Memoir of Misery

by Silvak

Rating: teen
Tags: Princess Celestia, Main 6, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Princess Luna, Original Character, Mystery
Length: 130491

With her memories returning, Sapphire has to endure the mystery of why she is receiving visions of monsters that Equestria never seen before, as she continues to try to make a new life for herself while searching for her old one.

As Sapphire recovers her memories, she is tormented by the visions of monsters that nopony has ever seen before. As she wondered what experiences has she suffered through in her youth that created these nightmares, she struggles to continue to piece her memory back together, yet one nagging thought remained in her mind. Why do all these beasts seem so familiar to her?

It is recommend to read Azure Memories first.

Art by Reynaruina

Editors: AandWguy

Published 2016-11-30 16:20:02 UTC
Last updated 2021-03-21 16:32:02 UTC

Chapter II: Home

"I just... what pony would need a fridge this big for just one pony‽"

"Umm... I would?"

"But this fridge is built to hold enough food to feed six ponies for two weeks!"

"Which makes it perfect for me!" Sapphire exclaimed with a smile, to which the unicorn stallion right next to her just stared at her before turning his attention to Rarity.

"She is indeed correct. She would need a fridge of this size," Rarity said with an awkward smile, as the stallion returned his attention to Sapphire as he pointed a hoof at her.

"But she's so thin!"

"Yes... it still mystifies me as well," Rarity replied as Sapphire hoofed over the required amount of bits. A few days has past after Sapphire found the house she wanted to live in, and after putting down a down payment of three thousand bits for the house, only for Sapphire to be surprised when the owner happily gave her the key. Rarity explained that the mare probably trusted her since she was friends with Rarity, who herself was known to be a fair and trustworthy pony in Ponyville. Hence they decided to go shopping for the basic necessities after getting the paperwork done for the mortgage and transfer of ownership of the house.

"Okay... now wait here for a moment as I find some mover to bring your fridge to your place of residence," the stallion said after counting the bits before putting them into the cash register.

"Oh, that won't be a problem, I have a cart outside. Just help me get the fridge on board and then I'll be out of your mane," Sapphire responded, as the stallion looked past her to see an empty cart with nopony next to it. Prior to starting the day's shopping, Sapphire and Rarity dropped by Applejack's farm to see if she had a cart they could borrow, which she gladly lent one to them.

"But who's going to pull the cart?"

"I am," Sapphire answered, causing the shop owner to give her a bewildered look before throwing his forehooves into the air.

"You know what, I'm just going to stop questioning this," the stallion complained as he brought the fridge outside, where he and Sapphire lifted it onto the cart before securing it in place. Thanking the shop owner, Sapphire hitched the yoke onto herself before trotting off, pulling the cart without any signs of strain. "...This town just keeps getting weirder and weirder," muttered the stallion as he shook his head at the sight.

"So what do you think I need after the fridge?" Sapphire asked as Rarity trotted alongside her.

"Hmm... since we already covered the bed, dining table and chairs for the dining room, you may want to start furnishing your living room next."

"Okay, that sou—wait, do you see that?" Sapphire asked as she stopped to point a hoof in the direction of Twilight, who was trying to subtly follow Pinkie Pie.

"I believe I do... I wonder what Twilight is up to?"

"Shouldn't we do something about that? It looks awfully suspicious to me."

"Normally I would agree, but when it involves Pinkie, I find it best to leave things be," Rarity replied as she continued on trotting while Sapphire stayed still.

"But, I don't think friends stalk—"

"Remember when you first met Pinkie?" Rarity interjected, receiving a nod from Sapphire in response. "What you saw at the time was just a fraction of the... things Pinkie can do, dear." Shutting her mouth at the memory of Pinkie dashing off so suddenly while producing a dust cloud, Sapphire nodded in acceptance of Rarity's statement as she began to trot as well. "It's good that you saw the light of reason dear, for we don't need two pon..." Rarity continued before she came to a sudden stop, causing Sapphire to do the same as she looked at her in confusion.

"Rarity? Why did you stop?" Sapphire asked.

Blinking, Rarity pointed her hoof at a group consisting of three mares and two stallions near some magazine stand. They were whispering among themselves while looking at Sapphire in awe. "Don't you see those ponies staring at you, dear?"

Following the direction of Rarity's hoof, Sapphire spotted said group, who were now whispering in a more louder and excited fashion. "Yes... I do see th—where are you going?" Sapphire said as Rarity went over to the magazine stall. Following her, Sapphire kept an eye on the group, who were growing even more excited to the point that one of the mares started to sway on her hooves like she was about to faint. Coming to Rarity's side, she saw that she was giving the stand owner a bit as she took some magazine, flipping through the pages rapidly.

"Aha!" Rarity exclaimed when she stopped at a certain page, confusing Sapphire even more.

"Aha? What is going Rarity?" Sapphire asked as she became slightly irked at being left in the dark.

Remaining silent at first, Rarity turned the magazine around to reveal photos of Sapphire from the photo shoot. "Somepony is getting famous," Rarity said in a chirpy tone, causing Sapphire to blink as her eyes darted back and forth between Rarity and the ponies staring at her. As their eyes began sparkling with excitement, realization of the situation before her started to dawn in her mind.

"Oh n—"

"It's Sapphire Rain!"

"The new super model!"

"Can I have your autograph‽"

"I still say one of them tugged out part of my mane."

"Oh, you're just overreacting dear."

"Says the mare that overreacts to a spill on her coat," Sapphire muttered to herself as she used her magic in conjunction with Rarity to move the fridge into the kitchen.

"What was that?" Rarity asked as they set the fridge down into it’s place.

"I said, I definitely felt some ponies pulling at my mane hard enough to rip some of my hair out," Sapphire shot back. Shortly after the group of fans started to shout for autographs, it attracted the attention of other ponies. Soon, several others that had seen the magazines already joined the growing frenzy as they crowded around Sapphire, much to her dismay. After writing out a few autographs in hopes that it would appease the mob, which it didn't, Sapphire decided to high-tail it out of there when she began to feel a few ponies tugging at her mane.

"Regardless, we should be thankful that nopony got run over by your cart. Though I find it surprising that you can actually run that fast while pulling that much weight along."

Shrugging, Sapphire replied, "Well, I do feel a tired after running all the way home, but at least I'm not being swarmed... Do you think this is going to happen to me a lot?" as her face took on an expression of fear.

"Well, I suppose it may happen for a while in Ponyville for the residents, but I'm certain things will calm down eventually. Thankfully, since you’re only going to model every so often, I believe that you won't get too much hassle from it after the public gets used to you," Rarity answered.

"I hope you're right, otherwise I might need to get a wig," Sapphire commented, causing Rarity to roll her eyes at her. Looking around, she could see how sparsely furnished the house was. "Might not be much, but I didn't expect to be able to get a home this soon."

"Oh don't belittle yourself dear, it was only a matter of time till you found a career that would allow you to support yourself," Rarity commented as she looked around. "Though, it would be nice if you could had some drapes or rugs for your home at least. It's quite... drab, to put it kindly."

"Well, I don't have that many bits to spare yet. Especially considering how much I'm going to have to spend on groceries," Sapphire countered with a wry smile.

"Well, if you didn't tell Pinkie to hold off the housewarming party, you would have plenty of food for... a couple days in your case."

"Well, I rather have a party at a decorated home instead of an empty house. Besides, do you want to have a party in a 'drab' abode?" Sapphire replied, causing Rarity to narrow her eyes at her before smirking.

"Touché my dear, it seems like you're building your confidence a bit. Though, are you certain you'll be okay living on your own? I don't recall you cooking many meals back at the boutique."

Shrugging, Sapphire responded, "It's about time that I started to learn to cook for myself beyond the odd meal every so often. Besides, if a fire starts, I can use my magic to put it out."

"Now dear, don't be tempting fate, for she can be a cruel mistress if she desires," Rarity warned as she started to head to the front door. "I would stay longer, but I have some orders that I need to finish up. I do wish that you enjoy your new home dear."

Opening the door for Rarity, Sapphire replied, "Well, since I got some more reading to do, I think I’ll tackle that for now and enjoy my home when it’s complete. Though…” before giving Rarity a hug. “Thank you for letting me stay at your place for all that time.”

Returning the hug, Rarity said, “No, it was a pleasure to have you at my humble abode. While I will miss having you around, I’m happy that you finally have a place to call your own.” Releasing the hug, Rarity stepped outside of the house as she gave a smile to Sapphire. “Just remember dear, you’re always welcome at the Carousel Boutique.”

Smiling back, Sapphire replied, “I will always remember that Rarity. And don’t worry, I won’t be a stranger and stay cooped up here, reading my books.”

“Good to hear, especially since Twilight already has a monopoly on that,” Rarity commented with a wink, causing the two mares to laugh. “Au revoir, Sapphire.”

Tilting her head, Sapphire asked, “‘Au revoir’, what does that mean?”

Tittering to herself, Rarity answered, “Never change, Sapphire. Au revoir means goodbye in Prench, and before you ask, Prench is a foreign language.”

“Ah, au revoir then Rarity.”

“Hmm… so this is where Prench comes from,” Sapphire mumbled to herself as turned a page to one of the many books she had borrowed from Twilight’s library. After Rarity made her leave, Sapphire took one last trip out to Ponyville to gather groceries for herself at the town market, producing several shocks for the farmers at their stalls at the sheer volume of food she bought, along with the cart full of groceries. Even Big Mac, who was manning the Apple Family stall, simply stared in amazement and wonder at Sapphire’s order of thirty apples for herself.

After her grocery run, which she was only bothered by staring fans this time around, Sapphire returned home to put together a meal for herself before deciding to take it easy for the rest of the day by continuing her studies.

“Still, strange for a separate group of ponies to develop a language for themselves,” Sapphire commented to herself as she flipped another page.

“Not as strange as seeing you wasting your time at a place like this.”

“Huh? What the?” Sapphire uttered out as she looked around in confusion after hearing somepony talking to her. “Who said that?” Sapphire asked as she looked about, only to see that there was nopony there. “...Okay… I think it’s just my imagination. I guess after being at the boutique with Rarity so long, I miss having some pony talk to me occasionally,” Sapphire said to herself with a chuckle before returning to her studies.

“You are such a disappointment.”

“Hey, who’s saying that? Answer me!” Sapphire demanded as she looked about in dismay. Receiving silence once more, Sapphire said, “What is going on? Am I going crazy?” before she shook her head, looking down at her book only to gasp at what she saw. On the book she was reading, something appeared. Written over the book’s pages were large purple words that said, ‘You will be nothing more than a failure’.

Chapter III: Voices

"I know it sounds crazy Twilight, but I saw what I saw."

"But Sapphire, there's nothing written in the book. Are you sure you weren't just tired or something?" Twilight asked. Shortly after seeing the mysterious message in her book, Sapphire rushed to the library with the book in tow. There, she found both Twilight and Pinkie just leaving it with some kind of umbrella hat on their heads. However, after showing the book to Twilight, Sapphire found out that the words had disappeared as mysteriously as they appeared. Twilight then gave her a skeptical look when Sapphire decided to tell her what happened.

"Aww... don't be so hard on her Twilight. Besides, she doesn't look tired!" Pinkie said with glee as she pushed her face onto Sapphire's, her pupils shifting as if she was inspecting Sapphire's eyes. "Nope! No signs of her being sleepy!"

"Pinkie, give her some space," Twilight ordered as she used her magic to pull Pinkie's tail, dragging her away from a confused Sapphire.

Blinking for a bit before shaking her head, Sapphire said, "Twilight, I know this sounds far-fetched, but I'm telling you that something was talking to me. I just don't start hearing voices out of the blue—" only for Pinkie to start laughing as she rolled around on the ground.

"She said out of the blue! Ha ha!" Pinkie cried as she came to a stop, only to pound at the ground with her forehooves.

Giving Pinkie a bland stare, Sapphire stated, "I'm never going to use that phrase again," before turning her attention back to Twilight. "Please Twilight, I need some help with this. I mean, ponies don't normally hear voices like that, right?"

Biting her lip for a bit, Twilight responded, "They normally don't, which is why I asked if you were tired. Normally, ponies that are starting to hear voices are normally thought to be going crazy, or eccentric at least. I don't think you would fall under either category, but I rather have you just hallucinating from being tired or from hunger than being committed to an asylum," concern evident in her voice.

Stopping from her laughter, Pinkie added in, “Oh, she may be right! You're one of the few ponies that eats almost as much as I do, so maybe you were just hungry! When was your last meal?" as she got back onto her hooves.

Frowning, Sapphire replied, "I ate just an hour ago, so I don't think hunger is the problem."

"Ah, but how much did you eat?"

"Three daisy sandwiches, a bowl of apples, and two glasses of milk," Sapphire answered, as Twilight muttered to herself about how crazy Sapphire's metabolism is. "So I'm pretty certain that I'm not suffering from hunger right now."

Sighing, Twilight said, "Then short of you having an allergic reaction or encountering something toxic, I take it you were hearing things after all. However, I really don't know much about the inner workings of the mind and psyche, so all I can do is suggest for you to visit the doctors. Though, since you meet with Princess Luna regularly at night, maybe she has some insight into this. Dreams are sometimes representations of our personal conflicts, so maybe she will have some ideas on what could be causing you to be hearing things. It could even be your memories returning in a different way."

Frowning, Sapphire let out a frustrated sigh as she replied, "I suppose you're right, I guess I'll bring it up with Princess Luna tonight to see if she can help. I rather avoid going to the hospital again after going there twice this year so far."

Seeing Sapphire's downcast expression, Pinkie declared, "Aww... don't be sad Sapphire, you need to turn that frown upside down! How about a cupcake to cheer you up?" as she brought out a plate filled with cupcakes out of nowhere.

"Pinkie, Sapphire just told us she ate an hour ago. I don't think she's in the mood for food right now," Twilight reprimanded in an exasperated tone.

"Are you sure Twilight? Because she looks like she's in the mood for it," Pinkie countered as she waved a free hoof at Sapphire, who was busy munching on a couple of cupcakes, only to pause as she saw that Twilight was gaping at her.

"...What?" Sapphire muttered out from her stuffed muzzle.

"I... but... you said you ate an hour ago! Don't tell me you're suddenly hungry now‽" Twilight shrieked, drawing the attention of a few ponies who were nearby.

Swallowing her meal, Sapphire answered, "No... but she offered me cupcakes, so why not eat them?" as Pinkie flashed Twilight a smile, proud of the fact that she stopped Sapphire from becoming depressed.

"I... but stomach... limits... illogical... you know what, I'm just going to call it a day. I already had enough... shenanigans to last a year," Twilight finally declared as she turned around to trot back into the library.

"Shenanigans?" Sapphire croaked out in confusion before looking at Pinkie for some answers.

Shrugging, Pinkie explained, "Oh, it was nothing. Silly old Twilight just didn't believe in my Pinkie sense. But after a run-in with a hydra, she no longer doubts it!"

"Okay, that make se—did you just said you had a run-in with a hydra‽"

"Hmm... what you told me is distressing to hear, I will admit," Luna said as she and Sapphire looked over a pile of glass shards in Sapphire's memory hall. After hearing Pinkie tell her the day's events, Sapphire returned to her home, tentatively continuing her studies that thankfully wasn't interrupted by a mysterious voice again. "Compound this with that nightmare you had earlier, this does not bode well."

"What do you mean Princess?" Sapphire asked as her ears folded against her head.

"What I mean is, that this may be a bout of madness instead of nightmare related to some suppressed memory," Luna idly answered, only to notice that Sapphire was starting to panic. "But that is just one possible conclusion! Fear not, for it is an unlikely one and there exists other possible explanations to what is occurring to you!"

"But... if it's not madness, than what do you think it could be?" Sapphire tentatively asked, gulping as she imagined herself being carted off to an asylum like Twilight said.

"Sapphire, while we are in the part of your mind where your memories are stored, bare in mind that we are still in a dream," Luna stated with a flat stare.

"Huh?" Sapphire uttered out in confusion, only for Luna to point a hoof at something behind her. Looking behind her, she caught the sight of herself in a straight jacket, a wild grin plastered on her face as she sat in a cart that was being pulled by an orderly. Snapping her attention back towards Luna, a blush clear on her face, Sapphire let out a laugh as she dashed her thoughts, thereby causing the dream image to disappear. "Heh heh... sorry about that Princess."

Rolling her eyes, Luna replied, "As to your question, there are several possibilities that could explain what you heard and saw. For instance, you could be under the influence of some spell cast upon you, or you could be afflicted with some magic from some lost artifact that you encountered in the past—" before noticing that she was once again starting to drive Sapphire into a panic, forcing her to backpedal, "—or maybe it's just your subconscious trying to reassert some part of you that you lost along with your memories."

"Reassert some part of me? What do you mean by that?" Sapphire said as she tilted her head as she tried to imagine what Luna meant before shaking her head. She had to make sure another dream image would not form, much to Luna's amusement.

"As some ponies would say, we are a product of both our parents and our experience. Nature versus nurture as some would say. However, since you lost your memories due to your amnesia, we only have the nature portion of your personality, which is now being molded by your new memories. It may be possible that the mare you once were and the mare you currently are now are different from one another. Different experiences could lead to different personalities as a result," Luna explained, causing Sapphire to stare at the floor in thought.

"So... if I recover my memories, I could become a different mare?" Sapphire finally croaked out, fear starting to grip at her.

"I can't say for certain, however it is unlikely to change you instantly. While there may be differences between you and the mare that you were, there are still similarities between the two due to your very nature. It may be possible that there are only minor differences. Whatever the case, when you recover your memories, you may end up with two slightly different outlooks at your memories, the perspective of an observer as well as one that experienced them. Ultimately, it is a matter of how much of an impact you choose your memories to have on yourself. For example, you could embrace them, allowing them to influence you greatly. Or you could simply abandon them, letting them become forgotten and meaningless to you. In the end, you would choose how your memories will affect you, as well as if you choose to be the mare you are now, the mare you once were, or a combination of the two."

"I see..." Sapphire responded as she looked at the shards scattered around them.

Nodding, Luna continued, "Regardless, we can't be certain if what you heard and saw will be a daily occurrence or was a one time thing. I would advise that you simply remain calm and proceed as normal. However, should this voice or images torment you once more, either inform Twilight so she can contact me or wait until our next meeting so we can address this matter. For now, I rather not take steps that would be unnecessary if this was a singular incident. Be cautious, if you are plagued by this problem again but in a continuous and intense manner, you should seek immediate medical attention."

"Understood princess," Sapphire responded, though uncertainty was still evident in her tone, which Luna chose to ignore instead of being angered by the mare's doubt.

"Now, shall we proceed with your recovery of your memories? It may be slim, but we may find an answer in them to your dilemma," Luna stated.

Nodding, Sapphire took up another shard with her magic before pouring it into the fragment. After a moment, the piece cleared, before she suddenly heard a voice screaming, "You think I'm going to give up that easily‽ Well, buck you!"

Blinking in shock, Sapphire turned her attention to Luna, who was also blinking in shock as well. "Did you hear what I just heard?" Sapphire asked.

"Yes... and oddly enough, that voice sounds like yours," Luna answered, before frowning in thought. "Odd that we see a facet of your past self in such a fashion after discussing the differences between personalities, though it may be due to your mind dwelling on that matter."

"Yeah... weird though," Sapphire said, as she watched the shard drift to an empty frame. "Though I hope that doesn't mean I was a short-tempered mare..."

Resting a hoof on Sapphire's withers, Luna replied, "Do not fret, young Sapphire. Remember, you are what you choose to be."

Giving Luna a short nod, Sapphire replied, "Thank you, Princess Luna. You're right, I shouldn't be too worried. I'm my own mare now. Not only that, maybe when I regain my memories, I'll become an even better mare than my past or present self."

Chapter IV: Clouds

Thud.

"What the buck‽" cried out Sapphire as she looked at the window where the noise came from, only to see Rainbow's face compressed onto it. "Rainbow Dash?"

"Let me in," Rainbow croaked out as she tapped the window with a hoof, causing Sapphire to sigh as she opened it for her to fly in. "Thanks, though you need to get out more. The only times I spotted you outside lately was when you're out getting more food."

Grunting, Sapphire replied, "Well, I'm still busy trying to catch up to everypony in the educational department. I still have a long ways to go to even reach a basic level," as she recalled what she did for the past week. Nothing much had happened to her during the past week, beyond the occasional rushing past some apparent fans of hers when she went out for groceries. Even recent recovered memories didn't yield anything fruitful, though one particularly embarrassing memory sent Luna into hysterical laughter at Sapphire's expense.

"Yeah yeah, but I have something more important to ask you. Do you want to come to Cloudsdale with the rest of the gang to cheer me on in the Young Flier's Competition?" Rainbow asked, causing Sapphire to blink and scrunch her muzzle in confusion.

"You want me to cheer you on? Why?"

"Cause we're friends of course. It's what friends do," Rainbow answered with a shrug.

"Well, if you put it that way... I might as well come. If you need some support, I'll be there for you if I can," Sapphire said with a mild smile.

"Awesome, the more ponies cheering for me, the better. Besides, it wasn't like you were doing anything else," Rainbow declared as she leaned back while hovering about as Sapphire just scowled at her.

"Jeeze, that's so nice of you to give me something to do."

"I know right? I'm just that awesome," Rainbow replied, as Sapphire's right eye twitched while she resisted the urge to facehoof.

"Just... just let me know when I should show up for the trip to Cloudsdale... and next time, knock on my door instead of crashing into my window," Sapphire berated, causing Rainbow to scratch the back of her head as she let out a mild chuckle.

"Umm... why do we need a hot air balloon... and why does Rarity have butterfly wings?" Sapphire asked as she arrived at where Twilight's hot air balloon was set up.

"Huh, I thought you were going to ask what a hot air balloon is first," Rainbow commented, causing Sapphire to narrow her eyes at her.

"I have been making some strides Rainbow," Sapphire responded, a flat look apparent on her face, causing Rainbow to look away for a moment.

"Well, didn't Rainbow mention that the competition was in Cloudsdale?" Twilight asked as she stepped forward.

Tilting her head, Sapphire answered, "Yeah, but that doesn't answer the question. Wouldn't a train be faster than a hot air balloon?" only to receive the stares from the others. "What? Why are you six staring at me like that?"

"Umm... Sapphire, have you happened to look at some geography lately?" Twilight finally uttered out.

"Umm... no? I was more focused on more general knowledge. Why do you ask?" Sapphire replied as she looked at the others in confusion.

Groaning as she threw her hooves into the air, Rainbow answered, "Hello, what does the name Cloudsdale mean to you? It's a city made of clouds for crying out loud!"

Her lips drawn tight against each other, Sapphire simply stared at Rainbow before finally croaking out, "Oh."

Scrunching her face for a moment, Rarity asked, "Sapphire dear, is something the matter?"

Turning her attention to the flying unicorn, Sapphire answered, "Huh? There's nothing wrong... beyond me feeling like a fool... I just thou—"

"Not that dear, for your reaction isn't one of embarrassment."

"She's right there, sugarcube. I never seen you look like that before since I first met you," Applejack added in as the others muttered out their own agreements.

"I don't know what you're talking about, I just didn't think that Cloudsdale would literally be a city made of... clouds," Sapphire responded, her eyes starting to dash about.

"Sapphire... is there something you're hiding from us?" Twilight finally asked as she narrowed her eyes in suspicion, which caused Sapphire to gasp.

"Twilight, do you think I'm honestly trying to hide something from you all, my best friends?" Sapphire replied, her expression taking on a look of sorrow.

"Now hold on there, sugarcube, she wasn't tryin' to suggest that you were fibbin'. I admit, I have a feelin' that you're being truthful to us. Yet, I also feel like there is somethin' not right about all this," Applejack said as she laid a hoof on Sapphire's shoulder, causing her to look her in the eye. "Now, you may not be hidin' anythin' from us, but are you certain there isn't anythin' that could be botherin' you?"

"Applejack, I'm truly don't know what is making you all think this, but I'm telling you the truth. I'm only bothered by the fact that I didn't know that Cloudsdale was a city made of clouds, like it’s name suggests," Sapphire answered, while Twilight hummed to herself as she rubbed her chin in thought.

"Wait a minute everypony. I think I have an idea on what's going on here," Twilight declared, bringing everypony's attention to her.

"You do?" all the mares asked at once.

"Yes, I do, but it would involve a little experiment," Twilight explained, causing Rainbow to groan again.

"Twilight, we don't have time for an experiment! The competition is today!" Rainbow complained, causing Twilight to frown at her.

"It doesn't take long, we just need to drop by your place for a quick moment. Though, I will need you to carry Sapphire there yourself," Twilight responded, causing everypony to look at her in confusion.

"Umm... why does she need to carry me Twilight?" Sapphire asked, drawing Twilight to look at her with a sheepish smile.

"Let's just say I have a creeping suspicion, and let's just say it would be best if Rainbow carried you instead of bring you there via the balloon..."

"Get me the buck away from here!"

"Whoa, stop that Sapphire!"

"No! You are not bringing me into that death trap!"

"...That's my home you're talking about," Rainbow complained as she held onto a struggling Sapphire, who was waving her legs about in a frenzy as they hovered a few feet away from Rainbow's cloud house.

"No, it's a place of death and despair! We must get away before we come to a fiery end!" Sapphire screamed out as the other elements just stared at the scene from the hot air balloon, except for Rarity who simply hovered nearby.

"...Did anypony see that coming?" Pinkie asked, unable to pry her eyes from the sight before her.

"How the buck is my home death and despair? Are you trying to say something about me?"

"I reckon none of us saw this coming sugarcube," Applejack croaked out while her eyes remained wide with shock.

"Only that you might be insane for choosing to live in a place of eminent doom!"

"I had some suspicions that Sapphire might have a negative reaction, but I didn't expect this," Twilight commented.

"Hey, I'm not insane! You take that back!"

"Umm... shouldn't we get Sapphire away from Rainbow's home? I wouldn't want her to be more uncomfortable than she is right now," Fluttershy added, causing the others to blink in realization that they were simply standing there while Sapphire was freaking out.

"No, because it is insane to even tread upon such a cursed place! Unless somepony is forcing you to live there, than they are the most evil being in existence!"

"Oh co—"

"Rainbow, you can bring Sapphire down now!" Twilight shouted out, causing Rainbow to snap her head.

"About time," Rainbow muttered out as she flew away from her home, which brought an end to Sapphire's struggling, though it was replaced with her teeth chattering and her body shivering in fear. Finally reaching the ground, Rainbow released Sapphire only to watch as she dashed into the nearest bush, her tail sticking out for a mere moment before it was dragged into the bush as well. Looking at her in confusion as the balloon set down nearby, Rainbow declared, "How are you scared of some clouds? I never met a pony that was scared of them!"

"Rainbow! Don't be rude to Sapphire," Twilight chided as she went over to the bush before using her magic to pull Sapphire outside of it. The unicorn mare was huddled up in a ball with her forelegs covering her face as she was slowly levitated out of it. "Sapphire, you don't have to be scared now. We're on the ground now, where you're safe."

Peeking out behind one of her legs, Sapphire whispered, "Are you certain?"

As Twilight resisted the urge to let out a sigh, Fluttershy trotted over to the two before sitting down as she laid a hoof on Sapphire's withers, rubbing it gently as she said, "It's alright, you're away from the scary clouds now. Everything is gonna be okay."

Eyes darting about for a moment, Sapphire slowly started to take her hooves off her head as she looked about in caution before getting on her hooves, though she was still shivering a bit. "Okay... okay... I'm calming down now..."

"Are you sure dear? I have never seen you react like that before," Rarity commented as she hovered over to the trio.

"I... I think so... but I don't know what came over me..." Sapphire replied, before looking over to Rainbow. "I'm sorry about what I said back there..."

"Eh... water underneath the bridge," Rainbow said as she waved a hoof.

"Though, I'm more concerned about why you had such a negative reaction to clouds," Twilight stated. "Do you have any idea why you would react that way?"

"No... it just... happened," Sapphire answered, looking back at Rainbow's home. The very sight caused her to shiver as she looked away. "It's just that... being near them frightens me to no end."

"Hmm... this has to be linked to some event in your past. It’s probably something traumatic enough to root a fear of clouds in you that it is still present even with your amnesia," Twilight commented before looking at the position of the sun. "I would like to figure this out, but with the competition, we don't have the time. Unfortunately, until you recover that memory, Princess Luna is the only pony that can help you right now."

Letting out a sigh, Sapphire nodded as she said, "Yeah... you're right, and you girls need to get to Cloudsdale before it's too late. I'll be fine as long as I keep my hooves on the ground, no need to worry about me."

"Are you sure? I don't want to leave you hanging just for a competition," Rainbow said, concern evident in her voice.

"Yeah, best you all hurry before it’s too late, but thanks for the concern, Rainbow," Sapphire said as she gave Rainbow a weak smile. "I don't want to be a bummer on your day of glory."

"Hey, I'm Rainbow Dash. Every day is awesome for me," Rainbow declared with a cocky grin, causing Sapphire to struggle to hold her smile.

"Yeah... awesome... just go before it’s too late, and remember that I'm still rooting for you in spirit," Sapphire replied. As the others finally gave their goodbyes before setting off to the competition, Sapphire thought to herself, I may be fine now... but Twilight has a point. What in Equestria made me so terrified of clouds?

Chapter V: Fear

"So Princess Luna thinks it’s best for you to not find the root of your nephophobia?"

"...My what now?"

"Your fear of clouds."

"...Couldn't you say that instead of saying nepofovia?" Sapphire asked with a look of confusion. It was the next day after her cloud episode, with her and Twilight sitting in the library.

"It's nephophobia, and I was just calling it by it’s scientific name," Twilight answered with a sigh. "So the princess couldn't do a thing to help you?"

"Well... she did try to help me..." Sapphire replied, before recalling how it went.

"I find that the best way to conquer your fears is to face them directly!" Luna declared.

"Wait... what do you mean by th—" Sapphire started to say, before Luna's horn glowed, changing the surroundings from the dream version of Sapphire's new home to a massive cloud that the two were now standing upon.

"Now face your fears, young Sapphire, and conqu—"

"AHHHH!!! We're all going to die! " Sapphire cried out, interrupting Luna as she latched onto the princess's face while screaming in terror.

"Sapphire, remove thyself fr—"

"Quick, we have to get away or we’ll be burned so harshly that our coats will be ashes in mere seconds!"

"...What is making you come to that con—" Luna tried to ask, only to be drowned out by Sapphire's screaming which grew in volume while her hooves tightened their grip on Luna's face. In a muffled voice, Luna said, "Perhaps another approach is needed..."

"Let's just say that it didn't turn out well and it may take a while before we can begin to figure out the source of my fear," Sapphire said with an awkward smile.

Humming to herself, Twilight asked, "Sapphire, I have an id—"

"No," Sapphire interjected as she gave Twilight a mild glare.

"But it might he—"

"No means no, Twilight."

"It’s just goi—"

"Twilight, is there some hidden or obscure meaning for no that doesn't mean refusing something?"

"Well, no, bu—"

"Then I stand by wh—" Sapphire started to say before Twilight decided enough was enough as she forced Sapphire's muzzle shut.

"Sapphire, you're being unreasonable. I'm just proposing that we see what kind of reaction you would have if we bring a tiny bit of a cloud to you and work up from that," Twilight declared before letting go of Sapphire's mouth.

Frowning, Sapphire replied, "Well, considering the last time you did an experiment with me, which consisted in burying me up to my head in snow, I was assuming that you were going to go too some extreme end like Luna did."

"...Wait, what did Luna do to you?" Twilight asked as she gave Sapphire a curious look.

"Umm... it's best not to say," Sapphire said as she averted her eyes from Twilight's gaze.

"But I wa—"

"If you want me to try that cloud idea of yours, then don't press the matter Twilight."

Huffing to herself, Twilight replied, "Fine, let's just go get Rainbow so we can start this experiment."

"Are you sure about this Twilight? You do remember how hard Sapphire freaked out last time, right? She almost decked me in the face," Rainbow said as she stood on top of a cloud as the others stared up at her from the outskirts of Ponyville.

Taking a glance at Sapphire, Twilight saw that she only had a slight frown on her face. Twilight returned her attention to Rainbow as she replied, "I think Sapphire will be fine, right Sapphire?"

"I guess? I mean, if we don't take it too far and too fast, then I think I will be okay," Sapphire answered as she shifted her attention to her.

Sighing, Twilight summoned a scroll and a quill before saying, "Sapphire, what do you feel when you're looking at the cloud that Rainbow is on?"

Her frown deepening, Sapphire followed Twilight's instructions, She started to stare at the cloud for a moment as Rainbow let out a bored yawn before saying, "Yeah... I'm getting nothing from just looking at it."

"I see. Okay Rainbow, you can start now," Twilight said as she began writing.

"About time," Rainbow complained as she got off the cloud, tearing a small part of it off before throwing it at Sapphire's face, causing her to shriek in surprise.

"Rainbow!"

"What? I did what you told me to do," Rainbow replied as she rolled her eyes. A ball of water then collided into her face. "Gah, what the buck?!" Rainbow exclaimed, looking down to see an irate Sapphire whose horn was alight with her magic.

"Do that again and I'll toss a pool at you next time," Sapphire warned, only to notice that Twilight was blinking at her. "What?"

"Didn't that cloud... scare you?" Twilight asked, causing Sapphire to tilt her head until she realized what Twilight meant.

"Um... not really? I was just irritated that I was hit in the face with it," Sapphire answered.

"Hmm... okay... Rainbow, let's proceed to the next stage," Twilight said, only for the whole cloud to drop down right next to her, causing her to jump back in shock. "Rainbow!"

"Jeeze Twilight, it's just a cloud," Rainbow shot back as she pushed the cloud towards Sapphire, who just kept a neutral expression before pushing her hoof through the cloud.

"Still nothing... weird," Sapphire declared.

Hovering over to Sapphire, Rainbow wrapped a hoof around her withers as she said, "Guess you’re finally over your fear of clouds. If only you overcame it yesterday, then you could have seen me doing a Sonic Rainboom and saving the Wonderbolts," she bragged, only to then get a pair of flat stares directed at her. "What?"

Pressing the tip of her hoof on the ridge between her eyes, Twilight explained, "Rainbow, a pony doesn't overcome their fear in such a short time period, especially if they experience an intense reaction." Turning her attention back onto Sapphire, Twilight continued, "Sapphire, I'm going to cast a cloud walking spell on you to enable you to stand on the cloud. Would you be able to do that?"

Looking at the cloud and remembering how she reacted in the dream when she was standing on a cloud, Sapphire gulped as she looked at the cloud before answering, "Maybe? I will admit that I'm not as privy to the idea of looking at a cloud or even touching it while still being on the ground..." only to see Twilight scribbling on the scroll. "Twilight?"

Taking her attention off the scroll, Twilight replied, "Huh? Something the matter, Sapphire?"

"I have to ask, is all this some kind of research project for you?" Sapphire asked as she pointed at the scroll, which caused Rainbow to lean her head closer, as if she was expecting something to happen.

Befuddled, Twilight responded, "What do you mean? I have to take in-depth notes of every discovery as we pursue this in order to come to a scientific explanation on the nature of your fear and what specific effects it has on you. If we don't record every last detail, we may overlook something that could be crucial in finding the root of your fear and any possible solution to helping you conquer said fear."

Staring at Twilight for a moment, Sapphire and Rainbow shared a brief glance at each other before Sapphire said, "Umm... okay... how about you cast that cloudwalking spell then?"

"Okay, if you're ready for this," Twilight replied, the light around her horn brightened as Sapphire became engulfed in the same aura as she felt the spell being cast, causing her to shiver in response. A few seconds later, the aura disappeared as Twilight stated, "Okay, the spell should be taking effect now. Don't be afraid to take things slowly if you need to."

Nodding, Sapphire eyed the cloud as she slowly placed a hoof on it, only to discover that the cloud was holding up against her hoof. It felt quite soft, like a pillow to her. No wonder Rainbow likes to nap on them, Sapphire thought to herself as she brought her other hoof onto it, only for it to be pushed away, causing her to fall down as her muzzle crashed into the dirt with a shriek.

As Rainbow broke out into laughter at the sight, Twilight rushed to Sapphire's side as she said, "Sapphire? Are you hurt?"

Letting out a groan, Sapphire answered, "Only my pride..." as she pulled her muzzle out of the dirt, rubbing it off with a hoof before eyeing the cloud. "Is there an easier way to get on the cloud besides climbing onto it?"

Relieved at that fact that Sapphire wasn't hurt, Twilight turned her attention to Rainbow who was still laughing. "Rainbow, stop laughing at Sapphire and help her get on the cloud."

Stopping her laughter, Rainbow eyed Sapphire as she replied, "I would... but I don't want her to start panicking on me like last time."

Sighing as she rubbed the side of her head, Twilight said, "Then how about you just hold the side of the cloud so she can climb onto it then?"

"That I can do." Flying over to the cloud, Rainbow braced her hooves against one side, to which Sapphire took it as her cue to start climbing the cloud again. After rearing up and placing her forelegs on the cloud, Sapphire stopped for a moment as she thought about what to do next. She then took a deep breath as she hopped off the ground with her rear legs. Clambering onto the cloud, Sapphire stood on somewhat shaky legs, looking about before turning her attention towards Twilight.

"Okay... I'm on the cloud... and I think I'm okay," Sapphire declared as she gave Twilight a nervous smile.

Writing down some more notes, Twilight said, "Okay. For the next phase, Rainbow is going to slowly lift the cloud upwards. If you become scared of that, quickly inform us and Rainbow will gently lower you back to the ground, right Rainbow?" as she gave Rainbow a crossed stare.

"Yeah yeah, let her down gently. Let's just get this over with already. You ready Sapphire?" Rainbow asked as she tightened her grip on the cloud.

Looking down at the cloud, Sapphire resisted the urge to gulp again as she answered, "As ready as I'll ever be." Giving Sapphire a nod, Rainbow started to slowly raise the cloud up into the air as Sapphire cautiously looked around. "Huh... this isn't bad. It's like when Rainbow caught me when the Crusader's trebuchet sent me flyi—AH! Too high! Too high! Get me down you crazy ponies!" Sapphire said before freaking out when Rainbow brought the cloud above the roofs of some two-story houses, taking in rapid breaths before jumping off the cloud.

"Whoa, what are you doing‽" Rainbow cried as she released the cloud, flying down to catch Sapphire before she crashed into the ground. "I was going to lower the cloud, you didn't have to jump off like your life was on the line."

As her panting started to slow down, Sapphire replied, "I... I don't know... I just freaked out and wanted to get off that cloud as fast as possible."

As Rainbow lowered Sapphire to the ground, Twilight commented, "Interesting, it seems that you nephophobia kicks in when you're on a cloud at a certain height. I wonder, if we simulated you being inside a cloud house while at ground level...would it trigger your phobia?"

Staring at Twilight, Sapphire shot back, "I’d rather not Twilight. I think I’d like to keep the amount of panic attacks to one per day at most," causing Twilight to look at her before adopting a sheepish expression.

"Yeah, I rather not have to build a cloud house out of the blue," Rainbow added in, causing Sapphire to briefly glance at her for a moment before returning her attention to Twilight.

"I think you two have a point, we should call it a day here. How about we return to the library and I treat you to lunch?" Twilight responded.

Her eyes sparkling at hearing the word 'lunch', Sapphire said, "Now that is something I'm up for," before turning around as she headed straight toward Twilight's home.

Leaning towards Twilight, Rainbow whispered into her ear, "Hey, do you think that if we throw a feast at my place, Sapphire would forget about her fear of clouds until we ran out of food?"

"Normally I would berate you for saying something like that. But for once, you honestly have a good point there. It's actually scary how obsessed Sapphire is with food."

Frowning, Rainbow asked, "Are you saying we're going to have to do something about that too?"

Shaking her head, Twilight answered, "No, otherwise we might end up starving her. Now let's get moving so Sapphire doesn’t empty my fridge in a raid."

Chapter VI: Dream

"So Fluttershy actually stared down a cockatrice without turning into stone?"

"Indeed darling. While I knew about the potency of her 'stare', I'll admit I'm quite surprised that it was strong enough to overwhelm that fiend," Rarity said as she took a sip of her tea. It was a few days after Twilight's cloud experiment, where she had chosen to leave Sapphire to her own devices. This was mainly due to the concern that after being terrorized by her nephophobia three times already, there was the fear of the possibility it might have lasting health effects if she was pushed any further.

"As amazing as that was, I'm more amazed that the Crusaders thought about going into the Everfree Forest just to find a chicken. They do know it's dangerous, right?" Sapphire asked as she ate her eleventh biscuit. She was visiting Rarity's place for the evening, having a nostalgic desire to visit her close friend.

"Remember when they assembled that dreadful trebuchet, dear?" Rarity countered as she quirked her eyebrow.

"...Point taken," Sapphire replied as she took a sip of her tea.

"Now, enough about Fluttershy. How have you been dear, since the last time we talked?" Rarity asked.

"Well, things been fine, making progress with my studies... oh! I received a letter from Photo Finish, requesting me to go to Fillydelphia for a photo shoot and another fashion show. She said that I'm becoming a hit with the fashion crowd, to the point that a couple of fashion lines want to see me in their latest 'thin mare' style line," Sapphire answered, doing air hooves when she said the words 'thin mare', which caused Rarity to frown.

"Sapphire, dear, why did you have to do... those 'air hooves' there?" Rarity asked, placing emphasis on the word air hooves by raising her voice a bit.

"Umm... well... Rainbow does it wh—" Sapphire started to answer before Rarity placed a hoof on her lips.

"That's all I needed to hear dear, and let me tell you that it wouldn't be proper for you to pick up Rainbow's mannerisms. It is simply... impolite to do such things," Rarity explained before removing her hoof from Sapphire's frowning muzzle.

"But if it's impolite to do that, why then does Rainbow do it?"

"Well, let's just say that Rainbow doesn't have the same social standards as those of the upper class do," Rarity replied, causing Sapphire to tilt her head in confusion.

"But wait, since I'm of a wild pony background, doesn't that mean that I shouldn’t be acting like the upper class then?" Sapphire countered.

"Well, that is just your background dear. You're part of the fashion industry now, so you should learn to act like a prim and proper mare. It will help you get endorsements from the nobility, which could lead you to having fashion shows in Canterlot itself," Rarity answered. "On the topic of your career, has Photo sent any word on allowing you to wear some of my finest works?"

Shaking her head solemnly, Sapphire responded, "Sadly, she said that isn't an option right now. This photo shoot and the later fashion show will be featuring dresses from a very specific fashion line and there won't be an opportunity for me to wear a dress from another party." Seeing Rarity's dipping down in disappointment, Sapphire added, "But... she hasn't seen some of your dresses yet, and she is interested in coming to Ponyville someday in order to, as she would say, 'inspect the home of ze new upstart!' So maybe when she comes over, you might be able to show off something that catches her eye?"

Letting out a sigh, Rarity replied, "I suppose that's better than nothing. Shame that I couldn't get at least one of my dresses photographed, but it is what it is," before she placed both of her hooves on the table, raising herself up as she continued, "But when Photo Finish comes to Ponyville, I will wow her with my designs to where she can't resist the urge to take pictures of my work!"

Giving Rarity a bit of a forced smile, Sapphire said, "Alright Rarity... but can we return to having tea?" as she added ten more biscuits to her plate, causing Rarity to cock an eyebrow at her. "...What?"

"Nothing dear, nothing at all," Rarity answered as she returned to her seat before calmly taking another sip of her tea, to Sapphire's confusion of her sudden change in mood.

"Fare thee well, Sapphire. Until our next session," Luna declared as she took flight, flying through a door that suddenly appeared in mid-air, closing after the alicorn went through.

Watching the door vanish before her, Sapphire lit her horn up, changing the scenery from the memory hall to her home. Smiling to herself as she turned around, she shrieked in fright as she beheld the greenish monster's head, staring at her once more as fumes were pouring out of it’s maw. On instinct, Sapphire ran to the nearest table, only to stop when a voice cried out, "Oh for the love of... are you really that much of an utter disappointment?"

Jerking her head up, Sapphire squeaked out, "What? Who said that?" Rotating her head around rapidly, she couldn't spot anything. However, she did notice that the monster's head was frozen.

"The more important question you should be asking is why you're such a coward," the voice said, one that Sapphire recognized to be the one that spoke to her prior to the mysterious message appearing in her text. The voice sounded like several mares speaking at once, yet Sapphire could practically feel the disdain in each of their voices.

Looking about still, Sapphire responded, "Wait... you're the voice th—"

"Yes yes, I spoke to you when you were sitting on your rump, reading that book," the voice interrupted, echoing all around Sapphire, preventing her from pinpointing its source. "Talk about calling out the obvious."

"W-Who are you? Why are you doing this?" Sapphire cried out, still backing towards the table behind her in case she needed to use it for cover.

"...Really? Are you really stuttering and about to hide behind that table like a chicken? Grow a backbone already, jeeze."

"That... that doesn't matter. Answer my questions!" Sapphire yelled, though her body was still quivering at the thought of confronting the owner of the voice.

"Wow, you're growing a spine, or this is a fluke?" the voice said, it’s echoing stopping as it sounded like it was coming from one direction, allowing Sapphire to turn her head towards it’s source, which shadowed a portion of the room. "Oh well, might as well give you a prize," the voice said as it came out of the shadows, revealing it to be some kind of glowing, blue cloud with dark blue spots drifting about. It’s two blue eyes centered in the cloud, glowing brighter than the rest of it’s body. Her pupils widening in fear, Sapphire started to back away again, before the eyes moved about as if it was rolling it’s eyes. "Seriously? I reveal myself and you act like that? How haven't you died from terror yet?"

"Well... w-why shouldn't I be afraid?" Sapphire shot back as she got behind the table, eliciting another eye roll from the creature.

"Cause this is a dream. So, the only real harm that I can do to you would just be in your mind, which I don't plan on doing," the being said as it drifted over to a sofa, appearing to take a seat in it.

"And why should I believe that? Especially after you messed with my head a couple weeks ago?"

"Simple, your cowardice will damage your mind for me if I ever want to mess with your noggin," the creature said, before looking at itself. "Though I will admit, looking like this isn't doing you any favors," it continued before the cloud shifted, changing shape until it took on the rough form of an alicorn similar in size to Luna. "Is this better now, or do you need something soft and cuddly like a bunny?"

"You don't have to be so mocking..." Sapphire muttered, causing the cloud being to quirk an eyebrow at her. "So... just what are you? Who are you?"

"What, I can't say, but who? You can call me Veritas for now," the being said as it lounged on the dream couch. Even though it was in the shape of a pony, it’s muzzle didn't move whenever it spoke.

"What do you mean you can't tell me what you are?" Sapphire asked, sticking her head a bit further out from the table.

"Cause you have to earn the privilege to know what I am. I'm not one for being an open book to a spineless pony," Veritas answered.

"'Earn the privilege'? Why do I need to do that for something that is tormenting me?!" Sapphire shot back as she pointed a hoof at Veritas. "I rather just get rid of you instead!"

"Oh, the little pony is starting to bite back, but I wonder if it's all bark instead of bite," Veritas casually said as she waved a hoof around in the air. "But how do you plan to get rid of me, hmm? Luna already scanned your mind once before, and found nothing out of the ordinary. So let me tell you a little secret. I was here before said scan."

Eyes widening, Sapphire could only utter out, "You-you're lying!"

"Whether you believe me or not, it's your call. Go ahead and have Luna check your mind again, you'll find out that I was telling the truth," Veritas countered as she laid back on the sofa, her forelegs right behind her head as she took a smug posture.

Staring at Veritas, Sapphire asked, "Then why are you doing all of this? If you're aren't out to harm me, at least answer that."

Shrugging, Veritas replied, "Sure, no harm in that. I'm just here to be a nuisance whenever I feel like it."

Giving the creature a deadpanned expression, Sapphire said in a neutral tone, "You're just here... to annoy me?"

"Eh, more or less. But that's cause you're a failure, or at least compared to what you once was."

Blinking, Sapphire exclaimed, "You knew who I was?"

"Yes and no. I just know what kind of pony you're meant to be. But your past? I don't have anything to give you, at least for now," Veritas replied before she shifted her head so that she could stare Sapphire down, causing her to back up a bit. "But I will tell you this much, I'm here to see if you could even become a faint shadow of the mare you were. I can tell you that the real Sapphire was a mare to be respected, and even if you're lacking her memories, a bit of who she was should still be present in you. Maybe that's why I'm here, to get you back on the right bucking path. Or maybe I'm here because you're just so messed up in the head that it's producing figments of your imagination that are strong enough to affect your mind in the waking world. Regardless, one thing that can be said for certain, I'm not going away anytime soon."

Chapter VII: Scans

"I don't think this is safe, Twilight..."

"Relax, I used this on Pinkie and she came out fine."

"That... doesn't fill me with much confidence," Sapphire dryly replied as she looked at the strange device on her head. It was early in the morning when Sapphire rushed over to the library, where she immediately informed Twilight about Veritas's presence in her mind. At first, Twilight was skeptical about the being, but upon hearing that it had a name, one that wasn't pony-like or even something other species would take, she became alarmed and proceeded to drag Sapphire down to her underground laboratory.

"Sapphire, do you honestly think I would do any harm to you?" Twilight asked while checking one of her devices.

"Not intentionally... and if you think this is safe, why the restraints?" Sapphire replied as she pulled on her forehooves which were clamped on top of another device.

"Safety protocols, don't want you to suddenly panic and damage my lab equipment," Twilight answered as she checked the helmet device, much to Sapphire's annoyance.

"Nice to know where your priorities are," Sapphire muttered to herself, only to feel her nose being flicked. "Hey, what was that for?"

"Sapphire, I know you're skeptical about all of this, but I am doing this for your own well-being. Now hold still, this will take just a minute," Twilight instructed as she pulled down a lever. Instantly, the device activated as Sapphire could hear the beeps and turning of gears from the machine.

"What is it doi—" Sapphire started to ask before a bulb suddenly shattered. "Is it supposed to do that‽"

"No, a wire mu—" Twilight answered until Sapphire was suddenly shocked, her body spasming as electricity ran through her body, causing her to cry out in pain. "Sapphire!"

"Gzzt-stop-zzzt-it!" Sapphire screamed as Twilight started turning the device's valve while pressing a couple buttons, which achieved no results.

"It's not working! What is goi—" Twilight exclaimed, panicking as she tried something else, only hear that Sapphire's cries of pain unexpectedly end. Blinking in surprise, she turned to find Spike helping Sapphire off the machine. The helmet had already been removed and the restraints undone, though Sapphire didn't look all the well based on her spinning eyes and her mane was standing on its ends.

"Jeeze, Twilight, what you did now?" Spike asked as he used a leg to push the restraining portion of the device away from Sapphire.

"I didn't do anything, it just malfunctioned," Twilight said as she went back to work on the device, shutting it off a minute later before returning her attention to Sapphire. "Sapphire, are you alright?"

"Why yes Flutter Dash, I would like a fork of paint, thank you very much," Sapphire answered with a smile as she stumbled about.

"I... um... I'll just bring you upstairs so you can rest on the couch Sapphire," Twilight said as she lit her horn up, engulfing Sapphire with her magic as she lifted her into the air.

"Oh, that's alright Rift, I can toss that tuna into your wagon," Sapphire replied with a laugh, causing Twilight to pause as she looked at her in confusion.

"Rift?" Twilight simply echoed, causing Sapphire to laugh as she waved a hoof through the air.

"Don't be orange Mister Rune, I can lift that pelican no problem!" Sapphire said with a giggle.

"Hmm..." Twilight hummed to herself, eyeing the shut device before them. "I wonder..."

"No Twilight! I know what you're thinking, but no," Spike commanded as he folded his arms over his chest.

"But it could help with her memory Spike," Twilight countered, as Sapphire was trying to swim through the air.

"Hey! Smell me Apple Pie! I'm flying through pudding!"

"...Okay... maybe it is a good idea to not push things any further," Twilight replied as she let out a sigh before carrying Sapphire upstairs.

"Is it me, or is it that everytime you try some kind of experiment on me, I end up suffering?" Sapphire asked as she ran a brush through her mane, flattening it out into its original state.

"It's just you. Now, are you certain the words rift and rune mean anything to you?" Twilight asked as she scribbled something on a scroll floating before her, causing Sapphire to frown at her.

"No, that shock I got didn't cause me to remember a thing," Sapphire answered as she shivered at the memory of being electrocuted.

"Odd that you mentioned words that you're unlikely to use in any kind of scenario. I'll just make a notice of those two words for now, in case we ever come across them again," Twilight said as she put the scroll away. "Again, I'm sorry you had to go through that. The odds of the scanners malfunctioning are incredibly low, I just need to take them apart to find out what's wrong."

"As surprising as that sounds, I'm more surprised that you didn't bring me to a hospital already," Sapphire idly commented as Spike came over with a plate full of daisy sandwiches. "Thank you Spike."

"No problem Sapphire, and I'm also wondering what you're doing here instead of the hospital. That, or at least with some doctor," Spike added as the two of them looked at Twilight, who blinked owlishly at them.

"What? I did a brief scan of Sapphire's vitals and found nothing wrong. I even consulted a medical textbook!" Twilight countered as she waved said book with her magic. "Anyways, from what data I could gather from the equipment and the scan, you don't appear to be under any magical influence of any sort. Whatever this Veritas is, I don't think somepony simply put it in your mind. All I can recommend is that you have Luna look at it the next time she visits you in your dreams."

Sighing, Sapphire rubbed the side of her head as she asked, "If that's the only choice you think I have, but do you mind sending a letter to Luna about this? I rather not have her come to my dreams, only to end up having to try another night due to being unprepared."

"Beware foul creature! We, the Princess of the Night, hath come forth to vanquish thee!" Luna declared as she appeared in Sapphire's dreamscape, fully armored in some kind of silver plate armor with a spear at her side. "Surrender, and mayhaps we sha—"

"You shall shut your trap and use your indoor voice like a normal pony," Veritas interjected as Sapphire just gave her a shocked look. Luna simply released a snort before observing her surroundings, which was just Sapphire's near-empty living room.

Pointing a spear at Veritas, Luna stated, "Show some respect knave, even before the one that will bring thy end to thee. Submit and thy end will be painless!"

Instead of addressing Luna, Veritas looked at Sapphire as she asked, "Is this really what you're going to use to get rid of me? Predictable."

"How dare thee make light of us! Hath at thee!" Luna shouted as she charged at Veritas, her spear glowing with magic, only to pass right through the being. "What the?"

"Don't judge a book by it’s cover. I may look like some kind of otherworldly creature, but I'm not," Veritas replied with a roll of her eyes before drifting over to the couch as she laid down on it. "So put your toys away, you're embarrassing everypony here. I'm not some kind of dream creature that you can simply banish at a whim."

Scowling at the creature, Luna flew over to it as she swung her spear at it a few more times, even firing a beam of magic at it. Unfortunately, all of her attacks simply passed through the being like it was some kind of ghost. "It is as I have feared," Luna declared as her horn grew brighter for a moment before her armor and spear disappeared as she was dressed in her regalia once more.

Gulping, Sapphire looked at Luna with dread as she asked, "What... what do you mean?"

Looking at Sapphire with a serious expression, Luna answered, "This being isn't some nightmarish dream monster, nor some kind of dream construct sent by some potential rival that seeks your downfall. Nay, for this creature is a being that is constructed by your very mind, mayhaps by your own subconsciousness."

"You do realize that I'm right here, you know?" Veritas said in an annoyed tone, causing Luna to let out another grunt.

Shivering at the thought that Veritas actually originated from her mind and was disrespectful towards Luna, Sapphire croaked out, "P-Princess Luna? You d-do know that I would ne—"

"Do not fret, my little pony. I know that you are a polite mare that wouldn't even think to be mean to others," Luna said with a smile as she placed a hoof on Sapphire's shoulder, causing the nervous mare to calm down. "Just because this being originated from your mind, doesn't mean it’s attitude and views are reflections of yours."

Hovering over to them, Veritas waved a hoof in front of Luna, saying, "Don't you dare ignore me, I demand that my presence is acknowledged!"

Letting out a long-suffering sigh, Luna turned her attention to the mental construct to reply, "Very well, I acknowledge you. Happy?"

"Nope, cause I'm bored," Veritas stated as she flipped onto her backside, swimming through the air.

"Umm... Princess Luna... is there some way for you to... um... get rid of her?" Sapphire asked as the creature did some kind of gesture with one of its forehooves, which only served to confused the other two ponies in the room for a moment.

"Alas, this is outside of my power. This... 'Veritas', is a being that must be resolved by your effort. Perhaps a doctor might be able to lend you aid in combating this nuisance, but if it is any consolation, I can assure you that you're not going insane," Luna replied, before being flicked on the ear by Veritas, causing her to glare at it in anger. "Though, I would recommend that you overcome this challenge with haste, for I believe that its presence would become grating to our nerves within a few mere nights."

Sighing at the thought of being stuck with Veritas every time she's asleep, her eyes suddenly brightened at an idea that came to her. Leaning over to whisper into Luna's ear, Sapphire asked, "Should we just move onto my memory hall? Maybe we could lose it by going there."

"An excellent idea," Luna replied as Veritas narrowed her eyes at them as she opened her mouth to say something, only for Luna to quickly take Sapphire and herself to the memory hall. "I think we have lost it."

Letting out a sigh of relief, Sapphire said, "That's good, it was bad enough dealing with Veritas in my dr—"

"Did anypony called for me?" Veritas asked as she appeared from underneath Luna's mane, much to the princess's ire. Groaning to herself, Sapphire thought, Luna said I'm not crazy... but with that thing around, as might as well be insane anyway.

"I heard that!”

Chapter VIII: Letter

"So... Luna couldn't help you either?" Twilight asked, having arrived in the morning out of the desire to know the results of Sapphire's night, sitting across from Sapphire's seat at her table.

"No... whoever, or whatever, this Veritas thing is, Princess Luna couldn't get rid of it. She believes that whatever Veritas is, she's probably linked to my memories, or my subconscious, or even both. She thinks Veritas is most likely some unresolved issues or something of the sort that I need to overcome, and she believes that would be good for my own well-being," Sapphire answered before dropping her face onto the table, where she let out a groan of frustration. "What's worse, Veritas taunted me every so often when I was trying to recover some of my memories despite Luna trying to order her to stay silent. So not only do I have some annoying voice in my head, but now it'll take longer to recover my memories."

Tapping her chin, Twilight stated, "That is a problem. Perhaps you possess a traumatic memory that your subconscious doesn't want you to remember, so it produced Veritas as a means of preventing you from having access to that memory."

Moving her head so she could look at Twilight, Sapphire countered, "But why would she make it harder for me to remember at all? Wouldn't it be easier for her to just take the shards of that memory and either get rid of them or hide them from me?"

"Hmm... good point... unless she's trying to distract you so that you wouldn't notice the memory being taken!" Twilight exclaimed, looking a bit proud of her reasoning, only for it to fade a bit at Sapphire's skeptical look. "Hey, it does have valid reasoning."

"You're really reaching for that idea with that explanation," Sapphire said as she lifted her head with a groan. "But it doesn't matter. Veritas is there, and I need to figure out a way to get rid of her."

"Well, I'll look at some books on psychology to see if there is anything that can help you with that. Though, you should look at the bright side. Things could always be worse, like say… being petrified," Twilight stated, causing Sapphire to raise an eyebrow at that. However, before Sapphire could open her mouth, Twilight continued, "Petrified means that a pony has been turned into stone."

"...That is a very specific thing to bring up Twilight," Sapphire replied, causing Twilight to let out a chuckle as her eyes darted to the side while her face took on an awkward expression.

"Well... let's just say that there was a little incident in the Everfree Forest where... I ended being turned to stone by a cockatrice," Twilight explained as she rubbed her forehooves together as Sapphire gave her a surprised look.

"What what what‽ You were turned into stone!" Sapphire exclaimed as she rushed over to Twilight's side, grabbing one of her forelegs as she inspected it. "But... you're all flesh and blood?!"

Pulling her leg away from Sapphire, Twilight replied, "Of course, how would I even get to your home if I was still a stone statue?" She then rolled her eyes. "Look, I'm fine now thanks to Fluttershy, so you can relax."

"Are you sure? I mean, turning to stone and then back to normal doesn't mean you're completely alright. Did you see a doctor?" Sapphire asked as she continued to look at Twilight with concern on her face.

"Of course I did. Even I know that being a statue for any period of time can't be good for your health. Luckily, the Ponyville Hospital is always open for medical emergencies," Twilight answered. Just as Sapphire was about to say something in turn, there was a knock on the front door, causing the both of them to look at it as Twilight asked, "Were you expecting visitors?"

"Not that I know of..." Sapphire replied as she went to the front door, opening it to reveal a grey mare with a blond mane. The mare had one eye looking at Sapphire and the other looking at a different direction as she held out an envelope with one of her wings. "Umm... thanks?" Sapphire said as she took the envelope, to which the mare smiled and gave her a salute before flying off.

"Who's it from?" Twilight asked as she trotted over to Sapphire's side just as Sapphire took a look at the return address.

"It's from Photo Finish? It can't be a check..." Sapphire said as she opened the envelope, pulling out the letter as she read its contents, causing her to take a surprised look. "She wants me to go to Canterlot for another photo shoot."

"But ain't that a bit soon for you? I thought you wanted to do it once a month at most," Twilight asked.

"Yeah... she mentioned that in the letter, but she said that due to how rare it is for a model to be naturally as thin as I am, and along with my coloration, I'm drawing quite a crowd. She thinks that if I go to Canterlot for the photoshoot, it could draw the attention of some of the wealthy ponies that might have them want me to model for some of their advertisements... whatever those are," Sapphire said as she looked over the contents of the letter again.

Sighing at Sapphire's limited knowledge of the world, Twilight explained, "Advertisements are a form of marketing communication that corporations use in order to alert the general public of the products they're selling and their capabilities," only to receive the sight of Sapphire blinking at her, which caused her to sigh again. "It's how corporations get their buyers to know about their products."

"Ohhh... though I don't know if I should... I mean, I don't want to attract too much attention to myself..." Sapphire replied.

"That might be a problem. But, if this is working out for you, it can't hurt to do one shoot early, right? Maybe Photo Finish can give you an extended break afterward?" Twilight proposed, causing Sapphire to look at the letter once more before letting out her own sigh.

"Might as well. Having some more bits can't hurt, and getting this out of the way now instead of later would be best. Though that means I have to pay a visit to Rarity and figure out how to get a ticket to Canterlot," Sapphire said as she rubbed her forehead with a hoof. Twilight then levitated the envelope up from the ground where Sapphire dropped it, opening it a bit before pulling out a ticket, causing Sapphire to blush for not fully emptying out the thing. "Okay... that's one problem solved. So, I guess that I have to just pay Rarity a visit since she told me she would like to see me before I go to another photo shoot."

"Please! Please try to get Photo Finish to come to Ponyville!" Rarity cried as she clung to Sapphire's chest after she heard the news.

"Whoa! What has gotten into you Rarity?! You weren't this bad when I went to Manehatten," Sapphire said as she tried to pry Rarity's hooves off her without hurting the crying mare.

"But that wasn't before a new fashion trend had started to hit and I need the exposure now before its too late!" Rarity cried out as she kept her hold on Sapphire. "If I don't get my dresses into the fashion magazines now, I won’t be able try again for months!"

"Alright already. I'll try to convince Photo Finish to come to Ponyville. But didn't you want me to bring some of your dresses instead?" Sapphire asked as Rarity finally loosened her grip enough for Sapphire to push her off.

"It's quite simple my dear. You can only bring so many dresses, and they may not look as pristine as when they arrived, which Photo may reject. But if she were to come here herself, then I could present my entire line in their best condition! It may be a tad hard for you to convince her, so try to use Ponyville's idyllic nature as a drawing point to get her interested," Rarity stated.

"If you think so... I'll try my best, but no promises," Sapphire said, which Rarity then pranced about on the same spot with delight clearly on her face.

"Ohh... first Hoity Toity, and now Photo Finish? This will put my store on the fast track to becoming famous! At this rate, it won't be long before I have my own boutique in Canterlot!" Rarity exclaimed, causing Sapphire to blink in confusion.

"Wait, you want to move your store to Canterlot?" Sapphire asked as she tilted her head at this revelation.

"Oh, I don't want to move my home to Canterlot dear. Ponyville is my home, but I would love to expand my business into Canterlot. I'll just be having a pony selling my dresses in my stead there. For you see, Canterlot is the capital of Equestria, and if you can have a successful store there, than you can open one anywhere!" Rarity explained as she danced in glee.

"Oh... okay... I see what you mean, I think," Sapphire replied, rubbing the back of her head with a hoof. "Well, since this is cleared up, I'll be off to Canterlot then," Sapphire declared as she started to rise from her seat.

"Very well dear. Do tell me of all your escapades in Canterlot when you come back!" Rarity said with a smile.

Pausing for a moment, Sapphire replied, "Umm... I'm just going to a photo shoot, nothing more..." which caused Rarity to gasp in surprise. "...What?"

"What?! Sapphire dear, you're going to Canterlot! Didn't you hear what I just said? Its the capital of Equestria! There is no more impo—wait, do you know what a capital is, Sapphire?" Rarity asked, as her shocked look turned into a narrowed eyed one.

"Um... it's when you make a small letter a bigger one?" Sapphire answered, bearing an awkward smile as Rarity simply placed a forehoof to her head as she shook it at her.

"Dear... have you gotten to your geography books yet?" Rarity asked as she eyed Sapphire with a suspicious look.

"Umm... a little bit?" Sapphire said as she forced herself to smile even wider as Rarity just let out a soft groan.

"Sapphire... a capital city is where the seat of government rules from. The royal sisters reside in Canterlot, along with the unicorn nobility and... well, how about you see for yourself?" Rarity stated as she walked up to a window, opening it as she pointed at something.

Stepping up beside her, Sapphire followed the direction of where her hoof was pointing, only to gasp at the sight of the city perched on the nearby mountain. "How did I not notice that?"

"Well, considering that you either have your nose in a book, to the point that you could give Twilight herself a run for her money, or that you were occupied with food, you haven't been out that much lately. You should consider going out once in a while for some fresh air, and visit the spa while you're at it. It would be good for your complexion," Rarity stated.

"Okay... but I wouldn't know what to do there after the photo shoot. I mean... I really don't have any hobbies and I'm not into sightseeing," Sapphire replied back in mild tone.

"Well dear, since it is the capital, you could visit various historical sights, as well as the various cultural centers..." Rarity started to say until she saw that she wasn't grabbing Sapphire's attention, which caused her to add, "Not to mention the high-class restaurants th—"

"Wait, high-class restaurants?! What do you mean by that?!" Sapphire said as her ears perked up at that bit of information.

"What I mean is that you can experience some of the best food that Equestria has to offer. There is nothing but the best in Canterlot," Rarity said, smiling at Sapphire's eyes as they started to brighten while she inwardly hoped that this would lead Sapphire to fully experience the splendor of Canterlot.

"Then why didn't you say that in the first place‽ Canterlot, here I come!"

Chapter IX: Restaurants

"So, you're saying that this is where the best restaurants can be found?" Sapphire asked as she looked down a street line with places that had their signs with three hoofprints on it for some strange reason.

"Yes, but do not eat too much, for you must maintain ze figure of a goddess!" Photo Finish said as she pointed up to the sky as she stood on a seat that was carried by a pair of ponies. It was late afternoon at the street known as Restaurant Row, where after the fashion show, Sapphire somehow felt disturbed by the blond unicorn that was staring at her intently from the crowd of nobles. After hearing Sapphire's desire to try out the foods served at Canterlot, Photo was kind enough to bring her to Restaurant Row to fulfill her wishes. This was of course, after providing her a hotel room for a few days.

"Umm... I actually eat a lot... like a lot more than the average pony... and I haven't gained any weight, so..." Sapphire started to reply, causing Photo Finish to frown as she held her pose while her seat bearers blinked in surprise.

"...Then eat ze foods! You must maintain your figure! Here is the money from ze show and your tickets home, now I go!" Photo stated before the two stallions trotted off with her.

"Wait, you do remember what I asked you about, right?" Sapphire cried out, causing the stallions to pause as Photo Finish looked back at her.

"Yes yes, we go to Ponyville to see this friend of yours and her clothes, in exchange you do an extra fashion show. Photo Finish will keep her word!" Photo replied as she pointed at the sky before her bearers resumed their way.

"Okay... as long you remembered..." Sapphire muttered to herself as she shook her head at the oddity that was Photo Finish before heading into the closest restaurant. Inside the place, there was a unicorn greeter dressed in a red vest with a black tie who raised an eyebrow at Sapphire's entrance.

"Excuse me miss, but this place is for ponies of a... high level of caliber. I'm sorry to say this, but it may be best that you take your leave," the greeter said as he waved a hoof at the restaurant. This caused Sapphire to notice that it was rather bland, with somepony playing the violin in the background and various ponies dressed in some rather classy clothing eating at bland, boring shining tables. She then saw a waiter place down a plate as he revealed... what appeared to be the tiniest morsels of food that Sapphire had ever seen in her life.

Blinking in surprise, Sapphire said, "You might be... right..." as she turned around and made her way out the front door. She then looked up at a sign by the restaurant that had three familiar hooves on it. That is, till she then saw that all the other restaurants with the same imprints on them. "...Somehow, I have a bad feeling about this..."

"Ten restaurants that serve the same thing that barely counts as food?! How does Rarity think this place has fine dining?" Sapphire mumbled to herself in utter disappointment as she walked away from Restaurant Row. After the first place, Sapphire decided that it might be best to look through the windows first to see what was being served, only to be horrified at the tiny morsels that the ponies were actually paying for to eat. To even drive the point home, each of the restaurants' interiors looked nearly the same to each other, even down to their waiters. The very sight made her wonder why there were so many of the same places all on one street in the first place.

As she was lamenting at the dreams of feasting on foods that she may never have experienced before, Sapphire heard some rumbling from within her, reminding her that she still needed to eat something. Her disappointed frown turning into a scowl, Sapphire let out a snort as she went into a trot, intending to find the nearest grocery store or open market when suddenly, she spotted something on the edge of her vision. Looking to her left, Sapphire's eyes started to widen as she saw something that brought all her lamenting to an end. She started to make a rather fast trot towards the object while making certain that she weaving through the streets without bumping into anypony. Coming up to her destination, she looked up at the building with the massive donut above the entrance. The sight alone made her lick her lips before trotting inside. Here, she received the sight of ponies actually eating donuts, and not a plate of tiny food things that they were eating at Restaurant Row. Looking around, Sapphire then saw the counter with shelves of donuts right behind it manned by a unicorn stallion, which she promptly went up to with a smile on her face.

Spotting Sapphire's approach, the stallion greeted her with the same smile as he said, "Hello there, welcome to Joe's Donut Shop, owned by yours truly, Donut Joe. How may I help you today, miss?

"Yeah, how many donuts can I buy with this?" Sapphire said as she took out her bit pouch, dropping about fifty bits onto the counter as Donut Joe's jaw just dropped. "Umm... do I need to get more bits?"

With a plate of donuts of various kinds and fillings, Sapphire was sitting in her seat with a look of contentment on her face as she levitated another donut to her muzzle, much to the horror of the ponies around her. Their horror was probably due to the fact that Sapphire had a plate of forty donuts that she paid eighty bits for, paying an extra thirty just so she could get a chance at tasting all the available flavors the place had to offer. The mares in particular, were staring with some amazement mixed in with their horror, for even when Sapphire was biting down on her twenty-third donut, she showed no signs of her belly becoming bloated from the rather large meal she was having. Even Donut Joe was muttering to himself about never seeing a pony eat this much.

As Sapphire was about to bite down on donut number twenty-four, she heard a feminine voice to her side asking, "Excuse me miss, is this seat taken?"

Blinking in surprise, Sapphire turned her head to see a white-coated pegasus mare with a pink mane. The mare smiled at Sapphire as she held a tray with a couple of donuts with a cup of tea next to them on one of her wings.

"Oh, umm... sure? I mean, I don't have anypony else to eat with," Sapphire said with a blink as she pulled her plate of donuts away from the center of the table, causing the mare to smile as she sat on the opposite side.

"Why thank you, and let me introduce myself. My name is Sunny Skies, and what's your name?" Sunny said with a wide smile on her muzzle.

As Sapphire was about to reply, she suddenly heard a voice cry out, 'Don't trust her, she's a spy!' causing her to blink as she looked around.

"Umm... did you hear that?" Sapphire asked as Sunny Skies tilted her head in confusion.

'Wait... you can finally hear me now? About damn time! Listen here numbskull, it's me, Veritas!’ the voice said, causing Sapphire's pupils to shrink a bit as Sunny looked around, her ears rotating about.

"Umm... I didn't hear anything... do you mind telling me what you heard?" Sunny asked as she returned her attention to Sapphire, who looked at her with a forced smile.

"Oh, nothing, I guess I was just hearing things! Anyways, my name is Sapphire Rain, nice to meet you!" Sapphire replied as she held a hoof out, all the while she thought in her mind, 'Oh come on, first you bug in me my dreams and now you're bugging me here?'

'Hey, don't get mad at me! I'm just looking out for you! And speaking of which, whatever you do, don't trust that mare!' Veritas countered, which nearly caused Sapphire to let out a snort.

Taking Sapphire's hoof, Sunny Skies shook it as she said, "And it's nice to meet you too. Though I must say, if you aren't expecting any guests, why do you have so many donuts?" as she pointed with one of her wings at the pile of donuts on Sapphire's plate.

"Cause I'm going to eat them?" Sapphire answered, causing Sunny to blink in surprise. Her blinking continued as she then watched Sapphire levitate a whole donut into her mouth.

This, in turn, caused Sunny to glance at all the ponies around them, noting that they were all still staring at Sapphire. She soon returned her attention towards Sapphire, only to receive the sight of her eating another donut. "Umm... are you sure that you can eat that many donuts?" Sunny asked as she used the tip of her wings to raise a cup to her mouth.

"Oh yeah, I already ate more than what I had on my plate before you came to my table," Sapphire replied, causing Sunny to nearly spit her tea out as some of it spilled out of the cup and onto her tray. "Umm... are you okay?"

'Fine, don't listen to me. But I'm so going to chant 'I told ya so' when you find out that I'm right,' Veritas stated with a huff as Sapphire's left eye twitched for a brief moment.

"Yes yes, I'm alright. I was just wondering how you could manage to eat that much. No offense, but I never saw a mare of your size eating that many donuts before, and I do believe that is the same thought held by many here," Sunny said with a somewhat forced smile, causing Sapphire to blink as she looked around herself.

"Huh, I didn't notice that before," Sapphire replied, causing Sunny to silently mouth out 'really' before resuming her smile when Sapphire returned her attention to her. "Eh, whatever. It's their problem, not mine."

"But aren't you worried about gaining some weight from eating so many donuts?" Sunny responded, only to rear her head back a bit when Sapphire shrugged.

"Not really. I've been to parties where I’ve had more than twice this much and didn't pack on a pound. My friend Twilight thinks that it's due to me having a really fast metabolism," Sapphire said as she stuffed another donut into her muzzle. The sight made Sunny try to resist the urge to pop her eyeballs out in surprise as she just stared at Sapphire before shaking her head to regain her composure.

"Miss Rain, some would say that you are one of the luckiest mares in Equestria to have a trait like that. But if your claims are true, I doubt that the rest of your meal would be enough to sate your appetite. How about you come with me to my place and I treat you to a meal you will never forget?" Sunny asked with a smile.

At the thought of such a meal, Sapphire pushed away any warnings from Veritas about this being a trap as she said, "Now that, Sunny, is music to my ears," causing Sunny to widen her smile before it faltered as she saw Sapphire start stuffing donuts down her mouth.

"Umm... there's no reason to rush... nevermind..."

"You live here? Wow, you must be rich or something like that," Sapphire stated, causing Sunny to raise one of her eyebrows at her as they stood in front of what looked to be the largest palace in Canterlot. Or, at least that is what Sapphire was assuming as she looked at the structure before her, with the front doors even having a pair of guards in golden armor.

"Umm... yes... rich... now just follow me inside please," Sunny said as she started to make her way towards the front doors with Sapphire in tow. As they got up to the front door, the guards gave Sunny a salute before opening the door for her, to which she gave them her thanks before proceeding inside.

"Wow... you must be some important pony to have your own guards for your home," Sapphire observed, though she noticed that Sunny paused as her right foreleg shivered a bit.

Letting out a sigh, Sunny looked about before saying, "Hmm... good. There's none of the nobility or staff around," causing Sapphire to blink before looking about as well.

"Why is that a good thing, Su—" Sapphire started to say until her mouth snapped shut when she looked back at Sunny, only to receive the sight of none other than Princess Celestia looking at her.

'I told ya so, I told ya so, I I, I told ya so!'

Chapter X: Cake

"P-Princess C-Celestia!" Sapphire squeaked out before gulping a bit. "W-what are you doing here? And... what happened to Sunny Skies?" Sapphire asked as she nervously looked around.

'Oh for the love of...' Veritas muttered before going silent for a brief moment. The silence soon stopped as she suddenly declared, 'You know what? I’ve had enough for today. Good luck with getting yourself out of this mess.'

Looking upon Sapphire with some amazement on her face, Celestia muttered, "You think..." before shaking her head clear of her current thought pattern as she returned her attention to Sapphire. "Sapphire, I'm here cause this is Canterlot Castle, where I rule Equestria from."

"You ruled from here, but but... Sunny told me she lives here!" Sapphire exclaimed as she started to back away from Celestia, who was giving her a flat look.

"Sapphire, Sunny Skies was a disguise that I was using when I don't want to attract too much attention," Celestia explained, before a small smile graced her muzzle. She then walked over to Sapphire, placing a hoof on her shoulder as she said, "And there's no reason to be afraid. I know that our first interaction wasn't... ideal, but I do apologize for upsetting you, it wasn't my intention. I was just concerned about my student's safety, and I might have gone a bit far in regards to you."

Gazing at Celestia's larger size with fear still apparent in her eyes, Sapphire shivered a bit despite what Celestia just said as she asked, "But... then why am I here, Princess?"

Shaking her head in amusement, Celestia answered, "Relax Sapphire, for you're not in trouble. In fact, I only brought you to the castle because I wish to help you," which caused Sapphire's shiver to come to an end as she looked at Celestia with a surprised expression. "For you see, my sister Luna has been talking about her endeavors of restoring your memory. And so, upon finding you today, I thought to bring you to the castle so I can see if I could aid you, as my means of compensating you for the horrible day I caused you to have," Celestia continued with her smile fading away as she reached the end of her explanation as she took her hoof off her shoulder.

"Okay... wait, so you put on a disguise and went into a donut shop just to pick me up and bring me to the castle?" Sapphire asked as she tilted her head in confusion.

"Oh no, I was just on my weekly donut break. You just being there was a lucky coincidence," Celestia stated with a smile before placing a wing around Sapphire, spooking her for a bit. Seeing this, she briefly placed her hoof on Sapphire's shoulder again to calm her down. "Still, I promised you a meal that you will never forget, and if what you claimed about yourself to be true, I'm fairly certain that you would enjoy what I have to say. Have you ever tried a five layered, chocolate covered vanilla cake with strawberries on top?" Celestia asked, causing Sapphire's eyes to widen with wonder, prompting her to chuckle as she started to lead Sapphire down the hallway.

"Seriously... a five layered cake? What are you thinking, Aunty Tia? You know you have a daily limit on the number of pastries you can eat," Cadance muttered to herself as she walked up to the dining room doors, briefly summoning a mirror so she could look at her pink coated self for any stray hair out of place before nodding in satisfaction. Lighting up her horn, she engulfed the doors in a light blue aura before forcing them open with enough force to slam into the walls. She then began her trek inside, rearing up as she pointed a hoof into the room, shouting, "Aunty Tia, how could you... you..." only to stop upon seeing the sight of Celestia and Sapphire looking at her with confused expressions from their seats apart from one another on the massive dining room table. Sapphire's expression held a bit of fear however, along with her cheeks being stuffed with cake. In front of Celestia was a single untouched slice of cake, while in front of Sapphire was a half-eaten cake.

"Cadance my dear, is something the matter?" Celestia asked as Sapphire swallowed down the cake in her mouth before hopping off the chair to give Cadance a bow.

"Umm... well I... I heard that you had some of the castle staff bring up one of your larger cakes from your cake stash... which led me to believe that you were going over your weekly cake quota. And, Aunty, who is this mare?" Cadance asked as she turned her attention to Sapphire while lowering her hoof down. Sapphire quickly noticed this and promptly lowered her head to the point that her muzzle was just barely above the floor. "Umm... you don't have to bow anymore... whoever you are."

As Sapphire jerked her head up, Celestia rolled her eyes as she answered, "Cadance, this is Sapphire Rain, a resident of Ponyville who happened to be a friend of Twilight's. And before you ask, I ordered this cake just for Sapphire to enjoy."

Raising an eyebrow, Cadance said, "Aunty, do you honestly expect me to believe that this entire cake, minus the slice that you have right before you, is for this one mare to consume on her own?"

Letting out a sigh, Celestia replied, "I know that you would find this hard to believe, but this cake is indeed for Sapphire to enjoy. Though... I will admit that I'm rather perturbed at just how much she can eat at one sitting. I'm starting to wonder if Sapphire is some lost wonder of the world."

"Aunty, do you honestly think I will fall for that? I mean, look at her," Cadance retorted as she lit her horn with her magic, engulfing Sapphire with its aura as she lifted her into the air. "Look at her! With what is missing from the cake, she is bound to have some kind of gut showing," Cadance stated as she pointed a hoof at Sapphire's belly.

"Umm... can you put me down now please?" Sapphire asked as she blinked in surprise at what was happening, causing Cadance to blush as she lowered the mare down.

Letting out another sigh, Celestia responded, "Cadance dear, how about you sit by my side and watch for a moment. I promise that you will see what I mean in a moment."

Frowning, Cadance walked over to Celestia's side, taking a seat on one of the open chairs as she said, "Fine Aunty, I'll humor you this one time. But mark my words, you're not going to get away from this that easily."

"Oh sweet Celestia, how is this even possible?!"

"Don't look to me for answers. I'm still trying to figure out if she's actually the god of gluttony or somehow possesses a black hole in her stomach," Celestia stated as she and Cadance stared at Sapphire while she ate the last bites of the cake that was before her. Pushing the untouched slice of cake in front of Cadance with one of her forehooves, Celestia said, "You can have this. I don't think I'll be eating any cake for the rest of the day."

Pushing the slice of cake back in front of Celestia with her magic, Cadance replied, "No thank you. I don't think I'll be having any cake for at least a week, if not a month."

"If you two aren't going to eat that slice of cake, can I have it then?" Sapphire asked as the two alicorns felt their left eye twitching in perfect sync.

"Go ahead Sapphire," Celestia simply responded as she pushed the cake in front of Sapphire, who promptly gave her a thankful smile before sinking her fork into the slice.

Blinking a bit, Cadance shook her head for a bit before rearing up onto the table, pointing a hoof at Sapphire as she said, "Wait a minute, I know you!"

Pausing as she held the entire slice on her floating fork, Sapphire blinked as she asked, "What do you mean? I don't recall ever meeting you before..."

"Well, we actually never met, but I have seen pictures of you in the latest issue of Manehatten Mares. You're that rising model that so many mares wish they could have your figure. But how are you able to do that after consuming so much cake?! What is your secret? Is it some kind of spell?" Cadance replied, leaning over the table as Sapphire leaned back, even though the table was ten feet wide.

"I... don't know? I just eat whatever I want, and I don't put on any pounds. Twilight thinks that I have a really fast metabolism," Sapphire said with a shrug before stuffing the cake into her mouth.

"But I... that doesn't make... how in the world..." Cadance said as her head tilted to her the side. It soon straightened back when Celestia tapped her shoulder with the tips of her wing.

"Excuse us for a moment Sapphire, there is something that I need to discuss with my niece for the moment," Celestia stated as she got up and started heading out of the room through the same entrance that Cadance came in. Said mare followed Celestia in confusion, closing the doors behind them once they had gotten out.

"...What is so weird about me having all that food? I already explained to them what Twilight said to me..." Sapphire muttered to herself as she pushed herself away from the table before looking down at her belly, where she prodded it with a hoof. "Is it really that hard to believe that I can eat all that food without getting a gut?"

Suddenly, the doors opposite of the ones the two alicorns had left in opened, revealing two guards that were pushing the doors open. Behind them was a white stallion with a blond mane, wearing a blue tie and some kind of collar around his neck. He then spoke up as he walked inside, "Auntie, I must speak to you about your..." before drifting off as he looked upon Sapphire, who returned the look with a confused stare. After a moment of shared staring, the stallion took on a grin that caused Sapphire to flinch as he then said, "Well well well, what do we have here?" before he started to trot over to Sapphire, stopping right before her as he then grabbed her hoof, bringing it up to his lips as he kissed it. As Sapphire's eyes widened in surprise, the stallion lowered her hoof down as he said, "My dear mare, you should count yourself fortunate that I, Prince Blueblood the Nineteenth, have graced you with my presence," as he winked at her.

Blinking in surprise, Sapphire could only stare at the stallion before her as she thought to herself, '...Why do I feel like I should jump out the nearest window?'

Chapter XII: Memory

As her question hung in the air, Sapphire could only see that the guards were still staring at her, prompting her to look around. She then saw that the princesses were behind her, causing her eyes to widen with surprise. "...Um... I can explain?" Sapphire stated with a forced smile until the two guards shook their heads clear of their shock.

"Get her!" one of the guards stated, causing Sapphire to turn her attention towards them as they jumped onto the table before pouncing at her. The sight thankfully brought the two alicorns out of their own stupor.

"Wait, don't hurt her!" Cadance cried out as Sapphire shrieked in surprise, only to blink as she saw the two guards now floating in midair. Sapphire then saw that they were surrounded by a golden aura, causing everypony to turn their attention to Celestia.

"Well, while I commend you two's actions to apprehend a pony that has harmed another, I'm fairly certain that my nephew had brought this on himself. Though, I will admit that the circumstances around this have left me quite surprised," Celestia stated as she set the two guards down. Looking upon Sapphire, Celestia asked, "So, since you said you can explain what happened, I suggest you start from the beginning while the guards bring my nephew to the infirmary."

"...I can't believe that he of all ponies is related to you."

"It's a long distance... and complicated relation, dear. Though, I will admit that his recent actions were... deplorable," Celestia admitted after hearing Sapphire's explanation. While this happened, Celestia ordered the castle staff to clean up the mess and replace all the broken chairs with new ones. "But this memory that you recalled, odd that Blueblood triggered it. But it did seem that this is the most solid memory you’ve had so far, correct?"

Nodding, Sapphire said, "Yeah... and... if I'm right... then I at least know what my mother looked like," as tears started to well up in her eyes. This caused Cadance, who was sitting beside her while Celestia was on the other side of the table, to place a hoof on her wethers.

"Well, even if it wasn't Blueblood's intention, he did turn out useful in the end. And now, Luna finally has something to work with," Celestia declared, before rubbing her chin as she continued, "Though, I'm still curious about that punch you gave to Blueblood. Have you ever displayed other signs of strength that others would consider abnormal?"

"Well... there was the time where I helped Applejack with her farmwork for a day, and I wasn't all that worn out from it. And then there was the time I lugged a cart that had a big fridge on it all by myself... but doesn't that just make me a strong mare?" Sapphire asked as she looked at Celestia, who was lost in thought after hearing what she said.

"I... it is a possibility, but there are so many unknown variables in this matter. But, that memory you remembered, it might hold the keys we need in order to figure out the truth beyond your mysterious appearance in Ponyville," Celestia stated, though she immediately regretted her choice of words as she saw Sapphire flinch at the mention of her appearance, as well as their first interaction that involved it. "It might not be much, but it is our most solid lead we have. So, I humbly request that you stay in the castle for the night."

"But... I have a hotel room that Photo Finish went through the trouble to set up for me. Wouldn't it be weird if I don't show up to use it?" Sapphire asked as she pulled out a key that Photo had given to her after the fashion show.

Raising an eyebrow, Cadance said, "I don't think Photo would mind if you stayed at the castle instead of the hotel. In fact, if Auntie is alright with it, you could stay at the castle for the duration of your trip here and I could simply have one of the guards return the key and inform the hotel staff that you won't be needing the room," as she looked at Celestia, who simply nodded in approval.

As Sapphire was about to protest once more, Celestia added in, "Furthermore, I can have the cooking staff prepare you meals that you have never ever seen before, and as much as you desire during your stay here," to which she saw Sapphire's eyes gleam with interest, causing Celestia to smirk to herself at how simple this mare's desires can be at times.

"I see you have changed shape... Veritas."

"Eh, it's not like I actually possess a true shape. I can take on any form I desire on a whim, Moonbutt."

"...If my magic could have an effect on you, I would wipe you from existence for that insult," Luna growled out as Sapphire's eyes darted back and forth between the princess and Veritas as they were in her memory hall. Veritas now had a form that looked quite similar to Applejack's brother, though she still had her feminine voice present.

"Yeah, but thankfully I'm not a figment of Sapphire's dream, so you can't touch me," Veritas stated before prancing around Luna, much to Sapphire's horror.

As Luna face darkened with anger at Veritas's actions, her eyes suddenly lit up as she said, "Finally, she has entered the dream realm," as her horn lit up, summoning a portal that she partly stepped into. A second later, she pulled herself out of the portal, only for Celestia to follow, causing Sapphire's eyes to widen in shock before she jerked her head in Veritas's direction.

"Veritas, if you’re actually here to help me in some way, then please don't cause me any more trouble," Sapphire pleaded, to which Veritas gave a sagely nod to as she turned towards Celestia who was approaching her.

"I see that you're the entity that my sis—" Celestia started to say until Veritas reared up onto her rear hooves, taking on what looked to be a fighting pose with her forelegs held up before her chest.

"Stranger danger!" Veritas simply exclaimed, causing the two princesses to blink in surprise as Sapphire just gaped in horror at the entity. Luna then let out an exasperated groan as she placed a hoof on her head.

"Sapphire... ignore your tenant's actions for the moment, and instead focus on your memory. Preferably before Veritas succeeds in driving us to our wits' end," Luna requested, to which Sapphire closed her mouth before giving her a short nod as she closed her eyes in concentration. Looking upon the unicorn, Luna lit her horn up, engulfing Sapphire in her magic before the scenery changed to that of the same fuzzy gray field that Sapphire recently remembered. It was right at the beginning of the memory where they could see all the various colored blobs around them, with only Sapphire's potential mother being the only one that was clear to see.

"Is this normal for fragmented memories to appear like this, Luna?" Celestia asked as she examined one of the blobs while Sapphire opened her eyes. She then looked around in confusion due to the part of the memory appearing to be frozen.

"Sometimes sister, for there are different ways for a broken memory to present itself to the viewer. However, in this case, the appearance is due in part of Sapphire having some recollection of the objects around her, but not a full one. Once she has managed to recall any of the things present here, it should clear up so that we all can have a better view," Luna stated, clearing some of Sapphire's confusion as the mare looked at Celestia.

"Umm... Princess Celestia, what are you doing in my mind?" Sapphire asked.

Looking at Sapphire with a simple smile, Celestia answered, "I'm here to help you out as well, Sapphire. After all, a different perspective could provide everypony more insight into the matters on hoof."

Rolling her eyes, Veritas shifted her form to match Celestia's own figure as she said, "She doesn't need another perspective when I'm already here to give one."

Letting out a snort, Luna turned to look at Sapphire, saying, "Sapphire, since we're present at a partly formed memory, we might be able to locate the ponies that you have a connection to if we were able to get a clear view of them. However, to do so, we would need you to do your best to recall what you can. Now, my sister told me that this mare before us could be your mother, but one pony may not be enough for us to track down your family. So, could you attempt to see if you can recall your father? I know I'm asking for something that might be impossible for you to do, but all you have to do is follow your heart, and it should lead you to those that matter to you."

Blinking at Luna's instructions, Sapphire said, "Okay... I'll try my best your majesty," as she closed her eyes, ears folding down on her head as she tried to feel out her dream while Veritas just shook her head as she floated above the group.

"I say this is just going to be a mistake for everypony, for this is nothing more than something that would lead you down a path to more misery, Sapphire," Veritas warned, though Sapphire ignored it as she looked to her right, away from her mother at a group of ponies that were running in the opposite direction. Slowly, Sapphire walked among the colored blobs with the two princesses behind her, before stopping in front of a grayish one that seemed to be calling out to her. Reaching out with one of her forehooves, Sapphire touched the blob before jerking back as its form shifted, turning into a thin gray coated unicorn stallion with a short mane that matched Sapphire's own coat. It had deep blue eyes that looked like they had a kind of defiance within them. Looking down, Sapphire saw that the stallion had a Cutie Mark of a pair of wands crisscrossing one another. Then, she looked back at the mare that she believed to be her mother, seeing that her own Mark was that of a raincloud.

"Interesting, it seems that you have found your father, but I don't see you among all those ponies," Celestia mused, bringing Sapphire's attention towards her.

"Umm... well, I think that light blue speck near my mother might be me..." Sapphire stated as she pointed at the said speck that was a few mere feet away from the blue mare.

"Hmm... it seems to be the most likely one, though based on its size, it could be a younger you. However, it is unclear how young you are when you had this experience. Perhaps if you could aid us by clearing your 'past you', then we could have some kind of gauge of how long ago this memory was," Luna stated as she and Celestia walked up to the speck, only to have Veritas come down before them.

"I don't think this is a good idea you three, there are some things that are best left alone," Veritas stated, causing the two princesses to glare at her in turn.

"Veritas, if that is truly your name, step aside so we can get closer to finding the answers we seek. At this point, you're becoming an obstacle instead of a barely helpful nuisance," Luna stated, causing Veritas to snort in anger. However, this served as a distraction that Sapphire needed as she went to the speck while the entity's back was turned to her, reaching out with a hoof as she wondered what she looked like a filly. Noticing that there were only two mares in her view, Veritas blinked before turning around, spotting Sapphire as her hoof was mere inches away from the construction. The sight made Veritas start to panic, causing her to reach out with her own hoof as she exclaimed, "No! Don't touch that!"

Despite Veritas’s attempt to get in Sapphire's way, the mare was able to touch the speck before having her foreleg pushed away. Upon having a brief contact with Sapphire's hoof, the speck started to shift, clearing up into a sight that caused all the mares to gasp as Veritas groaned in annoyance. As the two sisters looked with utter surprise at the figure before them, Sapphire could only stare in disbelief of the light blue unicorn filly that looked like a younger version of her that appeared to be four or five years old. Her flank was bare of her Cutie Mark as the filly looked at her mother in shock and confusion. However, it wasn't the lack of a Cutie Mark that surprised the trio, for it was the presence of a small pair of wings on the filly's back that had struck the ponies speechless.

Author's Note

Welp, this is the moment where I should run and hide before an angry mob can gather some pitchforks and torches to chase me down and roast me alive. Unless some of you saw this coming.

Chapter XIII: Wings

"...Well buck, this is going to ruin things for a while," Veritas stated as her words ended the silence of the three ponies, prompting them to look upon the blue entity.

"Wait, you knew about this?" Luna exclaimed as a fury came upon her face. Veritas then simply rolled her eyes at her, which only made her even angrier.

"Yes and no. It's complicated because I'm complicated, but I will say that she shouldn't know about this. At least a gut feeling is telling me that," Veritas said as her form shifted, turning into what looked to be a unicorn covered with a cloak, surprising the two sisters. However, this gave Sapphire the time to collect her wits as she as looked upon Veritas. Veritas then jerked her head towards the mare, showing an eerie awareness like if she had hidden eyes on the back of her head.

"But... how? This doesn't make any sense! How could I have wings when I was a filly, but not now?" Sapphire croaked out.

Letting out a snort, Veritas replied, "Life never make much sense, you'll find out in time, though I preferred that you hadn't seen this yet. But, life rarely goes the way one wants it to. Still, things will end the way things should, so be happy with your soon to be miserable life. Anyways, we won't be seeing each other anytime soon since I have a job to take care of, so good luck with your terrible future," as she reached out with a hoof to poke Sapphire in the chest with it, just as Luna and Celestia were about to approach the entity. However, before they could get a word out, Veritas sneered as she reared the hoof she was using, causing Sapphire's eyes to widen just as Veritas slammed the hoof into her face.

"Gah!" Sapphire cried out as she sat up, her covers falling off her as she jerked her head around in shock while panting in surprise. Seeing nothing but the dark walls and furniture of the royal guest room that Celestia had provided for her, Sapphire placed a hoof against her chest as her breathing slowed down to a calm level. "Was... was that a dream?" Sapphire mused aloud to herself, only to be answered by the door slamming open, causing her to jump out of her covers in shock before falling onto the floor.

"Sapphire Rain, are you awake?!" Luna cried out in the Royal Canterlot Voice as she looked around, becoming confused at the used yet empty bed before her. Looking around the bed, Luna said, "Sapphire? Where ar—there you are," as she spotted Sapphire who was groaning as she was getting into a sitting position.

"Augh... Princess Luna... do you have to slam the door like that?" Sapphire moaned as she got onto her hooves. The mare soon paused as her eyes snapped wide open as she looked at Luna with a bit of fear. "Umm... sorry about that, I didn't me—"

Waving a hoof in a dismissive fashion, Luna stated, "Do not fret dear Sapphire, it is understandable that our action had frightened thee in such a way," before she frowned as she realized that she was reverting to her preferred style of speaking.

Just as Luna was about to say something to correct herself, Celestia strode into the room with some bags under her eyes. Flipping a switch on with her hoof, Celestia cocked an eyebrow at Luna as she said, "I don't think you need to announce your entrance to the entire castle, Luna." Turning her attention to Sapphire, who blinked owlishly at her, Celestia tilted her head as she began examining the mare, only to sigh as she declared, "No signs of any wings. Of course, this wouldn't be straightforward."

Before Sapphire could get a word out, she was suddenly lifted into the air with a blue aura, causing her to squeak as Luna brought her right before her face. Turning Sapphire around, Luna rubbed a hoof where she thought wings would be as she added, "Hmm... and I don't feel any signs of hidden wings or even a stump should they have been... removed."

Placing a hoof against her forehead, Celestia let out a groan of frustration as she said, "Luna, could you please put Sapphire down since there are more effective ways to figure this out beside a physical examination," causing Luna to blush as she set Sapphire back down on the ground.

"My apologies dear Sapphire. I was just overwhelmed by the revelations we had in your mind," Luna stated with a forced smile, which only made Sapphire blink in utter confusion. Turning her attention to Celestia, Luna asked, "So, what methods do you have to ascertain the mystery of Sapphire's memory?"

"It depends. If that memory was true or if it was altered by Veritas for some scheme of hers...I’m honestly not sure what it could mean. If only we had more time to ascertain what kind of... being she is," Celestia answered as she lit her horn up, engulfing Sapphire in a golden aura as she braced herself to be lifted into the air, only to be surprised that she wasn't moved at all.

Looking at herself in confusion, Sapphire asked, "What are you doing, Princess Celestia?"

"Just scanning for any spells that a hospital scan would never detect... aha!" Celestia stated as her horn brightened up as the golden aura around Sapphire brightened up as well before shifting in color, turning into an aquamarine aura.

"Wait... sister, doesn't that aura match Sapphire's own?" Luna asked as she pointed at Sapphire. The mare blinked at that question as she held a hoof out to examine it herself, only to start shaking her leg to see if she could shake the aura off herself.

"It does. This means that if I were to dispel whatever magical spell Sapphire has on herself, we might figure out the truth of that memory. However, I won't dispel it without Sapphire's express permission, since the magic is related to her after all," Celestia declared.

Looking back and forth between the two princesses, Sapphire asked, "Umm... is there any risks to you removing the magic from me?"

Rubbing a hoof against her chin, Celestia answered, "That, I am uncertain. It depends on if the memory is correct or not. Furthermore, it depends on what the purpose of the magic surrounds you, but I believe it's a spell of some kind. While I was able to detect it, I was unable to identify its nature, so I can't honestly give you an answer. In the end, it is up to you to make a blind leap of faith or not."

Frowning at the answer, Sapphire looked at her sides, staring at them for a while before returning her attention to Celestia. Taking a deep breath, Sapphire took on a somewhat steely resolve, though her appearance was of a mare trying to act serious that caused Luna to place a hoof over her mouth to suppress a chuckle. "Okay... if the magic isn't normal... then take it off. I want some answers to this as well."

Nodding, Celestia stated, "Then steel yourself Sapphire, and be ready to tell us if you suffer any pain. I will end my dispelling of the magic if that occurs," as she lowered her horn towards Sapphire, her magic glowing brighter as the magic around Sapphire started to warp. Moments later, the magical aura started to glow even brighter, engulfing Sapphire as Luna brought up a foreleg to shield her eyes as Celestia shut her own eye. Sapphire looked at herself in alarm as her body felt odd, like it was some kind of jello.

After a brief moment, the light faded away, allowing Sapphire to look at the princesses once more. However, she then noted that they were slightly shorter than they were earlier until she felt something shifting on her sides. As the two princesses looked at her with wide eyes as she shifted her head, only to see a pair of wings that weren’t there before. Gasping at the sight, Sapphire turned to look at the princesses, then her wings, and the princesses once more.

Luna was the first to break this moment of silence as she said, "Okay... it turned out that the memory wasn't fabricated after all... and that Equestria has another alicorn..." as she turned to look at Celestia, who kept on staring at the confused Sapphire who was standing a few inches taller than before. "But why would she be disguised as a unicorn? That is a ques—"

"A question that might be answered if one is observant enough," Celestia interrupted as she walked up to Sapphire while Luna gave her a confused look. "Do you not see where her coat is shorter?" Celestia pointed out as she directed with a hoof towards Sapphire's side, where Luna and Sapphire looked at it. Their eyes soon saw that her fur was indeed shorter in some spots, specifically in three lines running down her sides. "It looks like she suffered some wounds on her side, along on her left rear leg, and a gash on her chest as well. If my guess is correct, since Sapphire was injured when she was first found and based on the shortness of her coat at those places, she might have suffered deep wounds that forced her body to adopt a unicorn form. The form conserved her magic, as it was directed to hide the wounds while healing them," Celestia explained as Luna reached out and poked Sapphire's chest.

Feeling a jab of pain, Sapphire hopped back, saying, "Ow! Don't do that!" prompting Luna to widen her eyes as she pulled her hoof back as Celestia frowned.

"That only supports my theory, but this means that we should bring Sapphire to the castle infirmary to be examined. She may have been fine in her unicorn form, but we don't know how she is in her true form, so it's best to be cautious so we don't take any unnecessary risks," Celestia declared as she walked out of the room, causing Sapphire and Luna to look at each other before following her.

"Where are my pillows? I demanded the softest pillows made by tailors in Saddle Arabia two minutes ago, and I expect them to be here now!" cried the voice of Blueblood from the infirmary as the trio stood outside the doors to it. It didn't take long for the princesses and Sapphire to arrive at their destination, but for Sapphire, it was a bit grueling due to the fact that all the castle guards and staff simply gapped at her whenever they passed them. This caused her to feel extremely self-conscious as she started to regret her decision to let Celestia dispel the mysterious spell.

"Umm... maybe we can check in another day and I can simply return to my room?" Sapphire asked with a wide smile.

Letting out an amused snort, Celestia turned her attention towards Sapphire as she answered, "No dear, we must have you examined. Despite the presence of my nephew at the infirmary, which I remind you that you had a role in him being there," smiling as Sapphire let out a resigned sigh. Opening the doors with her magic, Celestia trotted into the infirmary wing, where they entered a small lobby that had a nurse on standby.

"Your Majesties? Is something the mat—" the nurse started to say until she spotted Sapphire behind the royal sisters, causing her eyes to bulge out as Sapphire reared her head back a bit at the reaction.

"My Aunties are here? Quick servant! Wheel me out so I can greet them! Now!" Blueblood's voice called out from the nearby hallway, to which Blueblood appeared in a wheelchair, bandages wrapped around his head and his right foreleg. A unicorn guard followed behind him, using his magic to push Blueblood along. "Ah! Aunties, I see that you came to see how your pre—what the buck‽" Blueblood started to say until he spotted Sapphire, along with the presence of wings on her. However, before either Luna or Celestia could get a word out, Blueblood pointed a hoof at Sapphire as he looked at them with a furious expression as he exclaimed, "Aunties! Why did you give the mare that punched me in the face wings instead of banishing her into Tartarus‽ I de—" until his mouth was snapped shut by a blue aura that surrounded his muzzle.

With her horn lit up with her magic, Luna ran a hoof down her face as she said, "Blueblood, I recommend that you choose your next words carefully since you are talking to what might be Equestria's newest princess," before giving Blueblood a glare. Sapphire's eyes widened before jerking her head towards Luna, her mouth opening to shout out the first thought that crossed her mind.

"Wait, what‽ I'm a princess‽”

Chapter XIV: Examination

"Yes, Sapphire, you are in—"

"No no no, that is a bad idea!" Sapphire exclaimed as she sat on her haunches so she could frail her forelegs around. This caused everypony to give her various expressions of befuddlement, with the exception of Celestia who held a bemused smile.

"What do you mean, it's a bad idea for you to be a princess?" Luna asked as she tilted her head in confusion.

"Actually, Auntie Luna, I think that this mare is right. She shouldn't be a princess," Blueblood declared, looking smug until he saw Luna glowering at him, causing him to gulp as he started to wheel his chair back.

However, Sapphire didn't notice Blueblood's comment as she answered, "Yes! I mean, I don't even have an education for... your sakes! I'm pretty sure that if you slap wings and a horn on any foal, they would do a better job than I ever could! I just learned how to read recently, and the only work I had was to put on dresses and look pretty!"

"Not like Blueblood does much else than that," muttered a nurse, to which Blueblood's ears flicked as he looked at her with suspicion as the nurse averted her eyes.

As Luna was about to respond to Sapphire's answer, Celestia let out a chuckle, drawing everypony's attention to her as she walked up to Sapphire. She placed a hoof on her shoulder as she said, "Sapphire dear, the reason Luna stated that you're a princess is because all known alicorns in Equestria are princesses. However, there are some things that are uncertain still, and your current health takes priority over these matters. Hence, I recommend that we put the thoughts of you being a princess aside and let the doctor give you a full examination. Nephew, please return to your quarters in the castle. I'm fairly certain that you have had all the medical attention that you would need for the day. Nurse, can you see if Doctor Clear Heart is awake and available? We have an alicorn who needs her first medical examination."

As Blueblood grumbled while his guard pushed his wheelchair out and the nurse gave a nod to Celestia, Sapphire turned to Celestia as she asked, "Umm... is there a w—"

"No, there is not." Celestia interjected, causing Sapphire's ears to fold against her head as she looked down at the ground.

"Awww..."

"...Sister, what do you think of our current situation?" Luna asked as she and Celestia were sitting outside the room where Sapphire, Doctor Clear Heart, and various infirmary staff were currently in. The two princesses were politely told to remain outside, hence the sisters were sitting in some chairs the staff provided, listening to Sapphire's disgruntled comments and occasional utterance of pain.

"I am uncertain since we literally just had an alicorn drop into our lap. It's not like Cadance, who earned her horn through her actions in redeeming Prisma. Furthermore, based on the fact that she might have been an alicorn since she was a mere foal, the possibility of her being born as an alicorn carries great implications," Celestia stated. "Sadly, much of this matter can't be resolved until we discover more of Sapphire's memories. Hopefully, Doctor Clear can find something for us to work with."

"Which means that I must redou—" Luna started to say until the sounds of a commotion occurred from inside the room, bringing the sisters' attention to the door.

"Why do you even have a needle that big‽" Sapphire cried from inside as the commotion went on before quieting down at some point.

"...Something tells me that Sapphire has a rather thick hide beneath that coat of hers," Luna stated as Celestia shook her head at this.

"That may be a possibility, but we have to wait fo—" Celestia started to say before she too was interrupted by the door opening. A gray coated unicorn mare with a peach mane, a pair of thick glasses over her blue eyes, and a doctor's coat came out with a folder held in a blue aura. She quickly walked out of the room before closing the door behind her. As she turned towards the princesses, Celestia asked, "Doctor Clear Heart, judging by the fact that Sapphire is in the room still, I take it that you discovered something important in regards to Sapphire?"

Nodding, Clear replied, "Very astute of you, your majesty," as she opened the folder to bring out its documents. "While some of the tests will take some time, we have gathered some initial data that might be of interest to you. First off, we can determine that the patient Sapphire is indeed an alicorn, as the tests have shown that she does indeed have the magic of all the tribes. These also have all been heightened by the now presence of alicorn magic in her system."

"Well, there goes her hopes that she could be passed off as something like a winged unicorn," Celestia jokingly said, smiling as Luna just rolled her eyes at her sister's humor.

"As odd as that sounds, we do have a current estimate of her magical capacity. Currently, it is below the rating that Princess Cadance has. Not only that, there is a complication behind this magical problem and we believe it is linked to her fading wounds," Clear stated, causing the pair to look at her with somber expressions.

"What do you mean, 'complication'?" Luna asked.

Taking a deep breath, Clear answered, "Princesses, I'm not certain of what I found exactly, but we have detected traces of some kind of magical residue in the patient's old wounds. While we can't properly identify the nature of this presence, we were able to determine that they have a similar nature to... dark magic."

As the two sisters reared their heads back in surprised, Celestia asked, "Dark magic? Are you certain about this?"

Nodding, Clear said, "Indeed. From what we gathered from the magical residue we detected, they had some kind of suppressive effect on Sapphire's magic, hence we can't get an accurate reading on her magic levels. But, we do detect that her body's magic is working on purging this foreign presence from her body."

Glancing at each other, Luna stated, "This complicates things far more than we expected. To think that there is something out there that is not only capable of harming an alicorn, but wields something similar to dark magic?" only to blink when Clear cleared her throat to get their attention.

"Princess Luna, I hate to correct you, but from what we gathered, it's not a something, but somethings," Clear declared, causing the princesses to widen their eyes in surprise as Clear she lifted up an outline showing Sapphire's body, with her wounds marked in different colors. "It was hard to tell, but we were able to determine that invasive magical residue bear signatures that are slightly different from one another yet still bearing the same effects on Sapphire's body. Furthermore, we discovered that the residues actually permeate throughout her body, yet are concentrated in her wounds. The marks on her side came from one source, the one on her chest from another, and the one on her left rear leg and mark traces on her head from a third source."

As they resisted their urge to gape for a third time that night, Luna stated, "That is... beyond troublesome. To have three beings having the potential to harm an alicorn?"

Composing herself, Celestia took on a thoughtful look as she stated, "We can't say that yet Luna. While we can't simply dismiss that these threats could still be around, there may be a possibility that Sapphire vanquished them, as slim as it sounds. Still, we will have the Royal Guard scour the land for any potential dangers just in case. Doctor Clear, is there anything else you can tell us?"

Levitating some other documents before her, Clear answered, "Well, it appeared that while Sapphire is displaying some signs of malnourishment, she appears to be quite fit. In fact, it appears that her physique is similar to a scout of the Royal Guard, albeit with some signs of muscle atrophy from what I assume to be from the lack of exercise needed to maintain them, or from the magical residue. So far, based on the information we gathered so far, if Sapphire was given time and proper nutrition, she would be a healthy alicorn."

"I see, but one thing you told me has drawn my attention to it. Did you earlier say that you detected this magical residue on her head?" Celestia asked, causing Luna to blink as she recalled that bit of information as well.

"Yes your majesty. Based on statements that Sapphire gave to us, along with this detection of this residue, we can determine that it might be the most likely cause of her amnesia. We will be able to determine if that is true when we get her medical records from the Ponyville hospital," Clear explained.

Letting out a sigh, Celestia said, "Thank you for your debriefing of Sapphire's condition. Would it be permissible for us to speak to Sapphire privately?"

"Most of the more sensitive tests have been completed, so we can finish the rest after you have your discussion with the patient," Clear replied as she went back into the room, before shortly exiting with the rest of the staff along with some medical equipment.

Rolling her shoulders, Celestia said, "Well then sister, let's see how our newest alicorn will take these new revelations. Hopefully though, a feast would serve to calm her down," before she chuckled at her own joke as Luna rolled her eyes at that.

"Wow... that's... um... I don't know what to say," Sapphire said after hearing Celestia tell her about what Doctor Clear had said as she rubbed her left foreleg.

"Yes, but don't fret dear Sapphire, for we will assure your safety if whoever assaulted you desire to return to harm you," Luna declared as she pointed a hoof forward, confusing Sapphire as Celestia shook her head at this.

"Regardless, since Doctor Clear has officially declared you to be an alicorn, it is time to discuss your status of a princess," Celestia stated as she took a step forward, only to pause with Sapphire jumping forward.

"You two have thought of a new disguise that hides my wings and I can return to Ponyville?" Sapphire asked with a hopeful smile, only for it to fade as the pair just gave her a flat stare until Celestia reached out and placed a hoof on Sapphire's shoulder.

"Sapphire, you're an alicorn, and if you haven't noticed yet, ponies tend to revere our very presence. Furthermore, you're an alicorn for a reason, hence you shouldn't be hiding from the world and whatever your destiny might be," Celestia stated as Sapphire took on a downcast look. Noting that, Celestia continued, "But, as you have obviously stated, you aren't prepared for the duties of a princess. So, while we desire for you to take on the title of princess, we do not expect you to handle its duties until you believe yourself to be ready."

Cheering up a bit, Sapphire said, "You really mean that?" as she thought that maybe she wouldn't be given a duty where she might fail and lead to some poor city burning to the ground around her.

Snorting, Luna replied, "As my sister has stated, you aren't ready for the duties that come with the role of being a princess. However, your actions will still have consequences, hence you will need to be educated on the duties of a princess, as well as what kind of political impact you will have on the world due to being an alicorn. Furthermore, you will still need to be present for some ceremonial duties, but that would be more of smiling and waving, which my sister can instruct you on what you would need to do. Lastly, we will be announcing you to the public through your coronation as a princess of Equestria," causing Sapphire to look downcast once more.

Seeing Sapphire's expression, Celestia smiled as she said, "Well, you should look at the bright side of your coronation, Sapphire."

Glancing at Celestia, Sapphire replied in a saddened tone, "I doubt there could be anything bright when my life is being turned upside down."

"Well, if you're going to be crowned as a princess, there's going to be a feast thrown for your honor," Celestia stated, causing Sapphire to jerk her head towards her. Chuckling a bit to herself, Celestia added, "You don't have to look at the negatives all the time, Sapphire. Sometimes, you should appreciate the little things of life, such as all the wonderful meals that would be provided to you in your honor. All those dishes and delicacies that you would have a chance to experience."

As Sapphire blinked before looking up at the ceiling in silence, though with a bit a drool showing up on the side of her muzzle, Luna let out a sigh as she leaned towards Celestia and whispered, "We might want to figure a way for Sapphire to not be manipulated by the idea of a good meal."

"Perhaps, but let her have this moment for now. Besides, you should look at this in a different light. After all, you could probably bribe her to take on the responsibilities of a princess with a plate of homemade cookies," Celestia whispered back with a cheeky grin, causing Luna to jerk her head back with a disapproving frown as Celestia laughed at her reaction.

Chapter XV: Pancakes

"Augh... what is that aching feeling on my side?" Sapphire groaned, opening her eyes slowly as she let out a yawn. She pushed her side off the bed as she stretched her legs before she felt something new pressing against her bed as well as knocking the covers off herself. Opening her eyes wide at that, she jerked her head to see her right wing pushing against the bed, to which she groaned as she said, "Great, I forgot I have wings and that its a bad idea to sleep on your side..." Looking at the window, Sapphire squinted her eyes as she noted that the sun was just starting to rise.

Getting out of the bed, Sapphire approached the door, hoping to find somepony to direct her to the dining room. Instead, she jumped back in shock when she saw a yellow coated pegasus mare with a blue mane and pink eyes, dressed in a maid outfit who said, "Good morning Princess Sapphire. My name is Joyful Clouds, and Princess Celestia assigned me to be your castle guide for the day," as she smiled at the shocked Sapphire.

Shaking her head clear of the surprise, Sapphire said, "Umm... okay... how about you guide me to the dining room then?" Sapphire asked.

Nodding, Joyful turned around and started down the hallway as she hummed a merry tune to herself, Sapphire following with a raised eyebrow. It didn't take long before the pair reached the dining room, where Cadance and Celestia were sitting at their seats. They were waiting until Sapphire stepped inside, where they both turned their heads towards her, with Cadance speaking first as she said, "Ah, Equestria's newest princess has finally awakened."

Frowning at that comment, Sapphire sighed as she took the seat opposite of Cadance, muttering, "If I actually had a choice, then there wouldn't be a new princess today."

Picking up on Sapphire's muttering, Celestia gave Sapphire a sad smile as she said, "I know you have grievances about this pivotal point in your life, but you really need to look at the bright side of things. For instance, the recovery of your memories could become a royal matter of great importance instead of Luna's side project. We can freely devote resources to finding more clues to your past now since you're now a princess, something we couldn't do if you weren't one otherwise. And there's this," as she teleported out of the room, confusing Sapphire for the moment until the dining room doors on the opposite side from where she came in opened. Wheeling in a cart that had four plates covered with pancakes, with one of them having three stacks instead of one that were four times taller than the other three. The tower was then levitated and placed in front of a wide-eyed Sapphire. Chuckling, Celestia stated, "And you get to have a rather large stack of pancakes made by yours truly."

Sapphire stared at the massive pile of pancakes before her, before grabbing her fork with her magic as she started to stuff whole pancakes into her mouth, to which Cadance sighed as she said, "Well, at least since I now know where all that food is going, I'm only somewhat disturbed by her eating habits. Though I do hope that ponies don't decide to take after that, otherwise we'll have a famine at some point."

"Indeed, though there is something I would like your assistance in, my niece," Celestia asked as she took a bite of her pancakes.

Turning her attention to Celestia, Cadance asked, "What is it Auntie?"

"I would like you to give a basic rundown of the ceremonial duties that Sapphire should expect to do at some poi—" Celestia started to say as Sapphire stuffed another pancake into her mouth, only to be startled by what she heard, causing her food to go down the wrong pipe as she started to choke. Looking in shock at that, Celestia was about to say something when Joyful rushed forward, wrapping her hooves around Sapphire as she gave her the Heimlich maneuver. Sapphire soon coughed out a rather large chunk of chewed pancake gunk that ended up crashing into Cadance's face, causing her to shriek in terror before falling out of her chair. "...Maybe it was a bad idea to bring that up during breakfast..."

"So, you're an alicorn... did you kn—"

"If I knew, I wouldn't have stayed here for the night then," Sapphire stated with a flat look, causing Cadance to flatten her ears against her head. It was shortly after breakfast, which Cadance spent most of going back to her quarters for a shower before returning, to receive the rest of Celestia's request. This led to the pair being in a private study inside the castle, with Joyful happily waiting outside, which Sapphire found to be a bit creepy.

Sighing, Cadance stated, "You don't have to be so negative about this. You should be overjoyed since many ponies would love to become a princess or a prince."

Waving a hoof around, Sapphire said, "Woo... I'm a princess now, and Princess Celestia has plans to lump me with some princessy duties. Where I would probably screw up and then have an angry mob that wants my head on a platter," as she lowered her head onto her hooves, Cadance looking a bit disgusted at that.

"That is rather morbid of you to think of..." Cadance replied. "And Auntie wouldn't drop that on you when you're not ready, that's just not in her nature."

"Well, I don't know her as well as you do, but I still can't help but expect that," Sapphire responded before sighing as she pulled her hooves down over her face. "It's practically like Veritas said, my life is going to be miserable."

"Who's Veritas?" Cadance asked as she tilted her head in confusion.

"Some kind of entity that lives in my head or something, I don't know for certain. But still, first I have amnesia, then I learn that a filly has more of an education than I ever have, then I become a fashion model to get some bits so I can finally support myself but I have to deal with all the fame that comes with it, and now I'm an alicorn princess who's probably going to be the center of attention for all of Equestria! What’s next, some kind of giant monster is going to be out for my blood?!" Sapphire complained before falling onto her backside, though her wings had opened up while she was on her rant, causing her to land on them as a result. Frowning, Sapphire added, "Just peachy... I can't even lie down properly with these wings in my way."

Rolling her eyes, Cadance said, "Sapphire, you really need to follow Auntie's advice. You need to look at the bright side of things, like the fact that you can fly now. Just imagine, soaring among the clouds li—"

"I'm absolutely terrified of clouds and don't ask why, I don't know why," Sapphire interjected, causing Cadance to blink in surprise before giving her a skeptical look.

"...Really?" Cadance asked, to which Sapphire simply nodded. Placing a hoof on her forehead, Cadance said, "Well, this complicates matters, since you can't go to cloud cities like Cloudsdale and the like. If only... wait a minute!" as she brightened up at an idea the came into her mind.

"...Okay... I'm starting to wonder if I should worry," Sapphire said, before rearing her head back as Cadance got up close to her.

"Oh, you shouldn't! For I'm the alicorn of love, and a mare your age should have met somepony at some point that you had a crush on!" Cadance exclaimed, until Sapphire put a hoof on her chest and pushed her away.

"I'm somewhat doubtful of that... and are you suggesting that I'm old?" Sapphire asked with her eyes narrowed at Cadance.

Leaning away, Cadance waved her forehooves in front of herself as she said, "Oh no, I wasn't suggesting that... though... since you were born an alicorn... it might be possible that you're older than you look..." as she tapped her chin in thought while Sapphire cocked an eyebrow in turn.

"Hey, what do you mean that I could be older than I look," Sapphire said in a disgruntled tone, finding herself to be a bit annoyed at Cadance's vagueness.

"Oh, is that if Auntie Celestia and Luna are over a thousand years old yet don't even have a wrinkle on their faces, then maybe you could be older as well but still appear as young as a mare in her mid-twenties," Cadance responded before looking at a wall. "Though... unless you're the kind of alicorn like me and not them... just earning your wings at an extremely early age..."

"...Okay, you're just confusing me now," Sapphire grunted out in annoyance, which prompted Cadance to let out a mild giggle as she took on a sheepish look.

"Oh, sorry about that, but back to the matter on hoof. Did you ever had a loving feeling, like your heart was fluttering at some point, or perhaps a longing of some sort that you can't understand?" Cadance asked, looking at Sapphire with expectation clear on her face.

Frowning, Sapphire looked up at the ceiling for a moment, before looking down at Cadance as she shrugged, answering, "Nope, never recall having any of those feelings in any of my memories, new or old."

Groaning, Cadance said, "Well, there goes that idea then..." before glancing at Sapphire's Cutie Mark. "Hey... so what is your special talent anyway?"

"Umm... I can't say for certain yet... but it appears to be water manipulation," Sapphire answered as she rubbed the back of her head with a hoof.

"Oh? Really? Can you give me a demonstration?" Cadance asked.

"Well, if I had some water nearby... maybe Joyful can get us some," Sapphire answered as she went to the door, opening it to see Joyful waiting with muted joy. "Hey... Joyful, can you get me a pitcher of water?"

"Yes, your majesty!" Joyful stated with a salute before dashing off.

Returning her attention to Cadance, Sapphire said, "Okay... she's a we—" before pulling her head back at the sudden appearance of a glass pitcher full of water before her.

"Here's your water as requested, your majesty!" Joyful declared before placing the pitcher on a nearby table.

As Joyful left the room, closing the door behind her, Sapphire just stared at the door for a bit before looking at the pitcher, saying, "Okay... moving onto my magic before I get too weirded out... according to the studies that Twilight conducted, I used a lot less magic to control water," as she levitated the water out of the jar, forming it into a sphere that she floated over to be between her and Cadance. "I could also control large amounts of water at one time, while manipulating them to do multiple things like taking shapes and turning into ice."

"Interesting... though it does seem like it can become cumbersome when you had to control a lot of water all at one time. It would be a pain for you to lug it around and make certain that you didn't lose any as you move it around," Cadance pointed out, causing Sapphire to look at the large sphere before them.

"You do have a point... if only there was a way to shrink it..." Sapphire said, rubbing her chin as she stared at the sphere. "Maybe if I pushed it down..."

"Well, there is a shrinking spell, but then you would need an enlargening spe—whoa!" Cadance started to say until the sphere of water suddenly reduced in size, becoming the size of a marble to the two alicorn's mutual surprise.

"Okay... that's new," Sapphire stated in amazement as she floated the water marble onto her hoof, with Cadance watching with surprise still.

"Yeah... and you didn't use a shrinking spell, right?" Cadance asked, to which Sapphire simply shook her head in response to. "But... but how then?"

"I don't know... though if Twilight was here, maybe she would be able to explain it," Sapphire said as she idly threw the sphere at the wall to see what it do, only for it to suddenly burst apart with a great force, spraying water all over the two as an indent the size of a rubber toy ball appeared on the wall. This caused the alicorns to stare at it before looking at each other in silence. That is, till Sapphire finally broke it as she said, "Umm... I didn't mean to do that..." as she gave Cadance an awkward smile.

Chapter XVI: Influence

As Cadance looked at Sapphire with utter shock, the door burst open as two unicorn guards followed by two pegasi guards rushed into the room. The unicorn guards' horns lit up with their magic as one of them said, "Princesses, where is the assailant‽" Before Sapphire could give a response, her eyes widened as the pegasi guard rushed the two of them, one of them tackling Sapphire to the ground as he covered her body with his own while Cadance had her wits returned to her in time to stop the guard with her magic.

"Guards, there were no attempts at our lives. We merely were exploring Sapphire's magic when we came upon a surprising outcome," Cadance explained, causing the guards to nod in acknowledgment as they saluted her.

"Sorry for the misunderstanding, your majesty," said the guard that was on top of Sapphire as he got off her, using a wing to help her up to her hooves.

"It's... um... okay, you were just trying to protect us," Sapphire said, as the guard gave her a salute as well before they all left the room. Turning her head towards Cadance, Sapphire asked, "Is that a regular thing?"

Looking at the wall with the indent, Cadance answered, "Only when there's danger, though... to think that you can put a hole in the wall with just some water can be a scary thing. I don't think it would be a good idea to see just how far your special talent can go... could you do that before?"

"Hmm... I don't know... I mean, I never tried before. Though it wasn't much of an effort to do that," Sapphire stated as she rubbed her chin in thought.

"If that wasn't a drain for you, then I rather not see what you do on a level that can," Cadance stated as she shivered at the thought before sitting up straight as she brought a hoof to her chest. She took in a deeper breath before letting it out as she straightened out her leg.

"Umm... what are you doing?" Sapphire asked as she tilted her head at Cadance's action.

Smiling as she looked at Sapphire, Cadance answered, "Oh, just a breathing exercise to help clear my mind. Normally I do it for stress, like the stress from the idea of you having some rather potent means to cause quite a bit of destruction."

Ears pointing straight up in surprise as her eyes widened, Sapphire lifted her forehooves into the air as she responded, "Wait, I would never intend to use my magic for something like that!"

Keeping her smile, Cadance said, "Oh, I know. Deep down you're a good pony, albeit one that has some confidence issues, yet cares enough about other ponies. That's why you're afraid of having royal responsibilities since you don't want to ruin anypony's lives."

"Including my own, though I doubt that what you just said is actually correct," Sapphire replied, feeling skeptical about Cadance's statement.

Rolling her eyes, Cadance stated, "Say what you want, you're still an alicorn, and they tend to have some kind of special destiny for them. Otherwise, there would be a lot more of us in Equestria. However, there is one thing that we should discuss in regards to you being an alicorn."

Groaning, Sapphire ran her hooves over her face as she asked, "Can we please stop talking about the things that I have to do as a princess?" as she scowled at Cadance, causing her to rear her head back at that.

"Well, this is a rare experience. Only my aunts, and Blueblood, are willing to scowl at me like that," Cadance stated, causing Sapphire's scowl to deepen even more. "Anyways, I'm not talking about what you have to do, per say. I was more focused on that since you're an alicorn princess, you have to be an princess of something in particular."

Dropping her scowl, Sapphire raised an eyebrow as she replied, "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, as you probably know, hopefully, Auntie Celestia and Auntie Luna are the princesses of the sun and moon respectively, and I'm the princess of love. For your case though, you could be the princess of water, or perhaps the seas?" Cadance answered, to which Sapphire just gave her a half lidded stare.

"I’d rather be the princess of lunch breaks instead," Sapphire stated with a roll of her eyes, to which Cadance let out a giggle at that.

As Sapphire gave a frown in response to her reaction, Cadance stopped her giggling as she explained, "Oh, that might be something you can actually take based on how much you eat. Regardless, there is a good reason why Celestia is making you a princess despite how much you dislike the idea of it."

Raising her eyebrow again, Sapphire asked, "And what reason is that?"

"The reason is that as an alicorn, ponies are going to be naturally attracted to your presence and your actions, whether it is for good intentions... or bad ones. Even if you weren't a princess, your status of an alicorn would still put you in the spotlight wherever you go. But as a princess, you would be permitted the actual means of getting some kind of privacy for yourself that you wouldn't be able to have if you were to return to your home. Furthermore, I hate to say this, but some ponies out there would actually want to capture you just to use you since you're an alicorn, but as a princess you would be entitled to at least some personal guards that would work to ensure your safety," Cadance explained as Sapphire blinked at that before looking at a wall in silence for a moment.

"I... didn't think of things that way..." Sapphire finally muttered as she rubbed the side of her head. "Sweet Luna, Veritas was right about my life being full of misery from all of this."

Sighing, Cadance placed a hoof on Sapphire's shoulder, saying, "Sapphire, you shouldn't let Veritas’s prediction get to you. Only you can decide if your future will be miserable or full of joy and happiness. And I say, how about you spite Veritas by making your life happy instead?"

Without looking at Cadance, Sapphire took a deep breath before replying, "You're starting to remind me of Celestia with that putting your hoof on my shoulder bit."

Pulling her hoof back, Cadance let out a snort as she said, "You really like to look at the negatives, don't you?" Seeing Sapphire frowning at her again, Cadance stood up and walked over to a table before sitting down next to it. "How about we do something to keep your mind off all that stuff for the time being. It's time for us to see how your Earth Pony magic is doing, so how about a friendly game of hoof wrestling?"

"Cadance, what's wrong with your foreleg?" Celestia asked as looked at Cadance with concern. She was rubbing her right foreleg with her other hoof while Sapphire was picking out some pies from a cart for lunch.

"Well... let's just say that it might not be a good idea to challenge Sapphire to hoof wrestling. She sure does have one wicked foreleg there," Cadance answered as Celestia turned her attention to Sapphire who had half of a blueberry pie in her mouth.

Eyes widening at the unexpected attention, Sapphire sucked in the rest of the pie into her mouth, swallowing it instantly to Celestia's mild disgust before saying, "Don't give me that look, she was the one that challenged me to see how strong I was. How am I supposed to know that I would hurt her like that?"

Shaking her head, Celestia stated, "Well, that's one new thing for us to know about you. Though, I have some news that I believe you would enjoy to hear."

Pausing at her third pie, Sapphire said, "You found me some isolated island where I can live out the rest of my days privately?"

Looking at Sapphire like she had grown a second head, Celestia answered, "No... I informed Twilight and the rest of your friends about your... 'ascension'? Revelation? To be perfectly honest with you, I don't know what to call that moment exactly. It's not something I would ever saw coming."

Blinking in surprise, Sapphire said, "Wait, my friends are com—" before the dining room doors burst open as Sapphire was tackled out of her seat and onto the ground by somepony. Looking at her assailant, Sapphire's eyes widened as she saw it was actually two ponies by the names of Pinkie and Twilight.

"Oh wow, you really are an alicorn! And here I thought this was a prank done by Princess Celestia! Wait, does this make you a princess too? Can I throw your 'I became a princess' party now‽" Pinkie asked as she hopped off Sapphire before throwing her hooves into the air as confetti exploded from behind her, much to the surprise of the other two alicorns.

"I can't believe it, you are an alicorn! This is amazing! To think that you're the fourth alicorn Equestria’s ever had, and you actually hid your wings and magic from everypony! How were you able to do that in the first place‽" Twilight added as she pulled Sapphire up into a sitting position before taking out a measuring tape along with a quill and notepad as she started to take measurements of Sapphire's wings.

"Umm... girls..." Sapphire started to say until her eyes widened as Rarity rushed into the room. "Oh no..."

Clapping her hooves to her face, Rarity let out a gasp as she cried out, "Oh sweet Celestia, it's true! You are an alicorn, Sapphire! But that means that I had a princess living underneath my own roof! Oh, you should let me make your dress for the coronation, and then I'll be famous for making a dress for a princess!" as she squealed with excitement.

Hearing the sound of more hooves coming into the room, Sapphire looked in terror at the dining room doors, expecting the rest of the Elements to come rushing in to tackle her or something similar to that. However, Sapphire instead was pleasantly surprised as Fluttershy and Applejack casually trotted in instead with Rainbow hovering right above them. Applejack then ran an eye up and down Sapphire before commenting, "Well I'll be, you're actually an alicorn after all Sapphire. And to think, I actually had you workin' on my farm."

Letting out an annoyed snort, Rainbow said, "I still say this is some prank. I mean, why would a pony that has a fear of clouds have wings? It's like having the total opposites of one another," as she threw her hooves out in frustration.

Snorting as well, Sapphire said, "Well, it's nice to see that there is one pony that I can agree with on this matter," before Twilight's face appeared before her own, causing her to let out a small shriek of surprise.

"Sapphire, can you tell me what magic you used to hide your wings? How did it feel to have them return to you? Can you tell me how your sides felt before the spell was finally removed?" Twilight asked as she had this kind of manic look that made Sapphire think that she might end up on the surgery table.

Before Twilight could ask any more words, Celestia lit her horn up, lifting Twilight away from Sapphire as she said, "Girls, girls, I know you all have so many questions to ask Sapphire since she's an alicorn now, but you should give her some space. This is a trying time for her and she doesn't need to be crowded like that. Now, how about we all calm down and have a nice lunch? Then you six can have a calm and collected talk about all this."

Ears folding against their heads, with even Fluttershy doing so despite the fact that she hadn't said a thing yet, the Elements muttered their apologies before taking their seats on the table. As they did, Pinkie sat down right next to Sapphire as she said, "Hey, do you still want my 'Congratulations on becoming a princess' cake?" as she lifted up a white box that she had apparently pulled out of nowhere.

"Pinkie, as nice as your gift was, I think Sap—" Celestia started to say before Sapphire grabbed the box.

"Yes, I do!" Sapphire said as she opened the box before using her magic to pull out a blueberry cake that she started to devour like some kind of starved wild animal.

Applying her forehoof to her head due to the sight, Celestia shook her head as she muttered to herself, "Yes, go ahead and eat the cake without asking me if I want a slice. It's not like I don't want any in the first place, no..."

Chapter XVII: Three

"So wait, you had those wings when you were a filly?" Rainbow asked as she laid on a cloud that she brought in from the nearby window. The rest of the Elements were seated in seats of their own choosing in another study room, considering that the last one is undergoing some repairs.

"I guess? I mean, it was just one memory where we saw a four, or maybe a five-year-old version of me. But since I'm an alicorn now, its apparently true, I guess," Sapphire stated as she took a cookie from a plate of cookies that Joyful provided for her. After lunch had ended, Celestia had debriefed the Elements on the nature of Sapphire's alicorn reveal, along with any facts that the doctors had found. This caused Pinkie and Fluttershy to freak out at the thought of her being injured, while Twilight freaked out even more with the idea of something similar to dark magic playing a role.

"Hmm... that might explain a bit about your nephophobia. Perhaps you had a bad flight experience that involved some clouds that might have been the root cause of it. So that's one mystery partly solved, in a way," Twilight declared before rubbing her chin in thought. "But that green sky memory of yours is still an unknown..."

"Well, I for one would like to think more about Sapphire's future instead of her past for the moment, like how she's going to be going to the Grand Galloping Gala!" Rarity declared with a smile.

Looking at Rarity in confusion, Sapphire asked, "What do you mean? I didn't get a ticket to the gala..."

Waving a hoof off, Rarity countered, "Sapphire, you're a princess now, you can go to any royal gathering as you please. In fact, once nobles get word of you, they would be dying to invite you to their own parties as well!"

As Sapphire started to look nervous at Rarity's statement, Pinkie leaned over and said, "Psst, you could probably eat as much food at those parties as you want," causing Sapphire to blink before fantasizing about all the possible feasts she could enjoy.

Rolling her eyes, Rarity stated, "Sapphire, you worry about being a princess too much. I'm certain that you'll make a fine princess."

Giving Rarity a skeptical look, Sapphire turned towards Applejack as she asked, "Applejack, do you think I would make a good princess?"

"Nope, at least not right now," Applejack answered with a shrug as Rarity just glared at her.

"Applejack! Why would you say such a thing about your dear friend?"

Giving Rarity a flat look, Applejack answered, "Element of Honesty, remember? Besides, I reckon that Sapphire isn't a bit offended at what I just said," as Sapphire nodded in agreement.

"Well, it can't be so bad now since Princess Luna came back and is taking back some of the duties from Celestia, like raising the moon. With three princesses already, I don't think there would be much work left over for an inexperienced princess like yourself Sapphire," Twilight commented as she started to take some notes on her notepad. She was now looking over some medical reports that Celestia had the infirmary wing provide to her when she requested it. "Though, I wonder what this means for your special talent."

"Oh oh!" Pinkie exclaimed as she waved a hoof in the air, as she said, "Maybe Sapphire's actually the ruler of the seaponies since she has a water drop Cutie Mark!"

Tilting her head, Rainbow remarked, "But Pinkie, if she was the ruler of the seaponies, wouldn't she be a seapony instead of an alicorn?"

"Oh, darn, you're right about that," Pinkie replied in a disappointed tone as she stuck a tongue out while tapping her chin in thought.

"...Seaponies?" Sapphire said in confusion, only for Applejack to shake her head as she let out a sigh.

"Nothin' to worry about sugarcube, just an old mare's tale," Applejack stated as she slapped Sapphire's back. "Besides, ya don't have to worry too hard about being a princess. You're a good, honest pony, and in time, I'm certain you'll be a great princess."

"Now that's something you should have said earlier dear. Though... I wonder how Photo Finish would react to you being an alicorn. I mean, while you look as lovely as you always do, I don't think you'll be as good as a model since you're... larger than life now," Rarity declared.

"Don't remind me," Sapphire said with a groan, before frowning as she noticed Twilight with her horn lit up as she was using a scan spell on her. "Would you stop that already Twilight?"

"Sorry, it's just that I can't resist! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity!" Twilight responded with a smile.

Hovering over to Sapphire, Rainbow nudged her ribs as she said, "You know, you could just toss Twilight in the dungeon since you're a princess now."

As Sapphire looked at Rainbow with a flabbergasted look, Twilight growled, "Not funny, Rainbow."

Laughing at Twilight's response, Rainbow replied, "It totally is, haha!"

Ignoring Rainbow's antics, Rarity turned her attention towards Sapphire as she said, "Well, back to the topic on hoof, since you can go to the Gala, I would so love to make a dress for you! That is... if you would permit it, your highness."

Her left eye twitching at the 'highness' bit, Sapphire stated, "Rarity, you're my friend, so of course I would like to let you make a dress for me to wear to the gala."

"Oh good! But that means I would need to take your measurements all over again dear. Since you’ve changed more than just getting a pair of wings, like how you're a bit taller than you where before," Rarity stated as she levitated some measuring tape before her, causing Sapphire's ears to fold against her head.

"Today was just peachy, absolutely peachy. All this talk about me being a princess never seemed to end! And please don't tell me that you're going to add more to it, Princess Luna," Sapphire complained as she and Luna were in her memory hall. After spending the rest of the day with her friends, where part of them did make their efforts to make her relax after the stress from the morning. Sapphire then retired to her suite to rest, hoping to finally have a reprieve before remembering that she would encounter Luna in her dreams at some point in the night.

"Nay... I mean no dear Sapphire. My duty to you is to restore your memories, which takes top priority over teaching you to be a princess. But, speaking of that, you don't have to refer to me in my title. You can just call me Luna if you like," Luna replied.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Sapphire said, "You have no idea how glad I am to hear that, Pr—I mean Luna."

"Indeed... but perhaps we should get back to work now, though with you being an alicorn now, it might accelerate your recovery of your memories. However, we should return to your most solid memory to clear it up some more if we can. The more things you can remember from that particular memory, the easier it might become for you to access memories that share in those objects," Luna stated as she and Sapphire walked into one of the halls, stopping before a mirror that looked to be halfway repaired, the very one that had her alicorn memory.

"Yeah, that would be the best route to take," Sapphire replied as she conceded to Luna's wisdom as she placed a hoof on the mirror, closing her eyes as she focused on the memory before the scenery shifted to the hazy landscape. Looking around, Sapphire said, "So... what now?"

"Now, young Sapphire, you must try to feel with your heart. Try locating any other ponies that your heart has a connection to, for those would be the easiest to remember for they would be the ones most familiar to you, besides your parents of course," Luna instructed. Nodding in response, Sapphire concentrated on her heart, before blinking as she turned to Luna to ask a question, only for her to add, "Just try to look at all the ponies here and see if you feel drawn to them for some unknown reason."

Nodding once more, Sapphire started to look at all the figures around her, first looking at the group she and her mother were in, only to frown as she felt nothing in particular in that direction. It was only till she looked at the group that her father was in that she felt a connection pulling at her, causing her to walk over to the group as Luna frowned in thought. Looking at each colored blob before her, Sapphire kept on going through the crowd until she stopped before a dark grey and crimson blob, that she touched to watch as it shifted before her. Taking a few steps back, she could see the blob form into a crimson-coated unicorn stallion that had a steel colored mane, a dark gray cloak with violet runes inscribe on it.

"Interesting... this unicorn reminds me of my old teacher Star Swirl the Bearded... minus the bells, the hat, and the beard of course," Luna commented as she came to Sapphire's side as Sapphire tapped her chin in thought before looking at Luna in confusion at her statement. "Oh, ignore my comment, I was just reminiscing," Luna added.

"Okay... though I don't recall anything else about this stallion, not even a name..." Sapphire replied with a frown.

"Do not fret, for if you have a visual representation of him, you should be able to concentrate on that while trying to recall your memories. While this is speculation, you might find an easier time to recalling memories that involve him," Luna said while giving Sapphire an encouraging smile. "See if you can recall any other ponies here."

Nodding, Sapphire looked around once more, before feeling not one tug, but two as she walked over to the other side of the group, briefly glancing at the pony that might be her father as she passed by him. Stopping before a grayish purple blob and an orange-brown one with some gray mixed in. Reaching with her hoof again, Sapphire touched them both before stepping back, watching as the grayish purple blob turned into a grayish purple coated pegasi stallion with a dirty white mane. He gave a look of determination as he was about to launch off the ground with a poleaxe that had teal runes inscribed on it in his forehooves. Meanwhile, the other blob turned into an orange-brown mare with a yellow mane, who was armored in steel plate mail that had red runes inscribed in it, wielding a shield and a war hammer that also had the same kind of runes as her armor.

"Interesting... you seem to recall a unicorn, an earth pony, and a pegasus who are all part of a group," Luna declared as she looked at Sapphire in a scrutinizing fashion as she thought about something.

Staring at the two ponies before glancing at the other one, Sapphire tried to recall anything but came up blank, causing her to say, "Okay... I can't pick up any other recollections about these three... but why does it matter that I recall those three in particular?" as she looked back at Luna.

"It's quite simple dear Sapphire. Since you're an alicorn, so you have access to the magic of all three tribes. That would mean that you would need teachers for all three kinds of magic, and since you would obviously recall your parents, these three could be the teachers you had at some point in your past. Unless they were your relatives, which would complicate that idea," Luna explained as she looked at the trio once more. "Though... I will say, they do look like fierce warriors, which would also explain why you have a figure of a scout..."

"What do you mean by that?" Sapphire asked in confusion.

Returning her attention to Sapphire, Luna answered, "Well, when you were examined, it was discovered that you had a rather fit figure for an alicorn, one that was similar to the scout unit of the Royal Guard. They are ponies that would normally go out to explore the land ahead of their comrades to find any potential dangers. They tend to have bodies more developed for being on the go..." Luna said before frowning as she recalled something. "Sorry dear Sapphire, but we must take our leave, for we have to attend to our nightly duties now. But do try to remember more of this memory if you can," Luna declared before lighting her horn up, causing her form to fade away, leaving Sapphire alone in this blurry landscape.

Letting out a sigh, Sapphire looked at the trio again, before blinking as she felt something coming out of her eyes. Lifting up a hoof to her cheek, she found tears coming out of her eyes, I'm crying? But... why? Sapphire thought to herself as she looked at the three ponies once more.

Chapter XVIII: Hover

"So, you're the captain of the Royal Guard?"

"Yes... your highness," Shining stated, glancing at Cadance who had taken on a bemused look as Sapphire stared at him. It was shortly after breakfast, where Sapphire shared a meal with the Elements before bidding them farewell since they had to return to their lives in Ponyville. Before this, Celestia gave Cadance the task of introducing Sapphire to the captain of the Royal Guard at the castle's training fields.

"Alright... so what's with the funny helmet?" Sapphire asked as she looked at the purple helmet that had a feather plume on it.

Frowning, Shining answered, "This helmet is the mark of the Captain of the Royal Guard, hence it allows my troops to notice my presence with more ease."

"Oh... but wouldn't that make you an easier target to pick out?" Sapphire noted, causing Shining to blink in surprise.

Giggling at Shining's response, Cadance stated, "You know, she has a point there dear," causing Sapphire to turn to look at her with a raised eyebrow. Noticing the look, Cadance added, "Shining Armor here is my fiance, and... wait, do you know what a fiance is?" As Sapphire shook her head in response, Cadance sighed as she said, "Let's just say... that we have a special relationship. Oh! Please don't tell Twilight about this, we want to surprise her at just the right moment."

"Okay... though I don't mind holding that bit back. I’ve already dealt with enough surprises to last a lifetime now," Sapphire replied with a huff. "So, is this why we're here? So you can introduce me to your 'fiance'?"

"Oh no, it's nothing like that. Though that is a happy addition to all of this," Cadance answered as she rubbed the back of her head with a hoof. "We're actually here so you can see how the Royal Guard operates, as well as the fact that like my Aunts, you may eventually need your own private guard."

"Wait, why would I ne—this is one of Celestia's things about royal duties, isn't it?!" Sapphire replied with a deadpan stare.

"I... umm..." Cadance started to say before letting out a sigh. "Yes Sapphire, this is something Celestia believes that you should at least know about now rather than later. However, unlike the other stuff, this is solely for your protection, do you understand?"

Before Sapphire could give a comment, Shining joined in as he added, "Cadance is right your majesty. From what I’ve heard, you might want a guard sooner than later. They would be able to keep mobs of ponies from getting to you, allowing you to have some level of privacy whenever you desire it."

"...Okay, that is something that I can actually see as being useful for me. Though I wish I was told that from the beginning," Sapphire stated with a frown.

"Well, since you've been so apprehensive every time we bring up something that involved royal duties, it might have been best to try another way so you wouldn't focus on that aspect and instead be observing what we have to say," Cadance replied in turn. "But... there's a bright side to all of this. Celestia wanted this to be the last thing for you to observe before taking a break from all these princess lessons for at least the rest of the day. After this, you can do anything you want, within reason of course, and I'll be there to make sure that it happens!"

Eyeing Cadance for a moment, Sapphire let out her own sigh as she said, "Alright... so what's next on the list then?"

Coughing to draw Sapphire's attention, Shining said, "The next thing is for you to watch some of the troops in some military exercises. It can be an informative experience to view, as well as possibly be entertainment since some ponies seem to find amusement from things like this. So just sit back and enjoy the show, your majesty," before he went off among his troops, barking out orders. Sapphire just watched with an expression that was a mix of amusement and confusion, before feeling like somepony was tugging at her wings.

Looking to her side, Sapphire saw Cadance was the one tugging at them with her magic as she said, "Sapphire, how about we get to a better vantage point? Like say, over there?" as she pointed a hoof, which Sapphire followed to see that she was pointing at a balcony. However, before Sapphire could get a word out, Cadance took off into the air, flying over to the balcony where she made a graceful landing. Frowning, Sapphire looked to her wings, which she normally kept closed ever since she got them besides a few emotional moments.

"Well... might as well use them for once..." Sapphire muttered to herself as she opened up her wings, giving them a few experimental flaps, only to create a minor breeze around her. As Sapphire glared at her wings, she blinked as the world started to slow down around her. The voice of Shining Armor slowed down to a crawl, making every word he said take an eternity to say as Sapphire started to hear something in her mind.

"Alright dear, just remember to focus on your magic so that it will flow through your wings."

"Okay, mommy."

"Now, when you flap your wings, don't flap too hard, but not too soft. Do what I do, and let your magic out of your wings from their underside. Remember, you might have to try the first few times, but it will become natural for you. Now, flap!"

"Flap! Wow, mommy mommy, I'm flying!"

Blinking at hearing that memory, Sapphire shook her head clear as the world around her turned back to a normal speed. "Weird..." Sapphire said to herself before looking at her wings, narrowing her eyes as she concentrated on her magic. Her magic flowed into her wings before she followed what she assumed to be her mother's instructions, having her wings give out one great flap as they released her magic, sending her into the air.

"Whoa, whoa!" Sapphire said as she found herself hovering twenty feet into the air, her wings flapping at a somewhat haphazard pace, which caused her to rise and fall through the air. After a bit more struggling, Sapphire finally found herself hovering gently in the air, staring at her wings as a small smile came onto her face as she said, "Wow... I'm actually flying on my own."

"Congra—" Cadance suddenly said from right next to Sapphire, causing Sapphire to freak out and almost lose control of her hovering until Cadance grabbed onto her hoof to help steady her. "Umm... sorry about that, just wanted to congratulate you on getting up into the air despite the fact that you were originally a unicorn when we first met. Though, how did you manage to get yourself into the air without any instructors?"

"Well, I just recalled a memory about my mother teaching me how to fly," Sapphire said with a shrug.

"Huh, so that's why Celestia didn't..." Cadance started to say until she noticed Sapphire taking on another deadpanned look. "Umm... let's just say that this was her way of seeing if you can connect with your pegasi side?" Cadance stated with an awkward smile.

Letting out a sigh, Sapphire said, "Let's just get to that balcony... and I just realized that I remembered how to go up, and nothing else," before she placed a hoof on her face, dragging it down as she groaned in frustration.

Letting out a mild chuckle, Cadance lit her horn up as she said, "Let's me take care of moving you towards the balcony for now, and we can get you a flight instructor for later."

"Hello your majesty," said a white unicorn with her brown mane set up in a bun as Sapphire blandly stared at her from her seat in a study. After the combat exercises that the Royal Guard went through, and some lunch, Cadance left Sapphire in the study for a meeting with Celestia's secretary. This caused Sapphire to find out that her life was starting to get a bit predictable in terms of Celestia trying to expose her to so many princess-related things. "I'm Raven Inkwell, one of Celestia's most trusted aides. Are you ready to discuss your royal stipend?"

"Yes, I re—wait, royal stipend?" Sapphire asked, looking a bit confused.

"For each princess, due to their services to Equestria, are given a stipend that is used for any personal expenditure that doesn't involve state functions or the regular castle services. It's not much since we don't want to dip into the royal treasury, and from what I have heard about you not wanting to take on any governmental duties yet beyond the public appearances that would be expected at the very least, I would say that a compensation for your services would be five hundred bits per month," Raven explained, causing Sapphire to blink in confusion still.

"So... wait, all the food that I have been eating at the castle... I don't have to pay for?" Sapphire asked as she tilted her head.

"Of course not. That is funded by the royal treasury, unless you were to request an extravagant meal or for food from one of Canterlot's restaurants," Raven informed Sapphire, who held the urge to snort at the idea of getting food from the restaurants in this city.

"Okay... but what if I don't use all those bits in a month?" Sapphire asked while wondering just how many bits she was saving since she's now getting free food.

"Simple your majesty. You can keep the leftover bits, and perhaps even save them in a bank or invest in whatever you desire at some point in the future. It's not like we demand you to spend five hundred bits each month," Raven explained as she kept her composure, but inwardly wondered just how educated Sapphire was despite the fact that Celestia warned Raven about Sapphire's background.

"Ah... I see..." Sapphire replied with a nod as she wondered on just what she was going to do with what basically amounted to an allowance.

"Yes, now onto the next item on schedule," Raven stated as she levitated a scroll before her, causing Sapphire to rear her head back in surprise. "Before Miss Rarity left, she was kind enough to create some designs for your crown and peytral that you would be wearing after your coronation, along with a promise that she would have the initial designs for your coronation dress within a week. Now, you will need to choose at least three of the designs that would be sent back to Rarity, who would refine them before sending them back for you to choose before they can be forged," Raven continued as she levitated over about forty sheets of paper, causing Sapphire's eyes to widen before she had to repress an urge to groan at all this.

At this rate, I need to find a secret escape tunnel in this castle so I can run away and become a hermit at some lonely island in the middle of the ocean... there better be something rewarding at the end of all this Sapphire thought to herself as she started to look through the designs.

Chapter XIX: Coronation

I can't believe this is happening Sapphire thought to herself as she felt the light gray dress around her, shifting around as Rarity helped Sapphire into it. It had been two weeks since Sapphire's flight, where she spent the entire time receiving instructions on how to act as a proper princess by Cadance, as well as more attempts done by Luna to recover her memories. However, even with the five recognizable figures, all they found was memories where Sapphire was still a foal playing with one or more of the five. Though, one memory did involve a meal that consisted of something called grass cakes, which caused Luna to be somewhat disgusted at the idea, much to Sapphire's confusion.

However, in the first week, Photo Finish actually arrived at the castle for a meeting with Sapphire, probably hearing of her being there and her ascension due to word slowly slipping out by either the castle staff or the nobles that had encountered Sapphire. Upon seeing that the rumors are true, Photo announced that Sapphire could no longer be a model due in part that no pony could be like an actual princess, that and princesses aren't supposed to be fashion models. However, she did mention that the negatives taken when Sapphire was modeling would be worth a fortune now, so she was actually happy when she left the castle.

Since word was also leaking out to the general populace and been spread like wildfire, Celestia decided that Sapphire's coronation would have to take place soon, which was at the end of the two weeks. The plans were made and the preparations were soon completed, the Elements arriving the day before to give Sapphire moral support. She then learned that while she was at Canterlot, even though Sapphire couldn't participate, Photo did go to Rarity's home where after a short photo shoot. It turned out that Fluttershy ended up being Photo's latest fashion model.

"Hmph! Ignoring my dresses like that, I wonder how Photo Finish would react when she finds out that I was the one to have made your coronation dress!" Rarity said with a huff as she gently tugged at the dress's golden frill to get it to properly fit Sapphire.

"Don't be too mad Rarity... I think she was just more interested in getting a fashion model to replace me at the time," Sapphire replied, groaning as she felt a bit uncomfortable in the dress. "Augh, why must this dress be so... complicated compared to the other ones I wore so far?"

"That's because this dress is meant for your coronation, and isn't one to be taken likely. The crowning of a princess is a once in a lifetime event, so we can't take this lightly. Though, I don't think you'll be wearing this dress after today though, so you can bare wearing it for just one afternoon, right?" Rarity responded. Thankfully, when Celestia planned the event, she took into account of Sapphire's distaste of the whole event, opting for a simple showing of Sapphire on the castle balcony over the castle grounds where the crowds of ponies would gather. Unfortunately, Sapphire couldn't get out of a chariot ride throughout the rest of the city so that more ponies could see the new princess.

Letting out a sigh, Sapphire said, "Yeah... just one afternoon couldn't hurt, though you might want to make sure that Twilight is nearby to teleport me out of this dress the moment this is all over," as Rarity just rolled her eyes at that.

"Oh, will you relax already? You're putting up far more than a fuss than necessary. One little ceremony and then you can go back to the life of languishing in the castle, eating all sorts of delicacies to satisfy that pit you call a stomach," Rarity replied, causing Sapphire to laugh at her joke.

"Good to see that you're back to making jokes about me instead of bowing down and calling me 'your majesty' or 'Princess Sapphire'," Sapphire stated with a faint smile.

"Well, I saw how you reacted when I treated you that way with our visit a couple weeks ago, and I realized that even though I was paying you the proper respect that you deserve, it only served to bother you in the end. And being your friend, I knew that I should treat you as a friend instead of treating you like a princess," Rarity explained with her own smile before finishing her last adjustments. Stepping back, Rarity then continued, "And behold! Equestria's newest princess!" before she giggled at Sapphire who was rolling her eyes at her comment until they stopped at the sight of her jewelry to the side on a cushion.

Turning her head towards them, Sapphire looked upon the silver shoes and the silver crown with a large sapphire socketed into it. It was far less impressive than her fellow alicorns' crowns, but that was due in part that she wanted something less eye catching compared to three. Slipping her hooves into the shoes as she levitated the crown onto her head, Sapphire took in a deep breath before saying, "Alright, let's get this over with."

"Remember how we rehearsed this. It'll just be like one of your modeling shows."

"Are you kidding me? I didn't have to say a thing in those, only to walk and pose."

"But you're just smiling and waving instead of posing. Besides, Raven will have the note cards out there for you to read. Just try not to make it too obvious to the crowds."

"...You're sure that you can't send me to some part of the world that has no idea what an alicorn is?"

"Just get out there already," Celestia stated with a slight frown as she walked alongside with Sapphire as she wore a yellow dress with an orange trim to it. The pair was in a hallway that led to the balcony where Sapphire could hear the sounds of the crowd below it, as the other alicorns were already on the balcony as they looked down at the crowds. Cadance was wearing a deep blue dress that had a gold trim to it, while Luna was wearing an elegant black dress that had silver trim to it as well as wearing some diamond earrings. However, when Sapphire and Celestia finally stepped onto the balcony, the two turned to look at them as Luna started to show signs of regret over being the sole one to go far more formal than the other two.

Stepping forward as Sapphire hanged back for the moment, Celestia looked upon the crowds of ponies with a well-practiced smile. "Hello my little ponies, I am here today to address you all of a special occasion. As some of you may have heard, a new alicorn had appeared in our world just over two weeks ago. Some of you may have seen her as something else, but in truth, she was an alicorn from the very beginning. Her story is complexed, and unknown to all of us due to a loss of her memories, hence why many of you had to hear about her from your fellow ponies. But today, she is ready to reveal herself to all of you. So, it is with my great pleasure that I present to all of you, the alicorn of water, Princess Sapphire Rain!"

It was agreed telling the truth about her past was better than fabricating a story that Sapphire would certainly have difficulty in maintaining under the tough scrutiny of the press and nobles, even if Sapphire didn't like the idea that the world would soon know that she's an amnesiac before too long. Furthermore, Sapphire being called the alicorn of water was far better than being called the alicorn of the seas since it would cause issues with the other nations in Equus. Taking a few deep breaths, Sapphire walked out onto the balcony, remembering her lessons from Photo Finish as a model, only for them to be dashed away from the sight of the crowd before her. Sapphire had to urge her ears to say upright as she stared at the mass of ponies before her until her leg was nudged by Celestia who was looking at her in expectation.

Regaining some of her composure, Sapphire cleared her throat as a pack of note cards wereas levitated before her in Raven's pink aura. Looking upon the crowd, Sapphire declared, "Ponies of Equestria, it is a great honor for me to address you all today. Some of you know me as a model that once worked with the fashion photographer Photo Finish, which I will admit is true. Now that would cause many of you to think that I have ascended to the status of alicornhood like Princess Cadance was, but in reality, I have been an alicorn since I was very young, but I have suffered... injuries that forced me to adopt the form of a unicorn so I could recover. These injuries were also the reason for my amnesia, but even in light of these revelations, I will not be deterred from my duties to Equestria. I intend to lend a hoof to my fellow princesses in ruling Equestria. It may take some time before I'm truly ready to assist this great nation, but I will do my best in the meantime to help you all, till the near future where I will be finally ready to lead you. Until then, I hope to do what I can for you all, and I hope to be the princess you all envision me to be."

At first, Sapphire was greeted with silence, making her believe that she was going to be dealing with an angry mob until the crowd finally broke into cheers. Forcing on a smile as she practiced for the past few days, Sapphire raised a hoof as she waved at the ponies before her as Celestia commented, "That was a very good first royal speech, Sapphire. I told you that you're capable of such things."

"Yeah, when you're the one that wrote most of my lines for me," Sapphire muttered from behind her teeth.

"Well, your use of the Royal Cantorlot Voice was quite admirable, young Sapphire," Luna declared, smiling that her few lessons with Sapphire had born fruit. Giving Luna a brief glance along with a short nod, Sapphire turned her attention to the crowd, only to be shocked by seeing the crowd screaming in pain as a green flame was consuming them. Looking a bit shock, Sapphire blinked in surprise only for the crowd to return to back to normal.

"Is something the matter, Sapphire?" Cadance asked, having noticed the brief look of shock on Sapphire's face as the other two alicorns glanced at Sapphire.

"I... I don't know... I'll tell you two later..." Sapphire said as she resumed her smiling facade, waving to the crowds as she waited for this to end.

"Wait, you saw the crowd screaming while on fire?" Luna asked in surprised after the coronation ceremony came to an end and the four alicorns and the Elements were gathered in the dining hall.

"Yeah. It was for a brief second, but it was... horrible... and it wasn't just on fire. They were covered in a green flame of all things," Sapphire clarified, causing Luna and Celestia to glance at each other.

"That is quite... ominous," Celestia stated as Luna nodded in agreement. "Hopefully it's not a vision of the future and instead something related to your memories, but even that is still unpleasant to think of."

"Indeed, we should reexamine your mind for any hints what could have caused this vision of yours. Hopefully, my sister's theory is correct. For if it is a vision, I shudder to think what cause be the foe that we would have to face," Luna added.

Sapphire half-heartedly nodded and was about to comment when she felt a hoof on her shoulder, causing her to turn around to see that the hoof's owner was Twilight, who said, "Don't worry Sapphire, the princesses know what they doing. They'll get to the bottom of what you saw," which caused Sapphire to smile at Twilight's supporting words.

"Well, now that the coronation is over, you can start planning your vacation!" Cadance declared, causing the Sapphire along with the Elements to look at her in confusion. Rolling her eyes, Cadance continued, "You've been dealing with stress of being a princess for over two weeks up to the coronation, you deserve some kind of break after all."

Narrowing her eyes, Sapphire turned to look at Celestia, saying, "There has to be more to that than just a break. What's your game, Celestia?"

Smiling, Celestia answered, "Well well well, it seems that you're starting to learn to look for any hidden agendas. And as to your statement, it's nothing major. It's just that you can't remain in Canterlot forever since there are already three princesses here already. So, in between princess duties and lessons, you could take breaks to visit the cities of Equestria, where if you ever grow fond of one of them, you could one day set up your seat of power there and rule that city."

"Figures there's a catch to this," Sapphire stated with a snort as Cadance looked at her with an amused expression.

"It won't be that bad, Sapphire. This is one of those things that just is beneficial to you overall with little cost," Cadance replied before looking off to the side in an idealistic fashion. "And just imagine the sights you can see, like Las Pegasus, Equestria's casino city that floats on the clouds, high ab—"

"No clouds!" Sapphire roared in the Royal Canterlot Voice as she pointed a hoof at Cadance, the sheer volume of her voice actually pushing Cadance back a few feet as she looked at the pink princess with pinprick pupils.

Raising her hooves up to fend of Sapphire, Cadance cried out, "Okay okay! No clouds!" As Sapphire started to calm down, Cadance looked at everypony else as she asked, "What's her problem with clouds?"

Giving Cadance an awkward smile, Celestia answered, "Sorry dear, I think that something very important may have slipped my mind," as Luna gave her a deadpan stare, one that was partnered with an annoyed one from Sapphire.

Chapter XX: Train

"It's such an honor to be your personal guard for your vacation, your majesty."

"Please, just call me Sapphire."

"But your majesty, you're a princess and I'm just a guard, hence I must pay you the proper respect due to you," said a brown pegasus stallion by the name of Foggy Shores who was a Royal Guard assigned to be Sapphire's bodyguard. It was a week after Sapphire's coronation, where she spent a quarter of the day making public appearances that she later learned would have been attended by Cadance or Celestia before she showed up. The rest of the time was spent on lessons over politics and Equestria's government, including what Sapphire can or can't do as a Princess, which included the inability to banish Blueblood to some remote farm on the outskirts of Equestria.

It was also decided that at the end of her first official week as a princess, that Sapphire would be taking her vacation, albeit under the guise of a royal visit. However, since Sapphire wasn't allowed to go Ponyville for her vacation, the princesses offered their own suggestions, Luna suggesting Fillydephia, Celestia with Baltimare, and Cadance offering Applewood. However, upon getting her hooves on a map, Sapphire surprised them all by selecting Vanhoover as her destination. While Cadance and Luna were confused at this sudden decision, Celestia only frowned, probably due to knowing that Sapphire had chosen that destination to be a different choice that was still quite far away from Canterlot.

Hence, Sapphire was in the Royal Train Car with just Foggy, feeling comfortable though a bit nervous at the stallion that was a bit too over enthusiastic for Sapphire's tastes. "Umm... I don't think you have to be so... 'respectful' to me when it's just you and me," Sapphire replied, as she wondered if Celestia purposely chose this particular pony to torment her.

"But, your majesty, you're an alicorn princess! To dishonor you in a fashion would be an insult to the crown!" Foggy stated with horror apparent on his face as he stared at Sapphire with his bright blue eyes.

As she tried to resist the smash her hoof into her face, Sapphire muttered, "At this rate, you'll be starting a religion to worship," only to hear Foggy gasp in shock.

"You... you wish for me to start a religion in your name, your majesty! It... it'll be an honor for me to sta—"

"I was joking!"

"And this is when you take on the trident maneuver, where you gracefully turn the attention of the noble away from your posterior and onto the wedding cake that you secretly n—"

"Wow, this is what you dream about when Luna isn't around?" Veritas asked, causing Sapphire to jump out of her chair and cling to the ceiling.

"What the buck did you do that for‽ And where the buck have you been‽" Sapphire hollered after noticing that Veritas was below her, who was taking on a form that looked quite similar to Applejack's, with only her signature hat missing.

Staring at Sapphire for a moment, Veritas looked around at the classroom setting from her desk before resting her eyes at a dream where Celestia, who had a suit on as she stood next to a blurry chalkboard, was still going on with her lecture despite Veritas's interruption. "The bigger question here is why are you dreaming this of all things."

Noticing her surroundings, Sapphire frowned as she dropped to the floor before glaring at Veritas, replying, "Don't change the topic! You owe me an explanation for disappearing after I became an alicorn!"

Raising an eyebrow, Veritas countered, "Do you really think I actually owe you something? You silly alicorn, I don't owe you a thing since the plan was ruined thanks to Celestia's meddling."

"What plan?" Sapphire growled out as she walked towards Veritas. "And why are you here now finally?"

"Well, for the latter question, it's because you're currently taking a nap on the train during the middle of the day, where Luna isn't actively checking on you. As for the former, figure it out yourself," Veritas responded before leaning over to pat Sapphire's head in a mocking fashion.

Slapping Veritas's hoof out of the way, Sapphire pointed a hoof at Veritas, saying, "Like buck I will! I want answers, and as a resident in my head, I will have them! Are you the reason why I saw that crowd on fire?"

Taking on a look that vaguely looked like anger, Veritas answered, "No, that isn't my doing, nor will I do something like that to you, ever."

Snorting, Sapphire replied, "And why should I believe that? You've been messing with me since day one. So for all I know, you could just be lying just for your own amusement!"

Rolling her eyes, Veritas replied, "Believe whatever you want, but I'm here to do you a tiny favor. I'll answer one question truthfully since I'm appearing as the Element of Honesty. However, there are some things that I won't answer, so be careful with your questions."

Cocking an eyebrow, Sapphire decided to try Veritas's offer as she asked, "Where did I come from?"

"Not telling, try again," Veritas answered as she leaned back to fold her hooves over her chest.

Frowning, Sapphire asked, "What relation do I have in regards to Arulas?"

"Still not telling, please try again," Veritas replied, causing Sapphire to scowl. "Try thinking about things you've been curious about."

"...Why do you want me to be miserable?" Sapphire asked, causing Veritas to quirk an eyebrow at her.

"Not the question I thought you would ask, but it is one that I can answer. And to that answer to that, its to toughen you up," Veritas answered.

Narrowing her eyes in suspicion, Sapphire said, "That, I really doubt. How would being miserable toughen me up?"

"Oh, there are many ways, but it really depends on the personality of the pony and what is going on with them that is making them miserable. In your case, your recent rise to being an alicorn has placed you into a role of responsibility that you never wanted, along with a rather manipulative mare that is trying to mold you a bit into being an exceptional princess. But you don't want to wallow in misery, you want to break out of it, hence your mildly defiant attempt at spurning Celestia by getting as far away from her as you can, at a location of your own choosing. You're now showing some backbone to the mare that once had you shaking on your hooves. Now if only you had the will and audacity to slap her face, now that would be a sight to see," Veritas explained with a chuckle to herself.

Staring at Veritas with an expression that was fighting over whether to be surprised or suspicious, Sapphire replied, "That was your goal all along, just for me to get more assertive for myself?"

"As Applejack's brother would say, eeyup! But you have a long way to go before you get to become a fiesty one," Veritas answered.

Blinking at the last part, Sapphire echoed, "Fiesty?"

Raising her head in alarm, Veritas said, "Opps! I think I said a tad bit too much, so it's time to wake you up!" before she reached over to her side to grab the chair that Sapphire was sitting on before her appearance. Before Sapphire could get a word out or even light her horn up to stop Veritas, she swung the chair over the desk and slammed it right on top of Sapphire's head.

"Gah! By the light of the moons!" Sapphire exclaimed as she jumped up from her seat, startling Foggy who was reading a book.

"What is it, your majesty? Are we being attacked?" Foggy asked as he flew up into the air, scanning for any signs of an intruder.

As she came down her shock, Sapphire shook her head as she said, "No... no... it was just a dream. Nothing to concern yourself with, Foggy."

Looking at Sapphire with concern, Foggy asked, "Are you certain your majesty? I'm here to serve, and I'll do anything to help ensure your safety.”

Resisting the urge to let out a sigh of frustration, Sapphire had an idea that almost made her smile evilly. Looking Foggy dead in his eyes, Sapphire replied, "Oh, there is something you can do then. Stop calling me 'your majesty'."

Rearing his head back, Foggy said, "But your majesty, reme—"

"You said that you'll do anything to ensure my safety, so for the safety of my mind, you won't call me 'your majesty', or 'your highness' or anything like that! And make that an order!" Sapphire interjected, causing Foggy to look at her for a moment before letting out a dejected sigh.

"As you desire, Princess Sapphire," Foggy answered as Sapphire felt the desire to twitch her left eye till the end of time.

Shaking her head clear of that feeling, Sapphire was about to amend her order when a raggy feminine voice called out from behind the cabin door, interrupting her as it said, "You need to be careful about what you say Private, cause if the princess worded her request carefully, she could be asking you to accompany her to her bed for the night."

As Sapphire gaped in utter shock at the door, Foggy blushed as he replied, "H-how dare you to accuse of such a thing, Corporal Midnight! Princess Sapphire is an alicorn of divine virtue, and such desires are beneath her!" as the door opened to reveal a female thestral dressed in the armor of the Lunar Guard, her coat being gray while her mane was a dark turquoise as she looked at the pair with orange slitted eyes that had a mischievous glint to them.

"I was just stating an example of how your declarations could be used against you, Private. And I didn't mean to offend you, Princess. I doubt that you're one of those kind of mares, unlike some nobles," Midnight stated as she walked into the car before taking a seat next to the blushing Foggy. Looking at Foggy, Midnight stated, "Time for you to turn in for the night, you fanatic."

Scowling at Midnight, Foggy jumped out of his seat before letting out a huff as he trotted out of the cart as Sapphire started to regain her composure. Looking at Midnight with some surprise on her face, Sapphire asked, "Who are you and what are you doing here?"

Giving Sapphire a mild salute, Midnight answered, "Corporal Midnight Fang of the Lunar Guard. Princess Luna assigned me to be your guard during the night shift since most guards can't keep an eye on you twenty-four seven, your majesty," as she pointed at a window, causing Sapphire to glance out as she saw that the sun was setting.

"Oh... alright... but please don't call me your majesty..." Sapphire said with a groan as she rubbed her forehead as she felt a headache starting to crop up.

"No problem there princess. I heard what you said to Foggy before I arrived, so I just called you that just to stick to standard protocols until you gave me the same order. However, I do request to address you as princess. I may not have a stick up my rear like the private does, but I do want to follow some formalities," Midnight replied with another salute.

"Well, at least you didn't put up as much of a fuss with that like Foggy did," Sapphire noted as she looked out the window once more, drifting her eyes towards Midnight's wings briefly as she remembered that the thestrals make up the majority of the Lunar Guard. They tend to come from the few colonies of thestrals littered around the outer parts of Equestria. "I have to ask one thing, why did Luna pick you to be my guard? I don't mean to offend you or anything, I'm just asking you out of curiosity."

"Oh, that's because I'm part of the group that volunteered for this, and if you're wondering why I volunteered, I just wanted to see what kind of princess you're going to be," Midnight answered with a shrug. "It's the same with the day shift, but in Foggy's case, I think you might have a secret admirer," Midnight added with a toothy grin, showing off her fangs.

Sapphire shivered, but not from the sight of Midnight's fangs. She, in fact, shivered at the thought at Foggy being infatuated with her, something that she didn't want to deal with due to all the things she had put up with so far. Thus, she thought the only thing that she could at that moment, thinking to herself, Oh buck me.

Chapter XXI: Vanhoover

"Huh, this doesn't look to be that much of a city compared to Canterlot or Manehatten."

"Does this displease you, Princess Sapphire? We can return to Canterlot and you can choose another destination if you so desire."

"Oh for the love of Luna..." Sapphire muttered to herself as she resisted the urge to glare at Foggy, mostly because she had a feeling that if she did so, he would break into tears within a matter of seconds. It was midmorning when the train finally arrived, where Sapphire looked out the window of the train car to see what looked like Vanhoover. It turned out that it wasn't that large of a city, based on the lack of sprawling neighborhoods with large manors like Canterlot or the skyscrapers of Manehatten. Instead, Sapphire saw some neighborhoods that reminded her of Ponyville, though there was a city center with some buildings that appeared to be four or five stories high. There was also a rather large port with quite a number of ships, but recalling from the map, this was the only Equestrian settlement on the North Luna Ocean. Oddly enough, there was a large farm on the outskirts of the city, which fondly reminded Sapphire of Sweet Apple Acres.

As the train slowly came to a stop at the station where Sapphire saw a crowd gathering, which caused her to fold her ears at the sight as Foggy asked, "Princess? Do you want to return Canterlot?"

"No... but I do wish there wasn't a crowd to meet me, but that's part of being a princess, I guess," Sapphire answered as she rolled her shoulders just as the train came to a stop. Hopping off her chair, Sapphire continued, "Go wake up Midnight. You might need her help in fending off the crowd if they go into a frenzy," as she pulled out a suitcase, opening it up to reveal her royal regalia. The crown and silver shoes that she had from the coronation were there, but it was also accompanied by a silver peytral that had a sapphire that was in the shape of a water drop inserted into it.

Saluting, Foggy said, "As you command, Princess," before he went off as ordered as Sapphire slipped into her regalia. Waiting for a few seconds to pass first, Sapphire sighed as she followed Foggy. She began exiting the car and into the passenger car that it was connected to, where a few ponies bowed down to Sapphire, much to her irritation. Coming to the car's door, Sapphire took in a deep breath before opening it, despite not having her guards with her yet. Instantly, the crowd outside the car bowed before her, about fifty ponies worth with a pair of earth ponies and a unicorn standing in front of them who promptly came up to Sapphire as she walked out of the car.

"Welcome to our fair city of Vanhoover, your highness! I'm Mayor Copper Field, and we're honored that you decided to choose our city for your first Royal Visit, Princess Sapphire Rain!" declared a red earth pony stallion with a dark orange mane dressed in a black suit with a yellow tie along with a scroll and a shovel as his Cutie Mark.

Stepping forward past him, a silver-coated unicorn mare with a long golden mane, who was wearing a light blue dress that oddly matched the color of Sapphire's coat. Giving Sapphire a smile, the mare said, "And I am Baroness Silver Clock, current head of House Clock that had lived here for four generations, and I too am honored by your presence, your majesty," as she bowed as Sapphire spotted a silver watch as Silver's Cutie Mark.

"And I'm Harrow Delight of the Pear family. I'm fairly certain that you saw my family's farm on your way here," stated a light green earth pony stallion with a red mane as he bowed down before her. He had a reddish pear for a Cutie Mark and was only wearing a simple yellow bowtie.

As Harrow raised his head to look at Sapphire like he was expecting something, Sapphire turned her head to see that the other two had the same look, along with the crowd that was now leaning their heads up just enough so they could look at her while still bowing. Blinking for a second, Sapphire realized that she was supposed to say something, causing her to spread out her wings as she straightened her neck up. "The honor is mine, dear citizens of Vanhoover. I do hope that my visit to your city is a pleasant one for all parties. Now rise, my little ponies, so my Royal Visit can commence," Sapphire declared, allowing the crowd to raise their heads back up, with a few of them rubbing their necks a bit.

Bowing once more, Copper said, "Yes your highness, let us begin by taking you to where you will be staying for your visit. Shall I lead the way?"

Nodding, Sapphire answered, "Yes, lead the way Copper Field," causing the mayor to turn around and let out a whistle, where a carriage pulled by a pair of ponies came in.

As the trio started to head towards the carriage with Sapphire in tow, she heard a racket behind her. This caused her to glance back to see Foggy stumbling out of the train car with a yawning Midnight following right behind him as he said, "Wait, Princess! You forgot about us!"

Sitting in the carriage that had room for six ponies, Sapphire stared at the three leaders before her, Copper in the center with Silver to his left side and Harrow to his right. Meanwhile, Foggy was seated at her left side and Midnight snoring at her right side, much to Silver's annoyance. Looking hopeful for some reason, Copper asked, "Your majesty, while your presence in Vanhoover brings us much joy, I'm curious about something over this Royal Visit. Would you permit me to ask a question in regards to that?"

Raising an eyebrow that brought a bit of surprise to Silver, Sapphire answered, "Umm.. sure... go ahead and ask your question, Copper."

"Thank you, your highness," Copper replied with a bow as Sapphire resisted the urge to groan. "Now, I mean no offense, but I'm curious about why you chose Vanhoover as your first Royal Visit since we're a city at the outskirts of Equestria. After all, there are larger cities like Manehatten or Cloudsdale that are closer to Canterlot."

Looking aghast, Silver turned towards Copper as she stated, "How dare you question the princess's decision! That's practi—"

Raising up a hoof to silence Silver, who saw and promptly closed her mouth, Sapphire answered, "It's alright Baroness Clock, it's a perfectly legitimate question to ask." As Silver simply nodded, Sapphire turned her attention to Copper who pulled at the collar of his suit as she continued, "The reason I have chosen Vanhoover was partly due to my nature as the alicorn of water. This city holds an important trading port to the west, taking in the incoming naval traffic from the northern ports across the North Lunar Ocean. Furthermore, I have been in Manehatten once before, and I desired to visit a city that is still young and growing."

As Sapphire internally thanked Raven for giving her a quick understanding of Vanhoover, Copper nodded as he replied, "Ah, indeed our city is an important port, serving as a destination for Equestria's Neighponese trading partners."

"Not to mention that this city is home to one of the biggest sources of pears for Equestria," Harrow stated, puffing his chest out with obvious pride.

"Hmmm... I saw it, and I must say, it reminded me of Ponyville, a town that I once resided in before... my reveal as an alicorn. Your family farm reminded me of Sweet Apple Acres, a farm of a similar size," Sapphire responded, before looking confused at the sight of Harrow's right eye twitching a bit when she mentioned the word apple.

"Regardless of your taste in fruit, your majesty, I must thank you for marking Vanhoover as your first Royal Visit. This occasion will be marked down in the history books, bringing glory to Vanhoover, which will help serve to bring in ponies that would love to live in our splendid city. This will cause it to grow to match other cities like Manehatten or Baltimare, before even surpassing them!" Silver declared as Sapphire started to think that this mare was another power hungry noble.

Before Sapphire could comment on Silver's declaration, the carriage came to a stop, causing Midnight to fall forward and land on her face, yet she didn't come out of her slumber as Copper stated, "Ah, here we are, your abode for the time you spend here," as Harrow reached out to open the door. Standing up, Sapphire came out of the carriage to look upon the sight of a three-story structure that had a central building with two wings flanking it. As Sapphire raised an eyebrow, Copper came out as he explained, "This is city hall. We’ve always kept a portion of the right wing prepared for any important visits, though we had to spruce it up for you, your highness. I hope it will be to your liking."

Keeping a neutral expression about this, Sapphire turned to look at Copper, who noticed the expression as it made him sweat a bit. "How's the food here?" Sapphire asked, quirking an eyebrow as Copper pulled at his collar again.

Before Copper could get a word out, Harrow leaned forward as he said, "Why, we got some of the best cooks in Equestria ready to serve you, your highness. Coupled with the fact that we have some of freshest pears that anypony could get, I can assure you that you will be fed some of the best dishes you never tasted before!"

As Silver was cursing under her breath about Harrow making such a brash statement, Sapphire simply smiled as she said, "Then I will be more than satisfied with my accommodations. Now if you three would excuse me, I would like to spend some time in my 'personal abode' until lunchtime, but I would appreciate it if you have somepony take my bags to my room."

"That won't be a problem, your majesty. I will have a servant fetch your bags in a prompt fashion," Silver replied as she and the other two bowed their heads, only to raise them as Foggy fell out of the carriage from dragging a snoring Midnight out of it.

Rolling her eyes, Sapphire lit her horn up to levitate the pair into the air, causing the trio to look at her in surprise. Snorting in response, Sapphire explained, "As amusing as the sight of a Royal Guard dragging a sleeping Night Guard into the city hall, I rather be able to settle into my quarters sooner rather than later," before she started to trot into the building.

"Princess Sapphire, you don't have to do this, you're not sup—"

"Private Foggy," Sapphire interjected, causing him to freeze up as they were entering the building, where Sapphire judged that the trio was out of hearing range. "I'm doing this because I need a moment alone from those brown nosers, though Harrow seemed to be more prideful of his family's pears than trying to gain my favor. Though I have to ask, why didn't you just put Midnight on your back?" Sapphire said as she looked at Foggy, who blinked at her for a moment before slapping a hoof against his face.

"Augh, my apologies princess. It just slipped my mind as I didn't want to keep you waiting on us like what happened at the train station," Foggy explained, causing Sapphire to roll her eyes at him.

"Foggy, there was a crowd waiting for me, and I didn't want to keep them waiting. Which was actually to your benefit since Midnight doesn't seem to be the mare that likes having her sleep interrupted," Sapphire responded as she turned her attention to the snoring Midnight.

"Ah, a wise decision, princess," Foggy replied, to which Sapphire had to repress the desire to let out a loud snort.

He thinks that was wise thinking on my part? Wait until he sees me actually ruling, if I ever do that, Sapphire thought to herself, shaking her head as she wondered if this vacation will turn out fine, or it would have her fleeing from a burning city. In her eyes, she would think that it would be a safe bet to put money on the latter.

Chapter XXII: Demonstration

"So, this is your first time on a luxury ship, your majesty?"

"I don't think I've been on a boat either, unless I lost my memory of being on one," Sapphire noted as she looked over Silver's personal ship, with was a modest cruise ship that she assumed could hold about a hundred ponies with ease. It was the day after her arrival, which was spent mostly on a tour of Vanhoover. The tour turned out to be mostly about places of businesses, the town plaza statue of the founders of Vanhoover, the Pear family farm, the estate of House Clock, and then the city port that served as the lifeblood for the city, behind the Pear family farm. Hence, today was going to be spent on Silver's ship as they toured the harbor and the North Lunar sea for the day, with Harrow joining but Copper being unable to since he had duties to attend to.

"Well then, I consider it an honor that your first seaworthy voyage was on my ship, the S.S. Silverstride!" Silver declared in her elegant pink dress with a wide smile as Sapphire resisted the urge to connect her hoof to her face as she laid on a lounge chair, Foggy standing nearby.

"Yes... I'm happy that you're enjoying this," Sapphire flatly stated as she looked over the ship railing, seeing some other ships passing by.

"Indeed I am, your majesty. Though it is a shame that you didn't want all the ships docked so that we can have the sea for ourselves," Silver replied with a frown, only to blink when she saw Sapphire frowning her.

"Silver, I'm not going to tell ponies to drop their work just so I can enjoy an empty sea. These waters belong to everypony, and who better to know that than the Alicorn of Water herself?" Sapphire asked, her voice sounding cold and emotionless as Silver started to build up a sweat.

"Umm... my apologies, your majesty. I didn't mean to offend you," Silver quickly stated as she bowed down in an attempt to appease Sapphire, her face mere inches away from the deck.

Staying quiet for a moment, Sapphire let out a snort as she said, "It is fine, you are forgiven for your... words," as she looked at the ocean again, though keeping Silver at the edge of her vision.

Rising up, Silver said, "Thank you for looking past my poor choice of words, your majesty. Now if you’ll excuse me, I'll be checking up on our cooks to see how lunch is going," before she started to back away at a rapid pace before running into the cruise ship.

Snorting again, Sapphire muttered, "Why must nobles always treat any ponies that aren't a noble like dirt?"

"Well, they do have political powers depending on where they live, princess," Foggy answered, causing Sapphire to look at him, causing him to go wide-eyed before he continued, "Forgive me, I didn't me—"

"No no, I'm actually listening to you, Foggy. So please, if you have more to say, I want to hear it," Sapphire interjected as she moved a forehoof in a circular fashion to indicate him to continue on.

Nodding as he let out a sigh of relief, Foggy explained, "As you command, Princess Sapphire. In some parts of Equestria, the nobility either hold ownership of the land or have stock in businesses near their home due to the wealth that they have at their disposal. This gives them some measure of power over ponies that rely on their land or wealth, and some of them prefer to abuse this. As for House Clock, I don't know which group they truly belong to, but odds are that they own portions of land within Vanhoover. But since it's a growing city, they would have invested in some of the shipping companies in order to have a secured flow of revenue."

"Huh. That’s interesting, but wouldn't that allow some ponies that become rich to be able to become nobles?" Sapphire asked.

Shaking his head, Foggy answered, "No princess, nobles don't welcome outsiders into their circle since they place much emphasis on bloodlines. The only way for one born outside the noble houses is to be elevated by a princess to a position of nobility, and that is only when they have done great deeds for the benefit of Equestria."

Humming to herself after hearing Foggy's answer, Sapphire stated, "That is an interesting bit of information, Foggy. If only I could make everypony a noble, that would certainly shake the old ones up a bit," as she smiled to herself, before spotting that Silver was coming back.

"Your majesty, lunch is being prepared in a timely matter. But if you desire to eat sooner or later, the staff are ready to adapt to your needs," Silver said with a forced smile as she held a nervous look to herself, causing Sapphire to roll her eyes at her.

"Relax Baroness Clock, you haven't earned my ire," Sapphire replied, causing Silver to drop her smile as she took in a few nervous breaths. Shaking her head at that, Sapphire added, "Though, for simplicity's sake, you don't mind if I call you Silver? I rather not have to mention your title every time I have to address you."

"Of course you can, your majesty. You aren't obligated to acknowledge any noble's full title unless during formal occasions," Silver stated.

Nodding at that, Sapphire shifted her position so that she was lying on her back, folding her forelegs behind her back so she could rest her head on them as she levitated her crown onto a nearby table. Silver meanwhile, stared at her for a bit before taking stepping over to the railing as she looked out at the sea, before turning her head towards Sapphire as she asked, "Princess, may I have a request?"

Cocking an eyebrow, Sapphire looked at Silver, replying, "Depends, what request do you want from me?" as she held back a snort at the fact that she had to be a bit more flowery with her talk.

"Forgive me if I'm brash, but would you grace us with a demonstration of your power?" Silver asked, causing Sapphire to blink in surprise as Foggy's jaw shifted like he was about to gape at her in surprise. "I know it may be a sudden request, but given that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna demonstrate their power through their control of the sun and moon respectively, it would be a sight to see you demonstrating your control over the water as your title claims."

Giving Silver a neutral look, Sapphire took note of the words 'your title claims' as a possible challenge by Silver to question her position as the alicorn of water. She privately felt offended by that, before she realized she was being defensive about a position of power that she didn't want in the first place. Deciding to give Silver the benefit of the doubt, Sapphire got off her chair as she said, "Very well, I will grant you your request," as she grabbed her crown with a hoof and slapped it onto her head, as she wondered to herself about just how much power she actually had as an alicorn. As a somewhat nervous Silver stepped aside as Sapphire came to the railing, she lit her horn up as she let her magic flow out into the water, feeling it before her as she grasped it with her magic. Lowering her horn to point it at the ocean, Sapphire slowly lifted it up as a mass of water started to rise out of an area that was larger than the grounds that Canterlot Castle was on, causing her observers to widen their eyes in awe.

As Sapphire continued to lift her horn up, she saw that the amount of water that she was lifting, pausing in brief surprise before resuming her lifting of the water while pouring concentration into adding even more water to the load that she was already lifting. Surprised at how easy it was for her to do both tasks, Sapphire continued to raise the mass of water, lifting it to a height that surpassed Silver's ship. As more water flowed into the mass from below, this caused the water to flood into the empty space, only to be pulled into the air as well. Despite feeling some strain on her horn and magic, Sapphire continued to press on as the ship's crew came out to watch in awe of the magical might she was displaying. However, as the water mass reached a height that was twice the ship's own height, Sapphire suddenly felt a sharp pain in her side, causing her to groan in pain as she clutched her right side with her left forehoof.

"Princess!" Foggy cried out as he came to Sapphire's side, grabbing onto Sapphire's shoulders as he tried to steady her. Looking at Sapphire's still lit horn, Foggy stated, "You need to stop your spell now, princess! You're pushing yourself too hard!"

Shaking her head, Sapphire said, "No... I need to return the water properly or it'll send a powerful wave towards the ship and the city..." as she held her look of concentration as she slowly lowered the water mass back into the sea. However, she was a bit surprised that she knew what would happen if she simply let go of the mass of water, wondering where that bit of knowledge came from since she knew that she was never taught about that particular reaction. Slowly, the magical strain was weakening as Sapphire began releasing more and more water, but the pain in her side didn't abate as Silver came to her side as well. Eventually, the mass of water was returned to the ocean, where Sapphire ended her magic as her concentrated expression morphed into one of pain as Silver and Foggy helped her into her chair.

"Servants! Summon a doctor or a nurse to our side, now!" Silver barked out, causing the crew to dash into the ship as Foggy inspected Sapphire's side, only to find nothing wrong with it.

"Princess, you shouldn't have pushed yourself so hard in order to show your mastery of water," Foggy stated, having gone to the conclusion that Sapphire just overexerted herself.

"No... no... I didn't push myself... buck... I didn't feel much of a strain when I was lifting all that water. It was... just out of nowhere, my old wounds started to burn with intense pain," Sapphire replied, grimacing at the pain a bit before it started to fade away as the two looked at her in shock.

"W-wounds? You have wounds, princess?" Foggy asked as he started to inspect Sapphire again, much to her irritation.

"They're already healed, just a bit sore... and sensitive to large uses of magic apparently," Sapphire explained as she placed a hoof on Foggy's face, pushing him away.

"Sorry princess. It's just that since I'm your personal bodyguard during the day, the sheer thought of you being harmed would be a disgrace to me as a guard," Foggy stated as a nurse came over, whom promptly placed a hoof on Sapphire's forehead while another held her fetlock as her eyes ran over Sapphire.

Sighing, Sapphire said, "That's understandable, and everypony can stop worrying about me. The pain has ended already, so I'll be fine now."

"No can do, your highness. It's my duty to ensure that nothing is wrong with you, now open your mouth please," the nurse stated, causing Sapphire to groan as she opened her mouth to have a thermometer shoved into it.

"I will say though, after your display of power, nopony will doubt your title as the alicorn of water. Though, if that wasn't the tip of your power... I shiver at the thought of what you could do to any enemy fleets that ever decide to attack Equestria. With you as one of Equestria's princesses, we may never have to fear a naval invasion again," Silver declared.

As Sapphire was about to roll her eyes at Silver's obvious brown-nosing, Sapphire replied, "Yeah, until I die of old age," only to be confused at the looks of confusion the other three were giving her. "What? Do I have something on my face?"

For a moment, there was only silence until Foggy was the one to break it when he answered, "No... it's just that you're talking about dying of old age... when you're an alicorn."

Tilting her head, Sapphire asked, "And your point is?" to which Silver scratched the top of her head.

"Umm... princess... you do know how old Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are, right?" Foggy asked, hoping that Sapphire could connect the thoughts, before becoming appalled at even thinking of Sapphire in such a fashion.

"Yeah... they're a thousand years old, but I figured that Cadance was just making a joke since they're the senior princesses after all. You know, just one of jokes on a pony's age? I mean, a pony that is over a thousand years old when there's a pony my friend Applejack's grandmother who's not even a hundred years old yet looks like she's ancient? That's just ridiculous," Sapphire explained, yet only getting the same looks as before.

"Umm... princess... how much do you know of Equestria's history?" Silver finally asked, causing Sapphire to look up at the sky.

"Umm... not much beyond the origin of Hearth's Warming, since I overlooked it for other fields of study prior to my reveal, and then I was focused on studying Equestrian laws and my duties as a princess," Sapphire answered, as she was thinking that Foggy and Silver were pulling an elaborate trick on her, or continuing the joke that Cadance started. However, she was getting a gut feeling that there was no prank, and that was starting to make her nervous as she asked, "Can somepony tell me what's going on here?"

Coughing into his hoof, Foggy looked at Sapphire as he explained, "Umm... princess... it's actually recorded historical fact that both princesses have been around for over a thousand years since Princess Celestia has been raising the sun for more than eleven hundred years... and with the power you have displayed recently... you're probably going to be like them. Meaning, you won't age, princess."

Eyes darting back and forth between the two, Sapphire then started to laugh to herself in a slightly manic fashion, saying, "So... you're saying that I'm going to be a princess... for hundreds, if not thousands of years?" Receiving concerned nods from the three, Sapphire continued to laugh to herself even more. "Well, ain't that just perfect?" Sapphire declared right before her eyes rolled up in her head as she promptly collapsed onto the chair.

Chapter XXIII: Message

"Mommy, why am I the only pony with wings and a horn?"

"It's because you were born that way, dear."

"But why was I born this way? Some ponies give me a funny look when they think I'm not looking..."

"...Dear, no matter what ponies say or do, you're a special filly. You're one of a kind, and I'm certain that one day, you'll be doing great things."

"Really mommy?"

"Yes de—"

"Vicium Mehemii."

"What the buck‽" Sapphire cried out as she suddenly sat straight up on her bed, startling the ponies around her bed as Harrow fumbled with a bucket, some water splashing out of it until he caught it. Blinking at the sight, Sapphire looked around to spot Silver, Foggy, the nurse and even Midnight around her as she found herself in some lavished room, with her being in a massive bed that she believed that both Luna and Celestia could sleep in together. Turning her attention towards Harrow, Sapphire asked, "What are you doing with that bucket of water?"

"Well... princess, since you fainted, I thought it would have been best to wake you up, and what better method than a bucket of water?" Harrow replied, causing Silver to facehoof at his answer. "But it seems that you saw that coming, being the Alicorn of Water after all, and woke up before you and your bed got soaked."

"Like I would even let you try that on the princess, Harrow. I mean, this is the princess we're talking about! I'm fairly certain that she could you have you imprisoned for life if she wanted to," Silver cried out as she resisted the urge to tug at her mane in frustration.

As Harrow started to pale at that, Sapphire let out a snort as she countered, "No I wouldn't, he was just doing it out of an honest intention to wake me up. Besides, it's just water, I can will it off me and out of the bed with no trouble at all. Now, can somepony tell me where I am?"

Turning her attention towards Sapphire as her anger melted off her face, Silver answered, "Oh, you're in the master cabin on my ship. After you fainted, we moved you here so you can be treated properly. In matter of fact, how are you feeling, your majesty?" as she looked at Sapphire with a genuine expression of concern.

Looking herself over, Sapphire let out a sigh as she said, "Nothing is wrong, at least nothing that I can feel. It was just the shock of the moment that caused me to lose consciousness. Which reminds me, Foggy, I need you to return to my quarters at City Hall and retrieve my dragonfire lantern along with the ribbon case next to it."

"As you command, your majesty!" Foggy exclaimed with a salute, briefly forgetting Sapphire's issue with her title as he rushed out of the room.

"A dragonfire lantern?" Hallow wondered out loud, tilting his head in confusion as he continued, "Why would you need such a fancy lantern when the room has magical lights?"

"Because the lantern has an enchanted dragonfire in it that allows the princess to send messages instantly to a set location," Silver explained. "In this case, I believe that this lantern would send messages to your fellow princesses?"

"That is a correct assumption, for I have some questions to ask Celestia... along with some new information..." Sapphire answered, causing all the ponies present to look at her in surprise, though for Silver, her surprise quickly morphed into terror.

Shaking a bit, Silver squeaked out, "N-new inf-formation?" to which Sapphire just rolled her eyes at her fear.

"Don't worry Silver, you're not in trouble. This isn't something involving you or Vanhoover, it's more of a private matter. Hence, nothing for any of you to worry about," Sapphire stated, causing Silver to let out a breath of relief.

Frowning at Sapphire, Midnight countered, "Are you sure, princess? It is my duty to see to your safety, so if this is something that is related to that, I would like to be informed of it."

Shaking her head, Sapphire replied, "No, it doesn't involve my safety, so you can relax and go back to sleep Midnight. Though I'm surprised you're even up at this hour..." before she glanced around the cabin room till she found a port window on the wall the bed was against, where she saw that it was still daytime outside.

"Princess, I wouldn't be that good of a guard if I'm not able to react to an emergency, even if it is during the day. A few hours of lost sleep will not stop this guard of the night!" Midnight declared, causing Sapphire to tilt her head at her theatrics before Midnight muttered to herself, "Especially after I was literally carried out of the train to my quarters yesterday."

Shaking her head in amusement at Midnight's complaint, Sapphire recalled something as she turned her attention towards Harrow. "Harrow, about that bucket of water thing, I recommend that you never do that to Princess Luna under the same circumstance. I doubt she will take it as well as I would," Sapphire stated, causing Harrow to gulp as he gave her a nod of acknowledgement. "Good that you understand. Now Silver, what is there to do on your ship while we wait for Foggy to return?"

"Huff... phew... princess, I have returned with what you desired," Foggy said, having taken an hour to accomplish his mission. He entered the ship's dining room as Sapphire was having a late lunch with Harrow and Silver, and Midnight decided to resume her rest. Setting down a sealed black lantern with a brown wooden case right next to it, Foggy gave Sapphire a salute before dropping onto his rear, panting.

"Umm... princess, couldn't you have flown over and get it yourself with less effort?" Midnight asked as she cocked an eyebrow at Foggy, who eyed her back for her question.

"I could... but do you think Foggy would let me go on his own? I think he would find some loophole in something in order to be able to follow me, even if I gave him an order not to," Sapphire explained with a shrug. As Midnight nodded at Sapphire's answer, Sapphire turned towards Silver as she asked, "Can you get me a scroll and a quill please?"

"As you request, your majesty. Servant!" Silver exclaimed, causing a pegasi maid to come into the room. "Get the princess a scroll and a quill, immediately!" Silver ordered, causing the mare to scramble out of the dining room.

"...You know, you don't have to be so loud about it. Time isn't an issue, Silver," Sapphire stated as she took a bite out of a pear cake that Harrow personally baked. Though she did wonder why Harrow went through the trouble of making a pear cake when a pear pie would have worked. She suspected it was due to her comment about an apple pie yesterday at dinner.

"You may not be in a rush your majesty, but I don't intend to have you wait for any request you have given me," Silver stated, causing Sapphire to softly sigh as she resisted the urge to shake her head at the noble.

Does Celestia really put up with this on a day to day basis? Maybe this is why she wanted me to be a princess, so she can have some sort of reprieve from this at some point in the future, Sapphire thought to herself. It was then that the maid returned, holding up a scroll and quill along with an inkwell on a platter as she bowed towards Sapphire, much to her personal ire.

"Your writing utensils as requested, your majesty," the mare said, her head still bowed down as Sapphire levitated the objects into the air.

"Thank you for retrieving them," Sapphire replied, only to be surprised as the mare used her wing to hold onto the platter as she bowed even lower to the princess.

"It is an honor to serve you, your majesty," the mare responded before taking a few steps back before coming out of her bow as she quickly rushed out of the room.

Must be nervous being so close to me... Sapphire thought to herself before unfolding the scroll as she started to write down her message.

Dear Celestia,

Recently, I have learned about the potential chance of me having a longer than average lifespan, something that has been neglected in my education of being a princess. I would like to know whether that chance is true for me or not.

Furthermore, I have had a recent portion of my memory returned to me. While it was short, I discovered that I was born an alicorn. This is based on how a younger version of me made that statement, to which my mother who I was speaking to made no denial of it, cementing that statement as truth. Finally, the memory was interrupted by a particular phrase that I don't recognize that was spoken by an unknown pony. The words that were said was Vicium Mehemii.

From,

Sapphire.

Rolling up the scroll, Sapphire levitated the case and lantern onto the table as she cleared some space for them. Opening up the case, it revealed four sets of ribbons, one white, one dark blue, one pink, and another purple. Taking a white ribbon, Sapphire wrapped it around the scroll before pulling the black seal panel on the side of the lantern, revealing the green magical flame inside it. Tossing the scroll into the fire, Sapphire watched as it turned into magical smoke before drifting out the nearest open window. Closing both the lantern and the case, Sapphire declared, "Now I have to play the waiting game."

Blinking at the declaration, Silver replied, "Umm... don't you mean we have to pl—"

"Private matter Silver, remember?" Sapphire interjected, raising an eyebrow at Silver who promptly shut her mouth as she nodded. Instead of letting out a long-suffering sigh, Sapphire placed the lantern and the case on the floor next to her seat as she resumed her meal, only to be interrupted about ten minutes later as a whiff of smoke flew into the room, materializing into a scroll marked with a light blue ribbon. Opening the scroll, Sapphire spotted that all the ponies present, sans Foggy who was resting on his back, leaned over like they were expecting her to read out loud to them.

"Don't any of you know what a 'private matter' is supposed to mean?" Sapphire stated in an annoyed tone, causing the ponies to lean back as they looked at other parts of the room, some of them mumbling about not expecting anything from her. Shaking her head, Sapphire returned her attention to the scroll.

Dear Princess Sapphire,

I apologize for not informing you about this sooner, but due to a lack of information on your origins as well as not knowing how powerful your magic is, I was against the idea of informing you of your immortality due to the potential negative reaction you might have in regards to it if it turned out to be an unnecessary one. But, due to that memory that you have informed me of, and estimates done by the doctors and researchers that have been looking into the results of your medical examination, it appears that you are likely going to share a lifespan similar to my sister and me.

As for the phrase, it seems familiar to me, but I don't know its meaning. It may belong to a language older than Equestria itself, so I have some of the archivists look into what it could mean, and I will inform you immediately if anything is found. Thank you for informing me of this matter, and I do hope that your time in Vanhoover is an enjoyable one.

Yours truly,

Princess Celestia

Closing up the scroll, Sapphire looked at the ponies around her, who were showing signs of curiosity while doing their best to hide it. Letting out a sigh that caused them all to turn their attention to her, even Foggy's, Sapphire half-heartedly declared, "Well, I guess I might be an ageless alicorn like Celestia and Luna... go me."

Chapter XXIV: Return

"Four days?! How is a break that lasts only four days a vacation?!"

"Well, the princesses are very busy with their duties, so getting time off for themse—"

"It was under the guise of a royal visit."

"Exactly princess. Royal visits can only last so long, princess," Foggy explained as Sapphire grumbled to herself in annoyance. It was two days after the cruise with Silver when Sapphire received a letter that called for her to return to Canterlot. The first day of the two was spent touring the Pear family farm, which ended with a feast of every kind of pear dish that can be made, presented by the rather large Pear family. The second day was spent with some ceremonies that Sapphire begrudgingly attended, with the exception of a visit to an elementary school, where Sapphire had to resist the urge to hug all the cute foals to death while they looked at her in awe.

"Whatever. But she better not expect me to attend any parties with some nobles, otherwise I may lose my temper and punt the more annoying ones off Canterlot," Sapphire finally said as she folded her hooves over her chest.

"That might actually go in her favor, princess," Foggy replied, causing Sapphire to raise an eyebrow at that.

"Okay... then I'll think up of some way to throw a surprise party in Celestia's bedroom in the middle of the night with the most annoying nobles Canterlot has," Sapphire stated, causing Foggy to become a bit nervous, drawing her attention to him. "What?!"

"Well princess, you're starting to worry me, especially since we did had the Nightmare Moon incident a few months... ago..." Foggy replied, slowing down as Sapphire gave him a deadpan expression.

"Foggy, if I went and did something like that, then that would be the biggest news for months, if not years. The kind of attention is something I don't want," Sapphire countered as the train arrived at the station. "Furthermore, I don't want to be banished to the moon for a thousand years, since that means I won't be eating anything but moon rocks."

"You do have a point princess, but wouldn't you be banished to the bottom of the seas since you're the alicorn of water?" Foggy responded as Sapphire got off of her seat, only for her to stare at him. "Yeah... stupid question. My apologies, princess."

Shaking her head, Sapphire stated, "Let's just get off this train and into the castle... and see if Midnight can wake up to help us this time."

"It was an honor to serve you, your majesty," Foggy said as he, a few guards, the snoring Midnight, and Sapphire were standing right outside the castle doors.

"Yeah... I appreciate your devotion to your duties as my bodyguard, Foggy, and I wish you more success in your future," Sapphire replied with an awkward grin as she was just trying to slap together a proper reply. Thankfully for her, Foggy just smiled as he saluted before one of the unicorn guards opened the doors, to which Sapphire suddenly felt a pair of hooves grabbing her before dragging her inside. Before Sapphire could let out a cry of alarm, a thermometer was jabbed into her mouth as she felt her wings being outstretched as a measuring tape was placed along them.

"Hmm... yes! Her wingspan has been increased by one inch!" cried a black pegasus stallion with a dark blue mane and was wearing a lab coat.

"Hmm... are you measuring from the tips of her feathers or from where her bones end? It may be possible that she was regrowing her feathers and that is what caused the increase in her wingspan," Clear Heart replied as she was casted a scanning spell on Sapphire while the guards outside just stared at the scene before them. Sapphire was about to open her mouth to ask her something only for Clear to push her hoof against Sapphire's jaw to keep it shut. "Not now princess, you will hold your questions back until this examination is over with."

Blinking in surprise, Foggy asked, "Umm... what are you all are doing?" as Sapphire's eyes looked around after hearing Foggy's question, spotting the other ponies that were dressed either in a doctor's outfit or a lab coat, taking notes as they all observe Clear and the pegasus's actions.

"Isn't it obvious? We're taking further medical examinations of Sapphire," Clear explained before she tugged out the thermometer from Sapphire's mouth, much to her irritation. "Hmm... temperature hasn't changed."

Growing more annoyed with the examination, Sapphire lit her horn up as she grabbed the pair with her magic, lifting them into the air as she demanded, "Just what are you two doing‽"

"Ain't it obvious? Once we had gotten confirmation that you're an alicorn like the princesses, we just have to give you another examination!" cried out the pegasus as he grinned at her. "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity! Or is it once in a century kind? Maybe era?"

"What Sky Vial is saying is that since you are likely to grow and become comparable with the princesses in size and magic, so we have to take recordings of your various stages of growth while we still can. Alicorn biology possess many unknowns since the studies down on the royal sisters were limited due to the methods available," Clear answered as Sky gave an excited nod to before resuming his measurements.

Taking on a flat look, Sapphire stated, "I don't know which is worse, being a princess or being this," causing the observers to stare at her like she grew a second head.

"Oh, don't be that way. Besides, this would help give us much-needed data that could be applied to improving your overall health, since you still have traces of that foreign substance in you. Though it does seem that there is a slight decrease in them since the last recording," Clear clarified before Sky measured Sapphire's height, making her stand up straight by shifting her body around with his hooves.

"And the princess's height... has grown by a quarter of an inch! She is indeed growing!" Sky declared as the observers gave him an applause.

Her left eye twitching, Sapphire thought to herself, Maybe that Nightmare Moon idea isn't that bad after all...

After an hour of being examined, which included being dragged into the medical wing for further observations, Sapphire was directed into the dining room since it was close to lunchtime. Upon entering the room, Sapphire could see that both Celestia and Cadance were sitting down, along with Blueblood who was giving Sapphire a look of utter contempt. Spotting Celestia, Sapphire was about to give her an earful when she spotted the rather large assortment of food that was conveniently placed in front of an empty seat, causing her to eye it before looking at Celestia with some suspicion. Celestia on the other hoof, just gave her a kind smile as she said, "Ah, you have finally arrived Sapphire. Please, take a seat and have lunch with us. I already had the chefs prepare you a meal that I hoped would be to your liking."

Giving Celestia a questioning stare, Sapphire kept her silence as she simply walked over to the empty seat that was on Cadance's left yet opposite of Celestia. Blueblood, fortunately for Sapphire, was sitting on Celestia's left. Sitting down, Sapphire replied, "I know what you're doing," as she idly started to stuff some lettuce into her mouth.

Raising an eyebrow while keeping her smile, Celestia responded, "Oh? And what pray tell am I doing? I'm just making certain that my fellow alicorn is happy after her long train ride home," as she kept her amused smile while Sapphire got to work on some roasted corn.

Sapphire was about to say something after finishing her corn when Blueblood said, "Must you really eat at such a pace? It is so unbecoming for a princess to do so," while lifting his muzzle up into the air in disgust.

As Cadance and Sapphire glared at Blueblood, Celestia sighed as she replied in a stern tone, "Nephew, please don't antagonize Sapphire. This is a private meal, so she can eat and talk in any fashion she so desires." Realizing that he might have crossed a line, Blueblood lowered his head as he simply nodded, before averting his eyes from the angry Sapphire as she was now munching on some celery sticks. Returning her attention to Sapphire, Celestia smiled once more as she asked, "So, how was your trip to Vanhoover Sapphire?"

"More work and less resting than I thought for a vacation. I was either on some kind of tour or demonstration, or I was being dragged into some kind of celebration," Sapphire bitterly answered before she moved onto a bowl of apples.

Frowning in disappointment, Cadance said, "I'm sorry to hear that Sapphire. I was hoping you would be able to relax after all the stress you’ve been having lately, but it seems like things didn't turn out for the best."

"Indeed, hence I have decided that unless you desire otherwise, you may have a week of no duties. No lessons to be taught, or no ceremonies that you have to attend. Consider this a chance to refresh yourself in any way you desire," Celestia declared. This caused Sapphire to do a double take as she stared at Celestia, wondering if she was some sort of imposter and the real Celestia was stashed in some closet in the castle.

"Really? No secret plans or hidden intentions behind this?" Sapphire asked as she gave Celestia a skeptical look.

Rolling her eyes in amusement, Celestia answered, "Yes, this as some ponies would say, a ‘no strings attached’ kind of offer. You may lounge about in the castle, doing as you please. As long as it doesn't interfere with other ponies work that is. Though I do apologize for Clear's and Sky's sudden examination upon your entry into the castle, those two were just too excited to take no for an answer."

"Uh huh... well... I'll take you up on that offer then. I will admit, it would be nice to actually kick back and relax for a bit before you throw me into some beast-cursed assignment again," Sapphire replied as she started eating a pineapple, before noticing her companions' looks of confusion. "What? Is something on my nose?" Sapphire asked as she crossed her eyes to look at it.

"No... there's nothing on your face... but don't you realize what you just said?" Celestia replied as Cadance leaned over closer to Sapphire.

Looking up at the ceiling in thought, Sapphire eventually shrugged her shoulders as she said, "Not really. Can somepony explain to me what is going on?"

This time, it was Cadance who spoke as she said, "Sapphire... you used the term 'beast-cursed', which is a phrase that I don't think anypony would ever use in any kind of context."

Staring at Cadance for a moment, Sapphire turned to Celestia who nodded in confirmation that Cadance was indeed speaking the truth. This prompted Sapphire to reply, "Huh... I didn't even notice that..."

Rubbing her chin, Celestia stated, "That only makes this more curious than before. You clearly used that term in a rather regular fashion, meaning that you must have used it several times in the past. But that specific wording... 'beast-cursed', for it to be used regularly means that the word 'beasts' have some kind of significant meaning behind it, and that it is linked to your past. Furthermore, this means that your past might be leaking out into your word choice, so I suggest that you be more observant with what you say. If you pick up any other strange oddities in your words, these could be clues that can be used to unlock more of your memories."

Nodding in response as she stuffed an avocado into her mouth, much to Blueblood's annoyance, Sapphire looked down at the table as she thought, I can't believe that I actually have my own set of phrases... or is it really my own and not something that I picked up from somepony that I once knew? And beasts... Celestia is right, that word seems oddly familiar to me, but why? Just what happened in my past that makes that word so... disturbing to me to use it in that way?

Chapter XXVI: Vicium Mehemii

"Are you certain that this is a good idea Luna?"

"The other choice is to pursue the slow restoration of your memories. A nightmare like this must have some kind of leads for us to use," Luna declared as she and a nervous Sapphire were standing in front of Sapphire's nightmare, right between the three raging infernos. Though, it wasn't a perfect recollection, since the voices that Sapphire heard weren't shouting at her as they did when she originally had the nightmare. Even the infernos weren't growing in size, though they did trap them in the middle regardless.

"I don't know... could this b—" Sapphire started to say before Luna moved her head to be in front of Sapphire, causing her mouth to shut itself.

"Which princess is the guardian of the dream realm?" Luna asked with a neutral look.

"You are?" Sapphire replied, rearing her head back as she felt like she might have hit a nerve.

"So who would be the pony most qualified to know the nature of nightmares?"

"That would be you..." Sapphire answered, to which Luna pulled her head back with a smug smile on her muzzle.

"It is good to hear you acknowledge that. Now, let us search this nightmare of yours for any potential answers. Remember, if you think you can link any parts of this nightmare to any of your memories, it could bring some light to this mystery that is around us," Luna explained before taking a look at the purple inferno.

"A memory that would be linked to this?" Sapphire mumbled to herself as she turned her attention towards the red inferno. Sitting on her haunches, Sapphire scratched her chin as she asked, "Would that time about me asking about the sky turning green be relevant?" Getting nothing, even when she concentrated on the memory, Sapphire stated, "Well that was a bust... but what else..." before her words drifted off, as she thought about the fact that this nightmare came to her out of nowhere. Maybe a memory that had the same property would be linked to this.

It was then that Sapphire remembered the odd memory she had when she fainted on Silver's cruise ship, particularly the memory of the unknown phrase. Standing up, Sapphire braced herself as she focused on that word as she said, "Vicium Mehemii?" Staring at the red inferno, Sapphire tilted her head until she heard a roar from the green inferno behind her. Turning her head around, she saw that the inferno had turned into a flaming vortex, with a greenish portal at its center where a thin clawed arm, its skin being an ever-shifting mix of green and black, reached out and grabbed onto Sapphire's leg.

Eyes widening in horror, Sapphire looked at Luna, who was charging a spell while baring a surprised expression. However, before Luna could finish the spell, Sapphire felt herself being yanked by the arm with such force that it tore Sapphire from whatever grip she had on the ground before it pulled her into the portal. "Sapphire!" Luna cried out as she jumped through the flames of the vortex, following Sapphire down the portal as she finished her spell, firing it at the arm only for a mirror to appear before the spell, deflecting it.

While seeing Luna closing her wings around her to pull into a dive that shattered through the mirror, Sapphire saw more mirrors appear between her and Luna. All the while, Sapphire was flapping her wings while pounding her hooves on the claw as she saw that the portal lead to a spinning corridor of intermixing green and black. As Luna was crashing through more and more mirrors that served to slow her down, Sapphire shifted her hooves to pulling the claw. She was met with limited success as she was pulling one of the claws off, only for the arm to stop pulling her as it simply threw her down, where she saw a bright white portal at the end of the corridor that ended up engulfing her.

"Sapphire, as we all saw, you have more magical potential than anypony we saw before," said a male voice as Sapphire looked around in pitch darkness.

"What... who are you?" Sapphire asked before the darkness faded away, revealing a lightly lit cave. There, she saw what looked to be a seven or eight-year-old filly version of herself, who was sniffling as she ran a hoof over her nose. Sapphire's eyes widened at the sight of the drying trails of tears beneath the filly's eyes, showing that she was sobbing recently. Before the filly was a crimson-coated stallion wearing his cloak as he gave the filly an expression that was showing his steely resolve as he was talking to the filly. However, Sapphire could see in his violent eyes that sorrow had gripped the stallion as well, showing to Sapphire that she and the unicorn were mourning over something.

"Henceforth, if you choose this path, Steel Coat, Rift Wind, and I will begin to train you so we can truly figure out the limits of this magic you bare. I know this is much to ask for since you are a child still. Yet... you saw what you did back there. A magical surge that was enough to flood the entire area..." the crimson unicorn stated as the filly continued to sniffle, some tears still leaking out of her eyes as the adult Sapphire watched, wondering what caused this event to occur.

Suddenly, Sapphire heard the beating of wings, drawing her attention to her right where she saw Princess Luna appearing from a white gateway. "Sapphire, there you are! I feared that th—" Luna started to cry out only to be silenced when Sapphire held her hoof up for it, before pointing at the memory playing itself out.

"Do understand, that if you accept this path, no longer will you be a filly. You will be an adult, and it will be your task to train at all possible hours. There will be no more fun or games for you... though I think that part is already a given after what happened..." the stallion stated.

Her eyes widening in surprise, Luna looked down at the real Sapphire as she asked, "What is going on?"

"I... I don't know... but it seems that the unicorn from my first alicorn memory... is trying to have me trained to do something..." Sapphire mildly answered as she kept her eyes on the scene before her.

"Sapphire, I know I appear harsh to ask you of this so soon after... your parents' death..." the unicorn stated, causing Luna to gasp in surprise as Sapphire's pupils shrunk at the revelation. "But... there are still more ponies that need help. Ponies that are unable to defend themselves, yet you have the power to safeguard them. You have a choice, but I beseech you, you were born this way for a reason, and now we see why you're so special."

"Sapphire.. are you..." Luna started to say as she shifted her attention onto the adult Sapphire, only to be taken aback at the sight of Sapphire's horror plastered onto her face.

"With that being said, what do you say Sapphire?" the stallion asked, looking down quietly at the grief-stricken filly.

"Sapphire... we should leave this memory... we have se—" Luna started to say, only to be interrupted by the filly Sapphire finally breaking her silence.

"I... I want to fight... Uncle Runic... so that no pony will..." the younger Sapphire started to say before falling silent, her sorrow almost bringing her to tears again,

Nodding in acknowledgment, Runic stepped over to the filly, sitting beside her as he wrapped a hoof around her shoulders. "Sapphire... it is okay if you need to cry more, no pony will fault you for that. Take the time you need to mourn. Once you are finally ready, we will begin with your training," Runic declared, causing the filly to nod before bawling out, turning around to wrap her hooves around his waist. Sighing in sympathy, Runic returned the embrace, only for the memory to fade away. However, before it fully faded, the adult Sapphire heard Runic mumble, "Sapphire... you will have your vengeance..."

With those last words, the memory faded away as a saddened Luna looked at where the two memory figments once were before turning her attention to her fellow alicorn. "Sapphire... that mem—"

"Luna... I need to be alone... I don't want to remember anything else," Sapphire stated, her head lowered as she stared at the ground, her form shivering from the memory she witnessed.

Reaching out with a hoof to comfort her, Luna then hesitated, torn between comforting Sapphire or honoring her wish, before pulling back as she decided to do the latter. "Very well... Sapphire. I will leave you to mourn if you so need to, and I will ensure that no nightmare will torment you tonight," Luna finally declared before lighting her horn up, her form fading away from the empty world until all that was left was Sapphire. Finally alone, Sapphire covered her face with her forelegs as she laid on the floor, her sorrow taking her as she cried at her forgotten loss of her parents.

"Auntie? Are you with us again?" Cadance asked as she saw the white tendril of light that came from Luna's horn attached to Sapphire own horn snapp before fading away, as the pair were standing in Sapphire's room as the owner of the room remained in her slumber.

Opening her eyes, Luna let out a deeply held breath as she looked at the slumbering form that was Sapphire, her muzzle frowning as she watched Sapphire start to shiver quite a bit. To one, it may appear that Sapphire is cold, but to the lunar princess, she knew otherwise. "The... search of the nightmare has born us some fruit about Sapphire's past. There are still... many things we need to learn, but there are new facts that have come to light," Luna answered.

"What... what are they?" Cadance asked as she looked at Sapphire in concern, able to tell that something had deeply disturbed the mare. She, however, knew that Luna wouldn't have left her in a nightmare, making her wonder just what was tormenting Sapphire.

"Dear niece, we have learned three important things today. We have learned the name of at least one of the ponies that might have significant connections to Sapphire, maybe more if Sapphire herself heard them before I was able to witness the memory. Furthermore... we learned that Sapphire had... lost her parents when she was just a filly," Luna declared, causing Cadance to gasp in horror as her forehooves covered her mouth.

"Are... are you certain that she lost her parents?" Cadance asked, though by looking at Sapphire's face, she could see that it was bearing a sorrowful expression.

"Yes... the memory was quite clear about their demise... but there is more," Luna stated as she started to walk to the window of Sapphire's room, the one that was facing the castle gardens.

"More? What do you mean?" Cadance asked as she wondered what other horrifying memory that Sapphire could have relived.

"We learned that she was offered the chance to train, to fight the thing that claimed her parents' lives. We also saw that she seemed to have great magical potential at a young age, though I'm highly doubtful since it could just be caused by her unstable emotional state which was brought about by the deaths of her parents. Lastly, Sapphire might have been raised with a mission of vengeance in her heart, but we do not know who she desires to direct her vengeance against," Luna answered as she reached Sapphire's window, where she looked at the castle gardens. In particular, she was looking at the statue of an old foe, one that held a joyish expression in his imprisoned state.

Discord, pray tell that the suffering that Sapphire had been through was not by thy own hooves, or there will be a reckoning, Luna idly thought. She then had one more thought cross her mind, that caused her doubt on Discord being involved. This idea came to light at least one final realization. If Discord did had a hoof in this matter and that Sapphire vowed vengeance against him, then this would mean she appeared far older than she looked right now. There was also a second potential outcome, to which Luna thought, But if it wasn't Discord... what evil is there in Equestria that my sister and I haven't found but yet claimed the lives of Sapphire's parents?

Chapter XXVII: Distraction

It was a quiet breakfast, as everypony present was barely poking at their meals with their forks or spoons. Even Sapphire was just sitting there, staring at her plate of pancakes with a solemn expression. Luna was also there, albeit she was struggling to stay awake. The only pony that was actually eating their meal was Blueblood, though he was glancing at all the princesses present as he wondered why he was the only one eating.

Eventually, Blueblood decided to break the silence as he asked, "Auntie Luna, it's a pleasant surprise to see you dining with us. I take it that your nightly duties were lax this time?" only to flinch back as Luna glared at him. Composing himself, Blueblood said, "Sorry Auntie, I didn't mean any offe—"

"It's not you, Blueblood," Sapphire interjected, drawing everypony's attention towards her. Sighing, Sapphire continued, "Luna and I discovered something important in a recently recovered memory that told quite a few things about me."

As Blueblood raised an eyebrow at that, Luna ordered, "Nephew, please excuse us, for this is a matter that only alicorns should hear.”

Snorting, Blueblood said, "As you desire, Auntie," before calling for a servant to collect his meal as he and the servant left the dining room. That was when Celestia lit her horn, much to Sapphire's confusion as the room's doors glowed for a brief moment.

"Just placing a silence spell on the room, Sapphire. I'm certain that this is something that you would like to keep a secret, at least for now," Celestia explained, receiving a thankful nod from Sapphire. "Now... since you're not protesting, I take it you're willing to discuss what occurred last night then. Based on what Luna had told me, when you were a filly, you lost your parents to... something. This led you into volunteering to be trained in what we assume to be combat since one of your supposed teachers claimed that you will have your vengeance. Though I will say, I do have reservations about this training being completed or not, since you still la—"

"Sapphire, watch out!" Luna declared as she threw a pear at Sapphire, who promptly ducked as the fruit flew over her head.

"Luna! What was that for‽" Celestia exclaimed, placing her hooves on the table as she gave Luna a disapproving look while Sapphire raised her head to glare at Luna.

"Isn't it obvious sister? Let me demonstrate aga—Cadance, watch out!" Luna replied as she threw a pear at Cadance. Unlike Sapphire, Cadance stared in surprise at the fruit that was approaching her, beaning her on the head as it knocked her off her chair.

"How is that obvious‽" Celestia yelled in fury at the attack on her niece, only to grow even angrier as Luna simply gave her sister a smug look.

"It's quite simple, sister. As you saw, Cadance and Sapphire reacted differently to having an object thrown at them. Cadance, who has no real combat training, was simply struck by the fruit. Sapphire however, reacted by dodging the attack, hinting that she might actually have some actual training," Luna explained as Celestia gave her an incredulous look.

"Luna... dear... that doesn't prove anything since many ponies would react the same way. Besides, Sapphire didn't fare so well when she came across a pack of timberwolves. Now, if she had training, wouldn't she be able to fend them off by herself?" Celestia asked as Cadance climbed into her chair before giving Luna a glare.

Rolling her eyes, Luna answered, "Except you said that she was in unicorn form when she was attacked. That meant that her unicorn side was more prominent while her earth pony and pegasi magic were suppressed. This would hamper her instincts and reactions, rending her combat training less effective. Furthermore, didn't you render her emotional sta—"

"Alright fine, she might have some combat training, but what are you suggesting? That we should give Sapphire some combat lessons?" Celestia hastily interjected, her eyes darting around a bit as Cadance gave her a confused look. Sapphire on the other hoof, was glaring at Celestia, making her sweat a bit as she let out an awkward laugh at that.

"Nay sister, for it may be pointless if Sapphire had received extensive training from her teachers. For all we know, she could be highly skilled and the mere presence of combat training could trigger her training and lead to any ponies involved being injured, or far worse. Instead, I will devote a portion of Sapphire's memory recovery towards trying to finding memories of her training sessions, with the latest memory serving as a starting point. That is, if Sapphire permits it," Luna explained as everypony looked at Sapphire.

Rolling her eyes, Sapphire answered, "Sure, it's not like we were making much progress watching my younger me play games or do mundane things. It might be... unpleasant, but if this works, then I might remember something useful if I ever become endangered."

Raising an eyebrow, Cadance said, "Sapphire, I know you're still upset about what you just remembered. If you want Auntie Luna to give you a bre—" until Sapphire held a hoof out to interrupt her.

Taking a deep breath, Sapphire replied, "Cadance, I am upset... but I don't want to sit around and let my mind dwell on it. With Luna's way, I might even recover my memories of mourning and eventually recover from the loss of my parents. I rather just try to do something to keep my mind off things for the time being. Also... I think I would like to put off my vacation to another time... at least until I can actually enjoy it," as she turned her attention to Celestia.

Solemnly looking at Sapphire, Celestia replied, "As you desire, though I don't actually have anything planned for you today. So, that being said, would you like to accompany me to a party in Ponyville today?"

Raising an eyebrow Sapphire asked, "Why didn't you ask me about this sooner? Or better yet, why didn’t you bring it up when I came back?!"

"Well, you displayed a distaste for being forced to going to parties, and since you were on va—"

"Lousy excuse. When are we going, and is Pinkie catering?"

"Princess Sapph—"

"You too? Really?" Sapphire asked as she stood next to Princess Celestia, interrupting Twilight who was starting to have a panic attack at her sudden appearance. The trio were standing out in front of the Sugarcube Corner, where the two guards that pulled what Sapphire called the 'Princess Chariot' were setting themselves up by the sides of the front door.

"Sorry Sapphire, force of habit," Twilight replied with a mild smile that only caused Sapphire to raise her eyebrow in response.

"That implies that you've been calling me that a lot lately, you know," Sapphire countered, causing Twilight to sweat a bit before Celestia let out a chuckle.

"It's an honest mistake Sapphire. Besides, wouldn't you rather be inside enjoying the Cake's cooking instead of griping about your title?" Celestia proposed, causing Sapphire to give her an annoyed look before letting out a sigh.

"Fine, you win this round," Sapphire conceded as she walked past a confused Twilight and into the bakery, where she saw half of the Elements along with some of the town's residents who were milling about. Spotting the dessert table stacked with sweets, Sapphire made a beeline towards it as she noticed that Applejack was sitting near it as well.

"Well, there goes all the food," Applejack joked as she saw Sapphire approaching the table.

"Relax, I had a big breakfast before I arrived. Though it is nice that you're not calling me by my honorifics like Rarity and Twilight," Sapphire replied with a smile as she took a chocolate pie and started to eat it slowly.

After eyeing Sapphire's eating pace, Applejack shook her head as she stated, "Well shoot sugarcube, ya were a good friend before turning into an alicorn, and I already knew that ya weren't the kind of mare for such unnecessary talk."

"Yeah, I hear enough of that from all the no—" Sapphire started to say till she was interrupted by the sudden appearance of a plate stacked with pastries that was at a height that even rivaled Celestia's own height.

"Hi Sapphire! Hope you're enjoying the party!" Pinkie exclaimed before disappearing in a puff of pink smoke.

While Sapphire was blinking at the sudden display, Applejack just rolled her eyes as she commented, "Well, I reckon that we have plenty of food now for everypony."

Shrugging, Sapphire said, "Yeah, so that means..." before she started to stuff her face with food, causing Applejack to snort in amusement.

As Sapphire watched Celestia and Twilight walk into the bakery with Celestia bringing a birdcage along, Applejack replied, "Well, that's the Sapphire I know. Though... unless my eyes are foolin' me, it looks like ya grown a bit taller Sapphire."

"Well, I am an alicorn, and since Luna and Celestia are bigger than most ponies..." Sapphire said with a shrug as she stuffed an apple fritter down her throat. "The doctors think that I'll keep growing until I reach a comparable height to match th—what is Rarity doing?" Sapphire asked as she noticed that Rarity was in the dress she made for the gala while keeping her distance from some ponies.

"Oh, Rares just want to impress the princess with her dress, which is silly since you're a princess and practically lived with her for some time. Which, incidentally is startin' to get some tourists that wanted to see one of your former 'abodes'. Even your house is getting some visitors as well," Applejack stated as she looked at each of the dishes before her.

"Peachy, just peachy," Sapphire mumbled as she stuffed a few cookies into her maw. "At the very least, the guards keep them from hounding me at the palace. I'm pretty certain that if they followed me around twenty-four seven, it would have driven me nuts. Anyways, how are things been for you and the rest of the girls?"

"Oh, nothin' much. Just that Fluttershy quit her job as a model cause she just didn't like all the pressure that came from it. Then there was a trip to some family down to Appleloosa that got a tad bit messy," Applejack answered as she lingered her eyes over some kind of salad.

Noticing Applejack's hesitation, Sapphire just shook her head she asked, "Why can't you make up your mind about what you're going to eat Applejack?"

Blushing as she looked at Sapphire, Applejack answered, "Well... I don't know what I should be eatin' first, and I don't want to disrespect Princess Celestia..."

Cocking an eyebrow, Sapphire countered, "Applejack, you're eating next to me."

Blinking, Applejack blushed a bit more as she replied, "Ya got a point there sugarcube. Seems a tad bit silly to worry about table manners since ya don't give two hoots about that," before she started to tear into the food.

Shaking her head in amusement, Sapphire was moving onto a cake when she noticed Pinkie right by her side, a curious look on her face as she stared at Sapphire. This prompted Sapphire to ask, "What is it Pinkie?"

"Oh nothing, just trying to figure out how old you are since you're an alicorn so that when you remember when your birthday is, I can give you the right number of candles on your cake. Or cakes if we miss one or two of them!" Pinkie answered with a smile.

Waving a hoof off, Sapphire stated, "Bah, it's nothing to be too worried about. I'm probably around your age, so no worries," as she was about to stuff the cake into her mouth, only to be stopped by Celestia making an announcement.

"I'm sorry everypony, but I have to take my leave. The mayor has requested an audience with me, but don't let my departure mark the end of your party since Princess Sapphire is still here to attend to it," Celestia declared as she got up and made her way towards the front door. As Sapphire grunted before finally taking a bite out of her cake, Celestia paused right in front of Pinkie as she turned her head to look at her. "Oh, as to your curiosity, the doctors actually have an estimate of Sapphire's age. Turns out that she's probably in her early thirties, not early twenties like you Pinkie Pie," Celestia stated, causing Sapphire to spit her food out at the unfortunate pony to be standing in front of her. Which so happened to be Twilight, who promptly let out a shriek of surprise as she was now covered by partly chewed strawberry cake chunks.

Chapter XXVIII: Plans

"I'm in my early thirties‽" Sapphire cried out in shock as Twilight let out a groan before lighting her horn up for a teleport, disappearing with a pop.

Nodding, Celestia stated, "Yes, you are in your early thirties. While we don't know the exact age for you, I think you will eventually remember it. Though, I’m guessing that you weren't expecting around another decade of memories to sift through..."

"You think?" Sapphire replied with her right eye twitching.

"Well, it is better for you to know about it sooner instead of waiting for an end," Celestia declared with a smile before looking back at the front door. "Anyways, I can't keep the mayor waiting, so enjoy the party!" Celestia said before trotting out of the bakery.

As the ponies watched Celestia leave, they all looked at Sapphire, who had her head in her hooves until she noticed the silence that had taken hold of the room. Looking up at the ponies that were staring at her, Sapphire stated, "What? The party is still going on, right?"

After a bit more silence, the ponies nodded before resuming their activities as Sapphire decided to start eating the rest of her cake. Though that also came to a screeching halt when the Cakes suddenly arrived before her, where Mrs. Cake asked, "Hello Princess Sapphire, are you enjoying the party?"

Giving the pair a confused look, Sapphire swallowed the chunk of cake in her mouth before answering, "Yeah... why do you ask?"

Giving Sapphire a forced grin that was matched by his wife, Mr. Cake replied, "Oh, it's just that we didn't treat you with the respect owed to a princess when you were a unicorn, so we're tr—"

Holding a hoof up, which cause the pair to clamp their mouths shut, Sapphire said, "Mr. and Mrs. Cake, it's fine. You shouldn't worry about how you treated me when I was a unicorn cause nopony would have known that I was actually an alicorn. So relax, and you don't have to worry about me treating you wrong since I do have this stack of food in front of me," as she pointed a hoof at her plate of desserts.

Nodding, Mrs. Cake let out a breath of relief as she replied, "Thank you, your majesty. After a little incident with Pinkie and Princess Celestia, we didn't want to have any more problems come up," as she and her husband backed away.

Shaking her head, Sapphire said, "I'll never get used to this," as she stuffed the rest of the cake into her mouth before moving onto the caramel apples. As she began, she then spotted Fluttershy walking out with the cage that Celestia brought in earlier. "Huh? What is Flut—" Sapphire started to say before a pop interrupted her, causing her to jump back a bit with her wings flaring out as she saw that Twilight had teleported in.

"Okay, I'm back Prin... cess... Princess Celestia left already, didn't she?" Twilight stated, initially looking excited before it fell into a look of disappointment.

"Yeah... she didn't stick around for long... and sorry for spitting that cake all over you, Twilight," Sapphire apologized, only for Twilight to give her a forgiving smile as she waved a hoof off at Sapphire. Oddly though, off at the edge of Sapphire's vision, she saw Rarity slowly backing away from the crowd as she was heading towards the front door for some reason.

"It's fine Sapphire. You were just surprised by Celestia while you were eating. I mean, realizing that you're a decade older than you thought you were would be startling to most ponies. Though... how are your princess lessons going?" Twilight replied, her eyes shining with curiosity as she awaited Sapphire's answer.

Staring at Twilight in disbelief, Sapphire sighed as she replied, "It's been peachy. Its so much fun learning all the proper interactions with the nobility, as well as what things I can do as a princess, including what I may do if I decide to take on more political power, and what I can't do."

Ears lowering at Sapphire's answer, Twilight said, "Oh... but I heard you went to Vanhoover. Wasn't that a good Royal Visit?"

"Eh, it was more attending some royal functions, a tour of the Pear Fa—"

"You visited some Pears‽" Applejack shouted, causing both Sapphire and Twilight to back away from her in surprise.

"Umm... yes?" Sapphire answered as she and Twilight shared a glance with one another. "Is there a prob—gah!" Sapphire asked before Applejack grabbed her shoulders and brought her muzzle to muzzle.

"Don't mention the Pear family when Granny Smith is around," Applejack growled out before letting go of a shaken Sapphire, who numbly nodded her head. Straightening her hat, Applejack then said, "So, how was the rest of your trip to Vanhoover sugarcube?"

"Umm... it was fine... I guess," Sapphire replied as she shuffled a bit away from Applejack, who was solemnly nodded before resuming her own feasting. Looking at Twilight, Sapphire asked, "Did... did that just happen?"

"Yeah... hey, have you seen Fluttershy? She was here before I left to clean myself," Twilight asked as she was searching the room for the shy pegasus.

Pointing at the front door, Sapphire answered, "Oh, she just left with the cage that Celestia brought in for some reason."

"What‽ What in Celestia's sake was she thinking‽" Twilight cried out before rushing out the front door, much to the surprise of everypony present as they all started at Sapphire like they were expecting her to do something.

Glancing at all of them, Sapphire simply shrugged as she grabbed a chocolate chip waffle, holding it up in the air as she shouted, "Let there be waffles!" Receiving silence at first, Sapphire's ears started to tilt a bit before the partygoers shrugged before returning to their activities. Shaking her head at that, Sapphire promptly stuffed the waffle into her mouth as she decided to try to enjoy the party while it lasted.

"So, how was the party, Sapphire?" Celestia asked as she and Sapphire were sitting on the 'princess chariot'. It was late afternoon when the party ended, with Sapphire sitting on Celestia's left while eyeing the phoenix that was flying nearby them.

"It was... good. Rarity left for a bit, but that was so she could put her dress away for safekeeping. Though, did you really have to bring that bird when it was about to die and be reborn?" Sapphire replied as she continued to stare at the bird that let out an amused caw.

"Oh, it's no real harm in the end. Besides, Philomena just wanted to have some of her own amusement, and Fluttershy did get a chance to interact with a phoenix," Celestia answered as she held out a wing where her pet phoenix landed on it.

As Celestia was petting Philomena with a hoof, Sapphire directed her attention to Celestia as she asked, "Alright, Celestia, there’s something I need to know."

Turning her head towards Sapphire, Celestia lifted one of her eyebrows as she responded, "And what would that be, my fellow princess?"

Resisting her left eye's urge to twitch as Celestia smiled at her, Sapphire stated, "You're a schemer, Celestia. You've been insistent on me being a princess even when I didn't want to be one, as well as planning my false vacation as a Royal Visit to another city. So, just what are you trying to do with me?"

After a moment of silence as Celestia and Sapphire stared at one another, Celestia let out a sigh as she said, "I honestly don't know."

"Huh?" Sapphire said, tilting her head in confusion as Celestia looked forward towards the sight of Canterlot.

Taking a deep breath, Celestia said, "To be honest Sapphire, you're an enigma. In more ways than one. I... had some plans for the future of Equestria, but your sudden appearance has... introduced an unknown element that might disrupt them. Though, your lack of desire to obtain power is quite a welcoming change compared to the nobles that are always looking for a chance to expand their influence. At first, I thought you were simply an alicorn like Cadance, who gained her wings at a young age. Hence, I was hoping to at least groom you to some political function that you may agree to after getting used to being an alicorn, possibly setting up a court in another city. But when evidence started to grow that you may be more like Luna and me rather than Cadance, that whole plan went out the window as I tried to pick up the pieces.

So now I have an alicorn that could potentially become... another 'nightmare' for me if I push you too hard, but could also have ties to one of Equus's ancient mysteries. And to top it all off, those infernos in your nightmares. There is some hidden importance to them than just being linked to what may be ancient words and some memories. I just... feel like they're some ominous warning to you, and possibly to us as well. So, you're really a wild card to all of us still, Sapphire. I suppose, in the end, you hold the ultimate choice to your future."

Giving Celestia a surprised look, Sapphire asked, "Really? You don't have a plan for me?" Receiving a nod in response, Sapphire turned to look at Canterlot as well, before continuing, "Then what do you think I should do?"

"Well, if you don't want to focus on your past for the time being, perhaps you should look to the future. One thing for certain though, you're still a princess due to being an alicorn. Ponies will always rever you, and coupled with the power you demonstrated in Vanhoover, other nations will fear you for what you can do. You could remain in your figurehead role in Canterlot, learning more about magic or being a princess, or tour Equestria some more to find a city that you might like to settle down in. Or you can even explore the world if you so desire. You have an independent spirit Sapphire, so maybe take this is your chance to take the reins of your future as a princess. Just no scheming to find someplace to go into hiding," Celestia answered with a smile.

Snorting at the jab that Celestia made, Sapphire rubbed her chin as she thought about what Celestia said for a moment before recalling something. "Hey... you have the Royal Guard and Luna has her Night Guard, but why doesn't Cadance have her own guard?"

"Well, it's simply because she doesn't have any desire to form her own guard when both Luna and mine are sufficient enough. There is also the fact that she's engaged to Shining Armor, so it may look bad for her to be fraternizing with the captain of another guard force that isn't her own," Celestia answered, cocking her an eyebrow as she turned her attention towards Sapphire. "I take it you asked cause you were wondering if you can have one now?"

"No... just idle curiosity...maybe..." Sapphire replied as she tapped her chin a bit. "Or maybe some planning for the future... which I really don't do much of."

"Well, you're still young Sapphire, so you're more likely to think about the now than the later. Give it time, and you may end up planning for the next year in just one day. Though, do you want an unrelated word of advice?" Celestia responded, to which Sapphire simply nodded in return. "Cadance doesn't know your true age yet, it's just been kept between my sister, the doctors and me. So... this is a chance for you to have a little prank on her if you can pull it off."

Humming to herself in thought, Sapphire glanced at Celestia as she asked, "Are you one of those ponies that like to pull pranks every so often?"

As she turned her attention back to Canterlot, Celestia had a mischievous smile on her muzzle as she answered, "Let's just say that sometimes you need to spice up your day to day life when you start getting centuries years old. Though I would much appreciate it if you make certain that I'm in the same room as Cadance when you try to pull a fast one on her, I'm certain that it would be a memorable time for me to witness. Along with the fact that I can always use more times to embarrass Cadance at private get-togethers."

Chapter XXIX: Moments

"There’s one rule that you need to learn about fighting. You either be ready to take a hit or do your best to dodge the attack. There is no middle ground, for a hit to strike you could mean instant death. Hence, you must move to dodge or use your magic and even your body to block the hit to mitigate the damage."

"Okay... Auntie Steel..."

"Now, since you have wings, you'll be learning this lesson from Rift in terms of aerial combat. I'll be teaching you the ground-based combat skills that you will need, which includes learning how to tolerate the pain from a hit. Fortunately, Runic's examination of you revealed quite a bit about your Earth Pony traits, so I know the best way to start this lesson for you."

"What do you me—what are you doing with that big ha—Gah!"

Pulling her hoof from the mirror shard, Sapphire just blinked in surprise before looking at Luna, who was tapping her chin in thought. After spending so long helping Sapphire to recover her memories, Luna managed to create a spell that would allow her to witness the memories at the same time Sapphire could, as long as she was given permission that is.

"This Steel Coat, if I have the name right... I find this mare's method of training to be quite favorable," Luna declared, causing Sapphire to stare at her in shock.

"She hit me, when I was a filly, with a hammer, Luna..." Sapphire croaked out, only for Luna to wrap a foreleg around her shoulder.

"Yes, but that is to train you, and this mare holds no bars in terms of training! Alas, the guard of today has grown soft. Though, with a mare like this Steel Coat training them, they would get back into shape in a matter of months!" Luna stated with a smile. This caused Sapphire to feel sorry for the Royal Guard and possibly the Night Guard if Luna ever got a chance to train the two organizations to her specific desires.

"Why are you here in my study, Blueblood?" Sapphire asked, narrowing her eyes at the stallion that was always hostile to her every time they met. Sapphire so wished that she could banish him to the cold north to end up as an ice cube, but despite multiple requests, Celestia denied her desire on the account that Blueblood did serve a purpose in Canterlot's government. Though Sapphire doubted that was true since she never learned what it was.

"I'm here cause my Auntie told me to direct some of my requests for you," Blueblood answered with a roll of his eyes before he grumbled about how improper it was to be on a cushion. That was on the account that Sapphire's study was more designed for her to only study and nothing else.

Feeling her left eye twitch as she sat down on a cushion opposite of Blueblood, Sapphire replied, "And why did she send you to me instead of taking care of it herself?"

"That's the oddest thing. She said that this would be a good experience for what is to come. I don't understand what she meant, but enough of that, we have more important things to worry about. I have this proposal to tear down that ugly scho—" Blueblood started to say as Sapphire resisted the urge to groan and throw the stallion out the nearest window.

"If Baltimare is such a great place, then why would they need a princess when they're doing fine by themselves?" Sapphire asked as she was looking at a map on a table to the side of her study with Cadance by her side.

"Well, if they're great now, imagine how it could even be better with a princess guiding them?" Cadance proposed, causing Sapphire to give her a skeptical look.

"If you think a princess is needed to guide them, how about you lead them instead?" Sapphire replied before eyeing more of the map as she looked at Fillydephia, soon rejecting it as a potential city to visit.

"Oh... umm... since I'm engaged with Shining Armor, I have to stay in Canterlot until he retires from the Royal Guard," Cadance quickly answered as she gave Sapphire a forced smile.

"...And how long would that be then?" Sapphire asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Umm... uhh..." Cadance said as she looked to the side, before shaking her head as she took on a stern look. "Sapphire, as the senior princess here, I refuse to answer that question," Cadance declared with her head raised high.

Cocking her eyebrow, Sapphire asked, "Cadance, just how old are you?"

Tilting her head slightly, Cadance answered, "I'm twenty-seven, why you'd ask? And to inform you, it's improper to ask a mare about her age."

Smirking at Cadance, Sapphire stated, "Well, from what Celestia told me, I'm in my early thirties. Also, I've been an alicorn all my life, so one could say that I'm the senior alicorn here," before dropping her smile as she gave Cadance a hard stare. As Cadance's eyes widened in surprise, Sapphire continued, "So, I demand that you te—"

"As senior prin—"

"Don't care! Tell me now!"

"So... you're going to be shaking the hooves of anypony that comes to the Gala?" Sapphire asked as she and Celestia were walking towards the front entrance to the castle, with them only wearing the regalia. It had been two weeks since the party at Ponyville, in which Sapphire devoted much of her attention on learning more on how to be a princess. This was largely due to a feeling of needing to do something that matters, which was reinforced by the training memories that Luna was able to help her recover. However, the memories ended up being mainly about physical conditioning, along with dodging regimes for her filly life. It appeared that she was willing to tough it out as a filly, so Sapphire thought that maybe she should tough it out with learning how to be a princess. Even if she had some other plans in mind besides what Celestia might hope for.

"Yes, though you don't have to do that since you're only here to meet the nobles from other cities," Celestia explained. It was planned that Sapphire would attend the gala to get a chance to meet and learn about some of the nobles from the other cities, along with any other important ponies like the Wonderbolts.

"That alone is enough to cause me to have a headache, especially based on the likes of Blueblood and the nobles he surrounds himself with," Sapphire stated as she shivered at the memory of hosting a garden party with some nobles on Celestia's request.

"Oh, don't be like that. There are honestly some nobles that are far better than the likes you spoke of. You just need to find those that have good intentions while spotting the ones that simply see you as a pawn in their machinations," Celestia admitted, pausing as she looked at entranceway with a look of suffering and slight hope.

"Okay... well then, I'll be over here," Sapphire replied as she walked over to the room where the buffet would be located before pausing as she heard some ponies outside singing. "What is going... no. Just no," Sapphire said after glancing out the window, where she saw that there were ponies singing and dancing outside. "Sometimes, I wonder if there is something going on that is making everypony crazy."

"And that's when Duchess Golden Fleece stumbled and spilled her glass of wine onto her personal servant!" exclaimed Baron Emerald Mine, laughing as the other nobles laughed in such a fashion that caused Sapphire to wonder if all of this was rehearsed. The Gala was in full swing, and all of the nobles that weren't tied up with the waiting line to shake Celestia's hoof were swarming around Sapphire. However, Baroness Silver Clock was keeping her distance, simply sipping a glass of wine as she kept her eyes on the group.

Sapphire herself was poking a fork into some kind of noble dish that she forgot the name of, mainly due to her losing her appetite for the moment. "Yes, Baron Emerald, that is a fascinating story," Sapphire dryly said, feeling like her brain was starting to go on automatic as she followed her lessons on etiquette. Inwardly, Sapphire was screaming in horror, wondering how Celestia could even handle this many nobles at once. The current amount that surrounded her was four times greater than the garden parties that she went to, where they would eventually run out of their 'stories' to discuss, or the mocking of those ‘lesser ponies’ that tempted Sapphire to grind her teeth into oblivion.

Sadly, even the Elements that she saw earlier weren't able to help her out, as she saw that Applejack was busy outside tending to some snack cart for some reason while Rainbow was pulling some kind of stunt to attract the Wonderbolts' attention. Even Rarity didn't interact with her. Instead, she simply followed Blueblood around for some reason that made Sapphire wonder how she could even stand the stallion. Maybe I should ask her for her secret, then maybe Blueblood wouldn't get on my nerves, Sapphire thought to herself with a forlorn sigh as another noble started to recount another 'funny story'.

However, he was interrupted as Sapphire heard a door slamming open as a voice that sounded like Fluttershy's screamed out, "You will love me!"

"What is going on?" Sapphire said as she turned her attention towards the origin of the scream, only to widen her eyes as she saw a horde of animals rushing into the room, causing ponies to panic as they started to run around while yelling their heads off. Even the herd of nobles that were around Sapphire scattered in terror, some of them commenting on how they didn't want the filthy animals touching their clothes. Seeing that the mass of animals just consisted of terrified animals, Sapphire simply shielded the buffet tables with a barrier of water, watching the scene unfold before her. "Finally, some fun at last."

"You think this is fun, princess?" asked Silver from Sapphire's right side, causing her to jump back in shock.

"Where the buck did you come from?!" Sapphire asked, her eyes darting around as she saw that the other nobles were already fleeing the room, just leaving Silver and her along with the animals that were running outside the barrier.

"I simply walked over to you since I knew that you wouldn't be harmed so easily. I just thought it would be safer to be with you than trying to outrun everypony else," Silver answered.

Taking a dish, Sapphire replied, "Good thinking... sounds like you know me better than the other nobles," before she started to stuff her mouth with the food.

Shivering a bit in disgust at Sapphire's eating habits, Silver responded, "Indeed. After seeing how you acted when you visited Vanhoover, and we would like to have you visit us again."

There we go, Sapphire thought as she moved onto some of the desserts for the time being. However, when Silver didn't add anything, Sapphire looked at her as she asked, "Is that all you got to say?"

"Personally, I have several other things to say, but I know that you're not the kind of mare to even try to listen to them. Instead, I'm just saying that we would welcome you with open forelegs since quite a number of ponies were enamored by your actions while on my ship," Silver answered.

Staring at Silver for a moment, Sapphire recalled that while she was busy with the trips and what not when she visited, nopony wasn't all the overbearing in the first place. Furthermore, Vanhoover was on the outskirts of Equestria with the only settlement nearby being Tall Tale, which could mean fewer nobles to hound her overall. In comparison, the eastern cities were too close to one another while Applewood had the nearby Los Pegasus, which would draw in quite the tourist crowd. "Yeah... I might pay it another visit," Sapphire finally stated, before looking at all the wild animals running around. "...As long as I don't have anypony or anything ruining my food," Sapphire then commented as Silver simply nodded as they watched the Royal Guard finally pouring into the room to clear out the animals, only to mixed success. Turned out, their helmets had an issue when facing a bird with a particularly tough beak to hammer into one's helmet.

Chapter XXX: Spirit

"Is that cloud... pink?" Sapphire asked as she stopped in the middle of the hallway on her morning route to the dining room. It had been two days since the gala, where Sapphire was surprised at the series of events that occurred to ruin the gala, though it was mostly due to the fact that the Elements were the cause of the events. Thankfully, Sapphire didn't have to do anything in regards to clean up, with the exception of cleaning up the buffet table since all the nobles had fled the castle. The next day was spent with Celestia being busy with damage control, leaving Cadance to aid Sapphire on her princess studies. Though today, Sapphire was expecting another boring day of princess stuff till she saw a pink cloud floating by in the sky.

Looking around, Sapphire saw a pegasus guard nearby, prompting her to ask, "Hello? Have you ever seen pink clouds before?"

Blinking in confusion at the question, the guard looked out the window only to become more confused at what he saw.

"Umm... I don't think clouds are ever pink, your majesty... Excuse me princess, I'm going to go find the captain," the guard said before jumping into the air to fly off.

"...Well, that happened..." Sapphire muttered before looking out the window again, where she saw even more pink clouds in the sky than before. "Weird..."

"Oh, I myself find it quite lovely," said an unfamiliar male voice from right above Sapphire, causing her to jump to the side as she let out a cry of shock.

Looking up at the source of the voice, Sapphire's eyes widened as she saw what she thought was a creature made out of mismatched pieces of different animals. Sapphire could recognize that the being had a lion’s paw and an eagle claw, along with other parts that she didn't recognize. The creature then started grinning at her, to which Sapphire asked the only question that came to her mind, "What the buck are you?"

Rearing its head back in surprise, the creature said, "You haven't heard of me, and yet you're an alicorn? What, is Celestia turning ponies that crawled out from under a rock into alicorns?" Then the creature started floating into the air as he, which Sapphire assumed to be a he since a masculine voice was coming from it, laughed at Sapphire.

Frowning, Sapphire replied, "No, but do forgive me for only having a few months for my education," her voice thick with sarcasm that caused Discord to pause in his laughing fit.

Giving her an incredulous look, Discord countered, "Really? Do you expect me to believe something like that? I mean, it would be hilarious for Equestria to be ruled by an alicorn that is actually stupid, but even that is too far-fetched for me to believe." As Sapphire became offended by Discord's insult, she opened her mouth to make a retort, only for Discord to reach his eagle claw into it as he grabbed onto her tongue and pulled.

"Mhat mar mou moim‽" Sapphire mumbled out in shock as Discord frowned as he stared at Sapphire's mouth.

"This is unusual," Discord stated as he snapped the fingers on his lion's paw before tugging at Sapphire's tongue again. "Why isn't your tongue stretching out?" Discord asked as he let go of Sapphire's tongue.

"Ugh, your claw is disgusting! Don't you ever wash it?" Sapphire complained as she lit her horn up, summoning some water from the air as she ran it over her tongue.

"Of course I don't, there's no point when I could just turn any dirt in my hand into glitter!" Discord answered as he then threw some glitter straight into Sapphire's mouth. Naturally, Sapphire started to cough and hack as she fell to the ground, before stuffing a blob of water into her throat to clean it all out.

Coughing out the now glittery blob, Sapphire glared at Discord as she yelled, "What the buck did you do that for‽"

"Oh, just testing something out," Discord replied before snapping his fingers, summoning a purple door on the nearby wall.

In response to the sudden appearance of the door, Sapphire uttered out the best response she could come up with, "Bwah?" as she looked at the door in utter confusion.

"Hmm... maybe there is some truth in your claim," Discord said as he kicked the door open. Then, another snap of his claws summoned a spatula that he used to flip a still shocked Sapphire into the open door.

"What the buck are y—" Sapphire screamed as she tried to stop her sudden flight after she passed through the door. She quickly tried to turn around and fly back out, only for Discord to shut the door, resulting in a resounding thud as her face hit the wooden frame.

"I never get tired of that gag," Discord chuckled to himself as he snapped his fingers, causing the door to disappear. Cracking his claws, Discord made a mock copy of a pair of binoculars with his claws, commenting, "Ah, it seems Celestia has brought some ponies into the palace. It's time for my spectacular entrance!"

"Ow ow ow... buck, why did he had to do that," Sapphire said as she rubbed her nose, which she smashed into the door as it closed shut on her. "Next time I see that je—what... the... buck!" Sapphire stated as she saw the door disappear, only to reveal that she was floating in some kind of void where the sky was just an ever-shifting mesh of all the known colors, and maybe a few that no mortal had ever seen before. It was then that Sapphire noticed that she was just floating around, causing her to yelp as she started to flap her wings. This only led to her spinning about in the middle of the air, leading to her yelping in surprise until a claw stopped her spinning.

"I leave you alone for two minutes, and you're already freaking out. I guess you need a foalsitter then," Discord commented as he snapped his fingers, causing a bib and a pacifier to appear on Sapphire.

Blinking for a moment, Sapphire spat out the pacifier and tore off the bib while asking, "What the buck are you?"

"I, my dear alicorn, am Discord. I am the spirit of disharmony, the god of chaos, the master of mayhem, the mayor of Downsideup Town, and the most handsome draconequus you'll ever see!" Discord exclaimed as wiggled his eyebrows at Sapphire, causing her to cringe in disgust.

"You... you got to be kidding, right?" Sapphire said as she tried to shuffle away from the weird being in front of her until she remembered that she was in a void without any surface for her to shuffle on. That was when she lit her horn up as she said, "You better send me back be—there's no water here‽"

"Of course there's no water, cause I find it incredibly boring. Chocolate milk?" Discord answered as he held up a glass of chocolate milk.

"Why thank you," Sapphire responded as she grabbed the glass and started to drink it until she paused when it was half empty. Lowering the glass ever so slowly as Discord just flashed her a wide smile, Sapphire said, "Okay... ignoring what I just did... what do you want with me?"

"Oh, it's quite simple really, I want to figure out why my magic isn't directly working on you," Discord said, suddenly dressed in a doctor's uniform as he flashed a flashlight into one of Sapphire's ears as he held it up with one of his claws.

Flicking her ear to knock the claw off, Sapphire asked, "What do you mean, your magic didn't work on me? What are you trying t—" until Discord shoved a thermometer into her mouth while looking at a watch on his wrist.

"Another simple question with a simple, and boring answer too. I can change anything and anyone with a snap of my fingers, yet when I tried to stretch your tongue till it was ten feet tall so I can see if you were lying to me, I only end up tugging it for a brief moment," Discord answered before her shoved Sapphire into a metal box with a dark glass window on the side.

"Wait, you were going to pu—hey, stop that! T-t-that tickles!" Sapphire said as she resisted the urge to giggle after Discord kicked the side of the box, causing an x-ray of her bones to appear on it.

"Hmm... no oddities, or perhaps normalities. If that’s the case, what could it possibly be?" Discord mused out loud as Sapphire found herself on a stool. Curling around Sapphire that she was getting disturbed by how close he is, Discord pulled out the thermometer before stuffing it up one of his noses. As Sapphire responded to that with a disgustful wince, Discord commented, "Temperature is normal, no sign of sickness, so just what is going here?"

"That's the question I've been asking myself when you first appeared," Sapphire replied, still unaware of the threat that Discord truly presented to her.

"Yes, but your questions are meaningless and pointless. Just like there is no point in trying to study and figure out what chaos is, since not even I can fully understand it, hence why I don't bother in the first place," Discord said as he pulled out a pair of paper glasses that had a red plastic lens in one slot and a blue one in the other out from Sapphire's ears. Putting them on, Discord said, "Ah there we... go... oh my."

Still confused about the entire situation, yet annoyed, Sapphire asked, "What is it? Going to pull a hat out of my ear now?" as she glared at Discord. However, upon spotting the look of concern on Discord's face, Sapphire's glare faded into a look of even more confusion as she then asked, "Hey, what is it? What's going on?"

Blinking like he was in a trance, Discord shook his head around before giving Sapphire a somber look, saying, "Something that isn't normal. Or shouldn't be real in the first place."

"What are you talking about?" Sapphire replied, tilting her head as she was starting to feel like she was in a wild goose chase, even if she didn't truly understand why that saying existed in the first place.

"What I'm talking about is this chaotic aura that is all around you. It's what's causing my magic to simply fail if I apply it directly to you," Discord answered as he pulled on his goatee.

"Wait, there’s a chaotic aura on me?" Sapphire asked, prompting Discord to roll his eyes at her.

"Yes, there is an aura composed of some kind of chaos magic around you. Though, it's much more volatile and destructive in its nature. Which mind you is far from different from mine since I don't favor destruction, I instead just favor madness!" Discord explained before several giant party poppers went off in all directions at Sapphire. As Sapphire was pulling off the streamers and confetti the poppers had fired off onto her, she felt a tapping on her mane, only to see that Discord was patting her head. "Don't worry Miss Whiny Blue Alicorn that needs to go back to foal school, your pal Discord isn't going to bother you like the rest of the other ponies. I think you’ve had enough."

"Just what is all this nonsen—don't you dare snap those fingers!" Sapphire replied, as her annoyance turned into concern as Discord snapped his claws again, causing a hole to appear below Sapphire. "Oh buck!" Sapphire cried out as she actually felled into the hole, her limbs flailing about as she looked up to see a smiling Discord waving her goodbye.

"Nice talking to you Miss Bluey, I hope we can have another conversation soon!" Discord stated before zipping the hole up, causing Sapphire to scream in anger until she landed on something soft and sticky.

"Ooff... that little pain in the flanks, I'm go—why is the ground so soft and sticky?" Sapphire asked as she looked around in the pitch black darkness she was in. That is, until the lights finally came on, causing her to shield her eyes as they adjusted to the light before they widened at the sight before her. For Sapphire was in a well-lit room packed with all sorts of cakes, ranging from wedding cakes to the modest cupcake. As Sapphire was about to lose the urge to not consume all the sweets in the room she was in, she noticed that there was a card on the wedding cake that said, 'Enjoy your stay at the Discord's hotel, where you can eat all the cake you could ever dream of!'

Looking around at all the pastries around her, Sapphire licked her lips as she admitted, "Well... maybe that guy wasn't all that bad after all," before she dove into the wedding cake with reckless abandon.

Chapter XXXI: Discord

"I'm back! Did you mis—by all things chaotic, how the buck did you ate all those cakes?!" Discord claimed as he popped into the room, only to find that all the cakes were gone and that a somewhat bloated Sapphire was lying on her back, rubbing a hoof at her stuffed belly.

Upon hearing Discord's entrance, Sapphire lifted her head up, saying, "Oh, hi Discord. You didn't take long to get back. Oh and uh, thanks for the cakes," as she gave him a friendly wave of her wing.

"How... how... how did you eat all those cakes‽" Discord asked, his eyes literally popping out of their sockets, much to Sapphire's disgust.

Grimacing as the eyeballs that came to a stop to look at her, Sapphire turned her head away as she answered, "Umm... by putting them in my mouth, chewing them, and swallowing?"

Stepping towards Sapphire and stomping on his eyeballs in the process, only for them to reappear in his eye sockets, Discord scowled as he countered, "Don't tell me that! No pony has ever eaten that much cake in the history of Equestria! Not even Celestia could eat that much, and they're her favorite food! Yet here you are, sitting in an empty cake room that I thought was going to keep you fed for a few days with your belly barely bulging out!"

Looking down at her belly, Sapphire commented, "Yeah, I'm actually surprised that I got my stomach to be this way. I think this is the first time that I’ve ever seen it this way."

Left eye twitching, Discord ran his lion's paw down his face, taking it off as it attached to the palm of the paw as he said, "I don't know whether to revel in this nature-defying moment or be horrified."

"Hmm... you remind me of the moment when Celestia was surprised at me eating a five-layered chocolate cake on my own when I appeared as a unicorn," Sapphire replied, causing Discord to raise an eyebrow at her. "What?"

"...That would be something that I would so love to see, but I think it's time to get back to business," Discord stated before he paused as he looked up at a wall. "...That is something I didn't expect myself saying this century." Shaking his head as he slapped his face, clearing his mind before looking down at Sapphire as he said, "Miss Blue Alicorn, we need to talk."

"Well, since you did give me all those cakes, I guess I’ll have a talk with you. Though uh, my name is Sapphire Rain," Sapphire said as she got off her back and into a sitting position. Rolling his eyes, Discord snapped his fingers, summoning three rubber balls that he then threw at Sapphire's nose, bouncing them off it before catching it. Rubbing her nose, Sapphire shot Discord an annoyed look as she asked, "What was that for?"

"Getting in touch with my usual self before going into serious business," Discord stated as he held out the balls, each of them turning into different colors, one blue, one green, and one red. "Do you know about the presence of foreign magic in your system?"

"Yeah... it was discovered shortly after I was revealed to be an alicorn in disguise, albeit at the time, even I didn't know that I was an alicorn," Sapphire replied as she eyed the balls that were now floating above Discord's hand.

"Good, then I don't have to explain too much. Now, when I was examining you, one of these foreign intrusions was of a chaotic nature, yet it also held traits of dark magic to it. While the other two hold dark magic in them as well, they also possess their own nature that marks them as something different. Something about these magics tells me that they're old, older than Celestia and Luna, and even older than anyone that I know of. But not just old... they're foreign, like nothing I’ve ever encountered before," Discord explained, rubbing his goatee even though it was detached from his chin at the moment.

As Sapphire stared at that oddity before her, she said, "Okay... but that is something... strange to say the least. Still, that doesn't tell me a thing about what my past really is... wait. Do you know anything about the Disappearance of Arulas?"

Smiling, Discord replied, "Do I ever, I know that you spell the first word wi—"

"Can you be a bit more serious about this?" Sapphire interjected as she let out a snort of annoyance.

"Now that's the look of an alicorn when they normally see me. Besides, it's my job to annoy alicorns in whatever fashion I can. I'm just giving you some slack since... well, it's rather complicated to explain and even I don't have all the details straight in my head, at least for the time being. I even wish I could help, but that little chaos residue that is all over your body is preventing me from doing a thing to fix your memories. But what I will say is that I have no idea what this 'Disappearance of Arulas' is supposed to be. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to convert this room into a storage site for a moody alicorn that didn't get enough sleep yet," Discord stated as a lever appeared on the wall.

"What do you me—aahhh!" Sapphire started to say before Discord flipped the lever, causing a portal to appear behind Sapphire as it suddenly sucked her into it before closing with a pop.

"Interesting mare, that Sapphire Rain is. Definitely not as snooty as Moonbutt, nor as harmony crazed as Celestia is. I wonder though, just what kind of splash this alicorn will have on the world. It'll be a treat to see if my guess is right. Which is usually one out of fifteen, or was it thirteen?" Discord mused to himself before opening a portal above himself that came down on him to whisk him away to his desired destination.

"Why does he have to do these things? He could have just asked me to go to where he wants instead," Sapphire complained as she floated through some kind of pathway made up of a spiral of colors. The strangest thing about the place was that it had bananas with tiny little legs walking all over the place.

"He could at least gave me some pie for the trip," Sapphire stated as she then saw a pie floating right in front of her. Blinking at the sight, Sapphire tried to reach out with her forehooves to grab it, only for it to float away as she crashed right through a window that somehow appeared out of nowhere.

"Gah, my pie!" Sapphire screamed as she ended up in some bedroom as she crashed into the room's door, or would have if there wasn't some soft and furry object in her way that let out a shriek upon Sapphire's impact with it. "Hmm.. at least I got a soft landing," Sapphire commented until she was pushed off onto the floor by her 'furry cushion'.

"Did you really ha—Sapphire? Is that you?" said the furry cushion that was revealed to be Cadance, albeit looking a bit disheveled and without her usual regalia.

"Yes... since I'm the only light blue alicorn that is running around in this castle... we're in Canterlot Castle, right?" Sapphire replied as she got onto her hooves and looked around at the room she was in. It was rather pink for Sapphire's taste, including some red hearts on the walls here and there, though some of them were partly covered by what appeared to be posters of some bands that were composed of stallions dressed in some ragged dark clothing.

"Yes, we are, Sapphire. Specifically, my bedroom. And I asked if it was you because you could have been Discord for all I know. Unless you really are him and are trying to pass a fast one on me, which is the case since I never saw Sapphire with a gut before," Cadance declared as she gave Sapphire a poke to her belly.

"Hey! Don't poke me there, and I only have a belly cause I ate a room full of cake," Sapphire retorted, causing Cadance to give her a flabbergasted look.

"Discord... dropped you into a room of cakes? Really?" Cadance asked as she shook herself out of her surprise while giving Sapphire a narrowed-eyed stare.

"Yeah... he was rather nice to me in fact. Well, for the most part, and it might be because he told me he was cutting me some slack cause of the magics that are on me. Though, what kind of slack was he giving me?" Sapphire stated as she tapped her chin in thought.

"The kind of slack that torments an alicorn to her wit's end. Like how he tied me down to a boat that went through a mockery version of the tunnel of love," Cadance stated with a shiver. "I can't even imagine what my aunts are going through..."

"Discord did that to you? But why?" Sapphire asked with a look of confusion clear on her face, causing Cadance to raise an eyebrow at her.

"What are you talking about? Don't you kn—you never got to the part about Discord in your history books, did you?" Cadance asked with a suspicious look.

Giving Cadance an awkward smile, Sapphire replied, "Well, maybe? I did skim some parts that involved Celestia... so if it was tied to her, then I might have skipped it?"

Letting out a groan, Cadance placed a hoof against her head as she said, "Okay, I'll just give you a summary then. Discord sank the land of Equestria into utter chaos, and defeated Celestia and Luna every time they tried to challenge him. Eventually, they came across the Elements of Harmony and used them to defeat him by turning him into stone. Ever since then, he was kept in the castle gardens for safekeeping. Did you get all that?"

"...Yes... but why would Celestia keep a prisoner like Discord in the castle gardens of all places? What's preventing somepony from knocking over the statue and breaking it, thereby releasing Discord?" Sapphire asked with a befuddled expression.

"Cause it wasn't any normal stone statue. You can't just drop it from a great height and expect it to shatter, it took some kind of magical means to undo a spell like that," Cadance explained with some annoyance apparent in her tone.

"Okay... but what's preventing some ponies from just stealing Discord and replacing it with a copy of him?" Sapphire replied. This caused Cadance to open her mouth before closing it as she paused about it, thinking to herself as Sapphire just watch her as she waited for an answer.

Rubbing her chin, Cadance opened her mouth and closed it three more times before finally answering, "You know, I don't know if there is such a thing. I guess having the guard around protecting the castle would have made it difficult. But with a bunch of ponies that had some spellcaster to hide a cart with magic, then it might be possible to simple cart it away or use other methods to get Discord out of the castle."

"Then wouldn't it be a bad idea to put somepony where they could be easily seen by other ponies, who could then steal him and release him upon the world?" Sapphire said as she continued with her line of thought.

As her eyes widen with realization, Cadance said, "You really have a good point there... I really need to talk to my aunties about this then. Maybe having him in the gardens in the first place was why he was eventually able to get out!"

Nodding in agreement, Sapphire added, "But he's not that bad of a guy, you know."

Turning to give Sapphire a surprised look, Cadance asked, "What makes you say that about the being that is causing chaos all over Equestria?"

"Cause he gave me free cake?" Sapphire answered, which prompted Cadance to drop her head into her forehooves.

"Of course, it's free food... it's always the free food."

Chapter XXXII: Green

"So Discord found you... and ended up putting you in a room full of cake..."

"Yeah, there was like, maybe fifty cakes there? There were so many types I never tasted before!" Sapphire declared as she took on a nostalgic look while Celestia just narrowed her eyes at Sapphire.

"Keep it together, Celestia. Sapphire still has the worst of us all right now," Celestia mumbled to herself as Luna and Cadance eyed her. It was dusk after the Elements returned to Ponyville after the celebration of their victory over Discord, though Cadance was a bit miffed that she was forgotten in her room along with Sapphire until after the Elements had left.

"What I'm more surprised about is my theory of Discord having a link to you, Sapphire," Luna declared after deciding to ignore Celestia's envious mutterings.

"Wait, what made you think he had a link with me?" Sapphire asked as she lifted a bowl of soup with her hooves, guzzling the soup down her throat in one swift action.

"Fifty cakes for breakfast, and she's still able to eat?! Is her stomach a black hole?!" Cadance mumbled to herself, noting that it only took mere hours before Sapphire's stuffed belly returned to normal.

"Tell me about it. I'm starting to theorize that it might be her source of magic, and its growing with each meal," Celestia whispered to Cadance, only for the both of them to feel a magical slap on the back of their heads as Luna gave them a crossed look.

"Ignoring the pointless dribble my sister and niece are having, I speculated that the threat your teachers may have been preparing you for could have been Discord. The reason for that line of thinking is due to the amount of power he wields, along with his ability to alter the world on a whim. However, considering that neither did you regain some memory when you interacted with him nor did he recognize you, then it is unlikely that he is the source of your problems. Especially since he gave us another clue to the puzzle that is your past," Luna explained.

"What do you me—the chaos magic thing he mentioned before... is that what you're talking about?" Sapphire asked, looking down at her food in thought.

"Ah, you seem to be cat—" Celestia said before being interrupted by the sight of Sapphire munching on a watermelon. Resisting the urge to connect her hoof to her face, Celestia cleared her throat before saying, "As my sister stated, the presence of chaos magic in your body could present a variable that could complicate matters. That is, if we assume that Discord was telling the truth and not trying to lead us on a wild goose chase."

"Sadly, there isn't much information gathered on chaos magic since the only known user was Discord, and upon his imprisonment, all traces of his magic disappeared," Luna added. "Even the areas where we once did bat—"

"Princess Celestia! We have important news!" cried out Doctor Clear as she burst through the dining room doors, interrupting Luna who frowned at the fact that Clear was trying to find Celestia. "Oh, Princess Cadance, Princess Luna, Princess Sapphire! How convenient that you're all here already!" Clear stated as she saw the other alicorns in the room, though Luna's frown grew at the fact that she was the second one to be acknowledged.

"I take it you found out something new about Sapphire, Doctor Clear?" Celestia asked with a smile, as Sapphire and Cadance leaned toward Clear in anticipation.

"Why yes, we have made some startling discoveries when we compared Sapphire's readings and biological functions to other alicorn samples, meaning you three, your Highnesses!" Clear stated with a wide smile.

This caused Luna to dropped her frown as she too leaned towards Clear, asking, "And pray tell, what have you and your colleagues discovered?"

"Ah, we discovered that Princess Sapphire might be a different kind of alicorn from all of you!" Clear declared, causing all the princesses to rear back their heads in surprise.

"Wait, I'm different from the others? What do you mean?" Sapphire asked, before looking at one of her forelegs as she thought, Does that mean I might not be immortal like the others?

"Might be different, your highness. Upon medical examinations of your bone structure, along with comparisons drawn in from the other princesses, we discovered that you might, and emphasis on might, have a denser bone structure than the other princesses!" Clear explained as she practically danced on her hooves in excitement.

"Wait, denser? Are you certain about this, Clear?" Celestia asked as Sapphire started to poke at her foreleg as she squinted her eyes at it. Lighting her horn up, Celestia pushed Sapphire's foreleg down as she commented, "Sapphire, pay attention. There's no point to be made while poking your leg like that."

"Well, much of this is still theory and speculation, but upon examining your bone structures and comparing them to Princess Sapphire, we discovered that her bones currently have the same support strength as Princess Luna, yet she's smaller than Princess Cadance still, who has a weaker skeleton in comparison!" Clear answered as a unicorn stallion in a lab coat came into the room, looking worn out as he was panting while levitating a few folders. "Ah, here's the data we collected so far. You can take a look now," Clear stated as she took the folders in her magic and passed them out to the princesses, with the exception of Sapphire who decided it was her turn to frown at all of this.

"Now, as you can see with the data we gathered, we believe that Sapphire's bone structure is built this way to either support a heavier weight limit or as a few of my colleagues have speculated, for stronger gravitational forces. Since the latter is unlikely, we came to the conclusion that it must be the former for Princess Sapphire's body," Clear explained before Sapphire blinked, giving her an annoyed look.

"Are you suggesting that I'm supposed to be fat?" Sapphire asked, causing Clear to look at her with a wide-eyed look before rapidly shaking her head.

"No no no, your highness! I was just referring to your weight... I mean," Clear started to say until she paused to take in a deep breath to compose herself. "When I say weight, it isn't referring to you being fat. For all we know, you might have a higher muscle density compared to the other princesses, which would increase your weight as a result. That would lead to your bones needing to be denser to help support the extra weight."

"Are you suggesting that if this information is true, that Sapphire could be physically stronger than us?" Luna asked, tilting her head a bit as Clear turned her attention towards her.

"It's a potential possibility, though a third one exists that suggests that the higher bone density is just a trait that arose from having her bones broken over and over. That one was also tossed out of the possibilities since it's ridiculous for alicorns to be in enough situations for their bones to be broken over and over to necessitate that. As I mentioned before, we don't have any definitive data until Princess Sapphire has fully purged her system of the foreign materials, which could be affecting her body's development that resulted in this outcome. It may even be possible that this trait is temporary and her denser bones are just a protective measure taken when an alicorn is injured," Clear stated, causing Sapphire to furrow her eyebrows in thought.

"So, wait. If your theories are true, then which kind of alicorn would Sapphire closely resemble? My aunts, or me?" Cadance asked as she curiously looked at Sapphire.

"Ah, thankfully we have an answer for that. It appears that despite this oddity found in Princess Sapphire, her magic readings along with observations of Princess Sapphire's natural alicorn regeneration rate, Princess Sapphire would still be more closely related to the royal sisters," Clear answered, gaining a nod of acknowledgement from Cadance. Still smiling at the discovery, Clear's pupils shrunk for a short moment as she said, "Oh, I almost forgot. There is one little detail that I forgot to mention. It is in regards to the foreign residues in Princess Sapphire's system."

"And what is it, Clear? Also, you don't have to call Sapphire by her title when you're reporting the data," Celestia replied as she observed the unicorn mare with a bemused smile.

"Alright princess, as you wish. While we are still unable to determine what magic or spell that these residues might be related to, we discovered that there’s a concentration located at Sapphire's side that has a weaker contamination amount compared to the one on her chest. Furthermore, the one on her head and leg had the highest concentration amount. Now, this could be the result of being hit by different spells at different powers, but it also could be the mark of a timeframe between each injury she sustained, which is also the most likely possibility since she does have three differing residues in her body," Clear explained.

"A... timeframe? If that is true... it could potentially complicate Sapphire's recovery of her memories if the causes for these came at different times. However, this has brought a new perspective for me to consider as I begin my nightly duties," Luna declared as her horn and Celestia's lit up, the other occupants of the room watching as the sun disappeared off into the horizon as the moon rose to take up its place. "Since the day has ended, it is time for Sapphire to come to the world of slumber so I can visit her dreams as soon as possible."

"Umm... why is that needed?" Sapphire asked in confusion, as she looked at Cadance for some answers, only to have her shrug in response.

"It is time to delve into your memories once more, with you revisiting that inferno. But this time, I'll be ready for whatever happens," Luna declared as Sapphire started to get a queasy feeling in her gut.

"Are you certain this is a good idea?" Sapphire asked as she and Luna were looking upon the green inferno inside Sapphire's nightmare.

"It is, for it is time to find some answers, more so when these residues are fading from your system. They could be affecting your memories in some way, or perhaps even serving as a guide to the memories closely linked to them. Regardless, say the words and steel thyself," Luna declared, her wings flaring as she slipped up in her modern Equestrian at the end.

"If you say so... vicium mehemii!" Sapphire exclaimed, watching as the same claw from before rise out of the green inferno, reaching out to grab Sapphire only to be thwarted by a barrier that Luna had erected.

"Huzzah! Our... idea... worked?" Luna started to say before her words drifted off as the clawed hand grabbed onto the ground outside the edge of the inferno before another clawed arm came out of the portal. "Or perhaps we are mistaken."

As Sapphire stepped back from the inferno as the other two faded away, two more arms came out of the portal, grabbing onto the ground as it suddenly lifted a serpentine form out of the inferno. Its body having no rear legs, just a long serpentine-like form with the same blackish green coloration as the body, with a draconic head that was present on the night where Sapphire learned about the Arulas and her myth. Greenish smoke seemed to be pouring out of the creature's back, as Sapphire could see that its body was covered in ridged scales that looked like they could cut up anything if the creature decided to constrict its form around a target. Lowering its body down before them as the green inferno vanished, it revealed that its form was massive, as long as any passenger train, yet its head towered above the two alicorns as it turned its vision upon the two mares, its eyes narrowing as it started to take a deep breath.

"...Luna... I don't think that vicium mehemii is a phrase... I think it's a name..." Sapphire squeaked out as she took a step back before the creature’s breath shot out a stream of green flames towards her and Luna.

Chapter XXXIII: Mayhem

"Thou shall not harm Sapphire, you fiend!" Luna cried as her horn lit up, erecting a barrier that diverted the flames around them. Turning her head towards Sapphire, Luna asked, "Young Sapphire, do you recall this... thing?"

"I... I... I don't know..." Sapphire croaked out as she just stared at the creature as it reared one of its claws and swiped at the barrier, only for its claw to bounce off.

"I see. We can investigate this thing another time," Luna declared as she returned her attention to the beast before her. Charging her horn with magical energy, Luna cried out, "Begone foul nightmare, and plague this mare no more!" as her horn let out a pulse of magic that crashed into the monster, causing it to flinch as its form wavered. However, instead of becoming undone, the creature let out a roar as its form stabilized before it swiped a claw at Luna's barrier again.

"Umm... what was that supposed to do? Cause I think it only made it angrier... if that’s possible," Sapphire said as she took a look at Luna, where she saw surprise clearly plastered on her face.

"No... that isn't possible... it should have vanished..." Luna croaked out before the creature swiped at the barrier again, shattering it as the claw went further. As Luna remained in shock, the claw grabbed onto Luna, finally breaking her out of her stupor. "Augh! Let go of me, you foul beast!" Luna cried as she fired a beam of magical energy at the beast while a mirror appeared to the side.

"Luna, watch out!" Sapphire cried out as she watched the beast slam Luna into the mirror, sending her through it before wrapping its claws around it, shattering it. "No way... how is this pos—buck!" Sapphire said before seeing the beast turn its head towards her. Turning around, Sapphire took to the air as the beast let out a torrent of green fire at her. "Why did this happen before I started remembering more of my training?!"

"Well, here's a lesson. Might want to dive a bit!" stated a familiar voice, causing Sapphire to take its advice as she dove down as she felt the heat of the flames pass overhead. Looking towards the direction of the voice, Sapphire saw Veritas in the form of a pegasus waving at her from her left.

"What the buck?! Do you have a hoof in all this?!" Sapphire replied as she pointed a hoof at Veritas.

Letting out a snort, Veritas answered, "No, it’s you and Luna that are sticking your noses where they don't belong, but let me do you a favor," before she reached out and grabbed Sapphire's foreleg, pulling her to the left of her original point as another burst of fire rushed past her. "You might have wanted to just stick to following the pieces instead of brute forcing it."

"Wait, you knew this would happen?!" Sapphire shrieked as Veritas pulled her up to dodge another torrent of fire.

"Eh, I had some guesses, but let's make Mr. Fire Spit less of a nuisance," Veritas replied as she clapped her hooves, causing the void they were in to shift to Canterlot. Grabbing Sapphire's foreleg again, Veritas pulled Sapphire into an alleyway as she guided her through the back alleys of Canterlot. Stopping next to some trash cans, Veritas landed behind them as she grabbed one of the lids and put it on her head, saying, "Hide like I am, it's pointless to do anything else in the meantime."

As Sapphire was about to protest, only to hear the beast let out a roar, causing her to follow Veritas's instructions as she sat next to the mental being. "Okay, so what's the next step?"

"We wait till you wake up, or Luna figures out how to get back here to blast the beast to the moon, or something," Veritas answered with a shrug.

Narrowing her eyes at Veritas, Sapphire said, "Really? Is that what we're going to do? Cower here and pray for help?"

"Yeah, do you have a better idea? You're in no condition to fight, and I don't have the power to do anything besides changing the scenery in your dreams, so we're stuck like this. Unless it finds us, to which we're going to have to run and scream for our lives, like the citizens of Ponyville did with that Ursa Minor," Veritas replied with another shrug.

"How about you give me some buckin answers already?! What is that thing, and how was it able to send Luna out of my dream?!" Sapphire asked as she pressed her muzzle against Veritas's.

"Well, that thing is, to put it simply, it's a combination of your memories and a nightmare, so to speak. That's why it was able to fend her off despite her being the master of the dream realm. As to why she's out of your dream, I can't say. I honestly have no idea how the monster was able to send her out with a mirror," Veritas answered as she rubbed her chin in thought.

"Then what in Luna's name would my memories help produce a thing like that?" Sapphire shot back as she pointed to her side before she paused as she felt the ground shaking. Holding still, Sapphire could hear the beast grabbing onto the roof of a nearby building as it slithered across the top of them, pausing here and there as it appeared to be looking for wherever she hid.

Holding still, Sapphire gulped when she saw a couple of bricks falling down next to them, indicating that the beast was right above their heads. After a couple minutes, the beast continued on its way, allowing Sapphire to get some air as Veritas replied, "Once again, no idea. There's more going on than even I know, so we're both in the same boat for the time being."

Sighing, Sapphire mumbled, "All this, and in the end, I only get that monster of all things," Sapphire bemoaned, as Veritas rolled her eyes at her.

"Fine fine, I'll give you a bit of your past, whether you like it or not," Veritas responded before lifting up a blue glowing forehoof.

"Hey wait, can't you wake me up like you did the last time by punching in me the face again?" Sapphire asked as she tilted her head at that memory.

"No, that was when I had greater control in the dream, but with that beast running about, it's presence is causing some interference. Now then, back to focusing on you remembering something!" Veritas answered before slamming her hoof into Sapphire's face.

"—children of Arulas—"

"Legends say—"

"—and that's when they say—

"Uncle Rift, why did Uncle Runic tell me to go to you to find out about the legend of the four sisters?"

"Hmm... maybe because he's not one for fun like I am. He's always about business, but I know that you sometimes need to have some fun in your life, like the tales of old."

"Oh... so you will tell me about The Journey of Arulas?"

"Yeah, I will. Just sit over there and I'll tell you the tale. Now let's see, it all started with four sisters..."

Blinking in shock, Sapphire looked around as she felt the trash can lid shifting on her head, seeing Veritas holding a hoof to her ear for some reason. Though, it didn't take Sapphire long to figure out why, as she soon heard Luna's voice crying out, "Take that you fiend! No one dares defeat the Princess of the Night in the dream realm!"

"Luna's back?" Sapphire asked in surprise, to which Veritas gave her a flat glare at her as an explosion could be heard off in the distance.

"Unless you know a pony that likes to shout during battle like that and who can also enter a pony's dream, then I say that Luna has returned to your dream," Veritas dryly answered. Blinking at that answer, Sapphire shook her head a bit before throwing the trash can lid off her head. She then flew up into the air, coming out of the alleyway to then see the sight of Luna firing a massive beam of magic at the beast, sending it crashing into a building.

"Veritas, we need to help Luna fight that beast off!" Sapphire stated as Veritas came up to her side.

"With what?! Changing the dream so that rocks will drop on it? I doubt something like that will work in the first place," Veritas countered with a huff.

"Then how about you change the dream so that we're right above a lake or something like that! At least then, I could do something with my water magic!" Sapphire cried out in frustration and worry. All the while, Sapphire could see the beast fire a green fireball at Luna, who barely dodged it as another fireball came at her.

"Ah, now you're thinking like a fighter. Here you go!" Veritas replied as she tapped her forehooves together, causing the scenery to change as the buildings and streets faded into a flat surface of a lake, which was promptly changed as the beast dropped into the water.

Blinking in surprise, Luna looked around before spotting Sapphire, who was lighting her horn up with her magic. "Sapphire, flee before the beast... attacks... you?" Luna shouted in an attempt to warn Sapphire, only to see the water wrapping around the beast despite its attempts to flail around to free itself.

After tying up the beast with her magic, Sapphire exclaimed, "Luna! Finish that beast off while I'm holding it down!" as she directed the water to constrict around the beast.

As the beast roared out in fury at Sapphire's bindings, Luna nodded as she charged her horn up, idly dodging the wild bursts of flame from the struggling beast until her horn glowed brighter than before as she declared, "Fall foul beast! You will torment Sapphire no more!" as she let out a massive burst of magic. Colliding with the beast, its form distorted once more before it started to shatter from the water's constricting hold on its body. Breaking apart into little pieces that faded away, the water fell onto itself as the lake slowly grew calm once more.

"Great job Sapphire, you actually fought back, even if it was just in your dre—" Veritas started to say as Sapphire let go of her magic to catch her breath, only to be interrupted as Luna suddenly tackled Sapphire into a bone-crushing hug.

"What a wonderful victory we have achieved, young Sapphire! You are a natural at this! I can't wait till more of your memories return, for we will defend Equestria from any threat if we work together!" Luna proclaimed as she shook Sapphire around in her grasp.

Sighing at the scene before her, Veritas mumbled, "She only grabbed onto the beast, not actually fight it like she used... nevermind, I'll just be taking my leave now," as she faded away as well.

"Luna... stop shaking me already!" cried Sapphire as she tried to pry Luna's legs off, though her constant shaking rendered it a tougher task to maintain a grasp on her legs. "Please stop shaking me!" Sapphire eventually shouted, causing Luna to come to a stop as she stared at her in surprise before finally letting go.

"Forgive my actions, Sapphire. It has just been a while since I was able to have an actual fight with some beast that could provide a challenge," Luna explained as she looked at the water below them. "Though, I am curious on how you were able to change the dream to something like this so fast."

"Oh, it was Veritas's doing, though... where did she wander off to?" Sapphire responded as she looked around in confusion.

Snorting, Luna stated, "Of course, the construct came to help you out, but the moment I get a chance to question her, she flees the scene. The coward. Though... that beast was... difficult in a way that I never expected."

Turning her attention towards Luna, Sapphire asked, "What do you mean? Is it because its a giant monster?"

Shaking her head, Luna asked, "No, for I have contended with creatures of similar size before. The real problem was that the beast radiated some kind of aura from it, one that caused it to be more difficult for me to think straight. It was like it tossed my mind into utter mayhem... Sapphire, what is it?" as she noticed Sapphire jerking her head at the mention of the word mayhem.

"I... I don't know... but that word... mayhem... it reminds me of something that... just shakes me to my core," Sapphire replied, as she looked at the spot where the beast once was, She then felt a twinge of dread and, oddly enough, hate in her heart, though she couldn’t recall why.

Interlude I

"My my my, aren't you talented," Veritas stated as she watched Discord stepping through an open door in the void where the mental construct resided as an earth pony.

Smirking, Discord replied, "Of course, I'm the Spirit of Disharmony, the God of Chaos, the Master of Tric—"

"Get to the point of why you're here already," Veritas interjected with an annoyed groan, causing Discord to frown at her before rolling his eyes.

"Everyone's a critic. Anyways, I'm here cause of the recent little chaotic scene that dear old Sapphire just had. Now, this won't last long, but I would so love for you to sate my curiosity. And don't worry, this will be between you and me, cause otherwise, it would ruin all the oodles of fun the princesses would have from figuring this out," Discord explained with a mischevious grin.

"And why should I believe you in the first place?" Veritas asked with a skeptical look.

"Well, since I'm still stuck in a stone statue with no means of communicating with anyone but you, I don't think the fear of me spilling the beans should be present," Discord replied as it started to rain beans from above. As Veritas ignored that, Discord continued, "But, I know you're still suspicious about me, so I'll just say that I promise to keep this to myself, cause really, this entire matter is still quite amusing to me. So as an old saying goes, if it's not broken, don't fix it."

Shaking her head, Veritas said, "Well, as much as you want to know the whole story behind Sapphire, I'm keeping my lips sealed in regards to her past."

"Aww... so you do know about her past," Discord stated with a grin, that wavered a bit as Veritas didn't even move a muscle at his statement. "So, how much do you know about her past?"

"All of it," Veritas answered with a shrug, causing Discord to raise an eyebrow in surprise.

"And you intend on keeping Sapphire's memories from her? Why?" Discord replied, causing Veritas to give him a hard stare.

"Simply put, if Sapphire remembered all those memories at once, she would be a very different pony than the one you met today. It is best that she remembers at a steady pace while living a normal life for once, that way she wouldn't be the same pony she was before she lost her memories," Veritas replied, causing Discord to tilt his head at her before it popped off and landed on the ground, rolling over to Veritas as he looked up at her.

"Are you certain about that? Just how bad it would be for her to remember them all?" Discord asked before grabbing his head as he screwed it back on his neck.

"Simply put, I doubt she would be able to function as a member of any community at best. At worst, well, just imagine if Celestia and Luna didn't show a drop of mercy towards their foes," Veritas answered, causing Discord to blink in surprise.

"Okay... so just what are you really then?" Discord asked as he pulled out a book, pulling some words out of it. He then rearranged them before stuffing them back into the book with a hammer.

Smirking at Discord, Veritas replied, "That is for me to know, and everypony else to find out. As some would say, why spoil the surprise?"

Chapter XXXIV: Decisions

"So... how are we going to explain this to my sister?"

"We? You're the one that had the bright idea of me taking on my memories by tackling that nightmare I had, again."

"Well, how am I supposed to know that it was going to summon a giant nightmare monster?!"

"The arm that grabbed me the first time had to be a clue! Wasn't that enough of a hint to say that there might be something really bad related to the infernos?"

"Yet when it first grabbed you, it brought you to a memory that told us another piece of your past!" Luna cried out as she slammed the dining table, as Sapphire glared back at her from across the table which Luna returned. It was morning, and after the harrowing night that Luna and Sapphire had, they both agreed to give Sapphire's memories a rest for the night. Hence, after Luna left Sapphire in a dream that consisted the largest feast Sapphire had ever seen, the pair had met up in the dining room to inform the others of the results. That is, until Luna started to get some cold hooves.

"Yeah, but I was recovering my memories at a steady pace already, you're the one that wanted to ru—" Sapphire started to say until the doors opened, causing the two to look towards the newcomer. Which turned out to be newcomers as Celestia stepped into the room with a sleepy Cadance following right behind her.

"Oh, you're up early, Sapphire," Celestia stated as Cadance let out a yawn. Sitting next to her sister with Cadance at Sapphire's right side, Celestia asked, "So, how was the hunt for your lost memories?"

As Sapphire exchanged a glace with Luna, she replied, "It was... mixed. Let's just say... that instead of just recovering memories, we also encountered some kind of nightmare beast that was rather tough for Luna to destroy." as she gave Celestia a forced smile.

Raising an eyebrow, Celestia turned her attention towards Luna, who snorted as she said, "It is as Sapphire said, though the nightmare beast did fall to my magic... eventually."

"Considering that I’ve never heard of you encountering a creature in the dream realm that you couldn't vanquish on a whim, what does this mean for both the beast you encountered and Sapphire?" Celestia asked as she eyed Sapphire with a bit of caution.

"That, I am uncertain, sister. In the past, I have faced nightmares that were stronger than the average one, but that difference was maybe a minute in the end. The stronger ones only lasted a mere second longer, but since this one was able to not only resist but also fight back, the beast must be supported by some rather traumatic memories that Sapphire hasn't recovered yet. That, or perhaps due to Sapphire being an alicorn, any nightmare that she may have would be naturally stronger. Or it could even be a combination of both. Ultimately, I am uncertain about this matter until more light can be shown upon this unless you two would like to aid me by having some nightmarish beasts of your own," Luna proposed, causing both mares to widen their eyes at the idea.

"Umm... I would rather not have to experience some nightmare beast in my dreams, Auntie," Cadance stated as she waved her forelegs in front of her to reinforce her statement.

As Luna cocked an eyebrow at Cadance's actions, Celestia replied, "As much as I would love to help Sapphire, I rather not compromise my sleep for the night and find myself too drained for my duties. However, with the presence of this nightmare, it may be best that you spend some time teaching Sapphire how to manipulate her dreams as a form of precaution if this case occurs again Luna. Thus, until you deem Sapphire to be ready, I recommend that we don't even consider the thought of forcing her."

Nodding in agreement, Luna responded, "I am in agreement on this approach. However, there is the matter of Sapphire considering last night's events to be 'mixed news'. While I would consider the slaying of a monster to be of good news, I know that others would treat the mere encounter to be of the bad kind. So tell me, what is the good news, dear Sapphire?"

As Luna's words brought everypony's attention onto Sapphire, she sighed before saying, "The good news is that I manage to remember a couple of tidbits that might be of interest. Namely, that I might know about some tale called 'The Journey of Arulas' and something about her children." With the news causing everypony to rear their heads back in surprise, Sapphire quickly added, "But that's all I know, I didn't get to hear any details besides that."

Nodding as she rubbed her chin, Celestia stated, "As little as that may seem, that information would serve enough to confirm your ties to Arulas. Hence, you have ties to the lost sister and her clan, which we should pass this information along to the other clans. This would encourage them to send at the very least a representative from their clans to meet you instead of doing a headcount to see if they were missing anypony."

"Alright, though... there is one matter I want to address that I finally made up my mind on. I actually desire to settle on where I would be establishing my seat of power," Sapphire declared, taking on a determined look. Which she then started to regret based on how Cadance was stifling a snicker with a hoof.

Tilting her head, Celestia replied, "Are you certain, Sapphire? You haven't been to any other cities besides Manehatten and Vanhoover, and you only met the other cities' nobility during the gala for a brief time. Don't you think you're being a bit hasty about this? Furthermore, you'll be taking up more responsibilities sooner as a result of you taking your throne."

"I know... but honestly, I still want a diversion from my memories for a while. To be honest, my lessons won't be enough to keep me distracted," Sapphire explained.

Letting out a sigh as she gave Sapphire a disbelieving look, Celestia asked, "Very well, which city do you desire to rule from?"

"Vanhoover. I know there are other port cities, but there’s something that calls me there. That and the fact that there are some unexplored land to the southwest of the city, which I may want to look into some time, if I do have a wanderlust like the four sisters had," Sapphire stated, causing Celestia to lose some of her look as she looked down at the table in thought.

"Sister, that may be a good place for Sapphire to, as some would say, 'set up shop'," Luna stated as she lit her horn up, teleporting a map of the land of Equestria that she spread upon the table. Pointing at the eastern coast, Luna continued, "With the ports of Baltimare, Fillydephia, and Manehatten, the eastern coast of Equestria is already quite developed enough that Sapphire wouldn't provide much beyond a secure defense against the griffons to the east and the dragons to the southeast. Though, with the current economic depression that the griffons of Griffonstone are experiencing, the western Griffon Kingdoms are not a threat while we still have some friendly relations with Torch. Relations that may be less stable if an alicorn was to be positioned closer to the dragonlands, which may be perceived as a threat."

Moving her hoof to the other side of the map, Luna continued, "In the west, we only have the port cities of Vanhoover and Applewood. Applewood wouldn't be an ideal city for Sapphire since it is heavily associated with Las Pegasus, a city that Sapphire is unlikely to visit anytime soon due to her fear of clouds. However, with Vanhoover, Sapphire's presence would serve to strengthen our naval force in the North Luna Ocean, while providing aid to the Southern one in case trouble would arise there. Furthermore, if Sapphire indeed desires to explore the unexplored west, we would have an opportunity to expand Equestria's western border, possibly even giving us the chance to establish two more ports on both oceans. In the end, this would serve Equestria's interests and could help improve the new Golden Age that Equestria is about to enter."

"Hmm... you do have a poi—what is this about 'improve the new Golden Age'?" Celestia asked as she gave Luna a confused glance.

"Isn't it obvious, dear sister? My return will herald Equestria's new Golden Age! With my return to the Lunar Throne, I can lead Equestria to a period of prosperity!" Luna explained as she pointed a hoof at the ceiling, causing Celestia to give her a flat look in response.

Leaning towards Cadance, Sapphire whispered through the side of her mouth, "Is this the first time you’ve witnessed something like this?"

Sighing, Cadance answered, "At least once a month, though not normally during our meals together."

Raising her hooves to the sides of her head, Celestia started to rub them as she said, "Luna, Equestria isn't going to have a new Golden Age, since we're already having a period of prosperity already. If anything, we would have a Silver Age inste—"

"Ha, even better! A Silver Age to herald my return to power!" Luna declared as her voice raised up in volume.

Closing her eyes as she hastened her rubbing, Celestia suddenly came to a pause as her eyes snapped back open. Slowly turning her head towards Luna with an eerie smile plastered onto her muzzle, Celestia asked, "Very well then, Luna. If you think that Sapphire would help with your leading of the current 'Silver Age', how about you help her set up her position in Vanhoover?"

"That is a marvelous idea, sister! Of course I will help our fellow princess in taking her rightful place on the throne!" Luna declared before slamming her hoof onto the table, shaking it as Cadance slowly placed a hoof against her face.

Sighing, Cadance muttered, "Sweet Celestia, Luna is falling into Celestia's own trap," before shaking her head in disappointment.

Shaking her head ever so subtly, Celestia returned her attention to Sapphire, saying, "Based on my sister's observations along with your own desire, I will allow you to seat up your rule there, though it will take some time since there isn't a proper building for you to settle in beside the town hall. So, I will commission the construction of a castle for you to reside in, though you will have to pay a visit to select where it would be constructed. Hence, it would be a couple months for the castle to be made, at the very least, until you can finally settle down properly in Vanhoover. Is this situation still favorable for you?"

Nodding, Sapphire said, "It is, and it would allow me some time to learn some more about how to run a nation in the meantime. But would it really take some months before the castle is ready?"

"Sapphire, while you may have seen some miracles of construction in Ponyville, an actual castle is a completely different matter. However, if you want to come to it at an earlier date, I suppose once enough of the castle is constructed, you could move into some temporary lodging in the completed portions," Celestia proposed.

"That may be a good idea, young Sapphire. By being there during the castle's construction, you could oversee some of the construction so that it would meet your desires," Luna added in, as Celestia shot her an annoyed look.

Taking their words into thought, Sapphire scratched at the side of her head before stating, "Yeah, I don't mind moving in early if it would help with construction and anything else that would require my presence."

"Very well then, Sapphire, but there is one matter that you will be attending to soon then as a result of your decision," Celestia replied, causing Sapphire to tilt her head at that.

"What is it, Celestia?" Sapphire asked as she tried to wonder what would need her immediate attention.

"Since you're leaving Canterlot, you will be needing your own private guard to attend to your security. Hence, you will be meeting with Shining Armor in order to draw up the requirement fliers, which would draw in the attention of anypony that would want to apply to be part of your guard. You would also eventually need to set up an interview process for them unless you interview them yourself. Also, you’ll need to work on the finer details of what you would want your guard to be. Oh, and you would need to name your guard," Celestia explained.

Blinking at that, Sapphire timidly asked, "And how many guards do you think I would need?"

"Hmmm... for a city like Vanhoover, you will need around seventy guards for the time being, though you should expect it to grow as Vanhoover and the neighboring settlements grow over time," Celestia stated.

Folding her ears against her head, Sapphire thought to herself, I might have to interview seventy ponies?! I don't even know how to set up an interview!

Chapter XXXV: Preperations

"So, you're actually going to form your own guard now?" Shining asked as Sapphire and Cadance were stepping into the Royal Guard training grounds where Shining was busy running the guard through some drills. With Luna heading to bed and Celestia busy with some paperwork that also included the funding for Sapphire's future castle, it was up to Cadance to help Sapphire.

As Sapphire was about to answer, Cadance intervened, "Yes, but she needs an officer that would help lead her guard since it would be small scale at first since Sapphire plans on moving to Vanhoover."

While Sapphire was frowning at Cadance speaking for her, Shining replied, "Hmm... since Vanhoover wouldn't be able to support a large military garrison, how large is your personal guard going to be, Princess Sapphire?"

Just as Cadance was about to open her mouth, Sapphire stuffed a hoof into it as she answered, "The size is going to be around seventy for the time being, at least until I can expand my operations on the west coast. And Cadance, please don't answer for me, even if you have an idea of what I’m going to say."

As Cadance blushed at what Sapphire said, Shining nodded as he replied, "Then I think you would only need about four officers with a commanding officer over them. I could find some recruits that might be willing to fulfill those roles, though I would need to know what kind of ponies you would like in your guard first."

Tilting her head, Sapphire replied, "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, if you haven't noticed, Princess Luna's Night Guard is filled entirely by thestrals. Along with that, when you have the armor made, you could enchant it to place an illusion to make all your guards look similar in coat and mane colors, like the ceremonial part of the Royal Guard. Those that are part of that are willing to forego physical appearances for a uniform look, something that some ponies might not be willing to sign up for," Shining explained.

"Oh... well, um... do I need to place any requirements? I mean, I don't need my own guard to be complicated, right?" Sapphire asked as she pondered why both princesses had to have such roles in their guards in the first place.

"Well, that would provide a large pool of ponies that might want to sign up for the guard. With such few positions open, you might want to place some kind of requirements in order to thin out the applicants before we get swarmed with too many potential recruits," Shining answered, causing Sapphire to sigh as she placed a hoof against the side of her head.

"Why must things be so complicated... wait, can be being hit with a war hammer before being recruited be enough to thin them out?" Sapphire asked as both ponies gave her a shocked look.

"For Celestia's sake, what pony would put that as a requirement for anything‽" Cadance cried out as she waved a hoof around.

"Well, my earth pony instructor Steel Coat might use that, since my first lesson with her had her hitting me with a war hammer," Sapphire stated, causing the couple to stare at her with gaping mouths. "What? Was it something I said?"

"Wait, Twilight actually freaked out over missing a friendship report?" Sapphire asked at breakfast the next day, stuffing a pineapple into her mouth as Cadance just watched while her face struggled between looking mystified or disgusted.

"Yes, she did, but due to the idea of being sent to Magic Kindergarten if she were to be tardy in sending a report to me," Celestia answered with an amused smile as Sapphire gave her a skeptical look.

"I might not know much still, but ain't that a bit... extre—wait, she lives in the town where ponies just run around outside when a giant bear is attacking. I guess the town is just rubbing off her," Sapphire replied as she shook her head at the thought.

"So says the mare that eats a pineapple as is," Cadance muttered to the side.

Looking at Cadance in confusion, Sapphire replied, "What? Is there supposed to be a specific way to eat a pineapple?" causing Cadance to slam her head on the table as Celestia let out a mild chuckle.

"So wait, you have a holiday, where ponies give you a portion of their candy? For free?!" Sapphire asked two days after hearing about Twilight's paranoia over friendship reports. Sapphire then touched a mirror shard that revealed the image of a younger Sapphire struggling to pull a rope that was tied around her waist, which was tied to a rather large boulder.

"Indeed, though there was much difficulty first beforehoof when the town was reacting with fear to my presence, but with the aid of Lady Twilight, the town came about before I became firmly entrenched in the idea of ending Nightmare Night for good," Luna replied as she pondered what kind of training Sapphire was really getting from her teachers.

"Luna... you were going to cancel a night, where all the foals give you candy for free?! Are you insane‽"

"Trains are so boring! Just sitting here all day, looking at the passing scenery," Sapphire complained as she was sitting in the royal train car with a yawning Luna across from her. It was a week after Nightmare Night, where after Celestia was able to take care of all the funding needed for the construction of Sapphire's castle, along with the government declaration that Sapphire was going to reside in Vanhoover. This served to shock the nobility of Canterlot with the fact that an alicorn was going to be in a rather small city, though Sapphire heard that Blueblood was happy enough that he even threw a private party in honor of her departure. With her not being invited, of course.

"You may think that, but for me, it is a joy to be riding this marvelous piece of machinery," Luna stated while suppressing another yawn. "Though, I'm curious. Since you have been to Vanhoover before, do you have any location in mind that you would want your castle to be built on?"

"No clue, since I spent most of my time attending events or parties. The closest thing to exploring the city's surrounding landscape was being on the Pear family's farm, and I doubt they would like the idea of me building a castle on their land," Sapphire answered with a shrug.

Shaking her head at that, Luna replied, "Well then, here is some advice on where you should build your castle. You should have it located in a defendable position, preferably the high ground, or rough terrain that would disrupt an oppo—"

"Is that really necessary? I mean, based on the maps, the only threats would be from the yaks to the north or a naval invasion from the sea. The latter of which isn't a good idea due to my control over water, and the former, well, we haven't talked to the yaks for while now. And wouldn't building a castle for defensive reasons make it more intimidating for my... 'subjects'?" Sapphire interjected, finding the use of the word 'subjects' to be a bit unnerving to her.

"One must always be on the lookout for potential threats, Sapphire. Even if the yaks have been following a policy of isolationism, it doesn't mean that they could raise an army and come down to the nearest Equestrian settlement to sack it. Which, with Vanhoover being nearby, your castle would become a prime target for their armies. Though, I will help you find a location that would still make it more welcoming to the citizens of Vanhoover if you so desire," Luna countered in an annoyed tone due to being a bit miffed at Sapphire interrupting her.

"Okay... so how long would you being staying with me to help me settle down and rule then?" Sapphire asked as she shuffled around in her seat.

"About a month at least, two months if necessary. Hopefully, by the time of my departure, you'll be able to lead the ponies of Vanhoover with ease. Thankfully, since your domain consists only of a small city with a town to the southeast, your duties will be light in comparison to my sister's. This would give you the time needed to plan your forays to the unexplored west," Luna answered, before yawning as she stretched one of her legs. "It would be interesting to see what you find out there. Maybe you'll find some lost ruin that has a connection to your past."

Frowning, Sapphire recalled the map she was looking at as she commented, "I don't think so. I'm not getting any gut feeling that there is something out there that is drawing my attention to. It's a bit hard to explain, but I just wanted to start there cause it just felt right, you know?"

"Hmm... it might be your destiny calling you there to be the ruler of Vanhoover then. Though, if you do expand Equestria's borders, I wonder if this would result in a Western Equestrian under your rule while my sister and I rule from the east," Luna pondered, as Sapphire folded her ears in response.

"Wait, don't get ahead of yourself Luna. I'm not looking in breaking Equestria in two and ruling half of it for myself," Sapphire quickly stated as she shook her hooves before Luna, who then shot Sapphire a smirk.

"I already know that you don't have the ambition for such a thing, dear Sapphire. You strike me more of a mare that would be perfectly content with a simple life, with the exception of rather large meals. I was simply teasing you for my own amusement," Luna explained, causing Sapphire to roll her eyes in response. However, Luna's smile faded away as she said, "But, having some ambition wouldn't harm you, Sapphire. Many leaders are ambitious upon taking office, with some of them seeking to expand their power and sphere of influence, as you have seen with some of the nobles of Canterlot. Though, this also means you have to keep out for those in your court that are seeking to use their position for their own goals. Some of your staff may be loyal to you, but others may just see you as a stepping stone for their plans, hence you must be aware of those that want to use you."

Sighing, Sapphire nodded as she said, "I'll try to keep that in mind, and that is a reason what I have chosen Vanhoover. Fewer ponies that would want to be connected to me, or try to kiss up just to get on my good side for their own desires. If I actually went to Manehatten or Baltimare, I would have been torn apart by the nobility there. At least in Vanhoover, I just have to worry about the Baroness and the Mayor."

"Ah, you have a good point, along with the foresight to foresee such a thing. It seems that you may be truly ready to rule now, despite your own misgivings about that idea. Though, I would recommend that you don't approach future nobility with a light hoof like my sister had in the past thousand years. If I had my say in things, we wouldn't have incompetent nobles that only sit in their manors counting their bits, much less than a pony such as Blueblood who only hang onto his position due to his 'royal' bloodline," Luna responded with an approving nod before shaking her head as she recalled how her first meeting with her nephew went.

Shivering at the idea of Blueblood showing up in her court, Sapphire replied, "Yeah, I wouldn't tolerate his presence if I ever run something like Celestia's day court. I still wonder why Celestia even keeps him around."

Rolling her eyes, Luna answered, "That, dear Sapphire, is one of the greatest mysteries in the world, even greater than your past. Now if you would excuse me, I'm going to catch some sleep before you mention him any further. I would rather prefer to not have to work to get rid of his presence from my dreams, something that I think you would agree with. Surely, he would turn any dream into a night terror with his 'mere presence'."

Chapter XXXVI: Location

"And this here is a prime location for your new home, your highness," Harrow stated as Luna gave him a flat look while Sapphire simply quirked an eyebrow at the indicated spot. The spot turned out to be a hill that was just a few mere hundred feet from the edge of the Pear Family farm.

"Umm... I think there’s one problem with this spot, Hallow," Sapphire replied, as Luna nodded in agreement.

"But your highness, this hill would give you a clear view of the surrounding countryside! Imagine the view of the Pear Family orchard when the sun is rising!" Harrow declared as Sapphire started to adopt Luna's expression.

"Except that if I need to expand, or if ponies decide to settle and build around my castle, then your farm would be in the way, causing your orchard would be cut down to make room," Sapphire pointed out, causing Harrow to gape at the idea of his family's trees being cut down just for construction.

"Did I said this was a prime location? No no no no, it's just a good spot to have a picnic, that's what I mean!" Hallow exclaimed, sweating a bit as he smiled at the princesses. It was shortly after morning when the two princesses had arrived at Vanhoover where they received a celebration, that was mostly in Luna's honor. This lasted till after lunch where Sapphire was finally brought to what Harrow, Copper, and Silver thought to be good locations for Vanhoover's royal castle.

Snickering behind her hoof as she was wearing a black dress with silver trim, Silver stated, "Didn't think that far ahead, did you, Harrow?" causing Harrow to give her a glare.

"So says the mare that wanted me to demolish four city blocks for my castle," Sapphire dryly countered, causing Silver to blush as Hallow pointed a hoof at her while letting out a laugh.

"I think you should follow your own advice first, Silver!" Harrow exclaimed with a grin.

As Silver was now giving Harrow a hate-filled glare, Sapphire rubbed her forehead as she looked to Copper, asking, "Do you have any suggestions for where my castle should be built?"

Putting on a false smile, Copper answered, "Why yes your highness, I do have a couple spots in mind..." as he wiped a hoof across his forehead.

Okay... this might not turn out well either, Sapphire thought to herself as she started to follow Copper, all while ignoring the staring contest between Silver and Harrow.

"So you're suggesting... that I make the base for my castle, in the water," Sapphire said in a skeptical tone as she stood on a cliff that was thirty feet above a short beach that overlooked part of the sea and the city's docks that were to the north.

Giving Sapphire a confused look, Copper replied, "But, your highness, you're the princess of the sea. Su—"

"Princess of water, not sea Copper," Sapphire interjected as Luna just looked at the two with an amused expression.

Bowing down, Copper said, "Sorry for mistaking your title, your highness. But the original idea behind the selection of this location was that since you're the princess of water, having your castle right in the bay would be symbolic of your title. Surely with your magic, you can create a base for the castle, and from here we can construct a bridge to your new home before building it to your utmost desires."

Tilting her head, Sapphire responded, "And how exactly do you expect me to make the base in the first place?"

Looking at Sapphire in utter confusion, Copper replied, "Well, by raising the ocean flo—"

"Princess of water, Copper, not princess of the sea. I only control water, not everything else in it," Sapphire flatly explained as she placed a hoof on her head, groaning at the ridiculousness of the idea.

"Oh, how about you make the base out of ice then?" Hallow asked, causing Sapphire to resist her right eye's urge to twitch.

"That would require me to maintain the ice at all times, Hallow, which isn't feasible since I do need to sleep and I may have to leave the city to visit other cities for some reason, like going to Canterlot for a gala," Sapphire pointed out as she shook her head at the idea.

"Hmmm... still, having your castle surrounded by the sea does sound like an interesting concept, one that would allow you to easily defend it if the need ever arises," Luna replied before turning to look at Copper. "Perhaps there is some island that Sapphire could build her castle on instead?"

Shaking his head, Copper said, "Not really your majesty, there are no islands of the necessary size and possessing the stability to support a castle."

Rolling her eyes at the idea of her home needing to have a water theme of sorts, Sapphire looked back at the city before looking past it to the land north of it, where Sapphire spotted some lush green hills that had some sparse amount of trees on them. "Hey Copper, is there anypony that owns the land to the north?" Sapphire asked as she pointed a hoof at the area she was looking at.

Squinting his eyes, Copper hummed to himself before answering, "I don't believe anypony owns it... unless its owned by Silver's family..."

"Which if that is the case, I will humbly bequeath it to you, your highness," Silver stated with a bow.

Rolling her eyes at Silver, Sapphire sighed as started to walk forward, stating, "Let's just take a look around there for the time being."

"Are you certain that you want your castle on just a hill? Why not a mountain where you can loam over your subjects, like that one over there," Luna said as she pointed at the closest mountain.

"Cause that's like a hundred miles away and I don't think anypony would want to traverse that much distance just to have a meeting with me, nor would Copper like to make that a daily commute," Sapphire countered as she looked upon the hill they were standing on. To Sapphire, it was a rather nice hill that had a large enough flat top for a small castle, though she knew that odds are Luna wouldn't let her get away with that. There were a few more hills nearby, but this was the tallest and biggest one. "Besides, we already have a castle on a mountain in Canterlot. We don't need a second one," Sapphire added.

Letting out a huff, Luna said, "Oh very well, you can have it here if you want. Now let's discuss what material your castle will be constructed from."

"Wait, that's something we have to talk about?" Sapphire asked as she turned around to look at Luna in confusion.

"Of course, there are many options available. I myself recommend that you have your castle be constructed of obsidian," Luna suggested, causing Copper to pale which drew Sapphire's attention.

"I myself would recommend the use of marble, thus bringing a taste of Canterlot to Vanhoover, your highness," Silver stated as Sapphire walked towards Copper, who was muttering to himself as he sweated profusely.

"Is something the matter, Copper?" Sapphire asked, drawing everypony's attention to him. This only served to make him squeak in fear as he sweated even more, which Sapphire wondered if he was going to have a puddle beneath him soon.

"Oh nothing, just thinking of all the logistics that it would take for a marble or obsidian castle, your highness," Copper stated with a forced smile, while Luna just cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Hmm... is there anything you would want to recommend then, Copper?" Sapphire asked, causing Copper to briefly glance at Luna.

"Well, your highness, I would say that maybe you should just stick to limestone for yo—" Copper started to say before Luna stomped a hoof down, silencing him.

"Nonsense! Sapphire will have a castle that will be worthy of an alicorn!" Luna stated with a snort.

"Whoa whoa, wait a minute," Sapphire stated as she held a hoof up as she looked at Luna. "Just what is wrong with using limestone if it makes things easier for Copper?"

"Its because it is the most common building material, your highness. Something used for much more simpler castles or during the days of antiquity where marble would be harder to afford for royalty," Silver explained. "A limestone castle wouldn't be befitting for an alicorn of your stature, as Princess Luna would attest to."

"But I'm not one for... much fanfare..." Sapphire countered as she looked at Copper. "Copper, can you just give me all the benefits of going for limestone?"

With his eyes darting back and forth from Sapphire and an annoyed Luna, Copper answered, "Well your highness, if we were to go with limestone, we could draw upon the stone quarries east of the nearby city of Tall Tale, which would give them an influx of bits. Furthermore, as Silver stated since limestone is more common, we get it at a cheaper price. Thus, we would save some bits, or construct a larger castle instead than what we could make with marble or obsidian."

"Well, a bigger castle would mean more space, so I suppose we could go that route if you're not against it, Luna," Sapphire declared as she looked up at her fellow princess, who was giving Sapphire a flat stare. Taking a step back from that, Sapphire added, "It is my castle, so shouldn't it be built in a way that I would like?"

Staring at Sapphire for a moment, Luna eventually released a sigh as she answered, "Yes, it should. While I may not approve the use of limestone for your castle, the decision is ultimately up to you. Though, I do approve of the idea of a bigger castle than our current budget can obtain for us. Perhaps we can get the royal quarters constructed before the end of the month."

"Well, if we're going for limestone, we should at least get you a marble statue of yourself, your highness," Silver stated, looking a bit disappointed at her idea being rejected. However, that faded to a bit of alarm when Sapphire turned her attention towards her as she sported a frown on her muzzle.

"Silver, I rather not have a statue of myself in my castle. And no, I wouldn't want a limestone one either, or any in the first place. Remember that I just said I'm not much for fanfare?" Sapphire said as she kept a firm look at Silver.

Looking back at Sapphire in confusion, Silver replied, "But, your highness, how about your former career as a fashion model before you were reve—"

"That was a job, Silver. Nothing more. So drop that topic immediately," Sapphire interjected, prompting Silver to rapidly nod in acknowledgment.

"Well then, Princess, I'll be heading back to my farm and see if any of my family would be willing to lend a hoof in the construction of your castle or help Copper in getting the word out of the need for laborers," Harrow stated with a bow before making his leave.

Watching Harrow leave, Copper asked, "So, your highness, do you have any design in mind for your castle?"

Glancing back at Luna, who was about to open her mouth, Sapphire quickly answered, "Just hire an expert for the castle, and have them consult Luna for anything special that I might need due to being an alicorn."

As Luna frowned at being denied a chance to get a word in, Copper bowed as he said, "As you request, your highness. Now if you will excuse me, I must return to the town hall to begin the necessary preparations for this construction project," before he started to trot away, leaving Sapphire with Luna and Silver.

Turning her attention towards Luna, Sapphire saw that Luna was less than pleased as she loomed over Sapphire, narrowing her eyes as she stated, "Normally, if it was any other pony, I would have punished them for going against my wishes or even preventing me from getting a word in. But since you're a fellow princess, I commend you for taking a somewhat assertive stance on this matter." Then, Luna smiled as she continued, "Now I shall go, for I have some ideas for your castle since there is more room to work with."

Letting out a sigh of relief as Luna took off into the air, Sapphire was about to say something when Silver said, "How about a marble entrance room where depictions of you are et—"

"Silver, drop it before I start to lose my temper and do something that you'll regret," Sapphire declared as she turned to look at Silver as one of her veins on her forehead was pulsing a bit.

"Yes Princess, forgive me for my transgressions," Silver replied as she bowed her head in a display of submission.

"I'll forgive this... after you take me to the nearest restaurant. It's been a couple hours and I'm already hankering for dinner.”

Chapter XXXVII: Skyward

"Sapphire, what are you doing?"

"Umm... going over to oversee the construction of my castle?" Sapphire said with a forced smile as Luna loomed over her while they were in the hallway of the royal wing. It has been a few days since Sapphire made a decision on her castle, the preparation of the site now beginning as the first shipments of the building materials were now arriving. Since then, Luna had adapted to spending some time from morning to noon to run a public court for Sapphire to observe.

"Sapphire, I already know that you have no knowledge about construction. In fact, I suspect that you wouldn't be able to build a clubhouse for a bunch of fillies," Luna stated, causing Sapphire to wonder if she was somehow referring to the Crusaders.

"Then maybe I can learn from the experts?" Sapphire asked with a smile, only for it to fade as Luna glared at her.

"Sapphire, your lessons are to teach you how to be a princess, not a construction worker. Now, it is time for court, and do try to stay focused this time," Luna declared as she turned around to head down the hallway.

Letting out a sigh, Sapphire trotted after her, saying, "If only there was something to do in the courts besides seeing ponies that just want to meet me and maybe shake my hoof."

"Can I now go to the construction site since there are no more attendees for court?" Sapphire asked as she sat in a chair to Luna's right in the town hall's largest meeting room that had been cleared for both princesses. After the first day of court, where most of the ponies that showed up were just expecting a chance to meet Sapphire for some purposes, only to find that Luna was in charge. Now, the court hours were mostly empty as only a few ponies showed up daily for their complaints or proposals after the first day. At first, Luna became disappointed by the lack of attendees, until Sapphire started to get letters that requested her presence at all sorts of social gatherings, like birthday parties for foals, or to promote a product made by one of the companies based in Vanhoover. It was then that Sapphire believed that the citizens were treating her as more of a novelty instead of a princess.

"No, Sapphire, for you must be ever vigilant. You may never know when a pony could come in with an important matter to present to you," Luna answered as she was overlooking some reports as Sapphire slumped into her chair.

"So says the princess that has something to do," Sapphire complained, only for Luna to cock an eyebrow at her before lighting up her horn. With a pop, a stack of books teleported and dropped onto the floor in front of Sapphire. This led to Sapphire jumping out of her chair in surprise, only to hit the back of it as the chair fell over.

"I hope that's an instinct to get into a fighting position and not jumping out of sheer fright," Luna stated as Sapphire put her chair back up with her forehooves. "Furthermore, I recommend that you use your magic in public instead of your hooves. It helps supports an image of an infallible alicorn."

"...Luna, you're talking about me of all ponies. The pony that, according to some ponies, eats like a monster and still has a limited understanding of social etiquette," Sapphire countered as she levitated a history book before her.

"That bears no importance. Even if you were to stumble in any action, you will fall as a princess, only to rise as a princess," Luna replied, to which Sapphire just rolled her eyes.

"Well, I sa—" Sapphire started to say until the room's doors opened, one of the Royal Guards now walking in with a scroll. Some members of the Royal Guard, along with half of Luna's Night Guard, came along to provide security until Sapphire's own guard had been formed.

"Princess Sapphire, there is somepony that is here to speak to you," said the guard, causing Luna to frown.

"Guard, inform the pony that Princess Sapphire isn't ready to hold court on her own or even with my aid, but I am available to settle whatever issue they want to present," Luna stated as Sapphire lowered her book onto the stack before pushing it to the side.

"Your majesty, forgive me for saying this, but the pony claimed to be of the Trinakas clan, and wishes to speak to Sapphire on the matter of the Arulas clan," the guard responded, alarming the two princesses as they looked at each other.

Turning her attention back towards the guard, Luna replied, "Very well, inform the pony that Sapphire is available to meet them," to which the guard nodded before heading out of the room. The doors then opened to reveal a green pegasus stallion with a turquoise mane and amber eyes as he galloped into the room. The stallion was wearing a pair of worn saddlebags as he panted for a bit while he ran right up to Luna’s and Sapphire's seats before skidding to a halt.

Bearing a wide grin, the stallion took in a deep breath before saying, "Wow, you're Princess Sapphire? It is an honor to meet you, as well as meeting what may be a member of the Arulas clan! When I heard that a member of the Arulas clan was found, I couldn't resist the urge to fly here as fast as I could to meet you! I'm just so happy that the clan elders permitted me to be the one to find you and meet you! After almost six thousand years of searching, to finally find some link to the disappearance of Arulas and her clan could lead an end to the search! We can finally rejoice and gather together back at the ancestral home for one big old family reunion before finally settling down after all th—"

"Whoa whoa, take a breather before you run out of air," Sapphire interrupted, amazed that this stallion could say so much in so little time, making her wonder if he had any family ties to Pinkie Pie.

Nodding in agreement, the stallion took in a deep breath, which took him five seconds as Sapphire wondered if he needed a doctor. However, before she could even ask if he was fine, the stallion continued, "Sorry about that, I just have a tendency to ramble on when I'm excited, and how can you not be excited when the answer to one of the world's greatest mysteries could be right in front of you?! Oh, I forgot to introduce myself! I'm Skyward Mist! Normally, this is the part where a pony introduces themselves in turn, but you're Princess Sapphire Rain, so there’s no need for you to do that! Oh, ever since the pony in that weird blue costume arrived three days ago to info—" until Sapphire used her magic to clamp his mouth shut.

"Wait a minute, you only got the message three days ago?" Sapphire asked as she released Skyward's mouth while wondering if he had an off switch.

"Yupperoonie!" Skyward answered, causing Sapphire to rear her head in surprise while she wondered if this was actually some prank that Pinkie was pulling on her. "And it was one big trip flying to here from the Western Griffon Kingdoms! Anyways, I have something very important to say to you, your princessness! The spring brings the joy of blossoming orchards," Skyward stated with a smile as he leaned in with anticipation.

Luna snorted as she clarified, "It's 'your highness', not 'your princessness'. And what do you mean you fl—"

"And the winter brings the snowy blanket across the land... wait, what?" Sapphire said as she interrupted Luna before her pupils widened in surprise.

Taking into the air, Skyward shot a hoof up as he declared, "Yes! You are a member of the Arulas clan! Finally, the great journey may come to an end!"

As Sapphire exchanged a bewildered look with Luna, Sapphire asked, "Wait, what are you talking about?! And why did I even say that phrase in the first place?! What is going on here?!"

Looking down at Sapphire in confusion, Skyward replied, "Huh? What do you me—oh, of course! The messenger said you had amnesia!" before slapping a hoof against his face. Removing his hoof, Skyward continued, "Well, the reason you said that was because long ago when the four sisters were alive and together, they often shared that greeting with one another when they meet each other on their travels. The greeting was then spread down to their children along with the other species that decided to travel with them. It has since then been used to identify members of one clan to another since each sister had their own phrase. Even to this day, those phrases still persist when we meet one another, which since you said the one phrase that belongs to the Arulas clan, it must have been kept in that clan as well!" before he clapped his forehooves together in delight as the perplexed alicorns tried to keep up with his rapid speech.

After staring at Skyward for a moment, Luna turned to look at Sapphire as she asked, "Did you get any of that?"

"Only about half of that... I think," Sapphire answered, as Skyward let out a chuckle.

"Sorry about that, I also sometimes speak too fast for the normal pony to catch up. But to put it simply, you said the Arulas clan's greeting to the other clans! That practically confirms you as being part of that clan!" Skyward stated as he dashed forward towards Sapphire, only to be stopped in midair as a dark blue aura surrounded his body. "Huh? What’s going on?"

"That is what I would be asking. What are you trying to do to Princess Sapphire?!" Luna asked, her horn alight with her magic as she narrowed her eyes at Skyward.

"I was just going to give my cousin a hug, even if she is a distant one by now," Skyward answered with a frown.

"As memorial as this meeting may be to you, you must remember that Sapphire is a princess, and thus you must treat her with the respect due to her," Luna stated before putting Skyward down with a thud. "Now that you have helped confirmed Sapphire's ties to the Arulas clan, what will you be doing now?"

"Oh... umm... mind if I crash at your place, cou—I mean, your highness?" Skyward asked as Luna narrowed her eyes at him again. Taking off his saddlebags, Skyward continued, "Normally, the clan members stick together and live off the land while living in cabin wagons. But since I came here on my own, I couldn't bring one for myself, especially since I flew here. That and I don't have enough bits for a room," before giving Sapphire a wide smile.

Turning her head to look at Luna, Sapphire asked, "Umm... what should we do? I mean, court is still in session and Skyward is asking for a room from me..."

Rolling her eyes, Luna stood up from her chair as she took a few steps forward, saying, "Very well then, Skyward. You will be granted a room in a nearby inn that will be paid for by the crown for the duration of your stay."

Smiling even wider, which caused Luna to take a few steps back, Skyward replied, "Thank you, Princess Luna! You won't regret this! I can't wait till the representatives from the other clans arrive! It would be like a mini-family reunion! Oh, I wonder what recipes they would bring this time?! It's been a couple years since the three clans have got together, and what a festival it was back then!" as he rubbed his belly in nostalgia.

"Sapphire, before you get any idea..." Luna started to say as she turned her attention towards Sapphire, only for her words to drop off as she saw Sapphire tapping her chin with a hoof as she frowned in thought. "Sapphire? Is something the matter?"

Blinking, Sapphire turned her attention towards Luna as she answered, "Oh... just thinking about that phrase. It just came out without me even recalling it. Even now, I still don't remember anything new, which made me wonder just how far ingrained that phrase is... and what other clan traditions my... clan may have. I just hope that Skyward here will be able to help me out in that regard."

"True, he may be of assistance," Luna started to say until she turned her attention towards Skyward, who was still daydreaming about new foods he would get to have at the reunion. "Though... I think I'm starting to understand some of your eating habits if Skyward's behavior is anything to judge by."

Chapter XXXVIII: Trickery

"What is with Steel Coat and her random hammer slams?!" Sapphire complained as she threw her forehooves into the air as she looked at another frame that had a mirror shard in it.

"What I'm more curious about is the long-term effects of these repeated slams on your body when you were a filly," Luna stated as she rubbed her chin in thought. "Especially since we actually saw the kind of impact she had left on you, you flew off like those little white balls some nobles like to hit with that weird metal stick of theirs."

"Don't remind me," Sapphire stated with a growl. It was the night after Skyward's appearance, where Luna and Sapphire where piecing some of Sapphire's memories back together. After getting enough shards, they noticed that the happier foalhood ones were going to one hallway, yet the ones that involved her training were settling down in the frames in a different one. Luna concluded that each hallway represented a portion of her past.

"Still, you have to admit that it is a great way to toughen up your bones and help you adapt to blunt force trauma," Luna declared, causing Sapphire to shake her head in return.

"You do know she's right about that. Besides, if you can't tolerate pain, you wouldn't last for long in a fight," said the voice of Veritas from above, which brought the two alicorns' attention upwards as Veritas was assuming a phoenix form.

"...For some reason, your presence this time annoys me more than the other times I have seen you," Luna stated with a scowl.

Stepping forward as Veritas let out a chirping laugh, Sapphire pointed a hoof at her as she asked, "Now you show up? After all the times you made an effort to stay away from Princess Luna?"

"Oh, I don't kn—the spring brings the joy of blossoming orchards," Veritas said as she flew around Sapphire's head.

"And the winter brings the snowy blanket across the land, Luna damn it!" Sapphire replied as she swung a hoof at Veritas who simply flew away while laughing at Sapphire.

"As amusing as it to see Sapphire use my name in such a fashion, Sapphire possesses a good point. Why have you reclused yourself whenever I'm aiding Sapphire with her memories?" Luna demanded as she lit her horn up, using it to pull at Veritas's tail feathers as she yanked her out of the sky.

Rolling her eyes in annoyance, Veritas stated, "Fine, I'll give you the answer you seek, but don't complain to me about it since you want to hear it so badly. But first, can you let go of my tail already?" As Luna complied with Veritas's request by letting her magic go out. Veritas then flew over to Sapphire to land on her horn, much to her annoyance. "Now where was I? Oh, I remember. I simply decided to take a break from all this memory business since you were so intent on changing the old formula you were going with," Veritas explained with a shrug.

Narrowing her eyes, Luna replied, "Do you think me as a fool? Enough with your games, tell us the truth or I will find the means to destroy a being like you."

Shivering in a mocking fashion, Veritas said, "Oh, I'm so scared! Not. But regardless, I'm feeling charitable today, so I'll let you two in on a secret. I'm just guiding Sapphire along the right steps to make sure that she's the perfect little princess that you and your sister want."

"Somehow, I doubt that's what you're really after," Sapphire stated as she shook Veritas off her horn.

Flying over to land on Luna's crown, Veritas stated, "Oh? And what makes you say that? I'm a part of you, remember? So wouldn't it be in my best interests to see you be the best you can be?"

"Don't try to use that tired old trick," Luna stated with a snort, before swinging the tip of her wing at Veritas, forcing her into the air. "You're plotting something, otherwise you would be directly aiding us instead of this trickery."

"Ah, but trickery is a great way to help a pony grow!" Veritas countered as she landed in the middle of the air, roosting like she was on some kind of invisible branch. "Besides, I meant what I said, for if I don't make an effort in just the right places, dear old Sapphire here could become a monster instead of a leader. Though I doubt you'll be a leader, probably more of a yespony to somepony that can lead, like Celestia or Luna."

Glaring at Veritas, Sapphire was about to say something before Luna raised a wing to stop her. Looking at Veritas in an inquisitive manner, Luna asked, "What do you mean by Sapphire becoming a monster?"

"Isn't it obvious by that giant evil monster that you two just had to trigger? There's more to Sapphire than meets the eye. Even with all your efforts to dig up Sapphire's past, there are some things that just can't be explained. But, if you two are so serious about finding some answers, how about I give you a tiny hint towards your objective? And don't worry, I won't be putting you two on a wild goose chase, as long as you're smart about it," Veritas stated as she spread her wings wide in a playful manner.

Glancing at Luna who returned it with one of her own, Sapphire stepped forward as she replied, "Fine, just tell us this hint if that's all you're going to be doing for me."

Smirking, Veritas pointed at Sapphire, saying, "Arulas had died, yet in a way, is still living. However, she nearly died again but was brought back from the brink of death by the actions of others." As the alicorns were looking at Veritas like she had grown a second head, the false phoenix laughed as she said, "I know, I know. It's all rather confusing, yet still, it's the truth, if you can figure it out. But, I know that Sapphire here won't figure it out until she has just the right memories to piece it all together, so I'll toss you two another bone. Mirrors present many things to all sorts of ponies, but may hide things that a pony would never want to see. Much like the shadows that others see as evil, yet you're stuck right in the biggest shadow of them all!" before she spread her wings wide, their size growing until they engulfed the hallway, before closing in on the two alicorns as Sapphire let out a shriek of surprise.

"Uncle Rift, what is the Journey of Arulas?"

"Oh, it's the story of our great ancestor, Arulas, a pony who wandered the world to see all that can be seen, only to see something no pony would have ever expected. Do you want to know what it is my dear?"

"Yes, Uncle Rift! Yes!"

"Heh, aren't you an excited little filly. Since you want to know so badly, I'll tell you instead of making it like some kind of test like Runic would do. Now, Arulas found the gre—"

"Rift, what are you doing?"

"What? I'm just telling Sapphire here about 'The Journey of Arulas'. What's wrong with that, Runic?"

"Are you kidding me? Don't you remember those that went on a wild goose chase, only to never return?"

"Maybe they didn't return because they found t—"

"Enough of this! I'm not going to let you plant empty dreams into this filly's head. Unless you're planning on leaving with her."

"Do you honestly think that I'm just going to abandon everypony when they still need me? How dare you even suggest that!"

"I suggested that because instead of training, the ot—"

"Sapphire, release thyself from Veritas's shroud!"

"Huh... what?" Sapphire said as she opened her eyes, looking around as she saw that she was still in the memory hallway, with Luna looking over her. "Luna? What’s going on?"

Letting out a sigh of relief, Luna answered, "We fell into one of Veritas tricks. She sought to lower our guard with that ridiculous statement of hers before trapping us in some sort of dream manipulation that she no doubt has been plotting to use."

"Oh..." Sapphire replied as she realized that she was laying on her back. Rolling over to her side before standing up, Sapphire asked, "How long was I out of it?"

"I am uncertain, for I had to navigate through some illusion that Veritas would claim to be a memory of yours," Luna stated with a snort, only for Sapphire to look at her in surprise.

"Wait, a memory? What did you saw?" Sapphire asked, leaning forward as Luna reared her head back.

"Bestill yourself, for the memory is ridiculous in nature. All that Veritas has shown me is a ruined city, underneath a night sky with a yellow moon that is much smaller than my own. How dare that being project such a mocking image to me," Luna answered with a growl.

"A yellow moon? What would Veritas show you such a thing, along with a ruined city?" Sapphire asked with a tilt of her head.

"How would I know when we're talking about a being that could match Discord in terms of trickery. Most likely it is just a weak attempt to distract me from our goal of restoring your memories. But that makes me wonder, what did Veritas show you?" Luna asked with a curious look.

Leaning back, Sapphire sat down as she pressed her forehooves together, saying, "Oh... nothing much, just a bit about the 'Journey of Arulas'. Though... I didn't get a proper hearing of it, I think. But I did learn that Arulas found something that nopony would ever expect to find."

Tapping her chin, Luna replied, "Hm... that is curious, though if true, it only told us that she found something. Though... it could be something that caused the disappearance of her and her clan from the face of Equus, though I wish that Veritas would just show us the truth already, instead of pieces of your memory," Luna stated as she slammed her hoof into the ground. Sapphire began to wonder if Veritas was truly a friend or somepony that was just like Discord as Luna claims. Yet, for some reason, she felt like all she saw and what Luna saw held some measure of truth to them, something that made her shudder at what could bring about the memory of a ruined city beneath a yellow moon.

Chapter XXXIX: Day

"Two memories, and two hints from Veritas," Sapphire said as she was stirring her bowl of cereal, having seen a box full of something called Apple-Os being eaten by one of the Royal Guard at one time. This led her to want to try it herself, as well as learning it was a brand started up by a third cousin of Applejack's, along with the fact that there is also a Pearios cereal brand. "Why can't I just have a simple past instead of this convoluted mess?"

"I think it comes with being an alicorn. We never have easy lives," Luna answered with a shrug. "For instance, shortly into my rule, we had to deal with the matter of Discord plunging the world into utter chaos. But I believe such adversities are meant to make us into stronger ponies for the sake of our subjects."

"I see... but why don't you want to try some of my cereal then?" Sapphire asked as she pointed her spoon at her bowl.

"Because we are alicorn princesses, we must maintain an image of grace and form among our subjects," Luna stated with an upturned nose.

"Then how about when you were in Ponyville where you even requested the ponies to just call you Luna?" Sapphire asked as she pointed her spoon at her, causing her to rear back a bit.

"That was a special occasion. I was trying to put my subjects on ease on Nightmare Night. Besides, at least I wasn't thrown into the sky by a trebuchet," Luna replied with a smirk as Sapphire snorted some milk out her nose.

Levitating a napkin to her nose to clean it up, Sapphire said, "I take it that the Crusaders talked to you, didn't they?"

"Indeed they have, though since you do maintain a contact with young Twilight, I just informed them that they could ask her for assistance," Luna responded.

Nodding, Sapphire stared into her bowl of cereal before saying, "I know you don't trust Veritas since she is never upfront with you, but I have a feeling that all that she had shown to be true. Though... that makes me wonder what she meant by Arulas dying but being alive?"

Frowning, Luna placed her two forehooves together as she leaned back from her seat, saying, "If you're certain that what was experienced to be the truth, then we can start to ascertain at least part of Veritas's riddle. Since the four sisters were mortal ponies, it is likely that Arulas died at some point after her disappearance. Yet, she is still alive in a way. Perhaps the answer is the memories of her is what kept her alive, being passed on by stories throughout your clan. Yet, with you being the only known member of the clan, with a case of amnesia no less, it could be that the recalling of your past is bringing her past back as well. We are certainly aiding you in the recovery of your memories after all."

Frowning, Sapphire said, "But there is that verbal memory, of how Runic wasn't referring to her in such a kind fashion. Something about her story planting empty dreams in my head..."

Keeping a neutral look, Luna stated, "Indeed, that is the one thing that puts that idea of mine into doubt. Likely, we need to know more of your past to figure out this riddle. However, the reference to mirrors and shadows... that is something that worries me in some fashion," before she started to rub her chin with her hoof. "One could assume that she was referring you to be in Arulas's shadow, but I doubt it since she would most likely have clarified it from the start. Especially since she mentioned how a shadow could be viewed as evil..." Luna mused out loud before trailing off into silence.

Looking up at Luna, Sapphire asked, "Luna? Is there something wrong?"

"I... was thinking of the one thing that I know to be linked to the shadows. A pony named... King Sombra," Luna stated, looking somewhat concerned as she looked at the window that was facing the north side of the dining room.

"King Sombra? Who's that?" Sapphire asked as she leaned forward, curious about this pony she hadn’t heard of before.

"King Sombra... was the ruler of the Crystal Empire. Though instead of being a king, he was more of a tyrant, ruling the citizens of the empire with an iron hoof. My sister and I were forced to deal with him, where we cast him into the cold depths of the north after we turned him into a shadow of himself. However, before he was cast away, he was able to curse the Empire to disappear along with him. Hence, with the loss of the Crystal Empire, both it and King Sombra have faded into history, only brought up as a myth to someponies," Luna explained as she let out a sigh.

"Wait... are you saying that you think I'm in his shadow?" Sapphire asked, alarmed that she could be linked to such an evil being.

"That... I'm uncertain. The dark magic wounds that were inflicted on you could point towards him since he was a user of the dark arts. But the nature of the wounds indicated at least three different parties were involved, which Sombra wouldn't ally himself with others or even share his knowledge of the dark arts to anypony. Furthermore, there was no reference to a mirror in regards to Sombra, so that rather makes the idea of him being the shadow unlikely," Luna stated as she turned her attention back towards Sapphire. "Sadly, I don't have any ideas on what this mirror Veritas told us about, but I will contact my sister to see what she knows on that matter. Perhaps she will be able to provide a clue to figuring out that riddle."

Nodding, Sapphire was about to say something before Skyward burst into the room, trotting with glee as he said, "Oh wow, I came right in time for breakfast!" as he sat down next to Sapphire before grabbing the box of cereal that was next to her bowl.

"Hey, wait, I was still using... that..." Sapphire started to exclaim until she saw Skyward stuck his muzzle into the box. "...Nevermind," Sapphire said with a sigh as she shuffled away from Skyward.

Scowling at Skyward's sudden entrance, Luna let out her own sigh before saying, "Ignoring Skyward's entrance, we have to focus on the fact that we still need more of your memories before we can figure out that riddle, as Veritas has stated to us. Though we can still speculate for the time being on what the answer may be. But for now, you have duties that we must attend to," Luna stated, causing Sapphire to groan in response, only to repeat it as Skyward got onto his back as he lifted the box up into the air to get more of its contents.

"As you can see, Princess, we have already dug up the ground and prepared it for construction," explained a gray earth pony with a brown mane that was named Iron Hammer as he was presented a diagram of the castle grounds. "With the first shipment of limestone arriving from the quarries, we will be able to begin construction of your castle, and have the basic structure completed within three to four weeks."

"Hmm... you seem to be progressing at a rather fast pace. I do hope that you're not cutting into any corners when constructing Princess Sapphire's castle," Luna stated in a firm tone, causing Iron to gulp at the thought of crossing Luna.

"It's because of the recent influx of labor from other cities that wished to have a hoof in the construction of Princess Sapphire's castle, your majesty. Already, I had some of the workers on site prepare a camp for the workers while building up temporary lodging for the new hooves," Iron explained, as Sapphire resisted the urge to let out a yawn.

"Ah, very well, but how about the limestone material? Is it of a fine quality to be used for construction, or do we need to find a new material to be used instead?" Luna asked as Sapphire narrowed her eyes at her.

"No, your majesty. The limestone is of the utmost quality, and we have specialists applying a treatment that would strengthen the stones while waterproofing them so they wouldn't corrode in the rain so easily... or when Princess Sapphire seeks to do extensive use of her magic within her castle. The treatment does take a day to be fully effective, but that has already been calculated for, so it wouldn't slow down the project," Iron answered, to which Sapphire just shot Luna a smirk.

Ignoring Sapphire's smirk, Luna nodded as she said, "Very well, you may return to the camp to continue your work, Iron Hammer," as she indicated with a hoof for Iron to leave already. As the stallion made his leave, Silver came into the room with a rolled up scroll in her magic.

Frowning at the scroll, Sapphire spoke up before Luna could address her as she asked, "Baronness Clock... is that another proposal for the erection of a statue in my likeness?"

Giving Sapphire a forced grin, Silver replied, "It is, your highness, but this one is actually for a school instead of the city park, and I sa—"

"I said it once and I will say it again, Clock. I don't want a statue of me in any public place, no matter what the reason. I'm not one for glorifying myself through visual representations of me. If you're so intent on having a statue of me, how about you make one for yourself and keep it on your private property, or find somepony else that would be interested in it," Sapphire interjected, causing the mare's ears to fold against the back of her head.

"But, your highness, this is about something else entirely," Silver stated, causing Sapphire to raise an eyebrow as she exchanged a glance with Luna.

"Alright... then what is it that you want to show me?" Sapphire cautiously asked.

"Simply put, it's a holiday to honor you called Sapphire Spring day!" Silver declared as she unfurled that scroll, revealing a diagram of what appeared to be a float with a mock copy of Sapphire, with clouds up in the sky as it rained down on the crowds, who were equipped with umbrellas.

"You... want me to have... a holiday named after me?" Sapphire replied in disbelief as she stared at the diagram.

"Why yes, for you see, if Princess Celestia has the Summer Sun Celebration and Luna with her Nightmare Night, then you should have a day to commemorate you as well. A day that would be during which Cloudsdale will be delivering rain to all cities to celebrate your holiday!" Silver stated with a smile.

Narrowing her eyes, Sapphire eyed the umbrellas, then the clouds, before casting her gaze upon Silver, making her sweat. "Or maybe, you're just using this as an excuse to get into more favorable relations with the Cloudsdale weather factories along with the company that produces umbrellas," Sapphire stated, causing Silver to sweat a bit as the scroll started to droop a bit. Taking a deep breath, Sapphire added, "Baroness Clock, I doubt that anypony would want to celebrate a day where they're out in the rain, being cold and miserable. So if you really want to have a holiday for me, I recommend that you think of one that most ponies would actually enjoy."

Taking on a disappointed expression, Silver nodded as she replied, "Yes your highness, I will heed your wishes," before she rolled up the scroll as she stepped out of the room.

Looking upon Sapphire, Luna commented, "You really don't like to, as some ponies say, be in the spotlight. But you must learn to accept it at some point, Sapphire. You are an alicorn after all, and hence will draw attention in ways that you never expect." Rolling her eyes, Sapphire was about to respond when Luna continued, "Like the fact that a griffin delegation is going to be visiting tomorrow to meet Equestria's newest princess."

"Wait, what‽ Why didn't you tell me about that sooner‽" Sapphire cried out as she slammed both her hooves onto the arms of her chair in shock.

"Oh, just to teach you a lesson, dear Sapphire. The lesson of adapting to the ever-changing matter that is being a princess. That and I prefer a more trial by fire lessons than my sister's simple lectures and books," Luna stated with a smirk. "And before you ask, no, I will not be taking the lead in this meeting, you are. So no pressure."

Chapter XL: Delegation

"I can't believe that we're meeting a griffon delegation today!" Copper cried as she and a few members of the staff were running around as they were getting the town hall ready for the griffons' arrival.

"What I can't believe is that Luna had to hold this information back until I only have one day... unless she was told to by her sister," Sapphire replied as she sat still while watching the staff run about, setting up decorations such as banners that had her Cutie Mark on them. "Hey, when were those made? I don't recall giving any approval for that."

"It was Luna that ordered their creation, with the statement that you wouldn't permit them until you're actually comfortable being a princess," Copper answered, causing Sapphire to give her a flat look before letting out a sigh.

"Wait, are you suggesting that Luna is trying to usurp your position with this meeting?" Silver asked as she had a servant bring up a mirror as she checked her appearance for the fifth time as she wore a white dress that had silver embroidery.

"Probably not. More like they're doing this just to help me become a better princess. That or they'll just give that out as the reason instead of Celestia just dropping some of her work onto my lap," Sapphire dryly replied.

"I would never imagine that Princess Celestia would think of me as some chore to give to someone else," said an unknown voice, causing everypony's ears to raise up as their turned their heads towards the source. At the open entrance to the throne room, stood three griffons. The rightmost one was armored in plate armor with a sword on its side, standing in a stiff position that reminded Sapphire of the Royal Guard. Meanwhile, the leftmost one was a rather young female griffon dressed in a blue dress with a golden tiara that had a ruby socketed into while the griffon held a rather bored expression. As Sapphire glanced at the female, she looked to have a more hawk styled front instead of the eagle one that she saw from Gilda. Between the two was a male griffon whose front was a falcon, dressed in a black suit with a blue tie. As Sapphire turned her attention towards him, she noticed that some of his feathers were starting to turn gray as the griffon said, "Greetings, Princess Sapphire. I presume that we came at a bad time?"

Staring at the griffon delegation as everypony were turning their attention towards her, Sapphire let out a sigh as she said, "I doubt that there would be a good time, so how about we just go to the dining room for lunch?"

"So... you're the newest princess of Equestria..." the falcon griffon stated as he sat on one side of the table with his companions flanking him.

"Yeah... umm... I don't think anypony told me your names yet," Sapphire replied as she wished that Luna didn't decide to take a break from her daytime activities as she sat across from the griffons with Silver on her left side and Copper on her right.

"Ah, forgive me. The sight of your throne room in chaos threw me off," the falcon griffon said as he stood up. Puffing up his chest, the griffon declared, "I'm Duke Gilfred, and my companions are Sir Gunther of the Storm Claw order and Princess Gernevie, King Giomar's fifth daughter."

Blinking for a moment, Sapphire turned her attention towards Gernevie, who in turn looked back at her before saying in a dry tone, "There is a major difference between us, your highness. Besides, I'm my father's fifth daughter, so I'm lower on the importance scale for the family."

"Nonsense, your highness. You have as much importance as the rest of your sisters," Gilfred countered as Sapphire just stared at the pair until a few maids came in, wheeling in some carts with freshly cooked food on them. This attracted their attention as they caught a familiar scent, where they could see some freshly cooked salmon that was placed before them. "Well... this is a surprise."

As a stack of pancakes was placed before Sapphire, she asked, "What do you mean? I was told that griffons ate meat... and that fish was something that many of them enjoy. Was I misinformed?"

Taking off his helmet before placing it beside him, revealing his head to be similar to an osprey, Gunther answered in a gruff voice, "No... fish is a part of our diet, though we are more surprised that you, the Princess of Water, would allow the cooking of the denizens of your seas, your highness."

Tilting her head as she looked at him in confusion, Sapphire replied, "Umm... what would make you think that way?"

Before Gunther could answer, Gilfred said, "It's just an assumption that with your title of Princess of Water, it would extend to you having dominion over the seas, or at least the North Lunar Ocean. Hence, some griffons assume that you would protect all life in the seas. Apparently, that idea is false, but nevertheless, thank you for the meal, your highness."

As the trio started to dig into their food, Sapphire asked, "So... umm... mind telling me why you're here? I'm unfortunately uninformed for the purpose of your visit, along with the fact that I only learned of your coming just yesterday."

"You haven't been informed?" Gilfred replied as Gernevie rolled her eyes. "We're here to greet you on behalf of King Giomar, ruler of the Western Griffon Kingdom. It is an honor to meet you, and we wish for you to have a long reign, though since you're an alicorn, that’s already a given," Gilfred continued before frowning as he looked down at the table. "Normally, this is the part we bow down, but given the circumstances, I believe we can ignore that if you permit it."

Her ears rising at the fact that there weren't any expectations for her, Sapphire replied, "Ah, that's okay, you don't have to bow to me. How about we just enjoy this meal?" as she got to work on her pancakes.

Shrugging, Gernevie started on her meal as well despite Gilfred eying her for a moment before saying, "Though, we are curious, why have you declared Vanhoover as your seat of power instead of any of the ports in the eastern coast, such as Manehatten or Baltimare? I'm certain that you would’ve had more coastal cities that would pledge their allegiance to you."

While Silver was taking on a look of indignation, Sapphire answered, "Oh, that's because those cities are developed far enough that they wouldn't need my rule. Vanhoover however, is a growing city, and with unexplored land to the west, this would be an opportunity for me to expand Equestria's borders into the unclaimed land as well as possibly starting the rise of a couple more port cities."

"Ah, a noble endeavor. One that could bring new economic opportunities to Equestria that could lead to a boom in its economy, and hopefully more trade between our nations. I believe that you could lead them to an era of prosperity for all," Gilfred stated.

Nodding in agreement, Silver spoke out, "I agree with your sentiment, Duke Gilfred. I, Baroness Clock, am honored to be able to see Vanhoover gain the chance to grow into a city that would rival the magnificence of Canterlot."

As Gernevie let out a snort, Gilfred ignored her as he asked, "Though, if you are planning on expanding Equestria's borders, what are your thoughts on immigration from the Griffon Kingdoms?"

"Imma-what?" Sapphire asked, confused as the trio of griffons stared at her in return.

"Immigration is when ponies, or other beings, leaves their country in order to live in another. In this case, immigration laws haven't prevented any griffons from coming over with the exception of criminals. I believe Duke Gilfred is asking if you would implement any laws in regards to that or not since you would hold greater authority in the affairs of Equestria's western coast, your highness" Copper explained before taking a bite of a salad he was eating.

"Ohh... then it would be a no. I'll just stick to the laws that Celestia and Luna have set up. Though I will say that I will welcome any griffons that would want to live in Vanhoover with open hooves," Sapphire stated as Gilfred smiled and nodded in turn. However, seeing Gernevie rolling her eyes, Sapphire frowned as she asked, "Okay, it appears that Gernevie doesn't want to be here. Mind explaining the situation to me?"

Giving Gernevia a glare as the young princess looked in the other direction, Gilfred answered, "This trip is more of a learning lesson for the princess since there aren't any duties vital to our nation beyond a proper greeting. Though, I am curious about the construction that we saw on the way to the town hall, your highness. I take it that that’s your own castle that’s being constructed?"

Giving a nod as confirmation, Sapphire asked, "Yes... is there a reason why you ask?"

"Oh, I'm just wondering if you would give me a tour of the site? I just wanted to see what steps Equestrians would take in the construction of their castles," Gilfred replied, causing Sapphire to cock an eyebrow at him. "Of course, it wouldn't be a hassle for a princess such as yourself to take her guests on a tour at any place she desires, your highness."

Feeling that something was off with the way Gilfred was acting, Sapphire stated, "I... rather not at this time. I wouldn't want to risk an accident with any of you during the visit. There is also the fact that I wouldn't know how to give a tour, and I wouldn't want to get in way of the workers."

"Ah, I understand, your highness. Though, I do hope in the future that upon my next visit, I would be able to see your castle in all its glory," Gilfred responded.

"Depends on how long it takes, Gilfred, I honestly don't know how long it would take for my castle to be constructed, but I do wonder how long do you plan to visit Vanhoover?" Sapphire asked as she noticed Gernevia raise an eyebrow at Sapphire.

"Oh, our stay will be for a few mere days, nothing more," Gilfred answered before leaning forward as he continued, "Though, I do hear that you're also a mare that has a love for food if the rumors are to be believed. Have you ever considered trying some fish for yourself?"

Frowning, Sapphire looked at the dishes the griffons where having, finding no disgust or desire to even try them. "I... rather pass. Oddly enough, I'm not feeling any desire to eat fish, no offense. Normally, I would just try any kind of food, but I guess that since ponies are herbivores, I don't think fish would be all that appealing to me," Sapphire explained as a thought started to come to mind for her.

"Are you certain? How could you know if you would like this meal or not if you haven't even given it a try?" Gilfred asked. "It could be a delicacy that you never had before. Are you certain that you want to pass up on a chance to try some fish?"

"Hmm... as intriguing as that sounds, I have something better in mind," Sapphire countered, causing Gilfred to lean his head back as he cocked an eyebrow at her. "There is some plant life in the seas, so I wonder which ones of them would be good as food for ponies... I don't know how far Equestrian recipes have gone in terms of the sea, so maybe that is something that I should look into. Thank you for the inspiration, Gilfred."

As the edges of his mouth twitched a bit, Gilfred nodded slowly as he said, "Glad to be of inspiration for you, your highness. I do hope that this does bring some new culinary arts to Equestria, with Vanhoover being the center of it." Silver and Copper then glanced at Sapphire, wondering if she knew the kind of game that Gilfred was trying to play on her. However, Sapphire just continued to dig into her stack of pancakes, all none the wiser to Gilfred's little schemes. Though, she did have a feeling that something was wrong, though that only made her wonder if the pancakes were a bit overcooked as she prodded one with a fork before shrugging as she resumed her meal.

Chapter XLI: Kingdoms

"You greeted them by having lunch‽"

"What am I supposed to do then‽ The throne room was in disarray when they arrived! What, I'm supposed to have them wait outside until it was done‽" Sapphire yelled back as she tapped another mirror shard, only to get a memory of Rift throwing her filly self into a cliff.

"Something tells me that your teachers might be sadists. But back to the topic on hoof, one doesn't simply greet a delegate from another nation with a meal, much less when its a delegation that has a member of the royal family in it!" Luna countered with a glare.

Glaring back at her, Sapphire replied, "Well then, maybe you should have stayed to help me out with this instead of leaving me to the timberwolves," before she tapped another shard, where she saw the beginning of a water magic exercise.

"You must learn to handle such matters on your own, and this was a good time to see how you react to a foreign delegation with the lowest chances of failure. Though I do apologize for the lack of warning in their arrival. My sister wanted to see how you would react when under pressure as well," Luna explained, causing Sapphire to roll her eyes at that.

"Typical that Celestia would try something like that," Sapphire replied as she poked a shard, receiving the sight of Steel Coat looking unamused as her filly self was pounding on Steel's shield with her hooves.

"Indeed, though I will relieve you of the delegation for tomorrow. They would most likely try to pull some trickery on you like how Gilfred was tempting you to try some fish, even if it might not agree with you," Luna stated.

Looking at Luna with a confused glance, Sapphire replied, "Wait, why would Gilfred wanting me to try a new dish, even if it is fish, to be trickery?"

"It is quite simple, for if you were to show disgust at the dish or even a sign of illness, Gilfred would take it as a sign of weakness that he would use to his advantage. Just as the nobles would like to take advantage of you, members of other governments would desire to gain an advantage over you in whatever methods they have available to them. However, you will have your own duties to attend to still... though you don't have to run the royal court for the day. I think you had enough with the delegation," Luna declared as Sapphire nodded, before tapping a shard where she was shown the sight of a teenage Sapphire freezing a body of water that looked to be a rather large pond before lifting it into the air without it breaking. "Hmm... interesting. If you were able to do that at that age, I wonder just how powerful you are now after you have fully recovered from your wounds."

"Yeah... powerful..." Sapphire stated as she hoped that this wouldn't lead to Celestia finding a way to use her magic in her machinations.

"So, that was when we had the theory that Arulas and her clan fell down some deep hole, only for their entrance to be sealed shut, dooming them to a life as underground mole ponies," Skyward said as he was having lunch with Sapphire at a restaurant. This was due in part that Sapphire was told by Luna to have a meal in the city to patronize one of Vanhoover's establishments while spending time with a distant cousin. Though, Sapphire really believed that Luna was just getting her away from the griffons, which she wasn't all that against if they were trying to take advantage of her.

"I... what? Isn't that a bit grim to think of... my clan being turned into mole ponies?" Sapphire asked as she actually paused in the consumption of her seventh bowl of soup.

"Well, it's better than your clan coming to a mountain only for it to blow its top off as lava overtaked the entire clan, but that couldn't have happened since you're here after all," Skyward stated with a shrug.

Gaping at Skyward, Sapphire stated, "How is that much better? Is that normally what ponies think about the Arulas clan‽"

"Well, after thousands of years searching, we're bound to come up with some crazy theories on the disappearance of your clan," Skyward stated with a shrug before stuffing some celery into his mouth.

Giving Skyward a flat stare, Sapphire eventually rolled her eyes as she resumed drinking her soup until an idea crossed her mind. "Hey, since your clan must have visited so many places, maybe you know a lot about the lands your clan have passed through. Do you have any information you could tell me about the griffons?"

"Oh, that depends on what you want to know. Do you want the ancient history of the griffons, their recent history, the history between or all of it?" Skyward asked with a smile as Sapphire wondered if Skyward had an off switch for his excitement.

"Umm... just give me a quick explanation of their modern history. I can learn the rest of their history another time since Celestia would no doubt have me learn about it at some point," Sapphire answered, only to rear her head back when Skyward jumped into the air and clapped his hooves together.

"Oh joy! I get to teach the lost member of the Arulas clan some history! And it also counts as teaching an alicorn something new! I wonder just how many ponies could make that claim!" Skyward exclaimed as he did a loop in the air.

Pulling Skyward's tail to bring him back to his seat, Sapphire held back a sigh as she said, "Yeah yeah, can we just go to this 'lesson' of yours now?"

"Well, originally the entire griffon nation was united under the rule of King Grover, who ruled through his possession of the Idol of Boreas from the city of Griffonstone, until it was stolen by some monster. With the loss of the idol, the griffons refused to follow King Grover, causing their cities to break off into city-states as Griffonstone fell from its former glory to a city of squalor as some would say. For years, the cities struggled against one another as they seek to dominate one another until the Iron Beak clan took control of the city-state of Lion's Paw, where they started to ally with other city-states to bring an end to the fighting between the other two, while the Thunder Wing clan took control of Storm Peak and did the same, until the Iron Beak clan united their allies and became the ruler of the Eastern Griffon Kingdom while the Thunder Wing clan created the Western Griffon Kingdom.

Thankfully, both kingdoms didn't seek to dominate one another, in fear of forming one united kingdom that would suffer the same fate as King Grover's nation. This fear is so prevalent that the Western Griffon Kingdom didn't want to bring Griffonstone into the fold, though it might be due to them being rather down in the dumps lately. But I bet when they fix their city up, they can be a sparkly jewel on the Celestial Sea that the kingdom would be begging to get them join them," Skyward explained with a smile.

"Ah, so that explains why I'm meeting a delegation from the Western Griffon Kingdom... but I wonder if the Eastern one would send a delegation to me as well?" Sapphire asked as she tapped her chin in thought.

"Well, from what I heard, they're more concerned with other nations that are closer than Equestria. The Western Griffon Kingdom has a vested interest in Equestria since the only thing that is between them is the Celestial Sea, along with Griffonstone to the northwestern part of their nation," Skyward answered with a shrug.

"Huh... that's interesting to know," Sapphire replied, as she mentally commented, And surprising that he knew that. I guess he has a longer attention span than Pinkie does.

"So, since you asked me a few questions, how about I ask you some?" Skyward asked while bearing a wider grin than he normally has.

"Um... okay?" Sapphire responded, before feeling like she had just done something horribly wrong.

Looking even more cheerful that Sapphire was partly surprised by it, Skyward took in a deep breath before rapidly saying, "Do you have your memories back? What's it like being a princess? What's your favorite food? Do you have a pet? Why did you come over to Vanhoover? Was your clan transported to the moon like Nightmare Moon? Do you have any relatives living nearby? What's it like flying and us—"

By the light of the moons! What horror did I just release on myself‽ Sapphire thought to herself as she reared back in horror at Skyward's endless stream of questions.

"—that was when he ran out of questions when he asked if we could have cake for dessert, which after getting it, he completely forgot the other questions he asked," Sapphire bemoaned to Luna. The two princesses were in Luna's temporary office, which was Copper's originally but he gladly gave it up to the moon princess.

"Quite the talkative pony, Skyward is. Though be fortunate that you weren't with the griffon delegation. Gilfred's attempts to weasel some information about you and this city was getting annoying, despite his various attempts at flattery," Luna replied as she nursed a cup of coffee. "Did Skyward reveal anything else about your clan?"

"Nothing really, unless you count his conspiracy theories," Sapphire answered with a shake of her head. "Despite the thousands of years spent on finding my clan, they haven't come up with any leads onto what happened to them so long ago. It doesn't help that they don't even have some idea of the last region the Arulas clan was in last, hence why they now search the entire world for answers."

"Such a shame, though your appearance near Ponyville may trigger the three clans to focus their attention on Equestria, at least for some time. This could lead to them finding some kind of clues that could be used to trigger some of your lost memories," Luna stated before looking down at a scroll that she was reading. "Hmm... it seems to me that the recruitment process for your guard has finally been completed and that they'll be sent here shortly to be inspected before resuming their training."

Blinking at the news, Sapphire replied, "Wait, they're already being sent here? It hasn't been long, and wouldn't it be better for them to be trained in Canterlot where the Royal Guard can be overseeing their training?"

Shaking her head, Luna answered, "No, for they are meant to be your guard, and that it would be best that you weed out the ponies that you don't want in your guard before they are fully committed to the training process. It wouldn't be kind to train them only to inform them that they won't be receiving the job. Furthermore, by training here they can interact with you more in order to develop their loyalty towards you, wherein Canterlot, they may interact with my sister and possibly be enamored with her to the point that they would desire to join her Royal Guard instead of yours."

"Oh... okay then, so... how should I weed them out then? I really haven't come up with anything that would help me figure out what kind of guard that I would want beyond suggesting hitting them with a war hammer like my teacher Steel Coat did to me," Sapphire responded, causing Luna to briefly look at her in alarm before regaining her composure.

"Well, you certainly shouldn't take such extreme methods that your teachers have, but you should at least have something in mind when you come to inspect them. Perhaps a lesser test of will and physical prowess than the ones that your teachers had subjected you to. You may even just discover that you want to your guard to be capable of doing the moment you inspect them," Luna suggested. This led to Sapphire nodding in acknowledgment before looking to the side as she rubbed her chin with her hoof in thought. "Though, I wouldn't subject them to an eating competition, nor a cooking one. Food shouldn't a factor in the selection process, unless you're looking for a Food Guard," Luna jokingly added as Sapphire glared at her in annoyance.

Chapter XLII: Guard

"Foggy Skies? What are you doing here?"

"I'm here as one of your newest officers of your new personal guard!" Foggy stated with a salute. He was wearing what looked to be a standard Royal Guard armor that was simply painted blue.

"This has to be a joke. Please tell me this is some kind of prank your sister set up Luna," Sapphire said as she looked at Luna, who simply raised an eyebrow at the scene before her. It was the next day, where after Luna finished dealing with the griffon delegation, the duo were now waiting at the train station for the recruits to arrive. However, upon their arrival, Sapphire was surprised by Foggy's appearance since he was a member of Celestia's guard.

"No, my sister wouldn't send one of her soldiers here just to play a prank on you," Luna replied with a shake of her head before turning her attention towards Foggy while eying the ponies that were leaving the train, all who weren't armored by were walking in. "Though, I think my sister did decide to draw upon members of our own guards to serve as the first officers in your new one, Sapphire. Having fully trained soldiers will help continue the rest of your guard's training, along with the aid of the two guards we have on hoof already."

Sighing at Luna's revelation, Sapphire turned to Foggy, asking, "So, are you the superior officer here, or is there someone else in command?"

"Oh no, I'm just a corporal. The 'captain' of the guard is the most experienced officer among us, who is just over there," Foggy stated as he pointed a hoof at another pony, a faded blue coated unicorn mare with a short magenta mane that was dressed in Royal Guard armor that was painted blue.

Saluting me, the mare said, "Your majesty, Lieutenant Cobalt Star, a former member of the Royal Guard that had served with them for seven years, ready to serve," as she looked at Sapphire with her violet eyes.

"Okay... while I know some of the reasons why Foggy joined my guard, mind telling me why you transferred your services to my guard?" Sapphire asked as she eyed the rest of her guard, seeing that there was a balance between all the three tribes in them, but actually had a few thestrals mixed in as well.

"Simple, your majesty. I have joined your guard for a few reasons. I have some family in Vanhoover, and Captain Shining Armor recommended that I take the post due to being more adaptable to random situations. Furthermore, I have served in the position of drill sergeant before, so I would be able to help train your new guards into the kind of soldier that you want them to be," Cobalt answered, remaining in salute.

Noting Cobalt's rigid position, Sapphire sighed as she said, "Cobalt, you don't have to be saluting me until I tell you to stand down. A simple short salute would be enough for me."

"Just paying you the respect you deserve, your majesty," Cobalt stated as she lowered her hoof, before turning towards Luna as she gave her a bow. Returning her attention to Sapphire, Cobalt stated, "Madam, as you have possibly noticed with the appearance of our current armor, your guard is currently lacking a proper uniform. Whether it is as armored as the Royal Guard or more for the simpler uniform worn by a city's police force, you would have to be the one to choose what that uniform would be."

Turning to look at Luna, Sapphire asked, "Is that really necessary? I mean, couldn't I just have some armorer come up with a new design and just go with that instead?"

Rolling her eyes, Luna replied, "Things can't be that simple for a princess, Sapphire. Your guard will be an extension of your authority, so you must choose what kind of appearance they would have. They will be your representatives to the common ponies in terms of defending, hence whatever design their armor may have will be seen as an extension of you. Simply ignoring this could lead to them wearing something that would make them appear weak, or bare one of the most frightening armors ever seen, which would cause ponies to fear you as a result."

Groaning, Sapphire put her face into her forehooves as she said, "Fine, fine, I'll figure something out... but please tell me that I don't have to come up with the design myself?" before she lifted her head to look at Cobalt with a pleading look.

"Of course not, your majesty. Several designs have been drawn up by premiere armorers from across Equestria. I will spend the day getting your guard into their quarters along with finding the nearest suitable training grounds before I get you the preliminary drafts, to give you some time to think over on what you want your guard to be. That is, if you don't have need of me for the day, princess," Cobalt stated with a bow.

Resisting the urge to sigh, Sapphire said, "I don't have any plans for you for the time being, Lieutenant Cobalt, so see to my guard for the day as I discuss some matters with Princess Luna." After watching Cobalt raise her head before turning to the recruits, Sapphire shifted her attention to Luna to whisper, "I know you're all for the image of a strong princess and the like, but you do know that I have no idea on how to figure this out."

Cocking an eyebrow, Luna countered, "But did you not live with Rarity for a time? A pony that I recall was a fashion designer?"

"Yes, but that doesn't mean that I know about fashion. And don't you dare bring up my fashion model career, as short as it was," Sapphire said with gritted teeth as she smiled at the troops that were bowing to her before making their leave.

Snorting, Luna said, "Then if you don't have any ideas on how to approach this situation presently, then perhaps we should look to the past for inspiration?"

"...Did you really have to be as vague as your sister with that comment?"

"Wait a moment, you two went looking for me in order to find some piece of Sapphire's past that would inspire her to figure out what kind of armor style she would want for her own personal guard? Do you know how convoluted, as well as just outright silly, that plan is?" Veritas asked as she shook her head while appearing as a bunny.

"For the record, it was her plan, not mine," Sapphire replied as she pointed a hoof at Luna, who merely shook her head in amusement.

Placing a paw against her own head, Veritas stated, "That doesn't matter, but since you two are actually trying to search Sapphire's memories for some answer, I'll just make a recommendation instead: go with the most effective armor that you can find. Appearances are just for those that want to show off or go for intimidation. Just go for something that would protect your minions the most and go from there."

"Hmm.. that is actually some good adv—did you just call my guard 'minions'?" Sapphire asked as she narrowed her eyes at Veritas before taking a couple steps towards her.

"Yeah, minions. I mean, aren't they the kind of ponies that would just follow your every word to the point that if you tell them to jump off a bridge, they would do that?" Veritas countered with a shrug.

"There is no member of the Royal Guard nor the Night Guard that would do such a thing, naive," Luna stated with an angry snort.

"Eh, from seeing how Foggy Skies was, it doesn't take much to notice how devoted they are to Sapphire. But if you want to keep thinking that way, be my guest," Veritas replied as she gestured with her paw to tell Luna to back away. "Anyways, I have a brilliant idea for speeding up Sapphire's recovery of her memories, specifically the ones about her getting trained."

"And what, pray tell, would that be? Are you going to suggest that she spend another session with you finding more of her memories without my supervision?" Luna asked as she loomed over Veritas.

"What? No. I was actually going to suggest that you two should fight each other. Though in Sapphire's case, it would be you beating the living daylights out of her. But hey, maybe she will recall a couple of techniques that would slow down your process of rearranging her face," Veritas answered as she folded her forelegs over her chest.

As Sapphire was about to make a retort, Luna raised her head up as she responded, "That... might actually be a good idea. We never really tested Sapphire's combat capabilities beyond the moment that I threw an object at both her and Cadance, so a training session that would explore the limits of her magic and her body could lead to some new memories as well as a better understanding of Sapphire's manipulation of water. Perhaps a duel the day after Sapphire's has finally selected her guards' uniform would an opportune time for the fighting to begin."

"Hey, wait, don't I get a say on that?" Sapphire asked as she looked back and forth between the two.

"Wow, I was partly joking with that statement, but hey, at least Sapphire would be more motivated to strengthen herself for a rematch against you, Luna," Veritas stated as she started to hop away.

"Wait a moment, Veritas," Sapphire stated as she followed after the bunny. "I demand that you show me more of what you know. It doesn't take too much to figure out that you know more about me than you would really care to admit. I demand some answers from you about my past, and whatever the shadow and mirror tidbit is supposed to mean?"

Sighing, Veritas turned to look at Sapphire, commenting, "Alright, here's something about your past: you were an alicorn when you were a filly. Now, see you whenever I got some work to do!" before disappearing down some hole that appeared out of nowhere.

"Wait a mi—why do I even bother?!" Sapphire bemoaned as she placed her head into her hooves again.

"Well, that was rather annoying, but at least she might have given us a hint at your potential tastes before she left us," Luna stated as she rubbed her chin in thought. "It makes me wonder if that mare is telling you the truth and that she shared one of your past tastes, or this is just some elaborate plan to trick you into being whatever they wanted you to be."

"Eh, Veritas hasn't done anything dangerous towards me, at least purposely, so I say you should give her the benefit of the doubt for the time being. Though... just how many types of armor that can be effective without it sacrificing protection just for something fancy? Might as well get started now since we're here," Sapphire asked looked up at the ceiling as she started to guess a number.

Shaking her head at Sapphire once more, Luna replied, "That isn't a matter that I can just easily give you the answers for. There are many different styles that you could choose from to be your guard's uniform, with some of them even borrowing ideas from one another. So the best approach to this matter is to simply review the designs that Cobalt will be showing you, though you can reject the styles that are for appearances only if you so desire."

"Figures you would say something like that... but at least we narrowed the list down a bit, even if it was probably just a couple of designs," Sapphire bemoaned before staring at the mass of mirrors shards before her. She then thought about just how many things that have been piling up for her lately, that she wondered if this would have been the death of her if she wasn't an immortal alicorn, assuming that they are immortal in the first place.

Chapter XLIII: Armor

"Here we go, this armor is designed to sh—"

"Is that actual gold on those edges?"

"Well, yes your highness, but it's f—"

"Rejected. I'm not one for flair, and that would just be a pointless expense," Sapphire stated as she and Luna were in the throne room. They were now looking at a diagram on a stand as a unicorn stallion was sweating before them.

"But Princess Sapphire, this armor is designed to show your glory! Anything less would be undeserving of you!" the unicorn stated as he pulled at the collar of his suit that foretold the wealth and position he had. Looking at the stallion with a skeptical look, Sapphire noted that unless the unicorn had any military background, his design of the armor was mostly just for show and not function.

"Appearances can only go so far. If there is ever a matter where danger is present, I highly doubt that armor would be of any use," Sapphire countered, causing the unicorn to look downcast before taking his leave.

Leaning over towards Sapphire, Luna whispered, "You could have two sets of armors, one for ceremonial duties and one for actual combat purposes. I know that the Royal Guard's and Night Guard's armor looked to be all show, but they do have their own armor suited for battle."

"Yeah... but that still leaves them vulnerable if somepony decides to attack before they could get ready for battle," Sapphire countered, causing Luna to roll her eyes as a pegasi came up to show her design, only for Sapphire to reject it as well.

"If anypony would dare to attack, we would be aware of the incoming presence long before they could even start their attack, giving our guards the time they would need to get properly equipped," Luna responded.

"Still, better safe than sorry, and it would save on bits that would have been used to make the second set of armor," Sapphire replied as she rejected an armor that looked to protect all the wrong places for some unknown reason.

"Sapphire, you're a princess with access to the Royal Treasury. You have a budget for equipping your guards and a budget for the construction of your castle while we're at it. It would be a simple thing to cover. It isn't like the crown would be in debt from taking on one more princess, even if we're covering your food expenses," Luna stated as Sapphire just stared at what looked to be the most flamboyant uniform that didn't even have any protection. Unless one counts protection from the elements.

"Look, I just don't think it's practical to have two suits of armor that serve completely different purposes. I mean, my guard would have to spend more time to maintain two suits of armor, where if they just had one more, they would have less work and perhaps even more free time to do their thing. Not to mention the storage that would be needed for arm—oh, what do we have here?" Sapphire said to Luna before spotting the design that was shown by an earth pony mare with a grey coat and a short orange mane who was looking at them with deep green eyes. The mare only had some saddlebags on as she was placing a diagram that had the image of two ponies wearing armor, one that had more on than the other.

"Umm... my armor design... your highness! I mean, this armor is designed in components so that your guard would only need to wear what would be needed at the time. As you can see here, for basic duty, your guard would be wearing a breastplate, a helmet, and hoof guards. While this would leave them highly unprotected, they could wear a uniform underneath their armor, or perhaps over it, that could serve as formal wear like day to day guard duty," the mare stated as she pointed at the less armored design.

"Hmm... that sounds interesting, but what about the other armor... and would you mind telling me your name?" Sapphire asked as Luna leaned her head forward to inspect the designs.

"Oh! Sorry for not introducing myself sooner, your highness!" the mare cried out as she bowed so fast that Sapphire flinched when she heard the mare smacking her head against the floor. "My name is Bronze Ignot, and I'm a blacksmith from Tall Tale. I heard about your need to equip your guard in some new armor, so I thought to give it a try by designing this armor. I hope I'm not being too presumptuous by thinking that, your highness."

"Oh no, you're fine. I was just wanted to know your name, nothing more. Though, you don't have to keep your head against the floor like that," Sapphire replied, watching as Bronze lifted her head with a look of relief. "You may continue explaining your armor," Sapphire stated as she wondered if she's going to have even more ponies that would treat her in such a fanatical fashion like Foggy and now Bronze were doing.

Raising her head, Bronze stated, "As you desire your highness," before standing up as she turned her attention back to her diagrams. Pointing a hoof at the more armored version, Bronze stated, "Your highness, this is when a guard equips the rest of their armor instead of just going for the base level of protection. Here, the armor extends to grant protection for the rest of their limbs, the neck region, as well as their hindquarters. However, in order to permit mobility, there are gaps in the plate armor to allow more ease of movement for the wearer, but this is covered by chainmail that the guard would be wearing along with their armor. Of course, the guards could also wear the chainmail in times of increased security but not want to appear hostile which the full armor would indicate.

Furthermore, to emphasize that they are your guard, I have incorporated the etchings or shapes of waves onto their armor in the places that would interfere the least, such as the edges of the leg pauldrons and the breastplate. And of course, we can add on a water droplet onto the breastplate and the helmet if you want, your highness," before Bronze bowed again, though she kept her head from bashing against the ground this time.

Looking at the diagrams for a moment, Sapphire turned her head towards Luna as she asked, "What do you think, Luna?"

Turning her attention from the designs towards Sapphire, Luna answered, "Well, her designs do favor protection over appearances, yet is practical in terms of how much your guard would need to wear at any time. This would align with your desire in terms of armor design, despite the fact that you can easily afford multiple armors. I also believe that this is still a decision that you need to make for yourself."

"Hmm... well since I haven't seen the other designs yet, I'll keep your design under consideration until I have seen the rest," Sapphire started to answer, before leaning her head back as she saw Bronze's muzzle taking on a wide smile that was becoming a more reoccurring thing to her. Feeling a bit creeped out still, Sapphire continued, "But bear in mind that I might take some time after seeing the other designs before I can finalize my decision, so you may not get an answer until later on today."

"Actually, I would say that you're more likely to get an answer at some point tomorrow, for Sapphire has some combat training to attend to this afternoon," Luna quipped in, causing Sapphire to look at her in confusion.

"Wait, what combat training are you talking about?" Sapphire asked as she rubbed the side of her head as she remembered her schedule to find that there wasn't any point where she was assigned combat training.

"Remember the discussion we had with Veritas in the dream realm last night? I decided to take her advice in regards to fighting you, so this afternoon you and I will be having a duel to test your current abilities," Luna calmly answered before folding her ears back in expectation of what was going to happen next.

"We're going to fight each other‽"

"I still don't think this is a good idea!"

"Nonsense, I find this to actually be a great idea!" Luna stated as Sapphire was standing across from her in an open field. After managing to convince Sapphire to come to the field in exchange for a day off from her work and studies, Luna had chosen to go south of Vanhoover for their duel, with their guard following to see the power of the two princesses. Though Sapphire was thinking that they were just here for the show of Luna thrashing her as she was having second thoughts about her decision.

"That's because you're older and hence much more experience than me in combat. Along with the fact that I don't remember my own fights if I even had any in the first place!" Sapphire shouted, her legs shaking in fear with such a force that one could actually hear her bones rattling. Unlike Luna, who was wearing her regalia still, Sapphire had taken off her own and gave it to Foggy for safe keeping. "Couldn't you just give me some training lessons instead?"

"Relax young Sapphire, I'm sure that you will do fine based on how you reacted when I threw some fruit at your head. Now steel thyself, for our duel begins now!" Luna exclaimed before taking to the air.

Staring wide-eyed at Luna, Sapphire responded, "Wait, aren't we supposed to have a countdo—gah!" until Luna fired a beam of magic at her, forcing her to dive to the side for protection.

"In battle, your enemy will never declare their intentions to battle you!" Luna shouted with her horn alight as she shifted her horn upwards, magically pulling the ground that Sapphire was on up into the air. Luna then jerked her head to her left, sending the clump of dirt to the side.

Yelping at Luna's levitation, Sapphire placed her hooves against the dirt she was on before pushing off as she took to the air. Hearing a crunching sound, Sapphire turned her attention towards the source to see the shattered remains of her original spot. "Luna, I think you're going ove—" Sapphire started to say before dodging another magical beam from Luna.

"Nonsense! For this is a duel to bring out your latent skills! And what better way to do that than to use actual combat spells!" Luna declared before waving her horn in front of her as she sent a wave of frost at Sapphire. "But do not forget to fight back! You can't win a fight if you're always on the defensive!"

Seeing the wave of frost, Sapphire gulped before pulling into a dive as she dodged the spell, landing on the ground roughly. Looking back up at Luna, who was charging a spell, Sapphire thought to herself, Think think think! What can you do to fight Luna! You can use telekinesis and water manipulation... and freezing water... darn it! Is water all I can use—wait! Quickly glancing to her right, Sapphire took note of the nearby ocean, lighting her horn up as she reached out to it as she started to run for cover from a series of magical missiles that Luna launched from her horn.

"Attack, Sapphire! Attack! Show me what you're capab—oh Faust!" Luna started to say until she saw a mass of water coming her way. Due to not expecting an attack to come from some other source that wasn't Sapphire herself, Luna was caught in the surge of water as it sent her crashing into the ground.

"That worked?" Sapphire muttered to herself as she held the water in her magic, before shaking her head clear of her shock. She then focused on her magic, freezing the water around Luna, pinning her to the ground before pulling the water off her, leaving her stuck to the ground. Walking up to Luna, Sapphire asked, "Okay, is that good enough of an attack, Luna? Cause I really don't want to continue this duel of yours," as she looked down at Luna.

"Hmm.. I do admit that I was rather surprised that you were able to send that attack from a direction that wasn't from your general vicinity, but there is an important lesson that you must know," Luna stated as she looked at Sapphire.

Blinking in confusion, Sapphire asked, "And what is that, Luna?"

"To never let your guard down and be so close to your enemy until you're fully certain that you have disabled them!" Luna cried out as she broke a foreleg from the ice to punch Sapphire in the face, who was promptly greeted with her vision being filled with darkness as she felt her head colliding with something hard.

Chapter XLIV: Path

"Hmm... you're slow on your gathering of water. You could be caught in a fight at any moment, so you don't have the option of building up a mass of water for you to use for combat."

"But... the nearest water source was that lake over there."

"A lake that was a mile away, meaning the water has to travel that distance before you could even use it, leaving you vulnerable in the meantime. You need to stop looking around for sources of water with your eyes and feel it out with your magic. Beneath us, there could be underground reservoirs of water that could be closer to you. Even the very air has water in it, which if you could master pulling it into a solid form, you can use it for a quick defense until you gathered more water from larger sources. Now, close your eyes Sapphire, and use your magic. Feel for the water that is nearby you, and take hold o—"

"Gah! What the buck!" Sapphire cried out as she sat straight up, having been awakened by a rush of cold water on her face.

"Huh. And here I thought that the water would just bounce off her and hit me in the face. I guess you can wake up the Princess of Water with just a bucket of ice-cold water," muttered a member of the Night Guard who was holding a now empty bucket.

Blinking in surprise, Sapphire looked around, spotting that she was surrounded by guards with Luna standing beside her, an eyebrow cocked up as she dryly said, "As I stated, Sapphire is simply fine. While a normal pony would be in danger if an alicorn were to strike them with their hoof, Sapphire herself is an alicorn, and hence it can be compared to a regular pony punching another regular one. Now, the duel is over for the day, so return to your posts or your training."

As the guards all gave Luna a salute before dispersing, Sapphire grumbled to herself, "I told you that I wasn't ready for a duel with you," as she climbed onto her hooves before being forced onto her belly while Luna gave her a hard slap to her back.

"Nonsense! You did fine for your first duel with me. In fact, when I returned from... my banishment, and had recovered to my original power, I challenged Cadance to a duel. Where you have made an effort to dodge and make a surprise attack, my niece instead simply ran away from me in fear. I actually had to drag her into the training fields as she tried to hold onto any object she could use to slow me down," Luna commented with an amused snort. "So by comparison, you're far more ready for a duel with me than your sole peer."

"Yay... that makes me feel so much better," Sapphire replied with a roll of her eyes before taking on a serious expression as she remembered the memory she just recovered. "Though... after you knocked me out... I did actually recall a lesson from Runic."

"Oh? Pray tell, what did you happen to remember?" Luna asked in a curious tone as she inched closer to Sapphire.

"It was a lesson about me drawing water from other sources than the visible ones. Though I didn't see the end of it since I was woken up while near the end of the lesson, if I'm right about that," Sapphire stated as she rubbed her chin in thought.

"Interesting. If that is something that you're truly capable of, then perhaps you should pursue it. Your control over water is impressive, but to be able to bring it out of places that nopony would suspect in the first place would be very effective in surprising any hostiles that desire to confront you. Do you believe that you can follow on with your teacher's lesson?" Luna replied as glanced around the area, keeping an eye out for any other sources of water besides the city and the bay.

"Hmm... I can give it a try," Sapphire answered as she closed her eyes to shut off her visual senses as she focused on her magic. At first, she could detect the water present in the bay as well as the water used by the city, but she then began to detect pockets of water deep beneath the ground. Pouring more energy into her horn, Sapphire started to detect the very water molecules in the air, which she then began to grab onto, trying to gather them into a single point. Meanwhile, she was also tugging at one of the underground pockets of water, curious to see if she was capable of bringing out water through the ground itself. Opening up her eyes, Sapphire's pupils widened alongside Luna's as they saw a sphere of water growing in the air before a tendril of water came out of the ground. "It seems that I can actually do that as well," Sapphire said.

"Indeed, though that may be something that you want to keep to yourself. It is always best to keep a few trump cards just in case of a hostile situation. You may gain some enemies in the future, thus having some secrets that they can't account for could be very useful in saving yourself if you're ever in danger," Luna pointed out, causing Sapphire to frown as she looked down at the ground.

"That's another reason for not wanting to be an alicorn..." Sapphire muttered out. Rolling her eyes, Luna simply lit her horn up and lifted Sapphire into the air, causing her to frail a bit as she said, "Hey, what are you doing?"

"I'm taking you back to the town hall for your lessons," Luna declared as she took to the air, dragging Sapphire along for the ride.

"What? But I'm supposed to have a day off from all my duties!"

"Yes, I did promise you that, but I didn't say it would start right after the sparring match. I will schedule your day off on a day that would be most convenient for you," Luna explained as she kept her attention in front of her.

"But that's not fair!"

"Life is never fair, young Sapphire. Though I believe that you should have learned that lesson a long time ago," Luna countered as she continued on with her flight.

"Come on, let me know more about myself!"

"As I said before the last forty times, no."

"Sapphire, I really think that this approach is unlikely to work."

"Well, it worked for Pinkie Pie in one of Twilight's letters to me," Sapphire countered, glaring at Veritas who was currently in the form of a snake that was curled up on top of a cushion that Sapphire knew was never in her memory hall.

"That doesn't instill much confidence in me. In fact, that only makes me question the validity of this strategy even more," Luna replied with a roll of her eyes.

"Oh ye of little faith. Pinkie may seem a bit crazy at times... well, more than a bit, but her methods have proven to work," Sapphire responded before turning her attention back to Veritas. "Please tell me more about my memories!"

"Oh for the love of the moons, will you just shut up!" Veritas cried out as she tried to bury her head in her cushion.

"There's that phrase again, 'the moons'. Do you happen to know the meaning of that phrase?" Luna asked, causing Veritas to pull her head out of the cushion to glare at Luna before a smirk made its way onto her lips.

"Why yes, it is a reference to the moons on your flanks, but more specifically, it me—" Veritas started to explain before darting forward as Luna jumped onto the chair in an attempt to grab the mind construct with her hooves.

"How dare you insult us, you mental projection of uncouth annoyance!" Luna cried out as she turned around, her horn alight with her magic as she was ready to sling some spells at Veritas.

"What do you expect me to say after hearing my host asking me the same question over and over?" Veritas shot back as she slithered between Sapphire's hooves, who grimaced in disgust at the action before stepping to the side. "Hey, be a good host and shield your tenant with your body!"

"Like Tartarus I would if you're not going to be of any help to me unless you do it on your own whim," Sapphire stated as she backed away from Veritas, who looked at a rather irate Luna that was ready to blast him into oblivion. "Besides, if you're a tenant, then I say it's about time you pay your rent!"

Rolling her serpentine eyes, Veritas stated, "Alright alright, I'll give you a hint, but you won't be getting anything else from me for a week, and that Luna here doesn't attack me during that duration, even if I verbally antagonize her."

As Sapphire glanced at Luna, hoping that she would comply, Luna snorted as she glared at Veritas for a moment longer before her aura around her horn went out. "If you actually have proven to be of aid to us, I will uphold my end of this bargain. But only if you actually tell us something of use to us."

Smirking at Luna, Veritas did a mocking bow towards Luna as she said, "I promise, dear 'ruler' of the dream realm, that I will be of aid to the both of you. Depending on what you ask, that is," before glancing at Sapphire. "Or more specifically, depending on what Sapphire asks of me."

Frowning at how elusive Veritas was trying to be, Sapphire took in a deep breath as she thought about what she would need to recover her memories and the way to word it. "Okay, I'm tired of this rather slow pace of regaining my memories. I know that your disapproval of any attempts to brute force the recovery of my memories, but I also think that you know of some way that I can recover them faster. So, Veritas, what is the best, and fastest, way for me to recover my memories in rather large amounts instead of the pieces I get each night?"

Pressing her lips together, Veritas stared at Sapphire as she answered, "Are you sure you want to ask that? Cause I do have an answer to that, but you're not going to like it. And it's not because I'm trying to weasel my way out of this!" as she pointed her tail at Luna, who simply scowled at the mental construct.

"Yes, I do want to ask about that. I need to know my past, and I rather not take years to do that if there’s actually a faster way to do this," Sapphire stated as she stood up as high as she could in a show of how determined she was about this.

Sighing, Veritas replied, "Oh very well. Here's your answer: you can actually recover a large portion of your memories if you confront your nightmares. Each of those infernos represents a harrowing time in your past, in more ways than one if I might add. So, if you want to recover the entirety of your memories, you have to overcome them, but I must warn you. Luna will not be able to truly aid you in this challenge, but the training that your teachers gave you would be crucial to you overcoming them. Otherwise... you might be lost to the nightmares of your past," Veritas declared, which prompted Luna and Sapphire to look upon each other.

Gulping at the thought of facing that monster again, Sapphire said, "Okay... at least that’s something... but do the other two infernos have monsters in them as well?" Receiving a gesture from Veritas of her zipping her mouth shut, Sapphire sighed again as she looked at Luna, adding, "I guess we have to have more sparring matches if I'm going to overcome those... nightmares... oh joy."

Chapter XLV: Duel

"I do not think that Veritas has given you a straight answer... or if she fully comprehends what she is demanding."

"What do you mean?" Sapphire asked as they were walking towards the dining room to have breakfast with the griffon delegation.

"Veritas is in the belief that you must fight that monster that is linked with the green inferno, and potentially any other monsters that could be linked to the other two. However, often times in the dream realm, they are normally nightmares that represent some hidden fear or trauma that the dreamer possesses," Luna replied.

"But don't you have absolute control over the dream realm?" Sapphire asked as she noticed that they were nearly at the dining room doors, and hence at the end of their discussion.

"Not exactly. I can't simply vanquish the strongest nightmares that a pony can have, only restrain them in order to aid the dreamer in overcoming them. However, that nightmarish beast that we faced seemed to have both qualities of a nightmare and a memory. Hence, my magic is less effective on it, but it does lend credence to Veritas's claims. Either its defeat could cause you to remember a significant portion of your memories, or perhaps you need to remember some key memory that is linked to the beast, which could weaken it upon the recovery of said memory. Sadly, this is something I haven't encountered before, so this is all speculation until we know more," Luna answered before looking at the door. "But for now, we must attend to the matters of the present, breakfast with the delegation."

"Oh goodie, more politics," Sapphire mumbled, only to receive a swat from Luna's wing to the back of her head.

"You are a princess Sapphire, and I know what you're going to say. Even if we didn't force the crown upon you, the fact that you're an alicorn would still have drawn attention to you from unwanted sources. At least being a princess means you could rely on your guard to prevent ponies from swarming you at the very moment you step out of your home. Furthermore, even if you were to develop a disguise, your appetite, strength, endurance, and magical might would eventually cause ponies to become suspicious of you. So unless you want to be a hermit on your own for the rest of your life, becoming a princess is one of the lesser evils," Luna explained as she engulfed the doors with her magic.

"Wait, are you saying that there were other choices?" Sapphire stated, causing Luna to pause with a deadpanned expression before letting out a sigh as she opened the doors. Sitting at the table were the griffons, who had taken the exact same seating arrangement that they had on the day of their arrival. After greeting the delegation, Luna and Sapphire took to their seats as the staff came in with the meals. They served some omelets and sausages for the griffons with salad to the side. Luna had her own bowl of salad with some fruit mixed in, and Sapphire had a stack of waffles along with a rather large bottle of syrup.

Eying Sapphire's meal for a moment, Gernevie stood up from her seat as she looked at Sapphire, who paused in the midst of stuffing an entire pancake into her mouth. Frowning, the griffon princess asked, "Alright, just how are you able to eat so much food per meal, yet not put on a single pound?"

"Princess Gernevie! That isn't how you talk to your host!" Gilfred exclaimed in shock as even Gunther looked alarmed at Gernevie's outburst.

"But look at her! She's even eating more than Princess Luna and yet she doesn't appear to be gaining weight! It defies all logic!" Gernevie countered as she held her claws out for emphasis.

Bearing an amused smile, Luna explained, "Ah, the reasoning for Sapphire's consumption is quite simple. She's a growing alicorn, and her high intake volume is a result of her body's need for nutrients in order to keep up her growth. Already in a few mere weeks, she had shown some signs of growth according to her medical examinations," Luna explained. However, Sapphire glanced at Luna, knowing that she omitted that another reason was due to her being somewhat starved before her arrival at Ponyville.

"Excuse me Princess Luna, but if Sapphire is still growing despite already being bigger than the average pony, just how big do you expect her to be?" Gilfred asked while keeping an eye on Gernevie, who was doubting Luna's explanation.

"Honestly, I don't know since there are only three previous known examples of alicorns before Sapphire's appearance. But, I'm fairly certain that Sapphire will grow to at least be bigger than Princess Cadance herself," Luna answered, causing Gilfred to nod his head slowly in response.

Seeing that both Gilfred and Gernevia were done asking questions about herself, Sapphire returned to devouring her meal before pausing as she noticed Gunther staring at her while he was eating, prompting her to ask, "Umm... is something the matter, Gunther?"

Straightening up, Gunther replied, "No, your highness. Though I will admit, I have heard of you having a sparring match with Princess Luna, which made me wonder how I myself would hold up against an alicorn."

As Sapphire was about to make a reply, Luna slammed her hoof on the table, saying, "If you want to see how you would fare against one, how about you challenge young Sapphire to a sparring match?"

"Wait, what?" Sapphire interjected, looking at Luna in utter surprise.

"Wait, is that a serious offer?" Gunther asked, surprise clear on his face as well.

"Why yes. For you see, Sapphire needs to display more of her combat training, and having an opponent that she never seen in combat before nor has that many expectations would be a good lesson for her. In fact, you may even use your weapons instead of the practice ones if you so desire," Luna calmly replied as Sapphire looked at her in outright horror.

Cocking an eyebrow, Gilfred said, "Well, normally I would be against the idea of the idea of a griffon in my delegation dueling a princess, but since you're showing approval towards it, I will allow it. That is, if Gunther would want to challenge Sapphire to a duel."

As Sapphire was coming out of her shock of the events occurring around her, Gunther nodded as he responded, "It would be an honor to fight an alicorn in a duel, especially since this would be an once in a lifetime opportunity."

Finally collecting her wits back together, Sapphire raised a hoof as she was about to say something as Luna slapped her in the back, causing her words to be trapped in her mouth as Luna declared, "Then the duel has been set! It will begin in two hours in the southern outskirts of Vanhoover! But prepare yourself Sir Gunther, for Sapphire isn't an alicorn to be trifled with!"

"I still can't believe that you decided to rope me into this against my will," Sapphire complained as she was standing in the grassy fields, watching Gunther who was checking his armor to make certain that nothing was loose. After breakfast, where Luna manage to keep Sapphire from protesting about her upcoming duel, they had a discussion in Luna's office. Which was really more of Sapphire yelling in frustration while Luna kept up a silence spell on the room.

"And as I explained before, this would be a rare training exercise for you, as well as an easier challenge compared to fighting me," Luna stated with a roll of her eyes. "Besides, I'm following on Veritas's advice, and this is a way for you to impress the griffons with your power."

"I can just do that by lifting part of the bay again, and he has a mace!" Sapphire protested, pointing at Gunther who was swinging his mace around as Gilfred and Gernevie were waiting in some chairs that were set up on a blanket that was spread on the grass underneath a portable gazebo. Around the entire area, was half of the guard and all of Sapphire's new guard, the former there for protection while the latter was there for observation.

"Oh, will you relax?! You're far tougher than you look. Now, good luck!" Luna declared before trotting over to the provided seating to take her own seat.

Sapphire just stared at Luna with her mouth partly open, before snapping it shut when Gunther stepped towards her, a shield on his left arm while his right was pointing his mace at her as he asked, "Are you ready for our duel, Princess Sapphire?"

"As much as I want to say no, I doubt Luna would let me off so easily, so let's just get this over with," Sapphire stated as she lit her horn up with her magic.

"If you say so, princess. I guess we're both serving the same role here," Gunther replied with a mild nod before looking at Luna, who raised a hoof into the air.

"Let the duel, begin!" Luna exclaimed as she brought her hoof down. Instantly, Gunther charged at Sapphire, who's pupils widen before she jumped backward just as Gunther swung his mace overhead to smash it into the ground. Focusing on the water vapor in the air before remembering that Luna told her to keep it a secret, Sapphire took to the air as she reached towards the bay to get some water. However, she then heard the sounds of Gunther flying below her, causing her to look down to see that he nearly caught up with her. Shifting her wings to force herself into a sudden dive, she could feel Gunther's mace barely missing her as it hit the tip of her tail, where she could feel the ends of it being frozen.

His mace is enchanted‽ Sapphire thought to herself as she landed on the ground, looking up at Gunther who was diving at her. Thankfully for Sapphire, she could feel that her water was close enough for her to swing her horn to the side, bringing a surge of water onto Gunther, causing him to crash into the ground to her right. Turning to face Gunther, Sapphire shifted the water into a barrier as she was pulling another mass of water from the bay, only to be surprised when Gunther recovered to swing his mace at the barrier, freezing it.

His mace has a... frost enchantment? Sapphire thought to herself as she froze in surprise, giving Gunther the time he needed to charge straight through the frozen barrier, before doing an underhand swing at Sapphire's chest. Upon impact, Sapphire could feel her coat freezing as the momentum of the mace sent her up into the air, her magic ending from the shock of the entire maneuver. Before Sapphire could light her horn up again, Gunther launched into the air with his wings flapping down, his shield in front of him as he smashed into Sapphire, causing her to lose her hold on her magic again. Grunting in pain, Sapphire squint her eyes as she looked down at Gunther while trying to roll off of the shield. However, before she could get a grip on the shield to roll off it, she felt something hit her back, as everything became white and fluffy.

"Clouds!" Sapphire shrieked in fear, before bringing her forehooves together, pulling them back as fear and instinct took control before slamming them down on the shield, producing an audible clang as the shield and Gunther suddenly disappeared before her. Flapping her wings in terror, Sapphire pulled herself into a dive, but right before exiting the cloud, she heard some voice in her head saying, Animum Despondeo.

Finally coming out of the cloud, Sapphire's stopped her dive to put a hoof against her chest to calm herself, before remembering that she was still in a sparring match. Looking around herself for any signs of Gunther returning to strike her again, she found no presence of the griffon. Until she looked down, where she saw that Luna and the other two griffons where standing over Gunther, who had crashed into the ground. His mace and shield were nearby as he just stared at Sapphire in utter surprise before the other two griffons tried to help him off his back.

"Okay... maybe I should duel next time when the sky is clear," Sapphire said to herself, as she wondered about just how strong she physically is. Sapphire's mind then drifted to the words as heard, as she said, "Animum Despondeo... just what does that mean, and is it like the other phrase?" as she felt her spine shiver, making her feel dread at the thought of what the phrase would summon when she used it in her dreams.

Chapter XLVI: Animum Despondeo

Flying down to land by Luna's side, Sapphire asked, "Sir Gunther, are you alright?" as she watched the other two griffons help him get back onto his paws.

"Yes, your highness. I'm just a bit winded from your counterattack, as I didn't expect there to be that much force for an alicorn of your size," Gunther replied as he rolled his left shoulder. "Thankfully, griffons are no strangers to crashing, and my armor's padding also softened up the landing."

"Then I take it that you're ready to continue the duel?" Luna asked, causing Sapphire to gape at her.

As Gilfred had cocked an eyebrow at Sapphire's reaction, Gunther answered with a bow, "I am capable of fighting still, your majesty."

"Luna, there is something we need to talk ab—" Sapphire started to say until Luna unfurled her wing in front of Sapphire's face.

"No, you can't end the match Sapphire. You still need this training, and you have already displayed some of your physical prowess. Perhaps Sir Gunther will help you display more, hence this duel will continue," Luna stated before walking back to the gazebo with Gilfred and Gernevie in tow.

Frowning at being silenced, Sapphire turned to Gunther as she asked, "So, how do we st—"

"Fight!" Luna ordered with her right foreleg outstretched, which caused Gunther to dart forward as he swung his mace at Sapphire's side.

Letting out a cry of surprise, Sapphire dropped to the ground as the mace swung over her prone body. Pressing her hooves against the ground as she pushed herself off it, Sapphire propelled herself into Gunther, slamming her shoulder into him. The impact forced Gunther back a couple feet, his rear legs digging into the grass as Sapphire took a few steps back as she lit her horn up again. Spotting Sapphire's horn alight with magic once more, Gunther tried to dart forward to interrupt her spell work, only to be hit in the side by a sphere of water.

Taking a few steps back, Sapphire stated, "I think that you should surrender now, Gunther. Now that I have some water, I don't think you'll be getting close enough to land another hit on me," as she finally pulled the second mass of water that she was drawing upon earlier to cover herself in a shield bubble of water while sending the sphere of water at Gunther once more.

"Don't be so certain, your highness. Have you forgotten what happened when I do this?" Gunther countered as he swung his mace into the sphere as it was going for him. Upon contact, it froze into ice like the barrier before, causing Gunther to turn his attention back to Sapphire. He then darted forward, only to be sent to the side when an ice sphere suddenly impacted his side. "What in Tartarus was that?" Gunther cried out before noticing the frozen sphere floating in the air.

"Last time I was caught off guard by your mace's enchantment, but this time I'm ready," Sapphire said as she focused on bringing in more water while sending the sphere at Gunther once more. Grunting in response, Gunther blocked the sphere with his shield, only for it to shatter against it before melting back into water as it slipped around the shield. Shaking his arm in an attempt to get rid of the water, Sapphire wrapped his arm around it before freezing it solid.

"Augh! Grrr...don't think I can't fight with one arm!" Gunther declared as he jumped up into the air, ready to swing his mace down at Sapphire's barrier when another surge of water slammed into him, forcing him to the ground. As the mass of water was wrapping itself around Gunther, Sapphire poured her barrier into the mass before freezing it, leaving Gunther trapped on the ground.

"Sir Gunther, I believe that this duel has reached its end. So, will you finally surrender, or do I need to find a way to beat you even further," Sapphire declared as she watched a struggling Gunther tried to get out of his frozen bindings. "Bear in mind that I'm using my magic to keep the ice together, so you're not going to break it apart like normal ice."

After a moment of struggling, Gunther let out a groan before replying, "Fine, I yield to your magical prowess." Nodding in acceptance of Gunther's conceding defeat, Sapphire melted the water off him as the rest of the griffon delegation and Luna walked over to her.

"I see that while the beginning of your duel was shaky, the end truly showcased the power you wield Princess Sapphire," Gilfred stated with a bow, with Gernevie giving a short curt nod of acknowledgment.

"Indeed, though that was just a small fragment of Sapphire's potential. Now, shall we return back to the town hall to celebrate Sapphire's victory and Gunther's valiant stand against her?" Luna asked, to which Gernevia gave her a nonchalant shrug before taking into the air as she headed to the city.

Glaring after Gernevia for a moment, Gilfred turned his attention back to Luna as he said, "It'll be an honor to attend such a celebration. shall we proceed on our way?" as Gunther came to his side.

"Umm.. sure, but give me a moment, I have to return the water I used back to the bay first, and Luna and I have to say some things to the trainees," Sapphire stated as she glanced at Luna, who looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "You two can head over there instead of waiting for us."

Giving Sapphire a skeptical look, Gilfred replied, "Very well then, your highness. I hope to see you soon in the town hall," before he and Gunther took to the air to follow after Gernevia, with Gilfred glancing back at them after a moment before returning his attention to his destination.

Looking cheerful for a moment until the griffons were out of sight, to which Luna then scowled as she looked down at Sapphire, saying, "Look, you needed to have this fight. You can't exp—"

"I heard another phrase, Luna," Sapphire interjected, causing Luna's scowl to fall off her face as a look of surprise took its place.

"Are you certain? Did you actually gain that phrase during the fight?" Luna asked, doubt appearing on her face as Sapphire frowned in return.

"Yes, I'm certain. It was said in the same voice that said the first phrase, so I doubt that I just imagined this," Sapphire answered, looking at the sky for a moment, seeing the clouds in the sky before shivering as she looked back at Luna. "If it is anything like the last memory... we need to make some plans."

"Are you certain that you're ready for this, Sapphire?" Luna asked as she and Luna were looking at the infernos once again. After having a celebratory feast with the griffons, Luna went on to have some kind of discussion that Sapphire believed to be about something political or simply expressing their self-importance. Sapphire however, was allowed to be alone to think over about what she was going to do, as well as to prepare herself mentally for whatever this phrase could unlock.

"Personally, no, but this is something that I do want to take care of, so let's just get this over with. Are you ready Luna?" Sapphire asked as she looked at Luna, who gave her a flat stare.

"I'm the guardian of the dream realm, I'm far more prepared than you can ever be in this realm," Luna stated with a snort, causing Sapphire to sigh as she looked at the red and blue inferno as she took a deep breath.

"Animum Despondeo," Sapphire said before steeling herself as she stared at the infernos, only for nothing to happen.

"Hmm... perhaps you said the phrase wrong, Sapphire?" Luna asked as she looked around, expecting something to be happening behind the infernos, only to see nothing happening still.

"No.. I think I said that phrase corr—" Sapphire started to say until an explosion from overhead interrupted her, causing both her and Luna to look up to see a wave of blue flame coming onto them as it engulfed them, causing Sapphire to cry out in alarm till the flames passed by her. "What... how..." Sapphire croaked out until she saw that the scenery had changed as what looked to be a young teenage version of herself was sitting next to Runic, as it appeared that they were looking at something.

"...Do you think I'm finally ready, Runic?" Sapphire's teenage self asked, causing Runic to look down at her.

"Honestly, I don't think you are, but nopony is ever ready for something like this. In the end, we'll see what happens when the fight starts," Runic answered before looking back at whatever they were looking at, for Sapphire could only see a black void before them. However, she did notice that Luna was at her side, examining everything underneath a critical eye.

Sighing, teenage Sapphire said, "Do... do you think we can win?"

"That's a question that I don't know the answer to, but I do think that we have a chance at surviving, and that's all that matters," Runic replied. "I would love to give you more time to train, but... that is a luxury we don't have much of anymore."

"Sapphire, do you have any inkling of what this memory is trying to show us?" Luna asked in a hushed voice, not wanting to speak over any words the memory constructs would have.

"I... have no idea what is going on... so I think it's best that we keep watching," Sapphire numbly answered, as she thought about that fight Runic was talking about.

"...Do you think Mayhem may be nearby?" teenage Sapphire asked as she glanced at Runic with an expression that Sapphire felt was filled with both worry and anticipation.

"Unlikely, since there have been no signs of Mayhem's presence. Neither has there been any signs of Despair, though, with a clear sky, we're less likely to encounter Despair than Mayhem," Runic responded before glancing up at something. "Ah, Rift is here, and he appears to be calm. That means things are going according to plan, so start gathering water Sapphire. We're going to need as much as you can bear. This is going to be a ha—" Runic continued before freezing in place, alongside with Sapphire's teenage counterpart.

"...What... this is it? Nothing more?" Sapphire croaked out in alarm, her teeth gritting together as she was disappointed about the lack of information gathered from this memory.

"Relax, Sapphire. For we still received some insight from this memory... particularly that there are some creatures named Mayhem and Despair..." Luna said as she placed a hoof on Sapphire's shoulder, only for both of them to look alarmed as they heard somepony speaking.

"The weak scattered from Mayhem, Despair makes the skies crimson with rain, Nightmare haunts the young, Chaos distorts reality, Agony breaks their wills, Arrogance renders the proud blind, and Paranoia prowls the depths. Destruction comes to the weak, and only the strong can survive," said teenage Sapphire, whose head was slowly turning around to stare at Sapphire with cold empty eyes. "You know so little of your past, and Arulas suffers for it," Sapphire's counterpart stated before stomping on the ground, causing the memory to crack around them.

"But... it's not my fault! I have amnesia, and I'm trying to remember as fast as I can!" Sapphire cried out as Luna took note of how the two Sapphire's are acting with each other.

"Then grow a backbone already, for you need to be strong, not weak!" the teenage Sapphire declared as she stomped her hoof once more, cracking the memory again. "Break past the scars you have, and regain the control you once had!" the counterpart stated before stomping her hoof once more, shattering the memory with her alongside it, leaving both Luna and Sapphire in the memory hall once more.

Blinking at what just occurred, Sapphire looked up at Luna with an expression full of doubt as she asked, "Am... I really that weak?"

Frowning at what had transpired, Luna replied, "No, you have shown cases where you will stand up for yourself. There are things about your past that we still need to determine what strength means to your former self, so it is unwise to make assumptions so soon. However... the first thing she said to us... that is something we must look into. Though, there is one thing that worries me," as she rubbed her chin in thought.

"What is it, Luna?" Sapphire asked, as her doubt shifted into curiosity.

"She mentioned that Chaos distorts reality, but if Discord was telling you the truth and he truly has never met you before, then just what is this thing that she is referring to as Chaos?" Luna asked, causing Sapphire's eyes to widen as she looked at the mirror shards, wondering, yet somewhat dreading if the answer to that question was held within them.

Chapter XLVII: Reveal

"I see that you two have returned from another nightmare visit," Veritas stated as she was taking on the form of an alicorn once more as she walked into the main hall of the memory hall from one of the hallways. "Learned anything of value?"

Before Sapphire could get a word in, Luna gave Veritas an annoyed look as she answered, "Yes, what do the words, mayhem, despair, chaos, destruction, agony, paranoia, nightmare, and arrogance mean to you?" as she eyed Veritas as the mental constructed blinked at her.

"Uhh... it means a lot of things that I will refrain from explaining cause I just want to," Veritas answered as she took a few steps back.

Rolling her eyes, Luna replied, "I knew you would respond this way. However, I will admit, if the past version of Sapphire in that memory isn't a distortion and truly displayed her personality, then perhaps you are right that Sapphire is better off as she is now instead of the past."

As Sapphire looked at Luna in confusion, Veritas sighed as she said, "Yeah, she was all work and no games. Not a healthy mindset, but she wasn't raised to have one at that point in her life... but why are you being so cordial with me? Normally you would be trying to interrogate me for more information, or is this just you trying to sweet talk me into giving you more information?"

"I highly doubt that you would give us anything anytime soon, especially after we discovered some new information, but there is something I would like your assistance in if Sapphire agrees to it as well," Luna declared as she turned her attention towards Sapphire.

"Wait... what are you talking about, Luna?" Sapphire asked as she wondered just what Luna may be planning.

Stepping around Sapphire, Luna walked up to one of the hallways as she said, "Veritas hinted that those infernos hold the keys to regaining your memory, yet we must overcome whatever they hold within them in order to free those memories, which may mean fighting that monster among others once more. While we could proceed to gradually gain your memories back until you are capable of fighting the monster and overcoming what it represents, I would like to propose an alternative solution, one that may remove the need of you fighting the beast with just me at your side."

Chuckling, Veritas said, "What, you're going to take it on all by yourself? You already tried that and didn't win the fight until Sapphire lent you her aid. Besides, you can try fighting that beast over and over, it won't get you anywhere."

"Which is exactly why I have decided to request outside aid as I work to remove the nightmarish nature of the beast, allowing the true memories that the monster represents to come forth," Luna declared as she lit her horn up, summoning three orbs before her.

"Wait... outside aid? What are you talking abo—are you talking about your sister?" Veritas stated in surprise.

"Indeed, and more. Normally, my sister isn't of much use in the dream realm since her magic doesn't affect it, but in Sapphire's mind, perhaps her memories combined with my magic would allow her the ability to use some of her magic. This would allow her to aid Sapphire, which in turn would give me the chance to focus my full attention of removing the nightmarish aspect of the creature that guards the green inferno," Luna stated with a smirk as Sapphire saw that there were images in the orbs. "Not only that, my sister will not be the only one to aid. For I have two more..." Luna continued until she saw something in one of the orbs that cause her to frown as her cheeks reddened a bit. Swiping her hoof at one of the orbs, causing it to disappear, Luna continued, "I have one more pony that would be capable of aiding us. Though, I would need your permission to carry out this plan, since this is your mind and your memories that we are dealing with."

Looking irritated at Luna's plan, Veritas added, "I doubt whatever plan you have will actually be of any use. For all you know, you could only make things worse for Sapphire in a long run. This is a gamble that you don't fully understand the consequences of failure should your plan fall apart on you."

Sapphire was feeling unsure about all this as she looked back and forth between Veritas and Luna, before sighing as she asked, "Do you really think this would work, Luna?"

"Even if I'm wrong about my plan, I'm prepared to ensure our safety this time, unlike the last encounter. Furthermore, this would give us some insight into how to tackle this problem if we were to fail, whether it'll be a monster, or just you confronting a traumatic point of your life. Thus, I believe that this will garner us something, hence I believe that this is a worthy venture to pursue," Luna answered as Veritas rolled her eyes at Luna's statement.

Looking at Luna for a while, Sapphire took in a deep breath before saying, "Alright Luna... we'll try this as long as you're sure that we'll be all safe regardless of what happens."

Smiling at Sapphire's approval, Luna replied, "You have my assurance that no serious harm will come to any of us," before her horn glowed even brighter before disappearing before her eyes.

Rolling her eyes again, Veritas said, "I'm not going to stick around for this inevitable disaster, but you better be thankful when I bail you all out of this mess you're digging yourselves into," before she took into the air, only to disappear when she flew into a wall.

"Well... that is something I didn't see coming," Sapphire stated as she blinked at what she saw, only for another flash to appear as Luna returned with Celestia and Cadance in tow. "And neither did I see that coming too."

Looking around with a raised eyebrow, Cadance commented, "Well, this is something I didn't imagine in Sapphire's head. Though it is a bit elegant, in its own way."

Pointing a hoof at Cadance, Sapphire asked, "Wait, Cadance is the one helping? But I thought that you said that she's not battle ready."

"I may have been harsh at my niece's lack of training, but she is still an alicorn and is further along with her magical studies than you are. She would also be able to provide emotional support," Luna stated as she looked around the hall. "Where has Veritas gone off to?"

"She said that she didn't want to stick around in case your plan fails, but she did state that she would help get us out of the fight if the need arises," Sapphire answered, prompting Luna to shake her head in response.

"Sometimes that construct really needs to have some faith, though at least she's willing to aid us. Alas, the time for waiting is at an end. Let us face your nightmare once more, Sapphire," Luna declared as she pointed a foreleg towards the ceiling, only for Celestia to place a hoof on it as she lowered it. "Sister? What are you doing?"

"Making certain that this is something that Sapphire wants, not something that we or the crown is pressuring her to do," Celestia stated as she turned her attention towards Sapphire. "Sapphire, is this a path that you truly want to tread upon? Once we do this, we have no idea how much of your memories you will recover, as well as what effect they could have on you. If we were to succeed, you might find yourself a completely different pony, one that you might not want to become. You have to be certain about this, for there will be no going back," Celestia warned.

Frowning a bit, Sapphire looked at the ground for a moment, seeing all the mirror shards that covered it before looking down one of the halls, where she saw all the frames that either had a few shards in them or none at all. "I think... we should do this. I've only been getting pieces of each memory, yet none of them were ever fully completed. I know it might be a risk, but at least I may get some answers that I so desperately need. Just who am I really, how am I related to Arulas, where my clan has been all this time, and why I'm an alicorn. Just having something solid to answer one of them might be worth whatever we face and what I might remember. And sometimes... I really need to face my fears if I want to move forward," Sapphire answered, causing Celestia to nod in approval.

"Well then, since Sapphire is showing support, let us proceed to her nightmare!" Luna declared as her horn lit up, the room fading away to darkness as the three infernos appear once more.

Looking upon the infernos, Cadance commented, "So... this is Sapphire's nightmare? It's... not as much of a nightmare as I expected. I mean, no disrespect towards you, Sapphire, but since your special talent is water manipulation, I think you would be an effective firefighter on your own."

"It was a nightmare cause there were voices speaking to me, saying that I'm a failure and the such," Sapphire shot back with a half-lidded stare.

"Oh... that explains it," Cadance stated with a blush as Luna rolled her eyes before stepping forward, her horn growing brighter with each passing second.

"Sapphire, when I give the word, you will say the phrase for the green inferno. I'm preparing a spell to dispel the nightmarish aspects of whatever comes out of it. This would allow us to finally see what memory this inferno is trying to twist against you. Perhaps we may even glean what could be causing the warping of the memory as well," Luna stated as Celestia and Cadance turned their attention to the inferno that Luna was facing.

"Hmm... even if this is the dream realm, it is kind of exciting to see all of Equestria's alicorns working together to face something that could be dangerous," Cadance commented, only to notice the deadpanned stare that Sapphire was giving her. "Umm... no offense again, Sapphire. The thrill of the moment just got to me," Cadance continued until she noticed a blue glow upon herself, something that was repeated with Celestia.

"There, I anchored you two to some of Sapphire's memories, making you more than a simple dream projection. This should allow your magic to have some effect on the memory, but remember that against a nightmare or a true dream construct, your magic would be entirely useless," Luna declared as the glow around her horn kept growing in intensity. "Now Sapphire, say the phrase!"

Nodding, Sapphire looked towards the green inferno as she said, "Vicium Mehemii." Stepping back, Sapphire saw the beast coming out of the inferno once more. As her fellow alicorns were backing up as well, the beast pulled itself out of the inferno before laying its gaze upon them.

"Okay... now that's a nightmare..." Cadance stated as she kept backing away until Luna jumped up into the air as she pointed a hoof towards the beast.

"Begone nightmare! Unleash your hold on Sapphire's memories, for I, Luna, Princess of the Night and Guardian of the Dream Realm wills it so!" Luna declared in the Royal Canterlot Voice before unleashing her spell, generating a sphere of magic that grew in size as it engulfed everything in sight The magic caused the infernos to fade away at contact with the wave of magic, while the beast roared in fury as it was engulfed by the spell, it's skin cracking apart like a broken mirror.

Looking at Luna and the beast in awe, Cadance exclaimed, "It's working Auntie Luna! Your spell is working..." before her voice faded as the beast suddenly grew in size, the shards breaking off to reveal its dark green scales with smoldering black cracks in that the let out plumes of green smoke. Two arms pushed out of the beast's sides, giving it a total of six as its long serpentine tail grew in width and length. Its draconic jaws grew even more jagged as a pair of eyes open to accompany the original pair. Opening its mouth, smoke pouring out it as the alicorns could see a greenish glow come from it. Eventually, the beast stopped growing in size, only to be as large as Canterlot castle, as one claw slammed into the ground, causing it to shake as the alicorns tried to keep their footing.

After regaining her footing, Cadance stared at the beast in open horror as it looked upon all of them with immense hatred until she croaked out, "Auntie Luna... I think I rather face the nightmarish version of this memory instead..."

Chapter XLVIII: Cresent

"I think its a bit late to change your mind, Cadance!" Sapphire cried out as she saw the beast taking in a deep breath. Looking up at Luna, Sapphire shouted, "Luna, can you do something about the background? Having some water would be very helpful right now!"

"Yes, I shall craft you an envi—" Luna started to say until the nightmare's scenery changed as the alicorns were surrounded by ruined buildings, a sky made out of broken mirrors now appearing above them.

"Luna, th—" Sapphire was about to say until she saw the beast reaching out with a claw, only for a large fireball to hit the claw, sending it away as the beast roared in pain.

Looking at the source, Sapphire saw Celestia had taken to the air, her horn alight with her magic as she looked upon Sapphire and Cadance as she cried out, "You two, don't just stand around! Keep moving so you're not a target!"

Luna grunted in annoyance while looking at the sky as she stated, "Sapphire, you must make due with the current area. Whatever these mirrors are, they're preventing me from altering the scenery to your advantage. For now, I can't aid any of you, for I must keep the nightmare at bay so that you only have the memory. I wish you luck in defeating Mayhem," before she flew high into the sky as Celestia let out another beam of fire on Mayhem, only for it to block the attack with one of its claws before letting out a stream of fire at Celestia.

As Celestia dived to dodge the green flames, Cadance flew up to Sapphire as she asked, "Is that thing really called Mayhem?"

"Yeah, don't know why its called that or if we’ve mistaken it for something else. Right now though, we need to focus on the fight and keep your distance from me!" Sapphire declared as she lit her horn up, feeling out for some water. Detecting some water from below the ground, Sapphire let out a sigh of relief as she started to pull on it before ducking as the monster swung a claw at her. "Horseapples! Why did it have to have such a long reach?"

Getting in front of Mayhem, Celestia erected a barrier of fire before firing a beam of magic at the creature’s head, causing it to roar in anger as it was pushed back. "Sapphire, do you have anything that could restrain this beast?"

"Yeah, just give me a moment and I'll try to grab onto it or slow it down at least," Sapphire replied as she returned her focus to the water she was gathering. Lifting her horn up, Sapphire saw the water being pulled out of the ground, feeling that it was about a pond's worth. "That’ll have to do," Sapphire commented before directing the water onto the monster's lowest set of arms, grabbing onto its wrists as she pulled it down. "That's all I can do for now!" Sapphire cried out towards Celestia.

"Even the smallest of things can determine whether we achieve victory or defeat," Celestia stated as she lit herself on fire and charged past the barrier and onto Mayhem, whose jaw was open until Celestia slammed onto the top of it, closing it shut.

"Alright, I'll t—" Sapphire started to say, until a voice that sounded familiar reached her ears, silencing her as she turned her head towards the source. Upon finding the source, she saw the stallion that she assumed to be her father, looking surprise as a rather large wall was falling on top of him.

"Daddy!" cried out a voice that Sapphire recognized as her filly self as she saw her crying in her mother's forelegs while she was flying low to the ground.

"No..." Sapphire muttered out in horror as the sounds of battle was starting to fade away, despite Celestia’s war cry or Cadance’s attempts to get Sapphire's attention. Following the pair, Sapphire started to see what looked to be shadows of other ponies, running away from fear. Glancing at the rubble that was the wall, Sapphire felt a pang of loss as tears rolled down her eyes, making her realize that the stallion didn't survive.

Returning her attention to her mother and her younger self, Sapphire followed the pair from the sky, watching as her mother darted one way and another as the shadows started to scatter. However, Sapphire noticed that the shadows weren't running about in a panic like the residents of Ponyville did when the Ursa Minor attacked, but rather they were spreading out as they were heading in one general direction before disappearing from her sight. "This... these ponies are running away from something... like we were just attacked," Sapphire muttered out before returning her attention to her mother, only to see that her pegasus teacher Rift was flying near her.

"Rift! What is happening?" cried out Sapphire's mother as she held the sobbing filly against her chest.

"It's Mayhem! It came out from beneath the ground with its spawn! We must have wandered into one of the areas that Gluttony's spawn once dug through!" Rift cried out as he spotted something in the sky. "Look out!" Rift cried out as he flew higher, swinging the poleaxe he always seemed to have on his side at what looked to be a portion of a building. The blow shattered it as what looked to be a gust of wind come out of the blade of his weapon.

Looking at the sky in fear for a moment, Sapphire's mother returned her attention to what was in front of her, before a mare cried out, "Cresent, Look out!" Turning around, revealing that she was the one called Cresent, Sapphire's mother saw a stone column coming straight at her.

As Cresent realized that the column was too close for her to dodge, she threw the younger Sapphire out of her forelegs while screaming, "Somepony, save my daughter!" before she cried out in pain as the column crashed into her back. All the while, Sapphire just watched on, more tears flowing down her face as she looked at the scene with utmost horror, knowing that she couldn't do a thing to change the memory.

"Mommy!" the younger Sapphire cried out, only for Runic to appear, catching the filly with one of his forelegs. Sapphire then shifted her attention to her mother, seeing that the column was on top of her, pinning her down. Runic lit his horn up with a violet glow, until the ground shuddered, causing him to lose his balance. Hearing a familiar roar, Sapphire turned to see Mayhem climbing over a wall, much to the horror of the memory shades at her side.

"Runic, just go!" Cresent shouted, looking into the younger Sapphire's eyes as the filly was bawling out for her mother as Mayhem started to take a breath.

"Mommy! No!" the filly cried out as Runic started to cast a teleport spell, but before he could finish casting it, Mayhem let out a stream of green fire at them, the fire consuming Cresent as she screamed in pain. Suddenly, the memory ended right when Runic finished his teleport, yet Sapphire herself just stood there, staring at the spot where her mother was last.

"I... I saw my parents... die when I was a filly..." Sapphire muttered to herself, tears coming out of her eyes in full force. As she felt like she was about to collapse, she heard the memory Mayhem letting out another roar, drawing her attention towards it as she stared at it, watching as Celestia was circling its head while hitting it with an intense beam of light while her body was alight with fire. Cadance herself was fighting behind a light blue barrier of magic as she was off at the side, using her magic to tear a building down on the creature's tail and side, covering it with debris as it let out a roar of fury.

Staring at the scene for a moment, Sapphire started to feel her sorrow giving way to anger, an anger that soon grew to a fury. Leaping into the air, Sapphire roared in rage as she flew straight at the beast, her horn alight with her magic as she tugged at any sources of water that she could feel. Pulling the water out from beneath them, Cadance and Celestia backed away as they saw a massive surge of water coming out of the ground, so much that Cadance thought it could flood a small town on its own. Lifting her forehooves up, Sapphire then slammed them together, bringing the water to crash into Mayhem from both sides before freezing.

"This is our chance! Sapphire has the monster contained," Celestia stated as she took to the air, firing a beam of golden energy onto Mayhem's head, causing it to roar in pain.

Cadance drifted to the side as she looked for an opening of her own, before noticing that the ice is contracting around the beast, causing her to comment, "Okay... I don't know what Sapphire did when she ran off on her own... but note to self, don't make her angry..."

"Die already, you moon cursed beast!" Sapphire roared in her fury as she pulled even more water from the dreamscape before compacting it as she slammed it into the monster's face.

"...And keep some cakes in reserve," Cadance stated to herself before shooting a beam at one of Mayhem's shoulders.

Firing one more beam at the monster's head, Celestia flew over to Sapphire, where she then said, "Sapphire, can you hit it with all your power from the front while I do the same from the back? It might be enough to bring an end to this being."

Briefly glancing at Celestia, Sapphire replied, "If it will kill this monster, then do it!" as she pulled her forehooves back, pulling as much water away from the beast while keeping it in her hold, as she gathered it into a cone of water before shaping it into the form of a drill bit as she compacted the water further. Meanwhile, Celestia flew by Cadance, saying, "Help Sapphire hold it down so it can't escape our attack," before flying to some distance behind Mayhem. Lighting her horn up, Celestia's eyes start to glow as her body started to give off a light glow. Watching her two fellow alicorns preparing an attack, Cadance noticed that Sapphire's icy grip on Mayhem was starting to crack, causing her to light her horn, wrapping her magic around the icy prison as she tried to hold it together.

"Cadance, get out of the way now!" Sapphire stated as she got behind her frozen drill, using her magic to spin it as she used her magic to launch the drill at Mayhem. Seeing Sapphire making her move, Celestia suddenly engulf her body in a sphere of burning plasma before charging at Mayhem's back. Sapphire's drill was the first to hit, impacting the beast in the chest as it sent it backward, shattering its icy prison. However, before it could fall onto its back, Celestia struck it, trapping it between the two attacks as Sapphire kept the icy drill's rotation going, causing it to roar in pain. Eventually, the drill finally pierced through its armored hide, allowing it to go through the monster as it burst out of its back, narrowly missing Celestia as she dodged to the side.

"Well... that was easier than expected," Cadance panted as the monster fell onto its back as Celestia's spell ended but Sapphire's drill continued to push forward, drilling into the ground until Sapphire finally dropped her forelegs. Panting in satisfaction of the corpse of one that was responsible for the death of her parents, Sapphire raised her head as she cried out her rage and sorrow, causing the mirrors to crack before shattering to bits, revealing a nighttime sky that had a blue moon that was larger than Luna's own moon with a smaller yellow moon by its side.

The sight of the sky caused all the alicorns to stare at it in surprise, until Luna, who was off on her own still as she commented, "So... Sapphire was referencing two moons..."

Chapter XLIX: Journey

"What am I?"

"Nopony knows, we have never seen one such as yourself. At first, we suspected that the conditions we have lived under have just resulted in you being born abnormally, but... after you demonstrated your magic that day, we may think that you're something else."

"What... what do you mean?"

"The Beasts have ravaged this world for far too long, have torn the ground up until there is nothing but wastelands, always on the hunt for any signs of life that is not their own. We believe that you were born, out of the sorrow of this world's pain, as a means to fight back against the Beasts. You exist to free this world, and those that still survive from their scourge."

"Can... do you really think I can do this?"

"Sapphire, your command over water is far greater than you know, far greater than what we might know. You are still young, but if you are like other unicorns, your power will grow as your body does. But until you are ready, we must train you in the arts of war, for having the power to fight means nothing if you do not know how to use it."

"Why is it that every time that we have flying lessons, I always feel a... terror when I’m near the clouds?"

"It's from your mother's blood, a fear that ran in the blood of all pegasi. But this fear is a recent thing, for it wasn't long ago that the pegasi used to roam the skies with no fears. In fact, the clouds were our playthings to the point that we made cities out of them."

"...What changed, Uncle Rift?"

"The Beasts are what changed things. Upon the day they emerged, they wreaked havoc on all life. Ponies, diamond dogs, griffons, minotaurs, dragons... all were not spared from their hate for life. However, each sought to end us in their own way. As you saw with Mayhem, it chooses the right moment to strike where it would put all of us into disarray. It seems that they are driven to do things in a specific way unique to each other. And when Despair emerged, it found the best way to spread despair among all of ponykind, by burning our cities in the sky to the point that the skies rained with our blood. It was then that Despair had instilled the fear of clouds in us all, for it is in the clouds that Despair awaits for us, ready to rend us asunder.

"That's a surprise."

"What's a surprise, Aunt Steel?"

"That you took a hit like that and came out of it with just a few bruises. Any pegasi or unicorn of your age wouldn't be moving around at all for at least a few days. That must mean... heh... no way."

"What? What does it mean?"

"It means that you have earth pony magic running in your veins. Just what are you? I mean, the pegasi call you a horned pegasus, but the unicorns call you a winged unicorn. What, we earth ponies have to call you an earth pony with extra parts?"

"...Really?"

"That sounded better in my head."

"The Journey of Arulas?"

"Yes, it is the origin of all of us that have come to this... world."

"Wait, you mean that ponykind came from another world?"

"Yes, though it's not much of a story compared to the Travels of the Four Sisters. As you know, Arulas and her sisters always had a wanderlust that consumed them that had lead to them exploring the world, where they gained followers that had the same wanderlust as they did. But one day, all of the beings that lived with Arulas's group felt a strange surge, yet none of them could figure out what caused it. However, when the surge passed, they felt their bodies becoming heavier, with each step taking more energy than the last. Only a few mere hours passed before all of them, even the mightiest minotaur or dragon, had grown tired for the day, and hence stopped to rest. But, when the sun finally set, Arulas and her clan learned what the surge had done to them, why their bodies felt so heavy. For instead of one moon rising in the sky, two moons arose instead, which finally alerted to where they were. They realized that they were on another world, and that led to much shock and horror for the clan. But, as many things do, their turmoil came to an end, and they made a decision. They decided to split apart and either find the means to return home, or a place that they can call home. Ultimately, no signs of sapient life were found, leading to Arulas's clan being the one to settle in this world, and hence all life descended from that clan. That, Sapphire, was the Journey of Arulas."

"Mayhem, the one that slew your parents, it is a force to be reckoned with. While the other beasts are powerful and dangerous, Mayhem is on a level far above the others."

"Just how dangerous is Mayhem?"

"Let's just say that you need to fight some of the lesser Beasts before you could even have enough experience to stand a chance against Mayhem. Mayhem's power was so great, that only six other Beasts were as much as a threat as Mayhem was. This is why we have to continue your training, despite how much you mastered your magic so far. We need to explore every avenue of possibilities that your magic could give you, for you will need each edge you can obtain if you wish to survive the battle with Mayhem, much less slay it in battle. Though, when the day arrives for you to finally face the monster or any of its lesser kin, know that we will be at your side, no matter how bleak the battle may look. The Beasts had taken enough from this world, and if you're the answer to their end, we will support you all the way."

"Sapphire!"

"Gah! What is it‽" Sapphire cried out as she found herself with Cadance's holding onto her shoulders with her forehooves as Celestia and Luna were standing right behind her, looking at Sapphire with concern evident on their faces.

"What is it? Sapphire, you have been standing there with your eyes glazed over. I was shaking you for ten minutes straight, yelling your name as Luna tried to get you out of it!" Cadance snapped back as she let go of Sapphire's shoulders.

"I was?" Sapphire asked in a dumbfounded tone, as she looked around the area, seeing that she was still in the ruins of the memory where they were fighting Mayhem.

"Yes, you were, though I suspected that your trance was due to in part of you regaining part of your memories after the defeat of Mayhem. Am I correct?” Luna stated as she stepped forward.

Blinking at first, Sapphire looked up at the sky, seeing the two moons floating above them as she recalled all she had remembered. “Yeah... I think I got a large portion of my memories back. Some of them are incomplete, but a few of them do hold answers.”

“Does that include the explanation to this?” Celestia asked as she lifted a foreleg to point a hoof at the two moons.

After staring at the moons for a moment, Sapphire took in a deep breath before saying, “Okay... I think of I have an explanation for that, but it may be a bit shocking to hear...” before she told them about the Journey of Arulas, or at least what she knew of it.

“Intriguing, yet that explains why the other three clans never found a trace of Arulas’s clan, for it had been simply transported to another world. Though, it does bring up the question of how they got to this new world, as well as where they were before they were transported. We can’t have more ponies disappear if this was something that either still persists every day or occurs again after a set period of time has passed," Celestia stated before rubbing her chin in thought. "However, your appearance in Equestria is actually the reuniting of two groups of ponies that may have never met in thousands of years. Not only that, but the differences that could exist between you and us could be far more than we have observed in the first place."

"What do you mean sister?" Luna asked as she tilted her head at Celestia.

"We don't know the nature of the magic in Sapphire's world, so while the magic Sapphire displayed so far is similar to our own, there is bound to be some differences as well. It may even be linked to why Sapphire has water manipulation as her special talent," Celestia explained before turning her attention to Sapphire. "So, is there anything else you can tell us about your memories?"

"Well, beyond a few things that told me about my past, I remember a good portion of my lessons from Runic, Rift, and Steel. Enough that I can actually fight for myself in a serious manner instead of... how I fought earlier..." Sapphire answered, only for Cadance to frown in turn. Spotting Cadance's frown, Sapphire asked, "Cadance, is something the matter?"

"Yes, there is something wrong. From what I heard, you were raised to fight after you lost your parents as a filly. While I can't say if that was the right or the wrong thing to do, considering that I don't know all the details of your world at that time, I do think that such lessons would have sculpted your personality to be rather war-like. Thus, I'm worried what these memories could do to your current personality," Cadance explained, causing Sapphire to rear her head back in surprise at Cadance's statement.

Turning her attention towards Celestia, Sapphire asked, "Is she right about that? Do you think I'm a different pony than I was before?"

Smirking, Celestia shook her head, placing a hoof on Sapphire's shoulder as she said, "You are a different pony, but not in the way you're thinking. You may have gotten the will to fight, but it appears to be that you're still the pony you are right now." Celestia then frowned as she looked at the two moons in thought, before saying, "But Cadance is right, your coming to this world might have given you a new outlook on the world that isn't warmongering or survivalist in nature. But, only time will tell, especially when you recover the rest of your memories. Though I do have a suggestion for you if you don't want to change, despite whatever your memories may throw at you. Just remember the times you had in Ponyville, and the friends you have made there. Also, keep in mind the love that your family and those you knew from your original world have for you. I'm certain that they would want you to be happy in the end."

"On the mention of Sapphire's family and clan, there is one pressing matter we must attend to," Luna stated, bringing all the other alicorns' attention upon her.

"What is it, Auntie Luna?" Cadance asked in curiosity, as Celestia's frown harden on her face.

"All these talk of these Beasts, we must accept one fact. There is a great evil in existence, one that we can't simply ignore now. We don't know how many of them exist, but if Sapphire could come to our world, then it may be possible for the Beasts to find their way here as well. Henceforth, we must discover Sapphire's means of coming to our world, all the while preparing Equestria for the chance of an attack from these Beasts. Not only that, but I doubt the mental projection of Mayhem was a true showing of its power. This may be a memory, but not everything was whole, such as the sky, which could have masked its true power," Luna explained, causing Celestia to sigh.

However, she stopped in the middle of her sigh as Sapphire stepped forward, saying, "As much as I rather avoid those beasts, you are right Luna. We need to know more about them, because... I have a feeling that we haven't seen the end of them yet."

Chapter L: Bleak

"So, you're saying that I have to wait a while before we can proceed with taking on the next... nightmare?" Sapphire asked as she was following Luna down the hallway to the dining room.

"Yes, for you still have to sift through the memories that you have recovered first. There could be some clues on how you came to this world, or more of your clan's past that may become harder to find once you have finished reviewing your memories," Luna answered before stopping at the front doors. "Thankfully, I have arranged for Baroness Clock to 'distract' the griffon embassy today, so you can tell me all that you have learned from your memories," Luna added as she opened the front doors to reveal an empty room, with the exception of the staff standing by the doors.

Raising an eyebrow at Silver Clock entertaining the griffons, Sapphire replied, "Are you certain that’s a good idea? Since the Baroness is the leader of the most powerful noble family here, which is still just her, wouldn't she use that to further her own desires?"

Pausing as she was about to take her seat, Luna gave Sapphire a surprised look as she stated, "I never thought I would hear you talking about something critically instead of being thankful for skipping some, as you would say, 'princess work'."

Shrugging, Sapphire said, "Maybe I'm getting a bit more serious after gaining those memories... or maybe I'm in shock... I can't really tell with all those memories jumbled in my mind,” as she took her own seat and started on her meal of a massive stack of pancakes. The dining room doors then slammed open as Skyward flew in, spinning about before standing on top of the table, much to Sapphire's and Luna's surprise.

"Hello, princesses! I got some good news for you two today!" Skyward declared as he rapidly stomped in place on the table in excitement. This caused Sapphire to light up her horn to keep her stack of pancakes from toppling over as Luna just gave Skyward a scowl.

“And just what is this good news you’re talking about, Skyward?” Sapphire asked as she used her magic to levitate Skyward off the table when it became apparent that he wasn’t going to stop anytime soon.

Pointing at the entrance with a forehoof, Skyward exclaimed, “Another clan member has arrived!” Blinking in surprise, Sapphire and Luna directed their attention to the doors, only to see nothing coming.

“Um... Skyward? There’s nopony the—“ Sapphire started to say until Skyward rushed forward to cover her mouth with a hoof.

“Shhh... you’ll ruin the moment!” Skyward loudly whispered before directing his attention towards the doors with a look of glee on his face. A look that wasn't shared by the alicorns present, with Luna having an annoyed expression while Sapphire was glaring at Skyward. Eventually, the trio heard the sounds of somepony's hoofsteps, though based on what they were hearing, the pony was approaching at a walking pace. They then finally saw an earth pony mare with a green coat and a brown mane walk in. She had a Cutie Mark of three rocks on her flank with a wind blowing on them, which was almost hidden by the weathered saddlebags she had on her back.

Gazing at the two princesses with her blue eyes, the newcomer turned her attention towards Sapphire before saying, "So this is the mare that you think is from the Arulas clan?"

"Yes yes yes, Bleak Valley. This is Princess Sapphire, the alicorn descended from the Arulas clan, who happened to have forgotten her memories! But she does know th—oh pancakes!" Skyward said before grabbing some of Sapphire's pancakes and stuffing them into his mouth.

"Hey, those are my pancakes!" Sapphire hollered as she wrapped her magic around Skyward before forcing him into one of the room's corners.

Sighing at Skyward's antics, the mare named Bleak said, "Fall brings the dancing of the leaves."

"And winter brings the snowy blanket across the land," Sapphire promptly said, before frowning as she commented, "It's really freaky that I said in such an automatic fashion."

"Which is a good sign of you being descended from that clan if they actually preserved their matriarch's customs. Thankfully, it appeared that they did, or we would have found it too hard to believe that you're from the Arulas's clan. Though some of us would just assume your claims to be a lie. Shame though that you have amnesia, since I would love to have a clue to bring back to my clan so we can finally bring the search to an end," Bleak blandly replied.

As Luna glanced at Sapphire's direction, Sapphire let out a sigh as she said, "About that... let's just say that I just got a portion of my memories back, which so happened to include what happened to the Arulas clan all those ye—don't do that Skyward!" Pressing a hoof against the mouth of Skyward, who had dashed from the corner to her in excitement, about to say something until Sapphire silenced him.

"Well, that is rather convenient. Perhaps the four clans can finally unite at their old stomping grounds. So, just what happened with your clan, Sapphire?" Bleak blandly asked, but did look a bit curious.

"Alright... its going to be hard to explain, so brace yourselves. Now then, the reason why nopony ever found the Arulas clan, was because they somehow ended up in another world thousands of years ago," Sapphire answered, causing Skyward to stare at her in confusion while Bleak only rose one of her eyebrows.

"Arulas... went to another... world? Do you really expect us to believe that?" Bleak asked as Skyward pulled himself away from Sapphire as he looked at her in confusion.

"Sapphire speaks the truth, for I have seen some of her memories in the dream realm, and the evidence points to that being the reason for the disappearance of the Arulas clean. The odds of three other clans of ponies not finding a trace of the fourth one for over thousands of years are extremely unlikely unless they ended up in another world entirely. Henceforth, the Arulas clan have traveled to another world, though what brought them to their world is still an unknown," Luna explained, which Sapphire nodded to.

"...Wait... does this make Sapphire an alien?" Skyward asked, only for Sapphire to slam a hoof into her face. "Oh sweet Celestia, don't suck my brains out, they're not that tasty to eat!" Skyward exclaimed as he held his hooves over his head in an attempt to protect it.

Giving Skyward a deadpanned look, Luna stated, "Sapphire isn't an alien since the Arulas clan was still Equestrian before they left the world. Things might have changed between her clan and the ponies of our world, but we are all still ponies in the end. Hence you shouldn't treat Sapphire any differently beyond what you originally did."

Nodding in agreement with Luna, Bleak added, "Not only that, but it could mean an end to the search for her clan. For the first time in thousands of years, our clans can finally start to settle down. Some ponies may not be exactly satisfied with such an answer, but others would be glad that they can finally start to find a city to reside in."

Tilting her head at Bleak, Sapphire asked, "Couldn't they have done that whenever they wanted to?"

Shaking her head, Bleak explained, "They could, and over the years various members broke off the clans to settle down. But the core of the clans remained, for it became a matter of pride for the clans to find the Arulas, and a drive to find the answer to the greatest mystery related to our clans. Though, since you are the only known tie to the Arulas clan..." before drifting off as she glanced at Luna for more answers.

"Baring the possibility of finding the location where the Arulas clan had disappeared or any more of them showing up at random, I'm fairly certain that Sapphire is the only connection to her clan," Luna declared.

Nodding in acknowledgment, Bleak continued, "Hence, many members of the clans would want to come to Vanhoover to see what they have been searching for for most of their lives. This could lead to many ponies coming to seek you, as well as an influx of ponies that might want to just settle down in Vanhoover as the final part of their trip."

"Oh oh! I sure hope my brothers and sisters come here and settle here. We can even make it the greatest family reunion in the history of Equestria!" Skyward exclaimed as he jumped into the air in celebration. "Today is like one of the best days, ever!"

Frowning as Skyward was flying around the room in excitement, Sapphire leaned over towards Bleak as she asked, "Just how much do you know about Skyward? I mean, is there an end to his energy?"

Shrugging, Bleak answered, "I met him a few times when the Wenjutas clan met up with the Selunas clan, and each time he was always a bit hyperactive."

"Oh... so... how many ponies should I expect to be coming to Vanhoover? Eighty ponies? Ninety?" Sapphire asked before glaring at Skyward when he was looking at her pancakes with a hungry look.

"More like a few hundred... for each clan," Bleak replied as she was inspecting her forehoof. Seeing Sapphire's surprised expression, Bleak continued on, "Do you really think the clans would have dwindled over the years? While a portion of the ponies may decide to settle down somewhere, it was still a small portion. Besides, the more ponies each clan had, the more ground they could cover at a faster pace."

"Due to the nature of the disappearance of the Arulas clan, were there any incidents where some clan members disappeared mysteriously?" Luna asked as she leaned forward before shooing Skyward away from herself.

Shaking her head, Bleak said, "There have been ponies that gone missing, but we eventually found out the cause of their disappearance, unlike the Arulas clan. I assume this is about finding the general location the Arulas clan were at before they left Equus?"

Nodding, Luna stated, "Yes, though this causes me to wonder if both the Arulas clan disappearing and Sapphire appearing in our world was nothing more than a freak accident. Magic can be a fickle thing, hence their transit could just be purely magical in nature and hence something that we can't reproduce easily. Though, I will admit that I'm partly glad about it considering your past, Sapphire," before turning her attention towards Sapphire.

"Yeah... unless things have been taken care of before my arrival, I rather not find anything nasty cropping up from my world," Sapphire replied as she was about to eat a pancake before Skyward appeared before her face. Letting out a yelp of surprise while trying to keep her pancake from falling to the floor, Sapphire shot Skyward a glare as she asked, "Do you mind? I would like to eat my breakfast at some point this morning."

Backing away a couple inches, Skyward said, "Sorry, but I'm just so excited that you’ve gotten some of your memories back and we solved the mystery of your clan's disappearance! Now, I want to know what your world is compared to Equus. Like if it has one sun, or three? Did the unicorns of your clan have to lift the moon and sun since Luna and Celestia can't go there to do it for them? How many alicorns are in your world? Do you have a moon that has different colors than Luna's? Did you reme..."

Clasping her head with her forehooves as Skyward continued on, Sapphire thought, Does this pony ever learn to shut his mouth? At this rate, he's going to expect me to know all the answer to just about anything! Maybe I should have let him have some my pancakes, at least then he wouldn't be able to talk. before she moaned as she slammed her head into her pancakes in frustration.

Chapter LI: Rest

"So, a descendant of the four clans is a princess now."

"You sound... surprised... I think."

"The other three clans are still nomadic in nature, so the idea of even a member of Arulas's clan being a princess is a rather foreign concept," Bleak said as her, Sapphire, and Luna were in Luna's office. To Sapphire's relief, Skyward was off writing letters to all his kin about Sapphire's confirmation of being part of the Arulas clan, along with the discovery of what really happened to the clan.

"One mustn't be surprised by the backgrounds of some rather talented ponies. Some of history's most important ponies were from humble beginnings," Luna replied as she nursed a cup of coffee since the last night's dream session took a toll on her.

"Perhaps, though this could serve as an example to the other three clans. We have been searching the world for so long, I wouldn't be surprised if our wanderlust came to an end as a whole upon hearing Sapphire's revelation. Though it will take some time for those to shake off the age-old need to search, and there may be some that would want to continue to wander for the sake of it,” Bleak stated as she looked out the window, her expression as bland as ever.

“But what of your case? What do you desire, Miss Valley?” Luna asked, which prompted said mare to shift her attention towards her.

“...I think I will try my hoof at some mining. It would be pleasant to be able to mine at one spot for a change,” Bleak answered after a moment of silence. “Is there anything else you two need, your highnesses?”

As Luna shared a glance with Sapphire before indicating with her head for her to speak, Sapphire withheld a sigh as she said, “I don’t think we have anything else that we would need from you... But, if you’re going to stay here and need a job, there is a quarry in the nearby town of Tall Tale that could use a few more workers.”

“I see, I will keep that in mind. If I’m no longer needed, then I will take my leave,” Bleak said before heading out the front door.

Turning her attention towards Sapphire after Bleak’s departure, Luna stated, “If Bleak’s predictions are correct, then Vanhoover will be getting a second influx of ponies to its current population. Between the potential immigrants from the clans, the guards, the possible family members that may arrive to join them, and the ponies that simply come to the city to follow you. Vanhoover will be needing some expansion projects to compensate with the growing population. Something that you will need to have a hoof in since this growth is all thanks to you.”

Blinking in surprise, Sapphire asked, “Really? Do you actually think I’m ready for such a thing?"

"Not to direct it on your own, though you could express your opinions and learn from the experience,” Luna explained, causing Sapphire to nod before she paused as something crossed her mind.

“Wait a minute, the lands west of Applewood and Vanhoover are unexplored territory, right?” Sapphire asked.

“Beyond a few expeditions and the occasional pony that desires to brave those lands, not much has been discovered. Why do you ask, Sapphire?” Luna replied with a curious look.

“Well, remember that the three clans have been searching all of Equus for any sign of the Arulas clan? Do you think they would have explored that region at least once during their search?” Sapphire asked, causing Luna’s eyes to widen.

“And with the possibility of some members of those clans coming over here, they could spearfront an exploration into the west and possibly know of potential areas for settlement! Your appearance surely heralds an age of expansion for Equestria!” Luna declared while pointing her forehoof up into the air.

“Umm... why are you do—“ Sapphire started to say until her mouth was forced shut.

“Silence! Let me have my moment,” Luna ordered until a scroll suddenly appeared in the room with a flash of magic. Scowling at the scroll’s appearance, Luna let out a sigh as she levitated the scroll towards her face as she muttered, “Oh course my sister would ruin the moment,” as her eyes scanned the seal of the scroll. Raising an eyebrow, Luna levitated the scroll to Sapphire as she said, “It’s for you.”

Cocking an eyebrow, Sapphire lit her horn up as she took the scroll in her magic, unfurling it before looking at Luna as she pointed a hoof at her mouth. Blushing a bit, Luna ended her hold on Sapphire's mouth as she looked to the side. Rolling her eyes, Sapphire looked at the scroll as she read aloud, "Dear Sapphire, due to the memories you recently gained and the implications they have in regards to Equestria as well as you, I request your presence back in Canterlot. Expect the trip to at least take a few weeks, though Luna will manage your affairs in Vanhoover in your stead. She will be sending you any messages on anything that would have long-term effects on your operations. However, Luna will be putting your memory sessions on hold to allow you time to recover. All will be revealed when you arrive at Canterlot Castle, Celestia."

Snorting, Luna muttered, "Expecting me to do that without even consulting me, how da—"

"Luna, just how often does Celestia try to hide information from others?" Sapphire said in a dry tone as she turned her head to look at Luna.

"Too often for her own good," Luna blandly replied as Sapphire shook her head in response.

"Sapphire, it is good to see that you have ar—"

"Cut with the chit chat Celestia, and let's just get to the reason why you summoned me here," Sapphire demanded as she looked at Celestia in annoyance, who was sitting on her throne with Sapphire standing just ten feet away from her.

Raising an eyebrow, Celestia commented, "Somepony woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning."

"Well, I just got here after being told to come without any reason behind it. So forgive me if I'm getting a little bit tired of all the cryptic actions ponies have been doing around me lately," Sapphire replied in an annoyed tone.

"Forgive me, but sometimes I think that some surprises should be kept a secret," Celestia said with a smile, causing Sapphire's left eye to twitch in turn.

"Surprise? Kept a secret? What are you tal—" Sapphire started to say as she pointed a hoof at Celestia before the throne room doors opened as something tackled Sapphire from behind, knocking her to the floor.

"Surprise! Did you miss me, Sapphire!" Pinkie explained with a wide grin as she embraced Sapphire in such a tight hug that the mare was using her forehooves to pry Pinkie's forelegs from her.

"Pinkie, I still need air! Even if I am an alicorn!" Sapphire cried out before pulling Pinkie off her. Turning around to give Pinkie an annoyed glare, Sapphire said, "Pinkie, don't try to stra—wait, what are you doing here?" as her annoyed expression faded into one of confusion.

"It's quite simply darling. After hearing that your memories are far more complicated, and more stressful, than any of us had expected. So, Celestia had requested our presence for your sake, which is something that we would be glad to answer for one of our friends," Rarity stated as she and the rest of the Elements walked in, all smiling at seeing Sapphire again as she stared at them in surprise.

Smirking at the scene, Celestia asked, "Do you still think that my cryptic actions were still unwarranted?"

"I'll... put your letter under review again..." Sapphire answered before shaking her head clear of her confusion.

Letting out a groan, Rainbow commented, "Augh, she's already talking like a politician! Next thing you know, she'll be talking like an egghead!"

"Rainbow, do you have to be so rude when talking to our dear friend? Remember that she is a princess after all dear, so naturally, she would have to pursue her education with more passion if she's going to be ruling in Vanhoover," Rarity stated with a glare directed at Rainbow.

"What I'm more interested in is just what is causing yourself so much stress, Sapphire?" Twilight said as she stepped to the front of the group. "You were having such peaceful memories about your fillyhood before you went to Canterlot..."

Releasing a sigh, Sapphire answered, "Let's just say that my fillyhood came to an abrupt end with... the death of my parents..." causing the Elements to gasp in surprise. "We might want to go to another room, cause this may take a while to explain."

"Wait a minute, are you saying that you were raised to fight giant monsters?"

"Well, I think it might be more on defending myself against giant monsters, though I have a feeling that there is something else going on that I have yet to remember."

"I repeat, you were raised to fight giant monsters?" Rainbow asked as she threw her hooves before her, as she and the rest of the elements were sitting on cushions in a private room in the castle, with Celestia just standing outside of what Twilight quoted as their 'friendship circle'. "I mean, that is so awesome! First you're a princess, and now you're a monster fighter? What next, you'll be a member of the Wonderbolts too‽"

"I don't think that you can be a princess and a member of the Wonderbolts at the same time, Rainbow. Though I will say... it is sad to hear how your parents... passed away," Applejack replied as she held her hat to her chest.

Taking down notes on a scroll that was held up before her with her magic, Twilight said, "I'm more worried about this monster that Sapphire remembers. If the Arulas clan named that monster Mayhem, and the statements her past self made about various concepts causing trouble such as Agony, it might indicate that there are monsters of incredible power roaming Sapphire's homeworld. Monsters that could potentially come to our world the same way Sapphire did," causing Fluttershy to curl up and hide behind her mane.

"Indeed, but the mystery of the Arulas clan has been solved. One of Equestria's oldest myths now has some kind of conclusion to it. Though, I do wonder what kind of fashion styles such a culture would have after several thousand years," Rarity commented before rubbing her chin in thought.

"Well, I for one think that Sapphire needs to be cheered up! And let's do it with a 'Congratulations in Memory Recall!' It would be the best party for an alicorn, ever!" Pinkie exclaimed before giving Sapphire another bone-crushing hug.

Gasping for air after Sapphire was released, she looked at Celestia, who was standing off to the side as she asked, "Alright... I'll finally admit that I think that this surprise wasn't a bad one, but this can't be what you brought me to Canterlot for."

"Actually, this is basically what my intentions were. For you to spend a couple weeks with your friends without your princess duties keeping you too busy and let you even find some relaxation. After facing the Mayhem Beast, I believe that you would need some time to unwind from such a memory and the horrors you have seen in it. So what better way to help you relax is to have you stay with your friends for a couple weeks in order to get some of it out of your system. Though, there are a couple of tiny reasons for you being in Canterlot, but for the most part, you will be having a vacation in Ponyville. Unless you have another city in mind that you would like to spend your vacation in." Celestia replied, causing Sapphire to blink in utter surprise before she shook her head to compose herself.

"Wait a minute, just what are those tiny reasons you're talking about?" Sapphire asked with a somewhat skeptical look on her face.

"Oh, it's mo—" Celestia started to say before the doors to the room opened to reveal Clear Heart and her colleagues.

"It's medical examination time, princess from another world!" Clear Heart cried out with such excitement that it caused some of the other ponies to think that she's just a doctor version of Pinkie, while Sapphire just folded her ears at the implications of Clear Heart's look of glee.

...This is so going to hurt me in the end Sapphire thought to herself as the doctor and her aids started to swarm around her, making her wonder if these were the last days of her life before she gets dissected or whatever Clear has in store for her.

Chapter LII: Fridge

“Okay... this examination is more in dep-guh!” Sapphire started to say until Clear shoved a swab into her mouth as she rubbed it around vigorously with her magic.

“It’s due to you being not only an alicorn, but one from another world! Just imagine the genetic deviations that would have resulted from an isolated population of ponies that had been separated from Equestria and lived under different conditions! The fact that you have denser bones could just be the tip of the iceberg here! You’re practically a genetic gold mine!” Clear explained with glee.

Frowning in response after Clear extracted her swab, Sapphire replied, “I don’t think that matters so much that y—“

“Have you considered looking into her intestinal tract? Maybe her consumption rate is related to the genetic differences instead of her being a growing alicorn, or at least contribute to her metabolism,” Twilight interjected, which led to Sapphire doing a double-take at Twilight.

“Good idea! No wonder Celestia chose you as her student!” Clear stated as Sapphire shifted her attention rapidly between the two. “Do you have any other suggestions you want to offer?”

“I’m so going to get you back for this, Twilight,” Sapphire muttered to herself as she glared at Twilight while she was chatting up various other things to test for.

“Sapphire, be reasonable. Like Clear Heart has said, the revelation that you’re a member of an offshoot of ponies that had developed on their own on another planet means that all sort of genetic developments could have happened that could revolutionize what ponies think about evolution!”

“You didn’t even try to ask me for permission first.”

“There are things that science can't wait for! Girls, back me up on this,” Twilight cried out as she threw her forelegs towards the rest of her friends, who were all seated on the seats of the royal train car as they were heading towards Ponyville. After the medical exam had ended, Sapphire was informed by Celestia that she could spend her vacation in Ponyville if she so desired, an offer that she gladly accepted.

"I don't like sayin' this Twi, but Sapphire has a point there. You just went and joined in on with Clear without even askin' if it was alright with Sapphire," Applejack stated with a disapproving shake of her head.

"Applejack's right, dear. As much as you love learning new things and Sapphire's origins present something brand new to this field of genetics you're interested in, one does not simply slap a pony onto a table and examine them like some object," Rarity added in as Sapphire raised an eyebrow since Rarity did have a bad habit of forcing some ponies into dresses on a whim.

"Yeah. If I had a say in stopping that, I would have stopped it in ten seconds flat!" Rainbow declared while beating a hoof against her chest.

"Yeah, it was kind of creepy how you wanted to go looking in Sapphire's stomach and other icky places like that. I don't think Sapphire was having any sorts of fun while that was happening to her," Pinkie said with a slight frown before smiling as she added, "Unless you were planning on giving her lots of candy and sweets! That always made me feel better when I have to go to the doctor for icky things!"

“Umm... maybe you could have to asked Sapphire first?” Fluttershy mumbled out, causing Twilight to look around at the group before letting out a sigh.

Turning towards Sapphire with eyes full of remorse, Twilight said, “I guess that I may have been a little b—“

“A little?!” Sapphire interjected with a raised eyebrow.

“...Okay, maybe I went overboard with my enthusiasm for learning more about your body. I shouldn’t have simply made a situation that was uncomfortable even worse for you without asking first. I’m sorry for my actions, Sapphire,” Twilight said as Rainbow snickered at what Twilight said.

After staring at Twilight for a moment, who squirmed a bit during the duration, Sapphire eventually said, “I forgive you Twilight.” However, just as Twilight was starting to cheer up, Sapphire added, “But as punishment, you’re helping me get groceries for my house in Ponyville.”

Paling at the thought of providing food for Sapphire, Twilight asked in a polite tone, “Am I filling your whole kitchen with food?” as she had a forced smile on her face.

Staring at Twilight once more, causing the mare to sweat as she thought about just how much of a bill it would be to stock Sapphire’s kitchen, Sapphire first finally answered, “Nah, just my fridge. I can handle my pantry and everywhere else.”

As Twilight let out a sigh of relief, Pinkie and Rainbow broke out in laughter as Rainbow stated, “Nice one, Sapphire! You really had Twilight going there for a bit!”

Letting out a giggle as Twilight took on an annoyed expression with her cheeks heating up from embarrassment, Sapphire said, “Sorry about that Twilight. I just wanted some payback for the examination.”

Folding her forelegs over her chest as her cheeks puffed out a bit, Twilight replied, “I’ll admit... I did deserve something like that, but you have to cut me some slack since you do eat far more than what a normal family would eat.”

Tapping her chin, Sapphire responded, “Hmm... considering what you participated in earlier, I think that I already cut you way too much slack already, so you should be grateful for what you get. Though I wonder how my house has been al this time after I left it. I do hope that its still standing.”

“Now that you don’t have to worry about sugarcube. There may have been a few crowds of ponies that wanted to get inside your house, but the mayor deterred them from doing so by sayin' that they would be trespassin' on the property of a princess. I don't know how trespassin' laws work when doing it to royalty, but that might have a harsher punishment than normal, I reckon. So lately, only a couple of ponies just show up every now and then to take some photos in front of your house," Applejack replied.

Grimacing at the news, Sapphire said, "Sounds like if I don't keep news of my vacation being in Ponyville a secret, a crowd is going to show up after a few days. And considering that I'm in a train car that just screams, 'Incoming Princess', I’m doomed!"

"Umm... you do know we were the only ponies on this train, and that there's no other train cars but this one?" Rainbow pointed out, causing Sapphire's eyes to widen as she just stared at the pegasus. "Sapphire? Hello? Are you...in there? I think I just broke her," Rainbow commented as she waved a foreleg in front of Sapphire's face until Sapphire grabbed it with her hooves, eliciting a cry of surprise from the mare.

With a look of hope on her face, Sapphire ordered, "Rainbow, go to all the ponies on the train crew and tell them to ke—"

"You do know that ponies did see us leave the station. When they find out that you're not in Vanhoover, the newponies will hunt you down in a matter of days. If you actually tried to keep it a secret, the moment they found you out, they're going to assume that you're trying to hide something, or that there’s some scandal going on. Ultimately dear, it's better to be open about this than try to hide and risk the potential fallout," Rarity interjected, causing Sapphire's ears to droop in disappointment.

"Rarity has a point there, sugarcube. Honesty is the best policy after all. You don't want ponies to start doubtin' what you say or do early on," Applejack added in.

Letting out a sigh, Sapphire said, "Alright, alright I get it. Don't try to silence everypony just so I can have a private vacation. But I would like it if you girls would help me out by keeping the crowds from getting too large or bothersome, alright?" Getting a round of agreement from everypony, though Fluttershy just mumbled something out that Sapphire couldn't understand, Sapphire then said, "Alright then, let's just hope that there ain't anypony hiding in the house, waiting to spring a trap on me the moment I set a hoof inside."

"Well, it's still standing," Sapphire commented as she and the Elements were standing outside of Sapphire's house, which was missing its fence as well as some of the parts of the walkway to the front door.

"I reckon that I may have forgotten the part about ponies takin' some of the front of your place as souvenirs," Applejack admitted as she lowered her hat down her face a bit to hide some of her shame.

"...Typical," Sapphire simply stated before going up to the front door, opening it as she stepped inside the house to find that it wasn't disturbed. "Well, it looks like the interior is fine. I'm not missing any furniture."

"Yes... but the weeks without your presence did take its toll," Rarity commented as she grimaced at the sight of dust on the floor and furniture. "Just give me a moment to head back to my home and I'll get all the cleaning utensils that you would need dear.”

"No need for that," Sapphire stated as she lit her horn up, bringing in a mass of water that she immediately swiped over the floor and furniture, wiping off all the dust before tossing the now dirty water out the front door. "All clean now," Sapphire said with a smile as Rarity blinked in surprise while Twilight teleported a notepad and was writing down notes.

"Umm... wow... that is one useful spell you used there darling, and... the floors are completely dry," Rarity replied as she marveled at the sight. "I so wish I knew that spell whenever Sweetie Belle has one of her messier 'crusades' in my home."

"I don't think that’s a spell that Sapphire could teach Rarity. Considering that Sapphire has to carefully pick up the dirt and dust without leaving any water molecules behind means that her water manipulation talent probably played a role in it. Henceforth, the odds of you being able to learn, yet alone master, that spell is statistically low," Twilight countered, causing the rest of the group to just stared at her. "What?"

"Twilight dear, we all know about Sapphire's special talent, and I was just longing for a spell similar to Sapphire's cleaning one. I know that it is far beyond my own magical ability, but a pony can still dream, right?" Rarity explained, causing Twilight's face to redden up a bit.

"I was just stating the facts," Twilight mumbled out as Sapphire rolled her eyes before heading to the kitchen. Arriving in front of her fridge, Sapphire opened it only to slam it shut as she covered her mouth with the tips of her wings as she heard some ponies gagging behind her.

"Okay... I think I might need your help cleaning out my fridge, Rarity. I don't think my water could scrub that scent out as easy as it picked up the dust from the floor," Sapphire stated as eyed the pantry, shivering at the thought of what foods might have gone bad during her time away. "What a waste of good food..."

"Well, at least you got Twilight to fill your fridge back up," Rainbow said as Twilight shot her a dirty look from behind her. “And you’re a princess, so aren’t you rich or able to just demand food cause you’re a princess?”

Gingerly opening one of her cupboards only to see ama couple rats among some food scraps staring back at her, Sapphire replied, “Not really, Rainbow. I mean, I do get a stipend for being a princess, but it’s not a big as you think. All the lavish living and things like that only comes when you’re living in the royal palace or doing royal visits and stuff like that. But since I’m on a vacation, I just have to rely on the bits that I have with me... but you’re right. Twilight is compensating me for my discomfort by restocking my fridge. My entire fridge.”

With a smirk on her face, Sapphire turned to look at Twilight, who was looking at Sapphire’s fridge with a bit of dread before she hung her head as she said, “There goes my fifth edition of The History of the Eastern Griffon Empire.”

Chapter LIII: Farmers

"So wait, you and the others went and dressed up as a costumed superhero to save ponies before Rainbow can?"

"Well, we had to do something. Rainbow was getting so full of herself, and having a fan club that was stroking her ego wasn't helping either," Twilight stated as she and Sapphire were heading over to the farmer's market after having a meal at the Sugarcube Corner. After cleaning out Sapphire’s kitchen of her spoiled food, the Elements and Sapphire went to one of the local restaurants for dinner. There, they were served quickly by a sweating waitress who stuttered quite a bit when talking to them, much to Rainbow’s and Pinkie’s amusement. After their meal, the Elements bid their farewells to Sapphire with Twilight promising to return in the morning to help Sapphire with her groceries as promised.

“Okay, I won’t disagree that Rainbow’s ego had to be kept in check, but couldn’t you just have an intervention where you sat her down and discussed this problem?” Sapphire asked as she ignored the stares of the ponies that were either surprised by the presence of an alicorn in the midst, or the fact that the princess was lugging a cart. Or maybe both.

“We could, but sometimes Rainbow just won’t listen to what we say, and we felt that we should show Rainbow the error of her ways,” Twilight explained.

Raising an eyebrow, Sapphire replied, “By dressing up as a masked hero, and showing Rainbow up when she goes to rescue others, and then being praised by the town?”

“Well... we didn’t go off bragging about it,” Twilight countered, which prompted Sapphire to raise her eyebrow even higher.

“Then what about this Mare Do Well celebration you told me about?” Sapphire asked, causing Twilight to blush a bit before letting out a sigh.

“Alright, there may have been a better way to handle Rainbow than showing her up like that,” Twilight admitted, before adding, “But it did work out in the end.”

“Yeah, after all that effort just to keep up the act,” Sapphire said as the pair arrived at the farmers’ market, where most of the ponies there were just staring at Sapphire. No pony was making a sound, leaving the area quiet except for the chirping of birds and somepony shouting about apples. Frowning, Sapphire walked up to Carrot Top’s stand, watching as the mare’s eyes start to shrink with each step. Reaching the cart, Sapphire simply said, “I’ll take forty carrots please.”

Nodding rapidly in response, Carrot Top scooped up the request carrots before putting it in a bag as she held it out with a hoof while saying, “Here you go your majesty, forty carrots, on the house!” She then bowed her head so fast that it nearly slammed against her stand’s counter, much to Sapphire’s distaste.

“I think not,” Sapphire said, eliciting a surprised look from Twilight. “I’ll be paying you the standard price for your carrots, nothing less,” Sapphire stated while levitating from her saddlebags the required amount of bits before placing it in front of Carrot Top, who looked up in surprise as well.

“I... I... You’re so generous, your majesty!” Carrot Top exclaimed before bowing her head down again, this time slamming it onto her counter.

Cringing at the reaction, Sapphire deposited the bag in her cart before backing away as she cast a quick glance at the rest of the farmers. Noticing that they were still staring at her, Sapphire sighed as she said, “This is going to be a long morning.”

“Really? I thought you would be overjoyed by the idea of free food,” Twilight stated as they were walking up to the cabbage stall.

Snorting, Sapphire replied, “Not when it was due to being a princess. Even when I was a foal, despite my physical differences, I was still treated the same as anypony else. At least, until my magical potential was discovered. But even then, I had a choice in my future, and wasn’t forced into the trappings of the crown.”

Twilight then held a hoof to Sapphire’s chest, which caused her to glance at Twilight in surprise. Giving Sapphire a calculated look, Twilight stated, “I know that you dislike being a princess, but you’re an alicorn for a reason. And before you say anything, I don’t think you were born to fight the Beasts of Destruction. You were born to save the ponies of your world, to save your world,” keeping her voice low enough for other ponies to strain their ears to hear them.

“Then if that is my destiny, why am I here? Why am I living the life of a princess instead of being back in my world, helping my clan?" Sapphire stated.

"I don't know, but until you remember everything, there could be so many explanations to that. Maybe you are helping them, but forging the connection from Equus to your world, perhaps to get some relief to your world. Or maybe to learn the magic of our world that could help your clan. Maybe you're the key to reuniting the four clans. Until you remember what brought you here, we can't say why you're here in the meantime, but when you do return, they will learn that you're the sole alicorn of their world, along with that our alicorns that are princesses. You could say that you might have been sent here to learn how to be a princess," Twilight speculated.

Blinking in surprise, Sapphire stared at Twilight for a while before saying, "You... actually have a point there... maybe I should look at why I'm here instead of what brought me here. I may not know my past yet, but I can still try to better myself so that when I finally find a way to my clan, I would be even more capable of helping them out."

Nodding with a smile, Twilight replied, "Yes, but in the meantime, let's go get your food with our heads held up high," as she pointed at a cabbage owner, who was still staring at Sapphire.

"...Or be creeped out by how much staring everypony is still doing... are they even registering what is going on before them?" Sapphire commented with a frown as Twilight's foreleg slowly started to drop down back to the ground.

"Thanks Big Mac, it's nice to have somepony that would actually sell me their produce... instead of giving me some since I'm a princess," Sapphire said before gritting her teeth at the score of farmers that all wanted to simply please her.

"Eeyup," Big Mac said with a smile while watching as Twilight was dumping some bits onto his counter as Sapphire loaded the third basket of apples unto her cart.

"I still wonder why you have to get these many apples, Sapphire," Twilight grumbled out as she inspected the remaining bits in her pouch. "No offense intended, Big Mac."

"Oh, it's because Applejack had sent in one of her letters a list of apple-based recipes while I was in Vanhoover. Which was odd that she sent me that entire list after I mentioned about having some really good pear pancakes," Sapphire explained as she rubbed her chin with a hoof. All the while, Big Mac just clenched his jaw as he forced himself to keep smiling.

"Oh... well, it would be interesting to see how you would cook them, especially since your magic could be used to help you out with some of them," Twilight stated as she put her pouch away as Sapphire hitched herself back into her harness.

"Maybe... I still don't know that much about cooking, only what Rarity had taught me during my time with her. And I definitely know that I didn't have any cooking skills from my past," Sapphire stated as she began the trek back home.

"What makes you say that?" Twilight asked as she walked alongside Sapphire.

"Simple, breakfast was grass loaf, lunch was grass stew, and dinner was grass cakes. All the time," Sapphire answered, causing the color of Twilight's face to turn slightly green at the thought of eating those grass-based dishes.

"You... can't honestly have only ate grass in your past, Sapphire," Twilight stated as she fought to keep her breakfast down.

"Oh no, I'm being serious about that. I recall so many meals that only consisted of those three things and nothing else. And with the number of memories I have of that, and how things looked in some of those memories, it seemed that only grass was the available food source at those times. So it's food made out of grass all the time," Sapphire replied with a shrug.

"Augh, no wonder you were... skinny... though if we're talking about your past right now, is there anything about the magic of your world that you can remember?" Twilight asked as she grabbed onto Sapphire with a gleeful look on her face.

"Umm... sure, but do you have to cling to me... in public?" Sapphire replied as she tried to pull away from Twilight while other ponies were still staring at them.

"Oh... umm... sorry about that," Twilight said as she got off of Sapphire, her cheeks red with embarrassment as her eyes darted about.

Sighing, Sapphire said, "Hopefully nopony would remember this clearly since they're all so intent on staring at me... how long do you think this will carry on?"

"Oh, I say just a few days, which should be enough for ponies to get used to you coming by everyday. It helps that you lived here for a while since I doubt that anypony would be able to get used to the idea of Princess Celestia living here on a daily basis," Twilight answered.

"Ah... well... just how much do you know about runes?" Sapphire asked as she glanced at Twilight, who was looking forward with her brow furrowed in concentration.

"It was an art used by unicorns to enchant objects and clothing, until it was discovered that gems were far easier to enchant and could carry a magical charge for a longer period of time, hence removing the need to recharge it after using it. Why do you... wait, are you saying that magical runes were used in your world?" Twilight asked as she summoned her notepad and quill to herself.

"I don't know for sure, but it may be a possibility since Runic Cloak... well, that name says enough on its own. But ignoring his name, I remember him wearing a cloak that had various magical runes woven into it, along with my earth pony teacher having a war hammer that had runes in it as well," Sapphire answered as Twilight scribbled down all her words.

"Interesting, it may be circumstances that promoted the growth of rune inscribing while hampering enchanting. But just imagine, a world where rune magic flourished and a world where enchanting flourished instead. I can't even fathom the possibilities of what both styles could bring to ponykind if we figure out how to work them into one another!" Twilight exclaimed with excitement as Sapphire gave her a flat look.

"Okay... but first thing first, Twilight. I need to recover the rest of my memories before we can even try to comprehend how to even travel to my world without it being a one-way trip," Sapphire countered, bring Twilight's mood down as her scribbling slowed a bit.

"Yeah... you're right about that... but that doesn't mean you can’t plan for it!" Twilight stated with a shine to her eyes, causing Sapphire to feel the need to start backing away from her. A feeling that she sustained by changing her direction a bit so that as they were walking along, a gap starting to grow before them. "I need to draw up some lists, plans for how to reach your world once your memories have returned, lists on what samples of enchanting we can take to them, and lists on what areas that enchanting has failed in that we might find a solution in rune magic!"

"Alright Twilight, you can do that as much as you want... after you finished filling out my fridge. We just have milk, cheese, and eggs to grab, all thanks to that list you made!" Sapphire commented, causing Twilight's ears to lower at that as she checked her bit pouch, remembering how light it had gotten.

"Oh horseapples. I would never imagine that making lists would betray me like so."

Chapter LIV: Thundercloud

“So, you fight monsters back in your world?”

“Maybe...”

“Maybe? What are you talking about? Princess Celestia told us about that memory of that giant monster in your noggin!”

“That memory was back when I was a filly, not when I was fighting monsters. To be honest, out of the memories I sorted through, none of them actually involved fighting monsters. So, until I actually remember all of them, the only true answer I can provide is maybe.”

“Augh, you sound just like Twilight and her egghead reasoning,” Rainbow complained as she folded her hooves over her chest. Sapphire was relaxing on a blanket next to the lake, reading a novel Twilight had lend her as she enjoyed the sunny day. That is, til Rainbow came down to ask about the ‘awesome’ parts of her past.

“So, what, you don’t know how to fight monsters then?” Rainbow asked with a huff.

“I didn’t say anything of that sort,” Sapphire answered as she flipped a page while giving Rainbow an annoyed expression.

“Wait, you do know how to fight monsters? Can you show me some of your moves then?” Rainbow replied with excitement. Letting out a sigh, Sapphire remained quiet as she lit her horn with her magic, grabbing onto some of the lake water as Rainbow stated, “Hey, I was expecting you to be doing some figh-woah!” before she was interrupted by the mass of water quickly turning into an ice spear that she then slammed into the ground right next to her.

“I don’t fight with my hooves and wings like you think. Instead, I use my talent of water manipulation to use water as a weapon against my foes... or at least that’s what I remember so far,” Sapphire explained.

“Wow... so what else can you do with your water magic, Sapphire? And have you gotten over your fear of clouds?” Rainbow asked with a look of glee.

“...I don’t know all of what I can do, but it's mostly just turning my water into ice weapons, or throwing a condensed mass of water at things. I’m still remembering the early parts of my training,” Sapphire admitted.

"Oh... wait! If you remember that much, do you remember why you're afraid of clouds?" Rainbow asked as she tapped her chin. "If you do, we can finally do something to get you over that ridiculous fear of yours!"

Frowning, Sapphire replied, “Just how much did Celestia tell you about my memories?”

Looking up at the sky, Rainbow answered, “Oh, just some things about you being from another world. There was your Aro-something clan having gone there hundreds of years ago, and you were raised to fight giant monsters,” as she ended with a shrug.

Giving Rainbow a flat look, Sapphire put a hoof to the side of her head as she muttered to herself, “Why am I not surprised?” Looking back at Rainbow, Sapphires re explained, “Rainbow, I would need to explain some things first, so are you up for it?”

Shrugging, Rainbow said, “I can, since you can’t make it all egghead babble like Twilight can.”

Slowly raising an eyebrow at Rainbow’s comment, Sapphire let out snort before saying, “Alright, Celestia told you about the Beasts of Destruction, but either she forgotten to mention this part or you just didn’t listen carefully enough. Anyways, my world once had cities of clouds just like Cloudsdale, until the Beasts arrived, particular the Beast of Despair. That one targeted the cloud cities, tearing them apart while burning all the inhabitants to death. The remaining survivors were imprinted with the thought of death with clouds after Despair’s assault, an imprint so powerful that was even passed onto the foals of the survivors. Hence, the fear is more of instinctual need to escape from what could be a hiding spot for Despair, even if it’s just a small cloud.”

“Oh... oh wow. Now that is a somewhat good reason to be afraid of clouds,” Rainbow states as Sapphire gave her a look of indignation.

“Somewhat? How the buck was that explaination falls in the realm of somewhat?” Sapphire asked, her look turning into an offended one.

“Whoa whoa, I didn’t say that to insult you! It’s just that I find it hard to believe that you got this trait from your parents,” Rainbow explained as she held her hooves up like she was expecting Sapphire to pounce on her.

Staring at Rainbow for a while, Sapphire finally let out a sigh of frustration as she said, “I understand your point of view, but I guess the reasoning for that might just be magic... or something close to magic. For you see, those Beasts radiate some kind of aura that gets to you, hence why we call them Beasts of things like mayhem or despair. The mere presence of the beast of mayhem even threw my fellow alicorns into disarray in my memory, and that wasn’t the real thing. So I guess that the trauma and the aura together was enough to drive that fear into instinct.”

“Okay... I was wrong about you sounding like Twilight,” Rainbow replied, causing Sapphire to slam her hoof into her face with an audible thump. “Hey, you don’t have to get that way, cause I have an awesome idea for you!”

“Just what idea do you have in mind? It better not be a race or something like that,” Sapphire responded as she slowly removed her hoof from her face.

"No, my idea is something that will get you to fully enjoy your wings! I'm going to help you get over your fear of clouds!" Rainbow declared.

Staring at Rainbow like she was a madmare, Sapphire replied, "Are you nuts? Have you forgotten how I reacted when we tried finding out my fear? Or how I reacted when I was near your home?"

"Yeah, you freak out, but that's the whole point of this," Rainbow countered, causing Sapphire to facehoof again.

"Rainbow... back then, I was just a unicorn, or an alicorn contained as one... I still don't understand why I was a unicorn. Regardless, I hadn't had a panic attack when I was an alicorn, so who knows how bad things could get if we take this route," Sapphire warned, only to have Rainbow rolled her eyes.

"It's not going to be like when we did Twilight's experiment or when I tried to take you to my home. You'll just be doing it yourself with me giving you moral support. And maybe Twilight being there in case you start firing lasers from your horn," Rainbow replied, causing Sapphire to frown at her.

"And why would I even want to be going near any clouds in the first place?" Sapphire asked as she folded her forelegs over her chest.

"Well, it's not like I can force a princess to do something that they don't want to do, but you do want to help your clan when you find a way back to your home. What better way to help them out than conquering your fear of clouds so you can take out all the evil monsters in them?" Rainbow responded, causing Sapphire to give her a good long hard stare. "You know I have a point there, and what's the harm in trying?"

Letting out a sigh, Sapphire finally said, "Fine, you have a point there, but you're getting Twilight, and we're doing it to away from this lake," as she started to pack her things up.

Looking at Sapphire in confusion, Rainbow asked, "Why not just do it here? There's no homes close enough to be hit, and there would be at most a few ponies walking by that I could just grab in case you start firing lasers or something like that."

Giving Rainbow a flat stare, Sapphire pointed a hoof at the lake as she replied, "Rainbow, what's my special talent?"

"Water manipulation, but what does that... oh..." Rainbow answered as she turned to look at the nearby lake. "Yeah... I see your point. Let's try this near Whitetail Woods then, so see you there after I pick up Twilight!" Rainbow declared before taking off into the distance, preventing Sapphire from making any reply, much to her annoyance.

"What took you so long? We were waiting for... how long were we waiting for?"

"It been twelve minutes, Rainbow," Twilight answered as she rolled her eyes at her companion.

”Yeah, which is twelve minutes cutting into my snooze time,” Rainbow complained before giving Sapphire the stink eye. “What took you so long?”

“Well, first off I had to pack up my stuff and put it in my house. Then, I had to cook myself lunch and eat it. Then I made my way over here. And before you say anything, you left before I could even agree at the time. If you had waited for at least a minute, we could have set up a time convenient for the both of us, instead of doing your things on a whim,” Sapphire explained.

Rainbow blinked for a bit at Sapphire’s response before saying, “Oh, my bad then. But we’re here already, and with some of Twilight’s help, we have set up the most awesome fear buster course ever!” as she pointed up at the sky with a hoof.

Looking up at the sky, Sapphire’s eyes widen at the sight of clouds of various size and types, ranging from small fluffy white clouds to a massive thundercloud that looked like it could let loose at any moment. “How in Tartarus did you get all that, and why do you think I would go through a course like that?!”

“Cause it’s awesome, and what better way to overcome your fear than to take care of all of it in one day?” Rainbow declared with a smug look.

Facehoofing, Twilight stated, “My help consisted of proposing that we do increments of cloud sizes and cloud types, not to do all of them in some kind of obstacle course.”

“I figured as much, so I think we should... where’s Rainbow?” Sapphire started to say until she noticed that Rainbow had disappeared while she was listening to Twilight.

“Let’s get this started,” Rainbow suddenly cried out as she bucked a thundercloud right above Sapphire, firing a lightning bolt into the ground right behind. Letting out a shriek at the surprise, Sapphire instantly took off and flew straight up into the largest thundercloud. “Starting off with the biggest challenge, now that’s spunk!”

“Rainbow! You scared her into going straight up into the cloud!” Twilight yelled as she eyed the cloud that Sapphire went into with worry.

“Actually, I was trying to get her to flying towards that,” Rainbow replied as she pointed at the small white cloud that was in the direction Sapphire was facing. “It’s not my fault if she went straight up like that.”

As Twilight was about to say something, a loud thud rang out from her side, aiding her to jump backwards in surprise. Looking to her right, Twilight saw that Sapphire had returned, curled up as she was hugging her tail with her forelegs. Whether she came down to assume that position or just came down like that, Twilight couldn’t tell. The sight however did drove Twilight to come over to Sapphire, shaking her shaking form with her forehooves as she said, “Sapphire! It’s over now, you’re out of the thundercloud.” Instead or letting out a reply, Sapphire just mumbled something out, prompting Twilight to lower her head to hear better as she asked, “What was that, Sapphire? You’re safe now.”

For a moment, Sapphire just kept on shaking, until she finally mumbled out, “Despair... Despair has left its mark... no matter what I do... I will never be able to wash that mark away... it will exist... forever.”

Blinking in surprise, Twilight kept a calming hoof on Sapphire as she looked up at Rainbow, a frown on her face as she said, “Rainbow, I think there’s more than that instinct that... Despair left on her clan.”

“What do you mean?” Rainbow asked as she hovered over Sapphire, an expression of mixed concern and guilt clear on her face.

“I... I think that there may be a distinct possibility that she encountered the beast she calls Despair... and it might have done something to her...” Twilight answered as the pair returned their attention to the shivering Sapphire, as they wondered just what that monster could have done to the mare.

Chapter LV: Spa

"I can't believe that Rainbow can be that rash. She can be rather uncouth at times, but to do something like that? That mare needs to learn to think before she acts,” Rarity stated as Aloe, one of the owners of the spa that Rarity and Sapphire were in, applied a facial mask onto Rarity. After Twilight had finally calmed Sapphire from the panic attack that Rainbow caused, Sapphire immediately declared that she was going to spend the rest of the day at her home alone, despite whatever protests the two mares had. The next day, as Sapphire was leaving her home, she encountered Rarity, who offered a day at the spa with her.

Snorting as Lotus was massaging her back, Sapphire replied, “She’s lucky that I’m so forgiving, but I hope she learned her lesson. I don’t want her to be pushing her luck with me. I’ve had enough scares to last the week.”

“I believe that the reaction you had would be sufficient enough to deter her from trying something like that again. We may be friends darling, but one mustn’t push a pony too far, especially when said pony is a princess,” Rarity said as Aloe finished up the facial mask. Pulling one of the cucumber slices off her eye as she looked at Sapphire, she commented, “I would recommend that you would get the full treatment still dear. With all the stress you’ve been having lately, you’ll grow wrinkles before you hit... your fifties.”

“Considering that Celestia is over a thousand year old and doesn’t appear to have any wrinkles, I’ll just stick to the massage,” Sapphire replied.

As Rarity opened her mouth to respond, a loud pop was heard as Lotus was working on Sapphire’s spine. This caused Lotus to look at Sapphire in alarm, a look that was shared by Aloe, until Sapphire let out a sigh of relief. As the spa ponies returned to their work, Rarity asked, “It sounds like you really needed that massage. Don’t you go to the spa when you were in Canterlot and Vanhoover?”

“Not really. I’m usually busy with my studies and the duties that Celestia and Luna would trust me with, and I normally spend my free time going to restaurants. So... the closet thing I had to a spa treatment was a hot bath," Sapphire stated with a shrug, causing Lotus to frown a bit at the movement.

"Then I recommend that you request for some time at the local spa, or manage your time so that you could visit the spa once a week. It would do you wonders in helping you to relax, something that you apparently need," Rarity stated as Aloe had moved onto filing her hooves.

"I'll think about it... though I do have a question for you Rarity, about my former career," Sapphire stated to say, causing Rarity's ears to flick towards her fully, indicating her curiosity. "It's been some time after my reveal as an alicorn, so I'm curious about how ponies are handling that part of my past. Even if its recent, I still wonder if it has an impact on anything."

“Ah, then in that case, your old ‘unicorn’ model shots have been floating around the fashion market. They’ve become a priceless item for collections of anything related to the princesses, not to mention that they could print out more pictures of you whenever they desire. Though, the mystery behind your thin appearance has finally been answered, resulting in any fashion models that were on the thin side to be... bothered by the press who believe them to be alicorns in disguise. But that died down after the first few weeks,” Rarity answered as Aloe was applying hoof polish on her hooves.

“Oh... I hope nopony was too bothered by that,” Sapphire stated, only for Rarity to giggle at her. Looking at her in confusion, Sapphire asked, “What’s so funny?”

“Darling, I’m certain that the mares would find being accused of alicorns in disguise amusing, or perhaps even flattering. Though I will admit, it might get a tad annoying after some time, but it still passed relatively quickly. So there is no reason for you to stress about that when you have enough from being a princess,” Rarity explained while spinning a free hoof around in the air.

“Oh, alright then. If that’s what’s happening, I guess I don’t need to worry about it,” Sapphire replied as she closed her eyes to enjoy her massage.

“I really needed that massage, and that bath helped too,” Sapphire stated as she shifted her neck about, feeling her joints slightly popping as she felt like a weight was taken off her shoulders. It was late in the afternoon when Rarity and Sapphire were walking out of the spa, where Rarity had more beauty treatments while Sapphire was treated to a scented spa bath that the spa owners have treated with a secret recipe to help relax ponies.

"Then you should really consider having your own private spa in your castle, though I do find it odd that you're having a castle made out of limestone instead of marble like Canterlot Castle. It may be nice that you're not trying to delve into the Royal Treasury for the construction of your home, but from what I heard, limestone can easily be eroded by rain, which would be ironic for a princess of water to be living in such a home," Rarity pointed out as the pair was walking down the streets.

"Unless I find the means to prevent it from happening. As you said, I am the princess of water, so maybe I'll just keep my castle intact and in pristine conditions. Besides, the funds saved from the cost of material itself would allow me to get a bigger castle if I want. Besides, a marble castle would just be copying Canterlot, unless you want me to be a copycat," Sapphire countered as she gave Rarity a mock look of shock.

Rolling her eyes, Rarity replied, "Alright, I'll admit that having a marble castle wouldn't make yours stand out from Canterlot Castle than a limestone castle would. Though, if you don't want a glamorous castle, how about you let me create a dress for you? One that would suit your tastes and represent who you are, instead of one that I made for the coronation?"

Glancing at Rarity, who had an expression of barely contained glee, Sapphire withheld her sigh as she answered, "Well, it would be nice to wear something that was actually about me instead of screaming 'I'm a princess' at everypony. So I guess you can make me one if you want, Rarity.”

Letting out a squeal of glee, Rarity exclaimed, “You’re going to look so fabolous at the next gala you go to! Your coronation dress did brought some attention to my store, but adding this one will put me on the map of the fashion industry. Rarity: the designer of Princess Sapphire’s wardrobe!” before she pointed a hoof into the air as she smiled with a sense of victory. One that started to fade when Rarity saw the unamused expression Sapphire had, causing her to lower her hoof to cough into it. Blushing, Rarity said, “Sorry about that dear. Just got excited about the opportunity.”

“Alright... so I guess we’re heading to your Boutique for some measurements?” Sapphire asked, causing Rarity to look her up and down.

“I’m afraid so dear, you have... grown in the time since the coronation... which means that whatever dress I make now would be the wrong size within a few weeks,” Rarity states with disappointment in her voice. “It seems that making you a dress while you’re still growing rapidly would be an impractical thing to do.”

“Couldn’t you just alter it everytime I outgrow it? Or make it bigger to give me some more time with it?” Sapphire asked as she tilted her head in confusion.

Shaking her own head, Rarity answered, “No, the dress would be ruined by the first size adjustment, so only a new dress would work. As for your other idea, it wouldn’t work because you might develop something different than the size adjustment, making part of the dress too tight while another part might be too loose. Ultimately, I have to wait until your growth comes to a halt, or at least matches a normal pony’s growth rate. Unless...” as she tapped her chin in thought.

Feeling a bit of dread creeping up her spine, Sapphire replied, “What do you mean... ‘unless’?”

“Oh, just an idea that came to mind. One that is rather simple in planning, though it would be quite the effort for me. Yet, it would be worth it in the end, and help me secure the spotlight in the fashion industry!” Rarity declared as she stood up to strike a dramatic pose with her hoof pointing at the sky once more.

“...Care to clue me in on what you’re planning, Rarity?” Sapphire asked as she grew a bit irritated with the vague answer she received.

Coming back onto her forehooves, Rarity answered, “Oh, sorry about that dear, just got caught up in the moment. My idea is actually quite simple in design: whenever you have an event that you would need to be in the proper attire, specifically one that includes a dress, you simply send Twilight a message directed to me so I can travel to Vanhoover to take your measurements. Or, you could come to Ponyville as a day off if you desire. That way, you would always have a dress that would be designed for the pony you are instead of for a princess, and my fame as your dress maker would be assured. That is, if we’re to accept all of that.”

As Rarity was giving Sapphire and look of expectation, Sapphire had a skeptical one as she asked, “But wouldn’t that be a lot of time and effort for you to do? I mean, you do have to run your shop.”

“There’s no need to worry dear, for I could spend my time on the train creating new designs to make when I get home, and I might even gain some inspiration from the sights I would see on the way to your castle and possibly from Vanhoover itself. Besides, knowing you, you would tried to avoid such formal events as much as you can, so at most I expect to only have to come over once a month or so. Or you could use this as an excuse for a monthly trip to Ponyville,” Rarity answered, causing Sapphire to blink as she looked down at the ground in thought.

“This could lead to me having that break, even if it might be just for a day or two. And I doubt Luna or Celestia would argue against it since it would be preparation for any events they may want me to attend. So, I guess we can do this,” Sapphire replied, only to her ears back as she saw Rarity drawing in a deep breath.

“Yes! Rarity’s princess line is going to be the hottest dress on the market! I will be Equestria’s next big fashionista...” Rarity started to exclaim until she saw the frown on Sapphire’s face. Putting on the smile that one would expect from a goal that was caught with their hoof in true cookie jar, Rarity said, “Excuse me for my behavior darling, that was a bit unbecoming of me.”

Rolling her eyes, Sapphire replied, “It’s okay, you can’t help yourself since you’re just being who you are. Just... don’t get too carried away with it, okay?”

“You have my word as the Element of Generosity that I won’t let my ambitions get in the way of our dear friendship, your highness,” Rarity stated with a bow. As Sapphire let out a sigh, Rarity asked, “Though I’m utilizing about one thing, do you remember enough of your old self to know how she might have reacted to this request?”

Rubbing the back of her head with a hoof, Sapphire replied, “Umm... I’m not too certain about who I was to say for sure, but if I had to guess... she would have considered this a waste of time unless it had some kind of combative feature to it.”

Scrunching up her muzzle, Rarity replied, “Well, then it may have been a good thing you gotten amnesia, otherwise we might not have became friends. Even if I was offering you room and board, no offense.”

“None taken... cause, to be honest, I think the old me might have shredded some of your dresses,” Sapphire admitted before letting out a laugh, Rarity shivering at the thought before joining Sapphire in her laughter.

Chapter LVI: Mirror (unedited)

”I still say this is a horrible idea, Runic.”

“Is there any other choice? The dreamless sleep spell has its limits, and there may come a time when there isn’t anypony around that can cast that spell, Rift. Furthermore, this could help us regain our numbers.”

“That would take decades, Runic, time we don’t have with the remaining Beasts still after us. And she’s barely a teenager, you should at least wait until she’s a full grown mare. Back me up on this, Steel.”

“I... I think you’re both right, but we’re ignoring the very filly whose fate we’re talking about. I think we should ask her what she wants, not just bicker among ourselves over it. Especially since she’s right there.”

“...Sapphire? What are you doing there, and how much did you heard?”

“Enough... I guess. So that’s why there haven’t been many foals...”

“...Sapphire, you should go back to sleep, this isn’t something you ne-“

“I’m willing to do it.”

“Sapphire, this isn’t something to take you take lightly. You already have enough on your plate with your training and later on fighting the Beasts, you don’t have to do this. You’re sti—“

“Hello! Welcome to the land of the dreaming this time!” Veritas states as she was taking on the form of a cat that was sitting down on some pony’s head. Blinking in surprise, Sapphire let out a groan as she took a look at the surroundings.

“Even in my sleep the crown torments me,” Sapphire crumbled as she found herself in the Canterlot throne room, with a row of faceless ponies lined up before her as she was seated on Celestia’s throne.

“Planning on usurping Celestia? My my, I didn’t knew you had it in you. And here I thought your greatest ambition was just to own an pie factory,” Veritas stayed with a giggle, prompting Sapphire to glare at her.

“Did you had to bother me? I was moments away from finding out something important about my past!” Sapphire yelled, anger clear on her face.

“Really? You overcome one of your nightmares and uncovered a pile of your memories, and you still want more? I doubt you have gone over the fine details of all of them,” Veritas replied as she was scratching one of her ears with a hind leg.

Staring at what Veritas did, Sapphire said, “Why are you doing that? You’re a mental construct from my mind, and I don’t do that or even feel the need to do that.”

Smirking, Veritas countered, “Then maybe you’re in denial about some of your hidden desires. And since you’re here with me, why not admit it can act like the animal that you really are.” Silence reign in the throne room as Sapphire just gave Veritas a disbelieving stare, prompting her to shrug as she said, “Fine, be that way, but don’t start whining to me about being unable to do your most hidden wants and needs.”

“Veritas, we both know that my only desires are to gorge myself at some feast while living a simple life,” Sapphire countered with a snort. Hopping off the throne, Sapphire simply walked past Veritas and the lead pony, heading towards the exit as she said, "I'm not going to engage in these mind games of yours, Veritas. Either tell me why you're here, or get lost so I can try to make this dream enjoyable."

"Fine, I'll tell you why I'm here. I'm here to take a cat nap on your soft head!" Veritas replied before jumping onto Sapphire's head. As the mare felt her eye twitching, Veritas spun about a couple times before lying down on her head with a purr.

Looking up at the ceiling in annoyance, Sapphire said, "I swear, I'm going to have Luna te—"

"Oh, and I'm going to have a talk to you about your past, particularly, your history with mirrors," Veritas interjected, causing Sapphire to frown.

"A... history with mirrors? This got to be some kind of joke. What, you're saying that I'm obsessed with mirrors?" Sapphire asked, as she was just one step away from seeing if hurling Veritas at the wall would harm her or not.

"Oh no, you don't have that kind of arrogance, nor the luxury of posing in front of mirror for your own amusement. No, mirrors are something that you need to learn quite a bit about, cause some would say that they're doorways to another world, or show you reflections of yourself. Reflections that you could use as a visual aid, or as some kind of confidant to talk to if you lack the ability to get one, or even something you fear for the thought that your reflection is another you waiting for the chance to replace you,” Veritas replied, causing Sapphire to furrow her eyebrows.

“That wasn’t an answer to my question,” Sapphire stated with a stomp of her hoof. “I told you that I’m done with your games, so give me a straight answer already or just get lost.”

Rolling her eyes, Veritas said, “Fine, I tell you what I can. First off, you don’t have a secret obsession with mirrors nor your own reflection. But I do know that mirrors hold some kind of link to you. Beyond that, I have nothing else to say until you recover more of your memories, or perhaps the memory that is connected to mirrors. Regardless, they hold some importance regardless since they represent your memories, serving as gateways into them. Yet, they had also interfered with your mind as well.”

“Interfered? What are you... the nightmares... a set of memories slowed Luna down when she was chasing after me when... Mayhem’s claw grabbed me,” Sapphire replied as her pupils widen with realization.

“As well as that fight with the beast, twice mirrors have served to hamper you. So I suggest some caution when dealing with the mirrors, some might not be something you would like to see,” Veritas warned before hoping off Sapphire’s head to land on one of the faceless ponies.

Frowning in thought, Sapphire gave Veritas a firm look as she said, “Thanks for the warning, but all you have done has me concern about something. You’re no mere mental construct of my mind, you have a playfulness that I don’t have and I believe my past self would have judging by what I remember.” As Veritas turned her head to lay her gaze upon Sapphire, one that made her feel her spine shiver, Sapphire went on as she commented, "And... what would happen to you if I regain all of my memories..."

"That last part, is simple, I would simply cease to exist," Veritas stated in a solemn tone, bringing silence onto the pair as they stared at one another. Eventually, Veritas broke the silence as she added, "But that isn't something that I would be concerned about, nor would I be delaying your recovery of your memories," before she went on to licking one of her paws.

"But why? If what you claim is true, wouldn't you be afraid of the end of your existence?" Sapphire asked as she pointed a hoof at her. "It's like you're letting you end come!"

Letting out a huff of annoyance, Veritas stated, "What you see as an end, I see the start of something new. You have to keep in mind, I'm just a mental construct of your mind, hence even if I stop being present, I'm not gone since I came from you. Besides, there is a compulsion to help you, like it's my purpose here. So not helping you would be counterproductive to my purpose, there go I will strive to aid you, even if it would lead to the end of my existence."

Frowning at that, Sapphire said, "Well... that's just... a bit bleak to hear, I'll admit."

"Hence my chosen style of helping you. If I'm going to go out in the end, I might as well make the journey as enjoyable me as I can," Veritas stated with a smile, causing Sapphire to give her a deadpanned stare.

"And now I feel less bad about the news," Sapphire muttered out with a shake at her head at Veritas's attitude about the whole affair.

Shrugging, Veritas replied, "Eh, no skin off my bones, not like I have any. Unless I become a skeleton, but that's a different story. Anyways, ready for some of my magnificent aid?” before she stood up to give Sapphire a mocking bow.

Giving Veritas a disbelieving stare, Sapphire asked in a mocking tone, “And what may this wonderous form of air do you have to offer?”

“Hmm... it seems that Luna is starting to rub off of you, or maybe it is Rarity. Not like I care in the end. Anyways, this is how I’m going to help you. Look behind you,” Veritas answered as she pointed her paw to something behind Sapphire.

Raising an eyebrow as she noticed that the paw was angled to indicate that the object behind her was taller than her, Sapphire turned her head around to see that there was a mirror placed right behind her. Stepping away from the mirror as she turned around, Sapphire asked, “What the? Did you summoned this mirror here, and why?”

“Why, to help you of course. To be more specific, this memory will lead you to a part of your mind that you would never be able to get to if you were with Luna,” Veritas stated with a smirk.

“The alicorn, who guards the dream realm and was able to bring me to where my memories reside, unable to help me with getting there?” Sapphire replied with a skeptical look plastered on her face.

Rolling her eyes, Veritas countered, “There are some things in your mind that you don’t know of, yet. They’re not the kind of places these princesses would have thought of checking. Besides, who better to show you a way there than something born from your very mind? So, are you going to go through it or not?”

Eyeing the mirror with wariness in her stance, Sapphire glances at Veritas as she asked, “And how do I know if this is a safe transit or a trap for you to keep me imprison in my own mind.”

Shrugging, Veritas responded, “Considering that you don’t fully trust me, there is nothing I can do to probe that you’ll be safe. So you just have to decide if you want to take the risk or not.”

Frowning at that, Sapphire glanced at the mirror, where she noticed that its frame had a design of chains on it, that connected to stones that appeared to have runes carved into it. Pointing at the frame, Sapphire declared, “If that doesn’t say ‘It’s a trap’, then nothing does.”

Slamming a paw onto her face that it produced an audible thump that echoed through the room, Veritas stated, “If it was a trap, then it wouldn’t have something that would have gave it away. The frame just indicates what kind of place you’ll be growing through once you stepped into the mirror. I know it looks ominous, but it’s still something related to your past. So you will have to chose whether or not you want to take the risk.”

Glancing at the mirror for a moment, Sapphire said, “And what if something happens in there that puts my life, or my mind, in danger?”

“Just like the time I helped you when you first encountered Mayhem, I will do all I can to either help you overcome the threat, or to escape it if need be,” Veritas answered. “But one last word of advice to you, even on another world, your past can still haunt you in ways you wouldn’t expect. Well, until you recover certain crucial pieces of your memory. So, as he frame suggests, be careful in there.”

Blinking at the rare show of concern from Veritas, Sapphire nodded as she gingerly tried to step into the mirror. Seeing her hoof passing through the mirror, Sapphire felt her spine shiver as she sends some kind of dread from her leg. Looking at Veritas, who was frowning yet nodding at her, Sapphire gulped as she pressed on, stepping into the mirror to where she was greeted with darkness.

Chapter LVII: Reflections (unedited)

”What... What is this place?” Sapphire muttered out, as she stood in the middle of a massive stone hallway, where one end leads to a massive steel door, while the other just disappeared off into darkness. There wasn’t any doors or windows inbetween the two, with the hallway barren of any decorations or furniture, just stone walls and floor.

Looking directly at the empty darkness side of the hallway, Sapphire felt nothing from something she thought would look ominous in nature. However, upon looking at the steel door, Sapphire felt a shiver going down her spine. “Okay... that might be the thing that Veritas didn’t want me to see... but what could be in my head that would warrant that in the first place after what I already seen so far?”

Walking up to the door, Sapphire felt a feeling of dread from it that grew with every step she took. Eventually, Sapphire reach the door, where she placed a hoof on it, only to be startled when the door started to glow as runes inscribed on the door lit up fiercely. Letting out a shriek, Sapphire jumper back as the runes on the door continued to glow, first glowing red before shifting onto orange, then yellow and onto other colors like it was following the colors of the rainbow, before shifting back to red where it started all over again.

“What is this? What is going on?” Sapphire muttered out as she looked at he runes to see if she recalled any of them, only for all of them to appear completely unfamiliar to her. Letting out a sigh, Sapphire turned to her right only to be startled by a mirror standing right before her.

“By the moons, these mirrors are starting to... get...” Sapphire started to say to her reflection until she saw that its mouth wasn’t moving. Staring at her reflection in surprise, Sapphire moved her hoof towards the mirror to touch it, only to jump back when her reflection gave her a wicked smile.

“What the buck...” Sapphire croaked out as she continued to stare at her reflection, only to step back again when its form started to shift. Growing larger as its coat darken, it’s eyes shifting from Sapphire’s aquamarine to a dark green; with even her teeth sharpening to that of a predator’s.

“Sapphire, you’re just seeing things, this is just a nightmare or something like that. Nothing more than a figme-“ Sapphire started to say until her words were trapped in her throat as the reflection suddenly stepped out of the mirror.

Eyes widening in horror, Sapphire lit her horn up as she started to search for any water when the reflection said, “Oh, how cute. You’re acting like a scared little filly, when deep down, you’re far more than you give yourself credit for.” The reflection’s voice sounded like a Sapphire’s own voice but with a deeper tone, and some underling trait that was making Sapphire blush a bit, which only served to confuse her a bit.

“What... what are you? Are you something like Veritas?” Sapphire asked, backing away every time the other alicorn stepped towards her. All the while, Sapphire kept her horn lit as she eyed the alicorn with a mix look of fear and caution.

“Well, the answer to that is a mix between yes and no, but I’ll explain to you what I really am. I’m Tsunami, and I am what you could be if you decide to take control from Equestria from the two fools known as the Royal Sisters,” the alicorn answered, scowling at the end when she mentioned the two sisters.

“W-w-what? Take over? Why would I even want that?” Sapphire replied, before shaking her head at even considering Tsunami’s words. “Why am I even listening to you!”

Letting out a cold chuckle, Tsunami replied, “Cause deep down, you know that you could become me. And just think about it, the two sisters trust you, so you could use that trust to isolate then somewhere, where you would strike Luna down, leaving Celestia in dismay and unable to overcome your water magic wi—“

“No, this is crazy talk, you’re insane!” Sapphire interjected as she pointed a hoof at Tsunami.

Laughing as she started to step towards Sapphire, Tsunami stated, “It’s not crazy, and you know it. Celestia’s magic is linked to the sun, so she’s likely to use fire magic, which you can beat with your water magic. Just imagine it, Equestria under your rule, you would have the power to remove the nobles and place you kin, the three clans, in their stead. You could use Equestria’s magic and knowledge to connect to your home, to help your own clan and restore both them and your world to glorious heights beyond imagination! All you have to do is take over, and deep down, you know you can do it.”

Looking at the alicorn with a mix of skepticism and fear, Sapphire kept her silence due to not finding a drop of water in the area for her to use. Glancing at the mirror behind Tsunami, who was getting closer with each passing second, Sapphire gulped as she shouted, “I won’t do it! You’re not who I am or who I’ll be!” before rushing towards the mirror. Ducking beneath a wing that Tsunami swiped at her while roaring in anger, Sapphire leaped towards the mirror, smashing her forehooves into it.

“No! You fool!” Tsunami cried out as both her form and the mirror shattered into fragments that faded before Sapphire’s eyes.

“So... this is why Veritas warned me about mirrors,” Sapphire muttered to herself as she returned her gaze to the door, seeing that it hasn’t changed. Stepping towards the door, Sapphire commented, “I guess whatever is behind that door, is link to all this mirror business that Veritas was talking about.”

“But do you really need to do this? All this effort when you don’t need to?” said a voice to Sapphire’s left, causing her to jerk her head in the direction of the voice to see another mirror. In the mirror, Sapphire could a reflection of herself draped with a gold trim red cape and a silver crown, who was sitting on some massive throne where a pair of servants were carry long on their backs trays stacked with a mountain of food. As Sapphire stared in surprise at the sight, her reflection said, “Come on dear, you’re putting too much effort into something that you don’t even need to do. All you have to do is sit back on your throne and enjoy the life of being a princess.”

Frowning, Sapphire replied, “Let me guess, you’re me if I choose to focus on being a princess.”

Letting out a laugh, the reflection responded, “Close, but not close enough. I’m a version of you that simply had assign a regent to do all the work for me, while all the ponies of Vanhoover worship my mere presence.”

Tilting her head as she gave the reflection a skeptical look, Sapphire stated, “That is one of the most ridiculous thing I ever heard. Who would worship me in the first place?”

Rolling her eyes, the reflection answered, “Please, you’re not that blind to those around you. Remember how much Copper, Silver, and Hallow want to please you? And don’t even forget about the power you have over the water in the city’s bay. Just a couple demonstrations of your magic, and you will have the city eating out of your hoof. Then say hello to the easy life of ponies feeding you all you want,” before she slouched in her chair as a servant used their magic to feed her some grapes.

“And what about my clan? Or my own world, or my past?” Sapphire stated, as she looked in disbelief at this reflection of herself.

“Like I said before, give the job to somepony else. Like Celestia would say, just delegate your duties and enjoy the privileges of being an alicorn princess. In fact, why not just come and join me here, it’s already a paradise here,” the reflection answered as she beckon Sapphire to come with a hoof.

Frowning at the copy of herself, Sapphire marched up to the mirror, causing the reflection to smile until Sapphire places a hoof on the mirror’s frame. “I might not be all that bright or as educated as other ponies my age, but I’m not that stupid to fall for this.”

“What are you doing‽ No!” the reflection cried out as Sapphire pushed the mirror, causing it to fall over and shatter when it hit the floor.

Staring at the broken mirror as it faded away, Sapphire muttered to herself, "The first twisted version of myself, I understand, but this? This is just too much," before she turned towards the door, only to see some kind of glowing yellow light in front of her. Backing up a bit, Sapphire's eyes widen as she saw that she was actually looking at a giant glowing pupil, before she heard some kind of monster roaring, prompting her to scream in terror as the dream shattered around her.

"...You can stop screaming now," Veritas stated as she was appearing in the from of an earth pony, with her hooves over her folded ears. Blinking for a bit as the screaming came to an end, Sapphire blinked as she looked around, where she found herself in sitting in a booth in Sugarcube Corner, with Veritas sitting on the other end of the booth. "So, found anything interesting?"

Narrowing her eyes at the mental construct, Sapphire said, "Interesting? I only found some kind of steel door in my mind, along with some mirrors that showed me some twisted versions of myself. Something that you could warned me about before sending me there!" as she slammed her hooves onto the table.

Rolling her eyes, Veritas countered, "Please, I don't know everything that is going on in your noggin. Most of my knowledge just comes from what you know, and some vague connections to some of your important memories. I might be able to nudge you in the right direction, but I can't figure out what you would find. Even more so in that part of your mind you went to."

Frowning, Sapphire asked, "Wait, that part of my mind? So you didn't send me into some memory linked to all this talking of mirrors and reflections?"

"No... otherwise we would have visited the memory hall first and piece things together. This is why I said Luna wouldn't be able to help you, for she wouldn't have thought of checking your mind thoroughly enough to locate that place in your head. But now that you know of that place, you can let her know about it when you next meet up with her. Maybe then she can bring you there,” Veritas explained.

Raising an eyebrow, Sapphire replied, “Couldn’t you just send me back there again? Or us back there?”

Letting out a snort, Veritas replied, “I could, but I doubt you can honestly last here on your own.”

Sapphire staredat Veritas for a moment, causing the mind construct to give her a bemused look until Sapphire cried out, “Then why the buck did you send me here in the first place‽”

Shrugging, Veritas replied, “I figured that for your first time in wherever you were, you’ll just be stuck somewhere until I fished you out. Besides, it would be a good experience for you, assuming you actually learned anything from your trip.”

“I learned that I have reflections in my mind that want me to be like them, or maybe pull me into their mirror so they can trap me there and take my place!” Sapphire yelled as she slammed a hoof down onto the table.

Twirling a hoof in the air, Veritas said, “Well, you’re here and you now know about that and what you might need to do. So I say that the results are worth it.” As Sapphire just growled at Veritas, the mind construct pointed a hoof at her, saying, “See! You’re growling at me, your backbone has developer some more! Give it a few more months, and you might be willing to slap ponies that get on your nerves too much!” causing Sapphire to let it a groan as she slammed her head onto the table.

Chapter LVIII: Hyperactive (unedited)

“And then I saw the thing with massive yellow eyes staring at me, before I somehow ended back with Veritas. If what I seen was true, I’m starting to wonder if I’m going crazy!”

“I don’t think encountering other versions of yourself in your mind could be considered going crazy, though those eyes do present a matter that Luna should know about. Have you contacted her about it?” Twilight asked as she and Sapphire were sitting at a booth at the Sugarcube Corner. Sapphire had ordered five stacks of pancakes with a jug of milk, drawing attention from the restaurant’s customers, but whether it is due to her being an alicorn or her still ridiculous appetite, she couldn’t tell. Twilight, on the other hoof, was just having a coffee since she had breakfast before Sapphire came knocking on her door with a need to talk to her.

“I already sent her a letter about it, and she quickly replied, telling me to avoid any attempts at recovering my memories on my own or entering that part of my mind without her protection. Considering that the door with the runes on it gives me the shivers for just thinking about it, I’ll heed her advice and not follow any of Veritas schemes. If she wants to help me, she better tell me what she knows and just that,” Sapphire stated before stuffing another pancake into her mouth.

“That would be the best course of action since who would know better than the guardian of the dream realm herself,” Twilight agreed as she was taking notes on everything Sapphire was telling before taking a sip of her coffee. “I wish I knew how to dream walk like Princess Luna, since it sounds like your mind could be one of the most complicated ones she had ever encountered, no offense.”

Rolling her eyes, Sapphire said, “None taken, since I’m pretty certain that I could get lost in my own head if I tried to explore into on my own.”

As Sapphire was pouring more syrup over her remaining pancakes, Twilight looked up at Sapphire from her notes as she asked, “Wait... have you ever thought about learning some magic from Princess Luna? Maybe she can even teach you how to use dream magic so you’re ready in case you encounter something in your mind like your reflections, or whatever possesses those eyes you saw.”

Pausing in the midst of dropping a pancake into her mouth, Sapphire replied, “That’s such a good idea, why didn’t I think up something like that. Or why didn’t Luna thought of that herself?”

“Do remember that Princess Luna has duties of her own to attend to, such as safeguarding the dream realm as well as running your court in Vanhoover until you are ready. I doubt that such a thought would cross her mind when she’s busy enough as is,” Twilight explained.

Blinking for a brief moment, Sapphire replied, “Oh... I didn’t thought about that. Though that only reaffirms my desire to not be a princess.”

Hearing Pinkie’s bouncing footsteps, Sapphire turned to the mare to see her carrying a tray of cupcakes on her head as she gave them all a cheerful smile. “Hey, Sapphire, want some cupcakes?” Pinkie asked as she held the tray right below Sapphire’s nose, allowing her to get a word of the smell of freshly baked cupcakes.

Raising an eyebrow, Sapphire replied, “Pinkie, when do I ever say no to more food?”

“When the princesses are ready to smack them out of your hooves, silly,” Pinkie answered with a giggle, causing not only Sapphire but Twilight to blink owlishly at her.

"That is... oddly specific yet not wrong," Sapphire stated as she stared at Pinkie, while her hoof reached out to grab a cupcake before putting it into her mouth.

"Well, if I were to think of something you would normally do that the princesses would think is unprincess like, than it would be how you eat since you eat so much food at one time that I don't think even Princess Celestia could do, even when she's the biggest pony I ever seen! And since you're being taught to be a princess, I bet that the Royal Sisters are smacking your hooves when you're not eating properly and saying something like, 'Sapphire, that isn't how a princess is suppose to eat! They eat using forks and spoons, not stuffing food into their mouths!' And then you would be all sad and not having a fun time since you like to eat, especially the sweet stuff. Then one of the princesses would be like ‘you have to be a princess, everypony expects you to be, especially the nobles!’ And then you do it cause while you don’t want to be a princess, you do it cause deep down you do it for your clan!” Pinkie exclaimed as Sapphire and Twilight shared a look.

Leaning over to Sapphire, Twilight whispered, “At least you don’t have too much ‘Pinkieness’ since you live in Vanhoover.”

Whispering back, Sapphire said, “That’s what you think. Turns out that one of the other clans have a pony that reminds me of Pinkie.”

Twilight looked at Sapphire in surprise at that statement, her mouth opening to say something when somepony called out, “There you are, Sapphire!”

Ears folding against her head as her pupils shrunk, Sapphire croaked out, “You got to be kidding me...” as she turned to look at the direction of the voice. Seeing that her fears were confirmed as Skyward had stepped inside the bakery, Sapphire whispered to Twilight, “Run for you life!”

“Huh? Why?” Twilight asked with a bewildered look before having her attention drawn to Pinkie suddenly drawing in a large intake of air.

“New pony!” Pinkie cried out as she rushed the stallion. Grabbing his hoof, Pinkie exclaimed, “Hi there! My name is Pinkie Pie, what’s yours? And how do you know Sapphire? Are you one of her fans when she was a model? A member of one of her clans? One of her subjects? Her long lost brother? Do you like cupcakes? And welcome to Ponyville!”

Smiling widely in return, Skyward replied, “My name is Skyward Mist, and it is a pleasure to meet you, Pinkie Pie! And I’m a member of the Trinakas clan! Though you got me to wonder if Princess Sapphire has a long lost brother now. Would that make him an alicorn too since Sapphire is one? Would trust mean he’ll be Equestria’s first alicorn prince? Would he meet up with Princess Celestia or Princess Luna and fall in love with them? Would they become a king and queen if they marry? Would there be alicorn foals? Yes, I do like cupcakes, can I have some?”

“Yupperoonie! Have some of my ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ cupcakes!” Pinkie answered as she pulled out a tray of cupcakes.

Grabbing one of the cupcakes without even questioning where Pinkie got them from, Skyward popped it into his mouth before his pupils widen as a look of joy overtook his face. “These cupcakes are the best I ever had!” Skyward stated, matching Pinkie in speaking speed before tossing the rest of the cupcakes into his gaping maw.

“I... I... How is there a pony that can talk as fast as Pinkie,” Twilight muttered out in dismay.

“Hey, think you can teleport us out of here?” Sapphire asked as she hoped that the pair would remain distracted by each other.

Finishing off the cupcakes by stuff the last four into his mouth, Skyward made an audible gulping sound as he swallowed his food before saying, “Hey, what kinds of foods you baked? Are they as good was these cupcakes, cause then you’re the best baker I have ever meet! Is there a special ingredient? Is it syrup? Apples? Grape jelly? Are these cupcakes Sapphire’s favorite food? Oh! How long did you knew Sapphire? Are you best friends with her?”

“Well... that would be a bit rude if I teleported us out of here... and you do have to pay for the bill...” Twilight answered as she looked at Skyward with a bit of unease in her expression.

“Fine, but maybe you should leave before Skyward goes fifty questions on you too,” Sapphire pointed out as she looked at the hyperactive pair, where Pinkie was already firing off a stream of answers alongside her own questions. However, Sapphire then spotted Mrs. Cake leaning her head out to investigate what had caused Pinkie to talking far more than she normally would. Waving at Mrs. Cake in order to draw her closer, Sapphire said, "How many bits I owe you?" while pulling out a bag of bits.

"Umm... nothing at all princess! It's on the ho—" Mrs. Cake started to say until Sapphire raised a hoof while letting out a sigh.

"Please, Mrs. Cake. You knew me before I became a princess, so please treat me like that customer that came here from time to time to enjoy your sweets," Sapphire said as her eyes darted at the two hyperactive ponies that were still busy with one another.

Biting her lip for a moment, Mrs. Cake finally relented as she said, "Alright... that would be twenty five bits for the pancakes and cupcakes," before she held out a hoof to collect the bits.

Nodding, Sapphire took some bits out of the bag, putting them into Mrs. Cake's hoof before looking at Twilight, saying, "Get ready to teleport us out of he—" before being interrupted as Skyward tackled her, pinning her to the wall as he smiled at her.

"Sorry I forgot about you, Sapphire! But I was so excited by Pinkie and the food she bakes! Have you tried her pumpkin muffins or her cherrymint cupcakes? Oh! Before I forget, the last clan representative is coming over to visit you tomorrow. Do you think we should set up a huge party for his arrival?" Skyward stated as Pinkie let out a gasp from beside him.

"You mean another new pony is coming to Ponyville‽ That means I can throw a party tomorrow too! This is so exciting! Do you know what their favorite cake flavor is, Skyward? Do they like pies, or streamers?" Pinkie asked as she threw streamers into the air.

As Skyward was about to answer Pinkie, Sapphire stuffed a hoof into his mouth as she said, "Now wait a moment, did you said the last clan representative is coming here tomorrow? When I'm on vacation?" before she pulled her hoof out.

Nodding rapidly, Skyward answered, "Yup yup! They arrived just two days ago at Vanhoover, but upon learning from Princess Luna that you're vacationing here in Ponyville, they decided to come here as soon as possible, so they'll be arriving here by train!"

"They? Didn't you meet this clan representative to make certain that it isn't some random pony that just want a personal audience with Sapphire?" Twilight asked as she frown at the thought.

"Oh, yes I did! And let me tell you, they one cr—" Skyward started to answer before Twilight raised her hoof to interrupt him.

"If you met them, why don't you let us know their gender with a he or a she?" Twilight asked with a frown.

"Oh, cause that would spoil the surprise of meeting them! I rather keep everypony guessing so that it would be a game to figure out what kind of pony this pony is when they arrive tomorrow!" Skyward stated while raising his hooves up into the air as a kind of cheer, something that Pinkie mimicked with a giggle. "But I will give you one little hint about this pony!"

Resisting the urge to facehoof at Skyward's antic, Sapphire asked, "And just what is this hint, Skyward?"

"Oh, that this pony is weird, and I mean really weird! But not in the bad way, just in the weird way that makes you think they're weird, you know what I mean? I don't want to say anymore cause that would completely ruin the surprise!" Skyward exclaimed, causing Sapphire and Twilight to exchange a glance at one another.

"Well... I don't have anything... against... weird..." Sapphire started to say as her pupils started to widen as she began to realize something. If Skyward, a pony that reminded her of Pinkie, said that this clan representative was weird, then that could mean anything in regards to just how weird this pony could be. Something that made Sapphire fold her ears against her head as she began to dread the thought of meeting this mystery pony.

Chapter LIX: Moonlit (unedited)

“I have no idea how you manage to talk me into this.”

“Oh Sapphire, you’re so silly! I lured you here with the fake hat you just finished, remember?”

“... I was hoping somepony else would answer with something that wasn’t an obvious jab at my appetite,” Sapphire stayed in a flat tone as she used her hoof to wipe off some frosting off the side of her lips. The Elements, Sapphire and Skyward were waiting at the train station, with Pinkie hoping up and down with glee which Skyward was mimicking. The pair’s action was drawing glances from the other Elements alongside any locals, who then scurry off in fear of what the two hyperactive ponies might be up to.

“Relax Sapphire, Skyward may have said that this pony was weirder than him, but you have to keep in mind that weird is a matter of perspective. For all you know, this pony could be normal,” Twilight proposed, drawing Sapphire’s attention towards her until Rarity cleared her throat.

“Or perhaps this is a first impression that Skyward had, and there is a saying that one should judge by first impressions,” Rarity stated, causing Sapphire to rub her chin in thought.

“Maybe you’re right, I could just be over-“ Sapphire started to say until the sound of a train whistle interrupted her, causing the group to turn their heads towards the incoming train. Coming to a stop, the train doors open to let out a small group of ponies as the group's eyes scanned the passing crowd, who all have greetings to Sapphire before moving on their way. “Hey, Skyward. I thought you sa—“ Sapphire started to say until she heard somepony clearing their throat right before her. Seeing nothing before her at first, Sapphire hear the throat hearing again, this time from below. Looking down, Sapphire saw a yellow coated, brown maned unicorn staring up at her, her mane done in a bun as she had a pair of oval-shaped glasses on her nose. With a pair of saddlebags on her back blocking the view of her Cutie Mark, the mare's violet eyes staring intensely at Sapphire, causing her to feel the need to back away. "Are y—" Sapphire started to say until the mare lit her horn up with a violet aura as the same aura wrapped around Sapphire's jaw, pulling it down to the mare's eye level.

"Frontal teeth seems to be normal," the mare said as she placed a hoof at the bottom of Sapphire's mouth, forcing it more open as Sapphire just stared at the mare in surprise. "The rest of the teeth is normal for a pony as well. Tongue is normal with no signs of it being forked at some point."

“Umm... what the buck are you doing?” Rainbow asked, finally breaking the silence that the group was experiencing.

“Examining the alicorn from the Arulas clan to see it being from another world has cause any mutations to her clan,” the mystery mare said as she took grey cylinder from her saddlebags before she shaking it inside Sapphire’s open mouth, causing her to start coughing and hacking out of control. “Hmm... elemental breaths aren’t a likely mutation.”

“Did you just threw some pepper down Sapphire’s throat‽ Who does that to a pony they just met, much less a princess‽ And why in Celestia’s name would you think she has some kind of elemental breath‽” Twilight cried after finally breaking loose of her shock.

“I heard that Sapphire came from another world from Skyward, meaning her clan was isolated for thousand of years in a world that could have different environmental conditions from our world. So I’m not excluding any possibilities until I have verified if Sapphire possesses them or not,” the mare answered before blinking as an aquamarine aura engulfed her form before tugging her away from an irate Sapphire.

“Forgive me for being rude with what I’m going to say, but have you ever heard of personal space?” Sapphire growled out as she resisted the temptation to grab the pepper shaker and stuff it down the mare’s throat.

“Yes, but I find it to be a foolish concept that only gets in the way of the advancement of society. Now, please insert this tube into your rectum so I could gather some feces samples now,” the mare said, causing Rarity and Twilight to both blanch and cover their mouths in disgust. The rest however looked confused as they turn to the pair for answers.

“I will not stick that tube up for whatever reason you need!” Sapphire yelled at the mare, who didn’t even blink in response.

“Very well then, but I recommend th—“ the mare said as she levitated a tube until Twilight darted forward between the mare and Sapphire.

Grabbing the tube with her own magic, Twilight tore it away from the mare as she said, “I don’t think that is necessary! If you need medical observations of Sapphire’s biology, I’m certain the doctors and researchers at Canterlot would be more than happy to provide you with their data, Miss...”

“Moonlit Scan,” the mare said, causing both Twilight and the others to blink at the odd name.

“Alright... Miss Scan, I can write you a letter to bring to the researchers so you can get a copy of their data,” Twilight proposed with a smile. A smile that soon became strained as Moonlit just stared at her without voicing a reply.

After a minute of utter silence, Moonlit finally broke it when she said, “No, their data comes from a methodological examination that overlooks any other obscure possibilities. I prefer to be thorough, so I need to perform the examination myself. Now, back to said examination. Since you refused the rectum tube, we will postpone that in favor of taking pictures of your mouth," before she pulled up a camera with some rope wrapped around it.

Leaning towards Fluttershy, Rainbow whispered, "Okay, this pony is a quack. Even I don't think that is something somepony should do to figure out whatever that mare believes Sapphire has."

"Well... maybe she's just doing this for Sapphire's benefit?" Fluttershy mentioned, only to wither underneath Rainbow's flat look at her comment. "Or maybe for ponykind?"

"I am not going to stick that camera down my throat," Sapphire said with a growl as Twilight just stared in complete disbelief at the camera hanging off the rope.

"But you must, for it will reveal to all of us why you're able to consume large quantities of food without gaining any visible signs of such an act afterward. You might even have an enhanced level of stomach acid that could even erode inorganic objects," Moonlit stated as she shook the rope a bit.

"Yeah... I just think what Skyward said was true, this mare is a nutjob," Rainbow whispered while making a circular motion to her head with a hoof.

"Now that's just mean, Rainbow. I'm sure that deep down that mare has go—" Fluttershy said before noticing that Moonlit sighed before returning her camera to her pack, before pulling out a kitchen knife.

"We need to get a blood sample then, along with a sample of your muscles, bones, and ne—" Moonlit said until a purple aura surrounded her, her saddlebags coming off her as they levitated towards Twilight.

"Alright, knives are were I'm putting my hoof down, just what kind of cra—oh sweet Celestia!" Twilight started to say until she opened the right bag. "Why do you have a metal pole with a spike on it‽ And why do you have a lightning rod that is clearly made for you to hook a pony up to‽"

Giving Twilight a slightly annoyed look, Moonlit answered, "The first is intended to provide sharp jabbing pain to certain body parts to observe the subject's reaction, in case there is some kind of mutation or development that allows for instant retaliation to hostile attacks, with the pole to allow me to stay at a safe distance for close range reactions. The lig—"

"That was a rhetorical question! No pony should be carrying this kind of stuff, much less use it on another pony!" Twilight shouted as she glared at Moonlit. "Your methods are completely unethical!"

"Ethics just slow down the pursuit of knowledge. In order to advance our understanding of the world and what lays beyond, we must be ready to do anything to obtain the answers yet to be discovered," Moonlit stated in a neutral tone.

"Ethics are what keeps ponies from doing horrible things such as raising the dead! Ponies need morality, otherwise society would fall apart at the seams!" Twilight cried out, as Sapphire blinked while stepping back, putting some distance between her and the pair.

"...Or maybe Skyward was right about Moonlit being crazy..." Fluttershy finally conceded, as the other elements were gathering together with Skyward sticking to Pinkie's side.

"Morality, something that is easily ignored by ponies that desire to take advantage of others for their own financial gain. I highly doubt that the 'morals' of society is as effective as you believe."

"I reckon that this mare has more than a few screws loose, for I don't know a wick of this science mumbo jumbo she was talking about. But even I know that you don't stick a camera down a pony's throat just to take pictures," Applejack commented.

"Morality is what keeps our neighbors from just waltzing into our homes to take whatever they want! I'll admit that there are ponies that ignore such basic levels of respect to their fellow ponies, but that is what laws are for, with the guards there to enforce them. In fact, I don't know how you're not arrested for violating some pony with your 'examinations'!"

Looking at the group, Skyward said, "I told you so... but we can still throw a party, right Pinkie?" as he turned his attention towards said mare.

"Quite simple, since I travel the world with my clan while on the search for the Arulas clan, we aren't subjected to the laws that are observed in the settlements of the lands we visit. Furthermore, I do serve as one of my clan's doctors, hence my observational methods and examinations are permitted for the greater well-being of the clan."

Pinkie smiled as she nodded furiously while saying, "Oh course! Even if Moonlit is a weird and maybe a bit of a meanie for wanting to stick that tube up Sapphire's butt, everypo—"

"She wanted to do what with my butt‽" Sapphire yelled as she turned around to face Pinkie, as Rainbow and Applejack turned to look at Pinkie in shock as well.

Shrugging, Pinkie answered, "Yeah, the rectum is located in your rear, so to stick that tube into rectum me—"

"I get the point now, thanks Pinkie!" Sapphire shouted as she turned her attention towards Moonlit. "There is no way in Tartarus that I'm going to do any of these examinations you want to do! In fact, you're crazy! So crazy, that somepony needs to put you away for the safety of others!" Sapphire screamed as she pointed a hoof at Moonlit, who remained emotionless despite Sapphire's outburst.

"...I see that you will be unlikely to commit to aiding me in the research of your body's potential functions, then there is an alternative route that you can take that wouldn't be as intrusive," Moonlit replied, causing Twilight, who was angry mere moments ago, to blink in confusion.

"Wait, you have an alternative route planned if Sapphire refused your demands?" Twilight asked, as Sapphire's left eye twitched at the thought of letting Moonlit have her way in some form.

"And why would I agree to this 'alternative route'?" Sapphire growled out as she started to grind her teeth together.

"Cause I will pursue studying you, and I only have two methods that I will use. So either you do the alternative, or I will pursue my preferred method of study," Moonlit answered, to which Sapphire started to feel like one of her blood vessels will pop soon.

"Will... this alternative form prevent you from laying a hoof, or a spell, on me?" Sapphire muttered out as she resisted the urge to just encase this mare in a block of ice and throwing her as far away from Ponyville as she can.

"Yes, and along with that, you will be unlikely to see me through this alternative route," Moonlit replied, as Twilight got a bit curious and was about to open the other saddlebag when Moonlit grabbed it back with her magic before she could see its contents.

"Fine, as long as I don't have to deal with you," Sapphire grunted out, only to see Moonlit nodded before reaching into the other saddlebag to pull out a camouflage cloak.

As the entire group was blinking in surprise, Moonlit said, "Time to commence observations of the alicorn mare known as Sapphire Rain," as she trotted off towards the nearest bush.

Silence overtook the group as they stared at Moonlit who promptly jumped into the bush, until Rainbow finally broke it when she commented, "I think Sapphire just got her first stalker."

Chapter LX: Hiding (unedited)

“So, got rid of that crazy mare yet?”

"If only I can, Pinkie still hasn't found a trace of her yet, and she even went as far as to set up a trap. Though... I doubt Moonlit will fall for a pie that is beneath a wooden box propped up by a stick," Sapphire said before letting out a sigh as she stuffed a hayfry into her mouth. Looking around, Sapphire only saw ponies milling about inside Hayburger, some who were just staring at her in utter surprise since they never expected a princess to be at a Hayburger of all places. Seated at a table with Rainbow directly across from her, Sapphire was having three triple hayburgers with a strawberry shake and with a large bag of hayfries, while Rainbow simply had a double hayburger with a side of hayfries.

"I still can't believe that mare actually disappeared after jumping into that bush! I mean, I only thought Pinkie should do something like that! And maybe Skyward since he acts like her. I'm starting to wonder if these other clans are filled with weirdos... umm... no offense," Rainbow stated as she took another bite of her hayburger.

"None taken, since the representatives that I meant so far all aren't exactly what you call normal. Though, I can't say much since one of my combat teachers started out my training with her by hitting me with her war hammer," Sapphire replied as she took a massive bite of her own burger that took a third of it, which caused Rainbow to shiver at the mare’s appetite.

“Do you think she’s actually watching you still, or she finally got bored of watching you relaxing?” Rainbow asked as she refrained from eating her meal for a bit.

“I would love to say that she did got bored, but sometimes I could just feel like somepony was watching me. That and I swear that she plucked a hair from my tail when I wasn’t looking. But to think, it’s been a few days and the only signs of her was when she picked up food from the farmers market when Big Mac was behind the Apple stall,” Sapphire responded as she was about to put some fries in her mouth when her eyes narrowed as the feeling of being watched came upon her. Glancing around, Sapphire didn’t caught a hint of Moonlit, causing her to snort in frustration as she returned her attention to her meal.

Cocking an eyebrow at Sapphire, Rainbow asked, “What is going on? Is that crazy mare back to stare at you?”

"I don't know, but it feels like she is, or maybe she was all the time and she did something to alert me to her presence..." Sapphire answered as she gave one last glance at the area before sitting down. Rainbow, however, narrowed her eyes as she looked around, scrutinizing the restaurant and whatever laid outside the windows. Sighing, Sapphire said, "I doubt you’ll be able to find her either, Rainbow.”

“Hey, just because you couldn’t spot her doesn’t mean I can’t!” Rainbow countered while beating a hoof against her chest. As Sapphire was letting out another sigh, Rainbow straighten up as she sat on her seat like a hawk, swinging turning her head left and right as she kept a lookout for Moonlit.

“Any sign of her?” Sapphire asked in a halfhearted tone, knowing that what Rainbow was doing was utterly futile.

After a few more seconds of searching, Rainbow deflated as she said, "No, there's no signs of that pest of a unicorn... but can't you just send a letter to Princess Celestia to get some of the Royal Guard to go out on the hunt for her?"

Shaking her head, Sapphire replied, "No, I can't do that. It would be uprooting the lives of the ponies living in Ponyville, along with the chance of ruining a few ponies' gardens. As long as Moonlit is just watching me, I'll just wait her out until I return to Vanhoover. Then my guard could use finding and arresting Moonlit as a training exercise."

"But aren't they new? I doubt that they'll find her on the first day... no offense," Rainbow said with a shrug.

"They are, but hey, they got to eventually find her and then capture her... unless she's heard our entire conversation," Sapphire stated as she looked at the windows, with Rainbow mirroring her.

"I don't think she can hear through windows and pick up what we're talking about with all these ponies talking around us," Rainbow pointed out before returning her attention to her meal.

"I wish I have confidence... but you're right, she can't hear us from the outside... unless..." Sapphire said as an idea dawned on her, causing her to look up at the ceiling, which brought Rainbow's attention to it.

There, hanging off the ceiling via suction cups attached to her hooves, was Moonlit as she was taking notes with her magic. "Please ignore my presence for the time being. Along with my overhearing of what you're planning for me," Moonlit said in a matter of fact tone.

Sapphire and Rainbow briefly glanced at each other before Rainbow cried out, “Yeah, no way in Tartarus will I let you go!” as she flew up at Moonlit, who simply jumped off the ceiling before Rainbow could get to her. "Hold still shorty!" Rainbow demanded as she turned around to go after her while Sapphire was busy stuffing her face with her food.

"I am not short, I'm just compacted for optimal observation without being detected. Also, thank you for revealing how fast an alien alicorn can eat," Moonlit stated before pulling something from her pack as Sapphire was lighting her horn up with her magic.

"I let you go last time cause I was surprise, but I'm not go—" Sapphire started to say, until Moonlit pulled something out of her pack and threw it onto the ground, causing the entire restaurant to be engulfed in smoke. Coughing as Sapphire let go of her magic and Rainbow coming to a halt, Sapphire waved a wing in front of her face to clear out the smoke until she heard the sound of some of the restaurant's patrons opening the front doors, causing the smoke to flow out of the building.

Rainbow, on the other hoof, darted out of the restaurant and flew above, scanning he area before throwing her hooves up into the air as she yelled, “Augh! How the buck did that mare got away from us?! What, is she some kind of ninja?!”

Walking out of the front doors while coughing a bit, Sapphire replied, “I don’t know, but since she could avoid the likes of Pinkie Pie, I’m not surprised that she eluded us too. Also, what’s a ninja?”

Facehoofing with both forehooves, Rainbow let out a groan as she said, “I’ll explain it later.” As Sapphire tilted her head in confusion, Rainbow muttered to herself, “Should have seen that coming.”

"You're sure your animals would find Moonlit if she tried to stalk me by coming to your home?"

"Well, they wouldn't like it if a stranger were to come walking up to my home... much less a pony that is trying to sneak around as well. But... is that why you came to pay me a visit?" Fluttershy asked, as she and Sapphire where having some tea together. Shortly after having her lunch with Rainbow, Sapphire decided to pay Fluttershy a visit, leading to them sitting together in Fluttershy's living room, sitting around a table as the wildlife that Fluttershy took care of roamed about around them. With the exception of Angel Bunny, who was sitting on a pile of pillows while staring at Sapphire with open hostility, to which Sapphire was doing her best to ignore.

"What? No, I'm just asking cause I don't want that crazy mare sneaking up on us and spooking you. I mean, she was hanging off the ceiling when Rainbow and I were having lunch together. I just don't want to find her hiding in your closet," Sapphire answered, before glancing at the doorways as well as the ceiling for any sign of Moonlit. Letting out a sigh of relief, Sapphire continued, "I'm starting to wonder how many times that mare was arrested for doing these kind of things."

“I don’t think she means to hurt ponies. I just think that she is just really excited about her work and just pours her all into it,” Fluttershy replied, before lowering her head a bit when Sapphire gave her a disbelieving look. “I mean, she might just be a bit too passionate in her work to think about how other ponies feel about it...”

"Then that mare needs to learn that there is such as a thing as too much passion," Sapphire stated as she folded her forelegs over her chest with a huff. "I already have enough proble—no you don't!" Sapphire started to say until Angel pulled out a carrot to throw at her plate. Grabbing the carrot with her magic, Sapphire looked at Fluttershy as she asked, "Why does your pet bunny despise me so much?"

"Angel, don't be mean to Sapphire! You still need to apologize for the time you spilled hot tea on her!" Fluttershy yelled, or rather said loudly, as she took on a bit of an angry look, surprising Sapphire as she leaned back a bit with a raised eyebrow. As Angel let out some squeaky protest while waving his forelegs about, Fluttershy's glare hardened as she continued, "Look, she might be sitting on your seat, but she's on vacation and having a hard time already. So apologize for your behavior."

As Angel kept up his protest, Sapphire rolled her eyes as she said, "Umm... Fluttershy, I don't think you can get your... pet to actu—" Sapphire started to say until she backed away from surprise as Fluttershy's glare shifted into something she never saw before. "Fluttershy... what are you doing?" Sapphire croaked out as she averted her gaze to avoid seeing the intense stare the normally timid pegasus had, while Angel himself had his ears folded against the back of his head as he stared in terror at his owner's eyes.

"Angel, you apologize to Sapphire for what you did, and you will give her a hug to show that you mean it," Fluttershy ordered. Nodding rapidly, Angel let out a few squeaks before hoping over to Sapphire, where he clutched onto Sapphire's foreleg in some kind of attempt at hugging her.

"Okay... that was just... creepy," Sapphire muttered out under her breath, which Fluttershy didn't heard as she just smiled at the pair.

"See, that wasn't so hard, Angel," Fluttershy said as her gaze returned to normal, allowing both Angel and Sapphire to look at the mare, the former with some fear in his eyes, while the latter was surprised.

Shaking her head clear of what just happened, Sapphire asked, "Fluttershy, just what was that thing you did with your eyes there?"

Shifting her attention to Sapphire, Fluttershy's eyes widen as she said, "Oh! I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to use that on you. I just remembered that time where you were in pain from the hot tea, and I didn't want it to happen again. I guess I used my Stare on accident when I was trying to get Angel to apologize to you.

"I see... but a little wa—" Sapphire started to say until somepony interrupted her by knocking on Fluttershy's front door.

"Umm... hello? Who are y—" Fluttershy said before coming to a pause as Moonlit was standing in front of the door with a magnifying glass in her magic.

Rushing to the door as Fluttershy stared at the mare in surprise, Sapphire lunged at the mare only for Moonlit to step aside, causing Sapphire to crash face first into the dirt. Ignoring the alicorn that nearly attacked her, Moonlit walked straight up to Fluttershy, coming face to face despite the mare's attempt to back away from the mare. "Yellow pegasus, your eyes hold a mysterious power. Something that needs to be studied for the greater good of ponykind. Hence, I wish for you to give me one of your eyes for study."

"You... you want me... to give you... an... eye..." Fluttershy said in utter shock before her eyes rolled up in her head as she fainted due to the imagery of what Moonlit had requested her.

Getting up, Sapphire said, "By the moons, Moonlit! You don't go around asking ponies to give you an eye! Nopony in their right mind would even try to oblige that quest."

Looking at Sapphire for a brief moment as a carrot bounced off the back of her head, Moonlit said, "Very well then, I shall take my leave." Before Sapphire could lit her horn, Moonlit pulled some round object from her saddlebags, causing a sudden flash that blinded Sapphire for a moment.

Shaking her head as she waited for her vision to clear, upon being able to see again, Sapphire looked around to see that Moonlit have escaped again, causing her to roar to the sky, "Luna damn that mare!"

Chapter LXI: Incident (unedited)

"It's just after five in the morning, go bother some other princess!" Sapphire shouted as she wrapped her pillow over her head prior to checking a clock to see what time it is. After waking Fluttershy up, Sapphire decided it was a good time to just head home and practice some cooking. Her dinner ended up being partially burnt, but the real reason was she wanted to be able to knock out Moonlit with a frying pan that she had on the counter instead of the stove. Sadly, there were no signs of her stalker, thus Sapphire turned in for the night only to be woken up by somepony pounding on her door.

“Princess Sapphire, this is urgent!” cried a voice that sounded like Foggy Skies to Sapphire. Groaning in annoyance, Sapphire tossed the pillow aside as she crawled out of the bed, falling onto the floor face first.

“This better be important and not some dumb task that Celestia decides to dump on me,” Sapphire grumbled to herself as she stood up and shook her body a bit to help wake herself up. Walking down the stairs and to the door at a sedated pace, Sapphire opened the door to see that it was indeed Foggy, who looked to be out of breath. "Foggy... why are you here instead of being at Vanhoover?"

Saluting, Foggy answered, “Princess Sapphire, There has been a diplomatic incident with the Dragonlands that both the royal sisters are needed for attendance. With Princess Cadance handling the day to day affairs of Canterlot, you would be needed back in Vanhoover to oversee the construction of your castle as well as the affairs of the transition of the local government to your control.”

Blinking in surprise, Sapphire said, “Wait, just what kind of diplomatic incident would require both Celestia and Luna to be present? And couldn’t they sent me a letter instead of forcing you to travel halfway across Equestria just to get me?”

“I’m afraid that it is classified, but I can assure you that the nature of the incident requires my presence, along with a portion of your guard along with troops from the Royal Guard. We even have a personal train prepared for your departure,” Foggy Skies stated with another salute that Sapphire found to be a bit stiff.

Frowning, Sapphire replied, "But what about my friends? Can I at least say goodbye?"

Shaking her head, Foggy said, "We don't have time. Vanhoover, and through it Equestria, needs you. We'll leave a note for them explaining things, but right now we need to get to the train now. The more time we waste, the more risk we put on Ponyville, and thus danger to your friends."

Sighing as she came out of her home, Sapphire said, "Then I better hope that Celestia will give me another break then sometime soon. Lead the way then, Foggy." Receiving a stiff nod as she closed the door, Sapphire followed Foggy to the train station, as she wondered, 'Just once, I wish Celestia didn't have to meddle in my affairs in some way..."

"It is five fifteen in the morning, proceeding with the next examination of subjects sleeping patterns," Moonlit stated as she stifled a yawn before readying herself to jump out of the tree she was napping in. Until she saw the sight of Sapphire leaving her home with a guard in blue armor, causing her to pause for a moment before grabbing her pad and pencil. “Subject is leaving her current environment with an authority figure. A potential royal affair may be occurring. Proceeding with the observation of subject under new conditions,” Moonlit muttered to herself as she wrote down her words before following the pair at a distance.

“Subject appears to know the pony she is traveling with, though the newcomer is making only short responses," Moonlit whispered to herself as she followed the pair until they came upon the train station, with a train waiting for them that had more guards surrounding it. Ducking behind a bush, Moonlit muttered, "It appears that the subject is leaving the settlement by train. Time to hitch a ride, as some ponies would say," before she scanned the train for any openings in the guard.

Frowning at seeing that the guard had a full visual of the area around the train, Moonlit watched as Sapphire and the guard boarded the train, with the rest following suit. "Train boarding exercise number five will com—and the train is already getting started without a warning whistle," Moonlit said before hopping out of the bushing and galloping to the departing train. Lighting her horn up, Moonlit pulled out a hook and rope with her map, swinging it around before throwing the hook at the end of the train, hooking onto the last car's rail. Grabbing into the rope with her forehooves, Moonlit was pulled off her rear hooves, her diminutive size allowing the growing speed of the train to keep her airborne as she pulled herself along the rope.

Reaching the rear door of the car, Moonlit used her magic to yank the door open before climbing into the train. Turning around, Moonlit grabbed the hook and pulled in the rope, putting it in her saddlebags as she heard a voice said, "What are you doing here pony?" Turning around, Moonlit saw two pegasi guards scowling at her, their spears pointing at her.

Cocking an eyebrow, Moonlit replied, "Pony? Normal guard reactions would either be citizen or intruder," before she closed the door behind her. "Guards are trained to be uniform in responses to the everyday citizen. Based on your armor coloration, you appear to be Sapphire's own guard, but you would still follow the same standards as the Royal Guard. that can mean only one conclusion."

Glancing at one another, the guard to Moonlit's right just shrugged before returning his attention to Moonlit as he said, "What's your point?"

"The conclusion I have arrived to is this, that neither of you are ponies," Moonlit answered as she used her magic to pull out a quill and notepad. Both guards took a step back and narrowed their eyes, as they readied their spears to skewer the intruder, only for Moonlit to go on as she said, "Thus, you two are aliens from beyond the sky that had taken out the organs out of the guards that you are now using as skin suits to hide among us ponies. Or perhaps some unknown native lifeform that has adapted to taking on pony skins to hide among the masses, either case is a possibility."

Lowering their spears, the guard on the left said, "Are... are you joking?"

"Jokes are a waste of time... why do I feel a sense of dread?" Moonlit stated as she looked at the back window, causing both guards to look as well out of curiosity.

"Rubber duckie... cupcake surprise... jokes aren't a waste of time!" Pinkie cried out, waking from her slumber as her head shifted about, her eyes narrowed as if there was some intruder in her room. "Oh... I got some pony that needs a lesson from Auntie Pinkie."

Shrugging, Moonlit said, "Just a passing feeling," as she returned her attention to the two guards who were giving her flat looks.

"Look, pony, regardless if you think we're aliens or not, you're under arrest for boarding a train without a ticket. So either surrender yourself or things will ge—stop pulling stuff out of your saddlebags!" the guard on the left roared before blinking in surprise as Moonlit pulled out two tubes along with a pair of vials. "What are you doing with those?"

"The presence of alien life or a newly discovered species is unprecedented, thus I must collect samples. Let's start with some feces samples," Moonlit stated as she approached the two.

"So, since we're finally on board, can you finally tell me what's going on in the Dragonlands?" Sapphire asked as she was seated in one of the train car's seats with a pair of guards, a unicorn stallion flanking her on the right with a pegasi mare on her left, while Foggy was sitting across from her.

Shaking her head, Foggy answered, "Sorry princess, that information is not to be divulged to you. This is a delicate affair, and if any diplomats were to visit you and you accidentally let slip any tidbits about the matter, they could use it as an opportunity to destabilize the meeting and worsen relations between ponykind and dragons."

Sighing, Sapphire said, "Even when I'm supposed to be equal to those two, I'm still kept in the dark about things like this? At the very least, you did provide some kind of note to my friends to explain my disappearance?"

Nodding, Foggy replied, "Yes princess, a note has been provided to your friend Twilight explaining your sudden absence." Turning to look out the window, Foggy then continued, "Though, there is something else that we should attend to, princess."

Tilting her head, Sapphire asked, "And what would th—what the buck are you doing!" as both guards on her sides turned towards her and bit her on the neck.

With a smirk on her face, Foggy answered, "Oh, they're just incapacitating you. Don't you feel those fangs piercing your hide? The venom th—buck!" before ducking as Sapphire grabbed the pegasi guard and threw her at Foggy.

"You're going to pay for this!" Sapphire roared as her horn lit up, only for it to fizzle out. "Wait... what the?" Sapphire croaked out as the other guard tackled her down, pinning her legs against the seat as he bit down on her neck again.

Laughing, Foggy said, "Hello, didn't you hear me talking about the venom before you rudely interrupt me?" Going up to Sapphire's face, Foggy placed a hoof on her cheek as Sapphire struggled to escape the grasp of the guard, only to find herself feeling weaker and weaker as she found it harder to stay awake. "I'll admit, I did underestimate you due to your size comparison to the royal sisters, but you'll be good practice for the main event."

"What... what are you talking about?" Sapphire asked as she felt her eyelids getting heavier and heavier with each passing second as the guard finally withdrew his muzzle from her neck.

"Oh, you'll see in time, princess. Once you're no longer a threat," Foggy stated with a grin. "Though, it was so kind of you to simply go along with everything I say. I can't believe you were so gullible to believe me without even a letter from the royal sisters."

"I... they're going to find out about this... and when they do..." Sapphire groaned out, only for Foggy to throw her head back as she let out a laugh.

"Please, they won't know a thing since 'you' will be at Ponyville still, living your life as normal until you vacation naturally ends. And the best part, since you're an amnesiac, imitating you would be a breeze for even an idiot," Foggy stated with a feral grin as she got close to Sapphire to where Sapphire could see her eyes flash green for a brief moment. "Face it, you're all mine."

Chapter LXII: Change (uneditted)

“Note: turns out that subjects haven’t stolen the skin of ponies to disguise themselves. Instead, they’re some kind of insectoid pony that uses magic to disguise themselves. Regardless, bodies have been examined along with samples being collected,” Moonlit stated as she looked at a pair of the insect ponies she was talking about. The duo was tied up and gagged, in the corner, their faces bearing expressions of great suffering. Though Moonlit did observe that the duo was making a great effort to avoid moving their rears.

“Your contributions to science will be remembered, but now it's time for me to find my primary subject,” Moonlit stayed as she climbed up the train car door to look out its window. Noticing that there was a group of guards in the next train car, Moonlit hopped off the door, returning to the end of the train car before letting herself out. Looking to her side to take note of how fast the train was moving, Moonlit took out her suction cup boots, putting them on before going up the back of the train car. Getting to the top of the car, Moonlit counted that there was a total of five train cars, not counting the train’s engine car. “This shouldn’t take too long.”

Augh... why did my head hu-Foggy! Sapphire thought to herself as she was returning to the waking world, only to find herself immersed in some kind of slimy substance. Glancing about, Sapphire found herself floating in some kind of transparent container, which was flanked by what looked like two insects that had taken pony form somehow. At the sight, Sapphire was about to let out a yelp of surprise only to gag when the slime surged into her mouth the moment she opened it. Closing her mouth while enduring the horrid taste of slime, Sapphire looked at the bug ponies, observing the black chitin bodies with the turquoise green backs and eyes that were completely blue. Squinting to see better in the goo that obscured her vision, Sapphire could see the pointy horn on their heads, the transparent insect wings on their backs, alongside the holes that were in their legs.

With the sound of a train car closing, Sapphire turned her head to see Foggy walking down towards her pod with another one of the bug ponies walking beside her. Approaching the pod, she paid a hoof on it before bursting into flames, revealing herself to be another bug pony, one that was twice the height of the others. Baring a turquoise green mane with spotted green pupils for her eyes, along with some kind of black crown tiled with what looked like turquoise pearls.

“The princesses have been too lax with their security; first with that niece of theirs, and now this new princess. Taking Canterlot would be far easier than originally believed,” the tall bug pony stated, not observing the fact that Sapphire was looking at her.

Meanwhile, Sapphire tried to lit her horn with her magic, only to find that it wasn’t reacting. This goo must be suppressing m

The other bug pony however noticed Sapphire looking at them in shock, prompting it to say, “My Queen, the pri-“

“Do not interrupt me when I’m enjoying the moment,” the tall bug pony growled out as she placed her head against the bug pony’s such that they were staring into each others’ eyes.

“S-Sorry my queen!” the bug pony chirped in a shrill voice before backing away, its rear legs shivering in fright.

“Good,” the tall bug pony said as she lifted her head up. “Now, you will be impersonating the princess as we resume our operations. She shouldn’t be too hard to mimic since reports indicate that she’s recovering her memories. So try to subtly fish for information from the ponies she knows, then make up some memories that would align with what they know of her. Also, how much of a big eater are you?”

“My queen?” the bug pony responded at it gave a bewildered look to the queen.

Sighing, the queen said, “This pony is known for consuming unrealistic amounts of food. So to fit her image you'll have to do the same thing. I don’t care how you do it, visit some pony bathroom to empty out your stomach, but that is a key part of her habits. Just play nice with the ponies and keep your head down. I’ll extract more information from her to give to your replacement so they can fully mimic her,” the queen stated before looking at the pod. Upon seeing Sapphire, the queen then said, “Oh, you’re awake. Whether your heard my plans or not doesn’t matter though, since there is no chance of you escaping. But for now, let’s take a peek inside that empty head of yours,” before she lit her horn up with a fiery green aura.

As her eyes widen, Sapphire tried to swim to the other side to no avail as the queen shot a beam of green light that struck Sapphire between her eyes, sending the world into darkness once more.

”So... this is... an utter mess,” said the changeling queen as she looked about in Sapphire’s memory hall. Kicking aside the broken shards, the queen stomped down the hallway as she muttered, “Why must Equestrian princesses be such a hassle.”

Turning to look into one of the partly assembled mirrors, the queen watched as a fragmented memory played until a voice said, “Yet another feeble intruder...” its tone deep and masculine.

Jerking her head up, the queen lit her horn alight with her green aura as she said, “Who goes there? Who dares to oppose me?”

“Who dares? Says the one that is intruding upon another,” said the voice once more as mirrors appeared around the queen, reflecting her appearance.

“Answer me, or you will face the wrath of Queen Chrysalis, the queen of the changelings!” Chrysalis roared, her horn lighting up as she glared at the mirrors around her, as the walls of the hall seem to disappear, an endless void taking their place.

“Queen? You call yourself a queen? You’re nothing more than an insect, deserving to be crushed underfoot.”

“How dare you mock me, vermin!” Chrysalis cried out as she lit her horn, only for a cloud of what appeared to be the night sky to come before her, taking the outline form of an alicorn as it stretched its forelegs out to block her.

"Whoa whoa, no firing off spells here, or any ma—who the buck are you?" Veritas said, tilting her head in confusion.

Growling, Chrysalis replied, “I am Queen Chrysalis, and I demand you cease these mind games and submit. I have broken many a pony’s minds, and some memory or figment of her imagination will not stop me now!” as she stomped the ground, shaking the mirrors.

Waving her hooves in a placating fashion, Veritas said, “Look, you shouldn’t be here, you’re meddling in things you do—“ until Chrysalis shoot a beam at magic at her, dispersing here into stars that winked out of existence.

“Enough of these games!” Chrysalis roared as she fired wildly at the mirrors with her magic, sending green energy bolts that shattered the mirrors one by one until the mirrors parted before her, revealing behind them an orb that seemed to be made of mirrors. Upon impact, the orb would crack before emitting a pulse of energy that scattered the mirrors as well as Chrysalis. Screaming in rage as she felt herself leaving the mind of her prey, Chrysalis would hear the voice mocking her with its final words.

“Thank you.”

“Curse that mare! She will pay for that mental failsafe!” Chrysalis yelled as she was rubbing her temples, her back turned to Sapphire’s pod as her guards were by her side.

“My Queen, what happened?” one guard asked, only to back away when Chrysalis gave a withering look in reply.

"What happened doesn't matter, drone. What matters now is that I will break this princess's mind and learn her se—" Chrysalis said until they heard the pod cracking open. Jerking her head towards the pod, Chrysalis saw that the alicorn had just punched a hole into the side of the chamber and was now pulling it open, causing the pod to pour its greenish slime onto the floor of the train car. "Just what I need, more setbacks," Chrysalis declared with a roll of her eyes as her guards got in front of her.

"My Queen, let us handle the alicorn!" one of the guards stated as they both lit their horns Sapphire fell out of the pod, crashing to the ground as she was heaving out the slime.

Rolling her eyes, Chrysalis said, "Please, the venom is still in effect, she wo—"

"Would what... fulfill your... expectations?" Sapphire said, struggling to get onto her hooves.

Smirking, Chrysalis said, "Trying to show some fight? Please, I can troun—"

"Enough, I'm sick and tired of ponies always expecting me to conform to whatever they think. Oh, I got wings now, so I have to be a princess, please. Everypony, even you, just see me as some pawn in their schemes. No more!" Sapphire declared as she glared at Chrysalis.

Rolling her eyes, Chrysalis replied, "And now you're showing a... backbone..." her words drifting off when she saw that Sapphire's pupils have turned into slits.

"Backbone? No, you know what, I'm not here for anypony to judge me. For anypony to determine my fate. I'm not going to let you push me around, nor will Celestia. My destiny is my own, and it's high time I finally take back the reins of it!" Sapphire roared, her coat darkening as her teeth started to sharpen, her wings expanding as her legs grew longer.

"My queen, alicorns can transform too?" the guard on Chrysalis's left asked.

Frowning, Chrysalis said, "No, this is an ability that only we changelings have. This must be some illusion to try to throw us off. Nice try princess, but this show isn't going to impress a true master of disguise," before her muzzle shifted to a leering grin. "So how about you be a good princess and return to your pod. You're in no condition for a fight, but I wouldn't say no to teaching you a lesson about challenging your superiors."

"You think this is a bluff? You may think that Sapphire Rain is weak, but no more. I'm done being timid and subservient. Both you and Celestia will have a reckoning, and I, Tsunami, am going to be one to deliver it," the now renamed Tsunami declared as she stood to her full height.

As the changeling guards lit their horns to prepare to block any spell casting from the corrupt alicorn, Chrysalis chuckled as she observed that 'Tsunami' was just barely the height of Luna. "Emulating that so-called princess of the night? Is she the one that you're going to fol—" Chrysalis taunted until Tsunami charged forward, bowling over her surprised guards as she slammed her shoulder into Chrysalis, her momentum carrying the both of them into the wall of the train car.

As the sudden impact caused the train to shook from the sheer force, Tsunami said, "I'm nothing like those two peace-loving alicorns," as she raised a hoof and slammed it into Chrysalis's face.

Chapter I: Creature

As the sun rose up to shine it’s light over Ponyville, a unicorn by the name of Sapphire simply stared out the window to witness it instead of being awoken by the sun as she normally does. After waking up from her dream by some kind of nightmarish monster, Sapphire has been unable to return to her slumber. Instead, her mind dwelled on the creature itself. She knew that she hadn't recovered any memory that involved the creature, nor had she read about one or even seen any pictures that resemble it. Even though she encountered it in her dream, she couldn't pass it off as some kind of horrifying mental construct of her mind. She sensed that she was familiar with the creature, which only disturbed her more on the idea that she may have some knowledge on such a terrifying monster. Eventually, her stupor came to an end when she heard a knocking on her door.

"Sapphire? Are you awake, dear? I made some breakfast and I know you would hate to miss a meal," Rarity called out from behind the door.

"I am Rarity! I'll be down in a minute!" Sapphire shouted back, before taking one last look out of her window as she took in a deep breath. I think I should tell Twilight about this when I can, maybe she has an answer to... whatever that thing was, Sapphire thought to herself before she trotted out her room and down the stairs, catching the sight of Rarity waiting for her at the dining table with their breakfast spread out before her. Sapphire was about to lick her lips at the sight of the meal before noticing that Rarity had a concerned look on her face.

"Sapphire, dear, are you alright?" Rarity asked as Sapphire took a seat across from her. "I don't mean to pry, but normally you're at the table the moment you get a whiff of me cooking breakfast."

"Oh, nothing's wrong. I was just watching the sunrise," Sapphire replied, hoping that she didn't have to reveal her dream. She quickly started piling some food on her plate with her magic, only for it to be stopped by Rarity's own magic.

"Sapphire, you're not going to fool me with that," Rarity chided with a disappointed expression on her face. It soon morphed into one of concern as she lowered Sapphire's food onto her plate. "If there is something wrong, as your friend, I would do my best to help you. So please, tell me what is bothering you."

Letting out a sigh, Sapphire said, "Okay... I'll tell you. Last night, after Luna left after helping me recover another memory, I went back to my dreams. Only this time, I encountered some kind of monster I had never seen before. Yet, for some reason, the creature felt familiar to me, like I'm supposed to know what it is. After seeing that beast, I woke up from my slumber and I wasn't able to sleep. Instead, all I could was think about why I would know such a thing."

Looking at Rarity, Sapphire saw that her friend was looking at her intensely before finally saying, "I... that is something I think nopony would expect to encounter, even in their own dreams. What I can say, or rather ask, is what do you plan to do about it?"

"Well... I don't know... I could talk to Twilight about it, but with the Arulas matter, I don't want to distract her with this thing as well. I could also wait till I meet up with Luna and talk to her instead since she's the one that would know the most about dreams. Though, I just want to figure out why I have this feeling that I should recognize that creature."

Tilting her head in thought, Rarity replied, "Perhaps that creature is some kind of recurring nightmare of yours? I can't really offer you much insight into whatever it may be, but if you want to wait till you can talk to Luna about it, I suggest that you put that worrisome dream aside and enjoy the day instead. If there is nothing you can do about it right now, then you should focus on things that make you happy, like enjoying your breakfast?"

Staring at Rarity for a moment, Sapphire smiled as she responded, "Yeah, you're probably right about that. I guess I should just wait till I can talk to Luna about it," before wrapping her magic around a fork, only to drop it when a rather loud thump was heard from the window. The two mares turned to look at the source, only to see that a cross-eyed grey pegasus with a yellow mane in a postal uniform had slammed into the window.

Smiling at the two, the mare said, "Delivery for a Ms. Sapphire Rain!" as she reached into her postal bag to pull out an envelope.

As Sapphire just gawked at the scene before her, Rarity simply shrugged it off as she exclaimed, "That must be your paycheck, Sapphire! That means you can go house hunting today!"

Glancing at Rarity, Sapphire asked, "Shouldn't we be more concerned about the mailpony that flew into your window?"

"Oh, you don't have to worry about Derpy," Rarity replied as she opened the window. "Thank you for the delivery, Derpy."

"Just doing my duty," Derpy said as she gave Rarity a salute while smiling at her before flapping hers wings to fly out of the boutique.

"...I still say we should have be concerned about how she is after slamming into our window like that," Sapphire commented as Rarity floated the envelope to her.

"Oh posh, you're worrying too much, pegasi are known to be quite durable. Don't tell Rainbow I told you this, but she herself crashed several times before but she came out just fine. Besides, you yourself came out just dandy after being hit by the Crusader's 'contraption'," Rarity countered with a smirk. "Now go open up the letter so we can see how much Photo Finished decided to pay you."

Frowning at the fact that her meal was delayed a second time, Sapphire opened up the envelope, pulling out a check as she read out it’s contents. "Hmm... it says I'm being paid seven thousand bits," Sapphire said, only to blink in surprise as Rarity gasped at her.

"Seven... seven... seven thousand bits! What did you do for her that made her pay you that much‽" Rarity cried out as she slammed her hooves on the table.

"Umm... just a couple of photo shoots and a fashion show?" Sapphire answered with an awkward smile, only for Rarity to lean over the table to grab Sapphire's cheeks with her hooves.

"Why didn't you tell me you were in a fashion show‽" Rarity shrieked, her eyes now pinpricks.

"I... um... didn't think it was important enough to mention?" Sapphire replied, her smile more forced than ever. It quickly faded as she saw Rarity's left eye twitching.

"Not... important?" Rarity croaked out, causing Sapphire to sweat a bit. That is, till her stomach rumbled, causing both of them to look down at it.

"...I know you have a lot to say about my... blunder, but can we eat first? I'm getting really hungry now."

"So, shortly after my departure, this nightmare suddenly sprang on you?" Luna asked, her horn alight as she scanned Sapphire's dreamscape. After receiving an earful from Rarity about how every little detail of the fashion world matters to her, the duo went onto heading over to the local bank to create a bank account for Sapphire before proceeding onto searching for a house. Due to being just a modest village, it didn’t take long to find the few houses that were for sale. Sapphire choose a modest one that wasn’t too far off from the center of town, mainly because it was just a mild walk away from the boutique. There was still some paperwork to be done, but Rarity assured her that she would do all she can to aid Sapphire in getting through the process of getting the home she desired.

“Yes Princess Luna, it just… appeared suddenly right after I returned to my dream. But that isn’t wasn’t weird part,” Sapphire started to explain.

“Hmm? There is more?”

“Yes… for you see, even though that thing’s frightening appearance woke me up, it all gave me a feeling that I should have known it, or at least knew what it was. Yet, I don’t recall ever reading anything that even resembled that creature,” Sapphire said, shivering at the thought of the beast.

“Peculiar… the description of that beast you gave me led me to believe that it was some kind of creature that roamed the dream scape, yet my magic detected no trace of any intrusion into your dream. Hence, whatever it may be, it is just a simple construct of your mind. However, since its appearance is rather… outlandish to say the least, I believe I may have a theory on the nature of that nightmare,” Luna replied as the aura of magic on her horn died down.

“You do?” Sapphire responded, her head tilting from her curiosity.

“Yes, for it may be possible that this nightmare is a recurring one that you had prior to your memory loss.”

“...Really? It is… just something from my past?” Sapphire asked with a skeptical expression.

“Indeed, possible one that you may have conjured when you were a foal. Sometimes nightmares aren’t as straightforward as one would think, and you may have one time in your youth mistook some object in the dark as some kind of horrifying monster. The mind can easily distorted one’s perception of things, which could possibly explain this nightmare’s appearance,” Luna explained.

Looking down at the ground for a moment before returning her gaze to Luna, Sapphire said, “Are you certain about that?”

Keeping a neutral expression, Luna replied, “Like I said, it is a possible explanation, but for me to be able to draw upon a better answer, I would need to know if there are any other feelings beyond just familiarity with that nightmare. If it is truly from your past in some way, you may possess forgotten emotions that you have linked with the being. I know it may be disturbing for you to think about such a creature, but if you want answers, you must concentrate on that creature and that feeling, as well as bring an image of it to the dreamscape so I can see it for myself.”

Frowning, Sapphire let out a sigh as she replied, “Alright… I’ll try…” before closing her eyes, her mind returning to that mere moment she saw the beast, where she focused on trying to conjure its image into the dream. Thankfully, it wasn’t long before the beast appear, though only its head was summoned.

“By Faust… what is that thing?” Luna voiced out as she backed away from a draconic shape head, its jaw barely open to reveal its sharp fangs, with greenish smoke drifting out of its maw. Looking at it, she could see that it was something that could give ponies night terrors if it ever existed, yet it seemed to much of a nightmare based on the blackish green skin it possess, not appearing to be the scales of a reptilian creature, yet not being fur or simple skin either. Staring into the being’s dark yellow eyes, Luna shivered as she felt like they were projecting some kind of sheer hatred toward whatever creature that would venture into its gaze.

“I take it you never seen something like that before in the real world?” Sapphire asked as she slowly backed away from the thing.

“No, I have never seen any evil nor monster that would even possess a visage like this. It is so… alien to the very nature of the fearsome monsters that roam across Equus. Truly, this is something that can only be created by one’s imagination,” Luna answered before turning her attention towards Sapphire. “Now focus on this nightmare, and tell me if there are any emotions you may feel towards it.”

Nodding, Sapphire looked upon the creature, as she try to recall anything about it. “I… I think… I feel fear… yet anger from it.”

Tapping her chin with her hoof, Luna stated, “Interesting, to possess those two emotions complicates the nature of this nightmare. While it narrows down the possibilities on its potential origins.” Looking upon Sapphire, Luna continued, “For now, if it is a recurring nightmare, at best I could only banish it temporarily until you recover the memories on what cause the nightmare to come into being.”

Sighing, Sapphire replied, “Great… yet another problem caused by my amnesia.”

“Do not fret, for it is only a matter of time before we recover your memories, even more so if your family finds you soon. This is naught but a passing matter for you,” Luna declared. “For now, be patient, for things will turn to the better with time.”

Gazing upon Luna, Sapphire softly smiled as she said, “Yeah.. you’re right. With friends like Rarity and Twilight, I suppose that this is just another bump in the road for me, one that I will overcome with time.”

Chapter XI: Prince

"Speechless milady? Understandable, for any mare would be struck speechless by being near my presence," Blueblood declared, as Sapphire just stared at him before shaking her head clear of her stupor.

"What? I'm not struck speechless from that... it's more of I don't know who you are," Sapphire replied, causing Blueblood to look aghast as he placed a hoof against his chest.

"You don't know who I am? Impossible! Everypony knows of the great Prince Blueblood the Nineteenth! What is wrong with you, it's like you have amnesia!" Blueblood exclaimed before frowning, his ears pulling back like he was deeply offended.

"Actually, I do have amnesia..." Sapphire muttered out, which caused Blueblood to instantly smile as his ears perked up.

"Ah, that explains things. But do not fret my dear lady, for the only memories that you need now is the ones you will be making with me," Blueblood stated with a smirk, as Sapphire's eyelids dropped to halfway down.

"What..." Sapphire just responded as she wondered if something is wrong with this stallion in front of her. That is, before she recalled that she had seen this stallion before at the fashion show, where he was giving her a look that perturbed her. "Wait a minute, I think I saw you at the fashion show earlier today."

"Indeed you did, and I must say, you looked fabulous in that dress that you wore, Sapphire Rain. And your figure, I never before seen a mare that had a figure like yours. So lithe, yet still showing a special kind of beauty. You would make a lovely companion for the likes of me," Blueblood declared. "And don't worry about your amnesia. For you see, that would make it so much easier for you to adapt to a life of being in the presence of one of my standing. So no need for you to remember those silly little memories, Prince Blueblood is here to sweep you off your hooves and take care of all your problems for you."

Though Sapphire was slightly flattered at his initial comments about her looks, Blueblood's talk about her becoming 'his companion' and not needing her memories struck a cord with her, causing her to scowl as she glared at the smug stallion before her. "I don't think I'll be abandoning my pursuit of my memories for a stallion that I just met."

Gasping as he placed a hoof on his chest, Blueblood stated, "How dare you?! You're refusing the attention of the nephew of Princess Celestia, the ruler of our great nation?!" before he leaned forward, glaring at Sapphire. The mare blinked a bit at the glare, only to then start her own glare back.

"Yes, yes I wo—" Sapphire started to say until Blueblood sat on his haunches and lifted a hoof up, slapping her face with it, which knocked it to the side a bit. The blow made her eyes widen from the mere shock of being slapped.

"Young mare, you know nothing of what you speak of. So be a good little filly and do as I say and be quiet," Blueblood growled out, causing Sapphire to turn her head back towards him, before blinking at his last words.

"Be... quiet?" Sapphire said, still blinking as something about those words seemed familiar to her. Her mind began to drift as Blueblood started to smirk as he began to speak again, only for Sapphire to block out his words as she started to recall something.

"Mommy? Why is everypony running around like there is something bad going on?" asked a little light blue speck with a childish voice on a fuzzy gray field. Various colored blobs were dashing about in the field, only for a blue one to stop in its tracks. Turning towards the little speck as it cleared up, it revealed a rather thin pegasus mare that had a familiar blue coat, an orange mane, and deep green eyes. The mare had a bit of a haggard appearance, along with a look that was a mixture of fear and concern as she picked up the little blue speck.

"Sorry deary, but mommy can't tell you until you're older. Just stick with mommy and be quiet, okay sweetie?" the mare said as she started to follow a bunch of other colored blobs.

"But mommy, what about daddy? Why is he going in the other direction?" the blue speck asked, pointing with some fuzzy limbs towards the other batch of blobs that were going the opposite direction.

"...Daddy is just doing something to protect us," the mare said, closing her eyes as she let out a shiver. She then opened her eyes again, revealing a deep-rooted fear within them.

"...Mommy, Daddy is coming back, right?" asked the blue speck as it started to shiver at the thought of its parent not coming back.

"Don't worry dear, da—" the mare started to say, before a monstrous howl bellowed from the sky, causing the little blue speck to turn what appeared to be its head towards the sky. It let out a squeak of terror at the sight of a monster with a dark purple coloration, purple smoke billowing from its form as it flapped its jagged wings as it flew in the sky. A feeling of despair overtook the speck as the mare looked up at the sky before jumping towards some kind of fuzzy brown cover as the mare clapped a hoof over a part of the speck's head. "Sapphire, you need to be quiet now. Just b—"

As a sharp pain burst from Sapphire's left cheek, she blinked in surprise as the world returned into proper focus before her. It was here that she saw Blueblood was looking at her in annoyance as he lowered a hoof down. "I see that you returned to the world of the living, Miss Rain. I do hope that you're not the kind of mare to space out at inconvenient times," Blueblood declared, causing Sapphire to feel something bubbling inside her. Baring a completely neutral expression, Sapphire raised her right foreleg, prompting Blueblood to say, "Miss Rain? What are you do—"

Five minutes earlier...

"Auntie, just what in Equestria is going on?" Cadance asked as she watched Celestia close the doors behind them with her magic.

"I would like to explain, but I'm starting to doubt that even I know what is going on here," Celestia answered with a sigh, causing Cadance to tilt her head in confusion. Turning her attention to her adopted niece, Celestia continued, "Cadance dear, that mare there is Sapphire Rain. She is a mare that is not only a friend of Twilight's, but is also stricken with a case of amnesia."

Gasping in surprise as she lifted a hoof to cover her mouth, Cadance said, "Oh, that poor mare... is that why she's in the castle? You invited her here after the Canterlot Fashion show?"

Tilting her head, Celestia asked, "How did you know about that?"

Waving a hoof off, Cadance replied, "Please auntie, you don't think I wouldn't know about the latest events in Canterlot even if I have duties to attend to? And with Sapphire being a fresh fashion model, it didn't take me much to put two and two together."

"Right... that made me forgot about how far you advanced since you came to me as a young filly," Celestia responded with a proud smile, before letting it fade as she added, "But there is more to Sapphire than meets the eye. Prior to her appearance in Ponyville, there were no records of a mare like her in all of Equestria. Naturally, that caused me to become suspicious of her, which in turn led to me coming to Ponyville to assure Twilight's safety if Sapphire was something more than a mere pony."

"'More than a mere pony'? What do you mean by that?" Cadance asked as she raised an eyebrow at the particular phrase.

"Sorry dear, but that is something that I can't tell you till you're more experienced with the duties of being a princess," Celestia answered, frowning as she watched Cadance let out a sigh of frustration. "Returning to the topic on hoof, Sapphire's first experience with me was... less than ideal. This lead to Luna taking up the reins of aiding Sapphire, as an indirect means for me to make up for my foolhardy actions. However... recently, we learned that Sapphire had ties to the legend of the Disappearance of Arulas."

"'Disappearance of Arulas'? That sounds like some kind of old mare's tale... though considering the legend about your sister..." Cadance responded, before pausing as she saw the grimace that came onto Celestia's face at the mere mention of her sister's banishment. "Sorry Auntie, I didn't mean to ups—"

"It's fine Cadance, you didn't have any negative intentions when you brought it up," Celestia said, interrupting her niece as she took a deep breath before continuing on. "As for the Disappearance of Arulas, it too isn't a simple legend. There are three groups of ponies descended from the three sisters that are looking for their lost sister, Arulas, and her followers. However, currently, the three groups are outside out of Equestria, and with Sapphire being discovered in Ponyville, which is basically in the center of Equestria, it seemed rather farfetched that she has any ties to those three groups. Yet, from what Luna told me, that legend has some particular meaning to a pony that Sapphire knew of before she lost her memory."

"Wait... if this legend has some importance to Sapphire, yet the odds of her having ties to the other groups are slim to none... are you saying that she could be directly linked to this Arulas pony that you're talking about?" Cadance said as she rubbed her chin in thought. "Could this mean that this is something related to Auntie Luna's return?"

"It's... a possibility that Sapphire does have ties to Arulas, but I doubt that this is in relation to my sister's return. The legend of Arulas predates both her and me, for it is a legend that is over six thousand years old," Celestia answered, causing Cadance to gape at her in surprise.

"S-six t-thousand!? And there's still ponies looking for this Arulas after so long‽" Cadance exclaimed before covering her mouth with her hooves as she looked at the door, wondering if Sapphire was going to burst through them at any moment.

Chuckling to herself as she shook her head at her niece's actions, Celestia answered, "Dear Cadance, you would find that there exist all sorts of ponies that are too stubborn to give up on something important to them, no matter how hopeless it may seem to others. Regardless, after witnessing Sapphire's ability to consume a level of food that no normal pony should be able to do, I'm starting to think that there is something more to Sapphire than meets the eye. Along with other mysteries about her that Luna told me about, I'm starting to wonder if Sapp—" until a loud crash coming from the dining room interrupted her, causing both her and Cadance to look at each other in shock before turning their attention to the dining room door.

As Celestia opened the doors with her magic, both her and Cadance felt their jaws dropping at the sight before them. Standing right next to the table with her right foreleg fully extended, Sapphire was just blinking in utter surprise at the sight of the various destroyed chairs before her. Blueblood on the other hoof, was currently buried under a pile of broken chairs at the far side of the room, judging by the sight of one of his rear legs weakly kicking into the air as he moaned in pain. All the while, the two guards that were near the other open door were just staring at Sapphire with bulging eyes and dropped jaws, unable to comprehend what they had just witnessed.

The silence in the room continued on for a time, until Sapphire retracted her right forehoof towards herself, staring at it until she looked at the two guards as she asked, "Umm... do you two know what just happened? I mean... Blueblood was right in front of me, but now he's over there... is this something that unicorns can do with their forehooves?"

Chapter XXV: Nightmare

"You have failed us."

"Failed? What do you mean? Who's speaking to me?"

"You have failed your duty."

"What duty? What in Equestria are you talking about?" cried Sapphire, who was standing in a pitch black room of sorts, unable to see a thing past her muzzle as she looked around in fear.

"You were given a destiny that you have failed to fulfill!" screamed a set of voices that Sapphire couldn't recognize until the area to the left of her became alight with an inferno composed of greenish flames. Crawling backward from it, Sapphire's fear started to grow, until a purple inferno appeared behind her, causing her to scream in fright as it trapped her in between the two as terror started to grip her heart. However, Sapphire's terror stopped growing as she saw a small opening between the two raging infernos that she could escape through. Running towards her escape, Sapphire thought that safety was within her reach only for a crimson inferno to burst flow, blocking her escape route.

"Thanks to you, our legacy is now just ashes!" yelled the voices as the infernos inched closer and closer to Sapphire, causing her to glance back and forth between them as she lit her horn, trying to find some water from some source. However, she found that there wasn't any water nearby to grab, not even in the air.

"You will suffer for your failure," cried the voices as the infernos closed in on Sapphire, causing her to panic and scream for help as she shielded herself with her forehooves as the flames consumed her.

"AHHHHHH!" Sapphire cried out as she awoke from her slumber, her legs flailing around as she fell off her lounge chair that she was sleeping on and onto the grassy ground. Lifting her head up, Sapphire's wide eyes scan the area around her as she was panting in terror, only to see that she was in the castle gardens, where she was relaxing in the afternoon sun before dozing off.

As Sapphire started to calm down as she saw that she was safe, the nearby guards came into the scene due to having heard Sapphire's screams. A unicorn officer was looking around as he said, "Princess Sapphire, are you okay? Were you attacked?"

Shaking her head, Sapphire replied, "No... I just... had a rather bad nightmare after drifting to sleep."

Eyeing her, the officer said, "Are you certain your majesty?"

Nodding, Sapphire got onto her hooves as she said, "I am. There is nothing to be alarmed about, so you may return to your posts." Glancing at Sapphire for a brief moment, the guards nodded in return before leaving Sapphire alone again. Letting out a sigh, Sapphire got onto her chair as she said, "Why can't I ever catch a break..." before looking up at the sky, noting that it was late afternoon, so it would be a few more hours before she could get a chance to talk to Luna about this nightmare.

"Sapphire, there has been something I'm curious about."

"If this is going to be about me finding a special somepony while I was on 'vacation', I'm throwing you out the window."

"It doesn't involve that, but do you really have to be so hostile?" Cadance asked as the pair were now in the study, Cadance now giving Sapphire a glare while receiving a flat stare in return as they both rested on a some floor cushions. Snorting after getting no reply, Cadance continued, "My question is actually about your title as the alicorn of water."

Frowning deeply that it was approaching scowl levels, Sapphire responded, "A title that Celestia assigned to me, meaning that it's an empty title for the most part."

"But from what I heard of your demonstration outside of Vanhoover's port, I don't think that title is as empty as you think. You're going to cause some waves in the world with that move, drawing the attention of other nations when the word gets out to the rest of the world," Cadance warned.

"I got an inkling of that from Baroness Silver Clock, but she was thinking in terms of Equestria's naval power be bolstered by my magic," Sapphire said with a shrug. However, when Cadance gave her an odd look, Sapphire asked, "Why are you giving me that look?"

"Because you normally complain about being used when stuff like that is mentioned. So to have you nonchalantly just shrug it off isn't the usual reaction from you," Cadance answered.

Rolling her eyes, Sapphire replied, "I'm not some one-note pony, and it does get tiresome to complain all the time. Unless it's about Celestia, then I'm going to complain."

"What's this about complaining about my sister?" Luna asked as she opened the door, giving the pair of a raised eyebrow as she gave them a questioning look.

As Sapphire fell out of the chair from surprise, Cadance answered, "It's nothing much Luna, just Sapphire being herself. Though, I'm surprised you're here so soon Auntie Luna. Don't you have some nightly duties to attend to first?"

"I do dear niece, but Sapphire had actually made a request to see me at my earliest convenience, so I decided to come to her first," Luna explained before turning her attention to Sapphire, who was getting back into her seat. "So, what is it that you required my presence so soon?"

Bringing her hooves together, Sapphire answered, "Well, it's due to a nightmare I had when I was napping in the castle gardens..."

"I see. Do you presume that this nightmare has some connection to your past?" Luna asked as she and Cadance shared a look.

"No, cause it's not an assumption, it's actual fact. For you see, this nightmare involved... well, someponies' voices speaking to me as they declared that I failed them and my destiny..." Sapphire explained, rubbing her hooves together until Luna's face appeared right before her face.

As Sapphire let out a yelp of surprise at the sudden invasion of her personal space, Luna grabbed onto Sapphire's shoulders as she asked, "Tell us everything about your dream. If this has some ties to your destiny, or even your past, every minute detail could be a key to regaining more of your memories!"

Pulling herself away from Luna's grip, Sapphire said, "Okay okay! Just don't surprise me like that please!" With Luna giving her a sheepish grin before taking a few steps back, Sapphire continued, "It all started with this odd, greenish flame..."

"I see, most peculiar," Luna declared after hearing Sapphire's recounting of her nightmare. Pacing around the room, Luna added, "The presence of these three flames with their own colorations can not be no mere coincidence, since you bare wounds of three differing natures. It may be possible that these flames are connected to the foreign magic present in your system, causing the nightmare. But that doesn't account the voices claiming you to be a failure. Perhaps this is some kind of guilt in your former life about some task you failed to complete?"

Glancing at Cadance, who promptly shrugged her confusion, Sapphire looked at Luna as she asked, "What do you mean by me being guilty about something?"

Pausing in her pacing, Luna looked at Sapphire as she answered, "It is hard to say, but these voices that desire you to be guilty could be a reflection of some ponies that had a task for you that you failed in accomplishing. Whether they were actually saying those words or if that was just a mental construction formed by your guilt, it is hard to say." Luna then continued her pacing before she let out a groan of frustration, surprising both Cadance and Sapphire as she declared, "Augh, your memories can be quite vexing! The ones that could provide the pieces to the puzzle of your past only desire to turn up at the most inconvenient times instead of us finding them ourselves."

Sighing, Sapphire nodded as she declared, "Yeah, it's like they're just coming in the exact bits and pieces needed to taunt me. By the light of the moons, everything seemed to be out to g—" before Luna placed a hoof on her mouth, silencing her.

"Cadance, did you hear what I think I just heard?" Luna asked as she turned to look at Cadance, who was looking at her in confusion.

"Umm... give me a second," Cadance requested as she folded her hooves over her chest, looking down at the ground as she mumbled some words to herself. It wasn't long before Cadance jerked her head upwards, saying, "Sapphire said 'by the light of the moons!' Is that what you thought you heard, Auntie?"

"It is indeed," Luna agreed, causing Sapphire to glance at the pair of them in confusion. Taking her hoof off Sapphire's mouth, Luna continued, "This... this may be a critical piece of the puzzle that we needed."

"What, how is 'by the light of the moons' a critical piece? What are you two talking about?" Sapphire asked as she looked back and forth between the two.

"It is simple, Sapphire. Your phrase is referring to moons, a plural term. A phrase like that is odd since there is only one moon in the night sky, my moon. That would mean that something has to have occurred to allow for such a phrase to come about, which could give us some kind of lead to follow," Luna explained as Cadance tapped her chin in thought.

"But Auntie, what would cause such a phrase to be made? I mean, was there ever a point in Equus's history where there were two moons, or perhaps even more?" Cadance asked, only to have Luna shake her head in reply.

"Nay my dear niece, there are no records ever made about a second moon before my time. This would mean that some kind of event or location could generate a situation that would allow an observer to see two or more moons. Or..." Luna answered, only to turn her head towards the window as she held a troubled expression.

"Or what? What were you about to say?" Sapphire asked as she got up and came to Luna's side.

Cadance followed Sapphire's action shortly after as she said, "You don't think..."

"Considering all that is going on, I wouldn't put this to be out of the realm of possibilities," Luna declared before returning her attention to Sapphire. "Sapphire, it may be possible that this phrase of yours may have come into being during the Reign of Discord."

"Oh... who's Discord?" Sapphire asked with a tilt of her head, promptly causing both Luna and Cadance to facehoof. This only served to confuse Sapphire even more as she asked, "What? Was it something I said?"