal she had made with Zach, one she agreed out of desperation. Aw, man…

In the mess hall, Discord and the Reserves busied themselves with plates of apple tarts, fritters and candy popcorns served on the table.

Flim and Flam respectively complimented Tirek for the food.

“Hey, these apple tarts ain’t bad!”

“Really, Tirek! These are quite good!”

“Nova Elite gives his approval!” the changeling added.

Tirek grinned widely, feeling pleased at his comrade’s compliments. “You like? Then I will tell you the secret of its tastefulness! I put some vinegar in it. I just thought of the recipe a few days ago.”

Upon hearing that, Trixie put on a mock annoyance expression. “Tirek, I am so crossed with you!”

“What did I do?” asked the alarmed centaur.

“If you told me you were really this good at baking, I could’ve hired you as the royal caterer years ago.”

“Actually I did answer to that ad, but I ended up at the wrong part of the castle and got interviewed by the captain by mistake. I didn’t realize at the time it was a job interview for the royal army’s cook instead,” the centaur revealed.

Munching his popcorns, Discord said, “A decision I’ll never regret. Who else in Equestria knows how make twenty five different flavors of candy popcorn.”

Lucky, lucky you, captain, Trixie thought.

At this point, Dash was approaching Zach whose mind seemed to be preoccupied because he was using his fork to ‘play’ with his tarts instead of eating it. Dash greeted the feline with a simple “hey” as she sat right next to him.

“How’re you holding up?” Zach asked her.

“I’m…good. Thanks for asking.” Dash looked at his plate. “Y’know, if you’re not gonna eat that, I’ll be happy to take it off your hands.”

“Oh, want a taste?” Tirek said when he overheard Dash. “I’ll be more than happy to serve you some of my tarts!”

“Sure,” Dash smiled. “Has to be better than hayburger.”

“You take that back!” Lighting Dust gasped. “Hayburgers are the best!”

“We have to disagree, Lightning Dust,” Flam said. “Nothing’s better than apples. Or anything made out of apples for that matter. Like these apple tarts here.”

Flim nodded firmly. “Quite right, o’ brother of mine.”

Nova intervened in a show of support for the female pegasus. “Uh, I have to agree with Lightning Dust on this...”

Seemingly put off by the squabble, Discord slammed his hand lightly on the table. “Stand down, soldiers! Before this argument escalates into a chaotic food fight for which I will not tolerate!”

Silence fell over the Reserves.

The captain snapped his fingers and with a wide grin said, “After all, the greatest innovation in food is no other than candy popcorn.”

“Oh, captain!” the Reserves cried in unison.

As they quarreled playfully with each other, Dash gestured at her face to Zach. She picked up an empty tray and held it to reflect Zach’s fatigued face. He had slightly visible bags under his eyes.

“Huh, I look like I just came out of a wrestling match with an ursa major, don’t I?” he joked.

Discord slammed on the table, bursting with laughter. “That’s a good one, my friend!”

The Reserves laughed with him.

What on Earth is an ursa major...? Not understanding the joke, Dash ignored them.

“Listen,” Zach spoke to Dash in a low voice. “I’m sorry about yesterday. I didn’t mean that to happen to you,”

She responded with a smug look. “As you should, yeah.”

“But I’m not admitting any wrongdoing,” Zach continued. “Only that I probably should’ve been more patient and thoughtful before I act. But at least we now know your memories aren’t completely lost, just repressed. I do want to make it clear to you however that having your memory return to you is very, very crucial.”

“Why?” Dash asked with a frown.

“I should’ve recognized the clothes on you,” Zach said, “but I was too preoccupied then. That SHADE actually belonged to a comrade of mine, someone who is very important to me.”.

“Why don’t you ask whoever that is yourself?”

“I would, if I knew her current whereabouts.”

“She’s…missing?”

“That is definitely the right question to ask. Where is she now? And why are you here?”

Dash suddenly felt uneasy. Another mystery turned up and she was connected to it somehow.

“I don’t know anything,” she insisted.

“But you must’ve seen something. I want to help you. I do but you need to earn to my trust by helping me out first.”

As Dash tried to comprehend his statement, Zach asked her, “What brings you here, by the way?”

“I’m…heading to town Sunset Shimmer later on,” she answered awkwardly.

“Oh, cool,” Zach said jokingly. “Looks like you got a new friend.”

“She isn’t- Oh, forget it! Listen, I appreciate if you’re worried about me or anything. But I’m just letting you know where I’m going. It’s not like I’m asking for your permission or anything. So there!”

“Uh-huh.”

What, that’s it? Dash wondered. “Aren’t you gonna ask why I’m going out?”

“Just go,” Zach said casually, as if he did not care.

In truth, he already expected Dash to come to him after last night's eavesdropping.

At this point, Tirek returned with a tray of full of freshly-baked apple tarts. “Here you go, human Rainbow Dash! Fresh hot from the oven!”

“Oh, c’mon! It’s just Dash, okay!?” Dash stood up from her seat and shot everyone with a glare. “Now who else here thinks I’m Rainbow Dash!?”

“Maybe he has a valid point.” Zach lifted an apple tart from his plate and began eating it.

Dash glared wildly at the blue feline. “Not you too!?”

“It’s your eyes,” Zach said to her.

Dash offered an apple tart to Sunset Shimmer who was waiting outside the mess hall. The unicorn declined with a polite shake of her head.

“So how did it go?” Sunset Shimmer asked.

“Let’s just say we’re still trying to work things out,” Dash sullenly said.

Lyra’s residence is located somewhere in the middle of the uptown’s residential area. Ever since the owner went missing, everywhere in the house has been gathering dusts, cobwebs and molds.

As Sunset Shimmer and Dash passed by a desk, the latter decided to take a closer look at the framed photos on the desk. In each of photo, Lyra is seen with a different pony, which Dash interpreted as the unicorn’s friends. Dash does not know them but their names are Minuette, Twinkleshine, Bon-Bon and Amethyst Star. Dash continued to scan the row until she came upon a photo of a pegasus. Strangely, a muffin was sitting atop the pegasus’ mane.

“Dash, Come on!” Sunset Shimmer called out. “It’s upstairs.”

“Sunset, who is this?” Dash asked her, eyes still on the photo.

Sunset Shimmer walked over to Dash and glanced over at the photo. “Oh, that’s Ditzy Doo. But she’s commonly called Derpy, due to her crossed-eye look.”

“Uh-huh, I can see that,” Dash said to her. “But why does she have a muffin on her head?”

“I don’t know,” Sunset Shimmer flatly said. “Maybe she likes muffins too much,”

Dash raised her eyebrows. Sunset Shimmer was right. The ponies here are definitely eccentric.

“I guess none of her friends ever come to visit here after she’s gone,” she remarked on the current state of the house.

“They’ve all disappeared around the same time with Lyra,” Sunset Shimmer revealed to her. “We assumed they all fell to Trollestia’s ‘pranks’.”

“At least they all remained together, right?” Dash joked absentmindedly. “As space ponies?”

“Is that supposed to be funny!?” Sunset Shimmer was notably displeased as she did not find the joke amusing at all.

Dash soon apologized. “Anyhow, thanks for doing this.”

“I have to admit,” Sunset Shimmer said, “I’m not entirely comfortable with trespassing into someone’s house. But I’m rather curious where this is all going. Who knows, if we do get lucky on finding the spell in one of his stories, it’ll be beneficial to me to as well.”

“How actually?” Dash asked.

Sunset Shimmer explained, “Assuming Star Swirl’s portal do exist, with more study and careful experiments, it might be possible modify the portal to open within a universe instead, turning it into something similar to a teleportation spell. I could use it help bring back Princess Luna and all the ponies trapped on the moon.”

“You think big,” Dash remarked.

Deciding that they should not be spending too much time talking, Sunset Shimmer motioned Dash to the stairs with her head before turning around. “Let’s go.”

Later in the bedroom, they busied themselves perusing Lyra’s hardcover books on the floor. Finish read books were piled in stacks around them.

After finished the book titled The Transformers, Dash rubbed her tired eyes using her palms. “Still nothin’?”

Sunset Shimmer shook her head as she placed a book, titled Reign of the Imperial Dalek, on top of a stack.

“I guess it’s still worth a try,” Dash sighed. “Take five?”

Sunset Shimmer agreed.

“Say, Sunset. Why did you wanna become a princess in the first place?” Dash was eager to know.

“When I was a filly,” Sunset Shimmer began explaining, “I always thought princesses are cool, having other ponies taking care of my every need, wearing fancy regalia, eat special foods, living in fancy places. Then when I get older, I started to put my mind into perspective. That’s when I dreamed of becoming something more.”

“What’s that?” Dash asked.

“Trixie, Lightning Dust, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon are victim of circumstances that are beyond of their control. I know I said they’ve moved on, but once in a while when they look back into their pasts, I can still see a glimmer of regret in their faces. I can’t help them realize their dream as what I am now- an ordinary unicorn.”

“Then, how?”

“For starters, I’d hoped to become an Alicorn Princess like the Royal Sisters.”

Wait, something doesn’t add up here, Dash thought. “Sunset, could it be that they weren’t natural Alicorns?”

“Nopony is born an Alicorn, Dash. It has to be earned. Doesn’t matter if they are Earth pony, unicorns or pegasus, anypony can become as long as they’re deemed worthy enough.”

“Oh, okay.” Even as she said so, Dash still thought it was all strange.

“Alicorn Princess,” Sunset Shimmer continued, “both wise and highly knowledgeable in the field magic, that’s what I’m- was, aiming to be.”

She closed her eyes, purged the feeling of regret that was slowly building inside her before getting back to Dash. “Are you an avid reader, Dash?”

“Not really. Why?”

“If you’re willing to spare your time, there’s a book on Canterlot’s foundation in the reading chamber.”

“History ain’t exactly my thing,” Dash said with distaste.

“Yes, history can be boring,” Sunset Shimmer acknowledged. “Yet, it remains important part of our lives. How Canterlot came to what it is now was due to the efforts of the Royal Sisters. They change pony’s lives because they have another type of power, and it’s not related to magic.”

Dash realized what the unicorn was talking about, because Prince Umbra had mentioned it. “Authority.”

“Right,” Sunset Shimmer nodded. “Their influence reaches over every aspect of Equestria because they have unrestraint authority. With it, plus great wisdom and magic, imagine all sorts of good I can do for everypony.”

“Whoa...” Dash felt impressed by the unicorn’s talk. “I wasn’t kidding when I said you reminded me of my tormentor but in reality, you’re totally different. You're a good person-no, a good pony. What I mean is, you’ve got a good heart, y’know that?”

Sunset Shimmer felt uneasy by Dash’s praise. For her, it was unfair and underserving.

“It’s cool really,” Dash said. “Not the princess thing. But the way you said you wanna help your friends and others.”

“Dash, I’m not that such a good pony,” Sunset Shimmer insisted.

“No, seriously! What’s more, you're trying to make things right, even though it was all Princess Celestia’s fault to begin with, being such a jerk and all!”

It was then that Dash noticed Sunset Shimmer had suddenly become upset. Very upset.

“Sunset, what’s the matter?” she asked.

“Nothing! Nothing’s the matter!”

Sunset Shimmer’s reaction puzzled her. I didn’t say anything wrong, did I?

“Let’s continue,” the unicorn demanded.

“Y-yeah, ‘kay…”

Dash got up, walked over to a bookcase and began taking down several more books.

“I gotta tell ya,” she said in an attempt to lighten the mood, “this Star Swirl pony maybe ‘crazy’ as y’all put it but, fiction or not, his books are actually interesting. And this is coming from someone who’s not a terribly big reader herself. Y’all should really take this seriously, at least for the entertainment value.”

“Hmm, I guess,” Sunset Shimmer murmured.

Dash sat down again, placing all the books in a stack between her and Sunset Shimmer. She removed a book titled Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

Leafing through the book, Dash shivered at the disturbing illustrations of various mythical creatures and cryptid on the pages. “Oh geez, this is so creepy on so many levels.”

Sunset Shimmer levitated the next book it before her so she could examine its cover. The title reads Final Fantasy.

Odd, she thought. Sounds like a clopfic title.

Dash stopped on a page about a creature she recognized: MBP. And, when Sunset Shimmer opened her book, several pieces of paper slipped out from the pages and glided to the floor. Recognition slapped Dash across the face at the sight of the illustrations. Drawn on each paper is Mithra in different outfits while brandishing an assortment of weapons.

“No way!” Dash cried.

“What’s wrong?”

“Sunset, th-these are the monsters that attacked me and Zach the other day!” Dash showed the unicorn the page containing MBP’s information. “See?”

Sunset Shimmer looked over at the page then at the papers on the floor. “You’re right. But, how is this possible? These things are supposed to be fictional. The product of Star Swirl’s overworked imagination.”

Dash picked up more books and leafed through each of them. She finally picked up a book that looks out of place among the other books. The ring-binded paperback has neither cover nor title.

“Looks like Lyra’s sketch book,” Sunset Shimmer said when she laid her eyes on it.

Dash leafed through several pages, finally stopping at a page with a sketch showing Dalek’s transformation from its initial mechanical pepper shaker-like appearance to its final design- the winged tank and its mecha form, along with the scribble: WHAT IF DALEK IS A TRANSFORMER?

Dash flipped another page. It showed a sketch of a white-haired, dark skinned human girl clad in a white bodysuit. The next page showed another sketch of the same figure with the addition of a chrome mask and rabbit-eared headband. Dash and Sunset Shimmer looked at each other curiously.

“Was Star Swirl right all along?” Sunset Shimmer wondered. “Could it be that these creatures were somehow brought in from a different universe?”

“I dunno,” Dash said, puzzled as well. “But Zach did refer them as constructs. ‘Cuz they didn’t die like normal living things. Instead they just dissolved into glowing dusts.”

Constructs? “Artificial beings,” Sunset Shimmer realized. “Of course!”

“Artificial?”

“Yeah. Animated beings created entirely from inanimate matter. Maybe Ragingheart used some kind of magic to bring up her army into existence. But then, why take in the appearance of mythical and made-up creatures from Lyra’s books?”

Dash flipped several pages then stopped. On the page is a sketch of Ragingheart’s robotic armor, but more human in appearance. The words ME AS A HUMAN-ALICORN WARRIOR speak volume.

“Err, Sunset, I hate to break it to ya but this Ragingheart character, she might be Lyra.”

Disbelief came over Sunset Shimmer. “It can’t be…” The pony who enslaved the entire Southern Kingdom and is rumored to invade Equestria next, is Lyra?

Dash and Sunset Shimmer stood at the curb, waiting for a chariot to pass by. The former felt uneasy with the staring and muttering from the ponies behind her. Being the only human being in this world, she sticks out like a sore thumb.

“You are gonna tell Blueblood, right?” Dash asked the unicorn.

“Yes. But still this isn’t definite proof that Lyra and Ragingheart is the same pony.”

After crossing to the other side of the street, they were urgently approached by Diamond Tiara.

“Sunset Shimmer! I didn’t expect to bump into you here. I was going to get Trixie-” It was then the Earth pony noticed Dash. “Oh, it’s you again.”

Dash smiled sheepishly, remembering the way she acted to the pony previously. “‘Sup…”

Diamond Tiara nodded curtly at Dash before looking back at Sunset Shimmer, obviously distressed.

“Tiara, what happened?” the unicorn immediately asked.

“It’s Doc Top,” Diamond Tiara said.

Sunset Shimmer thought she recognized that name. “From Ponyville, right? What about him?”

“I can’t really explain it,” Diamond Tiara said. “Come quickly to my store.”

The Earth pony hurriedly led them away from the area.

The heavily bandaged Doc Top stepped forward to meet the chancellor whom had just arrived at the castle’s entrance, together with Zach and Captain Discord.

“Sir Blueblood!” the doctor cried hysterically. “It was chaos! Chaos, I tell you!”

Displeased at the prospects of chaos happening in Equestria, Discord raised one arm in anger. “Chaos in Equestria!? Not on my watch!”

Blueblood was shocked to see Doc Top’s condition. “Faust Almighty! What happened to you, doctor?”

“Unknown creatures have taken over Ponyville!” the latter proclaimed. “They were led by a mare wearing an Alicorn-like armor! Mayor Mare and the police tried to put up a fight, but we”

“No, already!?” Blueblood cried in dismay. “Ragingheart will be here sooner than expected!”

The doctor continued, “It was chaos! Entire town areas were demolished! Ponies became prisoners in rock farms!-”

“Actually we know that part of the story already,” Blueblood immediately informed him.

“Oh, in that case, I’ll just drop now.” Doc Top dropped to the floor right in the muzzle, catching everyone by surprise.

“Is he...?” Discord took off his helmet to mourn for the doctor.

“Captain, he’s not dead,” Zach said. “Aren’t the bandages obvious?”

A snoring noise was then heard from the pony on the floor. Discord exchanged confused glances with Blueblood before quickly putting his helmet back on.

“Poor stallion,” Blueblood said sympathetically. “Galloping all the way from Ponyville was too much for his hooves.”

Diamond Tiara, feeling undignified for letting Doc Top lay on the floor, motioned Silver Spoon to help her carry the fainted doctor up to his hooves.

“Shouldn’t you help him or something?” Dash said to the chancellor.

Blueblood called out for Trixie. In response, she and two other castle servants came cantering down the hallway. They attended to Doc Top as soon as they saw the fainted pony.

“Sunset Shimmer, how did this happen?” Blueblood questioned the unicorn.

Diamond Tiara stepped forth. “It was me, sir. I have no clue to what’s going on. I just found him lying injured outside my boutique. After patching him up, he insisted he wants to see you right away.”

“That’s it!” Discord proclaimed, deciding that action. “If it’s a fight Ragingheart wants, then a fight she will get! But, first- Lightning Dust! Nova!”

“They aren’t here, captain,” Zach reminded him.

Covering his embarrassment, the captain snapped his fingers and flatly said, “Right, I will go and find them.”

He left in a hurry, almost immediately followed by Zach.

“There’s not much time left,” Blueblood urgently said. “We must declare a state of emergency. The citizens are to leave Canterlot in the event of a war. We too must leave. For without a full-blown army, we have no way to defend the castle properly.”

“But where to?” Sunset Shimmer asked.

“That’s something you and I need to figure out,” Blueblood admitted.

Silver Spoon, initially hesitant, summoned her courage to speak up. “Actually…I know a place.”

Hopping down the street somewhere in Ponyville is a little white rabbit, past several patrolling Assault-White Bunnehs. He stared nervously at the MBPs whom are towing cages laden with prisoners. A boot suddenly blocked his path. Quivering with fear, the rabbit looked up. A White Bunneh was holding forth its grenade launcher directly at him. For a few seconds, the Assault-White Bunneh appeared to be examining the rabbit. Finally, it withdrew its grenade launcher and walked away, probably because it had determined the rabbit is not a threat. The poor creature sighed in relief.

In the meantime, Lighting Dust was circling over the town at an amazing speed, in such a way she goes unnoticed by Ragingheart’s forces below the whole time. An Archer-Mithra was observing the surrounding area from a rooftop when it detected a faint hissing sound from above. When it looked up to the sky, it sees nothing and the sound vanished simultaneously.

Sometime later, Lightning Dust glided down to a forested hill not far from Ponyville and then gently landed on all fours. The little white rabbit jumped out from a nearby bush in front of Lightning Dust then reverted to his normal changeling form.

“Did you see all that?” Nova said in utter disbelief. “They’re all over the place! And I can’t believe they destroyed the Kitchen! Where’re we supposed to have our Colts Night Out now?”

Lightning Dust looked at him surprised. “All the way in Ponyville?”

“Hey, Mulia Mild makes the best treats in Equestria,” Nova told her.

“Look!” Lightning Dust pointed towards a swarm appearing from the southern horizon.

They both gaped at the sight of seemingly infinite winged tanks coming over to Ponyville with speed that could match that of Lightning Dust. In their rapid descent, the tanks get into their mech form before touching down all over the town.

Lighting Dust caught sight of a distinct figure walking amongst the Mecha-Daleks- it was Ragingheart herself.

“Whoa, the Alicorn-wannabe does walk on two legs,” she said.

“And Lord Watterson wasn’t kidding when he said the tanks are fast flyers too,” Nova added.

“Horse apples!” Lightning Dust scoffed. “I bet they weren’t even fast enough to create a minor whirlwind.”

“That’s right,” Nova said, looking at the pegasus adoringly. “Nopony can beat you when it comes to speed. Not Soarin, not Spitfire, not even Gild-”

He stopped in horror in his Indiscretion. Lightning Dust’s face darkened, but only briefly.

She motioned Nova to hop on her back. “Come on. Let’s get out of here before they see us.”

Nova shapeshifted into his rabbit form again and did what he was told.

Lightning Dust looked over her shoulder and was puzzled by Nova’s expression.

“Why’re you smiling like that?” she asked.

“Oh, nothing,” the changeling lied, cheeks blushing.

Lightning Dust shrugged, oblivious to the fact that Nova actually enjoys holding on to her, like a pervert. After that, she shot off to the skies.

GRADUATION - revised

Dash rested against the head of her bed after decided not to sleep yet. Closing her eyes, she tried hard to jog her memory. Like Zach, she is also anxious to know what course of events have transpired to cause her to be here.

Then Dash began to remember… she was talking with a young man, in a diner, still in Paragon. But his facial details was rather blurry. Who is he? Why do they seemed to be at odds with each other? Abruptly, the scene changed and then she saw herself hurtling down towards the forest floor.

Dash cringed inwards. Totally shaken, she quickly reached for the thermos on the bedside table, poured it into an empty glass and gulped down the tea in mouthfuls.

Outside her window, the bright full moon loomed in the night sky.

Zach cautiously moved across the grey powdery lunar surface.

Grown frustrated of days of fruitless searching, he stopped, raised his fists high and yelled, “Aw, I’ve been wandering for hours!!! Where the heck could Princess Luna be!?”

Up in the dark sky, a luminous blue and green sphere was clearly visible. This is the Equestrian’s home planet. Due to its color & appearance, this universe’s ‘Earth’ is dubbed the Blue Marble.

***

Over at the long table, Dash, Sunset Shimmer and Sir Blueblood were quietly looking through Lyra’s book collections when the former incidentally yawned. After Dash apologized, Sunset Shimmer dropped the book she was reading on the table in frustration.

“This feels like it’s going to take forever!” she complained. “We’ll never know what kind of magic Lyra used to bring her army to life!”

“Let’s call it a day,” Blueblood told her. “We can carry this on tomorrow.”

He turned to Dash. “And thank you, Miss Dash.”

“Just making myself useful around here, sir.”

Before she could take hear leave, Discord marched into reading chamber, looking serious.

“Sir Blueblood, scout report! It’s as we feared. Ragingheart has taken control of Ponyville and claimed the town hall as her headquarters. Worse, more of her forces have poured in across the southern border.”

Both unicorns somberly took in the bad news.

Later in the courtyard, Zach was the bench, his mind seemingly preoccupied.

Discord appeared from behind. “You look tense, my friend.”

“I got too many things in my mind now,” Zach confessed. “My master’s journeying alone to Diamondia. Then there’s Trollestia.”

“And Miss Dash,” the captain added. “Well then, can I interest you in an afternoon tea with me? Herbal tea served with bread and butter and jam ought to sooth your thoughts for a while.”

“No candy popcorns in the menu?” Zach asked jokingly.

Grinning, Discord gave a thumbs-up. “Also good.”

“No thanks,” Zach said politely. “I’ll do fine by myself,”

After excusing himself, he went off to the terraced gardens. Zach decided to release his stress using a technique taught to him which is known as the Happy Place. It is the mental state achieved when one wants to avoid the unpleasant or uncomfortable. It usually consists of the things that make one feel joyous.

Sitting on the floor, Zach inhaled deeply, hold for a few seconds then exhaled. He repeated this for a few more times until he was seemingly in a calmer state. He closed his eyes, his breathing became slower. He started to engage in a focused thought. He thought about his loved ones, his friends, his home, all happy memories from his past. Everything he imagined in his mind formed to become his ‘happy place’.

Meanwhile, Dash was laying on her bed, awake but really bored. She got up, deciding to do something about her boredom. While walking down the hallway, still undecided on what to do, Dash glimpsed through the window. There was Zach, in the very same spot she saw him doing his self-training days prior.

She watched Zach performing what appears to be some kind of martial art routine. His movements were slow yet brisk and graceful. All the moves appeared to be more dance-like than being practical in any unarmed combat. She speculated the routine was likely pure exercise, meant for relaxation.

By the time Dash arrived, Zach was in the midst of practicing his dual sword fighting technique with a pair of batons, like he did the day before.

“Hey,” she greeted him.

Zach finished his move before answering. “Oh, Hey. What’s up?”

“What’s it called?” Dash immediately asked.

“Excuse me?” Zach was not sure what she was talking about.

“I mean, the routine you performed earlier? I didn’t recognize it at all. Is it some kinda kata for martial arts or simply a dance?”

Zach did not answer, instead he said, “Martial arts, huh? Hmm, I almost forgot you’re quite a fighter the other day.”

“Yeah,” Dash recalled. “And you called me a ‘noob’.”

“In my defense, I sort of blurted it out,” Zach said.

“Oh no, you ain’t getting away that easily. Nobody calls me loser, ever!” Dash removed her jack then tossed it away. “It’s time for some payback!”

With a serious look, she pointed a finger at Zach. “Zachary Watterson, I challenge you to a sparring match!”

“Ugh, really…? I’m not in the mood to-” He stopped to ponder a brief moment. “On second thought, this might turn out to be interesting, to see what you’re made of.”

Dash smirked, was quite confident of herself. “One hundred percent pure awesomeness! That’s what!”

“All right. I accept your challenge.”

“Oh yeah! You are so going down! Winner gets to call the loser ‘LOSER’ all day long!”

Facing each other, Dash and Zach both assumed a combat-ready stance. She let Zach make the first move. Zach threw a series of punches but Dash kept blocking it with her forearms. For a split second, Dash saw an opening in Zach’s attack. With a swift movement, Dash seized his arm then executed a throw to send him down hard on the ground. She dropped straddling over him then feigned a strike to his neck. First round went to Dash.

She got to her feet and stepped away. “C’mon, you gotta do better than that!”

Zach jumped back to his feet, smiling confidently. “I have yet begun to fight, you cocky little brat.”

They faced each other again and get into a combat-ready stance. Zach lunged. He threw a punch but Dash used one arm to deflect the punch, then another elbowed him in the side face. Zach staggered back but quickly recovered and began throwing punches at her.

Dash ducked a punch, instantly sidestepped and suddenly she was behind Zach. Grabbing on to his arm and shoulder, she forced Zach to the ground. Zach was now pinned down, subdued by Dash’s hammerlock.

Satisfied with her second victory, Dash released Zach.

He got up and faced Dash, looking thoughtful. “Impressive.”

“Hah, you’re just saying that to cover your sorry face!” Dash mocked at him.

“No, seriously,” Zach earnestly said. “Your fighting technique isn’t all about offense. You focus on bringing down your opponents as quickly as possible and disarming them when needed. Where’d you learn to fight like that?”

Dash was not happy at all with Zach observing her. She was supposed to humiliate him. That was her original attention.

“Come on, you can tell me,” Zach urged her.

“I was in the air force,” Dash reluctantly answered.

“The air force, huh?” he said, pretending that this was new to him.

Zach was not prepared to face what Dash might do if he told her he had eavesdropped Dash’s conversation with Sunset Shimmer in the dining room few days earlier.

“How much do you know about armed combat?’ he asked her.

“I know how to use a staff.”

Zach went away for a minute then returned with a pair of batons and a long pole in hands.

“Show me.” He tossed the pole to Dash. “Swords versus staff, I hope you don’t mind. After all, your pole has a longer reach.”

Holding their weapons respectively, both assumed a combat-ready stance.

“Only one rule,” Zach said. “First weapon to touch the any part of the body, wins.”

“Whatevs,” Dash scoffed. “I can take you in a cinch.”

“Begin!”

They lunged forward. They crossed their weapons without hitting at each other. Dash exhibited swiftness and skill in her movements, as she rolled around and torqueing her ‘staff’ to parry Zach’s ‘swords’. This went on for a few minutes.

Now it was Dash’s turn to go on offence. She executed a punch, upwards, downwards and side strikes in quick successions, which Zach parried them all, thanks to his speed and two-weapon advantage. Dash tried to sweep at Zach’s feet but the feline parried it low. In the same move, Dash attempted to strike down at Zach. He blocked it with his ‘swords’, twisted around to deflect the ‘staff’ away from him then quickly backed away to safe distance.

“Not bad,” Zach said. “You’re definitely one interesting individual, Rainbow Dash.”

“Hey! Don’t call me-”

Without warning, Zach charged at her, hitting with his swords without relent. Dash countered using both ends of her ‘staff’ before diving out of Zach’s way.

“Hey! You cheated!” Dash said furiously.

“Only one rule,” Zach reminder her, “first weapon to touch the any part of the body, wins.”

“Oh, I see how it is now,” Dash grumbled.

He tried to distract me, she mused on a way to beat him, so it’s only right that I respond with feint maneuver.

They charged at each other. This time, Dash increased her speed and ferocity, forcing Zach back towards the edge of a pond. When Zach blocked another attack, Dash kicked him. Zach was momentarily off balance, allowing Dash to ferociously strike the one ‘sword’ off his hand. She rolled in a thrust but Zach slipped sideways, deflecting the ‘staff’ away with his remaining ‘sword’ at the same time.

Dash waded in, feigned a strike, prompting Zach to take the bait. Dash swiftly withdrew her ‘staff’ then knocked away the last ‘sword’ from his hand, leaving Zach currently defenseless. She struck her staff at Zach’s throat, only to stop an inch from his neck. Zach froze, almost tripping over his back into the pond.

“Well done,” Zach congratulated. “But you haven’t beaten me.”

Dash looked at him, smiling in triumph. “I’m ‘bout to.”

Not finishing off Zach immediately turned out to be her gravest mistake. She moved her ‘staff’ but Zach was quick to duck causing her to miss his hair by inches. He slipped right next to her and was now facing Dash’s rear. With a hard push, Dash fell into the pond- SPLASH!

At the bottom, Dash was thrown into a fit of panic after small amounts of water had made its way into her throat and nostrils. After her head broke through the water surface, she frantically made her towards the edge of the pond.

Dash was coughing out water on all fours when Zach lightly tapped his baton on her head. He would have declared victory if he had not notice Dash’s heaving gasping and panicked expression. She looked as if she had come back from drowning.

“Hey, what’s gotten into you?” he asked.

Dash glanced at the pond, genuinely confused. The pond is only about three feet deep. It is not like that she does not know how to swim nor is she hydrophobic. Dash rolled to lie on the ground. Her stare looked dazed.

Zach became concerned, fearing another panic attack. “Crap! I’ll get Trixie.”

But Dash frantically reached out for him. “No, no! Don’t go!!!”

Grasping her hand, Zach knelt next to her. “Breath! Breath…slowly!”

He remained by Dash’s side until her breathing became normal again.

“Are you okay now?” Zach asked her.

“Zach, do you actually trust me or not…?”

“Why would you ask me that all of sudden?”

“I-I dunno why, but I was so scared. It doesn’t make sense… I thought…I was drowning…”

Zach speculated that Dash was likely still conscious throughout whatever ordeal she encountered prior to her arrival in this Equestria. But she was suffocating. And the internal injuries she suffered would have caused her lungs to be flooded by bodily fluids. Somehow falling into the pond triggered a brief memory flash of this event, inducing another panic attack.

“Why is this happening to me...?” Dash asked herself.

***

Two Years Earlier (Earth’s Timeline)

A military bus pulled up in the compound of Equestrian Royal Air Force’s Paragon base. Dozens of fresh recruits disembarked from the bus. One of them was Dash. She felt proud to be here, though she is not motivated by patriotism. Her real target is getting herself enrolled in the Thunderbolts’ flight academy.

On the first day of training, Dash lined up with the other female recruits out in the field. In the middle of the inspection by Sgt. Blaze, her mind was distracted at the formation of F/A-6s thundering high above the base. Suddenly, the sergeant darted within inches of Dash’s face and started grilling her immediately. She was definitely taken aback by the sergeant’s harsh words, but managed not to show it.

For the next one week, as part of their initiation into the air force, all the cadets, Dash was no exception, were subjected to the overly ridiculous tradition of humiliation hazing by the seniors. In the first month, every night when everyone else was sleeping, Dash would always bury her face on the pillow, tactfully crying her heart out. Each day, she kept wondering to herself whether she really can get through army life.

Months have passed. Somehow Dash did not manage to make any real friends at the base. Most likely the reason was that the cadets did not like Dash due to her attitude. In doing so, she was frequently at loggerheads with one particular cadet whose surname is Cloudchaser. The two always quarreled with each other, most of the time over petty matters and behind Sgt. Blaze’s back. Although Cloudchaser had several friends to back her up, Dash refused to be intimidated.

In order to teach Dash a lesson, she was subjected to many pranks by Cloudchaser’s group, few of which involves stealing Dash’s laundry and hid them away at random places, and sabotaging her locker. One day, Cloudchaser probably went too far and it was the last straw for Dash. This led to a scuffle between Dash and Cloudchaser that eventually turned violent. Due to this incident, Dash was charged with disciplinary misconduct and thereby was discharged from the air force. Cloudchaser’s fate is unknown.

Having never left Paragon ever since, Dash went on to work as a bicycle messenger for an express delivery company. A year later, her life remained unchanged. One day, Dash pulled over at a diner she frequented after work. Crossing over towards the counter, she accidentally bumped into a man who appeared to be of similar age. They looked at each other.

***

Zach regarded Dash with obvious sympathy, the same way as Sunset Shimmer did.

“All I wanted to do after that was to get my life back on track,” Dash said. “Then suddenly, I found myself here. The next moment, those things tried to kill and you guys started talking about war. This is all too crazy…”

She gazed expectantly at Zach. “What’s gonna happen to me?”

“I really can’t say yet,” Zach was being frank. “That’s why I was hoping you could shed some light here.”

“But what if I don’t wanna remember?”

“Why…?”

“I saw myself falling from someplace high, somewhere up in the mountains. It must’ve been after talking to that mystery guy at the diner. I wish I could remember who he. What if something horrible came out of that conversation? What if…I’d done something stupid?”

Zach understood where Dash was getting at. “There’re far easier, less painful ways. Besides, I don’t think you have a strong enough reason to do so.”

“I’m not that kinda person,” Dash tried to convince herself. “I know I’m not. But just to think that I could still do it b’cuz one day I got too depressed. I’m too scared to find out.”

Zach gave a gentle squeeze on Dash’s hand and spoke to her in a reassuring voice, “Hey, hey, I know I was a bit…hard on you earlier. It’s just that I already have my hands full. And you being here, things become more complicated.”

“Then be honest to me,” Dash demanded, “what actually are you planning to do to me…?”

“I said I was willing to help you,” Zach affirmed, “and I meant it.”

“So I can trust you?”

Zach considered for a moment, taking in everything what he knows so far and what Dash just said.

“Yeah,” he finally said.

“What does it take to gain yours?”

“I need more details.”

Dash looked away. She knew Zach was right. Only her mind holds clue to what happened and why she ended up in this world. But it is not like she is not trying at all.

“What the hay!?” Sunset Shimmer exclaimed. “What happened to you?”

She along with Trixie and Lightning Dust were shocked to see Dash completely wet, and gloomy.

Zach tried to come up with an explanation for Sunset Shimmer but Dash cut him off him with a lie, “I accidentally tripped into the pond. I was so bored, so I went to have some fresh air and my mind got kinda lapsed for a while out there.”

Lightning Dust did believe her. “That’s horse apples-”

“Lightning Dust!” The needless use of the profane language had elicited a scolding from Sunset Shimmer. “You apologize to Miss Dash this instance!”

The pegasus bowed her head apologetically. “Forgive me for my rudeness, Lord Watterson, Miss Dash.”

“Err, was that supposed to be vulgar?” Dash asked in surprise.

“Yes, it is,” Sunset Shimmer replied, anger still in her voice. “Now about your clothes…”

“Not necessary,” Zach immediately said. “It’ll dry up completely in a few hours.”

“Yea,” Dash decided to play along, “what he said…”

Afterwards, the three ponies excused themselves to attend to other matters.

“Any word from Prince Umbra yet?” Dash was asking after they arrived outside her room.

“No, not yet,” Zach told her. “Urgh! Trollestia really made a mess of things here.”

“Yeah,” Dash agreed. "Sunset Shimmer and Trixie are so worried about Lighting Dust b’cuz of it. I really felt…sorry for those three.”

“So you really are attached to Sunset Shimmer,” Zach slowly realized.

“No, don’t say it. Talking-” Dash caught her voice. She was currently talking to one. Is the term ‘animal’ offensive here? “Well, y’now what I mean, right? It’s not really normal at where I come from.”

“But?” Zach urged Dash to admit it.

“We’re not that close, ‘kay? But Sunset Shimmer and I had a talk. It was weird on many levels. These ponies, I realized that they have their own feelings and dreams, with different personalities. I felt like I’m talking to-” A sudden realization came across Dash’s mind. “Like any other person, normally…”

“Don’t think of yourself going crazy, okay?” Zach urged, failing to detect a sudden change in Dash’s voice. “You’re adapting to your surroundings. That’s a good thing.”

“Err, yeah.” She was now feeling a little uneasy. “So, um… I don’t feel so well right now, so I’m just gonna turn in.”

“Okay,” Zach said with understanding. “Have a good rest and see you, tomorrow.”

Holding the door open, Dash regarded the blue feline. “Hey, Zach?”

“Yeah?”

“I didn’t get to say thank you the other day. I mean, for saving me from getting stabbed in the back. And I’m sorry, for calling you a freak.” Dash noticed then the look on Zach. “Hey, I don’t usually apologize even when I know I’m wrong. But don’t think out it much, okay. Bye.”

She closed the door, leaving Zach amused by the irony of the situation.

Inside her room, Dash leaned on the door, thinking. “That’s weird. All of ‘em were totally surprised when they first saw me, but not Zach.”

What are you doing here? You’re not from my lance... You’re not making sense, comrade! Why were you sent here?... I think I’ve seen you before…

No, he was definitely surprised, Dash thought, but in a different way.

She then recalled back the time she fought against Mithra. “Why did he talk to me all those time as if I was…?”

Use your Ethereal weapon!... Hey, what kind of a Godslayer are you!?...

Things suddenly did not add up. Just before she explained her ordeal to Zach, he had acted like he is used to human companion, when it is reputed that human beings are nothing more than a myth in this world.

“What’s he hiding? Should I…” Dash shook her head to dismiss her suspicions. “No! I’m overthinking it. I should trust him. Yeah! I trust him. If he knows something ‘bout me, he woulda told me.”

After assuring herself that there was nothing wrong, she proceeded to the shower room.

Later that evening, Zach sat on his bed, musing at length. He held out his hand and a small fireball harmlessly materialized above his palm. He watched the fireball calmly.

“Trust, huh…”

***

Elmore (Alternate Universe)

Elmore used to be a lively metropolitan, full of unique, downright wacky characters. But now it was in shambles with no survivors. Everywhere, structures have been razed down to the ground in the aftermath of a great war. The sun appeared red due to the thick smog veiling the skyline.

The residential area in the suburbs looked almost no different from the city. This was where Zach lived.

From afar, the Watterson residence looked quite nice from the front yard. But on closer look, fire damages were evidently visible. Only little remained of the bedrooms on the second floor. In the backyard, the kitchen has been completely burned down to the ground.

A female Godslayer appeared in the house. She was clad in a Fleet SHADE, meaning that the Godslayer is from the Swift Striker class. The Quint-Gold Star insignia indicates her rank is Lord Magister, the second highest rank attainable by the Godslayers.

She crossed over the room through the charred debris. Slowly opening the door, the Godslayer found Zach cowering inside the closet. He was only eight at this time. Fear and distrust were written all over the feline’s face, having witnessed carnage and destruction with his own eyes. And now due to freakish good luck, he was left as the sole survivor of his own world.

On one knee, the Godslayer cautiously extended her arms for the young feline. “I mean you no harm. Please trust me.”

Suddenly flames burst from Zach’s hands. He then lunged at the Godslayer…

It was only later that the Godslayer was revealed as a human version of Lightning Dust, with exactly the same clothing with that Dash’s current attire. Her name is Gazleen Perris. Out to the front porch, she carried in her arms the young Zach, now crying his heart out.

“I wasn’t able to save your family,” Gazleen expressed her regret to him. “I am so sorry…”

Nearby, a corvette-class space cruiser, known as The Moderator, was hovering above the skyline.

***

On the very next day, Dash again was back to her original self after a good night’s sleep. After doing a bit of stretching in her room, she walked down the hallways and soon spotted Sunset Shimmer talking to Zach at the far end.

She approached to greet them. “Mornin’!”

“Good morning, Dash,” Sunset Shimmer greeted back.

Zach’s baggy and bloodshot eyes are now more apparent to Dash.

“Whoa Zach!” she jested. “You look totally worn out, even worse than yesterday. The funny thing is that when someone exercises in the morning, they should’ve more energy the next day. But you’re the total opposite! Either you’re way stressed out or I’m doing a much better job of keeping myself fit.”

Looks like the cocky brat is back, the feline thought.

“Nice to see you in high spirits again,” Sunset Shimmer said, feeling glad.

“So, whassup?” Dash asked them.

“We’re going to this place Silver Spoon about to show us,” Sunset Shimmer informed her. “Want to come?”

“I… If it’s okay with him,” Dash hesitantly said, eyes squinting at Zach.

“Sure, why not?” said the feline.

“You serious-” Dash suddenly felt unsettled the moment Zach gave out a sly smile.

Zach, Sunset Shimmer, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon traveled up the steep inclined path through the woods.

Diamond Tiara stopped to look back. “For the last time, are you sure you don’t need help?”

Far behind the rest, an overly exhausted Dash trudged with two saddle bags slung over her shoulders.

“Are you kidding me?” She was breathless, but refused to admit defeat to Zach. “I’m totally…fine... Oh yeah…!”

Zach chuckled inwardly and turned back. When he offered to help carry one of the saddle bags, Dash turned it down.

“No way! I can make it!”

“Forget it. The bet’s off.”

“No! Nobody calls off a bet just like that! That’s not how it works!”

By then, both of them began to lose their cool.

“C’mon,” Zach said in an urging voice, “you’re taking it way too seriously.”

Dash remained stubborn. “Just gimme a minute to catch my breath, ‘kay!?”

Seeing the two arguing over a stupid bet appalled both Sunset Shimmer and Diamond Tiara. The argument was finally settled when Sunset Shimmer and Diamond Tiara took away the bags from Dash without asking her.

Arriving at the top, Silver Spoon pointed at the cave opening in the cliff wall ahead, with a cart track running through it.

“The abandoned crystal mines,” Sunset Shimmer realized.

“Abandoned?” This was from Zach.

“Canterlot used to be small mining town,” Sunset Shimmer explained to him, without going through too much details. “Once all the crystals ran out, the mining community simply left it.”

“I see.”

They all proceeded to walk along cart tracks into the mine. Silver Spoon walked ahead of the others, leading them down through several passages.

“Before my parents died,” the Earth pony said, “they acquired this mine with the attention of experimenting with a light rail transit system connecting Canterlot with the suburbs.”

“So this place is like all yours,” Dash remarked.

“You could say that.” Silver Spoon led them into another passage. “Had the project taken off, it could’ve provided a cheap transportation system for ponies who can’t afford chariots or carts. That was their plan.”

They went through several more passages, Silver Spoon still leading the way. For Sunset Shimmer, this seemed very strange. How would this young Earth pony know the way around these passages like a book? she thought to herself.

It was a quite a long walk but finally they got to the end of passage with an iron door. After getting the door opened, they walked into a wide and extensive basement hallway. Iron doors and ventilation shafts line both sides of the walls. The vaulted ceiling soared above their heads and is supported by sturdy pillars. At the opposite end of the hallway is a wrought-iron spiral staircase with a dumb-waiter lift in the center.

“My family built this as a safe shelter,” Silver Spoon was telling them, “in the event of disasters or home invasion.”

Upon hearing that, Sunset Shimmer glanced around. “Is this what I think it is?”

She moved in on the spiral staircase and looked up. “Silver Spoon, we’re right below your old house!”

Silver Spoon confirmed it with a curt nod.

“All these years the mines are connected to your house and you never told us,” Sunset Shimmer said to the Earth pony as soon as she rejoined the group.

“Well, the thought that these caverns might come in handy someday never crossed my mind,” Silver Spoon admitted.

“Wait,” Sunset Shimmer said all of a sudden. “All those times when we were playing hide-and-seek, did you come down here to hide?”

Silver Spoon’s eyes flickered.

“Err, no,” she lied.

Silver Spoon gave the group a brief tour around the basement before going out into the passages again.

After going through various long passages, they went out onto a wide platform looking over a mass of black darkness. Sunset Shimmer lighted up her horn, lifting the darkness to reveal a vast cavern. Multilevel platforms have been built on the length of walls and the wet rocky floor, each one connected together via staircases.

They descended to the lowest platform and jumped down on the wet rocks then moved along the small underground river, following it where it disappeared under some more rocks. They stepped over to the cavern’s entrance where a roaring curtain of crystal-clear water is pouring down behind it.

Dash, Zach and Diamond Tiara emerged through the curtain of water onto a wide ledge. They found that the cavern is hidden behind a waterfall overlooking a gorge. The cityscape of Canterlot was visible beyond the opposite side of the gorge, covered with radiant red, gold and brown foliage.

“Nice,” Zach remarked. “No one’ll suspect we’re hiding behind here. Plus, this spot will make a good lookout point.”

Dash stared down at the gorge with strange familiarity. The vertical rock cliffs, the raging stream with woodlands lining the stony banks- where else she had seen a place like this before? All of a sudden, she became disoriented, causing her to accidentally slipped over the edge.

“Dash!” Zach managed to catch hold of her wrists in time. But with nothing to hold on to with his other hand, he was pulled in by her fall. Fortunately, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were quick to react by biting on to Zach’s sweater, preventing both him and Dash from plummeting down into the gorge.

At the same time, Dash’s feet happened to land on an opal-colored cloud which slowly lifted her up. Sunset Shimmer’s horn was glowing, revealing the cloud was an object lifting magic spell that she cast. Dash did not wait. She instantly leaped onto Zach, causing them both to drop onto the ledge floor. Visibly shaken, Dash clung to Zach, her face buried on his shoulder.

“Hey, it’s all right,” Zach assured her. “You can let go of me now.”

Dash however refused to let go and remained unmoving. The rest looked amongst each other worriedly.

Diamond Tiara and Zach removed food containers and thermoses from the saddle bags and placed them on a cloth spread on the front yard garden of a dilapidated mansion.

Sunset Shimmer approached Dash, who was looking gloomy again like the days before. “Would you like some tea? Or maybe milk?”

Dash shook her head mildly.

“Mineral water it is then,” the unicorn said before turning away.

Dash looked at Silver Spoon. The Earth pony was gazing sadly at her former home. Dash reached out to her and placed a gentle hand on the pony’s shoulder.

“You miss them, don’t you?” Dash asked compassionately.

Silver Spoon nodded meekly.

“I know how you feel,” Dash said to the Earth pony. “I’m an orphan too. I lost my dad years ago in a… an ‘accident’. My mom…she died right after giving birth to me.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Silver Spoon said softly.

“Diamond Tiara has been good to you, hasn’t she?” Dash asked her.

That prompted Diamond Tiara to cast a glance back at Dash and Silver Spoon. She remained tactful to pretend not to hear their conversation while helping Sunset Shimmer preparing the drinks.

“It’s not just her,” Silver Spoon said.

Dash then gave her advice to the Earth pony. “Then cherish it. Make every moment of it counts, ‘kay?”

Silver Spoon gazed at Dash whose eyes looked sincere.

“Okay,” she said.

Later by late afternoon, Dash looked like she has recovered from the incident and they all returned to the castle safely after that.

Trixie had just finished tidying up one of the many rooms at the castle’s guest quarters. All that was left for her to do is to store the box away. She was about to do so when Sunset Shimmer came into the room looking for her.

“Trixie, there you are. Sir Blueblood wants to see us both at his office.”

“Oh, right now?”

Dash unexpectedly showed up outside the door. “Trixie, I’ll help you with that box.”

Trixie politely declined the offer. “That's too kind of you, Miss Dash.”

Yet Dash said she insisted. “C’mon.”

“Are you sure?” Sunset Shimmer asked her.

Dash nodded. “Uh-huh.”

Dash did say she wanted to be useful around here instead of being an unwanted guest, Sunset Shimmer thought. If it makes her happy...

She nodded at Trixie, who was still hesitant but passed the box to Dash anyway.

“Where to?” Dash asked.

“The toolhouse,” Trixie replied. “It’s right across the training ground. And thank you.”

When Dash got to the training ground, there were actually multiple structures around it. “Um, where's the toolhouse again?”

In the mess hall’s kitchen, the centaur, who now sports a muscular body, was showing Captain Discord the cauldron atop the fire heater.

“Behold, captain!” Tirek proclaimed, pride was evident in his voice. “High-grade mithril alloy with magically enchanted coating that can withstand even the scorching heat from the very core of the solar orb!”

“Excellent work, Tirek!” the captain praised him. “And how's the weaponized super-hot sauce coming?”

Tirek used a tong to open the lid of the cauldron. The sauce looked like thick, bright green mud, bubbling sluggishly. Hazy smoke from the sauce began to fill the kitchen.

At the same moment, Dash entered the kitchen with her box. “Hey, guys. D’you know where-”

She bolted out of the kitchen right way at the stinging smell of the smoke.

Captain Discord and Tirek were too preoccupied that they never noticed Dash was there a second ago.

“Pee-eww!” the captain exclaimed as he pinched his nose. “That’s a strong one indeed!”

Captain Discord and Tirek were ruled out. So now Dash needed to ask someone else where the toolhouse is. She spotted Nova sitting alone on the edge of the field and approached him.

“Hi, it’s Nova, right? I was wondering-”

Dash now realized that Nova was deeply immersed in some sort of strange meditation.

He kept on repeating the same chant over and over again: “I-am-the beast...”

“Never mind.” Dash slowly backed away from the changeling.

Dash entered the workshop after hearing the sound of the ratchet reverberating from outside.

“What’re you guys doin’?” she asked the brothers who were busy modifying a tractor-like contraption.

“Upgrading the Super Speedy Chaser 6000 to Version 7000,” Flim replied, who was halfway in installing the Gatling cannon onto the vehicle’s rear.

Flam slid out from underneath the vehicle with a wrench floating over his head.

“That’s right, missy!” He was obviously enthusiastic. “This thing will be better, faster and… better! We’re gonna take Ragingheart down in style! Did I mention it’ll be better?”

Dash looked at the vehicle wonderingly. “What’s this thing run on?”

“Unicorn magic, duh.” Flam had made it sound like it was common knowledge even though Dash was clearly foreign to all of this. “Everypony knows that.”

“Riiight,” Dash said. “Hey, can you guys point me to the toolhouse?”

Dash thanked the brothers after they pointed to a direction outside the workshop.

When Dash got there, there were a row three small buildings before her.

“Hey Dash!” It was Zach. “What brings you here?”

Dash showed the box in her hands. “Toolhouse.”

Zach pointed at the third building. He then helped Dash to store and sort out the box’s content in the toolhouse. It did not take them long to finish. They were heading back to the castle when Discord approached them.

“Lord Watterson, there you are!” The captain’s voice was full of enthusiasm. “You are now about to witness the Reserves’ graduation to the main army!”

“Well, I’m off then,” Dash said to Zach.

“Wait!” Discord quickly handed over a gramophone to Dash. “Since you’re here, you can help by holding this for me.”

“What’s a gramophone hafta do with army training!?” Dash demanded an answer.

“Come on now, Miss Dash!” Ignoring the question on purpose, Discord jostled Dash against her own will to the training ground.

Zach shrugged his shoulders then followed them from behind.

The Reserves were waiting in the field for their captain. When Discord, Zach and Dash arrived, they all gathered in a circle.

“All right, greenhorns!” the captain called the Reserves.

“And a green wing, captain,” Nova said. “Don’t forget that.”

The captain was not at all angry for the interruption.

With a wide grin, he snapped his fingers and said, “Yes, of course!”

Dash leaned close to Lightning Dust standing right next to her.

“I think Nova likes you,” she whispered to the pegasus.

The words offended Lighting Dust greatly. She would have given Dash a piece of her mind but she remained silent so as not to interrupt her captain’s address.

“I am very proud after seeing the fruitful results of your physical training, for you all have passed your limits. Today we demonstrate to Lord Watterson what you’re made of! Tomorrow we take on Ragingheart and we shall not yield to her chaos!”

In response, all the Reserves shouted, “Ooo-rah!”

Dash gazed at each member of the Reserves one-by-one. “Huh, I don’t see anything different about them.”

When her gaze fell upon Tirek, she was astonished. “Wait, what!?”

That prompted Zach to turn his gaze away from the captain to the centaur. Like Dash, he was shocked at Tirek’s current build- robust with muscular arms and abdominal muscles.

“That’s impossible. I mean, just yesterday you were this-!” Zach brought his palms together to exaggerate Tirek’s previous size. “Seriously, from a day of extreme workout!?”

Tirek made a side chest pose and said, “That, and some protein shakes.”

“Now before we begin,” Discord addressed the Reserves, “let’s do a warm up. Do any of you know what a true soldier needs for a good warm up?”

“Mittens and a scarf?” Nova guessed.

“No,” Discord said with a shake of his head. “Inspiration, the 15th track of Lady Rara’s third music album.”

He turned on the gramophone Dash is holding then began working out to the flow of the vibrant and inspirational tune of the playing track. The Reserves followed suit…

Dash and Zach gaped in amazement as Flim skillfully maneuvered the Super Speedy Chaser 7000 around the obstacle course, with Flam, as rear gunner, simultaneously destroying the targets with the Gatling cannon without missing a shot.

Dash and Zach stepped back a few yards. Discord gestured at them and they retreated further. A moment later, Lightning Dust swooped down and streaked across the field. The resulting air turbulence turned all the targets into splinters.

Dash and Zach stared down at Bunny-Nova with uncertainty. Suddenly the small creature leaped into the air and kicked Zach right in the chest. He landed on his hind leg on the ground as Zach is sent flying backwards. Dash stared back at the fallen Zach with astonishment.

Tirek dual-wielded a pair of pump cannons, heavily modified from the bazookas, attached with a hose to the sealed cauldron holstered on his back. He fired streams of boiling hot sauce, melting all the targets like acid.

Dash and Zach looked on as Discord and the Reserves, all of them high in spirits, continued their aerobic workout until sunset.

“Still, will they be enough?” Zach wondered. Can all six, counting in Zach, hold against Ragingheart’s unstoppable army until reinforcements arrive?

Dash tried to give him some encouragements. “Hey, in a world where the sun and the moon need to be raised manually and vehicles run on magic, anything’s possible,”

Zach took those words in and said, “I guess can't argue with that logic.”

“Nor comprehend it,” Dash added.

KILLZONE - revised

Author's Note

Lionel is OC, named after the author of 'Of Kings and Changelings' comic on DeviantArt.

KILLZONE - revised

Tirek through his binocular spotted the incoming Dalek Tanks approaching the plateau. “Here they come!”

All the Reserves scrambled to activate the timing mechanism on every artillery cannon deployed on the edge of the cliffs.

Halfway towards Canterlot Plateau, rockets rained down on the Dalek Tanks convoy. The tanks swerved to avoid explosions erupting around them. Yet, many still get blasted off their tracks. The remaining tanks too damaged to continue simply came to a slow stop before dissolving.

Squads of Dalek Tanks flying towards the plateau were not so lucky either. The sky around them filled with explosions. Even if the projectiles miss its target, they will explode automatically after reaching a certain altitude. So if the tanks are not getting blasted to smithereens, then the force of the explosions will knock them off the sky.

A gentle breeze stirred the tree branches. Dash took a glance back at the city. She was able perceive the echoing sounds of explosions coming from the south, despite the masking by the breeze and rustling trees. She realized the battle in the city is about to begin. She hugged herself for warmth for the morning air is chillier than usual, then went to catch up with Sunset Shimmer up ahead.

The convoy on the ground was totally destroyed. For a moment, the area was shrouded with glowing particles. Soon, a second wave of Dalek Tanks raced across the bridge. They passed over the meadows without incident. All the rocket munitions have been exhausted by the first wave.

Dash saw a lone Pegasus colt knocked down by the moving crowd fleeing the city. She bolted forward to help the colt before he gets stampeded, but stopped in her tracks when Diamond Tiara unexpectedly appeared and helped the colt getting back to his hooves.

Diamond Tiara asked the poor colt, “Hey, are you alright? Where’re your parents?”

“I can’t find my dad…” Featherweight sobbed.

“Stay with me,” Diamond Tiara said to him. “He couldn’t have gotten far.”

Sunset Shimmer and Dash approached them, the latter was appalled to find Diamond Tiara still in Canterlot.

“Tiara, why’re you still here!?” Sunset Shimmer demanded. “And where’s Silver Spoon!?”

“I came back to look for her,” Diamond Tiara began explaining herself. “At the train station, she said she forgot to bring something with her and wanted to go back to boutique to get it. I forbid her as the train was about to arrive. I did. It wasn't until boarding time I realized Spoony was missing. She must’ve slipped when she said she needed to use the bathroom.”

Bursting with anger, Sunset Shimmer snapped at the Earth pony. “You lost her!? How could you, Tiara!?”

Both Dash and Diamond Tiara were taken aback by Sunset Shimmer’s outburst.

“No, I didn’t exactly-” The offended Diamond Tiara caught herself from saying anything further once she realized it was pointless to argue at such a critical time.

“Get to the shelter now, both of you!” Sunset Shimmer instructed them before galloping in the opposite direction of the crowd.

“Hey, where d’you think you're going!?” As soon as Dash realized that Sunset Shimmer is going back to get Silver Spoon herself, she ran after her. “Sunset Shimmer, wait! I don't think that's a good idea!”

“Don’t follow me!”

The sudden appearance of a magic shield knocked Dash down to the ground.

She quickly sat up, painfully clutching her nose. “Owww…! I can’t believe she did that!”

Hundreds of ponies were streaming across the streets after vacating their homes.

“Stay sharp!” Discord called out to the Reserves escorting the civilians. “I want the evacuation process to be in order!”

“Cap!”

Knowing that voice, he turned and spotted Dash running in his direction against the crowd. “Miss Dash, you shouldn’t be here!”

“It’s Sunset Shimmer!” Dash urgently said. “She’s here!”

A sudden bad feeling developed in the captain’s guts.

Godslayer Watterson hid around the corner the moment the constructs passed through the street.

What’re they doing here? he wondered. This is nowhere near the castle…

Ragingheart sat quietly at a fountain in the middle of the market square as her minions wreak destruction on the facilities around her. Whilst this is happening, a large part of her forces remain out in the outskirts. For some unknown reason, Ragingheart was not yet ready to commit to a full-scale invasion.

Soon, her other minions emerged from every corner with their captives. One of the captured ponies, being held by a Mithra, caught Ragingheart’s curiosity. Silver Spoon was holding on to a white box tied by a ribbon. Ragingheart rose and advanced on Silver Spoon. She looked at the box curiously then reached for it, only for Silver Spoon to clutch it away from her.

“Lyra Heartstrings!”

Ragingheart turned. Her minions stopped immediately on what they were doing and did the same.

“Sunset Shimmer,” Ragingheart spoke up in a deep, intimidating voice.

There was no sign of fear, only determination on the approaching Sunset Shimmer. Now only a few feet apart, Sunset Shimmer and Ragingheart faced up to each other.

An MBP managed to outran two Earth ponies on the street, ahead of Mithra and White Bunneh. The ponies shrieked as the savage construct attempted to grab them. Suddenly salvos of Fiery-Ethereal Arrows pierced through its neck and forehead. Mithra and White Bunneh turned but they too get pierced.

Godslayer Watterson motioned the terrified ponies to flee. As this happens, Fighter-Mithra, armed with a shortsword and shield, leaped down from the rooftop on him. Fortunately, he dodged the attack in time. The Mithra used its shield to block the Godslayer’s subsequent shots. The arrows pierced the shield, but did no damage on the construct.

Nearby, an Archer-Mithra and an Assault-White Bunneh peered out from a corner. Archer-Mithra stepped out and aimed its crossbow at Godslayer Watterson. Meanwhile, the waiting White Bunneh was yanked back into the corner by an unseen attacker. Elbowing Dash away, the construct attempted to hit her with its grenade launcher. But Dash managed to wrest the weapon away and used it to headbutt the Assault-White Bunneh. The Archer-Mithra only managed to fire two shots before it gets blasted by Dash.

The first arrow hit Godslayer Watterson in the shoulder while the SHADE’s energy shielding deflected the second arrow. Yet even with one arrow embedded in him, Godslayer Watterson was still able to break the Fighter-Mithra’s shield then destroy the construct itself.

Dash blasted the Assault-White Bunneh before it could get up. The grenade launcher she was holding then disintegrated in the same way with the defeated constructs. Dash shrugged the strange phenomena off and ran towards where Godslayer Watterson is.

Godslayer Watterson pulled out the arrow from his shoulder, revealing his wound is superficial as only half of the arrow’s tip had pierced through.

“Hey Zach, you okay?” Dash asked immediately after she arrived.

The shocked Godslayer turned to face her. “What the- What are doing here!?”

“I wanna help!” Dash said.

Before either of them could say anything else, Discord and the Reserves came to arrive in their Super Speedy Chaser 7000s.

“Lord Watterson, the cavalry has arrived!” the captain announced.

After he disembarked from the vehicle, he was shocked to find that Dash is still here. “Miss Dash! Didn’t I tell you to leave the city moments ago!?”

Silver Spoon became distressed at the sight of her friend confronting Ragingheart. The Mithra responded by giving the Earth pony a violent shake to keep her quiet.

At the sight of this, Sunset Shimmer was now more determined than ever to save Silver Spoon and the other civilians.

She reiterated her demand to Ragingheart. “I said let them go, Lyra!”

“I am not Lyra!” the ‘Alicorn’ growled.

“You can’t hide yourself under that armor, Lyra! Why are you doing this?”

“I want Celestia! You tell that princess she has until sundown tomorrow to surrender herself and the Elements of Harmony to me!”

Having overheard Ragingheart’s demand from a nearby alley, Godslayer Watterson smacked at his helmet. “Aw crap! That’s why Ragingheart hasn’t launched a full-scale invasion yet!”

“What? What’s going on?” Dash asked him.

“She’s afraid of the Elements of Harmony,” Godslayer Watterson replied, “so she’s taking hostages as a security measure against it.”

“I get it,” Lightning Dust said in comprehension. “Nopony outside the castle knows the truth about the Battle of the Royal Sisters.”

As Godslayer Watterson tried to come up with a plan to rescue the hostages, Dash spoke up, “Hey, let me go and talk to her.”

Discord looked at Dash disapprovingly.

As if Sunset Shimmer already out there was already not bad enough, he thought.

“She’s Lyra Heartstrings, right?” Dash tried to reason with the captain. “The unicorn who’s so fond of human beings? Maybe she’ll listen to me. Or I could at least distract her while you guys think of a rescue plan,”

Godslayer Watterson thought on it for a second. “It could work but I don’t have to like it.”

“Why!?” Sunset Shimmer demanded to know.

“Why, you ask!?” Ragingheart hissed. “I left in Everfree Forest to starve to death, that’s why! What kind of princess does that to her own citizen!? For that, I swore revenge!!!”

Sunset Shimmer took notice of Ragingheart’s ‘horn’. “It’s not just that, isn’t it? She took away your horn, didn’t she? And she banished all your friends to the moon?”

“I only have one friend,” Ragingheart said, “but Celestia murdered her!”

Sunset Shimmer was taken aback by this piece of news. “No, that can’t be. She may be insane, but-”

Ragingheart darted her head close to Sunset Shimmer, hissing loudly at her.

Sunset Shimmer flinched yet remained at her best to not show any sign of fear. “Then...if that’s true, your quarrel is with Princess Celestia, not with these innocent ponies.”

“Innocent?” Ragingheart chuckled. “They’re just the same.”

“What are you talking about?” Sunset Shimmer tried to understand the situation. “Lyra, Celestia was insane when she did all those things! And you can’t just take it out on everypony irresponsibly! What’s happened to you, Lyra? You’re not yourself! Let me help you!”

Ragingheart however scorned the offer of help. “If the Princess Celestia doesn’t comply, I will kill all the hostages then I will destroy this city entirely!”

“Don’t do this!” Sunset Shimmer pleaded. “Say…if Celestia’s willing to surrender, will you stop the invasion?”

“Of course- not! The princess and the Elements of Harmony in exchange for these lives! Whatever the outcome, I will take over Equestria, and by then all of you will receive your due punishment!”

Sunset Shimmer glanced at the captives desperately, thinking hard what she could do to save them.

“Then take me instead,” she said finally. “I created the monster that Celestia has become! Her insanity, her actions, it was all my fault! So please let all these ponies go, Lyra-”

Lightning Dust looked at Discord, asking what Sunset Shimmer meant by those words. Yet the captain remained tightlipped.

“I told you, not to call me- LYRA!” Ragingheart growled.

She swatted Sunset Shimmer away with such much force the unicorn was sent flying through the air. Knocking her against the fountain, Sunset Shimmer instantly passed out.

Lightning Dust almost bolted out of the alley so she could strike at Ragingheart after what happened to Sunset Shimmer, only to be stopped by Captain Discord.

“Calm down, Lightning Dust! Going in reckless will only endanger their lives. Wait until the others move into position.”

Struggling to put her anger aside, Lightning Dust finally backed down after remembering her duty as a soldier.

Nearby, Godslayer Watterson was leaping from rooftop to rooftop towards a public service building with a clock tower on top that is overlooking the market square.

“Hey, acorn-brain!” Dash called.

“What the buck,” Ragingheart was seemingly astonished at the sight of Dash, “are you?”

Looks like Trollestia really did a number on Lyra’s brain, Dash thought. “Whaddaya mean? I’m a human being, duh! You shoulda recognized when you see one!”

Dash felt anger slowly building inside her when she saw Sunset Shimmer unconscious by the fountain with a bloodied forehead.

“Look at you,” she said in a stern voice. “Here I thought vandalism and turning innocent ponies into slaves makes you just as pathetic as Trollestia. But now I see you’re more of a one-dimensional jerk than she is!”

Godslayer Watterson looked on worryingly from atop the clock tower. Come on, Dash. The idea is to distract her, not provoke her.

He surveyed the market square to pick his targets. Then he aligned a shot at one of the constructs. He did his best to focus and not let the fatigued feeling affect his aiming.

“You seriously need to chill out!” Dash was putting up a rather convincing bravado act. “Whatever your problem is, whatever crazy mess Trollestia put you in, Sunset Shimmer can help you! But what did you do!? You hurt the very friend who’s trying to help you!”

“She’s no friend of mine,” Ragingheart said indifferently.

She gazed past Dash at the Canterlot Royal Castle standing in the distance. The ‘Alicorn’ was unaware that Princess Celestia, the Elements of Harmony and practically the whole Equestrian Royal Guards were missing. All she was thinking at this time is to have the hostages secured before Canterlot has a chance to retaliate.

Ragingheart directed her minions to Dash. “Not worth my time. Kill her.”

Uh-oh… Dash frantically looked around as the constructs advanced on her.

And thus begins the Battle of the Market Square. A barrage of Fiery-Ethereal Arrows rained on the market square. Each shot hit its target with great accuracy. Hostages dropped to the ground once their captors start to dissolve.

Ragingheart quickly looked up to the clock tower. BLAMMM! She was blasted across the square by cannon fire and landed hard in front of the public service building’s entrance. The Flim Flam brothers subsequently showed up at the edge of the market square in their Super Speedy Chaser 7000, and sent the MBPs scrambling with the Gatling cannon.

Godslayer Watterson leaped from the clock tower and while doing so, his Ethereal Tek-bow changed form into dual Fiery-Ethereal Swords. After he safely landed on the ground, the Godslayer directed Dash to rescue Sunset Shimmer before going off to fight Ragingheart’s minions. Also at this point, Lightning Dust was streaking past through the fighting towards where the unconscious Sunset Shimmer is.

Meanwhile on the opposite side, Nova came to put himself in between the pursuing Fighter-White Bunnehs and the fleeing captives. A White Bunneh drew out its gauntlet blades and slashed at the changeling. Nova leaped in response, transforming into a tatzlwurm as he goes. He landed past the White Bunneh and immediately began digging into the pavement. In a split second, the ground below the constructs collapsed. Tirek proceeded to use his weapon to melt White Bunnehs trapped in the hole.

Lightning Dust’s face fell when she sighted Silver Spoon going against the fleeing crowd. The Earth pony was trying to grab her white box on the ground. But she had trouble doing so as the box constantly gets kicked around amidst the chaos.

Dash gave Lightning Dust a quick pat after she got Sunset Shimmer on the pegasus’ back. “Get outta here! I’ll go get Silver Spoon.”

Lighting Dust had no choice but to leave it to Dash. Unbeknownst to them both, Ragingheart had recovered and was watching Lighting Dust flying off with Sunset Shimmer.

Dash ran off hunched to avoid the incoming Mithras and White Bunnehs being tossed around by Ursa-Nova. Several charging MBPs attempted to cut her off but then Discord showed up to save her.

“Chaos-doers, with the power of my Exquisite Ban Hammer, I banish you all to Tartarus!!!” He slammed his hammer on the ground. A shockwave emanated around the head of the weapon, blowing the MBPs off their feet to send them flying backwards.

“Whoa!” Dash was impressed the display of power. “Totally awesome!”

She waved at the captain in gratitude. “Thanks, cap!”

Discord responded with a V-sign gesture. Dash took a quick good look at the Exquisite Ban Hammer before rushing for Silver Spoon. More MBPs began to attack the captain but the constructs proved to be no match for him. They all blew up to bits as a result.

Despite being proficient in melee combat, the Mithras and White Bunnehs are easily dispatched by Godslayer Watterson. He was soon joined by Captain Discord.

“Great job, captain!” Godslayer Watterson said. “We got them cornered. And by the way, when you said ‘Ban’, it’s just an abbreviation for ‘banish’, isn’t it?”

“Ah,” the captain smirked, “you finally figured it out.”

“Well, well, well,” Ragingheart was saying as she approached the two. “We meet again, knight-errant. You just have to refuse to die, don’t you?”

“Hey, what can I say?” Godslayer Watterson scoffed. “As the saying goes, a cat like me got nine lives.”

“Oh, really?” Ragingheart chuckled.

Up in the sky, the first wave of Dalek Tanks banked towards the market square, transforming as they make their descent.

“Looks like it’s about to run out,” she said.

Silver Spoon almost reached the white box when she was suddenly grabbed back by Dash.

“Silver Spoon, whatever’s in the box, it ain’t worth it!”

“No! Let me go!”

Silver Spoon broke free from Dash’s hold. She grabbed the box and held on to it dearly as if it is very valuable. Suddenly a Mecha-Dalek landed right in front her. The slamming of its track-feet knocked both Silver Spoon and Dash to the ground. They were now at the mech’s mercy.

Unexpectedly, a Super Speedy Chaser 6000 crashed through a wall and drove erratically around, running over many constructs in the process (except for the Mecha-Daleks whose size makes it impossible).

The Super Speedy Chaser 6000 came to an instant full stop when it hit a Mecha-Dalek in the legs, knocking the mech over and thus saving Silver Spoon and Dash. In the driver seat is Blueblood, clad in a royal guard armor.

“Faust, this thing is hard to drive!” he exclaimed, his face drenched in sweat.

Dash’s jaw dropped. What!? It was all an accident!?

Sir Blueblood was surprised to Silver Spoon and Dash but quickly shifted his focus on the Mecha-Dalek in front of him, now on its feet again.

“Get a move on, you two! I’ll take care of this abomination!”

“C’mon!” Dash grabbed Silver Spoon then took her away.

Blueblood used his unicorn magic to unholster the bazooka on his back. In doing so, he somehow managed to make a premature discharge from the cannon. The rocket projectile fired upwards in a straight line. Tthe Mecha-Dalek was poised to pummel Blueblood with its gauntlet-like fists. The rocket then fell back down in a straight line, hitting the mech’s head at an impossible accuracy. The headless mech froze, collapsed to the ground and dissolved.

Godslayer Watterson and Discord feinted with their weapons as they prepare to fight Ragingheart and the Mecha-Daleks coming to join her.

“In the name of Royal Sisters, surrender or suffer the wrath of my Exquisite Ban Hammer!” the latter declared.

“Savor your words because that’ll your last.” Ragingheart remained unintimidated.

“Well then, I got two words for you, Ragingheart!” came Blueblood’s voice. “Eat fireworks!”

He fired his cannon. However, the projectile soared high above the evil ‘Alicorn’ instead. BOOM! Godslayer Watterson and Discord steered clear right before Ragingheart and the Mecha-Daleks get crushed under the toppled clock tower.

Blueblood looked fraught at what he had done…to the clock tower. “Oh dear, I didn’t mean to do that…”

Both Godslayer Watterson and Captain Discord looked baffled.

“There’s a saying for this, isn’t there?” the former asked.

“I got nothing,” the captain frankly said.

It was then that they spotted another wave of the flying tanks was making their approach towards the market square.

“Captain, we’ve got to direct their attentions away from the civilians!” Godslayer Watterson shouted.

Captain Discord called out to the Reserves whom were finishing off the last remaining constructs, “All right, let’s pull back to the castle!”

After Sir Blueblood started his Super Speedy Chaser 6000, the vehicle drove off crazy again. It collided with a Mecha-Dalek before the Flim Flam brothers had the chance to destroy it. With the mech perching on top, Blueblood’s Super Speedy Chaser 6000 crashed through the wall of another building. They continued crashing through every building, leaving a long line of wall holes in their wake.

Godslayer Watterson and Discord exchanged a baffled glance before rushing off in the other direction just as the flying Dalek Tanks are getting nearer to the market square.

“Captain?”

“No, I absolutely have no idea whether Blueblood will make it.”

The Reserves soon joined them. As they all make their escape, Godslayer Watterson, convinced that Ragingheart is still alive (she did survive a direct cannon blast after all), turned around and shot repeatedly at the rubble whilst moving back in order to slow her down.

When they reached to somewhere in the downtown area, a group of MBPs where blocking their path up ahead. Worse, Archer-Mithras and White Bunnehs appeared on the rooftops from both sides to ambush the Equestrians. The Flim Flam brothers provided cover fire against the Archer-Mithras so that the rest are free to engage the MBPs.

Even in the heat of battle, Captain Discord still managed to bark an order or two to his subordinates. “Practice caution should you encounter any straggling civilians along the way!”

Godslayer Watterson meanwhile decided to support the brothers by battling the Mithras and White Bunnehs along the rooftops.

It turned out that Godslayer Watterson’s hunch was correct. A burst of red energy beam blasted through the rubble, throwing chunks of debris and dusts around. As the dusts begin to clear, Ragingheart emerged from the rubble with her horn glowing brightly. She gave herself a shake to draw all the debris off her. After declaring that she will personally make sure the knight-errant is dead this time, Ragingheart rocketed into the sky.

Blueblood in his Super Speedy Chaser 6000 crashed through the building door then came to a full stop on the street. On his side, he spotted Discord, Tirek and Ursa-Nova clashing with the MBPs.

“Don’t worry, captain!” the unicorn shouted. “Help’s on the way!”

Just as he was taking aim, a Mithra with an Ethereal arrow through its chest fell from the rooftop right next to his vehicle, startling the unicorn. As a result, the bazooka jolted upwards during its firing. The discharged projectile soared high above the street until it hit one of the two Dalek Tanks flying though area by coincidence. The damaged tank tumbled and collided with the other, causing both of them to spiral down out of control.

Tirek squeezed his triggers, but only a small amount of his sauce oozed out of the muzzles. “Oh, I ran out…”

Not readily to give the MBP the opportunity to maul him, Tirek swiped his cannon across the construct’s muzzle. He turned around then delivered a powerful back-kick to send the MBP hurtling backwards.

Having dealt with the construct, it was the centaur caught sight a Dalek Tank spiraling down towards them. “Incoming!”

Discord, Tirek and Ursa-Nova, having heard the centaur's warning, leaped out of the way. The tank crash-landed, skidding on the same street as they were and ended up colliding with the surviving MBPs.

On his feet again, Discord regarded Blueblood with a baffled look. “Faust Almighty, I’m completely baffled! You sir could be unknowingly Chaos-reincarnate himself!”

“Why, that was just rude,” the chancellor grumbled, notably offended by the remark.

Godslayer Watterson spotted a Dalek Tank spiraling down from the sky. He leaped away to another building, seconds before the tank crashed onto the rooftop, taking down all the Mithras along with it.

Somewhere in the maze-like back alleys, Dash and Silver Spoon stopped to recover their breath.

“You got any idea where we are?” the breathless Dash asked.

When Silver Spoon stated never went into the back alleys before, Dash cursed their luck. They randomly went into different alleys before finally finding an exit.

After telling Silver Spoon to wait behind, Dash peeked out. The coast was clear. She motioned the Earth pony to follow her and they proceeded to cross the street.

Halfway through, Silver Spoon sighted a familiar pegasus hurtling to the pavement. “Lightning Dust!”

Dash turned to see Lightning Dust, lying on the floor bruised. Sensing that something is amiss, She looked up and sure enough, Ragingheart was hovering above in the air, along with a Mecha-Dalek, which has the still-unconscious Sunset Shimmer in its grasp. Dash immediately pulled Silver Spoon away towards the entrance of another alley.

“No, wait!” the Earth pony protested. “What about them!?”

It was too late however as Ragingheart had already spotted them. The ‘Alicorn’ landed hard right in front of them to block off their escape. Dash drew back in apprehension, at the same time shielding Silver Spoon behind her.

“I was mistaken,” Ragingheart said. “Seeing how much you’re willing to do to save her, then maybe she’ll be of use to me after all.”

She pointed her hoof at Dash. “You, however…”

“Uh…can we talk about this?” Dash asked, her voice trembling.

“NO!!!” Ragingheart bellowed.

Damn it! Dash cursed. If only I can change. Please, Zach...!

Ragingheart’s horn glowed brightly. It almost appeared that she is going to blast away both Dash and Silver Spoon. But the “Alicorn’ turned away and instead fired at the rooftop of a nearby building. Godslayer Watterson landed onto the pavement safely after he barely escaped from the explosion. Wielding his swords, he charged at Ragingheart. The evil ‘Alicorn’ drew out her hoof-blades and did the same. As the two combatants battled each other out, Dash pulled Silver Spoon to hide behind a dumpster in the alley.

Godslayer Watterson and Ragingheart were locked in a duel as they parry each other’s attacks. The former almost stumbled after receiving a hard kicked hard from Ragingheart but he quickly stabilized himself. He responded to Ragingheart’s next attack with a parry followed by a swift double-slash strike. However, the damage afflicted on the ‘Alicorn’s’ armor was not significant. Ragingheart leaped clear to put herself at a distance from the Godslayer.

Since Dash and Silver Spoon were no longer in the way, Godslayer Watterson changed his swords to the tek-bow. As he prepared to shoot, the Mecha-Dalek dropped in between him and Ragingheart, with Sunset Shimmer used as a living shield. Godslayer Watterson caught himself from accidentally killing Sunset Shimmer and let his arrow misfire. Ragingheart took advantage of this and blasted back the Godslayer with her red energy beam.

Dash had saw what happened all the way her hiding place. No way! She cheated!

She was dismayed at how the battle was going, especially the way Sunset Shimmer is used against Zach. A overpowering urge to help quickly came over her.

“Silver Spoon, whatever you do, for your own good, don’t come out from here until I say so. D’you understand!?”

After Silver Spoon gave a firm nod, Dash ran out from the alley.

Godslayer Watterson lay writhing on the ground, his SHADE’s energy shielding flaring erratically. He tried to rise then fell back, screaming when Ragingheart plunged her hoof-blade into his midriff.

“Finally!” Ragingheart said triumphantly. “I could kill you right away right now! But given all the trouble you’ve caused to me in Appleloosa, I prefer to see you suffer first.”

The sadistic ‘Alicorn’ moved her blade around the wound to torture him. Godslayer Watterson writhed and cried in agony as the blade ravaged his innards, whilst making its way deep inside him.

“You leave him alone!” Dash shouted, just as she leaped onto Ragingheart’s rear, her arms clamped around the ‘Alicorn’s’ neck and helmet.

Totally put off by her obscured visor, Ragingheart pulled her blade out from Godslayer Watterson then thrashed around to shake Dash off her. Incidentally, Dash’s leg gets caught on one of the spikes on the ‘Alicorn’s’ wing during the tantrum. Having lost her grip at last, she was thrown off hard onto the pavement. As Dash lay curled up on the ground, clutching the bloodied wound on her leg, Ragingheart prepared to incinerate her.

Godslayer Watterson watched in horror as Ragingheart powered up her horn. Dash will not survive without some sort of protection. But he himself was too injured to go and save her. He made a quick decision.

Fighting off the sheer pain on his wound, Godslayer Watterson yelled, “DASH! IT’S HEARTSEEKER!”

Dash’s mind raced to figure out what those words meant.

Meanwhile, Ragingheart’s beam swept through the ground towards Dash and then ended at a building. Ragingheart looked away from the burning building at a lying figure, whose armor bore similar design to the knight-errant’s own. Realization hits her.

“So you must be the other reason why the minions I sent to kill the knight-errant never report back. That makes all the better reason for me to destroy you.”

Dash was now in her Fleet SHADE and had leaped clear of the destructive beam. The pain from the wound on her leg has somewhat subsided and she felt herself physically more powerful thanks to the assisted motion provided by the armor. She hauled herself up to Ragingheart who is briskly advancing on her.

All of a sudden, the evil ‘Alicorn’ staggered forth as salvos of Fiery-Ethereal Arrows struck her rear.

Inferno!

Godslayer Watterson’s inferno swept over Ragingheart. As soon as the flames dissipated, the ‘Alicorn’ was on her knees, smoldered and writhing.

Godslayer Dash seized her chance. She sprinted forward and struck Ragingheart in the chin, knocking the ‘Alicorn’ back. She dropped instantly to her knees at the recurring pain from her wound.

Godslayer Watterson staggered to his feet and made his way towards her.

Godslayer Dash was deeply troubled by his bleeding. “Zach, you’re hurt…”

Yet at the same time she felt awed, considering how the feline was still able walk despite mortally wounded.

“Save Sunset Shimmer and Lightning Dust,” Godslayer Watterson rasped. “Can you do that…?”

Godslayer Dash gazed at the Mecha-Dalek holding Sunset Shimmer. She then turned her gaze towards Ragingheart who was angrily rising to her hooves.

“Go...I’ll hold her as long as I can…” Godslayer Watterson urged her.

Although conflicted, Godslayer Dash nodded. There was not much she can do about the wound. Taking inspiration from Godslayer Watterson’s persistence, Godslayer Dash sprinted towards the Mecha-Dalek.

Knowing that the mech’s sheer size made it impossible for her to bring it down with her usual fighting tactics, Godslayer Dash decided to improvise. “Urgh, I’ll just wing it!”

As soon as she got close enough to the mech, it attempted to pound her using its free hand. However, the oversized fist smashed through the pavement instead after Godslayer Dash had leaped up onto its arm. She feinted a front kick at the Mecha-Dalek’s face. When the mech held Sunset Shimmer up its face, Godslayer Dash, having expected the reaction, twisted her body and leg in a split second and the kick changed into a full roundhouse, avoiding Sunset Shimmer and hit the side of the head instead.

The mech made a quick move of its arm to try brush off the Godslayer, who immediately responded by leaping off to the ground. She delivered a few powerful jabs at Mecha-Dalek’s midriff, only to deal negligible damage to the armor plating. Abruptly, Godslayer Dash once again dropped on one knee when the sharp pain recurred on her leg. Seeing that the Godslayer was distracted, the mech swatted her away with its forearm.

Ragingheart used her wings to shield herself from Godslayer Watterson’s shots. When there was a brief pause by the Godslayer due to his overwhelming pain, she charged forth to attack. Godslayer Watterson resumed firing, targeting the visor but due to his unsteady aiming, Ragingheart easily dodged the subsequent shots. The last two shots, striking at the neck and chest area, finally brought her down, yet still fail to deal any major damaged to the ‘Alicorn’s’ armor.

At this point, Godslayer Dash came landing hard on the ground right next to Godslayer Watterson, after failing to rescue Sunset Shimmer from the Mecha-Dalek.

“I’ve had enough!” Ragingheart cried after she got back on her hooves.

As Godslayer Dash came staggering up to her knees, she caught a glimpse of a peculiar object visible though Ragingheart’s fractured collar.

Although not having a definitive clue to what the object really is, she clearly remembered the gem:

The ‘disc’ on Mecha-Dalek’s chest has the same design as the gem.
The ‘core’ of the flower ornament on Mithra’s armband has the same design as the gem.
The ‘ornament’ on White Bunneh’s mask has the same design as the gem.
MBP’s bulging right ‘eye’ has the same design as the gem.

Ragingheart looked back to see Captain Discord, Sir Blueblood and the Reserves, on board their Super Speedy Chasers, came driving down the street.

Additionally, Mecha-Daleks began showing up around the area. Some were hovering in midair, the rest landed on the rooftops and on the streets. In their tight grips are ponies captured elsewhere during the Battle of the Market Square. One of them is an Earth pony who appears to be a stallion version of Featherweight. This is the colt’s dad, Lionel.

Curiosity eventually overwhelmed Silver Spoon, so she decided to take a peek. At that moment, a roaring sound came from above the alley. The next moment a Mecha-Dalek landed directly in front of alley’s entrance, its rear facing Silver Spoon. She immediately cowered back further behind the dumpster. Quivering with fear, she shut her eyes and held on tightly to her box.

“They got hostages!” Blueblood announced to the Reserves, his hoof pointed at the swarms of Mecha-Daleks.

Shock came over Nova when he saw Sunset Shimmer was one of the captured ponies. “Is that-!? Then where’s-"

The changeling flew up into the air. He spotted on the street the injured Lightning Dust, half-risen to her hooves.

Discord raised his fist in anger at Ragingheart. “Cowardice! Leave the civilians out of this, chaos-doer! I dare you to fight me one on one with my Exquisite Ban Hammer!”

Ragingheart ignored the challenge. She and all the Mecha-Daleks rocketed upwards to hover above the skyline. All the mechs moved to shield their leader by clustering around her.

The evil ‘Alicorn’ shouted her demand at the Equestrians. “By tomorrow sundown, it’s either Celestia and the Elements of Harmony or these ponies’ lives! Your choice!”

She directed the Mecha-Daleks at Godslayer Watterson.

“Target the knight-errant,” she ordered them.

All the mechs drew their cannons to aim at the Godslayer. Battling against the agonizing pain from his injury, Godslayer Watterson summoned up all his willpower to conjure his Resist Shield. The shield, ten times larger than usual, materialized at an angle above him.

“All of you get outta here now,” he shouted in a raspy voice. “I’ll try my best to block their shot!”

Godslayer Dash tried to dissuade Watterson from sacrificing himself but the feline pressed her to escape. She did not like it one bit. But after remembering that Silver Spoon, Godslayer Dash ran with a slight limp towards where she last left the Earth pony. She lifted the terrified Silver Spoon up in her arms then carried the Earth pony off into the alley.

In the meantime, Nova swooped down next to Lightning Dust. Her injury was serious but not fatal. Nova shapeshifted into a manticore then flew off as far away as possible, carrying Lightning Dust with him.

The Mecha-Daleks unleashed their cannon shells all at once. When their combined firepower completely destroyed the Resist Shield, Godslayer Watterson thought he is a goner and braced himself. But then, in a split second a blur grabbed the Godslayer, carrying him off before the firestorm could engulf him. The explosions devastated the street and its surroundings, instantly reducing it to rubble. Discord and the rest scrambled to escape the blast.

Ragingheart was confident that the knight-errant did not survive the fiery explosion. But in case he did, the feline would not last very long, due to the stab wound that she took pleasure in inflicting. The ‘Alicorn’ and all the surviving Mecha-Daleks wasted no time in fleeing from the area afterwards, together with the captured ponies.

Discord briefly surveyed the destruction. Smoke and flames rose into the sky from the damaged buildings and pavement. He let out a sigh of relief as soon as Godslayer Dash emerged from another street with Silver Spoon safe.

“Is everyone here all right?” the captain called out to his subordinates.

“We’re good!” the Flim Flam brothers said in unison.

“Still here!” Tirek declared.

“I’m all right, I think,” Blueblood gave his response.

Soon, Nova came and touched down next to the captain. He lowered Lightning Dust to the ground with care.

Discord regarded the pegasus’ condition with concern but Lightning Dust shrugged off her injuries the best she could and looked up at her captain with dignity.

“It’s nothing,” she said, though unconvincingly. “Really. But where’s Sunset Shimmer?”

When Discord grimly shook his head, the pegasus was devastated. Nova was about to comfort her when she raised her head all of a sudden, glaring at Silver Spoon with flashes of anger. Godslayer Dash reacted by wrapping her arms protectively around the guilt-ridden Earth pony.

“YOU!!!” the pegasus bellowed. “I can’t believe you! It’s your fault that Sunset Shimmer was captured! She wouldn’t be here if weren’t for your utter stupidity!”

“Lightning Dust!”

All of them turned around in awestruck, even more for Lighting Dust. From the devastation, Godslayer Watterson was staggering away, assisted by Gilda.

“Lashing out at Silver Spoon won’t help solve anything!” the griffon chided Lightning Dust.

Didn’t Sunset Shimmer say she already left Canterlot? “Gilda, I thought…”

“I’ve made up my mind, Lightning,” Gilda resolved. “I’m staying.”

The pegasus was dumbstruck by her friend’s words. First it was Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon and now Gilda? To her, things have gone from bad to worse.

Godslayer Dash urgently motioned Discord at Godslayer Watterson’s injury. “Cap, he needs medical help fast!”

Faust, that bloodied gash is… The captain looked to Gilda for help. “Miss Gilda, you’re from the Wonderbolts. With your speed, you can assist in carrying him to the shelter.”

After the griffon agreed, Discord said to her, “Nova will lead the way.”

“No,” Godslayer Watterson suddenly said.

Godslayer Dash was taken aback by his response. “Zach, are you crazy!?”

The feline’s voice was full of anguish. “It’ll take care of itself… Same as yours…”

Godslayer Dash stared quizzically at him, not quite understanding.

Godslayer Watterson walked away slowly from Gilda, just as blood started to trickle down from his mouth. “Just …don’t…change…back…yet…”

He paused for a moment, then dropped to his knees and fell flat on the ground.

“Zach!!!” Godslayer Dash rushed to Godslayer Watterson’s side but even then she was helpless to do anything for him.

SUNSET SHIMMER - revised

Shortly after the short battle with Ragingheart’s forces in Canterlot, all the Equestrians moved to the underground shelter situated in the caverns underneath Silver Spoon’s former home. Gilda and Nova made it there first, each carrying the injured Watterson and Lighting Dust respectively. The rest of the Reserves came much later, as they escorted the remaining civilian ponies whom decided to not attempt flee Canterlot after numerous squads of the flying tanks were spotted flying around various locations in Canterlot, most likely to look for more potential hostages.

In her anger, Diamond Tiara slapped Silver Spoon across the cheek. “What were you thinking, Spoony!?”

“I’m…sorry,” that was all Silver Spoon could say, not daring to look directly at her foster sister, nor Lightning Dust whose injuries on her wings and waist have been treated and bandaged by Doc Top earlier.

Despite the apology, Diamond Tiara was still not done with her. “Lightning Dust even told me that instead of fleeing, you rushed back for that stupid box! You could’ve been hurt! What is in that box that’s so valuable you’re willing risk your life for it!?”

Without waiting for Silver Spoon to explain, Diamond Tiara yanked the box away and hastily untied the ribbon. After throwing the cover away, surprise came over her as she had problem in recognizing the content. It is an opulent white formal gown, glittering shards of crystal adorn the pleats. No doubt it was definitely the most elegant dress that the Earth pony had ever made. In fact, it was more than any of the dresses that were displayed in her boutique.

“I…I somehow forgot to pack it along with our other stuffs,” Silver Spoon revealed. “So I have to go back to get it.”

“We could make another one just like it,” Diamond Tiara said.

“But-” Silver Spoon was hesitant but eventually spoke up, “But, we put all our heart into this one.”

Her foolishness dismayed the elder Earth pony. “You stupid brat! What good is this dress, if the unicorn it is intended for isn’t here!?”

“And who put her in that situation in the first place?” Lightning Dust immediately said, still holding Silver Spoon in contempt.

Tears started flowing behind Silver Spoon’s glasses. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean that to happen, okay!?”

She quickly galloped out of the room, crying and doing so, brushed past Trixie who had just came in.

“Spoony?” The surprised Trixie then looked at Lightning Dust and Diamond Tiara, the latter obviously distressed over the way she treated Silver Spoon. “What’s the matter with Spoony?”

Neither of the two answered the unicorn’s question.

“Well, don’t just stand there, Tiara,” Gilda said finally, having decided that she had enough of watching from the sideline. “You know how childish Spoony can be. Go get her before she does something more stupid.”

Diamond Tiara acted as if she had just come to her senses then rushed off after Silver Spoon.

“Nice going there, Lightning,” Gilda said sarcastically, to which Lightning Dust reacted by casting an angry glare at her. “What Spoony did was really stupid. But you didn’t have to make it like it was entirely her fault. Like us, she’s upset too over what happened to Sunset Shimmer.”

Lightning Dust fell silent and looked away from the griffon in irritation. Gilda decided to not press the pegasus further, for she knew very well that Lightning Dust is more stubborn than a mule.

Godslayer Dash went to pick up the gown and examined it with wonder. “It’s…beautiful.”

“Yes,” Gilda agreed. “But Sunset Shimmer doesn’t know. That was intended to be a surprise gift, to be given for her (anticipated) coronation. The dress was meant to show how much we appreciate her as a better friend.”

Too bad Trollestia happened instead, Godslayer Dash thought sadly.

“Why don’t you take this for safekeeping?” Gilda suggested to Trixie.

“Sure.” The unicorn took the gown gently off the Godslayer Dash’s hands then remembered the reason she was there. “Oh, by the way. Doc Top wanted to see you, Miss Dash.”

Godslayer Dash looked down at Godslayer Watterson on the bed, the feline’s face showing hints of agony in his unconsciousness.

“Notice anything different?” Doc Top asked her.

“Where’s the gash?” Godslayer Dash’s response was half question, half statement.

True enough, the gash on the midriff section of the armor was gone. Not a single trace of battle damage could be found.

“I’ve spent hours trying to figure out how to take this thing off him,” Doc Top said. “Based on your description of the wound, he would’ve died by now without surgery. Yet he didn’t.”

“How?” Godslayer Dash asked.

“the blood had already stopped flowing from the moment he arrived here,” Doc Top revealed, “as if the wound has already clotted.”

Godslayer Dash recalled back what Zach had told her earlier, moments before he collapsed.

“Hey, what if the armor has some kinda regenerative capability?” she suggested.

“You mean healing?” Doc Top said. “If that’s true, then that’s quite interesting type of magic.”

“It makes sense now,” Godslayer Dash began to comprehend the situation. “That’s what he meant by telling me not to change back until my leg’s all better.”

“What?” the doctor exclaimed his surprise. “You’re injured too? Why didn’t you say so earlier?”

“It’s okay,” Godslayer Dash assured the doctor. “It only stings a little now. I think it’s really starting to heal like Zach said.”

“So, is there any way to remove his?” As a professional medical practitioner, Doc Top still wanted to take a look at the feline’s injury.

“I’m guessing no,” Godslayer Dash frankly said. “It only responds to whoever wears it.”

The doctor sighed. “In that case, there’s not much I can do for him other than monitoring his condition from time to time.”

After Godslayer Dash thanked him, the doctor said, “And please don’t hesitate to see me. I’ve never treated a human before, but that’s not going to stop me from performing my duty as a doctor.”

Godslayer Dash rolled her eyes. Riiight. Me getting checked up by a horse? That’s so weird on so many levels.

Afterwards Godslayer Dash was looking at herself closely in the standing mirror she found in the storage room. She had examined her face thoroughly. There was no trace of scars.

In her flashback, Dash saw herself falling from a tremendous height. It troubled her as she is convinced that it was not mere dream, but a fragment of her repressed memory, just like Zach mentioned. She felt she was supposed to die but somehow she did not. After talking to Doc Top, she realized it must have something to do with the armor she is wearing now. But how did she come to possess it? Did the person whose voice she heard in her dream gave it to her? To save her? And what about her fall? Was it an accident? Or worse, a suicide attempt?

As these unanswered questions linger in her mind, Godslayer Dash leaned back against the wall and slid down to the floor in anguish. Wrapping her arms tightly around her legs, she buried her face on her knees.

Someone please tell me, she thought pleadingly. What’s really going on here?

Out in the outskirts south of Canterlot River plain, Nova, disguised as a fruit bat, spied from the nearest tree on the cages where Ragingheart keeps all her captives.

Ragingheart entered one of the cages, under the company of her Fighter-Mithra escorts. Ponies backed away fearfully as the evil ‘Alicorn’ walked past Lionel. She approached the lying Sunset Shimmer, whose forehead was covered with dried blood. She gave Sunset Shimmer a hard kick, groggily waking the poor unicorn.

“It’s time to bring out the night!” Ragingheart ordered.

“She’s injured,” Lionel pointed out.

Ragingheart drew out her Ethereal Hoof-blade and placed it dangerously close to the Earth pony’s neck. “You’ll get more than a gashed head if you don’t remain silent!”

“N-no..” The half-dazed Sunset Shimmer was hauling herself up, after hearing the threat made on Lionel. “Please don’t....”

She shut her eyes and concentrated hard. But it was difficult due to the pulsating throb from her head wound. Some moments later, the unicorn finally succeeded. Daylight turned to dusk. In the horizon, the moon slowly rose into the night sky.

After Nova returned to the underground shelter, he went straight to brief Blueblood and Discord on the hostages’ condition.

When Lightning Dust learned how Sunset Shimmer was being treated by Ragingheart, she interrupted the briefing. “She won’t last a day in that condition! What’re we standing still standing here for!?”

“To go in without a plan is reckless,” Discord sternly reminded her.

“Who the buck needs a plan!?” Lightning Dust said back disrespectfully. “Let’s just wing it and bust her out of there now!”

“Then they’ll all be dead from the resulting chaos!” the captain shouted. “Is that what really you want!?”

“I...” Lightning Dust then conceded that she was wrong. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking straight.”

“We will get her back along with the other hostages, no doubt about that,” Blueblood affirmed. “But like the captain said, we need to carefully think of a plan to bring them here safely, especially when we don’t have enough ponypower nor we can fulfil Ragingheart’s demand.”

“There’s also the question of how trustful she is.” Just then, Discord found Godslayer Dash standing at the door. “Yes. What is it, Miss Dash?”

“Uh, I hope I’m not interrupting. It’s just that I remembered something a while ago.” She handed over a piece of sketched paper to Discord. “I dunno whether this can help. When Zach-I mean, Lord Watterson, fought Ragingheart, I saw this thing she’s wearing under her collar.”

When the captain took a good look at the sketch, he was confounded. He slid the paper on the table to Blueblood to see. Although the sketched object is incomplete, Blueblood still managed to recognize it.

“It’s the Alicorn Amulet!” he proclaimed. “This must be how Ragingheart controls her army! How in Equestria did she manage to get her hooves on it?”

The thing that was used to banish Princess Luna? Godslayer Dash thought. “But I thought Sunset Shimmer said they were all destroyed.”

“Indeed,” Discord confirmed. “Though this might be a recreated replica since the gemstone looks a very different.”

“Maybe you guys missed one?” Godslayer Dash suggested an alternative explanation.

“It is known fact that only seven amulets have existed,” the captain affirmed.

After piecing together what she heard over the past two days, Lightning Dust decided to finally ask the dreaded question. “This doesn’t happen to have anything to do with Sunset Shimmer in any way?”

Trixie, Blueblood and Discord’s face went pale.

“Lightning Dust, what are you implying?” Trixie asked with a tremble in her voice.

“Hello!” Lightning Dust said. “Princess Celestia, Lyra and now the Alicorn Amulet!?” “Sunset Shimmer is mixed up in this somehow!”

Red came over Trixie’s face. “No, that’s ridiculous! This has got nothing to with her! Stop saying-”

“Sorry, Trixie,” Godslayer Dash spoke to intervene before things broke into a heated argument. “But we all heard Sunset Shimmer said it herself. Right, guys?”

The rest of the Reserves all nodded.

Encouraged by her comrades’ support, Lighting Dust pressed further on her question. “I think we’re owed an explanation. What exactly did Sunset Shimmer meant when she said ‘created’ Trollestia?”

Trixie, Blueblood and Discord looked amongst each other worryingly.

***

“Sunset Shimmer!” Celestia was both appalled and outraged, “This part of the castle is restricted!”

The Royal Sisters had caught Sunset Shimmer browsing through a book on Dark Magic inside the treasure chamber’s Restricted Section. It was named so for a reason. This is where all artefacts linked to Dark Magic are stored. Some were seized from the kingdom’s enemies, unscrupulous traders preying on naive treasure collectors, some were discovered by accident in a dig, but mostly they once belonged to Star Swirl for further research.

“I told you you should’ve put security around the chamber, sister!” Luna chided her elder sister.

Sunset Shimmer knew she was wrong for trespassing. Even the lack of guards outside the chamber hardly justified her action. But after what she had discovered in the chamber, Sunset Shimmer thought it will be worth it.

“I’m terribly sorry, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna. But I found fascinating facts in here! Look.” The unicorn showed the princesses an entry in the book on the Alicorn Amulet. “This amulet! Its power is amazing! Imagine all the possibilities if it is combined with unicorn magic! I could make Trixie a whole unicorn, resurrect Silver Spoon’s parents, make Diamond Tiara’s wish to come true!”

Then she pointed to a dark tinted standing mirror nearby. “And that mirror! It showed me something.”

“What did you see?” Celestia asked with genuine interest.

“A vision!” Sunset Shimmer answered excitedly. “That I will become as powerful as an Alicorn Princess! Me! I can-”

“THAT’S ENOUGH!!!” The younger princess’ sharp voice stunned Sunset Shimmer. “It was an illusion! It showed you the deepest, most desperate desire of your hearts, nothing more! That is reason it’s called the Mirror of Temptation.”

When instructed by her elder sister to take Sunset Shimmer away, Luna said back to her, “With all due respect sister, she is your student. Shouldn’t you be the one to do it?”

“I’ll deal with her later,” Celestia said dismissively. “I need to recheck the inventory to make sure none of the dangerous artifact went missing from the chamber.”

“But I didn’t steal anything!” Sunset Shimmer pleaded her innocence. “Honest!”

Luna regarded Sunset Shimmer, nodded and looked back at her elder sister. “I believe her. If you’re truly worried, we should have it all destroyed like I suggested.”

“Luna!” Celestia said angrily. “I gave you an instruction, not a request!”

Although disappointed with her elder sister’s response, Luna complied anyway. As Sunset Shimmers followed Princess Luna out of the chamber, she glanced back to see Princess Celestia smirking at her own reflection in the magic mirror.

Sunset Shimmer wondered why Princess Luna had brought her to the reading chamber.

“I’m quite disappointed in you, Sunset Shimmer,” said the crossed Princess of the Night. “Breaking one of the castle rules! You’re the last pony I ever expected to trespass into the chamber.”

Sunset Shimmer looked down on the floor notably mortified.

“Don’t stare at the floor!” Luna scolded her. “Look at me when I’m talking!”

Sunset Shimmer looked up, yet still avoided actual eye contact. “My apologies, princess.”

“You almost fell to Dark Magic,” Luna continued, her stern voice toned down a little, “blinded by your quest to seek the most miraculous magic that you thought could give your friends whatever they wanted. There’s nothing you can find in there other than those used to cause harm, most of which can never be fully healed. Dark magic requires malicious intent in order to be successful. What’s more, it corrupts the user as a side effect. Do you understand now, Sunset Shimmer?”

Sunset Shimmer nodded meekly, in understanding the danger of delving into Dark magic and also acknowledging her mistake.

“Have you wondered why I brought you here?” Without waiting for an answer, the princess motioned Sunset Shimmer to the standing mirror. “Stare into that mirror and tell me what you see.”

Sunset Shimmer examined her reflection, although honestly she did not know what to look for. “I see…only myself. My normal self...”

“Yes, it’s a normal mirror,” Luna said, having expected such an answer. “It reflects what you are. But like that magic mirror, it cannot reflect whom you truly are.”

Sunset Shimmer turned away from the mirror and regarded quizzically at the princess.

“It isn't just about how you see yourself in the mirror,” Luna started giving her explanation. “There is also implication that how others see you. The world is your true mirror. It reflects your whole self, your evolving self, through your personality and your relationship.”

Seeing that Sunset Shimmer still did not understand, she elaborated, “A ruler, no matter how powerful her magic is, is meaningless without her subjects. Love, loyalty, companionship... The relationship forged between ponies is one of key aspect of maintaining harmony everywhere in the kingdom.”

“I don’t see how this could help me or my friends,” Sunset Shimmer said.

“You have not realized, have you?” Luna smiled, “How much you’ve changed their lives. Take Trixie and Lightning Dust for example. Certainly you did not make them into what they are now, not directly of course. But if you’ve given up on them right away, they might’ve turn up much differently. Friendship, Sunset Shimmer, is more powerful than you think. Stop trying too hard to be something you’re not and let your true self guide you in everything you do. That way, you’ll have a clearer view of your destiny.”

Sunset Shimmer looked at her reflection again, trying to make sense of the princess’ words. Luna approached her from behind.

When Sunset Shimmer turned and gazed up at Princess Luna, to her surprise, the princess’ lower eyelid and neck had bruise marks, hardly visible if not look closely. “Princess Luna, are you hurt?”

Luna tensed up then tried hard to come up with a plausible explanation but that only prompted Sunset Shimmer to eye her with suspicion.

“Actually it’s of no importance,” Luna said dismissively.

“Sunset Shimmer,” she gently wrapped her wings around Sunset Shimmer, cuddling her like a loving mother, “let today be another important lesson for you to remember. You have no idea how worried I was back there. To let a pony fall to the influence of Dark Magic is unforgivable, even to me…”

1 Month Later…

Sunset Shimmer was horrified by what she saw through the tiny gap between the double doors. It was a Dark Magic-empowered Princess Celestia battling Princess Luna. Soon, coming to the aid of the Princess of the Sunlight are the Mane Six, all bearing the Alicorn Amulets, same with the elder princess. Sunset Shimmer is the sole witness to what really happened in the Battle of the Royal Sisters.

***

Sadness came over everyone in the office but Lightning Dust was apparently affected the most.

“So she accidentally planted suggestions on Princess Celestia to use Dark Magic,” Godslayer Dash figured, “ultimately turning her into Trollestia,”

“She thought herself is to blame for what happened to my aunts and to every other pony afterwards,” Blueblood said.

Godslayer Dash sympathized with Sunset Shimmer. Now she understood the reason what the unicorn being so upset about when they were at Lyra’s house the other day.

She decided to question further on the matter. “Sir, after Princess Celestia was locked up, you decided not to tell the truth to the ponies. Why? Was it just really to protect the royal family like you said?”

***

Celestia sagged on her throne, confused as to why she still felt unsatisfied after overthrowing her younger sister.

Twilight Sparkle looked upon her beloved mentor with concern. “Princess, why aren’t you happy? Princes Luna’s gone. You can now rule Equestria without her meddling.”

“Twilight, please leave,” Celestia instructed the unicorn. “I need time to myself.”

“Princess?”

“I SAID, LEAVE!!!”

Twilight Sparkle flinched. She found Princess Celestia’s demeanor troubling. Because this was the first time the princess’ voice had ever been raised at her.

She exited the throne chamber to meet up with the rest of the Mane Six down in the lower hallways.

“Girls, maybe we haven’t thought this thoroughly,” she told them.

“What d’ya mean by ‘we’?” Applejack dissed her. “Don’t ya dare pin dis on us ponies, Twi! Helpin’ Celestia gettin’ rid of de junior princess was ya whole idea!”

“Applejack is right,” Rarity agreed. “Besides, it’s not like we can take back what we’ve done.”

“Girls, let me explain!" Twilight Sparkle said impatiently. “Princess Luna is now out of the picture, yet somehow Princess Celestia remains unhappy.”

Pinkie Pie raised her hoof, jumping up and down with glee. “Ooh, ooh, I know! Let’s throw a party! That always cheers me up!”

Twilight Sparkle considered and liked the sound of the idea. “Right! We should help throw a celebration for Princess Celestia’s victory over Princess Luna. We’ll say Princess Luna tried to seize the throne but Princess Celestia defeated her in a battle. That way, she’ll be seen as a hero.”

“That’s not gonna work!” Rainbow Dash protested. “Everypony in Equestria loves Luna. Who’ll believe that she has suddenly turned evil?”

Twilight Sparkle did not deny that but she had a thought. “Not unless we have a scapegoat. Somepony to bear the blame behind Princess Luna’s downfall. Somepony that can be easily traced back to.”

“Oh, I do believe I know of whom you have in mind, dear,” Rarity said mischievously. “It’s Sunset Shimmer, am I right?”

A malicious smile ran across Twilight Sparkle’s face. “Fraught with ambition and malice, Sunset Shimmer planned to usurp the throne by having Princess Luna as her puppet ruler. She enticed the princess to use Dark Magic, corrupted her so that under her control, the Princess of the Night would turn against the elder sister. But in the end, her plan is foiled while Princess Celestia prevailed through the power of the Elements of Harmony. How does that sound, girls?”

All nodded in agreement. However, they were unaware Trixie was hiding behind one of the pillars nearby. She was visibly shaken after overhearing the Mane Six’s conversation.

Trixie had to act fast before Twilight Sparkle gets to Celestia first. She could ask Blueblood for help, but the chancellor was openly loyal to his aunt. And there was little chance he would believe her.

“Thank you for granting me this audience, Your Royal Highness,” Trixie said as she bowed to Princess Celestia.

“I am not in a good mood, servant. So be quick.”

Trixie spoke with confidence, “Please forgive me when I say I admire your accomplishment. You’ve successfully banished Princess Luna to the moon without so much of a witness and alarm. However, this secret won’t hold for long for Sir Blueblood and Captain Discord will eventually find out.”

“Say a word and you will join my sister on the moon!” Celestia threatened the unicorn, greatly distressed that her secret was somehow made known.

“On the contraire,” Trixie said, not unnerved by the threat, “I only wish to serve in your best interest, Your Royal Highness. I’m aware that you require some help in bolstering your name in the hearts of Equestrians. Surely a great and powerful ruler such as you could defeat another Alicorn effortlessly even one that is empowered by Dark Magic. No, it’s too easy for someone as powerful as you. Your Royal Highness truly deserves much better- a foe that is completely in line with your high status.

“What better foe than an old legend coming to life- Nightmare Moon. With the power to cast permanent night all over the world, your use of powerful magic artifacts such as, say- the Elements of Harmony, is justified. Even the rulers of other nations will revere you. Your name will go down in history not as a hero, but a legend.”

However fraught with uncertainty, Celestia eyed Trixie with suspicion. “Your suggestion is…interesting, to say the least. But I must question your motive for this…Trixie.”

Trixie knew she had gotten to the princess after she was addressed by her name instead of the usual ‘servant’.

“You needn’t worry, Your Royal Highness,” she assured Celestia. “You are the sole ruler of Equestria and I am your humble servant. It is now my honor and duty to serve you…my princess.”

To finish off her act, Trixie genuflected on her knees. This act of submission finally convinced the Celestia of Trixie’s ‘loyalty’. It probably played a role in the future whereby the Trollestia-later ego never once attempted to banish Trixie to the moon.

***

Sunset Shimmer was utterly dismayed upon learning of Blueblood’s decision to continue covering up the truth concerning the Battle of the Royal Sisters, even when Princess Celestia had been committed in the asylum. Of course, the chancellor was not happy himself. Previously he only did it on the orders of Princess Celestia.

“Everything that had happened wasn’t your fault,” Blueblood affirmed. “All of us noticed something had changed in Princess Celestia, but we ignored it, for we never thought for a second that she will turn to Dark Magic.”

“Even so,” Sunset Shimmer said, “shouldn’t all of Equestria know the truth regarding Princess Luna?”

Blueblood shook his head. “I can’t... I love both my aunts. To have the story of Princess Celestia delving into Dark Magic made known, the public perception of the royal family will be unfavorable.”

“But-”

Trixie cut her friend off, “Sunset, please! I owe a lot of gratitude to Princess Luna so this isn’t an easy decision for me too. For now, I think it’s best to stick with the Nightmare Moon story.”

“If you want to make amends, then work with me,” Blueblood offered. “Somepony needs to run the kingdom in the Royal Sisters’ absence. And you are free to use the royal library in the hope that you can find a way to undo the consequences of Princess Celestia’s actions.”

Unable to decide yet, Sunset Shimmer took her time to consider everything said to her.

***

“You protected her,” Lighting Dust said, finally understand that Nightmare Moon was a ruse not just to cover up Princess Celestia use of Dark Magic but also Sunset Shimmer’s link to the Battle of the Royal Sisters. “But, why didn’t you tell the rest of us? We’re her best friends too, you know!”

“All these years Sunset never told this herself to any of us,” Trixie said back. “Ask yourself, why?”

Lighting Dust frowned. “I don’t understand.”

“No matter how much she wanted to, she couldn’t do it,” Trixie revealed. “She’s ashamed, like we both have in our past. She’d rather be exposed than telling it herself. I’d never have known the truth myself if it weren’t for chance!”

Silence fell over the entire room. Godslayer Dash recalled how guiltily Sunset Shimmer looked during a conversation right before they went to Lyra’s house.

Trixie did her best to reassure a group of discouraged and anxious ponies after the servants finished attending to their needs. “You’re all safe here. We’ll take care of you until the situation gets better.”

Later, Trixie happened to come across Lightning Dust in the passages and gave her usual small smile whenever she greets someone. “Oh hey, Lightning Dust.”

“Stop it already,” Lighting Dust barked, seemingly tensed.

Trixie’s smile faded away immediately.

“What?” she asked innocently.

“Stop smiling!”

“I was trying to keep everypony motivated,” Trixie tried to explain to the pegasus.

“Well, stop!” Lightning Dust scolded her. “It doesn’t make anything get any better at all!”

“Lightning, why are you so tense?” the unicorn demanded to know.

“Sunset Shimmer’s out there freezing and hurt!” Lightning Dust shouted. “Let’s face it! She along with other ponies will be goners because we’re outnumbered and we can't offer anything in exchange! So I’m asking you, how can you still make a smile under these circumstances!?”

Hurt by Lightning Dust’s words, Trixie said, “I feel bad for Sunset Shimmer. But we have to remain hopeful no matter how dire the situation is.”

“You think there’s still-” A tripping sound emitted from another passageway interrupted the pegasus. “What was that?”

Godslayer Dash helped Featherweight getting back to his hooves.

“I didn’t mean to bump into you,” the colt apologized.

“What’s the hurry?” Godslayer Dash gently asked, after

“I heard them talking,” the distressed Featherweight spoke lowly. “They’re saying the captured ponies are going to be killed. I’m…I’m going to lose my dad…”

“No, no,” Godslayer Dash tried to assure the poor colt. “Whoever said that is pretty dumb pony. Listen to me. I know a certain blue unicorn who once said there’s always hope and everything will be all right in the end. The army’ll figure something out to rescue your dad and the others, you can count on that. So keep your chin up, ‘kay?”

“Okay...” Featherweight said, nodding his head meekly.

“C’mon,” Godslayer Dash said, “let’s get you to Diamond Tiara.”

As she ushered the colt away, Godslayer Dash caught a glimpse of Lightning Dust peeking out from a corner.

“Lightning Dust, where’re you going?” Trixie asked as the pegasus sulkily walked past her.

“I’ll be at the lookout point,” Lightning Dust grumbled. “That’s bucking all I can do with these bucking stupid wings.”

Trixie gasped. “Lightning Dust, watch your language.”

“Slapping you like that,” Diamond Tiara said sadly as she wiped the tears from Silver Spoon’s eyes, “it was almost unforgivable even for me. I'm really sorry for making you feel so bad,” she said regretfully.

“I still feel bad for her,” Silver Spoon sniffled.

Diamond Tiara held the younger Earth pony close to her. “I know. I’m not much of a good friend compared to her, am I?”

***

“All aboard!” the train conductor announced.

“Diamond Tiara!” Sunset Shimmer caught up to Diamond Tiara before she could board the train. “You can’t go to Manehattan today.”

“Sunset!” “You know how much this trip is important to me. This time I’m sure I’ll make a major breakthrough. I know it.”

“Tiara, please! You have to postpone it!” Sunset Shimmer pleaded. “Something really bad had happened to Silver Spoon. Her-”

The sound the of the train horn cut off her voice.

Diamond Tiara said hurriedly, “Sorry, but whatever trouble Spoony is in, I’m sure it’s nothing that you two can’t handle together. Hey I’ll remember bring back some souvenirs, okay?”

“It’s her parents-!” But before Sunset Shimmer could finish her words, Diamond Tiara boarded the train.

The train departed from the station a few seconds later.

Silver Spoon grieved at her parents’ graves under the heavy rain. A week have passed after they were buried but Silver Spoon refused to let them go. Unexpectedly, a pair of large wings extended above her, shielding the Earth pony from the cold rain.

“So this is where you’ve disappeared to,” Gilda said sadly to her. “Spoony, please. Come back to the mansion. Sunset Shimmer’s been looking all over for you.”

Silver Spoon clung to the griffon and started crying. “I miss them! I miss them so much!”

After the death of her parents, the family went bankrupt. Business deals were terminated, partners withdrew and the majority of the family assets had to be sold to erase the debts accumulated from the train experiments. With a heavy heart, Silver Spoon had no choice but to leave her home, and live with Gilda on a temporary basis. Aside from Gilda, Sunset Shimmer, Trixie and Lightning Dust also showed up to help with the suitcases.

When Diamond Tiara had returned to Canterlot, only then she heard the bad news. Immediately she went off to look for Silver Spoon at Gilda’s place. There, she was shocked to find Silver Spoon ill in bed. Tears poured down her face.

“Spoony, I’m sorry. I didn’t know-” Diamond Tiara corrected herself. “No. It was me who won’t listen. I should’ve been there for you, when you needed me the most. Please…forgive me...”

Silver Spoon was looking sadly at Diamond Tiara, but she was too weak to speak.

***

“No,” Silver Spoon said, gazing at Diamond Tiara pleadingly, “don’t say that. You took me in. You took care of me. I can never hate you. I can’t, not after what you did for me. You are and will always be my big sister, no matter what.”

***

Diamond Tiara, no longer crying though her cheeks are still wet, came to the living where Gilda, Sunset Shimmer and Trixie sat and waited.

When she saw Lightning Dust was no longer around, Gilda stated, “She went back to castle.”

“I see.” Diamond Tiara wiped her cheeks. “Sunset Shimmer?”

“Hmmm?”

“I should do something for Spoony, to make it up to her. I want to take her in.”

Sunset Shimmer felt relieved and also proud at Diamond Tiara for making the brave decision. Gilda and Trixie shared the same feeling. Unfortunately, that will not be an easy task for a pony who is experiencing financial trouble at the moment.

“We won’t let you carry all the burden alone,” Sunset Shimmer said firmly to Diamond Tiara. “We’ll help you in any way we can.”

Gilda and Trixie both nodded. They could not call themselves as friends if they do not help.

“Thank you,” Diamond Tiara said appreciatively.

***

Diamond Tiara was touched by Silver Spoon’s words. She wanted to say something but looked up at the door instead when she realized Godslayer Dash and Featherweight were standing there.

The former felt awkward for unintentionally listening to the Earth ponies’ conversation. “Yea... We’ll come back later.”

“No, stay,” Diamond Tiara insisted. “Featherweight, where have you been? A foal like you shouldn’t be wondering around all by yourself. You could’ve been lost in the tunnels.”

“Miss Diamond Tiara, Miss Silver Spoon, I know exactly how you feel,” Featherweight said all of a sudden, his voice sounded firm and confident. “My dad was taken too. But Miss Dash here said we should keep our chins up. To keep on hoping and believe everything’s going to all right in the end.”

“Oh, did she?” Diamond Tiara regarded Godslayer Dash with thoughtful smile. “From where could she learn to say that?”

“She said she heard from a certain blue unicorn,” Featherweight answered earnestly.

Feeling more embarrassed than before, Godslayer Dash patted on the colt’s shoulder. “Hey, kid. There’s such a thing of too much honesty being a bad thing. Y’know what I’m saying, right?”

Godslayer Dash walked out from the waterfall and carefully approached the scarfed figure sitting at the edge. Their breaths are visible due to the chilly night air. She had expected to see Lightning Dust but was surprised to find it was actually Nova who is on watch.

“I don’t know where she is,” Nova said. “Besides it’s my shift.”

Godslayer Dash however took a step too close to the edge. In her panic, she managed to catch herself from stumbling over the ledge and frantically pushed herself away from the edge until her back touches the stone wall.

“Hey, hey!” Nova rushed towards her. “Hey, are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m…I’m okay.” The incident left Godslayer Dash winded and shaken, but not as bad as last time. “That was a close call...”

Godslayer Dash climbed out of the attic window. There on the mansion’s rooftop was Lighting Dust gazing at the night sky.

“You shouldn’t be out here,” Lightning Dash said when she saw Godslayer Dash walking up the roof towards her.

“And you?”

“Don’t tell my captain,” Lightning Dust sighed. “Actually don’t tell anypony. I just want to be alone for a while.”

Godslayer Dash sat down beside the pegasus. “And I just wanna talk

“Why would you want to talk to this ‘dumb’ pony?” Lighting Dust grumbled.

“Yea, ‘bout that,” Godslayer Dash said. “What’s your deal?”

“What do you mean?” the Pegasus asked.

“I mean, why were you acting so mean today? To Silver Spoon. To Trixie. Be honest with me.” Godslayer Dash then saw on Lightning Dust the very same guilt-ridden look as Sunset Shimmer had before. “Is it because you're so frustrated on what happened to Sunset Shimmer, you’re taking it all out on them?”

“You want to know why I’m angry!?” Lightning Dust fumed. “I’ll tell you why! I don’t care what Gilda said! Silver Spoon is not a filly anymore! She should’ve thought everything thoroughly before doing anything! Trixie is doing that stupid trademark smile of hers at the most inappropriate times! And, me!”

Melancholy suddenly flooded her voice. “I didn’t do enough to save her... I let her down...”

Lightning Dust had tried the best she possibly could to get Sunset Shimmer to safety, yet Ragingheart still managed to catch up, pounced on her and took away her friend.

“She means a lot to you, doesn’t she?” Godslayer Dash remarked, notably sympathetic.

“It’s a long story,” the despaired pegasus sighed.

“Listen, Lightning Dust,” Godslayer Dash said uncertainly, hoping that the pegasus would not be too offended. “I know all about the accident back in the Wonderbolts.”

“What…” Lightning Dust was distressed over how this stranger from another world could know about her past. “How?”

“Sunset Shimmer told me,” Godslayer Dash revealed to her. “But don’t take her the wrong way. My life hit rock bottom and I went through some hard times. She was just trying to motivate me by telling how you four managed to pull through in your lives.”

“Hah! Yeah, right!” Seeing how her sarcastic response had puzzled Godslayer Dash, Lightning Dust told the truth about herself. “After I was kicked out of the academy, my reputation quickly spread. I was shunned everywhere. During all this, Sunset Shimmer was there for me...”

***

Sunset Shimmer felt both disappointed and angry after she found out Lightning Dust had quit her job recently. “Lightning Dust, that’s the third job you quit in two months. Do you know how hard it was for me to convince the post master to hire you?”

“I know!” the pegasus acknowledged. “But everywhere I go, everypony kept talking behind my back! I can't take it anymore!”

Fraught with regret, she broke down. Sunset Shimmer comforted her friend by holding the pegasus closely to her.

“You tried to warn me,” Lighting Dust sobbed, “but I didn’t listen… I wish I could take it all back… I can't live on like this...What am I to do...? Please…tell me…what to do…”

Sunset Shimmer held Lightning Dust even tighter and she felt so much sympathy for her friend that she too started to cry. “I-I don't know...”

***

“She once said that I was becoming too full of myself, reckless even,” the pegasus recalled. “It’s like she knew something bad is going to happen. I wished…I had listened to her…”

“Yea, sure it was your fault but it was still an accident,” Godslayer Dash tried to ease the pegasus’ guilt.

“That’s not how Rainbow Dash puts it,” Lightning Dust said bitterly.

“What, that traitor was in the Wonderbolts too?” Godslayer Dash regarded in disdain at the sudden mention of her supposed pony counterpart.

“Yeah,” Lightning Dust confirmed. “She made everything go from bad to worse. It wasn’t long before all of Ponyville and Canterlot knew what I did, that I almost killed my own teammates...like I did it on purpose.”

Godslayer Dash was saddened to hear that. Looks like there’s more to her story than what Sunset Shimmer’ve told me… “But I didn’t see Gilda holding any grudge against you. In fact, she was always looking for you. That’s gotta count as something.”

Lightning Dust said, “Ironic, isn’t it? The one I hurt the most, was the only one willing to forgive me. I don’t even know why she still wants to hang out with me after that accident.”

“What happened next?” Godslayer Dash wanted to know.

“When everypony kept on staring at you, talking behind your back like you're bad news all the time, it's hard to keep a job for long. After I quit my last job, I decided to join the royal guards to get away from it all.”

The revelation appalled Godslayer Dash whom had thought the pegasus’ motive for joining the royal guards was a meaningful one. “That’s it!?”

“I managed to persuade Captain Discord to let me join by making up an hour long speech,” Lightning Dust said wryly. “He sure got fooled.”

“Oh, geez,” Godslayer Dash said with a grimace. “That’s...That’s totally unbelievable.”

“Yup,” the pegasus agreed. “So it’s not what it really looks like.”

“No, I can’t believe that,” Godslayer Dash insisted. “Lightning Dust, when you stood up to Lord Watterson, everything you said to him, did you mean it!?”

It took a moment before Lightning Dust decided on her answer. “Yes, every word of it. After getting in, my life still felt empty. Until I found out Trixie works at the castle. Then I met Nova, Tirek, Flim and Flam. Things were starting to look up for me. So I made pact with them, that we will stick together no matter what.”

“That’s good to hear,” Godslayer Dash said in relief. “So, what are you going to do about Trixie and Silver Spoon?”

Lighting Dust looked uncertain. “They’re still my friends... I guess...I should go find them and fix it...somehow.”

“Hey, look,” Godslayer Dash was referring to Gilda, Trixie, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon emerging from the other side of the roof, all wearing scarves and coats. “Don’t bother.”

“We’ve heard everything,” Gilda said to Lightning Dust.

“I thought you’d be here,” Trixie said as she and Diamond Tiara helped put the coat and scarf respectively on Lightning Dust. “When you said you’re going on ‘lookout duty’, didn't you care to remember bringing a scarf and coat with you?”

“Trixie, I made a mistake,” Lightning Dust confessed. “After all these years, I've forgotten. It wasn’t just Sunset Shimmer. Every time you passed by me, it was your reassuring smile that also kept me going. Can you find it in your heart to forgive me?”

After the scarf is secured around Lightning Dust’s neck, Trixie gently embraced the pegasus and said, “You should already know the answer to that.”

“R-really…? That easily?” Lightning Dust wanted to be sure.

“Yes,” the unicorn said with a nod. “I learned it from a certain wise unicorn.”

When Lightning Dust looked at Silver Spoon, she stammered as she could not find the proper words to say to the Earth pony.

When Gilda saw this, she said to the pegasus, “Better not say anything because you’ll just ruin the moment.”

She and Diamond Tiara and soon followed by Silver Spoon joined to embrace Lightning Dust to show the pegasus that she is forgiven and how much they still care about her.

“Do you know why I always put on a smile?” Trixie said. “I owe it to Sunset Shimmer.”

“Actually,” Gilda wanted to point out, “we all owe something to Sunset Shimmer.”

***

High enthusiasm filled Lightning Dust when she delivered the good news to Gilda at the griffon’s home. “They said yes!”

“Isn’t that great?” Sunset Shimmer was just as happy though she was better at controlling her emotions than the pegasus. “Honestly, I almost didn't think they're willing to break tradition. Finally they’re letting a non-pegasi participate in the tryouts.”

However, Gilda, having lacked in both confidence and ambition, was reluctant to agree.

She sagged into her couch and said, “I don’t know. I just...I just don’t see myself as a Wonderbolt material.”

“What’re you talking about?” Put off by Gilda’s attitude, Lighting Dust tried to persuade her friend to go to the tryouts. “You do have potential! All the times we raced together?”

“We did that for fun,” Gilda pointed out.

“The Equestrian Games,” Lightning Dust persisted, “what about that?”

“I did that for fun too,” Gilda said. “And I didn’t win any of the events.”

“The Wonderbolts isn’t a race,” Lightning Dust pointed out. “It’s about teamwork and perseverance, to push a pony’s abilities to the limits. That’s why their motto is ‘Higher, Faster, Further’.”

Sunset Shimmer decided to intervene. “You know what your problem is, Gilda? You lack confidence. Just give it a try. Pretend that you’re having fun training. Who knows, then?”

“Yeah, it’ll be fun!” Lightning Dust said with full enthusiasm. “Imagine you and me as partners in the Wonderbolts! Together, we’ll wow the crowd with our awesome air display!”

Gilda seemed interested in the idea of potentially partnering with Lightning Dust, yet she was still unable to make up her mind.

“Don’t worry,” Sunset Shimmer assured her. “If you get accepted, you’ll have Lightning Dust to back you up.”

Lightning Dust looked pleadingly at the griffon. “Come on, do it for me?”

“Lightning, let me handle this.” Sunset Shimmer gestured a puppy dog face at Gilda. “Pretty pleeeaaase?”

Lightning Dust copied Sunset Shimmer. “Pleeeaaase?”

Both ponies took turns in saying “Pleeeaaase?” repeatedly until Gilda finally gave in.

Years after years of intense training, Lightning Dust belief in Gilda had paid off. Not only Lightning Dust but Gilda too was awarded the Lead Pony badge by Spitfire.

***

After coming to visit Trixie at her house-caravan, Sunset Shimmer could not believe what she was hearing from her friend.

“You’re planning on leaving!?”

Trixie had just finished pouring the juice into the glasses.

“What’s the point of staying?” She was clearly despondent after being expelled from magic school. “How could I show my face in this city after ‘The Great and Powerful Trixie’ is obviously not going to happen?”

“Move to where?” Sunset Shimmer pressed her.

“I don’t know yet,” Trixie replied, annoyed. “Anywhere but here.”

“And what happens next, huh? It’s not in the end of the world, Trixie. There must something else you’re really good at. Let’s work something out.” Sunset Simmer pondered for a minute. “How about I ask the princesses to hire you at the castle…”

A burst anger shot up though Trixie. “What!?”

“Hear me out first,” Sunset Shimmer tried to calm the other unicorn. “I’m thinking that it'll be so much easier for us to work out your other talents if we’re always together. Then we both could show it to Princess Celestia, let her know how-”

“Are you trying to humiliate me?” Trixie cut her off.

“No, Trixie,” Sunset Shimmer said. “I’m trying to help you.”

“You want me to work under the princess who had scorned me, would not stop in comparing me to her ‘star student’ and left me out in the cold even I shamelessly begged at her hooves? That’s…. THAT’S THE LAST THING I WANT TO HAPPEN!!!” Trixie shoved Sunset Shimmer off the chair, much to the latter’s shock. “Trixie Lulamoon, a lowly maidservant!? Is that what you think I’m good for!? How could you!? I thought you were my friend, Sunset Shimmer! My friend! You’re supposed to understand me!”

Trixie picked up the glass from the table, poured the juices on Sunset Shimmer's mane and then tossed the glass at right in the unicorn’s face.

“How does that feel!?” she yelled, glaring angrily at the stunned Sunset Shimmer. “You walk home with that look, maybe then you’ll understand my feelings!”

Sunset Shimmer was speechless, her mane dripping wet.

She raised her head, gazing sadly at her friend. “Trixie, I was-”

But the ireful Trixie turned away in shunning Sunset Shimmer. “Get out! I do not wish to see you again!”

Trixie looked on suspiciously at Princess Luna. The Princess of the Night’s visit only came a few days after Trixie unilaterally declared her friendship with Sunset Shimmer as over. At the same time, she was also surprised at the princess’ appearance. This is the first time she saw Princess Luna without makeup and sporting a different hairstyle.

“It’s Sunset Shimmer, isn’t it?”

Luna nodded. “She only told me you needed help, that’s all. But truly I am curious to see how you're holding up after the last time we met. And from the look of the surroundings, I dare say you’re not doing very well.”

She looked at the props all over the ground and regarded the beautiful arts on the props with interest and wonder. “Did you make all these by yourself?”

“Yes,” Trixie reluctantly answered, “I did.”

“I see that you’re skilled in arts,” the princess gave her sincere remark. “They’re lovely,”

“Th-thank you, Your Royal Highness…”

“That, I assure you, is not a mere gesture of sympathy. If you’re still bent on leaving Canterlot, I won’t stop you. But I’d like to let you know the interior castle needs sprucing up and the Canterlot Day celebration is coming up in several month times. If you’re interested in discussing your role at the castle, you're truly welcome to find me. It’s your decision, Trixie.”

With that, the princess left and Trixie stood there for a while to ponder to herself.

All this while, I neglected another aspect of myself, the unicorn realized.

Trixie went inside her caravan and hastily removed all the books from inside her chest. There was a book titled The Art of Theatrics in Performance which she put away immediately. What she really wanted are the rest, which are of various subjects ranging from arts, interior decorations to event management. All the covers are clearly marked with Property of Silver Spoon.

A huge crowd flocked the city square to witness the Canterlot Day Parade. On the stage, Trixie, Princess Luna, Princess Celestia, Twilight Sparkle and Captain Discord marveled at the vibrant, colorful fireworks display above the on-going parade. Although Princess Celestia is just as impressed, she did not show it openly.

“Ah, it reminds of candy popcorn,” Discord said aloud with wonder.

“Trixie, you have outdone yourself!” Luna proclaimed to Trixie.

Seeing that Princess Luna was very pleased, Trixie was more than happy to accept the praise.

With a prideful smile, she bowed graciously to the princess. “Thank you, Your Royal Highness.”

In the parade, Lady Rara and the Hot Ponies dancers entertained the madly excited crowd of onlookers and fans with their rave performance. Everypony are enjoying it so much some even sin and dance around to the music.

Luna became ecstatic at this sight. “Faust Almighty! Is that Lady Rara? I must go and meet her!”

“Luna, behave yourself!”

Princess Luna however ignored her elder sister and proceeded to step off the stage to take closer view of Lady Rara.

“Princess Luna, it’s chaotic out there in the crowds!” Discord protested.

The captain’s lack of action earned an ireful scolding from Celestia. “What are you waiting for, captain!? Go and retrieve my sister, NOW!”

“Right away, Your Royal Highness!” the captain complied and off he went into the crowds to search for Princess Luna.

“I can’t believe this!” Celestia complained to herself. “Are all of the current generations this incompetent!?”.

A short while later, Sunset Shimmer appeared and walked up to the stage. As she passed Trixie, they looked at each other awkwardly.

As soon as Celestia saw Sunset Shimmer, she scolded her. “Sunset Shimmer, you’re late! Why can’t you be more punctual, just like Twilight Sparkle here?”

Upon hearing this, Twilight Sparkle could not help but gave a smug look at her rival. Sunset Shimmer said her apologies while bowing her head to Princess Celestia.

“As you should!” Celestia dissed the unicorn.

Sunset Shimmer briefly regarded Twilight Sparkle with distaste before glancing around in search of Princess Luna. When she asked Princess Celestia, the unicorn was greeted with scorn, that the matter was of no concern to her. Seeing how sad Sunset Shimmer is, only then Trixie decided to make things right between them. She stood close next to the Sunset Shimmer.

The remorseful Trixie whispered to her, “Sunset Shimmer, I’m…sorry...and thank you,”

Trixie was about to leave but Sunset Shimmer stopped her.

“Keep smiling, Trixie,” Sunset Shimmer said softly. “That sad face doesn’t suit you at all,”.

Though she did not say it out directly, Trixie interpreted the words as her friend’s way of saying ‘I forgive you’. And so, Trixie let out a small but sincere smile for Sunset Shimmer.

***

The dejected Silver Spoon tossed her pearl necklace into the lake. Unexpectedly, the necklace hovered short of hitting the water surface. Sunset Shimmer, whom is accompanied by Lighting Dust, lifted the necklace up to her.

“Silver Spoon, what do you think you’re doing?” Sunset Shimmer asked, holding on to the necklace.

“It’s worthless,” Silver Spoon said indifferently.

The reply puzzled Sunset Shimmer. “These are genuine rare sea pearls, aren’t they?”

“That’s not what I meant,” the Earth pony uttered.

Not quite grasping her meaning, Sunset Shimmer asked Silver Spoon to explain.

“We just came back from Manehattan,” the latter said. “I tried bribing them to accept Tiara. But they didn’t take my offer.”

“Oh, Silver Spoon,” Sunset Shimmer was clearly dismayed, “does Tiara know about this?”

Silver Spoon shook her. “No.”

Relieved, Sunset Shimmer said, “Silver Spoon, Tiara is an honorable pony. She would never have condoned your action. Can you imagine how angry she’ll be if she finds out?”

“You’re not going to tell her, are you?” the distressed Silver Spoon immediately asked.

Her foster sister is nice and helpful and all, Silver Spoon admitted but Diamond Tiara can become a scary pony when she is overly upset or angry. At best, she could be described as a diamond in the rough.

“Nope, you should tell her yourself,” Lightning Dust said firmly. “Sooner or later, you have to do it.”

“Lightning, let me do the talking,” Sunset Shimmer chided before speaking to Silver Spoon again. “Silver Spoon, as much as Tiara is disappointed on repeatedly failing to make it to the Fashion Week, she’d be more disappointed if she finds out that she didn’t make it through fair and square.”

“I was trying to help,” Silver Spoon insisted.

“There’re many ways you can help,” Sunset Shimmer said. “The proper way. You can learn to sew for instance.”

The Earth pony gave Sunset Shimmer’s suggestion some consideration.

Diamond Tiara gasped in disbelief as soon as Silver Spoon showed her the building premise, still under renovation by the Boy Builders. Soon it will be their new home and boutique, all in one, Silver Spoon said to her. Nothing too fancy, but it is certainly more comfortable and spacious than Diamond Tiara’s shabby house.

“I don’t understand,” Diamond Tiara said. “How could you afford all of these by yourself?”

But Silver Spoon remained silent, prompting Diamond Tiara to examine the young Earth pony carefully.

Then it finally hit her. “Spoony, your necklace… You sold it!?”

Silver Spoon nodded meekly. “I also took sewing course.”

Lost for words, without thinking, the touched Diamond Tiara embraced Silver Spoon.

***

Godslayer Dash watched with sentimentality the five friends embrace tenderly each other in forgiveness.

***

Five Years Earlier (Earth's Timeline)

Dash had changed a lot in the past year. In high school, she was a gawky and mousy-looking girl no more. Long after her father’s passing, she had grown into a more confident and energetic person. The transformation is reflected by her current athletic build, new hair style and sporty sense of fashion, which gave her a tomboyish look. She was now more proactive in participating in extracurricular activities.

However, Dash was not the only one who had changed. The heavily scarred Sunny was sitting on the bench all by herself. She became rather gloomy ever since she was released from hospital after being involved in an accident that almost took her life.

No longer the bully she was, Sunny was more inclined to be alone. Of course in spite of this, most of the school students still disliked her. But surprisingly AJ had been treating Sunny nicely since then, being protective of her even. This was highly surprising, considering that AJ was also once the victim of Sunny’s harassment and coupled with her temper and hard-headed nature, she was last the person Dash had expected to forgive Sunny.

Dash saw AJ discussing something to Twilight. It must be related to Sunny as Twilight kept glancing past AJ at the redhead. Then Twilight did what Dash really did not expect. As a gesture of goodwill, Twilight reached out her hand to the former bully. Sunny was initially hesitant. But encouraged by AJ’s insistence and Twilight’s friendly demeanor, Sunny finally accepted it.

Dash understood this is not just an act of forgiveness. Twilight and AJ are willing to accept Sunny as their friend, to give her a chance for her to begin anew. Yet Dash turned away. She still holds a deep grudge against Sunny. There was no way she can accept Sunny as a friend nor can she forgive Sunny for what she had done to her during junior high. To Dash, the world is all black and white. It is as simple as that. No matter what or how much Sunny will do to make amends, she will still remain as a bad person in Dash’s heart.

***

Godslayer Dash’s expression gradually darkened. After learning about Princess Celestia and Sunset Shimmer’s past, she began to question her own past actions against Sunny.

It is past midnight. Gilda, Diamond Tiara and with Silver Spoon slept peacefully together, of which the latter two were snugged cozily under the griffon’s wings. Gilda’s thick fur/feathers render her not needing a blanket like the other ponies.

Suddenly, Diamond Tiara opened her eyes, having been awakened by the sounds of Featherweight’s shivering. She carefully slipped out from under Gilda’s wing and went over to take another sheet of blanket, silently so as not to awaken the other ponies. She gently placed the extra blanket over Featherweight up to his neck and the colt finally stopped shivering in his sleep. Diamond Tiara looked up at the ventilation shafts, wondering why the draft coming out of it is so close to freezing temperature.

Trixie was fast asleep on the office couch when she is approached by Godslayer Dash.

“Trixie,” the latter whispered to the unicorn’s ears. “Hey, Trixie. Wake up.”

Trixie woke up groggily and frowned as soon as she saw Dash’s face.

“Miss Dash, what time is it now?” she moaned.

Pulling away the blanket, she sat up. She rubbed her hooves for warmth, as the air around the office had turned chilly. Too chilly in fact.

“Sorry to bother you,” Godslayer Dash said “but something came up,”

Blueblood, Discord and Trixie, all three were stunned when they found out that the underground river in the caverns had been completely frozen into ice. The cavern’s entrance was now completely blocked by thick solid wall of ice, which used to be the waterfall. The Flim Flam brothers and Nova used their magic to melt the ice, creating crevice through the ice wall as a result.

In the meantime, Godslayer Dash and Lightning Dust were up in the mansion. Once the door opened, freezing wind howled into their faces. The Pegasus shuddered to her bones despite wearing winter coats and scarves. Only Godslayer Dash remained unaffected due to her Fleet SHADE acting as environmental suit.

“B-but it’s f-f-freezing c-cold out there,” Lightning Dust shivered, in response of the latter’s offer of steeping out to have a better understanding of the conditions outside.

“Honestly,” Godslayer Dash said with a shrug, “I can’t feel anything under this armor.”

She stepped outside into the front yard. Snow was falling lightly from the sky. The ground was blanketed with snow. Icicles formed on the tree branches. Winter has come to Canterlot earlier than expected...

GROWING STORM - revised

Author's Note

Denbutani = Butt Valley.

GROWING STORM - revised

Snow has stopped falling. The first flicker of dawn appeared over Foal Mountain.

“Hey! Hey!!!”

Ragingheart looked back over her shoulder before turning to face the captive whom strangely was unaffected by freezing temperatures despite not wearing a winter coat. The reason for it might have something to do with the aura surrounding the cages.

“You have to do something!” shouted Lionel, whom is concerned about Sunset Shimmer’s condition. “She won’t hold for long!”

But Ragingheart merely said, “Then you better pray to Faust that somepony from Canterlot gets here soon!”

She then walked away, not even the slightest feeling of sympathy was inside her.

Peeking from inside the crevice of the frozen waterfall, Lightning Dust witnessed a squadron of Dalek Tanks emerging forever Canterlot, heading in the direction of the gorge. She feared that Ragingheart might have somehow figured out the existence of the shelter.

Fortunately, Lightning Dust’s fears did not materialize. The winged tanks flew low past over the mansion to head north. But it did cast an unpleasant feeling over the Reserves inside the mansion. The entire structure shook from the deafening roar of the passing Dalek Tanks.

The Reserves reported the incident to Discord, prompting a meeting in Blueblood’s office.

“They’re seemed to be heading straight north, possibly to Diamondia,” Discord began the briefing. “But something’s not right. In such small numbers, it couldn’t be an invasion fleet.”

Blueblood pondered briefly then said, “I’m merely speculating. What if Diamondia are finally making their move and those tanks were dispatched in response to it?”

“Maybe,” the captain said. “We can’t be sure unless we get a full scout report. Unfortunately, our only capable scout is still injured.”

“I can try,” Lightning Dust said confidently. She put up a convincing display that the injuries are nothing to her.

“Overruled,” Discord wave his hand. “With your wings injured, it’s too risky to have you on this scout mission, which leaves us with Nova.”

“But he doesn’t have the speed needed for the mission!” the pegasus protested.

“Did anypony say they need someone with speed?” This was coming from Gilda whom just showed up at the door. “I volunteer.”

“Gilda!?” Lightning Dust gazed at the captain with disapproval. “Captain, you can’t agree with this. She doesn’t have any prior experience with the royal guards.”

Gilda stepped forward, straightened her posture and put on a determined look.

“True,” she said. “I may not have any experience. But I am a Wonderbolt. Our motto is ‘Higher. Faster. Further’. Therefore I assure you I have both speed and discipline as much as Lightning Dust has.”

“Yes,” Discord agreed, notably impressed by the griffon’s sense of determination. “I can see that you have a good heart and is very persuasive.”

“What!?” Lightning Dust exclaimed. “You call that persuasive!?”

“Enough of this petty argument!" Blueblood’s scolding silenced Lightning Dust. "Faust knows we can’t be picky on allies, since we’re currently understaffed. However it’s your decision, captain."

Discord nodded at the chancellor then turned to Gilda. “Welp, no time for formalities! Gilda from the Wonderbolts, do you swear that you will commit yourself in serving the Equestrian Royal Army and its just cause with your life?”

“I do.”

“Please recite the Oath of Allegiance.”

“I, Gilda, swear by Faust Almighty that I will bear true allegiance to the Royal Sisters, their co-rulers, heirs and successors and that I will in my duty serve with honor in defending Equestria against all enemies so as to uphold for what the kingdom stands, one nation united, peaceful and prosperous.”

Discord placed his hand on Gilda’s shoulder. “Then I hereby appoint you as a temporary member of the Equestrian Royal Army.”

After the simple initiation was over, the captain called Nova to come over.

“If you follow Nova,” he said to Gilda, “he’ll have your armor and coat ready. You’ll be partnering with him and he’ll be your supervisor in the whole duration of the scouting mission.”

Gilda and Nova both saluted to the captain. After the two left, Lightning Dust shook her head in dismay.

A heated argument occurred in the mansion’s basement afterwards.

“It’s too dangerous!” Lightning Dust argued, apparently upset with her friend’s decision to get involved in the conflict with Lyra Heartstrings a.k.a. Ragingheart.

“Why’re you so fussed about everything’s too dangerous for me!?” Gilda asked tensely.

“I’m concerned for your safety, that’s all!”

“Are you still feeling guilty about that accident? Is this what it’s all about?”

When Lightning Dust did not answer back, Gilda continued, “Ever since that accident, you’ve always avoided me. You didn’t even bother to reply any of my postcards. It’s already in the past and I’ve forgiven you. As your friend, I’m asking- No, I’m telling you to get over it! Because I am now getting tired of your attitude!”

Godslayer Dash and Trixie, both happened to be close the spiraled staircase, overheard the argument above. While feeling disappointed with Lightning Dust, the former was also somewhat affected by Gilda’s words. It reminded her of Skyler. Family friend. Foster sister.

Godslayer Dash looked to Trixie for suggestions. “Now she’s fighting with Gilda. Should we…”

“I don’t like it either,” the unicorn said. “But there’re some things they need to sort it out themselves.”

Gilda and Nova stopped at a distance from the mansion.

“So you know everything about Lightning Dust, right?” Nova asked Gilda.

“Like what?” the griffon asked back at him.

“You know, favorite color, food, flower… Does she even like jewelries?”

“Why are you asking me this?” When Gilda saw that the changeling’s face blushed slightly, she realized what was really going on. “Oh. You like her, aren’t you?”

“Can we talk about it along the way?”

“Aren’t we supposed to focus on the mission?”

“Just follow my lead,” Nova said before shapeshifting into his white rabbit form.

He hopped on to Gilda, holding tightly onto her. Gilda flapped her wings hard then took off.

It was a busy morning for the servants in the shelter’s kitchen. The food prepared was in excess of the needs of everypony taking refuge in the shelter.

“I think there’re still more blankets and sheets inside the trunks up in the attic!” Silver Spoon said as she led Trixie and the castle servants up the spiraled staircase.

Passing several castle servants pushing carts filled with scarves and winter coats, Godslayer Dash walked up to Blueblood and Discord.

“What’s going on?” she asked them.

“I highly doubt Ragingheart has the hostages’ welfare in her heart,” Blueblood said. “So we’re going to deliver all of these to those unfortunate ponies.”

“This is also our chance to check up their conditions,” Discord added.

Godslayer Dash wondered about Sunset Shimmer’s current condition where the unicorn’s head injury was concerned.

“Can I come with you guys?” she asked.

Blueblood and Discord both hesitated.

“I know, I know,” Godslayer Dash said in understanding. “But I owe to Sunset Shimmer. I just can’t call myself her friend by standing here and do nothing. I need to see how she’s doing out there with my own eyes.”

Blueblood looked at Discord. “Should we, captain?”

“C’mon, cap! Let me in!” Godslayer Dash pleaded. “Whatever you need me to be or do, you’re totally can count on me. Backup, support…”

“Very well,” Discord relented at last. “You have helped us to some degree, after all.”

“And you’re gonna need it as much as you can get,” Godslayer Dash firmly said.

Possessing sharp-eyesight, Gilda notified Nova in mid-flight that she spotted the winged tanks from more than a mile away. Thinking fast, Nova instructed Gilda to head down to Neighagra Falls. The griffon immediately swooped down to hide between the dam’s flanking piers.

As the Dalek Tanks flew over the area, Bunny-Nova expressed his surprise at the tanks being back so soon.

“Maybe they’re on a scout mission too?” Gilda suggested.

“Maybe,” Bunny-Nova said. “Let’s rest for a while. There’s still a long way to go before we reach the border.”

They waited there until the last Dalek Tank passed over them.

After passing over the Canterlot River Bridge, the Equestrians parked their carts at a considerable distance from the enemy position.

As the remaining Reserves and Godslayer Dash began unloading the crates containing rations for the hostages, Discord gave them all a reminder. “Ragingheart thinks Princess Celestia is still in Canterlot. That’s the only thing that prevents her army from storming into the city. So let’s keep it that way.”

“Less than half a day left, yet still no sign of Celestia,” Ragingheart commented after meeting up with Blueblood and Discord.

Not knowing how to explain Princess Celestia’s absence…yet, Sir Blueblood went straight to the point. “We’ve come to negotiate, Ragingheart. As you know, winter has arrived earlier than anticipated. We want assurance that the ponies you captured are still alive and well-treated.”

On Ragingheart’s signal, her forces moved aside to split the main formation into two, thereby revealing the cages where the hostages are kept. Aside from starving, they are alive and kept warm due to Sunset Shimmer’s effort. But in doing so, the poor unicorn drained herself completely.

“Faust Almighty!” Blueblood exclaimed when he saw this.

“Rather amusing watching her like that all night long,” Ragingheart mocked. “I was curious how long she could hold before she drops down dead.”

Anger spiked inside Godslayer Dash and Lightning Dust. Yet they managed to refrain themselves, knowing fully well that any reckless move now will provoke the enemy and put the hostages’ lives in danger. Unlike during the Battle of the Market Square, they were now faced with a legion of the ‘Alicorn’s’ forces. Without a thoughtful plan, the Equestrians could easily be overwhelmed in mere minutes.

“Permission to distribute the rations and treat the injured,” Blueblood made his request.

Ragingheart thought on it for a second then said, “No. My minions will do it. Tell your soldiers to back away from carts. As for the doctor, bring him to me.”

Discord snapped his finger. Godslayer Dash and the Reserves moved to comply. Doc Top shuddered at the thought of being together with evil “Alicorn” again after barely escaped with his life from Ponyville days earlier. With fear, he slowly made his way towards Ragingheart.

The MBPs opened the crates for the Mithras to examine its contents. After satisfied that the crates only contain food and other rations, the MBPs transported all the crates to the cages.

Inside the cages, ponies clambered to the get their hooves on the rations tossed at them. Sunset Shimmer stopped casting her spell once she saw Doc Top, who wasted no time in treating the head wound.

Now that the matter regarding the hostages’ wellbeing had been dealt with, here comes the hard part- the handover of Princess Celestia and the Elements of Harmony.

“My demand was made clear!” Ragingheart angrily said to Blueblood. “It’s either Celestia and the Elements of Harmony or their lives!”

The chancellor tried in his best ability to negotiate. “You have to understand. Princess Celestia’s current mental state is unstable. We’re not able to get near to her without letting ourselves getting teleported to someplace else. Please allow us some more time. A temporary truce, perhaps?”

Behind him, Godslayer Dash was grumbling to herself, “Yeah, she was wacko. Deal with it.”

“Her insanity does not change the fact that she wronged me!” Ragingheart barked at Blueblood. “And if you think you’re able to buy time, think again! If I do not have Celestia nor the Elements Harmony in my possession within the next few hours, I will destroy that city!”

“Now, let’s not be hasty here-”

Just then, the Dalek Tank squadron returning from their mission in the north interrupted Blueblood. They descended past the river, transformed and touched down. While the rest went to join the main force, one strode towards Ragingheart. It looked as though she and the Mecha-Dalek were communicating telepathically, or perhaps through some kind of radio link. None of the Equestrians knew for sure. A short while later, the mech rose and left.

“It seems that we’ve reached a mutual understanding to our current predicament, chancellor,” Ragingheart said. “I agree to a temporary truce. These ponies will remain in Ponyville for now.”

As the ‘Alicorn’ was talking, several of the tanks hovered over the cages. Following that, the Mithras started securing the cages to the cables lowered from the winged tanks.

“Why?” Blueblood demanded.

“I need them alive,” Ragingheart replied, “especially Sunset Shimmer. The truce lasts until the day we return to Canterlot at this very spot.”

That’s good, Blueblood thought, but for how long? “And when will that be?”

“When the storm is over,” Ragingheart replied.

All the Equestrians looked amongst each other with utter confusion. What storm? A literal storm?

Godslayer Dash absentmindedly advanced on Ragingheart. “That’s a bluff! I mean, c’mon! It just started snowing last night-”

When she got close enough, Ragingheart punched her right in the stomach. She fell to her knees whilst painfully clutching her belly. Seeing this, Discord and the Reserves rushed to her side.

Under her visor, Godslayer Dash glared angrily at Ragingheart. “Oh, you’re so gonna get it!”

“I’m a sadist,” Ragingheart mocked. “Deal with it.”

Damn it, Godslayer Dash realized. She overheard me… “If something ever happens to Sunset Shimmer, I’m gonna super whup your butt so hard you wished you’re never born!”

“Oh, I shall look forward to it,” Ragingheart responded sarcastically.

“Enough!” Discord quickly intervened, fearing the situation might turn for the worse. “We’re supposed to have truce here!”

Ragingheart glanced at the captain Discord then turned back to Godslayer Dash. “You do not belong in this world, so it’s best that you stay out of this. The next time I see you again, I will not hesitate to let you join that buddy of yours in the afterlife.”

As the Dalek Tanks began airlifting the cages, all the terrified hostages huddled as they did not understand what is going on. Sunset Shimmer was no exception. Ragingheart took off to the sky the same time as her forces began their withdrawal from the area.

“That was reckless of you, Miss Dash,” Discord chided as he helped Godslayer Dash up to her feet. “You should count yourself lucky for she could’ve stabbed you instead.”

“Sorry, can’t help myself, okay?” she said. “Being brash all the time, that’s just the way I am.”

“At least the situation didn’t turn chaotic,” the captain commented, deciding to look at the bright side of things.

“Indeed,” Blueblood agreed. “Now about that storm Ragingheart mentioned…”

Turbulent clouds floated above the landscape surrounding the Diamondian border outposts, signaling a snowstorm is imminent.

Inside one of the outposts, Commander Fido and his troops busied themselves by polishing their armor and diamond-based weapons- longswords, axes, spears, maces etc. Even their shields are made of diamond. But the most interesting weapon in their arsenal is the anti-armor Gatling crossbow, capable of rapid firing diamond-tipped arrows.

Away from the Diamondians, Prince Umbra was in a discussion with Gilda and Nova over at the table.

“Not really,” Gilda said. “But there’s a slight chance we can outrun the blizzard before it reaches Canterlot, if we take off now.”

“My comrade’s a Wonderbolt,” Nova pointed out to the prince. “So there’s no need to worry.”

Yes, I’ve heard about them, Umbra thought, superlative speeders and skillful in aerial acrobatics.

“Very well. Be sure to get this to Sir Blueblood.” He gave a rolled-up letter to Nova who then secured it under his winter coat. “Again, I greatly apologize for not being of much help. If only I could’ve done something to prevent the ill fate that has befallen on Equestria. I do hope Lord Watterson is able to recover soon. Now be careful on your way back. Who knows, those flying tanks might still be around.”

Nova and Gilda expressed their surprise. So the tanks had come this far, but what were they up to?

“They advanced deep into Diamondian territory then turned back all of a sudden,” Umbra revealed to the pair. “It’s rather strange that they didn’t retaliate even after a few of them got shot down.”

They shared the prince’s puzzlement.

Trixie met up with Blueblood and the rest who have returned from the outskirts.

“Is Sunset Shimmer all right?” She was very anxious to know her friend’s condition.

“Apart from fatigue and the head injury, she’s fine,” Doc Top earnestly told her. “I’ve ascertained that she’s not suffering any trauma on her skull. With long rest and the medicines that I gave her, she could make full recovery within a week. As long as Ragingheart doesn’t ill-treat her prisoners by then.”

The last part served only to increase Trixie’s anxiousness.

Godslayer Dash placed a gentle hand on the unicorn to reassure her. “Don’t lose hope, Trixie. We’ll get her back.”

Though does not seem much, but her words did help Trixie ease up a little.

By late evening, the snowstorm finally reached Canterlot from the northern continent, dumping more than two feet of snow over the deserted city. Temperatures plummeted to sub-zero. Visibility decreased to less than half a mile. It was the most severe storm ever to hit Equestria in the kingdom’s ten thousand years of history.

Under her visor, Godslayer Dash surveyed with difficulty the surroundings for any signs of Nova and Gilda. She felt uncomfortable being outside in a blizzard but being the only one who is capable operating at sub-zero temperatures without getting frostbites, Dash felt she had no choice.

Back at the mansion, Lightning Dust stood watch on the porch.

“Any sign of them!?” she yelled at Godslayer Dash.

“No!”

Suddenly, Godslayer Dash spotted something appearing amongst the trees. Blinded by heavy snowfall, it took a while for her to make out the figure. It was a griffon! She trudged over the snow towards Gilda who appeared to be dragging something through the snow.

When Gilda finally got into the kitchen, Lightning Dust opened her mouth. She was about to say something.

But Gilda cut her off, “If you still want to continue arguing, then I don’t want to talk to you!”

She passed Lightning Dust without making eye contact. The pegasus was seemingly hurt by her friend’s words.

“I just wanted to say I’m glad you both safely made it back, that’s all,” Lightning Dust said sadly.

When Godslayer Dash entered the kitchen carrying the unconscious Nova in her arms, Lightning Dust was absolutely shocked. She cried out worryingly at the cold-stiffened changeling.

It was fortunate of Nova that Doc Top managed to thaw him in time before he gave in to hypothermia. While the changeling kept himself soaked in the warm water-filled basin, Doc Top went over to check for any improvements on Godslayer Watterson’s condition.

At the same moment in Blueblood’s office, the chancellor had just finished reading the letter from Prince Umbra. He turned to explain its content to the everyone present there. It was a grim situation. According to letter, the prince had had difficulty in convincing the Diamondians to send in their army, which might explain why the Equestrians have not heard any news from him. Although the Diamondians have already stationed their soldiers at the border posts, King Jim demanded a formal request from the ‘highest recognized authority’ of Equestria in order to cross.

“The Royal Sisters,” Godslayer Dash noted in understanding.

Blueblood nodded. “Through an official decree authenticated by the royal seal, which unfortunately I do not have in my possession. Their excuse is justified though, as they do not want to be regarded as an invading force. I’m not as influential as my aunts in foreign affairs, thus there is only so much I can do as chancellor.”

“But the fate of the entire world is at stake!” Lightning Dust said in anger.

“Without laws and protocol, everything will turn into chaos,” Discord reminded the pegasus.

“There is slight good news though,” apparently Blueblood was not finish yet. “The Diamondians did the next best thing. They’re planning to send their navies to the Southern Kingdom once the storm winds down.”

Godslayer Dash furrowed her eyebrows. “In the middle of winter?”

“They possess a number of ice breaker ships in their fleet,” Blueblood clarified to her. “If they play their cards right, the distraction caused by the battle in the South might work to our advantage.”

“So what do we do in the meantime?” Godslayer Dash then asked.

Blueblood looked thoughtful for a while.

“That, Miss Dash, is a very good question,” he said finally.

***

Meanwhile, in Erumoa...

The Catgirl was parked in the narrow valley of between two hills, which bizarrely resembles a pair of buttocks if one looked from afar at an angle. A smaller and heavily stripped-down variant of the frigate used by the conventional military of the Godslayer’s homeworld, the cruiser is measured at 1000 ft in length, 475 ft wide and 400 ft tall. Hangar/cargo bay doors line up along the port and starboard side.

Godslayer Kurogane and Godslayer Fortepiano sat at their respective stations in the bridge, staring at the banks of virtual screens on the consoles. Kurogane is a Battlecaster and her rank is Operative-cum-Engineer, as indicated by the Silver Star insignia.

After the last data finished scrolling, she turned away from the screen to look at her superior officer. “That’s it. The diagnostics are complete. The Catgirl is ready and set to go.”

Godslayer Fortepiano nodded, without looking at her subordinate. She remained focused at the data logs provided by Godslayer Watterson.

“What’s your take on this Iris Dashiell character, FM?” Godslayer Kurogane finally decided to ask.

“I’m not sure if she can be trusted,” Godslayer Fortepiano said flatly. “All the data from the log file seemed valid. Yet of what plausible reason would this woman from a different world suddenly showed up in our operating sector, with Magister Perris’ armor in her possession? I find these circumstances very suspicious.”

“But Magister did leave a data file for us to find,” Godslayer Kurogane reminded her.

“A corrupted data file,” the Field Master pointed out, “which means nothing.”

Godslayer Kurogane decided to concede and changed the topic. “So what do we do now?”

Godslayer Fortepiano turned away from her screens.

“Those constructs are still out there,” she said. “The sooner we complete our respective missions, then the sooner we can focus on solving this mystery. You help Ensign find E-Sat and try to fix him before the final showdown. I’ll rejoin you all once I return from Equestria.”

“That means you’re going alone?”

“Yes.”

Sometime later, Godslayer Kurogane looked on as The Catgirl screamed off into the sky, leaving behind Denbutani. Turning away, she wondered about how Ensign was doing in Ritchiudo. Surely the second-in-command can handle things there, right?

Lightning streaks and sparks ran across the street leading to an explosion on the other end. A menacing soft-shelled turtle emerged from its aftermath unscathed. Aegnor Alkarin, a Minotaur and a Battlecaster Godslayer with the rank of Ensign (Gold Star insignia), was shocked at the turtle’s invincibility.

Dubbed the Evil Turtle because it does sort of look like an evil incarnation from hell, this creature had given him and Kurogane absolutely nothing but trouble. They did not know what exactly the creature is or where it came from. One day it just showed up on the security feeds wrecking The Catgirl’s interior for no clear reason. With Zach’s help, they finally managed to expel it from the cruiser. But now it seems that the creature wanted revenge.

“Oh, for Snowflake sake!” Godslayer Alkarin exclaimed as the Evil Turtle began chasing after him. “This is bullshit!”

***

Dash’s Fleet SHADE had reverted back to her clothes. She pulled up the cuff of her pants for Doc Top to examine the spot where her wound should be.

The doctor found that there is only a trace of a barely visible scar. “If there was a deep cut, there’s no sign of it now.”

“Yup, this pretty much confirms it,” Dash said, satisfied that her theory was right.

Doc Top was notably impressed. He had heard a lot of things about magical objects from a young unicorn he knew very well, but an armor having more than one function was not one of them.

“Interesting,” he remarked. “It can transform and heal. If Twilight was here, she’d definitely want to take that piece of armor for research.”

Dash gave Doc Top a quizzical look. “Don’t tell that you know her?”

“Oh, yes,” the doctor said. “We used to be neighbors in Ponyville before she moved to Canterlot to further her study.”

He let out a sigh and continued somberly, “I really don’t understand why she behaved so differently once she came back. Hay she even converted her home library into a lab of some sort.”

“Maybe something happened,” Dash cryptically said. Should I break it to him? Nah...

“Now that she’s missing,-”

“Missing?” Dash interrupted Doc Top. “I thought she’s dead.”

“If that was truly the case, there’d be traces,” the doctor pointed out grimly. “Poor Twilight Velvet. She must be turning over in her grave right now.”

Wait, the former captain of the royal guards? Dash thought. “What’s she got to do with Twilight Sparkle?”

“Why, Twilight Sparkle is her daughter,” the doctor revealed.

Dash gaped in disbelief at the revelation.

Doc Top saw her reaction but misinterpreted it. “I know, right? Surely a pony who given her all for the kingdom and the Royal Sisters deserves a better fate for her lineage.”

“Y-yeah, it’s tragic,” Dash said, merely for the sake of being polite.

She remembered Sunset Shimmer mentioned that Princess Celestia changed when Twilight Sparkle was enrolled into magic school. If Twilight Sparkle is truly the child of former captain Twilight Velvet, that could only mean one thing- Princess Celestia was practicing favoritism. Dash shook her head at the notion.

Afterwards, Doc Top went back to attend to the medical reports on his desk.

Removing her jacket, Dash examined herself again in the mirror. But this time she observed her neck, arms and shoulders. Then she pulled up her tank top. There were no signs of scars or blemish resulting from the fall in her flashbacks. Maybe they were there before and the SHADE did a job too well of healing them, she speculated.

Back in the ward, Godslayer Watterson opened his eyes. He found himself lying on one of row of beds in a room he did not recognize. He stared at the ceiling then at the walls. Finally, he realized he is somewhere in the underground evacuation shelter. He tried to sit up, only to experience excruciating pain in his midriff.

Dash and Doc Top heard Godslayer Watterson’s groan. They both turned to see him sink back onto his bed and hurried to his side.

“Zach, you're okay!” Dash was so relieved to see the blue feline finally awaking.

“Yeah, miss me much?” Watterson rasped, clearly hinting that he is still in pain.

“As if!” Dash jested.

When Doc Top requested for the feline to remove his armor so that he could determine the full extent of the wound, Godslayer Watterson said, “Doc, I can’t. It’s still healing and this armor is the only reason I’m able to move. By the way, how long was I out?”

Dash raised a finger.

“A day?” Watterson guessed.

Dash shook her head. “Nope.”

“A week?” The feline suddenly felt even weaker than before. “Oh man… Did Ragingheart win the war?”

Godslayer Watterson, whom is still recovering from his injury, took a minute to digest what had happened in past several days.

“Looks like princess’ comeback is more crucial now than ever,” he said finally.

Blueblood agreed, although he was unaware that the Godslayer was actually referring to Princess Luna, not Celestia. “But given her insanity and currently unknown whereabouts, I doubt she could be of any help to us now.”

“Yeah about that,” Godslayer Watterson said. “After my last conversation with Sunset Shimmer, I think I have an idea where I can find Princess Celestia.”

When asked by Blueblood on where that place might be, Godslayer Watterson stated, “Tall Tale.”

“But there’s nothing there left,” Blueblood said before he suddenly remembered. “Oh, of course. The original palace. Its ruin still stands.”

“I get it,” Dash said in comprehension. “If there’s no place else for her to go and she wants to hide, it’s only natural that she’d go the only place she knows pretty well.”

“Yup,” Godslayer Watterson acknowledged her statement. “I’ll be departing soon to look for her there.”

Discord reacted in disbelief at the feline’s plain. “You don’t mean you’re going out in this blizzard, are you?”

“Hey, what better time than when Ragingheart isn’t around Canterlot?” Godslayer Watterson replied casually, not a single of worry was hinted.

Discord shook his head. To him, the feat would be suicidal.

“I presumed you have plan laid out for confronting my aunt?” Blueblood wanted to know.

“I do,” the feline replied confidently. “There’s 50-50 chance Princess Celestia might surrender herself along with the Elements of Harmony. Oh, I’m not saying we’re should give in to Ragingheart’s demands. She said it herself. She still intends to enslave all of Equestria no matter what.”

Dash said she agreed with him on that. “Besides, we all should know better by now that she’s doesn't really play fair. And there’s something else that’s been bugging me…”

“What’s that?” Godslayer Watterson asked.

“It’s the way Ragingheart repeated the same line all over again,” Dash said with worry.

Trixie had finished making herbal tea for herself, before proceeding to rummage through the box. To her surprise, she discovered Sunset Shimmer’s photo album stashed among the books (this was done by Dash unknowingly to anyone in Nightmare Moon act).

Sitting on the bench, memories came back to her as she flipped one page at a time. She gazed nostalgically, at each photo showing the times when the six friends were much younger, and happier. She flipped another page. There she came across a photo taken during the Canterlot Day Parade so many years earlier, the night where Trixie had made up with Sunset Shimmer.

In the photo, Sunset Shimmer, Princess Luna and Trixie smiled for the shot taken with Lady Rara. In the background, Captain Discord could be seen in the crowds, putting his flat hand over his eyes and gazing around as he searched for Princess Luna…in the wrong direction.

***

The flatbed of the moving float was initially empty. All of a sudden, flashes of light and smoke emitted all around. Once the smoke cleared, dancers and props appeared on the float, like magic. Then Lady Rara made her entrance, drawing loud cheers from the excited crowd of onlookers.

***

Inspiration dawned on Trixie. “Theatrics… That’s it!”

Trixie wasted no time to go find Captain Discord. At this hour, she knew the captain and the Reserves are most likely at the cavern. When Trixie got there, they were having their lunch together with Dash, Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon and Featherweight on the lower platform.

“Captain Discord, I have a plan!” Trixie shouted as she strode down the steps.

In her haste, she accidentally slipped on a slippery spot. As a result, she rolled around and bounced the stairs and hit the food bowls, before coming to a stop in front of the Discord. Diamond Tiara helped the woozy Trixie, whose mane and coat was now covered with small pieces of the meal and sauce, up to her hooves.

“Trixie is-” The unicorn gave her head a hard shaking. “I mean, I’m all right!”

“That’s good to hear, Trixie,” Captain Discord said to her. “Why don’t we discuss your plan…after you clean up yourself.”

As Tirek along with Nova, Flim and Flam started cleaning up the mess on the floor, Dash watched Trixie being led away by Diamond Tiara. A memory flash triggered in her mind as she found some reminiscences to an event in her past.

***

Four Years Earlier (Earth’s Timeline)

There was still two weeks before the preliminary rounds for the Battle of the Bands starts. For this occasion, Dash has created her own band group to compete in the competition. Called the Sonic Boom, the band consists of herself and five others- AJ, Dorothy Felicia, Twilight and Vanessa. Off school, Dash told her friends they can rehearse at her house’s garage. That way they would not bother their folks.

During one of their rehearsals, Dash appeared in one of Dorothy’s over-the-top wardrobes. The rest of the band members immediately stopped rehearsing and joined Dorothy in complimenting Dash’s looks. However, she still felt discontent about herself. Twilight saw right through her and so suggested that she dyes her hair. Agreeing with Twilight, Dorothy handed Dash a plastic of full of different colored dye hair gels.

Dash went into the bathroom. She leaned on the sink filled the hair gel bottles and stared her reflection in the mirror to decide what kind of look she should try. She imagined herself as a blonde, gothic, redhead and even a punk rock chick. Suddenly the sink came loose from its connection causing her to drop down along with it.

Dorothy and Felicia barged into the bathroom after they heard the crashing sound. Dash was already on her feet but covered all over with hair gels. The poor girl glimpsed at herself in the mirror. Her hair was now a mess of colors.

Dash was not upset at all. She just stared a mirror in amazement and uttered the following word for the very first time in her life: “Awesome!” This incident marked the beginning of Dash adopting the trademark rainbow-colored hair that will make her stand out among the students, lasting until her graduation from the school.

A slight regret also came over her. If this accident had occurred earlier, she would have inspired to give her band a catchier name, something like the Sonic Rainboom, or maybe Rainbow Rocks. But since the Sonic Boom was already registered, it was better for her to focus on the most important part: making an impressive performance in front of the audience and judges.

***

One component Trixie required for her rescue plan to be successful is a vehicle, both fast and have enough space to accommodate all the captured ponies. Silver Spoon knew the thing that might just fit that description. She led them down a passage in the abandoned crystal mine. What they found at the track’s end are several disused motorized tramcars. Flim and Flam declared that the tramcars were workable after done examining its condition.

Trixie said, “With Nova’s shapeshifting abilities, Tirek’s weaponized sauce, Flam and Flam’s engineering and mad driving skills, coupled with theatrics and a slight of hoof, we have a chance to rescue all the hostages from Ragingheart’s clutches! By working together, I believe we can pull this off!”

“We already have Sir Blueblood’s blessing, so I say we proceed with Trixie’s plan!” Discord declared.

He turned towards Godslayer Watterson. “Now Lord Watterson, are sure you want to leave now?”

Trixie cast an alarming look on the feline. “What, you’re leaving us?”

“I’m not abandoning Equestria so you all needn’t worry,” Godslayer Watterson gave his assurance. “Do what needs to be done and hold on until I bring back the big gun.”

“But it’s still stormy outside,” Trixie tried to dissuade him from going on the suicidal trip.

“Like he said, Trixie- no worries,” Dash reassured the unicorn. “After all, this guy probably survived more attempts on his life than I can count with my fingers. A stupid blizzard ain’t gonna hold him back now.”

Trixie decided not to argue any further as the feline seemed to have made up his mind.

Continuing where she left off, the unicorn held out her hoof. “Well then, it’s going to take all of us to make this work. So who’s with me on this?”

The captain and the Reserves formed a circle with Trixie. One by one, they stacked their hand/hoof over Trixie’s, while saying “I’m in”. Even though Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon are civilians, they decided join in, for Sunset Shimmer’s sake.

In the meantime, Godslayer Watterson led Dash away from the rest so he could have a word with her in private.

“Dash, do you seriously want to help out?” he asked.

“This place, I felt it gave something back to me,” Dash said. “So, yeah! For the first time ever since I lost my dream job, I feel like there’s something to do. It’s like…I need to achieve something.”

“What is it?”

“I’m not sure yet,” Dash admitted. “But I know what I wanna do right now.”

“Sunset Shimmer,” Godslayer Watterson figured.

Dash nodded. “She was nice to me. She tried to help me, motivate me. So I can’t help but feel I owe her something in return. Y’know, turned out she made a horrible mistake where Trollestia’s part of it. She once told me, there’s always a second chance in life after a fall. For what’s fair, I think she deserves that second chance too, to make things right,”

“She’s very fond of Princess Luna,” the feline recalled. “I think we can do something for her.”

“We?” It was not an expression of surprise, but eagerness in Dash’s voice.

“Yes, we,” Godslayer Watterson confirmed. “Because I really need your help on this one. What we’re about to do isn’t just for Sunset Shimmer. It’s going to help turn the tide of this war.”

“Zach, what’re you sayin’?”

Godslayer Watterson said to her, “We’re going to bring back Princess Luna, and in return she will retrieve the Elements of Harmony and get the Diamondians to help us.”

Dash’s face fell. “Err, sure I’d like to help but I think that injury has gotten to your head. Hello, she’s on the moon! How d’ya s’pose we get there?”

“Trust me,” Godslayer Watterson affirmed.

When Trixie called for Dash and Godslayer Watterson, the two rejoined the group and placed their hands over the stack.

Discord proclaimed, “In the name of Royal Sisters, never shall we yield to Ragingheart’s chaos! For Equestria!”

All at once, they raised their hands/hooves up high and cheered, “For Equestria!”

Godslayer Dash struggled against the stormy wind to keep up with Godslayer Watterson. Through her visor, she could only see patches of trees here and there within a hundred or so feet away. Beyond that, there was nothing but total whiteness.

“Y’know which direction we’re headin’!?” she called out to Godslayer Watterson.

Abruptly the latter stumbled to his knees with his arms holding against the sudden pain in his midriff.

“Zach!” Alarmed, Godslayer Dash trudged up to him. “I’m beginning to think this is a bad idea!”

“Just…give me a minute!” Godslayer Watterson said, after refusing her help.

“You look like you’re not up for this!” Godslayer Dash persisted. “Maybe we should go back! At least wait until the blizzard’s over!”

“No.” Seemingly recovered, Godslayer Watterson rose on his feet. “I think we made it far enough.”

Godslayer Dash looked around in confusion. There was nothing around she could see.

“Stay at where you are!” Godslayer Watterson instructed her. “I’m going to remote access your SHADE!”

“What’s that s’posed to mean???” Right now Godslayer Dash was even more confused.

A second later, the Void materialized before them.

Godslayer Dash backed away in apprehension because the sphere’s appearance bore reminiscence to the glow she saw in her strange dream. “W-what’s happening!?”

“No time to explain!” Godslayer Watterson said urgently. “We only got eight seconds before it’s gone!”

He grabbed Godslayer Dash and pulled her up to him.

“Hey, no! Let go!” Taken aback by the feline’s sudden action, she struggled to wrest herself away from his grip. “LET ME GO!!!”

Godslayer Dash screamed and screamed whilst being forcefully dragged towards the Void. Despite his injury, Godslayer Watterson was able to overpower her. She could still be heard screaming as they both vanished into the Void. Once the portal collapsed, her scream faded out. All that is left now in the total whiteness was the sound of howling wind.

DREAMFALL - revised

Author's Note

Try listening to Immediate Music's Electric Romeo (NC) whilst imagining the actions from the moment Godslayer Dash jumped from the ledge.

DREAMFALL - revised

Both Godslayers plummeted from the Void a hundred feet below into the lunar crater. They both gave a yelp of pain once they hit the ground. Godslayer Dash’s Fleet SHADE changed back to her normal clothes. Godslayer Watterson was nearby. He rolled over to his back and lay there for a moment, waiting for his pain to subside.

“Dash,” Godslayer Watterson called, “I think there’s a malfunction on your SHADE.”

There was no response.

Holding back his pain, Godslayer Watterson hauled himself up. He now found himself facing an ireful Dash, in her hands is a large lunar rock.

“What the heck was that!?” she shouted.

Godslayer Watterson raised his hands in a disarming gesture. “Woah, woah, woah, calm down!” Oh, man. I knew that she’d be upset, but not this aggressive…

“Don’t tell me to come down! It’s the same one as in my dream! How!?” Dash raised the rock, like she is ready to attack. “Tell me right now, or I’ll crack ya damn head open!”

“Dash, please don’t-”

“TELL ME!!!”

Godslayer Watterson relented and at last revealed his secret to Dash. “It’s an inter-dimensional portal called the Void. You came to this place through it, the same way as I did.”

It all made sense to her now- the way Zach reacted the day he first saw her.

“You knew it all along!” she accused. “Right from the beginning!”

“Yes,” Godslayer Watterson confessed. “But the reason for your coming is the one thing I don’t understand. So I gonna need to bring you see someone first.”

Dash however refused to believe him, still suspecting that he still has something to hide from her. “So you’re not gonna tell me what’s going on!?”

“Please trust me,” he pleaded.

“Why should I!?” Dash barked. “You lied to me!”

“No, I did not!” Watterson denied. “I just didn’t tell you everything. Besides she can help. She can get you your memories back. So we’ll both find out why you’re here soon enough.”

For a minute or so, Dash did not react. Starting to calm down at last, she hurled the rock to the ground.

“Where are we?” Dash asked bitterly.

“We’re on the moon,” Godslayer Watterson stated. “Listen, let’s get out of here first. You wanna ask something, ask it along the way.”

Dash was unhappy at the current turn of events. She felt hurt, betrayed… “I trusted you-”

She abruptly reeled from a sudden throb in her head. The anger just now, she had experienced it before, but was unable to recall where or when or even why, in her memories.

“Dash?” Godslayer Watterson became concerned upon seeing Dash’s condition.

Dash quickly regained her composure. Still bitter at Watterson, she rudely waved off the feline and walked past him without saying a word.

She crawled out from the crater, followed closely behind by Godslayer Watterson. To her surprise, by sheer coincidence she was met by a pale-colored unicorn with curly pink mane. Dash recognized the strangely tailless pony from one of Lyra’s photos.

“Aw hey, you’re Twinkleshine, right?” she asked the unicorn.

Twinkleshine gasped, her eyes widened with disbelief. “She knows… She knows my name… Best-day-EVER!!!”

Without warning, she dived at Dash, causing them both to tumble back down into the crater. After they came to a stop, Dash tried to free herself from the unicorn’s tight grasp.

“Are you crazy!?” Dash shouted angrily at her.

“You bet I am!” the unicorn said gleefully. “I’m crazy happy! My dream finally came true! I’ve always hoped that I could meet a real human being! I never stop believing! Oh, I wish Lyra was here to see this! She said you’d come one day! And now you’re here! You and I are going to be best friends forever!”

“Yea, whatever! Can you let me go now?”

“Just a little bit longer. I want to enjoy every moment of this meeting.” Twinkleshine intimately rubbed her cheeks against Dash’s face. “Ooh ah…Your furless skin is…so smooth. Ooh, your hair…it smells and feels different from any mane I’ve touched before…”

Totally offended by Twinkleshine’s ‘harassment’, Dash let out the loudest and longest scream she could muster. “AAAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH...!!!”

As they walked across the lunar plain, Godslayer Watterson kept himself at a discrete distance from Dash.

“Hey!” Dash suddenly yelled him, without looking back. “Why’d the armor changed back by itself just now?”

“Opening the Void depletes the SHADE’s energy reserve,” Godslayer Watterson explained. “Armor mode and all functions are disabled until it’s fully recharged after few hours. That’s why I needed your help.”

“So I coulda died,” Dash figured.

“Well…yeah, if I’d left you,” the feline said frankly. “That’s actually the main reason I decided to bring you along.”

Gee, how thoughtful, Dash thought sarcastically.

Just up ahead, Twinkleshine gleefully waved at them.

“Hey, you two!” she shouted. “Over here!”

As they approached closer to Twinkleshine, what appeared to be structures made out of giant stones came into their view. It turned out to be a housing settlement. It consists of housing structures carved out between giant stones, complete with windows, doors and shingled roof. The majority of the settlers are members of the Equestrian Royal Guards while the civilians make up the rest, all of whom were the unfortunate victims of Trollestia’s ‘pranks’.

The settlers stared at Dash with varying responses, from wary, curious to downright amusing. However, there were also those who did not seem to care.

“Home sweet home!” Twinkleshine proclaimed.

She quickly ushered Dash and Godslayer Watterson away the area towards her residence. There they were met by two unicorns, Minuette and Amethyst Star. One was hornless, the other is a gloomy ‘monochromatic’ pony.

Twinkleshine introduced Dash to her friends. “Minuette, Amethyst, this is Dash! She’s going to be my new best friend!”

As a long time skeptic, Minuette almost could not believe her eyes as soon as she saw Dash. “Oh, um… Hi, I’m Minuette.”

Amethyst Star however regarded Dash with disinterest. “Whatever…”

“And you two thought Lyra and I have lost touch with reality,” Twinkleshine’s bitter tone suggests there was a rift between the three ponies.

It did not take long Dash to notice something was off regarding Minuette and Amethyst Star’s appearance.

“Weird, you two look different,” she said, moving her gaze from Minuette to Amethyst Star. “I coulda sworn I remembered looking at a photo of you as a unicorn, and aren’t you supposed to be pink?”

“Oh, they were like that when I found them,” Twinkleshine told her. “Hay, I even lost my tail after Trollestia banished me here and it never grew back ever since. Weird, right? But I choose to see the positive side of things.”

The unicorn revealed she is able to stand on her hind hooves pretty much like Lyra Heartstrings/Ragingheart. She skillfully performed the Robot dance, the Moonwalk then ended it with a Breakdance routine.

“Turns out I don’t need it at all!” Twinkleshine declared.

“Whoa! Where’d you learn to dance like that?” Dash asked, notably impressed by the unicorn’s moves.

“Lyra taught me,” Twinkleshine answered. “Whoever said Star Swirl’s fictions are non-educational. But, really. This is nothing compared to Lyra. She’s a natural. It took almost her entire lifetime to train herself to walk on two hooves. But I could only maintain it for a short time.”

“Oh, okay,” Dash said. “Y’know, I was meaning to ask ‘bout your tail along the way here, but…”

“Oh, don’t fret yourself! We’re BFFs now! There’s no need for embarrassment! In fact, no secret is too embarrassing. No story is too awkward.” Twinkleshine leaned close to Dash’s face, with a maniac look. “Tell me everything about you!”

That prompted Dash to regard the unicorn awkwardly. “Um… It’s great knowing you guys, but I really need to get going now.”

Twinkleshine stepped back, her feelings evidently hurt. “Awww… So sooooon?”

“Yeah, duty calls,” Dash said. “Princess Luna ain’t gonna wait forever, y’know.”

“That’s great! Twinkleshine was suddenly happy again. “It just so happens that I am Princess Luna’s maidservant!”

“Aw, you’ve gotta be kidding me,” Dash said in dismay.

The thought of finally getting away from the crazed and irritating unicorn was dashed.

As Dash sat uncomfortably on the rock chair, she gazed around the sitting room. All the furniture in the room were carved out from rocks.

Thou the cosiness factor is zero, she thought, the epic coolness meter is definitely off the scales.

Twinkleshine appeared with a plate of cheese and glass of water.

“So this how y’all have been surviving up here,” Dash commented after Twinkleshine served the plate on the table for her. “Where’d you get all these from?”

“We get water from the ice sheets on the dark side of the moon,” Twinkleshine explained. “As for the cheese, we produced it from the milk we collected,”

Dash raised her eyebrows. “Pony milk?”

“Don’t be silly,” Twinkleshine giggled. “Of course not. It’s from the lunar cows.”

“Lunar...cows?”

“Rock-eating lunar cows,” the unicorn pronounced it clearly. “Weird, I know. Not even Star Swirl could’ve predicted there’re living beings all the way up here.”

“Ooo-kayyy…” For Dash, it seemed like the moon might be a stranger place than Equestria.

As Dash started eating her meal, Twinkleshine drooped over the table, chin cupped in her hooves.

“So,” the unicorn smiled mischievously, “how about that sharing your deepest, darkest secret with me?”

Princess Luna is now shown to be not a malice character after all. The banished Princess of the Night was composed the entire time she is addressed by Godslayer Watterson, though truthfully she is very anxious to return to Equestria.

“…Ragingheart won’t make her move at least until the storm is over,” Godslayer Watterson concluded.

“I see,” Luna said. “But the transportation that you mentioned, it has yet to arrive, yes?”

“I ask for your further patience, Your Royal Highness,” Godslayer Watterson acknowledged the princess’ concern. “It’ll get here like I promised.”

“Very well,” Luna said. “I shall have put my faith in my nephew and Captain Discord in the meantime.”

“Now, shall we proceed with my request?”

The princess nodded. “You may call her in now.”

Back in the living room, Twinkleshine was now sitting closely next to Dash, too close actually.

“Come on,” Twinkleshine kept on urging. “Don’t be shy. There’s no need to hide it from me.”

“I am not entirely comfortable at you touching me like this,” Dash said in response to the unicorn’s suggestive fondling.

“Oh, come on,” Twinkleshine pouted. “Say something. Even Princess Luna can open up to me.”

“Twinkleshine, if you don’t stop, I swear I’ll-”

Dash almost wanted to hit the unicorn had Godslayer Watterson not appeared in the nick of time, telling her that the princess can see her now. She yanked herself away from Twinkleshine and followed Godslayer Watterson closely from behind into another room.

They both sat cross-legged on the floor before Princess Luna.

“Dash, that’s your name?” Luna inquired.

“Yes, Your Royal Highness.”

“You have a different aura around you,” Luna commented. “According to Lord Watterson, you’re a human being, yes? How I wish I could see how you really look like.”

“What d’you mean by-” It was then that Dash noticed Princess Luna’s all-white eyes. “Princess Luna, are you…”

“Yes,” Luna nodded grimly, “I am sightless.”

Could it be that she’s like the others? Dash wondered. “This is her doing, isn’t it?”

“A mistake on my part,” Luna admitted, “for not being assertive enough on my elder sister. But let’s not delve too much into it for the time being. Now, I believe you require help, am I correct? A recent part of your past was lost?””

“Yes.”

“Easily done.”

“Is this gonna hurt?” Dash wanted to be certain

“There is a slight chance you’ll incur an uncontrollable migraine once the spell ends,” Luna admitted.

Though anxious about the aforementioned side-effect, Dash nodded her approval.

“Then brace yourself,” Luna said before her horn started glowing with a blue aura.

At the same time, the same aura surrounded Dash. Bright lights flashed in her eyes. Lost memories were now coming back to her.

***

One Year Earlier (Earth’s Timeline)

Dash weaved through the traffic-jammed street on her BMX. After pulling up to the train station, Dash secured her bike to the hand rail. She glimpsed at the time on her watch before running off to the station’s main entrance.

After a mere two of minutes of wait, a monorail train pulled into the platform. Dash boarded it with the other passengers. The ride took another fifteen minutes before arriving at another terminal located inside the shopping complex at the base of a skyscraper. It would have taken her another half hour had she decided to cycle to her destination.

After Dash managed to locate the client, she took out an A3-sized envelope from her sling bag and handed it over. “Here’s your package, sir.”

“Thank you for your patronage, sir,” she said after the receipt was signed and returned to her.

After making her last delivery, Dash returned for her bike then went for lunch. She pulled over at the diner she is familiar with.

As Dash crossed towards the counter, she accidentally bumped her shoulder with a stranger who appears to be of similar age. He wore a black sleeveless vest jacket over a grey t-shirt and dark brown cargo pants. A sling bag hung over his shoulder.

As the stranger apologized, Dash managed to take a good look of him. He is very tall and sports an athletic build with well-developed muscles. His slight accented voice indicates he is a local.

“Oh, it’s you,” the stranger said immediately, with a surprised look. “I almost didn’t recognize you there. It’s been quite a while, isn’t it? Since we last saw each other.”

Dash however shook her head as she did not recognize him. “Sorry. You must’ve mistaken me for someone else.”

“Is that so?” the stranger said. “Iris Dashiell? Gensville High?”

“Not mistaken, am I now?” he smirked after noticing the changed look on Dash’s face.

“Look, Pal!” Dash chided him. “I’m not who you think I am! And I definitely don’t know you! So get lost!”

“A cold shoulder to the end, eh?” said the stranger, sounding overly disappointed. “Have it your way.”

Pfffttt, like I care, Dash thought.

“Still,” the stranger said, “you should at least tell the Peters you’re all right.”

Shock came over Dash. No way! This is the last thing I need right now! Could this day get any ‘better’!? “What d’ya know ‘bout them!?”

The stranger showed his phone screen at Dash. It showed a long series of old text replies between him and Skyler Peters. Looking over the conversation, it is revealed that Skyler was frustrated by Dash’s lack of communication over the past year and had been asking if he can help look for Dash.

Dash tried hard to recall her memory. Dark brown hair, tanned/olive skin and light blue eyes, there is nothing really distinctive about his face that can make her remember which student he was or from which class. Even him knowing Skyler was not enough information.

“Who are you?” she demanded.

The stranger sighed. He mused for a second. He appeared to be reluctant at first before deciding to remove the contact lens from his left eye for her to see his true nature as a chimera.

“Freak,” Dash blurted.

Shortly after, Dash sat on the same table with man whose name is now known- Brooke, currently a second-year mechanical and mechatronics engineering student at Paragon University. He was clearly offended by the name calling earlier, even if it was incidental.

“I said I was sorry!” Dash reiterated her apology. “Look, I’ll pay for your meal to make for it! How’s that sound?

“That won’t be necessary,” Brooke said bitterly.

“Then what d’you want!?”

“You are unbelievable, you know that?” Brooke looked over at Dash’s uniform. “So, what’s going on with you? According to Skyler, you were posted to the airbase here.”

Dash bit her lip. “Please…don’t tell them.”

“Why?” Brooke pressed her, wanting to know the reason. “She’s worried sick about you.”

Dash pleaded to him desperately, “No! Please don’t…!”

The sudden distressfulness in her voice baffled Brooke.

Dash recognized the surprised look on Brooke’s face as he read the details printed on her military discharge certificate.

He’s probably in disbelief of what I’m really capable of, she thought. “You get it now? I can’t let them know what I did to get myself fired from the air force. So please! Keep this between the two of us.”

Brooke put down the certificate on the table then gazed sadly at Dash. “For how long do you plan on hiding this?”

“That doesn’t matter to you!” Dash said sternly. “Think you being here don’t piss me!? That means I’m terribly desperate! Just promise that you won’t tell anyone you’ve seen me! Not to Skye! Not to any of my close friends! Not even to Sunny!”

Brooke felt surprised at the sudden mention of the redhead. “Honestly I’ve not heard anything from her since graduation.”

“Yeah, right,” “So you’re saying you’re still in touch with Skye, but not that rot?”

She was recalling to the times when he was seen with Skyler or Sunny or both on more than one occasion.

“Rot?” Brooke finally understood. “She was your bully.”

Dash folded her arms and cast a look of ill humor at him. “You’ve heard what she said. For serious, she was a huge thorn in my butt. Thanks to her I had a bad case of the blues for years!”

“When was that? Middle school?” Brooke tried to make a point. “Sunny had clearly changed. The entire time I knew her she was a very friendly person.”

Ever since Sunny apologized to the entire school and accepted into Twilight’s circle, everyone else in turn has started warming up to her. It was not until a year later that Brooke came to meet Sunny. Dash also did hangout with Sunny throughout until graduation, but only as a group when the rest of her friends were present and that she was merely playing along. In truth, Dash from the inside still hated Sunny as ever.

“You just the same as everyone else,” Dash scoffed at Brooke. “What do y’all see in that stupid rot anyway? I bet you guys were listening to her talking ‘bout me behind my back-”

“Enough.” Brooke stood up with a very crossed look. “First of all, this has got nothing to do with her. Second, you don’t know anything!”

About what? Dash wondered. Sunny? Course I know everything about her! Geez, who does this guy think he is!?

“And you know what?” Brooke continued. “You used to be great! But all I’m hearing from you right now is haughty talk, a child who refused to let go of the past.”

“Hot-what?” Dash frowned at the word, not knowing its meaning.

“Ho-te,” Brooke pronounced it clearly for her to hear. “Arrogant.”

Dash’s face suddenly darkened.

“You overstayed your welcome,” she said before snapping all of a sudden, “Get out- NOW!!!”

She immediately shoved Brooke away from the room, through the door and out. “SCRAM!!!”

“Dash-”

“Next time we meet, just pretend that you don’t know me, capeesh!?” Immediately she slammed the door shut right before Brooke’s nose.

Dash slumped on the chair, face buried in her palms. What a day today turned out to be. It was bad enough she divulged her secret to a someone she barely knew. But being insulted, especially when he called her arrogant hurt even more.

“Dash, I didn’t mean to upset you,” she heard Brooke calling from outside.

“GO AWAY!!!”

“Dash, I’m going to tell you a secret, okay? So please hear me out.”

Dash shut her ears to try block him out.

“I used to like you back then,” Brooke began. “The first I time I saw you, I thought you’re quite attractive. And what you did to your hair, it really compliments your classy appearance. Then as time goes by, I realized you’re really something more. It might sound scary, but I watched you all the time. You made me wondered how could one student being a member of both the squash club and the class’ track team, still have the time for the Battle of the Bands and helped out her friends.”

Dash looked up at the door, somehow felt moved by the words. He saw me?

“You, Dash, excelled in everything you did. What’s more, those idiotic punks, you don’t need anyone to help you tell them off. All that set you apart from the others. You’re confident. You’re bold, energetic. All in all, you’re an amazing person. Surely that person is not intending on hiding herself from the world forever.”

Brooke stood silently outside the door. He was really hoping that Dash would open the door and talk further with him. But nothing happened for the next one minute. He could not tell whether Dash did not listen or simply ignored him. Fraught with disappointed, he decided to leave at last.

Dash slowly opened the door. Peering through the narrow gap, she saw Brooke was nearing the stairway.

“I prefer the term awesome.”

Brooke turned around expectantly. “Dash?”

Dash stood gloomily outside her door. “Did you really mean it? What you said just now?”

“Yes,” Brooke replied sincerely.

Yet Dash had a hunch that he saw through her more than that.

“That can’t be all,” she said. “Be more honest. What else? Arrogant…”

“Rude, sarcastic, selfish, unsportsmanlike,” Brooke added, and was being truthful. “It can’t be helped that people aren’t all perfect. The world is clear and balanced.”

The words stung Dash badly. But she was not angry. Instead, she accepted it as the truth about herself.

Dash leaned on the iron rails, gazing distantly, her voice fraught with regret. “Who am I kidding? I’m no awesome. The reason they kept pulling pranks on me was b’cuz…I wasn’t being nice to them either. I even treated Sunny badly behind everyone’s back. I brought this upon myself…”

“Let’s not talk about the past,” Brooke earnestly said, joining her on the rails. “Tell me, what have you been doing all this time?”

“Nothing,” Dash sighed. “I screwed up my only goal in life. I really dunno what to do anymore.”

Though he was no expert in this of things, Brooke did whatever he could to give her encouragements. “Come on now, your journey has only just begun. Sometimes things don’t always go the way we intended it to but you still have a whole life to explore. Time to move on. Pick yourself up off the floor.”

“But I did wrong…”

“Everyone deserves a second chance in life,” Brooke said firmly, just as Dash was looking so down than before.

“You’re maybe right,” Dash acknowledged, her head dropped low, “but I was feeling down for so long I never bothered trying to pick up the pieces.”

“Then why don’t we get started on it right away?” Brooke put a hand in his bag to take something out. “Hopefully this will cheer you up.”

He made a few clicks on his tablet PC then showed it at her. On the screen is an ad for a wingsuit first flight course.

Dash felt both excited and nervous at the same time. It was her first time of setting foot at a wingsuit school. Though she has seen videos of wingsuit flyers in action on the internet, never for once in her life she thought she will train to be one. The thought of delving into extreme sport never crossed her mind before. As Dash patiently waited for her coach to arrive, she was kept company by Brooke.

The training began. The coach helped Dash rigging up the wingsuit on her. Aerodynamic cloth stretched from her wrists to her hips between the legs.

Dash was then instructed on how to make a proper pre-flight jump. She assumed the posture accordingly as shown by the coach. She crossed her arm across her chest, jumped from the raised platform and stretched out her arms and legs once she touched the ground.

Dash lay on a wheeled cart on her stomach, with her arms and legs extended. The coach showed her how to correctly position the arm and legs in-flight. Later, Dash, still lying on the wheeled cart, practiced deploying her parachute. This repeated training spanned for days, before she could move up to the level courses. It was not until weeks later that the coach was satisfied that Dash was ready.

The day finally came where Dash will perform her first ever flight with her wingsuit. A DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft, carrying her along with the other flyers, took off from the runway. Moments later, the aircraft reached cruising altitude above Paragon outskirts. The coach opened the cabin door then motioned the flyers to exit the aircraft in line.

Dash was the final jumper. She jumped out of the plane and entered freefall. She waited for a few seconds before spreading her arms and legs. Her descent slowed slightly. She rolled unsteadily in the air but soon managed to stabilize herself and started gliding.

Dash soared at 16,000 feet above the northern rural landscape of Paragon City, with the other flyers gliding smoothly all around her. The blazing sun seemed to accompany them as they fly. The experience was thrilling- adrenaline pumped through her veins as she soared at high altitude like an eagle, with warm summer air blown onto her face and rushing past her. She briefly looked to her side, to see a breathtaking view of mountains in the distance.

Dash made a slow descent to an altitude of below three thousand feet. After deploying her parachute, she steadily steered herself towards the designated landing spot. Dash landed in the middle of a wide open field. After the parachute collapsed behind her, she gave a thumbs-up sign to signal Brooke who was waiting at the edge of the field that she has not experience difficulties the entire duration of the flight.

A broad smile ran across her face. She felt both happy and proud of herself. It probably was not a big accomplishment compared to that of getting into the Thunderbolts, but still an accomplishment none the less, to her personally.

After done with today’s flight, Brooke invited Dash to rest in the lounge area.

“No,” Brook said firmly from the couch, eyes and hands focused on his sketches

Dash slumped in disappointment. “Why not?”

“High-altitude flight is one thing,” he was trying to make a point. “Wingsuit BASE jumping on the other hand is a whole other game. It’s actually really dangerous for someone inexperienced like you without making years of preparation.”

Dash breathed a sigh of mild frustration. But she soon became curious of what Brooke is doing and so decided to change topic.

“Watcha drawin’?” Dash walked over to the couch’s rear and leaned over the backrest, staring down at the sketch book. “Hey cool!”

From her point of view, it looks like some kind of a glider wing deployed from a backpack. Although the overall design was very rough and unrefined, Dash thought it would be interesting should it become practical.

“Promise me I’ll be the first one to test fly it when you actually make one,” she said eagerly.

“It’s only a concept,” Brooke stated.

“Seriously, having me on-board will triple its awesomeness factor.”

Brooke closed the book then sat up, looking at Dash. “So, have you made up your mind yet on what you’re going to do next?”

“Huh,” Dash pouted her mouth, “you sound eager of me leaving.”

“No, no, not at all,” Brooke shook his head mildly. “I merely want to be sure I’m not holding you back. Truthfully though, I’m quite happy you’re here. I still can’t believe spending time together. It’s something we didn’t get to do at high school.”

At the mention of high school, Dash’s mischievous side kicked in. “Hey, Brooke. When you said you liked me, was it only a crush, or like-like kinda like?”

Brooke was taken aback by the question. “Eh?”

Dash looked closely at his face for any signs of reddening.

“You’re blushing,” she joked.

“I’m thirsty. Are you thirsty?” Brooke rose from the couch without waiting for an answer. “I’m going to get us some drinks. Be right back.”

He walked off towards the bar, apparently to avoid the question. By then, Dash realized he had left his sketchbook on the couch by accident. Curious about what else might be in the book, she reached for it. Unfortunately, Brooke had come back and snatched the book before she could get a hold of it.

“Let me remind you again, Dash,” he said. “I do not recommend wingsuit BASE jumping until the next two years of proper training. And you are not attempt the feat alone, period.”

Dash made a long face. “‘kay…”

Several Months Later…

In the end, for some reason, Dash had decided to defy Brooke’s advice. She would attempt the wingsuit BASE jumping which unfortunately she had not made any prior preparation and training. She hiked through the remote mountainous landscape of Paragon Highlands, her large backpack stuffed with wingsuit gears. There was no trail or footpath to guide her. Instead, she merely depended on a piece of map, her phone’s GPS and jungle trekking experience she gained from her time in the air force.

At long last, Dash found the perfect spot to make the jump. She stood at the ledge, staring down into the gorge. At the bottom she could see a raging stream with stony banks and forests on both flanks. She had second thoughts all of a sudden. She inhaled sharply then shut her eyes to put herself in deep thought for a few seconds. Finally reaching a resolution, Dash opened her eyes.

“This is it,” she muttered. “I’m gonna make the jump.”

Dash stood at the ledge again after getting into her wingsuit. Without hesitation, she leaped. In her rapid descent, she extended her wingsuit by spreading her arms and legs wide. After gaining enough lift, she started to glide.

Dash streaked past through the narrow ridge into another valley. Dense green foliage glided past below her.

That wasn’t so hard, she thought. Just need to keep my altitude in check at all times and steer away from the walls.

Dash glided for half an hour or so, until a streak of light suddenly appeared in the sky. The object, which she guessed is a meteorite, was on a collision course with Paragon at the horizon. Suddenly, as though it has a mind of its own, the object instantly swerved at a nearly right angle towards the mountains where she is.

Dash however failed to realize the imminent danger. Seconds later, only then she started to panic as the object entered the valley in her direction. At this point, the object revealed itself as not a meteorite but a massive cargo container of alien origin. She scanned around for another ridge to exit to. There was none, and no wide open space below for her to land for miles either.

Dash darted hard right to avoid the alien object looming right above her. However, her reaction proved too late. The turbulence from the passing object sent her spiraling downwards uncontrollably, towards one of the taller pine trees. She crashed through several big branches, then the last thing she saw is the forest floor hurtling towards her. On impact, she received a most shocking blow she ever felt in her whole life. She blacked out almost immediately.

Dash opened her eyes but her vision is obscured due to blood dripping in her eyes. The agonizing pain she was experiencing was too much. All her insides felt like they have been torn apart. She wanted to shout but blood gurgled from her mouth and nostrils.

Shortly, a Fleet SHADE-clad figure emerging from the trees glimpsed into Dash’s vision. The figure appeared to be injured from the way she staggered away from the pluming black smoke deep in the mountain forest. It was torturous but Dash struggled to stay conscious. She has a life to live. There are still things she wanted to do, things to say, people to meet.

I…can’t die…like this, she thought. I can’t…I won’t… Skye, I...

But in the end, her effort failed. Dash’s vision blurred just before her eyelids closed shut.

Darkness. For a second, it almost seemed like this is death, where everything is in the state of non-existence, only to be punctuated by an unknown female voice…

“Oh, shit…! Of all times, why does it have to be now!?”

Dash’s eyes slit open. She felt weak, groggy and confused. It took a moment before she realized from her limited vision she was lying in a bedroom she does not recognize. It is not hers or Brooke’s. She uttered a muffled groan, whilst making a stirring movement.

The unseen woman seemingly noticed this. “Wha-”

Dash then heard the woman speaking from her side. “Hey, are you awake? Can you hear me?”

Being too dazed, she failed to react.

“I thought... Oh, forget it.”

Dash saw herself being hauled off the bed. As she is carried to the door, her gaze fell upon on herself. Her clothes were gone and replaced by the Fleet SHADE armor. She felt so weak that she was unable move any part of her body. Before reaching the door, Dash fell back to unconsciousness.

Dash opened her eyes again. In spite of her dazed state, she could make out that she is lying on the backseat of a moving car. And it was night. She placed her gaze on the driver. The woman glanced down to fiddle with the radio then glanced back up again. At that point, bright lights bore down on the car.

The woman jerked the wheel and the car spun out, flipped and tumbled. Dash was thrown around as little pieces of glass and other debris spun around. Finally, the car came to rest. After a few minutes, the same woman peered in the car through the broken window. She dragged Dash with effort out from the car.

The woman carried Dash on her shoulder as they plodded through the dark woods. When a gunshot rang behind them, both stumbled to the ground. Dash was brought right up to the woman’s face, who seemed to be in pain.

“I’m so sorry!” Gazleen said to her. “I didn’t mean for getting you involved in my mess!”

As more gunshots rang out in the distance, she said, “I won’t let ’em get us both.”

Dash was hauled up and then dragged towards a surreal scene of glowing web energies swirling around against a pitch-black backdrop.

“You’ll be safe with Zach Watterson. Find him and tell him that Sister Gazleen had sent you! That way, he’ll trust you!”

Those were the last words Dash heard from her before being pushed into the Void. She felt nauseous as she fell through pitch-dark tunnel of swirling ‘clouds’ and distorted lights. Her sight slowly blurred the moment she started to lose consciousness.

***

Dash stared in awe the picturesque brilliant blue-green color of the Blue Marble against dark blue backdrop. She felt like an astronaut watching Planet Earth from space for the first time. Her friend, Twilight would be envious if she was here right now. Dash remained absorbed in the scene for another few minutes before turning her attention back to Godslayer Watterson.

“I have so many questions,” she said to him. “I still don't get what happened. What was that thing I saw?”

“Probably one of the many weaponized Nanite transports arriving in your world,” the feline explained. “Sister Gazleen managed to stop it, thus saving the city. Unfortunately, you became collateral damage as a consequence. And despite her own injuries, she chose to unlock her SHADE then gave it to you so that your life can be saved.”

“By unlocking you mean-?”

“She purposely reprogramed that SHADE to recognize you as the new wearer, through your unique DNA imprint,” Godslayer Watterson clarified to Dash. “So unofficially, that makes you a Godslayer now.”

She frowned at him. “But then you denied it when I asked ‘bout the Nanites. What’s this really all ‘bout? And what does it have to do with my world?”

This is it, Godslayer Watterson thought. No more secrets, no more lies, only the truth. After a deep breath, he said, “To fully make sense of it, I have to take you way back to the very beginning. Pay attention because it's pretty complicated so I'm going to have to explain it in the simplest way possible.”

“Shoot.”

“There are an infinite amount of universes, all equally real, existing continuously through time,” Godslayer Watterson began. “In each of these universes, lies a world, some of which are almost identical to ours, but most are very different.”

***

“I came from Ethenia, a world of a much advanced technology than yours.”

Hallow’s Victory, the capital of the Ethenia. Space-age skyscrapers, domes and spires adorned with Ethereal decorative shells filled the opulent city, intersected by busy freeways and overpasses.

“The Ethenian Empire expanded across various galaxies over thousands of years of interstellar travel via the Void.”

Massive space crafts, built in aerial factories called the Assembly Forge, were launched into the Void. A vast interstellar armada spread out across the galaxy, leaving the Ethenian home system behind.

“Through the power of Ethereal, a vast number of planets were colonized with great machines to reshape the environments to our needs.”

A terraformer, resembling massive energy space cannon, fired an Ethereal beam from low orbit, transforming the inhospitable, lifeless planet into something more suitable. Skies changed colors. Land masses shifted. Icecaps melted into oceans.

“One fateful day, a portal appeared above the capital Hallow Victory. Out of it, emerged four omnipotent beings. Collectively, we referred them the SGs, stands for Sinned Godus.”

A different type of inter-dimensional portal appeared above Hallow Victory: a bright, tear-shaped glow. The Ethenians called this phenomenon the Light. Out of it, came four humanoids. Two females: Amber (an energy being with long flowing tendrils for hair), Ruby (spiky-haired, wearing a chrome mask and skin-tight armless leather suit); and two androgynous figures: Jade (a futuristic armored soldier equipped with a hoverboard and rifle), and Cobalt (clad in a black hooded long coat).

“The SGs caught our conventional military by surprise. Commanding the forces of nature and backed by a resilient army of golems, they overran local defenses in no time.”

Amber, Ruby, Jade and Cobalt, wielding control over lightning, fire, wind and water/ice respectively, demolished all the drones and gunships defending Hallow Victory without effort. Their advance was followed by legions of powerful Earth golems.

***

“Then as quickly as they appeared, they left,” Godslayer Watterson concluded.

“But if it isn’t an invasion, then why’d they do it?” Dash questioned further.

“Digging deeper, it was discovered that their real target was to breach into research facilities where two key technologies are being developed. One is Ethereal.” Godslayer Watterson briefly conjured his tek-bow weapon before continuing. “Think of it as light energy in solid state form. It’s stronger, more durable and lethal yet lighter than any conventional weapons.”

“And the other is Nanites,” Dash said.

“Programmable Nano machines that can mimic into structures of any objects and materials. It’s the key component of the SHADE. And regretfully, it's also same case for Ragingheart's army.”

“How?”

“Somewhere, someplace in an unknown world, these technologies are being engineered into various superweapons, then launched across the multiverse with the goals of destroying worlds.”

Weapons? Finally, Dash realized. “The fake Alicorn Amulet, those creatures…”

Godslayer Watterson nodded. “Thanks to you Dash, we now know the replicated Alicorn Amulet is Ragingheart’s key to controlling her army. As to how she came to possess it, your guess is good as mine. It’s highly likely she was manipulated by someone. Her volatile nature was already apparent when I first encountered the pony in Appleloosa. And this whole invasion thing, it is just the beginning. If we let Ragingheart get her way, this world will most likely end up razed to the ground to the ground just so she could vent her anger.”

Dash felt disgusted at the revelation. “That’s crazy beyond all levels! Why the heck would they do something like that?”

“We don’t know,” Godslayer Watterson admitted. “As are their true identities and origins, the motive is a mystery. But regardless, the SG’s machinations had to be stopped by all means. For that, the Godslayer Corps was established. Sister Gazleen and I are one of thousands of Godslayers sent on a mission to destroy the weaponized Nanites.”

“So, you guys are like inter-dimensional superheroes,” Dash remarked.

Godslayer Watterson waved off the term. “We’re only doing what’s right. We can’t interfere with other world’s affairs. Only when our Nanites are in the picture, it became a different story.”

“Okay,” Dash acknowledged. “But, why all the secrecy?”

“This is our part of our mess too,” Godslayer Watterson told her. “But most importantly no matter which world you end up in, there’re always entities with evil intentions and the prejudiced.”

Dash took this in. Whoever went after Gazleen Perris, they were probably after the SHADE Dash was wearing at the time. Gazleen did everything she could to avoid Dash’s capture not just because for sake of preventing the technology from falling into the wrong hands, there was no telling what they will do to them if captured.

“So, what now?” she asked.

“I will continue my mission here in this Equestria,” Godslayer Watterson resolved.

“What ‘bout Sister Gazleen?”

“She’s a high-ranking Godslayer. She’ll be okay, I hope…” Having decided that the revelation was enough for now, Godslayer Watterson looked expectantly at Dash. “So, do you trust me now?”

She nodded. There was no longer doubt in her.

“Good,” Godslayer Watterson said, now satisfied that Dash should have no reason to be hostile towards him. “While we’re still here, I’d like to ask you on helping me take down Ragingheart.”

“Seriously?” The thought of getting involved in the good fight sent a thrill through Dash. “You want me to fight with you?”

“I haven’t recovered enough to fight her one-on-one,” Godslayer Watterson admitted. “But you know where Ragingheart’s weakness lies. You’ve shown you’re a capable fighter. I can train you. So, what’ll it be?”

Dash looked away, musing on the proposition.

“It’s dangerous we both know that,” the feline added, “but at least you’ll be contributing something here.”

She looked back at him with resolve.

Later on, the two Godslayers stood near the ledge of a tall lunar summit.

“Can you teach how to fly with this?” Godslayer Dash asked, gesturing at her Fleet SHADE.

Godslayer Watterson gestured at his own SHADE armor. Godslayer Dash nodded, understanding his point. Although made of the same construction, Arcanist and Fleet are still completely different.

“But on the day we met,” she said, “the transformation, the flying...it wasn’t me. It just happened.”

“There has to be a reason for it,” Godslayer Watterson insisted.

She tried to recall the memories of the events. “At the time, I was really…scared. I thought I was gonna die for sure…”

“Then my best guess is you activated the functions by mistake,” Godslayer Watterson theorized. “It was an act of self-preservation without you realizing it, triggered by the memory of the accident hidden deep in your subconscious.”

Is that even possible? Dash wondered. “I did it with my mind…like you?”

“There’s a neural interface built into the SHADE that taps directly onto your thoughts,” Godslayer Watterson revealed. “That’s another way for us to exert control on the SHADE, apart from using voice command.”

Godslayer Dash thought on it for a minute.

Gazing towards the ledge, she said to him, “I wanna try something.”

Godslayer Watterson looked at the same direction. “I think I know what you have in mind. That’s a ten thousand feet drop below and if it doesn’t work, there’s no guarantee you’ll come out of it unharmed.”

“I hafta try,” Godslayer Dash resolved. “After everything that had happened, I’m not scared anymore.”

“Okay,” Godslayer Watterson relented. “But remember, this is all-or-nothing.”

Godslayer Dash nodded then stepped to the ledge. She stared down at deep rocky ridge for a moment before looking up again. She straightened up, her limbs stiffened. She closed her eyes, breathing slowly to calm her mind. Seconds later, she tilted forward, letting gravity take over her fall. As she dived head first in a free fall, her visor drew in.

All she needed to do is to relax and focus, just like she did so many times before in wingsuit flying. The jet thrusters fired up gradually to accelerate her fall.

She executed a half-aerial roll to bring herself right side up. Her descent slowed down as a result. The jet thrusters went full blast, rocketing her upwards. She was now airborne, cruising along the ridge at near subsonic speed. Testing herself, she swooped down and weaved through the jagged rock pillars jutting up from the lunar surface by moving her shoulders, hips and knees accordingly.

She whooped triumphantly as she flew through a cave at the foot of the cliff. Unfortunately, due to a second of lapsed concentration, she crashed into a rock pillar upon exiting the cave, pulverizing it during the process. Her body bounced and skidded across the lunar ground before coming to a rest. Unscathed, she rose to her feet. She brushed off the dirt and powdered stone dusting her SHADE.

“Right, let’s try this again,” Dash murmured.

With a firm posture, she turned her gaze skyward. She took a brief moment to draw out her inner strength. Then, she rocketed upwards, blowing off powdery dirt and dust beneath her.

She shot past above the mountains, climbing higher and higher. Reaching more than 30,000 feet height, she switched off her jet thrusters on purpose and came to a slow stop in midair. Entering free fall again, she dived headfirst towards the ridge. Halfway, her jet thrusters fired up again.

Back on the summit, Godslayer Watterson spotted Godslayer Dash plummeting back towards the ground.

Godslayer Dash scooped herself up in time just above the ridge. She banked and rolled like a fighter jet, following the top edge of the ridge. A steep mountainside came into her view. The jet thrusters fired down gradually just as she executed another half aerial roll. She touched the mountain wall on her feet, curling her body as the joints in the knees exerted little resistance to lessen the impact by considerable.

The jet thrusters burst its jets and then she immediately thrusted forward, away from the wall, leaving visible shockwave in her wake. Once more, she swooped down below, weaving through the jagged rock pillars. A steep wall up soon came into view up ahead. She pulled in a sharp ninety-degree angle at the last minute and flew dangerously close to the wall’s rocky surface straight up.

Godslayer Watterson saw Godslayer Dash soaring past above the mountains. His gaze followed her, tracing her trajectory. Godslayer Dash looped around in a wide circle then streaked down towards Godslayer Watterson’s position. Upon getting to a close enough distance, she landed on her feet with a heavy thud.

Her visor retracted open, revealing her drenched, disbelieving face. “I did it…”

“Yes,” Godslayer Watterson said as he approached her. “Yes, you did.”

“Aww-right! I did it! I actually flew!” Godslayer Dash was ecstatic.

Without thinking, she gave the feline a tight squeeze. Tears shed from her eyes. It was a sense of victory she was feeling right now. It bore a lot of similarities as to when she completed her first wingsuit flight. If she can learn to control the SHADE in one day, if she can defy gravity with her body, then she can do almost anything. Suddenly taking down Ragingheart and her vast army of evil constructs does not seem impossible to her anymore.

“Yeah, let’s not get carried away, okay?” Godslayer Watterson advised her.

Realizing that she got too caught up in the heat of the moment, Godslayer Dash let go of the feline immediately.

“Oh, right. Sorry,” she said sheepishly. “It’s just that it’s so different from before. I was literally flying.”

“Uh-huh.”

Per her usual self, Godslayer Dash tried to gain some compliments. “So how would you describe what I just did? Would you say I was awesome? Or maybe…super ultra-extreme awesomazing?”

“You did…okay,” Godslayer Watterson simply said, repressing his true feelings.

A smug look came over her face. Heh, good enough for me!

“Are you ready to take on Ragingheart?” the feline asked.

“You bet I am!” Godslayer Dash answered enthusiastically.

Godslayer Watterson extended a closed fist with his hand: a fist bump. “And we’re cool?”

Godslayer Dash did the same. “We’re cool.”

They complete the gesture by lightly tapping each other’s fist. By finally returning Dash’s gesture on the day they first met, a bond of trust and respect now formed between them.

IRIS RISING - revised

Author's Note

Let's just call the magic projectile fired from the unicorn's horn as 'magic missile'. In some RPG games, the term refers to ranged magic attack that deals low damage at enemies. A basic skill for mage/magician/wizard class of characters.

IRIS RISING - revised

A small part of Ragingheart’s forces guarded the town square. Being machine constructs, they all appeared to be unaffected by the freezing cold, although the blizzard did impede their movement to a significant degree.

Inside the town hall, Ragingheart sat at the mayor’s desk, eating a bowl of candies. Without the armor on, the Alicorn Amulet is visibly worn on her neck. Unfortunately, it was very hard to look at the true face of the so-called evil ‘Alicorn’ as the office was left dark on purpose. Against the window in the backdrop, she appeared as a silhouette of an Earth pony with a long mane.

She was about to swallow more candies in mouthfuls when she suddenly slipped into an impulsive rage. She swatted the bowl away, proceeded to flip the desk and bring down the all the cabinets in the office, screaming and screaming, and screaming…

As for the hostages taken from Canterlot, they were being held at Ponyville Prison, together with the enslaved local townsfolk.

After five days straight of trying, the leader of Boy Builders, finally gave up. He had been unsuccessful in picking the cell’s lock using his feather quill.

“Sorry, Sunset Shimmer,” Dumbbell apologized again. “Seriously, I haven’t done this since I quit being a ruffian.”

Sunset Shimmer, whose forehead has yet to fully heal, and Lionel both looked on mildly disappointed.

Just then, outside their cell, they saw two Mithras dragging away an unconscious Earth pony.

“What’s going on?” Sunset Shimmer asked.

“Occasionally, Ragingheart would randomly choose a prisoner to use as her personal punching bag,” Mayor Mare answered from the adjacent cell.

There was no sign of vigor on the middle-aged pony, having spent the past weeks as a rock farm slave.

“What!?” Sunset Shimmer was appalled. “Why!?”

“I don’t know. But she does that when indiscriminately tearing up the town areas doesn’t seem enough for her.”

Sunset Shimmer shook her head at the revelation. “No, no, no, no. This isn’t like Lyra at all. If this keeps up, then I don’t think there’ll be anything left for her to rule. This is…this is all my fault-”

“I don’t care whose fault it is!” the mayor snapped, startling Sunset Shimmer. “The real problem is why isn’t Canterlot doing anything!? Doc Top should’ve reached them with the news long before winter! What’s going on there, Sunset Shimmer!?”

The unicorn was not entirely sure on how to explain the real situation to her.

“Help is on the way,” Sunset Shimmer said, though if that was the truth or a lie, she could not know for sure. “After the storm’s over, Canterlot will come for us. In fact, our allies Prince Umbra and Diamondia will lend their aid too.”

“Then make sure they do after this so-called evil ‘Alicorn’ let you go!” the mayor angrily said before retreating back into her cell and lay on the hay bed to doze off.

Sunset Shimmer felt a terrible weight on her. But what can I do? Maybe I should just tell her. But is it really better that way, than keeping their spirit alive with false hope?

“You look depressed,” Dumbbell remarked, snapping Sunset Shimmer from her thought.

“Then let’s lighten the mood a bit, shall we?” Lionel said. “Do any of you know what Princess Celestia did to me last year?”

“No, you too!?” Sunset Shimmer exclaimed.

Lionel removed his ‘mane’, revealing he was actually bald.

“Old timer, you sure it ain’t natural?” Dumbbell asked skeptically.

“Positive,” Lionel affirmed. “It never grows back right after the princess ‘teleported’ me to Galloping Gorge, for…some...reason, after ranting about bananas. I didn’t say anything before because, you know, she’s the princess and uh…”

He rubbed his bald head. “It’s kind of embarrassing for me too.”

“I’m terribly sorry for this,” Sunset Shimmer said sadly. At least, he didn’t end up on the moon though…

Lionel was uncertain why Sunset Shimmer should apologize. But then he thought the unicorn was probably doing it on Princess of the Sunlight’s behalf as dictated by her position in Equestria’s political administration.

“Nah. I’m not angry at all,” the Earth pony said dismissively. “Have you ever seen me running around as a supervillain hell bent on making all the ponies in Equestria bald like me? How weird would that be? Huh, huh?”

Both Sunset Shimmer and Dumbbell cracked a smile at the Earth pony’s joke.

“Huh, strange,” Sunset Shimmer said thoughtfully. “I got teleported to Fillydelphia once, but I didn’t see or feel anything different about me at all…”

***

“Clear your thoughts, then visualize it in your mind. Focus.”

At Godslayer Watterson’s words, Godslayer Dash focused as hard as she could. Shortly after that, the transformation began. Pieces of her helmet and the protective plates suspended in a circular motion around her, separating and reshaping. Her bodysuit changed into a blue collared jacket over a black-and-white t-shirt, jeans and blue sneaker boots. The reformed helmet and armor pieces became one with her boots, shirt and jacket.

Once the process was complete, Dash looked down at herself with a great sense of satisfaction. “Sweet!”

That was when she noticed of the Godslayer crest on her jacket and pointed at it. “Hey!”

“Deal with it,” Godslayer Watterson said. “It’s pre-programed into the SHADE.”

“But it makes my clothes look a little less cool,” Dash complained.

“A little?”

“Yeah! Like…by 20%.” Somehow that made sense to her now.

“Man, you’re sounding more and more like Rainbow Dash herself,” Godslayer Watterson joked.

Dash shrugged her shoulders. “What-evs.”

“Okay, okay,” Godslayer Watterson said, a little more serious now. “Enough playing around. Let’s focus on the task at hand.”

He gestured Dash to follow him. “Come on. We’ve probably got a few more days before my superior officer arrives. I must warn you though.”

“What’s that?” the latter asked as she followed alongside him.

“She’s pretty hot tempered,” Godslayer Watterson revealed. “So I need you to lose that cocky side of yourself.”

“Pffft, nothing that I can’t handle,” Dash scoffed.

After her successful flight a day earlier, she has since become very upbeat and excessively confident of herself.

“I’m serious,” the feline said, alarmed by Dash’s overconfidence. Her bite is really worse than her bark,”

However, she treated his warning with indifference. “Yea, we’ll see.”

***

“Your willpower is everything. The SHADE is just a piece of equipment. It could only amplify your strength and speed so much.”

In order to prepare Dash for combat training, Godslayer Watterson subjected her to a series of usual warmup exercises, before moving on to more rigorous activity. Although Dash felt exhausted afterwards, she did not complain. All these, as according to Watterson, were necessary to strengthen her muscles and build her stamina.

“Your mind and body is your true weapon. So it’s up to you to exert control, to push both yourself and the SHADE to the limits.”

Starting slow, beginning from the basics, Dash, whom is now clad in her armor, moved from the combat-ready stance to engage Godslayer Watterson in a hand-to-hand sparring.

“The SHADE allows the projected light to be transformed into a solid state matter.”

Godslayer Dash focused deeply on her thoughts. At last, her personal Ethereal weapon conjured in her hands: a staff-mace. At a glance, the design of the weapon bore resemblance to Captain Discord’s Exquisite Ban Hammer, though hers is actually more rugged and modernized in appearance.

“But you can reshape it into any form to your liking. Just focus like you did before.”

After the success of getting her own personal weapon, Godslayer Dash tried to conjure her Resist Shield. It was initially a simple rectangular shape. But slowly it changed into a more complex design. The final form of the shield is the Thunderbolts’ emblem/coat of arms: a winged shield with a stylized lightning bolt in the middle.

“In battle, you must be able to move fast.”

Godslayer Watterson tested Godslayer Dash’s focus, speed and reflexes by releasing a barrage of arrows at her. Godslayer Dash proved she can hold her own against projectile-wielding enemies by deflecting the arrows with her staff-mace while dodging the barrage all at the same time.

“Hit hard.”

Next in the training schedule is the test of power. Godslayer Dash passed Godslayer Watterson’s challenge of pulverizing large lunar boulders, from human adult-sized to beyond, each with a single strike of her staff-mace.

“And fight even longer.”

Godslayer Watterson and the lined up royal guards took turns in ‘attacking’ Godslayer Dash. The goal of this exercise is not to beat her opponent as fast as possible, but to increase her combat endurance.

“As in a real battle, you’re not just fighting one enemy at a time.”

The royal guards gathered around Godslayer Dash in a circle. She defended herself as they took turn at random trying to knock her down. This is to train her awareness, as in a real battle, enemies may come from multiple directions unannounced.

“You are expected to take on a whole army singlehandedly.”

Godslayer Dash practiced armed combat with Godslayer Watterson and the Equestrian Royal Guards.

“Battlecasters has one of four natural elements at their disposal. But as a Swift Striker Godslayer, you have air superiority to your advantage.”

Flying with the SHADE is one thing, air battle is another. Godslayer Dash streaked above ground level while at the same time maneuvering to avoid the pursuing unicorn guards’ magic missiles.

“Each opponent has their own abilities and fighting styles. At the given opportunity, they will fight on their own turfs.”

Godslayer Dash engaged the pegasus guards in an aerial armed combat training. Performing aerial cartwheels and rolls was now second nature for her. She is as agile and dexterous in the air as she is on the ground.

“Therefore being versatile and resourceful is just as important as improving your physical performance.”

After weeks of combat training, it was time to proceed with the physically and mentally-torturous field exercise simulating a full-scale battle. All the Equestrian guards rigorously tried to attack and corner Godslayer Dash from every direction, on land and on air.

“That means you have to flexible in your attacks and adapt your tactics accordingly as battle conditions change.”

After hours of watching the battle’s proceeding from the sideline, Godslayer Watterson decided it was time for him to move in and engage Godslayer Dash directly.

The latter leaped clear of the feline’s sword attacks with the help of her jet thrusters. Of course, Godslayer Watterson would not let that hinder him. After his swords changed into the tek-bow, he moved around, tracking her trajectory and shooting at the same time.

Dash was starting to feel strained, from getting overwhelmed in the field exercise and weeks of non-stop training. Overly tired and stressed, she began to lose her temper. All she could think of right now is get this over with right away.

Godslayer Dash leaped up then slammed her weapon down at the ground to knock the guards in front of her off their hooves. She then conjured the Resist Shield to block Godslayer Watterson and a few of the guards coming at her from the other direction.

Godslayer Watterson sidestepped and lunged forward, taking Godslayer Dash almost by surprise. He is about to deliver a ‘strike’ and that was when Godslayer Dash impulsively swung her weapon at him. He was directly hit in the midriff, exactly at the spot where his healing wound lies. The blow hurtled him high into the air as a result then he came down crashing on the ground at a distance. With that, the exercise came to an abrupt standstill. The soldiers fixed their gaze at Godslayer Watterson who remained unmoving. By now they realized something had gone terribly wrong

Panicked over what she had done, Godslayer Dash rushed towards him. “Aw heck naw… No, no, no, no, no, no!”

A Void of immense size materialized over the dark side of the moon. Fully emerging through it is The Catgirl piloted by Godslayer Fortepiano. After it finally arrived in this universe, the Void safely collapsed behind it. Afterwards, the cruiser pushed towards the moon for atmospheric entry.

Twinkleshine peered through the window. She saw a large ‘airship’ whose geometric design indicates its non-Equestrian origin, coming to a stop nearby.

“Hmmm, what the hay is that thing?” she asked herself.

Guessing it might be the transportation that Lord Watterson mentioned before, she quickly went to inform Princess Luna.

Godslayer Dash rolled Watterson’s limped body over to his back. She tapped on the side of the helmet and called his name but there was no response from him whatsoever. With his face hidden under the opaque visor, she could not determine how serious his condition is or whether he is even still alive.

Godslayer Dash stared away as soon as an object in the sky glimpsed into her view. She saw The Catgirl hovering faraway over the plain and something appeared to be disembarking from the craft. A few seconds later, it became clearly visible. Another Godslayer, a Swift Striker like her, was flying at her position fast.

Great, she thought apprehensively, here comes trouble.

Godslayer Fortepiano dropped hard near where Godslayer Dash and Godslayer Watterson’s position. As all the guards looked alternately between the two identical armored figures, the only difference they could make out is that the newcomer has a pony tail. The guards did not react as Watterson have told them beforehand that the newcomer is not hostile. Still, they remained vigilant.

Godslayer Fortepiano regarded the battle damage on the Arcanist SHADE suspiciously. She assessed the crushing on the crystalline-like fabric could only be caused either by an impact of immense proportion or an Ethereal-based damage.

She quickly instructed STAT to scan Godslayer Watterson’s armor. When the task was done, anatomical diagram of Zach dotted with data-engraved symbols on his vitals appeared on the visor screen’s HUD. One symbol indicated at Godslayer Watterson’s still-healing wound. Another is a heart rate chart reading.

Fortepiano let out sigh of relief. Thank goodness he’s still alive...

But soon uncontrollable rage came over her. Making a judgment call, Godslayer Fortepiano advanced on Godslayer Dash in a hostile confrontation.

“You did this!” she accused.

The latter decided not to back away.

“Hey, don't point the finger at me!” she defended herself. “It was unintentional!”

“LIAR!” Godslayer Fortepiano bellowed.

The royal guards went on full alert at the apparent increase of hostilities between the two Godslayers, which soon might turn violent. At that very moment, Twinkleshine had made her way through them towards Godslayer Fortepiano and Godslayer Dash to put herself in between then in a courageous but foolish attempt to defend the latter.

“It’s okay!” she pleaded. “She’s friendly!”

Godslayer Fortepiano however refused to listen and absentmindedly shoved Twinkleshine aside. Due to her immense strength, the unfortunate unicorn was hurled onto another royal guard as a result.

This sudden act of aggression prompted the royal guards to attack the newcomer. But Godslayer Fortepiano darted past them over to her target with great speed, and she did not even need to use her jet thrusters.

Only one thought crossed her mind at that time- Iris Dashiell is as good as dead!

With little time to react, Godslayer Dash shielded herself before getting slammed by Godslayer Fortepiano. She yelped in pain as she slid back from a force equivalent of being inside a car crash. To her, it was as though the bones in her arms had been fractured.

Seeing that she was still standing, Godslayer Fortepiano was not about to give Godslayer Dash any chances. She assailed her with a flurry of jabs and kicks. The kick in the final series of moves knocked her down to the ground. Just when Godslayer Fortepiano was about to deliver downward blow, Godslayer Dash’s jet thrusters activated, allowing her to sail away over the ground, resulting in Godslayer Fortepiano’s fist smashing though the lunar soil instead.

Quick but barely coming around from the blows, Godslayer Dash conjured her Ethereal weapon. Godslayer Fortepiano did the same. The two weapons briefly exchanged blows. With one powerful swing, Godslayer Fortepiano successfully knocked the staff-mace off Godslayer Dash’s hands.

At the same time, Godslayer Watterson’s body started moving. He felt woozy and again the excruciating pain on his midriff.

“Where am I?” he moaned. “What’s going on?”

He rolled to his side and saw the armed Godslayer Fortepiano weaving past the royal guards to get close to Godslayer Dash.

“And why is Forte fighting Dash?” After coming around his dazed state, it hit him. “Aw my gosh! This is terrible!”

A translucent blue energy barrier rose up between the two battling Godslayers. Godslayer Fortepiano hit the barrier with a smack, yet she remained firmly on her feet.

Initially confused as to what just happened, Godslayer Dash found herself encased with Princess Luna inside a bluish energy dome.

“Miss Dash, are you all right!?” Luna wanted to be sure.

“Yeah!” Godslayer Dash then started having a second thought as she took a step back, shuddering as the energy barrier vibrated violently as though it is about to break like glass, because outside, the relentless Godslayer Fortepiano was lashing the energy dome with her glaive. “But not for long!”

Luna concentrated hard to maintain the dome.

“What is this uncanny strength!?” she hissed.

Seeing that she failed to break the energy dome, Godslayer Fortepiano shoot up to the sky, disappearing from everyone’s view. She reappeared instantly, plunged her Ethereal Glaive into the energy barrier and teared it down like paper in her rapid descent.

Once Godslayer Fortepiano touched the ground and the energy dome shattered, she continued the offense at Godslayer Dash. Lunging forth, she swung her glaive at her. Godslayer Dash ducked the attack. Godslayer Fortepiano responded by doing a spinning back kick, hit Godslayer Dash in the shoulder, flinging her to the ground. Writhing, the latter was in great pain though physically unscathed.

Godslayer Fortepiano launched herself using her jet thrusters then stomped down on Godslayer Dash, one foot on the latter’s belly. Gripping her glaive firmly, Godslayer Fortepiano raised it high.

“I knew you’re can’t be trusted!” she shouted. “Admit it! You killed Sister Gazleen! And now you tried kill Zachary!”

Godslayer Dash shook her head: No!

It did not matter for Godslayer Fortepiano. Aiming for the heart, she came close to killing Godslayer Dash until an Ethereal arrow hit then deflected off the blade. That was more than enough, as it fulfilled its purpose of capturing her attention. The blade stopped dead merely an inch at Godslayer Dash’s chest. Godslayer Fortepiano looked away in surprise. Sure enough, it was Godslayer Watterson who fired the arrow.

Godslayer Dash, Luna and Twinkleshine watched from afar Godslayer Watterson and Godslayer Fortepiano arguing with one other.

“They seem to be a heated argument,” Luna suddenly spoke.

Godslayer Dash cast a quizzical look at the princess. “You can hear ’em talkin’?”

“I sense extreme tension in their vibes,” Luna replied.

“‘Bout me, no doubt,” Godslayer Dash mumbled.

She gave her arms a quick rubbing to ease the still-throbbing pain resulted from Fortepiano’s assault.

“Give Dash a chance!” Godslayer Watterson pleaded to his superior. “We can trust her! I’ve looked at her memories.”

“No!” Godslayer Fortepiano protested. “This is absurd! Even if she was telling the truth, this isn’t what Sister Gazleen would’ve wanted!”

“I know but Dash is in too deep already,” Godslayer Watterson argued. “From the moment Sister Gazleen decided to relinquish her SHADE and sent Dash to me.”

“Why?” Godslayer Fortepiano badly wanted to know.

“Sister Gazleen was trying to get Dash out of harm’s way,” Godslayer Watterson replied earnestly, “not to get her slaughtered by one of our own.”

Godslayer Fortepiano looked at the feline, wondering if his judgment was the right one, and whether Sister Gazleen had made the right call.

“You should know the reason why,” Godslayer Watterson continued. “It’s the very same compassionate feeling that she had showed to us.”

Godslayer Fortepiano turned somber as painful memories from the past came back to haunt her mind. “Our case was different. We lost…everything. Why let her help, when this is not her fight?”

“Because she can,” Godslayer Watterson affirmed. “She’s very different from the other Rainbow Dashs. Yet inside there’s more to her beyond those ordinary looks. Just let her help me this one time. We will both see this mission through the end.”

“Fine,” the Field Master said and raised a finger at him. “This one time. For now, I entrust that woman under your custody. But remember, whatever you do or decide, I will receive the consequences as well when Magister Varst get winds of this.”

“I understand,” Godslayer Watterson acknowledged.

“This is the last time I permit you to go on a solo mission,” she warned him. “In fact, this might even be your last altogether.”

Twinkleshine pointed at the two approaching Godslayers.

“They’re coming this way,” she alerted the others.

All the royal guards became wary of Godslayer Fortepiano’s presence.

Godslayer Watterson in response made a disarming hand gesture at them.

“Everything’s okay now,” he assured the guards. “We’ve discussed what really happened,”

“I believe an apology is in order,” Twinkleshine addressed the two Godslayers, though more specifically at Fortepiano because of her aggression earlier. “And despite our beloved princess’ current disability, please remove your helmets as a sign of respect.”

Both Godslayers opened their visors and genuflected before Princess Luna. All the ponies were at awe when they saw Godslayer Fortepiano’s half-pony, half-human nature. They have never seen anything like her before. They did not believe such a being even existed.

“Your Royal Highness, my name is Fortepiano. Despite the nature of the surrounding circumstances, I understand my action was unfairly rash and unwarranted. Please accept my sincere apologies to you, Your Royal Highness and to your subjects.”

“And what about Miss Dash?” Twinkleshine demanded from Godslayer Fortepiano.

The latter did not say anything. However, the distasteful look on her face was noticed by Godslayer Dash.

“Y’know what? There’s no need for all of this as I’m all over it already,” the latter said nervously. “Can we just get off the moon, like right now?”

“By all means,” Godslayer Fortepiano agreed.

Godslayer Dash stared in awe at The Catgirl hovering right above her. By all seriousness, never before she had laid her eyes on a real spacecraft, and one of massive size at that. Projected from the cruiser’s underside is a circular, shimmering translucent beam of light.

Shortly Godslayer Fortepiano appeared at her side.

“Let me make this clear,” the Field Master said in a stern voice. “Zachary trusts you, but that doesn’t mean I do too.”

“So?” Godslayer Dash was now getting tired of Fortepiano’s hostility towards her.

“So,” Godslayer Fortepiano shot a threatening glare at Godslayer Dash, “if I ever find you anywhere near where you’re not supposed to be on my craft, I won’t hesitate to rip that armor off of you then toss you overboard, regardless of his opinion.”

The latter glared back with the same amount of dislike. “Don’t you dare threaten me!”

“And what are you going to about it?” Godslayer Fortepiano scoffed at the response. “You can’t even land a single punch on the side of my face. As I recalled, I’ve beaten you squarely.”

Godslayer Dash backed down after the words made her realize how weak she really is.

Godslayer Watterson followed by Princess Luna, Twinkleshine and all of the royal guards arrived at this point.

The hostility between the two females troubled the feline. “FM?”

Godslayer Dash and Godslayer Fortepiano quickly turned away from each other.

The latter ignored her subordinate and went to address Princess Luna instead. “Your Royal Highness, if you may, please follow my lead.”

She stepped into the beam and was bolted upwards, revealing the light is actually a gravity lift.

“Just stay calm, Your Royal Highness,” Twinkleshine said whilst leading Princess Luna into the gravity lift.

After they are both lifted up to The Catgirl, the remaining Godslayers let the Equestrian Royal Guards use the gravity lift.

Godslayer Dash half-gazed at Godslayer Watterson, with slight guilt. “Sorry about what happened back there.”

“Nah, I don’t blame you a hundred percent,” Godslayer Watterson dismissed the apology. “You just need to work on your discipline, that’s all.”

“Err, Dash,” he sounded worried all of a sudden. “Whatever FM said to you just now, don’t let it get to your head. If it makes you feel any better, I don’t like her much either.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Godslayer Watterson frivolously said. “And I’m stuck with her whether I like it or not. I mean, really stuck.”

Now was their turn to step into the gravity lift.

“Welcome aboard The Catgirl, Dash,” he announced.

Godslayer Dash was not impressed at the name. To her, it sounded like something that only someone with a hentai fetish could come up with.

“Who the heck came up with that dumb name!?” she exclaimed just before they get lifted upwards through the lift.

Shortly after that, The Catgirl fired up its thrusters to full blast then left the moon surface in no time.

In the bridge, Godslayer Fortepiano busied manipulating the flight controls on the console. She remained on the alert by occasionally glimpsing at the video feeds from various parts of The Catgirl on the virtual view screens.

Princess Luna and Twinkleshine were accommodated in one the many the twin-bedded personnel cabins of The Catgirl. On the lower platform bed, Luna was getting her mane groomed by Twinkleshine. They felt content despite the small confined space around them. What mattered is they are finally going home.

As there were not enough cabins to house all the guards, they were accommodated in the mostly empty cargo and hangar bays. There were noticeable scratches and gnawing marks of the metallic crates and obvious signs of wrecking on the wall, floor and ventilation panels. Definitely the handiwork of the Evil Turtle. Of course, none of the ponies knew about that nor are they going to ask about it.

Away from the resting royal guards, Godslayer Dash and Godslayer Watterson engaged in a light reflex exercise, which involves the former tracking and jabbing at the latter’s randomly moving palms. At Godslayer Watterson’s instruction, they both stopped. Dash’s state of mind seemed unfocused as judged from the high number of misses.

“Dash, you have a higher miss rate then a shooting guard making jump shots with his eyes closed during the entire game!” though the comment sounded like a joke, he was actually serious. “What's bothering you?”

Godslayer Dash clearly looked very down. Gone were her pride and cocky attitude.

“I dunno if I can do this,” she said miserably.

Her change of attitude baffled Godslayer Watterson. She was pretty upbeat earlier today. Why...? Was it really because of Forte?

“I can’t even fight back your superior,” Godslayer Dash continued. “You saw her, didn’t you? She could've easily taken my life when she wanted to.”

“She had years of battle experience!” Godslayer Watterson argued. “Of course she got the better of you! But don't let that mess your mind. Come on! Sunset Shimmer needs you. Equestria needs you. I need you. Now, again but more focused this time!”

He held up his palms at her and they continued their exercise.

“This is so wrong on so many levels!” Dash complained on her bed.

It is revealed that Godslayer Watterson was sharing the cabin with Dash by occupying the lower platform bed.

“What country are you from?” he lightly joked. “Malaysia? What do you have against gender-neutral housing?”

Dash stick her down her bed and glared at him. “For crying out loud! I really wish I could beat you up right now for being as pervy as that damned unicorn!”

“FM’s orders, okay?” Godslayer Watterson said to her. “I’m supposed to keep an eye on you.”

Dash became furious. What does he mean by keeping an eye on me!? “What am I to y’all!?”

A prisoner? A criminal?

“Her words, not mine,” Godslayer Watterson stated.

Dash lay back on her bed again. For a minute she did not say anything.

“Zach, why me? Why not her?” she then asked, now calmer. She’s far stronger than me. She’s the one who should be fighting Ragingheart.

“She has her own mission,” Godslayer Watterson replied. “If fact, she has to go back right after we deal with Trollestia.”

“So you still counting on me?” Feeling uncomfortable at the notion, Dash rolled to her side.

Her real self would have love people to depend on her. It made her feel important. But only when she was confident that she can win or fulfill the task.

“Yes.” Godslayer Watterson got off his bed and stood up looking at Dash. “That’s what the drill is for, to harden you. Still remember what Brooke said about you?”

“That I was…arrogant?” Dash gave her best guess.

“Right,” Godslayer Watterson said. “Together with your lack of discipline, it had costed you twice.”

“When?”

“Remember our sparring match?” he reminded her.

Dash still remembered it. She had to admit she was pretty arrogant and overconfident at the time. By not finishing Zach off immediately, she let her guard down, allowing him to push her into the pond and ultimately lost the third match. All because of her desire to show off and humiliate Zach.

“And, you didn’t heed his advice against doing BASE jumping without proper training first,” Godslayer Watterson revealed the second event.

Dash felt even more depressed than before. Godslayer Watterson noticed this. It was not his intention to destroy Dash’s pride. Yet the feline was not actually done with his talk.

“But then,” he said, “against all odds, you passed your first flight with flying colors. What drove you to succeed?”

“I want to do some good,” Dash told him without hesitation, “just like what Sunset Shimmer and everyone else are doing.” Simple, but true. Yeah.

Satisfied with the answer, Godslayer Watterson advised Dash, “So use that and stop worrying about who’s better and who’s not. Focus all your energy on your determination to do what’s right. And finally, don’t think yourself as a superhero.”

Absorbing those words in, Dash came to a resolve. “Okay, I get it now.”

“Good,” Godslayer Watterson nodded. “By the way, you don’t have to actually beat Ragingheart. Not on your own. Just divert her attention long enough until Princess Luna arrives with the Elements of Harmony.”

The Elements of Harmony… Dash was about to ask him how the magic artifact work when they heard a sudden knock on the door from the outside.

“Hello?”

Oh, no… She had no problem in recognizing that voice.

Godslayer Watterson activated the panel to slide open the door. Sure enough, it was Twinkleshine, but she was not being a cheery or gleeful as usual.

“Lord Watterson,” she urgently said, “sorry to bother you but I have to ask you something.”

“What is it?”

“I heard rumors that the pony who's been causing trouble in Equestria is Lyra. There has to be a mistake! That doesn't sound like her at all.”

Godslayer Watterson could neither deny nor confirm that since he never saw Ragingheart without her armor on. Even Sunset Shimmer who initially did not want to believe it in the end…

“It has to be her,” Dash said all of sudden.

She sat on her bed and looked upon at Twinkleshine. “Which other pony is there that can stand upright on two legs?”

However, the unicorn refused to believe that.

“I know Lyra,” she insisted. “She's been called crazy by everypony all the time, but she’s just too passive to turn into a psychopath.”

That prompted Dash to berate the unicorn at length. “Look, she changed, okay!? Princess Celestia messed her up pretty bad. And don’t forget the invading army are all based on characters in her drawings. Sorry to tell ya, Twinkleshine, but Ragingheart definitely, without a single doubt is, Lyra! If there’s any trace of her old self, it’s long gone, ‘cuz she tried to kill me!”

Upon hearing that, Twinkleshine’s face fell.

“I’ll leave now. Goodnight,” she said before leaving the two in a hurry.

Godslayer Watterson regarded Dash with a quizzical look.

“She’s upset,” Dash remarked.

“Obviously,” Godslayer Watterson said. “What’s gotten into you all of a sudden?”

Dash looked away. “I’m not so sure myself…”

It was the truth. She was unable to tell whether her anger was directed at Twinkleshine for being an irritating pony up until now, or Ragingheart/Lyra for hurting Sunset Shimmer. It might even be both.

***

Back in Canterlot, other than covered in heavy snow by the blizzard, the city hasn’t changed all that much in the last two weeks since it was evacuated.

At this time, Lightning Dust’s bandages had been removed after Doc Top determined that she is fully healed.

Later, she and Gilda had a private conversation up in the abandoned mansion.

“Gilda, do you still want to do this?” Lightning Dust asked whether the latter wanted to get involved in the rescue mission to save the hostages.

Gilda was determined to go ahead. “You bet I do.”

There’s no point in arguing, I suppose, Lightning Dust thought. Even Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon are in.

Still one question lingered in the pegasus’ mind.

“Why did you come back?” she asked, wanting to know the reason for it.

“I don’t want to leave you, Lightning,” Gilda answered truthfully. “Ever since you left the academy, I've been lonely, lost. Even when I came to Canterlot, we still spent so little time together, as you seemed to keep avoiding me,”

“It’s because-” Lightning Dust refrained herself from telling the truth. Will she understand? “Never mind. Gilda, you and I might not make it out alive after this. I don't want to believe it, but I'm being realistic.

Gilda looked at her friend, hoping the Pegasus would not avoid the question. “If that’s true, then can you grant your friend one last wish?”

“What’s that?”

“Remember how you keep telling me that we’ll become partners in the Wonderbolts?” the griffon asked expectantly.

Lighting Dust shut her eyes and recalled the memory in her mind. She opened eyes again. There was a look of determination on her now. She was resolved to fight with Gilda, whatever the outcome may be.

“Yes, I remember,” the pegasus said.

***

Once Trixie finished briefing Blueblood, Discord and the Reserves of her rescue plan in detail, it was time to put it into motion. Careful preparations have to be made as they only got one shot at this.

The Flim Flam brothers after that went straight to build the new vehicle which they later unimaginatively named it the Super Speedy Chaser 8000. Essentially, it is comprised of multiple tramcars and the Super Speedy Chaser combined into a Super Speedy Chaser-powered train. The wheels are replaced with tracks to enable it to operate on the snow.

As for Diamond Tiara, she and the castle servants busied themselves by sewing and piecing together the cloths into a likeness of a royal guard’s armor suit. Even Featherweight decided to help them. The colt wanted to contribute in any way he can to save his father. When everything was done, they loaded the pony mannequins and fake ‘amours’ inside the tramcars’ secret compartments.

Nova shapeshifted into a perfect likeness of Princess Celestia, much to Blueblood and Discord’s positive impression. Celestia-Nova was then taught how to properly behave like the real Princess of the Sunlight would have.

Meanwhile, in the abandoned mansion’s kitchen, Tirek prepared his weaponized super-hot sauce.

Discord came sometime later to witness Trixie’s demonstration of her smoke bomb. After putting on their masks, Trixie tossed the bomb onto the floor. The entire room was instantly filled with smoke. The bomb, Trixie revealed to the captain, was modified to be more powerful than the ones she had used before and added with inflammatory effect.

Later on, Silver Spoon presented the fake gems meant to be passed off as the Elements of Harmony to Trixie and Blueblood. Satisfied that the fake gems looked like the real deal, the unicorns nodded approvingly.

After another week passed, the blizzard had finally subsided. In spite of the light snowfall, Lightning Dust and Gilda decided that they should not wait for clear day to train. But first, they did a trust exercise because Lightning Dust was not confident in what Trixie was asking her to do with Gilda.

In the sky, both approached head on at high speed. However, Lightning Dust’s inability to forget the accident she caused back in the Wonderbolts Academy clouded her mind with guilt. Before they get close enough, the pegasus veered off, spiraled uncontrollably and plowed onto the snowy ground. She lay there in the snow for a several minutes, contemplating on the risk it would have Gilda. But then she figured that it was not just Trixie, not just Sunset Shimmer, but everypony was counting on her.

This is no time for self-pity, Lightning Dust resolved. I’m a royal guard! I have to get up and fight!

She and Gilda attempted the maneuver the second time. However, this time Lightning Dust was finally able to let go of her guilt and began to trust Gilda and herself. As a result, her mind is more focused. At the very last moment when collision seemed imminent, they broke away from each other, banking hard to their right at an almost 90-degree angle. The exercise was a success!

Later in the day, the pair streaked the skies side-by-side. They moved in synchrony with each other as they dived, rolled and looped across the sky. Then they made a vertical climb, circling each other in a spiral higher and higher up to the clouds… They are now ready.

***

While the weather around Canterlot began improving, it was not until the next day that Ponyville experience the same.

“The snow must’ve stopped falling last night,” Sunset Shimmer said, glancing through iron-barred window.

She moved away from window to Dumbbell and Lionel whom are having their breakfast: tofu bacon, the very same food served every day, whether it was breakfast, lunch or dinner.

“Argh! This is the worst thing I’ve ever tasted!” the pegasus complained.

In the adjacent cell, Mayor Mare had just finished her breakfast.

“We’ve been surviving on this for weeks,” she told them. “So bear with it like we have.”

“Man, I’d rather have her beat me up again,” Dumbbell grumbled, “just so I could spend another year in hospital than being held here with this crap for another day.”

Sunset Shimmer and Lionel looked curiously at the pegasus.

“Dumbbell, who are you talking about?” Sunset Shimmer asked.

Dumbbell wanted to answer but was not able to do so when numerous MBPs led by a single White Bunneh unexpectedly arrived outside their cell.

“What do you want now!?” the mayor demanded after the White Bunneh accompanied an MBP came into her cell.

“Work,” Sunset Shimmer, Lionel and Dumbbell heard the White Bunneh speaking for the first time.

Its monotonous tone and tinny voice made the construct’s robotic nature pretty apparent to the three.

“No!” Mayor Mare persisted. “You can’t do this!”

Deciding that the Earth pony had been given enough chance of talking, the MBP seized her by the neck.

The poor mayor choked in the savage’s tight grip, “Cruelty…”

“Hey! Don’t hurt her!” Sunset Shimmer shouted as she watched in horror the savage construct brought the squirming Mayor Mare out from the cell.

White Bunneh looked at the three ponies in the adjacent cell and said to them, “You three. It is time.”

Putting on her helmet, Ragingheart stepped out from the town hall onto the snow to address her minions whom had gathered in the town square early in the morning.

“My minions!” she began her address. “Today it finally came! Today we take over Canterlot! As I condemn the selfish Celestia to a slow, torturous death, she will bear witness the terrible consequences of her sins!”

It was not just the ones in the town square. All the Nanite machine constructs around Ponyville were listening to their leader in silent discipline.

“There shall be no stopping until all of Equestria come under my rule! There shall be no rest until every last pony is enslaved! Tyranny and suffering will fall over this kingdom!”

All at once the constructs in the town square raised their arms up high, cheering loudly mixed with repeated chanting of the ‘Alicorn’s’ name.

With a raise of her hoof, Ragingheart declared to her forces, “TO CANTERLOT!!!”

As prisoners were being escorted out on a chilly journey to the rock farms, the ones from Canterlot were shoved into the cages.

“Lyra!” Sunset Shimmer shouted from inside one of the cages. “You have to stop this! You anger could only lead us all to ruin! Lyra!”

It was of no use however. Ragingheart merely ignored the unicorn’s pleas.

Ragingheart’s invasion force soon left behind Ponyville. In the outskirts, the Mecha-Daleks get into their tank forms. Afterwards, the MBPs, Mithras and White Bunnehs took up their positions on the tanks on the tanks’ thread pods. At the same time, flying tanks with underslung cages trailed by their fellow escorts emerged from Ponyville. Soon they streaked over the ground forces heading north towards Canterlot.

Over the other side of the river somewhere near Rambling Ridge, Ragingheart’s secondary forces trudged through the forest, also heading north. The secondary force is smaller in numbers but the reduction would hardly make any difference. Their purpose is to support the main invading force in outflanking Canterlot’s defenders in the event of an all-out war.

Ragingheart's main forces streamed across the rural outskirts as they play catch up with the flying tanks. However, this time their numbers were far greater compared to that of last time prior to the blizzard’s arrival. This is now an all-out invasion. If no help from either the Diamondians or the Godslayers and the rescued Equestrian Royal Guards arrives in time, Equestria will fall, to be followed later by other nations.

***

As they marching down the corridor, Godslayer Dash decided to ask how Godslayer Watterson on how he was planning to deal with Trollestia.

“Theatrics,” the latter declared. “Once she sees Princess Luna as Nightmare Moon, she’ll be too scared she has to surrender. Yup, I think it’s a great plan.”

“Is there another way?” Godslayer Dash wanted to suggest.

“Hey, what’s wrong with my plan?” Godslayer Watterson wanted to know, after being taken aback by

“She’s not really one dimensional as I thought she’d be,” Godslayer Dash opined. “There’s a reason in the things she did.”

Godslayer Watterson then reminded her that Princess Celestia is under the influence of Dark Magic, and Dark Magic is synonymous with chaos.

“I didn’t say all the reasons were right or sensible,” she acknowledged. “But under that Trollestia alter ego, there's a poor kid lurking around lost, I just know it. If Princess Luna can reach out to that kid, there may be hope to save her.”

Godslayer Watterson abruptly stopped in his tracks, prompting Godslayer Dash to do the same.

She glanced back at the feline. “Zach?”

Godslayer Watterson understood what she was trying to say, but… “It's not that I don't agree with you, Dash. But is this really the right time for it?”

Godslayer Dash answered with a firm “Yes.”

“Fine,” Godslayer Watterson said. “I’ll let Princess Luna make the final call. She should be the one to decide since she knows Princess Celestia best.”

Either way, the worst possible scenario is the same, the feline thought, if something goes wrong.

Though he truly hoped that such an outcome will not occur.

“Thanks,” Godslayer Dash said to him.

As they get going again, they heard Godslayer Fortepiano shouting through their SHADE’s COM system. “What’re you two doing!? We’re about to reach Diamondia’s airspace! Get to the Hangar Bay this instant, or I’ll toss her out myself!”

“Harsh,” Godslayer Dash grumbled.

“Pay no attention to her bark, Dash,” Godslayer Watterson advised her.

“Right,” Godslayer Dash said. “The most important thing is not to pick a fight with her.”

Over the sea, The Catgirl closed in on the landmass that is Diamondia, distinct by its tundra and white mountainous regions.

The hangar door slid open to reveal a frozen scenery.

“This is where you get off!” Godslayer Watterson told Godslayer Dash.

He turned towards Princess Luna and said to her, “Your Royal Highness, it’s time!”

The Princess of the Night proceeded to address the pegasus royal guards gathered behind her. “My faithful warriors! Follow Miss Dash towards Canterlot! Fight for Equestria with all your might!”

They responded to the princess’ call with their battle cry, “OO-RAH!!!”

“Aww right, let’s do this!” Godslayer Dash sprinted towards the hangar door and leaped out.

Plummeting straight down, Godslayer Dash activated her jet thrusters. She rose from her drop to join the pegasus guards already taking off from The Catgirl. Together they followed the coastline on course towards Equestria, while The Catgirl headed north.

THEATRICS - revised

A fleet of sturdy icebreaker ships docked at the Diamondian naval base were getting prepped for departure. On the upper deck of the fleet’s flagship, a Diamondian sailor happened to spot The Catgirl slowly approaching the base from the sea. Soon the bell alarms rang out all over the ship. Fully armored Diamondian guards scrambled with their weapons past the fleet’s commander to the upper deck.

“I say, what’s the emergency, commander?” Umbra was asking after getting alerted by the commotion.

“Stay put, Your Highness,” Rover warned the prince. “We’ve got intruders out at the base’s main gate.”

The Catgirl hovered in the air outside the base’s main gate. On the ground, wary Diamondian sailors and guards led by Commander Rover brought their weapons to bear upon Princess Luna and Godslayer Watterson.

Sub-Commander Spot brought his superior’s attention to the princess’ eyes.

“Yes,” the commander agreed. “Without a doubt it must be Nightmare Moon.”

He stepped forward past his guards, holding the bullhorn to his mouth. “You are standing in sovereign land! Stand down and state your business!”

Umbra brushed through the armed Diamondians towards the commander.

“Commander, please!” he tried to explain to the commander. “We all know of the tales. But I assure you, the Alicorn standing before us is anything but malevolent. She is none other than the Princess of the Night herself.”

The prince proceeded to introduce Lord Zachary Watterson to the Diamondians as his royal bodyguard.

“Prince Umbra of the Southern Kingdom, I presume?” Luna spoke.

“Indeed I am, Princess Luna,” Umbra said. “It is an honor to finally meet you.”

Both royalties bowed their heads at each other in respect.

“Feeling is mutual,” Luna said in a courteous manner. “And thank you, for explaining to them. How is your father, Your Highness?”

“He passed away during the time of your banishment,” Umbra solemnly informed her.

Hearing the death of an ally saddened Luna. “My apologies. I’m sorry to hear that.”

As Godslayer Watterson whispered to Prince Umbra’s ear to explain Princess Luna’s disability, Rover lowered his bullhorn but still refused to order his guards to stand down. After all, Princess of the Night or otherwise, an intruder is still an intruder.

“I’m not sure what’s going on here,” he said sternly. “But you have brought your airship into our territory without prior authorization. I’ll have you know that our king won’t be happy to hear this.”

Umbra turned away from his bodyguard to the princess. “Princess Luna?”

Luna nodded curtly at him and proceeded to address Rover. “Very well, commander. Get in touch with your king immediately.”

Against the full moon in the backdrop, Godslayer Dash and the pegasus royal guards flew over Galloping Gorge towards Cloudsdale, a city made on top of clouds filled with Greek-architectural styled buildings and rainbow-colored waterfalls. Tired from their trip from Diamondia, the city would serve as a resting stop before they continue their journey to Canterlot.

The same moon shined over the original royal palace that now stands abandoned and dilapidated. Much of it was destroyed during the last war. It is now a haunting reminder of the violence committed by the minotaur in the past.

Luna carefully stepped into the still-standing main entrance. To navigate herself through the unfamiliar surroundings, she felt the ground with her hooves every few steps. The main hallway, lined with torch wall-mounts shaped like pony legs and old versions of the royal guard’s suit of armor, remained surprisingly intact. Emitting from its end up ahead, was light, along with the unmistakable voice of the Princess of the Sunlight:

My little filly, don't get mad, let mama carry you to your bed.

My little filly, close your eyes, and let mama sing you a lullaby.

My little filly, don't you weep, just let mama lull you to sleep.

And when you wake up the next day, you'll still be the sweetest little filly to me…

In the throne room, battle damages from the past was still discernible despite snow covering most part of it. Aside from wall torches, the gaping hole in the ceiling, also helped brighten the room by allowing in the moonlight. The Equestrian coat of arms depicted on the chipped marble floor had mostly faded.

On the throne was Trollestia, staring lovingly at a picture of her mother. “Goodnight, Tia…. Goodnight, mama.”

The princess cuddled the picture as if it was a living thing and slipped. Shortly, she opened her eyes after sensing another presence alongside her. A part of the royal guards she had previously banished to the moon was gathering around the room.

“Oh, back already?” Trollestia said, apparently drowsy. “Good, good for you. Unfortunately, I’ve run out of bananas to reward you of your victory. So go away and play somewhere else.”

Trollestia got back to her sleep but immediately woke up again, shocked and frightened. Luna now stood among the guards, (seemingly) staring at her with eerie white eyes.

***

A filly unicorn walked along open path alone, her horn act as a lantern to illuminate the path ahead. The jagged tree shapes formed monstrous-like silhouettes in the pale moonlight, which terrified her. As much as she is frightened, the filly also felt mad at herself for easily being duped by Luna into coming out here, away from the comfort of the palace.

“Luna,” Celestia called, “where are you!?”

Luna’s voice echoed far ahead though the younger sister herself was nowhere to be seen. “Just follow my voice, Tia.”

“This isn’t funny!” young Celestia shouted, having a hard time fighting off her fear.

“A little further.”

“If this is part of your plan to get me go trick-or-treating, it won’t work! You know very much how I hate Nightmare Night!”

Young Celestia froze in her tracks. Whispering and giggling emitted around her. The voices are so inaudible that the young princess mistook it for sounds of spirits from the woods.

YOUNG LUNA: Guys, guys! Did you bring the costumes?

FOAL #1: Yeah.

YOUNG LUNA: Great! She’d made it this far. She’ll have to come trick-or-tricking with us this time.

FOAL #2: Can’t wait! Finally, we get to show her the joy of scaring ponies on Nightmare Night.

By the minutes, Celestia was getting more agitated. “Luna! I’m scared! Come on out!”

“I’m right here, Tia.”

The voice was coming from behind her. So she turned around. “Luna-”

Standing so close to her are Nightmare Moon, Ahuizotl, the Headless Horse and a vampire fruit bat-pony hybrid creature. Although in truth they are Luna and her friends in their costumes, to Celestia, they are very much real. Her terrified scream pierced thought the silent night.

***

While the Royal Sisters faced off each other in the throne room, Godslayer Watterson and Twinkleshine waited outside in the hallway.

“Lord Watterson, is this really going to work?” Twinkleshine asked.

“Let’s just hope Princess Luna knows what she’s doing,” Godslayer Watterson said.

Suddenly, a blinding flash emitted from the throne room followed immediately by a loud BOOM, jolting them both into panic.

“Princess Luna!” Twinkleshine gasped.

Godslayer Watterson held the unicorn back from doing anything foolish and told her to wait there where it is safe while he himself would go to check on the situation.

When he came into the throne room, Godslayer Watterson utterly was shocked to find all the guards incapacitated. “What the what!?”

Across the room, he saw Trollestia advancing on Luna, whom is the only the other pony still conscious but hurt on the floor. There was something different about the maniacal look on Trollestia. The hints were subtle but she looked cruel and more menacing than before.

“Haven’t you had enough of wounding me with your treachery!?” Trollestia hissed.

Luna was baffled by her elder sister’s delusions. “Sister, whatever do you mean?”

“How dare you refer me as such!” Trollestia bellowed, notably offended. “I shall end this charade right now!”

Crap, looks like I got no choice but to get involved. Godslayer Watterson took aim at her. “HEY!!!”

Trollestia looked away from Luna.

“You! So you’re in cahoots with her all along!” she accused. “I should’ve banished you when I had the chance!”

“Just stop whatever you trying to do, Trollestia!” Godslayer Watterson warned the deranged princess.

Trollestia surrounded herself with dark aura, and again with the glowing eyes with flowing purple mists.

“Or you’ll do what!?” she scoffed, unimpressed by the feline’s weapon aimed at her. “You really think a mere weakling like you can harm me!?”

Godslayer Watterson of course had no attention of fighting the Alicorn Princess, let alone kill her. His mind raced to figure another way. Remembering that Trollestia is also nyctophobia, he shot at the torch wall-mounts. One by one, the torches around the throne room extinguished.

Trollestia jumped as the throne room plunged into total darkness. She frantically cowered away to the moonlit area in the middle of the room.

“Insolent foals!” the princess yelled in anger. “I am Trollestia, the Undimmed Princess of the Sunlight! How can you expect the darkness to defeat me, when the mighty power of the solar orb is at my command!”

Under the concealment of darkness, Godslayer Watterson and Twinkleshine tried to help Princess Luna up. Suddenly, there was an intense heat quickly followed by blinding light. Luna, sensing the threat in advance, immediately cast a protective shield around the three of them.

Godslayer Watterson, Luna and Twinkleshine hurtled through the exploding wall then landed hard on the floor of the adjacent room.

The princess was the first to recover. “Lord Watterson? Twinkleshine?”

“We’re okay!” Godslayer Watterson declared, as he and Twinkleshine wincingly crawled out from under the rubble.

But after looking at Twinkleshine, the feline corrected himself, “One of us is okay!”

The unicorn was mildly bruised since she was not wearing any protection. If it were not for her great sense of loyalty to Princess Luna, she would have fled by now.

“My sister,” the troubled Luna said, “she’s not herself.”

“Is Princess Celestia possessed?” Twinkleshine asked.

Luna shook her head. “No. The Dark Magic in her is not sentient.”

“So anything we can do about it!?” Godslayer Watterson urgently asked.

“There is,” Luna said. “But I may require assistance from both of you.”

Small energy orbs acted like miniature suns to lit up the throne room. Trollestia’s mane glowed brightly and flowed upwards like burning fire. Appendage-like extensions jutted out from her dark aura. They stretched out further, twisting to be become tendrils that slither towards the crumbled wall.

Blue aura dissipated away from Twinkleshine once Luna was done with her spell.

The princess said to the unicorn, “There. You now have my memories. But you needn’t do anything yet. I’m going to negate the Dark Magic with an anti-magic barrier and will try reasoning with my sister. If something ever happens to me, if I don’t make it, you Twinkleshine, will have to take over.”

“And what about me? How can I be of help?” Godslayer Watterson was asking when he suddenly spotted the dark tendrils slithering through the wall after Princess Luna. “Oh crap! Princess, look out!”

Luna had sensed the dark aura, though she barely had the chance to react. The tendrils seized her then instantly sprang back to the throne room.

The tendrils brought the Princess of the Night before Trollestia.

“Sister, why?” Luna demanded.

Trollestia’s murderous eyes glared intently at her. “Do not allege you know nothing, impostor!”

Impostor? “No, it’s me. Luna-”

“NO, YOU ARE NOT!!!”

Luna winced in pain when the tendrils coiled around her began tightening their grips.

“You replaced Luna a long time ago!” Trollestia proclaimed. “I should’ve realized that the moment you tried to overthrow me! Poisoning the hearts and minds of everypony in Canterlot so that they would go against me, a devious plan indeed! How unfortunate, because I saw it coming. I’m the one who saved Equestria from falling apart into disarray. I united all the ponies in this country in the face of the Minotaur threat. There’s no way the citizens could love you the way they did. Without those traitors I banished away, your plan failed, Nightmare Moon.”

Luna at this point realized that somehow her sister had come to believe that she is Nightmare Moon in disguise.

“No, please don’t do this,” the younger sister begged under the bone-crushing force exerted by the tendrils. “Tia, I am Luna…your…”

“Lies,” Trollestia scoffed, ignoring her sister’s pleas, “to get me off my guard. You cannot trick nor scare me. Not anymore.”

She grinned menacingly at Luna, savoring every moment of life being squeezed out of the supposed supernatural entity.

The tendrils squeezed further and further. As Luna struggled for every ounce of breath, as she struggled to resist against the crush, it almost seemed that death is just around the corner, ready to claim the Princess of the Night. That is, until...

Trollestia frantically looked around for the source of the familiar voice humming the tune that she knows very well. “Mama?”

She did not see Twinkleshine. Instead, in the unicorn’s place was the ghostly outlines of her late mother.

***

Luna’s plan to get her sister into the spirits of trick-or-treating had failed. No matter what she did or said, she could not get Celestia out of her trauma. Ultimately, she had no choice but to cancel her plan of going out trick-or-treating with her friends and take Celestia back to the palace.

“My little filly, don't be scared, there’re no monsters under your bed.

“My little filly, please be strong, mama’s right beside you all night long.

“My little filly, go to sleep, mama promise you’ll have a pleasant dream.

“Cuz in both this world and in your dreams, mama loves you all the same.”

The song had managed to ease Celestia’s anxiousness.

“Mama, please stay,” she begged her mother.

Celeste mustered a reassuring smile and said, “A part of me is always with you, Tia.”

The queen conjured a small orb near the ceiling, it’s dim rays illuminated the small area around the young princess’ bed.

“See?” she reassured her daughter. “There’s nothing to be afraid of.”

The queen tucked the young princess in her bed. After Celestia slipped into a peaceful sleep, she turned to the gloomy Luna standing at the door.

“Luna, go to your room,” the queen instructed. “Your father and I will have a word with you later.”

“Yes, mother,” Luna complied and then left the room.

“Worst Nightmare Night ever,” she grumbled on the way to her room.

Luna stopped in her tracks when she glimpsed something outside the window. There standing outside the palace’s fence are the familiar figures of her friends. The foals were very concerned for their friend after the setback earlier. Once they saw Luna, they waved at her. Smiling, Luna waved back at them.

***

“After so long, you finally spoke to me…” Trollestia said in disbelief.

“I have to,” the queen said. “You’re hurting your sister.”

“Luna? No. No, mama.” Trollestia hoisted the squirming Luna for her mother to see. “That’s Nightmare Moon. She’s been impersonating as Luna over the years.”

“There was no Nightmare Moon from the beginning!” the queen scolded her. “Look carefully, Tia! You’re the one who did this to her! You took her eyesight!”

“I-I don’t recall…” Trollestia hesitated.

“Put Luna down, this instance!”

The queen’s sternness deeply agitated Trollestia, causing her to be more delusional. “I don’t believe this! It’s all a lie! She has to be! The real Luna, she would never hurt me, right? Or-or could it be that Luna did try to betray me-”

“Tia, nopony was betraying you,” Celeste pleaded. “Luna merely wanted you the see the world the way she did, because a lot of things have changed since the last war. Your loneliness, your envy, how you felt underappreciated after all that you’ve done, it has caused you to mistrust everypony around you.”

“That isn’t how I remembered it!” Trollestia persisted.

Not readily yet to abandon hope for Celestia, the queen said, “It’s the Dark Magic in you, Tia. You were tempted by the mirror. And you’ve been freely letting the amulet’s power cloud your judgement ever since. You have to fight it.”

The Alicorn Amulet, the Mirror of Temptation… It was all coming back to her now. There was a warning that Dark Magic could negatively affect the user. Celestia was aware but decided to ignore it. She thought she was strong enough to resist the Dark Magic’s influence on her.

“How?” she asked.

“Remember why you made the decision to ascend the throne in the first place,” Celeste replied.

“I…I…” Trollestia felt a throbbing in her head. “I can’t.”

“Please, try to remember,” the queen pleaded, “for my sake.”

Trollestia tried harder to recall the past, enduring the pained throbbing, looking past through fog of evil suggestions implanted in her mind by Dark Magic. At last, the first thing that came to her mind was the Oath of Allegiance, the oath that is compulsorily taken by every recruit before being committed into full service in the Equestrian Royal Guards. That very oath also reflects her pledge she made years ago when she founded Canterlot.

***

Both royal princesses have reached adult age. Thus the elder princess’ role as crown heir came to an end. The coronation ceremony, officiated by Twilight Velvet herself, was held to install Princess Celestia as the full-fledged monarch of Equestria.

There is also a twist to it. Princess Luna will also ascend the throne as Princess Celestia’s co-ruler, hence where the term ‘Royal Sisters’ originated. Although they will share political power, Luna is not her elder’s equal. She will still require consent for some of her actions from Celestia, the one who holds absolute power.

The crown bearer, Discord Sr. brought the crowns to Twilight Velvet. Scars from her battles against rebels, separatists and the minotaur invaders, was visible if looked closely through the exposed part of the captain’s armor. The Royal Sisters bowed their heads to receive their crowns from her.

After Twilight Velvet bestowed the last crown on Princess Luna, she tactfully whispered to the Royal Sisters, “Not just Canterlot, ponies all over this kingdom will look up to Your Royal Highnesses from now on. Rule wisely. Rule fairly. Please remember that.”

The Royal Sisters walked up the stairs to the throne, turned to face the crowd of Equestrian Royal Guards gathered in the throne chamber and began reciting their respective pledge.

“I, Celestia, the Undimmed Princess of the Sunlight and elder of the Royal Sisters, swear that I will faithfully perform the royal duties lay upon me and to my power shall oblige to fulfill the Pledge of the Royal Sisters.”

“I, Luna, Princess of the Night and second-born of the Royal Sisters, swear with that I will faithfully perform my duty as co-ruler and to my power shall assist the fulfillment of the Pledge of the Royal Sisters.”

Twilight Velvet ordered the guards present in the throne chamber to recite their Oath of Allegiance to the Royal Sisters.

“We swear by Faust Almighty that we will bear true allegiance to the Royal Sisters, their co-rulers, heirs and successors and that we will in our duty serve with honor in defending Equestria against all enemies so as to uphold for what the kingdom stands, one nation united, peaceful and prosperous.”

“All hail the Royal Sisters!” the captain proclaimed.

The princesses stood with pride as all of the present royal guards knelt in recognition of the Royal Sisters as the official rulers of Equestria.

***

“I did that for you and Papa,” Trollestia finally said. “to fulfill our family’s obligation, to our citizens. But in the end, I only cared for my own glory. I wanted to be their favorite, like when I was yours.”

She broke into remorse in realization of her mistake. At this point her eyes and mane reverted back to normal.

“I was the immature one, not Luna,” she confessed. “I let you down. I let everypony down…”

After the unresponsive Luna was lowered to the floor, Trollestia dropped down in anguish. The dark aura around her vanished in an instance.

“You’re right about me,” the anguished princess continued. “I kept finding excuses to justify my actions, that in the end even I was convinced that my own sister was Nightmare Moon…”

Seeing that she had gotten through Celestia, the queen said compassionately, “This is our fault as well. As a filly, you were very shy, so vulnerable, that we overprotected you instead of encouraging you to venture out into the world as we did with Luna. Open up to your sister, Tia. And let her be your guide.”

“She won’t,” Trollestia was doubtful, “not after what I did to her.”

Celeste stepped over to her daughter with a gentle look. “She will. All she needs is your trust.”

“Do you love us, Tia?” she then asked.

“O-of course I do!” the question had clearly disconcerted Trollestia.

“Then promise that you’ll forgive each other and take care of each other from now on,” the queen said pressingly, “like the very sisters that you should be.”

“Yes, Mama,” Trollestia promised without hesitation, “I will.”

Abruptly Trollestia felt jolts of pain throughout her insides. Her ear-piercing scream was one of pure agony. Yet there was nothing Celeste could do to help to ease the pain. Whatever was happening, she must let it to come to pass.

Godslayer Watterson witnessed Dark Magic leaving the Princess Celestia’s cringed body in the form of purple-black misty smoke. After it dissipated into nothingness, the princess passed out instantly. Over the course of the long conversation, he became worried whether Twinkleshine could pull it off. But now that ordeal was over, he can breathe a sigh with relief.

“Finally…” It was Princess Luna’s voice, revealing that she is still alive.

Godslayer Watterson and Twinkleshine both immediately attended to her.

“Princess Luna, I’m so relieved that you’re still alive!” Twinkleshine said with tearful joy.

“Barely,” Luna said weakly, “but I’ll come around.”

Godslayer Watterson was also relieved but at the same time expressed his concern for the unconscious Celestia.

“Trollestia is no more,” Luna explained to them. “Without a host to sustain its form, the Dark Magic was simply reduced into nothing. But right now she’s in a very weak state. Lord Watterson, please call in the others. Get them to attend to my sister.”

“Yes, Your Royal Highness!” and then he rushed off to carry out his orders.

“Twinkleshine?”

“Princess?”

“Well done.”

As Godslayer Watterson went to get help from the remaining guards outside the ruins, he contacted Godslayer Dash whom is currently in Cloudsdale.

“Dash, how’s the (audio) feed?”

“Good, thanks.”

The Catgirl flew over what remained of White Tail. Under the moonlight, crumbled structure cast eerie silhouettes and shadows around the vicinity. After passing over the ruined city, the cruiser ascended towards the moon.

Godslayer Watterson suddenly remembered. “Princess Luna, it just occurred to me that she hasn’t told us where she’d hidden the Elements of Harmony.”

Although hurt on the floor, the Princess of the Night fought the sheer pain from her injuries to call out to all the royal guards and ordered them to scour the ruins until all six gems are found.

“The Elements of Harmony,” Twinkleshine asked whilst tending to the princess’ injuries, “is it really going to help?”

“It is powerful,” Luna admitted, “though I’m uncertain of the true extent of its powers.”

“But you’ll be able to use it, right?” This was coming from Godslayer Watterson.

“It’s rather tricky,” Luna said uncertainly. “Through my studies of Start Swirl’s old journals, the Elements of Harmony are not mere weapons that can be simply be wielded. Originated from the legendary Tree of Harmony said to have once existed in Everfree Forest a millennium ago, it is said that each artifact is quasi-sentient.”

“Sentient?” Godslayer Watterson was surprised to hear this.

Previously he had thought the Elements of Harmony are just what they are- objects, with magic powers.

“Yes,” Luna explained. “Each of the Elements represents a subjective aspect of harmony. It chooses its bearers and can switch allegiance to whoever matches its character. Those whose character conflict or have evil intentions may have difficulty or even not able to use it at all.”

“But you have good intentions and your heart is pure,” Twinkleshine stated her confidence in Princess Luna.

“Thank you for your faith, Twinkleshine,” the princess said appreciatively. “But only time will tell if I possess the spark to wield its full potential.”

While Luna was being tended, the Equestrian Royal Guards vigilantly scoured every inch of the ruins for the Elements of the Harmony.

One guard had already found the first gem under the one of the thrones.

It was not long until the second gem was found hidden inside the torch wall-mounts in the hallways. The third gem followed soon after it was found inside an armor suit.

In one of the few still-intact bedrooms, an Earth pony guard slid herself under the old dusty mattress, searching before popping out again with the fourth gem in her mouth.

In a room that used to be an office, a unicorn guard removed the faded painting to reveal an unlocked safe behind it. The fifth gem was found inside it.

Five had been found, but the royal guards have difficulty in locating the last gem. They searched everywhere around the room yet so far nothing came out. There is still one place they have not look, one of them pointed out. They gazed up at a crystal chandelier loosely hanging from the ceiling.

A pegasus guard hovering by the chandelier nodded at his comrades. After they all backed away to a safe distance, the pegasus brought down the chandelier to the floor. The last gem was found among the shattered glassy remains of the chandelier.

Why all these artifacts were hidden in such manner by Trollestia, nopony knows for sure.

Celestia stared closely at her reflection in the cracked wall mirror. The princess had lost most of her strength after Dark Magic left her body. The cold mists from her breath faded her shattered reflection alternately. She felt mortified. For the princess now saw herself as the same as in the reflection- a broken soul, not a revered god she saw herself to be showed by the Mirror of Temptation.

Celestia turned her gaze the moment her younger sister arrived with Godslayer Watterson and Twinkleshine.

She recognized the pieces of the armor suit the latter two are carrying. “Isn’t that…”

“Yes,” Luna confirmed. “These were once worn by our late father and mother.”

“Luna, I’ve met Ma-” Celestia corrected herself. “Mother. Her spirit.”

Luna feinted a surprise look. “Oh?” I am so sorry, dear sister. I hope you’ll forgive me in the next life.

Godslayer Watterson and Twinkleshine glanced cryptically at each other. They will carry the truth to their graves.

“I really don’t know where to begin,” Celestia sighed. “There is so much to discuss about.”

“Yes,” Luna agreed. “But that will come later as we have a more pressing matter to attend to.”

Twinkleshine stepped forward and said, “Princess Luna, if I may I bring to Princess Celestia’s intention regarding your disability?”

“The magic I used was only meant to take,” Celestia stated and went on to say that she has no clue on how to restore neither her sister’s eyesight nor Twinkleshine’s tail.

“No matter,” Luna dismissed. “We shall press towards Canterlot nonetheless.”

Celestia regarded her younger sister skeptically. “But you are in no condition to fight.”

“As do you, sister,” Luna said. “Yet, look outside.”

Celestia peered out the broken window. Gathered outside the ruins are the royal guards, waiting to be led into battle.

Luna said to her, “They are the direct descendants of their forefather and mothers that had served us before, the same as Captain Discord. Their loyalty is unquestionable. They will fight with us. For us and for this kingdom. But in order for that to happen, you must also lead.”

Yet even with her sister’s support, Celestia remained uncertain after everything that she had done. Am I still worthy to lead? “I’ve wronged so many…”

“Put everything else behind you for the moment,” Luna firmly said. “This kingdom needs us. The war against Ragingheart’s invasion, we will fight it together.”

Celestia suddenly remembered her ‘mother’s’ words.

“Like the very sisters that we should be,” she said.

She was resolved to fight. They were together on the day of Canterlot is founded. Now, they will defend Canterlot together.

After all is said and done, Godslayer Watterson and Twinkleshine helped put the armor pieces on the Royal Sisters.

Currently outside of Equestria’s territorial waters, Diamondia’s fleet of icebreakers effortlessly sailed through the ice-covered waters.

Inside the flagship’s bridge, Commander Rover consulted the atlas Princes Umbra at his side. “We’ll land at Las Pegasus within the next hour, Your Highness.”

“What’s the strategy, Commander?” Umbra inquired.

The commander began explaining whilst gesturing appropriately on the map. “After the beachhead is established in Las Pegasus, our infantry will advance inland through San Palomino Desert under cover of darkness. We will divide into two strike teams. Each will strike the prison and the rock farm simultaneously. Once that is done, we shall join forces and liberate Appleloosa.”

***

The sun rose over Foal Mountains, casting its rays over the snowy landscape around Canterlot Plateau.

Sunset Shimmer felt the sun’s rays. “What the hay…?” That wasn’t my doing. Only one other pony could’ve done it.

Has Princess Celestia somehow regained sanity? If that is true, what will she do? Surrender in exchange for hostages’ lives? Or will she go in an all-out battle with Lyra?

Sunset Shimmer suddenly became nervous as all these questions lingered in her mind.

Away from cages southbound is where Ragingheart’s vast forces have assembled, their numbers stretched from Canterlot River in the eastern horizon up to Unicorn Range in the west.

Dalek Tanks circled over Canterlot on a scouting mission of the evacuated city. A second squadron of the winged tanks was already flying towards the suburban areas.

The Super Speedy Chaser 8000 across the bridge. Up in the sky, Lighting Dust and Gilda towed the royal chariot carrying Celestia-Nova. Once they arrived, Celestia-Nova and Discord, the latter has the chest containing the fake Elements of Harmony, met up with Ragingheart.

The hostages’ spirits lifted at the sight of ‘Princess Celestia’. Many expressed hope that they will be saved. Few discussed rumors they have heard after the Princess of the Sunlight’s disappearance from public view. Amidst all this, Sunset Shimmer has reservations about the princess' presence. She could make out that the changeling was not among the Reserves.

But if that pony is really Nova, she wondered, then who in Equestria raised the sun earlier?

Then to her great dismay, Sunset Shimmer spotted her friends disembarking from the Super Speedy Chaser 8000. Since when Gilda was part of the royal guards? And why the hay is Trixie, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon even here!?

As part of the act, Celestia-Nova put on an excessively bold look.

“I take it you’re Ragingheart?” There was no hint of nervousness in ‘her’ voice.

Nor did Ragingheart. “I almost think you’d never show up, being a selfish pony such as you are.”

Nova-Celestia regarded the evil ‘Alicorn’ with contempt and said, “Speak for yourself, whoever you are under that ridiculous-looking armor. You conquered every city and town you encounter, enslaved innocent ponies, destroyed their homes, force feeding them with artificial meat. My misdeeds cannot possibly be worse than what you did.”

Diamond Tiara could not help but feel terribly nervous. Not only because she is positioned so close to danger, there was also the question whether Nova can keep up the act so Trixie’s rescue plan can go as planned.

“Is he doing all right?” she asked Trixie.

“So far so good.”

“You made me, remember!?” Ragingheart was enraged that even at such a disadvantage, the Princess of the Sunlight is still arrogant.

“And I’m prepared to face my mistakes,” Celestia-Nova calmly said so as not to give away the ruse. “As you can see, I’m now mentally sound after being institutionalized in Dr. Horse’s Asylum. Therefore, I am fully fit to partake in the proceeding of this negotiation.”

Good, Ragingheart thought cynically, I can’t see a better punishment other than torture your body and soul without you being in derangement.

“I, Celestia, the Undimmed Princess of the Sunlight, am now before you ready to surrender in exchange for their release. As a gesture of showing confidence, I also brought along the Elements of Harmony as you demanded.”

Discord revealed the chest’s content to Ragingheart at Celestia-Nova’s cue.

“Where are the rest of the royal guards?” the ‘Alicorn’ suddenly asked.

The princess’ lack of reaction confirmed it for her the reason for the royal guards’ absence. This correlates to the report from her scouts that no signs of deployment or defenses were spotted in and around Canterlot.

One less problem to deal with,she thought.

“Now, about their release...”

“I never said that I will let them go,” Ragingheart revealed her own ruse, which ‘shocked’ Celestia-Nova. “All I said was I will spare their lives.”

None of the Equestrians looked particularly surprised, not even Trixie. They all had seen this coming.

“The human Rainbow Dash was right,” Tirek whispered.

“Yup,” Flam agreed.

“No!” Celestia-Nova protested. “That’s not how it’s going to work, Ragingheart. I will agree to surrender only if-”

“You're in no position to make demands, Celestia!” Ragingheart cuts ‘her’ off. “My turf, my conditions!”

“Is that so!?” Celestia-Nova yelled in defiance. “You forget! I am the great and powerful Celestia! The undimmed Princess of the Sunlight! What could you possibly do to prevent me from decimating you and your guards right now!?”

“What if I say I can tell you of Twilight Sparkle’s current whereabouts?”

The question posed by the evil ‘Alicorn’ was definitely unexpected. Nova only knew that Twilight Sparkle was a former student of Princess Celestia and presumed dead when her home imploded in a freak accident.

“She’s dead,” Celestia-Nova said grimly.

“No,” Ragingheart insisted. “She’s alive. Have you not wondered why her body was never found? Not even signs of blood and flesh?”

Trixie did not like how the conversation between Ragingheart and the pretend princess is dragging on. She gave the signal. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon got on the rear car. Lightning Dust and Gilda fluttered their wings, as though they are doing a pre-flight warm up. In the driver’s seat, Flim put on his goggles and secured his helmet.

Sunset Shimmer saw what was happening at the Super Speedy Chaser 8000.

What’re you up to, Trixie? she wondered

Lighting Dust and Gilda’s action served as a cue for Discord and Nova-Celestia to proceed with the plan. The latter stepped closer to Ragingheart.

“What you said are all lies,” Celestia-Nova said as ‘she’ moved around to divert Ragingheart’s attention away from Discord. “You think you can let my guard down by playing on my feelings, yes?”

The diversion allowed the captain to access the chest’s secret compartment.

“But I’ll tell you this,” Celestia-Nova continued. “I shan’t so gullible to fall to your tricks. Do you know why?”

“Just spit it out already,” Ragingheart demanded.

So Celestia-Nova spelled it out to her, slowly. “I…am…not…Princess Celestia.”

Ragingheart flinched. “What!?”

At this point, the smoke bomb tossed by Discord exploded on her visor. She staggered back, coughing hard from taking in the stinging smokescreen. With the evil ‘Alicorn’ distracted, Nova-Celestia and the captain fled.

“Buck you! BUCK YOU ALL!” she screamed from within the smoke screen.

Lighting Dust and Gilda launched themselves with the royal chariot into the air. The hostages screamed as Lighting Dust and Gilda carpeted the area around the cages with smoke bombs dropped from underneath the chariot. All the while the Mithra and White Bunneh guards targeted the fast flying chariot, Tirek and Flam, with protective masks on and armed with super-hot sauce pump-cannons, approached the cages through the smokescreen.

Once the smokescreen had cleared off, Ragingheart saw that ‘Celestia’ was now a distance way over the plain, alone.

“CELESTIA!!!” she yelled furiously.

Putting on a maniacal expression typical to the real Trollestia, Celestia-Nova feint a charging jump and shouted, “Yee-haw! Trollestia’s back in town!!! One simply does not surrender without a fight to the death! You better prepare yourself! For I, Trollestia, challenge you to an extremely high-intense game of Drop Ball- with the SUN!!!”

Enraged, Ragingheart charged forth at the hated ‘princess’.

At that very moment, Lightning Dust and Gilda dived down towards her. They released the chariot, letting it crash on top of Ragingheart. A huge fiery explosion followed, revealing that the chariot was rigged with explosives.

“Looks like you don’t have what it takes to handle the heat! Oooooooh!” Celestia-Nova shouted triumphantly.

But then to his dismay, Ragingheart, under the shielding of her wings, emerged from the fiery debris.

Oh Faust! There’s no stopping to this Alicorn-wannabe! Nova thought.

By the time Ragingheart’s frontline forces reached the cages, the Super Speedy Chaser 8000 was already gone. At least the hostages were still in the cages. Or so they had thought.

The liquefying remains of the guards were visible in the hot puddle of bubbling green mud around the cages. One of the constructs went to examine the cage. It found the lock melted by the same green muddy liquid they found in the snow. Sensing something is amiss, it peered into the cage. Inside, in the hostages’ place were pony mannequins, with wigs and winter coats on. The machine constructs have been duped by the Equestrians.

The constructs relayed the finding to Ragingheart. She fixated her gaze at the Super Speedy Chaser 8000 speeding towards the bridge. Through the side windows, the car appeared to be loaded with royal guards, which was not before.

“So if that’s how it’s going to be,” Ragingheart realized after she saw through the ruse. “KILL THEM ALL!!!”

At their leader’s command, the frontline’s Dalek Tanks gave chase.

Clearly the evil ‘Alicorn’ was no pushover in combat, Celestia-Nova had realized.

“Hey! Hey you, Alicorn-wannabe!” ‘she’ shouted in an attempt divert Ragingheart away from the Super Speedy Chaser 8000. “Look, I still got the Elements of Harmony!”

When Ragingheart saw the chest supposedly containing the Elements of Harmony in ‘Celestia’s’ possession, she drew out her blades.

Blueblood’s tracked Super Speedy Chaser 6000 sped towards the Super Speedy Chaser 8000. With a bazooka slung over his back and clad in full royal guards’ battle armor, he looked set for battle.

Sunset Shimmer through her window spotted the chancellor passed them in the opposite direction.

“Blueblood!?” she cried in shock. “Is he really going take them all on by himself?”

“Don’t worry!” Trixie shouted from her seat. “The captain said he’s a chaos god reincarnate! He’ll survive!”

Chaos god!? That did it for Sunset Shimmer. “Have you all gone INSANE!?”

The Dalek Tanks split into two groups. The main group continued to pursue the Super Speedy Chaser 8000. The other went to engage Blueblood.

On the rear car’s platform, Flam succeeded in taking out more than few of the tanks with his portable Gatling cannon.

As for Blueblood, he proved that the Super Speedy Chaser can in fact rival the Dalek Tanks in of terms of speed. Blueblood swerved his vehicle to avoid an incoming tank causing it collide head-on with the one chasing behind him. A third Dalek Tank continued the chase, shooting at the Super Speedy Chaser at the same time. Yet somehow defying all logic, Blueblood managed to dodge all the shots with his erratic driving.

Blueblood pushed the brake while yanking his steering wheel, in order to steer away from the upward slope ahead. It was too late however. His vehicle swerved down to a stop on the other side of the slope. A split second later, the Dalek Tank vaulted over his head, unwittingly using the slope like ramp then sped away. The tank veered off to make a U-turn when it became apparent that it had lost its target. By then, its rear got blasted by Blueblood’s bazooka, sending the tank tumbling over the snowy ground.

The sight of Blueblood making fools out of her strongest minions completely baffled Ragingheart, whose armor was smeared with pale bluish substance- changeling blood. “I just don’t know what-”

She held forth her blade then snapped, “THERE ARE MORE OF YOU AND HE’S JUST ONE STUPID BUCKING PONY!!! HOW HARD IS IT TO KILL JUST ONE PONY!!?”

In response of their leader’s fury, the rest of the constructs trudged past her to go after the unicorn.

The Super Speedy Chaser 8000 swerved hard left to avoid the pursuing tank’s firing. As this happening, Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara held tightly on each other, screaming with the other terrified passengers when a nearby explosion rocked their car.

Lighting Dust and Gilda hovered near the cable bridge, facing towards the incoming the Supper Speedy Chaser 8000.

“Gilda, do you trust me?”

“I do!”

They began flying in a loop, one following another, faster and faster as they go. The Supper Speedy Chaser 8000 soon passed below them. Once the vehicle reached the bridge, the pair rapidly increased their speed. A mass of whirling air became visible. A tornado was forming.

Flam came in from the platform outside after exhausting his ammunitions. The rear car was shaking from the turbulent air around it.

“Heads down, everypony!” he warned the passengers after shutting the rear door. “This is gonna be one hay whirlwind of a ride!”

Sunset Shimmer glimpsed the tornado through her window.

Oh no, she thought. History is repeating itself.

But this time Lighting Dust was neither doing it to prove herself nor was she doing it alone. The unicorn was so worried whether Lighting Dust and Gilda will be able to pull it off and make it out alive after that, she started praying in her heart.

For a moment it was a tug of war between Lightning Dust-Gilda and the Dalek Tanks. The latter worked their engines hard in order to avoid getting sucked into the violent tornado. Yet in the end, the pair’s effort won over engine power. One after the other, the tanks spiraled helplessly upwards into the vortex.

AERIAL FRIENDSHIP CANNON (CLIMAX) - revised

Author's Note

Why AFC, and not OFC? Because it's not being fired from orbital distance.
Try imagining the actions from the point where Princess Celestia calls to protect the Element Bearers up until Godslayer Dash creates the Sonic Rainnuke-like explosion, whilst listening to Immediate Music's Tales of the Electric Romeo.

AERIAL FRIENDSHIP CANNON (CLIMAX) - revised

Godslayer Dash and the pegasus royal guards streaked high above the flat snowy landscape. The land between Cloudsdale and Canterlot Plateau is mostly featureless, save for occasional groves of trees.

They all came to an abrupt stop upon the sighting of a tornado, appeared to be coming from the opposite side of the plateau. Even at such a distance, the turbulence from the tornado could be felt.

Godslayer Dash could only guess who or what made it. “Lightning Dust?”

All the tanks caught in the tornado were spitted out from the top funnel one at a time to be pulverized by the sheer force of impact on the ground.

Ragingheart looked alternately at the slowly weakening tornado and the bridge. After coming to a decision, the ‘Alicorn’ flew off in the direction of Canterlot River. She is going after Captain Discord, with the intent of taking her revenge on him. Her reinforcements shall take care of that pegasus-griffon pair later.

By now the tornado had fully dissipated. Lighting Dust and Gilda hovered there for a while, gasping as they marveled at their accomplishment.

“Thank you, Gilda,” the pegasus said with a great sense of satisfaction inside her, “for trusting in me.”

Gilda mustered a smile which soon faded away. “But it’s not over yet.”

Understanding the meaning of her friend’s words, Lightning Dust turned serious again.

The Super Speedy Chaser 8000 raced across the bridge with the intent of reaching Canterlot as fast as possible. Straight ahead, a red energy beam sliced through the middle deck, blowing it apart into a fireball. Tons of debris from the destroyed deck crashed into the icy waters below. The explosion also snapped several weight-bearing suspender cables, causing both ends of the separated deck to slope downwards.

From the driver’s seat, Flim looked in disbelief at the wide gap up ahead. At the speed the vehicle is going, he had come realize, the tram is guaranteed to crash down into the river even if he pushes the breaks now.

Discord stick his head out of the side window and saw the gap as well.

“Faust Almighty, how much more chaotic can things get!?” he cried.

The passengers panicked after they saw through their windows that the bridge was blown in half.

Sunset Shimmer pleaded to them, “Everypony, please lend me your magic!”

“You all heard the mare!” Flam shouted. “Let’s do some magic!”

Sunset Shimmer cast her object-lifting spell. The same clouds that saved Dash’s life in Graduation Act formed underneath the tracks. Just short from plunging into the river, the Super Speedy Chaser 8000 miraculously floated over the gap. The short flight was not as smooth though due to vehicle’s tremendous weight. After a pretty rough landing on the other side, Flim pushed the accelerator all the way down. Whilst the Super Speedy Chaser 8000 struggled against its own weight to climb up the deck, Lightning Dust and Gilda flew their way around to the rear car.

Flapping their wings as hard as they could, the pair pushed from the rear to give the vehicle the boost it needed up the slope. Through their effort combined with Sunset Shimmer’s magic and the Super Speedy Chaser’s engine power, the vehicle began to climb. Defying the pull from its own weight, it successfully worked its way up to the stable, undamaged part of the span. Now it was just a matter of getting past the supporting masts, then the Equestrians might have a chance to make it back to Canterlot in one piece.

Luck however is not on their side, as they did not count on Ragingheart and Mecha-Dalek appearing above. The Super Speedy Chaser 8000 nearly reached where the masts are when Ragingheart and the Mecha-Dalek swooped down and with one blow, smashed the Super Speedy Chaser’s frontend (engine compartment), to knock the entire vehicle over. The abrupt jolt from the blow threw both Lightning Dust and Gilda off the rear car onto the pavement.

The entire vehicle toppled to its side prompting Ragingheart to leaped clear over the skidding cars. The evil ‘Alicorn’ then watched in satisfaction the vehicle crashed against the parapet. Confident that the surviving Equestrians are unlikely able to escape immediately from such a serious crash, she walked towards the wreckage in a deliberate pace.

The unconscious Sunset Shimmer was being carried away by Lionel. Fortunately, she was not terribly hurt, just suffered a mild knock on the head during the crash. The same cannot be said for Flim however. Flam dragged away his bloodied but still-alive brother from the driver’s seat.

After Dumbbell helped Silver Spoon out from the wreckage, she was unfortunately unable to flee like the other ponies. Without her glasses, the Earth pony just stood on the pavement, frowning as she tried to make out her surroundings. She is visually impaired in a way that the difference between the background and ponies moving past her is quite unintelligible to her. Fortunately, her vision returned to normal after someone puts her glasses back on, which soon turned out to be Diamond Tiara.

There were some ponies who still remained by the wreckage in a state of shock from the horrifying accident that should have taken their lives. Trixie snapped them out of their daze then called them to escape immediately.

With his Exquisite Ban Hammer secured to his holster, Discord took out a bazooka to be used against the near-approaching Ragingheart and Mecha-Dalek.

“That was some trick you played on me, captain,” Ragingheart said, notably pissed off.

“It’s rather your fault,” Discord mocked her, “for not learning anything from the Battle of the Market Square.”

“Urgh!” Ragingheart exclaimed. “Once I kill all of you, I’m going to raze Canterlot to the ground! That’s what happens to anypony who keeps giving me trouble!”

At this point, her secondary invasion force had arrived. Pouring out from the woods and bypassing the Canterlot River Bridge, they began their approach to the plateau.

Dalek Tanks returning from scouting Canterlot transformed in midair. After touching down, they formed a line to block the escaped hostages from getting off the bridge. One mech made an intimidating gesture of hitting its fists together at the terrified ponies.

Just when the ponies thought they are finished, Godslayer Dash swooped down from the sky at an immensely high speed. The mech she struck down with her staff-mace shattered into scrap pieces in a single blow.

“Hey, acorn-brain!” she called out to Ragingheart.

Her voice snapped Sunset Shimmer out of her daze. Dash? Is that you?

Ragingheart heard it too all the way from the middle of the bridge.

So she didn’t heed my warning, the evil ‘Alicorn’ thought. Fine. Then, she will die!

“Guess who I’m came back here with!” Godslayer Dash yelled. “Let me give you a hint! They’re gonna give you a royal whup in the butt!”

On her cue, the pegasus royal guards swooped down to join her in attacking the Mecha-Daleks.

They were not alone however. Diamondia’s ground forces led by Commander Fido had arrived at this point. They marched their way around the plateau. Having coming from a country that experiences cold climate all year long, their march was swift and brisk, unhampered by the snow. Their numbers are rather conservative, consisted only two battalions of archer and infantry-class troops.

The Diamondians faced off against Ragingheart’s secondary forces. Fido stepped forward with a bullhorn raised to his mouth.

“I am Commander Fido of the Diamondia Royal Army,” he announced to the enemy. “With the blessing from our king His Majesty King Jim and Her Royal Highness Princess Luna of Equestria, we are here to aid our allies in sending the abominations you are to Tartarus!”

The Diamondians brandished their weapons up high, while taunting the enemy with their loud howls. Soon the two forces charged at each other and clashed.

In the midst of the murmuring civilians, Lionel whooped upon hearing the mention of Princess Luna. “Sunset Shimmer, did you hear that? Princess Luna’s back!”

Sunset Shimmer felt her spirit lifting at the notion of her true mentor finally returning to Equestria. But where is the Princess of the Night, she wondered to herself.

Unarmed and his vehicle knocked over, Blueblood found himself surrounded by Ragingheart’s constructs.

“I say, this fight doesn’t turn out to be fair!” he protested.

An MBP responded by breaking the bazooka it had wrested from the unicorn into two.

At this moment, Blueblood witnessed an unexpected turn of event taking place in the distance. His eyes widened in disbelief. Emerged from the forests on Unicorn Range foothills are Princess Luna along with the unicorns and Earth ponies of the Equestrian Royal Guards.

Celestia, in her fiery form, streaked through the bridge like a shooting flare, ramming Ragingheart off the bridge in the process.

Discord was left baffled the moment the evil ‘Alicorn’ disappeared from his view. “What in Faust Almighty’s name just happened?”

Just when the Mecha-Dalek was about pummel the draconequss, Lightning Dust and Gilda swooped down on top of it. Seeing the mech distracted by the pair’s attack, Discord quickly aimed his bazooka at the mech’s midriff then squeezed the trigger.

Ragingheart was sent slamming onto the ground in the midst of battle between the Diamondians and her secondary force. Afterwards, Celestia reverted to her normal Alicorn form. Ragingheart hauled herself up. Apparent scorch damages on her Nanite-based armor echoed Godslayer Watterson’s mentioning of the enemy being vulnerable to magic-based attacks. Celestia conjured energy shackles on Ragingheart’s legs to restrain the ‘Alicorn’ completely to the ground.

“Surrender while there is a chance,” the princess warned her, “or I will have no choice but to kill you!”

“Like you did to my friend!?” Ragingheart scoffed, her voice full of anger and hatred.

A part of her visor had been chipped off from the impact earlier, revealing her eyes and a part of her face. But the eye color is slightly different. They do not belong to Lyra Heartstrings.

Celestia realized this and thus was able to deduce Ragingheart’s identity. “Please listen to me! I’m sorry for everything I did to you! I remember banishing you to Everfree Forest, I remember taking away your wings. But I assure you, I did not kill Dinky! Derpy, please believe me!”

“You’re wrong!” Ragingheart hissed. “Do I look like a derp to you!?”

She removed her helmet, thus revealing that she is indeed Derpy, not Lyra as many had believed. The hatred-filled wingless pegasus no longer sports her signature ‘derpy’ expression because her eyes are now normally aligned.

Back at the bridge, the reveal shocked both Sunset Shimmer and Dumbbell.

“DITZY DOO!?” they shouted in unison.

“Ditzy who?” The name meant nothing to Lionel.

“Wait, what!?” Godslayer Dash gasped in shock. You kidding! You mean all this time I’ve been angry at the wrong pony!?

Pulling herself together, she urgently called out to Celestia, “Princess Celestia! Destroy the amulet quick!”

Having heard the call, Celestia then committed a grave mistake.

“I sense no magical energy in your amulet,” she said, staring curiously at the object visible through the fractured collar. “From where did you get it?”

Derpy smirked at the princess’ question.

***

Derpy looked absolutely dreadful. Her body was covered in dirt and had turned skinny, the reason for latter being due to her surviving only on fungus and tree saps for the past few weeks. Without her wings, she could not fly out to pinpoint her exact location.

Today Derpy had come across something. Unfortunately, it is not the river leading back to Ponyville that she was searching for. Instead it was a large field of blue flowers. Derpy moved towards it. Halfway through, she gave in to her extreme hunger and stumbled.

The Princess of the Sunlight’s name came into her mind. Celestia… I hate you…

Tears streamed down her eyes. She kept asking herself what did both she and Dinky do to the princess to deserve their fate.

Dinky…

At the thought of her half-sister and best friend, Derpy suddenly became determined. She must survive so she can avenge Dinky’s murder. So Derpy crawled towards the field with all her remaining energy. Upon reaching it, she forced herself to consume the flowers. She did not care what the flowers are or how horrible they taste. All she knew is if she did not to satisfy her hunger, she will starve to death.

All of a sudden, she felt a strong burning sensation inside her stomach, which then rapidly spread to the rest of the body. Her breathing became difficult. She writhed in discomfort before falling into the field out of view…

Inside the field, Derpy was still crying. She had not moved from that very spot for days, as the terrible burning sensation inside her had yet to fully subside.

“Oh you poor little thing...”

The sarcastic voice jolted Derpy. Her sobbing stopped. Opening her eyes, she moved her gaze towards the source of the unknown voice. Her vision was no longer distorted or warped like it used to before. Peering through the flower stems, she was able to make out a strange bipedal figure wearing a cloak, its face obscured under the hood. The forest darkness, the cloak’s dark color and the figure’s abrupt appearance, all made the situation frightening to her.

“W-who are you?” Derpy asked in distress. “What do you want from me?”

The cloaked figure smirked devilishly then produced the Alicorn Amulet replica from under her robe.

Several days later, Derpy recovered from her previous ordeal. She became wary of the presence of strange ‘creatures’ around the field. They vaguely resembled ponies, with very loose body form and looked constantly runny.

Looking down at herself, to her surprise, she found that she was standing on her hind legs. She moved around a little to find no awkwardness in her movement. She already knew something was different about herself during the encounter with the cloaked figure, but this one was a little too strange to her. Unbeknownst to her, all these are the affect from her consumption of the Poison Joke flowers.

Derpy’s gaze fell right away on the Alicorn Amulet on the ground. Once she stepped outside the field, the ‘creatures’ backed away from her, much to the pegasus’ surprise. Derpy recalled what the cloaked figure had said to her about raising an army. So she picked up the amulet then wore it on her neck. Strange semi-liquid masses flowed from ground and began enveloping her like a second layer of skin. Initially terrified, she began embracing the power brought upon from the mass that are Nanites.

The ‘skin’ reshaped itself, ultimately transforming into an Alicorn-styled robotic armor. From that moment, Derpy decided to call herself Ragingheart, a name also inspired from the cloaked figure’s words. Through her will, the creatures changed to more complex, fully formed simulacrum beings that will later induce dread on her enemies. Their final forms are MBP, White Bunneh, Mithra and Dalek.

“Doc, face it,” Ragingheart heard a faint voice coming from somewhere in the forest. “We’re lost!”

“Nonsense, Spike!” then came the unmistakable voice of Twilight Sparkle. “I’m two hundred and fifty percent sure that the Ghastly Gorge is just right up ahead.”

Ragingheart turned around to see the unicorn and her dragon companion appearing shortly after, both of whom are apparently terrified upon encountering the machine constructs.

***

Having finished her story, Derpy put her helmet back on.

“You care for her,” she tempted Celestia who wanted to know more about Twilight Sparkle’s whereabouts, “I see that clearly. I can tell you where she is. That is, if you’ll spare my life even if it’s only for a little while.”

As Celestia mused on the truthfulness of the claim, her focus began to lapse, exactly as Ragingheart had expected. The magic shackles’ grip on her weakened. After Ragingheart yanked herself free from the magic shackles, she lunged forward with a quick thrust of her blades at the princess.

Godslayer Dash was appalled when she saw this. “You had one job, princess! One job!”

She launched herself into the air towards where Ragingheart and Princess Celestia are.

“Your Royal Highness, it’s up to you now,” Godslayer Watterson said after he was informed by Godslayer Dash that Plan A that involves Princess Celestia destroying Ragingheart’s Alicorn Amulet had failed.

“I will do my best,” Luna responded with determination.

Godslayer Watterson and the royal guards backed away to give the princess some room. She concentrated to combine her Alicorn powers with that from the Elements of Harmony, whereupon blue aura surrounded her and the six hovering jewels around her were emitting similar aura.

“Twinkleshine,” Luna called, “guide me.”

The loyal unicorn stepped to the princess’ side.

Realizing almost too late that she had let her guard down, Celestia leaped out of the way from Ragingheart’s attack. She fired a powerful beam from her horn and Ragingheart did the same. When the beams met head on, a huge explosion erupted between the two foes.

Celestia hurled onto the snow by the force from the explosion. Yet Ragingheart remained firmly on her hooves, due to the protection offered by her spiked wings. The evil ‘Alicorn’ almost lunged forward to finish off the downed princess when her gaze suddenly turned away. Dismay came over her when she saw that the plain on the opposite side of the river bank was seemingly engulfed by magic energy.

“The Elements of Harmony!” she had come to realize, and the color of the aura could only mean one pony: Princess Luna.

Whilst Ragingheart was distracted by Celestia, the pegasus guards and the Diamondian infantries battled against her secondary forces, which were beyond the reach of Princess Luna’s assault. The Diamondian’s strength and their diamond-based weapons proved to be affective against the enemy. The only exception is the Mecha-Daleks whose armor plating requires a little more effort to penetrate.

Vast energy washed over the snow-laden landscape southbound, eliminating large portions of Ragingheart’s forces that happened to come into its path. Shortly after the energy dissipated, it is revealed that Princess Luna’s effort was not enough. The area of effect is nowhere near large enough to wipe out the enemy forces in its entirety. The surviving constructs, whom still greatly outnumber the Equestrians and Diamondians combined together, charged forward en masse in an all-out assault. It appeared to be a losing battle for the defenders.

Luna dropped on all fours. Injuries resulting from her confrontation with Trollestia have taken it out of her.

“I’m sorry…” Twinkleshine said solemnly.

Despair overcame the princess. “I’ve failed... My will wasn’t strong enough…”

“You’ve done all you could, Your Royal Highness,” Twinkleshine tried to comfort her.

“The mare is right!”

Though Luna had not heard it for so long, she still recognized that voice. “Blueblood?”

Carrying the unconscious Nova with him, the unicorn came up to meet his auntie and the remaining royal guards. Nova’s body was riddled with slash wounds. Bleeding profusely, it is unclear for how long the unfortunate changeling could hold on before succumbing to his injuries.

“It’s good to see you again, auntie.” Despite all too happy to see his beloved auntie again, Blueblood remained serious, given the current worsening situation.

As Twinkleshine attended to Nova’s wounds, Godslayer Watterson regarded Blueblood with astonishment. “Urk, did you come from the middle of that?”

“Yes,” the chancellor replied flatly, “but that’s not the point now.”

He addressed the royal guards in attempt to rally their courage. “Listen up! Long ago this kingdom was on the verge of collapse, but your forefathers and foremothers before you stood by the princesses’ side and fought to bring back peace and order to Equestria. Canterlot’s continued existence is a testament to their courage and loyalty! Today, history shall repeat itself! Fulfill your oath! Get out there and fight for Equestria!”

The royal guards’ spirit soared. Even Godslayer Watterson was moved. He was now aspired to fight to the end, with or without the Elements of Harmony.

With his tek-bow raised up high, the feline cried, “Yeah! We fight together! For Equestria!”

“OO-RAH!!!” all the guards responded in unison. “FOR EQUESTRIA!!!”

The unicorn guards charged down the hill first. They cast their shielding spells to provide cover for their Earth pony comrades that came following later.

An Archer-Mithra ahead of the frontline took aim at the Equestrian Royal Guards charging in its way.

“Eliminate all the Equestrians,” it notified the others, “but prioritize target on Princess Luna.”

Godslayer Dash slugged Ragingheart away from Princess Celestia. Before the evil ‘Alicorn’ could retaliate, she was hit by a blast from Tirek’s bazooka.

Discord came then waded in with his Exquisite Ban Hammer.

“Now feel the wrath of my Exquisite Ban Hammer!” he proclaimed. “Be gone, chaos-doer!”

His strike threw Ragingheart with plumes of dirt and snow outward. Tirek and Godslayer Dash rushed with the captain to continue the assault.

“Provide cover fire,” one of the Mecha-Daleks in the rearguard declared after it detected its leader is in distress.

All the mechs positioned in the southern outskirts away from the main battles formed a line, after which they began bombarding the plains on both sides of the riverbank.

The Equestrian Royal Guards galloped courageously through the battlefield amidst the eruptions. Some unlucky solders were knocked off their hooves by the force of explosions. Yet their comrades kept on going. Those who have fallen quickly got back to their hooves, their spirits remained undeterred and moved forth. All weapons drawn, the two opposing forces finally met head-on.

The bombardment gave Ragingheart enough space between herself and her attackers to let her take off. Figuring that Ragingheart had decided to go after Princess Luna for using the Elements of Harmony, Godslayer Dash took to the skies in order to stop her.

Cannon shells hit the waters nearby, creating huge geysers in their wake.

Realized that the bridge might get hit at any time by stroke of chance, Flam pressed the agitated civilians, “All right, everypony! We have to go! We have to go now!”

With no time to lose, he and Sunset Shimmer hustled Lionel and the rest of the ponies off the bridge.

“I don’t see Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon!” Sunset Shimmer cried suddenly while glancing around for the two Earth ponies. “Where are they!?”

She flinched when another cannon shell exploded on the riverbank nearby.

Blueblood looked upon in dismay at the explosions from the hail of cannon shells riddling the battlefield.

“The irony!” he cried, referring to the prologue to the Battle of the Market Square. “Now we’re being bombarded!”

Then I must try again! Luna stood up determined after she heard her nephew’s cry. I just need to push myself more this time.

At that very moment, Fighter-White Bunnehs and MBPs that managed to bypass the attacking Equestrian Royal Guards trudged up the foothill coming for her.

“I got this!” Blueblood drew his sword then galloped downhill in a suicidal attempt to defend his auntie.“In the name of the Royal Sisters-”

He abruptly tripped and tumbled down the slope like a ball, snow gathering up around him until he's now seen as a giant snowball rolling down the hill.

Meanwhile down the slope, Ragingheart attempted to strike down Godslayer Dash with both her blades. Godslayer Dash held up her Ethereal Staff-Mace to block the attack. They both pushed forward, locking their weapons against each other.

“You ain’t going anywhere near Princess Luna, ya hear me!?” Godslayer Dash shouted at Ragingheart’s visor.

She deflected away the blades from by swiftly moving both her weapon and herself in a twist movement before separating away from the ‘Alicorn’.

Just when the two combatants were about to attack again, a gargantuan snowball slowly rolled past right between them. They both paused from battle and turned to see that the White Bunnehs got stuck in the tumbling snowball along with Blueblood.

“Why’s everything always go wrong whenever that stallion’s around?” Ragingheart asked, not particularly at anyone.

“‘Cuz…he’s a chaos god reincarnate?” Godslayer Dash said, who is just as baffled at the unicorn.

Up on the hill, Luna’s ears twitched. The princess had managed to figure what happened to his nephew from the sound made by the tumbling snowball.

And I’m the one with sightless eyes, she thought with a shake of her head.

Unfortunately for the Princess of the Night, Ragingheart’s assault sent Godslayer Dash slamming at her. In the aftermath, both she and Godslayer Dash lay on the snow groaning in pain with the Elements of Harmony scattered around them.

There were many ponies still making their way to get off the bridge. Lightning Dust, Gilda and Trixie, whom had stayed behind to make sure not a single pony was left behind at the wreckage, were the last to leave. Gilda saw several cannon shells dropping down from the sky, one of them seemed to be targeting for Trixie. She shoved the unicorn out of the way shortly before the cannon shell blew a hole through the pavement.

In the explosion’s aftermath, Lightning Dust tried to locate Gilda and Trixie through the pluming smoke.

“Gilda! Trixie!” her voice was loud but occasionally it was drowned by sounds of battle and explosions from both side. “Where are you!?”

Another shell came dropping down and this time it hit the side deck. The explosion caused the suspenders to snap in succession. Lightning Dust was alerted by the sharp cracking sounds but her reaction was unfortunately too slow. As a result, her side got whipped by one of the snapped cables.

Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon both saw what happened to Lightning Dust.

“Spoony! Go on without me!” Diamond Tiara told Silver Spoon before galloping off into the pluming smoke.

“Nuh-uh!” Silver Spoon defied the elder Earth pony’s instruction. “I’m coming with you!”

She immediately went off to catch up with Diamond Tiara.

Off the bridge, Sunset Shimmer saw what the Earth ponies were doing.

“Guys, no! Come back!” she called out to them to no avail.

Lightning Dust continued the search for Trixie and Gilda through the smoke, in spite of her injured wing or the high possibility that one the shells soaring above might drop on her anytime.

“Where are you guys???” she called desperately. “Please answer me!”

“Over here!”

Lightning Dust navigated herself towards Trixie’s voice. She yanked herself away the moment the smoke around her began to clear, as the pegasus had come close to falling into a wide cracked hole. After another while of searching, she finally found them.

“Quick! Help me lift her!” Trixie cried as she tried with sheer difficulty to lift the unconscious Gilda whom had shielded her by taking the full brunt of the explosion.

Due to her size and the armor suit, the griffon weights almost a ton.

“Oh no! Gilda!!!” Lightning Dust tried to help Trixie using her uninjured side. However, she failed as her action only made the pain even worse. Feeling that this method will never work, Lightning Dust decided to try wake Gilda instead.

“Wake up, Gilda!” she shouted at the griffon’s face.“Wake up!!!”

Just then, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon appeared and they helped Trixie in lifting Gilda up.

Meanwhile off the bridge, Sunset Shimmer worried about her friends.

I can’t just stand here, she thought. I have to do something too.

“Sunset Shimmer, don’t!” Flam yelled upon seeing saw Sunset Shimmer galloping to the bridge. “The bridge’s gonna fall apart!”

The mare halted in her tracks when an explosion suddenly erupted .

At same time on the bridge, Trixie, Lightning Dust, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon stared in shock at the ground before them collapses into the river. There on the riverbank, they spotted Sunset Shimmer who was transfixed as much as they are.

It quickly hit Lighting Dust that their escape had been cut off. She however refused to accept that all four friends will die with her. She is determined to make sure that at least one could make it.

The pegasus brought her face close to her griffon friend. “Gilda! Wake up! Gilda!”

“Lightning…”

Lightning Dust however was not paying attention to Trixie at all.

“You can still fly out of here!” she persisted. “At least take Silver Spoon with you! Snap out of it!”

“Lightning Dust!” Trixie shouted, startling the distraught pegasus.

When the latter looked at her friends, they all appeared to have resigned to their fate. None could help them now, Trixie pointed it out to her, because others were totally occupied with fending off enemy forces on both sides of the riverbank. Reeled from the unfair situation they were caught in, Lightning Dust felt the need to find a way for her to accept their fate. So the pegasus told them of her decision of coming clean with Gilda as the final act before the end.

After the rest gave the go-ahead, Lightning Dust began her confession. “Gilda, if you can hear me, please listen. It’s about the accident I’ve caused back then. The reason that it happened…It’s because…I was a hypocrite. I know I said before the Wonderbolts is not a race, but I still became jealous. Every day, you’re becoming better than me in our trainings. I was so…fixated at becoming number one, without thinking, I started taking risks, just to prove myself. That’s why…I avoided you since then. I was ashamed. I should’ve been proud of you, instead I…I…”

She started whimpering, and continued, “Gilda, why? After what I did to you, I don’t understand… How can you still call yourself my friend?”

“It’s…accident…” the weak Gilda stammered, eyes half-open

“Gilda?” Lightning Dust gasped.

“You were…there…for me…”

The pegasus struggled to comprehend her friend’s meaning…

***

The senior members apparently disliked the new recruit. The Wonderbolts are supposed to be about pegasus- that is what believed personally, and they are not about to let that change. They prevented Gilda from entering the cafeteria and utter bad things in order to discourage the griffon. Although griffons are supposedly aggressive creatures, Gilda remained passive. It was not like she wanted to be there in the first place, the griffon thought.

Lightning Dust waded in to her defense. In front of the seniors, she declared not only Gilda is her friend, but also a Wonderbolt therefore deserves to be treated equally by the other teammates. Gilda was moved by her friend’s action because Lightning Dust actually look up to the seniors but it seemed she is willing to risk fallout with the seniors for her. Gilda made a promise to herself that she will remain by Lightning Dust’s side and work hard to repay the favor.

***

“It’s funny,” Lightning Dust recalled, eyes full of tears, “You’re bigger than any of them, yet you still let them intimidate you.”

“Friends…forever…” Gilda whispered.

The griffon’s loyalty touched Lightning Dust. “Oh, Gilda…You’re too good of a friend for me…”

“I understand,” Trixie said. “One mistake can’t tear apart a lifelong friendship. It’s not just me.”

She turned her gaze at Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. “We all have been through it, don’t we?”

The Earth ponies gave their firm nod.

The ground suddenly started to move, prompting the four ponies to panic. Taut suspender cables inevitably failed in holding the weight of the shattered deck. One-by-one, the cables dislodged from its bolted anchors. The entire bridge span sloped further downwards as a result.

Godslayer Watterson moved forward whilst letting loose his arrows at the incoming enemy, unfazed by the violent explosions erupting all around him.

“Take out their artilleries!” he cried out, to which two battlegroups of unicorn royal guards responded and raced past him.

Godslayer Watterson had already that the task of getting to the mechs positioned in the rearguard is easier said than done. He glanced back at the bridge, now shattered into three portions and look ready to collapse at any moment.

Oh man, we could use the Diamondian’s anti-armor weapons right about now, Godslayer Watterson thought, if only the bridge wasn’t out.

For the Diamondian forces, they have problems of their own. The artillery barrage scattered them into smaller groups all over the place whilst battling the enemy at the same time.

Celestia reeled after being assisted up to her hooves by Discord and Tirek. Her injuries however were the least of her concern at the moment. The princess was distressed that Sunset Shimmer was still there at the riverbank when the other ponies have left for safety. Flim and Flam tried very hard to hustle the transfixed Sunset Shimmer away from the area, but she just would not budge.

More shells rained down from the sky. This time their aim is accurate. This wave will deal the finishing blow to the bridge.

Gilda, whom had fallen into unconscious again, was gently set down on the pavement. The four ponies gathered around the griffon in tight circle, holding each other’s hooves.

By the time Sunset Shimmer came to her senses, it was too late. One cannon shell already has Sunset Shimmer and the brothers in its sight. Their fate appeared to have been sealed, until Celestia’s energy barrier formed around them, creating a just big enough energy dome for the three.

There was genuine fear among the four trapped ponies, even the brave Lightning Dust. Even her stints in the Wonderbolts had never brought her close to death like this.

Trixie cast a glance at the energy dome encasing Sunset Shimmer. A tentative smile formed on her face.

“Sunset Shimmer’s safe,” she said. “We did it. It’s up to the rest now.”

The unicorn hoped that that was enough to put away her friends’ fears. Lightning Dust responded by nodding at her, as did Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. They cast a small smile amongst themselves before bringing their heads together as a gesture of forgiveness for whatever wrong left they had done to each other.

Lightning Dust gazed down sympathetically at Gilda whom she had made peace with, before closing her eyes like the rest. After every ordeal they both had went through, she knew it is only right that Gilda should be spared from the pain coming next.

So this is how it ends for the five friends, out of which three never got to live their original dreams…

Trixie once boasted that she will become the greatest magician in Equestria. That dream shattered when she was expelled from magic school, for her magic abilities are subpar. Utter humiliation and anger overcame the unicorn to the point that she was convinced that everypony are looking down at her, mocking her behind her back. This caused her to inadvertently lash out even at Sunset Shimmer. Despite this, Sunset Shimmer did not give up on Trixie. In the end, thanks to Sunset Shimmer’s effort, Trixie was able to move on.

Lightning Dust was supposed to be a star lead pony before her recklessness costs her place in the Wonderbolts. After her disgrace exit, she was regarded as a villain, thanks to Rainbow Dash’s distortion of the truth on the accident. Later after joining the royal army, she became motivated again after meeting the other Reserve members. It might be a foolish thought, but Lightning Dust believed the army is her ticket to redemption. Over the years, she waited patiently for the chance, whatever it might be, where she could prove herself as a hero.

Gilda was initially ambitionless before being convinced to join the Wonderbolts. Only the thought of Lightning Dust as her partner truly motivated her to work hard. Gilda owed it to Lightning Dust after the Pegasus stood up for her against the bullies in her early years. Unfortunately, after Lighting Dust’s expulsion, she became lost. Worse, their relationship gradually strained. Yet she continued to train her, after being advised so by Sunset Shimmer, hoping that she could find something if she lives Lightning Dust’s dream.

Diamond Tiara loves the idea of ponies wearing the clothes she made. The time she spent in Manehattan’s shopping district became her inspiration and the Fashion Week was the ticket to establish her own fashion line at international level. But her constant failures led her to near bankruptcy and also sheer depression because all this time she thought she had a superior fashion sense. But eventually her dream came true, but to a lesser extent. While the boutique she and Silver Spoon run in Canterlot was not overly successful, still it is doing well.

Silver Spoon, probably the most childish of the six friends, only wanted what is best for her foster sister. She is more than content with her life as long as Diamond Tiara is happy. If she has one true desire in her life, then it is to see her parents alive again. But that wish is impossible to fulfil. So Silver Spoon decided to devote her time, effort and resources to help Diamond Tiara. Yes, Diamond Tiara can be temperamental and moody at times but after looking past all that, she is a loving big sister to Silver Spoon.

Coming to the present, here they are now their life about to be cut short. It was their choice that got them in the current predicament. A choice they made to save their friend who had cared for them, never abandoning them in their time of need. In their last moment, they thought about Sunset Shimmer, safe now that the Royal Princesses have returned, thus their death will not be in vain. And they have not wasted their lives. Putting their past demons behind them, the four friends prepared to embrace their inevitable death.

An explosion broke off one of the mast, causing it to crash onto the adjacent mast and subsequently the bridge span in both directions to shake jarringly. No longer supported by the cables from the destroyed masts, the deck the five friends are on gave in to its weight and broke off from the columns.

Sunset Shimmer watched in horror as the bridge came collapsing down before her eyes. All of the sudden, from her perspective, the world was mute and everything moved in slow motion. Subsequently the rest of it were blown apart in a near simultaneous explosions by the remaining shells. Within seconds, the entire bridge was gone.

The energy dome protecting Sunset Shimmer, Flim and Flam took a hit from the one of the shells raining on the riverbank. For a brief moment, it appeared the energy dome was completely consumed by the resulting explosion. But after the smoke cleared, the dome still remained as it was, showing that it is able to withstand the blast from a cannon shell traveling a high velocity.

Once the energy dome dematerialized, Sunset Shimmer was already on her knees. Grieving tears streamed down from her eyes. Unmoving, she just stared towards where the bridge once stood. Flam was unable to make up his mind whether he should try to comfort her or simply left her be. Celestia carefully moved to approach the devastated unicorn.

Discord, Tirek and Flim removed their helmet. They grieved the loss of the five friends. Despite Gilda’s short time with them, she was still their comrade in arms as did Lightning Dust. Trixie was one of their favorite characters at the castle- friendly, polite, soft-spoken and cheerful. Diamond Tiara and Silver, the three did not know them that well. But the Earth ponies are civilians. Lightning Dust and Gilda’s sacrifice would have been more understandable.

Sunset Shimmer’s reaction only came after realizing Celestia was standing right next to her. There was a pleading look on her teary face, as if asking if there is anything can be done left to save the five. Celestia regarded the unicorn guiltily. None of this would happen in the first place had she not done wrong to Derpy, the princess lamented her mistake. Deep in her heart, she truly wished that she could take everything back.

Seeing no response from the princess, Sunset Shimmer buried her face in her hooves, mourning the loss of her best friends. Yet deep inside, beyond her sorrows, she longed for a miracle, that Trixie and the rest can still be saved.

What can I do? I’m nothing! Sunset Shimmer cried her heart out aloud in anguish. Anypony, anything! Please! Help me!

Sunset Shimmer’s emotions were so strong it sent a vibe all the way to Unicorn Range. The vibe was very weak by the time it arrives yet still visible enough to be detected by ponies with right skills.

Luna took this with alarm. “Sunset Shimmer?”

Both she and Godslayer Dash currently surrounded by MBPs, the former disarmed of the Elements of Harmony

“Don’t worry about Sunset Shimmer,” Ragingheart cynically said to the princess. “She will join her friends soon enough.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Godslayer Dash peered towards Canterlot Plateau. “It can’t be... They didn’t make it?”

Despite the distance, she was able to make out that Canterlot River’s only bridge was no longer there.

Luna all of a sudden felt a slight throb in her head due to Sunset Shimmer’s increasingly intense vibe, like it was calling out for help.

Godslayer Dash could not hold her anger at Ragingheart any longer.

“Damn you!” she yelled, hands clenched tightly. “I’m gonna take you apart!!!”

She was about to do something rash when suddenly an MBP holding one of the Elements get its arm blown to bits. This was shortly followed by another MBP about to pick up another Element in the snow had its upper torso blown apart. Within second, both constructs were obliterated by the expanding light emitted by the two gemstones. A third expanding light shot up to the sky, taking out another MBP in the process.

Godslayer Dash turned her head back. Three more pillars of light have already been formed. Altogether there are six light pillars: red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet, the same colors as the Elements of Harmony. Slowly, all the gemstones rose up within each enclosing light. Like Ragingheart, she was baffled by this phenomenon. The Elements seemed to be acting on their own.

In an apparent attempt stop whatever the Elements were doing, an MBP lunged itself into the one of the lights, its arm reaching to grab the gem. The construct however never came close to touching the Element of Harmony as the defensive aura completely destroyed its upper torso. It was gradually reduced to nothingness as the rest of the body went into the light.

Debris from the destroyed bridge slowly sank past the five friends. Any minute hypothermia would claim their lives before they drown.

Trixie nearly fell into unconscious. In her current state of mind, she could not comprehend the eerie environment around them. She glimpsed herself and her friends drifting through a darkish, freezing vacuum towards the total blackness. As she was about to close her eyes, her vision was immersed in a strange gleaming light. Her only thought at the time is the light must be the passageway to the afterlife.

As they continued to drift downwards, gleaming white light suffused the five friends one-by-one.

“I brought this on them,” Sunset Shimmer sobbed under the comfort of Celestia, “on all of us.”

The sound of the battle between the Diamondians and Ragingheart’s forces echoed in the distance.

“No, Sunset Shimmer. it was-” Before Celestia could finish, she became astonished when Sunset Shimmer suddenly gave off a strange aura.

Upon realizing that she was covered in a reddish aura, Sunset Shimmer stopped crying.

From underneath the frozen water surface, five lights of brilliant white shot up simultaneously towards the sky, whereupon Discord and Flam dropped their jaws wide open at the awestruck sight.

And Flim, he reacted by leaping up to Tirek arms, yelling, “Faust Almighty, help us!”

Sensing a new, even greater threat, enemy forces turned their sights towards the river. Their sudden action prompted the Diamondians and the Equestrian pegasus guards to do the same. The sight of five brilliant pillars of light extending up to the clouds stunned them all.

The battle between Equestrians and the invaders also came to an abrupt halt. Ragingheart’s entire army appeared to be focusing their sights at the strange phenomenon going on at Canterlot River. They were actually awaiting confirmation command to deal with the potential new threat.

Godslayer Watterson stared at the lights that had appeared at Unicorn Range then at Canterlot River. His hope soared at the phenomena which he is confident that it is connected to the Elements of Harmony. The tide of Battle of Canterlot was finally turning to the defender’s favor, he thought confidently.

The Elements of Harmony remained untouchable until the lights vanished. Immediately, all the gems shot away from the area, leaving a temporary colored trail in their wake. Ragingheart let out a furious scream for letting the Elements slipped away from her grasp.

Sunset Shimmer’s mind struggled to comprehend what is going on. “Princess, what’s happening to me!?”

“Don’t be afraid, Sunset Shimmer,” Celestia reassured her as she backed away from the scared unicorn. “Let it take its course.”

One-by-one the light pillars started changing color as soon as the Elements of Harmony arrived. The five gems circled around until they came to a stop at the light of their corresponding color.

The Red Element of Harmony hovered before Sunset Shimmer and transformed into red shimmering sun-shaped gem pendant attached to a gold choker.

Following this, the rest of the Elements of Harmony vanished into their respective lights.

The Orange Element of Harmony separated into four pieces- a long-thunderbolt and three star-shaped gems respectively to become the insignia on Lightning Dust’s armor.

The Yellow Element of Harmony transformed into a short thunderbolt-shaped jewel, identical to the Wonderbolt’s symbol which then become part of Gilda’s bracelet.

The Green Element of Harmony took the appearance of a pearl necklace with a spoon-shaped pendant adorned with a heart-shaped jewel at the tip of its handle.

The Blue Element of Harmony separated into two pieces then embedded themselves onto Trixie’s barrette as a star and crescent moon-shaped decorative respectively.

The Violet Element of Harmony separated into numerous tiny versions of itself, before combining with Diamond Tiara’s headband into a diamond-encrusted tiara.

Once the transformation finished, all the light pillars vanished. The five friends, all had been completely revived, glided down before Sunset Shimmer. Once on the ground, they looked among themselves in great astonishment. Neither of them have any memories of surviving the collapsed bridge or when they started using the new accessories.

Then something strange started happening to Sunset Shimmer. Red gleaming energy flowed down her body, forming a dress and a pair of wings. The said-dress is identical to the ball gown Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon made together as a surprise gift for the unicorn.

Sunset Shimmer was as baffled as her friends at her transformation. And only now Trixie, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon realized that they have ‘grown’ wings, after being pointed out by Lightning Dust. They turned to face the approaching Princess Celestia, Captain Discord, Tirek and the Flim Flam Brothers. Sunset Shimmer, Trixie and Lightning Dust were regarded upon by the princess in a way the three do not understand.

It is a new-found respect with a bit of irony. Lighting Dust, a chauffeur who is part of the misfits that is the lowly Reserves, Trixie, the under-average achiever who later became a ‘castle servant’, Sunset Shimmer, the student whose ambition she decided to doom in favor of Twilight Sparkle. The hope to repel the invaders from Canterlot now lies with these three along with the griffon and two Earth ponies.

When asked by Lightning Dust why Sunset Shimmer and Trixie had become ‘Alicorns’ and Diamond Tara and Silver Spoon as ‘pegasus’, Celestia pointed out that the Elements of Harmony had been given them wings and there must be for a reason of it.

“But what’re we supposed to do?” the fraught Sunset Shimmer asked.

“Trust in yourselves and each other,” the princess advised the five Element Bearers. “Your Elements will be your guide all the way.”

“So that’s what the Elements are all about,” Luna blurted.

When Godslayer Dash asked her what she meant by that, the princess replied, “They all barely made it in the end, thanks to the magic of friendship. The Elements reacted to Sunset Shimmer’s strong aspiration to save her friends.”

“Are you saying friendship is magic in a literal sense,” Godslayer Dash asked further, “or are you talking metaphorically?”

“Huh, you haven’t won yet!” Ragingheart interrupted them.

“Face it, acorn-brain!” Godslayer Dash retorted. “You lose!”

“No, I will still have my revenge!” the evil ‘Alicorn’ declared. “Minions, strike them down- NOW!”

The Mecha-Daleks, having received the go-ahead command from their leader, now turned their sights to the Element Bearers and began making their move.

At the sight of the incoming mechs, Celestia glanced back at the Element Bearers. “They’re coming for you! Make haste!”

With that said, Sunset Shimmer and her friends took off, shortly followed by the Princess of the Sunlight.

As the Element Bearers soared away, Celestia stopped to hover high above Canterlot River.

“EVERYPONY!” she called out desperately to rally the Equestrians and the Diamondians alike. “PROTECT THE ELEMENT BEARERS!”

All the Mecha-Daleks from the main force hasted through the thick snow past the Equestrians, transforming into their flying tank forms as they go. Godslayer Watterson understood Ragingheart’s strategy is to have those tanks targeting the Element Bearers exclusively while the rest of her army will divert the Equestrian and the Diamondian’s attention.

“Earth ponies, hold the line!” he yelled. “Unicorns, take down the tanks!”

The Equestrian Royal Guards in response split into two major groups. The unicorns went after the tanks as instructed. The Earth ponies engaged the remaining constructs coming at them from the south.

On the other side of the river, waves of Mecha-Daleks were beaten back by Discord’s shockwave and Celestia’s flare attack. Diamondian infantries threw everything they got at the Mecha-Daleks while their archers worked to bring down the mechs that were already in the air.

The Dalek Tanks fired up their jet thrusters. During take-off, they came under fire from the rear by the unicorn guards’ magic missiles and Godslayer Watterson’s arrows. Those that managed to get to higher altitude were getting swarmed over by the pegasus guards. They slashed with their weapons in a suicidal attempt to bring the flying tanks down to the ground.

One of the tanks came down crashing to the ground after succumbing to enough damage. All but one pegasus guard leaped off from the transforming tank shortly before it plowed into the snow. After the Mecha-Dalek got back up, it attempted to finish off the unlucky pegasus with a stomp of its foot. At this very moment, Godslayer Watterson leaped above the pegasus with his arrow squarely aimed at the mech’s eye. He fired at point-blank range.

Ragingheart watched in dismay many but not all of her tanks coming down crashing to the ground due to the combined efforts the Equestrians and Diamondians. Deciding that she should deal with the Element Bearers herself, the ‘Alicorn’ launched herself into the air. She barely takes off when Godslayer Dash caught her leg.

“Aw no ya don’t!” With a pull, Godslayer Dash sent the evil ‘Alicorn’ slamming to the ground.

Ragingheart in response counterattacked by slashing her wing at Godslayer Dash, resulting a spike cutting into the latter’s armor. She was just about to strike Godslayer Dash down when Luna’s magic aura beam blasted her away.

Godslayer Dash rubbed her hand at the cut on the breastplate then looked at it- she was bleeding, but not too much. She then saw Ragingheart taking to the sky. At the sight, her mind brought her back to Zach’s words when they were on board on The Catgirl then. She is resolved to fight, not to get back on Ragingheart, but to protect Sunset Shimmer and the rest of the Element Bearers.

Godslayer Dash was up firmly on her feet, gazing upwards just like she did before on the moon but much more motivated this time. In no time she shot upwards, billowing off the snow beneath her.

Three Mecha-Daleks joined their leader to pursue the Element Bearers in midair. Closing in, they now have the Element Bearers in their targeting reticule when all of a sudden something, more of a blur, smashed through one of them. Ragingheart pressed forward while the remaining mechs stopped to fight the threat. In a split second, one of the mech’s head was smashed to pieces. Subsequently, the last Mecha-Dalek found itself facing an armed Godslayer Dash. It barely had time to react as Godslayer Dash zigzagged so fast right before it, bludgeoning the mech in the process.

After the pulped remains of the mech plummeted toward the ground, Godslayer Dash streaked after Ragingheart.

Seeing that the Godslayer was catching up to her, Ragingheart accelerated. Godslayer Dash followed her lead. For a while, they raced through the skies to outmaneuver each other. In the end, Godslayer Dash successfully outraced Ragingheart and darted right in front of her. Shocked, the ‘Alicorn’ shielded herself with her wings while trying to bring herself to a stop.

Just of short of collision, Godslayer Dash swung her staff-mace at Ragingheart with all her strength. The powerful blow sent the evil ‘Alicorn’ flinging down to earth with pieces from her damaged wings falling off her.

“What goes up, must come down!” Godslayer Dash cried triumphantly- cliche, but a suitable pun nonetheless.

The Element Bearers soared high above the clouds until they reached a high enough altitude. All six stopped to hover in a tight circle. They closed their eyes and concentrated to channel the power from their respective Elements. Working in tandem with each other and the Elements of Harmony, they focused all their will to save Equestria from Ragingheart’s evil forces.

A multicolored halo then surrounded them, whom are individually suffused with aura of their matching Element’s color. The clouds below them started to move apart due to the energetic disturbance given off by the Element Bearers. Shortly, the Element Bearers’ auras shot powerful, energy beams to down below.

The energy beams punched a wide gaping hole through the clouds. When the beams hit the ground, a bright energy sphere was created in its wake. It rapidly expanded in size before bursting into a powerful energy wave that sweeps across the plain like a speeding tidal wave.

After recovering from her crash, Ragingheart watched in dismay her entire force getting eliminated by the Elements of Harmony. Still, she was not prepared to lose. The evil ‘Alicorn’ took off just short before the energy wave arrived at her position

Convinced of their end, Discord, Tirek and the Flim Flam brothers held each other tightly and braced themselves against the incoming energy wave.

“It’s been nice knowing you all!” Flim screamed.

The opposing forces ceased fighting. Ragingheart’s forces fled whereas the unicorn guards remained where they are because they knew they cannot hope to outrun the energy wave. Amongst them, Godslayer Watterson stood calmly and unafraid. All the guards jerked as everything around them fell into a white flash. Almost immediately, they opened their eyes then looked around in great surprise. They stood exactly where they were before, unharmed. But Ragingheart’s forces were nowhere to be seen.

There was a blinding white flash. After it passed, Discord Tirek, Flim and Flam were still holding each other, gaping stupidly with their wide open eyes flickered in disbelief that they are still alive. Nearby, Celestia and Fido along with their respective army looked at each other while checking themselves for any signs of harm. There were none. In fact, they felt nothing when the destructive wave passed through them.

The unstoppable energy wave continued its sweep southbound. In its wake was the Nanite constructs’ total destruction whereas the Earth pony royal guards remained unaffected.

The energy wave reached Ponyville in almost no time. The occupied town square was briefly engulfed by it. After the wave made its passing, all that was left are empty streets and deserted buildings.

The enslaved ponies stood around dumfounded at the sight of the energy wave speeding away from the rock farm. They were all that remain after their captors have completely vanished in the aftermath of the wave’s passing. In the shivering cold, Mayor Mare had the first show of smile in many weeks. The middle-aged Earth pony had no idea who or what kind of magic created that energy wave. For now, she was grateful that Ponyville is now liberated.

The Battle of Appleloosa was not going well for the liberators. Freed local soldiers and their Diamondian allies gathered closely to each other, completely surrounded by Ragingheart’s forces with no way out. Hopelessly outnumbered, Prince Umbra and Commander Rover rallied their respective armies for one final assault.

In the horizon, the energy wave announced its arrival. After it come and go, both allied armies were left to wonder among themselves what had happened. All around them is now a vast empty landscape with no trace of the constructs, except for the footprints they left in the snow. With that, the whole continent is free of the evil Nanite constructs.

The moment the five Element Bearers came down from the sky, Godslayer Watterson rallied the Equestrians to cheer with him to herald their victory.

Once the Element Bearers touched the ground, Ragingheart seemingly from out of nowhere slammed onto the ground, knocking some of the guards off their hooves. Everyone, Godslayer Watterson and the Element Bearers included, were caught off-guard. None of them expected even the enemy leader be able to escape the Element of Harmony’s energy wave.

Ragingheart fired her beam at Sunset Shimmer, even as Godslayer Dash darted right between them with her Resist Shield conjured. The resulting explosion threw the smoldered Godslayer Dash hard to the ground. By now Ragingheart fumed that she has had enough of the constant interferences from the human being. She decided to put an end to Godslayer Dash who now looked to be an easy target.

Godslayer Dash was now up on her feet the same time as her Fleet SHADE began recharging its shielding. She merely let Ragingheart coming in at her. At the same time, she assumed a combat-ready stance.

Sunset Shimmer bolted forward wanting to help but Godslayer Watterson held her back. Seeing Godslayer Dash in the stance made him realize that she is not dodging on purpose.

Ragingheart lunged with her blade but missed after Godslayer Dash made a quick slip to the side. With a swift move of her arms, Godslayer Dash grabbed Ragingheart and hurled her away from Sunset Shimmer then launched herself to go after the evil ‘Alicorn’.

Godslayer Watterson was very impressed at Dash, feeling that she must have learned something from their sparring match some time ago. No time to waste, he sprinted to go after the two combatants.

Godslayer Dash slammed into Ragingheart at subsonic speed, sending them both sailing across the landscape. Grabbing on to the ‘Alicorn’, Godslayer Dash used her free hand to batter the helmet until its crystal horn broke off. She then let go of Ragingheart, while continuing her streak across the plain.

As Godslayer Dash flew off in the distance, momentum sent the evil ‘Alicorn’ bouncing across the snow for miles before coming to a stop. Ragingheart woozily hauled herself up. When she was able to stand properly, the ‘Alicorn’ was suddenly caught in Godslayer Watterson’s MagNet.

She was paralyzed by the glow projected by the Ethereal ‘magic circle’ under her hooves. She struggled to free herself but it was futile. Godslayer Watterson merely watched the helpless ‘Alicorn’ from a not so distant spot after deciding that Godslayer Dash should have the honor of finishing off the last enemy.

Godslayer Dash soared to the skies then looped around in a wide circle, apparently coming back for Ragingheart. When she has Ragingheart in her sights, her thrusters fired up to full power. After the sonic boom, she accelerated towards the enemy. Unable to move, Ragingheart’s eyes widened with dread upon seeing Godslayer Dash coming at her with immense speed. Godslayer Dash conjured her Ethereal Staff-Mace just moments she dropped on Ragingheart. The violent strike created a powerful explosion that sends billowing snow and dirt shooting up high into the air.

Equestrians and Diamondians stood watch in awe at the huge explosion from across the riverbank.

“Whoa!” Flam exclaimed. “It’s like Rainbow Dash’s Sonic Rainnuke, but without all the colors! Don’t you think so too, brother?”

Flim nodded.

“Actually,” Tirek said with a sort analytical look on him, “it sort of looks like a tall muffin with buttercream icing spread and with dabs of chocolate mints.”

In response, the brothers rolled their eyes at the centaur.

Exhausted after the battle, food was the only thing Discord could think right now.

“I could use some candy popcorn right about now,” he said somberly.

“Captain, where has your princess gone off to?” The question was from Commander Fido.

Discord looked around. He realized that the Diamondian commander was right. Princess Celestia was not among them anymore.

Nova’s eyes flickered open. A mare whom he did not know was smiling at him.

“Are you an angel?” he asked.

Blueblood appeared next to Twinkleshine. “Of course not. You’re very well alive, brave warrior.”

Only then Nova had notice himself bandaged all over. Truthfully, he never expected himself to survive Ragingheart’s attack and was fully convinced that he would die without professing his love to Lightning Dust.

Twinkleshine turned towards Princess Luna, whose eyesight was returning. After being blinded for so long, the princess shielded her eyes as they were still not used to the sunlight. Twinkleshine cast a glance back at her rear to discover that she has her tail back. Overwhelmed with joy, she danced around briefly on her hind legs then went on to embrace Princess Luna. At this point, the princess’ eyes have completely adjusted to the light. She gazed upon unicorn’s face for the first time since they met on the lunar surface.

“Why, you’re beautiful, Twinkleshine,” Luna said sincerely, tears of excessive joy shed from her eyes.

Twinkleshine accepted the praise with a gracious “Thank you.”

Longing for her nephew, Luna motioned to Blueblood to come to her:

“I miss you so!” the princess said joyfully as she embraced Blueblood.

Delighted to see his beloved auntie both happy and healed, the stallion smiled and said, “As do I, auntie.”

The Elements Bearers reverted back to their normal form. After which, all six gems shot off to where Princess Luna is, their ‘chosen guardian’, for safekeeping.

Sunset Shimmer watched in dismay at the rising clouds of dust and snow. She hoped that both Dash and Derpy survived considering the how violent the impact looked to her.

The cloud by now had fully settled. Godslayer Dash is revealed to have inadvertently opened up a small, shallow crater. As Ragingheart crawled her way out of it, pieces of her armor gradually fell apart before dissolving completely. Derpy’s powers have all gone, her hatred is all that remained. It was too bad though. Had she not avoid the energy wave, her current state as a wingless pegasus, walking on two legs could have been ‘cured’ by the Elements of Harmony.

Celestia glided down before her. Seeing the princess that she hated so much was right in front her, Derpy staggered forth. Fighting off the terrible pain from her bruises, she exerted every amount of strength she had left to lash out at the princess.

The royal guards attempted to stop Derpy, but Celestia ordered them to let her be. Derpy’s strikes were nothing more than gentle slaps. The pegasus kept on doing this until she dropped on her knees, having finally giving in to her injuries, and began crying. It was a sorrowful cry, much like the way how Sunset Shimmer mourned for her friends before they were saved by the Elements of Harmony. Sunset Shimmer and Celestia looked upon the despaired pony with a mix of both sense of sympathy and bafflement.

Sunset Shimmer was unable to tell what is currently on Derpy’s mind. Maybe Derpy was grieving at her failure for vengeance, or maybe she was remembering Dinky. One thing she knows for sure is Celestia was in fact telling the truth. The princess could not have murdered Dinky, for Derpy’s half-sister died long prior to the Battle of the Royal Sisters and Trollestia happened. She had died in the hospital.

Godslayer Dash shortly emerged from the crater, breathing heavily. By this time, the cut on her SHADE had already ‘healed’ itself. She walked up to Godslayer Watterson and handed over what remained of the replicated Alicorn Amulet to him. Then out of sheer exhaustion and pain, she slumped onto the snowy ground, lying in a sprawl.

“So how does it feel to play hero, Dash?” Godslayer Watterson frivolously asked her.

He expected Dash to brag, but she made a completely different reply.

“It hurts so bad!” Godslayer Dash cried. “Aw man, I always thought the real thing was way better than in the novels.”

“So what’s gonna happen to her?” she then asked him upon sighting Derpy getting detained by the royal guards.

“They might be able to find a way to restore her wings,” Godslayer Watterson speculated, “and maybe, ’fix’ her eyes, but not her broken mind. It’s possible that she’ll end up in the asylum for the rest of her life.”

With that, Godslayer Dash continued to stare at Derpy, in a thoughtful way.

HEARTH'S WARMING EVE - revised

Author's Note

TWOG = The Amazing World of Gumball
The name Elizabeth is inspired from Rainbow Elizabeth Dash from Trials of the Heart

HEARTH'S WARMING EVE - revised

Now back to the situation in Erumoa…

Gamuboru and Daruwin were playing video game from their couch. Sat motionless between them is E-Sat, now in his normal non-mecha form: a small robot with clamps for hands.

Daruwin felt a sudden growl in his stomach in the middle of gameplay. “Gamuboru-san?”

“Nandeshou? (What is it?)” Gamuboru asked, eyes fixated at the TV screen.

Daruwin put down the controller and said, “Onaka pekopeko. (I’m hungry.)”

Gamuboru paused the game, grabbed the remote device on the couch and looked at E-Sat. “Oi, robotto! Daidokoro ni iku- (Hey robot! Go to the kitchen and-)”

At that very moment, without warning, Godslayer Fortepiano burst in through the ceiling, shocking Gamuboru. She slammed onto the floor with cracking BOOM! The very next moment, the brothers had found themselves both lying on the splintered floor, debris from the destroyed furniture scattered all over the living room. A gaping hole on the ceiling was visible up to the roof. E-Sat remained unmoving and unresponsive. In spite of the immense blow resulting from the forced entry, the small robot did not sustain any form of damage.

A little woozy, Gamuboru tried to get up. But a strong hand caught him by the collar of his shirt and immediately he was pulled up close to Godslayer Fortepiano’s angry face.

“Ahoka?! (What the fuck!?)” He made a pathetic attempt to tell off the intruder. “Sh-shitsukendayo…! (Le-leave me the fuck alone!)”

“Nandato?! (What did you just say to me!?” Godslayer Fortepiano shouted infuriatingly at the blue feline.

“Robotto,” Gamuboru called out to E-Sat, “tatsukete! (help me!)”

The Godslayer mocked the blue feline by showing that she holds the remote device in her other hand. Gamuboru’s face fell.

“Daruwin!” he shouted, gazing past Godslayer Fortepiano. “Hora?! (What the-!?)”

To his great dismay, the younger brother was sneaking away to the front door.

“Tsukaene yatsu dana (You’re so useless),” Gamuboru murmured his disappointment.

The feline gulped in fear upon making eye-contact again with the Godslayer’s angry glare.

Chuckling nervously, he said, “Go-gomen’nasai…? (I’m sorry…?)”

“Ie! (No!)” Fortepiano retorted.

Gamuboru and Daruwin both were tied up and hung helplessly from the top of a billboard, which bizarrely still stands unharmed in the middle the devastated urban residential area. The elder sibling was stark naked, while his brother had his mouth taped shut.

“Gamuboru-san?” Daruwin spoke in muffled voice.

“Urusai! (Shut up!)” and the feline started to cry.

Their punishment might seem a little too severe for kids of their age. But then again, in this world the brothers are really more trouble than they are worth by being everyday antagonist to other characters. Therefore, they did not really deserve that much sympathy. Seriously.

No longer under the troublesome brother’s control, Super E-Sat strode the street in Erumoa. He is equipped with jet boots, yet was unable to use them for unknown reason. Up the in the sky, Godslayer Fortepiano streaked in the same direction. Both headed out to Ritchiudo to meet up with Kurogane and Alkarin.

“I can’t believe this!” The Field Master was overly furious at her two subordinates. “What were those two morons doing while I was away!?”

Godslayer Kurogane had the Evil Turtle trapped in an ice crystal, but the creature through uncanny strength managed to break free from its icy prison. She and Godslayer Alkarin proceeded to run away and the indestructible creature in turn gave chase, its mouth chomping furiously at them.

“Shit, where’s E-Sat when you need him!?” Godslayer Alkarin yelled furiously while running.

Soon, they spotted over the neighborhood’s skyline the three Clay Colossuses, whom had reached Ritchiudo days earlier, rampaging through the city.

“Why can’t this motherfucker go after those three instead!?” Godslayer Kurogane cried to her Ensign.

An idea struck the minotaur. “That’s actually a good idea! Pray to Snowflake that this will work! Follow me!”

Godslayer Kurogane followed the Ensign into another street, apparently luring the Evil Turtle towards the colossuses.

***

After receiving medical treatment, Derpy was immediately committed to the asylum. Mental therapies had been arranged by Dr. Horses, but had to be postponed due to the pegasus’ aggressive behavior at present.

The tight restraint from her straightjacket could not stop Derpy’s derangement. Not even sedatives worked on her. None of the doctors and physicians were able to determine why. Another side effect from the Poison Joke, maybe?

No matter how many times she got knocked down after hitting herself against the padded wall of her cell, Derpy would get up again and continued, screaming aloud like a maniac until she eventually overcame with fatigue. However, she had not exactly given up yet. Leaning against the wall on her knees, she bumped her head at the wall repeatedly. Whether she was trying to break out or kill herself is not entirely clear, only that all her efforts are futile.

Outside the cell, Derpy was unaware that today she will receive a visit from a pony that she despised very much.

Tirek opened the box he held in his hand. In it was a raisin muffin, much to everyone’s surprise, except for Dumbbell who, for whatever reason, was bizarrely wearing full protective hockey gear.

“Ah, just as the doctor ordered,” the pegasus proclaimed.

“Really?” Dash was skeptical. “A muffin?”

“Trust me,” Dumbbell assured everyone there. “This will definitely calm her down.”

Sunset Shimmer felt uneasy of letting Dumbbell into the cell with Derpy still being violent.

“Maybe we should let one of the royal guards do it,” she suggested.

Yet Dumbbell remained confident that he can handle Derpy.

He said, “Hah! Don’t you worry about me! I've been in this situation before! Now everypony stand back!”

The pegasus entered the cell, saying, “Hey, Derpy! Look who’s coming to say hi!”

“Dinky!?” everyone heard Derpy’s response.

Mixed noises of struggle, chewing and hissing went on for a few seconds until Dumbbell flung out through the door and landed flat on his face. He got up and whooped triumphantly for surviving his second encounter with the deranged pony. In spite of his protective gear had been totally ripped apart, the stallion himself was in fact fine.

“She’s all yours, Your Royal Highness,” he said to Princess Celestia.

“Your Royal Highness, please let at least one of us accompany you,” Sunset Shimmer suggested.

As an Assistant Chancellor and a castle staff, she needed to act responsibly.

“I will be fine,” Celestia said.

“But-”

“Sunset Shimmer!” It appeared that Celestia was about to scold the unicorn as she usually does but instead she spoke calmly, “Please. I wish to speak to her alone.”

Sunset Shimmer was taken aback, because for as long as she remembered, her former mentor never used the word ‘please’ before, at least when speaking to her personally.

Derpy had finally calmed down. She regarded the muffin atop her mane fondly, whilst humming a lullaby to it. The scene bore reminiscent to Princess Celestia’s behavior when she was Trollestia. As soon as she realized the princess’ presence, the pegasus immediately cowered to the corner.

“You’ve no need to be wary,” Celestia assured her.

Derpy hissed, “Leave us alone!”

“I will,” Celestia promised, “but you first must tell me the truth.”

Derpy knew what the princess wanted. “Twilight Sparkle.”

Instead of commanding Derpy, Celestia tried to persuade her with gentle words. “You have my word. This is the last you’ll ever see me. Just tell me where is Twilight Sparkle. I need to know.”

Glaring at the princess, breath steaming, Derpy considered for a moment before agreeing to tell.

***

Twilight Sparkle and Spike both gaped at the frightful sight ahead of them.

Ragingheart relished at this fortuitous moment. “Twilight Sparkle, Celestia’s favorite. What good luck. I could use you as a hostage.”

Sheer regret immediately came over Spike. “I should’ve figured your scheme is going to lead us into more trouble…”

“Don’t worry, Spike!” Twilight Sparkle said. “I’ll protect us both, just like last time!”

She cast a bubble shield around her assistant and herself.

“Both times it was your fault,” Spike grumbled.

He looked up anxiously at his boss when Ragingheart and her now fully-formed constructs started to advance towards the protective magic bubble. “Err, Doc? What now?”

“Now,” Twilight Sparkle said casually, “we roll ourselves away like a boss.”

So the pair worked their legs to get the bubble shield moving.

Upon seeing the magic bubble rolling away from them, the machine constructs picked up their paces and gave chase.

After hours of being chased around Everfree Forest, the magic bubble rolled off the ledge and freefall into Ghastly Gorge, along with its screaming occupants. Seconds later, Ragingheart’s minions also emerged over the ledge but managed to catch themselves from falling into the gorge.

Alerted by the presence of food, numerous quarray eels emerged from their holes from both sides of the rocky walls. Twilight Sparkle and Spike are still safely inside the bubble shield by the time they are completely surrounded by the gigantic eels. Numerous Mecha-Daleks soon landed, with other constructs brought along on their shoulders.

In their effort to capture the Twilight Sparkle, the constructs battled to fend off the eels. But the creatures, strong and highly aggressive, fought back. And so the battle escalated into extermination. Amidst the confusion, Twilight Sparkle and Spike made a run for it towards a small crevice on the cliff side, just big enough for them to fit through.

One quarray eel sighted the pair entering the crevice. It lunged its jaws at them but had its large head stuck in the crevice in the process. Soon enough, two Mecha-Daleks yanked the eel out of from crevice and dragged it away. As the eel gets pummeled to death, a Mithra scanned the crevice. It appeared that the crevice is very deep with no end in sight. Since the space is a little too cramped for the Mithra, the smaller-sized White Bunneh entered instead to track down and retrieve Twilight Sparkle.

***

“The hole exited into another part of the gorge,” Derpy said. “Neither Twilight nor her pet can be found after that. Maybe the quarray eels have finally claimed her…or maybe she had escaped into another hole. Either way, the search was abandoned as it turned out that she had unwittingly led my minions to Appleloosa. The rest is history.”

Celestia was fraught with disappointment. She had hoped to learn more of Twilight Sparkle’s whereabouts, but instead her fate remained ambiguous. So Derpy was only telling half of the truth. That should have been enough reason for Celestia’s former self to lash out at the wingless pegasus She gave Derpy one last glare before leaving.

Celestia left the asylum without saying a word to Sunset Shimmer. And no one, not even Dash, dared to speak about the princess. With that, it was now Godslayer Watterson’s turn to question Derpy.

From the corner, Derpy glared at Godslayer Watterson, with equal amount of hatred with that of Celestia.

“Are you here to kill me?” It was unclear whether she is being serious or sarcastic.

“If I wanted to,” Godslayer Watterson said coldly, “I would’ve done so back in the Battle of Canterlot.”

With the war over, the feline no longer looked fatigued after getting enough sleep over the past few days.

“Then what do you want?” the pegasus demanded.

“Tell me more about the person who gave you the Alicorn Amulet.”

Derpy chuckled. “You’re wasting your time, knight-errant. Beyond what I told Princess Celestia, I know nothing.”

“You must’ve seen what she looks like,” the feline insisted.

“It was dark, I was scared. She was wearing a cloak, with a hood. And I was lying in Poison Joke field the whole time she appeared and disappeared. But...there is one tiny thing I can tell you about her.”

“Anything, even the smallest detail, I want to know,” Godslayer Watterson said expectantly.

“In order to thank her for her help, I asked her name. It’s Zirconia.”

Zirconia… Nope, the name did not mean anything to him. Even if it is the mysterious figure‘s real name, it will not bring him any closer to unravel the SG’s origins and motives.

Before leaving, Godslayer Watterson said to Derpy, “By the way, whoever this Zirconia is, she never had any attention of helping you. She played you, like the way you played with Celestia’s feelings for Twilight Sparkle. All she wanted was to turn you reckless so all of you’d destroy each other.”

She smiled mischievously. “Like I said, I know nothing.”

Over at the counter, Sunset Shimmer spoke to a staff of the asylum. “Try contact Dr. Cheerilee from Manehattan. She’s an expert in foal psychology. Thanks.”

“After everything she had done, you still trying to help her?” Dash asked after Sunset Shimmer was done.

“I’m just doing what I feel is right,” the latter earnestly said, “Nothing more.”

Afterwards Dash, Sunset Shimmer, Dumbbell, Twinkleshine rested on the couch, along with Minuette and Amethyst Star who have returned to normal after being cured by the Elements of Harmony’s energy wave.

“Now that Derpy’s calmed down,” Dumbbell said confidently, “I think she won’t be causing any more trouble from now on.”

“But how did you know that’ll work?” Sunset Shimmer was really curious.

“I didn’t figure it out until recently,” Dumbbell admitted. “Everypony knows Dinky died of cancer at a young age. But seeing how Derpy still kept mentioning her name, it’d hit me that Derpy had only began carrying the muffin since that very moment. There could only be one possibility.”

After piecing it all together, Sunset Shimmer said, “I see. Her mental illness began from there. Derpy was so traumatized, she couldn’t accept the loss of her sister. For some bizarre reason, she unconsciously chose to ponify a muffin as Dinky so that she could cope with her death. And here I thought she was just another eccentric pony…”

Dash could not agree more. If Derpy’s backstory had not been made known, she would have thought the pony was more irrational than Trollestia. During the entire conversation, Dash merely listened, not daring to comment anything, for fear of slip of the tongue. After all, her sarcasm is not going away anytime soon.

“I should’ve figured it out the first time saw it,” Sunset Shimmer said sadly.

“Sunset, you should really stop doing that,” Dash chided the unicorn, eliciting a confused look from the latter.

“What…?”

“The world doesn’t revolve around you, Sunset Shimmer. So stop taking the blame for everything.”

Dumbbell agreed with Dash. “She’s kind of right. Truth is we all should’ve figured it out. You see, in my younger days, I was the worst kind jock there is.”

Dash understood it immediately. “You bullied her.”

“Not physically though,” Dumbbell said. “But one day I went a step too far. I tried to take that muffin from her. And so I ended up being hospitalized and missed three consecutive Hearth's Warming holidays as a result. Due to that experience, I swear, I will never be a bully again.”

“So Derpy’s the one you’ve been talking about,” Sunset Shimmer realized, remembering the unfinished conversation they had back in Ponyville Prison.

Twinkleshine glared bitterly at Minuette and Amethyst Star. “Well? Don’t you two have anything to say?”

“We…err, every so often we made fun of Derpy too,” Minuette confessed. “For it, we almost had our throats ripped out.”

“It was totally not cool,” Amethyst Star said.

“But so is everypony else,” Minuette added. “Pinkie Pie, for instance, kept accusing Derpy of stealing her muffins. At one point, Fluttershy and even Lyra decided to pick a fight with Derpy.”

“Lyra did no such thing!” Twinkleshine scolded the blue unicorn, overly dismayed that Lyra was suddenly brought into the conversation

“Yes, she did!” Minuette insisted. “We saw her!”

Repressing her own anger, Twinkleshine said, “Not on purpose, I’m sure. She was besties with Derpy. It’s because you two treated Lyra just as badly. Even a passive pony as Lyra can snap when pushed to her limits.”

Minuette and Amethyst Star looked away to hide their guilt. Even if Twinkleshine was right, they do not have the guts to admit it.

“Speaking of Lyra,” Dash said, “is it possible that she’s...?”

“Honestly, I’m not sure if scouring the forest for them will yield any results,” Sunset Shimmer said somberly. “It covers an area bigger than Manehattan and Canterlot combined. And Derpy barely made it, so…it’s highly possible that we might never actually be able see Lyra or Bon-Bon again.”

A long silence fell over the lounge area.

***

It had been a week since the Battle of Canterlot ended. Many parts of the city remain deserted, since not even close to half of the inhabitants have returned to Canterlot. For many ponies, they have to stay wherever they are now, because the train service to Canterlot has yet to be normalized, so making a long journey on their own in the winter is practically suicidal.

It was such an unusual sight. With Hearth’s Warming celebration coming up in a few weeks, the downtown areas are usually vibrant with holiday decorative adorning all over the place, shops holding discount sales and ponies shopping for the holidays. But this year, the invasion initiated by Derpy/Ragingheart changed all of that.

Right now the market square should be bustling with ponies buying seasonal treats, looking for bargains or simply strolling around to pass their free time. But instead it was deserted, like the downtown areas, save for a few curious ponies looking at the debris from the destroyed clock tower and other battle damages. Hopefully, things will pick up in the coming spring, when reconstruction works will begin.

Families that did manage to return to Canterlot lamented what remained of their homes. Many buildings serving as both shops and residential accommodations have been destroyed or damaged resulting from the urban combat between Godslayer Watterson and the Reserves with Ragingheart’s forces.

No doubt they regretted their decision to return, instead of prolonging their stay at their relative or friend’s house. Saddened by their loss, all the families turned to Blueblood and Sunset Shimmer who are there to address them on the reconstruction process as well as their relocation to the emergency shelters for the winter month.

The residential areas in the uptown sections of Canterlot fortunately fared much better than the city, save some houses damaged by the MBP’s incursion. The same goes for the suburban areas.

In one particular neighborhood where Lionel and Featherweight lives, the father and son walked up to their closest neighbors, an elderly Earth pony couple whose house had been partially destroyed. With the front wall collapsed up the roofs, the house is almost unlivable. Lionel sincerely offered them to stay at his house for the rest of the winter, until the repair works are all done.

Back in downtown Canterlot, the Boy Builders have finished patching up the holes on the boutique with wooden planks and boards. The rough workmanship is only intended as temporary until winter season is over. Silver Spoon wanted to pay them for their service however Dumbbell declined since they did the same work for other ponies for free. So Diamond Tiara invited them inside the kitchen instead for some snacks and hot drinks.

And how are things in Ponyville? Initially the town only appeared to be intact throughout the invasion. Moving up to the western region, the scenery changed into a huge area of desolation. What used to be housing and commercial areas, all of it have been completely demolished by Ragingheart, rendering many ponies both homeless and jobless.

Tents have been set up all over the town square to shelter the homeless. In charge of managing the emergency operations is none other than Mayor Mare herself. Right after Ponyville was liberated, she had not have the chance to take a long rest from her ordeal. Although quite tired, the mayor will be able to cope as she is made for this kind of job, unlike manual labor.

Mayor Mare and her staff moved fast to meet the arriving pegasus guards and the Wonderbolts whom were carrying aid supplies in their saddle bags. With Canterlot cut off from Ponyville after the destruction of Canterlot River Bridge, transporting aids through land route was ruled out. In order to speed up the aid distribution, the Wonderbolts were summoned by royal decree to assist.

After giving out the aids to Ponyvillians, Spitfire came close to interact with Lightning Dust. But she decided to refrain in the last minute. Lightning Dust looked upon at her former captain ponderingly. For a second, she foolishly thought Spitfire was going to pick a fight with her before backing off. Little did Lightning Dust know that Spitfire actually did not mean to snub Lightning Dust and that her action had nothing to do with animosity.

It was just that Spitfire realized she did not know what to say to her to begin with, years after the incident that caused the fallout in their relations, so much she did not even try very hard to dispel the rumors spread by Rainbow Dash. Spitfire had indeed wondered whether her decision to dismiss Lightning Dust from the academy immediately was rash but her inaction had let years to pass by until it was too late to take it back.

Lightning Dust quickly dismissed the thought of whether she will ever be forgiven by Spitfire since the other royal guards were already taking off to return to Canterlot. After telling herself that her stint in the Wonderbolts is now in the past and she should move on, the pegasus took off to join her comrades.

Meanwhile, Spitfire led the Wonderbolts back to the academy. She decided that she will talk to Lightning Dust again at a time she felt is right to mend their relations.

***

There is one more week before Hearth’s Warming.

Unbelievably, Canterlot Royal Castle remain undamaged throughout the war. Against all expectations, Ragingheart’s forces never got anywhere near it, with all the battles took place mainly in the city and the outskirts. The story might turn out differently had the evil ‘Alicorn’ knew of Princess Celestia’s disappearance, at which point the castle and the entire city would have been occupied immediately.

On this day, a modest ceremony was held to award Dash, Zach, Discord, Blueblood, Gilda and all the Reserves for their gallant acts from the Battle of the Market Square towards the Battle of Canterlot. For the Reserves, the whole Equestrian Royal Guards witnessing Princess Luna awarding them the Medal of Valor was the greatest moment in their lives so far.

Additionally, Lightning Dust and Gilda also received the Medal of Merit along with Sunset Shimmer, Trixie, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon in recognition of their roles as the bearers of Elements of Harmony. With it, they ended the war by liberating the entire continent of the evil constructs. They did so swiftly and without needing to engage in actual combat. For many of the royal guards, it was an act of miracle.

The last recipient is Twinkleshine. She stepped forward to receive the Service Medal for exhibiting undivided loyalty in her service to Princess Luna. By right, she should have been given a higher award for her role in redeeming Princess Celestia. But in order not to disappoint the elder princess’ feelings, it had to be kept a secret. To make up for it, Princess Luna offered Twinkleshine work at the castle so that she may continue her service to the princess, to which the unicorn accepted with grace.

One final act by Princess Luna before the ceremony came to an end, she announced the Reserve Army is dissolved beginning from that day and that the Flim Flam brothers, Tirek, Nova and Lightning Dust are now officially promoted to the main army by her royal decree. The entire army gave their full applause in recognition of the former Reserves as their comrade in arms.

Of all the five newly members of the royal guards, Lightning Dust was the happiest. She had once imagined this moment, though it included a glorious hero’s welcome parade around the city. However right now she was content of what she has, because in the end, it is feeling of accomplishment that really mattered.

After the award ceremony ended, a banquet was hosted in honor for the award recipients and the rest of the Equestrian Royal Guards. Much to Tirek’s delight, the feast was prepared by Mulia Mule, who was safely away from Ponyville at the time of Ragingheart’s invasion.

As per usual, Nova accompanied Lightning Dust before they were joined by Gilda. It is too bad their relationship has yet to move beyond comrades. The Pegasus remained oblivious to Nova’s feelings for her, while that changeling still has not got the guts to tell Lighting Dust how he feels for her. Even though Dash did reveal of Nova’s affection to her, Lightning Dust still regarded it as a dumb joke.

Gilda, whose service to the royal guards has officially ended and will return to the Wonderbolts in the coming spring, although knew of Nova’s crush, could not be bothered to meddle in between those two. If Nova and Lightning Dust are truly made for each other, she was sure that their relationship will takes it course eventually.

At the next table, Flim and Flam indulged themselves in anything has apples in it. Discord tried out of some of the food, but he regarded them indifferently. Only after a servant came to serve a bowl of caramel coated-popcorns, his appetite became ferociously avid. Nearby, Diamond Tiara and Silvers Spoon, both feeling awkward at their surroundings full of royal guards, hanged out with Trixie, Sunset Shimmer and Blueblood.

Across the ballroom, a sullen and tired-looking Princess Luna was deeply absorbed in her own thoughts while gazing at the frozen gardens outside the window. Maybe there was something about the view that reminded her of her past, one which involves either her family or deceased friends. She only looked away from the windows when approached by Dash and Zach.

“Lord Watterson, Miss Dash,” the princess greeted the two, “how do you find our Mulian cuisine?”

“Scrumptious!” Zach said in delight.

“Just one thing’s missing,” Dash jested, “where’s the cheese?”

“Oh Faust,” Luna felt sickened at the mention of cheese, “please don’t mention that food again, Miss Dash. I’ve grown so tired of it after consuming the very same thing for years.”

“Speaking of tired, you do actually look tired, Your Royal Highness,” Dash commented.

“It is that noticeable?” Luna wondered.

“Well, yeah,” Dash was being totally frank, “it’s the same look Sunset Shimmer had when she’s tired.”

“Yes, I still have to go through more emergency aid and reconstruction plans after this. You could say, Miss Dash, that years spent the moon alone doing almost nothing has taken its toll on me. Oh, it will be so nice when my sister is able to resume her duty again.”

“How is she?” Dash wanted to know, as she had not come across the elder princess around the castle ever since they came back from the asylum.

“She’s rather sullen, withdrawn, more than usual,” Luna replied somberly.

“She’s still thinking about Twilight Sparkle,” Dash figured. “Princess Luna, may I ask you something about her if you don’t mind?”

Zach felt that the conversation might be getting too personal for him, so he excused himself. Luna gave her permission before reminding Zach to enjoy the rest of the food.

“Go on, Miss Dash,” the princess said.

“Were you aware,” Dash stated her question carefully, “that Twilight Sparkle was Twilight Velvet’s daughter?”

Luna was taken aback by the question. “Why- Yes, I’ve known it. But how did you come to know of this?”

“I found out by accident,” Dash revealed. “I swear no one tried to insult Twilight Sparkle on purpose. Believe me.”

With that, Luna explained the truth to her. “The late Twilight Velvet was our mentor and protector before we became the Royal Sisters. It was natural that my sister would treat Twilight Sparkle so favorably. But it shouldn’t have been done at the expense of Sunset Shimmer.”

“But it seems their relationship extended beyond teacher and student, don’t you think?” Dash wanted to know the princess’ opinion.

Luna nodded.

Dash gazed towards Sunset Shimmer at the middle of ballroom. Whatever she and Trixie were discussing with Blueblood, it was probably not related to official matters due to their lighthearted expressions.

Though she admitted her immaturity, Dash thought, she hasn’t exactly forgiven Princess Celestia. I wonder if I can…

When Luna came into the bedroom, she was very disappointed to find her elder sister had not touch her food. “Oh, sister! You will not come out of your room! You will not speak to anypony! But at the very least, eat something!”

But Celestia just laid in a sulk on her bed.

Luna felt frustrated by her sister’s behavior.

“I brought you something,” she said, placing a banana bunch next to the plate of cold food. “If you still refuse eat, then I don’t know what I am going to do about you.”

“I’ve always liked bananas,” Celestia suddenly spoke

“Tia?” An expectant came over the younger sister.

“I’m not sure why though,” Celestia continued.

“You simply liked its taste, that’s all there is to it,” Luna stated. “Why in Equestria would anypony need a complicated reason to have a favorite fruit?”

“You remember.”

“Of course I do.” By now, Luna felt something strange about her sister’s behavior.

“What was yours, Luna?” Celestia with the use of her magic plucked a banana from the bunch and brought it up to her. “Or did you ever have one? I couldn’t quite remember it.”

“It was oranges,” Luna answered.

As she peeled the skin, Celestia said to her, “Can you see the irony, Luna? Though vaguely, an orange resembles the sun, while this banana looks like a crescent moon. Like your cutie mark.”

Luna was glad that Celestia is finally speaking to her, yet also worried that she might be going mentally unsound from all the depression over Twilight Sparkle.

“Tia, I’m truly worried about you.” Luna went to her sister’s side. “Please open up to me.”

Today is Hearth’s Warming Eve. Dash glanced around. It seemed only Princess Luna, Sir Blueblood, Trixie and Captain Discord had come to bid them goodbye after Zach decided it was time for both of them to leave for the Southern Kingdom.

Just then, Sunset Shimmer came rushing down the hallway to meet them.

“You’re leaving already?” Apparently the news came as a shock to her.

“We decided that we shouldn’t wear out our welcome,” Zach informed Sunset Shimmer.

“But still,” the unicorn said worryingly, “you can’t possibly journey all the way to the south in this winter?”

“We’ll manage,” Zach gave his assurance.

“Yeah, no sweat,” Dash said. With the Void, we’ll get there in just a sec.

“Anyhow,” Zach said, “we appreciate your great hospitality during our stay here. So, thank you.”

He and Dash courteously bowed their heads in thanking the ponies.

“It is our pleasure,” Blueblood said. “We couldn’t have made it without both your help, after all.”

Discord, looking almost sullen, wrapped each of his arms around Dash and Zach tightly. “Oh! After we fought together in the Battle of the Market Square, somehow I feel I’m going to miss you, my friend. And you, Miss Dash. I simply can’t be mad at you after all your effort for us.”

Dash scratched her head after the captain let them go. “Huh?”

“Copyright infringement,” Discord explained. “The Exquisite Ban Hammer- it’s exclusively made for my use.”

“Aw, c’mon, cap,” Dash said frivolously. “Yours is a magical weapon. Besides, mine’s more cool-lookin’.”

“There’s chaos god reincarnate living among you guys and you’re more worried about copycatting,” Zach joked, though that might be true.

“Nonsense,” Blueblood dismissed. “Coming out of battles unscathed has only proven that I possess extreme good luck in times of danger. It is not as baffling compared to how you managed to bring back Princess-”

“Blueblood,” Luna interrupted her nephew.

“Oh yes. Sorry, auntie.”

The princess tactfully made a mouth zipping gesture at Zach at which he responded by whispering “thank you”. He and Princess Luna have made a non-formal agreement that they will keep each other’s secret for eternity.

Sunset Shimmer suddenly remembered one last detail. “Lord Watterson, I never did manage to figure out on how to send Miss Dash home.”

Zach looked uncertain for a moment. “We’ll work something out, somehow.”

“So this is goodbye, huh?” sunset Shimmer said sadly to Dash.

“Yup.”

Dash bent down on one knee to give the unicorn a goodbye hug. She proceeded to do the same to Trixie.

Then, unexpectedly she found Twinkleshine standing right next to Trixie. “Huh!? When did you-!?”

There was a hopeful look on the unicorn’s smiling face, prompting Dash to relent. It appeared to be a normal hug initially. Dash almost believed Twinkleshine was at her best behavior now that she has an official job at the castle. That is, until she felt the unicorn’s hooves caressing her back.

“Twinkleshine!” Dash cried in dismay.

And so, she and Zach finally left the castle. After walking away from the main gate, Dash stopped to take one last look at the castle.

Zach looked back at Dash and asked her if there was anything wrong.

“No, nothing,” she told him. “I just had a…familiar feeling.”

It was the feeling of knowing that she will never return to this place again. It is very similar to how she felt on the day she left the air force in disgrace. But unlike the air force base which gave her nothing but so many unpleasant memories, she might be actually going to miss this one.

Luna whispered something to Blueblood’s ear.

“Lightning Dust, too?” the latter murmured. “Yes, of course, auntie. I will.”

In turn, the princess said appreciatively, “Thank you, dear nephew.”

Shortly, a slightly tired Sunset Shimmer came into the office. Luna exchanged greeting with her before leaving.

Sunset Shimmer passed a set of documents to Blueblood. “These are the newly revised budget and schedule for the spring’s reconstruction plans.”

Blueblood thanked her after receiving the documents. He then caught sight of Trixie passing the office.

“Trixie!” the chancellor called.

“Didn’t you say you two will be having dinner at Gilda’s house tonight?” he asked after Trixie came in.

“Why?” Trixie asked after she confirmed it.

“Why don’t you and Sunset Shimmer take the rest of day off?” Blueblood suggested.

“Me?” Sunset Shimmer said, confused. “But my leave only starts on tomorrow.”

“I just thought you both should make the most of these few days.”

Make the most? Sunset Shimmer initially did not understand but turned lively once she realized what those words meant. “Oh, thank you, sir! Thank you so much! Trixie, come on!”

She jostled Trixie out to the door. “Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!”

“Sunset, why’re you in such a hurry!?” By then, she and Sunset Shimmer were already out in the hallway.

“Don’t worry about your unfinished duties, Trixie!” Blueblood said aloud from his office. “I’ll have somepony to get right on it!”

Twinkleshine stick her head in through the door with a gleeful look.

“No. Not you, Twinkleshine,” he said to her.

Upon hearing that, disappointment came over Twinkleshine. “Aww….”

Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were just about to leave for Gilda’s house when they receive an unexpected visit from Lionel and Featherweight. The colt made no attempt to hide how very happy he is to see the two mares again. After greeting each other, Lionel explained he wishes to give the sisters some bottles of apple ciders as a way of saying thank you for watching over Featherweight throughout his captivity.

The midtown area was pretty quiet. The street was mostly empty. A few shops have opened, with even fewer customers coming in and out. These are not typical sights for Hearth’s Warming Eve.

“Sad, isn’t it?” Zach said to Dash, both walking slowly on the sidewalk. “Hearth’s Warming to them is what Xmas is to us, just with a different theme.”

The latter decided to change the subject. “Nothing too personal, Zach but can I ask you about Sister Gazleen?”

“Shoot.”

Dash thought carefully first before asking. “After seeing photos of Twilight Sparkle, I’ve come to terms about this alternate counterparts thing. I’m Rainbow Dash, Sunny is Sunset Simmer, and so on. I didn’t think much about it before, but now I’m curious. Sister Gazleen’s looks kinda reminds me of…”

“Yes,” Zach confirmed what was on her mind, “Sister Gazleen is the Ethenian counterpart of Lightning Dust.”

Knew it, Dash thought. “When you interacted with Lightning Dust, did you feel anything for her?”

“No,” Zach explained. “To me, they are two separate individuals, two different personalities. I’ll use the word ‘heart’ as an analogy. They both have a big heart. But heart can have multiple meanings. One is courage, the other is compassion. The latter is what defines Sister Gazleen.”

“Oh. So do I have a counterpart in Ethenia?” Dash was curious to know.

“Yes.”

“What’s she like?”

“I don’t really know her.” Zach tried to recall the past encounter in his memory. “We just met briefly by coincidence. She resembles you a lot, but much, much older. I just know she works as a master pilot for the civilian space exploration program. And I think her first name is...Elizabeth. That’s pretty much it.”

An astronaut, huh? Dash imagined it her mind. Cool, I guess.

Just then, without warning, Lightning Dust swooped down right before them.

“Hey! What’re you doing here?” Dash asked the pegasus.

“It just so happens I was permitted by the captain to take an early leave,” Lightning Dust replied with a smug.

“No, I mean, what’re you doing here?” Dash repeated her question.

“We,” the pegasus emphasized, hoping that Dash can understand what she is getting that, “simply can’t let you two leave Canterlot. Not yet anyway.”

Who’s we? Dash wondered.

“Dash! Lord Watterson!”

Sunset Shimmer? They turned around to see the unicorn came galloping down the streets towards them.

Sunset Shimmer took a few seconds to catch her breath before speaking. “Please. Can I persuade you both to stay in Canterlot for at least another day? I’d like to invite you to our dinner at Gilda’s place tonight.”

“Sounds nice, but…” Dash turned to her feline companion. “Zach?”

“Thank you,” Zach said, hoping that the unicorn would not be too upset, “but we should really be getting back to Prince Umbra.”

Not about to give up yet, Sunset Shimmer gestured a puppy dog face at them. “Pretty Pleeeaaase?”

Dash grimaced at the face she considered silly. “Ewww! Sunset! That is so not cute beyond so many levels!”

Maybe it only worked on ponies and griffons? the appalled Sunset Shimmer wondered.

“Come Miss Dash, come Lord Watterson!”

Dash and Zach both looked away from Sunset Shimmer. What now?

Right across the street, Trixie was sitting on the porch of an unopened inn. “Trixie demands your audience!”

They approached the unicorn who carried a confident and mischievous look on her.

“Come before the Great and Powerful Trixie and witness her amazing performance!” she proclaimed.

Dash regarded Trixie suspiciously. “What’re you up to, Trixie?”

The unicorn smirked. “Oh, nothing overly spectacular. Trixie merely wanted to show you her prowess in magic.”

“Riiight,” Dash jested at her. “By magic, you mean magic trick. Smoke and mirrors and stuffs.”

“A pair of neigh-sayers, I see.” Using her unicorn magic, Trixie showed them a deck of playing cards. “Then Trixie would like to make a wager.”

Trixie shuffled the deck, while keeping a sharp eye on the card which she will force them to pick, known as the ‘force card’. Finished, she fanned the cards and showed their face at Dash. Each card has different rune-like symbol on its face- fire, lighting, tree, skeleton etc. However, unbeknownst to both Dash and Zach, one particular card protruded slightly from the rest. This is the ‘force card’.

“As you can see, these cards are in no particular order,” the unicorn claimed, “so Trixie has no way of knowing which card you will choose.”

She brought the cards face down to her left side. “Pick a random card from this deck, and Trixie shall perform the magic according to the symbol of the ‘chosen’ card. If Trixie fails, you both may go. But if otherwise, you must attend dinner with us.”

So she was being serious, Zach thought.

He signaled Dash to play along.

“‘Kay, you’re on,” Dash said to Trixie.

The unicorn pulled each card to her right side, slowly. “Pick any card you like. It doesn’t matter.”

As Dash reached up to pick a card, Trixie nonchalantly spread the cards a little more while moving the cards slightly faster at the same time. With perfect timing, she guided the force card right into Dash’s finger tips.

Dash pulled out that card, looked at its face briefly then showed it to Trixie. The force card is the snowflake card, exactly what Trixie wanted Dash to pick. Having fallen to a method known as the Classic Force, Dash had no idea that she has not picked the card on her own freewill. (This trick was learned from Silver Spoon’s book mentioned in First Blood act)

“Miss Dash, you have ‘chosen’ the Snowflake Card,” Trixie declared before taking the card from Dash and put it away along with the deck.

“So what now, Great and Powerful Trixie?” Dash asked sarcastically.

Trixie stood up then proclaimed aloud, “Now watch in awe as the Great and Powerful Trixie without using her magic makes snow fall-”

Snowfall? No magic? Dash and Zach both looked up and only then realized too late that they were duped right from start. Oh, crap!

Trixie kicked the wooden column to make piles of snow on gathered the porch’s roof to fall right on their face.

“Right on top of you,” she finished her sentence.

“We surrender,” Zach declared after spitting out snow from his mouth.

“Urgh,” Dash grumbled, wiping snow off her face, “shoulda given in to the puppy dog face.”

To Trixie’s surprise, the applause did not only come from Sunset Shimmer and Lightning Dust. Her display had unintentionally garnered the attention of passers-by and shop owners. There were no impressive magic spells nor dramatic fanfares. Yet watching Trixie fooled the pair using simple mind trick did manage amused them, thus lightening up their somber mood. Content with her five minutes of fame, Trixie graciously bowed to her audience.

Dash looked at the decorations around the walls and ceilings- mistletoes, holly streamers, flashing lights. There was even a decorated tree in the living room.

He’s right, she thought. Heart Warming Eve is this world’s version of Xmas.

Before dinner starts, Sunset Shimmer gave thanks to the Mother Goddess

After dinner, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon helped Gilda with the dishes. Meanwhile, Sunset Shimmer, Trixie and Dash had a long conversation in the living room. Though it is mostly between the two unicorns, as Dash preferred to hear they talk about their childhoods, some gossips about Lady Rara, trivial facts Trixie read from Silver Spoon’s books etc.

As for Lightning Dust, she unfortunately was terribly drunk from the ciders Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon brought, thereby would not stop pestering Zach to hoof-wrestle with her, much to the latter’s great annoyance.

Later, Dash sat on the balustrade leaning against the column as she sentimentally watched Gilda and Silver Spoon below building a snow pony in the front yard. Right beside them is Trixie who was creating an angel-like impression on the snow. Her thought was interrupted when Sunset Shimmer and Diamond Tiara showed up at the balcony.

When Diamond Tiara looked down below over the balustrade, she became very crossed.

“Spoony, stop playing outside!” the elder Earth pony scolded Silver Spoon from the balcony.

Piggybacked on Gilda, Silver Spoon made the finishing touches on snow pony’s head before looking up at Diamond Tiara.

“Uh-uh!” she retorted with a quick shake of her head.

“Spoony! I’m serious! You might catch a cold!” Frustrated at Silver Spoon’s stubbornness, Diamond Tiara went down stepladder to get the younger Earth pony.

Sunset Shimmer came to notice Dash’s moodiness. “What’re you thinking, Dash?”

“Oh, just remembering things,” Dash said dismissively.

Sunset Shimmer guessed that Dash must be remembering her own past involving her family and friends.

“Hey, don’t be sad,” she attempted to cheer up Dash, “especially at times of festivities. Let’s get inside, have some hot chocolate. Do you like board games? I can teach you some of my favorites.”

Dash looked thoughtfully at the unicorn. “Sunset, there’s something I wanna talk to you about.”

Sunset Shimmer looked upon her quizzically. “What is it?”

Before Dash could say any further, a snowball abruptly struck her shoulder.

“Hey! Who did that!?” Sunset Shimmer angrily looked down.

“Hey, come on down, you two!” Trixie called out while waving at them.

“No, Trixie-” Without warning, Trixie’s snowball spattered on Sunset Shimmer’s face. She seemed to be very upset about this and it looked like she is about to snap at any moment.

For a second, Sunset Shimmer’s reaction had Trixie and Dash worried. Surely she should have gotten over the juice incident, right?

At the same time, Zach came out to the balcony. “Hey, you guys better get in quick! I think Lightning Dust-WHOA!!!”

Like Dash, he was awed by Sunset Shimmer’s transformation. Surrounded by a crimson aura, she gained a flame-like hair, her eyes and horns glowed ever so bright. To Zach, the unicorn’s current appearance bore reminiscence to Trollestia back at the castle ruins in White Tail.

Laughing menacingly, Sunset Shimmer spoke in a booming voice, “You’ve done it now, Trixie! You’ve committed a terrible mistake of awakening the raging she-demon that had laid dormant in me so many years. For that you shall suffer the consequences!”

Hundreds of snowballs rose into the air around Trixie. She along with Gilda and Silver Spoon overcame with fear, but not Diamond Tiara.

“Sunset Shimmer, stop it!” the Earth pony scolded the demon-unicorn. “It’s Hearth’s Warming Eve, for Faust sake! Not Nightmare Night!”

With that, all the snowballs dropped to the ground, and Sunset Shimmer reverted to her normal form.

“What?” she pouted her mouth, wondering why Diamond Tiara was not fooled. “Was it tooooo theatrical?”

“Please,” the Earth pony scoffed. “You are nowhere near Princess Luna’s level.”

Right, Sunset Shimmer took in what Diamond Tiara just said to her, next time I should try a transfiguration spell. Gain a red coat, black eyes and bat wings. That’ll show everypony in Canterlot.

Relief came over Dash.

“You actually had me fooled there,” she said to the unicorn.

Sunset Shimmer giggled. “I was kidding around, guys! Seriously!”

She looked at Dash with full enthusiasm. “Hey, Dash! Let’s go down there and get back at Trixie-oh wait! What was that you want to talk to me about again?”

After seeing Sunset Shimmer’s eagerness to have fun, Dash decided not to spoil her mood, thus ruining the holiday spirits.

“Nah, it’s nothin’,” she said with a small smile on her. “Come on!”

She ushered Sunset Shimmer towards the stepladder, ignoring Zach’s pleas.

“Hey, wait!” the feline called desperately. “What about Lightning Dust!?”

By then, Dash and Sunset Shimmer were already engaged in a snowball fight with Trixie.

“Watch out, Trixie!” Dash said playfully. “You’ll be the ‘Great and Apologetic Trixie’ when we’re through with you!”

Soon they were joined by Gilda and Silver Spoon, to the dismay of Diamond Tiara.

Meanwhile, Lightning Dust took Zach surprise by slumping on him from behind. Her face was so red, her eyes dazed and her breath smelled heavy with alcohol.

“Hic! Hey No-va!” she giggled. “That bucking idiot said you liked me. Hic! I want you to prove it.”

The pegasus tilted her head forward to bring her puckered up lips closer to Zach’s mouth. “With a kisssss!”

“GILDAAAA!!!” the feline’s scream pierced through the night, yet no one cared.

Somewhere in the castle, all the male members of former Reserves played poker while waiting for the next change of shift.

All of a sudden, Nova felt strange, anxious, for no reason.

“Huh,” he said, “I suddenly have this unsettling feeling that someone is trying to steal a kiss from my sweetheart.”

“You hear that, brother? Sweetheart,” Flim joked.

“Yeah,” Flam agreed. “And it’s not even official yet.”

With a wide grin across his face, Tirek slammed his cards lightly on the table.

“Royal Flush!” he declared triumphantly.

Seeing that their hooves have been outranked by the centaur, the rest groaned their disappointment.

Diamond Tiara shook her head to express her disappointment at Silver Spoon. Having caught a cold, the younger Earth pony was draped under a blanket and sneezing non-stop.

“Oh, don’t fret, Tiara,” Gilda said after lifting the snoring Lightning Dust on to her back

Diamond Tiara shot a look at the griffon.

“She’ll be fine,” Gilda insisted. “There’s nothing that a nice hot shower can’t fix.”

As Gilda carried Lightning Dust to the bedroom, Diamond Tiara ushered Silver Spoon to the bathroom.

“Go shower or no hot cocoa for you,” the elder Earth pony said.

Over at the table in the living room, Dash looked jestingly at the red-faced Zach who was sipping his cocoa.

“Hey, Zach! How was the kiss?” she asked.

Putting down the mug, Zach replied sarcastically, “It isn’t half as bad as being caressed all over by a certain white, perverted unicorn.”

Dash’s jesting look vanished instantly. Burned…

Gilda returned to the living room carrying boxes containing different board games.

“So who’s up for board games?”

Trixie raised her hoof eagerly. “Ooh! Me! Me!”

“Count me in!” Sunset Shimmer said with full enthusiasm.

“Anything to make me forget about that stupid kiss,” Zach sullenly said.

Dash was indifferent. “Whatevs.”

It was one past midnight. Everyone was fast asleep. Unlike Silver Spoon who was sleeping like an angel on her bed, the room where Lightning Dust was sleeping in was noisy from her loud snore. The pegasus’ face is still red from all the ciders.

On the couch, Dash awoke from her sleep for no reason. She looked up at the window. Snow was falling moderately outside. She then glanced around the room. Zach and Gilda slept on the next couches. The rest were lying fast asleep in their respective sleeping bags on the floor. It reminded Dash of one of the sleepover she used to go to during her high school years.

Dash’s flashback briefly turned the living room into AJ’s bedroom where all her friends are on floor in their sleeping bags, but she got to sleep on the bed after winning the game of rock-paper-scissors against AJ.

There were times when she wished those times never ended. Sunset Shimmer was right. Once in a while, one does feel regret when looking back, if only temporarily.

When her gaze fell upon Sunset Shimmer, Dash pondered if the unicorn could be convinced to truly forgive Princess Celestia. Dash saw a part of herself in both of them. She knew Sunset Shimmer still resents the princess and her favorite student, just as she is at Sunny, although that had begun to subside after meeting all these ponies, learning about their pasts and getting back her memory of her encounter with Brooke in Paragon. Maybe there is a grey area in the world after all.

As a friend, Dash feared that if Sunset Shimmer continued with her resentment, she might one day make a horrible mistake, a misdeed that is committed with deliberation, just as she did to Sunny and Princess Celestia to her younger sister. Words may be not enough to convince the unicorn. Another way Dash could think is show Sunset Shimmer how low her grudges had made her. And that her shattered dream, which started the convoluted chain of events that led her to this world, was probably bad karma for her own past wrongdoings.

Although Dash did mention to Sunset Shimmer of her human counterpart, she was sure the unicorn had not taken it seriously. Even Tirek who also has no knowledge on parallel universes, only playfully called her ‘Human Rainbow Dash’ because of her vague resemblance to the said pegasus. Still, it all sounded like a very bad idea. Dash was uncertain of what Sunset Shimmer will think of her if the unicorn learns the truth of what she had done to Sunny Emerson and former fellow air force trainee, Cloudchaser.

Finally, Dash shook everything off her mind, convinced that Princess Luna will somehow talk some sense into Sunset Shimmer when the time is right. She pulled the blanket further over to her neck, adjusted herself on the couch and tried to get back to her sleep.

A week passed and now it is post-New Year. Dash and Zach gave each of the six friends a friendship hug before they leave for the Southern Kingdom.

Silver Spoon accidentally sneezed at Zach’s winter clothes during the hug. The Earth pony was still coming down with the cold but she should be fine soon when she has Diamond Tiara to take care of her.

When it was Lighting Dust’s turn to hug Dash, she uttered a cry as if the hug was painful, eliciting giggles and chuckles from her friends. Judging from her blushed face, the pegasus might be experiencing the mother of all headaches caused by her drinking spree during the holidays.

Dash later apologized to Diamond Tiara, having remembered she never said thank you for taking her in when the Earth pony had found her. After Diamond Tiara admitted that she herself is not perfect, they forgave each other in case they had unknowingly hurt each other’s feelings after their initial meeting.

Dash and Zach both held their breath as Gilda gave them a tight squeeze. She is frighteningly strong under that calm demeanor. It is a wonder how this large griffon became friends with the small Silver Spoon first long before getting to know the rest of the gang.

Zach warily let Trixie hug him, fearing the unicorn might have one final trick up her sleeve. Even her sweet smile and assurance failed to convince him. He should have no reason to be so because Trixie was not speaking in third pony.

The hug between Dash and Sunset Shimmer lasted slightly longer as they exchanged final words. Dash actually felt glad she did not leave Canterlot immediately now that she is able to deliver her final message to Sunset Shimmer. Whatever Dash told her, the unicorn appeared to be uncertain by it but agreed in the end.

Dash waved her final goodbye to the six friends before walking off with Zach. This is it. They will never see each other again. What they can do now after making the most of their time together is to cherish the memories. Something that Dash had told Silver Spoon before.

***

It was already evening in Ritchiudo. Half of the city was devastated. But the Clay Colossuses were nowhere to be seen.

Godslayer Fortepiano was dumbstruck by the large gathering of the Erumoan Army whom are raising their hands up high whilst chanting “Yatta!” repeatedly. Aside from this ruckus, only hush is heard from the devastated surroundings. She has no idea what had happened here during her absence, as none of her subordinates bothered to send her an updated sitrep.

“Eirian-sama!” It was Donatsu Gunso, approaching and waving at her.

Godslayer Fortepiano quickly met up with the local.

“Doumo arigatou gozaimasu! (We thank you for all your help!)” Donatsu Gunso said with a deep bow.

Not understanding the situation, Godslayer Fortepiano asked, “Nani ga okita no desu ka? (What happened here?)”

The anthromorphed donut thus explained that those monsters had been completely destroyed by her lance’s pet turtle. For saving this country from further destruction, he expressed his deepest gratitude to Fortepiano.

“Eh?!” the Godslayer exclaimed in total surprise. What pet turtle???

She briskly brushed among the crowd of food-based soldiers. At the center of crowd, she spotted both her subordinates standing on a piled up remains of a toppled building. As part of the stage show, the Ensign held up high the fattened Evil Turtle, trapped in a glass bowl yet still menacing as ever, as if it was a hero. Yes, as crazy as it sounds, the evil incarnate was defeated by a mere bowl (as according to TWOG’s canon).

“Imposhiburu,” the Field Master uttered just moments before she collapsed.

As The Catgirl cruised through the vast blackness that is deep space, Fortepiano said to her subordinates, “This abomination is a double-edged sword! So, the answer is NO! We simply can’t afford to keep it!”

A crate was later ejected from the cruiser, moments before The Catgirl make its entry into the Void. It floated away for a while before eventually getting pulled in by the gravitational field of an enormous brilliant blue star. If somehow the Evil Turtle survive the incineration, then the prolonged intense heat exposure will do the trick. Hopefully…

KARMA -revised

Author's Note

Hayley Appleby = Apple Bloom; Kamila-Belle Sparklett = Sweetie Belle; William Irons = Iron Will; Fargus Bulkmeier = Bulk Biceps; Madison Hart = Maud Pie; Snips and Snails' human names aren't established yet; and Cloudchaser's first name is Eleanor.

KARMA -revised

It was now the middle of spring in the land of Equestria. The meadows around Canterlot Plateau have turned lush green. The large waterfall resumed in flowing into the wide blue river that cuts through the southern plain. Many things were going on in Canterlot at this time.

Celestia had just revealed her plan to abdicate the throne after she comes clean about the Battle of the Royal Sisters to the public. Obviously Luna objected. Having already spent a great deal of time on the moon all alone, the younger sister was unable to bear the idea of the royal family separating again.

That was not all what Celestia did. She also offered to make Sunset Shimmer an Alicorn Princess. But after relentless questioning by Sunset Shimmer, the princess finally conceded that her motive is guilt-related rather than truly regarding Sunset Shimmer as worthy and deserving. Sunset Shimmer felt terribly upset upon hearing it so she snubbed the offer.

It was not long until Discord came in to report that Ponyville was coming under an invasion threat by the Mane Six. Celestia broke down immediately when the captain confirmed via eyewitness accounts it was definitely Twilight Sparkle leading the invasion.

The Mane Six are alive and well but heavily scarred, with the exception of Twilight Sparkle. Aside from possessing a giant pony-styled mobile fortress (think the Trojan Horse), the backbone of their great army are quarray eels, slaved by Twilight Sparkle’s mind control brooch pinned to their foreheads.

The Equestrian Royal Guards under Discord’s command was mobilized to Ponyville in response. But for now, they remained on standby in the town’s outskirts, ready to go in an all-out battle should the two friends of the late Twilight Velvet fail to reason with Twilight Sparkle.

However, battle looked set to happen after Twilight Sparkle scorned Doc Top and Mayor Mare. The unicorn angrily disclosed that she blames the entire kingdom for her abandoning by Princess Celestia and the reason she had return to Ponyville was to research a way to raise her own army in order to fulfill her destiny as Equestria’s ruler.

Ever since learning of Twilight Sparkle’s plan to take the throne by force, Celestia withdrew into herself. In her bedroom, she lamented over how her past mistakes are leading the kingdom into trouble one after the other. Then something unexpected appeared before her, causing the princess to go into a huge shock.

Luna and the royal guards burst into the master bedroom after being alarmed by the elder princess’ scream. The hysterical Celestia clung to Luna whilst pointing at a corner. The latter almost fainted when she saw there stood a familiar figure from the past. She was absolutely certain she is not imagining it.

The royal guards did not see Twilight Velvet- pale, stone cold, eerily motionless as if she was a statue. This time, this is no trick by the Princess of the Night. For an unknown reason, the ghost decided to make her presence only known to the Royal Sisters...

***

Becky and Gwen had Dash cornered on the wall. Sunny was standing behind them, looking uneasy. Of the three, Becky is the most dominant person in the group.

“Is this all you got!?” Upset at the meagre amount of lunch money she had extorted, Becky slapped the bills at Dash’s face.

“Look at her rags, Beck,” Gwen scoffed. “She’s as poor as a church mouse.”

Dash looked down at the floor, feeling completely embarrassed, even though Gwen was merely exaggerating.

“Okay then, girls,” Becky said. “For this measly five Bits, let’s give this piss-poor loser her deserving punishment, shall we?”

She grabbed Dash by her hair and shoved her down to the floor, eliciting a shriek from the poor girl.

“Err, isn’t that a little too harsh?” Sunny finally voiced out her uneasiness of the situation.

“Hey, do you want to be a part of our group or not!?” Gwen angrily said to her.

“I…I do,” Sunny hesitantly nodded.

“Meh, she can sit this one out, Gwen,” Becky smirked. “Let the newbie learn a thing or two from the pros.”

Sunny looked away as Dash gets stomped and kicked at by the two girls.

Sunny used her leg to trip Dash on purpose.

“Oops!” she scoffed, watching Dash miserable on the ground. “But it wasn’t on purpose though. You’re the one who got in way of me.”

“Ha! Good one, Sunny!” Becky gave her approval.

Sunny looked at her friend in vanity as if she had just received a well-deserved compliment. “Really?”

Dash got up to her feet, frustrated the constant bullying. That was when she saw AJ walking out from the school building. She wanted to call for help but then decided not to.

I should stand up for myself this time, Dash resolved. Maybe if I act tough and confident like AJ, they’d finally leave me alone.

“I-I had enough…” But her voice was too low.

Sunny tilted her head as if she has not heard it quite right. “What did you just say?”

Dash raised her voice a little. “I want you guys to stop…!”

“Girls, I think this loser wants to be taught a valuable lesson,” Sunny said sarcastically.

“Oh, why yes!” Becky played along. “I do believe so myself,”.

They gathered around Dash and started shoving her around, laughing and throwing insults at poor Dash while doing so.

“Stop it!” Dash sobbed. “Leave me alone!”

The three bullies stopped immediately the moment they saw AJ approaching them fast. Upon seeing the crying Dash, a heated argument broke out between them and AJ.

After shoving Dash into the stall, Sunny said to her, “If you still intend on showing up in school, then this is a perfect place for a loser like you. Seriously, those rags are embarrassing to look at. And you should feel the same about your looks too.”

She sneered at Dash before being pushed away by Twilight.

“Back off, Sunny!” the latter warned.

Dash slumped forward, burying her face in palms and started crying.

Why? she wondered the same thing every day. I’ve never done anything wrong to them. So why won’t they stop bothering me?

“Aww, it’s the princess in shining armor coming to rescue her peasant,” Sunny mocked at Twilight. “How noble.”

“Shut it!” Twilight’s face reddened with anger. “Leave right now!”

“Whatever you say, princess!” Sunny laughed and exited the bathroom.

Returning to the stall, Twilight placed a gentle hand on Dash’s shoulder.

“Dash,” Twilight tried to make her feel better, “you have to pull yourself together-”

Just then, Felicia appeared, unaware what had happened just now. “Twilight, I just saw Sunny came out- Dash?”

The sight of her friend crying on the toilet puzzled her, but then remembered the look she saw on Sunny’s face.

“She’s making fun of her looks again,” Twilight sadly informed her.

Down on one knee, Felicia looked compassionately at Dash.

She lifted Dash’s chin so that their gazes would meet. “I want you to take a good look at me and answer truthfully, okay?”

Dash nodded meekly, sniffling, her cheeks wet.

Felicia put on a heart-warming smile, though its tenderness is a little marred by her dental braces.

“Do I look ugly?” she casually asked.

Dash did the obvious: she shook her head.

“And so do you.” Felicia embraced Dash fondly. “Now don’t cry anymore, Dash. You’re special. You may not look and feel like it now. But one day, you’ll see it, that I’m sure.”

Dash however doubted that.

After Dash finished reading the article, she threw the magazine onto the bed and ran off to the door.

Running down the stairs, she called, “Dad! D’you think we could go to Para- Twi???”

She stopped dead on the steps, not expecting to see Twilight in the living room with her father.

“Iris, come to the kitchen!” Garrett instructed his daughter.

Over at the kitchen table, Dash took her seat. Garrett stood over at the opposite side, staring at her with a crossed look

“What’s going on…?” Dash asked in apprehension.

“Iris,” Garrett’s voice was stern, “according to Twilight, you’re being bullied in school. Is this true?”

Dash’s silence was answer enough for him.

“Why’d you keep this from me?” he pressed. “Why didn’t you report it to the principal!?”

The mortified Dash avoided her father’s stare, still remained quiet.

Seeing there was no point in questioning his daughter any further, Garrett said, “Tomorrow, I’m coming to your school. I’m gonna give these darn Becky’s parent a piece of my mind.”

“No,” Dash protested, “I’ll get expelled.”

Garrett slumped to the chair, rubbing his forehead with one hand.

“Aw geez, you kids,” he said in dismay. “Just b’cuz their parents are members of the teaching staff doesn’t mean they own the school.”

An air show by the Paragon branch of the Equestrian Royal Air force was being held in conjunction of the Golden Jubilee of Equestrian National Day, a celebration that marks the country’s transition from military dictatorship to constitutional monarchy. On this day, large-scale parades were ongoing in the capital of Canterbury, but other major cities sometimes hold their own events, usually on smaller scales, to commemorate the occasion.

A small crowd had gathered along the hills to witness the flyby. They are mostly of families of military men. Among others are Dash and her father Garrett, along with some hobby photographers and aviation enthusiasts.

They all watched with genuine interest at the formations of attack helicopters and twin-rotor transport helicopters passing high above the valley. Several minutes later, a bomber escorted by several F/A-6s appeared. This was then followed by in succession squadrons of F/A-6s flying in an assortment of formations.

After the last formation had passed, Dash then spotted a blue-colored F/A-6s banking into the valley.

Oh my gosh! she thought excitedly. This is it! This is it!

This is what Dash has been looking forward to. The Skydale branch of the Thunderbolts has graciously agreed to join the modest air show in Paragon.

She tugged her father’s shirt, hand pointing excitedly at the approaching fighter jet. “Dad, over there! It’s coming! It’s coming!”

She cheered with childlike enthusiasm as the low-flying Thunderbolt passed through the valley whilst making a full 360-degree roll.

Shortly, a squadron of three lined-up Thunderbolts, while rolling to one side, streaked past through the valley in succession. Immediately after they exited the valley, the three fighter jets regrouped into a V-formation then took off to the skies at an almost vertical angle.

In the air, the same three fighters were soon joined by several more squadrons of fellow Thunderbolts. Then, the highlight of the air show began. The squadrons engaged in aerobatic maneuvers, drawing applauses and cheers from the entertained enthusiasts and children.

“Dad, what d’you think it feels like if one could fly really that high?” Dash asked.

Garrett shrugged. “Beats me.”

“I think it’ll be amazing on so many levels!” Dash said vigorously. “That’s why I’ve made up my mind! I wanna be a part of them!”

“What, you wanna be a fighter pilot?” Garrett guessed.

“Close,” Dash said. “I wanna be a Thunderbolt.”

“Don’t you wanna be something else?” Garrett asked. “Like a lawyer? Or a doctor? Maybe an engineer?”

“Ba-ba-ba-boriiiing!” Dash retorted.

Garret let out a sigh. “You are one weird kid, Iris.”

“Wow,” Dash said all a sudden, “would ya get a load of that!”

She was watching up at the sky a Thunderbolt, colored smoke trails spewing from the tip of its wings, making a vertical climb and full rolls simultaneously, then shoots some flares before pulling to a steep dive.

“Amazing!” Dash cried.

“If that’s amazing,” came an accented voice from behind, “then wait till you see the concluding maneuver.”

Dash, who is actually very timid around strangers, fell silent at the presence of the local who appears to be in her mid-thirties.

“It’s not death-defying nor overly thrilling,” the woman continued, “but impressive nonetheless. Still takes as much discipline to accomplish.”

“Huh, you’re an enthusiast, I take it miss?” Garrett asked her.

“Hardly,” she said, “I used to be a military brat,”

Having noticed Dash’s sudden change of demeanor, the woman bent a little at her.

“Oh, don’t be like that, lass,” she said to Dash with a friendly smile. “People from Skydale are supposed to be energetic, bold, not shy.”

Garrett wondered whether it was their accent that had given themselves away. “Is it really that obvious?”

“Quite so,” the woman confirmed. “I have some distant relatives living there.”

Then she saw something at the sky and pointed up. “Oh, there it comes now!”

Two squadrons of Thunderbolts, each forming an E- and Q-shaped formation side-by-side, made their approach high over the valley. The entire crowd applauded at the display.

Cool…! Dash thought.

“Well, sorry if I interrupted anything,” the woman said.

“Nah,” Garret dismissed the apology, “not at all.”

“I can’t help it,” the woman got a little nostalgic all of a sudden, “but you families reminded me of my niece from Skydale. Haven’t seen her for quite a while, to be honest.”

“Too-da-loo!” She then walked off to join her family.

Afterwards, the same Thunderbolts squadrons made a return but this time in a 5- and 0-shaped formation, to the delight of the crowds.

After the air show was over, the Dashiells had their lunch at a local diner not from there. Garrett ate slowly, as though something was bothering his mind. Without finishing his lunch, he put down his fork and spoon on the plate.

“Iris, y’know,” he was saying. “What that woman said is actually true.”

“‘Bout what?” Dash asked whilst munching her food.

“Finding out that you’re getting bullied right under my nose,” Garrett said, “made me realize I’m a terrible father.”

Dash stopped eating her food upon hearing her father’s words. “No, dad. It’s not you. It was me. I kept it a secret from you.”

“True,” Garret acknowledged it. “But I woulda found out if I’d been more observant, if I’d talked to you more instead just focusing on work.”

“Dad, please. You’re not,” Dash kept on insisting. “I couldn’t have asked for a better father.”

Garrett looked straight at Dash in the eye and said, “Either way, there must be something wrong the way I raised you. You need to learn to stand your own feet, be more confident. I want you to be more…active. If you don’t start to change yourself now, you won’t last in the real world. And a time will come when there’s no one around to help you, there’s only yourself. D’you understand?”

Sadly, Dash did not take her father’s advice seriously. “Yea…”

Garrett placed the tools back into trunk after he was done changing the flat tire. It was pure bad luck that they had run over some nails just before pulling up into hotel’s parking lot.

Better now than during the journey back home, he thought to himself.

“Wait for me in the hotel room,” Garrett told Dash. “I’m gonna find a workshop to get the flat tire fixed.”

“Dad,” Dash regarded her father with concern, “d’you even know your way around here?”

“I’ll ask around,” Garrett said before passing the keys to her.

In the hotel room, Dash passed her time by writing in her diary on the bed. The TV was on, but muted. When she looked at the time, Dash realized it has been hours since her father left to find a workshop. Worried, she called her father’s mobile using the room’s telephone. There was no answer, only endless ringing from the other end.

Dash’s call was rejected. The thug switched off the mobile then slipped it inside his pocket. Another thug did the same with Garrett’s wallet. Showing the car keys that he stole at his associate, the two thugs went off to jack Garrett’s car waiting outside the alleyway. Not far behind, Garrett lay partially conscious, having stabbed in the stomach multiple times, hidden behind a dumpster.

A crowd of people in black attire gathered to mourn for the late Mr. Dashiell. Apart from colleagues at the department where the deceased worked, sympathetic family members of Dash’s friends also came to attend.

Away from the mourners, Dash sagged on the flight of stairs, while being comforted by her five best friends. Quivering, she tried very hard to hold herself from crying.

“He told me to be strong,” Dash muttered to herself. “So I’m not gonna cry. I’m…not gonna cry…”

“It’s all right t-” AJ was trying to say.

But Dash cut her off with a snap, “No, it’s not all right! How is it all right when what had happened was all my fault!?”

AJ fell silent in an instance.

Dash’s emotional strain had made her misunderstood her friend. Had Dash let her finish, AJ was meant to say that there is nothing wrong with crying for lost loved ones.

“Dash, it’s not your fault,” Twilight tried to comfort her.

“Yes, it is!” Dash insisted. “It was b’cuz of me we made the trip! If I hadn’t been too needy-”

“Stop!” Twilight embraced Dash tightly, so abrupt was her action that the latter was too stunned to speak further. “Please stop blaming yourself! He loves you! And you know that!”

Over Twilight’s shoulders, the first tears streamed down Dash’s cheeks.

“Twilight,” she held herself away to look at Twilight, “he aint’t perfect nor the best dad ever, but I still love him…”

“Then let it all out,” Twilight encouraged her, speaking softly.

Dash buried her face onto Twilight’s chest, then cried her heart out. Emotionally affected by their friend’s sorrow, the rest also started to cry.

As the coffin was being loaded onto the van, the Peters approached Dash. Also hailed from Skydale, they are the closest friends to the Dashiells. A colleague, Madeline Peters was also transferred to Gensville on the same day as the late Mr. Dashiell through sheer coincidence.

“Everything’s been paid for,” she notified Dash. “So you needn’t worry about the transportation.”

“I dunno how to repay y’all,” Dash said, touched by the Peters’ monetary contribution.

Mrs. Peters however graciously regarded the matter as a no big deal. “It’s nothin’. I’ve known both your parents long before you were born. It just felt right that your father should be buried close to your mother.”

“Can she come with us, mom?” her daughter Skye asked expectantly.

“Sure,” Mrs. Peters answered

“You better start packing now,” she said to Dash. “It’s gonna be a long ride back to our hometown.”

Dash gave them her sincere thanks, feeling ever so grateful that she has the Peters in her life, almost like a second family.

Three Years Later…

A ‘power struggle’ had occurred among the three bullies. Ever since her parent no longer teaches at the school, Becky had lost her influence and thus her position as leader of the gang. Now she, though bitterly, and Gwen followed Sunny. Despite the change, the bullies remained menacing as before.

And Dash, she has been doing well in recovering since her father’s passing. To honor her late father, she heeded his last advice to her. Dash was now changed person- confident, active, independent and a lot more sociable, but with occasional tendency to annoy others. Anyhow, she was able to resist Sunny’s bullying by talking back with heavy sarcasm. No longer weak, she is no pushover either in case things get physical.

No longer able to intimidate Dash like before was probably the reason the bullies went after the juniors now. Dash spotted from afar Sunny extorting lunch money from one of the juniors. The redhead girl definitely had learned everything from Becky and Gwen. Used to be just another ordinary girl, her mingling with the two has badly affected Sunny’s behavior.

Dash fumed at the lowly act, now more than before because Skye will finish elementary school and enter junior high next year. She feared when that time comes, Skye will surely fall victim to Sunny’s group just as she had.

By now, Dash’s resentment has grown into animosity. Even though her harassment began with Becky and Gwen, it was Sunny who remained as the persistent thorn in her flesh. Dash decided she should do something protect Skye. Considering it as a righteous act, she would rid these bullies from the school once and for all by any means necessary.

The small land lot is vacant, except for some piles of old construction materials. It is most likely abandoned by a construction contractor that went bankrupt so many years ago. Surrounded by a wall fence made of zinc panels, it became an ideal loitering ground for all sorts of juvenile delinquents. But now it has been claimed by the Star Spiders, a group made up of four female teen hell-raisers, as their own ‘territory’.

Tak and Jessica were in the middle of a heated argument with Rachel, while the fourth member Melissa sat atop an unused culvert, completely absorbed in her smartphone and unconcerned with her cohort’s argument.

Dash carefully approached the group who are well known for being aggressive.

“Hey, ‘sup!” she greeted them.

Jessica slapped her fist as she confronted Dash. “You got some real nerves coming here, shrimp!”

Dash was not intimidated even a bit, feeling very confident that they will not hurt her after hearing what she has to say. “Couldn't help overhearing everything you just said and I think you guys are in luck.”

Jessica yanked Dash’s shirt then pined her against some stacks of brick blocks.

“Do you know what we do to trespassers!?” she shouted at Dash’s face.

“Woah, woah, woah, chill!” Dash quickly said. “I’m not looking for fight. You wanna know who stole your cash? I can tell you!”

“Pfffttt! Yeah, right!” Jessica retorted, not buying it.

Just as Jessica was about to punch Dash in the face, she was ordered to stop by Tak. It seemed that Tak is one who is calling the shots in the group, as Jessica immediately complied.

Tak walked up to Dash and said to her, “Start talking.”

On the way back home, Sunny’s smartphone rang.

“Beck, calm down!” she said, alarmed by Becky’s sobbing through the receiver. “What’s wrong?”

After listening to Becky’s explanation, shock came over her. “You and Gwen did what!? Why would you do such a stupid thing!? All right, all right, I’ll do it. Tell me where did you hide it. Uh-huh…got it. And, where are you two now? All right, stay calm! I’m on my way!”

She placed her smartphone back into her pocket and made tracks in the opposite direction.

Several days later…

There were muttering and whispering voices all around the cafeteria tables. However not all students were aware of the rumors relating to Sunny’s group.

Looking around, Twilight asked, “What’s everybody been talking about?”

Felicia shook her head. “No clue.”

Dash just kept quiet so as not to give away her secret by accident. She spotted Dorothy approaching their table but still there was no sign of AJ. The country blonde was strangely absent from school since the previous day.

“Did you hear?” Dorothy began after sitting next Twilight. “Sunny, Becky and Gwen got into a feud with the Star Spiders.”

Twilight knew that name very well. From papers she read, the Star Spiders are alleged to have ties to the notorious mob, the Diamond Dog Gang.

“What of kind of trouble were they in?” she asked.

“I’m rather vague on the details of the feud,” Dorothy admitted, “but I did hear that Becky and Gwen abandoned Sunny, leaving her alone being chased all over town. She took a quite a severe beating. It could’ve gotten worse. I mean, one of them even had a knife.”

Dash almost smiled, but it instantly faded once Dorothy mentioned AJ’s name.

“If it weren’t for AJ-”

“AJ?” Dash blurted.

“Yes,” Dorothy nodded. “She tried to help Sunny. Unfortunately, it didn’t end well. For Sunny, that is.”

“What happened?” Twilight was eager to know more.

“She ended up in intensive care after getting caught up in a hit-and-run during her escape,” Dorothy explained. “From what I understand, her injuries are fatal and she needs to undergo several more surgeries.”

The thought of someone dying, even if that someone is a person she disliked, made Vanessa shudder. “Sounds awful.”

“As for AJ,” Dorothy added, “she’s now at the hospital with Sunny’s parents.”

As they continue to discuss, Dash could not help but feel a little upset. Never mind if Sunny survived the mob-style attack as that was good enough to teach the bully the lesson she deserves. But her friend unwittingly getting involved in it is another matter.

To Dash’s dismay, AJ, of all people, had started a donation campaign to help pay for Sunny’s surgery as the parents could only afford to cover half of the total cost. However, it was not going well. For all the students, it is very hard to help someone who had wronged them so many times in the past.

In the midst of the disgruntled muttering, Vanessa unexpectedly snatched the megaphone from Felicia’s hand and jumped onto the table. Everyone’s jaws dropped when the supposedly shy and quiet girl began to address the surrounding students with a snap.

“I can’t believe we’re still having this conversation!” Vanessa’s voice boomed throughout cafeteria. “Of course we’re going to help! Sunny was a bully, I won’t deny that! And you have every right to be angry at her! But this is her life we’re talking about here!”

Vanessa was abruptly paused by a sudden mild dizziness in her head. She is actually still weak, having not eaten anything after donating her blood to the hospital earlier.

Seeing her woozy on the table caused a great concern for Dorothy.

“Darling,” she urged, “please calm yourself and get down from the table.”

Ignoring Dorothy, Vanessa went back to her speech, as the dizziness was only temporary.

“Sunny isn’t just a nobody,” she shouted whilst moving around on the table carelessly. “Like us, she is someone’s child, a part of a family! If you turn your backs on a life on the line,-”

THUD! Dorothy and Twilight quickly moved to help Vanessa after the latter had accidentally tripped over the table. But, as soon as she was on her feet again, as if the fall was nothing, Vanessa got on table to continue her speech, much to everyone’s surprise.

“If you turn your backs on a life on the line, if you let a loved one get taken away from a family, then that your what you call as righteous anger… Well, it doesn’t sound so righteous anymore.”

As Vanessa kept on talking, two students standing within the silent crowd, who could be describe as a pair of comic relief hipsters in the school, Snails and Snips were unimpressed. As they tried to walk away from the crowd, they were suddenly yanked back by a tall, muscular student named Bulkmeier. He clung his strong grip on to their shoulders to force the pair to stay put.

“It’s deliciously red from the outside, but inside it’s rotting because there’s a grotesque worm growing in it, consuming from the core. Don’t be like that apple. Please, have a heart. Put aside that grudge and lend a helping hand.”

Having finished her speech, Vanessa jumped down the table. She then found herself facing a jock named William Irons (a.k.a. Iron Will by his peers) whose body build is even more impressive than that of Bulkmeier’s.

“THAT SPEECH WAS FAR FROM THE GREATEST!” he shouted.

AJ bolted towards Vanessa protectively, having mistaken the jock’s action as intending to pick on her friend.

“BUT IT IS THE MOST HONEST!” Iron Will mimicked Hulk Hogan’s signature pose. “SO YOU MAY EXPECT OUR BEST!”

In response, Bulk shouted his support from the midst of the crowd. A few seniors including Madison, Felicia’s older sister stepped forward to state their agreement.

Shoving the megaphone to AJ’s hands, Vanessa yelled back at Iron Will, “I learned it from my friend here! But why are you shouting so loud???”

During this entire scene, Dash was watching from across the cafeteria, with a feeling of discontent.

Several months later…

Dash was not paying much attention to the class. Instead she was preoccupied on how to balance her time all week between squash practice, training for the upcoming track competition and Felicia’s bake sale which she absentmindedly volunteered to help without considering her schedule first. Sunny was not paying attention to class either. She just gazed out at the window with a distant look in her eyes. After her release from the hospital, she became a gloomy and quiet person thereafter.

The bell rang, signaling the school period is over. Everyone in the class packed their bags and rose from their seats, all except Sunny. It was the same routine every day. Sunny always waited to be last person to leave the class, most likely to avoid interaction with the other students. Dash assumed Sunny’s feelings were torn after she found out the entire student body had helped to pay for her surgery. The majority of them are the ones she had harassed in the past.

In the hallway, Dash and AJ almost bumped into Sunny. There was a brief awkward moment between AJ and Sunny. The latter looked down mortified, then immediately walked past them. As she walked past the other students, they called her names and made fun of her scars for the sake of their own amusement.

Sunny tried very hard to ignore them. She increased her pace, but unfortunately slipped on the floor after failing to notice the wet floor sign. All the students who witnessed this laughed aloud. Dash herself could not help from putting on a self-satisfied smirk.

Now she gets to know how it felt like to be humiliated, she thought.

Before Sunny could do anything else, Snails grabbed her bag that had slipped from her during the fall.

“Hey! Give that back!” she yelled.

“Make me!” Snails yelled back at her.

Sunny sprang to her feet, but slipped again. When she finally got her footing, Snails tossed the bag over her to his companion, Snips who then tossed it back to Snails when Sunny sprang towards him and so on.

Sunny frantically moved back and forth to get her bag back. “Cut it out, you morons!”

As she was still on the wet floor, Sunny slipped again, eliciting more laughter from the students. Fuming with anger and humiliation, the redhead remained on the floor.

Having had enough of being a spectator, AJ at last decided to move in to help Sunny.

“Hey, stop pickin’ on Sunny!” she scolded the two boys. “She ain’t done nothin’ to y’all so far!”

“O-ookaaay,” Snails pretended to be sorry.

He appeared to be returning the bag but when Sunny reached for it, he tossed it back to Snips. But AJ managed to grab the bag before Snips could catch it. AJ displayed uncanny strength by lifting Snips up high with her free hand then pinned him against the locker with his feet dangling off the floor. He looked in shock at the country blonde whose eyes were filled with fiery rage.

Dash stared in disbelief at AJ assisting Sunny to her feet after telling off Snails and Snips. She could not help wonder what had been going on between those two that led AJ being protective of the former bully. Before, Sunny was much of an enemy to AJ as she was to Dash.

AJ nodded her encouragement. That prompted Sunny to finally accept Twilight’s hand gesture. They gave each other a gentle hug to show there was no is longer any hard feeling between them.

“But will the others…?” Sunny wanted to ask.

“I can’t guarantee it,” Twilight said frankly. “What I can offer you is my sincere support. It will be a very tough ride to gain their acceptance. But if you truly want to change, then moving forward is the way to go.”

As they walked away together, Dash slipped back behind the corner of the school building unnoticed. She was very unhappy at how things were going. This is not what she had intended. Now Dash really wished that the Star Spiders had finished off Sunny instead.

Onstage, Sunny pulled her courage to read her speech loud and clear to the students gathered in the school’s multipurpose hall.

“Fellow students of Gensville High… I, Sunny Emerson, would like announce that I’m truly sorry for years of being a total jerk in this school… I don’t know…if apologizing will be enough, but I do want you know that I am really, really sorry for everything I’ve done…”

The next phase of her speech is to call out the names of every student she had wronged, state her wrongdoings and apologizes personally to that student.

“…April-Jeannette Appleby. I am sorry for making fun of your family name and your ki- I mean, your Southern origins. It was a very stupid and…a provocative act…”

As she listened to the speech, Dorothy leaned to Twilight and whispered, “Twilight dear, is she really going mention each and every student in this school?”

“Yup,” Twilight whispered back, “every one of us.”

“Ugh, this will take almost forever,” Dorothy mumbled.

One hour had passed. As Sunny barely went through half her list of close to five hundred names, she was not going to finish her apology speech anytime soon.

“Iris Dashiell,” Sunny finally reached Dash’s name, “I’ve…wronged you so many times, more than others. And you took the worst of me.”

Pfffttt! You got that right, you rot, Dash thought bitterly.

“…passing, I remain insensitive to your feelings. I understand if I hated me for that. I am very sorry…”

A few months later…

Sunny fumed over her mobile. “Where have guys been!? What!? That’s crazy! You can’t expect me to clean this up all by myself! N-no. no! You can’t do this!”

There was click sound on the other end. “Hello?”

The call had been ended. She looked over the entire room. There were still dozens of foldable chairs need to be returned to storage. Plastic tableware and leftovers on the tables need to be cleaned up. Banners and flyers need to be taken down. The entire floor need to be mopped. That is a lot of work for one person. Furious, she tossed away the mop she was holding then kicked the water-filled bucket over the floor before slumping on the chair.

“Jerks!” she shouted to vent her frustration.

She could just walk away and file a complaint to the teachers instead. It was just that she felt hurt over her treatment even though she had apologized. Letting herself being taken advantage by others was her not idea of making amends for her past mistakes. She buried her face in her hands, wanting to cry but then looked up. Before her is Vanessa, holding the mop she had tossed earlier.

“You look like you could use a little help,” Vanessa said.

Sunny shook her head gently. “No. it wouldn’t be right.”

The rest of the five friends appeared behind Vanessa.

“It’s futile, Sunny,” Dorothy said with a lazy expression on her face. “She’s going to do it no matter what you said. So, we have to insist.”

All but Dash gave their affirmed nod. Dash rubbed behind her neck, looking upset. Finally, she decided to go along.

One year later…

Sunny and the new Grade Eleven student happened to come across Twilight and friends. Sunny was quite surprised at Dash’s stunning new hair color.

“Wow, that…that’s a really nice look on you,” she complimented Dash.

Dash tossed back her hair, as if to show off. “I prefer the term awesome.”

“Is that going to be permanent or just until The Battle of the Band is over?” Sunny then asked.

Ignoring the question, Dash took offense at the newcomer’s stare. “Hey! What’re you looking at!?”

“Oh. sorry!” Sunny immediately introduced the newcomer to them. “This is the new the student coming in today. Brooke Colman. He’s from Paragon.”

“Aren’t you a little far away from home?” Twilight curiously asked the newcomer.

Brooke smiled and replied in his original accent, “It’s a too long of a story to tell.”

After Sunny introduced each girl to Brooke, she excused themselves, explaining that she volunteered to show him around.

As Sunny led Brooke down the hallway, Dash said to her friends, “Did you guys take a look at his eyes? Weird. Freaky.”

Upset, AJ chided her, “Dash, that ain’t a nice thing to say!”

“What!?” Dash retorted. “Just sayin’!”

Twilight clapped her hand twice to get their attention. “Girls! Girls! Focus! The Battle of Band, remember?”

She opened the door to the music room and then gestured at them to go in.

The night of the Battle of the Band finally arrived. Members of the Sonic Boom, all dressed like glamorous pop stars, prepared to go onstage with their instruments. Amidst the crowd, they came across Brooke and Sunny.

“Cut it out, you creep!” Brooke was told off by Dash for being offended by his stare.

She walked past him over to Sunny who wished the Sonic Booms the best of luck.

“We don’t need luck,” Dash flatly said as she passed her.

“Oh, right,” Sunny said, interpreting the words as the Sonic Booms will beat the competition purely out of skills, not luck.

But what Dash really meant was: We don’t need luck from the likes of you.

Her feelings towards Sunny has never changed. She just hid it very well.

Dash, Twilight and Dorothy were having smoothies at the Sugar Cube Corner with Skye and her friends- Hayley and Kamila-Belle, AJ and Dorothy’s little sister respectively. It had been a few months since they entered junior high.

Dash was appalled upon learning that Skye had joined the Entrepreneurship Club. “You do realize we have music and outdoor clubs at the school, right?”

Skye stopped sipping her smoothie and said, “Hey, it’s Hayley and Kamil who roped me in.”

Unlike Dash, Dorothy supported the kids’ choice. “Well, I think it's a splendid choice. Don't you think so, Twilight?”

“Yeah,” Twilight agreed. “Exposure at such a young age might do good to their career choices in the future.”

Leaning back on her chair, Dash murmured, “I s’pose it’s still better than history club.”

Formerly known as Summer Harvest Festival, it is traditionally celebrated by the townspeople to mark beginning of the harvest season. Over the last decade of the town’s history, it had been commercialized by the town hall into a grand event as a way draw in outside visitors and foreign tourists. Held during the summer holidays, many sites across the town are filled with various activities and entertainments. Among the highlights are the float parades, regatta/boat race, cultural street performances, food fairs and fashion and music galas.

Amidst the crowd thronging the sidewalks to witness the parade on the streets, Dash got a little nostalgic as the floats passed her view. She remembered the time where she was brought to such events by her trip-loving father. It has always been that way, but not anymore.

What festival would be complete if there are no street vendors cashing in on the event. Members of Gensville High Entrepreneurship Club had the same idea, although they have to sacrifice their free times in the holidays. Over at one of the many booths, Skye, Hayley and Kamil worked tirelessly selling their oat cookie products.

After the last customer left, Dash appeared to Skye, holding a SHK’s flyer.

“Krunch your way to a healthier start with Super Healthy Krunch, huh?” she remarked. “Smart, not exactly catchy.”

Brooke appeared with a tray of freshly baked cookies. “They’re young. Be easy on them. Why don’t you try some? Only One Bit for a pack of five.”

“Oh, it’s you again,” Dash sad coldly.

Taking the hint, Brooke said, “I seem to be the object of your contempt at the moment. I’ll leave you two alone now.”

After placing passing the tray to Kamil, he went back to making more cookies.

“What makes these any different from Felicia’s?” Dash was curious to know.

Skye explained, “It's both tasty and healthy. No sugar, just goodness of oat, milk with real bits of fruits and veges. Actually, we did put a little bit of vanilla essence in it too.”

Dash glanced over at the flyer again. “Three mixed flavors? Wow, seriously?

“Hey, Dash!” It was Sunny.

Her unexpected appearance really upset Dash but she tried to make it not look too obvious. Seeing her carrying a bag full of baking ingredients, she correctly deduced that Sunny is also a fellow club member.

“Aw hey,” Dash greeted Sunny with a cold smile. “I didn’t know you’re in the club too.”

Sunny put the bag down on the counter. “Yeah, I’m their supervisor for this assignment. I’m telling you, these three are doing great. Hey, try our best seller.”

She showed Dash a tray of cookies with ‘Orange-Carrot-Tomato Flavor’ label. “Don’t let the label take you aback. It’s really, really tasty.”

“Yea, sure,” and Dash proceeded to buy two packs of the cookies for the sake showing support for Skye’s efforts.

Twilight decided to donate some of her old book collections to the town’s library for the upcoming World Book Day. So she enlisted the help of her friends to pick, sort and packed the books before delivering them. All friends were present, except AJ.

“AJ’s outta town again, huh?” Dash asked, as she helped Twilight seal the boxes.

“That's how Hayley puts it,” the latter replied.

Over the next row of boxes, Dorothy, who was helping out Vanessa, overheard the conversation.

“Yet none of us actually knows she really went off to every weekend,” she said. “You don’t think that AJ may be holding something back from us, Twi? I can tell from her tone. She’s lying.”

AJ lying? Dash wondered. That’ll be the day.

“Maybe it’s really none of our business,” Twilight said. “Besides, if there’s something wrong with her, her family will the first to know. If there isn’t, then we have to respect her secret.”

“I guess you have a point there,” Dorothy acknowledged the advice.

Dash wondered if AJ’s secret had got anything to do with Sunny. That made her more uneasy at the sight of Skye and Sunny rummaging through piles of children’s books together. The two seem to share a common interest from the way they pass the books to each other and discuss its contents in a playful manner, causing Dash to feel somewhat envious of them.

“Skye!” she called out then pointed at the sealed smaller boxes beside her. “Gimme a hand with this, will ya?”

Skye looked uncertain, but was given the nod by Sunny.

Later that evening, Dash and Skye had a chat while rocking on the swings in the park.

“I don’t like you getting too close to Sunny,” Dash frankly told Skye. “She’s not really what you think she is.”

“She’s exactly how I remembered her,” the latter said back.

Dash stopped swinging. “What..!?”

“She used to babysit me when I was eight,” Skye revealed.

So that’s why she befriended Sunny almost immediately after entering junior high, Dash realized. No doubt Sunny’s to trying to reconnect with her.

“That was then!” Dash snubbed.

“Seriously,” Skye said, troubled by her foster sister’s behavior, “what’s going on between you two, Dash?”

“I only want to protect you, Skye,” Dash revealed her motive. “You don't know what she did to me! What if something bad happens to you b’cuz of her? Or she might give you bad influences?”

“I don’t get it,” Skye said, as to her, Dash’s bitterness towards Sunny did not add up. “If Sunny’s real bad, then why d’you guys hanging out with her?”

Dash was however unable to really explain it to Skye. She merely turned her gaze away, notably irritated. Skye let out a short sigh and looked down. Their evening mood was now spoiled.

The current score is ten to nine in favor of Sunny. Having already won two of the first three matches, Sunny only needed one more point to win the fourth match against Dash.

Desperate to save her face, Dash dived to hit the ball but failed to return it properly. When the ball hit the tin area below the boundary line of the front wall, it was declared ‘out’. With that, Sunny had beaten Dash to the semi-finals. There was a brief moment of silence from the spectators before graciously giving their round of applause for Sunny. For most of them, they had expected the twice defending champion to maintain her unbeaten run.

On the floor, Dash fumed that she had lost. There is no doubt she is the better and fitter player, but this was the first time she faced a lefty opponent. Sunny turned out to be very hard to read and was no slouch either. Coming down from two straight defeats, Dash fought hard to win the third game but somehow she became unfocused and tensed in the fourth. Cannot be bothered to make the customary post-match handshake with her opponent, she packed her things then immediately storm off the court, leaving Sunny and some of spectators a little baffled.

In her seat, Twilight was irked by Dash’s unsporting behavior. Up a few rows above her, Skye and Brooke moved away from their respective seats to congratulate Sunny.

After finding Dash post-match, Twilight treated her to some smoothies at the usual place.

“You can tell me if something’s bothering you,” Twilight urged.

“Nope,” Dash retorted.

“Nothing at all?” Twilight pressed her.

Dash decided not to be entirely truthful, saying, “It’s just that I’m not used to losing. I was aiming for a treble, y’know, as way to end my last school year with a bang. That woulda been a great achievement for me before leaving here for good. I guess I just got carried away a little there, Twi. Sorry.”

“So there’s no problem between you and Sunny?” Twilight asked just to be sure.

“No,” Dash lied.

“Then remember to apologize to her,” Twilight reminded her.

“Yea.” Another lie.

One week later…

Dash came across Sunny by mere chance while walking home with several heavy bags of groceries in her arms.

“Stop that, kay?” she snubbed the latter’s offer to help with the bags. “Don’t pretend like you care.”

Sunny initially did not take the hint. “I was just- Wait, what do you mean?”

Dash put the bags down on the sidewalk before standing up with a scornful look on her.

“Listen, Sunny,” she said. “We both know what you’re trying to do. Be serious. It won’t change anything between us.”

“Dash, what happened?” Sunny asked, confused. “Are you still mad about the tournament the other day?”

“Urgh! Isn’t it obvious!?” Sunny ‘acting all innocent’ had angered Dash. “I totally hate your guts! I-still-hate you!”

“Why are you saying this all of sudden?” Sunny demanded, alarmed by Dash’s demeanor. “I mean, why now? I’ve made my apologies and changed myself for the better. I know I can’t take back what I did, but I did all I could to make amends to you and to everybody.”

“Unless you disappear from existence forever, you never will make up for everything!” There I said it! Dash thought.

Sunny chuckled nervously. “Oh, you don’t mean that.”

“I do,” Dash affirmed. “D’you know how the Star Spiders found out that Beck and Gwen stole their money?”

Not liking where this conversation is going, Sunny tried to back away. “Okay. I don’t have to listen to this.”

But Dash was not about to let her off that easily. “Actually you do!”

She caught Sunny’s wrist with a tight, painful grip, then forcefully pulled Sunny closer to her.

“Dash!?”

Glaring intently at Sunny, Dash confessed, “It was me! I even told them that Beck and Gwen did what you told them to do. Should I spell to you the reason for it?

“Let me go,” Sunny begged, struggling to pull herself free.

“It’s not just about me” Dash kept going, ignoring Sunny’s pleas. “If I haven’t done that, you woulda hurt Skye the way you did to me! Man, it woulda been better for all of us had those hell-raisers finished you off. Only that I never expected AJ to intervene. D’you understand now? You shoulda died back then!”

At point, Sunny had become more upset. “Dash, please stop this!”

Knowing that Sunny hated the experience of being admitted in intensive care, Dash said with a sneer, “Even if you didn’t, I did kinda hope you remain in intensive care your whole life. I mean, wasn’t it fun for you having needles strapped onto you, weird odors clogging your nose all the time, lying on your bed with dead-looking people all around you-”

At last, Sunny snapped, “SHUT UP!!!”and shoved Dash down to the lawn.

Pinned Dash to the ground, the enraged Sunny prepared to punch her.

“You’re a bigger freak than AJ!!!” she blurted.

Dash was not making any attempt to fight back.

Come on, she urged. I want you to do it. I want you to show your ‘true self’.

Yet the blow never came. To her surprise, Sunny eased up gradually after appearing to be taken aback by what she was doing.

“Well, what’re you waiting for?” Dash taunted her.

Sunny unclenched her fist and slowly got up. She offered a hand to Dash to help her stand up, but it was ignored.

“I am so sorry for this.” Sunny’s apology was sincere.

“No, you’re not,” Dash said bitterly, not buying it.

“Then I’m sorry that you feel that way,” Sunny regretfully said before walking away.

Dash sprang to her feet so she can have the last say.

“I dunno what AJ saw in you,” she said aloud, not caring if other people can hear her, “but just now you called her a freak! Face it, Sunny! You’re still the same rotten person as you were before!”

Sunny stopped in her tracks and looked back over her shoulder at Dash. She was notably hurt.

“So I don’t wanna see you near Skye ever again!” Dash continued. “Ya hear me!?”

Sunny bolted into a run. Satisfied with what she had done, Dash proceeded to pick up her groceries.

A few months later…

Twilight and AJ came the moment Sunny closed her locker.

“Let’s say we all headed to de Sugar Cube for a round of good ol’ smoothies after school,” AJ suggested. “It’s on me t’day.”

Sunny declined AJ’s offer with a mild headshake.

“Hey now,” AJ still trying to persuade her, “it’s been like ages since we last hang out with each other.”

Spotting Dash down the hallway heading their way, Sunny was anxious to leave right away.

“Yeah, I’ve been wondering,” Twilight said after noticing the sudden change on Sunny’s expression. “You look…uncomfortable. Are you avoiding us for some reason?”

Pretending like there was nothing wrong, Sunny waved off Twilight’s concern. “No, no, no. Don’t get me wrong. You guys know the exams are coming up, right? I decided it’s time for me to focus on my studies.”

“Then how about we do a study group?” Twilight suggested.

“Twilight. Please understand. I prefer to study alone.” Sunny forced a smile. “So thanks, but no. Now I’ve got to go. Bye.”

Dash arrived almost at the same time as Sunny going off in the other direction.

“Dash, you don’t happen to have anything to do with Sunny’s odd behavior lately?” There was a hint of suspicion in Twilight’s voice.

Dash responded by pretending like she did not know anything.

Dash pushed through the crowd of students flocking up to the noticeboards to check up their final results. First thing she noticed is that Twilight had achieved the top rank. That was to be expected. Just below, Sunny was listed as the student with the second highest Grade Point Average (GPA).

Graduation day…

The graduates looked amongst themselves in surprise, because they were not aware of the last minute changes made on the class valedictorian.

Due to the absurd timing of the change, Sunny stammered as she never managed in time to come up with an actual speech. “Good morning, friends, teachers, admins, and parents… Welcome… Um…so…here we are…graduating… Can you believe it?”

She chuckled nervously. “It has been a long four years. Good things…bad things have happened,” then a long pause.

After deducing that Sunny did not have a proper speech, Dash smiled slyly, savoring the moment where Sunny will suffer humiliation in front of the graduates. Oh, this is gonna be good.

Sunny tried very hard to figure out something meaningful to say about the school. At last she found her tongue. She took a deep breath to repress her nervousness before giving her speech.

“Most of you know my history,” she began. “Four years ago, I walked in here as a freshmen, like all of you. But then I began making mistakes. I became…a troublemaker. A turning point finally came where I learned that life is too important to waste on conflicts. I know that because I am standing here now due to the very students whom I’ve picked on in the past. Every obstacle I’ve overcome in getting my life back on track, it all came down to help and this is where I think our school truly excels. For making me what I am today, I thank you. You’ve all become more than my friends, you are my heroes.”

In her seat, Dash groaned inwardly, highly disappointed that Sunny did not mess up as anticipated.

“So what’s next after high school? College, work, maybe joining the armed forces? Whatever it may be, whether you choose to pursue your dreams or answer to your calling, I only ask that while you do so, should the moment calls for it, please share to others what you've given to me in these four years. You might come across people who are lost, hopeless...alone. They could be a stranger or someone you know and love. Being there, to encourage them to move on, help them aspire for greater things, in your own right, you become an unsung hero in their lives.”

Unimpressed by the speech, Dash grimaced in disgust.

“My final words to you before we cross this stage for the last time: make sure you’re around when other people need someone to lean on. They’ll appreciate you for it. One day, when you look back, you might get that feeling of fulfilment where not only you've made it in life but also helped others live through theirs. That is my belief.”

It was not long until Sunny concluded her speech, “It has been an interesting four years. I’ll miss this place as well as all of you. And I wish you all the best in your next endeavors. Thank you.”

She was greeted by a single whooping cry from the audience. Iron Will gave his applause, followed by Twilight, then Brooke, AJ, Vanessa, Felicia, Dorothy and finally the rest of the graduates all at once.

After interacting with AJ, Brooke and the Peters, Sunny parted ways to be with her parents. For this, Dash could not help envying Sunny, how it was so unfair that her father was not alive to attend her school graduation. Although she does appreciate the Peters as a foster family, they are no substitute.

With so much bitterness inside her, she glared at Twilight and asked, “You switched with Sunny on purpose, didn’t you?”

“I thought you’re over the past already, Dash,” Twilight said, indirectly answering the question.

“How didja find out?” Dash demanded. “Did Sunny tell you!? Or was it Skye!?”

“Don’t try to put blame on someone else,” Twilight chided her. “I’ve always noticed it. Whenever Sunny’s acting strange, it was when you’re around. I don’t know what you did to Sunny to make her that way, but I do hope you’ll make it up to her.”

“You guys can take her side all you want,” Dash scoffed, “but you can’t expect me to-”

“Grow up, will you!?” Twilight cut her off. “You forgive Sunny for yourself so you could move on. Life is just too short to waste on endless grudges. Truly I am afraid for you, Dash, that tendency of holding onto old grudges. No matter how badly someone treats you, never drop down to their level. It will only lead you to trouble.”

Stubborn that the person she is, Dash refused to acknowledge Twilight’s advice.

“I’m going to pretend that we never had this conversation,” Twilight continued. “Now be happy because after today you’ll be making the decision of your life. I’ll see you tomorrow at AJ’s place. Oh, if you’re wondering about Sunny, she’s already made her own plans.”

It was then that the Peters walked into them.

After congratulating them both, Mrs. Peters asked, “So, anything interesting we should know?”

“Just trivial matters. And I was just leaving.” Twilight nodded politely at the Peters. “Have a nice day.”

They parted ways. While Twilight walked off to be with her family, Dash followed the Peters back to their family car.

“So who’s up for some French food?” Mrs. Peters suggested, her voice filled with enthusiasm.

Dash forced a smile. “Sounds good.”

“Hey, mom. Can we pick up some donuts on the way home?” Skye asked.

“Sure,” Mrs. Peters agreed. “But we should let Dash do all the picking. It’s her special day after all.”

Several years later...

The entire trekking team had been wandering for hours looking for the next trail marker but to no avail. Finally, one of the worn out members has had it with their team leader.

“Admit it!” Cloudchaser demanded. “We’re lost!”

Though equally frustrated, Dash tried her best to remain calm. She hated to admit it, but it was definitely her fault that her team had lost of the main trail in the first place. Inexperience, lacking in team spirit and her over eagerness to prove herself, all combined to contribute to her failings.

“All because you read the map wrong!” Cloudchaser continued.

“Would you shut up!?” Dash snapped back at her.

“There is no ‘I’ in team,” Cloudchaser refused to give in, “so give it to us already!”

Cloudchaser’s attempt to wrestle the map and the navigation instruments prompted a shove from Dash, leading to a heated argument which quickly spread among the other members.

In the mess hall, an indignant Dash went to confront Cloudchaser’s group at their table.

“Don’t be daft, Dashiell,” the latter snubbed Dash’s accusations.

“Hey, don’t mess with me now!” Dash exclaimed. “You guys are talking so loud I could hear you a mile away!

She pulled up her shirt’s cuffs to signal her eagerness for a fight. “Rather than talking ‘bout me behind my back, let’s say we take it outside!”

Cloudchaser rose from her chair angrily. “So you want to get physical, eh!?”

When the strict Sgt. Blaze noticed the squabble between the two, she came immediately right to them.

“Dashiell! Cloudchaser! Knock it off!” she scolded both cadets. “Bear in mind you lasses are not in secondary school anymore! Dare to cause any trouble within this ground’s parameter on my watch, there’ll be hell to pay! Do you understand!?”

“Ma’am! Yes, ma’am!” the two cadets acknowledged.

Outside the training course, Cloudchaser and her group expressed their displeasure at Dash for her boastful attitude.

“Pffft,” Dash scoffed at them. “Ain’t my fault that I’m better than any of you guys. Nothing you can do ‘bout it cuz not everybody was born to be the best of the best like me, y’know what I’m sayin’?”

“You’re a poor excuse for a soldier, you know that?” Cloudchaser chided her.

“And you’re the dumbest of dumb people in all of Equestria,” Dash mocked back.

“You witch!” Cloudchaser then came up with an idea on how to settle the score. “All right. Why don’t we make a wager?”

Dash got in Cloudchaser’s face, glaring squarely at her eyes. “‘Kay, you’re on…loser!”

Dash executed a hand throw on Cloudchaser then proceeded to apply a wristlock. She should have stopped after that but instead decided to cause a little pain to her opponent. She twisted the arm further, eliciting a pained cry from Cloudchaser.

Blaze overseeing the martial art training intervened. “Dashiell! Break it up!”

Dash released Cloudchaser. So far, she is leading the wager with the most number of takedowns. With contempt, Dash looked down on Cloudchaser writhing on the floor. It was not obvious to Dash at that moment, but she is becoming like a bully herself.

Dash felt completely exhausted from all the physical trainings. All she wanted to do know to collect her dried laundry, then have a nice shower and a good rest before dinner. Unfortunately, she was unable to find her clothes on the washing line. She double-checked among the other laundries and confirmed that hers are definitely missing.

Cloudchaser! she realized.

She kicked the ground in frustration at the stupid prank then stormed back to the barrack.

Boiling with anger, Dash banged her locker aloud. Suspecting it was Cloudchaser’s doing of jamming the lock, she darted towards Cloudchaser who was about to enjoy her doze before the next physical training session begins.

“Cloudchaser!” Dash kicked at the bed’s leg to wake Cloudchaser. “Stop pranking me, ya damn sore loser!”

The latter lazily sat up on her bed, clearly was not the in the mood to argue with Dash. “Ugh, whatever it is this time, it wasn’t me.”

“Yeah right!” Dash retorted. “Every single time, same ol’ excuses! You seriously would have me believe that this has got nothing to do with you!?”

“Dashiell, I didn’t do it,” Cloudchaser maintained her innocence. “You know that I’ve already run into enough troubles with Blaze, don’t you? I am exhausted and not in the mood. So please leave me alone and go bother someone else.”

“As if!” Dash grabbed Cloudchaser’s uniform and hoisted her up from the bed.

The pissed Cloudchaser quickly dealt a hard knock to Dash’s head. Her friends moved away from what they were doing and grabbed Dash. But Dash’s scuffling prompted them to hurl her into a conveniently opened locker opposite of Cloudchaser’s bed.

Medley, the owner of the locker who was folding her uniforms on the bed stood up angrily. “Oi! Get your petty fight somewhere else!”

Advancing on the locker with her group, Cloudchaser shoved Medley down on the bed in exasperation. “Shut it!”

Inside the locker, a little dazed from the slight concussion, Dash looked up at the scornful Cloudchaser before her.

“How many times must I repeat this!?” Cloudchaser scolded harshly at Dash. “I didn’t do it! Now you pull that stunt on me again, I’ll have my friends here shove you down a toilet bowl because that’s where a loser like you belongs! Arrogant, no friends, you can’t even lead. To think yourself as a Thunderbolt material- pathetic!”

The scene threw Dash back into the reminiscent past. The locker she was in suddenly turned into a bathroom stall. In Cloudchaser’s place stood the hateful bully, Sunny Emerson, sneering at her.

Dash pounced on Cloudchaser once the later turned her back. A violent brawl between the two ensued. Cloudchaser’s group rushed to help their friend. Others who attempted to break up the fight got themselves unwittingly embroiled and get beaten up as well.

The horrified Medley rushed out of the barrack to get help. When she returned with a group of military personnel including Blaze, they found the barrack’s interior trashed and almost all of the barrack’s residents are down on the floor injured.

Most shockingly, Dash, who suffered more cuts and bruises than others, was placing Cloudchaser in a chokehold. The latter had fallen into unconscious, thus Medley and the rest sprang into action. After successfully detaining Dash, one of the personnel, a medic, wasted no time in attempting to revive Cloudchaser.

Dash was screaming, “Get off! Let me kill her! Let me kill her!” as she struggled violently to get herself free from the personnel’s hold.

The rage, the lack of remorse- something had terribly went wrong with her that day. Both suppressed old and recent grudges finally burst out of its enclosing shell causing Dash to fall into a temporary state of derangement.

Two days later, the investigation into the barrack incident was done. Military Polices escorted Dash into the courtroom to face court-martial, of which its results will spell the end of her career in the royal air force.

***

The memories disturbed Sunset Shimmer greatly. Her friend’s past is more than just sad. It is absolutely tragic.

“What she said to me about my ‘other self’,” she came to realize, “it’s true…”

Already knew of Dash’s true intentions, Luna decided to test Sunset Shimmer. “Do you know why Miss Dash wanted her memories shown to you?”

Sunset Shimmer thought hard before coming up with an answer. “Before we said goodbye…she asked me to ‘find it in in my heart to forgive Princess Celestia and Twilight Sparkle’.”

Blueblood requested to speak and after Luna granted him her permission, he said, “Sunset Shimmer, I believe Miss Dash’s intention is not based alone on grounds of resemblance or parallel counterparts. She had spoken to me how she always thought everything was always black and white to her. That is, until now.”

Sunset Shimmer realized it now. She saw a small part of herself in all of us. Princess Celestia, Lighting Dust, Derpy…me. “She was trying to look out for me. Failing to see her own dark side developing even after her friend had spelled it out to her, she didn’t want me to commit the same mistake like she did…”

Yet Sunset Shimmer was uncertain how to forgive Princess Celestia and Twilight Sparkle.

The words, what I should say? she wondered to herself. It has to be sincere, not forced.

Luna gave a hint by making a gesture of touching her chest with her hoof

Sunset Shimmer understood what it meant. Follow my heart…

Wasting no time, she went out of the reading chamber to look for Celestia.

Oh, you’ve taught her well, Twilight Velvet. So young yet she knows well of her place. I’m think I’m fond of her already.

Sunset Shimmer entered the throne chamber, but it was empty save for a few maidservants and royal guards.

Of course. When she is old enough to enroll, I shall give her my warmest welcome. On top of that, I will make it my own responsibility to teach her and raise her as my equal.

Celestia was not in the main dining hall either…

I will make certain that her wellbeing is taken care of. This is my royal promise to you. Please rest easy now, old friend.

At last, Sunset Shimmer found the Princess of the Sunlight in the terraced gardens, sitting sadly under a tree’s shade. She waited for a while to muster her courage before walking up to the princess.

Bowing her head, Sunset Shimmer greeted Celestia. “Your Royal Highness.”

The princess showed no response, but Sunset Shimmer continued nonetheless. “May I ask why are you here in the gardens?”

She gazed around the garden. She had heard of the stories about the late Twilight Velvet’s spirit appearing randomly inside the castle. But only the Royal Sisters could see and feel the spirit’s presence. “Is she around?”

Celestia finally spoke when the late Twilight Velvet is hinted at. “What do you want, Sunset Shimmer?”

Well, this is it. While searching for Celestia, Sunset Shimmer had managed to come up with what she should say. “I wish to know. What promise did you make to the late Captain Twilight Velvet on Twilight Sparkle?”

“Why, such insolence,” Celestia said, greatly upset by the unicorn’s query. “That is none of your business.”

“Princess Celestia,” Sunset Shimmer’s voice was firm, “you’re right. It is not my place to know. But, you said you saw her spirit appearing in your room. Please think about it. Why would she make her appearance now and only to you?”

Is she being serious? the princess wondered. “You do not think of me as unsound?”

“No,” Sunset Shimmer affirmed with a head shake. “Come on, princess. Think. She came back for a reason. It must be something you promised to her. But it’s not power or riches for Twilight Sparkle. It must’ve been something more meaningful that. What was it?”

Hesitant, Celestia took her time before answering. “It’s to take care of Twilight Sparkle like my own, should something happened to her.”

“Do you see it now, princess?” Sunset Shimmer said in comprehension. “She’s upset. Her only daughter is in danger of getting cut down by the royal army she once led. And you’re doing nothing to prevent it. Don’t just sit here lamenting over your past mistakes. Go out there and fix it.”

The princess’ eyes flickered as though she had snapped back to reality.

“It’s still not too late yet,” Sunset Shimmer continued. “You’re the only pony who can free Twilight Sparkle of the poison that is Dark Magic. So go to her, not as the Royal Princess of Equestria. As a mother.”

Celestia just kept quiet, unmoving.

“Please forgive me for being rude just now, Your Royal Highness,” Sunset Shimmer said, uncertain whether she had gotten through her. “I have nothing more to say. I will leave you alone now.”

Suddenly, she found herself in Celestia’s gentle embrace. No words are needed as she knew the princess is expressing her gratitude. While they both relished at their reconciliation, Twilight Velvet appeared again before Celestia’s gaze. But this time the princess was no longer afraid and the ghost’s appearance was different from before. Smiling, Twilight Velvet looked more alive than a spirit. The ghost made a respectful bow before disappearing behind a tree. This was the last time Twilight Velvet will ever be seen at the castle again.

After witnessing this, Celestia reached a resolution. Now that she understood Twilight Velvet’s wish and how irresponsible she had been after the Battle of Canterlot, the princess knew what she must do. Her plan to abdicate has not exactly changed, but first she must do all she can to save Twilight Sparkle from a terrible fate. Only then, Celestia could it in herself to truly forgive herself.

HER JOURNEY CONTINUES (EPILOGUE) - revised

One Month Earlier…

Compared to the majestic Canterlot Royal Castle, Prince Umbra’s finish-repaired home is considerably humble. Surrounded by apple orchards, the palace is laid out in simple rectangular. The hallmark of its design is the gambrel roof with crow-stepped gables at each side and all-red painting. From Dash’s point of view, its construction resembled a country barn/stable with architectural elements taken from of an 18th-century Dutch church.

The terms whereby Zach is to be released from his service as the royal bodyguard once the war is over have been honored. Prince Umbra planned to monetarily reward him. However, tempted as Zach is by the overly generous amount, the Godslayer Corps’ Code of Conduct prevented him from accepting it.

Zach attempted to decline the reward without offending the prince through an overly dramatic speech. “To indulge in materialism, I cannot! For I must uphold my guild’s code of chivalry! The thrill of adventuring! The spiritual satisfaction of crushing evildoers! Warm hospitality from the local folks! That is what a noble knight-errant truly seeks in their wandering journey!”

Like Prince Umbra, the guards present in throne room were moved by his ongoing speech.

“Such honor and nobility he possesses, Your Highness,” one guard whispered to the prince.

“Yes,” Umbra whispered back. “He is indeed a true knight in shining armor.”

Not taken by what she considered a cheesy speech, Dash rolled her eyes.

Later, Dash and Zach joined Umbra for lunch in the dining hall. The two guests were impressed over the apple cuisines before them- apple cider donuts, glazed apple muffins, apple streusel cake, peanut butter apple bars, apple cinnamon bread, salted caramel apple pie and the list goes on and on… Given this and the apple farms Dash saw on the way to Appleloosa, it occurred to her that the capital of the Southern Kingdom was named as such for a reason.

“Wow,” Zach said, “this is exactly how Flim and Flam described the buffet of their dreams.”

“Yea,” Dash agreed, “too bad for them.”

“Over there!” Zach said, pointing at the Catgirl coming in over the lunar mountains.

Dash placed her gaze in the same direction of Zach’s pointing hand.

“Hey,” Zach had noticed the uncertain look on her face, “you still worried about Twilight Sparkle coming back?”

He was right about her apprehensiveness, but Dash decided to put it behind her. With Princess Luna’s help, she was confident her friend Sunset Shimmer will do the right thing if Twilight Sparkle does indeed return.

“Nah,” Dash unobtrusively waved a hand at him, “Sunset Shimmer got this.”

The Catgirl now hovered nearby with its gravity lift activated. As they made their way towards the gravity lift, Dash wondered what is in store for her next. She felt really good for contributing to the Godslayers’ victory in this universe. But now she could not help being nervous. There was the matter of Fortepiano still hostile towards her. And Zach had hinted that there are others aboard the Catgirl. Whether they will react unfavorably to her presence like Fortepiano, looks like she is about find out.

Unbeknownst to Dash, this world is only a stopping point, not the end of her journey as a Godslayer. Although non-premediated, it all began back in her homeworld, the moment her life was saved by Gazleen Perris. And where she will be going next, not only it sets her on a path where she must come to grips with her past mistakes and put things right, it will also lead her to the final showdown against the Sinned Godus.

Thus, her journey continues…

EXILE (EXTRA) - revised

Luna awoke in complete darkness.

“My head,” she groaned. “What happened…? Where…in Equestria am I…?”

She felt a little woozy but at least her eyes no longer hurt. She could feel a slight breeze blowing against her coat. That means she is still alive, just no longer at the castle. Strangely, everything around was in complete darkness, not even a flicker of light could be detected.

Have I somehow winded up in an underground cavern? she thought. But then, there shouldn’t be wind.

The soil underneath her hooves felt rather unusual. It felt like sand but finer and a bit sticky. The rock fragments are so brittle they cracked when stepped upon. As strange the environment may be, she decided to remain rationale. She must be somewhere in a dessert. There is only one way to find out exactly where she had ended up in.

Luna lighted up her horn brightly. In truth, her surroundings were not dark at all. The reason that she was seeing total darkness is that her eyesight was lost. Had the princess able to see, she would have found herself in the middle of a terrain where everything- the soil, rocks and the mountains, are all greyish. Glittering stars spread throughout high above. Instead of the moon, the Blue Marble takes its place in illuminating the sky. All these are what gives the sky its dark bluish appearance.

Unfortunately for the princess, she has yet to figure out that she had gone blind. She lighted her horn with so much brightness, one could possibly be blinded by staring directly at it. Yet from her point view, the darkness is like a impenetrable magic shroud, for the light from her horn would let her see even her own body.

“Why…?” But if this is really Dark Magic, she could not feel it.

So confused, Luna began to panic. “What sort of magic is this!?”

She brushed her eyes as though there is something is in her eyes that caused her to unable to see.

“Why!?” the princess shouted. “Why can’t I see anything!?”

All of the sudden she stopped.

“Wait,” the princess finally realized, “I can’t see.”

***

The Princess of the Night lay hurt on the floor after getting blasted by her elder sister’s beam. She staggered to her hooves to fight back the threat before her. Before she was able to do anything else, energy shackles materialized around her hooves, locking her in place.

Standing on the throne was Trollestia, the alter ego of the Dark Magic-empowered Princess of the Sunlight. Purple mists was flowing up like flames from her glowing green eyes. Under that that cruel grin, the abominable Alicorn Amulet is worn on her neck.

“Cease this foolery at once, Tia!” Luna demanded. “Do not let Dark Magic impair your judgement! Realize that what you’re doing is wrong! You will have us all killed if you do not let sun down at this very instant!”

Yet her words failed to get through the deranged princess. The latter did not seem to care that her actions has a severe effect on Equestria and the rest of the world whereby the bright sun had remained in the sky for weeks, bringing severe drought and heatwave.

“Since you like the night so much ‘Luna’,” Trollestia spoke in derision, “I will make your world dark forever.”

Are you really going to kill me? Luna thought apprehensively. Your own sister? “No, please…!”

“Huh, don’t tell me you’re afraid,” came a recognizable voice.

The Mane Six, each with their own Alicorn Amulet, walked up the throne to join their leader.

“You are the embodiment of the dark, after all,” Twilight Sparkle said mockingly to Luna.

The Princess of the Night was absolutely saddened that the only daughter of Twilight Velvet had fallen to the temptation of Dark Magic.

“And now, we claim your light!” the young unicorn declared.

The Mane Six’s eyes changed the same way as Trollestia’s. Dark aura swirled around Trollestia and her band of traitors. Drawing magic energy from herself and the Mane Six through the amulets, the purple aura enveloping Trollestia’s horn fired a beam at Luna.

Luna screamed in sheer agony as the flash from the beam burned her eyes. It was the last she sensation felt before disappearing from the chamber.

***

After finally understanding the meaning of her elder sister’s last words, Luna slipped into rage. She had never felt so much anger at her own sister before. Purposely crippled in the middle of nowhere, that is a death sentence compared to the physical abuses she received in the past.

“TIA!!!” she snapped.

The sightless eyes made he angered expression look even more frightening. The emotional outbursts caused her to lose all judgment. Driven by only instincts to return to Canterlot, she shot off to the sky. A foolish feat it was, since without her sight, not only she did not where she is, she also lacked any sense of directions. As a result, the princess streaked directly in the path of a mountain afar. She collided with the peak, causing it to collapse down the slope along with herself…

***

“I really can’t believe how selfish my sister can be,” Luna was opening up to someone unknown. “Everything is always about her feelings. And mine!? Has she ever considered my feelings!? All I wanted was to have some fun with her like old times. She also never appreciates the gifts I bought for her from the city! I mean, really! Is that so much to ask for her dearest little sister!?”

It turned out that the princess was delirious and that ‘someone’ is actually a gigantic boulder. To cope with her loneliness, she had started to have one-sided conversations with random objects around the moon.

A herd of extremely fat cows were minding their own business in the vast rocky plain when Luna found them.

“Who do I have before me, kind sir?” she asked, thinking that she had found another pony.

The only response she received was a moo and sounds of crunching rocks.

“Oh,” the princess was quick to realize, “cattle that eat rocks? How strange…”

For days, Luna fruitlessly searched and searched for water. Another few more days like this and she might succumb to dehydration. The lunar cows she encountered before, being simple minded creatures they are were of no help.

Their fatty tissues when metabolized, yields more water for the amount of fat processed. This enables the creatures to go without food or water for weeks, months even. Of course that alone will not sustain them forever. Eventually the creatures will have to find a source to replenish their fluids.

Luna merely needed to find out where that source is. The princess slowly moved across the plain, unknowingly in the direction of the dark side of the moon. She scaled up a short ridge and strode down into the darkness on the other side.

Luna was unaware that she was is deep within the moon’s dark regions. The only clue to her that she was off is the instant drop in temperature around her. Eventually, she could not withstand the cold. Blinded and lost, she could only pray to the Mother Goddess that she will find a way out of wherever she is now.

The princess was trying to cast a warmth spell on herself when she suddenly tripped over an icy slope, slid smoothly down before coming to a rest down a flat ground. She tried to get up but slipped. There is something unusual about the ground surface- hard, evenly smooth, slippery and freezing cold, even colder than the environment. She made a few taps on it. The princess whooped in delight when she finds out she is currently lying on an ocean of freshwater ice.

Luna was feeling the shape of each of the stone slabs lying around. She focused hard to visualize the outline of the slabs in her mind. The shapes, dimensions and positions on the ground were scaled so that they are all precise according to the real thing. Using her Alicorn magic, the princess lifted the slabs up and rearranged them into a simple hut- a wide slab atop several standing stones.

That was just the first attempt. As the saying goes, practice makes perfect. For several weeks, Luna repeated the same process over time, her skills getting more refined in the process. Eventually she was able to carve even more complex shapes out of the rocks according to what she imagined in her mind.

After blasting the stones slabs to pieces, Luna projected her beam at the stone pieces, cutting them into smaller pieces. That however is the easiest part of the work. Next she delicately carved those pieces into shelves, tables and chairs.

When everything was done, she brought all the furniture inside the new house that is of her own handiwork, built inside giant stones, complete with windows doors, and shingled roof. Not that she planned on settling there. She built it merely out of boredom, which is better than talking to random lunar cows and rocks. She believed sooner or later her patience will pay off.

After done milking the lunar cattle, Luna carried the loaded bucket (made out of rock) back with her. Later the collected milk will be processed into cheese. The princess was able to find her way to and fro various locations because of the cognitive map she had created of this ‘vast, strange dessert’.

Once arrived in her home, she brought bucket of milk carefully into the kitchen. Soon after, her head popped out the kitchen entrance. She had just detected a faint vibe indicating a presence nearby.

Twinkleshine and Minuette stared with disbelief as they approached rock house.

“I can’t believe there’s a house in the middle of this barren wasteland” Minuette said as she stepped up to the door. “Well, let’s find out if somepony lives here.”

“No, no, no, wait!” The tailless unicorn blocked Minuette from knocking the door.

“What if this is like the story Hensel and Gretel, except it’s not a candy house?” she warned.

“Twinkleshine, your crazy fantasy isn’t helpful with our current situation!” Minuette scolded her.

“Fine!” Twinkleshine said angrily, offended by the word ‘crazy’. “Go ahead! Knock! Don’t blame me if there’s an evil cannibalistic bull coming through that door gunning for your meat!”

The door opened ajar behind her. Minuette’s eyes popped in horror when ‘Nightmare Moon’ appeared at the door.

Twinkleshine was initially clueless. Judging from her friend’s expression, it dawned on Twinkleshine that there is someone or something standing behind her. Slowly she looked behind with apprehension. Even before the princess could say her greetings, the two newcomers skittered off in different directions, screaming.

All the galloping had taken it out of Twinkleshine. As did Princess Luna before her, she is clueless on how to survive in this wasteland. She rested on the ground to regain her energy but since she had not eaten or drank anything since she arrived here, it is unclear how much good it will do.

“Hello?”

Twinkleshine jumped in surprise then, being too weak to escape, shuffled back, her eyes not daring to look at the princess.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” she begged. “Please don’t give me nightmares!”

“What nonsense are you sputtering about, young one?” the bemused Luna asked.

“I didn’t mean to trespass into your domain! I know I shouldn’t be here but it wasn’t my fault! It was Princess Celestia! She’s the one who transported me here!”

The princess’ heart sank. “What…? You’re lost as well?”

Twinkleshine looked up at the princess in surprise. “Huh?”

What does she mean by lost? she wondered.

“Do you know where this place is?” Luna queried the unicorn.

Twinkleshine remained wary. “What are you playing at?”

After hearing rumor that the adored Princess of the Night had come under the possession of Nightmare Moon, she tried to make sense of what is in front of her.

“There is no trick!” Luna said impatiently. “I don’t know what place is this, for my sight was taken away. I’ve been stuck here ever since. Now tell me please, do you know where are or not?”

Twinkleshine took the princess’ words in and looked carefully at her. The princess did not appear to be malevolent or hostile. Seeing that her stare is actually unfocused, the unicorn realized she had judged the princess only by outward appearances. She looked up at the Blue Marble in the sky, then at the princess again. She inhaled deeply then began explaining.

Greatly despaired by the truth, Luna dropped to her knees, crying. The only thing had kept her going is the thought that she will eventually return to Canterlot, one way or another. She was comforted by Twinkleshine, who felt her sorrows. Together they are stranded on the moon, with no way of returning to their homes.

***

Since Twinkleshine and Minuette are here now, Luna could not afford to be sad for so long. The next day, she taught the two ponies on how to survive on the moon.

“Be gentle with the udder so they won’t get agitated,” the princess instructed both unicorns on how to milk a cow.

Later the three went to the dark side of the moon to collect water.

Twinkleshine had a lot of spare time on their hoof. She did try exploring the moon but honestly it got boring over time. Everywhere looked the same whether it was the mountains, hills or flat plain- just grey rocks, craters and more grey rocks. So instead she spent her most of her spare time with Princess Luna, talking about their childhoods, their past experiences, share a few stories and so on.

“…instead of hitting the pinata, I swatted Trixie by mistake,” Twinkleshine was telling one of her experiences to the princess.

“So the mare in the white sheet, that was you,” Luna figured.

“Uh-huh,” the unicorn nodded with a wide smile, “I guess I made the eyeholes a little too small.”

Luna really enjoyed talking to Twinkleshine while getting her mane groomed by the unicorn. And so, Twinkleshine was made as her personal maidservant and they had been living together ever since.

As for Minuette, she spent her spare time gazing at the Blue Marble and counting the stars.

Twinkleshine was on her way back home with a bucket load of fresh milk. To pass the time, she sang the lyrics from a song written by Rainbow Dash, Awesome As I Wanna Be:

“Yeah, I’m awesome, take caution

“Watch out for me, I’m awesome as I wanna be

“Yeah! I’m awesome, take caution

“Watch out for me, I’m awesome as I wanna be

“Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!-”

She abruptly stopped upon encountering another unicorn up ahead.

When she got close enough, Twinkleshine recognized the newcomer immediately. “Amethyst!?”

“Yea.” Amethyst Star’s monochrome color reflects her current mood and voice tone.

“Trollestia got you too, didn’t she?” Twinkleshine asked, even though it was pretty obvious.

“Totally,” Amethyst Star pronounced in a monotonic tone. “I’m like, not be supposed here with those losers but here I am.”

Looking past her, Twinkleshine could see more ponies standing around confused by their unfamiliar surroundings. “Oh, Faust. How will Princess Luna feel about this?”

“Who cares,” Amethyst Star said.

Over the plain, a flash appeared then a pony popped up of out nowhere.

All the newcomers fled in fear at the sight of Princess Luna despite Twinkleshine’s explanation of the truth beforehand. Their reaction is exactly same with Twinkleshine and Minuette when they first encountered the princess.

Amethyst Star was the only pony who did not flee.

“Whatever,” was her only response.

Twinkleshine apologized to Luna, who was notably upset over her elder sister’s actions. She then took her leave to go after fleeing ponies, leaving the princess with Minuette.

“Great,” Minuette said sarcastically, “why don’t she just transport the whole kingdom here?”

After getting scolded by Luna, Minuette bowed apologetically for being unthoughtful of the princess’ feelings.

It had been a year and a half since Princess Luna’s banishment to the moon. Throughout the course of time, more houses were built to accommodate the newcomers and slowly what started a single house in the middle on an empty plain slowly expanded into a settlement.

Today, Luna was readying to lead the settlers out to replenish their water supply when all of a sudden an apprehensive feeling came over her. Something big was heading their way. Yet their vibe is also familiar to her.

No, she thought in dismay, my sister couldn’t be that foolish.

Twinkleshine saw it too. “Your Royal Highness, it’s-”

“It’s the royal guards,” Luna said grimly. “All of them.”

The princess had guessed correctly. Approaching the settlement is the Equestrian Royal Guards in its entirety (minus Captain Discord and the Reserves).

She gritted her teeth in anger at Celestia. That would have meant there is nopony left to guard Canterlot. Having experienced the devastating war with the minotaurs in her childhood, she could only imagine bad things to come to the currently defenseless kingdom.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Luna said immediately.

Twinkleshine was already way steps ahead. “Somepony has to explain to them.”

“You mustn’t haste!” The princess trotted up to Twinkleshine. “Wait and see their reaction first.”

As the royal guards gets closer, Luna thought twice. The elder sister had done a good job of making the her a villain in the hearts of the Equestrians- why should the guards be any different? Their reaction to her presence might be negative.

“Twinkleshine, get everypony back to their homes,” she instructed.

However Twinkleshine insisted that she should remain by the princess’ side.

The royal guards had no problem in recognizing the blue Alicorn before them. They looked amongst themselves and seemed to be in a discussion. Their muttering got louder, eliciting deeper feeling of uneasiness from the princess.

Three ranking officers briskly advanced ahead of the rest of the guards. Each represents the one of three pony tribes- pegasus, Earth ponies and unicorn. Right before Princess Luna, who was still persuading Twinkleshine to leave without success, the officers removed their helmets and go on their knees. The rest of the royal guards followed shortly after.

All the settlers felt relieved that things did not turn ugly as initially feared. But at the same time they were also surprised by this turn of event. The royal guards’ action begged the question of whether they already knew the truth behind Princess Luna’s ‘possession’.

“What just happened?” Luna wondered.

Officer Flash Sentry was the first to speak. “Your Royal Highness, we humbly ask for your forgiveness.”

“Under the orders of His Excellency, Sir Blueblood,” the next officer, Shoeshine said, “we in our shame were committed to withhold the truth in regards of Battle of the Royal Sisters from public knowledge.”

“And we continued to do so despite Princess Celestia’s incarceration in Dr. Horses Asylum,” Officer Trotter concluded.

“Why?” Luna demanded to know.

“We are uncertain of the exact details,” Flash Sentry admitted, “but it may have something to do with Sunset Shimmer, his assistant.”

Sunset Shimmer? It is a name Luna had not heard for a long time. If Sunset Shimmer is now Assistant Chancellor, then a lot must have happened back home.

At first the princess did not understand how Sunset Shimmer could get tangled in the conflict between the Royal Sisters. Then she remembered it. Sunset Shimmer had once trespassed into the treasure chamber where Dark Magic artifacts are stored.

The Alicorn Amulets, the princess realized, she was betrayed.

The notion of Sunset Shimmer being betrayed by her own mentor made the princess go weak on her knees. If only she can go and do something about it. Yet escaping from the moon is an impossible possible feat even for a powerful Alicorn such as her. That and with more of the kingdom’s citizens were getting stranded here on the moon, her misery deepened as days goes by.

Several days later…

The royal guards were on the way back from collecting water from the ice sheets when they saw fire flickering in the distance. Trotter volunteered to investigate. Under the darkness, he was able to make out figure down the cliff.

“It’s a blue bipedal, talking feline who can conjure fires on his paws, Your Royal Highness,” he notified the princess afterwards.

Faust Almighty, this place is getting stranger and stranger, she thought.

After the feline realized the presence of Princess Luna and her royal guards, he quickly called out, “Princess Luna, my name is Lord Zachary Watterson, a knight-errant and also the royal bodyguard of His Highness, Prince Umbra of the Southern Kingdom. I’ve journeyed here because his kingdom and now Ponyville have fallen into the grasps of invaders. You and the Elements of Harmony are our only hope to defeat this threat.”

Luna was uncertain whether or not to believe the feline’s claim. “What you say is impossible!”

“I know this is hard for you to believe, Your Royal Highness,” the feline said. “But I can help you. I can bring you all back to Equestria.”

“How!?” the princess demanded.

“You just need to trust me on this.”

Could it be that his words are true? Luna pondered. I have longed to return home. And if Equestria is indeed in danger, then it is my responsibility as the royal princess to help fight off the threat.

In the end, she decided to take her chance, but with caution. “Very well.”

With that, the unicorn guards lighted up the area with their horns, thus revealing themselves to the blue feline.

***

Celestia writhed in agony on the floor as Dark Magic dissipated from her body in the form of black-purple mists. All this happening was witnessed by Twinkleshine and Godslayer Watterson. Once it is reduced to nothingness, the princess passed out, and thus, the personality Trollestia ceased from existence.

Luna was lying injured close-by after barely surviving her confrontation with Trollestia. In spite of this, knowing that her elder sister is no longer under the influence of Dark Magic came as a great relief to her. Twinkleshine loyally remained by the princess’ side, while Godslayer Watterson rushed off to get help for the Royal Sisters.

Luna commended Twinkleshine for a job well done in freeing Princess Celestia from the influence of Dark Magic. The unicorn however is more concerned with her master’s injuries. For a minute back there, she thought she had lost the princess. The depression resulting from her failure would have been too much to bear all her life.

***

The sun had risen over Foal Mountains, casting its rays over the snowy landscape around Canterlot Plateau. The battle between Ragingheart’s vast forces and the Reserves had already begun in the southern plain across the river.

Once they arrived, Flash Sentry led the pegasus guards from the skies to join Godslayer Dash in distracting the Mecha-Daleks away from the civilians on the bridge.

Luna and the remaining royal guards emerged from the forests of Unicorn Range, along with Godslayer Watterson and Twinkleshine. The latter two helped carry the Elements of Harmony.

Trotter and Shoeshine are one of the royal guards deeply aroused by Blueblood’s pep talk. Godslayer Watterson raised his tek-bow up high and called for the royal guards to fight with him. They returned his call by yelling out their battle cry.

The unicorn guards charged into the battlefield first. As they do, they activated their shielding spells. Shortly, their Earth pony comrades followed not far from behind.

Unfortunately, the charging royal guards soon came under heavy bombardment by the Mecha-Daleks. Many unlucky guards were knocked off their hooves by the force of the explosions as a result. Yet despite the setback, their spirits remain undeterred. Ignoring their injuries, they quickly got back up to keep going.

The frontlines led by Trotter put all their effort in holding their shield against Archer-Mithras’ shots. They were doing well, that is until the Assault-White Bunnehs appeared and began shooting grenades at them. Trotter fell along with many others, stunned by the blow from their shields’ destruction.

The unicorns tried to close the gap between them so as to prevent more arrows from getting past them. Shoeshine was one of the unfortunate Earth ponies who got their armor penetrated. Wincing on the ground, she tried to pluck the arrow from her shoulder as others pressed on.

The distance between the two opposing force on the explosion-riddled battlefield now closed. On one side, MBPs came in from the rear, Archer-Mithras and Assault-White Bunnehs holstered their projectile weapons for melee-based attacks. On the other, the unicorn royal guards deactivated their shields and drew their weapons. All-out close quarters combat ensued. Seeing the frontlines are being battered down by the savage MBPs and are about to be finished off the Mithras and White Bunnehs, the Earth ponies steamed ahead to aid their comrades.

He saw it. Flash Sentry was fighting a losing battle against the Mecha-Daleks when five strange pillars of light shot out from the river then the fighting ceased abruptly. The enemy seemed to be awed as he is, which is strange for the beings of inanimate nature.

Once the lights vanished, the stallion thought he had caught a glimpse of two Alicorns other than the Royal Sisters. The new Alicorns resembled somewhat like Trixie and Sunset Shimmer. He easily recognized Lighting Dust but the rest he did not know. They were all wearing ornaments that have the same corresponding color as the lights. Then disbelief came over the pegasus, upon realizing that the six are Bearers of the Elements of Harmony, which was claimed to be the most powerful magic artifact ever to exist by Princess Luna.

With awe, Flash Sentry witnessed the Element Bearers soared towards the clouds. The pegasus snapped to his senses when he heard Princess Celestia’s call to protect the Element Bearers from above. For a brief moment, he and his fellow subordinates were off-guard, letting the Daleks get past them. The constructs appeared to be no longer interested in fighting the royal guards.

As the constructs launched themselves from ground, they were immediately brought down by Diamondian infantries and archers. Flash Sentry fell into total disbelief. The foreigners, having answered the Princess of the Sunlight’s call, are fighting to prevent harm from coming to the Element Bearers. All the while, he was standing there doing nothing. Not about to lose to the Diamondians, he ordered his subordinates to follow him to the skies.

Yet to fully come round from his daze, Trotter tried to decide on whether he should go join his subordinates in the fight against the Mecha-Daleks far ahead of him or help the nearby Earth ponies holding the line against the rest of the invading force. In his hesitation, the unicorn did not notice a Fighter-Mithra had crept up behind him. The moment the construct is kicked away by Shoeshine, only then he realized what is going on. When the Mithra tried to fight back, Trotter blasted a perforated hole on its midriff.

The pegasus guards went after the ones that are beyond the Diamondian archers’ range. They grouped into clusters, each dropping down on a single winged tank. The guards slashed hard through the metal plating in hope of crippling the tank. One of the tanks was finally damaged enough and it plummeted down. The pegasus guards hanged onto the damaged tank to make sure it crashes.

All but one managed to leap off from the transforming tank in time before it plowed into the snow. Apparently the Mecha-Dalek was not out yet. After the construct got back up, it has Flash Sentry in its vision. With a stomp from its massive foot, it prepared to finish off the injured guard.

Fortunately for Flash Sentry, Godslayer Watterson came to his rescue. Armed with a tek-bow, he leaped up high above the pegasus. The knight-errant pierced the mech through its eye. The tek-bow then instantly turned into dual fiery swords, which the knight-errant used to strike down the mech with.

Twinkleshine grimly shook her head. She told Princess Luna and Sir Blueblood the bad news. Despite all her best efforts in treating and patching up the badly wounded changeling, he had been bleeding so profusely there was no telling if he can hold up much longer. The disturbance in the clouds prompted all three to face skyward. Luna did not need her sight to notice it. She could feel a tremendous amount of magical energy from the Elements of Harmony building up. Something big was about to happen.

Shortly, they witnessed brilliant energy beams, each of different color, punched a gaping hole through the clouds, creating bright energy sphere that rapidly expands in size. Twinkleshine and Blueblood anxiously watched the enormous sphere burst into an energy wave of massive proportion. Luna however remained calm. With so little time to react, they were all swept over by the wave...

Trotter and Shoeshine were horrified how their comrades and enemies alike are getting wiped out by the energy wave. They both knew they cannot outrun it. They hold on to each other and turned away with their eyes closed just moments before being engulfed by the wave.

Almost instantaneously, the wave passed. Trotter and Shoeshine remained exactly where they were, unharmed and still holding to each other. Feeling that they have survived somehow, they slowly opened their eyes. To the pair’s surprise, the Earth pony guards were still there, confused as they are. But the enemy constructs were all gone. Seeing that energy wave continued its sweep across to the south, Trotter and Shoeshine felt relieved that only forces that is of evil nature are affected by it.

Flash Sentry was clueless to what had happened just now. There was a blinding white flash and he could have sworn he saw a glimpse of the enemy evaporating. He thought he too was a goner. But instead here he is now standing with his comrades, unscathed. Yet the enemies were nowhere to be seen

Up ahead, Godslayer Watterson proclaimed the battle is over. They won. The kingdom is free from the invaders.

Flash Sentry somehow believed it. All his comrades did. Soon, the Elements Bearers were spotted coming down from the sky. They all cheered ecstatically not only to herald their victory, but also the arrival of those who made it all possible. Once the Elements Bearers are on the ground, sure enough the two other ‘Alicorns’ did turn out to be Trixie and Sunset Shimmer.

His cheeks blush upon staring at the latter. He is awestruck by how stunning Sunset Shimmer looked in that elegant dress. From his chance encounter with her at the castle before, he has always regarded the Assistant Chancellor as attractive. It is so hard for him to believe that this beautiful, friendly, hardworking mare could have anything to do with the Battle of the Royal Sisters.

He immediately shook off his infatuation. Being of two different working classes, it is of his own personal belief that he is not good enough for a mare like Sunset Shimmer. That reason alone was enough for him not asking her out a long time ago. Having composed himself, he went on to show his fair support to the Element Bearers as heroes of the day.

Twinkleshine opened her eyes. The flash was so bright she thought she was about to go blind. But somehow she did not. At the same time, the wounded changeling’s eyes flickered open. She felt so relieved that the guard had pulled through much sooner than possible.

In the meantime, Luna could tell that her sights have returned from the nauseous feeling she is having. She squinted as her aching eyeballs are still adjusting to the sunlight. When they finally did, the princess’ vision, initially hazy, slowly came to focus. The very first thing that came into her view is Twinkleshine dancing around happy on her hind legs, because she had gotten her tail back, then Nova, whom began to recover from his wounds and also baffled by Twinkleshine’s display, and finally Blueblood, her nephew whom she had cared like her own son.

Tears shed from her eyes as joy overcame her. By that time, she came under the tight squeeze by Twinkleshine who was also happy for the princess. When Luna gazed upon Twinkleshine for the first time, it struck her that the unicorn’s appearance vaguely reminded her of a young Celestia. Yet all the princess could say was how beautiful Twinkleshine is. Longing for Blueblood, the princess asked for him. Without objection, Blueblood let him come under her auntie’s embrace.

With the war over, all Luna could hope for is that the kingdom will be able to able to pick up the pieces and revert to the way it was before- peaceful and happy. She would also like to make amends with her elder sister. The ordeal she experienced on the moon has taught her how important family togetherness is.

In the distance, Canterlot was visible even all the way from Unicorn Range. Amazingly, where Appleloosa and Ponyville were badly affected by Ragingheart’s devastating campaign, the capital remains largely untouched throughout the ordeal. Despite this, the scar left on it by Ragingheart would always remained, as unbeknownst to anypony, even Princes Luna, a political change was about to come to the kingdom in the not too distant future.

HER WORLD SLIPS AWAY (PROLOGUE) - revised

Author's Note

The idea of a human Rainbow Dash not managing to live her dream job came from this fancomic by Garretthegarret. Unfortunately, his DeviantArt account was deactivated as of mid-2014.
Human Rainbow Dash as a brunet idea also came from the aforementioned artist's fancomics.
Iris = Rainbow Dash; Twilight Sarah = Twilight Sparkle; April-Jeannette = Applejack; Dorothy = Rarity; Felicity = Pinkie Pie; Vanessa = Fluttershy; Skyler = Scootaloo.
Gensville = Ponyville; Canterbury = Canterlot; Paragon = Crystal Empire; Skydale = Cloudsdale

HER WORLD SLIPS AWAY (PROLOGUE) - revised

Iris Dashiell, or Dash as she preferred to be called, exited the gate to the Equestrian Royal Army’s Paragon base. The dejected brunet looked back at the place one last time, knowing that she will never return to the air force. Only in her early twenties, Dash joined the air force for a mere few years until she was discharged for disciplinary misconduct.

Later on, Dash went on to rent the cheapest apartment she could afford. For some unknown reasons, she refused to return to Gensville, the place where she had spent her whole teenage years. For days, she just sat huddled on the bed fully depressed, whimpering until her eyes were swollen red. The air force was supposed to be her ticket to join the Thunderbolts. Now that dream was shattered because she did something horribly wrong. With no other goals in place, she was completely lost on what do to with her life.

***

Back in Gensville, someone has intruded into the Dashiell residence. Within the semi-darkness, the unknown intruder picked up one of the many envelopes piled under the mail-slotted door and opened it. The envelope was addressed from the Equestrian Royal Air Force. In it was an error-corrected copy of Dash’s military discharge certificate.

Later, the same intruder studied a row of framed photographs on a desk in the living room. A ten-year old Dash, whose look was so different back then- a mousy and gawky kid, and perhaps a bit underweight, appeared together with several different people. One of them is Garrett, her deceased father. He and Dash looked so much alike. In a way, Dash is the female image of Mr. Dashiell.

In another photo, Dash is seen with the Peters. The mother and daughter, the latter named Skyler, are close friends to the Dashiell family, even before they moved to Gensville. Both families originated from the same hometown- Skydale.

The rest depicts her schoolmates and ‘Best Friends Forever’: Twilight Sarah Parkeigh, April-Jeannette Appleby, Dorothy Sparklett, Felicity Diane Hart and Vanessa Kedrick. They were always together with Dash on many occasions, in and outside school.

The last photograph showed Dash posing in front of a F/A-6 Griffin Strike Fighter. Scribbled at the bottom corner of the photo is Canterbury Air Show 2010 in Dash’s own handwriting. The locally-built canard, delta-winged fighter jet is standard issue for the Equestrian Royal Air Force and the Thunderbolts Team. This is what Dash would have learned to pilot had she not screw her chance.

After looking at the last photos, the figure went upstairs. In the bedroom where Dash used to sleep in, a framed poster of the Thunderbolts was seen hung up on the wall. It depicted three blue colored F/A-6s, with stylized yellow thunderbolt emblem on its tails and wings, soaring behind a rising sun in the background.

The intruder moved to examine the bookcase. The shelves are filled with various aviation magazines, Adventurous Abby novels, flight simulation game DVDs and some Thunderbolts merchandises. One particular shelf caught the intruder’s interest- Dash’s personal diaries, all secured by a tiny lock.

***

Dash stood at the ledge of a vertical rock cliff, gazing down into the gorge. At the bottom, she could see a raging stream, thick woodlands lining its stony banks. She had second thoughts on what she is about to do next. She inhaled sharply then shut her eyes to put herself in deep thought for a few seconds. Finally reaching a resolution, Dash opened her eyes.

“This is it,” she muttered. “I’m gonna make the jump.”

THE ROYAL SISTERS - revised

Author's Note

Gamuboru Watarusan = Gumball Watterson; Daruwin Watarusan = Darwin Watterson; Donatsu Gunso = Sgt Doughnut; Hanbaga Heishi = Private Hamburger.
Erumoa = Elmore; Ritchiudo = Richwood

THE ROYAL SISTERS - revised

Zach fixed his sight at the hilly terrains on the edge of the moon’s dark side.

It’s worth a shot, he thought.

The area around him gradually darkened as he moved closer to the moon’s dark regions. He scaled up a short ridge, just beyond the edge of available sunlight and strode down on the other side, disappearing into the total darkness.

A sudden fiery glow penetrated through the darkness soon after. Another followed, lighting up the area around Zach. The resulting glow from the fire around his hands cast eerie shadows at the surrounding terrain.

Suddenly, Zach got the goosebumps and an unexplainable chill running down his spine. It was as though someone, or something was watching him. He instantly spun around. There up at the cliff, shadowy shapes seemed to be moving in the darkness. Amongst the ghastly shadows is an outline of an Alicorn, its eerie white eyes, appearing to be staring down at him with sinister. Zach gulped and took a step back with apprehension.

“Princess Luna?” he called, or is it Nightmare Moon now? I certainly hope not.

***

Sunset Shimmer took a flyer from her saddle bag and passed it to Dash who then pinned it onto the noticeboard. Shock and anxiety came over the ponies flocking around the noticeboard to read the flyer.

Elsewhere, Zach, Discord and the Flim Flam brothers were also helping putting up the flyers around various locations in Canterlot.

From atop a hill, Nova and Lightning Dust spied on the invasion force advancing through Ponyville outskirts. They exchanged a worried glace before moving back further into the bushes. This is it. By tomorrow, Canterlot’s severely dwindled defenders will be put to the test against these seemingly infinite constructs.

For the first time Dash got to see where Gilda lived. It was a tree house, located near the city limits. Not the simple play forts made by parents for their children, but a properly constructed house with supports, balconies and stairways. Anyway, her visit was not a social one. She was there to accompany Sunset Shimmer.

“Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon will get on the first train to Manehattan first thing tomorrow morning,” Sunset Shimmer informed the griffon. “You should go too. It should be safer in Cloudsdale for the time being.”

Gilda looked uncertain about her decision. There are many questions she wanted to ask. How bad situation is in Ponyville? Will Sunset Shimmer and Trixie also evacuate from Canterlot? What news from Lightning Dust whom she has not seen for quite some time?

Sunset Shimmer seemed able to read what was on her friend’s mind. “There’s nothing much you can for us. Just go! Please!”

Gilda relented. She took one final look at Sunset Shimmer who nodded back at her. With a heavy heart, she took off to the sky.

It did not take long. As the day was approaching its end, citizens of Canterlot, numbering in hundreds of thousands, were pouring out of the city, on hoof and by carts and carriages. Many suburban and city areas became deserted. Elsewhere, not all ponies fled the city. For whatever reason, some were foolish enough to stay put.

Sunset Shimmer with a tray of cups and hot kettle followed Blueblood into deck of the castle's observation tower where Discord was looking through a giant telescope.

“How’s the view, captain?” Blueblood asked.

“No sight of Ragingheart or her army as of yet,” the captain reported before sniffing the odor of fresh hot coffee.

He looked away from the telescope to see the tray already served on the table.

“Oh, you shouldn’t have, my dear,” he said to Sunset Shimmer with appreciation.

It might have been a servant’s job but Sunset Shimmer did not mind. “You’re going to be here all night, right? Besides, most of the castle servants are still busy preparing the shelter.”

“Has she said when all preparations will be finished?” Discord asked.

“Probably by tomorrow morning,” Sunset Shimmer guessed.

Just then, Lightning Dust, having returned from the scouting mission in Ponyville, glided into the observation deck and landed gently on the floor.

“You all better get going as soon as the shelter’s ready,” she informed, “because Ragingheart’s army is heading this way as we speak.”

Bunny-Nova hopped off Lightning Dust’s back and reverted to his normal form. “By the looks of it, they’ll probably reach the outskirts mid before noon.”

“Very well.” Discord regarded Blueblood and Sunset Shimmer with a serious look. “You two should start packing. Everything is going to spiral into chaos very soon.”

“Do you have any plan to defeat them, captain?” the chancellor asked him.

“I’ve discussed with Lord Watterson. Since we’ve yet to receive news from Prince Umbra, we both agreed that our goal now is to buy Canterlot time. I said I’ll turn the Reserves into a force to be reckoned and I did. However, the coming scenario I’m afraid is not winnable in the long run. That is, unless Prince Umbra returns with aid before it’s too late.”

Sunset Shimmer’s heart sank upon hearing that.

“Maybe I can do something to help,” she eagerly said to the captain, “I can try reason with Lyra.”

“Ruled out!” Discord objected. “Letting you out there in the chaotic battlefield is like tossing you into a cage full of hungry cragadiles!”

“But-”

“The captain is right,” Sir Blueblood cut Sunset Shimmer off. “Besides, if Ragingheart is truly Lyra, she’s probably not the same pony you used to know.”

“But what if Lyra’s becoming was because Princess Celestia did something to her!?” Sunset Shimmer started to protest. “I should take responsibility too, for all the bad things that had happened before!”

Lightning Dust and Nova exchanged puzzled glances. What in Equestria is Sunset Shimmer blabbering about?

“Stop being hysterical, Sunset Shimmer!” Blueblood scolded the young unicorn. “We’ve been through this before! So that’s the end of that! By tomorrow morning I want you to leave the castle together with Miss Dash.”

Just me and Dash? “What about you, sir?”

“I will stay in Canterlot and do whatever I can to help the fight.”

The chancellor’s response shocked Sunset Shimmer. “What!? Then who’s going to be in charge?”

“You are.”

“Sir, I’m just an assistant!” Sunset Shimmer protested.

“Do as I tell you, Sunset Shimmer,” Blueblood pressed. “That’s an order. You’ll do more good helping Trixie at the shelter.”

Sunset Shimmer refused to accept this. There was no way she can manage it all by herself. There were still things for her to learn from the elder unicorn.

“You can’t,” Sunset Shimmer’s voice sounded weak. “You leave me on my own...”

“You’re not alone,” Blueblood reassured as he cast a firm look at his assistant. “Trixie will be at your side to support you all the way, as will the castle servants.”

In the end Sunset Shimmer conceded.

Trixie thanked Dash on behalf of the servants for helping out at the shelter.

“We’ll finish the remaining works early tomorrow morning,” the unicorn informed her. “By then the shelter should the ready for use.”

She and the castle servants nodded all at once at Dash and they parted ways.

When Dash turned around, she spotted Sunset Shimmer across the hallway.

She called out to the unicorn whilst waving her hand, “Oh hey! Sunset Shimmer! Good news-”

It was then she noticed how stern Sunset Shimmer looked. Failing to notice Dash, Sunset Shimmer took a turn into another hallway.

Zach was walking past several paintings that are hung up on the wall. Each one is a portrait of the royal family, ranging from ancestors to its more recent members. He halted in his tracks. Something was strangely off about the portraits so he decided to take a closer look at them, one-by-one until the last painting showing a much younger Royal Sisters with their parents. He now realized the design of the room around all the families was starkly different from that of the Canterlot Royal Castle.

Just as Dash thought, Sunset Shimmer was in the reading chamber. She knocked on the opened door. Sunset Shimmer cast a brief glance before continuing with her packing.

“Oh. hi, Dash,” Sunset Shimmer said in a solemn voice.

“Need some help?” Dash offered.

“Sure. Can you help pack the books on the table into the boxes?”

“Okay.”

Over at the long the long table, Dash began putting the books into the small boxes on the floor.

“Sunset, Trixie said the shelter should be all ready by tomorrow morning.”

“Good.”

Dash glanced at Sunset Shimmer’s album placed haphazardly on the coffee table. “What about your album?”

“Leave it,” Sunset Shimmer said without looking at her. “We only take essential ones. Some spell books and Lyra's. I still need to figure out how Lyra became what she is now.”

Despite what the unicorn said, Dash took the album and secretly stashed it inside a box.

“You okay?” Dash asked in concern for the unicorn’s current behavior.

“Sure, I’m okay. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“It’s just that-”

Dash stopped when Zach showed up suddenly at the door.

He was surprised to find Dash is there as well. “Oh, am I interrupting something?”

“Not at all,” Sunset Shimmer said. “What can I do for you, Lord Watterson?”

“Since I can’t find Sir Blueblood, you'll have to do. I was passing by the hallway, the one with the royal family portraits hung on the wall and I noticed something unusual about them. The royal families, they used to live in another castle, didn’t they?”

“Yes,” Sunset Shimmer confirmed. “There was another castle. But it was destroyed along with the old capital long ago during a failed invasion by the Minotaur Kingdom. Only a small part of it still remains.”

“Where?”

“White Tail, near Smokey Mountain.”

“Is there a map here?”

Sunset Shimmer cast a surprised look at Zach. “You’re not thinking of going there, are you?”

“We’ll see.”

“There should be one in Blueblood’s office,” Sunset Shimmer said. “He’s probably still at the observation tower though.”

Incidentally Dash noticed a book with a globe symbol printed on its spine on the shelf nearby.

“Hey, Zach!” she called whilst moving towards the shelf. “How ‘bout an atlas book instead?”

After she removed the book, she noticed through the gap that there was something hidden behind the neatly arranged books. It appeared to be another book.

“That’ll do nicely,” Zach said and walked over to her.

Dash quickly handed over the atlas book to him. Then She started taking down a number of books, much to the surprise of both Zach and Sunset Shimmer.

Dash looked at the cover of the last book. It is titled The Founding of Canterlot.

Hey, this must be the book Sunset Shimmer mentioned the other day…

She put it away separately from the pile of books on the long table.

“What’re you doing?” Then Zach saw it too. And old, dusty mini photo album was nestled at the back of the shelf. On the cover are stylized emblems identical to the Royal Sister’s cutie marks. “Huh, what’s this?”

Curious, Sunset Shimmer crossed over to the bookcase. When she saw the photo album, she took it with interest. “I didn’t realize this was here all this time. Judging from the emblems, this must’ve belonged to the Royal Sisters.”

“Why is it here?” Zach wondered.

Sunset Shimmer shrugged. “I’m not sure myself.”

Dash opened the album. It revealed photos of the Royal Sisters’ foalhood. As unicorns, the Royal Sisters have different colored manes back then. The younger sister is easily recognizable since her mane had changed only the slightest. The elder sister on the other hand required confirmation.

Dash pointed at the young Princess Celestia’s photo. “That’s Princess Celestia?”

“Yeah,” Sunset Shimmer confirmed it. “Her mane was pink before she became an Alicorn,”

Dash flipped to the next page which showed photos of a young Princess Celestia happy with her parents.

A slight envy came over her as she studied the photos. “Look how happy she is, getting all the attention from her parents.”

Upon hearing this, Zach looked on the photos thoughtfully. “I agree. She had a happy childhood.”

He pointed to the photos on the next page showing the Royal Sisters engaged in different activities- painting, eating bananas (thereby revealing that banana is indeed Celestia’s favorite fruit), playing around a doll house, climbing trees etc. “See? They used to be very close.”

“Too bad their sisterhood didn’t last,” Sunset Shimmer bitterly said.

“Sunset, I don’t think Princess Celestia hates her sister that much,” Dash stated her opinion.

Sunset Shimmer was taken aback by Dash’s words. “What are you implying, Dash?”

“From what you’ve told me, maybe Princess Celestia was just overly jealous, that she’s merely craving for attention like she used to have.”

Impressed by her sight, Zach a small, tactful smile. Sunset Shimmer however remained uncertain.

Dash flipped another page. One photo caught her interest. Princess Luna is pictured in a Nightmare Moon costume with several other foals, also dressed for Nightmare Night. She could only assume they were the princess’ foalhood friends.

“This has to be Princess Luna, right?” she asked to be sure.

Sunset Shimmer looked over at the photo and recognized it immediately. “Yeah, that’s her all right.”

“Huh, it’s weird that Princess Celestia isn’t in the picture too,” Dash remarked.

She looked at the other photos. She found it strange that Princess Celestia was never pictured in the same group. It is possible that these foals are just friends to Princess Luna.

“Come to think it,” Sunset Shimmer recalled, “she never attended any of the Nightmare Night parties Trixie helped organize in the past, not even once.”

“Maybe she’s phobic to Nightmare Night,” Dash suggested. “Where I come from, some people seriously hate the feeling of being scared.”

“What do you think, Sunset Shimmer?” Zach suddenly asked.

“I can’t be sure,” the unicorn said. “Although, I did notice Princess Celestia sometimes get anxious at night when she’s alone, mostly during celebrations outside the castle.”

Zach took note of this and referenced it way it in his mind. “Thank you, both of you. You’ve been very, very helpful.”

He nodded politely at them then left.

Sunset Shimmer looked quizzically at Dash. What was that all about?

“Hey, don’t look at me. I’m no psychic, y’know.”

Blueblood was surprised to find Dash in the reading chamber alone late at night. She was lying on the couch immersed in her reading.

“Miss Dash?”

Startled, Dash immediately sat up. Aw naw, am I gonna be given a scolding?

“What’re doing here in the middle of the night?” Blueblood asked her.

“S-sorry, sir,” the nervous Dash stammered. “I wasn’t sure if it’s allowed to bring a book outside the reading chamber. So I…I sneaked out.”

The chancellor however did not scold Dash for breaking the after-eleven curfew (applicable only to castle servants and guests) as expected.

Instead he asked her, “What book are you reading?”

Dash showed him the book she is holding: The Founding of Canterlot. “Well, err… It says here that Canterlot Day is a celebration commemorating Canterlot’s founding by Princess Celestia.”

“Yes,” the chancellor said with hint of pride, “and she did at very young age, right after the Battle of White Tail”

“Sir, they were orphaned because of it,” feeling of sympathy was apparent in Dash’s voice, “You were too. Is that why you’re loyal to both princesses?”

Blueblood nodded solemnly. “They took care of me, yes. It was a violent assault. Within a single night, very much of the city along with the castle were destroyed. Although the invasion was finally repelled, it took the lives of many, including my parents and grandparents.”

He sat right next to Dash and continued, “I believe Sunset Shimmer might have told you about a little bit about herself. How she...resented Princess Celestia.”

“She did,” Dash confirmed.

“I hope you did not judge my aunt,” Blueblood said to her. “Why she is biased towards Twilight Sparkle, I can’t say for sure. However, I do know that many ponies, not just Sunset Shimmer and Trixie, have considered the princess as...harsh. Actually there’s more to the Battle of the Royal Sisters than what Sunset Shimmer has told you.”

“Sunset Shimmer didn’t lie, did she?”.

“Oh, no. She only told the story from her point of view. And history books only tell us so much. You have to get know Princess Celestia’s state of mind in order to understand the reason for her having such a personality.”

***

“After the destruction of White Tail, the surviving citizens abandoned it with worry. Many ponies wondered what will happen to them after the deaths of my grandparents. Who will rule over them? Who will raise the sun and moon?”

Moving along the path illuminated by the unicorn royal guards, the survivors of White Tail left behind their original home. Servants and civilians were alike, all dispirit and hopeless. Under the full moon’s bright luminance, the smoke from the razed city hung over the nearest mountain. It was this temporary phenomenon from which the mountain will get its name in the near future: Smokey Mountain.

The young Celestia did everything she could to take command and rally the surviving royal guards to follow her. However, all the ranks were fraught with doubt. They acknowledged that Princess Celestia is the rightful heir to the throne, but still they could not expect a mere filly to lead them at present. Yet the young princess was not going to let that stop her.

“At the time, they highly doubted the eldest princess because of her age. In spite of this setback, she rose to the occasion.”

The survivors practically had nowhere to go. Perhaps they could take refuge in the nearest city of Cloudsdale? But it is only accessible by pegasus. Ponyville, maybe? Or Manehattan? But the young Celestia had something else in her mind. Finally arriving at the foothills of Unicorn Range, the young princess pointed towards a plateau with a large waterfall flowing from the southern cliff.

Canterlot was originally just a small crystal mining town. All the squatters and buildings now lay abandoned after all the crystals in the area ran out many, many years ago. Taking refuge here in this appalling conditions might be a little too much to bear but to Princess Celestia it is only temporary. What she was really planning is the establishment of a new capital and that will be a testament to her authority.

Young Celestia planted the Equestrian national flag on the summit of a hill under witness of all the surviving citizens from White Tail.

She proclaimed, “I, Princess Celestia as the rightful heir to the throne, hereby decree that this ground will become our new home! A new capital will rise here where our lives can begin anew! Fellow subjects, follow me! Help me rebuild what we’ve lost and in return you will reap the reward of your hard work- a nation where all ponies can enjoy peace and prosper. This is my royal pledge to you!”

The royal guards looked amongst themselves. The civilians muttered to express their doubts. Princess Celestia’s heart broke at the response she received. She pondered what she should do to prove that she is worthy to rule. She turned towards her servants and motioned to the one holding a new-born foal wrapped in cloth. This unfortunate foal who also suffered the same fate as the princesses is Blueblood.

“Give him to me,” the young princess ordered the servant.

When the servant appeared to be reluctant, she repeated her demand aloud, “GIVE ME MY NEPHEW!!!”

The fragile foal cried in response to young Celestia’s loud voice. So the servant gave in to the princess’ demand. Young Celestia carefully brought Blueblood up her face to snuggle the foal.

“No, no, don’t cry, my dear nephew,” she said softly to the foal. “You have nothing to worry about. For from now on, auntie promise to take good care of you.”

She then turned to her younger sister who is still reeling from the shock of losing her parents and friends. “Luna, stand beside me!”

Young Luna plodded up to next to her elder sister.

“For sake of papa and mama, Luna, be firm!”

Putting on a look of confidence the best she could, young Celestia faced her subjects. “Bow down to the royal family! Swear your allegiance to me! I command you! BOW!!!”

The captain of the royal guards at the time stepped forward.

“Why should we?” Twilight Velvet demanded an answer.

Upon hearing those insolent words, the young princess’ eyes become teary.

“Because... Because...” she stammered, looking ready to break down at any moment.

The glowing aura around her horn changed from pale blue to light gold. On that very moment, the unexpected happened and it caught everypony by surprise, including Captain Twilight Velvet. Over at Foal Mountains, the sun was rising to the sky, slowly turning the night into daylight.

The young princess declared, “I am my mother! I am Celestia, the Undimmed Princess of the Sunlight! The unquestionable heir to the throne! And so, you will do as I command you!”

Twilight Velvet saw that a stylized sun cutie mark had appeared on young Celestia’s flank. She then gazed into the princess' eyes. Beyond those tears, she saw the determination of a ruler. Accepting the fact that the sun was summoned by the young princess’ though sheer force of will, as proven by the cutie mark’s appearance, the captain was no longer doubtful.

“You have my undivided allegiance, Your Royal Highness.” She removed her helmet and went on her knees in submission. “All hail Princess Celestia!”

The entire royal army, then the servants and the civilians followed suit.

I will become strong, for mama, for papa... “I, Celestia, the undimmed Princess of the Sunlight and elder of the Royal Sisters, swear that I will faithfully perform the royal duties lay upon me and to my power shall oblige to fulfill the Pledge of the Royal Sisters.”

“By performing the miracle, she had won the citizens’ loyalty. Living up to our family's obligation at such a young age was a testimony of her undying love to my grandmother.”

It took several years of sheer patience and persistence before the young Princess Celestia’s vision was finally realized. Canterlot Royal Castle now stood on the very the hill where she once planted the national flag to mark location of the new capital. And that was not all. New buildings were erected to form a new town that will eventually grow into the city that it is today. It was all due to her citizens’ blood, sweat and tears. And their trust in her.

“For the same reason, Princess Celestia knew she will be unable to hold her own. So after molding Princess Luna into her own image through harsh discipline, the younger sister was made co-ruler to help in the reign. Had Princess Celestia did not act the way she did, this kingdom would've collapse under the chaos that escalated after the destruction of White Tail- the rebellion in the east, separatism in the south, the second Minotaur invasion. Her stern, disciplinarian demeanor had kept everypony in their places and thus held this country intact.”

Sometime after Canterlot’s establishment, battalions of royal guards led by Captain Twilight Velvet began marching outside the city. The flag bearer is a young Draconequss. Still green yet fully devoted, Pvt. Discord Goodguy Sr. proudly carry the Equestrian banner ahead of the frontline. Under the belief of what they were doing is for the greater good, the entire Equestrian Royal Guards set out to crush the Royal Sisters’ enemies.

***

“They both went through so much together,” Dash said in a mix of sympathy and disdain, “only to be torn apart by jealousy.”

“The matter is not ours to say who is right or wrong,” Sir Blueblood pointed out. “To put it in a mild way, when peace finally comes to Equestria, unlike Princess Luna, the elder sister did not try to adapt. She feared if she softens up, she will fall to weakness.”

“Weakness…?”

“You could say...she had grown fond of her power.”

Dash thought on it for a second. “So she thought by being too friendly, she’d lose control of her authority… But then, what caused Princess Luna to change her ways?”

***

The city of Canterlot was barely half the size of what it is today. It is still expanding with rapid construction works on-going in various parts of the city, replacing many of the structures that once served the mining community.

Citizens from many parts of Equestria thronged the castle’s public hall to seek audience with the Royal Sisters. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna at this time have grown into adulthood. Being Alicorns now, they have become full-fledged monarchs with the younger sister as co-ruler, thus the origin of the term ‘Royal Sisters’.

Still relatively young at their age, the Royal Sisters initial attempt to rule by themselves were hampered by inexperience. Stress overcame them as they were overwhelmed by the avalanche of complaints, requests, differing opinions from their subjects and the resulting paperwork. They barked their instructions at the castle servants and guards and even at their own subjects occasionally when they feel annoyed enough.

After waiting hours for their turn, a family of Earth ponies approached the throne. They requested aid for a blight that has been affecting their crops. While Princess Celestia addressed the family’s problem, sentimentality came over the younger sister at the sight of the foals accompanying their parents. The foals’ appearance vaguely reminded of her childhood friends. Princess Luna also noticed something else about them. The foals were very quiet, as if frightened. She soon realized the foals feared the Royal Sisters more than respect them.

Princess Luna spent that entire afternoon in her own bedroom pondering what life in the city is really like for the citizens. Like Celestia, she has confined herself behind the castle walls for so long, never to go outside other than to attend formal ceremonies. She reached to a decision to explore the city that her elder sister has established so many years ago. Just not today.

But when she finally did so, it caught many ponies by surprise. Sauntering along the streets without a single escort, Princess Luna is makeup-less and not wearing any of her regalia. Her mane is tied into a high ponytail. As a result, at first glance she is easily mistaken as another civilian if it were not the fact that only royalties are Alicorns.

At a shopping arcade located in the midtown, Princess Luna looked upon the displayed art paintings with passion. They are not masterpieces, but the princess considered them lovely all the same. Her interest in arts was the result from the times she and elder sister painted together when they were fillies.

When Princess Luna strolled around the market square, she was fascinated by the many exotic fruits, desserts and fritters she had never seen before because they are typically not served at the castle. She inquired the traders about them and tastes as much as her stomach allows her.

One evening, Princess Luna was sitting on the park bench, enjoying her ice cream while watching foals joyfully playing around, with each other and with their parents. The sight greatly reminded her of her childhood. For the first time since the loss of her parents and friends, the princess smiled.

Having fun was not the only thing Princess Luna did outside. When the southern cliff side experienced serious landslide, she took the initiative to visit there herself. She stepped near the danger zone to assess the extent of the damage, despite the objection from the construction workers fearing for her safety. The princess determined that the landslide was triggered by soil erosion due to ground levelling and construction works too near to the cliffs.

On another day, Princess Luna casually joined in a conversation with a group of public staff on their lunch break. Due to the princess’s soft-spoken and outgoing manner, they keep on talking until they reach the topic on Canterlot’s water problems. Princess Luna was able to make out that Canterlot River’s water reservoir is unable to cope with the city population's consumption for several reasons: the city’s rapid expansion, the development of residential areas in the surrounding suburbs and the fact it is also supplying water to Ponyville at the same time.

Months later, Princess Luna happened to come across Silver Spoon’s parents at a cafe. From their conversation, the princess was appalled when she found out that Earth ponies living in the suburban areas are walking for miles to and from work in Canterlot on a daily basis because none of them can afford carts or chariots as they come from low to lower-middle income families. For the same reason, the majority of Canterlot’s Earth pony population is concentrated in the suburbs away from wealthy areas in the city.

Then came Nightmare Night. ‘Nightmare Moon’ appeared in a supernatural fashion, scaring the wits out the six young trick-or-treaters. Diamond Tiara, Sunset Shimmer, Gilda and Silver Spoon immediately skittered away. Only Trixie and Lightning Dust remained. Although, the latter had finally succumbed to her fear and collapsed. Trixie was then given a bagful of treats as a reward for ‘facing Nightmare Moon and lived to tell the tale’. For the princess, that was the most fun she ever had in years.

Coming back to Princess Luna’s duties, she became better at juggling between addressing the citizens’ complaints and advising her elder sister. More understanding and open-minded this time, she adopted a calmer demeanor when she offers her suggestions, contrasting heavily with Princess Celestia. She is still strict, just less harsh compared to before.

Meanwhile, building construction works at the city limits have been halted. Instead, focus has been shifted to the Earth-filling works at the cliffs. Retaining walls were built to strengthen the southern cliff sides. And at same time, large numbers of water dams were being built on many of the upstream tributaries of Neighagra Falls. From these dams, huge underground pipelines were also built to supply clean water for Canterlot as well as Manehattan, Fillydelphia, Baltimare and Hollow Shades.

As for the project on providing cheap transportation system for the poor, the experiment ended up in disaster. The lesson learned that day is that steam-driven vehicle do not work well underground. However, that would not stop Silver Spoon’s parents from trying again. Agreeing that a new feat of engineering is needed, the couple assured the Princess Luna they will search for a solution.

A friendly atmosphere hovered over the trade pact negotiation with various leaders from other nations, held in the fifth year of the Royal Sister’s reign. Present are King Jim from Diamondia, King Sombra from the Southern Kingdom, Queen Chrysalis from the Changeling Kingdom, Chancellor Le Fleur from Griffonstone and Sir Melvin from Manticora. They also made an agreement to boycott the Minotaur Kingdom as punishment for their past aggression towards Equestria. All went according to Princess Luna’s plan of bolstering Equestria’s economy and security.

After all of this, life should have change for the better for the Royal Sisters and their kingdom. Instead, it brought something unintended. Something unforeseen by anypony, except maybe for the Mother Goddess. Princess Celestia was supposed to be proud of the younger sister for her work. That however did not happen.

A glorious ceremony was in progress as all of Canterlot was celebrating the city’s founding. Trumpets were blown heralding the Royal Sisters’ arrival. Mad cheers and thunderous applauses greeted Princess Luna as soon as she touched the red carpet. Princess Luna, getting so caught up by the unexpected attention, went to greet the crowd. However, the Princess of the Night failed to realize that her elder sister has fallen slightly behind, glaring at her with envy.

***

“Princess Celestia won their loyalty but it was Princess Luna who won their hearts, because she was able to understand the importance of tolerance and having a close relationship with her subjects. And so, it became an unofficial tradition for the ponies in Equestria where daylight is reserved for work, and night-time for festivities.”

“But, I still don’t get it,” Dash inquired further. “If Princess Luna was willing to change, why didn’t the elder sister too?”

“Princess Luna has tried, believe me. Unfortunately, her attempt was too soft while Princess Celestia remained stubborn. Furthermore, the elder sister was not known as a very sociable pony even as a filly.”

“Princess Celestia was a loner,” Dash realized. “So that’s why she wasn’t in any of those photos. But what actually became of Princess Luna’s friends?”

“Princess Luna refused to talk about them,” Blueblood replied solemnly, “as if it was a painful experience. I have to presume they all perished in the first war against the minotaurs. Perhaps…she had even witnessed it herself.”

The dismayed Dash no longer wished to continue the conversation. The Royal Sisters’ backstory was just too depressing to hear. But there still remained a few things she wanted to know.

“After the Battle of the Royal Sisters, have Princess Celestia showed remorse for her actions?”

“She showed... slight regret, yes. It’s because of that, I believe she is not entirely at fault. Dark Magic can affect the user in various ways.”

“I’m sorry, sir,” Dash said all of sudden.

“For what?” Sir Blueblood asked in surprise.

“I did judge Princess Celestia,” Dash admitted, “after what Sunset Shimmer said to me.”

“Why, Miss Dash. You needn’t to actually apologize.”

“I know. But after listening to all the stories… I used to think there’re only two opposite sides in the world, with no such as thing as a grey area. After I’ve seen the princesses’ family photos, I’ve told Sunset Shimmer, maybe Princess Celestia isn’t really that bad.”

“That means a lot to me.” Blueblood was feeling a bit relieved now.

“Um, well… It’s getting late.” Dash stood up. “I should go to bed now…”

“I agree. After all, you and Sunset Shimmer must be up early tomorrow.”

After returning the book to its bookcase, Dash did not leave immediately. “Sir, one more question. It’s that I’m curious. Is Nightmare Moon for real, before all of this?”

“Nothing more than an old legend, Miss Dash,” Blueblood replied dismissively.

***

At the same moment on the lunar surface, the royal guards were following the Princess Luna to the moon’s dark regions. But for what reason?

***

“Come on, sister,” Luna pleaded. “Just this once, I wish to spend Nightmare Night with you.”

Celestia was lying on her bed, looking away from her younger sister.

“No!” she balked. “I told you, Luna. I hate Nightmare Night!”

“Oh get over it, already!” Luna was getting tired of hearing the same excuse over and over. “After all, this is a party. Think about those happy foals looking forward to all the treats. Believe me, after mingling with them, you will enjoy it.”

“I do not enjoy foalish endeavors!!!” The elder sister’s voice was getting sterner.

Luna sighed in frustration. Not about to give up yet, she attempted one last try to change her elder sister’s mind.

“Then can you at least do it for your public image?”

Celestia’s glare intensified. Gritting her teeth, she rose from her bed to face her younger sister.

Discord, in his red-caped superhero costume, looked away all of a sudden.

“Strange, a bad feeling had suddenly developed in my guts,” he said before dismissing it.

He gazed back at a cream-coated pegasus colt with big ears, dressing up a rapper. He wore a red cap under his brown mane. Shades and fake bling complete his look.

“Yo mister, ain’t ya a little too big to go trick-or-treating?” Featherweight asked.

“I’m on patrol duty, young citizen,” Discord stated firmly.

“Then what’s with the big ol’ sack, yo?”

In the captain’s hand was definitely a sack, big enough to hold a night’s worth of treats.

“All right, you got me,” he confessed, looking a little embarrassed. “Did you come across any houses giving out candy popcorn by any chance, young citizen?”

Luna was flung out through the bedroom door. Celestia stepped out shortly after.

She glared with fury at her sister lying on the hallway floor. “Why won’t you be more understanding, Luna!? Like Twilight Sparkle is! You should be grateful that I have permitted you to have this silly little party of yours on my castle grounds! Just leave me out of it!”

“Please... forgive me, sister... It won’t happen again...”

Celestia raised her gaze away from Princess Luna to see Trixie (in her a wizard/magician costume), fearful after witnessing the incident. “Speak none of this to anypony! Not even Discord and Blueblood! Understand!?”

“Y-yes, Your Royal Highness.”

Celestia went back to her bedroom and slammed the doors shut.

Trixie helped Princess Luna to her hooves right after that. It was at this moment she noticed the mild bruises on the princess’ wing and shoulder. Oh, dear Faust. How could she do this to her own sister?

Guilt came over the unicorn as she felt is at fault because the party was her suggestion. “I’m terribly sorry, Your Royal Highness. T-this was a bad idea. Perhaps we should just the cancel the party.”

Luna shook her head, firmly saying, “No. We mustn’t disappoint our guests.”

“But your-”

“I insist,” the princess interjected. “Now go and entertain them while I get ready. And, Trixie?”

“Yes?”

“Sunset Shimmer mustn’t know about this.”

After Trixie gave an affirmative nod, she hurriedly left for the ball room. Luna glanced at the bedroom door, troubled by her elder’s sister unwarranted aggression.

***

Luna and her loyal guards by now have reached the virtual border between the light and the dark region. Looking closely, her eyes are all white, with no signs of iris or pupils. As a result, the Princess of the Night appeared malevolent, as if…she was possessed…

Dash awoke with a start. In her confusion, she quickly sat up on the side of the bed. It was a very strange dream she had just now. Impulsively, Dash went to find Zach. She rapped repeatedly on his door, yet there was no response from him. As Dash turned to leave, she stared at the grandfather clock down the dark hallway. It read two in the morning.

“Geez,” she sighed, “what was I thinking?”

***

City of Erumoa (Alternate Universe)

Godslayer Watterson emerged through the Void into somewhere near the city limits. His Arcanist SHADE changed into his clothes. He looked notably fatigued, but the feline felt confident it is still manageable.

Striding along the downtown street was a giant mech called Super E-Sat, an oddball of member of the Godslayers. His blocky design makes him somewhat resemble a bipedal washing machine, with a disproportionately small one-eyed head. He possesses large, sturdy hands designed for punching attacks and wrist-mounted Gatling blasters.

Gamuboru Watarusan (Zach’s younger alternate counterpart) and his fish-with-legs little brother, Daruwin rode on Super E-Sat’s shoulder. Somehow, they managed to take control of the unfortunate mech via a TV remote-like device Gamurou was holding in his hand.

“Sugoku tanoshii, Gamubro-san! (Gumball! I’m having so much fun!)” Daruwin laughed.

“Hai, hai!” Gamuboru grinned.

A Swift Striker Godslayer named Fortepiano streaked across the skyline in pursuit of Super E-Sat and the troublesome brothers. “Oi, baka yarou! Kaishite! (You bastards! Give that back!)”

She is ranked Field Master (frequently abbreviated as FM) as indicated by the Tri-Gold Star insignia. Field Masters answer directly to Lord Magister. The pony tail indicates Fortepiano is an anthromorphic being.

Two colossal Nanite constructs, whose misshapen humanoid form and runny appearance gives the impression they are made up of clay, suddenly appeared around the buildings and cornered Super E-Sat.

The panicked Gamuboru immediately sent a remote command to E-Sat. “Nigeru! (Run!)”

The mech escaped into another street with the colossuses in pursuit. Godslayer Fortepiano attempted to follow, but then a third colossus plowed through the building right next to her. She was swatted away, crashing through an electronic billboard (promoting a show called A Pony’s Tail: The Magic of Friendship) onto the street below. She skidded across the street for a mile before coming to rest. Miraculously, she was able to stand up afterwards, in pain but otherwise unscathed. She waited for a few seconds for her energy shielding to fully recharge.

“Teme...” Overly furious at the worsening situation, she conjured her personal Ethereal weapon- a glaive with toothed edges on its enormous blade. “Koroshite-yaru! (I will kill all of you!)”

“FM!” Zach called from behind.

The Godslayer turned around. Her visor retracted, revealing she is a pony-people (human-pony hybrid), with yellowish-white skin and blue-cyan hair tied neatly into a bun. Additionally, she has pony ears and a small snout for a nose on her humanoid face. A circular stump is visible on her forehead, which is of what remained of her horn.

“Zachary?” she spoke in a general English accent. “What are you doing here!? And why do you look so tired?”

“Forget that! What is wrong with E-Sat!?” Zach had saw the whole thing.

“That is your overly obnoxious counterpart’s fault!” the Field Master angrily said. “This version of you is the second worse I’ve encountered!”

“Really? Which one was that? The Arab or the Malaysian version?” Zach was asking with genuine curiosity before he ultimately realized there is a more urgent matter to be dealt with. “Oh, what am I saying!? Listen, I need your help! With your due permission, I’d like to borrow The Catgirl.”

“What in Celestia’s name would you need it in Equestria for?” Godslayer Fortepiano asked.

“Turns out the Princess Celestia there is a looney,” Zach began explaining. “She banished her own army to the moon without a sensible reason then ran off to who knows where with the Elements of Harmony.”

There was a knowing look on Godslayer Fortepiano. “Let me guess- Trollestia?”

Zach nodded his head. “Uh-huh. Worst, the Mane Six are complete idiots.”

The Field Master now has a good idea on why Zach wanted the cruiser though she is still reluctant to agree.

“Come on,” Zach pleaded. “I got it all worked out. All I need now is The Catgirl.”

“I should consider this first,” Godslayer Fortepiano reasoned. “It will look out of place in Equestria. There’s bound to be questions asked by the locals.”

“There’s no time!” Zach argued. “There’s still the matter about Sister Gazleen’s disappearance!”

“What...?” Godslayer Fortepiano was not expecting to hear that name, not here and now. “She’s shouldn’t be operating within our sector. What’s going on, Zachary? How did she get caught up in this?”

Zach however did not know how to properly explain it. “It’s kinda…complicated.”

“What’re you trying to hide?” Godslayer Fortepiano asked impatiently.

“I’m not!” Zach affirmed. “The detail’s still sketchy. The sooner my mission is finished the sooner I can go find out more. So please...”

Godslayer Fortepiano glanced back at the sudden outbursts of explosions and gunfire. In the distance, she spotted the local army tanks and assault vehicles had converged around the Clay Colossus and were unleashing their barrage of firepower to little effect on the monster.

Seeking cover behind one of assault vehicles are Donatsu Gunso and Hanbaga Heishi, an anthropomorphized donut and hamburger respectively.

“Oi omae! (Hey, you!)” the former called out to his subordinate. “Uchuujin wa doko!? (Where are our alien allies!?)”

“Shiranai! (I don’t know!)”

The situation’s getting worse by the minute, Godslayer Fortepiano thought. I can’t waste any more time. “STAT, open a private COM channel to Mika Kurogane.”

She received a response from the other end. “This is Kurogane!”

“Mika, has the infestation been taken care of?”

“Negative, FM!” Godslayer Kurogane replied. “The motherfucker is practically invincible!”

Sweet Celestia, I can’t believe these morons... “All right,” Godslayer Fortepiano said, maintaining her cool. “Have Alkarin rendezvous with Zachary in Ritchiudo. He’ll provide backup. And don't ask why’s here. He will explain everything to you once he gets there.”

“Copy that, FM.”

Godslayer Fortepiano shot a glare at Zach. “Did you get that?”

“Urgh… Okay, thanks.”

“Don’t!” Godslayer Fortepiano’s visor drew back in. “You owe me an explanation after this!”

She activated her jet thrusters then with immediate speed soared into the ongoing battle.

As Zach made his way out of there, he had a hunch that whatever is going on at The Catgirl, he was about to get into another fight. The feline had to wonder why things never go as simple as they should be…

***

It was already morning in Blue Marble’s Equestria. Only few hours have passed when Zach arrived back in Canterlot. The feline was overly tired from the time spent in the alternate universe. As a result, what was supposed to be a short nap to recuperate himself turned to hours.

Once Zach realized he had overslept, he burst out of his room and paced down the hallway. In his hurry, he accidentally bumped into Dash whom had just emerged from a corner, knocking each other down as a result.

After they both got up, Dash was shocked at how severely drained Zach looked. “Whoa! Zach, what happened to you!?”

“Nothing! Nothing’s wrong with me!” The feline quickly denied. “But more importantly, aren't you supposed to be on your way to the shelter by now?”

“I’m still waiting for Sunset Shimmer,” Dash said. “Besides I really need to talk to you.”

“About what?” Wondering what could be so important that it had to be now, the feline noticed Dash’s troubled look. “Dash, are you starting to remember?”

“I’m not sure,” Dash said. “I just had a dream. A weird one.”

After considering the appropriateness of the moment, Zach decided to listen after all. He sat on the hallway floor, back leaning on the wall. Dash sat next to him after being motioned so.

“It was weird,” she began, eyes on the floor. “I was looking around, dizzy, somewhere dark.”

“Can you see where you are?”

“No, everything’s all fuzzy, like I’m still half-asleep. Then there’s this lady. I dunno who she is, nor can I remember what she looks like. But, she mentioned a name.” Dash looked at Zach in the eye. “Yours. She told me to find you and said…that you’ll trust me.”

“Why would she say that?” Zach was curious to know.

Fraught with uncertainty, Dash looked away from him. “I’m not sure… It was something she mentioned. Something about ‘Sister’. That’s only what I could remember, before…before I got swallowed into this crazy…purple lightshow. I felt like I was falling again, then…nothing.”

She looked back at Zach, imploring him to believe her. “I know, I know, it sounds senseless, but that’s what I saw!”

Although Zach still did not understand the reason that had led Dash to be here, but he knew what ‘Sister’ was referring to. Surely Sister Gazleen would not give away her nickname without a valid reason, he felt.

“I think it’s real,” Zach sincerely said.

Admittedly, Dash was surprised that the blue feline seemed willing to believe her dream, therefore she regarded him with great curiosity. “Who is she? Is she really your...”

Before the question can be answered, Discord came up to them with urgency, whereupon the two got to their feet.

By the grim look on the captain’s face, Zach understood the situation immediately. “They’re already here, aren’t they?”

The captain nodded. “Come with me to the observation tower. There’s something you need to see.”

He turned to Dash. “And you Miss Dash, Sunset Shimmer is waiting for you outside. Now be on your way!”

“Dash, I’ve to go,” Zach said to her. “I appreciate you being honest with me. Be safe on your way to the shelter, will ya?”

As Zach was about to follow Discord, Dash grabbed his arm. “Zach?”

He looked back at Dash who was now more anxious than before.

“Be careful,” Dash said, the worried look on her was genuine.

Zach nodded then trotted up next to Discord.

Zach scanned the environment through the telescope. He could make out the huge assemblage of Ragingheart’s forces from across the river. Though very sizable, their numbers were actually lower than Zach had expected. Numerous Dalek Tanks have already broken away from the main formation and were heading towards the cable bridge.

“Weird,” Zach said. “It looks like they’re not attacking all at once.” But why? What are they planning?

“Even if they did, that’s still not the worst part,” Discord informed him. “Now, if please allow me…”

Zach moved out of the way as the captain pivoted the telescope to a different direction. He looked through the telescope again.

“Aw, crap!” What he saw to his dismay was hundreds of families as well as lone civilian ponies, only now starting to leave their home with their belongings. “There’re still civilians down there!”

“Look to your right,” Discord instructed him.

Zach looked at the direction indicated by the captain. A few civilian ponies were casually hanging out outside the shops, or so they seemed. Much to his surprise, they began forcing their way into the shops by breaking the doors and glass windows. These looters stayed behind on purpose to take advantage of the exodus.

“What the what!?” Zach expressed his shock. Seriously, are those ponies idiots or what?

“Yes,” Discord agreed. “Shameful!”

“What now, captain?” Zach asked.

“We shall need to ensure the safety of the evacuees,” Discord said. “Since the artilleries will be set off soon, we still have time to escort them out of the city.”

Zach looked up at the captain. “And I’ll hold off the ones that manage to get through.”

“Very well,” Discord said. “We’ll join you as soon as we can, my friend.”

With no more to waste, they made their way towards the exit.