The next day…

CLANG

“There, all done!” Pinkie said with a smile.

Obsidian just responded with a muffled growl, the chains that once held Trixie to the floor of the cage cart rattling as the former alicorn fought to free herself. Thankfully, Pinkie had taken the time to cover them all in cloth, both to prevent Obsidian from being able to get at the lock, and to prevent the chains from hurting her. Enemy or not, that wouldn’t have been acceptable to Fluttershy, and Pinkie hadn’t even thought of it until Fluttershy brought the idea up. And given how much Obsidian was pulling on the chains, Pinkie knew that extra half an hour of work was worth it.

Fluttershy would definitely be happy that Obsidian couldn’t hurt herself now.

She still wasn’t suuuuuuper comfortable with the idea of making Obsidian wear the muzzle Trixie had been wearing, given how awful she knew the muzzle felt, but she agreed that it was necessary right now. Given how Obsidian had been screaming angrily and consistently at them about how ‘YOU WILL ALL PAY I’M EVIL BLARGGGGGG,’ Pinkie knew that no one would want to listen to that for the next two days straight.

Plus, this way she couldn’t cause any trouble in the off chance that the caravan ran into any guard patrols still looking for the Elements of Harmony.

“Thanks again for the help, Sandy Quartz,” Pinkie said, nodding to the Butler stallion beside her, an earth pony with a tan coat containing splotches of grey, a brown mane, and bright green eyes.

“No problem, Pinkie,” Sandy said. “I’m just glad to be of help. And, uh, thanks again for helping me find my ring,” he muttered, looking down at the golden band on his hoof.

“It’s no problem, Sandy,” Pinkie said, bouncing and throwing a quick hug around his shoulders. “I’m just happy Granite Rose said yes to your proposal! It’ll give us the perfect excuse to throw another party when we get back home. And I just KNOW Second Sight will love the idea of overseeing another wedding. Though I am glad the ring was in under the table you fell asleep on and not buried somewhere in all the streamers. That would have taken forever to find!”

“I’m just happy your party finally gave me the chance to propose,” Sandy said. “I’d wanted to ask Rose for almost four months, but with everything being so…well, you know, it just never seemed to be the right time. There was nothing that would have made it really special or memorable, not to mention we wouldn’t have been able to celebrate the event without getting into trouble.” His smile widened. “So, really, thank you, Pinkie.”

“You’re welcome,” Pinkie said with another bounce and a flip, before she paused. “Was little miss meanie head really being that strict?” she asked, ignoring the angry muffled yelling from Obsidian in the cage. “Is that why you and so many other Butlers were willing to abandon her?”

“Oh yeah,” Sandy nodded, looking at Obsidian with conflicted look. “She used to treat her Butlers at least somewhat decently, but over the last few years we've basically just become like any other pony to her. Not only were we expected to work longer with fewer benefits than other Butlers had gotten in the past, but she had even started punishing her own Butlers with that stupid flower…” His expression morphed into a glare. “She even forced her oldest and most loyal bodyguard to eat it after he refused to give it to one of the newer recruits. It was insane!”

“I might be the Element of Laughter, but even I can tell that is the exact opposite of inspiring loyalty!” Joy chimed in, glowing angrily from her spot around Pinkie’s neck. “What the heck was the point!? And doesn’t that defeat the purpose of having somepony be trained as Butler if you’re just gonna punish them to the point where no one is loyal to you anymore? Even if she doesn't given them enough to make them an emotionless zombie, it still wouldn’t make them like you in the slightest!”

Pinkie shuddered slightly. She could still remember the ponies recovering from the flower that she had helped into a different cart earlier that morning. Even with Twilight’s help and Fluttershy’s ministrations, some of them were still dazed and glassy-eyed, not really seeming to know what was going on. A few had even looked a little pained, like they had just been given doses recently. Those ponies hit Pinkie the hardest. She could still remember the pain the flower cause her, the burning horror as the flower ripped at her magic.

“Mmmph mph mmpphhh,” Obsidian grunted, pulling Pinkie out of that horrible line of thought. Seeing her like that, bound and unable to hurt anypony ever again made the memories feel less painful. They still were, and Pinkie knew she would probably never be rid of them, but knowing that she had helped prevent anyone else from being hurt like that made them far more bearable.

“That is a good question, Joy,” Pinkie said at last. “It does seem kinda silly, though not in the good way. Actually, Sandy, do you know how many of the Butlers decided to join us? Did all of them join us, or did some decide to stay with Obsidian? I was a bit too distracted by the party and the helping pack up to keep track, and I didn’t see anypony else locked up.”

“According to Rose, all but a dozen or so have decided to join your resistance,” Sandy said, looking back towards the mansion. Quite a few Butlers were helping move different materials to the nearby carts, including food, clothes, and weapons. Though any Butler moving weapons was being watched very closely. “Before joining the second part of your party, Rose helped Applejack identify the Butlers that might cause trouble, and convinced her brother to let those Rose trusted join the party. It helped that Rose was one of the first Butlers willing to join your resistance.

“In the end, most of the ponies allowed to join the party decided to join the resistance. Only two still declare their loyalty to Obsidian. The other ten have decided to leave Obsidian to whatever fate she gets and look for a different alicorn to serve. I think all twelve of them are currently being guarded by some of your ponies, but I overheard somepony say they would be released once we get closer to Canterlot and once everypony else is back in the Everfree Forest where we can’t be tracked.” He shivered slightly. “Do you all really live there?”

“Yeparoonie!” Pinkie said with a nod and a bounce. “Sure, it can be a liiiiiittle bit scary at times, and kinda smelly in the swampy areas, but it’s not that bad.”

“But what about the Timberwolves and the Hydras, and who knows what else? Isn’t it dangerous?”

“It can be on your own, but those creatures never risk attacking larger groups. And our village has good walls and lots of ponies to help you out if something does decide to try and push its luck. You’ll be fine,” Pinkie said, wrapping the nervous stallion in a happy headlock.

“I’d feel a bit better if I had a weapon,” Sandy grumbled, before sighing. “But I can understand not letting us have any for the time being. I’ll just need to stick close to Rose when we get to the forest. She’s great at close combat, even without a weapon.” His smile became dreamy, and Pinkie could see his attention had shifter towards the pegasus in question who was currently helping Rainbow Dash lift a crate of food into a nearby cart. It was actually quite cute.

“Just be sure to focus on the forest and not on her,” Pinkie said, giggling as his face became a deep red color. It was adorable, especially when his mouth started moving as if to say he would be focused on the monsters, only for a few strangled squeaks to escape.

“Hey, Pinkie!” Cheese’s voice called out. “Can I have some help with the streamer—WOAH!”

There was a loud crash and a roll of streamers started bouncing through the crowd.

“On my way, Cheesy!” Pinkie called out. “Come on, Sandy, lets go!”

She happily began ponking over towards the commotion, her helper following not far behind…

Meanwhile…

“Put Trixie, urp, down!” Trixie yelled, once again trying to remove herself from the firm yet strangely soft back of Maud Pie, who was currently carrying Trixie towards one of the wagons against her will. “Trixie is perfectly capable of walking!”

“You ate too much yesterday when you snuck off to join the party,” Maud said matter-of-factly, not bothering to look back at the mare draped across her back. “And you’ve been burping up confetti ever since getting hit with Pinkie’s party cannon last night. Fluttershy said you shouldn’t strain yourself and that you should still be resting as much as possible.”

“That does not mean that Trixie consents to being carried around like she is a sack of potatoes! It is humiliatin—BURP!”

Trixie’s protest was interrupted by a graceful and calm burp which expelled a glorious flurry of colored papers, and not at all a loud belch that blew Maud’s mane in a windstorm of confetti, thank you very much.

“Where is all this confetti coming from!? Trixie must have burped up at least twice the amount she was hit with by now!”

“It’s Pinkie,” Maud said calmly.

“THAT DOESN’T EXPLAIN S—BUUUUUUUURRRRRPPPPPP! Why is this happening to Trixie? And let Trixie down already!” Trixie tried to roll towards Maud’s back legs, but Maud bucked without hesistation, sending Trixie gracefully into the air, and certainly not making her squeal in panic and flail her hooves before landing solidly back in her starting position with another burp of confetti.

“Sometimes you just need to accept that some things cannot be explained,” Maud said, her ear flicking in a way that Trixie had learned meant she was amused by something. “Pinkie is one of those things. That’s what makes her so special. And I will let you down once we get to the cart Fluttershy will be riding in and will stay with you to make sure you don’t try and sneak off again.”

“Trixie does not need a foal sitter,” Trixie grumbled, her face the same shade of blue as it always was and certainly not red in embarrassment. "And it's not like there is anywhere for me to snake off to this time anyway.”

“Then consider me a concerned friend,” Maud said, her tone sounding ever so slightly playful. “One who will carry you like a sack of potatoes until you feel better.”

Trixie only let out a refined ‘humph’ and certainly did not grumble in reluctant acceptance of her fate all the way to the cart.

Meanwhile meanwhile…

“Is that enough?” Applejack asked, looking under the heavy tarp at the green boxes below it. Said boxes had been found in the greenhouse the day before, and Twilight had determined that they contained various enchantments designed to keep that cursed flower alive over long journeys. They even included a sunlight spell, watering and humidity control spells, and even a spell to simulate earth pony magic.

They also weren’t see-through, letting her, Flash, and Twilight load them without a second glance from any of the native ponies. A number of resistance ponies knew what they were doing, but given what the ponies of this property had been through, there was no need to bring up bad memories by bringing those flowers out into the open.

“It should be,” Flash said, sliding the last box into place. “And we still have that stash of seed we found as well, just in case something happens to them.”

“Good. Have Twilight and Big Mac finished setting up the wood for the fire?”

“They’re just bringing in the last pieces now,” Flash said, pointing a wing. Applejack turned, just in time to see Twilight levitating a large chunk of a destroyed house in her magic and Big Mac pulling a cart of wooden scraps behind him. “After they put them in the green house, Twilight plans to create a shield spell to ensure the fire doesn’t spread to the mansion. They should have the fire started in less than an hour, according to Twilight’s estimate.”

“Good,” Applejack said again with a firm nod. “The sooner we leave the better. We can’t spend more nights here than necessary. At least Rose confirmed that there should be no other ponies scheduled to arrive for ‘retraining.’” She snorted. “How many ponies has she force fed that flower before sending them back to their old tyrants?” It made Applejack grind her teeth.

“The important thing is that it won’t happen ever again,” Flash said, his voice calm. “And we have a few pegesi willing to stay behind disguised as Butlers just in case another group shows up unannounced. Once we release Obsidian outside the Everfree Forest, news will likely spread to all the other alicorns that she’s been depowered, which will stop any more ponies from being sent.”

“And with that greenhouse up in flames, they won’t be able to find that flower. Here at least,” Applejack said, taking a deep breath. In truth, she knew of ONE other place ponies might find that vile plant, but she also knew the owner of that land would never share it with anyone. SHE didn’t have the capacity for kindness or generosity, moreso than any other alicorn she had ever heard of.

“I doubt most other alicorns would use it anyway,” Flash said, halting Applejack’s dark thoughts before they became too engrossing. “I mean, it makes it hard for the pony to do or care about anything, which I assume means threats don’t work nearly as well afterwards. Honestly, I think Obsidian was a bit crazy for using it at all.”

“I think she’s just a sociopath that just enjoys watching others suffer,” Applejack hissed, glaring towards the cage cart where Obsidian now struggled. “Though I’ll admit, she’s probably one of the worst alicorns I’ve ever had the displeasure of meeting. She might even surpass Thorn, if only because of that damn flower.”

“Let’s just be glad they’re BOTH powerless now,” Flash said, nodding in agreement. “Neither of them deserved to rule over other ponies. Especially after what Thorn tried to do to Twilight and what Obsidian tried to do to Pinkie.” He swallowed hard. “If that axe had hit Twilight’s horn, Thorn would have regretted it far more than Rainbow ripping her wing off.”

Applejack could hear the anger in his voice. A very familiar anger.

“Save that anger for the next alicorn,” Applejack said, grunting in contempt. “There’s plenty more tyrants in need of a kick to the face.”

HER especially.

But right now, making sure her ponies got home safe was the top priority.

Payback could wait until they had the Elements of Harmony, at least.

An hour later…

“We ready?” Flash asked, looking at the spell runes Twilight had carved into the ground with her magic. They were glowing faintly with a purple light, and Flash could feel the magic pulsing under his hooves due to the sheer amount of power being channeled.

“Nearly!” Twilight called from the end of the semicircle. “I just need to finish charging these last few runes, and we’ll be clear to start the fire! Once it’s set, the semicircle will keep the fire from reaching the mansion, and will draw excess heat from the flames to use as energy. That way, the spell will hold so long as the fire burns and then a few hours after, and the fire will burn out sooner once there’s no more fuel.”

Flash had to hold back a chuckle at the foal-like excitement in Twilight’s voice. He was glad Applejack sent him to check on their progress.

“Why are we leaving the mansion intact again?” Rainbow asked as she hovered nearby. “It’s not like we’re gonna be using it once we leave anyway, and the pegesi we leave behind don’t need it either. Plus it might give the ponies here some joy is seeing that place extra crispy.”

“The smoke’s the problem,” Big Mac said. “Burn the whole mansion down, and all that smoke will be visible from miles. The greenhouse will make smoke, but it won’t be nearly as much as the whole mansion. It might attract some curious glances should anypony pass through the area, but it shouldn't be enough to prompt a full investigation. Building fires do happen after all, and the greenhouse isn’t large enough to look any different from a normal building fire.

"Plus, this way the ponies staying behind have somewhere nice to sleep rather than tents or run-down homes. And if the mansion catches fire, chances are the rest of the town will light up too. Would be hard to miss that, even from Canterlot.”

“We can always come back if we need gems, too,” Twilight called as she walked back towards them. “There’s a lot of spells you can place in gems, and if we ever need more for Trixie’s disguise spell, we can come back and harvest more.”

“Won’t that black gunk Second Sight mentioned ruin the gemstones when the land becomes barren again?” Flash asked.

“I don’t think so,” Twilight said, still not looking up from her work. “At least, not right away. Remember, after that day I tried to purify the village’s garden, I spent a few days working with Second Sight to develop a spell that would let me see the corruption that she sees everywhere. It doesn’t help me get rid of it, and it’s rather draining, but it does let me see it and how much of it there is.

“On the way here, I spent some time using my magic to look at the corruption levels, and it seems that the areas surrounding the property has less of that black gunk. I do only have a small range of reference, unfortunately, but it looks like the further we got from the Everfree Forest, the less of the corruption I saw. Though that could just be in this direction, given how barren the land is to the north of the forest.

“Thought I do hope we can come back every month or two. It would be fascinating to see how the corruption is spreading back into the property and if it is affecting the gems in the mines. I especially want to see—”

“Twilight, that’s a bad idea. Once word spreads that Obsidian is gone, chances are this place will be swarming with guards looking for evidence of what happened. They might even try to bring in another alicorn to keep the gems flowing. It’s why we’re bringing a bunch back with us, remember?”

"But what if they don’t? I know that at least one other Lady has a huge gem mine, so if they still make enough gems, there’s no reason for—”

“Is the spell ready or not?” Rainbow interrupted, earning a glare from Twilight. “Applejack says we’re ready to go, so all we need now is for you to light this thing and we can get outta here, go home, and see which tyrant’s flank we need to kick next! If you want to look at this corruption so badly just go look at Thorn’s old place instead of wasting a week in the middle of nowhere.”

“You don’t need to be rude,” Twilight huffed, turning back to her spellwork. “I just need to finishing charging the spell, and we’ll be good to go.”

Flash could tell from her soft muttering and the way her ears dipped downwards that she was annoyed and frustrated. But he also knew a way to cheer her up.

“You know, Rainbow might be on to something. We do have a lot of gems packed away, and they likely aren't as corrupted as ones that would be found on Thorn’s property,” he said, smiling as Twilight’s ears perked up. “And I seem to remember Spike helping us pack away a lot of high-quality gems from Obsidians processing room. We don’t really have time to go searching for more right now, but we have at least a few cart’s worth already. If you talked to Applejack, I’m sure she might be willing to let you study a few of them so you have a baseline to compare the gems of this property to the ones on Thorn’s property to see how quickly the corruption is returning there. And I’m sure Rarity could help you find some given her gem-finding spell.”

He had to try very hard not to laugh as he saw a giddy smile spread across Twilight’s face.

“That’s a great idea!” she cheered, her horn glowing brighter to match her enthusiasm. “Thorn’s old property would be the perfect place to compare the corruption across the gems! I’ll finish this, then go find some of those gems! I’m sure I can create a compelling argument to convince the ponies here to let me study some of them by the time we get back to the property. And if I can’t, I can likely use some of the books we’re taking from Obsidian’s mansion to develop a more compelling argument. EEEEE, it’ll be just like the research projects back on Lady Celesta’s and Lady Luna’s property!”

“Nerd,” Rainbow exclaimed through a series of fake coughs, only for a zipper to magically appear over her mouth and silence her. Big Mac chuckled rather loudly at that.

“It’s ready! You’re up, Flash,” Twilight called. Flash nodded, stepped forward, and activated his wing blades. With a faint click, the blades extended, sparking madly as Flash poured his magic into them. Then, with a move he had practiced hundreds of times before, he sliced the air in front of him, sending two bolts of lightning careening into the greenhouse with a loud bang.

The wood caught on fire almost instantly and quickly began to spread. With a final flick of her horn, Twilight activated the shield, projecting a purple barrier that formed a semicircle around the greenhouse.

Flash couldn’t help but smile as the fire continued to grow, the cursed red flowers slowly disappearing as they were consumed. They would never hurt anypony ever again…

A short while later…

Pinkie watched as the smoke rose from what was once Obsidian’s property. Even with the estate itself no longer in sight, Pinkie could still see it in her mind. The house she had grown up in, the long, winding mines deep below the ground, that secret cave she hid in before Maud help her escape, that tall, imposing, black mansion that towered over her life…

All the memories, all the pain and joy, everything she experienced there swirled through her head as she watched the product of the fire. The fire that destroyed those cursed flowers and everything it represented. Even if they still had the flowers with them, they would never again torment the ponies she had come to love. They would be used for a better purpose; helping those in needs and working to stop alicorns like Obsidian from hurting anypony else.

The chapter of pain and suffering under the cruel overseer know as Obsidian was finally over.

But Pinkie could still feel a weight on her chest. Looking around from her position on top of Obsidian’s cage as the center of the convoy that continued to march on, she could see the ponies of her home. Despite the smiles and joy she brought them all the day before, despite them all knowing Obsidian could never hurt them again, she could still feel the pain in their hearts. The chains of torment and sorrow that continued to harass them even as they worked to move on.

It was so real, so visceral, that Pinkie wasn’t sure if she was just projecting her emotions onto them, or if she was actually feeling what was in their hearts. She was the Bearer of Laughter now, so was what she was feeling was actually real? So sort of…a seventh sense, something beyond her Pinkie Sense, that could see the pain in those lacking laughter in their lives?

Either way, despite the happiness of the previous day, Pinkie knew that many of the ponies she once knew were still recovering. Still coming to terms with what had happened and their newly found freedom. Still learning to throw off the chains that had bound them for years upon years.

Pinkie wanted to help them. To show them that things were truly turning changing for the better, for real. And with that thought came a memory that had remained in Pinkie’s mind as they walked, one that she knew would help to break a few more of those chains.

A memory of a song. One that had echoed across her home as far back as she could remember…

Clang…Cling…Clang…Cling…

With her hooves, Pinkie began the beat, striking the metal cage she sat on. The sound not too dissimilar to that of a pickax striking rocks or gems. The eyes of the surrounding ponies were instantly drawn to her as she continued to pound out her beat.

Then, she began to hum.

Hmm hmhm hm hm hm hmhmmm hmm hmhm hm hmhmmm hmm. Hmm hmhm hm hm hm hmhmmm hmm hmmmhmhmhmmmmhmmm.

As she finished the first verse, other voices started to join in. Ponies pulling carts nearby began to stomp to the rhythm. Others riding in the carts struck the metal around them in time to Pinkie’s clangs. And, one by one, ponies all around her began to hum too.

By the third verse, Pinkie could hear the song building, passing down both directions of the convoy as others were drawn into the song.

By the fifth verse, a violin had joined in from somewhere up ahead, a little bit bumpy as the pony likely relearned to play after a long break, but the sound was still strong and clear enough that Pinkie knew even those at the end of the convoy could her its tune.

By the end of the seventh, Pinkie knew it was time to sing.

Cold, the land and water flowing,

Hard, the land we call our home.

Push, to keep the dark from coming,

Feel, the weight of what we owe.

This, the song of sons and daughters,

Hide, the heart of who we are.

Making peace to build our future,

Strong, united, working ’til we fall.

Her words were soft, but carried far across the land. With each line, she could feel the pain of her memories soften, a wave of acceptance and willing ness to move on washing over her. When she finished, she began again, this time joined by countless voices from across the convoy.

Cold, the land and water flowing,

Hard, the land we called our home.

Push, to keep the dark from coming,

Feel, the weight of what we owe.

Some sang, others hummed, and still others just kept the beat. But all the while, Pinkie felt the weight in her chest begin to lift.

This, the song of sons and daughters,

Hide, the heart of who we are.

Making peace to build our future,

Strong, united, working ’til we fall.

As one, the voices rose together, singing away their pain.

And we all LIFT!

And we’re all adrift,

Together…

Together…

Thought the cold mist,

We will resist,

Together…

Together…

All around Pinkie, the voices dropped down to nothing more than a whisper, ponies singing at differing intervals, creating an echo effect that mimicked the echoes that sounded deep in the mines.

Cold, the land and water flowing

Hard, the land we called our home

Push, to keep the dark from coming

Feel, the weight of what we owe

Then the voices unified and rose once again, calling out in defiance to the darkness.

THIS, THE SONG OF SONS AND DAUGHTERS

HIDE, THE HEART OF WHO WE ARE

MAKING PEACE TO BUILD OUR FUTURE

STRONG, UNITED, WORKING ‘TIL WE FALL

AND WE ALL LIFT!

AND WE’RE ALL ADRIFT

TOGETHER…

TOGETHER…

THROUGH THE COLD MIST

WE WILL RESIST

TOGETHER…

TOGETHER…

Ponies continued to hum, keeping the rhythm as the ponies around her sang the old, familiar song. All the while, she could feel the chains in their hearts continue to weaken, if only slightly.

The cage rocked slightly and a muffled thump sounded behind Pinkie. Looking back, she was met with a smiling Cheese Sandwich. It wasn’t a huge and happy smile this time, but more of a soft one that conveyed a single word.

‘Thanks.’

Pinkie smiled back and gestured him over to her. He accepted the invitation, moving beside her just as the trekking ponies began to sing again. It would be a long time before anypony was fully recovered, but Pinkie knew they would all make it. And Pinkie knew both of she and Cheese would be there to help make sure they did.

Further ahead…

Twilight listened as the ponies around her continued to sing, the song echoing throughout her whole body as she hummed the main tune. A small part of her wanted to join in, to sing with the ponies around her, yet a larger part of herself held her back.

In truth, didn’t feel like she had as much of a right to sing as those who did. They had lived hard lives, suffered under the hooves of an oppressive alicorn for years, and had sometimes been forced to eat a horrible plant that temporarily robbed them of their magic, or worse; all their motivation and skills. Losing your magic would be bad enough, but losing the motivation to read or practice what skills you already had? Twilight still couldn’t even imagine how that must feel. She could sympathize with their pain and struggle, and she felt better knowing that they would naturally recover with time and care, but she didn't know what their struggle was or would be like on a personal level.

She had nowhere near as much experience with hardship. She’d really only had two truly bad instances in her time under the rule of the alicorns that she could remember: Thorn beating her father, and her magic surge that killed one of Thorn's Butlers. Both memories still stung, enough to make tears come to her eyes if she thought about them enough, but the sheer rawness of the trauma had somewhat…not dissipated, exactly, but sort of blurred. The pain didn’t have quite the same potency anymore.

So, she hummed. Helping keep other ponies on the beat, while still leaving the real words to those who had pain to sing away.

Flash, who walked beside her, was singing, but his voice was so quiet that Twilight was sure only she could hear him. It also felt…different. The others who were singing sounded as though they were singing of their pain and struggles, while Flash’s felt more as thought he was sympathizing with them. As though he could understand their struggle and pain, but that he didn’t feel right comparing their experiences to his.

Why would that be? Twilight asked herself. He had lived most of his life with her on Lady Celestia’s and Lady Luna’s property, and he hadn’t seen that much conflict before they left, at least not that she knew of. He was born in Cloudsdale though, so could that have something to do with it? Could he have experience some bad things before he moved to the Shining Star Property?

It felt so strange that she didn’t know the answers. That she didn’t know more about him and why he wanted to sing without joining the main chorus. It…almost hurt a little that she didn’t know. He had been her guard for years, had seen all of her mistakes and knew many of her secrets and embarrassing stories, yet she couldn’t say the same about him. She didn’t know what his life used to be like, how he got his wing blades…she had never even asked about his family.

Yet regardless of how little she knew about his life outside him protecting her, she knew he was somepony that made her feel safe, that encouraged her and believed in her abilities, that calmed her when her nightmares made her lose control of her magic. He had risked his life for her in Canterlot and on Thorn’s property, and she was certain he would do so again. She knew for certain that he was her friend.

And that made her smile.

She was curious now. She wanted to know more about him, what his family had been like, what Cloudsdale was like. To know why he was singing along, but seemed to be to nervous to sing so that others could hear him. He hid it well, but Twilight could tell he was uncertain about the song both by his stance, and by the way he stood a little bit closer to her now than when the song had begun.

She didn’t mind. And after all the years he had spend comforting her in time of stress or uncertainty, it was only right that she do the same for him. She gently extended her wing over his back, just like she did back in the greenhouse. Flash turned to look at her in surprise, his expression a bit uncertain. Twilight just smiled and continued to hum. Flash blinked, before softly returning the smile and continuing the song, his voice ever so slightly louder now.

Thought it wasn’t just Flash that Twilight was learning about. The song was telling her quite a bit about the ponies around her as well, mostly through way each pony was singing it. Rainbow was still flying above, her voice loudly reaching the rest of them, her voice triumphant and confident to reflect her victory over Thorn in the end. Fluttershy, despite her own awful experiences, was still only humming, her voice almost like a lullaby offering comfort to the ponies she was continuing to look after. Thunder and Lightning were singing, but were alternating who sung each verse, like they were showing their support for one another.

But was perhaps the most surprising to Twilight was that Applejack was singing the song. Her voice was loud, clear, and strangely beautiful, yet hid some emotion that Twilight couldn’t identify. It made Twilight’s mind think back to what Second Sight had said about her. How not even Big Mac knew what had happened to Applejack, even all these years later.

Was Applejack thinking like her? Thinking that she could join the main song as she knew the pain that these ponies felt and could help them sing away her own pain? And is so, what had happened to her back with her own Lady?

Meanwhile, in Canterlot…

Sunset Shimmer stood quietly at attention, her eyes focused upward as she watched the Queen read over her plan. The only sounds in the quiet room were rustling of the paper hovering in the Queen’s magic and her own breathing. Sunset knew the chances of her plan being accepted were slim to none, but she needed to at least try to get the idea into the Queen’s head. Then maybe she would actually have a chance of—

“I have reviewed your plan, Captain,” the Queen said, pulling Sunset from her thoughts. “And I can safely say that this is not the time to pull any of the royal guards away from their search. Our focus must be on finding the other Elements of Harmony.”

Saw that coming, Sunset thought. “I understand, Your Majesty,” she said, bowing.

“However,” the Queen continued. “I will be keeping this plan available as a possible alternative. Should the ponies protecting Twilight Sparkle somehow get lucky enough to stumble upon another Element, you will be granted permission to carry out your plan, with one small change.”

Sunset looked up from her bow, seeing the frustrated look on the Queens face. “Should we be forced to use your strategy,” she continued, causing Sunset to snort internally. It’s not like the Queen’s strategy of ‘Send solders everywhere and hope for the best’ was working so well at the moment. The Queen continued, “You are to do everything in your power to see if the ponies you capture know where other elements may be located, not just those that they have already obtained. I doubt they will, but we cannot afford to leave any stone unturned. Any information they could give us would be invaluable.

“But for now, continue overseeing the search for the lost elements. That is our top priority.”

“As you command, your majesty,” Sunset said with another bow, smirking internally.

Condescending or not, that went better than expected…

Author's Note

Well...that took longer than expected. I blame 2020 dropkicking reality in the face and me starting a masters program. Seriously, what is wrong with this year? I'm pretty sure even aliens would see this nonsense and just be like 'NOPE! Not worth it!'

But aside from that, this was fun to write. A nice follow up to the last chapter, a bit more exploration with the characters and their relationships, and my first musical number! The song itself is a remix of the song 'We all lift together' from the game Warframe. I think it perfectly enraptures the feeling of this world, so I thought I would include it here. Here's another link to the song in case you want to give it a listen LINK.

A little sad that I couldn't finish this in time for MLP's tenth anniversary because of a test, but better late than never. Enjoy, let me know what you think, and stay safe .