The Archmage's Last Bow

Chapters

Ascendancy
New Apprentice, Old Friend
Relapse
Storm, Sky, Sentry, and Scream
Return of the King
Vanitas
The Stallion Who Laughs
-----PART II-----
The Way Forward
Getting Over It
News, Welcome and Unwelcome
Can You Hear?
Release
-----PART I-----

Ascendancy

The Archmage’s Last Bow
Chapter 01 - Ascendancy

“I CAN’T TAKE THIS ANYMORE!”

In days long gone, the citizens of Ponyville would be easily startled by noises as loud as this one. Unfortunately, in the many years since Twilight Sparkle had moved to Ponyville, everyone was now almost too used to it. Even the Flower Sisters barely glanced over at the giant crystal castle on the outskirts of town before returning to their daily chores, without so much as a yelp or even a gasp.

A magical blast exploded from the castle, shooting up into the sky in a magnificent magenta ray as it shot out of a window, and vanished into the morning sky. Not long after, tongues of fire flew out after it.

This one did cause some unease around the town. Princess Twilight normally wasn’t so enraged as to throw fire or magic around unless it was something particularly heinous. Everyone remembered the day Tirek had destroyed her library, nearly killing Owliscious and destroying every last one of her books. That day, Twilight Sparkle had snapped.

So what had caused today’s outbursts?

At the opposite edge of town, a unicorn was trotting in on sore hooves, shining in the sun as the sweat in his coat glinted in the light. He was a white unicorn stallion, with a messy blue mane and tail, both of which were also a bit matted with sweat and were extra-disorganized after a morning of exercise, and he had a cutie mark consisting of a blue crescent moon surrounded by four blue stars. A glowing magenta earring stud, the same color as the magic that had streaked up into the sky moments ago, was attached to the base of his right ear, and he stared up at the crystal castle with bright blue eyes and no small amount of concern.

“It sounds as though your honey’s not having the best morning,” remarked a gruff Neigh Zealand voice from behind him. The white pony turned around to see a lean red pegasus with a dark brown mane and tail trotting up.

“That’s putting it mildly,” the white pony muttered, frowning. “You’d think with all the threats she deals with on an annual basis, she’d be better used to keeping control of things.”

“I wouldn’t know,” the Neigh Zealander shrugged. “One adventure with a murderous shadow mare was enough for me. I’ve rather enjoyed these last few years of peace and quiet.”

“He said, conveniently leaving out all of the bounty hunting contracts he’s taken up,” the white pony snarked, resuming his trot toward the town.

“Ah, shut up Nova,” the Neigh Zealander elbowed him.

“Never,” Nova Shine grinned.

The pair of them trotted into the town, with the occasional wave or chatter with the odd townspony. While Nova usually enjoyed getting the chance to talk with several of these ponies, it was a particularly stressful morning for someone important to him and he needed to return home as quickly as he could.

“How many more mornings like this do I have to go through, Sharp Eye?” he asked, as the passed town hall.

“Until your teacher says you don’t need them anymore, which knowing her--”

“--will be never,” Nova finished with a slight roll of his eyes. “Thank goodness the ceremony’s tomorrow. If I had known training to become the Archmage was going to be this strenuous and I’d be doing it for much longer, I wouldn’t have accepted Luna’s offer.”

“Oh yes you would have,” It was now Sharp Eye’s turn to roll his eyes. “Quit being so melodramatic. A little exercise never hurt anyone. ‘Sides, a healthy body promotes a healthy mind, which is something an aspiring apex of spellcasting should always want, eh?”

It didn’t take them longer to cross to the other side of town, with the great castle looming ever larger, and the School of Friendship sitting not far away to its northeast. Nova couldn’t help the small smile at the sight of it. Twilight really had found her element, hadn’t she? Teaching children from all over the world about the magic of friendship had always seemed like an obvious calling for her in retrospect, just as training to become the Archmage over the last four years had seemed an obvious path forward for him.

And here they now sat. She was weeks away from ascending the throne and taking over from Celestia and Luna, and Nova's own big day was tomorrow.

The great doors to the Castle of Friendship swung inward, revealing that both Starlight Glimmer and Spike had been pacing impatiently in the entrance hall.

“Oh thank goodness!” Starlight exclaimed, rushing over and practically dragging Nova away. “You have to help. She’s in one of her moods, and neither of us can get her out of it.”

Nova sighed patiently as Starlight and Spike dragged him toward the library.

“Have a good day, Nova!” Sharp Eye called with a wave. “See you at the pub tonight!”

“Looking forward to it!” Nova waved back, not even bothering to fight Twilight’s ward and Spike as they steered him out of the entry hall.

“Hope your morning’s gone better than ours has,” Spike grumbled “The tree keeps having to patch holes in its ceiling. I don’t think it’s very happy about it, and it keeps taking it out on me.”

“The tree is taking out its frustration?” Nova asked, giving Spike an odd look. “And it’s taking it out on you?”

Spike just reached over and took a small bite out of a nearby wall. Within seconds, a white flash of light had filled in the hole, and followed it up by growing a twisted crystal tentacle to whack Spike on the head, before retreating back into the wall.

“...today I learned my house is alive, after living in it for three years,” Nova said to no one in particular. Spike just gave him a look that was half “I told you so” and half pained wince as he rubbed the spot where the tree had retaliated. “Wait, why you in particular, though?”

“The tree’s been grumpy with him ever since Ember showed up and took a bite out of its trunk that one time,” Starlight answered, finally bringing him to a stop outside a set of double-doors that Nova was all-too-familiar with. “Seems to think he should get the short stick because his race happens to like eating crystalline mass.”

“It’s not even that good!” Spike tossed his claws into the air in frustration. “Gems taste good! Tree crystal tastes like cardboard!”

The tree, it seemed, did not like what he had to say, as another crystal tentacle whacked him upside the head for his comment.

“Yes, you’re really helping things!” Spike yelled at the spot on the wall that had antagonized him.

“What about Twilight, though?” Nova stood up straight, preparing to go in and see what the fuss was about. “What set her off today?”

Twilight let out a frustrated yell on the other side of the door just to punctuate his question. Starlight and Spike just glanced at each other nervously, and gulped.

“What are you two not telling me?” Nova glanced between the two of them, his eyes narrowing.

“Well, good luck!” said Spike, as he and Starlight hastily tossed him through the double-doors leading to the library and slammed them shut behind them.

“Hey!” Nova shouted, dashing back and trying to push his way out. “Ugh, it would sure be nice to have an apprentice of my own who would tell me these things!” he snapped, raising his voice so that it could clearly be heard through the door, which he tried to push back open. Unfortunately, it turned out the doors were locked behind him. While it would have been trivially easy to just teleport onto the other side, the sudden spike in energy around him, as well as the sound of something catching fire, caught his attention instead.

Indeed, Twilight Sparkle was not having a good morning.

Her mane was frazzled, with multiple visible split ends, her eyes were wide, she was glaring down at the large stack of papers that appeared to be haphazardly scattered around the desk she was sitting at, and her horn was smoking.

Yet the sight that drew his eyes, was a glowing blue light affixed to her ear, the twin to his own earring that marked their engagement. In the midst of the chaos of her appearance, it still looked pristine.

Oh, and now that large stack of papers was on fire while Twilight cackled madly. With a quiet sigh, Nova willed the winds within him forward, surrounding the pile of burning paperwork in a sphere of swirling air, and in short order, the burning pile of paper was extinguished as his winds deprived the fire of its fuel.

“All hail the Mad Queen?” he asked, stepping forward. His horn glimmered blue and the stack of papers were all squished together and then properly disintegrated, freeing up Twilight’s desk for more of whatever work she was there to do.

The insane laughter died immediately, replaced by an intense relief as he approached. “Oh thank goodness you’re here,” she practically galloped over to him and launched herself into his arms. “It’s been unbearable!”

“I was only gone for a couple of hours,” Nova pointed out, thoroughly bemused. “Surely nothing you’ve had to deal with has been quite that bad.” He paused for a moment, remembering that this was the first time in a very long time that she’d had a freakout this bad. “...was it that bad?”

“Nova, love, do you know what kind of mail I’ve been reading?” She stepped back and reached into another pile of open letters that Nova hadn’t gotten, before pulling out a light aqua roll of parchment. An overpowering scent of cologne suddenly washed over him and he started sputtering.

“What--” he coughed, “--what is that?”

“This, dear fiancee of mine,” she sounded completely and utterly resigned as she held it in her magic about an arm’s length away from her, “is a letter from a would-be suitor.”

“A--” Nova coughed again, “a suitor? Our engagement’s been public knowledge for--”

“--for three years now, yes,” Twilight incinerated that letter and mercifully cleared the air of the awful smell, before trotting back around to her spot and sitting back down. “Problem is, when you’re publicly engaged for three years and no wedding happens, ponies start to pretend it’s not actually a thing.”

“Have they forgotten we’ve tried, though?” Nova asked, feeling no small amount of indignation well up in him. “The first one had to be called off because of Tirek, then we had to postpone again when you all were foalnapped by Chrysalis,” he felt a familiar pang inside of him as he remembered how far the queen had fallen, and of the statue currently adorning the Canterlot Gardens, “we had to call it off again after that whole Storm King deal… how long is it going to be delayed now that we have an Ascendancy and Coronation coming up only a few short weeks apart?”

“Nova, honey,” Twilight sighed patiently, neatly sorting through the large pile of papers, separating them into letters from potential suitors and actual documents she needed to see, “you are preaching to the choir. The only way to get them to stop sending most of these letters is to just get married already.”

“I know, and we’re trying!” Nova let himself fall sideways, laying on the hard yet cool floor, which felt sublime against his sweaty barrel. “Still don’t understand why we can’t do a quiet, private ceremony.”

“We’ve been over this,” Twilight incinerated the pile of suitor letters, and set about her work on the documents that actually demanded her attention, letting out a relieved sigh as actual bureaucracy crossed her desk. “It’s an old Unicorn Kingdom law. Ponies in public positions, such as princess or archmage-in-training,” she glanced over at him meaningfully, “are required to host a wedding to which the state must bear public witness to. All private or other such weddings are considered null and void in the eyes of the law. This was done to prevent ambitious ponies from foalnapping someone, forcing a wedding, and then it legally holding up.”

“I can think of about a hundred different ways someone can abuse that system, one of which happened about six years ago at your brother’s wedding,” Nova pointed out.

“I don’t think the unicorns had to worry about changelings back in Dream Valley,” Twilight stamped her hoof on a letter, before sliding it into a folder of some kind. “But anyway, the point is, as I’ve told you before,” she gave him an annoyed look, “we both are legally-required to have a public wedding before we are considered husband and wife in the eyes of Equestrian law.”

“That’s such a stupid law,” Nova complained.

“I don’t disagree, but what can I do about it right now?” Twilight asked, before stamping something else and filing it away. “Our teachers are the ones with the real political power. All we have to do is wait out a few short weeks, and then I can repeal that dumb old law, and we can have ourselves that nice, quiet ceremony you want so much.”

“What if we had a private ceremony in front of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna before that, just to be married as far as anyone who matters is concerned, but then had a ceremony later before or after you repealed that law?”

Twilight smiled ruefully. “I asked Princess Celestia that after the foalnapping incident. I’m afraid we’re just gonna have to wait it out. Unfortunately, a wedding between the Archmage of Equestria, who also happens to be the heir to one of the most influential families in all of Equestria, and the soon-to-be Ruler of Equestria isn’t exactly a low-key event.”

“Ugh,” Nova grumbled.

“So, when do you want to leave?” she asked. Stamp, file, repeat. “After all,” she looked up and gave him a very proud smile, “tomorrow is the big day, and we’ll need to be there tonight.”

“I dunno,” Nova sighed. “Aegis is supposed to pick us up this evening, but he was mum on exactly when.”

“Sounds like you’ve got some time on your hooves,” Twilight returned her attention to her work. “You going to enjoy that lack of responsibility for your last day as the Archmage-in-training?”

“You know it,” Nova grinned, before gesturing toward the Everfree Forest. “Was gonna go visit some old friends, hang out with Trixie, maybe mess with my fiancee while she packs everything for our three-day trip to Canterlot...”

Twilight just smiled and lightly shook her head. “Four years later, and you’re still the same silly pony who asked me to marry him.”

“Eeeeh,” Nova bobbed his head from side to side, “I mean… mostly?”

“Well, in all the important ways,” Twilight clarified. Stamp, file, repeat. She glanced up at him momentarily, before returning to her work. “Just remember, you’re gonna be expected to take this job seriously.”

“Hey, you know me,” Nova shrugged, before turning away to glance out of the library window at the beautiful morning. “I’m good at taking things seriously when they matter.”

The town had really grown on him over the last several years, and now it was looking like he was going to be moving back to Canterlot at long last, fourteen years since he had last lived there.

Well, sixteen, if one includes the two years he spent in the past.

However, Nova was fortunate that he turned away. Twilight had looked up to meet his eyes, mouth open to say something, but apparently thought better of it and went back to her work.

“So, we staying at my parents’ place, or yours?” he asked, glancing back at her.

“Neither,” Twilight replied. Stamp, file, repeat. “Princess Celestia and Princess Luna have bedrooms reserved for us at the home they’re staying in while the castle is being rebuilt.”

“Wait, bedrooms? Plural?”

“Mm-hmm,” she reached back and touched the earring adorning her right earlobe. “Even though we’re engaged, we still have courtesies to observe, especially since we’re guests of the Princesses, and not either of our parents.”

“Aww,” Nova sighed, rolling his eyes. “Oh well. Just one night.”

“Two,” corrected Twilight, still focused on her work.

“Anyway, I need to get moving,” he stretched, fighting off a yawn. “Gotta get cleaned up and want to get a trip into the forest and back in before it’s time to go. You gonna be alright now?”

“Yes, I think so. Finally cleared out all of the unnecessary suitor letters. Get started packing before you leave,” Twilight advised as he started to walk out. “I left a list for you on the bed. Not too many things, but it never hurts to be prepared.”

“Knowing your lists, I’ll be sure to ignore half of the suggestions because I don’t think surprise bugbear attacks will be happening in the midst of the ceremony,” Nova said, stepping out, but not before giving his fiance a fond smile. “I’ll let you get back to your work, love.”

Few things in the world gave Nova Shine quite as much pleasure as the way Twilight always smiled when he called her that. It was a tender smile, Something that always brightened her day and always made helped her through a difficult situation. Just the sight of a smile like that always gave Nova an equally-tender grin of his own.

“Go on, then,” she waved him away. “I’ve got a lot of work to do for my big day here in a few months, too.”

“I’ll be looking forward to being right there in the front row,” Nova affirmed, before he stepped out, shutting the door behind him.

The Everfree Forest was actually quite lovely in broad daylight, when the beasties inside weren’t trying to murder you, or evil shadowmares were trying to stick a knife into your back. Nova had started frequently making trips to and from certain parts of the forest not long after his relocation to Ponyville. No one knew why, except for Twilight. But Twilight remained tight-lipped about it.

And so to Beatrix Lulamoon, it was quite a surprise when she was invited along for the day.

Trixie just stared at Nova after he’d asked her, standing in the doorway of her wagon and completely oblivious to everything else around her following the question.

“You want Trixie to join you on a trip through the Everfree Forest?” she asked, making sure what he’d just asked her was not some sick practical joke. If it was, she would not hesitate to slam her wagon door in his face.

“That’s what I’m asking, yeah,” Nova nodded, the magenta glow of his engagement earring clashing quite brilliantly with his blue hair. “Come on, it’ll be fun.”

“‘Fun’,” Trixie said, her voice icy, “does not exactly describe Trixie’s experiences in that forest.”

“What, you afraid of the big bad Ursa Minor?”

“You do recall,” she snarled, dropping the stage act, “that I was held hostage by that Envy mare in the forest for the better part of three months, don’t you?”

That disrupted Nova’s mood, and he frowned.

“I… yeah, I do, but… I mean...” he trailed off lamely.

“You forgot, didn’t you.”

“No!” Nova protested, giving her an annoyed look. “Can’t really forget something like that. It’s just…” he sighed, “I need a unicorn to talk to who’s going to be staying here in Ponyville when Twi and I move back up to Canterlot. Starlight wouldn’t understand, Sunburst wouldn’t even want to step into the forest even if he knew what was in there, and I’m not sure Rarity is staying in Ponyville for long either, given she seems to be packing things. Don’t mistake that for meaning you were my last choice, but… well...”

Trixie’s frown deepened.

“I know it’s not exactly your favorite location in the world,” Nova continued, “but… I’ve also got something I want to show you.”

One of Trixie’s eyebrows arched at that. This was rather unlike Nova. Whenever Nova wanted to show anyone anything, he always made a performance of it. Something dramatic, with flair that even the greatest showmare in all of Equestria could be a mite jealous of.

And now, all of a sudden, he was acting coy?

“Fine,” she said, retreating into her wagon to grab her hat and cape. “Whatever it is, it had better be worth it, Novus.”

“No promises,” Nova replied from outside.

Trixie hid a smile. Moving to Ponyville to live around Starlight had been one of her better decisions. Sure, she had some sour memories of the town, but everything since had been nothing but uplifting. And now she was making plenty of money working a real job that she was actually good at! Why hadn’t she gone into student counseling before?

And even though Starlight was easily her best friend, and Aegis was her best stallion friend, and Mudbriar and Sunburst were her best stallion non-coltfriend friends, and Maud was her best earth pony friend, there was always a special place for Nova. Was it annoying that he was going to marry the goody fourshoes? Most certainly, but she never minded making time for her close friends, and he was no exception.

“Alright, let’s do this,” she stepped out wearing her usual getup. Nova had summoned his own Night Master cloak, or whatever it was called. It was a sharp thing, not gaudy like her star-spangled cape. Simple, flowing, and a deep navy blue, held together at the neck with a sapphire brooch. And also unlike her cape, it was practical. She’d seen Nova use it to teleport, seen him use it to turn invisible, seen him use it to shield himself from spells...

Apparently the goody fourshoes had one too, except hers was a bright gold, given she had been Princess Celestia’s student and all, but she never wore or used it. Something about it being a historical artifact and something else about clovers.

“So,” Trixie said conversationally as they trotted their way through the town toward the path to the forest, “tomorrow’s your big day, huh?”

“Yep,” Nova grinned, but Trixie didn’t miss the very slight note of nervousness in his voice that betrayed the brave face he was putting on. “Four years of training, and tomorrow I become the Archmage.”

“Really, I honestly could not be happier for you,” Trixie replied, beaming as well. Given their… complicated history, to see Nova reclaim what was inadvertently taken from him by her father felt like the last vestiges of injustice from the incident at Celestia’s School were finally being given closure. “After everything you’ve been through, you deserve it.”

“Thanks,” he said.

They were now entering the forest that had haunted her nightmares for several months after the madness of four years ago. Even as the sunlight of the afternoon gave way to the dank gloom, she couldn’t help but suppress a shudder.

“You alright?” Nova looked back at her.

“Fine,” she said, before shaking her head vigorously to get her head in the game. “It’s not for very long. So, where’s this thing you want to show me?”

“This way,” he said, leading her along the path that led towards the Castle of the Royal Sisters.

...and also the Everfree Vaults.

“We won’t be going far in,” Nova promised her. “Just far enough to maybe say hello to Steven Magnet, but then we’ll be back out.”

“How do you do this?” she asked, looking every which way. “There are manticores, cockatrices, pukwudgies, Ursa Minors, and Ursa Majors in here, not to mention all of the general chaotic magic that the forest is responsible for, and yet you go on little strolls in and out like it’s nothing.”

“This forest was my home for a year and a half,” Nova replied. Trixie didn’t miss how distant his voice got when he said that, how nostalgic he sounded. “Even now, I could show you where my old house was. Not there anymore,” he added, “but I still could show you the spot.”

“Is your house what you’re showing me out here?”

“Nope,” Nova shook his head, pushing through a thick patch of brush, being gentlestallionly enough to hold a branch open for her to pass under. “It’s something… else.”

They ventured deeper into the forest, past the river where Steven Magnet lived, though he was nowhere to be found. To her surprise, as soon as they passed the river, he veered left and started to lead her along it.

“Aaaaand,” he said, a few moments later, “here we are.”

They had emerged into a clearing that stood in absolute contrast to the forest around it. Around the U-shaped area with the river forming the far boundary, the thick jungle of the forest loomed, with the many threats of the forest and what lay beyond.

But not here. Here, the world was quiet.

The ground looked well-maintained. The grass was kept to a short height, there was a faintly-glowing blue clover over on a tree around the edge. no doubt one of Nova’s making so he could remember where to find this place. The main attraction of the clearing, however, was the two weathered headstones sitting close to the river.

“Believe it or not,” said Nova, trotting over toward the two weathered stones, “this used to be a little grove of trees. Used to come here all the time. Yet here we are, over a thousand years later, and the trees are all around us and not here.” He let out one tiny chuckle. “One of nature’s little ironies.”

“What is this place?” Trixie asked, drinking in the sights, smells, and sounds around her. “Is this where you always go?”

“One of the places, yeah,” Nova nodded. He tapped one of the headstones, before looking down at the ground under it fondly. “This is what I wanted to show you. This little grove is where two ponies that meant a lot to me back then are buried.”

His horn shimmered blue and a field of silvery-grey flowers sprung up at the base of the right stone, from her perspective. She noticed that the color of the roses almost seemed to perfectly match Aegis’ coat color, but a lot of ponies were grey, so it didn’t mean too much.

“This grave belongs to General Steelshod, one of the most dedicated stallions I ever met. He was Captain of Princess Platinum’s Guard when I first met him, and at first, we didn’t get along, but… well,” he smiled fondly, “we kinda grew on each other, I guess.”

He stepped over to the other grave, where a twinkle of his horn later, a bed of lavender flowers grew out of the soil. The lavender shade was familiar… too familiar.

“Why are those roses the same color as Twilight’s coat?” she asked.

“Because, Trixie,” Nova’s smile grew positively tender as he stared down at the patch of earth beneath his hooves, “this is the grave of Lady Clover the Clever. The mother of my namesake, identical in appearance except cutie mark to Twilight Sparkle, and…”

Trixie glanced back up at him, just in time to see him wipe a tear from his eye, though he tried to hide it. She’d never seen Nova in so personal a mood before. Was he seriously trusting her with all of this?

“...and she was just as important to me as Twilight is now,” he added softly, trotting over and giving the headstone a fond rub.

He stared down at the headstone for several long moments, his eyes misting over. It was such a personal moment, not even Trixie would interrupt it. Nova Shine sharing personal moments with anyone besides Twilight and Princess Luna were a rarity as it was, but now he was sharing one with her. He sniffed sharply, and returned to his senses after a long moment.

“Anyway,” he cleared his throat, “since I’m going to be living in Canterlot soon, I’m not going to be able to take frequent trips into the forest to maintain this place. I know it’s asking a lot,” he said, slowing down, clearly aware of the baggage this place held for her, “but I’m asking you, as a friend, if you would be willing to check in from time to time and make sure everything’s well kept.”

Trixie took a deep breath.

“Novus, you know I hate this place,” she said, and she could almost see Nova deflate just a fraction, though that was the opposite of what she actually wanted. “After all, you know that not far from here at all, I was held prisoner by Envy. It’s not got the best of memories for any of us, let’s be real,” she kicked at the ground idly playing with a stray rock just under her hooves, “but this place clearly means a lot to you. I don’t think I’ll be able to do it every day like you do--”

“Only most days,” Nova corrected.

“Still,” she continued, “I can probably ask Zecora or something. I’ve kind of got responsibilities now. Be honest, could you ever see Trixie with actual responsibilities a year ago?” she asked, grinning.

Nova couldn’t help the small smile that crossed his face.

“But… yeah, I think I can do that,” she said softly. “I may hate this forest, but it clearly means a lot to you.”

“Thanks, Bea,” Nova trotted over and gave her a quick side-hug.

“Stop that,” Trixie ducked out from the hug. “And don’t call Trixie ‘Bea’. Only Aegis can call Trixie ‘Bea.’”

“Alright, alright,” Nova chuckled. “Speaking of Aegis, how’s things between you two?”

Trixie couldn’t help but frown just a tad, but shrugged. “Same old same old, really. Kinda hard to spend time together when one’s a guardspony up in Canterlot and the other’s a full-time counselor, part-time performer down in the valley. But,” she smiled, “we make time. We were actually going to go on a date after your Ascendancy. Just like when the goody fourshoes was coronated, remember?”

“How could I forget?” Nova smirked. “Aegis insisted it wasn’t a date, but well… you remember how insistent I was that Twilight and I had nothing going on way back when.”

“Oh, do I,” Trixie grinned. “What was the phrase? ‘Just balls up and ask her out already’?”

“Well, I did,” Nova replied, using his magic to clean some dirt off of the grave of the general. “And, well… it was the best decision I ever made.”

“Even more than accepting the position of the Night Apprentice?” she asked. “Even more than deciding to become the Archmage?”

“I didn’t decide to become the Archmage,” Nova corrected. He was now removing every tiny bit of grime he could find from the general’s grave. Trixie recognized this tic of his; he was getting into the perfectionist state he tended to get in when he was approaching an uncomfortable topic. “Luna offered it to me one night and I accepted.”

Trixie stared at him as he went about his work. That didn’t sound good. The slight nervousness earlier, the sudden brusqueness now.. What was eating him?

“Do you want to be the Archmage?” she asked tentatively.

“I do,” Nova replied curtly, but he almost sounded as though he didn’t believe it himself. She’d never picked up that energy-sensing thingy he had, much less his apparent lie-detection superpower, so she couldn’t confirm it was a lie, but...

“Better question, then,” she amended. “Do you think you are ready to be the--”

“Fuck no!”

Trixie now had a front row seat as Nova Shine collapsed onto his haunches, holding his head between his hooves, and was starting to hyperventilate.

“I’m not ready for this! How could I be ready for this? I‘m about to step into this position that my namesake and our ancestor both held, that many ponies have served in and did amazing things, and I am not fucking ready!”

And the Nova Shine, unflappable Nova Shine, who had a sarcastic one-liner ready to go for any given situation, who had stared down Nightmare Moon without a flinch, who had bested even Envy and had faced Sombra, broke down entirely and started crying.

Trixie didn’t know what had happened. One minute he was yelling and hyperventilating, and the next here he was, with his face buried in his hooves, sobbing miserably.

“I’m n-not ready for this, Trixie!” he bawled. “I’m nowhere near as good a wizard as N-Nova Shine the First w-was, or Star Sw-wirl, and I’m exp-pected to just jump r-right in and do amazing things!“

Acting purely on instinct, and off of things Twilight Sparkle had told her about their time of courtship, Trixie dashed over and just hugged him from behind.

The move startled Nova, possibly because she had just ducked out of a much more indirect hug only moments before. He was still breathing too quickly and too lightly, but at least he seemed too surprised to be crying.

“Got it all out?” she asked gently.

“No,” Nova shook his head and pawed at his eyes. “I’ve got s-several more weeks of anxiety backed up, if you’re gonna b-be here to deal with it.”

“What are friends for?” she asked, still holding onto him. “Why haven’t you told anyone else about this? Surely Twilight, Luna, and Celestia would listen if you didn’t think you were ready.”

“I did tell them!” Nova threw his hooves up into the air. “I’ve told them multiple times now. They all just assured me that it was nerves, and Luna even promised to ease me into the position so that I wouldn’t be overwhelmed. That did help a bit, but it still doesn’t change the fact that--”

“That you feel like you don’t deserve it,” Trixie cut in.

Nova nodded, shuddering as he did so. “I don’t, Trixie. I really don’t. I haven’t done anything special, have I? They’re just doing this because my fiance is about to become ruler, and they need me to be a fit match for her.”

“It sounds like you have a textbook case of Imposter Syndrome,” Trixie let go and scooted over to sit beside him, as the pleasant rushing of the river sounded throughout the grove. “I don’t suppose there’s any point in asking if you know what that is, since Twilight Sparkle’s probably made you memorize the entire dictionary, right?”

Even in his frantic state, Nova couldn’t resist a chuckle, but he shook his head.

“Really?” When Nova shook his head again, Trixie let herself enjoy knowing something Nova didn’t for just a moment, before elaborating. “Imposter Syndrome, Nova, is when somecreature thinks that any success or accomplishment came because of luck or coincidence, rather than because they genuinely earned it, no matter what their actual level of skill is. And as you may suspect,” she smiled ruefully as she recalled those days, “I had a problem with it, once upon a time.”

“You did?” Nova asked skeptically, finally looking over in her direction. “The mare who’s got enough self-confidence to speak in third-pony had a self-confidence problem?”

“I still do,” Trixie admitted, letting the smile vanish. “I’m like you, actually. I’m supposed to be the heir of the Lulamoon family, the heir to Star Swirl the Bearded’s legacy,” she said in a mocking high-pitched voice, “that whole thing. When I was still a full-time performer, all I could think about was that the applause I got wasn’t because I’d earned it, it was because they knew who I was and were making me feel better because of who my family was. And now, when I’m the Student Counselor, sometimes I just wonder if Starlight only gave me the position because she felt bad for not making me her Vice Head Mare.”

Nova just watched her, with the occasional sniffle.

“But, well,” she shrugged, “if Twilight thought I was a bad fit for the job, she would have told Starlight. We may not be able to stand each other, but if she can show that kind of faith in me, then I can show that kind of faith in myself.”

“Yeah, but you’ve actually proven you can handle it,” Nova pointed out. “What have I done?” Trixie opened her mouth to answer, but Nova cut her off. “And don’t say ‘Oh, you’ve trained for the last four years.’ Seriously Trixie, what have I actually done to warrant a promotion to this position?”

“You… you defeated Envy.”

“Yeah, with your and Twilight’s help. And we barely survived that battle.” He shook his head. “And ever since, I’ve been fucking useless.”

“That’s not true and you know it,” Trixie refuted, but Nova persisted.

“It is, Trixie. Think about it,” he threw a hoof into the air. “When Tirek attacked, I wasn’t able to help because I was one of the first ponies he stole magic from. I still have nightmares about that,” he added, tearing up again. “Being helpless, and without any magic to rely on… but that was only the beginning. I was kept on the sidelines when Starlight came after Twilight. I was left completely alone when Chrysalis kidnapped everyone, and I was too late to come and help you guys save them. I was one of the captured ponies during the Storm King’s invasion. Star Swirl didn’t even want my assistance when they went to save Stygian--”

“You weren’t an Element of Harmony, though!” Trixie cut in. “Star Swirl wanted the Elements to help defeat Stygian.”

“Yes, and he still let Starlight come along,” Nova spat. “Not me, not the stallion he had known in the past. I was left here in Ponyville when the magic disappeared again, and I still have nightmares about that night too! When Sombra invaded, I was one of the ponies he mentally enslaved. And when Tirek, Cozy, and Chrysalis attacked only a few weeks ago, where was I?”

“...I don’t know,” admitted Trixie, capitulating.

“Helpless, without magic once again, because Tirek came across me in Canterlot,” Nova answered. It broke Trixie’s heart to hear just how broken he sounded when he said that. “I’m supposed to become the Archmage, and to marry Twilight in the next few weeks. I’m supposed to be the pony that Twilight can rely upon in times of crisis, and I’ve done nothing to prove that I can.”

He wiped his eyes, sniffling.

“Ever since we defeated Envy, I’ve been nothing but a constant casualty, or left on the bench.”

“Those weren’t your fault,” Trixie stated, in the most commanding voice she could muster. It was hard to enter “princess mode”, since it meant she would have to channel the goody fourshoes, but Nova needed it now more than ever, and she wasn’t going to back down. “What you’ve just told me is that you’ve been in the wrong place at the wrong time every time something has happened. Nova, did you at least fight?”

“Of course I did!” he answered, looking insulted at the implication. “You think I was just going to lie there and take it!?”

“Then it sounds to me,” she said, letting a light sing-song quality sneak into her voice, “as though you were one of the first targets they went after, or that you were left alone because they didn’t want to get on your bad side.”

“What do you mean?” Nova’s eyes narrowed suspiciously.

“When Tirek attacked, you said you were one of his first targets, right?” He nodded. “I remember the peacekeepers saying he deliberately sought out the most powerful unicorns he could to absorb their magic first. That’s why he hung around Canterlot. You having your magic taken so soon fits you in with that crowd.”

“Or I could have been in the wrong place at the wrong time, like you said,” he countered.

Trixie sighed impatiently. “Look, just…” Her horn flashed pinked, and Nova found himself gagged by a white handkerchief. “Shut up and let me finish encouraging you.”

“Mmph!” Nova glared at her. She ignored him.

“Okay, so you were among the ponies Tirek wanted to neutralize early last time. Sounds like he remembered you this time, since you said you got neutralized pretty early again,” she continued, putting two and two together. “Anyway, chronologically, Starlight was after Twilight for disrupting her village plans, so you were never going to be involved with that one. Then there was the Chrysalis business, which I honestly have no idea why you were left alone. But it doesn’t matter, we still got everyone back safe and sound. I couldn’t begin to understand the relationship between you and Star Swirl, so I’m not gonna comment on that one. The Storm King managed to imprison everyone except Twilight and her friends, including all three other Princesses, me, and Starlight, don’t forget. Cozy was trying to get Sparkle and her friends out of the way, but didn’t care too much about anyone else unless they snooped too deep into her plans. And finally, Sombra enslaved everyone, not just you. Twilight and her friends were simply away from Sombra when he used his spell. And as I said before, Tirek must have come after you again because he knew you were just as powerful as last time.”

Nova just stared at her, not even trying to get anything through the gag in his mouth.

“Look,” Trixie sighed, reaching a hoof over and draping it over his shoulder, “you’re one of my closest friends, alright? Even though we don’t hang out like me and Starlight do, or have the same relationship as Aegis and I, or you and Twilight have, I still think of you as one of my closest friends. It hurts me to see you like this, and I’m sure it hurts Twilight even more. So please,” she felt herself teetering on the edge of breaking down as well, “talk to us. I’m not one yet, but I’m going to be studying to become a certified counselor, now that it’s my job! If you need someone to talk to, I’m always here for you, Novus.”

Nova leaned into her hug, resting his head lightly on her shoulder at that.

“It’s a good thing we’re out here alone,” Trixie observed. “Twilight might get a little jealous if she saw this.” Her horn shimmered, and the gag removed itself.

“Then I suppose it’s a good thing she’s well aware of what we have.”

“Oh, Nova Shine,” Trixie covered her mouth in faux-shock, “are you coming on to me? Why, you’re an engaged stallion, and I’m an attached mare!”

Nova chuckled, a welcome change from how depressed and vulnerable he had gotten over the last several minutes. “You know what I mean. She’s well aware of how close we are.”

“Aegis too,” she added, before smirking. “He told me there’ve been times where he’s felt like a third wheel whenever the three of us are in the same room.”

Nova sniffed again, but this was closer to a laugh than a cry. Nova’s moody self wasn’t something new to her, and she knew from personal experience and some chats with Twilight that he could go from completely morose to suddenly as bright as ever, but usually whenever he did so, he was masking it so others felt better.

“Look,” she removed her arm, but rested a hoof on his near shoulder, “we both know that this talk didn’t magically cure you.of your issues, or suddenly grant you the confidence in yourself you need to take this job. So please, come talk to us. To me, to Sparkle, hell, go talk to Maud for all I care! She and Mudbriar really are great listeners. But you need to talk to someone.”

“Alright,” Nova dipped his head.

“Promise me, Novus,” she insisted.

“Alright. I promise.”

“Pinkie Promise.”

“Is that really necessary?” Nova asked, annoyed.

“Yes,” Trixie replied evenly.

Nova sighed again. “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my-- ouch!”

“Like Sparkle, like Novus,” Trixie smirked as Nova rubbed at the eye he had accidentally poked. “She never seems to get it right either. Alright,” she got back to her hooves and offered one to Nova to help him up, which he took. “We’ve gotta get back to Ponyville. I know you and the Council have one last little romp later before Aegis picks us up.”

“Thought he was coming back after dropping us off,” Nova furrowed his brow.

“He doesn’t know that he’s not yet. I don’t need to bring anything else with me, given Father lives up there, so all he has to worry about is one more pony to carry, and trust me,” she smiled proudly as she talked about her macho coltfriend, “he can carry five ponies in one carriage all by himself, so three, or two if Sparkle decides to fly separate, should be no big deal.”

“Well, three and a baby dragon, if Spike doesn’t fly, but cool. It’s a double-date.”

“Oh, Nova, you really are coming onto me!” She punctuated it by sidling up and pressing into him, just enough to normally make ponies uncomfortable. But Nova, who could apparently stonewall Princess Celestia herself, didn’t exactly elicit normal responses.

“Oh, perhaps another time,” he sighed wistfully, not shying away, but not reciprocating. “You see, I find that I have the most peculiar attraction to lavender coats, horns, and wings all in one package.”

“This is why I love hanging out with you,” she exclaimed, stifling her giggles. “Maud and Muddy don’t know how to laugh, Sunburst gets flustered easily, and Starlight is just so serious a lot of the time. Honestly, you and Aegis are breaths of fresh air in the wisecrack department, and Aegis is from Brayton! Deadpan humor is his whole thing.”

“There will be plenty of that on the flight to Canterlot then,” Nova promised, with a smirk of his own. “I can promise you that.” He let out a deep breath that seemed to ease untold amounts of tension as he visibly sagged. “Thanks, Trixie. I…” he swallowed, “I think I’ll take you up on talking to you more in the future. Twilight’s gonna have a country to run, so she won’t be there all of the time.”

“Hey, you’re always welcome in my wagon, and at the school,” she assured him. “Anytime, anywhere, anything for a friend.”

Nova brightened at that, and they trotted off back to the town, enjoying each other’s company the entire way. Nova had always appreciated Trixie as a friend, but never more than he did now.

They never noticed the red pair of eyes watching them as they trotted away.

It was late in the afternoon when a golden chariot landed outside the Castle of Friendship, pulled by only one pony. Nova watched from within as Lieutenant Aegis unhitched himself from his ride and trotted over to the door. A few quick knocks, the opening of the door, and the two friends were hugging it out.

“Aegis!” Nova exclaimed, slamming a hoof several times into his armor-covered back. The pegasus stallion was broad-shouldered and muscular, the build of a typical guard, but the lieutenant’s armor he wore lacked the uniformity enchantment that usual Peacekeeper armor had, so Aegis’ steel-grey coat and black mane were easily visible under the plate, and his grey eyes brightened considerably when seeing his old friend.

“Nova!” Aegis repeated, doing the same, though Nova felt his hits considerably more than he figured Aegis did.

“Ow,” Nova winced as they let go, before reaching back and rubbing at the throbbing spot. “You didn’t have to hit so hard.”

“You didn’t have to try to thump my armor at all,” the guardspony said, before readjusting the pieces of plate. “This isn’t about Spurs finishing ahead of Arsenal three years in a row is it?”

“It might be,” Nova answered, trying his best to put on a mysterious, impassive smile. The effect was ruined when Twilight trotted in, with three suitcases color-coded carried in her magic. Nova had successfully talked her out of bringing the twelve (four for each of them) that she’d wanted to bring, but he was sure that just meant Twilight had just stuffed even more than necessary into each bag.

Hard to see why. None of them regularly even wore clothes, and the Ascendancy was supposed to be a clothes-free event.

“Your highness,” Aegis said, giving a quick bow to Twilight.

“Aegis, I’ve told you this four times already. You don’t bow to me.”

“It’s kind of a courtesy the position is supposed to observe,” Aegis replied, helping her spread the suitcases around the rather large chariot for even weight distribution. “You could order me not to bow under threat of banishment to Tartarus, but I’d still have to, per position regulations.”

“I remember when Shining was bowing to Cadance every time he saw her in public,” she clambered onto the chariot and leaned against one of the sides, giggling at the memory as Spike flew out of the castle and onto the chariot as well. “She would do this silly salute every time she saw him in public until he finally stopped.”

She punctuated the statement by snapping to attention and making an exaggerated saluting motion, puffing out her chest, sucking in her lips, furrowing her brow, and even going to far as to stand as tall as she could.

Nova blinked. Funny though it was, something else had gotten his attention.

“You’ve gotten taller,” he noticed, trotting over to stand next to her. Sure enough, where Nova had been a solid few inches taller than her on his return now the top of her head came to just about eye level when she was standing at her tallest.

“I have?” she asked, blinking quickly, before comparing to him again. “Oh, wow, I really have.”

“Is growing not normal for alicorns?” Aegis asked, starting to hitch himself back up to the chariot. “I mean, I always thought you were eventually going to grow as tall as Princess Cadance at least with enough time.”

“Alicorns grow to accommodate the amount of magic our bodies contain,” Twilight replied, rubbing around her breast unconsciously. “If I’m growing, then I guess it means my connection to magic has gotten stronger lately. After how the battle against Cozy, Tirek, and Chrysalis ended, it doesn’t surprise me at all,” she added with a shrug, before giving Nova a catty grin. “I hope you enjoy your last few months of being the big spoon.”

Spike fake-gagged and Aegis let out a snort. Now that they were all loaded, it was time to go. Spreading his wings, Aegis cracked his neck, bent his knees, and--

“Wait! The Great and Powerful Trixie demands that you wait!”

--and almost fell forward as one last pony came galloping up and full-speed, her cape flapping in the wind behind her, one of her front hooves pinning her hat to her head, and with no bag in sight. Trixie leapt the last few meters of space, landing quite gracefully in the space in the chariot that Spike had been standing in only moments before, had Nova not snatched him out of the way with his magic just before she jumped.

“Ah, Trixie thanks you for not leaving her here, Aegis. It’s good that she can always count on you to wait for her,” she stretched, almost-certainly intruding into Twilight’s space intentionally, before she leaned over the front of the chariot and gave her coltfriend an affectionate pat on the back.

“I thought I was coming back to get you,” Aegis replied, looking thoroughly bemused, but pleased all the same. “We could have had the whole night sky to ourselves.”

“Trixie wasn’t going to pass up a chance to show off how strong her coltfriend is in front of Sparkle.” She glanced over to Nova and gave him a wink. Nova rolled his eyes. “And besides, this means that once you’ve dropped them off, we have the whole night!”

“I suppose that’s a fair assessment,” Aegis said, shrugging. “Hold on, we’re about to take off.”

After steadying himself and bending once again, he pushed off with a powerful flap of his wings, and they were off. The normal silhouette of Canterlot was missing from the side of Mt. Canterhorn, and it felt very odd to look up at it and not see the gorgeous palace that Princess Platinum had once built.

Once they were clear of the ground by several yards, Spike took to the skies too. Nova couldn’t help but admire just how well Spike took to the air after gaining his wings. It had taken Twilight several weeks to properly get the hang of flight; it took Spike all of three days.

“So, feel any better after our talk in the forest?” Trixie asked, now stepping away to give Twilight some space, though she made no move to allow Twilight to stand next to her fiancee.

“You two had a talk in the forest?” Twilight asked, glancing between them.

“Yes, Sparkle, and it’s a good thing you weren’t there,” Trixie said, her voice gaining that melodramatic quality as she pressed herself up against Nova. “Your dear coltfriend suddenly came onto Trixie in the woods, but Trixie is a mare devoted to her macho coltfriend, and despite Nova Shine’s irresistible charm, she resisted,” she added, giving her a smug grin.

Nova rolled his eyes and lightly shoved her off of him. “I just went and showed her the grove I always go to.”

“Oh, the one with…?” Twilight asked.

“Yeah, that one,” Nova nodded. “Figured I could trust her to keep it maintained. Gonna be a little difficult to do that when we move up to live in Canterlot full-time in the near future.”

Almost as though he realized that that meant for the first time, Nova felt a sudden pang of pain and sadness well up in him, and he glanced back at the disappearing town below, and even chanced a glance into the distance, at Neighton far away. It wouldn’t be the final time he left the valley-- even after he moved he would still visit, no question-- but it was as though the moment was really starting to dawn on him.

Everything was changing. His old life was about to truly be behind him, and his new life as the Prince-Consort and Archmage loomed ahead of him. Once again, he felt a pang of dread inside of him as tomorrow fast approached.

A hoof touched his shoulder, and he looked over to see Twilight giving him a sympathetic look. “I know,” she said softly. “I’m going to miss this place too.”

Not even Trixie was brave enough to disrupt that moment, even as they passed the clouds and they obscured their view of their home.

“So, where am I dropping you two off at?” Aegis asked, leveling the chariot out now that they had reached something of a cruising altitude. Canterlot was just barely visible on the horizon, with the lights of the untouched Lower Canterlot shining on the mountainside, while the relative dimness of Upper Canterlot was almost unnerving.

“The Princesses said they were currently staying someplace close to the main branch of Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns,” Twilight squinted ahead, before pointing toward an impressive cathedral-looking building, far in the distance. “Just drop us off at the school down there, I’m sure we can find them.”

“By your order,” Aegis reached up and saluted, before directing the chariot toward the distant cathedral building. “You ready for tomorrow?” he asked, glancing back at Nova.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Nova answered honestly. He didn’t miss the concerned expression Trixie sent his way, nor the unreadable one Twilight had. Spike, however, took the opportunity to fly down and land on his back, startling him somewhat.

“You’re gonna be an awesome Archmage, Nova!” he patted Nova on the neck. “Just let me know when you want to drop a meteor out of the sky, so I can come watch.”

“I don’t think I’ll be doing that anytime soon, Spike. Sorry to disappoint.”

It wasn’t technically a lie…

The flight was mostly quiet after that, though with the occasional chatter from Trixie or Spike as they got bored. Aegis wanted to focus on the flight, Nova was stewing in his emotions about tomorrow, and Twilight simply seemed to be enjoying staring at the countrysides around her.

“Head’s up,” Aegis called after several minutes. “We’re gonna be landing soon. Hold on.”

The chariot approached the school, before aiming downward and pulling to a stop at the steps of the school. The moment they landed, the door opened and two large, unmistakable figures trotted down to meet them.

“I told you they’d come here, Tia,” Luna gave her older sister the smuggest grin she could. “Nova Shine never passes up a chance to sit in the shadow of his ancestor.”

“Very well, Luna, here are your ten bits,” Celestia replied, with a small pouch appearing in a flash of golden light and a hoofful of gold coins floating out of it and into Luna’s outstretched hand. “How was the flight?”

“Uneventful, ma’am,” Aegis saluted. “Permission to return the chariot to the yard, and spend the evening with my marefriend?”

“Granted, Lieutenant,” Celestia nodded.

Aegis waited until they had taken all of their luggage out of the chariot, before he gave Nova a somewhat ironic salute. “See you tomorrow, Nova.”

“You too!” Nova called after him as Aegis took off, and he and Trixie vanished as they flew back toward the city.

“You didn’t have to meet us here,” Twilight said, picking up the three suitcases in her magic. “We know where you two are staying.”

“What, and pass up a chance to enjoy the evening with our two favorite ponies out of everyone in Equestria?” Luna asked, arching an eyebrow.

“Luna, you can’t just go around saying things like that in public. Not until she has all the power, anyway,” Celestia admonished, gesturing at Twilight. “Even if it is true.”

“Have Shining, Cadance, and Flurry gotten here yet?” Twilight asked, wondering if she’d get to see her BBBFF that night. Nova wondered if he’d get to see his BSBFF while she was at it, as well as his future niece.

“They arrive tomorrow morning,” Celestia answered, before tapping her chin. “Though with Flurry starting to gain a lot more conscious use of her wings and magic, she’s hit that age where she might delay them even longer…”

“Just us tonight,” Luna replied, sidling over to Nova and draping a wing over his back. “I wanted to be there for my old apprentice the night before his big day.”

“Old apprentice? Nova scoffed. “I’ll have you know I’m quite young, thank-you. And I’d happily be your apprentice for the rest of my life if you offered.”

“Ever the devoted Night Apprentice,” observed Celestia, with a touched smile. “When we move to Silver Shoals full-time, won’t you please come and see us? A seaside village is all fine and good, but our lives would be just so dull without the two of you in them.”

“What about me?” Spike asked from Nova’s back, before taking off and flying in front of Celestia with his back turned to where they were walking. “Can I come visit you too? When I’m older, of course,” he added hastily.

Celestia chuckled, reaching over and petting him on the head. “Yes, of course you can, Spike.”

“In such a time of great upheaval and change,” Luna said, a note of dramatics in her voice, “it is always nice that we can have these nights of peace, free from what the future brings.”

“Even Trixie could learn a thing or two from you, Princess Luna,” Twilight shook her head. “You just have such a way with saying dramatic things… No wonder Nova likes his theatrics so much.”

“I do try,” Luna grinned back at her.

“Just think,” Celestia looked up at the starry sky. “In just a few short moons, everything will be behind us. You will be well into your new lives, and we will be well into our own. It’s honestly a bit nerve-wracking. It has literally been centuries since I last had no duties.”

“Are you not going to take on new Night Apprentices and Faithful Students?” Nova glanced over. Luna shook her head.

“Neigh, Nova Shine. We have decided to leave that to you.” Nova’s insides gave an uncomfortable lurch. “We have agreed not to take on any more students for some time, and as such it will be up to the two of you to take any Faithful Students or Night Apprentices you so choose.”

“Shouldn’t the Night Apprentice be the student of the Princess of the Night?” Nova asked, dismayed. Why was so much being heaped on him so soon?

“You do not have to call your student the Night Apprentice, if you wish,” Celestia pointed out. “You can call them whatever you want. What matters is that they’re an apprentice you have chosen. Should you decide not to take one, then that is your decision. But traditionally, archmages do train their successors when the time has come for their retirement.”

“Just something to think about,” Luna pulled Nova close. “But we can leave all of that for later. Tonight, we relax, and we enjoy ourselves. Tomorrow, we have a ceremony, and the day after that, Nova Shine’s new life begins! Tonight is a night for celebration if you ask me!”

“I’ll only be in the mood for partying if me and Twi get to share a bedroom. We should be married by now for goodness sake,” Nova huffed.

“I believe that was the plan, was it not?” Luna glanced over to Celestia with a small amount of confusion. “Two bedrooms, one for the two of you, and one for Spike?”

Nova and Twilight both stopped dead in their tracks, looking at each other sheepishly. Nova slipped out from under Luna’s wing in the process, causing both of their teachers to look back in surprise.

“Don’t tell me the two of you assumed we were splitting the two of you up in the name of a courtesy that literally no one observes anymore,” Princess Celestia suppressed a chuckle. “Oh Twilight, when I told you that you really must stop reading those musty old books, it’s gratifying to hear you never stopped.”

“Old habits,” Twilight shrugged sheepishly.

“Nevertheless, I think Luna has the right idea,” Celestia smiled fondly over at her younger sibling. “Tonight is a night to celebrate the years behind us. Let’s stow the bags at our temporary home, and let’s go and enjoy Nova Shine’s last night as merely the Night Master!”

“Hear hear,” Luna repeated, ushering Nova forward again.

And even though tomorrow’s shadow loomed over him, Nova found that the company of his former teacher, his wife-to-be, and one of his great friends proved to be a welcome rest from the terrors that lie beyond.

But tomorrow was only a dream away.

WHAT WAS I THINKING!?

Nova paced outside the double-doors in front of him, hearing everything on the other side, and feeling as though the world around him were spinning.

He wasn’t ready for this, how could he be ready for this!? How was he supposed to be the one unicorn in all of Equestria that the entire field of magic fell to!?

How was he supposed to live up to a mantle that Star Swirl himself had once held!? That Nova Shine I once held!?

Leaning on the wall next to the doors, however, Knightmare Frigoris watched Nova pace with an amused expression on his face, the definition of contrast next to the panicking Nova Shine. The thestral as wearing the usual armor of Luna’s Knightmare Brigade, and his orange eyes slowly oscillated back and forth as Nova trotted to the end of the hall, turned, and trotted back, turned, and did it again.

Across from him, leaning on the other side of the door, Aegis was just shaking his head at the panicky antics of his friend. His typical Peacekeeper Lieutenant armor had been replaced with something he and Shining Armor had both called the Dress Metals, a much finer, more showy, less-protective armor for special occasions. Apparently it was restricting, because he was having a hard time turning his head to watch Nova go.

“She really has had an effect on you, hasn’t she?” Aegis observed, in more of a statement than a question.

“Who?” Frigoris asked, in a soft cool voice.

“Twilight Sparkle,” Aegis answered, with a smirk. “She used to have panic attacks like this all the time, and Nova was the unflappable one. And now, as I understand it, Twilight is the picture of serenity with the coronation is on the horizon. Meanwhile, Nova is over here about to have a heart attack.”

“I suppose he is nervous at the prospect of becoming the Archmage,” Frigoris mused, cracking his neck slightly. “You may want to calm yourself, Lord Archmage,” he added, glancing at Nova. “Mother is about to call you inside.”

“Mother?” Aegis tilted his head.

“Princess Luna,” Frigoris answered, straightening up and taking a position on the left of where Nova would be.. “We may be creations of Nightmare Moon, but she is still our mother, no matter the name or colors she wears.”

“Cool,” Aegis said, standing up and trotting over to Nova, before giving him a hard slap across the face.

“OW!” Nova yelped, wincing as he realized it could have been loud enough to be heard inside. “What was that for!?”

“Calm down, for fuck’s sake!” Aegis ordered, glaring into his eyes. “You’ve faced down Envy, you can handle this.”

“I… I can’t th--”

Aegis slapped him again.

“Stop!” Nova rubbed at his sore cheek, wincing a little. “No amount of slapping is going to make me more ready.”

“No,” Aegis agreed, “but it will get you to get it together. You can worry about whether or not you’ll live up to anyone’s standard tomorrow. Today, however, put on a brave face, step inside, and become the Archmage, Nova.”

Nova stared into Aegis’ face, furious and ready to tell him off…

...only to let out a deep breath, raise his head high, and lightly brush away Aegis’ hooves.

“You’re right,” he said, stepping in line beside Frigoris, with Aegis taking the other side. “I can panic later. For now… well,” he grimaced.

“It’s time,” Frigoris said, standing tall, as Aegis did the same. Nova mimicked them, raising himself up to his full height, just in time for the double-doors to swing open.

It was an inspired decision, to have Nova’s ascendancy to be here, of all places.

With Canterlot Castle under reconstruction, they’d needed someplace to host a ceremony such as this, but more importantly, it needed to be in Canterlot. It was Professor Hoofman and Tantalus Lulamoon who came up with the suggestion, something that had actually caused Nova to cry just a little bit (though he would never admit it).

Nova, Frigoris, and Aegis stepped into the same lecture hall that Nova had once taken his entrance exam in. Fourteen years since that fateful day, and here he was, reclaiming his destiny in the very room in which he believed had once been stolen from him. The lectern and whiteboard had been removed, leaving the room oddly bare, despite the many places to sit along the tiers that worked their way down.

Everyone in the room turned to look at him as he and his two escorts strode into the room. Despite the hammering in his chest, and the slight wobble in his legs, Nova led the procession down the aisle, down to the space in the center of the room where four Princesses stood, as well as his father, Tantalus Lulamoon, Star Swirl the Bearded (whom Nova was amused to see was wearing the robe and hat with the bells attached), Thomas Hoofman, and Severus Neighsay.

Nova had never met Neighsay before, but he had helped save his fiancee’s life during the most recent attack on Equestria, and before when everyone’s magic was stolen, even if he tried to shut down Twilight’s pet project before that. So in his eyes, Neighsay was a welcome sight.

Nova didn’t take the time to look for familiar faces in the crowd, though he couldn’t help but chuckle when Shining Armor had to snatch Flurry out of the aisle before she could fly to her mom. Nevertheless, he could feel everyone in the room. Trixie was there, as was Starlight, Spike, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie, and Fluttershy. Sharp Eye was close by as well. Balanced Budget, Lightning Lance, the Neighton ponies, they all were there, hanging toward the back. The Council of Gentlestallions were all seated around Big Mac, with Turner and Thunderlane actually stamping their hooves in approval as he walked in.

But Nova just sucked in a deep breath and continued down to the open space.

“Ponies, dragons, changelings, and every creature in attendance today,” Princess Celestia said, beaming down at Nova as he trotted up to her, with Luna and Twilight on both flanks, and Cadance on Luna’s other side, “we are here to witness the ascendancy of a new Archamge of Equestria, the first Archmage in over six-hundred years. The pony that has been nominated for the position is Night Master Nova Shine, son of Shimmer and Ray Novus, the heir to the Novus family, and the fiancee of Princess Twilight Sparkle.”

Celestia placed a gentle hoof on his shoulder, and the effect it had was immediate. Nova felt his quaking cease immediately, and the facade of confidence he was projecting started to feel like far less of a facade.

“Nova’s effect on Equestria cannot be understated, in ways everyone is aware, and not aware,” she continued, looking past him, but he couldn’t help but feel as though the words were meant for him more than the gathered audience members. “For instance, few are aware of his escapades in the time before a united Equestria. Nova played an integral role in bringing al three tribes together to unite them under the banner of Equestria, and he played an equally-vital role in defeating an old enemy only a few short years ago.

“It was Nova Shine whom my sister chose to make her first Night Apprentice after her absence, and it was Nova Shine who graduated from his apprenticeship faster than almost every previous Night Apprentice or Faithful Student before him. And in the time since, while it is true that my own former student and her friends have done fantastic things, keeping Equestria safe from threats within and without, Nova Shine has been quietly training to take up this mantle, a mantle that we now believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is ready for.”

Celestia withdrew her hoof and stepped back, as did Twilight, Cadance, and Luna, leaving him at the true center of the open space. Alone in a crowd, as it were.

“The Ascendancy Committee is comprised of several prominent figures in the field of magic,” Twilight said, her voice clear and in full lecture mode, which was fitting given the room they were in. “Lord Ray Novus and Lord Tantalus Lulamoon were selected because of their own knowledge and prestige in the field of arcanology. Doctor Thomas Hoofman was selected due to his position as the headmaster of Celestia’s School For Gifted Unicorns. Chancellor Severus Neighsay was selected due to his position of authority within the E.E.A., and Lord Star Swirl was selected by reputation. It is time for the committee to cast their votes. While it is true that four of these five ponies have a positive and personal relationship with Nova Shine in some way,” Twilight added, giving a quick glance over in Nova’s direction, as though she could sense this was running through his head, “these votes are cast with physical or verbal evidence for their approval or disapproval in the event of a personal bias or conflict of interest, to ensure that such votes or ballots may be disputed on valid grounds.”

Twi, did you actually memorize the law or regulation or whatever this was written on verbatim?

“With that in mind,” she continued, holding out a hoof toward them, “it is now time for the Ascendancy Committee to make their vote known.”

She lowered her hoof and stepped back, in line with Luna and Celestia, as everyone turned to look at the five unicorns standing off to Nova’s right. The first pony to step forward was Nova’s father.

Ray Novus surveyed the room in his spectacles, and gave a small smile, before producing a small foldier, with several documents inside, and laying it at his feet.

“As Lord of the Novus Family and as the candidate’s father, the evidence I provide is a compilation of results from recent magical assessments to gauge a unicorn’s potential, and Nova’s results therein. The methodology used is also described, in case there are any challenges to the impartiality of these assessments. In short, however, my vote is aye.”

A couple of the ponies in the room, by the sound of things it was Turner and Pokey Pierce, let out whoops and stamped their hooves in approval.

Ray Novus stepped back, and Tantalus Lulamoon stepped forward, his hard and angular face far softer than usual, and with a wrinkle or two starting to appear on it. Nova had to wonder how quickly age was catching up to the ponies of his generation. His father, too, looked like his mane was a fair amount greyer than he remembered, on second glance.

“As Lord of the Lulamoon Family, the evidence I provide is his pair of personal diaries, one from his time in the past, translated with his help from the encryption and cipher he once used, and one from his contemporary tenure as the Night Apprentice.” His horn flashed a very pale blue, and two leather-bound books appeared in front of him. Nova felt himself smile fondly at the sight of both of them. Oh, the memories… “Within, one may find his recollections and experiences from his time as Princess Luna’s Night Apprentice, showing the lessons he has learned, the trials he has overcome, and personal insights he has had. My vote, based on what I have read from them, is aye.”

The whooping came back, and there were a few more ponies that sounded their assent. “Hear hear!” Nova heard from one of the Neighton ponies. It could have been Mayor Budget, but he wasn’t entirely sure.

Tantalus stepped back and Professor Hoofman stepped forward, his white beard shining in the room’s late afternoon sun as it shone through the window. He, too, presented a file with several documents within.

“As Headmaster of Princess Celestia’s School For Gifted Unicorns, the evidence I provide is the full inquiry into the incident at this very school fourteen years ago, in which Nova Shine took his entrance examination for this school, achieved a perfect score, and yet was omitted from the list of accepted fillies and colts due to bribery. I have also obtained the testimony of the former headmaster Nocturnal Glow,” Hoofman’s voice suddenly raised and he addressed the crowd. “Have I presented the results of the inquiry in a manner consistent with the final findings based on your intent, Headmaster?”

Nova looked back to the audience in time to see a navy blue stallion stand up. He was a very old stallion, with a heavily-wrinkled face, a large pair of glasses, and a mane that had gone pure white with time. He nodded his head at Professor Hoofman, before turning to look Nova Shine directly in the eyes. “You have indeed, Headmaster Hoofman,” he said, his voice soft, but firm. “I say it is finally time we cleansed this stain on the school’s history. I fully support the ascendancy of Nova Shine and affirm that my inquiry’s findings have been presented in accordance with my intent. You will find my signature of endorsement within the document.”

Nova felt an odd stinging in his eyes, and had to look away before anyone saw him lose his composure.

“Very well,” Hoofman continued. “My vote is aye.”

Ray and Tantalus were the first to clap this time, and Nova didn’t miss how they seemed to subtly shift closer to each other as they did so, but the entire room exploded into applause this time. Nova had a majority, but he knew that wasn’t enough. The committee would only pass a recommendation based on the votes to the Princesses, and they were supposed to deliberate and decide based on who dissented. And unfortunately, the two most influential members of the committee, with far less personal bias, were about to speak.

First, Severus Neighsay. The E.E.A. chair stepped forward, brushing back his black mane as he did so.

“As the chair of the Equestria Education Association, I submit my evidence for the ascendancy of Nova Shine. I offer no physical evidence, as my co-committee members do. Rather, I offer evidence from my experiences with Nova Shine. Although we have not met face-to-face before today,” he and Nova met each other’s eyes, “I have been watching him from afar ever since Princess Sparkle opened her school in Ponyville. I have only recently come to appreciate what the magic of friendship can provide to all of us, and to all creatures,” he admitted, his head reflexively bowing as he said it, “so my original intentions for keeping an eye on things were not quite as noble as you should expect. Nevertheless, I always held a high opinion of Nova Shine in his role of teacher, whenever he was called upon by his fiancee to do so. While it is true that, unlike her immediate circle of friends, Nova Shine is not a full-time teacher at the school, he seemed to have a very natural way with foals, and he seemed to be an excellent teacher when he was there, even when I was searching for reasons to have the school closed down.

“One of the duties of the Archmage is to lead Equestria forward in the education of the many fields of magic, and based on his own experiences, as well as his abilities when handling foals and teaching, I believe Nova Shine is capable. My vote is aye.”

Nova let out the breath he didn’t know he had been holding. The applause was even louder than last time, now. Four out of five in favor.

But the last one...

The applause died immediately as Neighsay stepped back, and Lord Star Swirl stepped forward, the bells on his clothing jingling ever so slightly, but they seemed to sound like cathedral bell tolls in the room’s silence.

Nova knew what everyone else did. While the say of the other four had some pull, even if three of those had a large amount of personal bias, they were nothing compared to a stallion whose very name needed no introduction. Star Swirl could have been a one-pony committee, had he wanted to be.

“Let us all be honest,” he began, his voice carrying throughout the lecture hall, “my voice and my vote will carry the most weight from among this committee. After all, it cannot be denied that I need no introduction. I taught Celestia and Luna everything they know, and I served as Equestria’s first archmage, for a brief time. Should I vote neigh, then there is a considerable chance that the Princesses will deny Nova Shine the position. Had all four of my compatriots,” he gestured down the line, “voted neigh, and had I voted aye, the Princesses could very well have chosen to take my word over the other four. Thus, it can be reasoned that it falls to me to decide whether or not the stallion presented before us is worthy and capable of the position.”

He took a deep breath as he and Nova locked gazes. His expression was unreadable, and Nova was wondering how this was going to play out. He hadn’t had much interaction with Star Swirl since Star Swirl’s return with the Pillars. They’d had a brief reunion, but then he always seemed to be busy, outside of the occasional time taken to aid Nova in his training.

“I first met Nova Shine over one thousand, two hundred sixty years ago,” Star Swirl continued, now addressing the crowd directly. “I knew almost immediately that he was from another time than the one we were currently in. After all, who better to recognize a time-traveller than the one who pioneered time magic? And despite this, his accomplishments impressed even me. Everything Princess Celestia said was true. Nova played an integral role in bringing the three tribes under her banner. Nova played a very large personal role in ensuring the unicorns came round in particular, as he saved Princess Platinum from the clutches of Sombra and the traitorous Silas Silverblood.”

The memory of a young changeling queen went through Nova’s mind, but with that came the image of a snarling statue as well, and he couldn’t help but frown at the painful pang in his gut.

“In recent times, I haven’t interacted with Nova as much as either of us would have liked,” he continued, giving Nova an apologetic glance. “Unfortunately, our duties do call us to different paths. However, I have taken part in Nova Shine’s training personally at times. And in each lesson I have given him, he took to it with exceptional speed. He has demonstrated every quality I believe an archmage should bear. An aptitude for learning, the humility to recognize when one is wrong and defer to the more knowledgeable, and most importantly, the perennial drive to improve beyond his current state.”

He smiled.

“I can think of no better pony for the position.” Star Swirl drew himself up to his tallest height. “My vote is aye.”

The applause was reaching a fevered pitch. Nova just shook his head. It seemed he and Trixie both inherited their taste for theatrics from their common ancestor. Nevertheless, he was not out of the woods yet.

Star Swirl turned to the four Princesses. “The committee unanimously recommends that Nova Shine be promoted to the rank of Archmage of Equestria.”

Nova saw Twilight tense slightly. Perhaps she was just nervous that now she was going to have to play a part again. He, too, felt a sudden wave of anxiety wash over him. This was it! Princess Celestia, however, nodded her head in that authoritative way, and stepped forward once again.

“Princess Cadance, Princess Luna, Princess Twilight, do any of you have any objections?” she asked, glancing back at the three of them.

And all three of them stood resolute, each one watching Nova with expectant smiles.

“Very well,” Princess Celestia dipped her head after what seemed to be an eternity. There was a flash of light, and Nova felt something soft drape itself across his back, before a polished onyx brooch fastened itself to his neck, bringing with it two ends of a cloak. “At the recommendation of the Ascendancy Committee, and with no objections from any acting princesses…”

She drew herself up to her tallest height, placed a hoof upon his head, and spoke in a voice that shook Nova to his very bones despite its tame volume.

“I, Princess Celestia, with Princess Luna, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, and Princess Twilight Sparkle, do hereby name the unicorn Nova Shine to the position of Archmage of Equestria.”

The dam broke. The room wasn’t exactly small, but it was still cozy, which only magnified the explosion of applause and cheers from the gathered ponies as Archmage Nova Shine turned to face them on shaking legs. Confetti streamed from the ceiling after a quick snap of the fingers from Discord. Balloons and streamers shot everywhere from a party cannon that had been hidden somewhere no one saw. A banner even magically appeared on the ceiling, saying “Congratulations, Archmage Nova Shine!” in what was clearly Rarity’s hoofwriting. Nova, however, was paying more attention to everyone’s individual reactions.

Shimmer looked to be on the verge of tears. Trixie and Aegis were among the most enthusiastic applauders, beaten out only by Pinkie Pie. Frigoris was nodding in approval. The Council and his Neighton friends were whooping and whistling. Spike was cheering and flying loops in the air. Night Light and Twilight Velvet were all smiles, as was Shining Armor. Even Flurry was clapping along, though she looked quite pleased that she was doing what everyone else was.

Outside the hall, observing the scene by peering through the crack between the doors, was a mare. A unicorn mare with red eyes, a maroon mane and tail, a green coat, and a gleaming ruby pendant closed around her neck.

The mare watched as Nova Shine stepped down and began to chat with the other ponies of the room with the ceremony officially finished.

“Many congratulations, old friend,” Envy muttered to herself, before sinking into the shadow and whisking off for parts unknown, with the ponies inside blissfully unaware.

There was only one pony among all of them who didn’t share in the explosion of approval. One pony who felt that the wrong choice had been made, but had refused to speak up out of fear of ruining the moment that everyone had worked so tirelessly to prepare for.

And he was now wearing the Archmage’s cloak.

Nova Shine, Twilight Sparkle, Celestia, Luna, Trixie Lulamoon, Aegis, Sharp Eye, Star Swirl the Bearded, and Bright Gleam

The Archmage's Last Bow

New Apprentice, Old Friend

The Archmage’s Last Bow
Chapter 02 - New Apprentice, Old Friend

The reception was a lovely affair.

Nova had expected there to be some kind of presentation, with him being ushered outside onto the school’s balconies for all of Equestria to gaze and cheer for their new archmage, but mercifully, they instead had all migrated to the lunchroom, where tables had been set up, food had been placed in gorgeous arrangements on several serving tables, and the light of the sunset streamed in through the windows.

Nova glanced back at his mentors to see that they were, indeed, coordinating a raising and lowering, just for the added effect. Luna gave him a small smile and a wink.

As they all entered the room, Nova couldn’t help but suppress a giggle. Only four years ago, he had helped start a food fight in this very room.

It felt so long ago. He had been so different back then. So afraid, so angry…

And yet, as his new cape showed, he had come a long way since those days. Here he was, now the newest Archmage of Equestria, and the first in over six-hundred years. He was still more than a little bit scared of what was to come, of everything expected of him. After all, he hadn’t quite been given the same easing-in as Twilight was getting with her own upcoming special day, though Luna promised she would help show him the ropes as it got closer and closer to Twilight’s coronation.

“So, where do I sit?” Nova asked as they entered. He could see several gilded high-backed chairs arrayed toward the end of the room, though none of them had any visible markings on them for who was supposed to sit where.

“Why, I should think it’s obvious,” Luna tittered, before pushing him forward with a wing. “Front and center, high table. Today is your day, and thus you are going to sit in the spotlight and hear the congratulations from everyone!”

“Oh lovely,” Nova sighed, trotting forward and taking his seat. “My favorite part of high-brow events like this.”

“It won’t be for very long,” promised Celestia,taking a seat two spaces away, with one between her and Nova, clearly meant for Twilight. Luna, however, opted not to sit next to her sister, and instead sat on Nova’s other side. “There’ll be some courtesies, of course, but I daresay you’ll be allowed to get proper bedrest tonight.”

It wasn’t long after he had taken his seat that his darling fiance chose to trot up next to him, and give him a lingering kiss on his cheek.

“I am so proud of you, you know that?” Twilight beamed, taking her seat next to him and laying her head on his shoulder. “Today was your day. You really have earned it.”

“Thanks, love,” Nova leaned his head down and rested it on hers. It was a beautiful moment that could have lasted forever...

...Until the guests came streaming in.

First to his table were his mom and dad. Nova reached across the table to embrace both of them. Ray’s face just said it all. Nothing but pure, unadulterated pride radiating off of every inch of him, and Shimmer looked to be on the verge of tears.

“We are so proud of you,” she said, pulling him in across the table and holding him close. “So, so proud.”

After they took their seats, next was Professor Hoofman, whose mane appeared to be thinner today. Age, and the demands of running a school and interacting with the nobles, appeared to be getting to him.

“It has been an honor to have been involved in your development, Lord Archmage,” he said, in the most formal voice Nova had ever heard him say. With a short bow, he, too, went and found his seat.

Then came Tantalus Lulamoon, with Trixie and Aegis in tow. Tantalus was polite as usual, Aegis treated him no differently, and Trixie was… well, Trixie.

Then came Cadance and Shining Armor, with baby Flurry. Cadance did most of the interaction, however.

“You’ve come so far, and I couldn’t be happier for you,” she said, leaning down and giving him about as fierce a hug as his mom had.

“Thanks, LSBFF,” he replied, sniffling a bit. Her praise meant more to him than he wanted to admit. “You should take some of the credit, you helped push me the right way.”

She just smiled at him, and the Crystal Royals went to find their own seat, not far away. Nova felt it was odd that Cadance didn’t get a seat at the high table like her three counterparts, especially since she had been part of the ceremony, but shrugged it off and moved on. Perhaps she just wanted to sit with her family.

There were so many that were there to meet him. Twilight’s parents, Twilight’s friends, his friends from Neighton, the Council of Gentlestallions, even some creatures he hadn’t met before, like Dragon Lord Ember and the new Changeling King Thorax. Even Neighsay and Nocturnal Glow came up to him to give heartfelt congratulations.

The line seemed endless, but as time went on, it grew shorter and shorter. By the time they had arrived at the end of the invited guests, he was getting congratulations only a few words long, as these strangers moved aside and joined the group at the tables.

Even though the lecture hall hadn’t been very large, and half of the ponies here hadn’t been able to fit inside, many had still showed up to endear themselves to the new archmage for various reasons. Nova knew some of them were probably doing it for political favors, some of them were just trying to associate, some of them were genuine, and some of them were just there to bear witness. It had been over six-hundred years since the position was last filled, after all.

Nova also saw many familiar faces from the House of Nobles that he’d had to deal with over the years, and probably would continue to deal with. At least in the uncertainty of the future, he could continue to enjoy his current duty: keeping things deadlocked in the legislative branch of government to allow the acting rulers to rule unimpeded.

Or, now that he was supposed to be all-but-equal with the Princesses, would he now technically be unable to attend? Something to iron out with Celestia before the abdication.

Speaking of, he couldn’t help but notice that most of the ponies that were showering him with compliments and promises also seemed to be paying extra-attention to Twilight today. Twilight had the fake-smile plastered over her muzzle as she exchanged vague promises and niceties with them, but Nova noticed that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were all but completely ignored, and they looked relieved because of it.

He supposed now that they were abdicating, the social climbers no longer cared about them, and wanted to ingratiate themselves with the upcoming ruler before she took the crown, and the Royal Sisters were just living it up.

A family of strangers approached him now. An earth pony stallion, a unicorn mare, and an older unicorn filly who appeared to be in her late teens, all wearing very formal-looking outfits. Although they were certainly more modest than some of the nobles wore, they were better dressed than any of Nova’s friends, most of whom weren’t dressed at all. The stallion was a deep forest-green, with gleaming emerald eyes, a brown mane, a short well-trimmed beard, and a braided tail. His cutie mark was covered up by his suit, so Nova wasn’t able to determine his talent. The mare was yellow-coated, with a golden mane and tail, and she looked gorgeous in the light streaming in, and she was currently minding the filly they had brought with them.

Nova’s gaze, however, was drawn to that filly. She was pink-coated, with a golden mane that was pulled back into a ponytail, tied with a green ribbon. She wore a simple dress, with a simple citrine pendant hanging from her neck, and with her bright green eyes, she was gazing at Nova Shine in utter wonder and no small amount of trepidation. Nova frowned at her. She seemed very familiar, but he couldn’t quite put his hoof on exactly where he had seen her before.

“Lord Archmage,” the stallion bowed, his voice a very rich bass that seemed to make the very air in front of him vibrate. He didn’t have that je ne sais quoi in his voice that usually tipped Nova off to someone brown-nosing; he seemed to be offering legitimate congrats. “We cannot tell you how glad we were that we were at least able to make the reception today, per Doctor Hoofman’s invitation. Sincere congratulations on your Ascendancy.”

“Thank-you,” Nova smiled graciously, reaching out and shaking hooves with the stallion. “Have you enjoyed it so far?”

“Oh yes, we have! Gleamy just could not stop talking about how excited she was to come see you,” the mare said, patting the filly’s back. The filly flushed at her mom’s teasing, and seemed to shrink under Nova’s amused look. “She always gets excited when you’re here for your lectures. And even with all the ponies here, she’s refusing to let us leave until we got to see you!”

“You seem familiar,” Nova said, now looking “Gleamy” in the eyes, which caused her to shrink even further toward the ground. “Have we met before?”

“I… y-yes…” she said softly. It sounded like a whimper and it sounded so very much like Fluttershy... “O-once.”

“Really?” If Professor Hoofman had invited the family, did that mean she was a student here? “You’ll have to refresh my memory, sorry,” he smiled apologetically. “I’m usually good with names, but not faces.”

The filly bit her lip, now looking completely terrified all of a sudden. “I’m B-Bright Gleam,” she squeaked.

“Bright Gleam?” Nova asked, recognition flooding through him. A pink filly with a golden mane and tail, running up to him crouched on one of the windowsills in this very room, and tagging him on the thigh as part of a “really hard test…”

“Yes, she’s a huge fan of yours,” the stallion said, apparently oblivious to his mortified daughter. “Has been for several years now. Attended all three of your guest lectures here at the school and everything. She’s in her final year now, and I imagine when she graduates, she’s gonna want to maybe work for--”

“Can I be your apprentice?”

Almost instantly, everything around them ground to a halt. While most of the chatter in the room continued, oblivious to what had just been asked at the high table, several ponies in the immediate area were now openly watching what was happening. Celestia and Luna looked surprised, and Luna seemed almost impressed at Bright Gleam’s daring, Twilight looked stunned, and all Nova could do was stare at the filly.

“Can you repeat that?” he asked, slowly, and making sure to keep as much emotion out of his voice as possible.

Immediately, her parents leapt into action.

“I am so sorry about her,” the mother said, with a strained smile on her face.

“You see what I mean?” asked the stallion, clearly trying to play it off with an amused smile, though he couldn’t fake it very well. ”She just adores you compl--”

“Enough,” Nova said firmly. Authoritatively. As an archmage-- no, as a prince would. He stood up, teleported in front of the table with the tiniest flashes of blue light, and approached the filly directly, ignoring her parents, who seemed to be on the verge of panic. The filly now seemed like she wanted to run and hide under a rock, but she stood her ground. Nova admired that about her. Scared out of her mind, but she wouldn’t flee. “Can you repeat that?” he asked again, softly. So that only she and her parents could hear.

“I w-want to be your apprentice,” she said, her voice shaking as she admitted it. “C-can I?”

For a moment, Nova said nothing, just studying the filly, who seemed to be on the verge of just running away, yet here she stood. She was clearly in her late teens, with the lanky figure of a pony who hadn’t quite filled out their body, which made it all the more apparent that she was trembling from head to hoof.

Acting on instinct, and remembering the many times Princess Luna had done this, he reached out a hoof, and gently placed it on her shoulder.

The effect was immediate. The trembling ceased, though she was still taking heavy, shaking breaths.

He looked over to Luna and Celestia. They were watching the scene quite intently. On seeing him look to her, Luna seemed to ponder it for a moment, before she held out both her hooves and shook her head. Nova recognized that she wasn’t telling him no, but rather, she was leaving the choice up to him.

He was the Archmage of Equestria. It was now his, and only his, decision.

Looking over at Twilight, she looked… proud of him? When she noticed he was looking, she gave him a nod. Did that mean she thought he should? Or was that just her telling him he was doing well?

Was it both?

Taking a deep breath, he turned back to Bright Gleam, and bent down just a bit to meet her at eye level.

“Bright Gleam, I can effectively say that you’ve given me the biggest surprise of the day. I certainly did not expect someone to ask me to make an apprentice of them for at least a few weeks.”

It was an attempt to ease the tension, and it seemed to do it by just the tiniest amount. She almost let out a giggle, but her mortification outweighed her amusement.

“So,” he said, measuring every word, “before we even get into yes or no, I would just like to understand why. Your parents believe that you look up to me, and asking me to become my apprentice is proof enough of that. But is there more to it?”

Now everyone in the room seemed aware that something was going on. There was still quite a bit of chatter, but it was hushed now, as everyone was watching the scene play out.

She took a few deep breaths, licked her lips, and then seemed to steel herself.

“D-do you remember the day y-you came here four years ago?”

“I do,” Nova nodded. It was hard to forget that day. Receiving the full report of the defining incident of his childhood, meeting Tantalus Lulamoon for the first time after said incident, Twilight confessing that she truly loved him for the first time…

“Do you remember me?” she asked, even more softly. “I-it’s okay if you don’t, I mean--” she seemed to stumble over her words for a moment, but after a pause, she found her footing and continued. “I was the one that started throwing the food at you, remember?”

The image of foals throwing every messy bit of food they could get their hooves on entered his mind, and couldn’t resist a laugh. “Oh yes,” he said, “I remember you now. A clever idea, throwing messy food because it would stick to me and reveal where the invisible stallion was at.”

She smiled at the encouragement, but it was a fleeting thing, vanishing almost immediately.

“I…” She fell onto her haunches and tapped her hooves together awkwardly, “I just… you inspired me that day,” she admitted, as her face flushed. “What you said after I said I could do a spell b-better than you. It... it didn’t matter to you how powerful you were, but you were proud to be Princess Luna’s apprentice anyway.”

Nova looked over at his old teacher in time to see her completely look away to hide her eyes, though he didn’t miss the emotional smile she tried to conceal as she did so.

“S-so when I…” she swallowed, “wh-when I heard you were gonna be the Archm-mage, I j-just…”

She trailed off and looked away, and Nova could practically feel the heat radiating off of her face as it reddened even more.

Nova removed his hoof from her shoulder and instead stood up, turning to each of her parents, who looked equal parts stunned and terrified.

“I don’t suppose you both are free tomorrow?” he asked, taking just a smidge of grim amusement at just how terrified they were. Here they were, in a room full of some of the most influential ponies in Equestrian society, and their daughter had just committed a serious faux pas that even they had known would have ramifications. He could already see the newspaper headlines the next morning…

“T-tomorrow?” the stallion asked, gulping nervously and looking over helplessly at his wife. “I… yes, I think we are, but--”

“It’s fine, it’s fine,” Nova assured them. “I just think this is a conversation better had away from the pomp and circumstance of the occasion. Taking an apprentice is something I’ve always thought about, but I didn’t think I would be confronted about it so soon, so you’ll forgive me for needing some time to think it over.”

He offered a hoof to Bright Gleam to help her back to her hooves. She seemed to be calming down now. Her breath was far more normal, and her blush appeared to be going down, and she was finally able to look him in the eyes again. She glanced at his hoof nervously, then back to him, before finally taking it and letting him help her back to her feet.

“T-tomorrow it is,” the stallion nodded tensely. “We live in Lower Canterlot…”

“Just make sure Professor Hoofman has your address,” Twilight said, stepping into the conversation. “Nova can get it from him, and I know he will be looking forward to seeing you again tomorrow!”

The mare let out a relieved sigh, now that everything seemed to be wrapping up. “Yes, we will have everything prepared for you. Again, sorry for disrupting the reception.”

“No no no, not at all,” Nova shook his head vigorously. Perhaps too vigorously, but the last thing he wanted was for this to be weighing on the young filly’s mind. “If anything, you’ve actually improved the evening,” he added in an undertone, which got a gigglesnort from Bright Gleam.

“So… tomorrow around lunchtime, then?” the stallion asked, glancing over to his wife nervously.

“Yes, I think that will be perfect,” Nova said, dipping his head as Twilight reached her own hoof out to shake theirs. “It was very lovely to meet you, and I am looking forward to it!”

“Y-yes, as are we, Lord Archmage,” the stallion bowed, as did his wife.

His daughter, however, just met Nova’s eyes once again. She was shaking again, and chewing on her lip nervously. Nova gave her what he hoped was a disarming smile, and even a little wink, which seemed to do the trick though. Breaking into a relieved smile of her own, she followed her parents as they trotted rather hastily out of the lion’s den and back into the safety of the city.

“We’re gonna talk about this when we get done,” Twilight said in his ear. “You handled that really well.”

“Appreciate the praise, love,” Nova said, teleporting back into his seat.

Perhaps unfortunately for all of them, none of the other guests in line were quite as interesting. The rest of the reception had passed without any more surprises. Nova had been left to really consider what had been asked of him that whole time, which had, naturally, left him quite distracted.

Can I be your apprentice?

When she got to know him, when she knew who he really was, would she still want to?

The living room of the home Celestia and Luna were staying in was rather spartan compared to the castle, as was expected. Given that the Terrible Trio had destroyed almost all of their belongings, it was only natural that they only have the bare essentials now. The room was plain, with no real decor, and only a pair of couches, a couple of easy chairs, a stone hearth in one wall, and a simple coffee table between them.

Nova and Twilight sat on one couch, with Nova still wearing his new cloak, and Twilight’s hoof clutching his own, while their teachers sat on the opposite couch. Shining Armor was there too, holding Flurry as she napped in his hooves on one easy chair, rocking her gently and humming a lullaby tune, and Cadance was pacing around the entire room.

Nobody said anything after they all sat down. No one wanted to be the first to mention the topic of the hour. Nova was still very perturbed by it himself, given he was currently frowning at a particularly uninteresting bit of carpet on the floor. Goodness only knows what was running through his head right now.

“Sooooooooo…” Twilight said, with a nervous glance to her right at her pensive coltfriend, “who wants to talk about the elephant in the room?”

“She was just so adorable!” cooed Cadance, positively squeeing at the memory. “And so very brave! Walking into a room full of ponies who wanted nothing more than to advance themselves by getting in our new Archmage’s good books, and then asking him to be his apprentice with no frills or conditions…”

“Yes, I have to admire that filly’s temperament,” Luna nodded. “A very bold question to ask, on this day of all days.”

“What did you think?” Twilight asked, nudging Nova.

“Huhwha?” Nova started, blinking out of his thoughts. “What were we talking about?”

“That filly! What was her name again?” Cadance tapped her chin.

“Bright Gleam,” Nova answered immediately.

“Yes, her!” she beamed. “What do you think?”

“What do you mean, what do I think?”

“Oh come on!” Shining exclaimed, which elicited a sleepy grumble from Flurry. “You had to admit that it was really gutsy.”

“Yeah,” Nova said, his gaze falling on the sleeping child in Shining’s arms. “Yeah… it was,” he agreed distantly.

Twilight nudged him again.

“What?” He asked, looking back at her. To his surprise, she had a knowing smile on her face.

“You want kids,” she stated.

Nova blinked.

“Uhh, what?”

“You want kids,” she repeated, pointing at Flurry. “It’s plain as day. I’ve seen how you look when Shining’s holding her. I’ve seen how you adore the colts and fillies of both Celestia’s school and my own. I’ve seen how you never pass up an opportunity to play with Pound and Pumpkin whenever we’re at Sugarcube Corner.”

She reached out and took his hooves in hers. “You want to be a father, don’t you?”

A scene passed through Nova’s mind at that moment. Nova imagined himself standing beside a bed, while a young white unicorn filly with a navy blue mane curled up in her bed, her stuffed Spikey clutched in her front hooves, and staring at Nova with glittering violet eyes, and asking him to read her a bedtime story.

Nova would smile, and his favorite storybook would appear in his hooves, the story of how the filly’s brave mother had once defeated Nightmare Moon against all odds, with the help of her friends. The filly would gasp when Twilight nearly fell off a cliff but for Applejack, would exclaim “No!” when the Shadowbolts tried to coax Rainbow Dash from their goal, would nearly cry when Nightmare Moon destroyed the Elements of Harmony, and would cheer when he told her how the Elements were restored and how her momma and her friends used them to restore Princess Luna.

But then when Nova finished the story, with Princess Celestia decreeing that Twilight could live in Ponyville with her friends, the filly would cry out in dismay. “But what about you, daddy? Why weren’t you in the story with momma?”

Nova would smile, reach over and lightly ruffle her mane, whisper, “A story for another night, little star,” and draw the blanket over her. As he trotted back toward the door, he would turn back to see her still watching him, not wanting to go to sleep yet, and he’d smile reassuringly at her and say “I love you, little Glimmer.” She would say, “Love you more, dad.” He would fire back, “I love you the most.” And again she would say, “Love you times infinity.” Just before he shut the door, she would lift up her head and ask, “Dad, can you leave it open? Just a little bit?” He would nod, and whisper, “Good night, little star.”

Nova left the door, and as he did, the scene vanished. Nova found himself back in the Princess’ temporary home on the couch in their sitting room, surrounded by something warm. He blinked, and took stock of his surroundings. Twilight was holding him, her head resting on his shoulder, and he was surprised to feel that there was a tear trailing down his cheek. Celestia, Luna, Cadance, and Shining were all watching him, with varying degrees of emotion pervading their features. Cadance and Luna both looked ready to coo and fawn all over them. Celestia just quietly observed the scene and their affection for each other, and Shining was trying not to watch, either to give them some space or because he wanted to appear a bit more stallionly in front of his future brother-in-law.

I love you, little Glimmer...

“I want foals too,” Twilight confessed, adjusting her head so that it was now in the crook of his neck. “I’ve wanted foals since… well, as long as I can remember.”

“Aren’t we here to talk about a new apprentice?” Nova asked, failing to stifle a sniffle as he wiped his cheek with the shoulder Twilight wasn’t occupying.

“You’ll find that raising a child and guiding an apprentice are very different in many ways, but also very similar in others,” Celestia replied, still watching the scene in front of her. Twilight still hadn’t let go, and in all honesty, Nova didn’t want her to.

“And you know this from experience?” Nova asked, arching an eyebrow.

Celestia merely smiled mysteriously. Nova didn’t miss that Cadance gave her an uneasy glance at that. Did she actually…?

Finally sensing that the moment was officially gone, he eased Twilight off of him, though she was most reluctant to let go. Taking a deep breath in through his nose, he gave everyone there a look, with his gaze yet again lingering on Flurry, before he finally spoke.

“Yes, I want to accept her as my apprentice,” he confessed, oddly not feeling reluctant about doing so. “But…” he sighed as he felt the familiar pang in his gut, “I just… I’m not sure…”

“You don’t think you would make for a good teacher,” finished Luna. “Just like you don’t think you will make a good Archmage, or that you don’t think you’ve done anything worthy of us actually appointing you to the position in the first place.”

Nova stared at her. How…?

“Well, you didn’t have to say it so bluntly…” he rubbed at the back of his head, going a bit pink.

“You may not think so,” Twilight took over for Luna, “but we really were listening when you said you wanted to postpone the ceremony.”

“Aye,” Luna dipped her head. “And I was watching when you drank a little too much only a few short weeks ago, and ended up a wreck who didn’t believe he was capable of taking over a position held by two of your ancestors and many other legendary mares and stallions in the past.”

“Nova,” Cadance trotted up and touched his arm, “if any of us didn’t think you were capable, or that you were a bad fit for the position, we never would have let it get this far to begin with. Give us just a little credit. We’ve only been ruling lands for a combined nearly sixteen-hundred years between us.”

“Take out Celestia and that value plummets, Cadenza,” Nova pointed out. “She skews the average with her millennium-long reign.”

“The point is,” Twilight draped a wing around him, “you are very worried that you will let us and Equestria down as the Archmage, because you don’t think you’re good enough for it. We have known that you believe this for many moons now, and we’re here for you,” she assured him, patting his arm fondly. “If you can’t have any faith in yourself, then please, have faith in us and in our decision.”

Nova said nothing, and instead allowed himself to lean into Twilight. Honestly, what would he do without her? Just where would he be without all of them? Still running? Still desperate to escape his family? He’d probably still hate Cadance’s guts, now he thought about it.

“So…” he said after a long moment, “do you think…?”

“Yes?” Celestia asked, smiling encouragingly.

“D’you think I should take her as an apprentice, then?”

“I do,” Princess Celestia nodded. “I feel as though there is much you could learn from her, and she from you.”

“I feel the same!” Luna exclaimed, vaulting over to sit on Nova’s other side. “There is so much to learn from mentorship. You helped me learn so much, and without a doubt, she will return the favor on my behalf.”

“And I learned a lot from mentoring Starlight,” Twilight added, sliding her hoof down his arm and taking his hoof in it. “I’ll be there to help if you need it. You don’t have to do it alone.”

“But…” Nova felt the familiar feeling of shame as the undeserved support washed over him. “But… what if I’m a bad teacher?”

“What if you’re a bad teacher?” Twilight asked, failing to contain a titter. “Nova, it’s because of you that Sweetie Belle learned how to harness her magic in the first place, don’t you remember? You’ve been called to make three guest lectures at Celestia’s School, and I find every excuse to have you speak to the creatures at my school. If you were a bad teacher, don’t you think Professor Hoofman or I would have found some polite way to ask you not to lecture again?”

Nova said nothing, though he felt himself brighten just enough at that.

“It’s your decision,” Twilight continued, squeezing the hoof in hers ever so slightly, “but… well, I think taking an apprentice is the best thing you could do to help you settle into the position. Someone else that you can confide in, and someone to offer fresh perspectives. After all, Starlight did all that for me.”

“And a certain first and seventeenth Night Apprentice did the same for me,” Luna added, giving Nova a fond look. “For both times that I had to adjust to ruling, my dear apprentice was, in many ways, the rock that I needed in a way that my sister could not provide. Truly, I do not know what I would have done without him.”

“And many times, I myself found that taking the time to teach someone can be a welcome distraction from your problems,” Celestia trotted over and draped a wing around her sister, a wing that also proved long enough to envelop her, Nova, and Twilight all at once. “If you want my advice, then take an apprentice, Nova. Educate them, nurture them, allow yourself to grow close to them, and allow them to grow close to you. You will find that nothing is more rewarding than helping someone along to realizing their potential, and nothing comes even close to the pride that comes from seeing them become who they were meant to be.”

She punctuated this statement with a squeeze that all three of them felt.

“Alright then,” Nova let out a shaky breath. The young filly’s face filled his mind once again, so full of terror when she had taken that leap of faith, but full of wonder only moments before. “Twilight?”

“Hm?” He could almost hear the grin that he knew was spreading across her muzzle.

“I don’t suppose you have any lunch plans tomorrow? There’s someone I want you to come with me to meet.”

“Nova,” she squeezed his hoof once again “I thought you’d never ask.”

It felt like the entire room was spinning.

Bright Gleam had gone straight to her room as soon as they had gotten home, had shut the door, and had spent the entire night stewing after she’d ruined the reception. Seriously, what had she been thinking? That the newly-minted Archmage of Equestria, who was engaged to the Crown-Princess who would be taking full control over Equestria in just a few short months, would accept her? Sure, she was competing to be the top student in her class at Celestia’s School, but what was that worth compared to the literal Archmage of Equestria?

There had to be hundreds of colts and fillies that were top of their classes across Equestria. Was she somehow expecting that she could be so lucky out of all of them? And what if she finished salutatorian and not valedictorian? She’d be behind all of them.

There was no chance in Tartarus, was there?

Letting out a mopey sigh, Gleam rolled over onto her back. The pictures around her room always offered fond memories, but one of them just made her cringe now. It depicted Archmage Nova Shine standing at the center of a large lecture hall in the remote campus of Celestia’s School, down here in Lower Canterlot, giving a speech to all of the colts and fillies present, and she looked just so happy to be there to her Mom’s camera...

She was a braceface at the time, attending one of the Archmage’s lectures at Celestia’s School back a few years ago. Honestly, she could remember every detail what he had lectured on! She remembered being there, and how smart he had been! How inspiring! Sure, he’d been born to a rich family, but he’d been living barely better than on the streets for most of his adolescent years, until Princess Luna found him and educated him.

“The point is that if I can make it from where I came from,” he had said, looking at each and every one of them in the room, “that if a unicorn trying to run away from his own parents, who struggled to cast even rather basic spells, could go on to become the Archmage-in-Training, then there’s hope for every single one of you here to go on to do great things.”

Her mom had insisted on getting a photograph with him in the background. They couldn’t go up and have a picture taken with him directly, and even if they could, it’s not like he’d stand for a photo-op with her when he had better things to do.

There was a distant knocking sound, but she didn’t pay it much mind. At least, not until her mother’s voice called from downstairs.

“Gleam? Can you get that?”

“Sure Mom!” she called, rolling off of her bed with a groan and plodding out of her room, down the stairs, and out toward the door. Pulling it open, she plastered the practiced smile on her face and--

--and slammed the door shut immediately, right in the faces of the new Archmage and the Crown Princess.

There was a single heartstopping moment, where she could feel her heart beating a mile a minute as she processed what she had just done, when the most unexpected sound she could imagine started coming from outside the door: laughter.

The Archmage was laughing, and it didn’t seem to be derisive, either!

“What’s so funny?” she heard the Princess ask.

“I did this exact same thing to Princess Luna when she showed up at my door seven years ago!” the Archmage exclaimed. “I thought I was about to be sent to the moon!”

He… wasn’t mad?

She opened the door just a crack and peered out. Archmage Nova Shine was actually struggling to stop laughing at this point, having fallen on his haunches and stuffed both hooves into his mouth despite the tremors wracking his body. Princess Twilight, however, just shook her head in that bemused disbelief.

“My silly stallion…” she chuckled, before she noticed Bright Gleam peeking out at them. “Oh!” She gave the Archmage a hard elbow, which startled him out of his laughter. “Stand up!” she hissed, which got him to scramble to his feet and find her gaze.

“Oh, hi,” he said, acting as though he hadn’t just been caught up in a laughing fit only a few seconds ago. “Bright Gleam, right?”

“Y-yes sir,” she whispered, suddenly overwhelmed by the fact that the princess and her hero were right on her house’s front porch!

“Your parents should be expecting us,” the Princess said, giving her a kind smile. “How have you been since the reception yesterday?”

“Fine!” she exclaimed, a bit too insistently. “I have been perfectly fine, and haven’t spent all my time thinking about how stupid I was for asking you that, sir!”

Archmage Nova Shine and Princess Twilight blinked, looked at each other for a moment, and then back to her.

“...right,” Archmage Nova Shine said, before continuing. “Are your parents home?”

“Y-yes,” she squeaked. For a moment they stared at her, but then something clicked in her mind, and she scrambled backwards, holding open the door for them. “Sorry! Sorry, sorry…”

“It’s alright,” the Archmage smiled at her. “I’ve got some news that I think you might like to hear.”

Gleam felt… felt something shoot through her. Was it alarm? Was she, dare she say it, excited? In any case, she just stared after him, slack-jawed and rooted to the floor.

No… no, it couldn’t be.

Forcing herself to follow them, Gleam stepped through the hall and into their living room, where he found the Archmage and the Princess meeting Mom and Dad again.

“Thank-you for having us,” Princess Twilight said graciously, shaking Mom’s hoof.

“Anything for the Princess and Archmage,” answered Dad in his rumbling voice. “We never introduced ourselves, did we? My name is Timber Feller, and this is my wife, Golden Glow.” Mom bowed to their guests.

The Archmage seemed to grin. “Oh, you work with one of the lumber companies?” he asked Dad, sounding very interested.

“I do actually,” Dad sounded surprised that the Archmage figured this out. “I’m actually the director of the Big C Lumber Company. Recently promoted, but still,” he grinned under his beard, “next to being Equestria’s new Archmage, that must be nothing, right?”

Gleam noticed a brief frown cross the Archmage’s face, but it vanished as quickly as it came.

“I’m sure you’ll do wonderfully,” he said, smiling modestly. “Though as it happens, I have been meaning to inquire about placing a large order of lumber and stone for a rather large construction project I’ll be needing in the near future, but we can go over that later. There is something rather important today that we came to talk about, and we were hoping to head back to Ponyville later this afternoon.”

“Yes, why don’t we…” Dad gestured at the couch. The room was rather small, with only a couch, a few pictures hanging on the walls, a bookshelf with some knick-knacks scattered around it, and two extra wooden chairs from the dining room that Mom and Dad had brought in for them. “I know it’s probably not what either of you are used to, but…”

“Oh, it’s perfectly fine!” chirped Princess Twilight, trotting over toward one of the wooden chairs and taking a seat. “It reminds me of when I still lived with my parents, actually, although they live up in Upper Canterlot.”

“The house I lived in for several years in Neighton and again in Ponyville was pretty modest as well,” the Archmage added, taking his own seat beside her. “Despite being where we’re at now, we both had somewhat humble beginnings.”

Her parents looked mortified at the sight.

“P-princess, we-- please, sit on the couch! We would never ask you to sit on wooden--” Mom looked as terrified as Gleam had felt yesterday. Surprisingly, however, Gleam suddenly felt like she was the calm one in the room.

“Mrs. Glow, it’s fine!” Princess Sparkle assured her. “It is your house, we would never want to impose.”

Mom and Dad looked at each other, simultaneously gulped, and seemed to regret every life decision they ever made, even as they made their way over to their sofa.

“So, yesterday you approached me at the high table,” the Archmage began, turning to look her right in the eyes. Blue met green, and the calmness she was feeling disappeared once again, leaving her insides feeling all mushy and her legs feeling like jelly.

Was this what that one guy meant when he said “Never meet your heroes”?

“Y-yes sir,” she nodded.

“You asked me if you could be my apprentice,” he continued. The way he said it was amazing in itself. Just a simple statement of fact. No accusation, no judgement, nothing to make her feel any worse about herself!

“I d-did.”

Archmage Nova Shine smiled at her, which didn’t help her calm down much. “Well, Bright Gleam--”

“M-my friends just call me Gleam!” she blurted out, unable to stop herself.

Archmage Nova Shine blinked, before he nodded. “Very well. Gleam, I told you yesterday that you were the biggest surprise of the day, in no small part because I didn’t think I would be taking an apprentice so soon after my Ascendancy. I have to admit,” he gave her an approving nod, “I admire your nerve. To walk up to my table on that day and ask that, no matter how scared you were, and not flee? Well… let’s just say you helped your own case tremendously.”

She blinked dumbly. No… no, don’t do that. Don’t give me hope… she silently pleaded.

He took a deep breath.

“Bright Gleam,” he rose and trotted over toward her, before he knelt down to meet her at eye level, “I would be honored to have you as my apprentice.”

Silence washed over the room. Her parents’ mouths fell open. Princess Twilight was watching her expectantly. Archmage Nova Shine was looking her right in the eyes and waiting for a response and what was she supposed to do!? What was she supposed to say!?

She fell onto her rump, as her legs suddenly lost all feeling entirely, yet despite this, there was this feeling building up inside her. Something that demanded to come out. Like a great balloon, it welled up inside of her at top speed as she proceeded what Archmage Nova Shine had just asked her.

“I would be honored to have you as my apprentice.”

The dam burst.

“YES!” she shrieked, leaping into the air, suddenly feeling as though she could shoot herself up into the sky, which manifested itself in her jumping around the room. “Yes yes yes yes YES!”

She was vaguely aware of her parents glancing at each other in shock, before breaking into nervous stupid grins of their own.

“You’re… you’re serious?” Mom asked the Archmage.

“...Yes yes yes yes yes!...”

Archmage Nova Shine nodded firmly and instantly. “One hundred percent. We talked it over last night, and all of us-- that is to say, Twilight, Celestia, Luna, Cadance, Captain Armor, and I-- we all think this is something that both of us would greatly benefit from.”

“Yes, b-but…” Dad searched for words, “b-but our Gleam?”

“She made quite an impression on Nova yesterday,” Princess Twilight patted the archmage’s arm. “I think Nova really wanted to say yes almost as soon as she asked, but it was something we needed to talk about.”

“...Yes yes YES! Yes yes yes yes!...”

“Oh my…” Mom said, slowly sinking off of the couch and onto the ground, overcome with emotion. “Oh my stars… our little Gleam, the Archmage’s apprentice…”

Dad just looked completely and utterly lost for words, watching her prance around the room, still shouting “Yes!” to the high heavens. Oh, she could fly over the moon right now!

Of all the unicorn colts and fillies, in all of the schools, in all of Equestria, he had chosen her!

“Gleam,” Archmage Nova Shine reached out a hoof and waved to get her attention, “I’m glad you’re excited, but there’s some stuff you need to know.”

Sliding to a stop, Gleam danced in place, squirming with excitement and squeeing even harder than the time Mom and Dad had gotten her tickets to see Countess Coloratura live a few years ago. It was just so wonderful!

Princess Twilight was suppressing as much laughter as she could, which made Gleam tilt her head in some confusion. “What’s so funny, Princess?”

“Well, you are!” Princess Twilight said, before giggling again. “Gleam, I did exactly the same thing when I got my cutie mark and Princess Celestia showed up to offer me her tutelage. You just… reminded me of me, I guess.”

Reminding the Princess of herself? Was that a good thing?

“Please, sit down,” Archmage Nova Shine gestured at the sofa. “There is still some stuff to talk about. For starters, you’re in your final year at Celestia’s School, right?”

“Yes sir,” she dipped her head. Not a hint of a quake in her voice! It was amazing what a few words could do to her! “School’s closed until further notice, though. Terrible Trio attack and all.”

“Right,” the Archmage nodded, as if confirming something. “Well, we still currently live down in Ponyville, and that won’t change until her coronation,” he gestured at Princess Twilight. “After that, we’ll move up to Canterlot full-time but as it stands, we’ll be in Ponyville for at least the next several months That being said, given that we don’t know when your school starts again, and us being in Ponyville for the foreseeable future, I would like to know, do you want to start your training immediately, or do you want to wait until after you graduate?”

“As soon as possible, please!” she replied instantly. “What are you going to teach me?”

“Gleam, slow down,” Archmage Nova Shine held up his hooves. “There’s still quite a bit to hammer out here. For starters, there is the fact that when your last year starts back up, your apprenticeship will be put on hold until you’ve graduated, just so you know.”

“I figured,” she admitted. “And I was going to ask for it anyway. I’ve put too much effort into trying to be Head of Class to back out now.”

“She really does remind me a lot of me,” Princess Twilight sighed nostalgically.

“If you want to start now, or any time soon before school starts,” Archmage Nova Shine continued, “then it seems prudent to me that you come stay with us in Ponyville.”

“Wh-what?” Dad asked, rising to his hooves. “Ponyville? It’s so far away! And you were leaving today!”

“It’s down in the Canterhorn Valley, a pegasus taxi away,” Princess Twilight responded. “We talked this over. Nova’s previous teacher had wings and the bits to afford scrying orbs to educate him. Nova does have the bits, but he doesn’t have the wings, and proximity is important in an apprenticeship.”

“B-but-- where will she stay? At your Friendship Castle?" Mom asked.

“I have a house I haven’t been able to live in since Twilight got her eyesore of a castle,” Princess Twilight thumped him for that one, “and I’m perfectly willing to let her live in it.”

“But what about bits?” Dad asked. It seemed as though they wanted to say no to her now, something that was seriously starting to annoy her. Couldn’t they see this is what she wanted!? “Will you be buying her food or something?”

“No,” Archmage Nova Shine shook his head, “but I will be giving her a weekly stipend to make sure she has plenty to put food on the table. I will always take care of anyone I’m responsible for.”

“Mom, Dad,” Gleam cut in, “I really want this! Please?”

Mom and Dad looked at each other, clearly searching for words. “We’re not saying you can’t be the Archmage’s apprentice, Gleam,” Dad finally said to her. “Hay, we’re not even telling you you can’t do this. It’s your decision, it’s just…”

“We want to make sure you’re taken care of,” Mom said, trotting over and giving her a quick hug. “We promise, we want this just as badly as you do, but…”

“But you want to make sure your child is in good hooves,” Archmage Nova Shine finished, with his fiancee nodding approvingly. “And that’s something I can promise. If not mine, then the Princess’ hooves. And I have something to confess as well,” he added, meeting her at eye level again. “I… cannot promise that I will be a good teacher, Gleam.”

“Wh-what do you mean?” she asked, confused. Him? Not a good teacher? Preposterous! He was always a great teacher whenever he came to the school!

“You would be my first apprentice, and while I was taught by the best, that doesn’t mean that I will be as good a teacher as her. So…” he gave her a small grimace, “I guess I’m asking for a little bit of patience. If you do decide this is something you want--”

“Sir, I’ve already decided--”

Nova just cut her off with a wave of his hoof. “Please, Gleam. Let me finish.”

She did so, falling silent. The Archmage took a deep breath.

“I’m asking you to talk to me,” he confessed, looking into her eyes with an almost pleading look. “I’m going to do my best to train you, to help you grow, all that stuff, but that’s no guarantee that I will do it right, or be any good at it. I’m going to have Princess Twilight’s help,” he reached back and placed it on the first part of her he could find, which was her lower left leg, “but if you don’t think you’re responding well to something, or you’re having trouble and I’m not noticing, then don’t be afraid to tell me.”

He smiled in that great way he always did.

“I may be asking to be your teacher, but I also want to be a friend.”

He stood up and offered a hoof.

“So, I’ll ask again. Since it’s quite clear no one has any objections about you becoming my apprentice, would you like to start immediately, and stay with us in Ponyville? Or perhaps wait until you graduate?”

Gleam looked over to Mom and Dad. They looked at each other, and for one heart-stopping moment, she thought they might say no.

Instead, they both nodded, beaming at her.

“Yes,” she breathed, feeling the same balloon inflating inside of her once again. “Yes, I would--” she caught herself, and then did the politest bow she could. “I would be honored to be your apprentice, Archmage Nova Shine.”

The Archmage snorted. “Don’t do that again, please. I’m not some stuffy noble you need to curtail to every time you see me.”

“You’re not stuffy, but you are a noble, though,” Princess Twilight teased, giving him a nudge, before turning to address Gleam. “Well, if you’re coming with us, you may want to pack some of your things.”

It was later said that her subsequent squee had been so loud, Princess Luna’s thestral Knightmares lost several hours of sleep over it.

Gleam could hardly contain her excitement! That huge balloon inside of her was back, and it felt like it could burst at any second!

It was really happening!

The last few days had been an enormous blur for her. It all seemed too good to be true! She had ridden in a chariot with Archmage Nova Shine and Princess Twilight AND Spike the Brave and Glorious himself! That alone was an experience unlike anything she had ever had before. Spike was just so funny, and Princess Twilight was just so patient and understanding! And of course there was also the Archmage, who was just so… so amazing! His understanding of magic was unparalleled! All three of them were just wonderful to be around!

And the house! The house the Archmage owned in Ponyville was huge, with a personal library and everything! It must have cost thousands of bits, and he was just letting her stay in it for free!

After they’d gotten her settled, Princess Twilight had shown her around the town and introduced her to all of her friends (she’d gotten to meet THE Rainbow Dash! The fastest flier in Equestria AND one of the Wonderbolts!), while Archmage Nova Shine was apparently doing something with Princess Luna. But later that afternoon, he had taken her out to Sweet Apple Acres, and he’d had her do all sorts of spells and stuff, trying to get a feel for where she was and what she could do.

She was pretty pleased that she could do most of them, though she wished he hadn’t asked her to enchant anything. Enchanting had never been something she was good at, and to struggle so badly in front of him was kind of embarrassing, but he seemed to be perfectly understanding about it.

Then there was the “Welcome To Ponyville And Congratulations On Becoming Nova Shine’s Apprentice Party” that Ms. Pinkie Pie threw that night. Apparently it was a tradition or something. It was just so fun! She was a barrel of laughs, she made Gleam feel right at home despite only just meeting her, and she’d introduced Gleam to all these cool creatures like Smoulder, Gallus, Yona, Sandbar, Silverstream, and Ocellus!

Was every day as Archmage Nova Shine’s apprentice going to be so exciting? Probably not, but it was still a wonderful first impression.

There had been another few days while Archmage Nova Shine and Princess Twilight had let her get familiar with the town and did some archmagey and princessy stuff over those days, but they had still taken the time to introduce her to several ponies they thought she might like to know.

Counselor Lulamoon seemed like fun, and she was even from Canterlot too! It was really cool to know both the Archmage and Ms. Lulamoon. There was also Head Mare Starlight Glimmer and Vice Head Stallion Sunburst up at the school. Princess Twilight had assured her that she could always come to them, or her and her friends if she needed anything.

And the town!

She had only ever visited places like Manehattan and Fillydelphia, and even the Crystal Empire a couple of times, but never Ponyville. Truthfully, she had been a little apprehensive about moving here. She enjoyed Canterlot and having her friends there, so she was nervous about leaving them, even if it was only for a few weeks. As well, Ponyville had a… reputation.

Apparently odd things happened there every few Saturdays, and usually only for about 22 minutes or so at a time. Plus it was full of country ponies. She still remembered the ruckus that had been caused when a bunch of Ponyville yokels had interrupted a Canterlot garden party five years ago. The sons and daughters of the nobles at Celestia’s School still liked to bring it up whenever there wasn’t much else to gossip about. Apparently one of the yokels’ dancing was so bad, it made a grown stallion cry.

How well was she going to fit in? How well was she going to like it here in the long run? Sure, it was cool now, but who knows what can change with exposure? What she had seen so far made her feel like the place was going to be amazing, but would that remain the case?

This particular Saturday, a week after Archmage Nova Shine had accepted her as his apprentice, found her eagerly preparing to go about her day. It was supposed to be the first day Archmage Nova Shine was actually going to teach her something!

Teeth brushed, mane brushed, coat brushed, everything a brush could brush brushed, she was ready for the day!

She still had a few hours to kill while Archmage Nova Shine did some more archmagey stuff. He always did some morning training and then some other stuff around lunchtime, but if she needed him, he said he was going to be at the Friendship Castle with Princess Twilight. Other than that, she was supposed to meet him at the Castle at 1:00 in the afternoon sharp! That couldn’t be too far away, could it?

...it was only 9:34. It was going to be a long morning.

But that just gave her a lot of time to think about what he was going to teach her! Would she be learning combat? Alchemy? What about elemental magic like fire manipulation?

Was it enchanting? She seriously hoped it wasn’t enchanting. The last thing she needed was to make a fool of herself on her first day. If she did, would he even want her as an apprentice? What if he didn’t? Would he send her away? Would she be forced to go back to Canterlot a failure? Would he even get her kicked out of Celestia’s School for not being good enough!? WOULD SHE EVEN BE ALLOWED TO USE MAGIC AGAIN!?

Four knocks sounded at the front door.

Gleam practically leaped off of Archmage Nova Shine’s couch and dashed for the door, eager for the distraction. Plastering a smile on her face that she hoped didn’t betray the turmoil within, she yanked the door open.

“Hello-welcome-to-Archmage-Nova-Shine’s-house-my-name-is-Bright-Gleam-how-can-I-help-you?” she asked, perhaps a little too cheerfully.

Smooth, Gleam. Real smooth.

The unicorn mare in front of her stared at her. She was green, with a dark-red mane that kinda reminded her of that Roseluck mare Ms. Pinkie Pie had introduced her to. She was wearing a beautiful ruby pendant around her neck, and if Gleam craned her neck just enough, she could make out an orange flower on her flank. But perhaps most striking about the mare were the bright red eyes that were scrutinizing her. Studying her. Judging her!

Gleam suppressed a shudder. Even random strangers were causing her distress.

“Yes, hello,” the mare said, sounding fairly impatient. “You said this is Nova Shine’s house?”

“Y-yes ma’am,” she dipped her head. “I’m Bright Gleam. He’s letting me stay here.”

“Bright Gleam, huh?” the mare asked. “Staying at the Archmage’s house. Why’s he letting you house-squat?”

“I-I’m his apprentice, ma’am,” she answered, trying to sound as bright as her name, but still not quite succeeding. “New apprentice,” she corrected hastily. “And I haven’t actually learned anything… yet, so…” she trailed off at the end and tapped her hooves together awkwardly.

The mare snorted slightly, though Gleam noticed the mare suddenly seemed acutely interested in her, and was looking her up and down. Gleam suppressed another shudder. There was just something… wrong with the way she was studying her.

“So he’s not here?” the mare finally asked.

“No ma’am,” Gleam shook her head. “But I know where he is. He’s at--”

“That’s alright,” the mare waved a hoof to cut her off. “Just pass along a message for me, would you?”

“Sure!” Gleam smiled. Finally, something she could do.

“Tell him… tell him an old friend wants to say hello,” Gleam noticed the ghost of a smile touch the mare’s lips. “And also, tell him I want to meet him back where it all began.”

Gleam tilted her head in confusion. Back where it all began?

“Should I give him a name?” she asked.

The mare shook her head, before turning and starting to trot away. “Trust me, he’ll know exactly who you’re talking about, though it might take him a moment. But if he can’t get it through his head, just remind him that no one says no to me.”

And with that, she was gone, back into the town, leaving her standing there awkwardly. And it might have been Gleam’s imagination, but as soon as the mare entered a crowd, she had vanished.

Who was that? she wondered, frowning. “Back where it all began”?

She supposed Archmage Nova Shine would know. It was, after all, a message from an old friend. And this would give her an excuse to get out of the house and go see him. Maybe he’d even give her a sneak peek at whatever topic they were going to be studying.

It wasn’t hard to find the Castle of Friendship. The thing could be seen from literally any part of town, but that just meant she’d have to literally trek across town. The house was on the complete opposite side of Ponyville, substantially closer to the large open square where according to the locals, the Golden Oaks Library had once been, which was probably intentional, given the house she was now living in had apparently been built before Tirek’s attack.

Gleam had thought it would have been cool to see the place Princess Twilight had lived before she had become a princess, but alas, now all that was there was the sprout of a new tree that was slowly growing.

She made her way through the town, eventually arriving at the castle. After pulling open the door and heading inside, she stared in every direction, wondering just where the Archmage and the Princess were at this time of day. Were they doing anything important? Perhaps they were at the school across the way? But before she could back out and head over there to check, she was startled to hear two unmistakable voices arguing not far away.

“--just think you’re asking me to take things a little too quickly, Twi,” a voice that was unmistakably Archmage Nova Shine’s said from whatever room he was in. It didn’t sound heated, but he certainly seemed irritated by something.

“If what you’ve told me about her is correct, and if I’m remembering the curriculum for Celestia’s School correctly, then it would really help her out for you to teach her this. Enchanting is one of the more heavily-weighted subjects in the final exam.”

Bright Gleam felt a veritable avalanche of dread at Princess Twilight’s words. Enchanting? On the first day!? Oh no, oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no! She really was going to embarrass herself on her first day!

“I don’t know, I just feel like jumping into a topic that she needs work on like that could cause problems,” Archmage Nova Shine protested. “Did I ever tell you how I reacted when Princess Luna tried to get me to figure out alchemy?”

“You told me enough,” Princess Twilight replied. “You convinced yourself that Princess Luna would strip you of your apprenticeship, if I’m remembering it right.”

“Yeah,” Archmage Nova Shine pressed. “What if she doesn’t get it? What if I can’t help her to get it? What if she doesn’t want to be my apprentice because I’m asking her to do what she thinks is too much, Twilight?”

What!? Not want to be his apprentice anymore!? How could he think anyone wouldn’t want to be his apprentice!? He was the Archmage! No one in their right mind wouldn’t want to be his apprentice!

Princess Twilight actually laughed at that one, something that made Gleam feel indignant for her master, even if she did also think that what he’d said was preposterous.

“Nova,” she said, with a kind and encouraging note in her voice, “from what I’ve seen of her in the little time I’ve gotten to talk to her, I don’t think you’ll ever have to worry about her not wanting to be your apprentice. I mean, she practically worships the ground you walk on. She actually came by and asked if she could borrow your old Night Master cloak for a few days. Looked scared out of her mind for daring to ask me for it, too.”

...that was true. She’d wanted to be prepared in case it actually was enchanting that he’d have her study on her first day. His cloak could supposedly do so many things. Some of the colts at the school said he could use it to fly, others thought he used it to turn invisible, one little filly with a hyperactive imagination thought he could use it to turn into a giant dragon, and her friend Tango Foxtrot swore he could use it to bat spells back at their caster. She’d told him that was next-to-impossible, but Foxtrot hadn’t backed down. Said he saw it with his own eyes during the Storm King’s invasion.

She thought that by studying his cloak, she might have been able to figure out how enchanting actually worked before he ever got to teach her. Make a good first impression and all, and maybe his cloak would have some kind of secret that the simple enchanted props at the school didn’t have.

“...Twilight,” Archmage Nova Shine said, so softly she could barely hear it, “will I be a good teacher?”

She heard a shuffling. “I think you will be a great teacher, Nova. Sure, you may need to adjust at first, but I’ve personally seen how you handle teaching, and I think with you guiding her, Bright Gleam will go on to do wondrous things.”

Gleam felt all mushy all of a sudden. Did Princess Twilight really have that kind of faith in her? It was easy to see why she would have that kind of faith in her master, since Archmage Nova Shine was one of the greatest ponies she knew, but how could the princess think so highly of her? She was just some random filly who’d been bold enough to ask if she could be his apprentice at his Ascendancy reception. It wasn’t like she had done anything really deserving of such praise.

There was a sniffling noise now, followed by more shuffling. “Th-thanks Twilight,” Archmage Nova Shine said, his voice now lightly quivering with emotion.

“Anything for you, love,” Twilight assured him. “Now, do you need a moment? Or can we get back to finding things for Gleam to enchant this afternoon?”

“J-just a moment,” Archmage Nova Shine replied, before she heard him start to trot.

...and he was trotting in her direction.

Before she could react, one of the doors in this entry hall was pushed open, and Archmage Nova Shine came trotting out, pawing at his eyes. Behind him were several boxes of things, clearly in the middle of being packed. Gleam remembered for a moment that they were planning on moving to Canterlot eventually due to Princess Twilight’s coronation, but she put that at the back of her mind. As the archmage stepped out, he looked up, and their eyes met. He froze where he stood when he realized who he was looking at.

“Gleam?” he asked, sounding surprised. “Our lesson isn't for another three hours.”

Princess Twilight’s head poked out from behind a wall, looking confused.

“Did you not sense her?”

“I didn’t,” said the Archmage, giving her an equally-confused look. “Is the castle blocking it or something?”

“It has before,” Twilight muttered to herself, frowning. “So, what brings you here, Gleam?” she asked, dropping the matter and trotting out of the room.

“I’m-sorry-for-eavesdropping!” she immediately answered, feeling the familiar panic burst forth. At once, she started to hyperventilate like she always did. “Please-don’t-send-me-back-I-promise-I-won’t-do-it-again!”

The archmage and princess glanced at each other, and back at her.

“Gleam, slow down,” Archmage Nova Shine instructed, trotting forward, placing a steadying hoof on her shoulder, and then reaching up and flicking the tip of her horn with his hoof. A chill ran down her spine, and she gasped as it seemed to… reset her? It felt like some kind of weird on-off switch, startling her out of her panic and putting her at least into less of a panicked state.

“Take deep breaths,” the archmage added, waiting patiently for her to calm down.

She did as she was asked, taking great gulps of air to calm down. His hoof did wonders alone, but the air really helped things, slowing her hammering heart and doing wonders for her composure. After a few seconds, he removed it and gave her a sympathetic smile.

“Better?” he asked kindly.

“Yes,” she bowed her head, relieved. “Thank-you master.”

“Never call me ‘master’ again,” the Archmage made a face. “Call me ‘Nova’, please.”

Bright Gleam felt dismay course through her system. The Archmage, the heir to the Novus clan and her master, wanted her, a commoner from Canterlot, to call him by his name!? She looked aghast at the very suggestion, which caused to start Princess Twilight start laughing again.

“B-but master, it wouldn’t be right to call you by name!” she protested. “And you didn’t want me calling you Lord Archmage all of the time!”

“Gleam,” Archmage Nova Shine said, sounding half-amused, half-exasperated now, “I may be the Archmage, and this means that yes, I am your master, but even so, I want to be a friend first, who just happens to be helping you to achieve your potential. I get it if you want to call me ‘master’ in front of others, but if it’s not in public and you have to call me something, just call me ‘teacher.’ Otherwise, please, just Nova will do.”

Gleam felt as though she were going through a mini-crisis right then and there. Her gaze flicked between the Archmage and Princess Twilight, almost as if she would get in trouble for daring to even consider the notion.

“Did you need something?” Princess Twilight asked, thankfully throwing her a lifeline, one that she took without a second thought. “As my bonehead of a fiancee said, your first lesson isn’t for another few hours.”

“Yes!” she blurted out. “Yes, I…” she took a deep breath again, slowing herself down to get it out in one piece, “someone came to see you.”

“Oh?” Twilight asked, giving Nova an odd look. “Someone came to see you at that old house? You haven’t even lived there in three years.”

“Yeah,” Nova frowned. “Weird. All my friends know I live here. Who was it? Did they leave a name?”

“No,” Gleam shook her head. “She just said that she wanted to meet you back at the beginning or something.”

“‘Back at the beginning?’” Twilight asked, now seeming positively flummoxed. “What… who…?”

“You said ‘she’. It was a mare, right?” Nova queried. When Gleam nodded, he asked, “What did she look like?”

“Well, she was green, with a dark red mane and tail,” she said, thinking back to the odd, impatient mare from a few minutes before.

There was a sharp intake of breath. Gleam blinked and refocused on her teacher. Archmage Nova Shine had stiffened, his eyes wide, and his mouth parted. Princess Twilight looked uneasy as well. She was looking between Gleam and her fiancee at lightning speed, but Gleam noticed that she was paying extra attention to the Archmage.

“Nova?” she asked, reaching out and touching his shoulder. “Are you--?”

A hoof shot toward Gleam and grabbed her by the shoulder so hard it almost hurt. Gleam jumped, staring at the white hoof gripping her, before she turned to find the Archmage’s face mere inches away from her own, and looking… scared?

“Her eyes,” Archmage Nova Shine said breathlessly. “What color were they?”

“Uh… red?” she answered softly.

Nova Shine’s hoof pulled her even closer, and the grip on her shoulder tightened. “Where!?” he demanded. There was a terrifying note of desperation in his voice, and she recoiled, but he didn’t lose his grip. “Bright Gleam, where did she say--?”

“Back-- back where it began!” Gleam answered, leaning away from him.

Archmage Nova Shine let her go immediately and galloped toward the door. There was a momentary flash of blue light and the Archmage’s Cloak appeared around his shoulders, flapping in the air as he sprinted away, out of the castle and in the direction of the Everfree Forest.

“Nova, wait!” cried Princess Twilight, flying after him. Gleam blinked stupidly for a moment, but then gave chase herself. Archmage Nova Shine didn’t pay her any heed, and seemed to gallop even faster.

“Master!” Gleam called after him. Princess Twilight glanced back at her, and then suddenly diverted coure, landing in front of Gleam and using her magic to stop Gleam in her tracks..

“No, Bright Gleam,” Princess Twilight ordered her, blocking off from following him. “You need to stay here!”

She tried to fight her way past the Princess. “But--”

“No buts!” Princess Twilight shoved her back with a single hoof. How strong was this mare? “You need to stay here, where it’s safe,” she commanded. “Go find Spike at the school, and tell him to send a letter to Princess Celestia and Luna. The letter should say that this is an emergency,” Gleam felt a chill run down her spine at that word, “and they needed to keep an eye on the Everfree Vaults, Go, now!”

Gleam scurried away, galloping toward the School of Friendship as fast as her legs could carry her, all while desperately hoping her teacher was going to be alright.

Nova ducked under brambles, dodged trees, jumped over fallen logs a-plenty, and otherwise sprinted through the woods as fast as his legs could carry him. While he had little time to dwell on it, he found himself actually being grateful to Sharp Eye and Princess Luna for insisting he train every morning. He hadn’t been able to run at a full sprint the entire time, but his endurance had allowed him to move at no slower than a canter the entire way to and past the castle, as he now approached the one place in the entire forest he had hoped he would never have to visit again.

It was close.

Ducking off the main path, he slipped through an extra-thick section of the jungle, continuing his mad dash. He didn’t care one bit about stealth at this point.

It can’t be her… he thought, almost pleading with reality. She can’t have returned so soon!

Finally, he pushed through and emerged into a clearing in the woods. Rubble lay before him, the remains of what had once been known as the Everfree Vaults. It was here that he had nearly died four years ago, that they had successfully sealed Envy away yet again, and that they had believed they would never have to deal with her in their lifetimes.

Yet there she was.

She hadn’t changed a bit. She was standing tall, just radiating vanity as a smile wormed its way across her face when she watched him enter the clearing. Her eyes were half-lidded, the ruby necklace she wore glinted in the sunlight, and a light breeze ruffled her maroon mane and tail ever so slightly.

And despite the fact that she was right in front of him, he couldn’t feel her at all! Why? His energy-sensing never failed him!

Worry about that later!

“Impossible,” Nova wheezed, gasping for air as his breathing caught up to his hour-long dash. “You… I sealed you away.”

“‘Oh hey Envy, it’s nice to see you again after four years, how have you been?’” she mocked, before the smug grin disappeared, replaced by a furious scowl. “It’s insulting of you to think that you could get rid of me so easily, Nova Shine.”

“How?” Nova asked, his voice barely above a croak. “The Novus Amulet fell down there with you. Even if you broke out, you couldn’t just shadow your way back here!”

“You wanna know something funny?” she asked in a sickly sweet voice, stepping toward him with a cloying grin. “Soul Jar magic trumps thousand-plus-year-old amulet magic. And unless that amulet is made out of orichalcum, it’s gonna run out of juice eventually. So yeah,” the grin faded, replaced with that scowl again. “An entire building dropped on my Soul Jar, leaving me with inches of space tops if I was able to get out, which meant my only hope was being able to break that amulet of yours forcing me into pony form instead of my oh-so-useful shadowy self.”

She punctuated the statement by dissolving. Her entire body dissipated into a grey shadowy cloud floating languidly in midair. But her eyes, burning in intensity, remained, and they were fixed on him.

“All I had to do was weaken the seal on the Soul Jar just enough to let me escape whenever I wanted, and then stick a hoof or two out until the amulet ran out of energy trying to force me into pony form while the Soul Jar kept me stuck in shadow form to suck me in.” Her rather venomous tone suddenly became outright hostile, and she shifted back into the form of a green mare with a maroon mane and tail. “It took me four years to wear your amulet out before it broke. And here I am.”

“I won’t let you near anyone!” Nova declared, his horn glowing and the sheer intensity of the magic he was channeling causing the grass and cape to billow around him.

“Oooh, you’ve gotten stronger,” Envy mused. “I think this is going to be a lot of fun. And I bet you’re just dying to find out--”

Nova didn’t let her finish. There was a great ripping noise and an entire tree was tossed toward Envy, who blasted it apart.

“That was uncalled for!” she snarled. “I was just saying, I bet you’re dying to find out what--”

Nova tossed a boulder at her this time. Envy blasted it into powder, her snarl deepening.

“You’re just dying to find out what I’m--!”

Rubble from the destroyed Vaults dropped on top of her, though she teleported out of the way.

“LET ME FINISH!” she yelled, tossing a small rock at him with her hoof in frustration.

“No,” Nova replied, as he watched the rock fall short by several meters. With a loud musical hum, a bright blue beam blasted from his horn, speeding toward Envy at a breakneck pace. Envy yelped and shifted into her shadowy form just in time for the beam to shoot through her. The beam hit the rubble of the Vaults, sending a particularly thick chunk flying backwards into the thick of the forest.

Envy returned to solid form, glaring at him. “Honestly, some ponies just have no taste in dramatics.”

“Wrong,” Nova rebuffed, before stamping his hooves into the ground.

From where they hit, the earth began to shift and rumble, before large chunks began to spike upward from the ground, trying to spear Envy where she stood. Envy leapt sideways to avoid them, and then did so again to avoid a new set of earthen stalagmites, before sending a red blast of lightning his way. Nova’s blue shield neutralized it well before it could hit him.

“You aren’t playing the game right!” Envy scowled at him. “We’re supposed to banter, I’m supposed to tease my villainous plan, we’re supposed to-- HEY!” she sidestepped a thrown log, before galloping forward and physically tackling Nova to the ground, before straddling him and pressing her silver knife to his throat. “Okay, that’s enough. What the hell happened to you? Four years can’t have turned you into a no-fun grouch.”

Nova stiffened as the cold metal touched his neck, acutely aware of the scar on his back that he still had from the last time Envy had actually used her knife on him.

“I like the new duds, though,” she continued, quite casually for someone who held life and death in her hoof. “That black cape looks super-sharp on you. And you’ve clearly gotten a lot more powerful since we collapsed the building over there. I think this one might be even more fun than last time.”

“What are you talking about?” Nova asked, as neutrally as possible while he slid a hoof onto the ground as slowly as he could.

“The game,” Envy huffed, clearly annoyed. “You know, where I terrorize a few innocents, you and that purple one stop me, and you seal me away for a few years before we get to do it all over again… this is the first time I’ve gotten a rematch!” she seemed positively giddy.

“Hate to break it to you,” Nova failed to stop a snigger, “but if you think we’ve just rested on our laurels and not gotten any stronger since then, you’re in for a nasty surprise.”

“Oh, I know” Envy purred. “You’re the Archmage now, she’s got a big pair of flippy-flappers, and rumor has it,” her voice got conspiratorial, “she’s going to become ol’ Sunbutt’s replacement soon. I wonder,” a wicked smile spreading across her muzzle, “how’s she gonna feel when you croak and she has to live out the rest of eternity all by her lonesome self?”

“Funny story,” Nova grunted, digging his hoof into the ground. Just a little more… “She and I have already had this conversation.”

“Oh? Do tell,” Envy leaned an ear toward him. “Don’t tell me, you’re gonna go for a pair of wings yourself, just so she doesn’t feel so--”

WHAM!

A column of earth shot out of the ground, slamming into Envy’s side and sending her flying sideways with a yelp of pain.

The moment he felt the knife leave his throat, Nova vaulted himself to his hooves, horn brimming with magic. Envy had landed a few meters away, but was staggering to her feet, wiping dirt off of her face.

“That was a cheap trick,” she spat, glowering at him.

“All’s fair in love and war,” he replied, stamping his hooves into the ground again and causing a yawning chasm to split open beneath her and attempt to swallow her up. Envy just shifted into her shadow to avoid it.

“Ooh, all’s fair in love?” she asked, giggling girlishly, “oh my, what will your darling dame think of this?”

A wave of blue magic pulsed out of Nova’s horn, passing right through the floating shadow and an instant later, Envy was re-solidified and plummeted to the ground where she landed in a heap.

“Ow,” she grunted, stretching and massaging certain body parts as she got back to her hooves. “What’s your deal today? Did I kill your goldfish or something? Normally you at least humor me.”

“You threatened Gleam,” Nova growled. Five white orbs of light popped into existence around him and began to orbit him at a breakneck pace. “If you touch her, I will end you, Summer.”

He punctuated his statement by launching all five of them at Envy. She yelped and backpedaled just in time to avoid each one of them slamming into the ground at top speed. A veritable geyser of dirt erupted from each impact zone, which added to the objects raining down on Envy.

After she seemed to be in the clear, panting, she glared at Nova.

“Okay, first, that was also uncalled for,” she growled, “and second, what did you call me?”

“Summer. You know, your name?Summer Blossom? Ring any bells?” Nova replied scathingly.

Envy snorted. “That’s not my name, you idiot.”

“What, you trying to tell me that Envy’s your real name and not just some edgy moniker you adopted now?” Nova scoffed.

Envy just stamped a hoof and snorted again. “Okay, I get that you’re trying to get under my skin, but it’s not going to work, so just can it now.”

“What are you talking about?” Nova’s eyes narrowed suspiciously.

“I mean,” Envy snarled, throwing him a supremely annoyed look, “that you calling me Summer just to annoy me isn’t going to--”

Her face suddenly fell slack as realization spread across her face. For a moment, all she could do was stare at him in shock, before she started to giggle. Then the giggles turned into laughter. The laughing became guffawing, until she had fallen right over and was kicking her hooves with reckless abandon. Nova could have sworn he saw actual tears leaking out of the corners of her eyes.

“HAHAHAHA! YOU REALLY DON’T KNOW! YOU REALLY THINK-- HEE HEE!-- THAT I’M HER!”

All Nova could do was stand there, watching the scene unfold in front of him with a sinking suspicion that he was about to learn something horrifying.

“Oh-- oh my,” Envy staggered to her hooves, fighting off the last wheezy giggles “Oh please, you have to be joking. You really had me going there for a second.”

When Nova just continued to stare at her, horn glowing and dreading what was going to come next, the smile slid off her face.

“You… you really don’t, do you?” Amusement gave way to disbelief. “You can’t even recognize it when it’s right in front of you? I had that filly tell you something that made it so supremely obvious that even a blind, deaf, comatose lobotomy patient would have known about it!”

“What, ‘back where it all began?’”

“No, you dumbass!” Envy just rolled her eyes in exasperation. “She didn’t tell you, did she? I distinctly told her to tell you--” she cut herself off and dragged a hoof down her face before grumbling to herself, “Can’t rely on anyone these days. Have to do everything yourself!”

“What’s going on?” Nova demanded, the glow of his horn intensifying.

“You see this?” Envy tapped the ruby pendant.

“What about it?”

“You know what it is?” she asked, arching an eyebrow.

“What?” Nova asked.

Envy let out a long, disappointed sigh. “I really don’t know what he sees in you,” she muttered angrily. “They really will make just anyone an archmage these days…”

“What is it, Envy?”

“This, Lord Archmage,” she added in a mocking tone as she tapped on the pendant again, “is a Spirit Gem. Ever heard of it?”

Something about the phrase sounded vaguely familiar, but he couldn’t put his hoof on it. Nevertheless, he still kept his guard up.

“And?”

Envy just continued to stare at him, her disbelief growing more and more apparent.

“So… so let me get this straight,” she pinched the bridge of her nose, “they made you the Archmage, and you can’t even tell me something as basic to alicorn magic as what a Spirit Gem is? What, were they just giving the position away that day?”

“Shut up,” Nova growled.

“Ooo, touched a nerve,” Envy observed, taking a step forward. “Well, you learn something new every day. So, Spirit Gems. Handy little gems that have been altered with alicorn magic to sustain a portion of, or an entire, spirit. What separates them from the usual horcruxes, however, is that Spirit Gems can store the mind as well as the soul, and just what you can do with them.”

“I don’t like where this is going,” Nova whispered to himself as something slowly started to dawn on him.

“Most relevantly,” Envy stepped forward, a cold smile crossing her muzzle, “someone could store their own spirit in the gem and use it to take over the body of someone else. And since I know you’re starting to put two and two together...”

The cold smile turned absolutely frigid.

“Summer Blossom hasn’t been in control of her own body since that last night before you went back to your own time.”

Nova’s breath had suddenly become heaving. No… she had to be lying…

“Then… then who are you?” he asked.

Envy’s frigid smile approached absolute zero.

“The eyes are the window to the soul, Nova Shine. Don’t tell me you don’t recognize them. Just in case you don’t, though, I’m sure you’ll remember that...”

The smile vanished instantly, replaced by a death glare.

“No one says no to Shimmer Silvermane.”

Nova’s breath caught, his eyes flicking down to the Spirit Gem, then back up to Envy’s red eyes.

Those horrible red eyes…

“You… what have you done to Summer?” he asked, his voice shaking with barely restrained rage.

“Oh, nothing,” Envy-- no, Shimmer rolled her eyes, before tapping on the gem. “She’s safe and sound right here.”

“Why?” he asked, the air around them beginning to swirl dangerously as he teetered on the edge of letting go… “Why her…?”

“Because I knew it would get exactly this reaction out of you,” her stance widened, and her horn began to let off several red sparks. “Does the thought of me trapping someone you clearly cared a great deal about for over a thousand years make you--”

Nova snapped.

A beam of energy blasted out of his horn and caught her right in the breast, sending her flying backwards. Nova didn’t even give her time to land before plunging his hooves into the earth. There was a great ripping noise and several ropey roots ripped themselves free from the soil and lashed out toward Shimmer, who was only just able to evade them, and Nova noticed with savage satisfaction that she looked utterly terrified.

He sprinted forward, the five orbs of light reappearing around him and spinning at a dangerous pace, before they zoomed off and began to attempt to crush her again. Unlike before, everywhere they hit the ground began to hiss and fizzle, and the ground ignited everywhere they touched.

Shimmer danced away from the orbs of molten death and even fired a blast of red lightning Nova’s way, but Nova almost casually deflected it into the ground with a wave of his cape, the spellwork that lay within it making it a nearly-trivial task.

Great chunks of the collapsed stonework were lifted into the air, several at a time, and were brought down on Shimmer as well, causing the ground to shake all around them.

The stone exploded outward, some of the debris scratching Nova as he failed to shield himself, to reveal that Shimmer was looking irate at the turn of events. Her earlier terror must have only been momentary shock, but now she looked like she was ready to take the gloves off.

“Fine,” she said in her silkiest voice, “if that’s how you want to play…”

Before she could say or do anything else, however, Nova felt the welcome aura of his fiancee approaching from the air, before a lilac blur slammed into the ground right next to him, horn already brimming with energy, and wings flared dangerously.

“Sorry I’m late,” Twilight growled, pawing at the ground. “I don’t suppose that nuckelavee was your doing?”

Shimmer shrugged, but the smile on her face said it all. “Honestly, am I your go-to for every weird creature the forest wants to spit out?”

Twilight fired a warning shot she ducked under, which seemed to do nothing but irritate her.

“Wow, you both just aren’t in the mood today. Yes, that was me,” Shimmer answered. “I just wanted a moment to talk to Nova Shine without you being here to ruin the fun.”

Nova neither knew nor cared what a nuckelavee was. He wanted nothing more than to fire a blast powerful enough to disintegrate everything in front of him right now, something that Twilight seemed acutely aware of.

“What’s she done?” Twilight asked, nudging him. “Nova, what has she done!?”

Before Nova could answer, there came the snap of a twig that startled all of them. The snapping sound echoed throughout the clearing. Nova’s eyes snapped toward the source of the noise.

Blue eyes met green, hidden in a bush at the forest’s edge.

...directly behind Shimmer.

Gleam!

There was a heartstopping moment as Nova’s gaze flicked back to Shimmer, who was now grinning malevolently. He had shown too much.

A blast of red lightning flew from her horn as she whirled around. Nova acted purely on instinct. The next thing he knew, he was standing between Gleam’s hiding place and the oncoming bolt, had whirled his cape up, and had braced himself against it just in time to catch the bolt.

Nova felt the impact of the bolt on his cape, push him back a few inches, but he dug in and pushed against it.

“Master!” he heard Gleam shout from behind him.

“GO!” he shouted back at her. “RUN!”

“But--!”

“RUN!” he repeated, starting to feel himself lose his footing. “GET TO THE OLD CASTLE!” He heard the bush rustling, he felt her aura retreat, and to his immense relief, felt the force of Shimmer’s lightning vanish.

Lowering his cape, he could see that Twilight had intercepted the blast and was now in a beam lock against her, as magenta magic struggled against red lightning. Twilight was throwing every other spell she could think of into the mix to try and disrupt Shimmer’s focus, but Shimmer ducked under and around each thrown rock, gout of flame, or other attempt. But Twilight’s brute alicorn strength would not be denied. Inch by inch, her beam pushed Shimmer’s back, until--

Shimmer dissolved into shadow with a cackle, as Twilight’s beam passed right through her.

“Aaaaaand the stall job is complete,” she announced, already starting to fly backwards away from them, even as Nova chased her with the same tangibility spell he’d used before at the ready. “Sorry, but I’m not letting you catch me off-guard like that again. Be seeing you both!”

And with that, the black mass of shadow zipped away, faster than Nova could chase.

Nova watched her go, still running on fury and adrenaline. “COME BACK!” he roared, shooting after her, but each beam harmlessly passed right through her and she flew away.

“Nova, wait!” Twilight called, flying up to him and trying to restrain him. “We have to get back to Gleam!”

“No!” Nova tore himself free and continued to give chase. “I have to save her!”

“Save who!?” Twilight asked, now resorting to magic to trip him up and hold him down. “Nova, what’s going on!?”

“LET ME GO!” Nova fought in his bonds. “SHE’S--!”

“STOP!” Twilight shouted, a wave of magenta magic pulsing out of her and washing over him, making him feel sluggish, as though each hoof weighed a thousand pounds. “Nova, you’re in no condition to chase after her What happened!? Are you alright!?”

Nova slumped back against the ground, feeling hopelessness and pain well up inside of him as everything he had just learned started to wash over him again.

Summer Blossom was never Envy. He had hated her, and felt bad for his role in making her who she was, but she was never his enemy. Summer was a victim. Summer was collateral damage!

“...no,” he whispered, falling back against the ground and blinking back tears. “No, I’m not.”

Author's Note

Chapter illustration provided by the artful TheBrightestTwilight/Prophetable_1. Many thanks for helping bring the chapter to life!

Chapter preread by Karibela, many thanks as well!

As soon as the idea of Nova taking an apprentice started to seem like a natural next step for our new archmage, Gleam kind of stole every chapter she was in, to the point where I had to completely rewrite two of them from her perspective rather than Nova's. I hope you enjoyed reading things in her head as much as I enjoyed writing them!

Let me know what you thought of this chapter in the comments below.

Rytex out. Have a good day!

Relapse

The Archmage’s Last Bow
Chapter 03 - Relapse

As she swept through the streets of the Crystal Empire, wearing the form her original body resembled, Shimmer Silvermane was having an absolutely lovely day. Her coat, mane and tail were silver, her eyes were still a very bright red, her Spirit Gem pendant remained around her neck and glinted in the sunlight, and her hidden present weighed down her saddlebags only a little. The bags themselves were mostly for effect, after all. No one would bother a mare who clearly had somewhere to be and was carrying things she needed.

As she surveyed the many ponies around her, some of which she even recognized from the time a great many years ago when she had lived in this city, she would always make sure to avert her gaze if they looked too closely. Despite the Remember-Me-Not curse making sure no one who she had ever met would ever recall her, she couldn’t help but wonder if any of these ponies actually did recall her time here in days long gone...

Or perhaps if the meddling Princesses had found a way around the curse. They always were finding ways around these supposed eternal curses.

What bucking hypocrites. ‘Cursing ponies for all eternity is not allowed except when WE do it!’

As the chilly air swept over her, she shivered. Partly in the cold, but that was nothing new; she had after all spent many years here, so she was used to the bitterness of the Frozen North. No, she was also shivering in excitement. Winter was fast approaching, which meant Harmonic Convergence was soon to occur. That meant that all of the players needed to be in the hunt, and all the pieces needed to be found.

Including one of the relevant pieces, which she just so happened to be carrying in her saddlebags. What better way to get that bonehead and his allies in on the hunt than to leave him a little present? It would convince Nova Shine that he needed to find all of them before she did, and given her recent revelations, she had a feeling he’d positively leap at the chance to take her down a peg.

After a quick glance to her left and right for any onlookers, she sank into the ground, becoming a shadow and traveling along the ground, unnoticed by all of these blind, inattentive sheep as a shadow. No wonder they had all been enslaved so easily way back when. Not even the Royal Guards, whose job it was to notice threats, seemed to sense anything amiss as she slid under their hooves.

She was back in the halls of the castle she had once called home. Despite the new banners, nothing had changed. Except security, by the look of things. There had been guard creatures everywhere when she’d lived here, who’d let her pass with impunity. Now, however, the halls looked bare without the lumbering shadow beasts.

Not that she minded. This meant it would be even easier to go about her business. Especially since, according to her probing, Her Royal Pinkness hadn’t even bothered to change any of the alarm enchantments.

While they were great for catching physical ponies attempting to intrude in the castle, they weren’t so great at detecting ponies made out of shadow. Then again, what was? There weren’t exactly many shadow-ponies running around these days. Or any days. The problem was, she did need to re-solidify at some point to access her destination, but she already had a plan for that.

As she weaved through the halls, growing ever-closer to her target, she felt a giddy sort of glee well up in her. The great game would truly be ahoof soon. And when it was, oh, it was going to be so much fun!

As she turned a corner, she happened upon a lone guardspony, idly trotting down the hall and whistling to himself. He didn’t seem particularly important, being an ordinary orange pegasus wearing the golden armor of a sergeant, with blue plumage in his helmet, to match his blue mane and tail. Strange… he almost reminded Shimmer of Nova Shine. The light messiness of the tail did, anyway, even though it was still mostly neat in comparison to that fool of an archmage.

Still, he would do.

Her tendrils lashed out, binding themselves around his hooves. His whistling abruptly ceased, but before he could let out a cry of surprise, the tendrils reached up and bound his muzzle shut so that he couldn’t scream or alert the guard.

Not yet, anyway. She knew the alert spells would be going off soon— she was counting on it, even-- but she had business to attend to first.

Her shadows converged on the stallion’s eyes, and she began the process of breaking into his mind. They were, after all, the windows to the soul. She passed right through his pupils, entering into his mental plane, and found herself standing before the aspect of his mind. It was like this giant ball of light, not unlike what stars actually looked like, glowing with warm light in the midst of the void around her. She had successfully made it this far. Now came the hard(er) part of breaking in.

The thing about the usual psychic defense regimen that the Equestrian Royal Guard offered was that it had its weaknesses, and those weaknesses were consistent across the board in everyone, except those who had been given more thorough training. This usually amounted to those doing extra-credit or already at a higher rank.

Unfortunately for Shimmer, either this stallion had been given more thorough training, or they’d changed the regimen. She rammed into iron-hard mental defenses the moment she’d entered his mind.

Unfortunately for the poor stallion, she was an expert at turning these defenses against their owners.

No matter how long it had been, she would always be particularly proud of how she’d completely undermined Princess Luna’s mental defenses before corrupting her, leading to the creation of Nightmare Moon. Luna had crafted her own mind’s protector into a mental projection of Nova Shine himself, and yet Shimmer had been able to corrupt her protection and turn it into a vicious mental attack instead, feeding her insecurities and slowly turning her against her own sister.

Who was this mysterious stallion’s mental protector, she wondered? Or does he even have one outside of these mental guard walls?

Oh, it seems there’s a little weakness… Shimmer observed as she began to try and find an avenue of attack, only to find a portion of his mind that wasn’t quite as armored as everywhere else. It seemed the stallion had a soft spot in his mind for a certain pony, where if she pushed the right buttons, she might be able to seize on this opportunity and gain entry.

The image of an amber mare, with a mane comprised of fiery red and bright gold entered her mind, and the whisper of a name Sunset Shimmer…

“What’s with unicorns being so uncreative with their names?’ Shimmer whined aloud as she broke through that weakness in his mind with a few idle mental whispers about the mare in question that proved just enough to break the stallion’s resolve. “Glimmer, Shimmer, Sparkle, Shine, Gleam… and now there’s two of us Shimmers running around, because that’s not confusing at all! Is there a third somewhere I haven’t met yet?”

Maybe if she revealed herself to everyone, she could become such a terror that no one ever named their child “Shimmer” again. That sounded like fun, actually.

Business first, pleasure later, she reminded herself, before plunging into the stallion’s mind through her newly-created gap and trying to find everything she needed.

Which, admittedly, wasn’t much. Dancing aside his memories of that same young mare she’d exploited to gain entry, weaving through thoughts and feelings like how beautiful Princess Twilight Sparkle was, and how crushing it had been to find out she was engaged to someone else, before finally making it to the place she needed.

I’ll be taking these, thank-you very much, she yanked out the memory of being attacked, as well as the memory of every last one of Sombra’s laboratories they’d found in this castle. She became elated to find that there was one lab in particular that wasn't stored in his memory, which meant it had yet to be discovered. And when he’d wake up, he would have no idea what happened to him.

Retreating from her mental invasion, she assumed a physical form as the hallway rematerialized around her, and the guard slumped to the floor unconscious. At once, there was a loud screech, like a bare hoof digging into a chalkboard, and off in the distance, she could hear hoofbeats heading her way, along with shouts. Still, she had plenty of time. They were too far away to stop her now.

With a quick burst of Dark Magic at a seemingly-insignificant part of the wall, she felt the world around her flip, as though she had passed through the floor itself, but gravity kept her rooted to her surface. And as a number of royal guards came running to the source of the alert, all they found was an unconscious sergeant, who was completely non-responsive to their attempts to wake him. He’d be fine. A little psychological damage, sure, but nothing a little healing magic couldn’t fix.

What was more important now was to ensure everything was in place. The attacked sergeant was the invitation, now to hide her gift, and then to give Nova Shine the surprise party when he arrived...

Oh yes, the game was well and truly ahoof now.

The Humble and Counseling Trixie Lulamoon (the Magnificent) had been having a horrid morning so far.

Why did all of her attempts at counseling have to backfire? After several students had come to her complaining about the weird noises that came from the forest yesterday, she’d tried to spin it as Archmage Nova Shine and Princess Twilight fighting some new monster the Everfree Forest had tried to spit out, only for Princess Twilight, Nova Shine, and that new apprentice of his to come out of the woods looking very much the worse for the wear, and for Princess Twilight to reveal that she had, in fact, actually been fighting some new monster the Everfree Forest had tried to spit out, so the students had taken that about as well as could be expected.

...as had the townsponies. Apparently this happened so frequently that “Panic” was actually Step 1 of the town’s emergency protocol, and that the panic in question was still somehow organized.

Trixie had also learned that nuckelavees were a thing, and that they were bucking terrifying. According to the goody four-shoes, they were apparently skeletal shadow-creatures who looked like Tirek but with a horse head extending from where a horse’s head actually should extend on a centaur.

That was certainly not an image she wanted in her head. Tirek was already bad enough, but Skeletirek? With an extra head and everything?

Oh, and based on Nova Shine’s utterly dead look, Princess Twilight’s generally-shaken demeanor, and Bright Gleam looking like she’d seen a ghost, something more than just a monster attack had happened in the woods, though none of them would tell her what happened. She had even said please!

But then she’d realized something was actually very wrong when she’d tried to actually talk to Nova, and Nova had just brushed her off. Nova never brushed her off! Except for that one time a few months ago. Or that time a few weeks before that…

Still, if nothing else, the Great and Powerful Trixie was also the Great and Persistent Trixie, and the Great and Persistent Trixie was also the Great and Best-Friend-Of-Nova-Shine Trixie. While Twilight and Starlight talked about whatever it is they were going to talk about, Trixie tailed Nova as he led Bright Gleam back to his old house.

Not a single word was exchanged the entire time. Gleam kept glancing nervously at him the whole time, looking as though she wanted to say something, but Nova didn’t even seem to notice. Hell, he didn’t even seem to notice her, and he was probably the best energy-sensor she’d ever met.

Though she hadn’t met many energy-sensors, so…

And as soon as he had gotten Gleam to his old house/her new house and told her something she couldn’t hear, he’d just teleported away, leaving Gleam on the porch and Trixie to stand there, blinking stupidly.

All that trotting for nothing! She had come right back to her desk and spent a pretty good chunk of the rest of that afternoon just glowering at it. She was glowering at the desk in front of her at the memory of all the glowering she had done yesterday. The desk was seeing a lot of glowers.

There was a knocking at her office’s door. “Come in!” the Great and Receptive Trixie chirped, assuming a businesslike posture and smiling brightly as the door to her office opened…

...and the goody four-shoes stepped in.

“Oh, it’s you,” the smile fell and she slouched. “What’s up, Spork?”

Honestly, even the tiniest flicker of annoyance crossing her face was enough to make her days worth it. She didn’t give a damn that one of her best friends was head over hooves in love with this mare and that she held power that could smush her into a Sweet and Tasty Smoothie.

“We need to talk,” the former most powerful unicorn in all of Equestria ordered, her voice flat and emotionless, and yet it carried the authority of Princess Celestia herself.

“Is this about what happened yesterday?” Trixie asked, a prickle of nervousness starting to creep in. The goody four-shoes was direct, yes, but not this direct. Usually she at least humored Trixie when Trixie needled her.

“Yes, it is,” the princess nodded. Trixie noticed just how tense her shoulders were and just how jerky the nod was.

“Wow, how bad is it?”

Twilight turned to give Trixie an uncharacteristically-concerned look. “Trixie, you’re involved. That’s how bad it is.”

Even as a pang of hurt dug into her, Trixie opened her mouth to fire off some quick retort, but Twilight winced the moment she’d said it and cut her off.

“I’m sorry, that was completely uncalled for.” She sighed. “You’re… not gonna like it.”

“If it’s got you outright belittling Trixie, then that usually means it’s something to take seriously,” Trixie pointed out, though that didn’t stop the nervousness from creeping in. She stood up and started to follow the goody four-shoes as she led her toward Starlight’s office. “Kinda like that time way back when you and Nova first started living together.”

“It’s… related to that.”

Oh. Oh no.

“Oh don’t tell Trixie…”

Twilight just nodded, and Trixie froze completely. Memories of that awful mare started flying through her head. Of her possession, of her imprisonment, of her nearly watching as Nova Shine died right in front of her…

“Is this a joke, Sparkle? Because I swear, if you’re joking, I will blast you into that wall!”

Twilight turned and looked her dead in the eyes, gave her a slight shake of the head, and said, “It’s not a joke, Trixie. She broke out.”

That prickle she felt earlier was a full chill by this point.

“No… no no, that can’t be right. Nova himself sealed her away. We were both there!”

“I don’t know how,” Twilight shook her head, ”but you, me, and Starlight need to have a conversation about what to do about this, given you’re likely involved again.”

“Doesn’t Nova know what to do? He’s the one who beat her last time!” Trixie asked, muscles tense, as though an attack could come at any second. It would be something she would do…

“I haven’t seen Nova since he took Gleam back to his house yesterday,” Twilight replied softly.

“He didn’t even come back at night?” Trixie gaped. “He never does that!”

When all Twilight could do was give her a meaningful stare, Trixie felt herself take a step back. Then another, and another. And before she knew it, she had turned right around and dashed out of the school, running pell-mell toward the castle only a few hundred yards away. The dead expression on Nova’s face from yesterday rose to the forefront. What had he seen?

With a great crashing noise, she burst through the double doors, looked around wildly, then continued her sprint, climbing up to the third floor, and over toward the spot she knew he’d be at.

Once she found the door emblazoned with his mark, she didn’t bother knocking, but she found it barred. With an impatient grunt, she willed the magic within her forward. It had never succeeded, but desperate times called for desperate measures..

“Teleport!” she cried, instantly vanishing in a bright pink light and reappearing in midair. After a momentary panic and flailing hooves, she came crashing down right on top of someone.

“Oof!”

“Sorry, sorry,” Trixie climbed off of the pony, discovering that she had accidentally teleported on top of the new Archmage. “Never successfully teleported before.”

“Trixie?” Nova Shine asked, staring at her blearily as he got back to his hooves, though he stumbled sideways before he was upright. “What’re you doing ‘ere?”

“I came to check on you, Novus!” she snapped, sprinting over to the other side of the door she had just teleported past, and unlocking it, before turning around and taking in the state of the stallion she was here to see. “Twilight says you didn’t come back yesterd—”

She cut herself off as she took in the state of him and the room in question.

Nova’s room was usually in a state of organized chaos. The basic layout of the room was always there, with a writing desk against a wall which usually had quills, parchment, and ink bottles scattered around it, a bookshelf on each of two other walls which usually had some spots in them where books had been pulled out, some a small table surrounded by little cushions that normally had a couple of those missing books sitting on them as well as his scrying orb, and the walls had been decorated with a number of pictures and posters of Nova Shine’s many hobbies. Most notably, Nova had a large Arsenal banner that was slightly askew, and several of the books in his shelves were always improperly sorted, no doubt to mildly annoy his darling fiancee based on all the times she’d complained about it.

The room always had this warm feeling of usage. It was clear that somepony occupied it, and loved it the way it was, something always emphasized by the windows being open to allow the sun to shine in, and also to allow Nova to peer out at the stars on cloudless nights, with or without the telescope he had sitting in a corner between the bookshelves.

Today, however, the desk was completely devoid of material, the table was completely clear, the bookshelves were full and perfectly organized, and the giant Arsenal banner was absolutely straight. Absolutely straight. Trixie doubted there was even a fraction of a decimal of a smidge of a degree of tilt on that thing! Nova had clearly gone to absurd lengths to clean his room, something he never did to this degree unless something had really upset him. The only thing out of place was that he had covered his scrying orb with a bath towel, by the look of things.

But worst was the stallion himself.

Nova was a complete mess. There were bags under his eyes, his mane and tail were a complete disaster, and he’d made absolutely no effort to move himself from where Trixie had landed on him. What’s more, his windows were shut and the only light came from his magical lantern on the wall, and she could smell the pungent odor of alcohol.

Sure enough, a glance at his hooves revealed that not only had teleported on top of him, but she had also accidentally knocked over a bottle, which had spilled and was currently spreading across the crystal floor.

But the part that hurt her the most to see was that his earring, the earring that glowed with the color of the mare he was going to marry in a few weeks and which was enchanted so that they always felt an odd mental pull toward each other when they were being worn, had been taken off and was sitting on the writing desk.

“What are you doing to yourself?” she asked softly, her horn shining and the spillage vanishing, along with the bottle itself.

“Hey!” Nova squawked, stumbling to his hooves and glaring at her. “Give it back!”

“No,” Trixie replied firmly, scanning the room for any more that he would do a poor job of hiding. When she couldn’t find any stashed under his writing desk or bookshelf, she let off a magical pulse, which didn’t return anything.

“Did Twiligh’ put you up t’this?” he demanded, swaying slightly. Trixie scrutinized his eyes and saw that they were hazy and unfocused. Nova was excellent at handling beer. He was not excellent at handling liquor, and today’s beverage of choice smelled like Arstrotzkan vodka.

“No,” she said again, stepping forward and using her magic to quickly immobilize him. He protested about a second too late to do anything about it, though, because in short order, she had leaned over, pressed the tip of her horn against his temple, and fired off the burnoff spell her father had taught her.

There was about a half-second in which he didn’t say anything, but then his left eye started to twitch uncontrollably and a vein bulged in the temple as he left it, leading him to let out whimpers of pain as he collapsed to the ground, holding his head in his hooves. Burnoff sobered a pony up instantly but did nothing about the hangover that followed, something Nova had learned firsthoof multiple times now.

A hangover that she couldn’t do anything about except let him suffer through it. Sparkle probably could, maybe even Starlight, but not her. Not yet anyway.

There was the light clip-clop sound of hooves outside. Trixie opened the door and poked her head out to see that Sparkle was there, apparently having followed her. Sparkle looked surprised to see her, but couldn’t resist a tiny smile. “Had a feeling this would be where you came.”

“Sparkle, get in here, it’s awful!”

She grabbed the future ruler by the back of her neck and yanked her in. Sparkle yelped as she was forcibly dragged inside, but the moment she saw why Trixie was so worked up, her protests vanished as her face fell entirely.

Nova had now curled up against the wall furthest from the door and was doing his best to avoid eye contact with both of them. Trixie saw Twilight’s nostrils flare as the scent of alcohol hit her, and watched as Twilight’s mouth parted in sad disbelief.

“You’ve… relapsed,” she said, staring at him. It hurt Trixie to just see something be crushed behind Sparkle’s eyes like it had now. It was like a certain light within had dimmed. Her gaze flicked over to the covered scrying orb for only a moment, but Trixie could have sworn something inside of Twilight had just died at the sight of it.

“Just go away,” Nova whimpered, shaking violently as he tried to hide himself from both of them by pushing himself back into the corner between the writing desk and one of his bookshelves. “Leave me alone.”

“No, I will never leave you alone to hurt yourself like this,” Twilight declared, stepping forward and sitting in front of him. Her voice was soft, but there was a gravitas behind it that Trixie envied. Nova only tried to press himself into the corner even harder at the sound of it. “You can’t keep doing this to yourself.”

“When was the last time he did this?” Trixie asked, shutting the door behind Twilight and locking it again. No one was leaving until they talked this out.

“After Sombra’s attack.”

Trixie instantly knew why. The things she had seen had tormented her for several days after.

“When Sombra took over everyone’s minds, Nova saw something that had him drinking for several days after that, and he’s refused to tell me what it was,” Twilight continued, giving that sentence’s subject a pitying look, even as said subject could only clench his eyes shut and allow a few tears to leak out. “He’s done it several times over the last few years,” she added softly. “The worst was after he lost his magic from Tirek and Cozy Glow.”

She, too, had to look away, close her eyes, and wipe away a tear.

“He… never came home on some of those nights so I wouldn’t see.”

“And now, he’s hiding in his room because he thought this would be the last place you’d look,” Trixie surmised, looking down at the broken stallion currently trying to hide in a corner.

Taking a deep breath, Trixie stepped forward and gave him the sternest look she could muster.

“What did she say?”

“Wh-who?” Nova asked, his voice barely louder than a whisper.

“Who do you think?” Trixie replied, though she was able to keep the biting edge out of her voice. The last thing Nova needed was for the both of them to be angry at him. Not now, not when he clearly was in a fragile state. “You’ve faced Envy down without any issue before. Why would this time cause a relapse? The only thing I can think of is that she said something.”

“She says a lot of things,” Nova answered, but Trixie wasn’t having it.

“Nova, none of those other things have ever caused you to drink yourself stupid before,” Trixie lowered herself to the ground, causing Twilight to scoot around her so they could both face him in his corner. “What did she say? What’s so awful that not only have you let it get to you, but you’re keeping it from Twilight?

Nova shuddered, fresh tears leaking from his eyes. But rather than answer, his horn sparked. As Twilight and Trixie both tensed, however, it fizzled out. Before he could try again, however, a wave of magenta magic spread over the entire room and covered the walls, floor, and ceiling. Nova wasn’t going to be teleporting away.

“You Pinkie Promised me that you’d talk to us,” Trixie reached over and took his hoof in both of hers. “Please… just tell us something.”

“We want to help you, Nova,” Twilight pleaded, reaching out and taking his other hoof in hers. “We can’t do that if you close yourself off like this. Don’t you remember what Cadance told you? The tighter you grip a thorn, the more it cuts into you...”

“...and the more you bleed,” Nova finished, his voice a hoarse whisper. He wasn’t actively trying to fuse himself into the wall now, so that was a welcome sign. With a heavy sigh, he relaxed, sliding down the wall and settling in a slumped heap, but he still covered his face and let out a moan.

“She’s not… her,” he whimpered.

“What?” Trixie tilted her head.

“Who’s not her? Who’s her?” asked Twilight, leaning in closer.

“Envy,” Nova let out, his voice barely above a whisper. “She’s not… not her. Not Summ--”

Without warning, he cringed and broke down again.

Trixie didn’t know what to make of this, but there was a look of at least partial understanding on Twilight’s face. She gripped Nova’s hoof even tighter.

“Nova,” she said, evidently trying to be gentle, but that only belied the urgency Trixie could sense, “are you saying she’s not Summer?”

Nova nodded, before he teared up and broke down again. “It’s-- it’s Sh--”

“It’s Shimmer,” finished Twilight, realization dawning. “You thought it was Summer all this time, but all this time, it turned out to be Shimmer.”

“Does anyone want to bring me up to speed?” Trixie asked, glancing between the sobbing Nova Shine and the horrified Twilight.

“Has… has he told you about the time he went back to the past?” Twilight asked softly, her face growing pale.

“Bits and pieces, yeah.”

“There was a mare…” Twilight said, her voice growing even softer. With Nova trying to contain his sobs at this point, it was much easier to hear, but even so, Trixie had to strain. “Two mares, excuse me. One of them was Summer Blossom, and she was a mare Nova… loved.”

“I thought he loved Clover,” Trixie’s brow clenched. “That’s what I understood.”

“He loved both of them,” Twilight replied, with the briefest glance over at the stallion in question. “And due to their relationship crashing down, and because she came to the conclusion that Nova was going behind her back, Summer tried to kill Clover, which led to her becoming Envy. Or so we had thought.”

“Or so you thought?” Trixie arched an eyebrow. “Obviously, this means she’s not actually Envy, right?”

“She’s been--” Nova sniffled, “she’s been held captive this entire time. In that pendant Envy always wears.”

Trixie knew it well. The gleaming ruby pendant. The pendant that always seemed to be gleaming, even in darkness.

Held captive in the pendant?

“I don’t understand,” Trixie frowned. “How?”

“Soul magic,” Twilight reentered the conversation, her voice weak. Trixie found herself alarmed at just how pale Twilight had gotten “Some of the darkest magic the alicorns ever wrought. The alicorns were able to use magic directly upon souls and minds without affecting the body, and they experimented a lot,” she added with a shudder. “Envy must have put Summer’s spirit within that gem. I knew she was capable of some pretty forbidden stuff, but… but this!?”

“Shimmer Silvermane,” Nova continued. “She… she went out of her way to antagonize me back then. And I always thought she knew more than she let on, but… well, then Summer tried to kill Clover and there was no reason not to think it wasn’t her.”

“But it wasn’t?” Trixie asked.

“But it wasn’t,” Nova affirmed, wiping his eyes. “She… she says she took control of Summer to make it happen, and all this time, I’ve hated a mare I once loved when she was simply a victim!” he punctuated his statement by slamming a hoof onto the crystal floor.

Trixie felt a pang at that. She may not know quite what Nova was experiencing, but she did know how this Summer Blossom had to feel. Though thankfully, Trixie hadn’t had her soul plucked out and stuck in a gem. Just the very thought of being subjected to such a fate made her shudder. Still, being a puppet and vessel for a homicidal maniac hadn’t exactly been the most pleasant experience.

Beside her, Twilight had an expression that looked conflicted, to say the least. Trixie could clearly see sympathy, but she also seemed to be hurt by something else.

“Do you think this is going to help?” Trixie asked, giving him a meaningful look. “Holing yourself up in your room, trying to drown out the pain with alcohol?”

Nova didn’t answer. He just tensed up again. He needed to acknowledge that it wasn’t going to work, or else nothing would improve. This meant that she needed to be a bit more direct than usual.

“You’re just delaying your problems until later,” she continued, staring at him. “Your alcoholism is doing nothing to help you, and you need to see that.”

“...hurts…” Nova mumbled.

“Okay. I believe you,” she touched his shoulder as Twilight squeezed his hoof reassuringly. “And we’re here to help you bear the pain. So please, Nova. Please come to us if it ever gets to be this bad again.”

He said nothing, he didn’t even look at them. He just stared at a spot on the crystal floor, a hollow look on his face.

“You promised me,” she reminded him. “You promised you’d talk to us. If it gets too painful, we aren’t going to go back on that.”

Again, he said nothing, continuing to stare at the ground, unresponsive to everything around him. Outside of the blinks, or the light twitches, he could have been catatonic. Finally, at long last, Nova just nodded, his entire body quaking as he desperately tried to prevent himself from breaking down again.

With one last reassuring touch, Trixie got back to her hooves, and started for the door. Things were going to get worse before they got better. They always did. But hopefully, Nova would know they would be there to help him from that point forward.

Twilight trotted after her, though she cast a nervous glance behind her at her despondent fiancee, who mustered just enough effort to meet her eye for a split second, before he went back to staring at the floor. With that, the two of them left him to himself.

“How did you know he was in his room?” Twilight asked as they trotted out.

“It was the least likely place he would hide, because anyone would assume it would be the most obvious place for him to be,” Trixie replied, feeling no small amount of pride well up inside of her despite the moment. “No one would look there when he was clearly trying to hide. Nova’s a clever stallion, but he can never fool the Great and Perceptive Trixie.”

Twilight sniffed. “I should have known,” she grimaced. “I had to learn that lesson myself a few weeks ago, when my friends and I were trying to break into Canterlot Castle to steal something from Shining and the Princesses.”

Now it was Twilight who was trembling, and her own tears started to fall.

“Trixie… am I a bad marefriend?”

Trixie stopped in her tracks, now staring at Twilight with nothing short of exasperation and incredulity. Willing the magic in her forward, Trixie cried “Teleport!” once again, and both her and Twilight disappeared in a flash of pink light, reappearing in Twilight’s living room, which was thankfully empty. Twilight flailed in midair for a moment, before falling on a cushion Trixie had conjured just in time.

“Sorry, never teleported before about ten minutes ago,” Trixie apologized, wiping her brow and letting out a tired sigh. “I don’t know how you do it all the time.”

“You get used to it,” Twilight mumbled, before rolling onto her back and wiping her eyes.

“So, you think you’re a bad marefriend?” Trixie conjured another one for herself and sat down on it. “Why’s that?”

“I had no idea where to look to find him, yet you knew it immediately,” Twilight answered, shutting her eyes and pinching the bridge of her muzzle. “I should have known that, and because I didn’t, he’s gone back to the bottle again!”

“Twig, stop,” Trixie cut her off, placing a hoof on her breast to quiet her down. “Just because you don’t know every little tiny detail about him doesn’t make you a bad marefriend. It just means there’s more about him for you to learn. I don’t know every tiny detail about Aegis, and we’ve been dating for nearly as long as the two of you have been engaged.”

Twilight opened her mouth to interject, but Trixie kept going before she could.

“And what’s more,” she continued, staring at her meaningfully, “Nova counted on you knowing enough about him to guess where his hiding spot was, so he hid someplace you would ignore entirely. You’re the smartest pony I know, Sparkle, but you have to remember, Nova knows that, and he knows you better than I do, and while you’re the smartest pony I know, Nova’s the cleverest pony I know.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Twilight gave her an annoyed look. “Cleverness and smartness both can mean intelligent--”

“Spork, quit playing the semantics game, you know what I mean,” Trixie snapped, glaring at her. “You and I both know that you like facts, measurements, rules, and all manner of structure and reason. You and I both know that you prefer to follow the letter and spirit of a law if you can help it, but you err toward the letter. You and I both also know that your dear fiancee is not like you in that way.”

“What do you mean?” Twilight gave her an askance look. “What does this have to do with--”

“It means that Nova is pragmatic,” Trixie continued, her tone patient but still cutting her off all the same. “If he can exploit something to his advantage, he will. And in this case, he exploited your thought process. He was able to do this because he knows you that well.”

“But clearly I don’t know him that well,” she grumbled.

“I think that’s bollocks,” Trixie rolled her eyes. Twilight just turned and gave her a blank stare. Once her choice of words went through her head, she smiled sheepishly. “Oh for goodness sake, Aegis’ Braytishness really is rubbing off on me.”

A small yet refreshingly warm smile crossed Twilight’s face. “I’m happy you have someone like him, Trixie. But,” the smile vanished, “regardless of what you think, you were the one who found him, not me. It never occurred to me that he’d be hiding in his own room, because I thought it would be the least likely place he’d hide due to being so close.”

“That’s because you’re not thinking like him, Twilight,” Trixie punctuated her statement by lightly tapping on Twizzler’s noggin. “You know him better than anyone else. My advice? Next time he does something like this--”

“Which is hopefully never,” Twilight remarked, though her facial expression didn’t show she believed that was a possibility.

“--don’t look at him through your eyes,” she continued unperturbed. “Instead, maybe you should try to look at you through his. When you want to find Nova, you need to think like Nova, and not like Twinkle Sprinkle.”

Twilight said nothing, staring up at her crystal ceiling thoughtfully. Trixie couldn’t help but be envious of Starlight. It was a beautiful building, and Starlight was going to take it over when Twinkie was living in Canterlot full-time with Nova. Maybe she wouldn’t mind renting out the basement to her and Aegis…?

“Trixie?” Twilight finally asked, her voice thick with emotion.

“Hm?”

“Tell Starlight that she couldn’t have made a better choice in her Student Counselor.”

Now it was Trixie’s turn to paw away a few tears from her eyes. Though unlike Nova’s and Twilight’s, hers were much happier.

“Like this, master?” asked Bright Gleam, and the western orchard of Sweet Apple Acres was lit with a green glow as she cast her spell. Up in the trees, the fruit bats stirred, though they had long since gotten used to the light shows that the strange white unicorn and the lilac alicorn put on whenever they were out here, especially since they were always kind enough to offer fruit. This pink one was new to them, but she hadn’t bothered them… yet.

“Not quite,” Nova shook his head, frowning as the lights faded.

He held out a hoof, and Gleam gave up the metal pole she was using. Nova surveyed it, noticing that while she had done an excellent job of binding the energy to the ends of the pole, she hadn’t done a good job of inlaying the energy into the metal itself.

“You’re off to a good start,” he said, his horn shining blue. “Pay attention to what I’m doing here. You’ve done excellently to bind the magic, but you’re going about it the wrong way.”

“I’m just doing what I was taught, sir,” Gleam defended, though he noticed that she lowered her head a tad.

She wasn’t lying. He could sense that plain as day. But the teachers at Celestia’s School were not fools. They knew what they were doing. Perhaps she had just misunderstood?

“How did they teach you?” he asked, now genuinely curious.

“The book we used said we needed to bathe the object in our magic and allow it to sink in and soak into the object in question,” Gleam answered, trying to recall her lectures and the book she had tried to study.

“Let me guess,” Nova smiled humorlessly, “it was The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4, 2nd Edition?”

Gleam blinked several times, staring at him in befuddlement. “You… you have the editions memorized, master?”

“Nope!” Nova replied, with a slight snicker. “I just happened to use the exact same book with the exact same faulty instructions in it when I was at MIM. There’ve been two new editions since then, and Twilight’s library has both of them, so I’m sure she can loan you one of them if you want to study up.”

“Why does Princess Twilight’s library have multiple editions of the same book? Don’t most libraries completely replace older editions with new ones?”

“Funny story about that,” Nova smiled as he recalled the memory. “We actually found out that a newer version left out relevant information when we were looking for something. Ever since, Twilight’s kept each older edition, just in case something similar happened.”

Gleam scrunched her face as she stared at the metal pole. “Then how do I enchant this thing? All you want is for it to have a simple light spell, right? How do I get it to do that?”

“While dunking the object into your magic and letting it sit for a while, so to speak, can work,” Nova took the metal pole from her and held it in his own hooves, “Professor Hoofman taught me that the best way to enchant an object is to weave the magic into it. Intertwine the mana with the object. Watch closely.”

His horn shone and the pole began to glow a bright blue as Nova metaphorically stitched his magic into the metal pole. He made sure to do it extra-slowly, so Gleam would see what he was talking about. “I noticed when you were trying to enchant it, the pole was surrounded by your magic. You were trying to let it seep in, like you were taught. Look closely now,” he gestured at the pole. “Notice how it almost looks like the metal itself is glowing, and not a field of magic in front of it?”

Gleam nodded, before reaching out. “Can I try?”

“Not on the pole just yet,” Nova shook his head. His horn glowed, and a navy-blue cape appeared instead, falling into Gleam’s hooves. Her eyes widened at the sight of it. “Twi tells me you wanted to borrow this.”

“Is that…?” she breathed.

It was.

The cape had always been one of Nova’s favorites. But now that he was the Archmage and his new cape and brooch were the identification for the position, that cloak was now superfluous. Why have two cloaks when one did all of the same things the other did, and then some?

Twilight had been very cross with him when he had voiced his intent to give it to her, due to it being, in her own words, “an historical artifact that should be donated to a museum and not used as a training prop!” And in fairness, given she was the rightful owner of Clover the Clever’s Prime Magus cloak now, she was perfectly entitled to put that historical artifact into a museum, which, of course, she did. Nova’s Night Master cloak, however, was his to do with as he pleased.

“And you’re just letting me have this?” Gleam asked, giving him a wide-eyed look.

“All yours,” Nova nodded. “You can wear it if you want, or--”

She sprang to her hooves and practically threw the cape on around herself, though it was a little big for her. Nova was, after all, a somewhat tall stallion, and she was still in the middle of her adolescence. And also…

“You’ve got it on inside-out,” he said, stepping forward, adjusting it, and clasping the sapphire brooch back around her neck, the diamond-shaped crescent moon glimmering in the morning sunlight. “There. The gem should always face outward.”

Gleam had the biggest grin on her face as she pulled it around herself, almost like it was cold outside and it was the warmest thing she had. “I’ll take great care of it!” she promised, dancing in place as well, before an errant step caught the hem of the cloak and sent her to the ground. “Heheh, whoops,” she added, sheepishly grinning up at him from the earth.

“We’ll get it taken by Rarity’s to have her adjust it for you,” Nova said, helping her up. “Not to mention, blue really isn’t your color. But do you know why I’m letting you have this?”

“So I can practice my enchanting?”

“Not just that,” Nova shook his head, before gently pushing her into a sitting position, while he sat opposite her. “It’s also for your protection.” At her quizzical glance, he sighed. “Gleam, I’m not going to lie to you. After that mare in the woods attacked you, I’ve had nightmares about it for the last two nights.”

Each one ended with him being too slow, with Envy’s lightning striking her, while he was forced to watch, and although he didn’t do it today, yesterday morning he had found his bottle as soon as he could.

“Twilight and I contacted your mother and father yesterday, after she finished up some stuff at the school,” he continued, shaking away those thoughts. It had also been after he’d been given some time to recover after his relapse.

“They don’t want me to come home, do they?” she asked, seeming to shrink down and her voice growing frantic. “Are you sending me away? Is it because I disobeyed Princess Twilight!? I’m sorry, it won’t happen aga--” Nova reached forward and flicked her horn. Gleam shuddered, but calmed down just like last time. As she came down, she rubbed at her horn. “What-- how do you do that?”

“Little trick Princess Luna taught me,” Nova grinned. “I had a habit of asking too many questions at once. Luna would flick my horn to stop me from doing that. Comes in real handy when Twilight starts Twilighting.”

Gleam scrunched her face. “What’s Twilighting?”

“Twilight has this habit of getting all panicky when she feels she’s overwhelmed,” Nova smiled fondly. “Thanks to her friends, she’s gotten so much better at dealing with it over the last couple of years, but she still has her moments.” He snickered. “I think she’s just gotten better at hiding it, to be honest.”

His smile vanished, replaced by a serious look.

“Back on topic though,” he placed a hoof on her shoulder reassuringly, “I’m not sending you away. In fact, your parents think that the best place for you is with me.”

She blinked. “Wait. Really? That doesn’t sound like Mom and Dad.”

Nova grimaced. “They… we told them the truth about that mare and what she’s capable of. With that knowledge, they begged us to keep you around.”

What she’s capable of…

The memory of two days ago flashed through Nova’s head. Of himself standing between Gleam and Envy, having only just gotten between her and Envy’s terrible spell…

“Who is she, master?” Gleam asked softly.

Nova eyed her with some amusement. “You just insist on calling me that, don’t you.”

She grinned sheepishly. “It just sounds better than teacher.”

“Well, if you’re not gonna listen to Twilight, I guess I shouldn’t expect you to listen to me,” Nova remarked. Gleam flinched, and Nova winced when he realized it. “Sorry, I didn’t mean that as a barb or anything. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I like to tease my friends and family. I’m a bit of a troll like that.”

“‘Salright,” she mumbled, looking away and grabbing onto one of her elbows self-consciously. “I know, I should have stayed here, but… I just…“ she chewed on her lip for a moment, eyes glossing over as she stared at the grass, “it was like something was… calling me, master.”

Nova felt his eyebrow twitch slightly. Calling her? “Calling you how, exactly?” he tilted his head.

“Like,” Gleam chewed on her lip some more, before looking at him with an earnest gaze, “like a whisper, I guess. After I told Sir Spike to send that letter, I started getting this weird pull toward a grate in the floor.”

“A grate?” Nova asked, his eyebrows raising. A security flaw like that in the school? Twilight was gonna get an earful about this.

Gleam nodded, though she did go a little red in the face. “Uh-huh. I pulled it open and it led me into these tunnels under the school. The whispers led through the tunnels until it came out in the Everfree Forest. Then I followed it some more and it led me to where I found you and Princess Twilight facing that mare.”

Nova didn’t miss the shiver that wracked her as she mentioned Envy.

“Who… who is she, master?” Gleam asked again. Nova blinked, noticing he didn’t answer the question the first time.

“Well,” he sighed, falling onto his back and enjoying the softness of the Sweet Apple Acres grass, “as you might have guessed, that mare and I have… some history.”

“Is she your ex-marefriend?” Gleam asked.

Nova couldn’t help but let out a bark of laughter at that. The fruit bats hanging in the trees stirred, and one even gave off an annoyed skree! Nova saw one of Gleam’s ears flick over to the one that had made the noise, but otherwise she kept her attention on him.

“You know, you’re not terribly far off the mark,” he commented wryly, though he felt the creeping unease settle in once again. “Well… I don’t know anymore. The mare I thought she was, the mare named Summer Blossom, you could say that she was something of an ex-marefriend of mine. I…” he closed his eyes and remembered his time in the past with Steelshod, Clover, and Summer, “I did love her. Not nearly as much as I do Twilight, but… there was something there.”

“But she’s not who you thought she was, right?” Gleam asked, trotting over and standing above him. “Isn’t that a good thing? It isn’t Summer Blossom?”

“I wish it were,” Nova answered softly, shaking his head. “It means that all this time, a pony has been pretending to be her, and has kept the real Summer imprisoned while her body, possessed by her captor’s spirit, committed horrific acts. And I hated her for it,” he resisted the urge to scowl.

“But maybe she’s lying,” Gleam pointed out.

“Maybe,” he replied softly. “Gleam, did I ever tell you I can detect when a pony lies?”

Gleam frowned and shook her head.

“I learned how to sense magical energy years ago,” Nova closed his eyes. “Plan on teaching you how, eventually. It’ll make enchanting so much easier when you can see how your magic interacts with an object. But anyway, energy sensing allows me to tell when and where magic is being used. One thing it also does is allow you to know when someone is lying to you. A pony’s body reacts to a lie they’re telling, and the magic within them lets off a little flare-up of energy when they do. But…” he reached up and buried his face in his hooves for a moment, before dragging them down, “I don’t know why, but I can’t sense Envy at all. It’s like she’s not even there.”

“So you can’t tell if she’s lying or not.”

“So I can’t tell if she’s--” Nova stopped, before opening his eyes and meeting his apprentice’s. She looked quite pleased with herself at following along. He smiled. “Gleam?”

“Yes, master?” she asked, the happy grin fading somewhat.

“I’m glad I chose you,” he said. Gleam let out a tiny squee, before Nova motioned for her to let him continue. “So yeah, can’t tell if she’s lying or not. But… but why would she lie about this?”

“She did say something about getting you riled up, master,” Gleam pointed out. “Maybe she’s just saying what she knows is going to make you angry?”

“It can’t be ruled out,” Nova muttered, before sitting up and cracking his neck. “How long did you watch us?”

Gleam scrunched her muzzle. “The first thing I heard was the mare laughing really loudly, because I got lost trying to find you, and it led me to where you two were. The first thing I remember her saying was something about a blind, deaf, comatose lobotomy patient.”

Nova sighed. Of course it would be that bit that she heard first.

“She was mocking me,” Nova ran a hoof through his mane. “She likes to do that. Thinks it gets under my skin, and if I’m honest with myself, I let it do that too much.”

“Who is Shimmer Silvermane?”

Nova felt the creeping dread well up in him at the mention of her name, and he sucked in a deep breath, before blowing it out slowly.

“Shimmer Silvermane,” he answered, measuring each word, “was a mare that made it her personal mission to torment me when I spent some time in the past.” He closed his eyes, remembering how she would seemingly be there at every turn to threaten him or to make life miserable for Clover or Summer. “I thought she was the one who would turn out to be Envy in those days, only for it to turn out to be Summer Blossom instead. And now she says she really is Shimmer, and Summer’s spirit has been trapped in that gem of hers…”

Gleam sat down and cuddled up against him, leading Nova to crack open one eye and give her a look.

“You respond well to touch, don’t you,” he observed. “Kinda like I did back then,” he added to himself.

“Sorry, master,” she blushed, but still met his gaze, “but you needed a hug.”

Nova felt a small smile worm its way onto his face, as the memory of a younger him abruptly trotted up to Princess Luna and hugged her when she needed it ran through his head. Rather than shy away as Luna had done, Nova slid a hoof around her and pulled her in.

“I agree,” he whispered. “I think I do.” He then smirked and added, “Just don’t let Princess Twilight catch us doing this. She’s got a mean jealous streak.”

Gleam’s eyes widened, her blushing face paled in mere moments, and she scrambled back.

“S-sorry, I didn’t mean anything like that--”

Nova chortled. “Gleam, Gleam, calm down.” He sat up and motioned for her to sit next to him. “Luna was very touchy too. She liked her hugs, and her nuzzles, and her little pecks from time to time, and she would even groom my mane after particularly-strenuous sessions. Even though she can get a little jealous sometimes, Twilight would completely understand.”

Gleam still eyed him nervously, but relented, albeit at a snail’s pace. As soon as she had sidled up next to him, he pulled her the rest of the way.

For several long moments, they lay there, master and apprentice, just enjoying each others’ company. It was a gorgeous day out, and now more than ever, Nova found himself grateful for Twilight making him do this today, despite it being so soon after… well, after the incident.

“I think we have delayed the lesson long enough,” he said, getting back to his hooves and helping Gleam to hers. “Going way way back, as you guessed, the cloak is partly for you to practice your enchanting on, and it would not do for you to let it fall into disrepair. If you probe it--”

There was a bright flash of magenta light. Nova and Gleam both yelped and jumped backward from its source, before the light vanished, and Twilight Sparkle straightened up, carrying a piece of parchment in her magic, and looking grim.

At once, Gleam scrambled as far away from him as she could. “Sorry-Princess-I-promise-he-was-just--”

Twilight, however, held up a hoof to forestall anything else she had to say, before thrusting the parchment at Nova.

“There’s a serious problem.”

Nova took the offered parchment and gave it a read.

Princess Twilight Sparkle and Archmage Nova Shine,

There have been a pair of grave developments. Your presence is required in Canterlot at the earliest possible opportunity. This is a Level Zero imperative. Archmage Nova Shine, bring your apprentice as well.

Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.

Nova’s gaze snapped to Twilight, who was sitting on her haunches and glaring at the ground in front of her, lips pursing dangerously.

“Did you just receive--”

“Thirty seconds ago,” she cut him off. “I teleported here as soon as I read it.”

“What’s a Level Zero imperative?” Gleam asked, craning her neck to read the parchment herself. “Why am I needed?”

“I imagine they want you along because you’re involved now,” Nova answered, “and a Level Zero imperative means that this order is the absolute top priority, and everything else must be put on hold. Last time we had one of those was when the princesses went missing shortly after Twilight's coronation a few years ago, and everyone devoted themselves to finding them, to give you an idea at how serious this is.”

He let out a long sigh, before the cloak, letter, and metal pole all both vanished in a flash of light

“Get packed for at least an overnight visit,” he said, running a hoof through his mane. “Maybe more. We need to leave immediately. Be at the train station in twenty minutes.”

“Yes, master,” she bowed quickly, before scampering off back out of the orchard and toward the city. Nova and Twilight shared a brief glance, and then they followed.

“Any theories?” Nova asked.

Twilight snorted. “Theories aren’t hypotheses, Nova.”

“You know what I meant,” he replied with a small smile.

Twilight frowned. “Well, an airship flying a Storm King flag was escorted into Canterlot earlier today. Something tells me it has something to do with that.”

Nova sucked in a deep breath. Chains, the prison cell, the inmanipulon ring he had been forced to wear…

“Hey,” Twilight pressed up against him, looking concerned. “I’m right here. Want to talk about it?”

“Later,” Nova shook his head. “Let’s… let’s talk later.”

“Alright,” she nodded, her eyes never leaving his. “We’re here for you, Nova. Trixie and I both.”

“Thanks, love,” Nova sighed, leaning down to rest his head against hers. “Let’s go see what the Princesses want.”

As they trotted away back into the town, despite the events of the last few days, Nova had never felt closer to Twilight as he did then and there.

Author's Note

So, I'm trying to go for the emotional angle here, but I never heard back from my prereader on how well I did it.

Preread (well after publishing) by AzuraKeres.

Rytex out. Have a good day!

Storm, Sky, Sentry, and Scream

The Archmage’s Last Bow
Chapter 04 - Storm, Sky, Sentry, and Scream

Nova Shine was standing alone in an inky void.

Huh. This was odd. He didn’t remember falling asleep. How had he gotten here?

A minute ago, he had been on the train, chatting rather animatedly with Twilight while they both guided Gleam through “sewing” an enchantment into his old cloak, and then…

Oh, right. He had decided to take a nap given his lack of rest the last couple days. Better to be not tired when they had their conversation with the princesses over this Level Zero imperative and whatnot.

But… what was he doing here? This didn’t feel like a dream. But he definitely wasn’t awake either. And he knew what the dreamscape looked like after his many trips into it with Luna. Yet unlike the dreamscape, there were no stars, there was no color, just this eternal blackness.

So… where was he?

“Where am I?”

Nova blinked. That hadn’t been his voice. It had sounded somewhat similar to his, but it was considerably cooler in tone, and just as confused as he felt.

“Hello?” the voice asked again. “Is anyone there?”

“Uhh… hi?” Nova chanced, looking around for the source of it, but it seemed to come from everywhere around him..

“Who are you? Where am I? What is this place?” the voice asked. Now that it was aware someone was listening to it, it seemed a bit more demanding, rather than uncertain. It was as though the voice was accustomed to giving orders and having them followed.

“I’m not telling, I don’t know, and I don’t know,” Nova answered shrugging. “I’m as stumped as you are on all of this, whoever you are.”

The voice paused for a long moment, leading Nova to wonder if this was one of the same incited dreams he’d had back when they were hunting down the Vaults those years ago. This was clearly too real to be a random dream, this was certainly in his head as he was asleep, and the voice did sound a bit similar to him…

Was it Logic, Emotion, or Snark, gaining sentience? Oh, Faust help us all.

“I apologize,” the voice said, toning down its level of demand. “I am… unable to sense anything about my surroundings other than the fact that I am in this odd empty place, and can hear your voice. I must ask, who are you?”

“Yeah, I don’t really trust the mysterious voice in the darkness,” Nova replied, maybe a bit too coolly. “I literally just met you all of five seconds ago.”

“That is… understandable,” the voice replied, sounding amused. “Very well, perhaps we should exchange names? That would be a start, wouldn’t you say?”

“Sure,” Nova shrugged. “I’m Nova Shine.”

The voice let out a quiet hum. “Thank-you, Nova Shine. Before I confide in you my name, I must ask. Do you know what year it is?”

“Uhh,” Nova’s brows twitched. Why would he want to know what year it was? For starters, which year-counting standard? “1007 After Nightmare Moon? Uhh...” he tapped his chin, “5622 of the Dawn Standard?

“I do not know what this Nightmare Moon is,” the voice remarked, “and I have never heard of this Dawn Standard. Do you know, perhaps, the Elysian standard? What about the Roaman standard? Ab urbe condita?”

“I do know that one,” Nova nodded. Finally, common ground. But if he was asking for a Roaman standard… just how old was this voice? “One moment, gotta do the date conversion.”

“Of course, of course.”

Ab Urbe Condita… “From the founding of the city,'' the city being the ancient city of Roam, which still stood in Bitalia. That was… a little over ten-thousand years ago, right? Yeah, now it was coming back. Ten thousand… ten thousand eight-hundred sixty-two, to be precise.

Yes, now he was remembering his history.

That would mean… well, no, it was probably a longshot. There were over ten-thousand years for it to be from, though if it had never heard of the Dawn standard, then perhaps it was somewhere between 5,000 to 10,000 years old?

And was he really assuming this voice was ancient just from the limited interaction? For all he knew it may just have never heard of any of these date standards! ...except the really really ancient one.

“It’s about… 11,869 AUC,” Nova finally answered. “I think. I do know the Dream Valley standard, if you know that one?”

“I’ve never heard of the Dream Valley standard either,” Nova could almost hear the voice frown. “Still, if this date is accurate, then that would mean that… oh my.”

“Everything alright?” Nova tilted his head.

“No, I do not believe it is,” the voice now sounded equal parts alarmed and disbelieving. “Forgive me, Nova Shine, but I cannot reveal much more about myself than I am sure you would like. I have just come to the conclusion that our spirits have been joined together somehow. It would seem I have awakened close to ten-thousand years after I went into stasis, and some how, some way, I find that my spirit has latched onto your own.”

“Wait, what?” Nova tensed, alarm shooting through him.

“I… cannot say for certain. I have not felt this sensation before, you see. But I have read of it, and what I’ve read seems to match the current situation. We are connected for the time being at the soulular level, but our minds remain separate. How very interesting...”

Nova was very used to that scientific edge creeping into someone’s voice, though that someone was almost always Twilight. No matter the topic, she could find something to be intrigued about. Speaking of Twilight, however...

“Yeah, I’ve only got room for one pony to join my soul to, so if you could kindly separate--”

The voice chuckled humorlessly. “Oh, Nova Shine, I am afraid it does not work that way. We are bound together for the time being, and I can’t say I know how to unbind souls right now. The condition should be temporary, but it would seem, for the time being, that I shall be tied to you for the foreseeable future.”

Nova let out a long sigh, dragging a hoof down his face. Lovely. Now even his privacy had been taken from him. What a lovely turnaround these last few days.

“Do not sound so distraught, my friend!” the voice said, quite casually despite Nova being quite vocal about how annoyed he was. “It is only until I know it is safe, and we discover a way to unbind our souls before I can leave you in peace. I am sure someone will have figured it out in the millennia since my apparent death.”

Nova just sighed again, but relented. If he was gonna get his soul stuck to someone else, it wouldn’t be wise to make an enemy of them. Still…

...wait a minute did he say “apparent death” just now?

“You’re reacting rather well to finding out you have someone else living in your head for the time being,” observed the voice. “Is this, perhaps, not the first time this has happened?”

“In a manner of speaking,” Nova scowled, remembering the night of Nightfall, when Harmonia had seen fit to take possession of him for that brief time.

“I see,” the voice said. “How very intriguing. I suppose it is good that only our souls are bonded, and that you have prior experience. I have seen beings whose souls and minds were bonded before, and a loss of identity was inevitable. It is good that we both retain our individuality. And those who are unaccustomed to it are usually quite overwhelmed the first time through.”

“I wouldn’t exactly call myself ‘accustomed’ though,” Nova frowned. “Last time it happened, it was for all of a couple of minutes.”

“Very interesting,” the voice replied. It was odd how the voice seemed sincere in those statements, as though he had an innate desire to understand everything he could.

“You never told me your name,” Nova pointed out. “At the very least, if I’m gonna have a roomie in my head, I’m not just calling you Voice.”

“Oh, my apologies, you are right!” the voice exclaimed. It made a noise of nervousness. “Nova Shine, before I reveal to you my name, I must ask something of you. I know it is a great leap, to place trust in someone you do not know, but I must ask it of you anyway.”

“What’s that?”

“I… do not know if it is a safe time to reveal the fact that I exist in your head, or that I even exist at all. Something tells me that my name may not yet have been completely forgotten, faded into the fog of time. Please, can I ask you to keep my existence an absolute secret?”

“I’m getting married sooner or later,” Nova answered. “You expect me to keep this from my wife?”

“Simply? Yes,” the voice replied bluntly. “I know not who to trust. I do not know if others of my kind still exist, and if they do, if they seek my destruction or not. My body was destroyed, and until I am certain that the present environment is safe for me, I wish to remain completely hidden so that my mind and soul are not.”

“Fair enough,” Nova replied, bobbing his head. It wasn’t forever. He could live with this. “Sure. I won’t spill the beans of your existence. So what’s your name?”

The voice took a deep breath, which was odd, considering it didn’t have lungs.

“My name is Imperius, and once upon a time, I was King of the Alicorns.”

There was an incurable fluttering in Bright Gleam’s belly that day.

Sure, she had gotten to say hi to Mom and Dad, who had immediately fawned over her, done the usual things like ask if she had brushed her teeth thrice a day and dotted her T’s and crossed her I’s-- wait, no, reverse that--, made sure she was alright, all that usual stuff, but none of that had done anything to set her more at ease for the day’s big event.

SHE WAS GOING TO MEET THE PRINCESSES!

“Nervous?” asked Princess Twilight as Gleam quivered from head to hoof while the three of them made their way toward the house that had become the princesses’ temporary residence in recent weeks. Nearly petrified with nervousness seemed to be a default setting for her these days.

“Y-yes, Princess,” Gleam admitted, shringing into herself just a little. “I, uhh… well, last time I saw them was when…”

“When you asked him if you could be his apprentice, right?” she nudged the distracted Archmage.

Master Nova Shine had seemed rather distracted ever since they’d stepped off the train, but then again, he’d been distracted pretty much all of the time since the incident in the woods with that Shimmer Envy mare, aside from just a few hours ago back in Ponyville.

Still, they’d actually gotten her to enchant her new cloak! Well, repair the existing enchantments anyway, but that was better than she’d ever done! Master Nova Shine had been right. Weaving the magic into the fabric had been far more effective than stewing it. Now, her new cloak’s protection spells were all in good shape, and she’d even been able to analyze the enchantments contained within with Princess Twilight’s help.

All that was left was tailoring it to actually fit her, and changing its color to something more her style. Master Nova Shine was right. Navy blue didn’t really go too well with her pink and gold.

Navy blue… gold… Princess Luna and Princess Celestia… SHE WAS GOING TO MEET THE--

“So why didn’t Sir Spike come with us?” she asked, hoping this would at least keep herself distracted.

“Please don’t call him ‘Sir Spike’,” Princess Twilight rolled her eyes. “The last thing he needs is a title like that going to his head like it already does in the Crystal Empire.”

“Sorry,” Gleam winced. “I won’t do it a--”

“No no no!” Princess Twilight cut her off. “Sorry, you didn’t know. I’m not chastising you or anything. I’m just ribbing on my Number 1 Assistant a little bit.”

“Oh,” Gleam let out a sigh of relief.

“Gleam,” Princess Twilight draped a warm wing across her back, “relax! Just because I’m a Princess and he’s the Archmage doesn’t mean we’re super-serious and you have to meet our minimum requirements to stay his apprentice or anything,” she nudged the distracted Archmage again.

The distracted Archmage simply frowned at the ground, his eyes glossed over.

Princess Twilight cleared her throat. “I said,” she nudged him again, speaking slowly for emphasis “‘just because I’m a Princess and he’s the Archmage doesn’t mean we’re super-serious and you have to meet our minimum requirements to stay his apprentice or anything.’”

The archmage didn’t seem to hear her.

“Nova!” Princess Twilight barked.

“Hm?” Master Nova Shine returned to alertness suddenly, looking around wildly. “What’s going on?”

“Encourage your apprentice.”

“Right,” Master Nova Shine nodded. “Good job, Gleam. You’re doing awesome.”

Princess Twilight covered her face with a wing and sighed, while Gleam giggled. She knew her master wasn’t super serious all the time. If anything, he was probably the goofiest stallion she knew, and given everything that had happened in the last few days, she didn’t mind him not paying much attention. She wasn’t some needy filly that needed constant care.

Princess Twilight, though…

There were rumors at Celestia’s School. Gleam attended the main campus, which was more of a boarding school, but the satellite campus in Lower Canterlot city limits was for students staying at home, and Tango Foxtrot said that everyone knew how Princess Twilight had been a student there once. She’d apparently aced the entrance exam. She’d been the standard every other student was compared to in her first year. She had been Princess Celestia’s personal student, and there had been no shortage of mutterings and hearsay about just how book-devoted she was.

According to Tango Foxtrot, who had heard it from Minty Twist, whose best friend Garnet Sheen had been told by Terra Stella, Twilight Sparkle had even wanted to marry a mathematics textbook. She’d drawn a face on it, brought it to class every day, and Tango Foxtrot even swore that Minty Twist said Garnet Sheen had been informed by Terra Stella that she’d even been seen trying to feed the textbook during lunch!

Well, her master was good at maths… is that why Princess Twilight likes him so much?

Focus, Gleam. Focus.

She was just so by the book that Gleam always expected her to be super-straight-laced and allow absolutely no deviation whatsoever.

And she was mostly right. Princess Twilight had indeed more often than not served as the straight mare to Archmage Nova Shine’s goofiness, and from what she had seen, Princess Twilight was also very much a checklist type of pony, doing things in a mostly-rigid order and a well-defined set of steps, compared to her fiancee’s much more fluid approach.

So whenever she said “Hey, we’re not super serious,” Gleam only half-believed it.

“So why isn’t Spike joining us?” she asked again.

“A Level Zero imperative situation is never a good place for a baby dragon,” Princess Twilight frowned. “Starlight and Rarity are looking after him. If we need him, we can pop back into Ponyville or ask them to come on up. Something tells me we won’t need him though. Ah, here we are.”

They had come upon a manse that stood off just outside of the city proper, in the direction of the castle. A small manse in comparison to Upper Canterlot in general, but much larger than anything Lower Canterlot had to offer. The marble walls were bare, there was almost no amethyst or gold decorating it, and the edges were painfully straight, compared to the much gentler curves of Upper Canterlot homes. Two thestrals wearing Knightmare Brigade armor flanked the doors. It was apparent to anyone that this house was hastily constructed to house the diarchs in the aftermath of the Terrible Trio’s attack.

Said Terrible Trio’s statue was visible in the Canterlot Castle gardens not far away, something that elicited a shiver out of her at the sight of it. The snarling visage of Queen Chrysalis, the cowering pegasus filly Cozy Glow, and the towering Tirek, frozen forever in their last acts terrorizing Equestria…

Master Nova Shine was staring at the statue as well, she noticed. His look was wistful, and she noticed it seemed to be directed, of all places, at Queen Chrysalis’ lunging form. Why?

“Watch out!”

*BAM!*

“Ouch!” yelped Gleam. “Ouch!” yelped a voice that wasn’t Gleam.

She had been so focused on Master Nova Shine and he had been so focused on the statue that they both had run right into the wall of the house.

The thestrals flanking the doors, smirked. “Nice,” one of them said in a cool, feminine voice.

“Shut up, Crisium,” Master Nova Shine snapped, rubbing at the side of his head that had taken the impact, where a very ugly bruise was already starting to form. How hard had he hit the wall?

“Like master, like student,” the other thestral grinned, observing as Gleam vigorously massaged her now-pounding head. Was there a bruise there, too? “Truly, she is your pupil.”

“You can shut up too, Frigoris,” Master Nova Shine glared at him, the effect lessened considerably by the bruise.

“Are the princesses inside?” Princess Twilight asked, letting Gleam and Master Nova Shine massage their heads and nurse their pride in peace.

“They are expecting you, yes,” the other thestral nodded. He trotted over and pushed open the door. “As well as… ah, someone else.”

Master Nova Shine frowned, but didn’t press any further. Instead, he did that eye-narrowy thingy he always did when he was using his Spidey Sense, or whatever it was called. Gleam didn’t know what its name was, but it let him see magic and ponies and, well, anything really. It was like Spider-Mane’s Spidey Sense, so it just kinda made sense to call it that?

His eyes bulged, and without waiting for her, he bolted inside, leaving a very confused Twilight and Gleam sitting there, blinking dumbly.

“Uhh, what was that?” she asked.

“No idea,” Princess Twilight replied, before she closed her eyes and started to concentrate on something. Gleam was about to ask why when Princess Twilight let out a gasp, and dashed inside right behind Master Nova Shine.

“Uhh… okay?” Gleam tilted her head in complete confusion now. “What’s going on?” she asked one of the thestrals.

The thestral named Frigoris just shrugged. The other thestral--Crisium, was it?-- decided to answer instead.

“Stormlands emissary,” she grunted in a low voice.

Gleam felt a prickle at the nape of her neck at that. A Stormlands emissary? As in, THE Stormlands?

Now it was her turn to gallop inside. The halls were bare, so she paid them no mind, but it only hit her a few paces in that she had no idea where to go. The blue glow coming from one of the four different branches in the path, however, made it pretty easy to follow.

Gleam followed her master’s magic and soon found herself in a bare sitting room, with a pair of couches, an easy chair, a coffee table, and a hearth. Princess Twilight was trying to restrain her master, who was looking daggers at a mulberry mare sitting in the easy chair. Her mane was a pink mohawk, and her tail was the same shade, except cut to a practical length. Her eyes were a light blue, with her right eye having a thin scar running over it. She wore blackened steel armor branded with the Storm King’s mark on her flanks in place of a cutie mark.

But the sight she would never forget was the broken horn on her head.

Bright Gleam knew this mare. She’d had nightmares about that horrific day, when this mare led the charge of the Storm King’s forces, trapped the Princesses in that twisted magic stone, and hunted Princess Twilight to the ends of the earth.

“Tempest Shadow,” she whispered, feeling herself tense up.

Tempest Shadow’s ears flicked when Gleam whispered her name, and she cast her gaze over to her, looking completely and totally indifferent to having the Archmage prepared to incinerate her on the spot. As her cold eyes locked onto hers, she felt a shiver creep up her spine.

“It’s okay,” Tempest Shadow said, her quiet and surprisingly deep voice somehow the loudest thing she had ever heard. “I’m not here to hurt you.”

“Then what are you here for?” demanded Master Nova Shine, his hair starting to move as if the wind were blowing it. But… why? He was indoors, why would his mane move like that? “What’s the Storm King’s top general doing back here?”

“She is part of the Level-Zero imperative, I’m afraid,” came the most reassuring voice she had ever heard. The familiar kind, motherly voice of Princess Celestia sounded behind her, and Gleam tensed up for an entirely different reason that was also pretty much the same reason in a different way.

Princess Celestia is right behind me! she internally screamed.

“If you would be so kind, Lord Archmage,” she added, her voice only just putting enough emphasis on it to remind Master Nova Shine who was in charge, “stand down.”

Master Nova Shine did just that. The mane-blowing ceased, his horn stopped glowing, and he gave the Princess a curt nod. Tempest Shadow’s eyes had, mercifully, now moved to meet the Princess’ eyes instead, but Gleam still felt rooted to the spot.

Why is she here? Why did I get brought along? Am I about to screw up again? IN FRONT OF THE PRINCESS!?

“And you,” something warm fell over her back, “must be Bright Gleam.”

Gleam suppressed another shudder. That had to be Princess Celestia’s wing. Princess Celestia had draped a wing over her back!

“Y-y-yes ma’am!” Gleam shrunk down underneath it.

Princess Celestia broke into a titter, failing to stifle a giggle with her hoof “Oh dear, you remind me so much of Twilight when she was your age. Was this on purpose, Nova?”

“I have no idea what Twilight was like that young,” Master Nova Shine shrugged. “So no, not intentional. Anyway,” he gestured over to Tempest Shadow, “what’s she doing here?”

“Perhaps you could ask her that yourself?” Princess Celestia suggested. Gleam was sure she was giving him some kind of meaningful look, or perhaps a raised eyebrow.

“...right,” Master Nova Shine frowned. “And where’s Luna?”

“She won’t be along for several minutes, as she’s currently in contact with the Crystal Empire over something relevant to today’s conversation..” Princess Celestia’s wing was now gently easing Gleam forward toward the couches. Please don’t make me sit next to Tempest Shadow… “Time is of the essence. It is time to bring you up to speed.”

Fortunately, Princess Twilight took the spot next to the Storm King’s general. As soon as she climbed onto the couch, Gleam let out a breath she didn’t even know she had been holding. Unfortunately, someone noticed.

“Are you afraid?” Tempest asked, giving Gleam a once-over and frowning as well. “I promise, I am not here to harm anyone.”

“So why are you here?” asked Master Nova Shine. “Twilight told me you’d gone back to spread the message of friendship or something a while ago.”

“A convenient lie,” Tempest admitted, her expression unreadable. Twilight shifted uncomfortably beside her. “It was the only way to allow me to leave Equestria in peace following the invasion. In truth, the Stormlands were in turmoil, and command over the Storm King’s armies fell to me after his petrification and shattering.”

Her head lowered, something Gleam never thought she’d see. The General of the Storm King… sad?

“I had no desire to become a leader when serving under him. All I wanted was my horn back.” This was punctuated by a few blue sparks flickering from her horn stump. “That has, unfortunately, proven impossible, but as news of the Storm King’s defeat began to spread, many conquered provinces in the Stormlands began to rise up and cause trouble. I had to take up the mantle to keep the peace.”

“So are you the Storm Queen now?” Master Nova Shine asked, frowning.

Wait a minute. Gleam scrutinized his face. Hadn’t he had a bruise on his cheek? If he had, it was gone now. Maybe it had just been an irritated spot.

Not important, Gleam. Focus!

Tempest shook her head. “No, Lord Archmage, I am not. All I am doing is keeping the peace, and negotiating with the various provinces directly while I cede power back to them.”

“You’re giving countries their land back?” Twilight asked, mouth parting.

Tempest shook her head. “Not exactly. Whenever the Storm King would invade, it would be a total conquest. He would annex entire nations. I am simply undoing the process. It will take time, but the many nations the Storm King swallowed in his bid to conquer the world will be free lands once again. However, in the meantime, we have been met with difficulties, and one of those is the reason for my visit today.”

“Did we lose any land to the Storm King?” Master Nova Shine glanced over at Princess Celestia, who shook her head.

“None that still resides under the banner of the Stormlands. No, the problem she has brought to my attention is one the two of you will have a personal interest in.”

Master Nova Shine’s eyes narrowed at that, and even Princess Twilight looked surprised. Gleam didn’t know why she would be shocked. She was a princess. Didn’t she have a personal interest in basically every problem Equestria had, or something like that?

“As you might expect,” Tempest bowed her head, “citizens of the Stormlands, particularly the involuntary citizens, have risen up to try and accelerate their liberation, despite my best efforts. Many have engaged in acts of vandalism or otherwise have attempted to target the Storm Legion in an attempt to make their feelings known. A large problem we have been dealing with lately is a problem with thieves.”

She took a deep breath, clearly pausing to collect her thoughts, as well as to give the ghost of a grimace, before she continued.

“The Storm King liked to collect trophies of his invasions and would ferry them to Storm’s Eye, which was his seat of power. Lately, however, many of these trophies were stolen by zealous resistors and revolutionaries, if they felt I wasn’t returning them to their rightful owners fast enough,” she sniffed, the faintest scowl crossing her face. “However, I kept Equestria’s trophy under the tightest possible guard, and was fully intending to deliver it back to Princess Celestia in person due to just how dangerous an artifact it was.”

“And it was stolen,” Gleam finished, seeing where this was going.

Tempest gave her a smile, the first real show of emotion she;d seen from the mare all day. “Yes, Lady Bright Gleam, it was stolen.”

Gleam didn’t know how she was supposed to react to being called “Lady Bright Gleam,” and she decided she hated it. She wasn’t any noble… was she? She didn’t want to be a noble, she just wanted to be a great spellcaster like Master Nova Shine!

“The artifact that was stolen from you was in our possession once before,” Tempest continued, unaware of Gleam’s current existential crisis. “A pony that was under our domain once was able to infiltrate our high-security vaults and stole the artifact in question, bringing it here to Equestria. However, rather than attempt to use it, our sources informed us that he attempted to sell the object, which meant that he was unaware of its true power, else he likely would have kept it for himself.”

“Wait…” Master Nova Shine whispered beside her, his eyes widening ever so slightly. “I… I know this story…”

Gleam looked over to Princess Twilight, who didn’t seem to be having the same realization as Master Nova Shine. Instead, she was paying rapt attention to Tempest’s account.

“Someone purchased the artifact before we could take it back,” Tempest continued, “and before we could locate them, the artifact passed from their hooves and we lost track of it entirely. We did not encounter it again until the Invasion of Canterlot, where the Storm King was pleasantly surprised to discover it within the castle’s Treasure Vault. It was immediately repossessed and taken back to Storm’s Eye, where it has remained until its more recent theft.”

“You say you kept it under the tightest possible guard,” Master Nova Shine pointed out. “Did it just disappear? As in, no changes in the guard, no assaults, nothing like that?”

“Nothing,” Tempest shook her head. “The thief and how they were able to get in and escape, is completely unknown to us. All guards were interrogated thoroughly, none were slacking, there was no overt attempt…” she scowled, “it was as if they weren’t even there at all.”

A flash of understanding crossed Master Nova Shine’s face at that, and he grit his teeth.

“Envy…” he growled.

“But I am more concerned about the artifact that was stolen,” Twilight said, with a look of unease on her face. “What artifact was it?”

“The artifact in question was the Gem of Soul.”

No one moved, no one said anything after that. The name of the artifact held considerable weight, and Gleam felt a prickle at the nape of her neck, but she still didn’t know what this Gem of Soul thing even was. Why was it so dangerous?

“Never heard of it,” Master Nova Shine said after a long moment, frowning. “Twilight?”

“The name sounds familiar,” Princess Twilight furrowed her brow and tapped her chin, “but I can’t think of where I’ve heard it before…”

“Perhaps you know it by another name,” Tempest suggested. “I believe it is also referred to as the Alicorn Amulet.”

Master Nova Shine gasped, his eyes bulged yet again, and he bolted to his hooves. Next to Tempest, Princess Twilight had stiffened suddenly as well. Princess Celestia must have already known this, because despite her uncomfortable look, she did not seem surprised.

“You lost the Alicorn Amulet in the invasion, and you didn’t think it was a good idea to tell me?” Master Nova Shine thundered, glaring at Princess Celestia.

Gleam winced as a shadow of anger crossed the Princess’ face at his accusation. Oh, this wasn’t going to be good...

“Peace, my Apprentice,” came a considerably softer voice from somewhere behind both her and her master.

Master Nova Shine simply scowled as Princess Luna entered the room, a grave look on her face. “We’ve talked about this,” he growled. “She’s about to take over your job for you,” he jabbed a hoof at Princess Twilight, “and I’m supposed to be there as one Equestrias best defenders and spellcasters when we’re needed, not to mention I’m going to be able to support her. An amulet as powerful as that one, accounted for yet missing this whole time? That’s unacceptable! The secrets and lies MUST stop!”

“You are in no position to demand we turn over all of our knowledge and state secrets, Nova Shine,” chided Princess Celestia, and Gleam was surprised to hear just how calm she was, as though she were merely explaining why the sky is blue to a curious child. “Lest you forget, although you are equal with us in many ways, you are still a subject. You are no ruler, you are no general. And although you will soon be wed to Princess Twilight, you would do well to remember that you are not one of us.”

Rather than allow Master Nova Shine to retort, something he looked dangerously close to doing, Princess Luna decided her best course of action was to steer the topic of conversation back to the purpose of their visit. “In any case, if we must return to that discussion, we will return later.”

“Count on it,” Master Nova Shine said, a steely look in his eyes, before he took the initiative in steering the conversation away. “So, it’s been stolen, and I think we have an idea of who’s behind it.”

“The shadow known as Envy, yes?” Tempest met Master Nova Shine’s gaze. “That is the Princesses’ working theory. Oh yes, I know who she is,” she added, with the tiniest of smiles at his surprised look. “They showed me a diary of some kind, and explained that without it, I wouldn’t be able to remember her name or any significant details about her. Based on previous incidents involving her, it would make sense for her to steal the amulet, given recent history, and give the evidence, or lack thereof.”

“So Envy stole the amulet,” Master Nova Shine sighed, sitting back down and looking weary. “Again. She didn’t have it when we encountered her a few days ago, so when was it stolen?”

“Six days ago,” replied Tempest.

“So she had it, but didn’t use it,” Master Nova Shine dragged a hoof through his mane. “She went easy on me.”

“Easy’s not the word I would use,” Princess Twilight commented, with a nervous glance over at Gleam.

Gleam shuddered. The mare had no qualms about turning right around and trying to disintegrate her where she stood. She hadn’t been having nightmares, but she’d be lying if she said she didn’t think about it.

“And this brings us to the business I have just spoken at length with Cadance about,” Princess Luna said grimly, taking a seat on Master Nova Shine’s other side. ”There was an incident in the Crystal Empire yesterday which we are still gathering information about.”

Princess Twilight and Master Nova Shine both stiffened.

“Is everyone okay?” Princess Twilight asked, jumping to her hooves. “Are Cadance and Shiny alright!?”

“Flurry Heart!” Master Nova Shine exclaimed. “Is Flurry Heart safe!?”

“None of your relatives were hurt,” Princess Luna spoke over them in a calming tone, but it still carried just a hint of unease. “However, we do not yet know everything about the attack.”

“And that is why we have decided to send the three of you,” Princess Celestia finished.

Wait.

Did she just say the three of them?

“Me too?” Gleam asked, blinking several times over the next couple of seconds.

“Yes, Apprentice Gleam, you too,” Princess Celestia smiled sweetly at her.

Wait. Princess Celestia had smiled at her. THEY WERE SENDING HER ON AN OFFICIAL--

A gentle hoof touched her shoulder, and her eyes snapped sideways. Master Nova Shine was there, giving her that same look he always did when he knew she was working herself up.

“Deep breaths,” he said in that same calming-yet-encouraging way he always said it. And as always, she sucked in a breath, held it for a few seconds, and then let it out again. And as always, those few seconds proved to be exactly what she needed to calm down and stop going into an overthinking frenzy.

Why was her master so good at this? Did it have anything to do with Princess Twilight’s “Twilighting”?

“Thanks Master,” she smiled sheepishly.

“No problem,” he nodded, giving her a fond look.

Gleam noticed Princess Luna broke into a wide smile when she saw the exchange. She’d have to ask why. Did it have something to do with her? Or Master Nova Shine?

...well, duh. Of course it did. But… what was it?

“Due to your involvement,” Princess Celestia continued, as though the interruption hadn’t happened, “the best place for you until all of this is resolved is to be by your teacher’s side. Yes, you are more likely to be near any conflict,” she conceded with a dip of her head, “but you will also be surrounded by ponies capable of protecting you far better than you would be elsewhere.”

“Just… try to stay away from that conflict, if you can,” Princess Twilight said, giving her a stern look. “You’re lucky to be alive, Gleam, and we don’t want to press that luck.”

She felt that sheepishness creep in again. Really, what had she been thinking back then? It had been something that even Master Nova Shine and Princess Twilight had dashed off to confront. She really should have simply stayed put.

But… the whisper. There was that whisper that clearly had wanted her to go. She had thought of it as a figment of her imagination at first, but then it had whispered louder. She could remember hearing it plain as day. Directing her to the school, through the grate, through the cave, out into the forest, and finally upon the scene of the confrontation.

What kind of figment of the imagination could give her exact directions to someplace she didn’t know?

“Yes ma’am,” Gleam bowed her head.

“So, your mission in the Empire is simple,” Princess Celestia continued. “Investigate the attack. If the cause is more mundane and something the Crystal Guard can handle alone, report back. However, if the cause is what we fear, and the Alicorn Amulet is present…”

“Neutralize Envy, recover the Amulet if possible, return back here,” recited her Master, dipping his head rhythmically. Gleam giggled to herself. Her master’s tic of head-bobbing when he wanted to memorize something was kinda silly.

“Yes,” Princess Luna nodded. “If additional help is required, we have alerted Lord Star Swirl to be prepared. But other than that, what happens in the Empire is in your hooves.”

“Understood,” Master Nova Shine nodded. “When do we leave?”

“Immediately,” Celestia replied, gesturing with her hoof back out into the city. “A Wyvern-class airship is waiting at the military skydocks to ferry you north.”

“A moment before you go, however,” Princess Luna cut in, as the three of them stood up. She gave Tempest Shadow a brief nod, leading Tempest to bow and trot out of the room (and by the sound of things, out of the house without so much as a goodbye), leaving them alone. “We have an additional recommendation to make as well.”

“Oh?” Princess Twilight seemed interested in this. “Is this about--?”

“Yes,” Princess Luna cut her off. “Archmage Nova Shine,” her voice gained an air of formality, “we are giving you an additional order.”

Master Nova Shine blinked. “Uhh… okay? What’s the order?”

“When you have an opportunity in the Empire, you are to pay a visit to the Shrine of Black and White,” Princess Luna announced, standing tall and proud and making quite a show of delivering this news. Gleam had to stifle another giggle. Quite like her own Master, it seemed that his master had her own flair for dramatics and ceremony.

“Alright,” Master Nova Shine nodded again. “Beat Envy, bring back the Amulet, visit the Shrine if I have a chance.”

Princess Luna smiled disarmingly at him, before trotting over and draping a wing around his shoulder. “We felt it was best, given your recent struggles. The Shrine is a place of rejuvenation and healing, but you will be tested, Nova. It is an opportunity to better yourself in preparation for what the future holds, but such an ordeal is not to be taken lightly. As we said,” she added, patting him on the breast, “an order to visit, but a recommendation to undergo the trial.”

Master Nova Shine nodded, though Gleam didn’t miss the frown on his face. Not to mention the distant look on his face. And also the glossing-over of his eyes.

Oh, he was probably going to run into something on the way out again.

“Your ship awaits,” Princess Celestia said, gesturing out the door once again. With that, the three of them stepped out and began to make their way toward their ferry.

As the trio trotted away from their home, Luna couldn’t help but feel her mind drift back to the uneasy look Tia had earlier. It had seemed innocuous, but with someone like her sister, who had practiced the art of the Queenly Mask, a small slip like that meant it had caught her completely off-guard.

“Pray tell,” she leaned over and muttered, too low for any of the retreating ponies to hear, “what is on your mind, sister mine?”

“In a moment,” Tia whispered back, giving the trio a half-hearted wave as Twilight glanced back at them. The two of them watched as Nova, Twilight, and Bright Gleam trotted off. In only a few moments, they were gone into Upper Canterlot, trotting toward the airship that would ferry them northward. Once they were, Celestia stepped into their home, cast a spell that sent a shimmering wave of golden energy all around both of them, and then the Queenly Mask dropped.

Celestia sank to her knees, a look of sheer horror crossing her face, her chest heaving, and a hoof pressing against her heart. Before Luna could say something, Celestia let out a pained moan. Luna’s mouth fell open. Never before had Tia reacted this badly to something! Just what was wrong?

“Tia, what is the matter?” Luna asked sharply, her body tense and her wings unfurling, ready to flap and take her where she needed to go.

“No!” Tia thrust out a hoof and caught her by the barding. “Nothing-- nothing is wrong. Not with m-me.”

“What is the problem?” she asked, kneeling down and looking her sister in the eyes. It was unnerving, seeing her like this, because despite having the faintest of pink shades in her coat, it was still possible to tell when her sister had gone pale. Only she hadn’t just gone pale.

She had gone stark-white.

“The fading bruise…” Tia whispered, a pained look crossing her face. “It’s… It can’t…”

“Tia, what is it?” Luna gripped her hooves. “What bruise?”

Celestia took a shuddering breath. “Nova Shine walked into this home with a blackened eye, Luna. And by the time you arrived, the bruise had completely faded.”

And then told her exactly what she did not want to hear.

“The oversaturation has started, Luna. There can be no doubt.”

The bottom dropped out of her stomach. At once, her strength left her, and for a few moments, the world spun around her.

No… no, that cannot be That CANNOT be!

“But I thought…” she breathed, the world still reeling, and she had to struggle to stay upright, “I thought we still had years until… until it began.”

“I thought so too,” whispered Celestia, covering part of her face with a hoof. “All of the calculations, all of the observations… and we were wrong!”

Luna was at a complete and total loss. This couldn’t be happening. There was no way it could be happening so soon! Not now, not immediately before their retirement! Not so soon after his Ascendancy!

“The secrets and lies MUST stop!”

“We have to tell him,” she stated, feeling tears sting the corners of her eyes. “We have to tell them both.”

“No,” Celestia shook her head. “Not with Envy--”

“Tia, they both deserve to know!” she snapped, glaring at her sister, though the effect was ruined by just how desperate she must have looked.

Celestia didn’t respond. Instead, her head drooped, and she blinked back tears of her own. “You’re… right,” she finally croaked. “It is their right to know. But not now,” she added quickly. “Not today. When they return from the Empire would be best.”

“Agreed,” Luna nodded tersely. “He has enough to worry about as it is, especially with him making a visit to the Shrine.”

“Luna,” Celestia sniffled, “is it… wrong of me to be this affected?”

Luna shook her head. “Neigh, sister mine. You care about him, as do I. We will always have our favorites,” she added, and she was sure Celestia heard it. The faint crack at the end as she failed in that instant to keep it together.

“There’s still a chance, though,” Celestia said, and Luna was startled to hear a pleading note in her voice. As though it wasn’t true but she wanted it to be. “He… can ascend.”

“But will he?” Luna asked grimly. “Would he accept that mantle, and the responsibilities that come with it?”

Celestia had no answer. The question hung in the air, feeling as though it were the heaviest question ever asked. Luna wanted to believe in her pupil. She wanted so desperately to believe that he would prove himself willing and worthy…

...but she couldn’t. Worthy? Most certainly, though perhaps there was still some ironing-out to do. Willing? Certainly not. No, his desire to be master of his own fate, free from the chains of responsibility as much as possible made that quite clear.

“Your faith in him has been rewarded many times, Luna,” Celestia blanketed her little sister’s back with a wing. “Perhaps… perhaps it will be rewarded once more.”

Luna could only hope so.

The airship was a modern wonder of engineering.

While zeppelins had held the de facto monopoly on air travel for the last several decades, thanks in part to being easy to produce and easy to maintain, the innovation brought about by brilliant minds from among the dragons, the hippogryphs, and defectors from the Storm King’s army allowed the Equestrian Peacekeepers to develop something new.

Nova Shine stood at the very edge of the top deck of this new Wyvern-class airship, feeling oddly at peace with the world around him. The airship was like a large sea vessel refitted for the sky. Great masts rose from the ship’s body, with rigging there to catch the air. Pegasi manned it in the interest of safety, zipping around and adjusting ropes and rigging as needed. Great wings extended from the sides of the ship, the better to allow the ship to turn. But most distinctly, a large metal ring vertically-encircled the ship, with slots cut into it. In each slot was a glittering red crystal, and from each crystal, a jet of fire burst forth, pushing the airship along. The sails directed the ship, the wings stabilized it and aided in turning, and the flames propelled it.

He smiled as he simply experienced the airship in its full glory. The Dragonfire Ring in particular had been something Twilight, Starlight, and Star Swirl had collaborated to make. Fire Crystals normally let off fire everywhere around them, but in those slots, it focused the fire into one direction adding plenty of propulsion force the other way. To see something like this in action made him feel so proud of both her and himself by proxy just a little. To think that a mare capable of this had chosen him out of everyone to spend the rest of her life with? It was one of many times where he couldn’t believe his luck.

Air travel had always been something of a novelty to non-pegasi, but now, flying at speeds faster than any but the Wonderbolts were capable of matching for long periods of time, Nova knew air travel was going to be something he made sure to do more often. Not just because of the simple convenience of it, but because this… this was his element.

The howling wind ruffled his hair, the pleasant chill made him feel alive, and the magnificent wild blue yonder stretched out in front of him. Clouds passed beneath the airship, the Equestrian countrysides passed beneath them, and the white snowy fields of the Crystal Empire lay up ahead. If he squinted, he could see the faint glimmering of the Crystal Spire.

The sky truly was where he belonged.

...it may have also helped that wind blowing like this made his Archmage’s cloak flap behind him at top speed as though he were a dramatic figure in a book.

Twilight stood somewhere behind him, watching and waiting for something they both knew was going to happen. It seemed she couldn’t resist the conditions out here either, as she had her wings flared out and was lazily letting them glide up and down on the wind as it passed. Aside from the aeronauts, it was just the two of them out here. Under normal circumstances, he’d have a guard or two with him, and she’d have at least four given her status as the crown princess. But not now. Nova had made sure of that. He didn’t want anyone interrupting him or spoiling his fun.

Without warning, he leapt forward, diving straight off of the ship, cape vanishing behind him in a flare of blue light.

For future reference, don’t dive off the bow of a ship. You’re likely to get hit by the craft continuing in its direction with you now in its way. Fortunately, Nova had thought of this possibility, and had put something of a protective bubble around himself so as to keep his body away from the ship itself and allow him to freefall without getting slammed into.

The next few seconds were a blur as he spun wildly, his body turning and twisting while he struggled to right himself, but once he turned his head upward to stare at the distant horizon and kicked his back hooves behind him as far as he could, he stabilized, plummeting belly-first.

The initial feeling of vertigo in his stomach had him laughing as he sped toward the ground below him, but it was gone in moments. The wind turned harsh as it whipped him in the face and sped past him. Ahead of him, the ground rushed toward him at top speed, but he had no cares about that. His heart was pounding in his ears, he was taking great heaving breaths as adrenaline started coursing through him, and in an instant, every worry was wiped away.

There was nothing, only bliss.

It felt like he was flying! It almost felt, for the briefest moment, like he had wings too, and was giving Rainbow Dash or Twilight a run for their money, blazing through the sky as though he were made for it, or it was made for him. It almost felt as if he were flying forward just as much as he was flying downward. That was how strong he felt in the wind: as if it could carry him anywhere he wanted.

This was home. The sky was his.

The speed, the wind, the cold… it was nothing short of exhilarating! He could have spent forever, in this state alone, and he would be happy for every second of it. Yet the ground continued to rush upward to meet him as gravity pulled him downward.

Just after he passed below the clouds, however, he felt the warmth of a body on his back, felt a pair of hooves wrap themselves around his middle, felt a number of spells weave themselves around the both of them to join them together, and gently, he felt Twilight start to ease him out of his freefall.

It took a few seconds, and he was still well above the ground, but not long after she first caught him, she how had him firmly secured to her belly and was carrying him back up toward the airship in the distance, her powerful wings seemingly unimpeded by his extra several pounds.

“How was it?” she asked, resting her chin on top of his head. It was hard to hear her over the wind.

“I can’t even describe it,” he replied hoarsely. “Breathtaking, to say the least. It was...” he took a shaky breath, “...wonderful.”

“You remind me of Mom,” she chuckled. “Don’t go jumping into any Neighagra Falls barrels now, you hear me?”

He said nothing. Instead, he opted to press his head just a little harder into hers, which got him a pleased hum. That moment of freefall could have lasted forever, but he felt that here, now, in his element and in the arms of his mare, he could be happy even to the heat death of the universe.

Moments like these were ones he would always treasure.

When they finally touched back down on the ship deck a few minutes later, Twilight taking the time to undo some binding enchantments she'd used to ensure he never slipped from her grasp, Nova immediately wanted to do it again. And indeed, he reflexively took a few steps toward the ship’s edge before Twilight’s favorite leash spell kept him from going too far.

“No no no no,” she almost sighed. “You’ve had your fun. Now we need to go make ourselves presentable to meet Cadance and Shiny.”

“You need to go make yourself presentable,” Nova snorted, taking in the state of his fiancee. Her mane was, naturally, windswept now, with ends poking out everywhere, and her bangs hanging in front of her eyes It looked even untidier than his normally was. In contrast, somehow his mane seemed neater after his skydive, if his reflection in a porthole window was anything to go by. Or perhaps it just fit him better. “I’m perfectly fine as I am.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “How is it that I have to put time and effort into styling my mane, coat,and tail just to be presentable, but you can just jump off an airship and still look perfect?”

“You look perfect too,” Nova turned back and gave her a quick peck right on the nose, which caused her to squeak. “I like this look.”

One of the deckhands very loudly made retching noises, but Nova ignored him.

“Anyway,” his horn shone, and her mane was instantly styled back to its usual look, as though she hadn’t just jumped off of an airship chasing after her thrill-seeking fiancee, “there you go, love. Back to boring old normal.”

She rolled her eyes again, but gave him an affectionate nuzzle all the same.

“In all seriousness, though,” Nova frowned, trotting back over to the rails on the side and looked down, “I think my Wind Elemental-ness or whatever you call it is getting stronger.”

“Your alignment?” Twilight asked, watching him. He could see her wings shift, as if she believed he was about to vault himself off again. He wanted to, but there would be time for that later.

“I guess,” Nova shrugged.

“You should know that word,” she trotted over and gave him a swat with her tail. “You’re the Archmage now. It’s a pretty fundamental concept, and you should know how to talk about it.”

“Eh, I’ll learn later,” he shrugged again. With a flash of light, his cape appeared around his shoulders once more. “Maybe if it gets strong enough, I’ll get something like how you can turn into a great gorgeous flaming ragemare.”

“What makes you think your alignment has gotten stronger?” she asked, blushing under his praise.

“When I was falling there,” he recalled the sensation vividly, “for a moment… it felt like I was falling forward. Like I was actually flying, and not merely falling.”

“Momentum from the ship,” Twilight patted him on the back. “I had to account for it.”

“No, I mean,” Nova shook his head, “different than that. It felt as if the winds themselves were carrying me forward. I was still falling, but I was also… not.”

Twilight hummed to herself. He felt a bit sheepish even as he thought about it. Had it just been his imagination? Had he just been caught up in the heat of the moment?

“Excuse me, Lord Archmage? Princess?”

Nova looked back to see an orange earth pony wearing a white uniform with dark blue pants. He was wearing a simple white seapony’s cap, and adorning his breast was a blue insignia featuring a silver eagle with wings spread, and three red downward-facing chevrons. He stood at attention and saluted the both of them.

“Yes, uhh…” Aegis had this rank, didn’t he? “...Staff… sergeant?”

The earth pony shook his head. “That’s the Army, sir. We’re the Aerial Navy. It’s Petty Officer, First Class.”

“Ah, my mistake, Nova dipped his head. “I’ll memorize the ranks one of these days.”

“Understandable, sir,” the petty officer dipped his head, but otherwise kept right at attention. “Captain Gale says the E.A.S. Ember should be landing soon and would like you to step inside so we can begin landing procedures unimpeded.”

“Gotcha,” Nova nodded, before starting to trot back inside. “Thanks.”

“Yes sir,” the petty officer saluted again.

“Dismissed,” added Twilight hastily, at which the petty officer finally moved again, trotting into the ship through a different entry. “You’re going to need to make a habit of doing that now, you know?” she lightly brushed his side with a wing.

“I forgot,” Nova admitted, smiling wryly. “Not used to holding military rank.” He shook his head. “Welp, let’s go get ready to meet our niece and in-laws, shall we?”

The Empire was as exquisite as ever.

On this particular chilly evening, the sunset caught the Spire in just the exact way to where the very air around them seemed to thrum and shimmer with dancing light. As Nova glanced over at his wife-to-be, he felt a certain hitch in his chest as he always did on particularly beautiful nights. It was just like it had been in Trottingham those years ago. The light caught her perfectly, framing her in such a way to make her appear to be glowing, and just like it had the first night he had seen it, he once again felt the butterflies flutter inside of him.

Twilight, meanwhile, was giving him a knowing smile. “Trottingham flashbacks?”

“Trottingham flashbacks.” Nova leaned into her. “You know me too well.”

“I should certainly hope so,” came a different voice, which instantly caused Nova to go a little pink at having been caught in a somewhat intimate moment.

Princess Cadance and Shining Armor, with Flurry Heart riding on Shining’s back, were standing at the base of the exit ramp from the airship. Cadance and Twilight immediately ran up to each other and started doing their Sunshine dance. Nova and Shining bumped fists as they always did, and at once Flurry began to squirm on her daddy’s back as she saw her favorite aunt and uncle.

“Unca Noba!” she called, trying to sit up and reach for him. “Unca Noba!”

“Flurry!” Nova descended on his future-niece, lifting her up off of Shining’s back and setting her on his own. Flurry laughed and clutched at his neck somewhat tightly, the earth pony strength evident as ever. Nova even lightly bucked, causing her to squeal with laughter and clutch even tighter. “Oh, you’ve gotten so big!”

“As eager to play with our kid as ever, I see,” Shining observed.

Nova shrugged. “I’m not apologizing. You know me and kids.”

Shining smirked. “I’m not asking you to apologize. It’s nice to have her favorite foalsitters around, and it’s even nicer that they’re free.”

He gave Nova a light bump. Flurry clutched at him again as she was jostled, and she giggled.

“Yeah, well,” Nova let his smile fade, “business before pleasure. Is everything alright up here?”

“Outside of the sudden security concern,” Shining frowned, and the four of them turned and began to stroll out toward the Crystal Spire from the plaza in which the Ember had landed, “no, there hasn’t been anything wrong. The Crystal Guard are on high alert in case something is amiss, but up until Princess Luna told us the two of you were being sent up here, we didn’t know that it was this big of a potential problem.”

“We just thought an investigative team and a Healer or two would be sent up here and that would be that,” Cadance added, sliding in step next to her surrogate brother. “Auntie Luna must think it’s something particularly dangerous if she’s sending another princess and the new Archmage.”

“What are we potentially dealing with?” Shining asked.

“Envy,” was Nova’s reply.

It could have been his imagination, but the air around them seemed to get a bit chillier the moment he said it.

“And who’s the filly?” Cadance asked, glancing behind them, where Bright Gleam was following along, looking around the Crystal Empire with wide eyes and a hanging jaw. Nova noticed she seemed particularly fixated on the (many) statues of “Spike the Brave and Glorious”.

“Gleam?” he called behind him.

Gleam jumped, before scrambling to fall into step on his other side, between him and Shining. “Sorry-Master-I-was-just--”

Nova bumped her, which elicited an “Eep!” from her, but did its job in shutting down her apologetic spree before it could really begin. Flurry laughed.

“Bright Gleam,” Nova leaned his head in her direction, “this is Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, the First of Her Name, Princess of the Crystal Ponies, and of the Frozen North, and of the White Mountains--”

“Princess Cadance is fine,” Cadance interrupted, rolling her eyes. “Or just Cadance. He calls me Cadenza just to annoy me,” she bumped Nova. “Point is, I don’t really like using titles between friends.”

They passed into the Crystal Spire and immediately began to make for the nearby infirmary. The transition from the chill of outside to the warmth of inside couldn’t have been more apparent.

“And Cadenza,” Nova continued, “this is Apprentice Bright Gleam, the First of Her Name, Student of the Great and Powerful and Full Of Himself Archmage Nova Shine--”

Gleam giggled, and Flurry giggled because Gleam giggled. And then Twilight giggled because Flurry giggled because Gleam giggled.

The only ones who didn’t laugh were Nova and Shining, but neither could really hide their grins, though Nova’s turned into more of a wince as Flurry grabbed his ear and gave it a solid yank. Apparently his grunt of pain was funny, because she burst into a renewed fit of giggles.

Unfortunately, the levity died almost as soon as they entered the Crystal Spire’s infirmary. There was only one occupied bed out of the two rows that were each pushed up against a wall. The moment Nova laid eyes on the stallion, he stiffened, any trace of a smile or even a good mood vanishing instantly.

Flash Sentry was sitting up in the bed, looking bored, but hoofing through a magazine.

He didn’t look like he belonged here. Quite the contrary, he looked perfectly healthy. No bandages were wrapped around anywhere, he looked perfectly alert despite the boredom, and he didn’t seem to be in any discomfort that Nova could see. Perhaps his internment in the infirmary was merely precautionary.

At the sound of the door opening, Flash looked over, surprised to be receiving visitors this late. And the moment his eyes fell on Twilight, he brightened instantly.

“Princess Twilight!” he sat up just a bit straighter. “I didn’t know you were coming up here.”

Almost as if she could read Nova’s mind, Twilight slipped between him and Shining and curled a hoof around his. Nova felt no shortage of savage delight as Flash’s face noticeably fell.

“Princess Twilight and Archmage Nova Shine are here to investigate your attack, Sergeant,” Shining stepped in. Sentry nodded to his captain, before glancing right at him. Nova met his slightly-confused glance with an icy one of his own, which seemed to add to Sentry’s confusion. “I know you can’t remember anything, but try to answer their questions as best you can.”

“Sure thing, sir,” Flash saluted from his bed, a quick and crisp action that somehow annoyed Nova even more.

“Here, I’ll take her off your hooves. Gleam, would you like to see where you’ll be sleeping?” Cadance asked, her sky-blue magic lifting Flurry off of Nova’s back and setting her on Cadance’s own. Flurry protested, but resigned herself to not getting to hang around her favorite aunt and uncle until after going to bed for the night. Nova did make sure to turn around and give her a little wave, which she gave right back.

“Sure thing,” Gleam nodded, following Nova's BSBFF. She hadn’t brought any luggage because she didn’t anticipate needing to bring any clothing, but Nova was sure she was going to regret that tomorrow. The Crystal Empire’s winters were notoriously cold, as was to be expected of a place located within the Frozen North.

As the three mares trotted out, this left Nova alone with his fiancee, her older brother, and the stallion who quite clearly had a thing for her.

“So,” Nova trotted over and took a seat on the bed next to Flash, who shifted uneasily as he got close, “can you tell us anything about what happened?”

“I… can’t,” Flash answered, setting the magazine down. “The last thing I remember is marching down the hall where I was attacked, and the next thing I knew,” he gestured lamely at the infirmary in general, “I was in here.”

“So you don’t remember anything at all?” Nova asked.

“Nothing, sir.”

“Okay,” Nova gave a curt nod. “Which hallway was it?”

“I can show you tomorrow,” Shining answered, trotting up and standing next to him. “What’s odd is, the alarm system is designed to detect any intruders and make a screeching sound in each sector the intruder is detected. But…” he frowned, “it only went off in exactly one place, a section of hallway well into the castle.”

Flash nodded. “My squadmates told me they found me lying there, twitching and dead to the world. They brought me in here, and then I woke up. And now,” he rubbed at his head as though he had a headache, “I can’t remember anything about it.”

“Nothing at all?” Nova asked, just to clarify. “Not even a hint, or a feeling?”

“Nothing,” Flash shook his head. “You know how sometimes when you forget something, how you can remember something else about the memory and that might cause it to come back? Like,” he scrunched his nose and thought about it, “like you forget a time you visited your grandma, but sometimes if you just focus on this smell that you can’t ever forget, it brings the memory back?”

“I know the feeling,” Nova nodded.

“I can’t remember anything,” Flash shook his head again. “Nothing at all. No sights, no smells, no weird feelings or impressions, absolutely nothing!”

Flash had gone pale, and he was starting to hyperventilate, sweat beading on his brow, and he was starting to shift uncomfortably.

“Do you have any idea how terrifying this is, sir?” he asked, his voice shaking. “What else is missing? Did I forget anything else? Will it happen again!?”

“Flash, stop,” Twilight stepped forward, staring down at him with concern. “Focus on the here and now, alright? Tell me five things you can see.”

Flash took several deep breaths, before looking around the room. “I see… I see beds, I see nightstands, I see…” he swallowed, and Nova could sense him calming down by the second, “...I see the Archmage, I see Captain Armor, and… and I see…” he trailed off going pink. Nova didn’t need to hear any more to know what he was about to say there, and he felt his jaw clench reflexively.

“Four you can touch,” said Twilight. Flash listed basically everything about his bed. Twilight continued with what he could hear, then what he could smell, then what he could taste, and by the end of it, Flash let out a deep sigh and fell back against his bed.

“I’ve been having nightmares about it,” he admitted, wiping back his now-sweaty mane. “Princess Luna hasn’t visited to help, but it’s only been three days. Hell, I’ll settle with just having someone go into my head so they can tell me just what all the thing that attacked me messed with.”

“I can do that for you,” Twilight said, stepping forward again, her horn already lighting up. Nova felt his jaw clench even harder.

“No,” he finally said, somehow managing to keep it from being a growl.

Twilight and Shining both looked over. Both looked wary. Maybe he hadn’t kept the growl out of his voice after all.

“No?” Shining asked. “Why not?”

“I’ll do it,” Nova stepped forward. “I have more experience going into ponies’ minds than you do, thanks to Princess Luna,” he explained, hoping she would buy the explanation, even if it wasn’t the whole truth. The whole truth was, he was getting tired of his fiancee and Flash schmoozing right in front of him. “Not to mention, I can place a nightmare guard spell in your head.”

Flash looked relieved and fell back against the bed. “Thank-you, sir. You have no idea what this incident has done to me over the last few days.”

“I can hazard a guess,” Nova replied, stepping up to Flash’s bedside. “I've had a few friends who’ve experienced similar incidents.”

If you could call an entire town, plus Trixie, a few. And then there was Zecora after the attack she’d had in the woods…

He leaned his head down next to Flash’s temple, and his horn shone blue. At once, there was a sort of rushing sensation, as though he were falling, but distantly in his head, he could still feel his hooves on the ground.

Blackness clouded his vision, and the falling continued despite feeling his body as it remained solidly on the ground. It was an odd sensation, but it was over almost as quickly as it began.

Nova now felt himself standing on something, despite being in an environment where everything around him was inky blackness. Sitting in front of him now was a great glowing star-like nexus of warm light.

Nova trotted forward, the problem immediately becoming apparent the moment he set eyes on it. There was a portion of his mind that looked broken. If the nexus of light were glass, this would have been a gaping hole in the side. No doubt this was where Envy had broken into his head.

This wasn’t a wound he could magically close, not by a long shot. His mind would have to heal naturally. Still… how had Envy broken in?

Nova probed forward with his mind, and at once, his vision was filled with images, memories and memories, as he accidentally brushed one such glimmer of light…

Flash and a young amber mare with a red and gold mane and bright teal eyes were cuddled together under a tree in what looked like Canterlot. She seemed to be a few years older than him, around Cadance’s age, but they clearly had a special bond, and Flash wouldn’t trade this moment for the world.. Flash said something he couldn’t hear. The mare smiled and snuggled closer.

“What?” Nova asked aloud as the memory cleared, but another one took its place.

Flash was sprinting through the halls of Canterlot Castle at full speed, even using his wings to propel him forward. No, no this couldn’t be happening! Guards all around him shouted at him to stop, but he paid them no heed. He wove through the castle, turning left, then right, then left, then left again, hoping beyond hope he was going the right way. Then he burst through a door into an odd, cluttered room, in the center of which stood a giant mirror made of crystal. But no sooner had he stepped through the door than he saw her standing there.

The same amber mare from before snarled at Princess Celestia, who was also in the room, and before Flash could call out to her, she dashed through the crystal mirror as though it weren’t even there. Flash cried out and blasted himself forward as quickly as he could--

*CRUNCH*

“Agh!” Flash yelled in pain, collapsing to the ground. The mirror had suddenly become solid, and he had flown into it at top speed. Princess Celestia looked stunned and completely heartbroken by what she had just seen, but she had enough presence of mind to scoop him up in her magic and begin ferrying him to the infirmary at top speed. Flash never made it there, however. His vision faded completely in moments as he lost consciousness.

Nova shook his head wildly, starting to withdraw his probe. This amber mare had been the weakness Envy had exploi--

Flash was curled up in his room, crying over a picture of the mare--

“STOP!” Nova forcibly pushed every thought away, pulling the probe free and once again clearing his head. “Okay. So Envy broke in through this particular sore spot in Flash’s memory. Let’s make sure she didn’t take anything besides the attack.”

Nova had to be careful not to let the various thoughts and feelings floating around Sentry’s head overwhelm him. Exploring a mind like this represented a major risk to one’s identity. If they let their target’s mind overwhelm theirs, it could cause a severe identity crisis that could have catastrophic side-effects on the one being overwhelmed’s psyche. Reciting his thoughts like this focused him, and helped to keep his thoughts his own.

Acting a lot more carefully this time, Nova sent forth the probe yet again. This time he took great care not to touch any of Flash’s memories lest they fill his head like that again. The last thing he needed was to damage Flash even more by accident because he had panicked over seeing something he shouldn’t have.

Finally, he located Flash’s damaged section of his memory stream. The absence of links between several memories made it apparent, as well as the shadowy residue left behind. It was definitely Envy, then. She wanted them to know she’d done it. She could have closed up this wound and left nothing behind, but she’d left it all here for him to find.

Nova felt himself blow out a shaky breath through his nose in the real world, and began to withdraw. Flash was fortunate. Envy had only taken those two memories. Had any more been taken, and there would have been a lot more damage for him to follow.

With a quick burst of light, Nova cast a nightmare warding spell on Flash’s psyche, the better to help him rest instead of being haunted by these implications and fragments.

As he withdrew, however, his probe accidentally grazed one more memory tied to the cluster of memories centered around that amber mare.

Flash was older now, a recent recruit to the Crystal Guard. He was standing stock still, guarding some door he’d been assigned to keep an eye on. Sure, it wasn’t as eventful as announcing Princess Twilight’s arrival to this Princess Summit, but he was looking to make a great first impression on Princess Cadance and Captain Armor.

*BUMP!*

“Wah!” yelped a familiar voice from his right. He looked down to see…

To see her.

Princess Twilight had accidentally run into him again, just as she had the first time he’d seen her. Flash smiled, amused, as she blushed.

“We’ve got to stop running into each other like this,” he extended a hoof. The expression alone reminded him so much of… of her. Of Sunset. Of course, this was already adding to the fact that she was also Princess Celestia’s student, just like Sunset, and she had been--

The real world returned to Clarity as Nova fully withdrew himself from Flash’s mind.

“Done,” he stated, his voice barely managing to keep a lid on his anger.

“What did you see?” Flash asked, sounding hopeful.

“Good news and bad news,” Nova stated, turning away to hide his scowl. “The good news is, that’s all she took and I’ve put the nightmare guard in place.”

“Thank-you,” Flash almost sobbed the line and the relief he was feeling couldn’t have been more obvious. Despite his complete and total infuriation, Nova couldn’t help but feel… good. He actually felt good about helping the stallion he hated more than anyone else in Equestria right now.

“The bad news is,” Nova replied harshly, “your psyche’s pretty messed up, and it's going to take some serious work to patch it up. I’d suggest going and seeing a shrink for the next several weeks.”

“Oh,” Flash said. “Thank-you though, sir!”

“Please don’t,” Nova snarled, already trotting out. “Just get better so I don’t have to come back here.”

He didn’t wait for a response. Instead, he shoved his way out the door, startling the pair of guards flanking the entry, and stomped off.

“Nova, wait!”

Twilight was catching up to him now. Oh good. Just what he needed to feel better about what he just saw.

“What’s wrong?” she asked. She was cautious now. Good. Maybe she’d back off when it became clear he didn’t want to talk about it. “What did you see?”

“Enough,” he growled, continuing as though she wasn't there.

“Nova, what’s going on?” she sped up to keep pace with him, even trying to stop him by stretching out a wing to impede him.

“Nothing,” Nova snarled, shoving past her. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Twilight flew over him, landing between him and the way forward and pushing him back. “Nova, what is it? Please talk to me!”

With a quick burst of blue light, Nova simply teleported onto her other side. He could also sense Shining was now following them, though he was keeping his distance, watching how things played out. Twilight continued to try and get Nova to stop and talk to her all the way up to the residential level, but he continued to press past her, getting more and more infuriated the more she wouldn’t let it drop.

“Did he have some kind of secret or something?”

“Stop trying to hinder me, Twilight,” Nova shoved past her even more roughly. “I’ve done everything I need to with him. He’s on his own now.”

The commotion caused Cadance and Gleam to poke their heads out of Flurry’s room.

“We need to make sure he’s fine, though!” Twilight protested, looking completely baffled by his sudden lack of compassion. “He’s a victim, Nova! We both need to make sure he’s able to recover after Envy’s attack!”

“Oh, I’m sure you’d love that, wouldn’t you?” Nova demanded, seething. “Getting to spend this whole trip fawning over the stallion you’d rather be with, is that it?”

The realization dawned on her immediately. She knew what had upset him now. The same thing that had irritated him when he’d learned he was Cadance’s guard at the Star Swirl Festival three years ago. The same thing that had angered him after her visits to the human world. The same thing that always pissed him right off whenever she came back from a trip to the empire. “Nova, no, that’s not what I meant at all! I only meant--”

“You know what? I don’t care,” Nova just threw up a hoof in disgust and cut her off. “He still clearly hasn’t let go of you and you’ve done nothing to put a stop to things. Why should I stand in your way? Clearly, it’s what you really want.”

“What!? No, I--”

“Because if you really wanted him to stop, you would have made it clear he was crossing a line!”

The hall had gone deathly quiet. All eyes were fixed on both of them. His blood was pounding in his ears, he felt ready to tear down a mountain, all he could do was focus on the startled purple pair of eyes in front of him.

“Nova, I swear, I didn’t--”

“WHY DON’T YOU JUST GO FUCK HIM ALREADY IF THAT’S WHAT YOU REALLY WANT!?”

His scream echoed around the hall until it faded into absolute silence. You could hear a pin drop. Cadance looked stunned. Gleam’s eyes were wide and her mouth hung open. Nova himself regretted the words the moment he’d let them slip, feeling a hitch in his gut the moment the final word passed his lips. And Twilight…

Twilight’s expression had just fallen into disbelief. She didn’t look as stunned as Cadance, or as appalled as Gleam. But she just stared at him, almost uncomprehending were it not for her eyes. Her eyes, normally vibrant and carrying that spark of light within them, seemed to… fade right before his eyes. Nova would rather have been thrown into the depths of Tartarus for all time than see that expression on Twilight’s face once.

And he had just made it happen.

Without another word, she turned around and trotted away. Where, he didn’t know. All he could do was watch. He wanted immediately to say he was sorry, to call after her, to beg her forgiveness.

Hell, he would have prostrated himself entirely.

But his hooves were rooted to the spot, and all he could do was stare as she marched down the hall, took a turn, and left his sight.

Something grabbed hold of a hoofful of his mane, and he yelped as he was dragged across the hall. A door was thrown open, and he heard the clopping of hooves and saw the white of Shining’s coat, just in time before he was hauled in.

Shining shoved Nova into the empty room none too gently. Nova stumbled but managed to keep himself from falling over, only for Shining to step forward and shove him again. Nova fell on his ass this time, and as he started to stagger to his hooves, he heard the door shut and the lock click, and a wave of blue magic sweep across the-- wait… Shining had pink magic.

Nova looked up to see Cadance standing there, staring down at him with the most disappointed expression he had ever seen on her face. Not once in the ten years he was under her watch had he ever seen her look like this, and for some odd reason, seeing this expression on her face crushed him.

She knew he was better than that. He knew he was better than that. And he’d fucked it up anyway.

“I never thought you would ever cross that line,” she said, her voice as cold as the wind had been when he’d dropped out of the sky earlier. But unlike then, when the cold had been invigorating and welcoming, this chilliness was nothing of the sort.

Nova suddenly felt he could no longer meet her eyes, and instead the floor suddenly became very interesting to him.

“Do you have any idea what you just did, Nova?” she asked delicately.

“I’m pretty sure I just ruined four years of engagement,” he replied flatly, feeling a stab of pain in his gut at the memory of her expression...

Cadance tilted her head, though her disappointment started to shift into anger. “No, I wouldn’t say that.”

“Oh, so it’s worse,” his head sank.

“No,” Cadance shook her head. “I don’t think you’ve destroyed your relationship with one careless scream. But you have damaged it significantly.”

“I haven’t destroyed it but I’ve significantly ruined it.”

“Oh stop,” Cadance snapped, scowling. “No, I don’t think your relationship is gone. But you’ve just put yourself into a position where it very well might be if you screw up this badly again. And if I were you,” her voice was almost scathing now, “I would stay the hell away from her until well after tomorrow.”

“Goes without saying,” he grunted.

Cadance glared at him, her expression half anger, half overwhelming disappointment. Nova knew which one hurt him more to see.

“Tomorrow, Twilight and I will talk about this, and I will see if I might be able to fix everything you have done your best to shatter this evening,” she turned around and began to leave the room. “And as much as I love you, LBBFF, I’m not doing it for you.”

Nova said nothing. He was too busy trying to banish the image of the look on Twilight’s face with no success. It was going to haunt him, from now until the end of time itself.

All the better so that he never did it again.

“Shining will be predisposed, given tomorrow’s his day to drill the Crystal Guard,” Cadance continued. “So with that in mind, as a ruling member of Equestria,” she turned to give him a flat look, “you are hereby ordered to serve as Princess Flurry Heart’s foalsitter tomorrow morning and afternoon.”

Nova almost brightened. Was… wasn’t this supposed to be a punishment of some kind?

“This isn’t a punishment, but neither is it any kind of reward,” Cadance frowned. “Flurry will probably take a long nap tomorrow while you’re watching her. I would suggest you take the time to properly reflect on what you’ve said and how you might be able to repair things.”

Nova nodded.

“I’m sorry,” he managed to croak.

“I’m not the one you need to say that to,” Cadance stated. “And I don’t think you’ll get an opportunity to say it until tomorrow at the earliest.”

And with that, she walked out, leaving him there to himself. After a long moment, Nova also left the room, practically stumbling his way out as he found that the last place he wanted to be was anywhere near here.

With that in mind, he practically galloped his way out of the castle, searching for the first balcony he could find. Somewhere, anywhere out of the way, where he could be alone.

He found his way out to a balcony, before practically collapsing onto the cold hard crystal and assuming the meditative lotus position purely by reflex. The cold outside now matched the inside.

Bitter.

Biting.

Isolating.

Nova began to channel magic in him, trying desperately to control his breathing as Twilight’s pained face once again burned itself into his mind.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he moaned.

He wasn’t sure how long he was there, repeating “I’m sorry” to himself while he slowly regained control over himself. All he knew was that he remained unable to banish the image of Twilight, hurt and crushed.

Something brushed up against him and he jumped. How had he not sensed them approaching?

“Are you alright, Master?”

It was Gleam. The pony he least wanted to see him like this, including Luna, Twilight, and anyone close to him. Not her, not the filly who thought the world of him.

“Didn’t think you’d want to call me that anymore,” he admitted softly, smiling humorlessly. “Not after what you just witnessed.”

Gleam replied by sitting down next to him and giving him a sort of nervous glance, and Nova felt himself sag. What had he done? He was this filly’s hero, and he had just given her a massive reason to loathe his very existence, at the top of his lungs.

“How did you even find me?” he asked.

“I… listened,” she answered, sounding just as nervous as she looked.

“Guess I wasn’t exactly trying to hide, was I,” he sighed.rubbing his face with a hoof. “Gleam, have you ever heard the phrase ‘Never meet your heroes’?”

“Mm-hmm,” she nodded.

“What do you think it means?”

“I always thought it meant something like you might embarrass yourself,” she shrugged. “Like the time we met after your Ascendancy, or when you came to accept me as your pupil.”

Nova shook his head. “It’s because you see your heroes with your own eyes, and not as the idealized versions of them you have in your head. And the pedestal you put them on will break. And tonight, you got to see me for who I really am.”

She stared at him. Nova could only wonder what was going through her head right now. Was this the part where she was going to ask not to be his apprentice anymore? Or maybe she figured she was stuck with him until the Envy business was finally taken care of.

Her horn flashed green and the Night Master Cloak he’d given her draped itself around her shoulders, and she leaned against him.

Under normal circumstances, Nova probably would have broken down right there. Instead, he felt… oddly peaceful. Almost as if her very presence there was telling him that it would be alright in the end. That no matter how badly he screwed up, she would always see the best in him, even when he couldn’t see it in himself.

As it grew later and later, and the weather got colder and colder, Nova knew there was no longer any putting it off. With a sigh, he stood up. Gleam scrambled to her hooves as well, the oversized navy-blue Night Master cloak she was wearing making it a little difficult for her. Nova gave her an affectionate nuzzle, and with a sad smile, he sent her off to bed so he could do what he needed to.

After giving himself some time while she scampered off, he too stepped back into the warm confines of the Crystal Spire, and slowly plodded his way toward his and Twilight’s shared guest room… though for how much longer would it be shared? The mere thought caused him to freeze up at the door, nervous at what he was about to face.

No matter what happened after tonight, he needed to apologize. He needed to spill his heart out to Twilight and accept all of the blame. There was no way around it, and the longer he let her hurt, the more he knew he was the one twisting the knife.

After a long moment steeling himself to face her, he finally pushed open the door and slipped inside. It was a fairly spartan room, with only a king-sized bed, a dresser, a window with a stunning view of the city at night, and a bookshelf stuffed full of things Shining and Cadance clearly thought they would enjoy if they ever found time to relax on this business trip. She was lying on the bed, facing away from him, but when he stepped in, she stirred.

He said nothing, not even when her ear twitched and she shifted to glance back at him. Her expression was stony, but he could still see some of the hurt in her eyes from what he had said. She hadn’t cried-- if she had, it would have absolutely broken him to know he’d done that--, but she hadn’t been unaffected by his careless words.

“Hey,” he whispered in a low voice, looking away like he always did. “I… I know that I’m probably the last pony you want to see right now… and that just saying sorry can’t undo what I… what I said…” She shifted, and he heard a sniffle. “But… I…”

He couldn’t get it out. The moment he tried, he choked up entirely. He needed to apologize, he needed to beg her forgiveness, but the moment he tried to, he couldn’t.

“I’m sorry,” he finally forced out past a half-sob. “I regretted s-saying it the moment I did a-and I’ve hurt you and I’m just so sorry!”

“Nova,” she said, now looking at him a lot more fully.

He didn’t respond.

“Get in bed.”

He saw her lift the covers. The action stunned him to the point where he fell right on his haunches.

“But… aren’t you… angry at me?” he asked, still not meeting her eyes.

“Oh, I am,” she replied, her voice even. Controlled. “Completely furious, as a matter of fact. You didn’t mean what you said, I know that, but you still said it, and it hurt.”

Her earlier expression once again filled his thought, and he sniffled.

“But…” her tone was gentler now. “But I know you’re hurting from what you said too, and you’re going to punish yourself for it like you always do. Like you’re doing right now by not looking at me.”

“But after what I said--”

“Nova, just stop.”

He did. It cost him every ounce of his willpower, but he did fall silent and let her speak.

“Look,” she sighed, “You haven’t been in your right mind. You’ve been drinking, Envy has you completely on edge, you’re still afraid of how you will perform as the Archmage, our old lives are about to end, and all of that has turned you into a mess. Frankly,” he could almost hear the tiny smile that graced her face, “I think having Gleam around may very well be the only thing keeping you from having a breakdown.”

“Twilight, stop!” Nova pounded on the floor. “I said something horrible to you, it hurt you deeply, and now you’re acting like nothing has happened--”

“Nova,” she cut him off. “You are not forgiven.”

Oh. There it was.

“Not… not yet.” She shifted, the covers of their bed rustling. “I’m… we’re both going to need time to get over what you said. That doesn’t change the fact that I love you, and you are hurting, and everything has just come together in the worst possible way, and the last thing you need right now is to be alone, but… it still hurts.”

“Did… did you send Gleam after me?” he chanced.

Twilight nodded slowly. Nova felt a spring of gratitude and warmth well up inside of him, and with it, a fresh regret that he had said something so thoughtless and hurtful to this perfect mare.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, feeling tears sting his eyes. “I’m so fucking sorry--”

He felt himself be pulled off his hooves and into the bed, and the next thing he knew, he was under the covers and was being snuggled up to her. Immediately, Nova was aware that he had been placed with his back to Twilight, opposite of most nights. Despite this, her hooves pulled him close and held him tight, and she rested her head atop his own.

“We’ll get through this,” she promised him, whispering into his ear. “We need to trust each other, but we will get through this.

How had he ended up with her? He had just demonstrated that he in no way deserved her, and yet here she was anyway.

That simple realization was enough to make him cry himself to sleep that night, even as she held him tighter than ever.

Author's Note

And to think Nova's still not done getting absolutely beaten down before he can rebuild himself.

Anyway, the fun really starts probably next chapter. At the very least by the chapter after that. I don't want to spoil the surprise, but let's just say Envy isn't going to be the only antagonist in this story.

Anywho, lemme know what you guys think. Or maybe vent your frustrations on how Nova went absolutely berserk at the drop of a hat.

Rytex out. Have a good day!

Return of the King

The Archmage’s Last Bow
Chapter 05 - Return of the King

Nova Shine was standing in the familiar inky void, just as he had the day before during his naptime.

“Oh,” he frowned. “I thought this place was a dream.”

“Apologies for disappointing you,” said the voice of Imperius, sounding slightly amused, before growing more serious. “In time I will not need to bring you here, just so I can converse with you at will, but as of now, I must just bide my time, and keep a watchful eye upon your world.”

“Oh, great,” Nova sighed, sitting down and then flopping onto his back. Wait a minute. there wasn’t any floor in this place. How was he doing this, exactly? “So you saw everything yesterday, didn’t you.”

“I did,” Imperius replied. He sounded… cautious. As though he didn’t know what Nova was going to do next and didn’t want to set things off.

“Say hello to Equestria’s new Archmage,” Nova sighed, laying his head back against the ground, or whatever it was. “I can’t even keep my cool around someone I don’t like and not take it out on my own fiancee.”

“I must admit, I do not understand,” Imperius replied. Nova could hear the confused look on his face, whatever it looked like. “Why do you say such things about yourself? I saw what happened in that stallion’s mind, the feelings that he carried for your mare and that he has not let them go away. In your reaction, I can’t find a fault.”

“I haven’t yelled at Twilight like that in years,” Nova reached a hoof up and rubbed at his eyes. “Not since she refused to stop digging into--”

He blinked.

“Wait. Were you speaking in iambic pentameter just now?”

“Why yes it was; it is the way I speak. At least, it is when I am in the flow. It’s taken me some time to readjust, but please don’t change the topic here at hoof.”

“Fine, fine,” Nova just resigned himself to having to return to an uncomfortable topic, even if he was sort of the one who brought it up in the first place. “I love her. Why would someone scream something so horrible to someone they love? Can you answer that?”

Imperius was silent for a time, making Nova feel even more self-conscious about it. As if the Alicorn King were judging him for something.

“I still cannot find cause to blame you for.”

“Why?” Nova snarled. “Were mares only meant for staying in the kitchen and being yelled at?”

Imperius fell silent again. These pauses in the darkness were starting to get unbearable. Nothing to look at, nothing to see, just him, his shame, and the unseen judging eyes of the one who was once the most powerful pony in the world, perhaps of all time.

“I’m sorry, that was uncalled for,” Nova closed his eyes. Not that it made a difference here. “Your kingdom was supposed to be the height of civilization or something. Probably wouldn’t have gotten that far if there weren’t equal gender rights.”

“It seems that you are full of rage and shame, and though you make an effort hiding them, your feelings have an impact on your speech.”

Why couldn’t this Alicorn King just let him hate himself in peace?

“It’s clear that you regret what you have said. For that, just give yourself some time to mend. In time, you will not make the same mistake, and to that end, you must improve yourself. But that is something only you can do.”

“I’ve been trying!” Nova snapped, slamming a hoof down onto the surprisingly-hard surface. “I’ve been trying to make myself better. A better Archmage, a better spellcaster, a better partner for my Princess of a future wife…!”

“You must forgive yourself for slipping up.”

“Were it so easy…” Nova mumbled.

“In truth, it is the hardest thing to do, to make your peace with errors that you’ve made. But even so, you must let go of them. For if you don’t, they will devour you.”

Now it was Nova’s turn to fall silent and think on the Alicorn King’s words. He didn’t sound much older than Nova did, yet he was capable of wisdom like this. Just who was this pony?

“My time is short and you must rest your mind,” Imperius said, his voice considerably gentler and less instructive than it had been a moment ago.

“Is that your way of saying goodnight?”

Imperius chuckled.

“If you would like it so, I can oblige.”

“Even wishing ponies good night, you can’t resist the iambic pentameter.”

“The pot informs the kettle that he’s black.”

Nova couldn’t help a humorless smile at that. Indeed, it really was the pot calling the kettle black considering his own hobby of annoying Twilight with conversational iambic pentameter from time to time.

“Good night to you too then, I guess.”

“Until we speak again, sir Nova Shine.”

Twilight laid her head back against the edge of the tub she was currently relaxing in. It felt so nice to simply stay here relaxing, letting her worries wash away as a spa pony tended to her mane somewhere behind her...

“So, about yesterday,” said Cadance from her current table, where she was sprawled on her belly while a masseuse set to work on her back. The tone was conversational despite the subject matter. Twilight noted she had all the subtlety of a drunk Princess Luna, even though she knew very well Cadance was going to bring all of this up. There was no beating around the bush today, it seemed..

“About yesterday,” she parrotted, though a lot more morosely than Cadance had.

“How are you holding up, Ladybug?”

“‘m fine,” Twilight mumbled back, trying not to think about what he had shouted at her in the heat of the moment.

“Twilight...” Cadance gave her a look out of her one visible eye.

“I’m fine,” Twilight repeated, more firmly this time.

“Ladybug, you are a bad liar and you know it.”

“Cadance, I don’t want to talk about it.”

“But you need to talk about it.”

Twilight let out an impatient growl, burying her face in her hooves.

“Twilight, I won’t mince words. While I don’t doubt that Nova Shine does regret what he did,” Cadance rested her chin on the table and somehow keeping her voice straight as the masseuse set to work on her shoulders, “I think you were too quick to welcome him back in.”

“I understand you feel that way,” Twilight tensed, the very opposite of what the spa trip was supposed to accomplish. “But you don’t know him like I do. Whenever he messes up, I’ve learned that the worst thing I can do is encourage him to punish himself like he always does.”

“I’m not saying you need to encourage him to punish himself,” Cadance gave her a sympathetic look, “but… don’t let him off the hook.”

“He’s not,” Twilight replied flatly. “But I’m not going to leave him to himself so he can run off and do even more harm by drinking or isolating himself like he always does when he does something like this.”

Cadance nodded her head in understanding. Twilight let out a breath in relief.

Now, to confess the hard part.

“And… he was...” her voice grew softer with every word, until it was barely a whisper, “sort of… right.”

“Come again, Ladybug?” Cadance turned an ear to her.

“He... “ she bit off the end of that statement, feeling tears spring to her eyes, and lowering her head to hide her face. “He… wasn’t wrong.”

There was a heartstopping pause. Even the ponies working on her mane had completely come to a halt, though that may have been because she had leaned forward.

“Oh, Twilight,” Cadance sounded as though she’d received the cruelest surprise she possibly could have, and Twilight couldn’t help but feel as though it was a distinct possibility. It was almost as bad as when Nova had said what he did. “Tell me you didn’t. Tell me you didn’t!”

“I… I d-didn’t do anything,” she forced out, feeling tears already start to spill down her cheeks. “But... b-but I…”

She couldn’t finish that sentence.

“Twilight,” Cadance’s voice was firm and… and she seemed to be struggling to stay in control of things, “tell me what you did.”

Twilight let out a shuddering sob, and the dam finally broke.

“I didn’t do anything,” she repeated, wiping her eyes, “but I… I never did tell Flash to stop.”

“Why!?” There was a clatter of hooves, and the next thing she knew, Cadance had entered the bath, grabbed her face in her hooves, and was staring into her tear-laced eyes with her own thunderstruck ones. “Just why!? I can feel the love you two have just radiating off of each other! Why would you do something like this!?”

“I-- I…”

Cadance’s eyes were boring into hers now. There was so much Twilight could see in them. Anger, disbelief, disappointment, complete and total dejection…

“Because of Clover,” she finally whispered.

Cadance let go of her face immediately, letting out a long slow breath as she covered her face with her hoof.

“Because of Clover?” Cadance asked, a harsh edge to her voice Twilight had only heard when she was being impersonated by Queen Chrysalis. “Because of a mare Nova left to be with you?”

“He’s not over her!” Twilight now grasped her head in her own hooves. “I know he left that time and came back to be with me, but what if he didn’t want to?”

“Twilight--”

“What if he only came back because… because he had to!?” She asked, her eyes wide, and the tears now falling freely. “C-Cadance, I… I love him and that hasn’t and will never change, b-but…”

“Oh, Twilight,” Cadance grabbed her and pulled her into a hug, letting the sobbing princess cry freely into her shoulder.

“I th-thought that… that I n-needed to…”

“You thought that it hanging over your heads would have done even more damage. You thought that paying him back was fair play, even if all you did was nurture the crush of a guard,” Cadance finished, with a small shake of her head. “Twilight…”

“W-when he said that yesterday…” mumbled, just barely loud enough for Cadance to hear, even as she tried to push free of Cadance to no avail, “I… deserved it.”

“No!” Cadance shouted. “Don’t you dare accept it. Something like that should never be said.”

“I never even told him, either,” she added, her voice now barely audible at all. “He… he found out.”

“How?”

Twilight sniffled, and pushed Cadance away. She felt… unworthy. Of what? Everything. How could she be worthy of the wings on her back and crown she was to wear, when she was actively hurting one of the very subjects she would rule and love? How could she be worthy of Nova Shine, when she had done what she had in the name of petty revenge to satisfy her irrational self? How could she be worthy of the Element of Magic and Spirit of Harmony, when she was spreading disharmony?

She had been irrational. She knew that. Deep down, she had always known that what she believed was irrational, and what she did was wrong. What was something like this supposed to do? Build their relationship by breaking his trust?

“All I ever had in Flash was a way to make Nova jealous,” Twilight shook herself out of Cadance’s grasp. “Cadance…it doesn’t matter what you think, you know that, at least s-somewhat, I did deserve--”

“That. Is. ENOUGH!”

Twilight flinched. She had never heard Cadance yell like that. And judging from the expressions on the spa staff’s faces, neither did they.

“Ladybug, just stop.” Her voice was calm, but she could just sense that it was a forced measure of calm. Like she wanted nothing more than to yell some sense into her, but was containing herself for the sake of not pouring oil on the fire. “For the life of me, I do not understand at all just how the two of you have managed to make it this long if you never take the time to talk to each other. A relationship cannot be built on secrets and lies, Twilight! It can only be built on trust and communication.”

“We-- we do talk--”

“Ladybug, there’s a difference between talking and communicating.” Cadance took a deep breath through her nose. “I have no doubt that the two of you talk all the time. But when was the last time the two of you truly had a heart-to-heart, spilled your guts out, and grew closer as a result?”

“...a few days ago, when we found him drinking,” Twilight answered in a small voice.

“When was the last time you two talked about your insecurities and feelings?” Cadance amended. “How did he even find out about Flash?”

Twilight just deflated at that. Memories of that awful night sprung to her mind, when they had been sharing dreams like they did every once in a while, only for her subconscious to just insert Flash into what had been a peaceful flight through an endless night. Of awkward questions, of cold shoulders for some time after, and of burning jealousy every time she so much as mentioned coming up here alone…

“He found out from someone else, didn’t he.” It wasn’t a question.

“No,” Twilight shook her head. “He… we were dreamsharing.”

“And he saw,” Cadance covering her eyes with her hooves and blowing a slow stream of air from her nostrils. “You regretted it. And when you did, you tried to keep Flash hidden. You thought what Nova didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.”

“And he found out.” Her voice was barely audible, despite the silence of the room.

“And he found out,” Cadance repeated, with the tiniest shake of her head.

“What… what do I do?”

“This problem won’t magically go away, Twilight,” Cadance warned her, giving her a hard look. Twilight was so unused to seeing it from her, and it made her shiver. “Just like with what Nova said to you last night, it will take time. But I think you know the first thing you need to do.”

“And that is?” she asked, waiting for the hammerblow. Step down from being a princess? Postpone or cancel the wedding and end the engagement? Offer to be turned back into a unicorn?

“Tell him the truth, tell him you’re sorry, and mean it.”

Oh.

“The first step to fixing any problem is to recognize there is a problem,” Cadance continued, drawing her close with a wing, a much more comforting gesture than the harsh grabs from moments ago. “The second is to be honest with yourself and anyone else affected about that problem as well. Go to Nova. Tell him everything. Apologize for it all. Then never let this happen again.”

Twilight shook her head. No, this would not happen again.

“I’m sorry, Cadance,” she whispered.

“I’m not the one you need to apologize to,” Cadance frowned.

“You are, though. One of them, anyway,” Twilight shook her head. “I… I let you down.”

“You did,” Cadance agreed bluntly. “When you sit upon your throne in the coming months, you cannot do this, Twilight. Why would your subjects be inspired to follow you if you would do this to someone you love?”

With that, Cadance’s eyes softened, and she planted a gentle kiss on her brow. “I’m here to help, Ladybug. You aren’t doing this alone. Now that we’ve had our heart-to-heart, let’s relax and unwind. We can worry about you and Nova when it’s all done.”

Twilight nodded, and allowed the spa ponies to begin working her mane once again.

She and Nova had a lot of work to do.

“RAWR!” growled Pink the Bear, as she prowled across the ice-covered fields of the Giant’s Hollow. It had been a long day for Pink. She had journeyed through the Blocky Hills, over the Shelf Mountains, even doing battle with the Great Whammy, Snail of Sorcery.

It had been an epic battle. Gargantuan beasts had smashed against each other with all the strength they could muster. The Great Whammy had thrown entire sections of the Blocky Hills at Pink, but Pink would not be denied, and eventually, she stood victorious over her fallen foe, letting out a victory roar, before giggling for some reason.

But the end of her journey was near, for she would soon rescue Bluersa from the clutches of the giant Uncanoba the Terrible, who appeared to be slumbering on his icy floors. And there… there in his hooves, surely that was Bluersa! It was her paw, Pink the Bear could clearly see it!

The giant let out deep, rumbling snores, shaking everything around him, but Pink the Bear persisted, climbing up onto one of Uncanoba the Terrible’s arms and beginning to inch up the titan’s massive form. Pink knew that a giant’s weakness was its face. She had seen mommy and daddy boop each other in the noses and it always made them flinch. Pink knew that if she could just boop the nose of Uncanoba the Terrible, then the giant would let Bluersa go, and they could be together forever and ever.

Using the white hair that grew all over Uncanoba the Terrible’s body, and sometimes having to use the blue hair on his head, Pink finally climbed onto the titan’s face. A great wind rushed past her every time he took a deep breath with its massive lungs, and the rumble of Uncanoba’s snoring felt like an earthquake every few moments. Pink crept along, keeping her balance as best she could, before finally, she climbed to the top of Uncanoba’s nose. Raising a mighty paw, Pink reared back and slammed a hoof down onto his--

Nova Shine sputtered, startled out of his fake-sleep, as Flurry Heart rammed a stuffed bear paw into one of his nostrils by accident. He rolled over onto his side before entering a sneezing fit as his respiratory system tried to clear out an airway that wasn’t blocked anymore after he’d accidentally sent both stuffed bears flying across the room.

Once his sneezing fit subsided, he turned back to glare at Flurry, who was kicking her hooves into the air from how hard she was laughing. Within moments, his glare was gone and he was laughing with her over the silliness of the situation.

This filly, I swear… he thought with a shake of his head.

Nova just could not stay mad at her, even if it was fake mad. He just curled a hoof around Flurry’s belly, yanked her close, stuck his head right into her tummy and blew.

PBBBBBBBBBBBBBT!

Flurry squealed with renewed laughter, thrashing wildly in her favorite uncle’s grasp, all while Nova started tickling her relentlessly, which only added to Flurry’s kicking and squirming.

It had taken all of about thirty seconds for Flurry Heart to successfully get Nova Shine to forget entirely about yesterday. At first, he’d been skeptical on how a little foal, albeit one he loved dearly, would be able to just make him forget. Nevertheless, a Whammy thrown right into his face by Flurry’s golden aura had been exactly what he’d needed.

“Aaaaalright, I think it’s time to calm down now,” he said, sweeping Flurry onto his back, stepping over the many toys that littered the floor of Flurry’s playroom, and settled into a comfy chair next to a lamp and a bookshelf full of foal’s books. “According to your schedule, it’s almost naptime.”

Flurry’s face fell at once. “Nap ty?”

“Yep,. Naptime.”

Flurry slumped on his back. Nova wasn’t fooled. She always did this when she thought it would work and get her out of her nappies, but it never worked on him. It definitely worked on Twilight, who couldn’t bear to see her little niece sad, but Nova wasn’t so easily fooled.

“I’ll read your favorite book to help you go to sleep, too,” he smiled, his blue aura taking hold of a particularly famous foal’s book. He learned a long time ago that Flurry really liked rhymes and tongue twisters and all manner of wordplay. For whatever reason, she thought it was the funniest thing in the world whenever he told her that she sells seashells by the seashore, and she would always laugh uproariously whenever he told her about Peter Piper and how he picked a peck of pickled peppers.

Today, the book of choice was Green Eggs and Hay.

“That Sam-I-Say, that Sam-I-Say, I do not like that Sam-I-Say!” he read, as if it were the most enthralling thing in the world.

Flurry giggled, pawing at the page where Sam-I-Say was pulling out a plate with green-colored eggs and hay-bacon.

“Do you like green eggs and… toast?”

“Nooooo,” Flurry gave him a look.

“Sorry. Green eggs and oats.”

“Nooooo!” Flurry frowned, now seeming actually irritated. “Hay!”

“Right, sorry, green eggs and spam.”

“No, is HAY!” Flurry huffed. Nova reached up and tousled those purple locks of hers, with that same style of streak that Twilight had, albeit a bright teal instead of purple and magenta.

“Well, I do not like green eggs and hay, I do not like them, Sam-I-Say,” Nova read, successfully placating his niece. Said niece giggled again as though the last few seconds hadn’t happened.

“‘Would you like them here or there?’ ‘I would not like them here or there, I would not like them anywhere! I do not like green eggs and hay, I do not like them, Sam-I-Say.’”

He got further into it, roundabouts the part where Sam-I-Say was urging Guy Say I to eat them in a boat before he noticed that Flurry had finally dozed off. She hadn’t giggled for a little before, but only now did he realize, she was actually completely asleep, snoozing peacefully on his belly, with her head cradled in the crook of his neck.

Such a beautiful little filly… he observed, lightly brushing a stray lock of her mane out of her face. Can even see a bit of Twilight in her.

Nova watched her for a long while, seemingly entranced by the simple act of Flurry snoozing peacefully.

But after several minutes, his eyes seemed to gloss over, and he imagined there was a different filly in his arms, napping after he had finished telling her the story of the fateful Summer Sun Celebration. This new filly wasn’t Flurry Heart, however.

It was his daughter.

He imagined little Glimmer sleeping just like Flurry was now, after he’d told her the story of her mother. Her navy mane would be just as messy and untameable as his own, her white coat matted and scuffed from tossing and turning in her father’s grasp. Maybe her mother would peek in and watch the scene, a tender smile on her face as she appreciated the father-daughter bonding from the doorway of Glimmer’s room. A scene that he would treasure, the family all together.

The life he wanted. The life he didn’t deserve.

The scene cleared from his mind, and he had to reach up and paw away a tear, sniffling slightly. Flurry didn’t move from her spot, continuing to snooze without a care in the world.

Nova yawned, before his eyes drifted over to the doorway, wondering vaguely how Twilight and Cadance’s conversation was going, or what Gleam was--

The bottom dropped out of his stomach.

A green mare with a maroon mane was leaning against the doorway, watching him with an unreadable expression through her red eyes, while the ruby Spirit Gem glinted in the light.

“Shimmer,” he growled, his horn glowing softly as he prepared a defensive spell. Until Flurry was in a safe place, her protection had to be the highest priority.

Shimmer shook her head and held up a hoof. “I’m not here to fight today,” she said. It could have been Nova’s imagination, but there was a certain gentleness in her voice, as though she didn’t want to disturb the sleeping foal.

“Bull,” Nova retorted, snarling. “You’re never not looking for a fight when you’re around.”

“Hey, I can’t help it if the game is always so much fun to play,” she shrugged. “But really, I’m not here to shoot lasers and get the castle staff all alarmed or anything. I’m actually here… to ask a favor.”

Nova stared at her. No, there was no way. His mortal nemesis, the mare who was holding a loved one hostage in her own body and represented a threat to his, Twilight’s, Gleam’s, and many of their friends’ lives had not just asked him for a favor.

“You don’t believe me,” she noted, staring at him with a hint of a wry smile. “Can’t blame you for that, I guess.”

She stepped into the room, and Nova briefly wondered why the alarm hadn’t sounded, but there wasn’t time to worry about that. But to Nova’s astonishment, she simply trotted up slowly, eyes fixed on the sleeping Flurry, and just laid down off to his side.

“A favor,” Nova repeated, his mouth dry and his voice weak.

“Yeah,” Shimmer’s wry smile broadened. “It’s this thing friends do for each other where they don’t expect to be paid back.”

“Friends?” Nova repeated, blinking dumbly.

“Yeah,” Shimmer seemed to be revelling in how uncomfortable she was making him. “Friends.”

“You hold a mare I care about hostage in her own body, possess a close friend of mine, terrorize everyone, and try to kill me and my actual friends, and you think I’d consider you one of them?”

“Well, when you put it like that…”

“Shimmer, let’s not mince words,” Nova growled. “We’re mortal nemeses. You’ve been a thorn in my side since the day you nearly smothered us in the Vaults. Doesn’t really leave much in the room for being friends.”

“Hey, ask Sunbutt and Moonbutt about Discord,” Shimmer shrugged. Her eyes had gotten somewhat distant. “When you’ve lived as long as we have, sometimes the closest thing you have to a lifelong friend is a mortal nemesis.”

Nova had no words for that. All he could do was stare at his prone enemy, staring somewhere a thousand yards past the wall her eyes were pointed toward.

“Anyway,” she shook her head, “I promise this is a favor you might be interested in, when you hear about it.”

“Oh yeah?” he arched an eyebrow. “Go on then. What sort of thing that will advance your villainous agenda do you want me to do?”

Shimmer snorted, before giving him an annoyed look. “You really think I’d ask you to take all the fun out of things by getting you to do it yourself?”

“I wouldn’t put it past you.”

“Look, bonehead, all I want is for you to keep that little foal of yours out of the line of fire, alright?”

“Flurry’s not mine,” Nova glanced down at Flurry, who seemed to be dreaming about eating something if her mouth was anything to go off of.

“Oh I know she’s not,” Shimmer rolled her eyes. “She’s too cute to be your kid. I’m talking about that apprentice of yours.”

Nova felt his jaw clench instantly. Oh, oh this was going to be good.

“You want me to keep her out of trouble, right?” he scoffed. “What makes you think I’m not already doing that?”

“If you were trying to keep her out of trouble and she still stumbled into our little fracas in the forest, then you’re doing a greeeeeeat job,” she smirked. “Who thought it was a good idea to trust you with the baby again after your apprentice bumbled her way into the middle of our playtime and nearly got herself zapped?”

“My sister,” Nova growled, his horn now lighting up as he felt as though the inevitable fight was growing closer.

“I didn’t know you had a sister,” Shimmer gave him an odd look. “Wait. Her Royal Pinkness is your sister?”

“Surrogate,” Nova answered curtly.

“Oh, so you’re an only child,” Shimmer rolled her eyes. “Just like me. Surrogates don’t count. They’re just a way to play pretend.”

“I’m not that either.”

“But-- wait,” Envy’s odd look grew positively flummoxed now. “I’m lost. Do you have any siblings?”

“Not alive,” Nova responded, feeling the oddest twitch in his belly.

He had only learned about his deceased biological sister a few years ago. He’d been too young to remember her when she passed, and he’d spent ten years avoiding contact with his family, after all. His mom telling him the story was something he had never been prepared for. He had never seen her look so hopeless and full of despair, not even when he had stormed out after screaming obscenities at them four years ago.

“Oh,” Shimmer frowned. “Sorry about that. And on that note, sorry about last night.”

Nova gave her an odd look of his own. “What? You, sorry?”

“Yeah,” she returned fire with the frostiest look he’d ever seen from her. “Sorry. I had no idea that stallion was entangled with your pretty purple princess.”

Nova drew in a sharp breath as a vein started bulging in his temple. “Don’t remind me,” he growled.

“See, that’s what I mean,” Shimmer tossed a hoof at him. “He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Didn’t expect it to turn out like… well, like that.”

“What difference does it make to you?” he snarled. If looks could kill... “Doesn’t it make things easier? The two of us this majorly pissed off at each other, and me in one of my little self-hating frenzies?”

“Look, handsome,” she smirked at the sour expression that crossed his face, “you’re fun to needle and generally get a rise out of. I’m never going to apologize for that.” The smirk faded into a frown. “But I don’t go out of my way to turn your life upside-down. I’d have thought Trixie might have told you about her time as my horcrux.”

“She doesn’t like to talk about it, no thanks to whatever you did to her.”

“I kept her well-fed, I kept her in a warm prison cell that was well-furnished, and I treated her like a guest,” Shimmer replied flatly, giving him an irritated look. “Believe it or not, Archmage, I don’t just do mean things for the sake of doing mean things.”

Nova didn’t know what to say to that. He wanted to call her a liar, but the fact that he couldn’t seem to sense her at all made that a little difficult, since he couldn’t tell like he could a normal pony.

Flurry let out a little groan and stirred, before opening her bleary eyes to look at him. Nova tensed the moment he and his niece locked gazes, already flashing back to the forest and Gleam, but the moment he glanced at Shimmer, she seemed to be gazing at Flurry too, with an oddly-thoughtful look on her face.

Before Nova could do anything, Shimmer shifted, her form obscured as she dissolved into shadow, before it reformed into her natural form, with a slender matte silver body, a shining silver styled mane and tail, a jewel on her flank, and the same red eyes as usual.

“Simma! Simma!” Flurry’s eyes brightened instantly, and she started squirming.

Nova’s mouth fell open, and he couldn’t even bring himself to act at all, even when Shimmer’s magic took hold of Flurry and started zooming her around the room, all while Flurry giggled and made Wonderbolt noises, arms stretched out in front of her like Supermare.

“What…?” Nova’s gaze flicked between both of them, struggling to process what he was seeing.

Shimmer ducked and weaved Flurry everywhere around the room, even buzzing Nova’s mane multiple times, which caused him to flinch. Even after he fully realized what was happening, he couldn’t go after Shimmer. What if she threw Flurry to the ground to get him away, or dropped her while distracted?

And if he went for Flurry, she could take advantage of the distraction and--

Flurry was settled right back where she had been mere moments ago, and she curled right up in his grasp again.

Nova could just stare dumbly at Shimmer, even as she reached over and gave Flurry’s mane a quick brush to set a few locks in place.

“Be good for your uncle Nova,” she whispered to the foal. “If you’re not, I won’t come play with you again before I have to leave.”

Flurry nodded eagerly, which elicited a pat on the head from Shimmer, before she turned tail and began to trot out.

“What… what was…” Nova couldn’t even complete the sentence! What the hell had he just been witness to?

”I mean it, though,” she abruptly said, turning her head to face him again. “The infirmary stallion really was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. I really didn’t mean to intentionally cause you to blow up.”

Nova just stared at her.

“Remember, keep that apprentice of yours out of harm’s way, or I might have to hurt her,” she added, with a deep frown. “I wish I could say it was up to me, but it’s not. So please do us both this one small favor.”

And with that, she dissolved into shadow, sank into the floor, and was gone.

Gleam paced around in blank hallway #247 of the Crystal Spire. Or was it blank hallway #248? It was definitely in the #240’s, at least. Right? Not the #250s?

Wait no, it was clearly in the #350s.

...she was lost, wasn’t she?

“Oh, just follow the magical voice in your head, Gleam!” she rolled her eyes. “It tooooooootally won’t get you lost in a maze of identical crystal hallways and identical crystal doors and no numbers or directions on anything!”

She sat down, promptly fell onto her back, and dragged her front hooves down her face.

It had started so simple. She had been on her way to the library to see if they had anything particularly interesting to read. Maybe they had the new Daring Do book! Apparently, it took place at a fan convention this time around, so she was hoping it would be full of nonsense and light-hearted things making fun of the fans. And that character that everyone liked was supposedly back! Prism Streak’s appearance in the previous book had been really well-received when they’d gone after Dr. Caballeron, and now she was supposed to become a full recurring character.

...she was wandering off on a rabbit trail again.

Maybe Master Nova Shine could teach her how to keep her mind from wandering off-topic.

Point was, she wanted to go to the library. She just wanted to see if they had the new Daring Do book! She didn’t ask for the whispers to show up and start directing her into the Wing Of Identical Hallways or anything.

She had almost been completely out the front doors of the Crystal Spire when she’d heard it.

...back…

Well, the Mysterious Voice hadn’t been wrong before.

So she went back. She was about to ask it what it wanted this time, but it seemed to read her mind.

...hall…attack…

She interpreted that to mean the hall that the Flash Sentry stallion had been attacked in. Mysterious Voice hadn’t corrected her, so that was something.

Of course, what was Miss Terryus Voice gonna even say to her? She hadn’t even done anything but send her to a place she’d nearly gotten herself killed in, and yesterday, she sent Gleam off to comfort a stallion that she had some mixed feelings about now.

...no she didn’t.

She wanted to. Goddess above, she wanted to feel differently about Master Nova Shine. It just felt… right. What did it say about her that she didn’t feel any differently, despite what she’d heard last night?

What did it say about her that she would still stand tall and call herself proud to be the chosen apprentice of Archmage Nova Shine, even after the horrible thing he said to Princess Twilight?

...peace…

Gleam took a deep breath just like Master Nova Shine had taught her, sucking in air through her nose slowly, holding it for a few seconds, and letting it out through her mouth with a solid blow.

...behind you…

Gleam stood up, turned around, and, surprise surprise, there was another featureless crystal wall. Cleaned so spotlessly, she could see every tiny little detail about herself in it. From her ponytail mane that she had only barely styled a little too much to the right, to the slight bags under her eyes from the lack of sleep the night before, to even the tiny scar just below her lower lip where she’d pierced her lip with her own teeth when she was a foal after losing her balance and falling on her face.

Gleam’s eyes shifted from one of her reflection’s eyes to the other and back, and she finally let out a tired sigh and slumped back to the ground.

“Why do you even want me here?” she asked aloud. She hadn’t tried talking to Voice, but it was worth a shot.

As expected, however, Voice did not respond.

“Great,” Gleam groaned. “Just great. I just wanted to read Daring Do today. I just wanted to learn powerful magic from my idol. And here we are, two weeks later, and I’m involved in a personal vendetta between my Master and a shadow-mare, I get to see my Master scream at his own fiancee about personal issues, and I’m lost in a hallway that’s identical to every other hallway in every other direction, and I’m hungry because i skipped breakfast!”

Gleam dragged her hooves down her face. This was shaping up to just be the worst day.

She glared at herself in the reflection. “Sign up to be the Archmage’s apprentice, Gleam! It’ll be so fun!”

She huffed, preparing to just stomp out and see if she could find her way back, but something about the reflective crystal surface caught her eye…

A smudge.

Gleam frowned. It didn’t seem particularly interesting or out of the ordinary, but the crystal walls were self-cleaning. So… why was there a weird smudge on this one?

Short answer, either the self-cleaning was a little faulty in this exact section of the wall, this portion of crystal was clouded from within naturally (unlikely, given the smudge appeared to be on the surface), or...

To test her working hypothesis, she breathed on the crystal, causing fog to appear, but it vanished almost instantly, even when she tried to smear it with her hoof. So the self-cleaning was working. At least where she had breathed on the wall. Well, time to test the other possibility.

She reached up and tried to wipe it away, but nothing happened.

Gleam frowned.

I’m going crazy, she thought to herself. I’m obsessing over smudges now.

...look deeper…

What was that supposed to mean?

Gleam squinted extra-hard at this smudge. It didn’t seem remarkable, really. It just looked like your average smudge on a glass window. Only this one was either tinted crystal or magic.

Wait… “or magic”...

Her horn shone green, and she probed the smudge with her magic, trying to see if there really was some kind of enchantment behind it and--

“WAH!” Gleam yelped and scrambled backwards as she felt something behind the smudge. Something awful, something… unnatural.

Normal magic, when probed, felt like a warm surface on a sunny day. Comforting and welcoming. Normal magic was beautiful and harmonious.

Whatever it was that was behind the smudge-- because there was definitely something behind the smudge-- felt twisted, cold, and alien to her. It felt like magic drained of the very warmth it provided, of frozen fire, of an icy star. It felt like wet, cold slime that immediately sought to swallow anything of light that touched it. It was all-consuming, dark, and lifeless.

It felt wrong.

The world was not meant to produce something like that.

She didn’t know what it was, but she knew who the most likely ponies who would know were. And frankly, she didn’t want to stay anywhere near something like that ever again, if she could help it.

Galloping out of the crystal hallway, hooves sending loud clack!s echoing throughout the labyrinthine halls, she didn’t even really bother to pay attention to where she was supposed to go. Straight along the hallway, passing at least four intersections, before she arrived at a wall, and she just turned left and continued her gallop. It took her around the edge of this wing of the Crystal Spire, but eventually, she was able to find her way back into the entry hall, where she looked around frantically for the stairs to the residential wing.

“Something the matter?” a guard asked from his station by the front door.

“Need to… talk to… my master,” she gasped, her lungs catching up to her gallop.

“The Archmage is in Princess Flurry Heart’s room,” the crystal stallion said again, his amethyst color somehow having a calming effect on her. “Up those stairs, fourth floor, look for the door with a crystal heart and pink wings on it.”

“Thanks,” she gave him a tired nod, before taking off again. Up the stairs at the end of the mezzanine, up four flights of stairs, out onto the fourth floor, and she was back in familiar territory. The door to Princess Flurry Heart’s room was not far at all.

She burst inside, paying absolutely no mind to whether the little Princess was asleep or not, and found her master sitting in a chair with Flurry Heart curled up on his shoulder. Master Nova Shine’s eyes appeared misty, but Flurry Heart appeared to be in quite a playful mood, as she was busy smushing two stuffed bears and a squeaky snail together.

Master Nova Shine’s eyes returned to clarity immediately as she barged in. Flurry jumped, dropping the stuffed animals and giving her a frightened look, though it turned into laughter when she recognized her new visitor.

“Gleam?” Master Nova Shine asked, rubbing his eyes and sitting up. “What’s going on?”

“Geem?” Flurry mimicked, before looking up at Nova and giggling.

“Ifoundsomethinginthehallsanditscaresmeandineedhelppleasecomewithmeto--”

“GLEAM!”

Gleam jumped, startled out of her rapid-fire explanation

“GEEM!” Flurry repeated, before laughing again.

Master Nova Shine ‘s magic lifted Flurry Heart from his belly onto his back as he stood up and summoned his cloak.

“What’s got you spooked?” he asked as he settled Flurry onto his back, and began to trot out. “Is it something at the library?”

“Spoo!”

“I didn’t go to the library, master,” she answered, feeling a bit queasy as the horrible feeling of that magic crept into her mind once more. “I… went to the place where the guard was attacked.”

“I thought you said you were going to the library,” he frowned. “Did you change your mind?”

Gleam paused, not sure how to explain it. I mean, how did you just tell your Master “Hey, there’s a voice in my head telling me what to do and where to go and it nearly got me killed?”

“...I listened,” she finally admitted with a tiny shrug.

Master Nova Shine’s frown deepened. “To what?” he asked, his eyes narrowing. “Is this that pull thing you were talking about before?”

“I think so.” It had felt very similar. It hadn’t been a forceful pull; more like a gentle suggestion, really. As though some invisible force were trying to lead her by her hoof where she was needed, as opposed to yanking her along.

The Voice had felt the same way. Gentle, not forceful.

“It’s a whisper now,” she continued, furrowing her brow and frowning at the floor, “but it feels the same. She led me to--”

“She?”

“See!”

“Yes,” Gleam nodded. “The Voice feels like a she.”

“You’re hearing a voice in your head?” Nova asked, trotting over and laying a hoof on your shoulder. “Gleam, you shouldn’t just follow instructions from a voice that’s whispering suggestions to you. It could be somepony trying to manipulate you, or even trying to worm its way into your head like Envy did to Sergeant Sentry.”

“I know,” Gleam frowned even deeper, her eyes losing focus as she cast her mind back to the voice. “But… the voice just feels… familiar. Like I’ve heard it all my life. And I know it doesn’t sound like Envy in the slightest.”

Master Nova Shine just stared at her for a long moment. The longer it went, the more awkward she felt, even idly kicking her hooves as he frowned at her.

A thought occurred a few moments later.

Is he trying to read into my mind to see if everything is alright?

After several seconds, he shook his head. He checked to make sure Flurry Heart was secured to his back, the little princess squealing with glee and immediately grabbing hooffuls of his mane when he turned back, and stepped out into the hall past her.

“Alright. So, voice in your head. And it told you not to go to the library.”

“Yeah,” she nodded.

“And I assume you found something, which is why you ran all the way back here to tell me.”

“Yeah,” she nodded again.

Master Nova Shine looked back at her, and the tiniest of smiles graced his face. “Bravo for the initiative, Gleam, but I would have thought you’d remember what happened last time you went looking at this mysterious voice’s suggestion.”

Gleam said nothing. How was she supposed to explain that she didn’t believe she would be in any danger? That the Voice had reassured her of that fact?

But then again, it hadn’t felt like she’d be running into danger when she followed the pull back in Ponyville.

Her master had now started trotting out of the hall, back toward the staircase she’d just ascended. Flurry was flapping her wings excitedly as they went, and Gleam couldn’t help but be reminded of that day in the forest, when Master Nova Shine had seemed to get between her and Envy at an impossible speed.

But he hadn’t teleported. She would swear it before Princess Celestia itself, but Master Nova Shine had flown. And even for the briefest of moments, she swore she could see the faintest outline of wings extending from his back, even after he had braced himself behind his cloak.

Focus, Gleam. Back on topic.

“I… know, master,” she shook her head. “But I found something.

Master Nova Shine’s eyes widened. “What? What did you find, Gleam?”

“Something… horrible,” she clenched her eyes shut and shuddered as the memory of the Dark Magic washed over her again. “It was… cold, and it just felt so wrong!”

Master Nova Shine sped up, taking long strides, and seeming not to wait for her to catch up. For a moment she just kept at her usual pace, but before he turned out of sight into the stairway, he gave her a look and motioned with his hoof for her to catch up, so she scampered after him as he descended.

They were in the entry hall again now, and he set to pacing in the large open space

“If you found something full of dark energy, it’s probably best to wait until we can get all four of us and a cadre of anti-mages assembled,” he said. “You two!” he barked at the two guards flanking the doorway to the stairs she had passed earlier. The guards instantly snapped to attention. “You,” he pointed at the amethyst one who had been so helpful earlier, “run and grab Prince-Consort Armor, tell him this is an emergency, and to meet me in here. And you,” the other, “find a group of anti-mages. I’ll watch the door till you are both back. Go!”

Both of them saluted and cantered off in different directions, leaving Gleam and Master Nova Shine in the room alone. The moment they were out of sight, Master Nova Shine let out a deep breath and ran a hoof down his face.

“It’s been a long couple of days,” he sighed. “How are you holding up?”

“Considerably better than you, by the look of things,” she commented wryly, before clapping a hoof over her mouth. She hadn’t meant to say that! It was just so disrespectful!

Master Nova Shine, however, smirked. “You’re learning! I’ll have you fluent in snark in no time.”

“I’msorryIdidn’tmean--”

“Gleam.”

“--tosaythatitwasuncalledforandIreallyshouldn’t--”

“Gleam.”
“Geem.”

“--haveallowedmyselftosaysomethingsodisrespectful--”

“Gleam!”
“Geem!”

“--I’msorryIwon’tdoitagainpleasedon’tsendmebackIreallydowanttolearnfromyou--”

He flicked the tip of her horn, and she froze for that split-second as the tingle went down her spine. Flurry started laughing as Gleam reset herself, shaking her head and causing her golden mane to dance about in the sunlit room.

“How many times do I have to tell you to take deep breaths?” her master asked with an amused look. “And I’m not in the least bit offended. I keep telling you, I would prefer you just talk to me like any other friend of yours, but you just insist otherwise…” he exaggerated his eyeroll.

“Sorry, mas--”

“No!” Nova shoved a hoof into her mouth. “Stop that. Don’t apologize. I want you to feel comfortable being you around me. I would prefer you not call me that, but if you loosening up around me means I have to get used to you calling me ‘master’, then I’ll deal with it.”

“Okay,” she nodded, letting out a deep breath she had been holding. “Sor-- no, I’ll get used to it.”

“That’s better,” he smiled fondly. “I know it’ll take some getting used to, having me there to keep an eye on you, but you’ll get there. Took me a few months to get there with Luna, so I’m not expecting you to do it immediately.”

She nodded. One of the guards returned, and with him were four gold-trimmed-purple-robed unicorns of varying colors, who all saluted Master Nova Shine when they saw him. He just nodded at them, and they started patiently waiting. A few minutes later, Captain Armor came in with the other guard, and the two resumed their post. Gleam told Captain Armor and the anti-mages what they had found, and although they wanted to go looking immediately, Gleam and Nova both convinced them to wait on Princess Twilight and Princess Cadance.

They didn’t have to wait long. Princess Cadance and Princess Twilight strolled in with Princess Twilight looking uneasy as they trotted in. Princess Cadance had an unreadable expression on her face.

The moment they did, Flurry suddenly cried out in excitement.

“Mama! Antee Tai!”

“Cadey,” Captain Armor trotted over and gave her a quick hug. “There’s a problem. Apprentice Gleam seems to have found more Dark Magic to dispel over by where Sergeant Sentry was attacked.”

Princess Cadance’s unreadable expression turned into one of disbelief. “I thought we dispelled all of them already. How many more are there?”

“We’ll have to keep searching, ma’am,” one of the anti-mages replied in a gruff voice. "Some of his nexuses are so small, it’s nearly impossible to detect them. Perhaps knowing what to look for will expedite the process. There have been several other nexuses of energy that took us some time to find.”

“Just how full of these things is this place?” Princess Cadance moaned, massaging her temple with a hoof. “It’s been four years and they’re still cropping up! These can’t be safe to have around Flurry!”

“Speaking of,” Master Nova Shine interrupted, rotating to indicate the princess sitting on his back and currently buzzing her wings excitedly, “someone’s going to have to watch the little one while we see what’s up with this nexus of Dark Magic.”

“I can,” Princess Twilight offered, sidling beside Master Nova Shine, just close enough for Flurry to climb off of his back and onto hers. “She’ll be safe with me.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Master Nova Shine shook his head. “We’ll want as many experienced and powerful mages nearby as possible when we do this.”

“What about Gleam?” asked Captain Armor. Gleam shifted uncomfortably. She kinda needed to point out where this nexus of energy was, didn’t she? “As soon as she’s shown it to us, that is.” Oh. Duh.

“No,” her master shook his head again. “She needs to stay with us. If she’s alone, she’s a prime target for Envy. I can’t let that happen.”

“I’ll do it,” came a voice Gleam did not expect to hear that evening. All of them turned toward one of the doors that led further into the ground floor, but away from the wing Gleam was going to take them to.

The guard from yesterday was trotting out. He looked a bit nervous, but he didn’t look like he belonged in the infirmary. On the contrary, he had donned his armor again and looked just like a normal soldier.

“Shouldn’t you be in the infirmary, sergeant?” Master Nova Shine asked. Gleam had expected no shortage of frostiness in his voice after last night, but…

...he sounded perfectly normal. As if he were just talking to any other pony.

“They just released me, but they agreed with you that I needed to go see a psych,” Sentry dipped his head. “Anyway, I’ve been cleared for duty again. Whatever you did yesterday seemed to have been the last bit needed.”

Master Nova Shine nodded, and oh, there it was. There was a certain tension in the way he nodded, as though he didn’t want to, but also didn’t want to not want to.

Master must feel very guilty about last night, she reasoned.

...regret…

“Are you… sure?” Princess Twilight asked, glancing nervously at Princess Cadance, who was watching Master Nova Shine with a barely-contained scowl.

“Positive, ma’am,” Sentry nodded, snapping to attention. “Ready to serve as ordered.”

“Sergeant,” Captain Armor stepped up, “I am placing Flurry under your charge. Go and find several other guards, and make absolutely sure she is under someone’s direct watch at all times until we relieve you. If you believe you are overwhelmed, send for help. Do you understand?”

“Sir!” Sentry saluted.

Captain Armor nodded, and with a quick glow of pink, Flurry Heart was lifted off of Princess Twilight’s shoulders and onto Flash Sentry’s, who trotted off as soon as she was secure.

When he was gone, Gleam didn’t miss the sharp exhale of air from Master Nova Shine’s nose as he went.

“Well,” she stepped forward, “follow me then, I guess?”

“By your lead,” Master Nova Shine gestured with a hoof. Gleam sucked in a breath, and slowly let it out.

Voice, could you maybe please actually lead me there again? I kinda forgot the way.

No need.

She led them into the Hall Of Identical Hallways, or whatever its real name was, and tried to remember exactly where she was when she’d probed that horrifying… thing.

Captain Armor seemed to know where to go, though. He marched right past her, and led them past a bunch of identical hallways, and then turned and headed down another set of identical hallways. It didn’t take long for them to arrive at the spot. Gleam could see the smudge in the light. It was faint, but it was there. Just being near the thing made her queasy.

“So where is it?” Master Nova Shine asked.

“Th-there,” she squeaked, pointing at the smudge. “It’s there.”

Captain Armor frowned at the smudge, as did Master Nova Shine. Both of them stepped forward, both of their horns glowed, one pink and one blue, and as one, both of them recoiled in disgust. Captain Armor seemed to have gotten the worst of it, as he reacted how Gleam felt merely recalling the feeling from only a few minutes ago. Master Nova Shine, however, shuddered slightly, but strode forward, shut his eyes, and placed a hoof on the smudge.

“Don’t--!” Gleam reached out for him, but Princess Twilight caught her hoof.

“He’ll be alright,” she assured Gleam. “He’s trying to read the spell to see what it does.”

“Read it?” Gleam tilted her head. “I don’t understand.”

“Nova’s told you about his energy sensing, right?” Gleam nodded. “Well, through his energy-sensing, he learned how to read spells, and to alter or otherwise manipulate them as a result. He’s always been able to do it as long as I’ve known him, but he’s gotten much better in his training as the archmage. So he’s trying to figure out what the nexus you found is set up to do.”

“Why?” Gleam asked, getting a sick feeling from the thought of even being near this thing for this long.

“To make sure it’s nothing dangerous. And trust me,” Princess Twilight smiled, “no one’s as good at reading spells as Nova. Well, no unicorn, anyway.” she added with a sheepish grin.

“Does that mean you’re better than him?”

“Hah! Not a chance,” Princess Twilight admitted with a sheepish grin. “Sure, I’m more powerful than him overall, and I’m smarter than him-- no offense,” she glanced over at Master Nova Shine.

“None taken, it’s true,” Master Nova Shine grunted.

“But he’s just got this way with the language of magic that’s… well,” she searched for a way to really describe it, “let me put it this way. The number of non-alicorn ponies who could read, comprehend, and cast Star Swirl the Bearded’s Time Stasis spell without help, who have existed since the spell was written, is twelve ponies total. Only three lived in the last four hundred years. Two of them live right now. Nova is, by far, the better of the two.”

Gleam felt her eyebrows shoot into her mane and her mouth fall open.

“Like,” Twilight glanced up at the ceiling thoughtfully, “On her best day, Starlight could metaphorically read and write the language of magic. Maybe she could compose something original. On his worst day, Nova can sing in magic.”

“I… I don’t…”

Gleam felt weak. Was her master really even stronger than she thought of him?

“It’s hard to visualize, I get it,” Princess Twilight patted her on the shoulder, “but… well, on rare occasions, it feels like Equish is Nova’s second language, and it’s through magic that he can really express himself.”

“Oh, that’s just beautiful,” Master Nova Shine suddenly muttered, a smile spreading across his face, though he shuddered all the same. “Got it,” he raised his voice, before reaching up and tapping on the smudge. “I think I’m reading it right, but there’s an altered Teleport Trigger spell here. Assuming Dark Magic follows the same spell composition laws as normal magic, anyway. But considering how it was put together, there wasn’t much else it could have been. It was crafted specifically to be almost entirely undetectable due to the enchantments around it, no doubt to ensure that if Star Swirl ever came calling, he likely would never find what it’s linked to.”

“A Teleportation Trigger?” Captain Armor’s eyebrows knit together. “So if it’s hit, it will teleport the caster someplace?”

“Precisely,” Master Nova Shine dipped his head. “But like I said, it’s an altered version, so it behaves differently, and it’s also keyed so that only Dark Magic will trigger it. Watch,” he added, before firing a beam of light that splashed harmlessly against the crystal.

Princess Twilight had remained stock still, but Captain Armor, Cadance, and the anti-mages had all flinched when he’d done it. Gleam had also, somehow, not flinched. Deep down, she must have figured her master knew what he was doing, a sentiment seemingly shared by Princess Twilight. Everyone else, however…

“Now, when Twilight uses the Dark Magic to trigger the spell, it will--”

“I thought we were removing it,” Captain Armor cut in, frowning.

“Yeah, we are,” Master Nova Shine nodded. “After we explore the hidden lab this leads to.”

“H-hidden… lab?” Cadance asked, sounding weak. “We… we thought we’d found all of them years ago!”

“I’m sorry, back up,” Princess Twilight cut in. “Why do I have to be the one to use the Dark Magic?”

“Because you’re the one of us who keeps their emotions in check the best,” Master Nova Shine admitted, and Gleam didn’t miss the way he seemed to almost imperceptibly sort of look away from her. Like, he hadn’t been looking at her before, but now it seemed deliberate this time, like he was staring at the smudge on the wall on purpose.

Princess Twilight opened her mouth, closed it, opened it again, and then just let it stand, shaking her head and turning to face the smudge. Gleam also didn’t miss how Cadance’s gaze seemed to nervously shift between the two of them at that.

“So… what am I doing, exactly?” Princess Twilight asked, motioning everyone to step back from her.

“Just a normal beam spell will work. Everyone in about a two-meter radius will be transported to the hidden lab, so backing up is a little out of the question.

Princess Twilight trotted forward and she made sure to press quite firmly into his side, the same way she did when she was feeling particularly affectionate, but considering the previous night, she could only wonder how Princess Twilight could seem to so easily forgive him.

“I guess… gather round?” Master Nova Shine said, and she could hear a slightly more emotional tone than before. Cadance seemed to let out a visible exhale at this as well, and Captain Armor...

He looked surprised. That was the only thing she could gather.

“We should all be able to fit,” her master said, motioning for the anti-mages to squeeze in. “Whenever you’re ready, Twi.”

Twilight’s horn pulsed with energy, and her eyes began to glow a bright sickly green and trail purple energy.. Gleam shuddered as a repulsive sound issued from Twilight Sparkle’s horn, a zapping, not unlike the sound of something squealing in pain. A beam of black energy with purple auras sparking off of it blasted out of her horn, striking the smudge precisely where Gleam had felt the spell.

The world seemed to flip. As if the ground on which they were standing remained solid, but it was flipped over one hundred eighty degrees. They seemed to pass through the floor, before there was a bright flash of light, a sort of poofing noise, and before Gleam knew it, everything was done.

They were now standing in a massive dark, cold room. Like the castle, it was also cut from crystal. There was no light but for the many auras emanating from everyone’s horns. Master Nova Shine’s, Cadance’s, and Princess Twilight’s glowed brighter than everyone else’s, but the anti-mages’ magics were no slouches.

“I… hate doing that,” Princess Twilight rubbed at her face. “It feels wrong.” She straightened up. “So, where are we?”

“We’re about forty meters underground,” Master Nova Shine informed them, a ball of blue light separating from his horn and flying up to the center of the room, where it illuminated their surroundings.

There were bookshelves everywhere, stuffed to the brim with all sorts of tomes. Several diagrams and charts dotted the walls as well. Crude metal machinery, small enough to be operated by one pony, was also scattered about. But sitting in the center of the room, however, was a large slab of black stone, with what looked like a gift box sitting on top of it, not unlike a Hearth’s Warming present.

“I’m blind,” Master Nova said, shaking his head vigorously. “I think the teleportation spell was designed to blind energy sensors. Can anyone sense anything?”

“No sir,” one of the anti-mages replied, “I’m blind too.”

“Looks like we have no good way to make sure there’s nothing dangerous here,” Princess Twilight sighed.

“Can’t we just wait for your energy sensing to come back?” asked Gleam.

“I don’t know how long that can take,” Captain Armor shook his head. “Could be anywhere from several minutes, to hours at the most.”

“I don’t suppose any of you have any inmanipulon implements we can use?” Master Nova Shine asked the anti-mages.

One of them shook his head. “Not in our armory, I’m afraid, sir. Stone’s too expensive, so only the high-ranking anti-mages get them.”

“Damn,” Master Nova scowled slightly. “Alright. Spread out. Let’s see what we find. And do not touch that gift box.”

“Why not?” asked Gleam, who had been edging over to take a look at it.

“I think I already know who it’s from,” he replied, frowning over at it. “Which means it’s dangerous.”

Gleam shuddered as she remembered that mare’s red eyes and the murderous intent behind them.

“Be careful what you touch, and what you pick up,” Captain Armor ordered.

Everyone spread out around the room. Gleam found herself drawn to a peculiar chart, which was positioned front and center on the back wall. It depicted a simple black crown, with a tall prominent spike in the center, and two much shorter spikes flanking it. There appeared to be sockets cut into the crown below each spike. Separate from the crown, however, were three stylized glowing orbs.

One of them, with a line indicating the socket under the central spike, was colored a bright red. Another, a line indicating the socket to the red one‘s left relative to the crown’s wearer, was blue. The last, the final socket on the right, was green.

Two of the gems were also contained in some kind of casing. The red one appeared to be in some kind of stylized alicorn shape, with wings flanking the gem and a unicorn’s head rising above it. The blue gem appeared to be in a simple round pendant. The green gem, however, had no casing like the other two did. Nothing on this chart was labeled. But why wouldn’t it be labeled if it were so important? What were all of these?

“Find anything?”

Gleam jumped. Her master had trotted up behind her, and she hadn’t realized it.

“Just… this,” she gestured at the diagram. “I have no idea what it is.”

Master Nova Shine frowned as he studied the diagram. Gleam watched his eyes, and when they widened as he looked over the red gem’s alicorn thingy, she had a feeling she’d stumbled on something important.

“I don’t know what this is,” Master Nova Shine whispered, “but if this is something Sombra was trying to create, then we need to take extra note of it and why Envy would be interested in one of its components.”

The diagram was taken down and stored away with a flash of blue. There were other diagrams on the walls as well, though. Some depicted mundane things as the planets in the Celestian System, others seemed to list dates that were over a thousand years ago, and all sorts of other things.

Gleam didn’t want to know what this room was for, but there was certainly curiosity. Just what was Sombra doing here?

One diagram that she could understand caught her eye. A map, by the look of things. It seemed to depict the Crystal Empire and Equestria’s northern borders, but it also included Yakyakistan and the lands even beyond that.

Gleam had never seen maps with details about the lands north of Yakyakistan. Everyone knew there was a mountain range that formed Yakyakistan’s northern border, but no one knew what lay beyond. This map, however, depicted a frozen plain, a complete sheet of ice, and then a single red X, with a single word next to it.

Elysium.

“What’s this, master?” she tapped Master Nova Shine on the arm.

He looked over, frowned a bit as he studied it some, and then shrugged. “I’ve never heard of it. I guess it’s what it says it is.”

“Why would he want to know what’s north of Yakyakistan?”

“Who knows?” he shrugged again. “It’s so cold and the air’s so thin that none of our zeppelins have ever been able to climb high enough to pass the mountains, and the water is frozen entirely solid, so thick that not even icebreaker ships can break through. No one that I know of has ever passed those mountains either. I guess when you’re a shadow being, things like height don’t mean much.”

He turned his attention back to the present on the table, took a deep breath, and approached it.

“Magi, over here please,” he raised his voice, and the five purple-robed ponies cantered over.

“Yes sir?” their leader asked.

“I’m going to open this box and see what’s inside,” he said, staring at it like he was trying to sense its energy, which of course he couldn’t.

“What do you need us to do?”

“Be prepared in case something foul comes out of it, or anything like that,” he said, before his frown deepened. “But I think I may already know what’s inside.”

“Shouldn’t we take it back with us to the castle?” Gleam asked. “We can wait on your energy sensing to come back there.”

“Under normal circumstances, that would be the smart decision, yeah,” Master Nova Shine nodded. “But we don’t know what Envy’s done to this thing. It could have some kind of evil curse or something on it, and if we take it back, we’re putting too many more ponies at risk. Better down here, in this isolated lab, where it can’t spread if we fail to control it.”

That made sense. But was there really anything Master Nova Shine couldn’t handle?

Cautiously, he picked up the box. It was lidded, and wrapped in green paper, with a maroon bow on it, the same shades as that Envy mare’s coat and mane. Attached to the bow was a tag, which would normally be a to-from tag, but all it had this time was a heart.

Gleam felt a chill creep up her spine. Just what was this mare to her master?

Master Nova Shine hit the lit off with his hoof, flicking it as though he were afraid to touch it any longer than necessary, which she supposed he probably was. With the lid off, Master Nova Shine knocked the box over, sending what was inside of it sliding out onto the table.

The same amulet she had seen on the diagram slid out. It was made of darkened metal that gleamed in the light, and it had a large, glowing red gem set in the center. Unlike Envy’s ruby pendant, which seemed to give off a subtle glow, this pendant was glowing brightly and eerily, and almost illuminated the room on its own.

Princess Twilight came trotting over at that, having been dissecting the books on the shelves with Cadance and Captain Armor for information. “What’s going on?” she asked. Then she saw the source of the light, and she gasped. “Is that…?”

Master Nova Shine nodded, his eyes still firmly fixed on the amulet. Now everyone was gathered around, and Captain Armor looked like he was sick to his stomach.

“How long…” he said weakly. “How long has this been under us?”

“A few days tops,” Master Nova Shine replied. “This needs to be taken someplace where it can be safely contained.”

His horn glowed blue. He didn’t want to touch it with his hooves.

There was a split second, and Gleam knew something was wrong.

“Wait, don’t!” she cried out, reaching out and trying to get her master’s attention by gripping his shoulder and pulling him back.

There was a strange lurching sensation, and everything around them went black.

“Nova!” Twilight shouted, as she watched Gleam and Nova suddenly vanish into thin air. What was that!? The amulet hadn’t done that last time! How had a spell triggered whatever enchantment was within it!? How was it possible to store an enchantment inside an artifact that powerful to begin with!? Certain metals leaked magical energy and weren't the most efficient sources to bind enchantments to, either.

“Where did they go!?” she turned around, looking desperately to Cadance and Shining, or to the anti-mages. “We need to find them! Where could they have gone!?”

The anti-mages were already examining the scene, having leapt into action almost immediately. Their spells scanned the area, particularly the epicenter of the spell, but Cadance and Shining just looked stunned where they stood.

“What sort of plots have we been pulled into?” Cadance asked, her voice barely above a whisper. “How are we going to protect Flurry when all of… of this,” she gestured at everything around her, “is going on here!?”

But as Twilight and the rest of their company panicked over where Nova and Gleam had disappeared to, they were completely unaware of another figure, bearded and wearing a traveling cloak and pointed wizard’s hat, appearing within the room in a burst of white light.

Gleam was unceremoniously dumped into a heap on a cold, hard floor, falling right on top of a warm body she could only assume was her master. The change in scenery wasn’t as obvious as it had been a few minutes ago, but there was still a very apparent shift in the atmosphere around them. Where the laboratory they had originally been in had felt off from the moment they’d entered it, this room, whatever it was, felt positively wrong.

She stood up, noticing that they were in a large round room, which was only faintly illuminated by the dark crystal beneath her hooves, which gave off a slight glow of purple light.

The far end of this room, which appeared to be made entirely of crystal, with a high ceiling several yards above them, was shrouded in darkness, but for whatever reason, the feeling of wrongness seemed to be emanating from that shrouded side

Master Nova Shine got to his own hooves behind her, and when she glanced back, he seemed to be warily looking around in every direction. The amulet was still clutched in his hoof.

“What was that?” she asked, whispering in case something unwanted was nearby.

“Teleportation Trap,” he grunted, now studying the amulet. “Keyed to go off when I used magic on this. She had me pegged,” he glowered. “Knew I’d probe it before I touched it.”

“I know you so well,” came a sultry purr, and a shadow rose up from the ground, resolving itself into the shape of a green-coated mare, with a maroon mane and tail, an orange flower on her flank, bright red eyes, and a gleaming ruby pendant around her neck.

Master Nova Shine’s eyes bulged, and instantly, he slapped the amulet to his neck, a thick cord bound the amulet to him. Gleam could have sworn she heard a sizzling sound as he did so, but Master Nova Shine showed no reaction if it really was happening.

The mare, Envy, rolled her eyes at the sight of his little action.

“You bonehead,” she guffawed. “The thing already triggered a Teleportation Trap, and the first thing you do when I turn up is slap that thing on, not even caring if there’s anything else bound to it? You really are as stupid as they come.”

“It’s better than letting you have it,” he snarled, stepping forward, between Envy and her.

Envy’s eyes fell to her, and the satisfied grin she had, was replaced by angry disbelief instantly.

“You..” she hissed, “you… brought her along!?”

Gleam recoiled, completely unprepared for the sudden hostility. Really though, what else should she have expected? That her master’s mortal enemy would be all nice and kind and invite her for tea and crumpets?

“I specifically asked you to keep her out of trouble!” she growled, shoving her snout right into Nova’s, with perhaps the angriest expression Gleam had ever seen on anyone before, and that included her father when she’d accidentally broken his limited edition autographed Jeff Letrotski collector’s plate and blamed it on her neighbor.

Not important, Gleam!

Master Nova Shine said nothing to her, which she didn’t really know how to take, especially since she was the one who had stumbled her way into being involved in the first place. Why had Envy demanded she be kept out of trouble? She’d tried to strike her with lightning only a few short days ago, so why had she suddenly grown a conscience?

“Can’t trust you for anything!” Envy dragged a hoof down her face. “It wasn’t even an hour ago!”

“If you do anything...” Master Nova Shine growled, stepping between them both.

“At this point,” Envy replied, her voice deathly quiet, “it’s not up to me.”

With that, she dissolved into shadow and sank into the floor, forming a dark cloud beneath the surface of the floor. The shadow slithered back toward the dark end of the room, and Nova tentatively followed it. After a few moments, Gleam followed suit as well.

As they drew nearer to the other end of the room, a great crystal appeared out of the darkness, affixed to the wall behind it.

And within the crystal, was a pony. It was hard to tell what they looked like due to the darkness and the tint of it, but it was clear that they had a dark coat, and that it was a stallion. He also seemed to have some kind of metal barding and hoof fixtures on as well, a great shaggy black mane, and black stubble under his jaw.

Master Nova Shine’s eyes widened, she could hear a sharp intake of breath, and at once, he thrust a hoof out behind him to shove her back.

“Gleam,” he said in a low, desperate voice, “we need to go. Now!”

Gleam felt a chill go up her spine at his tone. She had never heard her master sound so afraid before. Who was this pony?

“It’s already too late,” Envy said, her voice emotionless and flat, a far cry from her usual sultry self. “Just by being here, you’ve triggered it.”

“Triggered what?” Nova asked, a blue shield surrounding both of them as he backed away.

Envy said nothing, her face falling into one of resolve. With a bright blast of Dark Magic from her horn, she blasted the crystal, causing the energy to spiral around it, before sinking in and bathing the entire room in a sickly green and purple glow.

Master Nova Shine screamed.

Gleam barely had time to register what was happening. One moment they were safe behind her master’s shields, but the next minute, the shield had vanished, he had doubled over, and he seemed to be vomiting shadow!

Gleam felt sick to her stomach. What was happening!?

Master Nova Shine spasmed and twitched on the ground, the shadowy energy continuing to force itself out of him through every orifice it could. Mouth, nostrils, ears, everything. Once the shadow was free, it would slink its way over to the crystal with the stallion in it,

As the shadow sank into the crystal, the glow of the crystal grew brighter and brighter, until, after several heart-stopping seconds, the shadow stopped issuing forth from her master, and the glow faded.

Mater Nova Shine continued to twitch on the ground, but he tried to stagger to his feet despite the ordeal, five orbs of light flickering into existence, though they seemed far more faded than they had in the forest. He was heaving for breath, still trying to stay between her and Envy, who was just watching the crystal with a strange, nervous bearing.

Gleam had a feeling that the pony within the crystal was about to come out.

There was the sound like glass shattering, and with an explosion of crystal fragments, it blew apart, and the stallion within rose to his hooves. His mane began to billow and took on a smoky appearance. His curved horn that ended in a red tip shone the same sickly dark green and purple, and a simple metal spiked crown appeared on his head, and a fur-trimmed red cape fluttered onto his back.

Then he opened his eyes.

Trails of the same shadowy energy began to issue from the corners of his eyes at once, and they colored the sclera green. His irises were red, and his pupils were somewhere between a cat-like slit and a normal pony circle.

Gleam had never met him before, but she knew exactly who it was.

“King Sombra,” she whispered.

Sombra surveyed the retreating pair. Gleam felt her gaze drawn to those horrible eyes, but they were more directed at her master, who was trying to re-conjure the shield around them. After a long moment, he turned his gaze to Envy, who hadn’t looked at him once. She had instead been staring at the broken incubation crystal, looking conflicted.

“I do not recognize your current form,” Sombra said in a deep rumble.

“Been mainly wearing her guise for the last several centuries,” Envy replied, her voice just as flat and emotionless as before. Shadow obscured her, and when it faded, she was now a young shapely-yet-thin mare, with a matte silver coat, shining silver mane and tail, a crystal for a cutie mark, and a haughty bearing. “Is this more acceptable?”

Sombra smiled.

“How good it is to see you once again,” he strode over to her, which got her attention. “It’s been so very long, apprentice mine.”

“Wha--” Nova Shine mouthed, looking like he had just been punched in the gut.

“Behold King Sombra’s Envy, Nova Shine,” Sombra turned to face the two of them again, with a calm, satisfied smile on his muzzle. Like a cat that had its prey cornered. “My faithful servant, and apprentice too.”

“Ap...pren...tice?” Master Nova Shine whispered, sounding as though he were struggling to piece together the meaning of the word. “I don’t…”

“It truly is a sordid little tale,” Sombra looked over where Envy was still staring at the ground, looking conflicted. “Her avaricious father threw her out when she was merely still a growing child. He thought of her as nothing more than waste, a filly costing money, food, and care, until the blackguard had her tossed aside.”

He had to be lying… right? Why tell Master Nova Shine this story?

“She stowed away while searching for a home, sought refuge, food, and shelter in this land, and nearly froze to death upon the ice.”

A curious expression crossed Envy’s face. It looked like… regret? Gleam couldn’t tell, but for whatever reason, she had the distinct impression that being his apprentice wasn’t a matter of choice, or it was one she desperately wanted to walk back.

“And then along came I to save her life,” Sombra’s smile widened. “She served me well in thanks for all I’d done. She’s served me, loyal even past my deaths. And now, through you, she’s brought me back to life.”

His horn pulsed with energy, and Master Nova Shine reflexively took a step back.

“Take off the gem, and give it up to me,” Sombra ordered, holding out a hoof. “If you do not, you will regret your choice.”

“Go fuck yourself,” Master Nova Shine spat, his horn shining blue, and he seemed to stand taller at that. Gleam had to admire her master’s nerve. To stare down an enemy he was terrified of, and still mouth off to him?

Sombra, however, seemed to smirk.

“You know, I had expected cheek from you,” he mused, seeming to also admire her master’s nerve. “But even so, not quite to this degree.”

He frowned, his horn pulsed with magic, and that same squealing sound blasted into her ears as he shot a beam of energy at Master Nova Shine, who tried too late to throw up a shield, and was struck directly.

He screamed as the energy seemed to shock him, pulsing over him from head to hoof. Master Nova Shine convulsed and twisted and writhed on the ground, yelling out from whatever it was that he felt, all while Sombra continued to blast him with that spell, the squealing sound somehow louder than her master’s cries.

Next to Sombra, Gleam could see Envy still looking conflicted, but when she saw Gleam watching her, her expression hardened. A bolt of red lightning blasted out of her horn and struck Nova Shine as well, adding to the torment.

“That’s quite enough my Envy, let him stand,” Sombra ordered coolly, smirking down at Master Nova Shine.

Master Nova Shine didn’t move for several seconds after Envy and Sombra ceased their assaults, his body literally smoking from the magic, but after a time he still attempted to stand, his legs wobbling and nearly giving way. He stood tall, but she could see the quiver, and she could hear his ragged breath.

“Take off the gem, and give it up to me,” Sombra repeated as his sparked dangerously. “The pain continues if you do not yield.”

“Never,” Master Nova Shine snarled, his horn glowing blue. Envy yelped and leapt to the side as a raw yet powerful blast of magic shot from his horn, but Sombra calmly raised an ironclad hoof and batted it aside.

“Disappointing,” Sombra sniffed, before he slammed his hooves into the ground, causing spikes of black crystal to erupt from the floor. Master Nova Shine backed away, dodging the spikes as they went, but was then struck by another blast of red lightning which sent him crumpling to the floor and convulsing again.

“Am I to understand that this is it?” Sombra asked, with a look of disgust on his face. “You’ve had four years to train and grow, and yet… you cannot even muster up a fight? You truly are a let-down, Nova Shine.”

He stalked forward, Envy trotting beside him, still scowling down at Master Nova Shine as he tried to get to his hooves again.

This time, however, he let out a surprise blast of energy, catching Sombra by surprise, but it barely pushed him back a few inches. Envy leapt forward, a shot of lightning blasting out of her horn again, but this time Nova got a shield in the way.

Undeterred, Envy simply shot another blast at the ground, and it seemed to reflect against the crystal and past his shield, where it once again caused him to howl and writhe in pain as it struck.

Sombra let out a long breath, with no shortage of disappointment in it.

“I always thought that you would be a match,” he kicked Master Nova Shine across the room with a powerful front-legged buck. “But life, it seems, must disappoint me now.” A clear punch to the face to send Master Nova Shine back down as he was trying to stagger to his feet.

Nova tried once more to get to his hooves, but Sombra reared back, and brought a hoof slamming down on the back of her master’s head, sending him crashing to the ground, where he did not move.

“Master!” Gleam cried out.

Sombra looked down on the fallen Master Nova Shine with contempt.

“And here I thought the Archmage wasn’t weak,” he commented, with a note of derision. His horn pulsed with darkness, and Master Nova Shine was lifted by his mane, where he hung limply, his chest heaving and looking completely, utterly defeated despite not having a single scratch on him. “That I would find a challenge facing you. How foolish I was, thinking it were so.”

Sombra stared him right in the eyes, his cool and assured gaze standing in stark contrast to Master Nova Shine’s defeated one.

“Now I will ask you only one more time. Give me the amulet and you may live.”

“Never,” her master grunted out, spitting out blood. “I’ll never give it to you.”

Sombra smirked, and his horn began to spark once more.

“We don’t have to kill him. There’s… there’s another way,” Envy cut in. She sounded disgusted at the thought of it, but there was almost a note of having to bring up whatever her possibility was.

“Hm?” Sombra gave his apprentice a cool but inquisitive look.

“He has to take it off himself, right?” she asked, staring at the amulet around Nova’s neck. “Well, we can’t bully him into doing it directly, but…”

Her eyes fell onto Gleam, and a chill ran up Gleam’s spine.

No… no, she wouldn’t…

Now Sombra was staring at her, with an evil smile creeping across his muzzle. “The many years have changed your way of thought,” he mused. “I never thought that you’d suggest this deed.”

“This idiot brought her into it after I specifically asked him not to,” she snapped, glaring at Nova in fury and… disappointment? “Let’s not mince words, Master, you were going to suggest it.”

Sombra nodded, the sickening grin widening. “Indeed it’s true, I would have brought it up.”

He began to step toward her, dropping Master Nova Shine, who at once started crawling after them, a desperate look on his face. His horn sparked, but no magic came out.

Gleam felt herself take a step back, and then another, and then one more. The voice in her head wasn’t telling her anything. What could she do?

“Run, Gleam…” Master Nova Shine met her eyes, and she could see the pure and total terror in them, not unlike the look she had seen in his eyes when he had realized she was there in the forest.

Sombra’s horn pulsed with energy, and with the twisted zapping sound, a beam of dark energy shot from his horn. Gleam tensed, reflexively drawing the cloak around herself, and felt the punch of the magic as it impacted. Unfortunately, because she had simply taken the brunt of the attack, it blasted her backward, where she skidded to a halt with a yelp of pain.

Instinct took over as she staggered to her hooves as quickly as she could and tried to huddle behind the cloak once again. But before she could, a hoof yanked the cloak from her grasp. Gleam cried out, her eyes meeting Sombra's as he held her cloak away, his horn pulsing with energy. Desperately, she threw up her hooves, knowing there was no way she could block the incoming attack--

There was an explosion of light, and Gleam felt the very air around her thrum with energy. Sombra's hooves let go and she heard him be thrown backwards. Hesitantly, she lowered her hooves, and found herself staring at a tall grey unicorn stallion, wearing a long blue cape decorated with stars, and a tall pointed blue hat. His mane and tail were long and white, and he had a thick beard as well. He stood tall, glaring at the Shadow King, who seemed to falter at the sight of the new intruder. Envy looked stricken at the sight of him, and Nova let out an audible sigh of relief.

It was Star Swirl the Bearded. Gleam felt relief wash over her at the very sight of him. They were saved!

She tried to get to her hooves, but the elderly wizard’s horn glowed white, and before she could do anything, the air around her seemed to twist and shift, before a glowing white line appeared on the ground, encircling her.

“Do not step beyond that line, Apprentice Bright Gleam,” he ordered in a quiet, furious voice. His voice sounded different to how he had sounded at the Ascendancy. There was a faint note of a Trottish accent in his voice, which seemed to add to his menace. “Within that space, you are fully protected.”

“Y-yes sir,” she nodded.

“Archmage, stand tall,” Star Swirl ordered, his horn glowing white again, and Nova Shine being bathed in Star Swirl’s white energy. As the magic washed over him, Nova was able to stagger to his feet, and his horn began to glow a bright and dangerous blue. With a flash of light, he disappeared from behind Sombra and Envy, the former of whom was staggering to his own hooves, and appeared next to Star Swirl, his horn still glowing and the five orbs of light appearing around him yet again and spinning dangerously.

“I will handle the Shadow King,” Star Swirl growled, which elicited a scowl from Sombra. “It is, after all, a master’s duty to discipline his student. Keep his own apprentice occupied, but be prepared to intervene. If I tell you to cast a certain spell, do it without question, and without any additives. And whatever you do, do not tap into the amulet around your neck. Do you understand?”

“Perfectly,” her master nodded. “Thank-you, Lord Star Swirl.”

“Don’t thank me yet,” Star Swirl replied.

Sombra snarled, and launched a beam of pulsing dark energy at Star Swirl. Gleam expected Star Swirl to simply teleport away or deflect it, but he did something else entirely. The air in front of Star Swirl, where the beam was traveling toward, shifted. All of a sudden, the beam slowed to a snail’s pace!

Star Swirl charged, the white of his horn seeming to increase in intensity. Sombra visibly flinched and failed to react as a whip of light extended from Star Swirl’s horn and ensnared Sombra by one of his hooves. Gleam could only watch in awe as Star Swirl threw Sombra across the room, smashing him into the wall. As the whip came free, it broke apart into seven individual rigid white beams, which began to orbit Star Swirl like her master’s own little orbs.

Sombra let out a roar of fury, tendrils of shadow extending from his body and flying toward Star Swirl, who seemed not to notice, or even care as they approached his hooves. The shadows began to wrap themselves around Star Swirl’s legs and--

The beam that Star Swirl had slowed to a crawl moments ago suddenly sped up again, and Gleam flinched, throwing the Night Master cape around herself to deflect the blow…

...but it never came.

Gleam lowered the cape in confusion. The beam was gone. Star Swirl had repelled the shadowy tendrils and was still keeping Sombra on the defensive beneath an onslaught of beams, that whip, and all manner of things she couldn’t comprehend. Star Swirl seemed to be compressing the air itself onto Sombra, who was trying to fight his way out of it while slowly backing away. Master Nova Shine had engaged Envy, and now that he only had to focus on one pony, he, too, was pushing her back underneath a constant barrage of everything he could think of. Currently, he was letting loose with a torrent of boiling water, which she was deflecting, but the droplets would coalesce and freeze into spikes of ice that would rain down on her.

But where did the beam from before go?

On a whim, she glanced behind herself and found a singe mark in the wall behind her that was still smoking. Had it gone through her little space?

It had. A moment later, a crackling red bolt of lightning errantly fired by Envy lanced her way, but the moment it crossed that line, it seemed to just skip the space she was in, reappearing on the other side and striking the wall.

Star Swirl had done something to the space around her that rendered her untouchable. She really was protected.

“To hear Celestia and Luna tell it,” Star Swirl began conversationally, “this is the third time you have attempted a return after death, Luxius. How many more times must we destroy you before you will stay defeated?”

Sombra coldly laughed. “Perhaps I only continue to return specifically because you refuse to use the name I chose, Lord Star Swirl, as opposed to the weakling of a prince’s name.”

Star Swirl let out a tiny chuckle, but sent the seven beams of light pelting at Sombra, who was forced to dissolve into shadow to avoid them. The beams, however, surrounded Sombra at odd angles, and emitted waves of light that forced the king back into solid shape.

“It’s insulting of you to think that I haven’t considered ways of countering your intangibility, my student,” Star Swirl gave Sombra an annoyed look.

Several blasts of red light grabbed Gleam’s attention, and she looked over to the side in time to see Master Nova Shine dance his way through the space between him and his opponent, using the cape to swat and bat away bolts of red lightning sent his way. He spun, ducked, and weaved his way between the blasts, angling the lightning off of his back and into the walls around him, all while he closed the distance as quickly as he could, despite her backpedaling. It was like watching a graceful dancer, a beautiful symphony of movement and magic.

Every weave was garnished with a flourish of the cape, every dodge punctuated with a beam that forced Envy to avoid it, every block countered with a riposte of energy. If magic were music, then Master Nova Shine was a jazz musician, mixing classic sorcery with his own brand of unique twists and even physical strikes whenever he was in range.

“On his worst day, Nova can sing in magic.”

Finally after one too many hits, Envy simply turned tail and galloped away to create space.

At this, Master Nova Shine leapt into the air. One of the orbs of light soared under him, and he planted his hooves and pushed off of it, rising ever higher and higher into the air while he repeated the process. Once he reached a sufficient height somewhere near the ceiling above, he allowed himself to drop to the ground, surrounding himself in magical energy as he shot toward the crystal floor.

However, he was aiming not at Envy, but at Sombra. Sombra noticed him, snarled, and ducked out of the way, but as Master Nova Shine landed, the energy he had surrounded himself with blasted outward, catching the Shadow King mid-dodge and blasting him into the wall.

“Excellent improvisation,” praised Star Swirl. “Duck.”

Master Nova Shine ducked immediately, just as a streak of silver sliced across where his head had been. Envy had slashed at his neck with the knife of hers from afar. Master Nova Shine turned his attention back to her and began reflecting beams off of the ground toward her, just as she had done to him earlier, though as expected, Envy seemed to find this easier to handle as she seemed much more comfortable deflecting these away.

Sombra, meanwhile, had gotten back to his hooves, and he approached Star Swirl with a cold grin.

“I have been looking forward to a duel with you for centuries, Lord Star Swirl. And you do not disappoint. It also seems that on even hoofing, this fool of an Archmage is no weakling either.” The cold grin broadened. “I shan’t underestimate him again, you can be assured of that.”

“He really is something to watch when he gets going, isn’t he?” Star Swirl looked over to where Master Nova Shine was now keeping Envy completely pinned down under a gale of wind from his horn as he stepped toward her. “Still plenty of room for improvement, though. As for me, well…” he shrugged, “I do try. Though I must admit, I never look forward to a day when I must do battle, not even against a skilled opponent.”

“I would expect no less from you, Master,” Sombra grinned wolfishly. “You who chose to cower and hide behind the tails of Celestia and Luna. You have grown afraid in your old age.”

Star Swirl laughed, as though he had simply heard a joke told by a friend. “Oh, I know I’m old, and I can’t jump around like I used to,” a dangerous gleam appeared in his eyes, “but never mistake my pacifism for weakness, my former apprentice.”

At this, his horn shone white, and the entire room seemed to lurch. Envy and Master Nova Shine, currently rolling around in a tangle of limbs while they both pummeled each other physically, were bounced into the air, where Envy fell into a heap, but Master Nova Shine was able to land gracefully on his hooves, as though he had expected it all along.

Sombra was knocked off-balance, and the whip of light reformed out of the individual lines of light, which Star Swirl flung at Sombra, catching him right on the face. Sombra hissed, but Star Swirl pressed his advantage, slamming a hoof into the ground and making a spike of crystal erupt from the ground, impaling Sombra while he recoiled from the whip attack. Now trapped on the spike, Star Swirl fired with a beam of light so pure and white that it even emitted a clear musical tone as it shot forward. It struck the king dead on, and Sombra let out the first real roar of pain since his resurrection.

There was a blast of red light from the other battle, and Gleam felt her stomach clench as she heard her master let out a surprised yelp.

She turned her attention to Master Nova Shine and Envy. To her horror, Envy was straddling him and was trying her damnedest to ram her knife down into him wherever she could see flesh, but he continued to squirm and try to fire off a blast of magic to knock her off of him.

The knife was inching ever closer...

Call the magic and will it forward, child!

Gleam summoned her magic. All she wanted to do was knock the mare off of him, but she had no idea how to do it. However, as though her magic could sense her desire, a beam of green light rocketed from her horn and caught Envy on the side, catching her completely unawares and sending her skidding into the wall.

At once, Master Nova Shine turned the tide, binding her to the ground, and sticking his horn close to her temple, before it shone blue and he shut his eyes.

Envy’s however, bulged as she realized what he was doing. Before she could do anything, however, both of them froze, just like when he had entered Flash Sentry’s mind. They both must have been focused on each others’ minds.

For several seconds, they stood stock-still, minus the occasional twitch. Sombra more than once attempted to interrupt Master Nova Shine, but Star Swirl was always quick to ensure that whatever Master Nova Shine was doing was undisturbed, keeping the Shadow King cut off from his apprentice.

Suddenly, Envy’s struggles renewed.

“GET OUT OF MY HEAD!” she screeched, and let out a raw blast of power that sent Master Nova Shine skidding back. He was able to conjure a magic slope that caught him, redirected him, and sent him galloping right back after her, where he renewed the attack, using those white orbs to keep her moving and dodging, and occasionally sending them over to aid Star Swirl in his battle with Sombra.

After only a few more tense seconds, Gleam could sense a shift in the battle. Envy had been on the defensive almost the entire time, but that brief moment where she was trying to run him through seemed to have galvanized Master Nova Shine to not slip up again. However, the bulk of his attacks seemed to be focused on Sombra now, while he merely paid Envy a paltry amount of attention despite her repeated attacks.

“Nova Shine,” barked Star Swirl, who was now on the defensive as Sombra had begun countering with a barrage of shadow spells. “Cast Steelshod’s variation toward me.”

“On it,” Master Nova Shine replied, catching an attempted stab from Envy with his cloak, wrapping it around her hoof, and then tossing her away.

When he had space, he shot a stream of stars into the air toward Sombra and Star Swirl. Star Swirl immediately began to fire the tiniest beams she had ever seen from his horn. Each one impacted one of the glimmering stars Master Nova Shine had fired, and he began to direct each one into a position that surrounded Sombra.

As each star touched the ground or walls, it exploded into a bubble of light about 12 inches across, which didn’t seem to fade like normal magic did. In short order, Sombra had been surrounded by several white bubbles of light on the ground, with even a couple of them freezing in place midair. Master Nova Shine must have understood whatever Star Swirl had done to those lights, because he grabbed the cloak that was still wrapped around Envy’s hoof and used it to launch her toward one of the bubbles. Envy tried to shift into a shadow form, but a wave of light from Star Swirl forced her to remain solid.

The moment she landed, a few inches shy of one of the bubbles, Master Nova Shine blasted her with his magic before she had a chance to respond, blowing her directly into one of them. The moment she made contact with one of the bubbles, she seemed to completely freeze in midair, her expression stuck in one of surprise.

The bubble had trapped her in stasis.

Now, with both Star Swirl and Master Nova Shine bearing down on him, Sombra let out an impatient breath from his nose and his eyes narrowed.

“Well played, my lord Star Swirl,” he inclined his head. “I hate to end our duel so early on, but it is quite apparent I’m outmatched. As well, it seems there is yet hope for him,” he smirked at Master Nova Shine. “I shall retreat today, but do be warned. I am not used to this new form quite yet. You’ll find me more prepared to fight next time. And thus, I take my leave. But first…”

His shadow magic struck the bubble Envy was in, dissipating it and catching her before she flew into another one. Before Master Nova Shine and Star Swirl could react, however, strands of shadow flew at them, ensnaring them both to prevent them from interfering. As both of them fought to extricate themselves, a swirl of energy wrapped itself around Sombra and Envy, and when it vanished, so had they.

A quick burst of light from each horn caused the shadows binding them to be disintegrated, but their opponents were already gone.

Master Nova Shine didn’t seem to think so, as he whirled around, looking every which way as though he expected an attack to come from somewhere.

“Calm yourself, Nova Shine,” Star Swirl said softly. His horn shone, and the white bubbles on the ground disappeared. “They have gone.”

“How do you know?” her master asked, still glancing around warily.

Star Swirl smiled, despite the battle that had just ended mere seconds ago. “Your energy sense is quite attuned, but I have had time to develop mine to the point where I can sense even the tiniest things at a distance that you would not believe. They are nowhere that I can sense, and that means that they are nowhere in this city.”

With Lord Star Swirl’s confirmation, Master Nova Shine let out a shaky breath, and he slid into a sitting position on the floor.

“I do wish we had met under less troubling circumstances,” Star Swirl said, now trotting over to her again. The white line surrounding her vanished as the air seemed to un-twist. “I have been wanting to meet you ever since you stood up in front of everyone at the Ascendancy.”

“Uhh… hi?” she squeaked, partly amazed that SHE WAS TALKING TO STAR SWIRL, but also thoroughly perplexed at the idea that, not ten seconds after chasing Sombra away, Star Swirl was introducing himself to her as if it were a perfectly ordinary place to meet someone.

Well, in fairness, he did think it was fashionable to add bells to his ceremonial hat and cape, neither of which he brought with him today; only practical wizard wear was being worn this time.

“Can we do this someplace else?” Master Nova Shine mumbled, wiping his brow and flicking the sweat away. “My fiancee is probably worried sick and I want to leave this wretched place.”

“Perhaps that would be best. They are all quite alarmed,” Star Swirl concurred, but he motioned with his hoof for them both to return to his side, away from the crystal apparatus that had rebirthed Sombra. “We shouldn’t keep them in suspense any longer. Come to me, both of you.”

Master Nova Shine got to his hooves. Gleam wrinkled her nose at the sight of the sweat stain he left on the ground. He looked to be in stark contrast to Star Swirl, who looked as though he had barely ruffled his lengthy beard.

With them both standing beside him, Lord Star Swirl’s horn shone white again, and with a burst of light, they reappeared in the castle throne room, where Gleam had a brief moment to process that everyone was gathered.

There was about half a second of surprise from everyone as they simply appeared out of nowhere, before a blur of purple shot past her and tackled Master Nova Shine to the ground, and she found herself watching Princess Twilight holding on as though she were afraid to let him go, mumbling something that seemed to be on the lines of “I’m so sorry!” and “Please don’t do that again!” all while Master Nova Shine didn’t even seem to be registering it himself. On the contrary, his eyes were hazy, probably from the taxing effort of the battle, and even though he did hold her tight from his spot on the ground, he still didn’t seem to be mentally in the room with them.

“What happened?” asked Cadance, dashing over to the three of them, followed closely by Captain Armor. “Where did you go? Are you alright?”

“Unfortunately,” Star Swirl frowned, a grave look on his face, “I have some urgent work to do here before I return to Canterlot to inform the princesses of what happened here. Prince-Consort, Princess, I regret to inform you that King Sombra has returned once again, and he has escaped.”

Captain Armor’s breath hitched, and Cadance covered her face with a wing, but not before Gleam could see her clench her eyes shut. Princess Twilight looked stricken.

“He’s… he’s back again?”

Star Swirl nodded solemnly. “The Archmage and I were more than a match for him and his apprentice--”

“Apprentice?” Princess Twilight asked, glancing down at her fiancee, who was still staring past all of them, eyes glazed over. “Who--?”

“Shimmer,” her master replied softly, his eyes narrowing a fraction. “Shimmer’s been his apprentice since before I ever met her. But it’s… complicated. I saw something, Twilight. Something… awful.”

Princess Twilight stared up at him, who was still staring at the wall fear ahead. Gleam felt a prickle in her neck. Was this whatever he had seen in her head?

“Let’s get you checked out and make sure everything’s alright,” Princess Twilight said, draping a wing over his hack.

“Before you go,” Star Swirl held out a hoof, “give me the amulet. I’ll keep it protected as I return to Canterlot.”

Without hesitating, Master Nova Shine reached up and pulled it off, and shortly before his fur covered it up, Gleam was startled to see burned skin where the amulet’s chain had bound itself to him. What is that thing!?

Star Swirl’s magic shone, and the amulet vanished. With that, he gave them all one last nod, and with a swish of his cloak, he turned and marched away.

“Let’s go,” Master Nova Shine said hoarsely.

As they trotted away, Gleam could only feel the fear of what was to come settle in. Her master had been so effortlessly beaten when it was two versus one, and she had been completely unable to help him. Sure, when it had been a fair fight, he had looked every bit as powerful as she had always believed, but they were lucky that he had been there to begin with. If he hadn’t been…

One thing was for certain, though. Sombra would be stronger next time, and she had no way of knowing if he would be significantly stronger.

Today’s skirmish was only a taste. The real battle was yet to come.

High on a mountainside overlooking the Imperial City, Shimmer stared down at the tiny city far beneath her, sprawled in all directions but patterned after a snowflake, with the ant-sized imperial citizens going about their business.

“Allowing him to take the amulet was a poor decision,” rumbled the voice of her master from somewhere behind her on this cliffside. She said nothing. Surely he had to know what her reasoning was. He always knew. Always saw, always heard, always kept her under his thrall.

And now Nova Shine had seen it with his own eyes, during his brief intrusion into her head.

The look on his face would haunt her for years. The horror, the revulsion, and even the pity.

“Why did you give him the amulet?”

“You already know the answer to that,” she snapped, glaring back at the only other pony on the mountainside with her.

“Hmm…” the king studied her, to the point where even she felt awkward about it. “It has been centuries since you spent regular time in my presence. I fear my understanding of you has waned in that span. And you are aware of just what that amulet is, so I shall ask again.”

Shadows tickled her hooves as they started to wind their way up them threateningly. Laughable, really. As if she couldn’t just shadow her way out of them herself.

“It was the only way to get him moving,” she answered, gritting her teeth. “Had to break the news to him.”

“You gave him the amulet so that he would find out my grand design?” the king’s voice lowered.

“Yes, and you know that!” she turned around and met his gaze with a glare of her own. “Stop asking me questions you already know the answer to. I know you know my reasons for it.”

Sombra’s eyes narrowed, and pain spread through her body. She cried out reflexively, falling into the snow and writhing as crackling bolts of twisted green and purple energy coursed through her. She didn’t scream, though. She never screamed when he disciplined her. Grunts and moans and the occasional surprised yelp were all she would give him. Show no weakness.

“It would seem your many years separate from me have let quite the insubordinate attitude fester within you,” the king’s lip curled. “I would hear it from you with my own ears, my Envy. Why did you allow Nova Shine to take the amulet?”

The pain ceased, leaving her a gasping mess on the ground.

“Because if we didn’t," she breathlessly snapped, "and we just took the amulet, they’d hunker down. Hole themselves up and do nothing.”

“And that is not preferable to them knowing our plans and acting against them how, exactly?” Sombra’s horn crackled with energy, and Shimmer tensed, but she controlled her face like she always did.

“Because now that they know your plan,” she explained, staggering back to her hooves and turning back to the city, “and especially now that Star Swirl the Bearded’s seen it with his own eyes, you just know they’re gonna go after the other two to stop us from taking them ourselves.”

The King’s eyes widened as he realized what she was getting at now.

“They shall recover the Gems of Being for us, and because there are so few places secure enough to hold such powerful artifacts, the locations in which they will be kept once they find them all will be predictable,” he finished, a satisfied smile spreading across his face. “I apologize, my Envy. It would seem that I underestimated your foresight.”

Shimmer let out the breath she had been holding. No more pain today, it seemed.

She’d expected to be punished for throwing the fight with Nova Shine up until he had tried to break into her mind, but it seemed the king was in a forgiving mood today. Normally, he never tolerated failure. He never killed ponies for it-- that was just a waste of good personnel and it was difficult and time-consuming to replace trained staff-- but he always made sure that the punishment for failure made someone never want to fail him again.

Was today always supposed to be a defeat?

“If we are going to allow them to collect and hoard the Gems of Being for us, then one of us will have to make sure they are making progress,” Sombra stepped up behind her, making sure to lean right behind her ear so that it was impossible to mistake his meaning. “One of us is going to have to make sure they are constantly working toward that goal, and not on other… unnecessary pursuits.”

“I get it,” she growled, stepping forward, almost to the edge of the cliff. “Keep an eye on them, keep them moving toward getting the gems. Should I leave now, or wait until later when things calm down in the city?”

“Oh, not just yet,” the king shook his head, a small smile on his face. “Tomorrow, they shall journey to the Shrine of Black and White. It is unlikely that Star Swirl will accompany them, but even if he is there, I would still like to test Princess Sparkle.”

“More fighting,” she rolled her eyes. “You know if Star Swirl’s there--”

“If he is there,” the king interrupted. “then I shall ensure he is properly distracted. We won’t be truly intervening personally, you see. You still remember your summoning lessons, I understand.”

“Oh, goody," she sighed. "More of those things.”

“Three should suffice tomorrow.”

He looked down at the city, before turning his gaze northward, toward Yakyakistan, and even beyond, to the Frozen Maw and the mysterious empty city that lay beyond.

“After tomorrow,” he said in a soft voice, “the real work begins.”

Author's Note

Chapter art done by Nevel Yashgi.

Thank-you for reading thus far. Lemme know what I can get better at in the comments.

Rytex out. Have a good day!

Vanitas

The Archmage’s Last Bow
Chapter 06 - Vanitas

The capital city of the Alicorn Empire was known by many names throughout its time. The Roamans called it Scala ad Caelum, or “the stairway to the heavens.” Some cultures referred to the city as the Apex of the World, the shape-changers far to the south called it the Diamond Within The Maw, the germaneic tribes spoke in whispers of a haunting twisted white city crafted from arcanostone and orichalcum whose name they were afraid to even speak, as though the gods that inhabited that city would punish them for profaning it with their lips.

The City on a Hill. The City of World’s Desire. The Pinnacle. Where the Cosmos met the Earth. And so on, and so on.

Prince Imperius always scoffed at those tall tales, spoken of by merchants who traded with the Roamans or other beings. They were probably only trying to ingratiate themselves with the citizens of this city. The better not to be treated like the subservients, or some other motive. Perhaps they truly were spoken of that way abroad. Imperius wouldn’t know. He had never left the city. It was his birthright.

It was Elysium.

It was home.

“Where is he?” he heard from somewhere outside of his current location, a room known as the Hall of Prophecy. It was one of his (many) caretakers, clearly trying to fetch him for some new frivolity that his father was imposing on him. How many more duties were to be foisted upon him? Was Father retiring so soon? Surely he could wait and let Imperius adjust to the current workload he had increased only last week.

They were immortal; it’s not like Father was running out of time.

That wasn’t to say that Imperius wasn’t focused on his duties. Quite the contrary, it was because of his duties that he was in this room in the first place.

Of all of the strange, wonderful places in the White City, the Hall of Prophecy was perhaps the strangest and most wonderful.

It was common knowledge that the alicorns were gifted in the ways of all subservient races. They had the strength of the earth ponies, the flight of the pegasi, and the touch of magic that the unicorns held, but they had something else that the subservient races lacked. They had the gift of time.

Not immortality. Immortality was no gift, for it had needed to be wrested from the realm of the impossible.

No, some alicorns contained the ability to see outside of time. To see what was to come, to see potential futures or alternative realities.

Imperius’ own great-grandmother was one such Timeseer, Empress Verita. The Seer-Queen, as she was known. She made hundreds of prophecies in her time as the Alicorn Empress. Through some of these prophecies, she had been able to guide the alicorns toward their destiny of reigning over the entire world, though by the time she retired as empress and passed the throne over to her son Magnus IV, the reaches of the Empire had extended to dominate the northern half of the Western Continent.

Magnus had seen the Empire grow even further under his watch, guided by his mother’s words. The Empire became a more peaceful, scholarly society. It was under Magnus, after the passing of Verita, that immortality was seized. It was under Magnus that the Gems of Being were forged by the great arcanosmith Artifex, under whom Imperius’ own friend Ars Arcanum was currently studying. It was under Magnus that the Great Wellspring was opened up. It was under Magnus that orichalcum was discovered and then exploited.

And then Magnus retired, and Imperius’ father Dominus took the throne. With his grandmother’s words to guide him, Father had made the unpopular decisions to allow many subservients to flee without fear of retribution. Father had receded the Empire’s borders in favor of strengthening their holds over a shorter area, locations rife with rebellion and uprisings. Time had vindicated Father’s decisions, and by extension, Verita’s prophecies. Every single one of her prophecies came true over the many years of her descendents’ reign.

Every prophecy, except one.

Imperius stood in the Hall of Prophecy, staring down at a pedestal crafted out of arcanostone, the polished white smooth surface chiseled with magnificent shapes on it. A velvet pillow lay atop this pedestal, with a scroll lying atop it.

The Final Prophecy.

Imperius stared down at it with trepidation. How was it that every prophecy but this one had come true? What was even said within it? What was it Verita had seen?

“Ah, here you are,” came a rumbling voice from behind him.

Imperius jumped and spun around, stumbling over his legs as he did so and falling to the ground in an undignified heap.

His father stood over him, a glint of amusement in his bright blue eyes as he stared down at his fallen son. Dominus was tall, even by alicorn standards. His mane was black and quite full, standing out in stark contrast against his white coat. His shoulders were broad, his hooves were large and bespoke the power he carried in them, and despite the status he carried, he carried himself as though he were no more important than the next alicorn. His muzzle was not raised, his breast was not puffed out, he simply stood normally and walked like a normal alicorn.

“F-father,” Imperius said, getting to his hooves. “Were you looking for me?”

“Don’t play coy, Imperius,” Father grinned. “You’ve been hiding from your caretakers again. They are bustling about the entire palace searching for you.”

Imperius bowed his head, knowing he was about to be lectured.

“A curious place you’ve chosen to hide,” observed Father, looking around the large room. Shelves upon shelves filled with scrolls. Each one came with a small card which summarized the prophecy within, and the date on which it was fulfilled. The only prophecy which did not have one was the one sitting in this place of exalt.

“I… wasn’t hiding,” he admitted.

“Aaaah,” Father nodded understandingly. “You wish to see what the future holds for you, I presume.”

He trotted over and hefted the scroll in which the Final Prophecy was contained in his hoof, scrutinizing it.

“I was like you once, you know,” Father said, “Back then there were several prophecies that were still yet to be fulfilled from the last known seer, of course. Rather curious that a new Seer hasn’t been born in centuries, but the Law of Averages will, well, average out,” he smiled.

“Father,” Imperius gave him an annoyed look. “If you are here to chastise me--”

“I was going to at first, I admit,” Father shrugged. “I thought you were out spending time with Ars and Harmonia again. But to find you here, to find you trying to determine your place in all that is to come… well, I cannot help but understand.”

He placed the prophecy back down on the cushion, and turned to leave.

“I would advise that you ignore this place until a new Seer is born, my son,” Father strode toward the double-doors that led out of the room. “All prophecies have been fulfilled but that one, and that one is quite possibly the vaguest and most impossible to pinpoint out of all of them.”

“But this one may be relevant to me!” Imperius protested. “I must know! I must prepare!”

“Read it then,” Father turned back to give him an expectant look. “Read it, and see why I would advise ignoring it.”

Imperius blinked. He had to be jesting, right? But Father was still watching him, waiting…

Imperius turned around, opened the latch on the scroll, and unfurled it.

The prophecy was short, quite unlike the other prophecies housed in that room.

“I speak to you, the final emperor of the alicorns.
I speak to you, the bringer of our doom.
I speak to you, the one who would wear life
I speak to you, the one who would rule over all
I, Verita, speak to you.

Beware the god-shattering star.”

Imperius looked up. “Is that it?”

Father nodded. “That is the entirety of the Final Prophecy of Empress Verita. We learn nothing useful from it, as you can plainly see.”

“How can you say that!?” Imperius stamped a hoof onto the ground. “We learn a lot from it! ‘Our doom’? ‘Final emperor’?”

“Imperius, we know nothing about what those mean,” Father replied calmly. “Our race is doomed. Nothing lasts forever, not even the immortals, Death is an eventuality, and the best any of us can do is stave it off. There will be a Final Emperor. There will be a doom. Beyond that, we know nothing. We know not how this doom comes about, other than that it is brought upon us by someone. We know not what ‘wearing life’ means. We do not even know if these four lines are speaking to separate beings, a single being, or the race as a whole! And if we tried to define who would rule over all, well,” he smiled humorlessly, “it would be a list that is sure to contain almost every being in this world, both in the past and future.”

He gave Imperius a meaningful look.

“Ignore this prophecy, my son. Put it out of your mind. Focus only on what you can change, not what you cannot. What will come will come, and we will be ready to meet it when it does.”

With that, he gestured for Imperius to join him, and Imperius trotted forward, idly brushing some wayward bangs of his blue mane out of his face with a white-coated hoof.

Imperius spoke no more of this, but he returned many nights after to the Hall of Prophecy, tormented by a burning question in his mind, a question that refused to leave, no matter how much he looked to the future. Even as the years passed and he aged, even after he had taken his father’s place as Emperor, he remained haunted.

Haunted by the knowledge that lay out of his reach.

What is the god-shattering star?

Snow crunched underhoof as six ponies trekked out into the Frozen North, heading further northward in the direction of Yakyakistan, toward a looming mountain in the far distance, barely visible under the cloudy sky and the snowfall. It was far closer than it looked, and it wasn’t nearly as tall as it seemed, but the much smaller cliffs on either side of them made it seem that much more monstrous and far away by comparison.

“Why can we not simply take an airship to the shrine?” her fiancee had asked before they had packed their bags.

“The journey to the shrine is short, and it is considered, in a manner of speaking, a pilgrimage,” Cadence had answered. “It is, after all, an ordeal. It isn’t supposed to be convenient.”

“All the way to the base of Mount Glacia,” muttered Twilight Sparkle to herself, remembering Shining’s instructions. Just like Cadance had said, Mount Glacia wasn’t far from the Imperial City. In fact, it was visible in the distance. But they had six ponies to worry about, which slowed things. Herself, Nova, Gleam, and three Crystal Guardsponies.

“Should only be a short trot, ma’am,” one of the guardsponies said, a mare who kept her tail in a lengthy flowing braid ands was currently trotting beside Gleam. “The sherpa will guide us from the base to the temple.”

“Sherpa?” Twilight asked, glancing back at the mare who currently marched next to Gleam.

“Yes ma’am,” the mare dipped her head. “He lives on the mountain and leads creatures to the temple. He will be our guide when we arrive.”

“I… see,” Twilight turned back to the expanse of snow before them again.

She slowed, sliding past Gleam and falling in step next to Nova, who was watching the snow pass underneath him with a blank look.

“And how about you?” she asked softly, brushing up against him to let him know she was there, even though he couldn’t have not noticed.

Nova Shine just shook his head, his eyes misting over.

“I could fly you up,” she offered, unfurling her wings. “Carry you up into the clouds, where we could speak alone.”

“No,” Nova croaked, before clearing his throat. “Just… I…”

“You saw something,” she said, pressing even harder against him. “You saw something that’s got you completely off. You can tell me, you know that right?”

“Always,” he assured her softly, clenching his eyes shut and turning away slightly. “But… I don’t…”

“You don’t what?”

“I don’t think I could… tell you,” he whispered, his voice barely audible over the crunching of snow beneath their hooves. “I would need to show you.”

“How?”

“Dreamsharing,” he said. He sniffed, and turned his gaze ahead, toward the mountain that grew ever closer. It wasn’t a tall mountain, not by any stretch, though it did seem to be very craggy on the western side and capped with snow. It would probably not be a difficult climb, but it would still be strenuous.

“WAH!”

Nova’s head snapped back down, horn brimming with energy at Gleam’s yelp. Twilight looked over to see what had happened, and saw Gleam’s own horn shining green. She had fallen back into the snow, eyes darting every which way, their pupils shrunken and her breath coming in short gasps.

“Is everything alright, Apprentice Bright Gleam?” asked her guard.

“I… I thought…” she flushed, seeming to shrink down into Nova’s old cape in shame.

“Was it your shadow again?” Nova asked gently, trotting up and laying a comforting hoof on her shoulder. Twilight felt a very warm sensation watching it. No judgement, no teasing, no shame at all. Just him being there for his apprentice.

Gleam seemed to steady herself from the contact alone, and she nodded, before tearing up. “I… thought it was her.”

“When we get back, we’ll need to have you talk with Counselor Trixie,” he said grimly. “She’s probably the only living pony who could help you get over Envy trauma. Until then, hold still.”

Gleam did, allowing Nova to lean down and fire off a spell directed at her temple, though she showed no discomfort. When the spell ended, she glanced at him quizzically.

“Nightmare ward,” he explained, brushing back his mane. “It’ll help you at least sleep. And I can set up alert spells all over your room in case she decides to show up.”

Even as a tear fell from her eyes, Nova brushed it away before it had a chance to freeze.

“Gleam, look at me.”

She did, and Twilight felt a pang in her heart as Gleam sniffled and the shadow of shame crossed her face..

“You’re not broken,” he assured her. “You aren’t weak, you aren’t responsible for anything that happened in there. You did nothing wrong, and you shouldn’t blame yourself for anything.”

And then he hugged her.

“Gleam, you saved my life.”

Twilight felt the bottom of her stomach drop out.

“She what?” she asked, mouth falling open.

“It’s okay to be scared. It’s okay to not be okay. But we’re here for you, and we’ll do everything we can to help make it better.”

Gleam nodded, lip trembling and slumping in Nova’s embrace and sniffling into his shoulder.

“She what?” Twilight asked, stepping over and staring into his eyes. “You nearly died?”

Nova wordlessly nodded, before mouthing “tell you later” while he remained focused on Gleam. Twilight stared at him for a long time. He hadn’t mentioned that when he and Star Swirl recounted the battle down below. Had he not wanted her to worry?

Did he not trust her?

Her insides clenched at the thought. Why would he? After everything with Flash, why would anyone trust her?

It was well after the snow had piled up on Nova’s shoulders that she pulled back, looking better, but still with that same scared look in her eyes. It was going to take a long time to heal her mind after all of this. Trixie hadn’t made a full psychological recovery, and it had been four years. She still jumped when shadows made sudden movements.

Then again, Trixie had been subject to far more personal of an ordeal than Gleam had so far.

Far ahead, the mount grew closer and closer, bit by bit, step by step. Perhaps once he underwent this trial, all would be right with Nova again. Then they could worry about Gleam.

On a nearby cliff, far enough away that the small party trudging through the snow couldn’t see, a shadow crept up to the hooves of a watching pony, and rose out of the ground, resolving into a shapely silver mare, who knelt before the watcher.

“I think they might have noticed me,” she commented, with a glance back at the travelers. “The filly jumped about a mile in the air, but as I left, they thought it might have been her own shadow.” She clenched her teeth with disgust. “She’s going to be psychologically affected for months.”

“It does not change the plans I’ve made at all,” Sombra said, eyes narrowed as he watched the group. “And was Lord Star Swirl in the group as well?”

“No,” Envy shook her head. “Just those six.”

“Then let us not delay my little test,” Sombra nodded his head, before looking down at her. “Let loose the beasts of shadow on them all.”

“A-all of them?” Envy’s mouth parted, already glancing back down to the filly.

Sombra frowned, and his horn sparked dangerously.

“Need I repeat myself, apprentice mine?”

Shimmer nearly flinched. Nearly. But she didn’t. Instead, she grit her teeth and shook her head.

“Do not concern yourself with her. Instead…”

He paused, shifting his attention to the group, who continued their march. Five combat-capable ponies, and the helpless apprentice. Shimmer had asked that bonehead for a favor-- the simplest of favors, just keep that filly safe!-- and yet he couldn’t have done it for all of an hour.

“Why do you care so much about this foal?” he abruptly asked.

Shimmer glanced over at him to see that his gaze was directed right at the young filly. An unpleasant shiver went up her spine. Whatever he was thinking about involving her, it probably wasn’t anything good.

“I don’t know,” she lied.

Sombra frowned, and Shimmer groaned as the pain began to course through her yet again. She stayed on her hooves, though. She wouldn’t fall and show weakness. She wouldn’t be the seventh of his “apprentices” to perish.

“I’ve made it clear to not speak lies to me,” he stated, baring the fangs in his mouth to punctuate it. “There’s nothing you can hide away from me.”

Shimmer shivered, as the reminder all too vividly flashed through her head. The six walking dead-eyed unicorn corpses, all but one hornless, the spell that she was forced to endure, watching the sixth unicorn’s horn shatter the moment he cast that spell upon her, striking at her very soul, the whispers of blood and death in her head, of anger and hate. He was watching. He was always watching. Watching, and whispering.

She remembered her first kill. It was one of Sombra’s slaves, who had collapsed. She had been forced to pierce her heart beneath her blade. It was an awful feeling, flesh parting as if it weren’t there, the subtle scraping of bone on metal, and the last gasp of air as the light in the mare’s eyes faded. She could even have sworn the mare had whispered “thank-you,” to her as she passed.

The rest had been far less merciful, spurred on by the ever-present voice.

“Bring forth the three abominations now,” he ordered, his eyes fixed on Nova Shine down below. “Then… test the filly, see if she’s a threat.”

“And… if she is?” she asked.

Sombra merely gave her a knowing look, and a deadly smile.

“And if she is, then you know what to do.”

Child… child!

Gleam jumped, jolted out of her haze by the mysterious voice.

“What?” she asked aloud, dumbly.

Master Nova Shine’s head cocked in her direction almost immediately and his brow twitched.

“Something the matter, Gleam?” he asked, trotting up.

Child, shadows draw near!

“Something’s wrong,” she answered, looking around. Where? Where were these shadows coming from? What was the voice talking about?

Her master suddenly stiffened and jerked his head somewhere behind the group.

*Thud, thud, thud, thud*

Dust fell from the crags around them, and Twilight’s head snapped up, legs tense and her horn glowing. A shudder raced along her spine and she groaned at the sensation. That unnatural feeling was back, the feeling of shadow magic.

“Guards!” Master Nova Shine barked. At once, the trio of Crystal Guards whirled around, slamming hooves onto one of the gems on their armor, which caused glaives with blades of jagged crystal to appear in their hooves in flashes of light.

*THUD, THUD, THUD, THUD*

Gleam’s mouth fell open as the figure clambered over the crag and dropped down.

It was black, composed of shadow, save for the white patches that appeared as though they were made from bone, and the glowing red-golden eyes. Its shape was that of an equine, but much longer, and with front hooves that seemed to end in bony claws, the white patches covered its muzzle yet left everything else intact, and its mane was made of shadow that faded away as it issued off, like King Sombra’s mane. On this shadow horse’s back, however, was a conjoined upper half of something resembling a minotaur. The stomach was so thin it could have been malnourished, the white patches formed the shape of ribs, and long, stringy arms hung down on either side of the horse’s barrel.

But its face…

It, too, had red-golden eyes, but it almost looked as though it were hidden behind a bone mask, ending with jagged teeth at its cheeks, and with two great horns curving upward on either side of its forehead.

Princess Twilight paled.

“A nuckelavee,” she whispered, going pale.

No. Three.

Sure enough, there were more crashing thuds, and then two more of these monstrosities loomed high over the rocky outcroppings and came dropping down. No sooner had they landed than they all began to lumber toward the group. One of them opened its mouth and let out a screech. Gleam clapped her hooves to her ears. It was the most shrill, most ear-piercing sound she had ever heard! Was this what a banshee sounded like?

When the scream mercifully ceased, Princess Twilight had magically dragged Nova and the three guardsponies toward her so that they all were in a tight formation around Gleam.

“I fought one of these outside of Ponyville on the day our enemy returned,” she instructed crisply, staring at one, her horn already brimming with magic. “Its weakness is within its mouth. you will have to bait out a fireball. Don’t attempt to pierce its hide, as it’s impenetrable. Its size and its clumsiness are the key to drawing out a ranged attack to allow you to go in for the kill.”

“Anything we should be wary of?” Nova asked, his own horn sparking as well.

“Don’t try to block its physical attacks, they’re too strong,” she added. “I’ll take one and assist once I’ve dispatched it. Nova, do the same. Guards, two of you hold one off, one of you guard Gleam. As soon as I am able to, I will relieve you both and you fall back and protect Gleam as well.”

“Yes ma’am,” one of them said, and two of them immediately charged at the nuckelavee on the left, hefting their glaives.

“Stay safe,” Nova ordered, eyes on the nuckelavee on the right,

“I will,” said Gleam and Princess Twilight at the same time. Gleam couldn’t help but give a tiny smile despite the situation.

With that, Master Nova Shine gave his cape a flick and galloped off, already peppering his mark with spells. Princess Twilight gave her a last worried glance, but then spread her wings and blasted herself forward with a powerful flap that sent small flurries of snow flying away. She was alone with the guard mare.

“With me, Lady Apprentice,” the mare turned, grabbing her by the shoulder and pulling her away from the three monstrosities that her master, the princess, and the guard’s two comrades were engaging.

Gleam stumbled, not used to being handled this way, and tripped over the hem of the cloak, but the guard caught her before she could fall..

“Hurry, hurry,” she urged, giving her a push to move Gleam forward.

“I’m… going…” Gleam grunted as she sprinted away, laboring to lift her hooves high enough over the snow so as to not get bogged down in it.

A blast of red magic struck in front of her, lifting Gleam off her hooves and sending her flying back into the guard. They tumbled down into the snow, but the guard quickly swirled around and got to her feet. Gleam, however, staggered upright, bogged down by the snow and the oversized cape.

Ahead of them, with her head bowed, her eyes clenched shut, and a look of utter disgust on her face, stood Envy.

“Stay behind me,” the guard barked, locking her glaive into a groove in her armor and baring it forward.

“You are Onyx Lance, are you not?” Envy asked softly, somehow audible despite the battles raging behind them. “Formerly of His Majesty King Sombra’s Imperial Guard?”

“That was never my real name,” the guard jabbed her lance forward threateningly. “That was my name when I was your precious master’s little slave.”

“I will allow you to run and assist your comrades-in-arms,” Envy continued softly, as though Onyx Lance hadn’t said anything. “I have been ordered to test the apprentice, and should you impede me, I will not hesitate to slay you where you stand.”

Onyx Lance swung her glaive sideways, stopping it where it was held between Envy and Gleam, and her legs tensed.

“I won’t let you anywhere near her, Envy,” Onyx stated, before twirling it into a combat-ready position. “If for no other reason than to spite that tyrant!”

Envy’s face darkened. With a brief flash of light, her knife appeared. There was a long moment, in which a bitter chill wafted across their section of the Frozen North, as Onyx Lance and Envy stared each other down.

Then, Envy pounced.

“Come on, come on,” Nova growled as he ducked under a massive hand that batted at where his head had been about ten seconds before. The beats were quite slow, as Twilight had said, but they were still rather smart. The one battling two crystal guards had been sure to stomp on over toward the mountain so it could lob boulders at them, though they were doing an excellent job of dodging. The one battling Twilight already seemed to have had enough of the lilac pest that was buzzing around its head, and it was swatting at her with those massive hands, yet Twilight’s agility allowed her to weave in and out of its range as she assaulted its face with all manner of spells, yet true to her warning, none were having any effect. Not fire, not ice, not light, not neutral magic…

*WHAM!*

“Fuck!” Nova exclaimed as he hurtled sideways through the air.

Just keep your mind set on your foe, my friend.

“Oh fuck me, he talks when I’m awake now!” Nova staggered to his feet and surveyed the damage. He’d been caught watching Twilight instead of focusing on his own opponent. “Can you keep the chatter to a minimum when I’m fighting?” he added, staring down the nuckelavee, who let out another shriek, though a quick spell to block out the sound remedied that.

Apologies. But look up on the cliff.

Nova first took the time to bait out a swipe from the nuckelavee’s paw before he chanced a glance upward. It took him a moment to see, but then his eyes fell on exactly who the alicorn king was alerting him to.

Sombra stood on the cliff, watching the separate battles beneath him, his eyes half-narrowed, a small frown. No sooner had Nova’s eyes fallen on him that the shadow-king turned his attention to Nova, giving him a brief glance, and a small smirk.

“He set those on us,” Nova noted, before leaping sideways to avoid another crushing paw. “Him or Envy. Damn it,” he cursed, before starting to maneuver himself toward Twilight to get her attention. “We’re out of our league. He’s trying to wear us down.”

Twilight noticed him running toward her, and she immediately zipped down and placed a particularly thick shield around them.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, wincing as her nuckelavee tried to stomp on the shield with its hooves.

“Up on the cliff,” Nova pointed. Twilight looked, and her eyes widened when she beheld who was standing there, watching them, with a much deeper frown than before.

“We need to get out of here,” Twilight said, already looking around for the Crystal Guards. “We’ve got to get back to the city now!”

“I’ll get Gleam,” he said.

“I’ll distract the nuckelavees, and I’ll alert the guards. Ready?” Nova nodded, five balls of light appearoing around him and spinning at a frightening pace. “GO!”

The shield dissipated and Nova was off, dashing away. Twilight immediately zipped back toward the nuckelavees, making sure to fly right in front of their faces. It seemed to work, because Nova’s nuckelavee stopped chasing him and focused on her.

Across the way, however, it seemed as though Twilight wasn’t needed. Even as Nova watched, he saw one of the guards dash out from under a fist that was slamming down, before the guard reared back and stabbed the glaive right through its hand and pinned it to the earth.

The beast roared, and that was the only window the other guard needed. It dashed up the pinned arm, all the way up to the nuckelavee’s shoulder, before leaping off, twisting around, and hurling the glaive right into the nuckelavee’s open maw.

The roar died immediately, before in an explosion of shadow, the nuckelavee burst, sending the killing glaive clattering to the ground. The guard continued to fall, but a moment later, his comrade dashed under him and cushioned his fall. No sooner had they landed and dusted themselves off than the nuckelavee’s killer ran over to grab his fallen glaive and they galloped off to aid Gleam.

Damn, Nova thought, impressed. Shining and Cadance couldn’t have asked for better guards.

He continued, redoubling his sprint, but before he made it even a short way there, something massive landed in front of him, knocking him backward from the sheer force of how hard it landed.

“What the--'' he gasped, before picking himself up from where he had fallen and looking up. One of the nuckelavees that Twilight had been distracting had caught on to what he was doing. It seemed these creatures were more intelligent than he initially thought.

“Fine,” he growled. “If you want to get in my way so bad, then allow me to show you why that was a mistake.”

Onyx Lance ducked under a blast of magic from Envy and swung her glaive around at blazing speed. With a loud clang! the crystal blade met the silver knife just before it could slash across Envy’s face.

“I remember watching him train you,” Envy muttered in a low voice. “I remember watching him teach you the Seven Stances, and I remember him noting your weaknesses and your shortcomings.”

“Your point?” Onyx growled, shoving Envy away with a particularly ferocious heave. Envy slid back, and Onyx pressed her opening, jabbing the butt of her spear toward Envy’s cheek, though Envy ducked under it. Gleam watched, unsure of what to do. Should she run? Should she stay? What did the voice in her head want her to do? Was she needed here?

Child.

“What?” she whispered. “What do I do?”

Allow me.

“Wh-what?” Gleam’s breath hitched. What did she mean “allow her?” Up ahead, Onyx Lance seemed to be getting the upper hoof, slowly pressing Envy back. Although the glaive gave her a reach advantage, Envy had magic on her side, and in the few times Gleam had seen her battle, never once had she gotten the feeling that Envy was out of control of a situation, save for when Master Nova Shine had her on the ropes yesterday.

You cannot hope to stand your ground as you are, and it would not do well to split your attention with me whispering strategy. Cinnabar is outmatched as well. If you wish to come to her defense, please allow me to take control however briefly.

Onyx Lance swept the butt of her spear downward, sweeping Envy’s legs out from under her. Envy landed with a grunt. Gleam let out a nervous breath. She had this, the fight was hers now… right?

But when Gleam looked down at the fallen mare, in that split-second, Envy did not look at all distressed.

Child! Please!

Onyx Lance swung the glaive of the spear downward, but before it went more than a few inches, there was a sudden flash of silver, and a cry of pain, before Onyx Lance was kicked to the side, and Gleam was horrified to see blood stain the snow near her face. Underneath her, Envy had an expression of grim triumph, and her silver knife was dripping red.

It felt like she had been punched in the gut. Envy had maneuvered Onyx Lance into presenting an opening, and Onyx Lance, formerly a guard to Sombra himself, had paid the price. She lay on the snow, clutching at her face, which was pouring blood from it, but even as she whimpered, Onyx Lance still struggled to get to her hooves.

Envy stared at her for a long moment, before she struck Onyx Lance with a beam of energy and blasted her several meters away, where Onyx Lance did not move.

And now Envy turned her gaze to Gleam.

Gleam scrambled backward, before, yet again, she caught the edge of her master’s cloak and fell into the snow. Before she could stagger back up, she felt something stab downward, catching the cloak and pinning it to the ground.

Knowing what she was going to see, Gleam turned back to see that Envy, with a completely empty expression, had pinned her master’s cloak to the ground with her bloodstained knife, and was now advancing on her.

There came two battle yells from somewhere to the side. Gleam turned just in time to see both of the Crystal Guards dashing toward them, glaives poised for combat. Envy, however, sent a casual beam of energy at them, freezing them in blocks of ice faster than they could react, their expressions still fierce.

She had to get free! She had to escape! Willing the magic forward, she sent a blast at Envy just as she had done yesterday down in that underground room, but Envy simply let it phase through her with a quick transformation into shadow.

“Kid,” she said quietly, “I’m sorry you had to get mixed up in this. It’s not your fault.”

Envy’s horn shone red, and ice encased her hooves, pinning her there.

“I’m supposed to test you, but since you can’t defend yourself, I have to…” Envy bit off the last word of that sentence with a disgusted look. “I’m sorry.”

The knife returned to Envy’s side, where it began to move inevitably toward her heart.

BRIGHT GLEAM!

The reality of the situation washed over her in that instant. She was powerless. Her master was occupied, as was the princess. Her only guard was incapacitated. The others were frozen. The knife was inches away and moving closer.

She was going to die.

With no other option, Bright Gleam took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and surrendered.

When next her eyes opened, they were white.

The nuckelavee let out a frustrated roar as it tried again and again to try and take a swipe at Nova, but Nova Shine was equally frustrated because he hadn’t yet managed to get past the beast. Every time he tried, the beast had some way to block him off, either by physically blocking him, or by attempting to attack him when he was gearing up for a teleport.

Behind him, Twilight wasn’t faring much better. She had tried to come to his aid multiple times, but their nuckelavee opponents kept her from speeding off to render aid to anyone other than Nova.

If Rainbow Dash were here, she would easily have been able to get by, but Twilight wasn’t exactly a Wonderbolt who had spent years honing her physique for speed and aerodynamics. Her wings were powerful enough to blast snow away when she took off, but that was more due to the fact that they were wings that had to be powerful enough to carry a pony with the strength and mass of an earth pony through the air.

”We’re gonna have to destroy these things if we want to get through,” Nova growled as Twilight landed behind him. “Both of them. They’re refusing to allow us to pass. Every time I try, they find a way to prevent it from happening.”

“It’s not opening his mouth,” Twilight noted. “I’m trying to agitate it enough to get it to open its mouth, but it’s not. These things are smart.”

“They’re distracting us,” Nova replied, staring right into the eerie yellow eyes of the nuckelavee that stood between him and his apprentice. Off in the distance behind the nuckelavee, he couldn’t see anything, as there was suddenly a massive cloud of snow that had obscured the area, nor could he feel anything in front of him.

Even the nuckelavee was completely invisible to his energy sensing. It was like there was a void right in front of him, but it clearly had a physical presence.

“Come on, you son of a bitch,” Nova growled to himself, before firing a barrage of stars toward the beast, which all exploded in its face, but the beast seemed to almost not even care about the light show.

Nova even tried to materialize an ice pillar in the beat’s mouth to prop it open. A crude solution, and one born out of frustration, and sure enough, the beast simply spat it out before it could properly form. There just wasn’t enough ice in the air to materialize one quickly enough.

A fireball didn’t work either, nor did hurling one of his orbs of light at the beast’s head at top speed.

“Why, won’t, you, just, die!?” he snarled as the ball of light boinked harmlessly against the monster’s face. Was he going to have to actually drop a meteor on this thing? He didn’t know if he was capable of doing that, but desperate times, desperate measures.

For the time being, however...

A great pillar of ice materialized out of the ground in front of him, which launched itself toward the nuckelavee’s head. Maybe if he could smash it in the forehead, he could knock its mouth open.

The pillar impacted with a satisfying crash!, and the beast staggered backward. It let out a roar of pain, and Nova seized his chance, firing a concentrated beam of energy at the open mouth--

WHAM!

Nova was thrown sideways with a yelp. He had been so focused on the beast’s face that he hadn’t paid attention to its paw, which was swiping at him to retaliate for the ice pillar he had thrown at it. He hit the ground hard and slid along it for several meters, thoroughly scratching his skin on the frozen ground beneath the snow and staining the ground with his blood.

Lovely.

Staggering back to his hooves with a slight moan of pain, he glowered at the nuckelavee, who was still staring at him. If he looked closely, Nova could almost hear it mocking him.

How the fuck am I supposed to do this!?

If he created a blizzard around them, he might be able to use his cloak’s invisibility or his natural white coat as camouflage, but the nuckelavee was giving him absolutely nothing to sense, so he would be putting himself at an equal disadvanta--

Wait.

Wait a minute.

Nova’s mouth parted, and he focused on the area around the nuckelavee. There was nothing there at all. Nothing. Normally, he could at least have a general feeling from the magical energies that were latent in the air, but where the nuckelavee was, there was absolutely nothing.

A void! That’s it!

He grinned, and his horn shone blue. At once, a massive cloud of snow picked up around Nova and his enemy, completely covering them. To his immense satisfaction and gratification, his energy sense found it even easier to pick up on the emptiness that the nuckelavee occupied now, with the subtle magic that he was kicking up in the air around him compared to the clear emptiness that the beast emitted.

“Can’t hit what you can’t see, asshole!” he taunted, even as he drew up his archmage cloak’s hood, and it at once made him invisible. If the beast paid attention, it could see the snow sticking to him, but given the size difference, Nova would find it much easier to blend in, and he clearly had the stealth advantage.

And now there was ice aplenty in the air for him to make use of.

A massive black hand came flying toward him, its arm fading into the storm. Nova leapt sideways, rolling to his hooves and binding the claw to the ground with an icy manacle that one of his orbs of light had transformed into. It tried to yank its arm up to remove it from its bind, but Nova had erred on the side of caution in terms of how thick to make it.

The second claw came down to try and smash it, but Nova was prepared. Ice erupted from the side of the manacle to batter the claw aside, where immediately he gripped it with his magic and began to pull the arm down with every ounce of strength he could muster. The beast was terrifyingly strong. Clearly it had the strength to hurl boulders at him, but that seemed to be only a fraction of what it was capable of. Nova was pulling down with every ounce of willpower that he had, just to get the beast’s arm to come down inches at a time!

But he refused to let go, and he would not allow it to win this tug of war. Finally, he touched the beast’s hand to the ground, and he immediately bound it the same way, with another massive manacle of ice that kept it trapped on the ground from one of his light orbs. The beast roared, but when Nova shot a beam of energy at the source of the noise, the roar ceased before the beam could kill the creature.

“Now then, how about a nice stretch?” Nova asked aloud. The manacles immediately jerked away from each other, dragging the bound wrists of the creature with it. It shrieked, and suddenly the manacles couldn’t move any further, as they seemed to have hit the limit as far as how far apart its arms could be stretched.

But tearing its arms off wasn’t the aim. The aim was to drag it to the ground entirely. He kept pulling, but he added one final addition.

The ice around them was beginning to settle, but there was still more than enough to create more icy blocks that erupted from the ground and struck at the nuckelavee’s hooves in inconvenient places like the knees.

The beast’s support was gone, and with a massive thud, it toppled. The moment it hit the ground, Nova directed the ice manacles even wider, now stretching the beast’s arms out to their fullest, and for good measure, he began to bind every other part of the beast to the ground as well. It took several seconds, but he had the nuckelavee bound from heads to hooves, completely immobile, and he stared right at the beast’s face.

The glowing red-golden eyes stared right back, though the beast dutifully kept its mouth closed. It seemed to know exactly what Nova Shine wanted, but unfortunately for the beast, there was no stopping him now.

A spike of ice grew out of the ground, braced itself against the nuckelavee’s mouth, and began to push. The nuckelavee tried to keep his jaw shut, but Nova’s leverage and strength wouldn’t take no for an answer, and in short order, he had his window.

“Say ‘Ah’, dirtbag,” he snarled.

A beam of blue light flashed out of his horn. The nuckelavee screeched, and a moment later, fell silent. Seconds after that, it dissolved into shadow, and faded into the air.

The ice around them settled, leaving Nova with a clear view of everything. He looked over to the side just in time to see Twilight physically grab hold of the beast’s horns, yank them back, and blast a beam of energy down into its throat, also destroying her opponent.

With both nuckelavees gone, he turned right up and glared at Sombra, who stared right back down at him, his own expression unreadable. Nova was already preparing a multitude of spells for the moment when Sombra decided to descend and continue the battle.

Seconds ticked by. Nova waited, knowing the shadow-king would capitalize, surely. His beast was done, and Nova, while not spent, was certainly winded.

Sombra, however, seemed to smile. Instead of leaping down and entering the fray, he simply inclined his head, turned around with a swish of his fur-trimmed cape, and walked away. As soon as he did, there was a loud screech of pain from behind him, and Nova whirled around. It had come from the direction of the cloud of disturbed snow… and it had sounded like Envy!

Nova didn’t take time to wonder what was going on. He dashed toward the swirling vortex at top speed, with Twilight right behind him.

Envy was thrown backward instantly, and with seemingly no effort at all from the prone filly.

“What the--”

As the filly stood up, Envy noticed immediately that she was suddenly different. Where before the filly had looked terrified, she now looked serene. Her expression was now one of quiet tranquility, eyes closed, breathing slowly, her horn glowing white and the snow around them kicking up into a massive cloud.

Wait a minute, hadn’t the filly’s magic been green before?

The filly opened her eyes and stared at Envy blankly. Weren’t her eyes green before? Why are they white?

And then it hit her.

Oh shit.

“You are not at fault, Shimmer Silvermane,” she said, her voice gentle and musical, but with a quiet note of sorrow behind it.

“Excuse me?” Envy snarled.

“I must apologize for what I am about to do. This filly is under my protection, and your master will know that she cannot be harmed.”

“Who the hell are you!?” Envy spat, her horn glimmering dangerously. Despite the whirlwind of cold around them, the two of them squared off close enough to each other to remain visible. “You made her like me, haven’t you!?”

“I have not,” the thing in control of the filly shook her head. “Bright Gleam surrendered herself to me the moment she believed death was assured. When she is no longer in any danger, I shall return her body to her.”

“Why!?” Envy snapped. “I wanted her out of this cosmic game my master’s trying to play! Idiots like Nova Shine and you keep dragging her back into it!”

“This filly is destined for grander things than your master could ever hope to despoil or prevent,” the spirit replied simply. “Her time shall come, and it shall not be taken from her so long as she remains under my watch. So say I, Harmonia!”

The ice beneath her crystallized, and Envy slipped and fell on the sudden slickness. No sooner than she had fallen than ice wrapped itself around her entire body, binding her to the ground, but leaving her head free. The being, Harmonia, started to step toward her.

“Damn it,” Envy shattered the ice trapping her with a quick spell, then began to hurl all manner of spells at the being stepping toward her while she tried to retreat. Crystal Guards, fool archmages, naive princesses, she could go against them any day, but not the bucking Spirit of Harmony herself!

She collided with an invisible wall of air, slamming into it with a loud “Oof!”, before stumbling backward. Before she could orient herself, her hooves suddenly gave way into the earth as though they had suddenly become mud, and she yelped as she began to sink.

Not good, not good!

Decomposing herself into shadow, she zipped along the ground, trying to flee before she was made to pay the price, but not even that was safe.

Whatever spell it was that Nova Shine kept using to solidify her, it seemed Harmonia knew it too. She hadn’t gone more than a few meters before a wave of light washed over her, and she felt the familiar annoying sensation of being forcibly compressed back into pony shape, before tumbling forward as all of her momentum carried her faster than she could handle on her hooves.

“What is everyone’s deal with that spell,” she fumed, whirling around facing the filly. The filly stepped toward her, her eyes white and determined, her gait calm and deliberate. This Harmonia being was on a timetable, it seemed, though there wasn’t any urgency to her movement.

Envy snarled. With a loud zapping sound, she sent a bolt of jagged lightning lancing toward the filly, only for Harmonia to continue walking forward completely unperturbed as the lightning veered away into a harmless direction.

“What the hell!?” Envy’s mouth fell open. No one could just avoid Dark Lightning like that! It always required a shield or something similar.

Harmonia continued to step forward, Bright Gleam’s face expressionless.

“Forget this!” Envy snarled, slamming a hoof into the ground and opening a fissure, as had happened in the Vaults so very long ago. The ground split, spilling snow and loose soil within it and the crack in the ground began to expand toward the filly at top speed.

Harmonia simply placed a hoof right on the crack the moment it reached her, stopping it in its tracks. After a moment of nothing, where the last vestiges of earth and snow tumbled inside, the split began to reverse. Envy could only watch, completely dumbfounded, as the earth closed, leaving only a line of bare ground as the only evidence that the earth had been opened.

“It is futile, Shimmer Silvermane,” Harmonia said, the musical, gentle voice somehow the most painful thing she had ever heard. “This filly is protected, and you cannot defeat me.”

“Says you,” she spat, before hurling her knife at Harmonia. A small frozen chunk of ice shot up from the ground to catch it, but the moment it connected, the blade vanished in a brief flicker of red light, reappearing in Envy’s hoof as she prepared to throw it again. Before she could, however, something impacted her gut from underneath, sending her collapsing to the ground with a groan, her knife skittering away.

“D-dammit,” she suppressed a heave; that hit, whatever it was, had been in exactly the wrong spot.

Planting her feet, Envy tried to stagger to her hooves, only for the ground underneath her to slicken and become ice once again, which sent her sprawling. This time, however, the moment she landed, the ice wove around her hooves, binding them to the ground and leaving her exposed. She prepared a spell to fire at Harmonia, only for Harmonia to calmly emit a piercing white light from her horn. Something inside of her felt like it was being ripped apart, and Envy screamed.

The tearing sensation intensified, but whatever it was that was being affected, it seemed to be clinging on, refusing to let go. Envy convulsed, trying desperately to do something to end the pain, but to no avail. She was trapped, and Harmonia was torturing her.

Mercifully, the pain ceased, and Envy went limp, gasping for ear and twitching despite herself. And just for a moment, for a brief heavenly moment, the overwhelming presence in her mind to kill and conquer and sow mayhem seemed to weaken.

“Wh-what was that?” Shimmer asked, resting her head against the cold snow, which felt oddly refreshing.

“I attempted to reach into your being and separate you,” Harmonia answered, staring down at her with a pitying look. “But it failed. The hold over you is deep-seated, and to tear you free so crudely would have irreparably damaged your very soul, Shimmer Silvermane.”

“If you can’t f-free me, are you gonna kill me?” Shimmer asked, trying to make the most of her sudden clarity.

“No,” Harmonia replied, kneeling down to meet her, eye-to-eye. “I have no desire to take life unless I must.”

“Because believe me, ending me would be a mercy kill,” she replied, flinching as the pressure on her mind returned. She needed to attack, to try and kill the pony in front of her--

A wave of nausea washed over her.

“Why can’t you do anything?” she asked, clutching at her head. “If you’re so powerful, can’t you just get him out of my--”

She groaned as a terrible pain washed over her. Her master knew she was resisting, was trying to disobey, and was punishing her from afar. There was no place where he couldn’t see what she was doing, not even here.

“I can do nothing for you now,” Harmonia said, bowing her head. “But I promise your master this: I know that you are his best agent. I know that for all of his power, he cannot execute his plan without you. And I will deprive him of you should he make any attempt to harm this filly again.”

“If you’re so good, and so caring about everyone,” Shimmer spat, resisting the pain yet again, even as it intensified the longer she went without attacking, ”then why aren’t you doing anything to stop him? Surely you know what he wants.”

Harmonia smiled mysteriously. “Who is to say that I am not?” The smile vanished. “Now, return to your master, and leave the child be, or else I shall be forced to intervene directly once again.”

Envy fled, not needing to be told twice. She flew away, trying to put as much space between her and that… that thing as she could. Sombra was already leaving the scene of the battle, the three nuckelavees were defeated, and the remnants of their little fracas lay scattered around the landscape, from the icy cuffs the bonehead had clearly used to take out his opponent, to the boulders said opponents had tossed around.

Hopefully, no one gave chase, but she wouldn’t put it past Nova Shine to start looking for her once word got out about what she nearly did to his apprentice.

Her master was waiting for her several miles away. She never had to look for him. She knew where he was. She always knew. He made sure of that. On that same cliff overlooking the Imperial City as the day before, he was there, waiting expectantly.

“The battle went exactly as I planned,” he said, not waiting for any excuse or explanation for her flight.

“If you can call it a battle,” Envy breathed.

“My Crystal Guards were just as I had hoped,” he smiled, a strange proud smile on his face, a far cry from his usual glowers, smirks, and snarls. “And Archmage Nova Shine performed quite well. The princess will be sure to be a threat, and that was clear from what I saw today. Now, what about the foal you care about?”

“We can’t touch her,” Envy shook her head.

“Oh?”

“She’s… she got… possessed or something.”

Sombra frowned.

“Possessed?”

“Indeed,” came the exact voice Envy did not want to hear, and she instantly scrambled back. A white glow had appeared at eye-level in front of Sombra. It was like a miniature white sun, a glowing star with light and color refracting in the snow around them.

Sombra glared at it the moment he saw it, but unlike Envy, he did not flee.

“You dare to interfere?” he asked softly.

“The filly is under my protection, Shadow-King,” the being stated. “As I told Shimmer Silvermane, make any attempt to bring her harm, and I shall see to it that you are brought to destruction.”

“Who are you?” Sombra asked, his eyes becoming mere slits.

“I am the Spirit of Harmony,” the glowing orb stated. “You thought me destroyed when you shattered my tree, but you will find I am not so easy to dispose of.”

Sombra grit his teeth so hard that Envy could see a vein bulge. There was a mental press, and her own horn flashed red as she obeyed.

“You know not what destruction your path shall bring, fallen king,” the spirit continued, unperturbed. “Turn from this foolish endeavor. The Crown of Life cannot give you what you desire.”

“And just what is it I desire, then?” her master stepped forward, his narrow eyes narrowing further still.

The spirit said nothing, simply floating in the air, the brightness shifting and casting the area around them in its many refracted colors.

“Well?” the king demanded.

“I know who you are,” said the spirit, a note of melancholy now entering her voice. “I know why you are driven, but it will only end in tragedy. Should you continue on this path, and should you threaten the foal again, I shall stand against you.”

With that, the spirit vanished, leaving her master glaring at thin air. Envy tentatively looked behind herself, not entirely convinced the spirit was gone. Why would it just let her go?

“The plans remain the same, apprentice mine,” Sombra hissed after several seconds. “You must continue goading Nova Shine. Ensure he leads you to the Gem of Mind. Recover it and bring it thence to me, or let them take it, noting where it’s kept.”

“Where will I find you?” Envy asked. It didn’t matter if they’d physically be apart. She knew there was no chance he wouldn’t be watching.

“You won’t,” he replied simply, “but I shall journey further north. While you hunt for the gems, I’ll seek the Crown. And when you need me, I will come for you.”

“Does that mean you know where the Crown is?” she asked, casting him a sideways glance.

He nodded, his neck tendons bulging and the motion curt and jerky. “Elysium, the apex of the world. It’s locked away within that home of ghosts, but I have stood among its twisting spires, among the cursed alicorns of old. Their spirits guard the empty city now.”

Envy shivered. He had taken her there once before, over a thousand years ago. He had shown her that mausoleum. Time had seemed to stand still within it. Not a single bit of erosion, not one fallen tower, no chipped stones, the city was untouched by the ravages of time despite the perpetual gale howling around it. The arctic storms of the north pole came to a standstill around them when they had crossed some invisible threshold, and from the moment they stepped across the line, she felt as if there were millions of eyes, watching every move she made and judging her accordingly, as though she were unworthy to step into such a peaceful, beautiful, haunted place.

Suddenly, Sombra let out a frustrated roar, rared back, and slammed a hoof down on a small rock on the ground, crushing it into powder instantly. The action caused her to let out a quiet “Eep!” and recoil. For all his faults, her master never tormented others unless they failed him or showed insubordination, but him being in a rage meant his threshold for insubordinate behavior was low.

“Guess I’d better be off, then,” she mumbled, slowly backing away.

Sombra said nothing. He continued to furiously stare at the spot the spirit had been, the hoof he had just stomped with visibly shaking, and if Envy looked closely, she could almost see the side of Sombra’s mouth quivering as well.

“Safe travels, master,” she added, before she dissolved into shadow and flew away as fast as she could.

Nova watched in relief as Envy’s shadow flew away at top speed, and although he wanted nothing more than to chase her down, he looked down to his fallen apprentice. She was lying there in the snow, her breath heaving, her eyes lidded and hazy, and sweat starting to drip from her mane despite the cold around them.

“Gleam! Gleam!” he dashed to her side and cradled her. “Are you alright? Can you spell ‘Cat’ for me?”

“C… A… T…” she whispered, rubbing at her eyes. “...‘m fine, master. Jus’ tired.”

“Are you sure,” he gave her a tiny shake. “Are you hurt?”

“N-no,” she sighed, falling limp, though she remained fully conscious. “She… Harmonia--” Harmonia!? “...she protected me. But… the guard…”

“Thank you for your concern,” came a curt voice from Nova’s left. Nova jumped, startling Gleam. The crystal guard he had tasked with protecting Gleam was standing there now, one hoof covering a bloody spot on her face. On either side of her face, a nasty gash ran from her cheek to her scalp.

Energy-sensing blindness was just so infuriating. Whatever it was that Gleam had done had left his sense completely overwhelmed yet again.

“Y-your eye…” Gleam’s eyes widened and she sat up.

“Gone,” the guard replied, with a distasteful look. “I need a bandage, and I need to return to the Imperial City for medical attention. Permission to light a flare for emergency reinforcements?”

Nova stared at the mare, who simply stared at him through her one eye with an intensity that made him uncomfortable.

“You… you’re taking the loss of your eye rather well,” he pointed out.

“I’ll live,” the guard replied, before asking again. “Permission to flare for reinforcements and medical aid?”

“Granted,” Nova replied slowly.

She’s lost her eye and she’s acting like it’s a minor inconvenience!

Perhaps it was her bad eye that she lost?

An organ’s an organ! Wait, he frowned, how do you know she has-- err, had a bad eye?

I don’t, I’m offering suggestions here.

Fair enough.

The mare reached into her armor with the hand that was previously stemming the blood flow from her face, and Nova felt his insides grow cold. Just as Gleam had noted, her eye was gone, and no sooner had she removed her hoof than blood began to pour from the cut again. It took her a short time to pull out an emergency flare from under her armor, which she quickly lit into a bright pink flame, and dropped it at her hooves, before sitting down and pressing her hooves to her eye again.

“I’m sorry,” Gleam mumbled, her voice shaking.

“I did my duty,” the mare grunted. “You had nothing to do with it.”

“I-- I should have--” Gleam cut herself off, glancing at Nova, with a pained expression on her face. “If I had let her take over sooner…”

“I would not advise going further without reinforcements,” she added, looking over at Nova through her one eye. “As tired as we all are after that battle, to wander out alone would be to invite an ambush.”

“How is that flare going to get the attention of the guards in the city?” Nova asked, staring at it. A bright pink flame was one thing if looking down from the sky, but this far away from the Imperial City at ground level? Nova bent down to examine it, noting that the flame seemed to be slowly burning, and would last for at least several hours.

“Step back, Lord Archmage,’ cautioned the guard, leaning forward and physically shoving him. It wasn’t a powerful one by any means, but he still stumbled backward. Just in time too, as a massive bright pink light erupted upward from the flare and exploded into the sky, creating a large shower of pink sparks. A few moments later, another followed suit. And another, and another...

“Uh… thanks,” he righted himself. “Sorry, never seen a flare like that.”

The guard nodded, before sitting back down and focusing on pressing her hoof to her missing eye.

“I’ll just… go defrost your comrades,” Nova said awkwardly.

He turned around in time to see that Twilight was doing just that, and she had even transformed into Flamelight to do it. No spell or anything, just letting the natural fire of her mane and tail do the heating, and it already was making the process quick.

“Oh. It’s handled.”

“I thank you for your aid, in any case,” the guard mare said flatly, eyeing him. “And I apologize that I cannot aid you in return.”

“Don’t apologize for this,” Nova replied, trotting over, around the still-signaling flare, and sat down next to her. “Stronger ponies than both of us have been bested by her. You protected my apprentice.” He gave Gleam a squeeze. “That’s all that matters to me.”

“I didn’t,” she replied, with a scowl, the first genuine display of emotion he had seen from her. “I should have been better. I was personally trained by Sombra himself in the Seven Stances. I am a master of sword, lance, axe, martial, bow, throwing, and blunt weapons, and I was the one he made the leader of his Imperial Guard. I may have been a slave to him, but I took my training seriously in the event that I would serve a prince or princess willingly. That day has come, and the moment the time came to test my mettle against an opponent such as his Envy, I was inadequate. Do not praise me, my lord, for I have earned none of it. I was too weak, and I must become better.”

“If you insist,” Nova inclined his head, “but on the condition that you please don’t call me ‘my lord’ again.”

An airship had spotted their call for help, because far in the distance, a speck on the horizon was approaching.

“Yet you earned the position, just as I earned mine,” the guard stated, looking away. “The title of Lord Archmage is rightfully yours, and I saw your decisive blow against the shadow-beast.”

“One battle doesn’t put me on the same level of ponies like Star Swirl the Bearded, or my namesake,” Nova replied softly, feeling the creeping inadequacy settle in. If only I had been faster… “I would like to earn the title before ponies call me that.”

“We agree to disagree then, my lord,” the guard said right back, giving him a respectful nod. “In any case, your apprentice is whole and unharmed, however little I did. I hope the journey to the Shrine of Black and White is fruitful for the pains it cost us to get this far.”

Nova gave her a nod right back. “What’s your name?” he asked.

“In servitude, I was known as Onyx Lance,” the mare replied, looking away, and off toward the city. “Now, however, I have taken the name Cinnabar.”

“Why Cinnabar?” he asked, as Gleam shifted uncomfortably beside him. He didn’t know crystal ponies chose their names. Or maybe she was a special case.

Cinnabar let go of her eye, giving Nova an unwanted eyeful of the gruesome injury, before she took off her helmet and unfastened her armor. The moment the armor came off, the uniformity enchantment faded, and her coat changed from being a translucent purple to being a pale dusky-red, and her tied-up mane took on a much more saturated hue of that same red.

Just as her armor clattered to the ground, however, her ears perked up, and her head snapped in the direction they had been marching to earlier. Nova, following her gaze, looked toward where she was staring, and he jumped.

Someone new was standing there, wrapped in white furs from head to hoof, and carrying a rather large pack on their back. They almost blended into the snowy landscape around them entirely.

“I mean you no harm,” the being said in a soft voice that sounded low for a female, yet high for a male, before approaching Cinnabar, shrugging off the pack, and fishing inside of it for something. It was here that Nova noticed that the being was not wrapped in fur; he was uncovered, and it was his natural coat! “I witnessed your battle as I awaited your arrival at Mt. Glacia’s base. Permit me to apply temporary care to your guardsmare, if you please?” the being looked up to give Nova an inquisitive look out of a beady black eye.

Nova blinked.

“Who are you?” he asked.

“Ah, I apologize, I did not introduce myself,” the being shook their head sheepishly. “I am Huati, sherpa guide for treks to the Shrine of Black and White. For generations, alpacas such as myself have served as guides to that holy place, and now it is my turn to shepherd pilgrims who wish to face themselves to the sacred shrine.”

“He can be trusted,” Cinnabar nodded to the alpaca as they uncorked a bottle with a salve of some kind. When Huati touched a hoof with a small bit of salve on it to her cut, the guard’s face hardened and she tensed, but otherwise she remained motionless.

“It is not much further before we begin the ascent,” Huati continued as they swiftly applied the salve to Cinnabar’s face. “In fact, your guard detail may no longer be necessary. The threshold beyond which no shadow may venture was only about a quarter of a kilometer away.”

“You mean,” Nova felt a wave of anger wash over him, “you mean we were that close? Before this ambush?”

“It is likely because we were so close that the ambush happened,” noted Cinnabar, her face twitching as the salve began to sink into her wound. “The Shadow-King likely wished to prevent us from crossing that line into safety. I attempted to guide Apprentice Bright Gleam beyond it, but his Envy came to attack the child.”

Nova looked over at Gleam to see that Gleam had drawn his Night Master cloak around herself. It was hard to tell if she was shivering because of the cold or because of what had happened. He sidled up next to her and draped a hoof around her shoulders.

“Hey,” he muttered, just loud enough for her to hear. “You alright?”

“Th-think so,” the filly shuddered. “Sh-she… she was going to kill me.”

An icy chill went up Nova’s spine at those words. She had specifically asked him to keep her away from danger, yet she was the one who had initiated it, and she had intended to kill her?

“Am I going to have to live in fear of her for the rest of my life?” Gleam asked in a small voice. “Harmonia protected me, but… if I had just allowed her to take control sooner, I wouldn’t have been in danger, and Cinnabar… would still have her eye.”

“No,” Nova answered immediately. He grit his teeth, feeling his neck tendons bulge. “Don’t burden yourself with ‘woulda coulda shoulda’s, Gleam. She lives, and you’re safe. And if this Harmonia is protecting you and can do that,” he gestured at the battle-scarred landscape around them, “on top of me, Twilight, and the rest, then you’re in safe hooves.”

“She almost got me,” Gleam replied, her head drooping and her voice softening even further. “Sombra distracted you, and she was inches away, Master.”

Nova had nothing to say to that. Instead, all he did was give her shoulders a firm squeeze, and sit there with her as Huati continued to tend to Cinnabar and Twilight thawed out the soldiers.

It didn’t take much longer for the airship to arrive with a fresh batch of escorts. Despite the injury to her face, Cinnabar made certain that her subordinates were cared for before herself, barking at the medics to treat them while Huati shooed away the new guards, assuring them that they would be protected.

“We are nearly to the consecrated ground, beyond which no shadow may pass,” Huati explained to the new captain, who clearly did not look pleased with this. “However, despite the nature of this pilgrimage, I would advise that you keep this airship prepared to escort everyone back to the Imperial City as we make our descent.”

“Princess Cadance would want--”

“I shall speak to Princess Cadance about this,” Huati assured the captain. “But after witnessing the battle firsthoof, I do not believe any more attacks will occur. You are welcome to wait here out of precaution, but need I remind you, Captain, no weapons may approach the shrine. Captain Cinnabar’s guard contingent was going to wait at the edge of the consecrated ground, just as I am asking you to.”

“And what happens if someone does attack them?” the captain asked, glaring at the sherpa. “They’re exhausted!”

“I assure you,” Huati replied calmly, “it would take a being far more powerful than merely the Shadow-King to so much as damage the holy defenses that guard the mountain.”

“You keep calling them ‘holy’ and ‘consecrated’ and stuff,” Nova noted. “Are they protected by a god or something?”

“Do you not believe in the gods, Nova Shine?” Huati asked, sounding curious. “In Galaxius, Creator of the Cosmos? In Gaia, the Mother of the Earth? In Ouranos, He Who Watches The Sky?”

“Can’t say I do,” Nova shook his head. “Why? I guess you do?”

“The alpacas have long believed the shrine to be a place blessed by Gaia,” Huati answered earnestly. “Perhaps it may come to light that the wild and ancient magicks of the earth coincidentally resulted in this shrine, or perhaps that Harmonia herself created it, or some unknown entity for some unknown purpose. Regardless, the pilgrimage is more of a tradition than a rite, though there are certain supernatural protections on the shrine.”

“I… well, I don’t see,” Nova admitted, “but I’ll take your word for it.”

“Let me perform some first aid on you as well, Nova Shine,” Huati said, noticing the blood staining his side from where he’d taken a scrape earlier. “The wound may not be bad, but infections can fester even in the tiniest scrapes.”

Nova lifted his cape for the alpaca to do his work, but the alpaca suddenly paused as he readied more of the salve on his hoof.

“Is this blood not yours?”

“What do you mean?” Nova asked. “Who else’s would it be?”

“There is no wound under your coat. Did you fall into a pool of Cinnabar’s blood by accident?”

Nova blinked. No wound? The hell?

“No, it’s definitely mine,” Nova craned his head back to have a look. “What do you mean nothing’s there?”

“Did you use your healing ability?” Gleam asked, lifting her head.

Nova frowned. “I don’t have a healing ability.”

“But…” now it was Gleam’s turn to frown, “when we met the princesses, you had a black eye from when you hit the wall. It was gone when we left. Didn’t you heal it?”

Nova’s mouth parted. That’s right, he had gotten a black eye from that. Had he really been so inattentive that he’d forgotten about it?

...or was Gleam right, and it had somehow healed in such a short time?

“I… don’t have a healing ability that I know of.” He felt uncomfortable. What was going on?

Do you know anything about this?

I cannot say I do. I’m ignorant.

I sure as hell didn’t have this before you popped into my head. You sure you don't know anything about this?

I promise you, my friend, I do not know.

He looked over to the sherpa. “You’re absolutely sure I have no cuts or wounds?”

“See for yourself,” the sherpa pulled out a small mirror and held it at the right angle for Nova to crane his head back and get a good look at his bloodstained side. Huati shifted his coat to the right spots, and sure enough, his skin was completely whole.

Twilight trotted up, her coat returning to its normal lilac, and her mane and tail returning to normal as she did so. A short blink saw her eyes change back from red to purple, and they were currently looking at the mirror with curiosity.

“What are you doing?”

“I am showing the archmage that the place on his skin where he suffered scrapes from a skid along the snow is…” he paused for a moment, “smooth and scarless.”

Nova couldn’t help the snicker. “Nice, nice,” he nodded. Huati couldn’t help a small smile.

“He does not know of any healing ability, yet he insists the blood on his coat is from where he was marred by the ground beneath the snow,” Huati gestured to the bloody side. “Any wounds that were there have healed.”

Twilight stared at Nova’s skin, frowning. After a long moment, she began to tap her chin, staring all the more intently at Nova’s coat, until Nova began to feel a touch uncomfortable.

“Something the matter?”

“I… don’t know,” she muttered. “I’ve never heard of any healing ability like this. Is it… old magic?” The question was more to herself than anyone else.

“We can worry about it later,” Nova ran a hoof through his hair. “For now, I think we need to climb the mountain and get this over with.”

“Agreed,” Huati dipped his head, “though I would advise you not to ‘get it over with’, pilgrim. This is a very serious pilgrimage. Treat it with the reverence and respect it... requires.”

“Says the alpaca making alliterations,” Nova retorted, though in good nature.

“A little goofiness is, perhaps, irreverent for my task,” Huati admitted with a shrug, “but it is far better than coming in with a lax attitude. I suggest spending the hike up Mount Glacia steeling yourself. This will not be a walk in the park by any stretch. Are you ready to make the climb?”

“Let’s do this.” Nova nodded. Huati nodded, and turned toward the nearby mountain. At once, he began to walk toward it at a moderate pace, with Nova, Twilight, and Gleam following behind him.

The hike for the rest of the way there was spent in silence. No one seemed to want to say anything, and on top of that, the hike up the mountain path was challenging. The last several meters of flat ground were enough to let them gather their breath from the battle, but from there, the climb began.

It took well over an hour to make it a good way up. If he had to guess, Nova figured they had completely circled the mountain at least twice by now. An hour of switchbacks, ledges, ridges, steps, hills, and all manner of physical challenges. The further up the mountain they got, the more fierce the wind grew. At the base, it had been a gentle breeze, but by the time they made it up to their current height, it had become a biting gale. He was easily the fittest of all of them (outside of probably Huati) since he was doing daily training with Sharp Eye on normal days, and made it seem simple, but Twilight and Gleam behind him were panting after the first several minutes of inclined trotting, and this wind certainly wasn’t making things easier for any of them.

“You two alright?” he glanced back at them as they crested a particularly rough hill.

“Fine,” gasped Gleam, shaking her head and sending droplets of sweat flying. “Just… a little sore.”

“Please do not stop,” Huati called from ahead. “We are almost there. You can rest at the Shrine.”

“Well, you heard him,” Nova sighed. “One last push to the top?”

Twilight nodded, before pressing forward.

“Why don’t you just fly?” Nova asked, helping her up a ridge.

“We’re supposed to trot,” Twilight replied. “Holy pilgrimage and all.”

“You’re not the one taking it, though,” Nova pointed out. “I’m the one who’s going through this, not you.”

“Yeah, but…” Twilight broke off, searching for the way to articulate her thoughts, “I just don’t want to… okay, it’s equal parts showing you that I’m here to support you and go through it with you,” he smiled a bit at that, “and also to show respect to him and his people,” she nodded up to the top of the hill they were trying to climb only a few more meters up, where Huati was watching them struggle. “Like, if I flew up here, would he ban me from the mountain or something?”

“I don’t think he can,” Nova chuckled. “You kind of outrank him.”

“For what it’s worth," Huati said, with an amused smile, “the only rule was against flying an airship up the mountain. Though if you had tried to fly directly up the mountain while ignoring the path, you would have been met with an entirely different set of challenges.”

“How much further?” he asked, turning back and offering a hoof to Gleam, who took it, and he helped her up the ledge the three of them were standing on. Back behind them, the valley in which the Imperial City lay was arrayed before them, and it was gorgeous. The sun caught the snow just right, making everything before them glitter in the refracted light.

The view alone made the entire climb worth it.

“No more hiking,” Huati said, behind him.

Nova turned, giving him a surprised look.

“There it is,” Huati announced, pointing with a hoof. Nova followed it and squinted forward, trying to see with the wind stinging his eyes. But there, only a few short paces ahead, was the building they had been heading to. The small stone building stood on the mountainside, a lone structure on this perilous cliffside. It was made out of rough-hewn grey stone, certainly not a grand or magnificent structure by any stretch. There was a single entry, and it looked to be of decent size, but there was no telling what was inside.

Huati continued forward, leading the three of them forward and into the structure. The insides were more of the same grey rough-hewn stone, but there were a number of chairs arrayed around the open room, with a large raised basin in the middle. The seats all appeared to be made of polished black wood, but the bowl, filled to the lip with a clear liquid of some kind, was made of polished white wood.

“And now, pilgrim,” Huati turned to face Nova, “it is time to begin your ordeal. Are you prepared?”

“I… think so,” Nova said, wiping his brow. Climbing a mountain wasn’t exactly a weekend activity for him. “What do I do?”

“It is simple. Drink from the weirwood fount, and then sit on an ebony seat. The magicks of the shrine and the mountain will take care of the rest. But be warned, pilgrim,” Huati’s voice took on a stern edge, “this will be an ordeal. No one has ever succeeded in facing the Trial of Black and White, and emerging victorious on their first attempt. It is not for the weak of spirit, or the faint of heart. The Shrine is a place of self-discovery, of facing oneself, of rejuvenating the spirit and emerging with renewed purpose. Still wish ye to undertake the trial?”

Nova took a deep breath. “I am,” he answered.

Huati bowed his head. “Then let us begin. Drink from the weirwood fount, Nova Shine.”

Nova trotted over to the fount, which was as still as the night, despite the winds outside. Cautiously, he lowered his head, until his lips touched the cold surface. It felt icy, but it tasted like water. As he swallowed, he felt a chill wash over him, making him shiver.

“What is this?” he asked.

Huati chuckled. “Water, pilgrim. Nothing more than water melted from snow that gathers on the roof. The pool self-fills, thanks to dripping water from openings in the roof to allow this to happen. The holy blessings on the fount then bless the drink as well. Now, sit upon an ebony seat, and allow the blessings of the shrine to begin the trial.

Nova clambered onto the nearest chair at his instruction. The wood was incredibly chilly, and he had to place his cape underneath his butt just to keep himself from shivering too hard. As much as he liked the cold, he didn't quite like it when it was this cold, particularly without protection.

Still, he complied, seating himself against the back of one of the ebony chairs. Almost at once, a sort of overwhelming feeling of relaxation swept over him, and he swayed in his spot. Gleam jumped.

“Master, are you--”

Huati held out a hoof to stop her. “Peace, little one. This is normal. Pilgrim, can you hear me?”

Nova was clinging to consciousness at this point, trying hard to stay awake as drowsiness set in. He nodded blearily.

“Good. You are being lulled to sleep. That is good. Allow the lull to whisk you away, and the trial will begin.”

Nova nodded again, shutting his eyes as he could no longer fight the sudden heaviness of his eyelids. As he did so, Huati had one final thing to say to him.

“Good luck, pilgrim.”

Nova Shine was alone when he realized everything had changed. Around him, everything was white. No longer was he within the dark room of the shrine. After drinking the water from the fount, the last thing he remembered was sitting on the throne…

He blinked. The whiteness didn’t go away.

“Hello?” he asked. His voice didn’t echo; it was like he was in an enclosed room. Yet there were no walls that he could see in the distance, nor were there any--

As he turned his head, he jumped. The whiteness around him changed, darkening significantly.

“What the hell?” he asked aloud. He whirled around, perhaps someone was causing this to happen?

The darkness shifted to black, before lightening back to grey.

Nova’s mouth parted and he froze. The color froze as well.

“Oh… kay,” he muttered. “Void that changes colors while I move. What’s this supposed to represent?”

He glanced behind him, and the color shifted to white. Was it supposed to be something like “Walk toward the white light, move away from the darkness?”

Or maybe if he walked into the darkness, there would be a beggar to help or something? Was this his trial?

He started to step forward, toward the blackness, when there came an impatient sniff from behind him.

Nova glanced around again. There was now somepony else standing in the void with him.

His mouth fell open at the sight of him.

The stallion was tall. At least a couple of inches taller than him. His mane was very neatly styled out of his face, a bright blue. His coat was immaculate, as if it had never seen even a speck of dirt in its life. He wore his Archmage’s cloak proudly, loosely around him to be swirled off in the event of a battle, and his blue tail was tucked away where it couldn’t trip him up. His muzzle was raised ever so slightly, and he stared at Nova through narrowed blue eyes down his nose, with a look of distaste.

Nova Shine was staring at himself.

There was something different about this other version of him, though. Nova was no stranger to mirrors, even though there seemed like there were too many times when he couldn’t meet his own eye. This Nova seemed… starker. Yes, that was the right way of putting it. His white was whiter than Nova’s white. His blue was bluer than Nova’s blue. His angles were sharper. His muscles were more defined. He even seemed far neater than Nova did.

“You’re me!” Nova exclaimed, stepping around, the room shifting to white.

The other Nova’s distasteful frown deepened.

“Your powers of observation are uncanny,” Other Nova replied, a clear note of annoyance in his voice.

“Wait,” Nova paused, before glancing around this other version of him, even going so far as to trot around and inspect this new version. “Are you like a mirror version of me or something? Or an alternate universe?”

“Does it matter?”

Nova shrugged. “It might. You never know.”

Other Nova remained silent, still watching Nova inspect him. Nova was getting a strange feeling from this other version of him. As they were inside his head, it was impossible to sense other Nova’s energy. That meant it’d be impossible to detect his lies or, in the unlikely event that it happened, the spells he was about to use. But even with this aside, there was something off about this version of him.

Other Nova offered no answers, so Nova returned to his spot, rubbing near his horn while he tried to figure out just what was so strange about all of this. Obviously, this was his little test, but what was it?

“Are you done yet?” Other Nova snapped, scowling.

“Uhh… yes?” Nova recoiled. “What? It’s been four years since I got to see another version of me right in front of me.”

“Must you goof off!?” the other Nova demanded, taking an aggressive step forward now. Nova backpedaled. “There are more important things that you should be worried about, aren’t there? Such as the trial you are undertaking, perhaps?”

“Look, it’s been a long couple of days, alright?” Nova snapped back, snarling at the other version of him. “I’ll take what levity I can get.”

“Oh, will you, now?” other him countered airily. “It’s good to know that you are meeting the position of Archmage of Equestria with all of the dignity and seriousness that is expected of you.” He sat down and began to clap, with a sneer on his face. “It truly is comforting to know that after a moment in which you were barely able to ward off one of King Sombra’s beasts, you don’t think that maybe you could stand for a little self-improvement. Oh no, it’s only jokes and japes with you.”

“That’s not what I meant at all!”

“Isn’t it, though?” the other version of him frowned, giving him a meaningful look. “Of course it isn’t. After all, you and I both know the face you’re putting on, the show you’re performing for anyone who watches, to cover up the truth.”

“What truth?” Nova narrowed his eyes. Other Nova blew a gust of air out of his nose impatiently.

“Are you truly that dim-witted? Blind, instead? Or perhaps you are intentionally not confronting it?”

“What truth!?” he demanded, stepping forward to meet his verbal assailant.

The other him simply met his intense gaze with a cool and dismissive look of his own.

“The simple truth, Nova Shine, that you are not good enough.”

Nova felt his insides clench as the other version of him said it, but he stood his ground. Yes, he’d wrestled with that truth before. Even confided in Trixie and Twilight and all of the others. But they spoke truth to dispel the lies he believed. If he wasn’t fit to be the Archmage, the Princesses wouldn’t have allowed him to ascend to the rank.

“You’re wrong, other me,” he replied firmly.

“My name is Vanitas,” the other him hissed, snarling. “And I am not just another you. I’m what you should be, if you actually were capable.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“Are you deaf as well as a fool!? You are not capable! You are unfit to be Equestria’s Archmage. If you truly were worthy of the mantle, why did you struggle so heavily against a creature that previous archmages would have been able to defeat in mere seconds?”

There was a rumble, and all around Nova, gigantic stone statues burst out of the ground, growing until they towered over him. There were sixteen of them, their shadows all looming over him until he was blanketed in darkness. Even Vanitas stood on a statue plinth as well. Nova counted seventeen, with Vanitas standing on the one most central.

He knew who these ponies were.

One statue depicted Lord Star Swirl. Another was an image of Amethyst Sparkle, Twilight’s ancestor and his predecessor as the Archmage. A third was Nebula Cosmos, the twelfth Archmage, who had aided Celestia in the sealing of the Crystal Empire.

And one of them was his own namesake, Nova Shine I. He was in the same pose as the statue at Celestia’s school, his eyes unseeing, his mane billowing around his horn as he prepared to cast a spell.

Vanitas stared down at him from on high.

“Do you see yet?” he taunted. “You could never hope to match the greatness of the sixteen ponies surrounding you. You, who are constantly joking and playing, distracted in the name of fun. I, however, can. I never allowed myself to be tempted by games and jests as you did. I need not surrender to drink whenever my life grows difficult. Unlike you, I am strong enough to defeat my enemies without relying on others to save me.”

The statues’ heads all began to look down, their stone eyes focusing on him. Nova wilted, shrinking into himself. He could feel their eyes boring into him. Judging him, finding him wanting. They could see the imposter in their ranks, the pony who wore the name Archmage, but who wasn’t truly worthy of the position.

“I was not gifted the position as you were,” Vanitas floated slowly to the ground, and landed lightly. “I earned it. I proved I was deserving of the mantle and could hold my own against even Celestia herself. You were given the position because they needed some excuse to keep you around. They took pity on the helpless unicorn who refused to change with the world around him, and elevated him to a redundant position because of their charity.”

Nova shrank even further inside of himself.

“Why would they need an Archmage? Twilight Sparkle is the most powerful pony in the world. She is more than enough to handle threats to Equestria. Why would she need you getting in her way?”

“She told me herself she knew I was worthy!” Nova fired back, a last desperate counter.

Vanitas threw back his head and howled with laughter.

“Oh Nova Shine, you poor deluded fool. Tell me true. If you truly deserved this position, then why is it that you are never able to protect your own apprentice?”

It felt like yet another ironclad punch to the gut. There was no denying this one.

“Thrice now, she has found herself in peril, and only one of those times were you able to save her, and you and I both know it was sheer dumb luck that allowed that,” Vanitas added coldly, giving him a disgusted look. “You needed Star Swirl to save her, and you needed the Spirit of Harmony to come to her aid. You don’t deserve to be anyone’s master, and she doesn’t deserve to have such a failure of a teacher!”

Nova let out a roar, his horn blazed, and fired a blast of energy at Vanitas. Vanitas’ merely sighed, covering his hoof in energy and lazily batting away the spell.

“Predictable,” he shook his head. “You cannot keep your composure, and so you lash out with violence. Is this the conduct of a worthy archmage?”

Nova let out another yell and unleashed a barrage of every spell he could think of in this limited plane. Beams, conjured fire, ripping chunks out of the archmages’ statues and hurling them at Vanitas, he even tried to charge and physically punch the pony, but each time, the pony evaded or blocked the attack. Nova reared back and threw a hoof at Vanitas’ cheek, only for Vanitas to duck under it, for something to coil around his leg, and yank. Nova crashed to the ground, feeling the wind be knocked out of him.

Vanitas stood above him, sneering.

“If you truly put your everything into preparing to become the Archmage, I would not have downed you so easily. But that’s all you are, isn’t it? Slacker!”

He brought a hoof down, smashing it into Nova’s face.

“Child!”

A kick to his gut.

“Clown!”

To his side.

“You have no place among them,” Vanitas ceased in his assault. “They, who are the beacons of hope in the world. To them, you are a liability. And if you do not recognize that fact and quit while you can, Nova Shine, you are going to get someone killed because of your incompetence.”

Nova whimpered on the ground. This wasn’t a physical plane, so he would sustain no permanent injuries, but everything Vanitas had said so far was ringing in his ears.

Failure. Clown. Unworthy. Pathetic. Incompetent.

“And on top of everything,” Vanitas straightened up, “you cannot even control yourself to a point where you do not shout intolerable things at your own beloved. So truly, Nova Shine, are you even worthy of her?”

With that, whatever will Nova had left to try and clamber to his hooves was gone. He allowed himself to fall limp and accepted defeat. This action seemed to only make Vanitas even more disappointed, however.

“I was wondering what would break first,” he commented softly. “I thought I would have to break you down physically, but no, it would seem your spirit was the weak link all along.”

He turned around, and began to walk back toward the white again, fading as the light began to surround him.

“This is all you were capable of? How very disappointing.”

As Vanitas faded into the white, darkness crept around Nova, and before long, everything went black.

Nova opened his eyes. He wasn’t in some strange astral plane anymore. He was here, in the damned Shrine. Twilight, Huati, and Gleam were all crowded around him, watching him intently.

“Nova!” Twilight exclaimed stepping forward. “What happened? what did you see?”

FAILURE! CHILD! LIABILITY!

Nova’s eyes clenched shut, and he jerked his head away, not even bearing to be near her.

He could hear Gleam gasp, and Twilight let out a confused noise, but Huati simply let out a sad sound of his own.

“Is everything alright?” Twilight asked, clutching his hoof in her own.

“No,” Nova whispered, sliding off the chair, pulling his hoof away, pushing past her, and stepping back out into the cold without even waiting for them. “No, nothing is alright.”

Author's Note

Chapter illustration provided by the artful TheBrightestTwilight/Prophetable_1. Many thanks for helping bring the chapter to life again!

Let me know what you think of the newest chapter in the comments below. It took a while longer than I'd have liked, but it's out In the end. Next chapter is when the real hammer blow hits.

Rytex out. Have a good day!

The Stallion Who Laughs

The Archmage’s Last Bow
Chapter 07 - The Stallion Who Laughs

Unlike their journey to the Crystal Empire, they took a train back. Twilight had been on more than her fair share of train rides, with many ups and downs, but out of all of them, this one was easily the worst one she’d gone on that she could remember.

The countryside zoomed by as they slowly ascended Mt. Canterhorn, looping around the mountain. Twilight and Gleam were chatting rather amiably about things that had to do with Celestia’s school in their private compartment. Train rides were dull as could be, after all, and they needed to find some way to pass the time.

“...and then our chemistry project decided that in front of the entire class was the perfect time to undergo a chemical reaction,” Twilight grinned, recalling the memory of her and Moondancer standing up in front of Professor Witty, both highly embarrassed, as they had melted a hole in their glass vial, and then a hole in the floor.

Gleam snorted.

“I didn’t know you could make arcane-charged acid with the regular school supplies,” she said, smirking. “Or was it a special case because it was you?”

Twilight grinned sheepishly. “It wasn’t. Moondancer and I distilled the ingredients from stuff you could buy at the local store. We got A’s, a stern lecture about the importance of safety, I got an extra-stern lecture from Princess Celestia about the importance of staying within the letter and spirit of a rule, and Shining got grounded because he was supposed to be the one making sure we were doing our homework that day.”

“But you were doing your homework that day,” Gleam pointed out. “Why’d he get grounded?”

“Gleam, we stole some bits and snuck out to go to the store while he was supposed to be keeping an eye on us,” Twilight shook her head. “He was too busy making ga-ga eyes at pictures of Cadance to even notice we’d been gone.”

A teenaged Shining Armor was most certainly doing a lot more than just staring at pictures of Cadance, but Twilight wasn’t about to ruin everyone’s day with that mental image.

Gleam snickered. “Bet that was a fun conversation when your parents got home.”

Twilight grinned wryly. “I can still hear Mom screaming at him.”

It wasn’t that it was a dull or boring trip that made it so awful.

Gleam shifted her gaze to her master, leaning against the window wall of their compartment, his eyes bloodshot, distant, glossy, and with bags under them. His mane was more disheveled than usual, and he had a haunted, hollow look on his face as he continued to stare out of the train.

All of them knew he wasn’t watching anything that passed their window.

“We’re here if you want to talk about it,” Princess Twilight said, reaching over and giving his shoulder a squeeze.

Nova Shine didn’t respond. It didn’t even seem to register that Twilight had squeezed his shoulder.

He hadn’t spoken a word since they had come down from the mountain. Not to her, not to Gleam, not to Cadance or Shining, not even to Flurry. He had seemed to completely ignore the three Crystal Guards in the infirmary and the offered thanks from Flash over the previous two nights of blissful sleep.

The only being that had managed to get Nova to do anything had been Flurry Heart, who had crawled up to her favorite future uncle while he had been sitting off on his own at dinner time despite their best efforts at trying to sit around him. Nova had wordlessly reached down, hoisted her up, and held her, though the distant look never went away, no matter how much Flurry tried to get him to play with her.

“Are you mad at me for trying to peek into your dreams last night?” she asked quietly.

She had wanted to know just what it was that he had seen, both in his battle with Envy two days before, and his trial yesterday. This was not the Nova she knew and loved, this lifeless husk who stared dead-eyed straight ahead of himself, deaf to the world around him.

“Mmh,” he grunted, giving her the tiniest shake of his head.

“Please, talk to us,” she pleaded.

His eyes briefly flicked over in their direction, but in short order, he was back to staring glassy-eyed straight ahead.

Gleam frowned as she stared at Nova, no doubt hearing from Harmonia’s voice in her head about it. Twilight herself didn’t know what to do about the situation at all. She’d never heard Harmonia’s whispers in her head before, though considering Nova’s own poor experiences with having Harmonia in his head, Twilight wasn’t sure she wanted to. She much preferred keeping control over herself.

Mount Canterhorn fast approached as the train zoomed past the valley’s countryside. They’d be there shortly, and then came the conversation with the Princesses about what it was they found.

Or more accurately, whatever Lord Star Swirl had shared with them.

He had gone back to Sombra’s lab to recover some things from it, but he had left in quite a hurry, not even pausing to say his farewells that evening.

Nova’s unresponsiveness didn’t end between then and their arrival at Grand Canterlot Station in Middle Canterlot. When they stepped off the train, he seemed to lethargically follow them, his eyes completely unfocused. It reminded Twilight of when they had discovered that he would travel back in time after acquiring the diaries of the previous Faithful Students and Night Apprentices, except Nova seemed to at least move out of the way of approaching creatures.

They quietly made their way to the Princesses’ house for what felt like the hundredth time in the last few weeks alone. The Knightmares on duty, by the look of things. Knightmares Insularum and Starstep both snapped to attention as they approached. Twilight was always quite impressed with the lone non-Thestral in the ranks of the Knightmares. Starstep had come a long way from his earlier days of being a timid and unsure pegasus. Now he stood shoulder-to-shoulder with his straight-laced comrade-in-arms, who was currently sporting a flower pot on his head.

Twilight opened her mouth as they approached.

“I know,” grunted Insularum.

“Uhh… you know what?”

“About the flower pot.”

“...okay?”

“Vaporum did it,” Starstep rolled his eyes. “The old ‘prop it on a slightly-opened door’ trick.”

Twilight glanced back at Nova, feeling a strange sensation, and was relieved to see that he had a small smile on his face, though it wasn’t there for long. Such a tiny smile, so great a lifted weight off her shoulders. Baby steps, but he would soon be back to normal.

Leaving the two Knightmares to their guarding, the trio stepped into the house, heading for the familiar sitting room, where Princess Celestia and Princess Luna awaited them.

Luna was perched on the armchair reading a Daring Do book, the one involving Rainbow Dash and Quibble Pants at that convention a few months back, while Celestia held in her right hoof the very item that had caused them so much trouble both in the past and in the present.

The red gem of the Alicorn Amulet gleamed benignly in the sunlight, as though it were just decorative jewelry, and not an artifact that could grant great power and great instability on its wearer. Twilight felt a shiver crawl up her spine at the sight of it.

“Have a seat,” Luna said, looking up from her book as they entered, and gesturing at the open sofa. They did, Twilight and Gleam sitting on either side of a still-unresponsive Nova Shine.

Luna’s face fell at the sight of him. “How long has he been like this?”

“Since he woke up from his Trial yesterday,” answered Gleam, her shoulders drooping.

“I see,” Luna nodded sagely.

“But everyone fails their first time!” Gleam pointed out. “That’s what Huati said, anyway.”

Luna smiled sympathetically. “Nova Shine hates failure. Not simply making a mistake, but truly failing at something he believes he is expected to do. And when he fails, he retreats. This, of course, is magnified by the fact that the Trial showed Nova Shine exactly what Nova Shine needed to see, most likely something he will have to spend time coming to terms with. It is okay to feel this way, apprentice mine,” she added, giving the Archmage a meaningful look.

“Easy for you to say,” mumbled Nova, his first words in hours.

“Perhaps,” Luna inclined her head, “However, you may not be aware of this, but I recently underwent the Trial myself some time ago. It was just as arduous as the first time I underwent it so many centuries ago.”

“Why did you go through it?” Twilight asked.

Luna shook her head, a humorless smile crossing her face. “Twilight, did you think I created the Tantabus for no reason? I was tormented with visions of my weakness, of the lives I ruined, of everything the Nightmare did, and in my misguided desire to atone, I believed the Trial was pushing me to punish myself even further. You and Nova both inspired me to let go of such a self-harming treatment, and only when I fully let go and accepted what had happened was I able to overcome the Trial.”

She turned her gaze back to Nova. “The Trial has not ended, apprentice mine. The Trial only ends when you give up, or when you conquer it. It will be an uncomfortable process, but I have no doubt that you will emerge triumphant, and all the stronger for it. You simply need to give yourself time, and make an effort.”

Nova grunted. Twilight leaned into him reassuringly, and to her relief and delight, he leaned back.

“Now, about the recent happenings,” Luna turned her attention to the amulet in Celestia’s hoof. “We shan’t keep you long, as Lord Star Swirl gave us a thorough report on what it is you all found, and we understand that you all could use time to rest and to recover. However, we require some clarification.”

“What sort?” asked Twilight.

“How was the amulet acquired? Lord Star Swirl says you had it in your possession when he arrived on the scene.”

“It was… given to us,” Nova croaked, still staring at the floor. Twilight leaned into him a little bit harder. He cleared his throat. “When we found his lab, it was in a gift box from Envy. When I attempted to scan it for any dangerous enchantments, it teleported us to that underground room.”

“Lord Star Swirl says that King Sombra has returned from the dead yet again,” Celestia said. She didn’t seem worried, or even surprised by this.

“That’s correct,” Nova dipped his head. “When… when Gleam and I were taken down there, this dark energy forced itself out of me and revived him. I don’t know what that spell was, but I have some suspicions. We also cannot discount the fact that there are other facilities like this scattered around Sombra’s former empire.”

“Agreed,” Celestia nodded slowly. “The order will be drafted posthaste, and several squads of anti-mages will be deployed north at the earliest opportunity. We will scour the Crystal Empire until we have removed every possible facility Sombra can use to continue reviving himself.”

“So…” Twilight mentally steeled herself as she prepared to drag the conversation toward the innocent-looking glowing red elephant in the room that was still sitting in Celestia’s hoof. “What now?”

“What do you mean,” Celestia arched an eyebrow at her former pupil.

“We have the Alicorn Amulet now. What next?”

“We don’t know,” Celestia shook her head. “Lord Star Swirl said he had an urgent matter to look into, but would return shortly with more information, and a path forward. He did, however, inform us that he is going to require your help with what he is looking into.”

“Does it have anything to do with this?” Nova asked, his horn lighting up, and a ghostly projection of a three-spiked black metal crown appeared in midair in front of all of them. As it slowly spun to face her, the front of the crown was revealed to have three glowing gems socketed in place, one beneath each spike.

Celestia and Luna looked at each other for a moment, slight confusion on their faces.

“What is this?” Luna asked, sliding out of her chair and trotting over to examine it. “Was this something found in Sombra’s laboratory?”

“I found a chart with this on it,” Gleam piped up. “It had the Alicorn Amulet drawn on there, pointing to one of these sockets, with two other gems. One was blue, and one was green.”

“Most likely a crown designed to channel the power of the three Gems of Being at once,” surmised Celestia, staring intently at the rotating image. “If even half the stories about these gems are true, it would be a formidable weapon, to be sure.”

“Formidable? Understating it,” Nova shook his head. “If it harnesses the power of two more gems on par with the Alicorn Amulet, this thing is downright terrifying to even think about in Sombra’s hooves. The Alicorn Amulet needs to be sealed away, permanently this time.”

“Agreed,” Celestia nodded. “However, I do not believe this is the end of our troubles with it. We will keep it locked away, but I have a sinking suspicion that Lord Star Swirl’s current plans have something to do with it. I would prepare yourselves to have to deal with this amulet in the future.”

“Great…” sighed Nova, letting his head drop for a few seconds. “Even more ‘fun’ in the run-up to our wedding and her coronation. Can we ever just go a year without a major incident?”

“It does seem as though a number of troubling occurrences have chosen now of all times to rear their heads,” Celestia grimaced. “Both the supernatural, and the mundane. Lord Archmage, the House of Nobles is preparing to begin resuming sessions.”

“Oh for fuck’s sake,” Nova buried his head in his hooves. “Trying to drag the rug out from under Twilight right before she gets all your power.”

“That was our belief as well,” Celestia nodded. “Stall them for a few months longer, and then once Twilight is in charge, she will have all the necessary power delegated between herself and the other five Bearers to make the House of Nobles little more than a nuisance. But it is imperative that you do not let the House seize more power for themselves in that time.”

“What’s wrong with the House of Nobles?” Gleam asked, glancing between Nova and Twilight.

“On paper? Nothing,” Luna answered, returning to her seat. “In practice? They attempt to gain power for themselves and make themselves immune to our attempts to curtail them. The House of Nobles exists as a necessary check on our power, but so too are we a check on theirs. Several nobles, such as Lord Ignatius Bitsly or even Prince Blueblood, are out to further themselves at the expense of us… and the common citizenry as well.”

“Oh, yeah,” Gleam’s ears flattened. “Dad said something about Bitsly undercutting him with a law a few months ago.”

“Yes,” Celestia scowled. “Introduced a bill that, in short, forced us to go through ‘reputable’ construction and resource companies for the reconstruction of Canterlot Castle. ‘Reputable’, of course, just so happened to only describe firms owned or operated by members of the Optimates of the House of Nobles, or their friends. None of them belonged to common ponies. But…” she shook her head, “political headaches can wait for another time. For now, however, you have enough to be dealing with.”

“Take the time to rest, Nova,” Luna urged her former apprentice. “Let yourself recover from these ordeals.”

“Oh yeah, speaking of recovery,” Nova asked, frowning as he recalled the memory, standing up as they prepared to leave, “do you two know anything about magical healing conditions”

“Magic healing conditions? Explain,” Celestia said. Twilight, however, noticed that Luna’s eyes had widened ever so slightly.

What do they know…?

“When we battled Sombra’s nuckelavees,” Nova recounted, frowning as he recalled the memory, “I got hit so hard I was sent skidding along the ground. Got my side scratched up pretty badly. But when Huati attempted to heal me, he didn’t find a single scratch. It was like it wasn’t there.”

“You’re certain that you hurt yourself?” Luna pressed. “You are completely sure that it wasn’t simply an overreaction?”

Nova snorted impatiently. “Luna, I saw my blood on the snow. I know I got gouged, but there was nothing there.”

Celestia and Luna looked at each either, and Twilight could sense the mood in the room suddenly shift. It was as if everything had suddenly muted.

“We… were going to tell you about it, as a matter of fact,” Luna replied softly. “You may not have noticed, but the bruise around your eye…”

“Yeah, when I hit the wall,” Nova replied, feeling around it. “And it disappeared when I wasn't paying attention.”

“Yes,” Celestia replied, her voice low. “We… we do know about such healing factors.”

“Ohhhh, I don’t like where this is going,” Nova muttered, a look of unease crossing his face.

“Perhaps you should sit down,” Luna gestured to the couch he had just stood up from.

Nova stared at the couch, then at her, with narrowing eyes, but he slowly did as he was told, taking a seat with no shortage of tension.

“You… of course remember the night of Nightfall?” Celestia asked, and Twilight was startled to hear no small amount of nervousness in her voice.

“Hard to forget,” Nova replied, crossing his forehooves.

“Have you noticed how much more powerful and capable you’ve gotten since then?”

Nova’s eyebrows twitched for a moment.

“Of… course, yes. I’ve been training to become the Archmage.”

“Beyond that,” Celestia shook her head. “Nova Shine, you used to be utterly incapable of understanding alchemistic magic. Luna tells me of a three-week stint as her Night Apprentice where you struggled so hard to understand it but couldn’t wrap your head around it. Not only are you fully capable now, you are very nearly on par with your own mother as a master at it!”

“Well, yeah,” Nova shrugged. “Mom was a hell of a teacher.”

“In so short a time?” Luna asked, leaning forward. “Going from not even understanding basic concepts to… well, to such proficiency in merely four years?”

Nova frowned, as did Twilight. She herself had wondered about this. Nova’s growth had been exceptional, but she had always chalked it up as being him finding his element and flourishing. How else did one explain how quickly he took to some of the more advanced things Luna and Celestia were educating him in?

“Apply this insight to other fields of magic,” Celestia instructed, turning away. “Teleportation used to be difficult, but now you are fully capable of teleporting miles away.”

“I mean, Twilight can too,” Nova tossed a hoof at his fiancee.

“I’m an alicorn, though,” Twilight’s frown deepened. “My Source is far and away greater than any normal pony’s. Hay, not even Star Swirl could match me in a contest of pure manatic reserve. Normal unicorns have an upper limit on the amount of mana they can contain, even with a well-used and 100% efficient Source.”

“That is the heart of the problem, unfortunately,” Luna turned her head away completely. “Nova is experiencing arcane oversaturation. His Source is producing too much mana for his unicorn body to maintain. The reason he is healing so quickly is that his body, needing to expend the excess, repurposes it and uses it to energize its cells to heal exponentially faster than normal.”

“But… Nova’s been using magic constantly over the last four years,” Twilight stroked her chin thoughtfully. “If he’s been expending mana this whole time, and unicorn Sources have upper limits to capacity and efficiency, how is it possible that he could be oversaturated? And for that matter, what does that have to do with both Nightfall, and how powerful and skilled he has been growing lately?”

“Everything,” Celestia trailed a hoof down her face, clenching her eyes shut for the briefest of moments. Twilight felt an icy dagger start to pierce its way into her insides, a cold and unpleasant sensation that was telling her she wasn’t going to be happy with where this was going.

“That night, on the night of Nightfall, Harmonia took hold of you, did she not?” Luna asked.

“The Consciousness of Magic took control of me,” Nova tilted his head. “Don’t know about Harmonia though.”

Gleam shifted nervously.

“Harmonia is the Consciousness of Magic,” Celestia smiled wanly. “She is the Spirit of Harmony. She is the Embodiment of all six aspects of the Elements. And those she touches are not left unchanged.”

“Not unchanged how?” asked Gleam. Twilight was alarmed to see that she looked a little pale all of a sudden.

“Well,” Celestia let out a long breath, choosing her words, “there are a grand total of four ponies that we have been able to personally observe the effects of Harmonia touching their lives. Three of them are in this room.”

“Myself,” Twilight stated, “Princess Luna, who bore the Element of Magic before I did, and now Nova, right?”

“Correct,” Celestia dipped her head. “The fourth pony is Lady Clover the Clever, who briefly was taken hold of by Harmonia to speak directly to Luna so very long ago. However, her case is perhaps the one with the greatest analogue to the present, as she never ascended to become an alicorn.”

“She made it her life’s mission to try and surpass her master, Lord Star Swirl, as the most powerful unicorn alive.” Luna turned to stare out the window. “I believe she succeeded, in the end. After being touched by Harmonia, her prowess dramatically increased almost immediately. Had she lived longer, perhaps we could have seen just how much further she could have gone, but she died peacefully a mere two years after this. Nevertheless,” she turned her gaze back to Nova, “she was very much like you. She suddenly grew hypercompetent in all things magic-related from that point on. As did I,” she added.

“Once upon a time, I was the far better spellcaster between the two of us.” Celestia shrugged modestly. “However, then we took up the Elements of Harmony. Not long after that, it was Luna who was the stronger spellcaster, a title she has since reclaimed from me once again. The Element of Magic changes the pony who wields it. Twilight herself used to struggle in certain aspects of magic, and now she is, quite possibly, the most powerful out of all of us in this room.”

Twilight felt herself blush, and she smiled awkwardly. “N-nonsense, Princess. I can’t possibly be stronger than--”

“Twilight, just take the deserved praise,” Celestia shot back, giving her a look. “The point is that any who have ever wielded the Element of Magic or been touched by Harmonia have gone on to be capable of wondrous things that no mere unicorn could ever be capable of. Nova is the latest in this long line of ponies touched by Harmonia, and it is this gift which causes us such fear.”

“Fear?” Nova asked, mouth parting.

“Fear,” nodded Luna gravely. “Harmonia’s touch blesses the arcane abilities of whomever receives it. Their Source becomes deeper. Their level of understanding becomes broader. Their mana regeneration grows as well. And it never stops.”

“Nova has had four years and a few months for this ability to take root in him,” Celestia continued, a shadow crossing her features. “And now you bring me reports that he is healing himself in mere seconds and that even after difficult battles, while he is physically exhausted, his magical capacity is hardly drained. If you have the proper eyes to see it, you can see that Nova Shine is positively overflowing with magical energy. His body cannot physically contain all of it. It has a limit.”

“And it means that there is so much magical energy in his body that it is having to burn off excess energy in any way possible. Using it to heal wounds, heightening his senses, or sometimes just… radiating the energy away,” Luna said.

“But,” Celestia’s voice had gotten so low, Twilight had to nearly strain to hear it, “it will only get worse from here as time goes on. Nova’s body will have so much magical energy it needs to dispose of that it will not be able to expend faster than it is replaced, and it will only continue to grow, that it will cross a threshold of no return. The equine body can only contain so much, before…”

She broke off.

Twilight’s heart was hammering in her chest. No, no this couldn’t mean what she thought it could mean. This couldn’t!

Lune looked over at Nova, who was staring at the ground, breathing heavily, and eyes wide.

“Nova Shine… you’re dying.”

...

Twilight couldn’t even hear anything anymore.

There seemed to be this sort of muffled absence of noise that just pressed in on all sides. Her breath hitched, and sank into the chair, feeling too weak to even keep herself upright. Beside her, Bright Gleam’s mouth fell completely open, and she was staring between the princesses and Nova, as though she couldn’t believe her ears.

Twilight’s heart was plummeting, sinking deeper and deeper into what felt like a void. It just fell… fell… fell...

No. She hadn’t said that. She couldn’t have said that. There was no way. No way!

But then, she felt the snarl begin to work its way across her face. The plummeting stopped. The numbness was gone. In its place was fury. Her strength returned, and she stood up, her eyes shining red and her mane and tail bursting to flames. These flames, however, were not the usual red-orange-yellow.

Instead, they burned a deeper shade. They burned blue, purple, black. The sheer amount of heat and energy radiating off of her in that very moment disintegrated the carpet beneath her, made the very air around her thrum with energy.

“How long,” she growled, struggling to contain her rage and the pain that was clawing at her. “How long have you known!?” she asked, stomping over to her former teacher, a mare that she had once placed on a pedestal, believed could never be guilty of any crime, only now to find that she… that she…

She turned her gaze to Luna, who was looking away from Twilight, sadness and shame etched across her own face.

“HOW LONG!?”

Before any of them could respond, however, the one reaction they never could have expected rang out.

Laughter.

Twilight looked behind her, to see that Nova had started giggling. It was a soft sound, barely audible, and he was still staring down at the ground, face hidden from all of them. But he was shaking as he laughed.

Before long, the laughter grew, until it was plain for them to hear.

A few moments later, the giggling turned into chuckling. Then the chuckling became guffawing. And in what felt like no time at all, Nova Shine had thrown his head back and was laughing uproariously, as though he had heard the funniest joke in the world. He howled to the heavens, eyes clenched shut, loud enough that even the ponies of the Knightmare Brigade abandoned their posts and poked their heads in, wondering what the noise was.

Twilight felt the bottom drop out of her stomach again, a feeling all too common these days, as the fires of her mane and tail were snuffed and her normal colors returned. What… what is happening?

She gave a glance over to Gleam, and Gleam’s expression looked equal parts just as confused and absolutely terrified. She had no idea what she was watching, even as she inched away from her master.

But then Nova’s eyes opened. His pupils had shrunken to being nearly pinpricks. And then, as he did so, the laughter changed.

It was a subtle change, a background note in his laughter had shifted. But that made it all the more haunting to her.

Tears started to stream. The laughter was slowly shifting into outright sobbing. Nova Shine, her Nova Shine, having been put through an emotional grinder over the last few weeks, was now finally, completely, broken.

“Nova, what--?” Luna tried to step forward and touch his shoulder, but Nova’s own hoof shot out and batted it away, faster than Twilight could even blink. Luna yelped and clutched at the point of impact. The sobbing was growing in intensity, now worse than even the laughter had been.

And then Twilight felt the sudden imbalance in the energy around him, a split second before it happened.

“Nova, don’t!” she cried out, but she was too late. There was a bright flash of blue light and a loud BANG!

Twilight managed to throw up a shield in the nick of time, but the light from whatever spell he had cast was too great to see. Around her, she could hear splintering wood and the shrieks of several ponies caught off guard, as well as Gleam letting out a pained “Oof!” as it sounded like she hit a wall. She even heard the princesses throw up their own shields, but they hadn’t seemed to react quickly enough to escape unscathed.

It only lasted a few moments, but when she was finally able to see what had happened, the only ponies left in the room were herself, Gleam, and the two princesses. The guards that had poked their heads in to see what was happening had been blasted out, leaving the room in ruins, and even worse still, all that remained in the epicenter of the destruction was a black archmage’s cloak.

Nova Shine was gone.

Their haunting eyes were watching his every move, as they always did.

Ten thousand years ago, this city had been their home. They had lived and ruled from this jewel of a city, but in a short time, they were gone, reduced to being spirits frozen in time, forever above the empty city, forever trapped in this plane.

He could feel their pain every time he stepped hoof in this place. He could feel the murderous gazes directed at him, even if he could not see them. How dare someone in an inferior form tread in this place? This was the home of Gods and Kings, not even the slaves from subservient species had been allowed into this holy location.

The beautiful white city.

The Apex of the World.

The Pinnacle.

Scala ad Caelum.

Elysium.

Now a mausoleum to the alicorn empire and its influence. But even a mausoleum had its treasures.

He had come here many times before over the millennia. He always needed to remember what had happened to his kind, to remember what it was that drove him.

Your torment will be ended, he thought to himself, thinking to the many who looked down on him with their fury, their pain, and their jealousy. How dare a subservient step hoof here? Has he come to gloat? To revel in our pain?

He had worn many faces in his time, but surely they had to know him by now. They had to know that although he wasn’t wearing the guise of an alicorn, he was one of them. He had survived. He had escaped the calamity and rescued his daughters, but at the cost of their mother.

His thoughts became pain in that memory, so he put it away. He was not here to dwell on the past. He was here to prepare for the future.

Harmonic Convergence was approaching. The groundwork needed to be laid.

The Shadow-King believed that with the Crown of Life, he could control the world. He believed that the Crown of Life was the key to allow him to take over the world. What Sombra did not understand was that act with the crown upon your head, and so too would the crown act upon you. Imperius had discovered that. That poor, poor fool, in his desperation to avert the calamity...

Ars Arcanum shook his head, dispelling the memories yet again. That was the unfortunate curse of those who had lived far too long. Oftentimes it was hard to remember to live in the now, and not the before. So many happier days, and so many sadder ones. So many days of greater consequence, and so many days of rest and leisure.

Yet here they were, in the most pivotal time. The planets were shifting into alignment, and in the brief window, those few moments when all the planets in the Celestine system aligned, that would be the window of opportunity. So short a time, a few scant minutes, and if he failed, he would have to wait another ten thousand years before he could do it again.

Ars Arcanum’s gaze drifted downward, until he was looking down at the snow-covered ground. To an outside observer, he was simply lost in thought and looking at the ground, but in truth, he was staring at where he knew the Crystal of Eternity was kept.

It’s not like he didn’t have all the time in the universe…

He strode through the familiar streets, making his way to the place where he knew he would find the relic he sought. He had spent time playing with Imperius and Harmonia in that very alley, right there… he had broken a wing in the old days after falling off that building… he and Harmonia had begun their courtship in that very park.

Oh, what he wouldn’t give to return to days of yore! What he would not sacrifice just to be reunited with his friends and loved ones! To talk and jape with Imperius again, to have and to hold Harmonia again... Yet it was not to be, for one was gone forever, and the other could no longer be with him.

Still, Ars Arcanum cast his eye southward toward the others that he longed to reveal himself to, when the time is right, perhaps I may be able to show myself. They deserve that much. They must know why this is all happening, and why it cannot be stopped.

Who would have thought, in those innocent days millennia ago, that the three of them would play such pivotal roles in the downfall of their race, and the rebuilding of everything that came after?

“I suppose,” he spoke to the empty air in the Old Tongue, to the spirits lingering just beyond the veil of sight, “I should have guessed that my fate would be tied to mine own creation,” he strode forward, entering the Imperial Vaults, an austere building standing in stark contrast to the magnificence of the structures around it. Unlike the ostentatious buildings that his kin crafted, this building was practical.

It didn’t need to be showy. What was kept within it was all the showiness it needed. Not even the walls had any decor; they were simply crude flat expressionless surfaces with only vault doors or support pillars interrupting the monotony.

He passed vaults, some still sealed away with the treasures of ghosts locked away behind them, others empty and open, displaying their lack of contents to the world. Rather like this city, he suppressed a smile. Once so full of treasure, now a barren waste of what once was.

Finally, he arrived at the King’s Vault.

It was neither taller nor grander than any of the vaults around it. It simply sat at the end of the hall, the vault every visitor had to see, to wonder just what lay behind its doors. Ars had spent thousands of years working to undo the many enchantments that lay within the walls, and roughly three thousand years ago, he had finally succeeded in planting his own magical resonance as a valid entrance identification for the vault’s enchantments.

Despite the stasis placed upon this place, the magic within still flowed and functioned just as it had, and so when Ars Arcanum issued a stream of silver energy from his horn, which struck the direct center of the door. From the point of contact, the magic seemed to split and spread in six directions, before shimmering like the seas themselves under the light of the sunset. Each beam then glowed brighter and brighter, before the vault door was completely enveloped in their light. Then, the light faded, revealing yet another ordinary vault.

Empty, save one thing.

There was a small pillar sitting in the center, nothing more than a plinth, expertly carved out of arcanostone, with orichalcum filigree decorating it in many intricate shapes and designs running up from base to top. But sitting atop this plinth was nothing short of the most valuable treasure in the entire world.

It would not appear as such to the untrained eye, and even now, it held no true value on its own. Nothing more than a circlet of blackened orichalcum, with two short curved spikes, one each on either side of a taller third central curved spike in the front and center of the crown. Below each spike was a socket, the insides of which were lined with minuscule inscriptions and channels.

Ars felt a nostalgic half-smile, half-grimace cross his face. He remembered shaping this. He remembered the many failed attempts at getting it right, the botched letterings, the failed channelings, the bends, the scrapes…

But his final attempt had been his masterpiece. It was a work so great in arcanosmithing, so magnificent in its execution, nothing would even approach it ever again. It was a simple matter to create a simple socket and harness out of orichalcum to contain the energies of a Gem of Being. It had been ruled as impossible to create an object that could contain and channel the power of all three of them at once.

He had done it anyway, as his king had asked. He had created the Crown of Life.

Ars Arcanum stared at the crown for a long while, looking over that which he had forged over ten thousand years ago. After so very long, everything was finally beginning to draw toward the end, and everything-- every plan, every deed, every life he touched, every word or whisper he had uttered-- would all be centered upon this humble orichalcum crown.

“It won’t be long now,” he whispered to the open air, to the dead who were listening to his every word. “Only a few more months.”

His horn shone silver again, and the vault door closed with a flash of light, hiding the crown from the eyes of the world once again.

He turned around and began to march upward, out of the Imperial Vaults and back into the haunted city. This would be his last visit until it was time.

For now, there was work to do.

Canterlot had not been in such a state of high alert since the Princesses had gone missing nearly four years ago. At least, not in such a way that involved every guard available to be on a full hunt for a missing pony. Every alleyway was searched, every crevice, nook, and cranny were scouted, and yet despite the city being combed over threefold, the Lord Archmage remained completely undetected.

The citizenry knew something was up. It was hard not to, after all, what with the loud blast of magic coming from the Princess’ temporary house several hours before, coupled with aforementioned guards flying and marching to and fro.

Bright Gleam simply sat in the makeshift headquarters of the Royal Guard, little more than a barracks that hadn’t been completely destroyed in the Terrible Trio’s attack that had since been re-outfitted as a temporary military office, hearing the hustle and bustle around her, listening to the ponies chatter and exchange information, all while not actually paying attention to any of it.

The look on Master Nova Shine’s face… The despair in his laughter… The madness in his eyes.

She clenched her eyes shut and clutched her head in her hooves. In just a few short days, everything she had ever thought about Princess Twilight, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and Master Nova Shine had been completely turned on its head.

Master Nova Shine was right all along when he said this was what “Don’t meet your heroes” meant.

Were they still Gleam’s heroes, though?

Master Nova Shine was dancing his way around every magical attack Envy could throw at him, his movements graceful and serene, as though he were only moving when necessary and precisely as much as needed, no more or less. The orchestra of his magic drove Envy on the defensive until he had her pinned.

No matter what she thought of them, he had always been beaten down yet managed to clamber to his hooves and keep going. And everything about his style of magic was everything she ever wanted to be as a mage. Wise, powerful, and beautiful.

But right now, he was a danger to both himself and to others, and he was completely unaccounted for.

Three thestrals marched in, led by one wearing armor trimmed with silver she recognized as Knightmare Frigoris.

“Neighton, Trottingham, and the roads between have been surveyed, your highness,” Frigoris saluted, his voice as soft as ever. “We spotted neither hide nor hair of him. It is a possibility that he could be in the Everfree Forest, but we did not take the time to do a flyover.”

Standing over a table on which an entire detailed map of Equestria was arrayed, with her back to Frigoris, Gleam watched Princess Twilight deflate at the news.

“Thank you, Frigoris. Do you need rest?” she asked, turning to give the thestral a look of concern. “Knightmare Serenitatis? Humorum?”

How did she tell them apart? The thestrals looked identical in their armor-- No, wait, one of them was a mare. It was hard to tell with the special thestral helmet, but she could see the rounded muzzle now. How hadn’t she noticed that before? It wasn’t hard to tell stallions and mares apart.

Stay on topic, Gleam.

“I cannot perform another high-speed flight, but I should be able to do more local patrolling, long as I’m under the clouds,” replied the stallion, his voice louder than Frigoris’, but equally calm. “Storm’s rolling in, though. We need to wrap this up.”

“We can’t,” Princess Twilight banged a hoof on the table in frustration. “Even putting aside the fact that this is very personal for me, he is the Archmage, and he is very much not in his right mind. He needs to be found and... and neutralized,” she whispered. “By any means necessary.”

“Wait,” Gleam leaped to her hooves. “You mean killed?”

“What!? No!” Princess Twilight gave her an aghast look. “He just needs to be sedated until we can calm him down, and if that means force then we need to do something to get him away from populated areas.”

Another armored figure pushed his way past the Knightmares, looking exhausted but still very much on his hooves, followed by a mare wearing a skintight blue wingsuit, her fiery orange mane and tail poking out from holes in the top and back.

On any other day, Gleam would have utterly squealed at the mere sight of Wonderbolt Captain Spitfire so close, but given the circumstances, there was no doubt what she was there for.

“You sent, ma’am?” Spitfire saluted.

“Yes, thank you, captain,” Princess Twilight sighed. “I need you to send every available Wonderbolt out in all directions. We’re looking for the Archmage, he’s gone missing.”

“Already ahead of you,” Spitfire saluted again. “Knightmare Starstep got word to us an hour ago, and I scrambled the Wonderbolts immediately. Is the Aerial Navy gonna be involved too? This is looking like an all-points bulletin.”

“Don’t think so, no,” Lieutenant Aegis shook his head. “If anyone’s gonna find Nova, it’s not going to be the big, loud, bulky airships. Are Princess Celestia and Princess Luna looking as well?”

Princess Twilight grit her teeth, and Gleam could swear she saw, in a fraction of a second, her mane start to glow purple again, but it was gone before she could confirm. “No. They are not part of this. They will not be part of this.”

If the lieutenant had questions, he didn’t voice them, though he did purse his lips for just a moment.

“Where to next?” he asked, already turning tail, but looking back.

“To get some rest, lieutenant,” Princess Twilight replied with a sigh.

“Risking a court-martial, ma’am,” Lieutenant Aegis replied, with a sour expression, “but fuck that. He needs to be found, and I’m not going to stop looking till he is.”

“Aegis,” Princess Twilight turned to give him a pleading look, “You’ve made the flight from Canterlot to Ponyville in record time, and you’re barely on your hooves. If I have to magically sedate you as well, I will. Go get some rest, let your wings recover, you can resume searching when you are ready, and not before.”

Lt. Aegis grit his teeth, but saluted, before trotting over to one of the beds that had been pushed against a wall and falling into it. He didn’t fall asleep, but he did lay there, taking deep breaths and trying to alleviate the fatigue he must have been feeling.

“Where do we go from here?” asked Captain Spitfire, trotting over to the map Princess Twilight was looking over. Gleam craned her neck to see the top of the table from her position sitting against the wall. It was a map of their entire continent, stretching southward to Klugetown, and northward all the way until it faded into the Frozen Maw at the northernmost points of Yakyakistan, and every point of interest in the center of the map had red X’s marked over them.

“We broaden the search,” Princess Twilight jabbed with her hoof at several spots on the page. “Here, here, and here. Baltimare, Manehattan, and Vanhoover. These are places Nova spent time at in his youth, maybe he’s at one of them.”

“There’s also the possibility,” added the male Knightmare again, “that he could have teleported out of Equestria entirely. Perhaps the Crystal Empire? The Dragonlands? Griffonia?”

“I’m still waiting for my brother and sister-in-law to confirm whether he is or is not in the Empire, Dragon Lord Ember would have immediately let us know if he was in the Dragonlands, and I would have received the angry letter from King Gustaf if one of ours had teleported in,” Princess Twilight shook her head. She turned toward her. “What are you still doing here, Gleam?”

“I want to be here when he’s found,” she replied, getting to her hooves. “He’s my master, after all.”

“That could be a very long time,” noted Lt. Aegis. “Nova Shine is very good at hiding in unexpected places when he doesn’t want to be found.”

Princess Twilight shut her eyes and began muttering to herself. “Think like Nova… think like Nova…”

“Good luck with that,” the female Knightmare remarked, with a humorless smirk. “If any of us knew what went through his head, half of his little blunders would never have happened during Archmage training.”

Knightmare Frigoris turned and gave her a quick shake of the head. The mare tilted her head but shrugged.

“Just trying to ease the tension,” she remarked.

“Time and a place, Humorum,” replied Lt. Aegis, also shaking his head.

“Are you sure you don’t want to go stay with your parents?” Princess Twilight asked Gleam, returning to the map. “There’s a large storm gathering. If you’re gonna wait for us to find Nova, you could be here for several days.”

“I still want to,” she reaffirmed. Harmonia seemed to be emanating approval. “I just… have a feeling I will be needed.”

Princess Twilight stared at her for a long while, before nodding.

The door opened once more. It was starting to rain outside now. The three Knightmares turned and instantly knelt. Princess Luna stepped into the room hesitantly, her eyes never leaving Princess Twilight’s form.

Princess Twilight stood up to her tallest height, drew in a sharp breath, and her mane began to glow purple yet again, this time it wasn’t a figment of Gleam’s imagination.

“Get out,” she whispered, the sheer thunderous power of her voice rattling their bones despite how low in volume it was.

Princess Luna recoiled at once, but did not retreat. “Please. I am concerned for his well-being too--”

“You don’t get to say that anymore,” Princess Twilight snarled. Her coat lightened until it was pure white. “You and your sister both. You just can’t help yourselves, can you? Playing a cosmic game with everyone’s lives, never caring for a second how they will be impacted?”

“Twilight, please,” Princess Luna turned her head away in shame. “Let me help. He’s my apprentice, and he was touched by Harmonia because of my weakness.”

“If that were a genuine concern, you would have told us about this the first moment you knew. You didn’t. And now you have cut short one more life because of your hubris and your lack of transparency.”

The map disintegrated, forgotten by everyone except Gleam, its ashes scattering around the oven the barracks had become from Princess Twilight’s sheer power.

“Wait, what?” Lt. Aegis asked, getting to his hooves instantly. “Whose life has been cut short?”

Princess Twilight just turned and stared at him. Aegis’s mouth slowly dropped.

“...How?” he asked weakly. “What… why?”

“Because of her and her sister,” Princess Twilight replied simply, giving Luna a scathing look. Princess Luna flinched again but still did not retreat. “They thought it was prudent to hide the fact that he was slowly dying of arcane oversaturation from both of us until the signs became too great to pretend not to see, to require explanation.”

Knightmare Frigoris stepped between both princesses. “I am certain Mother and her sister had good reasons to--”

“Don’t give me that bullshit!” Lt. Aegis thundered, marching right up to Knightmare Frigoris and sticking his face right into his counterpart’s. “You mean to tell me you think keeping information like this from anyone is a good idea!? Even putting aside that my best friend is dying, you mean to tell me that you think it was smart that no one ever told him he was slowly becoming a walking bomb!?”

They are going nowhere, Harmonia observed within Gleam’s head.

“It’s like they don’t want to find him and just want to yell at each other,” Gleam whispered.

They are angry, and they are in pain. They all love Nova Shine, and now this has driven a major wedge between them.

Gleam shook her head sadly. “Do you know where he is?”

I do.

“You’re not going to tell me, are you?”

It is for Twilight Sparkle’s benefit that I do not. Their relationship is strained due to the occurrences at the Crystal Empire, but the two of them together will bring out the best in each other. To that end, Twilight Sparkle must find him without any help.

“But can she?”

“Can she what?”

Gleam blinked and looked up.

Princess Twilight was staring down at her, having abandoned her fiery mane. Knightmare Frigoris and Lieutenant Aegis were now in a full shouting match while Captain Spitfire and the other two Knightmares stood by awkwardly. Princess Luna, meanwhile, had fallen on her haunches and looked to be on the verge of tears as everything around them just continued to grow worse. And behind her, outside, the rain was falling, the light of lightning was flashing, and the boom of thunder was crashing.

“Who were you talking to?” Princess Twilight asked, tilting her head.

“Harmonia,” Gleam sighed. “She… knows where he is.”

“Where?” Princess Twilight grabbed her by the shoulders. For a half-second, she was reminded of the moment of panic when Master Nova Shine had grabbed her this same way before all of this had started. “Where is he?”

“She won’t tell me,” Gleam shook her head. “Says you’re supposed to find him on your own.”

Princess Twilight let out an exasperated groan.

“Seems like everyone wants to keep secrets today,” she shot a filthy look at Princess Luna, who had glanced up from her spot on the ground. “How am I supposed to find him on my own!? He’s always just so good at picking out the last place I would ever consider!”

Her own confidence in how well she knows her beloved is shattered, Harmonia noted. Gleam could sense a note of melancholy in her voice. Loved ones should never feel so lost as she does.

Princess Twilight sat down next to her and clutched at the back of her head. “I’m trying to find him,” she whimpered. “I’m trying to think like him, but I’m just coming up blank. He’d know where to find me even without our earrings if I ever had a problem. But every time I try to return the favor, he just can't be found. He always always always chooses places I’d never look, right under my nose or something, because he knows how I think, but I can never think like him long enough to figure out where he would be.”

She let out a quiet moan that somehow was louder to Gleam than the shouting match that was still going on. Captain Spitfire had left by this point, as had the other two Knightmares, while Frigoris and Aegis continued to scream at each other, and Princess Luna had been reduced to a crying mess on the ground.

The entire situation around her was something Gleam never thought she’d ever see in her lifetime. Princess Celestia seemed to be staying out of things, Princess Luna crying, and Princess Twilight unsure of where to even go. In a cruel, twisted way, it was almost hysterical that this was what everything had come to.

“...right under my nose.” Princess Twilight suddenly raised her head, blinking and wiping away her tears, a sudden look of shock on her face. “They can’t look above the clouds because of the storm.”

“Princess?”

Princess Twilight looked over at her, her eyes briefly flicking down to the navy-blue cape drawn around her shoulders. “I think I know where he is now, and I’m gonna go look in the place I think he’s hiding. Do you still want to be with me when we find him?”

“Yes ma’am,” Gleam nodded.

Princess Twilight took a deep breath. “Then I hope you like hiking up mountains, Gleam. We need to trek to the top of Mount Canterhorn.”

Gleam could feel a sudden surge of satisfaction from within her. Harmonia, it seemed, was pleased, which could only mean that Princess Twilight was right.

Without waiting, Princess Twilight pushed herself to her hooves and strode right past the arguing soldiers and the crying Princess Luna, who briefly stopped to stare at them.

“Do you… do you know where he is?” she asked, her voice little more than a desperate whimper.

“I think so. And we’re on our way to find him. I don’t think it’s a good idea to come,” Princess Twilight replied, a hard edge to her voice.

“I… agree,” Princess Luna seemed to completely slump as she concurred. “At the very least, I will continue to coordinate search efforts until you return.”

Princess Twilight said nothing. With that, the two of them set off. This barracks wasn’t far from the trail that led up the mountainside, so it took a few moments at most before they arrived at the dirt path leading up and around the peak. Gleam had hiked this trail before with her mom and dad when they’d decided to have a little picnic further up, but they’d never gone all the way to the peak.

The mountain was considerably tall. Not so high as to require acclimation for hikers, but not so short that it was a quick and easy trot to the top. This hike would take them a few hours, and with the storm being so low to the ground, they would be slowed down by the wind and rain. She trusted Princess Twilight to handle the lightning, at least.

But shortly after they began to climb, she began to notice something odd. There were no lightning bolts.

The clouds would flash, the thunder would sound, but there was no bolt of lightning lancing downward from the storm to strike at the ground below.

“Does lightning strike upward?” she asked.

“It can,” Princess Twilight answered, her horn lighting up to create a shield around them which kept them dry and safe from lightning, though there was little to be done about the winds. “But if it does, a bolt usually struck downward not far away. Are you asking because lightning hasn’t struck downward at all?”

“Yeah, pretty much,” Gleam dipped her head. “How did you know he’d be at the top of the mountain?”

Princess Twilight let out a sigh at this.

“When Nova is suffering, he flees to someplace he feels comfortable and thinks he won’t be found. There are not very many places in Canterlot that he’d feel comfortable and unfindable. I couldn’t think of any place in or around Canterlot he could be hiding, especially not with a blast of energy last powerful. He would have had to teleport far away with that kind of blowback.”

“So you thought he’d teleported someplace like Ponyville or Neighton.”

“Pretty much,” Princess Twilight nodded. “But when I made the connection that he could be hiding under my nose, I remembered the airship flight.”

“What about it?” Gleam had been inside the whole time. Being that high up wasn’t exactly something that kept her stomach settled.

“Nova jumped off the side to do some skydiving. Even before that, he seemed… at home that high up.” She paused for a moment, before clearing her throat and continuing. “When he took a moment to skydive, there was a moment where I saw his face.”

Gleam watched as her features softened considerably, and her eyes grew misty.

“I have never seen Nova Shine look that… that serene doing anything.”

The tiniest of smiles formed on her face.

“He’s always been a Wind Elemental. I should have expected it. The sky is his home.”

The wall of clouds continued to grow ever closer the further up they climbed. Eventually, after what felt like hours of climbing, they stood just below it. Princess Twilight drew her in close and put a shield around both of them, to keep the air breathable, to keep the path visible, and most importantly…

A bolt of lightning flashed down. Reflexively, Gleam threw up her hooves to defend herself, but Princess Twilight spun, graceful as a practiced art, the shield deflecting the bolt and sending it streaking into the mountainside, where it collided with a loud BANG, which the shield muted into more of a dull rumble.

“We’ll be safe, not blind, and most importantly, alive in here.” She looked up toward the invisible peak. “That wasn’t a normal bolt of lightning. That was magical in origin.”

“It was too slow for normal lightning,” Gleam pointed out.

Princess Twilight smiled. “Correct. If it were real lightning, there would have been no time to react. Which means…” Her smile, small as it already was, fell entirely. “We need to get to the top of the mountain as quickly as we can.”

With no other words, she stepped forward into the storm. Gleam followed right behind her. Her shield kept the clouds off of them, which kept them both from being drenched, and from being blinded by the clouds covering the ground entirely.

Onward they climbed, what little vegetation existing this high up vanishing once they crossed the tree line. Not that there were any trees on this path to begin with, but she’d heard that was what it was called, or something like that. But she supposed if trees grew on the mountain, they would have stopped too.

Focus, Gleam.

Now that there was no grass or plants of any kind, the ground was much harder, and it took more effort to climb. They had to cut around boulders, switch back up several steep sections of stone, and even find other ways past obstacles in their path.

And all of this was accompanied by the storm raging around them, bolts of magical lightning blasting themselves everywhere. Princess Twilight always deflected the ones that came after them, but with them being on such a precarious part of the peak, Gleam had to refrain from jumping too wildly.

Though in the event that she ever did, she had absolute faith that Princess Twilight would be able to rescue her.

“He’s close,” Princess Twilight whispered after what felt like days of hiking.

“How do you know?”

“I can feel him in the storm. His rage. His madness. His despair--” Her voice cut off, as she bit back a quiet sob.

It wasn’t much longer before she could finally see the night sky ahead of them as the clouds thinned. The moon seemed to shine extra-bright, and without Canterlot’s light pollution, she could see the stars as clearly as she did in Ponyville. Once they were fully freed of the storm’s confines, she could even see a bright and unmistakable blue glow coming from the top of the mountain.

But what was puzzling about it was that it switched from blue to green. Then to red. Now to yellow. Suddenly, a wave of light blasted outward and washed over the clouds beneath them, which seemed to agitate the storm. Multiple bolts of magical lightning blasted themselves upward toward the glow, but something strange sounded when they hit.

Music.

Princess Twilight’s mouth parted and her eyes softened considerably when the realization hit her as well. They crept forward, approaching the peak of Mt. Canterhorn, a surprisingly-flat sort of table of rock, compared to the spires of other mountains.

As they both approached and peered over the edge, there he was.

He was floating in midair, suspended in a Lotus position and surrounded by streaking orbs of light that flew around him every which way, changing colors on a whim. His expression was empty; he wasn’t angry, or sad, or even at peace. He simply was.

Around him, the wind howled, a freezing gale that brought rain from the storm, but it only ever encircled him. The water was never able to even douse his fur, before a wall of winds would deflect it away.

And as all of this went on, against the backdrop of the night sky, Gleam began to hear the music again.

It was a sad melody. There were emphases on the strings instruments, and if she listened closely, she could perhaps hear voices. What they were saying she couldn’t make out, but whatever it was they were saying was powerful. The very air around them thrummed with energy, punctuated by the words, which bespoke melancholy.

All Gleam could do was stare, mouth agape. This was her master. A warrior. An artist. A genius. He didn’t just cast magical spells. Magic was his tool of expression.

On his worst day, Nova can sing in magic.

Beside her, Princess Twilight bowed her head, tears already forming. Gleam wondered if she was thinking the same thing.

“It’s beautiful,” she whispered, before lifting her head and gazing at him.

Unsure of what to do, Gleam looked between the two of them, wondering who was going to make the first move. Surely he must have sensed both of them, yet… why wasn’t he doing anything about it?

Were the lightning bolts that were coming at both of them earlier this evening even his?

Tentatively, she took a step forward, toward the impassable wall of winds.

“Gleam!” Princess Twilight hissed, grabbing her shoulder.

Paying her no mind, however, Gleam shrugged off her hoof and took another step forward. The moment she did, Master Nova Shine’s eyes opened, and he stared at her through glowing blue-white light.

She stared back at him, completely unsure of what to do.

What do I do, Harmonia?

Have faith.

In what?

There was an almost amused feeling from within her.

In your master.

Gleam took another step forward.

Master Nova Shine’s horn blazed, and a bolt of magic struck right in front of her. “WAH!” Gleam yelped, but she didn’t retreat. Smoke rose from the burned ground, all while he continued to stare down at her through those glowing eyes.

Another step.

The winds intensified, but she was still able to keep her hoofing on the mountain, perilous and precarious though it was.

Another step.

Another blast of magic. She could feel the spray of dust this time.

Another step.

A brilliant blue wall of magical energy appeared between them now.

Now what?

He told you of the time he made amends with his beloved, did he not?

So Harmonia wanted her to just step through then.

Gleam took a deep breath, lifted a hoof to the magical shield, and pushed against it. Immediately, she stumbled through as though the shield weren’t even there, before righting herself and looking right back up at her master.

Master Nova Shine glared down at her, his eyes still blazing with light, but he didn’t move. The two of them just stared at each other, while Princess Twilight waited nearby, her gaze switching frantically between the two of them.

After what felt like an eternity, the orbs of light slowly began to come to a halt, and the music faded. Then, little bit by little bit, Nova Shine began to slowly float back to the ground. A moment before he touched down, he uncurled his hooves and stood up straight just before he landed, all while his eyes never left hers.

Another step.

He did not move.

Another, and another.

Finally, she was eye to eye with him. Still he stared at her through unblinking glowing eyes. But now, she was where she needed to be.

She reached out, and she hugged him.

She could feel him stiffen at the contact, but she clung to him, holding as tight as she could. After a long moment, as the wind continued to howl and lash out around them, she felt him relax. Only a moment later, she could feel Princess Twilight embrace him as well, the two of them holding him to their shoulders. After a moment, he sank to the ground, and she could feel him quivering.

“We’re here, Nova,” Princess Twilight whispered, and Gleam could feel her stroking at the back of his head. “We’re here now. It’s going to be alright.”

None of them believed it.

And then, as before, he began to cry, burying his head into their shoulders and sobbing, but no longer alone on this isolated peak, under the light of his mentor’s moon.

The End of Part I

Author's Note

Whoo boy. That was a doozy.

Where do things go from here, I wonder? Well, no I don't, I'm just trying to be all mysterious, even though I know exactly where it's supposed to go.

Lemme know what you think, what I can improve on, and what you liked, down in the comments.

Rytex out. Have a good day!

-----PART II-----

PART II

PICKING UP THE PIECES

The Way Forward

The Archmage’s Last Bow
Chapter 08 - The Way Forward

He was standing alone in an empty black void. Although it felt as though there was a floor beneath his hooves, when he looked down there was nothing. Every which way he turned, there seemed to be no light. He was alone in a void.

Nova Shine turned around, perhaps there was something behind him. His jaw fell open.

There, suspended in midair and floating eerily, was a mare with a green coat and a maroon mane and tail, the latter just barely dragging on the ground. Her eyes were closed, her face was despairing, even her orange cutie mark seemed dull. But Nova Shine could never forget Summer Blossom.

With a cry, Nova dashed forward, running toward her. He had barely gone three paces, before he collided with something, driving the wind from his lungs, and sending him to the ground. There was a wall between them, invisible until he approached, but a strange magical red barrier had suddenly materialized between the two of them.

The same color as the ruby on the pendant her captor wore.

Nova Shine began to hammer away at the wall with reckless abandon, first with his hooves, and then with his spells. Yet no matter how hard he attempted to break through, nothing seemed to even weaken the barrier between them.

“It’s no use,” came a mare’s soft voice from behind him.

Nova whirled around. Shimmer Silvermane stood there, her right side being the only part visible to him. She, too, had her eyes downturned, looking forlorn.

“Let her go!” Nova yelled at her, his horn sparking dangerously.

“I can’t,” Shimmer whispered.

“I will MAKE you, then!” he roared, before charging.

Shimmer’s horn sparked red, and Nova was catapulted back into the barrier, sliding down into a heap. Her attack had seemed effortless and had come out of nowhere. Even on this mental plane, she was well-trained and dangerous. He would have to be careful.

“And why can’t you?” he asked, staggering to his hooves. He was tired, from everything that had happened so far, from the battle going on outside this plane… he needed rest.

Shimmer Silvermane began to laugh, a mocking cackle as she threw back her mane and howled to the empty world around them.

And then she turned to face him properly.

The side that had been facing him, her left side, looked completely normal. But the right side of her face was instead that of a smoky-grey unicorn, with a shaggy black mane, a red eye, and trails of dark smoke emanating from it. Her entire right side had been supplanted with Sombra, and it almost looked as though Sombra’s half was slowly trying to spread, to consume her entirely.

It felt as though he had been punched in the gut.

“This is why,” she whispered, before trying to turn away. “I’m just as much a prisoner as she is.”

“How… how long?” Nova asked, his mouth going dry as he processed the horror in front of him.

“Almost from the moment he made me his ‘apprentice,’” Shimmer spat, turning away. “Forcibly stuck a shard of his soul in me. Now I’m just his little puppet.”

Nova stared at her, feeling that same sensation of sickness and pain well up in him that he had felt when Shimmer had gleefully revealed Summer’s fate to him. It was surprising. He had never considered Shimmer a friend, not even before he knew she was Envy. But now…

“Shimmer... “ Nova began to edge toward her.

“Don’t pity me,” she snapped, looking back with her Sombra half to give him a scathing glare.

“Shimmer, please,” Nova approached, reaching a hoof out to touch her on the shoulder. “Let me help you. Let us help you.”

She snarled, whirling around, her horn crackling. Nova was prepared this time and managed to block the attack, but that didn’t stop him from still reaching out.

“You can’t help me,” she stated, the faintest of sobs being choked back. “No one can. Don’t waste your time.”

“We can,” he replied. “We have the Elements.”

“The Elements made me like this, remember dipshit!?” She attacked again, and Nova blocked it and continued to approach her. She began to back away, seeming to trip over her own hooves in her haste. “Me, pretending to be her, they made me into an immortal shadow monster because your precious Spirit of Harmony isn’t quite as infallible as she’d like to think she is!”

“And we can still help you if you would just let us!” he pleaded, still trying to reach out.

Shimmer’s snarl deepened, and her horn began to glow even brighter than before.

“GET OUT OF MY HEAD!”

The scene changed.

He was in a different void now, surrounded by statues, all staring down at him. The sixteen previous Archmages looking down their noses at the cowering failure of a successor.

Meanwhile, a worthy heir to the title floated gracefully down from his own plinth, wanting nothing more than to drive the depth of his failure further into him. To make him know he wasn’t worthy.

“I was not gifted the position as you were. I earned it. I proved I was deserving of the mantle and could hold my own against even Celestia herself. You were given the position because they needed some excuse for keeping you around. They took pity on the helpless unicorn who refused to change with the world around him, and elevated him to a redundant position because of their charity.”

Each word plunged a knife deeper and deeper into his heart.

The scene changed again.

Sombra now loomed large over him, staring down with a satisfied smile.

“Congratulations, Lord Archmage,” he gave a sarcastic bow of his head. “Such achievements, in such a short time. Straining your relationship with your beloved, revealing your true self to your own apprentice, failing to defeat either myself or my apprentice, struggling with some of my weakest shadow-creatures, failing to pass the Trial of Black and White, and now learning that you’re going to die young. Truly, you have the makings of one of Equestria’s greatest mages. I think this calls for a reward, don’t you?”

His horn began to spark.

“You can’t protect her, Nova Shine,” came Envy’s voice, as she materialized next to her master, utterly devoid of expression.

“Protect who?” Nova demanded.

He blinked, and Gleam appeared in front of Sombra, bound in chains, neck presented.

“What-- no!” he yelled, and sprinted forward, horn brimming with magic. But every spell he fired just seemed to fizzle out entirely. What is more, with each step he took, cracks began to appear along the skin under his coat, glowing with a bright blue light. It was as if his body was tearing itself apart.

“I have no intention of harming your apprentice, Nova Shine. After all, you are the one who is going to kill her.”

The cracks were spreading, but they didn’t seem to be growing ever closer. Nova began to feel a massive spike of energy within him, growing larger and larger with each second. It was becoming too much, he had to expel the energy within him.

Desperate, he looked around wildly and found Twilight, Celestia, and Luna standing far away, looking at him with sad, but steeled expressions.

“Help me!” he shouted, holding out a hoof. “I need to save her!”

Twilight seemed to step toward him, but Celestia and Luna held her back.

“Leave him, Twilight.”

“No, let me go!” Twilight yanked herself free and began to sprint toward him.

But she never grew any closer, no matter how fast she ran, and she slowly came to a halt

“You can’t help him anymore,” Luna bowed her head. “All you will do is die with him if you try. He will drag you down with him.”

Twilight stared at him, all while he continued to hold out a hoof, desperate for someone to save him. The magical energy was becoming too much, he could almost feel it breaking through.

And then she relented, stepping back with Celestia and Luna.

“I’m sorry, Nova,” she bowed her head. “But ever since you said those things in the Crystal Empire… you’ve made me realize, you wouldn’t be a good husband, you wouldn’t be the pony I’d need at my back when I ruled.”

Nova let his hoof drop, despair overwhelming him.

Something brushed up against him. He looked down, trying to see past the nearly overwhelming light emanating from him now. Gleam had curled up next to him, looking terrified.

“Master, what are we going to do?”

“I don’t--”

“You swore you’d protect me, Master. You promised my parents.”

“I--”

“You’re going to die, and you’re going to take us all with you.”

“Gleam, please--”

But then something changed. He wasn’t pleading with Gleam anymore. He was staring at a young filly, no older than six or seven. Her coat was immaculate white, her mane and tail were a deep navy blue, and she stared at him with hopeless violet eyes.

“We’re already dead,” Glimmer shook her head. “We can’t run, we’re caught up in the great game, and now it’s over.”

“Glimmer, I’m begging you,” Nova fell to his knees. “Run. Just run away. Save yourself.”

“I can’t,” she responded dully. “I’d never get away. You’ve kept me-- you’ve kept all of us too close, and now we’re going to die because of that.”

His breath hitched.

“Goodbye, Papa.”

The power began to burst out of him, and Nova could feel himself begin to tear apart. Then, it all came exploding out--

“Gah!” Nova bolted upright in bed, throwing the covers off and making a mad dash out of his and Twilight’s bedroom and out onto the balcony, feeling himself hyperventilate with each passing moment, each gulp of the night's chill feeling like a harsh gasp for air after nearly drowning.

Behind him, he could hear Twilight mumble sleepily, but the images, the threats, everything played over in his head again, as he found himself slumped over the balcony railing for yet another night in a row. He tried desperately to remember his training with Luna to banish stray thoughts in his mind, but it was to no avail.

Make it stop make it stop make it stop make it stop make it stop

He kept it together for only a few scant seconds, but then he leaped off the balcony, falling freely toward the ground, the rush of air only a tiny comfort to the memories that played in his head. A reflexive spell fired when he was near the ground stopped him in his tracks, allowing him to step down onto the dirt as if he were simply a few inches above it.

Once he had traction, he began to canter toward the Poisoned Apple, still struggling to keep the images from overwhelming him. He bumped into buildings, into lamp posts, he stumbled over rocks in the ground, he accidentally ran into Time Turner, who was out on a late-night stroll, and he eventually shoved his way through the doors of Ponyville’s local pub and practically dragged himself into a seat, his bits purse appearing in a trice and spilling onto the bar as he collapsed over it.

Hearty Brew stared at him from behind the bar, a pitying expression on his face, and a glass tankard he had been filling sat abandoned and overflowing nearby.

“Nova…”

“What’s the strongest stuff you’ve got?” Nova asked in a low voice, in no mood to play this little game.

“I’m not giving anything to you,” Hearty shook his head. “I can’t let you keep doing this to yourself.”

“Give me something, now,” Nova lifted his head and gave him the angriest glare he could muster. “That’s an order, dammit.”

“I don’t answer to you, Lord Archmage,” Hearty shook his head again, his voice infuriatingly soft and gentle. “This won’t help you at all. You know that.”

“I don’t fucking care,” Nova whimpered, lowering his head again and clutching at it tightly as everything played in his mind once more. “I just need to forget… I can’t get them out of my head…”

Makeitstopmakeitstopmakeitstopmakeitstopmakeitstop...

Something warm wrapped itself around his back, and he jumped. His energy-sensing was going haywire all of a sudden. One moment, it couldn’t sense anyone near him, the next it sensed everything, but he still couldn’t make head or tail of it. He hadn’t even noticed that he couldn’t sense a thing since he’d woken up.

He looked back and found Twilight hugging him from behind, tears streaming down her cheeks. Turner was there behind her, watching him with that same pitying look as Hearty. Somewhere behind him, there was Big Mac running up with Pierce and Thunderlane with him. A moment later, Trixie burst in too, pushing past all of them, having clearly only just gotten out of bed. All of them were watching him.

They were trapping him inside the bar.

Nova Shine, just stop and take a breath! the omnipresent voice of King Imperius rang. You are not in your proper state of mind!

“GO AWAY!”

Nova teleported out of Twilight’s grasp, but he only went a few paces away, stumbling and falling onto his face, before he staggered back to his hooves and made a break for the staff exit.

Twilight tried to chase after him, but she wouldn’t stop him this time. He flung the first thing he could back at her. She yelped and dodged it, and it provided him with just the opportunity he needed to barge through the door, taking it off its hinges, and sprint back into the night.

Away, away, away, away, AWAY!

There were shouts behind him, they wanted him to stop, to let them pity him some more.

Someone landed in front of him, causing him to trip and fall face-first into the ground. He could feel the gravel of the ground tear into his skin, causing him to momentarily drip blood, but the overwhelming energy within him healed those wounds instantly. Ironic, that which was killing him was also healing him.

Luna was in front of him now, blocking him from continuing.

“Nova, please, let us--”

“GET AWAY!” Nova screamed, a raw blast of energy erupting from his horn and catching Luna by surprise. It didn’t hurt her, but it gave him another opportunity to dart past her and continue running away.

He didn’t even know where he was going. All he knew was that he needed to get away. Away from Twilight, away from Luna, away from the Archmage, away from the voices, away, away, away…

He ducked past a building and made a break for the end of an alley-- no, Trixie was there. He turned around trying to go back the way he came-- no, there was Luna again. He whirled a different way and started to dash, only for Twilight to land in that exit.

He was trapped on all sides, and two mares with flying capabilities were there to keep him from trying another aerial stunt. He turned every which way, trying desperately to find another way out.

Oh Nova Shine, they only want to help. Don’t flee from those who wish to bring you aid.

“Please, calm down and come back to us,” Trixie reached out.

“GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!” he roared, twisting and contorting and snarling at whoever tried to approach. “YOU CAN’T HELP ME!”

“Nova, please…” Twilight just stared at him pleadingly.

“You’re not thinking right., You’re frightened, confused, and defensive. Please, take deep breaths,” advised Luna.

They were all seeing him for what he was, now. There was no other possibility. They were seeing him for the wretch that he so desperately tried to hide. They weren’t here to help. They were here to lock him away.

“Stop…!” he warned them, backing against the wall, his horn glowing blue.

“Master?”

Nova’s heart stopped. No… anyone but her.

Bright Gleam stepped out from behind Luna, watching him with that same loathsome pitying expression. The moment their eyes met, Nova could feel his heart shatter into a thousand pieces. Luna, Twilight, and Trixie he could tolerate seeing like this, but not Gleam… not Gleam...

The two of them stared at each other, his maddened blue eyes being met with her calm green ones.

“Please,” she whispered.

She took a step forward, reaching out, just like Trixie had done.

Then another.

An image flashed in his mind. A memory of the night on the Canterhorn peak, where she did this exact same thing.

“Nova Shine… you’re dying.”

MAKEITSTOPMAKEITSTOPMAKEITSTOPMAKEITSTOPMAKEITSTOPMAKEITSTOPMAKEITSTOPMAKEITSTOP

Nova clenched his eyes shut, and with another explosive blast of sound and energy, he disappeared completely once more.

When the world returned to him an instant later, he was lying in a clearing of trees, the moon was high overhead, an overgrown jungle surrounded him, the quiet trickle of a stream sounded from somewhere nearby, and two graves sat peacefully near the water.

Nova felt his legs give way beneath him, so he was forced to crawl toward them. To the last resting places of his two friends from an age long gone…

And as he crawled, as the dream continued to play in his head, as everything once more washed over him, he broke down and began to sob once again, one more time after these last several days, and he collapsed in front of the headstones.

As he lay there crying, he could only whisper one last thing as darkness overtook him.

“What is happening to me?”

A military escort chariot descended out of the clouds, coming in for a graceful touchdown as four flying ponies managed to land in perfect sync, bringing the chariot down onto its wheels as smoothly as silk.

It was a military chariot, meaning that unlike Luna’s and Celestia’s more ceremonial carriages, open-faced, comfortable, and gilded, this chariot was shielded from the front, designed to land Very Important Ponies in the middle of a battle zone, allowing them to exit from the back with no concern of being taken out from the front. It was hard and angular, made out of lightweight wood and enchanted with all sorts of protective spells, it had only peephole windows, and it stood relatively tall compared to a normal chariot.

As soon as the chariot came to a complete stop, the two ponies strapped in the second row began to unbuckle themselves from the harnesses, sliding out of line and doing some quick stretching to alleviate some of their sorer muscles.

Lieutenant Aegis gave a tiny yawn-- he’d been up since 0545 to make preparations to come down here-- and glanced over at his fellow on the other side of the harness.

Knightmare Frigoris was rolling his shoulders now that they were free from the straps and braces that kept him fastened to the chariot’s drawer, and looked more than a little happy to be free from it.

“That wasn’t so bad,” he said cheerfully, before unbuckling the harness to be tossed back into the chariot’s back so it could be flown back up to Canterlot without it interfering.

“The trip down’s not the hard part,” Aegis replied with an amused smile. “You’ve got gravity helping you out. Try carrying three ponies going up on your own.”

“Yes, well, you used the enchanted chariot for that one, as I recall,” Frigoris reminded him. “No such luck today. Still, I do see your point about traveling downward versus upward.”

Aegis looked back toward the chariot itself, noting that their escortee hadn’t yet stepped out of it. He trotted up to the back and pulled a lever on the side. There was a rumble, and a wooden ramp fell open, revealing the sparse interior of the chariot to the outside world, as well as the sole occupant.

The mare in question was hunched over, hoof firmly stuffed in her mouth. Aegis let out a bark of laughter; not everyone was made for carriage or chariot flight, it seemed. Air-sickness was a little too common among non-flying guardsponies.

“For future reference,” he stepped in and offered a hoof to the mare, “ginger pills work great at combatting air and seasickness.”

The mare shook her head, before pushing herself up, completely disregarding his offered hoof.

“I thank you for the advice, lieutenant,” she replied in a curt voice, before descending the ramp.

She stood just a bit taller than he did, though was undeniably far more muscular. Her armor was a bright powder-blue, the color of the Crystal Guard, and the uniformity enchantment on it left her coat as a shade of purple not far off of Princess Twilight’s own coat colors. Her mane was kept hidden beneath her helmet, her tail was long and braided, and most curious of all, she had an eyepatch and a nasty and fresh-looking scar that ran underneath it.

“You didn’t need to wear your armor, ma’am,” Knightmare Frigoris approached from the opposite side. “Aren’t you on leave?”

“That is the official status on my file,” the mare replied with a slightly distasteful look. “However, I believe I am here for a similar reason to the two of you.”

“Oh, you know about that,” Frigoris grinned. “Orders from the top. Keep an eye on Mother’s favored subject. Those your orders too?”

“No, my lord Knightmare,” the mare shook her head again. “By order of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza as of this morning, while I am officially on leave to recover from the loss of my eye, I have been politely asked to serve as a protector for Apprentice Bright Gleam here in Ponyville.”

“Well well,” Aegis observed, with a tiny smirk. “All three of us received bodyguard orders this morning from our respective top authorities. What’s that idiot gone and done this time, I wonder? Thanks, lads,” he added, calling back to the ponies up front, who were shifting impatiently. Aegis pushed the wooden ramp back up with Frigoris’ help, latching it back into place, and then gave the sides of the carriage a couple of solid thumps. “Safe flight back.”

“Thank you sir!” one of them called back, with a salute.

With that, the two pegasi spread their wings and took off, leaving Aegis, Frigoris, and this new mare alone in front of the giant crystal tree castle.

“We’ve been here for a solid minute and a half now, and no one has come to greet us,” Aegis huffed. “Normally Princess Twilight sends someone to make sure visitors know she knows they’re here.”

“Maybe they’re on their way?” the mare asked.

“Unlikely,” Frigoris frowned. “This is Twilight Sparkle we are talking about. If they aren’t ten minutes early, they’re late, and that is unacceptable. She would have known we were coming, even if it was short notice, and she would have had someone waiting on us.”

“I think that means something is very much the matter, then,” Aegis immediately went into high alert, straightening up and beginning to scan the skies. “Eyes open, see if we can find someone to tell us what’s going on.”

Just as they were about to head into the town, Sharp Eye emerged from beside one of the buildings, and he looked, in Aegis’ humble opinion, a bit frantic.

“Oh, you’re all here.” He skidded to a halt, before stopping to take deep breaths. “Okay, so… Nova’s gone missing again. Everyone’s out looking for him. That’s why no one was here to meet you.”

Aegis felt his insides go cold. Beside him, Frigoris’ normally cool and stoic expression gave way for the briefest of moments to show some unease.

“Missing again?” the mare turned her one-eyed gaze toward him and Frigoris. “Does the Lord Archmage normally disappear?”

“Unfortunately,” Aegis rubbed at his left temple. “it has become an alarmingly frequent occurrence over the last couple of weeks.” He could feel a migraine setting in, and it wasn’t even lunchtime yet. Hooray.

“I wasn’t around when it happened,” Sharp Eye turned to look back into the town, “but to hear Big Mac and Princess Twilight tell it, Nova woke up sometime just before midnight, made a mad dash for the bar in a cold sweat, ran away again when everyone showed up to try and give him proper support, had a breakdown in an alleyway, and then teleported away. Search parties are combing the areas around the Everfree, but no sign of him yet, and we think he’s somewhere in there. Your marefriend’s already gone in looking for him, by the way,” he added, giving Aegis a meaningful look.

Aegis sucked in a breath, and let it out slowly through his nose. He loved Bea to death. He loved her larger-than-life personality when she was really hamming it up. He loved her wit. He loved the cute little way she would giggle after a successful performance when she knew she had rocked it. He loved how she always stood up for those she cared about. He especially loved how she fought for something she knew was right. Yes, she made mistakes, such as when she could let her vindictiveness and her rivalry with Princess Twilight get in the way, but she was, deep down, a good pony.

He did not love how reckless she could be sometimes. It was a small thing, but it was extremely concerning. He would have thought that after the adventure four years ago, she would have learned to be much more careful when it came to uncontrollable forces of chaos and/or evil, like the Everfree.

Before they could continue their conversation, there was a bright flash of white light and a brief pop! just a few paces away from them, and when it all cleared, Lord Star Swirl the Bearded stood there, dusting off his non-belled robe and looking as though he hadn’t just poofed into existence from somewhere far off.

“Lord Star Swirl,” acknowledged the crystal pony, immediately kneeling.

“Aah,” Star Swirl noticed the group and gave them all a small smile. “A welcoming party. Did Princess Twilight know I was coming here today?”

“Welcoming party?” Frigoris glanced at Aegis, who shrugged. “No sir. We only just arrived on orders from our respective princesses.”

“Did you?” Star Swirl frowned. “Then… why are you here if not to greet me? Surely Princess Twilight would have made sure that her idol was properly greeted.”

“Archmage Nova Shine has gone missing again,” the crystal pony answered. “We were ordered to come in and keep an eye on him and his apprentice, only for him to be missing the moment we got here.”

“Well, Knightmare Frigoris and I are to keep an eye on him directly, and she’s assigned to guard Bright Gleam,” Aegis clarified, gesturing at the still-genuflecting crystal pony.

“You may rise, Captain Cinnabar,” Lord Star Swirl gave her a courteous nod of the head, and she rose to her hooves. “How was the surgery?”

“Went well,” she dipped her head. “No complications in removal and cleanup. The doctors offered to magically heal the wound so that a scar wouldn’t develop and to replace my lost eye with a magical one, but I declined. I will wear the scar of my failure humbly as a lesson learned from defeat.”

“But what of your eye? Surely it would be an advantage to replace it?”

“I will adapt,” the captain shrugged.

Lord Star Swirl grunted. “And… correct me if I’m wrong, but did you say he’s gone missing again?”

“Yes, my lord,” Cinnabar nodded. “Though, I believe they would be more familiar with the first time.”

As the memories of what he’d found out about the first time rose to the surface of his mind, Aegis could feel anger start to simmer beneath the surface. He had sworn an oath of service to Equestria, but to hear that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna had withheld the knowledge that Nova Shine was dying from him made him feel sympathetic anger for his friend.

Aegis was no stranger to the concept of information sensitivity and confidentiality. He was, after all, a military servicepony. But when he had finally learned exactly what Nova was dying from, namely arcane oversaturation, as well as the end result of crossing the max capacity threshold, he had found himself quadruply angry at the two diarchs he was sworn to serve.

It was one thing for Nova to have it kept hidden from him that he was going to die of something none of them knew much about how to stop. It was another thing entirely to hide the fact that Nova Shine was a literal walking catastrophe with a fuse who knows how long.

“Lieutenant?”

Someone was shaking his shoulder. He blinked, returning to full alertness. Frigoris was giving him a light jostle, though he could see understanding and sympathy in the thestral’s eyes.

“Would you prefer I tell him?”

Aegis sucked in a breath, letting it out slowly, the winter mist dissipating inches away from his face as he fought to keep his anger in check. He was on duty. He could vent his frustrations later.

“Princess Celestia and Princess Luna failed to disclose to Nova Shine that he was suffering from arcane oversaturation, Lord Star Swirl,” he stated, perhaps a little bit too forcefully. “To hear Princess Twilight tell it, Nova Shine has been made aware that he is dying.”

The moment he said the words “arcane oversaturation”, Lord Star Swirl let out a long breath of his own.

“...I see,” he finally said. shutting his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Did you know, sir?” Aegis asked sharply.

“I did not,” Lord Star Swirl gave a light shake of his head. “When I was brought back from Limbo along with the other Pillars and Stygian, I could sense that Nova Shine had grown exponentially more powerful than when we parted ways over a thousand years ago, but when I learned it was because he was being trained as the Archmage, I believed that was the explanation. However…” He frowned deeply, turning his gaze toward Canterlot. “Now, some of the small inconsistencies with that explanation make more sense.”

“You do not seem troubled by this,” noted Frigoris, his yellow eyes narrowing somewhat. “Nova Shine suffered a full breakdown and fled Canterlot entirely when he heard the news.”

“How long has he had this condition?” Lord Star Swirl did not look back from the silhouette of the mountainside city off in the distance. “And how long has he known about it?”

“Sir,” Captain Cinnabar spoke up. “I believe he first learned of it after the scuffle on the path to Mount Glacia in the Crystal Empire. Nova Shine was lightly wounded in a battle against three Nuckelavees but all of his abrasions were gone within seconds, having completely healed themselves.”

“Aaaah,” Lord Star Swirl nodded slowly. “Advanced arcane oversaturation. And now more things make even more sense. Yes, I think the Princesses and I are due a little conversation.”

Aegis shivered. There was just something about how he said that.

“But to address your observation, Knightmare, no, I am not troubled by this,” he shook his head and returned his attention to them. “Arcane oversaturation that has advanced to the point of a healing factor is dangerous, but it is treatable. More importantly, there are also ways of removing the condition, depending on how he got it in the first place.”

“Where have you been?” Aegis asked, glaring suspiciously at the Pillar. “The Archmage’s breakdown has been big news for the last several days. He’s been formally issued a censure by the House of Nobles for no-call-no-showing two sessions, the tabloids have latched onto this story a little too gleefully, and now he’s gone completely AWOL twice in the span of two weeks! This is hardly something easily missable.”

“I have been out of the country entirely, Lieutenant,” answered Lord Star Swirl, his tone still patient despite Aegis’ seething. “If you must know, I have spent the last several days in the Old Lands, excavating my old aeries from the magical ice that still covers Dream Valley. I have, quite literally, only been back in Equestria for a few hours at most.”

Captain Cinnabar tilted her head.

“Correct me if I am wrong, my lord, but does a voyage by sea to the Blasted Lands not take several days anymore?”

“With modern ships, no,” Lord Star Swirl shook his head again, the sunlight glittering off of his dancing silver beard. “Even so, I did not need such a ship. Instead, per Princess Celestia’s request, I hired an airship captain, an avian by the name of Celaeno, to fly me into teleportation range, and when it was time to journey back, I contacted her again for the return trip.”

Captain Cinnabar grunted in acknowledgment.

“I believe we have dallied long enough,” Lord Star Swirl turned to the Everfree Forest. “Let us go and find our wayward Archmage.”

“Can you not teleport all of us to him, my lord?”

“No, captain, I cannot. Teleporting one pony across such a vast distance is already quite the task, even for one such as myself. To teleport four across a great distance, without even considering the wild and unpredictable magic that the Everfree Forest houses, is beyond my capabilities.”

Aegis felt the tiniest flare-up of energy from Lord Star Swirl at that, and he couldn’t help but give him a sideways glance. Why wasn’t energy-sensing standard training procedure? With Lord Ray Novus’ help in learning the technique, he had himself quite the leg up from the average guard in terms of environmental awareness compared to others. He wondered, though, if his sense was quite as attuned as Nova’s was. If it was, then it meant that Lord Star Swirl had lied just the tiniest amount. If it wasn’t, then it was probably a greater lie that he had noticed.

Lord Star Swirl noticed. “Something the matter, Lieutenant?”

“Permission to speak freely, sir?”

“I am not your superior, but granted all the same.”

“You lied,” he replied curtly.

“I did,” Lord Star Swirl conceded. “I do have that capability, but only after several steps have been taken to prepare.”

No flare-up that time.

“I see.”

The five of them set out after that. Aegis couldn’t help but wonder how odd they looked. One of the most powerful unicorns in history, a Lieutenant of the Peacekeepers, a Knightmare, a Crystal Guard, and an unaffiliated bounty hunter, all trekking toward the worst place in Equestria that didn’t involve imprisoning eldritch abominations.

They passed through the town before finding themselves on the path that led into the forest. Miss Fluttershy’s cottage sat in the distance near that animal sanctuary Sharp Eye said she’d been working on with Discord, and Aegis frowned at the sight of it.

“Sharp Eye?”

“Yeah?” the bounty hunter looked over. “What’s up?”

“How did you and Miss Fluttershy break up again?”

“Amicably,” Sharp Eye shrugged. “We wanted different things out of life. She had this desire to ‘tame’ me, to get me to settle down, and be a stable coltfriend. Problem is, that’s not me.” He shook his head. “I like the hunt too much to settle down. We talked about it, we realized we were at an impasse, we agreed to end things there, and that was that.” He eyed Aegis curiously. “Why do you ask? Troubles with Trixie?”

“No,” Aegis shook his own head. “It’s just… you two did seem quite in love. And now you aren’t together. Nova and Twilight seem to be in some kind of rocky ground right now--”

“That’s putting it mildly,” Cinnabar muttered, eliciting a bark of laughter from Star Swirl. Aegis ignored them.

“--and I can’t help but wonder if there’s even the slightest chance it happens to them too.”

“Nah.” Sharp Eye’s response was immediate and assertive. “It’s a rough patch, sure, but they’re made for each other. Now, they may need a break,” he admitted with a shrug, “but who doesn’t need time to cool their heads every so often?”

“Bea and I,” Aegis replied immediately.

Sharp Eye snorted. They had entered the forest now. The dry trampled dirt paths had given way to damp muddy ground almost instantly, and all five of them found themselves reflexively lifting their hooves even higher with each step to free them from the muck.

“You mean to tell me that never once has she gotten on your nerves and you’d needed your distance for a moment?”

Aegis grit his teeth behind his closed mouth. No, Bea hadn’t done that, but she had come close a few times. More so in the earlier days of the relationship, before they’d felt each other out and she’d started spending more time in Ponyville around Starlight, Maud Pie, Mudbriar, and now Sunburst.

“Your silence speaks volumes,” Sharp Eye turned his gaze back forward.

“Forgive me,” Cinnabar spoke up. “You are the bounty hunter Sharp Eye, yes?”

“I am,” Sharp Eye nodded. “Good to know my reputation precedes me.”

“Your cutie mark suggests that your talent is finding ponies, correct?”

“Finding anything, really, but yeah,” Sharp Eye dipped his head.

“Then why are you not involved in the search for Nova Shine?”

“‘Cuz Princess Twilight and Trixie wanted to look for him alone,” he replied. “Though now you mention it… they didn’t tell me where they were going, or where they expected Nova to be.”

“Not to worry,” Lord Star Swirl took the lead of the group. “I’ve sensed him. I believe he is… hmm.”

“Where is he?” Aegis asked, scanning the forest around them.

“In his old house, I believe. Or rather,” Lord Star Swirl amended, “in the place his old home used to be. One of his last places where he felt safe and at peace before his life changed.”

“I don’t understand,” Captain Cinnabar frowned.

“No, I don’t expect you will,” replied Lord Star Swirl somewhat airily, “but then, few can quite understand the mind of Nova Shine. He is a complex and yet fragile creature, easily upset, and will often flee to someplace he feels he is safe when he has been disturbed. However, he is also strong, intelligent, and above all else, devoted to those he cares about, and he will fight to the bitter end and beyond for them.”

“How can he be fragile and strong at the same time?” Aegis asked, snorting.

“My dear Aegis,” Lord Star Swirl gave him a critical look, “surely with you courting my descendant you could grasp that sometimes, apparent contradictions aren’t truly contradictory?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means,” Star Swirl was infuriatingly patient about all of this, “that despite Beatrix’s aloof stage personality, despite her braggart nature, and despite the petty grudge she carries against Twilight Sparkle, she is utterly devoted to those she cares about, far less self-aggrandizing than it would seem, and above all, willing to make peace. All of those traits seem like they shouldn’t exist in the same pony, and yet they do.”

He turned back and gave Aegis a searching look.

“Nova Shine is much the same. I have seen it myself. His severe lack of self-confidence is concerning, and it is something I believe we all see, but when Nova Shine has even the tiniest amount of belief in himself, he can do wonders.”

They walked in silence for several more paces, Lord Star Swirl leading them off the roads and into the forest proper, guided by something best known to him. Aegis could never sense anything in these damned trees. Too much latent magic in the air, nothing but false alarms, phantoms, and the occasional leftover plunder vine that snapped at them before Lord Star Swirl drained it of its chaos energy.

After nearly half-an-hour of trotting, during which time Aegis had been completely befuddled by the appearance of snarling angry trees, a seemingly docile manticore that ran forward and received some happy rubs behind its ears from Sharp Eye, and a strangely-flamboyant sea serpent, Lord Star Swirl led them completely off the trail. They were in the deeper parts of the forest now, getting close to the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters, and Aegis couldn’t help but wonder what fresh horror awaited them.

The next fresh horror on the scene, it turned out, was a white unicorn sitting with his back to them in the middle of an uninteresting clump of trees and bushes, his blue mane a disheveled mess and his tail splayed out behind him, with Princess Twilight Sparkle on one side, Apprentice Bright Gleam on the other, and Bea sitting in front of him, all three of the mares hugging him tightly while he shook under their tangle of limbs.

At the sight of him, Lord Star Swirl bowed his head.

The moment the five of them entered the area, they could all see Nova tense, before his head snapped around.to glare at them all, nearly catching Bea’s face in the process.

Aegis felt dismayed at the sight of him. His eyes were bloodshot, with dried tears, mud, and other detritus caked or caught in the coat hairs on his face, his mane was far more of a mess than usual, his eyelids were drooping, which rendered his attempts to glare at them completely undermined, and he just looked so tired.

Not just physically exhausted, but tired of living. Nova Shine looked ready to give in and die.

“What the fuck’s happened?” he shoved his way past Star Swirl none-too-gently.

Nova tensed and made to extricate himself from the mares’ embrace. His horn sparked dangerously, which caused all of them to flinch back or in Star Swirl’s case, even conjure up a shield just in case, but fast as lightning, Aegis’ hoof shot forward and grazed Nova’s horn right at the tip, where a unicorn was at their most sensitive.

Aegis hadn’t struck to hurt Nova at all, and he doubted this would do anything more than what it was intended to do, but the fact that he still had to defend himself like this against his best friend was enough to cause him to start shaking too.

Nova let out a gasp as the hold over his magic faltered, and he shuddered. At once, Aegis grabbed him by the shoulders and held him at eye level.

“Don’t make me do that again, you blithering idiot!” he shouted, giving the damned fool a shake. “Do you have any idea what I’m capable of?”

“Aegis!” barked Bea, and both Princess Twilight and Apprentice Gleam moved away.

“If you go berserk again, I’m going to have to resort to far more painful ways of getting you to calm down,” he pressed on, Nova wincing and cringing with each syllable he yelled, “and do you have any idea how much it would hurt me to have to hurt you!?”

“Aegis, stop!”

“You have to go and scare us all to death, not once but twice, and now I’ve been assigned to keep watch over you, and I’m starting to wonder just who it is I’m supposed to be protecting!”

Bea shoved him away, causing him to stumble into the other four he’d come with, but he pushed past her once more.

“Do you have any idea what it would do to me if I had to actually hurt you?”

Aegis fell into his friend, pulling him close and hugging Nova with every ounce of strength he had.

“I’m sorry for shouting, I really am,” he whispered, giving Nova a squeeze, but Nova remained tense underneath. “I’m just so fucking worried about you, and I’m trying to stay calm and level-headed, and then you prepare a spell to do who-knows-what in the Everfree Forest, and my instincts kicked in. Nova, don’t scare me like that again!”

Gradually, Nova Shine relaxed, but before he could try to worm his way out of Aegis’ grasp, suddenly all three of the mares in Nova’s life had descended on them and were hugging him just as fiercely as they were before. Nova, however, seemed to have had enough of this, and with a tiny pop of light, he teleported away.

For the briefest of moments, Aegis panicked, wondering where he had warped off to this time, only to turn around and see that he was staggering to his hooves and wiping himself off. Nova didn’t look the least bit comforted, but the fact that he wasn’t running away was a baby step in the right direction.

Lord Star Swirl approached him, his posture infinitely more gentle than Aegis’ particularly aggressive dash had been.

“How are you feeling?” he asked softly, looking Nova up and down.

“Like sunshine and butterflies, how the fuck do you think I’m feeling?” Nova spat, looking away.

Aegis could feel Princess Twilight cringe slightly when he’d said it, but Lord Star Swirl looked neither surprised nor offended by this.

“Tell me, Nova Shine,” he sat down, letting Nova’s barb go unchallenged, “what has gotten you into such a state?”

Nova let out a growl but didn’t answer.

“He learned that he’s got--”

Lord Star Swirl held out a hoof toward Princess Twilight to stop her response. “I know what he’s learned, but I want to hear it from him, Princess. Oftentimes, the way one answers a question can be infinitely more illuminating than the answer itself.”

“Fuck off,” Nova growled again, reflexively curling up. “Just leave me alone.”

Lord Star Swirl again didn’t so much as blink.

“I see,” he finally said, bowing his head in understanding. “You are afraid to die.”

“Fuck off!” Nova snarled back, baring his teeth this time, and his horn sparking dangerously. Aegis felt instinct kick in once more and he at once leaped to a combat-ready position, but Lord Star Swirl held a hoof out to stop him before he could act.

“No, Lieutenant,” Lord Star Swirl shook his head, his eyes never leaving Nova’s.

“But sir, he’ll--”

“I said no, Lieutenant,” he repeated, giving Aegis the briefest of warning looks. “Archmage Nova Shine is in my care.”

“Stop trying to help me!” Nova shouted, his mane and tail beginning to be tossed about by an unseen wind. “I don’t want your help! You CAN’T help!”

“Do you know so little about arcane oversaturation, Nova Shine?” Lord Star Swirl tilted his head, his eyebrows briefly twitching downward. “You do know that if you expend more magical energy than you replenish, your Source will eventually right itself, don’t you?”

“Oh wow, I never thought of that, everything is all better now!” Nova jeered, putting on a mocking smile before it dropped to be replaced by pure scathing venom. “Do you really think we hadn’t considered that!?”

Now Lord Star Swirl looked completely confused. “Are you suggesting that your arcane oversaturation is different from a typical variety?”

There was a blur of pink, and all of a sudden, Bright Gleam had taken up a position between Lord Star Swirl and Nova, as though she were shielding her master from the elder.

“It was Harmonia,” she stated, giving her master a piteous glance. “She called it a ‘gift’.”

Lord Star Swirl’s mouth parted, and his eyes widened, but after a long moment, even he seemed to sag by a fraction. “...Ah,” he finally grunted. “Now everything falls into place.”

He strode forward, stepping around Gleam, and offered a hoof to Nova Shine.

“My Lord Archmage,” he lowered himself down to Nova’s level, where Nova was shying away from him, “I apologize. I understand the cause of your pain now. Would you kindly allow me to help you?”

“Y-you can’t.”

“Not how I’d thought, this is true, but I can.”

“It’s terminal.”

“And what are you going to do until then?” Lord Star Swirl asked. It was mostly gentle, but Aegis could hear the edge in his voice. It was a challenge. “Is this how you want to die, Nova Shine? Is this how you want to be remembered?”

Nova hissed, but Lord Star Swirl pressed on.

“Would you rather die this way, piteously and pathetically, throwing away the possibility? Or would you rather try to save yourself, even if it won’t work?”

Aegis, having known Nova for far longer than Lord Star Swirl, fully expected Nova to tell him to fuck off yet again and go right back to moping. After all, this was the same Nova who’d spent ten years obstinately refusing to see reason that his father wasn’t snooping through their exchanged encrypted letters,

But Nova didn’t do that. Instead, Nova surprised him.

He still looked like a total mess; it wasn’t like he had a complete 180 and suddenly looked ready to take on the world. But he still nodded glumly, he still wiped himself off as best he could, and he still started to trot ever so slowly back the way the five of them had come, not even acknowledging anyone as he did so.

Twilight and Gleam immediately trotted after him, with Frigoris and Sharp Eye on their tail. Captain Cinnabar followed suit, hurrying to fall in step next to Gleam, who seemed quite pleased to be reunited with someone she knew. Lord Star Swirl watched them all go, while Aegis and Bea hung back.

“You shouldn’t have been so harsh with him,” Bea immediately poked him in the side with a hoof none-too-gently. “He doesn’t respond well to getting shouted at.”

“He could have done anything with that spell,” Aegis defended, letting her be mad at him. She did have a point, considering how well he’d responded to Lord Star Swirl. “I was just doing my job, protecting everyone here from him, and him from himself, but... “ He clenched his teeth for a moment. “I’m… afraid, Bea.”

“You, afraid?” Bea asked. Aegis wasn’t sure if she was actually making fun of him or trying to play it off. “You’re never afraid of things. You getting angry just now is about as much emotion as I’ve seen out of you in years, Aegis.”

“Guard training calls for keeping a level head,” Aegis shrugged. “But what if he goes off again? I’ve been sent to keep an eye on him. But the part that isn’t being said out loud is that I’m also out here to protect everyone from him. And… what if I have to?”

“Nova is a lot of things, but he’d never hurt anyone if he could help it,” she shook her head. Aegis wished he could have Bea’s confidence about this.

“A little firmness is needed from time to time,” Lord Star Swirl stated, watching the crowd of ponies make their way back toward Ponyville, “but never underestimate the power of a gentle touch at the right time. Beatrix, Lieutenant, should we return to the town?”

“Um… it’s Trixie, Mister Star Swirl.”

“Hm? Oh, my apologies,” he tipped his hat toward her, “as long as you remember that it’s Star Swirl, not Mister Star Swirl.”

Aegis snorted. “Yeah, let’s get out of here. Bea hates this place.”

“Aegis does too.”

“Dealing with murderous shadow ponies will do that to you.”

Lord Star Swirl chuckled, something that just seemed to give Aegis a lot more of a reason to relax after the last several minutes. “Very well then. Let’s be off. As it happens, I’ve been meaning to have a nice conversation with the two of you…”

About two hours later back in Ponyville, Nova Shine had done as asked, and the change in his demeanor, while not a total 180, was still apparent. Where before, he had tensed and fled when ponies were getting too close, here he seemed indifferent to Starlight, Spike, Trixie, and Twilight constantly trying to encourage him. Lord Star Swirl patiently waited in the Cutie Map chamber, watching Nova plod his way through, while Aegis and Frigoris took up positions outside.

It wasn’t even close to a return to normal, but it was a start. Recovery would come with time.

When he was finally finished and ready to hear what Lord Star Swirl had to say, he stepped into the meeting room, leaving Frigoris and Aegis at the door. Twilight could still see a distant, forlorn look behind his eyes, and she wondered how much attention he was going to pay in this meeting.

“Ah, time to talk about the reason for my visit,” Lord Star Swirl said as the two of them entered to find Gleam already in the room, sitting at Rainbow Dash’s seat and looking equal parts nervous and excited (what was it Pinkie had called this mood? Nervous-cited?). Twilight suppressed a chuckle, it must have been a dream of hers to speak with someone like Lord Star Swirl alone, considering how much Gleam looked up to her and Nova. “I hope you do not mind, but I am commandeering your cutie map, as it has the most delightful ability to display what I need it to,” he grinned, tapping the map, which shifted and shimmered, before settling on an image of an older, beautiful, and powerful Bright Gleam wearing a Supermare costume, cape mane and tail billowing behind her as she flew through the air. “Now then, what we will be discussing today is something of paramount importance, and as I said,” he inclined his head to Nova, who only seemed to be half-paying attention, “it brings with it a slim hope for your survival.”

His horn glowed white, and the image of SuperGleam faded. In its place was a replica of the charts that Gleam had found in Sombra’s laboratory.

“I have been able to piece together what Sombra has been aiming to do, and I have managed to discover what his true goal is,” Star Swirl said, a grave note in his voice. “The Shadow-King intends to assemble the Crown of Life and use its power at the epicenter of Harmonic Convergence.”

Twilight shivered, a faint chill appearing at the base of her spine. She had heard those names before, even earlier than when they were in Canterlot several days ago. They danced just beyond the limits of her memory, perhaps half-forgotten from a book or an off-hoof mention from a professor at the School for Gifted Unicorns.

“Ominous,” observed Nova, brow twitching.

“Quite,” Star Swirl inclined his head again. “Know you, what these are?”

“Aside from the Crown on a conceptual level, no,” Nova shook his head. “Is it an Eternity Peytral sort of thing?”

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand,” Lord Star Swirl gave him an odd look. “An Eternity Peytral, what is that?”

“Silver peytral that can harness the six Eternity Stones,” Gleam answered automatically, a look of geeky delight crossing her face. “It’s from Marevel Comics!”

“Is it a piece of armor that means next to nothing on its own, but when imbued with several artifacts of power, its wielder becomes perhaps the most powerful being in the universe?” Lord Star Swirl asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Uhh, yeah actually,” Gleam nodded slowly. “Why? Is that what the Crown of Life is?”

“In essence, yes,” Lord Star Swirl nodded. “As its name implies, it is a crown, and it was crafted by one of the arcanosmiths of the ancient Alicorn Empire.”

The charts vanished, replaced by the black circlet Ce-- she had shown them before revealing the terrible truth to Nova.

“It is forged of orichalcum, one of the most valuable metals in the world. What do you know of orichalcum?”

“It’s the perfect arcane conductor metal,” Twilight recited off the top of her head. This had definitely been something she’d heard at the school. “Unlike typical metals, which conduct arcane energy but lose energy to ambient radiation, orichalcum does not radiate any magical energy away, making it the perfect channel for any magic-powered tools.”

“Correct,” Lord Star Swirl gave her an approving smile. “Most of the orichalcum in use today was salvaged in some way from alicorn ruins. It was they who mined and shaped the metal, and because of their sheer saturation with magical ability, orichalcum was as common a material in their buildings and crafts as marble is in Canterlot. So it should be no surprise that orichalcum was used to craft this crown as well. The crown is designed to harness the power of all three of the Gems of Being at once.”

Three eerily glowing jewels appeared in the hologram. One blue, one green, and the red gem of the Alicorn Amulet, before each gem floated into a socket. Green on the wearer’s right, Red in the center, and blue on the left.

“Now,” the crown continued to slowly spin in midair for their gazes, “Bright Gleam, a test of your knowledge.”

Gleam sat up a little straighter and faced Lord Star Swirl more attentively, having been staring at the crown with a distant expression. “Yes sir?”

“What are the three Aspects of Life?”

Gleam scrunched her nose, before sliding out of Rainbow Dash’s throne and starting to pace around the room, reaching up and rubbing around her horn. Twilight suppressed a chuckle at the sight of it. How long had she been mimicking that particular tic of Nova’s?

“I know this, I know this…” she muttered to herself. “Professor Witty talked about it.”

“Do you need a hint?” Star Swirl asked kindly.

“No, I… I think I know.” She scrunched even harder, before giving him a glance. “It’s… body, mind, and soul, right?”

“Correct!” Lord Star Swirl beamed. “Now, let’s look a little bit deeper. Body, mind, and soul are easy enough names to remember, but they aren’t entirely accurate descriptors. Think a little beneath the surface, beyond what is readily apparent. Beneath body, beneath mind, and beneath soul, there is something else that they each represent. What are they?”

Gleam scrunched her muzzle again and resumed pacing, still massaging around her horn. Twilight chanced a glance in Nova’s direction to see him watching her every step, his eyes glued to her massaging hoof, an oddly misty expression on his face. She snuck over and draped a wing across his back, and when he leaned back into her, she couldn’t help the mushy smile.

“Mind is… Thought?”

“Or Reason, but yes.” Lord Star Swirl nodded, giving her an approving smile. Gleam seemed to gain in confidence at that.

“Body is Strength.”

“Mm-hmm.”

“And Soul is Will.”

“Yes,” Lord Star Swirl clapped his hooves lightly. “You have yourself a fine apprentice, Lord Archmage,” he cast Nova an affirming grin. “Yes, Bright Gleam. Strength, Thought, and Will. It is these aspects, these components, as it were, that we search for to determine if something has life. If a creature has Strength and Will, but no Thought, then what are they?”

“A golem,” Gleam answered, now radiating confidence in her education. “It cannot think for itself. It recognizes its own existence and has many wants, yet possesses a total desire to follow any given instructions completely.”

“Now, what about Strength and Thought, but no Will?”

“An automaton,” Gleam replied. “It can think and it can act, but it typically has no sense of self and no desires of its own.”

“Precisely. And finally… Thought and Will but no Strength?”

“A spirit. Unable to interact with the world of the living, yet it exists and can speak, think, and recognize itself.”

“Quite the apprentice indeed,” Star Swirl beamed even brighter. “Put all three together the right way, and you have life as we know it. Now, how is this all relevant?”

“The Gem in the Alicorn Amulet is called the Gem of Soul, right?” Twilight raised a hoof, feeling a slight tinge of jealousy that Bright Gleam was earning a lot of praise from her idol. “And when Trixie used it, it granted her tremendous magical ability, but it made her mentally unstable. This would imply that the other two gems are the Gem of Mind and the Gem of Body, and that they similarly enhance one of these aspects about the gem’s wielder while corrupting another.”

“Astute extrapolation, Princess,” Lord Star Swirl gave her a nod, which gave Twilight a nice, warm, giddy feeling. “Yes, the three Gems of Being all interlink with each other in this way. Soul enhances magical ability and causes madness. In short, it strengthens the Soul and weakens the Mind. The Gem of Mind grants its wielder great and terrible knowledge and mental acumen, but the body withers away as the knowledge overwhelms the beholder, whose body is so limited. In short, it strengthens the Mind but weakens the Body. Finally, the Gem of Body grants its wielder immense physical strength, health, and a multitude of other benefits, yet it eats at its wielder’s soul until they are nothing but a husk of a being, untouched and untouchable by the magics of the land. It strengthens the Body, but weakens the Soul.”

“So what happens when someone wields all three of them at once?” croaked Nova, turning his gaze back to the rotating crown.

“The strengths of the gems nullify any weaknesses, but the weaknesses do not counteract the strengths. The whole is greater than the sum of the individual parts,” Lord Star Swirl answered, turning to face the crown as well. “In short, the wearer of the Crown of Life becomes immensely powerful physically, magically, and mentally. They are able to wield the raw, destructive power of these gems in their entirety, reap all of the benefits, and suffer none of their drawbacks. And with the power of all three gems at their disposal, they become a walking god-like entity. On its own, this makes it terrifying enough to even think about in Sombra’s hooves, but then we consider the second portion of his plan: Harmonic Convergence.”

The crown shimmered, and then faded away, replaced instead by the charts again. The one depicting the seven planets of the Celestian System, orbiting the star Celeste for which it, and she, was named.

“Harmonic Convergence is an event that happens precisely every ten-thousand years, as the planets of the Celestian System enter a natural alignment--”

“Seems awfully convenient,” scoffed Nova. Twilight nudged him, hopefully getting across a point of not being rude.

“Yes, I suppose it does seem like a perfectly round number making it seem quite unlikely that the universe could work that way, doesn’t it?” admitted Lord Star Swirl. Twilight then felt the strangest sensation, the same she usually did whenever Pinkie went off on these long tangents about whoever these mysterious “readers” were, as if they were being directly addressed. “But then, perhaps you are looking at it the wrong way, Nova Shine. After all, we still use the dating system the Alicorns invented, even though our years are out of alignment. The Elysian Standard was devised by the astronomers of the Alicorn Empire, and was oriented specifically to subdivide the time between Harmonic Convergences in such a way that they were equivalent and easy to keep track of. Year One of the Elysian standard, at least from what modern-day archaeologists have been able to piece together, was implemented nineteen-thousand nine-hundred-ninety-nine years ago.”

Nova blinked, his mouth parting suddenly. “But that… that would imply that--”

“--Harmonic Convergence is this year!” finished Gleam.

“Yes,” Lord Star Swirl nodded, frowning. “Harmonic Convergence will take place on the Date of the New Year, according to the Alicorn Calendar, which is just under one year from now.”

“Okay, so… what is it, exactly?” asked Nova, frowning. “Sounds like it’s a pretty big deal if the Alicorn Empire oriented their entire calendar around it and it involves planetary alignment.”

“Because it is quite the big deal, Nova Shine,” Lord Star Swirl turned to the table once more. The planets of the Celestian System replaced the charts, and the planets started in a position where they were all in alignment, and then they began to orbit Celeste at a high speed. “When the seven planets are in alignment, a surge of cosmic energy is generated from the arcane ley lines on each planet being in sync. The point of impact when it arrives at Equus is a place known as the Wellspring, a veritable fount of mana that reaches directly into the manastream that encircles the world beneath its crust. As we all know, mana is simply condensed and liquefied magical energy, and so when this great surge of energy comes barreling at the planet...”

The planets stopped spinning in perfect alignment, and the hologram began to zoom in on Equus, the second planet in the system, as a massive cloud of energy began to fly from the furthest planet toward Celeste, growing in density and intensity as it grew closer to Equus. The illustration zoomed in close to the planet’s North Pole, where they saw a large city, built on an icy plain, sitting on a cliffside that overlooked a large hole in the world’s surface at exactly the magnetic pole of the planet.

The cloud of energy began to approach. However, from the hole, there came a great rush of magical energy from within the planet itself that blasted outward, meeting the cosmic energy directly and creating a massive explosion of light and color that spread out over the area of the icy flatlands.

Lord Star Swirl continued, watching the scene unfold just as raptly as they were. “The magical energy that moves within our planet rushes out to protect this world from the harmful energy rushing toward it. The two opposing energies clash above the Wellspring, and this clash causes a massive burst of energy to blanket the region for hundreds of miles in each direction before the cosmic energy has passed the planet and continues its movement toward Celeste. The energy that has now blanketed the planet is eventually absorbed into the manastream and becomes even more of the planet’s natural energy. In a manner of speaking, every ten-thousand years, the world becomes even more magical than it was the previous cycle.”

“Okay, I think we see the ‘convergence’ part,” Nova frowned. “What about the ‘harmonic’?”

Lord Star Swirl chuckled. “For two reasons. First, the two energies that meet are drawn to each other. On meeting, they clash with each other, blanketing the world with their effects, before the cosmic energy eventually harmonizes with the planet’s magic. Second, because all of the mana within the world, all of the planet’s reserves of harmonic energy, converges on the North Pole in preparation for this event. And now, how is this relevant?”

“That much mana in one place…” Twilight felt a mixture of dread and exhilaration well up inside of her. Imagine, to be in a place with that much magical energy! “It must be like… like…”

“Like what?” Gleam looked between her and Lord Star Swirl, confused.

“Having that much magical energy in one place magnifies the power of all spells that are cast,” Lord Star Swirl explained. “A unicorn that could lift up a boulder with relative ease with their telekinesis would discover that they would find crushing rocks to be nothing short of a breeze. They could take hold of a mountain and throw it into the sea, and be none the worse for wear. Under the effects of Harmonic Convergence, a normal unicorn becomes a juggernaut. And a master, or perhaps… an Archmage?” Lord Star Swirl added meaningfully, staring straight at Nova, who had his eyes locked onto the city at the edge of the Wellspring.

“An Archmage could become a god, for so short a time.”

Nova said nothing, continuing to stare at the city arrayed out in the hologram before he finally looked up.

“That city… that’s Elysium, isn’t it.”

It wasn’t a question. Twilight remembered seeing the map in Sombra’s laboratory. Now she knew why it was there.

“It is,” Lord Star Swirl nodded. “It was given many names and titles in its time as the capital of the Alicorn Empire. It wasn’t the original capital, oddly enough Canterlot now stands where their city of I Yesse used to be, but once the Alicorns declared themselves to be the Masters of the World in their pride and hubris, and built themselves a city near the Wellspring itself, it only made sense for a race such as they to have their seat of power be in so sacred a place.”

The hologram changed once more, zooming in on the city itself. Twilight had never seen architecture like this. Buildings were geometrically impossible, made into twisting shapes, the products of intricate designs, weaving in and around each other like a tapestry of its own.

Each building reached high toward the heavens, but nothing matched the centerpiece, what could only be the city’s palace. A truly imposing structure, it had to be at least twice as tall as the Crystal Spire, maybe it was even tall enough to reach Lower Canterlot from ground level. There were no additional towers, no walls, just the one singular spire, the artistry of its exterior literally carved into it.

“This city looks so detailed,” Twilight trotted over to the hologram and scrutinized it. “It’s almost like... “

“Like I’ve seen it with my own eyes,” Lord Star Swirl nodded, his voice going low. “And I have. The Crown of the World is a difficult place to journey to, much less to survive in, and Elysium was built at its heart. The seas are icy and treacherous, with glaciers and bergs so thick that not even Equestria’s most powerful icebreaker ships could carve a passage. And over land the only way there is to pass through the Frozen Maw, the perilous mountains that form the northern border of Yakyakistan. The peaks reach so high that no dirigible could ever hope to ascend beyond them without freezing from the sheer cold. Modern technology has made it a possibility,” he inclined his head to Twilight, “as airships equipped with a Dragonfire Ring could ascend above the peaks for a short time while counteracting the cold inherently, but it is still a fool’s errand if one does not know what they are doing.”

“So how did you do it?” Nova asked.

Lord Star Swirl smirked. “It turns out, Lord Archmage, that being magically accomplished has its advantages. It is a trivial matter for one such as I, or you and Twilight, to warm themselves and to create a bubble of breathable air when climbing up to such a height to find a pass between two peaks. However, the journey through the mountains must be made on hoof, you cannot simply teleport your way across. All magic must be conserved because merely crossing the Frozen Maw or the seas is only the beginning.”

Lord Star Swirl’s smirk vanished and his gaze became distant, almost as if he were staring right through everything in the room.

“It’s like a barren alien world up there,” his voice grew deathly quiet. “The winds are always blowing, bringing the wind chill down to well below Zero. There are no plants of any kind to forage. The sky blazes with the light of three suns, with a halo of light calling to you from the wild blue yonder. In the winter nights, colorful dancing lights decorate the skies. The magnetics and the magical energy saturating the air are so intertwined and so volatile that traditional compasses can no longer be trusted, and magnetic north could be anywhere. The landscape is barren and featureless, save for the horizon, which never grows closer no matter how far you trot. You could leave hoofprints in the ground, and they would be gone in seconds as the wind and the snow filled them in. You may think you know where you are, but you will always be lost. The Crown of the World is a hopeless, desolate plain of ice, cold, and fear. And I have journeyed across it several times.”

The distant look grew a mix of somber and haunted. Twilight shivered. Never once had she even imagined she could see Lord Star Swirl, the most influential pony in all of magical history, look so scared.

If this was how he was reacting to the mere memory of this place, how terrifying was it in reality?

“I have been to Elysium,” he whispered. “It was there that I witnessed the fall of my second apprentice. It was in that haunted city that Prince Luxius of the Crystal Empire, the half-unicorn half-crystal pony son of King Crystallis and his unicorn wife Amore, driven mad with grief over the coup that murdered his father and exiled him, turned his magic upon me when I went after him. In his madness, he had chased after a vague whisper of power kept within this forbidden city. I came to him to try and turn him from this course, to try and rescue him from the horror he was chasing.”

He shut his eyes and bowed his head.

“Our battle was cataclysmic, yet the city remained untouched, protected by alicorn stasis magic that remained strong even millennia past their civilization’s collapse. And in the end, corrupted by his rage and grief, Luxius threw away his name, ‘light-bringer’, and assumed the name Sombra.”

He took a deep breath, and Twilight was startled to see the tiniest of shudders as he inhaled, before he opened his eyes and turned his gaze toward Nova.

“Nova Shine, this is the danger of what should happen if Sombra acquires the three Gems of Being,” he continued, his voice now carrying a grave edge. “He will assemble the Crown of Life, journey to the city for Harmonic Convergence, and use the combined power of both the Crown and Harmonic Convergence to enact his will upon the world.”

Twilight released the breath she didn’t realize she had been holding. So this was it. This was Sombra’s grand plan. An artifact of immense power, combined with an event like Harmonic Convergence, the possibilities were endless...and utterly terrifying. He could enslave billions...

“The mission I have for you, Nova Shine, is this.”

He straightened himself up and his gaze took on something… more. Something grave, with finality.

“Sombra wants to unite the three Gems of Being to assemble the Crown of Life. I shall attempt to unite them as well, and I would like your aid in doing so.”

Nova stared at him for a long while. He had to be considering this. It was his only chance of survival if what Lord Star Swirl said was true, and she had no reason to doubt him. But something was niggling at the back of her mind. Something that Nova was possibly pondering as well.

She was, fortunately, right. He was pondering this.

“If we’re trying to prevent Sombra from acquiring the gems, Lord Star Swirl,” he began, the tiniest hint of a biting edge in his voice, and Twilight winced, “then why are we seeking them out, to begin with? I mean,” he frowned, ”Envy gave us one of them! She couldn’t possibly have done that if Sombra didn’t allow her to do so. Sombra wants us to assemble the gems. He’s fed us this information, and now you want to play right into his hooves, scuttling after the gems as if Equestria were the safest place in the world for all three of them, but we aren’t.”

He grit his teeth.

“Tempest Shadow and the Storm King’s invasion proved that. If we want to keep the gems away from Sombra, then I think the best course of action is to leave them be.”

Twilight couldn’t help but smile to herself. His earlier breakdown had done nothing to dull his perception.

“I have considered this, yes,” Lord Star Swirl nodded. “This is where I must make my admission. You see, I, too, have my own reasons for assembling the Gems of Being.”

“May I ask what these are?” Nova cocked an eyebrow.

“Shall we make a bargain, Nova Shine?” Lord Star Swirl smiled affably. “You retrieve the second Gem of Being, the Gem of Mind, from its hiding place and bring it back to Equestria. In return, when I return from my second foray into Dream Valley, I shall explain everything. All cards on the table. Then, you may decide for yourself if you wish to aid me in pursuing the third Gem of Being, or if you would wish to simply lock the gems away once more.”

Nova stared at Star Swirl, his eyes narrowing.

“You want us to do the hard part, so when you don’t need us and I refuse, you can do the easy part yourself, is that it?”

Lord Star Swirl, as patient as ever, inclined his head. “Perhaps, if you choose to think that way. There is also the possibility that I genuinely care about a friend’s wellbeing and wish to help him live a long and happy life rather than dying young, while also respecting him and allowing him to make his own choices.”

Nova flinched at that one. Twilight couldn’t help but wince as well. It seemed Lord Star Swirl wasn’t pulling his punches today. Still, at least he had said it in a way that seemed pleasant enough, must have been trying to make sure Nova understood it wasn’t an insult, but actual truth.

“You just got here from Dream Valley,” Nova changed the subject. “Why are you going back?”

“I came back to recruit you,” Star Swirl replied evenly. “Regardless of your answer, I shall return to continue my business there once we have finished here. I have been working to excavate my old tower in the Enchanted Forest. Thus far, I successfully have managed to thaw out the port city of Canterlot on the Southern Sea. Windigo Ice is thick and resistant, but not impossible to destroy. Now that one of the major cities of the Old Times has been excavated, perhaps we can bring in teams of mages to begin thawing out the rest of the land to make it suitable for living.”

“If this quest is so important, Lord Star Swirl,” Nova’s eyes narrowed again, “then why are you working on something else?”

“Who said I’m not doing two things at once?” Lord Star Swirl’s smile turned mysterious.

Nova stared at him some more.

“You know where one of them is,” he finally declared.

“I do,” Lord Star Swirl nodded. “In fact, I know where both of them are.”

“If you know where the second one is, the one you’re asking us to find,” Nova grit his teeth, “then why not tell us where? It sounds like time is of the essence here!”

“We have more time than you think, Nova Shine,” Lord Star Swirl didn’t even seem slightly bothered by Nova’s belligerence. Perhaps he, like Twilight, couldn’t really blame him. “There is a method to my mystery. The goal is for you to piece it together yourself. When you do, you will understand why.”

“Oh for the love of--”

Lord Star Swirl’s horn shone white, and Nova Shine found himself unable to make any sound, which caused him to scowl and begin making rude gestures at Star Swirl. Star Swirl, and Gleam oddly enough, seemed more amused than anything by this.

“I understand your distrust, Nova Shine,” Lord Star Swirl continued quite calmly, still watching as Nova Shine mouthed something that made Twilight devoutly thankful that there were no foals in the room. “Too many things have been hidden from you for no good reason. I have now promised to give you two pieces of information. One, I will point you in the direction for you to discover yourself. The other, I have promised to reveal when I return and you have acquired the Gem of Mind. I am not hiding these pieces of information for the sake of keeping you in the dark, Nova Shine. I am hiding this information until the time is right for you to know of it. In one of those cases, I hide it because it would better help you, better make you a more powerful spellcaster, if you were to realize the implications of it on your own.”

Nova Shine slowly stopped mouthing obscene things and throwing rude gestures, choosing instead to give Star Swirl a suspicious glare.

He opened his mouth, paused, then pointed at his throat. Star Swirl’s horn glimmered.

“Really expect me to buy that you’re doing this because you’re looking out for me?” Nova arched an eyebrow.

“Oh, I’m not going to pretend like this isn’t at least partially due to some small selfish desire to have you aid me in my endeavors,” Lord Star Swirl shrugged indifferently. “But I find that aligning our goals, offering an ally a reason to be invested, is a powerful motivator. I can’t think of a more powerful motivator than survival and helping you grow stronger. However…” his expression darkened, “understand that offering you a hope of survival is not necessarily a boon.”

His expression again grew haunted, his eyes once more seeming to stare past everyone, glossing over as images of his mysterious past must have begun to replay themselves within his head.

“I once knew a pony like you, who believed himself to be doomed to death, who believed there was no hope,” he said softly. “When there seemed like there was even the slimmest chance that he may be able to save himself, he threw himself at it and… and it changed him.”

He closed his eyes and let out a long breath through his nose, before opening his eyes and returning to the present to give Nova a warning look.

“Hope is a balm, Nova Shine. But to a doomed stallion, hope for survival? It becomes a drug. It drives desperation. A being who is not yet ready to die may do unspeakable things to cling to life. They may throw away everything they once held dear, they may compromise with their own ethics, their own morals. I have seen ponies throw away everything just to stay alive because there was no other way. And when you have the three Gems of Being brought together?”

His expression hardened.

“A pony as powerful as you, with the three Gems of Being? You would have everything you needed to assemble the Crown of Life yourself. With it, you could have whatever you wanted. You could not just save yourself, but make yourself immortal as the alicorns did. Become the ultimate spellcaster in the entire multiverse. Rule the world, if you truly wanted to. Twilight could create the perfect ordered society, functioning and maintaining itself with little input from her, the ideal clockwork mechanism of a nation.”

Twilight blinked. She hadn’t really thought of it that way, but… with power like that, would she even need to be a princess at all? As Star Swirl said, she could just write the world to work perfectly. None of this needless bureaucracy or inefficiency, just a well-oiled machine of a state, spreading her message of friendship everywhere it went.

But it couldn’t be that simple, could it?

“The Crown represents the true final temptation. It offers you near-absolute power, the power to rewrite the world to your liking. It offers you everything you could ever want,” Star Swirl continued. “But all power comes at a cost. With the power of the Gems of Mind and Soul at your disposal, not even a pony’s free will is safe. If you truly wanted, you could brainwash them yourself, make them see things your way. Or,” he gave the tiniest of wry, humorless smirks, “threaten them with the sheer power of magic you carry. You could have everything you ever wanted. All it would cost is any respect you held for a pony’s agency.”

Twilight shivered. And Sombra wants to craft it.

“How far would you go to save yourself if you believed it was the only way forward, Nova Shine?” asked Lord Star Swirl, giving him a meaningful glare, all while Nova stared at the ground, frowning.

Twilight watched him for a long while. What could she do with that kind of power? Make the perfect society as Star Swirl had mentioned?

A brief vision flashed through her mind as she considered it.

She sat upon a throne in Canterlot, as regal and as poised as Celestia herself. The black circlet stood atop her head, gems glinting in the sunlight that filtered in through the stained glass windows behind her throne. Her beloved husband living a leisurely life, loyal to her and her alone, while their daughter would grow up to become a wise, powerful unicorn filly, every bit their pride and joy. The world would be a world without banners and flags, where harmony, love, and friendship reigned supreme.

It was a perfect world, a golden world of peace.

But as she considered it more… she realized that, no matter what, so long as that crown sat upon her head, everything was coerced. After all, who could say no to her? Who could refuse the whims of the all-powerful Twilight Sparkle?

With that crown, she would be beautiful and terrible as the dawn. The world would bow to her whims. There would be no inefficiency when she could enforce perfection. There would be no conflict, for none could stand against her. The magic of friendship would be spread… or else. All would love her, under threat of pain.

She would never harm her subjects, never, but… but would anyone truly test that? Would anyone dare to stand against someone who wore such a crown upon her head even in the most trivial of matters?

The moment anyone put on that crown, they became the world’s supreme ruler, whether they wanted to or not.

She swallowed and let out a shaky breath. It was easy to say she could resist the pull of the Crown for now, but what if Equestria found itself at war with the Griffons? What if Equestria had their backs against the wall? Would she still resist? Would she resist if the House of Nobles enacted a terrible policy that brought harm to millions of creatures while she could do nothing about it?

Would she resist if she were Nova’s only hope?

Lord Star Swirl let that hang in the air, an ominous silence filling the room and feeling like it was pressing on all sides. It almost felt like it was restricting her very ability to breathe, with how uncomfortable it made her feel.

“What…” Nova licked his lips as he finally spoke up, his voice barely above a croak. “What about Gleam?”

Gleam blinked over from her spot. Twilight had almost forgotten she was there, given she had been nearly silent this whole time. Nova did have a point, though. If they were going to be hunting down these gems, what about her?

“Yes…” Lord Star Swirl began to pace. “Gleam, no offense, is a problem.”

Gleam’s expression shifted instantly to a combination of indignation, confusion, and the tiniest bit of hurt. Nova himself seemed to puff up at that as well, but Lord Star Swirl raised a hoof.

“That is not to say that she herself is a problem, but more the unpredictability she represents.” Nova let out a quiet hiss. “After all, Gleam has found herself the latest chosen vessel of Harmonia. Harmonia has a will of her own, and none of us will be able to control her or harm her until Harmonia’s will is done. Thus," he let out a long breath, “there is no way of keeping Gleam out of things. What Harmonia wills, Harmonia will see happen. And whatever Harmonia whispers into your young apprentice’s ear, Nova, she would be wise to listen, as would you.”

Twilight closed her eyes and felt the hitch inside of her again. They could no longer keep their promise to Timber Feller and Golden Glow. They couldn’t keep Gleam safe.

No matter what, Gleam was now in the line of fire.

“I wouldn’t be so dour, Twilight Sparkle.”

A hoof draped herself over her withers and gave her a gentle squeeze of reassurance.

“Harmonia will protect her,” Lord Star Swirl promised. “She has done so already, and not even Sombra could stand against her.”

It was reassuring to consider that, but Twilight already didn’t trust Harmonia now with the condition she’d put Nova in. After all, Harmonia was beyond their anticipation and control. What if Harmonia led Gleam into unimaginable danger and then didn’t protect her?

“Now, your way forward,” Lord Star Swirl removed his hoof and turned toward the door. “The front of your castle should suffice, but I would advise not to do this in front of prying eyes in the future.”

“Do what?” asked Nova, already starting to follow him, Gleam hot on his tail.

“You’ll see,” replied Star Swirl cryptically, before striding out of the meeting room, and after a few turns, out of the castle entirely, with Nova, Twilight, and Gleam stepping after him.

He made his way to the middle of the lawn between the castle and the school, and began to survey the surroundings. The school looked as busy as ever, with Smoulder apparently racing Silverstream above the building while their friends watched from down below.

“This looks like it should be a suitable place, though in the future, perhaps a modicum of secrecy would be best,” Lord Star Swirl noted, surveying their surroundings. “For now, it will have to do. We need some space.”

“So what are we doing, exactly?” Nova asked.

Lord Star Swirl held up a hoof directly in front of him. The air seemed to shimmer and wave, and before their eyes, the Alicorn Amulet appeared in his hoof.

“Wait,” Twilight stared at it, her mouth parting. “I thought… I thought it was up in Canterlot!”

“In the event that it is stolen away again,” Star Swirl frowned at it, “I have enchanted the orichalcum casing around the gem to be taken anywhere from around the world at my beck and call, and returned when no longer in use. Until such time as a proper vault with the required enchantments can be built, this will have to serve as a necessary countermeasure.”

“If it’s our way forward, does that mean it’s staying here with us?” Nova asked, staring suspiciously at the pendant that was innocently sitting in Lord Star Swirl’s hoof.

“Indeed,” Lord Star Swirl dipped his head. “If it is stolen away, immediately alert me. Although, if you could rework my own enchantment in the orichalcum to allow yourself to summon it at will, perhaps that would be better. But be warned,” he added sternly. “You know what the gem does to a pony. I don’t recommend using it under any circumstances unless there is absolutely no other option. Now...”

He stamped a hoof onto the ground, and at once, an earthen pillar erupted right in front of him, stopping about at breast height. It was a crude thing, nothing more than compacted dirt with a patch of grass on top, but Twilight had to admire Lord Star Swirl’s prowess. It seemed he was an Earth Elemental, given how little actual magical energy she was able to sense from him in that casting.

Lord Star Swirl placed the amulet atop the pillar, then motioned for everyone to step back.

“Stay about five meters away from the pillar, for your safety,” he advised. “I will stay here to make sure everything goes well and will step in if needed. If more help is required, we may need to bring in Starlight Glimmer as well.”

“But what are we actually doing?” Nova punctuated this with an impatient stamp of his hoof.

“Why, you’re destroying the Alicorn Amulet, of course!”Lord Star Swirl grinned.

Nova blinked, and even twilight sat there dumbly for a moment, before letting out a nervous chuckle.

“We’re… we’re destroying a Gem of Being?” Nova asked, staring at Lord Star Swirl as though he’d lost his mind. “You make it sound so casual.”

“Oh, you’ll find that the problem isn’t destroying the gem at all,” Lord Star Swirl replied with a dismissive wave of his hoof. “The problem is keeping them destroyed.”

Nova mouthed the words “keeping them destroyed” to himself, blinking several times in rapid succession as he tried to process what Star Swirl was suggesting. Twilight, however, realized what was happening almost at once.

“So you’re saying if they destroy one gem, it’ll repair itself?” Bright Gleam asked. When Lord Star Swirl nodded approvingly at her, she protested, “B-but that goes against the Second and Third Fundamental Laws of Magic! ‘All magic is directed by an outside force and cannot act independently’, and ‘All magic bound to an object is released when that object is destroyed, and cannot independently continue to function or repair the object that was broken’!”

“Indeed,” Lord Star Swirl beamed at her. “Broken enchanted objects cannot repair themselves or otherwise continue to operate, and the magic bound to it cannot simply spontaneously decide to repair the object in question once released. And yet, as we will demonstrate, the Gem of Soul here will continue to do just that. Quite the conundrum, isn’t it, Bright Gleam? A little puzzle for our Archmage to ponder. And as I said, when he realizes what is happening, well...” his smile grew proud as he looked over at Nova, who was already scrutinizing the amulet. “I cannot wait to see his growth.”

“Obviously this means that when we destroy it, something’s gonna force it to repair itself,” Nova noted, with the hint of a smirk. “Sounds like all I need to do is sense where the magical energy forcing it to repair itself is coming from.”

“Were it so simple,” Lord Star Swirl, replied airily, “but I shall let you see for yourself. Now, step far enough back to be safe, and do exactly as I say.”

Everyone retreated from this pillar, and Lord Star Swirl ushered Nova and Twilight forward.

“Twilight Sparkle, place a protective shield all around the pillar, even into the ground. About two full meters in diameter should be sufficient. It should completely envelop the pillar because we cannot allow too much energy to escape all at once.

Trivially easy, though Twilight had to wonder exactly how strong the shield would need to be maintained once the gem blew. There had to be a tremendous amount of energy kept inside. A glow of her horn later, and a perfect magenta bubble encased the gem and the pillar.

“Now Nova Shine, fire your own energy as a beam through her shield, and strike--”

“I’m sorry, what?”

Lord Star Swirl tilted his head. “What do you mean, ‘what’?”

“I can’t just fire a beam through her shield. Magic can’t go through other magic, remember?” Nova stared at Lord Star Swirl as though he’d just said the most inexplicably dumb thing Nova had ever heard.

“Under normal circumstances, yes, but have you two never merged spells before?”

“Merged…” Nova began.

“...Spells?” finished Twilight, sounding confused. “I’ve never even heard of that.”

Now Lord Star Swirl actually laughed, which made her and Nova look at each other, just as confused as ever. What was going through his mind right now exactly?

“Pardon the laughter, I promise I was not laughing at you,” Lord Star Swirl assured them, though he couldn’t stop smiling. “But… your,” he gestured at Nova, “surrogate sister, and your,” at Twilight, “sister-in-law is the Princess of Love, and yet you don’t know about merging spells? I just find it ironic, and quite amusing.”

Twilight wasn’t sure how to react to that. Was that meant to be a jab at her education, or…

“Well, for starters, what is love?” Lord Star Swirl asked, before glancing back at Bright Gleam. “Bright Gleam?”

Gleam thought about it for a moment, before Twilight noticed the tiniest smirk cross her face. “Filly don’t hurt me?” she asked.

Now Nova started laughing, and now it was Star Swirl’s turn to look completely confused. “‘Filly don’t hurt me’?”

“No more,” Gleam finished, looking quite pleased with herself. “Well, we almost got it right.”

“Got what right?” asked Lord Star Swirl, now looking to Twilight for rescue. “I don’t understand.”

“She quoted a song, and somehow, you quoted it back at her,” she replied, but she couldn’t help shaking her head. Oh Nova, what a silly student you’ve picked.

“Yes well,” Lord Star Swirl let it slide, before shaking his head and returning to his more serious demeanor. “Very well, I shall explain. I suppose my question was rather vague. From a conceptual standpoint, love is many things. But from a magical standpoint, love represents two souls joining in union, be it a familial bond, a friendly bond, or most strongly, a romantic bond. And this has tremendous implications on how magic works. If two unicorns’ souls have truly joined together, if two have become one, they would find that their spells could not only pass through each other, but also bolster each other, and reinforce each others’ spells. Their magic would recognize the other’s magic as, in a manner of speaking, being one and the same. I believe Twilight and Nova should be more than capable of performing this.”

“Oh,” Twilight said. The feelings from the last several weeks started to creep in now that he’d mentioned this. Her guilt at leading Flash on, the pain she felt when Nova said those things…

Nova looked away from her the moment Lord Star Swirl had mentioned that. She knew he had to be feeling the same.

“I don’t… think we will be able to,” he admitted softly.

Lord Star Swirl stared at them both for a long moment, and Twilight could feel the disappointment in them. Could he sense what was going on between them? The distrust, the lies, the pain?

“In that case,” his voice was mercifully even, “simply make a tiny gap in your shield until I give the signal, Twilight. Nova will fire the smallest and most focused beam of energy that he can. Aim for the gem itself. You will know when it is about to give out, but I will signal you all the same. When I do, Twilight should fully enclose the shield and hold on tight. Understood?”

Twilight’s horn glowed, and a small round hole appeared in it. Nova took a deep breath. With a surge of energy, he fired a beam of light straight through the hole, and it struck the gem in the dead center.

It could have been Twilight’s imagination, but there almost seemed to be something musical in sound from the beam he was firing.

The moment the beam struck the gem, there was a loud clink! sound, almost like metal hitting rock, and the gem began to glow so bright with red light that it almost hurt to look at. There was a sudden disturbance in the energy around them. Twilight could feel it the moment Nova’s energy struck it. Nova was pushing against something that did not want to be pushed against.

Seconds ticked by, and the light show was now drawing in some observers, mainly from the school. Smoulder and Silverstream had stopped flying and had settled down to see what was going on, and a couple of Ponyville Residents were now looking over. Twilight’s shield held firm, though it hadn’t really been tested, and Nova continued to fire away with the energy.

“Almost there, be ready,” warned Star Swirl, his horn glowing white as he prepared to shield them all in case it was needed.

Finally, there came an ear-splitting shriek of noise, as though something was scraping two pieces of metal together pressed as firmly against each other as they could. Star Swirl waved a hoof at Nova, who was already on it, his horn ceasing the beam at once. Twilight instantly closed the gap in her shield and began to concentrate, not entirely sure what to expect.

For a moment, the gem in the center of the amulet continued to glow with light, before all of a sudden, it shattered.

There was an explosion of red light, and Twilight immediately felt the strain in her shield. She channeled her magic and fired as much energy as she could into it, trying desperately to keep the bubble held together. The energy roared and crackled inside, but Twilight continued to hold on.

How… much… longer?

But then, she felt it. Her energy started to slip away. Cracks began to appear in the shield the moment she realized this.

Star Swirl tensed, but another beam of blue light shot itself at the shield. Twilight would have to time it perfectly to prevent any magic from escaping.

But rather than start to encase her shield in one of his own, the beam struck her shield directly. At the exact point that it did, her magic started to change color, neither blue nor magenta. From the point of impact, the shield began to change to bright white light. As the new energy washed over the cracks, the cracks mended. Twilight could feel the relief as they both strained against the explosion.

Twilight chanced a glance back at Lord Star Swirl. His eyes were wide and his mouth slightly parted as he watched this, but the moment he caught her looking, he smiled and nodded.

But after a time, the red light within began to fade. At this, Star Swirl motioned for them to cut the magic. They both let go as one, and the shield vanished. The excess energy that hadn’t yet expended itself harmlessly blew outward, ruffling their hair and rustling the grass beneath it. As the light faded, the entire circular area around where the amulet had been destroyed was gone completely, as though the earth had been scooped out in a perfectly spherical cut.

“How much energy is in that thing?” Nova asked, staring at the spot on the ground.

“As you may guess, quite a lot,” Lord Star Swirl replied, walking over and touching at the edge where the undisturbed earth met the sudden scooped-out section. “I don’t know the exact number, but I would wager that if it were to explode in the center of… say, Canterlot Market, it would cause extensive damage, but not enough to knock down any buildings. Still, any ponies caught too close could be seriously hurt. If Twilight’s shield had faltered at that moment, and you hadn’t reinforced it, you probably could have been blown all the way down the road, with all the injuries that went with it.”

“Is this really the only way to figure out where the Gem of Mind is?” Nova asked, still staring at the empty space. “Doesn’t sound very safe.”

“Unfortunately, for you, it is,” Lord Star Swirl nodded. “Any moment now, you’ll feel it, and you’ll know exactly why I delegated this task to you. Again, I could tell you where the Gem of Mind is hidden, but I’d be robbing you of the knowledge you will gain this way, meaning I would be making you less effective as an Archmage in the long run.”

“How did you do that?” Twilight asked, now sidling up beside Nova herself and scrutinizing the cut-out ground.

It was just so… so eerie, how the ground went from grass and dirt path to just a perfectly-round scooped out section.

“The shield thing?” he asked, giving her a quick glance. she nodded. “I don’t know,” he shrugged. “I intended to surround your shield with mine, but… something deep down was telling me it’d work. So I hit your shield with my shield spell and it strengthened it.”

“You both should give yourselves much more credit,” Lord Star Swirl smiled. “That was spell merging, and only two ponies of united souls could ever perform that. Yes, there will be times of conflict,” he admitted before Twilight could protest. “But I think it speaks volumes to the bond between the two of you, that even despite your conflicts, your souls are still joined at such a level.”

Suddenly, Twilight felt it, a sudden surge of energy from the exact spot that the gem had been mere moments before. It was like it had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, as though it had just… popped into existence!

The energy in question was invisible… at first. After a long moment of seemingly nothing happening, Twilight began to feel a rush of air from behind her. As they both watched, a great coalescence of red energy was pulled toward the center of the energy surge, and as they watched, it all compressed and condensed on that singular point. After that, there was a cloud of dust that seemed to collect and rush in as well, before it, too, all was pulled into the area of the energy. After a long moment, even the ground itself seemed to repair itself, with the dirt and grass reintegrating itself after having been completely atomized.

After several seconds, everything was like it had been minutes before. The Alicorn Amulet sat on the earthen pedestal, as though it hadn’t been blasted apart, glinting benignly in the sunlight. The pillar Star Swirl had made looked just as it had, with nary a single grain of dust misplaced.

The Amulet had somehow rewound time on that point and pieced itself back together!

“This is impossible...” whispered Twilight, staring in awe at it. “How can it just defy the Fundamental Laws of Magic like this?”

“That is for me to know,” Lord Star Swirl backed up to give himself some space, “and for Nova to find out. Destroying the gem and observing its re-forming is your path forward. I apologize for my swift exit, but now that you have been given your path forward, I’m afraid I must return to my mission in Dream Valley.”

“So soon? But you’ve only just arrived!” Gleam stepped forward.

“I’m sorry, Bright Gleam, but unfortunately, this is a matter of paramount importance. However, I am not unreachable,” he added before she could pout. “If you wish to speak to me, have your master connect to my Scrying Orb in about… oh, four days. I shall be working, but if I miss your call, I have enchanted my Scrying Orb to take a message. I would love to have somepony to talk to. It does get rather lonely over there, all by myself.”

“We’ll contact you if we need your help,” promised Twilight, giving him a thankful bow of the head. “Safe travels, Lord Star Swirl.”

“And Nova Shine,” Lord Star Swirl frowned, “one last thing.”

“Hm?” Nova looked up from staring at the gem that was still sitting on the crude earthen pedestal. Twilight figured he must have already been pondering what the cause was.

“Live your life,” Lord Star Swirl tapped the ground with each word. “You only have so much time, and this is the way forward, but do not throw yourself at the task to the exclusion of all else,” he warned. “You must find a balance. Train Gleam. Grow as a mage. Grow closer to Twilight. Perform your duties as the Archmage. Enjoy yourself. Work on this when you can, but give yourself time to rest and to think. Live your life normally, Lord Archmage. That is my final order to you. Do you have any objections?”

Nova shook his head. Where before he had looked dead on his hooves, and oh so tired, now, he looked… well, not energized, but he had that little spark in his eye that he always did whenever he’d met with an interesting puzzle to solve. Twilight felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude toward Trixie, Aegis, Gleam, and Star Swirl the moment she saw that. He wasn’t going to be right as rain, but this was a start. And hopefully, this would save him.

“Then I bid you all farewell, and I shall see you again when I return.”

And with a swish of his cloak and the tiniest of “pop”s, Lord Star Swirl vanished, leaving the three of them standing there to ponder the new way forward.

Author's Note

Took me a while, but I got it done. One of these days, I'm gonna get back to working on ASC 15 and 16, but I had my muse strike at the right time for this chapter.

Lemme know what you think. A lot of exposition, but hopefully it wasn't a complete infodump.

Rytex out. Have a good day!

Getting Over It

The Archmage’s Last Bow
Chapter 09 - Getting Over It

“You know, I’ve never gotten a chance to see you work up close.”

Ars Arcanum grinned as he playfully shoved the Crown Prince of the Alicorn Empire back to keep him from blocking the light over his workstation. He was in the middle of crafting a rather important piece of arcanery for an important client. It was, after all, hard to get more important than an order from Aedile Praesul. Although he wanted nothing more than to take a break for the day and bandy words with the philosophical alicorn prince trying to peer over his shoulder, he wanted to earn his keep, and his dreams of being the greatest arcanosmith in all of history wouldn’t pursue themselves.

“You know, I’ve never been able to do that work when you block the light source, Peri.”

“I thought you wanted to be the best, Ars! Surely the best arcanosmith could work in a little bit of shadow?” Imperius chortled as he deliberately took a place blocking the light of the workshop now, casting an Imperius’-head-shaped shade over the magnacrystal containment band that he was crafting. Ars rolled his eyes and simply conjured a werelight that hovered a short distance away, perfectly illuminating his cluttered workspace and revealing more of the surrounding workplace than the focused light source did. All manner of tools hung from the walls, a collection of spellbooks and magical tomes were stored away in a large bookcase that stretched from floor to ceiling, boxes and bins full of materials lay neatly pushed against the walls between all of the space. A box for orichalcum ingots, a box for arcanostone, boxes for different varieties of crystals…

“See, if you could do that this whole time, why did you get on to me about blocking your light?”

“I wanted an excuse to shove the soon-to-be King of the Alicorns before I legally wasn’t allowed to,” Ars replied with a straight face as he picked up a runecarving chisel and began to delicately work the necessary symbols around the band of orichalcum that lay before him. The metal glimmered under his white light with a faint pale green tint and the faintest of glows, seeming to shimmer and wave as the manatic energy he had personally siphoned out of the Wellspring and woven into it undulated and moved within the simple band.

After a few short moments, during which Imperius patiently waited for him to finish his job, the runic carvings were complete. There was still some work to be done and tests to be run to make sure it could properly contain and focus the energy it was meant to, but for now, his current project was finished. No doubt Master Artifex would be pleased. It was he, after all, who had seen the talent that lay deep within him at a young age, and it was he who pushed and challenged Ars to be better. And now here Ars was, trying to surpass the stallion who had taught him everything.

“Beautiful,” Imperius whispered as Ars picked up the rather hefty band of metal, light as a feather despite being large enough around to that it could encircle him from head to tail, and turned it over to have a look around to make sure everything looked as it should. “You’ve outdone yourself.”

“Eh, I make these all the time,” Ars Arcanum shrugged modestly. “Old Praesul’s got me constantly replacing these things in the paling towers and the crystals that go with them. First time making one this big though. I’m guessing he wants me to repair one of the Convergence Towers. Don’t understand why,” he added with a roll of his eyes. “Harmonic Convergence isn’t for another few years.”

“I asked him to,” Imperius replied.

Ars blinked, then set the metal ring down on the table and gave his friend an odd look. Prince Imperius looked every bit the princely young stallion one would expect. A proud face, a pure white coat, bright blue hair in his mane and tail, brilliant blue eyes, sleek wings that belied strength, a horn that was more than capable of enforcing his will, and a silver circlet on his head that he wore gracefully. Ars had always wondered how Imperius, with a mane as messy as that, could wear such a crown and look so regal despite it. Perhaps it was the way he carried himself, proud, bordering on haughty, but not overbearingly so.

“Ars, before you say anything–” Imperius began, already launching into the defenses that Ars knew too well.

“You’ve been worrying about that damn prophecy again, haven’t you?” Ars stated, knowing the answer was yes. When was Imperius ever not worrying about that stupid scroll? The thing was so vague it could have referred to anyone, but for some Heraldforsaken reason, Imperius had never allowed himself to let it go and let things be.

I haven’t actually,” Imperius snarled. raising his voice just enough to make Ars back down. Imperius never brought out his King Voice around him unless it was important. “I… thought it would make a good segue into my own personal request for you.”

Ars stared at him in disbelief and amusement. “You… you asked Aedile Praesul to order a large-sized containment ring so you could have a segue in a conversation?”

“We are gonna need the ring,” Imperius gestured vaguely out at the city outside of this sparse workshop, “but… well…” he grew sheepish. “...yeah. I did.”

Ars stared at him for a few long seconds before suddenly bursting out in a fit of laughter, slapping Imperius’ back warmly.

“Peri, my friend, you know all you need to do is come talk to me, right? No segues, nothing like that? You know I’ll listen to anything you’d say!”

“Well,” Imperius tilted his head back and forth as he considered his words, “I also wanted a visual aid, you see.”

He picked up the ring that Ars had placed on the workbench and looked it over with his own eyes.

“What do you know of the three Gems of Being, Ars?”

“Same as everyone else, I’d wager,” Ars shrugged. “Magic gems, extremely powerful, extremely dangerous…”

“Extremely dangerous if the pony attempting to use them doesn’t know what they’re doing,” Imperius corrected, examining a bit of script along the inside of the ring. “They’ve been found to be perfectly safe and stable, and even manipulable under the right circumstances by our foremost arcanologists. It’s difficult to change their nature, but it’s possible.”

“What do you mean, change their nature?” Ars asked, frowning. something about this conversation seemed to shift as he asked this.

“Right now, they’re just raw and extremely concentrated ingots of energy. What if they could be harnessed?”

“Imperius…” Ars suddenly seemed to have an idea of what his prince was asking. “You said you weren’t worrying about the prophecy.”

“And I’m not,” replied Imperius evenly, putting the ring back on the workbench. “This is for the Empire, Ars. And this is for me and whoever comes after me as the King of the Alicorns.”

He stepped toward the exit of the shop, before turning and gesturing for Ars to follow him.

“I have something to show you.”

Ars followed him uneasily. Imperius led him out into Elysium, seeming to ignore all of the ponies who turned and gave him a polite bow. Ars always felt it entirely strange how these ponies, or rather, how their entire culture seemed to be centered around a never-ending quest for the pursuit of power, yet they would so quickly turn and defer to a pony far younger than they.

Their civilization’s eternal advancement had its quirks, that was certain.

Ars never tired of looking upon the streets of Elysium, so full of life and always with fellow alicorns doing interesting things. His favorite bakery wasn’t too far from here, and no doubt they’d be putting that special heat moderation crystal he’d crafted for them to good use. The merchants hawked their wares. There was even a jeweler nearby whom he had helped craft some special cutting tools for. Ars wondered how well those were working for them.

However, if Harmonia were with them, no doubt she would be talking about the lack of Subservients in this city. Ars and Imperius both loved her to death, but her constant lectures about them could grow extremely tiresome. Ars didn’t know what had come over her, but she’d suddenly become very outspoken against the status of the Subservients lately. It was bad enough that King Dominus was letting them waltz off to form their own country, now Harmonia would have them profane this city with their unworthy hooves! No, worse than that, call this city their home!

Ars was trying, he really was, to persuade Harmonia to tone it down. Speaking heresy such as this would only turn her into a pariah. It was the alicorns who ventured north of the Maw. It was the alicorns who mastered this place. It was they, and they alone, who built Elysium here, at the very edge of the Wellspring itself. This was a city for alicorns, and for them alone. It wasn’t that the Subservients weren’t able to stand in the shadows of their majesty– there was quite literally a city surrounding the city where the Subservients lived–, but rather, this was the way of things.

The Alicorns were those who had risen above all others. It was they who had ascended. It was they who had seized immortality. It was they who had forged the very Gems of Being Imperius was referring to. They were the masters of the world. There existed places that only they could tread, and this city was built to be one such place.

Imperius led him to the Great Spire, past two magnificent statues of King Magnus and his mother Queen Verita flanking the entry, through the passages and corridors of his home. But as he led Ars through the familiar halls, he was being led to an unfamiliar destination. Rather than lead Ars up into the Royal Quarters, or to any of their familiar haunts from the days of their youth, Imperius began to lead Ars down, down below the surface of the earth.

They trotted down into these twisting passages for moments that stretched on and on, speaking not a word to each other or to any that passed. Ars watched Imperius uneasily as they went. Peri was normally a rather lax stallion, even when he was on official duty. Never afraid to joke, never afraid to treat his friends as his friends. This Imperius however… Shoulders tight, steps tense, eyes fixed firmly forward.

Eventually, they stopped halfway down a hall deep below the surface of the city. Ars blinked dumbly as they came to a halt in this otherwise-nondescript place.

“Why did we stop?”

Imperius, however, paid him no mind. He surveyed the perfectly smooth deep green stone wall, searching for something best known to him, before finally reaching up with a hoof, pushing against the wall, and casting some kind of spell, his horn glowing blue. Two sparks of magic erupted from his hoof and seemed to trace the outline of a doorway on the wall before meeting the ground and vanishing. The moment the sparks disappeared, so too did the shape they outlined, revealing a doorway hidden in the wall.

“Lovely, a hidden chamber in the bowels of the tunnels beneath your grand old spire,” Ars observed, with a wry smile. “How ominous.”

Imperius didn’t respond. Ars was starting to grow unnerved by this. Where was the friend he had laughed and joked with only a few moments earlier?

Instead, Imperius led him into this doorway, and as Ars stepped around the corner, he gasped.

A great crystal shining with white light occupied the room, It hovered only just above the ground, reaching up high above the both of them to nearly scrape the ceiling, which was so high that this room alone could contain the statues of Magnus and Verita flanking the spire’s entryway, and those were at least five times his height! Little sparks of light danced within the crystal, creating a strange effect on the walls as though individual sparkles of light were moving about, causing small shadows to change shape on the floor, like the sun shining through the wavy surface of water.

Ars had seen it so many times, but he had no idea this was where it was kept when it wasn’t Crystalling Day.

“So this is where you keep the Crystal of Eternity,” he grinned, simply basking in the crystal’s magnificence. He had always wondered where this artifact was kept.

Imperius didn’t respond yet again. Instead, he approached the base of the crystal, placed his hoof on a specific spot on the floor, and once again caused two blue sparks to trace a shape on the ground. Where those sparks traced, the ground disappeared, and up from below the floor rose three small pedestals, and on each one sat a glowing star.

Ars’ mouth fell open as he approached each one. Each gem glowed brighter than the Crystal of Eternity on its own, and each one radiated such power that he was awed just to be in the same room as them! The holy glow of red, blue, and green washed over him, and he could feel his legs grow weak at the sight of them.

“The Gems of Being…” he whispered. He wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do. What did Imperius want him to do? He had been granted the sight of two of their most sacred artifacts! Well, one collection of them. But still!

Imperius didn’t seem to want him to do anything, however. He simply stood there, staring at the gems before them both, an unreadable expression on his face.

“My father is planning on retiring soon,” Imperius finally said.

Ars blinked. What? King Dominus, retiring?

“Not for a few years, but it will be soon,” Imperius continued. He was staring at the gems, their three lights shining in his eyes as he stared directly at the center gem, the blue one. “He believes that with Harmonic Convergence approaching, he wants to mark the occasion with a new king to lead alicornkind forward into a brave new epoch.”

“You… you don’t sound happy about it,” he noticed. Imperius was speaking slowly, deliberately. A far cry from how he had sounded back at the workshop.

“The moment I take power, there will be challengers to my rule,” Imperius clenched his teeth together. “Do you know how many times I walk the streets and hear the whispers behind my back about my father’s doings? How he allowed so many Subservients to just leave? How he lately has seemed to be asking our historians to completely rethink the way we look at the Herald and the Great Lady? Our subjects aren’t happy, Ars.”

Ars had been wondering that himself. Why had King Dominus allowed the Subservients to just go? Were they not the masters of this world? Was it not right for they who had not both wings and horn to serve they that did? It was, after all, better to serve in Heaven than to reign in Hell was it not? Why should the Subservients look to leave when they were clearly ill-equipped?

“The moment my father crowns me king, the Empire will be thrown into turmoil.”

“Don’t be so melodramatic, Peri. You’ve been groomed for this for years! Surely you don’t think you aren’t capable!”

“I am more than capable,” Imperius replied, giving him a look that did not inspire much confidence in Ars that he believed it. “But I do not wish to be forced to reunite us all through bloodshed. I wish to have the wisdom needed to rule, I wish to be able to inspire the others to follow me without challenge. I desire the strength to defend the Empire and the will to make the necessary difficult decisions.”

He finally turned to face Ars, a look of resolve on his face, but it seemed to be at war with the nervousness in his eyes.

“Ars, we have been able to harness the three Gems of Being. Their power is overwhelming, but we have found ways of containing and focusing their power when needed. However, never have we been able to harness more than one at a time.”

Ars began to connect the dots.

Imperius turned to stare at the gems once more.

“My grandfather had the gems created. My father had the gems hidden away. I seek to use them the way they were always intended. I want to use them as king. As tools for defense, as a way to guide us forward into the eternal golden age Father wishes me to. But I know so very few who I can trust with what I am asking…”

“You can always trust me!” Ars protested, stepping forward to lay a hoof on Peri’s shoulder.

“I know,” Imperius nodded. “And that’s why I’ve brought you down here, Ars. I’m not asking this as Prince Imperius. I’m not asking this as your client. I am asking you as a friend if you could do me a favor.”

“Anything,” Ars responded immediately. “But you know that if I have misgivings, I will inform you.”

“I wouldn’t ask you if you wouldn’t be honest,” Imperius smiled. “I need someone I can trust, not someone who always agrees with me.”

“What are you asking for?”

“Ars, I have seen something in you that I hope your master Artifex has seen in you as well,” Peri turned to give him a glowing look. “Your efforts earlier on that containment ring were nothing short of artful, Ars! The delicate script that you etched, the passion you showed, everything. I have seen so few arcanosmiths with a spark of brilliance in you like that.”

“I’m… well-practiced,” Ars replied, feeling a little overwhelmed at the praise.

“Yes, but you are also gifted with arcanosmithing,” Imperius tapped him firmly on the shoulder, drilling it into his head. “I’m not saying this to flatter you, Ars. I’m saying this to show you that I have every confidence in you.”

“For what, exactly?” Ars eyed him warily. He was acting so unlike himself today.

Imperius took a deep breath.

“I am asking you to see if it is possible to craft an object that can wield all three Gems of Being at once.”

Ars’ mouth fell open.

“A-all three at once!? Peri, not even your grandfather’s arcanosmiths were capable of harnessing more than one! And what do you even need them for?”

“If I wield the Gems together, then no one would be able to stand against me, Ars,” Imperius replied. “None of my challengers would dare stand against me knowing I could use these gems. They are exactly what could be key in holding the Empire together when Father abdicates.”

“Peri, you don’t even know if anyone will challenge you!”

“I know,” Imperius admitted with a bow of his head, “but I want to be prepared, just in case.”

Ars could see what Imperius wanted. He trusted his friend to do the right thing with this kind of power, but he was asking for so much! He was asking for Ars to advance the science of arcanosmithing forward by… by centuries, at least, just to craft one thing!

Another thought occurred to Ars as well. Imperius denied it, but he knew his friend better than anyone. Imperius had been consumed by Verita’s final prophecy not long after he’d first read it. Now he seemed to have grown past it, but there were always moments where he couldn’t be sure…

“I’m not forcing you to, Ars,” Imperius said, snapping Ars out of his thoughts, and Ars realized he was now staring at the gems himself. “If you wish to say no, then by all means, refuse me. If you can’t make any progress, then so be it. All I am asking is that you try. The Empire itself may very well depend on it.”

Ars clenched his eyes shut, feeling a strange prickle of dread well up in him. Why did this simple conversation feel like it meant so much more? Harmonia always asked him to trust what his heart was telling him, and his heart was telling him that this was an idea that could go oh so very wrong oh so quickly. But Master Artifex always tried to drill into his head that trusting one’s head was more important. Was the Herald trying to tell him something?

What did he do?

Nevertheless, Ars wasn’t so religious that he put the Herald’s words before his friends. It seemed so very counter to the Herald’s own wisdom about being there for your companions. He took a deep breath.

“I… I will do what I can,” Ars promised, despite his misgivings.

Imperius nodded gratefully, giving him a warm smile and firmly clapped him on the shoulder, as they had done to each other a thousand times before. “That’s all I can ask for.”

Ten thousand years later, Ars Arcanum would look back on this moment with both nostalgia and shame. This moment, a simple favor for a friend, would be the moment that began a sequence of events that would doom them all.

“Oh my goodness I love it!” Bright Gleam squealed.

“Yeah, I thought you might,” Nova Shine smiled as he watched his young and excitable apprentice pull a magnificent green cloak out of a gift-wrapped box, swinging it around and trying to fasten it around her neck, only to find that she was having a little bit of trouble with the brooch. “It’s inside out again.”

Gleam giggled sheepishly, before turning the cloak the right way and fastening the cloak around her neck.

Nova had originally wanted to simply tailor his old cloak to fit her a little better, considering it was meant for someone his size and Gleam was a bit shorter and more gangly than him at the moment, but Rarity had been having none of it and had instead discreetly gotten ahold of some information from Sassy up in Canterlot about Gleam’s measurements from a dress she’d gotten some time ago after her last growth spurt.

As a result, Bright Gleam now stood in front of him wearing an emerald green linen cape, complete with a hood, that was joined just above her breast with a brooch decorated with a shining emerald that had small golden pieces set into it in the shape of her cutie mark. And thanks to Rarity’s special touch, there had been the tiniest fragments of crystals and gemstones that had been worked into the fabric that allowed it to catch the early morning light and glitter beautifully. And on top of the fashionable element, they provided practical function as well, allowing magic to be more efficiently impregnated into the cloak, which meant that any enchantments Gleam decided to use would be stronger and easier to maintain than Nova’s Archmage cloak, which was just pure cloth.

“I like it,” Sharp Eye said, nodding approvingly as they walked out toward his and Nova’s usual spot for some morning exercise. “Not so long that you’re tripping over it anymore, looks lightweight, and that brooch looks like it’s meant to break away if too much force is used to pull on it. May I?” he added, reaching out.

“Uhh… sure,” Gleam nodded, pausing so he could do what he wished. Sharp Eye gave a sharp tug at her cape, and sure enough, the brooch unfastened itself automatically to allow the cloak to come free without strangling her. Gleam winced at the tug on her neck, but a little pain was better than a great lack of air.

“Rarity’s outdone herself,” Sharp Eye observed, holding the cloak back toward Gleam, who eagerly put it back on. “If I may make a recommendation, since you’re so eager to work with us today, try training with the cloak on so you can get a feel for how it catches the wind and flutters.”

“I’ll try,” Gleam promised, before smiling in some embarrassment. “I, uhh… I was never good at P.E. back in Magic Primary.”

“Not to worry, we all start somewhere.” Sharp Eye patted her on the shoulders reassuringly before gesturing at Nova. “This idiot was completely hopeless when I first started making him run agility exercises, but he’s gotten much better. Every day you improve a little, and these incremental gains eventually blossom into the athletics expected of a mage, but it’s hard when you’re just getting started. Your body’s not accustomed to being worked like this, but the important thing is that you get used to it.”

The streets of Ponyville were eerily quiet at this time of the morning, even as Celestia brought the sun to fully crest the horizon and begin its day-long arc over the sky. The mists and the bitter chill they brought wafted around them, but Sharp Eye and Nova were more than used to it by now, while Gleam now had a nice cloak to keep her warm. For that matter, Sharp Eye’s backpack seemed to be keeping him warm as well as he brought the day’s training implements with him.

“You don’t have to do this, you know,” Nova said as they exited the outskirts of the town and made their way toward a small field where the earth had been well-trampled over the last few years.

“I want to though,” Gleam replied. She sounded nervous but determined as she said it. “I…” she looked down, and Nova could glimpse a brief flicker of fear cross her face. “I need to get better.”

“Is my Nightmare Ward not working?” Nova asked, looking her up and down with concern.

“It is,” Gleam nodded, but she still looked troubled. “But… I still… I can’t stop thinking about that mare.”

“Ah,” Sharp Eye said softly. “You’ve had an encounter with Envy, haven’t you?”

“Envy nearly killed her,” Nova whispered, hopefully low enough that Gleam couldn’t hear. “Twice. She’s been terrified ever since we went to the Empire.”

“I’m not scared anymore,” she protested, perhaps a little bit too strongly. Internally, Nova winced. He didn’t want to sound like he was pitying her, even though he was. “B-but I can’t…”

“You want to be able to defend yourself,” Sharp Eye said for her, not unkindly. “You want to not be helpless.”

Gleam nodded, looking relieved that she didn’t have to say it herself. “Y-yeah. I just… I don’t want to freeze up if that ever happens again. I can’t always count on Harmonia to save me.”

“I would disagree with that,” Nova countered with a shake of his head. “It sounds like Harmonia has a vested interest in keeping you alive, and there’s not much we can do about it. But I respect that you don’t want to have to rely on her.”

“I think…” Gleam worked her jaw and rubbed around her horn for a moment. “I think she wants me to learn for myself as well. Like, she’ll protect me if she must, but she wants me to be able to protect myself so that she doesn’t have to. So that I’m not relying on her.”

“A good outlook to have,” Sharp Eye nodded approvingly. “At the end of the day, you’ll always have others to count on, but you should still be able to handle yourself. Here we are,” he added as they emerged from the outskirts of the town into the outlying lands where grassy fields and knolls stretched all the way to the base of Mt. Canterhorn off in the distance.

They strode toward a particularly flat section that had a well-trodden path worn into the ground, the telltale sign of where Nova and Sharp Eye had done their training in years past. Sharp Eye swung the small knapsack off of his back and began pulling out small flags, which Nova promptly stuck into the ground at the usual places.

“Today’s aim is agility,” Sharp Eye explained as Nova took his place at the flag he usually started at, near a square shape. “Fighting is all well and good, but dodging is just as important. If conserving magic is the aim, sometimes you simply want to avoid a spell rather than deflect it. So this numbskull does a drill here to work on basic movement. Demonstrate for us, Nova.”

Nova nodded. He braced himself for a split second, then turned around, backpedaling until the first flag was in the corner of his eye. At this, he began to shuffle sideways till he was past the next flag, then he sprinted forward to the third, and then shuffled back to the starting cone, all facing the same direction.

“Good. Not too difficult, just a nice little warm-up. Give it a try, Gleam.”

Nova rubbed some of the excess sleep from his eyes as Gleam took a position. Her attempt was… well, it was only slightly better than expected. She somehow managed to make it all the way to the first cone before she stepped on the hem of the cape and fell over. Nova had been expecting her to stumble backward almost immediately, but she had made it a few steps before her lack of practice showed.

“That’s alright, that’s alright. Get up and keep going,” encouraged Sharp Eye as Gleam staggered to her hooves and continued. The side shuffles were better, the sprint was perfect, although her transition needed some work, and then her closing shuffle saw her trip herself once more.

“That could have gone better,” Gleam grumbled from her spot on the ground.

“You’re learning,” Nova held a hoof down to help her up. “Eventually, this will all be muscle memory.”

“Lady Bright Gleam!”

The trio all looked over toward the source of the stern shout in time to see Captain Cinnabar cantering toward them looking thoroughly annoyed. “I must insist that, in the future, you do not leave without informing me of your whereabouts.”

Gleam let out a beleaguered sigh.

“Yes, Captain Cinnabar,” she moaned, not unlike as though she were receiving an earful from a parent or teacher.

“What are you doing out here?” Cinnabar asked, eyeing the two of her chaperones suspiciously.

“Training,” Sharp Eye replied with a grin. “You’re welcome to join us, Captain. I’d love to see how you handle some agility drills.”

Cinnabar turned her gaze toward the square arrangement of flags and wrinkled her nose, but did not object. Nova meanwhile performed another lap around the flags, and this time he took a tiny bit of extra care to make it obvious how he was maneuvering his cloak to keep it out of the way, exaggerating his head movements to take the cape out of the path of his hooves so that its hem didn’t trip him up as it did Gleam.

Following Nova shuffling back past the starting flag, Gleam took up her position and went again. This time, she fared a lot better. Mimicking Nova’s movements, she successfully kept the cape out of her way and was able to make it entirely around the square without tripping herself up. She did stumble and struggle to stop, but that was more because her body wasn’t used to the exercise yet.

“Not bad,” Cinnabar dipped her head, a tense movement that made Nova wonder if she truly did believe it wasn’t bad or whether she was just trying to be nice.

“Want to give it a go, Captain?” Sharp Eye offered.

“I shall pass this time, but I appreciate the offer,” Captain Cinnabar replied curtly. She most certainly did not seem to appreciate the offer.

They performed another few laps, then moved on to a different agility drill involving high-stepping. Gleam found this one much easier, though she did look like she felt self-conscious about how she was taking such high steps. There was another drill involving sharp cuts and angles that Gleam struggled with as well, her body not used to reactive stopping and starting again.

Nova watched her carefully, and all he could feel was dread. Not because he didn’t believe Gleam was incapable of growth and becoming athletic. Far from it.

He dreaded the path she was now set on, the path Harmonia clearly wanted her to walk.

Cinnabar sat next to him, her expression unreadable as ever as both of them watched Sharp Eye run Gleam through beginner drills.

“You fear for her,” she said in a low voice, her eyes following the young mare as she tripped over her new cape and fell again.

“Like you wouldn’t believe,” Nova replied softly.

Gleam staggered to her hooves and pressed on, her expression one of tired determination, her sweaty mane undone and trailing behind her. Nova had rarely seen her with her mane down before. It made her look wild and free.

“I think she will surprise you, my lord,” Cinnabar said, a strange assertive edge to her voice that he was unaccustomed to hearing. “Even without Harmonia, I am certain that she will unlock her full potential under your tutelage.”

“Yeah,” Nova smiled humorlessly. “I can help her achieve greatness in only a few months. Before I go pop.”

Cinnabar turned and surveyed him for several seconds. Nova felt strange under her gaze. It was not unlike the way Celestia would analyze him, an effect only magnified by the eyepatch.

“Have you so little faith in your own student?” she finally asked.

“No,” Nova shook his head. He didn’t know why he was confiding this in her. He barely knew her. And yet….

He trusted her with Gleam. If he could trust her with Gleam, he felt it was wise to prepare her for his own troubles.

“I have so little faith in me.”

Cinnabar nodded understandingly at that. “In that case, my lord, I think you will surprise yourself.”

Nova let out a quiet snort. Why were all these ponies so blatantly giving him such undeserved praise and encouragement?

If Cinnabar heard it, she did not comment. Instead, she returned her attention to the field, where Celestia was lifting the sun over the horizon in the far distance. Gleam seemed to be getting the hang of things now, and was working on simple jumps and leaps to different spots on the ground. Cinnabar could already see the tiny little improvements she had made in such a short time. This Sharp Eye seemed to be quite experienced when it came to training. Perhaps working with him wouldn’t be so bad.

Now if only the Archmage could see…

The winds gusted from behind them both as the atomized particles of the Alicorn Amulet once more were pulled back to themselves by whatever unseen force just popped into existence at the point of destruction. Twilight watched with fascination as all of the energy that had been released by their destruction of the gem was drawn back inward, recomposing itself into a completely untouched amulet once more, sitting benignly on a short pillar of stone that had also been reduced to atoms by the force of the explosion only moments before.

“How many more times do you want to blow it up?” asked her fiancee from her right.

Twilight shook her head and wiped sweat from her mane. Even with the two of them combining shields like Star Swirl had said, it was still exhausting work to contain an explosion of energy that massive. Even with her expanded alicorn reserves! Of course, they had already shattered it a few times that day, and they were no closer to figuring out the source of the conjured energy than they were when they started.

Now, Twilight considered herself the very model of an arcane expert general. She had information practical and also theoretical. She knew the feats of magic and could quote the dates historical from Druidas to Star Swirl in order categorical. She was very well-acquainted too with matters evocatigal and understood equations both the simple and the magical. About evocative theorems she was teeming with a lot of news--

"Lot of news." Hmm...

Wait, got it.

--with many cheerful facts about the way that spells can manafuse. She was very good at arcanic and evocative calculus, she knew the scientific names of beings manaticulous.

In short, in matters practical and also theoretical, she was the very model of an arcane expert general.

And yet despite that, all of her knowledge on the field of the arcane was failing her. Logic, the laws of physics, the laws of thermodynamics, the laws of magic, all of the laws were telling her that it was impossible for magical energy to just pop into existence like that.

Nova, meanwhile, was doing his usual thing of pacing around the stone plinth, massaging around his horn and muttering to himself.

Sometimes, all Twilight could do was smile and watch him go. When he was in his element, he was something to behold, but based on what he was muttering, he was getting about as far as she had been getting with her many thoughts on things in her off time.

“The First Law of Thermodynamics clearly states that the amount of energy in an isolated system is constant, and thus energy cannot be created nor destroyed, which of course implies that this energy had to come from somewhere, but there should be an energy trail leading to the source of it, and yet there isn’t. If it were traveling through time from a previous or future version of itself, it would have left an energy trail in the past leading to that exact spot, and we would be able to follow it in the future–”

“So do you want to break it again?” she asked, watching him do his thing, his eyes utterly glued to the amulet.

“--but that violates the Third Fundamental Law of Magic since that would be the spell repairing itself–”

“Nova.”

“--so the energy has to be coming from somewhere, but it cannot possibly be in this plane or else we’d be able to follow it, but the fact that it was able to respond instantly implies that the source of the spell is close by–”

“Noooooooova,” she called in a singsong voice. She loved and hated when he got like this. To think that there truly was someone who was her equal in magic, but that he also sometimes seemed to love magic more than her…

“It couldn’t be drawing energy from an alternate dimension where energy can be created from nothing, since the implications of String Theory posits that the fundamental laws are constant between different universes…”

He fell on his haunches and glared sulkily at the amulet. The amulet glinted innocently in the sunlight.

“Alright then, keep your secrets,” he glowered, before turning back to Twilight grimacing. “I hate problems where it feels like I’m not getting anywhere.”

“They are the worst kind of problem, aren’t they?” she asked with a wry smile. “Feels like you’re walking miles and never getting any closer to the destination.”

“Yeah,” Nova frowned. “One more go? I’ve got a session with Gleam later today, and I think you have errands to run, right?”

"Mm-hmm,” she nodded. “Potions and ingredients are a little low, and Spike’s been chomping his way through the gem candy we got him. It’s a miracle he doesn’t have any tooth decay right now…”

“I’m sure Smoulder’s giving him tips on how to avoid it, but…” he glanced back in the direction of the castle, its tallest spires poking up above the treeline of this particular clearing at the edge of the Everfree. “He has been eating a lot lately.”

“Might have to go up to the Empire to get some at this point,” she joked. "He’s going to clean out Maud’s shop at this rate.”

Nova frowned, before shaking his head. “One more. I’ve got shield duty this time.”

“Beam duty it is,” Twilight sighed, beginning to channel the energy already. It was grueling work, channeling a focused blast of energy for that long. The gem was made of resilient material, no doubt the result of all the energy contained within.

Nova’s shield surrounded the amulet and a good chunk of the earth around it, and Twilight let loose, firing the beam toward his shield, where it met the bubble in a flash of white light and phased through it as though the wall weren’t there at all.

Two hearts becoming one, a bond that cannot be undone, she thought to herself, thinking back to the song she’d rehearsed a thousand times before Shiny’s wedding. Before all of this. Before Nova. Before becoming a princess. Before…

“We’ve got to stop bumping into each other like this.”

Before she could stop herself, images of Flash Sentry began to flicker through her mind, followed by the feelings that went with it. The jealousy, the guilt, the shame, and…

The white light where their spells met disappeared, and her beam reflected off of the shield and hit Nova directly in the chest before he could react. Nova let out a cry of shock as he was thrown backward, colliding with a particularly knobby tree with a crash, before sliding to the ground and groaning with pain.

“Oh my gosh! Nova, are you okay!?”

Nova staggered to his hooves, ignoring her panic and rubbing at a spot on the back of his head where he was bleeding. Twilight felt a lurch in her stomach as she noticed that he had cut the back of his head on the tree, but before her usual reflexes could kick in, the injury was gone, his flesh knitting itself back together due to his oversaturation's healing factor kicking in.

“What… what was that?” he asked, giving her an indignant look. “What the hell was that!?”

“I’m sorry,” she shook her head, fighting back the suddenly turbulent emotions that had been dug up. “I just… I had an idle thought, and it segued into… into Flash and… and all of that.”

Nova’s mouth parted, and he stared at her in total disbelief. How was he going to react today? Was he going to blow up again? Was he going to emotionally shut down? Was he going to pretend like nothing had happened as a defense mechanism?

He stared at her for an uncomfortable amount of time, and she could see the conflicting feelings in his eyes, but she held his gaze as long as she could.

Eventually, he looked away. “I see,” he said softly.

“Nova?”

Nova walked over to the amulet, picked it up off of the plinth, and stowed it away for safekeeping under the archmage’s cloak that he summoned around his shoulders. With that, he turned around and began to trot out of the clearing.

Twilight stared after him glumly. Looks like his response today is emotionally shutting off. Willpower was supposed to be the hallmark of powerful spellcasters, so how was it that she still hadn’t quite mastered that part of herself?

The easy, cop-out answer was that the mind was a complex thing that was difficult to control and that there was no shame in the train of thought going in whatever direction it wanted, but that deflected any blame when the spell de-merging was clearly something that happened on her end.

“You coming?”

Twilight blinked, returning to clarity and looking up. Nova was looking back at her expectantly.

“You’re not… mad?”

“Idle thoughts happen,” he shrugged. “I get it. And I know the spiral they can send you down all too well. So no, I’m not.”

Twilight felt like something massive and heavy just fell off of her shoulders at that very moment, and she cantered forward to join him as they began to make their way back toward the town.

I love this stallion.

“We’ve gotta talk about things, though,” he added in a low voice as they exited the perimeter of the forest. “With everything going on, there hasn’t been a good time. You said I’m not forgiven after… after that night, so I know I need time, but at some point we can’t just wait it out. Right?”

“Yeah,” she murmured. “The longer this goes…”

“I mean,” he brushed up alongside her in a way she was certain was intentional, “I still love you to death, and I know you still love me. We wouldn’t be able to merge our magic if we didn’t, right? But it feels like the longer we let this fester, the worse these little moments will get.”

“We just need time,” she sighed. “It’s going to be a long talk, isn’t it?”

“Has to be,” he nodded. “We both have a lot of things we need to say, and we need the time to say them, and to work through them.”

“Should we clear next Thursday?”

“Seems like a good idea,” Nova nodded. “I’ll be back in town after a session of the House of Nobles, so I’ll be mostly empty that day.”

“Okay, let’s plan on it.”

As they reentered the town passing by the School of Friendship as they made their way toward the castle, he brushed up against her again, a little more firmly this time. Yes, she really did love this stallion. It wasn’t always the smoothest relationship in the world, but when things went well, there was no one better.

And at last, they’d be able to put all of this behind them.

“Maybe we can get Trixie to be our mediator.”

“Absolutely not. I don’t want that nag anywhere near us during a serious moment!”

“TRIXIE HEARD THAT!”

For the second time that day, lights were flashing in the Western Orchard of Sweet Apple Acres. This time, the results were a lot more harmless, but a lot more unpredictable.

Bright Gleam was rooted to a spot on the ground, knees bent in anticipation, glancing every which way as five orbs of blue-white light slowly hovered around her threateningly. Every so often one of them would hover toward her threateningly, making her whirl around, hoof at the nape of her cape, but then it would hover away once more.

One of them fired a small, narrow beam of light at Gleam, who reflexively yanked her new cloak down where the beam of light was going to hit. The small beam deflected into the ground harmlessly. Gleam didn’t celebrate her small accomplishment, as she yanked her hoof free and resumed her alertness, ready for the next beam to shoot her way.

“Watch your tail,” Master Nova Shine cautioned from her right. She whirled around, backing away from an orb that was wandering a little too close for comfort.

*ZAP!*

“Wah!” Gleam yelped as she felt a sharp sting on her left flank. In her jump away from the sensation, her hoof caught the hem of her cape, and she tumbled into the ground with a loud “Oof!”

Nursing a sore butt and some wounded pride, she pushed herself back up and glared at her master, around whom the five orbs of light were spinning once more.

“You told me watch my tail!”

“I did,” Master Nova Shine nodded. “I never said an attack would come from there. Why would your attacker ever tell you which way their real strike would come from?”

She grit her teeth and let out a huff. He was right, of course. And even though it annoyed her, she knew it was for her own good. Still, she had come out here expecting to learn magic, not defense.

“I thought you took me on as your apprentice so I could learn magic, not self-defense,” she said, redundantly repeating the previous sentence almost word-for-word redundantly.

“Knowing how to protect yourself from harmful spells is part of learning about magic, Gleam,” he countered patiently. “Suppose you were researching magical golems, and you accidentally set one loose. You would need to be prepared to defend yourself against this golem’s offenses should it turn hostile toward you. And you’ll often find that the best offense is an impenetrable defense,” he added, punctuating his sentence by jumping backward, whirling his own cloak around, and blocking three quick blasts from his orbs.

But what separated these from the way Gleam had blocked them was that Master Nova Shine had used his cape in such a way as to bat the lasers back toward the orbs that had fired them. Only one of them hit, but the point was made, even if they were his own blasts that he was parrying.

“Sometimes, if you can just wear your opponent down, make them use up all of their energy, or frustrate them until they do something risky, you can minimize the amount of energy you use. Have you ever heard of ‘economy of motion’?”

She shook her head.

“You have a limited amount of energy,” he stated, starting to pace around the clearing. “Thus, you want to maximize its use, right? You would want to use it at its most efficient, so that you waste as little energy as possible. This goes both for physical energy and manatic energy. The less energy you expend to face one opponent, the more you have for the next, right?”

It was intuitive. She’d just never really heard the term before, or heard it systemized like this.

“So it makes sense that you’d want to take the least amount of energy possible to win, and a de facto win condition of a fight is to burn out your opponent. It’s a lot easier to defend than it is to attack, and naturally, it’s safer. So believe me, Gleam. I am teaching you magic. I’m teaching you an application of magic I never wanted you to learn, but that starts with you being able to protect yourself.”

“So after I can protect myself, then you’ll start teaching me how to pull meteors out of the sky?”

Master Nova Shine laughed. “Spike always wants me to summon meteors. Now you’re doing it too.”

“Is that bad?” she asked. All of her nerves were now on high alert. Did she do something wrong?

“No, just funny,” he shook his head, trotting over to lean against a tree. “That being said, I learned defense and offense at the same time with Twilight. We’ll start with the offensive basics after a short break, but nothing flashy like meteors or hellfire. Just some simple energy beams like the one you used back at the Empire.”

“Not even the elements?” Gleam asked, feeling a little disappointed. Sure, she’d get there with time, but she wanted to start throwing fireballs around.

What practical purpose did they serve? She didn’t know nor care, what mattered was fireballs.

“Not yet, although they will be some of the first things we cover,” he replied. Maybe he sensed her disappointment…? “But break first, magic later.”

Gleam nodded, grateful for the short reprieve. Considering this morning was physical training and this afternoon was magic training, she’d been doing a lot of training today. No doubt he would want her to turn it into a habit, honing herself until she was as capable as it was possible for her to be, but she knew that was a loooooooong way ahead of her.

Miss Applejack had left a pitcher of Sweet Apple Acres Cider (non-alcoholic, of course) and some mugs for them nearby. Gleam cantered over and picked one up, poured herself a generous portion, then drained it in a quick set of gulps before helping herself to another. Nothing beat cold cider on a warm day.

Even if it wasn’t really warm, seeing as how it was getting a little bit nippy out with autumn in full swing. Then again the Running of the Leaves hadn’t happened yet, so was it really autumn, or was it still on the tail end of summer? In Canterlot, the Running of the Leaves was always a subdued thing since there weren’t many trees to shake the leaves off of, but out here there were entire forests to shake down, so did autumn start earlier to account for all of that?

Focus, Gleam.

Didn’t matter, lovely day, cider tastes great, still tired from training.

“Hey, save some for me!”

“Sorry,” Gleam said, not feeling the least bit so.

“I figured you’d be buzzing with questions right about now, but I guess mine and Sharp Eye’s training regimens have you in need of some calories.” He grabbed his own mug, filled it up, then went and took a seat under one of the trees. One of the fruit bats up above opened an eye and watched him warily.

She finished her second mug, wiped her mouth, and placed it back on the tray for Miss Applejack to take back later. “I mean, not much to ask, I guess,” she admitted. “Or rather, not much I’m sure I should be asking,” she clarified.

“Don’t be afraid to ask, Gleam,” he said, giving her an encouraging smile. “I will never punish you for curiosity. If you’re stumbling on a topic you aren’t ready for, or that I don’t think you need to know, I’ll tell you, so please don’t assume I’ll ever be angry at you for asking questions.”

“Okay.” Gleam frowned. That didn’t make her job any easier. There were already so many questions she wanted to ask. Though, there had been one thing that had been bothering her…

“What happened down in that… that room? Under the Empire?”

Master Nova Shine’s frown matched her own now.

“You mean, how did Sombra come back?”

“Yeah.” Her mind went back to the moment when that black stuff had just forced itself out of him via the mouth. What had it been? Whatever it was, that moment had given her a lot of pause, and most likely would have given her several nightmares if not for his Nightmare Guard.

“One of these days, I’m going to need to give you the full story of what happened when I had a two-year trip into the past,” he said, seeming to chew on every word before saying it. Why was he so hesitant? “There was… an incident, in the city that would become Canterlot. I fought against a unicorn named Silas Silverblood, who was secretly working for Sombra. Those defensive lessons I was teaching you a minute ago?” She nodded. “That’s how I beat him. I frustrated him. I tanked his hardest hits and barely broke a sweat, before countering with my own spells. He got desperate because of it, and he cast a spell of Dark Magic.”

Gleam did not miss the distant, painful look that crossed his face for but a moment, before he covered it up.

“At the time, I thought it was just a desperation attack, even though Sombra showed up to personally inform me that it had further-reaching effects. I hurt like hell for a few days, but I was back on my hooves not long after that. Now, however, I think it’s quite clear what Silverblood did.”

His countenance darkened again.

“He used soulular magic on me. It explains why there was such a backlash back then. He forcibly implanted a portion of King Sombra’s soul onto mine.”

“Backlash?”

He nodded slowly.

“When Silas Silverblood cast that spell, his horn exploded. I had always wondered what could possibly cause something like that to happen to a unicorn, but now I realize that he was using a spell that comes at a terrible cost, and Sombra didn’t inform him of the price to be paid.”

“Is soul magic that bad?” she asked, feeling a prickling at the back of her neck. Her mind once again returned to the twisted thing she had felt with her magical probe in the Maze of Identical Hallways back at the Empire. Was this somehow even worse than that?

Master Nova Shine nodded again.

“We know precious little of soulular magic, and all we know of it was recovered from Alicorn ruins. We know they pushed the boundaries of magic in many ways, and we know that, towards the collapse of their civilization, they were dabbling in some dark stuff. This was one of the few things ponykind has recovered, and for good reason, it was locked away so that only precious few ponies could ever look on it.”

He paused, considering where next to take this train of thought.

“I’ve only seen the general overview of what they’ve been able to recover, but Twi’s seen all of it. She says they were the ones who invented magical artifices such as Horcruxes, though they called them something else in that language of theirs. The point is, they dabbled in ways to tamper with the soul, they recorded their findings, and we found some of them. And soulular magic is one of the few fields of magic that requires what we call a Blood Cost, which is to say, a physical payment from the caster. It’s not necessarily blood, though it can be. Soul Implantation in particular? It takes the horn of its caster.”

A heavy silence fell over the grove as Gleam shivered. A spell so taboo it destroyed the horn of the one who cast it…

It was one thing for the spell to exist. It was one thing for a unicorn to cast it unwittingly. It was another for there to actually be someone out there who knew what this spell could do and was willing to make others cast it for him. One who would manipulate others into delving so deep into the darkness that they emerged without the Gift of Magic.

This is what we’re up against.

Indeed. Yet fret not. Darkness may seem to be stronger at first glance, for it is willing to go where none should, but light always triumphs in due course.

“Then, you know the rest,” Master Nova Shine sighed, leaning his head back against the trunk of his tree. “I had no idea that was going to happen. Then it did.”

Gleam said nothing. So they were dealing with someone who had plans as far as over a thousand years into the future, at least from when he first had the spell cast on Master Nova Shine, and he was willing to manipulate others into casting abominable spells.

“Well, I think that’s enough of a break for now,” Master Nova Shine got to his hooves again. “This conversation has cast a pallor over our little training session. So let’s get back to it, and I can answer more questions you have on the way back to the Castle.”

She didn’t move, however. Her mind was still going crazy with all of the implications here. Just how far had Sombra planned out? What was his next move? How big of a target was on her back because of Harmonia, even if Harmonia could protect her?

“It’s just…”

How would she say this the right way?

“How can we beat him if he’s willing to do any of that? How do we face an enemy willing to be that evil?”

Master Nova Shine trotted over and held out a hoof to her. She took it and he helped her to her hooves.

“Lord Star Swirl seems to have a plan,” Master Nova Shine answered. Gleam noticed the tiniest of scoffs in his voice as he said it. “I suppose we’ll hear it after we have the Gem of Mind. But with him, the Princesses, Twi, and Cadenza on our side, I think we have him beat in sheer magical ability.”

“And you,” she pointed out. Why did he omit himself?

He did not respond to that. Instead, he simply gestured to that same spot on the ground. “Alright, back to it. Now, let’s work on beams.”

Several meters away, hovering just outside of the range that she knew the Archmage could sense, a slender silver mare spied on the master and apprentice from a spot in the trees. Despite it being her mission to ensure that the bonehead stayed on task trying to locate the Gem of Mind, she couldn’t help but eavesdrop.

How do we face an enemy that evil?

“You don’t know the half of it, kid,” she muttered, decomposing and gliding away, leaving them alone to their training.

Double, double, toil and trouble, fire burn and cauldron bubble.

As Twilight watched Zecora work her craft over the cauldron in her home while the Zebrican masks stared threateningly down at them both, the first lines of the song of the Weird Sisters played in her head as they often did. No thanks to the Harry Trotter movies turning it into an actual song, anyway.

There was just something fantastical and whimsical seeing Zecora work the pot of whatever brew she was working on today, as though she were in a fantasy of her own rather than this harsh reality where, unfortunately, she had to deal with mundane things like doomsday artifacts, a fiancee that was quite literally too magical, and low potion stores.

“Thanks for getting everything for me, Zecora,” she said as she continued to pack the many different potion ingredients to brew more to replenish her low stock. “Feels like I was only here a few weeks ago.”

“It is no bother, my Equestrian friend,” Zecora smiled at her, even as she continued to add measures of the many things in the room to her boiling pot. “For you, some help I am always happy to lend.”

“Brewing potions wasn’t really the way I was hoping to spend my afternoon,” Twilight groused, “but I figure since Nova’s out working with Gleam and Starlight’s got the school to run, I have the Castle mostly to myself and Spike, and an extra chore to do.”

“Hmm…” Zecora cast her a critical eye. “A curious list, these herbs you acquire. Tell me, what potions do you desire?”

“Nothing dangerous, if that’s what you’re asking about,” Twilight replied defensively.

“All potions are dangerous, this is rather well-known. Be careful to reap not what you’ve unwittingly sown.”

“Your concern is appreciated, Zecora, it really is,” Twilight replied, packing some more of the offered ingredients away and helping herself to more on her list. “But it’s just my usual set of potions. Calming tonics in case of panic attacks, Pepper-Up Potion for early mornings, Elixirs of Energy for all-nighters…”

“Have you been doing well? Mentally, that is to say. With everything going on, your mind may begin to fray.”

Zecora left her pot bubbling and came to scrutinize Twilight a little more directly, as if she could sense that something was bothering her. In truth, Twilight was feeling the strain of the last several days. Everything had just imploded after the encounter with Envy at the ruined Vaults, and now things were getting worse. Nova, at least, seemed to be recovering with a new sense of purpose, but she wasn’t doing quite so well.

“No, I’m not,” she shook her head and fell onto her haunches as the exhaustion that she was pushing to the back of her mind crashed into her. “It’s just… everything, Zecora. It’s overwhelming.”

“I had a feeling that this was the case,” Zecora nodded, giving her pot a quick stir before sitting down next to her and placing a friendly hoof on her shoulder. “It cannot be easy, with him in a bad place.”

“He’s gotten better,” Twilight said, feeling at least a bit better about that part. “He seems to actually be listening to Star Swirl. Trains with Sharp Eye every morning, never misses a Council meeting, Hearty says he was watching the Arsenal game again four days ago, and he says he’s going again tonight, so it feels like he’s recovering.”

“Recovery is not instant, you know as well as I,” Zecora cautioned her. “For one like Nova to bounce back this fast, my hopes are not high.”

“Are you saying he’s faking it?” Twilight asked, giving her a nervous look. “I mean… I wouldn’t put it past him. He’s done it before. But… it just feels genuine this time. He taught me how to sense lies years ago and I haven’t been able to catch him lying about this.”

“That’s not the only way to hide this from sight,” Zecora stared up at the hanging tribal ornaments. “I would make sure that he isn’t masking his troubles, Twilight.”

“I’ve taken many precautions. Surely he would have tripped at least one of them.”

“You’ve been quite thorough, I believe that’s quite true,” Zecora’s voice grew slow, deliberate, and stern. “But when Nova Shine wants to hide, does he not think like you?”

The question hung in the air, and once again Twilight felt that crushing feeling of failure inside her once more. She’d been engaged to him for four years, and even though it was new advice, the fact that he still was able to stay a step ahead of her in things like this was frustrating.

Why did Trixie of all ponies know Nova better than she did? How did Zecora know?

That’s not true, Nova’s voice echoed in her head. You know me better than anyone else.

And yet he always found a way to hide from her time and again.

A sign of how well I know you.

Why couldn’t he just think like he should? Predictably, in ways that she could anticipate.

Because you love that about me.

Even Twilight’s mental projection of him knew him better than she did.

“He does,” she admitted. “I’ve only been able to find him one time. Every other time, he’s managed to stay hidden until someone else helps me find him. Luna, Trixie…”

“I’d keep a close eye on him, if I were you,” Zecora warned, returning to her stirring of the cauldron. “There is the chance he is hiding it from himself too.”

“Hiding it from himself?”

“The first thing I know about Nova Shine is, his greatest enemy is that mind of his.” She wasn’t wrong. “He often finds problems that are not truly there, and creates a phantom burden for himself to bear.”

Twilight nodded. Yes, Nova was often the one person in the world who could perform a task perfectly, and then find some way to ruin his own self-esteem because he didn’t do it perfectly enough.

“And in the reverse, when he tries to let go, the one he must convince is himself that it is so.”

That explained… a lot, actually. Maybe he wasn’t putting on a facade to hide things from her this time. Maybe he was putting on a facade to convince himself that he was better, hoping that at some point down the line, it actually would become better. Faking it till he made it.

“Thank you, Zecora,” she trotted over and gave the zebra a hug. Zecora shooed her away but began filling several small vials with her requested brew. “Sometimes I need another perspective to help me see things clearly. Starlight’s great, but she’s been focused on the school lately. And… well, the less we say about Trixie the better. I love her as a friend, but she drives me up the wall.”

“You are quite welcome, my alicorn friend,” Zecora smiled warmly back at her. “I am always here for you, to chat, to brew, or to mend.”

With her potions prepared, Twilight left Zecora’s hut and began the trek back toward the town with a lot to think about. One thing was for certain, Nova had a lot of things that had gone unprocessed as of late, and she knew how unhealthy that could be. The longer he kept those bottled up and unresolved, the more he was at risk of suffering another breakdown. And if he was trying to hide things from himself…

Maybe we need to have that talk sooner rather than later.

“He’s through on goal… and that’s a magnificent strike! Three-nil to Arsenal, surely that puts the game to bed!”

“Ha-haaaaaaa!” Nova grinned as the broadcast of the evening’s match panned away from the pitch, where several ponies wearing red and white were celebrating a goal to the crowd to show jubilant celebrations from the spectators wearing primarily red and white as well.

“See, it’s good to have this version of you back.” Aegis reached out and thumped him on his withers, briefly driving the air from his lungs. As Nova sputtered, he turned and gave Aegis an annoyed look, which Aegis met with a faux-innocent expression.

It felt strange to be out of his armor. Being part of the guard, they made you wear it so often that you often felt more comfortable in it than out of it after a while, and it seemed that after eleven years of service, he was finally hitting that point. But today wasn’t a day that called for him to wear his barding.

Today, he had forgone the armor and was wearing a lily-white hoofball kit and trying desperately not to vomit because of the red and white one that Nova was wearing. How such an intelligent pony could willingly commit their life to a shit team like Arsenal was beyond him. He supposed this was Nova’s Persian flaw.

One of them, anyway.

“You’re just mad we’re gonna finish ahead of you and challenge for the title this season.”

“Yes, we can really see how quality the Gunners are, winning three-nil to relegation battling Crystal Palace. Truly a challenging opponent,” he noted dryly.

“Remind me the last time Spurs won a trophy, Aegis?” Nova fired back, that usual smug smile he had whenever he brought up Trottenham’s woes settling into place. “Was it before or after you bottled the league to Prancester City?”

The rest of the Council of Gentlestallions’ eyes flicked between the two at lightning pace. It was always worth it when Aegis came down to join them on hoofball nights. They got wonderful banter matches like this to pass the time by. Lyra and Roseluck were observing the proceedings eagerly from a booth several spots over. Applejack and Rainbow Dash had abandoned their usual arguments in favor of covertly listening in. Elsewhere in the bar, Hearty Brew had a tub of popcorn that he was munching on, watching the two of them quite eagerly.

“Yes, as if a few HA Cups are anything prestigious,” Aegis rolled his eyes.

“I guess they would be to a team that hasn’t won anything in the last 15 years.”

“It’s so nice to have him back,” Pierce whispered to Big Mac.

“Eeyup.”

Even though it had only been a few days since Nova’s midnight run for the Poisoned Apple, things this evening seemed a lot calmer than one would expect around a unicorn as volatile as Nova Shine. While there were still a few nervous glances from many of the bar’s regular patrons, not to mention Hearty Brew himself whenever it seemed like Nova was getting just a bit too rowdy, things tonight seemed to be progressing pleasantly and normally. Aegis had heard about Nova’s moonlit scamper, so to see things going as if that hadn’t happened was both somewhat concerning and yet a relief.

“You know,” Sharp Eye observed, “all things considered, it’s nice having you both in the bar again. Been too long since we saw you two going at it.”

“Hear, hear,” Time Turner toasted them with his pint. “This is the kind of quality entertainment we come here for.”

“Really?” Aegis arched an eyebrow. “You’re not here to watch how this poor sod loses the will to live whenever Arsenal bottle Top 4?”

Nova’s smile disappeared immediately, and for the briefest of moments, Aegis saw the briefest change in his eyes and watched his irises contract until his pupils were pinpricks. But then Nova looked away and seemed to deliberately blow out a breath.

Then a moment later, he shoveled some of his hay bacon cheese fries into his mouth and followed it up with a great several gulps of beer, and Aegis realized exactly why he was here.

“Anything to avoid talking about it, eh?” asked Sharp Eye, nudging Turner. “Watching them slowly but steadily let it slip must really have done numbers on his sharp tongue.” Pierce chortled.

Thankfully, Big Mac seemed to notice it too. He’d had an easygoing smile the entire night, seeming to enjoy the night of company with everyone around, but the moment Nova’s expression had changed, that smile had vanished.

Aegis often wondered why Trixie only considered the Apple family to be nothing more than country bumpkins. In his few conversations with the stallion, Aegis had long since concluded that Big Macintosh was both much more intelligent than he let on, but also incredibly observant. Hell, he was also incredibly strong. To hear Princess Twilight tell it, he had managed to drag an entire house behind him completely unawares once. If he didn’t prefer the quiet farm life, Big Mac would have been a shoo-in for the Groundshakers.

There was a small burst of cheering as Canterlot HC managed a late goal against Cloudsdale Wanderers, and fate decided that now was a good time to play the most unfortunate coincidence.

“ARE YOU WATCHING THIS!? FROM THE VERY BRINK, CANTERLOT HC HAVE SNATCHED AN EQUALIZER AT THE DEATH!”

There was a clatter, and Nova hastily excused himself from the table and made a break for the exit, leaving in his wake half-eaten food, a half-full pint, and a perplexed Council of Gentlestallions. Aegis’ reflexes had been honed by years of guard training, and while he deliberately let Nova go, he wasn’t far behind, tailing the archmage as he pushed his way past a few ponies making their entrances and out into Ponyville Square.

Nova hurried to the stone edge of the fountain, fell into a seat on the ground next to the fountain, and started taking great gasps of the cool night air. Aegis watched him for a moment, wanting to give Nova some space as he tried to prevent himself from hyperventilating. Rushing into it when he wasn’t in his right state of mind could make things worse.

After several moments, Nova seemed to get his breathing under control, slowing his breaths down and deepening them, before letting out a great sigh and falling back against the fountain’s edge.

Aegis stepped forward, slowly but deliberately so that Nova knew he was coming, and now that he had a moment to have a proper look at Nova, he could see just how exhausted Nova looked. On the surface, everything looked fine, although he had faint bags under his eyes. Aegis could see the tension in his shoulders and arms. Above all, however, Nova could just tell from the body language that Nova Shine did not have the energy he was trying to present himself as having.

Nova met Aegis’ eyes as he approached, and Aegis watched as his face shifted to a resigned expression.

“Sorry about that,” he mumbled. Aegis admired his resolve sometimes. He could cover his fatigue with training, but Nova didn’t have such training yet still tried to pretend like he was minorly inconvenienced by this panic attack.

“What’s there to be sorry about?” Aegis asked, trotting over to his side and having a seat. It was oddly ominous, having a pony statue up above them staring down with a big smile on its face. “I said something insensitive without realizing it, the others didn’t notice your distress, and then that damned broadcast…”

Nova couldn’t resist a chuckle. “Brilliant timing, I’d say. Couldn’t have planned it better myself.”

“Nova, don’t laugh this off.”

“What else can I do?” Nova threw up his hooves. “I came out here to have some fun, dammit! And I’m not gonna let my… my issues stop that from happening.”

“I call bollocks,” Aegis shook his head dismissively. “I know you, Nova. You weren’t here to have fun. You were here to look like you were having fun. You were putting in an appearance just to put in an appearance.”

Nova opened his mouth angrily, but Aegis met his anger with a challenging look of his own. Am I wrong? Tell me I’m wrong.

Fortunately, rather than escalate, Nova let out another great sigh and just wilted under his gaze. “You’re right,” he grunted, rubbing his eyes.

“Be honest with me,” Aegis scooted just a bit closer to him and threw a scowl at Rarity, who had been lingering just a little bit too long outside the door to Sugarcube Corner and not-so-subtly craning her ears to try and pick up on some juicy new gossip.

“It’s not like I can lie, you can sense energy too,” Nova grumbled.

As Rarity gave him an offended look and stepped into the confectionary cafe, Aegis snorted. “True, but I was being courteous. Anyway, Nova, did you even want to be here tonight?”

“I…” He nodded, but it was slow, as though he didn’t quite believe it, or know whether it was true. “I… did, after a bit.”

“After a bit?”

“I didn’t want to. Not at first,” he admitted softly. “But… I was having fun there, after a while.”

“You needed it.”

“Yeah,” Nova nodded. “I really did. I’ve just been trying to do everything lately. Training Gleam, study the Alicorn Amulet, teach at Twilight’s school, do my job as a High Noble, do my job as the Archmage…”

“That’s never a good thing,” Aegis gave him a stern look. “I know it’s hard, Nova. I can’t begin to imagine what it’s like. But you can’t do everything. No one can. You’re going to have to decide what you want to do most and pursue that.”

“I just wish I had more time…”

“Don’t we all,” Aegis muttered, just loud enough for him to hear. “I think that’s part of the beauty of it though.”

“Not having enough time?” Nova asked, sounding skeptical. “How’s that a beautiful thing?” Aegis supposed he couldn’t blame Nova for feeling that way. How to put this without being patronizing…?

“No one has enough time,” Aegis shook his head. “Even when you do what you want, there’s always something else to do after, innit?”

“Celestia and Luna have enough time,” Nova spat.

“What about Twilight or Cadance?”

“Not immortal,” Nova shook his head. “Neither is Flurry Heart. They’ll get to enjoy normal lifespans, maybe longer ones than normal, but they’re as mortal as everyone else. No, only the ancient alicorns got to be immortal.”

“And look how they ended up,” Aegis added, silently thankful that they’d somehow managed to segue back to the point. “Gone like everyone else. Like I said, no one has all the time in the world. Just means the individual moments matter more.”

Nova snorted. “Did you read that off a fortune cookie?”

“No,” Aegis elbowed him, glad that Nova wasn’t serious. He must never know… “Believe it or not, there are some ways that I’m kinda jealous of you, you know?”

“Really,” Nova grumbled, rolling his eyes. “You’re jealous of someone who won’t even live to be 30. Now I know you’re just saying–”

“Shut up, for fuck’s sake, and let me finish,” Aegis snapped. Nova gave him a frosty look, but he did as asked all the same. “Look, no one knows when the end is, right? Some of us die young, others live to be a hundred fifty and decrepit. Some of us die peacefully, and others die tragically. But none of us knows when it’s coming. No one except you, by the look of things.”

“And the terminally ill, and the ponies who commit suicide, and the–”

“For the love of Harmony, stop taking my point out of context and just take it for what it is!” Aegis snarled at him. “If you want to keep feeling bad about things and jamming jade-colored glasses into your eyes, then I can’t stop you, but at least try to let us help you.”

Following that, Nova fell silent. The only sounds that they listened to were the running water of the fountain, the occasional babble from the Poisoned Apple whenever the door swung open, the clip-clop of hooves on the stone as ponies went about their nightly business, and the occasional whistle of the winds.

Nova must feel right at home. Never met a pony so attached to a bit of a breeze as him.

“I needed to hear that,” he finally admitted.

“Yeah, you did.”

“You know, I don’t think I’ve ever told you,” he smiled wryly. “You remind me of an old friend of mine.”

“That Captain, right?” Aegis asked. Yeah, Nova had told him about this. How he had the same coat and mane color. How coincidental, having grey and black. Truly a one-of-a-kind combination.

“He said things I needed to hear, too. And he also wasn’t afraid to get rough with me.”

“Can’t imagine why. Must have been your sparkling personality back then.”

Nova couldn’t help but chuckle at that one. That was good. He was finally lightening up.

“Really, though,” Nova continued softly. “I needed you and him both for different reasons at different times, and here you are, still giving me the bitter pills to swallow.”

“Cruel to be kind,” Aegis nodded. “Lord Star Swirl seems to believe you can save yourself from… your thing. I just want you to be happy, one way or the other. And I know it scares you,” he added before Nova could cut in, “but… I just want you to be able to make your curtain call feeling content, with no regrets.”

“Curtain call?” Nova asked, arching an eyebrow. “You make it sound like it’s all just some show.”

“You act like it’s all just some show.”

“Touche.”

“Now come on,” Aegis got back to his hooves and offered a hoof down to the Archmage and pulled him to his own hooves. “We’re gonna go back in, and we’re gonna enjoy the rest of the evening. You’ll take a load off, and you’ll have a good time, alright? Tomorrow’s troubles can wait until then.”

“Yeah,” Nova nodded, brushing off his kit. “Alright. Let’s go.”

They trotted back to the bar, and Aegis was pleased with how things had gone. Sure, everyone knew it was going to take a long time to get Nova back to normal, but hopefully, Nova took what he had said to heart. Not to mention, rest was an important part of anyone’s life, not just those who weren’t made into important ponies like archmages. Even if it was just for one more night, it was good that Nova could come into a place where he was always welcome, sit among friends that always loved having him around, and just enjoyed food, drink, sport, and pleasurable company.

Unfortunately for Nova, fate had one more nasty surprise for him when they stepped back inside.

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE BLEW A 3-GOAL LEAD IN UNDER TEN MINUTES!?”

Also, unfortunately, Aegis too.

“HARRY MANE SENT OFF FOR THAT!? HE’S BARELY TOUCHED HIM! THAT’S BOLLOCKS!”

But still, it was the sentiment that counted.

Twilight did not sleep soundly that evening.

Nova had long since helped her gain mastery over her dreams, yet on days or nights when she was particularly occupied with something, things often bled through. This was, after all, how he had found out about Flash Sentry.

Tonight, however, it was… well, everything. Try as she might, she was failing to wrest control of her dream from her subconscious.

It wasn’t like she was dreaming anything specifically, either! It was just an empty place, with a strange, ominous feeling of dread pressing in from all sides. It was like her anxiety was acting up, except she knew it wasn’t her anxiety this time. Something was wrong. She didn’t know what, but it was undeniable that something, somewhere, was not as it should be.

Perhaps it was because she didn’t even know what she wanted to dream about.

In days past, she often allowed herself to dream of her future life with Nova. Of becoming a wise and celebrated ruler like Celestia, of having her friends with her every step of the way, of training an apprentice like Nova was now. Yet now, there was an ominous feeling to all of it. Some nights, everything would be the same, yet instead of wearing Celestia’s crown, she would instead find herself wearing that black orichalcum circlet, the three gems glowing brightly in their sockets.

What had changed in her fantasy about the Crown of Life? If she were honest, nothing had. All that changed were the crown on her head. Yet the mere implication of having that artifact resting on her brow turned otherwise-idyllic dreams into nightmares with its presence alone.

In her fantasy, she was loved and accepted and embraced by everyone as she was. In her nightmare, she was loved and accepted only because everyone was afraid of her.

Isn’t that something, she thought with morbid amusement. Swap out one detail in my heart’s desire and it becomes my greatest fear.

“We know the feeling.”

Twilight’s eyes clenched shut, blinding her to the nondescript surroundings she currently stewed in, just in time for a starry rift to appear in midair beside her and for Princess Luna to step through looking troubled as she landed on whatever it was that passed as a floor in this realm.

“Good evening Twilight Sparkle.”

“You are not welcome here,” she replied harshly. The dread in her dream vanished almost immediately, replaced by seething.

Princess Luna bowed her head but she did not retreat. “We know,” she replied softly.

“Then get out,” Twilight ordered, her horn glowing as she took an aggressive step toward her colleague. “What made you think coming here was a good idea, Luna? Did you think I would forgive you this easily, just because it’s been a few days?”

“We came because We care about Nova Shine too,” Luna snapped back, fixing Twilight with a snarl of her own.

Twilight let out a derisive bark of laughter at that one. “Oh, now you care about him when it was your own carelessness that’s got him in the state he’s in. That just makes everything okay then, doesn’t it?”

“Be silent for just one moment, Twilight Sparkle!” Luna thundered, though unlike Twilight, she did not tap into her magic. Twilight thought for a moment about spiting Luna and shouting right back, but she didn’t have an opportunity to act on it. “Your anger at the two of us is warranted, and we shall bear it when the time is right. But We have come because Nova Shine’s mind is not connected to the Realm of Dreams.”

Twilight blinked, but rolled her eyes.

“Oh, he doesn’t want to see you either, how surprising.”

Luna actually flinched at that one, and Twilight could see her blink back tears. Deep down, part of her felt bad about saying that, but it was drowned out by the resentment she felt toward both her and her sister over the things left unsaid until it was too late.

“N-no, I… I mean, We… He–”

“Why is this my problem?” Twilight asked, forcing herself to bring her tone back down to as neutral as it could be. It was clear Luna wasn’t going to leave until she said what she needed to, and while Twilight wanted nothing more than to shove her out of her dream at once, something about Nova’s mind not being connected to the Realm of Dreams was concerning.

“It’s… i-it’s not that he is blocking me out, Twilight. He’s not asleep at all.”

Twilight’s mouth parted. Not asleep at all? It was…

“What time is it?”

“It was approximately three hours past midnight when I entered the Realm of Dreams.”

Three in the morning!?

A sinking suspicion entered her mind. A short stock of potions she had brewed only days before. Nova being more tired than usual. Him always seeming to be out of bed even on days he wasn’t supposed to be training with Sharp Eye.

“Oh, don’t tell me,” she muttered to herself.

“Please, do what you can,” Luna stepped toward her hesitantly. “I would help him myself, but…”

“But it’s your fault he’s like this, to begin with.” Twilight let out an angry huff of air from her nostrils. “You and your sister, you just can’t resist, can you?”

“Twilight, now is not the time–”

“WHAT OTHER TIME WILL THERE BE!?”

Luna seemed to shrink before her eyes, first down to eye level, then shorter than that. Twilight felt herself grow taller and taller until she was towering over the mare she once looked up to. All the while, she could feel her mane burst into those same flames as before, a mix of purples and blacks that billowed around her and radiated unbearable heat in every direction.

Just like the night we found out.

Twilight was ready to tear into the cowering alicorn, who had once more burst into tears at her hooves, but as the memories of that awful day came to the forefront of her mind, she let out a much slower, more composed breath. Her mane returned to normal. Color returned to her white coat. A blink of her eyes later, and she was back to her normal height.

She wanted nothing more than to lay into both of the mares she had once idolized and now saw exactly why Nova was so distrustful of them. Faust above, nothing would be more cathartic than to scream at them until she could scream no longer, and then heal her throat and scream some more.

None of that would help the one who needed her most right now.

“It’s time for you to go, Luna,” Twilight said firmly, staring down at the whimpering mare. “End the dream and let me go help my fiancee.”

“Please,” Luna whispered. “Please, set this right.”

“Maybe next time you have a stallion like him, don’t make it wrong,” Twilight replied scathingly.

Luna’s head sank until she was laying it morosely on the ground. In a flash of light and a small sprinkle of blue stars, she disappeared, and the dreamscape around her vanished soon after.

Twilight opened her eyes at once. Sure enough, she couldn’t feel Nova anywhere nearby with her energy-sensing, which meant he was missing again. Though considering she had rigged alarms to go off if he attempted another midnight escape and none of them had, he had to be somewhere in the Castle.

With a heavy sigh, Twilight shook off her grogginess, slid out of their bed, and made for the door. No sooner had she approached it than she immediately felt Nova’s energy resonance on the other side of one of the walls.

In his room…

Twilight frowned. What was he doing in there at this hour? And… ah, it seemed he was actively working on something. But what could be so important that it demanded he be up this late?

She pushed her way out into the hall, strode only a few paces away, where flickering candlelight light was spilling out from under the door to the room he was in, and tapped lightly on the crystal.

“Nova?” she asked, not so loud as to wake up Spike or Starlight a few rooms away, but loud enough to hopefully get his attention.

He wasn’t moving. She couldn’t hear anything from the other side, but her energy sense told her that he was completely still. Was he trying to pretend he wasn’t there and hopefully she’d leave?

No, he has his moments, but he’s not an idiot, she thought.

She pushed the door inward, and to her surprise, it swung open smoothly. It wasn’t locked like she expected it to be.

The room was nothing like it had been a few weeks ago. Once again, Nova’s room felt lived in. The Scrying Orb was still covered up, but considering who it was meant for, Twilight figured there was little wonder why this was the case. The Arsenal banner was slightly askew, papers littered the central table and even spots on the floor, and slumped over the writing desk, next to a candle that was nearly burned all the way down, was the Archmage himself.

“What are you working on?” Twilight wondered to herself as she quickly scanned several of the scattered papers, hoping not to disturb him. It was like the time they’d found the diaries. He’d come home, shut himself away, and brute-force translated them before he was back to normal.

“...help…”

Twilight froze, her eyes snapping to the slumped body of the Archmage, head turned away from her, chest not moving.

“Nova?” she asked, feeling dread creep in. “Are you awake?”

“Help… me…” he said again, his voice a raspy whisper.

Twilight trotted over to him, grabbed his shoulder, pulled him up off of the desk, and gasped.

Nova Shine’s eyes were bloodshot and had deep bags under them, and he wasn’t blinking. His muscles were extremely tense underneath his skin, and she could feel the tremors. And to top it off, he wasn’t breathing.

“What happened?” she asked, looking down at him, horrified. “What did this?”

“I don’t… know,” he managed to grunt out. “Can’t… sleep. Can’t… move. Can’t… breathe.”

Can’t sleep, can’t move, can’t breathe.

“You didn’t,” Twilight whispered, as she knew exactly what he’d done. “Nova, tell me you didn’t.”

Nova didn’t answer, but his eyes briefly flicked over to his desk, where she could see a drawer that was slightly open. The dread was back, and her heart thumped in her chest as she slowly pulled the drawer open.

Potion bottles. Some were filled, some empty, but all of them were unmistakably bottles that contained or had contained one specific potion.

“You did.”

He had overdosed on Elixir of Energy.

“Help… me…” he whispered again, the panic behind it, the pleading, all of it caused the tears to start falling.

“STARLIGHT! SPIKE!”

There was a heart-stopping moment of silence, and Twilight feared she had shouted to the castle in vain, but to her relief, there were two separate crashing sounds from the other rooms, followed by a mad scramble. Moments later, pyjama-clad Spike and Starlight burst into the room, looking tired but alert. At the sight of Nova, both of them immediately dashed over, all traces of tiredness gone.

“Is everything alright?” Starlight asked, giving him a magical scan. “Holy… how is he still–?”

“Nova, Nova!” Spike poked and prodded and tried to pull at his legs to get him to move. “Come on, bro, move!”

“It’s a catastrophic energy crash,” Twilight forced out, reflexively going into encyclopedia mode as she struggled to calm herself and respond as level-headedly to the situation as she could. “His body’s almost completely out of energy. He’s only alive because his mana oversaturation is healing the damage internally, but it can’t do anything about the energy he doesn’t have. Spike, I need you to get to Ponyville General as fast as you can and inform them that Nova needs emergency energy deficit treatment now.”

Spike, who was listening intently despite the situation, nodded. He spread his wings and shot out of the room with a powerful flap, blasting himself into Twilight’s room and out into the night over the balcony.

Once he was gone, Starlight and Twilight both started moving Nova’s body, manipulating his musculature as best they could to arrange him into a suitable position for transport, which proved to be grueling work. Nova’s body had, quite literally, no energy left in it, which meant that any attempts to slacken his muscles were like swimming upstream. Progress was slow, and sometimes would just be undone.

He had been getting by on Elixirs this whole time, and without proper sleep to let his body heal or meals to regain and process calories, his body had shut down when it had hit the breaking point. Somehow, it hadn’t shut down days before, no doubt due to the mana oversaturation, but that only meant the effects would be worse once it all caught up. And now here they were, and if it weren’t for the fact that Nova’s mana oversaturation was keeping him alive, he would have been slumped dead over his desk. He wouldn’t have even had the energy to keep his heart beating.

Oh Faust, it wasn’t beating either.

After twenty heart-pounding minutes, during which they were slowly able to get him to lie flat though he remained stiff as a board, they saw Spike return with the medical transport team as well as a stretcher and cart from Nova’s window, and Starlight hurried off to guide them up here.

Twilight, however, could only bury her face into his chest as the dam burst once he was free from her care and she began to cry anew at the state of her fiancee.

“Why?” she asked, her voice cracking as she stared into his hazy, exhausted, unblinking eyes. “W-why would you do this to yourself?”

“Wanted… more… time,” he was able to grunt out.

She could hear the squeaking wheel of the cart just before the medical crew pushed into the room. Dr. Horse and Nurse Redheart immediately set to work getting Nova put onto the medical stretcher, Sweetheart fitted a hoof-pump resuscitation bag over his muzzle and began to squeeze oxygen into it to get air into his lungs, and Coldheart filled a vial with a particularly strong sedative and injected it into him to put him to sleep, followed by another vial that Twilight assumed was an emergency glucose injection or something similar, and when they noticed his lack of a heartbeat, one more presumably filled with something to jolt it into working again.

After several minutes of hectic work, the medical team wheeled Nova away with Twilight in tow, with Starlight and Spike following close behind. They weaved through and around the different hallways, eventually emerging onto the path and charging into town as quickly as they could. The word must have gotten out because several members of the town were awake and were showing up to see what was going on as the medics moved at top speed.

Everything after that was a blur. Twilight stayed by his side as long as she could, but at some point, after he had been taken into an emergency room, she’d been forced to part with him when the doctors needed space to work. She could barely remember stumbling her way back into the waiting room, she couldn’t tell how she had gotten from Nova’s room to the chair she was now sitting in, and she had no idea when Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie had all arrived. As she stared blankly at the floor, with all of them trying to hug her with Starlight and Spike, she was barely aware of anything else. But when Bright Gleam appeared, she felt every memory, every fear, every feeling return, even as Fluttershy, Applejack, Trixie, Aegis, and the others all showed up, wanting to see how he was doing.

There was just something about seeing the filly, someone who looked up to Nova with the same starry-eyed look that she had once looked up to Celestia with, that crushed Twilight’s heart. She had been struggling to cry for the last… how long had she been here? It felt like years. Nevertheless, she had run out of tears, but as Gleam gave her a pleading look as she cantered in, Twilight felt them return.

”Is he going to be alright?” Gleam asked her, and it hurt her to hear the terror in Gleam’s voice just as much as it had hurt to experience it.

“I hope so,” she whispered, pulling Gleam into a hug as well and feeling the tears start again. “I really do. But I just don’t know.”

Author's Note

After more than a year in development, hopefully this chapter is worth the weight.

Anyway, after several months of problems, I was finally able to sit down and finish this chapter up and now I can work on the next chapter (as well as the next chapter of Apprentice) without the length of time since the last new chapter dangling over my head anymore.

Anyway, lemme know what you think.

Rytex out. Have a good day!

News, Welcome and Unwelcome

The Archmage’s Last Bow
Chapter 10 - News, Welcome and Unwelcome

Their haunting eyes were watching his every move, as they always did.

As shadow rose from the surface of the ice and began to coalesce into equine form once again, King Sombra approached the threshold of the great time stasis spell that separated the Empty White City from the rest of the world around it.

A wry smile crossed his muzzle as he beheld the invisible line, the only evidence of its existence being the swirling snow and wind of the storm that had blown in the previous evening seeming to abruptly stop at some invisible threshold and immediately cease. On one side of this invisible line, the gale howled, the snow blew, the world raged.

On the other side, there was nothing but the stillness of eternity, the last remains of an ancient empire lost.

Sombra always felt a strange sorrow every time he beheld the alien spires and shapes that were Elysium. It was such an odd feeling, to weep for an empire he knew not. What was it about this place that always saddened him? Was it the knowledge that no matter how great he made himself, a single day and night of misfortune could lay him low? Was it the wisdom that had once been held here, now forever lost? Perhaps it was quite simply that this city was now little more than a barren monument to what had once been the greatest civilization in all of history, and now they were gone?

Sombra stepped across the threshold and felt all sound and feeling vanish instantaneously as he crossed into holy ground.

Ironic, he thought once again. The world is quiet here.

Outside, the storm howled and raged. Far away, the centerpiece of his grand design lay in a hospital bed, the result of an ill-conceived attempt to wring more time from his life than he had. His beloved and his apprentice no doubt were going to lay into him for doing something so foolhardy.

On the nearby mountain, the last surviving members of this lost empire, who neither knew nor cared about their heritage, made preparations to vacate and leave the ruling to their inferior apprentices. Nova Shine and Twilight Sparkle’s anger at them looked as though it would be a boon for him. The longer they remained distrustful, the less likely they would be able to work effectively to disrupt his own designs.

Even further away, beyond his knowledge, his former master returned to lands that Sombra himself had let the Windigos loose on, no doubt seeking the location of another Gem of Being. Sombra had to wonder just what Star Swirl’s plan was regarding these gems. Surely if it were simply to keep them out of his own hooves, then Star Swirl would simply leave them be, as Nova Shine had said. What was his ultimate goal and what role did Nova Shine have to play in it?

His own apprentice seemed to be laying low in the Everfree Forest for the time being, seemingly disobeying him yet again, despite his explicit orders to keep Nova Shine on track. Perhaps it was time to… encourage her to be more proactive.

As Sombra strode into the familiar streets of Scala ad Caelum. Buildings of impossible architecture loomed overhead, stretching into the sky as though determined to grab hold and drag it to earth. This was truly the place where the tellurian and the empyrean met.

Sombra stared up at the tallest of these spires, by far the grandest in its architecture. Flanking its doors were two great statues of alicorn rulers, a serene queen and a powerful king. Having learned how to read High Alicornian long ago, he could read the plaques beneath each statue.

DEY MAGNUS

DEY VERITA

High Alicornian was such a strange language, he thought. Advanced, yet primitive. Many words were defined entirely by their context. The word I, for example, could mean either “the” or “one”, but its meaning of singling out a particular object was unmistakable. Adjectives came after what they described yet titles and articles came first. A mess of contradictory rules, but it was still a functioning language that inspired and contributed to much that came after.

Yet the meaning of a contextual word like “dey” in this case was unmistakable. Peak. Highest. Magnus and Verita had been the highest of the Alicorns of old, as had prior “dey”s such as Severus or Stella, or later “dey”s like Dominus or Imperius. Yet it was clear which ones were held in the highest regard by these alicorns, which were the “dey” of “dey”s, as it were. Such great care had been taken in preserving their history that even small blemishes to these ponies were captured, most prominently the many scars on Magnus’ body, no doubt the results of his conquests.

In addition to statues of their rulers, reliefs and murals hewn directly into the Great Spire, carved from the stone it was built out of, a symphony of orichalcum metallurgy and arcanostone masonry, each individual work depicting a moment of the vast tapestry of the Alicorn Empire’s rich history.

The first pony, a lowly unicorn mare, gaining her wings and ascending, setting the stage for what was to come. A group of four alicorns locking hooves, symbolic of the Empire’s formation. An alicorn taking dominion through conquest over those beneath them. Unicorns, earth ponies, pegasi, shape-changers, centaurs, griffins, zebras…

And then a mural of those lesser creatures rising up and fighting back, only for the alicorns to strike them down.

Sombra stared at the palatial monument, reflecting and reminiscing. It had been here, after all. He shut his eyes as the memories of those days began to flicker through his mind, the familiar pain of Luxius brought back with them.

Being roused from his bed in the Crystal Empire by his own guards, out to protect him from something that was happening in the dead of night. Watching the guards be attacked and then murdered by assassins. Fighting back using his tutelage from Star Swirl, but it coming to nothing. Being taken captive by them. Dragged into the throne room. Watching his father’s death.

He grit his teeth. The memories kept coming, unbidden.

Being thrown from the city, a crown-prince in exile. Wandering for days in the snowy wastes, accepting charity from his once-subjects, but still on the run. Hearing whispers of a sleeping power beyond the yaks to the north. Making the treacherous voyage past the Frozen Maw. Braving the Land of Three Suns and wandering in the frozen hell in search of a last, desperate way to exact retribution. Seeing an alien city rise up from the horizon.

Stepping hoof into this holy place and suffering the vengeful gazes of millions of spirits, always watching but never seen. Scouring this place from the depths to the very peak of this tower. Finding that the whispers of the power he sought were more than mere hearsay, yet were unattainable at that present. But then, finding…

Sombra pushed his way forward into the Great Spire, the doors swinging open as though they weighed nothing. The grand entryway of this spire was arrayed before him. Magnificent sculptures of other important figures stood wherever it was convenient. Works of art hung from the walls. Banners and tapestries draped from the ceiling. Many doors led to different places. Sombra paid no attention to any of it, instead ascending the spire, passing many important rooms, heedless of their contents.

On and on he climbed, story after story ignored as he ascended ever higher.

Finally, he arrived at an intricately charged door, a relief of Queen Verita carved into it, her eyes expressionless, her face slack, and yet a scroll being written. The words above the doorway read PRAE PROPHI. ‘Hall Prophecies’.

When he entered, he was greeted with a truly wondrous sight. Shelf after shelf after shelf, each one lined with several scrolls encased in metal containers to protect them from the wear and tear of the outside world, each one labeled with a plaque that listed a reference number in their alien script, and in the center of the room was a stone plinth, on which sat a massive book, a compendium of each prophecy, in order of reference number, with the events they were said to have detailed.

Every one of the prophecies in this book told of events long since fulfilled, but there was one more prophecy that wasn’t recorded. One last prophecy sat at the end of the room, sitting on a velvet pillow on an arcanostone pedestal. One last scroll sat in this place of reverence.

I PROPHA UL DEY VERITA

‘The prophecy last Queen Verita’. Verita’s Final Prophecy.

Sombra approached the prophecy yet again and stared down at the words listed on its pages.

VAI SU LA, I UL DEY ALICORNA
VAI SU LA, I COURNO CALAMNA
VAI SU LA, I CU WE AINA
VAI SU LA, I CU DEYRA ESTNA
VERITA VAI ESA SU LA

SEA I TWAI DEY KULNA.

He did not need to translate this page. The words seemed to read in his mind as if he were a native speaker of this language, and he stared down at the troubling words, questioning the possibilities as he recited the words in his head in Equish once again.

“I speak to you, the final emperor of the alicorns.
I speak to you, the bringer of our doom.
I speak to you, the one who would wear Life.
I speak to you, the one who would rule over all.
I, Verita, speak directly to you.

Beware the god-shattering star.”

Based on this prediction’s place of exalt, Sombra knew that he was far from the first pony to have read those words, and just as far from the first pony to ever ponder their meaning. Yet even as he stared at the scroll, his mind once again racing at the possibilities, casting itself among his many plans and contingencies that all led up to Harmonic Convergence, he knew that one thing was certain. His plans hinged on one thing, lest it be his undoing.

Whatever or whoever it was, the god-shattering star would be his.

Nova’s eyes fluttered open, and he lay in the hospital bed in pain, squinting as the sunlight streamed inside from a nearby window.

It hurt to move his eyes. It hurt to crane his head to look around the hospital room. It hurt to breathe. Needles were poked into him at different places, keeping some fluid running through his system. The patient monitor beeped away as it showed his faint heartbeat, sitting far below sixty beats per minute. Each breath felt like fire in his lungs for the brief moment he held it in. And yet as he drew in long, rasping breaths, all he could do was continue to lay there in misery, forced to endure the hell he was currently locked in.

“Oh, you’re awake.”

Nova’s eyes flicked over to the hospital door to see none other than Trixie sitting next to it on a stool, bereft of cape and hat, mane disheveled, and looking pleased despite it all.

She got to her hooves and trotted towards him as he watched, her haughty demeanor seemingly left at the door. As she approached, she reached over and lightly touched his arm.

“You, uhh… you had us all worried.”

“How… long…?” he gasped out.

Trixie’s expression darkened, and she turned her gaze out the window, looking like she very much didn’t want to speak the words she was going to. She even bit her lip nervously, looking more conflicted than Nova had ever seen.

“Nova, you don’t want to know…”

“Tell me… dammit…! HOW… LONG!?”

She winced at his force, and bit her lip even harder, before sighing.

“Nova, it’s… it’s been eight…”

“Eight… what?” he asked, feeling the bottom drop out of his stomach. How long was he stuck in this state? Eight days? Eight weeks? Eight months?

“It’s been eight hours, Nova,” Trixie finally said softly.

Nova stared at her, processing what she said, before his horn flickered and a pillow was launched from behind his head, only getting about as far as the foot of the bed, but Trixie started chortling all the same.

“You should– hee hee!-- you should see the look on your face! Priceless!”

“You… fucking…”

“Yeah, well,” Trixie’s mirth vanished as she gave him a scowl, “you deserve it for scaring us like that. What the hell were you thinking, you utter blockhead!?”

She picked up the pillow with her own magic and bopped him over the head with it, something that caused him to groan out in discomfort, before she eased him forward and settled it back behind him. Nova endured the pain, but Trixie didn’t seem to care and continued.

“Twilight says you overdid it on Elixirs of Energy and had an energy crash, whatever that means. Doctor Horse says you’re gonna be fine, but don’t scare us like that again!” she snapped, snatching the pillow from behind him again and punctuating each word with a pillow bop. Nova was in no position to resist, simply sitting there, enduring the small bursts of pain as Trixie punished him.

The door opened and in stepped Doctor Horse himself, carrying a clipboard with relevant pages on it in his magic. He eyed Trixie disapprovingly as she continued to whack him over the head with his stolen pillow, but didn’t make any moves to interrupt.

“You gave us quite a fright last night,” he said, choosing instead to pull up a chair and go over his notes. “It’s a good thing Princess Twilight found you, and it’s a good thing we weren’t doing anything urgent when Spike found us, or else you’d have been forced to sit there even longer. That’ll do, Miss Lulamoon,” he added, catching the pillow before she could give him one last thump. “Our patient needs his rest now.”

Trixie once again settled the pillow behind Nova’s head, before giving him one last compassionate (painful) pat on the shoulder before she made her exit.

“Eight… hours?” Nova gasped as the door shut.

“Eight hours,” Doctor Horse nodded. “We sedated you as soon as we found you, and it took your body that long to muster enough energy to actually metabolize it. Now…”

He threw the clipboard onto his table, slamming it onto the hard surface with a crack that made Nova jump, and gave him one of the most furious glares Nova had ever seen from a medical professional.

“What were you thinking!?”

“Just wanted… more time.”

“And you thought that by abusing Elixirs of Energy you would get that time?” Doctor Horse demanded. “Do you even have any idea how Elixirs of Energy function?”

“They worked… before.”

“So you don’t,” Doctor Horse scowled. “I am definitely getting a complaint for my bedside manner for this conversation, but someone has to get it through your head that you can’t cheat the delicate balance that is your body’s energy intake and outtake. So let me ask you a question, Nova Shine. You’re a smart young mage, you should know the answer to this. What’s the First Law of Thermodynamics?”

“Can’t create… or destroy… energy.”

He just wanted this to end, he was suffering enough already. Doctor Horse, however, decided his punishment must be more severe.

“Exactly. Energy cannot be created nor destroyed in a closed system, but it can change form. Thus, in a closed system, energy is constant. You can’t just magically create energy out of nothing, it has to come from somewhere,” he smacked the table with his hoof. “Drinking a potion is not just going to spontaneously give you more energy just because energy is in its name. Do you know what an Elixir of Energy does?”

Nova shook his head, a tiny, pathetic motion, but it was all he could really muster.

“It doesn’t just give you energy,” he punctuated with a slap of his hoof against the table. “It rebalances your body’s energy stores, and it’s meant for only moderate fatigue. Twilight Sparkle tells me you came dashing all the way here from Neighton several years ago, and it took you several Elixirs over several hours plus sleep just to get you back on your hooves. And you thought an Elixir a day would be enough to cover up you trying to skive off from sleep for several days running?”

Nova couldn’t answer. He quite literally couldn’t force the words out.

“So all this time, you’ve been running yourself more and more ragged, drinking Elixirs to try and mask the symptoms, forcing yourself through the day, until finally, the Elixir ran out of energy in crucial places to pull from, and it just left you frozen there for somepony else to find.”

Nova grunted, wishing he could just sink into the bed. It wasn’t particularly comfortable, but given his exhausted state, even a block of granite would feel like the fluffiest down mattress.

“Look,” the doc removed his glasses, his voice lowering significantly. “I understand that you are trying to eke out more time. I have been made aware of your… condition. But if it weren’t for your healing factor, you would have already been dead, Nova Shine.”

He gave Nova a stern stare.

“You cannot cheat the balance of energy in your body. There is no system to game. Our bodies require rest and energy to function, and they will have it or they will break down. There is no other alternative. Do you want to maximize the amount of time you have left?”

Nova nodded.

“Then eat well, sleep well, and rest well. And don’t even think about going near an Elixir of Energy unless you fully plan to use them for their intended purpose.”

Nova closed his eyes and sighed. He had a limited time to accomplish so many things he wanted to do, but the way things were going, he was going to have to let many of them go.

Perhaps he could stop time…?

Alas, my friend, but no, it would not work. The flow of time would still apply to you.

That… is unfortunately true, he thought bitterly. Yes, time would still stop everyone else, it would still flow as normal for him, making it ultimately a waste.

He hadn’t the time to put everything he wanted together. He was simply going to have to do what he could.

“By the way…”

He opened his eyes, just in time for Doctor Horse to place an open letter on his lap.

“This letter arrived from Canterlot earlier today. It would seem despite your condition, the House of Nobles has called a session in a few days’ time.”

Great. As if the day couldn’t get any worse.

He quickly skimmed the letter’s contents to find that, indeed, it was a notice of a called session of congress. Addressed to Night Master and Archmage Nova Shine, he was to present himself yadda yadda to the House of Nobles at the end of next week.

“Now, you have visitors, so I’ll take my leave. You will likely be released by the end of day, but until then, take it easy,” Doctor Horse ordered, trotting out and giving him one last glare.

Nova let out a long, painful breath, letting his eyes drift shut for the moment. Despite having been sedated for a few hours, it felt like he hadn’t slept at all. His hooves felt like they were encased in a cinder block, and it felt as if his neck were trying to turn a lead ball on its own every time he tried to readjust.

And despite his torment, he knew this was going to be his reality for the next several hours while his “gift” from Harmonia slowly worked him back into a better shape.

In reality, it could have only been a few seconds, but to Nova, it felt like hours had passed before the door was gently pushed open and Twilight, Spike, and Gleam stepped in. Twilight had visible bags under her eyes and stray hairs in her mane were sticking up everywhere. Spike also looked exhausted, riding on Twilight’s back, constantly rubbing his eyes and trying to keep them open, and he was also carrying a letter. Gleam looked far less worse for the wear, but she still looked as if she hadn’t gotten much sleep the previous night either.

Despite the occasion and despite just how much it hurt to do so, he couldn’t help but smile as his apprentice walked in wearing her green cloak. That did wonders for her bearing, as the tension she had been carrying as she and Twilight entered the room was significantly eased, and she gave him a small sad smile back.

Twilight strode forward as Spike climbed off her back, took Dr. Horse’s chair, slid it over to his bedside, and the moment she plopped herself down into it, she buried her face in Nova’s chest and started to violently shudder. She wasn’t crying this time, but Nova still couldn’t help the extreme shame and guilt as he watched his star teeter on the edge in front of him.

“Hey,” he croaked.

Her head snapped up, her mane started to smoke, and Nova felt an intense heat start to radiate from her. Gleam and Spike both winced. Gleam undoubtedly from the heat, Spike from him saying possibly the worst thing he could have.

“Hey?” Twilight thundered, eyes shifting to red. “Hey!? Is that all you have to say after scaring me to death, Nova!? HEY!?”

“You’re beautiful when you’re all flamey…”

She stared at him in furious disbelief. Gleam giggled at her master’s brazen antics despite his situation. Spike didn’t look particularly reassured by his confidence.

Eventually, Twilight’s scowl gave way to a tiny smile, and the transformation was completed. The blast of heat actually decreased, despite its usual side effects. Lilac fur became white, a straight-laced mane and tail burst into flames, and in no time at all, Flamelight Sparkle leaned against his bed, her eyes glinting with amusement.

“You scare us all half-to-death, and all you can think about is how nice I look when I’m ready to incinerate you where you lie?”

“It’s not all I think about,” he shrugged, the herculean effort to do so leaving him panting. “Course… not much else to do… but sit here and think.”

The smile slid off her face. The fire flickered out, red eyes shifted back to purple, and color returned to white fur once more. Twilight leaned up and brushed some of his sweat-matted mane off of his forehead.

“Don’t scare me like that again, you understand?” she poked him in the shoulder as Trixie had done. “You’re lucky Luna knew you weren’t sleeping. It could have been hours before we found you.”

“It was,” he said, shutting his eyes and wrenching his thoughts away from the memories. Frozen still, devoid of energy, eyes drying out yet unable to close them, wanting to scream but having not the strength…

“Then it could have been more,” she pressed, leaning down and resting her chin on his breast. “Why? Why do you do this to yourself?”

“You try being terrified of dying, living on a time crunch, and having a million things you want to get done before you’re gone,” Nova snapped, the whisper taking much of the sting out of things. “And now we have to go up to Canterlot…” he added, gesturing at the House of Nobles’ summons.

“Yeah, I got something from her this morning for that same weekend,” Twilight snarled. “Spike?”

Spike put the letter on Nova’s bed for Twilight to pull over. Nova gave him a tired smile.

“You doing alright, little bro?”

Spike crossed his arms and glared at him. “I’d be doing a lot better if you hadn’t done this.”

“Sorry to worry you.”

Twilight let him and Spike have their moment before she slid the letter in front of his eyes. Nova stared down at it, frowning. It was a Royal Summons, not unlike the Level Zero Imperative that had started this whole mess that they’d gotten weeks ago. Conveniently enough, it coincided with the latest session of the House, and the stated purpose of this summons was that Twilight was needed to preside over a session of Day Court. Included in addition to this letter was a small hoofwritten note from Princess Celestia herself.

Twilight,

I know that this message will not be well-received. Luna has informed me of Nova’s condition, and I know you still bear a grudge against us. Nevertheless, you are to become Equestria’s sole ruler in due time and there is still preparation that must be done. Thus I have summoned you that you may attend me at Day Court, learn how to preside over it, and perhaps give rules on some cases yourself. I shall not make this a personal visit if you do not wish, purely an instructional one. But understand, this is a formal summons and so it is not something to be ignored. I look forward to meeting you next Friday morning.

Yours,

Princess Celestia

“Well, that was nice,” he observed, sliding the letter back. “She knows we’re still pissed.”

“I’m sure Luna got that message last night,” Twilight scowled. “Still,” the scowl softened, “if it weren’t for her…”

“Still not ready to talk to them yet,” Nova countered flatly. “It’s not like they’ve actually saved my life and undone their damage.”

Gleam winced, catching Nova’s attention.

“Speaking of, how has she been reacting to all of this?” he asked, raising his voice as much as he could.

Gleam bit her lip nervously. “She’s… I don’t know.”

“What do you mean you don’t know?” Nova asked. “Has she stopped talking to you?”

“No…” Gleam shook her head. “Just… I dunno, she seems like she regrets all of this.”

“Regrets all of what?” Nova asked. “Giving me her gift? Or giving me her gift?”

Twilight threw him an askance look for that. She hadn’t been this harsh on him when he’d slagged himself before. He guessed the current circumstances had done a number on her opinion of that.

Gleam glanced sideways, her eyes sliding out of focus for a moment, before they sharpened once more.

“She wants to talk to you.”

“Brilliant,” Nova sighed. “Not like we can stop her, can we? Bring her out, I guess.”

“Who?” Spike asked, looking between them. “Who’s ‘she’?”

“I am she.”

Nova hadn’t even had time to see the transformation, if it could even be called one. Bright Gleam looked no different than she had before, except that the irises of her eyes had gone stark white, and she carried herself taller, more dignified. Gleam before wasn’t a slouch by any stretch, but it was as if there wasn’t merely confidence, but assurance to her stance now. Her shoulders were squared, and she was staring directly at Nova with an unreadable expression.

“Archmage,” she inclined her head.

“Mmh,” Nova grunted.

It was such an odd experience, hearing a gentle, musical voice come from his apprentice, when the voice so obviously was not the one he expected, like a trumpet producing a violin’s dulcet notes. Both sweet and musical, but where one was full of energy and life, this was gentler, more delicate.

“Princess, Drakeling,” Harmonia added, giving both of them a polite bow as well. “I am Harmonia, Spike, the Spirit of Harmony.” She held up a hoof, and with a glimmer of pure white light, a great amethyst materialized, coalescing out of thin air. There was no magic from Gleam, but rather the very world itself. It was such a bizarre feeling, to sense the earth’s magic acting as though on its own.

“Whoooooa.” Spike was staring at the gem, wide-eyed and unmistakably salivating. Harmonia smiled, lowering the gem before him, and he began munching away.

“He hasn’t had lunch yet,” Twilight groaned. “This is going to ruin his appetite.”

“Gems are part of a healthy growing dragon’s diet,” Harmonia said, watching Spike gobble up the stone. “Like the foods you eat, gems contain different nutrients that are beneficial to growing dragons. Amethysts in particular help their physical strength develop. He has, unfortunately, been neglecting these, as Rarity prefers to keep amethysts for herself, and she is not aware of this.”

“Huh,” Twilight tapped her chin as she watched Spike continue to gorge himself. “None of the books I’ve read mention this."

“It is not something most ponies know. Though perhaps, with Equestria’s new alliance with Ember and the dragons, it is information that may yet be shared.”

“Nice of you to not take over my body this time,” Nova grumbled. “Just take over my apprentice’s body instead. Big difference.”

“I apologize,” Harmonia bowed to him. “Time was of the essence that night. In this case, however, your student has allowed me to speak through her mouth. If at any point she wishes for control back, she shall have it.”

“You know that’s not what I’m angry at you for,” he pressed.

The energy was returning to him faster than he thought it would. His sentences were no longer halting, but he was still having trouble putting force into his words.

Harmonia stared at him for a long moment. Twilight looked torn, as though she wanted to back him up, but also as though she wanted to tell him off for his attitude. Or maybe she simply didn’t want him antagonizing this being who could annihilate them both with nary a flick of her hoof.

Eventually, Harmonia gave a small nod.

“I understand your anger, and it is justified.”

“Yeah, no shit,” Nova spat. “Just turn me into a time bomb without telling me and leave me to learn for myself. No way that could go wrong, am I right?”

“I miscalculated,” Harmonia admitted, looking away. There was no blush, no frown, no emotion to her admission. It was a statement of fact, nothing more. “I did not believe that my gift would proceed as it has. I did not know that your training to become the archmage would accelerate it so.”

“Aren’t you… um…” Spike searched for the right word. “If you’re the Consciousness of Magic, or whatever Nova told us about, then how come you didn’t know?”

Harmonia nodded at him.

“To think of me as the Consciousness of the Element of Magic is accurate, yet not the full picture. The Elements, after all, are an extension of the aspects of Harmony itself, as am I. I am not Harmony, Harmony is not I. Harmony is not omnipotent or omniscient, so neither am I. Even to say Harmony is omnipresent is inaccurate. Harmony exists in many places, and thus, there am I.”

“So you’re just Harmony’s ambassador?” Twilight asked, her fascination overriding her earlier emotions.

“Not… quite,” Harmony shook her head. “I am, and yet, I am more than that. You may consider me a… partner, you might say. I speak for Harmony, for Harmony cannot speak for itself. I can act on Harmony’s behalf, and in return, Harmony sustains me. Once was I a pony of flesh and blood, such as you. Once ages ago did I walk the earth, feel the warmth of the sun, breathe the air of a crisp morning, as you do. In body, I may no longer be what you would consider a pony,” she said, looking directly at Nova as she said this, “but in mind and soul, I am still equine. Thus, I am still fallible and prone to error.”

“So I’m dying because you did an oopsie,” Nova grumbled, glaring up at the ceiling. “Brilliant.”

“No such gift has been bestowed on your apprentice, Nova Shine. I have taken great care to ensure that she remains unaffected, aside from my protection. As for yourself, there are ways that you may survive,” Harmonia said, seemingly unperturbed.

"Like taking back the gift," Nova cut her off. "Which you have the power to do, but you haven't done."

"I would, were it possible," Harmonia replied evenly. "If your soul did not hold fast to the gift, I could cleanse you of it. Yet were I to attempt to take it from you, it would torture you in ways you've never felt before."

"Try it anyway," Nova growled. "I'll happily accept a little pain now to save my life in the long run, even if it does mean my mana reserves aren't as deep."

"This gift is not merely your mana reserves, Nova Shine," Harmonia shook her head. "Your very understanding of magic has been enhanced by this. Your comprehension, magical intelligence, all of that has been enhanced. You were by no means an amateur spellcaster before, but to remove my gift would leave you poorly equipped for the role of Archmage, or to locate the three Gems of Being."

"Take it anyway," Nova demanded, glaring at her.

Harmonia stopped, observing him for a long moment. Then Gleam's horn glowed white. "As you wish," she replied, with a small note of resignation.

It felt as if something deep within himself had been grabbed, something so far beneath the surface that he had never known it was there at all. Something tied to the very core of his self. It was as though something had grabbed hold of his very being and was trying to pull it apart. At first, it was merely uncomfortable, but then the discomfort grew, until he felt the pain he had been expecting. The pain started small, feeling as though he were being twisted. But then it intensified. The pain grew, and he began to tense and cry out. He could hear Imperius screaming too, begging him to stop whatever was happening.

She was tearing him asunder!

"Stop, STOP!" Twilight cried, getting to her hooves.

Harmonia bowed her head, the spell ceasing. At once, the pain left, and Nova was left whimpering as the pain within slowly dissipated.

"Your soul clings to my gift, refusing to allow it to be taken," she said softly. "Had I attempted to pull it free any harder, it would have torn your soul apart, Nova Shine. Souls may be mended with time, but in that time, you would be left as nothing more than a shell, a husk of a pony, unable to protect those who depend on you. I am afraid that removing my gift is out of the question."

Nova lay there, gasping for air, trying desperately to think of anything other than the excruciating pain he had just felt. Back in the recesses of his mind, he could feel Imperius' pain as well. Stupid, he thought. You're not the only one in your own headspace.

Do not chastise yourself, Imperius countered, his mental voice weaker than he had ever heard it. Despite the moment, Nova couldn't help but kick himself for his stupidity, forgetting that Imperius was even there. You were working to preserve your own life. I understand. Just... please be more careful next time?

Harmonia observed him as he slowly came down from his pain. "There is only one truly assured way of saving your life, Nova Shine," she continued solemnly. "And yet, you flee from even the consideration of it."

“Of course I do,” he snapped, shaking off the lingering pain to glare at Harmonia. “I don’t want to be an alicorn. If I become an alicorn, I get no choice in the matter and get made a prince, and I don’t want that. I don’t want the burden of being a ruler, I don’t want to live in a castle on a schedule for the rest of my life. All I ever wanted to do was live my own life, on my own terms, and now I have to choose between doing that and dying in a few months, or imprisoning myself in that gilded cage.”

His gaze shifted automatically to Twilight, who had looked away the moment he had launched into his tirade about being a prince. He knew, deep at the back of his mind, he was probably wrong. But… was he really? Twilight had been allowed freedom because Celestia and Luna had been the ones doing all the ruling. But they were retiring now, and handing the reins of Equestria to her.

For the first time in years, Nova finally stopped and considered his relationship with Twilight, and what her position truly meant for him if he stayed with her.

If he married Twilight, he may not be the ruler shackled to the throne, but he was still signing up for the very life he didn’t want as a prince. They would live at Canterlot Castle and operate on Twilight’s schedule. He would be a means through which ponies would try to advance their agendas with her or strike at her.

He loved her. He loved music, he loved magic, he loved hoofball, he loved many things, but none of those even compared to the depths of his love and affection for Twilight. He would shout it from the highest peaks, he wouldn’t deny it even if tortured. He would fight to the ends of the earth and back to make her happy.

And yet, if he went down this path, by her side, it led directly into the very future he was running away from.

Nova let out a long, slow sigh, staring down at his hooves resting in his lap.

“How cruel is fate,” he whispered, only loud enough for her to hear, “to let me fall so in love with you that I would happily follow you into the very prison I’m terrified of.”

“And that is the miscalculation to which I refer,” Harmonia stated, making him feel thoroughly worse about it. “I believed that your love for Twilight Sparkle would allay your fears about such a role. Yet I was wrong, and you all suffer for my error.”

Nova bristled, but Harmonia held up a hoof.

“Do not misunderstand. I am not saying you have done wrong.” Nova let himself relax so she could explain. “You are complex creatures, with desires and fears that interact in unpredictable ways. I simply believed that your love for Twilight Sparkle, strong as it was, would be enough to quell your fears about such a change, and yet, even as your love for Twilight Sparkle deepened, your fears also increased, and more and more, my gift grew.”

Nova stared at her, not sure what to make of this.

All this time, he had thought of the Spirit of Harmony as some benevolent yet ever-watchful being with a plan for things. Akin, perhaps, to the deities worshiped by the alpacas. To learn that Harmonia was simply another one of them– a pony, warts and all, who had somehow found herself chosen by Harmony itself to serve as its voice and agent– was existentially terrifying the more he thought about it.

There is no grand plan, he realized, clenching his teeth. Harmony is a reactive force, not a proactive one. Harmonia’s… she’s just as much of a screw-up as I am.

He let out a tiny snort. Twilight and Spike glanced his way for a moment. Somewhere, deep in the recesses of his mind, he could have sworn he heard Imperius laughing.

Okay, maybe not that far…

“So…” Spike returned his attention to Harmonia, “will he be alright?”

Harmonia let the question hang in the air for a moment, choosing instead to continue staring directly at Nova. He was starting to get a little uncomfortable with it.

“I suppose that depends entirely on Nova Shine,” she finally said. “His life is his own, as are his choices. So it all comes down to him.”

She raised Gleam’s hoof and placed it on one of his bedposts.

“You can become so much more than what you already are, Nova Shine. But the only one who can make you walk that path is you. Twilight Sparkle cannot. Celestia and Luna cannot. I cannot. Even with the consequences of my gift, you are the only one responsible for your future.”

Gleam’s horn glowed white, and Nova felt the smothering fatigue, which had been gradually lessening for the last several minutes, vanish significantly. It was not gone, but he could feel strength return to his limbs and it was as though he had simply had a restless night.

“As a final message, allow me to promise you directly that I shall watch over your apprentice, Nova Shine. Whatever fears you have for her safety, know that I shall not allow harm to befall her.”

At least this he could trust. She had protected Gleam once already, and sent Envy running away with her tail between her legs. Thus, he gave Harmonia a curt nod. With that, Harmonia bowed her head once more.

“Very well. Farewell, Archmage, Princess, Drakeling. Until we speak again.”

This time, Nova didn’t miss the transformation. There was no light, no sound, nor even some change in the magic in the world. The posture that Harmonia had carried herself with simply left with her, and Bright Gleam found herself in control of her body once more. Her eyes changed back to green when she blinked, and rather than carry herself tall and proud, she hunched over ever so slightly as she always did. Then she stumbled, as it seemed she hadn’t quite been prepared to take over again.

“Gleam?” asked Twilight, trotting over. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, ‘m fine,” Gleam mumbled, rubbing at the back of her head as she found her balance. After getting somewhat accustomed to Harmonia, it was jarring to go back to the voice he was so used to hearing under normal circumstances. “Just… disorienting.”

Despite the regained strength, Nova relaxed into the bed again, letting out a long breath and staring up at the ceiling.

You can become so much more than what you already are.

“The simple truth, Nova Shine, is that you are not good enough. I’m what you SHOULD be, if you were actually capable.”

He lay there for some time, just letting things replay in his mind, the implication from Harmonia being quite clear that he was capable, and that he simply needed to take that step. The journey to self-improvement was always a never-ending journey, but journeys wouldn’t take themselves, would they? And the journey of a thousand miles always began with a single step.

His horn glinted blue. Twilight yelped, Gleam squeaked, and Spike sputtered as they were all hoisted into the air and yanked onto his bed, where he pulled them into a thankful hug. Twilight softened almost immediately. Spike squirmed and tried to extricate himself to no avail. Gleam, however, froze and began to babble away like she always did. Nova chuckled to himself, twinging her horn before she could talk herself into another Twilight Sparkle Apocalyptic Scenario, which had her relaxing into the hug too.

It would be a long journey. There was no denying that.

But with them by his side, it wouldn’t be a lonely one.

As Bright Gleam exited the hospital, making her way back to her house to get some proper sleep, she thought about everything that had happened in the hospital. How despite everything that happened at the Empire, Master Nova Shine and Princess Twilight still seemed to be so very in love with each other. How even after the energy crash, despite his sourness, Master Nova Shine still appeared to be just as determined as ever. How Harmonia had assured her master that she'd been given no such gift like he had, which had relieved her more than she had ever expected. Maybe she was also afraid to die.

But more than that, she thought back to the moment Harmonia had reached deep into her master's soul and tried to prise the gift free. Sensing souls had been such an odd experience. Harmonia had reached in and grabbed something so intimate and personal to Master Nova Shine that not even Princess Twilight had ever felt it, she was sure. And then there was the great wellspring that Harmonia had grabbed. It had felt so alien, so vast and incomprehensible, so magical, and Master Nova Shine had access to it! No wonder he was so powerful.

But there was something else there. Or rather, there had been someone else there. It hadn't been Master Nova Shine's soul alone that Harmonia had tried to prise the gift from. There was another soul affixed to his own.

Who was that? she thought, hoping Harmonia heard.

An old friend, Harmonia replied. There is a great game being played for the Gems of Being, Bright Gleam. Two beings, each playing around each other, yet completely unaware of each other's existence. They contest the Gems of Being for different aims, but with Harmonic Convergence approaching, all of their strategies have led to this moment in time. The pieces are arranging themselves for the endgame, the decisive developments that will determine the outcome of the game, and the fate of everyone in the world.

Are they... are they King Sombra and Lord Star Swirl?

Oh no, Bright Gleam. The Great Game is far, far older than they. This game has been played since shortly after the Fall of the Alicorn Empire, when the Gems of Being were separated from the Crown of Life. Everyone involved is a piece on the board. Sombra, Star Swirl, Celestia, Luna, even Nova Shine, as much as he despises it. And yet...

Harmonia fell silent. Gleam realized she had simply been standing in the middle of Ponyville Square and was attracting strange looks from passers-by, and she quickly scampered forward, eager to return to her house.

Then who are the players?

Knowledge comes at a terrible price, Bright Gleam, Harmonia answered, a strong cautious tone in her voice. Everything I tell you I do so only because it cannot change things. But there are some pieces of knowledge that, if disclosed too early, would threaten everything that I have been fighting to preserve, and the future that Princess Twilight Sparkle represents.

You're playing the game too! Gleam realized.

I am, as much as I can, she replied grimly. Harmony is a reactive force, but I must take steps to preserve it. Nova Shne may be as distrustful toward me as he desires, but he knows that ultimately, we are allies.

So, what does this old friend of yours have to do with this?

Simply, I believe that his relationship with Nova Shine will be the decisive factor in this game. Nova Shine is the centerpiece of everyone's plans. Star Swirl and Sombra both have hinged everything on him for their ends. I, too, have placed my hopes in him and Twilight Sparkle. And I believe that it is their relationship, and Nova Shine's relationship with the one who is linked with him, that shall decide the outcome of the Great Game.

Gleam was silent, continuing her solitary trot through the streets. Captain Cinnabar was maintaining a respectful distance from her some meters away, giving her space to be alone with her thoughts. Gleam envied her sometimes. She'd come to envy just about everyone who wasn't part of this. Why had it all fallen to her? She had just wanted to be Master Nova Shine's apprentice, not be the chosen vessel for the Spirit of Harmony, involved in some cosmic chess match.

Is this another gamble? Gleam asked, remembering what she had said about bestowing her gift on her master, and how it hadn't played out the way she'd expected.

Yes.

And you're confident that it will pay off?

Harmonia radiated nothing but pure and total confidence this time.

I know Twilight Sparkle, and I know Nova Shine. And if I do say so myself, I don't believe that bestowing my gift on him was an error at all. Quite the contrary, Bright Gleam, I have no doubt at all that Nova Shine will come through in time. My miscalculation was simply that I believed his relationship with Twilight Sparkle would set him down this path by now. I was wrong, but there are always multiple roads to one destination.

Yeah, well, Gleam grimaced, you know he hates being manipulated like a game piece. How do you know he won't do what you don't want purely out of spite?

He acts as he wishes, and he has always been able to do so. I do not manipulate him via words or actions. But I believe that his love for Twilight Sparkle and hers for him in return will ultimately lead him down this path. Nova Shine is many things, Bright Gleam, but he has always yearned to be greater than he is. I do not have to manipulate him like a game piece to gamble on him finally reaching the heights he is capable of. With Twilight Sparkle there, I do not believe it is a gamble at all.

If you say so.

We shall all have our parts to play, Bright Gleam, Harmonia said. You as well. And I believe, just as strongly, that you are destined to do great things, too.

Gleam let herself smile at that. Even despite everything that had happened over the last several hours, Harmonia's reassurance soothed her like nothing else. Not even those herbal teas that Miss Rarity had, or those fragrances at the Ponyville Spa... weren't they also tea-scented? Then there were those shampoos that made your scalp tingle because they had some tea tree extract or something in them. Was tea really that soothing to everyone?

Focus, Gleam.

Although, that might have been asking just too much. Her house came into view, the fatigue from the last few hours kicked in, and as she raced into her bedroom and leaped onto the bed, focus was the last thing she wanted to do as the welcome embrace of sleep beckoned, and she let herself slide into its soothing oblivion.

“Pull.”

Knightmare Frigoris stomped on a button attached to a rock sling that Time Turner had made by request. The machine whirred for a moment, before there was a *chunk* and a decently-sized stone was blasted upward from a chute.

Aegis’ wings blasted powerfully by reflex, taking him a full twelve meters up in one go before he angled them to readjust and take him closer toward his target, speeding away and flying toward an empty field of grass. As he started to close the distance, tiny little sparks of light started to coalesce around his left hoof. A second flap turned his upward momentum into lateral motion, on a precise intercept course with the stone as it began to reach the peak of its arc.

The little sparks of light were turning into sparks of lightning, and his hoof began to glow with blue-white electricity as the energy grew and demanded release.

Finally, one last flap of his wings redoubled his momentum and took him directly at the stone, whereupon he slammed the lightning-channeling hoof into it. There was an explosion, and the stone was blown into a cloud of dust and pebbles. The momentum of Aegis’ last flap took him several more meters through it, but some more deft angling of his wings turned him back around and he began to glide back down toward his takeoff spot, where Knightmare Frigoris was nodding approvingly.

“Three flaps, four-point-six-seven seconds. You’re improving,” he said as Aegis landed with nary a stumble.

“You shoulda seen the first time I tried this drill,” Aegis brushed some wayward strands of his black mane from his face, having fallen from being compressed under his helmet. “I missed more rocks than I could hit.”

“That is what the drill is for, is it not?” the Knightmare asked, as Aegis yawned, the familiar drain of energy after such a punch making its presence (or lack thereof) felt. “Even the Roaman Legionaries would practice basic stabs and slashes with their gladius a thousand times per day so that their actions would be driven by reflex and instinct, rather than thought.”

“A thousand times seems a bit much,” Aegis chuckled. “Sure feels like I’ve done it a thousand times, though. I wonder…” he glanced in the direction of Ponyville a short distance away, though more accurately he looked up toward the floating cloudhouse where the resident Wonderbolt resided, “do you think Rainbow Dash could perform any better?”

Knightmare Frigoris pursed his lips as he considered it, bobbing his head from side to side. “Possibly. I think it would take fewer flaps and much less time, but I highly doubt she would be able to pulverize the rock.”

“Oh, she definitely would,” Aegis sniffed. “Have you ever had to be on observation duty for a… what did she call it? Sonic Rainbomb?”

“Rainboom?”

“No, not that,” Aegis shook his head. “She would hit the ground at Rainboom speed, and it would level the close vicinity.”

Frigoris hummed to himself thoughtfully. “I think I would quite like to see that, actually. Perhaps she would be able to perform it once, but her specialty is speed and agility, not power.”

“True enough, I suppose.” He wiped his brow. Strength was returning to his limbs again. “One more?”

“One more,” Frigoris nodded, stepping back over to the motorized catapult.

Aegis took up his spot at the starting dot, did a quick stretch and shake to make sure any remaining fatigue was worked out of his limbs, and assumed his prepared stance. Knees bent, wings loose but not spread, armor well-balanced to ensure that there was no needless weight drag, and plenty of room for him to see and his wings and hooves to move. The more flexibility the armor offered, the more vulnerable he could be, but the more agile he could also be as well.

Deep breath in, deep breath out.

“Pull.”

The stone was launched upward, lower to the ground but faster away.

One flap of his wings to get him in the air. Angle wings to readjust and direct his momentum more laterally toward the target. Analyze path, plot intercept course,begin gathering energy. Second flap, redirect all momentum into horizontal movement, take him closer to target to prepare for attack. Second flap insufficient, angle underneath for uppercut, recalculate intercept. Third flap to bring him well within range, energy in hoof well past sufficient levels, edge ahead of stone.

Fourth flap.

Aegis shot skyward once again, thrusting his hoof through the stone as he flew upward through it. Fragments of rock were blasted in all directions, and his momentum carried him close to a hundred meters in the air, but now that his target was destroyed, he could easily glide back down to the starting dot.

“Four flaps, six-point-two-four seconds. Slower.”

“Rock was shot at more of an angle away,” Aegis countered. “And I’m tired.”

“Just so,” Frigoris made a tiny dip of his head. “Nevertheless, it was good practice. You will not always be called upon to defend Equestria in top shape.”

“Don’t I know it,” Aegis grumbled. “Feels like we’ve had a crisis once a year for the last decade. They’re getting old.”

“Hmm…” Frigoris pawed at the ground and glanced upward thoughtfully. “How many have we actually had? There was Mother’s return, Discord’s escape, the Changeling Invasion at the wedding…”

“Have you been to any weddings lately, Aegis?” Aegis couldn’t help the wry smile as he recalled his friend ribbing him for overconfidence back when he was still a corporal.

“Now that you mention it, I’m pretty sure we’re at the point where they’re doubling up,” Frigoris grimaced. “I suppose Princess Celestia and Mother are happy they’re retiring. They won’t be on call to deal with them anymore.”

“Pass them off to Princess Twilight and her friends, you mean,” Aegis corrected, elbowing him. “So really, nothing’s changed except now the ruler will actually do something about it.”

He was met with silence for that one. Aegis trotted over to the stone lobber and began to pack it up, but as he finished folding the different parts into a more easily carryable contraption, he glanced over at Frigoris, who was staring up at the silhouette of Canterlot Castle with a distant look.

“Something the matter?”

“If I may ask…” Frigoris began softly, “what is to become of the Knightmares once Mother and Celestia have stepped down?”

Aegis blinked. He was only a lieutenant, and he had been at his rank for several months now. Only Shining Armor had a more meteoric rise, and he’d been younger than Aegis when he made Captain. High in the hierarchy Aegis may have been, he wouldn’t know, but why didn’t the Knightmare Brigade’s own captain not be in the loop?

“Why are you asking me?”

Frigoris cocked his head and looked back.

“I thought… I thought you of all ponies would know.”

“Why is that?” he asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously at Frigoris. What am I not being told?

“You are to be promoted to Captain of the Guard,” Frigoris replied, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. “I would have thought you’d know what your plans were for the Knightmares when you were in office.”

Aegis stared at him, mouth parted.

“I’m… I’m going to be promoted? To Captain of the Guard?”

“That is my understanding,” Frigoris nodded. “I thought you knew.”

“Seems Nova’s not the only one secrets are being kept from,” Aegis sighed, running a hoof over his face. He was too tired for any other of the myriad different possible reactions he wanted to let out. “Am I the last pony to find out I’m being promoted?”

“I don’t know who else knows,” Frigoris shrugged. “I was only informed by Mother before I was assigned to keep an eye on Archmage Nova Shine. I would imagine the princesses knew. If Archmage Nova Shine knew, he probably would have told you.”

“Why me?” Aegis fell on his haunches and threw his hooves up in the air. “Why bucking me? I didn’t ask for this!”

“I thought you would be happy to hear the news,” Frigoris said, looking down at him interestedly. “Are you saying you don’t want to be promoted?”

“No, I’m saying I’ve been promoted about as quickly as Captain Armor did when he got made Captain of the Guard, and I’m nowhere near as decorated or deserving as him! I’ve just had quiet service for the last several months.”

“Quiet, aside from the once-a-year crisis, that is,” Frigoris corrected, offering a hoof. “I’m told it was your conduct during those crises that led to you being fast-tracked. That, and your established relationship with the new Archmage and Crown Princess. Mother and Princess Celestia believe that having someone they can trust and with a proven track record in that position will smooth things over during the transition.”

Aegis sat on the ground sourly for several moments, before begrudgingly taking Frigoris’ hoof and allowing himself to be helped up.

“I just… I just don’t know how to feel about all of this,” he admitted, shaking his head. “My mate’s spiraling because he’s on borrowed time, his wife’s gonna be our new ruler, I’m getting fast-tracked to the big job, and… and…”

Aegis started plodding his way back into town. If nothing else, he had some news to share with his mare. Maybe he could process it all later. For now, he was sure she was going to glomp him, and probably launch fireworks, or maybe steal something out of Sugarcube Corner for him. Hell, maybe they’d celebrate in other ways…

A sudden realization entered his mind.

“And fuck me, Nova and I’re gonna be level on rank!”

Arcane Anomaly Outpost 16 was by far the single worst assignment Stalwart Shield had ever been assigned to in his three years of service as an Equestrian Counter-Arcane Operative. As he stared out over the barren wastes of the furthest northern reaches of the Crystal Empire, as flat and icy and snowy and boring as ever, all he could think about was how nice it would be once this outpost was closed up and they could finally go home where it was warm, and dry, and not subject to bone-chilling wind.

“‘Sign up for the Anti-Mages!’, they said!” he complained aloud, trying to make his voice heard over the blustery winds that howled around their small little outpost. It was very make-shift, some hastily-constructed chain-link fencing stuck up around a bunch of tents, all scattered around a small hole in the side of a mountain they’d discovered and gotten strange magical readings out of when they’d started this initiative.

They were practically in Yakyakistan borders with how far up they’d come. Stalwart had to wonder if that was intentional. Hide a cache of magical things so far north that it could cause an international incident if Sunbutt or Moonbutt or Lovebutt or Starbutt or the new Archmage ever decided to send any military ponies up there to investigate.

Note to self, he needs a nickname too, Stalwart thought sourly. Rule 1 of being part of the guard, always come up with an easy nickname for the higher-ups to complain about bad postings.

Well, no, that was actually Rule 4, but it was Rule 1 of Bad Deployments.

Anyway, then the Lord Archmage’s apprentice discovers one missed secret lab from the Sombra years, and suddenly the Crystal Princess has everyone out scouring the furthest reaches of this wasteland, and now he and his squad are out here, freezing their flanks off, keeping an eye over literally nothing at all, while down inside the little hole, two out of three of his squadmates were considerably warmer being sheltered from the wind and ice, along with the excavators working on their strange little discovery.

In just a few long hours, he’d be in there and it’d probably be Eifer Detail’s turn to freeze his flank off.

All for some big black blocks, he thought miserably. Why hadn’t they just carted them back to the Crystal City yet? Why did they have to be investigated all the way out here? The Empire had been outfitted with specific isolation rooms designed to seal off any potential breakouts of magic, for this exact purpose. So why make them stay?

“How much time we got left?” asked his squadmate standing on the opposite side of the camp, her bright purple robe barely visible through the storm. He could see their bright orange tents better than he could see her.

“It’s only been an hour, Frij,” he called back.

“Are you fucking for real?”

“Nah, it’s been three hours ten!” he called back with a chortle. “We just passed halfway through!”

“Fuck off! It’s too cold for jokes!”

“Then wear your damn cold gear like the rest of us!”

If Frigid Glare had been in sight of him, he’d probably be on the end of one of said frigid glares right about now, but she had no one to blame but herself. They’d all enchanted their robes with cold-shielding enchantments and added warming enchantments on top of it. It wasn’t a perfect solution to the problem, but at least it kept most of the cold away. They were still freezing, but at least they could stay out here and do their jobs. She, however, had insisted that she was a cold-weather pony, and thus she could take it, and so she had just given her robe the cold shielding to keep things non-lethal and to keep it from being siphoned off by their tools.

Stalwart supposed she was going to enjoy getting back more than any of them.

“When I get back to the Empire, I’m gonna jump in a steaming hot bath and never get out!” he called out. “What about you!?”

“Steaming!? Mine’s gonna be scalding!”

Stalwart laughed again, then pulled up his robe and began inspecting his armaments again. It could never hurt to make sure he had a full stock of all of his items and weapons in a dark, stormy, snowy environment like this. You never knew what could be working.

Thanks to the new initiative and their proximity to a hidden lab, they’d been some of the first to finally receive inmanipulon tools from Canterlot. Stalwart was the team shield, which meant he’d been given actual plates of armor to wear, while his squadmates received weapons or implements meant for offense, investigation, or neutralization.

Frigid was their spotter. She received basic tools for offense and defense, but her specialty was in paying close attention to spells being cast or finding signs of magical threats for them to neutralize. Then you had Eifer Detail, their investigator, whose job it was to identify magical threats and exactly how they would work, and thus the best ways to neutralize their threat or avoid them. Finally, there was Shadow Strike, their neutralizer, who would handle the actual taking down of a given threat.

Pretty simple systemized lineup. Frigid spots and calls out, Eifer identifies, Shad would handle actually dispelling the magical energy, and Stalwart was on standby, ready to jump in and take the hit with his anti-magic armor.

A gust of wind kicked up snow in the distance, and seemed to be coming right for them. Stalwart braced himself behind his robe just before the blast of cold air hit them, the tiny flakes of frost melting far before they reached the enchanted fabric. That stopped the worst of the freezing assault, but he still felt the chill of the wind as it seemed to pierce his skin and chill him to the bone.

“F-f-f-fuuuuuuck!” he shivered. “Another gust like that, and I’m starting a fucking fire!” he called over to Frij, no doubt suffering the absolute worst of the blast.

She didn’t answer, and Stalwart was left to chortle to himself. Bet she was regretting putting heating enchantments on her robe now.

The gust finally subsided, and the extremely interesting features of this frozen, barren wasteland were once again made clear for his eyes to see. Really take in every last, minute detail of these flats…

“Fuck me, when are they gonna finish analyzing whatever it is they’ve found in there?” he whined. “I just want to go home!”

The only sound that met him was more wind howling off in the distance. Stalwart frowned. He figured Frij as much as anyone would love to talk their shift away, the better to pass the time so they could get inside where it was warmer. Was the gust really getting to her that badly?

“Hey Frij, everything alright over there?”

Again, she didn’t answer. Stalwart’s frown deepened and he started to step his way toward her side of the camp. No doubt she was huddled up on the ground in a fetal position or something, trying desperately to–

Stalwart cried out, falling backward. Frigid Glare wasn’t where she was supposed to be. Instead, there was a jagged outcropping of grey, almost black rock that was twisted into something vaguely resembling a pony shape.

“What the hell…?” he asked, scrambling to his feet and rolling up his robe sleeves to bare his inmanipulon armor. Once he felt sufficiently prepared, he stepped closer to inspect this strange statue.

It was just so eerie, and it stood in stark contrast to everything else around it! The featureless white landscape, interrupted by their camouflaged tents, and then this black… thingy. When did it get here?

“Frij, whatever this is, it’s not funny!”

Silence greeted him, and Stalwart felt a strange prickle at the back of his neck. Something was wrong, something was very wrong.

He started to examine the rock in much closer detail and felt the bottom of his stomach drop out.

It looked as though a pony– or at least an equine shape– had been desiccated, and then the remains had somehow hardened into dull stone. The being was drawn back into a panicked defensive position, as though they had been caught completely unawares and had been forced to throw their hooves up in front of them to defend themselves.

“FRIJ!” he called out, looking every which way for his partner.

No one called back.

His heart was thundering in his chest. The wind was howling but he couldn’t feel it anymore. He was acutely aware that his breaths were coming shallow and quick, and worst of all, he could feel sweat start to bead on his brow, which he knew was not good for his chances of survival out here.

With a shaking hoof, he reached up and touched the statue.

At once, it crumbled, falling away to dust, which was picked up and scattered by the winds.

Don’t panic, don’t panic, don’t panic! he repeated in his head, looking every which way. She had to be around here somewhere. She had to!

With a snarl, he turned tail and dashed into the cavern. The others needed to know. Eifer and Shadow needed to be made aware of what was happening, and the two archaeologists. He wound his way through the twisting, rocky cave, jumping every time he saw a black shape from the shadows, but relaxing when he saw that shadow was all it was.

Until he slid to a halt and cried out.

Four of the same rocky shapes were there, in this large chamber with six black monolithic stone structures arranged around it.

There could be no doubt now.

Stalwart’s head turned every which way, afraid that whatever was doing this was going to come for him next. He was the only one left, after all.

Something bound itself to his hooves, and Stalwart yelped, trying to pull himself free. Yet when he looked down, all he could see was a tendril of shadow wrapped around him, as though it were solid.

“G-get off!” he barked, pulling in vain to pull himself free, heart hammering in his ears. “Let me go!”

Something else wrapped around one of his back hooves, and he fell to the ground. Two more shadowy tendrils bound themselves to his remaining hooves. Stalwart pulled, and thrashed in this creature’s grasp, trying to yank himself free, but it was all for naught.

He was flipped onto his back and forced to watch as a great cloud of shadow with burning red eyes emerged from the ground, staring directly at him.

He froze, suddenly completely unable to even cry out in terror at the sight of it. This was it. He was alone. This creature was going to devour him, just as it had his partners. And he wouldn’t even be able to warn others that it was out here!

The creature suddenly shot a fifth tendril right at him, and before he could even react, it pierced his head, just beneath the horn. Strange, it didn’t hurt. It was as if it hadn’t actually stabbed him at–

Stalwart was in the Crystal Empire, returning home from his deployment with the archaeologists. His squadmates were there with him, and they complained about the entire ordeal, but their work was done. In just a few short weeks it would be back to Canterlot for reassignment. A shame, he thought. He had really enjoyed working with Frij and the others. Maybe this wouldn’t be the last they saw of each other.

“Wha–” he groaned. His hooves were feeling like lead, and he began to feel more and more exhausted, as though he had been doing his weekly weight training.

Wedding bells rang, their sound echoing all throughout Canterlot as Stalwart and his stallion stepped out of the chapel, hoof in hoof. It had been forever and a half since the last time he’d seen Granite Split, and when they’d been younger, Granite had terrified Stalwart, but his experience in the guard had made him bold. Now here they were, happily married and ready to begin a new life.

Stalwart’s eyes were fluttering shut. “N-no…” he croaked, barely more than a whisper. He couldn’t feel his lower half anymore. “M-must… must stay…”

A grown pegasus colt embraced both of them as he stepped down from the stage at Canterlot Academy, diploma in hoof and grinning from ear to ear. Granite thumped Gusty on the back affectionately while Stalwart shook him back and forth. Age had started to catch up with him these days, now that he was nearing his fifties, but that wouldn’t stop him from hugging his son like a younger stallion. Oh, their little Gusty was about to head off to college!

He could barely keep his eyes open now.

He lay in a hospice bed, feeling worn out. The long years had truly taken their toll on Stalwart. His hair was gone, his coat had gone almost white, and wrinkles lined his face. His loving husband stood above him, having aged gracefully in the fifty-six years since their wedding, with a morose smile on his face. Gusty was there with his wife and kids, even Frigid Glare, Shadow Strike, and Eifer Detail were at his bedside with him.

“I don’t know why you’re all so sad,” he said softly, each syllable a labor.

“We just… it’s just hard to say goodbye,” Granite said, before hastily brushing his eyes so that Stalwart wouldn’t see him cry. “I love you, you know that, Stal?”

“Course I do. Just…”

He shifted, feeling a sense of overwhelming peace wash over him. Sleep beckoned. And yet… he almost felt as if he were waking up from slumber...

“Granite…?” he whispered, eyes drifting shut forever. “I dreamed… that I was old...”

Shadow reformed into flesh and armor. Sombra stared down at the stallion as the last of his skin hardened into rock, and the last of his life force was drawn from him into another crystal, joining the five others. This one’s passing had been easier, more merciful. The other five were taken slowly out of necessity, but Sombra had at least allowed this one to “live” a future he would never truly experience.

Was it mercy, or pragmatism? He supposed that was the philosophical question for every act of kindness he ever performed. His grand designs required cruelty, demanded rage and anger, and the use of Dark Magic hinged on his ability to tap into them.

Even as the fragile stone of his victims started to crumble into dust, he looked up, and his horn blazed with dark energy, the moment of introspection snuffed out.

The six monoliths around the room cracked as one, ear-splitting sounds of stone being pulled apart ringing around the cave, and one by one, they disintegrated, dropping six bodies contained within onto the stone floor.

Six corpses. Decayed skin, withered hair, splintered bones, atrophied muscle. His other six faithful servants, resting until he needed them once more. Perhaps this would be enough to coax his seventh into acting faithfully once again.

The six crystals with the gathered life essences inside of them were let go, each guided toward one of the bodies. The moment each crystal touched its recipient, the light glowing within each crystal was pulled in, and the crystal shattered.

Now all he had to do was wait.

One of the hooves twitched. Another body spasmed.

One by one, each corpse began to move again as life sprouted within their bodies once more. As one of them got to their hooves, skin began to repair itself. Hair began to grow once more. Muscle and bone were knit back together. In only a few seconds, a shapely young mare, roughly the age of his current problem, pale green of coat, deep green of mane, and emerald green of eye, stood before him, looking no younger than she had the day she had entered his service. His Envy and his Lust both served their purpose, capturing the attention of stallions, though they were exploited in different ways.

Despite her beauty, there was only one blemish on her body, and that was the shattered horn, the product of his own designs involving her.

“My dear Esmeralda,” Sombra bowed his head politely. “It’s quite a joy to see you once again.”

“My King,” Esmeralda said softly, kneeling.

Another approached him, a burly red pony who looked to be in his physical prime, bald but with a short and braided bloody red tail, with muscles the likes of which few could boast. His horn, too, was shattered, and he, too, knelt.

“My King.”

“Rubeus.”

A bright silver mare, with white eyes and a mane and tail that shone despite the little light in the room. A stallion, dusky orange, but with a brown tint to his coat, a short cropped mane and a neat tail. Another mare, deep blue, with white glimmers in her hair. Each horn shattered, each pony kneeling before him.

“My King.” “My King.” “My King.”

“Platina, Pronssi, Saphira. It’s good to have you all with me once more.”

The sixth pony, however, did not kneel, instead standing tall and proud, and invisible to any normal pony. If none of the other five knew where to look, they wouldn’t even notice he was there at all, but the faintest outline of his shape could be seen, sounds of his breathing were quiet but present, and his energy signature wouldn’t be hidden even if his flesh was.

“Auric,” King Sombra smiled at his Pride, who grinned back, something nearly impossible to see to anyone but him. “Did you enjoy your long and quiet sleep?”

“It was beginning to feel rather dull,” Auric replied, his voice a carrying whisper even audible against the winds outside. “To what do we owe the pleasure, my King? I assume you have not awakened us to exchange pleasantries?”

“Correct,” Sombra bowed his head. “I know I swore that next time you’d awake, ‘twould be when there was no work left to do. But sadly things have changed and forced my hoof.”

“We live to serve,” Auric whispered once again. “What is your bidding?”

Sombra frowned, knowing full well that the damnable spirit most likely knew that this conversation was happening. What countermeasures would she take if he did nothing?

“Harmonia seeks to interfere with me,” he said, clenching his teeth at the last statement. “She’s taken up a vessel to control. A child, not yet of age to be a mare.”

“You wish us… to kill her?” Esmeralda asked softly, looking up at him with wide eyes.

“Mm,” the king shook his head, turning away. “Eliminate the spirit, only her.”

He could practically feel the relief from Esmeralda with this. His Lust and his Envy both had an understandable yet unfortunate fondness for foals. Yet unlike his Envy, his Lust would do what must be done. She couldn’t help it, after all.

“But if there is no other way to this…” he added, his teeth clenching harder as he weighed the words.

Such distasteful words. He was many things, but he was not wasteful. Death was the end of a creature’s usefulness. Life, however, was just so full of possibilities. But more importantly, to assassinate a filly so connected to the centerpiece of his grand design would irrevocably shift his plans, forcing him to rethink everything. Yet at the same time, that filly represented the greatest threat to his undoing.

His designs had been so careful, so calculated, and this one wild card, a being that existed outside of context and represented too much of an unknown, had chosen now of all times to intervene.

There was no other way.

Was it cruelty, or pragmatism?

“Eliminate the filly, if you must.”

He was guilty of many crimes. Slavery. Tyranny. Torture. He manipulated ponies. He lied. He sent his seven servants to commit unspeakable acts in the past, and now he was demanding they do it again in the present.

All of it– all of it– for this most important and most pivotal of plans.

It was vile, and nothing he ever did was for the sake of it. It all had a purpose. And he had come too far and sacrificed too much to let one unfortunate filly and his own morals stand in his way. He had compromised those a thousand times already, and the needs of the many always outweigh the needs of the few.

Or the one.

There was unease in the room, and he turned back just in time to see Esmeralda’s head snap downward, having been raised to give him what he assumed was an apprehensive look only instants before.

“I promise it abhors me just as much,” he said, gently touching her shoulder. “I would not ask were it not paramount. But listen well: Harmonia’s your mark. The filly’s death is only if need be.”

That did little to reassure her or the other four members of the room. Even they had reservations about this. Auric, however…

Invisible though he was, Sombra recognized the savagery, the wanton cruelty he carried.

Auric was his Pride, and he was by far the most dangerous member of these six. His Envy, however, was his most capable agent. In a one-on-one fight, he knew full well that his Envy would prove herself superior. Yet all six of them together were more than capable of subduing her. Thus, no doubt their presence would be enough to serve as an implicit threat to continue acting.

If you do not force Nova Shine’s hoof, then they will kill the filly you seek to save.

“And motivate my Envy while you’re there,” he added, turning toward the exit of the cave, ready to continue laying the preparations. There was still much work to do. “She’s grown a bit rebellious as of late.”

“Yes, my King,” he heard Auric whisper behind him. “I shall pass along your reminder.”

“Very well.” Sombra inclined his head. “You have your orders, servants mine. Begone.”

One by one, they stepped past him, out into the frozen wastes. None of them were even remotely affected by the cold, wind, or snow, and they stepped right out as if it weren’t even there. He, however, stayed back at the cave, surveying the campsite set up by the unfortunate members of this camp.

This would attract Celestia’s attention, no doubt. But unfortunately, the Spirit required addressing. Urgent times required urgent measures.

But it would all be worth it, he knew. He had seen it, after all.

All would go according to plan, and in time, the God-Shattering Star would be his.

Author's Note

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Can You Hear?

The Archmage’s Last Bow
Chapter 11 - Can You Hear?

Bright Gleam stood blindfolded in the middle of the usual grove, feeling more than a bit silly, as Master Nova Shine stood nearby, watching her intently. She knew her master wouldn’t make a fool out of her, but after some experiences with bullies up at Celestia’s School, that old doubt came slowly creeping back into her mind that she was being played.

She sat still, listening to everything around her. The rustle of the wind in the trees, the occasional flutter of fruit bat wings, the distant sounds of Big Macintosh and Applejack bucking trees…

She felt everything around her that she could, too. The gentle breeze tickled the hair of her coat. The sun’s warmth beat down all around them with this time of the year between summer and autumn meaning the heat would slowly start to go away over the next several weeks.

She furrowed her brow, trying to feel even deeper. What did he want her to find, exactly? He was supposedly teaching her how to sense energy the way he did, and he said he was going to be using magic at different intensities around her to try and get her to feel even the beginnings of an energy flare.

Something brushed up against her right foreleg.

“I feel something!”

“You do?” asked Master Nova Shine.

“Yeah, it’s… it’s so close!”

“That’s definitely magic,” he said. The feeling was getting stronger, and was trailing further up toward her shoulder, as if it were tickling the hairs of her coat.

“Really? That’s what magic feels like?”

“Wow, even Twilight didn’t figure it out this fast!”

“Wait, what?”

*smack*

“EEK!”

Gleam yanked the blindfold off and looked over just in time to see Master Nova Shine toss away a small tree branch, look up at the sky, and start whistling innocently.

She rubbed her smarting hoof. “Why’d you hit me with a tree branch!?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Master Nova Shine replied airily, failing to keep a straight face.

“What was that even for!?” she huffed, crossing her forelegs.

“Well,” Master Nova Shine rocked himself forward and trotted toward her, lightly pushing her into a sitting position, “you were just doing it wrong and I wanted to mess with you a little bit.”

“Could have done that without hitting me with the branch,” she glowered, her horn picking the branch up and throwing it away even further in case he got any ideas.

“I didn’t hit you that hard,” he rolled his eyes. “It sounded a lot harder than it actually was because I broke one of the smaller twigs on it.” The twig in question floated up from where she had been standing moments ago before she kicked it away.

“And what do you mean I was doing it wrong? I was doing it the way you told me to!”

Master Nova Shine tilted his head from side to side. “Not… quite. You were focusing too much on the environment around you. The tactile environment, this world of sight, smell, sound, taste, and feeling, was what you were paying attention to. Don’t get me wrong,” he added, holding up a hoof to prevent her from firing back, “you’re not doing something dumb, Gleam. It’s important to be able to feel the world around you through your normal senses. But the whole point of the blindfold is to deprive you of one of your most heavily used senses, so your mind will be open to another one that it hasn’t listened to since you were born.”

“I… see,” she replied. No, she didn’t.

“Then put your blindfold back on and we’ll try again,” Master Nova Shine said, picking it up with his magic and levitating it back toward her. Gleam let out an annoyed huff, snatched the blindfold from him, and slipped it back on. Once again, she was surrounded by darkness, only able to rely on her other senses as she sat in the middle of this clearing.

“Breathe, Gleam. The key is not to focus so hard on any one thing, but to simply be at ease and feel everything around you.”

“I’ll try,” she grumbled.

“You will,” he said. “And each time, you’ll see more and more, until you finally get it.”

She let out a quiet snort. She was learning not to distrust his confidence in her. He was usually right when he said she would get something, but this was the fourth time she’d tried to sense energy. Each time, he’d tried some different way to get her to sense things, and each time, she wouldn’t feel anything. It was starting to get frustrating.

“Alright. I’m going to start with the magic again.”

She heard the slight pop as a few things blinked into existence around him, and based on the slight gusts, he had begun to move them around the air, in the hopes that she’d feel it. Yet as she sat there in darkness, all she could focus on was what she already knew. The sound of those things moving through the air, the rustle of the leaves, the light tickle of her coat as some grass brushed up against it…

Minutes later, she was no closer to feeling anything of note than she had been when they’d started.

“I just don’t get it!” she finally snapped, yanking the blindfold up and slamming a hoof into the ground next to her. “I’m not feeling anything different! We’ve been at this for hours, and… and it just feels like you’re making a fool of me!”

Master Nova Shine stared at her impassively, eyes shifting every so often, yet glazed over. He was looking at her, but he wasn’t looking at her. Gleam felt sheepish the longer she stayed under his gaze. She knew he wasn’t here to embarrass her, she trusted him more than anyone else on the planet, and she knew he was trying his best. But she was his first student, after all. She knew there’d be moments where he’d struggle to get the point across.

Maybe he just needed to try something new? Maybe Princess Twilight could teach her this instead?

“I see,” he finally said, staring at her with a curious expression. “Maybe… you don’t even know what you’re looking for.”

“I do know,” she huffed, crossing her forelegs. “I’m supposed to be feeling magic, right?”

“Yes,” Nova Shine dipped his head. “But do you know what that feels like? Not energy sensing, but magic itself? Do you know you’re feeling the right thing?”

“Of course I do,” she replied, trying to keep the bitter edge out of her voice. Was he underestimating her now? “How would I have found the Dark Magic in the Crystal Spire if I didn’t?”

“No no,” Master Nova Shine shook his head. “You know what it’s like to probe magic with magic. What I’m asking is, do you know what it’s like to be surrounded by magic and just… experience it?”

She stared at him. She wasn’t feeling foolish or embarrassed by any stretch of the term anymore, but… no, Celestia’s School had never taught her this. Magic was studied academically. Practically. Focus was placed on tangible results, magical theory, applications, that sort of thing. What Master Nova Shine was asking her to do was not necessarily to discard all of that, but to unlearn what she had learned, ignore the academics she had studied, and simply submerge herself in magic in its basest form.

The moment she realized what he was actually asking of her, something clicked.

She sat up straighter and pulled the blindfold down, catching her master grinning knowingly just before the black strip of cloth was pulled over her eyes, and she heard him trot up next to her.

“Reach out,” he said, pressing her hoof into the dirt. “Feel everything around you. The tactile environment as before, but look even deeper than that.”

Gleam took a deep breath, doing as her master asked. She felt and heard everything as before. The breeze, the warm air, the rustle of the trees, the flutter of the bats, the Apple Family toiling…

Deeper.

She smelled the grass, the apples, rotting plants, the Everfree Forest’s cocktail of aromas, her master’s sweat, the shampoo she’d used this morning…

Deeper.

She didn’t know how to describe it, but it was as if she thrust something deep inside of her forward, reaching down into the earth, and she felt… something.

“What do you see?” her master asked as her brow twitched.

“I… I see…”

A sea of trees, each one reaching high toward the sky, the better to reach the sun and the nourishment it provided.

“The forest.”

The bats flew from place to place, leaving a wake of something behind them. Timberwolves prowled the edges of the Everfree Forest. Worms burrowed beneath the ground.

“Life.”

Rotted plants. Skeletons of dead creatures beneath the earth. Scavengers consuming the flesh of the dead.

“Death and decay…”

Plants grew off of the nutrients that were left behind. Baby birds fed on the worms provided by their mothers. Young fruit bats ate the rotten apples that lay scattered.

“...that feeds new life.”

The sun.

“Warmth…

The breeze.

“...and cold.”

The bats above their heads, watching them. The timberwolves chasing after prey. The calm of the entire farmstead. The tension of everything that lay within the Everfree Forest.

“Peace and violence.”

And between it all, was something. Something that moved like waves, resonating with that same something in everything around it. It was as if the world itself was one great cacophony of these waves, crashing and merging, forever thrumming and vibrating in tune with each other.

The world was at peace with itself.

“A… a balance,” she said, before frowning. “No-... no, it’s more than that. It’s… it’s Harmony.”

“Look elsewhere,” Master Nova Shine ordered. She knew he was pacing around her. She knew he was close, but she just couldn’t quite sense him in the midst of all of this. “Look inside you. What do you feel?”

Hungry, she thought to herself, suppressing a tiny smile.

What was odd was, she couldn’t even really feel herself, so to speak. As she experienced this feeling, as she basked in this balance that existed between everything, she felt… no different at all.

Then, it clicked, and the curtain was pulled back, and at last, she saw.

No one was separate from all of this. This was Harmony. This was what it was like to live in Magic. Unicorns, she realized, had a great hubris, to believe that magic was a tool to manipulate and to use freely, that they were separate from magic or even above it, when in reality, magic was more than that. Magic was everywhere, magic was around them, in them.

The moment she began to see, it was like light sprung up in the darkness around her. Light that moved languidly through the darkness, pacing around her as she sat there. Gleam felt herself break into a smile, and somewhere, deep in the recesses of her mind, she could swear Harmonia was beaming.

To demonstrate her newfound sight, she plucked an apple down from one of the trees, her own magic illuminating the darkness as well, and offered it to the swirling sea of stars that had paused next to her. A new cloud of energy appeared, taking the apple from her and lifting it back toward this sea, and she heard the most satisfying apple crunch she believed she would ever hear in her life.

“Well done.”

Gleam lifted the blindfold from her eyes with a tired but accomplished grin and fell backward against the cool grass, the perfect pillow for her after the surprisingly tiring exercise.

“You’ll never forget the first time you saw the world for what it is,” Master Nova Shine said, walking over and sitting down next to her. “We unicorns, especially those of us who want to be mages, spend our whole lives staring at the world through a keyhole. We try everything we can to widen it, to see everything we can, to understand magic, and bend it to our will.”

He let out a soft sigh.

She could sense that even though he wasn’t using magic in the open air, he was drawing shapes in the ground.

“But the moment the door opens, and we see just how wild, untameable, and beautiful magic really is, it’s not surprising that many ponies run back to the safety of the keyhole. To run back to the comfortable world, where magic fits neatly into a bottle, when it’s so much bigger than that! Magic isn’t about formulae and theories, it’s about feeling and interacting with the balance of the world around you! Just like music isn’t about being able to read it off a paper, it’s about being able to hear it and play it! Just listen, Gleam! Listen to what they are missing!

“Can you hear the music?”

The shapes beneath the ground disappeared, and now she could hear sound. A powerful, thrum that sounded like a cellist playing the loudest possible note they could, and yet if she listened closer, she could hear other notes and instruments behind it, backing it. Horns and flutes and drums and clarinets and violins and even instruments she couldn’t recognize, all playing one note that was part of a greater whole. A powerful tone, rattling her bones and making the hairs in her coat stand on end.

Then the music was gone. Now it was color, vivid shades of bright light appeared in the sky and beneath the ground, but were invisible to the naked eye. One moment she was surrounded by bright colors as though she were in a field of flowers, and the next, everything was as dark and moody as the night. A moment later it was dawn, and rosy and fiery shades danced within her sense, followed by cool and calming colors as though she were surrounded by nothing but ocean and sky.

And then she realized, Master Nova Shine hadn’t done any of that.

She had.

The colors vanished, the sound faded, the shapes disappeared, Bright Gleam blinked, and once again, she was laying in the forest, sweating and breathless as the bats shifted in the trees, the breeze fluttered through the clearing, and she felt as if she had walked a thousand miles in mere moments.

Bright Gleam breathed, a wonderful cold and refreshing feeling, and her first on the other side, her first breath in a new world.

Master Nova Shine had a knowing smile on his face as he offered a hoof to help her up.

“Terrifying, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” she agreed, grabbing his hoof and letting him help her up. “But…”

“But beautiful too.”

“Yeah.”

“I’ll tell you the way I felt for a while,” he said, leading her over to the cider table, “even after studying magic for years, when I first felt that, for a while after, it felt like I was a foal at a pool, swimming close to the deep end but feeling too scared to swim out into it, afraid I would drown.”

Gleam grinned sheepishly as she recalled that she couldn’t even go out to the 2-meter depth for a while, even after she’d learned how to swim. She had been afraid that she might accidentally cough, and inhale some water, which would lead to her sputtering, and then she’d flounder and fall underwater…

“But when you finally do it,” he continued, leaning back to stare up at the sky, a blissful smile on his face. “It’s the scariest moment of your life. To let go and float off into the unknown, into the expanse that is just so massive and so deep. But then you realize as you’re miles away from the safety of the shallows… you had nothing at all to fear, and all you think now is why didn’t you do it sooner?”

All Bright Gleam could do was stare at him in awe as he stood there, blind and deaf to the world around him. How could she ever hope to come anywhere near this?

You are beginning to see magic and the world as he does, and that is already far more than most spellcasters. Look not at how far you have to go, Bright Gleam. Look instead at how far you have come.

“Well, I think that’ll do it for today,” he said, sitting up and getting to his hooves. “We’ve gotta start packing to head up to Canterlot here soon, seeing as Twilight wants to head out tomorrow.”

“I thought your House of Nobles session wasn’t until–”

“Yeah, you’re right,” he said, cracking his neck and trying to shake off some of his fatigue from the last few days and their bedrest. “But Twilight wants to go up a couple of days early. Says she wants to stay connected with some of her old friends, and that gives me some time to go visit Mom and Dad, and you can go visit your parents too. Plus…” he grimaced, “I think she wants to get all her anger at Celestia out of her system before they sit through Day Court.”

With that, he started to trot out of the grove, with her close behind. The day’s session, it seemed, was being abandoned, but… why was he acting like it was all over and done?

“So what, today’s lesson’s just over? We’re not coming back after lunch or something?”

“No…” he said slowly, giving her an odd look. “You need time to let it sink in. And besides, why wouldn’t we just continue now if the lesson weren’t over?”

She frowned. Had he forgotten? “Don’t we need to be at Princess Twilight’s School soon?”

“Hm?” Master Nova Shine blinked dumbly. “What do you mean?”

“You had a guest lecture for one of Princess Twilight’s classes, remember?”

“I– yeah, I remember, but…” He frowned and looked over back toward the town. “I could have sworn that wasn’t for another hour or so.”

“Well it is,” she replied, before flicking her mane, which was still slightly sweaty from the morning’s exercise before they had come right out here afterward, “but do you really want to be turning up to lecture them with me looking like this? It takes time for some of us to get cleaned up. Not everyone can go out with messy hair like yours.”

Nova opened his mouth to reply but closed it a moment later. “Point taken,” he conceded. “Alright, yeah, we’ll continue these lessons up in Canterlot, I think. Right now, we’ve got to get a move on, we’re already behind.”

“We’d be less behind if you hadn’t taken the time to smack me with the stick.”

He grinned.

“Gleam, may I mention that it’s so nice that you feel comfortable enough around me to routinely mouth off? You’re very different from the filly who would talk herself into a death spiral when you thought you’d done something wrong a few weeks ago.”

Gleam smiled to herself at that. It was always nice hearing praise from her master. To think she, an ordinary unicorn from a lower-class family in Canterlot, could become his apprentice and do well enough to earn his praise? She’d had doubts, but it seemed like she had taken well to his tutelage. Thus, she wasn’t worried that she didn’t really get energy sensing just yet, but she knew she would in time. She’d only just taken her first steps into a much larger world, after all.

“Whoa!”

She turned around, just in time to see her master stumble and fall to the ground.

“Master? Everything okay?”

“Legs are still a little wobbly from the hospital,” he replied, rubbing his thighs vigorously. “Just lost energy there.”

“You’re eating and sleeping properly, right?” she asked, giving him the same look she imagined her mother gave her when she knew Gleam was lying.

“Yeah, I am,” he answered, getting back to his feet and dusting himself off. “Just… you know, paying the price for my short-sightedness.”

She just gave him the same disapproving look, but somewhere deep down, she knew he wasn’t lying. He really was making an effort.

Suddenly, a chill went up her spine, and her head snapped up by reflex, looking wildly around. Something felt wrong. Next to her, Master Nova Shine did as well, his eyes alertly scanning the grove around them, trying to find the source of the off feeling.

“Wh-what is–?” she asked, suddenly feeling cold.

“Shh,” Master Nova Shine held out a hoof. “Something… someone is watching us, and I can’t sense them.”

Alarm shot through her at that. It was one thing for him to know something was there with that overpowered energy sense of his, but to know they were there without being able to feel them at all?

“How do you know?” she asked softly, afraid that whatever had their eye on them would hear.

“Instinct,” he replied, just as loudly as usual. She envied his confidence sometimes. Oh to even be half as powerful as him… “I don’t know, but… something’s wrong, and we know there’s a certain someone out there who’s probably keeping an eye on us, right?”

“You mean…?”

“Yeah,” Master Nova Shine nodded stiffly. “Envy. But… this doesn’t feel like her at all.”

“How do you mean?”

“Doesn’t it feel a bit colder than it did five minutes ago?”

Gleam blinked. It had been feeling a bit nippier in the last few minutes, now that he mentioned it. She thought the chill from a moment ago was more her imagination than anything, but if he felt it too, then was it an actual thing?

He stared out into the trees at a specific point. He wasn’t looking around for anyone at all. Had he found them?

Eventually, she felt the chill vanish, and she let out a quiet sigh of relief. Whatever it was, it was gone.

“Not to mention,” he added, turning and beginning to trot back to town, with her staying close behind, “I don’t think she’d miss out on a chance to come mess with me. No, I think we’ve just met a new adversary.”

“I mean, after what Harmonia did to her,” Gleam replied, the memories of Envy screaming in pain as Harmonia attempted to grasp hold of something inside of her and pull it free, “I wonder if she’s afraid.”

“Maybe,” Master Nova Shine sniffed. “Stay close, and let’s hurry.”

Despite the caution of what had just happened, knowing that someone new had entered the Great Game, Gleam left the grove that day giddy as a schoolfilly. To finally have proof to herself that she was learning, not just things she’[d had trouble with, but entirely new ways of perceiving the world around her felt empowering and encouraging.

She was really learning from her master. He really was teaching her to see the world like him, and she couldn’t wait to see how it affected the way she approached things. But most importantly…

She could hear the music!

It was strange how Shimmer had made the remnants of the Old Castle her little home, the more she thought about it.

Four years ago, she’d hidden out here when she’d been holding Trixie Lulamoon as her hostage, keeping her trapped down in the dungeons, albeit well taken care of. Back then it had been quite a ruin, almost entirely unvisited for years. Now, however, not only was the place well-visited and well-taken care of, but the Tree of Harmony itself wasn’t too far away.

She hated that thing, hated the being living inside of it, hated that her Master no doubt intended for her to eventually destroy that tree or something, but mostly she just hated that, at any point, the Spirit in that tree could just decide to yank her soul out and tear her apart like she had those weeks ago.

She still woke up screaming when she dreamed about it.

Shimmer was used to causing nightmares, not experiencing them.

At the moment, she was in the castle library, a surprisingly well-kept part of the castle. Most of the books in here were ruined, and most of the shelves had long since collapsed, but there were still some clean and new-looking book receptacles scattered around the mostly empty room, and some of the things in here appeared to be far newer than the ruins.

Clearly this was a place commonly visited in recent years. Probably by the purple princess and her friends. That said, it had some light reading material, which allowed her to distract herself from the screaming in her mind. She’d had hundreds of years to get used to it, but every so often it still got through to her.

Something about what Harmonia had done to her had lessened the screaming’s grip on her actions, and she was able to resist more effectively, but it wasn’t flawless. She still had to go “vent” her bloodlust on a poor woodland creature or two. Reading, however, seemed to help soothe her more than usual.

At least, it did until she received five most unwelcome guests.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the knocks on the door to the library. Had she been found? Was Bonehead here? Had Harmonia come to finish the job?

No, worse.

A powerfully built bald red unicorn stallion with a braided bloody-red tail and a shattered horn stepped into the room, and Shimmer’s heart sank at the sight of him. So this is how he intends keep me under his hoof.

“Lady Envy,” he said politely, inclining his head to her, his voice a dull rumble. As he stepped aside, the others came in. A shapely green mare strode into the room, and as the two of them locked eyes, the newcomer squealed and dashed over to hug her.

“Shimmy! It’s been so long!”

“Ezzy,” Shimmer grunted, lightly shoving Esmeralda off of her. She had a feeling this wasn’t just a friendly visit. “Good to see you too,” she lied. She was happy to see the closest thing she had to a friend among Sombra’s ranks, but it didn’t outweigh her dread, knowing why they were here.

Esmeralda was followed by three more ponies, a bright white-silver mare not unlike her normal form, a deep blue mare with white glimmers in her mane, and a dusky orange stallion who kept his own mane and tail very neatly kept.

Platina sneered at her, but Saphira gave her a friendly smile and trotted over.

“Shimmer! It’s good to see you, even though you’re wearing a different skin today. Who’s this?”

“An unfortunate victim nearly thirteen hundred years ago,” she grunted, not really in the mood to relive that experience.

“My Lady Envy,” Pronssi said, inclining his head as he stepped forward. “A pleasure to see you once again.”

“Lord Sloth,” she grunted back. “So where’s Assface at? Out terrorizing someone for kicks?”

“Lord Pride will be along shortly,” Pronssi couldn’t help the small smirk. “I have sent him to assess the situation.”

“‘Assess the situation’,” Shimmer rolled her eyes, stamping over to a ruined table and falling into a seat next to it. “I could have given you all the information you wanted.”

“Like why you’re wearing someone else’s skin when you’re not on the job?” Platina asked, leaning against a wall and glaring at her. “What’s with the green and red?”

“It’s maroon, thank you very much,” Shimmer snarled. “And it’s not my body, so this is the easiest form to keep. The mare whose body this really is is kept nice and close by,” she said, tapping the ruby Spirit Gem held tightly to her neck.

“Then where is your body?” Pronssi asked, raising an eyebrow. “Are you unable to use the abilities gifted to you by our King?”

“Oh I can shapeshift just fine,” she said, proving her point by dissolving into shadow and reforming into the skin they wanted her to wear so badly. She hated being herself while controlling someone else’s body. It just felt wrong. She could do it when she was on the clock, but once she was on her own time, the last thing she wanted to do was walk around in someone else’s skin pretending to be her own.

I’m his Envy, and the only person I wanna be is me in myself. She suppressed a tiny chuckle. Between his Sloth demanding maximum efficiency yet tolerating no wasted time or energy, his Wrath being the calmest pony she knew, his Lust being almost too innocent and sheltered, his Gluttony keeping herself at a svelte figure, his Greed only wanting to acquire things for their Master, and his Pride having almost nothing there at all to take pride in, it was clear that despite the seriousness of his goals, King Sombra did have a strong sense of irony.

Pronssi’s eyes widened as her shadows reformed, and he smiled at her. “Impressive, Shimmer! How did you gain this ability?”

“It’s a long story, and it involves the Elements of Harmony,” she answered, really resisting the urge to give in to the screaming mind voice and fling a knife at someone in here. She’d be punished the moment she tried. “Let’s just say it’s way more comfortable to do it this way and not the normal way and leave it at that.”

“Hm,” Pronssi dipped his head, before surveying her from head to hoof, his calculating brown eyes flicking over every inch of her. “The only flaw in your transformation seems to be your eyes, They stay red in every form you take.”

“Yeah, well, I ain’t going back to my old body any time soon,” she huffed, giving him a challenging glare. “Not unless you want to either kill her or let her scamper back to society.”

“And why shouldn’t we kill her?”

The voice whispered right in her ear as she felt the ghostly chill pass her by. She didn’t jump this time. She never jumped when Assface was involved. She didn’t want to give him the satisfaction.

“You took your time,” Platina observed, staring at a spot in the room that appeared to contain nothing but empty space, but Shimmer’s eyes were trained to see the subtle giveaways of Auric’s presence, such as the faint pony-shaped outline just barely visible.

“I simply wished to enjoy the fresh air before it was ruined by this worm’s presence,” Auric replied, right into her ear again.

“Do I need to give you another scar to remind you not to talk down to me?” she asked, as if she were asking something as simple as what he wanted for lunch.

“You would threaten Lord Pride?” Rubeus asked, staring at both of them.

“I’m not threatening him, Rubeus. I’m asking him a question I want him to answer,” she sniffed. “If you’d like me to threaten him, I can oblige. Call me a worm again and I’ll gouge out your eyes,” she stated coolly to the shade standing close by. “Don’t believe me? Take a gander at Onyx Lance’s face next time you see her.”

Auric hissed, but said nothing else. He could try to frighten her all he wanted, but he knew his place.

Pronssi stepped forward and got between them. “Lady Envy, Lord Pride, please, we have work to do, and I would rather do it without having to also keep the two of you from fighting.”

“You want us to not go at it? Sure, by all means, give it a shot,” Shimmer just waved a weary hoof. “Just make sure Assface remembers who the strongest out of all of us is the next time he wants to talk to me like he owns me. If he thinks it’s him, I’ll make sure he remembers the point.” She punctuated her boast by slamming her favorite knife point-down into the table.

“Unfortunately, that is exactly why we have been sent here, Lady Envy,” Pronssi sighed longsufferingly. “You may be more than a match for any of us individually, but even you cannot take us together at once. His Majesty has sent us to keep you in line. I am sure you know why as well?”

“Yeah, he doesn’t think I’m goading Nova Shine enough into finding the Gems of Being,” Shimmer huffed, rolling her eyes. “He thinks that just because I’m sitting here laying low, I must be trying to slack off or rebel or all that other stuff. So lemme guess, you’re here to threaten to rough me up a bit if I don’t start lighting a fire under his ass to make him find the gems, right?”

Assface laughed, a high, cold, cruel whisper of winds, and Shimmer felt a stab of dread pierce her gut. He would never be this thrilled about something unless he was sure it was going to ruin her day.

“You think His Majesty doesn’t know a little torture wouldn’t have any effect on you?” he asked mockingly. “You really have been slipping, Envy. Oh no, we all know he’s trained you too well to be affected by something as mundane as a little bit of pain and suffering. Which is why that’s not how we plan on tormenting you.”

Pronssi frowned, a most distasteful look for someone as sophisticated and high-class as him, and behind him, Shimmer watched in horror as Ezzy’s face fell completely, and she couldn’t meet Shimmer’s eyes.

Shimmer knew that Sombra would mandate that they commit all sorts of atrocities. She also knew there were few lines Sombra wouldn’t cross. They all knew that. They had all grown numb to some of the things he’d made them do. But there was only one thing that could make Esmeralda look so forlorn. Even Pronssi balked at such a thing. They had been trained to be weapons, but none of them had completely abandoned their ethics except for Auric.

“You can’t mean it,” she whispered. “Tell me he didn’t. Tell me he hasn’t!”

“This isn’t merely about your lax attitude,” Pronssi shook his head. “He cannot be assured of your loyalty, and so he has asked us to hang over that filly’s head until you clean up your act.”

It felt as though she had been struck by an ironclad punch to the gut. He would make them murder a foal just to get her to comply!?

Then she recalled what happened when she’d been forced to go after the filly, and suddenly, her dread vanished, and she began to laugh. She knew Sombra wasn’t that stupid, knew that he would have taken Harmonia’s warning to heart, and knew that the six of them were here for some other purpose, but for now, she was going to enjoy it while she could.

“Oh, you think it’s as simple as that, huh!?” she jeered, taking every ounce of pleasure at seeing Platina snarl and feeling Auric recoil. “You think it’s just ‘kill the little filly and then the big bad Envy will do as she’s told’? Tell ya what, you go right ahead and give that a try,” she beamed mockingly at them. “Tell ‘em, Assface. You went out there to ‘assess the situation’, didn’t you? Tell them.”

“Tell us what?” Pronssi asked, frowning, his eyes flicking over to the not-so-empty space that Auric occupied.

“It would appear that the filly is protected,” Auric said, his whisper somehow thundering in her ears despite its volume, but more than that, she could hear almost a begrudging admission. “A formidable pony, who appears to wear the cloak of an archmage. He also appears to be romantically attached to one of the ruling princesses. This is the filly you care so much about, worm?”

“Yeah,” she smirked. Bless him, he was really trying to spin this back to her. “She’s also indwelt by Harmonia, Auric. Good luck with that. And that’s not even mentioning that she’s the Archmage’s apprentice. You wanna get to her? You gotta go through him and then Harmonia. You think I’m tough to take down? He’s stronger than I am, and she’s Harmonia. You wanna try to threaten his apprentice? He’d rip you apart in an instant before the filly even saw you coming.”

Auric bristled, and she felt the chill as he stepped toward her, but she kept right at it.

“You don’t know him like I do,” she said, glaring right at the tiny outline of a pony as Assface glared right back. “We don’t stand a chance against any of the alicorn princesses. He’s stronger than at least one of them, and it’s not even close.”

“Impossible,” Auric scoffed, but Shimmer was pleased to hear the uncertainty behind it. “A unicorn, stronger than an alicorn?”

“You don’t get it, do you?” she asked him smugly, leaning forward to invade his space, since he was so fond of doing it to everyone else. “He might be the single most powerful unicorn in history, and before you say something more stupid than usual, that’s including Star Swirl the Bearded. And if you somehow get past him, you have to deal with the Spirit of Harmony herself, and she nearly pulled Sombra out of me like it was nothing. If you really want to put that to the test, you go right ahead and challenge him. I’ll laugh at your funeral and piss on your–”

“That’s enough,” rumbled Rubeus, stepping forward and sliding between them, physically shoving them both back. Shimmer always admired how a soft push from Rubeus could still send her reeling, and this was no exception as she fought to stay upright.

“I have no wish to sacrifice any of you merely to ascertain the truth of Shimmer’s insights,” Pronssi said, taking a seat at an empty table and pulling a book from one of the shelves. “However, if what Shimmer says is true, and I see no reason not to take her at her word, then it would seem we cannot threaten the filly without senselessly throwing away any of your lives in the process. However, there are always alternatives to direct action.”

“Look, if you want my cooperation, you’ve got it,” Shimmer rolled her eyes. “Not like I have much of a choice in the matter. I’m just pointing out you’re gonna have a hell of a time taking down three alicorns, the Archmage, several guards, and the Spirit of Harmony just to take out one filly if I misbehave.”

“Harmonia will need to be dealt with eventually,” Pronssi replied, frowning at the book he was reading. Shimmer glanced at the cover, then let out a quiet snort when she saw that it was a treatise on game theory and that it was written by him, no less. “You have picked an excellent hiding place, Shimmer. I can feel the Tree of Harmony close by, and it is within a forest that few dare to tread in. We, of course, cannot move against the Tree or else Harmony will find a way to strike back at us, but that does not mean that we will simply sit idly by.”

“Far be it from Lord Sloth to make us do nothing,” observed Saphira wryly, before slinking back toward the way out. “If ya need me, I’m feeling a bit hungry, and that Trottingham town’s just overflowing with energy.”

“I thought you had filled yourself already,” Assface whispered, his voice mercifully moving away from Shimmer. “Surely you aren’t asking to eat out and risking exposure?”

“By all means, feel free. I would ask that you please take a look around while you’re there,” Pronssi said, looking up from his book momentarily. “The more information we have, the better I understand the situation and can formulate a plan. Just be sure to hide your missing horn, and don’t draw attention to yourself,” he added sternly.

Saphira rolled her eyes. “It’s what I want, not what I need. Yeah, I’m already full, but I was feeling a bit peckish, and I ain’t gonna do something stupid just because I’m feeling a little rumbly in my tumbly.“ With that, she sauntered off with a friendly yet sarcastic wave, leaving the rest of them there to figure out things to do. Shimmer had no more desire to deal with Assface or anyone else today, so she took the first chance she got to bolt, chasing after the Good Gal Gluttony.

That feeling of dread was back. It had vanished for a moment when she had been laughing at Assface, but she couldn’t shake the fact that there was no small chance that Pronssi could succeed if he truly set his formidable mind to it. As she retreated back to a room in these ruins she had claimed as her own quarters, all she could do was silently hope that, no matter how well-thought a plan Pronssi could come up with, Bonehead would live up to every one of her boasts.

But as she hurried out, one last horrible thought struck her. One final, terrible realization wormed its way into her mind as she hurried up towards the castle quarters where she could shut herself away for at least a while longer.

Bright Gleam wasn’t the one Sombra would have killed if she didn’t comply. Shimmer was right, he was too smart to try and meddle with the spirit after how thoroughly she had trounced the both of them some weeks ago.

No, the reality was much more simple, and all the worse for it. They had no chance against the Spirit, just like she said. But that was the point. They were the closest thing she had to actual friends, except maybe Bonehead. And she even did consider a few of them to be friends! She and Ezzy got a long like a house on fire (that they both had probably started). Pronssi had been something of a mentor to her, teaching her how to use her ability in its original form. Rubeus had taught her how to fight. And Feera…

Assface and Platina could keel over and she wouldn’t bat an eye, but she would miss the other four, and she knew he knew what she thought of them beyond the shadow of a doubt.

If she did not comply, he would send them to their deaths.

The hustle and bustle of Canterlot were eternal.

As Bright Gleam, Master Nova Shine, Princess Twilight, Spike (riding Nova’s back), and a guard detail consisting of Captain Cinnabar, Lieutenant Aegis, and Knightmares Frigoris and Vaporum all stepped off the train at Upper Canterlot Station, Gleam’s first thoughts were that they were overcrowding an already crowded train platform, and remembering her experience with the random creatures, she inwardly winced as she remembered the angry shouting last time she’d accidentally bumped into someone. However, rather than cause a scene, everyone took note of the seven ponies and one baby dragon making their way through the station and happily made way, some of them even bowing respectfully as the eight of them trotted out of the train platform and into the main lobby.

Off in the distance, however, she could still hear the telltale squabbling of ponies being crowded upon as they wished to board the Valley Rail down to Ponyville and Neighton, or the Southwest Express down to Las Pegasus, or the Borealis Line to the Crystal Empire, or the Short Line Railroad to Park Place and Boardwalk.

Wait, no, that was Monopony.

Weren’t those railroads based on Manehattan railroads? How many of them had stations full of squabbling travelers and commuters? She’d never been to Manehattan before. Did that place have train stations like this? All big and palatial, with shop stalls and restaurants built in, all underneath a massive curving ceiling and stuff?

Focus, Gleam. Get home first, imagine Manehattan train stations later.

As they emerged out onto the Upper Canterlot Mane Street, the bustle lessened ever so slightly as everyone was more spread out, and Gleam took a deep breath of the crisp morning air. It wasn’t as clean as Ponyville’s air down in the valley, but it was home.

“Twi and I are gonna go get settled in our quarters for the next few days,” Master Nova Shine said to her, kneeling slightly to let Spike slide off his back as Princess Twilight quickly trotted out of the middle of the road to stay out of everyone’s way as much as possible. “Feel free to go visit your family and friends if you want. When you’re done, though, come up to Novus Manor.”

“N-Novus Manor?” Gleam asked, blinking dumbly. The Novus Manor? The big house with the magic lab in the back?

“Novus Manor,” Master Nova Shine nodded, patting her on the back. “If you can’t get in from the front, Dad always keeps the spare key to the kitchen under the mat by the garden door. Swing by when you can. I’ve…” He paused, and Gleam noticed his eyes grew distant for a moment, but then he blinked and returned to clarity. “I’ve got someone I want you to meet.”

Gleam frowned. Someone for her to meet at Novus Manor? She was not prepared to schmooze with the rich ponies today.

Still, she could worry about that later. She wanted to go see Mom and Dad.

With a cheerful wave, she began following the familiar paths of the city, passing by Railside Inn, Restaurant Row, the Canterlot branch of Carousel Boutique, and the other new and old Canterlot shops and places of business. Even though her family lived down in Lower Canterlot, it was impossible not to come up here every so often, if for no other reason than because it was the way to the main campus of Celestia’s School.

Truth be told, though, she hated walking this way. Not because there was anything particularly bad about it, or anything. It was a very nice part of town.

Which was precisely the problem.

As she passed through the gates in the high marble walls that separated Upper Canterlot from the short paved mountain path to the rest of the city down below, she frowned as she got a nice glimpse of home.

Unlike its very meticulously planned sister that she and Captain Cinnabar were trotting out of, Lower Canterlot was way more haphazard and slapdash, as far as cities were concerned. Where Upper Canterlot had been designed as a cultural, economic, and civic center for the Unicorn Kingdom long ago, Lower Canterlot had just sort of sprung up when it had the chance. Upper Canterlot had walls to protect them, towers, manors, and new buildings, but Lower Canterlot was just a bunch of houses that had sort of risen up in the closest stretch of flat land that could be found, a mere plateau beneath the main city. Upper Canterlot had major thoroughfares and transportation traveling in and out of it, but Lower Canterlot was shunted off to the side and was almost actively traveled around by the ponies who mattered.

In almost every possible way, Lower Canterlot looked up at its sister city.

Hell, apparently the Lulamoon family were the only ones who actually wanted to live this far out, since their manor was somewhere even further past the outskirts of this area. Gleam often wondered why they’d built a place so far out, unlike the Belleblood family, or the Heartstrings family, or the Novus family, or the Terre Rare family, or the Brass family, or…

Well, anyone in Canterlot whose family was important enough to have a THE in front of it.

As she descended the well-trod path and stepped back into the familiar streets, she couldn’t help but take a whiff of the air again. She’d gotten used to country air down in the valley. Now that she’d been away long enough (even if “long enough” was only a few days), it almost felt weird to be back in the cacophony of smells and sounds that she called home. She could smell the fresh bread in Leaven’s, could hear Hammer Hoof pounding away at some new wagon or whatever he was building, could practically taste the food over at Cavalla’s…

Eventually, after a short trot, she pushed her way into her house, noting that the lock on the door still wasn’t fixed. Everything looked exactly the same as it had when she’d been here last, back when Master Nova Shine and Princess Twilight had come to accept her as Master Nova Shine’s apprentice.

Before all of this. Before Harmonia. Somehow it felt like a lifetime ago.

She heard trotting, and broke into a grin as Mom poked her head out of the living room.

“Oh!” She beamed, stepping out to give her a hug. “Gleam! I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were going to be in town!”

“Hey Mom,” she said, letting herself be hugged and pulled into the living room.

“Sit down, sit down!” Mom said, ushering her toward the couch. “You’ve got to tell me everything! What’s it like learning from the Archmage? How is Ponyville? Are you eating well? Is he making sure everything’s okay?”

“MOM!” Gleam threw her hooves up, overwhelmed by all the questions. “Mom, sorry. Yes, everything’s fine– I mean, great! Everything’s great! I’m eating plenty, he’s making sure I’ve got plenty to live off of, and–”

She blinked, before she grinned, stood up, and summoned her cloak in a small flash of green light.

Mom’s eyes widened, and her smile widened even more.

“Oh my word, that looks so good on you, Gleam!” she said, practically dashing around to take in all the angles, running a hoof along the linen and scrutinizing the emerald brooch. “Who made this for you? This looks… this looks tailored!”

“Miss Rarity made it for me,” Gleam said, doing a tiny twirl. “Functional and fashionable. Master Nova Shine taught me how to enchant things, which means it works to protect me from spells and stuff.”

“M-Miss Rarity?” Mom gaped at her. “As in Carousel Boutique Rarity? This must have cost you a fortune!”

“She… actually made it for free,” Gleam admitted with a sheepish smile. “I, uhh… well, it turns out I needed it.”

Mom’s face had somehow even gotten even more shocked when she’d mentioned it was free, but when she heard about how Gleam actually needed it, it fell almost instantly.

“Right,” Mom said, her head drooping as she took a seat on the sofa herself. “Princess Twilight did tell us what happened up in the Empire. Are you… okay? Is everything fine?”

“Yeah!” Gleam nodded. “Yeah, everything’s fine. Did she tell you about…?”

Mom nodded. “You have… someone in your head.”

“She’s actually really nice,” Gleam said, shrugging. “And she protects me. But she also wants me to learn how to protect myself from Master Nova Shine so that she doesn’t have to protect me.”

Mom didn’t seem to know how to react to this information, putting on something of a half-smile, half-wince. After a moment, it finally clicked what must have been going through her mom’s head when she’d said that.

“She’s not putting me in any danger,” Gleam added hastily. “She’s just trying to make sure I’m ready just in case.”

“I don’t…” Mom said, the wince becoming more pronounced, until she finally looked away. “Gleam… You shouldn’t be in this position to begin with. You were only supposed to study magic!”

“But that’s just it,” Gleam shook her head, feeling a slight bit of indignation. “You and Dad told me growing up that if I know something was the right thing to do, then I should always do it.”

“And how do you know letting her put you in h-harm’s way is the right thing to do!?” Mom demanded, her voice finally cracking for the first time. “We only allowed you to become the Archmage’s apprentice because we thought you would be kept safe!”

“Allowed!?” Gleam asked, feeling the indignation turn to outright anger. “Dad said it was my decision! And even if it wasn’t, I’m not a filly anymore, Mom!”

“None of us knew you’d be put into actual danger!” Mom replied, tears starting to creep into the corner of your eyes. “Gleam, your father and I are s-so proud of you and everything you’ve done. We were just as happy as you were when the Archmage showed up here and said he wanted you to be his apprentice! If you had a daughter you’d understand how we feel, and you’d understand what it does to us when we hear you were actually put in danger!”

“I CAN TAKE CARE OF MYSELF!” Gleam shouted.

Gleam knew it was hollow, knew that her master had bailed her out once and Harmonia had bailed her out a second time. But that was why she was learning, right? That was why she was the Archmage’s apprentice! She wasn’t helpless, she just needed to learn! Why couldn’t Mom see that!?

There was a small tinkling, that got her attention. Gleam looked back over to see one of Mom’s porcelain knick-knacks was very slightly rattling as if there were a breeze.

“Gleam…”

She looked back to Mom, who had covered her mouth and was staring wide-eyed at her.

“What?” Gleam asked sourly.

“Y-your mane!”

Gleam frowned and turned toward the first reflective thing she could lay eyes on that was dark enough to let her see herself, a window outside. Despite how faint the image was, Gleam’s anger faded, replaced by slight confusion. Why was her mane moving like it was windy out?

The moment she thought about it, however, the winds ceased, and Gleam was left staring at her faint reflection and letting the moment before come creeping back.

“Wh-what was that?” Mom asked, much more subdued than before. “What d-did you do?”

“No idea,” she growled. Truthfully, it worried her, but she was too angry to care. She loved her parents, but they could just be so… so much sometimes.

She sighed, before trotting up to her room, where a quick green flash of light saw her travel bag pop into existence on her bed. Just as she was about to leave the room and head back outside and begin her hike back to Upper Canterlot and Novus Manor, however, she paused.

There was that picture again.

A younger her at the remote campus down here in Lower Canterlot, all smiles, with Archmage Nova Shine in the background giving a lecture. Even just looking at it, even after knowing everything she’d learned about him and Princess Twilight after the last time she’d looked at this picture, those same feelings came back. The awe and wonder…

But also the gratitude.

Now her experiences had seemingly reshaped all of the earlier heroworship into pride, that the very stallion she idolized was now teaching her what she had longed to learn back then. That he was a wise, kind, and patient mentor who let her fail and tumble on her face (though sometimes he was the one who pushed), but every time she did, he was always there to help her pick herself up, brush her off, and help her go again, a little banged up but wiser for it.

She would have given anything back then for this opportunity, and now she had it. Why couldn’t Mom understand just what it meant to her?

Gleam walked out of the house minutes later feeling a bit dejected. She knew Mom’s feelings for her situation were natural, but that didn’t mean she had to like them. Why couldn’t she just get it through her head that Gleam was happy despite it all? She had learned so much in such a short time, and with Harmonia protecting her, was she really in any danger?

So as she plodded her way back up the path to Upper Canterlot, with its white walls, shiny buildings, and pleasant views of the Canterhorn Valley, she couldn’t even take time to enjoy the view of Ponyville, Neighton, Trottingham, and the Everfree Forest down below like she usually did.

“Is something the matter, Lady Bright Gleam?” asked Captain Cinnabar, hurrying to march alongside her as they passed the gate she’d trotted through only a hoofful of minutes ago.

“No,” she shook her head. Captain Cinnabar arched a skeptical eyebrow, and Gleam sighed. “Just… family stuff. You wouldn’t understand.”

“Perhaps not, but you are welcome to test that assumption,” the captain said with a curt nod.

“It’s just…” Gleam sighed and dragged a hoof down her face.

“‘Just’...?”

“They told me that if they’d known all of this was going to happen,” she tossed a hoof at everything around them in general, “they wouldn’t have let me ask Master Nova Shine to teach me.”

“They are your parents, Bright Gleam,” Captain Cinnabar replied sounding almost amused. “All parents worry about their children.”

“Yeah, but not like this, they don’t,” Gleam replied. “Why don’t they just wrap me in bubble wrap and put me somewhere safe for two more years if they care this much?”

“Now you’re just exaggerating,” the captain snorted, shaking her head. “You make it sound as though they are worried about you scraping your knees. Bright Gleam, perhaps having Harmonia with you has left you naive about the very real dangers you face.”

Gleam opened her mouth to retort, but Captain Cinnabar gave her the Mom Look, and she instantly shut her mouth. There was something about the eyepatch that sent a prickle up her neck when she was giving her the stern eye.

“If you were in no real danger, I would not be here with you,” she continued. “The fact of the matter is, Bright Gleam, through no fault of your own, you have found yourself in greater danger than perhaps you can even comprehend. We shall protect you to the best of our ability, but you must know,” she lowered her voice meaningfully, “we are not perfect and our enemy is powerful and cunning.”

“But I’m learning,” Gleam fought back. “I’m learning how to defend myself. You, Master Nova Shine, and Mister Sharp Eye are teaching me to be a powerful mage!”

“And until that day comes, you will be in need of protection,” Cinnabar replied firmly.

“Even when I’m as strong as you or Master Nova Shine?” she scoffed.

“Do not get overconfident in what you don’t yet know,” Cinnabar warned, turning her face so that the eyepatch was more prominent. “I am a master of many different styles of combat and I personally captained Sombra’s Imperial Guard, and yet I was outclassed before your very eyes. There will always be someone stronger than you, Bright Gleam. Never forget that.”

Whatever arguments Gleam had left died in her throat. The rest of their trip was finished in silence, with Gleam left to stew in all of these feelings as her hooves moved seemingly of their own accord. It felt like no time at all had passed before Gleam found herself staring up at an enormous manor house, surrounded with a large and currently open wrought-iron gate flanking the pathway up to the house proper.

Gleam had seen this house about a thousand times and been inside exactly once. It was hard not to see one of the biggest houses in Equestria when it was just off High Street near Mane, and Celestia’s School had brought her here on a field trip one time as they visited Lord Novus’ arcanology labs in the North Wing of the manor. It had wowed her then and it still wowed her now, to stand in the shadow of such a massive house, although she also felt a tiny twinge of jealousy at the sight of it.

Her dad was the hardest worker she knew, and they barely got by. She’d been accepted into Celestia’s School on scholarship and thank Celestia for that because she’d seen what those tuition fees cost. Princess Twilight’s family owned a small place in Upper Canterlot too, and they still made a modest income, since apparently Mr. Sparkle worked up at the castle. What had Lord Novus done to make him so rich and afford to live in a house this big?

It couldn’t be the arcanology lab, she remembered Professor Witty telling them it was maintained by the family and was open for public use, though not without limitations. Maybe they were just one of those rich families who owned a lot of things that they made money from, but didn’t actually do anything and just sat back and let the money roll in while they laughed it up and socialized at soirees and galivanted at galas.

She felt a bit sheepish as she stepped past the gate and trotted up the walk, glanced around nervously as she passed by exquisite gardens that self-watered, even looked back over her shoulder to see if anyone was going to point and laugh at the peasant as she tried to pull open the door to the aristocrat, even if said peasant was accompanied by her own guard, standing a respectful distance away. Just for good measure, she conjured her Apprentice Cloak as she climbed up the steps toward the front door, just to be sure everyone knew she had a reason to be here.

It was still a long walk from High Street up to the front door. These gardens were massive! And self-maintained, by the look of things. Even his family’s more talented than I’ll ever be, she thought, just imagining the gigantic and complex web of magic that must have been required to power all of it.

After what felt like hours, she trotted up the steps of the [whatever Richponyese for “front porch” is], each step feeling like a mountain that elevated her even higher so everyone in Canterlot could get a good view of the pauper walking up to the mansion door uninvited and about to track Poor Pony mud in.

Unfortunately, the door didn’t budge when she pulled. Just to make sure, she tried pushing it and that didn’t work either.

There were other ways in, right? Master Nova Shine had said so, but…Gleam’s head drooped sheepishly. She’d forgotten.

Someone tapped her shoulder and she jumped, whirling around in a panic at the thought of being witnessed and ridiculed, only to lock eyes with a very pretty older mare carrying several bags of groceries with her silver magic. Her coat was a light blue, almost baby blue in shade. She had a long, neatly-combed tail and just as long and fine of a mane, both of which were bright silver, as were her eyes, which were staring at her curiously. Behind her, Captain Cinnabar continued to keep an eye on her, though she didn’t make any move to approach.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” she said in the airy, regal accent Gleam had come to expect from the snooty rich ponies, although hers was gentler than most. “I just saw you trying to pull open the door. You are Bright Gleam, yes?”

Gleam squinted suspiciously at the new rich pony, before uneasily nodding. The mare smiled slightly at her, before gesturing with her head to follow and starting to trot toward the back.

“My son has told me quite a bit about you,” she said as Gleam stared after her. That got her attention, and she was very quickly cantering to catch up to the mare. “I think he did mention you would be visiting, but I forgot to leave the front entry unlocked. Fortunately, we can get in through…”

She paused, glancing sideways at one of the walls of the manor. Why this wall in particular was so interesting, Gleam didn’t know, there were a lot of walls like it on this house. But Mrs. Novus, whoever she was, was scrutinizing it as though it were a speck of dirt on her perfect and immaculate dress, with a disdainful frown and narrowed eyes.

“Miss Gleam, could you hold my groceries for me for just a moment?” she asked, glancing back at her. Gleam nodded, catching Mrs. Novus’ grocery bags in her magic and holding them aloft. She supposed she had to give Mrs. Novus some credit since she was out buying her own food and carrying it herself instead of using a butler or a servant or something, but was she dumping the groceries on her all of a sudden because now she had the help around to do it?

Mrs. Novus continued to stare at the wall for a moment, before taking in a soft breath, pressing one of her hooves against the wall, and–

Gleam yelped as silver light flashed at the spot on the wall her hoof had been touching. She didn’t drop the groceries, but she did wince a little bit at the sudden burst of light. Mrs. Novus stepped back and inspected the spot with her magic. Gleam couldn’t sense anything different about it, but what was that?

“I’m sorry for the scare,” Mrs. Novus said, collecting her groceries from Gleam in her own magic once more and gesturing for her to follow. “There was a leak in the plumbing that I could sense, and rather than wait until it became a bigger problem, I chose to fix the problem now.”

“What was that?” Gleam asked, hurrying after her as she rounded the corner.

“Did my son not tell you I am an alchemist?” she asked, glancing back and looking surprised. Gleam shook her head. “Well, I am,” Mrs. Novus continued, with a small, proud smile. “A master alchemist, as a matter of fact. I taught him most of what he knows on the field, apart from the basics.”

“I don’t know much about alchemy,” Gleam admitted, smiling sheepishly. Some valedictorian candidate she was.

Mrs. Novus smiled warmly back at her, but continued down the way. Gleam hurried after her, wanting nothing more than to explore the giant garden they were in, but wanting more to keep up and be let inside.

“Not many ponies do, much less unicorns,” Mrs. Novus said with a small shake of her head. “It is a very… different approach to spellcasting. Where normal spellcasting depends almost entirely on willpower, alchemy requires fundamental knowledge of the sciences, and that’s in addition to a completely different way of performing a cast. It took my son many years after learning the concepts before he could even perform basic destruction. Making the first transmutation is always the hardest part, but once a would-be alchemist knows what it feels like, it becomes far easier. Would you like to try?” Mrs. Novus asked, looking back at her again with a raised eyebrow.

Gleam froze. What did she say? Mrs. Novus was a bona fide noble after all, and a master alchemist. Would it be rude to turn her down? She didn’t want to make a fool of herself in front of her master’s mother. Would she tell him if Gleam did? Would Master Nova Shine kick her out for failing to transmute something on the first try? Would–

Calm down, Bright Gleam. She is merely offering to teach you, nothing more.

Gleam let out a beleaguered breath, secretly thankful Harmonia was disrupting her downward spiral of death, and nodded.

Mrs. Novus smiled, set the groceries down on the grass, placed a hoof in an open spot, and transmuted a small stone slab out of the soil, barely wider than her own hoof.

“Ray’s not going to be happy with me,” Mrs. Novus admitted with a tiny smirk. “He hates it when I practice my alchemy in his garden, but I think your education is a little more important than the grass.”

As Gleam watched, several shapes and runes began to etch themselves into the slab, forming a circular diagram-looking carving. Gleam recognized it as a textbook runic circle, complete with magic runes dictating the purpose of the circle once the energy was channeled.

“Nothing too major, all you need to do is channel the energy, and the workings of the circle will do the rest,” Mrs. Novus tapped the edge of it lightly. “Now, give it your best shot. Direct the energy through your hoof and into the stone.”

Gleam’s mouth parted, and she could feel the creeping feeling of impending failure approaching. Direct it through her hoof!? She’d never done that before. She didn’t even know unicorns could do that!

Wait, no, she’d seen it happen before. Envy had ripped open a fissure when she’d been trying to flee from Harmonia. But, like… how did she do it?

She tentatively put her hoof on the little stone and just sort of thought about pushing the magic through her hoof, but she felt just as foolish thinking it as she felt just standing there as nothing happened.

“Don’t feel discouraged,” Mrs. Novus smiled kindly at her as Gleam looked up sheepishly. “It’s a rare discipline for a reason.”

With that, as Gleam stepped away, Mrs. Novus tapped the stone and it immediately crumbled into dust and returned to the soil. It was as if it had never been there at all, save for the tiny silhouette of the stone in the dirt where it had pressed down.

"Come along. We shouldn’t keep my son waiting.”

A thought occurred as she hurried after Mrs. Novus trotting ahead of her on the gravel path.If she was so good at alchemy, and they were taking the long way around…

“If you could alchemy the pipe or whatever,” she asked, thinking back to a few moments ago, “then why couldn’t you alchemy the door open?”

Mrs. Novus hummed to herself before she answered, which made Gleam feel like she’d asked a stupid question for those brief few seconds. However, it turned out she hadn’t. “Because alchemy cannot do that, Bright Gleam. In alchemy, there are four fundamental actions,” she explained as they rounded a corner into the backyard, where Gleam felt even more jealousy well up within her as she beheld a massive lawn stretching several meters back, easily three times the length of her house. To say nothing of the width.

They’d come in through the front door on their field trip. She’d never seen the back like this! They were currently standing in a gap between the rear wing of the building and the back end of whatever wing traveled around, standing on bricks arranged into something resembling a back porch with a fire pit, several lawn chairs for guests, tables, it was like an outdoor restaurant out here!

“Bright Gleam?”

Gleam jumped, turning back around to find Mrs. Novus standing by a back door into the house, which she had opened and was holding ajar for her.

“Sorry!” Gleam hurried to trot inside the massive rich pony kitchen now revealed to them. “Just… never seen that yard before.”

“Hm,” Mrs. Novus hummed again. Gleam could feel her eyes staring into her soul, judging her guilty of being poor as she set her groceries down on the massive kitchen island. “I find it overly large, to be honest. It’s a chore to maintain. Ray and I have discussed selling the land to make room for other endeavors, but we haven’t done anything just yet. In any case…”

Gleam looked around the restaurant-sized kitchen, with its fifty bajillion different pots, pans, cutlery, and everything else hanging from the pristine walls before just mentally shutting herself off from being wowed by all the Rich Pony stuff she was going to see over the next several minutes.

“Nova, I have returned, and your apprentice is with me. Her guard remains outside,” Mrs. Novus said aloud to no one in particular, her horn glowing silver. Gleam watched her for a moment, letting out a tiny squeak as a trail of silver light flew out of her horn and zipped somewhere else in the house. With that, another silver glimmer began to put the groceries and foodstuffs away.

“Continuing from before,” she said, as Gleam watched the food arrange itself into different cabinets, “alchemy’s four actions are construction, destruction, transmutation, and reshaping. Unfortunately, none of those actions are practical for unlocking a door. Do you know why?”

Gleam felt the invisible Spotlight of Judgment on her once more and the nervousness crept back in, but after a moment spent thinking about the four words in question, it clicked into place.

“Well, construction and destruction are breaking something down or putting it together, right?”

“Correct,” Mrs. Novus nodded.

She felt the confidence grow. “And transmutation is changing elements from one to another, right?”

“Also correct.”

“And reshaping is just rearranging the physical pattern of the element into something else, right? Like, turning a cube of steel into a sphere?”

“Precisely,” Mrs. Novus beamed.

Wow, it actually all made sense now! “But you’re leaving the lock alone, just ‘turning the key’ with magic, right? So you’re not using any of the fundamental actions.”

“Beautiful, Bright Gleam. My son chose his apprentice well,” Mrs. Novus nodded approvingly.

“But why not just use normal magic to open it?” Gleam asked, fighting back the warm and fuzzies currently welling up inside.

Mrs. Novus let out a tiny chuckle, shutting some cabinets as their contents finished arranging themselves. “My husband designed our locks. The tumblers within are made of inmanipulon, I’m afraid. Magic will have no effect on them, and there are countermeasures to detect traditional means of compromising security. And for that matter, my alchemy would do nothing either.”

“Umm…” Gleam frowned, remembering some of her lessons from school, “I thought inmanipulon was hard to come by. Like, it’s really rare, isn’t it?”

“It was quite rare, not even all that long ago. However, in recent months, its supply has significantly increased, but it remains very expensive to mine and transport,” Mrs. Novus trotted out of the kitchen now that her groceries were put away, with Gleam tailing her as they made their way toward a sitting room. “Do you know where most inmanipulon comes from?”

“Arstrotzka, right?” She remembered reading something about this once.

“Yes, most of the inmanipulon we have is mined and exported from Stalliongrad in particular, but more than that, a large deposit of it covers the southeastern edges of Arstrotzka and the northern reaches of what’s left of Centauria, where the Eternal Winter still rages.”

Gleam shivered at the thought of it. Equestria’d had a taste of the Eternal Winter when the Terrible Trio had let the Windigoes loose on the land once more. She loved cold weather, but even she had her limits. To think that a winter had been raging for nearly 1,300 years in that corner of the world…

There was a knocking sound, and Gleam was jolted out of her thoughts. Master Nova Shine was stepping in.

“Find your way in, okay?” he asked.

“Yeah,” she nodded. “I forgot about the key under the back rug, but your mom was nice enough to let me in anyway.”

“Thanks Mom,” he said, trotting over to give her a quick hug, before gesturing and turning back toward the way he’d come in. “Follow me, Gleam.”

“Wait. Was… wasn’t your mom the one you wanted me to meet? Or is it your dad?”

“Neither,” Master Nova Shine shook his head. Mrs. Novus clenched her eyes shut at that and seemed to sag, before she excused herself and trotted out back again. Nova watched her go for a moment, before he resumed trotting with her in tow.

“So… who is it?”

“You’ll see,” he replied mysteriously as he led her through a large dining room with artwork and tapestries and chandeliers, and a whole lot of rich pony stuff scattered around it. “It’s not the easiest story to tell. Just stay close to me. It’s easy to get lost.”

She took his word for it, although the trip to the manor’s foyer was easy enough. Another massive room with a mezzanine, tapestries, the Novus Family Crest everywhere, and all sorts of other rich pony collectibles, but eventually Master Nova Shine led her to an archway tucked away in an inner room with a set of marble steps that led down.

“These lead to the Novus family catacombs,” he said, already trotting down without waiting. “I used to hate this place, but… well, recent events have changed that.”

Catacombs? Gleam thought, scrunching her muzzle as they descended well beneath the ground. Like, dead pony catacombs? Who could be down here that he’d want me to meet?

She had been expecting a sort of decaying cave system, not a clean, well maintained marble sanctuary beneath the ground. The walls and decorations were chiseled marble, cast in slight shadow because of the magic lighting scattered throughout this short cave system. There were several large black rectangular plaques arranged on the walls, each with a name and dates on them, as well as a family crest. Not all were Novuses; some had the Heartstrings crest, or the Belleblood crest, though a lot of them had the Lulamoon crest on them. A moment later, she realized these were all the graves. There were empty alcoves further down, but the ones that weren’t were covered by these plaques.

There wasn’t even a rotten smell of any kind. Quite the contrary, the whole area smelled of incense and flowers. It was… oddly peaceful down here.

But there were also large statues that stood in intermittent alcoves as well. Famous Novuses throughout history, no doubt. One of them showed a stallion wearing a cape much like Master Nova Shine’s, with a short, neatly kept main brushed back, staring impassively at the wall opposite him. The plaque just underneath him read:

COMET NOVUS
2 OCTOBER 20 BNM - 12 OCTOBER 58 ANM

“I met him, believe it or not.”

Gleam jumped, glancing over to her master, who was also looking at the statue.

“You did?”

“Very briefly, but yeah,” he nodded. “When I was on my way back to this time, Celestia pulled me out on the night Luna was corrupted. Comet and I joined forces to battle Envy, and then we joined forces with Celestia to take up the Elements of Harmony and fight Nightmare Moon.”

His gaze flicked away toward another statue for just a moment, before falling to the floor.

“That led to all of this,” he muttered, gesturing at himself, then to everything around him. “My oversaturation, Harmonia’s Gift, everything. If Celestia hadn’t pulled me out, none of this would have happened.”

He sighed, before turning his attention and trotting down the hall to another statue. This one was a lot smaller, and right at the end of the series of occupied crypts. It was a much newer statue, and it depicted a filly not too much younger than her, maybe by only a few years. Her hair was just as wild and carelessly tossed about as her master’s, but in a more mareish way.

“Gleam,” he said, his voice remaining soft as he trotted over to a blank plaque next to the statue’s, and tapped it lightly with his hoof, “I’d like you to meet my sister Glimmer.”

Gleam’s mouth parted as she stared at the statue. She didn’t know what to do, or what to say. What do you say when your master just casually reveals they have a deceased sibling like this?

“I don’t remember her,” he admitted, tapping the statue’s plaque. “She died when I was not quite three years old.”

GLIMMER NOVUS
26 JUNE 970 - 29 JULY 984

“H-how?” she asked softly, to which Master Nova Shine shook his head.

“Not my story to tell, I’m afraid,” he answered, staring at the statue with a strange, faraway look in his eyes. “I’ve just been… thinking about her a lot lately.”

There was a loud clunk. Gleam jumped and turned her head back to the entrance of the catacombs in time to see Mrs. Novus trotting down. As she stepped toward the two of them, however, her eyes also fell on the statue, but she quickly turned herself away from it, and Gleam was startled to notice she was suddenly fighting back tears.

“I thought you hated coming down here,” Master Nova Shine said, watching her as she positioned herself facing away from the statue. Gleam felt a pang of sympathy for her. It couldn’t be easy to look at the statue of a dead child.

“I do,” Mrs. Novus whispered, before clearing her throat. “But… You wanted me to tell her, didn’t you?”

“Only if you wish to,” Master Nova Shine replied softly.

Mrs. Novus stared at the ground for a long time. Gleam wondered if she was going to tell them, but then the matriarch took a deep breath.

“Glimmer was… she was the apple of my husband’s eye, Bright Gleam. She adored Nova after he was born. She was just so full of joy and laughter, and she was sharp as a tack!”

Mrs. Novus covered the side of her face with a hoof, fighting back tears even harder.

“She and Shining Armor were so close that, once upon a time, Vel and I thought they were going to end up married when they grew up. For me? She was… a s-second chance.”

“Second chance?” Gleam’s mouth parted.

“I… do not have the cleanest history, Bright Gleam,” Mrs. Novus admitted with a tiny shake of her head. “Nova doesn’t know all of it, not even my husband does. They know, but they know I can’t tell them everything. The only one who knows all of it is Princess C-Celestia. When I had Glimmer, I thought… I thought she was my chance to do something good. To leave behind a positive legacy.”

She let out a deep sigh, before sniffling.

“Bright Gleam,” she began, still not looking up from the marble floor, “when you were a few years younger, did you suffer from Star Swirl Sickness? Or just acute mana poisoning?”

“Star Swirl Sickness,” she answered, remembering those few days and grimacing. The headaches, the burning, the inability to focus or even use the most basic magic, and because of her parents’ situation, she’d been forced to just deal with it without painkillers or medicine. It was an awful, awful memory, to say the least.

“Do you know the specifics?”

“A little,” Gleam shrugged.

Mrs. Novus bowed her head. “Most unicorn foals deal with acute mana poisoning as their body reconstructs the manatic pathways between Source and horn. Some mana leaks out, causes some known symptoms, but usually dissipates in a short time. Some lucky unicorns, such as yourself or my son,” she gestured to Nova, “have larger than average Sources, and so more mana leaks into the body. More mana causes more problems.”

She let out a long breath, before wiping her eyes, still refusing to look in the direction of the statue.

“Glimmer… I th-thought she only had mana poisoning. I had her take painkillers, I had her lie down, I followed all of the directions. But it didn’t go away after those first couple of days. It only got worse.”

Mrs. Novus sniffed, looking longingly at the stairs back into the manor, but soldiered on.

“I took her to the hospital. They examined her. Came back and told me what it really was, and that…” she took a small, shuddering breath, “that they had to run more tests, but they asked me why I hadn’t brought her in s-sooner.”

Mrs. Novus clenched her eyes shut and fell on her haunches. “I d-didn’t know what Star Swirl sickness was,” she confessed, still bravely keeping it together. “I d-didn’t kn-now how m-much danger she was actually in.”

Tremors started to wrack her body as she pawed away the tears.

“The doctors came back and s-said that dangerous amounts of m-mana had leaked into her body. M-most of it would go away, but s-some of it had leaked into… into…” She bit off the end of her sentence, letting out a choked sob before she could finish.

“The m-mana had leaked into her heart.”

Gleam felt the bottom drop out of her stomach. Beside her, Master Nova Shine looked dead-eyed, staring at the statue of his deceased sister almost unblinkingly.

“They s-said they n-needed to transplant it, or else there was a h-high risk it could crystalize and… and… and if they did transpl-lant, it could des-stabilize her heart and do the same thing!”

She was taking great, heaving breaths now, fighting desperately to keep her voice level and to avoid bursting into tears.

“I d-didn’t kn-now what to do!” she cried, clutching at her head. “I just didn’t w-want my little f-filly to h-hurt!”

And with that, she could go no further. She shoved a hoof into her mouth and fought her hardest to keep herself from breaking down completely, holding back her tears, fighting her shudders, trying desperately to keep everything together.

“The mana crystalized while she struggled to make a decision,” Master Nova Shine finished, his voice only just above a whisper. “Tore her heart to ribbons. There was no time to transplant a working heart in, and Glimmer… my s-sister…”

He bit off the end of that sentence too, looking back at the statue. Gleam felt that strange, unpleasant feeling of vertigo as the implication set in. Glimmer died because Mrs. Novus didn’t know what to do and froze in the moment.

Just like she had.

At once, any negative feelings she’d had toward her own mom only so long ago disappeared in an instant. But what would happen when Master Nova Shine had to tell her that he was also dying?

“Dad was… never the same after that,” he continued, seemingly gaining composure as he went. “I used to think Dad neglected me because he thought of me as an inadequate successor. But… no. He was afraid. Glimmer was everything to him, and she was ripped from his life. My dad was afraid that I was going to do the same thing, and in his grief and his fear, he shut himself off from me.”

He clenched his eyes shut, before taking a great gulp.

“And now…” he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. “Now I am being ripped away from them.”

“Wh-what?” Mrs. Novus asked, her mouth parting as she stared at Nova uncomprehendingly. "Nova, what?"

He gave one last tortured look to her before he returned his attention to his mother.

“Mom, I’m…” Master Nova Shine whispered, tears starting to fall from the corner of his eyes. “I’m dying.”

Silence fell over the catacombs as that last statement hung in the air. Mrs. Novus stared at her son, processing what he had said, her bottom lip quivering as Master Nova Shine held her gaze, yet brushing his own tears away.

“Wh… what?” she asked.

“I’m… I only have a few months left to live. The mana in me is coming back too fast, and at some point, I won’t be able to contain all of it.”

He reached forward and grabbed hold of one of her hooves.

“I-I’m dying.”

Once again, all she could do was stare at him for a long moment.

Then the dam broke, and and the brave face Shimmer Novus had put on shattered. The tears began to fall. She pressed a hoof to her mouth to muffle herself, but she began to weep, falling to her haunches and letting out a haunting scream that echoed around the marble hall as she curled in on herself.

Gleam could only stand there helplessly, even as her master knelt down to try his best to comfort her. Even as they clung on to each other, Mrs. Novus sobbing into her son’s shoulder, Gleam felt her eyes be pulled back to the statue of the filly, and she stared at the filly’s unseeing eyes as she realized another implication.

Master Nova Shine’s passing would mean that his family’s future would end with him when that day came. The Novus family would come to an end with its last children, brother and sister, together in death.

Celestia let out a tiny breath of boredom as yet another priceless antique delicate thing gifted to her and Luna from some visiting nobleman hundreds of years ago soared through the air to smash against her living room wall.

Honestly, they’d acquired too many of them over the years. While she was glad they were being cleared out in what looked like a fun way to relieve stress, it hurt her to no end to know that it was her most faithful student taking out every last ounce of her rage and her pain on things she owned.

Twilight’s fur was white, her mane was blazing shades of purple, blue, and black and everything in between yet again, her eyes glowing violet with the intensity of the power within her, the room was at a nearly unbearable temperature despite the cool autumn outside, and yet Celestia didn’t feel it in the slightest.

Powerful though Twilight was and intense though her flame burned, Celestia could feel the Fire deep within her rousing at the thought of a challenger, protecting her from the heat that scorched her home, but she smothered that unwelcome side of her and bore every last bit of Twilight Sparkle’s rage as Twilight sent a vintage Faberge egg all the way from Stalliongrad hurtling through her window.

How she’d managed to set a sculpture crafted from enamel, jewels, and metal on fire was actually quite impressive.

“Twilight.”

Oh, there went a small statuette of a Germane prince. A shame, she’d been fond of that one.

“Twilight, please.”

Luna’s second-favorite astronomical telescope careened past her, smashing into the wall and exploding into broken pieces of wood and glass.

“We both know this isn’t helping.”

The marble and onyx chess set with gem-encrusted pieces soared into the wall this time and bounced harmlessly off of it. Celestia was starting to become quite impressed with the construction. After the Terrible Trio’s attack, the architects had truly made this house quite durable.

She calmly sipped from a teacup that was sitting in front of her, savoring how the heat of the room had kept it warm (as all tea should be), before gently setting it down in front of her, next to the rest of the untouched alabaster sun-emblazoned tea set and quietly letting Twilight continue to fling every worthless valuable item her magic could reach in every direction.

Her guards dutifully hadn’t rushed in to protect her, though Celestia wondered if it was because they were too afraid to.

Twilight snarled at her through burning purple eyes, her teeth grit, her breath coming in shallow, sharp gasps. This part actually surprised her, normally her eyes burned red when she shifted into her Elemental form, but if they were burning purple, that spoke volumes to her emotional state and to the level of power she had at her disposal.

“Are you feeling any better” Celestia asked her apprentice.

Angry stare.

“I’ll take that as a no.” Her horn glimmered gold and a cardboard box full of more priceless worthless trinkets popped into existence next to Twilight. “Will smashing these help?”

She was actually impressed how quickly Twilight got through that box, lightly tilting her head to avoid a wayward Maretryoshka doll that had bounced off the wall and ricocheted toward her ear. The doll bopped Twilight instead, who snarled even more deeply down at the doll, reared back, and started stamping it as hard as she could, trying to crush it into powder. This whole day was just full of impressive surprises.

Celestia poured herself another cup. This was actually going better than expected.

Once Twilight was content with the state of the ruined doll, she rounded back on Celestia. This time, Celestia was pleased to see that her purple eyes had faded back to red. She was tuckering herself out. In a few more moments, the fires would probably flicker down to more tolerable levels, or maybe fade entirely, leaving the lilac coat and navy mane she normally wore, and then red eyes would fade back to purple once again. How odd, from purple at no fire, to red at some fire, to purple at max fire, then back down again.

“How about now?”

Twilight let out an angry huff.

“Feel free to continue destroying my property, Twilight. I have far too many trinkets and not enough space for them.”

“IS THIS ALL JUST A GAME TO YOU!?”

“All of what?” Celestia arched an eyebrow. "You decimating the many gifts I have received over the centuries? No, I provided it as a way to take out your anger at me on things I care nothing for.”

The flames fizzled out and the whiteness of her coat faded, leaving behind a tired, singed young alicorn who was trying to maintain her anger, but flagging after demolishing her collection of unwanted paperweights.

“You know what I mean,” Twilight growled at her. “Moving us all around like pieces on a game board, manipulating us, only telling us just what we need to know and no more, no matter who gets killed because of the things you did or didn’t say?”

Celestia inhaled a sharp breath. Straight to the point.

She delicately took a sip of her tea once more as she carefully chose her words, before gently setting the cup down, the tiny clink as cup met saucer somehow thunderous in the silent room.

“Twilight,” she said quietly, meeting Twilight’s glare with a cool stare of her own, “do you truly believe that I care nothing for my little ponies?”

“You certainly act like it,”Twilight spat.

“Perhaps I do,” Celestia conceded with a tiny shrug. “Perhaps the throne on which I sit has elevated me so far above my subjects that they all look like game pieces to me. Is that what you believe?”

Twilight’s glare only grew stronger, but she didn’t answer. Thus, Celestia continued.

“Would you believe me if I told you that I did not tell you or Nova about this because I cared about both of you?”

“Hah! You hid things from us for our own benefit, ooh that’s a good one,” Twilight jeered, a mocking smile splitting her face before it was replaced with the usual snarl today. “I’ll be sure to remember that when I’m the one sitting on that elevated throne in a few months.”

“Twilight,” Celestia replied evenly. “Humor me for a moment. Just a moment. That is all I am asking.”

“And all I ever asked for was to learn magic from you, and now you’ve groomed me into your replacement while getting my fiancee killed,” Twilight cut her off scathingly.

“Twilight,” Celestia said again, adding just the tiniest dash of a hard edge to her voice. Twilight, ever her faithful student, recognized the warning in her voice and backed down. They may be equals as princesses, but she was still the one in charge until Twilight was coronated.

She appreciated Twilight’s candor with her, she truly did, especially when so many elevated her just as much as she claimed her throne did. But if she was ever to get her point across, she would have to put her hoof down.

“Fine,” Twilight said, her voice forcibly kept flat. “You say you did it because you care about us. How?”

“Have a seat,” Celestia indicated the opposite couch. Twilight took a spot grudgingly. “Tea?” Celestia offered the teapot and an empty cup. Twilight drank it as though it were grape-flavored medicine. “Comfortable?” Twilight nodded, and Celestia could almost hear her teeth grating. “Good.”

She drew in a deep breath, before deliberately choosing possibly the most provocative phrasing of her point that she could.

“I hid it because of Nova Shine.”

It had the desired effect. Twilight’s eyes narrowed dangerously, and once again, Celestia saw her mane and tail begin to flicker.

“Celestia…” she hissed through bared teeth.

“Twilight, I ask you to look at things as objectively as possible,” Celestia continued calmly. “When we first were made aware of the fact that Nova Shine’s magical capacity was above normal expectations, it was still within the acceptable range. He went from merely having roughly the average manatic capacity to the top of the standard distribution. We measured this four years ago, when we invited the two of you out to the San Palomino, do you recall?”

Twilight nodded tensely, and Celestia was happy to see the flicker go out. Hopefully it wouldn’t have charred the sofa. Luna would be irate if she had.

“First, we were concerned that our equipment was faulty, but after investigating that and finding that everything was calibrated correctly, we recognized that Nova’s capacity and depth had grown beyond expectations in a short time. We were worried, and we did discuss whether we should inform you, but we decided to keep an eye from afar and see if it were nothing more than a false alarm. After all, how would he have reacted if we’d told him?”

Twilight’s anger was replaced for a moment with uncertainty, then unease. Celestia knew she had to be thinking what she and Luna both had thought years ago. If Nova had known that using his magic, the very thing that brought him more joy than anything in the world except perhaps the love of his life, was slowly killing him, it was impossible to predict what he would have done.

Would he have broken down and blown up like he had a few weeks back? Probably not, given that breakdown was the result of mental trauma piling up, but what else was he capable of? Would he turn against them on principle, like he had when Luna had told him that they had plans for him? Would it be enough to make him sever ties entirely? What would he have done?

“So Luna and I agreed that the best thing we could do for all of us was to bide our time,” Celestia continued as Twilight’s unease deepened the more she thought about it. “He would have to be told at some point, there was no way this could be hidden forever, so it was always in our plans to inform you. But we believed that if we found a possible solution to this problem, then it would mostly alleviate the outcomes we feared. He could have his misgivings about us hiding things from him again,” she added, seeing Twilight’s small snarl, “but he would at least be alive to have those.”

Twilight’s eyes widened slightly. “That’s why you decided to train him to become the Archmage!” she realized.

Celestia nodded.

“We believed if he expended a regular amount of energy each day, it would delay the effects, buying all of us more time to find a cure that he would accept.”

“Then he was right,” Twilight said, a look of dawning horror and outrage. “He was right this whole time!”

“Right about what?” Celestia asked, feeling unnerved.

“You didn’t make him the Archmage because he’d earned it,” Twilight snarled at her. “You made him the Archmage to cover up you not telling him! He was right!”

“Not true,” Celestia snapped, raising her voice for the first time that day. “Yes, the timing is suspect. But there’s a reason Luna and I agreed to train him to become the Archmage rather than simply toss the position his way. You of all ponies should know better than to accuse me of being that flippant with royal titles, Crown-Princess.”

Twilight winced and had the decency to look ashamed of herself. Celestia truly did not mean to be so personal with her, but if it was the only way to chastise her and to calm her down in such a state, then she would happily be cruel to be kind. Twilight had learned well from her. Too well, if she were honest. She had even inherited some of Celestia’s flaws, such as her constant failings when it came to omission, and now her and Nova’s relationship was suffering because of things not said yet discovered all the same.

“It wasn’t supposed to be this way,” she continued softly, shaking her head. “We ran the numbers many times, and they all pointed to Nova’s training as the Archmage and then ascending to the position successfully buying him years of additional time. But everything changed because he repeatedly had his magic stolen from him by Tirek and Cozy Glow.”

Twilight’s mouth parted, and Celestia was pleased to see the horror once again, subject aside. It only proved she was as sharp as ever and was already drawing conclusions.

“His system tried to replace magic it couldn’t,” she realized. “The feedback loop accelerated and accelerated each time his magic was taken from him, and…”

“And what was once years of additional time had become months. Maybe even weeks. There’s no way to know for certain.”

“And you didn’t know?” Twilight demanded. “You knew about this, but you didn’t know about the acceleration? You couldn’t see what effect it had? When did you know that things had changed?”

Celestia remembered the moment well. She felt the emotions just as strongly as she had on that day, even though she’d had weeks to come to terms with it.

“The day Nova Shine walked into this room with a bruised face and walked out without one.”

Twilight deflated, her head bowing. “When you saw him heal. When it was too late to pretend it was something else.”

“Yes,” Celestia also lowered her gaze. “When it was clear that it had accelerated to a point where his daily mana expense could not be in balance with his regeneration. Tirek and Cozy Glow had completely upended our efforts to buy all of us more time to find a solution.”

Silence fell over the room. Twilight was no doubt glaring at her once again. Deep down, Celestia could not blame her. Twilight was right to be angry with her. But more than that, Twilight needed to learn that sometimes, she had to make the best decision she could off of incomplete information. Twilight preferred to have everything available when making a choice so she could make the most informed one. But sometimes she wouldn’t have that. And sometimes, she would get choices wrong.

“Why is it that everyone miscalculates,” she spat out the word like it was something unpleasant in her food, “and he has to die for it?”

“There is still a possibility that he may live,” Celestia replied. Even she didn’t believe the words that came out of her mouth, though. For all that Star Swirl said that the Crown of Life was capable of, Celestia did not trust it. She was all too aware of the trappings of power, and from a certain point of view, that Crown was a shackle in its own right. Would Nova Shine willingly chain himself to it?

Twilight also didn’t look convinced, just giving her a hard look, but otherwise saying nothing.

"Regardless,” Celestia continued, dismissing the topic for now, “I endorse Lord Star Swirl’s search for the Gems and the Crown. Given the threat it poses in Sombra’s hooves, I believe it is, bar none, your most important task. Whatever your feelings toward me after what I did not say, I believe it is important that we all work toward securing the Crown and the gems that compose it.”

“Nova doesn’t like the idea of bringing all the gems and the Crown together,” Twilight replied, a harsh edge to her voice. “He thinks all it does is make them easier for Sombra to pluck from us and assemble. Lord Star Swirl says he has a reason for them. Did he tell you?”

Celestia shook her head. She could almost see the tiniest of vindictive smiles on Twilight’s face as she did.

“Fine,” Twilight said, before taking a deep breath and assuming a more neutral expression. “You are not forgiven, Celestia. But we do need to work together, don’t we?”

Celestia smiled humorlessly.

“Was there ever any doubt, my Faithful Student?

“No, I guess not,” Twilight frowned again, before leaning back against the sofa. “I can only wonder how Nova and Luna are going to patch things up. Or even if they’ll patch things up.”

That one Celestia couldn’t fight. She felt a painful pang in her chest at that statement. Nova was quite possibly the pony her sister was closest to on this world, including herself. If that rift had been irreparably damaged because of her…

“He may surprise us,” Celestia admitted. “Time and again, he finds the most unexpected way to come through in the end. I only hope he and Luna can do it sooner rather than later.”

Twilight and Celestia spent the remainder of the afternoon civilly preparing for her responsibilities in Day Court the next day. Meanwhile, only a few miles away, Nova Shine put the finishing touches on his own little little surprise.

Truthfully, he wanted nothing more than to go and reveal it now. However, he knew it would have to wait until Day Court for maximum effect.

And maximum chaos.

Author's Note

A chapter that had to happen. Some plot development happens here, but most of this is setup for what has to come later.

If I wasn't desperate to get this out, I'd probably have found a way to write separate scenes where Nova doesn't make his mom relive the worst moment in her life and then get that bombshell dropped on her, but it's been more than a year, and I was ready to get this chapter done.

So there you go, Nova's an asshole because the author is impatient.

Hell, I wanted to include a scene where Nova speaks to the students at the school and then ropes Gleam into it too, but when I realized how long this chapter was, there was just no way I could justify doing it.

Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. Sorry about the wait. Hopefully the next one won't take as long (he said, before the next chapter took ten years).

Rytex out. Have a good day!

Release

The Archmage’s Last Bow
Chapter 12 - Release

Luna eyed her bed, feeling the familiar dread and trepidation in her heart as she did so.

It was a feeling she had thought long gone ever since the Tantabus had been vanquished, but life, it seemed, had a cruel way of bringing her back to the point where even her own realm of dreams was not a safe sanctuary for her mind. Nevertheless, she had a duty to perform.

As she slipped out of her royal regalia, laying them off to the side and climbing onto her mattress and situating herself under her covers, she could feel her heart thundering a mile a minute as she once again knew she would come face-to-face with her true worst nightmare.

The Nightmare Within did cause her fear, in no small part due to what she was capable of inflicting upon her subjects, but she couldn’t hold a candle to the one she was about to see.

Her horn lit up as she prepared to cast herself off into what should have been blissful oblivion, but for her would be a night of more mental torment, she briefly eyed the ceiling she had enchanted to be a living diorama of the night sky. It was just so very much like the nights she and her favored apprentice would spend studying them…

“It’s your fault, Luna.”

Luna found herself looking upon her apprentice once again, his eyes blazing white, glowing cracks of light stretching across his skin, visible even under his coat and cloak. It was not the first time he spoke so harshly to her, not the first time he accused her, not the first time he struck in all the ways she knew were her weak points. Not the first, and certainly not the last.

No, this would be just one more early iteration of her having to live forever knowing that her decisions had led to his death.

“You did this to me.”

“I know,” she mumbled to herself, lowering her head in this empty place, hiding her tears behind her mane. “I… we thought we were buying more time to save you…”

The phantom Nova Shine only grew more furious. He snorted, pawing at the ground. The glow from the cracks of light intensified, and his eyes began to trail a blazing fire of blue-white energy.

Luna knew what came next. He would attack, he would lose control, the magic within the phantom would tear him apart, and she would yet again watch Nova Shine die in front of her.

“I told you this would happen, Luna.”

Luna jumped. No, this was new.

A black mist of energy, a pair of burning blue eyes, the pointed teeth…

“Nightmare,” Luna said, stepping back ever so slightly. “You were defeated. Twilight Sparkle and the Elements of Harmony rent you asunder. You hold no power over my mind!”

“Don’t I, Luna dear?” the Nightmare replied coldly, before cackling in a way that caused her to shiver. “I may no longer be in control, but you will never escape the shadow I’ve cast over you. After all, if it weren’t for me, your dear sweet Nova Shine would not be dying, would he? If it weren’t for your weakness, I would never have arisen, and he would never have taken up the Element of Magic in your stead.”

Luna grit her teeth, her horn already glowing. The Nightmare only cackled all the harder at this.

“You believe a few spells will ward me away?” it scoffed. “You think they will make what I say any less true!? You crafted the Tantabus from my influence! You know better than anyone that magic can’t save you.”

Luna knew. She didn’t care. She fired anyway.

Nightmare Moon’s cackling only grew more raucous as Luna’s spells flew harmlessly through her. Here in the recesses of her mind, Luna was free to do anything, and that included even something as simple and cathartic as dropping a meteor on all three of them.

But as the great rock hurtled toward them, the phantom Nova Shine grabbed hold of it and crushed it to powder through his raw magical strength alone. As the sandy rubble of the boulder rained down around them, the phantom Nova barely looked winded from the effort, even as Luna tried to call down another, only to find it impossible.

The phantom smirked.

“Even when you know I’m not the real one, you can’t bring yourself to hurt me,” he jeered, pacing around her. “You could have tossed it far harder than that. We both know it, Luna. Why hold back?”

“I…” Luna grit her teeth even harder, feeling the sting at the corners of her eyes as the tears began to form. “Because I…”

She couldn’t refuse him. Not here. Not now. Not ever, could she? Not since the day she had found him lying beside a pool under her starlit sky.

“You dare…?”

A third unwelcome phantom appeared, standing next to her fiancee. This Twilight Sparkle did not resemble her real-world counterpart. She had pale green energy framing her eyes like spectacles, her horn looked as though chunks had been scooped out like Queen Chrysalis' horn, her coat had several shades darker and her wings had changed to be a deep purple, her mane was moving as if it were made of fire, and her normally navy-blue shade of hair had gone a vibrant mix of violet and magenta, with streaks of black as well.

This Nightmare-Twilight glared at her with nothing short of hatred and disgust, which only took another sledge to her heart, in a way that felt far too similar to Nova. Why…?

“He’s mine,” she growled at her, her horn blazing with green energy. “You will never have him. And because of you, I won’t ever have him either! IT’S YOUR FAULT! I HATE YOU!”

Luna hastily conjured a shield, which blocked the blast of energy from Nightmare-Twilight, but the sheer venom in the attack shattered it, leaving Luna a cowering wreck on the ground.

“Pathetic,” Nightmare-Twilight spat. “After everything, you’ve got nothing to say? Nothing at all?”

“Why does she matter so much to you, Luna dearest?” came the dreaded whisper in her ear. “Why do you care so much about her opinion? Why not just take what should be yours?”

“She saved me from you,” Luna snapped, whirling around to ward off the Nightmare, who guffawed at her as it fluttered back.

“Truly? You care about your savior’s opinion so? A craving for her approval, perhaps? Or… something else?”

Ice stabbed into her heart. No, the nightmare was going to weaponize this too?

“Oooh,” the nightmare tittered, eyes widening with malicious glee. “Ohohoho, oh this is too good!”

The phantom Nova Shine and Nightmare-Twilight Sparkle continued to glare at her, seemingly unaffected by the taunts, or what they implied.

“Let us lay your fears to rest, hmm? Perhaps you will never have a better time to tell them, will you?”

Luna tried to blast her away again, but this time the nightmare didn’t even react, letting the spell phase right through her.

“Say it, Luna dear,” urged the Nightmare. “Say the words. Three little words, one great meaning, and all that delicious suffering!”

“I… I will not!” Luna replied, blasting the Nightmare yet again, and the Nightmare yet again mockingly laughed at her as her spell had no effect. “I will not hurt them like that, and I will be free of you!”

“You will never be free, Luna,” it taunted, resolving into the familiar black shape. Luna found herself staring face-to-face with herself. Black of coat, cruel of temperament. Nightmare Moon and Luna stared each other down once again. “You will never escape me. I am too much a part of you. And I will haunt you for the rest of time.”

“Not if I have anything to say about it.”

A great blue glow shone in Luna’s formless white dreamscape. At once, the Nightmare was dispelled with a screech, the Nightmare-Twilight didn’t even have a moment to react before blinking out of existence, and the Nova Shine that was on the verge of being torn apart disappeared in a flash of light. Luna found her heart hammering yet again as she allowed the blissful silence to wash over her, even if only for a moment, before she let out a great shuddering breath and collapsed in sheer relief.

“Hey now. Let’s take this someplace else.”

The blue glow returned, and when the light cleared, she was sitting on the balcony of a home built into a great tree overlooking Ponyville, a clear night sky overhead, Twilight Sparkle sleeping inside, and Nova Shine sitting next to her, looking up at the stars.

“N-Nova?” she asked. “Where… where are we?”

“I believe this is the night before I went back in time,” he replied, glancing inside at the sleeping Twilight. “She doesn’t have wings yet.”

“The night before you met me again,” she mumbled, going slightly pink as she remembered. “Before, from your perspective, I dunked you in the River Everfree.”

“That’s the one,” he said, his mouth twitching ever so slightly, before giving her a once-over. “You look like shit, Luna.”

Luna wrinkled her nose at his profanity but allowed herself a wry smile. “It has been… a trying few weeks. I’m sure you can sympathize.”

Nova Shine frowned at that, but while she knew he had some snide remark ready to fire off, he mercifully kept it to himself. Instead, he relaxed and let out a quiet snort.

“Yeah, it has, hasn’t it?”

Luna let out a tiny, shuddering chuckle, the first in such a long time. Nova Shine was an oddity. She was several times older than him, even accounting for her time as the Nightmare. She was at least a full head taller than him. The only ponies who could hope to match her in the realm of magic were Star Swirl, her sister (with her extra 1000 years of experience), Twilight Sparkle, and him, and the latter two were still a ways off from being near the former two.

Not far, but still a little distance.

For someone so much less than her, he occupied such a great place in her heart and mind, even compared to her other Night Apprentices.

“What was that, Luna?”

It wasn’t a demand, it was just curiosity, yet it still felt like she was being berated. Luna let out a long sigh.

“My punishment,” she admitted softly. “My weakness cost you your life, and now I will watch you die in my dreams for the rest of mine.”

Nova let out a quiet breath, giving her a sympathetic look. “You know, there is hope.”

“Is there?” Luna asked, letting her head sink, ever so slightly. “I am well aware of what it is Lord Star Swirl wants you to find. I know what it is capable of. But Nova Shine, do you truly believe it has the power to give you what you want?”

“Of course it does,” Nova replied instantly. “If an artifact like that can contain the power of the three Gems of Being all at once, then it can contain all of my power at once no problem.”

“That is not what I asked,” Luna shook her head. “I asked if you believed it could give you what you wanted. And you and I both know what it is you seek deep down, Nova. Does the crown truly offer you your heart’s desire?”

Nova opened his mouth to reply, but after a moment, he closed it. Thus, Luna continued.

“More than that, you and I both know what you hate. You would be bound to that crown for the rest of your life, if not for eternity. Yes, that would be an eternity that you were alive, but that crown would be your shackle. And to wear a crown of such power on your head would alienate you from everyone around you. Your friends, your family. Even Twilight. Even…”

Luna bit off the end of that sentence, but when Nova raised an eyebrow, she knew she had said too much.

“...even me.”

Nova frowned again, staring out into the night sky. Luna let those last two words hang over the air, even as she felt herself relax. Even if her reprieve was only temporary, she would savor this night, this break from her torment. If this were to be her last night of peaceful sleep, then so be it, she would enjoy every last second of it.

“‘Three little words,’” Nova said, turning to look at her again. “What did she mean by that?”

Luna winced internally. She truly had said too much. Or perhaps he had been there all along, watching to see what had happened. She had taught him well. Too well.

“I…” She bit her lip, before looking away. “I…”

“How long?”

This stallion was in a committed relationship with Twilight Sparkle, and yet here he was, with no judgment, gently asking her how long those three little words had been in her mind, as though they couldn’t tear that committed relationship apart just by being uttered aloud.

Luna let out a humorless laugh as she bared her soul, before shaking her head in disbelief.

“I don’t know. In days of old, it had to have been during your apprenticeship. I hurt so much after you were gone. But after my return…”

She shut her eyes, remembering the confusion she felt as feelings she believed long-buried rose up once again. It was strange, she had never felt them for him in the earlier days of his apprenticeship. Only after she learned he and the first Nova Shine were the same.

But those were not the only strange feelings she had begun to notice…

“...I truly do not know,” she shook her head again. “They were not there until I knew that the you of the past and the you of now were the same, but even then, I thought I kept myself above such feelings. You were my apprentice, after all. You treated me as if I were more your mother than Shimmer. You had a beloved mare of your own. It simply would not have been right. And yet…”

She trailed off, sitting sullenly under her moon’s light, letting the implications hang, feeling the shame well up inside of her once more. Yet Nova simply sided ever so slightly closer, as if he sensed her feelings.

They sat in silence for some time after that. There was no wind, there was no noise, it was like they were sitting in a still image, the town and the old library preserved in perfect detail, but with none of the ambiance that truly defined the night he had recreated.

“Why was Twilight there?”

Luna slumped at that.

“How much did you see?” she asked, fighting back a sob.

“Enough,” Nova replied with a small shrug. “I guess it’s just… unexpected. I knew about you after Celestia told me way back when, but I didn’t know it was her too. I mean, I get it, she is pretty amazing,” he added, with a little smirk, which got a tiny snort out of her. “Just kinda comes out of nowhere, though.”

“Doesn’t it?” Luna asked softly. “Do you not recall? The very first day we met, I placed a tiny fragment of my own Source within yours. It allowed you to act on my behalf on that fateful night. Our minds– our souls, even– have been joined, Nova. Is it truly so much of a stretch to think that you rubbed off on me?”

Nova looked over at her, surprise etched all over his muzzle. “You… you’ve developed feelings for Twilight because my feelings are just that strong?”

“Oh come now,” Luna let out a mirthless laugh. “You know better than anyone that love doesn’t just happen like that. No, it’s undeniable that there were feelings there already. Or perhaps the beginnings of feelings. She saved me, after all. She helped me connect with the citizens of Ponyville. I have watched her and her friends defend Equestria time and again with the same fervor that my sister does. At the very least, there was sincere admiration there well before you even met her. The seed was planted, but you did the watering, so to speak.”

“I’ll be honest, I’m not sure how to feel about this,” Nova admitted, a troubled look on his face now. “Especially considering our troubles–”

“Oh worry not that I will make any attempt to split the two of you apart,” Luna sighed. “No, it has always been my fate to be doomed to watch ponies I care deeply about wither and die. But consider, Nova, that despite the troubles the two of you have, you remain as devoted as ever, and that your feelings for her were so strong they affected my feelings for her. Perhaps that is the way you should look at it.”

“And now it’s about my feelings,” Nova snorted.

Luna couldn’t help a tiny smile, but let out another quiet sigh. Nova simply stared out over the landscape of his memories for a long moment.

“You know I will have to tell her, right?”

“Of course,” Luna nodded. “I would expect nothing less. But…” She bit her lip. “But… perhaps I could tell her myself? With you there, of course.”

“Luna,” Nova gave her a look. “I just said–”

“We know,” she cut him off, before letting out an annoyed huff. “I know. I wish to be fully transparent with you. I think… I think after everything, you two deserve that.”

“Then we’ll talk again tomorrow night,” Nova promised.

“So soon?” Luna asked, blinking dumbly.

“I’ve got a lot I’m preoccupied with, I’ll be honest,” he said, before patting her withers. “But I think we need a night where you are rested and in your right state of mind, and where we have all the time in the night to talk it out, and that won’t be tonight.”

“Okay.” She smiled despite herself. It wasn’t necessarily hope, but it was the opportunity to relieve herself of this burden with two of the three ponies she held most dear. “Very well. I shall be looking forward to it.”

“In the meantime…” Nova Shine’s horn glowed blue, and Luna felt the familiar cool sensation of a nightmare guard settling over her psyche. “Please rest, Luna. And stop beating yourself up like this. For me?”

Luna leaned down and nuzzled her favorite Night Apprentice in gratitude. He didn’t leave immediately, though.

They stayed there and simply enjoyed the passing night in this familiar setting.

The House of Nobles didn’t exactly have what one might think of as “decorum.”

It was a large open room with a sort of squared variation amphitheater-esque design, with rising rows of seats around a central space in the center, and a high stand at one end where the Speaker of the Lords sat, an elderly pony wearing a black gown and watching the opening down below as a pale pink earth pony named Earnest Heart or something-or-other like that, a member of the Royalists operating out of Las Pegasus, was giving some great speech about nothing in particular, just the usual platitudes of showing strong loyalty to the country and seeking the common good.

Nova hated taking part in sessions like these. The business of government was important work, to be sure, but it was all hidden meanings, veiled threats, and doublespeak in here. For once, he actually preferred being locked in a room with Envy. At least he knew she wanted him dead. Or not, lately. Now he wasn’t sure what she wanted.

Maybe he didn’t prefer being around her after all.

“...so once again I charge all of you to stand for common decency as we look to ensure Equestria’s future remains bright,” Heart concluded, giving a slightly haughty brush of his bright pink mane, before turning to the speaker. “With that, I yield my time, Lord Speaker.”

The Speaker gave him a polite nod before gesturing to the empty seat about seven sections over and four rows up from where Nova himself sat, which Lord Earnest had vacated. He was an earth pony, unusual but not unheard of, with a coat of rich caramel and wispy white hair on his head, wearing the robe but no wig today, and staring flatly out at the many representatives with a trained golden eye.

Nova watched Lord Earnest go, before flicking his eyes over to the large clock set above the Speaker’s Stand, which indicated that he had about four hours before the end of Day Court. Enough time for today’s session to wrap, for him to get a little lunch, and then head on up to the Castle to spring his latest surprise on everyone.

He couldn’t help but smile a grim, vindictive smile as he thought of how everyone would react. It wasn’t going to be done out of any kind of cruelty, not by any stretch. He genuinely believed in what he had planned. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t take a measure of satisfaction out of acting in a way that not even the Princesses could have predicted, with all their manipulations and schemes.

“...and with that, I would like to extend a warm welcome back to the Lord Night Master and Lord Archmage, Nova Shine,” the Speaker announced, which elicited no shortage of jeers from the rest of the room. Nova wanted to yawn, but he didn’t. It was important not to rile them up. “I trust you have learned your lesson after your censure? Such behavior is not becoming of one who holds the title of Lord, as I’m sure you must be well aware by now.”

The Speaker was a good pony. Nova didn’t take what he had to say personally. The rest of the ponies in this room? Debatable. His father sat well away, watching him nervously, having heard everything yesterday from him and his mother. Tantalus was even further away, among the Royalist section. Doctor Hoofman sat near the rear of the room, relegated to the corners despite being Headmaster of Celestia’s School, and he seemed curious about what Nova had to say.

Nova stood up.

“I thank you all for the well-wishes,” he said, keeping his voice non-committal, “and I truly am flattered to know that you believe my evening activities are enough of a matter of national importance to spend time sending along a ‘Get Well Card’ to me like that. I truly take all of your words to heart and I express nothing but sincere gratitude that you care so much about my mental well-being.”

There were some scattered snorts, but there was also quite a bit of annoyed muttering at how flippantly he was treating their censure. Down below, a different elderly unicorn pony was keeping a close watch on him, eyes narrowed, his frown deep.

This one had a coat that was sort of an extremely darkened brown-gold, not dissimilar from the picture he’d seen of Pinkie Pie’s father. His mane was thin and getting thinner every time Nova saw him, and he wore possibly the sharpest suit anyone could wear. Perfectly tailored and pressed, contrasting quite well against his coat, and drawing the eyes of nearly everyone in the room every time he moved.

Nova and Ignatius Bitsly had gotten into more than a few political scraps over the last few years, usually involving Nova stonewalling his more damaging bills and power grabs, which was quite the achievement. Nova remained independent of the three factions that made up the House, whereas Bitsly was the leader of the Optimates.

“However,” Nova continued, now starting to let a little bit of an edge creep into his voice, “I do apologize for having such a mental breakdown. I forget that all of you go through similar circumstances that I do, and have learned to control your reactions to such news as learning that I am dying. I affirm that I will show more discretion in the future when I learn such catastrophic news.”

You could hear a pin drop, which gave Nova another burst of satisfaction at seeing several of the ponies’ faces pale or look completely startled. Lord Bitsly’s eyes narrowed even further, and his frown deepened. His father clenched his eyes and jaw shut. Tantalus looked stunned. Doctor Hoofman’s jaw dropped. The Speaker’s eyes widened for a moment, and Nova was even more thrilled to see him take a slightly nervous gulp. Clearly, they had thought he’d had something as casual as a drunken romp in the middle of the night. For all her faults, Celestia knew how to handle a good coverup, even if it did throw him under the carriage.

Lord Bitsly stood up at that moment, his eyes never leaving Nova.

“I see,” he said, his voice a smooth and well-polished deep timbre. “I apologize for what must seem an insensitive action in light of the circumstances, Lord Archmage, yet I see no reason to retract your censure. Your actions resulted in quite a bit of danger for the city and a full search for your missing person.”

“I’ll do my best to plan my mental breakdowns and schedule the search parties two weeks in advance to not strain resources,” Nova replied airily.

“That is enough.” The Speaker banged his gavel. “Order! It is high time we move on to the business at hoof. A number of proposals have been submitted for our perusal and our vote. First item on the docket, we have a proposal from…”

And like that, they were off. Proposals, bills, budgetary adjustments, the whole shebang. Under normal circumstances, Nova hated this part of the meeting, but today was a special case, as he had his own bills to put forth.

When the speaker gave the room the floor, Nova was the first to raise a hoof and request it, at which time he launched into one of a hoofful of bills he had prepared for this day.

Nova’s original mission had been to stall parliament to keep them distracted so that Twilight could ascend without them attempting to dig the floor out from under her, something he had excelled at, if he did say so himself. However, this had hardly endeared him to the three major parties in the House of Lords, except maybe the Royalists.

As their name implied, the Royalists were a smaller faction who operated on the guiding principle of simply enshrining the power of the princesses. His father, Tantalus, and Doctor Hoofman were members, and they didn’t have an out-and-out party leader like the other two did, due to the princesses essentially being their party leaders, although the princesses kept their distance. Nova recognized them as a more centrist party that favored the status quo. Whatever the princesses’ attitudes were, so were theirs. In a sense, Nova could have been counted as a de facto Royalist, given his job, but he’d always stayed clear of them.

The Optimates were to their right, politically speaking. A party mostly comprised of ponies who didn’t want the Equestrian state meddling in what they felt were private affairs. These days, however, it mostly felt like it was full of aristocrats and rich ponies who just wanted less taxes so they could make more bits. Nova had never been terribly sympathetic toward them, even though he ostensibly was one of them: a rich pony born with a silver spoon in his mouth and opportunities only money could open up. They were the only party that had a leader right now, the aforementioned Lord Ignatius Bitsly. Severus Neighsay had also been a member of this party, one of their most prominent. It had caused quite a stir when he had defected.

Speaking of the head of the EEA, he sat among a group that, up until very recently, he had considered political adversaries. The Optimates’ counterparts were the Ponies Party, a group mostly comprised of a number of creatures, not just ponies, who stood for greater change and progressive tendencies. Nova was more sympathetic to their stated purpose, especially after spending years struggling to get by, but their complete and utter incompetence made him unable to take them seriously. They had just voted out their most recent party leader for corruption, a black eye on a party trying desperately to change things for the better, and Nova was sure other party members needed to go too. Whoever they elected their new leader had a difficult task ahead of them.

And here he sat, in the center of all of them, having pissed them all off at one time or another, and now he was having to try his luck convincing them to support what he had to say.

But one by one, as he introduced bills he had worked tirelessly on to trample as few hooves as possible, not a single one of them raised a voice in support.

He almost shouted at them about how absolutely goddamn selfish they were being. He didn’t, but ooooh did he want to.

They even voted down the most common-sense bill he had brought with him, just some additional funding for the new Equestrian Aerial Navy to fund a new airship Dreadnought design he had come up with that could serve as something of a mobile air base. A bit expensive, yes, and putting all of one’s eggs in a single basket wasn’t a good idea, but the idea of these Blackwing-class Airship Dreanoughts would be that there would be multiple of them to serve as redundancies.

Yes, the Equestrian military was in dire straits right now after the Terrible Trio’s attack, but they were getting their hooves back under them, and this would patch a hole in the airship fleet he had noticed: a proper capital ship.

He had even accepted input from Aegis, Shining Armor, and others to make sure it was a sound design. He knew the Optimates did tend to enjoy military spending, even if they objected to new taxes, but he didn’t expect only seven few half-hearted hoof raises from the entire chamber.

SEVEN! Out of THREE HUNDRED SIXTY-TWO! Three of them were his dad, Tantalus, and Doc Hoofman.

Needless to say, Nova was feeling more than a little frustrated as he stomped his way out of the House of Lords toward the exit. Still, those were far from the only ways he hoped to make a difference today.

“Excuse me, Lord Archmage?”

Nova turned to see an indigo young mare with a brown mane pulled into a tight bun wearing a tailored suit and glasses standing behind him.

“Can I help you?”

“Lord Bitsly invites you to join him for lunch at Maresca’s on Restaurant Row, if it pleases you,” she recited with a bow. “He understands that you have other engagements today and sends his promise that it will be brief.”

Nova blinked. Bitsly inviting him to lunch? In his three and a half years of working in the House of Nobles, Nova had never once had a private meeting with any of his colleagues in the House, but now probably his most ardent opponent was reaching out?

“And if I am too busy?” he asked the mare.

“He said you’d say that,” the mare promptly replied with a small frown. “Shall I tell him you are declining his invitation?”

Now Nova was really intrigued. Bitsly invited him to lunch, well aware of the possibility he would probably decline? What is he peddling? For a moment, he was tempted to decline anyway, since it was pretty clear Bitsly wanted him to play his little game, but… well, he just had to see why.

“That won’t be necessary,” he said, giving a small shake of the head. “Inform Lord Bitsly I will meet him there shortly.”

The mare gave him another bow, turned around, and promptly marched off into town, leaving Nova staring after her feeling perplexed. The day was just full of surprises, wasn’t it?

Another surprise was waiting for him not long after he stepped out of the House of Parliament, a large plain marble square structure with very little decor aside from a clocktower built atop it, as he found none other than Cadance there, trotting up High Street toward the current building that housed the temporary Palace of Justice.

“Cadenza!” he called once he noticed her, before cantering forward to catch up. Cadance looked over at the noise, and broke into a warm smile when she saw Nova trotting up to her.

“Nova! I didn’t expect to see you here. Though I should have guessed,” she glanced past him toward the austere structure he had just come out of. “Eventful session?”

“Yeah, I got censured and they shot down all of my bills,” he grumbled.

Cadance’s eyebrows rose. “You got censured? Was this about what happened a few weeks back?”

“When I went on a bender because I learned my hourglass had a whole lot of sand scooped out of it?”

“Uhh, yeah, that,” Cadance answered awkwardly, a sheepish wince on her face.

“That was it, yeah,” he shrugged. “Of course, then I had to tell them why I did it, and that made them very uncomfortable. I’d say it was worth it, but even I’m not that full of spite.”

“Changing the subject, you introduced bills?” Life was full of simple pleasures, like how uncomfortable it also made her for him to talk about it so lightly. “I thought your job was to stall things until Twilight was coronated.”

“It was, then I learned I don’t have much time left,” he said, rather enjoying her reactions to steering it right back. But that was enough trolling for now. “So I figured I’d try to do something positive with my influence, you know? And those vindictive sons of bitches in there shut them all down,” he added with a growl.

Cadance gave him an annoyed look. “You can say that without the profanity, you know?”

“You sound like Twilight,” he chuckled. “She hates it when I curse, though she hates it more when I do it around Spike.”

“I’d say it doesn’t become you,” she started, before letting out a sigh, “but I guess it’s part of what makes you you at this point. And for what it’s worth, at least you don’t insert one every other word. If you did, I’d never let you anywhere near Flurry again,” she added, a small twinkle in her eye.

“Oh gee willikers, sis, I never knew you could be so gosh-darn cruel!”

“I take it back,” Cadance groaned. “It sounds worse when you don’t.”

“So what brings you to town?” he asked, before glancing up at the temporary home of the Equestrian Royal Court. "Something at the castle? Day Court?”

“I actually felt a disturbance in the Love Force,” she answered. “So I’m here to help the unfortunate soul caught in the middle of it. It’s not you and Twilight again, is it?” she added, giving him a small glare.

“I hope it isn’t, we haven’t had any major incidents since…you know.”

“Good.”

“Also I didn’t know the ‘Love Force’ was an actual thing.”

“I call it that out of convenience,” she shrugged. “It’s easier to say than ‘aspect of harmony that reacts to ponies’ romantic feelings.’ I don’t suppose you know anyone having romantic tangles right now?” Her glare vanished, replaced by an inquisitive eyebrow.

“Would you believe me if I said I did and that she actually might be connected to me and Twilight?”

“It’s Luna, isn’t it.”

“It’s Luna.”

“I told her,” Cadance sighed, dragging a wing down her face. “I told her she needed to tell you before it became a problem. Even if it didn’t end well, there at least would have been closure.”

Nova blinked. “You knew?”

Cadance smiled humorlessly. “I knew. I love my auntie, but I could sense the sheer chaotic tangle of confusing feelings around her every time I was anywhere close to her. Even moreso when you were around.”

“It’s not just me,” Nova admitted. “It’s Twilight too.”

That actually caught Cadance by surprise. “Both of you? That’s…” She trailed off, staring ahead, eyes glazed over for a moment, mouthing something to herself, before a small smile split her muzzle, and she began to laugh giddily. “That’s… that might… wow, I never saw that coming.”

Nova stared at her, mouth parted. “I’m sorry, this is a good thing?”

“Maybe, maybe not,” she shrugged, still giggling to herself. “Love is complex, many-faceted, and difficult to predict, even for me. It could be a good thing, but it also might not be.”

“Okay, but why are you giggling?” he demanded, stepping in front of her and causing her to actually stop. She still had this stupidly giddy grin on her face, and her eyes were lit up with something Nova had only seen when he and Twilight were enjoying a particularly close moment. “I’m… I’m engaged for goodness sake! And I love Twilight to death. Why is Luna having feelings for both of us when we’re already engaged to each other something that makes you laugh like this?”

“Nova, you lunk,” she tapped him on the head. “Polyamory exists.”

Nova opened his mouth. Nothing came out. All he could do was stare at Cadance, who was still giggling like a little schoolfilly.

“Wait. Hang on. Are you suggesting… a-are you suggesting that…” he trailed off, his mind not fully comprehending what she was getting at. Only partially, which was still throwing him for a loop. ”The… the three of us?”

“I’m not suggesting anything.” She finally did stop giggling, giving him a serious, but empathetic look. “I just… Learning that Luna likes both of you opened up an entire world of possibility. It could work out, it could not. But I will say, whatever is to become of Luna’s relationship with the two of you, with your relationship the way it is now, Luna entering the mix would only further complicate things.”

“Yeah, as though it isn’t already extremely complicated right now,” Nova grumbled.

“Then untangle it,” Cadance replied firmly, tapping him on the head again. “Communicate with each other. If– if– the two of you decide to give Luna a chance, I can only recommend doing it once the two of you are rock-solid again.”

“Do you think we should?” Nova asked, looking at her in disbelief. “I don’t even know how Twilight will react when Luna tells her tonight.”

“I can’t tell you that,” she said again, giving him a sympathetic smile. “Polyamory works for some ponies, and it doesn’t for others. Buuuuut,” she gave him a sweet smile, “she does bring things to the table that the two of you don’t have.”

“I already bring the self-loathing and Twilight already brings the eccentricity.”

“She’s seen the worst of both of you in your dreams,” she continued unabated. “And yet, she still carries those feelings. She has seen you both for who you are and still wants to be with you. Plus I believe she also has a touch of gentleness that the two of you could use, and she has that immortal wealth of experience and wisdom that we young mortals don’t have. Again, I’m not saying you should or shouldn’t,” she warned, before booping him on the nose this time. “I’m just saying she’s there when the two of you figure things out.”

Nova sighed, turning to look in the general direction of the temporary Palace of Justice, where he knew Twilight was busy giving rulings on cases even now. It was any stallion’s wet dream to be caught between two princesses like this– much less to have them both want him and each other!– but all he was worried about was the potential trouble it would bring him and Twilight.

One thing was abundantly clear, he absolutely did not want to risk any attempt at polyamory if he knew it would fail and cause him and Twilight to fracture. She was too important to him. And that being said, did he even see Luna that way? Sure, she was beautiful and intelligent, and had a nurturing side to her that matched Fluttershy’s but with a mischief to her that would put Pinkie to shame. But knowing all of that didn’t mean Nova felt any of that.

Yet, anyway. “It could happen, it could not.”

“I’ve decided I hate love again.”

Cadance chuckled. “Of course you do. No one said it was an easy thing to think about,” she patted him on the shoulder, “but do think about it, won’t you?”

The clocktower let out a loud BWONG! which startled him, and he remembered he had somewhere to be.

“Oh dammit, I gotta run. Sorry Cadenza, we’ll have to catch up later. Oh, before I go!” he stopped himself from bolting. “I’ve, uhh… do you think you could be available tomorrow afternoon to help me with something important?”

“What are you planning?” she asked suspiciously, her eyes narrowing, though he caught a tiny little knowing glint in them.

“Something very important and not funny, actually,” he assured her, which did nothing to quell the suspicion, “but I can’t give away the specifics now. You’ll hear about it, it’ll be big news, I’m sure. Will you still be in town tomorrow?”

“Yes,” she replied hesitantly. “I don’t even know what I’m signing up for.”

“I will just need your shield spell. Anyway, sorry, we can talk more about it later. Gotta run, have an appointment. See ya around, Cadenza!”

“Love you, LBBFF!” she called after him as he dashed off.

He was very behind and it would not do to keep his gracious host waiting any longer. While Railside Inn was a bit out of the way, he did make a quick detour to drop off his bill proposals before returning to the city and making his way to Restaurant Row. Based on the clocktower just barely visible over the buildings, he had about an hour and a half before Day Court ended. He had more than enough time, especially since Maresca’s was known to serve food relatively quickly.

Maresca’s was somewhat surprising compared to the other places on Restaurant Row. While most of them were larger establishments that preferred to advertise with large signs, it was a bit of a hole in the wall, with only a small wooden swinging sign over the door, dwarfed by the other eateries. Nova had walked down these streets many times in the aftermath of Zesty Gourmand’s departure and had never noticed it, missing it among the big shops. The fact that it had survived this long no doubt meant that its food quality was enough to spark word-of-mouth fame.

The inside was dimly lit for atmosphere and ponies were chatting away in soft voices. A few of them glanced over when he entered, with even fewer of them recognizing the resident archmage and giving him polite bows. In truth it made Nova uncomfortable. The common ponies didn’t seem to know or care who he was, but the rich and famous did.

“Lord Archmage,” came Bitsly’s deep timbre. Nova turned to a corner in time to see Bitsly and the mare from before standing from a small table in a private booth. The Optimate leader held an easygoing smile and holding out a hoof. “Thank you for accepting my invitation.”

Nova glanced at it suspiciously, but bumped it all the same. He didn’t miss how Lord Bitsly had the tiniest twitch at the corner of his lips when Nova so hesitantly greeted him.

“Suspicious, aren’t you,” Bitsly observed.

“Yeah, well,” Nova slid into a seat, “In four years, this is the first time you deigned to have lunch with someone like me.”

“In four years, this is the first time you deigned to put forth bills instead of putting them down,” Bitsly countered, taking his own seat as his attendant trotted away to give them some space. Nova wanted to snap back, but there was something about how goddamn polite he was being…

“Alright, cut the crap, Bitsly,” Nova replied, crossing his arms. “What do you want?”

“Hmm,” Bitsly held up a menu and perused it. “A good question. I was thinking of some spaghetti today, but the bucatini with cauliflower and brussels sprouts sounds particularly appetizing.”

If Nova’s blood pressure rose any further, he’d start spurting blood through his skin all over Bitsly’s pressed suit.

“So what, you drag me out here after voting down all my bills just to exchange some wordplay? You here to rub it in, is that it?” he demanded, leaning forward so that his near-snarl was unmistakable.

“Temper temper, Lord Archmage,” Bitsly replied, putting the menu down and giving him a cool look back. “I did not drag you out here. I invited you. You accepted. You were free to turn down my invitation, but you didn’t. So clearly, you have some interest in knowing what it is I wanted to discuss with you.”

“Yeah, I figured I’d hear it and head out. I’ve got plans this afternoon.”

“Don’t we all,” Bitsly slid the menu to him. “I recommend the fettuccine alfredo. A simple classic, after all. And correct me if I’m wrong, but your fiancee is fond of the dish too, is she not?”

“Yeah, that and hayburgers,” Nova grumbled, not taking it. “Get to the point, Bitsly. You wouldn’t invite me out here for nothing.”

“My friends call me Ignatius, Lord Archmage.”

“I’m sure they do, Bitsly.”

That got a proper smirk. “There, you see? We’re getting along better already.”

A waiter came by and took their drink and food orders, giving Nova a brief reprieve from all of this verbal jousting. Why was Bitsly acting so familiar to him when only a half hour or so ago, he had been reprimanding Nova about his conduct? Why invite him out?

As the waiter trotted away, Bitsly nodded to himself. “This place has undergone quite the turnaround since Zesty Gourmand’s Reign of Terror ended. Almost everywhere has. I’m also partial to a place called the Tasty Treat not too far from here.”

“What. Do. You. Want?” Nova asked through gritted teeth.

“Fine,” Bitsly sighed, shaking his head. “Fine. If you insist.”

With that, his posture completely changed, and he looked the same as he always did during sessions of parliament. All business. Straight-backed, stern, no-nonsense.

“I invited you here to offer you advice, Nova Shine,” he said, no longer easygoing. That’s not to say that he was angry or otherwise on some sort of attack, but there was something lightly intimidating about the shift. “In four years, never once have I seen you put forth bill ideas of your own. In four years, I’ve never seen you lend support to any proposals or bills except the ones where we all knew they would pass with overwhelming support. The only times I have seen you put forth support have always been specifically with intent to make the supporters rethink their own support of the bill. You have been a magnificent sower of chaos within the House, leveraging your reputation and talents to bring everything to a standstill, but that is precisely the problem and that is exactly why no one was willing to offer you their support today.”

Nova simply listened, equal parts happy that Bitsly had cut the crap while also being annoyed that Bitsly seemed to be explaining this to him like he was a rookie. Nova knew his reputation. Like Bitsly said, he’d leveraged it.

“Now, it is quite apparent that with your imminent passing, you have decided to enact some positive change,” Bitsly inclined his head. “But the reason why no one raised their voice in assent to your proposals today is because for four years you have done everything in your power to stop and otherwise stall every bill put forth to maintain the status quo so that your dear fiancee could ascend without having to manage any great changes in the system right as she came into power. I understand– truly I do– that this was a mission given to you by Princess Celestia. I greatly respect your dedication to both her and to Princess Twilight Sparkle. But now, after spending years frustrating three factions in parliament, you expect them to raise their voices in assent of what you put forth as if nothing had happened? As if you had not stopped us all at every turn for four years?”

Bitsly didn’t seem angry or even disappointed. That was the worst part. He was simply explaining it to him in a simple, matter-of-fact tone. All Nova could do was sit there and listen, teeth grit behind his lips, but unable to deny that he had a point.

“But fortunately for you, you are in a unique position,” Bitsly continued, leaning back. “As the Lord Archmage, as Princess Luna’s Night Master, as Princess Twilight Sparkle’s fiancee, and as an independent member of the House of Nobles, should you choose to side with a particular party, you almost certainly would become one of their more influential members immediately. However, understand that by doing so, you wouldn’t be able to simply make them pass only what you wanted and then stop everything else.”

He glanced away, a small frown.

“Politics is transactional, Nova Shine. Deals must be made. Agreements must be honored. You cannot take without giving. In exchange for your fellow party members helping you advance your agenda, you would help advance theirs. If you declared for my party, I’m sure we would be able to pass some of your bills, but there are a few that several of my colleagues find objectionable, and thus we would require you to rework or drop them entirely. For instance, that last one you put forth. A magical research facility, open to the public and not restricted to unicorns?”

That one had been Nova’s baby. He had worked tirelessly on it, dotting every i, crossing every t. He had thought about the finances, he had thought about the location, the safety requirements, everything.

“Yeah,” he nodded. “You know my story, right?” Bitsly nodded. “There are other types of magic out there other than just unicorn magic. They all should be studied. We’re locking ourselves out of so many potential bright minds just because we’re stupid enough to think only unicorns get to use magic. And it can’t be only open to the rich, either. Think of how many minds among the less fortunate don’t even get that opportunity.”

“Like your apprentice, Lord Archmage?” Bitsly asked. “She’s from Lower Canterlot, is she not?”

“Exactly,” Nova nodded. “Imagine what would have happened if she hadn’t been given aid to attend Celestia’s School.”

“And yet she received that aid,” Bitsly countered, leaning back. “By your own admission, the systems in place gave her that opportunity, which she took. Your fiancee too, as I recall, came from Lower Canterlot, and she, too, was given an opportunity and succeeded. The system clearly works. I think you’re trying to solve a problem that has already been solved, Nova Shine.”

“She’s one example, and that’s survivorship bias at best,” Nova refuted, shaking his head. “How many don’t even get that opportunity? How many do, but are sent home because of an arbitrary number of ponies accepted, like me? I was unfairly rejected. How many others, whose families didn’t have the clout to raise awareness until it reached the public eye, were also rejected? How many others who would be accepted one year were turned away due to sheer bad luck?” he added, meeting Bitsly’s cold stare with a determined one of his own. “You can’t tell me the system works when it fails too many ponies, Ignatius.”

“These ponies are merely a hypothetical, Nova Shine,” Bitsly waved his hoof dismissively. “We cannot know how many this system has supposedly failed.”

“If even one pony is failed by the system, then the system has failed us all, and it just proves that it could fail each one of us too down the line,” Nova flatly retorted. “How much more would we know about magic if we had more ponies– more creatures, really– who wanted to study it and learn more about it?”

“You will never have a perfect system, Nova Shine,” Bitsly countered. “There will never be such a system that succeeds across the board and fails no one. Panaceas simply do not exist.”

“Yeah, I agree,” Nova nodded tersely, “but that’s no excuse not to try. We can’t let perfect be the enemy of good. If my plan can help a few more ponies than the system right now currently does, then I call that a success.”

Bitsly, for the first time since Nova had ever seen him, genuinely smiled.

“This right here,” he said, tapping the table, “is what you should have done. You tried to appeal to the House with cold reasoning. Logic. To ponies without an agenda, perhaps your reason would have moved them. But we are not ponies without an agenda, are we Nova Shine?”

Nova paused as he considered Bitsly’s words, but Bitsly continued, giving him little time to keep up.

“We ponies are emotional creatures, Nova Shine. Prone to outbursts, prone to errors in judgment, because of our feelings. We are empathetic to those around us. I don’t believe you would have gained the support you needed by leveraging sentiment alone, do not misunderstand,” he added with a small shake of the head, “I do still believe your best chance at passing your bills comes with you declaring for a party. But for four years, you never learned how to play the political game because you didn’t have to. Now you do.”

“And I suppose,” Nova said, choosing his words carefully, “that the whole purpose of this meeting is so that you can entice me to join the Optimates?”

The waiter returned with their food, giving Nova the opportunity to begin eating, which gave him an excuse to finally take his eyes off of Bitsly, while Bitsly took his sweet time magically manipulating his fork to turn his food over in its bowl.

“Ah, no,” Bitsly shook his head. “I am not here to entice you to do anything. I meant what I said. Advice. I would be pleased if you decided to join the Optimates, but I simply do not think most of your bills would go over well with us. I think you would be better off with the Royalists or, if you are feeling particularly daring, the Ponies Party. They are currently leaderless, after all. Perhaps you could step into that role yourself.”

“Pretty sure they’re already holding party elections,” Nova grunted. “Plus if they have misgivings about me like you say, then I’m probably not the right pony to take the reins.”

“Then reach out to their newly-elected leader when that all ends,” Bitsly pointed his fork at him for a moment. “As I said, you are too important to ignore or to place on the bottom rung of the ladder, but you will have to play ball with them if you would expect them to want to back you.”

Nova frowned.

“Why the Ponies Party?” he asked. “You, the leader of the Optimates, asking me to join your political opponents? If I’m as important as you say, then I figured you’d be doing everything to win me over. You trying to put me on them to cause even further problems?”

Bitsly smiled again, but this one was a lot colder than before. “If I were, do you think I’d really tell you? And consider this, Nova Shine,” he added, reaching up to dab at his mouth with a napkin. “You already have no support. The Ponies Party are already leaderless and in extremely bad shape. Why, if I were wanting to ensure my party got ahead, would I not just leave the two of you alone?”

Nova opened his mouth to respond, but closed it. It was honestly frustrating just how much Bitsly was running circles around him today. Nova decided he didn’t just hate politics. He loathed politics.

“You have a lot to learn, but just because we are political opponents does not mean we need be enemies, Nova Shine,” Bitsly gave him a brief once-over. “But if you really want to know the truth of why I would help you despite it clearly not being in my best interest to do so, then…” He paused, his eyes misting over ever so slightly, before clarity returned. “Consider this part of me trying to pay an unpayable debt I owe to your father.”

“What’s Dad got to do with this?”

“I believe I shall leave that for another time,” Bitsly replied quietly. “You may choose to receive my advice however you wish, Nova Shine. Perhaps in a thousand years, we’ll be remembered the same way Hocktavian and Ciceroan are: as close colleagues despite their radically different ideals. Or perhaps not. But I do want you to understand that despite our differences, I have no shortage of respect for you, and I do believe you could succeed in the world of politics, provided you set your mind to it.”

“You do know how Hocktavian and Ciceroan ended, right?” Nova asked, arching an eyebrow. “Hocktavian gave him up to be killed in the Proscriptions.”

Bitsly gave a soft chuckle. “Then I’ll fervently hope you never assemble your own Triumvirate.”

As he finished and returned to his own meal, Nova ate his pasta, paying no attention to the taste. Not once in this entire meeting had Bitsly’s energy ever flared. Either he was capable of masking it to hide his lies, which would have required his magic be constantly active and it most certainly wasn’t, or he really did mean everything he said.

On a normal day, he probably would have spent a lot of time thinking over it for hours on end, trying to sus out if Bitsly wasn’t just trying to play him like a pawn, but unfortunately, today was not a normal day.

Quite the contrary. Today, he still had one last big bomb to drop.

Twilight rubbed at her face tiredly the moment she was sure no one was watching. Everyone’s gaze was drawn toward the newest pony to walk up to the stand. This session had been going on for hours! She knew serving as an arbitrator like this was important, but did there really have to be so… so many petitioners? Why couldn’t there be a functioning court system to handle this?

Twilight blinked.

Why wasn’t there a functioning court system? There were plenty of examples to draw inspiration from!

Feeling giddy at the thought of restructuring the government, Twilight’s horn glittered and a small scroll appeared where she quickly jotted down that idea before stowing it away again in time for her to return her attention to the floor of the court audience chamber where–

Twilight blinked again.

“Nova?” she muttered to herself as Nova Shine himself strutted into the room, his head held haughtily high, his cape on display with collar popped, and he strode forward with purpose toward the stand, seemingly oblivious to the whispers and muttering from the observers and journalists around the room. One particularly sleazy journalist in the room, a yellow-coated pony wearing a tie with a somewhat unruly poofy manestyle that she couldn’t be sure if it was a toupee or natural, already seemed eager for whatever new mischief he could spin out of this. The nameplate said “Ferren Balanced”, but she couldn’t make out what outlet he worked for.

Celestia let out a tiny chuckle next to her. “Quite the peacock today, isn’t he?”

Twilight didn’t want to give her the satisfaction of agreeing, but… well, she was right. Nova wasn’t usually this showy, but that just made her all the more wary of what he wanted.

“What are you doing here…?” she whispered to herself, already conjuring another small scroll to jot down notes specific to the case, as Celestia had recommended.

Nova strutted up to the stand down below, flanked on either end by guards just in case someone tried something a bit nefarious, as had happened back when Celestia in Canterlot was still a new thing and all the rebellions were happening in the wake of Nightfall. Maybe it was for the best the guards were there. With how unpredictable Nova had been lately…

Twilight rose from her seat as Nova took his position and looked up at her expectantly.

“Welcome, petitioner. Please state your name and rank if applicable for Day Court’s records,” she recited, as she had at least a hundred times today.

“Nova Shine, Lord Archmage of Equestria,” Nova replied with a small bow.

Following procedure, Twilight dutifully wrote down his name and rank, before looking back up at her fiancee. He had… no prepared speech or documentation of any kind? Plus he hadn’t told her he was coming here today. She felt a slight sinking feeling in her gut. While she would never doubt his intentions, she couldn’t help but wonder if he was here to cause some mischief or pay Celestia back in some way after what happened a few weeks ago.

“You may begin. How can the Court help you today?” she asked, sitting back down, pressing her hooves together, and resting her chin on them.

If nothing else, it would liven up the day.

“Thank you, Princess Twilight,” he said, politely bowing his head again. “I am here to petition the court because I believe there has been a major injustice committed in Equestria.”

The journalists immediately began scribbling. “Oh dear,” she heard Celestia sigh next to her. Twilight ignored her.

“What sort of injustice?” she asked, leaning forward to pay closer attention. Was he about to make his rift with Celestia and Luna public?

“First, if I may ask, Princess Celestia?”

Twilight turned her attention back toward Celestia, who had, from the second case up until now, been content to hang back and observe and offer advice after demonstrating how Day Court worked in the first case. Celestia was staring quite intently at Nova, an eyebrow raised ever so slightly. Twilight felt a tiny bit of grim satisfaction at knowing that Nova had caught her off-guard too.

How does it feel?

“Yes, Lord Archmage?” asked Celestia in an even tone.

“Your sister, Princess Luna.”

Twilight felt the air chill around her, ever so slightly. Uh-oh.

“Is it true, for the court’s record, that she fell victim to her jealousy and attempted to seize control of Equestria for herself, and that she attempted to plunge the entire world into an eternal night?”

Twilight stared even more intently at him. Nova’s gaze remained cool, his bearing casual. Celestia met his unflappable gaze with a barely contained irritation of her own. She looked unaffected, but Twilight could see the hardness in her gaze.

If Nova was there to spite Celestia over her handling of his oversaturation, then it was clear Celestia considered invoking her sister like this to be a reach too far.

“It is well-known that my sister succumbed to her feelings of inadequacy and her jealousy, yes, Lord Archmage,” Celestia responded as quietly and evenly as ever, as though she were simply talking about the lovely day outside.

“And how was she handled when she was corrupted?” Nova asked, keeping his gaze on Celestia. “How was Nightmare Moon defeated?”

“I seem to recall that you were there, Lord Archmage,” Celestia answered, her eyes narrowing a fraction.

Twilight was now even more acutely aware of the furious scribbling of pencils and quills, and she let out a tiny sigh. The journalists were going to feast on this little public spat.

And Nova and I are right in the center of it, she thought, feeling that uneasy feeling intensify. Was this what his game was? To drive a wedge?

“I was,” Nova conceded with a dip of his head. “And as I recall, we banished your sister to a thousand years of exile on the moon. She was offered no chance to answer or atone for her actions, and was simply cast away.”

Oh, this wasn’t good. Twilight looked back to see that Celestia had grit her teeth.

“But a thousand years later, she returned,” Nova continued. “And with the Elements of Harmony and their rightful new bearers, she was purified. And now she has been atoning for her actions by helping you run Equestria and safeguarding the dreams of her subjects, is that correct?”

Celestia’s demeanor did not change, despite how Nova had seemingly resolved this barb about Luna.

“It is,” Celestia admitted.

“Another question, Princess,” Nova said, dipping his head. “The draconequus Discord. He, too, attempted to conquer Equestria, yes? Three times, as I recall. Once over a thousand years ago, once six years ago, and once in league with Tirek.”

“He did, and we turned him to stone to prevent him from doing so,” Celestia replied, relaxing ever so slightly now that he had moved on from Luna.

“But was he not freed and reformed by Fluttershy before he attempted to join forces with Tirek?” Nova pressed.

Celestia’s eyes narrowed yet again. So much for him defusing the situation, Twilight thought.

“He was, or so we had thought,” she replied, still keeping her voice as even and dispassionate as possible. “Even now he continues to slip up every now and again, but he remains a firm ally.”

“I see,” Nova nodded. But now his gaze turned to her instead. “Princess Twilight, a question for you.”

“M-me?” Twilight asked. Why is he dragging me into this!? “Uhh… sure. I mean, yes, petitioner,” she hastily corrected.

She saw a slight twinkle of amusement in his eye as she corrected himself, and that, more than anything set her nerves at ease. He wouldn’t make a fool of her, not like this. Not in the lion’s den, surrounded by predatory gossip mills and journalists, not with her own ascension to becoming the ruling monarch coming up. No, he actually was here for something important.

But what?

“Your apprentice, Starlight Glimmer. Is it true that she attempted to bring Equestria to ruin as revenge for your disruption of her operation at the settlement Our Town?”

“Yes, that is correct,” she nodded. No, he definitely wasn’t here to drag anyone through the mud. He and Starlight were too good of friends for that.

“And you were able to confront her, reason with her, show her the error of her ways, and help reform her?”

“Yes,” she nodded again. “She’s now the new Head Mare of my school down in Ponyville.”

“I see,” Nova nodded. “The injustice I wish to correct is that there are a number of creatures who similarly are guilty of great crimes against Equestria, but they were offered no chance to answer for their actions, nor were they offered any chance at reformation. Thus, I believe that they deserve this chance for themselves. That we owe it to ourselves and everything Equestria stands for to offer them to either reform or to answer for their crimes.”

That uneasy feeling was back. No, he couldn’t possibly mean…

“So what is it you are proposing, Lord Archmage?” Celestia asked behind her. Twilight dreaded the answer he was about to give.

Nova turned his cool gaze back up to her.

“I petition the court that we free Queen Chrysalis, Cozy Glow, and Tirek from their prisons of stone and that we attempt to reform them.”

BANG!

Twilight jumped as the echoing boom reverberated throughout the room. Even the guards located around the room winced at the sudden burst of noise. What was that? She looked around, and only now noticed Princess Celestia’s horn glowing gold, and after inspecting the room a second time, she noticed the doors to the lobby had slammed shut.

Celestia flapped her wings and glided down to the polished stone floor, her hooves touching the stone with soft clack!s that echoed through the silent room, and she stood in the open space, before addressing the entire assembly.

“I apologize for my outburst. But I would like to make one… thing… clear.”

Twilight shivered at just how much of an edge she put on that last word. Oh, she was angry. She’d gone right past mild disapproval and had landed firmly in that cold, enraged state where you really needed to watch your step.

“I will tolerate no unfair coverage of what has and will be discussed in this room,” she stated as sharply as a parent scolding their children. “You will document and report on the facts of this petition. I shall even tolerate warranted criticism. However, should you stray too far, you will suffer my… displeasure.”

Twilight didn’t miss how her icy glare turned to look directly at Ferren Balanced as she said that. Nor did she miss how Ferren’s mischievous sleazy little smile at the thought of what gossip he was going to spread vanished instantly and sweat beaded at the hairline of his mane.

“Now then,” Celestia continued, opening her wings once again and flying back to her previous place on the stand behind Twilight.

Through all of this, though he had jumped at the sound of the doors slamming shut, Nova looked as cool and confident as ever. She had to admit, she admired that about him sometimes. How he could keep up appearances despite all the inner turmoil was a trait she wished she had.

“You wish to free the Terrible Trio from their stone prison, and you wish to attempt to reform them, you said?” Celestia asked, staring down at him quite sternly. “After everything they did? After how much trouble it took to imprison them in the first place?”

Unlike before, when everyone gathered in the room had been idly whispering or writing down things that they were going to put in the news later, now everyone’s undivided attention was on the petitioner and the princesses.

“I do,” Nova nodded, his voice never faltering for a moment. “I am well aware that they have been given multiple chances already. Starlight Glimmer offered Chrysalis a chance to turn, but she was rejected. Cozy attended Twilight’s school and tried to use the lessons there to conquer Equestria. But Tirek? When was Tirek ever offered an opportunity to turn?”

“So why release all three of them?” Twilight asked. “Like you said, two of them had chances, but you want to release all three of them instead of just the one you think wasn’t given an opportunity?”

“Yes,” Nova dipped his head. “Simply, I think I might be able to get through to them in ways no one else was able to. And if I can’t? We can always imprison them again.”

Whispers broke out at that, and Twilight’s mouth parted. He thought he had a way to reach Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow that no one else had? Nova, honey, you’re a smart stallion, but this is just arrogance.

“What makes you think that?” Celestia asked behind her. “What do you have that no one else does?”

“My father and I had a well-documented bad relationship,” Nova answered immediately, looking completely unmoved by the skepticism around the room. “Tirek, from what I understand, had a similar one with his father Vorak. I figured I could at least try to get through to him that way.

“Chrysalis is life-bonded to me after I rescued her from Silas Silverblood and returned her to her home. If I’m remembering what that entails correctly, she can’t hurt me knowingly, and yet she’s attacked ponies I care about three times, which means she doesn’t know I’m the same pony who rescued her. Or maybe she suspects it because I was left completely alone when she abducted all of you a few years ago. I intend to make it clear to her.

“Cozy Glow is a foal who has clearly gone a bad way. I will be honest, I don’t know how best to reach her,” he admitted with a wry shrug, “but I still think it’s important to try. And if I can’t get them to open up after a few weeks, if they plain refuse to cooperate, then we put them back in stone, except now they’ve actually earned it.”

“This is all well and good, and very noble of you,” Celestia said, with a small shake of her head, “but how would we hold them? How would they be contained?”

“I seem to recall, all of you were imprisoned in the high-security cells beneath Canterlot Castle that were laced with Queen Chrysalis’ inmanipulon throne to siphon off your magic,” Nova answered immediately again. Twilight felt that small spike of admiration come back. He is very well-prepared for this. “We house them in the maximum-security cells that are lined with inmanipulon to keep any of their magic from having an effect.”

“And you think the moment we set them free that they’ll just go along with it?” Twilight asked. No, of course Nova didn’t think that, but he had to prove it.

“Oh of course not,” Nova shook his head. “That’s why when we set them free, to keep them from escaping, we have every anti-mage we can spare at the ready to keep Tirek from taking our magic or Chrysalis from transforming. Plus we completely lock down the surroundings and have Peacekeepers ready to chase them down should they make a run for it. I had no intention of just cutting them loose and holding them to the honor system,” he added with another small, wry smile.

Silence filled the room after that. No one said anything, no one so much as moved, except for Celestia and Twilight, who both stared down at him. Celestia’s nostrils flared and Twilight was rather pleased to see that she looked displeased. She, meanwhile, felt nervousness, but also admiration.

He had walked right up to the Day Court stand, just dropped that he wanted to release the trio most responsible for Equestria’s current predicament and try to reform them, and seemingly had every angle covered.

Seemingly…

“Suppose for a moment that we allow this,” she said, frowning. “What’s stopping the three of them from just pretending? How will we know their reformation is genuine? For that matter, how will we know if they’re not manipulating you?” she added, as a thought occurred. “Chrysalis and Cozy know how to goad ponies, and even Tirek knows how to whisper his way into your ear, just ask Discord. What makes you think you won’t be played by them?”

“Oversight,” was his simple reply. His smile had vanished and now he was looking at her intently. She had stumbled on a good question, it seemed. “I can vouch for them all I want, but the final decision still lies with the two of you and Princess Luna. If you don’t think their reform is sincere, or if you think they’re getting into my head, then you have every right to condemn them to a petrified prison at your discretion. I only ask that you give me time to put my heart into it.”

Celestia’s nostrils flared again, but Twilight noticed that the moment he said he left the final decision with the three of them, the tension she had been carrying beneath the surface lessened significantly. As angry with them as Nova was, Celestia seemed relieved that he wasn’t locking her out of this process even when she was still the ruler. Or maybe she deemed it a sign that, despite everything, Nova did still trust her to make what she felt were the right decisions regarding the kingdom.

If she were honest with herself, Twilight never doubted that part of her for a second either. For all her faults, Celestia did always put Equestria’s well-being ahead of her own.

Celestia, however, turned her head toward her.

“Well, Princess Twilight? How do you rule?”

Twilight stared at her, suddenly feeling thrust into the spotlight. Most of the rulings so far had been minor, trivial things. Land disputes, civil forfeitures, double-parking, that sort of thing.

“M-me?”

“Yes,” Celestia nodded. “While I understand that I was originally only supposed to guide and teach you to preside over Day Court today, this is the first ruling that I believe will truly come to affect your Equestria, for good or for ill. So I leave this judgment to you.”

Twilight felt her mouth go dry. What? What did she do? She wasn’t supposed to be making any big, Equestria-changing decisions so soon! She was just here to learn how to handle the small things!

Even as she felt herself hyperventilate, all eyes of the press watching her every move, she forced herself to take a deep breath, steadying herself the way Cadance taught her. Then, she examined the situation.

This was a much bigger judgment than it seemed. The underlying question that Nova had put forth was simple. What kind of Equestria did she want to foster and rule?

While Celestia’s rule had been prosperous, it had been marked with major punishments doled out to its enemies. Discord petrified, Tirek locked away, Stygian sealed in an alternate dimension, the Sirens cast into Sunset’s world, the Changeling Wars, Sombra being thrown forward in time, and of course, Nightmare Moon. There had been a thousand years of peace, but it had been a thousand years of stagnation.

Only now, only once Twilight had become the bearer of Magic, had things started to change. Nightmare Moon had been purified and redeemed. Discord had been given a chance, and though he had slipped many times, he was a stalwart ally. Starlight, Tempest Shadow, Stygian, so many of her erstwhile enemies were now friends or closer.

Not just that. Where once, Equestria had been a land of ponies with the occasional griffon or zebra, it was now a proudly multicultural, multiethnic land. Everyone could call this place home, be they dragon, kirin, hippogrif, or even changeling.

Celestia would always be remembered as the Princess who stabilized Equestria and led them to prosperity, but Twilight could take this chance to expand it further.

Even the wayward could atone and find a place here.

And as she gave Nova one last look and saw him staring at her with a steely resolve, she realized that there was a second, unspoken question as well.

Did she trust her fiancee, the Archmage?

She raised her head.

“As ruling Princess in today’s court,” she began, her voice feeling as though it carried the weight of destiny itself and prepared her gavel, “your proposal… is accepted.”

The gavel pounded.

Nova smiled. The press immediately began to write, the scribbling pencils filling the room, along with their murmurs. Celestia’s horn glittered behind her and the door was allowed to open once more.

“Today’s session of Day Court is adjourned,” the elder princess announced. “You are all dismissed. Remember my promise,” she added in a severe undertone, and Twilight saw Ferren Balanced gulp nervously as he quickly made for the exit. “Princess Twilight, Archmage Nova Shine, would you accompany me?”

Twilight turned as Nova trotted up to their seats to see that Princess Celestia was making toward a back door in the room. As this was normally a public meeting hall, it led to some of the backrooms they had originally met in to talk over their plans today. Twilight rose, and she and Nova followed. The guard detail posted around the room all moved to follow, but Celestia motioned for them to stop with a hoof.

“We will convene in private, so please remain out here and take up your posts.”

The peacekeepers saluted and did just that. With that, Twilight and Nova followed her through the door, through a short hallway, and into another backroom that had several cushioned seats arranged around a central table. Twilight carried her notes and placed them on the table, organizing them with a quick shuffling, before leaving them be. Celestia trotted to a seat and took it, gesturing that they do the same.

As Twilight and Nova sat opposite her, she leaned forward with a grin on her face, letting her queenly mask vanish, and she began to clap her hooves together.

“Well played, Nova Shine. Well played.”

Nova allowed himself a modest smile but otherwise looked uncomfortable under the praise. “Yeah, well, I spent a lot of time preparing.”

“Oh yes, that was rather evident,” Celestia nodded. “But I think you underestimate just how well prepared you were, and correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think you quite appreciate the position you’ve put Twilight in.”

“What position?” he asked, sounding cautious. “Did I do something wrong?”

“Oh, quite the contrary, I believe,” Celestia’s smile broadened. “Think about it. With your grand entrance, you put everyone’s eyes on you. You made an audacious proposal, you rebuffed every single challenge we put forth, and you put Twilight in a unique and very enviable position.”

“What position though?” he asked again, relaxing a little bit since Celestia assured him it was a good position.

“Hmm,” Celestia turned to her instead. “Do you know how he’s placed you in a good spot?”

“I… think so,” Twilight frowned, staring down at the edge of the table as she thought about it. It was the same idea as the hidden questions Nova had asked earlier, and she considered the situation. “By putting that proposal forward, he’s given me the chance to either stand by yours and Luna’s judgment, or to make my own decision, so either declaring that I intend to make my rule more of the same, versus trying something new.”

“Astute, but not quite,” Celestia shook her head. “However, yes, that is a signal that will be sent. By making the judgment to free and attempt to reform the Terrible Trio, you have sent a signal that you want your Equestria to be a more forgiving one. But that is not the position he has put you in.”

Her horn flashed and a tea set was conjured on the table, with a cup in front of Twilight, along with a small mug of very light beer in front of Nova. Celestia lifted her cup to her mouth and took a short sip.

“He has essentially put you in a place to give you a significant amount of the credit if he succeeds, yet taking the vast majority of the blame if he fails while you still are given praise for your oversight. Assuming, of course,” she added, placing her teacup back on the table, “that everything goes off without a hitch.”

“Uhh, yeah,” Nova replied, rubbing the back of his head. “That was exactly what I was thinking the whole time.”

“I think you were,” Celestia pressed, leaning forward ever so slightly. “You think you know little about politics because your only experience with politics has been the House, but you know more than you think.”

She leaned back, then took a deep breath.

“Now my question is, will you have enough time to work on this?”

“Of course I will,” he replied immediately. “I don’t have to be up here in Canterlot every day. And even if I do need to be up here, it’s a quick train ride and even quicker pegasus taxi. And between teaching Gleam and working on Star Swirl’s problem, I don’t have all that much else to work on.”

“If you say so,” Celestia replied airily. “Understand though, Nova Shine. All eyes are on you, now. You have insulated Twilight from any failures, but that just means it all comes back to you. Are you prepared to deal with that? What it would do to you?”

“What more can it do to me, Princess?” Nova asked, his voice taking a biting edge. “I’m already dying. Not like failing could do any worse.”

“You would think that,” Celestia replied softly, her gaze never wavering. Twilight appreciated that they were keeping their disagreement quiet this time. “I’ve lived long enough to know that there are things far worse than mere death, Nova Shine.”

“And unless me fucking up so greatly that even my contingency plans fail somehow results in me experiencing these fates worse than death, I frankly have little reason to care about them,” Nova retorted, never letting his own gaze falter. “If I’m going to live on borrowed time, then all I have to worry about is doing what I can now, and whoever’s left in the future can figure things out for themselves. I intend to make it easier for them, but I can only do so much, for good and bad.”

Celestia continued to stare at him for quite some time, nostrils flaring once more, before she gave a tiny shake of her head.

“Have I ever mentioned how much I hate it when you do something I wouldn’t, but your logic and reasoning behind it is too sound for me to question?”

“High praise from you,” Nova said, giving her a curt nod. “Are we done? I have a depetrification to prepare for, and I need to rally as many ponies as I can for that.”

“It would seem so,” Celestia gave a tiny flick of her head. “Do your due diligence, Nova.”

As he trotted out, with Twilight hurrying after him, she only just barely caught her final words.

“I do hope this all works out, Nova. For all our sakes.”

Twilight found herself standing in an empty void yet again. Why was this happening so often these days? Was her sleep really this restless with everything going on? Or…

“Luna, if you’re here, you can come on out now,” Twilight said aloud, wondering what she wanted to talk about this time.

However, when the starry blue rift opened to her side, Princess Luna did not step out, but rather, Nova did. The moment he did, the dreamscape around her changed immediately to a familiar room, with bookshelves full of reading material, a desk and chair for studying, a telescope, and a domed glass ceiling revealing the night sky above them.

“Where are we?” she asked, looking around. She knew she’d been here before, but it had been a long time ago. “And what time is it?”

“It’s only about 11:18 PM, and we’re at my old house’s study, back when I lived in Neighton,” he said, trotting over to give the telescope an affectionate tap on the eyepiece. “Not quite where we first met, but only a few meters away.”

“And hours, by the look of things,” Twilight glanced up at the full moon above. “So, any reason you’re reaching out in a dream and not in the waking world? I mean,” she grinned, “I think your hoof is curled around my belly out there right now. We could still wake up and do plenty of talking.”

“Yeah, but I kinda wanted to have a more private discussion,” he said, trotting over to an easy chair and jumping into it. “And…”

He bit his lip for a moment, which only further piqued her curiosity.

“Well… Luna’s coming.”

“Luna?” Twiligh’s eyebrows raised. “You two talked it out?”

“Something like that,” Nova replied evasively, leaning back into the chair. “Paid a visit to her dreams last night, yeah. Learned…”

He clenched his eyes shut for a moment and winced, but shook his head.

“Learned some things I’m pretty sure I probably wasn’t supposed to.”

“Is it… bad?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. “Our situation isn’t worse now, is it?”

“Depends on your point of view,” Nova shrugged, before gesturing at an opposite chair. A third, much larger one was there as well, leaving no doubt who it was for. “Have a seat. Soon as you’re ready, I can call her in.”

Twilight eyed the chair suspiciously, then looked back at Nova. Had they really buried the hatchet? He didn’t seem all that enthusiastic about Luna joining them in their dreamsharing tonight. Then again, dreamsharing was an intimate experience, but also then again, this wasn’t exactly dreamsharing, and Luna already had access to both of their minds as it was.

“Sure, why not,” she said flatly, hopping into her own seat. “Is she going to lecture us about what you proposed at Day Court this afternoon?”

“You’ll see,” he replied mysteriously. His horn glowed blue, and another starry rift appeared, right in the center of the vacant seat.

Twilight felt her blood pressure spike ever so slightly as the leggy blue form of Princess Luna stepped out, but she did a double take when she noticed, Luna wasn’t wearing any of her regalia. No, she had come to them tonight with none of her usual pomp and jewelry.

“Good evening, Nova, Twilight Sparkle,” Luna said, inclining her head to each of them, before examining her surroundings and plopping onto the seat. “A most familiar sight this eve. A memory of happier days?”

“I wouldn’t call them happier,” Nova replied. “They were before Twi and I got together, after all.”

“More nostalgic days, then?”

“That sounds better,” he dipped his head.

Twilight scrutinized the bare alicorn. Never before had the three of them shared one dream. Never before had Luna been invited to dreamshare, for that matter. No, she chose to invade for the most part. And up until recently, they were welcome visits, sure, but…

Luna noticed Twilight staring at her, gave a tiny smile, and puffed out her chest.

“See something you admire, Twilight Sparkle?”

Twilight made a strange sort of choked noise, feeling herself flush almost instantly. One moment, she had been relaxed and easy-going, the next Luna was eyeing her like she was starved and Twilight was a grand feast, and for some reason, that made all the hairs in Twilight's coat stand on end, and she shifted nervously as she tried to beat down her sudden embarrassment.

Seeing her reaction, Luna tittered to herself, while Nova, that damned stallion, was just sitting back and watching his teacher torment her for sport.

Wait. Wait a minute. Had Luna… had Luna actually flirted with her? Right in front of her fiancee?

“Wh-what’s going on?” she asked, still floundering under the mischievous gaze of Luna. “Is this a prank?”

“‘Tis no prank, Twilight Sparkle,” Luna perched herself on her seat looking quite satisfied with herself at managing to fluster her counterpart so easily. “Though I do see why Tia enjoys this so much, now.”

“Luna and I talked it out yesterday evening,” Nova said, a small grin on his face at the exchange.

“That’s one way to put it,” Luna commented with a grimace.

“Part of that was seeing some things that…” Nova glanced over at Luna, whose confidence had seeming vanished instantly, and now she looked just as nervous and embarrassed as Twilight had only seconds ago, curling inward on herself ever so slightly, and lowering her eyes so they couldn’t meet Twilight’s. “Well, we both agreed she needed to talk to both of us about it. I wanted to tell you myself, but she insisted.”

“What’s this about?” Twilight asked, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly. “Things haven’t been made worse have they?”

“That’s for you to decide,” Nova replied evasively. “Luna?”

Luna bit her lip nervously, but then took a deep breath and sat tall once again. Twilight felt her curiosity and nervousness begin to battle for which one would hold supremacy in her current mood.

“There’s no easy way for me to put this, Twilight Sparkle. And if I am being honest, I would much rather have kept it to myself, but alas…”

She looked over at Nova, with a sad, but still grateful smile.

“He saw what he was never meant to see.”

“And it’s a damn good thing I did, too,” Nova replied firmly. “You think I’m just going to let you torment yourself like that? After the Tantabus?”

“What’s wrong?” Twilight asked, inching herself forward in her chair. The fake fire seemed to glow brighter, casting the front of Luna in a brighter light, but lengthening and darkening the shadows behind her.

Luna took a deep breath, before meeting her gaze with a cool, determined, yet still slightly nervous expression of her own.

“Twilight Sparkle, I have fallen in love with you.”

…

What.

Twilight stared at her, blinking uncomprehendingly. The words replayed over and over again in her mind, not sinking in, as if her brain was trying its hardest to swat them back.

Despite Twilight staring at her, eyes glazing over, mouth drying, and jaw slowly falling open in disbelief, Luna let out a massive relieved sigh, as though she had climbed the highest peak in the world with the heaviest pack she could find, and could now finally let it slip free.

“I-I’m sorry,” Twilight shook her head, still feeling the words refuse to sink in and trying to fight through the sudden cottony dryness that was now all over the inside of her mouth. “Y-you… you just… you just show up in our dream, invited by my fiancee, and just drop that bomb on me that you’ve fallen in l-love with me?”

Twilight clutched at the sides of her head. A million different feelings were bubbling beneath the surface, and she had no idea which one was going to win out.

“Twilight, breathe,” Nova said, slipping out of his seat and coming over to hug her.

“I’m breathing!” she snapped, fixing him with an angry glare. “You invited her in here just so she could say that? What, did she think I’d leave you for her, or something? Did you?”

“It isn’t just you,” Luna added, her voice much softer.

“Oooooooh no,” Twilight felt no shortage of dread swell up. “Don’t tell me…”

“I have developed feelings for Nova Shine as well. I have fallen for both of you, Twilight Sparkle.”

Twilight stared at her in pure and total disbelief, feeling a billion different feelings now. How did that even work!? How could Luna just have the gall to show up in their dreams and just drop this on them both? How could she love both of them!? How did that even happen!?

Twilight let out a growl, which quickly escalated into a frustrated scream, tilting her head back and letting out everything she had at the room, with its glass ceiling displaying the night’s perfect moon and bright stars. and the cheerful firelight, and bookshelves and just everything came out in those seconds of raw-throated exasperation.

Finally, she fell back against the chair feeling exhausted. Nova let her down gently, and she gazed tirely at him, not sure how to feel about all of this. Luna, meanwhile, sat there patiently, though watching her with a little bit of concern.

“Why?” Twilight finally demanded, her voice hoarse. “How?”

“The how is actually rather simple, and all the more confounding because of it,” Luna answered, smiling sheepishly. “On the night I recruited Nova Shine, I placed a small portion of my Source within his. A mental link between us, as I had done for several of my pupils before, to allow me to better understand him.” Her countenance darkened. “Little did I realize that I was giving him what would be needed for him to act in my stead and take up the Elements of Loyalty and Magic on the night of my weakness. And it is that very act which, I believe, has led us to this little tangle.”

“‘Little?’” Twilight scoffed.

“For each of my previous students, the bond I created never grew,” she continued, unperturbed. “It remained as it was, simply tying me to them and allowing me to maintain a close bond. But I believe that it was the Element of Magic that caused such a bond between Nova and I to grow even deeper. Until proven otherwise, my operating hypothesis is that Harmonia’s Gift has deepened the connection, allowing me to feel more that he feels, particularly those things he feels strongly. The joy he feels when he is indulging in magic, the pride in his apprentice, the…” she bit her lip again, “the deep and endless feelings of love and affection for his beloved.”

Twilight stared at her, the gears in her head turning.

“Of course,” Luna continued, unaware of Twilight’s mental workings, “I did not simply fall for you after having no feelings at all. We… admired you from the moment you cleansed us of the Nightmare, even moreso after you aided us on Nightmare Night. You could say the seed was planted, but it was watered by Nova Shine’s own feelings.”

Twilight continued to stare and stare at her in disbelief. She had long since learned that in the Realm of Dreams, she couldn’t detect magic the way she could in the waking world. One’s body wasn’t there to sense, nor was the other’s there to give that energy off. And yet…

Why was she inconsolable only after Twilight had screamed at her on that horrible night? Why was she coming to her dreams to plead with her? Why did Twilight’s anger at her wound her so deeply? Wouldn’t Nova, the pony in the world she was closest to, have been the first she tried to reconnect with? Why come to her so vulnerably?

It makes sense, she realized, her mouth parting. It makes… it makes too much sense!

Despite everything finally, slowly, clicking into place, and despite how much she couldn't help but hate what had come about from all of this, there was one more emotion welling up inside of her.

“Umm, Princess Luna?” Twilight finally spoke up. Luna cocked her head, and gestured for her to go on. “Could you… could excuse me for a moment?”

Luna’s brows knit together for an instant. Excuse her to where? They were in a dream, there was nowhere else to go. Nevertheless, she shrugged and motioned for Twilight to do as she must.

With that, Twilight leaped off her chair and slammed right into Nova’s, tackling him and pinning him to the ground. Nova barely had a moment to react before she dipped down and kissed him as deeply as she could, putting every last bit of the affection and passion she was feeling at that very moment into it.

Luna fell for her because Nova loved her just that much!

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Luna shift awkwardly, though she couldn’t take her eyes off the spectacle. Nova, meanwhile, had reacted in shock, but did eventually let the kiss happen, before he pushed her off after a long moment.

“Okay,” he said, a goofy grin splitting his muzzle. “Not that I’m complaining, I don’t think you’ve ever done that before, but can we let Luna say her piece first?”

“I’m not apologizing,” Twilight declared, stepping off of Nova and returning to her seat as Nova got back to his hooves and righted his chair. Luna averted her gaze, her cheeks a bright pink. “I just… after everything, and you’re the reason she is here telling us she loves both of us. You’ll understand if I’m suddenly feeling a little amorous,” she added, lidding her gaze. Nova’s own cheeks were going bright red at this point, and Luna’s awkward shifting was becoming more obvious.

“Yes, well…” Luna interrupted, before clearing her throat. “Be that as it may, yes, We believe Our link to Nova Shine is responsible for any feelings We hold toward you. Do not misunderstand,” she added, with a slightly sheepish smile. “These feelings are Our own. Or, rooted in Our own, as it were. But they have certainly been affected by Nova’s.”

“Speaking of,” Twilight raised a hoof, “how did you develop feelings for Nova too? The bond?”

“That may be part of it, but…” Luna winced. “We had strong feelings for him from when We were his first teacher. When We learned it truly was him, those feelings, long thought buried, returned and were even more confusing due to the simple fact that We had turned into the mentor figure in his life.”

“You’ve, uhh,” Nova raised his own hoof. “You’ve slipped into Royal We again.”

“Apologies,” Luna smiled sheepishly. “That display might have, er… flustered us– We– I mean, me.”

“You are adorable when you get embarrassed,” Nova laughed. Twilight chuckled to herself too, despite it.

Yes, she had very conflicting feelings about all of this. But… she guessed she was glad Luna trusted them and told them about this. Well, ”glad” may be a bit much, but certainly grateful. Luna approached them and bared her soul to them. And despite how she felt about other mares Nova had feelings for, Luna… was a special case.

In no small part due to apparently having feelings for both of them. That made a world of difference. She didn’t want to split them up. Was it because she knew Luna, instead of not knowing Summer Blossom or Clover the Clever? Or maybe… were there tiny little embers of her own deep down that had been ignored because of Nova? An attraction, at best. A wayward gaze or stray thought, and nothing more, but…

It wasn’t nothing. No matter how much she wanted to assert that it was, and even if it was so miniscule, it wasn’t nothing.

Twilight frowned as that thought occurred to her.

“So… now what?” she asked softly.

“What do you mean?” Luna asked, tilting her head. “I have said my piece. That is all, as far as I am concerned.”

“That’s not going to be the end of it, though,” Nova cut in, also frowning. “You don’t just tell someone you love them, then try to back out of their lives, Luna.”

“What else can I do?” Luna smiled sadly at her former pupil. “The two of you clearly have chosen each other, and I am very happy for you. You clearly love each other and make each other better. ‘Twould be the most selfish thing I could do, to split the both of you apart just to have one.”

“What if we didn’t have to split?”

Twilight’s ears shot up and every muscle in her body tensed. At once, her eyes snapped over to Nova, who was staring at the ground and rubbing around his horn. It was as if her whole body had suddenly entered fight-or-flight mode, when it wasn’t even her body that was here in this dreamscape. Luna, too, stared at him, her expression unreadable, but her eyes sharp. It felt as though this whole situation had suddenly found itself balanced on a knife’s edge.

“I talked with Cadenza earlier,” he continued, seemingly oblivious to the two of them. “I think she was on her way to talk to you,” he said, glancing at Luna for a moment, before returning his gaze to the ground. “She... she reminded me that polyamory is a thing.”

Twilight’s and Luna’s mouths parted. They both looked at each other in disbelief, then back at Nova.

“She didn’t say if we should or shouldn’t,” Nova clarified, shaking his head. “I joked about it with Clover and Summer way back when, forming a herd with them and all that, but I never actually gave it much real thought. But now…”

Twilight’s breath was coming in deep gulps. Was he really going to say it?

Finally, he looked up at both of them.

“Should we?” he finally asked, his voice barely above a whisper. He waved his arms quickly almost as soon as the words left his mouth. “Not right now, obviously. It’s too sudden, we haven’t thought about it at all, and you and I,” he fixed Twilight with a meaningful gaze, “have a lot to work on with ourselves first. But… what about after? When we’ve repaired things and made ourselves stronger? I think Cadenza wants us to try and see for ourselves. So should we?”

The room fell silent for several seconds. Luna’s gaze flicked between both of them, waiting to see their answer. Nova seemed content to wait for her. Eventually Twilight let her gaze fall away from Nova, just for a moment, and began to think.

Before meeting Nova, she hadn’t really given much thought to love. Then the two of them had hit it off and, despite some early friction when he was still struggling with his lingering familial hatred, eventually fell desperately for each other. There were problems, but it always felt like they would eventually come out the other end, as though it were destined to happen.

Did she like mares? Well… yes. She was pretty certain she didn’t prefer one or the other (unless their name was Nova Shine). Nova’s briefly summoned opposite-sex clone Nova Gleam had flustered her and was proof enough of that. Not to mention, she’d had some thoughts about some of her friends too (it was impossible not to fantasize about Rarity sometimes, after all).

Did she like Luna? Yes. Maybe not that way, but before all of this, Twilight had enjoyed Luna whenever she was around, and she certainly appreciated the blithe, playful spirit that Luna brought. Luna was like a more gothic and macabre Pinkie Pie in some ways, but with a gentleness like Fluttershy and a resolute commitment to those she cared about like Rainbow Dash.

Could she and Nova open their arms to include her? If there had never been a Nova Shine, Twilight felt that maybe she could grow to love Luna. No doubt Luna would have fallen for her without Nova being there. Like master, like apprentice after all. But the three of them together…?

That she could not answer. But then again, Nova did say that it wouldn’t be now.

“I don’t know,” Twilight shook her head. “I think we both need to think about it more, and like you said, we need to solve us first.”

“Us us or just… us?” asked Nova, waving his hoof around vaguely.

Twilight smirked.

“Your eloquence astounds me, Nova,” she replied, before smiling self-satisfiedly, a cat that had finally caught its prey. “Been waiting for four years to get you back for that one.”

Luna and Nova both smiled, and suddenly, it felt as though all of the nervous tension in the room had been let out. Perhaps it was a serious moment, but that, more than anything, reassured all of them that this would not fracture things between them, which lifted three great burdens from their backs.

“Not right now,” Twilight nodded at Nova. “We both have work to do and things to think about. But…” she glanced at Luna and gave her a tiny, hopefully smile, “maybe we can eventually try?”

Luna broke into a hopeful smile of her own, her shoulders visibly relaxing. “In that case, I shall wait and hope for the best, Twilight Sparkle. Perhaps fate will be kind to us all.”

The greatest sigh of all came from the lone stallion in the room, which drew both of their attention just in time to see him fall back against the back of his chair, looking palpably relieved.

“Are you alright, Nova?” Twilight asked, sliding out of her chair and trotting over.

“I was afraid tonight would ruin everything between all of us,” he admitted, resting his head and closing his eyes. “I had no idea how you would react to this, after Clover and Summer. But… I figured if I knew, then it was only right that you knew too, and Luna deserved the chance to say her piece.”

Twilight hopped into his chair and hugged him, hoping to reassure him that he needn’t have worried.

Luna got up and trotted over too. “You... risked everything just to help me sleep?” she asked incredulously.

“That’s oversimplifying it, don’t you think?” Nova asked, opening an eye and staring at her as he slipped a hoof free and hugged Twilight back. “That nightmare was going to torment you for the rest of your life.”

“Yet you still wanted to dispel that nightmare from my mind, at what you felt was great risk to yours and Twilight’s own relationship, but as both a show of trust to her and a way to help me,” she restated, shaking her head and stepping back. “Twilight Sparkle, you are a lucky mare to have won the heart of one such as he. Never forget that.”

“Lunaaaa,” Twilight replied, turning to look at her. Luna paused, giving her a confused look. Twilight opened an arm. Nova glanced at the arm, eyebrows raising, before smiling a little himself and holding open his free arm as well.

Luna stared at them both as though she could not believe her eyes, before a disbelieving smile spread across her muzzle, and she hopped up into the chair (which had mysteriously grown to accommodate all of them) and let herself be welcomed into their embrace.

Even if it were just for this one night, three hearts found peace together for the first time in a very long time.

“YOU WANT TO SET TIREK, COZY GLOW, AND CHRYSALIS FREE!?”

As he sat quietly in the small office that Celestia had suggested he wait in, Nova sighed as Dragon Lord Ember stuck her face right into his, arms thrown back, eyes wide, and snarling at him.

“Yes, Dragon Lord Ember,” Nova replied quietly. “I do. And I am going to, and I am going to im–”

“AND YOU THINK THAT THIS IS JUST GOING TO GO OVER WELL WITH EVERY OTHER COUNTRY THAT WAS AFFECTED BY THEM LAST TIME!?”

Nova resisted the urge to sigh again.

“No, I never thought that for a moment,” he said, meeting her gaze calmly. “But if you will just let me explain, there is a plan to all of this.”

The door behind Dragon Lord Ember burst open and the changeling he was happiest to see trotted in. However, King Thorax looked none too pleased with the situation, trotting right up to the empty desk and also crowding Nova’s space.

“YOU WANT TO SET TIREK, COZY GLOW, AND CHRYSALIS FREE!?”

“Yes,” he replied tersely, leaning back. “Perfect timing, Thorax. I had some questions for you, actually.”

Thorax didn’t look moved and continued to glare at him.

“After all the trouble it took to capture and imprison them, and you want to just set them free?” he asked, shaking his head in disbelief. “Look, I get that you want to try and reform them, but I know the queen better than anyone else in this city and I can tell you, she’d rather die than let go of old grudges.”

“Then I guess it’s a good thing I’ve accounted for that,” Nova replied evenly. “I don’t suppose you know the story of what happened over a thousand–”

“YOU WANT TO SET TIREK, COZY GLOW, AND CHRYSALIS FREE!?”

An armored orchid-colored mare with a bright pink mane, a scar over one of her eyes, and a broken horn had now joined the crowd at his desk.

“Is there an echo in here?” Nova asked airily. “Anyone else want to ask the exact same question?”

Tempest Shadow simply stared at him with nothing short of absolute fury. The first thing Nova noticed about her was that her armor today looked quite a bit more ornate than last time, with a bit of golden filigree worked into the darkened steel plating. She also carried something that looked to be half-scepter, half-spear, and just outside, Nova could see an honor guard of four Storm Creatures wearing similar armor and carrying pikes mingling with the changelings and dragons out there as well.

“How do I address you today? You look like you’ve gotten a promotion since last time,” Nova replied, rising to give Tempest a quiet bow.

“If you’re asking whether or not I’ve been crowned Storm Queen, the answer is yes,” she replied icily. “Now answer the damn question, Lord Archmage.”

Nova returned to his seat and held up his hooves placatingly.

“Alright. Yes. I plan to release Tirek, Cozy Glow, and Chrysalis free. BUT!” he added, before they could all start shouting again. “I’m not doing this out of the kindness of my heart or without a plan.”

“So there is a plan?” Ember raised a scaly eyebrow, crossing her arms. “And here I thought you were just setting the three most dangerous creatures in Equestria free and gambling it on you being able to get through to them.”

“If I don’t, it’s back into stone with them,” Nova leaned back, putting his hooves behind his head. He was being quite blase about this, it was true, but he figured if he seemed worried about it, it would give them enough ammunition to second-guess him. “Like I said, I’m not doing this out of the goodness of my heart, your majesties.”

“So what is this plan of yours?” Thorax asked. “What’s stopping Tirek from just stealing your magic immediately? Or the Queen from transforming and sneaking away?”

“Simple,” Nova shrugged. “Inmanipulon, and a lot of it. We get them subdued with Anti-Mages, we get them to their anti-magic high-security cells, and we can breathe. And I may or may not have a secret weapon when it comes to subduing them that I actually need your input on, Thorax.”

“Secret weapon?” Thorax recoiled slightly. “That I can provide input on?”

“Yep,” Nova said, popping the P just a bit more than necessary. “Did they ever tell stories about the time a pony rescued Queen Chrysalis from the hooves of some greedy unicorns in some mines, or something like that?”

Thorax pursed his lips and tilted his head.

“How do you know about the Tale of the Savior?”

“The what?” Tempest glanced over. “I’ve traveled around the world and never heard of something like that.”

“It’s just a nymph’s bedtime story,” Thorax shrugged. “The story goes that when the queen was little, she was enslaved by some evil unicorns, but a good pony beat them all, set her free, took her back to her home, and freely gave of his own love for her to feed from. Supposedly it’s the last time there has ever been a Changeling Life Bond. How do you know about that?” he asked, looking back to Nova, who was still leaned back with his hooves behind his head.

“Hypothetically,” Nova said, not answering the question, “if a changeling were to ever learn that they violated their life bond and brought harm to the pony they are bonded to, what would they do?”

“Why are you asking about changeling bedtime stories?” Ember huffed. “Those won’t fix your plan, whatever it is.”

“Well,” Thorax looked away, screwing up his face as he tried to remember, “the old stories say that changelings who did that became, err… ‘banshees’. Not really sure what that means, but some of our older ones believe that it can cause them to let out a shriek that causes great distress to everyone around them. It’s their punishment for violating the bond. Or so the story goes, anyway.”

“Interesting, interesting,” Nova replied smiling to himself. Oh yes, this would do nicely. His original brute-force Anti-Mage solution would have worked too, but this could probably make it even easier. “Well, I’ve got a friend of mine who’s really good at shield magic handling shield duty to keep everyone in. I was going to have a whole bunch of Anti-Mages there to handle everyone, but if this is correct, then I think I can just leverage the broken Life Bond.”

“You don’t have a Life Bond with the queen,” Thorax shook his head. “Only the Savior does, assuming the story's even real. Not any pony can just invoke it willy-nilly, even if you try to bring up that she hurt the Savior by going after Equestria.”

“Funny story about that,” Nova replied rubbing his cheek and staving off a yawn. It was too early for this. “The mines she was kept in were the Crystal Caves beneath Canterlot. I found her down there when I had gone down below to rescue Princess Platinum with Clover the Clever.”

Thorax stared at him, as did the others, looking as though they could not believe their ears.

“A changeling named Scheherazade helped me out–”

“Scheherazade?” Thorax’s mouth fell open.

“–and he guided me and Chrysalis back to the Changeling Hives where I met the Grey Monarch and was named Friend to the Changelings and even was told his name as a sign of friendship.”

The others didn’t know how to react to that, but Thorax gaped at him.

“You… you can’t… this can’t be true,” he whispered, shaking his head in pure disbelief, before standing tall and staring straight at him with a fierce glare. “What was his name? What was the Grey Monarch’s name? Prove it to me, Lord Archmage.”

Nova leaned forward, meeting it.

“King Metamorphosis.”

Thorax fell on his butt, jaw having fallen completely open.

“No… this is impossible,” he continued to stare in utter shock at Nova. “You… you really are him, aren’t you?”

“Like I said,” Nova leaned back again. “I’ve got it covered. If you want to talk about it some time, I’m all ears. But we’ve got work to do today. Now that being said,” he added, struck by an idea, “I could actually use all of your help. There is no guarantee this works, and I’ll have to resort to my original plan, so having some extra muscle on hoof to help out would go a long way. How about it? Want to help me keep the Terrible Trio subdued later today?”

The three heads of state all looked at each other nervously, Thorax remaining on the floor, still coming to terms that one of the changelings’ mythological figures was just casually dropping existential bombs like that from his own seat.

“If they try to make a break for it,” Storm Queen Tempest said, in a low voice, “then we will put them down permanently. It’s too risky otherwise.”

“I wouldn’t stop you,” Nova conceded. “You’re right. If my plans fail, then at the very least, we deal with them in perpetuity.”

Tempest nodded. “Very well, I will aid you.”

“I can agree to that,” Ember nodded.

“Me too, I guess,” Thorax sighed.

“Great,” Nova beamed at them. “We’ll reconvene later. I have a few more things to sign to make my last preparations, if you don’t mind. But thank you for airing your concerns with me, it is genuinely appreciated.”

Ember harrumphed and stomped out, followed swiftly by Storm Queen Tempest Shadow. Thorax was the last to go, turning back to give Nova a nervous look, before he too walked out. No sooner had the door shut than just the draconequus Nova was hoping would show made his grand appearance.

“YOU WANT TO SET TIREK, COZY GLOW, AND CHRYSALIS FREE!?”

“Did you have to shout that in my ear?” Nova asked, giving Discord an irritated look as Discord innocently tossed the megaphone away.

“I heard it through the grapevine,” said Discord, as a literal grapevine flowered next to his own ear, “that you’re going to try and redeem them?”

“That’s the plan, yes,” Nova nodded. “Where have you been? We could have used your help on all sorts of things.”

“Eh, I’ve been here, I’ve been there, I’ve been everywhere,” Discord floated into the same relaxed, paw/talon-behind-head pose as he had been in earlier, although he was floating in circles around Nova’s head. “Truth be told, I was asked not to help you with anything you’ve been working on, but I don’t think Star Swirl knew you were going to try to destatuefy my statues.”

“Why would Star Swirl not want you to help me?” Nova asked, glaring at him.

Discord shrugged. “Something about you needing to figure it out, not me figure it out for you. But that’s a rabbit trail,” he added, pulling Angel Bunny out of Trixie’s hat that he just so happened to pull out from behind his back. “What I’d like to know is why I should let you go through with this,” he said, shifting to now stand up straight, arms crossed, and looking down very sternly at him.

“Because you were given a second chance,” Nova answered. “They weren’t.”

“They were. LOTS of them.”

“I’d still like to try. Worst case scenario, we put them right back.”

“Hmph,” Discord sniffed. “Fine, I can see I can't talk you out of this. Stubborn little Archmage, aren't you," he grumbled just loud enough for him to hear. "I’ll let you go through with it. But if you mess up, I won’t be the one to clean up after your mistake.”

“Like we had to clean up after yours, Grogar?” Nova asked, giving him a significant look.

“That was one time,” Discord fired back.

“One too many,” Nova sighed. “Still, least you could do is help out.”

“That’s actually why I’m here,” Discord slitered through the air to land right next to him. “If you’re doing this, I’m not missing out on the fun.”

“Excellent,” Nova said, getting to his hooves. “And here I was, thinking I’d have to ask Fluttershy to give you puppy-dog eyes.”

“So what exactly will you need me to do?” Discord asked.

“Oh, I think you’re going to love this…”

There had never been quite so many guards in one place in quite some time in Canterlot.

Sure, there had been major incidents that required the attention of the Peacekeepers, not to mention the Royal Wedding, but there hadn’t been quite a show of force like this crisp autumn morning as what felt like the entire Equestrian military was assembled not too far away from Celestia’s and Luna’s temporary home, with a statue between them all depicting a cowering centaur, a terrified filly, and a lunging changeling.

Four princesses, a Dragon Lord, a Storm Queen, a Changeling King, a chaos spirit, no shortage of spearponies, the Wonderbolts, the Knightmare Brigade, Anti-Mages galore, several military cordons at every location to keep the fugitives hemmed in, no shortage of inmanipulon equipment, including shields and shackles, and one highly optimistic archmage and his apprentice all stood in a massive arrangement of military might, all to prepare to subdue three beings of severe threat to Equestria so soon after they had been put there.

There were even showings from the racial brigades as well. A number of pegasi carrying diving lances and wearing deep blue armor inspired by Nimbusian hoplites circled even higher above the Wonderbolts, a number of earth ponies wearing bronze were stamping their way around the assembly, creating earthen blockages to prevent any would-be escapees, and several unicorns in shining white armor brandished swords glowing with magical energy at the statue, arranged around the assembly to guard any gaps. The Dragoons, Mageknights, and Groundshakers had been called into direct duty for the first time since the Storm King’s invasion.

“Think you have enough guards?” Discord asked Nova, arching a bushy eyebrow. “Perhaps you’d like to call upon the entire Equestrian Aerial Navy to keep watch over the skies?”

“Too big and bulky,” Nova shook his head. “We’d need speed to capture them, and with several of Equestria’s fastest fliers patrolling the skies,” he gestured up above where Rainbow Dash, Fleetfoot, Soarin’, and Spitfire took point over the clearing, “if they make a run for it, we should have plenty of speed to catch them.”

“I was being rhetorical,” Discord rolled his eyes. “And it’s not that I don’t think our four birdies up there can catch him, but do you really think they’d try to just run?”

A snap and flash of light later, a miniature Discord sat on his shoulder wearing a cheap angel uniform, complete with a halo held up by a coat hanger.

“Chrysalis is conniving and manipulative, and will whisper whatever she needs to into your ear.”

Another flash, a mini-Discord wearing a cheap devil costume now, with horns and plastic pitchfork.

“And Cozy Glow will try to goad everyone here into doing something stupid.”

“I’m aware and I’m prepared for the possibility,” Nova replied flatly. “King Thorax?”

The changeling snapped his head over. “Uhh, yeah?”

“You’re sure this is the best way to do it?”

“Absolutely,” he nodded. “Just, uhh…” He winced. “It’ll, uhh… it’ll be pretty loud.”

“How about you?” Nova asked Gleam, who was fidgeting awkwardly next to everyone. “You ready?”

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Gleam asked.

“A good idea? No, but I do believe it’s the right thing to do.”

Gleam opened her mouth, then closed it and pursed her lips. “She thinks so too,” she groused, tapping on her head. “Guess I can’t argue with that.”

It was actually quite gratifying to know that he had Harmonia’s backing, if he were honest. As much as he hated the spot she’d put him in, at least he could appreciate her use as a barometer of how right whatever he was up to was.

“Everyone?” he raised his voice to the assembled ponies. Knightmare Frigoris up above saluted, as did the four closest Wonderbolts. The military ponies all saluted in acknowledgement as well.

“You four?” Nova asked last, turning to the princesses. Twilight met his eyes, gave him a nervous smile, but prepared all the same, her horn lighting up. Celestia and Luna both nodded, their own horns sparkling dangerously. Cadance, however, gave him an encouraging smile and nod, firing a beam of blue energy into the air, which resolved into a massive, powerful shield, containing everyone within.

“Alright,” Nova let out a breath that was only slightly shaky. “Let’s begin. Discord?”

“Way ahead of you,” Discord said, the mini-Discords disappearing, and one mega-Discord reappearing behind the statue, dressed as a Prench sculptor, complete with beret and moustache, with a mallet in paw and a chisel in talon. He made a grand show of looking every which way around the statue for the perfect place to poke a hole in things, either enjoying being in the spotlight or just to delay proceedings a little bit longer, before finally tossing away the chisel, bringing back the mallet, and giving the base of the statue a big thwack.

At once, cracks of light began to spread across the three frozen beings. The sounds of cracking stone began to echo around them, and at once, the peacekeepers lifted shields and lowered spears. The Anti-Mages brandished their tools. The other esteemed guests all braced themselves. Up above, the four Wonderbolts stopped circling, the Knightmares took up positions, and the Dragoons aimed their lances.

The cracks spread, until they abruptly stopped. There was a single heartstopping moment where Nova wondered if Discord hadn’t freed them. Then the stone exploded outward, disintegrating into dust well before it reached any of them.

Then, there was a thud.

“Oof!”

Falling out of the dust was none other than the disgraced queen of the Changelings herself, landing right in front of Nova, having lunged at Celestia, Luna, and Discord some months ago. No sooner had she landed at his hooves than she scrambled to her feet, her horn blazing with green light, her eyes bulging, until she froze at the sight of the massive host of ponies all aiming their weapons at her.

“...what?” she asked, blinking dumbly. “What in…?”

The dust behind her began to clear, with Tirek waving his hands like fans and Cozy coughing up a storm.

“W-we’ve been set free?” Tirek asked, confusedly, rubbing away the dust that had coagulated in his eyes, before he too got a good look at the ponies assembled around him. “Oh,” he said, before grinning savagely. “A veritable buffet of delicious magical energy. How kind of you, Celestia.”

He opened his mouth and began to siphon.

“None of that now,” tutted Discord, having donned a baseball uniform as he pitched an Inmanipulon muzzle straight at Tirek’s face, which landed square in the strike zone. Tirek let out an angry muffled curse and immediately moved to pull it off.

“Aww, all these guards and ponies for lil’ ol’ me?” Cozy Glow asked mockingly. “Well golly, you all must be scared of the big bad widdle fiwwy.”

“Call it appropriately prepared,” Nova Shine replied, his horn glowing blue and physically yanking Cozy Glow down by the tail.

“Wha- hey!”

But while Tirek and Cozy had attempted to act immediately, Chrysalis remained stock still, frozen stiff, as she stared down at Nova Shine, her eyes bulging once again.

However, not with anger this time.

“You,” she hissed, snarling. “You again. Why is it always you!?”

“What’s so special about him?” Cozy asked, with a snicker. “The fact that he keeps getting his magic eaten by Tirek?”

Nova grit his teeth as the memories of that nightmare came back, but he stamped them down and kept his eyes firmly locked on Chrysalis’ own.

“I’m sorry, have we met before?” he asked, far too casually for the situation.

Chrysalis’ snarl deepened.

“Don’t play dump, pony,” she spat. “You were there that day. In the Chapel, you were dragged before me by my children. You were in the Castle that night, when we dragged away the Elements of Harmony. Time and again, you have been at the center of every single one of my plans! How!? WHO ARE YOU!? WHY IS IT ALWAYS YOU!?”

“It appears she has some history with this stallion,” Tirek observed, having finally ripped away the inmanipulon muzzle. “Step away, Chrysalis. His magic is mi–MMPH!”

Discord was a cricket batsdraconequus this time, and he hit a boundary six right where it needed to go. As it was medium-density inmanipulon, it wasn’t supposed to absorb all magic from everywhere, but it shouldn’t have let Discord do his magic so close by. Nova guessed chaos magic didn’t follow the normal rules. Perhaps he should have guessed as much.

“I’m no one important,” Nova shrugged modestly. “I was the Night Apprentice that first day and the Night Master the second and beyond. Why? What’s so interesting about me?”

“Just punch him or something already and let’s get out of here!” Cozy shouted, trying to pull herself free as Nova still hadn’t let go of her tail.

“You lie!” Chrysalis shouted, a mad glint in her eyes. “You lie! Why are you here!? This cannot be coincidence! You cannot be so lowly and yet be everywhere I go! You cannot look like he did and be no one of consequence! THIS IS NOT COINCIDENCE!”

She turned her furious gaze to the four princesses, but her fury settled on Celestia and Luna.

“Whatever trick you are trying to pull, I will not be fooled by such an obvious sham, Celestia!”

Celestia simply glared right back. “This is no sham, Chrysalis. I haven’t just plucked some random pony who happened to look like him and set him before you.”

“You lie! You lie as you always have!”

“I’m sorry, I’m lost,” Nova lied, screwing up his face in fake confusion. “Who is this he you’re talking about?”

Chrysalis scowled down at him, before turning her fury back to Celestia, her horn glowing green.

“I will not be fooled!”

“Are you trying to tell me that?” Celestia raised an eyebrow. “Or are you trying to tell yourself that?”

Nova stepped between them. “Why am I such a big deal?” he asked. “I mean, I get it, I’m the archmage, but I don’t see you freaking out after dealing with Twilight every time you two come to blows.”

Chrysalis’ furious gaze turned to Twilight and her fury lessened ever so slightly, but then intensified all the more, but then she turned her attention to Thorax, and her eyes narrowed.

“Traitor.”

“Mother,” Thorax replied, meeting her gaze. “It’s, uhh… well it’s not really good to see you again, I’ll admit.”

“You’re part of this too,” she scoffed. “What, you decided stone wasn’t good enough? Is this your idea of torment? Forcing me to face the constant thorn in my side? Is that it?”

“I thought Starlight was the thorn in your side,” Twilight observed with a smirk. “Because she keeps beating you.”

Chrysalis let out an irate hiss, but Nova stepped between them.

“Alright, I’ve had enough of the games,” Nova stared up at her. “Let’s get to it, shall we?”

“Get to what?” Chrysalis asked mockingly. “Is this some kind of public execution? Am I to recite my last words?”

“P-public execution?” Cozy asked, eyes shrinking. “Uhh, no thanks, I’d like to go back into stone now, if you don’t mind.”

“They wouldn’t need so many guards for a public execution,” Tirek got the second muzzle off. “They have some other design for us. Oh, for the love of–”

Discord was wearing Amareican football pads and helmet now, and had just thrown a touchdown pass. He was wearing number Q. Nova had made an excellent choice on his Tirek contingency, maybe he’d ask for an autographed jersey.

“Tirek’s right,” Nova said, his eyes never leaving her’s. “No executions today. No, I have something else in mind.”

Chrysalis scoffed, making a grand show of rolling her eyes with a sneer on her face.

“Oh, oh this is precious,” she cackled. “Surrounded by every soldier under the sun, and you get to act like a big, strong stallion because you bully three defenseless prisoners you have trapped?”

“Not exactly,” Nova shook his head. “I just need a way to incapacitate you so we can easily get you transported to your prison cells, and, well… I figured I’d leverage a little something you gave me a long time ago to make that happen.”

“We first met five years ago, pony,” Chrysalis scoffed. “You mortals may think it was a long time ago, but half a decade means nothing to those of us who can live forever.”

“I’m not talking about five years ago,” Nova rebutted, staring meaningfully at her. “I’m talking about much, much longer ago than that.”

The sneer slid off of her face, and Nova was pleased to see a brief glint of disbelief.

“No…” she muttered. “No, that’s impossible.”

“Is it?” Nova asked, lifting an eyebrow. “Do explain.”

“Heh, heheh, HAHAHAHAHAHA!” Chrysalis threw her head back and began to cackle in earnest, Not the self-satisfied cackle of someone who had their opponent right where they wanted them. No, this felt far more desperate. Nova wondered if this was how he sounded a few weeks ago.

Cozy and Tirek exchanged bewildered but nervous looks.

“Oh, you think you can invoke my memories? You think you can invoke my life bond, is that it?” she jeered. “You think I am still bonded to any pony who just happens to look like him? You’re delusional if you think it’s as simple as that. Didn’t you tell him, Traitor?” she fired at Thorax.

“Why is it so impossible?” Nova asked.

“You dolt,” Chrysalis sneered at him again. “He lived and died well over a thousand years ago, and he was ten times the stallion you are.”

“Going down into the Crystal Caves with only Clover the Clever to help him, right?” he asked. “Finding you and Princess Platinum held captive?”

Chrysalis’ sneer fell again, replaced by momentary shock, before she snarled.

“You dare not claim his story for your own! I will not allow it! I will not allow you to besmirch he who gave his love freely to a starving changeling! You will not blaspheme the Savior!”

Nova knew the Changeling Queen had a hair-trigger temper, but this may have been the first time he had actually seen her outright murderous before. Normally Chrysalis liked to play with her food before she ate it.

“It’s him, Chrysalis.”

Chrysalis’ eyes widened, and there was the tiniest prickle of fear that crossed them as she turned her eyes back to Celestia.

“No,” she growled. “No, it can’t be. He would have died hundreds of years ago. You lie! You lie!”

“I swear it upon the sun that I guide,” Celestia replied evenly. “The stallion standing in front of you is the same one who rescued you, who fed you, and who ferried you back to your father–”

“SHUT UP, MURDERER!” Chrysalis screeched. A blast of green energy erupted from her horn, but Celestia parried it with a flick before anyone could react, even her guards. “How dare you speak of my father after what you did to all of us? He was a better ruler than you could ever hope to be no matter how long you live!”

“Shouting and attacking me will not change the truth, Chrysalis,” Celestia continued quietly. “It is him. It is my sister’s first Night Apprentice, and her seventeenth. You can tell, can’t you? You can deny it all you want, but you can tell. It gnaws at you, doesn’t it? A part of you knows who it is, but you refuse to acknowledge it because you know what it would mean.”

Chrysalis recoiled. Her eyes had shrunk to pinpricks, and she began to scramble away at once.

Nova stepped in her path and blocked her, forcing them to meet eyes again.

“No,” she gasped. “No, I cannot… I will not believe…”

“Would you like me to prove it?” he asked quietly. “Because I know the one name only one other pony has ever called you, don’t I?”

“Don’t you… don’t you dare…” Chrysalis whimpered pathetically. Tirek and Cozy were watching what was happening with zero thought as to their own escape, or perhaps because they knew they weren’t going anywhere.

“Don’t I dare what?”

“No, please, you can’t…”

“I can’t what? Know that name?” he asked, before leaning into her ear and whispering his dagger.

“Chryssie.”

As Nova pulled back, no one else moved, save Chrysalis. Her eyes, already shrunken to pinpricks, had gone wide yet again. Her breaths were coming in short, ragged bursts. She was starting to sweat. Her face twisted into the various expressions of someone enduring torturous pain and horror.

“No... No, that cannot... that cannot be,” she whispered, staring into his eyes, with dawning horror and anguish. “If you… then I…”

She clutched her head in her hooves. Nova looked over to Thorax, who was bracing himself. No one else was sure what to expect.

Chrysalis screamed.

Glass shattered, ponies clapped their hooves over their ears in surprise, every pony in the sky dropped several meters before they regained control and floated to the ground, trying to stave off the sound. Gleam was clutching her head in her hooves, her eyes tearing up.

And yet Nova Shine felt nothing at all. He heard the scream, but it was as though whatever the scream was doing to everyone else couldn’t touch him at all. He looked around, beholding the effect of Chrysalis’ shriek, as Tirek, Cozy, Celestia, Luna, Cadance, even Twilight were all curled on the ground, trying desperately to mute the sound, and yet he alone was fine. Despite the faltering, however, Cadance was barely keeping her shield intact, and the ponies outside didn’t look slightly affected, though there was now a crowd peering in to see what was happening.

But no, he was not alone.

Discord was standing there wearing a pair of fluffy pink earmuffs and fastening inmanipulon manacles around Tirek and Cozy’s arms, legs, and muzzles, before gesturing with his head at Chrysalis.

Nova nodded, getting the message.

Chrysalis continued to shriek, wailing like a banshee. The ponies around them were starting to twitch and fidget painfully as the sound continued to strike at them. So Nova did the only thing he could do.

He walked up to Chrysalis and silenced her by stuffing a hoof into her mouth.

Her eyes burst open and she gazed at him in pure terror. Nova mouthed the words “I’m sorry,” to her, then picked up an inmanipulon muzzle from earlier and smashed it across her face.

She was down instantly.

Could he have handled it more delicately? Perhaps. But it was this or continue to torment everyone with her screech.

As everyone began to tentatively remove their hooves from their ears and start getting to their feet, Cozy Glow asked the question everyone else was thinking.

“Wh… what was that?”

“Queen Chrysalis is life-bonded to Nova Shine,” Thorax explained, getting to his hooves. “Because he once saved her life and gave freely of his own love to her, she cannot harm him in any way and must protect him with her life. When Princess Celestia and Archmage Nova Shine made it impossible to deny that it was anyone but him…”

He gestured at the unconscious changeling.

“She was forced to acknowledge that she had brought harm to the pony she was bonded to.”

“But how did she bring him any harm?” Ember asked, staggering to her feet. “The way I heard it was that Tirek was the one who came after him.”

“She kidnapped Twilight once,” Nova replied, looking back at his fiancee, who was clutching her head in her hooves. “She brought me emotional distress. To say nothing of what she did to Equestria, and the day of Cadenza’s wedding. I’m sorry, everyone,” he said, before clearing his throat, which had gone dry. “I didn’t know it would hurt everyone but me.”

“I didn’t either,” Thorax admitted. “I guess that’s on me too.”

“Is everyone alright?” Nova asked, trying to think of whatever spells would help. There were spells to help with banshee wails, but he had no idea what would handle broken changeling life bond screams.

“I have never heard such a sound in all my years,” Luna said, getting to her hooves. Nova felt a tiny lurch in his heart to see Twilight trotting over to help her up. Cadance let the shield drop with a relieved deep breath, before falling over and resting in the grass.

“I suggest you hurry and escort them to their cells,” Celestia said, and Nova was startled to see that she looked breathless, and that the tiniest vein was bulging in her temple. Celestia winced, clapping a hoof to her head, before shaking it. “Before she wakes again. And Discord, you may want to muzzle her too.”

“Welp, we got what we came here for,” Nova sighed as the guards on prisoner detail stumbled their way over to the duo of conscious prisoners and the one unconscious one and began to lead them toward their new accommodations. They fought, but not very hard, as emaciated and powerless as they were.

As Twilight and Luna staggered their way beside him, Nova fell back into a sitting position, wiping a tired hoof down his face. It had only been a few minutes, but it had taken so much out of him.

“Are you okay?” Luna asked, falling into a seat beside him.

“I will be,” he nodded, taking a few deep breaths to steady himself, feeling the familiar jitters once more as Twilight rested against him. “We did what I set out to do.”

“You did,” Luna said, giving him a warm smile. “I don’t think any of us could have prepared for that, but it worked.”

“It did,” Nova said, letting himself fall back against the grass and appreciating how cool it felt. Twilight went down with him. Gleam crawled over and curled up at his hooves, while Luna settled into a sitting position beside him.

“So now…” he sighed, running a hoof down his face. “Now... the hard part starts.”

Author's Note

I'll be honest, I thought about splitting this chapter in two, but there's no really good part to split it. So, here you go, a nearly-24k word chapter update with some big bombs to drop.

Hopefully it won't take me as long to release the next one.

Anyway, happy fifth anniversary, Last Bow! Start hinting at a ship I've been thinking about for years now.

Rytex out. Have a good day!

-----PART I-----

PART I

THE ARCHMAGE