I was still deaf from the explosion I’d created from using Rainbow Dash’s weapon, so when Princess Celestia’s lips moved to ask a question, neither of us could respond. After a few moments, she nodded sagely, and closed her eyes as her horn ignited once more. Magic swirled around our ears, a tingle of pressure reaching into the canals, soothing and numbing. After a moment, a dull ‘pop’ reverberated through my skull, followed by the sound of the wind rushing back in all at once.

“There, that should have fixed your ears. I’m not very skilled with healing magic, and healing spells don’t like to restore the well-being of undead, but enough power forces it to aid you nonetheless.” The Princess glanced at the destroyed thrones at the bottom of the steps, quietly contemplating them, and then gently lifted my aching body to rest on the marble stairs. “Stay here. I’m going to go check on Dash, and then we’re all going to talk about recent events. Calmly, like friends.”

Both Red and I nodded, and the Princess turned to begin trotting through the wreckage we’d made of her throne room. While we watched, feeling began to return to my limbs properly, and the majority of that feeling was pain. With aching limbs, I started to pull off my leg barding, and I was completely unsurprised to find more lightning-scars tracing up my forelegs and across my barrel. Maybe even up my neck, though I couldn’t see to be sure. Meanwhile, Red took the time to begin wrapping his forelegs with spare bandages made from shredded bedsheets, which quickly soaked through with dark blood.

The Princess found Rainbow Dash quickly, and galloped the last few steps to kneel at her side, then lay her head against the dead mare’s side. After a moment, she raised her head once more, and her horn ignited to pick up the armored body, and begin carrying her back to join us.

“I’m not angry,” the Princess began, as she set Dash’s body down beside Red, and looked at the shattered windows of the throne room, “but I am disappointed. In all of you, Dash included.”

Red nodded solemnly, and I bowed my head. My tongue didn’t want to cooperate, but I managed to mumble out, “W-we tried to t-talk to her. Didn’t...didn’t want to f-fight…”

“I guessed as such. Dash didn’t give me much choice either; I’ve been trapped in the royal bedrooms, behind her master-crafted fog walls. It was only when they fell that I was able to leave, and I had guessed it was because Dash was no longer alive to sustain them. If that alone hadn’t been enough to convince me to come down here myself, the thunderclap made sure of it.”

I winced. “Y-you heard that?”

The Princess closed her eyes and chuckled. “My little pony, the whole city likely heard that, if not the whole continent. You shook the whole palace with that blast. I’m only surprised the destruction was not more absolute; I was bracing myself for the tower’s collapse.” She waved a forehoof at Dash’s body. “But Dash isn’t lightning-scarred, like yourself—she’s been stabbed. I don’t wish to assign blame, because the curse will ensure Dash recovers, but the pony that held the knife should be ready to apologize when she wakes up.”

“Wasn’t one of us,” Red croaked out. He looked a little woozy from blood loss, and the Princess’ horn ignited to begin healing him as he spoke. “Thanks. We did fight Dash, but Gilda was the one t’ kill her.”

“Gilda?” The Princess looked surprised, as she scanned the room once more. “Gilda the Gryphon?”

“At the...the other end of the r-room,” I groaned.

It took the Princess a moment to really look at the other end of the throne room, and she jerked upwards as she realized there might be another injured body to treat. “Ah, I see.”

“Princess!” Red barked, and Princess Celestia was startled enough to turn back to face us, as Red spoke. “She’s not right in the head. Goin’ Hollow. Attacked all of us, made things worse. Don’t wake her up, ‘less she’s already in irons.”

The Princess narrowed her eyes, and stated bluntly, “I’m going to bring her over here, so I can inspect all of your wounds for triage. While I work, I expect a full explanation of everything that’s happened down here. I’ll ask the same of Rainbow Dash and Gilda, whenever they both wake up.”

“Understood,” Red said quietly, and I nodded in agreement.

The Princess left us to go investigate Gilda, and I tried not to watch as she peeled the dead gryphon off the marble. I was right before; Gilda’s body had been nearly destroyed by the blast, and that she wasn’t more than just the smear left on the wall was nothing short of a testament to how durable we really were. If she wasn’t already Hollow before, she surely would be whenever she woke up. Princess Celestia set her down on the floor at the bottom of the stairs, and did her best to align her body so that when the curse healed her, she would still be in a generally quadrupedal shape. She even retrieved her detached foreleg, and used some magic to try and reconnect it, hoping that the curse would do the rest.

“Big Mac, your wounds aren’t too deep. Just rest, any sudden movements could open them back up. Holly, you have a couple of deeper wounds that are already sealing…but those scars are permanent. If we knew that your fur was going to grow back in, it might hide them. But fur doesn’t seem to be something that the curse truly cares about.”

“Th-thank you, Princess.”

Princess Celestia nodded, then indicated Rainbow Dash with her horn. “I’m going to start working on Dash now. Her brain has been damaged, but the curse is healing it. She will be confused when she awakes. I ask that both of you give her time to recover, and to speak for herself. If either of you attempt to confuse her or shout over her as she talks, I will silence you until she has finished. Now, while I work, tell me in your own words what happened.”

And so it went. The golden magic of the Princess spiraled up her horn and probed across Dash’s wounds, repairing damage slowly, in fits and starts. As she worked, Red told me to start, and he would continue when he entered the story. My voice was barely functional, due to my own Hollowing and my recent lightning strike, but any time I stumbled over my words or lost my breath, she’d turn her horn to me, and gently helped repair some of the physical damage.

And I had so much to tell her. I had last spoken to the Princess on the eve of leaving for Baltimare, and I was the only survivor present from that expedition. She looked ready to cry as I described Och’alis and the ghosts of the city, and especially the hive beneath. Her expression hardened when I described how I lost myself fighting Tor’inx; I considered trying to hide some of the details, but she could tell when I did, and gently asked questions that didn’t allow for ambiguity. Even Red hadn’t heard that, and to my surprise, he seemed to approve. Maybe he was even proud. I didn’t like that someone approved of how I had lost myself to that brief bout of madness.

Speaking of my brief bouts of madness, I hesitantly told them what I understood about our return to Ponyville, and how I had apparently gone Hollow, but only temporarily. I saw Red examining me closely, but he lost interest in that after a moment, and I don’t think he believed me. Perhaps I was too sane now to have been truly Hollow, or so he thought. The Princess seemed a bit more interested, but when she probed for more information, I had none to give, except for my own confused speculation on what happened, so the explanation moved onwards to Hammerhoof.

The state of Hammerhoof, as both Red and I described it, seemed only to depress Celestia. The abject destruction, the scavenging for survival, and so many failed efforts to reach Canterlot—they were all indictments of her failure to keep the country running, even when she was kept prisoner. Her expression finally turned hopeful when I described meeting Mistmane, Somnambula, and Meadowbrook, and the knowledge that they were well and ready to meet her as soon as the gate could be opened seemed to be good news. However, Canterlot was in a similarly sorry state, thanks to Dash’s mismanagement of the palace and royal authority. Only the news that Dinky was safe and protected by the extant palace staff improved her mood.

Red took over from there, and led the rest of our explanation so I could rest my voice, but he asked for my input or confirmation a few times. He mostly focused on the combat; he gave more details on the creatures infesting the sewers, and recommended how anypony going inside to clear them out should be protected with charms and armor. Then the defense of the palace, and how we had to fight our way inside. We were fortunate that none of the guards intruded while we were recovering, as the Princess seemed shocked at how Hollowed they were in our descriptions. Someone, either ourselves or the Princess, would still need to figure out what to do about that, before the palace could be fully restored.

Finally, our explanation came to Dash, and Gilda. Dash was Hollow, but seemed coherent, once we got through to her. Enough that she recognized that she didn’t want Tank to get hurt, and we respected her, both as a person and as a fellow combatant. I made a point to clearly state that I didn’t want to fight her, if it could be avoided—and that if Gilda hadn’t turned Hollow as badly and as quickly as she had, if she hadn’t attacked Dash as violently as she had, that might have even been possible.

We couldn’t say anything quite so positive about Gilda herself. The more I thought about her actions and attitude ever since I met her, I realized that this fight was inevitable. I still wanted to consider her a friend, but in hindsight, she had seemed to only barely respect me as long as it got her closer to Dash. I still didn’t want her dead, and especially not Hollow, but we didn’t have many other options.

Celestia tentatively agreed, but still wanted to try and speak with her for herself. In the meantime, she agreed that as soon as Gilda’s body was solid enough to allow it, she’d bind her legs—the gryphon wouldn’t need their function to tell the story from her perspective.

After Red and I had finished telling the story as best we could, we all agreed to try and rest. The Princess was still unsure if she could trust our version of events, and she couldn’t leave us alone with Dash and Gilda until they had awoken. And as much as she wanted to make contact with the palace staff, it was undeniable that the palace itself was too dangerous as of yet to allow them back inside. We’d need to sort out how to disarm the guards before any administrative function could be restored, and Princess Celestia couldn’t do that herself—especially if she was helping us recover.

If Hollows could sleep naturally, then we would have, but the best we could do for now was dim our eyes and lie down. Princess Celestia kept watch over the four of us, as our bodies recovered from some of the nastiest fights in which we’d taken part so far.

* * *

We were still waiting and recovering when Red broke the silence, by speaking to Princess Celestia. “...Appreciate that you’re lettin’ me stay. Was worried...well. Wouldn't be treated kindly, what with my banishment.”

The Princess turned to look at him, but only for a moment, before her gaze fell. “I...wasn’t going to mention it, Big Mac. So much has happened since then. And you’ve seen the state of Equestria—I’d be a fool to turn away a capable body in our time of need.”

Red hesitated; he seemed surprised by Celestia’s response. But perhaps he’d been dreading this meeting for so long, had expected it to go so poorly, that the idea that the Princess simply forgiving him felt wrong. After a moment, he nodded. “’Course. Anything y’ need, ah’m ready to serve again.”

Celestia looked down at Dash; her horn was still illuminated with magic. Even though the exterior damage had long been healed, the Princess must have been trying to encourage the dead mare’s mind to heal. She may have said she wasn’t a skilled healer, but the idea that she was doing minor brain surgery while holding a conversation with us was still impressive. “That time may be immediate. Assuming that Rainbow Dash speaks well of you—and I can trust what she says, since I am well aware she herself has not been in a stable state of mind—I am likely in need of more able-bodied ponies to protect our people. Soon I’m going to need to take a more direct role in that protection, since my distant commands have been failing to make progress.”

Red nodded, and looked out of a window in the direction of Ponyville. “Saw the front lines on my way here...was worried the dragons were counter-attackin’. But ponies say it’s the Everfree?”

“It was, and maybe still is,” Celestia agreed. “I’ve never liked that forest, and it’s never liked me. I don’t know exactly how the fire started, and I don’t know if the forest is responding to the fire, or if the fire is…part of it now, somehow. It’s always been...alarmingly conscious, in that way. It’s not the same curse that afflicts our people, but something different, that seems to be affecting all the animal life nearby.”

“Not jus’ nearby. The animals started getting nastier and more wild up north, too. Figured that was jus’ the way of things, now.”

The Princess let out a tired sigh. “Maybe it is. I had thought that the Everfree was the source, and that containing it would prevent any wildlife from escaping into the rest of the world. There’s already enough malicious magic running amok in the wilds, and I wanted to prevent more. But if it’s already affecting animals elsewhere…”

She trailed off, and I took the opportunity to speak. “An-animals and p...plant life. Trees, and grass...it’s dead, not even r-rotting. Just…withered. In B-Baton Verte, and Baltimare, and the lands b-between. Even G-Gilda said that animals were h-hard to find. Hard to...hunt.”

The fish I’d eaten in Baltimare came to mind. “Th-there’s something else...wrong with the animals. The ones that...that aren’t becoming w-wild. There was this p-pile of fish, on the d-docks of Baltimare...they had p-pony faces…”

Celestia visibly recoiled at that description. “They—damn this curse. And however many others are afflicting the world. I’m struggling just to keep people safe, I don’t even know how I’m going to begin fixing all of this...hopefully the Pillars have some ideas.”

“Whatcha plannin’, for the next day?” Red asked quietly.

Princess Celestia let out a tired snort. “I’d like to sleep for a decade or so. But I don’t have that luxury. Equestria can’t survive like this, a series of outlying settlements all fending for themselves, not when the curses and calamities are so widespread. All it’s done is allow towns to get cut off and wither. I’m going to evacuate the outlying towns, most notably Ponyville, and reinforce Canterlot, Manehattan, and Fillydelphia. Once those three cities are safe and secure, then we can begin work on finding the roots of our problems. I can only hope that by stopping them at the source, the rest of the world’s natural state is restored, but if not...we’ll need to prepare for this current state in the long term.”

“Ah...meant more immediately. After Dash wakes up.”

“Oh!” Celestia blinked in surprise. Even after all this, her eyes were not yet Hollow. “Right. Well...I still need to confirm events with Rainbow. But your willingness to listen, and stand down, speaks well of your intent. If all seems well, then I will have immediate tasks for you both. Big Mac...”

Every time she said his name, he looked uncomfortable. But he didn’t correct her.

“...you will join Rainbow Dash as one of my escorts, first to, ah...the bar where the other palace staff are residing. We’ll regroup with them, I can see how Dinky is recovering, and then we can discuss further plans. We will need to open the gate to Hammerhoof, and take in the refugees waiting there, as well as the extant Pillars.”

She turned to me. “Holly...I’m worried about your—”

‘Ugh, my ruttin’ head…” Whatever Celestia was about to tell me was forgotten, as Rainbow Dash groaned, and pressed her forehooves against her temples. After she squeezed them for a few moments, her embered eyes flickered to life, and she looked around in surprise. “Wh—Princess! What are you doing down here, it’s not safe! These ponies—”

“These ponies are no threat to either of us, Rainbow Dash.” The Princess gently held her in place with her magic, and Dash’s brief attempt to take flight was prevented. “Sit down. You’re still recovering from a grievous wound, and I would prefer that you didn’t hurt yourself again.”

“But I...damn, I’m dizzy…okay.” Dash looked at the three of us, and then noticed the charred corpse at the bottom of the stairs. “Whoa, is that Gilda? What happened?”

Red looked at Princess Celestia for permission to speak, which she approved with a gentle nod. “Gilda’s...taken care of. Y’ can thank Holly for that. Won’t be gettin’ back up for a while.”

Rainbow Dash looked at me again, like an officer inspecting a new recruit. “Nice work, kid! Didn’t think you had it in you. Gilda’s...well, you saw her. She already fights like a tiger in mating season, and she seemed almost rabid, this time.” Her expression shifted, and turned dark. “Still, that doesn’t give you access to the Princess. In fact, that makes you more of a threat.”

“Dash.” Celestia’s voice was firm, and tired. “Sit down. These two have been polite and respectfully followed my orders so far. I believe we have nothing to fear from them, but I would like to hear your side of the story, before making any judgments.”

Rainbow fidgeted a bit more in Celestia’s golden magic, but eventually nodded, and relaxed alongside us. “Alright. Well, I had the castle in lockdown, and the guards seemed agitated, so I knew something was up. Someone made a lot of racket coming in, but then it was quiet for a while. Still, figured I should be ready down here. All three of them came in, we talked a bit, they said some donkey scat about Applejack, and then we fought. I won, told ‘em to leave, and tossed ‘em back out into the corridor.”

She hadn’t even mentioned killing Gilda; I wasn’t sure if she had just forgotten, or if she’d gotten so used to fighting undead that she just didn’t consider it an important detail.

“Little while later, Mac and, uh, whoever you are? You both came in without Gilda. Fought us again, wounded Tank, but you backed off when I asked for a time-out. I appreciate that, I guess. So the third time it was just me, and that made it a little more fair. Gilda definitely took charge though, ‘cause the third fight she was really stretching her wings.” Dash started to look confused. “Then… you… no, Gilda...Gilda did something…”

After a moment, she pressed her hooves to her temples again. “My head really hurts…”

The Princess folded a wing over her in sympathy. “It’s okay, focus on your breathing. Slow and deep. It’s safe to assume that you died; you were stabbed through the eye, and the memories must have been lost. These two claim that Gilda was the one holding the knife, but you all came here willing to fight Dash, is that correct?” She looked between myself and Red again, for confirmation.

Red nodded. “Yeah. The palace staff made Dash sound fully Hollowed, so...we were prepared for that. Glad I didn’t have to kill an ol’ friend, though I think Gilda was eager to do jus’ that.”

Celestia’s eyes turned to me, and I flinched a little bit; I’d been perfectly willing to let Red speak for me, but the Princess seemed to want both our explanations. “I...I didn’t want to f-fight. I don’t...I don’t like f-fighting. I thought G-Gilda was my friend, but...she turned on us s-so quickly.”

The Princess’ gaze didn’t waver. “How exactly did Rainbow Dash die, and what happened afterwards?”

“G-Gilda stabbed her. In the eye, with her...her hunting knife. She was about to d-drain Dash, make her H-Hollow, but I stopped her.”

“Holly tackled Gilda,” Red provided, and Celestia glanced at him with an intensity that asked firmly that he didn’t interrupt. Then she looked back at me, so I continued.

“Y-yeah. I don’t...I’m not g-good at fighting, but I couldn’t let her...do that. So I tackled her.”

Rainbow Dash blinked at me again, in surprise. “Hey...thanks, filly. Didn’t know you had that in you; surprised Gilda let you keep your ears after that.”

“She almost d-didn’t.” I admitted. “Red and Fleur kept her b-busy after that---”

“Pardon?” That caught Celestia’s attention, and I suddenly realized that the living weapon had been dormant since the blast. I looked to Red, and Fleur was resting across his back, as though she was just a normal axe. “Fleur, as in Fleur de Lis? The former ambassador to Prance?”

Red had already turned his head to look back, and his voice was a quiet rumble as he said, “Move slow, don’t startle ‘em.”

Celestia gasped as Fleur levitated from Red’s back, and the axe gently came to a rest on the stone stair between him and Celestia. The head was facing down, with the handle standing straight upwards, and it was hard to tell, but it felt like a sign of respect for the Princess—or at least an indication that Fleur didn’t want to start a fight. Princess Celestia, after a moment, bowed her head to show respect, but I could see that Dash was tensed up to move as soon as Fleur made any kind of aggressive move.

“Greetings, Fleur de Lis. I’m sorry for not greeting you earlier—I didn’t recognize you. It has been...a very long time.” Celestia raised her head, and Fleur shifted slightly, but I had no idea how to interpret that. I don’t think that Celestia did either, and slowly, the animated weapon returned to Red’s back.

Finally, Dash relaxed somewhat. “Alright. Now that we’re all introduced...unless there’s anyone else?” Her gaze turned back to me. “Say, what is your name, anyways?”

“H-Holly. Pinkie n-named me, I didn’t...I don’t remember who I was, b-before.”

“Holly. Gotcha.” Dash chewed on her lip for a moment, then waved her hoof. “So, Gilda was kicking Mac’s flanks, what’d you do?”

“Y-your guitar...spear...thing.” I explained, and Dash’s eyes lit up. She tried to stand again, presumably so that she could go find where it had fallen, but Celestia forced her to sit back down again, so I continued. “I’m a p-pegasus, so I thought...thought I could use it. I don’t...it’s very d-dangerous.”

“Haha, yeah it is! Kicks like a mule, sharper than dragon’s teeth, and the music it plays? Wouldn’t trade that sound for any band here in Equestria!” She paused. “You didn’t break it, right?”

“N-no! I...I don’t think I d-did…”

“Alright, cool. So you grabbed that, played a few chords, and turned Gilda into a roasted catbird?”

I grimaced. “S-something like that. Fl-Fleur took her foreleg first, though.”

“Whoa, nice! That’s probably why you survived long enough to pull that stunt.”

“Dash,” Princess Celestia gently scolded her, then turned back to me. “I believe I entered the room afterwards? Then I think I have heard all of your statements, save that of Gilda, who is a very long ways away from awakening. So far, the stories are consistent. Rainbow Dash, please describe their character to me, from your point of view.” While she spoke, I could see a set of bright purple bindings wrapping around Gilda’s limbs. Presumably, to hold her in place once she awoke.

Rainbow huffed, and shrugged. “Well, I knew Mac from the war. He seemed alright then, and he’s been okay now, but a little cold. Holly seems like she’s in over her head, but got her heart in the right place, at least. Gilda’s…Gilda’s got some bug up her butt about me.” She turned to look at me, and asked, “You really think she would have drained me? If you hadn’t stopped her?”

I nodded, slowly. “She was c-celebrating. Like you were a p-prize...for her to t-take.”

Dash winced, and some of the pride seemed to escape her. “I don’t...I don’t know what’s going on with Gilda. But you two seem okay, especially after letting me get Tank out of the fight.”

“Th-thank you…”

But to my surprise, Princess Celestia turned back to Red and myself, looking between the two of us. “And would you two please describe Dash’s character to me, from your point of view?”

“Wha—hey! What?” Dash tried to stand up again, but that same golden magic forced her down. “It’s me, Princess! Rainbow Dash, Element of Awesome! What, you don’t trust me any more?”

Red sighed, and shook his head. “Ah think she’s fine in th’ moment, but her view of the world’s a little warped. Causes her to make weird decisions. But…” He paused, and rubbed one hoof against the other. “Could be worse. Could be further gone.”

Celestia turned to face me next, pointedly ignoring Rainbow’s protests. “Holly?”

I wasn’t expecting to be put on the spot, and I felt like I was a terrible judge of character, considering how long I’d let Trixie, then Gilda, string me along. “I...I d-don’t know. I don’t know...anything. Not even m-myself. I don’t w-want to fight her again.”

I think the Princess was hoping for a different answer; instead, her expression just turned sympathetic. “I understand, my little pony. I think...your next task will be very good for you. I know of a pony who can help others sort out such internal conflicts.”

Princess Celestia moved backwards, and turned to Rainbow Dash once more. “I appreciate your service, Dash, but trapping me in the royal chambers...you’ve caused a lot of damage to Equestria by your actions, do you understand?”

Rainbow’s eyes hardened. “To keep you safe. Was that wrong?”

“No. But it reminds me far too much of Applejack, and her devotion to keeping Ponyville safe, by any means she deems necessary.” Celestia closed her eyes, and bowed her head. “I am giving you another chance to help me; please don’t make me regret it. Big Macintosh—Knight Macintosh, I believe?—will be joining you as one of my advisors and guards. If you want to keep me safe, discuss your ideas of how to do so with him, and myself. But caging me, like a delicate animal? I won’t allow that.”

“If the others were here, they’d agree—”

“The others,” Princess Celestia spoke slowly, and deliberately, “are not here. Rarity is dead; she died long ago, and even her phantom has been slain. Applejack has gone mad, and retreated to her farm. Pinkie is barely holding Ponyville together; she’s going to be devastated when I tell her we’re evacuating. I don’t...I don’t even know where Fluttershy is. I wish I did.”

After a moment, Celestia continued. “If you really want to help, Dash, help me find them and bring them here. Then we can all have a talk, together, about my security. How does that sound?”

Dash stared her down for a long few moments. She was still shorter than the Princess, but not by much; her horn barely reached Celestia’s chin in height. Eventually, she slumped, and let out a long breath. “Fine. They’re gonna agree with me, but fine. I just hope you don’t get yourself killed before then.”

“I have faith in you, Dash. And Knights Macintosh and Holly.” Finally, Celestia’s horn dimmed, and the magical field that had been holding Dash in place flickered out of existence. Immediately, the pegasus leapt into the air to stretch her wings. She only wobbled a bit, but as much as she tried to pretend otherwise, she clearly wasn’t fully recovered from her injury. Celestia watched her flying around the throne room, searching for her discarded weapon, before she turned back to us. “Speaking of you two. Macintosh, as I said to Dash, I would ask that you accompany me as an advisor and guard. Fleur included, of course.”

Red—Macintosh—bowed his head in respect. “Ah’d be honored.”

“Good. Now, Holly.” She turned to me, and I slumped a little bit more. “Don’t be offended that I haven’t included you; you’ve shown yourself to be resourceful and resilient, but the conflict within yourself makes you unsuited for helping me with such decisions. I need you for another task; delivering a message. Can you help me with that?”

That suited me fine; I would have rejected the responsibility of being her advisor, maybe by running from the room. I could probably deliver a message. That felt...comfortable, somehow. Much more comfortable than fighting. I nodded, and Princess Celestia smiled at me.

“Thank you. Now, have you explored beyond Canterlot, yet?”

“N-no…? We came...straight here. M-mostly.”

Celestia nodded. “That’s fine. I assume you’ve at least looked up at the summit of the mountain, yes? It’s hard to look at, but...it’s important. That’s the doing of Princess Luna. I don’t…I don’t know how, or why, but she’s retreated up there, and I’ve been trying to respect her privacy...I don’t think that’s an option anymore.”

Princess Celestia closed her eyes, but continued. “I need her help. I’ve never been good at fighting, or leading armies. I’m amazed I’ve done as well as I have. But Luna..she is unmatched in combat, and as a military leader. I need her help to protect Equestria, to find the source of the...demons, of the Everfree. Once the source has been...has been destroyed, then we can start working on saving the rest of the world.”

Her eyes opened again. “Head to the summit of the mountain. Find Princess Luna, and tell her everything you’ve told me. About the Elements of Harmony, the demons, the state of the world. Just in case she doesn’t already know. And please ask her to come down here, and help me. Help her sister.”

This felt like just as much responsibility as being her advisor. Which would have been flattering, if it wasn’t terrifying. Still…I nodded. “Okay… I c-can do that. Y-you think she’s at the summit?”

“Hopefully.” Celestia said, though she didn’t sound nearly as confident as I’d like. “There’s an old temple up on the mountain, in a valley on the north face that stretches from east to west. Check there first, maybe that’s where she’s staying, or maybe she at least left some clues. But I know the rift at the summit is her doing, because the magic has her signature.”

At the other end of the room, Dash finally found her weapon, and seemed to be repairing it and tuning back up. Big Mac had followed her, and seemed to be waiting by the door, standing guard for any, well, guards that chose this time to wander in. Would they even recognize Celestia’s authority, as Hollowed as they all seemed to be now?

Celestia gently folded a wing over me, and I felt safe in her shadow. “Come. We’ll find our way out of the palace, and then we’ll see you to the west gate, before we head to the bar to discuss how we’re going to restore Canterlot. Hopefully, that will all be done by the time you return, with Princess Luna by your side.”

She made it sound so simple. I was going to be climbing the Canterhorn, all by myself, to find another alicorn princess at the peak. But at least my task was clear, for once.

Author's Note

And with this arc concluded, it's time for the story to go back on hiatus until the next few chapters are fully finished and ready to post. Apologies for the delays, but I hope these recent posts serve as proof that I am writing, and I am going to finish this story. I just can't make any promises about how long it will take.

Considering the conversations in this chapter, I'd also like to take this time to remind people who may have speculations about the greater plot and certain points of characterization to consider using spoiler tags, just in case a new reader sees the newest comments first.

The song for this chapter is the Mountain Goats - Tucson Fog.

As always, send thanks to my pre-readers, Prince-Nightfire93, Citizen, SisterHorseteeth, and Non Uberis.

Finally, my links to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency and the Palestine Children's Relief Fund. Hopefully the next arc of chapters is ready soon, and when it is, this crisis will have been resolved, so I won't feel the need to include these links going forward.