Ponyville Outskirts
December 30th

The day had come. A chilly but bright morning had broken over Equestria, bathing the snow blanketed lands below in light. In an equally literal sense, it was just a few hours until Rainbow Dash had to be at EDF headquarters to meet her new teammates. While she had been able to make use of her days off to get her thoughts in order and get some much needed chillaxing in, she had also needed to use the time to make sure ponies knew she wasn't going to be there. Letters had been sent to her new-yet-old captain Gyr, her family, including her little sister in all but name Scootaloo, and her friends in Ponyville. Well, most of them, Twilight Sparkle was off on a research expedition in the Crystal Empire and Pinkie Pie was Celestia knows where. The point was, everypony that needed to know was aware she'd be away for several months, at best.

That was probably the weirdest part about all this. Princess Luna had visited her dreams to explain several parts of what was coming in more detail, but that was where she had also been told that she would have to stay at the Royal Guard barracks in Canterlot for the duration of Task Force Harmony's initial training period, which was only going to be extended by the latest fact that another of its members wasn't even a part of the EDF. That led her to where she was now, making sure everything was cleared up before she left.

A saddlebag was resting on her bed, filled with a few things for when she had downtime at the end of the day. One or two Daring Do books from her sizeable collection, a small photo album of her and her friends, a blanket (she knew from experience just how bad guard beds were in the winter), some bits from her last paycheck and a bottle of cider. That last item might have to be kept to herself depending on what those she'd working with were like, a friendly drink wasn't as much fun with a complete jerk after all. Satisfied that was everything, she fitted the bag snuggly on her back and moved onto the second to last task she had to do before leaving.

Rainbow slowly walked through her cloud house, taking it all in and thinking of all the memories made within its walls. She'd lived here ever since she'd moved to Ponyville and she knew every step of it by heart. It wasn't the first time she'd had to live elsewhere for a while, but it was the first time that she had the feeling she might not be coming back anytime soon. As she finished touring the upstairs and made her way to the balcony that ran round the inside perimeter of the entrance hall, the sound of somepony knocking on the front door made itself known. She fluttered down to the lower level and opened up quickly, greeted by the sight of a dark brown pegasus stallion with a pearl coloured mane done into a buzz cut, matching short tail, deep blue eyes and a dumb-bell cutie mark.

"Glad you made it before I left." Rainbow said at the sight of him, more cheerful than most ponies would expect her to be when talking face to face with one of her old flight school bullies.

"Yeah, same here," Dumb-Bell replied as Rainbow stepped aside to let him inside. "I never got the chance to thank you for asking me to do this."

"No problem, somepony's gotta look after this place while I'm gone and I figured you and your coltfriend would be perfect for keeping it orderly," Rainbow half remarked, half teased. Dumb-Bell simply chuckled and nodded in response. She had to admit he'd mellowed out a lot thanks to a few years worth of dealing with the rigors of reality and seemed a lot happier working as a fitness instructor in Cloudsdale, even if he was regularly struggling for bits or a place to stay. "Seriously though, I gotta redecorate anything and you're paying for it."

"Seriously, don't worry about it, Dash. I'm not gonna take advantage of such an offer. You of all ponies know how much trouble I'd get in if ponies thought I'd trashed the house of a national hero."

"Yeah, I do...I kept telling them I've never even been near Spitfire's place back then," Rainbow simply commented, the two of them sharing a small laugh at the thought of that little incident of their pasts. "Then again, if you did then you'd probably be able to get yourself a proper nickname. Right, Dumb-Ass?"

"Ohh, ouch, you start thinking that one up back in flight camp?" Dumb-Bell retorted, grinning more naturally than that condescending smirk he used to wear.

"You wouldn't remember if I'd told you it yesterday," Rainbow grinned in return. "Now I could trade barbs with you all day and as fun as it is nowadays, I really gotta get going."

"Alright. Well we'll take good care of this place, hope you have a good time at...Wherever it is you're going."

Rainbow nodded her thanks and trotted outside, taking one last look back at her cloud house and smiling to herself before her wings shot open and she took off, ruffling her wing feathers slightly to try and shake the cold already trying to get a grip on them. Canterlot was easily within flying distance so she could afford to take her time. Ponyville lay below her, blanketed in three inches of snow, looking rather picturesque and quiet. Few ponies were out and about in this kind of weather, leaving everything looking like a Hearth's Warming card. She could pick out a few fillies and colts spread throughout town, having snowball fights, making snowponies or simply enjoying the fact there was so much snow about.

The sight made Rainbow Dash think as she glided over the town, silently watching. None of these fillies had lived through the kind of battering this town had gone through on a semi-regular basis; Bathed in the darkness of Nightmare Moon, lost to the chaos of Discord, scarred in battle against Tirek, even subjected to the living nightmare that was the Tantabus. Every one of those situations had put her and so many others in more danger than she'd been willing to admit. Those fillies, and possibly a few of their parents, had never been subject to those horrors. They...Rainbow sighed slightly and pushed her wings into a hard flap to do a quick loop, trying to distract herself. The truth was, she envied their innocence, never having to deal with the threats she'd had to before and likely would have to again.

It was a poignant moment for her, imagining that someday, one of those little fillies or colts, that right now likely had nothing more serious than homework to worry about, might end up like she had, facing world ending threats that nopony should have to face. Or, heaven forbid, like Twilight had, ultimately needing therapy from the princesses after being pushed too far by stopping Starlight Glimmer on her own. Things weren't as bad these days thanks to the existence of the Equestria Defence Force, but there was a reason they still needed something as advanced as her new assignment. Larger scale threats that they could stop, to make sure that nopony else had to go through what she had. As she finished the loop, her wings flexed out and she set off for Canterlot at a quicker pace, a fresh fire of determination within her burning away at the chill that had been inching its way across her body.

The rest of the flight was uneventful and half an hour later she was entering the skies of Canterlot, taking in the bustling streets of the capital below her, scanning the ground and sky as she made her way toward the defence force headquarters that had been established at the guard barracks next to the castle. The skies here were darker than over Ponyville and a light snow had started to fall, dusting the area in flakes that shimmered in the light. Despite the general noise of city life below, Rainbow found it rather peaceful to observe, hovering for a minute and simply catching her breath. She'd arrived ten minutes early but there was nothing to gain by waiting around here, it was probably warmer inside after all.

She dropped down to land outside the front entrance of the headquarters, taking in the familiar imposing masonry that looked both fitting in the place of power it rested next to, yet completely out of place with how modern it was as well. The stone was closer to the gray of the barracks, the doors white with a gold trim, the window frames of the three floors done in the same. It had awed Rainbow somewhat the first time she'd seen it, back when the defence force had begun operations, but now it just seemed kind of bland. She quickly trotted forward and stepped inside, trotting forward through the sparsely decorated lobby toward the reception desk. A light red earth mare was manning the desk, who promptly saluted as she saw Rainbow approaching.

"Lieutenant Dash, good to see you," The mare said as Rainbow saluted her in return, relaxing her pose. "The colonel left a message saying that room two six two is free if you need to warm up and you're to meet with your unit in briefing room four."

"Thanks, stay warm yourself." Rainbow told her in return, opting not to correct her on the incorrect rank. She was still waiting on being officially promoted. A quick glance up at the clock confirmed she could take a minute to warm up and the indicated room was only a little off the route to the meeting point.

There wasn't much to see or think about as she made her way into the hallways. Windows were rather sparse in this area and at this time of day most ponies present were busy with training routines or working the command center. It did mean a clear path though, as she made her way upstairs and through more white and blue halls on the way to room two six two. Normally a study area for those learning strategic or tactical methods, the bookcases and tables within had been enchanted to give off a little heat, enough to bring the room up from grip of winter to a pleasant early spring temperature. Only one other pony was in the room as Rainbow Dash entered. A unicorn stallion, he was bronze coloured with a long, flowing silver mane that covered his shoulders and a tail that brushed the floor, made more distinctive by the white edge it sported over his face. His eyes were hazel and his cutie mark was...Difficult to explain. At best it looked like the white, ghostly outline of a pony.

"Some weather, huh?" Rainbow said as she saw the stallion, relaxing at the feel of warmth bathing her after the chill of outside. Getting a good look, she realised he wasn't that old, only about twenty or so. He was also rather small for a stallion, only an inch taller than her without the horn.

"Yeah, I've seen worse but I never seem to get used to the cold," He replied in a northern, yet somewhat regal accent, doing his best to sound cheery but coming across more as nervous. "You're, you're Rainbow Dash right? Mom and dad always speak highly of you but I never thought I'd get the change to actually meet you. It's an honour."

"Pleasure's all mine, kid," Rainbow replied as she shook his hoof, deciding that acting natural might help. She settled herself by the window and looked over Canterlot, simply basking in the feeling of the biting cold ebbing away. "So what's your name?"

"Oh, yeah! I'm Aurora." The name was familiar to Rainbow, though she couldn't quite place it right now. As she fluttered her wings to get some heat back into them, she decided to try probing a little further.

"I don't hear many ponies with a voice like yours. Where're you from? Vanhoover?"

"Almost. The Crystal Empire."

"Really? You don't look like you're from Rainbow Falls."

"I'm, actually from Crystal City," Aurora rubbed his leg slightly and glanced round, seemingly looking for a distraction as he settled on the clock in the room. "Dammit, that time alright? S-sorry, Rainbow Dash, but I gotta run. Do you know the quickest way to briefing room four?"

"Follow me, I'm headed that way," Rainbow turned and made for the exit, looking back at Aurora as he tailed her out into the hallways again. "So, do your parents just know me from reputation or have I met them?"

"Yeah, they've met you. I mean, I've actually met you before too...I don't really remember it though, I was still only a few days old at the time so I'm not even sure it counts."

Rainbow watched him for several seconds, putting it together in her mind. She had been to the Crystal Empire twenty odd years ago, joining Twilight at some super boring crystalling ceremony. Dull as it had been, thinking back to it and that in private she could admit how cute that Princess Cadance's son had been at that age, was enough for all the hints to click together. She stopped in place and looked back at him with a sense of surprise.

"Wait. Aurora, as in son of Cadance and Shining Armor and Prince of the Crystal Empire Aurora?"

"I err...Ah..." Aurora stammered, suddenly becoming fascinated in the paint on the wall next to him. "I-I mean, that's private and invasive and...Yes."

Rainbow stared at him for a moment before setting off again, wondering what somepony like him was doing here. He wasn't part of the defence force and tended not to be part of official actions with his parents just yet. Then again, if he was headed for the same place as she was then she probably had her answer already. The two of them arrived outside the briefing room and Aurora stepped inside with a small nod of thanks. She let it slide considering how nervous he was, and that it definitely answered her questions. A few seconds later she followed him in, eager to see just who else she was going to be working with.

Author's Note

Before anyone asks, Aurora is the only child of Cadance and Shining Armor in this continuity. Skyla has already made an appearance and Flurry Heart exists as well, but neither are related to the princesses and neither are alicorns.