Renaissance

Act I: Terminus ut Exordium
Chapter III: The Dualist

The Crystal Empire. The only place of true solace left after the war in Equestria began. The sun beat down hard upon the land, every day as hot as the last. Every pony Fleur walked past was either using a hand fan, standing in front of a fan, or nearby one. The Crystal Palace loomed over Crystal City with it's stature, but did so in a comforting way, as if to tell the citizens old and new that they were safe no matter what side of Equestria they had come from. It was neutral ground, no battles were held upon the land, and refugees from both Equestrian empires were welcomed with open arms.

Fleur was on her way to The Obsidian Leaf: one of, if not the most successful teahouse, in Crystal City. She'd been there many times before, to the point that they knew her usual order: Chai with just a hint of chocolate syrup; and made it for her on sight. The reason why she went there so much was only known to the pony she was going there to meet. A certain purple unicorn with mint streaks in her purple mane.

Fleur took her seat outside the cafe, giving a kind wave inside, seeing the ponies already beginning to brew her cup. She smiled for a moment, always impressed by their service, before pulling a book entitled The Elements and You: Spells of Ice and Fire out of her hip satchel. She read a few pages before her cup of tea was brought out to her, giving the server a tip for the excellent service.

Just as she was about to take a sip of her Chai however, a figure in an almost regal robe sat down in the chair across from her, waving inside as well. "Good morning, Fleur." The voice was calculated but casual at the same time, but also sweet as ever. The mare pulled her hood down, her purple and mint green mane on display. "I take it you had a busy night? Eight prisoners somehow escaped from the garrison at Dodge City, and the guard that was supposed to be watching them was apparently too ashamed to admit what happened."

"Starlight, can't you ever just, ask me how my morning has been? Or how I'm feeling? Does it always have to be about business?" She raised a hand, seeing Starlight about to make a rebuttal. "Ah-ah-ah, I know what you're going to say, 'These meet ups are for business.' I'm just trying to say, I would have at least complimented you on how nice your mane looks today before I asked you what the Lunar Empire thought about the missing prisoners, one of which had her leg broken in three places and a spear wound in her stomach. That mare being one of my close friends."

Starlight looked unsettled by Fleur's enlightening statement, looking full of regret, and seeming to struggle with finding something to say in return. "...Fleur, I would never wish that upon anyone, especially not someone you care about, but... this is war we're talking about. Casualties are going to happen whether we like it or not, that's just one of the realities of battle." Starlight could empathize with Fleur, but she was also logical enough to not let her emotions blind her. "She must have fought ba-"

"She didn't." Fleur had taken a sip from her cup as Starlight spoke, setting it down as she spoke in return. "She didn't fight. She ran. She ran for her life. And one of your soldiers- excuse me, degenerates, instead of simply catching up to her and capturing her without harming her, decided to inflict those injuries upon her even as she begged him not to. She was defenseless! She doesn't even know a single offensive spell!"

She noticed she was raising her voice a little too much, and resigned to taking another sip of her tea, relaxing the fingers in her free hand, having balled them into a fist. "I... Sorry... The last thing I wanted to do was get mad at you for something a sick and twisted stallion did. ...He's dead now anyways." She took another sip of her Chai as she let the realisation sink into the purple unicorn's mind. "He got what he deserved, me sticking my glaive through his stomach."

Starlight looked almost livid, before she took a deep breath, her voice still stern but at a level volume. "You did what...?! Fleur, you can't just kill some pony because they wronged or hurt one of your friends! Sure, he may have treated a prisoner in a horrible way, one which I might add I do not condone and will make sure is extremely looked down upon, but... You... You can't do that! I thought you didn't want more death to come from this war? Who's side are you on?"

Fleur cast a muffle spell around them. "I don't play one side. I'm a dualist, I walk down both paths, I play both sides against each other in a way that creates stalemate after stalemate while preventing as many casualties as I possibly can. I am not only a Peacekeeper, I am the most righteous form of a Peacemaker, and you'd do well to remember that, Starlight Glimmer. So don't be getting all indignant on me about who I can and can't kill, because I know who deserves to live, ...and I certainly know just who deserves to die."

Starlight could only look on in shock. She knew Fleur was one to follow her emotions, but she didn't think it would ever go so far. What happened to her friend must have affected her in such a way that it made her momentarily lose all sense of rationality. "You can't play both sides forever Fleur... It's taking a toll on you, I can tell. I've been there before, trust me, you don't want to let your anger get the best of you..."

Fleur was taken aback by how calm Starlight was, dispelling the muffle bubble around them. She could see the concern and shock in Starlight's expression, and she felt a pang in her chest. "Starlight, I..." She sighed. "I'm sorry... I just... Sassy was the first mare who wasn't intimidated by me or talked up to me... She saw me as another pony, she's been my best friend since high school, we've shared... intimate moments, and I... When I saw the state she was in, I... I..." She looked like she was on the very verge of tearing up, her voice sounding choked up already.

Starlight could see the internal struggle Fleur was having, and finally realised just how much Sassy meant to the ex-model. "Fleur, I... What you did isn't something good, but... I know why you did it. Just..." She began to slowly reach over to hold Fleur's hand in her own. "You can't let that consume you. You gaze into an abyss for long enough, and the abyss will gaze back into you. I know you want to make the world a better place again, I do too, trust me. But... you can't change the world by yourself, Fleur. I had the same-"

Suddenly, like a brick through a window, the voice of a certain unforgettable mare made both of them freeze in place. "Trixie wants to know if you two are going to, make out or something...? You've been practically arguing like an old married couple..." In a puff of smoke, the (in)famous magician appeared, standing beside Starlight. Her robe was overly fantastical, but she pulled it off well. Fleur thought it reminded her of Starswirl the Bearded's robe, but much more form fitting and slightly revealing. "I'm asking so I can turn away, I mean, gross."

Fleur couldn't help but snicker, shaking her head and blushing lightly, Starlight blushing as well, but looking more annoyed. Fleur spoke first however. "I've always wanted to see you two make out, I mean, you would be so cute together~ You're always by each other's side already, how strange...~" She grinned mischievously as she saw the blue and purple unicorns both blushing deep scarlet at her comment. Trixie was the one who looked annoyed now, and Starlight seemed to only be able to stare off to the side.

Trixie crossed her arms. "Hmph. Just because Trixie is Starlight's Personal Escort does not mean she does whatever Starlight wants to." Fleur dropped her jaw, and Starlight covered her face with both hands, groaning in embarrassment. "...N-Not that Trixie wouldn't mind, but-"

Fleur interjected, Starlight still too embarrassed by the sudden turn in the conversation to speak up. "Wait a minute! You just said... I can't believe you just said that... I... What...?" She ended up looking to Starlight for an answer, but the purple unicorn was rubbing her forehead in a double facepalm.

Starlight finally spoke up however. "She keeps saying that, like she's asking me to tell her to do things..." She rubbed her eyes for a second, before sighing. "I don't know what to think about it, especially because, well, I..." She was still obviously blushing, but Fleur could see her subtly biting the side of her bottom lip. Starlight continued however, clearing her throat. "Ugh... Fine then, since Fleur wants to see it so bad and you keep begging me to say strange things; Trixie, I-I order you to... to kiss me." She crossed her arms and closed her eyes, trying to look confident in her authority.

Trixie laughed, Fleur snickering as well, and the magician shook her head. "No~! Trixie doesn't feel like it~!" Fleur couldn't help but giggle with glee at the scene before her, Starlight failing to be intimidating in any way. Trixie went even further. "I said I wouldn't mind, not that I would feel like doing it."

Starlight almost growled in frustration, before taking a deep breath. "You two are such a pain together..." She rubbed her forehead once again, letting out a sigh, before she felt Trixie's hand upon her shoulder, and looked up at her to see the magician giving her a warm smile.

Fleur couldn't help but let out a swoon at the adorable display before her. "Well, I've got a train to catch. You girls have fun being super cute together~" She giggled as she stood up, having finished her tea, and pushed in her chair, leaving fifty Bits on the table. "Get Trixie something too, Starlight." She turned around to walk away but stood still when she heard the purple unicorn speak up once again.

"Fleur." The ex-model turned around to look at the sorceress, ears perked up, and Starlight continued. "Remember what I said, you can't play both sides forever, and I don't just mean in the war..." She looked deep into Fleur's eyes, the ex-model looking deep back into hers, and Starlight felt something different about her.

Fleur smirked, breathing out in a puff of amusement, and struck a pose that was both intimidating and flashy, a pose that held both power and elegance... Before she began to walk off, saluting them in a casual way, the brightness of the sun making her pale pink hair almost seem to glow.

"Watch me."