A Scratch On Shining Armor: Bad Moon Rising

Chapters

366
365 Part 1
365 Part 2
364
363 Part 1
363 Part 2
362
361 Part 1
361 Part 2

366

Three Hundred and Sixty-Six days until the next Summer Sun Celebration

“WOO!” A cheer went up through the massive crowd, spreading almost throughout the entire city. Shining Armor contributed to the uproar the best he could, whooping and hollering as the sun appeared over the horizon. The city of Baltimare was obviously overjoyed to have the Summer Sun Celebration this year, and Shining was more than happy to share in that joy with them.

“Is it time for coffee yet…?” The very grumpy mare beside him spoke directly in his ear. Shining smiled in response and kissed her temple lightly. He didn’t need to say anything to get a grumble in response from Vinyl, just like he always would this early in the morning.

It had been a rocky road to get to where they were today. From the moment they were forced together by chance, through all of Vinyl’s family drama and Cadance trying to use her power to keep them apart, to all the stuff between those first few fateful moments seven years ago and now.

They were happy now. It had taken time and effort, but they were finally in a place that felt right. They even had little traditions now, like this one where they went to see the Summer Sun Celebration wherever it was held every year. Sure, maybe Vinyl didn’t like getting up so early just to see the sunrise, but she always loved the parties afterwards. This year’s was special, though. This year Baltimare had hired Vinyl to take care of all of their music needs for the night. Yeah, their lives were nearly perfect.

“Tell ya what-” Vinyl spoke in her groggy voice, sliding her sunglasses over her eyes as the glorious sun shone over the land for the longest day of the year. “-as much as I enjoy your kisses, they are no substitute for coffee, Twinkle.” Still the pet name, no matter what. It was their little barometer for how Vinyl was really feeling. ‘Twinkle’ meant everything was good and she was only annoyed or sarcastic, ‘Shining’ meant she was pissed off or worried.

“We’ll get you your coffee, but first we have to hear the speech.” Shining always loved Princess Celestia’s speeches at this event, it was a grand sweeping speech that encompassed the hopes and dreams of the coming year that the Princess had for Equestria and its ponies. It was always inspiring and hopeful and it was just good motivation to help the country and all of the ponies in it. It was Shining’s motivating force now that he was a paper pusher and not a proper guard. It let him know exactly what he was working for and towards.

“Ponies!” The booming voice of Celestia quieted the crowd almost immediately. In an instant, the entire city had its attention locked on the Princess, the collective breath held in anticipation. “I want to say thank you to the city of Baltimare for hosting this wonderful event, their hospitality and charity cannot be understated.” The mayor, a nearby portly stallion with a styled mustache nodded with a beaming smile. “Now, to the state of Equestria as we stand today. We are a nation on precipice of greatness: our relationships with Saddle Arabia, The Griffon Empire, and Thestralia could not be stronger and together we are looking to create a union unlike anything this world has seen since the pony tribes united under one banner! Our trade routes flourish and our coffers fill, we are the envy of the world once again!” A roar went up through the city, one filled with national pride and hope for the future. “All is not well at home, though-” Celestia’s voice cut through the noise without effort. “-hate is on the rise in our cities, calls to violence come from within - from ponies who we thought as righteous and harmonious. It pains me deeply to see the rhetoric against our own kind, against the creatures who come here seeking refuge from their own war torn homelands.We must not see them as enemies invading our homeland, but strangers needing our help and guidance. Then the unfortunate situation in Canterlot-in my very palace-where dangerous and illegal leaks are jeopardizing Captain Galea’s ability to execute her office to its full potential. I must urge the public and the press as well to exercise a certain level of distrust when given such classified materials without named sources or authorization from government officials. They only seek to undermine our ability to protect both our citizens and our security.” The alicorn took a deep breath, one that was not lost on the crowd at all. “That is why I stated that we are a nation on the precipice of true greatness, while we flourish abroad we weaken and wither at home. We must rise above our petty differences, both physical and ideological, to push past this last barrier and achieve our place in the annals of history as a truly magnificent nation.”

Shining couldn’t help but stamp his hooves and cheer with the rest of the crowd. The surge of national pride and purpose filled his chest and he just couldn’t hold it back. He loved Equestria, it was the whole reason he became a guard. He loved his country, he loved its citizens, and he wanted to see the nation as a whole flourish.

“Turn around and lift your tail for us!” Shining was taken out of his patriotic fervor by Scratch doing what she does best, being vulgar. He rolled his eyes and thumped her chest with a hoof. “Ow! What? Not like she can hear me.”

“Be respectful, she is the Princess.” Shining watched the monarch descend from the stage, reaching out and shaking hooves with ponies within reach and giving gentle warm hugs to fillies and colts. Like always, she was the picture of regality and poise.

“Let me have my fun, Twinkle.” The little back and forth didn’t really mean anything.It was just how they both had their fun, one of them says something a bit silly and the other responds and chides them, repeat ad infinateum. It was just one of the little things that kept their relationship fresh and fun.

There were pitfalls, of course. Vinyl could get a bit… sensitive at times. Sometimes a back and forth would strike a nerve that Shining didn’t mean it to and would end with Vinyl angry and closed off for some period of time. Vinyl could be frustrating when she got like that, because if Shining engaged and told her that she took it the wrong way it could turn her angry and start a fight. So most of the time Shining caved and apologized which weighed on him heavily to just give up like that.

“Coffee, right?” He asked the mare next to him, giving her a little nudge. It was important to keep Vinyl properly caffeinated, and he could go for something too. Scratch nodded and pointed a direction towards a coffee shop on the other side of the crowd. Shining stepped forward and carved a path for the both of them through the dense thicket of bodies covering the street.

“Oh come on.” The pearlescent mare grumbled and groaned when they arrived at their destination. Just at the doors was a contingent of guards, fully armored and with spears stood at their sides in their magical grips. Throngs of ponies blocked the front windows, jabbering at looking at somepony inside.

“Seems like the Princess of the Sun isn’t exactly a morning pony, huh?” Shining joked and grinned at his compatriot, who only gave him an honestly grumpy look. The two white unicorns pushed their way to the front of the crowd as quick as they could. As soon as the two were able to see in, the Princess’ eyes met with theirs and lit up in recognition. Before Shining could even get a wave off, the window was suddenly and efficiently polarized so that nopony could see through it. A chorus of disappointed groans came from the crowd as they slowly dispersed now that they couldn’t ogle the princess.

“Her Majesty Princess Celestia wants to meet with you.” The stallion jumped a bit at the sudden tap on his shoulder and the deep, commanding voice in his ear. It was one of the guards, not one that he knew but then again he’s been out of the guard for seven years now. There were plenty of fresh faces that he didn’t know.

“Oh, thank Celestia!” Vinyl exclaimed and grinned excitedly. “I mean, y’know, literally.” She added on as the guard ushered them into the little coffee shop in the middle of Baltimare.

Sitting by the window in a booth just big enough for her alicorn proportions, was Princess Celestia herself. She sat with a little white teacup in her soft yellow glow, her magenta eyes following the two unicorns until they sat across from her in the booth. She took a small sip of whatever was in her cup and smiled at the two.

“Shining Armor, Vinyl Scratch. It is a pleasure to see you again. It has been a while.” Celestia’s mere presence seemed to radiate a warmth that permeated everything around her. Colors seemed brighter, a light feeling filled the hearts of ponies, and smiles were unavoidable. “Can I order you something? Coffee? Pastry?”

“Please!” Scratch responded eagerly. “Coffee, black as you can get it, please.” Shining didn’t really understand her seemingly recently acquired taste for the bitter stuff, but to each their own. The Princess and Scratch both looked to him for what he wanted.

“Sure, I’ll take a white mocha latte and a…” Shining trailed off as he squinted at the menu behind the far counter “….kolache, please.” A nearby guard nodded and walked off towards the counter.

“So how’re you doing, Celestia?” Vinyl sidled up as close as she could to Shining, resting her head lightly against him. Something about the little action seemed to brighten the monarch’s smile just a bit more.

It had been quite a while since Shining had been this close to Princess Celestia, at least a few years. His work schedule and general lack of free time had prevented him from spending too much time in the palace, especially around the royal bedrooms.

Plus all the stuff with Cadance all those years ago, it didn’t leave him exactly eager to talk with the sole monarch of Equestria. He would want to ask about his ex-marefriend, and that would just be a rabbit hole he wasn’t keen on going back down.

But Princess Celestia, she looked… older now. Not just seven years older either; her eyes had visible bags under them, her mane wasn’t as lustrous or freely flowing as it once was, and her posture was slumped and exhausted. To most ponies it wouldn’t be noticeable, but to those who had spent long enough around the alicorn, it would be just visible enough to raise some red flags.

“If I may be candid-” The guard who had been dispatched to order what they had wanted, came back and deposited two cups and a small plate with Shining’s food. Celestia waved the stallion off to leave the trio alone in peace. “-the summer sun celebration always takes so much out of me. The travel, the speechwriting, and the media circus in Canterlot have… it has been a lot.”

Shining nodded, while all Vinyl did was shrug.

“Sounds like you could use some ‘you-time’, Princess.” Vinyl took a long drink of her pitch-black coffee. “Like, y’know, a vacation. How long has it been since you left Canterlot not for official royal duties?” It was a fine idea, but it would never work. Shining knew that.

“Oh Vinyl.” Celestia gave a hearty chuckle and a wide genuine grin. “If I could just disappear for a few days, don’t you think I would have done it by now?” Well, Shining was thinking more about the logistics of the only Princess in Equestria not being in Canterlot, not even working, it would be a nightmare. Who would be in charge? Galea? That would be an even bigger disaster.

“Hey, I’m just sayin’.” Vinyl looked around to make sure the guard was gone for good. “Maybe you and I disappear to a nice cabin in the Macintosh Hills for a week or two, maybe with a whole cask of the good stuff from the palace cellar and just have a good time.” Vinyl gave the monarch a lecherous grin and raised her sunglasses to add a wink. Shining had no clue how Scratch had such little shame around Princess Celestia. It was something Shining still envied. Then again, it might just come off as creepy coming from him.

“Tempting,” Celestia admitted, returning Vinyl’s sly wink. Then she went back to nursing the warm drink in front of her.

“That wasn’t a no~” Vinyl whispered into his ear in a sing-song voice.

“Enough about me, how are you two doing? No problems, I hope.” Shining bit his tongue on all of the things he could complain about. Maybe not relationship problems, they could handle those speedbumps, but many other things.

“We bought a house!” Vinyl said excitedly, putting her sunglasses onto her head and beaming all the while. Shining nodded and finally decided to throw his two cents in. He nudged Vinyl to sit back and let him get some words in.

“On the east-side of town, just a few blocks away from the DEqI headquarters.” Shining took a bite of his pastry and nodded at the thought of their new property. “It’s gonna take a lot of work, though. The place isn’t in good shape.”

It had been a dream of both of theirs since they both moved into Vinyl’s apartment together. A house all their own, with a full kitchen, a spacious bathroom, closer to his job and the center of the city. The problem with that kind of dream is that it’s expensive, especially in Canterlot. So saving and scrounging, working extra hours and waiting for the perfect moment took seven years and an accident that sent some rubble through a two story house. That brought the price right down.

“Yeah, gonna be a lot of weekends working.” Vinyl let out a sigh and let her head hit the table with a dull thud. “I hate doing all that physical stuff.”

“Hey, that’s why you have me.” He pressed against the mare next to him and smiled. “So don’t worry, we got this” Vinyl looked up and gave him a smile, then leaned in for a small kiss that he gladly reciprocated.

“Hey, lemme out.” Vinyl urged him with a poke to his side one they both had pulled away from the kiss. “I gotta go to the bathroom.” Of course, he complied and got up from the booth and let the mare rush by him towards the back of the little eatery.

“Are you two still not married, Shining Armor?” The question punched Shining hard in the gut, causing the stallion to nearly double over and choke on the piece of food he had just bitten off. “It has been seven years.”

“I-I-” Shining hadn’t expected Celestia to ask a question like that, not at all. Sure, he knew that the Princess was a little more interested in their relationship than she had any right to be, but that was because she had been personally involved in them getting together. “W-we’re waiting, Your Majesty.”

“For what, the apocalypse?” The alicorn asked with a slight chuckle. “You both are not getting any younger, and it is not as if you do not love each other.” He suppressed a sigh, yes those were all true but… there was just so much more to it.

“We’re just not ready.” He decided was the point he was going to hammer home. “My work keeps me busy, and she’s always travelling for hers. We just haven’t settled down enough to… well, settle down. We just want to live our lives for now, and we’re just not ready for marriage.”

“Oh? You both are not ready? Or is it only you?” Shining wouldn’t meet Celestia’s gaze, he wasn’t sure what he would see if he did. “What is stopping you?”

Cadance found herself in the highest room of the tallest tower. It was the only place in this ancient decrepit prison that she called home that let her see something other than the dense thicket of the Everfree. From here, through the cracked and broken windows, she could see the shining city on the Mount: Canterlot. Home.

The bright lights of Canterlot pierced the darkness of the world and stood as a beacon to all of Equestria. To Cadance, it was just a memento of her wrongdoings. Everything she had done had led to her exile, to her imprisonment here in the Castle of the Two Sisters deep in the cursed and wild forest known as the Everfree.

She guessed that’s why she liked coming up here, because it hurt. At least that little twinge of homesickness, that pain, it reminded her that there was more to life than the crumbling masonry and darkened forest around her.

Tonight, the lights of Canterlot were different from most others. Usually most of the city would have dimmed and gotten ready for rest, but every light in the city still shone as bright as ever. Now, everypony was waiting through the night for the raising of the sun in the morning, now they were partying and having a good time.

All while she was out here.

She averted her gaze from the city, instead looking up at the moon. It was full and beautiful, in clear defiance of the lights from the land below. The Mare in the Moon was the one pony that Cadance could always see, the one that was always there for her.

‘O’ child of mine, who doth look to the moon and stars, what hope thou to see?’

Cadance’s head shot up and she attempted to spread her wings and light her horn up in defense. The magical bonds that kept her tied to this place fought to keep her wings pinned and extinguished the magic in her head.

“Who’s there?” She asked, spinning around and looking into the darkened recesses of the tower. She had heard the voice, she knew she had. Where was the pony speaking to her? Who was it? “Whoever you are, you shouldn’t be here!”

‘Stargazer, look again to the moon and thou will lay thine eyes upon Us.’

Slowly, Cadance turned around towards the hole in the ceiling that she had been looking through to see the moon.The Mare in the Moon, the great craterous shadow that blessed the surface, it moved. The pink alicorn’s jaw tightened and her eyes widened at the implications.

“Luna…” She whispered.

‘Thou dost know my name, and reside in my tower. Tell me, Stargazer, who art thou?’

The dangerous impossibility of this happening had not been lost on Cadance. Celestia had told her of Luna, the scorned little sister imprisoned in the moon after turning into Nightmare Moon. She wasn’t supposed to return for another year, this wasn’t supposed to be happening!

“Princess Mi Amore Cadenza.” Cadance steeled her nerves and planted her hooves. Whatever was going on, she would figure out some way to tell her aunt. She had to warn somepony!

‘Princess? Art thou an alicorn like Us? Dost thou know Our sister?’

“Celestia…” Speaking the name aloud, it hurt her. Just saying the name made her posture and stance falter. It made her words catch in her throat and her chest ache. It was a vivid reminder of everything, of this loneliness. “Yeah, I know her…”

‘There is hate in thine eyes, and hurt in thy heart. Tell Us, Princess Cadenza, what has she done to thee?’

Before she could even refuse to answer that question, the moonlight that streamed around her seemed to form into semi-solid tendrils and surround her. It was magic,weak but at the same time more powerful than she had felt since Celestia had locked her here.

‘Our sister’s magic taints thy form, it binds thy wings and clouds thy mind. She has imprisoned thee here. Tell Us, Kindred Spirit, dost thou hate her?’

Cadance opened her mouth to say no, to say ‘of course not’ or ‘I could never hate her’. But something stopped her, something deep down in her heart. It was fighting for her to say ‘yes’, to scream ‘I want to lock her up for a decade and see how she likes it!’

“I’m not sure…” She instead answered meekly. There were so many ways to answer that question but none of them would feel right. Cadance looked back up at the moon, tears streaming from her eyes and down her cheeks. She had the distinct feeling that it was what the Mare in the Moon wanted to hear.

Author's Note

Hey! Surprise!

I really hope you guys all enjoy this. I hope I can do the first justice with the follow up.

365 Part 1

Three Hundred and Sixty-Five days until the next Summer Sun Celebration

Before her big break some three years ago, Vinyl had mostly done shows at house parties or maybe even seedier clubs in downtown Manehattan or Canterlot. But ever since Wheel saw one of her shows, she had been on a bit of a fast track. He and his twin brother, Deal, ran a small managing firm in Canterlot. They had helped her so much the last few years, getting her bigger and bigger gigs, her stuff had even been on the radio! And now, now she had just finished a set at the Summer Sun Celebration.

Sweat dripped down the mare’s forehead as she threw up her hooves, sending a roar through the crowd as the stage lights beat down on her from all directions. She would never get tired of this feeling, this energy. It was electric and addictive in the best ways possible. A grin plastered across her face and her eyes lit up behind her trademark shades.

“Thank you, Baltimare! Thank you, Equestria!” She shouted out to the crowd just a few seconds before the lights on the stage all died. The cheering and roar of the crowd kept going as Vinyl walked off the stage. Her knees were weak, her head was spinning a little and her mane was heavy and wet from perspiration. The afterglow of the gods.

Just behind the stage, which was set up in front of Baltimare’s city hall, the organizers had set up a makeshift ‘green room’, which consisted of a tarp tent with an industrial fan attached to the back to combat the humid summer air. It wasn’t luxurious, it wasn’t well equipped or stocked with all the amenities it should be, but it was private and cool.

Vinyl threw open the flap and was greeted to the sight of several other guest musicians. One of them, some bright blue bald pony with equalizer bars for cutie marks, passed by her to follow up her act. She moved by him and found her way to a free spot on a sofa. The fabric was hot and sticky like the air around her, clinging to her legs and flanks as she almost collapsed onto it.

“That was a killer set, DJ.” Vinyl looked to a chair across from her, where the voice came from. A bat pony stallion with a long black mane that covered and obscured most of his face was staring at her behind reflective silver shades that rested on the end of his muzzle. Vinyl recognized him, he wasn’t a friend or anypony she had toured with, but she knew his reputation. His name was just ‘E’, and he was supposedly ‘the most chill’ as one of her friends had described him.

“Hey man, thanks, that means a lot. When do you go on?” Long ago she had learned not to gush over compliments from others. When she had first started and all of these ponies with established names and reputations had complimented her, she’d sorta lost control and started rambling about her music and philosophy and it was just bad. Thank Celestia she got better about it.

“Me? No, I don’t play tonight. I’m here as an emissary.” His voice was mellow, slow and calm. Every word was carefree and said with a lazy smirk. “Here to spread the good word to my fellow children of the night.”

“If you’re peddling drugs, I don’t want any. I don’t do that stuff any more.” Primarily because Twinkle would either dump her, turn her into the guards, or both. None of those options were exactly something she wanted or ever needed to happen to her life. She liked things the way they were.

Speaking of Twinkle, where was he? He was already supposed to be in here when she was done so they could relax together with her contemporaries. Knowing him, he probably forgot where he was headed and was just wandering around now. She’d go find him in a few minutes once she cooled down.

“Drugs? Nah, you don’t get it.” He leaned forward, his glasses falling just enough for Vinyl to see a crescent moon tattooed under one of his eyes. “I went back home, to Thestralia, and I found myself.” E grinned, then stood up and produced a glass bottle from behind his chair. It was filled with what looked like water, glowing ever so slightly. “I found the things that we’ve been held back from here in Equestria, I found my culture and I wanna share it.” Okay, so he was peddling religion. Still not Vinyl’s thing really. The only god that Vinyl even remotely worshipped was Celestia, and at least the Princess had done a lot of tangible things for her.

“Ehhhh…” Vinyl replied noncommittally. The other musicians in the tent all rolled their eyes and looked away. “I mean, that’s cool and all but wouldn’t you rather share that with other bat ponies rather than regular ponies?” It wasn’t that Vinyl wasn’t curious, she just kinda didn’t care. Centuries of Equestrians not caring and even banning travel to Thestralia had left a whole indifference to the culture. It didn’t help that the notion of their culture cultivating the betrayal of Celestia, if not Equestria as a whole, was still commonplace.

“The moon welcomes all children of the night,” E responded cooly. That did not make Vinyl feel any better about the situation. “I will not push, that’s not the way. But there’s a covenant in Canterlot, you should all look into it. There’s one in Las Pegasus and Manehatten. Look into them, open your hearts and minds to the Mother Moon.” Vinyl could only roll her eyes as the stallion continued to preach to the other musicians.

Shining blinked and looked around. It was some street in Baltimare, far away from the festivities and surrounded by residences rather than shops and government buildings. How did he get here? He could’ve sworn just a few seconds ago he was walking through the crowd of the concert to get to…somewhere…he forgot where.

The stallion groaned and hung his head, stopping his brief trot and halting in the middle of the street. This happened too often still, far too often. It had gotten better than it was a few years ago, but not fast enough and not good enough.

“It was something about Vinyl…” He mumbled as his magic instinctively reached for a journal he usually kept in his uniform’s breast pocket. The problem being that he wasn’t in uniform and his journal was in his luggage in their hotel room. So only Celestia knows what he was doing. “C’mon, think.” He tapped his temple a few times and sighed.

“Excuse me.” A musical feminine voice came from behind him in the street. He spun around on his back hooves, only to be immediately passed by whoever the voice came from. Again, he turned to follow the pony. It was a mare in full dress uniform. Not Royal Guard, but military dress.

The dark grey uniform was one piece of clothing that stretched from a fitted collar around the neck to all four hooves and even the hindquarters, leaving only the tail and wings of the pony to show. Embroidered lines of a solid color made the seams, the color conveying the position of the wearer while other markings determined their rank. The mare’s color was a mustard yellow, and if he remembered correctly, that meant she was an officer of some kind. The full golden sun surrounded by laurels on either side embossed on her flank let him know that she was a Major. What was she doing here?

“Excuse me, Major,” Shining called out and began to walk after her. Her tail and mane were a deep pink, nearly magenta, and judging from her ears, her pelt was a warm and rich orange. She turned, looking at him with shimmering golden eyes.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I know I bumped into you, just in a bit of a hurry.” Her voice was musical and light on the air. What a mare like her was doing in the service, Shining had no idea. He had only met a handful of military ponies in his life and all of them were…hard, for lack of a better word. Impersonal and gruff.

“Shining Armor, DEqI.” He gave a crisp salute. Technically he was still part of the military, as DEqI was officially recognized as the intelligence wing of the armed forces rather than just a government body, so he could still do salutes.

“Major Parhelia.” She returned the salute, then relaxed. It was then that Shining realized that the mare, Parhelia, was taller than him. By almost a full head at that. It wasn’t often that Shining felt small, but this was one of those times. “I would ask what a spook is doing here, but you guys seem to be everywhere.”

‘Spook’ was a term used for DEqI operatives, usually the spies. Hey, if she thought that Shining was a spy, he wasn’t going to correct her. That was much cooler than his actual job. He would gladly take that upgrade.

“Actually, I think I’m a little lost, Major.” She cocked her head and looked down at him. “I’m supposed to be back at the concert area to meet with someone, but I got a little turned around.”

“I’ll say. You’re on the complete opposite side of the city, Spook.” The mare grinned and reached out to give him a playful push with her hoof. “Do you want me to take you back? I know the way.”

“I couldn’t ask that, Major. You just said you were in a hurry and I don’t want to delay you.” Shining was doing his best to remain formal and polite, even despite her not using his own name. It was his old guard training kicking in to boot.

“Yes, in a hurry to get back to my hotel and into bed.” She started to trot in the opposite direction she was headed originally and passed him for the third time. “And drop the formalities, Spook, call me Par. You’re not my subordinate and I’m not on duty.”

Shining shrugged and nodded, following the mare closely and matching her stride. There was something regal and highborn in her step and the way she held her head. It was movements that Shining had seen hundreds, if not thousands of times, before in his life. His grandmother, Cadance, Celestia. It was the walk of nobility.

“So, what are you doing in Baltimare, Maj-” He caught himself and closed his eyes, correcting himself “-Par? There wasn’t a military parade, and I don’t remember any meetings or exercises being announced nearby.”

“See, Spook, that the problem with DEqI.” She turned to him, the fabric of her jumpsuit twisting and hugging her body almost perfectly. The smile that seemed to persist through her every moment and brighten up the night around her. It was so strangely sublime. “You all think you know everything, you see every little communique that goes through anywhere.” She tapped her own head and looked at him as she trotted. “But you still can’t read our minds, even if you read our mail.”

That was still a stain on everything DEqI did, that one little program. It shamed Shining to even be part of it at this point. He was fine with protecting ponies, even with trying to get ahead of the possible dangers. But reading mail? Violating the trust that every citizen put into such a vital part of Equestria’s infrastructure? It was uncalled for and inappropriate in the grossest ways.

“I’m not proud of that. I don’t endorse it.” Shining looked away and into the night sky, studying the moon high above. It was just after midnight, judging from the positioning at least. “Everypony deserves their privacy, even if that means we can’t operate as efficiently as we want. I’d rather see the whole thing go up in smoke rather than keep going with it.”

“Oh? So you side with the leaker…or leakers?” They both stopped and turned to each other. Shining’s eyes narrowed and brow furrowed. Par blinked and cocked her head to the side again.

“No comment.” It was the easiest and most diplomatic way he could ever think about answering that question. He wouldn’t go any further on the matter.

“I see, that’s a very sore subject. I’m sorry about that, Spook.” She cleared her throat and motioned towards their destination. Shining gave a curt nod and began to trot again. “So you wanted to know why I’m here, right? Well, I was visiting my mom. She loves seeing me in dress uniform and you know mothers, I had to oblige.”

Shining smiled and let out a little chuckle. Yeah, he knew that feeling. Sometimes it felt good to be treated like a kid again, just to be fussed over and cared for in ways that only your parents could do.

“Well I hope you had a good time, Par. I hope your mother didn’t get on your nerves too much. Celestia knows my mother can frustrate me sometimes with all her questions and fussing and ugh.” Shining rolled his eyes at the thoughts of all the guff he had caught from his mom over the years. Especially the question of ‘When will you finally get married?’

“She’s a bit cold sometimes, well, all the time, and her work keeps her busy and mine usually keeps me away. So a national holiday was one of the only days both of us could actually meet.” For what it was worth, Par didn’t seem to overly phased by the distance between her and her mother. Then again, you get used to your parents and their idiosyncrasies as a child.

“So you’re on leave I’m guessing? Just for the holiday?” That’s the only reason Shining was in Baltimare. The government was closed for business for the next few days, not that he would ever complain. It gave him time to spend with Vinyl and more importantly, time away from everything his job entailed.

“I just got done with a tour in Zebbrosi, actually. I have a few months before I’m redeployed.” That was the entire reason Shining went into the guard instead of the military. He preferred being in one place, settling down and deciding his own life. Military life was too mobile for him.

“So you’re going to stay in Baltimare, then? Spend some time with the family and unwind.” He was trying to stay on the very fringe edges of personal, just far enough to keep it comfortable.

“No, I actually live in Canterlot, Spook. My mom’s summer home is here, but she’s just here on business for now.” It was a small world after all, a sense of familiarity in a place he was lost in. That also explained the way she held and conducted herself.

“Same as me and my marefriend. Both of us have lived there our entire lives.” Small talk felt good, and Parhelia was easy to talk to. Hopefully they would be able parlay this night into another in the future between friends.

Celestia appeared in a bright flash of light, her teleportation lighting up the darkened space around her. The princess had to remind herself that this was the dungeon of her castle no longer, it was a home.

Her old home, the castle she had shared with her sister centuries upon centuries ago, was now somepony else’s. Shortly after she sentenced Cadance to exile, she’d had the cellars and dungeons of the decrepit abode restored and remodeled. She had gotten rid of the cells and moved most of the younger alicorn’s belongings down here as well. It was very nearly home. Nearly. There was still the inescapable stench of suffering and imprisonment down here. It wasn’t ideal, too clear a metaphor for Cadance’s own tethered state. It was safe though, sturdy and covered, unaffected by the passage of time and unnoticeable to passersby. It had not been Celestia’s first choice, but it had been the safest and most practical.

“Cadance?” Celestia called out into the inky black that surrounded her. The monarch lit her horn to expose the area, showing the same scene she had left the last she had been here. The bed was immaculately made and maintained, a table with a nearby shelf full of books and a golden candelabra rested in the corner. A thick rug covered the cold stone floor in an effort to insulate against the chill that persisted even in the summer months.

Celestia did not feel good about keeping Cadance in this place, isolated in the middle of the forest with no one to talk to. She felt even worse about the long stretches of time in which she didn’t visit. It had been close to three years at this point, and that was unacceptable.

Her own duties, and her schedule under heavy scrutiny from the public and the new government, had severely diminished her free time to the point of near extinction. Now that Celestia was not just the sole monarch of all of Equestria and her territories, but also the speaker of the House of Equestrian Representatives, she just could not function the way she wanted to.

If Celestia was to be honest, it was an ideal time to bring Cadance back to Canterlot. With the storm circling around the Department and other governmental affairs, it would be the perfect political moment to slip Cadance in without much fuss. Celestia could not do that, though. Not yet.

With Nightmare Moon’s return a year away, Celestia couldn’t allow Cadance back in Canterlot while the threat of her own sister’s return loomed on the horizon. She could not put another alicorn that Equestria would need in harm’s way. Cadance would have to wait until after the storm had passed to come home.

“Cadance!” Celestia called out again for her counterpart. She was answered by the sound of hooves on old stone. Celestia turned to see the pink alicorn coming down the spiral staircase behind her.

It was still very odd to see Cadance without the proper royal vestments. The crown, the chestpiece and hoof ornaments added so much to presence and demeanor. The alicorn looked smaller than she had before, her coat dull and lacking the usual healthy sheen. Even now, almost a decade later, Celestia could still feel her own magic overpowering Cadance’s and tying her here. It was strong and potent.

“Tia…?” Cadance squinted her eyes, then widened them in recognition. In an instant she was across the room and hugging the monarch as tight as she could. Celestia gladly returned the embrace with the same warmth she would’ve years ago. She could feel Cadance’s tears staining the fur of her own chest.

“Tell me, how are you doing, Cadance?” She spoke softly, letting her hoof stroke the long and unkempt mane of the smaller royal.

“H-how I am doing…?” Cadance pushed away from the hug and looked up at Celestia, a little less sadness and a little more fire in her eyes. “I’m alone. Like I’ve been for the last seven years. I’m hurt and lonely and left with only myself. Why would you even ask that?”

“Cadance.” Celestia put a hoof on the other pony’s shoulder and met her eyes. Celestia didn’t want to get into the loneliness argument again. It would be as protracted and pointless as it always had been on her previous visits. This brief time, in the grand scheme of things, would be a blip. Something she would forget. Instead of arguing, she would just go with it for now. “I am sorry. I wish I could have visited, I truly do.”

“Please, I don’t want to hear apologies.” Cadance sighed. “I want to go home, Celestia. I have spent two-thousand six-hundred and twenty-two days here, thinking and stewing in what I did wrong. I know I misused my power, I know that I lost control, but do I deserve this? Do I deserve this suffering?” Cadance sat on her haunches and hung her head, letting her mane cover her face and the ends fall to the floor. Celestia looked down upon the pitiful pink pony and sighed.

“This is nothing, Cadance. A formality, at best. This is nothing for our lifespan, a moment, something you will forget in a century.” Now she had to try to set this straight. Celestia had to attempt to give Cadance perspective. “I was alone for much longer, and it is so unbelievably inconsequential now.” Again, Celestia reached out and touched her counterpart’s shoulder, but she was pushed away.

“I’m not you,” was the first bitter reply she received. “I-I’m not as old as you, as smart as you, or as cold as you.” That last part stung, it hurt to be called cold or cruel, especially when she tried so hard to be the opposite. “Maybe everything you went through, I don’t want to have to be alone for decades or centuries. I don’t want to suffer like you. I don’t have to suffer everything you’ve suffered, I want to be different.”

“Cadance, you do not understand-”

“How old are you?” The interruption, and the content of the question, caught Celestia off guard. She tilted her head and thought for a moment. “You don’t even remember your age, do you? The date of your birth?” Celestia’s words, her chiding tone, caught in her throat. She couldn’t, not really. The last time she even celebrated her own birthday had to be who knows how long ago. The equine memory, even that of alicorns, was fallible. Cadance rose to her hooves and finally met Celestia’s gaze again, a very familiar and dangerous fire burning behind her eyes. “When was the last time you were normal?”

“Well, Spook, I hope you have a good night.” Major Parhelia bowed her head a little, that effervescent smirk still present and beaming. “Try not to get lost anymore, all right?” A little smack to Shining’s shoulder was met with a light grunt and the smile returned.

“I’ll do my best.” He gave her a simple nod and a half-hearted salute. “Stay out of trouble, Major.” They were both situated just at the outskirts of the concert venue, the beats and sounds pulsing rhythmically in the distance. It had taken them a while and had given them the opportunity to get to know each other. Shining could say with pride and certainty that Major Parhelia was a good pony to her very core.

“Before you go, Spook.” The Major pulled a notepad from some interior breast pocket, her elongated horn glowing with magic as she also produced a pencil. Hastily, she scribbled something down and tore the page from the pad. Shining took it when offered and looked at it. “My address. Don’t go thinking I’m asking you to commit any infidelities, either. I want to take you and your mare out for drinks sometime. I want to see what kind of pony can put up with a DEqI operative in their home.”

“Thank you, Par. I’ll take you up on that offer.” With that, and a sly wink from the Major, the mare turned and trotted away. Inwardly, Shining lamented how he seemed to be around the same strong type of mare. Vinyl, his mother, Parhelia. All a far cry from Cadance and the delicate nobility of the capital.

“Twinkle! Where the hell have you been?” Shining blinked and was tackled by his marefriend. He stood tall, Vinyl hugging his side. “Celestia, I’ve been worried about you. I really hate when you wander off like that.”

“I know, I know.” Shining returned the hug and planted a kiss on her cheek. “But the good news is that I made a friend and had a little bit of an adventure.”

“Is your new friend hot, at least?” Some things never changed, and Shining was more than okay with that.

Author's Note

So I had a really hard time writing the opening Vinyl POV, and I'm not sure why. But once I hit Shining, boy I was on a roll.

Also, yes, this chapter is getting split in two. I'm trying to have each chapter take place over the course of one day, but since this chapter starts juuuust after midnight, it would be far too long and lose focus, I think. Decided to split it up.

365 Part 2

Still Three Hundred and Sixty-Five days until the next Summer Sun Celebration

The raising of the sun, the main attraction, the single thing that brought all of these ponies from all over the world together. It was always a sight to behold. Princess Celestia knew how to make it an event to remember.

Golden laurels on each side of the stage flanked the alicorn and would frame the rising sun. The monarch’s cutie mark was emblazoned on great banners in front of and above the display. It wasn’t ostentatious, it was regal and ceremonial.

Princess Celestia stepped onto the stage, her gilded hooves clicking against the painted wood. Not a single pony cheered, they never did. It was a revered silence for an ancient tradition that encompassed the very ideals that many instilled in the foundation of Equestria: magic, control of nature, and a great uniting of Equestria’s ponies.

The monarch stood in the middle of the stage, the brilliant colors of the eager dawn dancing behind her. The moon hung opposite the stage, ignored behind the mass of ponies watching their ruler. With a single beat of her powerful wings, Celestia was thrust into the air. Her horn lit and the gathering held their breath.

“How is this always so amazing?” Vinyl whispered to Shining, leaning in close as to not disturb the others around them. “It’s like so serene and just…I don’t think I can go to Ponyville with you. I’d just rather head straight back home, y’know?”

Shining blinked. The stage was gone, Celestia and the crowd nowhere to be seen. The sun was now high in the sky, and instead of the city center, Vinyl and Shining were now at Baltimare’s train depot and standing on the platform.

“I’m…uh…” His own hoof went to his head and he sighed. “W-what were we talking about, Vinyl?” He hated these lapses, how helpless and confused they left him. How many hours had passed? What had happened during them? It was nothing but a giant gap in his memories that he could never fill in properly. Precious time lost with Vinyl that he could never get back.

“Hey, you okay, Twinkle?” A light hoof touched his side worriedly. He shook his head and opted not to meet Scratch’s eyes. “Another blackout?” Shining could only nod, he couldn’t speak because he was still trying to get his head straight. “For Celestia’s sake, really? That’s like two times in twenty-four hours.” He could see her body tense and then relax as she let out a deep and frustrated sigh. “What’s the last thing you remember?”

“Princess Celestia…just about to raise the sun.” The thick and persistent fog kept him from even recalling most of that. He finally raised his eyes to look at the unicorn next to him. Her eyes were filled with worry and fear, wide and energetic in the most terrified ways.

“They’re getting worse,” Vinyl stated flatly. “We need to get you back to Canterlot and talk to your sister, or Celestia or a doctor or something.” Her gentle hoof on his side turned into a pull on his front leg. “Seriously, this isn’t okay.”

“Vinyl.” Shining pulled his leg away from the mare and stopped. She stopped just ahead of him and turned around. “I’ve been planning this for weeks, I need to go to Ponyville and talk to that ‘Sweetie Drops’ pony.” The last thing that his grandmother, Twilight Satin, had asked of him. It was her dying wish and he had to grant it, even if he didn’t like her as a pony. ‘It wasn’t an accident’ was the message he was supposed to deliver, along with a storage unit location and combination to open it.

Shining had, of course, investigated the storage unit before he turned the contents over to anypony. It was full of boxes, which were, in turn, full of files. It was a mass of information on ponies throughout Canterlot that would make DEqI jealous, and it only made him more curious as to who this Sweetie Drops pony was.

“Shining.” He sighed when Vinyl used his actual name instead of her pet name for him, it meant she was serious. “You blacked out for seven hours. I am seriously worried about you. What if this happens when you’re in Ponyville and I’m not there with you? Huh? You could get hurt or worse, and then I would kill you myself.”

“Then come with me,” Shining offered. It wasn’t that he wasn’t worried. No, he was scared to death of these moments when he blacked out. It was just that he felt an intense sense of duty for family, even the dead and disliked. “It’s nothing, Vinyl. A few hours and we won’t go anywhere near Cedar’s or the hospital.”

That was the reason that Vinyl wouldn’t go, Lily and Skyward Glory. They had talked about it in the past and Vinyl just didn’t trust herself. She felt like she would be compelled to go see her niece and sick sister if she went, and she didn’t want that situation anywhere near her. Shining understood, but he also understood the importance of getting this done and over with.

“I-I can’t and I won’t.” He could see the fight behind those magenta eyes. The very equine need to forgive and seek forgiveness battling with all that was Vinyl, all of the hate and anger and despair that had forced them both together. That very equine need was losing to the mare’s damn near indomitable stubbornness.”If you want to do this, Twinkle…I can’t really stop you. But, y’know, I love you and I worry about you, especially with this stuff.” Behind all of the jokes, behind the good-natured ribbing and arguments, Shining knew that there was true deep love between them. There was an amount of care and love between them that was so special.

“I’ll be back before nightfall, alright?” He took her hoof in his own, stroking it and smiling. “I promise, I’ll even keep my journal out the entire time.” It was a small promise, but all he had to give her on this matter was his word.

“Talk is cheap, dummy.” Vinyl pushed him away gently and took her hoof back. “I want results. Got it, guardspony?” He chuckled and gave his marefriend a salute.

“Yes, Ma’am.”

“Hey, save the ‘Ma’am’ stuff for the bedroom.” Vinyl’s response turned the stallion’s face bright red and made his pulse pound in his ears. “That’s what I thought.” Her voice turned gentle again, kind and loving. “Now get going and hurry home.”

Ponyville was a downright pedestrian distance from Baltimare compared to Canterlot. The trip from the city where the celebration was being held to the capital was three hours to Manehatten, a one hour layover at the terminal there, and then another two hours to Canterlot itself. Baltimare to Ponyville was a measly hour and some change. Usually Baltimare to Ponyville and then Canterlot was a better route, but the small hamlet wasn’t nearly prepared to accept crowds that size travelling through it to get to Canterlot, so most of the heavy passenger laden cars were diverted along an alternate path.

So at least Shining Armor didn’t have much time to dwell on anything of major importance. It did help that he was actively keeping his mind busy with other things as well, like the problem Twily had brought to him about rapid barrier expansion.

He was a little out of practice when it came to defense spells, but as they were his specialty and the whole reason he earned his cutie mark, it all came back to him rather quickly. The main issue with expanding the area of any sort of magical field was maintaining uniform strength and permanence throughout. Not to mention, the larger the surface area you had to focus on, the more draining it would be.

The drain wouldn’t even be on the unicorn’s own magic pool, it would be on the mind. You could easily create oscillating layers that bled off excess energy into the interior of the barrier for the user to recycle and keep it going for as long as they could stand. The mind, though. A pony’s mind is complex and wonderful and can handle so much, but pumping out that much magic that fast while focusing on the intense patterns that barriers require would send even the best unicorns to their knees.

It was certainly a puzzle, one he would continue to try and solve. Now, though, the train’s whistle blew and signalled it was time for him to disembark. He stood and grabbed his duffle bag from the seat next to him and made his way to the exit.

Ponyville was just as idyllic as it had always been. Clear skies, happy ponies, and just the quaintest village you would ever see. He let the small group of ponies that were on the train with him pass by him and converse about whatever they wanted, letting them get far enough away so he could think.

Sweetie Drops. With a name like that, Shining had to assume she worked as some sort of confectioner or baker of some sort. Unless it was a misnomer, in which case he would be searching for the proverbial needle in the haystack.

For now, logic would dictate his course. His first stop would be that place he and Vinyl visited their last time here, Sugarcube Corner.

The train that pulled up to Baltimare’s train station heading for Manehatten was not what Vinyl expected. Maybe it was the white and gold car decorated with banners that functioned as the caboose. Maybe it was the fact that Princess Celestia herself was the first passenger to be escorted from the platform to the train itself. Or maybe, just maybe, it was the fact that she had somehow been seen by the monarch and was now sitting in that very odd caboose with the princess of the sun.

Yeah, it was probably that last part.

“I hope you do not mind too much, Vinyl Scratch. I wanted some company and when I saw a friendly face, I had to invite you to sit with me.” Celestia sat on an overly large purple cushion in the middle of the train car, while Vinyl sat opposite her in a high-backed white and gold chair.

“Hey, you won’t catch me complaining.” Vinyl shrugged and removed her glasses, setting them on a table beside her. “I’d rather be here with somepony I know than packed into one of the other cars with whiny foals and tourists.” She could empathize with Celestia’s need for a friendly face.

“Where is Shining Armor? Is he staying back in Baltimare for something? Work?” The monarch lifted a cookie of some sort, it looked like chocolate chip, from a plate near her. “It has been such a long time since I have seen you without him, that I must say it’s quite odd.” A lighthearted chuckle from the alicorn made Vinyl smile.

“Ponyville, actually.” Vinyl responded, taking one of the cookies for herself as well. “His grandma asked him to talk to somepony there before she croaked.” She figured that Twinkle would fill her in when he got back home and he had learned whatever it was Satin had wanted him to deliver.

“I have a question, Vinyl.” Okay, it seemed like that specific thread was done with for now. Far be it from Vinyl to dictate a conversation with Celestia, but a little segue would’ve been nice or at least helpful.

“Shoot.”

“It has been quite a while since everything happened with Cadance.” And now Vinyl really regretted saying ‘shoot’. This topic was enough of a death sentence. “I must ask, what do you think of Cadance now? Do you forgive her?”

“Well…” Vinyl did her best to quell the bevy of emotions that bubbled up in her brain. It was a complicated question, one she had thought about a lot during countless sleepless nights. If she had that kind of power like Cadance did, would she do things differently? What would she do? The answer was ‘nothing good’ and she knew it. “…I still don’t forgive her for messing with my head, or trying to wipe me from Twinkle’s. That stuff is just so…cruel. It’s, I don’t know, self-serving and blind to everything that we’re taught. But, I guess, she’s just a pony, right? I’d be lying if I said I’d be virtuous if I could do the stuff she can.”

“I see.” Celestia nodded and sat her half-eaten treat back on the table beside her. “You see her as just another pony?” There was a strange curiosity that came with Celestia’s tone and posture at that question. It was like she was fishing for something now.

“Well, she is. At least I think so. She had a life and went to high school and just seemed like a normal pony when I talked to her.” Vinyl bobbed her head from side to side, thinking on that last statement. “Well, y’know, beside the wings and living in the castle and stuff.”

“Before she was an alicorn she was a pegasus, you know.” Celestia closed her eyes for a moment, a sweet smile crossing her glowing features, as if not too distant memories played across her vision. “It took her quite a while to get used to the horn.”

“Really?” Vinyl had never heard anything about Cadance before she was an alicorn, she didn’t even know there was a before. “I thought some ponies were just, like, born as alicorns.” Vinyl narrowed her eyes and studied Celestia, trying to discern by herself what the monarch was before the crown. “What about you? Unicorn or pegasus?”

“Me?” Celestia closed her eyes again, this time in deep thought rather than remembrance. “That was a long time ago, Vinyl Scratch. A very long time ago.” Vinyl fully believed that, but she was still curious. “In my youth, I was a unicorn. I cannot say I remember much about it, but I know that I have never quite gotten used to flying. I’m not very good at it, even to this day.”

“It’s kinda funny, trying to imagine you without wings.” Vinyl cocked her head and tried to remove the feathery appendages from the monarch’s back, making her a bit more ‘normal pony’ sized and giving her a non-ethereal mane.She just couldn’t, it was an absurd notion.

“It is.” Celestia nodded in agreement. “I can barely remember a time when I didn’t have them, but sometimes they still feel foreign.” There was a silence between the two, neither of them sure how to carry on the conversation, until Celestia spoke again. “What do you think of me, Vinyl Scratch.”

Vinyl couldn’t afford to fuck this up. If she sugarcoated it, Celestia would know and might not ever be this open again. But if she was too blunt, AKA if she was Vinyl, she might hurt her feelings. There had to be a very delicate tightrope walked here.

“Well…” It’s a shame hooves are not good for tightrope walking. “You’re Princess Celestia. You’re the thing every filly wants to be when they grow up. You’re just so, like, above it all. Not perfect, but you’re more than us ponies. You’re cool and helped me out, and I think you did more for my life than I could ever possibly thank you for.” The dejected expression on the alicorn’s face let Vinyl know that she had misspoken.

“Am I…” There was a great deal of unease, of uncertainty, in the Princess’ voice. It was unsettling to hear such a powerful figure so full of what sounded like doubt. “Am I someone you would consider a friend, Vinyl?”

“A friend?” Vinyl did her best to stem her hems and haws as she mulled over the question. “I didn’t think you were friends with normal ponies like me.” When Celestia’s smile died in response, Vinyl knew that she messed up. The rest of the train ride was going to be silent, she could feel it.

Shining Armor had enjoyed his short stroll around Ponyville. It was a nice contrast to his life in Canterlot: quiet and slow. Ponies went about their days, offering greetings to all who passed them whether friend or stranger. There was no rush or bustle, just a idyllic pace that Shining idolized.

He wished he could wander around the little village all day and peruse the farmer’s market, maybe take a stroll out to Sweet Apple Acres. It was a shame he was here on business. Luckily, his business was at least sweet for the time being.

Sugarcube Corner was bustling with activity, which was unsurprising considering the quality of the delicacies served. Not to mention, the summer sun celebration was in full swing, so no school or work for most ponies.

More ponies meant more chances to get the information he needed, though. Sweetie Drops was a unique enough name, and tied closely enough with the products that it was still the closest to a sure thing that he would get.

None of the booths in the establishment were open, each one filled to the brim with ponies. It was standing room only, and even then it was pushing it. Luckily for Shining, he was a full head and crest above most of the crowd, so making his way through the crowd was not a challenge.

Standing at the counter was a mare with a mane that looked like cotton candy with color to match. Her hooves were moving at a speed that shouldn’t be possible as she dealt with a multitude of transactions all at once. Shining was waiting for a dull moment to intervene and ask, but the ponies’ mouth never stopped and neither did the traffic.

He had to take his shot, though.

“Excuse me, miss?” He raised his hoof over the head of another patron for extra visibility. To his surprise, he was answered almost immediately. Even more surprising, the mare stopped everything she was doing to address him.

“Hi! My name is Pinkie Pie and I don’t think I know you!” Shining’s hoof was taken from the air and shaken vigorously. The smile that radiated from the mare behind the counter was brighter than the sun outside. It was kinda unreal.

“No, I don’t think so.” Shining responded with a half-hearted chuckle. He was debating whether or not to ask about Sweetie Drops now or later. He was leaning until ‘later’ due to the heavy traffic in the building. However, before he could even say a single word, a white cupcake with two-tone blue icing was shoved into his mouth.

“I didn’t think so! If you can just hang on for a few eensy-teensy-weensy thirty minutes to an hour, I’ll get to talk with you and stuff!” And with that, cupcake in mouth, Shining trotted over to an unoccupied booth and waited.

And waited.

Sugarcube Corner felt like the sleaziest casino in Las Pegasus the longer he stayed there. No clocks adorned the walls, an adjacent building strategically blocked a clocktower a few streets away. The constant smell of freshly baked treats and saccharine icing was alluring and relaxing.

In all honesty, it felt like a trap devised by madponies.

“Sorry! This place was a got a lot busier than I thought it would be, my name is Pinkie Pie and I pretty much know everything about Ponyville and everypony in it!” Shining had been kind of listing at that point in time until Pinkie, quite literally, appeared next to him in the booth. “It’s nice to meet you, Shining Armor!”

Something was strange about this pony. Those bright sky-blue eyes were wild and untamed, and there was something about them that filled Shining with a little bit of unease. She radiated some kind of energy that felt both dangerous and infectious.

“It’s nice to meet you too, Pinkie.” As long as she was friendly and willing to help, Shining would do his best not to question or worry about her. “I would be lying if I said I didn’t need help.” He gave his best smile and tapped into those skills he had learned and oft-used in a time since passed. “I’m looking for somepony here in town, Sweetie Drops. You don’t happen to know her, do you?”

“Sweetie Drops?” Pinkie cocked her head to one side and then the other, her tongue stuck out of the right side of her mouth and one eye closed in deep thought. “Nope, never heard of her!” Shining let his head drop at that news, Pinkie claimed she knew everypony in Ponyville, and if she didn’t know Sweetie Drops, then his grandmother’s information was out of date.”But I know Bon Bon, whose name used to be Sweetie Drops.”

“I’m sorry?”

“Don’t be!” Pinkie’s grinned somehow grew wider and brighter, a feat Shining did not think was possible. “Sweetie Drops was her name when she first got here, but then ponies from Canterlot kept bugging her so she changed it! She runs a candy shop just a street over, I think it’s still open.”

That didn’t bode well if the pony he was looking for changed her name to be done with ponies like him looking for her. It was a start though, he would deal with any potential push-back from Sweetie Drops when the moment arrived.

“Right.” Shining half-mumbled as he was still digesting the information and thinking about the path going forward.He cleared his throat and shook his head to get it right so he could close out this part of his journey. “Thank you very much for your help and the cupcake, Pinkie Pie. I really appreciate it.”

“It’s no problem Shining! I hope you find Bon Bon and do whatever it is you need to do!” As he got up and out of the booth, he gave the mare one last smile and a parting wave.

“Me too, Pinkie.”

Cadance had not slept last night, she found her dreams perpetually invaded by nightmares and after multiple failed attempts had opted to just not try anymore.It was late afternoon now and she was so tired. She could feel the bags under her eyes and the ache in her muscles as she dragged herself around the tattered castle.

Days like these were always the hardest, the days where everypony else in Equestria was with their friends and loved ones celebrating. It just reminded her how alone she was, and how helpless she was to remedy it.

“Mia!” She heard the little voice call from outside of the castle. Maybe she wasn’t entirely alone, but she was far more alone than anypony else. “Mia I have some stuff for you!” If she wasn’t already making her way towards the front of the castle, that would’ve helped. In the past, Lily had brought things to Cadance with various vain attempts to get them across the chasm that separated them both.

Cadance stood at the large and solid door that kept her from going outside and grabbed a large black velvet cape that had been left for her by Celestia for the chilly fall months to come. She put it over her back to keep her wings hidden from the filly that would be outside. Luckily for the alicorn, Lily was far too young to remember the name ‘Cadance’ or even that there was another Princess besides the ancient stories.

She opened the door to be met with a rather curious sight. Lily was on the other side of the gulch, a rope between her teeth and she was swinging it in tight fast circles the best she could. Just as Cadance shut the door behind her, the filly let the rope fly.

On the end of the rope that had been flung, a rock had been hastily tied to it to give it enough weight to make it across. It served its purpose, and the rock landed just on Cadance’s side of the gap.

“Can you tie that to something, Mia? Something really strong, please!” Cadance looked around and spotted one of the poles that served to anchor the bridge that used to cross the deep and dangerous moat. Without magic, which was a lot more difficult than she thought it would be, she tied the rope around it and gave it a good tug to make sure it was secure. “Okay, I’m gonna send this basket over now!”

Cadance sat at her end of the tether and waited patiently. The pale pink filly tinkered with her end of the rope.The alicorn watched her far away companion climb a tree just at the edge of the canyon and tie that end to the base of the lowest branch.

“Please be careful, Lily!” Cadance bit her lower lip and cursed her lack of magic. If that filly fell or got hurt, she would never forgive herself. Some sort of god must have been looking down at the moment, because everything went smoothly.

On the ground, Lily was just barely tall enough to reach up and attach her basket laden with goodies to the rope with some sort of hook. Once attached, the basket made its way slowly down the incline until it was hanging just at the precipice.

Cadance did her best to contain and hide her excitement as she made her way over to the basket and glanced down inside of it. Wrapped up sweets, cookies, and even a cupcake with Celestia’s cutie mark as its icing.

Resting atop it all was a white envelope, stained with icing and chocolate, was an envelope. Cadance took it in her hooves and slowly opened it to reveal an unevenly cut, crude, homemade card. On the front cover, written in barely legible ink, were the words ‘Happy Summer Sun Celebration!’. A small smile crossed the alicorn’s face as she opened it. Inside was a flower, a simple yet beautiful lily.

Thank you...thank you, so much.” Cadance needed this, more than anything. She needed a friend, even if that friend was a teenage filly whom she would never be able to hug.

The candy shop that Shining had been directed to, apparently called Bon Bon’s Bon Bons, was still open and nowhere near as busy as Sugarcube Corner. In fact, it was dead. That would help him at least, even if it wouldn’t help the owners’ wallets at the end of the day.

He pushed the glass door at the front of the shop open, causing a little bell above the door to ring and alert anypony in the business that he was here. As he walked up to the counter, a cream colored earth pony mare with a pink and blue curly mane came from the back.

At first he could see a surprised recognition in her eyes, as if she knew who he was. Since she knew his grandmother, he would venture that she did know exactly who he was and maybe even why he was here. Until she revealed the extent of her knowledge, he would play his own cards close to the chest.

“Hello sir! Welcome to Bon Bon’s Bon Bons, I’m Bon Bon. How can I help you?” The speed at which she regained her full composure was impressive, he had to admit. The smile seemed genuine enough, as did her overall demeanor, even if there was some nervousness creeping into it. It led him to believe that she knew him, but didn’t know why he was here.

“I’m looking for a pony, a mare named Sweetie Drops. I was wondering if you knew anything about her,” This was the kind of chess match that he loved, will against will. Two minds trying to out-think one another and outpace the others’ thought process. “I saw this was a candy shop and thought ‘hey, if anypony will know a mare with a name like that, they’d probably be around here.’”

While Shining was willing and able to play these kinds of games, Sweetie Drops was not. The smile dropped as did the rather loose and carefree posture. Her legs and back straightened and the once bright blue eyes became cold and narrow. The next words were practically snarled out.

“What do you want, Shining Armor?” Check that off, she did know who he was.”If you’ve come as a guard, you can’t arrest me. I haven’t done anything wrong.” Everything she said gave him a little more information. She thought he was still in the guard, and she must’ve gotten into trouble in Canterlot to think that was his reason for being here.

“No, I’m afraid I’m not doing any arresting these days.” He reached into his saddlebag with his magical grasp and pulled out a badge. It was a small silver thing in the shape of the sun, ‘DEqI’ was embossed on it with his own number ‘six-three-zero-seven-seven-seven-four’ in the middle. “I’m DEqI now.”

“No!” Sweetie Drop’s mannerisms went from dominant to defensive in a heartbeat. Her back arched a little higher, her stance widened and her head lowered towards the ground. “Whoever sent you to try and suck me back in, no. I’m done. I don’t care what got out, how, or how dangerous it is. No way.” Okay, he would definitely file all of that away for later and look into it, for now he would just focus on his task.

“I’m not here on behalf of The Department, Sweetie Drops. I’m here on behalf of my family. My grandmother, Twilight Satin, died and told me to find you.” Shining put his badge back into his bag and produced the slip of paper that he had written down his grandmother’s last words to him on. He put it on the counter in front of the mare. “It’s filled with blackmail, a mountain of everything my grandmother ever knew about everypony. She wanted me to tell you ‘it wasn’t an accident’.” The mare’s eyes went from slits to as wide as they could be. “I don’t know what that means to you, but I know I’ll be in Canterlot waiting to hear from you.”

As he turned to leave the shop, he heard three little words escape from under the mare’s breath.

“It was murder…"

Author's Note

HEY!

I'm not dead! I just kinda like to disappear for a year at a time randomly. Sorry about that! But here you go! Enjoy.

364

Three Hundred and Sixty-Four days until the next Summer Sun Celebration

Shining slowly opened his eyes and did his best to block out the blinding pain that surged through his head. Somehow, he was at home and in bed. Which was odd considering the last thing he remembered, he was boarding the train back to Canterlot.

“Another blackout…” He mumbled beneath his breath as he sat up in bed. Beside him, as always, was Vinyl. She was sleeping peacefully, a small smile on her face. He really hoped that his episode didn’t cause her any trouble last night. The last thing he wanted to be was a burden.

Slowly, he got up and looked to the clock on the nightstand. Eight in the morning, so he overslept. Luckily for him, he was off of work for one more day. Not everyone in DEqI was off, but the non-critical departments were. So he could just enjoy his day with Vinyl and relax for just one more day.

Shining decided that he would start his day with a run, stop somewhere to get breakfast and maybe stop by his parents’ house. Hopefully by the time he got back home, Vinyl would be awake and they could get their day moving. Before he left, he got his saddlebag and filled it with his journal and some bits for food.

Outside of the apartment it was a beautiful summer day in the shining city on the mountain. It was much cooler than Baltimare and Ponyville, not that Shining would complain at all. A cool summer morning was a lot easier to run in than the sweltering heat below.

His usual route was nothing special or intense: he went from their place in the southern quarter, up to the city center, then finally up to the Royal Palace then all of the way back. The route back in boot camp was a lot more difficult and used some of the old mountain trails rather than the well-kept roads.It wasn’t easy and it wasn’t good on the hooves.

He was maybe halfway to the city center, lost in his own head thinking about what he and Vinyl could do later, when he was stopped by a sight he wasn’t expecting at all. The deputy director of DEqI herself was walking in his direction, well running actually. She was even in her white and gold work uniform.

“Deputy Director Picket!” Shining slowed from a gallop, to a light trot as he came close to the snow white unicorn mare. If one looked close, one might see a few beads of sweat gathering on her forehead and the slight dilation to her pupils. Something was wrong.

“Shining Armor.” Picket’s slightly nervous gaze met his own as she slowed down. She was in her mid-forties, her mane already completely gray from the stress of her position at such a relatively young age.”Thank-” Something caught in her throat, most likely a word or words that she did not want to say. “-I was told to come retrieve you. You need to come in immediately and speak with the Director.”

“Of course, Ma’am. Let me go back home and get ready and I;ll be there as soon as-”

“No, Shining Armor. Right now.” That was very forceful and cause for concern. He was not one that was needed for much. The last time he was told to report to the Director was his first day on the job, and that was just for familiarity. “This is important.”

He only nodded as Picket turned and started to heads towards the palace grounds and DEqI headquarters. Shining did his best to stay just behind and to the side of the Deputy Director and keep his thoughts and worries to himself. If the situation wasn’t fit to discuss in public, then he wouldn’t press the matter.

The journey to the headquarters, which sat adjacent to the guard quarters on palace grounds, was quick and silent. The building looked as if one brobdingnagian piece of marble had been hollowed out and had a door put on it. It was imposing and complicated beyond its appearance, much like the agency itself.

As soon as they went through the door, Shining Armor knew something was wrong. Ponies, some he knew personally and some he knew through reputation, were moving around the main foyer at a panicked pace that was uncharacteristic for most of them. Not many things could send almost the entire Department of Equestrian Intelligence into such a tizzy.

Hovering above the massive foyer, was a glass box that served as the office of the Director. It could see into every floor of the building and could be seen from everywhere just to remind you that you were watched and monitored.

Picket beckoned Shining over to the sun that decorated the tile floor beneath the omniscient glass office. As he stepped onto the inner circle of the sun, Picket’s horn glowed with a soft cyan glow and the circle began to rise into the air towards the box above.

As they entered the office, Shining quickly ascertained that there was a spell on the exterior of the glass. From the outside it looked as if the Director was quietly sitting at his desk on the second level of the cube, working on paperwork. Once they passed into the office, he realized how deceiving that was.

The inside of the office was far off from the outwards appearance: The Director, Captain Galea, and his little sister were all in the office and talking about something he couldn’t hear yet. Picket followed him as he went up the stairs and entered the office without being told or welcomed.

Every eye was on him in an instant.

“Captain, Director, Twilight.” He gave the first two a salute and the last one a nod. “Is everything okay?” He took a moment to actually study those in the room, to try and gauge what was truly happening; Galea was as cold as always, and she had not changed one bit in the past decade. The Director, a grayscale earth pony named Variance who had taken over after the last director retired three years ago, also gave nothing up through his level neutral gaze. Finally, Twilight. She said the most. Tears had stained her cheeks, her legs were shaky and she looked ready to collapse.

“Shining Armor.” Director Variance addressed him first, his voice as deep of an octave as equinely possible. “This is not to leave this building.” There was no need to confirm, because there was no question, it was an order. “Princess Celestia has gone missing.”

“...what.” It was all he could conjure up. Those words in that order shouldn’t be possible. It was unthinkable. “What.”

“By all reports she got onto her carriage in Baltimare, it arrived in Canterlot but she did not.” The Director stood up from his desk and stared at Shining with his stormy gray eyes. “We are doing everything in our nation’s power to find her, but we are preparing all possible contingencies.” He did not like the implications of that sentence, not at all.

“We are going to put Canterlot on lockdown until further notice.” Now Galea stepped forward and spoke. “We need you and your sister to help us with that.” There was no small amount of swallowed pride in that sentence. “We want to put up a barrier around the city for the next week while we make sure this is not an attack on Equestria.”

“We are masking it as a test of a new defense system, the story is already to the papers and they’re going to be printed tomorrow.” Variance did not give Shining even a moment to speak, it was as if the Director knew his worries and concerns before he could air them. “You and your sister are the most powerful unicorns we have and the smartest, we need you both now. Equestria needs you both, now.”

Somehow he felt that both of those qualifications were aimed at Twilight rather than himself. He was not particularly talented or intelligent in the field of magic, at least he didn’t think so. Most likely he was here to ensure that Twilight would cooperate and stay focused more than anything.

“Twilight.” He looked to his sister now, who was still barely containing the bevy of negative emotions spilling out of her head. “Are you okay?” He stepped towards his younger sibling, one who just wanted to protect from all of the bad things in this world, and pulled her into a hug.

“I-I just-I never thought…” Coherent and complete sentences were not something she could obviously form at the moment. “Why...how…?” Shining hugged Twilight as hard as he could and rubbed her back slowly. “She needs to be okay.”

“She is, she has to be.” Shining said under his breath. “She probably left of her own accord...for some reason. We have to believe she’s safe.” He was saying things that he thought would comfort himself, not just Twilight. There was nopony in all of the world powerful enough to capture Princess Celestia, so she had to have gone voluntarily. Right?

“We need the both of you to work with us for now in securing Canterlot.” Galea spoke again. “We have two days until we need this barrier to be up, that is your deadline. I know your emotions are running high, but we need the both of you to focus on the task at hoof.”

“We’ll do our best, Captain.” Shining said with a sigh and Twilight nodded in affirmation. It was all they could do.

Vinyl was sitting on the couch, sipping on some freshly brewed coffee and just enjoying her morning. Twinkle was out on his morning jog, no doubt, and she didn’t have anything to do today. She figured she’d cuddle with him a bit and talk about how his trip to Ponyville went, then they would plan something fun and simple for the day.

When Twinkle had gotten home last night, he had been so tired he went to sleep basically right away without saying a word. She was disappointed, but she understood. Celestia knows the nonsense he had to put up with in that town while he was there.

While she would love to hear all about everything that happened there, she also wanted to tell him about her trip with Celestia. The enigmatic ruler had been cold after Vinyl had really stepped on her hooves. She was pretty sure Celestia valued honesty, and Vinyl had provided it.

Maybe there were right and wrong times to lie though.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

Vinyl bolted upright and looked around. Had Twinkle forgot his key again? It was honestly possible, especially as of late. Either way, she was always gonna be here to help him. Even when he was being a dumb idiot, he was her dumb idiot.

When she opened the door, it was decidedly not Twinkle on the other side. Instead it was a pearl white unicorn mare with a strawberry mane, shining pale magenta eyes and a locket of gold and sapphire around her neck. Vinyl couldn’t say she recognized this pony, as there were who knew how many white unicorns in this city.

“Hey, what’s up?” Vinyl leaned against the doorframe, studying this mare the best she could. Her posture was perfect, the look on her face composed and friendly without being necessarily inviting. It was pure Canterlot elite from horn to tail.

“Hello Vinyl Scratch! How are you doing today?” Okay, so this pony knew who she was at least. Probably a fan? Her first stalker, maybe? That’d be pretty neat, actually. A sign of truly being famous, that’s how she would know she’s on the up and up.

“I’m good, good. Decent. Who are you?” Vinyl cocked her head to the side and lifted the pair of shades off her eyes and rested them above her horn.

“My name…” There was a hesitation, a little look up and to the left. “...is…” Okay, so it was going to be a fake name. Vinyl had given out a lot of fake names when she was a teen, so she knew the deal. “...Ray…”

“Right. Ray. So what are you doing here?” Vinyl was going to indulge this little charade, it seemed like fun. Why not help this young mare have a little fun and make believe? Celestia knows when she was younger she liked to pretend to be somepony else.

“We met on the train yesterday, actually.” The mare produced a bag from just beyond the doorframe, one of Vinyl’s from the trip. “You actually left this behind and I wanted to return it to you. Your name and address were on it, so I just...I am sorry if I interrupted your morning. I just wanted to return your bag.” The mare gave an uncomfortable laugh and moved her quite lengthy mane from out of her face.

“Hey, no, it’s cool. You’re fine.” Vinyl encompassed the handle of the bag in her magic and gently brought it inside. “Thank you, really.I, like, super appreciate it.” There was a silence that hung in the air for a few seconds, the other mare just smiling, her eyes darting around. “Uh, do you wanna come in? The least I can do is like offer you a glass of water, or something harder if you’re okay with drinking before noon.”

“Oh, if you do not mind, I would love to.” Vinyl stepped aside and motioned the other mare in, closing the door behind her. The mare moved to the couch without hesitation, looking around and admiring the view out of the windows. “Such a beautiful apartment, and what a view of the city, no?”

Vinyl’s ears twitched as she moved to the little kitchenette. This mare had an accent, not really from Canterlot and not really from anywhere she recognized. It wasn’t even heavy or all that pronounced, but it was there ever so slightly.

“So, water? Booze?” Vinyl lofted the question out there, keeping an eye on ‘Ray’ from the corner of her gaze. The smaller mare was just sitting on the couch, the same pleasant smile on her face as the morning sunshine bathed over her.body.

“Hmm...well...do you have any…” There was another hesitation, this one was more someone searching for a word rather than trying to make something up. “Whiskey?”

“Do I have whiskey?” Vinyl laughed and got one her favorite bottles from on top her fridge. “Are you even old enough to drink?” The answer would be telling for multiple reasons for Vinyl.

“Maybe some water then…” The younger mare responded, a slight blush radiating from her face.

“Aha, trying to pull a fast one on me. I like it.” Vinyl poured two small glasses of the drink and brought them to the coffee table in front of the couch. The mare looked down at the drink and back at Vinyl nervously. “If I was against underage drinking, I would be a hypocrite. Please.” She motioned to the drink as she picked up her own and took a sip. “If you want to drink, eventually you will. Better to do it around someone who did it a little too much in their own youth.”

Ray carefully picked up the glass in her magic and took a little sip. Her eyes widened and head lurched forward as she almost spit out the drink. The strength catching her off gaurd, and causing Vinyl to chuckle.

“It’s an acquired taste.” Vinyl remarked, taking another sip and sitting back in the chair beside the couch. “So...mind telling me why you gave me a fake name?” Ray’s eyes widened as she looked to the door. Somehow, it seemed, she had not realized how obvious her own lie had been. “I mean, I don’t mind or anything. I’m not even asking for your real name. I just want to know why the lie.”

“Oh dear…” Ray put down her drink and shifted uncomfortably in her seat.”...well, to tell you the truth, I do not get out much. It is nice to be...regarded as someone of little import. You did not recognize me by visage, I thought my name might give it away. I just wanted you to treat me like you would anyone else.”

“I don’t really keep up with the aristocracy or whatever, so honestly you could tell me your name and I still probably wouldn’t know.” Vinyl finished her glass of liquor and put it upside down on the table. “If you’re up for telling me, I’ll listen but if not that’s cool too.”

“My real name…” The other pony took a deep breath. “...is Countessa Demura Radiance Lucia Rosette the Fifth.” As soon as it was out there, a weight seemed to rest on the mare’s shoulders, like even the name itself was something physical.

“That’s a lot of words...I can see why you chose Ray instead.” Vinyl had no clue how anypony could remember that many words in one name. It sort of confirmed the other mare’s pedigree, though. Only the families that had some sort of titles bothered with those kinds of long and strange naming conventions. “Well, I’ll be honest, I have no clue who you are.”

That seemed to be of little comfort to Countessa Demura Radiance Lucia Rosette the Fifth, as her new belabored posture didn’t change at that admittance. Vinyl didn’t really understand the problem with being noticed or even swarmed by people who knew her name. That’s what she had been working toward her entire life.

“Well Vinyl, it was an absolute delight to meet you.” Once again that quite phony smile came out as the mare stood up. “Perhaps one day we shall meet again and indulge in further revels, hmm?”

“Are you staying in town?” Vinyl stood up with her guest. “You were at the Summer Sun Celebration, but your accent isn’t exactly from around here. So are you staying or just passing through?” Vinyl was always up for making a new friend, especially when they were a perspective drinking buddy.

“Observant.” Ray stated, turning towards the door. “I am on break from my studies and staying with my father here in the city for a few months.” At the mention of her dad, her voice seemed to grow even colder.

“Well, hit me up sometime okay? You know where I live, so if you’re feeling like you need company just come on over and we’ll...indulge in some more revels. Promise.” Vinyl smiled at Ray and dropped her glasses onto her face.

“Thank you very much for the offer, Vinyl Scratch. I just might take you up on it in the future…” There was another hesitation, the pony had already stood up and was facing the door. Her ear twitched, then Vinyl could barely see the smile come back. “Actually, I have a favor I must ask of you.”

“I mean…” Vinyl wasn’t all that fond of favors for relative strangers, but then again, Ray had retrieved her luggage, which Vinyl remembered had some of Twinkle’s stuff in it too. “...it depends what it is?”

“My father and I are not each other’s biggest fans, in fact we share quite a disdain for one another.” Yeah, VInyl had gathered that much. “Would you mind if I stayed here with you for a day or two so I can properly detoxify myself of his...nonsense?” Well that was something unexpected for a first meeting.

Well…” Vinyl thought about how Twinkle would take this. She had learned over the years that he didn’t really like uninvited house guests, so he wouldn’t be on board. But then again, where would Vinyl be without the kindness of relative strangers? Not here, maybe not even alive. Pay it forward, right? Do unto others and all that stuff she had been told as a filly.

Twinkle would just have to deal with it.

“Alright a few days.” The mare spun around, bouncing on her hooves excitedly as she pulled Vinyl into a hug, one Vinyl didn’t reciprocate just yet. “But a few things first, my coltfriend lives here with me. His name is Shining Armor, and he’ll be home soon-ish, I’m gonna tell him you’re a friend of mine and just need a place to lay low. Problem is, if he hears you talking like...that, he’ll know you’re not exactly in my circle. I know you probably can’t exactly drop the accent, so just don’t speak so fancy?”

“Simplify my vocabulary? I suppose I can do that for a little bit of time. I will do my best to emulate the way you speak.” Ray smiled and pulled away from the hug, letting out a happy sigh. “I will do my absolute best, Vinyl.”

“And is there anyway for you to look...less noble? You’re a unicorn and stuff, do you know any disguise spells?” Vinyl leaned against the chair and cocked an eyebrow at Ray. She wasn’t trying to be offensive or anything, but man her appearance was a dead giveaway.

“Hmm...well…” The unicorn’s horn lit up a dark blue and fiddled with her locket. “I can do that, but please, do hold back your surprise and let me explain?” Vinyl waved her hoof, letting Ray know to just go ahead. She was expecting some intricate and fancy spell, but instead the locket was just unclasped and dropped to the ground.

Almost instantly Ray’s coat turned from that pearlescent white to a muted gray, her mane from that wonderful strawberry to a blu-ish gray, and those pale magenta eyes turned golden with vertical slits for pupils.

“You’re a bat-pony?” Vinyl blinked and looked at the other mare’s head. “Sorta.” That unicorn horn was still there, though. “A hybrid?” That was rare, a bat pony with a horn. There was a certain...prejudice against that kind of thing, at least in Canterlot. Ponies and bat ponies didn’t regularly interbreed in this city, and the offspring were never received warmly in the upper echelon of Canterlot society.

“Well, yes.” That confident smile turned to a stone face, little fangs poking out from her mouth. “My father makes me wear that charmed locket, he thinks it fools his friends into thinking I am not a hybrid. Trust me, it does not.” The amount of disappointment in that statement was palpable. So much so that it hurt Vinyl’s heart to hear.

“Well I think you look pretty, alright? No need to wear that thing around me.” The only unknown was how Shining was going to take this new houseguest. Being apart of a noble house himself, Vinyl wasn’t very hopeful for the first interaction.

363 Part 1

Three Hundred and Sixty-Three days until the next Summer Sun Celebration

Shining rubbed his eyes then looked at a nearby clock. It was just passed midnight, and he was still here. Here, meaning the deepest bowels of Canterlot castle with his little sister and Galea watching over them. If there had been any solace in the events of today, it was that the sun had set. That meant that Celestia was safe at least and doing her duties, even if she wasn’t doing them here.

“No. I’m telling you, Twily, no mind can take that amount of magical output for that long.” Shining closed the book he had been reading that confirmed that suspicion. “Unless you want them to end up as a vegetable after three days. It’s too dangerous to even think about.” He could feel his thoughts lagging behind, sleep deprivation slowly catching up with him, but no matter what he was going to fight Twilight on this point.

“An alicorn could.” Twilight replied, glaring back at her brother. This was a matter of academic superiority now, and Twilight did not like to be wrong on matters like that.

“Celestia is gone, Twilight. So unless you’re going to sprout a pair of wings, that thread is dead.” Shining stood up and sighed, rubbing his eyes with a hoof. This honestly may be an impossible task at this point, the amount of magic needed to cover an entire city was unfathomable.

“What about Cadance?” That rebuttal was not from Twilight, but rather Galea. The siblings looked to the captain of the guard with a mix of surprise and worry at the suggestion. “What?”

“Nopony knows where Cadance is, only Celestia knew.” Twilight mumbled out. “It’s for the better, alright? We can do this without her.” That surged Twilight’s confidence, a little challenge to her personal comfort.

“I don’t believe you.” Galea retorted as she moved towards the stairs. “Clean up and go home, the both of you. We are done for the day.” With that said, the older mare walked up the stairs, leaving the siblings in a confused and slightly frustrated silence.

“I know I can do this, I know I can figure it out.” Shining reached a hoof out, he was going to try to coax Twilight down. He understood the feeling of finding a brick wall with no way over or around, he understood the need to brute force a solution. It wasn’t the right way, though. Twilight’s head shot up and her eyes widened. “No one pony can handle that much magic going through their head, but what about two?”

“The amount of coordination is impossible, Twilight. To make a self-sustaining barrier like we’ve talked about takes...well, it takes a lot of concentration and coherent thought. Two ponies wouldn’t work.” There was a spark in Twilight’s eyes, one that Shining did not like the look of. It was an idea, obviously, but the pit in his stomach told him it was not a good one.

“A melding of minds would work. Two minds existing as one, twice the power, twice the concentration.” Shining was speechless, that kind of magic was not even legal. It bordered too much on taking away free will to even be in the running of ideas that were okay. “It wouldn’t be too hard, not with two unicorns that were...oh, I don’t know, related? Who shared a connection that spanned their whole lives?”

There was this part of Twilight, an oft not explored part, that was a little too ‘mad science’ for Shining’s liking. It dared to think those taboo thoughts and experiment a little too liberally with the boundaries of magic.

“Twilight, you’re not messing with my head. No way.” Shining hardened his tone, hoping his ‘stern big brother’ mode would snap Twilight out of this. “Nopony is after Cadance and you should know better than to even suggest it. I’m disappointed in you.”

“This isn’t anything like Cadance!” Twilight protested. “I wouldn’t be taking away your free will, in fact you would have just as much access to me as I would to you! We need to protect Canterlot, Shiny!”

“You think that justifies it? You think anything you say can justify it to me? If you do, you couldn’t be more wrong.” Shining shook his head and piled up the books he had been using. “We don’t mess with ponies’ heads, Twilight. We just don’t do that. You and I, we’re better than that. We’re above it.” Shining sighed and closed his eyes. “I’m just going to forget about this, okay? I’m going to forget you said anything and we’ll come back here tomorrow and figure this out together. We’ll find a sensible, ethical, legal solution. Am I clear?”

“Fine…”

Galea was not one to wait on other ponies, or for them to get over their personal or ethical hangups when the safety of the country was on the line. That included the Sparkle siblings and their supposed power and talent in the magical field.

If she had to wait for a slow and ‘right’ way, then waiting she would not be. If Cadance was a salvation from this problem, then Galea would find her. DEqI had been attempting to locate her for years, just in case a situation such as this arose again. Sadly, their ineptitude shone once again and their reluctance to do any actual hooves-on espionage left the country high and dry.

The icy mare pushed open the door to Celestia’s private quarters and narrowed her eyes.

Like always, she would have to do it herself.

Vinyl picked her head out of her hooves as she heard the handle to the door jiggle and unlock from the other side. The surge of relief that flooded through her was quickly supplanted by a wave of rage at the absolute gall of Shining Armor to be gone all day without a single word.

“Where have you been?!” Vinyl was on him as soon as the door opened, her face in his and eyes narrowed and full or ire. “You think it’s okay to just leave me here for sixteen hours without a word of where you are, huh?” She pushed the larger stallion, causing him to stagger backwards.

“Vinyl, calm down. I was at the castle with Twilight and Galea literally all day.” Shining pushed passed Vinyl and lumbered over to the couch, where he promptly fell over. That did nothing to quell Vinyl’s anger.

“I was worried sick! What if you had another episode? What if you had gotten hurt? Celestia forbid, what if you had an accident and…” She couldn’t even finish that thought without a million more springing up and dragging her mood from angry to depressed.

“Listen, I’m sorry. I just…” There was a struggle behind Shining’s eyes, Vinyl could see it. He wanted to say something but didn’t know if he could. “I’m going to tell you something, alright? You cannot tell anypony, it cannot get out. Do you understand?” Vinyl nodded, trying to hold back the emotions that roiled within her. “Celestia has gone missing. Twilight and I were tasked with safeguarding Canterlot until she can return and we were working all day on how.”

Vinyl’s mind honestly and legitimately blanked. How could anyone process all of that? Celestia? Missing? What? It didn’t make any sense. Vinyl had just spoken to her.

“I…” Vinyl shook her head free of the clutter. “Next time just send somepony to tell me you’re okay, alright? That’s all I ask, I worry about you.” Vinyl didn’t feel bad about getting angry, why should she? There was legitimacy in her rage and sadness, no doubt about it.

“C’mere.” Shining rolled onto his back and opened his hooves, beckoning Vinyl into them. Vinyl fell on top of him, her hooves wrapping around him as she found comfort right where she always did. “I’m sorry, I should’ve sent somepony. You’re right.” He whispered, kissing Vinyl’s cheek. “It was a long day, and I was completely focused on the Celestia thing. I’m sorry, Vinyl.”

“Just don’t do it again, okay?” That’s all she wanted now, just to not to be left in the dark as much as she was today. She hated losing ponies, and just the thought...it hurt. It hurt just as much as the memory of her parents’ deaths.

“I promise.”

These moments, in the embrace of a lover with no more words, only the sound of soft breaths and heartbeats, were wonderfully perfect. The world was on pause and Vinyl felt like she could stay here forever in Shining’s grasp.

“I hope I’m not interrupting anything intimate.” Oh right, Ray. Before Vinyl could say anything to let Twinkle know what was going on, he sat up straight, nearly throwing her to the floor with a yelp.

“Who are you? What are you doing here?” Vinyl watched his expression as he saw the full scope of the pony before him, and then she saw his expression turn from suspicious to sour at the sight of the hybrid.

“Well.” Vinyl picked herself up from the far side of the sofa with a grunt and stood up. “This is Ray, an old friend of mine. She needs a place to stay for a few days and I offered. She’s staying in my studio, alright?”

“Can you give us just a few minutes, Ray? Please?” Shining was looking at Vinyl while addressing the other mare in the room. Ray meekly nodded and went back into Vinyl’s studio slash converted guest bedroom. “I don’t want her in my house.”

“MY house.” Vinyl corrected. “And why not? She’s a good pony, alright? I trust her.” Vinyl’s word should be enough in her opinion, and if it wasn’t then they had more problems than she thought.

“Vinyl…” She could feel something stupid brewing in Twinkle’s throat, she could just sense it. “We are in the middle of a national emergency. If the news gets out, I want to be absolutely certain of the allegiances of everypony around me.”

“Now what is that supposed to mean, huh?” Vinyl cocked her head to the side, her stance becoming a bit more hostile. “She’s Equestrian just like you and me. Celestia is her Princess, same as us.”

“I’m not getting into this, Vinyl. Not right now.” Shining huffed and rolled his eyes. “Fine, but the first sign of seditious behavior and she’s out. I don’t put up with that stuff.” Vinyl rolled her eyes in response and just trotted off to bed with Twinkle.

More would come from this later, she would make sure of it.

Somewhere over a distant desert

Celestia was not one to act irrationally or suddenly without planning, but for the last few days she had not quite been feeling herself. Self-doubt had been gripping her, hatred of her past acts and how she had handled certain...things. It had all been building up, and after Cadance had went on her little tirade, then Vinyl confirmed that Celestia was just...not anywhere compatible with normal ponies, she just snapped.

She had told her servants she wanted to disembark from the train last, she had waited and waited, then just teleported to her room. She dropped her vestments on her bed, opened the window, and flew away.

At first, she did not know where she was going, but apparently her mind had already been made up. The desert below was familiar, after all it was where she had received her cutie mark all of those eons ago. She would say she did not remember most of that time, but something about the locale made those distant times so much clearer.

The leader of her herd sent her off on her quest, as she did with all fillies who had come of age. The only clue given was a direction that the elder had said was given to them by the stars above. Celestia was told ‘west’, so west she went.

The monarch could not even remember the faces of those in her herd, nor their names at this point. They were blurs. Most things were in her memory.

For a young filly, the desert was a place that most would not survive. However, destiny had been on her side. She was meant to survive the harsh climate, she was meant to make it through and find that hole in the ground.

Celestia needed to find it again, for guidance.

It was the only way she could go back home, she needed to first get her mind set straight and commune with the spirit of the sun itself like she had done in her youth. Back then it had given such good advice, it had set her on the path that let her find Luna and conquer Discord.

Celestia kept her eyes on the rolling dunes of sand below, just looking for that elusive spot. Instead, here in the most inhospitable of places, she spotted a dotting of huts. Curious, she banked hard towards them and descended the best she could against the intense updrafts rising from the ground.

When she landed, the smattering of creatures did not greet her with reverence, instead they beckoned her as a fellow traveler. They were not all ponies, in fact there were Griffons, Zebras, Bat Ponies, even a lone Minotaur. They all wore loose clothing with white hoods over their heads.

The first one to approach her was a Zebra, and that was when she first saw it. All of these creatures were blind. Every one of them had the faded and cloudy eyes, they all traveled along cloth pathways carefully laid out and leading to all of the different huts.

“Greetings traveler.” The zebra bowed. “Have you come to bask in the wisdom of the sun?” Celestia blinked at the question. It was actually quite odd to hear the sun referred to with such reverence without her own name in the same sentence. It was actually quite primal.

Then again, that is exactly what Celestia had been looking for. It was the reason for her being here. So if fate wished to see her delivered into the hooves of those who could guide her, then she would follow.

“I am.” Celestia responded. The Zebra said nothing in return, instead he turned around and began walking away from her along the cloth trail. Celesita assumed she needed to follow him and did. “What is this place, if I may ask?”

“A sanctuary.” Was the curt reply she received. “No one ever means to come here, and yet they are brought here to ruminate in the sun’s wonderful light. Some leave, satiated by what they found. Others, the true seekers of wisdom, stay and devote their lives to the unlocking the ancient wisdom.”

“Is it a cave?” Celestia ventured a guess. “A very big one with a pool in the middle, a hole at the top through which sunlight streams and shines on the pool?” The zebra stopped, but other than that did not seem all that fazed by Celestia’s description.

“You had a vision of the holy place, then.” The zebra continued to walk, now with a renewed sense of urgency. Celestia easily kept up, her hooves sinking into the burning sand with every step.

“No, I actually visited it a very long time ago when I was young.” Celestia took a breath and decided she was going to need to tell a fib. “I am afraid my life did not go down the right path and I seek additional guidance.” It was a very big fib, mind. Celestia was the strongest pony in the world, both in terms of political power and raw destructive potential. So her life was not exactly horrible.

“A mortal flaw, no doubt. The sun is not wrong, only our interpretation is.” Celestia nearly laughed at the word ‘mortal’. There were many words you could use to describe her, but that was certainly not one of them. She had even taken a crossbow bolt to the chest at one point from a scholar who really wanted to see if she was immortal. It hurt, she was not invincible, but there was not wound that could kill her.

After a few minutes of walking down a very steep dune, Celestia found herself at the mouth of a massive cavern. If it was the same spot that she visited as a filly, then time and erosion had truly done a number on the once filly-sized opening

“Enter, sit by the pool, gaze upon her beauty and find her wisdom.” And with that, the Zebra left. Leaving Celestia alone to retrace her steps and face the same thing she did all those centuries ago.

The inside of the cavern was the exact opposite of the climate outside; cool, damp, and pleasant. She followed a well worn trail from the mouth of the cavern to a place that took about five minutes to walk to.

In the deepest reach of the cavern was a pool, moss and orange wildflowers growing around it. High high above, a hole was in the ceiling. It was never covered or filled by the desert around it, and if it was daytime the sun was always streaming through, even if the occasional cloud passed by.

It was a place of ancient and primal magic.

She had been instructed to sit and watch, but she knew that was wrong. At least she felt like it was. The last time she was here was nothing more than a whirlwind of emotions in her mind, nothing concrete she could latch onto.

Instead, she sat by the poolside and placed her front hooves in it. The water was cool, even though it was bathed in sunlight. She closed her eyes and opened her mind, opened her ears to the sensations around her.

At first it was quiet, but it was there. A small voice vocalising a tune, it felt so familiar. It felt like something that Celestia knew deep in her heart. After a moment of hesitation, she began to hum along with the little voice. This went on for a minute or two, until the voice spoke.

“Wow, you’re so big.” That language wasn’t Equuish. Not even close, in fact, it almost sounded like...well, like her language. From when she was little. Somehow, she found herself replying perfectly in the very very dead language that not even history had documented.

“Well, it has been a while.” The language would explain the creatures who never left. Perhaps they were attempting to decipher it and truly understand what the sun was telling them. Celestia opened her eyes, to find herself looking down into the pool and at the reflection of a much smaller pony, her features indistinct.

How appropriate for the sun, to be embodied by a filly. So gentle and sweet, but at the same time with an unlimited capacity for destruction if left unchecked. It was quite apropos.

“Has it?” The filly responded, cocking her head.

“Well, maybe not for you. But my whole life has gone by.” She forgot that there are some things older than her in nature, those things with lives longer than her own. To the Sun, the time gone must’ve seemed like days or perhaps months.

“Are you going to die soon?” The filly asked worriedly, obviously misinterpreting the reply to mean she was at the end of her life. Celestia chuckled and shook her head.

“I hope not, my dear friend.” Celestia did not know what to say, to be honest. How was one supposed to talk to a star? What was she to say? Was there such a thing as small talk for something as powerful as the sun?

“Are you okay?” The little voice piped up after a prolonged and awkward silence.

“Can I be honest with you?” The silhouette in the water nodded. “I feel as though I am too far away. I have no one I can truly connect to, nor do I have anyone I can call a friend.” Celestia sighed, that was truly the root of her problems. She was just so...distant from those around her.

“You called me your dear friend.” The filly spoke again, her little hooves shuffling.

“Well yes, but you and I are linked. Forever. My power is yours, and yours is mine. Without each other, what are we? A weak pony with false power and an unknowable mighty star with no link to the world below. We need each other.” Celestia understood her link to the star above. It was something she spent many years thinking over, especially after what happened with Luna.

“...not that weak…” The filly mumbled out in defense of Celestia, much to her surprise. She was not expecting this embodiment to not see her as weak, after all without the sun, she was.

“Very weak, I am afraid.” Celestia sighed and lowered her head. “Without the sun, no cutie mark, no crown, no kingdom, no Luna. A very weak and sad pony left all alone in the wastes with her herd.” Celestia could not even fathom what her life would have been without the journey when she was little, without the revelation of the sun. She might’ve not even survived to adulthood.

“Luna?” The voice questioned. “Who’s that?” Ah, right, a lot has happened since last they spoke.

“My sister. You can see her in the sky at night, hanging up there among her bed of stars.” An intense sadness filled Celestia’s heart as she thought about her dear sibling, along with a twinge of fear. “She will be back soon, though. Down here with us once again.”

“Where?” What an inquisitive thing the sun was.

“East, in Equestria.” She thought about it for a second, honestly who knew if the sun could distinguish the borders between lands. “It is a wonderful place, where ponies live together in harmony. It is just wonderful…”

“I don’t understand why you chose me.” The filly veered wildly off topic, but who was Celestia to dictate a conversation with the sun?

“I didn’t. Fate brought us together, if you can understand that. We were both brought here for a very particular purpose in the universe. For what, I guess we have to figure out. I just want to hear what you have to say.” It was the honest truth, she was following where her heart was pulling her.

“Really?” Celestia nodded. “I guess...I am just worried. About my future. I don’t know what to expect.” Celestia scoffed, what did the sun have to worry about? It’s end would not come, it would always be up there, loving and caring for those below it. It would always rise every day, and it would always set. It was one of the universal constants of perfection and serenity. It had nothing to worry about.

“I wouldn’t worry, friend. You will keep going, as you always have. You are beautiful and strong and just perfection. You are my star who I look to for strength, so please do remain strong. For me.” She did her best to lend some encouragement to the star above, something to calm its nerves.

“Thank you…” The little voice responded. “I...I brought you a gift, if that’s okay.” Celestia cocked her head to the side in confusion, but nodded. The little shadow on the water placed something in the water, and within a second whatever it was rose to the surface on her end.

It was a little necklace made of bones of some sort strung together with rough twine. As she picked it up, her heart dropped. Each of the bones had a name carved on them, names that she knew but had forgotten; Cloud, Myriad, and Raspberry are what they translated to roughly.

“It’s my name and my parents’ names. You can keep it.” Celestia looked up at the reflection one last time, eyes wide. Instead of the shadow of before, it was a little filly. Her coat was as white as white can be, her mane a very soft and gentle pink with a little white horn peaking through it.

Words caught in Celestia’s throat as she was face to face with not the sun, but herself.

Author's Note

CELESTIA STUFF! PRAISE BE!

363 Part 2

Still Three Hundred and Sixty-Three days until the next Summer Sun Celebration

“Ah don’t like bein’ out here, Lily. The Everfree Forest is dangerous, y’all know that.” Lily had, after months of begging, finally convinced Applejack and her brother Big Macintosh to come out to the old dilapidated castle to help rescue Mia. It hadn’t been easy, in fact, the Apple siblings were convinced that she was lying at first. They came around, though.

“V-very dangerous…” A small voice came from behind Macintosh. Applejack had insisted that her friend Fluttershy had to come along in case they came across any animals that might give them trouble. “A-and I’ve never heard of any castle out this f-far in the Everfree…”

“Ah have.” Applejack replied as the group made their way through the dense forest as carefully as they could. “Granny used to tell stories about an old haunted castle out here.” That elicited a yelp from the pegasus in the rear, her yellow wings covering her face. “Oh calm down, Fluttershy. It’s all hogwash. Probably just some old ruins, just spooky lookin’ and nothin’ else.” The earth pony removed her ever present hat from her head and wiped sweat from her brow. “And Lily, you’re sure that there’s a pony stuck in that there castle?”

“Yes!” Lily shot back. She was tired of ponies doubting her on this. “Mia is in there and she’s real! She said somepony is keeping her there, but she’s really nice and doesn’t deserve it!” There was a silence as the adults all looked away. “Why don’t you believe me?”

“Well, it’s just…” Applejack hesitated, struggling to put what she was about to say in a nicer way. “...Ah know what it’s like when yer Ma is sick, y’know. Sometimes ya make up stories to get away from it.”

“Well you’ll see! Mia’s real and we’re going to save her!” She wasn’t just some hallucination, she wasn’t some made up story or anything, and this had nothing to do with her mom! “You’ll see…” She grumbled as she lead the pack through the little trail she had carved over the months.

The walk took about 20 minutes, but as soon as they broke the treeline where they could see the castle, they were believers. The look of awe on the faces of the ponies that were tagging along was worth it.

“This place is huge..” Applejack marveled at the structure before them. The crumbling edifices slowly being taken back by nature was really cool, but that’s not why they were here. “How can somepony live here?”

“Eeyup…” Macintosh agreed curtly from the back.

“Mia! Mia come out!” Lily jumped to the edge of the cliff, Applejack reaching out and putting a hoof on her just in case. The little filly waited for her friend, eyes wide and heart fluttering. This was going to be the first time that anypony other than her saw Mia.

The large wooden door to the castle opened slowly and Mia came out draped in her black cloak.Lily could see the smile across her face fade when she saw the other ponies with her. There was a moment of hesitation, as if she wanted to turn back towards the castle and hide away.

“Hello, Lily. Who are your friends?” Mia called across the chasm, clutching her cloak close to her body. There was a lot of fear in Mia’s eyes, more than normal.

“This is Applejack, her brother Big Macintosh and their friend Fluttershy! We’re going to help you get out of that castle!” Lily yelled back triumphantly, much to the horror of Mia apparently. Applejack and Macintosh met with Lily there on the edge, both staring at the pony across from them.

“She looks mighty frightened, Lily.” Applejack commented, keeping her voice low.

“Eeyup.” Macintosh added.

“She’s been all alone over there for like ten years she said!” Lily battled back. “Wouldn’t you be?” There was sympathy behind the older earth pony’s eyes. She was nice and kind, Lily knew that firsthand. The filly knew that Applejack would find it in her heart to help out Mia, that’s just who Applejack was.

“Being alone is almost as scary as being in a crowd.” Even Fluttershy agreed with Lily! That had to mean something. “Everypony needs a friend to help them not be so scared sometimes.”

“Yeah! And I’m Mia’s friend! It’s my job to help her.” Lily stamped her hoof down and looked to the adults. “So we’re going to help her, okay?” It earned a determined nod from both Applejack and Macintosh, and a sheepish nod from Fluttershy.

“Shy, y’all think you can fly across there with these here supplies and secure that side?” Applejack held up a saddlebag that had some thick wooden stakes and a mallet. “You just gotta drive the stakes in. I’ll toss rope over to ya, alright?”

Cadance was just waiting now. As soon as that little yellow pegasus took flight, she was waiting for the poor little pony to smack into the magical barrier that Celestia had erected around the castle. It allowed things of the non-living variety in, but Cadance knew that anything living thing that came into contact with it would be bounced away. It was meant to protect Cadance from the dangers of the Everfree, but now it was just going to hurt this poor timid creature.

Except nothing happened.

Cadance blinked.

Right in front of her, on her side of the chasm, was another pony. With a shaky hoof, Cadance reached out and poked the soft yellow flank of her visitor. She was soft, she was real.

“Oh my gosh, you are real” Cadance exclaimed, laughing in disbelief. She could feel tears well up in her eyes as the realization hit her like a freight train. “You’re real…” She pulled the now-squirming and shaking pony into a the tightest hug she could manage. Dear Celestia, she was real and this was actually happening!

“P-please let me go…” The other pony protested quietly, causing Cadance to quickly pull away. It wasn’t like her to be that touchy with ponies she didn’t know, but...she just couldn’t help herself.

“I am so sorry, I just needed to make sure.” Experimentally, Cadance focused with all of her might on her horn. Usually she couldn’t produce even a small spark, but now she could feel the entirety of her horn glowing. Somehow, Celestia’s spell had lost its power. How? Negligence, maybe. Distance, possibly. Cadance wasn’t going to question too much, thought.

She was getting out of here.

“So you never knew your mother?” Shining questioned the bat pony in front of him. Sure, he had to leave soon so he could spend all day at the castle yet again, but that wasn’t going to stop him from grilling his new house guest.

“No, she dropped me off at my dad’s door when I was a few months old. I do not even know her name.” Ray seemed innocent enough, but there was just something behind those yellow eyes he couldn’t trust. He couldn’t exactly prove she was lying, but he knew something was being hidden from him.

“What did you say your full name was, again?” Shining had a final trump card, he would just look her up at DEqI. If he knew her full name and what she looked like, it would be easy. And her cutie mark would be the most helpful, a sun crossed with two spears.

“Radiance.” The hybrid pony replied, looking straight into his eyes. He held the gaze for a few seconds, staring into those eyes. He was searching for anything, any sense of doubt, any quiver that he could pin down. Instead he got nothing.

“Will you leave her alone, Twinkle? Go do your magic stuff, alright?” Vinyl shoo’d him off of the couch and away from her friend. He grumpily got up, not taking his eyes off of Ray. “For Celestia’s sake, stop being so paranoid. It’s not a great look on you.”

“Fine.” He finally tore his gaze away from Ray and gave Vinyl a kiss on the cheek. “Have a good day, don’t get into any trouble, okay? Just have fun with your friend.” He smiled the best he could, knowing damn well that Vinyl would see through the false sincerity.

“Oh trust me, Twinkle. I’m sure if I get into trouble you will be the first pony to know.” The mare shrugged and patted her friend on the back. “We’re probably just gonna go out on the town, get something to eat and come back home. So don’t worry your pretty little head.” Yeah, Vinyl telling him not to worry had the opposite effect. After so many years, you learned the warning signs for Vinyl getting up to nonsense, and that was one of them.

“Alright. Well, I love you. See you when I get home.” He headed towards the door, clad in his DEqI uniform of a dark blue double-breasted suit with radiant golden buttons. Originally he wasn’t going to wear the uniform today, but after the thought of looking up Ray came up, he had to so he could get into the archives.

“Love you too, nerd! Send somepony if you’re not going to be home until late!” Vinyl called after him as he shut the door. He sighed and went on his way, knowing the day ahead would be long and fraught with exhaustion on both the physical and mental level.

The trip to DEqI headquarters was quick and easy. He walked in, presented his badge, and went down to Archives. He presented the Archivist, an old stallion named Nosy, with the information and waited about ten minutes. He signed off that he was taking possession of the file for the day, and he was on his way.

The thing about DEqI, which Shining both loved and loathed, was that they knew everything about everypony. Even if you thought you had a secret, you didn’t. If you wrote it down anywhere, they knew. If you talked about it in a public space, they knew. It was scary as hell, but useful all the same.

Now most ponies in DEqI wouldn’t be able to get these files, but because Shining Armor was a liaison to the Royal Guard, he had access to the archives. It was mostly for retrieving information on guards or ponies of interest in high-profile cases the Guard was looking into.

“Countessa Demura Radiance Lucia Rosette the Fifth…” Shining read out the name aloud. “What a name…” Well, she had not been lying about part of her name, and there was truth that she didn’t know her mother. “Brother: Prince Blueblood. Now that’s interesting.” Shining wasn’t aware that Duke had a bastard, in fact he had never heard that from even his grandmother.

What was even more odd were the two separate photos attached in the files. One was of the pony in his house, and the other was the same pony but...well, more Equine. She had a pretty white coat, normal looking pupils, a beautiful mane. Must be a charm of some sort she uses as a disguise. It would make sense considering her pedigree.

“Great to know Vinyl is lying to me…” He muttered, tucking the file away in his breast pocket. Vinyl didn’t have friends that came from that high up in Canterlot society, not from before they met and not even now. Those just weren’t the ponies she got along with. He would grill her on it later when he got home and Radiance wasn’t around.

Shining honestly wished he had access to the facilities he had now back when he was helping Vinyl. Finding where Lily had gone would’ve been so easy, it would’ve saved days. But, then again, DEqI wasn’t this...hyper vigilant back then. All of this personal information collection started after Galea came in and the whole political landscape changed around Canterlot.

So while he didn’t quite condone what DEqI did, he found it useful enough at times.

This sort of thing had become more commonplace over the years. First the Royal Guard had set up magic detectors in and around the Palace that could detect any quantity of magic, send it to a hub where analysts figured out what the spell was from thousands upon thousands of references. Eventually, those sensors covered all of Canterlot, then they adapted and evolved due to more and more nebulous ‘threats’ DEqI and the Guard kept finding.

Far be it from Shining to question the whole process, but he just felt that when you were looking for enemies you found them more often than not.

It’s not even that he was on the side of whoever the leaker was that spilled the beans on the mail skimming op. He didn’t like traitors, and he didn’t approve of leaking things to the public if they weren’t being explicitly harmed by it. DEqI had never abused the use of those tools, not that he knew of, nor had the guard. So where was the harm in it? Protecting the ponies of Canterlot was their whole job and that’s what they were doing.

“Good morning, Shining Armor.” He stopped, it was odd for Galea to ever engage in pleasantries with him. He blinked and turned to the Captain, giving a small salute.

“Morning, Captain. What’s so good about it?” He didn’t think anything ever qualified as ‘good’ in her eyes. Just adequate or inadequate. His jaw nearly dropped as the icy mare pulled a cup of coffee from one of her assistants and held it out to her. She nodded at it as he stood there slack jawed, beckoning for him to take it. He finally shook himself out of it and accepted the beverage.

“I have something to do today that is not sitting behind a desk signing papers, that is what is good about it.” Galea responded, actually smiling for once. “I am heading down to Ponyville for the day. I have business to attend to down there.” He would ask what that might be, but he knew better than to pry too deeply into the Captain’s personal matters. “So since I cannot foalsit you and your sister, I am having a very special military advisor look over your work today. She is intelligent, talented, and I have known her for her entire career. You will be in good hooves.” Shining waited, maybe trying to find words or even just process it all. “Go on, get going.”

“Of course, thank you, Captain” He nodded, taking a sip from his coffee as he attempted to digest that. Military made sense in a wider ‘national security’ sense, but usually they didn’t get involved with Canterlot affairs.

Shining could only shrug and sigh as he made his way into the palace proper. Moving through this once hallowed and regal place had become so commonplace to him. At this point in his career, he didn’t even need to think about where he was going, his hooves just took him there.

Eventually, after multiple seemingly endless tiled corridors and several slate gray spiral staircases down, Shining found himself in the same ramshackle laboratory from yesterday. It was on the same level as the old unused dungeons, and looked just about as kept and sanitary. Twily had set up a large table surrounded by candles and stacked high with books and she was currently pouring over them with great interest.

Parked just beside the table, leaning against a wall and keeping a close eye on the young lavender mare that was studying, was a very familiar pony to Shining. Her coat was a warm and rich orange, her mane a deep pink. It was Major Parhelia from Baltimare, sans dress uniform or any uniform at all.

“Par?” Shining asked out loud, drawing the attention of both of the mares in the room. Twilight acknowledged Shining with a little wave and went back to work, meanwhile Par got a very big grin across her face.

“Spook?” Shining nodded in response to the little name that Par seemed to like to call him. “You have got to be kidding me!” The rather lanky mare galloped over to Shining, smacking him on the back and laughing. “The universe has it out for us, doesn’t it? I didn’t think I would see you for another couple of weeks at least.”

“You know her?” Twilight asked without raising her head from the book it was currently buried in.

“Uh, yeah.” Shining had to compose himself after Par’s assault, straightening his uniform and clearing his throat. “We met at the Summer Sun Celebration out in Baltimare. She helped me after I got a little lost.” He turned back to address Par. “I’ll admit, when Captain Galea said a military advisor who she had been following, I didn’t expect you.”

“Nepotism is fun, isn’t it?” Par walked with Shining over to Twilight’s study table and took a seat right beside him. “Mom can be a little hard sometimes, but she gives me nice cushy gigs when she can.” Shining’s mind flatlined at what was just said. None of it added up. ‘Mom’ wasn’t a word that could replace ‘Captain Galea’, they just didn’t equate.

“I’m...sorry..?”

“My mom, Captain Galea.” Par said, once again sending Shining’s thoughts in a spiral ever downward. “Ahhhhh…” Par’s smile died a little as she finally looked in his eyes. “You didn’t know.”

“She...the Captain….Galea…” Shining was trying to find the nicest way to word this so he wouldn’t offend Par or her family, but he was struggling mightily. “I never imagined her as a mother.” Better than the one-hundred other ways he could’ve said it, he supposed. The thought of Galea even being as intimate with somepony else to procreate, it was impossible.

“Yeah, I get that a lot.” Par admitted. “You don’t have to worry about offending me, Spook. I know who my mom is and what she’s like.” Oh thank Celestia, that was a load off of his mind. “And I know I don’t seem like I’m even from the same planet as her. Mom shipped me off to a military school as soon as she could, so I didn’t exactly spend a lot of time growing up around her.” Par was way too open with this stuff in his opinion. If he was the foal of Galea, he wasn’t sure he would ever want to tell anypony.

“Well...that’s good to know.” Shining looked across to his sister, eager to move away from this topic and onto something a little more pressing. “What’ve we got, Twily?” Twilight looked up, unamused at all of the prattle that came from him and Par it seemed.

“Same as yesterday, Shiny. I’m still trying to figure out if there’s any way for a single unicorn to erect and maintain a barrier around the whole of Canterlot to no avail.” Twilight was still upset about last night judging from the tone of her voice. “I mean, I know I can do it. I don’t know how long I can keep the barrier up for, though. That would create the baseline for how much more...brainpower we would need.”

“Why don’t you just try?” Par interjected. “There’s no harm in it, and if you pass out your brother and I are here to take care of you. What’s the worst that could happen?” Shining’s heart skipped a beat at that question. A lot could feasibly go wrong, feedback if the spell was cast wrong, energy detonation if the excess energy bleed from the outer shell wasn’t recycled in the correct patterns. That was magic as a whole, though. It was an inconceivable wreck of ‘what could go wrong?’ just waiting to happen.

“You know the spell?” Shining asked, knowing he was a fool for asking Twilight Sparkle if she had a spell memorized. Twily nodded simply in response. “You know to maintain the barriers properly?” Again another nod. “Just ask if you have any questions, alright? I’ll be here.”

“Can you even do it from down here? Shouldn’t you have a clear view of the city?” Par leaned on the table, maybe just a little enthralled by what was happening.

“I know how big Canterlot is from one side to the other. I know I’m offset from the center of the city by about ten-thousand feet. I know I’m going to make the bubble bigger than it has to be to account for any errors in my math.” Par laughed at Twily rattling off of statistics, her eyes locked on the young mare. “So yes, I can do it from here.”

“I like you.” Par said, leaning back. “You’ve got a lot of smarts, Twilight. Let’s see what you can do.”

All three ponies stood up and moved to the middle of the room, both of the older standing back and away from Twilight as she took a few deep breaths.Twilight’s horn began to charge, her mind weaving the intricate spell together.

“She really is something isn’t Shining, snap out of it.” Shining blinked. Par’s words didn’t make any sense at first, then the rest of his senses caught up. This wasn’t the depths of the castle, no. They were in Twilight’s private quarters, and the sun had set who knows how long ago.

“Another blackout…” Shining muttered under his breath and sighed, hoping Par didn’t hear that. “Sorry, I kind of blanked there for a bit. What happened?” Twilight was laying on the bed in front of them, out like a light Twilight’s barrier must’ve lasted some hours, but he couldn’t be certain of how many.

“Eleven hours, twenty-three minutes and thirty-seven seconds. That’s how long her bubble stayed up until she couldn’t take it anymore.” That was a good little filler, that mixed with context gave Shining a pretty clear picture of the last eleven hours. “Should we leave her be?”

“I would stay.” Shining lamented. “But Vinyl is at home and If I’m late again, she’s going to kill me.” He sighed at the thought of losing a whole day to this problem. It was honestly becoming too much at this point.

“You go home, then. I’ll stay here tonight with her and her little dragon friend.” Shining had honestly forgotten about Spike the last few days, they had just been a little bit of a whirlwind and he hadn’t even questioned where his little sister’s assistant had been all this time. Of course he had been up here, and of course he was sleeping.

“Alright. Thank you, Par. Have a goodnight, alright? Get some sleep, Major.”

Cadance had been put up in the Apple family’s barn for the next few days. She had requested privacy throughout the day and had been granted it entirely save for the the delicious meal of some sort of stew with freshly made apple juice.

She had made sure to keep her wings and mane hidden all throughout the time she was in contact with the others. If they had seen any of it, they would’ve known who she was in an instant, and who knows how much distrust that would sew.

Now she was all alone. The lights in the main house had gone out some time ago and her cloak was thrown to the side. She was truly free at this moment. No castle, no Celestia, no restraints. For the first time in almost a decade she was actually truly free.

‘We doth hope Our gift found thee well.’

“Oh…” Cadance’s blood ran cold at the realization once the words drilled themselves into her head. “You...you did this? How?” If she owed her freedom to Luna, well Cadance had no clue how to feel about that.

‘Come outside, O’ kindred spirit. Come look upon Our ghostly visage and see the chains of Our sister that doth still bind Us.’

Cadance felt...compelled to do it. After all, Luna did help. If this truly was her work. She should at least hear what she had to say, right? It had been 1000 years, and Celestia always said that she was a good pony before Nightmare Moon. What if Nightmare Moon was gone now? What if it was just the good little Luna left? It’s not like it was Discord in her core, it was just the pony that Cadance had hear so many good stories about.

She slowly opened the barn doors just enough so she could slip out. She was met with yet another beautiful clear night, the stars twinkling brightly and the moon hanging high above Equestria, it’s nocturnal watcher.

‘Our sister’s taint hath left this land far behind. We know not why, but she hath abandoned this land just as she abandoned thee and Us before.’

Celestia was gone? That would roughly explain how the Mare in the Moon had been able to manipulate and break the spells, distance. And with Nightmare Moon’s return growing ever closer, there was no doubt she was growing stronger and stronger by the day. It was a perfect storm.

‘This antique land cannot be without a ruler, doth thou agree?’

“I...I am not ready, Luna.” Cadance had to be honest with the ruler high above. She was not ready for the responsibility of running Equestria, not now. But with Celestia gone, what choice did Equestria have?

‘Kindred spirit Cadenza, look away from thineself. With assistance, We can come back sooner than expected. We can lift the crown that weighs heavy upon the soul in this now abandoned land. Work with Us, Cadenza, restore Equestria.’

“How would I even do that?” Cadance’s heart and her deepest judgement were fighting against one another. Equestria was so close to her heart, to her soul. It did need a ruler, she knew that deep down. If Celestia had truly abandoned it like the Mare in the Moon said, then what was she to do? Equestria needed a princess like a pony needed air.

‘The gift of Princesshood does not befit thee like Us or Our sister. Open thine heart to Us, let thy gift flow freely to Us and grant us the power so misused by thee. Become one with the common folk once more and leave the ruling to Us.’

Give up her status as alicorn? It had been her destiny, it had been what she was told she was born for. She had been groomed to live this life since she was so young. How could she give it up?

Then again, where had it gotten her? Locked in decaying ruins for seven years. It had done nothing but alienate her from her parents, from her lover, from society as a whole. She had been driven to some insane degree perfection that she could never live up to, that she could never ever truly maintain.

She had snapped because of it.

Could she do it?

“Okay…”

362

Three Hundred and Sixty-Two days until the next Summer Sun Celebration

“Good mornin’ Mia!” The very pleasant drawl woke Cadance from her slumber. Shortly after her conversation with Luna, Cadance’s world had turned to white. She didn’t feel any different, not really. Well, her head felt a little lighter, like a great weight had been removed from her mind. It felt nice. She lifted her head to greet Applejack but was met with a horrified expression. “Sweet Celestia, yer horn fell off!”

Cadance’s eyes went wide as her hooves went to her head. Indeed, her horn was no longer on her head. In fact, it was laying on the ground where she had been resting her head. The lightning rod that connected her to the magical world, that thing that could alter hearts and minds...it looked like a toy laying there, a prop used in a play.

“Yes.” Cadance said, thinking as fast as she could on her hooves. “It was a disguise hiding who I really am.” The cloak was resting on the ground, revealing her wings to her earth pony hostess. “My aunt, who was keeping me there, she wanted to make sure nopony would recognize me.” Half truths were still truths, she supposed.

“Well ain’t that a barrel of pickle brine.” Applejack huffed. “The nerve of some ponies, huh?” Considering the evidence laying there on the floor and the absolute nonsensical notion that a pony could change species overnight, Cadance guessed that Applejack was believing her eyes more than anything. “Well anyway, I brought y’all some oatmeal, a glass of fresh milk and a bucket of water to wash up if you need to. Just come up to the house when yer done, alright?” Cadance’s puzzled expression must’ve caught Applejack’s eyes. “What, y’all didn’t think you were gonna stay here for free, didja?” The mare guffawed at the idea. “Naw, yer helpin’ out ‘round the farm as long as y’all are here.”

The two exchanged goodbyes and Applejack was on her way, leaving Cadance alone once again. Wondering if anything else had changed about her appearance, she trotted over to the bucket of water left by the door and leaned over to look into it.

Her horn was gone, leaving that blank space on her forehead that looked so alien to her. It had been, what, thirty years since she didn’t have a horn? It was so odd. And her mane, it was no longer the triple layered purple, pink and gold. Instead it was all that pale gold of her youth. It was also much shorter, something about alicorn powers made manes grow longer than usual. She also seemed a bit shorter, but not much. Not enough height was lost to really tip anypony off.

She looked so different.

“Okay, Cadance. This is your chance to be a normal pony…” She took a deep breath, staring into the eyes of the stranger in the water. “No…not Cadance.” That’s who she was before all of this, that’s who she was when she wore the crown. That wasn’t her anymore. “Mia.” That’s who she would be from now on, that’s the pony she would try to be. Cadance was far behind for now.

Part of that, she knew, was rationalization. After all, Cadance had just enabled the greatest threat since Discord to return to Equestria sooner than anticipated. So maybe she was just trying to distance herself from that particular event in her future.

She ate her food and was pleasantly surprised at what seemed to be fresh honey and apple slices topping the, what she assumed was going to be bland, oatmeal. It was actually quite delicious, not to mention filling. After, she washed up the best she could with the rag and bar of soap left for her. It wasn’t exactly the showers back in Canterlot, but it was better than what she had back in the Everfree.

And dear sweet Celestia, she had forgotten how absolutely frustrating it was to do things without magic. Even a simple cleaning turned into a whole ordeal, complete with gripping things with her wings and teeth. Soap did not taste good, was something she learned quickly and repeatedly over this time.

Bringing that tray up to the house was no small feat, either. It took a lot of stretching and balance that she hadn’t put into practice in years., but she did it. When she got up to the house, she was met with the pleasant sounds of domesticity. Something was sizzling on the stove, hooves were tapping over hardwood floors, and even a little spat between what sounded like Applejack and a filly somewhere upstairs.

She pulled the screen door open and stepped inside. The home itself was so cozy and lived in. Pictures of the family decorated the walls, trinkets and heirlooms decorated the mantle of the fireplace, and old reliable furniture made this place truly feel like a home.

Cadance, or rather Mia, followed her nose to the kitchen so she could deposit the dishes where they belonged. Sitting at the kitchen table, a pot of something delicious simmering slowly behind her, was a very very old mare. Mia assumed this was ‘Granny’ that Applejack had mentioned last night.

“Excuse me, ma’am?” She tapped the elderly mare on the shoulder and put on her best smile.

“Huh, wha?” Granny’s head jerked up as she looked around. When her eyes met Mia, she squinted and studied her. Mia could tell that this mare had a bit of character to her and wasn’t the typical grandmother she always pictured, but she did have kind features and wrinkles around her mouth from a lifetime of laughing and smiling. “You mus’ be the stray AJ brought home last night, huh?” Mia nodded in response. “Well ah hope the barn wasn’t too bad, ah know how itchy hay can be.”

“It was fine, ma’am.” Mia smiled and did her best to look as friendly and grateful as possible. “Thank you for taking me in on such short notice, and thank you for breakfast. It was delicious. Where should I put the dishes?”

“Sweetie, call me Granny. Everyone in this town does, ain’t gonna offend me any and will be less confusin’.” Mia nodded, a small embarrassed blush crossing her features. “And whaddya mean ‘where should you put ‘em?’ Ya think ah’m gonna do ‘em for ya? Sink is right over there, Missy.” Granny pointed a hoof at the sink right below the window caddy corner to the stove. “Actin’ like ah’m a maid or somethin’...” The mare muttered as she turned back around.

Mia moved to the sink unloading the little platter onto the counter by the sink and putting the bowl in it. She was about to start washing it when the rapid approach of hooves caught her attention.

“Granny, will y’all quit bein so grumpy?” Applejack came in, sans the hat she was wearing earlier and gently pulled the alicorn-turned-pegasus away from the sink. “Mia here has been through a lot, and she’s already gonna be helpin’ out around the place today. Washin’ one bowl ain’t gonna kill ya.” Granny grumbled in reply, standing up with several cracks in her knees as she moved to the sink. “Thank ya, Granny.” Mia was met with a knee to her ribs from Applejack, nodding at the matriarch of the Apple family.

“Yes, thank you, Granny. I appreciate it.” Mia looked to Applejack for direction, and was met with the sturdy earth pony already turned around and heading back into the living room. She matched her companion’s trajectory and caught up with her. “So what will I be doing today, Applejack?”

“Well first, y’all ain’t gonna be workin on this farm with yer mane all hangin’ everywhere. It’s gonna get in yer eyes all day.” Applejack went to a coat rack that had been hidden behind the door and fetched her trusty, dusty cowpony hat from it. “So y’all are gonna head upstairs and get my little sister Apple Bloom to put it up for ya, then yer gonna take the little troublemaker for school fer me. Macintosh and Ah ain’t got the time to do it today, we gotta tend to the East Orchard.” Mia was busy making a list in her head as AJ spoke. “Finally, y’all are gonna go yell at the head weatherpony and help her bring some rain clouds out to the West Orchard.”

“Um, how will I know who the head weatherpony is?” Mia knew approximately four ponies in this town, five if she counted Skyward Glory who was up in Ponyville General. So just saying ‘the head weatherpony’ wasn’t exactly helpful.

“Her name is Rainbow Dash, ya can’t miss her. Bright blue coat, rainbow mane, head full of rocks and enough sass to fill a holler.” AJ’s voice rose as she made her way outside, yelling as she finished. “Jus’ get mah little sister to school first!”

“Okay…” Mia said under her breath. “Sounds easy enough.” She looked around, finding the stairs and traversing every creaky step. When she was at the top she found only one open door with a little yellow filly with a bright red mane in it. “Apple Bloom?”

“Oh, howdy!” The filly, with an outrageously big red bow in her mane, turned to greet Mia with a smile and curious amber eyes. “You must be Mia, right? The pony AJ rescued from the Everfree?” That was going to be what she was going to be known as, wasn’t it?

“That’s me.” She responded, pushing down the little part of her that died when she remembered her prison out there. “Applejack said I need to take you to school today, but first she wanted you to help me put my mane up?” To Apple Bloom’s credit, she took the task of helping a stranger without a fight. Mia guessed that trait ran in the family.

“Sure thang.” The filly went to a desk pressed against the far wall, a small mirror on a stand right in the middle. “Y’all want a bow like mine or a ribbon like AJ?” Mia sat down on the floor in front of the desk, her height just enough so that she could see into the mirror. Apple Bloom pulled a stool close so she could stand on it and reach Mia’s mane.

“A ribbon, please. I don’t think I can pull off a bow as well as you can.” The last time she even had her mane up was back when Celesita made her go to public school, but even then she remembered what she liked. “And please not as low as hers, I like them a bit higher.”

“Ya ain’t even got enough mane to do one like AJ.” Apple Bloom retorted, making Mia nod. Right. Her mane was much shorter now, nowhere close to its original length or even Applejack’s for that matter. “And nopony can pull off a bow like me. Ah make it look good.” The pegasus giggled at that little display and watched as the filly produced a red ribbon that looked exactly like AJ’s. With careful and practiced precision, the little earth pony used her mouth and hooves to manipulate the ribbon and eventually get it snug around the base of Mia’s mane. After fiddling a bit with the position, making sure it was centered and not too high or low, she pulled the ribbon tight. “Unicorns sure do got it easy, I reckon. They ain’t gotta use their mouths for nothin’.”

“That they do.” Mia turned her head to the left, looking at her profile in the mirror, then doing the same with the right. It wasn’t her style usually, but she looked okay with her mane up. The red of the ribbon beautifully contrasted the pale gold mane it contained. “Thank you, Apple Bloom. I appreciate it.”

“It ain’t no problem.” The filly scurried away, picking up her saddlebags and slinging them over her back. “Now c’mon and hurry up or Ah’m gonna be late for school!” Mia stood up from her spot and watched the filly gallop out of the room with a smile.

This all felt so nice, so right. Nopony was treating her as some kind of perfect being, or expecting only the best from her. She was just a normal pony right now, expected to do chores and earn her keep. She wasn’t handed anything.

It was refreshing.

She followed behind her little charge, down the stairs and to the kitchen. Apple Bloom gave her Granny a kiss on the cheek and a hug as she got ready to depart. Mia gave Granny a small wave and a smile as she took her first steps into a truly new Equestria for her. This was her first time going out in public as somepony other than Cadance in years.

The pair made their way through the orchards, which Apple Bloom had informed her was called Sweet Apple Acres, with mostly small talk. The filly told her a bunch of small things about her home, about Ponyville and some of the places in it. This wasn’t a place that Cadance had ever heard much about, nor had she ever visited it. It seemed lovely, though.

“Do you know a pony named Lily, Apple Bloom?” Mia interjected her diminutive friend’s rant about pastries at the local bakery to ask a question that had been weighing on her mind. “Flower for a cutie mark, pink with a yellow mane? Kind of like me, actually.”

“You mean the flower pony?” Apple Bloom cocked her head to the side, thinking. “She works at that shop with her sisters.” Well that struck Mia as odd. Lily couldn’t be more than fifteen years old and she was already working?

“Isn’t she still in school?” The response to her question was a raspberry blown at the idea, something that caught Mia extremely off guard. What was so ridiculous about that question?

“What, like a secondary school thing? We ain’t got those here in Ponyville.” Cadance had gone to a secondary school, at the behest of Celestia of course. It was uncommon for Canterlot youth not to go to secondary school, most saw it as a chance to refine special talents. More importantly, it gave young ponies a chance to spend their formative years with ponies of their own age instead of spending it in the workforce. “Only pony Ah know that went to one was Rarity, but she’s fancy like that.”

The rest of their trip was in silence on Mia’s part. Apple Bloom still talked, speaking about her school and classmates, and her impending cutie mark and what it might be. They made their way through the hamlet, ponies going about their days, enjoying the pleasant weather and going to the stalls set up all over.

Apple Bloom lead Mia to the complete opposite side of town, where a little red schoolhouse sat on a hill. Ponies around Apple Bloom’s age congregated all over, forming little pockets of noise and laughter.

At the door of the schoolhouse was a mare with a coat of dark pink, her mane two tones of light pink and emerald eyes. She looked over the foals with an amount of joy and pride that Mia had never honestly seen. The teacher, she guessed.

“-and that’s Miss Cheerilee, my teacher.” Apple Bloom finished whatever sentence she was saying, just in time for Mia to hear that. She was just about to address her little filly friend when she bounded away upon seeing a friend. “Twist! Hey Twist, wait up!”

“Well...okay then.” The newly re-minted pegasus muttered as she was left all alone, a stranger in this strange land.

“Applejack was busy this morning?” That pink mare, Miss Cheerilee, had somehow moved from the door of the schoolhouse to Mia’s side without her noticing. Maybe she was just more than a little space-brained today. “Family friend?”

“Oh.” Mia cleared her throat. “Yes, to both, she was and I am. Something about tending the east orchard.” It was hard to make Mia lose her composure, exceptionally so when it came to public settings. Even though she was surprised by the sudden appearance, she didn’t let it show. That royal pedigree had some useful things in it.

“I’m sorry if I’m, y’know, encroaching on your personal space.” Cheerilee laughed and rolled her eyes. “I love my foals, I love all of the time I’m around them, but sometimes I just need some contact with somepony my age.” That made Cadance crack a smile, she could more than understand the need for a change of scenery when it came to company kept.

“Oh no, it’s fine...Miss Cheerilee, correct?” The schoolmare nodded. “A pleasure to meet you, Miss Cheerilee, my name is Mi A-...Mia.” Mia bowed her head a little. “I apologize if I seem a little caught off guard, I’m afraid I’m just a little out of sorts today.” Cheerilee’s eyes were wide with a curious wonder as Mia spoke.

“You are extremely well spoken.” Of course the teacher caught onto that fact. As soon as Mia praised her royal upbringing, she cursed it just as fast. “No offense to the Apple family, but are you sure you’re a family friend?” Well now, this was an opportunity for Mia to do an extremely rare thing from now on and tell the full truth.

“Truth be told, Miss Cheerilee-” Mia turned fully towards the teacher with a shy smile. “-I was in a rough spot in my personal life and the Apples extended their seemingly endless kindness and hospitality to me. I am from out of town, but I am hoping to just...start anew here.” Cheerilee’s gaze turned from curious to sympathetic in an instant, her smile warm and kind.

“That sounds like the Apple family.” Cheerilee turned her eyes back over the foals and her school. “Well, Mia, if you ever get some free time stop by after school sometime. I would love to get to know you better.” That sentence warmed Mia’s heart more than Cheerilee would ever know. A pony genuinely wanted to get to know her better, not get close to her and exploit her position, not to attempt to take her hoof in marriage for titles and fame, but just to get to know her.

“That sounds wonderful, Miss Cheerilee.” Mia’s emotions laid well-hidden under a practiced facade of politeness and warm indifference. “I will definitely take you up on that, believe me. But for now, I have things I must attend to for Applejack and you have your foals.”

“That I do.” Cheerilee began to wander off, but looked back one last time. “Have a wonderful day, Mia. Have fun at Sweet Apple Acres.” There was a very sarcastic tone to the last part of the farewell. Something told Mia that Cheerilee had experienced helping AJ with her work before.

“I wish you the best, Miss Cheerilee.” Mia headed her own way as well. In the distance Cheerilee called for her students to join her in the schoolhouse for the day. “Now…” Mia muttered to herself, sure she was alone now. “...where is this Rainbow Dash?”

Her first instinct was to walk around with her head up and on a swivel, but then she remembered she had wings. Flying was very taboo when it came to the elite and the highborn in Canterlot, and considering Princesses were considered the elite of the elite and the definition of highborn, she just did not do it very often. Not to mention her wings had been magically bound to her sides for seven years, she was going to be just a tad out of practice.

Surprisingly, she wasn’t too rusty at flying. It took her just a minute to get her wings in perfect rhythm and a minute more to generate the amount of lift necessary to even get up to the clouds. But once she was up there, she had it down. It was something so ingrained in her, that she couldn’t really forget it. Deep down those instincts still existed.

It felt nice to be in the sky again, it felt...well, it felt like she was walking on air. She closed her eyes, letting the sunlight bathe over her as she just soaked in the experience. Below she could hear the townsponies chattering and going about their business, in the distance she could hear some pegasi talking about the weather, and there was a light breeze coming in from the east.

Now all she had to do was find this Rainbow Dash pony and get clouds out to Sweet Apple Acres. That couldn’t take too long.

Shining was currently sitting in a doctor’s office waiting room with Vinyl Scratch. Usually Vinyl would be able to liven up any room she was in and make it seem less dull, but waiting rooms were just a black hole that no fun or joy could exist in.

When he had gotten home last night, he relayed to Vinyl what had happened. Needless to say, it didn’t go over well. Hence the visit to the place where patience came to die. Normally they would’ve went to Celestia or Twilight with this matter, but the former was missing and the latter was still out cold. So they had to resort to a doctor.

Vinyl’s hoof was resting worriedly on his foreleg, her eyes darting around the waiting room. This was getting to her much more than she would ever truly admit. Yes she had said that she was worried, but Shining knew it was deeper than just that. There was fear in her eyes.

That in turn worried Shining even more. Vinyl wasn’t fearless, not at all, but she rarely let her fear show at all. He would love to say that he was not worried about the situationtoo, but that would be a blatant lie. The thought of one day, at random, he could blackout and miss more than just hours. What if next time he lost days? Months? It was an absolutely terrifying concept.

“Could this take any longer?” Vinyl fidgeted in her seat, her rear hooves twitching and tapping against the cushion she was sitting on. “Seriously, we’ve been here for an hour and a half. Ponies who got here after us have already been called back.” Well, that was expected when going to the doctor that all of the guards and DEqI employees went to. So many nagging injuries came with both of the positions and so this place always featured a steady stream of patient, and as the sign by the check-in desk reminded everypony who was here, ‘On duty guards are treated first.’

“Armor, Shining.” Came the call from the door on the far end of the room. A pale blue mare with dead looking gray eyes and a slightly frazzled white mane stood there with a clipboard held in one wing.

“Speak of Discord and he shall appear, Scratch.” Shining smiled the best he could at Vinyl. He stood and helped his marefriend up. All he got back in return was a half-hearted grin as they followed the nurse through the door and along labyrinthine sterile white corridors. They finally reached an open door with a little green marker above the door.

“In here.” The nurse ushered them in. “A nurse will be with you in a few minutes.” And with that, they were waiting once again. ‘Hurry up and wait’ was a very practiced skill of most ponies who ever wore armor in Canterlot, so Shining wasn’t too annoyed, but Vinyl…

“Oh c’mon! She’s a nurse. Why couldn’t she just do whatever it is the other nurse is going to do?” Vinyl sat down angrily on a stool with a huff and looked around. There wasn’t much to say about the room, it was certainly a hospital room. An uncomfortable plastic bed with white tearable paper covering it, a counter with a sink and cupboards filled with medical things and such, and of course it was all either shades of very pale blue or white. “Just complete nonsense.”

“Vinyl, I have a question.” While they had a semi-private moment, he figured he would get this out of the way. Vinyl turned to him, waiting. “Why didn’t you tell me the truth about Ray?” That caused his counterpart to blink, obviously taken aback by the forwardness. “I’m not mad or anything, it’s fine.” That was a lie, he was a little peeved, but he didn’t want this to turn into a thing.

“She came to our door with a bag I left on the train, alright? She saw the address and returned it. We talked, she told me who she was and what she was and that she was staying the city for awhile with her dad.” Vinyl rubbed her temples with her hooves, closing her eyes and fighting off what looked to be a headache. “Her dad pretty much doesn’t like her, doesn’t like her to be...y’know her. I felt bad, I told her she could chill at our place for a few days to just unwind, let her hair down.”

Shining could empathize with a noble relative not liking how you were born. He had fought his grandmother most of his life on that front. To be a smear on the family name, and to be told that you were, it wasn’t good. It didn’t do a lot for self-confidence either.

“I understand.” It was all he could say about that at the moment. “Next time, don’t lie to me, please.” And that was all he could ask for the future. “I don’t mind guests, I just like to know who they are first.”

“Wait…” Scratch opened her eyes and shot a glare at him. “..how did you figure out I was lying?” Shining opened his mouth to say, but evidently Vinyl already guessed his reply. “You used DEqI stuff, didn’t you? That’s abuse of power or something, Twinkle. You can’t just go and pull files on ponies whenever you want.”

“She was staying in our home, Vinyl. I had a little bit of a right to know who was sleeping in the room next to us.” He hated having to defend himself on this, in his mind there was nothing really to defend. It had been a reasonable reaction.

“Okay. Whatever.” Vinyl huffed, clamming up instantly on the subject. It hadn’t necessarily been a productive conversation, but it had been a needed one. Better to get that he knew out in the open rather than letting it stir and boil into something much worse.

“Knock knock!” Came a cheery feminine voice from the other side of the door. The pony didn’t even wait for the very deadpan ‘who’s there?’ that was in Shining’s throat before opening the door and coming in. It was a bright red unicorn mare with golden eyes and a once pink but now graying mane. “Hello Shining Armor.” She was looking at a clipboard as she came in and sat on a stool right next to Vinyl. Shining hopped up onto the bed and just waited patiently. “So! Tell me, in your own words, what’s the problem?”

“Well…” Shining started, unsure of how he was going to tackle all of this. “About seven years ago, maybe a little more, somepony messed with my memories. With magic. They did a lot of damage and I was lucky to have a lot of it fixed.” He sighed, pushing the many emotions that threatened to overtake him back. “Ever since then I’ve ran into some trouble. At first it was just trouble recalling things, but then I started having blackouts. A year or two ago it was just losing a few minutes here and there it got worse since then, but yesterday I blacked out for eleven hours.”

The nurse was scribbling furiously on the clipboard as Shining spoke, looking up only occasionally to acknowledge him and keep him talking. He wished he could see what was being written, just to know.

“Is there anything that lets you know a blackout is coming? A tingle? A sense of dizziness? Loss of balance? Loss of control of any of your bodily functions?” The nurse put her quill in her mouth and chewed on the frayed end as she waited to write more.

“No, nothing.” Shining admitted with a shake of his head. “It’s just seamless. One moment I’m one place, the next somehwere else. Words blend, ponies and places. It’s like a switch. I’m just left there, disoriented.” That feeling of vulnerability after his episodes, of not knowing where he was or what had happened, it was just demoralizing at this point.

“Tell me what happened immediately before your most recent episode. What you were doing?”

“I was with my little sister, Twilight, and a friend.” He had to be careful here, he couldn’t just tell her exactly what he was doing. He sure as hell couldn’t tell her why. “Twilight was getting ready to cast spell, a strong one. She lit up her horn, y’know, I could feel her gathering the magic. Then nothing. It was eleven hours later and I was in a completely different place.”

“The one before that?”

“I was on a train back home from Ponyville.” Shining was having a bit of a hard time remembering this one. “We were headed up the mountain and there was some sort of problem with the train and the conductor had to hit the brakes really hard, I think.” He caught Vinyl in the corner of his eye. Her face paled and she froze up at the mention of that. He had completely forgot to tell her, or maybe he just realized he shouldn’t. “Then I wake up the next morning in bed with a splitting headache.”

“Before that?”

“Summer sun celebration.” He recalled this one. Celestia had just got onto the stage and she went to raise the sun, then i was in a different part of the city.” The nurse nodded, intensely writing on her notepad. “Then the one before that was the night before, I was at Vinyl’s-” He motioned to the still terrified looking pony sitting by the nurse. “-concert. It was the set just before hers. Some giant fireworks display went off, If I remember. Then I was on the opposite side of the city almost an hour later.”

“Okay, Thank you, Shining Armor.” The nurse stood and addressed him with a smile. “You two just wait right here, the doctor will be with you shortly.” Once the door closed he could feel a set of cold magenta eyes drilling into the side of the head. Slowly and reluctantly he turned to see just that.

“You didn’t tell me about the train.” Her tone was level, distant and detached. That scared Shining more than any temper flare up would have. He wanted to tell her that there was a reason he didn’t. A very good one. This one.

“Because it was nothing, Vinyl.” He stood up and went over to her, pulling her into a hug. “Nothing bad happened, I’m alright.” He would do his best to smooth this over.

“I hate that fucking train…” She muttered. It was the same track that got her parents, so he could sympathize. THen this whole blackout situation probably didn’t help her stress or anxiety at all. It was all just one big maelstrom of bad memories and shitty situations.

“Shining Armor!” The door opened suddenly, a rather rotund unicorn stallion in a white doctor’s coat barging in. His thinning white mane was not helped by the comb over he was attempting, and his white coat did little to distract from the hanging black belly beneath him. “You ol’ so and so, it’s been awhile. Though I guess that’s a good thing considering my profession, right?” The bulky pony laughed a very full bellied laugh at his own joke.

“I guess, yeah.” Shining quietly pulled away from Vinyl, rubbing her back just a little as he stayed by her side. “Vinyl Scratch, this is Doctor Hairline Fracture. He treated me when I broke my leg back in the academy. Doctor, this is my significant other, Vinyl Scratch”

“Ironic, right? My name is Hairline and mine went away when I was twenty!” Again, another laugh at his own joke. “But yes, it is nice to meet you, dear.” The stallion’s demeanor changed rather quickly as he pulled out his glasses, put them on and brought the clipboard to his face. He sat down on the stool beside Vinyl, the seat groaning in complaint. “So it looks like you’ve been in a bit of trouble lately, hmm?”

“Something like that, Doctor.” Shining wasn’t going to elaborate unless asked or told. The doctor had all of his information in front of him, so there was no reason to.

“Now, based on what you told the nurse-” Doctor Fracture shifted with a grunt. “-my initial belief is that you’ve developed a magic sensitivity.” Shining closed his eyes, wincing at even the notion. “Now now, there are ways to fix it if that is indeed the case. It’s just your mind trying to protect you when it sense a...a mass output of magical energy near you. My guess from this memory trauma you brought up.” The Doctor sighed and looked at him. “Considering your exceptional natural sensitivity to magic, it most likely just exacerbates the problem.”

“Okay, well how do we make sure that it is what’s really happening?” Shining didn’t want this. He had been tasked with a job that was all about being around high-powered magic. Anything that could prevent him from doing that job would just put Canterlot, and Equestria in even more danger.

“Well, we could run tests here. I would have to order the tests, and they probably wouldn’t be available for a week or two.” Shining went to open his mouth, but the doctor must’ve sensed his urgency and cut him off. “But if you’re looking for something more immediate, I can get you a device that we place at the base of your horn. It will cut off all magical feelings sensations and signals from your horn to your brain and vice versa.” Shining understood what he meant, but he needed to hear the doctor say it. “Essentially, you would be without magic for about a week. You come back and report if you have had any more of these episodes. If not, we’ll run a few tests to make sure that is indeed the problem. If so, well then we’ll be back to square one.”

“Can you go without magic for a week, Shining?” Vinyl was the first of the duo to actually say something. “I mean, you have a pretty big job to do right now that requires it, and not to mention when was the last time you went without it for any period of time?” The only response he could give was a resigned sigh.

“It will be disruptive, most definitely.” The doctor removed his glasses. “Just as disruptive as your leg was, but you dealt with that very well.” That put it into perspective for Shining. This was a week. He was off of that leg for almost two months, the full recovery had set his entire life back a year. This was a week without a convenience that two thirds of ponies on the planet didn’t have. It might even stop these blackouts, he would be able to make up for all of that lost time.

“I can do a week.” Shining finally spoke after a few minutes of internal deliberation. “I can do it.”

“Okay, just wait here and I’ll be back in a bit with it. We’ll get it fitted and you’ll be on your way.”

Galea was quite the opposite of a happy pony right now. In fact, she was downright furious. Her and a small contingent of guards had made their way to Ponyville during the night, then waited until just before daybreak to go into the Everfree. They had found the castle Celestia had mentioned in her diary, where Cadance was supposed to be.

Cadance was not there.

She had escaped, Galea had figured, with help from some of the locals. The makeshift bridge had tipped her off to that. So now, not only was Celestia missing, but the backup alicorn was as well. She had left her guards behind and ordered them to keep an eye out for the alicorn or anypony who would be harboring her.

Equestria needed Cadance for once, and where was she?

Nowhere to be found.

Galea growled and threw the diary of Celestia’s she had been reading against a wall. There was nothing in it as to where the monarch was. It was all so much dribble; feelings, thoughts on mundane day to day activities, and endless complaining. There were no large secrets, no secrets to her power, no insights. It was all so normal.

The only standout passage came from the day of the Summer Sun Celebration. It only told her one thing, but it was the only thing she needed to know.

They had a year until Nightmare Moon came back. One year until the biggest threat Equestria had ever faced was back,, and as of right now Galea had no idea as to whether either Princess would be back in time to do anything about it.

Celestia had told her that Twilight Sparkle was her secret weapon to defeat Nightmare Moon, that it was her destiny. But could Galea simply sit back and wait for fate to work? Could she put that much faith into something she could touch or feel? Could she believe in Twilight Sparkle?

No.

As always, she would have to figure out her own solution. She would have to save Equestria herself.

Shining and Vinyl were back home now, alone. Radiance had said she needed to go to her father’s and retrieve some belongings for her stay. It was nice to be alone again, but Shining just couldn’t enjoy it fully.

Ever since the Doctor had placed that slim, barely noticeable metal ring around the base of his horn, he had felt disconnected from the world. He didn’t realize just how much he relied on his magic not just as a tool, but as a sense. He could feel other ponies with it, he could feel changes in weather, he could pick up on little subtle changes in mood if he really concentrated, and he could tell when the sun rose and set. Now, the world felt silent.

This silence was deafening.

“You doing okay, Twinkle?” Vinyl flopped beside him on the couch, her head laying against him. He blinked away his melancholy and gave her a very forced smile.

“It’s just going to take some getting used to, Vinyl. That’s all.” Honestly, he doubted he would ever grow accustomed to it. On their way home he already tried to open doors and move small things with his magic, to no avail. “I should probably check on Twily at some point today, huh?”

“Nah, she’s probably taking the day off. Same as you.” Shining wished he could believe that, but Twilight didn’t take days off. She was as tireless as a pony could be, kind of like him when he was at one-hundred percent. “Send a letter to the castle and ask or something, but stay here. With me. Please?”

“How can I say no?” Shining’s smile turned genuine at the prospect. “We’ll order out tonight, alright? Maybe a pizza?” A little night in never hurt anypony, and it certainly wouldn’t hurt them.

“Sounds great, Twinkle.” Vinyl closed her eyes and moved her head to his chest, pressing her ear right over his heart. He wrapped a hoof around her and held her close. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Scratch.”

He appreciated the sentiment, but deep inside he still felt useless. Tonight as he tried to eat without magic, he would feel useless. Tomorrow, as he had to get help to get in uniform, he would feel useless. When he needed to help Twilight with the spell, he would feel useless. If he needed to defend himself, he would be useless.

A unicorn without magic? What kind of life was that? Even for a week, it was so much.

He prayed that wherever Celestia was, she would lend him a little strength. He needed it now more than ever.

Mia collapsed on the couch in the Apple Family’s living room. Sweat drenched her entire body, her mane was stuck to her face and every muscle in her body ached. She let out a pained groan as she rolled onto her back. Her wings were splayed out, each one hanging off of the couch.

“Yeah, a hard day’s work’ll do that to ya.” Applejack sat down in the rocking chair beside the couch, setting a glass of water on the table for Mia. Somehow, the earth pony didn’t seem even a little exhausted. There were little droplets of sweat dotting her forehead and neck, but nothing like what Mia was dealing with. “Ya get used to it, though.”

“Rainbow Dash…” Mia groaned out the name of that insufferable pony. “I asked her about the clouds, and she said that if I could beat her in a race she would do it...but if I lost I had to do it all while she supervised.” Mia guessed she didn’t have to explain the outcome to AJ, because the barely hidden smirk on the farm mare was enough.

“That shyster’ll do anythin’ to get outta work.” AJ pushed the glass of water closer to Mia. “Can’t let ‘er getcha like that. She’s faster’n a rabbit runnin from a hungry mutt and just about as clever.”

“Thanks for the warning…” Sarcasm wasn’t something Mia would usually use, but her current beatdown state was enough to let some barriers down. “I don’t think I’ve done that much work ever in my life…” She slowly sat up, wincing at the pain in her back and joints as she reached out for the glass and took a large healthy gulp.

“Felt good, though.” Applejack stated, taking off her hat and tossing it with deadly precision onto the rack by the door. “Ah thank Celestia every day that ah getta wake up and work with my hooves. Ah’m lucky enough to put mah hooves in the dirt, do somethin’ with ‘em. Ah’m not stuck in a buildin’, ah’m not doin’ paperwork, ah don’t have to worry about manners high society or nothin’. Just me an’ mah work.”

“You really like doing this, don’t you?” Mia admitted to herself that it did feel nice to do something useful and see results. Most of the time in Canterlot, she was only told that what she was doing was useful and never really ever saw any benefit for herself.

“Course ah do.” AJ sat her cup on the table. “When ah was little ah thought ah didn’t. Went to the big city with mah Aunt and Uncle for a spell, tried the whole fancy thing. That ain’t me.” Mia so admired the mare’s openness and honesty about herself, it was just so refreshing from the two-faced ponies on that mountain. “This is who ah am. Ah know it ain’t for everypony, but what I do know is that everypony could stand to do a little of it from time to time. It ain’t always good for the wallet, ain’t always good for the body either...good for the soul, though.”

“I think I could use a little of that…” Mia was being honest, both with herself and Applejack. Her spirit had been broken, rather quickly with the Shining Armor episode all those years ago, then slowly over the last seven. Alone, doing nothing, just stewing. A little rehabilitation of the soul sounded good right about now.

“Tomorrow.” Applejack started. “Yer wakin’ up when Ah do. Ah know that don’t sound too appealin’ right now, but trust me. It’’ll be good for ya, Sugarcube.”

“That sounds wonderful, Applejack.”

Mia could get used to this, to all of this.

Author's Note

This chapter took a while because there was just so much to unpack and do.

I had so much fun writing the Cadance stuff, and I hope you guys enjoy it too.

361 Part 1

Three Hundred and Sixty-One days until the next Summer Sun Celebration

Mia was not used to being awake before the sun had even crested the horizon. For most of her life the day started after the sun had risen, and for the past few years hadn’t started until well after it had peaked.

But Applejack had told her to be up at this time or be woken up at dinner last night, and Mia did not like the implication of being woken up. Not by AJ. It probably involved a bucket of cold water or two steel pans getting violently acquainted with each other.

The pegasus fiddled with her mane, using her wings to tie it up into a ponytail the best she could. It wasn’t as good as Apple Bloom’s attempt had been, but it would be serviceable. Next she found the bucket of water that she had got for herself last night and gave her body a once over. It was when she was washing her flanks that she noticed something quite curious. Her cutie mark had changed, ever so slightly. Instead of the heart on her flank being made of crystal, it was just a simple blue heart with a pink and red one flanking it.

“That’s not right…” She muttered. Cutie marks didn’t change. They showed you what you were good at, your innermost talents and for some ponies, your destiny. Never had she ever heard of a cutie mark changing, but she guessed her case was a little unique. She had discovered her talent and became a Princess at the same time, so maybe her cutie mark was somehow attached to that? Maybe it changed when she gave it up?

Another question she had no one she could ask for an answer.

Now that would be in the back of her mind all day, just great. She would just have to try her best to ignore it for now and get on with what Applejack needed her for.

“Mia? Y’all awake?” The call came from just outside the barn door. Mia finished drying her coat and responded in the affirmative, to which her hostess entered. AJ looked awake and ready to go for this early in the morning, much more than Mia was. “Mornin’.”

“Good morning, AJ.” Mia rubbed her eyes and did her best to hold back a yawn. “So what are we awake this early for? Milking the cows? Feeding the pigs?” Maybe she could get used to it, maybe. Waking up this early was still a novelty to the former princess.

“Naw.” Applejack responded, opening the barn door a little more and beckoning the pegasus out. “Y’all come out here, walk with me for a bit.” Cadance wasn’t going to argue or protest her hostess’ request, but she would worry about the implications it carried. Surely Applejack wasn’t going to kick her out now.

Had she done something wrong? Said something she shouldn’t have?

Or was Applejack going to just put her to actual work today? Bucking trees all day did not sound too appealing to Mia’s fragile pegasus body. Her once finely manicured hooves might shatter against the bark if she tried.

“Alright…” Mia responded, trepidation saturating the word to its core.

She followed the farmpony through the rows upon rows of apple trees. The sun was just below the horizon, spilling pale oranges and pinks into the sky in preparation for the dawn. Birds sang out in the early morning chill, swooping down and plucking worms from between dew covered blades of grass. It was serene, and it almost made Mia forget that AJ wanted to talk with her.

“Here.” The earth pony stated.

The pair were now at the top of a hill, from what Mia could tell it was the tallest one around. Applejack plopped down on her haunches, took off her hat and sat it beside her. A hoof patted the ground, beckoning the pegasus to sit as well.

“What did you wish to talk to me about?” Mia did as instructed and sat, her hooves tapping against the soft ground nervously. She tried not to stare at the pony next to her, and instead looked out to the horizon in the hope of distracting herself. She was only met with the stomach churning silhouette of Canterlot in the distance.

“Ah know y’all aren’t tellin’ me the whole truth.” Applejack spoke softly but her words carried weight, and that weight hit Mia at the speed of sound. All the air left her lungs as she tried desperately not to look at the pony next to her. “Ah’ve always had a little sense of knowin’ when a pony is lyin’. It’s a gift.” Applejack explained bluntly. “But-” She got back on track as quickly as she left it. “-ah know what Ah saw.. So Ah know y’all really were in that castle, trapped. Ponies don’t lie about that kinda thang unless it’s important...unless it ain’t too safe to tell the truth.” Applejack turned her head away from the horizon to look at Mia, who did the same and only saw fire in those emerald eyes. “Seein’ as how yer around mah family, that means yer safety is theirs. So ah reckon when it is safe, y’all will tell me whatever it is yer hidin’.”

Mia’s heart was in her throat, and the words wouldn’t come even though she desperately wanted to explain things. She couldn’t tell Applejack, not now. Instead, she just nodded.

“Ah brought y’all up here to give ya some...perspective.” Applejack motioned out to the sprawling orchards in front of them. “Ah was born n’ raised here, mah Granny and her kin helped found the town and settled this here land. Mah Ma and Pa were born here, they’re buried here too.” The mare cleared her throat and turned away, pushing emotions down. The cracks in her voice, the slight waver, betrayed that. “A-ah don’t ask for much, Mia. Ah want my apple trees to be healthy and Ah want my family to be safe. But Ah gotta ask y’all...if my family is in any danger from ya, tell me. Please. Just...watch the sunrise with me, see what all Ah gotta protect. After that, take the day to yerself, think an’ all that. Just...please...”

The two mares sat there in silence from there out, waiting for the sun and looking out over the land.

Shining was, as Vinyl would say, going through it. Adjusting to life without magic was like losing a limb for him. He couldn’t pour his own coffee, couldn’t take a proper shower, and couldn’t even open doors without a hassle. It was humiliating.

He wished he could’ve stayed in the house all day, just laze around with Vinyl and try to forget about his current predicament. He couldn’t though. He had work to do, he had a job and a duty to the ponies of Canterlot to figure out a way to keep them safe. He had to help Twilight figure this out.

Without magic.

As he entered the basement of the palace, he regretted his commitment to Canterlot’s safety. Galea was sitting at the table in the middle of the room where Twilight’s study materials and notes were all laid out. Except there was no Twilight beside her, and no Par.

Just Galea.

“Where is she, Shining Armor?” Captain Galea’s voice was flat and cold, sending a shiver up the stallion’s spine. She turned to face him, a scowl across that soft blue face of hers and murder in her stone gray eyes.

“Who? Twilight? Last I knew she was in her room recovering from her last attempt at-”

“No!” He was interrupted by the Captain’s raised voice and a book being slammed forcefully with magic. “Cadance, Shining Armor, where is she? What did Celestia do with her?” In a moment, Galea was in his face, her nose almost pressed against hers and a fiery passion in her usually cold eyes.

“I-” Shining’s voice caught in his throat, a shallow panic rising in his gut that made him want to back away. He knew he couldn’t do that, though. He needed to stand his ground and not give Galea any more power than she already had at the moment. “I don’t know, Galea. Celestia never told me what she did with her, just that she was out of the Canterlot and somewhere safe.”

A heavy silence filled what little air was between the two ponies. Shining Armor stood still, staring straight at the Royal Guard captain as she searched him for any lies he might be telling. Galea had known him long enough to know lying wasn’t in Shining’s character, no matter how badly she wanted it to be.

“Well-” Galea said with a huff. “-I searched Celestia’s room and read one of her journals.” Shining opened his mouth to comment, but was silenced by a single raised hoof. “I know, it’s not proper, but it needed to be done.” The mare turned her back to Shining and began to pace across the floor, her hooves tapping against the stone and echoing in the basement. “Cadance was supposed to be in the Castle of the Two Sisters in the Everfree Forest, that’s where Celestia stashed her. Only, she’s not there anymore.”

Shining did his best to ignore the shiver than ran up his spine, but he just couldn’t. Knowing that Cadance was free and his lack of magic at the moment just made him feel a lot less safe in Canterlot.

“What do we do about that?” He hoped that Galea had some sort of plan or had a search party looking for her, anything at all to keep him at ease.

“Keep a close eye on you. Celestia knows if she’s out she’ll be looking for you.” Shining’s breath caught in his throat as he stared at the back of Galea’s head. If looks could kill, there would be a hole burned straight through her skull at the moment.

“You’re using me as bait?” There was not even an attempt to disguise the indignation in his voice. “You’re putting mine and Vinyl’s safety at risk to do what, exactly?” As soon as Galea turned, Shining was on her, standing up straight and towering over the mare in front of him. “Talk to her? The last time she was here I tried talking to her and guess what? I had my head torn to shreds by her!” Shining could feel his face turning red from anger as he lost control of the volume of his voice. “The only one who could stop her is who knows where! What are you going to do, huh? Shoot her nasty looks and plot behind her back?!” Shining let out a snort through his nostrils and turned away. “That’s all you’ve ever been good for Galea.”

“You listen to me you worthless welp.” Galea’s voice grew low and cold, a chill coming over the room to the point that Shining could see his breath. “I did not work my flank off for my entire career to be talked down to by the likes of you, some guard washout who pushes papers for spooks all Celestia-damned day.”

“I know, Galea.” Shining closed his eyes, not even sure what he was saying anymore. It did get Galea to shut up though and caused her advance on him to halt. “I know what you did to get this job, my grandmother told me before she passed.” That was a complete lie, his grandmother had hated him and anything she had needed to say she had given over to Sweetie Drops. It was a gamble he was willing to take, though. “So find a way to get Cadance, I don’t care how you do it but leave me and Vinyl out of it.”

Shining left without another word being spoken by either pony.

“You ready, Ray?” Vinyl hit the button at her side, closing the doors in front of her and her newest friend. The mechanical whir of the elevator’s engine started up overhead and the small carriage they were in started to lower into the rocky ground.

“No!” The batpony unicorn gave an exasperated sigh. “I do not even know why we are doing this Vinyl! It is so foalish.” Vinyl rolled her eyes behind her shades, resisting the urge to bring her hoof to her face as well. “You know I am basically a pariah to the Canterlot elite, correct? If they ever found out I went...down here, I would be banished from any function forever.”

“And?” Vinyl offered dryly.

“Vinyl, I know you are not as in tune with the upper crust as I am. I get that. But surely you understand what it is like to be ostracized?” Ray looked around the dingy metal box the two mares were stuck in, searching for an example. “W-what if you were banned by your favorite club? Like, the only one whose music you enjoyed because it was all you ever listened to?”

“I’d find another club.” Vinyl said with a shrug. “If they didn’t want me there, then why would I want to be there?” She gave Ray a pat on the back. “Broaden your horizons, kid. Find a new better club that actually wants and appreciates you.” Vinyl lit her horn up and flicked the fluffy tip of one of the bat’s ears. “And one that doesn’t make you hide your cute natural features.”

That elicited a blush from the unicorn hybrid, making Vinyl chuckle. In all honesty, the fluffy ears and little fangs poking out did lend an adorable air to Ray. Her golden eyes closed and Ray took a deep breath in.

“Okay.” Her eyes opened again, filled with worry and shame. “What if they don’t like me either, Vinyl?” There was no small amount of pity in Vinyl’s heart for her young friend, taught self-hatred from a young age and now terrified of who she really was.

Maybe Vinyl just understood that a little too much.

Maybe she was just going soft.

“If they don’t like you, we’ll head straight up back to Canterlot and you get to pick dinner. On me. Maybe we’ll get drunk too, who knows.” Vinyl shot one of her knowing grins, which actually seemed to calm Ray a bit. “Now c’mon-” A ding sounded, letting the two mares know they had reached their destination. “-I’ve only been down here when I was hammered. Even I’m excited to see what it’s all about.”

The doors opened to reveal a vast cavern sprawling before them. Lights hung from the ceiling in long strings as batponies flitted about them, going about their business. There were structures clustered together as far as the eye could see, some ramshackle made of whatever the inhabitants could get their hooves on, and some carved directly into rock.

“Welcome to Sandy Echo.” Vinyl read the crooked sign propped up in front of them. “Homey.”

“Dear Celestia, this is a slum.” Ray’s voice was full of shock and a little disgust. “I cannot believe anypony would want to live down here.” Her slitted pupils, fine for such dim lights, took in the squalor that the ponies like her lived in down here beneath Canterlot. “Hewn from rock and the dark itself…”

“What other choice do they have?” Vinyl asked, taking off her glasses so she could see better. “Even though they’re allowed in the royal guard again, living up there will just get them nasty looks and insults behind their backs. Anywhere else in Equestria and they’ll be just driven away.”

“Well yes, but this is Canterlot. Ponies don’t live like this here.” Ray countered, still offended at the sprawl before her eyes. It was neverending, just fading into the inky blackness further on.

“No.” Vinyl began to walk, Ray staying by her side as they made their way through the narrow streets. “This is Sandy Echo. Canterlot is up there.” She jabbed a hoof upwards. “Two different places entirely.”

“I see that now…”

The two made their way through the undercity, Vinyl drawing a lot more nasty looks and jeers than she even would up in Canterlot. It was her guess that pure white unicorns weren’t exactly an archetype that the denizens of the deep were fond of.

The roads, if they could be called that, all seemed to lead to a massive column that connected the floor of the immense cavern to the ceiling. Vinyl swore it was almost as big around as the Palace grounds splayed, it was just simply colossal. The inside of the pillar seemed to be hollowed out to some degree, as lights could be seen through carved out windows.

“Visitors!” A voice cried out from somewhere in the tangle of houses along their path. For the most part they had been given a cautious berth, but that voice almost seemed excited to see them. “Two unicorns at that!”

A mare stepped forward, full batpony with silver eyes instead of the usual gold. She was a bit taller than either Vinyl or Ray and wore a cloak of silver on her back as well. VInyl shot her best smile and Ray did the same. “Welcome to Sandy Echo, both of you!” She had a bit of an accent too, not one Vinyl could place at all but she wasn’t pure Equestrian.

“Hey, finally a welcome.” Vinyl chuckled a bit nervously and nudged her companion. “Was beginning to think that we weren’t welcome here or something.” There was a lot of truth underlying the little joke, and Vinyl knew that they weren’t exactly wanted.

“Yes, well. We do not have the best record with surface dwellers, yes? You understand.” The mare waved her hoof at Vinyl then turned to Ray, her eyes alight at the newcomer. “You are a vesper. Fascinating and rare.” Ray seemed to shrink at that new term, wincing a bit as though an insult was hurled at her head.

“Y-yes. I am.” Vinyl wondered about the term, assuming it was just a more technical term for what exactly Ray was. “My mother was a thestral and my father is a unicorn. I was raised in Canterlot.” The thestral mare in front of them leaned in and scrutinized Ray a bit closer.

“Fascinating. Do you know much about our kind?” Ray responded to the question with a shake of her head.

“She would love to learn, though!” Vinyl chimed in with a cheeky grin.

“Vinyl!” Ray hissed through her fangs.

“Well lucky for you two, that is what we do here!” The batpony motioned to the pillar before them with a gleeful grin. “This is the one and only thestral cultural center in all of Equestria, dedicated to educating the lost sons and daughters of Thestralia about their past.” This was a newer structure then? How had nopony in Canterlot heard them digging into this?

“There are others? I thought all thestrals...just...knew this.” Ray’s golden eyes were filled with a new curiosity. Vinyl held back her grin, but she was just as curious as Ray about all of the history held in there.

“You are not the only vesper or flightless we have here. You are not the only one told not to embrace their heritage and hide who they are.” The mare spoke in even soft tones, putting a hoof on Ray’s shoulder. “You are not alone, my dear.”

Wordlessly, the mare turned and began walking towards the pillar that housed the thestral cultural center. Vinyl and Ray, of course, followed. A look over revealed to her that the ‘vesper’ beside her was tearing up a bit. Whatever this mare said must have struck a chord with Vinyl’s new friend, and honestly that was a good thing.

The trio moved into the structure, no doors in place and apparently free to roam. Others went about, all in the same silver cloaks as the mare leading them. They were lead down a flight of stairs and into a room, most likely below the floor of the rest of the cavern, and decorated with a shining pool of water surrounded by mossy stones.

“Sit, please.” The mare motioned to one side of the pool, which the two unicorns gladly sat on some mossy rocks. The silver cloaked thestral sat across from them with a smile on her face. “My name is Wax, teacher of the lost and disciple of the moon. I hail from the great jungles of Thestralia, our homeland.” She motioned her hoof between herself and Ray. “Where our hearts come from and where our souls will rest.”

“What is all of this?” Vinyl was happy to sit back and listen to the conversation between the two thestral mares. “This room, I mean.” There was a pause as Ray took in the rather surreal room, letting both mares realize that the water in front of them was glowing ever so slightly.

“This is the Moon Pool, teleported wholesale from our homeland to right here. Every stone, every feature. It is a sacred place to our culture, one needed here in Equestria.” Wax spoke calmly, dipping her hooves in the pool and looking up into the air.

“Why? What about the thestrals still there?” Ray was practically sitting on the edge of her seat, now seemingly eager to learn about the history of her suppressed side. “Aren’t they connected to this?”

“I always forget how little they teach you about our kind up here.” Wax lamented with no small amount of venom in her words. Her eyes returned to look at Vinyl and Ray. “Thousands of years ago, a visitor from a far away land came to Thestralia. She sat in this very room, at this very pool. Ancient and primal magicks surged through her and the pool, destiny connecting her with the very moon above.” There was a hum in the room, the din of magic that was very slight and very very old. “She became an icon to the thestrals, a link to the moon and one who could speak for it. Our Goddess, the Moon Mother, the mighty and beautiful Nyx...she told us that she needed to go west to fulfill her destiny. We followed her en masse, leaving behind only the heretics and non-believers. Over the millennia they left this holy place alone, seeing it only as mark upon our history.” The cloaked mare looked down at the pool. “One day we will return to our home, whole as the day we left. Until that moment, our history and heritage must stay here with us.”

“Where did she go?” Ray’s voice was quiet, absorbing all of the history just given to her. “Nyx, I mean? She isn’t here anymore, I assume.” Pain flashed across Wax’s face as the thestral shook her head.

“No...she went away a long time ago. Punished for her pain, pushed away by the one who loved her and kept buried in her own suffering since.” Wax shook her head with a sigh. “Come, both of you. Dip your hooves into the pool, relax and close your eyes.”

The mares followed the instructions given, putting their front hooves in the shallow pool and closing their eyes. There was definitely magic in the water, Vinyl could feel the telltale tingle of it running up her hooves.

“Empty your minds, focus and listen. Listen to the song of the moon.” Wax spoke softly. “She was quiet once, sad and dismal. Listen to her proud song, now.”

Vinyl’s heart nearly stopped when she heard it. It wasn’t something that she was hearing with her ears, no. Whatever this was, the song could be heard in her very soul. The song was resonating with her on such a level that she couldn’t even comprehend it. This song, it was so proud, it was defiant and noble in tone. There were no instruments, no true sounds, but it was a feeling.

The moon was singing a song, and it was only getting louder.

Author's Note

Yay I'm not dead! If you followed the first story, you know I do this.

I just really had no creative energy the past year due to...well, COVID depression. It sucked. I have no explanation for 2019, but that's why I did next to nothing in 2020.

Thanks for reading, guys.

361 Part 2

Still Three Hundred and Sixty-One days until the next Summer Sun Celebration

Shining beat hooves through the streets of Canterlot, sweat dripping from his face as he raced through the bustling city. He got worried looks from the populace; a DEqI employee galloping through the city center was for sure a cause for concern if there ever was one. He easily ignored all of the stares though.

He was going as fast as he could to get to his grandmother’s storage unit. He desperately needed to find something, anything, on Galea that he could use. Lying to her face that he knew what she did and it actually working had not been in the gameplan for today, so now he was scrambling to find something on her. Twilight Satin had a file on everypony in Canterlot, surely she had something on Galea.

Hooves struck cobblestone as he continued his gallop. It had been a long time since he had done something this strenuous, and it was taking its toll at the moment. Every muscle in his legs stung, his lungs were on fire, and catching his breath was damn near impossible. Getting there quickly and finding what he needed was more important than air at the moment.

Getting to the storage facility from the palace took about ten minutes of straight sprinting as fast as he could go. He entered the rows upon rows of little metal boxes and came to a skidding halt in front of the unit he knew the combination to. Without magic, he fiddled with the lock for a few seconds before managing to punch in the correct numbers with his hooves and tossed the lock to the side. With a heave he threw open the rolling door.

“I was wondering when you were going to stop by.” Shining almost had to pick his jaw up off of the floor. Sifting through boxes in front of him was Bon Bon from Ponyville. The cream colored mare was sitting on a cot, a box open in front of her and a nearly full notepad beside her.

“I-I need something. Anything on Galea.” He wasn’t even going to ask when she got there, how long she had been in here or why she had a cot. The response he received was a raised eyebrow.

“Yeah, you and me both Shining Armor.” Bon Bon returned her attention back to the file she was looking at. “Did you know there’s enough dirt on ponies across Canterlot to-”

“Convict the entire nobility for corruption and more? Yeah.” Realization flashed across Bon Bon’s face as she put the file she was looking at. “Yeah. You didn’t think Galea did it herself, did you?” Bon Bon shook her head and swallowed whatever she was about to say, obviously picking her words carefully.

“O...kay…” Shining stepped forward while she thought and he began to pick up boxes, looking for something on Galea. “Hey! Hey! Don’t mess up my system!” The mare stood up from her cot and rushed over to him. “Slow down, alright! Why do you need something on Galea?”

“Because I told her I had something on her.” The look he received from Bon Bon just reminded him how stupid he was. “I know! I was stupid, alright. I panicked and I needed to do something to make sure I wasn’t used as bait?”

“Bait for what?”

“That depends on how much time you got.” Shining Armor replied with a heavy sigh.

--One recap later--

“Sweet Celestia.” Bon Bon’s head was in her hooves as she listened to Shining’s tale. He told her from the moment Cadance revealed the betrayal of his trust up until today. She knew everything now,including that Celestia was gone and Cadance had somehow disappeared. Was he supposed to tell her those last two things? No, but he felt as though he could trust Bon Bon with a secret or two. “So how fucked are we?”

“With Galea in charge?” Shining sighed and sat next to the mare. “Very.” Both ponies hung their heads in a mix of thought and disappointment. “She hasn’t told me everything, she’s preparing for something else and I have no clue what it is. We can’t deal with whatever it is and Cadance though, and her just thinking she can scheme around it is only going to get somepony hurt.” He turned to Bon Bon, his eyes pleading with the mare beside him. “I need something to get her to see reason.”

Silence followed, one that saw Bon Bon get up and start pacing between stacks of boxes. Shining followed her with his eyes as the mare muttered curses under her breath.

“Do you know why I changed my name and was in Ponyville?” Shining shook his head to the negative. “Well-” Bon Bon stopped and looked at him, chewing on her cheek and swallowing her tongue at the same time. “-a couple of years ago, right before Variance became the head of DEqI, I was looking into the death of Captain Knock Out. I had seen the reports of his carriage crash, I read through them over and over and over and over again, but they didn’t make sense.” Bon Bon’s eyes turned from worried to filled with a fiery passion that Shining hadn’t seen from anypony in a very long time. “Every day they inspect the Captain’s carriage for any defects, just like they do with Celestia’s. I went back months in the reports to see if there was any indication of possible faults. Nothing, and it’s not like those ponies are bad at their jobs! No! His carriage was sabotaged the day of the accident, after the inspection and before he left.”

“What?” Wrapping his mind around the possibility that Knock Out was murdered was near impossible. He was strict and tough, but he was mostly a universally liked member of the guard. The hulking black stallion had been polite, charismatic when needed, and believed in metering out justice fairly and from a pious place. Who would do that? “No…” He looked Bon Bon square in the eyes and shook his head. “No no no, that’s not possible. Galea would never-”

“-Galea would never leave a trail, Shining!” Bon Bon interrupted, her voice raised and fiery. “As soon as he died, she was made interim Captain. She denied a magical energy scan of the carriage, she said it was a clear mechanical failure!” Bon Bon let out a venomous chuckle. “Wanna hear the kicker?” He wasn’t even afforded time to respond. “The crash wouldn’t have killed him. It’s impossible. The two ponies pulling it survived with no injuries. They hit their heads and they passed out, but they knew they weren’t going fast enough to kill him. They knew it!” Bon Bon finally stopped pacing, a crazed look in her eye. “And who was the first pony on the scene? A medic? More guards? No, it was Galea herself.”

“Bon Bon, she wouldn’t.” Shining was doing his best to rationalize all of this new information in his head, but that was too tall of a task even for him.

“What makes you say that, huh? She used your grandmother’s information to dismantle the entire nobility, Shining Armor. She wanted to use you as bait for a crazy alicorn! She’s crazy!” Bon Bon put her hooves on his shoulders and pressed her nose against his. “I brought all of this to the previous head of DEqI. Every single shred of evidence I had. I explained how it all fit together, how we needed a thorough investigation. Do you know what happened?” Shining shook his head. “He said he would get me an audience with Celestia so I could lay this out with her. The very next day, he resigned and was replaced with Variance. Then. THEN! Then I’m fired and continually harassed and hounded by DEqI spooks. They monitored everything of mine, Shining. They went through every bag of garbage I went through, they read every piece of mail I ever sent or got. They were sending me a message.”

“Dear Celestia.” Shining lightly pushed the mare away from him. That really did explain everything about her, and if it was all true he couldn’t really blame her at all. “Well, if that’s what she thinks I know then it makes sense why she let me go.”

“Yeah for now.” Bon Bon added on. “Until she realizes that getting rid of you is easier than risking being exposed.” The mare reached out and flicked his horn. “Doesn’t look like you can defend yourself at the moment either. So stay on your guard.” An icy chill fell over the room as Bon Bon’s voice lowered. “Or else you’ll end up like Knock Out.”

Mia strolled through the dirt streets of Ponyville, smiling at those who strolled by her and offering a warm greeting to anyone who seemed to need one. After their little talk this morning, Applejack had sent Mia out into the town to think and spend the day how she wished.

That had mostly consisted of the newly re-minted pegasus just wandering through the apple orchards and then Ponyville itself to get to know her new home. She had been at odds with herself throughout her journey through the small town. One part of her wanted to tell Applejack everything and just regain the trust of the farmpony, the other part was terrified of the rejection and persecution she might face.

Would Applejack understand? The simple mare seemed too honest not to go telling about her true identity to the authorities. On the other side, Applejack just poured her heart out to Mia and expected the same in return.

“Mia!” She was yanked out of her thoughts by somepony calling out her new name. Her head swiveled to find the source, only to see Miss Cheerilee coming out of Sugarcube Corner with a cupcake in her hoof. “Mia, dear!”

“Oh, hello Miss Cheerilee!” Mia called back with a wave and a genuine smile. The two met halfway in the middle of the street. “Aren’t you supposed to be at school with the foals?” The clock in the center of town did say it was about noon or so, and Applebloom did say that school usually got out closer to four.

“Well-” The earth pony chuckled with a little blush. “-one of my students came in sick and...well...they got sick in class. Which caused a bit of a chain reaction.” Cadence recoiled at the thought...and the smell. “So while the schoolhouse is being professionally cleaned today and tomorrow, I’m off!” Despite how much the teacher said she loved her foals, there was a little bit of glee at the mention of being away from them for the day.

“Oh. Well...I’m sorry?” Cadence cocked her head to the side with an awkward smile. “Hopefully you’ve had a good day other than that.” The smile was returned with gusto from Cheerilee.

“Oh, just fantastic really!” Cheerilee seemed to sing with joy, a smile as bright on the sun on her face. “I had been looking at this sofa in Davenport’s shop and since I finally had the time, I bought it. Oh and of course I bought some quills for the foals while I was there, he always seems to have a sale going on or something for them.” Cheerilee stopped, realizing that she was railroading the poor pegasus with her errands. A blush worked its way across her features and she cowered away. “Oh dear, I’m sorry. As I said the other day, it’s not often I get to talk with someone around my age.”

“It’s fine, Miss Cheerilee.” Mia suppressed a giggle and rested a hoof on the earth pony’s shoulder. “I understand.” Cheerilee rose again, that blush not leaving her face. “I’m glad to hear you’ve had a good day.”

“Please Mia, call me Cheerilee. Only my students and their guardians call me Miss.” Mia responded with a simple nod. “Anyways, what are you up to? I figured you would be on the farm with Applejack, or does she have you out running errands?”

“No, she gave me the day to myself to...think about things.” She needed to put that as gracefully as possible. No need to raise alarm. “So I was just getting myself acquainted with Ponyville.”

“Well it’s a charming little village.” Cheerilee answered wistfully. “It doesn’t get much more cozy than Ponyville, you know.” As if to punctuate the statement, the schoolmare turned around to take the view of the hamlet in.

“I’ve noticed.” Mia thought for a second and looked at her hooves. “Say, do you mind if I take you up on that offer of getting to know you better?” Maybe making a new friend, getting a more local perspective on things would help Mia come to a decision on what she should tell Applejack.

“Oh yes of course!” Cheerilee seemed to bounce with pure glee at the thought of it all, her emerald eyes shining bright. “Well I just had a snack, are you hungry?” Mia couldn’t help but beam at the other mare’s enthusiasm. How long had it been since another pony had shown her such genuine joy about spending time with her? Even before her imprisonment in the castle? Only Shining Armor…

“I suppose I am, yes.” Mia hadn’t been giving much thought to her stomach at all, but the mere mention of food elicited a growl from it now. “Anywhere in particular you were thinking of?” Of course now that her mind was on food, her stomach wouldn’t cease the growling now and she was aware of the rather light headed feeling coming over her. Skipping breakfast hadn’t helped at all. “Preferably somewhere with quick service?” A blush crossed her pastel pink face and the pegasus sheepishly smiled at her new friend.

“Well there’s a wonderful cafe by the town hall. It has outdoor seating and it’s always really quick.” That’s all Mia needed to hear, so with a nod the two started off towards the center of town. The two mares walked side by side through town, the summer sun beating down as they trotted.

It was a rather short walk, and when they arrived they were immediately seated at a nice table outside. The menu was quite simple, a selection of sandwiches and soups with predictable sides. To anypony from Canterlot this would be rather pedestrian fare, but Mia hadn’t sat down to eat at a restaurant for seven years or so. This was practically gourmet!

“Do you know Lily, Cheerilee?” Mia shifted a bit uncomfortably in her chair, unsure if the teacher wanted to talk about younger ponies she might’ve taught. “A little earth pony filly, pink with a gold mane.”

“Oh yes.” Cheerilee looked up from her menu, a rather sad look in her eyes. “The poor dear. Her mother is in the hospital and from what I heard it isn’t a good outlook.” The mare let out a deep sigh and hung her head. “I think it all took a toll on her, she’s not as...mature as her sisters. Skyward Glory tried her best to help, but her health just...it didn’t help. You know?”

Mia’s blood ran cold as the name was spoken. Skyward Glory. The kindly pegasus who ran the orphanage in Canterlot and Vinyl Scratch’s sister. That all seemed like a lifetime ago, and it was in a way. But she was here, in Ponyville, and it was possible that Vinyl would come around. What then?

“Oh dear, I’m sorry to hear that.” Mia effortlessly slipped back into the conversation, never showing her true emotions to the mare across from her. “Well I’ve met her a few times, and she even helped me out of a tight spot when I found myself lost in the Everfree...so I was hoping to thank her.”

“She’s so sweet.” Cheerilee responded with a soft smile. “Usually she’s either at the flower shop with her father and sisters or at the hospital with her mother.” After that they both looked back at their menus.

The waiter came and took their orders, a simple veggie sandwich with some hay fries on the side for them both on Cheerilee’s recommendation. There were small musings on the nice summer day, how quaint and cute the houses and rolling hills were. Their food came quick though, hampering any real talk.

Mia had to admit, the food tasted delicious. It was so simple but filling, each bite making her smile grow wider and wider. Yes the Apple family had fed her, but this was different. Eating out in the open with another pony, food made to order. It was the pinnacle of her liberation, peak freedom.

“So are you looking at getting a job here in town, Mia?” Cheerilee put her sandwich down and wiped her mouth. “No offense to you, but the work they do on the farm isn’t exactly work for a pegasus.” It was punctuated with a small chuckle that made Mia suppress a smile of her own.

“Oh trust me, after the first day I realized I wasn’t built for that kind of work. But I figure that I’ll take some time to get to know the ponies around town first, getting my name out there will probably help get a job, won’t it?” Mia wasn’t too keen on an actual job, she had never had one in her entire life. Sure she was a princess, but that wasn’t the same as an actual job like these ponies had.

“Well, I know the town is looking for a librarian.” Mia’s ears perked up at the suggestion. “The old one, well she passed on a few months ago and the town has been looking ever since.” The pegasus chewed her lip as she thought it over. A town librarian? That didn’t sound like too bad of a job. “I looked into it, comes with your own space above the library. You’re paid by the town well enough, and it’s easy enough.”

“You thought about leaving your foals?” It was a surprise to be sure. In the very short time that Mia had known the mare, it seemed like teaching was her life. She was so enamored with the foals in her school.

“It was a moment of weakness, I’ll admit. Some days are…” Cheerilee sighed and looked away, towards the school beyond all of the buildings. “...tougher than others. Sometimes you just need to look at something else to get perspective.”

“Oh, do I understand that.” Mia said with a nod. “I’ll look into it, I’m going to assume I go to the town hall to apply?” A nod in response to her question. “Thank you, Cheerilee.”

There was a long silence between the two where they finished their meal. There were little glances and smiles exchanged, small little talks where they complimented the food. It was simple and nice, something that Mia had missed so much.

“This was lovely Mia, and don’t worry about the bill. I’ll handle it.” Cheerilee beamed at the pegasus across from her. “We’ll have to do this again sometime, maybe as a celebratory meal once you become the town’s new librarian.” The small laugh that punctuated the statement brought a blush to Mia’s features. “Also-” Cheerilee took the quill from the bill left behind and jotted something down on a napkin, sliding it over to Mia. “-my address if you ever need me. After school hours, of course.”

“Thank you so much, Cheerilee. For all of this. It really was wonderful.”

“Well you won’t have to worry about Ray for the night.” Vinyl announced as she closed the door to her apartment. It was a good thing that Twinkle was sitting on the couch with a box in front of him, or else she would’ve felt really stupid about saying that out loud.

“Yeah, why’s that?” Twinkle asked, briefly looking up to flash a tired smile at her before going straight back to looking at a file open in front of him. “Did she decide to go back home already?”

“You wish.” Vinyl flopped on the couch beside the other unicorn unceremoniously , leaning her head on his shoulder. “We went down to Sandy Echo so we could get in touch with her batpony side. She’s staying down there for the night to get better...acquainted, I guess.” It wasn’t the ending that Vinyl had expected to the trip, but it wasn’t an awful one. “I’m proud of her, y’know.”

“Well I can’t say I approve of all of that...but if it gets her out of our manes for the night.” Shining shrugged, only drawing a sigh from Vinyl. “Sorry, Vinyl-” Shining put the thing he was reading down again and rested his head on hers. “-it was a day, one where I learned a bit more than I probably should have. Stressful to say the absolute least.”

“Wanna talk about it, Twinkle?” Vinyl offered, wrapping her hooves around him and giving the larger stallion the best squeeze she could.

“I don’t know if I can, Vinyl.” Another sigh escaped his lips and he closed his eyes. “Just...let’s call it politics. Nothing good can come of any of it and it’s just going to be messy. I’m handling it.” He was hiding something from her, she could always tell when he was lying. It had become more common lately, maybe something she should be concerned about. For now she would just let it slide, if it was important he would tell her. Her chin was pulled up to look at him with a hoof. “I’m okay. You’re okay. We’ll be okay. I promise.”