Twilight buried her head against Starlight’s side. Her student and friend, one of the few ponies who were always at her side. The only one left. Shadow was gone, chasing the Chimera that had done this. They’d gotten to the rock farm in time to witness its handiwork. Beside Twilight, straining to fight back tears of her own, was Limestone Pie. Her little sister, Marble, wasn’t as strong, bawling against her sister’s side while Igneous Rock Pie tried to keep Cloudy Quartz from breaking down into a puddle.

Pinkie Pie’s entire chest was shredded, her heart and lungs torn to ribbons. Both of her front legs had been torn off and lay on the porch, where the Chimera had thrown them. But despite how painful it must have been, Pinkie was still smiling. Despite being gone, despite having thrown her last party ever in an attempt to cheer up Twilight, she was still smiling. “I hope your wolf kills that thing...” Limestone said, shaking with the effort of holding back her tears. Cloudy looked over at her with shock, her eyes falling on her oldest daughter.

She started to say something before closing her mouth. She felt the same way. That thing had taken her daughter from her. It needed to pay. “We don’t need to see this.” Maud said, her voice cracking from its usual stoic-ness, before walking into the house. Twilight heard crashing and shattering before Maud walked back out, the table cloth from their kitchen in her teeth. Ever so carefully, she placed it over Pinkie. A death shroud. Hearing rocks tumbling, the seven ponies turned towards the rock quarry only to see Shadow come limping up over the ridge.

Forgetting her heartbreak at having just lost Pinkie, Twilight raced over to him, practically skidding to a stop when she saw the gashes on his leg. “I’m fine, just a scratch.” He said as she helped him over to the others. When they reached him, Maud leaned down and examined his injury.

“There are small shards of extrusive igneous rhyolite in your wound. We need to clean it before it gets infected.” She said and he shook his head.

“Don’t worry about me. Twilight...”

“Will be fine while you get your wound cleaned...” Twilight said, pushing her weight up under his wing. “Come on.” She said as she herded him into the house, the Pie’s following sedately. All of them save for Limestone. “Is she going to be ok out there alone?”

“Limestone will be fine. He may not unless we clean his wound.” Igneous Rock said and Twilight nodded as they went into the kitchen, where Shadow pushed two chairs together and climbed up onto them. Cloudy Quartz boiled some water, sitting by the stove in silence, while Twilight and Maud went outside to bring Pinkie Pie back into the house, where she’d be safe from the weather.

“What you did was stupid.” Cloudy said and he nodded. “But I thank you for doing it. If you hadn’t, I would have...”

“If it’s not to forward of me to ask, Miss Quartz, what is your story? I have a record of nearly everyone I’ve ever met memorized, but most of your file is redacted or erased. I’d like to fill in the blanks.” Shadow said as she cleaned his wound, using small tweezers in her hoof as if it were a paw to extract the slightly larger shards of stone. Sighing, she wiped his injury clean with the water, staring at it to make sure it remained clean.

“Before I was a Pie, I was Special Agent Quartz, head of Canterlot’s Secret Task Force, a group created to assist with the capture and containment of creatures like this Chimera. I met Igneous during a field op one evening many years ago and he told me the Choosing Stone had chosen me to be his bride. I thought he was full of nonsense, but came back to his farm to see this Choosing Stone for myself.”

“A stone that shows the cutie mark of the one you are destined for. I’ve heard of it. My people have something similar, though ours is replaced after every use. We call it the Destiny Stone. It’s given to our pups at their tenth name day to show them the Mark of the one they are chosen for. Mine is still blank.” He said and she glanced at him. “I carry it with me wherever I go.” Shifting just slightly, he nudged the necklace around his neck to show them the stone hanging there. Just as he said, it was just a blank chunk of obsidian.

“It seems your stone has yet to decide a destiny for you.” She said and he nodded. “Perhaps you should see our Choosing Stone. It may hold the answer you seek.” He just smiled a little as she bandaged his wound. “There. You should be safe to move around, but don’t exert yourself too much.” He nodded again as he stood up slowly, gingerly putting weight on the leg and wincing slightly.

“No high speed travel for me for a while.”

“And no activities besides walking either. Princess.” Cloudy said as Twilight entered the room again, a small smirk on her face.

“What? But... I... we... I don’t... um...” Twilight stuttered as her face flushed a brilliant shade of red.

“That was cruel, Miss Pie.” Shadow said and she just smiled.

“If you wish to know more about my past before I met my beloved, ask Princess Celestia when this is all over. I give you permission to view my past records.” He nodded as Twilight walked over to him, pressing her side against his to support him a little.

“Come on, we should go out there and help bring Pinkie inside.” He said and she glanced at him.

“What happened to not naming the corpses?”

“She’s one of the last of your friends. I’m not going to dishonor her by not calling her by name.” He said and she smiled a little.

Three days later, Twilight lay awake in her bedroom in the Friendship Castle, Shadow asleep by her side. As she’d expected, he’d healed quickly, but Twilight was careful with him. As careful as he’d let her be anyway. The last three days had gone by with him “helping her recover”. Princess Celestia was none too pleased with Twilight, for making him exert himself rather than heal so he could protect her, but lately Twilight didn’t really care.

The pleasant throbbing between her thighs, the sated ache in her loins. The only possible way this could be better was if it somehow awakened a magic within her that let her travel back in time with a passenger. She’d take Shadow back to the cloud Rainbow was on before the incident and he could stop the Chimera, saving her friends. Without any consequences. As she lay snuggled against him, thoroughly sated, her mind raced. If Shining Armor knew about this, what would he say? What would her parents think? What would the Princesses think?

A small voice in the back of Twilight’s mind was screaming at her to beg for forgiveness from Princess Celestia for being a bad student and letting her emotions get the better of her. But the throbbing between her thighs was louder. “Celestia won’t care. She’s like a mother to you. As long as Shadow keeps you safe and happy, Celestia will be happy. She might be cross with him, but she wouldn’t be angry with him.” Her mental self said, clearly berating her conscience for being stupid.

“I want to do it again... maybe use the excuse that last night felt like a dream and I wanted to experience it for real... No... he’d never buy that... he’s too smart. He’s a guard, a warrior, maybe the love of my life. Wait... is he? We had sex, does that mean he loves me... or was I just using him so I could forget?” she thought to herself. She was so lost in her own mind that she didn’t even notice when the bedroom door swung open her two students, Sunset and Starlight, snuck into the room. She didn’t notice either of them until they’d pounced on the two intertwined lovers. Twilight shrieked and Shadow just groaned.

“I’m so glad you’re safe Twilight.” Sunset said as she wrapped her hooves around Twilight’s neck, almost squeezing the life out of her.

“I told her you were. Like Shadow would let anything bad happen to you.” Starlight said, despite also being wrapped around Twilight’s middle.

“Girls... can you please get off... at least let me get up...” Twilight groaned and the two girls climbed off of the bed, staring sheepishly at Twilight. Twilight just sighed as she gently dislodged herself from Shadow and rolled off of the bed. Sunset immediately took notice of what was going on and smiled.

“So, how was he?” she asked and Twilight blushed, walking passed the two of them to the door.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She said, despite the fact that with the angle they were at, they could easily make out exactly what had happened the previous night. Stopping at the door, she glanced behind her to see that Shadow was still “asleep” but one of his ears had swiveled her way. He made no moves to get up, and she couldn’t help but smile. With Starlight and Sunset there, Twilight was safe.

Knowing Starlight, Trixie wouldn’t be far behind and though Twilight found the showmare’s bragging to be grating on the nerves, there was strength in numbers. And, though she’d never admit it out loud, she did see Trixie as somewhat of a rival. Walking down the hall to the bathroom so she could clean up a bit, she heard Sunset snickering and stopped her tail from swaying by sheer force of will. “Sorry Twilight, it’s just, after all of this, you are the last person I expected to... well... get laid.” She said and Starlight swatted her friend with her tail.

“It’s alright. I know what you mean Sunset. I didn’t really think a relationship was in the cards for me after all of this, but... he was here and offered to help me forget.” Twilight said, smiling slightly. “And he did, most of it. I’ll never forget them. Ever. But he helps fill in some of the holes in my heart. And having you two here helps too.”

“So what’s next?” Starlight asked and Twilight sucked in a breath.

“Bait.” She said and her two students and last remaining friends shared a look before looking to their teacher, concern evident in their eyes.

Author's Note

Ok, next up is the possible finale. With Sunset and Starlight, I'm thinking of making this fic only seven chapters long, since I really like those two characters and don't particularly want to write death chapters for them. I've got a plan in the works though folks, no worries. And before anyone asks "is this going to be canon for your fics?" I will answer. Yes. Yes it is. That's all I'm gonna say about it though. I haven't decided where in the fics I want this.