The Shadow of Oppression

Chapters

The Funeral of King Aegis
Helping Hands
The Refugee Camp
Carousel Boutique
Prologue: The Fall of Cloudsdale

The Funeral of King Aegis

“Remember how he used to sing to us?” Princess Celestia asked, staring out the window at thousands of candles, all burning in remembrance of her father. With thousands of twinkling lights below, reflecting the stars above, it seemed as if the entire city was out, mourning its king. She looked the perfect picture of grace and serenity, her long, sky blue mane blending into her pink silken gowns, framed perfectly by the soft light of the city entering through the window.

“All those terrible little songs he used to make up...It’s a shame his funeral is meant to be a dignified affair. I’m sure his friends would’ve loved it if we could sing those same songs. Maybe you could have worked one into his eulogy.” Luna mused, laying back on Celestia’s bed, her short blue mane and layers of thick robes pooling around her as she stared at the ceiling, the wine in her belly giving color to her cheeks and dulling the pain of loss in both herself and her sister.

Celestia cringed. “Um...Oh, your glass is empty! Let me fix that.” She quickly steadied the glass with one hand, pouring the wine with the other, never taking the glass from her sister.

“Celestia...what’s wrong?” Luna asked suspiciously, sitting up and staring into her sister’s eyes.

“…I won’t be giving father’s eulogy tomorrow.” She answered hesitantly, turning her gaze back out the window. “The High King has requested to do the honors, and as his vassals..."

Eyes across the city turned up toward the castle in shock and wonder as Luna’s scream of rage echoed through the night.

“We cannot keep kowtowing to his every request!” She growled, pacing back and forth, the wine glass in her hand clutched tightly for a moment before being emptied and cast aside, shattering on the floor.

“Luna, please, don’t make a mess...” Celestia sighed, enveloping the shards of glass in her magic and reassembling them, levitating the glass to her hand, and quickly filling and emptying it. “And we have to. That’s one of the few reasons King Sombra hasn’t crushed Canterlot already. We submit to him, and we keep the sun and moon in motion...and he can toy with us.”

“He takes our land, he takes our food, he takes our wealth, he takes our ponies, he...” Luna took a deep breath, trying to steady her quivering voice and hold back the tears in her eyes.

“He took our father.” Celestia finished. “Because father had enough of groveling in submission. Believe me, Luna...If I wasn’t afraid of what would happen to you, and to all of our subjects when I died, I would gladly go down fighting against Sombra. And not for father, or for our ponies, or even for pride. I just want to feel my knuckles cracking against his jaw.” She poured herself more wine, raising it to her lips, only to have the glass disappear from her hand and reappear in her sister’s before she got a drop.

Luna emptied the glass in a single gulp. “...I would love it if you did, but...I don’t think I could live with you AND father gone...and your poor little student?”

“Yes, what would Twilight do without me around to pat her on the head? The poor thing might actually develop a stable sense of self-confidence.” Celestia gave a sad sigh. “...There’s something about her, though.” She said, staring at the wine bottle. “Something rare...I only pray Sombra doesn’t take one of us before I get the chance to see it mature.”

“Do you think she’ll be coming to the funeral?” Luna asked.

“I doubt there’s a pony in Canterlot who won’t be coming, at least to pay their respects at the gate...Even Cadance is coming, though Heavens know she's got far more to be mourning than any of us...” Silence fell over the room for several minutes before Luna spoke again, slurring a bit as she fell deeper under the wine's spell.

“I don’t want Sombra there.”

“I know. But Canterlot serves the Crystal Empire. There’s not much we can do.”

“We could try to assassinate him?” Luna half-joked.

“...Dear sister, I do believe you’re drunk.” Celestia scolded with a hypocritical slur.

“I lost my father. I’m allowed.”

“Hear, hear!” Celestia replied, raising the wine bottle. “To father! May he always give us an excuse to drink!”

“To father!” Luna replied, raising her glass. The unicorns drank long into the night to remember their father, and to forget the reality of King Sombra’s power over them.

The next afternoon, Twilight Sparkle, student of Princess Celestia, examined herself in her mirror, a long black dress covering her body. What she saw was, in her mind, a perfectly plain mare, and that was fine. Her mane was straight and orderly, though perhaps a bit flashy with the dark blue mass broken by two streaks of pink. She wasn't especially tall, and, while she was admittedly out of shape, she wasn't really overweight, either. She just saw herself as ordinary, whenever she took the time to consider such things, and that was all she needed to be. Trying to look all fancy seemed frivolous, after all. But today she wished she knew how to put in a little extra effort, out of respect for the king if nothing else.

She sighed, straightening out the skirt a little, before turning her body to check the back. She closed her eyes and took a long, deep breath to try and keep herself calm. A gentle, scaly hand squeezed her own, and she looked down to see her baby dragon staring up at her with a morose expression, wearing a tiny suit. She might have complimented him on how dapper he looked, but she just didn’t have it in her. All of Canterlot was reeling, and Twilight was no different.

“Come on, Spike...” She said quietly, holding his hand as she left her quarters, walking out into the palace hallways. Was it always this quiet? As she passed by a window, she happened to glance out, and paused, seeing a massive crowd outside the palace gates, hundreds of ponies bringing small tokens of condolence to leave on the steps of the palace. She sighed, turning away. It was a touching sight, all of those ponies gathered together, but she and Spike had a funeral to get to.

The pair followed a steady stream of ponies deep into long forgotten, unused parts of the palace. Down flight after flight of stairs, they journeyed into the empty underbelly, to the point where the palace ended and the caves beneath it began, reaching the tombs of past Canterlot royalty, and finally coming upon the chamber built for King Aegis. The tomb was well lit for the interment, and filled with ponies from local and foreign nobility, come to pay their respects. The walls were covered with spectacular murals depicting his life and his feats. It was hard to believe all of this work had been finished within a week and a half, starting when the first panicked pegasus flew to the city, saying Cloudsdale was gone and the king of Canterlot had died. After examining the murals with Spike for a moment, she turned toward the gathering bereaved and made her way through the crowd to stand by Celestia’s side.

The princess, flanked by her student and her sister, did not say a word. But when Twilight gave her condolences, a small, sad smile made its way onto her face. Or perhaps she forced herself to smile? She reached up, placing a hand on Twilight’s shoulder, and gave it a gentle squeeze. Luna did not smile, but voiced her appreciation just the same.

Spike awkwardly fidgeted in his suit, tugging at his tie, unappreciative of how tightly it hugged his neck.

The tomb suddenly fell suitably silent as an eerie cold flowed in from the entrance. The crowd parted, creating a path from the door straight to the princesses. Looking at the entrance, Twilight felt a sharp chill run down her spine as she saw King Sombra. She’d never seen him in person before. His eyes were like glowing rubies. A wild, unkempt black mane was held back from his smoky face by a silver crown. His horn, like the fang of a dragon, curved to a deadly point, and was the color of hot iron cooling in a blacksmith's forge. Who knew a unicorn could be so tall? Who knew that a pony could be so terrifying? It was almost like he was sucking away all the light in the room. And what was this feeling, all over her skin? It was like every last inch of her fur was charged with static. Was this his magic, radiating into the room? Was he, was any pony really that powerful? She had assumed the stories of the High King ruling for a thousand years were just an old nag’s tale, that it was just the deification of a dynasty, calling each son Sombra. That guess seemed as good as any other, given the limited amount of knowledge that anypony could find about him and his kingdom, sequestered off in the frozen north. But now, seeing him for the first time, feeling his power flow across her skin...It seemed impossible that he’d even exist in the first place. Why couldn't he be a thousand years old? Whatever he was, why shouldn't it be called a god?

When Sombra reached the princesses, Spike bowed his head, used to doing the same in the presence of the king he had once been acquainted with. Twilight quickly curtsied, but tripped on her hooves. As she flailed, attempting to steady herself, Sombra caught her hand in his own and helped her regain her balance.

She nearly screamed. She held it back, but she wanted to cry out in pain. He was so cold. Unbearably cold. Her whole arm felt numb as she sputtered through an awkward mix of gratitude and apology. She tried to look down at the floor, but she couldn’t seem to pull her gaze away from his horrible red eyes.

“Princess Celestia. Princess Luna.” His voice was thick, deep, and captivating, and Twilight found herself stuck in it like quicksand. She prayed he wouldn’t say anything else. “I’m sorry for your loss. King Aegis was a good ruler.”

“Thank you,” Celestia replied tersely, saying nothing more, holding back her anger. Luna, on the other hand, silently seethed, the rage visible on her face.

Once again, Twilight’s attention was turned back to the entrance as King Aegis’ coffin was brought into the room, carried by his personal guard, who would see him safely to his final resting place. Among them was Twilight’s own brother, Shining Armor. She wondered what position he’d be given now that the king was dead. Would he be assigned to one of the princesses? Her attention turned to the coffin as it was placed on a pedestal in the center of the tomb. She hadn’t known Aegis well, but she'd often see him around the castle, and he had always been so friendly. Even when she pestered him with questions as a small child under his daughter’s tutelage, he had been so amiable and accommodating. It was hard to imagine what life in the palace would be like without him present.

The guards stepped back, bowing to the coffin, before dispersing into the crowd. She raised an eyebrow as Shining Armor approached a familiar pink pegasus that she couldn’t quite place. He put a hand on her shoulder, said some things she couldn’t quite make out, and they shared a long embrace before he moved behind her, staring at the coffin. Twilight would have to interrogate him about this later.

King Sombra moved over to the coffin, taking a glance around the room. Some ponies were quietly sobbing into handkerchiefs, others were furiously wiping their tears away, and still others stared at him quietly, with a solemn grace. He placed his hands over the head of the coffin, staring at it for a moment, before looking up at the crowd.

“We are gathered here today in remembrance of a great ruler. Now, I'm sure you know, I'm no great orator...but I did know Aegis. I knew him his entire life. He was a powerful and merciful king, who protected his domain at all costs from threats within and without. His desire to protect ponies was ultimately his downfall, but it is also why he will always be remembered. Look around you. His victories, his glory, laid out on these walls for all time. He will be dearly missed, by his friends, his loved ones, and his daughters. And though it is with a heavy heart that I say goodbye to my old friend, I am certain that Celestia will take to the throne magnificently. So, while we mourn the passing of a king, let us remember that soon we will have a mighty queen ruling this nation. As we shed tears over the loss of Aegis, let us celebrate the dawning of the age of Celestia!”

There was a round of polite applause as he ended his speech. Ponies took their time mourning their king, then left him in peace, slowly trickling out of the tomb. Celestia and Luna were among the last remaining, and Twilight stayed by her teacher’s side the entire time. She cringed as she saw Sombra once again approach the princesses. Spike moved behind her, clearly sharing her unease.

“I suppose you two will be looking for husbands.” He said, a small grin on his face, like he knew he’d just gotten away with something. “After all, the line of succession must continue.”

Celestia gritted her teeth and took a long, slow breath. “Actually, we’re not in any hurry. Even if we should happen to pass, our cousins, heavens rest their souls, did leave heirs of their own. Four ponies in the line of succession seem plenty to me, for the time being.”

Twilight shifted uncomfortably as their conversation continued. Sombra seemed like he was trying to goad Celestia into something, and the princess was so...tense. Her fists were tightly clenched, and her eyes were narrowed, with tears building in the corners. If Twilight didn’t know better, she’d think the princess was about to haul off and deck him in the schnoz.

Spike tried to distract himself from all of this, looking at the murals on the walls, studying the pony who once held him years ago, when he got lost in the palace, separated from Twilight. The king sang him a funny song about stinky little dragon toes to make him stop crying. It was hard to believe this was the same pony, fighting monsters, leading armies...he always seemed so gentle. Spike never considered him a warrior. Then again, he never considered Shining Armor one either.

“When will your coronation take place?” Sombra asked.

“In two weeks,” Celestia replied. “Time enough to grieve, but not so long that the citizens begin to feel the instability that comes with the lack of a ruler.”

“Soon enough that I can simply stay in Canterlot until the proceedings.” Sombra smiled. Luna and Celestia both winced at this announcement.

“It will be an honor to have you attend. Please, let us know if there is anything we can do to make your stay more pleasant, your highness.” She gave him a polite bow, and, apparently content that he had needled her enough, Sombra took his leave.

Twilight let out a long sigh. “Wow.”

Celestia and Luna looked over at the younger mare. “That was your first time meeting the High King, wasn’t it?” Asked the elder princess.

Twilight nodded dumbly. “I always thought it was just a bunch of old mare’s tales...how he could fight armies on his own...how he conquered the entire continent...how he was over a thousand years old.”

“All true, unfortunately. At least he lets us hate him, so long as we don’t act on it.” Luna mused, walking forward quietly and resting a hand on her father’s coffin. "I understand the ponies in the Crystal Empire don't have that freedom."

“...Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, if there’s anything either of us can do...” Twilight trailed off helplessly, staring at Luna’s hand.

“Thank you, Twilight. We’ll certainly let you know.” Celestia said with a gentle smile.

All at once, the quiet dignity of the tomb was torn asunder by the growling of a dragon’s stomach. All eyes turned to Spike, who simply shrugged.

“What? We skipped lunch to get here on time.”

Twilight blushed, embarrassed by the attention Spike was drawing from the few remaining ponies. “Well, I guess I’d better go get him something to eat. Come on, Spike.” She took his hand and made her way to the door.

“What’s that smell, hittin’ my nose, it’s stinky little dragon toes...” Spike sang under his breath. Luna cracked a smile as she heard it, tears quickly building in her eyes.

Twilight lead Spike to a banquet hall filled with buffet tables set up for those who had come to pay their respects. Not feeling particularly hungry, the unicorn grabbed a few pieces of fruit for herself, while her dragon companion piled whatever he could reach onto a plate. They sat at a table, quietly eating as a low murmur of constant conversation ran through the room.

"So, what're we doing tomorrow?" Spike asked, mouth filled with cobbler. Twilight shot him a glare, but he didn't seem to notice. Sighing, she decided to answer the question.

"I've got to go out and do some shopping. Celestia wants me to attend her coronation. I mean, I'd come even if she didn't want me to, but...I don't really have anything formal enough. Except this dress," she said, looking down at it, tugging at the black fabric, "and it's hardly fitting a celebration like that...Still, I have been wanting to work on that stamina potion recipe...The dress can wait a few days."

"Uh....I have a question." Spike said, wiping some crumbs off his face with a claw, and then immediately placing them into his mouth.

"Is it a question about table manners?" She asked, her voice heavy with sarcasm.

"No, it's about formal wear. For the coronation."

Twilight rolled her eyes. "Yes, Spike. You'll have to wear your suit again." Spike groaned in annoyance. "Look, if it bothers you that much, you can take the tie off. The funeral's over, you don't need to be dressed up anymore today."

Spike quickly removed his tie and tossed it onto the table.

"I don't get why you hate the suit so much. You look really handsome in it," She complimented, smiling at him.

"It's uncomfortable. Who would want to look good, even if they couldn't be comfortable?" Twilight chuckled.

"I couldn't imagine, Spike."

Author's Note

So, this is it. My new story. I hope you like the prologue, and I hope you like the first chapter. I don't know what the generally accepted fanon name for celestia and luna's father is, but hey, it's an AU, he can have a different name here.

A word of warning, I don't really know much about the extended universe. From what I understand, there's some story lines about sombra that flesh him out more, but I haven't read the comics. I'm interested, I haven't gotten around to it, but, on the same point as the parent of celestia and luna, it's an AU, things are different here.

I've done a lot of editing and clean up work over the last few days on the prologue and first chapter, but I AM considering a mutually beneficial relationship with a friend that will lead to me having an editor. if I happen to do that, I'll probably end up revisiting these first two uploads. EDIT: I have already begun revisiting these just because I realized some things I needed to spruce up.

So, yeah...I'm currently working on several other chapters at once, because I kept starting one, and then realizing I needed to move it for the pacing, but I've finally got that hammered out, and it shouldn't be too long until the second proper chapter.

Helping Hands

Author's Note

So, if you already read the first chapter and prologue and you're coming back to this, you might want to reread those two. I've done a bit of editing and overhauling since they were first published. nothing in the story has changed, but...it is different. yeah.

Helping Hands

Applejack hummed contentedly as she pulled a heavy apple cart, a rough rope tied to a harness around her shoulders. Her lot in life wasn't particularly glamorous, no Earth Pony's was under Sombra, but she enjoyed it, all the same, especially the sense of routine it brought. Two weeks of the same old chores on the farm, and every third week she'd take a shipment of crops into the city. She'd spend a few days making deliveries, sell what's left at the market, and then head home to the farm and start the cycle over. She was nearly to the city now. She'd see the guards waiting at the entrance, ask Cold Steel how the husband and colt were doing while they check her entry permit, same as always. She'd work her way into town with her deliveries, and finish up her first day at the same old tavern, getting (hopefully) the same old room for a few nights while she was in town.

She was a bit taller than the average mare, but only slightly, and her relaxed posture tended to let other ponies forget that fact. Her body was covered with hard-earned muscles from a lifetime of physical labor. She adjusted the stetson on her head, her only protection from the merciless sun. There didn't seem to be a cloud in the sky today (in fact, there hadn't been one in a few days). She undid the first few buttons of her simple white shirt and rolled her sleeves up to her shoulders, hoping to cool down at least a little as she pulled the cart to the city. She pulled a simple, plain white handkerchief out of her back pocket and wiped the sweat off of her freckled cheeks, and away from her emerald green eyes as she crested a hill, finally making visual contact with the gates of Canterlot. She froze. This was not a sight she was accustomed to. Tents and pegasi were littering the ground outside the city. Some children huddling together for comfort, some crying. Some adults weeping, others just staring off into nothing, like they'd lost track of the world and couldn't find it again. She watched all of them as she made her way to the gate, feeling a horrible twisting in her gut. What had happened to these poor ponies? She continued to pull her cart through this makeshift encampment, all the way up to the gate. She noted guards wandering among them, distributing food and clothing.

"H-hey, Cold Steel, what's goin' on here?" She asked the guard when she'd finally made it to the gate, staring back over her shoulder as she held out her papers.

"You hadn't heard?" She asked, taking the papers and making the checks. It was all a formality. She knew Applejack could enter the city whenever she wanted. Still, Applejack insisted on following the rules and showing her papers every single time. "Cloudsdale's gone. So is King Aegis. And all these pegasi are looking for a place to live. Heck, even their princess is sleeping here to stay with her ponies."

"Do y'reckon Canterlot's got enough room for all a them?" She kept staring, the little voice in the back of her head questioning how they'd farm without weather control going ignored.

"We're making room." She handed the papers back. "Any empty home we can find is going to have as many pegasi as we can fit under its roof. But most of the space we've got is down in the burrows, and some of those shacks need a lot of work before they're fit for anypony to live in."

Applejack nodded, accepting her papers and sliding them into her pocket. She didn't ask Cold Steel about her family. She didn't enter the city. She just stared for a while. Then, she made a decision. She went to her cart and started pulling out a few bushels of apples.

"We've got enough grain to keep them fed for now, Applejack." Cold Steel let her know, but the farmer kept unloading.

"Grain'll keep ya movin', but an apple'll keep ya smilin', Granny always said." She looked at the bushels she'd set on the ground. "I wish I could spare more, but the rest of this already has owners..."

"Alright, alright. Just get going. I'll distribute the apples." Cold Steel said with a sigh. Applejack thanked her for her help and went on into the city. She stopped by stores, bakeries, and restaurants, dropping off load after load of crops. The whole time, the thought of those displaced pegasi kept nagging at her. She'd already given them so many apples, and that would cut pretty deep into her profits from this trip into town. The family would survive, of course. They weren't wealthy, but they had enough to go around, and enough saved up to hopefully make it through whatever drought they might encounter without Cloudsdale controlling the weather.

She finally reached the last of her deliveries for the first day. She tied her cart to a post outside to keep it from rolling away, covered the top of it and trusted the presence of guards to keep it safe as she brought a crate of assorted crops in through the front door.

When she got inside, she saw the familiar sight of the barmaid, Pinkie Pie, dancing on one of the tables, kicking up the edges of her long brown skirt as she treated the patrons to a song. Her white blouse hung down off of her left shoulder, apparently shaken loose by all of her dancing. The ale and food at The Frothy Flagon were alright, but the entertainment and service were what kept so many ponies coming back. It probably didn't hurt that she was easy on the eyes, either. Sure, her mane and tail were a mess of frizzy curls, and maybe she was just a teensy bit on the chubby side, but when she smiled, it lit up the whole room. When she looked at a customer with those wide blue eyes, they'd feel like something missing in their life had finally come back to them, like their heart was whole.

"One bit here, two bits there," Pinkie sang happily, accompanied by the rhythmic clapping of her customers, "Earn enough bits to please your mare! Her eyes do sparkle, her mane does shine--"

"And she's got a thick behind!" Called out one of the more inebriated customers. Pinkie immediately turned toward him, holding her skirt in both hands as she continued dancing to keep from tripping on the edges of the garment.

"I like the way you think, Starry Knight!" She called to the drunk before resuming her song. "She'll hug you once, she'll kiss you twice, she'll steam some peppers over rice! Your mare is faithful, your mare is kind," She paused, leaning forward in an exaggerated pose, one hand to her ear, and the other hand landing on her rump with a light smack.

The whole tavern called out in unison, "And she's got a thick behind!"

Pinkie laughed furiously as she bowed to the tavern, cheers and applause filling the room as a few bits flew up onto the table she'd been dancing on. "Oh, hey! Free money!" She scooped it up happily. "Thank you, everypony! Now, who needs a refill?" She swept around the room with incredible agility and grace as she gathered up empty tankards, taking them back to the bartender. As she waited for new mugs, Applejack walked up and rested a crate of produce on the counter.

"Hi, Applejack!" She gave the farmer an affectionate hug, causing a few of the drunks to whoop in approval.

Applejack rolled her eyes and returned the hug, giving her friend a pat on the back. "Hey, Pinkie. How's business?"

"Super busy!" She giggled, pulling out of the hug and grabbing some filled tankards off the counter, running them back out to the tables.

Applejack took care of business with the bartender, trading crops for bits, renting a room, and buying dinner. She sat down at a table and dug in, quietly remembering the pegasi she'd seen that morning.

"So, Applejack," Pinkie began, startling the farmer from behind. "Can I get you an ale?"

Applejack smirked. "No thanks, Pinkie. You know I do all my drinkin' in cider season."

"Boo," Pinkie replied, still smiling despite the rejection, "Sober Applejack never dances on tables with me!"

The farmer rolled her eyes, her cheeks reddening slightly at the embarrassing memory. "That's cuz sober Applejack knows none of these tables are strong enough to hold two dancin' ponies."

"Pinkie, you can talk to your friend when you're off!" Called the bartender. "We got hungry ponies to feed."

"Right! Back to work!" Pinkie called cheerfully, patting applejack on the back before leaving her to her meal.

"Hungry ponies to feed..." Applejack mumbled, staring down at her plate. She wasn't feeling quite so hungry herself anymore. She left some bits on the table and went to her room. She changed for bed, blew out her candle, laid down, and stared at the ceiling, hands under her head.

She thought for hours about the pegasi, their displacement, their wrecked lives, and she kept coming back to the same conclusion.

"I gotta do somethin' to help..." She whispered.

"Help with what?" Pinkie asked.

After a lot of shouting and falling out of bed, Pinkie lit a candle and leaned over Applejack.

"What're you doin' in here? When'd you get in my bed?"

"I got worried," Pinkie replied earnestly. "You didn't finish your food! You always finish your food! Sometimes you even get seconds and finish all of that! And the boss said I could talk to you when I was off work, and I'm off work now, so I came to check on you!"

Applejack got up, dusted herself off, and sighed. "Pinkie...That's mighty kind of ya, but I need my sleep."

"Okay!" Pinkie blew out the candle, and Applejack sighed again, rolling her eyes.

"Yer still in my bed, aintcha?" She asked the darkness.

"Yeah, I could use some sleep too." The darkness replied cheerfully.

Applejack gave up and climbed back into the bed. Bold as she was, it wasn't like Pinkie would try anything. Heck, it might be kind of cozy, sharing the bed with somepony else.

"Applejack?"

She let out a long breath through her nose, staring at the ceiling. "...Yep?"

"Help with what?" Pinkie finally repeated.

"You heard about Cloudsdale?"

"Oh..." All the joy was gone from Pinkie's voice.

"Yep, there's a whole passel a' pegasi outside the city with nowhere to stay." She closed her eyes, thinking back to the apples she'd given away. "I won't be needin' to go to the market this visit, so I figure...I could help patch up some houses down in the burrows. Guard said they're tryin' to fit 'em all in there, but most of the homes down in the burrows are busted up...I'm pretty good with a hammer, figure I could help."

Pinkie sighed, resting her head on Applejack's shoulder in the darkness. "I wish I could help, but the only thing I'm good at doing with hammers is juggling them."

Applejack rolled her eyes at the unsolicited physical contact but didn't disturb the barmaid. "Well...They got foals out there, in the camp...I'm sure they could use a little somethin' to smile about."

"Oooooh, good idea! Do you have any extra hammers I can juggle?"

"Uh, maybe just sing some songs and play some games with 'em? And, uh, leave the thick behinds out of the songs."

Pinkie snored softly, and Applejack prayed that she'd take her advice, lest a lot of ponies get concussed any time something sufficiently distracting happened. Applejack ran her fingers through her blonde mane and sighed softly. She hadn't brought her tools to town, but she was sure she'd be able to borrow some. She had to do whatever she could. There were ponies in need, and she would help. But somewhere deep inside, she worried that she couldn't do enough.

The Refugee Camp

Rainbow Dash smiled. She couldn't remember the last time that happened. She laughed! It felt like she had to be dreaming. She didn't know who this mare was, but she was incredible.

It hadn't even been two weeks since Cloudsdale. Their whole lives had been stolen away from them. Families were lost, homes were gone forever, all of them were left with nothing, but many of the pegasi had begun to learn to cope. Instead of dwelling on what they lost, they had begun to look forward to starting new lives in Canterlot. Everything had been stolen away, but they found solace in the fact that Princess Celestia was guaranteeing them a future. Sure, there were some ponies who were having a harder time dealing with everything they'd been through, and that was fine. Everypony deals with grief differently, and no two of them lost the same things that day.

Rainbow herself had thought she would hold on to the bitterness in her heart until the day that either she or Sombra bit the dust. But here was some pink earth pony, giving the foals piggy back rides, telling goofy jokes, singing songs...Somepony cared. She cared enough to come out of the city, to take time away from the life she still had and spend time helping. She wasn't getting paid, like the guards. She was just trying to help them cheer up.

Rainbow swore at herself under her breath as she furiously wiped tears away with her forearm. How sappy could she get, crying just because somepony cared? She took a deep breath, reaching up and pushing some of her ragged rainbow mane out of her face as she looked up at the sky.

She felt a gentle tug on her free arm and looked over to see a butter-yellow pegasus with a long pink mane. "Hey. Fluttershy, right?" She was answered with a silent nod. "What's up?"

"Uhm, it's time to..." She trailed off, ducking her head into her mane as she lifted a bucket and sponge.

"Right, right...can't let it get infected again." She sighed and lifted her leg, resting her wounded ankle on a log and letting Fluttershy remove the dressings. Rainbow quietly watched her work, looking her over. She was a timid little thing, shorter than most, and on the thin side, but she was pretty nice.

She'd been wearing a tattered green dress this whole time, but every day that Rainbow saw it, it had been freshly washed and had another patch sewn over another hole. Rainbow almost wished she could've salvaged her own clothes as she looked down at her donated outfit. A loose tank top and a baggy pair of pants, wrapped with strips of cloth to close it up at the waist and just above the ankles, hung from her lean, toned frame. The guard stallion who gave them to her called them his 'lazy day' clothes.

After the severe injuries were taken care of, the doctors from Canterlot had all gone back into the city. Rainbow didn't hold it against them. After all, there were probably plenty of ponies getting sick and hurt every day in a city this big. Unfortunately, this left them with few caretakers, and this shy mare had practically been drafted because of her experience tending to injured birds and pets back in Cloudsdale.

Rainbow hissed as the sponge dabbing against her ankle hit just the wrong spot. Fluttershy jerked back, sputtering apologies. "It's fine," Rainbow told her, "it's practically healed, it's just tender." She'd gotten a nasty gash, falling out of the sky, and she hadn't done herself any favors insisting on marching all the way to Canterlot. Thankfully, the actual doctors were able to take care of the infection she had forced herself to ignore, and now Fluttershy just had to help keep it clean, and Rainbow had to stay off of it.

Her leg was cleaned, new bandages were applied, and she resumed watching the pink earth pony play with the foals. Then she noticed somepony she didn't expect. "Scootaloo?" She raised an eyebrow in disbelief. The little orange filly was riding around on the earth mare's back, laughing. She hadn't said a word since they lost their homes, but now she was squealing with joy. For a moment, she wasn't worried or upset. She was just a child.

Rainbow felt a swelling in her chest, and she knew she had to say something. Propping herself up with the help of her crutch, she limped over to the strange mare.

"Hi, Dash!" Scootaloo called, waving from the mare's back.

"Hi, Dash!" Repeated the strange mare. "Do you wanna go next?" She asked, setting Scootaloo on the ground.

"Go next?" She mouthed, confused. The offer was clarified as the stranger walked over, turned around, and hefted Rainbow Dash up onto her back. Rainbow started to protest, but she realized that all the foals had gathered around the two mares, and were cheering. Sure, they were probably cheering for the earth pony, but it still felt good to be at the center of all this reverie.

"So, uh-woah!" Rainbow clung tightly as the mare started taking long, lunging strides. "What's your name?" She asked. Once she got used to the motion, a piggy back ride wasn't so bad. It was almost like flying.

"I'm Pinkie Pie!" She giggled, hopping over a large rock. This mare was deceptively strong. The small crowd of children pursued them.

"I'm Rainbow Dash." She squeezed herself tightly to Pinkie for a moment, feeling herself starting to slip off. "I wanted to, uh, thank you. For coming out here and playing with the foals."

Pinkie got strangely quiet for a moment, even as she ran around in circles, a grown mare on her back, before answering. "No problem. I know things are hard for you guys, and I just want to do whatever I can to help you all be able to smile again."

"That...That means a lot to me. I think it means a lot to all of--OOF!" Rainbow lurched as Pinkie came to a sudden halt. "Uh...Pinkie?"

"...RUN AWAY! EVERYPONY HIDE!" She screamed, turning and rushing into a tent with Rainbow still on her back. The pegasus climbed off of her, confused, and Pinkie sank to the floor, pulling her knees up to her chest and covering her head with her hands. Every last foal that had been playing with her followed her in, clinging to the trembling mare for safety and comfort.

Rainbow, reasonably confused, peered out from the tent, eyes widening with shock and anger at what she found. Five ponies clad in black, spiked armor, their faces entirely concealed, their minds gone, their eyes glowing green through the slits in helmets adorned with red crests. The last pony of the group pulled a large cart with a cage on it, made up of black iron bars.

The black masks. Members of Sombra's personal army of mind controlled slaves. There were only five of them marching through the camp, into Canterlot, but it didn't matter. Rainbow knew that a pony caught by a black mask would be taken away, and never be seen again. That was one of Sombra's laws. All the cities he ruled had to allow him to take what he wanted of their population. Nopony was sure why. Some thought it was a way of showing how much control he had over the ponies that he ruled. Others thought he was draining the life out of them, keeping himself young (after all, how does a unicorn emperor live for over a thousand years?). Still others thought that the ponies he captured were turned into black masks themselves, a perpetual cycle continually adding to the ranks of his seemingly endless army.

Rainbow did not care about these theories. She only knew two things for certain in this moment: Pegasi were in danger, and the black masks would never be fast enough to catch her. Her wings burst open as she saw one of them approaching Fluttershy. The mare had fallen to the ground, hiding her face and trembling in fear. Rainbow exploded out of the tent, ready for combat, but as she swept high into the air, preparing to dive at her target, she saw somepony else. She halted, hovering, and listening as this hooded mare stared dauntlessly into the mask.

"Your duty," She said to the armored slave, "Is to gather citizens the cities ruled by King Sombra, yes?" She asked, her voice shaking and spiteful. "None of these ponies are citizens of any city. Our city is gone. Don't you dare try to take more from us...not yet..."

Rainbow stared in awe as this actually worked. She flew down and landed next to the strange mare, hissing as her hoof hit the ground and reminded her that she was supposed to have a crutch. "That was amazing! What exactly did you do!?"

"They follow orders," the mare replied, watching them enter the city with sadness in her voice. Nopony from Cloudsdale would be taken, but Canterlot would not be so lucky. "There's enough mind and reason in them for them to believe that we aren't what they're looking for, that taking one of us would be disobeying orders." She turned to face Rainbow, a sad smile on her face.

"Princess Cadenza!" She dropped to her knee. Fluttershy gasped as she heard the name, and peeked out from behind her trembling hands. Why was she here? Why had she risked her life to save Fluttershy's? Why was she wearing a dress made of plain brown sackcloth?

"Ha!" She rolled her eyes, looking annoyed and angry. "Cloudsdale is gone." She got down on a knee herself, putting a hand on Rainbow's shoulder. "I may still be in line for Canterlot's throne, but I'm scarcely princess of anything anymore, Rainbow Dash."

"You know my name?" Rainbow dared to glance up and look her in the eye, finding her gaze softening and her smile becoming much more genuine.

"I may have been here in Canterlot on royal business when it happened, but I still heard about Cloudsdale. I heard about how you gathered everypony together. How you lead them here. You saved them." She pulled Rainbow forward into a tight embrace, tears spilling out of her eyes. "Thank you so much," Cadenza whispered. As they knelt together on the ground, ponies began emerging from tents, the black masks having all made their way through the city gates. When they'd come back out, they'd already have their captives, and would not be interested in anypony else.

"PRINCESS HUG!" Came a high voice, as two pink arms shot out, pinning Cadenza and Dash together.

"Oh my...Who might you be?" Cadenza asked, her cheek forcefully pressed against Rainbow's.

"That's Pinkie Pie. She came out to try and cheer up the foals," Rainbow informed her. The two pegasi each fell backward when they were finally released from the earth mare's grasp.

"If you're a princess, why are you wearing this?" Pinkie asked, tugging at Cadenza's sleeve with an air of curiosity.

Cadenza began to restate that she didn't feel she should have the title anymore, but thought better of it. "If you must know, I sold nearly everything I brought to Canterlot with me. All these ponies are starting new lives with nothing. The least I can do is try and get each of them a few bits, though I fear it's spread far too thin."

"Awww! That's soooo nice of you!" Pinkie told her with a wide smile, giving Cadenza another hug.

"Is she always this huggy?" Cadenza asked Rainbow, as the latter got up and limped her way around the former.

"Heck if I know, I only just met her." Dash knelt beside the still-trembling Fluttershy. "Hey, it's gonna be ok, Shy. Can I call you Shy?" She asked, gently resting a hand on her shoulder.

"Yes, I am!" Pinkie informed the princess, tightening her hug for illustration.

Fluttershy slowly looked up into Rainbow's eyes before swiftly and wordlessly wrapping her arms tightly around Rainbow's torso, crying softly into her tank top. Rainbow awkwardly patted her on the back of the head. "Uh, yeah...okay...let it out," She mumbled.

"Hey, when are you guys moving into the city? My friend Applejack is helping fix up some old houses for you guys!" Pinkie announced loudly.

"...Right in my ear..." Mumbled Cadenza, still firmly stuck in an unwanted embrace. "It shouldn't be but a few more days from the reports I've received. Tell your friend Applejack that she has my thanks for all of her hard work."

"Oki-Doki-Loki!" Pinkie paused, releasing Cadenza from her embrace, and looking up at the sun's position in the sky. "Aw, that late already?" She turned to her new friends. "I gotta go to work now. Come see me at The Frothy Flagon sometime!" She began to head toward the city's gate.

"WAIT!" Rainbow cried. "Shouldn't you wait till the black masks leave?"

"Oh, that's no problem," Pinkie said, showing the gate guard her papers to prove her citizenship, taking the papers back and pulling a grappling hook and rope out from under her skirt. "I'll stick to the rooftops. They'll never catch me." She threw the hook over the edge of the city wall and quickly climbed the rope, much to the sputtering guard's dismay.

As much as they disapproved of her method of entry, the guards couldn't blame her and had no reason to stop her. She was allowed in the city, just like the pegasi soon would be, and nopony wanted to risk running into the black masks.

The three mares she left behind stared, eyes wide. "Was that in her skirt the whole time?" Fluttershy asked as she reached up to wipe her tear-streaked cheeks.

"I should wear skirts more often," Rainbow Dash commented. The other two giggled softly in response to that sentiment. "What's so funny?" Rainbow demanded.

"The hero of my ponies," Cadenza replied with a smirk.

Hours later, in the quiet of the night, a single unicorn entered the tomb of King Aegis. The stallion walked along the walls, examining the murals with great interest. "Aegis, son of Aether. The mighty warrior king," He began. "He protected not only his lands, but any who called for aid, pony or otherwise. He offered strangers the chance to come and live in his kingdom with open arms." He paused for a moment, before disgust crept into his voice. "He believed that all beings were the equal of ponies, and that all ponies were the equal of unicorns. In his dying act, he granted a home to the pegasi, before dying. A warrior who preached equality..." His horn glowed as a new image began to form at the end of the mural. "Struck down doing battle against the horrible tyrant who oppressed all the beings he cared for." He smirked. "What a wonderful story. I'm sure parents will tell it to their foals for generations."

Rainbow laid on her bedroll, clutching tightly to her blanket, eyes clenched shut and ears flat against her head. When something bothers you your whole life, you learn to tune it out. Still, she hadn't had this much trouble tuning out the desperate pleas of ponies captured by the black masks since she was a child.

"I HAVE A FAMILY! SOMEPONY, ANYPONY, HELP ME!"

"MAMA! MAMAAAA!"

She knew there was nothing she could do. Back in Cloudsdale, if she had assaulted the black masks, the high king would come. He'd come personally to oversee her public execution. There was nothing she could do. The words repeated over and over in her mind. She had to stay alive. She could do more good alive.

The screams faded away as the black masks put distance between themselves and the pegasus encampment. Rainbow would not fall asleep tonight.

Author's Note

starting to think I should put a dark tag on this...

Carousel Boutique

Twilight and Spike wandered through the streets of Canterlot. Everypony they saw had a black armband on their shoulder. It still barely felt real. He was the king. Canterlot was his city. What would they be without him? Of course, she knew Celestia would be a great ruler, but deep down that just gave her more to worry about. Would Celestia still have time to teach her once she was queen? Would Twilight be able to continue her studies at all? Would she still be allowed to live in the palace, or would she suddenly find herself moving back in with her parents, lost, confused, and with no direction in life after the path she'd chosen had been pulled out from under her hooves? For now, though, she had bigger, more immediate concerns.

"Unbelievable. Not one, not one apothecary, herbalist, or chemist in all of Canterlot has powdered shimmerstone?" She buried her face in her palms. "The one ingredient I'm missing for my improved stamina potion..."

"Supposedly improved," Spike corrected. "You still haven't been able to test it. Anyway, since we're still out, and you need a dress for Celestia's coronation..." Spike trailed off, grinning.

"Ugh. Clothes shopping." Twilight slumped as she walked. "Fine. Keep a look out for some kind of...dress...shop." She said, trudging along beside the perky little dragon.

"Fancy dresses, fancy dresses..." Spike looked up and down the street. "How about that place?" He pointed across the street at a store with scantily clad mannequins posing in the window.

"Spike, that's a lingerie shop," Twilight informed him flatly.

"...What's lingerie?" His big, innocent eyes stared up at her, and she felt herself blushing.

"It's...Underwear and pajamas. For mares. When they want...fancy underwear." She explained, avoiding eye contact, nervously fiddling with her hands.

"Huh. Weird."

There were times when Twilight had to remind herself that Spike was just a baby dragon. Those times were becoming more frequent than she cared to admit. Their search continued, until they finally found what they were looking for.

"Oh, here we go. 'The Carousel Boutique.' This place should have a nice dress or two." Twilight pulled the door open, holding it for Spike and following him inside. A unicorn mare in all black greeted them, a veil over her face and gloves on her hands.

"Welcome to the Carousel Boutique, where every garment is chic, unique, and magnifique. I am Rarity, the owner of this establishment. How may I help you this afternoon?"

Twilight nearly asked her about the outfit, then realized it was probably for King Aegis. But she was dressed like a grieving widow. Why wasn't she just wearing an armband like everypony else? She wasn't his widow, Twilight was sure of that much. The queen had died shortly after Luna's birth, after all. Deep in the back of Twilight's mind, she began to wonder if the king didn't have a secret love life. If he did, Twilight certainly wouldn't be surprised if this mare was a former partner of his. She was the epitome of unicorn elegance, a long, slender neck accentuated by an ornate necklace covered in sapphires, a thin waist, understated curves, long legs, curled mane and tail... Twilight realized she was staring, and the mare seemed a little uncomfortable under her scrutiny. 'Great, now she thinks I'm a pervert,' thought Twilight.

"Well, um..." Twilight awkwardly rubbed the back of her neck. "I need a new dress. A gown. A formal one. Very formal. 'Attending a coronation' formal."

Rarity gasped and quickly curtsied with all of her might. "I had no idea you were a member of the nobility! That isn't to say you don't present yourself as such, just--"

"Woah, woah, wait, um, I'm not a noble, I just study magic under Princess Celestia." Twilight watched as Rarity's eyes widened behind the veil.

"You know the princess personally? And, I assume, you see her every day?" She asked, moving uncomfortably close to twilight.

"Well, most days, yeah..." Twilight took a cautious step back.

"ON THE HOUSE!" Rarity shouted.

Twilight stared, baffled. "What are you--"

"Your gown is on the house. I insist. It's the least I can do." Rarity told her, grabbing both of Twilight's hands and staring into her eyes.

This pony was trying to use her. That's what her instincts said. It wasn't the first time somepony tried to get closer to Celestia by being nice to Twilight. "I'm not sure if I'm comfortable with that. I'd really prefer to pay." She told her, trying to shut this down without making some huge confrontation.

"Then at least accept a large discount. Nopony's purse is bottomless, and I can't have you in front of all of those ponies, on Princess Celestia's coronation, in any less than the best I can offer."

"Wait, in front of...?" Twilight furrowed her brow.

"I don't know the Princess's actual plans for the ceremony, of course, after all, who understands the minds of royalty? But it's customary for a prince or princess to have the ponies closest to them to stand beside them. It's an old Canterlot custom, it goes back to the days before Sombra's rule, back when unity and the bonds of friendship were the pride of old Equestria." Rarity explained as she walked over to the clothing racks, looking from dress to dress.

"Right, the Principem Amicorum," Twilight noted, considering the idea of herself being up there with the princess on her big day in a less than perfect dress, and realizing how mortified she'd be if she broke protocol. "You...Sure seem to know a lot about this stuff. I don't know if I'll actually be up there with her, but...I do appreciate this."

Rarity shot her a sheepish grin from behind her veil. "Yes, well, I suppose I had a bit of an unhealthy obsession with royalty in my youth...Even now, I have some dreams of being swept off my hooves by some dashing prince, or a knight in shining armor..."

"I think he's already involved with that pink pegasus," Twilight muttered, thinking back to the funeral and rubbing her chin.

"What?" Rarity asked, confused.

"Hm?...Anyway, we--..." It was then that Twilight realized just how quiet Spike had been. Now, she was no mother, but she had been with him his whole life, and knew what every mother knows about small children. When they're quiet, something is usually getting destroyed. "Spike?" She asked, turning toward him, and sighing in relief as she saw him hugging his tail to his chest, blushing, and smiling like an idiot. "Why are you so quiet?"

"I-I'm not being quiet! I'm...uh...Stoic!" he replied, straightening up like a soldier at attention. Twilight stared at him for a long moment, only shaken out of her confused gaze when a dress was held up in front of her. She took it in her hands and examined it.

It was a long, golden, shimmery garment. She wasn't sure she could really pull it off. "I don't know if I can--" Rarity put a finger to Twilight's lips, earning a confused stare.

"Try it on. Look in the mirror. Then tell me if you still think it's too much." The mare gently put her hands on Twilight's shoulders, turned her around, and pushed her toward a dressing room. "I'll watch your dragon for you." Spike giggled like a little goofball as he continued to stare at her. "He's very charming."

Twilight sighed and walked into the dressing room, changing out of her simple dark blue dress, and into the shimmering golden gown. It was a bit more complex than she was used to, and she wound up having to use her magic as an extra pair of hands. It was awkward, and she felt like a clown, and she froze when she saw herself in the mirror. She stared, eyes wide. She blushed as she reached out to touch the surface of the glass. If she didn't know better, she'd think she was a princess herself.

"Come now, darling. Don't keep us waiting. Let's have a look." Rarity called.

Twilight stepped out, blushing and looking down at the floor.

"Holy road apples!"

"SPIKE! Language!" Twilight snapped. She turned towards Rarity and began apologizing.

Rarity blushed at the vulgarity and gently coughed into her fist. "A bit crude, perhaps...But not an entirely unreasonable response. You look stunning."

Twilight's blush intensified. "It almost makes me feel like a princess..." She admitted. Rarity stepped forward with tears glistening behind her veil and placed her hands on Twilight's shoulders, and stared deep into her eyes.

"That's all I want for any of my customers." Suddenly, her tone switched to one that was all business. "Now, I will clearly need to make some adjustments, but if you come back tomorrow afternoon it will be ready for you. For the moment, let me just mark the adjustments." She levitated a pin cushion over and began putting pins through the dress, to keep track of what she needed to do.

After a few moments, Twilight returned to the dressing room and changed back, Rarity tried to charge her a scant 80 bits for the dress, and Twilight proceeded to haggle her up to a more realistic price of 760. Once the transaction was completed, the unicorn wizard forcefully dragged her love-struck dragon out the door. She paused, still holding the door open with one hand, as she looked back inside, and said just loud enough for Rarity to hear, "I'm definitely coming back here again."

Author's Note

and with that, we have our principal cast.

Prologue: The Fall of Cloudsdale

The clouds were burning. The air reeked of blood and sulfur. Rainbow Dash’s head was spinning, throbbing. She desperately tried to focus, trying to understand where she was, and what was going on. Why was she on the ground? Why was the sky on fire?! In the distance, she saw a tall figure, wearing a red, fur-lined cloak approaching her. She forced herself to her hooves, grunting with pain as she stood, and looked around nervously. Her fear turned to outright panic as she saw the ground littered with the bodies of other pegasi, some struggling and groaning in pain, others completely motionless. Dread filling her, she turned back to the sky. Where there should have been a city, there was nothing but fire. Cloudsdale was gone.

“SOMBRA!”

She quickly turned her head toward the source of the rage-filled cry, nearly falling over from whipping her head around in her condition. Either she was heavily concussed and hallucinating, or a unicorn happened to just magically appear.

“What do you think you’re doing!?” Demanded the newcomer, approaching the dark figure. Two unicorns, one a smoky gray and one a gentle beige, stood face to face, each with regal bearing. It was then that she realized just who they were. Sombra, of course, was the High King, the Ageless Emperor, the undisputed ruler of Equestria. And that other pony...That was King Aegis, of Canterlot.

“I believe you mean ‘King Sombra,’ Aegis. Don’t forget your place.” Sombra slowly turned his gaze back to the sky. “Cloudsdale has been proving...unsatisfactory of late. So, I thought I'd change things around. The tedium of eternal life is a horrid thing. I’m going to let the Gryphons try the weather for a while. They’re terribly inferior, but, then, so are pegasi.” As if to punctuate this statement, he kicked a dead body across the ground, sending it rolling toward King Aegis.

Aegis clenched his eyes shut, his teeth grinding, tears running down his cheeks as Sombra reveled in the destruction. Aegis walked over to Rainbow Dash, presumably because she seemed to be the only pegasus standing at the moment. “Listen to me. I need you to find whatever survivors you can and get them out of here. Get to Canterlot.”

She nodded weakly and started checking bodies for any signs of life, though her search grew ever more grim with every corpse. The High King stared at her, bemused. “I’ll just have to kill them all later when they come for revenge. At least that will provide some entertainment...”

Aegis walked back to Sombra, drawing his sword as he went. “I cannot sit idly while you tear down entire cities.” He announced.

“You are welcome to try to stop me.” Sombra smiled. “I’ll even return your body to your daughters.”

Aegis closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “...Thank you,” he said quietly. He let out a mighty bellow as he charged, swinging his blade down at Sombra.

The High King’s horn glowed. A single point of light appeared in the air, intercepting the blade, holding it back. With a brilliant flash, a shock wave exploded out, throwing Aegis through the air, and shattering his sword. Sombra slowly walked towards him as he struggled to his hooves. With another yell, he threw a punch. His hand was stopped less than an inch from Sombra’s face, his bones shattering as he hit a magic shield. His right arm hung limply at his side. His horn began to glow but immediately dulled as black crystal shards grew out of it. Sombra grabbed him by the throat and lifted him into the air, slowly choking the life out of him.

“Really? Your last gambit was your magic? You were known as 'Aegis the warrior,' not 'Aegis the wizard.' You should have taken me up on my offer when you became king. I could have granted you all the power you needed to destroy me and take my empire for your own. I wonder if your daughter will be more receptive?”

Aegis’ left arm furiously clawed at Sombra’s hand, the last act of desperate, futile defiance. Sombra stared without emotion as he watched the light fade from his vassal’s eyes. He turned to face Rainbow, who had frozen in place, horrified at the brutality she’d just witnessed. He tossed Aegis' lifeless body at her, the late king landing unceremoniously at her hooves.

“Go on. Find the last of your useless pegasi. Take them to Canterlot. Don’t deny a king his dying wish. And drag his corpse back to his home.” He turned and began walking away, and as he went, the magic fueling the flames waned, and the clouds returned to normal. But Cloudsdale was gone. And so were nearly all of its ponies.

The pegasus managed to gather up whatever survivors she could find. So many lifeless bodies, but so many more injured. The living were the priority. There was no time to bury the dead, no time to tend to any of them...except one. Disoriented and frightened, with their whole lives torn apart, they turned to Dash for leadership. After all, she seemed to be the only one who knew what was going on. Limping, struggling, Rainbow lead her ponies to what she hoped would be a new home. At her request, two pegasi wrapped Aegis in whatever cloth they could find and carried the dead king with them.

Those who could fly ahead did, while the wounded followed behind. It took days for them to reach the city on hoof, especially slowed down by their injuries, but their coming had been announced by the able-bodied pegasi who went ahead. They were met at the gates by a makeshift outdoor hospital, waiting to treat them, and two unicorn princesses, staring in horror at the sheer number of ponies whose lives had been irrevocably changed by Sombra's cruelty. But at last, they were here. At last, they had reached Canterlot.

Rainbow slowly limped over to one of the unicorn nurses, and promptly collapsed from exhaustion.