Chapters Prince Shining Armor gave his wings a stretch as he approached the Crystal Castle after another session with Captain Cumulus. While he had continually called on his military experience after resigning his commission from Canterlot's E.U.P., having frequently taken a personal hoof in training the Crystal E.U.P., he had to admit that it had been quite some time since he had to break routine and open himself up to learning again, ever since his sister bestowed him with his wife's magic that had turned him into one of the first stallion alicorns in millennia. When he returned from his visit to Ponyville with his new set of wings, he had asked his Captain of the Guard for some pointers, and Cumulus had done much more than that; having set aside time for one-on-one instruction with the Crystal Prince each and every day since. He still considered himself an absolute novice, nowhere even close to being able to stand hoof to hoof with any of his E.U.P.'s aerial guard, but he was improving every single day, and there was certainly an undeniable freedom in taking to the sky. So far the greatest challenge was overcoming the airsickness that he had ever since he was a colt. As he learned how to control himself in the air, it seemed to lessen rather quickly. He had yet to see if it would still be a problem when he was on board an airship, however.
It had been three months since the final defeat of the Storm King and his armies, and rebuilding efforts in Ponyville, Canterlot, and the northeast coast were very much ongoing, and would likely continue for years. He had called for skilled volunteers to postpone their responsibilities here in the Crystal Empire, and go to the most affected areas to help build, comfort, and feed those who needed help building, comforting, and feeding. As such, the population of Equestria's northernmost city dropped by about a quarter.
Shining approached the underside of the Castle, where the Crystal Heart was currently on display, and stopped to see the freshly carved memorial that had been placed out front, just before the Heart's receptacle proper. It was an obsidian pedestal, and a white stone larger-than-life Crystal Heart, atop which stood a proud and valiant pink quartz statue of Princess Cadance.
On the obsidian base, there was a gold engraving which read;
This memorial dedicates and honors the selfless determination, courage, and kindness of the citizens of the Crystal Empire, who took in over two hundred Ponyvillians in their most desperate hour. May Amore forever watch over them.
The memorial was simply beautiful, and what had astounded Shining the most when it was delivered barely a week ago was the age of the sculptor, Chipcutter; he was barely a colt, and he had been one of the refugees who had taken shelter up here for several weeks after the Everfree Forest had engulfed the town. He had made this statue in a matter of weeks, along with another one for Ponyville, also dedicated to what the Empire had done for them.
One of the first things Shining had done upon returning to ascend to the Crystal Empire's throne, was oversee as much of a 'funeral' that he could without a body, for his wife Cadance. But afterward, instead of observing a traditional city-wide period of mourning, he implored the Empire's citizens to help Equestria's healing efforts however they could with their time, talents, and resources.
"Spread the light and love of the Empire wherever it is needed. That's what Cadance would want us to do." He had told them.
One of his first fears in the aftermath of everything was figuring out how and when to explain things to his infant daughter. But to her credit, the alicorn foal seemed to have somewhat of a grasp of what had happened. He could almost see it in her eyes when she had touched the Crystal Heart in the closing minutes of the memorial service.
"Mama..." Flurry had whimpered as the Heart glowed brightly with her touch.
Luckily, it wasn't just within Equestria's borders where effort was being made. The sparks of friendship that the Elements of Harmony started had bore fruit as the nation slowly got back on its hooves. The Yaks farther north had donated several wagons worth of blankets. Princess Ember and the dragons aided with building materials. Sadly, Gilda, Greta, and Gabby were the only three griffons who helped with correspondence as loved ones made efforts to get in touch with one another, especially in the coastal cities. The Hippogriff Kingdom was only able to send minimal help as well, as they were also in the midst of rebuilding their fallen capital of Mount Aris. Rescue efforts in the four major cities hit hardest on the northeast coast were greatly aided by King Thorax and the Changeling Kingdom, who had also helped Twilight retake Canterlot in the closing days of the Storm King's occupation. Of all the kindgoms beyond their borders, Equestria owed its survival most of all to the changelings.
As the days passed, Shining found himself able to take more breaths of relief. As challenging as rebuilding and getting used to his new powers were, they were challenges he relished. As close as everything had come to the brink months ago, he took the chance to recover at all as a blessing. Thousands had perished in the attacks on the northeast coast, which meant thousands more had lost loved ones. So when he considered what he had lost, he found it easier to carry on when he considered what other ponies had lost as well.
A tragic few had lost virtually everything that they had built their lives on and around.
He got salutes from the guards on duty as he passed the Crystal Heart and ascended the stairs into the castle, the first floor of which was nearly two stories up directly over the Heart. He walked through the corridors up to the throne room, and stared at the throne that he had inherited from Cadance.
"Hang in there, Twiley."
Author's Note
And thus I begin my 50th story here on Fimfiction.
Thanks for reading! Your comments and feedback are everything to me.
Twilight's ears perked at what sounded like wind whistling through leaves and branches. She felt what she's pretty sure was dirt under her hooves. She could only assume she stood in a forest, judging from the sounds, which was all she could discern, because there was nothing but black all around her.
"H-Hello?" She asked. The breeze was chilly against her coat, and it sent a shiver up her spine.
"M... M-Mercy..." A strained voice echoed through the trees.
Princess Twilight bolted up in bed, nearly sending her comforter flying off of the end of the bed as she drew in several deep breaths, remembering where she was, her castle in Ponyville. She looked over to her bedroom window, and saw the sky begin to glow orange with the imminent rise of the morning sun.
Taking another deep breath, she swung her back legs over and got up out of bed, stretching and taking a few more deep breaths. Starlight was largely unable to combat these recurring nightmares because of how short and sudden they were. For the past three months, the Princess of Friendship found most of her nights like this. Even if she couldn't remember what she had dreamed about, she rarely woke up feeling well rested.
Quickly running a comb through her mane to get rid of the bed head, she stepped out of her bedroom into the corridor, and began to make her way towards the kitchen, wondering if her mind was ever going to give her a break during her sleeping hours. She honestly wasn't sure if it was part of the grieving process, or survivor's guilt. The memorial up in Canterlot was nearing completion, would that grant her any reprieve?
She supposed she would have to wait and see.
Over the last quarter year, nearly all the homes in Ponyville were either repaired or rebuilt, decreasing the size of and eventually eliminating the vast camp that had been placed behind the castle. If she was honest, she badly missed having displaced ponies in here every evening and morning, it gave the castle a badly needed life to its halls. But as homes were rebuilt, the castle began to empty out, as did the camp behind it, which had been an almost nightly gathering spot for snacks and songs.
Now that the town was beginning to inch back towards what could be considered normal, Twilight began feeling as empty as her castle. In the first month, funeral services were held almost daily for the lives lost in Canterlot. She had made it a point to personally attend as many as she possibly could, watching as the cemetery on the west side of town expanded faster than in any other time in the town's history.
Knowing that she wouldn't be able to bear attending all of the separate services of her fallen friends, she had asked each of their families if they would agree to a group service for the six heroes who had met their ends in Canterlot. Completely understanding the Princess of Friendship's point of view, they all agreed. She wasn't able to keep it together during her dedication, and truth be told, there wasn't a dry eye in the group of hundreds who had come to pay their last respects to the modern heroes of Equestria. Twilight had hoped that it would start to get better after that, but seeing how there was nothing left to bury, her emotional state didn't improve much. The ghosts of the past were all around her. Sugarcube Corner, Carousel Boutique, the cottage, the farm, and the weather patrol all reminded her of the friendships that had been cut short.
For as brutally as she had defeated the Storm King in the throne room of Canterlot Castle, it wasn't that action that was keeping her restless at night. No, what she still had trouble accepting in hindsight was what she had done to his lieutenant, Tempest Shadow, outside an old cave-turned-mineshaft in the town of Foal's Peak. After following residual traces of her magic down the northeast coast, she had descended to a small town, that had been massacred by offensive spells. Because she wasn't going to risk Tempest getting away, she hadn't taken the time to look for survivors. It had been a close match, but Twilight triumphed with the amplified power of three alicorns and the Elements of Harmony.
When the crippled unicorn had asked for mercy, Twilight blasted her into the cave, and collapsed it down on her, along with half the mountain, burying her barely alive. The look of fear in her eyes had stuck with the Princess of Friendship every day since.
When the dust had literally settled from their fight in front of the mountain, a small detachment of E.U.P. came down and confirmed that there hadn't been any survivors hiding; forty ponies had been killed in the streets and in their homes. It was one of the most horrifying things she had ever seen, and so far, the only residents lucky enough to escape had been away on travel; an old mare and her grandson. The E.U.P. had directed them to Ponyville, and Twilight had put them up in one of the castle guest rooms while she figured things out. It didn't surprise her when she came into the kitchen and saw the elder earth mare already there, pouring a fresh cup of hot coffee.
"Good morning, Quartz Crystal. How's Citrine?" Twilight asked, grabbing a clean cup of her own.
"Sleeping in. She's been improving."
"I'd actually like to talk to you about her situation, and yours. I'll be honest, I really don't see Foal's Peak recovering, at all." Twilight told her.
"I've started to come to the same conclusion, Princess. Hard not to expect something like that when nearly the entire population is wiped out. Pour souls..."
"Miss Cheerilee's classes are starting up in a few weeks. If you'd like, I can assist however I can in helping you and Citrine settle permanently in Ponyville." Twilight offered.
"Th... Thank you, Your Highness. It would probably be an easier transition for Citrine than if we were to move somewhere bigger. I know things will only get better as further rebuilding is done."
"I know it's a daunting task, but if you'd like to return to Foal's Peak and help with laying the victims to rest, we can arrange foal care services."
"I don't think I'll be going back, Princess. Besides, last I heard, somepony has already started with that."
"Really? Somepony else made it out?" Twilight asked.
"No, she had moved away quite some time ago. Her name is Glitter Drops. When she heard what happened, she returned and has been working with your E.U.P. squad for the past couple weeks."
Princess Twilight's chariot dipped below the clouds, and the just over two dozen structures that made up the village of Foal's Peak came into view. The scene was quite different than when she had first seen it months ago, with the columns of smoke rising against the horizon. Even from up here, she could tell that the village was all but abandoned, but at least now, there weren't fresh corpses on the streets.
The chariot came down into the center of town, and she got out and looked around, as two of the assigned E.U.P. guards came up to greet her. Two distinct campsites had been set up in this central clearing; one was a pair of two-pony tents, in the standard E.U.P. procedure, and another single pony tent on the other side.
Some signs of the attack had remained, but some of the buildings had begun to be carefully dismantled, starting from the top. She also noticed that wooden markers with tied scarlet ribbons had been placed at the spots where ponies had fallen. A late summer's worth of rainfall had washed most of the bloodied dirt away.
"Princess Twilight, Your Highness." The E.U.P. lieutenant greeted, coming up and saluting, standing at attention.
"At ease, Lieutenant. I'm here to see Glitter Drops." Twilight replied.
"She's down the path to the north, Princess. She's been more or less directing the de-construction of the buildings here since she got here. Just as well, if they're left unoccupied through the autumn rain and winter, it'll be more hazardous to clean up."
"Thank you, Lieutenant. As you were." Twilight told him, and headed north down the street. The path climbed a hill and the empty buildings soon gave way to hills and pine trees.
It was almost surreal, being back here so soon, remembering the fiery emotions and power that had enveloped and overwhelmed her three months ago.
The dirt path curved slightly to the left, and Twilight saw that most of the signs of her battle with Tempest were still here. Bits of limestone still littered the path , and trees got more bare as she closed in on the cave, before blasted tree trunks took over. There, at the center of the enlarged clearing, in front of the mound of limestone, was an aqua-coated unicorn, sitting in front of another simple wooden grave marker that had been staked in front of the collapsed mountain.
"Um, excuse me?" Twilight said softly to get the pony's attention. The mare turned to her, with tears pricking her eyelids, and she quickly wiped them away and stood to face the alicorn.
"Glitter Drops, I assume?" Twilight asked, coming up to her. She nodded.
"Head of the Crystal Empire Arctic Patrol, Your Highness. Foal's Peak was my hometown, and I've taken a prolonged leave of absence to put it properly to rest."
The unicorn mare's eyes were a rich violet, and her mane and tail were a light grayish blue, and they were nearly as poofy and bouncy as Pinkie's had been.
"The town is back that way," Twilight said, pointing a hoof back down the path. "So I can only guess that you know what happened here."
Glitter glanced back at the marker that she had staked in the dirt, and slowly nodded at the Princess.
"She was my friend. Back before she ran away 15 years ago. It was the last I ever saw of her, before she started appearing on the front page of every Equestrian newspaper for a month." Glitter replied.
Twilight began to connect some of the dots.
"So you were one of the ones who abandoned Tempest after she lost her horn?" She asked, remembering what she had been told on her airship. "You think it's a good idea to memorialize the killer a quarter mile from her victims? Not to mention the thousands over on the coast?" Twilight asked incredulously.
The unicorn visibly bristled momentarily with anger.
"Her name was Fizzlepop , Princess. And I'm not sure what you think you know about me, but I'm not remembering what she turned into. I'm remembering the friend she used to be." The unicorn said defiantly.
"Do you have any idea what she took from me? What she took from everypony else? All the lives she ended?" Twilight asked, feeling her anger rise.
"Yes, I do. The imminent opening of the memorial in Canterlot has been news for a week. If I've read the articles correctly, the throne room memorial has been done just as you requested, down to the letter." Glitter Drops replied without hesitation. "What if you couldn't? Would you like it if somepony dictated how you should remember your friends?"
Twilight didn't respond.
"Then with respect, Your Highness, please don't tell me how I should remember mine." Glitter said, her lips beginning to tremble, tears threatening the corners of her eyes again as she turned back to the marker, using her magic to start to push back some of the crumbled limestone, making the clearing a bit more presentable.
Knowing that saying what was on the tip of her tongue wouldn't be very Princessly, Twilight seethed as she forced herself to turn around and trot back down the path she came. Foal's Peak soon came back into view through the trees, and Twilight descended the hills into the village, returning to the center of the village, where the four E.U.P. guards and two chariot drivers were waiting, coming to attention the moment they saw her.
"Gentlecolts, the four of you are done here. Pack up, and return to Canterlot at whatever pace you deem reasonable." Twilight commanded as she walked around to the back of the open-air chariot and stepped in.
"And what of Miss Glitter Drops, Your Highness?" The commanding Lieutenant asked as his three subordinates immediately set to breaking down their tents.
"If this path is truly one she is committed to, then she'll walk it alone." Twilight responded, nodding to her pair of drivers, who immediately broke into a gallop and ascended to the late afternoon sky, heading northwest back towards Ponyville.
Twilight found herself standing in front of a wide, yawning cave. Leaves and branches gently knocked against each other in the wind. The cold breeze sent a shiver down her spine as the foreboding abyss bore into the mountain in front of her.
"Monster..." She heard a disembodied voice echo through the trees.
"Who's there?" She called out, turning her head left and right. The cave entrance seemed to slowly expand outward towards her. She heard galloping hoofsteps behind her and turned to look, and gasped when she saw herself, barrel clad in the glass harmony armor, eyes glowing a sickly red, horn cracking with magic.
"Murderer!" The other Twilight screamed, sending forth a surge of offensive magic from her horn, which she wasn't able to evade in time, and it threw her into the cave. She rolled end over end before coming to a stop. As she got to her hooves, she then realized something was off when she saw the coat on her front legs; not lavender, but a much darker orchid.
She came to a standing position, saw a puddle of standing water on the cave floor, peered down into it, and saw the reflection of Tempest Shadow staring back at her, the eyes widening in shock and fear as she took several startled steps backward into the blackness.
The dark gave way to an eerie blue light from behind her, and her blood ran cold as she heard a low growl, turning to see an ursa minor towering over her, raising it's right front paw to attack. The swipe came too fast, and Twilight didn't step back far enough as the claws came into contact with her head and she heard a sharp crack.
The Princess of Friendship bolted up in her bed, and couldn't stop herself from shooting off a bolt of magic that bounced off of the adjacent crystal wall, forcing her to duck as it impacted just above her headboard, leaving a small scorch mark. Twilight shuddered briefly before beginning to weep, sitting up as she did so, looking over at her clock on the nightstand and saw that it was barely past midnight. She had spent the entire ride back from Foal's Peak silent and sulky, and had gotten back to the castle just as the sun was going down. She didn't talk to anypony as she got a small snack from the kitchen and then retired for the night.
She walked over to her window and pushed them open, letting in the cool night air of late summer, before going over to her small desk, uncapping the inkwell as she grabbed a quill, dipping it in the ink before putting it to the fresh sheet of parchment.
Starlight,
I need help. Please come see me as soon as you can.
Your friend, Twilight
Twilight took a deep breath and lit up her horn, sending her letter through the aetherial plane to Canterlot, where it would materialize at the hooves of her student-turned-alicorn. It was a spell she had to learn quickly, as rapid correspondence was something that she had previously relied on Spike's enchanted dragon's flame for. Wiping her eyes and taking a few more breaths, she was about to go down to the kitchen to make some hot tea when there was a gentle knock on her door.
"Twilight?" Came the concerned voice of Starlight Glimmer.
"Come in." Twilight replied, watching as the door opened to reveal Princess Starlight of the Night and Dreams.
The darkest purple segments of the heliotrope alicorn's mane and tail had recently begun to sparkle and take on the princessly ethereal motion of its own as she had become more attuned to her powers. Her horn length had increased just slightly, and she had chosen not to wear a crown, at least not on friendly house calls such as this. As it was, she barely tolerated the shimmering indium gold necklace and horseshoes that had been made for her, that shone like diamonds. Starlight had made it crystal clear that the regal, pomp, and circumstance that Canterlot was historically known for was quite repulsive to her as long as Equestrians were struggling to rebuild. Twilight wished she could have been there a few weeks ago when she offered a rather fierce rebuttal to one of Canterlot's elite who dared to ask if the Grand Galloping Gala would be held at the beginning of autumn as it always had.
"Twilight, are you alright?" Starlight asked gently.
"No. No, I'm not. I can't deal with this alone anymore, Starlight. Every single night..." Twilight explained, shuddering.
"Twilight, I'm always going to have nights where I miss them."
"It's not our friends, Starlight. It's... It's what I did to Tempest."
Starlight took a moment to think back. So this wouldn't be helping her friend along the grieving process.
"You mean when I found you on that path outside Foal's Peak?" Starlight asked. Twilight nodded, sniffling.
"I had beaten her. I had gotten my magic back... And I still wanted to tear her limb from limb." The Princess of Friendship explained, sitting down on her bed.
"You think anypony would blame you? After what she did?"
"She was defenseless, Starlight. She was defenseless and she asked for mercy. And I answered... By throwing her into the cave and burying her under half the mountain. And even that wasn't enough. One of her fillyhood friends found out what had happened, she included that spot in the grave markers she's making for the village, and I responded by pulling out the E.U.P. that was helping her yesterday. Does that sound like something a princess would do?"
"Princess or no, you are only a pony, Twilight. Remember what Starswirl told you? It was never going to be enough. Now, lay down. I will help however I can."
With that, Starlight gently pushed Twilight back onto her bed with a hoof, and lit up her horn, casting a sleep spell that quickly overcame Twilight. The first half of her task done, Starlight sat down in a meditative state, and entered the Dream Realm. It was a seemingly endless field of stars, each one was what a pony experienced in their sleeping hours.
"Twilight Sparkle." The name left her throat at under a whisper, and Starlight was thrust through the realm as the field of stars rushed passed, and after a momentary flash of white light, she found herself standing next to the Princess in a forest, darkened by an overcast sky. She recognized it as the forest path she had found Twilight on after one of the peaks of the Foal Mountains had partially collapsed.
Twilight looked uneasy, even with Starlight next to her. For her part, Starlight lit up her horn, and touched her left hoof to Twilight's chest. It glowed in response, before a wiggling, sparkling mass was pulled from her chest, and Starlight immediately put a magical barrier around it. The purple, glowing, smokey amorphous mass had no defining shape.
"I take it you know what this is?" Starlight said, and Twilight nodded with wide eyes, remembering all too well from when they had helped Princess Luna.
"A Tantabus." Twilight answered, watching as the creature of the dream realm writhed within the confines of Starlight's barrier spell.
"A magical parasitic creature of the dream realm. Severe guilt made manifest. This represents what you wanted to do to Tempest. You wanted to put her suffering on par with your own, but there is no sating that kind of anger, or hate. Instead, you must find a way to let it go. Or it will continue to eat at you."
Starlight's concentration seemed to falter for a moment, and that proved to be enough for Twilight's Tantabus to break through the barrier and slam into the Princess of Friendship, seeping back into her chest, bringing back the knot in her stomach as she took in a labored breath.
Starlight focused for a moment, closing her eyes, as if she had been distracted by something.
"What is it, Starlight?" Twilight asked.
Starlight mentally reached out across the dream realm in silence for several moments before the glow of her horn faded and she opened her eyes again, looking over at her mentor.
"It would seem that you're not alone in your guilt, Twilight. The mare at Foal's Peak. She is dealing with something very similar, and I believe you two can help each other through your troubles. I urge you to return to that village and talk with her."
Crickets echoed through the near black early morning of Sweet Apple Acres. Even with only a couple hours of sleep, Twilight didn't find them too relaxing as she took a solitary stroll through the trees of the north orchard. What this late-night-early-morning walk did was put her mind a little bit at ease. It gave her a little peace, which was more than could be said of the empty, cold halls of her castle. She was so focused on the blowing leaves and rustling branches that she didn't pay attention to the heavier hoofsteps that had closed in on her.
"Twilight?" A deep, familiar stallion's voice asked calmly, not wanting to startle the princess. Twilight turned.
"Big Mac. What are you... Well, I would ask what you're doing out here at this hour, but I think you're about to ask me the same question, aren't you?" She replied to the tall red farmer.
"I imagine we're out here for the same reason. Times like these, I don't reckon there ain't no beatin' the peace the orchards can bring you." Big Mac replied.
"So... How have things been? I know I haven't been down here that often since..." The princess trailed off.
"We've been managing. My biggest worry has been Apple Bloom. She's... Well, I think she's using her chores and then some to get through her grieving. She's been doing considerably more than her share. I'm afraid she's trying to make up for AJ. I don't think I can do much more than make sure she doesn't collapse from exhaustion." The stallion explained.
"How about you?"
"Well I'm still not sleeping well, I get a nap in when I can. I've been dealing with it as best I can. I know farm work is supposed to be hard but safe. But I suppose the way the Tree of Harmony called her for other things... I always knew there was a risk that she... Well, that there was always a chance she wouldn't come back. I wouldn't ask her to take any of her choices back, though. She saved a whole lot of ponies. She leapt into the fray to save you, and here you are, safe." Big Mac's gaze fell to the ground as he took a deep, quiet breath, before looking back up at the princess.
"Sugar Belle's been a real big help with getting me through this. She's talking about moving down here to be with me. Even with everything that's happened, I think I'm ready to take that next step." Big Mac told Twilight, managing a small smile.
"That's great news. Listen, I know cider season is coming up, and if you need any help at all, please don't hesitate to ask me. Work like that would be a great distraction from everything else that's been going on these past few weeks." Twilight told him. Big Mac nodded in understanding. Distractions were all too important during periods of loss and grieving.
"I will certainly keep that in mind, Twilight. Say, the guest room is available if you'd like a place to get a little sleep without walking all the way back to town." Big Mac offered.
"No, but thank you, for the offer, and the talk. I'd better be heading back to get my chariot ready to go by sunrise. I've got somewhere to go."
Glitter Drops poked at her campfire she had made to put together her morning haycakes and coffee, which had long been the norm in her years as an arctic patrol mare in the northern reaches of the Crystal Empire. But right now, she would honestly take a frigid morning up there over this. With the E.U.P. gone, it felt like she was camping in a graveyard, and she was getting concerned with how lonely it would potentially get here.
Her morning didn't stay lonely, however, as she began to hear beating wings over the crackling of her campfire. She peered up into the dawn sky, and saw a chariot descend down towards the village. The pair of E.U.P. pegasi pulling the chariot slowed and gently set down a dozen feet from her campsite, and she saw Princess Twilight Sparkle stand and exit.
The unicorn wasn't quite sure what she was going to say, so merely stood up in front of her fire and waited for her to close the distance, and the Princess of Friendship came to a stop on the adjacent side of the fire.
"Glitter Drops, I'd like to apologize for my behavior yesterday. It will never be my position to dictate or judge how you remember a friend. I'm very sorry. I want you to know that you'll be getting an entire E.U.P. construction platoon tomorrow morning. They'll help with whatever you need to do to complete your memorials before the colder weather sets in." Twilight told her.
Glitter's eyes widened in surprise. She honestly wasn't expecting something like this, so quickly, or quite frankly, at all.
"Th-thank you, Princess." Glitter replied.
"There's something else. Princess Starlight says that you and I are having a very similar problem right now, and she's hoping that we can help each other through it." Twilight told her, sitting down on the ground, looking at Glitter through the flames.
"What kind of problem are you having?" She asked the princess.
"What I did to Tempest... Or what did you say her name was? Fizzlepop? It's haunting me. I'm not sleeping well."
Glitter Drops' expression turned a bit uneasy as she heard those words.
"Could you tell me a bit about her?" Twilight asked, and Glitter's face softened.
"Certainly." She replied, returning to her sitting position, sipping at her cup of coffee. "Fizzlepop, Spring Rain, and I grew up here in this town. It was always our dream to go to Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. We always spent our free time practicing our magic together. One of our favorite games was to play catch with telepathy and a ball. We were usually pretty good at it, but one day..."
Glitter paused to sip at her coffee again and start into her first haycake before continuing.
"One day we were headed up that northern forest path towards the mountain. It was my throw to Fizzlepop. I don't know if my trajectory was off, or if she just wasn't ready. But, she didn't catch it, and it bounced into the old mining cave. It had long been abandoned. She went in to go get it, and..."
"She told me what happened." Twilight told her, when Glitter paused in her story.
"She did?"
"She said that after that, you and Spring abandoned her because she couldn't use her magic anymore."
"I'm really sorry that she saw it that way. It really wasn't. After she got out of the hospital, we were ready and willing to change what we did together, but... She seemed hellbent on fixing herself. For a time, she seemed to think that it would grow back. She kept trying to use her magic. We didn't want abandon her, but it got to a point where being around her was dangerous while she was trying to use her horn. You don't understand, there was no convincing her to give it a rest. We found another unicorn to start practicing with and one day... She disappeared. Her parents had no idea where she had gone. Search parties went out, and they came up with absolutely nothing."
Glitter offered Twilight a cup of coffee, which she accepted, but turned down a helping of haycakes.
"Spring and I made it into Celestia's school, but not even a semester passed before we realized how much over our heads we were in."
Twilight nodded in understanding. The School of Magic was no joke when it came to the pace of the accelerated coursework. Dropouts happened every year, because you either kept up, or got overwhelmed.
"I stayed there long enough to find I had a certain affinity for illusion magic. I thought about Fizzlepop less and less, and when the Crystal Empire reappeared, I found an opportunity up there in their arctic patrol division, keeping the outer areas and citizens safe from the more dangerous wildlife. Life became exciting but manageable. Until that invasion happened."
Glitter finished her cup of coffee and took a deep breath.
"When I saw front page newspaper pictures of her in Canterlot, and on the airships above Bostrot and Manehattan... I didn't know how to feel. It was like she was back from the dead. When I had heard what she had done to her hometown, and learned that it was where she finally paid the ultimate price, I decided to come down here and do what I could to put everypony here to rest. Then... Then the nightmares started. Of that cave and that damned ball. Every night. I was too afraid to go in after it, and she was always the bravest of the three of us..."
"Glitter Drops, what happened to her isn't your fault." Twilight told her.
"How isn't it? I didn't stop her, I didn't even say anything as she disappeared into the black, over a stupid ball! A few moments later she came staggering out , horn broken and one hell of a cut on her right eye."
Glitter took a deep breath after her short tirade, pouring herself another half cup of coffee.
"So what about you? Why does one princess think I can help another princess?"
Twilight took a moment to gather her thoughts, now that it was her turn.
"The... The days after the attack on Canterlot were the most tumultuous of my life. In the blink of an eye, I had lost nearly everyone I had ever gotten close to... And it was all because of her. Once we had liberated Canterlot from the Storm King, I tracked her down to here. I touched down pretty much where we're sitting now... Except there were bodies everywhere. When I found her outside that cave, she had just slain that ursa that had attacked her all that time ago. Our battle was heated, but it was the power of three alicorns versus one. When I had her beaten and near motionless on the ground, she asked me for mercy, and..."
Twilight paused, motioning towards the path to the north.
"And I buried her under half the mountain. I showed her the same mercy she showed my friends and mentors."
"After everything she did... To Canterlot, Manehattan, Bostrot, this place... I'm not judging you for what you did, Princess."
"My mind has been doing plenty of that myself. I'm the Princess of Friendship. I should have considered her plea. She was no longer a threat. I didn't have to do that, but I let my emotions get the better of me."
"Your emotions are part of who you are, Princess. You shouldn't deny them, royalty or not." Glitter offered.
"I also shouldn't let them take over in matters of life and death." Twilight replied.
"Fair enough. So what should you and I do?"
Twilight stood up, motioned to the path towards the cave.
"We are going to put this to rest. Both of us, together."
Author's Note
My apologies for taking so long to get this one out. Real life and other hobbies have taken precedence this week.
"So, forgive me if I seem naive, Princess, but how exactly are we going to help each other? I mean, not even Princess Starlight could help." Glitter told her as the pair of ponies walked down the north forest path towards the collapsed cave.
"Exactly. As the Princess of the Night, Starlight has immense influence over the Dream Realm. But one thing she is near powerless against is something called a tantabus. A creature of the dream realm that is so deeply entrenched in the personal nature of the dreamer that there is very little she can do to ward it off; it's up to the pony it inhabits. I've got one, and she thinks you do too." Twilight explained.
"Ah. I get it, um, I think."
"There's a bit more. There's a possibility that her spirit may not be at rest; because a collapsed cave isn't exactly a proper burial. You are one of her oldest friends, and if I can manage it, I'm going to leave it to you to decide what to do with what remains. But we have our demons to confront first." The Princess told her.
The two mares slowly came up to what remained of the old mining cave, as well as the countess tons of pulverized limestone that littered what remained of the entrance. Twilight lit her horn up, and a glowing sphere expanded out to envelop both of them.
"Stay close." Twilight told Glitter, and began to step slowly towards the cave, with Glitter just a step behind.
When the sphere that surrounded them reached the rubble, Glitter was surprised to see that they were passing through it. It warped and shifted, but not as displaced as she thought it would be, like pushing your hoof into a bucket of sand. Twilight's gait was slow and methodical, as she wasn't absolutely sure there was enough room to push all the way through. Glitter started taking deeper breaths as the natural light from the sky above vanished, and the only light source came from Twilight's spell, as she looked around and saw nothing but crumbled limestone on all sides of them as they made their way into the cave. They heard the shifting of rocks with every inch the magical sphere moved forward.
"Don't worry," Twilight assured her companion. "I can teleport both of us out of here in an instant if anything goes wrong."
Glitter was concerned that if anything went wrong, an instant would pretty much be all they would have.
With rubble surrounding the sphere at every angle, it was considerably difficult to judge how far they had come into the cave. Glitter kept a very careful watch on the ground in front of her, and let out a soft gasp when the sphere pushed forward with their steps, and a black metallic hoof object appeared through the pebbles and dust; a hoof guard. Another step revealed the skeletal remains of the hoof and leg that wore it. With that, Twilight came to a halt. Part of her was shocked that even bones remained, instead of being atomized by the aetherial explosion that had collapsed the mountain on top of her.
"I hope you're ready. Take a deep breath." She said, both pairs of eyes locked on what they had just uncovered.
"Vultus interius. " Twilight commanded, the glow from her horn increasing tenfold.
Glitter breathed in, briefly closing her eyes. When she opened them again, she found that the caved-in rubble was gone, and the cave looked just as it had before the collapse. She drew in another gasping breath when she saw there, in front of them, was Fizzlepop, breathing weakly, broken horn sparking uselessly, as she couldn't tell if her oldest friend was even conscious.
"Fizzlepop?" She asked.
The orchid mare's eyes slowly opened, but otherwise didn't respond, as an enraged roar from deeper inside the cave pulled the duo's attention away from her as they gazed into the blackness. Glitter almost didn't hear the springing sound of rubber colliding with the cave floor, getting closer, and she nearly screamed when she felt something roll into her back left leg. Her head whipped back to look, and saw a yellow rubber ball come to rest just behind her.
"No... No...!" She whispered with dread as she saw the silhouette of a unicorn filly gallop in from the blinding daylight. She turned back to see that Twilight had vanished, and her heart crept up her throat.
It was up to her.
Twilight steeled herself to confront what had to be an ursa; the roar was unmistakable. A quick glance to her left revealed that Glitter had vanished. She had hoped that the spell that put them into a meditative trance and thrust them into the dream realm would have kept them in one place, but perhaps they were destined to do this separately, at the same time.
After the initial roar, there was nothing. No thundering approaching steps, no growls. Her eyes scanned the darkness of the chamber in front of her for any sort of movement. She heard a soft crackle, then a spark through the pitch black, before an offensive spell surged forth, not aimed directly at her, but rather at the prone unicorn at her hooves. She jumped into the path of the bolt of magical energy and cast a shield spell. The attack hit, the shield shattered, but she was physically unharmed, and Tempest behind her went untouched.
Finally, piercing the black in front of her wasn't a towering ursa, but a glowing, sparkling image of herself. The features were minimal; the entire coat was translucent, and sparkled like the night sky. The eyes were a fiery red. But she recognized the armor the figure wore as the elemental armor Starswirl had bestowed upon her.
It was her tantabus.
"After what she did, you defend her?" It asked, the voice a distorted and warped version of her own.
Twilight channeled energy into her horn, ready to cast another spell at a moment's notice.
"Yes."
The glowing pony took another step forward, and in that step, its form morphed to another familiar face. Tempest.
"As you cling hopelessly to all the things that could have been?"
Blinding blue light surged forth from the form's broken horn, and Twilight instinctively cast another shield spell. But a blow never came. Instead, the darkness of the cave surrendered to the sickeningly stormy skies of Canterlot during the Storm King's attack. She saw herself, off to the side, exhausted. She saw Tempest bend her knee to the Storm King. This was when he shared the alicorn magic with her...
But it was different this time. The Storm King cackled.
"Ha! Who cares about your dinky little unicorn horn?"
"But we... We had an agreement!" Tempest objected.
"Get with the program! I used you! It's kinda what I do."
The Storm King lashed out with a blast from the Staff of Sacanas, which Tempest swifty sidestepped and responded in kind with a magical volley of her own, blasting both of them off of their feet, and her nearly off of the balcony, clinging to the railing as the cyclone threatened to pull her in.
Twilight watched herself get to her feet, glance at both the Staff and the struggling Tempest, before lunging for her hoof just as it lost its grip on the railing.
"Hang on!"
"Why are you saving me?"
"Because this is what friends do."
Glitter turned swiftly on her front hooves and shot out with her rear ones in an attempt to buck the ball out of the cave in the direction it came, only to slump to the ground when her hooves passed right through the ball. Her mind began to go into a panic as she got back to her hooves and saw the filly Fizzlepop continue to close in on what she had come in here after.
"No! Turn back, it's not worth it!" She screamed, to no avail as she heard another growl of discontent behind her in the cave. As the glow of the ursa began to illuminate the cave, the single thought that came to Glitter's mind was the single spell that she remembered from her semester at the school of magic. She took a deep breath and did her best to focus her mind, for this had nothing to do with the horn, but rather the voice.
"Fus!" The ancient tongue produced a shockwave that expanded outward from her lips and impacted with all sides of the cavern, as well as rushing forward, pushing the ball towards the entrance, stopping the filly in her tracks and nearly knocking her off her hooves. Chunks of rock fell to the floor around her, and she turned just in time to see the ursa minor swipe a paw down at her, having passed her prone fillyhood friend. She heard a sharp crack and fell to the floor of the cave, feeling warmth running down her head.
The ursa roared defiantly, but the rocks falling from the ceiling and hitting him was enough deterrence to make him back off from his prey and retreat back into the blackness of the cavern depths, leaving Glitter and the silent Fizzlepop laying together on the cold ground.
Glitter turned and watched as the distant filly grabbed the ball with her magic, and ran out into the daylight to rejoin her friends.
"Better... Better me than you..." She said, turning her head to the adult mare laying silently a few feet from her.
Twilight couldn't find the words to break her silent stupor as the alternate futures played out in front of her. She watched as she saved Tempest from being pulled into the storm, then she in turn shielded them the Storm King's final attack. Blinking, the scene changed. The Friendship Festival resumed, Tempest had accepted her offer of friendship. Twilight fiercely defended her from Celestia's judgement. After that, the locale changed; the unicorn resumed her wanderings, journeying up to the Crystal Empire to reunite with Glitter Drops, before returning to beyond Equestria, spreading the word of the Storm King's defeat.
She blinked again, and she stayed in Ponyville, accepting Twilight's offer of tutelage, and even went a step further; she became a royal guard for her castle. Blinking again, she saw her selflessly defend Mount Aris from a Storm Guard raiding party. Again, and her horn was miraculously healed. Again, putting on a spectacular fireworks show for Hearth's Warming Eve. Again, and she saw her growing old, still in that polished, immaculately maintained armor.
"ENOUGH!!!" Twilight screamed, tears streaming down her face, and her surroundings rippled and darkened, returning her to the cavern with the Tempest-Tantabus standing in front of her, with Fizzlepop laying silently between them.
"Of course there were endless possibilities for her. But none of them matter, because none of them will come to pass. I made a choice. Every time we make a choice, one path is decided and countless others vanish. It's part of who we are. Alternate futures don't matter. You don't matter. " The Princess stated with an air of finality. With that, the Tantabus shifted, shrunk, and melted into the shapeless mass, before floating over and passing into Twilight's barrel.
The Princess of Friendship looked down at the orchid mare laying silently in front of her.
"You did matter." Twilight began, whimpering. "You took everything from me, and maybe to some that's a good excuse for ignoring your pleas for mercy. But not to me. Not anymore. I should have helped you open up your eyes. There was no telling what the possibilities for you could have been. Because of my choice, I'll never know. And I'll have to live with that for the rest of my life. I'm sorry, Fizzlepop. I'm sorry."
Still silent, the unicorn managed a small smile up at the Princess, while her horn began to glow an intense, fiery orange, as she bent down, and touched the tip of her horn to the unicorn's forehead, before there was a blinding white flash.
There was a flash of light, and with a gasp, Glitter found herself standing in front of the collapsed cave out in the daylight, with Princess Twilight standing in front of her. She was holding a sparkling, glowing urn. Twilight turned and looked for a moment at the grave marker that read 'Fizzlepop Berrytwist'.
"Did we do it?" Glitter asked, taking a deep breath.
"I think we did." Twilight replied, glancing down at the urn she held.
"Glitter, I can't guarantee what you've done here will last. I can't promise that angry survivors won't find where she rests and deface it."
Twilight stepped forward, and offered her the urn.
"So please, accept this with my sincerest apologies and condolences."
Princess Twilight stood anxiously outside of Canterlot Castle's throne room, alongside Prince Sunburst and Princess Starlight, as they all waited for Chipcutter to be 'officially' done with the final check and placement of his memorial statues before the dedication ceremony began. Even through the closed doors, they heard the chatter of the crowd down in the courtyard, who were also eager for things to get started.
The Princess of Friendship stared at the doors to the throne room. The last time she was here under any semblance of normalcy was four months ago, asking Celestia, Luna, and Cadance for some tweaking of the sun and moon for some special effects for a musical performance. It had felt like forever ago. Now the room beyond those doors was where her nine closest friends and mentors had met their end.
After hearing all of her brother's glowing praise for what Chipcutter had done in the Crystal Empire, as well as seeing his statue in Ponyville, she had specifically asked for no further updates on the Canterlot memorial, and just let the colt work his craft, and decided that she would see it when it was finished. With how her heart still crept up to her throat when she saw Cadance's memorial in Ponyville, she wasn't going to try fooling herself into thinking she could keep it together when the time came to see what had been done to the throne room, which had been removed from all day-to-day official activity, and the unveiling was now just moments away.
She swallowed when she heard hoofsteps coming towards the other side of the door, and it was slowly pushed open, and a grey pegasus colt with an off-white mohawk and tail came through, and gave a bow, barely standing to half her height.
"Your majesties. Everything is ready. Please, come in." He said respectfully, before stepping back in. The door didn't close all the way before Twilight grabbed the handle with her magic. She took a deep breath, let it out, and opened both doors for the three of them, and her second breath was immediately taken away as her throat tightened, and her eyes threatened to spill over with tears as she shakily stepped into the throne room.
The young and talented Chipcutter was just one of dozens of ponies that had been working in here the past three months. It was so much to take in all at once. The first thing she noticed was the red velvet carpet, or rather the absence of it. It now ended at the doorway, and gave way to the white marble floor. The scattered blast marks from the Staff of Sacanas had been repaired from when she, Starlight, Thorax, and his changeling strike force had retaken the throne room and defeated the Storm King.
What she noticed second was how the entire room was considerably brighter, which was due to the vastly increased natural light that entered through the hole that had been blasted in the roof. Immense sheets of iridescent glass had been very carefully fit around the gap in the stone and marble archways that made up the roof. Soft multicolored beams of rainbow shone downward as sunlight passed through the glass.
Returning her gaze to the floor, she saw what had been done with the aetherium-laced portion of the floor, which had been entirely destroyed in Twilight's counter-attack in the Storm King's desperate attempt to keep the stolen magic in the staff. Instead of reapplying aetherial dust, the circle and four-petaled symbol was now pearl, and the darkened sections were black granite.
There had been no damage done to the throne room in the initial attack during the Friendship Festival. In fact, in addition to the roof, the only physical damage done was to Celestia's throne, and the stone wall and stain glass sun window behind it, when the invading satyr had tested the focused energy of the staff by blasting her out onto the balcony. Whatever happened to the roof had occurred after Twilight had begun her exhausted retreat down the mountain. Now, her emotions began to overflow as she approached the multi-tiered throne pedestal, and saw what the team had done.
The six small fountain pools had been repaired, and crystal clear water ran through each of them, falling into the two artificial streams that ran down either side of the room. Standing in each fountain, there was a statue; a unicorn, two pegasi, two earth ponies, and a young dragon. Twilight instantly recognized them as her very best and dearest friends.
The marble each statue was carved from had each been carefully selected to closely match their coats. After carving was complete, their mane and tail sections had been painstakingly sanded down so they could be painted to match their mane and scale colors. The effect was astounding. Their names had been beautifully carved into the side of the fountain. Each one stood proud and timeless, soft but determined expressions on their faces, hoof deep in the water that would flow out of the throne room, through the city's aqueducts, and down the mountain into the central region's many rivers and streams.
As she began to silently cry, Twilight's gaze met each statue, and continued onward, taking in the changes.
The central ramp up to the top pedestal where the thrones had previously sat had been removed entirely, limiting access to the top considerably. Luna's throne had been removed, as had the remnants of Celestia's. Where they had previously been set, three marble statues of the fallen alicorns stood watch, wings spread. Celestia was center, with her slightly smaller younger sister and niece standing to her right and left, respectively.
Reaching where the ramp had started previously, she turned and saw that Starlight and Sunburst had been likewise touched, and she knelt down and embraced the young Chipcutter.
"There are almost no words, Chipcutter. They're absolutely beautiful. Your skills will take you as far as you want them to." Twilight told him just above a whisper, knowing it would be fruitless to wipe her eyes. The young pegasus returned the embrace.
"Thank you, Princess. I'm glad I could put them to use. These ponies deserve to be remembered for everything they've done."
As Twilight released him from the embrace, she heard the throne room doors open again, and a familiar amber unicorn stepped in, her cyan eyes immediately widening at her surroundings. Sunburst and Starlight offered Chipcutter their hushed gratitude as Twilight retraced her steps towards her first student.
Sunset Shimmer managed a weak smile as she stepped up and hugged her friend and teacher.
"Sorry I'm late," Sunset whispered. They released each other, and the unicorn took in the memorial just as Twilight had moments earlier as they made their way towards the statues. Sunburst, Starlight, and Chipcutter gave them some space.
"I'm sorry for not keeping in touch lately. Ever since you wrote to me and told me what happened, I..." Sunset trailed off, her eyes falling to the marble floor as they approached the throne pedestal.
"Sunset, it's alright." Twilight assured her.
"No, no it's not. You've lost enough loved ones without me being distant. Even if I..." Sunset drew in a deep breath, and risked looking up into the eyes of the statue of Princess Celestia. Her shoulders heaved, and her legs began to quake.
"Even if I wanted to ignore the fact that something like this happened." She finished as she began to cry.
Twilight put a leg around her as tears began to fall.
"Honestly, part of me didn't want to come back here. Part of me didn't want to have to see this. She was always there for me. Day or night, even for the most simple question or problem. She was overly patient with me even when I was overly snide or selfish. It's hard to imagine an Equestria without her."
"Believe me, I get it. It hasn't been easy, for anypony. We're the last two in a long line of lives that she touched. I can't say I envy you. When you go back, you'll have to see all of them again. I don't know if I could do that, even with interdimensional rifts and multiverses at play." Twilight said as she squeezed Sunset reassuringly. The unicorn took a few breaths and got herself mostly under control.
"So, what's the next step for you?" Sunset asked.
"The official dedication is in about 30 minutes. After that, this throne room will be available to anypony to reflect or pay their respects, day or night."
"I meant, you know, after all that. Any idea what you're going to do next?" Sunset asked.
"You know, I've tried pretty hard to not think about it these past couple months. To quote Celestia right after my castle popped out of the ground, 'What is the Princess of Friendship without her friends?'. I've been constantly distracting myself with helping Ponyville rebuild, and now that that's nearly done... I'm scared, Sunset. What am I supposed to do without them? What am I without them?"
Sunset put her hoof on Twilight's shoulder.
"Twilight, you are the pony you are today because of your friends. As am I, because of you. If you weren't meant to carry on somehow, then you might as well have not survived. Twilight, don't you see? They live in you. Grieve and mourn them, yes. But also find a way to carry their legacy forward. What is their legacy? Personally, I'd say it's you, Twilight. Celestia and your friends made you what you are today, and now you can be the leader and teacher they knew you could be."
Twilight managed a smile at her student.
"Thanks, Sunset. I'll find a way. I swear it."
When Twilight stepped off the train onto the Ponyville platform, something was different, as if a weight had finally began to lift from her shoulders after the memorial dedication in Canterlot. She always felt that once repairs were mostly complete in Ponyville, that she would feel some societal pressure to relocate to Canterlot and join Sunburst and Starlight, but luckily, there was none of that. A backwater like this may have recovered after mere months, but metropolises like Manehattan and Bostrot would be recovering dead for months more, and rebuilding for years.
She walked through town, getting friendly waves and bows as she made her way to the castle. The parade flags that the populace had made in the Crystal Empire in the days before triumphantly returning to town still stood proudly on either side of the main stairway, billowing in the wind. Ascending the stairs, she opened the towering front doors and stood silently in the foyer as they shut behind her, the evening sun shining through the windows.
This place was given to her because of what she and her friends had accomplished together. She now considered it personally sacred. But it needed to do more than stand here as a reminder of what they had done. Even before the Storm King's attack, this place had gone largely unused except for the largest events in town that she and the mayor had decided to move here. It needed to be more than that.
She climbed to the second floor and trotted into the east wing, down to almost the end of the hall, to her bedroom and personal study. Opening the door, she was greeted with a simply-kept room, with two bookshelves on either wall, and a desk in middle. She had done almost nothing in here since returning to town after their victory against the Storm King, evidenced by the layer of dust that had accumulated on the polished oak surface. The ink in the one open inkwell had long since dried out. She stepped around the desk, and opened the top right drawer, where several file folders were kept in a divider she had marked 'Projects and Ideas'. She flipped through them until she got to the very last one, which she had last touched the day before the Friendship Festival in Canterlot. She pulled it out of the drawer, placed it on the empty surface of her desk, and opened it. On top of several sheets of parchment, rested a cover sheet with a shield emblem she had drawn up, and underneath read the words:
'The School of Friendship'
Glitter Drops passed the last of the trees on the snow covered path as the forest gave way to boulders and cliffsides at the highest points of Mount Everhoof. She had spent the past month carefully deconstructing every house in Foal's Peak, and burying their occupants in the foundation, using the deconstructed material to make grave markers, and sent whatever she didn't use up to the rebuilding efforts in Bostrot and Manehattan, before returning to her home and career in the Crystal Empire.
After she had received expressed permission from Prince Shining Armor to pass the guarded checkpoint, she had gathered her best winter gear and set out, retracing the steps that Princess Twilight Sparkle, Sunburst, and Starlight Glimmer had made months prior in the journey that had saved them all. During the nationwide recovery efforts, Twilight came up with a new expedition, and returned the indestructible relic they had used to its resting place, placing a new aetherial barrier at the cave. Although her patrols brought her up the mountain plenty of times, she had never come up this far, especially not beyond the checkpoint. The wind up here was biting and biting, thankfully Rusty Bucket had invited her in to warm up for a few hours before she had continued on her way. She'd most likely swing by again for a meal before her descent.
The unicorn came to a large chasm that separated the path from the peak of Everhoof, which was another hundred feet up. Deciding that this was as good a spot as any, especially considering how fast the wind was blowing, she removed her saddlebags, and opened the left flap. She reached in with both hooves, and came out with the enchanted, sparkling urn that Twilight had given her outside the cave. She stared at it thoughtfully for a few moments until she felt an icy gust of wind. She reared back, cradling the urn with her right hoof, then flung it up, sending it tumbling end over end into the wind.
The magical urn glowed, and began to melt away, releasing the ashes within onto the wind which carried and scattered them across the mountain. Glitter Drops took a deep breath, watching the remains of her friend until they became invisible among the blowing snow and ice.
"Rest in peace, Fizzlepop."
Apple Bloom shoved yet another bucket of apples into the corner of the apple cellar, and that made a total of two dozen that were ready for the press come cider season next week. Taking a breath and wiping her brow with a hoof, she turned and walked back up the stairs into the daylight, and nearly ran into Princess Twilight when her hooves hit the grass.
"Whoa, hey there Princess Twilight. Sorry I almost didn't see you there." The youngest Apple greeted.
"Quite alright, Apple Bloom. I'm actually here to see you."
"What can I do for you, Princess?" She asked, momentarily turning to close the two wooden doors to the cellar.
"I've started a little project that I think will turn out quite significant. I'm starting a School of Friendship, and I was wondering if you'd like to join my small staff as a tutor."
Apple Bloom's eyes widened.
"I'm honored, but, the farm..." She trailed off.
"Apple Bloom, I've already spoken with Granny Smith and Big Mac, and they don't want you to feel tied to this place. If you feel like you can honor your sister's memory another way, they don't want to hold you back. They've got no problem hiring another farmhoof. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo are already on board. I thought you'd like to join them in sharing Applejack's story, continuing where she left off, and help spread the magic of friendship across Equestria and beyond."
The young farmer managed to swallow the tears that had started to creep up into the corners of her eyes, and smiled up at Twilight.
"Where do I start, Princess?"
The olive green unicorn mare stood in the cave, staring as the light of the glowing tree illuminated most of the cavern around her. She didn't dare take another step towards it; she could feel the power radiate against her from here, and knew any closer would most likely mean certain death.
The disguise ran more than skin deep, and Queen Chrysalis found herself wondering how Equestria could have been invaded, pushed to the brink of collapse, and still recover, only to have these returned to their resting place. The Storm King and his armies had been numerous and cunning, and they still fell before the Elements.
She had considered forming an alliance with him, offering her services, not to mention telling the imbecile how the sun and moon were supposed to move, if he had been willing to target her former hive next. But things had been set in motion all too quickly for her to gather the courage to approach the occupied Equestrian capital.
If she was to succeed where he failed, she was convinced that she would need to somehow harness the power of the Elements for herself, or at the very least ensure that they couldn't be used against her, and return the Everfree Forest to its natural state, letting it expand as far as it wanted.
It would have to wait. These artifacts were not to be trifled with. She was confident that time would prove an unwitting ally in figuring out how to use this power for herself...
Twilight heard the light commotion and conversations out in the foyer, took a deep breath, and prepared to meet her first class. It had been a couple months of planning sending out invitations, and finalizing the curriculum, but she was finally ready.
While her initial idea had involved building a completely separate structure to hold classes and house students, she quickly decided to vastly scale things back. With the town just now about fully recovered, she didn't want to put more on the plates of the construction teams in town. And by forgoing a new structure and putting classes and students here in the castle, she was able to get things moving in a matter of weeks, instead of the six months or more it would take to build and inspect a new structure.
She had never asked her friends what they would have thought about becoming teachers; balancing that responsibility with their budding careers would have no doubt been challenging, but that was all a moot point now. With herself as the sole Element bearer left, and the three Crusaders offering their experiences and tutoring help, she had ultimately decided to start small; a class of ten or less. After receiving answers to her invitations, it looked like her first class would be six strong to start out, leaving a little room for expanding.
She took another breath and turned the corner to step out to look out over the castle foyer. Down in front of the stairs, six creatures were chatting with each other. There was an orange horned dragon, a cerulean-coated griffon, an arctic changeling, a yak, a light magenta hippogriff, and a sea green earth pony. When they saw her begin to descend the stairs, their conversations grew quieter, before coming to a halt as their attention was drawn to her.
"Hello, everycreature, and welcome to Ponyville. Let's all get in a circle and have a seat." Twilight began, as the group did a little shuffling around and sat in a circle on the carpet in front of the stairs. "I'm Princess Twilight Sparkle, but please just call me Twilight. Titles make my coat crawl." She said, getting a few chuckles as she opened the file folder she was carrying under her wing.
She first looked to her immediate left, where the griffon had taken a seat.
"You must be Gallus. I understand you joined Gilda and Gabby in assisting the Equestrian Postal Service help loved ones get in touch with one another. Thank you, and welcome." She greeted, getting a smile and nod in return. She continued down the circle, where the young female changeling sat shyly.
"You must be Ocellus. I believe we owe the changelings more than any other kingdom for the fact that we're still here. I'm honored to have you. Welcome."
Ocellus blushed lightly and gave a meek smile as Twilight continued down to the large female yak that was sitting across from her on the other side of the circle.
"Yona, right? The blankets the yaks donated to the Crystal Empire helped keep plenty of refugees warm during the north's cold nights. On behalf of Ponyville's citizens, thank you, and welcome."
Yona smiled proudly at her kingdom's recognition. Twilight looked down to the hippogiff, who easily appeared to be the most excited of the six of them.
"It was Silverstream, wasn't it? I'm relieved that Queen Novo can put my act of desperation behind us, and I'm thrilled that the hippogriffs are beginning to rebuild on Mount Aris. Welcome."
Silverstream grinned, and Twilight continued around the circle, to the young dragon.
"Smolder, yes? Equestrians don't know much about dragon culture, but the materials the Dragon Lands have taken to Manehattan and Bostrot are helping more than any of you know. Spike was one of the dearest and most resourceful friends I have ever known. He's a credit to dragons everywhere. Welcome."
Smolder smiled confidently in return.
"Sandbar, our local student. I've certainly seen you around town. I'm not sure if I remember you from the train on the night we had to retreat; I was quite exhausted. Regardless, thank you for enrolling, and welcome."
Twilight closed the file folder, set it beside her, and pulled her personal copy of their Friendship Journal from her saddlebags and set it in front of her on the floor.
"As you all are no doubt aware, the Storm King's attack has caused one of the most significant losses of life Equestria has experienced in millennia, and it will take quite some time for us as a nation to heal. Rather than take my mentor's place in ruling from Canterlot day to day, I feel that I can contribute the most to the healing process by spreading the light, love, and magic of friendship as far as I can, and share the tales of how my fallen friends made me the Princess I am today. I would like to once again thank each of you for offering your time and opening your minds in being part of my first class."
As she dug further into her saddlebags and came out with six new copies of the Friendship Journal, giving one to each student, they heard the giant front doors of the castle inch open, and a young, pinkish gray pegasus filly with a curled arctic blue mane and tail stepped inside.
"Oh golly, I'm so sorry I'm late. I didn't miss too much did I? My name is Cozy Glow, and when I heard about this school, my family sent me down here from Manehattan."
Twilight smiled at her as she came up the carpet to join the others, pulling out another copy of her journal, and levitated over to her as she joined the circle.
"Always room for one more. Welcome to the School of Friendship, Cozy Glow."
FIN
Author's Note
And that's all for now, folks.
Thank you very much for reading.
Miles
